Calcatonega

The food was good and reasonably priced, and the setting is lovely, surrounded by greenery. I imagine it’s even nicer in summer, when you can have pizza beside the small dance floor with music. I went for lunch on Easter Sunday, though, and the kitchen service and the way the waiters were managed were terrible, perhaps because it was an unusual day.

The setting is beautiful, which makes the lunch even more disappointing. With a €30 fixed menu for our group of 13-15, the starter was arugula, a little shaved parmesan with shredded horseradish, and a vegetable tart. The first courses were a problem from the start: we got 10 grains of rice, counted, with asparagus, and it was cold. When we asked for more, the waiter winked as if irritated. The same happened with the bigoli with duck. They were undercooked, though the sauce was good. The mixed grill came with potatoes, but there were only four small plates of baked potatoes, fewer than 20 potatoes in total. The sausage and chicken were raw. When I asked for more, the waiter said, "I'll see if the other table wants it too (they also had a birthday)." He was serving the same things to two different tables at once, so it seemed one birthday or the other would have to be satisfied. I also asked the other waitress for a draft beer. She handed me a glass covered in foam and actually asked if it was okay. It was all foam, so I asked her to make it again. She looked at me, agreed, and started laughing. The little food I did get was cold, raw, and subpar. Calling it that is being too polite. This was truly one of the worst lunches of my life. The service was embarrassing, and they need competent people working there. I’ll put it in Roman dialect: a customer who leaves because of the price may come back for the service, but one who leaves because of the service won’t come back at any price. Goodbye.

We had a pleasant surprise at dinner with a Smart Box. The service was friendly, and the glass of Cabernet was good. The first courses were especially tasty and came in generous portions, with homemade hare or duck ragù.

I really enjoyed this warm, cute place. The food was good, it was quiet, and the staff were very friendly.