Autentiko - Gusto Napoletano — Restaurant in Circolo di Lugano ovest

A Disappointing and Discriminatory Experience at Authentico Lugano

We had one of our worst dining experiences at Authentico restaurant in Lugano. From the moment we arrived, we were treated with noticeable disregard. Despite being Swiss citizens ourselves, the staff’s behavior towards us starkly contrasted with their attention to other guests — seemingly based on skin color and appearance. This level of discrimination is not only unacceptable but deeply upsetting.

Upon entering, the restaurant was empty, yet we were left standing for nearly 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. The waitress, in particular, was dismissive and unfriendly throughout the evening. Our food — pizzas and pasta — took over an hour to arrive, even after multiple reminders that we had young children with us. The staff's lack of urgency or concern was alarming.

When the food finally came, it was a complete disappointment. The pizza lacked flavor, presentation, and even basic sauce — a simple Margherita was poorly made. It did not reflect any standard of Italian cuisine we expected.

What added to the frustration was the complete lack of oversight from the manager, who walked around without noticing or addressing the delays or our visible dissatisfaction. This is not how guests should be treated — not in Switzerland, and not anywhere.

We are writing this review not just out of frustration, but out of a need to hold such establishments accountable. No one should face discrimination or poor service based on their appearance. We hope this feedback prompts serious...

My girlfriend and I went there for drinks and it was the worst service we have ever experienced. From the moment we walked in the staff was visibly discriminatory to us. There were 3 servers for about 6 tables yet it took 20-25 minutes to come over to us to take our order ( I know we should have just left).

We finished our drinks and we were planning on getting another one, but the staff refused to even acknowledge that our table existed. About 20 minutes after finishing our drinks we actively started to wave over the waitresses to get any sort of attention. We watched them look at us and visibly ignore us. When another family came in and sat next to us I was finally able to ask them for our check. The waitress visibly rolled her eyes the second I turned away after I asked for the check (my girlfriend informed me).

I was so surprised and felt so disrespected I googled the place and found similar reviews noting their discriminatory behavior. I have never left a review but after feeling so disrespected by this staff I felt I should. For those wondering my girlfriend and I are...

Not a great experience, especially in terms of service. We were confused and had a difficulty in choosing from a menu and waiting staff had zero interest in helping us, preferring quick yes/no answers to questions. Instead, they offered a bottled water for additional price, which we accepted not knowingly. In the end we ordered not what we wanted to (pizza instead of a starter), with a long waiting time and average quality. The cocktails were ok. The location and prices are clearly tourist oriented so it is weird that the place is so poorly catered to...