I don't want to spend much time reviewing a disappointment but I feel I owe it to the helpful Yelpers out there who have directed me toward great places and warned me of bad ones. This place is bad, period. In addition I especially don't appreciate my nose being assaulted by detergent when the staff is rushing to clean the kitchen and to get out the door, and while I am still eating. Actually, overall I have yet to find a decent restaurant in posh Orinda.
Review Source:Four of us enjoyed a nice early dinner here after a late afternoon movie across the street (very convenient). Nice fresh salads, yummy pastas and good pizza. We had friendly and efficient service. Atmosphere was pleasant, noise level acceptable and the prices reasonable. We'll definitely return.
Review Source:Went here last Tuesday with my mom and sister before seeing The Great Gatsby at the theater across the street. Traffic was worse than usual in the Caldecott Tunnel and so we only had 30 minutes to spare. We informed them that we were trying to catch a movie and they were very respectful of that. They gave us our check when they brought us our food, so we didn't have to waste time with that. Not only did we get our in time to make the movie, but we had some time to spare!
The food was pretty good overall. The pizza I had was good, though had a little to much cheese.
I would definitely recommend this place and I'll definitely be back!
My girlfriend and I went there last Thursday night. Â I suppose 9:30 PM may have been late for sleepy Orinda, but there were still patrons inside and we were seated without issue. Â The waiter brought us menus and came back a short time later asking if we were ready to order. Â No mention of whether or not we wanted something to drink. Â We ordered our meals and a glass of wine each. Â I had the calamari steak which was unremarkable. Â My girlfriend said her seafood linguine didn't taste fresh. Â We weren't charged for her dish. Â Also, the bread tasted old.
The most amazing and unfortunate thing about our experience was that while people were still eating the workers commenced some type of major clean up dragging all the mats out from the kitchen area into the restaurant. Â By the time we left the whole place smelled like Pinesol. Â And, there were still three tables with customers eating. Â Of course we all know that strong odors can ruin the taste of food. Â The hallway to the resrooms was blocked by all of the stuff that was being cleaned.
We won't be back. Â Orinda really needs some better restaurants.
The server was great. The food was awful.  Both my friend and I ordered the artichoke soup. What we got was a broth type green soup, no creamy artichokes or even artichokes hearts.  I had the Penne Tre - Funghi  mushroom pasta dish and I think they forgot to rinse off the mushrooms because it tasted like dirt.  First time in a long time I didn't like two dishes. I felt kind of bad for leaving food on my plate.  The bread was good, had to ask for oil to dip it in, hello it's an Italian restaurant right?
Review Source:I've been to La Piazza quite a few times, and since I'm "new" to this Yelp site, I figured this is a great place to start. Â If I was on death row, the smoked salmon risotto may well be my last meal. Â This is the best smoked risotto I had ever had. The pizza's are from the brick oven and I love the Quarto Staggione with it's artichokes and kalamata olives. Â Â For some of the best Italian food in Contras Costa County...I always know where to get a great meal!
Review Source:OK... Â It's time to UPGRADE our impression of La Piazza!! Â
We've been there before and found the food good, but things have improved noticeably!
Atmosphere: Â Very friendly and Inviting!
Décor:  Warm, Clean and Comfortable!
Noise Level: Â More than acceptable!
Service: Â Quick, Talented, Skilled and Friendly with one exception (see below)!
Menu: Â Italian Focused with a Good Number of Selections!
Food: Â Superb bordering on Wonderful!
The Cesare was fresh, crisp and generous. Â The dressing had just the proper hint of anchovy. Â The Insalata Mista was generous, well chilled and the Lemon Herb Vinaigrette dressing was heavenly. Â
I had the Scaloppini di Vitello Piccata with a side of Penne alla Arrabiata. Â The veal cutlet was "melt-in-your-mouth" tender and the Piccata had a generous helping of capers. Â The Penne alla Arrabiata was, OMG, delicious. Â My wife had the Spaghettini alla Carbonara with the most outstanding Egg Cream Sauce in the East Bay! Â
We each enjoyed a desert: Â the Ganache and the Tiramisu. Â People would have killed for the Ganache. Â The Tiramisu was very good. Â
Only one objection kept this from being a 5 star review: Â The Specials of the Day are listed on a board near the brick oven behind the dining bar. Â If you don't happen to look that way, you'll never see them and our waiter failed to bring them to our attention. Â Boo Hiss. Â We only noticed them on the way out. Â Too bad, because several looked very exciting.
Suggestion:  Print the daily specials (listing all the details and prices) on a separate piece of paper and hand them out along with the menus.  Voilà !  Everyone will get the "heads-up." Â
We were thrilled with the meal and will be back for more!
Love the family vibe and simplicity of the place. When you can see the classic brick oven in view you know it's the real deal. The lasagna was really tasty. I expected a larger portion, but it was still worth it. Just enough char on the edges to give it that slight crunch I enjoy on the noodle.
Eager to return because I've got some pasta dishes I still want to try.
Solid 3/5 stars. My cured beef was a little on the bland side and my clam pasta was overly acidic...downed my entire glass properly quick trying to refresh my pallet between bites.
Service was alright too, it was obvious the girl was pretty new as she seemed a bit spazzy in a kind of cute way. Totally not offensive, I guess I'm splitting hairs here.
Enjoyed the tiramisu. I think the place is probably just a bit spotty, as when I tried several other dishes like the salmon pizza it was real good
I love this little Italian restaurant in Orinda. Located right across the street from the Orinda Movie Theater. I've been coming here for years. They have a wood brick oven and their pasta is Delicious! I always order their Cesar salad (they make their own croutons) with the Rigatoni De la Pimontes (Delish!).
Review Source:I stopped at La Piazza on the way to SF, one night, while I was on my own. I had a delicious dinner for a reasonable place. We just came back  for dinner with the family and everyone loved their meals. The kids split a yummy pizza made in their beautiful brick oven (heated by firewood). My wife loved her special (butternut squash lasagna) and I loved mine (smoked salmon risotto: delicious, perfectly cooked, nicely plated). Everything tasted fresh and like made from scratch. Â
The only negative would be the tiny wine glasses, a real bum for reds. How can you enjoy you wine in those things? Â I just had an Italian beer.
They still get a 5 star review in terms of value. We dined for $15 per person (plus tip). How can this be real?
The wait was long for a table for two on a Friday night. Â We waited almost 30 minutes for a table, but once seated, service was friendly, inviting, and enjoyable. Â The food was delicious. Â Very flavorful and filling even though it may not look it when it first arrives. Â They do provide bread to hold you over before your food arrives - you can ask for olive oil/vinegar to dip it in, instead of butter.
Review Source:Almost perfect....
Two of my favorite pasta dishes I get from La Piazza. We eat here about once a month and usually it is take out so my boyfriend can just pick it up on the way home from work.
My Usual Orders: Penne Tre Funghi $12.75 or Seafood Linguine (Usually listed on their special).
Food 4.5: I REALLY want to give 5 stars but a recent take out order of the Seafood Linguine bumped it down a half a star. It was WAY too spicy. It even felt like the roof of my mouth was blistering.... mind you, I have ordered this dish multiple times and NEVER have I EVER tasted even a hint of spiciness... sooo sad I couldn't even eat it. It instantly became my rubbish can's dinner. I was so disappointed that I called La Piazza right away and explained the problem with the dish to the gentleman that answered. I asked him if they were training and new chef and he responded with a yes. He said that I could come back to get a new dish but we live in WC and I just didn't see the purpose in driving back to Orinda. I just ate all the bread that came with our meal and called it dinner... :( This is the only time I have EVER been disappointed with La Piazza's food. Usually it is terrific! I know now to ask for no spiciness in my dish!
Overall: I will continue to highly recommend La Piazza to anyone who wants a fabulous Italian Meal!!!
The place is really cute. Â I've been here several times. Â The food is good, not great. Â I especially like their Vongole. Â Salads are okay. Â Pizza - Â hit & miss. Â Service - Hit & Miss. Â
The problem is that nothing is consistant. Â Sometimes the food is great, other times it sucks. Â Same with the service. Â When I go to a place, I expect great service & great food all the time - not just some of the time. Â
Would I ever miss it if I never came back? Â NO
YUM! Â I wanted to try everything on the menu and had the hardest time picking one thing. Â We came here for a birthday dinner and only had 5 people so we couldn't make a reservation but we didn't have to wait too long. Â My parents and I split the carpaccio which was different than what I'm used to with the red onion in it but I liked it a lot. Â I ordered the Gnocchi Louisiana which was gnocchi and andouille sausage in a spicy creole sauce. Â It was amazing! Â I tried my dad's fettuccine pesto dish and it was great as well. The waitress was incredibly friendly and the whole experience was a pleasure. Â I will be back to try more things on the menu!
Review Source:Honest food at honest prices, with friendly service. I really enjoy the Chicken Marsala, and every time I get it, it is as good as the last time. I really like the fact that the food is simple and there is no pretense about what they're offering. You want Spaghetti Bolognese they that's what you'll get: pasta with a great tomato meat sauce, which is how it should be. It' nice to find a place where every time you go you see the same staff, the same people in the kitchen and the owner: Charles.
Review Source:TRIAL AND ERROR
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Appealing-Looks like an intimate casual upscale-ish neighborhood restaurant with decent ambiance, bar and a nice range of fresh offerings. Pretty busy but not too noisy. Started off with a wonderful Marinated Calamari and white bean salad and fine bread. ..(so my EXPECTATION was a 4 star)
REALITY BITES
1
Immediately noticed when seated we were freezing. On a cold day half the tables face the onslaught of wind from the front door- think....very busy restaurant with door swinging opened every 5 to 10 minutes....BRRRRRRRR....(suggestion to owner: get a screen or drape to block wind for a better customer experience)
2
We ordered Spinach Lasagna, a Meat Lasagna and a Angel hair pasta with tomato sauce. The pasta dish was okay enough- nothing memorable which is fine for this plain dish.... HOWEVER the Lasagnas were extremely rich-drowning in cheese and way too salty. The Spinach version had some sort of EXTREMELY creamy sauce which was not listed in the menu description...unpleasantly surprised- I wouldn't have ordered it. (2 star)
3
The food gets dished out at a good pace but overall service is very spotty. Though quite accommodating they're painfully under-staffed which makes for a not relaxing time- staff is stressed and stretched, can't get their attention (2 star for service, 4 stars for being professional and nice)
OBJECTIVE REALITY:
Good for those that like heavy italian style food...or go for the salads. Â Decent ambiance if you stay out of the draft or go on a warm day...and don't mind the spotty service. For a standard spot it meets the needs of the community...but not mine.
Drop whatever you're doing and go have some gnocchi here. It is hands-down, the most perfect gnocchi I've had on this side of the Atlantic. I ordered it with the mushroom cream sauce (that wasn't listed as the gnocchi sauce, but they substituted with no problem.)
The texture was light, yet toothy. The sauce held to it perfectly.
The atmosphere is perfect for a date...unless you want your waitress to treat you poorly.
My boyfriend and I stopped here one night when we were staying with friends in Orinda. Our waitress was pretty rude when we tried to joke with her - apparently she wasn't into laughing. After that incident, she never checked on us until the bill came at the end of the meal.
Oh the meal...that was delicious. We ordered a pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes but it didn't have a chance to cool before it came to our table. Â Needless to say, it was too hot to eat and the cheese slid off because it didn't set before they sliced it.
I don't think I'll go back to this place, but then again there aren't too many places to eat in Orinda.
I love love the food, especially the prosciutto pear pizza, and the staff is very friendly, but why 4 instead of 5 stars?.... Â The soda is way overpriced at $3 a piece (you can buy a 12 pack for that price!)...and there are no refills on the soda because they give you a small glass soda that they pour out of....wear do you even buy soda like that?! Â Plus the restaurant only takes reservations if you are a party of 6 or more, which is great if your coming with a lot of people, but annoying if you are just 2 or 4 people.
Review Source:I LOVE THE SALADS HERE! I pretty much come here just for them. I love the caprese salad as well as the caesar salad. They also have another salad with walnuts in them that I'm totally blanking out on since my sister usually gets it. But it is yums! I don't love their pizza but that might just be because I'm not really a pizza kind of person. I do think their pastas are pretty decent though. I just love their salads so much I cannot stop thinking about them! NOMS!
Review Source:I went here for dinner with my wife and grandmother last week and I will never go back. Not because it was horrible, but because it simply wasn't good.
Right off the bat I had to grab olive oil and balsamic from another table for our bread because the service sucked.
The caprese salad was seriously lacking: It needed more basil (not tiny little shreds, I want whole leaves) and fresher mozzarella.
My wife's pizza was overloaded with cheese which made it soggy and way to rich. This place is known for good pizza too which threw me off.
My pasta (the special) had zero flavor because it had zero fresh ingredients. Tomato sauce tasted like it was from a can and I can't recall any herbal flavor whatsoever.
My grandmother's pork chops were okay...I guess.
I heard there's another Italian restaurant nearby which is better. Try that and let me know if it's good.
Dinner and a movie? Try La Piazza before you head across the street to the Orinda Theater... you won't be disappointed. I always receive a warm welcome as soon as I enter La Piazza and I feel right at home. I recommend the following:
Cesar Salad: nothing is worse than an over dressed Caesar salad. Luckily the Cesar at La Piazza is fresh and light with the perfect balance between citrus and the spice of the fresh ground pepper. Perfection!
Linguine a la Vongole: fresh pasta and delicious clams married with a light sauce. The good news: you don't feel like a brick has landed in your stomach after your finished with your entree.
Petrale Sole: So good, you think your old Italian Grandmother made it for you. Ahhh-mazing!
.... wash it down with a reasonably priced glass of Chianti - and it's a near perfect evening.
See you at La Piazza! Ciao!
Pretty good. Excellent service. Not much to not like here. The menu looked good, my food was really good, not the best Carbonara i have had but its up there. Plus my my mom really like her meal, the Sol special.
I asked the waiter about the wines and she brought out 2 glasses and let me have some free samples just so i could choose a glass of wine i liked.
The prices were good too. I like this place and would go back. i feel if i try more things it could warrant a 5 star if the other meals hold up. Its nice to finally find some decent pasta at a decent price in Orinda. Every other restaurant in Orinda is a ripoff and taste like crap.
We ate here because they donated %25 of food AND alcohol sales to the fight against aids during Dining Out For Life.
It was my first time at this restaurant and it is my new favorite Italian in the east bay. Â They start you off with a bread basket that had a great sourdough and another slightly cheesy, delicious bread.
The waitor was very helpful and it was no problem to substitute chicken for prosciutto in my carbonara, even though there were no chicken posta dishes on the menu. The service was quick and I had many water refills even though the restaurant was full.
When our food came out it was great. Â My bowl of pasta was a large portion! My vegetarian girlfriend ordered Tri-fungi and substituted in gnocchi. Â Her gnocchi was soft and tasty. The mushroom sauce was super mushroomy "in a good way" according to her. Â I am not a mushroom fan but I still enjoyed it.
Desert. The best part!
The chocolate gnache was amazing! A cup with three balls of chocolate and one of cream was easily rich enough for the two of us. Â If you like chocolate, this is a must have. Â
In general all of the food tasted fresh and was perfectly prepared. Â I will return.
I feel like I frequently give five stars but I hope that doesn't dilute this review.
La Piazza has always been impressive to me. I used to get it delivered to the house when my parents went out for dinner. Veal piccata to die for and the beef carpaccio is the best you'll find since Alexander's closed back in the day. The service is always friendly and accommodating and the only drawback is that they are usually swamped during dinner hours, meaning you'll have to wait for a table. Despite that, I don't downgrade places for being busy.
My brother always gets the rigatoni and although I tell my mom hers is the best I've ever eaten, La Piazza takes the cake. Tomatoey, creamy, meaty, awesome.
The perfect place to come before or after a movie across the street.
Alan and I met Tam for dinner here tonight. Â She had been here before w/ friends and it was convenient for all of us. Â We walked in shortly after 6:00 and were seat at a table in front of the door. Â It was a chilly night and we were blasted by a cold draft whenever people entered or left the restaurant. Â And that's not counting the heedless dolts who left the door propped open when they did either. Â Cold weather areas customarily have double airlock doors to prevent this, but it's not standard here in California. Â So we were fairly uncomfortable during the first part of the meal. Â When the restaurant started to clear a bit Alan asked the owner if we could be moved to a table farther back and on the side and we were moved. Â It made an enormous difference.
Bread and butter were delivered promptly and olive oil and balsamic vinegar were delivered when requested.  I ordered a glass of Ravenswood Zinfandel.  Alan and Tam had hot water w/ lemon.  Alan and I split a misto salad and it was delivered split, in bowls rather than plates, baby greens dressed w/ a delicious lemon herb vinaigrette.  I ordered the Linguini Tutto Mare from the specials menu, a mixture of plump, tasty mussels, large shrimp and calamari over linguini w/ coarsely chopped  tomatoes and a white wine sauce.  Alan ordered the Penne Tre-Funghi, w/ porcini, portobello and shiitaki mushrooms in a darkly flavorful sauce.  Tam ordered the Risotto al Pesto, which included diced grilled chicken breast and asparagus.  We agreed Alan's dish was the favorite, w/ mine a close second and Tam's third.  There was no indication on the menu what was in the sauce on the penne, but it was delicious.  Service was attentive and accommodating.  We will definitely return.
La Piazza is so much more than just a convenient restaurant to squeeze in a meal before you see a movie across the street. I have been to La Piazza a handful of times over the years. I am always so impressed by the friendly, accommodating service, and the wonderful food in a casual-chic dining atmosphere.
Everyone has their specific ideas as to what Italian food should taste like- and I am no different... but the reason I enjoy La Piazza so much is because the food is fresh (and fresh pasta is to die for!) - the presentation is really nice- and the food is light enough that you don't feel uncomfortably bloated after your meal. I have never had a poor experience at La Piazza- and I expect to return for many years to come!
*My menu favorites include: meat lasagne, linguini alla vongole (clams), and the petrale sole is just amazing!
what a nice find. Â My wife and I found this place when we were in Orinda. Its directly across from the theater and we thought it would be crowded and a tough place to grab a bite.
We were wrong. Sure they were busy, but the restaurant hummed like a well oiled machine. From the super friendly and knowledgeable wait staff, to the industrious chefs whipping up pizza's, they had it going on. Â Busy, but well equipped.
The appetizers were delicious. We had the prawns wrapped in panchetta and was served with a spicy arribiatta. Â Yummy. Â The caprese salad made for a good split.
We had the margarhita pizza and the fennel sausage.portabella mushroom pizza. Â A good choice and it paired well with the San Simeon pinot that was recommended by our server.(good wine knowledge! :-)
We occasionally frequent an upscale pizza place in Lafayette: good pizza but pretentious. This place however is much more genuine and
Just as Quality oriented. Â The pizza here has a fairly soft but if you like it thin and crispy, you can get that too.
As we wrapped up dinner with a generouse slice of tiramasu, our server asked if we enjoyed ourselves and my wife summed it up, "oh, we'll be back.'
On the basis of food alone...I'd say 3.5, but the server was super accommodating to all of our extended family's various demands to split things, have dressing on the side and generally do things a little "off menu."
I had a cup of the broccoli cream soup. Nice, and not real heavy/creamy. Split the pesto risotto with chicken and asparagus with hubby as well as a Caesar salad, plus I had a piece of my son's pizza margarita. Risotto was quite good with tender meat and perfectly al dente veggies. Pizza was average. I recommend the pasta over the pizza. Â The salads and entrees aren't really enough to split unless you have a particularly small appetite or are going to supplement with some other options.
First course salads were in the $7.50 range. Dinner entrees more like $12-15, ranging all the way up to $20 for the lamb and sea bass specials. They are open for dinner on Mondays and were busy.
Very little signage on this place. It's next to the sushi restaurant and across from Orinda Theater. Street parking was very limited but we used the Orinda Theater garage...which doesn't charge after their cashier goes home around 7:00 (or 8?) on a Monday night.
As Tam said, walkable to "other" dessert options....or in other words, my family can't pass up an ice cream shop.
This is a great option for dinner in Orinda. Â My husband and I have always been pleased with the food and service. Â The portions are generous and flavorful. Â My favorite dish is the pesto risotto with chicken and asparagus. Â We have had very good soup there, too. Â The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is the seating. Â It is very tight seating inside and there is really no place to wait inside without feeling like you are on display to all the diners.
Review Source:3 1/2 stars
Dont come here on a saturday night between 5pm-7pm
Since it's such a small place (at most 15 tables) it gets packed quick and during those times the wait is crazy. Tonight my party of 3 waited 40 minutes to get a table.
 Another thing is, if you do come in during these times make sure you find the person writing the names down, because they are not at the front and if they dont see you, you don't get your name down. They are a little disorganized when it comes to these things and seating people so be ready for that to.
Now once you actually get a seat it's all good from there. Food is good and service is solid. pricey but good.
After a speaking engagement my daughter had a St. Mary's this evening, the professor (who happens to be one of my best friends), daughter and I had a pre-birthday dinner here. This was the first time I have been here in 2008 and it was just as good as I remember. Fresh flavors and beautiful presentation. Daughter opted for the seafood cioppino special and "the professor" and I both had the calzone which was marvelous. Service was attentive and this is easily one of better Italian places on this side of the tunnel.
They brought daughter a dessert with a candle for her birthday at the end. Sadly, it was Tiramisu and the daughter thought our waitress must have been trying to get her "drunk" for her 12th birthday. We told her it was the thought that counts and opted to go ice cream down the street instead...(see next review).
If you're interested in a dinner and a movie this is your spot. Â Buy some tickets next door at the movie theater with screens the size of home televisions and have a pizza across the street. Â
The pasta with seafood was a hit. Â The duck pizza could be skipped. Â The mushroom and sausage pizza was good and the Margherita was decent.
The service is friendly and I'd go back if I were watching a movie across the street otherwise I'd go to other upscale pizza joints like Pizza Antica or Pizzaiolo.
Where did this place come from?? I grew up in the "LaMOrinda" yay-rea, and I guess I'm just not up to date with all the new stuff around the Orinda theatre. We went here the other night to meet some friends for dinner - their recommendation. The restaurant is a little cozy (a.k.a. small) and parking was a bit of a bi0tch, but otherwise, the eats were delish!
Here's the rundown...
-Service = 10
  Attentive, friendly, sense of humor (BIG plus!)
-Food = 10
  She recommended the ham and pea linguine in a cream sauce. I asked for noodles el dente - and got just that! yUm!
-Ambiance = 8
  A little too cozy for my clausterphobic taste  Â
...almost forgot...
-Price = $10-$20 entrees
-Setting = good for a casual date
Only regret = didn't leave enough room for desert :(
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
