Good Option for Italian Food in Wellesley Located right in Wellesley Center, Alta Strada is a great stop after an afternoon of exploring and shopping. Specializing in a mix of different Italian styles of cuisine, you will find a lot of choices here. The service is good and the ambiance is lively. To start we ordered three "small plates" or antipasti. The golden beets with grana padano were sweet and juicy. The ricotta with toast was smooth and creamy. The corn roasted with bacon had a sweet smoky taste. My wife and I then split the mushroom and onion pizza which was perfectly cooked with crispy crust. I had the mushroom filled lune (type of ravioli) which was rich with a delicious creamy sauce. My wife had the chopped salad which as large and full of excellent fresh veggies, sopressata, and chicken. For dessert, we had the cookie plate which had 4 different kinds of biscotti. All were delicious. We've been to Alta Strada several times and it is consistently good. Hard to go wrong here!
(4)
Stephanie T.
The food here was much better than I was expecting. The appetizers and dessert were great, we came in with a very large party and the staff was very accommodating. I am looking forward to coming back with a smaller party so I can try more of the menu choices!
(4)
Kejing W.
Yummy yummy, I ordered the Spicy Chitarra with Lobster, Shrimp, Tomato and basil. I like it.
(4)
Sophia J.
Love this place, Amazing spaghettini, and mascaporeos. Our server was a bit odd, unenthusiastic and didn't really speak. It kind of made me not want to come back.....but the food is soooo good. I recommend this place for a date night. Also, definitely make a reservation, it gets really packed.
(4)
Sonya R.
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Wellesley. The mama zeccas eggplant is definitely the best eggplant parm I have ever had. The mushroom ravioli are also out of the world. This place is a staple for me and I've been coming ever since it opened and even had my graduation party here. The downstairs is a great store to grab a sandwich (eggplant parm of course) or some dinner to take home!
(5)
Vivian C.
We were their first guests for lunch. Neither of us had ever been there before, but when driving through Wellesley, we've both noticed it in the past, and so we took the opportunity of a $20 for $40 voucher deal to make our first visit. A 2 hour parking lot is available out back for patrons of this block of businesses, which was really nice. The entrance to the lot is available from Cross Street, and it exits conveniently onto Weston Road. From here, the entrance to Alta Strada takes you past their small patio of three tables and into their take-out market in the basement where they have a case of prepared foods or will make a sandwich or pizza for you, amongst other things. They're open down there from 11am-9pm daily, so they're an option for either lunch or dinner, or anything else inbetween. The bathrooms are located on the same floor, a long stairwell from the rather sizeable dining room at street level. Service here was a pleasure. I love it when specific options are made when we've made it evident that we are are interested in it, and we ended up with a most enjoyable meal. My water glass never went empty, although I'm not sure when or how often it was refilled. She also offered to pace out our dishes for a more leisurely meal, if we were interested, and to make better use of the real estate of our two top table. Throughout our meal, we were probably serviced by at least 3 individuals. Sour dough in the form of a generous chunk arrived shortly to tame the edge of our hunger along with a nice pour of olive oil. For starters, from the antipasti table at 3 for $15 we went with her highly touted Summer Corn with Smokey Bacon, and added the Chilled Calamari with Cucumber and Citrus, and the Roasted Beets with Grana Padano. With them arrived a gift from the kitchen of fat sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella along with a pair of beautifully grilled toast. All were yummy, yet we had plenty of leftovers since we knew we still had two courses yet to go. The Fingerling Potato, Spring Onion and Taleggio pizza $15 was thin crust sliced in four, sans tomato sauce (which was considerately pointed out to us). With it we were served fresh plates and utensils. Not quite cracker thin or crisp, the pizza had a light crisp chew, and was quite good. My only suggestion would be a slightly longer visit in the oven to brown it a tad more. The Mushroom Filled Lune with More Mushrooms, Truffle Oil and Parmigiano $21 that was our server's top choice from the menu even though she herself is not a mushroom lover (hey, me neither!), was helpfully served in two dishes for us, with fresh ground pepper or Parmesan offered separately (Cheese, please!). Four pockets of fungus apiece enrobed in creamy cheesy sauce and lots of the thinly sliced mushrooms which I extrapolated to be a bit light as an entree on its own. This was good too, but I restrained myself in order to save room for dessert. Reminding ourselves that there is a second stomach for sweets, we decided to order two whole desserts: Millefoglie; chocolate cream, sweet cherries, crunchy pastry $11 and House Made Gelati and Sorbetti $6. That day's options were Hazelnut, Vanilla, Chocolate and Peach, Watermelon, and we could have two scoops. We went with Hazelnut and Peach, and asked if they could be served in separate dishes so that the flavors wouldn't meld. Our taste buds were truly delighted! The flavors were so intense and so good, the coolness of the treat melting easily and gloriously on our tongues. Sure, the scoops were on the small side, but the flavors made up for the portions. I don't normally order such a simple dessert in restaurants, but I was so glad that my DC had suggested it. The Millefoglie was good too, but while we thought it was nice that they had put in the effort to punch out the pit from the cherries, it didn't make quite the same impact on us as the frozen scoops had. Even after the voucher, it cost us each $33+ out of pocket. Sure, we each took home a doggie bag, but still, it is a bit pricey for lunch since the prices and menu are about the same as for dinner except for the swap of luncheon sandwiches for dinner time entrees, a buck extra for some of the pastas, and a few additional options on both sides. 4 stars for lunch, 4.5 for dinner, rounded up to 5. I'll base my rating on dinner even though we actually came for lunch. Reminder to self for future reference: (other recommendations made by our server) Salads Grilled Scottish Salmon and Spinach Salad with Pancetta Vinaigrette, Almond Pesto $18 Sicilian Tuna Salad "Italian Riveria Style"...like Nicoise but better $15 Pasta Fedellini with Tiny Clams, Smashed Cherry Tomatoes and Parsley $22 Dolci Mascarpone Cheesecake; Lemon Curd and Vanialla Tuille $10 Butterscotch Budino; Brown Sugar Cookie $8
(5)
Jessica J.
The food is quite impressive and the ambiance fantastic. This is my go-to spot after a long day of class at Babson. Wine list is robust and fantastic. All the pasta dishes are notable. Overall a solid meal to be shared with some great friends.
(4)
Gayle F.
The food was very good but the restaurant is so loud it's difficult to enjoy conversations. The staff tend to rush you before you have finished your entree.
(2)
Jason F.
We went to the market and order a pretty large order. The meatballs in my sub were not fully cooked and the sauce was extremely spicy. We also got the chicken Milanese. When we opened the container it was one piece of chicken cutlet with nothing on it and it was nearly frozen. The Italian Mac and cheese was very good and the chop salad was also very good. I would not recommend the market based on my experience.
(2)
Iannis R.
Three of us went to Alta Strada yesterday for dinner. Frankly we were expecting more for the price. We started with house-made ricotta with crostini. Pretty good, although a little heavy on the olive oil. The portion was perfect for the three of us. We followed with a personal margherita-style pizza, the pasta bolognese, and the mushroom lune in mushroom sauce. The food was fresh, and of good quality. What disappointed us was that the chef decided to lace everything (ricotta, pizza, and pastas) with hot pepper flakes. Hot pepper flakes in cream sauce? It just doesn't quite work, and it meant that all of our meals had the same overall flavor. There was no mention of the pepper flakes in the menu, so they are an especially unpleasant surprise to those susceptible to heartburn. The atmosphere was inappropriate for the restaurant. The dining space was airplane like packed with tables to maximize profit, complete with screaming children. The thumping house music on the pandora didn't help. We had reservations, but we were only half way done eating when the servers whisked our food away into to-go bags and only half-heartily invited us for dessert. This was annoying, seeing that we had made reservations ahead, and also rude. We have eaten here several times, for small-party dinners and large events. In every case, the experience was more or less the same - decent food, loud environment. The service - and the red pepper flakes - took a turn for the worse in this last visit.
(3)
Linda M.
Been here for lunch and dinner many times, and expect many more to come. They serve one of my favorite appetizers, the chilled calamari. With the perfect blend of sourness and saltiness, it is tender. It is delicate. It is heavenly. Almost all their pasta dishes are great. My favorite is the Spicy Chitarra with lobster and shrimp. The only occasional disappointment is that sometimes the place can get quite busy and the service isn't as prompt or friendly as it could be.
(4)
Derek B.
This is my favorite restaurant in Metro West. I never regret my meal, and always experience new flavors with each visit. Service is great. Best pasta this side of Giacmo's. Recommend the chilled calamari appetizer--nice Spanish flair in an otherwise great Italian place.
(5)
Rick J.
I hate to go against the tide of most of the reviews here...but, in the interest of honesty and balance, I will. This is a good restaurant with good food. But it is not amazing, and is not one of the best in Wellesley or suburban Boston. The primary drawback here is that the service can be pretentious. Not because it's Wellesley, but it's likely the way the servers are trained (not to be too customer-centric) and I think it's the kind of person the company chooses to hire (a little bit snooty). If that's the vibe Alta Strada is going for, it works. Again, the food is good enough, but you'll find much better quality, variety, taste, and appreciation for your business at many other west suburban restaurants.
(3)
Don W.
Stopped in before going to an author event at the Wellesley Bookstore, family of four. My son and I started with lemonades, mine flavored with pomegranite, tasty. Bread was served on a napkin and was crusty so made a mess of the table. The boys ordered pizzas, mine sausage and broccoli rabe, son's pepperoni. Mine was great, and filling. His we ordered without peppers, of course it came with peppers, but they were good about it and the new one came out pretty quick. They even brought a "snack" of crustini with some kind of riccotta-oil to tie him over. The ladies both ordered the ravioli, which they thought was frozen, but they liked the sauce. We had some tiramisu and mascarporeos for dessert, which were both nice. All in all, not a bad little spot for a meal, a bit pricey but the menu looked appealing and the pizza was pretty good.
(3)
Kate C.
food is good... When they answer the phone!! Every time I have called to order food in the last few months they don't answer the phone!!! Tonight I tried 3 times and finally ended up giving up. Very frustrating.
(2)
Aaron K.
At first I was skeptical, with 3.5 Star average on yelp, but had a best of boston nod (boston magazine top 50 restaurants). GiltCity got me to try this place with a 20 for 40 voucher. With every dish that hit the table I was more and more elated to be eating here. The food is excellent. We were started with a nice loaf of fresh baked bread (huge and complex in texture). We ordered so we could share all dishes. We started with 3 antipasti for 15$. You would think at a top restaurant these would be small but these were nice size bowls of each dish. Eggplant Caponata and the homemade ricotta with crostini were outstanding. For a primi (app) dish we had the spicy veal meatballs which were also outstanding. The meatballs had a thin bread batter covering them and were super moist inside. The spicy tomato sauce provided the perfect flavor (not your grandma's sauce). We split a pizza which was just more of the same, just great. The crust is just about perfect. While the pizza was not as special as the previous dishes it was executed very well. You can tell they use fresh top notch ingredients here. You would think the service might suffer. This is after all a casual restaurant with excellent food. No. Perfect. Early in the evening the restaurant was slow and there were servers lined up along the bar at full attention to the guest. This reminded me of Commander's Palace in New Orleans which has some of the best service in the country. There was crumb service and new silverware/plates after each and every course. Even when we went from antipasti to primi, which are basically the same course. Our server, Armando was outstanding. He paid close attention to detail and paced our meal extremely well for all the courses we ordered. He remembered we had a gilt city voucher at the end of our meal, and he noticed our wedding bands and thanked us as mr and mrs k for coming. Nice touch! All in all we had a fantastic meal and experience here, deal or no deal we will be back (how often can I say that?). I highly recommend this place for Italian food and I believe Boston Magazine got it right as a top 50 spot in Boston.
(5)
Stephen S.
Alta Strada is one of my favorite restaurants. It has two dishes that I order religiously. For lunch, try the slow-roasted pork sandwich. It comes topped with green beans and roasted red peppers on a hard, chewy bread. (Also mustard and cheese, if you're into such things.) I'm a sandwich person, and I travel around New England during the daytime for work so I try a lot of different sandwiches. This one is my hands-down favorite. The dinner menu has some great entrees, and even better specials. (The best soft-shell crab I've had was a special here at Alta Strada.) But for me the standout is "just" an appetizer, the crunchy veal meatballs with spicy tomato sauce. It's sizable, definitely big enough to share with someone else; and fair warning, the tomato sauce is indeed spicy. For that matter, the meatballs themselves are served very hot, and they retain their heat. I've burned myself. But they're just so incredibly good. It's one of those foods that I get random cravings for. Alta Strada is a gem. Five stars, sincerely.
(5)
Rita V.
OK, Went back with an Open Table business lunch partner. Got Alex. Got GREAT SERVICE along with a KILLER scottish salmon salad - cooked PERFECT. And those mushroom ravioli!!! And that homemade ricotta! NOW we're talking!! Thanks for the GREAT food and OUTSTANDING service!!! WHEW!
(5)
Deb L.
A solid 3 stars here. The food was good - started with burata, then had raviolis and butterscotch pudding. All very well prepared, nothing that made me feel like I was having something that tasted really unique which is why I didn't go with more stars. And perhaps the other piece is that I can't let go of their former restaurant Radius being gone where the culinary experience and service were out of this world.
(3)
Roger T.
Absolutely outstanding homemade pasta. Unique and wonderfully flavorful. Very professional staff that remembers regulars and always very busy so plan to make a reservation. Very hip local place to get great pasta.
(5)
Anik M.
Great Italian in Wellesley. The food is always great and they've a terrific wine selection. It's also a great place for lunch. Excellent sandwiches on the go. In the fall their pumpkin cheesecake is a must.
(4)
Ben C.
Both the mushroom filled lune and spaghetti bolognese were great. Antipasta was tasty as well (Ricotta, Spicy Brocclini and Beets). We had sorbetti for dessert. I would recommend the lemon over the blackberry becaues the lemon was refreshing and a nice palate cleanser, while the blackberry was a little sweet for my preference.
(4)
Craig H.
4+ We were in town for a business meeting and staying in the Natick area. i was hoping to find something which displayed Boston's reputation for food but without having to drive into the city. Alta Strada fit the bill. Located in charming Wellsley, the decor is open yet warm and inviting, the service was pleasant, and the food was delicious. We sampled a couple of the anit pasta items then split a pizza and a pasta... makes me look forward to my next trip to town.
(4)
Brian V.
The menu is limited and the food is fresh but not remarkable. The wait staff definitely wanted to move guests off the tables quickly and did not make an effort to ensure a quality experience. When I asked about the menu items, the waiter said, "the food is prepared as stated in the menu" and took our menus and left the table. This was our third time having a dinner meal at the restaurant and it has been getting progressively lower in quality and the wait staff less attentive and accommodating. I think this will be the last trip because there are other fine restaurants in the area. Too bad because we had a great experience the first time we ate there.
(3)
Paul C.
I got a pizza, which had good dough (which is critical), but overall not great. Not that it was bad, mind - it was, in fact, a good pizza. Just something about it didn't give me that "mmmm" feeling.
(3)
Casey W.
I do like Alta Strada. The food is always great, though a bit expensive. My main problem is that THE MENU NEVER CHANGES. I have been there often enough to be sick of the menu, which has been the same for a few years now. I wish they would offer more seasonal specials and create some new classic items now and then.
(2)
Margot D.
We needed a nice lunch place in the Wellesley area, and I was surprised that there really isn't much... or nothing open for lunch. Found Alta Strada on Open Table and it looked good. I was happy to find a large parking lot (free!) right in back, which brought me right into the lower level where I started drooling over all of the things I could bring home and just stuff myself with later. Seriously, the stuffed peppers looked amazing, and I am usually one to drool over cupcakes and three-layer cakes. Lunch was nice, drank a little too much (so that made the bar portion of the bill higher than the food, but isn't that always the case?) but the service was great. Our nice server (Matt P) was right there whenever we needed something, but not hovering in that annoying way that some people often do. On a return visit, I would definitely want to sit in his section. Didn't have dessert as we were full, but smelled some amazing cookies on the way out that were just coming out of the oven. Driving home, I wished I had picked up a few, but this gives me a reason to return.
(4)
Thu T.
I am definitely coming back here, solely for the food! Everything from the antipasti to the dinner entrees were delicious. We got the Spicy Lobster Chitarra and the Fresh Cheese Ravioli. I can't say much about the service however; I had to wave down the waiter too many times for comfort. Side note: Portions run on the small side, so do not come here ravenous.
(4)
Meghan M.
Fun dinner - great staff!
(4)
Matthew T.
Nice atmosphere, good food, great service. Wasn't overly impressed the first time, but liked it much better the second time around. Would still recommend it to others
(4)
Carson R.
Excellent service, food is very good. Chicken was good but could be seasoned better.
(4)
Guillermo M.
Overall really good experience with the food. Loved the crostini with ricotta, the wine they recommended, the apple salad with cranberries and the lune with mushroom. What I didn't like was that they didn't bring the famous bread at the beginning (I forgot and noticed at the end of the meal) and also didn't love the mascarporeos dessert. Thought the mascarpone did not have the texture and flavor it normally has that I really like. Also the oreo cookies were not as sweet.
(4)
Mark B.
Went here on a Wednesday night with a friend. I made reservations through OpenTable just in case since they are open select dining hours. They checked our coats and sat us quickly, the restaurant was about at half occupancy. Beautiful interior and large open space, the overall atmosphere makes you feel like you could see canals outside the window. Very friendly staff, your glass of water will never be less than half full (so at least you can be optimistic the whole time!). The drink menu had some excellent variety, but we wound up only having water. Our waiter was very attentive and helpful with recommendations, very knowledgeable of the menu and specials. The manager came by to ask how our meals were, he was very friendly and not overbearing, and I could tell he was waiting close by for the right moment, instead of when you're in the middle of a conversation or have your mouth full! The food was made to perfection. I got the Grilled Chicken Breast and Arugula Salad, Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Onion and Lemon. My friend got a pasta dish that I tried that was also very good, not that you can go wrong with pasta (well, maybe you can, but if you did I assume your doors are no longer open). Both were great portion sizes, not too much or too little, and I still took some home. The bread and oil were a nice touch but the crust was a bit too hard for my taste. We also had a special peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. It was delicious, but much smaller than I was expecting for the price. It was only $60 for the meals, dessert, tax, and gratuity, definitely worth the overall experience. My friend mentioned they offer take out and they get it fairly often. I wouldn't be surprised if I walked in here again some time soon. It is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for, top notch!
(5)
David G.
Fabulous meal and waiter, Michael Fittzgerald! We had the prosciutto half-plate first course...comped by waiter (to welcome first timers he said) and it was the best prosciutto we've ever had...not salty but creamy and nutty. We will dream of this proscuitto... We had half-plate of the veal meatballs..delicious but not as insanely good as the former. The next best thing was the spaghettini!!!! We were soooo excited by this deceptively simple pasta dish...half-order was plenty and it matched every expectation we had! The chopped salad was "ladies luncheon" salad, good but not comparable to rest of menu. Save room for the dessert...had the butterscotch budino. Reminded us of Gjellina's version in Venice, CA. Very very good! Gr8 drink menu and best service. Our new go-to spot...especially when Michael is the waiter!
(5)
Liv V.
The food is excellent and the service is great! We always enjoy coming here. It is always busy so make a reservation!
(5)
A C.
In my previous review, I think I referred to Alta Strada as Bertucci's for yuppies. After eating here for lunch, I stand by that analogy, but I mean it in the best sense. It's a great family Italian restaurant. It just happens to be a bit more expensive. But the service is so wonderful, especially if you have kids. Is it worth driving out from Boston? That's hard to say, and probably not. Blue Ginger, which is up the road, is definitely worth the trek out. But if you're in the area, I'm not sure how you could do better. Wait, I just contradicted myself, because I said Blue Ginger was better, which it is - BUT it's not a place to bring kids. So, if you want, excellent Italian food, in a relaxed, family atmosphere, come here.
(4)
Sara V.
So delicious! I had the prosciutto and crostini with fig jam.. and the chopped salad. And the very kind, albeit busy, GM took a minute to say hello, and was very friendly and welcoming. I'll definitely come back!
(5)
Rose D.
Excellent experience last night. Made a reservation through Open Table. We were seated immediately. Our waiter and service was attentive, friendly and considerate of all of our special requests. We ordered enough but not too much for the three of us. Three appetizers - caponata, cauliflower, and ricotta. Then we split the shrimp bean dinner salad and the chicken with asparagus and potatoes. That plus wine and coffee and we left quite full and happy. Food was all delicious. The only complaint was the noise level was too much for my dinner partner's aging deaf ears.
(5)
Ronald L.
Sit at the bar, great service and quick. I was here Monday night and the bar was empty. Ate the Mushroom Lune pasta dish and it was wonderful. Had a special amaretto flan.. Wow! This place is so consistent.
(4)
Katie P.
I ordered the tortellini pasta dish with pistachios and prosciutto... upon the first bite it was like I was riding on a rainbow. I don't normally rave over pasta dishes, but this was GOOD! I would definitely recommend eating here. However, at night it is REALLY hard to hear your date/friends/whomever may be with you because the noise level is so high.
(4)
Patty D.
We had a really good meal at Alta Strada. My friend and I shared three of the small plates. The beets were amazing. Perfectly cooked and marinated. Then we split the eggplant parm which was very tasty and not to cheesy. We each had one of the pasta dishes with the pasta made in house. My tag with corn and mushrooms got a little sweet after a while but I took half home anyway so it was fine. the dish could have used a little fresh herbs or a splash of acid to balance the sweet and savory. All in all it was a great night out. The service was really good as well. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu items. He was attentive but gave us time to enjoy each course.
(4)
Lainie B.
Five stars all across the board.! Matt Dibiccari and Micheal Frasi are the best cooks ever..!! We go to Alta Strada quiet frequently and are never disappointed. The limoncello martinis are my favorite and everything we have had to eat there has been amazing. We especially love the mascaporeos. The waitstaff is always attentive and super friendly
(5)
John L.
I've been to the market two times now and have to say.....Love it. The biggest reason I could not give it 5 stars is because of no delivery. definitely get the Italian mac and cheese. Sooooo yummy. My wife likes it also so that really helps!! She wanted all of you to know that.
(4)
Carol K.
This place is really first rate. The environment is lively and fun, the service is very good and the food is stellar. The menu has options that are familiar enough if you are not an adventurous eater but has some really inspired offerings for those of us who want some creativity. Pay close attention to the specials. They rule. Not surprisingly, it can be very hard to get a table, so make your reservations!
(4)
Lianna M.
The food is delicious! I have tried a variety of dishes and have been happy with everything. The price as listed as 3$$$, but i do not believe it is that expensive. The staff are accommodating and available when you have questions, but do not interrupt your meal.
(5)
Jeff G.
I really wanted to like this place as its in the arsenal of Michael Schlows portfolio of ever-expanding restaurants, but its hard to give a stellar review. Someone before me called this the bertuccis for yuppies which in a sense they might be right. Bread - Awkwardly large but delicious and fresh none the less. Olive oil is high quality, but they also receive it from the olive oil store next door so of course it should be good Drinks - Kinda bothered me that the drink list was on a chalboard on the wall and we without descriptions..I guess they dont want you to order drinks otherwise they would put it on the menu next to the wine. I ordered a drink with pineapple and rum which was good but a bit too sweet with way too much simple syrup. It was also strange that the bartender came up afterwards and asked us if the drinks were ok like he messed them up. Seemed disorganized Food - We started off with buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes which were good (small dish for 2 and some spicy fried meatballs which were very tasty but too spicy for my dad. For the main course the parents ordered the veal mezzlune that was more like a chinese dumpling than italian dish. None of us were fans and it sat mainly untouched. My brother in laws bolognse was good but that should be hard to screw up. Me and my sister got the cavatlli with fennel sausage (sounds similar to coppa?) - The pasta was cooked well and had nice texture but the sauce was so heavy and the sausage was ground and crumbly that it didnt blend well. The brocolini was very slim and didnt add much of a crunch to the dish Overall i left really sick for the rest of the night and probably will not be back. Wellesley is also a ghost town on a Saturday night which is really strange.
(3)
R B.
The food is consistently good (although I chose badly on a pasta dish recently) and the service is professional without being snotty. Better to come at lunch to be able to hear your dinner companions. The place is deafening. My last dinner here, we were shouting to hear each other. Check out the little marketplace downstairs.
(4)
Matt C.
I am somehow flabbergasted that Alta Strada has 4 Stars. I considered giving this two stars because it's not on the level of a 99, but given its current rating I need to institute some realism to the ratings. Let's start with the #1 thing, Food. If the food was good, almost everything else could be forgiven. Unfortunately, I don't know what they could do to save the food. We ordered the olives, which were good, and the bread they served was also solid, so we thought we were in for a real treat. We followed with the tuna antipasti, which I would be embarrassed to give to my dog or cat (although I'm sure they would love it). It could only be described as canned tuna with some herbs (and by canned tuna I mean straight off the Roche Bro's shelves Bumblebee tuna). We tried the Mushrooms with lemon and sage, and to be honest it felt like they we're trying something new, to be creative, and just missed the mark. The lemon flavoring was completely wrong with the mushrooms, but I wouldn't totally fault them, as at least it was unique, except for the fact that the sides came out within 1 minute of ordering them (don't get excited, see below to see how long it took to actually ORDER them, and you'll be hungry by the time you get there). Unfortunately it became apparent when we received our food that these dishes were supposed to be heated, but were somewhere between warm and room-temperature, likely sitting in the back until someone ordered it, I wouldn't be surprised if it were already plated. Next came some pasta dishes, as they said they were all hand made in-house. My wife ordered the spicy Chitarra with lobster etc. Unfortunately their definition of spicy and mine are two different things. Spicy at Alta Strada means they used enough salt to clear the mass pike after a snow storm. There was so much salt I actually couldn't taste the pasta or the sauce, but the only other flavor that came through was a very fishy one. We sent this dish back. I ordered the Pappardelle with duck, which was different and felt like a good seasonal choice. The duck was well done, the cherries complemented it well. My complaint again was that the pasta was more than overpowered by the excessive use of salt! My wife ate some of my dish, but was still hungry, so we asked for a dessert menu (after about 15 minutes trying to flag our waiter down when we were clearly finished). It took about 10+ minutes for him to return so we just asked for the check and left. Now onto the service. If you thought the food was bad (which we did!) the service left something to be desired. Let's start off with the waiter, who told us about the wine special, or rather told us there was a wine special, but didn't know where on the menu it was, what type of wine it was, or really anything about it. He left and came back 10 minutes later to take our wine selections. 10 minutes later we got our wine and put in our order. We got our antipasti in about 1 minute (see above for its status) followed by the bread (normally you don't wait 20 minutes for bread right?). After we finished (or finished eating, the tuna dish was so bad we only had 2 bites, but weren't quite in the mood to send things back), a waiter came out and took my plate with the used fork on it (there was only 1 fork mind you), and when I asked for a new fork, he politely took the used fork off the dish (he actually moved it onto my wife's dish as he stacked them up) and set it back down directly on the table. All these are little things, but very much something you wouldn't expect given what Alta Strada is trying to sell. I could go onto more, but needless to say, the food was bad, the service was worse, and the completely open concept dining floor wasn't conducive to the number of kids in the restaurant (I was expecting more of an adult restaurant, not a Chuck-e-cheese). If you are looking for a similar style restaurant, similar prices, but MUCH better food and better service, try Tomasso in Southboro right on Rt-9. You won't regret it
(1)
Kristen C.
I was prepared to dislike this place. After all, it was out in the suburbs and in an upscale neighborhood known more for wearing Lilly Pulitzer to the country club then actual gourmet interest. The space itself feels a bit sparse for style, with light wood table and chairs that felt like they belonged in a school room. Also being a suburban restaurant with children running around is a bit off putting to the dining experience, so I recommend you try and go later rather then earlier. I have to say the select menu was quality all the way. They have a tempting selection of antipasti such as white bean salad and sauteed mushrooms with lemon, starters like wispy thin prosciutto with fig spread crostini, to our pasta dishes such as mushroom stuffed ravioli in an amazing mushroom sauce, which I highly recommend. All were delicious. The wine list had an impressive selection as well. Service was the way professional and knowledgeable. It might actually be worth a trip to the 'burbs...
(4)
Rita N.
Hand made pasta here is amazing!
(4)
Erica T.
I met an old roommate here to have one last dinner together before she moved to London. It was nice to get out of the city and venture into Wellesley. The area is very quaint and has lots of shopping and coffee shops. I went on a Monday night and there was plenty of parking the street. The restaurant ambiance is good and a perfect place for a date. It was really busy for a Monday so I would recommend making reservations. The menu is limited but we had a very good meal. We shared the Homemade Ricotta with Crostini and the arugula salad with lemon and shaved Grana Padano which I would defiantly recommend. I ended up choosing the bolognese which was good but I probably wouldn't order it again. My friend chose a pizza which looked decent but seemed a little overpriced. Overall we had a good time and I would go back!
(4)
Rachel B.
Rarely am I a repeat customer to any restaurant, as I love trying new places every time I go out to eat. However, Alta Strada is one I have gone back to, as the food is just fantastic. Favorites: Eggplant Caponata, Ricotta with Crostini, and Mushroom Filled Lune. But really, everything is good. My only complaints are that the restaurant feels small and crowded and we ended up in conversations with the couples on both sides of us because we were seated so close together. Also, it's pricey. But I'm cheap, so I guess it's all relative.
(4)
Jae L.
You know how sometimes you've moved and have been missing your BFF neighbor for so long, and then you finally get a chance to go back and hang out with her and... well... all she can talk about is the PTA and carpooling, her new friends seem vapidly shallow, and her once-adorable children have grown into sullen teenagers, and... well, she's just kinda gotten boring on you. Alta Strada used to be so much more interesting. When I lived in Wellesley, I used to have 2 or 3 antipasti veggie dishes I would crave for lunch -- unique flavor combinations, fresh and bright -- and there was this amAzing gnochi in a creamy mushroom sauce that I used to fantasize about constantly... That was when they first moved in and I'd pop in all the time and we'd have such fun... Now, it's just kinda OK. The service remains sincere, but can slow down when crowded. That said, earlier this year, well after the lunch rush, I told the manager about how I missed the mushroom gnochi; he told the chef, and the chef made it just for me. Now that is excellent service, and it was fabulous--but it just made me nostalgic for old times... Sigh I went here last week, the day before Thanksgiving. We got there when it was empty at 6:00, but it soon filled up. Remember how I said I used to crave the veggie antipasti? Well... The broccoli rabe antipasti with chili and garlic was a wee bit overcooked, on the verge of oily, and waaaaay too salty. My friend made a meal of the antipasti (1 for $6; 3/$15; 5/$24) and said it was OK, but didn't rhapsodize about it or anything. (ANd she will, if its is really good.) The mixed baby greens with balsamic and shaved onions ($7) was a little ho-hum. Oddly, that was a little salty, too. It was, frankly, the kind of salad I'd make for myself at home when I am uninspired. Or really, really, need to make a trip to the grocery store. (To be fair, there are more exciting-sounding offerings on the primi menu (like crunchy veal meatballs or figs w/ procuitto), but my husband wanted a salad, & we always share.) (Except dessert.) For dinner we had pappardelle with braised duck, cherries, and rosemary ($23). Executed nicely but unexcitingly: The pappardelle was al dente; the duck, tender and moist; the cherries, far and few between; the rosemary, barely there. But it was not too salty. Here's the thing: usually with pasta, I keep eating it well past the point when I should -- for physical, aesthetic, and ethical reasons -- stop, and then I find myself sad and wistful when the pasta is gone, sniffing slightly to myself as I slowly swipe up the last bit of sauce with my last bit of bread or, if need be, my little fingers, consoling myself that there will be other pastas in my future. Well, this pappardelle was a little too easy to say goodbye to. Especially considering how much it cost and the moderate amount served. (Granted, we split the dish. But the amount here is just slightly less than the average amount you would expect for the price elsewhere.) I even had room for dessert (range: $6-10). I had the mascarpone cheese with chocolate wafers. The cheese was lovely -- not too sweet, just tangy enough, with a luzurious texture -- but I the chocolate wafers were...well, they didn't suck. Light, crumbly, but no depth. A flat, chocolatish taste. Granted, you don't want something too rich or strong to overwhelm the mild-but-rich mascarpone, but I think I could make smoething better at home. My husband had a chocolate-hazelut pudding-like dessert. It was nice, rich, but I couldn't really taste the hazelnut. Final note on The Market, downstairs: When I lived nearby, I used to go to the "store" downstairs to get ready-made meals or a side of veggies. Not outrageously priced, it's much better than the prepared food at Whole Foods or Roche Bros. Take-home veggies come in two sizes; small ranges from $4-7, large from 8-16. The Market also has two sizes for salads and some pastas. You can get a pizza to-go (about $16) as well as sandwiches ($6-9). The real deals come in the "dinners you can take credit for" category, $8-12 for stuffed peppers, grilled salmon, or chicken with caper sauce. FInally, you can get cookies, biscotti, and other desserts at the Market. But I do not know if the quality of the food at the market has faltered like the quality of the food in the restaurant, but I would assum it has, since many of the offerings are the same or similar. Overall, it was nice, but not much more. And for the money and the locale, it really should be. For your money in Wellesley, I think you are better off going to Vela. (Of course, I haven't been to Vela for a few years. I'll review it on my next trip to Wellesley.) I had been missing you, Alta Strada. I miss you still. Snap out of this suburban ennui and come back to me...
(3)
Sarah R.
Ok, the food here is delicious, but wayyyyy overpriced!!! Two glasses of wine and two entrees of bolognese and it came to $75?! Seriously?!?! Pricey. The bolognese was good, but I mean not thaaaat good. I have had better. The flavors were great, but it was really salty, and I love salt and tend to have a salty palate. I ate the whole thing, I was hungry, but could have toned it down. Sadly, I don't see myself ever coming back here as it was way overpriced for the quality. I'll stick to Boston.
(2)
laura g.
Delicious, high quality Italian. Cocktails were great, Caesar salad was amazing, two entrees were absolutely delicious: the lobster/shrimp chittera, and the mushroom pasta dish. Our server, Alex was knowledgeable and web through almost every menu item with us when we asked his favorites. He couldn't have been more on point. The wine we drank with dinner was incredible. Dessert (butterscotch) was perfect. One of the nicest dining experiences we have had in a while. Thank you to Alex, chef Matt and crew.
(5)
Saba N.
I had a GREAT lunch experience here! WOW! I was hesitant to try out Alta Strada. There's been a lot of restaurants that have come and gone in that little location... and since this one is owned by Radius, I figured it would be stuffy and overpriced. Boy, was I wrong. First of all, I love the atmosphere - it's completely open and oh-so-chic. Lots of light, high ceilings, it's really quite elegant. Second of all, the service was fantastic. My water was always filled and my waiter was extremely attentive. When we told him we were splitting a salad, he brought everything out in 2 dishes (which I love!) Third of all, the food. AMAZING. the Tuna salad was just.. unbelievable. The perfect hearty salad and I didn't feel bad eating every last bite. I also had the mushroom & onion pizza and it was fantastic as well. All in all, I definitely have to come back for dinner. I heard that it's a little loud at night since it's so packed... but I don't care. Sign me up!
(5)
Matt L.
From walking through the door to exiting the place, start to finish once again one of the best meals in the area! This place is perfection and should be consistently in the Best of Boston top 50! From the friendly and welcoming service, polite and warm to the delicious selections to the final touches on dessert to the low prices, you cannot go wrong. One of my favorites and a place I will keep coming back to! Magnificent!
(5)
Adrienne N.
Great spot for lunch.
(4)
Daniel C.
Some of the best baked eggplant parmigiana amongst other goodies
(5)
Brandon T.
Came here tonight with my gf's fam and had a fantastic meal. The appetizers and the pasta entree's were excellent. The restaurant was nice, and parking was easy. The service wasn't anything to write home about, but it wasn't bad by any means. I really wish they hadn't run out of the special this evening as it sounded delicious as well. I look forward to having the opportunity to come back again someday.
(4)
John C.
Former location of Todd English's Figs restaurant in Wellesley. We were disappointed when Figs closed because it was a good casual dining place that had good food for reasonable prices. When Alta Strada opened, my wife and I tried it out, loved it so much that we went back again two days later. The food reminds us of the food we ate when we went to Rome. Everything was very flavorful, you could taste each ingredient the way it was meant to taste because of the freshness of the ingredients. Service is also one of their strong points. Very attentive staff. Pizza is also very good, though we've only tried the pizza as take out.
(5)
Karyn V.
Four of us decided to dine here on a whim and we are so glad we did. Alta Strada offers delicious food in a lively casual but elegant environment. We started off our night by ordering the antipasti for the table. Because we couldn't decide between the small dishes, we order five for $24: Sicilian tuna with olives and peppers; roasted olives with rosemary and orange; broccoli rabe with chili and garlic; homemade ricotta with crostini; and roasted cauliflower, pine buts, and golden raisins. Our favorites were the tuna, broccoli rabe, and homemade ricotta. I definitely can see myself going back here just to order and try new small plates off of their antipasti menu! For our entrees, I ordered the grilled chicken breast and arugula salad with sweet tomatoes and lemon ($18). It was good but could have been seasoned a little better. My boyfriend ordered the spicy chitarra with lobster, shrimp, tomato, and basil ($24). I had to stop him from licking the plate. I have eaten many desserts in my time, but none have been more delicious than Alta Strada's mascarporeo ($8). Wow! This is basically the best "Oreo cookie" you will ever have. If you go here, order this. You won't be disappointed. The service was excellent - very attentive without being intrusive. If you do decide to go here, make sure you call ahead and make a reservation. We were one of the lucky few who did this, and already at 6pm on a Friday night the place was packed with a 45-minute to 60-minute wait. There is also parking in the back of the restaurant so no need to troll the street looking for a spot.
(5)
Elizabeth O.
For the third (and last!) time we ordered takeout from their "Market" only to yet again be utterly disappointed. From the young help that answers our call, with utterly no knowledge of the pizza sizes, prices, menu items,etc. to getting hung up on at the conclusion of placing my order to arriving home with the wrong items--makes us not want to return. Clearly years later, Altastrada is working out their "kinks" but no longer on our dime.
(1)
Kate G.
Had a fantastic meal on Valentines Day with my boyfriend. He booked the place after a recommendation from a friend. Our table was ready and waiting when we got there and our server, Alex, was great. He was so personable and really gave some great recommendations, especially helped when choosing the wine. He helped course all our food perfectly and we didn't feel rushed even though the place was packed. Food was amazing and the cocktail list was a must try.
(5)
Elizabeth A.
The food was excellent, but our waiter forgot about us halfway through dinner. He never came back to ask if I'd like another drink (and I finished the first one less than halfway through dinner) and we waited quite a while to get the check. I like the atmosphere, but wouldn't recommend going here if you want to talk a lot because it's very loud.
(3)
A G.
A gem in our little town. You can't go wrong with any of the antipasto offerings, but standouts are the white beans with rosemary and eggplant caponata. Even the simple green salad with red onions is delicious and tossed in an awesome balsamic vinaigrette. Of the primi offerings, definitely try the proscuitto with fig and crostini. I ask them to serve it with a few slices of grana padano on the side. Heaven! For mains, mushroom filled lune are the ultimate comfort food. The spicy chitarra with lobster and shrimp is always a hit. I'm hardly ever impressed with desserts, but their fruit-filled crostata has become a favorite. The flaky, buttery crust is definitely homemade and always served hot from the oven. The only dish I didn't care for was a summer offering of sweet corn and mushrooms over a homemade paparadelle. The sauce was so sweet it tasted like the pasta had been topped with corn bisque, and the mushrooms were nowhere to be found. Ah well, not every dish can be a slam dunk. Service here is very attentive, and I love the open kitchen. Go later if you want to avoid the early evening family rush.
(4)
Wonder W.
Very good Italian - antipasto selection was great. Pasta and pizzas ordered were all delicious as was the affagatto! Service was a little frenzied but it was 7.30pm on a Thursday night so understandable.
(4)
J S.
I ate her twice in the last two weeks. The first time was my first time and I only went back because the food was great and I thought we must have been imagining on the first visit how rude the service was. First visit, three people, well over $150 bill before tip and god forbid you put your fork down your plate would be whisked away whether you were done or not. I have never ever felt so rushed at a restaurant. Two gentlemen in charge circle the restaurant non stop staring at each take trying to get it turned over as quickly as possible (and yes I understand they are a business....I am talking to the point of outright rude). First night we paid the bill and immediately were approached by one of the two men "in-charge" asking if we needed something else or were we done. In other words get out of your chairs and leave! Went back tonight and it was worse than the first time. I was with a different person and she could not believe it. Clearly all the help are trained to "get you out as quickly as possible at all costs". Tonight was $102 for two of us before tip. Never going back. This place needs to get real and treat a customer like they are in fact the reason they have a business. Rude, rude and ruder.
(2)
Lindsay F.
As a recent graduate from the Swells, this was a must visit upon returning to campus a year after my graduation. I have been here many times and have yet to be disappointed. It seriously outshines its predecessor, Figs. Great service, great food, just all around great. Highlights: The antipasta, especially the homemade ricotta. Also, the eggplant caponata. The great olive oil that comes with the bread they serve prior to the meal. The sacchetti with prosciutto, crushed pistachios, and leeks. They are to die for. The mushroom stuffed lune with truffle oil. For dessert, the chocolate hazelnut tart. Also, their bellini is very good. I had the peach one, and it was amazing.
(5)
Liam P.
Great place, service always good, food too. order takeout at market downstairs a bunch. Not sure what some reviewers have problems with here. bread is awkwardly large?
(5)
Mary B.
I adore this place. There's a formal dining room upstairs (which is great)... as well as a hidden gem in the basement called "The Market". This is where you can go to order pre-made meals such as pasta, fish, meat, pizza, subs and dessert. I come here at least once a month to get my eggplant parmesan fix. The eggplant meat nestles comfortably in toasted rustic Italian bread... and the cheese politely oozes out and sits on the red and white checkered wax paper that the sandwich is wrapped in (nice touch, Alta). I've had other subs here, and they don't ever skimp on the portions. The cooks who prep your to-go order are always so friendly and quick! I realize this review is mostly on The Market, but the restaurant is just as good. Cool vibe, great service, and authentic Italian food -- how can you go wrong?
(5)
Pedro C.
My wife and I came in here after doing errands in the wellesley area. For a weeknight, the place gets busy. We came in around 6:30 without a reservation, so we got seated in the bar area. By the end of the night, all the tables were packed as well as the bar seats. The meal was good. We both ordered pasta dishes, and it's easy to tell they are carefully made with fresh ingredients. My mushroom ravioli was seriously flavorful. However I did find that there wasn't much in terms of quantity. Portions were on the smaller side. Great restaurant to check out if you're in the area.
(3)
Katie W.
Great place to go if you're looking for homemade pasta noodles and you have money to spend. Alta Strada's pasta is delicious, but it doesn't come cheap. Pastas average about $20 and the portions are small. So don't come here if you're hungry, you and your wallet won't be satisfied. If you're looking for a rich/savory pasta meal here, I recommend the Spicy Chitarra with lobster ($23) or Mushroom Filled Lune ($22).
(3)
Catherine C.
We came here on a weekday after a recent visit to Paper Source. First thing we noticed was how busy it was for a weeknight. We had to sit at the bar instead because all the tables were reserved. This was fine by us, except that the bartender was really busy so he really didn't pay much attention to us. We started off with the Anchovies Endive salad. This was pretty good. I loved how the anchovies masks the bitterness of the endive. As entrees, I got the sachetti, which is a little wonton looking sack made of pasta and filled with cheese. The was also some prosciutto. The dish was okay but got a little heavy after awhile. There was very little prosciutto. We also had the mushroom ravioli. This was pretty good. Again, I thought the dish was a little heavy. The restaurant was busy and all the stools at the bar were taken so the bartender was pretty busy. As a result, service was a bit on the slow side. Overall, it's a decent restaurant. I've glad I tried it but it's not memorable enough to bring me back regularly.
(3)
Christopher S.
I'm starting to have bad luck with the restaurants in the town of Wellesley. Tonight I had my second evening out for dinner at one of it's fancy establishments: Alta Strada. Like my experience at Blue Ginger this was another restaurant that puts more into its appearance and reputation than in the quality of the meals. Before my planned evening out with my girlfriend and her family I looked at the menu online. Most of the items came with no description for us everyday people and I actually had to Google some of the Italian ingredients to know exactly what was in the meal. I expected the online menu to be vague but was surprised to find that it was exactly the same as what the waitstaff gives you at the table. For people who do not eat this kind of food on a regular basis you'll be asking yourself, "What is this" and "What is that?" After doing some research online I picked a few dishes that I could handle without much frustration. After the waiter took our drink order we served bread on a large napkin. Not a basket, not a plate...a napkin. Immediately I notice we were stuck having to pick apart the bread with our hands and return the uneaten loaf back on the napkin. A little odd. If you order anything from "The Antipasti Table" don't expect anything close to filling. We had Beef Bresaola with Shaved Fennel, Salumi Toscano with Pickled Red Onion and Finocchiona with Spicy Peppers. All were merely four pieces of very thin cut cured meats on a plate with some garnish. (3 for $15.00) For the "Primi" we ordered Bruschetta with Summer Corn and Sicilian Tuna ($10.00) and Crispy Arancini with Tomato Basil Sauce ($9.00). Both were very good but the price was hard to swallow. I don't think it was accurate calling the Bruschetta "Bruchetta" when all it was a slice of bread below a mound of sweet corn and what tasted like canned tuna. I did thoroughly enjoy the Crispy Arancini (fried rice balls) and felt they were worth the price. The main course for everyone was Pizza Margherita ($13.00) and Mushroom and Robiola with Carmelized Onion ($14.00). Instantly when I took a bite of the Margherita Pizza I said to myself, "Hey, this pizza tastes surprisingly familiar." I began searching the mental database for the restaurant that has the exact same slice. Answer: California Pizza Kitchen. Their price is only a 1 cent less but honestly I get the same quality out of CPK frozen pizzas found at my local grocery store. I cannot complain about the good service. We were seated with no wait, waitstaff was friendly and the restaurant itself is extremely clean. You will not dine on the same set of plates and silverware because they are cleared after every course and you are then given a fresh set. I felt this was kind of a waste. Overall Alta Strada gets a 3 star review. It's a nice place to come to but one visit is enough for me to make a good judgment. Just another over priced restaurant serving mediocre food here in Wellesley.
(3)
JEFFREY K.
The pasta here is world class and as good as or better than anything in Italy.The tagliatelle alla Bolognese in particular was extraordinary and without doubt the best I've had anywhere in the world. This restaurant just exceeded my every expectation. Service was knowledgeable and the staff offered expert advice and seemed to love food. Our server Alex was terrific. Who would have thought such a great Italian restaurant would be in the burbs rather than downtown Boston. GO!
(5)
Kelly O.
Wellesley is a strange, strange place to me, full of rich families and privileged college kids, and I generally hesitate to venture this way for any reason (except Blue Ginger of course), so I didn't really know what to expect when the parents made reservations for 4 at 7:45 on a Saturday night. We arrived to an absolutely packed dining room, full of children (apparently this is where wealthy children go to dine? I was a McDonald's kid myself). The restaurant is much smaller and much louder than anticipated, and we had to wait about 30 minutes in order to get seated... to be fair, we gave up the first table offered to us because it was right next to the door and there's no real place for people to stand and wait except right on top of that table, but we were seated along the wall no more than 5 minutes later so that wasn't the hold up. But the hostess was really friendly and gracious and offered to bring us drinks, a nice touch. We started out with some antipasti for the table: the green beans, white beans, and eggplant caponata. Each was really tasty, I'd recommend any of them, and the portions were perfect. The eggplant parm app was also really good (especially tasty red sauce). For my main, both the boy and I got the Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks and Toasted Pistachio, which was a little creamier and richer than expected, but not in a bad way. My plate had more prosciutto than pistachio, but the boy's seemed to have a good balance between the two. The dish was fresh and flavorful and I was pleased, although I was hoping to have some leftovers for the next day but alas, they give you just enough pasta pouches to be satisfied/full (not a bad thing). Others got the salmon and sea bass, which they were happy with, although to me, they seemed overpriced for the portion size and quality. For dessert, we split the chocolate budino, which I had mixed up in my head with a bomba and thus was somewhat disappointed to see a chocolate pudding set down in front of us; it would have been helpful for the menu to give an actual explanation of what things were, instead of us having to guess/Google things. Don't get me wrong, it was a good pudding, but just not what I was craving/expecting (especially since I can get a similarly tasty Belgian chocolate pudding at Trader Joe's for a third of the price). Tasty cappuccinos rounded out the evening. Service was a bit scattered, our waitress was generally really friendly and attentive but she disappeared for a while and also forgot to bring the boy's second glass of wine. Prices are on the steep side for entrees and not necessarily 100% worth it IMO- sacchetti was $20, sea bass was $31-, but pretty reasonable for other menu areas (antipasti 3 for $15, pizzas $10-15), so you can either go big or go cheap here which is a plus. Overall I wouldn't mind coming back, especially if I were a local, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to return either as there was nothing I was completely impressed with and prices seem a bit inflated.
(3)
Constance C.
Really, really lovely place. I came in a large group and the waiters went around to each of us to ask for our order and patiently answered any queries. They gave great recommendations; they clearly knew their stuff. As a Wellesley student, I was never made to feel unwelcome despite the upscale feel of the place. Their real draw for me is their downstairs deli and pizza shop--I went there a lot for lunch last semester. Try their pizza! Quality place--no wonder all the organizations have their end-of-year dinners here.
(4)
Janina T.
I've eaten here twice ever. The first time about 2 years ago and the second time was last night. From what I can remember about the first time, I really liked the pasta I ordered. I'm pretty sure I got the cheese-stuffed ravioli. Delish. Last night, I went for my best friend's birthday. I didn't know it would be THAT packed on a Thursday night...in Wellesley no less. Thankfully I made reservations (wahhoooo, opentable). Overall, my choice in meal was better the first time. I tried one of their personal pizzas. It was a bit spicier than I would have expected a tomato, basil, mozzarella pizza to be. Or maybe it was residual spice from one of the appetizers we ordered? I will say they have a good deal on the $15 for 3 appetizers since they're decent sized portions so I'd take advantage of that. One of the special requests I put in was to have some kind of cake or dessert brought at the end of the meal with a candle (per usual for a birthday). They brought a scoop of ice cream. I was a little turned off because the price point of the restaurant isn't like a Bertucci's aka cheap so I would have assumed they'd be able to at least bring a small slice of cake. Free or not (we obviously would have paid for it). It was kind of a poor reflection on their business stature. In addition to this, the service was pretty slow, however it was quite busy so I'm sure that's a big part of it. The food came out a lot quicker than I would have expected (aka we ordered then 10 minutes later, here's a pizza!) so kudos to the chefs! All in all, it was a pretty good experience but I wouldn't necessarily choose this place as a regular go-to, but I wouldn't rule it out either.
(3)
Wally C.
Excellent! Service was amazing, not pushy nor rush, great place, the food was amazing, fresh and portions were just right, will go, again and again, you people need to try it!
(4)
Pizzaioli G.
I liked this place. My food was good and the choice of wine excellent. Service was good and the atmosphere pleasant. Nice place for a date.
(4)
Sarah G.
We had a wonderful experience here--great food and drink, great service, great ambiance! I highly recommend. We will be back soon :)
(5)
An L.
Nice ambience with exposed brick walls and recessed lighting. Antipasti were good, including eggplant, green beans, and mushroom. The spaghettini hit the spot - quite yummy al dente. Tagliatelli was nice as well, but a bit too creamy for my liking. The special, striped bass was quite well cooked and tasty.
(4)
Zoe S.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. The antipasti is perfect, all of it. The pizza is great, but if you're going for pasta I'd suggest the gnocchi, or the tagliatelle alla bolognese. And for dessert, the gelato is great. It's a nice restaurant, with great service and staff, and there's always street parking. The only problem is that on Friday or Saturday nights it's hard to get a table, unless you call in advance.
(5)
James B.
The food here is pretty good. We frequently get takeout from here and it is certainly the best pizza in Wellesley. Last night was the first time I have ever been in the dining room for a meal. The food is pretty decent. We had the prosciutto and arugula pizza which was really a surprise, although I love pork of just about any kind on my pizza I generally shy away from fresh salad greens on there. The calamari which was served in tomato sauce with black olives and capers was salty, spicy and cooked perfectly. The third dish we had, which I didn't choose, was the fresh mozzarella with sweet 100 tomatoes. I really don't understand why anyone keeps this on a menu in the middle of January. I guess because people will order it, I suppose my dinner party is proof of that. I would much rather eat a caprese in the middle of September when the tomatoes are bursting with flavor and the basil is overgrown like a weed. It was passable but mediocre. My biggest disappointment was things that had nothing to do with the food. When we first sat at the table I noticed a two sided "plate" that contained salt and pepper. that appeared to be there for the duration of service. I just think its gross to have out like that. What if the previous table had an active infection and nose picking habit? Seriously I'm not a germaphobe but who thought that was a good idea? The wine by the glass list is is so vague. I want to know more about the wine than its varietal. Knowing who produces the wine is important to me especially when you want to charge $11 for a glass of Barbera. I guess it makes it easier to pour a cheap glass of wine and charge a premium. I think the waitstaff meant well but the service was kind of awkward. First off I have a zero tolerance policy for dirty glassware, plates and silverware. That is 100% the responsibility of the waitstaff to ensure that doesn't happen. I really hate having to point it out. Once the food came that was when the barrage of servers descended upon our table. We hadn't even taken one bite when our server asked how everything was. Shortly after that the third person who was absent during this was approached uncomfortably close by the waiter who touched her shoulder and asked how everything was. It was so strange. We all suppressed our laughter as best as possible. There were several attempts to collect our half empty dishes that were still being "worked on". Really, I didn't think anyone was rude, but the service was just sort of obtrusive. I did enjoy myself however and would go back again
(3)
Lee H.
We started off with a trio of appetizers - olives, beans, and peppers - which we ate with the standard table bread (a huge hunk of tuscan pane style bread). Very, very good. For the entree I had a seared chicken breast with greens. My wife had mushroom-stuffed ravioli. Dessert was an apple cake with ice cream. All excellent. Service was very attentive. Maybe a little over the top, but good nonetheless. Portions are a bit small for my taste. Same for the martini. Prices are a little high. If cost is no object, you can do a lot worse than Alta Strada.
(4)
Suri R.
Have had dinner here several times and it is consistently fresh and good. The bartender makes up some of his own amazing cocktails which are creative and delicious. Love the free parking in the back as well as entry through the back or front door, depending on where you choose to park. Will go again.
(5)
Vicki B.
Alta Strada was a dining experience. I asked our server, Nick, if they had specialty cocktails and he was kind enough to describe each one in detail. I chose the Brezza Delicato which was delightful and later learned that Nick was also a bartender at the restaurant and that the cocktail was his invention. My husband and I shared the Summer Melon and Prosciutto appetizer which was a wonderful blend of flavors and very refreshing. My husband chose the pork for his entree and I don't believe either of us has ever had pork quite so tender and moist. I chose the swordfish special and it was equally delicious. The woman at the table beside ours commented on how much she had also enjoyed her swordfish and her dining companion mentioned that his tomato sauce was also delicious. My husband had cappuccino to complete his meal. I asked Nick if he could recommend a digestivo. He explained that there was one that that evening's bartender, Justin, had invented. It was wonderful. Along with the very talented chefs, I recommend that Alta Strada hold on very tightly to both Nick and Justin. I also recommend that everyone just sit back and enjoy the experience of Alta Strada!
(5)
Don F.
The best lunch sandwich's I have ever had. I have had the Cheese Steak, The Social Club and the Meatball parm sandwich which were all AMAZING! The bread and attention to detail are amazing. The cookies are fantastic also! Very limited seating downstairs but the staff working downstairs are fantastic and friendly. My wife was on crutches and they were extremely accommodating to her which was really nice. I am a little afraid to let this hidden jewel out of the bag as it's nice not to wait in line but the food is outstanding and we have no problem driving 25 minutes for this type of quality. You will not be disappointed with ANY of their sandwich's. I have not tried upstairs yet for a formal dinner as I still can't get over how good the downstairs is!
(5)
Chloe F.
I went here with my boyfriend for our anniversary dinner. We went around 6pm on a Wednesday night, and it was relatively quiet but the atmosphere was very nice. My boyfriend loved his Fazzoletti with Asparagus Pesto and Pecorino, and I had the crispy chicken secondi that was also very good. The portion sizes suited us very well. We had the strawberry sorbet for dessert, which wasn't as good. Service was great and timely. Would definitely come back for a semi-fancy dinner for special occasions.
(4)
Jim c.
While it was not terrible it was far from it's reputation and very over priced. I normally dine out in Boston but met several couples here on a busy Saturday night. Service was okay at best. Not very attentive but the server was very busy I am sure. It took a while to get drinks. The appetizers were very good but then it took a long time to get the entres. There were eight of us and half were disappointed in their dishes. I had the crispy chicken which was good. The pasta and pizza ranged from okay to awful. The wine list was very over priced with the least expensive bottle being $40. We had a $48 bottle which was pretty good but nothing special. Over all for $75 per person I have had much much better and spent much less. I would not rush back.
(2)
Caitlin M.
I have been here more times than I would like to reveal. I used to come here almost weekly. The service and food is hit or miss. Its quite cute inside, they have a nice bar and open kitchen. The market downstairs is great. I am not a huge pasta fan but definitely think that is what is best here. People rave about the mushroom filled lune and the Grandma's eggplant can be quite good. I have had some really horrible service here- just plain rude and unattentive for an high end restaurant. Other times the service has been great. None of their fish dishes have been particularly spectacular for me. In the end, I think I have come to the conclusion that this amount of money is better spent at a better restaurant in Boston or Cambridge.
(3)
Abdulrahman B.
Great Italian goodness in this place. I love their pizza and it would be perfect if it was a bit salty. Their pastas always made me mouth watering when I crave for it. Their sandwiches and salads. I love this place and its considered one of the best Italian restaurants I tried so far.
(5)
Lin Z.
So, so awesome. I've been to Alta Strada a number of times, and each time is just as amazing as the last. Outstanding food, impeccable service, and a great atmosphere to top it all off. My friends and I like it so much that, back in May, we even took our favorite professor there to celebrate our upcoming graduation. I highly recommend the Sicilian Tuna, Homemade Ricotta, and Beef Bresaola (all from the antipasti table). As for the pasta dishes (I think I've tried them all at this point...), I really like the Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks, and Crushed Pistachios, and the Mushroom filled Lune with more Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Parmigiano. I also love the Pappardelle with Braised Duck and Cherries. (The last time I had it, I dreamt about it for two weeks afterward...) Oh, and the Panna Cotta is to die for. I can't say enough good things about this place. I only wish I lived back in Wellesley so I could come here more often...
(5)
Alex D.
Not good. The service was super slow and the place was empty. Went for lunch at around 2:00 on a Saturday. I asked if their pasta was homemade and the waiter said "no, um, we really don't have the space". I don't know what the kitchen looks like but this place is enormous. They have a take-out place downstairs. Anyway, got a salad which took a good 15 minutes to arrive at my table. I asked for them to go light on the dressing and it was soaking in vinegar and oil. I ordered the Spaghettini with Aglio e Olio con Pomodoro for the entree. $16 for store bought pasta and tomato sauce. It was so gross, I didn't even eat it. This is my third time here. The first time I went with friends and nothing was over-the-top great. I got a small portion of the Mushroom Filled Lune with More Mushrooms, Truffle Oil and Parmigiano and it was so heavy and dense. Hate to be harsh but this place is very over-priced. I don't mind spending money for a meal but it has to taste good.
(1)
Todd C.
We had dinner tonight for my daughter's 13th birthday. The staff handled our party of 10 teenage girls plus my wife and me promptly and professionally. The food was great, especially the prosciutto & fig and the tomato & mozzarella appetizers, along with the pasta entrees. I've eaten here a dozen or so times for casual meals, business dinners, and family events like this one with great results each time.
(5)
Marian S.
I love this restaurant. Everytime I come to Natick from Vermont we make a point to eat here. The staff is always nice and the food is great! We plan on eating lunch there today. Even though they don't have a kids menu they went overboard and made a grilled cheese for our grand daughter at our last visit and it was unbelieveable.....
(5)
Alison H.
I won't bore you with the details, but don't bother. It's just not very good.
(2)
John M.
Can't argue with the quality of the food and the level of service. I had Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks and Toasted Pistachio, an arugula salad and a couple glasses of an Italian style Pinot Noir. My friend had Spicy Chitarra with Lobster, Shrimp, Tomato and Basil and enjoyed it as well. The place was packed, the service was top notch, and the food was hot. Only fault, was the bread. It was not fresh and a bit on the chewy side; at least it had some flavor and was on the rustic side...but it was day old. And the price? I guess I'm too much of a Joe-6Pack working man to get past paying $120 (tip included) for two salads, two plates of pasta, and a couple glasses of wine. But if you're not phased by the price, you're on schedule with the payments on your 7 Series BMW and the kids tuition at Brown is all set....you will enjoy Alta Strata enough to give it four or five stars.
(3)
Mike C.
Eaten here 6 times. Pretty good food, but the noise is out of control. You can't hear anything said by person sitting next to you. They insist on playing background music too, often a low continuous bass that is more suited to an african-reggae dance club. Fix the acoustics and lose the music! IMHO the prices are also too high for this place.
(2)
Carla G.
Had a very nice dinner at Alta Strada on our 29th wedding anniversary the other night. We had a few small plates which were very filling for only $15.00. The eggplant copanata was my favorite however the ricotta and broccoli rabe were very good! My husbabd had the mushroom ravioli and I had the cavetelli with sausage which was delicious! My husband liked his as well! The service was also very good!
(4)
V L.
The food was mediocre at best. The wine selection is not very good. What bothered me most, however, was suboptimal service which bordered on unfriendly (and unlike some other reviewers, I would not call this place kid friendly). We will certainly not be back. Try Blue Ginger--fantastic food and superior service--and excellent with kids.
(2)
Cynthia A.
Probably the only decent Italian place West of Boston. I have brought two of my employees here because it is that good. The pasta that I ordered was fresh just like if you were in Italy. The sauce was amazing. The desserts were just right. I would come here again and again.
(5)
Daniel D.
Salad was good but nothing incredible - somewhat small for two people. The balls of fried risotto where yummy, but again not amazing. Swordfish was really not good for the price. The mushroom "lene" pasta with truffle oil was absolutely delicious and worth every penny. Service was very nice.
(3)
Victoria X.
Amazing food and a great atmosphere. The menu is mostly tapas and the bartender their knows what wines go with what food!
(5)
Josh F.
If I could sum this up in one sentence, it would be: "Great food, disappointing service." Pros: - Great Food - Even better wine pairings Cons: - Overpriced for the suburbs - Manager was rude - Reservations we're not exactly honored. We made reservations and people who came in after us were seated before us. - Noisy atmosphere Overall, I can't give it any lower than two stars because the food was outstanding. But, if I rated the service alone, one star would be about right.
(2)
Rachel M.
We booked a birthday brunch for 10 people, so I called ahead to let them know there would be a birthday and that we would be bringing a cake. They informed me that it would cost $4/per person to plate the cake we brought in. I understand having a flat fee for plating, but charging a fee per person seems like backwards logic - they are basically saying "the more people you bring to us, the more we're going to charge you". I was annoyed and spoke with the manager, but she refused to do anything about it. Another small but disturbing detail - they don't have ketchup and they turned their noses up when we asked for it! If you are serving homefries at brunch, you should have a couple of bottles of ketchup on hand. I know it's Wellesley, but really.... Other than that, food and atmosphere were good. Service was just okay. Music over the sound system was really good! I wouldn't hurry back to this place.
(2)
Leslie W.
Two at our table were happy with their pasta dishes. Two of us were unimpressed with our pizza. Mine was heavy on the mozzarella and therefore reminded me of a Greek pizza you'd get at a corner pizza parlor. It was also too salty from too much cheese and too much prosciutto. The service was SLOW; we sat for hours. The one dessert we ordered to share - called a warm peach crostata with vanilla gelato - was inedible. The four of us were unanimous about that. The peaches were hard and tasteless, there was no sauce, and the dough was under-cooked. Also, it came to us cold, not heated. If I made a dessert that was that awful, I would never ever serve it to my guests.
(1)
Lily J.
My favorites: Golden Beets with Piave Vecchio (antipasti) and the Mushroom filled Lune with more Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Parmigiano (SO GOOD). It was a little funny to have the bread served on a napkin (and before the bread plates came) but everything was delicious. Our waitress was friendly and took the time to go through her recommendations on the menu.
(5)
Andrew M.
The food was certainly good enough, and the service is a big improvement over Figs' (which was painfully slow), but the prices...$13-$15 dollars for individual-size pizzas, $15-19 for pasta, and the portions don't come close to justifying it. On the plus side, I really liked my grilled vegetable and goat cheese salad.
(3)
Sonali B.
Wow - I am a huge fan of Michael Schlow, and I expected to enjoy Alta Strada immensely. I have never been more disappointed. Mikey! What's going on? After a long day of cooking prior to Thanksgiving, 6 of us headed to Alta Strada - my parents, my mentally disabled uncle, two of our closest family friends, and me. The food was mediocre at best - with the exception of the Eggplant Parmigiano appetizer. The shrimp fra diavolo appetizer was a huge disappointment to anyone looking for a spicy, red-sauce based dish; lukewarm shrimp over toast so hard I scraped the top of my mouth. The cauliflower side dish was fine. The sausage and broccoli pizza was so oily we sent it back - and we're honestly not that kind of a group. The puttanesca was good, and the chicken entree was fine as well, but overall, not an impressive meal. I do recommend a glass of the Barbera...but honestly you might need more than one to get through the experience. The service was HORRIBLE. They refused to do separate checks for the two families even when we asked at the start of the meal, before ordering. Everyone who works there looks like they are about 15 years old, and one girl who brought out our entrees was so confused by who was receiving what that she actually took everything back to the kitchen, thinking she had the wrong table. I finally had to half stand up and direct her around the table. Our waiter was attentive, but not particularly helpful. To cap it off, toward the end of the meal, my father tried to call the attention of a waiter standing about 5 feet from our table to ask where the restroom was. The man stared at him blankly for about 30 seconds, then approached the table...and walked straight past my father, who was clearly beckoning to him. It was the RUDEST thing that I have ever seen. Especially since we had been at Via Mata and Radius over the previous weekend, and are used to a certain standard of service. As in - if you flag down a waiter, he doesn't blatantly ignore you. One of our friends was so enraged by this that he almost didn't add a tip to the menu. Michael Schlow - we love Radius, but please don't tell me that I have to schlep all the way downtown (and spend at least $300) just for a nice dinner? Overall - would not recommend Alta Strada to anyone. :(
(2)
Woodward Y.
Great Italian with some wonderful wines. Be sure to try as many of the antipasti as you can. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the wait staff are friendly. However, watch out as it gets very busy...
(5)
cory w.
You can get much better food at Sorellina in Boston. I'd rather drive back into the city for really good Italian. It's decent, just what you expect in the burbs.
(1)
Joe S.
One of my favorite restaurants. Good appetizers, dinners, and drinks. The fresh ricotta is amazing.
(5)
J F.
food is great, tight seating but the ricotta, prosciutto and marscaporeos are all worth it!
(4)
Han K.
This might just be my new favorite place, and it's only 5 minutes away. Michael Schalow's of Via Matta and Great Bay fame opened up a fairly casual Italian eatery. The concept is to have real Italian favorites, simple dishes that speak for themselves, nothing gussied up or made into high towers, just the ingredients and simple preparations and combinations of textures and flavors to really just do all the talking for the restauant. My fiancee and I opened up with ordering 3 antipasti, white beans with rosemary and red onions, calamari with cucumber jalapeno and citrus, and the homemade ricotta with sage and extra virgin olive oil. All three came in a bowl for us to pass to each other, all three were just absolutely delicious. The bread was a thick huge slice of crusty tuscan style bread with the best olive oil I've ever tasted in my life to dip with, just so intensely fruity without any nasty bitter flavors, I want to know where the olive oil came from. That's the real deal, the good stuff. We proceeded to have more appitiziers of arancini made with prosciutto and parmigiano in marinana that was to die for, extra crispy on the outside, extra gooey melty goodness on the inside, as well as having a massive plate of thinner than paper thin slices of prosciutto (real prosciutto de parma, the good stuff, it just melted on your tounge it was that good) served with a fig jam crostini, the intense sweet from the fig and the salt from the porky goodness just made a perfect combination. We were absolutely stuffed after all that, we even saved half the antipasti to take home with us because we knew we had more food coming. I had gnocchi with sausage and peas that was served in a tomato cream sauce that was heavenly. The gnocchi were light and fluffy, not at all dense and heavy, the sausage was amazing, the sauce was rich and fulfilling. Steph had tagliatelle with chanterelle mushrooms and corn, a new dish and a simple preparation of sauteed chanterelle mushrooms, amazing sweet corn, sauteed to perfection tossed with hand cut fresh pasta, dressed very lightly in it's own natural sauce.. To die for, all the fresh flavors just melded together to make a truly remarkable dish. We could only finish half our entrees as well, putting those into boxes to take home. We finished the night with a delicious cup of espresso, and the panna cotta which was again to die for. Thick, creamy, delicious, served that night with blueberries on top. I really can't stress how much this place rocks. Total bill for all the food? Just over $100 including a few drinks (so without it would have been somewhere around $75). All the pasta dishes are under 20, the only expensive appitizer we got was the prosciutto but it was a massive plate of it at $14, and the deal of the century were the antipasti for $13 (it's $5 for 1, $13 for 3, $22 for 5 and you can get more and more, you could make a meal out of the antipasti alone). Everything was just cooked perfectly, the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. It's a little loud inside, it's not a place I think to wine and dine and be romantic, but it is lively and bustling, a great place for a date if you want to have fun conversations although you do have to speak up a bit. The vibe is casual fun, share your dishes, get half portions of things, really just have a good time, be a little messy, be a little adventurous, and I totally get it. I can't wait to have an excuse to go back.
(5)
Martha R.
Had a delicious lunch here with two friends. We enjoyed the fig crostini with prosciutto as well as two pasta dishes and a salad. Everything was expertly prepared and the portions were ample. I did find the prices high, which is my only complaint. Service was excellent. Love the atmosphere. I can see how it might get loud when full to capacity.
(4)
Ryan D.
My father and i went to eat here this summer on a Monday night. We were looking to get some drinks and then dinner. First of all this being a Michael Schalow establishment i would expect them to have a full bar with a great beverage menu. I am a big fan of the drinks at Great Bay (r.i.p) so i expected nothing less from Alta Strada. I was wrong...They had nothing i wanted No St.Germain,Campari,Domaine De Canton, Ron Zacapa, Milagro nothing exotic just your typical Vodka,Gin,Trip sec the bar rack special. So I told the waitress i was in the mood for a martini. She replies how about a Cosmo...The only reason people order cosmos these days are because of sex and the city. If i was a alcoholic stuck on a island with no water and all they had for me to drink was cosmos id rather die! So we decide to go with a safe bet and get beer. A few moments later The waitress comes by and apologize saying sorry we dont have any beer tonite... So we decided on a Gin Martini(hendricks thank god they had that) extra dry lemon twist. I told her to stir not shake. So we wait about 5 min and here comes our martinis in shakers. It tasted like water. usually a martini should be diluted about 20% but this tasted like water with a hint of gin About 5 min after getting our drinks...we see a waiter bring this couple a beer. And it quickly caught my attention. We were told by our waitress that they 86 All the beer. hmmm...i was pretty turned off by that. We quickly asked for our check and ended up going to papa razzi (THANK YOU BACK BAY). I hope the new alta strada at the mgm will have a better selection of drinks/ service...they have a great product its just a shame that they never delivered
(2)
Joe B.
Here's a Michael Schlow idea that at least gives some alternative to Blue Ginger. Probably the former Todd English Figs at this location was more substantial and real Italianish fare. (I miss the duck and fig risotto) Having said that the too friendly waiters move it along without too many dropped balls and the small antipasti plates and pizzas were OK. The Giardinera salad had texture issues and all in all it is an absentee Chef by the numbers venture. They've definitely maxed out their potential for covers and they were humming even at 10pm but probably because diners are desperate for something fresh in Wellesley. The lune pasta with truffle oil was very delicious and my panna cota with Rainier cherry compote was a nice finish. The place needs some more Italian in the kitchen and some soul on the plate but otherwise great.
(3)
Aaron P.
Sometimes a place is what it is. Alta Strada is not cheap, it's not even a good value for the money. It's not very hip and there aren't a lot of simple, basic dishes available. All that said, it's extremely delicious and fun. The atmosphere is clean and a bit snazzy, not too loud, perhaps even romantic. This is a great place to go on a date with your wife. The menu includes a hoard of small, creative plates available as apps or that in concert can make a meal -- things like white beans mixed with rosemary and red onion slices or chunks of Sicilian tuna with olives and peppers. The plates are small and run $5 for one up to $22 for 5. For larger courses, there's pizzas, pastas and a few -- very few -- more traditional offerings like roast chicken or sword fish. There's also a broad array of wines available by the glass and the coffee and desserts were "worth it," in my wife's view.
(4)
Jane F.
this is like the disneyland version of italian food. good, but no real soul.
(3)
Josh C.
This is a new Italian restaurant by Michael Schlow of Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay. He spun himself to open his own place with other partner. I dined here when it first opened for just dinner in Feb 2007. Then two weeks later, they started serving lunch and market place, Market place is located on lower level (back entrance). Dining room has long low bar on the left. It has open kichen on the back. Dining room looks simple but sweet enough to bring a date. This site used to be Todd English's Fig. Pastas are delicious, not conventional italian you usually see in North end. I had Sacchetti with proscuitto, leeks, and crushed pistachios. My friend ordered Gnocchi. Menu choice are large enough ranging from Antipasti, Primi (more like Appetizer), Insalata (lots of items -priced in meal range since it comes with meat, Pizze (pizza), Pasta and Secondi (entrees). We had roasted chicken on seond return along with yummo made in house Ricotta cheese and antipasti. They paid nearly 30 grand to buy a hand slicer placed behind the bar near where they displayed antipasti dishes. Place is clean as well as ample parking spot. I do like the food here better than Via Matta which I find a bit overated. Well, Alta Strada means "high road". He certainly achieved his goal with this restaurant. I hope he wrote recipes of the food here on his first cookbook. His first cookbook failed short of my expectation and others. But all thumb up to his new venture. Drive out of Boston to eat there. It is worth 30 min trip. One comment- PLEASE enhance dessert menu. Just biscotti made us feel they are not serious about finishing touch.. But overall, my two trips there great enough for them to earn my 5 stars.
(5)
MR N.
The menu is overdone and fussy lacking even a few basics for the less than adventurous (save maybe a pizza... ). There really isn't a single offering that isn't messed with extensively. The atmosphere seems a little too contrived and gimicky and neither the food or service was anything memorable. My first impression was that they were going for some sort of communal feel.... but is breaking bread elbow to elbow with a crew of 70 something realtors who are just happy that they don't have to hoof it over to blue ginger anymore really anyone's idea of a good time? "Trying too hard" would be the best way to describe the whole experience as well as the few people who seemed to be enjoying it. Some simple / basic menu options that make sense would be a good place to start. More tables (preferably with happy diners), less hard surfaces, and some much needed finishing for the waitstaff wouldn't be bad either... Truthfully, the second star was a bit of a stretch.... but you have to leave some room for the really really bad places. This place desperately needs to sacrifice some form and work much harder on the substance! Let me leave it on a positive note... the rustic cloth napkins were really fantastic... just perfect for some great real traditional italian food.... which, as luck would have it.....you won't find here!
(2)
Matt D.
Cool, lively and upscale. You're going to pay a pretty penny here but the food was fantastic - certainly comparable to anything you'd get in Boston. The drinks are also great. Very well balanced and delicious. Service is also great. They're attentive, but not overbearing.
(5)
Ruth R.
I am not sure I can give the food a fair review since my senses were spinning out of control from the noise level in this restaurant! To begin with an 8:00 reservation was not honored until after 8:30 and then we were seated in front of the open kitchen where the facilitator stood shouting out the orders to the cooks...more noise! Fortunately, we were able to change tables and only deal with the "normal" noise. We all had a variety of pasta dishes that I would say were good....not outstanding. I have been in many restaurants that have a high noise level, but this was beyond the pale.
(2)
James O.
Nice pedestrian Italian food in Wellesly. We had some pretty good dishes and some poor dishes. Pricey for what you get. Our least favorite place we ate at on our trip.
(3)
Erika P.
First visit here and it was a positive one. Delicious chopped salad with lots of interesting veggies including roasted beets and great dressing. Good size also for a starter salad. The tagliatelle with bolognese was good as was the ravioli. We didn't love the tiramisu though. My husband that there was much rum in it. I thought it tasted a bit sour. Good service and nice decor. We'll go back again!
(4)
Lingyue L.
Generally speaking it's pretty good. As for appetizer , I recommend tuna , never try eggplant , so ridiculous flavor, pasta is plenty , and taste good , just a little bit like chew mein. Salmon is tender , Tarte is so big like a brick , but taste mellow , but defiantly a bit too sweet , but after all it's not Europa .
(4)
Jolene S.
So it's the holiday season and the Central St. Strip in Wellesley is dressed up. I went strolling for a place to eat dinner and this seemed to be the best, most lively spot. I actually liked sitting at the counter near the kitchen, where I could see all the activity. Pork chop was delicious and comes with a mix of brussels (which were yummy) and butternut squash studded with pancetta (basically, bacon bits). I liked it. There were some A+ people next to me. I got to try an app from the kitchen: toast with seafood: it was delicious. It should definitely go on the menu--would come back for that. You get a huge hunk of bread with plain olive oil. To kick things up, ask for some red pepper flakes to season the olive oil. Liked this place, but would only go back if I happened to be passing through the Wellesley area.
(4)
Wei W.
Being the procrastinators that we are, of course we didn't have Easter Brunch plans anywhere. We decided to wait a little while and grab lunch around 11:30, bypassing the idea of sweet French toast and greasy egg specials. (I would have been happy to wait til 1PM for a table at Bronwyn, but the bf started to get "hangry".) So, we searched Yelp and found Alta Strada - dinner reviews seemed favorable, so why not try it out for lunch? We were promptly greeted by a waiting host as soon as we entered the restaurant at 11:15AM. The seating area was quite empty so we requested a seat in a corner booth. Unfortunately, it was reserved for an elderly couple who came in every weekend for brunch, so we chose a corner table instead. (Props to management for maintaining customer loyalty!) Sustained for 15 minutes by water and in-house baked bread with olive oil, we were served our order of crispy veal meatballs and immediately dug in. The tomato basil sauce that the meatballs sat on top of was quite flavorful, and complemented the spices in the meatballs. The extra Parmesan cheese in the sauce added another layer of flavor. Another 15 minutes passed and we were served our entrees: the bf had the arugula prosciutto pizza and I devoured the grilled salmon and spinach salad. The pizza was cooked just right - crispy and not burnt at all. My salmon was prepared medium rare (to my liking), and topped with a caper butter. Our check came soon after we requested it, and we were in and out within an hour. We never felt rushed and servers were quite attentive (my water glass was never empty). While I'm not certain what service and food quality is like during the evening, I do have to say that weekend lunch service is decent. Next up is dinner!
(4)
Hanna M.
Ordered the spaghettini and didn't even have three bites before I decided I just couldn't take it anymore. Was weirdly spicy and the flavors were just off. Can't believe I paid 18 dollars.
(1)
Annoyed C.
Simply horrible. If you want to dine in a noisy room packed with families with small children, this is your place. If you want to FINE dine in a place with ambience, go somewhere else.
(1)
Michael R.
I've tried most of the menu and it's all very good. There are a few "can't miss" dishes including the freshly sliced prosciutto and fig appetizer, the grilled pork chop and the deconstructed Oreos called "marscaporeos". Nice location and consistently good service too.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Greg P.
Good Option for Italian Food in Wellesley Located right in Wellesley Center, Alta Strada is a great stop after an afternoon of exploring and shopping. Specializing in a mix of different Italian styles of cuisine, you will find a lot of choices here. The service is good and the ambiance is lively. To start we ordered three "small plates" or antipasti. The golden beets with grana padano were sweet and juicy. The ricotta with toast was smooth and creamy. The corn roasted with bacon had a sweet smoky taste. My wife and I then split the mushroom and onion pizza which was perfectly cooked with crispy crust. I had the mushroom filled lune (type of ravioli) which was rich with a delicious creamy sauce. My wife had the chopped salad which as large and full of excellent fresh veggies, sopressata, and chicken. For dessert, we had the cookie plate which had 4 different kinds of biscotti. All were delicious. We've been to Alta Strada several times and it is consistently good. Hard to go wrong here!
(4)Stephanie T.
The food here was much better than I was expecting. The appetizers and dessert were great, we came in with a very large party and the staff was very accommodating. I am looking forward to coming back with a smaller party so I can try more of the menu choices!
(4)Kejing W.
Yummy yummy, I ordered the Spicy Chitarra with Lobster, Shrimp, Tomato and basil. I like it.
(4)Sophia J.
Love this place, Amazing spaghettini, and mascaporeos. Our server was a bit odd, unenthusiastic and didn't really speak. It kind of made me not want to come back.....but the food is soooo good. I recommend this place for a date night. Also, definitely make a reservation, it gets really packed.
(4)Sonya R.
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Wellesley. The mama zeccas eggplant is definitely the best eggplant parm I have ever had. The mushroom ravioli are also out of the world. This place is a staple for me and I've been coming ever since it opened and even had my graduation party here. The downstairs is a great store to grab a sandwich (eggplant parm of course) or some dinner to take home!
(5)Vivian C.
We were their first guests for lunch. Neither of us had ever been there before, but when driving through Wellesley, we've both noticed it in the past, and so we took the opportunity of a $20 for $40 voucher deal to make our first visit. A 2 hour parking lot is available out back for patrons of this block of businesses, which was really nice. The entrance to the lot is available from Cross Street, and it exits conveniently onto Weston Road. From here, the entrance to Alta Strada takes you past their small patio of three tables and into their take-out market in the basement where they have a case of prepared foods or will make a sandwich or pizza for you, amongst other things. They're open down there from 11am-9pm daily, so they're an option for either lunch or dinner, or anything else inbetween. The bathrooms are located on the same floor, a long stairwell from the rather sizeable dining room at street level. Service here was a pleasure. I love it when specific options are made when we've made it evident that we are are interested in it, and we ended up with a most enjoyable meal. My water glass never went empty, although I'm not sure when or how often it was refilled. She also offered to pace out our dishes for a more leisurely meal, if we were interested, and to make better use of the real estate of our two top table. Throughout our meal, we were probably serviced by at least 3 individuals. Sour dough in the form of a generous chunk arrived shortly to tame the edge of our hunger along with a nice pour of olive oil. For starters, from the antipasti table at 3 for $15 we went with her highly touted Summer Corn with Smokey Bacon, and added the Chilled Calamari with Cucumber and Citrus, and the Roasted Beets with Grana Padano. With them arrived a gift from the kitchen of fat sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella along with a pair of beautifully grilled toast. All were yummy, yet we had plenty of leftovers since we knew we still had two courses yet to go. The Fingerling Potato, Spring Onion and Taleggio pizza $15 was thin crust sliced in four, sans tomato sauce (which was considerately pointed out to us). With it we were served fresh plates and utensils. Not quite cracker thin or crisp, the pizza had a light crisp chew, and was quite good. My only suggestion would be a slightly longer visit in the oven to brown it a tad more. The Mushroom Filled Lune with More Mushrooms, Truffle Oil and Parmigiano $21 that was our server's top choice from the menu even though she herself is not a mushroom lover (hey, me neither!), was helpfully served in two dishes for us, with fresh ground pepper or Parmesan offered separately (Cheese, please!). Four pockets of fungus apiece enrobed in creamy cheesy sauce and lots of the thinly sliced mushrooms which I extrapolated to be a bit light as an entree on its own. This was good too, but I restrained myself in order to save room for dessert. Reminding ourselves that there is a second stomach for sweets, we decided to order two whole desserts: Millefoglie; chocolate cream, sweet cherries, crunchy pastry $11 and House Made Gelati and Sorbetti $6. That day's options were Hazelnut, Vanilla, Chocolate and Peach, Watermelon, and we could have two scoops. We went with Hazelnut and Peach, and asked if they could be served in separate dishes so that the flavors wouldn't meld. Our taste buds were truly delighted! The flavors were so intense and so good, the coolness of the treat melting easily and gloriously on our tongues. Sure, the scoops were on the small side, but the flavors made up for the portions. I don't normally order such a simple dessert in restaurants, but I was so glad that my DC had suggested it. The Millefoglie was good too, but while we thought it was nice that they had put in the effort to punch out the pit from the cherries, it didn't make quite the same impact on us as the frozen scoops had. Even after the voucher, it cost us each $33+ out of pocket. Sure, we each took home a doggie bag, but still, it is a bit pricey for lunch since the prices and menu are about the same as for dinner except for the swap of luncheon sandwiches for dinner time entrees, a buck extra for some of the pastas, and a few additional options on both sides. 4 stars for lunch, 4.5 for dinner, rounded up to 5. I'll base my rating on dinner even though we actually came for lunch. Reminder to self for future reference: (other recommendations made by our server) Salads Grilled Scottish Salmon and Spinach Salad with Pancetta Vinaigrette, Almond Pesto $18 Sicilian Tuna Salad "Italian Riveria Style"...like Nicoise but better $15 Pasta Fedellini with Tiny Clams, Smashed Cherry Tomatoes and Parsley $22 Dolci Mascarpone Cheesecake; Lemon Curd and Vanialla Tuille $10 Butterscotch Budino; Brown Sugar Cookie $8
(5)Jessica J.
The food is quite impressive and the ambiance fantastic. This is my go-to spot after a long day of class at Babson. Wine list is robust and fantastic. All the pasta dishes are notable. Overall a solid meal to be shared with some great friends.
(4)Gayle F.
The food was very good but the restaurant is so loud it's difficult to enjoy conversations. The staff tend to rush you before you have finished your entree.
(2)Jason F.
We went to the market and order a pretty large order. The meatballs in my sub were not fully cooked and the sauce was extremely spicy. We also got the chicken Milanese. When we opened the container it was one piece of chicken cutlet with nothing on it and it was nearly frozen. The Italian Mac and cheese was very good and the chop salad was also very good. I would not recommend the market based on my experience.
(2)Iannis R.
Three of us went to Alta Strada yesterday for dinner. Frankly we were expecting more for the price. We started with house-made ricotta with crostini. Pretty good, although a little heavy on the olive oil. The portion was perfect for the three of us. We followed with a personal margherita-style pizza, the pasta bolognese, and the mushroom lune in mushroom sauce. The food was fresh, and of good quality. What disappointed us was that the chef decided to lace everything (ricotta, pizza, and pastas) with hot pepper flakes. Hot pepper flakes in cream sauce? It just doesn't quite work, and it meant that all of our meals had the same overall flavor. There was no mention of the pepper flakes in the menu, so they are an especially unpleasant surprise to those susceptible to heartburn. The atmosphere was inappropriate for the restaurant. The dining space was airplane like packed with tables to maximize profit, complete with screaming children. The thumping house music on the pandora didn't help. We had reservations, but we were only half way done eating when the servers whisked our food away into to-go bags and only half-heartily invited us for dessert. This was annoying, seeing that we had made reservations ahead, and also rude. We have eaten here several times, for small-party dinners and large events. In every case, the experience was more or less the same - decent food, loud environment. The service - and the red pepper flakes - took a turn for the worse in this last visit.
(3)Linda M.
Been here for lunch and dinner many times, and expect many more to come. They serve one of my favorite appetizers, the chilled calamari. With the perfect blend of sourness and saltiness, it is tender. It is delicate. It is heavenly. Almost all their pasta dishes are great. My favorite is the Spicy Chitarra with lobster and shrimp. The only occasional disappointment is that sometimes the place can get quite busy and the service isn't as prompt or friendly as it could be.
(4)Derek B.
This is my favorite restaurant in Metro West. I never regret my meal, and always experience new flavors with each visit. Service is great. Best pasta this side of Giacmo's. Recommend the chilled calamari appetizer--nice Spanish flair in an otherwise great Italian place.
(5)Rick J.
I hate to go against the tide of most of the reviews here...but, in the interest of honesty and balance, I will. This is a good restaurant with good food. But it is not amazing, and is not one of the best in Wellesley or suburban Boston. The primary drawback here is that the service can be pretentious. Not because it's Wellesley, but it's likely the way the servers are trained (not to be too customer-centric) and I think it's the kind of person the company chooses to hire (a little bit snooty). If that's the vibe Alta Strada is going for, it works. Again, the food is good enough, but you'll find much better quality, variety, taste, and appreciation for your business at many other west suburban restaurants.
(3)Don W.
Stopped in before going to an author event at the Wellesley Bookstore, family of four. My son and I started with lemonades, mine flavored with pomegranite, tasty. Bread was served on a napkin and was crusty so made a mess of the table. The boys ordered pizzas, mine sausage and broccoli rabe, son's pepperoni. Mine was great, and filling. His we ordered without peppers, of course it came with peppers, but they were good about it and the new one came out pretty quick. They even brought a "snack" of crustini with some kind of riccotta-oil to tie him over. The ladies both ordered the ravioli, which they thought was frozen, but they liked the sauce. We had some tiramisu and mascarporeos for dessert, which were both nice. All in all, not a bad little spot for a meal, a bit pricey but the menu looked appealing and the pizza was pretty good.
(3)Kate C.
food is good... When they answer the phone!! Every time I have called to order food in the last few months they don't answer the phone!!! Tonight I tried 3 times and finally ended up giving up. Very frustrating.
(2)Aaron K.
At first I was skeptical, with 3.5 Star average on yelp, but had a best of boston nod (boston magazine top 50 restaurants). GiltCity got me to try this place with a 20 for 40 voucher. With every dish that hit the table I was more and more elated to be eating here. The food is excellent. We were started with a nice loaf of fresh baked bread (huge and complex in texture). We ordered so we could share all dishes. We started with 3 antipasti for 15$. You would think at a top restaurant these would be small but these were nice size bowls of each dish. Eggplant Caponata and the homemade ricotta with crostini were outstanding. For a primi (app) dish we had the spicy veal meatballs which were also outstanding. The meatballs had a thin bread batter covering them and were super moist inside. The spicy tomato sauce provided the perfect flavor (not your grandma's sauce). We split a pizza which was just more of the same, just great. The crust is just about perfect. While the pizza was not as special as the previous dishes it was executed very well. You can tell they use fresh top notch ingredients here. You would think the service might suffer. This is after all a casual restaurant with excellent food. No. Perfect. Early in the evening the restaurant was slow and there were servers lined up along the bar at full attention to the guest. This reminded me of Commander's Palace in New Orleans which has some of the best service in the country. There was crumb service and new silverware/plates after each and every course. Even when we went from antipasti to primi, which are basically the same course. Our server, Armando was outstanding. He paid close attention to detail and paced our meal extremely well for all the courses we ordered. He remembered we had a gilt city voucher at the end of our meal, and he noticed our wedding bands and thanked us as mr and mrs k for coming. Nice touch! All in all we had a fantastic meal and experience here, deal or no deal we will be back (how often can I say that?). I highly recommend this place for Italian food and I believe Boston Magazine got it right as a top 50 spot in Boston.
(5)Stephen S.
Alta Strada is one of my favorite restaurants. It has two dishes that I order religiously. For lunch, try the slow-roasted pork sandwich. It comes topped with green beans and roasted red peppers on a hard, chewy bread. (Also mustard and cheese, if you're into such things.) I'm a sandwich person, and I travel around New England during the daytime for work so I try a lot of different sandwiches. This one is my hands-down favorite. The dinner menu has some great entrees, and even better specials. (The best soft-shell crab I've had was a special here at Alta Strada.) But for me the standout is "just" an appetizer, the crunchy veal meatballs with spicy tomato sauce. It's sizable, definitely big enough to share with someone else; and fair warning, the tomato sauce is indeed spicy. For that matter, the meatballs themselves are served very hot, and they retain their heat. I've burned myself. But they're just so incredibly good. It's one of those foods that I get random cravings for. Alta Strada is a gem. Five stars, sincerely.
(5)Rita V.
OK, Went back with an Open Table business lunch partner. Got Alex. Got GREAT SERVICE along with a KILLER scottish salmon salad - cooked PERFECT. And those mushroom ravioli!!! And that homemade ricotta! NOW we're talking!! Thanks for the GREAT food and OUTSTANDING service!!! WHEW!
(5)Deb L.
A solid 3 stars here. The food was good - started with burata, then had raviolis and butterscotch pudding. All very well prepared, nothing that made me feel like I was having something that tasted really unique which is why I didn't go with more stars. And perhaps the other piece is that I can't let go of their former restaurant Radius being gone where the culinary experience and service were out of this world.
(3)Roger T.
Absolutely outstanding homemade pasta. Unique and wonderfully flavorful. Very professional staff that remembers regulars and always very busy so plan to make a reservation. Very hip local place to get great pasta.
(5)Anik M.
Great Italian in Wellesley. The food is always great and they've a terrific wine selection. It's also a great place for lunch. Excellent sandwiches on the go. In the fall their pumpkin cheesecake is a must.
(4)Ben C.
Both the mushroom filled lune and spaghetti bolognese were great. Antipasta was tasty as well (Ricotta, Spicy Brocclini and Beets). We had sorbetti for dessert. I would recommend the lemon over the blackberry becaues the lemon was refreshing and a nice palate cleanser, while the blackberry was a little sweet for my preference.
(4)Craig H.
4+ We were in town for a business meeting and staying in the Natick area. i was hoping to find something which displayed Boston's reputation for food but without having to drive into the city. Alta Strada fit the bill. Located in charming Wellsley, the decor is open yet warm and inviting, the service was pleasant, and the food was delicious. We sampled a couple of the anit pasta items then split a pizza and a pasta... makes me look forward to my next trip to town.
(4)Brian V.
The menu is limited and the food is fresh but not remarkable. The wait staff definitely wanted to move guests off the tables quickly and did not make an effort to ensure a quality experience. When I asked about the menu items, the waiter said, "the food is prepared as stated in the menu" and took our menus and left the table. This was our third time having a dinner meal at the restaurant and it has been getting progressively lower in quality and the wait staff less attentive and accommodating. I think this will be the last trip because there are other fine restaurants in the area. Too bad because we had a great experience the first time we ate there.
(3)Paul C.
I got a pizza, which had good dough (which is critical), but overall not great. Not that it was bad, mind - it was, in fact, a good pizza. Just something about it didn't give me that "mmmm" feeling.
(3)Casey W.
I do like Alta Strada. The food is always great, though a bit expensive. My main problem is that THE MENU NEVER CHANGES. I have been there often enough to be sick of the menu, which has been the same for a few years now. I wish they would offer more seasonal specials and create some new classic items now and then.
(2)Margot D.
We needed a nice lunch place in the Wellesley area, and I was surprised that there really isn't much... or nothing open for lunch. Found Alta Strada on Open Table and it looked good. I was happy to find a large parking lot (free!) right in back, which brought me right into the lower level where I started drooling over all of the things I could bring home and just stuff myself with later. Seriously, the stuffed peppers looked amazing, and I am usually one to drool over cupcakes and three-layer cakes. Lunch was nice, drank a little too much (so that made the bar portion of the bill higher than the food, but isn't that always the case?) but the service was great. Our nice server (Matt P) was right there whenever we needed something, but not hovering in that annoying way that some people often do. On a return visit, I would definitely want to sit in his section. Didn't have dessert as we were full, but smelled some amazing cookies on the way out that were just coming out of the oven. Driving home, I wished I had picked up a few, but this gives me a reason to return.
(4)Thu T.
I am definitely coming back here, solely for the food! Everything from the antipasti to the dinner entrees were delicious. We got the Spicy Lobster Chitarra and the Fresh Cheese Ravioli. I can't say much about the service however; I had to wave down the waiter too many times for comfort. Side note: Portions run on the small side, so do not come here ravenous.
(4)Meghan M.
Fun dinner - great staff!
(4)Matthew T.
Nice atmosphere, good food, great service. Wasn't overly impressed the first time, but liked it much better the second time around. Would still recommend it to others
(4)Carson R.
Excellent service, food is very good. Chicken was good but could be seasoned better.
(4)Guillermo M.
Overall really good experience with the food. Loved the crostini with ricotta, the wine they recommended, the apple salad with cranberries and the lune with mushroom. What I didn't like was that they didn't bring the famous bread at the beginning (I forgot and noticed at the end of the meal) and also didn't love the mascarporeos dessert. Thought the mascarpone did not have the texture and flavor it normally has that I really like. Also the oreo cookies were not as sweet.
(4)Mark B.
Went here on a Wednesday night with a friend. I made reservations through OpenTable just in case since they are open select dining hours. They checked our coats and sat us quickly, the restaurant was about at half occupancy. Beautiful interior and large open space, the overall atmosphere makes you feel like you could see canals outside the window. Very friendly staff, your glass of water will never be less than half full (so at least you can be optimistic the whole time!). The drink menu had some excellent variety, but we wound up only having water. Our waiter was very attentive and helpful with recommendations, very knowledgeable of the menu and specials. The manager came by to ask how our meals were, he was very friendly and not overbearing, and I could tell he was waiting close by for the right moment, instead of when you're in the middle of a conversation or have your mouth full! The food was made to perfection. I got the Grilled Chicken Breast and Arugula Salad, Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Onion and Lemon. My friend got a pasta dish that I tried that was also very good, not that you can go wrong with pasta (well, maybe you can, but if you did I assume your doors are no longer open). Both were great portion sizes, not too much or too little, and I still took some home. The bread and oil were a nice touch but the crust was a bit too hard for my taste. We also had a special peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. It was delicious, but much smaller than I was expecting for the price. It was only $60 for the meals, dessert, tax, and gratuity, definitely worth the overall experience. My friend mentioned they offer take out and they get it fairly often. I wouldn't be surprised if I walked in here again some time soon. It is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for, top notch!
(5)David G.
Fabulous meal and waiter, Michael Fittzgerald! We had the prosciutto half-plate first course...comped by waiter (to welcome first timers he said) and it was the best prosciutto we've ever had...not salty but creamy and nutty. We will dream of this proscuitto... We had half-plate of the veal meatballs..delicious but not as insanely good as the former. The next best thing was the spaghettini!!!! We were soooo excited by this deceptively simple pasta dish...half-order was plenty and it matched every expectation we had! The chopped salad was "ladies luncheon" salad, good but not comparable to rest of menu. Save room for the dessert...had the butterscotch budino. Reminded us of Gjellina's version in Venice, CA. Very very good! Gr8 drink menu and best service. Our new go-to spot...especially when Michael is the waiter!
(5)Liv V.
The food is excellent and the service is great! We always enjoy coming here. It is always busy so make a reservation!
(5)A C.
In my previous review, I think I referred to Alta Strada as Bertucci's for yuppies. After eating here for lunch, I stand by that analogy, but I mean it in the best sense. It's a great family Italian restaurant. It just happens to be a bit more expensive. But the service is so wonderful, especially if you have kids. Is it worth driving out from Boston? That's hard to say, and probably not. Blue Ginger, which is up the road, is definitely worth the trek out. But if you're in the area, I'm not sure how you could do better. Wait, I just contradicted myself, because I said Blue Ginger was better, which it is - BUT it's not a place to bring kids. So, if you want, excellent Italian food, in a relaxed, family atmosphere, come here.
(4)Sara V.
So delicious! I had the prosciutto and crostini with fig jam.. and the chopped salad. And the very kind, albeit busy, GM took a minute to say hello, and was very friendly and welcoming. I'll definitely come back!
(5)Rose D.
Excellent experience last night. Made a reservation through Open Table. We were seated immediately. Our waiter and service was attentive, friendly and considerate of all of our special requests. We ordered enough but not too much for the three of us. Three appetizers - caponata, cauliflower, and ricotta. Then we split the shrimp bean dinner salad and the chicken with asparagus and potatoes. That plus wine and coffee and we left quite full and happy. Food was all delicious. The only complaint was the noise level was too much for my dinner partner's aging deaf ears.
(5)Ronald L.
Sit at the bar, great service and quick. I was here Monday night and the bar was empty. Ate the Mushroom Lune pasta dish and it was wonderful. Had a special amaretto flan.. Wow! This place is so consistent.
(4)Katie P.
I ordered the tortellini pasta dish with pistachios and prosciutto... upon the first bite it was like I was riding on a rainbow. I don't normally rave over pasta dishes, but this was GOOD! I would definitely recommend eating here. However, at night it is REALLY hard to hear your date/friends/whomever may be with you because the noise level is so high.
(4)Patty D.
We had a really good meal at Alta Strada. My friend and I shared three of the small plates. The beets were amazing. Perfectly cooked and marinated. Then we split the eggplant parm which was very tasty and not to cheesy. We each had one of the pasta dishes with the pasta made in house. My tag with corn and mushrooms got a little sweet after a while but I took half home anyway so it was fine. the dish could have used a little fresh herbs or a splash of acid to balance the sweet and savory. All in all it was a great night out. The service was really good as well. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu items. He was attentive but gave us time to enjoy each course.
(4)Lainie B.
Five stars all across the board.! Matt Dibiccari and Micheal Frasi are the best cooks ever..!! We go to Alta Strada quiet frequently and are never disappointed. The limoncello martinis are my favorite and everything we have had to eat there has been amazing. We especially love the mascaporeos. The waitstaff is always attentive and super friendly
(5)John L.
I've been to the market two times now and have to say.....Love it. The biggest reason I could not give it 5 stars is because of no delivery. definitely get the Italian mac and cheese. Sooooo yummy. My wife likes it also so that really helps!! She wanted all of you to know that.
(4)Carol K.
This place is really first rate. The environment is lively and fun, the service is very good and the food is stellar. The menu has options that are familiar enough if you are not an adventurous eater but has some really inspired offerings for those of us who want some creativity. Pay close attention to the specials. They rule. Not surprisingly, it can be very hard to get a table, so make your reservations!
(4)Lianna M.
The food is delicious! I have tried a variety of dishes and have been happy with everything. The price as listed as 3$$$, but i do not believe it is that expensive. The staff are accommodating and available when you have questions, but do not interrupt your meal.
(5)Jeff G.
I really wanted to like this place as its in the arsenal of Michael Schlows portfolio of ever-expanding restaurants, but its hard to give a stellar review. Someone before me called this the bertuccis for yuppies which in a sense they might be right. Bread - Awkwardly large but delicious and fresh none the less. Olive oil is high quality, but they also receive it from the olive oil store next door so of course it should be good Drinks - Kinda bothered me that the drink list was on a chalboard on the wall and we without descriptions..I guess they dont want you to order drinks otherwise they would put it on the menu next to the wine. I ordered a drink with pineapple and rum which was good but a bit too sweet with way too much simple syrup. It was also strange that the bartender came up afterwards and asked us if the drinks were ok like he messed them up. Seemed disorganized Food - We started off with buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes which were good (small dish for 2 and some spicy fried meatballs which were very tasty but too spicy for my dad. For the main course the parents ordered the veal mezzlune that was more like a chinese dumpling than italian dish. None of us were fans and it sat mainly untouched. My brother in laws bolognse was good but that should be hard to screw up. Me and my sister got the cavatlli with fennel sausage (sounds similar to coppa?) - The pasta was cooked well and had nice texture but the sauce was so heavy and the sausage was ground and crumbly that it didnt blend well. The brocolini was very slim and didnt add much of a crunch to the dish Overall i left really sick for the rest of the night and probably will not be back. Wellesley is also a ghost town on a Saturday night which is really strange.
(3)R B.
The food is consistently good (although I chose badly on a pasta dish recently) and the service is professional without being snotty. Better to come at lunch to be able to hear your dinner companions. The place is deafening. My last dinner here, we were shouting to hear each other. Check out the little marketplace downstairs.
(4)Matt C.
I am somehow flabbergasted that Alta Strada has 4 Stars. I considered giving this two stars because it's not on the level of a 99, but given its current rating I need to institute some realism to the ratings. Let's start with the #1 thing, Food. If the food was good, almost everything else could be forgiven. Unfortunately, I don't know what they could do to save the food. We ordered the olives, which were good, and the bread they served was also solid, so we thought we were in for a real treat. We followed with the tuna antipasti, which I would be embarrassed to give to my dog or cat (although I'm sure they would love it). It could only be described as canned tuna with some herbs (and by canned tuna I mean straight off the Roche Bro's shelves Bumblebee tuna). We tried the Mushrooms with lemon and sage, and to be honest it felt like they we're trying something new, to be creative, and just missed the mark. The lemon flavoring was completely wrong with the mushrooms, but I wouldn't totally fault them, as at least it was unique, except for the fact that the sides came out within 1 minute of ordering them (don't get excited, see below to see how long it took to actually ORDER them, and you'll be hungry by the time you get there). Unfortunately it became apparent when we received our food that these dishes were supposed to be heated, but were somewhere between warm and room-temperature, likely sitting in the back until someone ordered it, I wouldn't be surprised if it were already plated. Next came some pasta dishes, as they said they were all hand made in-house. My wife ordered the spicy Chitarra with lobster etc. Unfortunately their definition of spicy and mine are two different things. Spicy at Alta Strada means they used enough salt to clear the mass pike after a snow storm. There was so much salt I actually couldn't taste the pasta or the sauce, but the only other flavor that came through was a very fishy one. We sent this dish back. I ordered the Pappardelle with duck, which was different and felt like a good seasonal choice. The duck was well done, the cherries complemented it well. My complaint again was that the pasta was more than overpowered by the excessive use of salt! My wife ate some of my dish, but was still hungry, so we asked for a dessert menu (after about 15 minutes trying to flag our waiter down when we were clearly finished). It took about 10+ minutes for him to return so we just asked for the check and left. Now onto the service. If you thought the food was bad (which we did!) the service left something to be desired. Let's start off with the waiter, who told us about the wine special, or rather told us there was a wine special, but didn't know where on the menu it was, what type of wine it was, or really anything about it. He left and came back 10 minutes later to take our wine selections. 10 minutes later we got our wine and put in our order. We got our antipasti in about 1 minute (see above for its status) followed by the bread (normally you don't wait 20 minutes for bread right?). After we finished (or finished eating, the tuna dish was so bad we only had 2 bites, but weren't quite in the mood to send things back), a waiter came out and took my plate with the used fork on it (there was only 1 fork mind you), and when I asked for a new fork, he politely took the used fork off the dish (he actually moved it onto my wife's dish as he stacked them up) and set it back down directly on the table. All these are little things, but very much something you wouldn't expect given what Alta Strada is trying to sell. I could go onto more, but needless to say, the food was bad, the service was worse, and the completely open concept dining floor wasn't conducive to the number of kids in the restaurant (I was expecting more of an adult restaurant, not a Chuck-e-cheese). If you are looking for a similar style restaurant, similar prices, but MUCH better food and better service, try Tomasso in Southboro right on Rt-9. You won't regret it
(1)Kristen C.
I was prepared to dislike this place. After all, it was out in the suburbs and in an upscale neighborhood known more for wearing Lilly Pulitzer to the country club then actual gourmet interest. The space itself feels a bit sparse for style, with light wood table and chairs that felt like they belonged in a school room. Also being a suburban restaurant with children running around is a bit off putting to the dining experience, so I recommend you try and go later rather then earlier. I have to say the select menu was quality all the way. They have a tempting selection of antipasti such as white bean salad and sauteed mushrooms with lemon, starters like wispy thin prosciutto with fig spread crostini, to our pasta dishes such as mushroom stuffed ravioli in an amazing mushroom sauce, which I highly recommend. All were delicious. The wine list had an impressive selection as well. Service was the way professional and knowledgeable. It might actually be worth a trip to the 'burbs...
(4)Rita N.
Hand made pasta here is amazing!
(4)Erica T.
I met an old roommate here to have one last dinner together before she moved to London. It was nice to get out of the city and venture into Wellesley. The area is very quaint and has lots of shopping and coffee shops. I went on a Monday night and there was plenty of parking the street. The restaurant ambiance is good and a perfect place for a date. It was really busy for a Monday so I would recommend making reservations. The menu is limited but we had a very good meal. We shared the Homemade Ricotta with Crostini and the arugula salad with lemon and shaved Grana Padano which I would defiantly recommend. I ended up choosing the bolognese which was good but I probably wouldn't order it again. My friend chose a pizza which looked decent but seemed a little overpriced. Overall we had a good time and I would go back!
(4)Rachel B.
Rarely am I a repeat customer to any restaurant, as I love trying new places every time I go out to eat. However, Alta Strada is one I have gone back to, as the food is just fantastic. Favorites: Eggplant Caponata, Ricotta with Crostini, and Mushroom Filled Lune. But really, everything is good. My only complaints are that the restaurant feels small and crowded and we ended up in conversations with the couples on both sides of us because we were seated so close together. Also, it's pricey. But I'm cheap, so I guess it's all relative.
(4)Jae L.
You know how sometimes you've moved and have been missing your BFF neighbor for so long, and then you finally get a chance to go back and hang out with her and... well... all she can talk about is the PTA and carpooling, her new friends seem vapidly shallow, and her once-adorable children have grown into sullen teenagers, and... well, she's just kinda gotten boring on you. Alta Strada used to be so much more interesting. When I lived in Wellesley, I used to have 2 or 3 antipasti veggie dishes I would crave for lunch -- unique flavor combinations, fresh and bright -- and there was this amAzing gnochi in a creamy mushroom sauce that I used to fantasize about constantly... That was when they first moved in and I'd pop in all the time and we'd have such fun... Now, it's just kinda OK. The service remains sincere, but can slow down when crowded. That said, earlier this year, well after the lunch rush, I told the manager about how I missed the mushroom gnochi; he told the chef, and the chef made it just for me. Now that is excellent service, and it was fabulous--but it just made me nostalgic for old times... Sigh I went here last week, the day before Thanksgiving. We got there when it was empty at 6:00, but it soon filled up. Remember how I said I used to crave the veggie antipasti? Well... The broccoli rabe antipasti with chili and garlic was a wee bit overcooked, on the verge of oily, and waaaaay too salty. My friend made a meal of the antipasti (1 for $6; 3/$15; 5/$24) and said it was OK, but didn't rhapsodize about it or anything. (ANd she will, if its is really good.) The mixed baby greens with balsamic and shaved onions ($7) was a little ho-hum. Oddly, that was a little salty, too. It was, frankly, the kind of salad I'd make for myself at home when I am uninspired. Or really, really, need to make a trip to the grocery store. (To be fair, there are more exciting-sounding offerings on the primi menu (like crunchy veal meatballs or figs w/ procuitto), but my husband wanted a salad, & we always share.) (Except dessert.) For dinner we had pappardelle with braised duck, cherries, and rosemary ($23). Executed nicely but unexcitingly: The pappardelle was al dente; the duck, tender and moist; the cherries, far and few between; the rosemary, barely there. But it was not too salty. Here's the thing: usually with pasta, I keep eating it well past the point when I should -- for physical, aesthetic, and ethical reasons -- stop, and then I find myself sad and wistful when the pasta is gone, sniffing slightly to myself as I slowly swipe up the last bit of sauce with my last bit of bread or, if need be, my little fingers, consoling myself that there will be other pastas in my future. Well, this pappardelle was a little too easy to say goodbye to. Especially considering how much it cost and the moderate amount served. (Granted, we split the dish. But the amount here is just slightly less than the average amount you would expect for the price elsewhere.) I even had room for dessert (range: $6-10). I had the mascarpone cheese with chocolate wafers. The cheese was lovely -- not too sweet, just tangy enough, with a luzurious texture -- but I the chocolate wafers were...well, they didn't suck. Light, crumbly, but no depth. A flat, chocolatish taste. Granted, you don't want something too rich or strong to overwhelm the mild-but-rich mascarpone, but I think I could make smoething better at home. My husband had a chocolate-hazelut pudding-like dessert. It was nice, rich, but I couldn't really taste the hazelnut. Final note on The Market, downstairs: When I lived nearby, I used to go to the "store" downstairs to get ready-made meals or a side of veggies. Not outrageously priced, it's much better than the prepared food at Whole Foods or Roche Bros. Take-home veggies come in two sizes; small ranges from $4-7, large from 8-16. The Market also has two sizes for salads and some pastas. You can get a pizza to-go (about $16) as well as sandwiches ($6-9). The real deals come in the "dinners you can take credit for" category, $8-12 for stuffed peppers, grilled salmon, or chicken with caper sauce. FInally, you can get cookies, biscotti, and other desserts at the Market. But I do not know if the quality of the food at the market has faltered like the quality of the food in the restaurant, but I would assum it has, since many of the offerings are the same or similar. Overall, it was nice, but not much more. And for the money and the locale, it really should be. For your money in Wellesley, I think you are better off going to Vela. (Of course, I haven't been to Vela for a few years. I'll review it on my next trip to Wellesley.) I had been missing you, Alta Strada. I miss you still. Snap out of this suburban ennui and come back to me...
(3)Sarah R.
Ok, the food here is delicious, but wayyyyy overpriced!!! Two glasses of wine and two entrees of bolognese and it came to $75?! Seriously?!?! Pricey. The bolognese was good, but I mean not thaaaat good. I have had better. The flavors were great, but it was really salty, and I love salt and tend to have a salty palate. I ate the whole thing, I was hungry, but could have toned it down. Sadly, I don't see myself ever coming back here as it was way overpriced for the quality. I'll stick to Boston.
(2)laura g.
Delicious, high quality Italian. Cocktails were great, Caesar salad was amazing, two entrees were absolutely delicious: the lobster/shrimp chittera, and the mushroom pasta dish. Our server, Alex was knowledgeable and web through almost every menu item with us when we asked his favorites. He couldn't have been more on point. The wine we drank with dinner was incredible. Dessert (butterscotch) was perfect. One of the nicest dining experiences we have had in a while. Thank you to Alex, chef Matt and crew.
(5)Saba N.
I had a GREAT lunch experience here! WOW! I was hesitant to try out Alta Strada. There's been a lot of restaurants that have come and gone in that little location... and since this one is owned by Radius, I figured it would be stuffy and overpriced. Boy, was I wrong. First of all, I love the atmosphere - it's completely open and oh-so-chic. Lots of light, high ceilings, it's really quite elegant. Second of all, the service was fantastic. My water was always filled and my waiter was extremely attentive. When we told him we were splitting a salad, he brought everything out in 2 dishes (which I love!) Third of all, the food. AMAZING. the Tuna salad was just.. unbelievable. The perfect hearty salad and I didn't feel bad eating every last bite. I also had the mushroom & onion pizza and it was fantastic as well. All in all, I definitely have to come back for dinner. I heard that it's a little loud at night since it's so packed... but I don't care. Sign me up!
(5)Matt L.
From walking through the door to exiting the place, start to finish once again one of the best meals in the area! This place is perfection and should be consistently in the Best of Boston top 50! From the friendly and welcoming service, polite and warm to the delicious selections to the final touches on dessert to the low prices, you cannot go wrong. One of my favorites and a place I will keep coming back to! Magnificent!
(5)Adrienne N.
Great spot for lunch.
(4)Daniel C.
Some of the best baked eggplant parmigiana amongst other goodies
(5)Brandon T.
Came here tonight with my gf's fam and had a fantastic meal. The appetizers and the pasta entree's were excellent. The restaurant was nice, and parking was easy. The service wasn't anything to write home about, but it wasn't bad by any means. I really wish they hadn't run out of the special this evening as it sounded delicious as well. I look forward to having the opportunity to come back again someday.
(4)John C.
Former location of Todd English's Figs restaurant in Wellesley. We were disappointed when Figs closed because it was a good casual dining place that had good food for reasonable prices. When Alta Strada opened, my wife and I tried it out, loved it so much that we went back again two days later. The food reminds us of the food we ate when we went to Rome. Everything was very flavorful, you could taste each ingredient the way it was meant to taste because of the freshness of the ingredients. Service is also one of their strong points. Very attentive staff. Pizza is also very good, though we've only tried the pizza as take out.
(5)Karyn V.
Four of us decided to dine here on a whim and we are so glad we did. Alta Strada offers delicious food in a lively casual but elegant environment. We started off our night by ordering the antipasti for the table. Because we couldn't decide between the small dishes, we order five for $24: Sicilian tuna with olives and peppers; roasted olives with rosemary and orange; broccoli rabe with chili and garlic; homemade ricotta with crostini; and roasted cauliflower, pine buts, and golden raisins. Our favorites were the tuna, broccoli rabe, and homemade ricotta. I definitely can see myself going back here just to order and try new small plates off of their antipasti menu! For our entrees, I ordered the grilled chicken breast and arugula salad with sweet tomatoes and lemon ($18). It was good but could have been seasoned a little better. My boyfriend ordered the spicy chitarra with lobster, shrimp, tomato, and basil ($24). I had to stop him from licking the plate. I have eaten many desserts in my time, but none have been more delicious than Alta Strada's mascarporeo ($8). Wow! This is basically the best "Oreo cookie" you will ever have. If you go here, order this. You won't be disappointed. The service was excellent - very attentive without being intrusive. If you do decide to go here, make sure you call ahead and make a reservation. We were one of the lucky few who did this, and already at 6pm on a Friday night the place was packed with a 45-minute to 60-minute wait. There is also parking in the back of the restaurant so no need to troll the street looking for a spot.
(5)Elizabeth O.
For the third (and last!) time we ordered takeout from their "Market" only to yet again be utterly disappointed. From the young help that answers our call, with utterly no knowledge of the pizza sizes, prices, menu items,etc. to getting hung up on at the conclusion of placing my order to arriving home with the wrong items--makes us not want to return. Clearly years later, Altastrada is working out their "kinks" but no longer on our dime.
(1)Kate G.
Had a fantastic meal on Valentines Day with my boyfriend. He booked the place after a recommendation from a friend. Our table was ready and waiting when we got there and our server, Alex, was great. He was so personable and really gave some great recommendations, especially helped when choosing the wine. He helped course all our food perfectly and we didn't feel rushed even though the place was packed. Food was amazing and the cocktail list was a must try.
(5)Elizabeth A.
The food was excellent, but our waiter forgot about us halfway through dinner. He never came back to ask if I'd like another drink (and I finished the first one less than halfway through dinner) and we waited quite a while to get the check. I like the atmosphere, but wouldn't recommend going here if you want to talk a lot because it's very loud.
(3)A G.
A gem in our little town. You can't go wrong with any of the antipasto offerings, but standouts are the white beans with rosemary and eggplant caponata. Even the simple green salad with red onions is delicious and tossed in an awesome balsamic vinaigrette. Of the primi offerings, definitely try the proscuitto with fig and crostini. I ask them to serve it with a few slices of grana padano on the side. Heaven! For mains, mushroom filled lune are the ultimate comfort food. The spicy chitarra with lobster and shrimp is always a hit. I'm hardly ever impressed with desserts, but their fruit-filled crostata has become a favorite. The flaky, buttery crust is definitely homemade and always served hot from the oven. The only dish I didn't care for was a summer offering of sweet corn and mushrooms over a homemade paparadelle. The sauce was so sweet it tasted like the pasta had been topped with corn bisque, and the mushrooms were nowhere to be found. Ah well, not every dish can be a slam dunk. Service here is very attentive, and I love the open kitchen. Go later if you want to avoid the early evening family rush.
(4)Wonder W.
Very good Italian - antipasto selection was great. Pasta and pizzas ordered were all delicious as was the affagatto! Service was a little frenzied but it was 7.30pm on a Thursday night so understandable.
(4)J S.
I ate her twice in the last two weeks. The first time was my first time and I only went back because the food was great and I thought we must have been imagining on the first visit how rude the service was. First visit, three people, well over $150 bill before tip and god forbid you put your fork down your plate would be whisked away whether you were done or not. I have never ever felt so rushed at a restaurant. Two gentlemen in charge circle the restaurant non stop staring at each take trying to get it turned over as quickly as possible (and yes I understand they are a business....I am talking to the point of outright rude). First night we paid the bill and immediately were approached by one of the two men "in-charge" asking if we needed something else or were we done. In other words get out of your chairs and leave! Went back tonight and it was worse than the first time. I was with a different person and she could not believe it. Clearly all the help are trained to "get you out as quickly as possible at all costs". Tonight was $102 for two of us before tip. Never going back. This place needs to get real and treat a customer like they are in fact the reason they have a business. Rude, rude and ruder.
(2)Lindsay F.
As a recent graduate from the Swells, this was a must visit upon returning to campus a year after my graduation. I have been here many times and have yet to be disappointed. It seriously outshines its predecessor, Figs. Great service, great food, just all around great. Highlights: The antipasta, especially the homemade ricotta. Also, the eggplant caponata. The great olive oil that comes with the bread they serve prior to the meal. The sacchetti with prosciutto, crushed pistachios, and leeks. They are to die for. The mushroom stuffed lune with truffle oil. For dessert, the chocolate hazelnut tart. Also, their bellini is very good. I had the peach one, and it was amazing.
(5)Liam P.
Great place, service always good, food too. order takeout at market downstairs a bunch. Not sure what some reviewers have problems with here. bread is awkwardly large?
(5)Mary B.
I adore this place. There's a formal dining room upstairs (which is great)... as well as a hidden gem in the basement called "The Market". This is where you can go to order pre-made meals such as pasta, fish, meat, pizza, subs and dessert. I come here at least once a month to get my eggplant parmesan fix. The eggplant meat nestles comfortably in toasted rustic Italian bread... and the cheese politely oozes out and sits on the red and white checkered wax paper that the sandwich is wrapped in (nice touch, Alta). I've had other subs here, and they don't ever skimp on the portions. The cooks who prep your to-go order are always so friendly and quick! I realize this review is mostly on The Market, but the restaurant is just as good. Cool vibe, great service, and authentic Italian food -- how can you go wrong?
(5)Pedro C.
My wife and I came in here after doing errands in the wellesley area. For a weeknight, the place gets busy. We came in around 6:30 without a reservation, so we got seated in the bar area. By the end of the night, all the tables were packed as well as the bar seats. The meal was good. We both ordered pasta dishes, and it's easy to tell they are carefully made with fresh ingredients. My mushroom ravioli was seriously flavorful. However I did find that there wasn't much in terms of quantity. Portions were on the smaller side. Great restaurant to check out if you're in the area.
(3)Katie W.
Great place to go if you're looking for homemade pasta noodles and you have money to spend. Alta Strada's pasta is delicious, but it doesn't come cheap. Pastas average about $20 and the portions are small. So don't come here if you're hungry, you and your wallet won't be satisfied. If you're looking for a rich/savory pasta meal here, I recommend the Spicy Chitarra with lobster ($23) or Mushroom Filled Lune ($22).
(3)Catherine C.
We came here on a weekday after a recent visit to Paper Source. First thing we noticed was how busy it was for a weeknight. We had to sit at the bar instead because all the tables were reserved. This was fine by us, except that the bartender was really busy so he really didn't pay much attention to us. We started off with the Anchovies Endive salad. This was pretty good. I loved how the anchovies masks the bitterness of the endive. As entrees, I got the sachetti, which is a little wonton looking sack made of pasta and filled with cheese. The was also some prosciutto. The dish was okay but got a little heavy after awhile. There was very little prosciutto. We also had the mushroom ravioli. This was pretty good. Again, I thought the dish was a little heavy. The restaurant was busy and all the stools at the bar were taken so the bartender was pretty busy. As a result, service was a bit on the slow side. Overall, it's a decent restaurant. I've glad I tried it but it's not memorable enough to bring me back regularly.
(3)Christopher S.
I'm starting to have bad luck with the restaurants in the town of Wellesley. Tonight I had my second evening out for dinner at one of it's fancy establishments: Alta Strada. Like my experience at Blue Ginger this was another restaurant that puts more into its appearance and reputation than in the quality of the meals. Before my planned evening out with my girlfriend and her family I looked at the menu online. Most of the items came with no description for us everyday people and I actually had to Google some of the Italian ingredients to know exactly what was in the meal. I expected the online menu to be vague but was surprised to find that it was exactly the same as what the waitstaff gives you at the table. For people who do not eat this kind of food on a regular basis you'll be asking yourself, "What is this" and "What is that?" After doing some research online I picked a few dishes that I could handle without much frustration. After the waiter took our drink order we served bread on a large napkin. Not a basket, not a plate...a napkin. Immediately I notice we were stuck having to pick apart the bread with our hands and return the uneaten loaf back on the napkin. A little odd. If you order anything from "The Antipasti Table" don't expect anything close to filling. We had Beef Bresaola with Shaved Fennel, Salumi Toscano with Pickled Red Onion and Finocchiona with Spicy Peppers. All were merely four pieces of very thin cut cured meats on a plate with some garnish. (3 for $15.00) For the "Primi" we ordered Bruschetta with Summer Corn and Sicilian Tuna ($10.00) and Crispy Arancini with Tomato Basil Sauce ($9.00). Both were very good but the price was hard to swallow. I don't think it was accurate calling the Bruschetta "Bruchetta" when all it was a slice of bread below a mound of sweet corn and what tasted like canned tuna. I did thoroughly enjoy the Crispy Arancini (fried rice balls) and felt they were worth the price. The main course for everyone was Pizza Margherita ($13.00) and Mushroom and Robiola with Carmelized Onion ($14.00). Instantly when I took a bite of the Margherita Pizza I said to myself, "Hey, this pizza tastes surprisingly familiar." I began searching the mental database for the restaurant that has the exact same slice. Answer: California Pizza Kitchen. Their price is only a 1 cent less but honestly I get the same quality out of CPK frozen pizzas found at my local grocery store. I cannot complain about the good service. We were seated with no wait, waitstaff was friendly and the restaurant itself is extremely clean. You will not dine on the same set of plates and silverware because they are cleared after every course and you are then given a fresh set. I felt this was kind of a waste. Overall Alta Strada gets a 3 star review. It's a nice place to come to but one visit is enough for me to make a good judgment. Just another over priced restaurant serving mediocre food here in Wellesley.
(3)JEFFREY K.
The pasta here is world class and as good as or better than anything in Italy.The tagliatelle alla Bolognese in particular was extraordinary and without doubt the best I've had anywhere in the world. This restaurant just exceeded my every expectation. Service was knowledgeable and the staff offered expert advice and seemed to love food. Our server Alex was terrific. Who would have thought such a great Italian restaurant would be in the burbs rather than downtown Boston. GO!
(5)Kelly O.
Wellesley is a strange, strange place to me, full of rich families and privileged college kids, and I generally hesitate to venture this way for any reason (except Blue Ginger of course), so I didn't really know what to expect when the parents made reservations for 4 at 7:45 on a Saturday night. We arrived to an absolutely packed dining room, full of children (apparently this is where wealthy children go to dine? I was a McDonald's kid myself). The restaurant is much smaller and much louder than anticipated, and we had to wait about 30 minutes in order to get seated... to be fair, we gave up the first table offered to us because it was right next to the door and there's no real place for people to stand and wait except right on top of that table, but we were seated along the wall no more than 5 minutes later so that wasn't the hold up. But the hostess was really friendly and gracious and offered to bring us drinks, a nice touch. We started out with some antipasti for the table: the green beans, white beans, and eggplant caponata. Each was really tasty, I'd recommend any of them, and the portions were perfect. The eggplant parm app was also really good (especially tasty red sauce). For my main, both the boy and I got the Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks and Toasted Pistachio, which was a little creamier and richer than expected, but not in a bad way. My plate had more prosciutto than pistachio, but the boy's seemed to have a good balance between the two. The dish was fresh and flavorful and I was pleased, although I was hoping to have some leftovers for the next day but alas, they give you just enough pasta pouches to be satisfied/full (not a bad thing). Others got the salmon and sea bass, which they were happy with, although to me, they seemed overpriced for the portion size and quality. For dessert, we split the chocolate budino, which I had mixed up in my head with a bomba and thus was somewhat disappointed to see a chocolate pudding set down in front of us; it would have been helpful for the menu to give an actual explanation of what things were, instead of us having to guess/Google things. Don't get me wrong, it was a good pudding, but just not what I was craving/expecting (especially since I can get a similarly tasty Belgian chocolate pudding at Trader Joe's for a third of the price). Tasty cappuccinos rounded out the evening. Service was a bit scattered, our waitress was generally really friendly and attentive but she disappeared for a while and also forgot to bring the boy's second glass of wine. Prices are on the steep side for entrees and not necessarily 100% worth it IMO- sacchetti was $20, sea bass was $31-, but pretty reasonable for other menu areas (antipasti 3 for $15, pizzas $10-15), so you can either go big or go cheap here which is a plus. Overall I wouldn't mind coming back, especially if I were a local, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to return either as there was nothing I was completely impressed with and prices seem a bit inflated.
(3)Constance C.
Really, really lovely place. I came in a large group and the waiters went around to each of us to ask for our order and patiently answered any queries. They gave great recommendations; they clearly knew their stuff. As a Wellesley student, I was never made to feel unwelcome despite the upscale feel of the place. Their real draw for me is their downstairs deli and pizza shop--I went there a lot for lunch last semester. Try their pizza! Quality place--no wonder all the organizations have their end-of-year dinners here.
(4)Janina T.
I've eaten here twice ever. The first time about 2 years ago and the second time was last night. From what I can remember about the first time, I really liked the pasta I ordered. I'm pretty sure I got the cheese-stuffed ravioli. Delish. Last night, I went for my best friend's birthday. I didn't know it would be THAT packed on a Thursday night...in Wellesley no less. Thankfully I made reservations (wahhoooo, opentable). Overall, my choice in meal was better the first time. I tried one of their personal pizzas. It was a bit spicier than I would have expected a tomato, basil, mozzarella pizza to be. Or maybe it was residual spice from one of the appetizers we ordered? I will say they have a good deal on the $15 for 3 appetizers since they're decent sized portions so I'd take advantage of that. One of the special requests I put in was to have some kind of cake or dessert brought at the end of the meal with a candle (per usual for a birthday). They brought a scoop of ice cream. I was a little turned off because the price point of the restaurant isn't like a Bertucci's aka cheap so I would have assumed they'd be able to at least bring a small slice of cake. Free or not (we obviously would have paid for it). It was kind of a poor reflection on their business stature. In addition to this, the service was pretty slow, however it was quite busy so I'm sure that's a big part of it. The food came out a lot quicker than I would have expected (aka we ordered then 10 minutes later, here's a pizza!) so kudos to the chefs! All in all, it was a pretty good experience but I wouldn't necessarily choose this place as a regular go-to, but I wouldn't rule it out either.
(3)Wally C.
Excellent! Service was amazing, not pushy nor rush, great place, the food was amazing, fresh and portions were just right, will go, again and again, you people need to try it!
(4)Pizzaioli G.
I liked this place. My food was good and the choice of wine excellent. Service was good and the atmosphere pleasant. Nice place for a date.
(4)Sarah G.
We had a wonderful experience here--great food and drink, great service, great ambiance! I highly recommend. We will be back soon :)
(5)An L.
Nice ambience with exposed brick walls and recessed lighting. Antipasti were good, including eggplant, green beans, and mushroom. The spaghettini hit the spot - quite yummy al dente. Tagliatelli was nice as well, but a bit too creamy for my liking. The special, striped bass was quite well cooked and tasty.
(4)Zoe S.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. The antipasti is perfect, all of it. The pizza is great, but if you're going for pasta I'd suggest the gnocchi, or the tagliatelle alla bolognese. And for dessert, the gelato is great. It's a nice restaurant, with great service and staff, and there's always street parking. The only problem is that on Friday or Saturday nights it's hard to get a table, unless you call in advance.
(5)James B.
The food here is pretty good. We frequently get takeout from here and it is certainly the best pizza in Wellesley. Last night was the first time I have ever been in the dining room for a meal. The food is pretty decent. We had the prosciutto and arugula pizza which was really a surprise, although I love pork of just about any kind on my pizza I generally shy away from fresh salad greens on there. The calamari which was served in tomato sauce with black olives and capers was salty, spicy and cooked perfectly. The third dish we had, which I didn't choose, was the fresh mozzarella with sweet 100 tomatoes. I really don't understand why anyone keeps this on a menu in the middle of January. I guess because people will order it, I suppose my dinner party is proof of that. I would much rather eat a caprese in the middle of September when the tomatoes are bursting with flavor and the basil is overgrown like a weed. It was passable but mediocre. My biggest disappointment was things that had nothing to do with the food. When we first sat at the table I noticed a two sided "plate" that contained salt and pepper. that appeared to be there for the duration of service. I just think its gross to have out like that. What if the previous table had an active infection and nose picking habit? Seriously I'm not a germaphobe but who thought that was a good idea? The wine by the glass list is is so vague. I want to know more about the wine than its varietal. Knowing who produces the wine is important to me especially when you want to charge $11 for a glass of Barbera. I guess it makes it easier to pour a cheap glass of wine and charge a premium. I think the waitstaff meant well but the service was kind of awkward. First off I have a zero tolerance policy for dirty glassware, plates and silverware. That is 100% the responsibility of the waitstaff to ensure that doesn't happen. I really hate having to point it out. Once the food came that was when the barrage of servers descended upon our table. We hadn't even taken one bite when our server asked how everything was. Shortly after that the third person who was absent during this was approached uncomfortably close by the waiter who touched her shoulder and asked how everything was. It was so strange. We all suppressed our laughter as best as possible. There were several attempts to collect our half empty dishes that were still being "worked on". Really, I didn't think anyone was rude, but the service was just sort of obtrusive. I did enjoy myself however and would go back again
(3)Lee H.
We started off with a trio of appetizers - olives, beans, and peppers - which we ate with the standard table bread (a huge hunk of tuscan pane style bread). Very, very good. For the entree I had a seared chicken breast with greens. My wife had mushroom-stuffed ravioli. Dessert was an apple cake with ice cream. All excellent. Service was very attentive. Maybe a little over the top, but good nonetheless. Portions are a bit small for my taste. Same for the martini. Prices are a little high. If cost is no object, you can do a lot worse than Alta Strada.
(4)Suri R.
Have had dinner here several times and it is consistently fresh and good. The bartender makes up some of his own amazing cocktails which are creative and delicious. Love the free parking in the back as well as entry through the back or front door, depending on where you choose to park. Will go again.
(5)Vicki B.
Alta Strada was a dining experience. I asked our server, Nick, if they had specialty cocktails and he was kind enough to describe each one in detail. I chose the Brezza Delicato which was delightful and later learned that Nick was also a bartender at the restaurant and that the cocktail was his invention. My husband and I shared the Summer Melon and Prosciutto appetizer which was a wonderful blend of flavors and very refreshing. My husband chose the pork for his entree and I don't believe either of us has ever had pork quite so tender and moist. I chose the swordfish special and it was equally delicious. The woman at the table beside ours commented on how much she had also enjoyed her swordfish and her dining companion mentioned that his tomato sauce was also delicious. My husband had cappuccino to complete his meal. I asked Nick if he could recommend a digestivo. He explained that there was one that that evening's bartender, Justin, had invented. It was wonderful. Along with the very talented chefs, I recommend that Alta Strada hold on very tightly to both Nick and Justin. I also recommend that everyone just sit back and enjoy the experience of Alta Strada!
(5)Don F.
The best lunch sandwich's I have ever had. I have had the Cheese Steak, The Social Club and the Meatball parm sandwich which were all AMAZING! The bread and attention to detail are amazing. The cookies are fantastic also! Very limited seating downstairs but the staff working downstairs are fantastic and friendly. My wife was on crutches and they were extremely accommodating to her which was really nice. I am a little afraid to let this hidden jewel out of the bag as it's nice not to wait in line but the food is outstanding and we have no problem driving 25 minutes for this type of quality. You will not be disappointed with ANY of their sandwich's. I have not tried upstairs yet for a formal dinner as I still can't get over how good the downstairs is!
(5)Chloe F.
I went here with my boyfriend for our anniversary dinner. We went around 6pm on a Wednesday night, and it was relatively quiet but the atmosphere was very nice. My boyfriend loved his Fazzoletti with Asparagus Pesto and Pecorino, and I had the crispy chicken secondi that was also very good. The portion sizes suited us very well. We had the strawberry sorbet for dessert, which wasn't as good. Service was great and timely. Would definitely come back for a semi-fancy dinner for special occasions.
(4)Jim c.
While it was not terrible it was far from it's reputation and very over priced. I normally dine out in Boston but met several couples here on a busy Saturday night. Service was okay at best. Not very attentive but the server was very busy I am sure. It took a while to get drinks. The appetizers were very good but then it took a long time to get the entres. There were eight of us and half were disappointed in their dishes. I had the crispy chicken which was good. The pasta and pizza ranged from okay to awful. The wine list was very over priced with the least expensive bottle being $40. We had a $48 bottle which was pretty good but nothing special. Over all for $75 per person I have had much much better and spent much less. I would not rush back.
(2)Caitlin M.
I have been here more times than I would like to reveal. I used to come here almost weekly. The service and food is hit or miss. Its quite cute inside, they have a nice bar and open kitchen. The market downstairs is great. I am not a huge pasta fan but definitely think that is what is best here. People rave about the mushroom filled lune and the Grandma's eggplant can be quite good. I have had some really horrible service here- just plain rude and unattentive for an high end restaurant. Other times the service has been great. None of their fish dishes have been particularly spectacular for me. In the end, I think I have come to the conclusion that this amount of money is better spent at a better restaurant in Boston or Cambridge.
(3)Abdulrahman B.
Great Italian goodness in this place. I love their pizza and it would be perfect if it was a bit salty. Their pastas always made me mouth watering when I crave for it. Their sandwiches and salads. I love this place and its considered one of the best Italian restaurants I tried so far.
(5)Lin Z.
So, so awesome. I've been to Alta Strada a number of times, and each time is just as amazing as the last. Outstanding food, impeccable service, and a great atmosphere to top it all off. My friends and I like it so much that, back in May, we even took our favorite professor there to celebrate our upcoming graduation. I highly recommend the Sicilian Tuna, Homemade Ricotta, and Beef Bresaola (all from the antipasti table). As for the pasta dishes (I think I've tried them all at this point...), I really like the Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks, and Crushed Pistachios, and the Mushroom filled Lune with more Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Parmigiano. I also love the Pappardelle with Braised Duck and Cherries. (The last time I had it, I dreamt about it for two weeks afterward...) Oh, and the Panna Cotta is to die for. I can't say enough good things about this place. I only wish I lived back in Wellesley so I could come here more often...
(5)Alex D.
Not good. The service was super slow and the place was empty. Went for lunch at around 2:00 on a Saturday. I asked if their pasta was homemade and the waiter said "no, um, we really don't have the space". I don't know what the kitchen looks like but this place is enormous. They have a take-out place downstairs. Anyway, got a salad which took a good 15 minutes to arrive at my table. I asked for them to go light on the dressing and it was soaking in vinegar and oil. I ordered the Spaghettini with Aglio e Olio con Pomodoro for the entree. $16 for store bought pasta and tomato sauce. It was so gross, I didn't even eat it. This is my third time here. The first time I went with friends and nothing was over-the-top great. I got a small portion of the Mushroom Filled Lune with More Mushrooms, Truffle Oil and Parmigiano and it was so heavy and dense. Hate to be harsh but this place is very over-priced. I don't mind spending money for a meal but it has to taste good.
(1)Todd C.
We had dinner tonight for my daughter's 13th birthday. The staff handled our party of 10 teenage girls plus my wife and me promptly and professionally. The food was great, especially the prosciutto & fig and the tomato & mozzarella appetizers, along with the pasta entrees. I've eaten here a dozen or so times for casual meals, business dinners, and family events like this one with great results each time.
(5)Marian S.
I love this restaurant. Everytime I come to Natick from Vermont we make a point to eat here. The staff is always nice and the food is great! We plan on eating lunch there today. Even though they don't have a kids menu they went overboard and made a grilled cheese for our grand daughter at our last visit and it was unbelieveable.....
(5)Alison H.
I won't bore you with the details, but don't bother. It's just not very good.
(2)John M.
Can't argue with the quality of the food and the level of service. I had Sacchetti with Prosciutto, Leeks and Toasted Pistachio, an arugula salad and a couple glasses of an Italian style Pinot Noir. My friend had Spicy Chitarra with Lobster, Shrimp, Tomato and Basil and enjoyed it as well. The place was packed, the service was top notch, and the food was hot. Only fault, was the bread. It was not fresh and a bit on the chewy side; at least it had some flavor and was on the rustic side...but it was day old. And the price? I guess I'm too much of a Joe-6Pack working man to get past paying $120 (tip included) for two salads, two plates of pasta, and a couple glasses of wine. But if you're not phased by the price, you're on schedule with the payments on your 7 Series BMW and the kids tuition at Brown is all set....you will enjoy Alta Strata enough to give it four or five stars.
(3)Mike C.
Eaten here 6 times. Pretty good food, but the noise is out of control. You can't hear anything said by person sitting next to you. They insist on playing background music too, often a low continuous bass that is more suited to an african-reggae dance club. Fix the acoustics and lose the music! IMHO the prices are also too high for this place.
(2)Carla G.
Had a very nice dinner at Alta Strada on our 29th wedding anniversary the other night. We had a few small plates which were very filling for only $15.00. The eggplant copanata was my favorite however the ricotta and broccoli rabe were very good! My husbabd had the mushroom ravioli and I had the cavetelli with sausage which was delicious! My husband liked his as well! The service was also very good!
(4)V L.
The food was mediocre at best. The wine selection is not very good. What bothered me most, however, was suboptimal service which bordered on unfriendly (and unlike some other reviewers, I would not call this place kid friendly). We will certainly not be back. Try Blue Ginger--fantastic food and superior service--and excellent with kids.
(2)Cynthia A.
Probably the only decent Italian place West of Boston. I have brought two of my employees here because it is that good. The pasta that I ordered was fresh just like if you were in Italy. The sauce was amazing. The desserts were just right. I would come here again and again.
(5)Daniel D.
Salad was good but nothing incredible - somewhat small for two people. The balls of fried risotto where yummy, but again not amazing. Swordfish was really not good for the price. The mushroom "lene" pasta with truffle oil was absolutely delicious and worth every penny. Service was very nice.
(3)Victoria X.
Amazing food and a great atmosphere. The menu is mostly tapas and the bartender their knows what wines go with what food!
(5)Josh F.
If I could sum this up in one sentence, it would be: "Great food, disappointing service." Pros: - Great Food - Even better wine pairings Cons: - Overpriced for the suburbs - Manager was rude - Reservations we're not exactly honored. We made reservations and people who came in after us were seated before us. - Noisy atmosphere Overall, I can't give it any lower than two stars because the food was outstanding. But, if I rated the service alone, one star would be about right.
(2)Rachel M.
We booked a birthday brunch for 10 people, so I called ahead to let them know there would be a birthday and that we would be bringing a cake. They informed me that it would cost $4/per person to plate the cake we brought in. I understand having a flat fee for plating, but charging a fee per person seems like backwards logic - they are basically saying "the more people you bring to us, the more we're going to charge you". I was annoyed and spoke with the manager, but she refused to do anything about it. Another small but disturbing detail - they don't have ketchup and they turned their noses up when we asked for it! If you are serving homefries at brunch, you should have a couple of bottles of ketchup on hand. I know it's Wellesley, but really.... Other than that, food and atmosphere were good. Service was just okay. Music over the sound system was really good! I wouldn't hurry back to this place.
(2)Leslie W.
Two at our table were happy with their pasta dishes. Two of us were unimpressed with our pizza. Mine was heavy on the mozzarella and therefore reminded me of a Greek pizza you'd get at a corner pizza parlor. It was also too salty from too much cheese and too much prosciutto. The service was SLOW; we sat for hours. The one dessert we ordered to share - called a warm peach crostata with vanilla gelato - was inedible. The four of us were unanimous about that. The peaches were hard and tasteless, there was no sauce, and the dough was under-cooked. Also, it came to us cold, not heated. If I made a dessert that was that awful, I would never ever serve it to my guests.
(1)Lily J.
My favorites: Golden Beets with Piave Vecchio (antipasti) and the Mushroom filled Lune with more Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Parmigiano (SO GOOD). It was a little funny to have the bread served on a napkin (and before the bread plates came) but everything was delicious. Our waitress was friendly and took the time to go through her recommendations on the menu.
(5)Andrew M.
The food was certainly good enough, and the service is a big improvement over Figs' (which was painfully slow), but the prices...$13-$15 dollars for individual-size pizzas, $15-19 for pasta, and the portions don't come close to justifying it. On the plus side, I really liked my grilled vegetable and goat cheese salad.
(3)Sonali B.
Wow - I am a huge fan of Michael Schlow, and I expected to enjoy Alta Strada immensely. I have never been more disappointed. Mikey! What's going on? After a long day of cooking prior to Thanksgiving, 6 of us headed to Alta Strada - my parents, my mentally disabled uncle, two of our closest family friends, and me. The food was mediocre at best - with the exception of the Eggplant Parmigiano appetizer. The shrimp fra diavolo appetizer was a huge disappointment to anyone looking for a spicy, red-sauce based dish; lukewarm shrimp over toast so hard I scraped the top of my mouth. The cauliflower side dish was fine. The sausage and broccoli pizza was so oily we sent it back - and we're honestly not that kind of a group. The puttanesca was good, and the chicken entree was fine as well, but overall, not an impressive meal. I do recommend a glass of the Barbera...but honestly you might need more than one to get through the experience. The service was HORRIBLE. They refused to do separate checks for the two families even when we asked at the start of the meal, before ordering. Everyone who works there looks like they are about 15 years old, and one girl who brought out our entrees was so confused by who was receiving what that she actually took everything back to the kitchen, thinking she had the wrong table. I finally had to half stand up and direct her around the table. Our waiter was attentive, but not particularly helpful. To cap it off, toward the end of the meal, my father tried to call the attention of a waiter standing about 5 feet from our table to ask where the restroom was. The man stared at him blankly for about 30 seconds, then approached the table...and walked straight past my father, who was clearly beckoning to him. It was the RUDEST thing that I have ever seen. Especially since we had been at Via Mata and Radius over the previous weekend, and are used to a certain standard of service. As in - if you flag down a waiter, he doesn't blatantly ignore you. One of our friends was so enraged by this that he almost didn't add a tip to the menu. Michael Schlow - we love Radius, but please don't tell me that I have to schlep all the way downtown (and spend at least $300) just for a nice dinner? Overall - would not recommend Alta Strada to anyone. :(
(2)Woodward Y.
Great Italian with some wonderful wines. Be sure to try as many of the antipasti as you can. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the wait staff are friendly. However, watch out as it gets very busy...
(5)cory w.
You can get much better food at Sorellina in Boston. I'd rather drive back into the city for really good Italian. It's decent, just what you expect in the burbs.
(1)Joe S.
One of my favorite restaurants. Good appetizers, dinners, and drinks. The fresh ricotta is amazing.
(5)J F.
food is great, tight seating but the ricotta, prosciutto and marscaporeos are all worth it!
(4)Han K.
This might just be my new favorite place, and it's only 5 minutes away. Michael Schalow's of Via Matta and Great Bay fame opened up a fairly casual Italian eatery. The concept is to have real Italian favorites, simple dishes that speak for themselves, nothing gussied up or made into high towers, just the ingredients and simple preparations and combinations of textures and flavors to really just do all the talking for the restauant. My fiancee and I opened up with ordering 3 antipasti, white beans with rosemary and red onions, calamari with cucumber jalapeno and citrus, and the homemade ricotta with sage and extra virgin olive oil. All three came in a bowl for us to pass to each other, all three were just absolutely delicious. The bread was a thick huge slice of crusty tuscan style bread with the best olive oil I've ever tasted in my life to dip with, just so intensely fruity without any nasty bitter flavors, I want to know where the olive oil came from. That's the real deal, the good stuff. We proceeded to have more appitiziers of arancini made with prosciutto and parmigiano in marinana that was to die for, extra crispy on the outside, extra gooey melty goodness on the inside, as well as having a massive plate of thinner than paper thin slices of prosciutto (real prosciutto de parma, the good stuff, it just melted on your tounge it was that good) served with a fig jam crostini, the intense sweet from the fig and the salt from the porky goodness just made a perfect combination. We were absolutely stuffed after all that, we even saved half the antipasti to take home with us because we knew we had more food coming. I had gnocchi with sausage and peas that was served in a tomato cream sauce that was heavenly. The gnocchi were light and fluffy, not at all dense and heavy, the sausage was amazing, the sauce was rich and fulfilling. Steph had tagliatelle with chanterelle mushrooms and corn, a new dish and a simple preparation of sauteed chanterelle mushrooms, amazing sweet corn, sauteed to perfection tossed with hand cut fresh pasta, dressed very lightly in it's own natural sauce.. To die for, all the fresh flavors just melded together to make a truly remarkable dish. We could only finish half our entrees as well, putting those into boxes to take home. We finished the night with a delicious cup of espresso, and the panna cotta which was again to die for. Thick, creamy, delicious, served that night with blueberries on top. I really can't stress how much this place rocks. Total bill for all the food? Just over $100 including a few drinks (so without it would have been somewhere around $75). All the pasta dishes are under 20, the only expensive appitizer we got was the prosciutto but it was a massive plate of it at $14, and the deal of the century were the antipasti for $13 (it's $5 for 1, $13 for 3, $22 for 5 and you can get more and more, you could make a meal out of the antipasti alone). Everything was just cooked perfectly, the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. It's a little loud inside, it's not a place I think to wine and dine and be romantic, but it is lively and bustling, a great place for a date if you want to have fun conversations although you do have to speak up a bit. The vibe is casual fun, share your dishes, get half portions of things, really just have a good time, be a little messy, be a little adventurous, and I totally get it. I can't wait to have an excuse to go back.
(5)Martha R.
Had a delicious lunch here with two friends. We enjoyed the fig crostini with prosciutto as well as two pasta dishes and a salad. Everything was expertly prepared and the portions were ample. I did find the prices high, which is my only complaint. Service was excellent. Love the atmosphere. I can see how it might get loud when full to capacity.
(4)Ryan D.
My father and i went to eat here this summer on a Monday night. We were looking to get some drinks and then dinner. First of all this being a Michael Schalow establishment i would expect them to have a full bar with a great beverage menu. I am a big fan of the drinks at Great Bay (r.i.p) so i expected nothing less from Alta Strada. I was wrong...They had nothing i wanted No St.Germain,Campari,Domaine De Canton, Ron Zacapa, Milagro nothing exotic just your typical Vodka,Gin,Trip sec the bar rack special. So I told the waitress i was in the mood for a martini. She replies how about a Cosmo...The only reason people order cosmos these days are because of sex and the city. If i was a alcoholic stuck on a island with no water and all they had for me to drink was cosmos id rather die! So we decide to go with a safe bet and get beer. A few moments later The waitress comes by and apologize saying sorry we dont have any beer tonite... So we decided on a Gin Martini(hendricks thank god they had that) extra dry lemon twist. I told her to stir not shake. So we wait about 5 min and here comes our martinis in shakers. It tasted like water. usually a martini should be diluted about 20% but this tasted like water with a hint of gin About 5 min after getting our drinks...we see a waiter bring this couple a beer. And it quickly caught my attention. We were told by our waitress that they 86 All the beer. hmmm...i was pretty turned off by that. We quickly asked for our check and ended up going to papa razzi (THANK YOU BACK BAY). I hope the new alta strada at the mgm will have a better selection of drinks/ service...they have a great product its just a shame that they never delivered
(2)Joe B.
Here's a Michael Schlow idea that at least gives some alternative to Blue Ginger. Probably the former Todd English Figs at this location was more substantial and real Italianish fare. (I miss the duck and fig risotto) Having said that the too friendly waiters move it along without too many dropped balls and the small antipasti plates and pizzas were OK. The Giardinera salad had texture issues and all in all it is an absentee Chef by the numbers venture. They've definitely maxed out their potential for covers and they were humming even at 10pm but probably because diners are desperate for something fresh in Wellesley. The lune pasta with truffle oil was very delicious and my panna cota with Rainier cherry compote was a nice finish. The place needs some more Italian in the kitchen and some soul on the plate but otherwise great.
(3)Aaron P.
Sometimes a place is what it is. Alta Strada is not cheap, it's not even a good value for the money. It's not very hip and there aren't a lot of simple, basic dishes available. All that said, it's extremely delicious and fun. The atmosphere is clean and a bit snazzy, not too loud, perhaps even romantic. This is a great place to go on a date with your wife. The menu includes a hoard of small, creative plates available as apps or that in concert can make a meal -- things like white beans mixed with rosemary and red onion slices or chunks of Sicilian tuna with olives and peppers. The plates are small and run $5 for one up to $22 for 5. For larger courses, there's pizzas, pastas and a few -- very few -- more traditional offerings like roast chicken or sword fish. There's also a broad array of wines available by the glass and the coffee and desserts were "worth it," in my wife's view.
(4)Jane F.
this is like the disneyland version of italian food. good, but no real soul.
(3)Josh C.
This is a new Italian restaurant by Michael Schlow of Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay. He spun himself to open his own place with other partner. I dined here when it first opened for just dinner in Feb 2007. Then two weeks later, they started serving lunch and market place, Market place is located on lower level (back entrance). Dining room has long low bar on the left. It has open kichen on the back. Dining room looks simple but sweet enough to bring a date. This site used to be Todd English's Fig. Pastas are delicious, not conventional italian you usually see in North end. I had Sacchetti with proscuitto, leeks, and crushed pistachios. My friend ordered Gnocchi. Menu choice are large enough ranging from Antipasti, Primi (more like Appetizer), Insalata (lots of items -priced in meal range since it comes with meat, Pizze (pizza), Pasta and Secondi (entrees). We had roasted chicken on seond return along with yummo made in house Ricotta cheese and antipasti. They paid nearly 30 grand to buy a hand slicer placed behind the bar near where they displayed antipasti dishes. Place is clean as well as ample parking spot. I do like the food here better than Via Matta which I find a bit overated. Well, Alta Strada means "high road". He certainly achieved his goal with this restaurant. I hope he wrote recipes of the food here on his first cookbook. His first cookbook failed short of my expectation and others. But all thumb up to his new venture. Drive out of Boston to eat there. It is worth 30 min trip. One comment- PLEASE enhance dessert menu. Just biscotti made us feel they are not serious about finishing touch.. But overall, my two trips there great enough for them to earn my 5 stars.
(5)MR N.
The menu is overdone and fussy lacking even a few basics for the less than adventurous (save maybe a pizza... ). There really isn't a single offering that isn't messed with extensively. The atmosphere seems a little too contrived and gimicky and neither the food or service was anything memorable. My first impression was that they were going for some sort of communal feel.... but is breaking bread elbow to elbow with a crew of 70 something realtors who are just happy that they don't have to hoof it over to blue ginger anymore really anyone's idea of a good time? "Trying too hard" would be the best way to describe the whole experience as well as the few people who seemed to be enjoying it. Some simple / basic menu options that make sense would be a good place to start. More tables (preferably with happy diners), less hard surfaces, and some much needed finishing for the waitstaff wouldn't be bad either... Truthfully, the second star was a bit of a stretch.... but you have to leave some room for the really really bad places. This place desperately needs to sacrifice some form and work much harder on the substance! Let me leave it on a positive note... the rustic cloth napkins were really fantastic... just perfect for some great real traditional italian food.... which, as luck would have it.....you won't find here!
(2)Matt D.
Cool, lively and upscale. You're going to pay a pretty penny here but the food was fantastic - certainly comparable to anything you'd get in Boston. The drinks are also great. Very well balanced and delicious. Service is also great. They're attentive, but not overbearing.
(5)Ruth R.
I am not sure I can give the food a fair review since my senses were spinning out of control from the noise level in this restaurant! To begin with an 8:00 reservation was not honored until after 8:30 and then we were seated in front of the open kitchen where the facilitator stood shouting out the orders to the cooks...more noise! Fortunately, we were able to change tables and only deal with the "normal" noise. We all had a variety of pasta dishes that I would say were good....not outstanding. I have been in many restaurants that have a high noise level, but this was beyond the pale.
(2)James O.
Nice pedestrian Italian food in Wellesly. We had some pretty good dishes and some poor dishes. Pricey for what you get. Our least favorite place we ate at on our trip.
(3)Erika P.
First visit here and it was a positive one. Delicious chopped salad with lots of interesting veggies including roasted beets and great dressing. Good size also for a starter salad. The tagliatelle with bolognese was good as was the ravioli. We didn't love the tiramisu though. My husband that there was much rum in it. I thought it tasted a bit sour. Good service and nice decor. We'll go back again!
(4)Lingyue L.
Generally speaking it's pretty good. As for appetizer , I recommend tuna , never try eggplant , so ridiculous flavor, pasta is plenty , and taste good , just a little bit like chew mein. Salmon is tender , Tarte is so big like a brick , but taste mellow , but defiantly a bit too sweet , but after all it's not Europa .
(4)Jolene S.
So it's the holiday season and the Central St. Strip in Wellesley is dressed up. I went strolling for a place to eat dinner and this seemed to be the best, most lively spot. I actually liked sitting at the counter near the kitchen, where I could see all the activity. Pork chop was delicious and comes with a mix of brussels (which were yummy) and butternut squash studded with pancetta (basically, bacon bits). I liked it. There were some A+ people next to me. I got to try an app from the kitchen: toast with seafood: it was delicious. It should definitely go on the menu--would come back for that. You get a huge hunk of bread with plain olive oil. To kick things up, ask for some red pepper flakes to season the olive oil. Liked this place, but would only go back if I happened to be passing through the Wellesley area.
(4)Wei W.
Being the procrastinators that we are, of course we didn't have Easter Brunch plans anywhere. We decided to wait a little while and grab lunch around 11:30, bypassing the idea of sweet French toast and greasy egg specials. (I would have been happy to wait til 1PM for a table at Bronwyn, but the bf started to get "hangry".) So, we searched Yelp and found Alta Strada - dinner reviews seemed favorable, so why not try it out for lunch? We were promptly greeted by a waiting host as soon as we entered the restaurant at 11:15AM. The seating area was quite empty so we requested a seat in a corner booth. Unfortunately, it was reserved for an elderly couple who came in every weekend for brunch, so we chose a corner table instead. (Props to management for maintaining customer loyalty!) Sustained for 15 minutes by water and in-house baked bread with olive oil, we were served our order of crispy veal meatballs and immediately dug in. The tomato basil sauce that the meatballs sat on top of was quite flavorful, and complemented the spices in the meatballs. The extra Parmesan cheese in the sauce added another layer of flavor. Another 15 minutes passed and we were served our entrees: the bf had the arugula prosciutto pizza and I devoured the grilled salmon and spinach salad. The pizza was cooked just right - crispy and not burnt at all. My salmon was prepared medium rare (to my liking), and topped with a caper butter. Our check came soon after we requested it, and we were in and out within an hour. We never felt rushed and servers were quite attentive (my water glass was never empty). While I'm not certain what service and food quality is like during the evening, I do have to say that weekend lunch service is decent. Next up is dinner!
(4)Hanna M.
Ordered the spaghettini and didn't even have three bites before I decided I just couldn't take it anymore. Was weirdly spicy and the flavors were just off. Can't believe I paid 18 dollars.
(1)Annoyed C.
Simply horrible. If you want to dine in a noisy room packed with families with small children, this is your place. If you want to FINE dine in a place with ambience, go somewhere else.
(1)Michael R.
I've tried most of the menu and it's all very good. There are a few "can't miss" dishes including the freshly sliced prosciutto and fig appetizer, the grilled pork chop and the deconstructed Oreos called "marscaporeos". Nice location and consistently good service too.
(5)