I said I would not post a review, but after thinking all day I changed my mind. Sleepy Sunday, empty restaurant. Stood many minutes to be seated, and was finally seated. Ordered a glass of wine (too cold) and a risotto. The risotto seemed to be non-seasoned rice with frozen veggies, and over cooked slice of salmon. The 'lovely' owner, Reuben, actually laughed at my dilemma. NEVER GOING BACK read more

The best mushroom ‍ raviolis I've ever tasted outside Italy. I ordered them with a white sauce and added a wee bit of salt. Otherwise they were cooked just right and very satisfying. The ambiance was nice but would be too loud if more crowded (because there was an echo). So would probably only go there during the day for lunch. read more

Cafe Vitale - New section added ambience and more space. - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Been here a number of times and it's been hit and miss with a bit of a slow decline. Service is always good and the room is nice but what's happening with the food? The Caesar salad was small and I barely tasted the dressing - another guest said similar. The main course, snapper special was good but the sides were sad. 3-4 little tiny potatoes and some wilted tiny pieces of cauliflower- so tired they were virtually transparent. This place used to be a cute neighborhood spot but even the most ardent fan in our group said they probably won't be back. It's sad because the servers work hard. read more

Food was very tasty, friendly service and comfortable ambiance. Gnocchi's was delicious! We stopped by for dinner. No regrets! Loved everything about Cafe Vitale. It is a wonderful neighborhood restaurant. We will be back! read more

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Great tasting food with wonderful service makes me come back often! South Los Altos eatery is off the beaten track but that means no parking or traffic issues. read more

Cafe Vitale is a remarkable restaurant. The space is beautifully and interestingly appointed. It's sparkling clean and the crisp, white table cloths are classy. I was with a group and we found the service to be friendly, professional and efficient. Each course was delicious and outstanding. The melon with the thinly sliced prosciutto was succulent. So often melon is flavorless not here! The salad was spectacular with tasty greens, pecans, and apple. The bread is unusual, not the usual crusty Italian bread, but a softer more delicate type and served with oil and vinegar. Delicious My dish was gnocchi served in a magnificent, flavorful white sauce. They were perfection. The osso buco was also remarkably tender and delicious and served with tiny potatoes. Tablemates loved their chicken parm dishes which were sumptuous and beautifully sauced. the calamari entre was also praised. Desserts were splendid and very authentic. Whether you are on a date night or partying with friends, this restaurant is a perfect choice. Parking is on the street or in the large, free parking lot behind the restaurant. read more

Cafe Vitale - entrance to the bar from the dining area. Beautiful woodwork! - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Tried this place for the first time and was disappointed. I'd do 3.5 stars if I could. The scene was fun, it was Valentine's Day so it was jammed and the service was slow, but the waiter was great and working hard. They had a live accordian guy which added a nice touch to the family-style old-school Italian environment. My issue here was the food: white bean soup, pretty good; goat cheese salad special very good, the shrimp entree was very good, but my entree -- spaghetti and meatballs was not good at all. The pasta overcooked, the sauce thin and unremarkable, the meatballs seemed as likely to have been made by Sysco as grandma, and most importantly my spaghetti was hot, too hot, hopelessly -- it steamed for minutes after I got it -- which to me suggests one thing: microwave. I hope that's not the case, but overall, I loved the scene and the staff, my wife loved the food, but me, not so much. read more

6 of us had dinner there Friday and had a wonderful time. Great ambience and food. We will definitely go back soon.

Completely overbooked. Our reservations was at 6:30 And we came to Find out 3 more parties waiting for the reservations at the same time . The dining room was completely full and they said they had no idea when we could get a table. Spoiled the whole evening for us. As the famous Seinfeld quote goes 'You know how to take reservations you don't know how to HOLD reservations " read more

Great food and service. Been numerous times and never had issues. We have gone as a family of 8 and just the 2 of us and didn't see a difference in quality or service. read more

House made pasta.... do I need to say more? This is a great date place or if you just want a fancy lunch with friends because it feels really classy with crisp white table clothes and super friendly service. For this, you will not get out cheap, but you will leave full of quality food made with quality ingredients. Their tagline is Farm-to-fork, and I get why... This Los Altos local Italian restaurant has wine and beer, but I don't think they have liquor. I parked on the street because I saw a spot right in front, so I can't speak to the existance of a parking lot. If you are still here, let me repeat... house made pasta. the dishes all seemed very traditional and remind me of my Italy vacation. read more

Cafe Vitale - Gnocchi. - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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The restaurant is tucked in the Loyola corner in Los Altos. The ambience is very nice, clean, and tastefully decorated with holiday lights. At 5:30, the restaurant was already packed and we were left with a small table. Starting with the bread, it is very basic, warmed with a bit of crust at the edge. Tastes like bread machine bread; not the crusty European bread I was hoping for. I ordered the seafood linguini. The seafood, squid, salmon, clams and mussels were super fresh. The red sauce was light and flavorful, cooked to perfection. Linguini was perfectly el dente. My finance ordered the special beef stew. Beef was tender, potatoes were perfect , a classic beef stew. We also ordered sausage pizza to share. Classic Italian pizza , good crust and ample toppings. The wait staff is very friendly . Overall a great place for a nice dinner. read more

Cafe Vitale - Beef stew - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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I have been to Cafe Vitale several times over the past few years, and each time my meal has been incredible! For apps, I've had the calamari fritti, the bruschetta and Caesar salad on different occasions - ALL delicious, and freshly made. The batter on the calamari was light and crisp and did not overpower the flavor of the calamari. A couple of the entrees I've thoroughly enjoyed are the LINGUINE FRUTTA DI MARE and the homemade mushroom ravioli with cream sauce. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for authentic Italian food at reasonable prices... read more

Ambience: Cute restaurant (we sat outside) but the inside is nice and has live entertainment Service: Awesome Food: In shirt - great. We would go there again. We ordered the following Appetizer: - Burrata Caprese - This was very unique but extremely fresh and tasty and a great departure from the classic Mozzarella and tomato dish. Main: - Mac n Cheese - My 7 year old got this and it was good because he finished it. My wife and I took bites and we agreed that it was good. - Pasta Bolognese- This dish was fantastic and the sauce was so tasty and not overly salty. - Gnocchi- My wife got this dish and it was very good. I tried it as well and thought that the creamy sauce leaves you wanting "one more bite". All in all we'd go there again! read more

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I love this place. We come very often. I order the spinach salad with salmon and my kids the calzone. The place is beautiful, it makes you feel like you are in Italy. Service is very fast and friendly read more

We keep coming back because it's a local place for us and the food is always good. Service is friendly but can be spotty in terms of speed and completeness. Tonight, for example, they offer us bread but we didn't have the little plates, we ordered the Caesar salad but I think they forgot to put on any dressing, they served us our main dish but came by much later to offer the fresh ground pepper. All in all we enjoy the vibe and the food even if I think it's a little overpriced. read more

Cafe Vitale - FETTUCCINE ALLA GENOVESE - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

The service is very attentive and engaging in a low key casual upbeat sort of way. This is not stuffy dining. They can at times get flummoxed by large groups and neglect to check in with each person about how they are doing. The food is about quantity and not quality. You will be stuffed full half way through your meal, so you will not leave hungry. But if you are looking for delicate nuance to your dishes, this is not the place. read more

Cafe Vitale - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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What a find! This place is just a short drive from the downtown of Los Altos in a decent location. It's casual with a lot of locals who are regulars. They have some nice outdoor seating and the staff are friendly, clean and safe. The chefs inside were wearing masks. The cuisine is traditional northern Italian style and not Americanized, which I like. It reminded me of the restaurants I visited in Italy. We ordered the side Caesar salad, which was very good. I should have ordered anchovies. That's my regret there. A side portion is plenty of salad for one person. The lasagna was delicious! I don't make it at home anymore, so I like to get it at restaurants. Tasty sauce and ground beef, the bolognese it was perfect for the evening! The fruita de mare was the best dish. The waitress said she served 7 of them already and that was before 7. Lots of fresh seafood, prawns, clams, mussels, fish all delicious in a red sauce! The aperol spritz was very good. I had a glass of Chianti. The evening was perfect and everything about the restaurant was excellent. It's a hidden gem. It's very reasonably priced with everything including tip being about $100. Good value for the area. read more

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We live very close to Vitale, it came highly recommended by an Italian friend, and finally we made it here on a Sunday night during the summer! They have indoor seating, but since it was perfect weather, we sat outside under their awning. They have white tablecloths even outside, and the menu is traditional, classic Italian. They had complimentary bread, and they had kids' cups and crayons plus coloring sheets, so the kids loved it! Corkage was only $15, so we brought a bottle. Food: - Calamari: lightly breaded, with marinara - Penne ala Nonno Francesco: a generous portion, with sausage (a bit spicy) and mushrooms with red sauce - Veal picatta: tender, classic butter and caper sauce - Veal Marsala: again, tender thin veal, with mushroom Marsala sauce Prices are lower than a lot of other Italian places in the area, and I appreciate the old school, neighborhood feel of the place. Service was very kind, and you can't beat that corkage price! read more

Always good food! Great service! The place to go with family and friends! We're going again tomorrow night!

10/19/2021 Cafe Vitale 987 Fremont Ave Los Altos, CA 94024 This place is tucked away on Fremont Avenue at Miramonte Ave. close to Foothill Expressway in Los Altos, there is parking in the back. I previously ordered the fried calamari appetizer for takeout and that was very good, crispy breading and tender squid. The one tub of Marinara sauce wasn't enough and I had to fortify it with horse radish and Tabasco at home. Based on this experience, I went back for dinner. I ordered the linguine with clams and mussels with white sauce, which came with bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, real Italian no butter! The dish was loaded with minced garlic and otherwise lightly seasoned to perfection. The shell fish were sweet and tender. Service was fast and attentive. Based on my two experiences, this is a new favorite and a definite repeat. read more

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Summary: neighborhood staple, solid Italian food, friendly service Details: You'd be forgiven if you've overlooked Cafe Vitale. It's an unassuming restaurant in an unassuming location. But don't assume that means the food isn't good. It's better much better than you think. Chicken Marsala - in case you don't know Marsala, the sauce is made by reducing wine to the consistency of a syrup while adding garlic. This is a light flavorful version. Chicken Piccata - lemon, capers, and white wine. Not too lemony, wish it had a few more capers. Fettuccine Alla Genovese -- the pesto is light and flavorful, not too heavy handed with the garlic. I normally prefer pesto from walnuts over pie nuts but this one is legit Fettuccine Alla Bolognese - solid dish, meaty but perhaps a bit too saucy. Fettuccine noodles were perfectly cooked. Penne Alla Nonno Francesco - house made pork sausage and button mushrooms. I enjoyed this but would have liked a bit more kick. Italiano Combo Pizza - pepperoni, sausage, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. The gluten free version is surprisingly good. The space is bigger than you think. There are multiple rooms you could have a big group. This feels like a family run place and it is. read more

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We came here recently for the first time and had a really lovely evening. We sat outside by the fire, and since we were with friends we were in no rush at all. I have to say the service was extremely good - especially given how poor it can be these days at other restaurants. Our waitress was helpful, got our order straight and had a sense of humor. Not sure she's been there long, but she did just fine. We had the pasta bolognese, the pasta with clams and mussels, and a pepperoni pizza. Each one was excellent. We brought a bottle of our favorite wine and thought the corkage fee was very reasonable. Definitely going back! read more

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This is a terrific restaurant all around. Great service and the food was perfect. Salads well presented and the chicken and veal were tasty and well prepared. We will definitely come back read more

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Had dinner here at this beautiful Italian restaurant here in Loyola Corners in Los Altos. What an elegant little gem in this tiny part of town. Calamari Fritti was delicious as was our entrees of calzone and Veal Piccata. Everything is moderately priced and tasty. Great service too! Thank you! read more

Been to Cafe Vitale twice now and had a nice time both visits. Great Italian food, nice wine, great vibe, and excellent customer service. Very tasty lamb chops, and their Lasagna Alla Bolognese is absolutely delicious. I'll be coming here again in the future. Easy 5 stars! read more

Me and my coworkers went out for a birth day lunch. Some of my coworkers highly recommend this place and I can see it why. Fast service and delicious food. The only thing that we noticed. When we sent out our drinks order there were a little bit mix up or confusion. Maybe there is to many of us, but their food was excellent. If I visit again I would like to try another course other than seafood pasta. We hope the have garlic bread. The place was a great spot as they have great parking area which plenty of spaces and are next to the business area. I was filled after eating the sliced bread, it's soft flat bread, which is made all the better by mixing up some virgin Olive oil and a side of butter. I am looking forward to coming back. read more

Cafe Vitale - Calamari - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

Food is always delicious here and service is great! Restaurant has a cozy vibe with both indoor and outdoor sitting.

Great food. Bolognese was the best of the year. Gnocchi were handmade in a light pomodoro sauce. Reasonably priced. We sat in the front in the bar section and Reuben took great care of us. Very frienldly service. Great local spot. read more

Cafe Vitale - Spaghetti bolognese - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Great dinner options Excellent service Solid Always fun and enjoyable Delicious and attentive *********************( read more

The good: nice ambience of the place, the tables. The bad: I ordered a pizza and the dough was very reminiscent, or maybe exactly the same as, much cheaper pizza stalls I've eaten from. Immediately I knew that they're not using quality ingredients. The flavor was ok for what it was, but it was nothing close to quality, fresh, least-processed ingredients. The prosciutto tasted slightly off and looked like cheap, overly-processed meat you'd find in a low quality grocery store. The mushrooms were bland but salty and oily... The whole thing screamed: "these guys are using cheap and unhealthy ingredients, but trying to give an air of sophistication, with prices to match." read more

Cafe Vitale hosted a big birthday bash for my mother Aug. 20, 2022. Searching for a restaurant, we were looking for the Goldilocks spot: Not to expensive and overly formal, not too cheap and underwhelming but a perfect balance between charm, intimacy and openness with a flexible manager or owner. When I visited the week before, I liked what I saw. The decor was a quaint Italian village setting with a nice breeze ran through the restaurant and bar. As with most restaurants responding to pandemic conditions, there were sidewalk tables and a garden patio. Plans were for us to occupy one room but as we discussed guest count and things we wanted to do, the owner offered us his largest room located in the front of the restaurant primarily because we held a Saturday afternoon luncheon. It was far larger than the other room so worked out perfectly. They allowed us to decorate, which meant a few posters on the walls and setting up table decor, goldfish included. Food was excellent. I had veal piccata. Meat was was tender and juicy with a delicious wine gravy. There were zero food complaints including from an uncle with a reputation for being so picky about his food he'd bring his own outside food into other restaurants. I really enjoyed the owner. He was very involved ensuring our satisfaction and a memorable experience. Our birthday girl had everything she needed including a good time. I cannot speak highly enough about this place and its owner. It's a hidden Los Altos treasure for which I shall return with friends in tow. Mangia! read more

Cafe Vitale - One vase with a light blue table runner, goldfish and a lit candle in a vase with bougainvillea flowers. - Italian Near Me - Los Altos, California

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Mi wife and I , we stop at this restaurant the we always see driving on foothills. The restaurant in self is nice , very welcoming. Nice service , attractive, the restaurant wasn't busy because was around 9 pm . We tried the salads feel nice and fresh ingredients , we order lasagna and nice fettuccine. Both dishes we liked very much .100%sure I'll be back soon . Thank you to the staff, great job ! read more

Saturday lunch the place has a nice, pleasant setting.. Waiter was freindly and attentive. had calamari fritti (best thing we ordered), meatball Stromboli & Penne alla Siciliano. the food was mehh, starting with the basic bread I love supporting local places, but next time I will drive past this one, a little further into the downtowns read more

Great Service, perfect every time! Salmon Risotto and Veggie Pizza. I ordered via Door Dash, still hot! Grazie! A local Loyola Corners fan! AD Scott read more

Came here to celebrate a friend's retirement party. This place has a bar and TV. With plenty of seating. (even for a party) The ambience is nice also. We all were given a Salad, appetizers: calamari and fried meat balls? (Not sure, see pics) and for the main dish I opted for the sea food pasta with red sauce. The Calamari was light, crispy and most importantly, not oily at all. 5 stars, definitely recommend. The fried Meatballs (as I call them) had a slightly cheesy texture on the inside but were kind of bland 3 stars. The salad was Beautiful, with pear, Mango, (I think) gorgonzola cheese definitely a must before dinner 5 stars. Bread was meh, kind of hard, not much flavor. 2 stars. The sea food pasta with small pieces of fish, clams, muscles, shrimp, squid and pasta in a red sauce was pretty darn good and the pasta was cooked perfectly Al dente 3.5 stars. Over all I think this place is solidly in the 3-3.5 star range. I will be back to try other menu items. read more

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Lively and lovely Italian restaurant. Make you feel like you're in the middle of a Italian town in Italy :). The ambiance is great. The foods is even better. My dishes for the night was the linguine de fruitti & risotto Al salmone. Deliciously tasty food. 11/10. read more

Was able to make a reservation for mothers day which was awesome. We decided to sit outside the day we came to visit and the service was spectacular. The whole restaurant has a very homey vibe and everyone was extremely friendly. We also enjoyed the food. The portions were decent sized and the favorite dish of the night was the calamari! It was both tasteful and lightly fried! read more

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I enjoyed this meal. I ordered the shrimp main dish, Gamberi alla Alice, and asked for an extra portion of vegetables instead of the potatoes that come with it, and they obliged. It was super delicious. It was a fair amount of shrimp, and almost enough veg for me, but I was slightly hungry afterwards, and regrette not ordering a side salad. The restaurant is on the expensive side, and the quality is very high, I would say. Some of my thinner friends ordered the salads and were very happy with them as a main course, but that wouldn't have been enough for me, sigh. The wait staff was pleasant and welcoming. read more

Another great dining experience at Cafe Vitale! The host is so warm and welcoming, he genuinely tries to know and remember every customer that visits. The food was (again) outstanding. We enjoyed drinks from their NEW bar, salads, delicious pasta and meat entrees, along with a lovely bottle of wine. We were even able to try the house-made Limocello! Cin Cin!!! Do yourself a favor, get out, visit this lovely local business and relax while enjoying a wonderful meal! read more