Food was good and satisfying at an acceptable price point. Service was super friendly, kind, and deserving of a generous tip. The restaurant was clean; seating was very tight (not their fault that they are popular). Each pasta was cooked to perfection, not mushy. Sauces were flavorful, and meats were fairly tender. Portions were the perfect ratios of carbs, protein, veggies. Love the roasted garlic cloves on the bread! Everyone who was with me said they would come back again.

Been coming here for decades because the food is pretty good. I stopped asking for things like no mushrooms or other edits because they often get it wrong. Decent sized portions (used to be larger)

L Mo

Honestly was not prepared for the environment that was Gypsy’s. Came on a Sunday around 9pm. The guy taking orders was pretty rude, I asked if I could have some mozzarella on added on my pasta. Went back and fourth with the gentleman because he told me he cannot put mozzarella because theres cheddar mixed in the cheese. Which makes no sense since there is chicken parm on the menu. W.e no mozz on my pasta, cool. Then sitting down is another task, there was people holding seats for people with a group like 8 when there is only 3 people in there group currently. While there is other people with outside food taking up multiple tables taking up space for paying patrons. One guy with a ramen another group of people eating burritos and donuts. No one managing the seating was pretty crazy to me. Cool ill sit at the table next to the door that is being held by someone smoking a cigarette in 30 degree weather. Honestly the food was great. I was surprised how well my pasta was. All in all I would only get take out next time, I wouldn’t subject my self to this dine in mayhem again.

madalynn mendoza (maddie)

This spot had a charming ambiance, with adorable lamps and chairs that immediately caught my eye. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, which I’d rate a solid 8.6/10. The portion was generous, and they didn’t skimp on the meatballs. It also came with garlic bread, which was a standout—the roasted garlic spread on the bread was incredible. My boyfriend tried the gnocchi primavera, but unfortunately, it was a disappointment at 4.8/10. The gnocchi was overly soft, and the dish was overloaded with olives that had an off-putting metallic taste, which overshadowed the other flavors. The service was straightforward—nothing notable, just taking orders and delivering food. One downside was the extra $1 charge per item for card payments, which felt unnecessary. Overall, it’s a nice spot with good food, especially the spaghetti and garlic bread. I’d recommend it if you’re in the area and feeling hungry, but perhaps skip the gnocchi.

Donovan Hughes

As many other reviewers have mentioned, "Gypsy's Trattoria Italiana" is a Berkeley staple! It has consistently been one of the most affordable Italian restaurants in all of the Bay Area; hell I'd even say in all of California. And considering its not a chain restaurant (like Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill), you're getting a unique experience all at a very affordable price that won't break the bank. Location-wise, this place is in the heart of Berkeley on Durant Ave with Telegraph Ave being the nearest cross street. This particular area is virtually impossible to find parking so its best to come here by foot, bike, Uber/Lyft, AC Transit, or BART. Furthermore, this is food central where you will find so many unique international restaurants including Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, and much more. I also wanted to add that this place is within walking distance to UC Berkeley which makes this a huge fan favorite for the college crowd. My most recent experience was during the evening of Saturday 7/16/2022 at around 6:30pm. As expected, there was a very long line of customers ordering as well as customers waiting to pickup (for to-go and DoorDash orders). One thing to keep in mind, this is NOT a fancy place. Don't expect waiter service, white tablecloths, or a romantic experience. This is one of those no-frills type of restaurants that focuses more on budget friendly prices and huge portions. The ordering process is rather simple as you walk up to the register and order. I would recommend taking cash as credit/debit has slightly higher prices on their food (much like a gas station). After looking at the extensive menu, I finally settled with their "Shrimp Alla Primavera" dish. This included jumbo shrimp, garlic, assorted vegetables, and tomato sauce with angel hair pasta. In addition to the main entrée, the combo meal special also includes a basic house salad, garlic bread, and soda. The price (as of July 2022) was an unbelievably reasonable $13.74 + tax. So basically for $15.00, you're getting a ton of food that I guarantee will fill you up. My +1 ended up going with their "Chicken Parmigiano" dish. This was baked chicken breast with marinara sauce & mozzarella cheese over a bed of spaghetti. After paying, you are given a ticket and they call your number to pick up at the register. Even though this place was like a zoo with customers, we still got our food in roughly 10 minutes. I have to give credit where credit is due, the food here is fairly decent for the super low prices. The only downfall is that the sauce in my seafood plate was a little watered down but no biggie. Overall, the angel hair pasta was cooked well while they did not skimp on the shrimp. There was a ton of flavor with lots of fresh veggies embedded into the dish. The garlic bread was tasty while the salad was also very crisp, cold, and fresh. Since you'll get a lot of Cal students here, this will help curb their food cravings to help them study and get through the school year. All in all, "Gypsy's" is an excellent above average restaurant that I highly recommend. It is by no means perfect when it comes to an amazing dining experience but for what you pay as well as the hole-in-the-wall experience, good service, and quality of food, you're getting something special here. And I can almost guarantee that you'll come hungry and leave very full. My rating, four solid stars.

+1

Sara Nold

We’ve ate here twice now. The first time we ordered the Chicken Gnocchi and the Pollo Gorgonzola. Because our meal was really good the first time we ate here we ordered the exact same two meals again but also ordered in addition to those an Eggplant Sandwich. Although our meal was still good, we were left a little disappointed because it was not exactly how it was the first time we had it; there was less sauce and more grease in comparison and the flavor was not the same. The Eggplant Sandwich was not what we were expecting.The sandwich comes open and it is impossible to close it without making a mess. We really enjoyed the flavors of the sauce and cheese, but found the eggplant to be soft (not crispy on the outside), and the bread a bit on the dry side for a sandwich that’s not toasted. The first time we ate here, the restaurant was a solid 5 stars, but the second time it was more like a 3. Considering the lack of consistency in taste and product of ordered items we are averaging and giving this restaurant 4 stars because on a good day the food tastes amazing.

+3

Ting Hsiao

Read the menu before you order. Their margaritas pizza is just a cheese pizza and Caprese pizza is other stores margaritas. Other than that pizza taste great.

Lydia

Food: it’s pretty good for the price. The flavors not too bad and it’s filling as this is a popular choice among students. Service: always busy but the staff is always helpful with recommendations and answering questions. Ambiance: very casual and a bit crowded. Would recommend the outdoor public seating.

Deidre M Williams

It stayed busy the entire time we were there. It's a small spot. I'm not a big pasta eater so you might want to take my review with a grain of salt. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't AMAZING... but that's just me AGAIN I'm not a pasta lover. The portions were big and I enjoyed my salad. The service was ok. One other thing just putting cloves of garlic on bread doesn't make it garlic bread 😮‍💨I scraped it off....

Kimberly Lee

This used to be my favorite restaurant in the Bay Area but the last two times I’ve gone, my pasta didn’t taste like anything besides cream (got fettuccine alfredo and penne gorgonzola). These pastas did not have cheese or seasoning. Still very filling for its price so if you can stomach it, it’s still a good value.

Fiorella Coronel

My family and I had a terrible experience at this restaurant. The service was okay at best but the food was not good. The carbonara was weird and greasy. One of the pieces of steak had a weird liver like texture. They make you throw your own food out and the plates stack up cafeteria style right next to where you’re eating. I would never come back here. Also this establishment doesn’t have any cups or glasses for some reason.

Seth Watson

TLDR: You can make their meatball sandwich at home easily! Just dump a can of spaghetti-o's on some cheap bread, let it soak until soggy. Side note - Last year I got food poisoning from their Gypsy Chicken. It sent me to the hospital. I used to order Gypsy's Trattoria Italiana several times a week. I always ordered the Gypsy Chicken dish and it was always great until one time I ate it and I ended up hospitalized. Ever since then I've avoid eating there but eventually I came back and tried some other dishes. I've tried the chicken parmigiana, pizza, calzone and meatball sandwich - all have been subpar. I think this restaurant is cutting corners to save money and not using fresh ingredients. Hence the flavorless meat slices in my picture instead of flavorful meatballs as advertised. Nice portion sizes though and I hear the Frutti Di Mare is good but I'm too scared to try their seafood. Dear Gypsy's, what happened? Quality matters. Please get it together. Thanks.

Sabreen Sarah Yaqubi

*EDIT1: I ordered the same thing again recently and the portion felt way bigger than I remember even though they look the same. Also, bring your own drinks -- a can of soda was over $2. **EDIT2: I ordered the Godfather’s special with no pancetta because I don’t eat pork and they put it in anyways. If you have any dietary restrictions, I recommend that you avoid this place; Original: The food tasted great; I ordered the godfather special with no pork. It’s a bit crowded inside, but there is some seating outside. The portion is rather small for the price.