Grotto al Ritrovo dai Fusetti : Via val Resa 110, 6645 Brione sopra Minusio

Grotto al Ritrovo offers a stunning and peaceful view with a relaxing atmosphere. I went for the 5-course menu . Everything was nicely presented and tasted good, definitely above average. It didn’t completely stand out, but it was an enjoyable and well rounded meal. Don’t be misled by the name grotto… this isn’t the place for just a quick bite or a light one or two course meal. It’s more of a fine dining spot, where the experience is built around taking your time and enjoying a proper meal. I would return for the view alone, and next time I’ll try their meat dishes; they’re said to be the highlight. There is always a next time 😊

Such a shame it was so bad. Really hoping it’s a one off bad night. The grotto has had such great reviews and also top recommendations from reputable and knowledgeable friends. All in all very disappointing and I haven’t had a bad experience in such a long time. The drive up was exhilarating, not just the steep, tight, curvy streets but also squirrels and baby deer along the way. The grotto is simply amazing and beautifully set with stunning lake and mountain views. Parking was a nightmare at the outset: one car was parked so badly everyone was hitting it as they tried to squeeze out. Then the real trouble began. We were expecting a warm friendly welcome from our hosts but instead, in the doorway, 3 staff were arguing with each other (not loudly just that’s all they were focused on) as the arriving guests, us included, waited for them to finish. They could see we were waiting patiently and smiling but just carried on their “discussion” regardless. Wow. First impressions were not important at all. Then they could not find our booking, actually near the top of the list, when given the name, time and number of guests. After working it out we were pointed to our table from the doorway and not taken over and without bringing or even given menus. Despite being given the prime front row, with best scenic views (really stunning), we asked for something else not in the direct cold wind, as we had our young child with us, and were taken to the covered section in the garden which was still very charming. Still no menus and worse we were not asked if we wanted drinks or an aperitif. Other guests arrived in the garden but nobody came to the guest tables in the covered section. In the end we called someone over and asked for menus, drinks and blankets for my wife and 6 year old daughter., plus we requested the pasta bolognese (1 of only 2 child menus available) be brought as quickly as possible for our young daughter., on the understanding from the reviews they were child friendly and would understand. They brought blankets but Menus still didn’t come. Eventually I got up to get menus myself and one senior staff member said she would bring them over when I asked if I could take them. We already knew what we wanted from the reviews and online menu and despite being told the online menu was old our dishes were still on them and we were able to order after quickly checking. Our daughter’s meal didn’t arrive and neither did the staff come back. One hour later all 3 of our dishes came together, our daughter’s pasta bolognese, my lasagna and my wife’s gnocchi. Our dishes were cold but our daughters was hot. They must have prepared ours and left them on the side when they remembered they forgot to cook our daughters. Lasagne should be bubbling hot from the oven and gnocchi hot from the pan. When either are cold they are dreadful, they were. We had waited an hour after ordering. We were told that it was because everyone came at the same time. When we pointed out that it was their policy that they only offered 2 sittings: 6pm and 8pm. So of course everyone would arrive at the dictated time instead of staggering the bookings every 5 to 10 minutes around the 2 sitting slots. When we got the bill we were also amazed the child’s pasta Bolognese was CHF 18 (the most expensive child’s meal in Locarno/Ascona all of which have been pasta Bolognese - at least it was tasty and hot) and the her syrup was almost CHF 5. Wow. We gave critical feedback and we were asked to come back and try again another time. They also nicely gave us 2 shots which we declined as we had to drive back down the steep road. Such a pity as we expected it to be so much better. Still some nice scenic photos!

This restaurant has amazing views, atmosphere and service. Sadly the food was only not bad. The presentation was lovely but the veal cannelloni were not tasty. The veal was pureed with potato and tasted metallic. The cannelloni were very, very al dente, so that it was like biting into moistened cardboard. The sauce odd and bland rather than interesting. My husband's pasta with mushrooms was better but just normal. The mixed salad was also nothing special. Pricing was typical Swiss and overvalued. I would not return except for drinks at sunset for the view.