Stella Alpina

FORTE Fitness Gym - Southern Pines, NC

Unbelievable experience at Stella! My husband and I were coming through this adorable town on our way to San Hose and made a reservation because we love Italian. We couldn't find a place to store luggage and Dana at the restaurant accommodated us with no problem and was so nice! Craft cocktail menu was unique and delicious and the food was immaculate in taste and presentation! Thank you Stella for starting our vacation off so wonderfully! Next time we will stay longer in this adorable town!

Brenda Ramos

Superb service when I called last minute to make a reservation. The host and severs were amazing and kind. Attention to detail was on point. They split our cocktail (we were sharing) without asking when I mentioned it to the server. The food was superb and rich. Worth the time and money

Jeanette G

There’s no place like Stella’s for a crisp French 75 and a solid meal! I highly recommend their truffle gnocchi with their focaccia to share and I’m a big fan of their risotto.

Sandeepa Dey

Lovely Italian food located conveniently in Burlingame Avenue. The portion sizes are large and my husband and I easily shared a delicious order of Pollo Alla Calabrese. We also got the rosemary focaccia bread which was excellent. We had the bread pudding for dessert and it was a really good one I’ve had in a very long time. We got outside seating which made the dining experience all the better. The hosts and our servers were super courteous. Very recommended !

Beth Luan

Great food, great antipasto and meat secondi’s and orecchiette. Wine selection was great too.

KGQ NYC

Excellent. Lovely inside and outside. Excellent pasta and veggies. The restaurant gets a nice crowd and the service is good. Loved the gnocchi -we had it with the pesto sauce, the Alfredo sauce, and the walnut Gorgonzola sauce. Loved the Brussels sprouts, the mushrooms, and the spinach.

Javier Rey

We came here for my wife's birthday. There food is expensive but worth it. Every dish was delicious. We got the burrata, lamb chops and risotto. For dessert we for the birthday bread pudding (on the house) and the creme brulee. My favorite might have been the burrata. The bread was also delicious (although they charge for it). Service was also 👍

First time at Stella. We had friends from the east coast with a 1 night layover at SFO. So we picked Stella to take them out for dinner. The ambiance, food and service were terrific. I'd say my one complaint is that there need to be some more reasonably priced wines by the bottle. My wife especially appreciated the availability of a tasty vegan option. If you have alcohol, you'll easily spend $150+ for 2 diners here. So, I'd say Stella is more of a special-occasion splurge than a weekly neighborhood stop.

Just hosted a family dinner for 12 people, including 4 babies, on the outdoor covered and heated patio. Excellent service, food, and space! Emma was our server and made us feel like family. Also they did not charge a reservation fee and did not include gratuity. Highly recommend Stella for your next special event!

Neel Pasricha

Just hosted a family dinner for 12 people, including 4 babies, on the outdoor covered and heated patio. Excellent service, food, and space! Emma was our server and made us feel like family. Also they did not charge a reservation fee and did not include gratuity. Highly recommend Stella for your next special event!

Came here for a birthday dinner on a Tuesday night around 6pm. Reservations are highly recommended. Note that it is mostly street parking but we were able to find a parking spot in less than 10 minutes and it was good walking distance (~3-4 min walk). Food/Drinks we ordered: 1) Sparkling water - in hindsight, won't get this next time, as tap water is sufficient 2) Stella Marina - this was delicious, loved the raspberry and hibiscus flavor, kinda reminded me of a smoothie consistency, very sweet 3) Barrel Aged Old Fashioned - this was sooo smooth, great orangey scent 4) Carpaccio All' Albese - this dish is a bundle of arugula salad sitting atop a plate of VERY thinly sliced beef filet - and the beef is RAW. I actually enjoyed the beef a lot! Filet is super soft and creamy - almost melts in your mouth. The "beef taste" is very subtle and I actually had to try it by itself to really get a taste of it, b/c when I take a bite of everything together, all I taste is parmiagiano and arugula. 5) Gnocchi di Patate "Nonna Nilla" w/ Italian sausage and Porcini ragu - I've never had gnocchi before so I wanted to try this out, I'm quite surprised at how soft the actual pasta is - it was almost a little bit mushy? The taste is mostly from the ragu since the gnocchi itself didn't have much of a flavor. It filled me up for sure and I would like to come back to try the truffle stuffed gnocchi one day. 6) Lasagna Filetto Bolognese - meaty/carby/saucey mouthful of goodness 7) Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée - one of the more thicker caramelized sugar crusts I've had and it gave more texture, but that was the only thing to note, other than that, great dessert All in all, I had a great time, service was good, ambience is nice, I would definitely love to come back to try out the other things on their menu.

Great authentic Italian joint along the main street in Burlingame. Nice elegant but laid back interiors and atmosphere. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Simple yet refined flavors letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

Went here for our first wedding anniversary, absolutely loved the vibe and the atmosphere. They decorated it a bit more for us. Food was 10/10, had their valentine day select menu which was outstanding. Special mention for the chocolate crunch cake which was out of this world!

A nice, cozy restaurant that serves solid northern Italian food in downtown Burlingame. The stewed beef short ribs was delicious, but the polenta that came with it was particularly memorable as it was so creamy and buttery. Everything else (e.g., gnocchi with truffle sauce, salads, and tiramisu) was good as well.

I initially had some concerns with the food, particularly the lamb chops, which appeared smaller than expected. However, after sharing my feedback, the restaurant management reached out promptly, acknowledged the issue, and assured me they had taken steps to ensure consistency moving forward. Their response was professional and customer-focused, showing a real commitment to quality. I appreciate their willingness to listen and improve, and I look forward to returning for a better experience!

The bar area had a nice ambiance. I ordered the filet mignon, which was perfectly cooked and delicious, though the addition of cheese was unexpected; surprisingly, it worked. The real standout, however, was the espresso martini—rich, smooth. A must-try.

Rong Mao

A nice, cozy restaurant that serves solid northern Italian food in downtown Burlingame. The stewed beef short ribs was delicious, but the polenta that came with it was particularly memorable as it was so creamy and buttery. Everything else (e.g., gnocchi with truffle sauce, salads, and tiramisu) was good as well.

Bo Redfearn

I initially had some concerns with the food, particularly the lamb chops, which appeared smaller than expected. However, after sharing my feedback, the restaurant management reached out promptly, acknowledged the issue, and assured me they had taken steps to ensure consistency moving forward. Their response was professional and customer-focused, showing a real commitment to quality. I appreciate their willingness to listen and improve, and I look forward to returning for a better experience!

Hit List

The bar area had a nice ambiance. I ordered the filet mignon, which was perfectly cooked and delicious, though the addition of cheese was unexpected; surprisingly, it worked. The real standout, however, was the espresso martini—rich, smooth. A must-try.

Jenny Pang

Came here for a birthday dinner on a Tuesday night around 6pm. Reservations are highly recommended. Note that it is mostly street parking but we were able to find a parking spot in less than 10 minutes and it was good walking distance (~3-4 min walk). Food/Drinks we ordered: 1) Sparkling water - in hindsight, won't get this next time, as tap water is sufficient 2) Stella Marina - this was delicious, loved the raspberry and hibiscus flavor, kinda reminded me of a smoothie consistency, very sweet 3) Barrel Aged Old Fashioned - this was sooo smooth, great orangey scent 4) Carpaccio All' Albese - this dish is a bundle of arugula salad sitting atop a plate of VERY thinly sliced beef filet - and the beef is RAW. I actually enjoyed the beef a lot! Filet is super soft and creamy - almost melts in your mouth. The "beef taste" is very subtle and I actually had to try it by itself to really get a taste of it, b/c when I take a bite of everything together, all I taste is parmiagiano and arugula. 5) Gnocchi di Patate "Nonna Nilla" w/ Italian sausage and Porcini ragu - I've never had gnocchi before so I wanted to try this out, I'm quite surprised at how soft the actual pasta is - it was almost a little bit mushy? The taste is mostly from the ragu since the gnocchi itself didn't have much of a flavor. It filled me up for sure and I would like to come back to try the truffle stuffed gnocchi one day. 6) Lasagna Filetto Bolognese - meaty/carby/saucey mouthful of goodness 7) Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée - one of the more thicker caramelized sugar crusts I've had and it gave more texture, but that was the only thing to note, other than that, great dessert All in all, I had a great time, service was good, ambience is nice, I would definitely love to come back to try out the other things on their menu.

SY

Great authentic Italian joint along the main street in Burlingame. Nice elegant but laid back interiors and atmosphere. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Simple yet refined flavors letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

Nice atmosphere and friendly service but wow the food is underwhelming. This is Olive Garden quality for 3x the price. Overcooked pasta and bland sauce. Cheese used is like Kraft Parmesan. Clearly cutting costs here.

The sea bass was so dry, and my lasagna was very over cooked and mushy. There was NO al-dente to the lasagna pasta. Too expensive for the quality of the cooking. The servers also brought us a whole meal that belonged to a different table and had to remove it after I asked if we ordered that. They are friendly though!

Liana Warren

The sea bass was so dry, and my lasagna was very over cooked and mushy. There was NO al-dente to the lasagna pasta. Too expensive for the quality of the cooking. The servers also brought us a whole meal that belonged to a different table and had to remove it after I asked if we ordered that. They are friendly though!

Bryan Carroll

Nice atmosphere and friendly service but wow the food is underwhelming. This is Olive Garden quality for 3x the price. Overcooked pasta and bland sauce. Cheese used is like Kraft Parmesan. Clearly cutting costs here.

Rachel S.

We went to this restaurant for dinner. This place was packed very quickly, so it’d be better if you call in to make a reservation. We ordered the fondue, sautéed baby spinach, and some pastas. Overall, they were okay, but some of them were too salty.

Sundeep Ram

First and foremost, service was amazing. Came with a dinner party conference. Gnocchi appetizer was good. Caesar salad came with bacon, but the bacon had no flavor like salt... It just tasted bland. Chicken Parm with pasta was good... Big portion size. Needs a little more salt. Bread pudding was amazing, but should be double in size. Manhattan was strong! Cherry Coke was great!

If I had reviewed this restaurant at its old location a few years ago, I would have given it a solid 3/5. Since moving to the new spot, though, both the food and service have gone downhill bad. To be honest and upfront, I never thought this place was anything special to begin with, but my wife liked it, so I kept going back for her. I took her here for her birthday a few weeks ago, and it turned out to be a huge mistake. The place was empty on a Friday night and every other restaurant in the area was packed. That should have been a clue but here we go, story time. The service was friendly but absolutely terrible. Our orders were wrong three separate times, and we were even brought dishes we didn’t order. After the third mistake, an older man who seemed to be lording over the whole place came over to “smooth things over.” The problem was, I wasn’t even making a scene or complaining; I simply chose not to eat and let my wife enjoy what did arrive correctly. Instead of letting us finish in peace, he insisted on hovering and turning the whole thing into a customer service therapy session. It was awkward and made the meal even more uncomfortable. On top of that, the food just isn’t what it used to be. The quality has dropped noticeably. Honestly, watch a couple of YouTube videos, buy the ingredients yourself, and you’ll make a better version at home for less money and you won’t have to sit through a lecture while you eat. It’s too expensive for the experience and food quality to be this bad. 1/5.

Lisa K.

We have been loyal customers of Stella’s Restaurant for over ten years, and it’s heartbreaking to see how far this place has fallen. Our most recent experiences have been nothing short of horrific and disappointing, mainly due to the event manager, Bianca, whose attitude and behavior are completely unacceptable. She is rude, arrogant, and unhelpful, making what should be a pleasant process for planning an event feel like a nightmare. Bianca seems more focused on finding ways to overcharge customers than providing any real service. She threw out unrealistic food and beverage minimums and even tried to charge extra for tablecloths — something that’s standard at any respectable restaurant. It’s honestly shocking that a place like Stella’s allows someone so unprofessional and unpleasant to represent their brand. If this is how they treat loyal customers, it’s no wonder the restaurant’s reputation has declined. I truly hope the owners, Alisa and Matteo Ferrari, are aware of how damaging Bianca’s conduct is to their business. The Burlingame community deserves better than this kind of greed, attitude, and disrespect. What a complete disappointment. Stella’s Restaurant has truly lost its class.

Dan S

If I had reviewed this restaurant at its old location a few years ago, I would have given it a solid 3/5. Since moving to the new spot, though, both the food and service have gone downhill bad. To be honest and upfront, I never thought this place was anything special to begin with, but my wife liked it, so I kept going back for her. I took her here for her birthday a few weeks ago, and it turned out to be a huge mistake. The place was empty on a Friday night and every other restaurant in the area was packed. That should have been a clue but here we go, story time. The service was friendly but absolutely terrible. Our orders were wrong three separate times, and we were even brought dishes we didn’t order. After the third mistake, an older man who seemed to be lording over the whole place came over to “smooth things over.” The problem was, I wasn’t even making a scene or complaining; I simply chose not to eat and let my wife enjoy what did arrive correctly. Instead of letting us finish in peace, he insisted on hovering and turning the whole thing into a customer service therapy session. It was awkward and made the meal even more uncomfortable. On top of that, the food just isn’t what it used to be. The quality has dropped noticeably. Honestly, watch a couple of YouTube videos, buy the ingredients yourself, and you’ll make a better version at home for less money and you won’t have to sit through a lecture while you eat. It’s too expensive for the experience and food quality to be this bad. 1/5.