Buona Italia Caffe

We have been coming here for a couple of years now and this place is truly a gem. The food is always outstanding and there's a nice variety of creative specials. I'm always impressed by how fresh and authentic it is. It's a wonderful spot for a 5-star food in a cozy and homey atmosphere. Arturo is a genius restaurateur; he and his family and staff are so warm and welcoming. It is one of my favorite spots to bring out of down guests, who are always delighted with the experience of eating here.Last Saturday, my wife and I spent the day in Sausalito. As the afternoon approached and the question of dinner came up, we looked around at the options and both said, "Let's head back to Pacifica and dine early at Buona Italia." We did and we enjoyed the Pear Salad, Calamari Fritti, Gorgonzola Gnocchi, Eggplant Parmigiana and a bottle of Chianti all for an amazingly reasonable price. I can't say enough about how good this place is!

I've been here several times. A couple times to eat in, mostly to take out. The food is as good as any authentic Italian restaurant in Palo Alto or the City. The seating is limited and a little tight...like a European family owned restaurant. I've had a few of the dishes, but among my favorites are the eggplant parggiana and gnocchi.

My parents recommended this spot to me and when I was in Pacifica, I decided to give them a try. My parents raved about their seafood pasta, but since I'm not a huge seafood person, I went with the spaghetti carbonara. What I loved about the dish is that is had a lot of sauce and it was super tasty. The pasta was cooked al dente, and the side of toasted bread was used to dip into the excess sauce. This was no-frills, just good pasta that tasted home cooked. The best part of this place is that the portion sizes are good and the prices are very reasonable. Majority of their menu and especially the pasta dishes were all under $20.The restaurant itself is on the smaller side so best for small groups of 2-4. They have a couple tables inside, this is probably a better takeout spot for me. Definitely will be back to try some of their other pasta dishes. The owner of the restaurant was very kind and provided exceptional service.

Great food and even better customer service! What a lovely place. Small but they did the best sitting out party of 6! Had lobster and shrimp ravioli! Outstanding! My mom had the eggplant parmigiana, the sauce was perfect! Thank you so much, we will be back!

What a lovely little Italian restaurant in Pacifica! I ordered lunch over the phone for pick up and they were so accommodating, including their willingness to do a half-n-half order of gnocchi so I could sample two different kinds. Chef's kiss! Their pear salad with arugula, Gorgonzola, walnuts and lemony dressing was delicious and a very generous portion. Plus a few pieces of grilled bread, cheese and dried chile flakes. Would return in a heartbeat whenever in Pacifica.

Arturo. Remember that name. That is a man who runs his own little piece of Italian culinary heaven in my little burg: Pacifica. There are a grand total of 4 tables, seating a grand total of 12 people. But I'm sure lots of folks are happy to take away and enjoy his great eats at the beach, in a park or on the patio in their back yard. He has a smallish menu, but a nice selection. This was my first time, and I wanted to make sure if I got something good, it was no fluke. So my 14 yr old and I sampled a bunch of things and took some home for the 20 yr old who had late classes. Started w calamari. Light breading, perfectly crisped, every ring & tentacle separate- nothing stuck together. A lemon wedge and a small dip sauce of marinara with just a hint of spice. That's about as perfect as it gets. Ok, next up, his house-made gnocchi w basil pesto. A nice large plate of very tender, obviously hand-made gnocchi. In a generous pool of pesto cream. The pesto was fine, if unspectacular. I was looking for a little more nuttiness (pine nut), little more garlic, evidence of fresh basil, good quality EVOO. This is the closest I can come to a complaint. I need to mention that every entree pasta dish comes with a small side of grated parm, a small bowl of red pepper flakes, and 2 or 3 nice slices of baguette, for dipping. Ok, now some entrees. First the lasagne. He made the pasta for the lasagne. I don't know anyone who actually *makes* the pasta in a lasagne. They brown the meat filling, they make the bolognese, they make the bechamel, they mix the ricotta and shred the cheeses. But they don't *make* the pasta. That's next level. Wow. What a difference. Cloudlike. Don't think I've ever described a lasagne like that before. Ok, Eggplant Parm. Let's see if Art passes the parmigiana de melanzane test. A plate of generously sauced tender as a cloud, obviously hand-made, and made lovingly, sliced eggplant. It ate like two layers. Generous but light as a feather. So Art has 2 other guys in the kitchen, and maybe a 3rd staff person, cruising. He single-handedly runs the register, takes orders, pours the wine, gets water and refills, serves the food, and does some meticulous quality control in the kitchen. He had a few tables, including us, on the Wednesday night about 5:45 - 7:00 pm when we were there sampling his provender and chatting up the older couple behind us. Arturo says he worked for 13 years at a very reputable Italian place in Tiburon, which is no longer in biz. A lot like my own story. Years of practice and hard knocks and a desire to get the details right. And watch the smiles on customers' faces, and enjoy their appreciation. I don't know how he does when weekend comes and he gets slammed on a Friday, Saturday or some holiday when to go orders are flying at him like bats in a cave. But he's got the chops, and the stones, and he sure looks at ease in his house, with his crew. We need to patronize the good stuff in our little town. There's not that much of it frankly. Oh, and my kid had a Pastrami Panini. He ate every bite. And the fries. Man, the crisp on those fries. That's a whole story. He told me how he makes them. I'd never do that much prep or process in my life. But that's why these are special. Try them. Don't take my word. We finished with two perfectly sized, small cannoli. Just the crisp shell, and some delicious under-whipped cream. I was never taught to do that. But it makes all the difference. I will never whip a dessert cream to chantilly stage again. So dry and uninteresting. The lighter whip leaves a touch of creaminess and a sauce like finish. The simplest elegance. On Yelp I see a 5 star overall rating. That means of the 179 or so ratings, not a single person gave less than 5 stars. My kid found a 4.8 rating for Arturo's place on Google Eats. Then he proceeded to find the worst review he could. Someone said something about tasteless sauce and pasta cooked as if for a child. Hello?? Maybe you were drunk and walked into the taco place next door? Or you might have otherwise been hallucinating?? 5 stars from me. I'll be back before too long.

Found this gem on Yelp. After hiking all morning, we were hungry and ready to eat and this place did not disappoint! It's small - few tables. Street parking available.You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table. Everyday was pretty quick.We ordered the calamari fritti, Bruschetta (amazingly good), garlic, olive oil pasta with shrimp, cioppino, salmon piccata, and finished off with a cannoli. Everything was cooked perfectly and well flavored. Service was great! Price was reasonable. Definitely a good find and will return whenever in the area!

Read about this little place on Bay Area Eats and had to try it, so my friend and I made a special trip to Pacifica. Needless to say, it was fantastic! Definitely worth the drive! I had the lasagna with meat sauce and she had the linguine with clams. We each sampled the other's dish and both were amazing! My mouth is watering just thinking about them! The lasagna was rich and full of flavor. The portion didn't look to be too big, but I could only finish half of it. The other half was great for a second meal the next day. I think the richness of it made it ultra filling and satisfying. My friend's linguine with clams was also amazing. The linguine was cooked just right, al dente with just the right amount of chew!! And there were so many fresh clams!! There are only 4 tables in the whole place; two tables for 2 and two tables for 4, so it would be difficult to have a large group there. I would also imagine it could get busy and you'd have to wait, but I think it would still be worth it!There were two people working there, the very friendly person who waited on us and the person in the kitchen. They were so full of smiles that I'd return just because of them! They were worth 5 stars, but the food kicked it over the top! Can't wait to return!

Another fine evening. We pushed the limit of having a larger party with us 6 4 adults 2 medium sized kiddos. We were treated like family. From the time you walk in to the time you leave. I tried the lasagna in meat sauce. I have to say it tasted incredible. Nothing to complain about. I cleaned up the plate with the warm bread. We also had calamari with lemon and a spiced red tomato based sauce. The linguine and clams is a dish not to be missed. The pear salad was pleasing to the eyes and the mouth. The young ones enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs. While my nephew enjoyed the fish. To end the meal we each had a tasty cannoli. Thank you again for having such a gem of a restaurant. Superb!!!!

We came by on a Friday evening and left pretty satisfied with our food! There are only 2 tables for 2 people and 2 tables for 4 people inside so yes, it's a very small family owned restaurant.The owner's son took orders at the counter and he did such an amazing job. So you'd order at the front, pay for your food, and grab your table after.Pastrami panini - Bf liked this! He said it was very meaty and cheesy and tasted delicious. Salad on the side was very fresh too.Homemade gnocchi with cream sauce - I personally thought the serving was small for almost $17. But taste-wise, it was fantastic and super creamy. Would come back here more often for their other items!