It's not often I give 5* but this is well deserved. Service was friendly and the food and wine…read moreexcellent. To quench my thirst a large German beer was needed before starting. All good so far. We started off with a mixed platter of wonderfully fresh food which got even grumpy old me happy. I enjoyed every bit of it. For my main course I had ox cheeks. Well I'm not sure I've ever had such a tasty and tender cheek. It was beyond reproach and as my wife would say I'm very picky. With this we had a deep and long tasting bottle of Barbera D'Alba which suited the ox cheeks perfectly. No pud but wonderful expresso and a couple of clear grappas each. €150 for two of us; 2 beers, 2 starters, 2 main courses, 1 bottle red wine, 2 expressos, and 4 grappas - wonderful. If you can pop in!

Dear Pasta e Gamberoni,…read more Unfortunately, I live on the other side of the world but I will visit you next time I am in Essen (hopefully this year!) Your truffle spaghetti is out of this world yummy, with huge chunks of shaved truffle, Your spicy tomato sauce is also one of my favorites. Also, your panzerotti in cream sauce. Your gambas (giant shrimp prawns) appetizer is delicious as well as your mushroom beef carpaccio and the prices are more than reasonable. I love how intimate and cozy your atmosphere is. + how sweet all the people who work and dine there are. Your bread is like crack, and I could swim in your balsamic and olive oil selection. Don't ever change. xo Sincerely, me.

Worst customer service ever. Reserved a table upfront. But when we arrived, all tables were taken…read more It took forever to get some attention from the staff. Then they were extremely rude and told us to go for a walk (in icy conditions in December!!!). We were told maybe we would have more luck later. Don't even try to make a reservation, it does not help. They also don't seem to appreciate your business at all. I was never ignored so much or treated so rudely in any other restaurant before in the entire world. Would not try to go back, if they paid me to do so...

Great Italian food and service!! Working a trade show in…read moreEssen several years in a row and have returned multiple times.

Leider so, wie man sich einen Italiener in Essen vorstellt. Einfache Holztische (????), eine super…read morenette Kellnerin und mürrische Kellner, Pizza mit viel zu wenig Salz, schlechten Meeresfrüchten und trockenem Oregano drüber geknallt. Naja, was soll man machen, in diesen Zeiten. Bienvenuti, amici - friss oder stirb. Ich bin sicher, sie haben es nicht leicht - aber ich hab es auch nicht leicht. Und 23€ für ein großes Altbier und diese Pizza ist mir einfach zu teuer (für Trinkgeld reicht es immer!!! MUSS).

Long on ambiance, extensive wine list and good food. This was my second visit to La Grappa. Last…read moreyear I had a memorable meal and an excellent wine. My only complaint would be that the owner/manager was perhaps not as friendly and helpful as I would expect from a restaurant in this price range. This time I asked for a wine suggestion. Without asking a about our tastes or price range , he pulled out a bottle and said it was discounted from €120 to €60 a 2015 from a region and winery I have never heard of. I felt humiliated. Just saying, maybe it's just me.

Reservation was made one month ago and then crossed out so we were unable to eat. The owner was…read moreextremely rude and not extremely helpful to find another reservation.