Marcello Ristorante — Restaurant in Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks is a nice town, a bit upmarket but plagued by chain operations. Reading a few reviews of this wonderful restaurant piqued my interest enough to give it a try. For those diners who only gave it four stars or less, they know not of what they write.

How refreshing to go into a restaurant and have questions about items on the menu that you have never seen before? A stracchino, apple, walnut, arugula and pomegranate salad. Wow. My wife had sweet squash ravioli that were delicious and plentiful. My pici al pomodoro, cipolla, e salsiccia had slightly spicy wonderful sausages but the most truly delicious tomatoes, flown in from Italy. What flavor. I could have dined on the sauce alone. We finished by sharing the most wonderful panna cotta; that perfectly made creation that if slightly more moist would collapse and if slightly more firm would be something else again. Just a bit of lemon and honey and berries, oh my!

One word about the service. It was interesting to read the reviews how newbies felt treated less well than other customers who seemed like old friends/regulars of Mr. Marcello. But isn't that reasonable? If you have been doing business for 20 years aren't you likely to greet regulars with double kisses on the cheeks? As we were new we were addressed politely but a little warmth on our part was followed by old world charm. We could not have been more pleased not only with the owner, but our excellent waiter.

We shared a bottle of the house Italian Cab. Absolutely fine at $28.

We booked our table for 6. At that time there were few in the restaurant. By the time we left it was packed.

As we are intending to move to Ventura County from LA this year we look forward to becoming regulars...

Our reservation was written down for a time later than we asked for. We were seated quickly just the same. Few wines by the glass left me with chardonnay which was unremarkable. We shared a tasty appetizer. The menu was extensive and our food delicious. Unfortunately, when I ordered tiramisu, I got creme brulee. I ate it. I ought to have returned the wrong dessert because it put a pall on the evening. I don't afford the calories of dessert often. The dessert was still on the bill, and rightly so, because I ate it. However, I thought the service was hurried and lacked attention to detail overall. The decor is attractive except for the fake brick on two walls. Fake anything is unappreciated. It would have been much better to keep to the other wall finishes. The tiles on the half wall are attractive, as are the dishes on display on the walls. It is refreshing to see real linen tablecloths which give a nice ambience...

Thisbis a small local long standing Italian restaurant. Its hidden in a strip mall so not so obvious if you're just driving past it.

We've been here 4 times and its always a pleasure. Owner has recommended some great wine to pair with meal. The food is definitely very very good. I've had the osso buco twice and has not disappointed one bit.

Staff is very attentive. Place is cozy and comfortable temperature. I highly recommend the place. I hate the 5 star system on google reviews. 5 stars is perfect and I don't think that exists and 4 stars is just an 80% or B- grade. This would be an 8.75 out of 10. I can be fussy/bougie with wine so wider selection of the glorious Italian reds would be welcome. Please, do not let that dismay a visit. This place is excellent. Without the wine, New Year's Eve dinner cost $120 for two. I've had same delicious quality for $180, so pricing is more than fair.

We will be...