It's been a few days since my experience and hoping the time would allow for greater objectivity, but the service took down whatever I was going to say about the food. Perhaps it's COVID rust, perhaps it's Berkeley Restaurant Week or it was just an off day. Hoping that your experience will be fantastic. read more

See all

The food is excellent. The service is good. A nice wine selection and bar. On cold nights they light the fireplace! So nice

Food is good, but my god these might be the most horrific meatballs I have ever had. Go with the family every so often, but have learned to steer clear of the meatballs. Not the same since they changed the recipe. read more

I loved this restaurant! A friend and I had risotto allo scoglio (aged arborio rice, pan sauteed with shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, prawns, baby octopus, seafood stock, tomato reduction, white wine, and butter) and ragu di maiale (pappardelle with slowly braised pork, homemade sausage, ribs, hock, and guanciale with fresh herbs in a tomato sugo). I have three words for the quality of the food: super yum yum! The waiter was excellent. He knew the menu and recommended selections and alternatives. He paired an excellent Etna bianco Petra Lava wine with the seafood risotto dish and a lovely reserve sangiovese wine with my pappardelle. For dessert we shared a tiramisu (one was plenty after our rich and generously sized meals). And of course, Italian coffees are available. I can't wait to come back. read more

I leave a few blocks away and try to make it by often. When I do service is always great and the food is outstanding. Julie Rocks!!! read more

This is a great restaurant! We were greeted with a genuine smile and seated immediately upon arrival. The servers were extremely friendly and cheerful. Angela, Jude, Julia and Erika were absolutely delightful and sang Happy Birthday in Italian. The food was fantastic with large portions. It was one of the best dinners I have ever had! read more

1/27/24 - I came here with my cousin & a friend. My cousin had been here with her daughter and she loved it!!!! We were out for the evening away from adult children & grands out to a concert to see a young, aspiring singer, October London who is already has a fan in me. When I first walked towards the restaurant I noticed this neat little car, that you always see in Italian movies, then I noticed the empty tables because it was dinner time and some eat earlier than others. We were greeted and sat down with menus. The waiter gave us time to browse the menu and came and took our drink orders. I ordered Peach Bellini, they also brought us some sparking Pelegrino water which I needed. We were so busy talking we had browsed our menus but had not really decided on a meal. I reread the menu looking for something that didn't have too much cheese. The lasagne was my choice since I have not had it in a while. My cousin chose a pappardelle & my friend chose a seafood risotto. While our food was being made it gave us time to catch up on things, my peach bellini put me in the right mood. Our meals came and we dug in, everything looked good. I forgot that while we were catching up they brought us some bread and some oil & garlic it was delicious. My lasagne was hot & flavorful and was exactly what I wanted; not too cheesy. We were too full to order dessert even though I did think about some delicious tiramisu with coffee. I skipped it because we had to walk back four blocks to University Ave. I wanted to walk and not feel like a rock. We paid & left a nice tip, and I couldn't believe how packed that restaurant was because my back was turned while enjoying dinner. Every table even the ones outside were taken. I could tell that some were repeat customers by the smiles on their faces as we passed. What a wonderful experience!!! read more

Came to Agrodolce on a Friday evening around 5:30. Since we didn't have a reservation, we were offered a spot at the bar. We were served bread with a really delicious spicy garlic olive oil. We also ordered some burrata with tomatoes, fried artichokes, and linguine with pesto. I really loved all the appetizers; the pesto pasta was good but not particularly memorable. While the food was good, I doubt I'll be returning here since I felt the target audience was definitely an older, wealthier crowd than other Berkeley restaurants I go to and I am a student and didn't feel the most at home here! read more

See all

We will be back for the food for sure! We visited on a VERY busy Saturday night where they definitely seemed to be overbooked. Outdoor seating was okay. The food was the show here. From the fritto misto to all the pastas (lasagna, spaghetti, and their nightly special with chanterelles) and meats (lamb shank and branzino) the food was legit. We will be back to taste more. Mille Gracie! read more

Heading back out on the town and seeking normalcy we went out to dinner this weekend to Agrodolce in Berkeley. While they are seating inside we opted for the patio and requested near a heat lamp, I had the privilege of being closer to it and hubs was a little chilly so he ordered a whisky cocktail which came to the rescue! There were two things keeping this review from a 4 star, the linguine clams was a bit bland and the servers were overwhelmed and could use some training. I had a martini - which was done well. Started with the beef carpaccio which was a 10 absolutely, the right texture, sliced perfectly and the accompaniment made it complex in flavor but not overwhelming. Hubs had the arugula and goat cheese salad which he also enjoyed. Bread comes with your meal (rare nowadays) and with some herbed olive oil. I don't normally eat bread but tasted a small piece and it was good. Aforementioned linguine con Vongole was bland and had fewer clams then we would have liked. But at $20 it was a bargain. There's was no sauce Per se just olive oil and we conjectured that having a tad more garlic, lemon, EVOO and parsley would have made for a better dish. I had the whole branzino served with garlic greens and potatoes. It was well cooked, crisp skin and nice flavor, Fresh as can be. A server/ runner deboned it table side but missed a bunch. I know this is a bony fish so I'm used to it. Service was overwhelmed, had to ask a number of times for things. Manager upfront when we arrived definitely tried to accommodate but I didn't get the warm feels as a lot of neighborhood Italian restaurants tend to do when guests arrive. There was a guy who came out towards the end of the meal, startled me by coming from behind and saying "everything good?" He was dressed pretty sloppily but not in Chef clothes so I was unable to tell if this was chef or owner - either way I think if you want to come to the front of the house a cleaner appearance is warranted and introduce yourself. My BFF loves this place so I will try again with her. I'm very critical of service as I come from NYC and worked in fine dining years ago. But a few tweaks and education can really put restaurants on another playing field. As COVID dissipates I hope Agrodolce Invests a little in working with their staff to improve upon their skills. read more

See all

Agrodolce was recommended by a co-worker who has been going there for the last 17 years. So I finally had to check it out for myself. I'm actually giving 3.5 stars and would've given 5 stars, had it not been for the subpar service. We were running a little late so I called letting them know and was told no problem. However, when we got there, the gentleman at the front, who I believe was the owner, seemed bothered and was a bit curt with us. We were seated after a short wait and given the menus, but it was about 15 minutes or longer before a waiter came to take our order. I had to ask for a glass of wine as they had moved quickly to getting our food order and didn't ask about beverages. It took 15 minutes or longer for them to finally bring our wine. I noticed that they brought wine to the table next to us, and to a few tables across from us, but ours was delayed in coming. I ordered the Petra Lava Etna Rosato Sicilian wine which was pretty darn good. Surprisingly, the food did not take long to come. We started off with bread with a wonderful dipping oil/herb mixture (which they sell). I ordered the Carpaccio di Tonno which was amazing. It was a rather large plate, probably to be shared, but I ate the whole thing myself. It had the thinnest sliced tuna with a little salad in the center, capers and a lemon aioli. My husband ordered the octopus salad, which was also super amazing. I liked that the grilled octopus was cut in small pieces along with the potatoes and mixed with the greens. It also was a hefty serving. My husband ordered the fried calamari, shrimp, artichoke hearts, which is an antipasto, but he ordered as dinner. It was a large serving as well, but it was a little too greasy. I ordered the porcini ravioli in a white wine sauce, which was really good. We were both pretty stuffed with just those few plates. The menu was pretty extensive and I would love to go back and try some of their other dishes. But now, back to the service. A waiter came over and asked if we wanted dessert. He started reciting some of their availabilities and then finally decided he should bring us a menu. Then another waiter showed up with our tab. I told her we were planning on ordering dessert. She asked what I wanted, which was the affogato, and went away. I saw her making espresso but then my dessert didn't come for another 15 minutes or so which I thought was odd because I saw her making espresso and thought how much work was it to pour that over a scoop of ice cream. After we ate our dessert, the tab came. I asked the waiter if I could get a box to take my leftover raviolis. I had seen people leaving with plastic containers and assumed that's what I would get. But instead he put my raviolis in a paper box which was soaking through and he didn't give me a bag. He had also asked my husband if he wanted to take what I suppose appear to him to be leftovers but were in actuality the leftover pieces of shrimp tails and the tough, chewed artichoke pieces. My husband said no but the waiter brought them back in a takeaway box anyway. My daughter had made the reservation for us and informed them it was my birthday and asked them to please do something special for me for dessert, so when I got home and she asked me if anything was done and I told her no, it was one more strike against them. Overall we had at least 3 different waiters attending to us and I think the inconsistency attributed to the poor service. As I said, I'd be open to going back to try some of their other offerings and to see if the service is any better. But somehow I doubt it will be. read more

See all

Food was absolutely delicious, service great, they went above and beyond! We came on a Friday night, no reservation with limited time (going to a show). They were absolutely slammed and did their very best to accommodate, but we had to take our food to go (had it next day, still delicious). As we left, the waiters and the manager each apologized. Opened the bag much later to find they had included a free dessert! "Sorry" was written on the box. We're def going back. Only negative: very noisy. read more

This has been a favorite date night place ever since splitting off from Elmwood's Trattoria La Siciliana in 2016. The food is consistently wonderful, the atmosphere is great. Not for everyone, but perfect for me, the crushed sardines pasta dish BUCATINI 'CHI FINUCCHIEDE from Palermo is unique and thankfully was carried over from the old Trattoria. We love this place! read more

We ordered the entire appetizer menu- octopus was great as were the salads. Most of our 10 person party ordered "Primi" from the menu- pastas and soup. They accommodated my toddler age grandsons with a simple, off the menu pasta and butter. We ordered a half dozen wines, San Pelligrino water too. Not many families in the restaurant that night and our large party appeared to tax the wait staff. Being patient and having dined in similar places in Italy and Spain, the wait was fine and like Europe we enjoyed opportunities for conversation Two things requiring attention 1- The sunroof leaked on a rainy night. 2- One rest room for a place that size seemed inadequate. We enjoyed our meal. read more

Took an hour to see us after having had reservations. Food was good in the end. Big shout out to Sam for pouring us wine while we waited and went the extra mile to make up for the snafu. He's a gem at your restaurant and deserves credit for his professional service. read more

The ambiance outdoors is superb for a Friday evening! Plenty of heaters as well as live music! Inside as well has a comely welcoming vibe. The mushroom raviolis and the lasagna are top notch as well as the garlic olive oil dip for the bread. I always ask for seconds because it's so delicious! We celebrated a birthday here and the staff was very accommodating with letting our cake rest in the fridge until we were ready! It is a more pricey place and after wine and food our total came to 80$ a person but that's with two bottles of wine for the table. read more

Ambiance: we had a reservation and even then we had to wait 20 minutes before being seated. The decor is nice I guess. Food: the most tasteless mess of solid mixed with liquid I've ever tasted. Such a huge disappointment considering the great reviews everywhere. My friends all felt the same way even though we all ordered different dishes. It was such a disappointment I repressed the memory of what it was that I ordered. It's pictured below but nobody enjoyed their food regardless of what it was. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

My friend and I went to dinner here Thursday night and were completely blown away by the quality of the food and service from the establishment. First of all, as soon as we stepped into this place it smelled DELICIOUS. We wanted to try EVERYTHING on the menu because everything sounded amazing. We finished everything we order basically except our Espresso Martinis (because we had to drive, but if we didn't that would've been the first thing gone). I typically do not try Italian places unless they're very well known, because typically restaurants these days rush the process of Italian food and neglect the quality of the ingredients. The pasta was all very well seasoned, their seafood is so fresh, and the tiramisu is to die for!!! My friend does NOT like tiramisu but she ended up eating half without knowing. I will definitely be coming back for lunch, dinner, dates, birthdays basically every chance I get!! The ambiance is very classy and traditional I feel, def can come for a date night or just a Thursday night dinner. Waiters were also super friendly and helpful. Also this place is locally owned!!! Support your locally owned businesses!! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Bucatini and Ragu d Maiale. Sides were the Frittura Mista and octopus salad (but demolished) - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

** Review for Berkeley Restaurant Week ** Decided to try a new restaurant with some friends and would say this first visit was 3 - 3.5 star Arrived about 5:45 and quickly greeted, seated and given the regular menu, wine and cocktails, and the Berkeley Restaurant Week (BRW) menu. It was mentioned that if someone wanted the BRW option then the whole table had to do the same...we had 4 people in our party and fortunately, we all wanted to try the $40/person fixed menu so not an issue for us: S A L A D (2.5-3/5) On the menu it sounded amazing with little gems (check!), shaved parmesan (check), toasted hazelnut (literally, 1/2 of 1), garlic crostini (none), marinated anchovies (check) and lemon dressing (check)...decent Z U C C H I N I F L OW E R (4/5) stuffed with smoked mozzarella and caccio. Light, not greasy and flavorful PORK RAGU (4/5) Slow cooked heritage pork with egg pappardelle..wonderful and we all wanted more. Tender pork, hearty and cooked nicely. Not sure if intentional and to maintain a 'rustic' dish but we all found a bone or 2 S A L S U C C I A N O S T R A N A (3/5) Dry, overcooked grilled Sicilian sausage...though nicely spiced with a small (1/2 x 2", 1/16" thick) "polenta fritter" underneath...seemed like a garnish, afterthought or a base to keep the sausage on the plate. D O L C E Menu noted canoli but what was delivered was panna cotta without explanation...only when friend asked what it was the server said 'panna cotta as we're out of the cannoli'. 'Ok' and all inconsistent portions given S E R V I C E (2.5 -3/5) Basic and no nonsense : given menu, order taken, dishes quickly dropped off (not explained), dishes removed promptly, check given...sadly, no follow up or asked how the dishes were. Seemed attention given to the neighborhood locals who were seated in the back room. A M B I A N C E - warm, cozy, casual. All at the table said they liked the brick interior and fireplace with a laid back vibe. 1 unisex bathroom Some hits and misses but would try again and return for the PORK RAGU and pappardelle and other items like the lamb shank. We left about 820 and the place was packed! read more

See all

First of all - food is amazing! We've been a few times, and always good! Lady visit though they had multiple large groups who extended their stays, backing up the restaurant and others reservations - we waited over an hour past our reservation time and over an hour for our orders, we'll go back but probably not on a Saturday, or best if we call ahead and see what the current status is... glad the restaurant is so busy, obviously because food is so good- wait staff was kind and apologetic- manager gave us wine on the house while we waited - so we felt appreciated - again, on a weekend, call ahead is best advice- but definitely go! read more

stumbled upon this restaurant accidentally after the restaurant that my PI suggested was not accepting indoor seating, and was pleasantly surprised by the vibes and food here! they had a warmed outdoor patio with rustic brick walls, a vintage car, and string lights strung throughout the dining area creating a very pleasant ambiance. the waiters were also super sweet and checked in frequently, though they accidentally forgot one of the dishes we ordered so we ended up not receiving it. the italian food was fresh and well made, and I'd definitely recommend this spot as a nice date spot:) they also give free breadwhich is always a plus hehe -- -- -- pictured: " linguini con vongole blanco ($21) // the linguini was nicely cooked al dente with a light white wine sauce , fresh clams, and flavors of garlicand tomato. i liked how it wasn't too overpowering in flavor, but just enough for a delicious dinner! " cefalu salad ($11.00) // very light salad with a yummy anchovy garliclemondressing with crunchy romaine and parm cheese " la siciliana salad($11.00) " risotto di zucca ($22.00) -- -- -- read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Indoor and outdoor dining. Superb service both times I have eaten there. Similar to food I have had in Naples. Lots of seafood. Clean bathroom. Friendly folks working there. Had a l party there for my Bday and had a great time. read more

We've eaten here twice, we'll try again because we haven't yet seen this restaurant at its best. The first time the menu was a fixed-price menu (Valentine's Day) although this wasn't mentioned when we made the reservation, a month in advance and we assumed we'd have access to the entire menu. Unfortunately one of us is vegan and the menu was rigidly fixed so it was a very expensive dinner of salad and bread. Last week we brought a friend here and while the food was decent, it took an hour to arrive, no explanation. We observed several tables were receiving their meal components piece-meal, there were definitely some frustrated customers. When we paid the check the server apologized for the delays, explaining they were understaffed. So we will try one more time but so far the food is a 3.5/5 and the hospitality is 2/5. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Zucchini flower fritters (2) - $13. - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Jamie W. and I have passed by this rustic-looking Sicilian osteria every time we take our weekend Shattuck Avenue strolls. At least it appeared 'rustic' by Gourmet Ghetto standards. We often commented on the compact white Fiat Albarth that has been conspicuously placed in front (photo: http://bit.ly/36RvpME) because it reminded me of the type of car Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney drove in "Two for the Road" (my favorite movie). We decided to satisfy our curiosity and even made a reservation to dine here on a random Saturday like a regular date. You have to understand we are so married. Anyway we ended up being one of the early diners, and the staff was squabbling like family members contesting a will. It turns out a lot of them are family. While Jamie was fine with a glass of Chardonnay, I definitely felt a cocktail was in order, so I went for the geographically named $12 Sicilian Mule, a literally intoxicating mix of limoncello, vodka, blood orange juice, and ginger beer over ice (photo: http://bit.ly/2NwB4Ag). It was lovely and worthy of a potentially dangerous return visit just for that. Chewy sourdough bread rolls came next with a generous dish of olive oil mixed liberally with chopped basil and oregano (photo: http://bit.ly/2X1pMaj). It came from an open plastic vat that sat right behind me (photo: http://bit.ly/2CuRXF9). Good stuff for standard Italian fare. Speaking of which, we decided to share two appetizers. The first was the $12 Caprese Con Burrata - heirloom tomato slices topped with spoonfuls of burrata, basil, and oregano and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic syrup (photo: http://bit.ly/2CvQbDC). Did I say 'drizzle'? I meant 'drowned' as the liquid elements overwhelmed the tomatoes. The second appetizer, however, was excellent, as it was the $9 Arancini - fried arborio rice balls stuffed with mozzarella, cacio, ragusano, and saffron (photo: http://bit.ly/2qH8nru). Delicious morsels they were. For our mains, we both must have been in a pappardelle mood, as we ordered the two variations they offered. Jamie went for the special that evening, the $19 Pappardelle Campagnano, which was mixed with Italian sweet sausage, rainbow kale, Sicilian ricotta, and tomato basil sugo, topped with toasted breadcrumbs (photo: http://bit.ly/2X1puA0). Even with the kale, it was traditional and delicious. Mine was apparently their house special, the $18 Ragu di Malale. This pappardelle dish was mixed with slow-braised pork, homemade sausage, hock, and guanciale in tomato basil sugo (photo: http://bit.ly/2X0oEDL). Both hit the spot and frankly were a bit interchangeable, not a bad thing really. It's so rare when we eat pasta these days, so we savored the opportunity for a while. As satiated as we were, there's always room for dessert at an osteria, don't you think? We settled on sharing the $9 Bomba di Cioccolato, a delectable piece of decadence. It was a chocolate lava cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (photo: http://bit.ly/33FbH52). A rich Americano provided the ideal ending to our date-night meal (photo: http://bit.ly/2WYFXVO). By this point in the evening, the restaurant had become packed and the decibel level increased quite a bit. The service wavered somewhat, primarily because different members of the staff served us rather randomly. All in all, it was a fine meal and made me want t crawl into that Fiat Abarth and tool along the Amalfi Coast. FOOD - 4 stars...sturdy Italian fare with hints of Moorish influences in the seasonings AMBIANCE - 4 stars...liked the rustic look SERVICE - 3 stars...a bit random, more dedicated staff would help TOTAL - 4 stars...can I take the Fiat Albarth for a spin? RELATED - Looking for places to eat in Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

See all

It was packed, loud and I heard a few Happy Birthday celebrations so, the ambiance was very lively. Yet, it didn't deter the overall experience of good Italian food. Started with the À MINESTRA followed by RAGÙ DI MAIALE and PORCHETTA AL FORNO and ended CANNOLI SICILIANI. It was delicious and a delightful surprise to having good food, good wine and it was worth the price. Service was the very good considering how busy the restaurant was on a Saturday night. read more

I decided to participate in the 'Berkeley Restaurant Week To Go', and on the website, Agrodolce Osteria was the 1st restaurant to try out. It's awesome the YELP instagram page is promoting trying new places, and making this COVID-19 situation a little better. I called beforehand, and Agrodolce had a 20% discount on food, and a tempting 50% off on all wine. After viewing the menu online, I placed my order through phone, and I ordered the Ragu D'Maiale, a pasta with ribs, pork and fresh herbs. For 2nd thing in the menu, I asked for the most popular, which was the Polipo Al' Insalata, a salad composed of octopus, celery and potatoes. Upon arrival, the restaurant had an awesome view of wines. I was helped shortly and the employee there helped me pick a wine I will say the environment was nice, and I felt welcome. I drove back home to enjoy my meal with a movie Ragu D'Maiale: Portion was nice and the dish was to a spicier side, which I didn't mind. The ribs and pork were tender, and it melted in my mouth. An awesome plate which made my drive to Berkeley worth it! Polipo Al' Insalata: First time I tried octopus in a salad, but I can see why it was recommended. The salad itself was well dressed and it felt like a perfect balance with my pasta Celery and potatoes were a surprising combo Wine: I'm not much of a wine person, but the wine relaxed the rest of my night I left with a good impression of this restaurant that offers Sicilian cuisine. Gotta check in soon again, but I am hyped for the rest of this week, and the Berkeley Week to Go! read more

See all

Attended an event that was catered by this restaurant, thus this review is for the catered food only and not the restaurant. The food is Italian, reflecting their Sicilian roots. Plates of finger foods and appetizers included: - tomato basil bruschetta: nicely done and can taste the high quality olive oil. - eggplant bruschetta: ditto above. - caprese (tomato, basil & mozzarella bites): refreshing. - smoked salmon: good flavor. - meatballs in marinara or ragu sauce: good, but lacked a punch. - fruit salad: nicely presented inside a hollowed out pineapple. - various cheeses: I didn't take any. - cannoli: crunchy tubular shells filled with sweetened creamy and smooth ricotta. This was probably the best one. The food was definitely good and nicely presented, but not stellar. I would have expected more garlic. The service was kind of disorganized. They should have had someone regularly check that the napkins and plates are well stocked but they ran out only half way and no one went to get any more. Having enough plates and napkins should be standard if you're catering. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Self-serve appetizers: caprese, meatballs, smoked salmon, tomato bruschetta, eggplant bruschetta , assorted fruit, cannoli. - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Mediocre. Friend and I came in on a Thursday night around 545pm. Place wasn't full inside, but outdoors was busy. Covid regulations are really laxed. I was asked if I had proof, but wasn't required to show and my friend wasn't asked at all. Manager wasn't wearing a mask and coughed several times. Curious how the kitchen staff are in terms of masking if the manager didn't have one. Pricey for what you get. See photo of ravioli $20- super watery sauce. The orecchiette pasta was okay, good portion but wasn't memorable. Needed some acid to amp up the flavor. Overall, would try Via de Corso down the street. They seemed to have a more people and seemed cleaner. read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Mushroom ravioli - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Brought my two kids here when visiting the Bay Area and had an awesome experience! Personable and friendly staff that went out of their way to make a custom mocktail for the kids. Food was traditional Italian and delicious. Nice atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating options. Delicious EVO dipping concoction with lots of garlic to go with the fresh bread! read more

Our friends wanted us to check out Agrodulce and we met up for dinner on a Tuesday. We easily found street parking nearby and arrived at 5:30. They have outdoor seating in their patio and parklet, but we opted for a table inside and were seated in the front room. Checking out the menu, we first ordered our drinks. Water and bread was brought to our table. The house bread is ACME's pan di epi, which is my favorite bread, with a nice seasoned dipping oil. Nice. Our server brought our drinks and then took our orders. He was doing double duty as waiter and bartender. From the Primi, we started with Polipo al Insalata - sliced octopus, with potatoes, lemon, and celery in a lemon vinaigrette. Nice light and delicious salad. Pasta and Secondi: Ragu di Maiale - Pappardelle with slow braised pork ragu, sausage, ribs and hock in a tomato ragu. I loved my dish with the nicely cooked wide pasta with a tasty pork ragu. Bucatini 'chi Finucchiede' - a Palermo specialty that made with sardines, anchovies as the base. It had a nice savory taste. This dish is coated rather than it being in a sauce. Friends entrees: Pesce Spada alla Brace - Grilled Hawaiian Swordfishwith roasted potatoes Risotto allo Scoglio - Seafood risottowith shrimp, clams, mussels, and octopus. After reading about the bad service, I was not looking forward to the service we would receive. We did arrive early for dinner and the service we received was very good up to getting our bill, which we had to walk up to get. This was when the dining room started to fill and they appeared to be very busy with take-out orders and customers checking in up front. I enjoyed the pasta dishes and of course, the Epi bread. Would come back probably on a weekday and during the beginning of dinner service. read more

See all

We went here when it was super busy so it took a very long time for them to take our orders or even acknowledge that we were sitting there! They served us cold bread with side sauce which was alright but just very cold. The espresso martini tastes alright but the peach Bellini was amazing! The food was also really really good! We got the calamari, a salad, the mushroom ravioli, and the eggplant pasta. Very delicious food and would love to come back for that! read more

Agrodolce Osteria - Espresso martini and peach Bellini - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Driving along Shattuck in gourmet ghetto, this place looked wow amazing! And poof my brothers birthday was booked by sis in law here to our delighted surprise! Understandably service was slow as they didn't have the staff to accommodate all the guests. That's excusable considering the current dining environment and help limitations. But the issue we did have was getting things wrong, not checking on the party of six or apologizing for tardiness or explanation of our orders not showing up. Once we got our orders, everything looked fresh and was elegantly presented. However for the price was pedestrian at best. Totally Lacked flavor, salt spice etc. and none was on the table to help. Did enjoy the live band playing "dinner jazz" elegantly and subdued so you could still hear conversations at the table. It was warm and pleasant without heaters alfresco on the sidewalk terrace. We would come back for the music and a cocktail or two. It's pretty magical on a warm evening in Bizerkely. read more

My friend and I have been wanting to try Agrodolce for the longest time now. It looked like such a cute dinner place and it always seems to be packed whenever it's open so we came in with high standards! For Berkeley, i'd consider it a place I'd go to whenever I crave italian but it definitely was not amazing and quite mediocre :( I might have ordered the wrong things off the menu but there was no wow factor to it. Stinco d' agnello (3/5): the lamb was soft and fell off the bone easily. But, I think the sauce was too bland and lacked flavor so it was a very basic dish. The fried potato was good tho! Giulietta: (3/5): this dish had also lacked flavor. I understand the ingredients are simple but I've had a much more strong tomato flavor in other pasta dishes i've tried. The rigatoni was cooked well tho! Pacherri San Giovanella (3.5/5): best pasta tried on this day but too much of it made me feel a little sick. This pasta def had flavor tho! read more

See all

Had a horrible experience here on Valentines Day this year and am just now getting around to writing a review. My boyfriend and I had made reservations quite a ways in advance, so we were very excited to share a nice dinner together. The restaurant was packed and noisy, which is to be expected given the Holiday. The first red flag was our server not checking on us and bringing bread to the table that had sat down 10-15 minutes after us. At this point we asked him for water and he finally returned after about 10 minutes to take our order. My boyfriend and I both ordered pasta dishes. My dish arrived after some time and we continued to wait for my boyfriend's meal to arrive. We were seated close to the kitchen and could hear staff arguing and yelling which was very uncomfortable. We tried to catch our waiter's attention but he appeared busy. After about 20 minutes of waiting, my food had gone cold and we were both hungry so decided to just split my dish. The party sitting next to us noticed what had happened and told us that it was ridiculous that our food never came and to ask for a refund. When we finally got our waiter's attention we asked for my boyfriend's meal to be refunded. He acted confused and claimed that my boyfriend didn't order anything. Are you kidding me??? I literally watched the waiter take down my boyfriend's order. It was utterly absurd that instead of apologizing he tried to shift the blame onto us. I believe we were comped a dessert, but this bad experience really put a damper on our night. I feel as though we were mistreated because we are a young couple. I would never consider returning here and would warn others against dining here. Can't speak to how this place operates on a typical night, but our experience here was abhorrent. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant in Berkeley! Frittura mista is excellent and unique with the addition of prawns and artichokes. Salads are large portions. Absolutely loved the branzino. read more

This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Berkeley. I honestly look for any excuse to come here!! The food here is SO bomb, and the ambiance is so cute!! I wish they'd improve their service because at times the staff seems slow/forgetful, but I think that the food more than makes up for it! My favorite dish here by far is the ravioli porcini. The sauce is deliciously creamy, the ravioli literally melts in your mouth, and the flavors balance each other out PERFECTLY to make such a delicious dish! I always have every last bite; this dish is the main reason I love this restaurant so much! read more

See all

I was really looking forward to eating at Agrodolce Osteria, but I am left disappointed in all aspects of it -- the service, food, and COVID safety. SERVICE: We arrived for our reservation at Wednesday 5:30pm. We were quickly seated as there was only 1 other table present. The service was great when the restaurant was empty. But once more people came in after our entrées arrived, it was very difficult to get the attention of a server. It was a wait to ask someone to start the heater, a wait to ask for more water, a wait to order and get our desserts, and a wait to get and pay for the bill. Agrodolce Osteria seemed short staffer for a Wednesday dinner crowd -- perhaps they weren't expecting many customers to show up (which is fair). There were only 2 servers for 12+ tables outside and more inside. FOOD: We ordered the frittura mista, fiore di zucca, porchetta al forno, ragu di maiale, and tiramisu. The star of the meal was the complimentary Acme bread with a side of olive oil and herbs. The tiramisu was a runner-up with a strong taste of rum. The entrées were the biggest disappointment. Instead of a crispy porchetta, it was a lukewarm shade of brown. The pappardelle in the ragu was limp, and came with a very watered down tomato sauce. Perhaps the kitchen had an off-day. COVID SAFETY: Tables were not separated 6 ft apart. Near the end of our meal, there was a table seated right next to ours. read more

See all

I came in on a Tuesday night, this place gives me rustic Disney vibes. More of a cozy and small restaurant but that does not take away from the beautiful energy in the building. As soon as I walked into the bar area Koa greeted me and began recommending different cocktails. He helped me narrow down the cocktail to an espresso martini - 10/10 recommend! During my service I had the ravioli - 10/10 also. Also I had two girls talk to me throughout my dinner, I think their names were Lily and Mave, they complimented my outfit and had me laughing. The staff here is so great! Will definitely be bringing back my husband and friends. read more

It was a busy afternoon and they were short staffed, but despite that the servers were polite, friendly, and attentive. My salad with salmon and shrimp was delicious. My family had a wonderful time read more

Agrodolce Osteria - (Salad with seafood) Salmone alla Griglia - Sicilian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Incredibly good food and service. Had my retirement party there and they were amazing in all aspects to make it a wonderful experience. 5 stars!!! In all areas read more