Via Italia

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 8:58 am

We have eatern in Italian restaurants of, varying qualities, all over the world, but this must be the worst!
We made the mistake of being taken in by the location, and the look of the place.
My wife was persuaded to have the seafood special which was promoted as an exotic seafood rissotto. It turned out to be a soupy type thing with a couple of langostine and various fishy bits floating in a ricey soup, the main constituent of which I was convinced was tinned processed peas.
It was SO bad that my darling wife who is so British that she would rather suffer in silence and never sends food back, called the manager over and told him her meal was inedible.
She agreed, against her better judgement ( after voluable entreaties), to accept another dish. This was over cooked pasta and tasted of nothing.

I had the evening "House Special" Black Pork with 3 sauces. What I recieved was a grilled tenderloin, served with Tomato ketchup, Mustard and mayonnaise. For that I was charged 18 euros.
Had my wife not already sent her meal back, I certainly would have. As it was we decided to cut our losses and leave.

We have had cheaper meals at Elle&Ella and L'Orange, but at least they were enjoyable experiences. Via Italia was a disgrace to the good name of Italian cuisine

Mike,Chislehurst · Post by **Mike,Chislehurst** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:33 am

Sounds pretty bad, what was the coffee like?

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:42 am

Don't think they stayed long enough for the coffee......

tricky · Post by **tricky** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:21 pm

Have you had their Garlic Bread without the Garlic?
(we've had it twice - I'll give anything a second chance)

Tricky

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:35 am

Garlic bread without garlic....mmmmmmm sounds about par for the course

Youre dead right...we didn't stay for either dessert or coffee, nor will we give Via Italia a 2nd chance. There are far too many much better, and more reasonably priced restaurants in Carvoeiro.

jojo · Post by **jojo** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 8:12 pm

Where is this Via Italia? Is it the one on the steep hill going off Farol past the round newsagent stand? (With the dodgy mags hanging up high?

)

tricky · Post by **tricky** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:28 pm

Yep that's the one

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:10 am

I think this restaurant has had many bad reports about it over the years, wonder why people still go there?

Sorry I expect those who know wouldn't go there but if you are unaware of the reputation then it would be difficult to know before hand.

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:14 pm

Yes, LJ, I had a similar thought (wondering why people visit a place with so many bad reports), so I did a search on Via Italia on this forum

1. There are a number of contributors who rate this place as "the best in town" or similar.
2. There are far more contributions berating the staff and the food.

From which I conclude:

A. Lots of people visit CVO without reading the forum

B. Lots of people come to CVO for the first time and are taken in by the location and look. I imagine you can fill a restaurant all season with first timers

C. Given the number of people rating this place highly, I can only end with: One man's meat is another man's poison

And please do not read anything into that

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:14 pm

True, so very true. I am sure that some of my personal favourites are not those of others.

roy4eyes · Post by **roy4eyes** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:24 pm

Whilst I can understand people not being happy with their meals, can I ask what they did about it ?

The two obvious things are 1/ ask to speak to the owner/manager and/or 2/ ask for the complaints book.

If the former, in this case Gaetano, will not do anything about it - and certainly when we had an unsatisfactory dish he knocked it off the bill and gave us free wine and digestifs - the threat of the complaints book which is inspected regularly by the authorities almost certainly will produce results.

tricky · Post by **tricky** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:22 pm

Via Italia is odd.
Yes we did complain both times about the garlic bread and had it replaced with the same quality non-garlic bread. But we have had some very nice meals there, and their gnocchi can't be faulted. I am always sympathetic to 'off nights' but can't quite work out why the quality can be so inconsistent at Via Italia

Tricky

zhit · Post by **zhit** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:11 am

We've made some 'not-so-good'-experiences, too. Especially with those meals which are quiet expensive.

Our advice: the best thing at "Via Italia" is the mixed salad and the pizza with three kinds of cheese.

(Of course, if everyone's thinking like that it will take a long time for the owner for his next new Mercedes Cabrio...

)

CM · Post by CM » Fri Dec 01, 2006 3:45 pm

been twice never again, it was truly shite! pardon the tongue but my god with a setting like that......

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:34 am

my feelings exactly! You couldnt've put it better!
I wonder if the owners of these restaurants ever read this forum...I know that Kim from Elle and Ella does.