Trattoria da Vinci

As someone who has lived in Italy and has long been a lover of Italian food, I can attest that this is a real Italian Trattoria. The food is delicious and the helpings are plentiful. I have not found a better Italian restaurant outside of Rome. more

Maybe ""I"" messed up because I ordered soup & salad for lunch, not pasta. I didn't even get to order all the way before the waitress interrupted me & finished the order for me. I guess I was pointing at what I wanted as I was saying it, so she figured she'd save me a few words???? The waitress dropped off the food & disapeared without asking if I needed anything. I got the Blue Garden salad & their special soup of the day. The salad was supposed to contain ""fresh vegetables"", which apparently consisted of ONE small cube (think taco bell size) of tomato, plus 3 of the same size carrots. The salad was supposed to have blue cheese, which consisted of a few crumbs. The salad was supposed to have pepperoncini, which it did---about 3 rings. You get the point---the salad was lousy. I will give them credit for the soup, which was decent. Of course, when I finally got to ask the waitress for some crackers, they told me they don't have any. OK....Overall, I would not eat here again. Pros: Some decent options on the menu Cons: Service, Quality of Food more

This is the first time I've tried Trattoria da Vinci, and it was a takeout order. I live in Lowertown and have had enough bummers of overpriced meals. I tend to do a lot of delivery during the week, but it gets old paying the delivery fee and tip only to find they didnt get the order correct.\r \r I decided to call Trattoria da Vinci after finding their menu online. I emailed them while I was at work to ask their prefferred method of preorders. Wonders of wonders, they emailed me BACK within a couple of hours. So I gave them a ring and ordered 3 entrees:\r Spaghetti & Meatballs, Canneloni Ripieni, & Ravioli di Pollo Alla Sorentina.\r \r I asked them to have my order ready at 6pm. I arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes early. They greeted me and apologized that my food would be ready in 9 minutes and asked if I would like to wait at the bar. They offered me a soda on the house while I waited which I accepted. I spent some time admiring the lovely atmosphere.\r \r I received my food exactly on time.\r \r The food survived the walk home. They plastic wrapped each box so the food didnt leak. The additional box had a nice chunk of presliced bread. Soft, warm, delicious--not Olive Garden breadsticks! There were 3 2oz containers of a delicious garlic spread. The spaghetti was the largest of the 3 entrees. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce tasted very fresh. The 3 meatballs on top were generously sized. The Canneloni Ripieni was the hands down favorite though--comfort food at its best. Two large crepes: cheesy, meaty, tender on the outside and just a bit brown crisp on the outside. Ravioli di Pollo Alla Sorentina was perhaps the smallet entree among the three and the most expensive. 4 large raviolis with lots of garlicky sauce. But the tasted of the smoked chicken with mozzarella was truly divine.\r \r So hand down, a delicious meal and yummy left overs at Trattoria da Vinci. I look forward to trying their pasta bar and drinks. \r \r more

This place has great service, atmosphere and some of the best Italian in the twin cities. The location is slightly awkward but it's worth the effort to find parking. Pros: Food Cons: Parking more

Four of us celebrated a birthday party on a Wednesday night. We had a reservation and probably needed it. Most of the tables were filled. \r \r I had the seafood Gnocchi. It may have been the best meal at the table but my wife would argue that her Mushroom Ravioli was better. My son was pleased with his Saphron Chicken Risotto and my daughter was also happy with her dish. The portions are large, we took parts of two meal home. \r \r The menu is so interesting we were planning our next visit before we left. The prices are very reasonable for the extremely high quality of the food. Pros: Great service. Parking. Food and ambiance Cons: Tight parking. more

This is my first time on this but I just wanted to state what had happened. I have been here twice the first time I thought that it was a pretty decent place to eat. Then last week I changed my mind due to customer service..I had made reservations for Trattoria da Vinci and when we got to the restaurant at our reservation time they said we cancelled but really they just heard the wrong name so that was the first thing that went wrong, after waiting (because they cancelled they wrong name) no shorter than 15 minutes maybe even longer they said they could be seated but at separate tables. This was for our friend?s birthday and we did not want to be split up but they said that was the best they could do. We politely said that was not going to work and the manager got rude with us and said it was our fault. more

This evening, my husband and I decided to give Trattoria a try. It is wonderful. I like the feel inside the restaurant. The service was attentive and the food was superb! I am lactose intolerant and they went out of their way to accomodate me. The chef even created a special dish just for me! Thank you! Everyone should give this place a try! Pros: great food, great service Cons: parking more

Can you really beat great Italian food mixed with Jazz? I don't think so. I have been to this St. Paul mainstay quite a few times. Never been disappointed. The place could be cleaner and neater. But I have always had a great time. \r \r (I am new to the idea of internet venting so bear with me, I generally just write my thoughts down in a notebook and discuss them with my friends. I may wind up going through my more recent notes and putting it all out there). Pros: Music and dinner Cons: Cleanliness, messiness more

We came here for a birthday dinner party and could not have been more pleased. We had such great service that I cannot wait to tell people about it. Even the manager came by our table to check in on our dinner. The food was great (highly recommend the creat your own pasta) and the wine list was excellent. We've been going here for about 2 years not and have not been disappointed, not once. Pros: All around goodness more

My wife and I completely enjoyed our dining experiance we will return. The wine, apps, entree's, dessert, wait staff ambiance everything was top notch. Thank you for a wonderful evening. Pros: Staff, Food, ambiance more

I have been to this restaurant over and over again. Everytime I'm there I try something new and I absolutley love it. The calamari and the clams for appetizer are incredible. The pasta bar has a huge selection of veggies, meats, and seafood, which are all awesome. I recommend this restaurant to all of my family and friends and to anyone else who wants the best Italian food ever. Pros: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD, Appetizer, Drinks more

My hubby & I went to da Vinci's before heading off to the Sounds of Blackness. The food & wine were fabulous! I ordered the gnocchi - the best I've ever had - light & fluffy - they melted in your mouth. Our waiter suggested a great bottle of wine & we had a great time. The service was a little slow - so we didn't have time for dessert - but we didn't have room for it anyway! Pros: gnocchi, bread & herbed butter, friendly service more

This truly is St Paul's hidden Italian secret. Marvelous service, great wine, pasta and sauce not to be believed until tasted, great menu items. I will be back many more times. Pros: Menu, Service, Comfortable more

This was some of the best Italian food I've ever had! We chose this restaurant because of this website, and I'm very glad we did. As other reviewers said, the service was pleasant but seemed to be in a hurry to get you out the door, although there wasnt a waiting list while we were there. Good thing the food made up for it! Try the Cannelloni, you wont be disappointed! Pros: Smoking Section, Parking, Fantastic Food Cons: , Service, Service more

I'm at Trattoria 5 days a week and I love it. The service is excellent, the pasta bar is great and the bartenders remember you by name. Definitely go visit. Make sure to say hi to Joel if he's behind the bar!!!! more

The food at Trattoria is always amazing: fresh ingredients, fresh homemade pastas, dishes that will make you think you're in NYC, the staff is charming and friendly, and the bartender working Tuesday and Thursday nights is out of this world. Rick is a bartender of a bygone era. He mixes every drink with perfect precision, from the standard to the frou-frou, and is great for recommending the perfect wine from Trattoria's extensive selection. Rick is incredibly knowledgeable about the metro area and its various offerings, and is a great resource for latest and greatest attractions. In short, a gem. Sam's got nothing on Rick; if you haven't been to Trattoria's, I suggest visiting Rick for happy hour. Your favorite beverage, a fresh hot plate of the best calamari in town (Frittura Mista) and great company make for a relaxing, old world style evening you'll come back for. Pros: FRESH Ingredients, Fantastic Service, Great Drinks more

The beginning of 2004, I just happen to find this restaurant with is cozy, warm and friendly atmosphere. The food is awesome, especially the Ceasar Salad. The entertainment on the weekends is enjoyable not to loud that you can't enjoy the company you are with. The bartender on Thursday is awesome; always making sure that you are served promptly. This is my first choice when dining out either alone or with company. Pros: excellent food, clean , dining music more

We've been to Trattoria da Vinci many times and has always been VERY GOOD, RELIABLE & DELICIOUS. This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Twin Cities area. The food is awesome, fresh and tasty ( rare in Minnesota). Every meal we've ever had has been a hit. And then an excellent Italianissimo food at an affordable price (oh my God!!!). But PLEASE...... let's keep this gem our little secret...... I like to get in without a reservation. Pros: Delicious food, Ambiance, Price more

Seriously, this restaurant is FANTASTIC. Trattoria da Vinci far exceded my expectations.The food is delicious and pretty inexpensive, and the ambience is romantic and relaxing. It's a perfect place for anyone craving some excellent authentic italian cooking, homemade fabulous dessert, or an atmosphere where you can relax and talk with friends without having to scream. I went with a group of six, we all had different dishes and they were all wonderful. I ate the lamb with garlic sauce and mashed potatoes. It was unbelievable!!! The best food I had ever eaten. We highly recommend this restaurant. A must try!! Pros: Excellent food, Dessert to DIE for, Inexpensive Cons: The lady owner drink , and smoke in the bar, it,s very bad view more

We tried this restaurant for the first time and were quite pleased. The ambiance was quiet and romantic. The food is traditional Italian Fare. The carpacio with gorgonzala was very good. The only negative was our waitress. She was rather abrupt and seemed to want to get us in and out as quickly as possible. Overall a great choice for a pre-Ordway dinner. more