Quattro Passi

A few words so many facts! Simple food cooked with skill and love, that's what we heard. Not for nothing did Jeff Bezos choose chef Fabrizio Mellino for his wedding lunch. Nothing to add 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🫶

We had chosen this restaurant as the culmination of a special vacation we had planned for over a year and it exceeded our expectations. The setting is beautiful, overlooking the water with the seating arranged so that the diners can enjoy the wonderful view. The service was exemplary every step of the way. We had brought our children with us to enjoy this special night. They had eaten at another tasting menu restaurant earlier in our vacation so we were prepared for them to do so again. Despite this, the owner and former chef told us not to do so for our two younger children since it would be too much food and let them order only two courses while the rest of us had three. This was very unexpected and so kind of him. It was emblematic of the care we were shown by him and the staff throughout the evening. Taking the chef’s cue, we did the three course a la carte option for the rest of us but that doesn’t do justice to the number of courses you actually receive. The food was wonderful- beautifully plated, with varied flavors and, most importantly, delicious. The sommelier was excellent and helped to us choose a fantastic wine, one that we were keen on finding once we returned from vacation. We alerted the restaurant before we arrived that someone in our party had a food allergy. It is usually not a problem because it’s a fruit that is not on many menus and usually can be avoided if it is. Usually we don’t even mention it but given that it was a tasting menu we figured we should let the restaurant know. Towards the end of the meal, we were served a pre-dessert and, of course, it was part of that course. The kitchen, however, made the same dessert but replaced that ingredient so that everyone could enjoy the same courses. The subbed dish was of course as fantastic as the others. By the end of the meal, we were stuffed and they offered to pack the parting dessert for us so we could enjoy it the following day. All these little touches plus the quality of the food added up to a fantastic night. All in all it was an amazing evening- one that my family will treasure.

My wife and I have been fortunate to have dined at many great restaurants throughout the world. Of course we use the Michelin guide to give us an idea of which restaurants one might consider but we also try to have an open mind and we try to be guided by the chef's vision as we embark on this gastronomic journey together. We were of course excited to dine at this exceptional restaurant. The setting is idyllic in Nerano with breath-taking sea views. We arrived early (usually not our style but we wanted to enjoy sunset at this wonderful location) and were greeted warmly. After a minor delay we were then whisked to our beautiful corner table with a wonderful sea view. Salvatore and Antonio introduced themselves and were excellent servers Every course we had was fresh, creative and full of flavor. The wine pairings complemented our meal wonderfully and Kiara the sommelier guided us masterfully through these wonderful wines. Overall we were impressed with this wonderful place and feel it has a well deserved three Michelin star

Let me start by saying: we have experienced several of the 3 Michelin stars, both from customers and from brigade. That is precisely why we feel the need to highlight some serious shortcomings which, in a context of this level, cannot be overlooked. The location is undeniably splendid: an immense kitchen, a beautiful room with mise en place cared for in every detail, and a green that envelops the place to be envied by anyone. From this point of view, nothing to object to: the initial impact promises a memorable experience. Sitting at the table, however, the charm breaks. The menu excludes the signature dish of the chef, proposed as an addition for a fee: a choice that, more than finesse, conveys the idea of a discounted “cunning”. In the dining room, then, there is no reference figure: the command is taken from the father of the chef who, if at least he proposed a real antithesis of the menu, it could be elegant, but it is not. The management of dietary variations was the most obvious fall. Although we had clearly requested the absence of cheeses, in the amuse-bouche we are served a taste of Parmesan cheese and a provolone chips (also excellent) accompanied by an explanation at least embarrassing: “there is little of it”. The dishes are left on the table and then disposed of intact, without anyone bothering to ask why. Again: at a “no onion” and “no inside”, the order is upset, with the last course (rooster) deprived of the liver chips, but without any minimal creative effort of substitution. The justification? “She doesn’t need us.” This is not a detail: in a three-star hotel every variant should become an opportunity for inventiveness, not subtraction. The wine chapter is just as disappointing. The bottles are served without even mentioning them, in a Service that betrays a lack of training or attention: inconceivable at this level. Finally, a note on the management of the account: part of the payment was made in cash, in ways that left us puzzled. In conclusion, when you are chosen from only 14 “Yodas” of Italian cuisine, the expected level is that of obsession with perfection: from the gloss of the plate at the entrance to the leaf on the last petit four. Here, unfortunately, that obsession has been missed.