Staff at a Bologna restaurant have spoken warmly about their experience with Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, describing the couple as “absolutely amazing” and “good-hearted people”.
Riccardo Lelli, the owner of Trattoria della Santa, said PEOPLE in an interview translated by waitress Saria Ahmed, they had dinner at the restaurant on July 21, the day before Gomez’s 34th birthday, after a Blanco team member made a reservation a few days earlier.
Although the reservation was initially for a private table, when the couple arrived they chose to sit outside under the Portici di Bologna, the city’s iconic arched walkways.
“They were absolutely amazing people, very lovely and kind-hearted,” Lelli said.
“They showered us with compliments on the food, on the service, and they were just great customers.” Ahmed added from her own perspective: “As a waitress, I can tell you that we had a good experience with them.”
The couple ordered generously from the menu, choosing eggplant parmigiana, arugula salad, mushroom tagliatelle, buffalo cheese ravioli, butter and sage tortelloni, lasagna Bolognese and the restaurant’s signature Balanzoni cream-filled pasta.
The staff noted that the couple knew well that pasta was the thing to order in Bologna. Blanco, 38, apparently enjoyed the food so much that he got up to share it with his team.
Ahmed also admitted to an unintentional misstep.
When the couple asked for a second round of prosecco, she automatically suggested they order a bottle as it would be more economical, before immediately making up for it.
“As I was going to get it, I was like, ‘What did I just tell them? Why did I say that?’, like they needed something more economical. So I was laughing with myself.”
Style-wise, Ahmed noted that Gomez “looked lovely” in a white satin dress and scarf with sunglasses, while Blanco stuck to her signature streetwear look.
Lelli shared a photo with the couple on the restaurant’s Instagram, Blanco flashing a peace sign, Gomez posing in front, captioning it simply: “Thank you so much for eating with us.”
