From the moment we walked in, the manager/owner (I’m not sure which) made repeated comments toward the woman I was dining with, such as “you’re so beautiful,” said directly in front of me. At first I tried to give the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was just being overly friendly. However, throughout the meal he continued staring at her in a way that made us uncomfortable. When I briefly stepped away to use the restroom, he approached her while she was alone at the table, tapped her on the shoulder, and told her “you’re so cute.” This crossed a line. She is 18 years old, and this man appeared to be well over 50. Regardless of intent, this behavior was inappropriate and unprofessional, especially toward a young customer who was clearly dining with someone else. To make matters more awkward, he then sent us a free dessert, which felt less like hospitality and more like an attempt to smooth over behavior that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. What should have been a normal dining experience ended up feeling uncomfortable and unsettling. I would not return, and I hope management seriously reflects on appropriate boundaries with customers.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Theresa C
We split the kale salad. I had the branzino. So light and flaky. My husband had the Mezze Rigatoni which is better than most Italian restaurants. Delicious and so flavorful. The entire staff are attentive and friendly. The owner is welcoming and fun to joke around with. We look forward to our next meal
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Lee
Take 1+ hr for food
Ananthram EL
Amazing host and great food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Keerthana Rajendran
Had a nice dinner, food was awesome loved the vibe and the service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Mark
I love Cetrella - I was a massive fan of the Half Moon Bay Location and Los Altos. I like the new location better than the old one in Los Altos - it's a tucked-away, charming grotto with a. speakeasy in the basement. The food has always been superb - I had the kale salad (one of my favorites) and the short rib - both were amazing. The owner is one of the nicest people and a great host - it makes a huge difference having him in the restaurant. Five Stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe (MrSchnydes)
I found this place just browsing around and I'm glad I did. The staff here was very warm and welcoming for a solo diner. The dishes were simple but elegant. Simplicity is so hard to get right and they really nailed it with their branzino and lamb meatballs. Drinks were on point and their wine list was unique. Looking forward to coming back and bringing friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andreas Fichter
Came here to celebrate my wife's birthday and the food was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pan Seared Bronzino
Han Han
The restaurant automatically added a mandatory 20% gratuity to our bill for a party of five.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
lily
Restaurant was very dim when we arrived, almost as if the lights weren't turned on. Only had hamburger buns for the sandwiches instead of the focaccia as intended. The caramelized hazelnuts was replaced with pistachios on one of the desserts without a heads up.
I have always wanted to try Cetrella but never got the chance as my kids love the State Street Diner that is next door which trumps going to this spot. So when I had the chance, I ended up going to this for a dinner party I hosted for 7 guests and me. Everyone had a blast. Food: We had 7 or 8 starters that we shared. I highly recommend getting a bunch of starters and sharing them. The beat salad and the crab cakes were the highlights. Service: We had exquisite service and the staff was very courteous. I am sorry that there are no pictures, but I will be going here again. Ash
Hardwin
Nice experience at Cetrella last night. The owner was present and gracious and our server Timothy was pleasant, professional and took good care of us. Small but decent list of wine by the glass. Timing of our salads and entrees perfect for a relaxing evening, only slightly disappointed that my paella dish did not have the crispy rice bottom to it. We arrived early but the place filled up, not too loud and easy to carry on conversation. We will return.
Matteo Sarica
Perfect spot in Los Altos! The filet mignon was cooked to absolute perfection — tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, and I’m especially excited that they’ll soon be serving Neige Noire gin, a unique spirit born in the Italian Alps. Can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Singh
Worst food ever I had. Tasteless not recommended. 👎🏻
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jamie Johnson
This is hands down the best restaurant in Los Altos! The food is incredible, the music makes me feel like I’m in Europe and the staff is so wonderful! We try to make it here weekly because we love it so much. And it’s so clean!!! Immaculate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Forest Mushroom Risotto, New Zealand Ōra King Salmon Tuscan Kale Salad, Pan Seared Bronzino, Glazed Short Rib, Braised New Zealand Atkins Ranch Lamb Shank, Spanish Paella, Branzino, Lamb Meatballs, Grilled Filet Mignon, Pot Roast
From the moment we walked in, the manager/owner (I’m not sure which) made repeated comments toward the woman I was dining with, such as “you’re so beautiful,” said directly in front of me. At first I tried to give the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was just being overly friendly.
However, throughout the meal he continued staring at her in a way that made us uncomfortable. When I briefly stepped away to use the restroom, he approached her while she was alone at the table, tapped her on the shoulder, and told her “you’re so cute.”
This crossed a line. She is 18 years old, and this man appeared to be well over 50. Regardless of intent, this behavior was inappropriate and unprofessional, especially toward a young customer who was clearly dining with someone else.
To make matters more awkward, he then sent us a free dessert, which felt less like hospitality and more like an attempt to smooth over behavior that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
What should have been a normal dining experience ended up feeling uncomfortable and unsettling. I would not return, and I hope management seriously reflects on appropriate boundaries with customers.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We split the kale salad. I had the branzino. So light and flaky. My husband had the Mezze Rigatoni which is better than most Italian restaurants. Delicious and so flavorful. The entire staff are attentive and friendly. The owner is welcoming and fun to joke around with. We look forward to our next meal
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Take 1+ hr for food
Amazing host and great food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a nice dinner, food was awesome loved the vibe and the service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love Cetrella - I was a massive fan of the Half Moon Bay Location and Los Altos. I like the new location better than the old one in Los Altos - it's a tucked-away, charming grotto with a. speakeasy in the basement. The food has always been superb - I had the kale salad (one of my favorites) and the short rib - both were amazing. The owner is one of the nicest people and a great host - it makes a huge difference having him in the restaurant. Five Stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I found this place just browsing around and I'm glad I did. The staff here was very warm and welcoming for a solo diner. The dishes were simple but elegant. Simplicity is so hard to get right and they really nailed it with their branzino and lamb meatballs. Drinks were on point and their wine list was unique. Looking forward to coming back and bringing friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here to celebrate my wife's birthday and the food was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pan Seared Bronzino
The restaurant automatically added a mandatory 20% gratuity to our bill for a party of five.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Restaurant was very dim when we arrived, almost as if the lights weren't turned on. Only had hamburger buns for the sandwiches instead of the focaccia as intended. The caramelized hazelnuts was replaced with pistachios on one of the desserts without a heads up.
Restaurantji Recommends
I have always wanted to try Cetrella but never got the chance as my kids love the State Street Diner that is next door which trumps going to this spot. So when I had the chance, I ended up going to this for a dinner party I hosted for 7 guests and me. Everyone had a blast. Food: We had 7 or 8 starters that we shared. I highly recommend getting a bunch of starters and sharing them. The beat salad and the crab cakes were the highlights. Service: We had exquisite service and the staff was very courteous. I am sorry that there are no pictures, but I will be going here again. Ash
Nice experience at Cetrella last night. The owner was present and gracious and our server Timothy was pleasant, professional and took good care of us. Small but decent list of wine by the glass. Timing of our salads and entrees perfect for a relaxing evening, only slightly disappointed that my paella dish did not have the crispy rice bottom to it. We arrived early but the place filled up, not too loud and easy to carry on conversation. We will return.
Perfect spot in Los Altos! The filet mignon was cooked to absolute perfection — tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, and I’m especially excited that they’ll soon be serving Neige Noire gin, a unique spirit born in the Italian Alps. Can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Worst food ever I had. Tasteless not recommended. 👎🏻
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This is hands down the best restaurant in Los Altos! The food is incredible, the music makes me feel like I’m in Europe and the staff is so wonderful! We try to make it here weekly because we love it so much. And it’s so clean!!! Immaculate.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Forest Mushroom Risotto, New Zealand Ōra King Salmon Tuscan Kale Salad, Pan Seared Bronzino, Glazed Short Rib, Braised New Zealand Atkins Ranch Lamb Shank, Spanish Paella, Branzino, Lamb Meatballs, Grilled Filet Mignon, Pot Roast
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