Trattoria Appia — Restaurant in Providence

*An edit after the owner's comment: First you could start with an apology to my mother, if that was your Nonna crying on your security video you would be horrified. The server and hostess saw her crying and were kind and empathetic, something you should try it's called Customer Service. 2nd, I only had salad and both entrees were taken away untouched so you must be looking at someone else on your video. 3rd, Pay attention to food allergies and mark your menu and the items that leave the kitchen, Servsafe 101. This wasn't the only bad review you got that day.

I hope you didn't order the Easter salmon, if you did call the RIDOH! This place was good when it was Zooma, but after today this epic kitchen fail unlike anything we've ever experienced is the final blow. They literally ruined Easter Sunday lunch for my 85 year old mom who hasn't been well. The waiter was excellent, but the food and kitchen communication was a nightmare. My 1" slice of $27 salmon was so old fish smelly as soon as I peeled the skin off, like fish that has been in the trash for days, like something that should have been tossed from the walk-in last week. It reeked! The waiter scrambled to find me something else on the not GF marked menu that would be gluten free that by the time it showed up my mom was done with her dinner. What arrived via busser was not marked GF so I had to ask if it was safe, by the time he came back the waiter already took it away because it wasn't. That was 2 entrees that had to head to the trash because nobody in the kitchen communicated, one that should never have been served at all. The tables around us were horrified and asked us what was happening it was hard to hide that this was really bad. One family were talking about leaving, hopefully they did. We were comped whatever that was we did eat (me a caprese with one basil leaf and hot house tomatoes) and paid for the wine. I should add that my mom could not stop CRYING at the table and when we left over how bad that was, so bad that I took her to Pane e Vino for dessert which is where we should have gone in the first place. They heard all about it! I tried to make a joke about this ridiculous waste of a day but it really upset her. This was literally one of the worst Providence restaurant experiences we've ever had, we can't stop going over how weird and horrible that was. Will never come back. NOT...

Came here for our anniversary last night. Our server Tyler was so sweet, and food pretty good. We had a reservation (under Mike carey) so once we got through the very slow line at the hottest desk, we were seated quickly. From that point the service was very slow. I wasn’t setting a stop watch so I can’t give you specific timing and after reading the proprietors responses to these reviews, I don’t care to guess. However everything took way too long, from Drink refills, bread and water, our actual order, even the bill at the end, way too long. As a former server I noticed some nuances in how they run this place. I wonder if the servers have sections or rotate tables? The only time I saw Tylor was when she was at our table, I never saw her serving our surrounding tables, this maybe why it took so long for everything. The food runners were very confused as to what table ordered what which made me wonder if they don’t use table numbers? Or was it that these awkwardly closely arranged tables were quickly placed to accommodate more party’s then this kitchen could truly handle in effort to make more money but by sacrificing quality and service? Our meals were not bad, I had the chicken parm which was good but the sauce had a funny taste to it, either way I was starving and ate most of it so it couldn’t have been that bad, my husband said the same about his pizza, I didn’t bother to try it, didn’t look appealing! We didn’t mention anything to the manger because literally every table around us had already done so and it didn’t seem to help them at all. On top of that we were celebrating our anniversary, we didn’t want to focus on anything negative. I am not looking for a gift card or a refund or anything like that. I’m hoping this review is read without defensiveness and changes can be made so that your hard working staff can be set up for success instead of disappointment. I will say the artwork throughout the restaurant is beautiful, and bathrooms were...

We had a reservation and were seated promptly. The ambiance is modern and the space was clean and comfortable—pleasant, though nothing particularly memorable. Our server, Simone, greeted us quickly and remained courteous throughout the evening.

We started with the Mozzarella in Carrozza, which was solid but nothing memorable. For our mains, we ordered the Gnocchi al Forno, Farfalle alla Appia, and Penne alla Vodka, opting to substitute housemade Cavatelli for an additional $6 and adding fried chicken for another $8. The food overall was good, but not exceptional—and the portions were surprisingly small for dinner entrées, especially given the price point.

A few odd details:The bread and olive oil were brought out after our appetizer, which was just bizarre. It’s a basic part of the dining experience that usually comes at the start, so the timing felt completely off. Additionally, when Simone offered the housemade pasta and fried chicken upgrade, she didn’t mention the upcharge. It may have been buried somewhere in the fine print of the menu, but it caught us off guard when we saw it on the bill.

Unfortunately, the billing process became the most frustrating part of the evening. The check was so faintly printed it was nearly unreadable, and the credit card receipts were just as bad—we even had to write “Please replace the toner” on the restaurant’s copy. When I pointed it out, Simone attempted to read the total out loud but got it wrong. In the end, we had to check the transaction on our phone to confirm the amount. This kind of confusion is bizzare and unacceptable, especially for a place branding itself as fine dining.

We’ve dined at many fine restaurants, and while every place has its quirks, this experience felt uneven. If Trattoria Appia wants to be considered in the fine dining category, it needs to offer more than just decent food—the full experience should feel polished and thoughtful. Sadly, that wasn’t the...