L'Osteria in Potsdam

The place we left without ordering after sitting for 15 minutes with no waiter paying any attention to us.

Never again. And I'll tell you why. I was traveling in Potsdam and wanted to sit down for a moment in this restaurant by the river - the location looked promising. But the first impression was very deceptive. There was a young man standing at the entrance who was apparently responsible for allocating seats. Arrogant, rude and visibly annoyed by my mere presence. I politely asked if I could just sit down and have a beer. There were free tables, other guests were just arriving. His answer? A curt “no” – without explanation, without any politeness. Apparently you're only welcome here if you spend a lot of money for a full dinner. Anyone who just wants to enjoy a drink in peace with a view of the river will be treated like a troublemaker. Such behavior is completely out of place in the catering industry. It was so uncomfortable that I lost interest in anything. This place will definitely never see me again with this kind of treatment of guests. There are enough better alternatives in Potsdam.

Unfortunately I didn't like it - the pizza was cold. The large crowds don't make the place particularly comfortable either. I was there for the first and last time. Although I heard a lot of good reviews, I guess I was just unlucky. I hope that was the exception.

It's a very good experience. Super delicious lasagna and pasta, overall the best restaurant experience in a long time. So just reserve online in advance 😉

Very friendly and attentive service – you immediately feel welcome!

Njom njom njom. Mega pizzas! Update 7 years later: the pizza is still very tasty and the service is fast, friendly and very attentive. Unfortunately it is incredibly loud in the back. We got out of there very quickly because it caused extreme stress

My wife and I were generally very satisfied. However, our main course unfortunately only arrived lukewarm to cold because we had a starter beforehand. Nevertheless, the taste of the food was very good. The pomegranate iced tea is highly recommended!

Huge pizza, you can also eat half

Unfortunately, we were "served" with 4 guests on our last visit and will probably not come back. When the weather was great, we ordered a table at 6:45 p.m. and, after a short wait, we got it outside as requested. After about 20 minutes our order was taken; Another 15 minutes later we got the drinks. However, we waited until 7:45 p.m. for the appetizer! The waiter pointed out that it was full. So we were patient. However, nothing happened for a while. No one asked for more drinks nor did our food come. It was particularly annoying to see that guests at other tables were now placing their orders AND also receiving their food. At 8:15 p.m. we received the automatically generated email from the restaurant (because apparently the standard visiting time of 90 minutes had passed) and they thanked us for our visit. But our stomachs were still growling. At 8:20 p.m. I asked the waiter when we could expect the food. He put us off for another 10 minutes “or longer”. Around 8:45 p.m. - we had been in the restaurant for 2 hours at that time and still hadn't had our food - it became dark and cold. The tables outside emptied. I then pointed out to another waitress (unfortunately our waiter wasn't around for a long time) that she should please see if we could move inside to eat. She wanted to fix it. A few minutes before 9 p.m. we were served our ordered dishes OUTSIDE by our waiter in charge. Unfortunately nothing is free inside. We then ate outside in the cold and IN THE DARK (there was no table lighting; several guests paid their bill using their cell phone light!) and then paid and quickly left the inhospitable place. We had imagined a birthday dinner differently. We were particularly disappointed with the service from our waiter, who only pointed out that “it wasn't his fault; it was just full”. A possible understaffing in the kitchen and in service is in any case a responsibility of the management, and not of the guest. We would have at least expected that some attention would have been paid to the obvious omissions. Be it blankets for the outside seats or table lighting when it got dark when there wasn't actually a table for 4 available inside. Soon we won't be seen there again. It's a shame given the beautiful location.

Lousy pizza. Absolutely tasteless. Like cardboard.

The excellent location, interesting interior and summer terrace by the water attract visitors to this restaurant. The pizza was really huge and deliciously prepared. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the salads (Caesar salad and shrimp and avocado salad). One got the impression that they were hastily assembled and served carelessly, without paying due attention to the preparation of the ingredients and the quality of presentation (terribly fried shrimp, stale ends of the mixed salad, soft cucumbers). I didn’t even want to take a picture of this dish! I also ask you to draw the attention of the owner of the establishment to the work of the waiters. Although the service was very friendly, it was very slow. We waited a long time for drinks, waited even longer for the bill, asking for it twice. Despite the fact that our waiter was not overworked, he did not notice our gaze, but managed to chat with his colleagues. It is known that excellent service can compensate for the shortcomings of the kitchen. It's a pity that not in this case.

Nice shop, with attentive service and very good food. The pizza is the biggest I've ever seen.

Very tasty food and nice staff.

We are happy to recommend the restaurant, place by the water, delicious food, huge pizza and very nice and attentive service. Thanks to Chris and the team. Heidi & Chris from Dresden

Food was ok, but no flair, receipt by email, tip by keyboard, who likes it?? Nope!!

Very tasty food & very friendly, fast service. We'd love to come back! :)

We had a very nice evening at L’Osteria. The food was very tasty and unusual. The zucchini noodles with shrimp were great. The service was very friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was very cozy. The beautiful riverside location overlooking the park was perfect for a relaxing evening. We recommend L’Osteria to anyone who wants to enjoy good food in a nice atmosphere.

Nice atmosphere and very nice staff!

Nele was really wonderful and the tiramisu was a dream! Great again!

Delicious food, warm service and a nice atmosphere.

Super delicious food & great atmosphere, feel free to come here🙋🏻‍♀️

It was very good food. Very big pizza and very good pasta. We were helped by Sandra and the service was very quick and friendly

It was very good. Big pizza. Good pasta. Good service. Sandra was very nice to us.

Always been a loyal L’Osteria supporter. The pizza simply tastes best here. PS: Were served by the nice Sandra.

Delicious food, a pleasant atmosphere with a beautiful view and friendly service from Sandra. Highly recommended!

Pleasant atmosphere, very good food and nice service from dear Sandra!

Very tasty food. What I really miss, however, are the references to the lunch offers. From the looks of it, this will never be advertised here...

Great service from Jo. Food as always very tasty. Absolutely recommended for families on vacation in Potsdam

Completely satisfied! As always, the food tastes great, the staff is nice, the atmosphere is very nice anyway, and the location is very good.

All around cozy and delicious food. Friendly service.

Anyone who appreciates a huge (significantly larger than the plate!), very tasty and very inexpensive pizza, and also wants to enjoy it in a top location right on the water, has come to the right place! The mixed salad was also very good! It's an advantage to make a reservation or just bring some time with you, the service is very friendly and quick. Really highly recommended, price and performance are really great!

Very nice and helpful staff. We would love to come here again.

It's incredibly beautiful. The service is friendly and inquires regularly. The pizza is super crispy and the prices are moderate.

We booked online, which was good because the restaurant was expected to be full, and everything went smoothly. We got the table we wanted and the rest was great! Drinks, food, service, everything was great! 👌🏻

We are always satisfied! The location is great! Of course, food as usual, very good. Of course there are a lot of guests but who can blame them? Potsdam is little Italy, and the biggest pizzas are available here. 🍕 ❤️

The pizza was so huge that it hung over your plate. You can also order half pizzas. We sat outside by the water

There was a defiant response to my request for space. Guests who arrived after me were given priority to be placed right there. The restaurant was well attended. I can't say anything about the quality of the food since I didn't stay there.

We all really enjoyed it. Very friendly and fast service, very good food. I can only recommend it.

As we are used to in other cities, the food was great as always! The friendly service staff also made our lunch very pleasant

The pizza was delicious abd the service was fast and correct.The view of the river makes the meal so pleasent .One of the best L'osteria i have ever been !

The place to be! Really 5 stars in everything. Top. We'd love to come back!!

Child-unfriendly restaurant/staff shows no understanding: We just wanted to eat with the child today. The restaurant was empty. The waiter still forbade us to sit at other tables with more than 2 seats. Even after I explained that the child needed space for his books and painting and that the table with 2 seats was not enough for this, the waiter was not approachable. He said I'm alone today. There were 2 other waiters nearby. It's good that there are other child-friendly restaurants in Potsdam.

Thanks Cihan for the great service!

Thanks cihan for the great service :)

We were on a school trip and were therefore there as a large group and yet everything went relatively quickly. Food was bomb and super nice staff too. 👌🏼 I would go there regularly if I didn't live so far away. For 30€ a super delicious iced tea, pasta with steak and a delicious bruschetta as a starter was really a great evening.

7:00 p.m. Ordered and paid for 2 pizzas for delivery. 35-50 minutes were announced. After 45 minutes a courier was found, 5 minutes later they said they were looking for another courier. This condition remained stable until 10 p.m. Order canceled and went to bed hungry. Anyone who sets up a business model and cannot serve it should not let the customer suffer.

I can recommend this place. Located right on the water. Near the state parliament. Located within a 5-minute walk from the train station. The food was very good. Great pizza. Was ok and served hot. Absolutely okay in terms of price.

No, too loud and smell of bandages cheese the entire stay☹️

Very good pizza and very good service. The volume in the restaurant takes a lot of getting used to - but it's actually like that in all LOsteria.

Super friendly team and delicious pizza! I recommend making a reservation.

Probably as good as a dining experience can get at a chain restaurant! This was my first time back at a L’Osteria after many years and I was impressed with the experience. Nice atmosphere, friendly and efficient service, good food with top ingredients. Even the music was good, though Latin and not Italian. Only the espresso was off (burned?) which was a pity since one of their deserts is also based on it.

Unfortunately, my concerns were confirmed: mass canteen-style processing with little warmth and very poor service. Positive: Pizza tasted ok. However, the surface could have been more and I personally don't need a 45cm diameter. The tables are all too small for this. We barely had any space left on our table for four. (see pictures). Maybe 35cm diameter would be an alternative, less dough and more toppings? Positive: you can combine 2 flavors in one pizza. Positive: we were 15 minutes early, but were still able to get a table. Negative: really extremely loud and additional music, overcrowded and sometimes very narrow. Negative: App coupons couldn't be redeemed for whatever reason (or our waiter simply didn't feel like dealing with it and wasn't keen to find a solution). In addition, not once was the question asked about additional drinks and whether everything was okay. I almost had to beg to be allowed to pay. Overall a very disappointing experience. In the future I would prefer the small, cozy, warm Italian restaurant.

Super delicious pizza, good wine and there was extra activity and delicious dishes for the children. Always happy.

We wanted to have lunch without a reservation and spontaneously got a seat with 5 people. The table was set for us and we were seated. The service was good, fast and entertaining 👍... We'll be happy to come back ☺️

Best Pizza in town! I can recommend the Nduja Calabrese. Very spicy and delicious

As always, very tasty and lots of it 😋

Very good Italian food and nice staff. Pizza is huge. Split one and combine with another nice dish to share🤩

Super large pizza with good toppings. Price is okay

Very large and tasty pizzas. Unfortunately, the service is not particularly friendly or attentive, but the kitchen is quite quick. Unfortunately, the atmosphere feels a bit like an American diner. Very characterless and narrow, but with nice water views. It's worth a visit for the pizza and if you want to save yourself a visit you can also order.

Despite no reservation and the restaurant being full, the friendly staff did everything they could to get us a table quickly. Pizza was delicious! 😋

There were three of us there, and it was fantastic. The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was very loud! Otherwise, everything was great!

Since we didn't have a reservation, we waited outside in line. The super-friendly manager simply treated us to a sparkling Prosecco while we waited, cheering us up with his good humor and witty remarks. The pizza and the atmosphere are fantastic. We'd happily go back, if only for the friendly staff.

The food was okay, and the staff was friendly. What significantly limited the experience was the unusually close spacing between the tables. You could hear every word your neighbor said and could eat off their plate. One reason to definitely avoid this restaurant in the future.

Fast and friendly service and good food...what more could you want?

Well-located restaurant with tasty food and drinks and friendly, customer-friendly staff

Unfortunately the staff was quite unfriendly and the food was also rather mediocre

The service is very friendly and the decor is nice too. However, our table was too small, so we didn't really have space for our food. The distance to other tables is also too small. We had to shout at each other to be heard. Therefore 2 stars in the ambience.

I can only judge the delivery order. You can get one for twenty euros cold, underbaked pizza drowned in oil. Everything wasn't exaggerated, the pizza had at most a little bit of residual heat. Completely light from below and the cheese on top doesn't run in some places, as if it had been taken out of the oven two minutes too early. And then there was this indescribable amount of oil, which luckily the pizza box had already lost some of, but in some places you were still biting into a pure oil reservoir. Really a shame and definitely not a recommendation.

We recently went to Losteria and had a fantastic evening! The pizza was just perfect – perfectly crispy, fresh and with delicious ingredients. The service was incredibly friendly and attentive, she always kept an eye on whether we were missing something without being intrusive. It was nice to feel so well cared for. I can only warmly recommend Losteria and am already looking forward to my next visit! Grazie mille! 🍕✨

Food meeting on: March 12th, 2025: a very nice & courteous service and the responsiveness to all wishes - simply great & would be happy to come again - MERCI :)!

Our (3 person) table was looked after by Alexander. Despite not having a reservation, we got a table quickly. Alexander was very attentive and extremely friendly. The food was very tasty, prepared quickly, and perfect value for money. Only the tables are a bit close to each other

It was a wonderful evening, especially because of the magical conditions at Franzi. The food was great.

We had reserved and still had to wait half an hour before we finally got a table. The food was great, everything was fresh and delicious 😋 that's why the restaurant is recommended.

It was a beautiful day outside on the Osteria terrace. Everyone was super nice - Jimmy gave us excellent advice on the pizza. He is a very nice and friendly employee! Absolutely recommended

We spontaneously went to eat here for the first time a few months ago and have been coming back ever since. Not least because the staff is so incredibly child-friendly😊 an aspect that unfortunately often leaves something to be desired in Germany. We are already looking forward to our next visit.

Everything's fine. Very satisfied!

Anyone who knows L'Osteria won't experience any surprises here but won't be disappointed either! Pizza is good as usual, staff very friendly. The place is really very cozy.

The food was delicious, but I strongly advise against ordering. The pasta portions are so small that not even a child can get enough.

Good service, good food, good drinks, only the volume was quite high (tables were quite close as it is a good restaurant)

The pizza tasted good and the service was great. Since we don't know Potsdamm, Janis gave us really good recommendations for the evening. We'll be happy to come back.

Best food ever very nice service thank you for today

Best waitress Franziska and many thanks for the lovely service and the food was top

We ate at L’Osteria around 3pm on a weekday. We were immediately offered a table and our order was taken. The in-house iced tea was very tasty. The starter and main course came quickly and were very tasty. The service was friendly and accommodating

Food was very good. Huge pizza. Very nice staff.

We love this restaurant. Best pasta/pizza meets great service. Our waitress spoiled us wonderfully. The food came to the table hot and tasty and the cocktails were well chilled. The price-performance ratio is unbeatable. The pizzas are huge, just as tasty and really good value for money. All served with a charming smile. The service here is clearly worth 10 stars. Top team!

Top service every time - gladly again

Jannis was really great. The food was also great 💪

Really nice service, great food & very sociable atmosphere!

Very good service, nice staff and everything went smoothly

Nice Atmosphere, view of the River Havel, Great service, great food. Thx for a nice stay.

Very good service, excellent food, excellent staff, I recommend it!!!

Really Nice Food , with good service

Very Nice expérience! I'll recommend it!

Thanks to the whole team for the lovely evening! The food was great and the staff was attentive and accommodating. We'd love to come back.

Best pizza I tried so far . Good quality ingredients and everything fresh made ! Service was really helpful, fast and polite. For sure I’m coming back !

As in every L'Osteria so far: Good service, great food, reasonable prices. The location in Potsdam is of course unbeatable.

Super tasty, great quality and really good portions for the price. The pizza is delicious and so big that it is impossible to eat. Small point deduction for the table we sat at. The large table directly in front of the kitchen door is not ideal because everyone has to walk there, which causes unrest. Otherwise, gladly again.

Yesterday we were in this pizzeria with the family and were insulted by the waiter. We can only agree with all the negative reviews. Unfortunately, the bad reviews are deleted by the restaurant staff, otherwise the few positive ones would hardly be noticed. Management responds to every negative review by saying that it will be taken seriously. If that were really the case, unsuitable staff would not be allowed to work in the first place. As many here have noted, the waiters are unfriendly and completely disrespectful. They are even praised by name in the positive reviews - I would also like to call these "heroes" by name, but the staff don't wear name tags. They also lack basic communication skills when dealing with customers. Yesterday a member of the service staff explained to me that I could "disappear" if I didn't like something. When I asked to speak to the manager, other waiters claimed that this rude employee was the manager - an absurd idea. Upon my repeated demands to speak to the manager, another waiter began asking me what happened while the rude employee shouted loudly throughout the restaurant, "Why bother with her?" We have enough other normal customers!” The entire room heard these screams - there could hardly be a better anti-advertisement for the restaurant. The only thing that ensures this place a constant flow of guests is its convenient location: the beautiful view of the Havel, the proximity to the main tourist attractions and the lack of other restaurants in the area. Apparently these circumstances lead the staff not to value the guests, but instead to lose all professional and human decency. The food is average - there is definitely better. In fact, there's nothing Italian about it other than the name. In reality, it is a typical Arabic snack bar, as there are many in Berlin - pizza and pasta are served here, but in their own way. The biggest disadvantage, however, is that it is always served cold because the waiters drag it from the kitchen for hours... Ultimately, my review confirms all the negative reviews from the last six months: The biggest problem is the brazen, rude and completely unsuitable waiters. And this is the only restaurant in Potsdam where something like this is tolerated. Unfortunately there is no "zero star". The place definitely deserves it - as an absurdly run restaurant in one of the most beautiful and attractive locations in Potsdam...

Very nice staff, food very tasty

Das Restaurant präsentiert sich als italienisches Lokal, doch tatsächlich ist außer dem Namen nichts Italienisches daran. In Wirklichkeit handelt es sich um eine typische arabische Imbissstube, wie es sie in Berlin zahlreich gibt – hier werden zwar Pizza und Pasta serviert, aber auf eigene Art und Weise. So kochen Italiener definitiv nicht. In jedem echten italienischen Restaurant wird Wert auf eine gemütliche Atmosphäre gelegt, und Gäste werden mit einem Lächeln empfangen. Selbst in einer beliebigen arabischen Imbissstube ist der Umgang mit Kunden deutlich freundlicher als in diesem Lokal. Hier hingegen ist es unüblich, zu lächeln oder dem Gast zuzuhören – stattdessen scheint Unhöflichkeit zum Konzept zu gehören. Übrigens: Das Personal spricht weder Italienisch noch vernünftig Deutsch oder Englisch. Ein absurd geführtes Restaurant in einer der schönsten und attraktivsten Lagen Potsdams...