Passione

Excellent pizza, pasta and gelato. Good vegan options as well. Would highly recommend!

We ate here on Saturday for the 3rd time and it continues to be a delicious and delightful experience!

Kenneth Rhee

I used to live in Turin, Italy, and I just found the best pasta spot in the SF Bay Area 🙂 If you want to taste truly authentic Italian pasta, you won’t regret it.

Mohamed Elsankary

Some amazing happy hour deals and these slices were very reasonably priced. Pears on pizza was new to me, but the flavors surprisingly came together well. The dough ferment was very noticeable, complemented well by the oven’s temperature. Great place to stop by for a quick bite to sit down lunch/dinner.

Angye Bueno

If you want to be delighted by flavor and enjoy a good time as well, this is the place!! We organized a lunch with my family and friends at Passione Emporio for my wedding and my daughter’s baptism and they made sure everything, and I mean everything from the food to the ambience and the service was absolutely PERFECT! We loved the menu they created for us and our guests were impressed by each plate’s execution and taste. The portions were also generous and we didn’t have to wait to get served, the timing was just right. I am thankful for the excellent customer attention as well: Fabrizio made sure we were happy and comfortable. Good job, Passione Emporio! No one should leave Berkeley without trying this spot!

AH

Real Italian pizza, finally. Since returning from Italy we have been on the hunt fresh, simple ingredients, real Italian pizza and stumbled upon this place. They actually have pinsa and an Italian pizza maker from Sicily who was awesome. The server was very cool and they weren't busy so we chatted with pinsa maker and server. It was also nice that they were letting us enjoy our meal and not trying to take plates, clean our table, give us the check, etc. to rush us out of there. It was very close to being in a restaurant in Italy again, and we will be returning. Update- we went back and for whatever reason the Italian pizza maker no longer worked there and you could tell a difference. Still a really nice ambiance and service was good. We tried a new appetizer and it was delicious.

Edwin Karlsson

The food was excellent, although service was a little lacking at times, with it taking quite a while to get seated and then placing our order, 20-30 minutes. Upon arriving however, the food was excellent, and although the lasagna was a smidge cold it was incredibly tasty. There's a wide ice cream and espresso assortment for dessert and the pastas and pizzas were excellent.

Sindy S.

Wow! Never judge a book by its cover. At first, we were planning to get our order to go, but decided to dine in when we walked into this restaurant- so relaxing and calm. What an unexpected treat to an incredible yummy meal. The food was simple but delicious, like I was in Italy, light and hearty at the same time. Wonderful service! Will definitely come back to this little gem.

Lisa Wise

Glad we listened to the reviews. It's off the beaten track and well worth visiting. Very tasty, freshly made dishes. My pesto gnocchi could've used a tad more contrast, but the gnocchi themselves were the fluffiest, freshest I've ever had. Lasagna noodles were anazing, too. Sauce was more bechamel than tomato-y, as clearly described. Portions are reasonable and encourage multi-course dining, so go ahead and try the veggies or pizza as an appetizer. And, save room for dessert.

Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez

We came for lunch to this quiet, tree-lined part of 5th St and sat at one of a few outdoor tables. On a hot day, the climate-controlled inside would feel wonderful. The portions are European in size, welcome news for me and my companion. We each had pasta dishes. The fresh pasta was complemented by well-integrated flavors, with plenty of seafood. Service was wonderful! We will return to taste the desserts. Passione is a perfect understated place to bring a friend or date.

Kelsey Jefferies

We ate here on Saturday for the 3rd time and it continues to be a delicious and delightful experience!

Kristina Barnes

My kids and I love this place. They like it cause the pizza's great. I like it because it's organic and everything we've tried is super fresh and high quality. Wonderful selection of wine too. Everyone wins! 💯

Aarash Zakeri

Excellent pizza, pasta and gelato. Good vegan options as well. Would highly recommend!

Louis Cashatt

This place has such a wonderful atmosphere, on a calm and quiet street, the perfect place for a peaceful and delicious meal! We had the Tagliatelle Ragu Bianco and Ravioli Cacio e Pepe, as well as the Jovanotti pizza. All were very good, especially the pizza and Tagliatelle. For appetizer, the calamari were delicious too!

We came here on a whim since we were in the area, and had a great experience! My partner and I split a salad and a pizza, and both were excellent. Plus, no extra cost for a gluten free crust? What a concept! I can’t wait to come back to try more offerings!

Came here being as the reviews seemed good and it was close to our hotel. Nice that it wasn’t packed so we could grab a table that would accommodate our service dog with ease. We order simple just a pizza and a salad to share and was more than enough the salads are a nice size as was the small pizza full of flavor and fresh ingredients. The waiter was prompt and polite . We will definitely be back

Gordon Cline

We came here on a whim since we were in the area, and had a great experience! My partner and I split a salad and a pizza, and both were excellent. Plus, no extra cost for a gluten free crust? What a concept! I can’t wait to come back to try more offerings!

Autumn Fry

Came here being as the reviews seemed good and it was close to our hotel. Nice that it wasn’t packed so we could grab a table that would accommodate our service dog with ease. We order simple just a pizza and a salad to share and was more than enough the salads are a nice size as was the small pizza full of flavor and fresh ingredients. The waiter was prompt and polite . We will definitely be back

Cute place and varied menu, friendly staff. Pasta and appetizers are good - though both overpriced, especially at lunch. The tiramisù was bad and watery. The octopus was very enjoyable, and a generous portion for an appetizer - can easily be a main if you're getting dessert or a side. Overall a pleasant experience, but can't recommend the dessert.

Came in with my fiancé just looking for dessert, but we ended up staying to try the pizza too. Service was polite and overall fine. The place got a bit busier while we were there, and it seemed to be popular with an older crowd. Just an observation. We ordered the Fiori pizza. My fiancé really liked it. I thought it was okay. The truffle oil came through and the prosciutto was cooked well, but the crust needed more crunch. I also noticed a strange aftertaste that reminded me of bleach, probably from the tray being recently cleaned. It’s common at a lot of places, but unfortunately it rubbed off on the food and made the pizza less enjoyable for me. For dessert, I had the ricotta pistachio cake and liked it. My fiancé enjoyed the tiramisu, but I didn’t. It felt like the components hadn’t come together. The texture was too separated, and it didn’t have that creamy, cohesive feel I usually expect. Not a bad experience, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way for the pizza again. Maybe just a dessert stop next time.

Set in a quiet area of Berkeley is Passione. This unassuming place serves up a wide selection of pizza and pasta with a number of vegan options. We started with the guazzetto di cozze e vongole. To end the meal, I ordered an espresso with a twist. Henry, despite not having a peeler, went above and beyond. He served the espresso offering a slice of lemon or a sliced peel. Thank you, Henry.

FOOD: delicious Margherita pizza, with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. We also ordered the pesto pasta, which was amazing! Finished with a creamy and thick Expresso, fresh and aromatic. Kids had strawberry and cookie and cream ice cream. PLACE: located in a very quite street, which we can make almost miss the place. It is a ok place, with table inside and outside. A lit bit noise and with some flies around. But the service is good, with nice and attentive personel.

Janine Nguyen

Came in with my fiancé just looking for dessert, but we ended up staying to try the pizza too. Service was polite and overall fine. The place got a bit busier while we were there, and it seemed to be popular with an older crowd. Just an observation. We ordered the Fiori pizza. My fiancé really liked it. I thought it was okay. The truffle oil came through and the prosciutto was cooked well, but the crust needed more crunch. I also noticed a strange aftertaste that reminded me of bleach, probably from the tray being recently cleaned. It’s common at a lot of places, but unfortunately it rubbed off on the food and made the pizza less enjoyable for me. For dessert, I had the ricotta pistachio cake and liked it. My fiancé enjoyed the tiramisu, but I didn’t. It felt like the components hadn’t come together. The texture was too separated, and it didn’t have that creamy, cohesive feel I usually expect. Not a bad experience, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way for the pizza again. Maybe just a dessert stop next time.

Giorgio M

Cute place and varied menu, friendly staff. Pasta and appetizers are good - though both overpriced, especially at lunch. The tiramisù was bad and watery. The octopus was very enjoyable, and a generous portion for an appetizer - can easily be a main if you're getting dessert or a side. Overall a pleasant experience, but can't recommend the dessert.

Jay Frankera

Set in a quiet area of Berkeley is Passione. This unassuming place serves up a wide selection of pizza and pasta with a number of vegan options. We started with the guazzetto di cozze e vongole. To end the meal, I ordered an espresso with a twist. Henry, despite not having a peeler, went above and beyond. He served the espresso offering a slice of lemon or a sliced peel. Thank you, Henry.

Mayumi

FOOD: delicious Margherita pizza, with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil. We also ordered the pesto pasta, which was amazing! Finished with a creamy and thick Expresso, fresh and aromatic. Kids had strawberry and cookie and cream ice cream. PLACE: located in a very quite street, which we can make almost miss the place. It is a ok place, with table inside and outside. A lit bit noise and with some flies around. But the service is good, with nice and attentive personel.

The pizza was amazing! Definitely go for the pizza. And the staff was so nice and attentive. The other food was good too, though I would not recommend the Calamari. It wasn’t bad, but I wanted it to be better since fried food is a treat. I will be going back for more pizza for sure. It’s worth the price.

Marius Millar

The pizza was amazing! Definitely go for the pizza. And the staff was so nice and attentive. The other food was good too, though I would not recommend the Calamari. It wasn’t bad, but I wanted it to be better since fried food is a treat. I will be going back for more pizza for sure. It’s worth the price.

God awful experience. I almost never leave reviews, but this place earned it. Went for lunch with my mom and the restaurant was basically empty, which should have been our first warning. The waiter barely spoke English and struggled to take even the simplest order. My mom ordered pasta with a side Caesar salad. I ordered a salad with a piece of salmon. When my mom’s food finally arrived, the “Caesar salad” was literally a bowl of dry lettuce and croutons — no dressing — for $10. Embarrassing. After waiting a while for my food, we asked where it was. We were told “a few more minutes.” Then we were told they were “having problems with the salmon.” Forty-five minutes later, still nothing. At that point I had to leave to get back to work. Despite never serving my meal and serving my mom a joke of a salad, they still made us pay $28 for dry lettuce and mediocre pesto pasta. No apology. No comp. No effort to make it right. They truly did not care. We walked out frustrated, hungry, and shocked by how poorly this place is run. I will never be back, and honestly, I’d be surprised if this restaurant is still open in a year.

Ben Zell

God awful experience. I almost never leave reviews, but this place earned it. Went for lunch with my mom and the restaurant was basically empty, which should have been our first warning. The waiter barely spoke English and struggled to take even the simplest order. My mom ordered pasta with a side Caesar salad. I ordered a salad with a piece of salmon. When my mom’s food finally arrived, the “Caesar salad” was literally a bowl of dry lettuce and croutons — no dressing — for $10. Embarrassing. After waiting a while for my food, we asked where it was. We were told “a few more minutes.” Then we were told they were “having problems with the salmon.” Forty-five minutes later, still nothing. At that point I had to leave to get back to work. Despite never serving my meal and serving my mom a joke of a salad, they still made us pay $28 for dry lettuce and mediocre pesto pasta. No apology. No comp. No effort to make it right. They truly did not care. We walked out frustrated, hungry, and shocked by how poorly this place is run. I will never be back, and honestly, I’d be surprised if this restaurant is still open in a year.