J W

Review of Ristorante Il Pagliaccio **

We went to Il Pagliaccio for my birthday and overa...

We went to Il Pagliaccio for my birthday and overall it was a very sad affair. TLDR: Go somewhere else...And in more detail
Service: great
Location: cute
Wine pairing: the wines themselves were chosen well and matched the dishes nicely - if there was a pairing for the dish. The menu was 8 courses and the pairing was only 6 glasses... because... eh...why? And never have I left a fine dining restaurant that sober... usually you need to take care that your glass is not refilled all the time... at Il Pagliaccio they made sure to only pour you one measly glass. At least I will not wake up with a headache.
The menu itself: 8 dishes ... including the pre-desert and the two first very small dishes that would have been an amuse-bouche in most restaurants. There was not a single exciting/surprising dish and only the lamb was excellent. The deserts were good - and also the bread. Thanks to the Patissier! The pasta was ok. The dumpling and the melon-filled tomato did not deliver in the end. The fish could have been great with the nice fresh herbs and wild strawberries had it not been so terribly oily and finally the octopus terrine was not edible.
I am not sure why the menu was touted as a journey with all dishes being connected allegedly. The only thing that connected them was their being rather underwhelming and the empty glasses next to them. Not all journeys are good. Lastly, after watching chef Anthony Genovese explain his cuisine in a video we were excited, but in the end when tasting his cooking there was very little substance and it all seemed like empty marketing Blabla. No wonder the restaurant was empty.