Postino Restaurant

Brian also known as B-​Rock is by far the best server I’ve ever had. Very personable and attentive. As far the restaurant goes, it’s good solid food with a great ambience (especially outdoors). Must get: burata!

My party had a birthday celebration but didn’t want to go all the way to SF so we picked this place. This cottage like place is super cute and cozy. Loved the exterior and interior.
FOOD: Complimentary bread was very yummy. The flatbread scacciatta was SUPER SALTY. But the foie gras was really good. It was a big piece and came with tempura fried strawberries which I thought was a very nice touch. I got the duck and it was the best main dish that night. It was cooked to perfection and the skin was crispy. I also tried the lamb. The pesto sauce on top of the lamb was over powering and you basically can’t taste anything else besides that. I did like their dessert — especially the caramelized banana. Presentations wise, all the dishes could have been plated better.
SERVICE: not very attentive! They didn’t really come and check up on us. I had to ask them to fill up my water instead of them coming around to notice the empty water glasses and ask us if we would like more since they never checked up on us. They didn’t cleaned the table after each course either. They are suppose to freshen the table before dessert with a small brush or napkin to brushes the crumbs off the table. I’ve had much better experiences at other restaurants with that.

Had dinner with a large group outside and it was great. Good food and great ambiance.

Came here for my bday dinner. The service was great. I was looking forward to dining by the outside fire pit table, which I’m sure is a fan favorite. Come to find out it’s first come first serve. Instead my bf & I sat near the bar which had a more romantic vibe. I ordered the chicken dinner and a shrimp pasta. The food was magical! I can still recall every juicy bite.

The food was good but not something to rave about. We sat in the back near the kitchen and if the nats would have left us alone we would probably have had a better time. The service and drinks were great along with the ambiance. Would I go back, probably not but I definitely recommend it as a spot to try out.

I just love this cave. Yes, it so cozy and earthy feeling. I always come to the bar for drinks and apps. Tonight I had the Burrata. It was excellent. It just needs a fewer more slices of salumi and toast. It’s like a meal. The bartenders are very attentive and friendly. The clientele seem to be locals and everyone knows each other. Hopefully, one day, I will be a regular… I think so.

I had a really wonderful experience here. I came with a friend after work for some wine and a light dinner. The wait staff was friendly and attentive, and the wine list very good. There was a guitarist playing and overall the ambiance was exceptionally cozy and pleasant. I enjoyed the burrata and wine, but the several desserts we ordered really stood out as excellent.
Everything was great, but what really made me promise myself I would return was one of the bus boys, Jesus. I found him to be particularly warm and charming. His knowledge of the wine list and menu was impressive, and with a smile he made one stellar recommendation after the next. Thank you Jesus, you made my evening one to remember. I fully expect that the next time I visit Postino you will have been made a waiter.

I came here last weekend and was impressed by the place. Felt like I was in Napa or Sonoma because of how rural Lafayette is in general (in a wonderful way).
The bread that they serve you while you wait is amazing. I had seconds. We ordered the Scacciatta which is a flatbread with prosciutto, cheese, black truffle oil and arugula. For my main entrée I ordered the Pappardelle, the wide linguini noodles were perfect except the amount of sauce was limp and the entrée would have benefitted more with a little more sauce. I was disappointed so took that to go. I don’t recommend ordering this dish at all.
I would come back and try another entrée that is not pasta based. The service was very good though!

Very nice ambiance. Wait staff was attentive. We dined early Sunday upon opening so there was no problem getting seated. Wine list was interesting and not that expensive. Our waitress had a few suggestions with wine pairing. The Sauternes with the Foie Gras was a great one. We were able to taste a few wines before ordering the glass with the entrees. Anything duck was well prepared and worth getting again. We had the rabbit pasta as well. Pasta was freshly made, Rabbit was in small pieces sauteed with shitake mushrooms, a very earthy dish. Not bad, seemed to be lacking a bit of contrasting brightness in the dish.
We would go again and check out other dishes.

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear Kathy. happy birthday to me!
I don’t know why it took me so long to check Postinos off my checklist? Only 2 yrs. later? Lol and I heard Postinos is Stephen Currys favorite restaurant? And they happen to go a lot!
Anyhoot? Party of 9 please! And a lovely man named Brian who was our server was the best ever! Catered to us ladies on the dot. Very informative and quite the comedian.
Appetizers: my recommendation is the Burrata and the Frito Misto. Yas! I’m a fan and I would like to secretly eat it all lol.
After reading fellow Unilocalers reviews, it seems to be the 8hr braised short ribs served with polenta and peas. Oh boy I can tell you these bad boys fell right off the bone and delightful. Short story short… 6 of us ordered it! Lol
One was a rebel and ordered the grill duck. It made you want more, but it wasn’t mine lol but served over orzo pasta, huckleberrys and a foie gras glaze. Cooked to perfection, so tender not a dry spot in sight.
The other 2?
Pan seared yellow tail tuna on a bed of warm potato salad. Geezs it was a phat slice! No complaints at all, please cut me a piece.
Ambiance was amazing, felt fancy. I’m glad I made the right choice to pick my birthday dinner.
Thank you again Postinos!
Ps their desserts are sooo scrumptious

Beautiful fairy tale space. Overpriced for lunch ($ 110 for 3 people — soup and salad and no alcohol or dessert). Lentil soup was good — w Calabrian sausage. Salad was so-​so.

Quaint cottage, whimsical feel with lots of brick, flagstone and ivy. Think patio and garden area at Scott’s Seafood in Walnut Creek or the fairytale cottages in Carmel. Front door is wood and glass but its round shape and the low ceiling in the foyer are reminiscent of a hobbit house from the Lord of the Rings movies.
Were given a booth which was located right under a vent. No biggie except the thermostat would occasionally roar to life, disrupting our conversation.
Menu is old school. Taste was OK but nothing sublime or innovative. Foie gras appetizer was tiny for the price and was a little too rare for my liking. The tempura fried strawberry garnish was tasteless and had a puzzling, spongy texture. Cocktails were good and strong.
Duck with duck sausage orzo pasta was the winning entrée of the night. It was the most flavorful dish of all. Too bad I didn’t pick this as my meal. I kept wanting to steal bites from my friend’s plate.
Two people ordered the lamb which was perfectly grilled to a medium rare. However, flavor was all in the meager drizzle of pesto. Didn’t care for the accompanying salad. Wasn’t feeling the salad entrée vibe. Glad I didn’t order this.
My short ribs were fork tender and portion was huge. My problem was the flavor profile lacked depth. No umami. I guess they were trying to lighten up the dish for spring and in the process removed all the character from the dish. Brought my leftover short ribs home and they were better the next day. I doctored it up with more fresh veggies, store bought fresh gnocchi and a homemade carrot purée sauce.
Server was OK, if a bit of a newbie. His descriptions of the specials lacked polish and he had to read from his notes halfway through. However, his demeanor was friendly and eagerly helpful so we decided to be charmed. Being paired with a more experienced busser who picked up the slack helped.
There were long gaps between courses but we didn’t mind since we were celebrating a birthday and catching up with each other. I could see where it could be a problem though if we hadn’t planned for a leisurely meal and instead wanted to dine and dash.
Patrons are of the older country club and pearls with cardi set. Expensive, destination restaurant. Ultimately, the success of the evening owed more to the company we kept rather than the food or atmosphere.

Quite an impressive little place here in Lafayette. I was jonesing for a last minute dinner place for this Easter Sunday and voila Postino popped right up and as soon I made a call; the hostess answered and we were booked for an early dinner.
We had the steamed clams for the starter and this was delicious with deep clam and white wine sauce speckled with crispy bacon. For our main, we had the following:
1. Cod: perfectly cooked and so fresh, served over a bed of rice and capers.
2. Duck: again, the breasts are perfectly crispy on the outside and juice in the center. The fruity balsamic reduction went quite well to balance this dish. I would skip the confit though, this was a bit on the salty side.
3. Garganelli: hand rolled-​Al Dente pasta that is similar to pene with rabbit and shiitake mushroom coated in balsamic game jus reduction. This was a bit salty but overall quite good if the chef would hold back on the salt a bit.
Service is attentive though the ambiance is bit dated – circus like draping in the main hall. I would come back again though.

It’s good, could be better. Had a reservation for last night, walk in, very beautiful ladies at the counter but not much in the way of «welcome, how are you folks doing tonight», etc. Just «hi» and «follow her».
No problem, got seated with menus, except no drink menus and no waiter for longer than expected. Just sitting there with our already gone over menus. Then the lady that seated us comes back, thought we were getting a drink menu, no, she wants to ask us if we can move. Didn’t offer a drink comp, etc, just sat us somewhere else.
Ok, whatever, we are over by the fireplace and got our waitress who was great. Great help from her on wine selection and food. After all that we were happy from that point on.
As for the food, seems like the same menu for many years but still good stuff, not great though.
Nice ambience, guitar player, nice setting.
Final conclusion: A big hearty «Meh». Think it’s good but I think if they had management with a more discriminating eye it would be much, much better. Might be back in a few years.

Great atmosphere, good was good and we had a great time. ;o)

Service was excellent and although the server asked us if everything was okay, we said yes even when the food was very boring. We had the soup, a caesar salad, the octopus salad, and for entrees the duck, the lamb, rabbit pasta and pasta bolognse, 3 sodas and no desserts.
The caesar salad tasted of only the heart of the romaine lettuce, very light green white… bland. The duck breast was good, though a bit fatty. The lamb was very tasty as was the rabbit. Too bad, for a $ 200 dinner for 4 (2 adults/​2 teens) I expected a lot more.
I will not be going back again.

I’d love to try more of their food but I can’t not get the short ribs – fall off the bone phenomenal.

Came here with my mom, aunt and god-​mother. We dined in the bar area which is small, but connects to their patio and other main dining areas.
My god-​mother and I arrived first (there is street parking which is free after 6pm and valet parking which I believe is around $ 7) so we grabbed a small table and added two chairs.
My god-​mother ordered this cheese and meat plate and garlic fries. The portion is perfect for 2 – 4 people (depending on how hungry you are). I was quite hungry so I was eating the majority of it as my aunt, mother and god-​mother conversed.
We ordered another round of garlic fries and grilled zucchini. I’m not a huge fan of zucchini, but man was this pretty yummy. I’m not too sure what is was drizzled with but it gave the zucchini a different flavor which was light.
I honestly want to assume that this place is a bit pricey, but I can’t say as my god-​mother ordered the food and also had paid for the bill.
The majority of people who I’ve come across are people probably between their 30’s-50’s. It’s a nice place to go for an anniversary or if you have that kind of money to burn =]

Great restaurant with great food. The ambiance is warm and inviting. What really makes the experience is that the wait staff are so friendly and take the time to talk to you and will remember your name when you return! I also observed the staff going above and beyond to accommodate requests from patrons. (Switching to a different table, lighting the outside fire pit… etc). We ordered the soup of the day, carrot salad, duck and the short ribs. Everything was tasty, but I think the herby seeds in the carrot salad may be a more acquired taste. The duck was cooked perfectly and the orzo was also yummy. The short rib was nice and tender and pulled apart easily while the peas and polenta all made the dish shine. Wine pairing was spot on! I will def return again!

Pros:
Burrata
Zuppa
Short ribs
Lasagna
Cons:
Have to book reservations at least a few days in advance on the weekends
Parking lot is crowded.
Prices can be high, but then again so is the quality.

Postino’s has absolutely fantastic Italian food. The environment is very open — high ceilings, patio areas and a fireplace make the whole place seem very cozy. There is also a bar area for those who are so inclined.
The food is stellar too. The capellini had plenty of shrimp, and had a good amount of flavor without it being too overpowering. The cod was also fresh and cooked just right.

Excellent intimate atmosphere with a fine dining experience but can be loud. Enjoyed the Italian cuisine and found the pasta meats and fish to be fresh and well sourced. Not too pricey and service was excellent

My husband and I are here last night (1÷16÷16) and we really enjoyed it a lot. We made a reservation for 7:30, but got there at 7:00 and we were accommodated.
The food: we ordered the burrata and Vongole. But were fantastic. The burrata was amazing, soft, fresh … Served with tomato jam and coppa, it was so yummy. The baby clans in the Vongole were awesome. The side was so savory.
My husband ordered the rib-​eye steak. He ordered it medium well, but it cam bout medium rare. He wasn’t going to say anything, but our really awesome waitress saw something was wrong, and immediately fixed it, returning his steak and providing him with what he asked for. I had the cod. It was perfection.
There was a very nice selection of wine, from which we ordered a bottle. For dessert I ordered the lemon crème brûlée– it was so yummy. Perfect consistency, very nice. I also had a glass of port wine.
The only thing that was sort if a turn off (not the restaurant’s fault) was the large party next to us who had zero for anyone else’s evening. They were loud, obnoxious and rude (right down to the guy who wAs sharing photos with someone else in his party and bent over with his ass about 3″ from my face– really guy?).
This is definitely a place we will visit again despite our rude fellow eaters.

Fav Spot! Come here multiple times throughout the year. The food is always tasty and the wine is superb. Calamari is always a hit as well as any steak dish served. Let’s not forget about the simple treat, house made butter and fresh bread!!! (Drooling) multiple baskets are requested at each visit. Marcus (one of the owners) is amazing as well as all of the staff. This is a perfect place for celebrations or business meetings. Please make sure to be at least business casual, the atmosphere does not call for anything less.

Usually, my fiancé and I are the ones introducing my parents to new local restaurants. But, this time, my parents were the ones providing the restaurant recommendation and, to our surprise, it was actually a good recommendation! Postino is located on busy Mt. Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette, but it is tucked away in large brick building around a cozy, little courtyard. The menu offers your usual Italian fare. We tried out the restaurant during one of our bi-​weekly double dates with my parents. We ordered the following: caesar salad, fritto, lasagna, and linguini with clams. The food was tasty and the portions were large. Will definitely be back!

One of the best places I have been ever. First, the service is excellent. The environment is so warm, lighting is perfect, live music, fire place… Charming. Amazing selection of wine, the bread and bread butter were really good. Incredible perfectly balanced soup, perfectly juicy and perfectly cooked rib-​eye. Tiramisu was delicious! Definitely going back and recommending this place.

Oddly enough I never ate here, despite living right near it for years! I finally went here for a company holiday party, so my review may not be similar to those just going for a meal with a friend.
First off, the atmosphere of the place is amazing. It is warm and cozy, probably a great place for a date. I used their valet parking for the lunch and that made it a breeze — however several others in the group didn’t realize they had valet because you need to pull into the back of the lot to the right of the restaurant.
The service was excellent, but not totally on point in some cases (I had to continually ask for more drinks, a couple mix ups with plates but we had a group of 50 in their defense).
For appetizers there were:
— Crisp Gulf Shrimp, Fresh Horseradish Cocktail Sauce — this was good — you could tell it was just made.
— Grilled House Made Sausage, Spicy Mustard — SO good. Someone said it was duck.
— Salami Wrapped Pears, Mascarpone, Arugula — meh.
We had the large party menu so I ordered off a private party menu:
— Arugula Salad: wild arugula, extra virgin olive oil, squeezed lemon, shaved pears, feta — this was good — fresh and tasty.
— Chicken: roasted chicken breast, smashed red potatoes, wild arugula, pickled red onion, rosemary, meyer lemon pan jus — literally the BEST chicken I have ever had. And the potatoes were fantastic. I licked the plate.
— Apple Butterscotch Cake: huckleberry compote, vanilla ice cream — very good, and I didn’t realize the compote was huckleberry.
Overall it was an amazing place to host a party with fantastic food.

Review 100!!!
Tell me more about this fancy place called Postino in my lovely city of Lafayette?
My brother was visiting and we always try to eat somewhere hip or fancy. We didn’t want to go to SF and I really wanted to stay local and try Postino.
Ambiance: Upon entering you are blown away by how lovely the restaurant décor is. Rustic yet elegant. Upscale yet comfortable. I was with my brother but I could see this place being a romantic date place.
Service: I love asking a restaurant, that I have never been to, what dishes they are known for. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu etc.
Food: Started off with the burrata appetizer. Beautiful oval ball of burrata cheese drizzled with a balsamic reduction, toasted bread, quick brined green olives, house cured coppa and tomato jam. OMG! I would go just to eat that. For the amount of love that goes into that dish, it is reasonably priced.
Dinner I got the special that evening which was a wild mushroom risotto. I’m on this mushroom kick and this dish really satiated my craving. My bro got a pork dish. The first handful of bites were so good and flavorful. Delicious sauce. However, it started to be too salty.
Dessert: We shared their popular cookie dough dessert. Perhaps because I’m not a cookie dough fan. I thought this was lacking… that something to elevate it to be something truly special.
I would definitely return with a date this time. So many other yummy things on the menu to try.

We had a family dinner here after a memorial service for my mother. It was pre-​arranged by my sister and her husband who come here often and have established a relationship with the owner. We had the back room by the kitchen. It is not private but it opens on one side to a dining room. The servers do pass through to and from the kitchen. However, this did not pose a problem at all. I enjoyed the fire they had going in the fireplace.
It was my first time to the restaurant, and I was impressed by the service. The servers were attentive and personable — very kind and did not rush you at all. The food was good. The salads were fine but nothing extraordinary. I had ordered mine without goat cheese, but it came with goat cheese on it. I did not send it back. My hubby ordered a caesar with dressing on the side. It also was fine. We had our choice of four different entrees, and I ordered the ribeye steak. It was done perfectly and was a nice thick cut with a delicious sauce. However, it was not as tender as ribeyes I have had at steak restaurants. My sister ordered the duck, and I wish I had ordered that instead. If you like duck, order the duck! We had the restaurant cater a dinner earlier in the year at my sister’s house. They prepared short ribs. They were excellent!
They get three starts for the food and four stars for service. Wish I could give them a 3 ½, but I can’t. So I rounded up to four stars.

After the restaurant read my review, they instituted change. No longer is the website out-​of-​date, and gone is the blasé chicken. Unilocal is a great platform that not only provides thoughtful feed back, but a chance for a business to identify weaknesses and course correct. Kudos to the manager for taking heed.
I will certainly try them again as it is a beautiful restaurant.

Had a lovely group lunch here recently in a side room. I ordered the duck tacos with goat cheese. They were delicious.
Servers were attentive and appetizers were divine. We had the carpaccio and some kind of bread they usually only serve in the evening.
I also had a pot de crème which was the perfect consistency and my friends were raving over.
Can’t wait to come back!

I use Unilocal a lot, but never really review, only when I feel it’s absolutely necessary.
Anyway, after serving 10 years in the Marine Corps my boyfriend decided he wanted to go to culinary school. He went here for a class trip and was so impressed by what the owner had to say about his food and service, he asked me to meet him there after work for dinner. Not a single server approached us, not even to take our drink order, though we locked eyes with a few of them. We waited for 30 minutes and left, no worries, I wanted sushi that night anyway…
*The one star is for the bread and butter, which were already there before we were seated.

We came here after the Lafayette art and wine fest! Brooke is not only my friend but such a welcoming host:)
The outside has benches around the lawn as well as live music to listen to before you enter (or if you dine in the patio area).
We selected off their later afternoon menu. Everything was fresh and tasty. The Burrata plate was a great sharable appetizer. This is similar to a mozzarella but a bit softer and spreadable.
We then shared the melon and prosciutto salad. This is the perfect blend of sweet and savory.
We also ordered the pizza of the day. This was a prune jelly and goat cheese pizza. I was not superrr impressed by this but it was okay. It was very thin– more of a flatbread than a pizza. The dough was by no means soft.
The wine list is extensive and i had a crisp glass of Pino Grigio to wash it down.
The service was excellent. I will definitely try again for dinner rather than the afternoon menu (less selection).

Three stars is a bit light for Postino but it’s just hard to justify 4 stars. I’ve been dining here for many years when I’m in town and never had a bad experience but the food has become somewhat more ordinary and non distinctive despite fairly beefy prices. In addition, wait staff is polite and efficient but very unknowledable about menu and wine list. Ordering a 20 glass of Pinot Noir is does not seem to induce their serving it as if it was a diet coke.
Their famous shortribs last visit were very good. But rather than potato — celery root purée promised came what seemed to be a gratineed potato dish of some sort. It was good tho. But the shortrib cut was sloppy, not trimmed. A bit extra fat too which should have been removed before plating. Lasagna (they now have pizza and pasta entrees at lower prices I guess to expand the accessibility for more customers) and my guest had the lasagne. A sloppy goopy mess. I get this isn’t Babbo in NYC but that pasta was cafeteria grade.
Dessert offerings very much old school and inspired. Tiramisu was just cheap– like from a supermarket takeaway counter.
For an expensive and beautiful setting with a very impressive lineage, they seem to have dumbed down the menu, execution and staff. Still overall good — but not an exceptional dining experience. Next time I’ll just drive into the city.