La Pentola

My review is specific to using the space for a private party:
I’ve been meaning to write this review for almost a year. My brother got married in St Augustine and wanted his rehearsal dinner here because of the beautiful outdoor patio.
When working with the owners to set it up, we were told the patio was almost not an option (had an additional cost of $ 500, plus people would still have to enter the remainder of the restaurant through the patio). We decided back room it was.
I had to ping pong between the two owners (husband and wife) and was consistently being told conflicting things. Since our guest list creeped up super high, I agreed with the male owner that we would not do the standard flat of a PP, and instead we would select the two most affordable meals and let them choose between those. This would save us about $ 5 per guest, which at 50 guests was a good amount of dollars. They also discouraged me from a seating arrangement saying «it’s not customary» and that they wouldn’t do it.
Fast forward to the day of the event, guests sat however they wanted (a mess) and when the bill came, we were automatically charged the PP price! Needless to say, the women (Susan I believe her name was) was the one that took over on the day of and didn’t honor my conversations with her husband.
At this stage, we just wanted to be done with the dinner and move forward with the rest of the festivities, but I have to say, I wouldn’t recommend this place for a party. Stick to the guys who know how to handle this, like Harrys.

My family and i were in st augustine visiting. We were told about a very good restaurant called La Pentola. We tried it and were super impressed. The restaurant, at first sight, was very clean and well organized. We sat outside on the patio. It was a great atmosphere! The service was excellent. There many choices on the menu. Great wine selection also. Food came quickly and nice and hot! Kids loved it as well as us. Desserts were great too. We were very impressed with the overall experience and the great price. We will be coming back here!

My wife and I drove from Ormond Beach to La Pentola last night, Saturday, Jan 16^th for a 6:00 PM reservation. We were seated in the bar area where too many tables had been set up very close together, so much so that a server was blocking our access to one of our chairs while she was taking someone else’s order. We moved to another table that was equally confining and uncomfortable. Our server left us alone after taking our initial drink order for quite some time and then when she took our appetizer order of escargot it came out in a few minutes barely warm with cold crostini’s and in a very tasteless brown gravy. Our server was speaking very quickly in a very difficult to understand accent, probably German and acted as though she did not want to spend very much time at our table answering our questions or helping us and it turns out that she had friends in the restaurant that asked for her to be their server which gave her more tables than she could handle in an efficient and professional manner. She never came back to ask us how we liked our food or if we needed anything else and she never put our dessert order in and after waiting for our dessert for over 20 minutes we told the owner who told us about the server helping other tables by request. We spent almost 2 hours in the restaurant and saw several other customers come after us and leave before us. The owner then sent out a cold apple pie dessert and said it was not charged to our bill. When we told her the pie had not been heated she said «well you are not being charged for it,» as if that was good reason for us to eat a cold dessert and not ask to have it heated. The owner, who said her husband was the chef, was very rude, abrupt and condescending toward us. The food was not much above average and certainly not as good as the prices would suggest. We will never go back there again.

If you are looking for mediocre food that is expensive and an over crowded dining room with poor service, this is the place to go.
My husband and I made reservation for dinner at La Pentola on Jan 16^th and hoped to have a nice dinner. Although the restaurant was not crowded when we arrived, the hostess tried to seat us in a corner table for two adjacent to a fireplace, I have a rather small body but was not able to squeeze past the mantel to get into my chair so we asked to be seated at another table. The next table offer, was situated so that my husband’s chair was in the main walkway between the bar area, kitchen and dining room. My seat at this table was then completely blocked by a another server taking an order at an adjacent table behind my seat. We asked for another table again. Finally, the table issue was resolved and we were able to meet our server who had a very thick foreign accent and talked so fast she could not be understood. We asked her to repeat the specials several times because she was very difficult to understand. The server quickly became annoyed and made grimacing faces prior to repeating the specials. We ordered two glasses of wine and the server immediately asked us to buy a bottle suggesting that we would save $$$. We are not heavy drinkers and had a rather long drive home after dinner so only want one glass each. We ordered an escargot appetizer which came out within minutes after we placed the order. The escargot was cooked in a brown sauce with mushrooms and served with crostini. The sauce was barely warm when served and the crostini was tasteless hard bread. Our entrees were another disappointment, my husband ordered an expensive ($ 26) pasta dish which should have been described as an appetizer size serving. My entrée was a veal dish which was the special that night. I originally asked for the veal picatta, but our strongly recommended the veal special over the picatta and I allowed her to influence my choice. This was a BIG MISTAKE. The veal special had two shrimp, one sliver of artichoke hearts and a few spinach leaves in a very bland sauce and the price was $ 5 more expensive than the veal picatta. This entrée was so mediocre that I ate only half the serving and left the rest on my plate. We then ordered an apple pie dessert which the server described as topped with carmel and then warmed in the oven until the sauce was cooked into the pie and served with ice cream. We waited over 20 minutes for our dessert and did not see our server. We asked someone bussing tables to get a manager for us, this person spoke no English and my husband had to ask for a manager using Spanish. Our server then appears and tells us they just put our dessert in the oven. We explained that we did not want to wait longer and asked our server to cancel the dessert and let us speak to a manager. A moment later the server returns and says the pie is almost ready and that she will not charge us for the dessert. Again, we asked to speak to the manger who finally comes over after the pie is served. The pie was served cold and did not have a carmel sauce as described. When we told the owner about our poor service and the long wait for a cold dessert, she said «well you are not being charged for it,» as if that was a good reason for us to eat cold apple pie. We spent almost 2 hours in the restaurant and the owner, who said her husband was the chef, was very rude, abrupt and condescending to us.

A friend referred to this little gem, and we are so glad we went. The weather was bit rainy, or we would have eaten in the charming courtyard. We ate inside, and it was crowded, but not loud or annoying. It’s an interesting place, as it’s a mix between Spanish and Italian. The menu has a little of everything. We started with the shrimp with garlic, delish! The lobster bisque was fantastic, with more lobster meat than I have seen in a soup! Fantastic! The four of us each had a different entrée, from seafood risotto to lobster ravioli, to seafood pasta. All were so good! Our waiter was helpful and nice, and the atmosphere was relaxing. Of course, we had to share a dessert– the pistachio and chocolate torte! So good! I totally recommend going here. I will be back on our next visit!

This place have great tasty food. The chef is the owner of the restaurant. The place is romantic. little pricey but worth it. I recommend this restaurant.

Well, I can’t rate the food because we couldn’t get in. We stood there for 20 minutes until someone finally came over asked us if had reservations. When we said no they said sorry. They could not seat is. Another couple came up behind us and dropped a name because they did not have reservations and they took them in. We were staying in a B&B almost next door to the restaurant a de fed up making a reservation for the next night.
We arrived promptly at 7 p.m. And sat at our table for 20 minutes before someone brought us some water and said they would be back with bread and our waitstaff would be along shortly. Another 10 minutes our waitstaff stopped by to take our drink orders and aid she would be back with some bread. The small soft warm loaf of bread was good. We finally got toolset and started with a cup of mushroom clam chowder which was I the verge of being too salty. It was ok, hearty with mushroom and rice and fresh as I pulled out about 4 pieces of clam shell. But, at $ 10.95 a cup It was not worth it. A couple walking out while we were waiting to be seated recommended the rib eye which my husband went for. He said it was just ok. After eating at a Ruth Chris steakhouse it is pretty hart to compare a steak anywhere else. I had the catch of the day which was grouper with a tomato citrus sauce. It was good but once again the sauce was a tad on the salty side. Both meals were
Both meals were served with a spring salad, potato fingers, carrot, green beans and squash medley. The veggies were done perfectly and tasty.
For the price it was no better than other meals we have had in St Augustine for less. Another «tried it-​no need to go back.
It would get one more star if the customer service was better. It took 1.5 hrs. For a meal for two.

Excellent meal. Started with the escargo, best we’ve ever had. Class act all the way around. Our meals were wonderful. Would go back and eat 3 orders of escargo.

Visited this nice little gem on December 26^th. Everywhere was slammed because of the holiday season, but the service and food here did not suffer. We were brought right in for a table for 2 adults with a high chair. From the hostess, to the waitress, to the manager that greeted us, everyone was extremely friendly and its nice when everyone thinks your baby is cute ;-) — we started with the tostada, which was pretty good. Then had the pork shoulder and seafood pasta, which the pasta was on special with a lobster tail tonight. The food was great! Everything tasted so great! We ordered a sangria each, and were also not disappointed. I never drink sangria, but this sangria is made by the chef/​owner and you can tell he puts love into it! I was thinking of only giving 4 – 4.5 stars because the portions are slightly small. But the taste of the food and the service shined too much!

Could be our favorite restaurant in St Augustine. The food is always amazing and the service top notch. You can taste the New Orleans influence on many of the dishes. A foodie stop for sure. Great wine list as well. Brunch is great too!

There is clearly a major problem with this restaurant. We waited for a call from our hotel next door for a table in the patio and it never came. I cannot abide rudeness in restaurants. We walked over again and asked what the problem might be and the girl said something unintelligible and indicated that if we wanted to eat at all we could wait on the sidewalk until a table opened up inside. Meanwhile four tables on the patio went unoccupied for an hour. After an hour of wait the soup showed up.

In St. Augustine for a day trip and La Pentola was recommended to my small group of three. We called for reservations and was told they were not taking reservations. We decided to walk over and see if we could get a table anyway.
Once we arrived we were asked if we had a reservation! Really? No, we did not because we were told they weren’t accepting them. Hmmmm. They did have a table available so we were quickly seated.
Next we perused the wine list. We found one we liked and our waitress said she had no idea what wine we wanted. Luckily she figured it out and we were in business.
We ordered 4 appetizers instead of entrees and they were all great – the ceviche, the brie, the tostada and the ahi tuna. Each one was good but the ceviche was the standout.
Great ambiance with twinkly lights and a cozy patio. Worth a try!

Amazing little place. I came for brunch and was pleasantly surprised. It has a feel of ambiance and romantic. Just the feel of the place makes you feel you are going to spend an arm and a leg, but truly it wasn’t expensive. I had the eggs florentine (which comes with fruit and your choice of a side, I had potatoes). the taste was amazing!!! Just the right amount of garlic!!! Also the coffee is like i have never had before!!! They make it when u place the order, believe me it is worth the wait!!! I will totally be coming back to this place again. What a nice little gem!!!

I went here for my birthday dinner last night and was really disappointed. We arrived early in the evening around five thirty and were greeted by a friendly hostess and were seated right away and I thought everything was off to a great start.
We had the Escargot appetizer and the Baked Brie to start and share between all of us. At this point, my best friend had to take a personal call and stepped outside for a moment. The hostess kept trying to talk to her despite her being on the phone which was kind of off putting for her. The hostess also kept trying to wrangle people off the street to come inside and eat and when they wouldn’t she would get frustrated enough to give them a sassy side eye or mean look… Awkward.
Our server was sweet and friendly, so no qualms there thankfully. Their salad dressings were kind of weird. The Italian tasted like a sauce that would go with shrimp, the raspberry tasted like a melted Starburst and the Gorgonzola was over powering even for me who loves Bleu Cheese. Not a deal breaker, though.
I ordered the Truffle Saccheti and added Grilled Chicken and my mom ordered Veal Piccata. I loved my food and let her try it and her first couple of bites were underwhelming. I tried it, too just to see if I wouldn’t mind trading dishes bc I usually love Piccata but it was under seasoned and bland. I don’t like to send food back at all, ever, but it was my birthday and I wanted my mom to enjoy something so I let the owner know. She quickly took away the plate giving us a dirty look and took our order for the Saccheti with an unapologetic ok. Wow. Didn’t see that one coming.
She was rude and cold which is not setting a good example for her employees. No one came to check to make sure my mom liked her food that came out to replace the dish. It was just really frustrating that they didn’t know how to address this problem or be hospitable about it. I’m in the hospitality industry and I deal with people that are rude all the time, we tried our best to be nice about it and were still treated poorly. Needless to say, we won’t be back.

Best eggs Benedict, pancakes and mimosas!!! Service and ambience was outstanding. Would come all the way from Miami every Sunday just to have breakfast here!!! Had a wonderful time!

Amazing!!!
Service was spot on. And the food was AWESOME!!!
Prices were very reasonable and the menu selection was great.
Bruschetta was the best I ever had and I had a lot. Could have been a little bigger in portion but still great.
Three of us. (And I got to sample everything!). I had the ossobuco which was great but the risotto was incredible!!! Blackened red snapper was very tasty and the shrimp primavera was wonderful.
We sat outside in the courtyard, they had fans and umbrellas so it was actually very pleasant.
Our server was from Ukraine and that in itself was really cool.
I strongly recommend this place for family’s or that special occasion.

Loved it — eclectic décor, nice courtyard (though way too damned hot to eat out there — that’s Florida) nice service.
Had the Grilled Tuna
Had the Duck salad
Gourmet food, pricier than some, but worth it. Nice presentation. Great date/​anniversary/​intellectual chat sort of place. Kind of like something you’d find in Paris’ Latin Quarter, or tucked away /​in the know in Manhattan.

So far the escargot amazing flavor soup also amazing. Service amazing Breads up the citrus fennel vinegarette does not go on the salad with kalamato olives. I had the salmon with rosemary. Very delightful my husband the seafood special of the day wow! He would like a quart of their cream sauce and we could pour it over shit and it would taste wonderful. His words not mine.
Cannoli. Dessert a failure. Cream not sweet or slightly. Mostly just full of nuts. Coffee after desert not ok. Don’t even bring it. Service failed towards the end when it got busier. Server didn’t seem to care

I wasn’t sure if I should write this review, because I only went here for a rehearsal dinner. However, my experience was less than great for my best friend for her special occasion.
We were some of the first to arrive, and we were greeted by a nice guy who escorted us back to our area. Immediately, I was shocked. They had tables packed in tighter than sardines. We scrambled our way through the mess of chairs and tables to find our seats. There wasn’t an easy spot for the bride to sit so she could get up and greet her guests so she was just waving to people the entire night.
People began to fill up water cups immediately and asked if we wanted drinks. I asked for the wine list. Whoever the waitress was knew absolutely nothing about their list and took 5 minutes to figure out which one I wanted. Then as the guests started to arrive, it got more and more tight. By the time everyone was safely seated there was literally no room for the waitstaff to walk through. We were passing down bread baskets and waters and napkins.
Now, my understanding of this restaurant was that it was Italian (possibly with some sort of Spanish influence, given some of the menu items and the wine list). The bread was sourdough. The oil was stale.
We had a set menu obviously, which came with a salad and dessert and then a choice of chicken piccata, salmon, or vegetarian pasta. I opted for the piccata because it seemed the most Italian…
They slowly brought out our salads. The plate was filled merely with a cup of dressing 3 – 4 lettuce leaves and a ton of shaved carrots. I was starving so I dumped the dressing on the salad, thinking it would just be a vinaigrette or Italian. I don’t know what it was, but it tasted so sour and bad I couldn’t finish eating what little salad I had to begin with. I passed it off.
When the piccata came, I was excited because I was still starving. The plate had some pasta and 2 incredibly thin, small pieces of chicken covered with capers. I began eating. It wasn’t the worst I have had, but it wasn’t very good either. I was just so hungry, I had to get something in my stomach. The chicken was overcooked and dry and the pasta was mushy. The flavor to the piccata was bland.
We waited for dessert. No one knew what it was so we were excited! What comes out? Cheesecake. The driest cheesecake I have ever eaten. In tiny slivers with a dab of whipped cream. I took one bite and I was done.
Nothing was awful (besides the dressing), but nothing was really that good either. The food did come out quick, for such a large group, I was impressed with that. But again, the wait staff was struggling to get around the small room we were stuffed into. I understand we were a large party, but if they couldn’t accommodate us, then that should have been communicated.
I would also like to point out that there was a woman sulking around all night and stood in the corner with an awful, pissed off look on her face staring at everyone the entire night. I later came to find out she is either the owner or the manager. This was highly inappropriate to do in front of a party of guests. Im sure the Groom’s parents paid very good money for that dinner and it was less than spectacular and we had to deal with someone who looked incredibly unhappy all night. That is not how you get or keep customers. I probably won’t return once I am back in St. Augustine. Too bad too, because the restaurant was cute!

I wouldn’t put this in the Italian category as it’s definitely a mixture of cuisines.
I came on Christmas and they had a special menu. I had been here once before as well and the experience was better when it wasn’t a holiday.
Things were busy understandably, but the service wasn’t too cheery and it took an hour and a half to receive the entrée.
I ordered La Filet Hacienda which was a fantastic cut of tenderloin perfectly cooked to medium. My steak needed water wings however cause it was drowning in sauce. It was crab with an avocado cream sauce on top which was tasty, but it overpowered the steak with its richness.
The wine was good, we had a bottle of Argentinian Malbec. They have a pretty sweet wine cage on the floor with many options which compliments the intimate atmosphere accordingly.
I also tried the risotto which was as salty as the Baylor Bears this year.
Overall the food was good with an average experience, but I can’t recommend this place to someone as the expensive price doesn’t match the quality, creativity, or service.