Capri, Italy
 

I faithfully rely on your book for my travel plans especially in Europe, I use them to plan my entire trip. I am a frequent traveler and living in New York know and appreciate good food. No where in your book regarding Capri do you mention that it is pretentious, commercial and that even the best restaurants food is OK by the rest of Italy’s standards. You also fail to mention quite a few wonderful restaurants in Sorrento and other places but yet it mystifies me that you mention Il Grottino in Capri town. This small whole in the wall, had decent food, but rude, obnoxious service that unless you were Italian ordering an expensive bottle of wine and four courses you were treated as if you were in a diner and a pagan. My sister and I are attractive, well mannered, well dressed women that enjoy a good meal and good wine. Unfortunately though some nights we do not like to eat four courses at dinner and she prefers white wine where I prefer red. Everywhere else in Italy we were treated like the Goddess Venus but here like we were something revolting at the bottom of the owner’s shoe. He came to the table with sweat dripping off his face and without any patience to explain the all Italian menu. We never received our wine and I was yelled at twice for putting cheese on my pasta with cherry tomatoes. Once by a pimple faced, snot nosed busboy that was nasty to everyone and then once by the owner. (I did not ask for ketchup mind you, I asked for cheese.) He kissed the other patron’s asses that were Italian and who he knew, spent as much time as they required explaining things but the Americans were treated like crap. I observed in the very short time that I was there because they threw our food on the table so quickly that I had barely enough time to chew. I then asked for the check, as we had lost our appetite for sitting there another minute and with all their rushing us, we had to wait at least 30 minutes to get the check. I am very disappointed in Fodor’s for not putting in the negatives and ruining my evening. I will have to recommend Frommer’s from now on to my friends and rely on it myself for future vacations.

Jane,<BR>I appreciate posts like yours as much, if not more, than glowing reviews. Your honest report of a bad experience in a restaurant is valuable to us. That's what's great about these message boards.<BR>I wouldn't fault the Fodors guidebook though. It's just a guide, and is written by an individual. We all have different experiences.<BR>I tend to avoid restaurants that are written up in the popular guidebooks, and instead rely on the recommendations of locals.<BR>But thanks for your post, I'll definitely avoid that restaurant!

Jane, just got back from two weeks in Italy and I can say we had our worst meal in Capri town at a restaurant called La Terrazza. We also found Capri to be extremely commercialized, but once we got away from the major tourist areas it was actually quite pleasant. Maybe if you stay there it would be different.

Sorry you had a bad experience Jane, but just because you are two attractive women, don't assume the waiter will be happy about explaining an entire menu! Especially during a busy evening and not in an elegant restaurant, the waiters around the world can be short tempered, not just on Capri.<BR>Your description of the busboy says more about you than about him.

POOOR Wittle Princessssss Was the mean<BR>old restaurant owner bad to you?Since this<BR>happened maybe now they will close italy.<BR>We do not want wittle princessss upset ever<BR>ever again.

<BR><BR> <BR> WHATEVER!