661121 Wed Oct 21 06:22:37 -0700 2009 7 58 Italy 0 5119327 This restaurant is a ripoff. My wife and I just returned from a fabulous two week trip to Italy with many fine dining experiences but this clip joint left us feeling angry and upset by an attempt by two waiters and a manager to take advantage of two American tourists who spoke limited but communicable Italian. First, we ordered a caraf of house wine only to be brought a bottle of expensive wine by the waitress. Before the waitress opened the bottle I again told her we had ordered a caraf and she explained to us, "It is the same price" which was utter B.S. we found out later. Second, my wife, ordered a seafood antipasta that turned out to be HUGE, oversized molded shrimp that was actually made out of imitation fish....which tasted like sh--. We immediately called one of the waiters over (there were two of them that played, "good cop-bad cop") and he gave of a perplexed look of, "what are you talking about" that really pissed us off. Finally, the manager and other waitress came to our table, admitted that the dish was not actual shrimp and offered to bring us real shrimp which we declined. The manager made up some BS that they had run out shrimp earlier in the evening which didn't make sense. After coming to our table several times and making a huge scene with other patrons looking on the restaurant did give us the caraf price on the more expensive bottle of wine. I have to say that my pasta was very good but the whole experience sucked and we couldn't get out of the place fast enough. Bottom line; this place looks good on the outside but serves fake food and has thieves posing as wait staff on the inside. Do not patronize Ristorante Vernissage in Rome, Italy!! Wed Oct 21 06:22:37 -0700 2009 1118001 gabmar 1 5119628 Sorry that you had such a terrible experience at Ristorante Vernissage in Rome. Can you post some of your good dining experiences of your two week trip. Where in Italy did you have the best food? Wed Oct 21 08:28:12 -0700 2009 5119327 10756 PBSF 1 5119724 Thank you for reporting the details of the rip off. This is not unlike what I ran into living in Italy over 45 years ago. The padded bills, the wine rip-offs, the intentionally poor food (sand in the mushrooms and even a fried cockroach on my grilled peppers) and the feigned shock and act between the good cop, bad cop. Do they do this to Italian diners or just Americans as sport. I think it is because they know Americans won't/don't fight back and that was the best part of your report, you fought back and let us know how and why. A trip to a highly regarded restaurant in Naples (Ciro Brigada) a few years back ended our set menu dinner with a dessert not of our choosing just flung at us almost on the run as an act of utter contempt, probably because we failed to complain about the two very poor prior items. The dessert act was the final insult and I glowered at the waiter and wagged my finger at him and he came over finally as we protested this was not what we wanted or ordered and then proceeded to tell him also our disappointment with the meal and why they took away our plates barely touched. Then he fell all over himself asking that we come back the next day, the staff was rushed that night due a celebrity guest, etc, etc, and insisted if we came back we would be shown the best possible meal. We were leaving the next day and always wondered what would happen after finally letting him know enough of an insult is enough. I know for a fact it is considered amusing sport for italians in the hospitality industry to make fun of gullible tourists, perhaps their way of balancing the power between those who pay and those who serve. This of course is not always the rule, but it is a lot more than just the exception too. Confidence and command go a long way when dining out, along with appreciation and discernment and engaging the restaurant as your team player in making it the best for everyone concerned, both you and them. Being demanding and obnoxious is just as damning as being meek and subservient. It is more a matter of establishing mutual respect, early and often. Wed Oct 21 09:07:44 -0700 2009 5119327 12522 glbtrtr 1 5120301 Unfortunately such places do indeed exist. I'm curious -- having never heard of it -- about where it is and how you happened to go there. Wed Oct 21 11:58:11 -0700 2009 5119327 83777 mbfant 2 5120473 Vernissage is a French word for "varnishing", which is close to "shellacking" - I think you got shellacked! Probably not a good idea to choose a French-named restaurant in Rome Italy unless you have a good recommendation of the place in advance. I second Maureen's request: tell us where else you ate and how it was. Wed Oct 21 12:50:59 -0700 2009 5120301 12044 CJT 2 5120564 It's between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona: http://www.looking.it/it/roma/locali/vernissage/dove-siamo/ The OP probably just wandered in. While there are a few very decent trattorie in the area, just wandering into one can be a risky business. Wed Oct 21 13:21:03 -0700 2009 5120301 120888 zerlina 3 5121396 Prime tourist zone - looks like the owners made a fine art out of the shellacking the hordes of tourists who crowd this area, particularly post Da Vinci - Angels and Demons days. Never could also understand why people would wear Italian casual clothes with the label "Sergio Tacchinno" on them since it means Sergio Turkey. You just have to wonder sometimes about how things get their names. Wed Oct 21 19:01:26 -0700 2009 5120564 12522 glbtrtr 1 5165832 My picky 14 year old daughter and I ate at Vernissage four times on a trip to Italy in June and July of this year. We both loved the restaurant - the food we had was uniformly delicious. The waitress we met bent over backwards to make sure we were satisfied, and that we had fun. Not being an expert on Umbrian cuisine or wine, the last three times we were there, I asked her to select my meal - each one was excellent. The manager and the other staff members were hospitable, and despite the fact my Italian was non-existent and their English was limited, with a little effort, we were able to manufacture the best dining experience we had in Italy. Was it cheap? No. Was it good value? Absolutely! We are definitely going back the next time we are in Rome. Sun Nov 08 17:07:24 -0800 2009 5119327 1122856 rosalinde