Botticelli’s

Sadly I have to report this place was quite a disappointment. Everything was ‘OK.’ Nothing terrible happened but it fell short on taste and expectation. A client of my husband’s raved about this place stating it was better than Vespaio! Being huge fans of Vespaio we were excited to give this place a try. The cocktails were OK but if I’m being honest I can name 3 other places on the same street that are doing it better. The food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. My husband and I agreed both our dishes tasted like my home cooking. After $ 95 for only one cocktail and meal each I have to say I won’t be returning. I don’t mind spending money when we dine, but I was far from impressed and felt it to be overpriced for what it was. The atmosphere was claustrophobic and not ideal for a date.

Came to this place few months ago. Decides to have a dinner date but had no reservations and all my favorite places were crowded. Since several friends had recommended this plce we went there hopping to find a table. It was crowded too! The server was amazing and literally made a spot for us. We sat outside without anyone around us and it was cute. Wine was good and the cheese board was remarkably good. My pasta was sadly undercooked (not al dente) it wasn’t enjoyable. My husband’s meal was too salty and the texture wasn’t good either.
I would go back for wine and cheese only.

I really liked the size of Botticeli’s. It’s small enough to where you can easily have a conversation with your group. Also it’s semi-​fancy but you can come in casual and not feel out of place. We ordered appetizers and dinner and everything tasted great. Good portion sizes that weren’t too big. It is a little pricey so it’s definitely not somewhere to come very often.

My husband me I ate here when we first moved to Austin over three years ago, but we hadn’t been back until this week. I was wondering why we hadn’t been back, but after our second experience, I have a pretty good idea why.
We came in on a Monday night just before 7pm. They weren’t very busy (about half of the tables were open) and we were sat right away. Our server, Daniel, made his way over and took our drink order. My husband ordered a mixed drink for himself and a glass of wine for me.
When Daniel brought our drinks, I asked him if the lasagna was a traditional lasagna (you know meat, lots of cheese, and sauce) because it was the only menu item without a description. He said yeah it’s pretty traditional. Then I asked him what he recommend. He gave me a few choices and before I could tell him what I wanted, he walked away. Okay. So we sat there, menus down, while he hung out at the bar talking to other servers and the bartender. Finally, my husband had to flag him down to tell him we were ready.
At 745, I looked at my watch and we still didn’t have our food. The manager must have noticed me looking around because he walked over to tell us our food would be out shortly. Ten minutes later, our dishes were brought out.
Btw, the lasagna is not a traditional lasagna. I think the cheese is goat cheese, not ricotta and there were chunks of veggies and it was sprinkled with arugula. Maybe in Austin this is traditional, but every where else in the world, it’s not. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.
My husband and I finished our entire meal before Daniel came back to check on us. I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t need another drink or anything else. When he finally came back we asked him for our check.
After paying and standing up to leave, the person, who again, I assume was the manager, asked us how everything was. My husband said, «The food was good.» And he replied, «but the service wasn’t?» And my husband said, «No, it wasn’t very good.» To which the manager jokingly says, «I’m sorry. I guess I have to get on Daniel.»
Really? You didn’t stop anyone else that I could see and ask them about their experience, so you clearly realized that our service was slow and you waited until we left to ask about it?
When I pay over $ 100 for a meal, I expect a better level of service than what I got. We eat out regularly and are very good tippers. I was so disappointed with the service here that we only tipped 15% and we shouldn’t have even given that.
It will be very hard for me to go back here. If it wasn’t for the fact that the food is good, I’d probably given the experience two stars.

Limited and pedestrian menu, above average service if you don’t consider the sub-​par bus service. Slightly above average experience.

Every time we go the service and food is amazing! Just left and could not be more full and satisfied. We have been living in Austin for 10 years and this is one of our favorite spots! We are coming back for happy hour soon!

This place was just that, A-​ok. The only thing ordered that I probably couldn’t make at home was the steak, it was pretty tender and tasty.
There’s an outdoor patio that is nice, with a bar, that was a plus. I like a chill patio, they have it going on with that, but the food, is what I came for and well…
The Caprese was okay, the tomatoes were cut really thick and that was odd. The scallops were seared but they were, to me, a little too seared.
Mexican jumping peas. Refu-​peas, my peas did not want to stay on my plate or my fork, I really think they were trying to run away…
Long story short, because I don’t feel like wasting my energy describing in detail, I think it’s overpriced for food that is not going to impress you.

First of all, the service was perfect: professional, conscientious and efficient. Our server was great and we tipped 20%.
That said, the food was meh, very bland. My wife had the seared scallops on risotto. While the scallops were cooked well, the cream sauce was cold and bland. The kale was tough.
As we dined, I noticed a void of cooking aromas. Most Italian restaurants have delightful aromas of garlic, or other herbs wafting out of the kitchen. None here.
I had meatballs on in-​house, homemade pasta. It had marinara and parmesan on it. However, there was just no flavor to it. There was no garlic, fennel or basil.
For entrees at market price, $ 20 – 30 per, they should convey value commensurate with the price. It was not.
Austin has too many other competitors to operate at less than optimal performance. The chef needs to improve the quality of the food – spice it up, and make it as good as any Italian restaurant, especially on South Congress – which is where great tourism dining takes place.
Fortunately, most other Italian restaurants here are better.

Loved this dining experience! Food and drinks were delicious. Service was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is cozy, great food, bread and dishes made to order. Fresh and flavorful. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and we typically don’t feel the need to go to a place more than once, but in this case, we will absolutely be back. Great date night or night out with friends. Love love love!

So, this isn’t quite as cutting edge as Vespaio, down the street, but I tend to prefer this little gem. The staff is friendly and the interior feels like Chicago to me. Sinatra, lower lit ambience – small and intimate. Great outside patio too!
Their bread is divine, and a must try. I’m very partial to their Cesar salad, Shrimp Polenta and their mussels appetizers. Good wine list, and reasonable prices. This isn’t a spaghetti and meatballs place, but it’s also not a snooty Italian food restaurant. And, you can make a reservation and/​or split checks. (listen up, Vespaio) This is what Italian in Austin should beel like.

Best Italian in Austin. Awesome ambience and great wine selection everything was cooked to perfection. I highly suggest their Botticelli bread to start it off. I’ve tried most of the entrees and it is still hard to pick a favorite. Can’t wait to try the desserts!

We snagged a Saturday night reservation a few days ahead of time, and it was completely worth it! Botticelli’s might be the best dining experience I’ve had in Austin. The space is intimate, the food is flavorful, and it’s not outrageously expensive.
We loved our server, and the outdoor wine garden seemed like the perfect spot for a first or second date.

We tried several things. The bread is unique and flavorful. Shrimp and polenta had a delicious, light sauce. The pollo alla piccata had the perfect balance of wine, lemon and caper sauce. Amazing!
They have a cute outdoor patio that allows dogs. They also have a great happy hour menu everyday. The mad dog was strong!

Delicious little Italian spot. It’s ambiance leaves for a nice and intimate dinner. The décor feels vintage and warm. There’s outdoor seating which appeared more casual; I hear they have bands outside on the weekends which is a plus. For dinner, I had the chicken which was moist and flavorful. My mother had the ravioli which was cooked perfectly with a creamy, rich sauce. The service was great, right down to the hostess who accommodated our booth request on a busy evening.

Pros: great food, diverse menu (fish, meats, pastas, salads), good ambiance (inside and outside seating).
Cons: small and seems to run out of food quickly

I came in from Houston and my friend living in Austin took me there for a drink and bites. I had the shrimp on polenta and it was absolutely delicious and full of flavors. Spicy creamy deliciousness!
My beverage was described as «Herbacious» by my server, I mean how could I not order it. The aperol fizz
(aperol liqueur, prosecco, soda, orange slice)
is a great «Herbacious» choice!

This is my element. A Chicago style Italian restaurant with a beer garden in the back– not to mention the perfect background frank Sinatra style music. The location is also perfect. Service is very friendly as well.
We ordered the Botticelli bread to share. Very hearty and delicious. The cheesy crust of the bread paired well with the meat and peppers stuffed in the inside. The complimentary bread is also seasoned well and the perfect soft but chewy texture. The insalata foresta was light and refreshing. The tagliatelle con polpette is the closest thing on the menu to spaghetti and meatballs, but the red sauce had a nice spice to it to make the dish unique and tasty.
Come during happy hour for some great deals (all day on Sunday) because this place is a must for Italian food. Being from Chicago, this is the closest thing I could find to Italian food that reminded me of home.

Everything about this place is excellent. The food was phenomenal and the service was great and quick. The drinks were just the way I liked them. The surprise was the outdoor live music in their back patio. Was such a great ambiance to enjoy dinner to. I came here with a group of 4, and we were seated pretty quickly and served just as fast. I ordered the lasagna and it was perfect. It tasted like a handcrafted pizza which was perfect to my taste buds. My friends ordered the butternut squash ravioli as well as the mushroom stuffed ravioli and they too marveled how delicious everything was. I’d recommend to come here especially if you want to enjoy some great live music and good drinks. Found this place through Unilocal,so I had to share with others, how this place is worth coming to and returning.

We were craving some Italian food so we turned to Unilocal and found Botticelli’s. It’s located in the heart of South Congress right next door to the Continental Club. None of that obscures the quiet atmosphere of this place though. Prices are moderate and the food I had was excellent; The Tagliatelle con Polpette~~. Heather ordered the Mare Capesante and it came with a WHOLE bunch of scallops. It’s more of an appetizer meal though she said. It’s simply just a big plate full of scallops and nothing else. We live in South Austin and normally drive out to Driftwood for some amazing Italian food, but I’m more than satisfied with the taste of Botticelli’s. It taste genuine and serving sizes are plentiful. The décor is classy and intimate. 2 thumbs up to the waitress who I drilled about different pasta types, you’re a wizard!

I’m by no means a foodie but one of my best friends and her boyfriend sure are. I was in the mood for happy hour on St. Patty’s day and they were the only two out and about that night so I met them here. This wasn’t a great spot for green beer but the food was so good and fairly priced for happy hour especially when you consider their regular menu prices.
I ordered the homemade peach sangria to start. Tasty but only got one since it was $ 5 and I was on a budget. For dinner I ordered the caprese salad (not listed on their online HH menu so not sure on the price but it was good) and the original botticelli bread ($ 8). The bread was stuffed with meat and cheese and was SO GOOD. I had plenty for leftovers too. My friends got the meatball sub ($ 5) and the pork saltimbocca sandwich ($ 7). They let me try both and let me tell you they were both also very good. My friends ended with a dessert for all of us to share but their dessert menu isn’t posted so I couldn’t tell you what it was called but check out the picture — it was tasty!
If you’re up for something new, check this place out for happy hour!