Bombetta

Not impressed and won't be back. Service was very strange. Our waiter was attentive but never offered us bread service (we had to ask after we saw other tables with bread). Then, as we ordered, we asked about what something was at another table and he said it was the off the menu Branzino. He never told us about any specials or off the menu items. I ordered it and it was very tasty, but why did we have to ask for it?We ordered a side of spinach, listen on the menu. It didn't come with our food. When we inquired about it, he ran away and 5 minutes later came out with it when we were basically done with our meals. It was NOT the spinach listed on the menu. The menu says "Sautéed spinach with grape tomatoes, pine nuts & balsamic vinegar" and what we got was completely plain bitter spinach. We sent it back. Our waiter never apologized for forgetting the side item and never apologized for bringing out the wrong item. None of our food was something that would bring us back and the service was so poor that we will not ba back.

We thought this restaurant is drastically overrated. It's not at all bad, but the reviews we've seen make it sound like it Houston's first 3-star Michelin restaurant. In our opinion, it's slightly better than average, but nothing great. The appetizers and the pastas are limited. Prices are reasonable, but corkage is a bit high, so bring your better wine(s). Parking is VERY limited (5 -6 spaces). Dessert choices are also limited. I doubt that we'll return, and don't see what the fuss is all about. Sorry, not sorry.

Dont be deterred by all the construction around it. This restaurant is worth it.Our group of 4 came on a Saturday night and were seated in this cozy small restaurant. We had octopus and liver pate for apps and shared two pastas (mushroom ravioli and pappardelle). Everything was delicious especially the pastas. There's an extensive wine collection as well including our favorite orange wine. Service was impeccable.

Such a great meal! We both got the special menu with wine pairing. They regularly have vintners visiting from Italy and creating a special menu with pairings.

Cute and small restaurant. Very intimate. There is a little parking out front. Most of my party used the parking lot next door with no issues. It seemed pretty empty for a Saturday night. Our service was good and friendly. We ordered:Charred octopus - 3.7/5. Good, charred, tender. The salad on the bottom was refreshing and good to put on bread. Tasted pretty fresh and have no complaints. Bruschetta trio - 3.5/5. Simple, trustworthy flavors. Had a creamy white cannellini purée, tomato jam, and olive pesto. The purée was the best and tasted buttery. The tomato jam was alright and the olive pesto was incredibly olive-y. Good when used sparingly. The bread was crunchy and plentiful. Lasagne Bolognese - 3/5. I was expecting more out of this dish. It just didn't taste all that flavorful. The pasta layers were so soft and overcooked my fork was shredding it. The sauce was a little tart and the beef inside was good. Needed some more salt or herbs. Wasn't incredibly satisfying and I didn't finish. Grilled polenta - 3/5. What I expected. Larger pieces and very filling. The grilled flavor added intrigue. Alto Adige Goulash - 4/5. Very flavorful, beef stew tasting but with wine. Comforting and rich. Presentation was not that impressive, though. Vanilla panna cotta 3/5 - good portion size. Wish it tasted more of vanilla. Maybe a little more sugar, as well. Affogato 2/5 - super standard. Ice cream wasn't soft. Very small portion. Good espresso, though. Guest ordered seafood stew(?) and said it was pretty good. No complaints there, but also no glowing reviews.The food here was acceptable for the price. Most of my party wasn't that impressed. A spider had also dropped onto one of my guests from the ceiling which made the start of dinner very interesting. I'm perplexed by the extremely high reviews because our experience was very uneventful and forgetful.

Great food! They provide pretty good service, although they are pretty busy. This was my second time back here, and we would come back again to this hidden gem.

Very small parking lot but there is parking in the mall next door which has ample space. When we arrived our table wasn't ready so we sat outside at a table to wait. It was nice weather so it was fine. Some other folks that came later with reservations as well were seated at the bar to wait. My wife had a glass of "Patrick's Pick" of red wine which was Amarone della Valpolicella that day. The crowd is mostly older folks. Well dressed. Probably because the prices aren't cheap. They're only open for dinner. We were the only ones with a kid. The waiter was nice. The owner (or maybe he was the manager) didn't stop by to check on us, but I did see him go to some other tables. I overheard our waiter offer free deserts to some regulars at the table next to us, so it's that type of a place, if you can come often enough. We ordered a couple of appetizers including the Bruchetta Bombetta and the Polpettine (pork meatballs). The bruchetta is an upgrade from what they used to serve which was previously a trio that didn't have the chicken liver spread. It was good. I could really feel my cholesterol rising. Their olive oil for the complimentary bread is from Sicily I heard the waiter tell another table. My palate isn't that refined. But it tasted Italian enough for me. For our main course we each had a pasta. The pesto one was the best (Genovese) followed by the Seafood Bucatini (it is spicy) and then the Merlin. The bill was hefty. I'm not going to lie. It hurt. But hey it was Valentine's Day and I think it was worth it. Tiny's Milk and Cookies is within walking distance if it's not too late after your meal and you want a cheaper and less sophisticated desert. Also helps to stretch the legs some after the meal.

We had a very good dinner and we're seated outdoors at our request. Food was excellent but it was a bit expensive for our liking. We had similar plates near by and better priced. Is very small restaurant with only few tables inside and out. Can be a romantic place as well as a group experience.

Cute, local dining place with perfect music volume level. Love the quiet atmosphere where I can carry conversations. Service was also very good. Food was delicious- not too salty. Ingredients tasted fresh. We had chicken liver bombetta, Genovese, and NY strip. Also had glass of red wine and vermouth spiritz. Vermouth was a little sweet, but I love vermouth taste so was very yummy to me. Moderately priced- expected for Houston. Perfect for a date night

The most lackluster experience I've ever had at a restaurant. 10/10 will NOT be coming here again. $70 for all of this?? My dish was incredibly subpar, wasn't even heated up enough, and I'm pretty certain that they thawed some frozen mushroom ravioli and stuck it in a bowl of "truffle broth". my partner's meal was also incredibly mediocre, we expected more since his dish was $38. I have no idea why this restaurant has such high ratings. If you want good pasta, DON'T COME HERE!!