Prezzo Italian Restaurant Reading — Restaurant in Reading

I am writing to share feedback regarding my recent visit to Prezzo on Sunday, 12th January, to celebrate my 4th anniversary with my partner. We chose Prezzo as the restaurant for this special occasion because I received a Buyagift voucher as a Christmas gift from my parents. Having used Buyagift restaurant vouchers before, I have always had smooth and pleasant experiences.

Prior to our visit, I booked a table using the Buyagift voucher code, and the booking was confirmed in the system. During our visit, my partner and I ordered our meals, and when it came time to pay, I showed the waitress the voucher code. To my surprise, she informed me that it was too late to use the voucher and that there was a specific set menu for this offer. This was never communicated to us upon our arrival.

She proceeded to show us the set menu, and while one of our meals aligned with the menu, my partner’s choices did not. I politely asked if any form of discount could be applied due to the misunderstanding, but this request was declined.

Overall, I am deeply disappointed with the experience. The food was mediocre at best, the pasta portions were small, and the total cost was far higher than we have ever paid for a dinner for two.

Furthermore, when the waitress consulted her colleague, the colleague confirmed that the voucher code was indeed in the system. Despite this, the waitress returned without offering an apology or acknowledgment that the booking had been made using the voucher.

This experience was particularly disappointing as it marred what was meant to be a special celebration. I hope this feedback will be taken into account to improve the experience for other customers...

My partner and I went here just last night. We made a reservation and within minutes they called to let us know the toilets were out of service. It was very considerate. We arrived and promptly sat in a clean area. Our server was very kind. I had the crab and lobster ravioli, the server helped me choose a wine to match. My partner had a penne arribatta and J2O. The ravioli was divine and the paired wine was the perfect complement. Then we ordered a slice of lemon meringue pie. This pie had a large layer of meringue on top, more than one might see normally. The top of the meringue was golden crisp, like the sugar topping of creme brulé. The lemon filling was thick, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It was the perfect filling to hold the meringue topping. The crust was crumbly and sweet, but a grounding flavour to pull it all together and not compete with the main flavours. With the first bite I wanted to let out tears of pure bliss. With each bite I felt like melting into the joy and small moans of enjoyment escaped me. My partner said I was making similar faces to the faces I make in bed. As I came to the last spoonful I wanted to cry that the experience was ending. In the thirty+ years of my life, never have I had such an emotional experience brought from a slice of pie. I am truly sad that it will be such a long time before I can holiday in Reading again and enjoy the superior craftsmanship of Prezzo lemon...

My recent dining experience at this restaurant on a Friday was notably subpar. The most glaring issue was the excessive waiting time. We endured a wait of over an hour for our food, which was exacerbated by a miscommunication with the waiter. He mistakenly waited for us to finish our starter before placing our order for the main course, resulting in an additional 50-minute wait for simple pasta dishes.

The quality of the food was equally disappointing. The presentation and garnishing were lackluster, and the flavors were uninspiring. More concerning was the quality of the pizza served to my daughter, which seemed to be made with old dough and resulted in a severe stomach ache for her. In fact, all of us experienced mild to moderate digestive issues following the meal.

Additionally, the restaurant's ambiance did not compensate for these shortcomings. The tables and furniture were noticeably old and worn, contributing to an atmosphere more akin to a school cafeteria than a dining establishment. This, combined with the overall poor dining experience, made the high prices seem particularly unreasonable. Given these factors, I have no intention of returning to this restaurant and am left with an overall sense of...