Absolutely unacceptable – waiter smoking every 20 minutes: Restaurant La Bottega di Mario (23. January 2018)
The La Bottega di Mario looked so promising when entering. I mean, they had some issues with the reservation but luckily, a table was still free. But the place is very atmospheric and comes close to what you would expect from a typical Italian place. We went for the “Tagliere di affetati misti (da comporre col Mastro Salumiere)” (CHF 16.00 per person; that’s a plate for four). And the starter was great – lovely cold cuts with bread. Nothing else you could potentially want. And it went well with the “Arneis, Piedmont, Azienda Agricola Pescaja, 2016” (CHF 58.00).
The “Tagliata di manzo (con olio d’oliva, rucola e parmigiano)” (CHF 48.00) on the other hand wasn’t really what you want when you eat beef. I mean, not that it was bad or something but it was just nothing special at all. It lacked flavor, heart, taste.
The “risotto” which was served with it was fine but too plain – again, nothing spectacular or outstanding. And frankly, Italians can do better than that! Now, there might be no Italians in the kitchen (not that I checked) but still, I expected more.
The waiter was also not really up to his task. He was friendly, admittedly, and jovial (but too jovial). He frequently left the area to go out smoking. So when he got back in he would – obviously – stink of smoke. Now, that is not a pleasant smell at all. And while it is somewhat difficult to complain about other guests who have been smoking, I would expect the waiter not to smoke. And especially not in that frequency. He left every 20 minutes. And sometimes even left the door open and it was obviously freezing cold. So, thanks for nothing.
He seemed to have felt our dissatisfaction and offered a “dessert on the house”. Well, that was a nice move but too late. Rather focus on your job, be there, be friendly, don’t overdo it, don’t go out smoking. And you might eventually excel at your job. But not like this.
All in all, the La Bottega di Mario is not really a place I have to visit again anytime soon. The food was okay but not anything special, the service was unacceptable, the prices are decent for the dishes (taking into account we’re in Zurich) and okay for the beverages (i.e. 1L, San Pellegrino, CHF 10.50; or Bricco dell’Uccellone, Braida, CHF 125.00). For me, definitely a place I won’t visit again.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |   |
| Service: |  |
| Dishes: |  |
| Price-Performance Ratio: |  |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Restaurant La Bottega di Mario
Nüschelerstrasse 6
8001 Zürich (CH)
Tel.: +41 44 227 19 22
E-Mail: info@labottegadimario.ch
Homepage: http://www.labottegadimario.ch
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
