Paesano Ristorante Italiano — Restaurant in San Jose

ITALIAN SPLENDOR ! My wife and I flew into San Jose on Tuesday for a 2 day stay on a work related trip. I looked up Little Italy in San Jose and this restaurant came up trumps by a mile. I had to pick my wife up at 5pm from her workplace on Wednesday and I made a reservation for 6pm enroute thanks to lovely Ingrid who answered the phone in a very welcoming manner. This restaurant re-opens week days at 5pm for dinner. After we parked our rental car in the street nearby and fed the parking meter we walked over to Paesano which is inside an historic house......it looked lovely with all the flower baskets on the patio. Sure enough friendly Ingrid greeted us when we stepped inside the entrance. It wasn't yet busy...I was very worried getting a table at short notice given the fantastic online reviews. Ingrid showed us to a table for 2 in the center of the restaurant......a very authentic feeling Italian restaurant I might add. I have never been to Italy nor has my wife but we felt we were in a genuine Italian restaurant IN ITALY. Ingrid looked after us perfectly with fancy glasses of cool refreshing water and I ordered a simple Peroni Beer. We wanted to try their desserts because I read they have a great selection so no tempting appetizers this evening. The pasta menu here is nothing short of expansive. I had read some very good reviews about the Shrimp & Scallops Spaghetti. My wife chose the Fettuccine Alla Moda and... hello I had to have the Spaghetti Porticello ( Shrimp & Scallops ). My ice cold Peroni Beer arrived in an elegant Stella Artois tall glass and tasted fine. Our dinner meals arrived precisely together and looked amazing.....as good as we have seen anywhere. I loved my meal.....the Shrimp and Scallops were cooked to perfection..so delectable. My wife was making all sorts of facial expressions which told me she was in gourmet overload enjoying her fabulous pasta dish. I had a taste and the delicious creamy Porcini Mushroom sauce permeated the incredibly delicate Fettuccine...as good as anything on the planet. Are we in Italy ? So as much as my wife wanted to finish her meal...it didn't happen because she wanted to leave room for dessert. Now in my online research I did not find a dessert menu for Paesano even though reviews said their desserts were fabulous. I asked Ingrid about dessert and she returned with a huge tray which featured frozen examples of their dessert offerings. There was a nice looking Mousse, a Black Forest Cake, a lovely looking Salted Caramel Cheesecake, a huge Chocolate covered Spumoni Gelato and some others. These were not the actual desserts we would get but simply frozen examples.....cool idea ! In the meantime a classy looking dude who the whole time we had been sitting at the bar was now standing behind the bar. I strolled over and asked if he was the owner. Yes came the reply from Pino. I introduced myself and said I loved Spumoni......particularly Spumoni Ice Cream Cake which is hard to find at most Italian restaurants. I then mentioned that back in Australia we used to have something called Cassata.....very similar to a Spumoni Ice Cream Cake.....Cherries, Chocolate Chunks, Cake etc...just amazing ! Pino then said.....I have some Sicilian Cassata out the back for you. So my wife decided on the Black Forest Cake and I got the Cassata. Within a few minutes Ingrid our server brought out our desserts. My wife liked her Black Forest Cake and I had a taste and it was pretty good but not as heavy as my wife usually likes. On the other hand my Cassata ice cream tasted sensational...I think it had been over 2 years since I had enjoyed something similar. We spent a good portion of our evening chatting with 2 lovely guys at the next table...Greg and David who gave us a great tip for a new restaurant to try on our next visit to San Jose. We had a fabulous time here.....our meals were as good as it gets, the service was so friendly and the restaurant is beautiful inside and out. We thanked our talented server Ingrid & Pino the owner and went...

Very tasty and well priced location for Italian food in a romantic and intimate setting. Reservations are definitely recommended for here, every table was full while we were there for most of the time, but service and food was still quick.

We tried both the gnocchi alla genovese and the farfalle volcano for dinner with the tiramisu for dessert. Pre-dinner bread was average, but the dipping oil was really tasty and well seasoned. The two pastas were really tasty and well portioned. The gnocchi was very soft and definitely tasted house-made, though slightly watery and not as tough of a consistency as other gnocchi has tasted - not to say it tasted bad though, it was still quite good! The farfalle was amazing, the balance of pasta, meat, and tomatoes was spot on with surprisingly tasty mushrooms and a sweet sauce. The tiramisu was slightly watery as well towards the inside, but overall very tasty and the cream was delicious. Interestingly, the whipped cream with the tiramisu was a highlight with a strong vanilla bean flavor that complimented the tiramisu well.

The atmosphere is very romantic with soft, warm lighting and many small decorations outside (with heaters as well). This location feels very fancy without a crazy high price point by adding little touches that make the place stand out, such as the waiter bringing a representative tray of the desserts to choose from. The inside bar doesn't match the atmosphere of the rest of...

Part of the little Italy area of downtown San Jose, which includes Henry's Hi Life and backyard to the nearby shark tank, Paesano is a charming establishment which appears to have been built from a former residence.

We've only dined on a Friday or Saturday evening. Those days are their busiest, so be sure to get reservations. Otherwise, time your arrival around 8:30pm or later and most likely there will be a table available. That’s our usual strategy and have always been lucky.

The food is very, very good. Although the dishes are common, the quality and flavors are not, and truly rank among the best Italian food we’ve eaten. In addition to the fantastic food, there's a gentleman serenading the patrons with his accordion, singing familiar Italian love songs (think Dean Martin style minus the suave). Service is top notch, portions are both plentiful and priced reasonably, and the pour is heavy on the glasses of wine. In general, the staff are extremely friendly and helpful.

The sound level can get a little loud inside (there are a few tables outside on the porch, but only suitable for couples, not large parties). Be in a festive mood; otherwise, if looking forward to a quiet dinner, then this may not be the place.

We’ll be coming back for more. Oh, when in the area, be sure to grab a cup next door at Bel Bacio Italian cafe. Another home converted to a retail establishment. Nice owner and a comfortable place...