Vitello's Restaurant

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant!! My husband and I happened to go here during our honeymoon and we were treated like celebrities from the minute we walked in the door. Not knowing how good we had it, we were seated in the Opera Room right next to the piano player. We were serenated all night long from the charming regulars who randomly got up and sang Opera! The FOOD! I always order the ""Robert Blake"" dish, which is out of this world. My husband has ordered the Gnocci in a bleu cheese sauce that will knock your socks off, and the fish. We have never had a bad experience here and we go as often as we can. The house chianti is perfect with any meal. The service is always warm, friendly and makes you feel like family. We've also eaten at the upstairs lounge where they have wonderful singers on special occasions. Two Valentine's Days in a row we've come to enjoy their live performers. Fabulous and romantic. Great place for special occasions. I recommend this place to all my friends. Buon Appetito! Pros: Atmosphere, Service, FOOD, Entertainment Cons: Parking is limited more

i have given this restaurant plenty of chances. maybe i am just not ordering the right things but... more

i have given this restaurant plenty of chances. maybe i am just not ordering the right things but everything that i have tried, i have left on the ... more

We had an enjoyable time at Vitello's on Saturday night. We had reservations at 5 but changed them to 6pm. Our server, Lauren, was great! Sal, the bus boy, gave us a run down on the Robert Blake story. We love that Hollywood stuff!! We ordered spaghetti, shrimp scampi, salads, wine, and pizza. Our service and food were great. Loved the clean women's restroom. Loved talking to Sal and the pizza was great a second time for my mid-night snack. Enjoy! Pros: Sal, pizza, ambience Cons: we came early and paid for the parking more

Vitello's has the best Italian food I've had anywhere in the Valley and is always my first choice whenever I'm craving pasta. I've never had anything but a great dining experience at Vitello's. The food is excellent and the chef is always willing to accomodate any special requests I have (extra garlic, etc.). Even when it's busy I get excellent service! This restaurant is a great place to go on a date, business lunch, or even a casual affair with friends! I can't wait for my next visit! Pros: Best italian food in the Valley! Cons: Small parking lot! more

Went for a friends birthday and sat in the Opera room, our waitress Lauren was a hoot....Hearing all the people sing is fun, but you can't really have a conversation, I guess if you don't want to talk to who you are with then its good. ;) The food was good, I got one of the house speacial dishes, chicken argencio. I had a couple bite of my friends dishes which were also good, the gnochi, pasta with pink sauce and some sausage. I would go again. Pros: wait staff more

Best date place in the Valley! This is a great restaurant with an amazing atmosphere. My boyfriend and I were greeted by two bubbly hostesses and seated in a cozy, romantic booth. Our server came over promptly. She was a really sweet waitress named Nicole or maybe it was Natalie. She offered us some of the best garlic bread I have ever had, followed by a pesto pizzeti which was sooooo yummy! For dinner we had the veal marsala and the manicotti which were both delicious!! We had such a good time that we came back the next day for lunch, same waitress, same good everything! four stars!! Pros: Good staff, good comfort food Cons: parking lot was full more

Me and my husband went in there on a Saturday. We didn't have reservations, so the manager Craig, was very apologetic, and told us we could go to the bar and wait for our table. He said the hostess would call back to the the bar when our table was ready(she never did) When we got to the bar(which for some reason is in the back?) We were greeting by a charming bartender dressed in all black who introduced himself as James. Although he was quite busy, and it was hard to hear him above the horribly loud Opera music, he tried his best to make small talk. We had a few glasses of wine, and after a 1/2 had elasped, we asked him about the status of our table. He called the front, and told us it was ""almost ready"" and they would come back and get us. They never did. James ended up serving us dinner at the bar. By this time it was close to 10, so he was able to provide us good service. The food was not very good. And when we told him, he offered us a free dessert.(we declined) The manager came back to give the bartender a break, and asked us how our food was. We told him it wasn't great, and he offered to reduce the check. We told him that we'd rather have glass of wine instead, so he informed the bartender the next round was on the house. The wine was good and cold, and James and Craig we're very friendly, but the food was bad and overpriced. I would suggest going on a weekday when it isn't so hectic. And if you want prompt service, sit at the bar!!! Pros: Friendly manager, nice dark bar, great bar service. Cons: confusion at the front desk, BAD Opera singing!! more

The food was horrible and the service was worse.The manager was rude and the waiter acted like he was doing us a favor by taking our order.It's no wonder Robert Blake ""aledgedly"" bumped his wife off after dining here.He had to take it out on someone.... Pros: Free parking Cons: Everything else more

Its a shame because the food is ok but we've been here a few times and both times we were harrassed to sit upstairs in the lounge. We went up the first time and were subjected to horrible jazz that was loud and annoying. All we wanted was a quick bite but slow service did not make that happen. The second time we refused to sit upstairs but the manager came by at least 3 time during our meal to ""invite"" us upstairs to the lounge. Reallly insulting! If you can't get people in to see your live show, don't have it. Pros: Free parking Cons: Pushy managers, bad lounge music more

So my boyfriend and I met with some friends for dinner; we were seated in back where the bar and the piano is. Our service was horrible! Our server was missing for like a 1/2 hour before we had even placed our order! I did enjoy the bruschetta, but my manicotti was horrible and it took forever to come out: it tasted undercooked!! The manager was even rude to us on our way out. Do not go here! Pros: free parking Cons: service is nonexistent more

We were invited here by another couple tonight and were under the impression that they ate here all the time. Only after sitting down did we discover that none of us had eaten here before. I had read the other reviews and was braced for the worst. To be fair, the bruscetta wasn't half bad, and their sesame bread was tasty. Then our main courses arrived. I ordered the penne arrabiata with chicken (which I was charged $18 for) and it was just boiled penne with tomato sauce and chunks of chewy chicken on top. The chicken had a soapy taste. We had had pasta at lunch at my work's commissary and it was phenominal compared to this! My girlfriend's manicotti was just gross, and also tasted undercooked. But enough about the food; I have to mention the service. We sat down right at 8p; our dinner companions were already seated and had glasses of wine. It was half an hour before our waitress came by! We finally ordered and left around 10:15p. I wasn't aware of the time and apparently Vitello's closes at 10p, so as we were leaving, the manager said ""a little after 10 isn't it?"" Excuse me? We just paid over $100 to eat here and we had to put up with bad food, bad service, and now bad manners? From the manager?? I'm almost glad for the experience as it teaches me to listen to Citysearch reviews before eating somewhere. Avoid this place. Pros: free parking Cons: everything more

the food is good sometimes and other times has no flavor. The service downstairs is ok most of the time but whatever you do, do not let them seat you upstairs. You are either forgotten or treated like bums. Overall, it is not worth the trouble Pros: downstairs room is nice Cons: upstairs, no service, you are lucky if you get a glass of water within 20 minutes more

It was a sad day when, for the third time since the new owner has taken over, that my friends and I ate here. We used to enjoy the well-priced home-style meals in this restaurant...those days are gone. The portions are MUCH smaller, and while the menu appears to be the same, obviously the new chef is either untrained or completely indifferent now. Most recently, we left hungry--the seafood tasted fishy, the meat tasted old, & the sauces in both of our dishes tasted canned. And what every fan of Italian cooking dislikes happened: the pasta was terribly OVERCOOKED. My wine had cork floating in it and the waiter didn't offer a new glass of wine, and the silverware was dirty. We left very disappointed that one of the most unpretentious LA restaurants is now not worth going to. Hopefully, they'll catch on, and make the necessary changes. Pros: decor Cons: unpalatable food, poor value, indifference more

I've been coming to this place for about 20 years and the food's just as good as the first time I ever ate there. All the dishes are prepared well. A good Italian restaurant in the Los Angeles area is kind of like a needle in a haystack, hard to find! This place is definately a ""needle"". The canolis are awesomely good. The only drawback here is that the cappacino is instant.:-( Overall a good place to eat. Pros: Good entrees, Pizza Cons: Intant cappacino more

My mother is Italian so I grew up eating the cuisine of her native country. Although not quite mom's, Vitellos is the antidote when I am missing home! The ambience is cozy yet Tony Soprano might dine here! And you never know what menu-named celebrity you might see! As far as the service, I disagree with the other reviewer - the owners always greet you! One server has been there for years and remembers her customers well! And thanks to the bussers there is never a dirty plate in front of me! An added bonus is the parking! Since I don't need to pay for a valet, I can spend more money in the restaurant! So bring the family, order a nice bottle of chianti, enjoy some pizza or pasta, and then end the meal with a delicious cannoli! Goce de su alimento! Pros: Free Parking, Neighborhood feel, Inexpensive more

Everytime I pine for the Sicilian cuisine of mom + pops on the east coast, I visit Vitellos and the food and atmosphere never dissapoint. However though some postings cite the wonderful service I've experienced mediocre to terrible service the majority of my visits. Beyond an initial welcome, the server does not repeatedly check in to see how you're doing hence drinks go unfilled and there may be a wait for the check. Also requests for additional bread have been greeted with attitude. Nonethleess, the food and environment are divine and worth a visit. Pros: convenient parking, great food/variety, warm atmosphere Cons: lack of service more

The service was very average. The food was VERY average. The place was very average. The host comes over and insists that my wife ""try"" the canoli and it's ""his gift"" to us, and then puts it on the bill!!!! Not to mention the $10 in soda refills, it was like a time warp into a very sad era of valley life. more

It's true that there are better Italian restaurants in L.A., probably better ones within three blocks. But my shrimp fetticine with marinara sauce was good and plentiful; the chianti was cheap (and served in a basket); and the salad was non-offensive iceberg and tomato. The bread, well, it wasn't worth the time it took for the waiter to bring it over. Anyway, the real reason to go here is the fact that this is the Robert Blake restaurant -- this is where he and his wife had their last meal together. There's even a pasta dish named for the guy. Just don't embarrass yourself by asking where they were sitting that night -- it gets really old. more