Trattoria La Vigna

We visit Galveston for July 4th each year and found this gem a few years ago. It is literally a "hidden" gem because you may not spot it just driving by. Everything is prepared from scratch. Our only "complaint" is that the complimentary white bread is toasted and is hard to dip in the oil. We asked for non-toasted and it was perfect. The portions are large, as usual at Italian restaurants. I tried the spaghetti with homemade sausage this time, and it was delicious. It looks like the restaurant is located at a Trolley stop. There is a parking lot across the street, but, we're afraid to park there in case we get towed - but there is plenty of paid street parking.

We were a group of six, and every single one of us was blown away by the food. The flavors were so rich and authentic—true Italian cuisine done right. All six dishes came out perfect, and not a single bite disappointed. They also had a great wine selection, which made the meal even more enjoyable. Highly recommend if you’re in Galveston and want something memorable!

A wonderful restaurant with excellent staff. The owner puts her love into all of the dishes and the results are amazing!

Had the most wonderful birthday dinner here. Our server Anastasia was gracious and gave excellent recommendations. The seafood risotto was divine and gorgeously presented. My husband enjoyed his crab ravioli. Also beautifully presented. Everything is scratch made in house. Don’t pass up the warm bread and herb oil. I plan on visiting every time I am in Galveston so I can work my way through the menu!

A hidden gem of Galveston! The bread and oil is the best. We are obsessed with the pasta made in-house. It’s expensive, but the portions are good. Definitely worth it! The chocolate cheesecake is the perfect way to finish the meal. We cannot get enough of this place, and we will be back!

The food was incredible. We ordered a caprese appetizer, the grouper piccata, and chicken parmesan. We finished with lemon cheesecake. All incredible. Our issue was the service. For two of us, dinner was $100+ (before tip). In this economy, if we're spending that much on food I expect high-quality service. We had reservations, but when we walked in, we stood around for five minutes or so before anyone bothered to help us. The front door was right by a point-of-sale station, so we were surrounded by servers. But we just stood there awkwardly as people passed. Then, a server finally told us to just pick either of the two open tables in the dining room. So, we sat ourselves, which felt misaligned with the ambience of being a more upscale (for the island) place. Once we finally got a server, the service was fine. Nothing special but fine. We had to ask for things, like a dessert menu, rather than them being offered to us. Again, food was impeccable. But eating out is too expensive to not have a great service experience at this price point, particularly when there are competitors, like Riondos, on the island.

La Trattoria Bella delivers a true taste of Italy with its cozy atmosphere and authentic dishes. The homemade pasta is the star of the show — perfectly al dente and rich in flavor. The staff treat every guest like family, and the wine list complements the menu beautifully. The tiramisu is a must-try. Prices are reasonable for the quality, though parking can be tricky during peak hours. Pros: Authentic flavors, warm service, romantic setting. Cons: Limited parking, small dining area. Overall: ⭐ 9.5/10 — a perfect spot for date nights and comfort Italian food.

Absolutely amazing Italian food. Our group got lasagna, shrimp ravioli, and chicken Marsala. Followed by cappuccino and espresso. I have food allergies and they were able to make my shrimp and veggies with no butter. The shrimp were perfection!!

Trattoria La Vigna never disappoints. Fresh pasta, outstanding veal parm. I've never had a bad dish! It's off the beaten path so a little easier to walk-in and get seated, but reservations are recommended. They also have a small "secret" patio that is dog friendly! You can enter it from the parking lot on the side of the building. Looking forward to our next meal!

We lived the food so much we went twice to dinner on our 4 day trip! The atmosphere is nice casual---sundresses, polo shirts, etc. we felt underdressed in jean shorts and tee but no one said anything. The chicken piccato with linguine noodles are the best noodles we have ever had---Lasagna was great too! There is no kids menu however they can make any noodle and sauce for kids. Our 10yr old daughter had chicken fettuccini alfredo (twice) and loved it--the cost was $18. All meals include a house salad homemade bread with oil. We tried the tiramisu and vanilla cheesecake for dessert which were good but nothing extraordinary like the meals. We would visit Galveston again just to eat here!!!!!

Dinner here was great! This place is a small cozy Italian restaurant that serves all of the classic Italian dishes. The service is also above average, and all the staff members were incredibly helpful! They accommodated our large group with ease and kindness The veal marsala was great! Super big portions and very flavorful. Also enjoyed the chocolate cheesecake- it wasn't too sweet and it was sooo creamy! The food is more on the pricey side, but well worth it. The inside is also very elegant, from the table setting to the art work on the walls.

Absolutely loved my experience here! Had the salmon gnocchi plate. It was very delicious and filling. Service was great and the atmosphere was nice and inviting. Also had the lemon cheesecake, which was very light and mildly sweet. I wasn't the biggest fan but that's probably because I was expecting something much sweeter. Nonetheless, I wouldn't definitely come back and try out another dessert on the menu!

I came back a year later and I stand by my original review, rating it a 3.5-4 stars/5 stars. Service is friendly and attentive, and we, as a party of two, could walk in on a Saturday night without a reservation. The ambiance is nice -- our server lit a tea light candle for our table! I really enjoyed the homemade bread and fresh side salads. This time around I ordered a chicken piccata and my partner once again ordered the ravioli di pesce. Both were extremely salty this time around. The food was still flavorful and fresh, but just too salty for my liking.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Past is fresh and hand made daily! Restaurant is not fancy but it's nice. Service is very slow so don't be in a hurry. Beer and wine only.

This is the place for traditional Italian cuisine in Galveston! I particularly look forward to the complimentary bread and house olive oil dip at trattoria. This was my first time trying campagnola, and they have plenty of authentic dishes you might not find at other restaurants. The texture of the pasta is always great, no matter what dish you order. Service is excellent and efficient.

Trattoria La Vigna remains one of our favorites for their authentic Italian fare. From the time you enter and Sal greets to to the fabulous food prepared by Pina , it's like being in a small bistro in Little Italy in Manhattan . As close as it gets if you are not in Italy . Have a special request ... just ask , Pina welcomes the opportunity to show her culinary prowess ! Thanks for making Galveston your home !

A dinner at Trattoria La Vigna is like a dinner in Italy! My dined here recently while in Galveston to celebrate her birthday. The staff was so nice and made sure we had a most special time there. Chef Pina, the owner is always in the kitchen and graciously allowed me to snap a few pictures of her hard at work. When you dine here, you are like family and she welcomes you with authentic dishes from her family. We enjoyed the calamari, light and crisp, yet delicate. And the Mediterranean style octopus is wonderful. I enjoyed a wonderful seafood pasta dish and my loved the spaghetti. Chef Pina treated my wife to a lovely birthday dessert which we shared just after I gave her her birthday present, she was so sweet and wished her a happy day. Galveston has a lot to offer, plenty of good dining but if you want authentic Italian food I highly recommend Trattoria La Vigna! And it's much cheaper than a trip to Italy. :)

We came in with such high expectations which is probably not the best way to start an evening out at a restaurant... we went in and it smelled delicious. Maybe that night the kitchen was off? The staff off? I don't know . We had reservations and were seated a teeny tiny table in a corner that was not an adequate size for more than two people...it was too small for our party so they ended up seating us elsewhere. There were a lot of other empty tables, it was a bit of a head scratcher. After being reseated we ordered. We go to Italy frequently so yes, we can be a bit picky. We know the difference between good mozzarella and cheaper... Ordered the caprese salad which I wish I had a picture of.. sliced mozzarella (not buffalo or burrata) five tomato's (which were the best part of our meal, very flavorful) and a teeny sprinkle of some basil I think with just the tiniest sprinkle of the balsamic glaze. Well we love balsamic and would have wanted to have more drizzled on. The waitress never came back to ask us if things were ok... strange. Other nice restaurants the staff come back and say "how's the food, can I get you anything else?" Nope never happened to the bitter end when it was too late to rectify. For the main course we ordered the salmon with zucchini. Our son ordered the bolognese... The salmon came out way undercooked and the veggies were not even warm. The flavor was good but the salmon was inedible anywhere near the middle so at least a third of it was not safely heated to an adequate temperature. The veggies would have been excellent had they been hot. The waitress never came back around yet again to ask near the beginning when we could have asked for them to heat it up. Instead at the end when she came to clear table we told her that we couldn't eat a large portion of the salmon because it was raw. They offered us a dessert but it really was not a fabulous time. The bolognese was ok, didn't have a ton of flavor because my son added a lot of salt. Again, the flavors were mainly spot on and the food needed more time cooking but without a server who is on point, it all goes downhill. So much for high expectations.

Excellent quality food and top notch service. My wife had the lasagne and I had the chicken piccata. Both were very tasty and fresh! We sat by the windows with a street view overlooking the oleanders which was nice. Bring a sweater as it was a little chilly.

We bade farewell to Galveston Restaurant week with dinner Saturday at Trattoria La Vigna. Overall, it was a very pleasant evening out as we were seated with little delay and service was friendly and efficient. Our three top table was my only quibble. It was awkwardly situated in a back corner and felt cramped. Dan baptized Azar with ice water... not intentionally, but because he was trying to navigate menus with scant room to do so. She graciously forgave him and we moved on! We had the calamari fritti as a non Galveston Restaurant week appetizer for the table. It was superb. Perfectly fried with a light, yet very flavorful coating, it included the tentacles which I always appreciate. The marinara sauce that came with it was great, but honestly it was delightful with just a few squeezes of lemon juice. Dan decided to order from the regular menu and had a Caesar salad (a shocking selection from Mr. Salad) and eggplant parmesan with pasta, I thought the salad was good but not especially distinguished, which doesn't matter because Mr. Salad was happy with it. The eggplant parmesan and pasta were first rate. Azar and I did the Restaurant week menu. We both had eggplant involtini for our appetizer, and she had the chicken entree while I opted for the shrimp with pappardelle. The eggplant involtini was quite good, but probably could have been a smaller portion since it was an appetizer. Our mains were also very generously sized so we both got to go bags. I haven't been to Italy (yet), but Azar has and I think she would vouch for the authenticity of La Vigna's food. We finished up the evening with chocolate cake from the Restaurant week menu for us, and cannoli for Dan. Cheers all around for the sweet stuff. Italian food is wonderful and so is Trattoria La Vigna. Galveston is fortunate to have many locally owned restaurants that serve delicious food from very talented chefs. Now get out there and eat!!

Service excellent. Food even better. We had a spinach mushroom ravioli dish, crazy good and the veal Marcella excellent also. I will return

My first time at Trattoria but it definitely won't be my last. One of my all-time favorite Italian restaurants. I ordered Lemon Chicken, Caesar Salad, and a side order meatball. The meal came with bread and oil with herb dip. For dessert, I had chocolate cheesecake. My friend had the same except got Tirimasu for dessert. The meal was DELICIOUS! The lemon chicken was so tender and moist I could cut it with a fork. The lemon sauce was thin but so good! By time I was halfway thru my entree, the sauce had permeated the pasta perfectly! Pasta was perfect. The bread was crunchy and the oil and herbs were delightful. My meatball was perfection! The sauce was so good I kept eating it like it was ice cream after the meat ball was gone. And finally, dessert. Absolutely delicious. You can't go wrong here. Would highly recommend.

Everything here is hand made. From the salad dressing, bread, noodles, sauces. All handmade. The bread was delicious. We had veal Marsala and lasagna. They were both solid meals.

We went for restaurant week and it was $45 for three courses, so it was a pretty good deal. I had the Eggplant appetizer which were like mini eggplant Parmesans, the fresh pasta with shrimp, and cake. My favorite thing was the eggplant and also liked the texture of the fresh pasta. I like this place as the ambience is always pretty nice and it's usually not that crowded. There are several good Italian options in Galveston, but I would recommend trying this place

Simply amazing food and atmosphere. Plan to re-visit before we leave Galveston. I had the Grouper Piccata.. it was amazing .

This is our favorite restaurant in Galveston and even Houston! Love the food and wine. The pasta is made fresh as the sauces. We've been dining here for years. Brian is the server we ask for. He's great

Delicious lunch at Trattoria La Vigna! There was no wait to get a table, the lunch portions were very generous. We had fresh baked bread and wonderfully dressed salads, then the entrees came out. The pasta was fresh made and light. Lasagna was big and beautiful! Pork Milanese was crispy and delicious. The standout was the chicken Alfredo, absolutely delicious. Service was courteous as well.

One of our favorite spots on the island !! Outstanding food and service !! Every visit is consistently amazing!! Everything is fresh and made with care !! Love their Lasagna , Lobster Ravioli ,and Chicken Parmesan. Don't skip the vanilla cheesecake... our favorite dessert in Galveston !!

Pleasant setting with a good view of the kitchen upon arrival. Reservations are a must. Broad wine list. I had the veal scallopini. My test of an Italian restaurant is how they do veal and this place did not fail me. One of the best veals I've had. The sauce complimented the meat and pasta perfectly. My wife had the salmon special and she said her taste buds were in ecstasy. Galveston is not known for great restaurants but this place provides an excellent dining experience with superb food. Highly recommended when visiting the island.

This has become our NYE dinner tradition and it doesn't ever disappoint. The mussels appetizer, fresh pastas, and osso boco on risotto were all heavenly!! And the homemade, fresh filled cannolis are perfecto!! Service is always impeccable!!

The meal was amazing! Highly recommend. Very nice atmosphere! I had eggplant Parmesan and my husband has the pasta primavera. Both very good.

Pro tip: Off menu carbonara is the best! Staff and owner are welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!

Yes. Eat here! The food is fresh and delicious. The service is very good. One of my favorite Galveston restaurants. The lasagna is so good!

Trattoria is one of the best restaurants on Galveston island. I can tell the word is out as it is getting harder to get into on the spur of the moment. I can't get past the chicken parmigiana! I guarantee I will make another reservation after writing this review. The service is very personal as it is a smaller restaurant and we really love that. Their location is in a great location if you plan on spending time downtown/ on the strand. Give me time to make my reservation before you read this and call them!! Enjoy!

Been here on a couple of occasions - I like the charming and quaint ambiance. There is lot or street parking nearby. The service is always very friendly! I tried the lobster ravioli, octopus, and antipasto salad. The ravioli was the special on that particular night and it was fantastic! The flavors were rich and well-balanced, and there was a hearty portion of lobster within each ravioli. Their wines are also good - I tried a Chianti and really enjoyed how it paired with my food options. Never made it to dessert here, but I will be back soon!

This is some of the best Italian food I have ever had. We just stopped in, not knowing anything about this place on the weekend a couple years ago and now we're back again for a cruise and decided we needed a fabulous free cruise dinner. I would definitely recommend this place you need to make reservations.

The place is done very nice , the food is absolutely great I had shrimp scampi my wife had spaghetti with bread and salad and finished with lemon cheesecake and our server was 1st class. I will definitely eat there again!!!

Party of three so excited to try this place after hearing great things about their food. Finally got the opportunity so I called ahead and asked if I needed a reservation and the person who answered asked a few questions and said we could be accommodated. After paying $11.50 for parking and a brief wait we were guided to the main dining room and asked where we wanted to sit. Then half of our party was asked for their drink order, but I was left off. As the hostess walked away, I attempted to call her back so that she could get my drink order and was yelled at by another server that the hostess does not take drink orders. I informed the server that she had indeed taken our order but left me off. So as they tried to further explain their voices were raised and it made for an awkward situation. Almost simultaneously another male server came to our table and said "You're gonna have to move" in such a crass manner. We were shocked by the lack of manners displayed by these servers at such of a nice restaurant . By then my party decided to leave and as we were walking out the same male server who told us to move asked why we were leaving so I told him that we were trying to have a relaxing evening and it was clearly not going to happen there. We did not like the way we were treated and that he was rude . He asked me how and I began to tell him then raised his voice asking me if I had ever been a server. He finally said "well you didn't even have a reservation " which I interpreted as that's what we get for making g one however I reminded him that I had called minutes before and was told it was ok. We were clearly getting no where so I left. I am a local and I love my island and will support local businesses. I believe in constructive criticism and I offered it because I was asked but he was loud and defensive. I know they have good reviews but I could not get past the lack of professionalism we were treated with. Do better.

Unbelievably good food! I can't believe it took me so long to find this gem. Service was sophisticated and food was divine. Can't wait to go back for the Osso Bucco again!

I decided to take my family here after my white coat ceremony based on all the good reviews I've been hearing about this restaurant. They make their pasta in house which is one of the coolest features of this establishment! My favorite dishes were the Tagliatelle all bolognese and the special crusted cod pasta (I believe they do different specials on select nights that are not on the menu). I really enjoyed the texture of the noodles. Each dinner comes with a side salad and unlimited bread as well. The major downside of this restaurant were the super long wait times for our entrees. We were all getting pretty hangry even with the salad and bread holding us off. Also, this may sound weird but all of the leftovers tasted so much better on the second day. Great establishment and a cute little slice of Italy in Galveston! P.S. They can do "kid portions" for any younger children- just ask your waiter!!

Great pasta and service. Will be back When in town. Good prices in general. Nice change from fish every day

The ambiance of the restaurant was pretty nice. My husband and I went for our anniversary dinner and enjoy it very much. The only dish I wasn't so happy was with the spaghetti with clams in white sauce. It was good, but a little too salty for me. The ravioli di pesce was absolutely delicious. Recommend getting desert as well!

It took us forever to be waited on, we watched all of the tables around us get waited on, but not us. It took three times asking before we finally got service, 20 minutes total waiting. The food was just ok, nothing special.

The service was great but unfortunately 3/ 4 people at our table got food poisoning and were sick for the next 24- 36 hours. When I called the restaurant they were pretty rude and refused to reimburse (or even partially reimburse) our $300 bill. I hate to leave a bad review but getting sick ruined the last day of our family vacation.

Simply AMAZING food. The fresh pastas and specialty dishes are cooked to perfection. Our experiences there always ensure that we'll be back.

Food is excellent and do is the service. An excellent option if you want to eat something other than seafood. However the Grouper is amazing!

This was my second visit to this restaurant. I love the changes they did to the outside. It looks so much better. The restaurant is charming and a great place to visit with friends. We arrived Saturday around 6:30. They quickly brought fresh homemade bread to our table. My table ordered calamari which was very good, followed by shrimp scampi, seafood pasta, osso bucco, and veal scallopini. The service was good throughout most of the dinner. The server was very friendly and complemented our choice of wine based on what we ordered. He always does a good job waiting our table. However, we were all done eating and sat with our plates in front of us for a good solid 15 minutes at this point they were starting to get busy. We shared a tiramisu which was also very nice. Overall a great experience. The timing was off a little bit but the food was delicious, authentic and we had a great time!

Do not sleep on this lunch special. Limited menu for lunch, but plenty of options. Each entree comes with a side salad. Everything is fresh and can't beat the homemade pasta. Red sauce and Alfredo sauce rich and good flavor. I usually end up ordering one of these two options for lunch so probably time to try something new. Not always crazy busy for lunch since it's tucked away and entrance is on the side of the building so often overlooked. Def add to your list to try if you're in Galveston.

This was a recommendation from a friend and it did not disappoint. It was actually fantastic. The service and food were both exceptional. The pasta is handmade in house I believe. It was definitely an authentic restaurant. We will definitely be back.

Thought this place was delicious! They allowed us to make a reservation for a larger group of 10. Great service! Will be back!

Wonderful house made pasta. Service was top notch. Got to love seeing mama in the kitchen!

Delicious, inspired Italian cuisine! The entire family thoroughly enjoyed our food. Chicken parm, lasagna, tagliatelle and spaghetti were all 10/10! Our new favorite restaurant when visiting Galveston! Oh, and the service was 10/10 too.

The food is fresh and authentic and the service is great! I love that you can walk by and see chef Pina hard at work.

This is coming from a Northeast native who grew up in a state with tons of great, authentic Italian food..this place is the real deal! While visiting my dad and stepmom on the island, I was a bit skeptical about going out for Italian food in TEXAS..but since they know great Italian food as well, I trusted their opinion. And you can trust mine :) The cook here is also one of the owners, and she is from Sicily and makes her own pasta. So fresh and delicious!! I got the chicken parmesan which came with that fresh pasta and it was still good even warmed up the next day. For a starter, we got the fried calamari. It was perfectly fried with a light batter and great flavor. Even the marinara sauce was great and light! If you are a fan of fried calamari, you've GOTTA try it! Also just a few tips: - You can ask to order things not on the menu. For example, my dad got a side of meatballs (which, like everything else, were great), and they are not on there! You can also get sausage. Try your luck and see what you can get! - The only complaint my dad and stepmom had about this place that they told me beforehand was that their bread wasn't the best. BUT, when we came this night on a Tuesday, it was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and warm. We asked the waitress and apparently on the weekends when it is very busy, they put the bread through warmers, but on the more lowkey nights they actually put it in the oven. Go on a weeknight for better bread and not as crowded of a restaurant ;) Servers and the cook were all amazing and I had a great time here. If you're craving Italian, you need to check this place out!

Came with a friend for restaurant week to take advantage of a $15 lunch. Meal (to start) came with fresh homemade Italian bread and salad. I also ordered a glass of Chianti that was smooth and tasty. Entrees we had were homemade Italian sausage and homemade pasta (which my friend had) and who said the sausage was a tad spicy (flavorful) she loved it. I had manicotti (homemade pasta) which came with 2 pieces...it was delicious. During lunch, Josephina "Phina" owner and chef came by the table and chit chatted...she said because she is Sicilian, the food is more spicy. We weren't complaining! Dessert was pnut butter gelato...yum! We had 30 minutes to kill so we ordered cappuccino's and Alex (our waiter) gave them to us for free!!! Alex worked the restaurant by himself and did a fabulous job managing all the tables. Definitely will go again. January 27, 2020 BUY LOCAL SUPPORT LOCAL

I have to say that I'm stunned at the rave reviews of this place. Wowzers. I decided to bring my husband here for his birthday and it was awful from the moment we walked in. We walked through one of the front doors that walks you past the kitchen area, which was strange. We stood there for 10 minutes while we were seated and were able to witness some of the atrocities happening in the kitchen. First, a greasy guy who appeared to be mad at life was throwing pots and pans around and fighting with the female who was there. She was possibly the owner? No clue but her hair was down and it was pretty bushy so God knows how much of that mess was landing in the food. The greasy guy was not wearing a hair net either. We were seated and our server was really nice, very attentive. We ordered the mussels to start and they were terrible. Super fishy, grainy, and served with a red sauce which tasted like they poured a can of tomatoes on it and the guy who was mad probably did just that. Btw, we continued to hear yelling and pots and pans being thrown because fortunately (not) we were seated right next to the open kitchen. For the entrees I ordered the chicken piccata and my husband ordered the spaghetti. It took forever to get our food. And then I glanced over into the kitchen and the woman reached up on a shelf with her bare hands, grabbed a handful of pasta and threw it on a plate and then put whatever else on top of that for someone to eat. . So finally our food was brought out and the presentation was awful, and the food was even worse. The piccata was terrible. It had some sort of thin watery sauce that tasted like bad white wine and water. I took one bite and spit it out into my napkin. My husbands pasta was more of the same canned tomato sauce from the mussels. We told our server we weren't pleased, we paid and left. This place needs to get their shit together. I feed my dog better food than this. Shape up or ship out.

Incredible Italian food. Waiter was very nice and food came out timely. The staff was very nice. Chicken picatta was delicious. Tables were a little crowded together.