What could have been a nice dinner became something forgettable…read more
TL;DR
4 stars for the food and atmosphere
-2 stars for the service
Long version
There are too many good Italian restaurants in the Agnesviertel, my current neigborhood, to eat at a place that isn't attentive to it's customers. On a quiet week night, you would expect the people working at a restaurant to be able to provide good service- Cucina di Rosa doesn't seem to agree.
The food is good, so I am focusing on the service.
Without a reservation, we were seated near the bar in a very nice window booth for two. A perfect setting for a great evening. There were 3-4 other groups in the restaurant. A woman arrives quickly with menus. We look and prepare our choices- wine and pasta, of course. She comes back, takes our order, and my wife and I get to chatting. The woman pours our wine and sets the glasses on the bar... and she leaves. Are we supposed to walk up to the bar to get our wine? Is she coming back?.. No, it seems she just forgot about us. I make eye contact with another person there, ask if that is in fact our wine, he nods yes, looks at the woman (who shakes her head acknowledging she forgot), and he hurriedly brings the glasses over.
Five minutes later, my starter arrives covered in truffels (yum!). After I devour the Carpaccio, I put my used fork and knife on the plate. One of the two people come back to pick up the plate, fork and knife. Wifey and I continue chatting and drinking our wine.
Ten or so minutes later, our main dishes come out. Fish salad for her, pasta with baby calamari for me. I would love to eat, but no one replaced my cutlery. I eventually get a fork and take the wifey's knife to cut the calamari. But wait, I'm ready to eat, but not yet ready.. Parmesan please? Someone? Well, I find that restaurants normally offer you freshly grated parmesan, but no, not at Cucina di Rosa. Not on this quiet night. The woman was busy checking out her phone and keeping up with the people in the back. Wasn't sure where the guy went.
I didn't bother asking for parmesan.. I was ready to be done with the (good) meal. Didn't bother with the dessert, either. Unlike America, where you feel compelled to tip at least 15% even for bad experiences; in Germany, tipping is truly optional. We exercised our option in this case.
Good food brings you in the first time, good service keeps you coming back. Go to Sant' Angelo, Lo Sfizio, or La Gustosa (all nearby), where the food is great and you're treated like family.
