Overall, a solid neighborhood spot that's been around for a reason. The service was attentive throughout the night, our water glasses were consistently refilled, great wine recommendation without pushing an upsell, and the staff checked in regularly without being overbearing. For dinner, we ordered the pappardelle with ragu and the porterhouse, plus a mushroom appetizer that was absolutely delicious. The bread service before the meal was a nice touch. For dessert, we had the chocolate buccatino, which was pretty good and a perfect way to end the meal. The only hiccup came with the porterhouse. It was served with two bone marrows, but we only ate one. When our leftovers were packed up, the eaten bone marrow was included instead of the untouched one, which was a bit disappointing to find the next morning. Humanness. Aside from that small mix-up, this is a great neighborhood gem and definitely worth a visit. Parking in the area can be a bit tricky, but if you're willing to walk a few blocks, you'll likely find something. read more

I'm extremely disappointed with this experience, especially given that it was for my wife and my 30th anniversary. I made this reservation over a month in advance specifically for a special occasion. A week prior, I called and spoke with a very kind gentleman who assured me we would have a special table. Based on that, I had certain expectations for the evening. We ended up running 10 minutes late due to an issue at our hotel, and I called ahead to notify the restaurant. The woman who answered was immediately rude and told me there was an 8:30 reservation "right behind us" and that we would need to be finished by then. This was never disclosed at the time of booking. For a restaurant like this, being told you have barely over an hour for dinner is completely unacceptable. When we arrived exactly 10 minutes late, we were seated at a small table right by the front door and bar. It was loud, cold, and clearly one of the worst tables in the restaurant. There was nothing "special" about it. When I asked the maître d' about it, he told me it was because we were late and he had to "move things around." That explanation doesn't hold up. I could clearly see multiple open tables in the main dining room. I spent years in the restaurant industry, and a 10-minute delay is well within a standard grace period. Treating guests differently because of that, especially on a milestone anniversary that the restaurant was aware of, is poor hospitality. After we had already started eating, the maître d' came back and offered to move us, but only to another table still near the entrance. At that point we already had food and wine, so moving made no sense. I declined, and he was visibly irritated. He never came back or made any effort to correct the situation. From the moment we sat down, we were rushed. Every course came quickly, and the pacing felt more like they were trying to turn the table than provide a quality dining experience. The waiter was good, but even he brought the dessert menu immediately and stood there waiting for a decision. Meanwhile, other tables around us were clearly not being rushed. After 8:30, there were still open tables in the dining room, which made the earlier pressure even more frustrating. To make matters worse, our table faced directly out the window where we had to witness an unhoused individual in a very disturbing situation. I understand that is not the restaurant's fault, but it would not have been an issue had we been seated in the proper dining area as originally expected. I have a photo taken from our table showing exactly what we were exposed to, including a photo of my wife with this happening directly behind her. The dessert being comped was not an adequate response to what was a completely mishandled experience. We were still charged for espresso, which just added to the feeling that this was handled poorly from start to finish. We left at 9:00 feeling rushed out on what was supposed to be a meaningful celebration. As Bay Area locals who dine out in San Francisco often, this is not the level of service we expect, especially from a restaurant positioning itself as a higher-end experience. I wanted to like this place, but based on how we were treated, I would not return. read more

I came here for dinner with a friend on a Saturday evening. I was able to get a reservation on OpenTable same day at 7:30pm. The restaurant is low lit, small, intimate, and a great spot for a lowkey but nice dining experience. We were sat at a table by the window against the wall, and it felt private and well spaced. For apps we got the olives and a salad. The olives were tasty but a bit too oily and some of the pieces were either too squishy or too hard. I'm not sure if the salad was seasonal, but I haven't seen it on the menu again. It was fantastic with pears, arugula, prosciutto, and goat cheese. For my entree I had the pappardelle pasta. It was so tasty and the noodles were cooked perfectly. Only wish is that they included some more sauce! Overall a great experience for the price and quality of food. And will definitely be back! read more

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Recommended by Concierge at Fairmont Hotel as a fine dining experience for a Saturday night. Fine dining takes on different meanings depending upon location. New York vs California as it relates to how you dress, I guess. We were over dressed but that didn't impact our experience. We ordered a bottle of Violae Monferrato Rosso, reasonably priced, from a selection of many fine italian wines that got pretty pricey, pretty quickly. Ours was $72 and it was a fine complement to our dinner order. Our bread was 3 slices of a wheat style Italian Bread with a olive tapenade/lemon oil mix. Very tasty. The bottle of lemon oil was brought to the table as well. The menu presented many fine options. We chose a simple salad with apple slices we shared as a starter. Not an overwhelming portion but perfect to enjoy while we waitied for our dinner orders. For dinner we ordered: She ordered the salt baked local black cod served with a lentil bean side and I ordered their well known Pappardelle in 10 hour bolognese sauce. With a small plate in the middle of the table we each shared portions of our dinners together. The cod was perfectly cooked, peeled away, and melted in your mouth. The pasta/pappardelle with the veal/beef bolognese was a perfect serving, tasty, and proportioned blend of sauce and meat, not overpowering, and well balanced for presentation. Dessert was gelato with a espresso and poured some of the espresso over the gelato for a finish to dinner. We both enjoyed our meals very much. Pricing was appropriate for the unique menu and offerings. Decor is comfortable and our server Zoe was attentive and friendly. We walked to Alto Vino from the Fairmont and back to the hotel after. The steepest part of the walk was the block between Clay St and Sacramento St. A beautiful evening in SF and very nice experience at Alto Vino. Enjoy! read more

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Altovino is a real gem. From beginning to end, our dining experience was fabulous. The interior is modern and dark with rustic wood tables and bench seating. It's a romantic vibe. We were seated at a table in the window, which felt semi-private and perfect for our date night. The service level was just right and felt very natural. For drinks, I opted for a glass of Prosecco and my husband had a strawberry spritz, which we both enjoyed. Now onto the food. Oh the food is excellent! We started with an appetizer with Prosecco poached pears, speck, Gorgonzola, herbs, mustard greens, and a berry sauce. All of this combined into one magical bite after another. So, so delicious. My husband chose the 10-hour pappardelle bolognese, which looked so good I had to try. The sauce had a deep, refined flavor and the pasta was so fresh. For my entree, I chose the black cod (roasted under a salt and herb crust), served with Tuscan kale, lentils, and roasted cauliflower with an anchovy caper and chili condiment. One of the cool things about the cod dish, which I did not realize when I ordered it, was that they serve it tableside, removing the salt crust, plating, and then finishing with a lemon olive oil. I loved everything about this dish. The fish was flavorful and delicate. The lentils were perfectly cooked, and the cauliflower with the anchovy, caper, chili condiment was so delicious, I kept going back for more bites. I don't think I've ever enjoyed cauliflower more. This chef knows flavor. For dessert, my husband had a chocolate gelato, and I opted for a strawberry sorbetto. These desserts were the perfect ending to a fantastic meal. For all of this, our bill (pre-tip), was around $150. For the quality of food and experience (and especially compared to other dining experiences we recently had) this felt like a great deal. We had such a wonderful time here, I'm sure we will be back, and hopefully soon! I'd highly recommend dining at Altovino. read more

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I can say enough wonderful things about this place and we didn't even stay for a full meal! Our group stumbled upon this charming, tucked away, eatery. On our way to watch Santas during Santa Con. We wanted a few snacks and a glass of wine while we were on our way and we were blow away by the service, the food, and the ambiance. WOW! Everyone from the hostess to the servers to the bar staff were extremely knowledgeable and attentive. And the food was OFF THE CHART! The wine recommendations were superb. This is a MUST VISIT if you're in San Francisco and craving excellent Italian food. read more

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All that an Italian restaurant should be: intimate and cozy, friendly service, great flavors and the carbs! read more

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The restaurant ambiance and staff were really nice and calm, however the food was lacking. I ordered the pappardelle and my wife ordered the pesce de sale. Both lacked flavor but were presented very elegantly. I asked for extra cheese for the pappardelle and it helped with the flavor but overall a lackluster dining experience. Again I can't stress enough how nice the staff was, and I wish the food was the same. read more

AltoVino - Dining area - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Although the service is wonderful and the restaurant is very nice I feel the price is not right. We ordered the pork chops and the bolognese. The bolognese is cooked for 10 hours but the flavor profile is deeply lacking. The pork chops had a nice sauce and toppings but were on the dryer side. I did enjoy the fresh bread and the coziness of the restaurant but can say there's room for improvement based on the cost. The pork chops were $49 and disappointed me completely. read more

AltoVino - Bolognese and pork chops - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm vegetarian and have a love hate relationship with Italian restaurants in sf but for my birthday this year decided to celebrate at AltoVino with my partner. Right off the bat the ambience stood out. We prefer doing early dinners and booked a reservation for 5:30 pm and the whoever is in charge of music knows how to create a great setting. Started with a couple of glasses of wine ( I am bad with names but whoever served us that night was just extremely knowledgeable and thoughtful). As a vegetarian you still have a good amount of options on the menu including dishes they could turn vegetarian upon request. We started off with the spuma di funghi - I can describe this as a truffle mousse ish dip with a very innovative twist, served with perfectly roasted sourdough. For mains we did the corn ravioli and the spaghettoni OMG. The corn raviolini was filled with a corn sugary reduction which just was such a surprise! I don't exactly remember all the elements but it was a beautiful dish slightly on the sweeter side , thanks to the jus. The spaghettoni is everything I want the spaghetti I make after watching a million videos on social Media on pasta making. The Calabrian chilis, the tomato sugo which had quite literally the best tomatoey flavor ever. This dish made it to my dreams already! Finished the wonderful meal with their buttermilk panna cotta. This might have been the best panna cotta ever. The thyme and pepper shortbread cookie base melts in your mouth and provides the necessary sweetness to balance the tart/lemony panna cotta. I am running out of words to describe how amazing the experience was. And on the Michelin guide for good reason :) read more

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We came in for my wife's birthday. The service was great. We were greeted at the door and though arrived early we were taken to our table. The lighting was great it wasn't too bright and dimmed. Our server Ariana was welcoming and kind. We ordered some wine and the Giardiniera di Agrodolce and wow! Just wow! I love truffle but this tasted like a piece of heaven. I highly recommend it. We also ordered Cod and Pork and both plates were very delicious. AltoVino is easily my favorite restaurant in SF (I don't live here) and can't wait to be back. read more

AltoVino - Giardiniera di Agrodolce - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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AltoVino is Italian Nob Hill gem. Friendly, warm ambiance upon arrival and seated at a comfortable table. Nice selection of Italian wines by the glass which paired well with the exceptional and unique spuma di funghi antipasti. Also enjoyed the insalata with seasonal pomegranate and hazel nut The black cod roasted in a salt and herb crust with lentils and cauliflower was particularly scrumptious. Although we didn't expect to find on the menu at an Italian restaurant, my son loved the roasted pork chop with spatzel and red cabbage with a nod to his wife's Austrian heritage. For dessert we enjoyed the panna cotta with fresh fruit. Attentive, knowledgeable and proactive service. read more

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Solid service and atmosphere, but the main pastas missed the mark for me. The dish I ordered had really bitter notes, and the ravioli just didn't taste quite right. I'm sure I'll be back in the future to give AltoVino another shot because I really like their second restaurant in the Mission! read more

Service was absolutely amazing! I have a multitude of different allergies and our server was very accommodating and knowledgable of the menu when I had questions about my food allergies. We came here to celebrate our anniversary and to say we were blown away is an understatement. The presentation of the food was awesome and we loved every bite we had. Special shoutout to the buttermilk panna cotta! It definitely had us end the night on a sweet note! read more

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Yall this truffle ricotta ravioli?!!? Decadent. Divine. Delightful. A little light but soooo yummy! Perfect spot for date night or a little outing w ur bestie girl! Need to try more dishes here...but I will be getting the ricotta ravioli again read more

AltoVino - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great service! We waited at the bar for a short time before being seated for our reservation. The glass of rose was very nice. We tried the pesce crudo, the parpadelle with bolognese and the anolini pasta. The crudo was a bit salty - had big flakes of salt and the fish egg roe was also salty. The mustard greens were surprisingly mild and bit too bitter. Was nice to try. The parpadelle pasta with the bolognese sauce was very nicely done. Great tasting sauce. Would definitely recommend. The anolini pasta was a lamb? Filled round ravioli type fish in a broth which they added at the table. This was nice to try. The broth was a bit salty to my taste. The desserts we tried the lemon tart and the bourbon gelato. The lemon tart was not as lemony as I would have liked and it was just okay. The gelato was creamy and satisfying with the bourbon flavor not overpowering. read more

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Great service, the food was pretty good too. Here for Sunday dinner and it had a chill relaxing atmosphere with great service. The mushroom truffle appetizer was creatively interesting. Both the pastas were cooked perfectly. I do wish the pancetta was cooked for longer tho to release the taste and smell into the dish. read more

Food is amazing and each has their own flavoring. The service is a 10 and the staff has a nice team relationship with each customer having dinner. We had a 630pm reservation and were done by 8pm! I brought my friend in to celebrate his birthday! Ambiance is beautiful with a nice wood warmness. I love supporting our neighborhood businesses! read more

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Wonderful restaurant! The sister to Barberio Osteria in the mission, the space has a dark, cozy feel. It was a bit loud on Saturday night but it was likely due to several large groups who were there. Service is quick and prompt. We started with the spuma di funghi, which seems like their signature dish and I HIGHLY recommend if you love mushrooms. Its a creamy mushroom and truffle flavored spread, mousse like in consistency, served with toasted bread- this was our favorite dish! We then had the corn raviolo, which was lovely, and the papardelle with Bolognese. Finished with buttermilk pannna Cotta, which came with a touch of lemon in the buscuit and sauce- perfect end to the meal. Overall we loved the food - well made and unique enough to distinguish it from other Italian restaurants. Would highly recommend! read more

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Came for a quiet dinner out on a weekday and was seated immediately. The waiter was patient and answered all of my requests. He recommended the bolognese pasta, which was cooked perfectly. I also ordered a glass of wine, which was just perfect as well. read more

What a great find! Valentine's Day dinner was amazing here. After being seated, the rain came in true SF fashion. The staff made accommodations and got us seated inside ASAP. Not only great service, but amazing food. And a very romantic ambiance. Very much recommended! read more

AltoVino - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

What a fantastic cozy evening with this restaurant! We made reservation but they set us early, gave us a very good table. Mattio who served us was very knowledgeable about the menu, he shared some great stories about Italy and hometown. We ordered mushroom pasta and Tajarin, it was to die for! 5/5 for everything, will come back again! read more

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The service was excellent as noted by other diners. Many of the dishes were innovative and overall delicious. Good wine choices.

Excellent meal! Compared to other Italian restaurants, this restaurant had so much to offer. The chef was very dedicated to his craft. I went to their sister restaurant Barbarios and prefered it here. The dining room here was more cozy. - Spuma di funghi: excellent! I craved paté but cannot eat it right now. This reminded me of paté texture. The chef brought it up a notch by adding truffle flavor. No wonder it's the highlight dish here. - Pappadelle: the sauce was well done. Meat was cooked for a long time so the sauce was flavorful. Time of cookery created magic I might be hard to please but the only minus point was that it was less al dente than I would like. Maybe the Pappadelle can be a little thicker? - Cod baked in salt and served with seafood pasta couscous. It was a nice surprise to see salt baked fish, a technique that not many restaurants in the Bay Area do. This dish was surpringly good. - Tiramisu: my husband loved it and named it the best in the city. It's not my favorite but really personal preference. I prefer tiramisu with more mascapone cheese. The one here had strong alcohol, coffee taste and less creamy. I was a little disappointed that they took Trippa off the menu that night. I really wanted to try it. Maybe next time! read more

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I've been searching for the best Italian food in SF for years and finally found it. I've tried (close to) them all, but this is it for me. If you order right, you're going to have the most phenomenal meal here. My recommendations are below, obviously with a glass or two of wine ;) Appetizer: Spuma di Funghi, Insalata di Agrumi Pasta: Pappardelle, Spaghettonni Amatriciana Dessert: Tiramisu The vibe inside is amazing, the service warm, and there's really not much more you can ask for. My new favorite spot that I'll always take a detour for. read more

had a wonderful evening at Alto Vino last night! the restaurant is so elegant and high-end feeling, perfect for a date night or wanting to impress some out of towners. the highlights were the spuma di funghi, black cod, and zabaglione. the flavors were so well balanced and complex. the pasta was perfectly cooked. service was kind. i would definitely come here again to try their rotating menu. read more

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Great food, great atmosphere, great service. Highly recommend! Perfect for date night, or out with friends, OR even for solo dining at the bar. Pasta was so fresh. Looking forward to returning read more

AltoVino - Pappardelle (left) , and Raviolini ... both amazing but HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Raviolini!! - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Everything was very lovely! The staff provided some of the best, attentive service I've experienced in a very long time. The food was fabulous. We had the Black Cod which was unwrapped and presented at the table. Don't pass up the Budino. 5 stars from us! read more

I have a new favorite restaurant. Well, not super new. My first meal here was 8 months ago. I have been back twice just to make sure I wasn't hopped up on the excitement of the find or the novelty. But this place is it. The food is fresh, made with care and love, and the perfect balance between rustic and refined. I am not really a Michelin star person - the fuss involved with impressing those folks doesn't sit right with me. Places like altovino are what I love - the food sings, the vibes are friendly, and it feels like you discovered a bit of a hidden gem. Eat here. I just did last night and I can't wait to get back. read more

Great service. Near August hall. Food had freshness and nice subtle tastes. Romantic place with lots of choice. read more

AltoVino - Seafood risotto - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Service is very friendly. The Spuma di Funghi is pure perfection. A great starter to share and enjoy. This is not my first time eating here but my first time trying the Spuma and I will definitely order it again. The pastas are all delicious. The wines are also very nice...a good selection from Italy and the US. It is a great place for a date night or for a small group. read more

I've been fasting for lent, so I always make sure to choose a good restaurant for breaking my fast. I was starving, ravaged. The only thing on my mind? Spaghetti and tiramasu. I walked in with an empty stomach, sitting down with high expectations. The food came fast, 2 pasta dishes and fried olives, which me and my family happily devoured. Then came the steak. I personally do not eat much steak, but this was very very good. Finally, desert. My tiramasu was sat down in front of me, and I saw everything fall into place. It was the most gorgeous moment of the day. I left with extreme satisfaction, and an excitement to return. The waiters were attentive and filled our needs and questions. The restaurant was gorgeous. Definitely a sold 4.9/5 stars, rounded up to 5. I had no problems with this place, but I wish the menu didn't change. read more

AltoVino - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I had a craving for their Mushroom Truffle appetizer and was lucky enough to grab 1 of the last tables that evening due to the JP Morgan event earlier this month. The mushroom truffle was heavenly delish paired with the fresh, warm, toasted crostini! Timely additional small portions of toasty warm crostini magically appear on the table to help you try to finish this appetizer that is probably truly meant for at least 3 or 4 people to share! :) This is my FAV menu item here! It is consistently amazing! I was very disappointed that they didn't have the Red Wine, nor the Orecchiette entree that I ordered last month. Ugh! Creatures of habit have issues with 1st world problems! Ha! I had to pick an entree, so I chose the Tagliatelle. It was a tasty large portion and had a lot of meat. I had to take most of it home because I had practically inhaled the Truffle Mushroom appetizer! The entree was slightly salty. Although this entree was "good", I wouldn't order it again. The ambiance, service and restaurant team was friendly, attentive and wonderful! Can't wait to return to try some other entrees! Thank You! :) read more

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The food was excellent, with well-proportioned pasta plates (meaning not huge) and light, delicate fish. Service was careful and insightful (being very aware of allergies), but not always super attentive. It was admittedly crowded. The ambience was perfect for small groups and the room was lively but not loud at all. read more

Favorite: 1) Spuma di funghi (mushroom dip) - delicious and savory, such a fun dish to share. Ask for more toasted bread if you run out! Worth getting: 2) Spinach pasta filled with veal beef pork shoulder prosciutto served in a veal broth- such a unique pasta! I've never had pasta with clear broth. Sipping on the broth made this dish a fun experience. When you start chewing the pasta, you also get an explosion of all sorts of savory meats-- all so unexpected Safest option: 3) Bolognese pasta (I think?)- savory and smoky but the noodles we got weren't the flat wide papardelle Everything paired well with the red wine we chose: Toscano 2022 It was crazy busy when we went (7:30 Friday night) but thankfully had reservations. Second time here and it was just as great of an experiences. Servers are helpful and attentive. Restaurant interior is beautiful. It's the kind of place that comes to mind when I imagine dinner/date in the city. read more

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Delicious! I made reservations online which was very easy. When we got there, we had a choice to sit wherever we wanted so it was really nice. The offered inside or outside but we chose inside and it was lovely. Everyone was very friendly and answered all our questions and made excellent recommendations as well. I knew I wanted the pappardelle and I was not disappointed. It was so delicious! I want to go back to get it again already. My husband got the garganelli which was also very tasted. The pasta was cooked so perfectly and made everything better. The n'duja appetizer was also very good. The toast was so crispy. The wine suggested was also delicious. Everything was so good and I would definitely recommend!! read more

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Ratatouille moment for me, best meal I've had in quite sometime that felt like I was being told a story by the chef via the phenomenal cod dish and the Pappardelle was like a hug. I will be back. Small, elegant and intimate. read more

Came here with my family for a celebration dinner, the food was amazing but I do wish my ravioli was a bigger portion. It was so good and the sauce it sits in is the best I have ever had. The waiter was so friendly and professional. Plus the vibe was cool but still chill. I definitely would come back when I am in The Bay Area again. read more

AltoVino - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Food was delicious however the service was quite inconsistent. Thus the 3 stars. We waited more than 30 min for our main course; however the table next to us who ordered the same main dish after us got their 10 min before us. When we asked our waiter why, his response was unhelpful and made no sense - "we are coursing it out". We almost left with eating the last dish but then it came. Food 4 stars - raw halibut exquisite taste - pappardelle bolognese classic tasty - local cod the one that took forever was very good but shouldn't have taken that long Will we be back? Maybe. Perhaps it was an off night. read more

AltoVino - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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AltoVino had a very nice ambiance and amazing service from the bartenders, host, and servers. We ordered the paparadelle, spuma di funghi, and la fiorentina. Spuma di funghi was hands down my favorite!!! It was such a delightful appetizer! I would probably come back just to have this again. I loved how flavorful the mousse was La fiorentina: unfortunately it came out last and when I was full so it was no longer appealing to me. However, the leftovers I brought to lunch the next day was such a treat. If you order this, maybe ask if they can bring the food all together rather than one by one. Paparadelle: I didn't care too much for this. It was okay, but I wouldn't order it again. Other than that, this was a pretty good restaurant. Would definitely come again! read more

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