Bellanico Restaurant and Wine Bar
Great neighborhood spot. Nice selection (for a fairly small restaurant), of meat, fish, and pasta.
And nice and quiet, too.
The restaurant was awesome. The food was great and the service was too. The only down side was the cramped feeling of the close tables. On a less busy day this would be the perfect date spot.
Great neighborhood gem! We had the prix fixe which was 4 courses for $46 and the wine paring (3 wines) for $18. The prix fixe had a choice of two items for each course, my husband and I ordered each so we tasted 8 plates. All were delicious and appropriate size portions. Wine pairings were spot on and also a good portion. Staff was attentive. All around a great dining experience
Our server was wonderful and the food was delicious.
An excellent neighborhood restaurant. Went for Sunday brunch most recently. Less crowded than for dinner, so quieter. All the brunch items were very rich, would have appreciated a less rich item or two.
The staff is friendly and helpful.
The food is consistently very good and original. The prefix it’s always interesting and a great introduction to new dishes.
Great food and wine. Excellent all around. One of our best experiences there.
We have been to Bellanico many times. The food was not as good as on many of our previous experiences.
Extensive menu with a variety of entrees. Lovely quiet ambiance with attentive staff. Wen for lunch and highly recommend.
All was very good except we were both cold. They needed to turn heat up.
I got duck very good. Waiter very nice. Eager to explain menu and options. We felt very comfortable. They were accommodating. Will go back and recommend friends
Very nice evening and the food was very good.
The restaurant was fairly empty, which should’ve been a clue that the food wasn’t really that great. Everyone complained that their main dishes were far too salty, although the burrata appetizers were fine.
Service was average at best, but the price was reasonable for the quantity of food. Not sure I’d make any effort to go back.
The food was generally very good apart from one starter, the radiatori with beef sugo, that inexplicably tasted like something from a high school cafeteria, inferior to what one could cook onself or find among frozen-food offerings at a supermarket. (The beet terrine was vastly better.) The main dishes, the sausage-stuffed quail and the crab risotto, were both delicious. For dessert, the tasty panna cotta was superior to the cannoli (or rather cannolo, singular), somewhat overcooked and granitic, but that, too, was pleasing. What was really outstanding were the wine pairings, well-chosen, interesting, and very, very good.; they greatly enhanced the experience. Service was friendly and efficient, the atmosphere pleasant, and the tab quite reasonable for a very enjoyable meal.
The food was (and always has been) extraordinarily good in all aspects: presentation, inventiveness, taste and serving size. But this time we opted for the wine parings and found $17 for two small glasses of wine rather dear for the quantity served; if you want more than a few sips order a bottle!
Good brunch tasting menu. Much better than their menu last year for Oakland Restaurant week. My only gripe is that the tables are so close together that it's VERY hard to squeeze by without bumping the table next to you. I mean I get trying to accommodate a lot of people but comfort should be taken into consideration, too. Removing just one table by the long bench would help space out the tables better.
Very consistent. I've been here maybe six or seven times over the last several years, and the food and wine are always very good!! Service ranges between okay and great, but is never bad, and I love the ambience. Parking can be a challenge, but not the restaurant's fault! It'll stay on my list for a while.
This place used to be my go-to favorite!! Did it just change ownership? Food is still mostly good (with one big disappointment), but the staff was awful. Jerky, pompous, unaccommodating manager, clueless servers. Wow. I am so sad.
Everything we ordered and even bread was fabulous. Shared a kale salad, rich and every mouthful delicious. Grilled octopus on a bed of polenta, divine. Fish and gnocchi dish also excellent. I had a greek white wine I loved!
Food was too salty. Risotto was crispy and squash was crunchy. Spent way too much on dinner for the service and food. Server was scarce during our visit, so much so that my friend ate half her dish before I could flag the server down to inform her about my crispy and crunchy dish.
Consistently excellent
As always, the food at Bellanico was fabulous. I ordered the pasta with a tomato, bacon, and spicy pepper sauce and it was delicious. The hostess noticed me setting aside the jalapenos and told me I could have requested no jalapenos (mind blown!). I appreciated her attention to detail. The only minus was waiting a long time for the waiter to notice I was ready to pay and then waiting even longer for him to come back to me and get my credit card.
Restaurant week. Good food, great service. One of our fav restaurants. Beet ravioli and goat cheesecake are our favs. Great menu.
Very nice tasting menu. Super attentive service. Definitely a neighborhood gem!!
We enjoyed dinner at Bellanico. It was the first time we tried the restaurant during Oakland Restaurant Week. Three of us had the Prix Fixe menu. The radiatori pasta with beef ragu sugo was delicious. The goat cheese terrine was delicious paired with the roasted beets. We also had the crab risotto that was light but subtle. We were not offered extra cheese on the risotto but the adjacent table was offered cheese. The quail was delicious and the sausage was subtle and did not overwhelm the quail flavor. The wine flight was paired perfectly. We ordered a bottle of the Barbera for the other table members who did not order the flight. My husband said Casarecce was delicious and the mushrooms were flavorful. My son had the tagliolini which he polished off without stopping to take a breath. The desserts were wonderful. We had one of each, the dark and white chocolate panna cotta; the goat cheese cheese cake with the huckberries; and the cannoli. The huckleberries lent a sharp tang to the cheese cake and complimented it well. The panna cotta was rich and the quality of the chocolate was evident. The cannoli with the persimmon kumquat jam/ reduction was perfect. It was a fantastic meal.
a small venue with wonderful food, and a nice atmosphere. The staff was really attentive but not overbeaing, and our server was very knowledgable about the menu and the wine list. A perfect night!
We found Bellanico during Oakland restaurant week as one of those places we had been meaning to try but not found the right time.. The brunch is a good mix of fresh produce mixed with hearty meats and eggs. The goat cheese beet terrine was excellent and the beef brisket hash delicious, although portions were smaller than we hoped for. We will definitely return for dinner and sit at the gorgeous long bar for their excellent cocktails.
Yummy as always and great service.
Happened to go during restaurant week, but have also eaten here other times. Service was efficient and friendly. Nice neighborhood vibe. Extremely good value during restaurant week - had the figs, duck confit, short rib pasta, cannoli, cheese cake and the wine pairings. Quality of food and taste was outstanding. Felt like a great treat!
Brunch service always seems uneven like the server wasn't quite expecting anyone. Nothing awful just forget requests like more coffee, milk, or check. Won't stop me from coming back. Dinner service has always been excellent.
Have been coming over from SF before Berkeley Rep for years, touch of horseradish in the gnocchi; great wine list & flights & caring service. Unfortunately, too full for dessert! If we lived in the East Bay, we’d be regulars.
I love this place! Happy to be able to visit when in the Bay Area. Very much appreciate the vegetarian options, particularly on the tasting menus. Superb service, lovely people, hope to return soon.
We met with friends for our annual get-together. They live in Europe now but used to live in Redwood Heights. The pastas were amazing. My husband's gnocchi was light and not too salty, in reference to another review. I always get the malfatti. We split the pork belly and the burrata as appetizers. Everyone enjoyed their entrees. My son loved the polenta with cheese and his pork shoulder sandwich. The squash and goat cheese frittata was delicious and silky smooth. The Liberty duck confit has was perfectly seasoned with the perfect combination of ingredients. The service was well-paced and it allowed us to linger and catch up. They love returning to Bellanico since it is comfortable and relaxing.
My first time to this restaurant. It was a very good experience. The food was very good. The restaurant was very nice. The only issue we had, is that I had put a note on my reservation that this was for an 88th Birthday and that I would like to have a dessert with a candle on it brought out. Apparently, they did not read the note or did not bother to accommodate the request. Otherwise, I would recommend this restaurant.
Amazing neighborhood restaurant on Park Blvd. in Oakland. Quality of food and service is exceptional and unexpected in the casual atmosphere. We've been a few times and are never disappointed. Try the Smoked Trout Cannoli or (and) the Duck Pate. Great appetizers and great prices.
The staff was OK, but without any personality. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
We love Bellanico.
AMAZING PASTA AND DESSERTS!!!! Will definitely be going back!
Love this neighborhood gem! Owner is generous, helpful and food is deee-lish!
Outstanding. What a find
