Al Guasco Ristorante

We ate here two out of the three nights we stayed in Ancona. Away from the main restaurant quarter, this is a great spot in the old town. The menu is small but each dish we had was very well balanced and flavoursome, and the selection of wines excellent. If drinking by the glass, ask what is available as we found there to be more options than shown on the menu. Food: mussels as part of the apperitivo menu.. delicious. Pastas... two delightful dishes... Secondi... turbot, and duck breast. I suspect the menu changes seasonally. All excellent. Some other reviews state that the portions are small..well, yes, compared to the sadly typically large offerings you get from more mainstream places...but the food here is better! We shared dishes (as we often do) and left fully satiated. Note.. no pizzas (there's a good pizzeria next door). Bottom line: fine food, good selection of wines. Helpful staff. Recommended.

Guasco is truly a hidden gem in the heart of Ancona. The ambiance, service, and location are on par with some of the very best restaurants we've experienced throughout Italy. Every dish was packed with incredible flavor, but the ceviche was the standout—we loved it so much that we had to order a second plate! The staff provided extraordinary service, offering thoughtful and insightful recommendations that made the entire dining experience even more memorable. Simply delicious. Or, as the Italians would say, *delizioso*!

It was one of the few restaurants in ancona that also has vegetarian options, so I had go come and was not disappointed. The service was lovely, the food was amazing, and it had vegetarian twists on classic Italian dishes. We had an amazing experience!

The food was exceptionally good, and they had a selection of vegan dishes. The staff was super friendly and attentive! We had a wonderful evening at Gallorosso al Guasco. In the outdoor area, you sit with a view of a beautiful church – a lovely atmosphere!

Worst experience in a restaurant I’ve ever had. Staff were rude from the get go, rushing me like if I was in a fast food chain. Without many options on the menu, I’ve chosen a simple pasta dish that was the worst pasta I’ve eaten in my life. Bread was stale. Wine was not good either. After such a disastrous food I went to pay cause the food was simply inedible. Again the staff were extremely rude saying they are sorry for wasting a table and claiming their food was good. Keep in mind I’ve been living in Italy for the past 6 years and I’ve eaten in all Michelin star restaurants of the region. I think I can recognize good and quality food. I wanted to pay, they angrily refused. I left hungry, with a lot of stress and a ruined evening.

Our dinner at Gallo Rosso al Guasco was nothing short of a disaster. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel unwelcome — cold looks, no warmth at all. As we were handed the menus, the waitress told us, quite rudely: “You shouldn’t order the wine now because if you take too long to choose your food, other tables will be served ahead of you.” It felt like we were being rushed or threatened. Then came the food, which was simply awful. My partner’s dish looked and tasted like old pasta with canned tomato sauce that had been sitting in a fridge for four days — no seasoning, no care, just a sad plate of food. My own dish — pasta stuffed with cod — was equally terrible. The cod was so overcooked it had the texture of sand, and the whole thing was swimming in butter like a greasy soup. When we went to pay, we explained that we had left both plates almost untouched because they were inedible. And the owner’s only response was: “I’m sorry I lost a table tonight.” No apology, no curiosity about what went wrong. Just arrogance. We won’t be back, and I strongly suggest you skip this place if you value good food and basic hospitality.