31/12/2025: Ristorante da Annetta is a famous place in Varese and its province, and is even listed in the Michelin Guide, so when you come here you expect a certain standard of cuisine, service, and ambiance.
Well, there's nothing to complain about the food; it wowed us with every bite. There were three of us, and we ordered three first courses, three second courses, and three desserts. The plin pasta was truly tasty, with a flavorful, almost sweet base, but we really enjoyed it. The chestnut tagliatelle with mallard ragù was exquisite. The veal wing, suckling pig, and tartare—three dishes, each better than the last. So, in short, there's nothing to complain about. The chef(s) know their stuff, and it gets top marks.
Let's talk about the ambiance. A classy historic building, with beautiful chandeliers, an elegant entrance from the garden/parking lot, and equally elegant tables. Nothing to complain about here either.
Now, the service.
I read a lot of reviews on various sites before arriving, and I was quite hopeful that I could prove what I'd found online to be true.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. It's the end of the year, and everyone's tired, but you can't greet customers by rolling your eyes without even faking a smile. You could really feel the lack of desire to work. When we arrived at the table and ordered, they brought us the wine list. We ordered, and they brought us a wine we hadn't ordered. One of my guests was very quick to say, "That's not what we ordered." The waitress immediately replied, "Oh, we don't have that anymore." Usually, you inform the customer first and then you can offer another wine (which also costs €20 more, but she didn't tell us).
We also noticed that at the tables around us there were only Germans, and unfortunately they struggled to communicate because only Italian and little English were spoken.
"Service" also includes dirty wine glasses, a chipped plate (all things that can happen but shouldn't), a bread knife that wasn't a bread knife... small things, but in a restaurant of this caliber, they make a difference. There's a lot of room for improvement.
I've also read about people complaining about the prices, but I (we) found the prices to be fair and in line with the type of cuisine. Of course, when you compare them to the type of service, they're a bit out of place. But we hope to return and find improvements.
Regardless, I recommend it because we ate well, but be patient.
17/12/2025: Great food, very kind personal. And exceptionally good wines next to grrat cheese variation. Worth for a visit , maybe more 😉
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