Buona Tavola

We were having cocktails down the street when someone at the bar recommended this restaurant, so we walk down and were lucky enough to get a table however I would recommend making reservations because it was pure luck we got a table. Everybody from the owners to the wait staff were extremely Pleasant and nice to talk to they sat as quickly. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very pleasant. Started off the dinner with a pleasant salad and then we ordered the Fettuccine Del Borromeo and the Torelloni Bufalina. And finished up with a Torta De Mele Alla Pia and another desert which I don't remember the name of, nevertheless all the food was simply amazing, from the salad to the entree to the deserts!!! This is definitely a place you want to visit if you love Italian food. We will definitely be coming back

Don't let the price of a meal scare you away! -- This place is a MUST Visit - if you can get a table. We sat outdoors and enjoyed the fantastic CA evening. The Carciofi ai petali di parmigiano salad was unbelievable! -- Simply put - one of the best salads I have ever had. Definitely worth the price and I will be making this at home too. We went to dinner on 1/2 price bottle of wine night; so we splurged and got a Super Tuscan wine! It was a fantastic complement to both meals my friend and I selected. (Crognolo - for those interested) - very nice mild red. It was a perfect compliment to seafood pasta special, I enjoyed. Then OMG their Crema Di Vaniglia Della Buona Tavola and Fior di Seta deserts were simply unforgettable! -- Presentation matched the flavor and tastiness of each. Be sure to come here with an appetite -- you won't be disappointed.

We wanted to find a nice restaurant to celebrate my birthday. We made reservations at Buona Tavola. Glad we did as it was mothers day! We started with bread and olive tapanade. Very good. The Cesar Salad was unique and special. It came as two small romaine lettuce heads with the dressing, cheese, and whole Anchovy's toppings. My wife ordered a couple of samplers of pasta. She first ordered the Spaghettini aglio olio e peperoncino. She also the Tortelloni di zucca alla salvia e mascarpone, both thought was very flavorful. I had the Bocconcini Portobello which was very good. I had pasta in the marsala sauce instead of mashed potatoes. It was very good. The service was good and Paulo, (the owner?), took great care of us. You know you choice the right Italian restaurant when the staff are speaking Italian! All in all a great place!

The owner, Andrea, greeted us at the door. Even though they were crowded, we were seated with no wait. The menu has a very nice selection of appetizers, salads, pastas, and main courses. The two of us split a pear salad special, and our main courses were risoto with shrimp and pasta with vegetables and pesto sauce. The portions were large, and the food was perfectly prepared and delicious. I had a chocolate desert with strawberries and fresh whipped cream that was terrific. The food was fresh and high quality. The service was friendly, efficient, and outstanding. This was our first visit, and we are looking forward to returning soon. I think this is the best Italian restaurant we have been to in the greater SLO area.

MUST TRY!!! I may be biased as I used to be a team member at this restaurant back from 2006 to 2008, but this spot has my favorite type of Northern Italian cuisine on the entire Central Coast of California. I have eaten at Buona Tavola SLO countless times throughout the years, yet I have never once had anything, but an exceptional experience, superb service by each team member, freshly and deliciously prepared meals. So many years later (almost 32 I believe), this restaurant's quality has not changed one bit. Even under the new ownership, they strive to make you feel like you are in Italy by offering the most unique and authentic food items such as Bruschetta ai funghi trifolati, Insalata di Mare, Minestrone Soup and Tagliata di bue salutare - some of my favorite items. Unexpectedly, prices are surprisingly affordable considering the fact that inflation is outrageous right now yet Buona uses the freshest seasonal ingredients + many items are shipped straight from Italy. For our main course we opted in for Fettuccine al sugo di carni miste and Pesce del giorno alla griglia - both 10/10. As for dessert we chose Crema Di Vaniglia Della Buona Tavola and of course, the famous Tiramisu. My husband dreams of Buona's Tiramisu quite often. We try it at every restaurant we go to that offers it, and nothing compares to Buona Tavola's one. Service by Hailey G. was fantastic as she welcomed us and made us feel special. The main busser was so friendly - loved him, too! Thank you to the new owner and management for making sure that old patrons still receive outstanding experience when visiting this authentic Italian restaurant. Like Antonio Varia used to say: "I cook with love and I feel love in the air" vibe is still here and I am so thrilled to be able to experience it!

What a great place! About the only Italian with 4+ rating in the area. You want to experience this. I had home made scampi dumplings (5 stars). Regretted that I didn’t take a picture of 1) our eggplant appetizer and 2) two pasta dishes. Hubby had orecchiette with chicken sausage (5 starts) The only pic of the food I took was the made to order penne with chicken and red sauce (5 stars) our kid had. It was unseasonably cold for June, so we wanted to sit inside. It’s a bit loud inside, if you can get a table away from the kitchen do it. But outdoor seating is best. Deserts were pretty good as well. It was refreshing to get white table cloths at restaurant on the way down to Oxnard from San Francisco. Thank you for your high standards! Manuel was great too! Walking us through the specials was a lot of entertainment. 🥳

We love this restaurant, but had a weird experience this time. We brought friends in to try Buona and the night started brilliantly. However, as our meal was ending, a couple in my party had large portions of food leftover, they loved their dishes but, were too full to eat more! The staff then took the food to box it and unfortunately dropped all the leftovers. We were then brought a dessert and asked if it would suffice. The couple’s response was clearly preferential to the pasta dish so our server said he would check with the chef, but never came back, not even to our bill. We were disappointed with the dismissive response from our server and left thinking “what happened?” In my mind it would’ve made sense to make a couple fresh pastas and take the loss in the short term, but know that the customers would surely return again. This sounds far better than failing to resolve and losing business forever from four customers. Hopefully, it was just an off night for the team.

I had dinner here. I waited ages to place my order, then 20 minutes to get my starter, which was only soup. After a further delay, my starter came out again! They were in disarray. Eventually got my main course. The food was expensive, bland and served almost cold. I was unimpressed, although the staff were helpful and cheerful, but the results were not very good.

I have eaten here before and it is definitely one of my absolute favorites. I remember the service was amazing as the waiter was very nice and knowledgeable. I loved the atmosphere and the restaurant is the perfect size. However, I would like to thank this restaurant for tonight especially. I have had nothing but school dining hall food for the past four weeks, so I decided to order Tortelloni Bufalina and Biscotti delivered from here as a treat. My day hadn't gone the best and when I saw that they gave me bread and olive tapenade as well, I think I almost cried. Thank you so much!

The food is fresh, perfectly prepared with a very nice selection and good size portions. The service is very good. It is a first class Italian restaurant.

The curly haired busser girl was so helpful and the service and food were amazing and authentic Fresh food fresh recipes from the old country. Wonderful!!! I love the patio seating it's very relaxing and a great way to end the day

As a native, this has been a longtime family favorite for decades. Now that we live a bit of a drive from town, it's been awhile since we were last in, but with a special evening for my husband and I, Buona Tavola seemed just the ticket. Because it was a very cold evening, I was a bit worried when they walked us through the dining room to seat us in the back patio. The heaters quickly proved their worth and kept us perfectly comfortable through our stay. Staff was buzzing, and our server greeted us nicely, introduced himself, and took our orders in a timely fashion. The bread with tapenade, our appetizer, and the arrival of our mains were all nicely timed. Sadly, we never saw our server again after our meal was served. We would like to have ordered a second glass of wine and dessert, but finally just flagged someone down to get the check. The bread and tapenade were a nice surprise and fresh. The burrata served on bread open-faced with eggplant was, sadly, quite salty which was distracting from what could potentially been a wonderful starter. But the very fresh, light pasta main stuffed with scampi offered a light meal that paired nicely with that last sip of wine (used mainly to dilute the salt from aforementioned starter). The manager/owner(?) walked by our table several times, never giving us the time of day. I don't need special greetings, but a smile or some acknowledgment would be nice. With that many passes, a good manager would have noticed we sat there with empty glasses and empty plates just....waiting. I may return, hoping this was an off day, but with so many options in town, our old favorite needs to step up its service to match its menu offerings (and cut back on salt). UPDATE: How creepy was it to have someone from this restaurant phone me after having read this review? Presumably they got my phone number from the reservation app which required its entry to be placed in the reservation queue. I didn't consent to it being shared for any other purpose. Add to that, the guy who called was NOT our server, said we were not seated in his area (the front) because he was too busy (there was one table seated up there when we arrived), verified that the owner/manager was indeed among the staff who repeatedly walked by our table without so much as a nod. He apologized for someone else's service, which was weird. We never met him, saw him, and were not served by him. Why was he calling me? Minus another star...from 3 for the first experience to 2 for the added creepy factor.

This has been a long overdue review; it's lengthy but worth the read. Please please PLEASE eat at this place!! I've eaten here so many times, and my husband and had our wedding reception here on 2/29/2020 because we like this place so much. Our family and friends always talk about the food at our wedding and how good it was and we got married 5 years ago, so that says a lot! We had the buffalina, salmon, and chicken entrees, along with salads, olive tapenade, and tiramisu for dessert for all of our guests and all of it was perfect. My husband and I also go back every year on our anniversary. Manuel has been our server multiple times (including our reception) and has comped Prosecco and desserts for us on our anniversary. He's just the best! Andrea (owner) is also a legend and you'll likely see him serving guests on a given night. He was so easy to work with when planning our reception. He and his team also ensured no wine glass was ever left empty at our wedding and everyone (my hubs and I included) had an absolute blast. Not once did I have to worry about food not being served or it not being hot etc, it was like they had our reception down to a science. The space romantic with lights and a tree that grows right in the middle of the patio. There are heaters throughout and it's super comfortable even on a cold winter night. When we go to Buona we always compare it to coming home. It's one of my favorite restaurants in SLO and I look forward to eating there any time I can, especially on our anniversary.

Food was excellent ! Went there after a wedding it was a small gathering 7 of us . Every plate was delicious ! Homemade pasta , authentic Italian . Great service and ambience as well . Would love to try every dish here

Made another visit to my all time favorite Italian restaurant in the area, Buona Tavola. Per usual, this place hits the mark in every category - food, service, ambiance.... I am absolutely shocked every time I visit at the amount of care and genuine interest the servers put into their guests. They are extremely attentive, and quick to predict your requests or provide recommendations. Came here most recently with a group and all of the food we ordered was superb (I would expect nothing less). If you're looking for an amazing steak, my husband ordered the filet mignon special which was top notch. All of the pasta dishes are phenomenal, you really can't go wrong with any of them! This time around we also ordered the tiramisu and it was a big hit. Keep it up Buona Tavola! I will be a die hard fan of this place, and cannot recommend it enough!

We came here for lunch one afternoon and sat on the back patio. The host and server were both attentive and friendly, and we were seated immediately. I ordered the Insalata Alla Tosca which was delicious. The chicken was well cooked and the veggies were fresh. My friend ordered the Salmon special and enjoyed it as well. Overall, the food and service were great, and I would definitely come back for dinner to try some of their pasta dishes. Would be a great spot for a date night!

A real italian experience here. Service is always impeccable. The menu is great with a wonderful variety of pastas, salads, and main dishes. Specials like Wine Wednesday make this an even more wonderful dining experience. The ambiance inside and out is so enjoyable in all seasons of the year. This is our go-to for special occasions and celebratory dinners as they always make the dining experience memorable.

Most of the food was good but a couple people in our party were not very happy with their meals. Also because there were three couples we asked for separate checks they wouldn't do it. They would only give us one check given how easy it is, seems like they were being a little lazy and the service was a little spotty. And of course it's one of the most expensive restaurants in San Luis so our expectations were higher than what we ended up with.

Absolutely love this restaurant, and love sitting in the back garden. Our server was Paolo and he was very friendly and informative. My husband and I shared a bottle of wine. It's excellent and I wish I could find it locally but no luck. I had tortellini di zucca and my husband had a special pasta with shrimp and scallops and he has leftovers. I did not. I had dessert crema di vaniglia. Need to come here more often.

We wanted to find a nice restaurant to celebrate my birthday. We made reservations at Buona Tavola. Glad we did as it was mothers day! We started with bread and olive tapanade. Very good. The Cesar Salad was unique and special. It came as two small romaine lettuce heads with the dressing, cheese, and whole Anchovy's toppings. My wife ordered a couple of samplers of pasta. She first ordered the Spaghettini aglio olio e peperoncino. She also the Tortelloni di zucca alla salvia e mascarpone, both thought was very flavorful. I had the Bocconcini Portobello which was very good. I had pasta in the marsala sauce instead of mashed potatoes. It was very good. The service was good and Paulo, (the owner?), took great care of us. You know you choice the right Italian restaurant when the staff are speaking Italian! All in all a great place!

Best Italian restaurant in town with best food and atmosphere. If you're looking for an intimate dining experience where you can actually here the person next to you this is the place to go.

We looked at all the yelp reviews for restaurants in SLO for our one night in town, and it was perfect! Cannot beat the ambience, the service was IMPECCABLE, and all our food and drinks were amazing! Perfect spot for a romantic dinner! We will definitely come back.

Good but very expensive for what you get especially in SLO. The bruschetta actually ended up being my favorite but I was surprised to see it was the same cost of many of the entrees. I had asked for some variation of a truffle pasta and was surprised that the waitress didn't know what truffle was. Regardless she was nice enough to ask the chefs if they could make a truffle pasta. They used white truffle which isn't as fragrant as what you'd normally find with black truffle. The pasta did come out on the oily side so I actually avoiding eating the rest of it due to this reason. However, ambiance was on point and this definitely seems like a spot that people come for celebrations or a nice dinner. It was nice and toasty in the outdoor tent.

I wrote a review about my experience last night but it didn't go through. I wanted to thank the restaurant for lovely accommodations and delicious food for a celebration. The bread with the olive compote was fabulous and d they do sell the spread to take home. The salad does come in a smaller dinner salad size which was a perfect starter. The angel hair with olive oil, basil, and garlic was perfectly balanced. Sometimes I skip desert but I'm so glad I got the tiramisu! The ambience was very lovely in the front inside area and even though I didn't go to the back, it seems very popular!

My husband picked the restaurant for our 22nd anniversary. My husband gets very high marks. This is a do again any day of the week. Bring friends to this place, bring business clients you want to impress, heck, bring that obnoxious mother-in-law who can never find anything that pleases her here! You will be the favorite in-law! Jeremy took care of us. Exceptional service from him. Every suggestion was spot on. Trust this man. His wait staff needs a bit more experience. We sat in the patio which was lovely. The heater could be on or not, your choice. Rather romantic in my humble opinion. All in all, will we be back? Oh yes! Bring friends? Oh yes! Recommend? Go for it! Get a kick back for a kick ass review? Hell no!

Owner is very pleasant and willing to serve you. Excellent food and wines along with beautiful outdoors sittings. Very busy so make a reservation is made for outdoor dining.

Absolutely incredible!!! The food is out of this world. We stumbled across this gem in downtown SLO and it has definitly become a new favorite. The pasta is so authentic and delicious. The service is 10/10! Overall great dinner we can't wait to come back!

When I was a kid in the 90s, my dad brought me here for the first time. Buona Tavola has been my favorite Italian place ever since. I've never had Italian food so absolutely lovely, authentic and delicious. The ambience is beautiful. Walking by the small front entrance, you would never know just a few steps beyond lays a secret outdoor garden patio. With twinkle lights and plenty of heaters, you're always comfortable and feel like you've been transported to a magical place. And of course, the waiters and waitresses are excellent-- you always feel special!

Small cozy dining indoors and quaint rustic outdoors. Wonderful ambiance. 5/5 Great food. Pasta was fresh and piping hot. You know it's fresh when the last bite is still warm. Food is good overall. 5/5 Service could be faster and more attentive. We waited 50mins to get our food after the salad arrived. That is unacceptable at a restaurant of this caliber.

Lil expensive but it's good food. The service tho is top notch shout out to the waiters

Really enjoyed the ambiance of the large outdoor dining area. Very pet friendly with plenty of heaters. We ordered the tricolore salad with ceaser dressing the spaghettini and the fettuccini with the meat sauce. Overall I found the food to be just okay. The dressing on the salad in no way resembled a caeser dressing. No hint of lemon or anchovies in there. The pasta portions were larger and had we known we would have split one. The spaghettini was cooked correctly but need a lot of salt. It was extremely under seasoned. The pasta with the meat sauce was perfectly fine but certainly nothing special. Service here was very lackadaisical. The waiter just didn't seem to care much about us. We had to flag him down for fresh pepper and he never bothered to ask how our first course was. Overall a very mediocre experience.

Off the charts ! Hosted a dinner while in town for a wedding. Service and food could not have been better ! Big table (11) and service was flawless !

Superb traditional Italian food. Absolutely top-notch service from Jackson and the rest of the crew. Will definitely be back! Sit on the back patio and squint a little. You might feel like you're in Italy.

MUST TRY!!! I may be biased as I used to be a team member at this restaurant back from 2006 to 2008, but this spot has my favorite type of Northern Italian cuisine on the entire Central Coast of California. I have eaten at Buona Tavola SLO countless times throughout the years, yet I have never once had anything, but an exceptional experience, superb service by each team member, freshly and deliciously prepared meals. So many years later (almost 32 I believe), this restaurant's quality has not changed one bit. Even under the new ownership, they strive to make you feel like you are in Italy by offering the most unique and authentic food items such as Bruschetta ai funghi trifolati, Insalata di Mare, Minestrone Soup and Tagliata di bue salutare - some of my favorite items. Unexpectedly, prices are surprisingly affordable considering the fact that inflation is outrageous right now yet Buona uses the freshest seasonal ingredients + many items are shipped straight from Italy. For our main course we opted in for Fettuccine al sugo di carni miste and Pesce del giorno alla griglia - both 10/10. As for dessert we chose Crema Di Vaniglia Della Buona Tavola and of course, the famous Tiramisu. My husband dreams of Buona's Tiramisu quite often. We try it at every restaurant we go to that offers it, and nothing compares to Buona Tavola's one. Service by Hailey G. was fantastic as she welcomed us and made us feel special. The main busser was so friendly - loved him, too! Thank you to the new owner and management for making sure that old patrons still receive outstanding experience when visiting this authentic Italian restaurant. Like Antonio Varia used to say: "I cook with love and I feel love in the air" vibe is still here and I am so thrilled to be able to experience it!

Came here with a dear friend for her birthday lunch. I made a reservation because this place can get busy at lunchtime, especially if there is a big court case across the street, since the attorneys tend to eat here. We were warmly greeted at the door, and shown to a well-lit window table. Menus came right away, and we studied them diligently. I had not been to Buona Tavola in a long time, and was delighted by the integrity of the menu, staying true to its Italian heritage. I was on the brink of choosing the Linguine alle Vongole, one of my favorite dishes, but the special with seafood, prosciutto, and asparagus tips won the day. The birthday girl chose the other special, which was salmon with carrots, spinach and potatoes. I accompanied my seafood dish with Prosecco, which was light and refreshing. It was a birthday lunch, and we chattered away and caught up on goings on around town. First, we each had a Caesar salad with croutons, well dressed and tangy. It was the perfect match for the Prosecco. The entrees were picture perfect when they arrived. The special looked exactly as I it had in my imagination, luscious sauce coating a mound of pasta studded with a generous helping of shrimp and accented with asparagus tips. The velvety texture of the sauce perfectly carried the flavor of the seafood and asparagus and I enjoyed bite after bite! My pal's salmon had a coppery sheen of caramelization, and graced the plate with a generous array of vegetables. We had fun catching up in such an elegant environment, a world away from the bustle on the streets outside. As we were planning future social events, a cup of rich coffee and a surprise birthday desert arrived, much to our delight. The service was perfect, attentive, yet subtle, and I look forward to having lunch on the patio when spring arrives!

Excellent choice and will dine again when in town. Loved food, service, surroundings, and how well they accommodated my food needs.

We had a rough start to our dinner due to some reservation communications but once we got past it and got sat, it was a lovely experience. There was an extensive wine list, garden ambiance was delightful and the food was delicious. It came out piping hot and full of authentic and fresh flavors. It felt like a place where locals dine so we liked that it wasn't a tourist trap. Highly recommend for a nice Italian meal!

Food - outstanding! Ambiance - wonderful! Service - decent. My husband and I enjoyed a meal on the covered patio on a Friday night. The ambiance was warm and lovely - outside under a covered patio with cozy heathers. The service was spotty and a bit strange at first - we didn't know who our server was for a while and it took quite a bit to out our drink order in. Our server finally came around and was helpful but was obviously very rushed - I think they must have been understaffed. Regardless, the server came through with our dinner orders and all the food was absolutely outstanding. We went to Italy for our honeymoon earlier this year, so we really appreciate authentic Italian options. This food was great!!! Would definitely return and recommend. The grilled eggplant app was so good, and I loved the sea bass special! PS - get the house wine!

Amazing authentic and absolutely delicious food and experience. You can tell the heart and soul of the owners and team in the food and the service. Not sure how we've lived here for 6 years and not discovered this gem. Highly recommend it!

expensive enough that it's not an every day kind of dinner, but the service and food absolutely make the price m worth it. As someone with celiac, I don't get to eat gluten-free Italian food very much, but I felt really confident that they took my disease seriously and I found the food really good. they even offered GF bruschetta; it's nice to feel like a part of things along with the rest of the table. Nice atmosphere outside as well.

Delicious food, great service, and a general warm vibe. Prices were on the higher side for SLO but the food was great and they have wonderful wine options! I will definitely be returning!!

10/10 would come here again! we sat outside in the patio but the heat lamps kept us very warm. It's really pretty I'm glad we chose the patio. The service was attentive; our waiter gave us very good recommendations! The pesto was delicious, the pasta is perfectly cooked and flavorful. You probably can't go wrong with anything here.

Review for the 2023 Graduation Menu & Experience: I booked our table for 12 several months beforehand over the phone - the gentleman I spoke with was helpful and professional. He did inform me of the cost ($79 per person) at that time and that it was a pre fixe menu. We saw the menu when we arrived at the restaurant. Each diner got to choose an appetizer (2 options), first course (2 options), second course (3 options) and dessert (no options, just chocolate mousse) from a set menu. We sat on the back patio and the waiters were very professional. I know that Buona Tavola usually gets great reviews, but our food that night was just okay - no wow factor there. I felt like the food came out sort of conveyor belt style, like they were just trying to get through the service (if that makes sense). Portions were good, but I do wish they offered another dessert option. I would probably book again because we needed a sit down dinner for our family to celebrate the graduate, but I wouldn't mind going back with a smaller party and trying their regular menu.

i came here to celebrate the new year and oh my goodness. yes. coming back here ALL THE TIME. the ambiance is top tier, if they ask if you want to sit outside ... say yes. the entire patio is covered and warm, with fountains and candles and intimately lit. absolutely gorgeous. but the food. i got the pappardelle alla san pierto and it was incredibly rich and dense with protein. my issue with tomato based sauces is that it is a smidge too sweet but this was perfectly seasoned. i had enough to split it into two meals comfortably. the absolute star of the show however was my friend's tortelloni di zucca!! holy cannoli this was INCREDIBLE. a lot of other places have their variation of it but this one is perfect. they absolutely do not skimp on the filling. instead of a triangle shaped ravioli, it is quite literally a handful of filling stuffed into a delicate ravioli shell. the cream sauce is heavenly, but lets the pumpkin filling be the star of the show. the walnuts add a nice texture change. tldr; yes to tortelloni di zucca on the patio under the warm moonlight.

Downtown San Luis Obispo. Environment: it's a small restaurant. 9 tables inside and 3 tables outside. The floor for tables outside was uneven, we ended up asking them to switch tables for us. The starter bread: it came with 2 kind of breads, one regular and one with butter I think, I wish they were toasted. The sauce on the side was okay. The carpaccio was good, lots of cheese and veggies on top, I wish they had more beef filets for one order. The Orecchiette del campo was bomb. The Timballo Valdostano is good for anyone who doesn't want any carb.

First time here and we are Celebrating a BIG anniversary. Service was great beginning to end. We had a beautiful meal. Our server Brittney is amazing! We especially enjoyed all the food. Dining on the back patio is really nice. A beautiful evening. We will be back! Thank you for making us feel great on our special night!

Decent food. Nice staff. Centrally located. Nothing spectacular but nothing bad either.

After seeing the glowing reviews on Yelp and getting a recommendation from a friend I was so excited to try this restaurant. I was deeply disappointed. I ordered the linguine vongole and it was the worst vongole I've ever had. There was a ton of sand in each and every clam AND shards of shells that were in the clams and in the broth. The clams also tasted old- moldy/earthy- not fresh and briny. My tummy felt pretty unsettled for the rest of the day. Would definitely not recommend eating here.

The service was delayed, almost an hour after the waiter informed us that our entry was not available. To compound matters, the waitress broke a wine glass on me, did not apologize and the waiter replaced it with a half drank wine glass and never apologize. To make matters worse, I came back to my room and had broken glass all over my wool shirt. This is perhaps the worst that I have witnessed a restaurant of this caliber deal with two serious flaws in the service. This restaurant should be demoted at their stars, surreal of the way they handled the incredible poor service. Go to McDonalds; you'll receive much better service without glass shards all over your clothes.

Delicious house made pastas. Charming patio. Professional and friendly staff! Everything is excellent!

We had a group of 5 and we were some hungry people! Made reservation and sat in back patio. It was a bit chilly and the heaters were on so it was comfortable. We brought some wine which they were quick to serve us and we enjoyed an brochette appetizer with toast, tomato, eggplant and burrata cheese. Very tasty. We also had a lot of attention from the manager as we discussed wines and pairings. We enjoyed the lamb special, mahi mahi special, a ciaopino type dish and a couple pastas. I think the pastas were the best dishes and I will try the one with fettuccine, chicken, veal, duck next time. Dessert options are plentiful and we shared a couple. It was a great meal overall and so many good choices. The wine list had some great options as well and will try those next time.

I personally think this is one of the best dinner restaurants in San Luis Obispo. The staff are always smiling and very accommodating. The food is always top-notch delicious. The ambience inside this restaurant is sparkly and very inviting. It's one of those restaurants that still provides the old-school dining experience. It's the best Italian food you'll have in SLO County. 5 stars allll the way.

Came here on a Thursday night at 6:30pm with reservations. Was able to get seated immediately, but we did have some poor planning. Thursday nights is the local downtown farmer market and there was a show playing at the Freemont, so parking was difficult, to say the least. The service was great, very attentive, and our server was even cracking jokes with us. We started off with some salads which had great presentations would have to say the Caprese was especially yummy. The fresh mozzarella was fantastic; the red onions made for a refreshing bite. The bread and tapenade was also a hit, not overly salty but packed with flavor. I would say the tortellini de zuca was a stand-out dish! Amazingly creamy base and fluffy stuffing made for a pillowly expiernce. The pumpkin filling was slightly sweet, and the sage made each bite a little fragrant. We also tried the Seafood Linguine, which came loaded with a bunch of clams, mussels, and shrimps. My only qualm was I wish there was a tad more pasta. The seafood flavor was infused into the sauce with a couple dashes of red pepper flakes the dish was pretty solid. For dessert, our group enjoyed the Gelato, which came in three flavors: vanilla bean, hazelnut and chocolate super creamy, and the perfect consistency. The flourless cake was a bit dense for my liking but paired with the raspberry syrup and Gelato it was quite nice. Hope to try more pastas soon!

Finally got to try Buona Tacoma and they definitely did not disappoint! One of the most solid Italian spots I've been to. Our favorites were the rack of lamb and the seafood salad. We ordered: 1) Lamb Special 2) Insalata di Mare 3) Linguini Fra' Diavolo 4) Tortiglioni del Buon Gustaio The outdoor covered dining area is amazing and the perfect spot to dine semi-outdoors during the winter with their amazing heater setup. Our server was super friendly and gave us some great recommendations for food. I will definitely be back soon!

I went here with my boyfriend for Valentine's Day. We decided to go to this place last minute, so we put our name on the waitlist with the expectation that we were not going to get in. Luckily, someone canceled their reservations and we made it in! The ambiance was very romantic. A bit small and cramped for the amount of people. Our waiter was great. We got the 4-course meal. Some foods were amazing while others were frankly mediocre. The ones that stood out were the desserts and the antipastis. I would recommend for very special occasions as this place can be a bit pricy for a regular date or simply going out to eat.

This place doesn't look like much from the outside, but once they walk you through the kitchen to get to the back patio, it is a whole different world. Jeremy was our server and he made us feel like we were his only table! He seemed like he loved his job and was exceptional! (I hope he is being paid his worth!! ) the bussers were also wonderful and attentive as well! We ended up getting a bottle of the house red and it was delicious! They brought out focaccia with a fabulously savory olive tapenade. We also ordered the pomodoro bruschetta. The bread was perfectly toasted. I got the tagliolini pasta with pesto and new potatoes, which was pretty delicious. My partner got the penne arrabiata and add d chicken to it. He absolutely loved it. It was definitely a lot of food! We skipped dessert here, but we're tempted by a few of the menu items. The ambiance definitely made it for me, and the food is what made it awesome for my partner. We are glad we found this place!

Solid Italian food in a beautiful setting. It's sad to see what's happened to SLO, I would even say it's semi dangerous. We were stalked by a homeless guy out of his mind leaving here. The food is very solid, i had an amazing sleeper seafood salad. Like one of the best of my life. It had like 6 big shrimp, 6 scallops, and 6 muscles for like $18 i thought it was a great deal. Wifey had some red sauce pasta which was sort of memorable and a nice glass of local wine. If I was in town again which honestly i probably won't be, i would get the seafood salad. Very very solid service in a very beautiful setting. I see why this place is so popular.