We were craving a good homemade Italian meal and we read that Mama's meatballs were the real deal…read more We were not disappointed. We started with wine and they served little garlic bread balls as we went over the menu. We selected three appetizers (we had five in the group), the Bruschetta, caprese and the meatballs. The bruschetta came with three pieces, there were two meatballs and about six tomatoes and cheeses made the caprese. They were all delicious, but the meatballs were really good, a great homemade taste. We ordered a variety of mains: the salmon piccata, (nice size serving), baked penne (so good), Ravioli Di Ricotta (very tasty, less ricotta than the penne dish), Tortellacci Ring-shaped pasta filled with braised short ribs, served in ossobuco sauce (my favorite, paired great with the Chianti), and a penne with vodka sauce (my daughter raved about the sauce). For desert we forced ourselves to split up a bomba (Spumoni with chocolate shell) and a crème brûlée. Both were excellent, but we think we should have tried the Tiramisu because the menu said something about prepared table side. Well, I guess we'll have to come back, that and, we did not try the pizza! Well worth it, great meal, very attentive service, and a nice atmosphere with a formal dinner presentation.

My 3 young girls I arrived just after 8, for a late dinner. We were not met by a host and instead…read morehad to flag someone down to be seated. After being shown to our table, we were left without anyone so much as taking our drink order, for over 20 minutes. When I tried to get the attention of the waiter at the table directly across from us, who subsequently ended up being our waiter, he pretended he didn't see me, event though we had made clear eye contact. The waiter himself seemed to have no desire to do his job whatsoever and couldn't be bothered to care. He later finally came to take our order and could tell I was upset by the poor service. He offered up the worst apology ever, followed by telling me he would bring bread to the table, which never arrived. I wish I could offer an excuse that they were severely understaffed or incredibly busy, but neither of those were true. Another waiter had plenty of time to chat up the lady sitting at the table next to us for about half the duration of our meal. I don't intend on coming back due to such poor service, which is really too bad, because the food is excellent.

Best Clam Chowder I'ver ever had. Best Ravioli I've ever…read morehad. WOW oh WOW!!

Visiting the area with family and this is one of their favorite local Italian places so they were…read moreexcited to take us here. We chose the Cucina for dinner...they also have the Club next door which is not as formal, has a store of products, and some tables for eating. The Cucina has a bigger menu and tables are covered with white table cloths and linen napkins so a step up ambiance. Our server, Maricella, was very pleasant and friendly and stopped by several times throughout our meal to check on us and see if we needed anything. We started with the Caesar Salad and added Spanish Anchovy. I was not a fan of the dressing unfortunately...found it to be bland and really not like other dressings I've had. The salad itself was fresh with large chunks of romaine lettuce, a sprinkle of both ground and shaved parmesan cheese and a few (just a few!) croutons. The anchovies were tasty, not fishy in the least, but it really was the dressing that turned me off. Wife said it was "ok". I decided on the Linguine Vongole and was surprised at how many whole clams were in my bowl! The pasta is housemade and not a flat linguine or more of a rugged thick spaghetti noodle. It was cooked well and the clams were good although a few were a bit tough. I also think the sauce needs a huge boost of lemon; I had also requested no chili flake be added. Wife had the Ravioli di Zucca, which was butternut squash filled pasta with a sage and parmesan cream sauce. It was good...although I felt it was sweet, she loved it. The sauce was creamy and flavorful and the pasta was soft and filled with a nice squash filling. We ended our dinner with a shared plate of Spumoni, which was like nothing we've had before. Their Spumoni is layered with a white cake-like layer and then the typical ice creams (chocolate, pistachio, and vanilla). There was a light squeeze of the cherry topping and small chocolate chips. It was good...needs much more of the cherry topping! Family had the Nonna's Meatballs and this was fabulous! Their sauce was sooo good and had a great balance of the tomato flavored marinara sauce. Really good and next time I'll stick with something with their marinara sauce. Good meal overall and I want to try Club next time.

Wonderful place. A gem. We sat outside, which was really…read morecute, and had great food and great service. Loved the short ribs (amazing dish), the green goddess salad as well as the Napoli style pizza. The dutch baby was a perfect ending for dinner, i love it when restaurant focus on a central cooking area like a big oven (in this case), so desserts have a similar theme. It feels very authentic.

For whatever reason I was craving pizza big time on this particular night, but not a slice, quality…read morepizza from a restaurant. I did a search and Bear and the Wren came up. I was only in San Luis Obispo for one night, it was my first time visiting I was doing a road trip up the coast and the goal of my trip was to see beautiful beaches, eat amazing food and try the coolest local coffee shops. I walked to this restaurant from my hotel and wanted to grab a seat at the bar. It was 9:20 on the dot when I walked in, was happy to see they were open until 10. Now I worked in restaurants, both casual and fine dining for years. I know you don't stroll into a restaurant at 9:45, 9:50 when they close at 10. Have I had customers do it? Of course, but I don't do it. I also knew exactly what I wanted to order because I looked up the menu in advance. I don't drink, I definitely would have been in and out before other tables had finished. Plus when I walked in, it was a semi-full restaurant. This was a Saturday night by the way. I walked in and said hey I was just going to sit at the bar and grab pizza your kitchen is still open right? The hostess got uncomfortable and said, "Yeah we are closing now, sorry." I said, "Oh really that's a bummer I just wanted some pizza." Hoping she would say yeah of course we are still open for another FORTY minutes. But she didn't. I asked if she had any recommendations for late night food and she gave me the name of a pizza dive that you would pick up drunk slices from. What a bummer. I don't know places that turn people away for food on a Saturday night 40 minutes before closing.

This place was amazing. The shrimp and sausage penne was one of the best pastas I've ever had. The…read moregarlic bread and meatballs were great appetizers and the caesar salad was also good. They also have a great wait staff. I'd recommend making a reservation or be prepared to wait. We showed up at 5:11pm (they open at 5pm) and we had to wait 40 mins on a Saturday night for a party of 3. Glad we made the decision to wait, because it was worth it!

Good food and service offset by lousy acoustics…read more We both had the beet salad which was tasty and nicely presented. The wife had roasted eggplant and I had the pork saltimbocca which were both tasty and generous in the portions. I noticed that a fair number of people took take-away boxes as did we. What threw things off was the terrible acoustics. All hard surfaces in a fairly small space meant that the any conversation anywhere added to a very high noise level even when the restaurant was only 2/3 full. And when people left towards the end of the night the musak was even worse, no clarity whatsoever just noise. It was difficult to carry on a normal conversation without leaning in to hear each other. We'll go back again, but just making sure that we sit outside.

Listen, their food is awesome! And, that is not even the best part. Their employees are super kind,…read moreespecially Edmond. He always brings a smile to my face whenever I get food from this awesome restaurant.

Yum! First time at this spot and had to try the gyro pizza. It met the hype and reviews. It was…read moreflavorful, cheesy, and tender pieces of gyro meat. The shawarma pita sandwich was also bomb. The chicken was well seasoned and juicy. Gotta try the kabobs, garlic sauce, and rice next time. This one is a keeper.

Luckily was only a 15 min wait on a weeknight at 730pm. The inside is small and cozy with limited…read morebar counter space as well as regular table seating. I can see why the wait could be up to hours long. I love sitting at the counters and watching the sushi being made and was able to be seated there! Service was friendly and very attentive Got the sushi boat which came with a variety of items. As a sushi lover, I appreciate that the fish was so fresh and silky. A little on the pricy side but worth the quality and splurge

Simply delicious…read more Professionally prepared. So fresh and balanced. I can't see how it could be any better. Also tried the fried squid legs-so perfectly cooked. Tender and battered well. Service staff was efficient and friendly. We always enjoy the atmosphere here, whether table or sushi bar. Try the sake with your meals, if you can ;)

The food was delicious and service was impeccable. While visiting Morro Bay I wanted to dine at a…read morenice restaurant with quality food and came across Buona Tavola on yelp. The food matched and surpassed the rave reviews. One of the owners or managers informed me that I have the option of asking for half orders, which was wonderful. This allowed me to try different foods on the menu without feeling overwhelmed, and I was able to enjoy my Tartufo Italiano Al Cioccolato at end of my meal. Everything tasted delicious and the owner/manager made sure I was happy with everything. There was a bit of a wait for each course to arrive, but I appreciated that because it allowed me to rest after each course. It also made the dining experience relaxed and pleasant, without feeling like I needed to shove the food down my throat and get out. Overall it was a very pleasant experience. I will definitely return here next time I'm in town.

Buona Tavola in San Luis Obispo -- Starting with a pro tip: reservations are highly recommended --…read morewe waited close to 40 minutes as walk-up customers. They have a pet friendly patio which is always a welcome amenity. Nights in SLO can be nippy -- but the patio heaters made outside dining quite comfortable. This evening's dinner: Cioppino -- the broth makes this dish, it tastes like the ocean, perfectly balanced with that patiently cooked-down acidity, crushed tomatoes, garlic, wine, and herbs. Luxuriating in this savory broth is a generous helping of clams, mussels, shrimp, and white fish. Linguine Fra Diavolo -- perfectly al dente, tossed with plump shrimp, scallops, and fresh mussels, everything coated in a velvety tomato-basil marinara sauce. Orecchiette del Campo -- more of that tomato-basil marinara, this time perfectly "cupped" by the pasta "little ears" with chicken sausages, broccoli rabe, and sun-dried tomatoes. Service is courteous without the hover. The locals outnumbered the out-of-town visitors this night, which made for lively conversations between tables. The vibe of this place is that of a neighborhood trattoria in Italy. Buona Tavola is worth the wait. Five stars!

Visiting Paso Robles for a quick getaway so we did not make reservations ahead of time. However, we…read morecalled on our way to Paso and was able to snag a dinner reservation. They only had outdoor seating for the time we wanted to dine. Which worked out great for us. There's a heater outside so we were warm seating outside on this windy day. I think this was a better deal as the tables inside were very cramped/close together. There's just enough room to get by between tables! Out side we had a nice table and able to spread out a little. A much more comfortable option. We had a trainee waiter (Julio) and his supervisor Lalo ( I think that's his name). They had quite a list of specials the poor guy had to recite! He did a great job. The food was really good and portions were generous. We had Linguine ai muscoli di Mare e porri (withshrimp, scallops, clams and mussels) in a white wine sauce -I asked for the cream to be omitted. We also had the Orecchiette con rapine e luganega. Delicious and very generous portion We were stuffed and had to decline dessert. Definitely will come back again.

Well visiting Paso Robles for my first time. We somehow found the little gem. The salmon was…read moredelicious. Food ~ Fantastic! Service ~ Tentative! Ambiance ~ Pleasant!

Truffle risotto was the special of the day and it was my favorite kind of risotto, so naturally I…read morewas thrilled. It did not disappoint. Portion size was perfect too, not so much that you're stuffed but enough that you actually feel satisfied. Service was flawless. Our server rattled off this massive list of specials completely from memory and it was honestly impressive. Only downside was our reservation put us on the outdoor patio and it was a little chilly for my taste, so I was a bit bummed we weren't seated inside. That small thing aside, I was really impressed with both the food and the service. Would absolutely go back, hopefully with a table in the dining room next time.

We had a very disappointing experience at Il Cortile Ristorante…read more We had made a reservation weeks in advance for 8:45 PM for July 3rd, 2026 and we arrived on time. Instead of being seated, we were told to come back in 20 minutes. When we returned, we were then told it would be another 25 minutes. At that point, it became clear that the reservation system meant very little. What made the situation worse was the lack of any proper waiting area. There was no lobby, no comfortable place to stand, and no bar seating available while guests waited. The dining room also looked extremely crowded, with tables placed very close together, which did not create a relaxing or upscale dining atmosphere. The front-desk experience was also poor. The host seemed very young and inexperienced, and there was little sense of professionalism, apology, or customer service. When a restaurant is running that far behind, especially for guests with a reservation, the staff should be trained to communicate clearly, apologize properly, and offer some kind of solution. For a restaurant that presents itself as a nice Paso Robles dining destination, the experience felt disorganized, overcrowded, and poorly managed. Making a reservation weeks ahead should mean something. Instead, we were left waiting with no real hospitality and no confidence that we would be seated anytime soon. Unfortunately, we left very disappointed. Based on this experience, I would not recommend Il Cortile Ristorante, especially if you are planning a special dinner, visiting from out of town, or relying on a reservation.

Came here for dinner Friday night at 8pm for 2 with no reservation. We parked in a nearby free lot…read morebut they said they validate if you park in the structure. We were walk in, the hostess offered us seating in two bar areas and also made room in the front room for us. We sat at a table in the front room. It had nice ambiance and nicely decorated with plants. Our server was super sweet and helpful. We ordered a Paloma which was great but I heard the pisco sours are good and homemade. Wish we tried one but next time! The service was so fast. When we got our cocktail the food arrived! We ordered the señor lomo which was their lomo saltado. It was sooo good. The sauce was so flavorful and the filet mignon was very tender. It came with a lot of veggies, fries and rice too. Also ordered the escabeche which was a sea bass with similar delicious sauce and veggies. It had mixed colored roasted potato's underneath. Fish and the dish was soft and equally flavorful and delicious. I would say the sauce was slightly lighter than señor lomo. They had a platter of desserts on display. Wish we could have all of them. They all looked pretty and delicious. We tried the papaya creme brûlée. Thought it mostly tasted just like creme brûlée. Highly recommend. It is one of the best Peruvian places I've been. Kinda pricy though, each dish was about $40.

I came during graduation weekend but I haven't stopped thinking about Mistura since I left town!…read moreI'd been here once before this visit and was excited to come back..Mistura CLEARLY knows what it's doing, from the moment you walk in, the entire environment changes and it feels like you're in a new place! From the hostesses to the bartenders to the chefs, everyone knows how to create a beautiful experience for the guests! In the past I've tried the afrodisíaco dish and was blown away but I wanted to excite myself with a different dish so I chose the Mixto dish and wow! The flavors just burst in your mouth with how bright they are, the dish is set under Ceviche but this is so much more elevated than your typical view of ceviche dishes! My boyfriend ordered the Dragon Lake cocktail and absolutely loved it! The ingredients are so well incorporated you don't find yourself tasting a drink with overpowered liquor that drowns out the other ingredients! He's a bartender so he appreciates a well made drink! On his end he loved his plate although I didn't catch the name of it, it was beautifully plated and it showed through with the taste of each bite as well! This is a MUST visit if you're ever back in the SLO area.