CPE 2017 Restaurant Review Sample and Feedback

Dear Gustavo,

Would you be so kind as to read and comment on my restaurant review. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Natalia 

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Trattoria Mario

Located in the very heart of St. Petersburg, the ‘Trattoria Mario’ happily situates itself amidst the Admiralty building, the Hermitage Museum, and in close proximity to St. Isaac’s Cathedral and other major tourist attractions. Despite being fairly new, the restaurant is never empty. (Feedback: This intro in uninteresting. Try writing something that engages the readers. Give people a reason to want to read your restaurant review. Tell us for example that is the best Italian restaurant in the whole country, so we want to read... to know more.)

The interior is a delightful marriage of frescoed walls with exposed brickwork, assorted moulded rosettes and chandeliers on the ceiling, a motley crew of upholstery and flooring, brightly coloured crockery, wooden and glass elements. Clever lighting and soft background music create a relaxed ambience.

As implied by its name, the restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine. The food served at the restaurant is as palatable and hearty as you expect to find in a fine Italian restaurant. For starters we shared focaccia with Pecorino cheese and saffron seasoning – fluffy bread with crunchy crust, gooey melted cheese and delicate aroma of saffron threads. For the main course I opted for cappelletti romagnoli – I believe, my Russian mum would call it “soup with Italian ‘pelmeni’ stuffed with cheese”. My companion selected pasta - prawns and garlic pappardelle - it was fine, she said, if, perhaps, a bit too ‘garlicky’. The wine list here is ‘user-friendly’, offering everything by the glass, carafe or bottle. Yet, neither of us being wine connoisseurs, we relied on the waiter’s advice and washed it all down with a glass of Chianti. (Feedback: Try to have paragraphs with more or less the same number of lines).

Overall, Mario leaves you feeling uplifted. The only minor downside is that the prices are on the higher side, but the food you find here is top-notch with authentic spices and fresh ingredients, original recipes, first class cooking and immaculate presentation. So given the quality of the product, we had no complaints about the price. The waiting staff is polite - unobtrusive, but obliging - and well-versed with the menu.

So, I would definitely recommend ‘Trattoria Mario’. The prime spot location, delicious food and relaxed vibe. A bit pricey but worth it. (Feedback: That sentence has no verb?)

Feedback: All in all, a very well written piece of text. Keep the good work!