Bulgarini Vino Cucina

They do simple flavors extremely well—pistachio and olive oil are standouts. The courtyard seating under string lights is charming. Parking along Altadena Drive is straightforward. It feels like a neighborhood secret even though it’s well loved. Flavors rotate, so try something new each time. Perfect dessert stop after a foothill hike

I recently visited Bulgarini Osteria e Gelato and left feeling thoroughly disappointed. The restaurant's entrance was difficult to locate, and as a first-time guest, I was unsure of the correct entry point. Upon arrival, I stood unacknowledged for about ten minutes while the owner/ chef engaged in a conversation. Eventually, I approached another staff member to inquire about seating, questioning why I had to initiate this instead of being welcomed. Menu lacked variety, offering no chicken dishes, and although swordfish was listed, it was unavailable that day. The only protein options were beef and prime rib, which was disappointing for those who don't consume beef. Additionally, there were no diet beverages available, and the chef's demeanor was notably unfriendly. No substitutions allowed and no sides to add-on. For someone not as familiar with Italian food, don’t expect the owner to go over the menu or explain/define dishes. Ordered bread as an appetizer, we waited 40 minutes without receiving it. To our astonishment, the owner was inside the restaurant, leisurely eating gelato with someone, seemingly indifferent to the service issues. Our dinner was served before the appetizer, disrupting the meal's flow. Adding to the discomfort, our heater was moved to another table without rebalancing the remaining one between me and my friend. When the bread finally arrived—late into the meal as I was nearly finished with my pasta-there was no apology for the delay. The couple next to us, who ordered bread as an appetizer, received it within seven minutes, while we waited over 45 minutes. The manager or chef took no accountability, neither acknowledging the oversight nor offering an apology. To conclude the disappointing experience, the owner swiped the card and placed it back on the table instead of handing it to me directly, which felt discourteous. Overall, the combination of poor service, limited options, and inattentiveness from management make for an unpleasant dining experience. I would not recommend Bulgarini Osteria e Gelato to others seeking a satisfactory meal. If the owner doesn’t know you, you don’t exist. Overpriced!!!! Crappy service!

The hours posted on Google and their website don't reflect the true operating hours. When we got there, the waiter was taking down chairs. At his suggestion, we returned 30 minutes later to buy our daughter gelato and upon walking in, the entire restaurant smelled like a filthy bathroom. I posted a photo of what the gelato freezer looked like -- half melted, scraped down to the bottom. These flavours looked like they had been there for 6 months. Because we promised our kid ice cream, we got the only flavour that looked like it had been replaced in the past week, and when we tried it, it tasted like iced sugar water. The service was unfriendly, the place literally smelled terrible, and the ice cream was flavourless. Hard pass.

UPDATE; We came unexpectedly on the weekend at night and surprisingly it was open. They had heaters outside and the outdoor area was blocked off to give it a more intimate feel. They also had live music, a guys playing lovely tunes on the guitar. We were sat outdoors as we wished and ordered the Margherita pizza, foccacia bread, and the pici pasta. Service was fast and the food was great and made on the spot (including the pasta noodles). The pizza had the perfect balance of cheese and sauce and was not burnt. It was 10/10. The foccacia bread was crunch on the outside and seasoned well. 10/10 The pici pasta had thick hand made noodles that were perfect with the garlic tomato sauce. You can taste the herbs and delicacy of the sauce with each forkful. 10/10. I will definitely be coming back to try more dishes. Just be weary that they aren't always opened even if it says it is open on Google maps, which is why I took away 1 star.

I came here with 4 friends on a Friday evening and it wasn't crowded. I did a phone reservation a few days before. We ordered margherita pizza and 3 pasta dishes of the following: Spaghettini Con Anatra (homemade spaghettini with duck ragu sauce), Spaghetti Alla Carbonara Romana (spaghetti with pork cheeks & egg) & Fetuccine Al Funghi (hand cut egg noodles w/ portobella & porcini mushrooms). I was glad that my friends and I shared all the pasta dishes to try a few bites from each. I love that their pasta is hand made. Each pasta is also al dente (chewy & firm). The duck ragu pasta dish was pretty light in flavor but still flavorful with the duck. The mushrooms were juicy and fresh and the egg noodles were wonderful. The carbonara dish was quite rich and creamy in flavor but its crispy bacon and peppery taste balanced out the richness from the cheese. The pizza was also delicious with the thin crust and char from wood fire. It was juicy from the tomatoes & cheesy. The pesto sauce was also a nice extra touch to the pizza. I tried their nectarine & silican almond for gelato this time. Nectarine tasted just like the fruit and it was refreshing. The almond was quite nutty. I also recommend their focaccia bread and pistachio gelato. I was sad that they didn't have pistachio gelato this time since I usually get that when I have visited Bulgarini the past few times. As someone who loves pistachios, their pistachio gelato is one of the best I have tasted in LA area. 😊😋

After all the hype, I had to try this place to compare it to my all time favorite place Gelupo (London, UK). Verdict; an unassuming place with mediocre service. Our top choice was the blood orange granita, probably the best we have had anywhere. The orange and chocolate, almond, chocolate chip were very good but not the best in the world. The goat milk gelato was interesting…:. They were out of the pistachio, so can’t compare. An excellent choice for Gelato in LA area.

I had high hopes for this place from what I read and saw, and I was not disappointed!! The gentleman recommended seasonal flavors — lemon and almond, and we also tried strawberry and coffee. Honestly, lemon and almond were above and beyond what we’ve expected. They were soooo goood!! And they were so good together!!! Super refreshing, no artificial flavors, just tasted like fresh, creamy delicately sweet lemon and freshly roasted almond. Strawberry and coffee were good also, but not as impressive as the seasonal ones. It’s so hard to find gelato places that actually make gelato themselves and especially with fresh, seasonal ingredients. I think we just found one and so excited and glad to have tried this place!

You know this place is all about the gelato-- the food was average and very very expensive. It's weird, too, they don't give you a bill ... I was charged for a bottle of water, two plates (very small) two appetizers and two ice creams, I was charged the shocking sum of $110 not including the tip--I'm certain I was overcharged but I couldn't prove it because the owner just totes it up on his computer and gives you the final number without any itemization and since he's right there what are you going to do? I'll tell you what you're going to do : if you go there insist on a bill. If you eat the food, which is overrated. Actually, don't get the food, it's totally not worth it even at half the price they charge. Get the gelato, though, it's very good, even though the flavors I want they never seem to have, the gelato is very good.

My friend had been raving about this restaurant for a while, and I was finally able to make it out. As soon as we walked towards the restaurant, we were greeted by the owner and his son. The owner and his son were very kind and courteous. We were taken to a table inside which easily accommodated our party of 5. We were brought water and menus. The owner's son, Lorenzo, brought menus and took our order. My friend and I got the tasting menu, which comes with 3 sample sizes of Chef Leo's selections. We started with salad, simple and refreshing. For the first tasting, we received the fettuccine ai funghi. The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the sauce tasted outstanding. The portobello and porcini mushrooms were rich. This was the best fettuccine I've ever had. After trying this dish, it made so much sense why my friend was raving about the restaurant. The next tasting we had was the lobster orecchiette. Chef Leo shared that it takes a day and a half to cook the lobster to produce the sauce. This dish was divine! Lastly, Chef Leo brought a spinach gnocchi for the third tasting. The gnocchi was so soft and pillowy! All of the dishes were amazing. To end the night, I tried multiple gelato flavors, but my absolute favorites were the pistachio and mascarpone. They were bold, creamy, and silky. Overall, I loved my experience. I think the food tastes great, but what makes it taste even better is the love that Chef Leo puts into every dish. The service was excellent. I will be returning to try more dishes. I highly recommend giving this place a try if you're looking for delicious authentic Italian food.

It's in a very quiet little strip mall in Altadena, the intersection where it faces the mountain and it looks like you're in a completely different part of LA. Oh my gosh, the boy who was helping us was SO sweet, his name started with an M? Genuinely such an angel. What a cute kid. I will absolutely come back early in the day to try their stracciatella. I personally got the pistachio flavor, and it was wonderfully creamy and nutty. Really not a fan of goats milk but that's okay. What a gem!! What a cozy place!

The food is absolutely delicious. It's hard to like everything on a menu at a restaurant and here, the food, service, the ambiance of a traditional Italian vino cucina ristorante is spot on. Everything is so good! Leo built a stellar kitchen and I can't say enough about the top notch, fresh food that is always consistent. If you have never been, and you love food, might wanna come visit this hidden gem. Otherwise you're truly missing out. #hiddengem

Everything here is absolutely Delicious. Their gelato is so good! Will keep coming and highly recommend. Love the outdoor seating area.

Was told by a friend that this place had really good Gelato. I stopped by and tried some ... I'm admittedly not an experienced expert on Gelato (so take my commentary for what you paid for it), but I did find it to be satisfying. I tried Chocolate Chip, Almond, and Mascarpone. I can heartily recommend any of these flavors (the Almond was the richest of the 3). Interestingly, there is a 2-scoop minimum per Gelato order. $10 (including tax) for a serving of 3 scoops - that's only like a buck or two more than what 2 scoops costs, so you might as well just go for the 3 scoops offering (even the 3 scoop serving is honestly not massive). As it turns out, this establishment also appears to offer full Italian meals, and not just Gelato (which I was initially and erroneously led to believe). I do plan to return and sample their non-Gelato offerings as well! Note: During my visit, I was only able to observe customer seating outdoors. The eatery's website states that indoor seating is available during cooler weather ... from what I could see, I'm curious how they are able to free up space for said indoor seating, but I suppose I'll find out come wintertime.

The service was great here. It had a very calm, casual ambiance with a touch of romance. The food was authentic and had delicious flavors! You can tell they really take their time cooking the meals and put in a lot of effort in perfecting the dishes. Leo, the owner was very pleasant and personable as well. Highly recommend coming here for an amazing Italian dinner. We had the margarita pizza, cannolis, and the Tagliatelle con sugo de carne pasta. Loved all three! Oh and the white wine was delicious too Leo also told us about some cooking classes offered on Fridays. We are sure to come to those!

Ok for the area but in a nutshell, I recommend the gelato over the pasta. We came for dinner. Ample parking and all seating is outdoors. The one downside was the amount of mosquitos but luckily they do provide deet spray if you need. Service was a bit slow but overall nice. My dish was slightly ashy before we even started dining, but they were nice to quickly switch it out. As for the food itself, I had the fettuccine al funghi. The portion was quite small for the price point imo. Although authentic, it also didn't stand out against other similar types of Italian restaurants. The mushroom was quite strong in flavor. The gelato on the other hand was better. They let you taste samples before you get it, which is nice. I liked the strong flavors, like the saltiness standing out with the salt chocolate flavor and the almond tasting like an extremely strong almond milk. I think it's good gelato for the area.

Authentic Italian food with handmade pasta, pizza & gelato! Food was delicious with nice ambiance and live music. There's indoor & outdoor seating with heat lamps. The owner is from Italy, he came out to greet us. Smaller portions, higher prices, but you're paying for quality because everything is made fresh daily. We enjoyed everything we ordered. The arugula salad was simple but yummy, it came with lemon dressing & fresh slices of parmesan cheese. My husband devoured the brick oven margarita pizza. He said it's the best pizza he's had in awhile. The meat filled ravioli was good but a little bitter, maybe because it was made with arugula sauce. I will try a different pasta next time. We really enjoyed the short ribs with spinach, it was tender & flavorful. Their handmade gelato was excellent, we had pistachio & peach sorbet. I highly recommend coming here, make sure you make reservations and allocate enough time to eat, it's more relaxed and slow pace. I will definitely return to try more dishes.

I used to go to Bulgarini since the early days, when it was a cart. For me it is the gold standard for gelato in town. Recently I went back after 6-7 years, and happy to say that it is just as delicious and refreshing. This time of year they have stone fruit sorbets - peach. Nectarine, plum and apricot. My very favorite there is the pistachio - so creamy and nutty. They also offer frozen food takeout and have an outdoor dining space.

I was in the mood for gelato and Yelp lead me here when I wasn't sure what was around. The restaurant is in a really large plaza with a huge parking lot so be sure to park close. They have a little cart out front and seating but the gelato is inside. I went with the fruity side, two scoops, one of pineapple and the other of raspberry. I thought it was fine, compared to some other gelatos it felt like there wasn't a lot of tartness with either. Not bad, just not that tangy fruitiness that gives you that slight tongue tingle. The price too was a little steep, particularly since I wasn't super impressed with it.

I consider this restaurant a true gem. There aren't many places I've been to in the area that operate in such an authentic and old-world way. The food, music, and interaction with the owner were remarkable. It's clear that the priorities of the owner are unique in this day and age. He's not driven to turn tables and churn out good-enough food; rather, the entire experience has an artisan feel to it. The cuisine and pace are about slow enjoyment. Importantly, don't go on an evening if you're expecting the typical American restaurant experience. If so, you'll likely be disappointed. The service is very European, which can feel slow by US standards. No one is hustling. However, if you want to sink into a relaxed culinary journey, and spend an evening getting lost in the moment, I'm not sure you'll find a better spot in the SGV.

This dining experience was so bad, I was certain we were being punkd for a tv show or something. Do not waste your money here. Terrible service, soupy gelato, overcharged, rude and arrogant owner. Won't be back

My partner and I had been to this restaurant a few times for gelato and we loved every flavor we tried. Yesterday we came for gelato later in the day and saw a man eating a delicious plate of fresh pasta and bread and vowed that we had to come back the following day for a proper meal. We arrived tonight at 8:30 and since it's a Saturday, there was live music which was a beautiful touch. The restaurant is essentially a part of a strip mall so you generally wouldn't expect ambiance, but the outdoor dining area actually feels very intimate--like you're in a dear friend's backyard. You forget that you're just a few paces away from a drug store and you're transported to a quaint family restaurant in Italy. Now the food: the pasta was fresh and cooked perfectly al dente. I got the fettuccini al funghi and my partner got the tagliatelle with meat sauce--both were insanely delicious. We also got a few glasses of wine from the wine menu that the owner, a former sommelier, curated himself. Lastly, we capped the night off with a fresh cannoli. There are other Italian restaurants in Pasadena, but you have to deal with the chaos of old town Pasadena and the lack of parking. If you want a restaurant that's not rushing you out the door as soon as you finish your meal, this place will be more your speed. All in all it was a great experience and we will absolutely be back!

Hands down the BEST Italian restaurant in Los Angeles!! Everything is hand made to order the day of. Excellent ambiance; the wine list is exceptional. Please come here and end your dinner with the world famous (also hand made!) gelato. Leo is a fantastic chef and host.

Nice outdoor ambiance and the food - so simple, but darn good . . . and the bread .... yuuuummm!

My new favorite place, it was truly a "where have you been all my life" experience. The food, the wine, the gelato... I felt like I was transported to Europe for an evening. I spent over 3 hours here and never felt rushed, in fact Leo the owner explained that's the atmosphere he wants to create for his patrons. The cost is so reasonable for the quality and thoughtfulness of his dishes. I cannot wait to bring my whole family, I want everyone I know to get to experience Bulgarini. I sat inside but the patio is such a vibe as well. Thank you Leo, you have a loyal customer that thinks the world of your creative culinary talent.

The high priced food is good, but the owner is an authentic prima donna. This is not a place where the customer is king. Plus, the wine is wanting.

The most amazing food you will ever taste! Each bite is heaven! Leo has perfected each dish and every time I come here I am never disappointed! The ambiance is perfect, very relaxing! And if you're lucky and go on the right evening, there's even someone playing light music on their guitar near the outdoor seating area. You don't come here and rush through everything, come here when you have plenty time and want to relax, enjoy the company of who you're with, disconnect from the crazy world, and just savor every bite!! You don't rush perfection! If you keep all that in mind, you too will have an amazing experience time and time again!

Hidden Gem in a Altadena... This restaurant is located in a small strip mall, out of the way place...but well worth the visit. The Pizza and pastas are home made and taste that way... everything we ordered was delicious.... Save room for the Gelato, there are many to choose from...

Two stars for gelato. We didn't get anything else. The gelato was subpar. I got the stracciatella, which tasted somewhat OK, as far as the vanilla base, but you can tell that it was far from fresh. The chocolate chips in it were so hard and difficult to chew, that I had to toss most of them away. My husband had the vanilla and ended up throwing it away. I don't imagine how vanilla, of all flavors can be so bad, but I guess they have figured out a way to make it. Close to $15 for just those 2 scoops, including tip, is not an option for the future. We will definitely not return.

tldr: The quality of gelato is phenomenal, but it's definitely overpriced. This place is really pricey. The small size is $8 and the medium is $9.50. Just keep that in mind ahead of time. That being said, the gelato selection, while not extensive, is rich and flavorful. I sampled a lot of choices beforehand and was in love with every single flavor I tried. They have three different chocolates (Regular, Lemon, Sea Salt), and I loved all of them. I did a random number generator to pick which one I got (Lemon Chocolate won!). They allowed two scoops, which was nice, so I also got Hazelnut. It was super nutty and a good contrast to the tangy Lemon Chocolate flavor. My friend got Pistachio, so I was eating some of that as well. The Pistachio flavor is heavenly, and I highly recommend a combination of that and the Lemon Chocolate!

If I could give zero stars I would. Let me start off with the food. Very sub par, they literally only have 1 pizza which is margherita but all it had on it was cheese, no basil or garlic. Chuckee cheese pizza is better to be honest. my kids wanted pink sauce. The owner/waiter said "we don't do that" so then I asked for the spaghetti with meat sauce but very light sauce for the kids. He smirked and said "I'll make it right", it arrived DRENCHED in sauce like as if he put more on purpose. The focaccia bread arrived, I asked if they had oil and vinegar for dipping...he said "eat it like that" so extremely rude and cocky and he has no reason to be. Your food sucks buddy but your personality is worse. Never coming back!!

The best food in LA! Pricey but everything ive ever eaten there has been delicious. Amazing gelato.

Bulgarini's is in a little mall next to Rite Aid. The food was authentic, high quality and delicious. Most pastas were in the $20-$30 price range. The portions were small however. The wine was very expensive though. And the ambiance is less than ideal. It's next to a pedi/manicure place so we watched people getting pedicures while we ate.

We tried this gelato restaurant in preparation for a fund raiser for the Pasadena Playhouse. We had originally tried the gelato, which was pretty good, but found the savory Italian food even more amazing. I think the pizza is the way to go, along with any of the pastas. The price point is a tad higher, but since this was a fund raiser, I felt inclined to spend more on this meal. The chef is Italian and is almost a one man show. Some say this is like eating in Italy, where the time is used for drinking wine and light conversation. I would come again for lunch, and try the pastas I missed out on, and the sea bass, which is only served on Saturday evenings. Be forewarned that the fish takes a lot longer than making the pizza, so be prepared for a lot of wine and bread...

Gelato review only: really good quality & "authentic" flavors. But pretty expensive for a small cup. During COVID times, you are not allowed inside or taste flavors. We had to order outside & a lot of flavors unavailable. I ended up getting Peach & Tuscan Melon. The texture was really natural. I really liked the Tuscan Melon, basically tasted like cantaloupe. The peach was just alright. I came because of the recommendations but I don't believe it's worth the price for the size you get. It was a great first try & glad we experienced it but not worth the second return.

We tried the tagliatelle Sugo di carni, the arugula salad and an order of focaccia. For the fist-sized portion of pasta, we would feel ripped off even at half that price. Just wasn't all that special. The salad was okay, the focaccia was okay. The primary problem was the service, the portion size plates and the prices. We did really like the peach with vanilla gelato. While the gelato was good, we wouldn't go out of our way to pay $11 again. The staff tried to help us but for the long periods of time that the owner was absent, it didn't seem like they were given enough rope to be effective servers. The owner dropped off our check and left the restaurant to run an errand for about 20 minutes. His staff were not trained to handle the check or run a credit card. We won't be coming back here again.

Leo just gets better and better. He's added a great array of pastas and delicious dishes to his already impressive list of offerings. We tried the 4 course tasting menu last night. See the photos below. Focaccia. Do not resist the urge to not eat this bread. You will miss out on the best focaccia you have ever had, seriously. I had to beg them not to bring me any more. Because I had to save room for the delicious pastas. Come hot and fresh from the oven and slathered with delicious olive oil and flaky sea salt. #1-pesto with gnocchi #2- papardelle with boar #3-spaghettini with clams #4-beef ravioli with pesto Paired with a bit of great Italian wines, which I should have taken photos of because I cannot remember which ones he brought. I really loved the dry, mineral heavy white he paired with the ravioli. Finished with gelato, because you can't come here without sampling some. He presented the blood orange sorbet with vanilla gelato, I loved the vaguely crispy bits of flaked ice in the blood orange sorbet. It was almost like a granita. So good! And we also got salted chocolate with tangerine sorbet. The salted chocolate is always one of my favorites but I think the blood orange was my favorite for the night last night. Always a fun time and I love to support this great family run, family owned place. Whenever you miss Italy or Europe in general, just come here. I love that there is always 2 or 3 Italians here and the lively conversations sustain me in this time of no travel!

Not sure what kind of gelato people who reviewed this place have had before but this is by far the worst gelato I've ever had, not just in LA but anywhere. I came here because of a recommendation from my gf's coworker and I now may have to permanently revoke their suggestion privileges. I had the stracciatella but I got was essentially milky Italian ice with chocolate chips in it (which by itself is also wrong because traditionally it's supposed to be shavings not chips) Add the fact that the owner walked past us twice without telling us what was going on as we waited there for a while for his worker to emerge from the back to just be asked what we wanted finally. Definitely will not be coming back here anytime soon and you should do yourself a favor and just buy some Talenti gelato from the store since it'll be cheaper and better.

Had the pistachio and the salted chocolate last week. The pistachio nuts used to make the gelato were rancid and the gelato was inedible. The salted chocolate was really salty. I believe Bulgarini's gelato of years past was incredible, just look at all the reviews, but you'll notice the bulk of the reviews are from many years ago.

Expensive and poor quality gelato. Service is also terrible. Walked by without greeting or asking us to wait, but we waited because we wanted to try it. Wouldn't go there again.

We went for gelato and were seriously underwhelmed. I could possibly get past the fact that it's situated between an old dentist office and a mani/pedi place, but this place is filthy! It honestly looked like it wasn't even open. No dining patrons, no one else around. The staff members paid us no attention whatsoever. They had huge containers of moldy peaches in refrigerators inside and I found a piece of plastic in my $8 gelato. I will not be going back.

Altadena local. Want to support local businesses. Had given the gelato a try years ago and was underwhelmed for price you pay. Wanted to do dinner tonight. First off - the water situation : "Sparkling or flat?" We ordered flat and they brought a bottle of "sparkling pelligrino label" but it was flat/tap water. Scam! The seat cushions are filthy. The owner is greasy, filthy clothes and RUDE!! Would not bring out some Parmesan cheese for his bland tiny ass portion pasta. The gnocchi was mush. Zero flavor. How is this place still open? I have patience but this place doesn't deserve patrons . I really wanted to like it . I really did. Horrible service. Horrible food.

A friend came here a couple weeks ago and he suggested this spot to me. He came here again with me and a couple of other friends. Small spot, they have a restaurant as well, but we only came here for the gelato. The gelato taste exactly like the flavor down to closing your eyes you would know the flavor rushing through your tongue. I got a triple scoop; pistachio, goats milk with cacao nibs, and peach. The pistachio was the most pistachio flavored I've ever had from a gelato or ice cream shop. Amazing, I would simply come back just for the pistachio. The other two had good flavor, but they did run out of 2 flavors I really wanted; stracciatella and coffee. Overall, I'd come back for the pistachio and hopefully they would have the stracciatella and coffee.

Tried the gelato. The pomegranate was icy - not good at all. The other flavor was fine. But two miniscule scoops for $8? The scoops were so tiny they didn't even fill the cup! Will not be returning.

Im an Altadena local. We love to support our businesses and keep the cash circulating in our city. Ive given this place 3 tries. Every time progressively worse but i didn't want to write a bad review. But Ive had enough of this owner's blatant disrespect. The gelato must be the only thing keeping this place in business. A romantic setting with warm lights and live music lured me in to treat my gf to a romantic simple dinner. All tables are outside. There's 2 tables with patrons. Everything else empty. I open the door and see a man with a very grumpy face staring at me like I've just done something wrong by coming in. No warm greeting. No greeting PERIOD. He yells from across the kitchen if i have reservations. I said no. He tells a young man (the only polite professionals were the kids working here) to sit us somewhere. The food: Bland flat pumpkin soup with a drizzle of some tasteless cream. Ive never had to ask for salt and pepper at a restaurant with prices like these. Over priced ravioli (you get 4 pieces) with another bland pesto sauce. No balance. Margarita pizza was tasty. A bit soggy but good en. Pizza oven outside. Hard to mess up a pizza right out the oven. We had another engagement so we asked for our check. After 20 min., I asked again. Polite young man said he already informed the owner. After 40 min, still empty restaurant, i got up and walked back in and stood by the entrance while the owner and some other man chatted. It appears the man was a friend or something and had just been one of the 2 tables of patrons that had eaten outside. Not the owner, but the nice man he was talking to, stopped to acknowledge me. I apologized for interrupting and advised I've been waiting for my check. The owner never apologized, never asked about our food/experience, etc., stands there visibly upset that I interrupted and asks me what we had for dinner. I didn't respond and just starred at him. I couldn't believe the attitude this guy was exhibiting. After a couple mins, I started to list what we had. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. I have to ask why? How can any decent person treat customers this way? What business thinks this is good business strategies? Im not a snob. But im not cheap. I come ready to spend when it comes time to eat good. I would come back here if the food was excellent and the service was bad. Id come back if the service was excellent and the food mediocre. But this place, forget about it! I just kept thinking i wouldn't be surprised if i saw Chef Ramsay do a kitchen nightmares episode here. Truly upsetting. I truly wanted to support this place.

Came here after my 2nd covid vaccine at RiteAid to get myself a little treat. There were lots of flavors to choose from and I ended up getting 4 different three-scoop cups to share. I got lemon, chocolate orange, pistachio and coffee. Lemon was everyone's favorite and coffee also pretty popular. Definitely not cheap @$32 + tip- but good quality and it's great to support local businesses.

Focaccia pizza was amazing. Stumbled upon it walking by, not on the menu, but Jones for it. Gelato was yummy. I appreciate local business, but I can't when I feel like I've been taken to the cleaners!?!! Had pasta al carbon, pizza, and bread and it came out to $100!?!!! I could've filled my car a full tank and driven to Santa Barbara and would've enjoyed myself more with no sticker shock?!!! (Owner has become crotchety over the years. Too bad.)

This little restaurant has the BEST gelato in all of Los Angeles! Their pistachio is phenomenal, but all of their seasonal flavors are incredible-- you won't find anything else in the city that even comes close!

The manager or owner was very rude to us. Grumpy man! Food was so so. Not good just okay. Over priced for the quality. We like the support our community businesses but we're definitely NOT going back.

came here with the wife and kid, expecting more, especially from the raving reviews and high prices What we got was defintely not worth the wait, hype or the prices everyone/everything here moves at a snail like pace. The waiter/server/owner all glacially look around, glacially move about, and took forever to take anyones orders or seat anyone, even the check arrived really slow. I'd bus my own table if it was possible Got the lasagna, tagliatelle, upon the recommendation of the waiter. Both tasted exactly the same and were very small portions. nothing stood out at all, very disappointing for over $20 each, i expected better quality or larger portions. you can easily find better quality, portion, or more authentic pasta elsewhere just 10 minutes off the freeway Got a salad and it was so underwhelming for $12, it was like those free salads you get from set meals at other places. Their mark up is HUGE for what you get, a sprinkle of arugula, couple shreds of parm, a drizzle of whatever oil or vinaigrette, you get way more value from a place like settebello or cheesecake factory. just for example, at cheesecake factory, for south of $10, you get a salad that is nearly 3x in terms of portion size and equal or better quality lastly, got their gelato, chocolate orange or something. The taste was amazing, finally something great right? but it was $8 for a really small portion. You get the same portion for $2 at rite aid next door or lower price and almost triple the portion at a place like handels just down the road overall after tax and tip, it was $100+ for 1 miniscule salad, 2 puny entrees, and a decent but overpriced desert. How this place survives is beyond me. Their regulars must love overpaying for middling quality in the name of supporting a small business, but until they: lower prices or, increase quality or, increase quantity, I will never be back

The Gelato was great! However the website and google both say they open at 12 on Saturday which is not true- they open at 2. We unfortunately found out the hard way when we came at noon for lunch and it was closed. After calling we found out that they open at 2, so we came back. Once we came back around the 2:15 we ordered some of the gelato and asked about the food. We were told they didn't serve food until 6. Very frustrating!

I used to love this place but I'm just really tired of how surly they are and how haphazard service is. Bulgarini is in the middle of nowhere, I don't know why they feel they can continuously be so snippy to customers who clearly travel out of their way to come.

Cannot day enough about Leo and this amazing restaurant. IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A GELATO SHOP. They are serving up authentic Italian dishes. We just moved to Altadena and are so happy to have found this gem.

Outstanding! We came for gelato and stayed for dinner! Absolutely delicious!!! Will become regulars

Great food n desert! The owner is really nice. We have a big group and they are very flexible for us. Pizza is amazing, short rib melted in your mouth. Everything is delicious!

Pasta and gelato are excellent, in my opinion. Portions of the dinner are small; portion of gelato is good. Service is very slow, when we were there, only one server (the owner?) was on duty. They didn't ask me if I wanted another glass of wine. They didn't ask if I wanted to buy more bread. They didn't ask if I wanted more water. So, go there for the quality, but don't be in a hurry and don't be too hungry and don't expect good service.

Bulgarini had long been on my list of restaurants to try. My wife and I finally made it there last week. Sorry to report we didn't find it as good as we had hoped. For starters, atmosphere. Although there's both indoor and outdoor seating, we were told indoors was being saved for a private party, so we ate outside. It was a cool evening, and although there were patio heaters around, they weren't set up or turned on. The overall atmosphere at Bulgarini is that of a strip shopping center restaurant where little effort was made to make the place attractive. I would have less of a problem with this if the prices reflected the ambience. Pricing however was more in line with higher end Italian restaurants. The menus were on reused printer paper, crumpled and food stained. I asked the proprietor about the pizza as the menu didn't indicate what you can get on them. I felt like I received a gaslighting lecture on the qualities of Neapolitan pizza and how ignorant I was. I spent two semesters in Italy as a student and have had many excellent Neapolitan pizzas in my day. This one turned out to be merely okay, disapointing. We had a Ribolita (Tuscan white bean soup) and a salad. Both were good. We also enjoyed sharing a meat stuffed ravioli dish with pesto sauce. Service was relaxed, a step ahead of being frustratingly slow. We shared a Gelato for dessert, which was a high point of the meal. Grapefruit and dark chocolate with orange. Nice flavors and consistency. The Gelato refrigerator has many old tags but didn't accurately reflect the current flavors. We needed to be told what was what. It was a Friday night, and we enjoyed the live guitarist. To wrap up, Bulgarini didn't quite click for us. There's lots of excellent authentic Italian food in LA. The food here just wasn't special to us, and the prices were inconsistent with the ambiance and service.

Unfortunately this is not true gelato. Anyone who finds this gelato to be good or excellent, has not tasted authentic ice cream or gelato. Quay was awful and I actually discarded after only a few spoonfuls. Prices are also ridiculous and the cleanliness of this place is a bit sketchy. It doesn't make me happy to be so negative about this place, however truth is truth and facts are facts. Just not for me. Maybe the food is better, but I will never know as I won't return.

Recently moved to Altadena and was really excited to try the local favorites. Bulgarini was top of my list due to the high ratings. I wish I could contribute to the 4 star reviews but sadly my experience did not warrant a 4 star review. Our server was great, but the service and food were both subpar. We ordered lasagna, carbonara, and the pesto gnocchi. The lasagna seemed to be homemade but frozen and then baked to heat. Neither of the pasta dishes were warm. The carbonara was really soupy and the gnocchi was overcooked without much flavor. Our food was late to the point that our server came to our table twice to thank us for our patience prior to it arriving. The owner's family was at a table behind us and appeared to be receiving exceptional service - their food arriving in a timely manner. We ordered gelato for dessert. We were given melted milk ice. Their website boasted so many flavors that I was overwhelmed by choices, but thankfully they only had a handful of the flavors advertised. The owner went around table to table to chat with guests but somehow missed our table haha. We spent nearly $150 on food (no wine) and would have expected better service, ambiance, and food. It's a shame!