Location: Berkeley
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California, United States Food Guide: 10 Italian food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Berkeley
Find out what Italian restaurants to try in Berkeley. The counter-culture, flower power center of the 60s, bohemian Berkeley has evolved into a culinary and cultural travel scene. Shift into low gear and people-watch along quirky Telegraph Avenue while checking out the bookstores and cafes. After strolling through the UC Berkeley campus, the Berkeley Rose Garden and the Downtown Arts District, head into the hills for an outdoor adventure in Tilden Park or cruise down to the waterfront park, where the San Francisco skyline sparkles across the bay.
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10. Agrodolce
Overall Ratings
4 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By wordsalsa
I'm recently back from a month touring Sicily, so that surely is a strike against any Sicilian restaurant in California. There is of course no way to reproduce the ambience. That said, some things could have helped them reach at least the 4 star mark. The food was fine. Not great, but fine. My companion enjoyed her parpadelle a lot. I ordered a porchetta dish with potatoes. Some bites were delicious, but some were overdone and gristly. We shared a bruschetta with fava bean paste as appetizer, which was enjoyable. And we shared a panna cotta for desert, which was a bit thin and not creamy enough, with a bit too much raspberry sauce. Okay. But the service, especially compared to Sicily, I found rushed and a bit inconsiderate. First, the appetizer was whisked away before we had even finished. Then our dishes were served with an almost 10-minute difference in delivery, without any comment. And the worst part, just after our desert was served, the check was plopped on the table in front of me. No offer of coffee. Rude, truth be told. Or just American? I've been away for a while, so maybe it's just culture shock. Just.
9. Pizza MODA
Overall Ratings
4 based on 43 reviews
Reviewed By jamminj
Had dinner to go here while on a business trip to the City. Had a beer while waiting. Mostly micro brews and specialties on tap. Quite good.Ordered a mushroom, peperoni combo with a Ceasar salad with blue cheese dressing.Back in my hotel room had a bite of the salad.--To DIE for!! The bleu cheese was absolutely wonderful! Could have chucked the pizza right then.The pizza was very good, but nothing amazing. Service was very good and attentive-even though I was a carry out. I would definitely eat here again when I'm in town!
8. Gypsy's Trattoria Italiano
Overall Ratings
4 based on 54 reviews
Reviewed By wireless_in_CA
We grabbed lunch here after touring UC Berkeley. It is not a large restaurant but we were able to grab seats by the window.All items are posted on a large menu spanning the back wall. You place your order, pay and then pick up from the same area when they call your order number. If you pay by cash you will get a 50 cent discount per entree versus paying with credit card. You can add a salad and drink (no refills) to your entree for approx $3.The garden salad side is ok. It came in a plastic bowl with a side of your choice of dressing. Entrees were served in fairly good size plates with a slice of French bread and roasted garlic. We enjoyed the shrimp and scallop scampi pasta along with the shrimp and mushroom Alfredo. Both were very tasty (lots of capers in the scampi but only four shrimp and two scallops). Once your are finished you can leave your dirty plates on the table and they will be cleared. If you need a bag for your to go order they add 10 cents.Overall $36 for three at lunch.
7. Paisan Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 51 reviews
New restaurant, part of local K2 group (TRex, Lalime, Sea Salt)
Reviewed By Filiz510
I often eat lunch here, either alone or with friends. They have lovely, substantial salads and generous sandwiches. (I'm not a great pizza eater, but many praise them for their pizzas too!) All vegetables and salad stuffs delivered straight from the farm every morning, with any remaining at the end of the day going to soup kitchens, etc. Eclectic dinner menu. Good for families with children, but with a large eating area that allows adults to dine quietly too. The remaining questions hard to fill in. I've eaten at all times of day! All good in their own ways.
6. Donato & Co.
Overall Ratings
4 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By UKTurkeyTrotter
WE went here with friends. It's a bustling big food hall with a great menu and atmosphere to match. Not just pasta but other Italian dishes as well. Two of us had the ox-tail with potato the others had pasta. It was all excellent, good fast service but there was nothing 'fast' about the food, beautifully cooked, nice wine by the glass, friendly staff, comfortable seats, noisy enough and far enough apart to have a private conversation. you can't ask for more. We'll be back.
5. Luca Cucina Italiana
Overall Ratings
4 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By CherylL919
The restaurant is on San Pablo Ave along with many other restaurants and stores. You could walk right past it..donât. We wanted authentic Italian food.The food was amazing. Great service. We started out with the evenings special of Insalata with heirloom tomatoes and burrata cheese. It was so fresh and delicious. The pasta dishes were perfect sizes.They were enough for one person and you didnât feel stuffed. The lasagna was homemade along with their sauces. We ordered the dessert Affogato which was vanilla ice cream and a shot of espresso. It was amazing. We will be back!
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4. Riva Cucina
Overall Ratings
4 based on 107 reviews
Reviewed By Houlihan2
You will come upon this restaurant completely by surprise. We had the spinach, ricotta and parmigiana filled ravioli sautéed with a tomato cream and sage aurora; and the pappardelle paisley pasta sautéed with mixed mushrooms, thyme, garlic-infused oil and a boschetto truffled cheese. For dessert, we enjoyed the traditional Italian cake with lemon patisserie cream, pine nuts and almonds. This was all accompanied by a 2013 San Vincenti Chianti Classico. The service was great.
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3. Trattoria Corso
Overall Ratings
4 based on 197 reviews
Reviewed By jdc8mbc
This restaurant is especially good for special occasions. We shared lattuga (lettuce), sardine, calamari, grilled Branzino, salmon, potatoes, and spinach. Along with a large bottle of Pellegrino and a glass of rose, the bill totaled $190. The restaurant is noisy so when making reservations, arrive early and ask for a table by the windows.
2. Belotti Ristorante E Bottega
Overall Ratings
4 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By dave94703
Sugo is slow-cooked meats with pasta. Excellent, large salads. Great panna cotta.Been there half a dozen times, consistent service & quality. Amazing italian wine selection, many by the glass. Packed evenings, get a reso. Or get pastas and sauces ready-to-eat at their bottega on Piedmont.
Most Popular Bar food in Berkeley, California, United States
1. Zachary's Chicago Pizza
Overall Ratings
4 based on 706 reviews
Reviewed By Thomas V
There are a lot of pizza choices in the Rockridge area, and this is the one that we keep coming back to for take away pizza. It's because the quality is very, very good. Service is sketchy. Some staff are nice, others rude. The prices keep edging up and up. But we like the quality.
