La Banca - Middletown

The Caesar salad included some traditional elements like romaine and croutons, but the dressing was overly lemony and lacked the umami that good Parmesan, anchovies, and a generous sprinkle of black pepper typically provide. The pizza was decent, with a thin, cracker-like crust that blistered nicely in the oven. The Tiramisu, on the other hand, felt like just a bowl of whipped cream with a tiny piece of cake hidden beneath it. They offered craft beers, but our waitress didn't provide much information apart from mentioning a hazy IPA, which was a Loose Cannon—one of my favorites. The red wine available by the glass was acceptable, priced at $10 and up, while the bottle menu featured options that reached nearly $1000 for those who are interested. The dining area felt cold and somewhat sterile. We were informed that our server was preoccupied with a special group in the vault (the establishment is housed in a former bank), which resulted in a lack of attentiveness in our table service. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. Ciao!

We've visited several times, but this visit was outstanding. The chef clearly knows their craft. The food was delicious, though the menu is somewhat limited. Be sure to make a reservation, as the place was completely full on Saturday. The service was excellent. We plan to return. As for parking, there is some available, but not many spaces, so we usually park on the street. Overall, a great dining experience!

I visited the restaurant and enjoyed the Bourbon dinner, which was absolutely fantastic! Our server, Pommy, went above and beyond; she was exceptionally knowledgeable about the dishes and the menu. I will definitely return to have Pommy serve us again and will be requesting her specifically. Overall, the experience deserves a perfect rating: Food: 5, Service: 5, Atmosphere: 5.

The server did not know what a French 75 is. The server brought my husband’s martini with no olives. The server sloshed my drink all over my dress and handbag. We had to ask for more water at our table and when she brought it, she only refilled the waters for half the table and then walked away, leaving half the table with empty glasses. We had to ask another server to bring more water for the half that didn’t get any. When we ordered, we ordered soups/appetizers and dinner. It all came out together. Well actually, one person at our table got their main course and then their app 5 minutes after that. When we asked her why we weren’t getting our apps first, she said she didn’t put it in that way. In the end, we still were forced to give the server a 20% tip bc a 20% gratuity is included in your check. Normally, we give 20% but I think this server deserved 15% at best. We drove over an hour to dine at La Banca bc we had heard it was such a great restaurant, but having such a poorly trained (or perhaps never trained) server was a disappointment.

Service was almost as slow as the waiters 5k time. Service: Dine in Food: 1 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 4