Yesterday, my husband and I decided to try a new restaurant and chose Zia Amelia after hearing good things about it. Since I love Italian food, I was genuinely excited to visit.
We were welcomed warmly upon arrival, which made a good first impression. For my main course, I ordered the truffle pasta because I was told the pasta is freshly homemade and that the truffle used is fresh as well. The waiter even showed me a photo of the dish on his tablet, and it looked fantastic. My husband ordered grilled chicken with sauce and two side dishes: French fries and sautéed potatoes. We also chose burrata as our starter.
Before the meal, we were served complimentary toasted bread topped with tomato, basil, and za’atar sauce, which was absolutely delicious. A basket of freshly baked bread was also brought to the table.
However, after waiting around 30 minutes, we realized our burrata starter had still not arrived. My husband asked the waiter about it, and about five minutes later it was brought to our table. Unfortunately, just as we were about to start eating it, our main courses arrived as well. Serving the starter together with the main course did not feel very professional and took away from the dining experience.
The burrata itself was tasty and of good quality, although I felt it would have benefited from a little fresh basil.
My husband’s dish was the bigger disappointment. After a fairly long wait, the entire plate arrived cold. When the manager came by our table, my husband explained his frustration. To his credit, the manager apologized immediately and offered to replace the potatoes with a fresh hot portion. My husband declined because we had a flight-related appointment and limited time, but a fresh plate of hot potatoes was still brought to the table shortly afterward, which we appreciated.
As for my truffle pasta, I was honestly disappointed because I had been looking forward to it the most. The pasta itself was excellent — clearly fresh, perfectly cooked, and very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the truffle flavor was barely noticeable. The sauce was quite limited, and there were only three thin slices of truffle placed on top of the pasta. When ordering a truffle pasta, especially at this price point, I expected a richer and more pronounced truffle flavor throughout the dish. In Italy, truffle pasta is usually much more generous with both the truffle and the sauce, creating a deeper and more memorable experience.
We had originally planned to stay longer, try some desserts, and enjoy a drink after our meal. Unfortunately, after the issues we experienced, we decided to pay the bill and leave immediately instead.
At the end of our meal, the owner, who is Italian, came to speak with us personally. She was very kind, listened to our feedback, and apologized for the issues we experienced, which we genuinely appreciated.
I left the restaurant feeling disappointed because my expectations were quite high. There is clearly potential here: the ingredients seem good, the homemade pasta is excellent, and the staff showed concern when problems were raised. However, considering the premium prices, I expected a much more polished experience, hotter food, better timing between courses, and a truffle pasta that truly delivered on its promise.
One of the best restaurants I’ve been to! I had the mushroom pasta, and it was absolutely delicious—the sauce was amazing, and the mushrooms were fresh and flavorful. Even the tea was served in such a classy way.
The service was exceptional: the food arrived quickly, everyone was so friendly, and the owner even came to check if everything was okay. The atmosphere is beautiful, perfect for dates or gatherings with friends.
100% recommended!
gamal khaled and beshoy, insanely polite staff, made me feel comfortable all the way through the meals. honorable mention to miss tina, really nice and friendly person. 10/10 would definitely recommend to others to come here.
