- This restaurant is perfect for a family gathering or a special night out. - The food was absolutely delicious. - Definitely recommend it to everyone who wants to try out this good restaurant in Redwood City. read more

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We came on a weekend night. The place was busy but not loud, had a rustic Italian charm to it. The ventilation was a bit poor, it got progressively stuffier and hotter as the dinner progressed. It's a cute place for a date night dinner or family gathering. Calamari - lightly battered, crispy and succulent Corn soup - smooth silky texture, not too heavy, good corn flavor Rigatoni - slightly acidic marinara sauce, pasta on the softer side, wasn't particularly memorable Pappardelle - nice bits of pancetta, smoky flavor with sweet zesty sauce, pasta cooked Al dente Scallop - sweet succulent and tender scallops, I personally wasn't a fan of the brown butter sauce, it detracted from the sweetness of the scallops, risotto was creamy and flavorful Tiramisu - mild, soft, bot much coffee liqueur flavor We were stuffed by the end of the meal. A pasta dish per person is quite a lot of food. Solid, conventional Italian food. read more

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Everything about this place had me head over heels in love with it. From the decor and ambiance to the overall service and the food, Vino Santo Bistro is definitely top tier Italian dining. While celebrating the year's end with my father-in-law's company shareholders, we experienced some of the best Italian cuisine the Bistro had to offer. We started off with drinks and apps, most notably, the shrimp bordelaise which showcased deliciously plump and juicy shrimp in a white wine demi-glaze. Perfectly paired with the house made bread basket for the table... and let me tell you, this was the fluffiest, most delicious tasting homemade bread I've ever had. It's like plopping a warm, buttery, bread flavored cloud into your mouth. #CarbsOnCarbs. For my meal, I opted for the calamari steak. And while it was the last dish brought to the table, it was still worth the wait! The calamari was delicately breaded and tender, without being rubbery or drowned in sauce. The veggies were fresh, crisp and not over cooked. All deserving of the highest praises and compliments. We all closed out the experience with a broad selection of delectable desserts and coffee drinks. My financé opted for a decently sized and perfectly prepared tiramisu and I couldn't turn down a timeless classic, like crème brulee. The crème brulee was the perfect consistency! Not too custardy, not too thin and perfectly topped with a crispy, sugary and freshly torched "crust." While the wait staff could have been a little more attentive to what people ordered, other than that the service was excellent. Our drinks were almost never empty and everything was brought to the table piping hot and fully loaded. For a party of 7 that is quite a testament to Vino Santo Bistro. 9/10, looking forward to coming back and exploring more of the menu! read more

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Everything about this place was amazing. From the service to the drinks and the food. Came here for my birthday dinner with the girls with a party of 10 and everyone had a great experience. They made my birthday super special! All the dishes came out perfect and the cocktails were delicious. Definitely will be back more often. read more

Great little places with excellent service and delicious food! We walked in as a party of 6. They were busy but found a way to accommodate us. The fresh baked bread with the olive dip is delicious. The pasta is perfectly cooked. The calamari stake was the most tender I've ever had. The Pear Martini was a perfect mix of sweetness and tartness. read more

Food is delicious and the service is amazing. Great place for a date or with friends and family. read more

Vino Santo - Seafood Risotto - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

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This has been a regular destination for my wife and I for Friday dinner for a number of years. Always a great experience. But tonight was just, well, odd. The first thing we noticed was our host with the handlebar mustache wasn't coordinating the dining room as he always was. OK, maybe he had a night off. The menu seemed the same, with a few new starters. We decided to try the "Pears" starter. Ick. The gorgonzola balsamic sauce was just gross. I thought maybe it was just me, but the table next to us had the same reaction. As they tasted it they had the "WTF is this???" face. I'm not sure who thought this tasted good, but it wasn't us. YMMV Both our entrees were things we ordered before. Good, formulaic. Nothing special. One of the things I noticed was every entree STILL had scalloped potatoes as a side (no substitutions). They've had those for years. Time to try something new, chef. But the truly weird part came when the table next to us was ordering. The waiter described totally different specials. We were offered grilled mahi-mahi, and the specials described for them were halibut or short rib. WTF? They were literally the table seated after us. Something is slipping here. The menu is stale and the staff uncoordinated. There are too many good restaurants in the area for us to come back. Ciao Vino Santo. read more

Celebrated my bday dinner. Food was amazing!! I will def be back. I had ordered their special of the filet, scalloped potatoes, & brussels. Service was just as great!! Our server was friendly, and attentive. Ambiance was nice, and beautiful. I highly recommend if you're ever in the area. read more

Eggplant parmigiana is always my go to. This time it was so salty and mushy. Only one Chardonnay on menu to order by the glass.

I came here because I worked with the owner once (so this may be a slightly biased review) ! Our whole team came here to eat lunch together, and it was really good food ! It is not the biggest restaurant, however, because of its size and the fact that it is in downtown Redwood City, it just gives the coziest vibes ever ! The service was also good (probably because their boss was with us haha but we felt well taken care of) and it felt like this place could be a really good date night kind of place ! I would be open to trying this restaurant again. read more

Vino Santo - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

We've celebrated friends' birthdays here! Great ambience, delicious food, and good service! Will be visiting again soon! read more

Interesting lobster ravioli. I had a lot of people telling me it looked like there wasn't much on my plate. The ravioli is quite flat too. Not a lot of stuffing. The sauce tasted good and the rock shrimp was nice. I was full because of the calamari and bread. Calamari was really good! And I enjoyed both red and white dipping sauce a lot actually. read more

Vino Santo - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

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If you want to have a drink or two outside, enjoying good weather and watching the Broadway scene, don't miss Vino Santo. They have a good wine list and use Riedel glasses to make your experience even more enjoyable. Also, their sparkling wines and Champagne are always perfectly bubbly, as if the cork was just popped. read more

Vino Santo - Glass of sparkling rose - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

Vino Santo checks all the boxes for me. Great food, great service, great ambience. I personally like the tables up front by the window, but those can be hard to get. Cute seasonal cocktails that are delicious and well balanced. I believe my favorite is the pear martini - I don't know if that's what it's called, but it is a martini with pear. For food, the polenta starter is fire. The sauce with the mushrooms and feta is perfect. A little tangy, a little sweet - chefs kiss! The caprese is another fixture on our order list, but I like the beets and kale salad as well. For entrées, it has to be the pasta for me. Husband and I usually do the rigatoni and tortellini and go halfsies. Best of both worlds with the rich, creamy tortellini and pancetta then the zesty, spicy sausage and pepper rigatoni. Desserts here are also fabulous, so make sure you save room. I'm a particular fan of the chocolate mousse however, the Panna cotta, tiramisu, and crème brûlée are also excellent. Service here is wonderful and I highly recommend this place for events. They have a nice outdoor patio in the back that's large enough to accommodate a good size party but small enough to feel cozy. I attended an event for about 20 people here and the food quality - even for a larger party - was consistent and came out quickly/all together. read more

This restaurant is located near my work so I have dined here several times for lunch. The last time I visited, I ordered off their special lunch menu, which offers 2 courses for $22. I opted for a tomato salad and the spaghetti bolognese. While the food was fresh and tasted fine, I instantly regretted not getting the lobster ravioli. It's my favorite dish at Vino Santo! At $28 it is definitely not an everyday splurge, but trust me, the vodka cream sauce is so good! Even though it's a cream sauce, it's not heavy at all. I always use the bread, which is no longer complimentary, to sop up the leftover sauce. I would probably lick the plate clean if I could! The service here is also very good. We're always on a time crunch during our lunch break so it's nice we're able to get in and out without being late back to work, even though it's a white tablecloth sit down kind of place. They also have the best mints that you can help yourself to on the way out! read more

Vino Santo - The BEST lobster ravioli!!! - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Nice and fancy Italian restaurant in the busy streets of Redwood City downtown. Very professional staff with accommodating dietary restrictions. Our order: Kale and Beet Salad - light and refreshing - ask for candied walnuts on top it adds another dimension to the salad Tortellini - tortellini was sooo creamy - very soft stuffing - mushrooms were delicious - very heavy Gnocchi - our waiter recommended the Gnocchi and honestly was pretty decent - not worth the $26 given how lackluster the dish was - the gnocchi balls itself were good (handmade) but might've been better with a light sauce - the marinara sort of suppressed the dish Cab Sav Coffee Stout Honest review (3.9) read more

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Lunch combo is a great deal with a salad/ appetizer with a pasta for $22. A few of us wanted to get other items on the regular menu: lobster ravioli and gnocchi. I was happy that they were able to change my sauce to pink sauce. On the menu it offers pesto, marinara, or Gorgonzola. Also, loved that they offer to grate fresh Parmesan cheese on your dishes. Service was great and the food came out quickly. I would definitely come again to try other items. read more

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This is an excellent, underrated Italian restaurant in the heart of Redwood City's downtown area. I went with a few of my friends a while ago for dinner. We tried the beet salad, peach martini, seafood pasta, gnocchi, and apple pie. Each dish was excellent. The gnocchi and the peach martini were the two standouts at our table. Service was also very strong. Our waiter and presumably the manager came by often to check-in with us. Would certainly come back again to try other entrees. read more

Delicious food and amazing service! Would recommend! I came after work with my family and had a great experience.

Wow this place was amazing! From the ambiance, service, and food - this place checked all the boxes. This would be a cute date or celebratory spot. We ordered: 1. Tortellini carbonara (5/5) $20 You have the option to have the tortellini or regular noodles. I chose the tortellini because it was stuffed with cheese! This dish was delicious....the white sauce was great along with the mushrooms, peas, bacon, and cheese fillings. 2. Lobster ravioli (5/5) $26 This portion isn't as big, but it was loaded with flavor! 3. 2 glasses of wine the waiter recommended. I wish I remembered what it was called because it was really good. ($13 each) 4. Amaretto cheesecake (3/5) $8 It was a nice presentation, but it wasn't as good as it looked. Parking: There's no immediate parking in front as they blocked off the main road for outdoor dining. I parked around the corner ($1 per hour). Service: Service was amazing here. Very attentive and friendly servers. We sat there for a long time talking, but not once did we feel like they were rushing us to leave/finish. The only thing I wish I knew was to pre-order the soufflés!! They only have it on the weekends, but you can request it on a weekday if you call in advanced since it's a 45 min-1 hour prep time. Overall, I'll definitely be back and I'd highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Vino Santo - Amaretto cheesecake ($8) - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

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My wife went here last night to continue our search for an Italian restaurant with better-than-average Italian food in the San Carlos/Redwood City area. Unfortunately Vino Santo's food was a cut below average. The calamari was fast-food quality fried fare, and the two pasta dishes we ordered were overcooked and sauces not notable. My wife only got through about a third of her fettuccine. The service was friendly but slow, and the noise level pretty high. The Italian sauvignon blanc that the waiter recommended was probably the best part of the meal. I doubt that we will return. read more

Great place i recommend making a reservation because this place is usually booked solid. They offer outside seating in the front of the business and they have a back patio. The service was excellent and attentive and the food was delicious. Highly recommend as a date location because the ambiance is intimate and a few bars down the street for a nightcap. I will return to try something else off the menu read more

Vino Santo - Seafood risotto - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Our friends have been recommending this place for a long time now and we are so glad we finally got a chance to try it! We booked a same day reservation for a saturday evening and were able to get a good table considering they weren't too busy. We ordered a bottle of Malbec for the table and it was a lovely accompaniment to our meal. Our server was very professional and attentive, though the service did get slower toward the tape end of our meal, maybe coz it was closing time. All our dishes were delicious including the house bread although they did charge us for the bread refill. We parked at the Jefferson garage considering it's in Redwood City downtown and street parking is hard on the weekend. We ordered: Bruschetta - 5/5 Super fresh basil and tomatoes on crispy bread Fried Calamari - 4/5 Yum, Cannot go wrong Kale Beet Goat cheese Salad - 5/5 Again so fresh and Delish Pesto Gnocchi - 4/5 The sauce was delish but the Gnocchi felt dense and doughy Lobster Ravioli - 6/5 this plate was licked clean in seconds Eggplant - 6/5 Definitely our favorite on the menu Crème Brûlée - 5/5 hands down one of the best I've had Sundae - 4/5 good but we wish we had gotten 2 crème brûlées Great experience, will return for the Eggplant, Ravioli and Crème brûlée many times! read more

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The restaurant has a good ambience, the food was tasty so were the drinks. The staff were nice & welcoming but it took them a long time to bring our food. Not sure what happened cause other tables seem to get their food in a timely manner. - Drinks: All drinks were good, I got the pear martini, absolutely loved it. - Tortellini: Tasty pasta with a creamy sauce, mushrooms & bacon. It was rather a heavy dish with the sauce that said I really enjoyed eating it. It's a pretty generous portion too. - Chicken with lemon sauce: the chicken was cooked perfectly & the sauce & mushrooms added more flavor to it. Overall everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. read more

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Great service and great pasta. My friends and I favorite Italian place, I'm vegetarian and I always get the Capellini. The sauce is so rich in flavor read more

Vino Santo - Capellini - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

A perfect spot. Indoors or out. Personable, attentive staff, delicious food. Gluten free pasta, risotto, and entrees available.

Came here on a random Friday evening for dinner. We sat in the back as my friend's preference and it was a semi outdoor covered patio with heaters which was nice. To eat I had the linguine. I really wanted clams with it but they couldn't make that substitution for whatever reason but they could add prawns so I opted for those. Which there were more protein options for this dish but the prawns were delicious and so was the linguine. I forget the drink I ordered but I believe it was a cocktail. I was craving Italian pasta and this very much satisfied the craving. read more

Very often in a fine restaurant They give you some hot bread to hold you over. Not here. No garlic bread on the menu. Ordered tortellini in a cream pesto Sauce. It was too overpowering. Waiter never checked back. ? So very dissapointing experience. read more

Came here on a Monday night. Not crowded at 6 PM and was able to get a table walking in. A selection of wine list. Specials for the night. Food was pretty good. Warm bread served with olive oil dip. Calamari and carpaccio for appetizer. I will ask to hold of put the mayo on the side. Otherwise it was good. Had the scallops for the entree and it was delicious. Lobster ravioli was great as well. Or server was knowledgeable and cool with his style. Service want too bad even with one server. Server assistant was cool as well. Overall it was a pretty good experience. Christmas decor was up. Had booster seat. Will come back to try other dishes. read more

Great food always, very accommodating and the service is genuinely friendly. The calamari steak is off the charts!! I have been coming here since it opened and have never been disappointed. read more

I love this place! Excellent service. Food amazing. Tonight the noise level was deafening yet I understand the holidays and this is a great place to go to celebrate. The mariachi music was confusing in an Italian restaurant but hey, private party and all!! I looked around and we played the game...who does that person look like? We saw Vanessa Redgrave, Chris Farley, Lurch, and Danny Devito! Okay, yes, that was all weird, but what the heck!! This is a place I take special friends to and will continue to do so. Thank you! read more

A coworker and I went to this restaurant we had never been we were able to get in and out in an hour. Service was great very attentive. The ambience was cute and cozy. Window was open to feel the great breeze come in as far as the food everything was perfect. We had a salad, which was perfect for us to share bread. It was great definitely go back. read more

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For some of the best Italian food in the area, this place has to be on everyone's list. The calamari appetizer was cooked to perfection with a nice light coating. The bread that is served is light and airy, not dense and filling like other places. The Veal I ordered not only presented well, it just melted in my mouth. We ordered ahead of time the soufflé since it takes a while to prepare, and it was delicious. The only drawback is that it is enough for two, but I wasn't about to share this great tasting dessert. The servers were very attentive and friendly. It gets very busy so make reservations. It's a casual type of restaurant but also can be intimate for a couple. Prices are worth the amount and taste of what you get. This is a must try place and so worth it. read more

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Went here for a spontaneous dinner Friday night. We didn't have a reservation but got one of the outside tables right away. We ordered the calamari steak and the seafood risotto as entrees. Also a glass of white wine and a lemonade. The staff were very nice and the restaurant interior makes a good impression (from what we could see). To pass the time we got some bread with olive oil. The bread was very soft and didn't have a nice crust like I usually expect from Italian style bread. The olive oil was good though. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy my entree very much. The calamari steak was quite rubbery and the breading very soft. Even though I knew it came with a lemon sauce it had too much acidity. The potatoes and the veggies were the better part of the dish. The risotto had plenty of seafood, but it didn't have the creaminess we love in a risotto. As dessert we shared the creme brulee. The creme itself was good but the top tasted a little bit too bitter (maybe it was torched a bit much). Overall liked the restaurant and I saw some good reviews for other dishes (especially pasta) might give this place another try. read more

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We went and we were starving and after ordering, our food took over 1.5 hr - no exaggeration. The place was a quarter full when we got there and everyone was already waiting for their food. At least three tables got their appetizers and main dish before us, though they got there after. And we ordered the same appetizer! Those tables had more people and we were just two. We were so frustrated, we were going to walk out but kept pushing through. When the food came, it was good but they strive to have an authentic vibe and my pasta was not handmade. I normally don't leave a negative review, but I won't be coming here again. You can get better Italian food and not wait as long. read more

Vino Santo - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

Good Italian food. Bread is amazing. Dessert selection is less to be desired due to ingredients in each option that seemed to throw it off. Parking Garage is around the corner which could be a nuisance for some. read more

Vino Santo - Parpadelle - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

Came here for lunch and service was great and food was delicious. I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and shrimp. It's was enough sauce and the prawns were so flavorful. I also order the calamari and it was delicious as well. Will definitely be going back! read more

Vino Santo - Fettuccine Alfredo with prawns - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Came here with high hope but left with much disappointment. Nothing tasted good here, from soup to starters to entrees to desserts. All loaded either with sodium or none at all. Not sure if it's an off night or they have a different chef on Sunday. If so, don't ever come on a Sunday night. 1. Cream of mushroom soup ($8 a cup) _ nothing creamy about this soup and it was very watery, like diluted Campbell soup 2. Scallops ($19)_ good flavor except it was seasoned with a boat load of salt 3. Calamari ($15) _ this was the only item that was flavorless because they forgot to season with salt 4. Clams _ I didn't realize it's legal to catch baby clams that were pea size. Mind you, the picture was captured at 1x close up shot 5. NY steak ($43)_ worst steak I ever had. Very very tough and chewy, thought I was chewing a piece of gum. They used low quality meat and sell it like it's filet mignon 6. Veal special ($35?)_ another heavy loaded sodium entree, couldn't taste a thing except for salt and lemon juice 7. Lobster ravioli _ my guest said it was good. May be they should just stick with their speciality 8. Tiaramisu _ not authentic, couldn't taste the alcohol and definitely not made by a dessert chef Overall with that price point, I expected more than just a bottle of Himalayan salt. read more

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Cute little place in downtown RWC, in the mix of all the loud music happening on the streets of Broadway! Not over crowded, no wait, we were able to call on a Friday night and get same day reservations which was lovely!! Had the Cesar Salad with their homemade dressing, absolutely delicious. Mild on the anchovies, great flavor. Probably one of the better homemade Cesar's I have had in a long time, especially for not being made table side. (I make my own and am a huge Cesar snob). The veal piccata was cooked perfectly, cut with a butter knife and was extra lemony. The special was a sea bass, they did a pineapple cream sauce that sounds weird but was delicious. I actually don't like pineapple but the sauce was great, and nothing like I've had before. I can't say it was the Healthiest way to eat CBS, but very enjoyable. The potatoes were whipped and excellent!! Very enjoyable dinner! read more

Vino Santo - Dirty Martini and gray goose martini with a lemon twist! - Italian Near Me - Redwood City, California

The service is excellent the food is to die for always get the special. The owners are attentive and always greet you with a smile. I love this place. Its a little loud but thats acoustical. Who needs conversation when the food speaks for itself. It's a place for an occasion. $$$ read more