Trattoria — Restaurant in Windermere

We were really looking forward to a lovely and cosy Italian meal when we arrived. It was cold and raining and the decor looked really inviting and the restaurant smelled divine as we entered. There were plenty of guests which made us feel at ease and the Italian slate roofing above the bar and food serving area were a nice little touch to make you feel away from the miserable British weather. However, these are probably the only positives I can report about our dining experience at Trattoria. Upon entry the server barely spoke to us other than confirming our booking, which made me feel like we weren't that welcome or appreciated as guests. After being seated, it took over 10 minutes for anyone to come to take a drinks order (by this time we had already chosen our food as well). It took almost another 10 minutes for our drinks to arrive. My wife didnsay that the pinot grigio was a nice wine. We waited a while longer and the starters arrived. We had order the mussels piccanti and the trio Italian. The trio was nothing special, but everything seemed a little small, oily and unimpressive for an appetiser dish costing £10. The mussels piccanti were not like any dish I've ever had before. The sauce was bright yellow (I've had mussels piccanti in Italy that had a yellow tint due to the saffron used), unfortunately the reason behind this was not saffron, but the overwhelming amount of turmeric used. The mussels themselves were nice and well cooked but completely ruined by the ridiculously earthy and spicy sauce that tasted of nothing but turmeric and has probably dyed my fingers like a Simpson for the next week! The bread was also inedible and stale to a point where it barely absorbed any of the sauce anyway (not that I particularly wanted to 'mop it up'). It was not a mussels piccanti. Later the mains came. We ordered a quattro stagioni pizza and the parmigiana di melanzana (my favourite Italian dish). The pizza base was good, but spoiled by the undercooked toppings that meant my wife couldn't finish it. The parmigiana di melanzana was horrible. It was nothing like the traditional dish. The aubergine wasn't sliced flat, it was cut into undercooked chunks that tasted raw and had an uncomfortable texture to eat. The sauce was full of cream to the point where it was way too rich to eat and the whole thing felt like a oven-baked pot of creamy mush. I was really disappointed and I'm sure the nonnas of Italy would be too. After this I decided against ordering a dessert (not wanting to spend more money on disappointment). We were given a shot of limoncello with the bill that was a nice touch, but after drinking that we felt uncomfortable when finishing our drinks as the waiters seemed to be stood by the bar just watching and waiting for us to leave so that they could clear and clean our table. (It was not that late and there were still other couples eating food) Overall it was a very disappointing experience and I felt sad when I left the restaurant as I had such high hopes for it. The atmosphere of the place was lovely and the potential is there, but somewhere down the line, this place seems to have lost itself.

I don't normally leave reviews, but I felt I had to this time. I hope they manage to get that Italian magic spark back with both the service and the food, as the Italian food and culture are amazing and something to...

This was unfortunately the worst dining experience I’ve had in the UK.

Food: The food itself was average at best. We ordered the seafood sharing board (the best dish of the night, 8/10), the carbonara (6/10), and the risotto, which was very bland and disappointing.

Service & Experience 0/10: The service, however, was truly unacceptable. On our first day, my friend and I walked in and were told the restaurant was fully booked, despite there being many empty tables. We accepted it and left, but later that evening when we passed by again, those tables were still empty. We couldn’t help but feel we weren’t welcome—possibly because we are Asian.

The next day, I made a booking. Because our hiking trip ran long, I had to adjust the reservation a couple of times. When a staff member called me, instead of greeting me politely, he immediately demanded, “Why do you make different bookings? Why? What happened?” —a very rude and unprofessional tone.

When we arrived, I asked if we could sit by the window for a nicer view. The staff member overheard me but ignored my request, then told me sternly, “No, you can’t. All tables are booked.” We were already seated at a table for four, and the other table by the window was also for four, so the refusal felt unreasonable. Even if it wasn’t possible to move, a polite explanation would have been the professional way to handle it.

The worst moment came at the end. I had a 10% discount voucher but forgot to present it until after receiving the bill. When I mentioned it, the male staff member literally shouted at me, “Why didn’t you show me before? Why? I don’t know if I can do it now; the system is closed!” He was visibly angry and continued to blame me, even though I apologised repeatedly. As someone who also works in hospitality, I understand how challenging the job can be—but forgetting to show a discount voucher does not justify being shouted at in front of everyone. I swear to god, both I and my friends were talking to the staff very politely. Therefore, there is no reason and zero tolerance for the staff treating us like this.

Throughout our meal, no staff checked in to see if our food or drinks were okay. Meanwhile, we observed them happily engaging and chatting with other (white) customers. We were the only Asian customers that night, and while I don’t use the word lightly, the way we were treated made it hard not to feel there was bias involved.

The lady server was probably the nicest server there; she took our order with a smile. But the male servers are horrible and rude.

I had brought cash specifically to leave a tip, but after this experience, I felt the service did not deserve it.

Overall, the food was passable, but the way we were treated was deeply disappointing and left us...

Terrible Dining Experience: Rude Racist Staff and Tasteless Food I recently had the displeasure of dining at La Trattoria that left a bitter taste in my mouth, and not just because of their flavorless food. From start to finish, the experience was an absolute disaster that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy.

First and foremost, the staff at this establishment were incredibly rude and shockingly racist. On a scorching hot day, my companions and I politely requested tap water to quench our thirst. However, instead of accommodating our basic request, the waiter completely ignored us and arrogantly insisted that everything had to be ordered through their app. It was clear that our simple request inconvenienced him, but that doesn't excuse his dismissive and disrespectful attitude.

To add insult to injury, when we finally received a menu, it was only one copy for our entire table. How are we supposed to make informed choices when we can't even peruse the options individually? This lack of attention to detail and customer service is simply unacceptable.

As we waited for our orders, we decided to cool off with some lemonade. Much to our disappointment, the drink arrived lukewarm, which was extremely unappetizing. When we asked for ice to remedy the situation, it took an excruciatingly long time for the request to be fulfilled. Clearly, the staff couldn't be bothered to prioritize their customers' satisfaction.

Now, let's talk about the food—or lack thereof. It was astonishingly bland and tasteless, as if the chef had forgotten to include any seasoning or spices in the preparation. Every bite felt like a chore, and it was a struggle to finish our meals. I expected much more from a restaurant that claims to offer a memorable dining experience.

In conclusion, I strongly advise everyone to steer clear of this restaurant. The combination of rude and racist staff, along with tasteless food, makes it an establishment that deserves to be avoided at all costs. Save yourself the frustration and disappointment and choose a different dining option where your taste buds will be treated with respect, and you'll be treated as a...