Bottega — Restaurant in Birmingham

We hadn't been to Bottega since before pandemic, but were super excited to revisit - and we were NOT disappointed. The experience was top shelf, across the board. First off, the service is simply exceptional. I'm kicking myself, because I can't recall the servers name (she was young with reddish hair), but despite having multiple tables, she kept her eyes on us at all times, without being overbearing or intrusive. For example, at one point she began to walk toward us to (I presume) take our order; but then when she noticed my wife was still reading the menu, she literally pivoted and went in a different direction - just to give us time and space to process. Whenever a water glass even approached half full, it was refilled. And when our dining companion's drink arrived in a glass that was a bit sticky from simple syrup, she saw him wiping his fingers and immediately replaced the drink. A++ from start to finish. And the FOOD! Oh my goodness. We've been doing a "tour" of sorts, of various Birmingham restaurants over the past two years, and Bottega (along with Chez Fonfon) stand alone at the top. We revisited all of our favorites that still are on the menu (e.g., Parmesan souffle; crispy potato cakes), and also explored some newcomers (braised beef cheek). As I've mentioned before in other of my reviews, the mark of a truly exceptional restaurant is if you take that very first bite, and are so overwhelmed with the pleasure and deliciousness that you inadvertently groan - and then immediately turn to your dining mates and say, "You HAVE to try this!!!" Well, that was pretty much the story of the night, as we collectively shared each other's dishes, again and again. I had the risotto with lobster and shrimp, and it was piping hot and perfectly cooked. Not surprisingly, the desserts were all phenomenal as well (the apple cake is a particular standout). So yeah, after all this time, Bottega continues to stand alone at the top o' the heap, in terms of Birmingham fine dining - at least in OUR experience. And it bears noting that, in comparison to commensurate meals we've had around the globe at other city restaurants, the bang/buck ratio is high. Each of us had an appetizer, entre, and dessert, plus drinks, for under $100 (each). That puts the pricing on par with other highly-rated B'ham restaurants - but the food is BETTER, which makes it the bang/buck winner of the area. WELL DONE, Bottega - and to the server whose name I unforgivably can't remember, THANK YOU for making our evening so...

Great experience all around! We were seated outside, more than social distance from our fellow Covid diners so as a non-Q anoner someone who believes in science, there was science going on in that kitchen! We had four or five appetizers for a group of four which would likely have made a dinner for most. we had a beautiful Chianti from Spain and an exception of white burgundy with our meals which varied from mussels to fresh fish to wild game. The service Was impeccable and your glasses remained filled appropriately. I threw in a gin and tonic on the front end when we were first seated and while my choices of gin were more than adequate Dash it was perfect for a martini but I was there for a gin and tonic and landed on Hendricks but given another choice I would have preferred something a bit more botanical and dry. Nothing to cry over in the least just a bit surprising. However, for all I know and I did not ask, the Choices available could’ve had everything to do with logistics and getting product. So no harm no foul! We skipped dessert -a painful decision but others in the group I had early plans for the following day and so it was time to say good night. I appreciate every detail I experienced that evening and once again feel so grateful to have Bottega open and ready for business despite the pandemic. I felt safe every moment and without exception every staff member appropriately masked, Remained socially distanced from our table while also providing a sense of intimacy and personal attention. That’s not always easy! In fact it’s Rare I see pulled off as well as the staff at bottega! Thank you all for a...

I love Bottega for the vibe. It always had a warm and welcoming atmosphere while serving the best focaccia and small dishes. Made countless valuable acquaintance sitting in there making conversation with random diners across our numerous visits.

However, one thing always stood out to me and it struck harder tonight: most of their waiters and waitresses are stuck up middle/high-class family members who picked up a job just to have something to do and they treat some customers like it’s the guests’ honor to be served by them. Tonight, a lady served me and my girlfriend for our first date night in town after my 2 months of constant traveling. She gave us the worst side eyes and attitude, no refills that we asked for, kept urging us to finish our Orange Thing drinks when we like going at our own pace, and visited us once for every 3-4 times she visited other tables around us. She did the bare minimum and treated us like kids in high school. I tipped little as you can see how frustrating this type of service can be when we were trying to be nice. Then she chases my date out the door as I went to get my car from valet, demands that she gets a reason for why she was tipped so horribly, and didn’t even apologize when she was given the reasons.

Sit at the bar if you visit or try their dining room instead of the cafe. Their food is good if you get the right thing - but if you’re actually looking for good food and you’re not from a suburban middle-high class family that seasons their food with only salt and pepper, look for other high end restaurants like Habitat Feed & Social or...