Arte Ristorante

We went there for New Year’s Eve and it was a lovely experience. I have been here a few times before and the service is always high quality. And the food is very tasty as well! My go to place for Italian in Palo Alto!

I’ll start out by saying that the food here is awesome. I’ve never had a dish that I didn’t like. That said, the service isn’t good at all. We seem to always get the same waiter who does a poor job every time. I’ve never been there when it’s that crazy busy but somehow the food always takes awhile, we find ourselves waving down the staff for service and it always takes too long to get the check. Don’t get me wrong, the place itself is very nice with a great atmosphere, and the meals are great, but service is more than half the battle in my opinion. If you’re looking for a good meal, definitely stop by Arte. but know you might be sacrificing good service.

Pretty decent restaurant if you’re into Italian food. The food was pretty good but it was gourmet and you can taste the quality.
When we came in, the person in the front informed us that this restaurant is reservation only… We had no idea that we needed a reservation lol. But he was nice enough and got us seated right away.
The menu was exquisite as it offered unique dishes that I haven’t that much around. The servers were super nice and got us started on our drinks within few moments. They have a nice selection of wines as well as regular drinks.
We ended up ordering bruschetta as our appetizer. Some chicken dish as our entrée. No dessert.
The food was pretty good. The flavors were there as well as the presentation. But it wasn’t something I haven’t had before.
The pricing is high as you’d expect from a restaurant of this sort.
Would I go here again? No idea.

Really nice atmosphere but food is nothing special and therefore overpriced. I got a minestrone soup and it seriously lacked flavor. I also got the vongole (linguine and clams) and it was good but the sauce basically tasted like a whole lot of butter with a little parsley/​herb in it. Many Italian restaurants fall in this price range but I would hope their food tastes like it was made with more love and care.

Our Sunnyvale based company had our holiday party here last night and everyone LOVED it! The food & wine were phenomenal — especially for a large scale group, we were 65 — and the service impeccable. Mario was so easy to work with and genuinely cared about our group, the success and happiness of the event! We’ll definitely be coming back.

We came in on cloudy autumn day for lunch and was exceedingly pleased. Warm interior welcome us into a grand European palor.
Firstly, we choose this place out of the many selection in Palo Alto due to the four star rating on Unilocal.It help, but it really should be five stars.
We weren’t rushed to make our selections which I am grateful for. Then we were told the specials of the day, which my mother happily suggest to try their fish dish of the day as well as the tomato soup. She choose wisely. The tomato soup was hearty to the pointy, flavorful, thick and stick to your rib, without the heaviness with good portion. A bit of spices that builds up but never burns the mouth, specs of herb to tingle the taste bud, and chunks of other vegetables to give dimensions and bread to thicken. The rest of us tried out a spoonful and wholeheartedly agree it was the best tomato soup ever. The fish special of the day was branzino with green beans and 3 color cauliflower. The crispy fish skin and tender warm flesh melts in your tongue! Perfectly cook through and not a touch of overcooked, they must have great chef in the back!
My older brother chose to have salad with his pasta, Pasta Carbonara. It was the most creamy pasta I have tried up to date, and he enjoyed every single bite till he reach ¾ of the way, the the oil and huge amount of paste weight heavy, but he finish nonetheless because it really is the best Carbonara he ever had, full compliment to the chef. The salad he had was modest size, but the dressing must have been well made with the surprised and happy smile he donned. My younger brother have not had enough experience in ordering Italian dishes so he ordered poorly at the choice of Linguine Vongole. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful clam pasta, but he thought he was ordering a cream sauce pasta dish, so he was not as happy as his selection as the rest of us who read through the menu. Nonetheless, fresh clams clear of grimy sand, well cooked pasta, what more do you need?
Both my younger brother and I have the minestrone soup. It is good, fresh automn vegetables fill the bowl,
but it still can’t the tomato soup. I had the Ossobuco alla Milanse and was hugely surprised at the massive portion. The meat just just a tad bit dry for me, but I still love every single bite! Hey, it’s really good. We could not have dessert, not the way all our tummy fill to the point of ready to explode, but so many review swear by the dessert. .next time! One last thing to recommend is the Italian lemonade, it is a little bubbly but heavy lemon flavor that shout out loud, but it doest over take the palate, don’t know how they do it, but we are super please.

Three of us dined with our first orders placed about 8.30pm. A dry red wine from Puglia, a salento rise reserva circa 2009 was a good start. A pleasant wine with good balance and ample spice.
For our starters we shared a beet salad with its red and golden beets, goats cheese and pomegranate dressing and a fritto misto; they were both well presented and tasty — we all thought they would be the front end of a great eating experience.
For our mains we had the Cioppino alla Messinese which included calamari, clams, mussels, prawns & fish in a tomato garlic broth, the Spagghetti allo Scoglio with clams, mussels, fresh fish, fresh tomatoes and so, and the Lasagna. These dishes read so mouth watering beautiful… Well these dishes, all three of them, failed on basics … each had its own serious fault. In the case of the first two the fish and crustacean inclusions were seriously over cooked… one could have been forgiven for saying they were re-​cycled as they were so tough and tasteless. The Lasagna was simply ordinary with no flavour. It was as if there was no passion or love in these three dishes!
What was even more disappointing was that while we were trying to finish our main meals (along with another couple) the restaurant was being backed up and cleaned. No offer of deserts or so for us. No, the focus was on putting chairs on tables and generally packing for cleaning. This made us feel alittle unwelcome, and certainly low marks here for customer care.
We thought we might be in for a treat however that never eventuated.
Will we be back? No you can count us out in the short term until they fix their quality issues.

This is quite the experience if you love a gourmet Italian meal. Customer service was impeccable. Presentation & cleanliness was appreciated & the food was pretty yummy. We had the beet salad, minestrone soup, penne pero with sausage & penne primavera with chicken. For dessert, we shared the tiramisu. We definitely will go back again.

The classiest affordable Italian restaurant in Palo Alto? Probably.
The restaurant is decorated very well, having no lack of furniture but left a lot of negative space. The employees are all very quiet and polite, and the owner (or manager) came out a few times to converse with some customers.
The bread and olive oil mixture was delightful. The bread is very warm and soft, and the oil is strong, combined with what I believe to be mashed olives.
I ordered the spinach and cheese raviolis, and they were divine. I love spinach, so tasting that with the soft cheese after biting into a slightly firm, house-​made ravioli, covered in marinara sauce, it made my night.
My boyfriend ordered the pasta with scallops. He enjoyed it, though he thought the serving was too large.
Still too young to try wines, and my boyfriend had already promised me we would go elsewhere for dessert.
The only issue I had here was the quality of the server’s work. Our particular server didn’t get to us to take our order for a while, didn’t bring us water or bread until our meal came out, then took a long time to clear our plates, followed by the very slow process of paying for our meal.
Nothing to keep me from coming back, though!

Great atmosphere and service but our party thought the food was pretty mediocre, falling into the Palo Alto trap of meh food at high prices.
Spaghetti all sciolio: The fish was small and the sauce was pretty watery. The richness that makes this dish delicious was glaringly absent. I would absolutely not order this again.
Linguini vongole: Decent but not as good as it is can be. I might order it again, but I might not.
Sorentina Gnocchi: This was good but I’ve had better. I’d get it again if I was here.
Bistecca ai Ferri: It was a 2^nd rate steak with a very heavy sauce. Wouldn’t order again.
Nice wine list by the bottle.

Ambiance: ⁴⁄₅
Service:4/5
Food: ⁴⁄₅
I had Spaghetti Carbonara and Gnocchi with pesto
Tasted good. The serving size may have been small.
But it felt enough with some wine. And dessert,
The complimentary bread average but the dipping oil was good.
Drinks: Good wine n drinks selection. We had Mojito and white wine
Price range: $$(definitely)
Music: Dont remember.

Came here on a Saturday night with a girlfriend of mine. Came for the food, stayed for the cute waiter. Just kidding (not really).
There’s plenty of street parking either on University or one of the streets off University. Even at peak dinnertime (6:30-ish) on a Saturday, parking wasn’t a problem. Nice Sicilian restaurant, open windows/​doors to the outside seating area, with dim lighting that would be perfect for a date. I also saw a few families there, so it’s good for groups as well. Ambiance is authentic yet modern, and classy through and through.
We started off with a drink each: my friend had the basil cocktail and I had the lychee martini. The lychee martini had a beautifully fruity and distinct lychee flavor to it, but it definitely packed an alcoholic punch. They served a warm bread basket with olive oil very quickly, so it’s not like we were drinking on empty stomachs.
To start, we ordered the Carpaccio di Manzo. If you’re a fan of arugula and meat like I am, you’ll love this dish. Despite some reviews to the contrary, I thought the dish was well-​seasoned, flavorful, and had beautiful presentation. It upped the class level for me. For entrée, I ordered the Swordfish, which was a dinner special they had going on. It came with this citrus salsa that elevated the flavor of the fish. The fish was also tender and juicy, not dried out like I’ve had at other places. Brussels sprouts on the side were also delicious.
Prices are on par with other restaurants in downtown Palo Alto. Service was fantastic as well — the waiter kept coming over to refill our drinks and see how we liked the food. He also kept saying, «grazie mille» towards the end, and said something something «bella,» and I swooned. Just kidding again (not really). If you’re super full like we were, it’s in the heart of downtown Palo Alto, so you can either stay here for dessert or walk around and explore the other options.

Just read this month’s Consumer Reports that stated that 19% of food borne illnesses came from seafood vs 9% from chicken, beef, or pork.
As a purveyor of seafood and an avid fisherman, I can tell you that the seafood that this place served is outright dangerous. The fish was old, crumbly, and smelled. The farm raised Manila clams were dead before they even started cooking.
They did a splendid job on the décor with some very impressive finish work.
The pasta was cooked well but the sauces and meats were select (not choice or prime) and the wait staff improperly trained.
Perhaps I am spoiled because the restaurants that I supply take pride in their food versus putting their guests at risk for saving a few bucks.
If it smells fishy or tastes old, please let the waitstaff know but expect them to handle it like they will normally. Deny deny deny.

For a special lunch or dinner, Atre is perfect. Dont expect to save money or for low sodium fare. But do expect delicious, perfectly crafted dishes. They recently added pizza to the menu. For lunch I split a salmon with arugula, thin crusted pie. It was delicious.
Eat in the few outside tables if you can. It’s quiet and pleasant. Or, sit at the bar when Danny is on staff. He’s friendly, attentive & is has even created a signature cocktail (sorry, it has an Italian name which I’ve forgotten) — mms

High quality Italian food in downtown Palo Alto.
The chefs and waiters are all Sicilian, so it has a very authentic menu and feel.
Decent happy hour options, including some cocktails, wine, and appetizers like bruschetta, fried artichokes, etc.
My mom had the spinach and ricotta ravioli, and I had the penne peró which was a spicy pasta dish with Italian sausage and spinach. They were both very good! We also shared a beet salad which was delicious.
The portion sizes were hefty but not overwhelming.
Good atmosphere, great outdoor seating and a cool vibe inside.
I’m usually pretty picky and harsh with Italian food, but Arte Ristorante did not disappoint!

The real deal
The most authentic Italian food around, just like Nona used to make. Classic Italian dishes and regional Sicilian cooking at its best with all the freshest ingredients. Great Italian wine list. Great service and atmosphere. Modern décor without any plastic grapes hanging from the ceiling. Great food prepared with love.

Came as a group of 2 on a weekday night.
We ordered the Carpaccio di Manzo antipasti, Penne Peró primi, and the Spiedino alla Griglia secondi to share. The balsamic vinegar in the antipasti was quite overpowering and we could barely taste the beef because of that. The primi was actually spicy, very surprising for a pasta dish. The secondi was … interesting, nothing amazing though we got it as it had some veggies. Both primi and secondi had very large portions.
The complimentary bread was great though.
I’d say that the food here is very Italian-​American fusion, not at all traditional. I feel like they need to tone down on the seasoning of their food (or maybe we were just lucky enough to try the most salty dishes). I actually feel like I could have gotten a better pasta from Cheesecake Factory.
The staff were very attentive, though, and the food came quickly. The interior is modern and during the evenings the restaurant is dimly lit. It’s a nice atmosphere for special occasions though I don’t think I’d go out of my way to come here again.

Update — came back and it wasn’t as good. Different chef? Will give it another try again but hoping for the first experience!
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Came here with the bf on a Friday night for our anniversary. He had reservations so can’t quite comment on wait. Place is very serene and clean, very traditional décor.
Aside from the bread which tasted like warmed stale bread (maybe it’s supposed to be like that? It doesn’t have any elasticity, just kinda crumbled) but the rest of the food was great :)
Beet salad: this was one of their daily specials. Large hearty chunks of red and yellow beets circling a plate with a salad in the middle, vinaigrette was delicious and spot on mixed in.
Cioppino: Almost didn’t get this because there were so many other things on the menu I wanted to try but in the end was in the mood for this. SO GLAD. Probably the best cooked cioppino I have ever had (flavor is a different story since everyone has their own preferences), but the fish and calamari were amazingly tender, the clams and mussels were perfectly cooked (I don’t like undercooked shellfish), and the chunks of tomato were heavenly. Only the shrimp was completely overcooked. Broth is very flavorful and has a wonderful kick to it. Am coming back just for this.
Osso bucco: soft melt away meat on a bed of very rich and heavy polenta like grain. Delicious but can’t speak as much to it since it wasn’t my plate.
Service was good. Overall 4.5 experience.

Made a reservation for dinner here the other night and the experience left much to be desired. The interior of the restaurant was modern and relatively upscale. The spacing between tables was comfortable.
Started off with the complimentary bread which wasn’t too fresh…
Moved on to the Carpaccio which was decent but the greens and cheese topping also weren’t too fresh…
The Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad was good. However the «prawns» that they used were overcooked and not very fresh… they were also more like shrimp… Added a salmon to my salad and it was also overcooked and not fresh… bummer
Highlight of the meal was definitely the tiramisu as it was fresh… although a tad sweet.
Service was decent throughout the meal.
The bathrooms are pretty neat too.
~$ 52/​head after tax and tip for dinner.

Came here for dinner with a friend last night. Overall, the food was pretty good and the service was all right, but it wasn’t a standout experience. The focaccia they serve at the beginning is AMAZING! Freshly toasted with a nice Rosemary flavor. Here’s the rest of what we ordered:
1. Bruschetta — baked Roma tomatoes with basil and extra virgin olive oil, served on toasted bread — the tomatoes were roasted nicely and basically melted in my mouth. It was well seasoned and placed in really thin, but delicious, pieces of toast. The only downside to this was that it was drenched in oil… far too much…
2. Ossobuco alla Milanse — braised veal shanks served with saffron risotto — this meat literally fell off the bones! Perfectly cooked and really tasty. However, it had these veggies that seemed like they had been stewing for way too long and were super salty. I was able to balance it out with the risotto, but it’s a shame they weren’t perfect on their own.
3. Branzino al Limone — Mediterranean Sea bass sautéed in light lemon sauce, served with roasted fingerling potatoes — the combination of this fish with this sauce was reallllly good — while the fish was really well cooked, the sauce was the star of this dish. My friend who ordered this kept getting more bread just to sop up all of the sauce.
Service was just ok — the guy filling up our water was really attentive and friendly. Our server, though, seemed to fine it really hard to make eye contact with us and didn’t seem all that thrilled to be working that night. He wasn’t mean or rude… just not as great of service you would hope for in a nice restaurant like this.
Not sure if I’ll be back, but if a friend wanted to come here, I wouldn’t be opposed.