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    Scalo

    3.8 (136 reviews)
    PriceyItalian, Bars
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Scalo Photos

    Business Info

    SCALO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Scalo

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    Table setting
    Beth C.

    Everything was delicious from start to finish. We dined on an unusually slow Friday night - the hostess was able to sit us right away without a reservation. (But she did mention next weekend will be much busier for Valentine's week.) We were one of maybe 4-5 tables that evening in the main dining area. They sat us next to window looking out to Central Ave. For drinks, we ordered the Anise and Pear Martini and a Manhattan cocktail. For an appetizer we chose the Spanish charcuterie, with an assortment of meats, bread, cheese, figs, honey, etc. Very good quality and also plenty to share with two or more people. Next course we chose the arctic char, which was perfectly cooked, and their spicy red chile crema orecchiette pasta with pork belly. Dessert was delightful, the tiramisu with espresso. We had a lovely server, too. I highly recommend enjoying a nice meal here.

    Connie H.

    I chose Scalo for my 70th birthday dinner. It was Thanksgiving eve, so not at all busy. After a branzino and extremely fishy crab risotto I was waiting for my birthday treat. There wasn't one and the waiter informed me that there wasn't going to be one. I went to the restroom and shed a few tears.I was disappointed to say the least. The manager was sitting at my table (?) when I returned and said that the waiter didn't know that they ALWAYS give a birthday dessert. dessert, they sang happy birthday, anmy husband and son were embarrassed because I was upset! I will NEVER set foot in that place again in my LIFE!!

    POLLO AL MATTONE
    Lilly E.

    A very beautiful and romantic location for date night. Service was very nice; the food was delicious and very rich. The only down side was the price, but the dishes are unique and well-made. My husband and I will be coming back.

    1st Run - cold served shrimp & crab legs, stuffing, turkey, and salad
    John D.

    Thanksgiving and decided to find a place to eat away from the house. But Italian? Today they had a buffet going with the usual and not so usual Thanksgiving fare. Yep there was some Italian. They seated on the hour, but when we got there it was disorganized. Hood thing we arrived early, the line behind us lengthened exponentially. Got shown to our seat and quickly greeted by our server - ordered drinks & hit the food. Managed to taste a little of everything. When the food was good they hit it out of the park - other meh, not to much. Prime Rib was excellent, rare to medium depending on the cut. Creamy horseradish was lacking flavor. Turkey, light & dark was moist, not overdone. Cold shrimp - huge pieces. Desserts pecan, apple & pumpkins pies were delicious. Then again I've never met a dessert I didn't like. Homemade whipped cream though lacked flavor. It didn't really enhance the flavor. The salmon was tasty, flaky & moist. Dressing needed gravy - it dry & was salty. Nothing really stood out. Overall there were a lot of possibilities but they missed the mark. I understand mass produced food can be hard to do. Even more so when it's only done a few times per year. Can't really say how the Italian food is.

    Pre meal happiness

    On my 70th birthday the waiter refused to acknowledge that I usually get a free dessert on special occasions in expensive restaurants. He was rude, made me feel like I was begging, and drove me to tears. Not to mention that the food wasn't good. The Buratta salad was made by someone who has never had any Buratta, and the plating looked like it was done by a first grader. Here's a pre food service pic

    Robert J.

    Being from Los Angeles restaurants are real fancy as far as decor goes but by all means don't let this place fool you. Our waiter young lad in school with a name beginning with the Letter C was so sweet kind and attentive. His ideas and recommendations were spot on. The food , now I eat in a lot of fancy places...this place matches! Recommend pasta fish or The short rib. Wanted to show my kids a great meal and by far I succeeded!

    Cavatelli
    Carla R.

    Beautiful presentation and Silas provided great service! I enjoyed the lavender fields & Tony Soprano drinks, burrata, and limoncello tarte. I tried the Cavatelli and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The live music, in the bar area, made the experience so much more enjoyable. I'll have to go back and try some of the other dishes!

    Branzino in parchment
    Thomas G.

    Our evening at Scalo's I'll Bar is sometimes an adventure; finding a table can be a challenge. On this night, Jazz was being played and we had our choice of tables. We've visited Scalo's many times and the service has been and was exceptional. Wait staff are really wonderful and I've gotta give a shout out to Sergio. Appropriately attentive. We ordered a couple of dishes and the Branzino in parchment stood out. It was as close to perfect as could be. The one issue we had was with the bartender who was not present when we wanted a refill. I'd like to see the bar staff offer service on par with everyone else. Overall, great experience.

    Bloody Mary
    Janay W.

    The Bloody Mary bar is top notch. It's so fun to see how you can engineer the skewers just right to fit as many snacks as you can. They also have a great brunch.

    Scalo's bread
    Elizabeth T.

    The water was good the food not so much. The food was very tasteless, bland. Will not be back.

    Eggplant "steak" with potatoes
    Kevin M.

    Excellent food! Leaning toward vegan options, I had the eggplant and it was delightful. Tiramisu is probably not appear vegan dessert, but I couldn't resist and it was worth it. The atmosphere of this restaurant and bar is tremendous. Wait staff is very accommodating, friendly, and helpful. They have live music frequently, and tonight's performance by the Aldi Marco trio was absolutely outstanding. Did you taste for renovations of jazz standards, and play at a volume that allows enjoyment of the music, but is not overwhelming. I am and will remain, a regular.

    NY STRIP & FRIES
    Norma H.

    First time visiting Scalo and the only regret we have is not going sooner! It was myself and 3 teenagers celebrating my nieces bday who loves pasta. We got spaghetti & meatballs, NY strip steak & fries, margherita pizza and fried calamari. All were delicious and perfectly seasoned! Our server Gibson was super kind & attentive. It was a Friday night so they had a live jazz band outside the bar which was perfect to sit in the covered patio and still hear the music but not be too loud! No pretentious vibes, every staff member that we encountered was very nice and treated us with respect. Nowadays finding good customers service along with great product is basically non existent so this was an overall 5/5 stars and we cannot wait to go back!

    BISTECCA - beef filet with broccolini
    Mikhaila M.

    My husband and I had reservations for a Friday night which is often just crazy in Albuquerque because every restaurant is so packed. When we arrived it was busy in the bar and a live rock / blues band was playing. We were seated right away though in a nice quiet corner of the restaurant overlooking the street. After that our dining experience was nothing short of phenomenal. The service was top notch, from our drinks arriving just a couple minutes after we ordered as well as our appetizers coming minutes later. The kitchen staff, bar staff, and front of house staff was on it! For starters we had the meatballs and the burrata caprese. Meatballs were so savory saucey and cheesy. We loved them. The burrata...it was a perfect contrast to the hearty meatballs. The burrata was cold light airy fluffy cheese and crisp ripe tomatoes and tender baby basil. Almost like eating clouds. Very dreamy and beautiful. For dinner we had the duck and the beef filet. I'm not usually one to order duck, but it was just perfect and the celery purée was a nice complement to it, absolutely delicious and almost like mashed potatoes. The mushrooms were an unexpected zing of flavor, tiny but powerful. And my husbands beef filet was supremely good as well. Our server was so nice and attentive, her timing was perfect and she even brought a birthday tiramisu for me since we were out for a birthday dinner. I loved every moment and we will definitely be back again soon. Thanks for the wonderful night!

    Salmon risotto

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    1 year ago

    The food was very good, but because of the very poor service and bright, bland atmosphere, certainly not worth the price at all.

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    Amazing! Thank you for your great review. Hope to see you soon.

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    Ask the Community - Scalo

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    Il Localetto Rossi Italian Cuisine

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    4.6(200 reviews)
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    We went on a Wednesday night for dinner and we were seated right and given menus right away. We…read moreordered our drinks (San Pellegrino Limonata and Blood orange) and received them right away. Everything on the menu looked delicious, but we both ended up ordering the Eggplant Parmesan. A friend had heard it was the best in town, and I have to agree! Two large slices of eggplant with crisp breading accompanied by cacio e Pepe pasta and some marinara sauce. The eggplant was well seasoned fried perfectly. The serving was so large that I took half of it home. I also ordered tiramisu which was creamy and delicious. I saw the cannoli and the dulce de leche cheesecake as well- they all looked great. The location has plenty of street parking by it. I walked from the CNM campus and it was only a couple of blocks. Ambiance was cute, looked like exactly what it is in the very best way. I definitely plan on coming back soon...and next time I'll remember to take pictures! Delicious!

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    Dining room

    Il Localetto Rossi Italian Cuisine - Chicken parm

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    Interior

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    Saggios - Authentic Italian Dinner For Three All Under $75.00!! So Amazing!!

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    I've been coming to Saggios since I was in high school back in the early 2000's. This use to be the…read morego to pizza spot to for me and my friends when I was in HS and now 25 years later I love bringing my wife and daughter here for a slice. It honestly feels like nothing had changed in those 25 years. The food is still great, the service is still fast and friendly but now I have traded I have traded in a soda for a pint. It's still fun venturing over to the UNM area every so often and this is usually our go to spot when we come to this part of town. It has also become a family tradition to eat here on Christmas Eve before or after doing the Luminaria tour west of downtown. But plan accordingly because they close early on Christmas Eve!

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    Saggios - This was the pile of red onions in my salad. If I ever order this again, I will ask them to leave the red onions off.

    This was the pile of red onions in my salad. If I ever order this again, I will ask them to leave the red onions off.

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    Scalo - italian - Updated May 2026

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