Leni Candan
Google
I recently had some friends visiting me in Aosta and decided to take them to this restaurant, as I had enjoyed a good experience here in the past. Unfortunately, this visit turned into one of the most shocking and unpleasant dining experiences I have ever had.
We were a group of four and ordered the trout, the fonduta, and the bourguignonne to share. The owner, who was serving us, seemed surprised by our order and his demeanour was rude and abrupt, so we double-checked with his son, the other server, asking whether ordering both fonduta and bourguignonne would be too much. He reassured us that it was fine, explaining that we could enjoy the fonduta while the bourguignonne cooked.
When the food arrived, things immediately began to go wrong. The fonduta was served completely cold, alongside a single portion of bourguignonne: one plate of meat, one cooker, and one set of sauces. We clarified that we had ordered four portions, not one, at which point three more plates of meat were brought—but still only one cooker and no additional sauces. We were left trying to cook four portions of meat on a single burner.
To make matters worse, the cooker repeatedly went out. We relit it ourselves several times, but it kept failing. When we raised the issue, the staff dismissed our concerns, saying it was “just catching the wind wrong.” Eventually, after much persistence on our part, they reluctantly changed it—only after first trying to “fix” it by adding more lighter fluid and even placing a serving plate in front of it (see photo). No apologies for getting the order wrong or the cooker not working properly.
By the time the bill arrived, we were deeply dissatisfied with the service and politely asked for a small discount to reflect the poor experience. What followed was truly unbelievable. Immediately, both the owner and his son became extremely hostile, shouting at us in front of the entire restaurant. They accused us of ordering incorrectly, of cooking too much meat at once, and even of having come to the restaurant to get a free meal. The owner and his son repeatedly demanded, “How much do you want off your bill?” while shouting aggressively. At one point, the owner even moved towards us in such a threatening manner that his son had to physically hold him back.
They told us to leave without paying which we were not comfortable doing. We made it clear that we were not asking for a free meal, only a fair adjustment. In fact, we then insisted on paying in full just to de-escalate the situation and because we felt insulted by their insinuation. Shockingly, they then refused to let us pay at all until, after a long and humiliating argument, they finally took our payment—only to throw €40 in cash at us, saying “here is your discount.” We left it and walked out, utterly embarrassed in front of my guests.
I have never been treated so badly in a restaurant. The service was appalling, and the behaviour of the staff beyond unacceptable. I will never return, and I cannot recommend this place to anyone.
