Casual restaurant with an authentic feel. Service was friendly and competent. Food was very, very…read moregood. Really this place is a 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up to 5. Probably my favorite Italian restaurant in the Tri-Valley, probably beyond. I very much enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere. Recommend it highly. It's all about the food without the pretense.

Locanda Amalfi has a warm, sunny atmosphere, and the food and service make you feel like you're in…read moreItaly! We started our meal with appetizers--Mama Carmela's Meatballs were three oversized meatballs in tomato sauce, topped with Parmesan and crostini (garlic toast); the Fritto Misto was a plate of lightly breaded Monterey calamari, tiger prawns, zucchini, and artichokes, served with a side of creamy capri sauce for dipping; and the Octopus All'insalata was a salad of lightly dressed arugula, olives, cherry tomatoes, and fennel, topped with tender pieces of octopus tentacle. The appetizers were decent, but the real highlight of this restaurant was their freshly-baked pizzas. The Amalfi was a light, summery combination of yellow San Marzano tomato sauce, fiori di latte, burrata, pesto, and red Sicilian Datterino tomatoes; and the Norcina was an aromatic, umami combination of truffle crema, fiori di latte, Italian sausage, and mushrooms. Both were absolutely delicious, and the best part was the authentic Neapolitan pizza crust--thin, light, and chewy all at the same time! Overall, this was a fantastic dining destination with quick, friendly service and a beautiful atmosphere too.

Great back patio, delicious menu…read more My husband and I popped by for a late lunch on a Friday, and their back patio was almost full. We ordered their Brusselsprouts and short rib sandwich to share and the proportions were perfect, just enough food and we didn't leave a morsel behind. Their short rib sandwich was heavenly and the chimichurri sauce plus grilled peppers elevated the experience. If you're torn about ordering a full shareable of the habanero fries, here's an insider tip: we asked for a side of their habanero sauce to go with our side of fries so we would still have enough room for their short rib sandwich! Their sprouts were phenomenal. Loved the sweat punch added by the cranberries and shaved carrots to balance the charr of the brussels. Will 1000% be returning to check out their dinner menu. I haven't had a milanesa since I was in Argentina, but I trust Brava to meet the assignment!

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. The place was packed but still had space in the back patio. I…read morereally enjoyed the cute aesthetics and the decor for the back patio. - Ambiance was 4/5: really liked the outdoor seating and area. Nice place to chill and enjoys some sun. - Service was 3/5: servers were nice and came to refill water when it was low. Not too much interaction as it was busy. - food was 3/5: presentation was nice but I felt the taste was lackluster. The empanadas were good but nothing that stood out. The sandwiches were really heavy, short rib was kind of messy and fell out of the bread, flavor was bland without using the sauces. The steak sandwich was a tad chewy, also bland without the sauces. The fries however were amazing, crispy and fresh.

De La Torre is one of those places you would probably drive past without realizing what you are…read moremissing. It is tucked into an unassuming shopping center, but absolutely worth seeking out. Once inside, it feels less like a restaurant and more like you have been invited over to a friend's dining room. It is warm, relaxed, and genuinely welcoming. The service hits that perfect balance. It is friendly, attentive, and never overbearing. You feel taken care of without it being a production. The food really delivers. The special, chicken thighs stuffed with smoked ham, was standout and memorable. The margarita pizza is exactly what you want it to be. It is simple, well executed, and perfect for sharing. Do not let the "small" size fool you. It is easily enough for two, maybe even three if you are catching up over drinks. Portions across the board are generous. The fish entrees are especially impressive. The salmon alone felt like it had to be close to half a pound. All of this comes at prices that feel more than fair for the quality and quantity you are getting. This is definitely a spot worth returning to. I am already looking forward to coming back to try the paninis for lunch.

I wouldn't rave about this restaurant but it's not bad either. It's just your plain Italian food…read more More like Olive Garden but more expensive. I would recommend the hostess that greets you to have a smile or be more pleasant. The food like I said was average. We each had appetizer and main course. Bread is free for first serving but $4.50 for more. Steep for cold bread. Salad was delicious but the bruschetta was horrible. Capellini was bland. We skipped desert. If you have nowhere else to go, okay to come here but I most likely won't return.

I came here for a private lunch with my company and the staff was amazing…read more In addition, their bolognese pasta was probably the best I've ever had. I also tried their crab cake, ceasar salad, beef skewers, and cheesecake which were all 10/10. This is going to be a regular spot for me.

We popped in and had such a wonderful time! Our waiter introduced us to the daily specials, which…read morefeatured a salad, main course, and dessert. I went with the Porter House steak, and my wife opted for the Halibut. For dessert, she enjoyed the chocolate torte, while I had the cappuccino gelato. The service was fantastic, and the food was equally delicious.

We were walking around Pleasanton looking for a dinner spot and ended up at Baci after the ambience…read moreand music caught our attention. It definitely had an elevated vibe. Perfect for a date night, especially when there is nice weather. The service stood out immediately as well; the servers were very attentive, present without being overbearing, and made the whole experience feel smooth and intentional. We started with the arancini, which was okay, good texture, but nothing especially memorable. The chicken piccata was the highlight of the meal. Really well done: bright lemon flavor, buttery sauce, and cooked perfectly. I'd come back just for that. I also had the French 75, which was refreshing, but fairly standard compared to others I've had.

An Unforgettable Birthday Celebration at Baci's!…read more We'd been wanting to visit Baci's for ages, and finally decided to celebrate my birthday here on Valentine's Day - what a perfect choice! Tip: Make reservations! This place gets really busy, especially on special occasions. From the moment we walked in, we were impressed. The Valentine's Day decor was beautiful and really added to the romantic atmosphere. The staff was incredibly efficient and friendly, and our waiter Kevin was absolutely fantastic and gracious throughout the evening. Appetizers: We started with the Golden Beet Salad (with goat cheese, toasted almonds, and honey balsamic dressing) and the Crispy Sweet Chili Prawns. The prawns were amazing - they came with a Fiji apple coleslaw and pomegranate sauce, and the combination was simply heavenly! Entrees: The Lamb Rack came with four beautifully cooked lamb chops, mashed potatoes, spinach, and pomegranate sauce - really delicious. We also tried the Chicken Milano, which was incredible. The combination of artichoke, sun-dried tomato, asparagus, shallots, linguini, basil, garlic, parmesan, parsley, and white wine lemon sauce was perfection on a plate. Desserts: We couldn't resist ordering both the Molten Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream and the Warm Bread Pudding with ice cream. Both were fantastic and the perfect end to our meal. The vibe at Baci's is lively and festive - it can get loud, but that just adds to the fun atmosphere. If you're looking for a great place to celebrate with friends or that special someone, Baci's is definitely worth a visit. We'll be back!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Strizzi's Is the Real Deal, Pleasanton's Hidden Italian Treasure…read more There are Italian restaurants, and then there are places that make you feel like someone's nonna actually cares about what lands on your table. Strizzi's is firmly in the second category, a beautifully modern take on Italian dining that never loses sight of what makes the cuisine so soulful in the first place: fresh, quality ingredients treated with respect. Walking in, the ambiance strikes a lovely balance, it's warm and inviting without feeling frozen in a red-checkered-tablecloth time warp. There's an energy here that feels alive, current, and genuinely Italian in the best way. The kind of place where you settle in, take a breath, and decide you're not rushing dinner tonight. My servers this afternoon were Chris and Destinee, both wonderful women were attentive, gracious, and clearly proud of the menu they were presenting. They weren't reciting a script; they were sharing something. That authenticity is a gift in a dining room, and these two have it in abundance. They made my table feel like the most important one in the house. Then came the pesto penne with vegetables and chicken, honestly, this dish alone is worth the drive. The pesto tasted like it was made that afternoon: vivid, fragrant, with that grassy basil brightness you only get when someone isn't cutting corners. The vegetables were crisp and fresh, the chicken tender and well-seasoned, and the pasta cooked to a perfect al dente. Nothing masked, nothing overworked. Just clean, confident Italian cooking that lets every ingredient speak. For dessert, I finished with the chocolate cake paired with vanilla ice cream, and it was a study in beautiful simplicity. Deep, bittersweet chocolate against cool, creamy vanilla, that's classic for a reason. It was indulgent without being excessive, the kind of dessert that closes a meal on exactly the right note. Strizzi's gets it. The freshness, the warmth, the care, all comes together into something genuinely special. This is modern Italian done with an old soul, and Pleasanton is lucky to have it.

Have enjoyed many dinner at Strizzi's over the years and I feel they have improved in the years…read morefollowing Corona lockdown. They offer a good break on early dinner before 6pm. Service has been consistently good and we know some of the servers by name. Food portions are generous and fresh. I only wish that they try to make pasta more aldente' as you should in an Italian restaurant.

We had a family & friends birthday party luncheon in the Lounge Room for forty people. We asked…read morethat the tables be set up in a very particular way, one round of ten and others six to eight. They happily accommodated. Given our table map, the room was a bit cozy for forty but no problem for the waitstaff. The room itself is private, lots of windows, big buffet table and wine area, so it was all good. Waitstaff and venue were great, but what made the event special was the very high quality of the food: gourmet shrimp appetizer, flatbread, salad, chicken kabob, filet mignon kabob (no exaggeration), and Oasis salmon, plus rice, asparagus, mashed potatoes, chocolate mousse cake for dessert, coffee, tea, sodas. AND... they sent our family home with the leftover food, quite a lot that we've polished off since. Charge was $69 per person, three kids counted as one person for a special pizza, 20% service, tax, poured wines from a reasonably priced wine list. Total bill came to $4,000. So... Five stars. And whatever we asked for, Efren and Sadaf said, "No problem," and it wasn't. THANKS to Oasis!

Met some friends for a small bites and drinks. We ordered the pumpkin borani that was insanely…read moregood. I would go back and probably order an entree size if they have it. lol We ordered some hummus, falafel and The bread with dipping sauces. All of which were freshly made. They offered a side of cut veggies for someone with gluten intolerance. Which I thought was really nice. Our server was the sweetest lady who was so down to earth, patient and very friendly. Thanks. The restaurant was clean and very cozy. It's an elegant restaurant worth going back to. Which I'm planning to do so I can try the meat dishes that looked really good. See you soon!

Not gonna mess around with this review. This was simply one of the best sandwiches I've ever had…read more Driving through Livermore looking for a good sandwich, and yelp recommendations came through for me! This place (obviously) has great reviews so I decided to go. And it certainly meets the hype The staff was very friendly--I let them know it's my first time there so I needed a bit of time to look over the menu--and they were very helpful letting me know the options. I got the Friday I'm In Love and it was amazing. Great size, absolutely packed with meat, amazing flavor. This was a 10/10. The garlic spread was delicious, the slaw was seasoned very well, and everything was very fresh and flavorful. Dutch crunch also had great texture. My only possible complaint was that the meat wasn't very evenly distributed as you can see in the pic, but that's a very minor complaint. To reiterate, this was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Unfortunately I'm not very close to Livermore, but anytime I'm close by in the future, I absolutely want to stop by again. I highly, highly recommend this place for a sandwich!

Wow, was this awful. My wife and I decided to try and ordered 2 sandwiches and an order jalapeño…read morepoppers off door dash. 2 mediocre sandwiches fo $50 that were of average size and just ok. The Americano sandwich has completely tasteless cole slaw and capicola that was inedible. Then poppers were hard and had a miniscule and thin piece of jalapeño. I literally had to to open one up to see if it actually had jalapeño in it. No heat, no taste, and hard. Avoid this place at all costs.

Elia made for a really satisfying dinner. The Seabass Carpaccio, Halibut, Burrata, and Arnisia…read morePlevrakia (Lamb Riblets) were all delicious -- every dish was well-crafted and full of flavor. The bright Mediterranean atmosphere is charming and genuinely well done, and the service was friendly and attentive throughout. It's a great date night spot. It's on the pricier side, which makes it more of an occasion dinner than an everyday go-to. Worth every bite for the right night out.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I LOVE Elia. Every time I came here for dinner. The food that I ordered never go wrong. I came here…read moreon Saturday around 6:30 pm for dinner. This place was jam packed due to lots of people coming here to pre-celebrate Mother's Day. My party ordered the combo spread, grilled octopus, zucchini cakes, baratta as appetizers. Lobster pasta and lamb chops for entrees. All of them are at least 4 out of 5 ratings. Grilled octopus are Lamb chops are my favorite. I strongly recommend Elia if you want some good food, ambience and service. I am coming back again soon. :)

After several years of talking about heading to Danville and trying out Piatta, we finally were…read moreable to. While a little on the higher-end side for Italian cuisine, Piatta did not disappoint. The service was great, quick, and attentive, and the ambiance and atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxed, and more casual and easygoing than one would think based on location. We were offered bread and an olive oil and herbs dip prior to ordering, which was delicious and great. We ordered a ravioli dish and a steak, and my wife and I shared both, which were fantastic, and we had a little bit for leftovers, which tasted nearly as good the next day. I would highly recommend Piatti, for those looking for an elevated Italian dining experience, in a nice but casual setting. We were also celebrating our wedding anniversary, and were given a lovely anniversary card, signed by the majority of the staff, which was a really nice touch!

48 mins to get food…read more.. Overall we love this place but something happened to kitchen wait times. Hope they do better next time