iTalico

our friends invited us to dinner and i absolutely loved this restaurant. the service food a d atmosphere was just perfect. we all shared several dishes but i really loved the seafood spaghetti and other pastas we tried. parking was fairly available in the area too which made it easy to dine at Italico.

Amazing food. Great location and dining area. The staff was amazing. Very friendly, very patient and very helpful. Our waitress was great.

A perfect ending to my business trip! We visited Italico for our final meal, and it truly wrapped up the trip on a high note. From the moment we walked in, the staff greeted us with warm smiles and great energy. Service was impressively quick—our cocktails and wine arrived within 5 minutes, and appetizers followed shortly after. We started with the Insalata di Gamberi—incredibly fresh, with a bright citrus and peachy flavor. The shrimp were perfectly tender. For mains, we had the Spaghetti di Mare and Margherita Pizza. The pizza was a highlight—the tomato sauce tasted house-made, offering a light, refreshing flavor without the usual sourness. The olive oil really elevated the cheese, making it an easy favorite. Highly recommended! Pro tip: If you’re craving the Cacio e Pepe, note that it’s only available on Wednesdays and Sundays! To finish, we had the Affogato and Tiramisu. The tiramisu had a bold cocoa flavor—perfect for me, though a bit much for my wife, who preferred the sweeter Affogato. Overall, great food, fast and friendly service, and a wonderful atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit!

This review is specifically for the private dining event we hosted at iTalico, and I can’t say enough good things about the experience. From the start, the communication with the team (especially with Marcelino) was excellent—quick responses, clear details, and an overall sense that they truly cared about making our event special. We came in a week beforehand to sample and select wines and appetizers, which was extremely helpful, and they worked with us to customize the set menu and room setup exactly how we envisioned it for a milestone birthday celebration. One of the standout aspects was how accommodating the staff was. They allowed us to arrive a few hours early to decorate, and they went above and beyond—even helping us take everything down at the end of the night, which we really appreciated because it was a lot! Every member of the staff and management (Antonio) was incredibly kind, helpful, and patient throughout the evening. Our dedicated server was lovely—attentive and warm—making sure everyone was taken care of. Guests who wanted to take home their leftovers were easily able to do so because they serve excellent portions. What really made the night extra special was that our party of 15 ppl had the private room for the entire evening. We came to set up at 3 pm and were one of the last groups to close it out. That kind of flexibility is rare and made the whole event feel unrushed and intimate. The food? Outstanding. Every dish was delicious, and the wines were a hit across the board. As people who’ve worked and travel around Italy, we were genuinely impressed by the authenticity of the flavors—it brought us right back to the Tuscan countryside. We’ve also dined in the main restaurant during regular service, and the vibe there is equally charming—casual yet elegant, with a warm, rustic Italian ambiance. Huge kudos to the team at iTalico—you helped us create such a memorable evening. We’ll absolutely be back for more family gatherings, celebrations, and cozy date nights.

so tasty! pesto is incredible. service amazkng, everyone is so kind. the quality of the pasta is just incredible. the gnnochi is so soft and pillowt, and the sauce is out of this world. the pizza margarita is also perfectly delicious. absolutely love it hwre, have already been back 3x. keep it up guys, love your food!!

It was our first time there and the staff was helpful. All the food was amazing. The chili oil is so good with the mortadella pizza! I'm already looking for the chili oil online! They made our son an off the menu Mickey mouse shape pizza with pepperoni. Highly recommend the Cacio E Pepe! We went for our son's birthday and they sang him happy birthday and gave us some donut holes stuffed with Nutella. They were so soft and fluffy!

Quite enjoyed our meal here and was able to be seated as a party of 4 without reservations on a Monday evening but in the covered outdoor patio area which is decently well isolated from the winds and the cold. All the dishes we ordered were quite good from the lamb to the octopus and pizza. Desserts were delicious as well including the Tiramisu and Panna Cotta.

🍝 Food Highlights: Every dish we ordered was exceptional. The polpette (meatballs) were tender and packed with flavor, a fantastic start to the meal. The short rib was cooked to perfection, incredibly rich and satisfying. The cacio e pepe was a beautifully simple yet elegant pasta dish, perfectly balanced. Finally, the paccheri short rib pasta was hearty and delicious, with the short rib adding a wonderful depth of flavor to the pasta. 🛎️ Service Excellence: The service at iTalico was truly phenomenal. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and genuinely friendly. They made the entire dining experience feel special and welcoming. ❤️ Atmosphere: The ambiance was very pleasant – a comfortable and inviting space that enhanced our dining experience. It felt like a great place to enjoy a delicious Italian meal. 💰 Value: While the prices might be a bit higher than some casual spots, the quality of the food and the outstanding service make iTalico well worth it. It's a place where you feel you're getting excellent value for the experience. 👍 Overall: iTalico is a must-try for anyone looking for fantastic Italian food and top-notch service. This was a 5-star experience, and I will definitely be returning. Highly recommended!

Good Food, friendly, good Ambiance and service. I highly recommend this place for small and big get-together!!

Celebrated my friend's birthday here. The staff were very supportive. Kept the cake for us in the fridge and even wanted to slice it up themselves to serve to us. Food: Fritelle - highly recommend appetizer Warm spinach - it was warm, but it was so good. Very unique salad Frittura mista- calamari is always a good idea. Polpette- could have done without it Highly recommend to try! Ambiance was great for any celebrations!

I organized a team dinner here on a Wednesday night. The team loved the caccio e peppe special which is made table side in the Parmesan wheel. I had the trofie which was hearty and delicious. To start, we had frito misto, arancini, and cheese plate. Portions were huge, prices decent, and service was excellent! We even had one of the owners stop by to check in on our meal. Ambiance was wonderful and allowed us to have a nice intimate dinner and have great conversation.

I was looking for a place that serves pasta in a parmesan cheese wheel. Found it and had the place bookmarked for a future visit. Finally had a chance to visit recently. We shared several dishes so we can try a bunch of their offerings. Their beet salad was tender and tasty. Served with roasted hazelnuts, some kind of mild cheese crumbled and butter lettuce leaves. Tasty and pretty light. The grilled octopus was the highlight of my meal there. Lightly grilled and oh so tender. The pasta in the cheese wheel was prepared table-side and with a well-practiced flourish. It was creamy (as expected) and worth the wait. The Panna cotta was a lot creamier than was expected. The pieces of fruits were at the height of freshness and just the right amount of ripeness and sweetness to round out the meal. Looking forward to coming back soon!

I recently dined at Italico, and it was fantastic! The ambiance is relaxed yet stylish--perfect for a date night. The service was top-notch, with our server being super friendly and attentive. We kicked things off with the fried pizza dough appetizer, which was light and crispy, topped with prosciutto and creamy straciatella. It was absolutely delicious and had us hooked from the first bite. For mains, the gnocchi with truffle cream sauce was tasty, though the texture was a bit too firm for my liking. The sauce, however, was rich and flavorful. The pizza with nduja spread was a standout, with just the right amount of spice and a crispy, thin crust. Overall, great food, great vibes, and solid service. Definitely recommend!

I had dinner here with a couple of friends and it was my first time. We ordered the San Daniele pizza, paccheri, and the spaghetti di mare. The pasta dishes we ordered were perfectly al dente. The paccheri was a bit salty. The San Daniele pizza was cooked perfectly and was well balanced. The service here was friendly and attentive. The interior has a sophisticated feel with the slightly dim lighting.

Really enjoyed dinner with my friends tonight. I had been there before for some work dinners but this time got to try some new menu items. Fun atmosphere, I don't recommend if you prefer a quiet spot where you want to talk softly (lol). Service was quick and everyone was super nice. Really packed on a weekend night.

Came here for a surprise birthday dinner and we had a great time. The food here is amazing. Service was wonderful and they kindly offered to cut the birthday cake. The favorite dishes of the night were the calamari appetizer, flat bread with prosciutt, gnocchi and warm spinach salad. We also ordered the meatballs, which came 3 to an order. They tasted very simple and the sauce was bland so I'd pass on this next time. I was also excited about the arinci but these had a strange after taste. I personally thought they tasted a bit like chlorine. For pasta the gnocchi was a winner, very fluffy and a nice sized portion. I enjoyed ordering several dishes and sharing family style but the entree portions are enough for individual servings. The bread is by request only and the olive oil it came with was very tasty. Overall this place was perfect for a night out and good for large groups.

Vastly overrated. Something like half of the dishes that are suggested by the Michelin Guide's write-up are missing from the menu today. Appetizers are pricey, the pizzas have barely any protein, and the pastas are rather dry (I've tried the octopus pasta and the paccheri, but seriously, have a look at the pictures of the spaghetti di mare that people have posted here: it's drier than Panda Express chow mein!).

A solid spot for Italian food in Palo Alto! Got the diavola pizza and spaghetti di mare and split between two people this was more than enough food. The seafood portions were very generous in the pasta, and I appreciated the complimentary bread basket :) Service was great and the interior of the restaurant is very clean and modern. The meal was a little expensive (maybe unsurprisingly), and the restaurant was a little loud when I went, though we were seated next to a large party. Not the best place for a casual dinner or catch up in my opinon, but would return for a nice dinner or occasion!

We had reservations for Valentine's weekend. We got seated within 3 minutes of arriving and got drinks shortly after. They had cute heart confetti on the tables & balloons Our food came out very quickly as well. I think the food was bland & exactly per the descriptions.

A solid dining experience with a cozy, inviting atmosphere that's perfect for a date night. We ordered the risotto off the special menu, the lightly fried Brussels sprouts with grana padano, and the trofie (a rustichella pasta with pesto, octopus, and potatoes). The food was well-prepared and tasted good overall. The risotto was flavorful and cooked to the right consistency. The Brussels sprouts were nicely fried--crispy without being too heavy--and the grana padano added a nice savory touch. The trofie was a standout, with a great balance of textures and a pesto flavor that complemented the octopus and potatoes.

We just had dinner here and came for the cheese wheel Cacio that my daughter was asking for. She saw it in our recent trip to Rome and was fascinated. We were happy to find a local place that had this fun presentation! The pasta was nice and cheesy and we also ordered the butternut soup of the day. The beef rib was tender and delicious with polenta and we also enjoyed the mortadella pizza with pistachio cream. Staff were friendly and attentive and we will be back! Easy parking and family friendly.

Came here to celebrate a birthday dinner! It's quite a bustling restaurant, lots of seating inside and in the outdoor patio. And it fills up, at least when we came on a weekend! Nice ambiance. We ordered a few things and split everything: Roasted beet salad which we got without the goat cheese. It came with hazelnuts which we thought was a nice combo. Definitely not a traditional "salad", it's more of a small bite before the meal. Polpo was really good, more of a standout to me than the beet salad. Great flavor and the octopus was cooked well. They did forget about this dish until we reminded them about it once the pasta had come out which was a bit of a bummer, but mistakes happen! Trofie was super delicious. Wow, everything from the clearly handmade and high quality thin pasta noodles to the fresh pesto to the chunks of octopus inside... so good. This dish pleasantly surprised me. San Daniele Pizza was phenomenal. Sure, this is a classic pizza but we thought this one took it up a notch compared to others we've had. It had the perfect amount of arugula which never felt overpowering and like the pizza was trying to be a salad (I've had that before elsewhere). Perfect amount of prosciutto which had the right texture, good quality, and was well portioned on top, and truffle oil which hits you right when they serve it and right when you take the first bite. Omg so good. There were also mushrooms on the pizza which we thought were a nice touch to add some umami to the flavor. This was a big standout of the meal obviously, I would order this again in a heartbeat. To finish the meal, we got the semifreddo al tartufo for dessert which our waitress added a candle to, and she even helped me sing which was so nice! Overall, wonderful experience, would 100% come back here again!

Great ambience, food is also great but pretty much the same as Terun. Good spot for work dinner!

We had a fantastic time celebrating my aunt's birthday here. I highly recommend making reservations in advance, as it's a popular spot and can get crowded. Parking was easy to find in their nearby lot. The restaurant has a laid-back atmosphere, and I recommend dining outside when the weather's nice. While the service could be better due to the restaurant's popularity, food was absolutely delicious. We loved everything we ordered. If you bring your own birthday cake, be aware that there's a $5 corkage fee. However, they do a beautiful job plating the cake. Now to the food. Here's what we ordered Appetizers: - POLPO (5/5) - Perfectly grilled, juicy, and flavorful. A standout octopus dish. - POLPETT (5/5) - Tender, thinly sliced beef meatballs with a subtle saltiness. Great with bread. Light and refreshing. Pasta/Pizza: - PACCHERI(5/5) -A must-order! Firm, braised beef in a tender pasta that perfectly holds the rich sauce. - SPAGHETTI DI MARE (4/5) - It was good, but not mind-blowing. - SAN DANIELE (5/5) - A slice of Italian perfection - FISH OF THE DAY(5/5) - Juicy, flavorful fish paired well with mashed potatoes and beans.

Loved the calamari! The pizza wasn't my favorite due to the toppings were sliding off

Cute indoor/outdoor space. Nice friendly service. Decent section of wine. We got salmon, a couple pastas to share. We got a a glass of sparkling each. The outdoor space was dog friendly and they immediately brought my furry baby nice bowl of ice water as soon as we sat down. This place feels more like a place to go with co-workers for some reason. Will go back for team dinner or something. Everything came to $50/person.

Solid spot for a nice meal. Great atmosphere. The outside patio is hoppin' the waiters are quick and efficient, warm and cracking jokes. The people watching is solid (who was that woman cutting her pizza with a knife and fork??) and it was a very enjoyable meal. We shared the diavola pizza and trofie pasta. The pasta was delicate and a great balance of flavors. I could taste all the elements separately, in harmony, the potato, octopus and basil. It was tasty. Could have used a little acid or salt, I think but very good. The green sauce complimented the pizza with spicy sausage and red sauce (to which we added chili oil). The pizza style is a little more crunchy and less chewy than most Neapolitan that I've had. It was good, and reheated well in the toaster oven, for those who will have leftovers, but the crust didn't have a ton of flavor. Maybe a quickly fermented dough. The tiramisu was good, but a little heavy on the cream to ladyfinger ratio. In the center, you got a nice, espresso-soaked bite, but along the edges it was a sea of (delicious) cream. Wanted more of the cakey-ness though. Their wine list was good. My reisling went well with the food, and my date's red was good. Probably no bad options there and they seem to know what they're doing! The one downside: my date ordered a negroni, a very common cocktail that you'll even find at a dive bar. The waiter asked "Are you sure?" which we thought was odd, but whatever... Then the drink he brought out was instead their twist on a negroni: a negroni sbagliato (funny that it means "mistake" in italian). I really wish our waiter had been more direct and mentioned this. We ended up sending the cocktail back, for no charge. If someone orders a cocktail that is similar to something else you do in-house special, probably best to know which one they're referring to.

We had an awesome time recently at iTalico! The restaurant came highly recommended from a few friends, and the food, ambiance, and service did not disappoint! We had a great mix of appetizers, entrees, and desserts to try and they were all delicious! All of the flavors were rich, everything was pretty much coated in olive oil, garlic, and Parmersan, and overall, we all enjoyed! Do highly recommend!

So good, I came here twice on business trip. The first time was with a group for dinner and we did not have a reservation. We waited about 20 minutes and were seated outside on the patio at a nice long table with heat lamps. It was a great meal as we started with a few of the pizzas, the Mortadella was my favorite as it was unique with the pistachhio cream. For my entree, I got the Bistecca, which at this place, is a 20oz. ribeye. I gobbled that whole thing up and the reduction sauce was amazing! I did have my eye on the paccheri, which my co-worker got and I remembered it when I came back to dine solo. This time, I sat at the bar and ordered that pasta. The bar is small, only a few seats, but it was easy to find a seat and there is a small TV. The beer selection is decent for a restaurant of this type. My pasta came out fast and was so fresh and delicious. There was a good amount of meat and sauce was light, yet tasty. I highly recommend this place for all occasions!

Stopped by for dinner. The Margherita pizza was good. Sauce was flavorful: the crust chewy The vegetarian pizza was ok. The eggplant and zucchini gave it a bland taste The food was above average, not great Good ambiance and decent service

Just came back from hosting a dinner for 20 at iTalico and it was lovely. We had a private room for our event and a menu that included an assortment of cured meats, delicious bread (cross between pita and pizza dough), chunks of cheese as starters; appetizers of brussels sprouts, fried calamari. Fresh green salad with some delicious dressing (I added calamari on top to make it more okay to eat so many fried calamari! and I would have happily ended my meal at this point). Then I had the salmon with a huge helping of green beans and a side of lemony potatoes. Others had a chicken cutlet that was enormous with a mound of thinly cut fries which looked amazing. The only item I had that was not amazing was the dessert - two round doughnuts with a little bit of chocolate filling - dusted with powdered sugar. Nothing wrong with it but not worth eating in my book. Service was excellent all around. It was a bit noisy even in our private room but we had a speaker and two microphones for our dinner speakers and everyone could hear well. I'm not sure why in my many years of visiting my son at Stanford we never discovered iTalico given he loves Italian food. My loss, and now my gain for the next time I'm in town.

(Palo Alto) Food: FRITTELLE (9.2/10) Fried pizza dough, stracciatella di burrata, prosciutto di Parma Rovagnati 24 months- expensive but very delicious. The fried dough was cooked perfectly. The burrata was nice and creamy. Great blend of the cream/meat/ and moderate texture of the dough in each bite FRITTURA MISTA (9/10)Calamari, shrimp, sardines, lemon- these were fried well and went perfectly with citrus cream DIAVOLA San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella. spicy cured sausage (7.8/10)- very simple. Sausage had no spice and the tip of the dough were soft and falling. SPAGHETTI DI MARE (8/10) -Felicetti spaghetti, manila clams, mussels, cherry tomatoes, garlic, peperoncino, white wine. Seafood were great but nothing special for what the price is CONCHIGLIONI (7.6/10)- Rustichella D'Abruzzo pasta, beef, pork, Grana Padano and mozzarella cheese- it's very filling but a bit dry. Wish they added more sauce Tiramisu(9/10)- Mascarpone, espresso, lady finger- this was so good. Great texture with the cream flavorful. You can definitely taste the espresso Bomboloni(7.5/10)-Homemade italian doughnuts, sugar, Nutella (hazelnut spread)- a bit warm. It lacked filling of the Nutella Drinks: Muralia "Super Tuscan" Toscana IGT Muralia* Syrah 50%, Cabernet Sauvignen 30% Sangiovese 20%.- (9.5/10). One of the best wine I've ever had. Really smooth and doesn't have that bitter/dry taste. It's a tasty blend Setting: beautiful, clean and elegant. Definitely well decorated and modern. Indoor/outdoor sitting Service: service was excellent. Servers were attentive and gave us great suggestions. Poured our water when they see it empty which was nice Price: expensive but great quality Parking: side street and large parking lot near by

Friends took me here for my birthday. I've had this place bookmarked for a while now. We ordered: Prosciutto arugula pizza: it was good but not memorable Mushroom and ham pizza: wasn't expecting the mushrooms to be in big chunks. Just ok. Fat pasta: just ok as well Beef salad: this was my fav dish. The best thing was the company and the salad and chili oil for the pizza.

My friend and I went here for dinner and were greeted by Antonio at the front. He took the time to introduce himself, ask for our names, and check on us throughout the night. We ordered the Brussels sprouts and affettati as our appetizers and the gnocchi and ravioli as our main courses--everything was absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, I forgot our server's name, but he was absolutely amazing. He gave us wine recommendations based on the flavors we described, and we ended up drinking two or three glasses each of his suggestions. He would take our input, name the perfect wine, and bring it back promptly! He was very quick and knowledgeable. Another taller man checked in on us to make sure we were taken care of, which was really sweet. At the end of the night, when we took care of the bill, our kind waiter expressed his gratitude, and as we were walking out, Antonio and another man took the time to thank us and ask how our meal was. Overall, the customer service was excellent. Everyone was attentive and gave us a great first impression. I'm so excited to go back!

Had a lovely dinner here. Atmosphere was casual with a touch of elegance. Variety of pasta dishes includes some not so common offerings. Pizza is also available, though I did not try it on this visit. Be sure to save room for dessert! Excellent service. Perfect spot for a date or celebration.

made a reservation at italiCo on a weekend evening for a birthday. parking was easy, there's a garage around the corner. we were seated immediately despite the restaurant being packed! very cute and homey feel inside, loved all the christmas decor. for starters, we chose the affetati, polpette, and a seasonal mushroom bruschetta. The affetati was like a charcuterie board, with different high-quality meats and cheeses. their bruschetta was also lovely, but i would have to recommend their polpette if anything! the meatballs packed so much flavor in, and the sauce complimented them perfectly. we also ordered their mortadella pizza and ravioli. the pistachio cream on the pizza was definitely unique, and gave the bread a more nutty and almost sweet flavor that went well with the savory mortadella. i really liked their ravioli though, also a very good flavor and not too heavy on anything. for dessert, we split the bomboloni and lemon panna cotta. i would recommend the panna cotta, very smooth and creamy, not too sweet and really light. i didn't try the bomboloni, but from what i heard it was airy and served warm with a good amount of sugar and nutella filling. overall a really awesome place for a special night out!

I've been going to iTalico for years now (check out Terun too!) and I always have a great experience. The service is unmatched, and the food is nothing less of amazing. The quality, taste, and presentation is unlike anything else around here. The owners & staff are all kind and make the environment fun! The music sets an upbeat vibe and the lighting makes for a lovely dinner. A must try in Palo Alto. I wasn't able to get pictures of everything but we had Apps: Parmigiano cheese, polpo, frittelle Main: Spaghetti di mare, cacio e pepe Dessert: Crostata, limoncello flute Drinks: Spritz, Limoncello spritz, Moscato

Crudo Di Pesce 5 tuna, spicy avocado aioli, bread, flavorful, refreshing Risotto Di Mare 3 white rice, salmon, swordfish, prawn, calamari, tomato, pepper, not flavorful Diavola Pizza 2 mozzarella, cured sausage, bottom too burnt, bitter Citrus Peach Mocktail 3 lemon, pineapple, peach syrup, slightly carbonated, not too sweet

Wow - did not expect to love this place so much! Came here with my sister to celebrate my birthday, and so glad I did! I'm familiar with Terun, which has been such a classic for us for over a decade, so I didn't have super high expectations, since, how can you beat Terun? Ambiance: love the ambiance! This place was popping on a Saturday evening at 8! They turn up the music at 9 PM, and the music was great! We ate indoors, and they had some beautiful lights and simple decor. By the time we left around 10, we were the last ones there. Alejandra was our waitress and she was friendly and helped recommend some dishes to us. So helpful! Food: Roasted beet salad: omg yum. I'm not a fan of goat cheese, so we subbed that. The roasted hazelnuts were amazing and loved the entire thing. On the small side, but the flavors were awesome. Polpo/ octopus: very tender! Liked this dish, but the flavor wasn't super strong for me. Trofie pasta: yum!!! You can tell that this is fresh pasta! There were little bits of potato mixed in, and they were so good! I'm actually not a huge fan of pesto, but this was so delicious, I would get it again. Highly suggest asking for fresh black pepper on this one. San Daniele pizza: this is our go-to at Terun. For some reason, this San Daniele tasted more flavorful and had more umami than the one at Terun. It may be my mom brain, or the mushrooms, or quality of the prosciutto, but wow. I would get this again in a heart beat! Dessert: forgot the name of it, but got the hazelnut one! Definitely good, but next time I may try the tiramisu. All in all, this made for an incredible dining experience. Will definitely be back!

Amazing Italian place on Cal Ave! Was taken here for a work dinner where we shared a bottle of the Cab Sav. We shared the crochette, truffle gnocchi, mushroom ravioli and tiramasu. Service, wine and ambiance was all amazing. 100% recommend to anyone in Palo Alto area

From the warm welcome, to the delicious food, to the staff and management team...the warm conversations...the energy in the room...I had a pleasant time last night. Thank you Italico team for the wonderful experience.

Great servers. A bit too crowded and cramped space though. Too many people in small seating area makes it a noisy. There was no music but people's chatting noise was so much that I had to shout to talk to my husband sitting across a small 2-size table. Food was good. I liked brussel sprouts, burrata pizza. Cheese platter was good too.

Nice Italian spot in Palo Alto, plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. We sat on the patio which was lovely. The menu has good variety and fair prices for high quality Italian food. Service was very friendly. I had the special gnocchi which was baked with cheese on top, and we also started with the beet salad. The salad could've used some more greens to balance out the beets but it was still good. The lemon basil spritzer started off tart but was more mellow as the ice melted. And the bomboloni served with ice cream was delicious: they're stuffed with nutella and served hot with powdered sugar on top. The ice cream has a delightful butterscotch flavor and is enhanced by olive oil and sea salt. Overall would come back.

Came here today for a Mother's Day brunch and we really enjoyed our experience on their outdoor patio. Food and service were great and attentive. What we ordered: Roasted beet salad - pretty standard beet dish, everything was seasoned well. Frittura Mista - when the dish came out we were prepared to be disappointed but we were proven wrong. The seafood was perfectly seasoned and fried, and the dipping sauce (lemon?) that came with it paired perfectly. My husband and I recently went to Italy and it reminded us of the delicious seafood we had in Sorrento. My favorite dish of the day. Seafood risotto special - this to me was my least favorite dish but thought the risotto was cooked well to my liking, slightly al dente. Gnocchi - fluffy, pillowy texture. I thought the best dish of the three entrees we ordered. Even though it had a cream sauce it didn't feel overly heavy. San Daniele pizza - generous portion of prosciutto Portions here are also generous and for four people the two appetizers and three entree were a perfect serving size. This is also the sister restaurant to Terun but I liked this much better. Will definitely be back!

Cacio e Pepe. That's all you need to get. Don't second guess, just get it. I came here with a large group on a weekend for dinner and it was pretty easy to get seated. I shared the Arancini, Cacio e Pepe, and a pizza. The arancini tasted weird and something was off about it. The pizza was just average. The Cacio e Pepe really stole the show. My friend highly recommended it. I was hesitant at first, but I have no regrets now.

As avid foodies with a penchant for Michelin-starred dining, my wife and I were eager to try Italico in Palo Alto, especially given its mention in the Michelin Guide. Unfortunately, our experience fell short of expectations, leaving us puzzled about its inclusion in such a prestigious list. We dined at Italico on a busy Friday night. Despite the crowd, we were seated promptly, and our waitress was attentive, bringing water to our table and taking our order without delay. The ambience was okay, but we were unsure what the restaurant was aiming for with TVs showing sports games. It felt like a mix between a bar and a casual dining spot, which detracted from any sense of authentic Italian atmosphere. Overall, it came across as a mediocre establishment. We started with the Brussels sprouts and octopus appetizers. The Brussels sprouts were soggy and unimpressive, while the octopus, though nicely plated, was underwhelming and lacked flavor. For drinks, we had the Lemon Spritz, which were equally underwhelming. There was no thought into the presentation--a huge basil leaf in a large goblet glass with regular small cubed ice that quickly watered down the drink. They could have elevated the experience with a different glass, better ice for presentation, and perhaps muddled or infused the basil instead. For our main courses, I ordered the Gnocchi, and my wife chose the Spaghetti di Mare. Both dishes were disappointing to the point that we sent them back. The gnocchi was thick and dense, clearly indicative of an incorrect mixture, as it lacked the light and fluffy texture that well-made gnocchi should have. My wife's Spaghetti di Mare was overly salty with a fishy taste, leaving us wondering if the mussels and clams were fresh or even canned. One look from her, and I knew she was equally disappointed. The numerous positive reviews of this place leave us bewildered. We can only surmise that many diners have never experienced truly exceptional Italian cuisine or dined at any fine dining establishments to understand what quality is. This restaurant seems to be riding on a wave of local hype rather than delivering genuine quality. After sending our entrees back, the staff kindly removed them from the bill and offered us another option. We decided to give it one last try with a Margherita pizza, which turned out to be just okay--nothing memorable. When we received the bill, we felt robbed for paying $144.00 at this establishment since it wasn't worth anything. We still tipped our waitress 20% for her efforts, as she was simply doing her job. However, the overall dining experience at Italico was a letdown. We will not be returning.

4.5 stars for me overall, but will round up given the diversity of the menu and wonderful service. I feel like I have a hard time finding a good Italian food restaurant in the south bay/peninsula. Lots of boring/heavy pastas on the menu. Everyone was friendly- from the host, to our lovely waitress, and the bus staff. The server gave a good wine recommendation and I loved my montepulciano . I really really appreciated the warm vegetable options on the menu, since I always feel like I need to counter a pasta/pizza meal with some veggies, and salads can be so boring to eat. Fagioli E bietola- swiss chard with canneloni beans. I don't eat chard often because I think I normally find it bitter, but this warm dish, was easy on the palate, and just lightly creamy from the cheese. Loved it! Warm Spinach salad- will say this was more of a room temp salad, haha. I expected a cooked spinach dish, but it still largely looked like a regular spinach salad with slightly warmed but not shriveled leaves. Trofie- pesto based pasta dish. Not familar with the pasta they used, but it was dense and slightly spiraled. Very flavorful dish, a bit too heavy on the pesto dressing for me. Branzino- good size portion of branzino, thin cut that had a nice overall crisp to it, a bit oversalted. Came with a wedge of warmed purple cabbage, along with 3 large potato wedges, the wedges not being particularly appetizing Dessert- chocolate beignes were good, they were covered with a light chocolate mousse and filled with vanilla ice cream. The pastry itself was a bit soggy though, but overall it was delicious. will be back!

I came here for my birthday dinner with my fiance. I have been to Terun a few times and have absolutely loved the food there every single time I've been, so I was excited to try Italico. We sat outside with our pup and it took forever to order anything and we interacted with our server maybe 2-3 times and that includes dropping off our food/drinks. We were never asked if we wanted a 2nd drink, my fiance did, or if anything was ok. On top of that when asking for our order, the server completely misgendered my fiance, calling him mademoiselle. We ordered the zuppa which tasted like baby food of just pureed vegetables vs. an actual soup. I got the chicken milanese which tasted ok the day of. It was just a completely unseasoned breaded chicken cutlet, with very salty fries, and an arugula salad. The next day, the chicken was honestly inedible even when heated in a pan. My fiance got the conchiglioni, or stuffed shells, which he did like. Finally, when dropping off our check, our server looked at the two checks in his hand and then dropped it off and our table and the next table. We thankfully caught that he'd dropped the wrong check at each table and were able to swap with the table next to us or they would have way overpaid and we would have gotten a steep discount. Horrible service and food with kind patrons.

It has been a long time since I have been to a restaurant with the 5-star service provided. Amazing waiters attentively provided our table of 12 with speed, accuracy, and pleasantness. Several people at our table ordered the parmesan-coated pasta dish prepared in a large rind of parmesan at the table. I didn't like my original pizza order and they brought me a different pizza in minutes. The Ambiance is what you would expect from a high-end Italian eatery. Rich wood, beautiful lighting, and decor.

We came to Italico on a Sunday for dinner with a reservation. We ordered some wine and cocktails, as well as their cheese board, seafood pasta, special cacio e pepe, and a pizza. The cheese board was nothing special, but what surprised me (negatively) was that our cheese board was presented without any explanation or identification of the cheese selection. When I flagged our server down and asked for an explanation, she walked away, grabbed a menu, then came back and blatantly misidentified the cheese, for example pointing out one of them as a truffle cheese when it clearly was not. I'd recommend you skip the cacio e pepe. It's presented in a cheese wheel which is cool, but our pasta wasn't even warm when it was served on our table and the pasta was overcooked. The pizza we ordered was mediocre; I highly recommend asking for chili oil. Service overall was a bit of a miss. After we were seated and given menus, no one came to check on us for upwards of 10 minutes. I flagged someone down and asked if our server could come back, as we were ready to order drinks and food, and about 5 minutes later, someone else who was not our original server came by. 3 stars for their location and ambiance, but food and service are better elsewhere.

don't get the affettati or the mortadella pizza. realllly disappointing. service was pretty good tho and nice inside

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner here and we walked in and were greeted by a very kind host. The food is absolutely amazing, highly recommend the Trofie Pasta, the Diavola Pizza, and the Crostata for dessert. The seating inside is very cozy and decorated so well for the holidays and they have some outdoor seating as well. We do wish however the waitress was a bit more personable and kinder, but I do understand the holidays can be overwhelming. Overall, I highly recommend iTalico for wonderful Italian food.

Food is good, service was excellent and it was crowded )) tables were little close to each other and it felt a bit "no privacy" thing, but overall dinner experience there was positive

This is just for the after dinner wine/dessert. Excellent unique Italian wine selection that you can get by the glass and beginning from 2oz + which pair perfectly with any of their chocolate desserts/red wine. Nice ambiance, however on the pricey side. Will return to try the food.

Really good pasta especially the pesto dish. Nice ambience, good service. I'd go back.

Food is great, service is a little slow. It was busy on a Wednesday night, which is showing they are doing well. Their pizza, pasta is great. Much better than some European cruise food. Drink is fine, I wish they have more cocktails choices.

The polpo was deliciously tender and charred. The roasted beets in the beet salad were huge and hearty. The spaghetti di mare was balanced with its brininess and creaminess. The diavola pizza was just spicy enough. And of course, the tiramisu was divine. The Montalcino was a refreshing accompaniment given it's a red akin to a lighter bodied Pinot Noir. Insider tip: people hardly sit at the bar. Not sure why. But my partner and I usually do, especially when it's crowded. And watching the kitchen is pretty fascinating. So if you sit at the bar and have the pleasure of being served by Carlito, you're in good hands. (Thanks, Carlito, for all the food and wine recommendations, the conversation, and the prompt and attentive service. You made our night. Looking forward to coming back!)