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AcquaPazza Ristorante
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Speederia Pizzeria specializes in real New York pizza by-the-slice!
264 reviews for AcquaPazza Ristorante
Review Highlights
"...the bread and sundried tomatoes and olive oil was addicting."
(in 32 reviews)
"They offered two complimentary Tiramisu to us."
(in 7 reviews)
"Yeah, pasta at its finest and most decadent."
(in 65 reviews)
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264 reviews in English
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Review from Peter B.
2/6/2012 3 photos
What a terrific find in the heart of San Mateo, CA!
AquaPazza is an authentic Italian eatery located at an intersection in downtown San Mateo. A family-owned restaurant, Aqua Pazza (meaning crazy water) was founded by three brothers who immigrated from Naples. The restaurant prides itself on fresh house-made dishes.
The dining experience is truly one of art culinaire (see the pictures I uploaded). The fried polenta appetizer resembled two rectangular blocks, stacked and smothered with a delicious mushroom cream sauce. The imported buffalo mozzarella appetizer literally melted in my mouth and the grilled eggplant & zucchini was mouth-watering!
For my entree, I selected Rigatoni with leoncini smoked pancetta, onions, pecorino cheese and fresh tomato. I could hardly put my fork down!
Our waiter was extremely friendly and helped us select our menu choices. The service was prompt and complete.
I HIGHLY recommend Aqua Pazza for your next visit to San Mateo!! -
Review from Steve C.
Redwood City, CA
1/15/2012
Always nice to go here, but this time we had a group of about 20 and it went over perfectly. The serving staff were great, the stealth type where things seem to appear and disappear from the table and you don't notice :). Everything was timed right and the food was delicious. I don't know about some of the customer comments here saying that the accents sound fake, apparently they don't speak Italian, because my wife is Italian and she holds regular conversations with most of the staff during our visits.
I would highly recommend for just dinner or a group get-together. -
Review from Ursula D.
San Mateo, CA
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here for dinner after trying to go to Astaria across the street and finding the anticipated wait to be a little too long. The restaurant was practically empty except on small group and one couple. That should have been a red flag. Staff seemed to be pleasant enough...but then the food came. The bread of the crostini was burned and. The Montepulciano I had tasted practically unrecognizable and tasted as if it had come from a bottle that had been opened long ago, shoved in a corner of the bar, and then discovered with just enough for a glass so they decided to serve it. SUPPOSEDLY the chef of the evening was from Sicily, but if so, the special that I ordered, crab ravioli, was clearly not cooked by him. The sauce tasted like a bitter version of some Chef Boyardee sauce out of a can. My mother ordered the braised beef and it tasted like a frozen dinner pot roast.
After the horrible meal I was hoping a dessert would salvage some part of the meal, but it only got worse. After ordering the panne cotta and waiting at LEAST 30 min, I managed to flag down our waiter from the spot where he's just standing to ask him how much longer? Turns out he didn't put the order in!!!! In about 2 minutes he sends a server out with what looks like a round of vanilla custard that looks like it came out of a cat food can with some fruit sauce and 2 sprigs of mint. It unfortunately tasted no better. In order to " make up" for our missed order, the waiter brought us a complimentary grocery store bakery worthy tiramisu. On any other occasion I would have happily accepted a complimentary dish as a make up, but after being irritated by the horrible service and bad food that left me completely unfulfilled, I would have prepared to have been comped for the missed item.
Never would eat here again -
Review from Linda N.
Moss Beach, CA
12/15/2011
Great atmosphere, that is the best thing I can say about this place!
I gave them two stars rather than one because we had a large group and that could have impacted the quality of our experience, cold rubbery food and terrible service. Why would a restaurant ignore a table that is clearly spending big $$ to dine in their establishment? glasses were not cleared, starters were sitting around and looking nasty for at least an hour, we even made a game of creatively stacking our glasses to get their attention.
We had 7:15 reservation, the table was ready and we were promptly seated and that is where the "prompt" ends, we ended up finally getting out at 10:30, the time between courses was deplorable.
I had the sea bass special, fish was COLD and the sides were no better than Denny's. Our waiter was about as warm as a toad and in the end they were all anxious for us to get OUT but, trust me had they had their act together we would have been out much earlier and all would be happy!
11 people, apps, pasta tasting, main course, dessert, 3 bottles wine and LOTS of martini's and various cocktails = $$$$ for AcquaPazza, what did we get? cold food and frustration...2 stars is beginning to look like too many! -
Review from Rena J.
Berkeley, CA
1/8/2012
I swear their accents are fake... But the server and the host were super nice and friendly. The cocktails took a while to make but were so delicious, my table had a few rounds! Everyone loved the bread and the garlic, olive, olive oil topping that comes with it except me. It was pretty tasty but I wasn't in love with it like everyone else. My favorite bread will always be the fresh sourdough mini loaves from Frankie, Johnny and Luigi's.
I ordered gnocchetti with tomato sauce, another friend ordered seafood linguine while the rest of the ladies ordered veal. The veal ladies really enjoyed their dishes but I only tasted the linguine and it was really really good. I tend to be skeptical of seafood since I'm sensitive to fishiness but this had a nice briney fresh taste to it and the pasta itself had the right amount of bite. The gnocchetti was oh-so good. Sure they campy up the "Italian-ness" (I apologize if the server really does talk like that!) but the food and the cocktails are very tasty. -
Review from Liana R.
San Carlos, CA
12/29/2011
My fiance and I had a lovely experience here! The warm ochres and terra-cotta palette is so soothing and reminiscent of Old Italy... We were seated in the upstairs dining area, which I prefer to the more contemporary vibe downstairs. I'm not sure if it was the feeling I walked in with ;) more so than the ambiance and vibrant Chianti, but everything was perfect that night. I have to admit our server's Italian accent enhanced the appeal of the 'specials.' My wine glass never went wanting, the food was luxurious... the memory, divine. Spinach salad, prawns...sauce!
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Shawn S.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2011
Seems like this place is getting mixed reviews.
I had my first experience here last night and it was pleasant enough to give it 3.5 - 4 stars. I was more astounded by my dinner guest than the food and there was not a moment where we both said "Woah!" to our servings:
Organic spinach, roasted beets, caramelized walnuts, fresh gorgonzola
Smoked mozzarella, Provolone cheese, Wild Chiodini Mushrooms
Jumbo prawns, lemon-butter, sun-dried tomatoes, mashed potatoes
Pinot Noir
Cappuccino
I reserved a table toward toward the window which was an excellent choice as both views toward the restaurant and street were a pleasantry to accompany the ambiance provided through a candle light dinner.
It was cozy and quiet within our area so I would recommend this place for a quiet rendezvous with acquaintances as the place is not very busy. -
Review from Andy H.
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
ugh, so tired of the bad food streak I am on. Service was excellent, but the food was a joke. Pappardelle special was packaged Pappardelle noodles with CANNED mushrooms AND the "light cream sauce" was the JUICE from the mushroom cans (blech!)
House Cab was very tasty.
I go to a restaurant for food above all else. -
Review from Lana G.
Burlingame, CA
9/11/2011
Giving this place 5 stars for really personalized service and outstanding customized mojitos from the Bar Chefs...
Four of us are on a multi-year quest to find the best mojitos in the Bay Area. Our "club" meets about every six to eight weeks for dinner and drinks and an assessment of the local fare and regional options.
Friday night, we picked AcquaPazza to celebrate a birthday and help one of our friends relive her summer vacation in Italy. Great night, authentic food, good vibe and overall terrific dinner!
Best of all, however, was the customized service from Bar Chef Jon and Beverage Manager Renee, who managed to produce customized mojitos for each person's individual tastes. The fresh coconut mojito should certainly become a summer staple on the specialty drink menu -- FANTASTIC! The frozen berry mojito and the citrus mojito were also keepers and worthy of a signature spot. Definite front runners in the Best of the Bay quest. Thanks for a great night out... well worth the perseverance to park on a Friday night. -
Review from Sophia K.
7/6/2011
Two items NEVER to order from AcquaPazza: calamari and gnocchi
Both dishes were the worst I've ever had. Their fried calamari was extremely tough and rubbery- really needed to sink my teeth and yank for a bite. The dish we got also looks nothing like the picture on their website. My gnocchi was incredibly sticky. The texture was way off.
My bf's veal scaloppini was okay. His side of fried polenta was probably the only somewhat tasty item I tried that evening. First round of bread was okay, but the second round was dense and stale.
Food was horrible, but the service was just as bad. Incredibly slow. We didn't get our food until an hour after we sat down.Listed in: Worst Bay Area Restaurants
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Review from Barbara K.
San Mateo, CA
11/13/2011
This place takes me back to my childhood because the owners are from Naples and so was my grandmother (very nearby). They cook like she does and even have sfogliatella which is this amazing pastry and sweet ricotta cheese that is impossible to find on the Peninsula. The service is spectacular, the food amazing, the atmosphere very inviting, the wine to behold. The owners make you feel like you are family. Their mother, Mama Carmella, comes from Naples once or twice a year and prepares a special menu for all to enjoy.
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Review from Eric B.
San Mateo, CA
9/17/2011
One of my favorite local restaurants. The veal is my favorite and the service is amazing!
The staff make you feel like they know you. I always wonder if they really remember me or if they are that nice to everyone.
Two thumbs way up for this place -
Review from melissa h.
CA
11/5/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I love this restaurant. Had a little pizza the other night with hubby - sausage with some mushrooms. Oh it was good and a green salad to go. Yum. The waiters are great, I love them because they are from the mother land. Napoli style food, great fried appetizers. Sometimes on Thursday's there is a guy singing Italian Romantico songs. Maybe the first and third thursday...I forget. If you've been to the Amalfi coast and you need a little fix this is the perfect spot.
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Review from Felix M.
Menlo Park, CA
5/11/2011
Italy is a magical place and restaurants that take me back there get a thumbs up from me. Acquapazza is run by an Italian family that does a great job giving their customers a taste of their home country.
My most recent visit consisted of minestrone, pappardelle with porcini mushrooms, the Acquapazza (a specialty fish dish from Napoli) and for dessert affogatto (ice cream served in a martini glass of espresso). This is just how they do it in Italy, antipasto, pasta, meat, and dessert. Unlike a lot of meals I've had where the appetizers out shined the rest of the dishes, each course was very good and progressed nicely as the meal went on.
The wine selection was good with a variety of price points. Decor of the restaurant was also nicely done. The service was very warm and accommodating. You truly feel a part of the family once you've dined here a couple of times. -
Review from Mick R.
CA
6/25/2011
Portions are large. Big red flag. Big portions means ingredients are pedestrian.
Olive oil bath for bread is not good.
I had the calamari, soggy and fishy.
The crostini was soft, and all the crostinis (4 different ones) were bland.
I also had the seafood risotto. Not very good. The best part of the meal was the california wine and the still water bottle they had.
I just didn't like this and probably will never come back. I think the clientele here are generally old or people who don't know Italian food which is why its not very good, there is a captive audience. The place is full with mediocre food so the proprietor is making bank. -
Review from Shannon R.
San Bruno, CA
10/25/2011
Delicious food and a very friendly staff. Only downside is trying to find parking
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Review from Jane S.
San Mateo, CA
1/8/2012
Some of the most average Italian food I've had in a long time. The outdoor seating is nice, but without good food, what's the point? Try La Lanterna on 25th instead.
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Review from Jessica B.
Redwood City, CA
5/10/2011
Went to AcquaPazza for the first time last night w/ a friend who recommended it.
I got there pretty early and sat at the bar waiting for her, along with two individuals who apparently were either regulars or work for AcquaPazza (a man and a woman). The man was obviously buzzed if not already drunk - but his rambling was humorous. He offered to buy me a drink and I declined. I ordered a Cosmopolitan which was incredibly strong...I'm not sure the bartender is qualified to mix drinks. D: When my friend arrived it was still earlier than our reservation time (though the restaurant was almost completely empty) so we sat at the bar and chatted. The increasingly tipsy man offered to buy us both a round and so we accepted and I tried another drink (Pera Fresca) which was also horrible. I didn't finish it.
We sat at our table at 6:30pm on the dot (our reservation time) and continued chatting, browsing the menu, chatting. Our waiter was honestly like a fly on a cupcake. He wouldn't leave us alone...kept walking by - it didn't feel attentive, it felt annoying. Finally we ordered appetizers to get him to back off. I don't remember what my friend ordered but I had the fried calamari which indicated it came with zucchini and prawns. There were *two* (wow!!!) shrimp on the plate and about four slivers of zucchini. The calamari were actually not the delicious and authentic calamari I so love but cheap circular rubber band calamari. Boring, tasteless. The tartar sauce was generic like you'd get at any grocery store - almost like mayonnaise. Gross.
After an hour or so of chatting and nibbling, we ordered our entrees. I went with the gnocchi, and like someone else said on here it was incredibly blah... I've made better at home, nothing particularly authentic about it and a TON of sauce. Everything on my plate tasted the same - like tomato sauce.
The side I chose was "seasonal squash" and no joke the waiter brought me a plate of BROCCOLI with two *tiny* squash on it. Um ok...? I didn't order a side of broccoli! lol I ate it anyway b/c I love my green veggies.
Tonight I'm balancing my checkbook and see that despite a receipt which I still have showing $37 (total was $30.59 I gave the guy a $6.41 tip), AcquaPazza Ristorante has debited $40.59 from my checking account (changing my $6.41 tip to $10 - how generous of them!). So on top of a crappy experience they also felt the need to take an additional $3.59 from me? Now I get to call them in the morning and tell them...
I can have fun talking to a friend anywhere without being overcharged for crappy food. I won't be going back. :/ -
Review from Yuan C.
Santa Clara, CA
Updated - 1/4/2012
OK, I promised not to go back but then I was invited to a birthday party. So, I went with hope that they would redeem themselves. Nope, they served burned bread! The bread was served and every single piece was burned! Come on, we had 40 people there and my sister in-law paid big money for this birthday party for her son but you served burned bread?! I could not believe that this restaurant survived! My sister in law was disappointed as well. Ohh well, stay away, yelpers.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/25/2010
It was our anniversary and luckily we were able to find baby sitters. So, we finally could enjoy our… Read more »
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Review from Diane B.
Moss Beach, CA
9/15/2011
I brought my niece here as a going away before she leaves for college. It was nearly empty inside. Pretty full on their sidewalk tables. I love this building, and remember it when it was a Vietnamese place before it had a big fire and morphed into Italian. I deliberately picked it for its accessibility (in terms of the menu) because my niece isn't very adventurous in the food category yet. They brought a very weird dipping oil with the bread. I couldn't figure out what the solids in it were. They had no distinct flavor, but looked kind of like canned oysters. I chose a salad of greens, red onions, olives and hearts of palm. Just two olives on the side, one green, one black. Needed more pronounced dressing - not enough flavor. Then I had an appetizer of (I can't remember how they described it) fritto misto. The zucchini were over cooked and soggy; the calamari were dry and totally over cooked and the shrimp were perfect, but there were only two of them. C. had the gnocchi in pesto sauce. She seemed to like them and finished them all. She's not so food obsessed as me, so I didn't ask for her critique. Something about the waiter rubbed me the wrong way - not exactly sure what. The bussers on the other hand were right on task and delightful. The tab with tax , but not tip was $31
Rating:
Food- 20/40
Service -11/20
Atmosphere/facility 19/20
Intangibles/value 14/20
64% -D -
Review from Tracy L.
Cupertino, CA
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for the Dishcrawl last Thursday and the restaurant was packed! There were three concurring events going on and we were in the wine room. Enzo and Tulio, the owners, were wonderful and accomodating, as well as Meg, who is the event manager there.
Out of all the dishes we tried that night, many chose their favorites to be at Acqua Pazza. The Mamma Carmela's Gnocchi with fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato sauce and the Strozzapreti with rolled and twisted pasta, Sausage,Mushrooms,Peas, and a great Cream Sauce was perfection found in pasta.
I'm usually picky about my Italian restaurants, but the pasta here speaks for itself! :) -
Review from Chris G.
Marina del Rey, CA
5/24/2011
Looking for Italian food while visiting and decided on this place. Wrong decision. Listen to reviewers.. seriously, don't make my mistake.
Open table reservation for 730, didn't get our table till 8.
Service: Waiter was literally talking to us then left, numerous times without completing our order or his sentance. When we got our food it came out at different times - nearly 10 minutes apart. Then they argued with us for one dish that they put in wrong. At the end it took 20 minutes to get plates cleared when we were done.
Food:
pizzas (Italian sausage) was really plain with no spices, a few sausages and mushrooms. It wasn't bad but it was bland with no kick. My delivery place has better pizza by far. In fact frozen pizza is much better than this.
The gnocchi, not even going to tell you. Do not order this, it tastes like soft noodles from a can with simple tomato sauce. Again bland, boring and actually so bad we couldn't finish it.
Wild berry belini was just champagne with 3 little berries in it. It was really boring and served in a champagne glass. Not as described.
The sourdough table bread was good, fresh and warm. Good job there. Wouldn't change that unless they had a garlic roll.
Overall:
For a place as busy as it was it begs me to question why. Everyone was nice though and friendly. Location was nice but I just wish the food had a huge revamp. No question, the worst tasting Italian I have ever had. Spices are your friend, use them. Add some flavor and ingredients to your sauces. If the owners are ever in Los Angeles, visit C&O Cuchina in Westla, it's amazing. -
Review from Aaron B.
Foster City, CA
7/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Having haunted downtown San Mateo for many years now, I feel a bit foolish having only recently tasted the delicious food at Acqua Pazza. Upon learning that Acqua Pazza meant crazy water, I found myself inspecting the water they served and giggling as I drank it. I'm not sure if there was something in the water or just a problem with my head, but I was definitely acting a bit silly during lunch. Silliness aside...
Interior: Classy interior with covered outdoor seating. Not too fancy, but very clean and well maintained with plenty of space.
Service: The service was spot on. I couldn't help but enjoy the experience more because the waiter took time to explain some of the less common menu items, and even patiently explained some very common things to my less than savvy mother. I think it also helped that the server had an old world accident that made me think of the movie 300. Completely unrelated to the food, but should explain my silly state.
Food: My meal I enjoyed is listed below, but I have to say the quality of the food was superb. Specifically the Gnocchi was perfectly done to my taste; slightly firm but melt in your mouth without being chewy or sticking to the teeth. Their home made limoncello flavors are deliciously smooth, and their affogatto cake thingy gave me a foodgasm.
My Meal:
Unsweetend herbal tea (very refreshing)
Good quality rustic bread with a flavored olive oil mixture for dipping.
Limoncello (Homemade and oh so delicious)
Gnocchi (Perfectly prepared)
Affogatto Cake Thingy (I wish I could recall the name, but I was spent after eating it)
In summary, I pity the foo who doesn't try AcquaPazza. In hindsight, they might call the place Crazy Water because the water came with bendy straws. Either way, any place with bendy straws deserves a try. -
Review from Chris M.
Foster City, CA
4/28/2011
I was always curious about this Italian restaurant in Downtown San Mateo . . . to be honest, there's not too many really good Italian joints, at least nothing I'd write home about. And unfortunately, AcquaPazza is no exception.
You know a place is nothing special when the best thing they serve is the free bread basket with olive oil / garlic dip. It really is the best thing there. I ordered the Gorgonzola Gnocchi, and the Mrs ordered the seafood pasta. Honestly, and I'm not just saying this, I could have made both dishes myself. Really. Just extraordinarily average. The gnocchi was undercooked and heavily sauced. The seafood pasta was filled with average seafood, and rubbery pasta in a bland sauce.
I really can't recommend AcquaPazza. Granted, two dishes is a small sample size, but who has time (and money) to try an entire menu in this economy. You gotta wow me the first time around to get me to come back. The best advice I can give is that if you are a fan of average Italian food, take a trip to the Olive Garden . . . at least you'll save a couple bucks. -
Review from Lars P.
San Mateo, CA
4/27/2011
Excellent venue for a Tuesday night lite dinner.
Started out with a serving of the house minestrone w/Italian Sausage followed Gnocci Bolognese.
I always use Gnocci Bolognese as he dish to rate an Italian restaurant (whenever avail.) and this was surely no dissapointment.
Homemade Gnocci in a lite tomato meat sauce and the freshly shaved parmesan on top was the dot over the i.
My fellow diner had the baked eggplant followed by the Veal Piccata which was quoite tasty too.
All this washed down with a bottle of the House Chianti which was reasonable served at $24.00 and the winer pared perfectly with the chosen dishes.
Another Italian gem in SM Downtown. -
Review from Gail H.
Foster City, CA
9/4/2011
Terible Food and Service!
Two of my friends wanted to take me out to dinner for my birthday. They chose this place because none of us had ever been there and they had heard good things about it. We were seated. The first thing we noticed was that it was a very noisy restaurant. Then, they had a singer and accompaniest. That made it even noisier. We sat for quite a while without menus or anyone coming to our table. Then, finally, our waiter came. We ordered and eventually he brought bread and oil. I requested butter. 10 minutes later I asked again for butter. Another 10 minutes passed. No food. No butter. After about 45 minutes, our food came. I finally got butter after asking for it five times. I had ordered lasagne. It was ice cold. I sent it back to warm up. It came and it tasted pretty bad. I couldn't eat it. I tasted my friend's pasta. It was just okay. To compensate us for the bad lasagne, they gave us one dessert. I started laughing when I tasted it. It reminded me of the toilet odorizer -- it was some cake with rose water flavoring. All in all a very bad dinner with worse service. Never again. -
Review from Dan G.
Menlo Park, CA
4/8/2011
Nice space, service was good, but food was lousy.
I had the special veal Parmesan. Veal was over done, sauce was canned. The gnocchi that came with it were OK. Seafood on the ravioli special were not fresh. Very fishy tasting.
Tiramisu was OK.
I wouldn't go back. -
Review from Hector G.
4/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm giving them 4 stars b/c Yelp hasn't figure out the half star system for us just yet. They will though.
We came here for Admin Day lunch and had a group of 8, which usually leads me to believe we won't get good service. Not the case. In fact, the entire restaurant has one waiter and they man busted ass!!!
They serve a lovely basket of bread with this excellent infused oil. It's loaded with roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes and herbs, so good I couldn't stop eating the damn bread!
We ordered the calamari for the table and it was good. Nothing special, but it was good.
I ordered the special Veal Parmesan, which was served with gnocchi and covered in a tangy tomato sauce. Excellent! Very flavorful, cooked well and an excellent choice.
My co worker ordered the special pasta which was spinach fettuccine with an arugala pesto sauce, prawns and veggies. It was off the charts!!
I would definitely recommend this spot for lunch b/c the prices were very good. No more than $16 for an entree and the food was very good. -
Review from Leo C.
3/3/2011
Came here with some friends on a Saturday lunch. The experience was very so-so all around - quality of food, service, total experience. Nothing in particular went wrong. As the 2-star indicates, it was definitely a "Meh, I've experienced better."
The restaurant was sparsely populated. We had a reservation for 6, though not needed. Got seated promptly, Linen cloth on the table, water served. People came, we ordered some pizzas to share. For the price point, the food and service was... meh. I wouldn't go back, given all the other options in the area. Based on the varying degree of reviews here, looks like AcquaPazza is very hit or miss. I'm not coming back here hoping for a hit myself anytime soon. -
Review from Aivy C.
2/10/2011
Amazing spaghetti carbonara!!!
I am generally a whore for anything involving carbs, dairy, and bacon. I feel sorry for all the people who have ever tried unsuccessfully to get into my pants by buying me shots of expensive liquor when all they really needed to do was make me a sandwich... or spaghetti carbonara.
Creamy, buttery, cheesy, salty, al dente goodness. Even my lactose intolerant date must have taken a pill called "Fuck it" because he too could not keep his fork off my plate. (haaaaaa, THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID)
I will surely return! -
Review from Alexis B.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Is this a 3 star place? In my experience of 3 stars meaning the place empresses me at a level of "it was just ok," then yes. Definitely yes. It was not bad, but not great either.
I really want this place to be better. It's in the heart of down town SM, and the atmosphere is great for a date. The part I have trouble with is the taste / uniqueness of food. I am not impressed with the creativeness. The quality and portions are satisfying, but the flavors are just not there.
We went here for the Yelp Drinks event, and were more than happily welcomed. I would give them a 5 for their efforts and service that night, but unfortunately a place needs to be consistent on the food flavors for me to be a fan. -
Review from Melisa C.
Belmont, CA
I came here for an early Christmas lunch with some co-workers. I called to make a reservation and they hooked me up with a nice, secluded table for our group of 8. I liked the "at home" feel of the restaurant and also the super friendly and helpful wait staff. We took all their recommendations and had a really awesome lunch.
Here are some of my favorite things:
Appetizer Platter - This is a HUGE sampler of all the Antipasti on their menu. It was more than enough for 8 of us to share. If you were just going to get one appetizer, the Arancini e Crocche (deep fried potato cake with melted cheese inside) is sooo yummy!
Strozzapreti - I was able to sample almost all the pasta dishes they offer and this one was amazing! It's rolled and twisted pasta, prosciutto, mushrooms, and peas with a cream sauce
All their pasta is cooked to perfection and the sauces are really flavorful! I also enjoyed their panini. I wasn't a fan of the desserts though (hence the loss of one star). The teramisu and Nutella calzone were a bit bland. The cheesecake had a nice orange flavor, but it was nothing special.
Overall, I would come back to this place. It was the best Italian food I've had in a while. -
Review from Em J.
San Francisco, CA
4/26/2011
Got seated right away,
Food: decent,mildly priced 10-14$/plate.
I got the Angel Hair Spaghetti, decent (i still vouche for Emmy's spaghetti shack though). Meatballs were ok.
Got the eggplant appetizer, you can pass on that one, it wasn't anything 'wow' , just a nicely stacked square pile of eggplant with sauce. Eh..
I'd give it 3.5stars, but, 4stars because...
Service: was excellent
I think our server, this tall older guy-my friend & i were debating whether it was a real accent or not ;)
Ambiance: nice & warm looking inside. -
Review from Rick C.
Redwood City, CA
5/6/2011
We tried AcquaPazza tonight for a dinner out with the family, and I was very happy with the whole experience. The food was quite good, service was excellent, desserts were very good, too. Burrata with prociutto to start, housemade spinach fettucine with white wine ragu, and an affogato to finish - what more could you want?
The place has a very nice vibe, relaxed but not too casual. Overall, a very solid Italian meal, and one I will take others to, as well. One of the best Italian places on the peninsula. -
Review from Anthony L.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
First off, the service was impeccable. The authentic Italian gentleman was the ideal server! He was friendly, readily available for all our requests,had great suggestions, was patient; pretty much everything you expect when it comes to being waited on!
We had a Napoli style Pizza with a hole cut out in the middle. In the middle was a pile of fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and sliced ham.
On the pizza itself was artichoke, peperoni and cheese. This has got to be the best pizza I've ever had. The thin yet flavorful crust was great, but the extraordinary mound in the middle had the perfect ingredients for the pizza. Bravo Napoli, bravo.
We also had the Clam chowder, which was creamy rich and flavorful. I loved the overall blending of the ingredients and it had plenty of clams.
The Capellini Alla Lucchese, was pretty good too. The tart and flavorful ragu sauce was done well. The angel hair was al-dente and the meatballs were a good size.
The waiter even comped us a Tiramisu. The dessert was not overly sweet at all and the overall texture was like biting into a cloud ;)
Great experience and we will definitely be going back often.
"Grazie mille" -
Review from Raquel Q.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/12/2011
I finally made it into this restaurant! As mentioned, I've had their food at a catered event. I've been wanting to take my foodie boyfriend there for the longest.
So we made it last sunday, we had a lovely time. We had dinner on the outside terrace. It was a nice warm evening, music and great food. Not to mention their service is oustanding. The waiter was very attentive, They kept the bread and oil dip coming. They should bottle & sell that stuff.
My "food critic" boyfriend enjoyed every bite! We had the rice ball appitizers,YUM! I had the Strozzapreti pasta, Italian sausage, peas, mushrooms.
He had Squid ink lingune, fresh clams, prawns, calamari, tomato.
The food was so delicious! Dessert we had Affogato al Caffe. Oh and the restaurant was lovely. Very inviting Italian atmosphere. I loved it.
If your looking to have a great dining experience, I would suggest Aqua Pazza. I know we will be back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/10/2011
Excellent! They just catered for my company. They did an excellent job, the food was delicious and… Read more »
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Review from Dean W.
1/16/2011
3.5 stars.
I've walked by this place many times yet never been here. Today my gf made reservations and so this was my chance to try it out. Every time I've walked by it seems as if there were a good amount of tables seated so it can't be bad can it?
Upon entering there was a weird smell (not in a good way). Not sure what it was but it wasn't appetizing. After I sat down the smell either went away or the smell of the food covered it so it wasn't much of an issue anymore.
We all ordered pasta and one of us had the filet mignon special. I personally ordered capellini with meat balls. I felt the portion was on the smaller side but it still filled me up. The plating wasn't the best as it was covered in tomato sauce and was a sea of bright red. The meat balls were not bad, wasn't too dry, somewhat juicy. The pasta's tomato sauce wasn't sweet enough, a bit too tart for my taste. We ordered the calamari to share as well and it was surprisingly good.
The wait staff was friendly and attentive. I would say Acqua Pazza is one of those places where all dishes are safe bets. There aren't many or any dishes that were too creative or exciting, just simple, traditional Italian pastas and main courses. -
Review from Brenda C.
Fremont, CA
8/17/2011
I came here with my girlfriend a few weeks ago. And it was okay. I had the gnocchi and a salad. I probably wouldn't order that again, and would give it another shot, but I just feel like there are waay too many italian restaurants in this area to settle for 'okay'.
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Review from Vangie G.
Seattle, WA
3/16/2011
I totally forgot I was in the middle of writing this on my last trip to the Bay area. This place was a nice restaurant in San Mateo and, to be honest, we went inside because we were hungry and it was the place that didn't have a line.
I had a full swordfish that they baked and showed me...and then proceeded to de-fin it back in the kitchen. I liked the service of it all but the fish was good, not spectacular.
The hubby had the baked chicken which he said was very good but he didn't finish it, which is a little unlike him. So...maybe it was "just" good, too?
The ambience of the place didn't quite ooze Italian restaurant by the sea, which I think they are trying to do. The waiters with the italian accents were a plus, though. -
Review from James L.
10/28/2010
Came here with a good friend of mine for a Yelp Elite Event, way back in May! The company was great and we ran into some old friends, but the reason why it's taken me so long to actually review the place was because the food just didn't measure up, I'm sad to say. (I usually try to "wait" for a bit before posting a bad review because I feel like I can give a fairer review with some time and distance.)
At the event we sampled a couple pasta dishes, some gnocchi, and fava bean puree on crostini.
The pasta in tomato sauce was okay, but forgettable. The pasta in a creamy sauce would have been completely flavorless had it not been for the pancetta adding a hefty dose of grease and salt.
(Full disclosure: I make my own sugo/marinara at home and I like to keep a supply of really good organic whole-grain pasta from Italy. So I admit that when it comes to pasta, I'm pretty spoiled/hard to please. Still, my friend's comment on both pasta dishes were: "They're... okay, but they need SOMETHING. They taste like they're missing something.")
The gnocchi were passable when warm but as soon as they cooled down a bit they became really thick, rubbery, and gel-like. My friend and I amused ourselves while we were chatting by holding small plates of gnocchi upside down and watching the little nuggets and the pool of sauce they were stuck in remain frozen in time and space.
The fava bean puree on crostini was okay. Not great (again, they "needed something"), but considering the amount of time and prep work that would be involved in making a good fava bean puree from scratch at home, you might as well try this out if you're here.
Considering that my review is for a Yelp Elite Event you might want to take it with a grain of salt, but still, you've been warned.
