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Alex Italian Restaurant Reviews List
Alex Italian Restaurant
Alex Italian Restaurant offers dishes focused on the fundamentals of classic Italian cooking: fresh handmade pasta, smart wine pairings, locally sourced food and attention to detail. Owners Alessandro Sbrendola and his wife Alessia offer a dining experience influenced directly from their home regions in Italy: Liguria and Romagna. They have designed a warm, gracious and welcoming atmosphere. The dining room is beautifully arranged offering cozy, yet elegant surroundings.
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58 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.1
/
5
Rating Breakdown 58 reviews
5 stars
(26)
4 stars
(16)
3 stars
(10)
2 stars
(5)
1 star
(1)
Food
(Outstanding)
4.1
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- fit for foodies(37)
- romantic(36)
- notable wine list(34)
- special occasion(30)
- neighborhood gem(24)
- great for outdoor dining(21)
Alex Italian Restaurant Reviews List
Review 1 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Maybe just not my style of food, but I expected more exciting flavors for a restaurant presenting itself as a high end gourmet experience. Very small portions."
Dined on 6/08/2013
2008
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Review 2 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
I'll go back
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Can't believe it's taken me this long to notice Alex. Inventive chef who packs flavor into perfectly composed dishes. Excellent servers. Not enough customers."
Dined on 6/13/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, great for lunch, special occasion
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Review 3 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
just ok
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"With so many great places in Napa I expected more."
Dined on 6/11/2013
2005
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Review 4 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Thank you
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"My husband is a chef and I know good food when I have had it. Yours was very good. We were a party of 6 women meeting with our freind who has had 2 years of tragedy and it was time to give her some good laughs. Thank you for creating a wonderful atmosphere where we could talk and laugh and not have to fight either too loud music or tables too close together. I would recomend this restaurant to others and I thank you for a wonderful memory."
Dined on 6/01/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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Review 5 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Satisfaction guaranteed
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Hoping our 'picky' friends would be happy with our choice we reserved a table at Alex' where we'd eaten on the terrance last
autumn; had a 4-star romantic meal. We were not disappointed. Surprisingly uncrowded, since Alex' is not a newcomer among chefs in the Valley. Given a friendly greeting on arrival; we were shown to our table Service was prompt, smoothly executed by the well trained staff. The menu: extensive and inviting, in Italian, (and English) It all sounded good. Wine list: predominantly Italian, but local wine also available;reasonably priced. While not 'foodies'; we have eaten at 'the Best' restaurants and know when our palates have been satisfied to the highest degree. Alex' Restaurant met our expectations, +then-some."
autumn; had a 4-star romantic meal. We were not disappointed. Surprisingly uncrowded, since Alex' is not a newcomer among chefs in the Valley. Given a friendly greeting on arrival; we were shown to our table Service was prompt, smoothly executed by the well trained staff. The menu: extensive and inviting, in Italian, (and English) It all sounded good. Wine list: predominantly Italian, but local wine also available;reasonably priced. While not 'foodies'; we have eaten at 'the Best' restaurants and know when our palates have been satisfied to the highest degree. Alex' Restaurant met our expectations, +then-some."
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, neighborhood gem
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Review 6 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Great find!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We saw the restaurant during our drive through the area and it looked good, saw that it had good reviews, so decided to book. It was awesome! The food was wonderful, creative and so very fresh! Kudos to the Chef! The service spectacular and the ambience great. We sat by their fireplace which was lit, it wasn't too warm, just right. They have some outdoor dining as well and it looked great. Very small bar, but we weren't there for that."
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Review 7 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
A New amazing chef in napa!!!!!!!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"i love this restaurant. Amazing food. superb service. very memorable. everyone in our party had a fantastic evening. a true 10."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, special occasion
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Review 8 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
perfect
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Wonderful food and Alex himself is a gracious host. You walk into the restaurant and feel welcome and are treated like family. The outdoor seating is very serene. LOVE IT!"
Dined on 5/01/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, romantic, notable wine list, special occasion
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Review 9 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
In spite of the favorable
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"In spite of the favorable comments/reviews we had received on this restaurant, we came away from our eagerly anticipated dinner ... quite disappointed. While the menu looked especially promising (particularly with the build-up by our server), the meal experience under-delivered across nearly every aspect, and across every starter and entree. What a shame (!), especially in view of the very attentive service upon greeting, through the meal service, and at the point of farewell. Among the particulars:
- Very slow service
- Food quality was subpar for the price -- i.e., small portions, underseasoned, non-descript flavors, etc.
- Very slow service
- Food quality was subpar for the price -- i.e., small portions, underseasoned, non-descript flavors, etc.
Napa Valley is known for an exciting range of wonderful dining options. Alex Italian Restaurant is not one of the"
Dined on 04/27/2013
2010
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Review 10 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Favorite Napa Valley Italian
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"This is now our favorite Italian restaurant in Napa Valley. It has the finest food, a very good wine list, the nicest setting, by far, and is quiet and comfortable, with outdoor dining available.
This is my fourth visit to Alex and each time the food has been great, the service very good and the owner, Alex, has come to our table to talk with us to make sure everything was to our satisfaction.
Some of our favorites include Piadina con prosciutto Sand Daniele e gorgonzola, Sformatino di ricotta e pecorino con vellutata di asparagi, Minestra di farro e cavoli (fantastic), Cavatelli al ragu anticom, Lasagnette Con Pesto (which is different than what one might expect as a lasagna but very good), Mezzelune Gamberi (half moon ravioli fill"
Dined on 04/12/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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Review 11 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
We were very disappointed,
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We were very disappointed, as friends had raved about their experience at Alex's. The mixed green salad mentioned pears, but there were none to be found, the beef tenderloin tasted like brussel sprouts, which were to be an accompaniment. There were no scallops available, and they were one of four of the "secondi" items."
Dined on 04/05/2013
2011
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic
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Review 12 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
This was our first visit to
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"This was our first visit to Alex and we were not disappointed. We arrived early and was seated promptly. The food was very good. Portions are a little small. However, we had no complaints. Excellent service, friendly atmosphere."
Dined on 03/29/2013
2011
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 13 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Four of us ate here for dinner
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Four of us ate here for dinner on March 13 2013. All the dishes we enjoyed and we said we would order again! That's always a good indication to the food. Very romantic inside. Sat near fireplace. Table service, there's room for improvement."
Dined on 03/13/2013
2004
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, romantic
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Review 14 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Delightful Alfresco Dining in Napa
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We loved this little place so much we came back two days in a row! Alfresco lunch in their patio is lovely if the weather permits. We discovered it on our last trip to Napa Valley, thanks to the folks at Caymus Vineyards and it's now our favorite restaurant in Napa Valley! Although it's Italian, they do EVERYTHING right, especially their Fish of the Day, which was Fluke when we dined. The only other place I've had fish so fresh was at Mama's Fish House in Maui. Our waiter, Jacob was a delight. In fact, it's hard to fine fault with anything at all. The highlights of our meal besides the Pan Roasted Fluke were the Grilled Octopus, Beef Croquette, Braised Pork Cheeks, and an authentic Tiramisu. They are still undiscovered but not for long!"
Dined on 03/01/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch
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Review 15 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
My fiancee and I dined at
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"My fiancee and I dined at Alex Restaurant on March 14, 2013. The meal started well with attentive service and an interesting menu. The salads were delicious and we enjoyed a nice glass of wine. However, the main courses were a disaster. My fiancee ordered the Tortellini agli Asparagi but the pasta was undercooked: very hard and chewy as well as needing salt. She finally sent the dish back and the server offered to have her try something else. She tried another pasta dish as that would be quick to prepare. The next dish was better than the first but not much. I had the Guance di Maiale Rosolate (Braised and glazed pork cheeks in risoto). The meat was too dry. Alex has potential: good ambiance, beautiful decor but the food needs work."
Dined on 03/14/2013
2006
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Review 16 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Great food, poor price-value
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Our overall rating is lower than expected by the individual ratings. For us the menu was just so-so. Most items had a twist that we did not like (personal issue) and had a tough time picking something. Also the price value for what was received was poor. I had the halibut special. For $28 I expected more than just a small piece of halibut (no vegetable or potato sides). While it was very good, I was very hungry after eating. The dessert (Tiramasu) was good but extremely small (Barely a table spoon full). AT $9 I expected more. Atmosphere was good, the food was good, but price value was very poor. Obviously cater to tourists who expect to pay more than the meal is worth."
Dined on 03/14/2013
2013
Special Features: notable wine list
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Review 17 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
One of the Napa Valley's best
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Have enjoyed Alex several times for both weekday and weekend lunch and dinner. This time, party of four went for weekday lunch at 1pm. As usual, the experience couldn't have been better. Food and wine outstanding. Ambience lovely and quiet. Service good. Overall VALUE very high, a welcome and refreshing departure from the usual Napa Valley restaurant banditry.
Be aware that evenings and weekends (typically bustling) will unavoidably be noisier and service just a bit slower. But the food will still be wonderful, the service knowledgeable, and the welcome offered by Alessia and Alessandro warm and attentive. For the peak experience, dine on Italian time -- on the late side -- after the noon or evening prime time crowds dissipate."
Dined on 03/08/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch
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Review 18 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Very pretty romantic restaurant
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Very pretty romantic restaurant with very good service. The food is nice, not exceptional. The gnocchi was very light but the sauce too heavy and overpowering for it. My husbands cavatelli was good and the lemon tart was nice and light with very little if any lemon flavor. Very friendly staff"
Dined on 03/05/2013
2012
Special Features: romantic
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Review 19 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Good, not Great
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"My experience at Alex was one where the service outshined the food. Everyone we came in contact with was very courteous and professional. The food was good. The problem with that statement is, for the prices on the menu, the food should be great. So either their prices are too high or they need to step up their game on the menu. There were no real problems with anything we ate; just nothing really gave us that "wow" feeling. A good upscale restaurant; ideal if you want to impress someone. Me, when I dine out I am always most impressed with creative, tasty food. Didn't get that this evening."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2006
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 20 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
My only complaint was the
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
"My only complaint was the pillows in the banquet.
They were uncomfortable but necessary as the seat is long - shorter people could not reach the feet to the floor."
They were uncomfortable but necessary as the seat is long - shorter people could not reach the feet to the floor."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2003
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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Review 21 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
A crowded dining floor and
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"A crowded dining floor and high noise level resulted in a mediocre dining experience. It was apparent who were the regular diners, as they received a disproportionate amount of attention."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2007
Special Features: notable wine list
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Review 22 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Alex. Homemade pasta. Thats it.
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"This was our first visit to Alex, and WOW! You MUST try their homemade pastas. It is truly amazing. Great staff, great service, and great food! Their wine list is excellent as well."
Dined on 02/21/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 23 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
One of our favorites in Napa.
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"One of our favorites in Napa. Very quaint, romantic and authentic. Owners are warm and great hosts. You feel like you're in Italy for a few hours. Simply superb."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2002
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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Review 24 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
The restaurant is part of
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The restaurant is part of the Rancho Caymus Inn, a beautiful place to stay. While we recommend it for folks enjoying a lively (loud) setting in front of a fireplace, it was not the best place for conversation. Food was very good although the pasta servings seemed skimpy. The steak was a good sized portion. Wine list is extensive."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic
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Review 25 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Don't Miss Alex Restaurant!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Really wonderful experience--now on my favorites list!"
Dined on 02/15/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 26 for Alex Italian Restaurant
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Food was really amazing and
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Food was really amazing and not a super heavy Italian meal like some can be. Would definitely go back."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Alex Italian Restaurant
Based on the average of (32) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Outstanding)
4.2
/
5
7 out of 8 recommend this product
Food
(Outstanding)
4.1
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
4.3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
4.4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate