Serena Sicilian Influenced Gastropub Durham

The service at this restaurant was very slow and I waited for a long time. The music was also too loud, making it impossible to have a conversation without the need for the waiter to strain to hear us. However, the worst part was the food. I felt sick to my stomach after eating the Spedie. Has this happened to anyone else?

The food was tasty, but the service was poor and the music was too loud.

Overall, it was a great experience at this restaurant. We went for an early dinner at 5:30, so it wasn't crowded. However, the music inside was too loud. The outdoor seating was nice, but still a bit noisy with the music. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't have the Prosecco or red Italian wine I wanted, but they had a good alternative. The atmosphere was beautiful and a great place to relax. The food was plentiful and delicious. The olive dish as an appetizer was huge and the chicken parm with pasta was tasty.

A note, I have dined here 3 times in the past year and have had pleasant experiences, particularly with the food. This evening did not live up to previous experiences. The hostess, without a smile or pleasant greeting, was not aware of our reservation for later (we arrived early) and looked at us like we were confused (myself and two colleagues). She said she could seat us anyway and we were seated next to the door on a cold and rainy evening. There were other tables available so we are not sure why we had to have the coldest table in the restaurant. It was a dark table with a single color changing light above, not romantic, not practical. We were given wine, dinner and specials menus; specials, that did not appear to include any available on this evening, a Monday night. We waited for a server to take the drink order and by the time he arrived we were on the verge of leaving. We agreed to an opportunity of redemption but the server only confirmed one person's request for water and then walked away before anyone else's order was taken. We promptly left. I had talked up the food to my colleagues and this was quite a let down. I hope the take out process is better later this week. I'm looking forward to the create your own pasta dish.

This place has an inviting outdoor dining area, and the weather was nice the night we visited. The white anchovy crostini were actually quite tasty, and the olive appetizer was generous. Wish we had stopped there. The house special sparkling wine cocktail was odd. Steak and lasagna nothing to write home about, for sure. The waiter was not attentive, and didn't seem into his job providing service. Was much more concerned about stacking all the chairs and taking the seat cushions inside, so that they could close the doors. And we arrived for dinner around 7:30, not that there was much of a crowd even at that early hour on a Friday evening.