Grill - Cernobbio

Last night we dined at Veranda (also at Villa D’Este) which was exquisite. Their less formal Ristorante Grill, where we dined tonight, was a revelation. 1st Maitre ‘D Rodio Massimiliano’s warm welcome was a precursor for the culinary excellence with service to match, which followed. Informal doesn’t mean that standards are below those at Veranda...not at all! The cooking at Ristorante Grill is first class and the dishes are all beautifully presented. Our evening had started with drinks on Villa D’Este’s gorgeous terrace, with their resident pianist adding to the atmosphere of this world class hotel. The Grill then proceeded to exceed all expectations. I’m rarely so impressed...the restaurants and service at Villa D’Este really do achieve perfection. This brilliantly managed hotel have the most amazing staff throughout. Not only The Grill but the entire property is ‘state of the art’ world class, ultra professional hospitality...with a welcoming smile. We ended our evening at the hotel’s superb bar entertained by a trio of musicians who certainly complemented the wonderful dining experience. Sadly, I usually notice every error in every hotel and restaurant I visit...and very rarely do I find perfection. Tonight, I found it. Every member of staff excels. It is amazing to behold. The Grille, along with the entire property, is a temple of excellence and for management to achieve this level of hospitality is no mean feat. I’ve visited most of the top hotels in France and Italy. Villa D’este is the very best there is and I find it incomparable. The elegant guests compliment the restaurants and the entire property. Observing the staff in the restaurants and bars is the equivalent of enjoying truly well rehearsed theatre. An extraordinary property.

Delicious, wonderful service as always. Despite an unexpected thunderstorm, the service was attentive and elegant. Risotto was exceptional.

Dinner with a wonderful view in a most romantic setting. We've had tagliatelle with truffles and a variation of mushrooms, accompanied by bunch of champagne! Best birthday dinner ever.

We had dinner our first evening at this beautiful hotel. However, our dinner at The Grill was the most disappointing of our trip through Italy. Everything was fine, until a dinner group arrived. After their arrival, the entire staff focused their undivided attention on them. We never received our appetizers, never checked on our table, and eventually had to demand our dinner. Our dinner finally arrived after the “other” table completed their meal. Our server explained that they were old important customers of the hotel. I explained that they should have never accepted our reservation. We were insultingly offered a piece of cake as an apology as we finished our meal in an empty restaurant. We declined and never ate at the hotel again.

The food was delicious, I had the short rib and it was perfect. There was a dog in the restaurant that was crying and barking which was strange. Great wine list BTW