I always try to find an excuse to come here for a special occasion. Great authentic Italian food with friendly and fast service.

Delicious pasta! Great flavors and portion. They do half order for kids upon request. Homemade lentil soup was also very good comfort soup! Lamb chop was the only item that I did not enjoy, my husband ordered this and he barely eaten it. It was too gravy-ish so if thats what you prefer, then it is for you. Excellent service and the dining area is surrounded by beautiful painted walls of Italy. read more

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My favorite Italian restaurant in the Bay. Straight to the point when it comes to quick service, amazing specials, and delicious food. Never had a single bad experience or item on the menu and always leave with smile on my face! read more

I was somewhat disappointed in this restaurant, as I had heard good things about it. I came here with a group and we ordered multiple things to try. Out of the appetizers, I liked the polenta fritters the most. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the marsala sauce that came with it was divine. I wanted to mop up that sauce with lots of bread. The crab cakes came in two tiny pieces that barely had any crab in them and the fried calamari tasted very greasy (1 star off). The salad that came with the crab cakes was topped with canned mandarin oranges. This was the first time that I have seen canned fruit used in a restaurant salad. My entree, veal saltimbocca, was the least favorite item of the evening. The veal was underseasoned, overcooked, and the marsala sauce was nothing like the marsala sauce used in the polenta fritters appetizer. The garlic broccoli was pretty good though. My friends ordered a pasta, a risotto, a halibut special, but no one raved about their food (1 star off). I was surprised that dried pasta was used for the pasta entrees at this Italian restaurant. For dessert, we ordered chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and panna cotta. All were pre-made; none were fresh. The chocolate mousse was the white-milk-dark chocolate kind that you find at many French bakeries. I liked the desserts better than my entree, but they were nothing special. The cocktails were served in small, skinny glasses, half of which was ice. They were still around $16 each (1 star off). The restaurant was spacious, but felt cold (in ambiance, not temperature). We were seated in an adjacent room. The tables were spaced out and the walls were white. It felt like an overfill room. We still got attentive service, but the ambiance was off. One of our friends got an alert that someone tried to open her car door while it was parked outside the restaurant, so that probably did not help matters. Overall, I felt like I was at a cafeteria serving Italian food, but paying fancy restaurant prices. read more

Acqua e Farina is one of our favorite restaurants & we eat there or order take out from them frequently. We have never had bad service or a bad meal & we've been dining tbere since they opened. I have had many items on the menu but once I discovered their linguine & clams, I was hooked. That's all I order now & I eat every last morsel! It's the best! Last night we took my husband's brother & his wife there for the first time. I requested the room with the murals when I made the reso & they were able to accommodate us. Bro & Sis loved it!!! They loved the ambiance, the art & especially the food. We had such a lovely server. I really hope I got her name right. Athenny (I hope that's close) was perfect. She was thorough, efficient, polite & she has the sweetest personality. I hope her manager sees this review!! read more

Food was great! Expensive steak is charred too much, gave a bitter burnt taste. The famous tiramisu was a bit too sweet for us, but do try the tiramisu. read more

My family enjoyed our dinner. Also thank you to all the staff who accommodated us as we had family with special needs. Luis was our server and did a wonderful job the whole night, along with the other waiting staff. The food was also great, the menu is simple and they were able to provide some substitution options for diet preferences. All the sauces and food items were fresh and tasted good. I really liked their homemade creamy Italian dressing. Only critique was the halibut was overcooked. Would definitely recommend this place. Support family and local businesses! read more

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First off, I CAN NOT believe I have never checked in here before let alone reviewed this spot. For shame on me. Depending on the time of day or the day of the week, I'd definitely recommend snagging a reservation otherwise there could be a wait.... Especially towards the evening time (anytime after 4 or when they re-open for dinner) Service is always very friendly, quick and patient with you. The atmosphere has options. One section to the back up a small set of steps is perfect for that romantic get away between couples. then there the more lit side room which is great for casual get togethers with friends, family and even businesses to attend. This spot is probably the MOST authentic Italian restaunt in the the east bay. Over the years I've tried most recommended spots and none of them, NONE of them ever reminded me of my Noni's cooking the same way Acqua E Farina does. The pesto, the red sauce and the seafood specials are staples of this establishment! My favorite dishes that I repeatedly have had are the Gnocchi and Risotto plates. Not a lot of places get Gnocchi right or even offer it. Acqua E Farina does and I've yet to have a single bad serving of it. The Risotto they make is pure nostalgia for me. I lost my Noni back in 2020 due to natural causes and with her went her gravy recipe... Aqcua E Farina makes this dish the same way my Noni did and it was always my most favorite and simplistic meal she'd serve me. The Pesto Chicken Fettucine is also one of my favorites, I hate making Pesto and a lot people seem to make Pesto with too many herbs giving it stronger taste than needed but this place knows whats up. I've had everything here almost, dessert-wise, the Crema Cotta(creme brulee) or the Torta di Cioccolato (Thick and rich, LARGE, slice of chocolate cake with a raspberry drizzle) are amazing. The dessert wine, Moscato, which changes brands more frequently than I'd like to admit but luckily they know what to replace it with because I'll often order two bottles, one for myself and one for my guests to share. The cocktails menu is smaller than I'd like to admit but I mean everything else is perfection. They make a killer Mojito though for anyone interested. Again, I've been coming here for god knows how long... maybe as far back as 2014? (citation needed, I don't remember when they first opened) but I've been a consistent patron here even when I moved out of state. I'm only mad I don't have photos to share but I promise you that will change. REMEMBER THIS; I'm Italian, 2nd generation Italian-American who's family originates from and still lives in Liguria/Genoa/Sestri levante and I don't like pasta.... this spot makes me a liar! read more

Hidden gem in Hayward. I had the fish of the day with veggies and polenta. I love the decor and vibe of the place. Our server recommended a delicious wine. Dessert is yummy. I had the gelato and my friend had the tiramisu. Waiter was attentive. It looks like they have private rooms for parties. read more

Our waitress, Gabriela, was everything a waitress should be: professional, friendly, smart, and kind. My husband and I enjoyed celebrating our 45th anniversary . I had Fettuccine Camberetti with Chardonnay and he had Penne alla Salsiccia with Cabernet. We had a bite of each others' dishes and we loved them both. The generous portion of real ice cream with a candle was a nice ending to a lovely experience. We have been several times and will keep coming back! Thank you! read more

Prob a 4.5 rounded up! Acqua e Farina is such a great restaurant in Downtown Hayward. You wouldn't guess it from the outside (the small entrance can be easy to miss), but on the inside it's so spacious with multiple rooms for dining. It almost feels like each room has a different theme (from an Italian street to a classy bar to a beautiful large group dining room). It's a little mixed up but I don't mind it. The food was great value for the price. You get really generous portions of pasta and I appreciate that they offer rotating specials too. I loved my fettuccine pesto chicken pasta (~$20). Wasn't too heavy and had a nutty pesto flavor. The best part (or maybe equally great part?) was the service. I wish I remembered our server's name because she was amazing. She was giving fine dining level service - super knowledgeable about every dish and special; checked up on us just enough but not too much that would bother us; and all around was really nice and professional. I was so impressed! Anyways, definitely stop by Acqua e Farina if you're craving pasta in Hayward! read more

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Nearby parking lots amazing service very friendly venue setting was simple but elegant the food was fresh loved it amazing gem in neighborhoods if I am in the area will Be back read more

Acqua e Farina - Front - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

The food is always great, and the servers are so attentive. Great atmosphere! I've been going here since they opened and they've never disappointed. read more

Just had lunch with friends and food was excellent as per usual. Service was on spot.we go to many restaurants and if we want to go, have a nice dinner or lunch this is the place. read more

We were concerned when we walked in because it was dark and we didn't see any customers. BUT, the service was excellent, the food was delicious and the environment in the other room was relaxing and welcoming. We were able to see the room to the left after you enter to see the "original" dining room with the painted murals. It's worth it to go just to see the murals. We will definitely return and try other dishes on their menu. BTW, we had two appetizers and they came quickly, were at the right temperature and absolutely delicious - stuff mushrooms and calamari fritti......We went for lunch to meet another couple and neither one of us had been here before. Will definitely return, especially for lunch. Parked in the public lot around the corner. read more

It is well executed Italian classics, service is friendly and the atmosphere is unassuming. One of our favorites. read more

Acqua e Farina - Tiramisu for dessert - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

We've been going here for quite some time I also order the Veal Marcella, love the Polenta that comes with it. My wife loves the eggplant. Service has always been good. Sometimes it can get loud in there so ask for the room in the back it's a bit quieter read more

I loved: $29 Fettuccini Gamberetti I liked: Espresso Martini + (Off menu) Steak and Lobster Fettuccini has great bold flavor. It is "heavy" so expect to be very full. The steak has a great port sauce and cooked perfectly medium rare, I liked that a lot but the lobster was kinda tasteless even with the butter. Recommend you just get the steak. The Espresso Martini hides the alcohol flavor well which is a + in my book. It does look like they increased their prices for Mother's Day which, ehh, I get but if you're an informed eater, means you should just come on a non holiday. The restaurant itself was cute, our group was in its own corner so noise wasn't an issue. Service was slow for the restaurant being half filled. They took 15 minutes to complete any requests but it was done well and water was always topped off. read more

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This is one of my absolute favorite Italian restaurants in the Bay Area. My favorite appetizer is their melon and prosciutto and the polenta. ALL the pasta dishes are fantastic, you can't go wrong with anything you order. The service is very friendly and accommodating with my daughter's vegetarian diet. read more

To celebrate my birthday, I decided to try out this restaurant that's been on my to visit list for a while. Upon entering this restaurant me and my friend were seated pretty quickly. We were served complementary bread, which was absolutely divine, especially the focaccia. Our server was very nice and would often check on us to see if we were still doing okay. She even brought us complementary dessert for my birthday. We ended up ordering the fettuccine pesto and cannelloni al forno. The pesto sauce on the fettuccine was delicious! From the moment they brought out the dish I can tell the sauce was going to be delicious. The pesto coated the noodles evenly and it was topped with pine nuts. The pesto wasn't overly oily and it was nutty yet herby, everything you want in a good pesto. My only gripe with the dish was that the chicken was really dry and over cooked. The Cannelloni al Forno was exceptional, it was cheesy, tangy from the marinara, and creamy. I loved the béchamel sauce that coated the pasta, it was so rich in flavor. I've never had veal before so I wasn't sure what to expect but I couldn't really taste the meat in this dish? I'm not sure if veal just has a subtle taste or if the dish is lacking in the veal. All in all I would go here again to try the other pasta dishes and maybe order some antipasti and the tiramisu next time. read more

Acqua e Farina - fettuccine pesto - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

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I've lately attempted to scope out the nearest Italian restaurants, and I can't believe I waited this long to dine at Acqua e Farina. Ordered the spinach salad, pesto pasta dish, and the establishment graciously made me a carbonara (even though it wasn't explicitly listed on the menu). Obviously had to order the calamari, which was the star of the show. Really nice ambiance and very family friendly. read more

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I came here with my high school friends and some friends visiting from abroad. Since our group was large, I was concerned about not being able to engage in conversation with everyone in our group. We made reservations in advance and the restaurant had us in a small alcove away from the other guests which worked perfectly so we could hear each other better. We also had a child with us so there was more room for things. The room had a dimmer which we could adjust to our liking and also to increase brightness for pictures. (5/5 for ambiance) The waiters and staff were very helpful in keeping our water carafes full and serving. There was some mixups with the order but they quickly corrected the error. (5/5 for service) The food was pretty good. The portion size is normal, as in not American-size. I liked that the take-out boxes were brown paper. I always order gnocchi and I am very particular to how I like it. I always order gnocchi, because I imagine that I will like it, but usually I don't. Which means if I find a place where I do like it, I am very amused. I was amused here. The pieces are small and fluffy. I would have preferred daintier pieces, but they were good. The sauce was good, but not as tasty as I would have hoped. I liked the polenta appetizers - they were crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. I wouldn't mind returning here for a more fancy outing on special occasions. When we went, there was construction outside, but the restaurant is still open. And on a week day, there was ample parking in the surrounding area. read more

I apologize for being late on this review..but know that making a reservation and everything in between until the day of (4.26.25) was perfect. I hesitated making a reservation for our group size because I felt like giving 3 days notice wasn't enough time. But THANK YOU EMILIANO for putting me at ease and letting me know that it will work out. Our communication was excellent and the requests for our party were perfect. I was impressed with the execution of multiple entree orders from the full menu. Believe me when I say EVERYONE was happy with what they ordered and the temperature of all entrees was excellent. LUIS .. you were so kind to our family THANK YOU for everything and for making us feel at home. You had a lot of guests to attend to in your area and you never let any of your guests feel neglected. We APPRECIATE YOU and to your servers that helped you in your area. CHEERS!! we love small/local business! P.S not pictured are a few other orders, but I just want to say my husband ordered the risotto, he hardly sees it on a menu and we know it is tough to make... but BRAVO you won him over with the risotto read more

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My friend chose this restaurant for her birthday since it had been on her list for a while. It was our first time at this restaurant. I called over a week in advance to make a reservation for five people and asked if I could bring a cake ahead of time for them to store. I was told yes and informed there would be a $2 cake fee per person, which I agreed to. Parking was easy, with a lot next to the building shared with other stores, as well as available street parking. Inside, the décor was nice, not modern, but it had the feel of a mom-and-pop or family-owned Italian restaurant. I dropped the cake off at the restaurant around 12:30 PM on the same day of our reservation. My party of 5 arrived a little before our 5 PM time. Service was slow at first. We did not receive the complimentary bread until we asked for it while placing our order, and we did not get our food until close to 6 PM. The pastas themselves were good, warm, flavorful, and the noodles had a nice texture. My friends and I shared each other's pastas so we could try different dishes. After we finished eating, I asked the hostess if they could bring out the cake I had dropped off earlier. When the waiter brought it to our table, part of the top of the cake was clearly damaged, including the "Happy Birthday" message, where some letters were damaged and missing. I was shocked because no one had informed me beforehand, and the cake was not damaged when I brought it in. I've brought birthday cakes to restaurants ahead of time to store for many years, including House of Prime Rib and Bon Nene, and they've always handled the cake carefully, and brought it out exactly as I brought it. I asked the hostess what happened, and after checking with the kitchen, she told me it must have been damaged when I brought it in, suggesting it moved while I was walking. I could not believe what I was hearing, as I had been extremely careful with the cake, and the bakery had securely taped the box with extra space on top so the cake would not touch the lid. I told the hostess that the cake did not look like that when I brought it in nor was it touching the top of the box. Later, the waiter returned with the cake box and showed that when the box was fully closed, there was little space between the cake and the top, suggesting it might have touched the cake. I then explained and showed him how the bakery had taped the top of the box higher (not fully closed like the waiter had assumed), leaving plenty of space between the cake and the lid to prevent this exact issue. I had never opened the box, and the cake was not touching the top at all when I dropped it off, as the transparent lid clearly shows. The most disappointing part was not just the damaged cake, but the lack of accountability. For a birthday celebration, especially when a cake fee is charged and an automatic 20% gratuity is applied for parties of five or more, I expected better care and communication. read more

Truly enjoyed my visit last week with my family. My family is from the Piedmont region and enjoys true Italian food. It's hard to find, but this place has it! Thank you for an amazing meal, will definitely be back soon this holiday season! read more

Great food and family friendly atmosphere. It was packed on a Friday night so make a reservation! Our waiter was lovely and kind.

We went to dinner for the second time with my big family...... for the my birthday dinner we all really loved our food .... Things have not changed the first one was 5 yeas ago ..... and I absolutely love the polenta and porterhouse steak worth every dollar! But l have to say my birthday dessert shoould have been better than a scoop of vanilla ice cream.... As much as our bill was.....$$$$ It was a combo birthday dinner my son's fiance was also celebrating her birthday, but she also was disappointed in our scoop of ice cream ! You guy need to take better care of Of your dinner customers!! read more

Great experience in the restaurant in downtown hayward. Super personal service and nice energy on a lively Friday evening. Food was top notch. Really enjoyed everything about this spot. My chicken piccata was excellent! read more

Acqua e Farina - Chicken piccata comes with perfectly prepared mixed veggies and a delicious polenta. - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

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Favorite place to get lasagna!! Friendly wait staff. And was sweet to our daughter. We ordered a cup of clam chowder to share and it was a good size for my husband and I (since we also ordered our own dinner plates). The lasagna is huge!!! Lots of meat and lots of cheese!! The sauce is tasty. I always have enough to take home and still good the next day! We ordered the half order of butter noodles for my daughter and of course she loved it. It wasn't too oily and the seasoning was light and good. My husband ordered the chicken piccata. Very creamy and the polenta was delicious! read more

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The restaurant was nice and cozy, I called to make a reservation for 7pm upon arrival they were still setting up the table, no biggie. The cocktails here were good, I got to try the raspberry lemon drop and the espresso martini both were done really well. We started with complimentary bread, focaccia and white bread with table side oil and vinegar. Apps consisted of calamari, Cesar salad, prosciutto and melon served with olives, the clams and mussels (Cozze el vongle), and the soup of the day. The star of the apps were the Cozze el vongle, the sauce was nice and flavorful. The calamari was also good with the marinara sauce. I will say I wished the Cesar salad was bigger, we ordered it to share but it was more so a single serving. As for the main dishes, we ordered the Risoto del monte, Fettuccini gamberetti, Penne alla salsccia, Viletto alla Marsala, and the fettuccini special which came with shrimp and bell peppers. All of these dishes were offered with freshly grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper. Our favorite food the night was the fettuccini gamberetti maybe because it was nice and creamy as well as flavorful. I think the second in line was the penne alla salsccia also well flavored. The other dishes were just ok, the special pasta was not saucy at all which was quite disappointing. All in all this restaurant was just ok, I would come back knowing what I like. The service was good, just a little slow. read more

One of my favorite restaurants! My husband and I got engaged here with a big family dinner, celebrated family birthdays, had business dinners, and love to bring visiting friends and family for the delicious food. Love a variety of dishes and am always excited to have some of the fresh baked focaccia bread. The mixed drinks are good and appreciate that they have beer on tap. The service in person or over the phone is always top notch and the restaurant has a nice low light ambiance. We sometimes bring my grandmother, who requires a wheelchair, so we appreciate that there is a place to accommodate seating people with disabilities. We have not ordered anything that we didn't like- would definitely recommend! read more

Return to our favorite Hayward restaurant. They no longer have gluten-free pasta for my wife, which is a disappointment. And the lasagna was very disappointing. The sauce was not very good and it looks like they just placed two store-bought slices of mozzarella on top.. For what they're charging I was not very happy. I've had this dish several times here this was the worst. Probably won't go back for lasagna and since they quit serving gluten-free pasta, probably won't go back at all. I ordered a tiramisu for dessert. I think it was like 12 bucks look like half of what we normally got when I've ordered it in the past, what's going on here? Probably won't be back. There's better Italian food in the area. Seems like the chef was changed or something. At least our waitress was very good and friendly. read more

Acqua e Farina - Chocolate cake - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

Overpriced is the best way to put it. We ordered to go, and one order was frankly quite small. I still felt hungry after eating one order of pasta. The calamari was okay, breading wasn't very even. For how expensive it is you'd think the quality or quantity would be pretty high but it was just mediocre. read more

Food is great. Reservation system doesn't allow for changes to be made online and the hostess was rude about us coming late to a reservation (even though it was dead). read more

I'm so disappointed I would've given this place 4 stars if we weren't attacked by fruit flies for the ENTIRE meal. We ordered the steak pictured here, and pork chops. Both were pretty good. I would recommend eating here but I prefer to eat in peace and not have to shoo flies out of my face every few seconds. I don't think I can come back here. It sucks because I would've definitely suggested this place to friends. After I left the restaurant, I looked on yelp and saw that there were other customers who experienced this. read more

Acqua e Farina - Steak, Palenta, steamed veggies (it was mostly sqaush) - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

Very good service and the food was delicious. They have a wide selection of wine and plenty of parking available on the street.

The ambience was good great vibes. The server was excellent. The food was great would go back. The staff was well organized, even when understaffed read more

Acqua e Farina - The special with muscles, clams, shrimp with red sauce - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

The ambiance is so quaint and relaxing... they play Italian music, it was so soothing. OK, let's talk about the service.... It was impeccable, very professional. Everyone is so friendly and pleasant. The food is AMAZING!!!! I ordered the chicken, Marcella, unbelievably mouthwatering delicious, and my sister ordered the calamari piccata, absolutely delicious.... Those plates had a lot of flavor. The vegetables were cook perfect the calamari and chicken were very tender and delicious and the sauce was unbelievably amazing. If you're ever in Hayward, you gotta give this place a try. It will not disappoint! read more

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Food ok. What is absolutely ABOMINABLE is their take out/pick up system. Ordered here by phone 3 times, once via online. Every time I have arrived, they haven't even started the order despite my telling them my pickup time. On average, have had to wait a minimum of 20 minutes. Worse, no apologies or an iota of service recovery attempt. ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE read more

We popped in here before a show, but some of the people in our party were late. They sat us and brought us drinks while we waited on the Tardy Party. We (unfortunately) had to rush our meal to get to the show on time. The staff were accommodating, understanding, and provided excellent five star service to our party of 12. THE FOOD was so delicious. I had the chicken parmigiana, and it was fresh, authentic, melt in your mouth deliciousness. The polenta on the side was creamy and just delectable. We shared the pizza, and fried cheese and zucchini. They also serve complimentary bread. We were in such a hurry that I only took a few photos. My daughters enjoyed their Caesar Salads, and we had to hustle out of there without dessert. I look forward to coming back and taking my time. It's pretty inside and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, despite literally having to eat and run. Grazi and we'll see you soon. read more

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