La Terrazza di Roma -- Excellent Food, Failing Management…read more
The kitchen and serving staff are genuinely impressive -- skilled, attentive, and professional without being intrusive. The food is consistently excellent. Unfortunately, two separate visits have been marred by rude, unprofessional behavior from management, which no amount of good pasta can offset.
**Visit 1 -- November 28, 2025**
My wife and I ordered lasagna and chicken parmigiana with a bottle of wine. The meal was excellent. Our bill came to 2,800 pesos before gratuity, and we asked the manager for change from a 500-peso note to tip both our server and the musician. He produced the change, but audibly grumbled throughout -- a petty response to a routine request in any full-service restaurant, let alone one positioning itself at the high end of the Puerto Vallarta market. I attributed it to a bad night and moved on.
**Visit 2 -- May 14, 2026**
The food again was outstanding: thinly sliced eggplant with dates and pine nuts, arancini al tartufo, gnocchi, and linguini. The servers were excellent. The hostess was not.
We arrived at 6:45 p.m. and requested an outdoor table. The hostess told us none were available -- all reserved. We were seated inside. Over the next ninety minutes, the outdoor section remained nearly empty, with only a handful of those "reserved" tables ever occupied. We were dressed appropriately -- collared shirt, dress shorts, and shoes for me; a sundress for my wife -- so a dress code explanation doesn't apply.
Being deceived about table availability is not a miscommunication. It is a lie.
**Bottom Line**
Two visits, two distinct incidents of management behaving in ways that would be unacceptable at a food truck, much less a fine-dining establishment. This is not bad luck; it is a pattern. If the owner is not the manager, I would strongly encourage them to evaluate who is representing the front of house. The kitchen deserves better, and so do the guests.
There are many restaurants in Puerto Vallarta with welcoming hosts and gracious management. I will be dining at those instead.