I did some research within 30 minutes and found this restaurant in East Bay where I had an early lunch with girlfriends on a Saturday afternoon. I was able to make last minute reservation for a party of 3. It took us a while to find the restaurant because the street was blocked off for a beer festival. The restaurant initially looked small from the entrance but it was pretty big in the back with multiple rooms. We were seated right away in a room with lots of window so there were a lot of natural lighting. The hostess and servers were friendly and helpful. They gave us good recommendations because the menu had a lot of options. They also gave us fresh bread with dipping oil. We ordered several dishes for only 3 people and it was a lot of food but we liked variety. We ordered 2 appetizers, a salad, 3 pastas and 2 desserts. My favorites was the polenta - cornmeal fritters, seafood linguini pasta and risotto con salsiccia. Overall, it was a good experience, service was attentive, and the food had a lot of flavor. The price varies depending on the dish, but I would say that it was a little on the pricer side. I would definitely come back. It's a nice restaurant to catch up with friends and family or go on a date. read more

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Food ok. What is absolutely ABOMINABLE is their take out/pick up system. Ordered here by phone 3 times, once via online. Every time I have arrived, they haven't even started the order despite my telling them my pickup time. On average, have had to wait a minimum of 20 minutes. Worse, no apologies or an iota of service recovery attempt. ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE read more

Food is great. Reservation system doesn't allow for changes to be made online and the hostess was rude about us coming late to a reservation (even though it was dead). read more

We popped in here before a show, but some of the people in our party were late. They sat us and brought us drinks while we waited on the Tardy Party. We (unfortunately) had to rush our meal to get to the show on time. The staff were accommodating, understanding, and provided excellent five star service to our party of 12. THE FOOD was so delicious. I had the chicken parmigiana, and it was fresh, authentic, melt in your mouth deliciousness. The polenta on the side was creamy and just delectable. We shared the pizza, and fried cheese and zucchini. They also serve complimentary bread. We were in such a hurry that I only took a few photos. My daughters enjoyed their Caesar Salads, and we had to hustle out of there without dessert. I look forward to coming back and taking my time. It's pretty inside and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, despite literally having to eat and run. Grazi and we'll see you soon. read more

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Our server was excellent. Unfortunately I do not remember her name. I ordered the tortellini which was delicious. The ambiance was nice as well. Definitely a hidden gem in Hayward. We celebrated a friend's birthday. We will definitely be back. read more

This is me and my family's favorite restaurant in Hayward. We go here for regular dinners and special occasion dinners. Everything on the menu is amazing. Make sure to order one of their specials if you go - those are some of their best dishes imo. Staff is always so friendly and attentive. We have never had a less than stellar experience here. read more

Oh my goodness!!! SUPER GOOD!! I ordered the Fettuccine Gamberetti and it's the best pasta i've ever had. Everything was cooked to perfection and was soooo good! Their garlic bread is also amazing! I would definitely recommend if you're in the area and want amazing pasta. I'll have to be back to try some of their other dishes, they all look amazing! read more

First time here today. Came here to have lunch with a high school friend who lives in San Jose, so we met here as a halfway point between our cities. I was seated after 15 minutes as I arrived a few minutes after they opened. I was seated in the back and found myself cold most of the time. It was super spacious in there- definitely not a cozy feeling (in the back part at least) but it was brightly lit by the large window that faced the street. I arrived first so I got the appetizers going- calamari with aioli sauce and bruschetta. I later ordered a pineapple bubbly when my friend arrived, after she ordered a Chianti. I decided on a gnocchi after our server said that it was one of their specials and the gnocchi is like "pillows in your mouth." That sold me immediately. When it came, it was swimming in a light cream tomato sauce and looked delectable. I loved the calamari more than the bruschetta. Calamari wasn't too battered and had a good crispy outside and soft inside. The aioli was my favorite. The bruschetta was ok, but the bread seemed like regular toast. There wasn't any oomph to it, nor was it memorable. My gnocchi was excellent- definite pillows in my mouth, my tongue could sleep. I found however, that the gnocchi overwhelmed the sauce so it felt like I had to get more sauce as I chewed my pillows. Good but not the best I've had. For dessert, I had a cappuccino which was perfectly foamed up, so thick, I was able to spoon it a little at a time. The panna cotta with raspberry sauce was delicious and the perfect finish to our Italian lunch. Great service and good food, great job Hayward! read more

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From the appetizers to the desserts, everything was delicious, including the service (Alenie sp?). The lasagna, mushroom chicken, bruschetta and stuffed mushrooms were flavorful to the last bite and even though we were full, we had to finish the plate. Also the best tiramisu I've ever had in the states. read more

I came here a couple days ago for the first time with a big party reservation. We ordered many different plates and shared bits of each together. The gnocchi was what I ordered, perfectly cooked, and the sauce was so creamy and tomatoey, without the too strong acidity that some tomato sauces have. My friends sitting next to me had a pesto type of pasta and they requested vegetarian and extra chili, and another dish was the minestrone soup and Caesar salad. The appetizers were the bruschetta and fried zucchini with fried mozzarella, and everything was so delicious. The desserts we ate were the tiramisu and the creme brulee, and normally tiramisu is my favorite, but the creme brulee is just so good here that it became the favorite of the whole table. Their drinks, both alcoholic cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks were good too. Not only was the food delicious, but the service was phenomenal. The staff were very patient with us (we were quite a large group of people and our reservation was closer to closing time) and they really know their stuff, giving great recommendations and bringing items out in a timely manner. The decor was also very warm and inviting. This is now my favorite local Italian restaurant and I will return, with family next time. read more

Acqua e Farina - Pesto with extra chili - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

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Was pleasantly surprised with this restaurant. Nice and spacious located in downtown hayward. The interior is warm and welcoming And the lights are dimmed just right for an intimate dinner. The waitstaff was wonderful, very knowledgable on the current menu, and the specials they were offering. The food was delicious and tasted fresh. I will return to try something else on the menu. read more

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The food was delicious. We had Tortelini and gnocchi. We thought both were delicious. My companion had a whiskey drink with an orange slice which was on the sweet side. We had a lemoncello for the table and one to go for My Mother. All three of us enjoyed this desert drizzled with raspberry sauce and a molded desert with raspberry and a drizzle. We agreed on everything except the molded raspberry desert. The food and ambiance went very well. It is my go to Italian resturant. read more

Some of my colleagues recommended this place and we went for a work group luncheon. Very nice and hospitable staff. All of the food was made in house including the bread. I tried the spinach and cheese ravioli with meat sauce. Everything was tasty and reasonably priced. Good family owned restaurant in downtown Hayward. read more

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After coming 3 times and having multiple meals I can give my honest review. They've been here for a long time and there is always a decent amount of patrons here. The service is really good, but the food is just ok. I came purposely the first time years ago, the last 2 times including the most recent it was an after thought for a birthday meal. The interior set up/decor is a bit all over with painted buildings on some walls and bare/white walls in other places. I do believe they bought the business next door, knocked a wall down and created more seating. It looks like this could be 3 different places. The food is moderately priced, but somethings missing flavor/preparation wise. I don't like anything spicy, but some seasoning greatly helps meals. The other side is some don't like seasoning much, or at all. Overall, this place is ok at best. read more

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We like this restaurant and have been a handful of times. This time, we went to celebrate a friend's retirement. . They've expanded into the space next door since we were last there, this is where we were seated. Not quite as much ambiance in the new space but it was clear and well kept. I got the short ribs, which were delicious, but no one else seemed to really enjoy their food. My husband got the seafood stew special and didn't care for the sauce. My friends got the calamari steak (ok) and chicken (ok). What I was most disappointed with were the cocktails. We each ordered a cocktail and were shocked when the drinks came out in a very small glass at $15.00 a pop! Ridiculous! Just alright and in my opinion not worth the almost $200.00 tab read more

One of, if not my favorite Italian spot in Hayward! The owners are very nice, every time I come in they make me feel at home. Service is always great. Clean! And the food is always fantastic, My only and only complaint is the prices are a bit on the expensive side but the quality of the food makes it worth it! read more

This was my first time dining here to celebrate Christmas early with the family on a Thursday night. We didn't have reservations but was seated immediately for a party of 5 in the back room. The back room felt like a dining hall while the front felt more cozy. First 2 baskets of bread is free then they charge for the 3rd. They don't have a written kids menu but you can ask for half order of basic pasta (like Alfredo, meat sauce, marinara etc. ) Our son's half linguini with meatballs was $13.25. Everyone at the table finished their plate except my pregnant wife who ordered the gnocchi. She liked it but wished she had ordered something with other ingredients as well. They make some pastas in house (gnocchi, ravioli, forgot the rest) Pops very much enjoyed his expresso martini while my Italian old fashion was on the sweeter side. Desserts were good. The tiramisu had really good strong espresso and rum flavors. Bread pudding was ok. Service was amazing. Our server was knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. Their menu is more limited than let's say Paradiso (in San Leandro) but I feel like Acqua has better service and pricing!! It was a great night and I'm glad our parents enjoyed dinner. Will be back! read more

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I went here based on a recommendation by my friend and was pleasantly surprised at the great service. Really cool atmosphere wonderful food and I ordered the saltimbocca Wow just superb. This restaurant has lots of room for private parties and more plus parking was very easy read more

Acqua e Farina - Saltimbocca with polenta and veggies - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

Came here back in May. We arrived on an early weekday evening. Not sure if it was because of COVID, but the decor and seating felt sparse. The seafood stuffed mushrooms hardly tasted of any flavor. Just a lot of breading with a very strong lemony sauce. Our server felt inexperienced and didn't know when to change out our utensils. On the bright side, the fettucini gambaretti (shrimp pasta in a creamy white sauce), was extremely delicious! I devoured the entire plate and definitely recommend. Aside from the shrimp pasta, the rest of the food and service was underwhelming. The entrees are a bit pricey ($$) and it didn't feel quite like a fine dining experience with the inexperienced service. Hopefully, they have improved since. read more

Party of 10 celebrating three birthdays! I was aiming for a central location for everyone in the East Bay with easy parking, and Acqua e Farina fit the bill! I called a month in advance for rezzies and had no problem. Everything we ordered was a good portion size. Some food was better than others. Everyone who ordered the seafood pasta special loved it (even my super picky brother who rarely likes anything finished his plate). My nephew's porterhouse was cooked a perfect medium rare and he packed it away. On the flip side: My veal saltimbocca was on the salty side and my niece's lasagne was rock hard on the top edge. We did love the creamy polenta! The white wine sauce in the cozze e vongole was really good (lemony), but oddly, very thick. Was this due to cornstarch? Dessert: The consensus was the limoncello tartufo was the clear winner over the chocolate. Roberto was our server and he was fantastic! Our first time at the restaurant, I didn't think of the little things to ask about. When I called I should have specified I had my 95 year old grandmother coming with slight mobility issues (walker). We were a bit concerned when we learned our table was at the back of the restaurant with a few stairs leading up to it. We managed, but next time I'll ask for a table that isn't in that part of the restaurant. read more

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We have been here a couple of times now and think of this place as a solid Italian restaurant. We came here for my partner's birthday and ordered the Fettuccine Gambaretto and the spinach ravioli. The spinach ravioli itself was a bit dry but there was plenty of sauce to makeup for it. The Fettuccine Gambaretto is also very good, but there was such few noodles. We find the portions to be a bit small and wish that we would get more for the price that we pay. There is complimentary bread, but the amount is also very small and so we always ask for another basket of bread when we go there. Also sad I called ahead to note that it was my partner's birthday and if they could bring him out cake. The server apparently didn't get the note and so I didn't bother with cake after all. Parking can be hard to find on the street, but there's a couple of parking lots right nearby - the adjacent one is sketchy and not paved and the one across the street is full sometimes. But it's less than a five minute walk from a parking garage. read more

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01/21/23 Dinner It has been a few years since we last ate at Acqua E Farina. I forget just how good and conveniently close to home this is. We made reservations for 6 p.m. but they were able to seat us early. The service was impeccable! We ordered the calamari, seafood pasta over lobster sauce and lamb ossobuco. Everything was delicious. I believe they make their pasta in-house! They are generous with the seafood and the lamb was melt in your mouth tender. This would be an amazing place to take a date or loved one for special occasion or any occasion. read more

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Excellent is an understatement. The food was absolutely wonderful, the atmosphere is perfect for date night, group outing, or even just solo.dining at the quaint little bar. Service was too notch and they made our holiday dinner very enjoyable highly recommend this restaurant. Parking is a little tricky as the downtown area isn't the safest, but well worth it! read more

We just held a luncheon (celebration of life for a family member) for 38 people on Saturday, 1/3/26, and I could not recommend this restaurant more highly! The food and service and setting were amazing, and I was surprised at the large number of people who made a point of telling me how great it was. I do not live in the area and picked the restaurant because it was well recommended by friends. Now I will be one of those doing the recommendation. We plan to go again. If you have a large group, working with Emiliano is the thing to do. He was so helpful, helping is get the meal choices set, working with us flexibly because you never know exactly how many people will show up following a funeral, and was so prompt and responsive. Just a great restaurant, great staff! read more

Turkey Day 2023 update. It was Thanksgiving and my husband and I wanted to enjoy ourselves out for dinner instead of cooking at home. Let me tell you that Acqua E Farina knows how to do holidays right when it comes to accommodating people inside the restaurant. My husband and I arrived early from our ride and they graciously took us in early from our Open Table reservation. We were seated promptly and everything was good to go from there. Our drink orders came out right away and then we had our food order promptly taken. Throughout this whole process I noticed staff working left and right around the clock to get to other customers and their hard work and perfection shows. When the food came out it looked real delicious. Porterhouse Steak and Porkchops. And a Tiramisu to go I might add :) And it was not too busy around 4pm so we got there right when we needed to. On a side note, we walked around B Street to see if it was busy and almost everything along B Street were closed, same with Main St. But it's to be expected for the holidays One more Acqua E Farina outings for the holiday books. We enjoyed ourselves very thoroughly. read more

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Truly incredible restaurant nestled in the heart of downtown hayward. Came on a Thursday evening around 7. made a reservation, but probably could have gone without, it wasn't too busy. The service was incredible, very attentive and prompt staff. We started with their incredible Caprese; which was so good, but smaller portion size. For an entree I had the calamari steak, which was served with a masked potato of sorts, and vegetables- topped with the most amazing sauce i've ever had. it had such an amazing flavor profile of citrus. My partner had a seafood pasta, he loved it. For dessert we had the ricotta cheese cake. it was so rich. highly recommend this place. if you're looking for a nice place for date night or nice dinner, definitely come here. read more

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Not a good place for lunch. Too slow and dark. The place had an overbearing smell of cleaning agent which made the food taste weird. May be good for dinner and parties. Definitely too dark and dull for a casual lunch. read more

Since 2011 and after all these years, this is still my favorite Italian restaurant. Great food, service and ambiance. I know both brothers who own and operate the restaurant, totally hands on. I strongly recommend this restaurant, it's great at the bar or at the table family setting. read more

Acqua e Farina - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

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Came here with a group and felt the food was just okay. The place has an old-school vibe and was pretty loud inside when we were there. Clam pasta - very small clams, flavor was okay. Calamari was okay. Breadcrumb was kind of thick. read more

We ordered the fettuccine with shrimp and artichoke hearts and the chicken parm. The first dish was executed well: creamy without being too heavy thanks to the lighter ingredients. The chicken parm was heavy, dry, and flat in taste. I wonder if I had a bad batch given the reviews in favor of this dish. The atmosphere was old school fine dining; it felt a little awkward having our toddler with us. read more

So I frequent this place for lunch and dinner. Well- that will be past-tense now. I got takeout Sunday evening after calling in my order. When I arrived, hostess was sooo rude. I ordered two pasta dishes and a salad. Spinach salad was suppose to have several items in it - it was $17.95 for a plastic container of just Spinach greens (NOTHING ELSE). And signature pasta dish was swimming in white sauce and I counted 2 sun-dried tomatoes and barely two bits of bell peppers. What a rip off, considering how expensive this dish was! So disappointing! And hostess continued to give me attitude when I asked why other normal amount of ingredients are not in this pasta (which probably cost less than $2 to make). There are plenty of other more authentic Italian restaurants in the area, Paradiso's in San Leandro and Pasta Prima that will give quality food and not a hostess with a snotty attitude. Will def not be going here again read more

Pasta pasta! Ordered dinner to go and was pleasantly surprised!! Complimentary bread, was soft and doughy they gave a couple different types of bread. Ordered the pesto, chicken alfredo, lasagna and calamari! Calamari was 10/10 super crispy & flavorful stayed crispy the whole ride home. Alfredo was good, lasagna was delightful and the pesto was my favorite. Everything was fresh & flavorful. Definitely going back for a dining experience. read more

SO YUMMY! The service was great and the price point was really approachable. My friend got the gnocchi and it literally melted in our mouth. The ingredients were fresh and delicious, and the restaurant itself is so cute and decorated tastefully! I love the big mural in the back, so cute! read more

The food was amazing and our server was exceptionally well versed in the menu. Will definitely visit again

It's decent for the area and I would come again. I thought their complimentary herbed focaccia was great and my group of 3 easily ate 3 baskets before our entrees came out. We ordered fettuccine alfredo as a special request, the tortellini entree, and a New York strip steak. The pasta was decent but the issue was the steak. I wouldn't recommend ordering steak here as it feels like diner steak and when we first ordered as medium rare, it came out basically raw. We cut into it and spoke to our waiter about the issue. The brought the dish back but looks like they just reheated the steak (which was already cut up by the way, to show the rawness). Instead of a new steak, they just put the steak back on the grill and it came out well done. Not so happy about this situation. Other than the steak, i'd say this is alright place for pasta. *Disclaimer: As of 2020, I refuse to rate restaurants anything lower than 4 stars unless I truly believe they are deserving of a lower status. I believe that any food or service lower than 4 stars should be first addressed with the restaurant before negatively impacting business. read more

Acqua e Farina - Tortellini - Italian Near Me - Hayward, California

Roberto the server defined the evening. From presenting the long list of specials to managing the details of the appetizer selections and to the key features we selected as our main courses. Nothing was overlooked!!! Wall murals give you a sense of being in A small Italian village. Don't let the store front fool you - the restaurant is spacious with great atmosphere. One of the best spots for dinner, that I have experienced in CA. Our meals and service received was amazing!!! read more

Always amazing food. I love the shrimp, steak and polenta, and great cocktails. The staff is very friendly.

We visited this Italian restaurant last night after a friends recommendation. It did not disappoint. From when we first entered, we were greeted and seated right away. Our server, Danny was friendly, attentive and took great care of our needs. We started with a couple of their "Spooky" Seasonal cocktails. Hocus Pocus , a gin base with Chambord and pomegranate. Very tasty! The second was a Poison Apple, vodka base with Puckers Sour Apple and a special vial of "poison" that I'm still not sure what it was but it was delicious. For dinner they serve complimentary warm bread with oil and vinegar. We started with the Prosciutto wrapped melon, which came with olives. The perfect sweet, salty combination. We then had the Risotto and Shrimp Scampi with polenta and veggies. Both were excellent. Finishing the night off with the Panna Cotta w/ raspberry sauce and Lemon Gelato w/ Limoncello center and raspberry sauce drizzled over. Add a glass of sparkling Moscato. How refreshing and delicious. The restaurant itself looks like a hole in the wall from the outside, but is surprisingly big inside, with several rooms, good for large parties or events. This will definitely be on my list to revisit, and bring some friends & family along. Thank you for a great dining experience.. read more

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Love this place always on point. Food is delicious, service is amazing, and waiters are so full of great tips to pair wine with dinner read more

Ambiance: 5 Stars It's always good when you step into a restaurant and get lost into the theme of the restaurant. Middle of Hayward, but when you enter, I felt I was far away. Service: 5 Stars The host almost blew my experience as I had a reservation, but still made me wait, felt ignored. But the servers were the stars and made me forget about host. Food: 5 Stars The appetizer to the entrees were full of flavors that I have never experienced. All the dishes were great. Just a slight miss with seasoning, Marsala needed some salt and the linguini had a bit too much salt. It wasn't perfect, but the great service along with great food overcame the slight imperfection. read more

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