Great location and the ambiance is cool. Service was definitely the only reason for 3 stars. Many simple mistakes for a high end restaurant. We were sat at a table and not given any menus. Finally had to ask for menus after being seated for 15 minutes. Didn't get a cocktails until after 30 minutes of being there. Guest ordered an aperol spritz which is on the menu along with umbrellas outside with aperol written on them, however the restaurant doesn't have aperol. They brought a galliano spritz but advertise Aperol, very weird. Also always weird to me when servers have no clue who ordered what and ask the table. Maybe it's because I was a high end server in college. Beef Carpaccio was delicious. Pasta was tasty. Chicken was also nicely done, I didn't enjoy the veal and would not recommend. Big wine selection which was nice. Desserts were nice but limited menu with only 3 traditional options. Food was good enough I would consider going back but service was quite poor and most concerning is that the restaurant was only half full due to holiday weekend. If the restaurant was full, service likely would have been far worse. read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

After decades of dining in Birmingham, I'm always surprised when we come across a new gem (well, new to us, since apparently this place has been here for a decade). We went here for our anniversary dinner and it was the perfect choice. Our server, Patrick, was an absolute delight and took good care of us throughout our meal. We started with an appetizer special, the Wagyu meatball with fondue. It definitely did not fit the standard definition of a meatball, which was a good thing. The presentation was beautiful and it tasted great! For our next course, we split a Caesar Salad, but the parmesan basket it was served in made this dish truly unique. For my entree I had the Rigatoni alla Vodka. Vodka sauces are a favorite of mine and this one was among the best I've had. I was also quite pleased with the serving size, something that many Italian restaurants miss the mark on. My wife had the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. She loves a good bolognese sauce and truly enjoyed this one. We had originally decided to pass on dessert, but much to our surprise and delight, the head chef/owner brought us a cannoli, with a delicate "happy anniversary" chocolate wedged into a raspberry. It was a very kind and thoughtful way to wrap up a wonderful dining experience. read more

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Owner is direct messaging after I noted how small the main pasta dish was. Very unprofessional read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - Bolgnese meal, very small portion like all their pasta dishes - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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Somewhat underwhelmed by the food. Small portions. Apps sharable for one or two people, sparingly. Menu descriptions better than execution. Bland. On the other hand, service was spectacular. Ambiance top-notch. read more

The overall absolute worst insulting dining experience. I made a reservation for my family of three to celebrate my wife's birthday. During the reservation process I was prompted to answer if I had any special requests or notes added to my reservation. I stated it was a celebration of my wife's birthday and requested a nice table. Upon arriving 15 minutes early, the restaurant the host stand was unattended. I observed two well dressed individuals who appeared to be hosts tending to other patrons and made eye contact with directly. No one came to the host area as we were standing there. After approximately ten minutes an employee dressed in a chef jacket came to the host stand. He appeared to have been overseeing the operations of not only the food, but seating as well. I politely greeted him stating that I had a 7:30pm reservation for a party of three. He asked my name and walked over to a computer, quickly typed and never returned. Though we were clearly visible to the entiire restaurant, no one approached us for another 10 minutes as we remained standing at the host stand. No one stated they were preparing a table or suggest that we may like to have a cocktail in the bar area. We observed patrons leaving and suitable available tables in the main dining area. Eventually we were escorted through empty available tables, and seated at the very last table at the end of the restaurant next to the bathroom and service area. Though the main dining area was painted with an uplifting cream color...our area was painted dark red with very limited lighting as if we were dining in Satan's storage room. The absolute worst table in the restaurant. Thought our attire was very well appointed above others in the restaurant, it seemed we were deliberately placed in that location based upon a personal assumption by someone calling the shots. The table was a cheap foldable table covered in white linen which wobbled and nearly collapsed everytime it was touched. We ordered two "house" Manhattan cocktails which were merely cheap bourbon over ice with a cherry. I ordered a bottle of Pinot Gregio wine off their wine list and a few minutes later the waiter informed me they didn't have that wine an offered a more expensive bottle of Chardonnay. Basically an upsale tactic. I complied. The waiter's description of the days dinner specials sounded incredible. They included Seared Japanese scallops over a handmade spaghetti pasta with capers and olives in a pomodoro white wine sauce. In actuality, it came as non seared steamed scallops (from the frozen section of your local super market) in what seemed and tasted like a cheap jar ragu with a mushy capers. Embarassingly small portion. The bread basket contained 3 two inch pieces of bread and no refill until we asked. Which another 3 pieces eventually came. We selected the over priced appetizers of a honey glazed roasted peach half over greens. The peace half was the size of a walnut half and was topped with two tiny leaves of a mixed green type. The calamari appetizer was a few tiny boiled pieces drowning in a cup of straight tomato saice presented in a clear bowl the size of a bathroom sink. As we ate, I observed a few tables in the main dinning area being specially tended to multiple waiters, a host and the individual in the chef jacket, as if those patrons took precedence over our table as we were a lesser. At no point throughout the dinner was my wife's birthday a consideration or even mentioned though it was stated in the special notes during reservations. Our dining experience here was completely insulting and we left feeling deceived by well marketed tactics on their website. Non the less, we left a 20% gratuity as our waiter was of medium caliber. Nothing more than an olive garden restaurant with well dressed waiters and mounted European pictures on the wall. We have dined in some the finest establishment in the country. This was not one of them. My suggestion is to avoid this establishment. Merely marketing hype with a phoney stuffy vibe. Extremely over priced for the return. read more

Good food (burrata, veal meatballs, caesar salad, chicken scallopini, bolognese). Good service. Nice table outside. A bit slow even though there were plenty of staff around and the place wasn't crowded. read more

Absolutely superb service and food. The music was a bit loud and conveyed a different type of ambiance than everything else. I had a Caesar salad which comes in a Parmesan crisp bowl. Then lasagna I believe it was a special. Really delicious. They were out of the special dessert, pistachio lava cake, but we weren't told until after we ordered it. The chocolate lava cake was still delicious. Would absolutely go back. read more

How have we missed ten whole years of this restaurant? We were casting around for somewhere to go for our anniversary, and my husband noticed a write-up of this restaurant, in Hour Magazine, at our dentist's office. The food was fabulous. The service was perfect. This restaurant is a place I would love to return to, in the future. We need to make up for lost time. What a delightful dining experience. read more

First off, love that it stays open late. We sat at the bar. Started with calamari and bruschetta. Was not a fan of the calamari which was a bummer because everything else we ordered for the remainder of the meal was great. I like being able to order fresh homemade pasta. read more

My wife and I love this place for happy hour, pasta, and cheesecake. We are always impressed with the service! Chef Z is the owner and is a great host as well as are his dishes. We had the pasta wheel table side experience last night and it was so much fun. read more

Had such a fun time here the other week. Got absolutely amazing food and loved the cocktails as well. I got the gnocchi which was so good and I'll probably get it again next time but there's so much on the menu I want to try. The brunette bartender was super efficient and provided excellent service to us! The renovations they recently did look really good and the atmosphere was so nice. This is definitely a Birmingham staple to me. It's reliable and is always fresh. read more

10/10. Hands down the best Italian restaurant I've been to. From the appetizers to the desserts everything was so good. Would recommend to everyone and will definitely come back. read more

Super cute restaurant! The vibe is a small, yet lively cafe/restaurant. It's nice because you can either stop by for a quick coffee and bite to eat, or you can get a whole meal. Either option guarantees both good service and food. Have stopped by plenty of times for either a small coffee and pastry, and it's always been amazing. Can't recommend enough! read more

Visited twice in the past year and it is amazing every time! From appetizers, salad, pasta (not pictured) and pizza, you can't go wrong! The pizza is perfectly crisp! A large selection of wine. The service is impeccable read more

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Love this traditional European style restaurant The food is consistent Service is professional and knowledge about menu items. read more

La Strada is about as good as it gets. When you walk by outside you smell how good it's going to be inside. The strozapretti and the short rib were incredible mains and the focaccia was a great way to start the meal. The service was great and very attentive. read more

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I have visited many times and while never my favorite spot, I used to enjoy coming here. Our last visit the hostess was super rude and dismissive. Five of us stopped by for coffee and dessert after dinner. It was 8pm, there were lots of available tables but she would not sit us unless we ordered dinner. They close at 9pm. With drinks and dessert this group would easily make whatever table minimum you are setting and it would be much better to just tell us if that is the case. Instead we enjoyed a lovely night at Pernoi. read more

Well, what a breath of fresh air our dining experience was at La Strada in Birmingham. Impeccable service, hospitality and the food was extraordinary! The owner Zharko personally came over to introduce himself to our group of six and Joey, our server, was attentive, personable and charming too! I personally thoroughly enjoyed my Strozapretti and two of our friends, both Italian and speak Italian, said the La Strada "ragu" was just as good as "mom's ragu". Highly recommend this venue for it's quaint charm, attention to detail, outstanding food and ambience. Thank you! read more

I came with a group of friends and we were all left pretty disappointed. For the price, the size of the dishes was laughable. Unfortunately I do not think I would come back as there are better Italian restaurants in the area. read more

We had a wonderful dinner experience at La Strada. We were seated at a lovely outdoor table. It was Saturday evening and the weather was gorgeous. Our waiter was attentive though he overlooked putting in our appetizer, which came out after our meal. My Eggplant Parmesan was excellent. My girlfriend's swordfish was quite thin and not Earth shattering. The pastachio cheese cake was out of this world as was the coffee. We will definitely be returning! read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - Amazing Prosecco to start the evening! - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

Portion size for calamari appetizer was shamefully small. I feel like the menu is about 15% overpriced compared to similar restaurants. The wagu short rib was very good but at $95 did not have the flavor profile superior than most other offerings at $55-65. To summarize: overpriced and at times small portions read more

Ugh. I love the food so much here but the service is always a hit or miss depending on who's working that night. There is a specific gentleman that works there majority of the time that is SO MEAN. He ruins our dinner almost EVERY SINGLE TIME we're there. He rushes us, he's so rude and speaks over us. Who wants to start their dinner night that way? Who wants to even support a business like that? But! The food is so good and when the service is good, it's great. They're very hospitable and I really hope no new customers ever have to deal with this gentleman because I doubt they'll be back. Moving on to the food, I ordered the gnocchi, aurora pasta (delicious) read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

This is a mixed review. I'm giving it three stars but I think it deserves two and here's the why.... Food tasted great while eating, setting was nice, service was really good but the bar options were light. They seemed to be out of a lot of stuff. Hendricks gin, Tito's vodka, Beluga Vodka and some tequilas. We were a larger group and in our group were people in the liquor industry which were shocked to see them out of stuff. That was the first hick up. Like I said food tasted great. Also, I loved how the waiter asked us if we wanted some warm bread for the table and then we see a $20 charge for the bread that was offered. The bill arrived and there was $90 in surprise charges that appeared on our bill that wasn't ever ordered or received. Also, there are two different prices on the receipt, one for cash and one for credit card. Now I feel this is super petty. I own a business and never would I expect my customers to pay my fees of normal business operational expenses. I was extremely turned off by this being our bill was almost $1,000 with gratuity. That was strike 2 and 3 for me. Then the worst part is driving home I almost pulled over multiple times due to the pain it costs me. My stomach was in shambles. Woke up the next day to a group chat that 5 others in our group went through the same thing I did. Again, food looked amazing and tasted great but the out of liquor, bill mistake and stomach issues will keep me from not coming back. I really hope that this was a one off issue because the owner and staff were really great. Good luck but I won't be returning. read more

Very charming Italian cafe/restaurant in downtown Birmingham. I haven't been to Italy so can't tell if this is true representation of a classic cafe there. That said, I was offered mimosa or a glass of wine at 10:30am. I already like this place. Although I sadly, opted for a cappuccino it was a really good one. I got the Frittata Bianca which is an egg white frittata with artichokes and tomatoes, served with a side of fruit, a tiny arugula salad, 2 small but just right pieces of multigrain toast with a fig jam. Between the meal, the decor and the ambience, I almost felt transported to Italy. read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - Good Cappuccino - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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Had dinner here last night with a party of 5. The service, drinks, apps, and food were all fantastic. Very authentic and traditional food. We all loved our dishes and will be back. Highly recommend. read more

Food was good, service was good, I will never return and strongly will advise others the same. waiter was very accommodating, and made great recommendations, it here are the things they don't tell you. the waiter said, "would you like some bread for the table?". He didn't tell you that it's $9 for that bread. When he recommended the charcuterie for the table (6 people), he neglected to tell us it was $150 for the board. Literally $150. Then for dinner, he strongly recommended the Fruit a de Mare. It was tasty. there was a small bit of linguini, 1 shrimp, 2 baby clams, and 1 scallop. He didn't mention that it was $55. To top it all off, there was a $24 charge to use a credit card. This was never mentioned at any point. I have no problem paying for a good meal, but there is a point that a restaurant is taking advantage of patrons, and that's the point I refuse to return. read more

I don't understand why this place isn't rated higher. It's always packed and my wife and kids love it, this was my first time there and it was GREAT!!! The owner is a friendly and funny gent who wanders about chatting with the customers, really a character. But the food...INCREDIBLE!!! I won't get into the details of our meal because everything we had was delicious. The service was also very good. The prices seemed a little high, but when you factor in that gratuity is included, it's actually very reasonable. I can't wait to go back as this could very well be the best restaurant in Bham. Bella Piati is very good too, but this is better!! read more

Beautiful cafe even for simple snack, drink, dinner or dessert! I love this place! It makes you feel like you are in Europe. The dessert and service is Every time I come to La Strada I have a great experience. The wait staff is incredible kind. I also always come in mainly for their dessert I haven't had dinner there just yet. I love it for dessert because it gives off a cafe vibe and environment for drinks/dessert/coffee. I really can't wait to try it for dinner! read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - I asked for affogato and they created this for me! Super sweet! - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

The food was really good; but some of the charges border on ridiculous. We went as a group of six celebrating a birthday. We were told as the water was poured, " I'll bring you some bread ...". What we were not told was about the $9.00 charge for a tray of bread; when more bread was offered with the entrees, we accepted and another $9 charge was added to the bill. A can of Coke was $5. Coffee after dinner was $6; the birthday boy requested a refill of his cup and another $6 coffee was delivered. When the bill came, there was a $15 charge for using a credit card. We probably won't go back ... read more

The food here has so much potential! However,on both occasions we were here, with two different couples, there was a glaring problem - the appetizers, salads, and entrees were all over-salted. I'm not just talking slightly heavy-handed, but pounded! We all were very aware of it, and weren't able to finish our meals. When it happened on our first visit, we thought it was an anomaly, so we gave it a couple months before our next visit. Unfortunately there's a chef, sous chef, or both, who uses salt with abandon and can't help themselves. The focaccia looked and smelled delicious, but was inedible. The beet salads with arugula, as well as the veal, chicken, and pastas the same. It's really too bad, because underneath all the excessive sodium, you know there's a great meal. Our server was excellent, and the ambience is nice and lively and fits well in downtown Birmingham. read more

Over priced Charge for bread and credit card fee over priced drinks and mediocre portions ...walk on by read more

A family member and I both got diarrhea from eating here. The bread was amazing, pasta was mid, and service was 10/10. Sadly can not recommend this place unless you're okay with the gut ache. read more

Popped in for a light snack. The Caprese is fantastic. And the sea salad was refreshing. Highly recommend. read more

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar - a plate of food - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

Came to La Strada for the first time on Mother's Day and had a wonderful experience! We were served by Zharko, the owner of the restaurant, who was so friendly and welcoming we felt at home! The affogato and latte were impeccable-- the quality of the espresso was very clear. They were delicious! We started with the carpaccio, which was one of the freshest we've ever had and the arugula salad was wonderful. All of the entrees were delicious as well. In the end we had the truffle honey cheesecake which was extremely fluffy and delicious. A wonderful dense graham cracker crust and light creamy filling-- was comparable to the best New York cheese cake! I definitely recommend this place it was a wonderful dining experience. read more

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This place really fell off. Service really sucks. Food is extremely mediocre...not good at all... It's a shame really, this place at one point was a great place for Italian food. Not to mention - they are EXTREMELY petty. They've always been tbh. If you want honey for your tea, they'll charge you for the honey. Want extra sauce on your pizza? Something that no one ever charges for - they'll charge you. A few bucks at least. If you want to pay for your food with your credit card, they'll charge you a credit card processing fee. I don't know where these owners/managers ever ate at that made them feel like these things are okay, but someone should probably tell them it's not. The only thing keeping them in business is that they have a pretty good location and have some outdoor dining. read more

A Birmingham friend found out about this place recently and so he, I, and a coworker friend of his tried it out today. They don't have a website, and my friend was like "so they basically don't exist then" ... ha. (but it's kind of true) So everything I knew about this restaurant before I went here today I gleaned off Yelp. I ordered the San Daniela sandwich ($10.95) and it was huge and also very tasty. It had prosciutto (?), arugula with balsamic, and fresh mozzarella, and it was on ciabatta bread. My friend ordered a margarita pizza, which was also large, and his coworker friend ordered pasta. We were looking at the desserts after dinner too and all of those looked good, and they have crepes as well as a varied breakfast menu. I definitely want to come here again, maybe just for dessert this time! It was very European, down to the tiny water glass and carafe of water that the waiter left at the table. Service was fine too, not as intrusive as other places I've been to (where they come to your table every five minutes) but we weren't neglected either. The prices are a little pricey but they're fairly standard for Birmingham, and they're reasonable when you consider the quality and the atmosphere too. My only complaint is that the music was a little loud ... it was Italian-type music and seemed a bit out of place / too loud for the space. read more

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Had a wonderful dinner party for 10 to celebrate an engagement. Food and Service were excellent. All staff seemed engaged and genuinely happy for our moment. Very gracious and accommodating in hosting our party which was very appreciated and unfortunately rare at many Birmingham restaurants. Will definitely be back. read more

Hostess did not say a word upon seeing us and seating us. Did not bring menus either. Waiter was fine but he was so slow, and was not very keen on answering a few questions. The vibe is old school, and the prices are definitely not justified based on the decor and the taste of the food. read more

Came here for dinner a week or so ago. First, the wait staff is very polite and professional. To start, we had the prosciutto e melone. It tasted great, and the prosciutto in particular was better than most I've had in the U.S. They served the cantaloupe on the rind, which I've never seen in the U.S. or Italy. It should be presented with the melon already cut off the rind and, generally, the prosciutto wrapped around the melon. For my main course I had amatriciana, a dish I'm very familiar with. First, the pasta was mezze maniche rigate instead of the traditional bucatini which was a bit of a bummer. Second, the texture of the guanciale could've been better, I think crispier is what the specific change should be. Some of the pieces were still fatty and too rubbery. I also asked for no cheese due to an allergy but some made it on top anyway. I didn't realize until it was too late, unfortunately. read more

Last week I went to La Strada with a party of 4 for dinner. Upon receiving the substantial bill (which included appetizers, cocktails, wine, entrees and desserts) there was an extra charge of approximately 3.5% for using a credit card. We found nothing on the menu that told us of this of this charge, and the waiter gave us no warning this was coming. Moreover, we knew that in the past, the price of the food included a tip fee for the staff, but that policy had been discarded, and we were given no notice of this change either. I would not go back. read more