Pastina

This is my go-to place for early dinner. I love the ambience. I love the food. And I love Franco the owner. This time I had the JUMBO Hawaiian prawns (not on the menu, you have to ask for them $48), which came prepared in a creamy butter sauce. Unbelievable. My very favorite dish. My friend had Gamberi agliata (shrimp in a garlic sauce). Entrees come with the best roasted potatoes anywhere, and deliciously sauteed veggies.The only proper ending is Tiramusu and Franco's is the best I've ever had. I dream about this food and get there as often as I can. Have been enjoying his fabulous cuisine for 20 years.Haven't been? You should go.

Food excellent Service excellent Ambiance excellentI have been going to Pastina's for over 3 decades and have never been disappointed. I have celebrated many birthdays and new years there!

I want to start off and say that my friend and I loved the food. We got the spinach salad, calimari, mussel pasta and penne a la vodka. Had great wine and cocktail. A delicious tiramisu. I want to say that the service was lacking. Or just not good at all. We stood at the front for almost 15 minutes- it was so painfully awkward. There were very little seats to wait in so we were awkwardly at the door. Finally someone, the owner came. He was nice enough and told us we was prepping the table. We saw him interact incredibly warmly with other patrons, but would be sheepish around us. The owner never checked in on us during the night but he would gladly stop by other tables. Our waiter was kind but never made eye contact with us. They were busy but it took a while to be served and every interaction seemed so awkward. The table next to us must have been close to the owner and they talked a lot with him. But they were glaring at my friend and I from across the table and made us feel terrible. They kept looking at us. We weren't loud, they started staring at us the second we sat down. We were trying to have a fun night and eat great food but it's so awful when you can't taste because you feel stared at, ignored and unwelcome. It felt like a club that we were not invited to- the opposite of what a great Italian restaurant should be. I would love to give a second chance because it was so delicious but feeling so awful is barely worth tolerating again. Che peccato.

Stopped here for dinner on a whim while on the west side. Great food. Lovely service. Amazing place.

Excellent food, terrific service for take-out. I had been ordering online (several times) and the latest time one of the folks there (maybe a manager) met me at the door and explained that I could save 20% calling the order in instead of using their online service.We love the food here, it's on the more expensive end but it's definitely worth it. It's cooked perfectly, includes nice sides, and lots of bread. It's also packaged extremely well which is a big deal for take-out and not always the case.I would highly recommend this local Italian place. They have a lovely dining room for a nice semi-formal dinner if that's your thing but you can't go wrong with the take-out.

Delicious food and the staff was so friendly and processional. They had great recommendations. Everything was fresh and delicious.

I can't believe I've never reviewed Pastina especially since it's our "local neighborhood Italian restaurant." It's upscale without being pretentious. It's run by a wonderful couple Frank and Nancy. Nancy in particular is a delight. She's the reason it's so important to support local businesses. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I love when the owners are on site and "in the weeds." They all have a great attention to detail and the service is superb. My water glass was always full (that's a great barometer in my book) and our servers were always checking on us, without being on top of us. I had my usual caesar salad and it was fantastic. The lettuce was cold and crisp and the dressing was very tasty without being overbearing. I also had my usual Spaghetti Gamberi (but I substitute linguini) and as usual, it was delicious. And, it was HOT! I go to so many restaurants that serve lukewarm dishes... you wonder how long they've been sitting back there before someone decies to serve it. Not here. My lovely and gorgeous companion had the Parmigano salad and the cheese was amazing. So fresh. She then had the Chicken Sorrentina which was hot, fresh, and very tasty. The tomato sauce is homemade and tastes it. And, don't forget the bread... wowsers. It comes out nice and hot and it's the same bread they use for the pizza crusts. They even have a full bar which is great and the drinks were excellent too. We usually find parking on the street and I think they may have a small lot behind the building, so just be prepared to hunt for a space. This is the kind of place that just feels comfortable and relaxing, has fantastic food, and is what you'd want every nice neighborhood to have.

Pastina is the perfect place to go for and everyday meal or special occasion. Went last night for a birthday dinner. Everything was delicious. They have a price fixe menu as well as a really nice dinner menu. In addition they maintain an extensive wine and spirit selection. The service is friendly and accommodating. I highly encourage you to visit

I've been going here for over 30 years never had a bad meal. Frank is an amazing host and when he know's my Mom is coming her favorite thing is calamari and he has it on the table waiting for her. Simply an amazing place.

We were a party of 6. Despite a busy Friday night at the dinner hour, we were warmly greeted by the owner himself, promptly seated and expertly handed over to our server who was equally smooth and adept at his craft. Throughout dinner, he was present at all the right moments without missing a beat while not appearing stressed or rushed. Our selections were veal scallopine, chicken piccata, linguine di Mare, spinach salad and sand dabs. All the items were expertly prepared and delicious. The wine list was robust and paired well with the menu offerings. The ambiance was delightful and space was well appointed. Enough street parking to not pose as a challenge. This venue is 1 block off the beaten path and well worth your visit Highly recommend.