Cucina Alfabeto — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Brunch is back, and Alfabeto is bringing it like never before! Located in Pittsburgh’s lively Alphabet City on the Northside, Alfabeto is a charming Italian spot that mixes authentic cuisine with a cozy, inviting atmosphere. The restaurant prides itself on handcrafted pastas, seasonal dishes, and locally sourced ingredients that bring a true taste of Italy right to your plate.

But Alfabeto isn’t just about food—it's about an experience. Nestled near the City of Asylum, a local nonprofit that hosts incredible musicians, authors, and translators, Alfabeto creates a dynamic setting where amazing Italian food and cultural performances meet. You can enjoy a beautiful dinner and then step right into a world of artistic expression—a pretty unique combo that sets this place apart.

For those looking for a bit more privacy or intimacy, Alfabeto offers a private dining space that can host up to 30 guests—perfect for those special occasions or even a cozy brunch get-together.

The ambiance is cool, with tons of natural light pouring into a space adorned with modern décor and a stylish bar. As for brunch? You have to try the tiramisu French toast—it’s as decadent as it sounds. Topped with tiramisu crème, maple syrup, the chilaquiles, it’s an indulgent treat that balances sweet and savory perfectly. Other standout dishes include the seasonal frittata with home fries, and their granola and yogurt bowl with fresh fruit and honey—a refreshing, light option that pairs well with the richness of the other dishes.

Alfabeto delivers a little something for everyone, whether you're here for a casual meal, a special celebration, or a cultural evening to remember. Definitely one of Pittsburgh’s...

Overall, we had an ok experience at Alfabeto. Our waiter started us with some focaccia which was warm, but the top of it was hard and crunchy, which was off-putting. We started with the Arancini, which itself was delicious but was served over three globs of what seemed to be an aioli. My husband enjoyed this, but I thought it was a miss. The presentation of it was poor, especially for the price point, and I found the flavor it to be too adjacent to that of the Arancini. I was craving something more acidic like a marinara with it.

For dinner, I had the agnolotti and my husband had the papardelle. My husband enjoyed his dish and I had a couple of bites and it was tasty, but again, I felt very overpriced. The presentation left something to be desired. The first few bites of the Agnolotti were very flavorful. The pasta was perfectly cooked. However, the texture of everything on the plate was very monotone and at the end I felt like I was eating a lot of mush. There was a nice sauce on the top of it that provided some good sweet flavor but it had a skin on it when it was served, which made it seem to me like it had been sitting around a bit before service.

The wine recommended with my meal was a great pairing and I really enjoyed it. Dessert of tiramisu was excellent. Service was great, our server was helpful and provided suggestions of other places in the area to check out. The restaurant was dead when we first arrived (I think it had just opened) but picked up a little over the time we were here.

Overall, I would probably not come back here, mostly because the meal we had was overpriced for what we got. Would come back for the arancini...

Absolutely loved our dinner here and we will definitely be back for more.

The menu features northern Italian dishes made with organic, locally sourced ingredients.

The space is warm and welcoming, with low music and a relaxed, unpretentious vibe. Plus, the service is spot-on — friendly & helpful. You can tell that the crew actually cares about what they’re serving you.

Our favorite bites were the: meatballs tons of flavor & a subtle kick of spice scallops perfectly cooked & we could tell the scallops were a high quality source pasta: pappardelle Bolognese this is one of my all time favorite dishes and now this is going to be my new go-to spot for Bolognese, it was perfectly seasoned main: beef tenderloin delicious flavor and tenderness, loved the red wine jus bar snack: the burger & fries you could really tell the beef mixture was a high quality mix and that the fries were hand cut fresh! dessert fancy carrot cake: absolutely devoured this the cake was so well made and the whipped icing was so memorable, I wish I would have taken an extra...