Vin Santo Ristorante

We love this place. It is like our ""Cheers"" You will always run into someone you know around town, and the staff makes you feel right at home. You can tell they put their heart and soul into this place, despite the challenges small owner businesses face in these times. I love the many seasonal pasta's Chef Umberto creates, and he is alway happy to augment your dish if needed. OHHHH and the amazing strawberry watermelon feta salad. As I am writing this, I see ""Jean K"" has had a bad day and decided to blast in on Yelp. ( Hey Jean, try a little honey, you may attract a nicer life.) The dessert are marvelous, I think we may just go there tonight. more

My daughter and her husband used to praise Vin Santo and frequent the restaurant often. We also have been there numerous times and found it to be good. But there is now new ownership and boy has it changed. more

Upon entering this quaint looking Willow Glen restaurant, I was greeted by a gruffy guy, sitting down at a table near the door, working on a laptop in front of an empty plate of food. A confusing first impression since he turned out to be the owner (and chef?). I admit my expectations are high when I go to a 'nice' restaurant, but like they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. more

UPDATE: 12/31/07. Vin Santo used to be my favourite restaurant in San Jose. Great service, wonderful ambiance, fantastic food. Alas, with the recent changeover of ownership and chef, I have to say that I was extremely disappointed in my meal. We went there for New Years Eve (and the fact that it's still New Years Eve and I'm writing this review should tell you something). The prix fixe menu was pretty steep at $85 a head. This is not unexpected on New Years Eve, but wasn't advertised anywhere. For that the diner got 4 courses, plus an amuse buche. The restaurant seemed to have underplanned its waitstaff for the night with 3 waiters taking care of a packed restaurant. Consequently service was extremely slow. The amuse buche was a lobster bisque which was severely lacking on the cream to give a bisque its usual texture. In addition the cup the bisque was served in was dirty with spillage. The first course was pretty good - crab cakes and oyster and caviar. The second course (pasta- ravioli and risotto) was very poor. Both elements were cold, and the presentation was horrendous. It looked like someone had dropped the plate and quickly scooped the fallen food back on the plate. We had the surf and turf main course, which was also very poorly presented. The flavours were good, but the filet was gristly, which is very hard to believe for filet mignon. All in all, this was a very disappointing meal, especially for a restaurant which used to be our favorite (albeit with previous proprietorship). Even if you take out the New Years Eve factor (which made the bill $250), this was not a good showing. That's really too bad, as Willow Glen really needs a good upscale restaurant which is consistent and provides good value. Pros: Friendly service Cons: Mediocre food, poor presentation, over priced more

Highly recommended to me by a friend, I had to see for myself that all the high praise was indeed true. This place is amazing! I've never had a more curteous waitstaff and one so knowledgable about their winelist. Our meal was perfectly complimented with a wonderfully tasting wine. It is a very romantic little place with food that is beautifully prepared with the perfect combination of ingredients creating a truly exquisite dish. The experience was and is worth every dollar. I am definitely a repeat customer. Pros: Menu Selection, Wait Staff, Wine List Cons: Parking more

This is a very wonderful, romantic and high quality italian restaurant. It's very romantic, especially for a first date or with you significant other. It's also accomodaes a group dinner. It is especially wonderful during the summer when they open the doors or if you sit outside. Them menu changes slightly during the season but you never ge tired of the food. It taste great!! The staff and the owner Susan are magnificent. She always greets with a smile and a hug. The service is prompt and professional. If you enjoy wine...this is a great place. The waiters will help pick out a wine or you can sample a few before you deciide free of charge. Your friends and family will enjoy this local find!!! Enjoy!! Pros: Food, Staff, Wine Cons: Parking more

The menu is diverse and the dishes contain a perfect blend of herbs and spices to compliment their main ingredients. Our waiter selected a nice bottle of wine that complimented the meal wonderfully. A decent variety of desserts are also available. We had the sorbets which were fantastic. Pros: Menu selection, Cordial staff, Ambience Cons: Parking more

Truly a requirement if you enjoy great food. The menu is original and well put together. The ingredients are fresh and the accompanying sauces are delicious. Add a wine from their wonderful wine list and you have an exquisite meal. Not only was the food delicious the staff was cordial and went the extra distance to ensure a great dining experience. Pros: Diverse Menu, Great Atmosphere, Friendly Staff Cons: Parking more

The food and service were well above average for the Silicon Valley. The are working hard at pleasing their customers. more

This restaurant serves excellant food and has the service and atmosphere to back it up. The wine list complitments the food and the staff is wonderful. Lincoln Street is great also, I would recommend getting an outside seat around 7pm all summer long. more