08/03/08

Not A Party

by bonny2

I hosted a party for a small group of friends and I have to say the food was mediocre and the service was

on the poor side. I ordered the fish, sand dabs and it was so over salty I could barely eat it. Also the pasta was over done. Another negative... the bathroom was not clean. yuck

06/18/08

Lunch is outstanding!

by asp811

I used to work across the street and often visited Vito's for lunch. They also have a fun Happy Hour which I frequented with friends. This is an old school Italian place. The owner is Italian, and takes pride on the food an service provided. On a couple of unusual evenings, most of the guests looked like they were out of an episode of the Sopranos. I won't say any more about that except that if the food was good enough for them, well then its good enough for me. I've never been disappointed with their food, and recommend their salads. There valet is a little pricey and limited; however, I've always found parking across the street without any problem. The bar staff is very accommodating and friendly. The waiters are professional and offer timely service, but are a little aloof. But if you don't want to deal with any of it, then just place an oder for pick up. They also offer a discount card that can be used on the entire bill!

• Pros: The food
• Cons: The valet

03/17/08

BEST Italian food in town!

by das987

Very traditional and old fashioned Italian restaurant. I loved the romantic ambiance. The food is absolutely delicious and they have a really extensive wine list. I go there at least twice a month! I?d highly recommend it, but make sure to make reservations!

• Pros: Food, Ambiance
• Cons: nothing

09/07/07

amazing - amazing - amazing

by smresident

great food, great value (get the 30% off card), great everything. Friendly staff, wide selection, easy valet parking, good wine selection. Old school ambience. Great-great-great

• Pros: nothing
• Cons: everything

Traditional and hearty Italian fare that warms the heart.

by Contributor

In Short
Old-school Italian restaurants are all about making patrons feel at home and Vito is no exception. Three dining areas are appointed in soothing muted mauves and tans, with fresh flowers and rustic landscape paintings adding small flashes of color. Spaghetti de la casa combines chopped shrimp and shallots flambéed in cognac with pasta and a creamy tomato sauce. Desserts include a light cheesecake and a subtle, cakey lemon tart.

11/09/06

My favorite Italian in L.A!

by natincali

Never had a bad meal here. I celebrate every special occasion here in a comfortable booth and/or had many a plate of pasta and vino at the bar watching Laker games with the bartender ! The staff is the best-totally old school and being a VIP yields amazing deals. Try the chicken a limone, the daily fish specials and the veal piccatta. Start with the capriciossa salad or the made-at-your table caesar. ALL of their desserts are heavenly and they have amazing deals on the Italian and California bottles and 1/2 bottles on the front page of the wine menu/book. LOVE Vito and the waiters.

• Pros: service, food, atmosphere, reservations accepted, best bread ever
• Cons: limited street parking, can be a long wait if no reservations

11/06/06

Funny staff and good to great food!

by dmenkes

Vito's is what you get when you cross a stereotypical snobby high-end restaurant with Americanized Italian. It's much more fun than that. Our waiter was a riot, yelling at the other waiters and clapping his hands together like you see in 1940s movies. The food has been a tad inconsistent from the several times I've been here. The Spagetti Della Casa is too rich; overpowering and so thick that it tastes almost bland. It's good for dipping bread into it though. The penne arribiata was decent but when I asked for chicken to be added onto it, I didn't get very much. Maybe next time I'll ask for more and pay the difference. Either way, you're definitely paying more for the atmosphere than the food. The valet is expensive and there's little in the way of street parking. Sometimes the host can be a bit rude, forcing you to sit at the bar even if you have reservations.

• Pros: terrific staff!
• Cons: americanized italian

11/04/06

Excellent heart Italian

by rudette

I've been here probably 5 times, each time with a largish group, and never been disappointed with anything. The pastas are very flavorful and inventive. My favorite is the mixed seafood house specialty. They have this amazing appetizer, I think it's called posillipo, that's calimari served in a very unique way: not friend, and in an amazing tomato sauce. It's almost like a room temperature soup. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. They also serve really tasty bread while you wait, you end up eating so much you think you won't have room for your entrees but the food is so delicious you make room. The atmosphere is kitchy fun: feels like you stepped into an 1970s movie. The waiters are all characters, most of them with Italian accents, very curt and business like with a sense of humor underneath, and you can tell they know a lot about the food they're serving. There's a small parking lot in the back.

07/04/06

Best Lasagna in LA plus friendly service

by tking192

Everything Ive had at Vito's has been extraordinary. My favorite is the lasagna as the sauce is the perfect color and texture, not to mention taste. Another plus is Vito's believes in quality not quantity. Unlike most Italian food restaurants they don't give you a massive sized dish, but enough for one person to be satisfied. The focus seems to be on the quality of the ingredients instead of how much food they can stuff on one plate.

The service is always great and Vito will typically greet you himself and make sure your dinning experience is everything you want it to be.

Bar is great and has many regulars to create a neighborhood like experience.

Full marks to Vito and his staff.

• Pros: Food, Service, and neighborhood feel
• Cons: None

03/30/06

not very welcoming

by lillywillis

My son and I went there this (Thursday) evening at about 6pm. There were 3 tables occupied, the rest were empty. They showed us to a corner table, I asked if we could sit in a booth and the owner said they were all reserved. The back part was completely empty.I asked about those tables and he walked away. The waiters wanted to know why he hadn't seated us.

We ate at The Counter and looked in on our way out at 7pm...the booths were still all empty. I have never before been treated this rudely.