Pontevecchio Italian Bistro

If you have a lot of time, and are open to an authentic Italian experience, this is the place to go. My husband and I have gone here several times and have never been disappointed. There are only a small number of tables, and the owner gives time and attention to each of them, taking the time to chat with each guest. If you are in a rush, you are not going to enjoy this kind of environment, as my husband and I have witnessed with other guests there.
As for the food, I have nothing but great things to say about this place. We actually had our wedding rehearsal dinner there with 20 or so people there, and they created a menu for us that was excellent. When we visit there on a regular night, the food has never disappointed us, from appetizer to dessert. We have never felt pushed to order anything, as another reviewer experienced.
The ambiance is such that both families and couples would feel very welcome. It is a great place for a romantic date, just be sure you come prepared to spend 2 – 3 hours there, enjoying the food and wine.

I’ve been meaning to get this one down for a while now.
This place was cheesy, overpriced and weird.
The four-​star average makes me wonder if we caught them on a bad night. The fact we were the only ones there (I think it was a Wednesday) and that they seemed like they were closed at first are suggestive. But the owner/​host was pushy with his ‘romantic vibe,’ and overly sensitive to benign questions. I’m all for romance, but not when it’s forced. I could see it in his eyes, ‘you will be in love!’ And when I asked if it was typical for salad to be served after the main course in Italy, he replied, ‘how many traditional Italian restaurants have you been to?’ A simple yes or no, really, would have sufficed.
As for the food, it was ok, actually. Decent pasta dishes, and a simple salad … for dessert. Friends tell me that really is the way it’s done in Italy, but I’m personally not a fan. The big problem with the food is that it costs probably about $ 10 more per entrée than it’s worth.
Bottom line is there is little reason to recommend this place. There are several better venues for the small, romantic Italian restaurant experience (eg, Bizzarro, Café Piccolo, Salvatore). Don’t go here.

This a great place to have dinner when you’re not worried about time or money. Granted, this is a pretty specific set of circumstances but for the times when you do find yourself experiencing that type of abundance I definitely recommend Pontevecchio.
The service is not quick, but expect for it to be quite personal as the owner is ever-​present and makes very good recommendations. He seems to genuinely enjoy the small talk with his customers and has a lot of pride in his menu.
Dinner is best enjoyed here as a multi-​course affair with salad dishes corresponding to entrees and a well chosen bottle of wine. I’ve been here a few times and haven’t found a loser in the menu yet. The food is mostly traditional Italian with a few slightly Greek alternatives thrown in for good measure, in generally smaller portions.
Go for the ambiance, bring someone you’d really like to get to know and prepare to spend a few hours and a decent amount of money enjoying the finer things in life.

The food is pretty good. The atmosphere is kinda bland. Service comes and goes. It is too expensive for what you get. So if somebody else is paying try it out. If you pay I’d suggest going to Bizzarro!

The food was decent and tasted okay, but in this economy and at these moderate prices I’d rather try other 3, 4, or 5 star restaurants. I distinctly remember when we all got our plates I was thinking «Is that IT?!». Turns out that the entrée portions were ok only because we split a large antipasti, but what if we hadn’t?
2 stars primarily because service was so spotty. We were the first people in for their service on a particularly warm Seattle evening. Right away the host started pushing some fresh fish entrees that were not on their specials board. I was in the mood for pasta. Creamy pasta at that. The host asked me why I want a «heavy» pasta when it is hot out. Why is it on the menu then? Why were both specials heavy, cheesy pasta dishes? Why is a hearty pork dish on the menu? Turns out that another friend wanted that pork dish but he wouldn’t serve it, again because of the heat. We may be Americans, and may be «stupid Americans» but if it is so important to the host that we eat light seafood entrees, they should edit their menu.
My friend specifically told him that she wasn’t in the mood for seafood, so she ordered the pasta she wanted. 20 minutes later he informs her that the kitchen didn’t have the mushrooms for her pasta dish. Again, he offers up the seafood dishes, specifically swordfish. WRONG. She was visibly pregnant and swordfish is on the steer clear list due to mercury concerns.
The serving pace was glacial. We were there on a week night and spent about 3 hours there because it took forever to get our entrees and the check.

Tricky & Delicious.
I don’t understand why it’s so hard for me to find good italian food in this city but I was totally satisfied at Pontevecchio’s.
We came for an early dinner and were the only people there for the first half of the meal, the owner was really attentive and made solid recommendations for every course. I’m not typically a multiple-​course kinda girl, mostly because I can hardly afford one, but there’s not really a choice here. He suggested all his favorites and then brought them out… without permission? Granted, yes they were all real tasty but the one time I don’t want someone to feed me is when I have to pay for it.
I keep meaning to go back but this time I will stand ground and only order what I want… maybe…probably not…

Service is a funny thing. Most people gripe about bad service, but almost equal to it in my mind is too much attention of the insincere kind — the variety that makes your eyes cramp from rolling them too often.
Pontevecchio Italian Bistro skirts this line very well, with their host Michael providing sincere, attentive service without making you feel like you’ve got «that guy» as your server and host.
When I came in too late for lunch for a take-​out meal, yet still craving a panini, he said he’d get a few going for me without a hint of projecting inconvenience. He even threw in a few bottled waters for free because it was so hot outside.
«It’s-ah ninety degrees out-​ah-​side. You need-​ah some water!»
All I’ve ever had here are their several varieties of panini, which depending on the type come stuffed with meat and sautéed peppers. What I like about them is that they are the perfect size; not the giant pizza-​box sized panini that you might get elsewhere with their plasticine cheese, nay, these paninis are the perfect size and come with a pallete-​clensing salad.
There are a thousand Thai places in Fremont, but few Italian. This one is worth repeat business. Grazi, Michael!
My scale:
5 of 5 Stars — Would make a special, even long-​distance trip to go here, and evangelize its greatness to others
4 of 5 Stars — A go-​to option, even if there were other more convenient or less expensive options available
3 of 5 Stars — Inclined to give it another shot, just to see
2 of 5 Stars — Would not go back, once was enough
1 of 5 Stars — Would actively avoid, would recommend against going to others, experience filled with great sadness and regret

Solid family-​owned business. I’d go back any time.
Food 4.5*
Service 5*
Atmosphere: 3*
Wine Prices: $ 30/​bottle for great wine selected by the owner
Apparently the Veal Saltimboca is the way to go, but the duck was good, and so was my lamb. I liked the risotto too, but it wasn’t oozing enough for my tastes.
I loved the salad at the end of the meal. I’m told «that’s how they do it» across the pond.
Here’s a tip: there’s reserved parking two stores east. It’s easy to get to if you drive through the ally behind the restaurant. You can get to it from the street, but I found the ally more intuitive.

I searched for the perfect restaurant worthy of v-​day with my lovely Megi, and was not disappointed. Pontevecchio was wonderful and everything we could have asked for. There was a violinist for our entire 5-​course 3-​hour dinner experience. The owner structured v-​day with just two full dinner services in the evening running from 5:30 pm to midnight, meaning that everyone was on the same schedule and had at least 3 hours and zero wait time to be seated with reservations.
Like a good fireworks presentation, the live music was loosely coordinated to the timing of the dinner service. We’ll have to come back before next v-​day, and I highly recommend this restaurant for the romantic «home-​cooked» Italian experience.
p. s. Some have mentioned slow service as a negative for this restaurant. True to European values, the pace is quite slow by American standards, but I felt it was appropriate and exactly what I was looking for. Since I had not looked at my watch all night, I was surprised it was almost Midnight by the time our meal was over and people were leaving.
–Michael

This was by far the most AMAZING dining experience I had ever had in my entire life! My husband and I went on a Monday night for a romantic night out. Well, romantic does not half describe this place!!! It was the best food I have ever had in my life! The ravoli was incredible, and the tirmamisu was so amazing I almost ordered a second. Both the cook and the waiter came out to ask about our food and to thank us for dining with them. I am almost 7 months pregnant, and once the waiter noticed he not only congratulated my husband and I, but invited us to bring in the baby (after she is born of course) and to celebrate with a bottle of wine «on the house». Not only am I going to reccomend this place to EVERYONE, but I plan on eating there as often as time affords.
Updated 9÷3÷08
We went here again for our 1 year anv… we brought our new baby (3 months) and had another fantastic meal. Wonderful service, amazing food, and the night of our life. We love the staff… our server introduced us to his daughters as «his good friends». Once again, I felt like a guest of honor. It is so great to be lucky enough to have this place nearby

A relatively small Italian place in Fremont delivers some big-​tasting panini. This is Italian food. Push your sleeves up, forget your diet and mangia!
When my brother and I came in for lunch the owner expressed disbelief that we weren’t concerned about the futbol game on TV, but we wouldn’t have noticed it anyway once the food came. A great little salad came along with our paninis. I dock a star because it does take awhile and my water didn’t have ice. I like ice.
Regardless, I’ve come back and the food is just as good since the first time. I’ve even had ice since. One of these day’s I’ll graduate to dinner. La Vita e Bella has got the market cornered on my Italian dinners for now, however.

People aren’t lying when they say «authentic» Italian food. This little family owned restaurant brought their traditions with them form Italy including the multi-​course meals with the salad at the end. Go here on a night where you don’t have other places to be, like life in Italy, dinner will be the evenings main attraction.

If you want an Authentic Italian cuisine this is the place to be. I’ve been to many Italian restaurants all over Italy and going to this restaurant brings me right back to Italy. Everything from the low-​light setting, friendly host that greet you right when you come in, it’s the whole Italian experience.
This is perfect for a date, or group dinners. although you can be a casual setting, in Italy, when Italians go to late night dinners they like to dress nice… so to complete your perfect Italian dinner experience, dress to impress. it’s not typical but this can also be good for kids, it’s family owned business and they have their kids helping them at times, which is entertaining. If you wanna practice your Italian you can speak with them too!
Food is great! the pasta is al dente and their antipasti are amazing! it’s a little bit on the pricey side though ($ 20-​$ 35 plate) but if you compare it to how much you’d pay for the same experience in Italy, it’s about the same. But if you share this experience with someone special it is all worth it!

Let’s start by saying, this is not the place to go for just a «quick» bite to eat. In fact, this is just the place I plan on taking my half Italian-​half Korean Husband for our Anniversary Dinner.
I arrived for dinner with a friend (shout out to Mike O!) after attending an Open House in the same neighborhood. We both craved some authentic Italian food and after seeing this place, continuing to look around in the district for something at least slightly cheaper, we both agreed to go back. And we were not disappointed!
Not only are these Brothers Authentic Italians (right down to the Sicilian accents), but they know how to do a fantastic dining experience. There’s a great selection of wines (although my partner in crime and I both stuck to water after the Eliot’s Extravaganza the night before), and while the meal list is limited, it’s filled with a fantastic variety. There’s an even smaller selection for Vegetarians (Vegan’s, don’t bother), but it can be done.
I had the Tagliatelle dei Malaveglia, which is Fettuccine noodles with Salmon, Calamari and Shrimp in a spicy cream sauce. It was absolutely everything I was craving. It came out hot, the seafood was fresh and the sauce was to die for! My friend had something without meat (I can’t recall the name currently) and then we split an Orgasmic Tiramisu made with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Salad was served AFTER the meal, not prior to the meal, as is the norm with traditional Italian Culture.
The atmosphere is probably my favorite. Lighting was low, but not hard on the eyes. The walls on one side of the restaurant have the cracked Tuscan-​look and the paint is the same color on the other side. The tables are mostly made for dates, or two-​toppers if you will (a throwback to my waitress days). The price is expensive (after splitting our check, we each paid at or around $ 30) but well worth it.
We did wait a while in between our meals and our salads, and again between dessert and our check. We probably spent a good hour and a half in there, if not closer to two. I didn’t get a refill on my water, although I could have used one (again, reminder of the previous night at Eliot’s!). But if I can disregard that, so can you.
FYI, NOT the place to take a child to dinner. High Chairs are not readily available and I wouldn’t expect my 2.5 year old to sit through an entire meal there, as it’s not kid-​friendly. I’d say at least 12 and over.

These gentlemen … well, I am not into going to «Italian» places… b/​c of such let-​downs. A while ago, I was working right above them in Old PCC building. Every day, I would go for the lunch-​window special… UH… EVERY time, all I can say… OMG! absolutely insane food! Then… I got hooked… and being a cheapie, I actually had more than a few night-​dinners. They hooked me up… make the best in-​house authentic pastas, on and on… once in a blue-​moon when i happen to be in Fremont these days, I AM BUMMED that i have missed their hours. Such kind people, and absolutely AMAZING food. It is the best Italian-​place I’ve known in the Puget Sound… all started with their open-​window walk-​by lunch specials changing each day! THANKS!

This is the place you go when you’re looking for an authentic dining experience. That means a couple of things:
+ lots of wine
+ several courses of food
+ a very long dining experience
I just finished a three hour dinner and it was supurb. I wish I could remember the wine we were drinking because it was so tasty. It’s not because we had so much that I can’t remember… though we did drink several bottles… it’s because it was really tasty and very affordable.
So, the wine list is good. The food is even better. We had a good appetizer plate — a bit pricey — but a good mix of many italian favorites. Then, onto pasta. As expected the food was delicious and I especially enjoyed the loving spices added to the sauce.
Michael, the owner, is by far the highlight of the dining experience. He’s 100% stereotypical italian machismo. Tight shirt, lots of gold, winks for all the ladies and an accent that makes you want to listen to him all night. I’d loved it!
Note — if you’re in a hurry and looking for a quick dinner, this is NOT the place for you.

I love this place, the food, the wine, the picture of Momma on the wall. Pontevecchio is a quaint, romantic, delicious little place in Fremont. Authentic Italian food made with love. Highly recommended for a special evening. A small restaurant that doesn’t say «I’m trying to impress you» the owner is gracious and friendly and the food is fantastic.

I went here solely based on Unilocal.
My friend was like «uhhh» when we looked inside because it was empty, and dark. Than she was rude enough to say «this isn’t like the last place you brought me riiight?» After she apologized for my breaking my tender heart we actually realized this place is legit. The prices were a little more than we are used too 20 – 30. All this being said the taste alone was worth it… and the passion it created.

I fell in love at Pontevecchio… with the Red Sauce. Yes, while I was was with a good conversationalist, it just wasn’t working out, as my passions swayed from her to the Fresh Halibut Special covered in the house-​made Marinara. I would be so bold to say THAT sauce is better than my Great Grandma’s.
And yes, Michael (pronounced Mich-​ke-​la) is such a charismatic host/​owner that a single appetizer is a great experience. He was very accommodating to any menu request we had. It truly was as if he had invited us into «his house» and was ecstatic to add on a pile of fresh, al-​dente linguine as a side to the Halibut. I have never felt more comfortable or at home in a restaurant.
In fact, the Pontevecchio Paradox is that while it’s known as a romantic restaurant, there is so much to enjoy beyond the standard «table for two» that one does not even have to be on a date to receive fullest of culinary experiences.

Completely agree with everything said by Kathleen.
This is also a great place for lunch (under $ 10!). This includes pasta dishes and very tasty sandwiches.