Where to eat Italian food in Redwood City: The Best Restaurants and Bars

October 19, 2019 Phylicia Berquist

Find out what Italian restaurants to try in Redwood City. Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately 27 miles (43 km) south of San Francisco, and 24 miles (39 km) northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a port for lumber and other goods. The county seat of San Mateo County, it is the home of several technology companies such as Box, Informatica, Oracle, Evernote, Wealthfront, and Electronic Arts. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,815. The Port of Redwood City is the only deepwater port on San Francisco Bay south of San Francisco. Redwood City is the location of the San Mateo County Jail, for both women and men. The Malibu Grand Prix long time landmark was recently demolished along with the city's only Mini Golf, Go-Kart, Video Game Arcade, and Batting Cages. Malibu Grand Prix's previous location is currently the construction site of a new additional Jail and Inmate housing facility. The city has a motto "Climate Best By Government Test" which is a reference to it being one of the top German scouted scientific climates and the city was one of the locations mapped by them during their testing and data collection. The Hetch Hetchy water pipeline runs through Redwood City and supplies a vast majority of the surrounding area with low grain (+/− 3 grains) rated water.
Things to do in Redwood City

10. Cru

900 Middlefield Rd Ste B, Redwood City, CA 94063-1681 Italian, Bar, Pizza, Pub, Wine Bar Reservations, Seating, Table Service +1 650-362-3535 http://www.cruredwoodcity.com
Food
Service
Value
Overall Ratings

4 based on 12 reviews

Cru

Reviewed By farsway42

I love the french sauvignon blanc (10$) and californian chardonnay (12$). Their coffee is extremely yummy, tapas are great and the cheese platter is perfect! Staff is great, especially Mikaela. Only thing, their bread is too dry. If they could change that it would be heaven!

9. The Old Spaghetti Factory

2107 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA 94063-1611 Italian Lunch, Dinner Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Takeout, Table Service +1 650-216-9713 http://www.osf.com/
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

3 based on 68 reviews

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Reviewed By treborz1

We tried for some reasonably-priced Italian food before going to the movies, allowing plenty of time before the movie to do so. Service was in a word "poor" When we arrived the restaurant was not all that busy, but the front desk staff didn't seem to have a clue of how to manage the front of the house. There was a lady with two children in front of us, yet it took almost tent minutes from our arrival for them to get seated - and another 5 for us. Remember, this was in a not-so-very-full restaurant. When we did get seated, our waitress was quite pleasant - but took long lapses between asking what we'd like to drink, returning with same (coffee and a milk shake) almost 15 minutes later, and then returning again to ask after our food order. My wife asked for her salad dressing on the side, a request acknowledged twice by the waitress. Her salad arrived with, guess what, the salad drenched in dressing. Her main course was somewhat nondescript (spaghetti with mushrooms), my lasagna ok, but a bit chewy. The meals do offer value because they include soup or salad, entree, and vanilla ice cream or spumoni for dessert. If you aren't in a particular hurry and are fairly flexible on the quality of your food, this place is worth the stop. Otherwise, forget it! We certainly don't plan to return.

8. Portobello Grill

875 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City, CA 94063-1672 Italian, American Dinner, Lunch Reservations, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Table Service 2999918 http://portobello.mobiletummy.com
Food
Service
Value
Overall Ratings

4 based on 32 reviews

Portobello Grill

Reviewed By dbowers75

Passing through and stopped in for lunch for one. Ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich and fries with Chipotle Aioli. Sandwich was full of flavor, fries were great & the ambience outside was very relaxing. Staff was friendly & prompt with service.

7. Vino Santo Bistro

2030 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA 94063-1802 Italian Lunch, Dinner Reservations, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wheelchair Accessible, Table Service [email protected] +1 650-780-0793 http://www.vinosantobistro.com/
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

4 based on 60 reviews

Vino Santo Bistro

Reviewed By TheBel

Very nice inside with large window and mirror for Bistro effect. Portions are very generous and we took home enough for lunch the next day. Corkage was a reasonable $18. Service was attentive without being over the top. There is dining out front on nice days this coming spring and summer. Very nice experience.

6. Piacere Ristorante

727 Laurel St, San Carlos, CA 94070-3113 Italian, American, Mediterranean, Grill, Contemporary Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks, Late Night Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Full Bar, Takeout, Private Dining, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free Off-Street Parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, [email protected] +1 650-592-3536 http://www.piacererestaurant.com/
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

4 based on 90 reviews

Piacere Ristorante

Come dine with us and enjoy our diverse menu. From our classic seafood dishes to our delicious pizzas, we offer plenty for you to savor. In the mood for a drink to accompany your meal? We offer a vast cocktail selection as well as an award winning wine co

Reviewed By Coastman3

Full scale lunch menu, including lighter faire like salads and pizzas. i had the mussels and my lunch partner had salad. Both were very good. Although the mussels were slightly overcooked, the sauce was excellent. I recommend this restaurant and bet that it would be good for dinner too.

5. Amici's East Coast Pizzeria

226 Redwood Shores Pkwy, Redwood City, CA 94065-1100 Pizza, Italian Lunch, Dinner Delivery, Takeout, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Table Service +1 650-654-3333 https://www.amicis.com/redwood-shores
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

4 based on 70 reviews

Amici's East Coast Pizzeria

A local upscale pizzeria chain, serving thin crust, East Coast-inspired pizzas. The menu includes chicken wings, salads, pastas, as well as gluten-free, vegetarian & vegan-friendly options. Dine-in • Takeout • Catering • Delivery

Reviewed By KathyS2023

Simple restaurant with Boston and NY pictures reflecting the owners' origins. Good pizza, salads and pasta dishes. Great chicken wings and bread. Consistently good and reasonably priced. Easy to park (in shopping mall) and very nice service.

4. Pronto Wood Fired Pizza & Rotisserie

2560 El Camino Real, Redwood City, CA 94061-3813 Italian, Pizza Lunch, Dinner Delivery, Takeout, Wheelchair Accessible, Reservations +1 650-365-9978 http://www.prontoredwoodpizza.com
Food
Service
Value
Overall Ratings

4 based on 38 reviews

Pronto Wood Fired Pizza & Rotisserie

Reviewed By ValIDlySteve

Small diner style cafe, counter service (and takeout) with the best pizza I've ever had in Silicon Valley. It would be worth a drive from anywhere in SV. Genuine wood fired pizza. Lovely crust. Maybe a little over-filled depending on your taste. And really excellent simple high quality green salad. I'm from little Italy in Sydney and Pronto would be right at home in my home town. Expecting New York style pie? Forget it. This is the real thing.

3. Donato Enoteca

1041 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City, CA 94063-1993 Italian Lunch, Dinner Takeout, Television, Highchairs Available, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Table Service, [email protected] +1 650-701-1000 http://www.donatoenoteca.com
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

4 based on 202 reviews

Donato Enoteca

Set in the heart of downtown Redwood City, Donato Enoteca offers true and honest contemporary Italian cuisine from Executive Chef Donato Scotti that changes weekly determined by the freshest available seasonal produce. Homemade pastas, wood-burning oven p

Reviewed By JillClardy

We chose Donato for our anniversary dinner, because it's more of a "special occasion" restaurant for us. We've been here several times over the last decade and knew that it wouldn't disappoint. The restaurant was already nearly full at 6:15 on a weeknight -probably some happy hour customers!My husband chose the calamari appetizer which was served on a large rectangular plate and could easily feed two. He wasn't able to finish all of the "Bianchi di spagna beans" which were huge and delicious. You could easily consider this dish an entree if you're looking for a lighter meal. I chose the Burrata appetizer, but it seems they substituted another vegetable for the delicata squash. It had interesting textures, but the overall flavor was quite bland. My entree was the branzino (sea bass) which was served on a bed of fresh tomato sauce and black rice; it was fresh and satisfying. My husband chose the giant 16 oz. rib eye, which for some reason is printed in a very tiny font on the menu. It is the only beef dish, and perhaps was added out of necessity based on prior customer feedback. I thought it was rather tough, but my husband devoured it (he doesn't get much beef at home...)We chose a nice sauvignon blanc from the fairly extensive menu of Italian wines. I found the wine list a bit difficult to navigate because all descriptions are in Italian. It would be nice if they grouped the wines by categories we're familiar with, such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, etc. We enjoyed the assortment of 4 small scoops of house made gelato for dessert - they're each creamy and delicious.Donato will definitely remain on our list of desirable local upscale restaurants. We spent ~$180 including tip.

2. Vesta

2022 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA 94063-1802 Italian, Pizza Lunch, Dinner, Late Night Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service 650-362-5052 http://www.vestarwc.com
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

4 based on 224 reviews

Vesta

This urbane and upscale pizza and Italian small-plates place is something the Peninsula has been waiting for. I'm usually a traditionalist when it comes to pizza toppings, but even their more unusual versions--sausage with honey!--work like a charm and ar

Reviewed By schmutaki

Had high expectations for this popular, upscale pizza place. Was very noisy and crowded mid week. Interesting pizzas with peaches and cherries. Wish the crust was crispy and they turned on the air conditioning on a hot day. Seems like California pizza places under cook their crusts. Good stop after visiting Stanford.

Top 10 Things to do in Redwood City, United States

1. Piacere Ristorante

727 Laurel St, San Carlos, CA 94070-3113 Italian, American, Mediterranean, Grill, Contemporary Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks, Late Night Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Full Bar, Takeout, Private Dining, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free Off-Street Parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, [email protected] +1 650-592-3536 http://www.piacererestaurant.com/
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Overall Ratings

4 based on 90 reviews

Piacere Ristorante

Come dine with us and enjoy our diverse menu. From our classic seafood dishes to our delicious pizzas, we offer plenty for you to savor. In the mood for a drink to accompany your meal? We offer a vast cocktail selection as well as an award winning wine co

Reviewed By Coastman3

Full scale lunch menu, including lighter faire like salads and pizzas. i had the mussels and my lunch partner had salad. Both were very good. Although the mussels were slightly overcooked, the sauce was excellent. I recommend this restaurant and bet that it would be good for dinner too.

Top 10 restaurants in Redwood City, United States

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