This is not enjoyable to write; I don't care for retaliatory reviews, but my wife and I were treated very rudely and I'm hopeful that something may come of writing here. Not only were things slow at 5:20 (restaurant half full), but our server said "we're not sure who's going to serve you." He seemed very overworked, and unhappy. I asked my wife if she wanted to choose a wine, and he simply walked away. After that first visit, he returned 22 minutes later (ah, smart phones) and said "so, do you have any questions about the menu?" I said that the service was unacceptable, and could he please send the manager. Instead, he went behind the bar and started fixing drinks for another party. There were several other small, boring-to-read details where he simply seemed overly aggressive due to being the only FT server in a half full restaurant. Eventually, the host got the manager, who was gracious, but we felt so much ugly energy from that server that we were uncomfortable staying, and in fact we are not really comfortable returning. read more

Have been coming to this restaurant for years and recommending it to people. Last night my friends and I ordered two GF pizzas to go. When we got home we realized one pizza was not GF. I have a serious gluten intolerance and was bummed to not be able to try both pizzas. We attempted to call Piatanzi about 11 times, not sure if we should go back, or just settle with their mistake. My friend who is not GF ate 2 pieces because we were all starving. No one answered and we got through about an hour later only to be hung up on. I came back with the pizza. and told them what happened with our order and that we that had paid for and hoped for a GF pizza, I explained this politely. The manager opens the pizza box which had a few slices eaten from, rolls his eyes, and says "here's half the rate back, that's all you get" and throws 10 dollars at me--it was extremely rude. I told him that his attitude was not cool and walked out. I then realized he had taken the pizza from me, so I walked back in and said "Hey, I left the pizza can I have it back?" He said "No! It's in the kitchen now! We're eating it!"......I have no earthly idea why anyone would take a pizza back that we took home to our house, that we could have dropped on the ground, spat on, or contaminated with covid germs in a pandemic, and to feed it to their staff. It's really gross and shows a real lack of concern for the health of their staff. I told him that taking our pizza was a ridiculous, and at the very least since they messed our order up, I could give my friend the rest of the not-GF pizza, what good did it do them to take it? He told me that he would let me take the pizza home if I gave him 7 dollars back with an extremely rude tone. I told him I just wanted our pizza back and since they messed up our order it seemed fair to just give me the pizza. He argued with me and refused to give it to me unless I gave him 7 dollars for the pizza they made wrong and overcharged us for in the first place. I told him he was being a jerk about this whole situation and had approached it with a terrible attitude when it was just me bringing up concern over a dietary restriction and trying to address that with a restaurant that I had previously really liked. He leaned in towards me and said in a low voice, " Ma'am, get some rest, you have bags under your eyes"--a misogynistic comment meant to insult me for the way I look, super ridiculous coming from an old, balding, man who clearly doesn't take care of himself to a girl in her twenties--(the dark circles under my eyes are genetic and not unattractive, they actually might be due to the fact that I have precursors for CELIAC's disease, hence why it would matter to me when a restaurant sends me home with a pizza that could make me super sick....) Ultimately, the attitude and deeply unkind behavior of this man and the staff surrounding him has been very disappointing. Piatanzi, please allow people who are kind to others to run your restaurant and get rid of the people who treat customer's like dirt when they come into the restaurant with a very reasonable concern. I wasn't even expecting them to replace the pizza with a GF one, just hoping they might recognize they put me in danger, overcharged us, and inconvenienced us, and hoping they might say sorry or throw in a free appetizer next time, something to acknowledge the situation. This restaurant does not care about it's GF patrons and I would advise people who have dietary restrictions to stay away. read more

I like a lot of things about this place (food, decor, location, bar lay out, patio), but I am not in love with it, otherwise I would probably be there at least once a week. They have probably one of the better wine selections so it's a good place to bring out of towners. The main courses are always fresh. Pizza's are good. The male bartenders there.....how do I say this nicely? Pretentious or an attitude? Can't put my finger on it. Either way makes me want to spend my money somewhere else. read more

An unexpected find in the neighborhood with higher end Italian fare, a better-than-average wine list, and 22 beers....all (or almost all) of the food options have a gluten free option for an additional $2. The service was attentive and not overdone. The daily risotto was delightful. The carbonara was ok...I'll get something different the next time because it wasn't what I was hoping for. My sons cheese pizza would have fed an 8-year old and was good even for an adult's palette. And the chocolate torte?!?! Yum! We'll be back!! read more

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It's a shame, a darn shame. Although Piattini has a couple of things going for it, unfortunately no way can they justify the premium prices for lame attempts at Italian cuisine. I've been enough times and given plenty of chances for Piattini to hit their stride but now I'm convinced that they are convinced they have! The restaurant is nicely built out. There are some good wines offered. That's it for compliments. Servers here are friendly but not necessarily competent. More than once I have had miscommunication that led to delays in the flow of my meal. Not MY fault. It's an example of a management and training failure IMO. Have you seen that t-shirt that reads "I'm awesome! Just ask me"? Yeah, Piattini is kinda like that. Don't get the Ceviche, its way too acidic and they throw tart Basil on it to exacerbate this. Don't get the Crab Croquettes because these people don't understand that Crab is mild and delicate and gets totally lost in the spicy Marinara it's swimming in. Don't get the Linguine Carbonara with the heavy handed overdose of black pepper and oil slick in the lower 1/3 of the bowl. And the prices of these "small plates" are anything but small. I could rip on Piattini some more but in the end it was my choice to go a half dozen times. If I had dined there on a date or with family then i would probably be pissed off. Things are easier to laugh away when it's only my experience that gets butchered! read more

Walked into the restaurant and was greeted by the owner who was friendly. However, when it came to the staff it was not such a great experience. I stood by the front door for about 15 minutes while servers went about their business and during that time not a single one of them acknowledged me. The owner even asked one of them if I had been helped, to which they replied "I'm about to" but they never came to seat me or anything. It was so bizarre that they wouldn't even acknowledge my presence. I don't know what kind of business would disrespect their customers like this, but I know I would never treat someone like this. As a person of color, these are the types of interactions that make you wonder if you didn't get treated fairly because of your ethnicity or if the wait staff were just bad at their jobs. In any case, I won't be back, and I won't be recommending this place to any of my friends in Albuquerque. read more

So happy we tried this little gem of a spot. Amazing Italian food. The calamari was Devine it didn't have to much breading on it which I love. The pasta was delicious. Gluten free is available which I was super happy about. The service was great. We felt very taken care of. We will be definitely going back. read more

We decided to have Italian for lunch and I was a bit disappointed. The restaurant is clean and modern. The staff were somewhat attentive but seemed a bit overwhelmed. We informed the staff that we didn't have a lot of time and they did get our food to us fairly quickly. Everything was ok but for the prices I would have expected a little better then ok. read more

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Super yummy food and super nice people. 22 beers on tap including Peroni. Greek salad and Linguini Pomodoro was delicious. Girl next to me had Mac & Cheese with grilled chicken w/ green chiles. It looked and smelled amazing. She said it was excellent. read more

Popped in for a light dinner. It is truly sad to see the lack of customers. C'mon people get out of your houses and support our local businesses. We were literally the only table in the dining room. Ok, so service was over the top, everyone was so nice. We had the polenta to start. It was excellent. Crispy top, creamy center, perfectly sauced. Just delightful. I enjoyed a lovely glass of Chardonnay, they were lovely together. Then we split the pollo sandwich with a Caesar salad. It was great! Quality bread, good grilled chicken, very good mozzarella, pesto, arugula and and fresh tomatoes. What's not to like. Such a great community gem. read more

This is the very best gnocchi-seafood dishes I have ever had, anyplace, including Italy. The seafood is fresh, tender, and succulent. The garlic, while plentiful, remains sweet, and the pinot grigio-marinara is perfect with just a (correct) hint of acidity.Try a small spoonful of this sauce with a grape tomato, and the tomato will explode in your mouth with an unbelievable taste. Pete Lukes, the owner-chef, told me that this is his personal favorite here. Mine, too. This dish has earned a place on my coveted Best Dishes of 2014 List. Mushroom Pizza--Criminis, scalions, gruyere, and truffle oil. The crust is unique, flaky and tender, with just the right amount of crispness. This is the best pizza I have ever had. I have shared it with the Dazzling Deanell twice in the past three weeks. I guarantee that this pizza will blow you away. This pizza has earned the top spot on The Best Dishes of 2015 on my blog, Larry's Albuquerque Food Musings. Thanks for recommending it, Maggie. read more

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Love this local spot! Eaten there a few times pre and post COVID. Pre-Covid, it was a great atmosphere with lovely conversation and a good drink selection. Now during COVID, they've made pick up easy and food always gets home warm. My favorite is the Vesuvio pizza and they're pasta in nice as well. My celiac roommate loves the gf pizza options. read more

This is a jewel of a find in an unassuming part of town. North of Nob Hill on Girard, its a fabulous neighborhood restaurant that serves excellent food and drinks without the high prices of many restaurants in town. Being Italian myself, I'm always pleasantly surprised to find a good Italian restaurant with traditional as well as inventive dishes. Choose any dish with their homemade pasta of the day and you won't go wrong. Believe it or not, the best salad I've ever had (and that covers probably 100 cities across the country) is the Noce salad. Beets, pickled onions, fennel, greens and a wonderfully light dressing made my tastebuds sing - and I'm not vegetarian! Great light meal with a lovely glass of white wine and you'll be back to try other things on the menu. read more

I like to eat, eat, eat pepperoni pizza. I like to eat eat eat beer and pizza Especially when the beer and pizza is on special and only $5!! So I thought it was worth the up charge for a topping and better beer than PBR... but all in all this ended up being a great food experience in-spite of mo money. Plus side of the up charge, I found a new favorite beer Colette farmhouse ale. If you like saisons then this is right up your ally. As I'm writing his I just realized that it's totally obvious that I'm having a drink on a Monday... stop judging me. It was a long Monday. You should try this place next time you have a long Monday. Seriously. read more

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Review is about 6 years late but I spent a night in Albuquerque 6 years ago while travelling through on Route 66. Decided to go out for an Italian meal and found this place. Got there a little early for dinner and had a chance to just talk with the owner. Absolute legend who kept me entertained and had a good ole chat. Food was amazing. Think I had a coffee flavoured pound cake, cabresi salad and spaghetti. Food was amazing. Offered to send him a case of Australian wine and haven't gotten around to it but haven't forgotten either. But a great place to eat and would definitely recommend if you are travelling through. read more

delicious food, friendly neighborhood feel. they could use more staff members but they made up for it with charm and hatdwork!

A delight! Covid creativity points! The restaurant has opened parking spots to tables in perfect fall weather! Prompt service, tho I did call in first with questions and then my order. I'm going to do that more, as it worked out great. Super helpful with getting me a tasty and gluten safe meal, even with my late order. The wine pairing was perfect with my cioppino. The dish! I judge a kitchen by how they do scallops and delicate shellfish. Everything was simply perfect, scallops fork tender and perfectly done, calamari had flavor and wasn't rubber rings (like most places), fish was flaky and moist, clams & mussels delicate and juicy. Win!! My dining partner had the chicken alfredo, again a win. The sauce was thick, creamy, eye rolling good. My only disappointment was they were out of coffee (we did get there late) for an espresso with the strawberry gelato. A bit pricey, and my mouth says worth every penny. read more

I came here for a work lunch with 5 other people. We initially wanted Padillas, but they were too busy so we came here! I'm not a fan of Italian food, so bear that in mind. The service was a little slow, food was just ok, and it seemed like they were really pushing us to get some wine. Won't be back, but I know some middle aged mothers I will recommend this place to. read more

After looking at the overall rating of this place we were a little trepidatious. Didn't know what to expect, but we're very glad we tried it. From the time we walked in the front door and were greeted by the host, to the bussers and our server, Celine, the experience was great. The only reason for the 4-Star rating is because our server "slowed" down as the evening wore on. Not badly, but noticeable. They were busy, but it's no reason for lack of service. The bussers made up for it though and were very attentive. I had the Branzino and my wife the Pollo Putanesca. As an app we tried the meatballs. All items were flavorful and well presented. I have to wonder why some reviewers stated the meals lacked flavor. Decor was modern, classy and refined. We haven't tried the sister restaurant in the Heights, but will do so and compare. We'll definitely be back here. read more

Thank you for accommodating my large takeout order this evening! Everything was spectacular, unanimous that this was some Of the best Italian food we have ever had-- delicious salads, pasta, and grandmas cake for dessert. Can't wait to try more of your food!! read more

I used to love this place but now they can't even manage to give basic service in a timely manner.

The food here is actually pretty good. In fact, I think the pasta is divine. However, the lack of professionalism and the flat-out rudeness of the staff takes away from any possible pleasant dining experience. We live just around the corner so when Piatanzi (formerly Piatini) opened up, we were excited to have them near us and made plans to frequent them for family meals. However, after no less than 7 visits, I am sad to report major issues after all 7 visits: *The first issue was serving a GF diner (who we told the server had a severe case of Celiac disease) their none GF fries after telling us that they were GF. We did not know that this was what made him sick and even attributed to something else had eaten during the day until our second visit when the manager told us that the fries were not GF. Yikes! *My next major issue had to do with take out orders. Their online menu NEVER matches their menu inside. I would call to place an order based upon the online menu only to be YELLED at because they did not serve that item any more and how dare I ask for it. Well, sir, it lists it on the menu online that I am currently looking at. That is how I even knew about the item. *We still were assured that these issues were being handled and after a few months tried AGAIN to eat at Piatanzi. I placed an order over the phone for pickup. Based upon the prices online, my order should have totaled no more than $13 with tax. When I arrived, I handed the bartender my card and he gave me no total before swiping my card. He then presented me with a receipt to sign for $23. When I questioned it, the manager came over and told me that although the dish had not changed, the prices had been adjusted. I explained that it was not the price listed online and had to show them their own menu listed online! It then took several phone calls to get my refunded difference! And I was again yelled at! I am done trying to support this restaurant. They are clearly too good for basics like ethics and customer service so why should I bother to give them my money? I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. It's not surprising they got sued for a copyright issue on their name. read more

Went for the first time for dinner last night. Great craft beer selection. I ordered the Brussels sprouts, amazing dish! Also have the Vesuvia pizza. Everything was super delicious and the bartender who served us was prompt and informative. Thanks for the great service! read more

Food was average, expensive for the so-so quality. We had the meatball app- was only three meatballs for $13. Gluten free pizza was very good, pasta was just ok. Service was lacking. We waited too long for a server to come to our table, she didn't know the menu, and was not friendly. We had to wave her down to get drink refills. Never checked on us. And it was not busy at all. Dropped our bill, no "thank you". Not one person from the host when we walked in the door to the server who collected our money expressed any gratitude or even a friendly comment. read more

Came here for early dinner (around 4:30) and my boyfriend and i were pretty much the only people in the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice and modern the interior was. The exterior makes it seem like it's a bit run down, but it's definitely not that way on the inside. Started with complimentary bread and oil. The bread was a bit too charred for my liking but still good. I then had the basic spaghetti and meatball dish. It was all delicious and satisfying. I'm eager to go back and I would definitely recommend for italian lovers in ABQ. read more

Piatanzi - Italian Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Very poor service. We got to the restaurant at about 8:15 and I assumed that as they close at 830 we could have a full meal. That wasn't really the case. We ordered our meals. The salads came a few minutes later. When our entrees were delivered only part of our order was delivered, but rather than collect the salad plates they were left empty on the table for us to push around to make room for my meal. My water glass was also empty and wasn't refilled until the third time I asked. Further; they brought out our pizza and not one of our parties entrees. When I asked about it I was told "Oh I forgot to order that" with a laugh. I failed to see the humor. I then asked if we could order another entree and was told the kitchen was closed. Call me crazy but I assume that you should be able to have a full meal provided you are not staying for hours. Mind you this is now ten minutes after closing time. My friend asked if they would still make the forgotten entree and when he the waiter said yes I enquired why then could they not make the other dish. The waiter begrudgingly agreed to make the additional entree. It's now about 9 pm and the waiter who was content to leave all our salad plates on the table is now stopping buy every minute trying to pick up our plates, which we are still eating off of, in an effort to hurry us along. We were never offered desert and the check was dropped before our plates were collected. I have to admit the food was pretty good but I was made to feel like it was an inconvenience for them to serve me. This place has a nice atmosphere and good food but I don't know if I will return. Unless I want to eat before 7, maybe at that hour you won't be rushed through like you were at a fast food joint read more

Priced like Paisano's, Olive Garden (barely) quality. The crab crust was more crab mush on salmon, and the smoked tomato coulis tasted like soot, not "smokey". The chicken was overcooked and dry, The service was mediocre, and the atmosphere was so "cozy" I felt like I was sitting in my neighbor's lap. The asparagus was good though, so there's that... read more

My favorite place eat! Food is delicious, drinks are great, people are always nice, very calm atmosphere. I love the Pomodoro and the mussels, YUMM! read more

Wow super amazing spot. Very casual and comfortable. The chicken Alfredo was delicious!! Very creamy! The calamari is also a must!

Piatanzi, first time there on a Wednesday night at 6:30 pm. (3 top) Very nice establishment overall. Good ambience, cleanliness, and convenient parking there is a great wine selection, limited beer selection. Menu was very diverse. I had the New York Strip and it was even better than the New York Strip at Bien Shur (Sandia Casino Hotel Restaurant) it was one of the dinner specials. I will return and have a pasta dish next time. The server was knowledgeable, and friendly. The service scenarios were well timed. Did not have dessert read more

I really want to love this place. They have a nice bar with a ton of great beers. They have a diverse menu. They're in walking distance. But I just ... Everything I've had doesn't delight my taste buds like they should. I've had the seafood gnocchi that a fellow here described as the best thing he had ever ate, and I found the broth bland :( Bereft of the savory and herby flavor I longed for. The gnocchi was quite good. But overall disappointing. I've had other dishes like their pizza and pasta, but I make better pasta sauce at home, and I'd rather get Da Vinci's pizza across the street. One thing I loved was their pesto chicken wings. Those were dope AF. Still, this place will prolly just be the place I go to watch sports and drink some frosty Radeberger. read more

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There will not be a third time. Going in to dinner I knew that the owner of Terra (Alameda and Rio Grande) had closed that restaurant down and that this was his/her new establishment. We had eaten at Terra one time after passing it for years and wondering if it was actually open (seemed like the chain was always across the parking lot entry). The one time there was memorable if for the complete lack of flavor or creativity in food. That was enough. Well, now there is Bistro Piattini, and I've read some good things in the paper, on Yelp and on Open Table, so my daughter and I decided to give it a try last night (8 May 2014). I used to live in the neighborhood here, and in fact shopped in the grocery store that the Bistro now occupies. I am strongly in favor of locally owned establishments over a chain any day of the week. So with great enthusiasm (and a little Terra hesitation) we entered the Bistro. I found the interior to be well done, felt very metropolitan. We were promptly greeted, and advised that our table would be ready in a moment. The Bistro was pretty full, but there were a few empty tables. Upon sitting down, our first issue arose quickly, the server took several minutes to arrive, and served water without introducing herself. We assumed a busser, but she later returned to get our drink order. We ordered two of the Arrancini ($3/each) and the Mozzarella Fritta, saffron red sauce ($6) as appetizers. I knew we were back at Terra when the appetizers arrived. The Mozzarella Fritta, which I was hoping would be some thick slices of buffalo mozzarella lightly fried with a savory saffron enfused sauce...instead, we received what were clearly frozen deep-fried cheese sticks, stacked in an elegant log-cabin fashion, with just enough sauce on the plate to dip one or two the sticks into. And if there was saffron in the sauce, it must have been a single thread, b/c I could not taste it a bit. The Arrancini. Arrancini is a rice ball, usually risotto, that is deep fried and served with a marinara or other sauce. On the menu here, it is stated as the Arrancini del giorno, no explanation for the del giorno recipe was given by the waitress, but we risked it an ordered them. So, two perfectly fried arrancini showed up, with very minute amount of sauce on the plate. But Arrancini, when done well, don't need a lot of sauce because the risotto is usually moist and flavorful. Well, in this case, I needed more sauce because what we received were two, baseball sized, bread dumplings...I could not locate rice inside the Arrancini. There may have been some pesto flavoring inside the Arrancini (it was greenish on the inside), but they were utterly bland. And by the way, while all this appetizer fun was going on, our menus were still occupying 33% of the 2 x 3 foot table, so there was little room to manuever. Finally, I cornered the waitress during one of her numerous water refills (they are really good at refilling the waters), and we placed our orders. We both ordered Pasta as this is the barometer by which I will judge any new Italian Restaurant. The Penne Salciccia (grilled Fontanini sausage, tomato,pesto wine sauce, spinach, grated cheeses...$13): Ugh, Store bought Penne and overcooked to boot. Not a bit of al dente in this pasta...Random bits of linguini in the dish as well (hmm, what's going on in the kitchen). Zero flavor in the dish, the tomatoes and spinach overcooked and disemboweled of any flavor they may have brought to the dish. The Sausage looked to have been cooked earlier in the day (week?) and cut up and thrown into the pan as everything was masticated together. The sausage had no juice and only the slightest hint at flavor. And the sauce, the sauce gets its own paragraph. Sauce is defined as thick liquid served with food, usually savory dishes, to add moistness and flavor. Therefore, there was no sauce on my dish. Just a watery mess that was not even a Denny's level attempt at a sauce. It was pure liquid that drained off of every bit within .1 seconds of leaving the bowl...there was at least two inches of this flavorless liquid in the bottom of the bowl, but not anything that a competent Chef would ever call a sauce. All I can say is thank goodness there was salt on the table b/c I would not have eaten this dish with some type of a flavor. My daughter ordered the Linguini Pomodoro garlic, tomatoes, basil, grated cheeses...$11). Her report on the dish matched up with my dish entirely. As I have reached the 5000 character limit, I will only say again, there won't be a 3rd time. read more

I live right in this area and so naturally had to check out the new kid on the block. Upon entering we saw the house was filled. We were seated right away because we had made reservations but most of the two person tables are near the kitchen and it was a bit noisy. Piattini means small plates in Italian so the whole idea is that most of the plates are small. About half of the plates on the menu are small and half are regular american sized with makes it a bit difficult to order. We decided to play along and share mostly small plates and a pizza. We went with the Barbabietola, a golden beet salad, the parmesan fries, rice flour dusted calamari and theFungi & Tartufo pizza. For such an upscale place the food really didn't do it for me. My favorite dish was probably the golden beet salad, least favorite the pizza, lots of flavorless mushrooms. I found myself wanting to put the parmesan from the fries onto the pizza for more flavor. And the rice dusted calamari was a bad experiment in gluten free dining. In the end we had almost a whole pizza that we took home. All the staff was friendly and the waiter had a good one-liner as he took our pizza to box, "We call it Piattini but sometimes its not so "tini". For me, for the price, it wasn't worth it. read more

A hidden treasure especially for those who know and love Italian cuisine. Very classy interior with beautiful stone and color finishes. Reasonably priced---you don't pay $20 for a plate of pasta!! read more

Well, I was thoroughly disappointed. Antipasto seemed to be hacked off of a sausage log in a lumber yard. No grace or delicacy in presentation. Also pretty sure that it all came from that cheese island thing in the Smith's up the street. My main dish took me back to my childhood in Italy, where we made polenta out of cream of wheat and dumped pure balsamic vinaigrette in for "sauce." Service. Wow. Took 15 minutes to get drinks. Then an unopened bottle of pelegrino.... Followed several minutes later by... the opener. Oh my girlfriend got her drink too, a few more minutes after that. Our order happened about 30 minutes in. The only thing I can say about the positive reviews is that it must be nice for the owner to have such a large family. read more

Have had the pleasure of dining several times and not once has this diamond restaurant disappointed moi! First off the ambiance is so New York chic very open dining experience the relaxing & hip seating area is very comfortable. Chef Lukes has been around with his other reputable restaurant "Terra Bistro" so I knew he makes everything with the highest quality ingredient. All the dishes that I have tried are amazing from the Olive Oil to the incredible delectable & insanely delicious sauces to the pasta prepared al dente and the lovely fresh Italian cheeses is what makes Chef Lukes dishes always stand out, you will only know if your palate is familiar....... :) I have to disagree with the pricing being expensive as always you get what you pay for hands down! ~~ Piattini's pricing is "PERFETTO" The plates are the right size as well, others may just need to feast at Buca di Beppo to gorge themselves freely! The staff is always attentive especially the gentlemen "Chris" always making sure your drink is full and offering anything that may make your dining experience more enjoyable, a true professional in the restaurant industry. I love that both the owners are present and hands on at all times, there are alot of people who want to be the Boss but wont cultivate their own business, so kuddos to them for running a outstanding establishment. I always look forward to my return at this wonderful & unique chic"Piattini" restaurant love! Ciao read more

My friend and I had dinner here on a Sunday evening. I made reservations earlier in the week via Open Table and we were seated right away. The restaurant was pretty booked considering it was a Sunday night--I hope business stays good for this place. Nice decor, though I wasn't crazy about where we were seated. The main dining area is separated from the bar area by a half wall with frosted glass on top. Along the wall (other side from the main dining area and parallel to the bar) are several tables for two. The hostess said it was quieter there, and that may be true, but I would have preferred a window in the main dining area. I didn't want to be difficult, though, so it I didn't press. Our waiter was brand new--first night waiting tables. It showed. He was nice, but rather awkward ("Would you like to hear our special? It's a pasta... with some shrimp... and some ragu." Alrighty then). He was nice and attentive and I'm sure he'll become more polished as he gets used to waiting. The other staff (busboys and whatnot) were equally awkward. The food, though, was excellent! Many of the dishes are tapas-sized, though there are larger ones, too. We weren't sure what the sizes were, so we ordered several items. We shared the bocconcini to start, which was fresh mozzarella balls, large capers (the size of olives), and cherry tomatoes. So good. Then I had a misto salad (just right for one person--greens and vinaigrette). We shared the calamari (lots of big delicious pieces--could easily share this among 3-4 people), the polpetta (house-made, spicy meatballs), and the frutti di mare with the clams. The latter was my favorite, as the clams came in a white wine and butter broth with lots of garlic, fresh parsley, and possibly fennel. Make sure to ask for more bread with this one, to sop up the base. You can get this with mussels instead, which I'm sure is great, too. For desert I tried the limone which was a lemon cream (almost a curd) with whipped cream or creme fraiche on top, served on a loose crushed graham cracker crust. This was divine. Piattini serves whole bottles, full glasses, and half glasses of wine which are reasonably priced. The wine choices aren't amazing, but not bad (for example, they serve Alamos Malbec for $8/glass which is typical in this city). If they really want to be a wine bar, they need to upgrade their wine selections. It's nice that a place in town finally serves half glasses of wine. Now, if it were just better wine, it would be perfect. All in all, a great meal. Once Piattini gets over the opening pains, they'll be a great restaurant. I love that it's so close home! read more

Very classy setting! Water is cold and has no ice :) gluten free options, fresh ingredients, service is friendly and welcoming. I would definitely come back. read more

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This resturant was recomended by one of my foodie mentors. I came in at 8 PM and sat at the bar. It was not very busy, but this is late for a Tuesday in Albuquerque. I was dissapointed that they were out of Peroni. My thoughts are, if you have a sign out front, you should not run out, or be prepaired to take the sing down... I ordered little necks with pasta. It was spicy, but I like that. After, requesting bread,, really enjoyed the meal. The clams were cherry stones, instead of little necks. They were extreemly clean. The meal of substitutions was very enjoyablte. read more

By far the worst place we have eaten in ABQ. Horrible service, we waited forever, they only delivered half our order, so we shared while we waited for the other half. It never came. Neither did the waitress to refill our drinks. We had to flag her down. She was on her phone. The order was never put in. The pizza was ho-hum, akin Tostinos frozen pizza, and look warm to boot. Now whenever we get bad service we say "At least its not Piatanzis" and we enjoy ourselves more. I guess that is the saving grace, it never is as bad as Piatanzi. read more