Benvenuti Ristorante — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

Was taken there by friends a month ago for the first time and it was excellent. So I made a reservation to bring another couple who had never been there. Was very disappointed - it was as if this was a different restaurant. First, had to wait 20 minutes for our table to be ready despite reservation. Sat down and less than 5 minutes later the waitress came to take our order. We said we needed a few more minutes, but could she bring some bread in the meantime. She said they don't bring bread until we place our dinner order - first time in all my years of dining out that I heard that one. So, a few minutes later we placed our order and our bread came out. It was a whopping 4 pieces of bread on a plate - one for each of us - a small bread basket with a little more would have been nice. And then our order took FOREVER. After a while, we nicely asked the waitress if our dinner would be out soon. She said that they were very busy that evening (which we understood), but then went on to say that it was also delayed because we took so long to order. Huh? This comment was wrong on so many levels - first, a totally unacceptable and rude comment to make, especially since we were being very patient, plus I don't see how waiting 5 more minutes to order would delay our meal by 1/2 hour (she was practically shoving the menus down our throat the minute we sat down. So we asked for more bread in the meantime (4 more meager slices on a small plate). When the food did come it was far from the quality we had had the month before. No one liked their dinners - Not much flavor, very little shellfish in the pasta and heavily sauced and salty. When the waitress asked if we enjoyed our meal, I told her the truth. Afterwards, she brought us 1 complimentary dessert for 4 of us to share (whoopie). We won't be going back. Perhaps it was an off night at the restaurant - that I can forgive. But what I can't ignore the way that the waitress treated us by blaming us for the delay and quality...

Well well, hello again old friend. The more things change, some stay the same, and I'm happy to report that Benvenuti is still absolutely crushing it in all aspects. I haven't visited them for years, as I was living out of state. However, today ended that streak and reminded me just how much I've missed everyone here. Angela, the proprietor, whom I haven't seen in years as I mentioned above, greeted me by name once I sat at the bar. That level of service is almost unheard of these days. Felt like I was coming back home in a sense. Heck, there's been times my own parents haven't greeted me that warmly. Angela is just the best. Speaking of other people who are awesome. Dena, one of my all-time favorite bartenders anywhere, was working and gave me the biggest smile when I sat down. I was here on her first shift ever, and, well, she's definitely evolved her craft since then. Friendly as always and has the cocktails down to a science. Seamlessly able to complete multiple tickets at a time while holding down a conversation. Well done Dena, well done. Now for the food...Chef's kiss to the entire kitchen brigade (hi Manny) Food here has always been a staple, and yet they've somehow managed to outdo themselves this time (see attached photos). Everything was perfect, spot on perfect. Cooked to the perfect temperature with flavor for days, remarkable. Benvenuti has, and will continue to, count me as a fan. This is the definition of what a restaurant not only should be but aspire to. See...

This high end Italian restaurant is Located in downtown Walnut Creek. It’s not where the busy part of it though. And if it’s your first time going, you’ll have to slow your speed because it’s easy to miss, the sign is not easily seen. However, it’s a beautiful restaurant, especially the outside dining. They do allowed dogs and love that they accept reservations. It is a bit pricy but might say it’s standard price for Walnut Creek area.

The food was delicious! The taste is worth the price. We had a couple of appetizers: calamari (love that it was not overly breaded), roasted cauliflower, and garlic bread! Now the garlic bread is something to talk about: not overly powerful garlic and cheese, served on a warm and pillow soft bread.

The entrees were: special of the day “Truffle Fettuccini with Prawns,” Linguini with roasted tomatoes, Steak with broccolini and potatoes, and Salmon over orzo pasta and Swiss hard. All beautifully plated and food tasted phenomenal.

Our server was lovely, though sometimes we couldn’t hear her because there was a huge party next to us celebrating someone or something. But they were nice, they apologized for being loud. It would be nice if they had a room for big parties but they don’t have the space.

Overall experience was great: good food, great atmosphere and customer. Can’t...