La Bottega di Mario — Restaurant in Zurich

La Bottega di Mario is a traditional Italian restaurant in the heart of Zürich, Switzerland. The restaurant is known for its authentic Italian cuisine with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The menu at La Bottega di Mario features a wide variety of Italian classics, including:

Pizzas: The pizzas are made with fresh dough and high-quality toppings, and they are cooked in a wood-fired oven. Some famous pizzas include the Margherita, the Prosciutto Funghi, and the Quattro Stagioni. The pizzas are cooked to perfection, with a crispy crust and a gooey center. The toppings are fresh and flavorful, and the combination of ingredients is simply delicious. Pastas: The pastas are made fresh daily, and they are served with a variety of different sauces, such as tomato sauce, pesto, and Alfredo sauce. The most popular pastas include the Spaghetti Carbonara, the Penne Arrabiata, and the Lasagna. The pasta is cooked perfectly al dente, and the spices are rich and flavorful. The Spaghetti Carbonara is a particular highlight, with a creamy sauce made with eggs, bacon, and Parmesan cheese. Secondi Piatti (Main Courses): The second Piatti includes a variety of meat and fish dishes, such as the Saltimbocca alla Romana, the Pollo alla Milanese, and the Pesce alla Griglia. The Saltimbocca alla Romana is a classic Italian dish with veal cutlets, prosciutto, and sage. The Pollo alla Milanese is a breaded and fried chicken cutlet served with lemon wedges. The Pesce alla Griglia is a grilled fish dish that is served with a variety of different side dishes. The secondi piatti are all perfectly cooked and sure to please any palate. In addition to the main menu, La Bottega di Mario also has various daily specials based on fresh, seasonal ingredients. The daily specials are constantly changing, so you can be sure to find something new and exciting to try every time you visit.

La Bottega di Mario also has an extensive wine list with various Italian wines. The wine list is curated by a sommelier who is always happy to help you select the perfect wine to pair with your meal.

The service at La Bottega di Mario is friendly and attentive. The staff is always happy to answer any questions about the menu or the wine list. They are also pleased to make recommendations based on your dietary restrictions or preferences.

The atmosphere at La Bottega di Mario is warm and inviting. The restaurant is decorated in a traditional Italian style, with red and white checkered tablecloths and dark wood furniture. The restaurant is also home to a salumeria, where you can purchase a variety of Italian meats, cheeses, and other delicacies.

Overall, La Bottega di Mario is an excellent restaurant for anyone looking for authentic Italian cuisine in Zürich. The food is delicious, the service is fantastic, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. I highly...

We had dinner here last night as a group of 6. The food was really tasty and the atmosphere is cozy and lovely. Unfortunately the server was a disaster and basically ruined our experience. Servers have a hard job and I try to cut them slack, but this guy was just a nightmare. He was inattentive and impossible to flag down even though the place was only half full, and when we did get his attention, he just...literally did not listen to us and in the end ripped us off.

After drinking a bottle of white wine with appetizers, we asked for the wine menu again to order a red. He brought the wine by the glass menu. Took forever to get his attention to bring us the full wine menu. He finally brought it at the same time as our mains. Disappeared again. We finally found him again to order the red and...it came after we were all done with our main dishes.

The server also really took advantage of us. One of our group ordered a pasta from the truffle menu where they shave truffle on top by weight. It was really clear that she hadn't seen this before and didnt understand how it worked. The server shaved 10 grams truffle costing 90 francs (!) onto her pasta super quickly in a few seconds before the rest of started shouting at him to stop because she clearly didn't realize that she had to stop him. 90 francs of truffle on 25 franc pasta!

The red wine that we waited forever for was also not the wine we ordered but rather one that cost 20 francs more. Unfortunately by the time it arrived we were fed up and not checking the label carefully. The waiter also completely forgot to bring an appetizer, which I am 100% sure would have ended up on the bill had we not preemptively pointed it out and told him to cancel it. His response when we pointed it out after finishing our mains, "it's coming." No, dude, it's not coming, we're already done. There were many other problems too - these were just the most serious ones.

So this waiter basically ruined an otherwise lovely evening and cost us over 100 francs more. Total lack of integrity and disaster. Really a shame because it would otherwise be a great place that I could have seen becoming a regular...

If you’ve ever wanted to experience the art of the upsell, look no further! From the moment you sit down, the waiters—oozing just the right amount of arrogance—make it their mission to ensure you leave with a lighter wallet. They don’t ask if you want the larger portion; they just assume you do, because obviously, you deserve the best (and by “the best,” they mean the most expensive option).

To be fair, the appetizers were shockingly good—the avocado and beetroot tartar and the artichoke and goat cheese salad were almost enough to lull us into believing we were in for a great meal. Then came the main courses: a saffron risotto and cheese ravioli so aggressively salty they might as well have been served with a doctor’s warning. Perhaps the chef just really wanted us to appreciate the overpriced bottled water.

And of course, no dining experience is complete without the tip hustle—a performance worthy of an award. The friendly-but-persistent reminders about service charges were almost as well-executed as the decor, which, by the way, is absolutely stunning. If only the same attention to detail went into the food (or, you know, basic customer service).

So, if you love a beautiful setting, an overpriced meal, and the thrill of being expertly hustled, this place is an...