Chianti Reserve

What a fantastic meal in a fantastic setting WITH fantastic service. From the moment we arrived to the hugs from the wait staff at the end, our experience was nothing short of wonderful. We were greeted by just about every member of the wait staff upon our arrival, who then promptly seated us and made us feel like we were sitting at the family table.
The food was absolutely delicious. The lobster ravioli was decadent. The cod and polenta was spectacular. The Seafood Pasta was so good you that after you finish the pasta, you are going to want to dip the bread in the sauce just to prolong the experience.
The service was spectacular! The food was brought out in perfect time and after dinner the waiter bought us a limoncello for us to sit and enjoy. What a great touch! And yes, I did say hugs at the end– as we started to leave, the waiter and the host came up to us and just as if we were leaving there home, sent us off with handshakes and hugs for all of us.
If you get the chance– do not miss out on this gem!

I’m only giving this a two star. We had to wait to long for food after we ordered. The food was good how ever the service was not great. I will not go there in the future.

I had heard great things about this place so decided to try it for a business lunch. The place was not busy… we were the only guests. The main server was charming. The appetizers were delicious. The special of the day was a lobster ravioli in a pesto sauce. just ok. The desserts were fantastic. BUT, the waiter who served us most of the time was clueless on how to serve. We had to ask for side plates for our bread… then remind him we needed silverware. He filled my lemonade with water. My colleagues didn’t get spoons for either their ice teas or lattes to stir their sugar. Little things but definitely not a great dining experience since main entrée was also not impressive.

The best pasta I have had in such a long time! The white sauce was just right and the seafood was fresh and delicious! The owners and the staff was very friendly. Service was great. I would definitely come back and recommend this place…

Thank you so much for the authenticity and customer service. I felt like I was in Italy! We went Monday and I was dreaming of meatballs until we made it back on Thursday.
Make sure you try the Pettini and Caraccio di Manzo for your antipasti!
Your staff was so warm and welcoming and all of your food is clearly made with love. This will always be a spot we visit whenever we are in the area. Thank you for the beautiful food experience!

Let’s start with the fact that the restaurant was hot and the temperature read 80 degrees on the thermostat on an already warm day. The dining area is small and crowded. The staff was pleasant, but enough with the fake Italian accents. We get it, you serve Italian food. The owner was amicable, he greeted everyone. However, I wish he put as much attention into the food.
I was served a $ 24 plate of Veal Saltimbocca that look more like an appetizer. The portions were small, the taste was bland and the veal had a consistency of shoe leather. There were several pieces of asparagus on the plate that were limp and had no taste other than the sprinkling of garlic covering them. The polenta was inedible. I should have known better when my Caesar salad arrived in bowl filled with cuts of lettuce normally discarded before making a salad and with dressing of an unknown taste.
My son ordered the Ravioli in Lamb Sauce. He should have stuck with the bread. The ravioli dough was thick and tasteless. The beef stuffing had less taste than a 1960’s style frozen TV dinner. Lastly, the sauce tasted as if it was burned, then stored in the cooler for several days and ultimately reheated in a microwave before being dumped in a bowl. The kid who normally eats anything, left the entire entrée on the table and focused on the bread. The first serving of which was fresh and tasted heavily with the houses olive oil vinaigrette dressing. However, the second serving of bread was stale and hard.
How can you screw up a filet? Chianti Reserve will count the ways… Sorry folks. I had high hopes, even higher disappointment. My son requested a second dinner when we got home …

first off this place is expensive. allot more expensive than other Italian places around the area
they don’t include a salad with your meal. they charge another $ 6 for a small salad or soup.
desert menu is pricey as well.
the food wasn’t that great i ordered spaghetti and meatballs and its like you can make it better at home.
the waiter’s are ok they are brazilian but speak a little italian.
and if your tall the door is short i smacked my head and im 6’7″ door frame 6’6″
the place is small and its in downtown pleasanton so parking can be a hassle trying to find the lot in the back was kind of confusing had to go around a few times.
the specials wear a joke. it was like $ 25-​$ 28-​$ 32.
and the waiter goes around with powdered Parmesan in a small tea kettle its like kraft powdered stuff. couldn’t even get the real block of cheese.
the greeter was rude. when i walked in. asked if i was with my party. like what the hell i came in with 4 people

What a great experience. We had a party of 8 celebrating my wife’s birthday and the restaurant allowed me to drop off her birthday cake early. The service was fantastic, the restaurant is small and quickly fills with conversation and laughter so the atmosphere is fun. As for the food, it was exceptional. I had the pesto seafood pasta and it was amazing. The wine recommendation was perfect and I cannot say enough positives about how friendly the waiters, host and bartenders were. Highly recommended.

What brought us in was a
certificate. Street parking next to the restaurant was already taken, so I circled the block and found a lot in the back (Free street and lot parking). When we arrived, we’re immediately greeted by one of the waiters. Since the weather was nice, we dined on the patio.
Our drink orders were taken, and bread with oil to dip it in was brought. I decided on breaded veal with marinara sauce, and a side house salad. The wait for the food wasn’t bad; besides, watching the foot traffic on Main Street was a distraction. They have their daily specials posted on a sidewalk chalk board, which drew in some customers.
The veal was tasty and cooked to perfection, and the mixed vegetables were fresh and cooked properly. While we were eating, one of the owners came out and chatted with us, and made sure everything was okay.
With the great discount, first rate service and yummy meal, I can’t help but Unilocal it five stars. Next time I’ll be back to try one of their pasta dishes.

The service was great. One of the owners was very friendly. They were also open late, when other restaurants were closed. However, the food was okay — not very flavorful eggplant parmagiana & pasta primavera. Ambiance is good. Parking is on the street.

My wife and I were craving Italian and decided to take out from Chianti Reserve for the first time in a long time since the old owners sold. I was surprised how friendly and helpful the service staff was. As for the food she had Totto Mare and I had Pollo alla Gorgonzola. Both dishes were wonderful, tasty, packed with delicious seafood and chicken, oh and the sauces terrific. Our complements to all.
Thank you Moreno and staff we’ll be back!

Chianti has coupons through
. When I tried to use this coupon last Christmas Eve they refused to honor it toward my meal and stated that regardless of whether there are no date restrictions on their certificate, they have the right, due to heavy holiday dining traffic not to honor those certificates on any holiday or special dates. The food quality is very good, fresh and tasty however a bit pricey for our area.
Hoping that under new management they will pose no restrictions on the certificates they offer through various dining clubs that restrict a customers dining experience.

Excellent food… Service not very attentive, one server that was very friendly, but liked to chat it up, a bartender, hostess, 2, bus boys that didn’t pay much attention to the tables as I assume they have been told not to. Not a rush rush type of restaurant so if in a hurry not for you. Half hour has past we r still waiting to pay, at least we got the check after 20mins. As we witnessed parties being turned away as we occupied a table for 4 waiting on the final resolution that could have been settled up 30mins ago. Now we can leave that the receipt has been signed… But remember the food was excellent.

Would not go back. Flavor was bland even though base quality of food was high. Creepy waiter was slow, failed to check up on us. Waited for 10 – 15 minutes after eating for a dessert menu. Be careful of the icetea/​lemonade, $ 8/​ea. #wouldntgoback.

My Husband and I most always make dinner at home. Since we are now empty nesters, we decided to go out to a nice dinner once a month to explore different restaurants and areas. I recently got a great deal through my Southwest Airlines account to earn extra points buying coupons from
. We purchased a deal for Chianti Reserve. Excited as we arrived to see it was busy, we were seated outside as it was drizzly. It was nice because it was covered and they had heaters.
The ambiance was great, the service was great… the food was terrible. My Husband chose the beef ravioli with meat sauce and I chose (and splurged) on the «special» Halibut with a lemon caper sauce. I heard the price of $ 25.95 as the server was going over these specials. Dinner came and I was excited for my halibut. Took my first bite and it was just ok. The sauce was not really flavorful and the fish was mildly fishy and had to pick out 6 bones. Ive never had a piece of halibut with bones.
I asked my husband how his ravioli was and he said it was under cooked. I tasted it and it was gummy and the sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee canned ravioli from back in college days.
Our check came and the Halibut «special» was $ 34.95. We looked over at the chalk board at the front door and yes it clearly read $ 34.95. So in a nut shell our $ 80.00 dinner was $ 71.00 with tip after coupon. I wasn’t going to challenge the Halibut price because I didn’t want to look like one of those customers using a coupon and haggling over the price I was given. I would have never ordered that meal at $ 34.95. Also no soup or salad with that meal for that price???
The best part of our dinner was the cocktail we both ordered. We will never come back. I should have read the reviews on this site before we purchased this
coupon.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind paying $$ for great tasting food, but to walk away extremely disappointed I just had to make this review.

Would not honor coupon that I redeemed Verizon points for. Apparently has new owner 6 months ago and is no longer Chianti. But Chianti Reserve. If they had class, they would honor the coupon. Didn’t offer any kind of discount to accommodate. Won’t come here again.

We love Chianti Reserve! The new ownership is great and the service and food is of highest quality. I have eaten here various times for both lunch and dinner and have had them cater two corporate events. Each and every time they have exceeded my expectations.

Made a dinner reservation for 2. When my wife and I arrived, we had to wait about 10 or 15 minutes to be seated. The place was pretty chaotic though it was a week before Christmas. Friendly service, good food, reasonable prices. I used a deal purchased thru XXX. The management didn’t seem too thrilled about redeeming our certificate, since we didn’t have a paper copy printed out. After calling the business phone number, he honored the certificate. We offered to pay the full price just to avoid an awkward situation. It eventually worked out fine. Worth trying again, hopefully better experience next time.

Food was terrible. Stale bread served with watery vinegar. Husband ordered spaghetti meatball, no flavor, added lots of salt to make edible.
I ordered eggplant parm. It was a whole bowl of marinara with one slimy slice of eggplant hidden amongst. I googled eggplant parm just to see if what I got was similar to other pics. Not even close.
Overcharged for bad food, what could be worse?
Go to pasta primavera in San Ramon instead.

The most horrible food expensive and taste old. The manager so mind extremely rude workers. And the charge the tip on the bill. They are not professionals.

If I could put zero stars I would. I guess I will credit one for them being open on Thanksgiving.
The service was HORRIBLE. There was a party of 20 that seemed to be monopolizing the staff to the point to where we waited more than an hour to receive our food and when we asked for things like bread they would forget. And our 3 glasses of wine for the adults took forever yet they never asked the young gentlemen in our party what he wanted to drink.
The food was sub par. You pay $ 26 for a plate of bland hospital type food worth not even $ 12.00. The food was cold when we got it too. Oh I forgot to mention the flies buzzing all around us. We were swatting them away yet one still took up residence on my mother’s Thanksgiving plate. Yum. That’s sarcasm. Disgusting. The strange part was after it stood on the chicken for a while it proceeded to walk across the table cloth and in all that time nobody noticed or came to say anything even as I took this photo. Lovely. That too is sarcasm.
I would never recommend that anybody that I care about eat here. I say avoid this way overpriced nighmare. Especially on one of your favorite holidays because it will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Worst Thanksgiving meal I’ve ever had. I think a lot of the positive reviews here are fake. My Italian friends would not be impressed. Olive Garden has better Chicken Marsalis then this place!

Bottom line: The food here is not very good. Overpriced. Not the friendliest staff.
The wait staff did not acknowledge us for about five minutes, and when they did, it took an additional 10 minutes to be seated even though there were only a few other customers in the restaurant.
We ordered the salmon affumicato for an appetizer. The cheese was so strong I could barely taste the salmon. The Caesar salad had chunks of anchovies in it, way too big for a salad. The gnocchi was decent but very bland, I had to add salt at least 4x to it.
We insisted on trying this place with the new ownership but unfortunately there is little to no improvement. I will be back in town in December and will write a follow-​up review.

Chianti’s is, at present, my favorite restaurant. We don’t live in Pleasanton but about once a month we make the drive all the way from Tracy to have dinner here. We wouldn’t be driving almost thirty miles each way if we didn’t truly enjoy the experience.
Why the accolade? The food is phenomenal. Simple as that. We always eat too much of the bread but it is delicious and comes with a house dipping sauce. The chef knows what he’s doing. The dishes have flavor and nuance. You don’t eat a meal here, you savor it. And, as you’re finishing up, don’t be surprised if the chef personally appears at your table to ask if you enjoyed your meal.
The atmosphere is pleasant and a bit upscale. There is out door as well as indoor seating. We like the quiet and greater intimacy of indoor dining so we’ve not taken an outside table. There is plenty of free, on and off street parking close to the restaurant.
We’ve been going to Chianti’s about once a month for about three years now and we’ve never been disappointed. We find it remarkable that for about the same cost one might pay for a cookie cutter meal at Olive Garden. The difference in the dining experience is as dramatic as the distinction between an original painting by a gifted artist and a fairly good print.
The desserts are varied enough to be interesting. The tiramisu is particularly good. It is rich but meltingly delicate on the tongue — about the best I’ve had.

The Best!
Michelangelo was warming and authentic and by the way the food was great. Here from Philadelphia and will be back again.

Excellent restaurant! It’s an especially great venue for a date — the setting is intimate and warm. The staff and the food are first rate as well. We will be visiting Chianti Reserve again!

It’s always nice when you go to a little Italian restaurant and the wait staff is actually from Italy. The ambience and the service is awesome. We had the carpaccio and I had the veal piccata. Both came out quickly, and it was perfect portion size. The bread and oil starter was tasty as well. The pesto is a nice touch
The cannoli dessert is exceptional! I’m 7 months pregnant and had a very happy baby. We will return.

A fantastic Birthday with an amazing meal paired with Prosecco… Gotta have some bubbly specially when you hit a big 40 :)
Gamberoni
Sauteed prawns and scallops, sun dried tomatoes, mushroom, garlic in a creamy pesto sauce over lingiune.
The service and staff were phenomenonal. When you don’t need to tell them but just come to you. It’s always great to feel extra special on your big day or year for that matter! I never had any regrets going to Chianti for my big day. Will surely be back to enjoy other amazing dish.

Love the small intimate ambience and Italian authenticity along with cozy indoor/​outdoor seating and jovial, fun loving staff. With that said, the mediocre bread with watery pesto sauce makes a poor first impression. The fresh petrale sole entrée, however, was excellent complimented by fresh carrots and asparagus and a side of polenta with meat sauce. The lemoncello cake was also a nice dessert with a tangy citrus bite. Would like a bit more attentiveness to insure water refills. Overall a good experience; just get some real Italian bread and will be a step up!

Chianti Reserve is absolutely amazing ! The food has a distinguished taste that will make you feel as though you are in Italy. The food is so flavorful and rich ! There’s no doubt that the food is authentic ! Ask for Micelanglo or Alberto to serve you ! There’s service is adorned. The owner, Bilardi will is so thoughtful and warm. If you come here you’re guaranteed a pleasant experience. Thank you Chianti Reserve !!