Here's my honest take. I really wanted to avoid the area since it was so close to the duomo and…read moretherefore as I've been informed, most your touristy restaurants are near the attractions and are mainly fanfare eats for entertainment.
My husband and I had been fighting a cold, and the wind on this particular night, just before New Year's was really brisk and I didn't want us any sicker, so we opted for a restaurant near the hotel, and this was steps away. Our trusted guest services man was off and wasn't available to guide us to a recommended restaurant. I again resorted to Google and Yelp. I saw the reviews weren't the best as other places we could have chosen. The other reason we settled for this was we wanted something with chicken since we had a cold.
Their menu had chicken parmesan and this seemed like a good option.
To start we were greeted by a host and then server who kept trying to push alcohol or at least it seemed they were hoping we would bite on some alcohol items that they wanted us to begin with, such as for an aperitif. Instead, we began our meal with the spinach souffle, which was pretty good. I also noticed at the point after they sat us down, that Americans or people who looked American were sequestered. This was not the first Italian restaurant I'd noticed this, but I felt it was particular with touristy restaurants. Also, no one brought any bread to our table, and no olive oil nor vinegar. What? This is an obvious tell-tale sign you're in a touristy restaurant or one that serves a large portion of Americans who don't eat their salad like Europeans do with red wine vinegar and olive oil. No olive oil with garlic for bread either. On another note, I'd felt rushed, and the only rushed restaurant in Italy I'd been to whereas in Italy one takes time to enjoy food, and this was another tell because they functioned like any Olive Garden in America, in and out quick for more profits. I had left to the bathroom, and my husband said that someone came by so quick and scooped my palte that he didn't have a chance to them I was still eating.
Another thing that caught my attention was the entertainment value they presented when the young woman at the table next to us order the Cacio e Pepe pasta, which is just cheese, peppercorn and pasta. What this restaurant does is fancy the American thrill seeking eye with drama and flare by bringing the chef near your table, and has them toss pasta, pepper and cheese into a pan (the size of wok) all over some flame. This gives those would be attention-seeking Americans who can't bring their precious poodle inside the restaurant to get the "awes" something else to feel acknowledged by. I had asked the girl what she was having, and when she told me, I was like, "Oh, yes, other normal, locally approved restaurants, wouldn't go through the trouble." I undoubtably know her "cacio e pepe" was perhaps a bit bland. as was our watery Chicken parmesan, which I've made better at home myself. It was not terribly bland, but some onion, olive oil, sea salt, and a tad bit of garlic would have made me wince and smile.
I'd mentioned this visit to our guest services man at our hotel, who had been a good guide for another restaurant, and when I mentioned this restaurant, he rolled his eyes. Enough said.