We came here for dinner on a saturday night. We came pretty early as they get booked up, there were a good amount of families there when we arrived at 5:30. We ordered a few drinks, they have allagash white on tap which is great. They don't have a wide variety of wines which was a bit disappointing but it is fine. They serve really good bread which is a huge plus. The menu is small and I don't think they had any specials. We got the calamari and the broccoli rabe for apps. They were both ok, nothing out of this world but good. For entrees, we got a few dishes. One regular spaghetti and red sauce, one pasta with veggies, the mushroom dish and the wild boar dish. The mushroom and wild boar were both very, very good. The others were a bit bland. Overall, a nice place but just ok. I thought our service was fine so no issues there. The prices aren't that expensive either. read more

While it was not terrible it was far from it's reputation and very over priced. I normally dine out in Boston but met several couples here on a busy Saturday night. Service was okay at best. Not very attentive but the server was very busy I am sure. It took a while to get drinks. The appetizers were very good but then it took a long time to get the entres. There were eight of us and half were disappointed in their dishes. I had the crispy chicken which was good. The pasta and pizza ranged from okay to awful. The wine list was very over priced with the least expensive bottle being $40. We had a $48 bottle which was pretty good but nothing special. Over all for $75 per person I have had much much better and spent much less. I would not rush back. read more

Excellent ambiance. It is casual and easy to stop into on a whim, but it has high-quality food. I always feel great after eating it. Their Italian food is much closer to Italy's food than typical American Italian food. By this, I mean that it is not drenching in cheese, bread and marinara sauce with huge portion sizes. Rather the food is clean, flavorful, well cooked, and comes in reasonable portions. The appetizers here are some of the options that make their food the most unique. You are able to order 1, 3 or 5 appetizers that are excellent for sharing with the table. I have tried almost everything on the menu at this point, but they always update their offerings based on the season. It keeps me coming back for more. The Kitchen is open so guests are able to see the chefs cooking their food. This usually indicates a good restaurant for me. read more

Solid Italian restaurant. With the exception of the Moreos (or whatever they were called) everything that I have ordered has been fantastic! The mushroom ravioli is to die for (only paralleled by my favorite Italian restaurant in NYC), the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts dishes are nice and crispy, and the meatballs are perfectly spicy! While I was at first skeptical of the celery and the potato in the grilled octopus antipasto, the flavors came together nicely. The antipasti had rather larger servings. As for the pasta, the tagliatelle is solid and the pappardelle with duck ragu stand out. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Generally speaking it's pretty good. As for appetizer , I recommend tuna , never try eggplant , so ridiculous flavor, pasta is plenty , and taste good , just a little bit like chew mein. Salmon is tender , Tarte is so big like a brick , but taste mellow , but defiantly a bit too sweet , but after all it's not Europa . read more

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They took my call and even took my order after they were already closed. I was in town on a business trip and everywhere else was closed. So awesome to have someone go the extra mile to help me out. Can't wait to go back when they are open and have the full menu. Don't miss this place to support a business that really cares! Thank you again!!! read more

Had a reservation outside and they did not honor the reservation. Very unhappy may never go there again.

We had a really good meal at Alta Strada. My friend and I shared three of the small plates. The beets were amazing. Perfectly cooked and marinated. Then we split the eggplant parm which was very tasty and not to cheesy. We each had one of the pasta dishes with the pasta made in house. My tag with corn and mushrooms got a little sweet after a while but I took half home anyway so it was fine. the dish could have used a little fresh herbs or a splash of acid to balance the sweet and savory. All in all it was a great night out. The service was really good as well. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu items. He was attentive but gave us time to enjoy each course. read more

May family has eaten at this awesome restaurant approximately 75 times over the last 7-8 years. Children now 14, 11, 11 and 9 have grown up there and it is a family favorite. It is great, fresh food well delivered by bright and pleasant people. They change up the menu for variety, but stay to their roots of authentic italian food with great simple flavors, expertly made. Never had a good meal because they have all been great....want to go back every week. This is my first review on yelp*. I had to share my thoughts after reading some of the other reviews. While of course everyone has their own perspective and personal taste, it is inconceivable to me that a sane, even semi-educated person with any sense would rate this less than at least three stars. Just saying Keep on doing your thing Alta Strada!!!! read more

The staff was outstanding, friendly and attentive. The food was mediocre at best. We ordered two appetizers, eggplant parm which was good, and we ordered grilled octopus salad. Having had this appetizers all over Europe and in NY I know what it should taste like. The octopus portion was minimal and lost on the plate they were covered with red onions and celery. I ordered pasta with shrimp and lobster. The seafood was overcooked, bland and tasteless. I do not believe it was fresh. I will try it again and try their pasta bolognese. Perhaps that will be better. The best thing I had was the bread. It was outstanding. read more

It's amazing this place is still in business. We went with a couple close friends that we hadn't seen in a long time on a Monday night. We were seated right away and ordered wine, which was nothing to brag about. When the waiter finally came to take our food order, we ordered the pappardelle. He came back a bit later saying that they were out of it. I asked if the my were out of the duck ragu on top or what part of the dish they were out of. He said the whole thing, which leads me to believe the pasta is not made fresh. We then ordered the tagliatelle, which he said they were also out of. Given that anything left on the menu with protein had either seafood or was pizza, I was at a loss. The waiter saw my frustration and offered to make a pasta dish with duck on the side - he would 'pull some strings' in the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do, I said ok. What arrived later was shocking: a cold plate of pasta topped with grilled carrots and a separate small dish with sliced duck. He was so proud of himself that he took a picture of the dishes to send to his boss. The food was cold and flavorless. And I didn't realize that when he said he would pull some strings when we wanted a pasta dish with protein that we would end up being charged for a full duck entree (about $15 more than the pappardelle). After the meal, I had felt like I had talked more with the waiter than with our friends. We will not be back. read more

Needed a place to take my and her parents to dinner during a family visit. Hadn't been to Alta Strada and took a chance that paid off immensely. Food and service were both fantastic: of the highest quality. Everyone was courteous, knowledgeable, and cared about each customer individually. Couldn't have asked for a better dining experience! Will definitely go again. read more

I go here frequently because it's convenient and service is usually good, food is often great, sometimes good, and rarely poor. I've had some amazing meals here, and they have some nice wines by the glass, as well (although pricey). Some of the pasta dishes are so amaaazing! Love the ricotta, the meatballs (to die for!)... Just had the maltagliati pasta, OMG, to die for!! Can get busy, and is too pricey. But more positive than negative. However, one negative was when a server, who I told in advance about my husband's birthday, and asked for them to bring a piece of cake with a candle. I also advised in advance on the phone. I reminded her again later and explained he doesn't even eat sweets, it's just the point to have a candle and wish him a happy birthday. She seemed distracted. Eventually someone whizzes by and drops the cake, sans candle, on our table (not our server). I caught our server's eye and pointed and told her there was no candle, and she muttered something like, oh, sorry, and left. Was not the usual service here, but so annoying because it was a special occasion! And we had to pay for a piece of cake that went uneaten. Went last night and server was super nice and they did come over several times to ask how everything was. But we did wait quite a bit for our main courses. I go often for lunch in a group and service is usually very good and faster. The only meal I've had here that I HATED was the eggplant, it was tasteless. MUCH better eggplant at Comellas, of all places! I'm Italian and know a good eggplant parm! Maybe it was just a one-off. Overall, I recommend it! read more

I have dined here since it opened over a decade ago and never had a bad meal or unpleasant experience. The serving staff is exceptionally knowledgeable about every dish and all the wine. They are efficient and professional. The food is wonderful and authentically Italian. Just scrumptious. The tiramisu is the best on the planet - it will spoil you! read more

So this was a disappointment. Calamari was the highlight, with an excellent sauce. Bolognese was pretty delicious as well. The pizza (sausage and broccoli rabe) was ok I guess. Edible, but nothing to be excited about. BUT the service was HORRIBLE. To be fair. Our server seemed totally overwhelmed yet management seemed to be nonchalant, not noticing that every table was complaining about service. I actually saw 2 tables walk out after not being greeted 20 minutes after being seated. At the same time, the manager is walking table to table asking how things are. How do they not notice the chaos around them? read more

The store downstairs is great. The staff are wonderful. I enjoy the subs and loaves of bread. I am sure the dining room is great as well.

Quiet Saturday afternoon lunch. Not crowded so we were seated immediately by the window. I ordered the chicken Milanese with greens tossed with tomatoes and onions; chicken was okay- greens were good. Companion ordered the pasta bolognese and loved it. Pasta looked like beautiful ribbons topped with shaved Parmesan. Sauvignon blanc was crisp and cappuccino was frothy. read more

Fabulous food and great attitude in spite of "C-19"! We learned last week to order not 1 but 2 orders of the garlic bread with sauce--super good (even as leftovers the next day)!!! And the Tagliatelle and the Lune mushroom ravioli are both crazy good. Totally worth eating local and ordering out! read more

I enjoyed this restaurant. It had a great location (right in the ville). I went on a Thursday night at 7:30 and it was packed! Very loud and lots of children. Definitely make a reservation. They have a huge wine list. We got the montepulciano and really enjoyed it. While the wine list is extensive, it's very expensive (one of the cheapest, per glass, was $12/13. The food was good. Slightly smaller portions. Fun fact: no bread plates. They serve a big chunk of bread on a napkin. read more

So, so awesome. I've been to Alta Strada a number of times, and each time is just as amazing as the last. Outstanding food, impeccable service, and a great atmosphere to top it all off. My friends and I like it so much that, back in May, we even took our favorite professor there to celebrate our upcoming graduation. I highly recommend the Sicilian Tuna, Homemade Ricotta, and Beef Bresaola (all from the antipasti table). As for the pasta dishes (I think I've tried them all at this point...), I really like the Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks, and Crushed Pistachios, and the Mushroom filled Lune with more Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Parmigiano. I also love the Pappardelle with Braised Duck and Cherries. (The last time I had it, I dreamt about it for two weeks afterward...) Oh, and the Panna Cotta is to die for. I can't say enough good things about this place. I only wish I lived back in Wellesley so I could come here more often... read more

A busy, tight atmosphere. Friendly, but manically upsweeping service. Feels like the staff is pressured to clear plates and up-sell you at every turn. Dined with a small child and another adult recently. Had 3 pasta dishes (one being simple plain "kids" spaghetti), 2 drinks, 1 soup, 1 salad, and dessert and spent almost $200. Food was well-cooked, but nothing off the charts. We've had meals of similar quality at other local places for a lot less. read more

Not great. Service was slow. Three diners at my table, three entrees, and no one particularly liked their food. The bread was decent. Would have been better warm. The desserts were probably the only good thing. Wine by the glass, they just list the grape type...no names at all. So I ordered a "Cabernet" with no real idea of what I'm getting. The prices of entrees were 25-37. It just wasn't worth the price AT ALL. read more

This might just be my new favorite place, and it's only 5 minutes away. Michael Schalow's of Via Matta and Great Bay fame opened up a fairly casual Italian eatery. The concept is to have real Italian favorites, simple dishes that speak for themselves, nothing gussied up or made into high towers, just the ingredients and simple preparations and combinations of textures and flavors to really just do all the talking for the restauant. My fiancee and I opened up with ordering 3 antipasti, white beans with rosemary and red onions, calamari with cucumber jalapeno and citrus, and the homemade ricotta with sage and extra virgin olive oil. All three came in a bowl for us to pass to each other, all three were just absolutely delicious. The bread was a thick huge slice of crusty tuscan style bread with the best olive oil I've ever tasted in my life to dip with, just so intensely fruity without any nasty bitter flavors, I want to know where the olive oil came from. That's the real deal, the good stuff. We proceeded to have more appitiziers of arancini made with prosciutto and parmigiano in marinana that was to die for, extra crispy on the outside, extra gooey melty goodness on the inside, as well as having a massive plate of thinner than paper thin slices of prosciutto (real prosciutto de parma, the good stuff, it just melted on your tounge it was that good) served with a fig jam crostini, the intense sweet from the fig and the salt from the porky goodness just made a perfect combination. We were absolutely stuffed after all that, we even saved half the antipasti to take home with us because we knew we had more food coming. I had gnocchi with sausage and peas that was served in a tomato cream sauce that was heavenly. The gnocchi were light and fluffy, not at all dense and heavy, the sausage was amazing, the sauce was rich and fulfilling. Steph had tagliatelle with chanterelle mushrooms and corn, a new dish and a simple preparation of sauteed chanterelle mushrooms, amazing sweet corn, sauteed to perfection tossed with hand cut fresh pasta, dressed very lightly in it's own natural sauce.. To die for, all the fresh flavors just melded together to make a truly remarkable dish. We could only finish half our entrees as well, putting those into boxes to take home. We finished the night with a delicious cup of espresso, and the panna cotta which was again to die for. Thick, creamy, delicious, served that night with blueberries on top. I really can't stress how much this place rocks. Total bill for all the food? Just over $100 including a few drinks (so without it would have been somewhere around $75). All the pasta dishes are under 20, the only expensive appitizer we got was the prosciutto but it was a massive plate of it at $14, and the deal of the century were the antipasti for $13 (it's $5 for 1, $13 for 3, $22 for 5 and you can get more and more, you could make a meal out of the antipasti alone). Everything was just cooked perfectly, the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. It's a little loud inside, it's not a place I think to wine and dine and be romantic, but it is lively and bustling, a great place for a date if you want to have fun conversations although you do have to speak up a bit. The vibe is casual fun, share your dishes, get half portions of things, really just have a good time, be a little messy, be a little adventurous, and I totally get it. I can't wait to have an excuse to go back. read more

Casual Italian restaurant that was good for brunch. There was a bar counter with seating, tables and semi booths. Good for groups or families with kids. Service was efficient and good. Had the crunchy meatballs to start, which were very tasty, the Nutella toast and pizza with broccoli rabe and sausage were good. read more

Great place, service always good, food too. order takeout at market downstairs a bunch. Not sure what some reviewers have problems with here. bread is awkwardly large? read more

Overrated Snooty Expensive In short, it fits Wellesley vibe perfectly. The food is often under-prepared or over-cooked. Their $15 wine glasses are less than half full. The service is slow and ponderous. Do not go unless you are (a) a thirty-something Wellesley mom who just dropped off her kids at the golf lesson OR (b) a fifty-something Wellesley banker who needs his three martini lunch before heading back to swindling the rest of the country read more

The food was okay I guess but way over priced and the portions were super small considering how much we paid for it. Ordered online for delivery, not at all impressed with what was received. Won't be going again. read more

I love this restaurant. Everytime I come to Natick from Vermont we make a point to eat here. The staff is always nice and the food is great! We plan on eating lunch there today. Even though they don't have a kids menu they went overboard and made a grilled cheese for our grand daughter at our last visit and it was unbelieveable..... read more

In my previous review, I think I referred to Alta Strada as Bertucci's for yuppies. After eating here for lunch, I stand by that analogy, but I mean it in the best sense. It's a great family Italian restaurant. It just happens to be a bit more expensive. But the service is so wonderful, especially if you have kids. Is it worth driving out from Boston? That's hard to say, and probably not. Blue Ginger, which is up the road, is definitely worth the trek out. But if you're in the area, I'm not sure how you could do better. Wait, I just contradicted myself, because I said Blue Ginger was better, which it is - BUT it's not a place to bring kids. So, if you want, excellent Italian food, in a relaxed, family atmosphere, come here. read more

If I could sum this up in one sentence, it would be: "Great food, disappointing service." Pros: - Great Food - Even better wine pairings Cons: - Overpriced for the suburbs - Manager was rude - Reservations we're not exactly honored. We made reservations and people who came in after us were seated before us. - Noisy atmosphere Overall, I can't give it any lower than two stars because the food was outstanding. But, if I rated the service alone, one star would be about right. read more

Former location of Todd English's Figs restaurant in Wellesley. We were disappointed when Figs closed because it was a good casual dining place that had good food for reasonable prices. When Alta Strada opened, my wife and I tried it out, loved it so much that we went back again two days later. The food reminds us of the food we ate when we went to Rome. Everything was very flavorful, you could taste each ingredient the way it was meant to taste because of the freshness of the ingredients. Service is also one of their strong points. Very attentive staff. Pizza is also very good, though we've only tried the pizza as take out. read more

I liked this place. My food was good and the choice of wine excellent. Service was good and the atmosphere pleasant. Nice place for a date.

Nice staff but food is way too salty - to the point where you really can't taste the ingredients. I've wanted to like this place - I went 6 times thinking maybe I ordered the wrong thing - but it's always the same read more

Had to pull a star off. Was there today (Sunday) right after they opened and the place was just filthy. Bathroom gross top to bottom. 100% not cleaned from the night before. And just everywhere through the restaurant was dirty looking or broken. Sad. read more

Alta Strada was a dining experience. I asked our server, Nick, if they had specialty cocktails and he was kind enough to describe each one in detail. I chose the Brezza Delicato which was delightful and later learned that Nick was also a bartender at the restaurant and that the cocktail was his invention. My husband and I shared the Summer Melon and Prosciutto appetizer which was a wonderful blend of flavors and very refreshing. My husband chose the pork for his entree and I don't believe either of us has ever had pork quite so tender and moist. I chose the swordfish special and it was equally delicious. The woman at the table beside ours commented on how much she had also enjoyed her swordfish and her dining companion mentioned that his tomato sauce was also delicious. My husband had cappuccino to complete his meal. I asked Nick if he could recommend a digestivo. He explained that there was one that that evening's bartender, Justin, had invented. It was wonderful. Along with the very talented chefs, I recommend that Alta Strada hold on very tightly to both Nick and Justin. I also recommend that everyone just sit back and enjoy the experience of Alta Strada! read more

Great Italian goodness in this place. I love their pizza and it would be perfect if it was a bit salty. Their pastas always made me mouth watering when I crave for it. Their sandwiches and salads. I love this place and its considered one of the best Italian restaurants I tried so far. read more

The food was great! I had the rabbit with pappardelle and it was really amazing. My husband had the lobster dish which was delish! My son had the pizza which was also very good. All the apps could be shared. The wine list was great. The service was amazing! Lots of attention to detail and very, very accommodating! It was our first time here as we just moved to the area! This will be one of our "go to's". We loved it! read more

Wellesley is a strange, strange place to me, full of rich families and privileged college kids, and I generally hesitate to venture this way for any reason (except Blue Ginger of course), so I didn't really know what to expect when the parents made reservations for 4 at 7:45 on a Saturday night. We arrived to an absolutely packed dining room, full of children (apparently this is where wealthy children go to dine? I was a McDonald's kid myself). The restaurant is much smaller and much louder than anticipated, and we had to wait about 30 minutes in order to get seated... to be fair, we gave up the first table offered to us because it was right next to the door and there's no real place for people to stand and wait except right on top of that table, but we were seated along the wall no more than 5 minutes later so that wasn't the hold up. But the hostess was really friendly and gracious and offered to bring us drinks, a nice touch. We started out with some antipasti for the table: the green beans, white beans, and eggplant caponata. Each was really tasty, I'd recommend any of them, and the portions were perfect. The eggplant parm app was also really good (especially tasty red sauce). For my main, both the boy and I got the Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks and Toasted Pistachio, which was a little creamier and richer than expected, but not in a bad way. My plate had more prosciutto than pistachio, but the boy's seemed to have a good balance between the two. The dish was fresh and flavorful and I was pleased, although I was hoping to have some leftovers for the next day but alas, they give you just enough pasta pouches to be satisfied/full (not a bad thing). Others got the salmon and sea bass, which they were happy with, although to me, they seemed overpriced for the portion size and quality. For dessert, we split the chocolate budino, which I had mixed up in my head with a bomba and thus was somewhat disappointed to see a chocolate pudding set down in front of us; it would have been helpful for the menu to give an actual explanation of what things were, instead of us having to guess/Google things. Don't get me wrong, it was a good pudding, but just not what I was craving/expecting (especially since I can get a similarly tasty Belgian chocolate pudding at Trader Joe's for a third of the price). Tasty cappuccinos rounded out the evening. Service was a bit scattered, our waitress was generally really friendly and attentive but she disappeared for a while and also forgot to bring the boy's second glass of wine. Prices are on the steep side for entrees and not necessarily 100% worth it IMO- sacchetti was $20, sea bass was $31-, but pretty reasonable for other menu areas (antipasti 3 for $15, pizzas $10-15), so you can either go big or go cheap here which is a plus. Overall I wouldn't mind coming back, especially if I were a local, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to return either as there was nothing I was completely impressed with and prices seem a bit inflated. read more

Not the same as it used to be Our son took my husband and I out for our 30th anniversary dinner to Alta Strada last night (as we had raved about it before and had really wanted to go back). Disappointingly, it was just not the same experience we've had in the past. We arrived a bit early (for our reservation) and were promptly seated as the restaurant was not that busy on a Tuesday night. From the moment we met our waiter (who seemed dazed and confused) I knew that it was not going to be a great experience. He just seemed a bit out of it all evening and we had to ask him for everything and then he would walk away for 5-6 minutes at a time. We saw other guests getting bread and oil for the table and we had to ask him for it. He came back with it, but no plates and then he was gone again for quite a long time. My husband had to ask one of the other servers to bring plates (which she was nice enough to do). We decided that we would order all the appetizers and dinners at the same time in fear of it taking way too long otherwise. The calamari appetizer was just OK but the bread was charred and tasted burnt. My main entree (duck) was OK but the the vegetables were way over cooked and were terrible, but I didn't even bother mentioning it to the waiter since he was not around much. My son's salmon was also overcooked even though he asked for medium. There was a couple sitting next to us who had complained and sent one of their pasta dishes back as well. When we took care of the bill (which came to $300 including tip for 3) our waiter (who's name I don't want to mention publicly) didn't even really acknowledge it and never even said thank you or good night to us on our way out. Overall, it was not the greatest experience, and we would not go back anytime soon, particularly for a special occassion. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g41891-d664601-r544022812-Alta_Strada-Wellesley_Massachusetts.html# read more

I really liked this place the first time I came, so much so that I brought my parents here a few weeks later. However, our second experience left something to be desired. The pasta dishes are good but not excellent. The prosciutto appetizer was quite good. I would recommend coming here for lunch but save a better place for dinner. read more