Ordered a pizza and was gratified by THE BEST PIZZA ever in Dalian!!!
Thin crust, wood oven baked to perfection, tasty, crunchy, rich flavors, generous toppings... AND a sweet surprise!
The price was very competitive (half the cost of a take away fast food pizza!) & the swift service was on par for a 5 star hotel.
Went there two weeks ago, ordered lasagna and was served a generous portion of ketchup based bolognese sauce sandwitched between layers of pasta and melted cheese (gone was my expectation of gratinated cheese), quickly heated up in a poor quality microwave oven. Red hot miserable rolls of bread rapidly cooled rock hard.
No mistake there, Le Cafe Igosso is like an old friend, a place to go when all else fails but not only, a rare oasis of certainty, a second home where you know what you will get; no bad surprise in store!
The atmosphere is European, lots of wood (check the 4" thick full slab hardwood bar) and painted walls, nice windows, small tables well arranged, the lights are just right and the music is a gentle background that allows for a quiet conversation. It is one of those places that could have been there 100 years ago and give you the feeling it will always be there.
The menu is vast and the food satisfying - theme is Italian and I would qualify it as an arrangement of traditional family Italian dishes with a touch of new cuisine. Ask for the specials & I would recommend you tried the French baguette dipped in (very) spicy hot olive oil (not on the menu) and you must get a piece of the tiramisu (if they don't have it, as it happens sometimes, you'll have an excuse to come back)
The staff is welcoming, friendly, experienced, eager to please and as you stay longer in Dalian, you will find out that, incredibly, it is the only place in town where the Chefs, the Waiters and Barman are always the same (all other places change staff more often than the table clothes). It is a rare and comfortable feeling to know there is a place someone will recognize you and be happy to see you...
And, like with an old friend, you'll resume your conversations precisely where you left them at the last time around...
abhijeet
jim
