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David D.

Three long years since I've darkened this portal. All is still more than well! Amazing happy fast staff, whisking out your excellent food/beverage! Thanks Bottega Cucina!

Alex H.

Well this place was a fun little find. As other people have mentioned, it's an Italian restaurant found right next to a mini mart/convenience store. It would be really easy to miss if you weren't looking for it. It's a cute little place with a handful of tables and a small bar area that overlooks the kitchen. They have a handful of beer on tap (a surprisingly varied selection for such a small restaurant). They also have a wine list that, admittedly, I didn't peruse to thoroughly. They have a variety of salads, pastas, flatbreads and entrees. I opted for the Ricotta pasta in half portion (yes! they have half portions!). It was good, but some of my co-diners had better meals. The pasta was a touch overcooked for my tastes and it could use some more seasoning, but I still ate most of it. My friend's Penne Vodka was more my style - I'll get that next time. Overall, I'd say 3.5 stars. I'll come back again to try some of the other pasta dishes.

Meh C.

Food was okay, the cloth they give u to put on your lap, or whatever it smelled like a dead duck. How often do they suppose to wash those. I don't think they been washed since they open. Will not go back.

Jay S.

Not sure why all the negative reviews and all the great ones side by side. We had a GREAT dinner, service was perfect, not crowded, and the food was spectacular. Very creative menu with all the usual regulars well prepared. Loved it, can hardly wait to come back. Two thumbs up!

Kimberly C.

Awesome meal and incredible service. It's a must!!!! I would recommend mend this to anyone in the area. Outstanding!

M F.

Lost its luster. What happened after 5 visits, typically Chef Phil greets you with a smile, hello and enthusiastically suggests his latest beer find. Not today We sat at bar seat only to be greeted with a suggestion to take a table. Then after reviewing the menu we were hounded to order even before the evenings libations were poured. What happened to the ambiance of getting something to hold down the thirst before even considering the menu. After several minutes of wondering what the kitchen was making, I saw several dishes being rejected by customers. Perhaps the junior chefs were having a bad night, the staff was having an off night, and owner was having a slow week. But nothing should take away the feeling of stepping into an old world Italian gold mine only to be dejected by bad food and poor service. I typically would have given them 4/5 stars, tonight just felt like fast food chinese. Pasta needs attention, another plate was just refused. Never again. Love the beer but the pasta was completely off. Sorry Chef Phil you lost our business forever.

Scott P.

Set in an unassuming location next to a shady looking convenience store Bottega Cucina is really the hidden gem of West Springfield. I've had this place bookmarked forever and finally stopped in tonight. I had no idea what to expect inside based on the look of the outside, but was really surprised upon entering; It is really nice. We were seated right away and an awesome waitress greeted us. She started us off with complimentary bread and a garlic/basil oil. The oil was soo good we asked for a second bread and oil setup. I was really impressed with the quality of the beers on tap from Stone to Dogfish Head. Although the beers were impressive, most of what was on tap sadly didn't go well with Italian food. I settled on a German Pilsner which was lighter and a good prelude to the heavier fare to come. We started with the mushroom crostini appetizer. It was very good, with a great decadent sauce and a ton of mushrooms, but would have been easier to eat with sliced mushrooms. I had a small Caesar salad before my dinner and wasn't expecting to see they put capers on the salad, but it was awesome and worked. My wife had the Chicken Parmesan and I had the Spaghetti Puttanesca for our entrees. The chicken Parm was tender and delicious, especially the sauce. My puttanesca was loaded with olives and capers. I really enjoyed it, and would get it again. We had the chocolate mousse dessert. It was homemade and very good. If you've never been try not to be put off by the exterior and the EZ mart next door. Keep an open mind and walk in! Our server was awesome, very soft spoken, patient, and attentive. One of the best restaurants in West Springfield. Will definitely go back. Stopped in for dinner and ordered the same spaghetti puttanesca for a second time tonight. I Have to say it wasn't as good as the first time. It had almost half the olives and capers as the first time I was there and was lacking in sauce. Our complementary bread for the table was stale. My wife's two attempts at ginger ale and sprite both failed because the soda machine was acting up. I read this before and now believe it about the half portion being almost exactly the same size as the full portion. It's like an illusion because of the bigger plate, but for like $10 more it's a ripoff. Service was still pretty decent as they were not very busy. Still have great beers on tap. But I'm on the fence about whether I'd go back or go to A Touch Of Garlic.

Tim S.

Wow! I was quite surprised by the delicious food at Bottega! It can only be described as a "hole in the wall." It is in a small plaza with a mini market of some kind. I was meeting some colleagues here for a working dinner. One of them had suggested it, otherwise I never would have known it was there and probably would never have tried it. I've driven by a thousand times and never noticed a restaurant there. The only reason for the four stars instead of five is that it was a bit slow, even though it wasn't terribly crowded. However, the food was five stars for sure!

Jason L.

After a day of house-hunting we stopped for a nice italian meal on our way back from upstate New York. The beer selection was wide & vast, but unfortunately they were out of alot of the things posted on the menu board. Started with a big plate of crusty bread & olive oil. My dad got the puttanesca, which he commented could have been spicier. I got the carbonara which was perfectly seasoned, and had just the right about of saltiness from the rendered pancetta. Overall a good meal, would return.

Brian O.

I agree a lot with what Nicole S. said for an experience roughly a month ago. I came here a few times and enjoyed my meal, but a recent trip left a lot to be desired. Place flat out doesn't seem to be well managed. Whole place seemed a bit disorganized, but they were doing serious business in a very small place. Pasta Balognese was well done, but my Veal Francaise seemed to be made from frozen meat. I'd give the meal a C+, weighting on the pasta. Give it a shot if you have a lot of patience, but don't bring an old gift certificate, they have about 12 signs informing you they are no longer valid (I didn't have one, but just seemed off-putting).

H M.

I had eaten once a few years back and remember having an exceptional meal. Went back last night with my family and things have changed for the worse. The margherita pizza was tasteless and the bread seemed stale. The pasta funghi was okay, but the sauce was a little off. We tried the grilled tuna special, which was the worst dish of all. The tuna was mushy and may have actually been spoiled. The chocolate mousse tasted like something you get out of a supermarket. And the "homemade" ice cream tasted like it was left in the freezer for a few months. Not sure what happened to this place...I think the head chef may need to get back in the kitchen, because the current staff has brought their quality way down.

Jennifer M.

This place is a hole in the wall, but it is a hidden gem. One of the best places in the area for Italian food! I love their carbonara... It is delicious! The house salad is amazing, and I am definitely not a huge salad eater. Be prepared to wait if you go on a weekend, but it's well worth the wait. I have never had a bad meal or bad service.

Nicole S.

The food here is a solid 4-stars every single time. Every pasta and entree dish that I have had has been perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the fresh bread is always warm and crusty. I thought I had truly found a gem in the box chain wasteland that is West Springfield/Holyoke. That said, after dining here MULTIPLE times, I am not sure if my partner and I will be returning. The service and ambiance of the restaurant knock it down to a solid two, possibly even one-and-a-half stars. I noticed they have recently come under new management, and this may have something to do with it. We have had some of the worst service at this restaurant that I have ever experienced. The restaurant is SMALL and awkwardly laid out (a lot of bumping elbows, sometimes even have to share a strange large table with another couple and a giant book used as a "divider?"). Most recently, our waitress was so inattentive (literally only stopped by the table to get our order and drop the food off) that I had no other choice but to leave zero tip- she couldn't be bothered to come back to make change and box some food up. Inexcusable. Their food also comes in whole and half portions, yet my "whole" portion was less food than my two dining partner's "half," and a substantial amount of money more.

Joanna F.

My experience at Bottega was fine, but didn't blow me away. We made a reservation for our group of 8, but still had to wait for a while in the tiny space. When we got seated, service was slow and kind of strange. We started with the arancini and the bruschetta which were both fairly good. They also serve an extremely small salad with every meal, which my husband called "insultingly perfunctory" which was a pretty good description. Nice that they include a salad on the dinner, but it's the smallest salad I've ever seen. I got the salmon pasta dish. It was tasty, but again nothing super special. A couple people got dessert which appeared to be a partially inedible macaroon with a mysterious fruit filling. Long story short, I'm kind of mystified by the spectacular reviews. Bottega was fine, but there's better italian food in western MA.

Sarah O.

Bottega was disappointing on a recent Friday night. Our party of eight started with arancini and bruschetta to share. Both were totally serviceable, and in my opinion, the highlight of the meal. On the other hand, my entree-- salmon salad-- was a disaster. The dish is billed as "pan-roasted salmon, cannellini beans and roasted red peppers on wilted mesclun greens." What I was served was a piece of slightly overcooked, entirely unseasoned salmon, a half dozen scattered cannellini beans, and a few roasted red pepper strips straight from a jar, atop a bed of greasy, inedible mesclun greens. I hate to leave a restaurant feeling as though I could have executed a better version of a dish in my own kitchen, and that's exactly what I thought as we finished the meal. The service was a little odd as well-- our waiter forgot a couple of items, and brought the check before asking if anyone was interested in dessert.

Michael S.

Why haven't you eaten here yet? What is wrong with you?! This place is so good. I just whaled down the best pork chop I've ever had. Plus a large cooler full of great beers and a good half dozen on draught. Get your ass to this place!

Amelia H.

This place is a hidden gem! It is very small and located next to a convenience store. It doesn't look like the most inviting but trust me. .. this isn't a restaurant you want to miss out on. The beer selection is great and the staff was amazing. I ordered the gorgonzola pasta and it was fantastic. The others in my party raved about their meals as well. I cannot wait to go back.

Brian L.

Small, intimate setting. Knowledgable staff and decent food. We had Veal Picatta, Chicken Picatta and ziti broccoli and chicken. Everything was fresh and homemade, delicious!

Kerry R.

Very small but cozy feeling restaurant. I've been passing it for the longest time and wanted to try it. I've been on a quest for good Italian food ever since I moved here 7 years ago.The place was packed for 8pm on a Thursday. We were lucky to snag the one open table but people who came in behind us had to wait about 15 minutes. Good thing we didn't wait because I was starrrrrving. Took a look at the menu while we waited for our server. Considering how busy it was I can understand waiting but it took about 10 minutes to get drinks. The wine list, while pretty big for such a small place, was lacking good Cab or Merlot by the glass. I'm no wine expert that's for sure but I would have liked a nice Chianti with my Italian food. I ordered the Callia Alta and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. Very sweet but good. The house salad with house dressing was ok. The salad was definitely bagged. It has that unwashed lettuce taste which I know to be bagged from a store. The dressing was a standard balsamic vinaigrette which I happen to really like. I would've appreciated some olives or cucumbers in the salad which only included a few onions and finely chopped tomatoes. Our dinners arrived (After a brief mix up and us receiving another tables dinner) and both looked great. My boyfriend ordered chicken and broccoli and I ordered penne vodka. While he didn't ask for the dish to have alfredo sauce, the menu states a $2 surcharge for adding the sauce. it came with it anyway. He said the dish was excellent and the chicken was very moist. I continued my quest for good penne vodka in the area and wasn't as let down as I thought I would be. I'm from Jersey where the Italians know their stuff and penne vodka is as commonplace as chicken parm. The sauce here was good. Much more vodkay (yup that's my adjective) than other places around but still lacking something. The sauce was good, full of pancetta, but I think it was still too tomato based for me. I asked our server for crushed red pepper and he informed me that if I wanted some spice to any dish next time, that I should ask for the thai spice in the kitchen to be added. Thai spice in an italian restaurant. Ok.... I asked him if there was a sample for me to try and he brought out a tasting spoon with a dollop of the chili oil sauce. Very spicy but very tasty. I like heat with flavor and that's exactly what that was. Not sure if I'd like my penne vodka to have that level of heat but I'd be more than willing to try it once. Overall, looking forward to going back to try other dishes. For now, my quest for the best penne vodka here will continue!

Bridget N.

Ok we have stopped in this restaurant a few times on our way to VT from NYC. The food has usually been ok & the beer selection great. Tonight we were on our trip up north, stopped in at 7pm to a half full restaurant. We were told "take a table" with that we made our way to the bar. We ordered drinks & was given the menu. In less then 3 minutes we were asked what we wanted to order like a Chinese restaurant. God a Chinese restaurant would have been so much better. We ordered the fettucini carbonara & the butternut squash ravioli. The salad came quickly & tasted like newspaper. The main course arrived & we had to ask for more drinks after sitting empty for awhile. The food was tasteless & the pasta over cooked. I asked then to re-make mine, which I never do. They have an open kitchen & they threw the same pasta back in the stove added another egg & served it to me. It was worse then before. I didn't eat it & was asked if I wanted it to go. I said no I did not & it was not good. No apologies were given, I received the checked, paid & then was told they forgot to charge me for a glass of wine. I retorted "sure bad food, please charge me." I was not the only unhappy guest, 3 other orders were sent back while we were there. WE WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. The chain 1 block away Bertuccis does it way better..

Lindsay M.

I may just be biased because my brother-in-law is the soux chef here, but everytime we cross the country to visit, this is my first stop. EVERYTHING here is amazing. The large variety of pasta dishes offers something for everyone as do the entrees. Their appetizers and sides are to die for and the Chef continues to offer new and interesting flavor combinations that are sure to keep your pallet on its toes. And of course, the beer and wine selections are a refreshing change from the common choices and open you up to new microbrews. They make everything to order and taste as fresh as can be. Service is great. You may have a short wait due to the small size of the restaurant (which creates a quaint romantic place for dinner) but there is a small bar where you can enjoy a beer or glass of wine. My favorites are the pasta salsiccia (tomato cream sauce is incredible), crab cakes and bruschetta for appetizers, chicken marsala, and the gorgonzola pasta (don't know the exact name). Come to Bottega if you're in the Springfield area and support local business!!

Tony S.

I have to agree with other diners that this place has fallen off substantially over the last couple of years. There doesn't seem to the attention to detail we found in past visits. I can say that our server was excellent and they have a really good non-alcoholic beer, which is a must for me as a non-drinker. Today we had the pasta with mushrooms, which was okay but nothing really special. The flatbread pizza was solid but needed salt, which wasn't on the table as it should be. It makes me crazy when chefs think we shouldn't want to season our own food to taste. Put it on the table! It is also the second time we've been there with no tiramisu on the menu. Every Italian restaurant should have a solid version of this dessert. The coffee is awesome. I'd love that machine in my house! I'm actually undecided as to whether i will return as ther are several good Italian restaurants in the area. This place really needs to step up its game.

Kevin M.

I was a little worried after seeing a couple of recent reviews here, but Bottega is still the same great place that it's always been. The service was great and the food was too, though a bit pricey. Phil's crab cakes are still the best we've had anyplace!

John A.

After hearing great feedback and reviews my family went there and had a mediocre meal and experience. The service was slow and not very professional. Waitress took my beer order and never asked my family what they wanted to drink. I ordered a $27 fillet and the salad was gone in 3 bites. My fillet was not medium rare, it was only seared on one side (over seared) and half of it was dry and the other half was blahhh. The side of asparagus and mashed was enough to feed a 3 year old for $27!!!! Upon telling them they didn't even offer to discount my meal and gave us a crappy sundae to share. Oh and when our check came my meal was billed at $29!!!! We asked for plain chicken parm for the kids. No cheese no sauce and they couldn't even do that. Save your money and go to The Federal, Max's, Family Restaurant or even Latitudes. For the same price you'll get an amazing meal and service. So disappointed.

Dan L.

Years later, I keep coming back. It just keeps getting better. The food is still AWESOME, the service excellent and they've even made infrastructure improvements (got rid of some cramped booths). I still try to make the occasional special sunday dinner - the last one I went to had 9 courses. 9. I even opted out of the beer pairings because I don't drink beer and I was STUFFED.

Greg M.

This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Western Mass! Get the specials when they have them. They are always creative and delicious! Only drawback is the wait times due to the small size of the dining area. Worth it though! Give it a try!

Brian L.

Brags (+): Food was great! I believe their menu changed slightly after their recent renovation, but the salmon pasta I've had was excellent. Service was wonderful as well; our waiter spent a lot of time figuring out a good recommendation for for drinks the less decisive among us. Beats (-): Kind of cramped. You can look at the bright side and call it cozy? Variance (~): OK but seriously, what's up with that sign? A tomato as the "o" in "Bottega"? That's just too gimmicky... It could definitely use some work. Sadly, that is my main critique of Bottega Cucina.

Anne M.

Had not been there in a long time and won't be going back..Food just so so and the mash potatoes I had were dark brown and tasted like dirt..Seems like they have changed owners..and if I wanted Thai food I would go down Riverdale to a Thai restaurant

Josh M.

Do yourself a favor and skip all of the crappy chains in this part of town. Head here for a great beer list and lighter Italian fare. Laid back small place high on atmosphere and low on cost.

Meg M.

UGGGGGGGGGGGGGH. I have avoided writing this review because I am trying to diet and even thinking of this place sends me into a tailspin of cravings and mouth watering daydreams. I love you Bottega, I deeply, truely adore everything about you. I love your cozy little tables. I love your hospitable, knowledgable, friendly waitstaff. I love you always changing, ever progressing microbrew offerings. I love how you put gorgonzola on basically anything I ask you to. I love your seafood, your crab cakes and you gorgonzola, steak pasta dish. I love all the things that make you, you. I kinda hate your parking sitch though, I will be honest about that.

J T.

Yeah, even after (lucky number!) 66 reviews this place is hanging tight to the second half of that some-say-unattainable 5th Yelp star. And for good reason. The best Italian I've ever had, and apparently others feel the same. Boston North End? Nope, it just can't hang with the Springfield west end. I've tried several of their dishes and many of their beers, but I often end up with the Con Pollo, yes, capitalized even. Pasta's always that perfect al dente, firm but not hard, and the Marsala sauce with ham, chicken, mushrooms... mmm... I just ate and my mouth is watering anyway. All the servers are great but the longtime waiter Steve is awesome - professional if your table needs that, friendly if you need that, and full of advice on beers and other area happenings. I make a point to stop whenever I'm in the area around dinnertime. Add lucky number 66 to the pile of 5 star reviews, BC deserves them all!

David E.

The renovation is great, just a wonderful local place, Steve is the master of beers...trust his calls....Tuesday's are always interesting at Bottega Cucina, love the beer and food pairings, Keep up the good work.

Jeff P.

After a dozen or more visits, including a $50 per person special tasting event, my impression of the place has changed. While the food has always been superb, they have become distracted by their own greatness to the detriment of customer service. They have become aloof and I feel like they have an expectation that I must fit into their world and appreciate their offerings while ignoring basics of table service. The last time I was there I had a $21 lunch specialty. Nobody offered me cracked pepper or freshly grated cheese. The chef said they had run out of bread so they couldn't provide me with the usual bread and dipping oil. This was at 1:30 in the afternoon and they had all morning to go across the street and buy some at stop and shop. I had to ask for a beverage refill. My friends have had similar experiences there which is why we don't go there anymore. I expect great food to be accompanied by great service and that's no longer the case here.

Xiao Z.

Highly recommended by both friends and fantastic reviews, I was thoroughly impressed by this little "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant and especially with the delicious, monstrous paninis. The staff is very friendly and the beer selection is always changing and very impressive. The regular dinner menus are also tasty, but just a bit pricy for my taste; totally worth it though =) Food: 4 stars Ambiance: 4 stars Price: 4 stars Consistently providing awesome food: 5 stars

Be W.

I want to start off by saying I almost never write reviews, but after giving this place 3 tries....their out. Consistently all 3 times the service has been horrible and the food twice was sub par and this final time was barely editable...so much so that I actually felt bad enough not to complain because out of a party of 5 not one of us like our meal. 2 of them served luke warm 2 had filet both cook terribly wrong and 1 with salmon with a fishy taste and over cooked. Another put off was one of the (i have to assume) workers/co-owners was eating dinner in the middle of dinner rush at a table in the already small dining room, and might I add it was obviously not food from the restaurant...it was oriental and out of a big tin trough. Over all we all wanted to the f@%k out of there asap. What a shame.

Mitch W.

Went for lunch on 7/30/2011 after reading Yelp reviews. After reviewing the menu, I decided on a meatball sandwich without the mozzarella cheese (stomach can't handle it). The server asked if I'd like another type of cheese, but I politely declined. The regular meatball sandwich is $6.50 and comes with a side of cole slaw, but I asked for a small side of their garlic mashed potatoes. At first, the server said it would be $2.00 extra, but I told him I just wanted a small portion, so it was included in the price. (I love great service!) I asked for additional marinara sauce and the server gave me a generous side of marinara. Thank you! My friend had the salad and 1/2 sandwich combo for $7.25. She really enjoyed her fresh greens and sandwich. You can select from many different sandwiches, so the combo can fit your tastes. Overall, an excellent experience at Bottega Cucina! It's a nice little restaurant and has superior customer service!!! Please see my pictures! Cheers!

Lauren M.

I had a craving for Italian, and my husband said he'd been here with a friend. Pulling in next to ez mart, no big thriill. But the food was delicious, and server Krystyne so pleasant and charming. Great bolognese!my husband loved veal parm. We will definitely go back. And we'll call ahead because it's small but we're bringing others next time,

Heath B.

Enough has been said about Bottega Cucina that I won't be too long winded. Here are the highlights: Amazing tasty food Very friendly and attentive waitstaff Very good variety Great price ranges, 2 could eat for under $20 or well over $50 Daily specials including FANTASTIC RISOTTO! Casual atmosphere, t-shirts and shorts won't leave you feeling under-dressed. Most of their dinner specials have a lowered priced lunch version if you ask. You won't be left hungry or disappointed!.

Bruce B.

My only knock was that we that the Tuesday night two beers and two courses lead me to think that it was a meal for two. No problem it was set up to feed one person. She ordered that and I asked for a recemendation from our server. Went for a great seafood dish. Beers were good and food was very solid. Nice small local place that had a great choice of items to choose from. There were two servers on and we got the one that wasn't as excited about her job. We watched the other waiter laugh and talk up his tables, but we were lucky to get our waters refilled. Nothing to stop us from going back and trying it again on another Tuesday night. Also we arrived at 7 and found it to be the perfect time to miss the first seating rush, and enjoy a well paced meal during the second seating of the night.

Wm S.

My daughter and I were driving from Boston to Ithaca and stopped in for a Saturday Night dinner and were we ever shocked. The food was not only great, but it was also creatively thought through and well presented. The Ale and Green Apple risotto was off the charts - amazing combination of flavors and the risotto was a perfect texture. My spaghetti carbonara was also great, as was my daughter's pasta bolognese. The service was well balanced - they were friendly and they cared. Bottega Cucina is a treat!

Tracy T.

Jason P.

Tina M.

Mary F.

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Tony A.

Daniel D.

Han C.