Great short rib entree and the lasagna was good too. Salad was tasty and solid drinks menu- perfect restaurant for Italian food- good variety. Excellent service also. read more

I had dinner with friends from work and honestly everything was good. I mostly ate appetizers but I got some bites from other people and the gnocchi and the steak was excellent. The bread pudding was wonderful. Dinner for the three of us came to about $300 with alcohol, and I didn't feel like it was a ripoff. I'd go again. Stella might consider serving hot tea in little cups instead of a glass though. Glasses cool off too quickly. read more

Stella - Bread Pudding - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

Food was excellent although the tomato soup was just a tiny bit too salty. Gnocchi with sausage was outstanding. Service was very good but hampered by how busy they were. In all fairness it was a very busy Saturday night. Wouldn't hesitate to go again. read more

We were looking forward to going back to Stella after a 2 yr break. We have been to Stella many times in the old location on Chapin Ave. and one time on Burlingame Ave. one thing hasn't changed and that is referring to clients as 'two tops' to their face. It's a beautiful space but seating for 'two tops' are at first grade style desks - very small. No, they aren't intimate or cozy they're just tiny- and lined up in an alley or tunnel like space. Our reservation was for 5:30- and the place only had a few (less than 10) people seated. We requested to be seated at a more comfortable table and were refused- each time we were addressed as a'2 top'. There was plenty of '4 tops' available- even at 6:30 when we walked by. As another reviewer commented- Stella only does things their way. I'll add my two cents- should have checked the reviews! We left- and won't be going back. read more

Was excited to eat here due to the good reviews, but was really disappointed in the food. I ordered the chicken Parmesan and no more than 5 minutes later our dinner comes out. It's obvious that the chicken Parmesan was not fresh, the chicken was dry, lukewarm warm, the sauce on the chicken was old and cheese was dry not fresh. Highly disappointing! read more

Had a great last minute meal with friends at Stella which is in the heart of Downtown Burlingame. The interior design and dinner wear aesthetic was eye catching with warm tones, plush booths and beautiful light fixtures throughout the space Unfortunately we weren't hungry enough to indulge in any of their appetizers but I saw a few go by and I'm definitely going to try their truffle gnocchi and a salad next time I visit We invested in mains and dessert. All of which was delicious, had a beautiful presentation, and generous portions. My favorite main was the short rib and apple gellette dessert. Our server Danilia was kind, attentive and super knowledgeable about all the menu items. We definitely want to come back and their pastas which looked amazing read more

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Truly wonderful! The menu is fantastic, and the food was absolutely delicious! Maybe the best part was how good the service was: thoughtful, attentive and really caring. Loved the experience and excited to go back. read more

Great service and great food! Love the new location. Beautifully decorated and so much more space! read more

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This was my first time at Stella to celebrate my friend's birthday. Service was amazing and our server kept checking in on us to make sure we had everything that we needed. Definitely order the truffle gnocchi! So delicious. Can't wait to come back here! read more

Stella - Truffle Stuffed Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

Had a birthday dinner with family there. Service was great! Loved drinks and appetizers! Short rib was not very impressive. read more

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We came here for my nephew's high school graduation and birthday party. Top notch quality restaurant: great staff, good drinks, well prepared food, clean restrooms, etc. The best part was the food. So allow me to get to it. Without a doubt I ordered the Osso Buco. Haven't had one in years and this one did not disappoint. It was flawless, perfectly braised, texture was tender, a little fatty. And the bone marrow - OMG! I knew I ordered the best thing on this menu. Coming in on a close 2nd was the pear stuffed pasta. The only way to describe it is creamy, refreshing, and satisfying all at the same time. I did get a chance to taste everything we ordered. The proportions are medium to large size; the menu could be served in a semi-family style setting. All you have to do is to get everyone to select two items each; and of course, I'm selecting the Osso Buco and pear filled pasta. The bar looks friendly, I would come here by myself: Osso Buco Pasta Double French 75 in a pint glass with ice Dessert read more

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Stella, the reimagined Stella Alpina is a huge disappointment. A lovely build out of what was Sixto's on Burlingame Avenue. The "good" stops there, however. I visited twice within two weeks to see if my first experience was accurate-- something I'd call, "a typical Burlingame dinner that was under whelming. Second experience last night even worse. Service: staff not trained. Constant interruption with no consideration to the customer. Having difficulties opening wine bottle, no decanter, extra small wine glasses. Food: heavy, zero flavor, ordinary. Salads- small, ingredients mid quality, not creative. Expensive for the product. Pastas. Boring, almost delivered barely warm. Lasagna "limited" a joke. Must have cooked 3 days ago and reheated in microwave, mushy. Bland, accompanied with red sauce straight out of the can. Are 1/3 of it - server picks up plate and doesn't ask if there was something wrong. I dislike complaining about a restaurant but there is no value here except for the very nice setting. Too bad the food doesn't match and shame on the owners for allowing this to happen. read more

Good location and interiors, and a welcoming reception. However, things weren't quite as positive following that; the prices are quite high for the quality you get. Focaccia was tasty but paid, and you have to sit twiddling your thumbs meanwhile because no one told us that, and we ended up ordering it right before we got our actual meal. For the Entrees, when you see your kids-menu dish and your main course get the same presentation and accompaniments, you wonder what the point is. Mashed potatoes, carrots, and the exact same two pieces of cauliflower really make you think of the school cafeteria. While the fish was cooked very well and flavorful, at the asking prices, you expect some presentation, personality and creativity overall. The staff would only offer fresh parm/cheese on pasta and not on other dishes. Eggplant Parmesan was tasty, but came with no accompaniment at $30! There is a sense of "this is what you get and how we do it, and we don't really care" about the whole thing. Wouldn't bother going back. read more

It was busy here even for a random Tuesday so definitely don't plan on dropping in if you haven't made a reservation (barely held onto ours after being stuck in traffic for +15 mins). That said, the food was decent - the spaghetti bolognese I had was flavorful with noodles cooked just right. Beet salad wasn't bad neither - but nothing to write home about. Their focaccia bread tho .. that was fantastic. I could have eaten a loaf of that and call it a night. All in all, a pretty good experience @ Stella. read more

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Food was good but why do you get charged for special occasions desserts that you don't ask for? Not very professional.

My family and I dine at Stella at least once a month. The options, quality and taste of the food are excellent. I've had many of the items on the menu and there hasn't been one that I was unhappy with. The drinks (mocktails and cocktails) are great too. And the service is superb. Love the ambiance - it's just right for any ocassion. One of the things I really appreciate about Stella's is that they are consistent across the board, from the service to the quality and taste of the food. We will return again and again! read more

The ambience was nice. But we ordered a dish for $24 and asked for adding prawns, they charged an extra $24 for the addition. No where on the menu was the price written. Every pasta dish became $50! When we asked the manager about where on the menu was the price written, he says we don't publish it, and neither do they bother telling a customer when taking an order. The manager was super rude! It was very disappointing customer service read more

Stella's is our go to place for Italian food. The food is delicious and service attentive. I called to make a reservation for a private party and Bianca helped me. She made the process so easy and was extremely responsive to my many requests. Highly recommend having your private events here. read more

When we came here for dinner, I had shrimp with arugula and a glass of wine. I really enjoyed the shrimp. They were very fresh and well-cooked. The sauce went perfectly with the shrimp and arugula. The wine was reasonably priced and quite good. We finished off with tiramisu with chocolate custard, which was delicious. The service was very pleasant--friendly and very fast. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. read more

Service -3 Ambiance-3 Food-3 Was a bit disappointed. We were there many years ago at the old location and had a wonderful time with the service and the food was great. But this time around it's just not the same The risotto was undercooked. The halibut was overcooked and tough. Cesar salad was bland Maybe the chef was too busy cater a big party The rib eyes was good and the short ribs has great juicy Davies and falls off the bone. read more

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This was my second visit to Stella at their new location on Burlingame Avenue. I didn't want one issue during my first visit to the new location downgrade the five-star rating I had previously given the former Stella Alpina so decided not to write a review the last time I was here. For those of you who have eaten at Stella, you know that one of their most popular dishes is the truffle stuffed gnocchi. The last time I was there, I took a former manager of mine who was visiting from out of town to try the gnocchi. They were out! How could they be out of one of their most popular dishes, a restaurant staple? The worst part was the server failed to tell us this until we placed our order. Apologies, I obviously digressed. This visit was as amazing as I expect Stella to be. I arrived 30 minutes before our reservation time to leave my credit card since my dining partners have a habit of never letting me pay. I was planning to grab a drink at the bar while waiting, but the host offered to seat me at our table even though I was early. I waited for the server to come take my drink order, but assumed he didn't because the entire party was not present. The same nice host who seated me noticed that I had been waiting about 10 minutes and asked the server to come take my drink order. This kind of attention to detail is what makes Stella shine! Alas my dining partners arrived and we ordered the heirloom burrata caprese, truffle stuffed gnocchi, and osso buco. All of that rich, dreamy, creamy, yummy food clearly wasn't enough so we got the tiramisu and warm apple galette for dessert. Every dish was exceptional. Service was excellent. The new location is spacious, warm and appealing. Stella continues to be one of my favorite restaurants on the Peninsula. read more

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Ideally, I'd give it 3.5/5. Stella Burlingame had all the charm of a cozy restaurant with warm lighting. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't quite as idyllic as the atmosphere. Hits: Ambiance: The restaurant nails the rustic Italian restaurant vibe. It's a great place for a special occasion or a romantic dinner. Misses: Food: While the dishes sounded enticing, the execution was inconsistent. My gnnochi was a bit dense, and the consistency of the sauce (if you can call it that) was very watery, so it didn't really add much to the flavor, and the flavors felt muddled. If you order gnocchi, you also have to provide the number of gnocchi you want (minimum is 10). I did 20 and felt that 15 would have been enough. Others at my table got overcooked meat, and when we told the server about it, we were informed that that's how it is cooked. The tiramisu was light but sweeter than other tiramisu I've tried in the past. Price: The price point felt okay for the overall quality of the food. You're definitely paying for the ambiance. Noise level: Despite the cozy atmosphere, the restaurant got quite loud, making conversation difficult at times. Service: Our server was attentive, but his off handed remarks were too much and felt unnecessary. Overall, Stella Burlingame offers a charming atmosphere, but the food quality and the service didn't quite live up to expectations. read more

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My favorite restaurant in Burlingame! I love the new location. Every time I come I always order their escargot. My French husband says they are the best he's had outside of France. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Burlingame. Their house special gnocchi is incredible. Lasagna and filetto con taleggio are a couple of my favorite entrees to order. read more

Reservation for 5 was made a month ago- when made it was noted that it was a friends Christmas dinner and we had gifts. This is our third year at Stella for this event. We were seated at a very small 4 top. We asked for a different table and were refused. The table was in the direct line of the back door - so a cold draft was blowing on our legs and feet throughout dinner. While the food is excellent - we were so crowded that the lack of comfort detracted from the food and overall experience. Very disappointing after planning so far in advance. read more

Came here for a company event where we celebrated the holidays. We booked the private space up on the second floor which comfortably seated all 30+ of us. We had a limited selection menu, but I appreciated that it was diverse and accommodated various dietary restaurants. It was also a generous amount of food. I enjoyed the gnocchi and dessert most. Appreciated the patience and friendliness of the waiters as we were quite the rowdy bunch. Definitely recommended if you're looking for a cool restaurant for a corporate event. read more

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Had a dinner with friends at this restaurant and enjoyed our evening. We ordered salad with shrimp, short ribs, and sliced beef for mains, and lobster escargot and tortellini with pear as appetizers. Food tasted good. The only dissapointment was my bread pudding for a dessert, it seeed to be a little stale even though covered with sauce. read more

FOOD: 1. Fish of the day (Branzzino) (5/5) - Was so buttery and delicious! Loved the pairing with the veggies. 2. Chocolate pudding dessert (5/5) - I've never had anything like this. It was quite sweet and a bit heavy but it was heavenly. I would come here just to have this again. 3. Truffle gnocchi (4/5) - This is really delicious and I know everyone raves about it here. I've had better gnocchi elsewhere but this is still really good! 4. Antipasto charcuterie board (4.5/5) - Not bad, large assortment and included some veggies and olives, which I appreciated 5. Caesar salad (3/5) - Hm, felt like a basic caesar for a child. Wouldn't order this here. ------ ENVIRONMENT / AMBIANCE * Recently transformed into a winter wonderland through gorgeous winter and ski-themed decorations everywhere. Felt like I was at a lodge in Park City. * Big open space and a cool bar area on the first floor. Doesn't feel crammed at all * We were at an event in their top loft space which seated quite a few people and was perfect setting for a more laid back yet still formal dinner ------ SERVICE * Wonderful, they cleared our plates in between courses and everyone was very nice read more

Stella - Bar - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Made a rezzie about a couple weeks prior to coming since the holidays seem to always be so busy everywhere and thankfully we did because upon arrival, the restaurant was packed! We were greeted by the front hostess and staff quickly upon entering and then quickly seated upstairs. The ambiance of the restaurant is definitely on the darker and romantic side, but I'm a huge fan of that vibe. We ordered: - roasted Brussels sprouts - risotto with scallops - Rigatoni Al Ragu Di Maiale - pan roasted prawns served over arugula Our server was an older gentleman who helped us begin our nights with drinks. Can't remember the names of our drinks but they were all well made: not too sweet or overbearing. Safe to assume the rest of the drink menu would likely be good as well. The food came out quickly and altogether. Our favorite was definitely the risotto with scallops! Would definitely recommend trying this. The rigatoni was a solid 4 out of 5, and the pan roasted prawns were cooked to perfection. The only thing I'm knocking a star off on this review is that when I was on the way to the restroom, another server/busboy completely walked into me, looked at me and walked off.. hopefully not a usual occurrence here. Anyway, overall, we still enjoyed our time here and would likely return+recommend! read more

Stella - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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It's good food but the service was really slow - I will try again but enter with patience

THE FIOCCI PASTA PURSES ARE A MUST! They are soo good we ordered two for the table; a little mix of sweet and savory. You really can't go wrong with any of their pastas or entrees. Our favorites were the short rib and ossobuco. The restaurant itself is gorgeous inside, especially during the holiday season. They also have an outdoor area and an upstairs with private rooms. read more

Stella - Braised short rib with polenta - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Great dinner! Was staying at a hotel near SFO and wanted one more nice meal before we flew out. Stella fit the bill. Ordered a nice Silver oak cab (would have had a Amarone but they only have a basic one). Got rosemary focaccia bread, chicken parm and Orecchiette pasta with spek, mushrooms in a white sauce. Finished off with bread pudding. All great! Sat at the bar, service was great! read more

Went to Stella this Thanksgiving weekend because I had heard really good reviews about it. We got the Gamberi All'Aglio and the Fiocchi con Pere E Asiago. Both dishes were good, the Fiocchi in particular did not get monotonous over time. The Tiramisu however was the highlight of the meal for me with well balanced flavors and sweetness to it. The service could have been better as the appetizer we ordered never arrived and the order in which items were brought to the table was also messed up. read more

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Great food, good service and elegant venue. Recommend the fondue appetizer as a fun family sharing dish read more

Stopped in for dinner with co-workers while on a work trip after it was recommended by a local. It did not disappoint! We were able to get in without a reservation but you should probably make one. Even on a Wednesday it was bustling! And for good reason... The service was great! Our waiter was a perfect mix of attentive but not hovering. The ambiance was lovely but not too loud. Order the truffle gnocchi to share as a group so everyone can try their signature (and amazing!) dish. For dinner, I got the Fiochi (pasta purse noodles stuffed with pear and cheese) and it was a delightful sweet and savory mix. read more

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For our night this was more a 4.5 star review. The restaurant is very clean, and our waiter was very attentive. The food was great. We got the fondue for the appetizer and the truffle gnocchi. For dinner, we shared osso buck braised short rib, and the chicken Parmesan . For dessert, we had a crème brûlée and the tiramisu we came here for our anniversary and they took really good care of us. Will definitely come back. read more

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Great food ! So noisy outside and inside that it was hard to have a conversation. As it is a new business maybe the owners should be aware of this issue read more

Everything was amazing. We came out for a business dinner and we didn't know what to expect! I've never been somewhere where every single person in the group loved their food! What a treat! Can't wait to come back again. read more

We went to Stella multiple times at their previous location, and it became one of our favorite go-to Italian restaurants for birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates because of its delicious food, intimate atmosphere, and excellent service. This was our first time at the new location, so we were very excited. While the food and drinks were delightful, we were disappointed by how exceedingly slow our service was. Our waiter was kind and appropriately apologetic, but our entire dining experience took almost 3 hours because of how slowly our food and drinks came out. For starters, after we were seated, it took over 15 minutes for anyone to even come up to us. It got to the point that we thought we had been forgotten. Once we did get to order our drinks and appetizers, it took at least another 20 minutes for our drinks, garlic bread, and carpaccio to arrive (although all were delicious once they did). We ordered our entrees, which consisted of their pasta special for the day (fettuccine topped with filet) and the fiocchi. Both dishes were delicious - the filet was cooked perfectly, while the fiocchi was tender and buttery. We deliberately avoided ordering their famous truffle gnocchi, as we'd ordered it every time at their old location. However, for anyone coming to Stella for the first time - you really do owe it to yourself to get the truffle gnocchi. It's legendary. As we came for my birthday celebration, I was very pleased to see that they'd decorated our table with confetti and a homemade note, and brought out a very tasty complimentary birthday dessert as well. It was all a very nice touch, and did help make up for the otherwise glacial pace of the service. I fully appreciate that the slow service and seeming disorganization is likely due to the recent opening of this new location. I fully intend to come back in a few months, hopefully when they're a bit more put together. The new location is spacious and modern (though I do miss the cozier, more intimate atmosphere of their previous location). And most importantly - the food is as good as ever. read more

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The service was friendly but one order didn't make it to the chef so my husband ate after the rest of our party. The food was perfect. I would definitely go back. read more