5/29/23 Lunch What a quaint little restaurant! We wanted to check out the Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica but not to eat there, so my husband found Buona Italia Cafe on Yelp. It is a tiny place with only 4 tables but the service and the food were outstanding. We started with the calamari. It was perfectly fried and served with a spicy marinara sauce. My husband got the pastrami panini, and I got the salmon piccata. Everything was made to order and so delicious. I would definitely return to eat here again and try some of their specials. Their 5 star rating is well deserved. read more

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Went here on a Sunday at 4:45pm and was able to snag a table for 3; ordered the pear salad (yum!), minestrone soup (small bowl for over $10), calamari (just okay, kind of rubbery, I've tasted better elsewhere), lasagne, linguine with clams and a Sicilian omelette were all tasty. Would come here again, probably not order the calamari though. Service was fast, however they don't clear the dishes off the table while serving coffee or dessert. Small, but cozy for dine-in. read more

We have been coming here for a couple of years now and this place is truly a gem. The food is always outstanding and there's a nice variety of creative specials. I'm always impressed by how fresh and authentic it is. It's a wonderful spot for a 5-star food in a cozy and homey atmosphere. Arturo is a genius restaurateur; he and his family and staff are so warm and welcoming. It is one of my favorite spots to bring out of down guests, who are always delighted with the experience of eating here. Last Saturday, my wife and I spent the day in Sausalito. As the afternoon approached and the question of dinner came up, we looked around at the options and both said, "Let's head back to Pacifica and dine early at Buona Italia." We did and we enjoyed the Pear Salad, Calamari Fritti, Gorgonzola Gnocchi, Eggplant Parmigiana and a bottle of Chianti all for an amazingly reasonable price. I can't say enough about how good this place is! read more

This is a small cafe with really good food. I've always been happy with the pasta and chicken parmigiana that I've gotten here, and the prices are as-expected for the area. The inside of the cafe itself is small, but cute. I've been here a few times and it's clear that this is probably a family-run business since sometimes a child has taken my order. They do a good job here. read more

Had lunch here today. We ordered the Calamari and it was excellent, service was fast x& polite and well be back!

I've eaten at Buona Italia Caffe at least 4 times, once in the restaurant, others take out. It is a tiny restaurant but every time I've entered there has been an available table. I think most people pick up their food. My favorite orders have been the Eggplant Parmigiana and Salmon piccata. Both are excellent. I've also had their bruschetta which was very tasty. One dish that didn't take out well was the linguini and clams, it was cold by the time we got home. I would eat that one in the cafe next time. Another drawback is the early closing time. They close at 7 pm. But all in all I love the food here. I do want to try other dishes and their cannolis read more

WOW! My first stop here after living in the area for many years and so happy I stopped in Friday evening. Felt like home, ordered the chicken parmigiana and hands down probably the best I have had! Loved the side of green beans and warm bread - wonderful people working and I can't want to come back. read more

Food was beautiful, hot, delicious and well made. Nothing was overdone. Fried calamari was crunchy, tasty and plentiful. We also had chicken parmigiana, lasagna, salmon piccata, linguine & clams and cauliflower soup. Everything was yummy and made well. Nothing disappointed and the four of us are almost everything. It was so good we just kept eating until we were stuffed. Service was friendly and courteous. Server checked back with us several times and each time was with a smile. We will definitely come back and recommend this place to others. The only down side is that it only fits about 10 people altogether so it is not good for large groups. read more

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Absolutely delicious every time! Chefs are amazing. Their Chicken Milanesa is my favorite. Clean, polite, & quick service! Great Italian joint in Pacifica read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Takeout Order - Chicken Milanese & Boscaila - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

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I have eaten here twice and the second time was as good as the first. I ordered the eggplant Parmesan twice because it is so yummy. Simple yet very flavorful. I decided to have a cannoli with cappuccino and it was also very good. Best cappuccino and cannoli! It is affordably priced, no frills. Just good Italian food! read more

Perfect and lovely as usual! The owner of this place is phenomenal and makes an effort to be personable to all. The last time I was in, he gave me a cannoili on the house!!! My fiance and his buddy came in later, and they still accommodated them even though they were closing. , read more

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This place has some of the best homemade ravioli and lasagna I've ever had! Highly recommend!

This is a much deserved and long, overdue review. Buona is on our short list of regular takeout places ever since I read some great reviews from other Yelpers about a new Italian cafe in Pacifica. We have only ordered takeout here. The place is pretty small, about 4-5 tables for dine-in. It seems they recently started serving beer and wine. This is a no-frills, mom and pops cafe with no website or online ordering available. You can call ahead to place an order. They usually have specials so be sure to ask when calling in. We usually order - calamari fritti which is always perfectly battered and fried and comes with a delicious spicy marinara dipping sauce - Linguini clams - lots of clams with nicely cooked linguine - Spinach ravioli - dish is full of flavor We've also tried the Chicken Milanese and a few of their specials. Parking can be a challenge around here so may have to park a few blocks away. read more

I've been here several times. A couple times to eat in, mostly to take out. The food is as good as any authentic Italian restaurant in Palo Alto or the City. The seating is limited and a little tight...like a European family owned restaurant. I've had a few of the dishes, but among my favorites are the eggplant parggiana and gnocchi. read more

Went for Lunch Food - 5/5. Panini had a great ratio of cheese, tomato and bread. Each bite included all three and I enjoyed that the bread was pressed to have similar thickness as the other ingredients. The pesto gave it a vibrant herb flavor with a nutty finish. Salad was fresh with just the right amount of tartness in the dressing. Carbonara had an excellent sauce with a well-balanced flavor. Generally I find that carbonaras can be one note, focused solely on richness as the main flavor by compounding dairy and pork. This carbonara still had the classic rich flavors of cheese, cream and panchetta, but it was balanced by a good use of white wine and onion. Onions gave it a natural sweetness while the white wine added a tart sweetness with a tinge of sourness that cut the overly heavy flavors of carbonara. Ingredients were fine diced, making for a fun texture and the pasta itself was a perfect al dente. Service - 4/5. Very friendly and courteous staff. Ordering was done at the counter, but everything else was full service. Water was brought over and service was attentive. Value - 5/5. While they have a standard Italian restaurant menu, they stand out by showcasing excellent understanding of flavors and great culinary finesse. Portion sizes were good and prices were fitting with pastas in the high $10s and the panini in the mid $10s. Panini came with a choice of side and they provided bread for the pasta. It was a pleasant surprise to find such amazing Italian food in a cozy setting. Parking - Street (Free) read more

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This was a cute Italian cafe in Pacifica. The store is very small and can only fit a few parties at a time. But the food looked pretty good and people seemed to be enjoying their lunch very much. We swung by here to get coffee and dessert after a morning of crabbing. I got the house special cannoli for $2.5, and it was crispy and filled with creamy vanilla cheese. It wasn't super sweet but offered me the sugar pick-me-up that I needed at the time. read more

Buona Italia Caffe - $2.5 each - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

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I ordered the lemon piccata salmon, and it was delicious. My husband and daughter had the linguine and clams. Very friendly, old-fashioned service, which we usually miss but we had here. Wait hole in the wall very cute. Sweet place for a date. read more

Food was absolutely delicious. We shared Pear salad and lasagna served with bread on the side. The lasagna was many layers of thin noodles with and incredibly delicious bolognese sauce and cheese. We each had a cannoli that was wonderful. The coffee was strong and very good. I recommend this place completely. It is small so I don't think they can handle large groups. Great for an intimate lunch or early dinner. Service was great. You order at the counter and then are served. Try this place. read more

This place is amazing. My boyfriend and I each got a panini the truffle gnocchi, and split a Cesar salad. The flavors were amazing and the atmosphere was beautifully relaxed. Our new favorite place read more

One of Pacifica's hidden gems, the Buona Italia Caffe is postage-stamp sized place with 4 tables. Don't let the counter ordering, specials scrawled on pieces of paper and tacked to the walls, plastic table cloths, and wine bottles with candles turn you off, though the food that comes out of the kitchen is VERY impressive. The ravioli and gnocchi are both house made (Arturo, one of the owners, manager, cook, and waitstaff confided that he'd like to make all of his own pasta but simply didn't have the kitchen space needed) as are (obviously) the sauces. Food is plated with care to provide eye appeal as well as the taste and attention to detail like grilling the bread served with the entrees (and believe me you'll need that bread to mop up the delicious sauces) and serving small dishes of red pepper and Parmesan rather than simply leaving shakers on the table show the owners pride. HIGHLY recommended when you visit Pacifica's growing West Sharp Park business district! read more

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Been back three times now and every time i continue to be surprised by the level of excellence the chefs put into the food and drinks- I will continue to make the trip to Pacifica to enjoy the experience with buona Italia caffe read more

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Excellent food in a tiny little cafe. Fresh and delicious seafood, homemade gnocchi, etc. Staff is so friendly, too!

I have been meaning to review this place from the first time I had it! I loved everything I have tried so far from this place. The owner is so nice and friendly. He always greeted my boyfriend and I with a nice hello and smile. The place is really small so just be aware that there might not be seating but it tastes just as good in a to-go box. I have only good things to say about this place and hope they continue their business! Whenever I visit San Francisco I have to stop at this place or my trip wouldn't be worth it. Amazing food and service !! read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

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Wonderful little place w excellent kitchen! Sweet atmosphere and calm homey vibe! Yummy, and a genuine undiscovered treasure! read more

I think this place is AWESOME. We ordered the ravioli And the gnocchi and my little brother ordered the chicken Milanese and all of us enjoyed so much, the employees were so nice and were very friendly and polite. The place was beautiful but also kinda on the small side even though the small area it is still very good. I would really recommend this place you should definitely come here read more

Buona Italia Caffe - We devoured everything! - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

Good service, delicious food, very good,clean place. I recommend this place specifically if you order to go because is small

1 cannoli and 2 pumpkin crème brûlée! Both desserts were amazingly delicious Thank you for a nice evening! read more

Buona Italia Caffe - A cannoli and 2 pumpkin crème brûlée's Dinner was excellent but dessert was amazing!!! Thank you for a wonderful dinner and dessert!! - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

I have been meaning to try this spot for the past few years! It is truly a hidden gem -- one of the better Italian restaurants in the Bay Area. I recently treated my parent to a bday dinner, and ordered 1 chicken parm, 1 spaghetti and meatballs, and 1 salmon salad. The dishes were all 10/10 and clearly homemade. We especially loved the salmon and chicken parm and the green beans were nice and crispy. Looking forward to supporting this place in the future (and trying their cannolis and paninis!) Thanks, Buona Italia Caffe read more

Maybe I went on an off day but my plate of linguini and clams was "gritty". I believe the clams were not throughly cleaned and I was chewing on small grains of sand. read more

Small family owned cafe with excellent Italian food. Loved the lasagna and bruschetta. Only 4 tables - they need to expand. You would pay a lot more in the City or bayside peninsula. read more

My husband and I came back a second time and brought my niece and my sister and my nephew. We all had such a wonderful dinner so tasty very nice atmosphere very sweet people that work there in the guest as well. I just feel like I'm in Italy when I go to this place. Every taste of the food is just outstanding. read more

Only a few of the pastas are fresh and the menu is fairly basic but the food is good. Service was not great as I asked for meatballs on the side and they flat out refused despite charging me for them. The place is also tiny so only good for takeout. read more

All dishes were incredible. It's our new go to place. My family has tried multiple dishes and they were all wonderful. Service is great and very friendly. The ambiance was cozy and was not too crowded the time we went. Such a great find! read more

The man who took our order was one of the sweetest and most hospitable people i've ever met in a restaurant establishment! You can tell this place is family owned, and it adds to the charm of this little restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious, I got the shrimp linguini alfredo and my boyfriend got the chicken parmigiana. Everything tasted fresh, and came out hot and fast! If we are ever back in Pacifica, we will make sure to eat here again! read more

Buona Italia Caffe - Italian Near Me - Pacifica, California

The food we ate from this restaurant is delicious and we shall return. Next time, we would like to enjoy the ambiance of this cute space!!! read more

Nice small restaurant just off highway 1. We were there on a Saturday night and they seem to do a brisk take out business--which is good given that there is only seating for about 10-12 people. If you are going for dinner just be aware that they close at 7. Spaghetti Carbonara: 3.5/5. The sauce was excellent, if a little different from most versions, with white wine and onions. The thing that disappointed me was the pancetta--I could not really taste it, and what little I tasted was just fat. In other versions that I have had, the meat was the star, and with this it was just an extra. Chicken Parmesan: 4.5/5. Really well executed. The chicken was cooked just right and had a very nice flavor. The tomato sauce was perfectly balanced, and the green beans were perfectly cooked. I will definitely have this again. The portions for both dishes were very generous. read more

This Unique Restaurant is located a few blocks from the beach & serve delicious Pasta dishes. Although inside is very small area with a few tables with cozy atmosphere and best of all, the service is excellent. read more

This is an amazing little Italian restaurant. There's not much indoor seating, so many take food to go. If you can eat in though, the staff is super friendly and the food is about the best Italian found anywhere. Highly recommended! read more

The best authentic Italian cafe. The owner lived and studied in Italy for 25years. I've been here several times already and it never disappoints. It's a hidden gem. From the shrimp linguini alfredo to the paninis....you can't go wrong. Definitely one of my go to spots. read more

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Saw the great Yelp reviews, decided to stop by on a Sunday for late lunch takeout. We called in the order on the phone. Got parking on the side. Staff was friendly. We paid and they gave us receipt. Ordered Calamari Linguini clams Fresh branzino Gave us free bread. The food was good, everything was fresh. My fav was the linguini clams, fresh clams. Same with the branzino, fresh! Husband liked the calamari, still crispy when we got back home. Will stop by again! read more

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