Erlebnishotel Colosseo - Table Reservation

Our second favourite restaurant, after Ammolite, has to be this, Cesare. On the transit from family-with-kids buffet restaurants to family-of-adults, at least r... read more Our second favourite restaurant, after Ammolite, has to be this, Cesare. On the transit from family-with-kids buffet restaurants to family-of-adults, at least regarding age, Cesare was the layover on our way to Ammolite but remains a go-to place.Meal: I tend to start with buffalo mozzarella as an appetiser before ploughing into any of the numerous Italian main courses. I haven’t had a bad meal at Cesare, no overcooked pasta, over- or undercooked meat, no, it’s always been on the spot. You’re reading this so you must at least be considering dining here, and have a fondness for Italian food. Please, go ahead, you’ll enjoy it.Atmosphere: Tucked away in the furthest corner of the immense dining hall, Cesare is a separate restaurant quasi-annexed to the buffet restaurant Medici (I believe it’s called). Medici, clearly aimed at families with children, has a matching atmosphere: higher noise levels, children roaming about, and occasional lines at the buffet. None of this seeps through the grand glass doors into Cesare, save for the few seconds whenever somebody enters or leaves the room. A brief reminder of an alternate reality outside these quiet walls.However, and that’s a big one, and I feel a bit like an a**e for even mentioning it, there is a duo, man and woman, guitarist and singer with tambourine respectively, who occasionally make it their mission to reinvent Italian pop classics and unleash those at unsuspecting diners. I know, they mean well, and just a song or two wouldn’t be the end of the world, but after the seventh or eighth tune, I do begin to wonder if the butter knife might sufficiently substitute the tanto for seppuku. That’s the only issue I take with Cesare, and that’s most likely more of a me-thing than a general public-thing but I thought it’s worth a mention nonetheless.Service: Usually swift and attentive. There has been one time where our waiter seemed to go on holiday between the rare visits to our table, but that was an isolated occurrence and addressed by management right away. Cesare is for those seeking quiet surroundings and hearty Italian meals. Be sure to book ahead as space is limited and desired.

Since my last review we visited Cesare twice. It is with great regret that I must report a significant deterioration in service levels. I remember the time befo... read more Since my last review we visited Cesare twice. It is with great regret that I must report a significant deterioration in service levels. I remember the time before the last, management came in, but I forgot the problem in the meantime, so I'll leave this alone. However, the last visit, last Saturday, I remember vividly. We deliberately arrived early, 18:00 to make an undisturbed dinner possible and still a good amount of time to spend in the brilliantly organized horror nights. We were finished at 19:14. At that time, four or five other parties had arrived for dinner. When our waiter released the table, we asked about the Dessert menu. 19:26, we ask for the Dessert menu, our waiter said he would bring it right away. Go to a party of eight, takes their orders first, then bring the menu (in contrast to do that first and give us the time he read for this other order about our options). At 19:30 he takes our order. 19:43, I find the manager. Apparently, a tiramisu and these two teas are very difficult to source. 19:51, I come to the table with the manager, we meet the waiter who has served nothing since the main course (or cleaned the tablecloth, for this matter). After a short conversation with the manager, another waiter informs us that Dessert is in the house. I think I'm reasonably covered, but when I'm pressed for time, I'm waiting for two drinks for almost 45 minutes and a sweetie is totally unacceptable. Cesare still accused us of tea; the €7 tiramisu was free. 20:05, we're leaving, probably for the last time. While the management has quickly arrived after I brought this problem to its attention, it is something that should not happen first, especially in a supposed four-star superior hotel that could have and could have done more than a $7 dessert. My wife later told me that in her soup there was a wonderfully grown black hair, but I couldn't take it with the responsible parties because the woman didn't let me know in time. Moreover, it seems that there are some insecure laws that require Cesare to soak all food items in at least half the stick of butter. I would have been more stuffed after the appetite and main in Cesare than after the seven-course, seven wine dinners in Ammolite in the night before (which was wonderful as always). I don't know what happened to Cesare, but I think it's a change for the worse.