Bellanico

Food is distinctly flavorful, staff is cordial and the atmosphere is relaxed. We did a take out before but dining in the food certainly tastes better. It's going to be one of our regular restaurants.

Always impressed with their dinners but came for the first time for brunch and was blown away with the freshness and creativity of the menu. Just great flavors and change of pace for standard brunch fare. Gets very busy on weekends so arrive on the early or later side.

Excellent food. The tasting dinner ( 4 courses) was amazingly good and unexpeted combinations. Great wine too! This is a gem restaurant! Love the neighborhood as well. Could explore the galleries and boutiques.

Great food with some traditional Italian dishes and some non traditional dishes. The malfatti is one of my favorites. The wine and desserts are also very good, like the panna cotta. I also recommend coming for brunch.

We visited yesterday for dinner, and had a great four course menu. The food was fantastic, and service was very fast and friendly! Highly recommended!

Everytime I eat here the food is good and I walk away thinking that I had a great meal for a great price. Just a great little neighborhood spot. Bellinico was my choice for my first meal out since COVID started. Might even be my second next week.

This is a friendly neighborhood establishment featuring great blends of flavors primarily in the Italian palate. We went for a family brunch recently and enjoyed sitting in their outdoor patio. The service was prompt, helpful and fun. The brunch menu offered a wide variety of salads, pastas, meats and fish all beautifully prepared. The French toast with cream and strawberries was out of this world. The atmosphere on the patio would have been perfect except for the that it was a little loud. We have been here several times now and will certainly return.

Simply sensational! My partner and I moved into the neighborhood and were thrilled to discover this absolute gem of a restaurant. We’ve been for multiple visits and have loved literally everything we’ve eaten and drank, it’s impossible to go wrong! Great atmosphere in their little parklet, and their menu rotates regularly so there are always new and exciting things to try. Jen is the best server ever and has never steered us wrong. An absolutely delightful experience that I could not recommend enough!

Located in the Piedmont area, if you are in the mood for Italian style, non-pizza dinner, this restaurant will be worth the effort. High-quality flavoring, with a carefully-crafted alcohol and a rich range of choices from the current menu will leave a positive experience from the beginning until the end. You can taste the freshly-made pasta if you select something such as the Taglioni Pepati and the salads and appetizers will complete the experience. The photos included are the potatoes and of course Taglioni Pepati. Stop reading and go try it for yourself!

I love this place. Like LOVE. The food I’ve gotten here has always been very flavorful, well cooked, and presented beautifully. They also have a good selection of wine as well if you want to drink wine. Their desserts are also delicious, I always order the doughnuts which come with a dark chocolate sauce and this white sauce. They used to have these fish cannolis that were heavenly but unfortunately, those aren’t on the menu anymore. Outdoor seating: yes Heat lamps: yes Nice owners and staff: yes Price: it’s on the pricier side Wine price: ~ $11-16 per glass

We had an outstanding dinner at Bellancio Restaurant and Wine BarWhat made our meal so remarkable? Every thing we ordered was very unique and delicious. We started with their “ Little Gems” Antipasti which consisted of “pickled butternut squash &red onion, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and dijon vinaigrette “! We also had a ravioli that was described as “ Casunzei Red beet & ricotta ravioli , butter sauce,poppy seeds and GRANA PADANO! These two dishes were unlike any I’ve ever had in an Italian or any restaurant! And both were absolutely exceptionally delicious! Maya was our server and she was wonderful too! And for dessert, we ordered an amazing selection of their favorite desserts that was perfect for the perfect for the four of us but selfishly, I would have loved to have it all for myself!

Visited at lunch time and was served right away. While sitting at the bar, you can see in the kitchen where your food is prepared. It's a clean space, employees seem genuinely happy to be working there and they're quite knowledgeable. Ordered the smoked trout pannini. Seasoned to perfection and oh so delicious. The negroni went along with it just fine.

Absolutely amazing. Starters were delicious. We shared between three people. Pasta was crazy good. Sorry for the photo. I had already eaten most of it before I thought about a photo. The lamb sugo was fabulous. Dessert. Goat cheese cheesecake was off the hook! Molto delizioso

Aperto was my favorite restaurant for so many years. I regret that it took me so long to get over here to Bellanico. The tagliolini pepati is still absolutely amazing. The risotto was creative and spectacular with roasted corn, hazelnuts, and an herbed ricotta salata. The owners were friendly and provided great service. The space reminded me a lot of Aperto, too. Comfortable, cozy, relaxed, inviting. A perfect neighborhood restaurant and worth going out of your way to get to.

I do believe this is the one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The first time I went I had the swordfish. It was the most perfectly cooked fish I have ever had. It was served with mussels, cauliflower, capers and some other deliciousness. This time I got the duck. It was cooked as such that it almost had the consistency of ham. Delicious. The service here is excellent. The wait staff are knowledgeable, extremely nice, and accommodating. The price point is great for the quality. For a restaurant experience where you can be sure all the staff, chefs, to waiters, and management care to deliver a quality experience. Dining at its finest.

Cute, classy, and cozy restaurant with good variety on their menu. Also a bunch of Italian wines I've never heard of, but taste great. Service and food were great; would recommend. We didn't need a reservation on a Wednesday night, but that could be due to ppl staying in.

Great upscale date-night spot. Staff was attentive to a T and made a good wine recommendation to my taste. Brown butter rabbit pasta was fantastic.

Came here for the Oakland Restaurant Week special menu. Great food and fairly generous portions. Prices are reasonable too!

Edward James

I do believe this is the one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The first time I went I had the swordfish. It was the most perfectly cooked fish I have ever had. It was served with mussels, cauliflower, capers and some other deliciousness. This time I got the duck. It was cooked as such that it almost had the consistency of ham. Delicious. The service here is excellent. The wait staff are knowledgeable, extremely nice, and accommodating. The price point is great for the quality. For a restaurant experience where you can be sure all the staff, chefs, to waiters, and management care to deliver a quality experience. Dining at its finest.

Melvin Mullings

Cute, classy, and cozy restaurant with good variety on their menu. Also a bunch of Italian wines I've never heard of, but taste great. Service and food were great; would recommend. We didn't need a reservation on a Wednesday night, but that could be due to ppl staying in.

S C

Great upscale date-night spot. Staff was attentive to a T and made a good wine recommendation to my taste. Brown butter rabbit pasta was fantastic.

Rob Hedges

Located in the Piedmont area, if you are in the mood for Italian style, non-pizza dinner, this restaurant will be worth the effort. High-quality flavoring, with a carefully-crafted alcohol and a rich range of choices from the current menu will leave a positive experience from the beginning until the end. You can taste the freshly-made pasta if you select something such as the Taglioni Pepati and the salads and appetizers will complete the experience. The photos included are the potatoes and of course Taglioni Pepati. Stop reading and go try it for yourself!

Arthur Glauberman

We had an outstanding dinner at Bellancio Restaurant and Wine BarWhat made our meal so remarkable? Every thing we ordered was very unique and delicious. We started with their “ Little Gems” Antipasti which consisted of “pickled butternut squash &red onion, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and dijon vinaigrette “! We also had a ravioli that was described as “ Casunzei Red beet & ricotta ravioli , butter sauce,poppy seeds and GRANA PADANO! These two dishes were unlike any I’ve ever had in an Italian or any restaurant! And both were absolutely exceptionally delicious! Maya was our server and she was wonderful too! And for dessert, we ordered an amazing selection of their favorite desserts that was perfect for the perfect for the four of us but selfishly, I would have loved to have it all for myself!

Flora Zambakari

I love this place. Like LOVE. The food I’ve gotten here has always been very flavorful, well cooked, and presented beautifully. They also have a good selection of wine as well if you want to drink wine. Their desserts are also delicious, I always order the doughnuts which come with a dark chocolate sauce and this white sauce. They used to have these fish cannolis that were heavenly but unfortunately, those aren’t on the menu anymore. Outdoor seating: yes Heat lamps: yes Nice owners and staff: yes Price: it’s on the pricier side Wine price: ~ $11-16 per glass

Tessa

Visited at lunch time and was served right away. While sitting at the bar, you can see in the kitchen where your food is prepared. It's a clean space, employees seem genuinely happy to be working there and they're quite knowledgeable. Ordered the smoked trout pannini. Seasoned to perfection and oh so delicious. The negroni went along with it just fine.

Joseph Althouse

Absolutely amazing. Starters were delicious. We shared between three people. Pasta was crazy good. Sorry for the photo. I had already eaten most of it before I thought about a photo. The lamb sugo was fabulous. Dessert. Goat cheese cheesecake was off the hook! Molto delizioso

Seneca Spurling

Aperto was my favorite restaurant for so many years. I regret that it took me so long to get over here to Bellanico. The tagliolini pepati is still absolutely amazing. The risotto was creative and spectacular with roasted corn, hazelnuts, and an herbed ricotta salata. The owners were friendly and provided great service. The space reminded me a lot of Aperto, too. Comfortable, cozy, relaxed, inviting. A perfect neighborhood restaurant and worth going out of your way to get to.

Wonderful brunch! The best French toast I’ve had in my life. The peach Bellinis and fried eggs with polenta and sausage were also delicious. Lovely chill vibe on a weekend and the service was very warm and welcoming. We could also sit outside with our dog, which is always a plus for us.

Delicious food and great service. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. You would need reservation. We didn’t have reservation, but still they seated us at the bar table. The ambience is excellent. My favorite was the Butterbean and black rice risotto. Lots of tea options and they are delicious.

Outstanding. Would give 6 stars if I could. We were in Oakland for one evening and our two teenagers response was that it was the best meal they'd ever had.

This place is a gem...great people running it, chef is skilled at his craft, servers are nice people and good at there jobs. I have been here many times in the one year i lived here. Never lets me down. Thank you to the staff here for always providing a great experience.

I love coming here for brunch at the weekend! The duck hash is amazing and the staff are always attentive and kind

Gnocchi and pork belly was delicious. Phenomenal service! Still partial to Doritos in canon city, waiting to find a place to change my mind.

Mary Hughes

I love coming here for brunch at the weekend! The duck hash is amazing and the staff are always attentive and kind

Eunice Burns

Wonderful brunch! The best French toast I’ve had in my life. The peach Bellinis and fried eggs with polenta and sausage were also delicious. Lovely chill vibe on a weekend and the service was very warm and welcoming. We could also sit outside with our dog, which is always a plus for us.

Rachel Davis

Outstanding. Would give 6 stars if I could. We were in Oakland for one evening and our two teenagers response was that it was the best meal they'd ever had.

Brent Mclerran

This place is a gem...great people running it, chef is skilled at his craft, servers are nice people and good at there jobs. I have been here many times in the one year i lived here. Never lets me down. Thank you to the staff here for always providing a great experience.

Dennis

Gnocchi and pork belly was delicious. Phenomenal service! Still partial to Doritos in canon city, waiting to find a place to change my mind.

Meena Saiprasad

Delicious food and great service. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. You would need reservation. We didn’t have reservation, but still they seated us at the bar table. The ambience is excellent. My favorite was the Butterbean and black rice risotto. Lots of tea options and they are delicious.

Other than the noise and extreme busy-ness that made it hard to have a nice , enjoyable dinner, it was very good. I didn't realize it was Oakland Restaurant Week so perhaps that explains it.; but tables are very close together which made it worse. However the food and service were great. The duck pate was wonderful, the milk-braised pork shoulder on pasta was a great blend of flavors and cooked to perfection. My partner had the meatball appetizer which was fair, and the Gnocchi with mushrooms which was very flavorful. We had the Venetian donuts for dessert which were interesting and fine but I wouldn't order them again. Wine selection was nice. Our server was very personable and welcoming and provided great service throughout the entire meal. Lastly, we very much appreciated the choice of two sizes for the entrees; that is perfect for us and I wish more restaurants offered this option. Aside from allowing us to leave room for dessert, it's nice on the budget as well. I recommend the restaurant and look forward to our next visit.

Love this place! Been here several times and the food is always excellent. I love the fact that they will half a main salad to have as a side salad with entree. Only reason to not give 5 stars is because there were 4 of us and we wanted the window table. The server first told us we could have that table. When it was time to be seated she changed her mind and told us it was reserved for a 5 top. We were seated at another table and it was so dark we had to use our phone flashlights to read the menu (this was at lunch). We were there for 2 hours and no one ever showed up for the 5 top reservation. There were only 3 tables seated the whole time we were there so see no reason we couldn't have had the window table. Other than that, the food and service is truly excellent and would have given 5 stars if not for being told we could have window seat and then telling us no.

I love the fact that even in three fixed 4 course menu, every course had a vegetarian option! We we here on Friday evening, the place was packed, and a bit to noisy. It was a bit hard to have a conversation due to the noise.. The food was very good, every course was interesting and tasty. If you like cheese, this place has a lot to offer to you.. The burrata dish was so delicious! It's hand made, and they are selling it to go as well. The gnocchi was nice, but something was missing to make it really good.. Even though the restaurant was full, the service was good, and went above and beyond to satisfy us!

Their wine selection is amazing. They have tastes, flights, glasses and bottles. The size portions were a little bit off but nonetheless, food tastes great and worth your money. Very nice dinner. It was great and yummy!

A very good experience to take your special someone out for a dinner. Their fixed price menu allowed you to have 4 excellent selections and the wine list was extensive. The place is small, so I had reservations. However, my table wasn't ready when we arrived, and there isn't any place for waiting guests to sit. We had to huddle awkwardly around the tables near the door while the table was prepared.

Bellanico was a nice sit-down restaurant with a great feel, ambiance, and experience. I stumbled upon this place on a recommendation and went with a few people. We noticed there was a prefix menu for the night.. so that was a good way to try many of their offerings! Our first dish we got was toast with cured salmon paste on it. The toast was crispy and had a nice texture to it. The paste was a good accompaniment and it was a nice dish to munch on. We then were able to try the wild boar and ricotta ravioli. I liked the ravioli though it was a pretty plain dish and did not think anything much of it. I was also able to get the Russet potato gnocchi with gargonzola cream and toasted almonds. This was my favorite dish here. The almonds provide a nice texture and the gnocchi was prepared well and tasted great. For dessert I got the goat cheese cheesecake. This was a nice tasting cheesecake and it was not overly sweet. It just had the right amount of minimal sweetness which I liked. I really like the interior of this restaurant and the service was very attentive and nice. I definitely would come back!

Nobel Vale

Bellanico was a nice sit-down restaurant with a great feel, ambiance, and experience. I stumbled upon this place on a recommendation and went with a few people. We noticed there was a prefix menu for the night.. so that was a good way to try many of their offerings! Our first dish we got was toast with cured salmon paste on it. The toast was crispy and had a nice texture to it. The paste was a good accompaniment and it was a nice dish to munch on. We then were able to try the wild boar and ricotta ravioli. I liked the ravioli though it was a pretty plain dish and did not think anything much of it. I was also able to get the Russet potato gnocchi with gargonzola cream and toasted almonds. This was my favorite dish here. The almonds provide a nice texture and the gnocchi was prepared well and tasted great. For dessert I got the goat cheese cheesecake. This was a nice tasting cheesecake and it was not overly sweet. It just had the right amount of minimal sweetness which I liked. I really like the interior of this restaurant and the service was very attentive and nice. I definitely would come back!

We are very disappointed in our experience. My husband and I arrived this evening for dinner. We waited several mins for water to even be delivered to the table. There were several free tables so I’m not sure what the issue was - it certainly wasn’t packed. When water was delivered, we were told our server would be with us shortly. We waited again. So long, that we actually set a timer and said if the waiter didn’t show in another 10 mins we would try another restaurant. The waitress finally came and took our order. Our appetizers were wonderful. We asked to have our leftover appetizer boxed to take home - it was never returned to us. When dinner arrived, it was the wrong order. As we waited for the right dinners to arrive, my husbands came first and he had a choice to either wait for my dinner to arrive (and let his food get cold) or eat. It took over 13 minutes for my dinner to finally arrive and by that time my husband was finished eating. So I ate my dinner with him just staring at me. While the food was wonderful, the service was lacking and we are extremely disappointed. This is not how I expected to spend a Saturday date night.

Went for a birthday dinner and was disappointed. First, when the reservation was made, they were told it was a birthday dinner, but there was no acknowledgement. Two of us had the tasting menu, one had the fried cauliflower balls with lemon aioli, and duck entree, both delicious. The Red Kuri squash in the risotto was still a little crunchy, not sure if that was how it was supposed to be, but I would have liked it softer. One of the desserts came in a slapdash fashion in a glass. Service was not up to par compared to our previous visits. Won't be back for some time but hope last night was an off night. Used to be a good Italian restaurant in the neighborhood and would love to see it stay that way.

As much as I enjoyed the food and service; which was spot on. I couldn't help but notice my table and I were all swayed by our waitress to order non meat dishes. Idk if it was a supply issue or some hidden vegan agenda(which would be ridiculously clever), we just left unsatisfied. But again the Italian beer and overall service was great!

A Sanchez

As much as I enjoyed the food and service; which was spot on. I couldn't help but notice my table and I were all swayed by our waitress to order non meat dishes. Idk if it was a supply issue or some hidden vegan agenda(which would be ridiculously clever), we just left unsatisfied. But again the Italian beer and overall service was great!

We REALLY enjoyed the food and wine rec, but when it came time to pay, my (black) husband was ID'd. While sitting, we saw at least three other people pay with card without being ID'd. Two stars because microaggressions make even the best meal leave a bad taste

Update: visited again, this time everything about the restaurant was extremely disappointing. We went for brunch, firstly there was a weird smell coming from the bathroom because of which we chose to change our table, ordered fried squash blossoms, it was oozing oil. Next they made a primavera to order, I asked for it to be made with vegetables. The pasta was undercooked, not aldente, just undercooked, and for vegetables there were 4 pieces of broccoli in it. Paid for flavorless, oily food. I hope they get back to how they used to be. Excellent restaurant, with delicious Italian starters, entree and dessert. The dishes are all reasonably priced. Also, the servers are amazing and knowledgeable. They were able to help us decide our dinner menu items based on our allergies etc. Items ordered include, burrata salad, butter squash frittata, beet ravioli, swiss chard pasta, cheesecake, souffle cake. All delicious, our favorite was the beet ravioli.

Reserved a spot 24 hours in advance and the day of the reservation called to see if the spot was still available but was told that they didn’t have the space and we couldn’t even come at all. I explained that I had reserved the day before but was told that the person who had booked us had made a big mistake and they physically did not have the space. They claimed they had called and texted my number but either they lied or they sent it to the wrong number. It’s a shame to give a negative review before even trying the food but I had a party of 8 people, some who had came from out of the country, and we were forced to go somewhere else. A mistake like this isn’t acceptable whatsoever. Train your employees to be better please.

During a lifetime of restaurant dining, there are a few experiences that stand out as truly memorable. Some are memorable because of the exceptional food or a special occasion, while others are impossible to forget because they leave a particularly bad taste (either figuratively or gustatorily). Our experience at Bellanico falls in the latter category, as it ranks among the worst restaurant experiences we have ever had. We have been customers at Bellanico for many years and enjoyed dining there in person prior to the pandemic. Since the pandemic, we have ordered takeout a few times. I placed an online takeout order at 4 pm and requested pickup of our order at 5:15 pm. An email arrived at 4:08 pm confirming that my order was received. As part of our efforts to support the industry during the pandemic, I included a 15% tip even though this was a takeout order. We arrived at the restaurant at 5:18 pm to pick up our order, and my wife was told the order would be ready in 5 minutes. Ten minutes later, she was told apologetically that the restaurant had neglected to turn on their iPad, so they were not even aware that we had placed an online order until moments earlier. So, it would take another 15 minutes before our order was ready. At this point, our dinner is delayed by half an hour, our grandson is getting restless in the car, and I have no way of changing our tip, which was predicated on the assumption that we would receive good service. I recognize that mistakes happen, but in a situation like this, some form of compensation beyond just an apology is fair and warranted. While we’re standing outside the restaurant waiting for our order, a guy wearing a white chef’s jacket doesn’t identify himself but asks if he can help us. I start explaining that we placed an order online at 4 pm for pickup at 5:15 pm, and before I can finish, he interrupts me with excuses – ‘we’re busy, we just changed the menu today’, etc. The message was, we’ve already apologized, what more do you want? I said, well, it seems like you could consider comping us something, maybe a few desserts. Chef replies, SINCE YOU ASKED ME TO COMP SOMETHING, I’M NOT GOING TO COMP YOU ANYTHING, and walks away. This was infuriating. An honest mistake is forgivable, but this degree of rudeness from any service professional is unacceptable. There are a multitude of better ways to decline a request for compensation if you disagree with me. No way are we going to eat this guy’s food tonight, tomorrow, or ever again. We cancelled the whole order, demanded a refund, and went somewhere else for dinner. There are plenty of excellent alternatives for dining in Oakland. There’s even another Italian restaurant just a few steps away that has excellent reviews.

Some of the ingredients seemed odd, like Thai basil in an Italian gnocchi dish. Excellent service, not very good food for the prices. I wouldn’t return. It was pretty quiet for a Friday night, so I think it isn’t known for its food anymore.

This place used to be great 3-4 years ago. Not sure if they’re under new ownership or replaced the kitchen staff but the food quality has gone way down. Ultimately lacking flavor and the plating was just incorrect and awkward. The wait staff was on point and very friendly and attentive but that was the only redemption.

I visited this restaurant with my family for Father's Day lunch based on local Reddit recommendations, but unfortunately had a very disappointing experience with the service. The most concerning issue was that we were never provided water throughout our meal. Every other table had glass water bottles, but despite multiple servers bringing out our courses, no one noticed or addressed that our table was without this basic necessity. I had to specifically request water when our second course arrived, which should never happen at any restaurant. The service was consistently slow despite the restaurant being only partially full with several empty tables and adequate staff visible. It took 50 minutes from arrival to receive our first appetizer. We had to wave down servers for attention, as did other tables around us for both ordering and getting their checks. When our polenta arrived, no utensils were provided - spoons were quietly placed on our table well into the meal without any acknowledgment. The food quality was mediocre and didn't compensate for the service issues. This experience really fell far short of expectations. The restaurant may have potential, but significant improvements in service attentiveness and basic hospitality standards are needed. I hope this was an off day, but I can't recommend based on our visit.

Leqi Long

I visited this restaurant with my family for Father's Day lunch based on local Reddit recommendations, but unfortunately had a very disappointing experience with the service. The most concerning issue was that we were never provided water throughout our meal. Every other table had glass water bottles, but despite multiple servers bringing out our courses, no one noticed or addressed that our table was without this basic necessity. I had to specifically request water when our second course arrived, which should never happen at any restaurant. The service was consistently slow despite the restaurant being only partially full with several empty tables and adequate staff visible. It took 50 minutes from arrival to receive our first appetizer. We had to wave down servers for attention, as did other tables around us for both ordering and getting their checks. When our polenta arrived, no utensils were provided - spoons were quietly placed on our table well into the meal without any acknowledgment. The food quality was mediocre and didn't compensate for the service issues. This experience really fell far short of expectations. The restaurant may have potential, but significant improvements in service attentiveness and basic hospitality standards are needed. I hope this was an off day, but I can't recommend based on our visit.

When I think of a word that comes to mind in describing this place, so many fight for my attention. There is one, however, which stands out amongst the the bunch: terrible. Everything we had was essentially flavorless, greasy, and seemed to be haphazardly thrown together. Except the sword fish. That definitely tasted like fish. But in the most unpleasant sort of way. The rabbit stuffed ravioli came as 6 (or was it 7? Who's counting.) wonton looking pouches sitting in a dish of butter. They were stuffed with a dry paste which reminded me of what those fancy cats from the 90s used to eat - anyone remember Fancy Feast commercials? Yes, you say? Come here for the nostalgia. The sauce had clearly broken and no one in the kitchen noticed (or I suspect cared) to do anything about it. As mentioned, the swordfish was noticeably fishy which was only partially covered up if combined with the dry potatoes and lifeless broccolini in a single bite. There was also some red colored accompaniment which reminded of cut up canned chilies doused in vinegar. This was then carefully slopped atop said broccolini. Truly the stuff of nightmares. Before these plates came, we were treated to three greasy, poorly seasoned squash blossoms sitting atop some odd shredded zucchini and squash salad in a mystery dressing. Oil was the predominant flavor here, though intuition tells me they were going for something else. Someone in the kitchen may benefit from learning how to fry properly - just a suggestion in the event management is paying attention to this. And at 18 dollars, this was robbery which didn't even require my venturing down to international boulevard. Our server was nice enough but left our empty water carafe sitting on our table the entire meal. There would be no refills to rid our mouth of the fishy aftertaste graciously left by the swordfish steak. Another food runner spilled a drink on my wife's foot, but hey, at least they apologized. Ambience wise, we didn't catch a glimpse of the inside as we sat out front. This allowed us to make awkward eye contact and fake smile as if to feign enjoyment as the occasional overly curious passerby would linger and sometimes inspect our table. If you looked beyond that forced smile, these eyes were saying run. Run very far away. And take me with you. This place is a total disaster and absolutely something to avoid, particularly when you consider so many better Italian options around town. The prices would have been not terrible if the quality wasn't as it was. There is unfortunately not a single redeeming quality about this place and it is unworthy of your time, money, or attention beyond this review.

Matt

When I think of a word that comes to mind in describing this place, so many fight for my attention. There is one, however, which stands out amongst the the bunch: terrible. Everything we had was essentially flavorless, greasy, and seemed to be haphazardly thrown together. Except the sword fish. That definitely tasted like fish. But in the most unpleasant sort of way. The rabbit stuffed ravioli came as 6 (or was it 7? Who's counting.) wonton looking pouches sitting in a dish of butter. They were stuffed with a dry paste which reminded me of what those fancy cats from the 90s used to eat - anyone remember Fancy Feast commercials? Yes, you say? Come here for the nostalgia. The sauce had clearly broken and no one in the kitchen noticed (or I suspect cared) to do anything about it. As mentioned, the swordfish was noticeably fishy which was only partially covered up if combined with the dry potatoes and lifeless broccolini in a single bite. There was also some red colored accompaniment which reminded of cut up canned chilies doused in vinegar. This was then carefully slopped atop said broccolini. Truly the stuff of nightmares. Before these plates came, we were treated to three greasy, poorly seasoned squash blossoms sitting atop some odd shredded zucchini and squash salad in a mystery dressing. Oil was the predominant flavor here, though intuition tells me they were going for something else. Someone in the kitchen may benefit from learning how to fry properly - just a suggestion in the event management is paying attention to this. And at 18 dollars, this was robbery which didn't even require my venturing down to international boulevard. Our server was nice enough but left our empty water carafe sitting on our table the entire meal. There would be no refills to rid our mouth of the fishy aftertaste graciously left by the swordfish steak. Another food runner spilled a drink on my wife's foot, but hey, at least they apologized. Ambience wise, we didn't catch a glimpse of the inside as we sat out front. This allowed us to make awkward eye contact and fake smile as if to feign enjoyment as the occasional overly curious passerby would linger and sometimes inspect our table. If you looked beyond that forced smile, these eyes were saying run. Run very far away. And take me with you. This place is a total disaster and absolutely something to avoid, particularly when you consider so many better Italian options around town. The prices would have been not terrible if the quality wasn't as it was. There is unfortunately not a single redeeming quality about this place and it is unworthy of your time, money, or attention beyond this review.

Madison Gaynor

Some of the ingredients seemed odd, like Thai basil in an Italian gnocchi dish. Excellent service, not very good food for the prices. I wouldn’t return. It was pretty quiet for a Friday night, so I think it isn’t known for its food anymore.