Bellanico Restaurant and Wine Bar

Great food and service as always.

This was one of my favorite restaurants but I am sorry to say that has not been the case the last few times we have been there. I know how hard it is to make everything work and I know everyone can have an off night. This is why I always go back before I stop going to a place.

The last time we were there was on a Sunday. The four of us had a 5 pm reservation and were literally the first guests to arrive but the hostess still wanted to seat us in the back, near the restrooms. Same as the time before that. We were told the front tables were reserved but one was empty when we left at 6:30 pm and the other was chosen by a party that arrived later than we did.

The malfatti were delicious and so was the risotto. I loved their roasted chicken the first time I had it. This time, and the time before that, it was not very good. My chicken was very salty, the other guest's was fine, but both were more brined than cooked. It was not roasted, just made crispy on one side and the rest was completely pale and unappetizing. I really hope they solve whatever the problem is and turn things around.

Maybe I’m biased because I’m within walking distance, but this place is the best. The servers are nothing but helpful and friendly - the flavors were so well curated and delicious. Great spot for a date night!

AlwAys reliably great original Italian fare. Incredible cheese cake with pistachio coating!

Ambitious menu, quite tasty, a few dishes over salted.

It was surprisingly mostly bad. The service was very slow and inattentive. The appetizers (trout and burrata) were both good. But then the pasta was overcooked; one of the pasta dishes was the complete wrong dish (we ordered the pasta with the mushroom, and instead were served beet ravioli—and it took so long for the server to come over that it was too late to replace it). The broccolini was horribly overcooked—practically inedible. If this were my first visit I would never return. When we told the server everything was OK, he said I’m glad to hear it’s great! But that was consistent with his inattentiveness. But my prior experiences have been so good I hope this is not a sign of a downturn in food and service.

Friendly greeting right when you walk in the door! Our server Julian was awesome. Attentive and did not let our drinks go dry. Such a different experience from the last time we brunched here. We came back because the food is AMAZING! Will be back sooner now since it was such a great experience this time!!

As usual, food and wine were excellent! Staff is exceptionally nice. Parking is sometimes difficult to find in this neighborhood but dining here is worth the effort. Wood tables and chairs on hardwood floors make for a noisy place but it’s fun.

You do the restaurant a disfavor when you insist that a customer not only evaluate all of the factors but then must also write a review, or unless a patron writes a review, the restaurant seems to forfeit a favorable rating.

Consistently outstanding food and great service. One of my all-time favorites.

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.

We were given a $200 gift certificate and decided to use it on Valentines Day. We went with the fixed menu and the wine paring which was $100 a person. After our first course and wine we were delivered our second course and waited at least 10 min for our wine. We waited and our food was getting cold. Finally I was able to get our waiters attention and told him our wine hadn't arrived and he accused us of lying, saying haven't you already had two classes of wine. I was so taken aback and shocked. I have never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant ever. After him asking us 3 times and 10 more min he finally brought our glass of wine. We mentioned this to another server that asked us how our meal was and she apologized and mentioned he was new. Nothing was done to compensate us even though she said she would do something. I left a hefty tip, wish I hadn't now.

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!