I've heard so many great things about Bottega--from the food to the top-tier customer service--so when my friend was in town for a lawyers convention and suggested dinner, this was one of the first places I recommended. We were deciding between here and Lapeer, and she ultimately chose Bottega because of its reputation. We had reservations for 8:30 PM and weren't seated until around 8:40, which wasn't a huge issue. However, once seated, the service quickly became disappointing. Our waiter took our drink order, dropped off the drinks, and immediately walked away without asking if we wanted to order anything else. He eventually came back and asked us for our appetizers. While waiting, we noticed the table next to us receiving significantly more attentive service--frequent check-ins, questions about their food, and overall engagement--while our table was largely ignored. When our appetizer arrived, it was dropped off without any follow-up. It's like he had the zoomies. He never came back to ask how everything was, which is something I'm not used to. At 9:29 PM, I stopped the waiter to ask if they were about to close (closing time was 9:30). That's when I realized we were never even asked if we wanted to order entrees. His response was that he thought we were "enjoying our food and we could still order if we wanted to ," but from the energy, we chose to go someplace else. To be clear, the food was excellent--I'd give it a 9/10. Unfortunately, the service was a 3/10. I considered whether timing played a role, but since the table next to us received attentive service during the same time frame, it was hard to overlook the contrast. I'm not sure if it was because we were black and the only minority there, but the difference in treatment stood out. I live not too far and truly wanted this to be a go-to spot, but the experience didn't reflect the "one of the best restaurants with the best customer service in Birmingham" reputation I've heard so much about. I might consider returning to the café side to see if the experience is different, but as of now, I left feeling underwhelmed. I'm sharing this in hopes that it helps improve consistency in service, because the decor was beautiful and the food itself is worth it. We had the Parmesan soufflé which was delicious and very comforting, so were the oysters. read more

Food first, thoughts after... Phenomenal. The experience at Bottega has created a core memory in our date night book. We will definitely be back. The interior design was beautiful. High ceiling spacious with purposeful lighting and decor. Love the attention to detail. My napkin was originally white but they swapped it out very subtly for a black one since I was wearing a black dress. The food was amazing. From the drink to the apps to entree and finishing dessert. Flawless. Worth the price and worth the reservation booking. read more

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Really great upscale atmosphere. Service is 5 star for sure. Our waitress was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and helped us make great decisions. The pappardelle was fantastic. We would definitely revisit here again. read more

All hail Frank Stitt. Bottega lives up to all the hype and is worth every penny. Truly one of the best meals I've had in a very long time and in a beautiful setting. Servers were lovely, unpretentious, and attentive. Every single thing we ate was to die for. The capellini is now my all time favorite pasta dish that I've ever eaten (and I was raised in the northeast). 10/10. Will return. No further notes. read more

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Bottega is one of those spots that is frequented by Ye Olde Birmingham Crowd. It's like the Birmingham Country Club's satellite office. I hadn't been to the dining room for many, many years and forgot how upscale it is. Traditional italian food, with some interesting twists, notably the parmesan souffle. I was here with a large group of 12, but service was still quick and attentive. Our waiter was awesome and did a great job of keeping everything sorted. We all had several rounds of drinks, I had the sancerre, which could have been served in a crispier glass, nonetheless was delish. We got several orders of the focaccia and olive oil. The focaccia was unlike any I'd had before, much more cake-like, less bubbly-sour-salty than usual focaccia. It was good, but I missed that salty flavor. The oil was also good, but I could have done with a bit more of it, we sopped through our little dish only 60% through our loaf. I pride myself on being a great orderer, but I do believe I failed this time. For the sake of trying different things, I ordered two appetizers instead of one entree. I tried the crostini plate, which was ok... but none of the three bites really wowwed me. I also tried the ravioli, which was one giant ravioli. It was quite stunning, the egg yolk inside broke halfway through, bleeding onto the plate. Wow! All in all, Bottega has earned it's spot as one of Birmingham's premier, legacy, high-end restaurants. My consensus: this is where you bring your parents and grandparents for fancy occasions, it will please everyone. But, Bottega lacks an air of youthfulness and exploration that you may find elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, this has its place. I will certainly be back for lunch on the cafe side. read more

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Visited for my birthday for the first time. The bar tender was very generous and helped me choose the perfect drink (I had 2). The food was delicious. Portion sizes aren't too big yet still filling. The fresh florals were a nice touch to the overall ambiance of the space. The restaurant itself was beautiful. read more

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Truly a special experience. Everything from ambiance, service and food were top notch! Our server Brent was a STAR! read more

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Everyone from the valet, hostess, wait or was so warm and helpful. This place was a great little find! Gorgeous atmosphere, and great food. read more

Bottega Italian Restaurant - Asparagus pizza - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Had another incredible meal at Bottega, and once again, it did not disappoint. I've been a few times now, and the consistency is impressive the food is always outstanding. Every dish feels thoughtfully prepared, flavorful, and elevated without trying too hard. The ambiance is beautiful, especially with the dim lighting that gives it a warm, intimate feel. It can get a little loud when it's busy, but it honestly just adds to the energy of the space. Incredible food, great atmosphere, one of the best spots in Birmingham every single time. read more

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The was incredible I had the calamari that was cooked to perfection with the grilled peppers that was succulent. I got the sausage pizza that was made in the brick oven that brought the flavor to another level. I got the prime New York strip witch when well with the gnocchi gration. The flavor was nice and flavorful. I got the salmon that was crisp and juicy. I had the Catalan Happy hour without the sparkling water. It had a nice Finnish. The lemon martini was classic with a nice flavor. I tasted the Fortunato nice and strong. The flavor was super nice. I tried the martini extra dirty it's like they picked my brain extra nice. I tried the Bottega bar the mousse, caramel,peanut, and feuilletine was smooth with that surprise crunch super nice dish. I tried the pecan coconut cake OMG the best coconut cake I have had in my life it's definitely a must try. The the service was top tier. The ambiance was natural and soft. Follow me on Instagram and TikTok Bishop_P_King for more reviews read more

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Bottega is a popular Bham classic for good reason. Bottega has a beautiful spot in highlands area. Parking can be tricky, but valet service is offered. Walking inside, you enter an elegant dimly lit area. We came to celebrate my mom's birthday, and every menu item hit the spot. We started with focaccia bread and the octopus appetizer. I am not a huge fan of octopus, but this was delicious. The entrees were all spectacular- our favorite out of the 3 we ordered was the short rib. Ended our meal with the classic coconut cake and the bottega bar. We absolutely loved the bottega bar - chocolatey with caramel and so delish. Highly recommend for a fancy elevated dinner in town. read more

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I got incredibly incredibly lucky to find this place on my first day in Birmingham. It'll go down as one of the best experiences I've ever had at a restaurant. My friend and I sat at the bar and got five star service; incredible recommendations for food, drinks and even other great spots to check out in town. We were befriended by several other guests at the bar who were locals, and overall the ambience was classy and professional, but the prices weren't too overwhelming. The bartender recommended a great bottle of wine and the spaghetti, and I truly believe it's the best spaghetti I've ever had, it will be hard to top. Can't wait to come back. read more

Excellent experience. High end Italian food very friendly staff beautiful room. Compared to LA prices the meal for two plus wine and tip was $70 per person. read more

Friday reservation for 5pm. I liked the dark moody atmosphere. Server was attentive and polite- although he was a little too serious for my taste- maybe what he considered professionalism. Enjoyed the food. Overall I enjoyed the entire dining experience. Valet parking. read more

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Our family ate at Bottega during the week to celebrate our daughter. Our server was so friendly, well-versed on the menu and thoughtful. He asked if we were celebrating anything and at the end of the night brought her a decorated bowl of ice cream. The food was all well-executed and delicious - from the octopus appetizer and fall salad to their famous capellini (just the right amount of spice) and osso buco. Desserts are always delicious too - their chocolate bar is like a homemade snickers but way better and homemade hazelnut ice cream capped out great night. read more

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This restaurant came highly recommended, and it definitely did not disappoint. They do not take reservations, however, they immediately sat our table as soon as we came in. The restaurant itself had a very moody vibe and our server was very attentive. Some of the guests had dietary restrictions and our server made sure to suggest items that were gluten free. We had the butternut squash appetizer and it was delicious, the Ora King salmon entree was cooked to perfection! I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu. read more

What a lovely experience. Went here with my rather picky family and everyone found something to enjoy. Incredible service from our very knowledgeable and friendly server, Brent. Every bite I had was extraordinary, and their infused olive oil is amazing! Not even enough to take off a star really, but rather something to note: we sat in the mezzanine at peak dinner time on a weekend, and it was quite loud. However, once the mezzanine emptied a bit, it was easier to hear table conversation. Looking forward to visiting Bottega next time I'm in town! read more

Let's discuss life changing food. I finally had the opportunity to eat at Bottega and LAWD have mercy it was an amazing experience. We snagged drinks at the cafe and made sure to be outside the restaurant to grab two seats at the bar (we missed the window to get a rez). Our bartender/waiter was stellar. Attentive, informative and gave great suggestions. We started with gnocchi with lamb and it might be the best thing I've ever eaten. EVER. Rich yet fluffy gnocchi in a sauce I probably could've put in anything. I had lobster and scallop risotto and hubs had steak and potatoes. All cooked to perfection. The portions were larger than I expected and we were def full. But it was my birthday so we got dessert!! The award winning coconut cake was apparently amazing. I have a nut allergy and stayed away but the creme brûlée was too notch. Creamy with a perfect caramelized shell. Overall 10/10. It is pricey so it will be a special treat for us again but will be checking out the cafe soon! read more

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Conor was the best! We sat at the bar for a girls night and he met us with so much fun and charisma. He offered great bites and recommendations without over selling. We had wine and desserts and half portion of pastas and all the things! Would recommend doing the spot for a bar bite! read more

Great service. Prompt to help us and recommended us great items. Lamb chops were perfection. Braised pork shoulder was very flavorful. Focaccia is hard to beat for an easy starter read more

This place is truly a gem. The vibe is nice but not stuffy. The service is attentive but friendly. The staff genuinely enjoy the menu. The duck was cooked perfectly and paired so well with the port reduction. It reminded me of the first duck dish I ever had, when I fell in love a duck and orange marmalade. The pasta bottega was somehow both simple and full of flavor. We experienced a crespelle for the first time and it was like the best corner of the lasagne. The honey cake blew my mind. The 10 thin layers of cake were somehow still moist and just melted away. read more

Hosted a group of eight here this week. Wonderful, elegant experience. Food is top-drawer delicious, coming from a James Beard Award winning chef. Cheers! read more

Bottega Italian Restaurant - Carbonara...equisite - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Yummy is an understatement! This may be my favorite Italian food. It is a very classy place, offering both indoor and outdoor dining. The service is really great also. I would highly recommend saving room for dessert! read more

Just love this place. Delicious food, price a bit high, but ehhh it's worth it. Pizza is great, sandwiches are superb. Decent little place read more

Seriously one of the best meals ever. I went in with no expectations as a guest and was blown away by every bite I took. Delicious.

We had the most incredible meal at Bottega!! Everything was beautifully plated and amazingly fresh. Our server was very kind and attentive. I would absolutely recommend for a celebration dinner as the atmosphere felt very special. read more

Bottega Italian Restaurant - Mediterranean Salad and Figs - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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We celebrated my college daughter's birthday here. Service was outstanding. The staff went out of their way multiple times to help us have a great evening. Take advantage of valet parking. It will only cost you a tip for the driver. Food was also very tasty, and the evening was just a nice elegant night out. read more

Celebrated my birthday at Bottega. Wonderful service and atmosphere. We had the focaccia and olive oil to start, then the octopus (not pictured), and the spinach gnocchi as our first course. The grilled filet and lamb chops as our mains. DELICIOUS! Highly recommend coming here for a special occasion to celebrate. You can only book up to 4 weeks in advance, I recommend booking as early as you can ahead of time. Swing by Freddy's wine bar across the street before dinner for a drink! read more

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I've been here countless times and have built great relationships with fellow diners. Until tonight. It ruined my love for this place. Tonight, a lady served me and my girlfriend for our first date night in town after my 2 months of constant traveling. She gave us the worst side eyes and attitude, no refills that we asked for, kept urging us to finish our Orange Thing drinks when we like going at our own pace, and visited us once for every 3-4 times she visited other tables around us. She did the bare minimum and treated us like kids in high school. I tipped little as you can see how frustrating this type of service can be when we were trying to be nice. Then she chases my date out the door as I went to get my car from valet, demands that she gets a reason for why she was tipped so horribly, and didn't even apologize when she was given the reasons. She's not the only one that does this here. Sit at the bar if you visit or try their dining room instead of the cafe. Their food is good if you get the right thing - but if you're actually looking for good food and you're not from a suburban middle-high class family that seasons their food with only salt and pepper, look for other high end restaurants like Habitat Feed & Social or Cafe Dupont. read more

Bottega Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Glad to have Bottega Dining Room back open! Overall great meal but a few disappointments. Overall, the service with just okay. When we were seated, it took an very long time to be greeted by our server and even longer to receive menus. It felt like our server was rushed and not mentally present with our table. It looked like others that were seated around us had better service. We loved the Orange Things, bread and olive oil, Cannelloni and the Frito Misto to start with. For entrees, we ordered the scallops, seafood stew and capellini bottega. The scallops had a smoky flavor, which I loved, but it was a bit surprising with such light accompaniments. The farro salad with the scallops with light, bright and delicious. The seafood stew with very flavorful, and enjoyed by my dad. Finally, the capellini. I was hoping for something special, since it seemed like a Bottega staple, as it has Bottega in the name and they typically make great pasta on the cafe side. However, I was very disappointed. It was a bowl of thin spaghetti, with very light tomato sauce and a tad bit of basil on top. No Parmesan or anything else. I appreciate a simple pasta dish, but this was majorly lacking in flavor, so I would not recommend. To finish, we had the coconut cake, which is always so delicious and espresso martinis. I'm not quite sure what was different about the espresso martinis, but they were very dark and somewhat reminded me of Guinness beer. I'm more of a fan of a sightly lighter martini, so these were not my favorite. Overall, we'll be back! However, I will not order the Capellini Bottega or espresso martinis and would probably choose to visit with cafe next time, since they have a better selection of pasta. read more

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Excellent service and food! Went for lunch and all four of us loved it. From drinks to appetizers to entrees everything was perfect. Highly recommend! read more

Out family dined for for my wife's birthday. The food was so outstanding. We didn't just dine out that night, it was truly a wonderful experience. In all my years of enjoying Highlands, Ocean, and even Brendan's and Commanders in NO, Patrick is the greatest server we have had. He made sure we had a great night. Wonderful food. Service second to none. We had a great time. Thank you. read more

I have gone multiple times through the years eating at both the cafe and main restaurant. It's hard to beat a Frank Stitt restaurant!

Truly one of the finest restaurants in SE US. We ordered three appetizers and shared. My favorite was the Parmesan soufflé. Main coarse favorite was the beef cheeks. Would Go often if a little more convenient. read more

I love this place! I have the cookbook too! The dishes are homemade with care to the season and creative. We delighted in our dishes and look forward to visiting again. The wine we had and our waiter were great too! This place is better than most restaurants. read more

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What a fabulous staple of Birmingham. Unrivaled cuisine, unparalleled service, excellent from start to finish. The duck was better than any I've ever had, including in Paris. The coconut cake is divine. The Orange Thing is dreamy. The waiters and staff are polite, on point, detailed, informed, and prompt. The ambiance is lovely and balanced. This restaurant deserves its reputation & the people who give this place less than five stars are confused. read more

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Beautiful restaurant and everyone wearing mask even after the mask mandate was lifted. We had a wonderful and patient waiter with the best eyeglasses, wish I caught his name. If you come, do not miss out on the sublime appetizers. Our food was good but I was in love the apps and desserts. read more

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Amazing food from Bottega ! Everything we ate was perfect- salmon pizza, fennel sausage pizza, watermelon salad, prosciutto and peaches.. all so amazing. Great cocktails too (and strong!). The staff was so sweet to squeeze us in inside while it started storming outside. read more

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Best lamb chops I ever had the harissa complemented it well tried baked Alaska for the first time was great. Service was amazing as well and the setting was beautiful great place for a special date night read more

Ambiance: indoors decor involves vintage advertisement posters in a dimly lit formal dinning area. Food: baked feta came with focaccia bread. Marinara lovers, defiantly recommend. Beef carpaccio was more in the peppery/horseradish side so just a heads up. Bolognese pasta was cooked perfectly. Definitely savory! Drinks: Venetian spreetz had the perfect balance of bitters and sweets. Definitely recommend! Service: great and friendly service! Our server split our main course without us needing to request for it! Very knowledgeable on the menu as well. read more