Having never actually been inside Santo Stefano, nor tasted any of its food, I can't claim the review below will be terribly objective. However even without these things, I have somehow already developed a strong opinion about the place.

Those who actually have eaten there tell me the restaurant is charming, the food is tasty (especially the pizza!), and their downstairs dining area is huge... too bad it's nearly always empty. Perhaps it's the unlucky Pl. Szczpanski location (inexplicably the least popular area in the Old Town) but Di Santo Stefano has been obviously getting pretty desperate for business.

The entire facade of the restaurant is covered in garish ITALIAN RESTAURANT signs and banners... I'm scared they will soon turn to that dreaded last resort - neon ("GET YER PARPADELLE HERE")

I've actually made at least four serious attempts at trying this place, but each time as I am just a step away (or even already inside the front room) I change my mind and go somewhere else. It doesn't help that each time I've been greeted with a variety of things including:
-a completely empty and silent top floor
-construction workers emptying mystery fluid from inside onto the street
-people dressed in a variety of outfits standing outside the restaurant chatting, or worse of all, INSIDE the door frame - chefs, servers, people dressed as the Italian mafia (wtf??)

Santo Stefano need to concentrate on creating a welcoming first impression. Then maybe I'll give it my fifth attempt..

4.3 / 5

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