Was being lazy last night. Didn't feel like putting forth any big effort or doing the fine dining thing. Just wanted an easy night out. We went to Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant. It's local, comfortable, spacious, neat & clean, with a good staff, and reasonable food. We were seated right away. Our server was friendly and efficient. The menu has a reasonable selection. The food is good... not great, not overly creative, in fact pretty average. But we weren't looking for fine dining. And if you care about prices, it's really affordable. Good, family style restaurant in Mentor. Give them a try. read more

Best Italian food around. All our the menu items I have gotten have tasted fresh and their prices are in line with other restaurants in the area. read more

This establishment is clean, very welcoming and has delicious food. The staff is always been super friendly and upbeat. The food quality is perfection...why wouldn't it be the pasta is made in house! Every dish I have had has been a 12/10. From appetizers to pizza to pasta to fish! But the bread... and the marinara twist for the bread is my favorite. They are consistent whether it be take out or dining in. read more

See all

Pastina Rustic Italian--where "rustic" apparently means rustic noise. The place was loud enough to make you wonder if dinner came with earplugs. We started with an Elouan Pinot Noir: light, dry and smooth, although pretty acidic. Still, a good choice. The Rhode Island calamari, however, was VERY good; crispy, sweet and spicy chili glaze with wasabi mayo. Now that's a calamari appetizer. I had linguine with marinara and a meatball. The house-made pasta was overcooked, the marinara was thin and sweet, with about as much garlic as a vampire convention. The meatball had good texture and flavor--too bad it arrived cold. Apparently, it had been waiting for the pasta. My spouse had the Shrimp Pesto Paillard with creamy pesto, Parmesan, tomato and house-made pasta. Flavorful, nicely balanced, and probably the best thing on the table. We asked the server to bring each course separately. Naturally, the appetizer and salad arrived together. Because apparently "one course at a time" is just a suggestion. The salad was romaine with two grape tomatoes, two cucumber slices and balsamic vinaigrette. A salad so minimalist it could have been designed by an accountant. Overall, some very good food mixed with some disappointing execution and an atmosphere that reminded me of the old Howard Johnson restaurants. Not the Howard Johnson where Jacques Pépin worked for ten years. This was more the Howard Johnson where you wondered if they were still serving dinner from 1967. O read more

The wife and I met my brother and his wife for dinner last night. Service was great. My margarita was excellent as was my spaghetti with meatballs. The wife was not impressed with the eggplant but she said that the pasta and salad were very good. She does not recommend the eggplant at all. Everything else was great. read more

Went here with a few friends for a dinner. It was my first time going here and the restaurant had a ton of seating with the tables that aren't too close to each other which I really appreciate. The server was attentive and nice, and the food was delicious. We all got wine, parm frites which were perfectly salty, crisp, and savory, and our entrees were incredible too. I highly recommend the eggplant Parmesan. My gluten free friend was able to get gf pasta which was a big plus for her. I will definitely be back! read more

See all

Pastina has become my absolute favorite Italian restaurant. There aren't enough words to describe the level of fresh food and amazing flavors. Every dish I've tried is delicious and fresh, especially their bread and pasta. The service is top notch and always enough attention without making you feel bad of you have more requests. Athena is who we usually get and she is amazing. We can't Recomend her enough. It's always clean, great lighting and perfect atmospgere to eat alone, have a date or enjoy a family meal. read more

Absolutely outstanding experience! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality. The ambiance is cozy yet elegant, perfect for a relaxed evening out. The food? Incredible. Every dish was packed with authentic Italian flavor -- fresh ingredients, perfectly cooked pasta, and sauces that taste homemade. The service was attentive without being overbearing. You can tell they truly care about your dining experience. Highly recommend the [insert your favorite dish here -- like "chicken marsala" or "lobster ravioli"] -- it was next-level good. Five stars all around -- can't wait to come back read more

I'm baffled that the rating is below a 4, honestly. Pastina is a standby for my family - on par with our family's Italian place :) You pay a little* more here for homemade pasta, sauces and pizza. The portions are PORTIONS. This isn't a dump a box of pasta on a platter type of place. The dishes are well thought out, delicious and the specials are pretty rad. We have ordered a ton of things we loved: bruschetta, pasta diablo, mushroom pizza, beet salad and more. We've had a few different servers and have ate at the bar as well. Once, we came in without a reservation and the manager/hostess met us halfway- we ate and drank and made a deal to leave before the rush. And we were not rushed at all. I loved the willingness to compromise when it's super simple to make a reservation online, I just failed to do so. The restaurant itself expanded and has a beautiful fireplace, booths, standard tables, etc. Pretty flexible. Pastina is solid anyway you slice it and I love that it's so close to home. Great local spot. read more

Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant - Beet salad - Italian Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

special salad with buratta and peaches was amazing so fresh and fantastic flavor combination Butternut squash ravioli was very sweet almost felt like a dessert but delicious They have a rotating selection of local beers which the server had to check a couple times which were available Lots of sections off rooms we were in the room that felt more like a patio area and it was very loud but overall nice area read more

Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

The food made the day and was plentiful. A very popular place for all the right reasons, and the staff kept up with our needs.

One of my favorite places to go to. One of the best Italian restaurants, even their decaf coffee is excellent.

First visit to Pastina on Tuesday evening. Did not have a reservation but seated immediately. Not crowded but was reasonably active for a week night. I am always on the lookout for good veal parmigiana and Pastina did not disappoint. The dinner came with some nice bread and oil. The bread was not your typical Italian and was just ok. My wife really liked it. The veal was very good, good-sized portion (had enough for lunch the next day) and came with a nice side of pasta. My wife got veal Marsala which she said was very good. Had a cannoli for dessert that was amazing. Had a pre-dinner cocktail called 'The Underdog' which is Bulliet bourbon, Drambuie and Gran Marnier. It was very good. Had a nice glass of Chianti with dinner that was very good. Service was good. Seemed like a family run business and my guess is that all the wait staff was part of family in some way. Nice enough and competent. Physical space was just ok. Fairly new and large but lacked a little character. Bar area look nicer, might eat at the bar if we go back. Definitely worth returning. read more

See all

Love the pasta, love the bread dip, love the sauce! My go to for authentic Italian, my servers always attentive

Shocked to see this place as less than 4 stars! We went there tonight as a family and the food was SO good. Chicken parmesan, ravioli, pizza, everything was amazing. Holly was our waitress and she was so attentive! It's so nice to have a place in Mentor where we can hear each other in conversation vs. shouting over music or other people around us. Don't let the overall rating deter you from going here. Any time we've been, it's been incredible! read more

Love this restaurant its cute inside , its has great food, good wine, great desserts and staff I'd always good/nice

Quality,delicious and fresh ingredients make Pastina an excellent restaurant. If you haven't tried it you are really missing out!! Something for the whole family and my two picky boys truly love it as much as me and my wife. read more

Food great as usual, usually go there 2-4x per year. But ordered $29 chicken piccata to split today, along with appetizer and drinks. Got one VERY SMALL chicken breast along with small pasta side. After, we questioned waitress if this was half order by mistake, but she confirmed it is new inflated norm, I guess. Won't do that again, Pricey for quantity, especially compared to past. read more

Tried Pastina with my wife, daughter and granddaughter. Service was good, took granddaughters order and delivered first Food was very good. I had pasta bolognes and was very good . Tried my granddaughter's meatball which was very good. My wife tried the eggplant parmigiana and was good. Wine selection was decent, mostly Italian wines, in a Italian restaurant. Tried Cabernet which was good read more

Last night we went to Pastina and had a delicious dinner. We sat at the bar and it was really comfortable. I had the eggplant and creamy linguini and my husband had chicken parm and pasta. Both were cooked to perfection. This restaurant consistently had great food and service. Keep up the good work Pastina! read more

I love it here! My favorite restaurant to go with my Dad when I come home to Mentor to see him. The food, drinks and staff are top tier! I love Pastina! No place like it in Dallas. read more

This is one of those special events restaurants, at least for us. It's nice ambiance, the booths are comfy and you don't feel like you're on top of anyone else. The tiramisu is something I'll dream about, but the pasta is 100% the focus here. We had the diavolo and bolognese and both were great! read more

Brought family and friends here for my mother in laws birthday. Nejanna was our server and she did a fine job. She was hustling. Not only did she have our table of 10, she had other tables. We had the Arancini and peppers and sausage for appetizers. The Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent. Everyone's meals were perfect. They were hot to the table. I ordered the fig and artichoke salad and a side of penne. It was so delicious. The salad was on the specials menu, (probably because figs are in season). It was divine. I would order it again and again ! . Great place to celebrate my mother in laws birthday. ! Can't wait to return ! read more

See all

This was my second time visiting Pastana for my brother's birthday party. Had an absolute blast! We had a reservation of 7 and our waitress was amazing. Drinks and appetizers came out fast. I got Chicken Parmesan as my entre. It was amazeing. Perfect. Chicken was juicy and crispy. Sauce was delicious and balanced. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Most of our table taste tested each others dishes and everyone said my food was the best! If you love chicken parm, highly recommend ordering it here! But no matter what you get, you'll be happy. The tables are spaced far enough apart that you don't feel like you're dining with other people, the restaurant is clean.There's a bar area in the center of the restaurant that is louder, the back of the restaurant is set up more formal dining and is quieter. Absolutely loved my time here and can't wait to return. read more

Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant - chicken parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

Delicious Italian food, good service and quick. A little expensive, but worth the taste. read more

See all

Place is always busy, every time I'm here, always a crowd. Which is great for them. Wait staff is friendly and observant. They are knowledgeable about their ingredients, which is helpful for me as a vegetarian. Wine list is decent with varying levels in price. They also have their own set of seasonal mixed drinks. I've not had any of them, yet they look good and popular from what others ordered. Bread and marinara sauce comes once you place a food order. Bread and dipping is cold, yet it works. Bread would be nice if warmed, yet it's good quality bread so I don't mind. Ordered the arrabiata pasta. It has eggplant, breadcrumbs, basil, and garlic. It was enough to feed three people. Spicy and good! Hubs got a Caesar sakad and the Carbonata Pasta. He said both were good. Again servings were huge! read more

See all

Call me boring but I always get the same thing when I visit Pastina- stuffed peppers appetizer, and the Pastina pizza. They're both fabulous, hence why I order the same thing. I leave the experimenting at this restaurant to the rest of my family. They've always been happy with whatever they ordered. For a treat I'll get the tiramisu. This place has a variety of seating and a lot of it. If you're an apps/drinks person that likes to sit at the bar then you shouldn't have s problem finding a seat. If you need a break from the Mentor Ave traffic then pull off and give them a try. read more

Just ate at Pastina's! Another awesome meal prepared by Chef Josephine Todd! She , and her team never disappoint. Start with the Ancini appetizer! Try the Squah Ravioli, Cabernet, finished with the Cream Ricotta Canoli! Absolutely tantalizing to the senses! Thank you Chef! read more

Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant - Creamy squash Ravioli! Delicious!!! - Italian Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

See all

My parents and I ate here while I was in town visiting. I had a gluten-free pasta dish with pesto sauce that was delightful. One item to be aware of is that the restaurant is very loud. It was difficult for my father who is hard of hearing to be able to converse as a result. read more

Nice selection of vegan options. Good service and nice ambiance. We all loved our meals.

They put a meat ball in my food and I was allergic and also took 2 hours to make it and I couldn't even ate it never again the only good thing was the ice cream read more

Pastina Rustic Italian Restaurant - Ice cream - Italian Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

One of my favorite Italian, Italian restaurants in Mentor. Especially love when the owner goes over to Italy, and brings back fun limited items for the menus. Services always great and the staff is always friendly. read more

Ok - here we are... how have I not been here before? Saturday 8/8/20 Watermelon martini (and the best old fashioned I've seen in Cleveland - kudos to the bartender) Artisan Stone Oven Pizza (mushroom) Hand Crafted Cavatelli (add pesto and meatballs) The portions are large! The hostess was professional and clearly is very passionate about the business! It's CLEAN and the ambiance is beautiful & subtle, not too loud or quiet. Service was attentive but not hovering (in fact we sat in the bar and served by the bartender who was clearly busy with the bar orders but still 100% on point)... I give any business waaaaaay extra grace due to corona but they were so professional and delivered the best experience I've had this year. I literally have biked past this tucked away gem a hundred times - i couldn't believe how awesome the experience was when I got inside! Kudos to the owner and his team! WELL done! read more

We wanted to like Pastina Rustic but it was disappointing. Ordered the gluten free gnocchi. The portion size looked like 4 Oz for a dinner portion. It did taste good but only a few bites. SMH We tried the fettuccine dinner portion. It was dried out. Taste was a 1. Ordered a caprese salad. Did not like grape tomatoes, the cheese was cut in very small cubes. No flavor. It was expensive. No bread for dinner. We will not be back. read more

We are not impressed - and we have tried this place several times trying to like it. The last time, the waitress was more of a diner type of waitress, it was strange the way she would bust into our table without any grace, like she was slinging hash on the table or something. The food is only average. But the prices are High. I will pay for a good meal but this place is not worth it in our opinion. We will not be back. read more

I have been here twice. The first time was December 2022. It was cold and loud. The food was so-so. Service was so-so. Our order was not what we ordered. I dreaded going there this past December 2023. We sat at the same table, this time it was comfortable. The room was not as packed as the year before. Our food all came out at the same time and it was spot on. Our meals were delicious and worth it. The service was prompt and friendly. read more

Excellent service, food, and ambiance. I will soon be back. One of the finest establishments in Mentor, Ohio.

Nothing special about this place. Just overpriced spaghetti!! We had chicken Parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs nothing special about it. You can have better Italian food at other restaurants for about two-thirds of the price we spent. read more

Over priced and trying to be fancy and it's not fancy and just average. Stick to their parent company Longos or Joey's for similar food at less cost. Ambiance is not worth it read more

Came here from out of town. Beet salad is delicious. Homemade pasta is very good--really Enjoyed the gnocchi in particular. The butternut squash ravioli was a bit sweet for my liking, but everything else was delicious. Will return! read more