Pastina Trattoria

John Stewart

Had a wonderful lunch with customers and coworkers today. The food and service was excellent. Everything was great. We'll be back soon.

Raoul

Fantastic Italian restaurant in the heart of Westwood. The owner was very friendly and the food was off the charts. I asked if it was possible to make my favorite dish despite the fact that it wasn't on the menu and to my surprise, he said yes. Highly recommend.

Monique McDaniel

Love Nancy and Frank! Everything was awesome. I had the Caesar salad, the bow tie pasta with smoked salmon and tiramisu 🥰 I will definitely return.

PineState77

My family and I have eaten many welcoming, delicious dinners here over the years with amazing service and food. This is to let people know what a great lunch spot Pastina is, especially given how few strong business or pleasure sit-down lunch options there are in this corner of Westwood/Rancho. Watch out for the fresh baked bread that comes to the table with olive oil. It might fill you too much to enjoy the fantastic food from soups to vegetarian to pastas to flavorful meats and fish. As I write this review I’m enjoying a simply grilled but unbelievably tasty pounded chicken breast, potato barley soup in a chicken stock and some parma. Frank, Nancy and the gang will make you feel at home in this special neighborhood place.

Found this place while looking for a simple Italian dinner and it did not disappoint! Our server recommended the Penne Alla Vodka, and I was hooked after the first bite. There was a pasta with frutti di mare—another excellent dish. Service was good; the food came out quickly. We happened to speak with the owner about gluten-free options for a family member as we left, and he came up with plenty of ways that the menu could be adjusted to accommodate them. I hope to return soon (hopefully with the whole family)!

Good food and portions, affordable prices compared to similar places in the Los Angeles area. Great friendly and professional service. Our server was top notch. Definitely a must try restaurant with authentic Italian food and daily specials. Try the bresaola with rucola and shaved Parmesan or sautéed calamari Luciana for appetizers, the grilled branzino and linguine with fresh blue crab meat in garlic oil sauce paired New Zealand Sauvignon blanc for main course and torta della nonna for dessert coupled with real espresso coffee. You'll be back as we have.

Came in late night on a very slow night. Very friendly staff and great food. Westside native but first time eating here, I will definitely return.

Wonderful time and delicious fare with my two teenaged sons and my brother. We took a chance on the restaurant as we were in the area, and we were glad we did. The owner is a professional as are the staff. Could not have asked for better service…or food!

5 Stars! The neighborhood is lucky to have a gem like this. The only thing better than the food was the service. The owner, Frank, and his son were so hospitable. It was our first time dining here but we will definitely be back and with friends. It looks like a great place to have a private party too. We are definitely considering it for a 40th birthday or a baby shower.

Tucked on a side street, this family-run trattoria feels like a friend’s cozy dining room. I ordered penne all’Arrabbiata—spicy, tangy, bright—perfectly al dente, not mushy. The wine list reads like “Italian favorites under \$40”—solid value. The tiramisu was creamy with just enough coffee punch. No pretension, just honest, warm Italian food.

Fantastic family owned restaurant my family has been going to for years. There is a lot of love in their food and they have the most amazing freshly baked bread. The lasagna is also my favorite!!

Excellent food, very tasty, fresh, presented in simple, pleasing ways. Thoughtful and attentive service, with comfortable mix of warmth and quiet efficiency. Gracious owner/manager who creates neighborhood feel. Seating is comfortable, though noise level is a bit challenging at times. Now open Sundays to provide better weekend availability, due to requests from local customers. Closed Mondays instead.

My kids love their lasagna and pasta. The bread is so different to other Italian restaurants and unique. It tastes out of the world. The owner greets everyone so nicely and makes everyone feel home. Staff is very friendly and my kid is so impressed with one waitress and hugged her

This restaurant was amazing, mainly because of their amazing service and food. This is a family run restaurant and the server the took care of us (the owners son) was so nice, friendly and attentive. We were a big bunch of people to handle and they were so kind. The food was amazing! Just great overall. From burrata to octopus and that amazing shortrib, everything just tasted amazing. The interior isn’t too bad either. Probably some improvements there, but hey - with that service and food, it’s all good. Highly recommend

We had high standards from a lot of the amazing italian places in NYC and were craving italian in LA at somewhere that wasn’t too pricey / formal. This place was amazing! Family run with charming service and really nice traditional style Italian at a fair price point. When we came in we think the owner was in the corner with a few of his friends eating dishes and dishes of food for what must’ve been 2-3 hours — sign of a good restaurant and the type of place this is. Extremely clean environment. Highly highly reccomend!

edvbah

This restaurant was amazing, mainly because of their amazing service and food. This is a family run restaurant and the server the took care of us (the owners son) was so nice, friendly and attentive. We were a big bunch of people to handle and they were so kind. The food was amazing! Just great overall. From burrata to octopus and that amazing shortrib, everything just tasted amazing. The interior isn’t too bad either. Probably some improvements there, but hey - with that service and food, it’s all good. Highly recommend

Sarah Li

We had high standards from a lot of the amazing italian places in NYC and were craving italian in LA at somewhere that wasn’t too pricey / formal. This place was amazing! Family run with charming service and really nice traditional style Italian at a fair price point. When we came in we think the owner was in the corner with a few of his friends eating dishes and dishes of food for what must’ve been 2-3 hours — sign of a good restaurant and the type of place this is. Extremely clean environment. Highly highly reccomend!

Joseph

Found this place while looking for a simple Italian dinner and it did not disappoint! Our server recommended the Penne Alla Vodka, and I was hooked after the first bite. There was a pasta with frutti di mare—another excellent dish. Service was good; the food came out quickly. We happened to speak with the owner about gluten-free options for a family member as we left, and he came up with plenty of ways that the menu could be adjusted to accommodate them. I hope to return soon (hopefully with the whole family)!

Daniel Soto

Came in late night on a very slow night. Very friendly staff and great food. Westside native but first time eating here, I will definitely return.

Leticia Vasquez

Wonderful time and delicious fare with my two teenaged sons and my brother. We took a chance on the restaurant as we were in the area, and we were glad we did. The owner is a professional as are the staff. Could not have asked for better service…or food!

Guestavo Marcal

Tucked on a side street, this family-run trattoria feels like a friend’s cozy dining room. I ordered penne all’Arrabbiata—spicy, tangy, bright—perfectly al dente, not mushy. The wine list reads like “Italian favorites under \$40”—solid value. The tiramisu was creamy with just enough coffee punch. No pretension, just honest, warm Italian food.

G B

Good food and portions, affordable prices compared to similar places in the Los Angeles area. Great friendly and professional service. Our server was top notch. Definitely a must try restaurant with authentic Italian food and daily specials. Try the bresaola with rucola and shaved Parmesan or sautéed calamari Luciana for appetizers, the grilled branzino and linguine with fresh blue crab meat in garlic oil sauce paired New Zealand Sauvignon blanc for main course and torta della nonna for dessert coupled with real espresso coffee. You'll be back as we have.

Fabio Fantone

One of the best Italian restaurants on the Westside of Los Angeles. No frills good food, good portions and reasonable pricing for what you're getting. Recommended appetizers: clams/mussels appetizer, shrimp in tomato-mustard sauce. For Primi go with the Bolognese or Vongole For Secondi try any of the veal dishes. The scaloppine Pastina is my favorite. I've been eating here for 30 years and the food quality has always remained consistent. That's there secret. The same chefs have been there a long time. And they know what they're doing. Same long time owner too. I am happy that the son of the owner has been grooming to eventually take over the business. Long live Pastina!

Alexandra Kano

Fantastic family owned restaurant my family has been going to for years. There is a lot of love in their food and they have the most amazing freshly baked bread. The lasagna is also my favorite!!

Xiomara Alexis Fernandez

5 Stars! The neighborhood is lucky to have a gem like this. The only thing better than the food was the service. The owner, Frank, and his son were so hospitable. It was our first time dining here but we will definitely be back and with friends. It looks like a great place to have a private party too. We are definitely considering it for a 40th birthday or a baby shower.

Got the gnocchi and tried a couple bites of other dishes. The gnocchi was nothing to write home about, but hit the spot after a few drinks. Nice place to stop in if you're hungry and looking for Italian. Service was very friendly as well.

Nice Italian restaurant, they have a nice classical menu. A wide selection of antipasti, pasta, secondi and desserts or gelato/sorbet. We both were interested in the linguine alla frutti di mare. It was really good but somehow, everything was on the top and the pasta on the lower part. I would suggest you to mix the pasta at the beginning for more flavors😋 We then went for the Torta della Nonna by Bindi as a dessert. I was very happy I choose this, lemon custard pie, it was really good. I would recommend this place for a calm dinner.

Geoffrey Holtsclaw

Got the gnocchi and tried a couple bites of other dishes. The gnocchi was nothing to write home about, but hit the spot after a few drinks. Nice place to stop in if you're hungry and looking for Italian. Service was very friendly as well.

Justin G

Nice Italian restaurant, they have a nice classical menu. A wide selection of antipasti, pasta, secondi and desserts or gelato/sorbet. We both were interested in the linguine alla frutti di mare. It was really good but somehow, everything was on the top and the pasta on the lower part. I would suggest you to mix the pasta at the beginning for more flavors😋 We then went for the Torta della Nonna by Bindi as a dessert. I was very happy I choose this, lemon custard pie, it was really good. I would recommend this place for a calm dinner.

AD-VENTURE

First visit, the quality of the food was very good. I liked that it was off the beaten path of overpriced Italian restaurants in Los Angeles. Service was excellent and if you're looking for a more relaxed family style restaurant this is a good option.