So disappointing. We traveled from San Francisco and decided to reserve Valentine’s dinner here and was so let down. Our reservation was for 6PM and we checked in at 5:45PM and they said they couldn’t sit us yet, but a couple came in right after us, said their reservation was for 7PM and they were seated right away. Makes so sense. We asked why and the two girl hosts didn’t say anything. There were empty tables as well! When we finally got seated our server didn’t acknowledge us for maybe 10 minutes. No water offered to us or anything. We should’ve just walked out right then honestly. Can’t help but think we were racially profiled here. Horrible.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Anne C.
Charming restaurant in a great location. The wait staff was prompt and courteous, but not particularly helpful in making recommendations. For the price of the dishes, would expect better quality. The primi course (pasta) dishes were great, but there were several missteps with the other food. The burrata insalata was extremely over salted. The veal was tough and the mushrooms were cut thick and chewy. The mussels had several shells with no meat and some were over cooked.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Michael N
Every dish so far has been great. Great people too
Matt Feil
I’m genuinely heartbroken to be writing this review. For 23 years, we have gone out of our way to dine here whenever we’re in town, because the food has always been exceptional. Unfortunately, our New Year’s Eve dinner was a complete disappointment — the worst dining experience we’ve ever had here.
Because we were a larger group, we were required to order from a preset menu. While we weren’t thrilled about that, we trusted the restaurant’s long-standing reputation, our personal experience here, and expected something special. Sadly, that trust was misplaced.
The salads were fine but basic and quite small. The risotto was overwhelmed by smoky salmon, slightly undercooked, and paired with scallops that were rubbery and fishy. The main courses were even more disappointing. My veal was tough and served over plain, unseasoned boiled spinach, topped with cheese and ham. It honestly reminded me of an airline meal — not something you’d expect from a high-end restaurant we’ve supported for over two decades.
To make matters worse, the price was shocking. For seven people, the bill came to $860 — without alcohol. Had we been allowed to order from the regular menu, we would have paid far less and enjoyed food we know and love. Instead, we left feeling disappointed, frustrated, and frankly taken advantage of. The quality, flavor, and execution did not come close to justifying the cost. Even the mashed potatoes tasted like instant ones.
This experience was deeply disappointing. Buona Tavola has always been special to us, which makes this all the more upsetting. I truly hope this was an anomaly, but we were violated. This meal left us feeling let down and disheartened.
Our waitress and the service was good. No problem there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Kathy F
What a disappointment! We are foodies and came to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The service was wonderful but because we had seven people in our party, we were forced into a pre fixe menu that was $95.00 per person. Since the quality of the food in the past has been so good, we trusted the food would be amazing, whatever they served. HOW WRONG WE WERE! The beet salad was ok but very over salted. The lentil and sausage dish was mediocre at best. The risotto was also over salted, so smokey from the smoked salmon, and the scallops were rubber. Some of our party had the branzino and some had the veal. The branzino was only a 1/4 of a fillet and the veal was tough, stringy and almost inedible! The sides were instant mashed potatoes (disgusting…think KFC) and the other sides (for everyone!) consisted of slimy, flavorless boiled spinach and spiralized carrots that were boiled in sugar and sprinkled with parsley. No fresh/grilled veggies. No pasta dish options whatsoever (which is what we came for). The dessert was a dry slice of brioche bread with some bourbon flavored cream poured on top and a shaved bit of chocolate. Cheap, cheap, cheap!!! Almost $900 for meals that would have been better if we had gone to The Olive Garden…and we hate the Olive Garden! Seriously, I’ve had better in-flight airplane meals. Our entire party feels violated! Such a major let down!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Matthew Feil
We drove all the way from Utah specifically to eat here for New Year’s Eve, only to be railroaded into a mandatory $100-per-person four-course prix fixe instead of the regular menu we actually came for. What followed was one of the most underwhelming, overpriced dining experiences I’ve ever had.
The first course was either a beet salad or squash soup. The soup was… fine. Not memorable, not exciting—just acceptable. Not exactly a strong start for a $100 meal.
The next course was a risotto with salmon and scallops that was clearly undercooked, or a lentil soup that was merely okay. At this point, expectations were already dropping fast.
Then came the main course, which somehow managed to get worse. The fish with carrots and spinach was bland and unpleasant. The veal—my biggest regret of the night—was so bad it was honestly depressing: poorly prepared veal slapped on top of completely unseasoned spinach. No balance, no finesse, no care. Just sad food at a luxury price.
Dessert was the final insult: some kind of bread soaked in milk that felt lazy, dated, and completely uninspired. It tasted like something thrown together out of obligation rather than intention.
For a meal that cost nearly $1,000 for my family, this was borderline offensive. Nothing about the food justified the price, the forced menu, or the hype. New Year’s Eve should feel special—this felt like paying a premium to be disappointed course after course.
If you’re expecting refined Italian cooking or a memorable celebration meal, look elsewhere. This was an expensive reminder that price does not equal quality.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
McKay
We traveled over 800 miles to eat here for new years because we always love coming here. Unfortunately our food was awful. We weren’t made aware that for parties of 6+ people you can only order off of a pre-fixed menu. While we were let down because we couldn’t order any of our favorite dishes or any pasta for that matter, we figured the stuff on the fixed menu would be good like everything else. Unfortunately the quality of the food was such a letdown and disappointment. The veal was tough and served on a bland bed of blanched spinach. The fish was the tiniest fillet and served with a scoop of what appeared to be instant mashed potatoes. All of the other dishes served were also very subpar and the worst part of it all is that our bill was nearly $900 with no drinks!! The fixed menu that we were forced to order off of was $100 per person vs $30+ per person. What an absolute racket!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Alexander Jones
Incredible experience, truly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peter Lim
It came highly recommended by our hotel concierge on Monterey, and they were absolutely right. We came on a Monday night during the holiday season and managed to snag the last available table right at opening (5:30pm), which already felt like a good sign.
From the front, the dining room looks fairly small, but don’t be fooled—there’s a huge covered garden patio in the back, complete with heat lamps throughout. It was cozy, lively, and perfect for a relaxed dinner.
Service was excellent: attentive, professional, and well-paced. Our server checked in when needed but otherwise let us enjoy the meal without hovering.
For four people, we ordered the capellini, pesto tagliolini, the seafood spaghettini (special), and the insalata di Parma, along with a glass of Chardonnay and a glass of Riesling. It was more than enough food, and the total came out to about $150—great value for the quality.
Every dish was delicious, well-balanced, and full of flavor. The pesto tagliolini in particular was exceptional. Mixing zucchini noodles in with the pasta added a really pleasant texture and kept the dish feeling fresh without sacrificing richness.
This was our first time in SLO, and we will absolutely be coming back to Buona Tavola on our next visit. Highly recommended!
My family ate lunch here just after Christmas. We were impressed by the great food and attentive service. I highly recommend it! Make reservations.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley
After our small wedding in Cayucos in December, 2024, Buona Tavola was the perfect place to celebrate with an unforgettable dinner. Their patio comfortably accommodated our group of 22, and from start to finish, the staff took incredible care of us.
From our very first phone call to inquire about booking, to the final pour of wine at the end of the evening, everything was seamless. The manager allowed us to arrive earlier in the afternoon to set up our tables and decorations, which made the evening feel even more special and personal.
We were a bit nervous about a December evening getting chilly, but the heated patio was absolutely perfect. The food was outstanding, the service was impeccable, and our family and friends were truly well cared for. The twinkling lights added a magical touch to an already beautiful night. It was a four course meal, all portioned well.
We appreciated the warm atmosphere and the genuine kindness of every staff member who helped make our celebration so memorable. We'll be back next week for our anniversary dinner. Thank you, Buona Tavola!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabriella Muth
The food was delicious! We had an amazing dinner. The service was great and everything was delicious! We had an amazing time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anita Alina
True gem hidden in Downtown SLO. The ambiance was very romantic and relaxed. The good was amazing and the service was fantastic. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic and chill place for dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matcha Baby
We made the mistake of trusting an uber driver who shared this is is the best Italian restaurant in SLO. However, to our absolute horror this place is awful. The only dish that wasn’t a tortalini disaster was the tortelina bufalina. The steak and arugula was awful, the balsamic vinegar was also a gross touch. And the chicken wrapped in ham, was hurt too. The sauce it was drenched in was bitter and awkward. Felt like I paid $200 for airplane food. I wouldn’t feed this to my dog.
Good food but overpriced. I'm Italian.
So disappointing. We traveled from San Francisco and decided to reserve Valentine’s dinner here and was so let down. Our reservation was for 6PM and we checked in at 5:45PM and they said they couldn’t sit us yet, but a couple came in right after us, said their reservation was for 7PM and they were seated right away. Makes so sense. We asked why and the two girl hosts didn’t say anything. There were empty tables as well! When we finally got seated our server didn’t acknowledge us for maybe 10 minutes. No water offered to us or anything. We should’ve just walked out right then honestly. Can’t help but think we were racially profiled here. Horrible.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Charming restaurant in a great location. The wait staff was prompt and courteous, but not particularly helpful in making recommendations. For the price of the dishes, would expect better quality. The primi course (pasta) dishes were great, but there were several missteps with the other food. The burrata insalata was extremely over salted. The veal was tough and the mushrooms were cut thick and chewy. The mussels had several shells with no meat and some were over cooked.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Every dish so far has been great. Great people too
I’m genuinely heartbroken to be writing this review. For 23 years, we have gone out of our way to dine here whenever we’re in town, because the food has always been exceptional. Unfortunately, our New Year’s Eve dinner was a complete disappointment — the worst dining experience we’ve ever had here.
Because we were a larger group, we were required to order from a preset menu. While we weren’t thrilled about that, we trusted the restaurant’s long-standing reputation, our personal experience here, and expected something special. Sadly, that trust was misplaced.
The salads were fine but basic and quite small. The risotto was overwhelmed by smoky salmon, slightly undercooked, and paired with scallops that were rubbery and fishy. The main courses were even more disappointing. My veal was tough and served over plain, unseasoned boiled spinach, topped with cheese and ham. It honestly reminded me of an airline meal — not something you’d expect from a high-end restaurant we’ve supported for over two decades.
To make matters worse, the price was shocking. For seven people, the bill came to $860 — without alcohol. Had we been allowed to order from the regular menu, we would have paid far less and enjoyed food we know and love. Instead, we left feeling disappointed, frustrated, and frankly taken advantage of. The quality, flavor, and execution did not come close to justifying the cost. Even the mashed potatoes tasted like instant ones.
This experience was deeply disappointing. Buona Tavola has always been special to us, which makes this all the more upsetting. I truly hope this was an anomaly, but we were violated. This meal left us feeling let down and disheartened.
Our waitress and the service was good. No problem there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
What a disappointment! We are foodies and came to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The service was wonderful but because we had seven people in our party, we were forced into a pre fixe menu that was $95.00 per person. Since the quality of the food in the past has been so good, we trusted the food would be amazing, whatever they served. HOW WRONG WE WERE! The beet salad was ok but very over salted. The lentil and sausage dish was mediocre at best. The risotto was also over salted, so smokey from the smoked salmon, and the scallops were rubber. Some of our party had the branzino and some had the veal. The branzino was only a 1/4 of a fillet and the veal was tough, stringy and almost inedible! The sides were instant mashed potatoes (disgusting…think KFC) and the other sides (for everyone!) consisted of slimy, flavorless boiled spinach and spiralized carrots that were boiled in sugar and sprinkled with parsley. No fresh/grilled veggies. No pasta dish options whatsoever (which is what we came for). The dessert was a dry slice of brioche bread with some bourbon flavored cream poured on top and a shaved bit of chocolate. Cheap, cheap, cheap!!! Almost $900 for meals that would have been better if we had gone to The Olive Garden…and we hate the Olive Garden! Seriously, I’ve had better in-flight airplane meals. Our entire party feels violated! Such a major let down!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
We drove all the way from Utah specifically to eat here for New Year’s Eve, only to be railroaded into a mandatory $100-per-person four-course prix fixe instead of the regular menu we actually came for. What followed was one of the most underwhelming, overpriced dining experiences I’ve ever had.
The first course was either a beet salad or squash soup. The soup was… fine. Not memorable, not exciting—just acceptable. Not exactly a strong start for a $100 meal.
The next course was a risotto with salmon and scallops that was clearly undercooked, or a lentil soup that was merely okay. At this point, expectations were already dropping fast.
Then came the main course, which somehow managed to get worse. The fish with carrots and spinach was bland and unpleasant. The veal—my biggest regret of the night—was so bad it was honestly depressing: poorly prepared veal slapped on top of completely unseasoned spinach. No balance, no finesse, no care. Just sad food at a luxury price.
Dessert was the final insult: some kind of bread soaked in milk that felt lazy, dated, and completely uninspired. It tasted like something thrown together out of obligation rather than intention.
For a meal that cost nearly $1,000 for my family, this was borderline offensive. Nothing about the food justified the price, the forced menu, or the hype. New Year’s Eve should feel special—this felt like paying a premium to be disappointed course after course.
If you’re expecting refined Italian cooking or a memorable celebration meal, look elsewhere. This was an expensive reminder that price does not equal quality.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
We traveled over 800 miles to eat here for new years because we always love coming here. Unfortunately our food was awful. We weren’t made aware that for parties of 6+ people you can only order off of a pre-fixed menu. While we were let down because we couldn’t order any of our favorite dishes or any pasta for that matter, we figured the stuff on the fixed menu would be good like everything else. Unfortunately the quality of the food was such a letdown and disappointment. The veal was tough and served on a bland bed of blanched spinach. The fish was the tiniest fillet and served with a scoop of what appeared to be instant mashed potatoes. All of the other dishes served were also very subpar and the worst part of it all is that our bill was nearly $900 with no drinks!! The fixed menu that we were forced to order off of was $100 per person vs $30+ per person. What an absolute racket!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Incredible experience, truly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It came highly recommended by our hotel concierge on Monterey, and they were absolutely right. We came on a Monday night during the holiday season and managed to snag the last available table right at opening (5:30pm), which already felt like a good sign.
From the front, the dining room looks fairly small, but don’t be fooled—there’s a huge covered garden patio in the back, complete with heat lamps throughout. It was cozy, lively, and perfect for a relaxed dinner.
Service was excellent: attentive, professional, and well-paced. Our server checked in when needed but otherwise let us enjoy the meal without hovering.
For four people, we ordered the capellini, pesto tagliolini, the seafood spaghettini (special), and the insalata di Parma, along with a glass of Chardonnay and a glass of Riesling. It was more than enough food, and the total came out to about $150—great value for the quality.
Every dish was delicious, well-balanced, and full of flavor. The pesto tagliolini in particular was exceptional. Mixing zucchini noodles in with the pasta added a really pleasant texture and kept the dish feeling fresh without sacrificing richness.
This was our first time in SLO, and we will absolutely be coming back to Buona Tavola on our next visit. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
My family ate lunch here just after Christmas. We were impressed by the great food and attentive service. I highly recommend it! Make reservations.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
After our small wedding in Cayucos in December, 2024, Buona Tavola was the perfect place to celebrate with an unforgettable dinner. Their patio comfortably accommodated our group of 22, and from start to finish, the staff took incredible care of us.
From our very first phone call to inquire about booking, to the final pour of wine at the end of the evening, everything was seamless. The manager allowed us to arrive earlier in the afternoon to set up our tables and decorations, which made the evening feel even more special and personal.
We were a bit nervous about a December evening getting chilly, but the heated patio was absolutely perfect. The food was outstanding, the service was impeccable, and our family and friends were truly well cared for. The twinkling lights added a magical touch to an already beautiful night. It was a four course meal, all portioned well.
We appreciated the warm atmosphere and the genuine kindness of every staff member who helped make our celebration so memorable. We'll be back next week for our anniversary dinner. Thank you, Buona Tavola!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious! We had an amazing dinner. The service was great and everything was delicious! We had an amazing time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
True gem hidden in Downtown SLO. The ambiance was very romantic and relaxed. The good was amazing and the service was fantastic. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic and chill place for dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We made the mistake of trusting an uber driver who shared this is is the best Italian restaurant in SLO. However, to our absolute horror this place is awful. The only dish that wasn’t a tortalini disaster was the tortelina bufalina. The steak and arugula was awful, the balsamic vinegar was also a gross touch. And the chicken wrapped in ham, was hurt too. The sauce it was drenched in was bitter and awkward. Felt like I paid $200 for airplane food. I wouldn’t feed this to my dog.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
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