Osteria

Osteria has done a good job of managing the pandemic. Outdoor tables are well-spaced, plenty of effective space heaters, staff wear masks. Service was responsive and timely.

The food however left a lot to be desired. You'd think an Italian restaurant would know that pasta is not supposed to be mushy, and that tomato sauce should taste like tomatoes. Not so. My ravioli were so soft they could've fed a baby with two teeth. The sauce was gloppy and without texture; it reminded me of condensed tomato soup. The salad was drowning in dressing and had exactly ONE cherry tomato.

Prices for this seem pretty high. $15 for the salad. $25 for about 10 little ravioli.

Food was great. Has a home cooked Italian taste. A little disappointed that they charged $2.50 for hot water. Never had that before.

We have always found to be very consistent and enjoyable. Sitting outside was very warm and comfortable. Main course was really hot when it came out and we really appreciated that.

We made a dinner reservation at Osteria after reading the positive reviews. We were greeted and shown to our table by friendly staff who made sure we were warm and comfortable. They promptly took our water and drinks order and sent over the complimentary warm bread and olive oil. We ordered the winter salad which was excellent followed by the Seafood Linguini and Gnocchi in pesto sauce. The 0portion size is quite generous (I had to box most of mine - the gnocchi ) and the linguini had plenty of seafood. My husband particularly enjoyed the sauce and commented on the plentiful nature of the seafood in it. Though we did not have any room for dessert, it was hard to say no to some Tiramisu. The Tiramisu was good, not excellent as the ratio of whipped cream to other ingredients wasn’t quite right - too much cream. Minor point but compared to the salad and the mains, this wasn’t as good. We will certainly be back as the ambience, service, food and wine were all good!

Excellent service and food.
The table was perfect. They go to great lengths to please and are very welcoming

Great staff, food, and ambiance. Outdoor seating was nice.

I ordered the PAPPARDELLE alla BOLOGNESE. My friend ordered the POLLO al MARSALA. Both were delicious and we both took leftovers home. I highly recommend this restaurant.

The food here s just horrible. It is not the same as it used to be unfortunately.

Always outstanding!

The food is amazing as well as the staff & service

Most of the dishes were fantastic, really good! A few were not. I did not like the mushroom salad. The squid ink shrimp pasta was great!

Nice outdoor seating with heaters

Great food and service!

Great food. Menu descriptions are very brief so you need to assertively inquire about any food allergies, I learned the hard way.

This is my go to restaurant from day one. Has consistently quality food in a friendly atmosphere. Been eating there for over 30 years.

Excellent place for lunch in downtown Palo Alto. Good food, attentive service.

Had a nice dinner.

Bread is delicious. Service overall good but had to flag down our waitress a couple times.

I finally got up enough nerve to order something besides my favorite "Linguine Tutte Mare" that I find irresistible. My wife did order that and enjoyed it thoroughly but I ordered "Scappolini del Vitello" (veal scappolini with artichokes) this time and was very happy with the choice. We split a "Tiramisu" for desert and it was authentic. (We lived in Italy for a year.)

Osteria is more than just a restaurant; you feel like a dinner guest with dear friends! Waitstaff are genuinely friendly and engaging. Food is exceptional! Looking forward to a return visit soon.

We had lunch with a friend not seen in years who was visiting the US. The restaurant provided a great ambiance for this purpose with its comfortable and reasonably quiet setting on the street now closed to through traffic. The beef agnolotti, caprese salad, and bread with olive oil dip were delicious. The service was very friendly and attentive. All in all a very positive experience.

The food was amazing as always in the service was great

terrific place for a special meal. Attentive staff and good food!

Really good food and our waitress was so patient with us. Good dessert too. Had the chocolate hazelnut flan. Oh boy! That was a treat!

Reataurant out of 1st bottle of CA wine ordered — And we were told as we started 1st course. waiter suggested another which was $100 more — we chose another bottle in our price range. Ordered spinach salad — which never arrived. Waiter said he forgot.

My Veal was excellent!

The restaurant tables had no candles (electric are fine) and the outdoor eating area was totally dark. How could people eve n SEE the food they were eating!!!
And they had a few little lights, on the ground at the entrance way. None near the top of the overhand.

Great food. Service attentive, wine girl perfect.

After many years since our last visit to Osteria, we decided to try it again. We were very pleased with the food and experience. Our meals were very good and pasta (papparadelle alla Bolognese and ravioli) done perfectly al dente. The wine list had a good selection of Italian reds as well as new world choices. We chose a quiet outdoor table in the parklet on a chilly night but the nearby heaters kept us warm. Service was excellent, attentive, and well paced, and prices were reasonable. Osteria is a very nice neighborhood restaurant worth trying; we will return sometime soon.

Good food, too-brisk service: too eager to clear the table...

Always a perfect experience. Food never disappoints, and the service is that of a well-established confident restaurant.

Food was very good with a large outdoor seating space. Service a bit uneven but the some staff was new so coming up to speed. It was also a busy night so challenging to keep up. A warm welcome from the host and the usual warm bread to start.

Outstanding food combined with great service made for a fun enjoyable evening.
If you want real Italian food choose Osteria.

Very sweet Italian place.

The food was amazing and somehow the service was even better! Felt like a family owned traditional Italian restaurant!

Appetizer and pastas are great, the desserts were just okay - we order the tiramisu and it was too sweet and nothing impressive

Great meal and amazing service!

Outstanding food and service. Great outdoor patio. Will definitely return

Great authentic Italian food and setting. Great place for everyday dining or special occasion. A classic!

Awesome destination, great service. Just go there, you will be happy.

Osteria is my neighborhood "Cheers". Have been there over 1,000 times and it never fails to please. Always get the same table and server. Food and ambience are wonderful.
I am treated like a loved family member. GO!!!