Sfizio, Oakland CA

Delicious food, unbelievable prices, super nice people, and most importantly the poached pear desert nearly brought me to tears.

Was here a couple of months ago with two other people and then again this past Thursday. There was a line out the door on both occasions, one line for those with reservations and the other for walk-ins. We were lucky as 'walk-ins' and only had to wait 10-15 minutes each time. There is a full yet limited menu on the wall from which you order everything upfront at the front counter. On the menu there are three different pastas. 1-2 apps, 3 pastas and 2 desserts. Oh, and there is a decent wine menu too. They hand you drinks and then escort you to an available table. Note, they do not have waiters assigned to tables. They all work together which I found really efficient.

On my first visit, I ordered the spaghetti with meatballs. They were really good, moist, flavorful, and the pasta was clearly homemade and cooked al dente. It left a lasting impression, which is why I ordered it again on my second visit. The other two in my party ordered the other pastas and found them equally delicious. We each got to try a bite of the different pastas. On my second visit with a girlfriend, I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs again, however this time it was very disappointing.dry, salty and the noodles were overcooked. Not worth $16. Unfortunately, I hyped up the spaghetti and meatballs, and after one bite, we both knew it wasn't all that. (Both of us can make much better spaghetti and meatballs at home.) We also ordered the squid with garbanzo beans and fennel in a cilantro based sauce. The flavor was delicious. However, it was one small squid of maybe 3" in length. The table next to us also ordered the same for their appetizer and complained about the size of the squid, so the server brought them another piece. For $12, they should include two pieces of squid! For dessert, we ordered the baked apple served with whipped cream, and oatmeal clusters. That was probably the best of all three dishes.

The restaurant has maybe eight tables inside and 6 to 7 tables outside. It is cozy, and the music was good, but loud for a small venue. Unfortunately, we had an extremely loud guest sitting next to us where we could barely hear each other. That didn't help things!

One complaint I do have is when I ordered my iced tea at the front counter. I noticed that the person taking our order was touching all kinds of different surfaces and devices, and then proceeded to make my iced tea. He used his bare hands to grab ice along with a wedge of lemon and drop them in my glass. I immediately asked him to make another, but in the second attempt, he still used his bare hands to pick up the lemon. That was not a good start to our dinner!

All in all, would I return? Likely not. Food was inconsistent, and the spaghetti and meatballs are what they are known for. Also, better training when handling drinks with ice and condiments.

Sfizio has a somewhat limited menu but, all of the dishes are unique and flavorful. You will either find something you really like on the menu or you might be challenged with ordering something outside your comfort zone and even then, you may be pleasantly surprised. I had the spaghetti and meat balls, and the grilled bread which made for a very tasty combo. As long as as I didn't try to compare it with some of my favorite Italian eateries, it was very good but did not have that wow factor. I can say that overall, the prices here are very reasonable and offer a very good value. We'll worth a try.

Arrived just before 6pm with a party of 3 on a Thursday evening, just one week since their grand opening.

We got a round of drinks while waiting for a table:
• Sfizio cocktail (my personal fav)
• Bianco Spritz cocktail (tasty but not flavors that I personally like)
• Sparkling Limeade

An outdoor table opened up pretty quick (<10 min wait), so we ordered at the counter and then got seated. Ordered everything to share and it was all delicious! Food came out pretty quick after ordering.
• Grilled Basecamp Bakery Bread
• Mixed Green Salad
• Spaghetti + Meatballs
• Fusilli (pesto)
• Lumache (my personal fav)
• Strawberry Shortcake (loved the grilled biscuit and the lightness of the cream)

FYI: Some of the outdoor seating can be pretty sunny depending on the time of day. They (currently) don't have any cover or shade set up.

EDIT: My first time dining here was apparently an outlier - I was served extremely over cooked pasta. However, we went back a second time and it was really great, truly phenomenal food.

Really lovely food. Great pasta. Especially for the price point. If you're going with friends, I definitely recommend ordering a variety and sharing it all. We had four people and tried 2 salads, 3 pastas. Ans 2 deserts and it was perfect! Along with some of the cocktails and wine glasses. Really lovely evening with some quality food.

Fresh pastas with a rotating and straightforward menu. Open kitchen with a few indoor and outdoor tables. First come first serve. Pastas were very tasty!

Amazing pasta! With waiting in line for.
Very reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in this neighborhood.
A little loud inside but who cares.: savor the food!

Apps were very good, grilled eggplant and peppers with whipped tahini and the tomatoes panzanella. Pasta was okay. My wife had to send her first version back bc it was over seasoned. Very friendly staff and fun atmosphere and very reasonable price

Wow, wow, WOW! What incredible food and great, friendly service! Can hardly wait until my next visit!

Loved the restraint of the menu - we were able to order every single dish on it between 4 people and they were all incredible. We still felt light afterwards which was amazing. Wish the drinks were a little cheaper, but the food itself was very affordable for the quality!

Food:
Presentation was good! We ordered the panzanella, pappardelle and campanelle. Panzanella was solid and well-balanced. Pasta on the other hand - which was supposably the main draw - was uninspired, overcooked and didn't give me that emotional satisfaction of eating pasta. Campanelle is such a beautiful shape, with lots of edges and a nice contrasting texture to contrast from the thick sauces it's usually served with, but Sfizio's campanelle was overcooked to the point it was texturally indistinguishable from the ricotta sauce it was served with. Even for the typical American preference for less al dente, I'd expect a restaurant that primarily serves pasta to at least ask if you'd prefer your pasta to have any texture or bite to it. Cocktails were solid.

Service:
Servers were pleasant, if overworked and understaffed - at 6 pm on a Friday, there was already a line out the door. There's no information anywhere about how long the wait is for a table and servers seemed primarily occupied with serving food and drinks to tables as quickly as possible. You order at the register, which is fine, except it's a little unusual that the servers leave in the middle of you ordering to do table service for someone else. The service is honestly fine - it's not unusual for a new restaurant, and they clearly need more servers for the amount of dinner guests they'd like, but there's not really enough space for more servers.

Atmosphere:
Inside, I could hear the table next to me more clearly than the person sitting across from me - it was nigh impossible to have a conversation, especially with the noise from the kitchen itself. If you had to eat here, I would recommend not getting a table near the kitchen/corners if possible. Space is cramped and decor is minimalistic. Could benefit from more soft surfaces to help absorb noise. It was completely packed at 6 pm - which is an hour after they open. It's a fairly chaotic space, servers & cooks will pass within 2 feet behind you (if you're not against the wall) constantly carrying food, drinks etc.

Photo: This pot was unattended for at least thirty seconds on my way out. I don't know why, but I feel it's a good indicator of a kitchen that could use some more staff.

Everything is delicious. I always get the spaghetti and meatballs because the meatballs are truly unparalleled, but I love that most of the menu is seasonal. There are always new dishes to try. The food is always fresh and well thought out. If the squid is on the menu, get it. (I generally do n’t like squid but they do it right.) I’m also a big fan of their wines and simple desserts. And everything is very reasonably priced. 10/10 definitely my favorite Italian spot in the bay

It’s a cozy little Italian restaurant with a concise menu that allows you to order before being seated. While the portion sizes aren't huge, I'd recommend starting with an appetizer. The cocktails are creative and delicious. The staff is very friendly. Even with the small menu, everything we tried was fresh and tasty. I'll definitely be coming back to Sfizio again soon. 5 stars.

I think the food is hit or miss with this place. The first time I went my morel mushroom dish was great. I returned a month later and the same dish was on the menu, but it didn’t taste as good. Limited menu. It’s definitely too loud inside for dinner. My partner had the meatballs. He like them, but I didn’t and thought that they were strangely prepared. Starter was okay. Wine is good. Very friendly staff. Not sure about the set up…

Really enjoyed this place. Small menu, but everything we had was spot on. Pesto and pasta we perfect. Little sad the budino is ending it's run for a new dessert cause it was awesome.
Chef even came by and was interested in our thoughts and politely answered our questions on his pesto prep.

Wish they did a sign up sheet instead of a "line" (bit confusing as even the folks ahead of us wasn't sure and totally messed people just trying to cross street). Small wrinkle they'll work out as this place is a keeper.