Great food Great place Classy and clean Great staff Truffle niochi appetizer was amazing Sole fish and pastas were also great Highly recommended read more

Stella - Outside seating - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

Small cozy Italian restaurant serving rustic N. Italian specialities in downtown Burlingame. Gnocchi with truffles is a good starter - but get at least 5 per person order. Osso Bucco is hearty served with a creamy polenta. Lots of wine selections by the glass the Jax Pinot and the Markem Merlot are nice choices for CA wines. Close to SFO and the nearby hotels if you are in the area. If you can get in early 5-6 pm you may be able to get a table on the same day but it is a popular place. You can also eat at the bar. I will come back to try some of the other items on menu. Service is great. read more

We had not eaten at Stella's in quite a few years as we've discovered several new Italian food spots on the Peninsula. We always loved coming here and routinely request the bar dining room. Asked for a 6:45pm reservation - we settled for 7:15pm /dinner for three. It is our habit to order many plates "for the table" and enjoy sharing multiple tastes. They were out of our favorite Rosemary focaccia - we had the garlic. Ordered carpaccio, Stella salad and the (always delicious) Gorgonzola gnocchi. We brough a bottle each of our own red & white wine (corkage $30/bottle.) When we were ready to order "round 2" our waiter wasn't visible and another waiter offered to take our ongoing order: Orechiette, Fiocchi and a few sides. One in our party was confused about the Fiocchi, so we hailed our original waiter with a question. "I didn't take your order" was his immediate response - he was confrontational and unhelpful and we told him we had no control over who took our continuing order. We then ordered a Crème Brulee as we were told the kitchen takes no orders after 8:15pm. The waiter brought the Brulee and a second dessert "because we like to keep our customers happy." Our waiter commenced bleach wiping the menu covers at the next table, making it unappetizing to enjoy our desserts. The hostess had already started eating a bowl of pasta at her station as we departed a little after 8:30pm. There were still several diners in both the inside and outside dining areas but it seemed once closing hour struck, the diners were secondary. The food is still outstanding here - but sad to see what has become of this once very special restaurant. The stars are food only. read more

This was an average experience. The atmosphere is nice, and the service was okay although it felt a little rushed. The problem here is the food. The lentil soup was like liquid baby food, and almost tasted like canned soup. The pasta dish was average, not sauced enough, My companion's food was also average (chicken parmesan - dry and the sauce was bland) and nothing stood out. The lemon dessert tasted frozen and not fresh at all. We were celebrating a special occasion but unfortunately the food was not special. Would not recommend, there's plenty of the other Italian restaurants in Burlingame. read more

Bland. Overpriced. Food poisoning. Wife got sick as soon as we got home. This is Burlingame? More like frozen food TV dinners from some horror flick. Poor job. Get your act together. read more

Not sure why it took me so long to write a review here but it's one of the best hidden gems in the Peninsula area. Service is always spot on, there is no shortage of waiters, hostess to bus boys to make sure you have a great experience. Location is slightly off Burlingame Ave so parking is much easier. To come early just in case because the area during dinner time is quite busy. Finally the food! Wow. My favorite dish is an off menu item, Mama's gnocchi with truffle paste and served in a creamy brown butter sage sauce. If you look almost every table orders it was an appetizer. One order is perfect for two people as it comes with 5-6 pieces of heavenly goodness. If truffle isn't you thing, they have traditional sauces like marinara and pesto to chose from but the gnocchi is delicate and light. My favorite entree is the Osso bucco which falls off the bone and is served with a delicious marscapone polenta. Omg I had to break my no carb diet for this. It's so damn good. We also had the fish special branzino which is my favorite fish ever. Filets were grilled perfectly and served with Brussels sprouts and zucchini. Everything was prepared perfectly and well seasoned and portions were on point for two people to share two entrees. Finished with tiramisu which had a nice run finish and light cream and super soft lady fingers with a hint of espresso. We got there early and were able to snag a table outdoors which was a treat now that the weather is nice. Make reservations and be on time. Tip your staff nicely read more

I love this place! I especially have been enjoying their tables outside in the evening. I'm looking forward to when they move to Burlingame Ave, because they will have more room. read more

Best local Italian place - check it out! The fresh pastas are fantastic. Great staff too.

Pleasantly surprised at the flavor in a takeout order! A little pricey but for great flavor I'll spring for it occasionally!

This is our second time at Stella Alpina. As with first time, everything was perfect. The gnocchi was divine, the sauce so tasty, I could have licked the bowl. The cranberry walnut salad was also delicious The dressing was a perfect complement. Sooo savory. I also enjoyed my dish, I had grilled prawns on a bed of arugula. The sauce was again so tasty we even used the sauce for my husband's dish. My husband had chosen the fish special for the evening, ono fish grilled to perfection. Needless to say we were almost too full for dessert. Almost but somehow we made room for the apple cherry crumble with vanilla gelato ice cream. While the food was perfection, the ambiance, the warm welcome right when you enter, the amazing wait staff, our waiter was so charming and personable; all the right ingredients for a perfect evening. read more

Always a treat to come here. I have never been disappointed at this place. Very traditional Italian cuisine. Good service and the food is amazing. Quite affordable for fine dining category I think. read more

Been here twice with my husband, most recently last Sunday, and both times we have enjoyed the food immensely. All the food that we have tried has been great. On our visit the other day, the arancini and watermelon salad were delicious. The salmon special was good, but could have used some more acid or brightness. My dessert, the lemon tart was pretty close to perfect, but my husband's chocolate cake was awful--super dry and flavorless. Wouldn't recommend. Two issues I have with this place, the first is it's really overpriced. A tiny arugula salad should not be $15. Entrees all seem too expensive as well, especially for things like pasta with marinara. The second is not exactly the fault of the restaurant, but we have noticed the clientele here is not the best to dine with. Our first experience here was TERRIBLE due to sitting near a table where a drunk husband was verbally abusing his wife, loudly telling her to shut up repeatedly in a quiet room. Also yelling about politics in a place where his views probably were severely outnumbered. I saw many of the waitstaff watching and obviously aware of the undesirable situation, but no one did anything. It ruined our dinner that time, but the food was good enough that we came back and had a much better experience the second time. read more

A real gem in Burlingame. I keep this restaurant in my rotation of restaurants, due to the outstanding service, location and really good food. I'm already looking forward to my next visit. read more

I love this authentically a Italian hideaway. It's got classic fare with fresh pastas that never let you down. More and more I find myself disappointed by Italian cuisine in the Bay Area and long for real Italian dishes. Stella always has a special, lady I had the salmon and it was cooked to perfection. read more

One of our favorite places to eat in Burlingame!! Always consistent food and great service.

This was very close to 5 stars but they made us feel very rushed. Our server took our empty salad/ soup dishes away and turned right back around with our entrees. I'm accustomed in nice restaurants to relax and enjoy my cocktail and company. I'd wanted to pair my entree with a wine but was not halfway through my Manhattan. We were seated at 5:30 on a Tuesday night, slow down please. We had a movie to catch at 7:20 anyway..we weren't going to hold up the table. Food outstanding though. Just superb, pasta with pears and Gorgonzola and desserts exquisite. My love had a mushroom soup and a Prawn entree and was very impressed with both as well. Bread pudding and chocolate cake to die for. read more

After years of having Stella Alpina Osteria bookmarked thanks to their appearance on Check Please Bay Area, I finally made it to the restaurant. My family was there to celebrate some birthdays, so there was a mix of young children and adults. We were seated outside on the covered patio on a windy and rainy Sunday evening. I was a bit skeptical when they mentioned the seating when I called to make a reservations but it turned out to be fine. A few drops of water fell nearby from time to time but it was not an issue and the heat lamps kept us warm. One good thing about the patio is that the tables are outside of the main dining area and it's rather quiet. This is a good option for those that don't enjoy a lot of chatter around them at high volumes. We started with a mix of salads, risotto cakes and the truffled gnocchi, which was a special (entree?). The gnocchi is a standard portion but it's best to share it as the dish is so rich and creamy that a little goes a long way. It was heavenly! For my main course I ordered the Veal Osso Bucco. I love this dish but rarely eat it these days so this was definitely a treat for me. The meat was very tender and juicy. It came on a bed of mascarpone polenta which was lush and creamy. The sauce was well seasoned and not too heavy, perfect to accompany the meat and polenta. The dishes I tried were all delicious and everyone agreed this restaurant needs to be in our regular rotation. Portions are generous and I eagerly looked forward to the leftovers. Our waiter was wonderful and very patient with the kids. He made sure that we were comfortable enjoyed our experience. Service was great. I was a bit worried after reading other reviews but from the time that I made the reservation to when we left, everyone we encountered was friendly, engaging and made us feel so welcome. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for solid Italian food in a friendly, inviting atmosphere with reasonable prices. Parking was not an issue as we were able to find parking out front. Reservations are a must as this is a small restaurant. read more

Been there many times and had great food but the last visit was disappointing. Filet mignon was ok nothing special, prawn with linguine was flavorless, and the lamb chops were cold, overcooked and also lacked flavor. I think the quality of ingredients and the art of cooking has been lost here. Only the gnocchi in sage butter lived up to expectations and was as good as ever. Given the price of entrees, I would stick to the pastas only. read more

I discovered this gem on a lark one day on my way to SFO airport. I rediscovered it recently. It was just liked I remembered - delicious!!! The risotto dish lingers with you long after you leave the restaurant. I also enjoyed the delicious chocolate martini - well 3 of them! I will absolutely revisit this place the next time I am in San Francisco! read more

Stella - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

My good friend lives around the corner from Stella Alpina Osteria and we have walked by the sunken outside seating on our way to the main drag of Burlingame and she has insisted several times that we need to pay a visit soon for it's amazing food. For her birthday her boyfriend and I organized with her family to go there for dinner finally. I was early and mentioned that it was her birthday and the waiter was accommodating in seating me and assuring me of putting a candle in her dessert at the end of the night. We ordered bottles of prosecco and wine and some tried cocktails at different points throughout the night and the selections were broad and the wine list well chosen. The whole menu was appetizing and we started off with carpaccio and the unlisted special of truffle gnocchi in a brown butter sauce to share with the table. They were delicious however that night the gnocchi sauce was heavily salted although my friend said that it wasn't usually like that which I believe since the rest of the food was well seasoned. For my main course I had a beautiful pear and asiago fiocchi past in a Parmesan cream sauce with chive oil drizzled on top. Fiocchi are large pasta purses, somewhat like a dumpling traditionally with pear and some kind of cheese filling. They are extremely delicious, heavy and filling. They came served with about 8 of the fiocchi which was the perfect amount to eat and share one or two. This pasta was so incredibly delicious and I can't wait to try more of their menu. The desserts we shared at the end were a tiramisu and a lovely little lemon tart. The tart was a perfect square full of fresh curd with a vibrant taste but I would skip the tiramisu next time which came in a mason jar and was a bit of a mush. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Stella - Beautiful and delicious pear and asiago fiocchi pasta in a Parmesan cream sauce with chive oil drizzled on top. - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

I'll get to the point first so you don't have to read a book here. Our waiter was pushy, rude, and rushed us along like we were imposters. He attempted to up-sell at very moment of our dinner from start to finish and acted annoyed when we didn't. Even before our appetizer was served my sister looked at me and said 'wow this is intense'-we should have up and left then. The antipasto was minimal-and I mean it doesn't look like the pictures here in yelp--completely scarce. Everything was rush rush rush in the most obnoxious way. I was so looking forward to a relaxing dinner with my sister whom I rarely see but could barely get a sentence out without him hovering around and seeing if he could up-sell acting like every seat was filled and we had better eat fast (it was crazy-and there were plenty of open tables at that hour). and we hadn't even gotten our food yet. The food was just ok and the service was unbearable. Wish we had left before we ordered. We will not be back. I'm from out of town and got to visit with my sister here in Cali. Our mission of the day was boba tea, mani pedis, and a nice dinner. I picked this spot thinking it would be what I had read about. So here is the nitty gritty because I rarely do two stars (mostly bc the places I go to are based off of Yelp reviews). Well last night my experience was not what I read about. read more

How have I not written my review of this place yet?! When my friend made the reservation, I figured it was just another Italian spot, but this place stands out because the cuisine is really excellent. The mythical truffle gnocchi that everyone writes about in their reviews are truly that amazing- and I'm a huge gnocchi fan so I have high standards. I don't even like truffles, normally, but the balance of flavors here is on point. A friend had the osso bucco and let me try a bite, and that was delicious as well. We all shared the burrata app and it was super fresh, a sizable portion, and perfectly balanced with the salad. Drinks were good, service was good, and we could hear each other talk. A+ and I can't wait to go back for more gnocchi! read more

I grew up in SF and my dear friend lives in the wine country. So, we are accustomed to delicious food. This restaurant was a fabulous surprise! Everything we ordered from the Truffle gnocchi, Veal Picatata and the Orecchiette pasta was superb. Did I mention, the home made pistachio ice cream?! And, every dish on it's way to another table, looked delicious. The service was excellent! We went last week 7/25...I am taking another friend on August 1 to celebrate our birthdays! You need to try this restaurant!!! Cheers. read more

Very delicious restaurant! I'm so happy I made reservations here to celebrate a special birthday! We asked to be seated outside to enjoy the beautiful and warm evening. Ordered the caprese salad as an appetizer.. I really liked it, the burrata cheese was fresh and mixed well with the arugula and cherry tomatoes.. Jax "Y3" Pinot noir was delish! Risotto amazing, and the scallops were perfect The steak with truffled mash potatoes was delicious! Thank you for a wonderful time! Definitely coming back! read more

This place is wonderful!the food is great and the waiter was so nice as well as the other staff.Service was wondergul.the atmosphere was very pleasant except a couple that asked to be moved next to us I felt it wasn't very nice.but I love most of all the food everything was delicious like real Italian food it's a bit expensive but it's worth it.i would go back again and will recommend it to my friends read more

We were a party of four with a reservation for 6 PM, on a Thursday night. We were warmly greeted and immediately seated. Tables are very close together. But the food and service were outstandingly good! We started off with the Truffle Gnocchi appetizer. At $32 for an appetizer portion for each of us, it's not overpriced but, wow, what great rendition of the dish. The texture was perfect and the sauce was to die for. After finishing the gnocchi, we all used the bread on the table to mop up every last bit of that amazing sauce. We also had another appetizer - Arancini (deep fried risotto balls with Mozzarella Cheese inside) served with an outstanding Marinara Sauce. Everyone was very happy with their entrees. I had Lamb Chops - very tender and tasty. My wife had the Osso Bucco and she loved it. My lamb came with Creamy Polenta and her plate came with super good mashed potatoes. For dessert we had a Vanilla Gelato with fresh berries marinated in a wine sauce - another winner. The only reason this is not a 5-star rating is the tight layout of the tables. It' not too noisy as we were able to chat without difficulty. But, our backs were really close to the backs of the table behind us. When getting up to leave, we needed the cooperation of the people at the adjacent table. But this place really knows how to do wonderful sauces. They pay really great attention to texture and flavor for everything. It's an hour drive for us but if we're ever in the area, we would love to dine here, again! Jim read more

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THE GNOCCHI! When our server recommended the gnocchi, we went for it because it didn't seem like we could go on without it. Wow. They were like little pillows from heaven! The small serving was incredibly rich and basically filled me up. I could have eaten 12 plates of that. I had the filet mignon which was fantastic, not something that I order often but I'm glad that I did. We were so full from the Gnocchi that my fiance and I only had a couple of bites of our entrees before packing up the leftovers, which made a great dinner the next night. Good service, they were nice enough to give us 2 heaters since we had to be outside on a rather windy night. read more

Never gets old. My all time favorite! Love the gnocchi and lamb chops among many other wonderful dishes. Great food, great wine, lovely ambiance. read more

Some of the best food in Burlingame, by far the best Italian food in the area. It feels like a San Francisco restaurant without the traffic or rude waitstaff. Jackie has been my server on a handful of occasions and she is the BEST. Ask for her! You won't be disappointed. read more

Our fav Italian place in the area. They have a nice outdoor area (that allows dogs) and inside seating. Been here a bunch of times and they never disappoint. I usually get a pasta dish (last time had the lasagna special) but their entrees are great as well (veal scallopini & fish of the day). Service is always awesome and they are kid friendly even though it's mostly adults eating. One drawback is their wine is always way too warm. Wish they would invest in a wine fridge (even for the cheaper bottles). read more

If you want authentic northern Italy cuisine, the you have to try Stella! They have great wine, I personally like the Jax Pinot Noir. The food is delicious and you can tell the chef thoughtfully finishes your dish before serving it to you. They always have a risotto and fish special and my personal favorite is the black truffle risotto topped with scallops. Oh it's so good! This is one of my burlingame favorites and you gotta appreciate Italian food done right! read more

TRUFFLE GNOCCHI. Fullstop. Delicous Osteria. Highly recommend.

I had to take a close friend and business partner. We had a really nice time. The staff was Excellant and the food was even better We tried the anti pasta, gnocchi, and fondue to start. We had a variety of entrees and all was great read more

This place is definitely the best Italian restaurant in Burlingame. Everything here is tasty especially Osso Bucco! It's one of the best I've ever had and I definitely recommend this dish to anyone. Service here is always great! Wine list is not so big but they do have some decent Italian wines. I wish they open during lunch time though. read more

I like coming here but the one dish on the menu that I usually opt for gets super filling after a while. Their fiochetti is awesome... It's the best I've had in the area but after a few pieces, it's so rich that I'm usually done. The bread is good but sitting so either enjoy it it keep it away from you. I have wanted to try to truffle gnocchi but you have to order a lot and I usually only want a couple of pieces. This is a nice place but I usually like Spasso in San Carlos. Everything is delicious and super flavorful. Go there instead. read more

Stella Alpina is a cute little Italian restaurant in the heart of Burlingame, quite possibly on my favorite street too. The hubby and I dined there with our 2 monsters, I mean children. Italian is always our go to spot so we can appease our older monster, I mean older daughter. The Caesar salad is good, but it's far from the best I've had. The speck orrechiete pasta is friggin bomb.com. I licked my bowl clean. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the bread was a drag. It felt like it was several days old and tasted that way too. That didn't stop my monster, I mean daughter, from eating 14 pieces. That doesn't say much though considering she'd likely eat stale popcorn from under the couch cushion. Anyway Stella Alpina, step up your bread game but keep up your pasta game. I shall be back. read more

Great restaurant, as advertised. Must try gnocchi and the Osso Bucco.

Small intimate restaurant that has become an institution here in Burlingame. Offers some classic pasta dishes but excelled in gnocchi, as well as Tuscan dishes. Service is friendly and efficient. Not an exhaustive Brunello or Barolo wine by the glass offering, but still fine. The price point is a bit higher than many Burlingame Italian restaurants but for special events our children and adults all found something that was quality, and prepared with care. I had osso bucco (slightly dry), wife had lasagna with excellent bechamel sauce, and daughter with chicken parmigiana (pretty standard) read more

I have eaten at this restaurant several times over the last two years and have always walked away amazed by how good the food is/was. The wait staff have consistently been friendly and professional. The food is delicious and the portions are good. The ambiance is wonderful... I love the small, intimate setting of the restaurant. If there was one down, it would be the Maitre D. of the restaurant. The previous two visits were tarnished by her snooty attitude. I would recommend this restaurant, just know you might be greeted by a woman with a serious attitude.... Hopefully we just caught her on two bad nights. ;-) read more

My husband and I have been meaning to eat here for a while and we finally got around to it, ordering take out for our anniversary. The food was very good; standouts were the lamb and the risotto with scallops. I liked the chocolate tart as well, but it was very rich. read more