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  • La Strada Ristorante Italiano

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Reserve at La Strada Ristorante Italiano

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La Strada Ristorante Italiano
La Strada Ristorante Italiano
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La Strada Ristorante Italiano Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.lastradapaloalto.com
  • Phone: (650) 324-8300
  • Hours of Operation: Monday - Thursday 11:30am - 10:00pm
    Friday - Saturday: 11:30am - 11:00pm
    Sunday: 11:30am - 9:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Executive Chef: Augustus Remo
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Beer, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Catering: Bring a taste of Italy to your family reunion or holiday celebration with catering from La Strada. Chef Augustus Remo will bring his talents to your table. With his menu personally tailored to your desire, your guests will leave raving about the culinary creations.
  • Private Party Facilities: Our Saletta Private Dining Room seats up to 25 guests and has a 30 guest capacity for standing cocktail parties. We offer 3 - 6 course prix fixe menus personally catered to your desire by Chef Remo. For larger parties of up to 120 guests, we do offer the option of a buyout of the main dining room.
  • Private Party Contact: Stella (650) 324-8300

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Florence Street
  • Public Transit: The Palo Alto Caltrain stop is just a few blocks away.
  • Parking: Public Lot
  • Parking Details: Abundant free parking adjacent to La Strada in the multi-level Florence Street parking garage.
A word from La Strada Ristorante Italiano
The Giovannotto family and Chef Augustus Remo welcome you to La Strada Ristorante Italiano in the heart of downtown Palo Alto. Chef Remo's seasonal menus meld the finest of Italian ingredients with the freshest local produce. In addition, a daily "La Cenetta," a 3-course dinner, offers the savvy… palate with items a bit above and beyond the seasonal menu. Each and every dish from the traditional homemade pastas and pizzas to the most contemporary dishes exhibit the expertise and precision of Chef Remo's training and passion.Continued
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Diner Reviews
  • "On a warm Palo Alto evening, we were lucky to be seated outside. A good people watching spot. The service was great, unobtrusive but dependable. We ordered the caprese salad and beet salad, and enjoyed them both (although the beet salad could have used a bit more greens). Our entrees were lasagna (him) and the butternut squash ravioli (yum!). The wine by the glass was reasonably priced. Overall, a great experience and we will definitely be back."
    Dined on 7/7/2014
  • "My daughter and I ate at La Strada on a lovely summer evening. It was my first time there, I have been meaning to try it for many years. The ambiance was wonderful, and the service was terrific, we told the waiter we had to leave for a movie in under an hour, and he had our food at the table very quickly. I had a beet salad that was excellent. I also had a seafood ravioli special, but found the ravioli to be under cooked and I also felt the dish was quite over salted."
    Dined on 7/3/2014
  • "Perfect lunch spot. Conveniently located right on University. Menu has great variety--everything tasted as god as it sounded on the menu. Plenty of options for foodies, grownups and kids too. Some outdoor dining which is nice. Staff attentive and food arrived promptly. Ambiance was comfortable and casual but not chain-y or kid oriented. Would definitely return."
    Dined on 6/28/2014
  • "salmon was perfectly prepared; good Italian both basics and beyond"
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "i had fish and it was good but overcooked/slightly dry. Wine list is nice. My friend is vegetarian and there were only 2 options and the waiter wasn't willing to discuss having some of the pasta dishes served without meat."
    Dined on 6/17/2014
  • "THe ingredients are fresh and great taste. For lunch they have very good menu. Great wine. Great Service. Nice location. "
    Dined on 5/20/2014
  • "Four of us had a mini reunion here. The service was attentive without being intrusive. The entrees were delicious and generous. I don't recommend the pizza, but both fish dishes, pasta, steak, and the side dishes we had were all good. The bread was warm... I love that. It seemed towards the end that the place was closing, as we had stayed a long time and were beginning to be hovered over, Not sure if it was indeed closing time or not, but nevertheless, I had a 100% enjoyable evening out with friends at La Strada. "
    Dined on 5/14/2014
  • "used to be really good but i suspect that ownership has changed and there isn't an italian within a mile......."
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "Food is good, but the menu & wine list is a bit limited. Buckwheat pappardelle & pizza both good, sausage ravioli very good. "
    Dined on 5/3/2014
  • "Great location in Palo Alto downtown. Nice outdoor seating but food was pretty average and little disappointing. Service was good"
    Dined on 4/13/2014
  • "I like this restaurant a lot. It's menu is a less ordinary than most moderately priced Italian restaurants. The service if friendly without being officious or pretnetious. The wine list is small but well chosen. I've eaten here for lunch and dinner and always feel I got very good food a good value."
    Dined on 4/7/2014
  • "We thoroughly enjoyed every delicious dish at this University Avenue restaurant in Palo Alto. The pasta are particularly wonderful. However, the service did not measure up. We had to practically trip people to get refills of water glasses, wine, and bread baskets. Maybe service is not so chaotic on a weeknight. (We were there prime time Saturday evening.) I think we will return because of the good food we enjoyed!"
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "We really enjoyed our meal here, but our waitress was abrupt and neglected to ask the appropriate questions, e.g., when one diner asked for coffee, she nodded and walked away instead of asking if any of the other diners wanted coffee too."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "An old favorite. Good people. Good food. A little "worn" around the edges, but comfy."
    Dined on 3/9/2014
  • "We had a good dinner here last Saturday night. Te panzanella was delicious and the butternut squash ravioli quite tasty. Others at our table had the vegetable and quail risottos and both were enjoyed. Only downside was that they would not pour a 1/2 glass of wine after we had already ordered a few glasses. They lost out as we then did not order any more wine. Still, would recommend to friends and we will likely return."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "I had a lunch meeting with a banker and suggest La Strada since they really had good food in the past. I was so apologetic to my guests because it took 1hr 15 minutes to serve our food and the rest of the tables are getting theirs before us! Very, very disappointing. Out of the 4 main courses we ordered only the pizza was good. I will never return here again. What happened to this restaurant? This used to be so good- food and service wise!"
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "The food is very mediocre. Being born and raised in Italy, I always doubt of Italian restaurants that have Italian words misspelled ("rissotto", "proscuitto"...). It's usually a sign that it's not authentic Italian. The pizza was average, the gnocchi with ragu were of poor quality. However, my main complaint is that I booked 2 days in advance and requested a table next to the wall or on a corner, not in the middle of the room. Repeated my request when they called me in the morning to confirm my reservation. At the end my table was in the middle of the room and in front of a door that they were keeping opening and closing. Dessert was the only good part. Not coming back."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "We made a reservation for Valentine's Day and they required a credit card. I didn't care for that, especially when I saw that it wasn't all that busy when we arrived. The house salad was delicious, the grilled salmon was a bit dry and the lamb chops were excellent. They get high marks for service; very attentive."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "We like to sit at the bar. At La Strada we could watch the pizza oven being used to produce fancy looking appetizers. We chose to have dinner from the Appetizer menu. Absolutely delicious! Barkeep was very friendly and Johnny-on-the spot with service. A large party was in attendance. The noise level was energetic, but not disturbing. A wonderful three hours spent at, and we highly recommend, La Strada Ristorante Italiano."
    Dined on 2/4/2014
  • "To be fair, the restaurant for the most part is a good restaurant, great location, food and service was good, not great but good. Would I go back, not likely! unless someone else were paying. My biggest complaint was when our server told us about the steak special, we ordered it, only for her to comeback and say they were out of it. ok! so the night went on, now it's time for desert, exact same thing told us about the special, only to come back saying the were out. I could understand this if it was 8 or 9 at night, but our dinner reservations were at seven. So there it is."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "La Strada has a lot going for it - great location and lovely interior design with an open kitchen. Lots of kitchen and waiters standing around looking bored - talking with one another and not paying attention to customers. Our appetizer plates weren't cleared before our entrees came - spills on the table were ignored - water glasses chipped and then not filled. And the food was uninspired - a lot of rosemary and some heat - but dry and dispassionate. La Strada is an idea that hasn't quite come to fruition."
    Dined on 1/13/2014
  • "Sit outside (with heatlamps) and watch the passersby or at a table in the cozy interior or at the bar and observe the kitchen. La Strada accomodates children, but is more adult oriented and less of a "familly restaurant". The service is competent and prompt but not pushy. The food is beautiful to look at and delicious. There is a full bar (my personal favorite is the Cosmo Italia). We have eaten here several times now and have never been disappointed in the menu. Among our favorites: beet salad, petrale sole with olives and capers, grilled salmon, any of the pizzas, pork gnocchi. It's easy to find something that is delicious and healthy. Prices are within reasonable limits for what you get."
    Dined on 12/31/2013
  • "I haven't been to La Strada in a long time and was pleasantly surprised how good it was! The fish in parchment was fantastic as was the salmon ravioli. Very good service."
    Dined on 12/20/2013
  • "We have been to La Strada many times and this time did not disappoint. The service was excellent and the food was very good. We always are surprised by how reasonable the menu is for how good the food is. If you haven't tried the calamari appetizer you should! It is lightly breaded and mixed with asparagus and is about the lightest calamari we have ever had. The pesto sauce (one of two) is tart and tasty. We had a risotto dish and a pasta dish and both were perfectly cooked and succulent. The service observed everything but did not interfere with the evening conversation. Kudos, La Strada!"
    Dined on 12/15/2013
  • "Small, but very comfortable. Wouldn't go in group larger than 4. Menu has very nice selection both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Been here twice, all items on the menu were excellent, except for Fruit de Mar pasta. Espresso with ice cream dessert incredible. Best Italian in PA so far."
    Dined on 12/12/2013
  • "I loved La Strada. It was my first visit to this lovely little neighborhood gem. I met a friend there and we chatted at the bar for awhile waiting for another friend to join us. It was casual, friendly, and we had great wine. No one ever rushed us. When we were ready, we migrated to a nearby table and spent another couple of hours enjoying the food and the wine. I will definitely keep La Strada on my list of favorite Palo Alto choices."
    Dined on 12/9/2013
  • "We will be going back for sure. We have eaten there many times and always enjoy sitting at the bar having a glass of wine and eating their delicious pizzas"
    Dined on 12/6/2013
  • "We come to this restaurant for the whole grilled Branzino (after another Croatian restaurant down the road went out of business). The food is very good and fresh. We like the Calamari or Brushetta or Caprese for appetizers. The Branzino is large enough tobe shared. Dessert choices vary but the Panna Cotta is good"
    Dined on 10/26/2013
  • "Considering this restaurant was on University Ave, I expected better. But this place is just OK. Service critique - Waiter brought main course while my guest and I were still in the middle of our starter salads. Forced us to clear what little space there was on our table. Food critique - I ordered the spaghetti w seafood. Flavors were bland - lacked salt and spices. No herbs, and the sauce was very watery."
    Dined on 10/17/2013
  • "This is our 4th or 5th Saturday night visit to La Strada. Each time at least one of the 4 of us considers their entree in the "best ever" category. This time 2 of us thought so: Gnocchi entree and lamb entree. The other two had high praise for their meals: risotto w/quail and grilled salmon with roasted veggies. Saturday night, so can't get away from the noise, but all things considered, we still could hear each other across the table, which is impressive. Very pleased that La Strada seems to be holding up it's quality level. Only complaint: wine quite pricey."
    Dined on 9/28/2013
  • "This is a good sidwalk restaurant in the heart of Palo Alto's shopping district, across from the new Apple Store location on University Ave. Free* public parking garage right behind restaurant makes it convenient. Approach from the west side of University if you want to avoid the gridlocked main strip entirely. Got a reservation on a weeknight with an hour's notice. Plenty of good bread to snack on, big variety of calorie count with meals, enough to please everyone, quality was great. *Certain time limitations, so pay attention to that."
    Dined on 9/19/2013
  • "the food was tasty, but portions were tiny. Service was inattentive even though lots of servers were milling around. I noticed that regulars seated next to us got better service than we did."
    Dined on 8/14/2013
  • "Having an owner who is from Sicily and eats in his own restaurant keeps La Strada authentic. Be sure to try the cannoli!"
    Dined on 8/5/2013
  • "It had been some time so we thought we'd give another try Know I remember why - very disappointing."
    Dined on 7/27/2013
  • "This was another outstanding dinner. The service, and the food remain excellent and we aways trust La Strada to be a place we can go to enjoy great Italian food at reasonable prices. Thank you for a great evening."
    Dined on 7/6/2013
  • "Food was decent and service was very good. It was good enough to return again, but may not be our first choice."
    Dined on 6/26/2013
  • "My husband and I have not been to La Strada since their chef left to open a new restaurant. However, the service was very good and more importantly, the food was still excellent."
    Dined on 6/16/2013
  • "the eggplant parm. had very little favor. had to add more salt than usual. House salad very bland ."
    Dined on 6/3/2013
  • "Lovely but busy atmosphere. The grilled bass was excellent, good lasagna and fresh pizza with a tasty charred crust. The fried calamari is a wonderful mix of asparagus and calamari with two great dipping sauces. Antipasto meats are fresh and cut just before serving. We have been many times and always enjoy the freshness and the Italian authenticity."
    Dined on 5/25/2013
  • "I had made a reservation a month or so before Mother's Day, and upon arriving at the restaurant, had no issues with checking in and getting seated. However, because we were a group of 6, we were placed near the back, which would have been fine with me, except that customer service was practically non-existent! The food arrived pretty quickly but, we had to wait a long time before getting more bread, getting water refilled, etc. and we couldn't flag down a waiter to pay our bill! I eventually had to walk it up to him. The food itself was pretty good - nice flavors, good portions (not small but not excessive either like I find with most places), diverse. The lamb cheek pasta was succulent and I really enjoyed the pianini(sp?)."
    Dined on 5/12/2013
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