Lafayette's best kept secret
Tucked away in an office complex is Lafayette's best kept culinary secret. This small restaurant never fails to delight us with distinctive Sicilian dishes featuring the most carefully selected ingredients. Vegetables taste like they were picked from the garden, veal rich and flavorful, fish and seafood never overcooked, and duck to die for. Pasta dishes are bold and satisfying. Portions are generous and side dishes well thought out. The daily specials are truly special. From the moment you are seated and the warm focaccia, heady olive oil, and tapenade are placed on the table, until the last morsel of chocolate hazelnut souffle is gone, every bite is satisfying. This is good, honest, delicious food. Prices are also quite reasonable.    [31 Jan 2004 13:23:45]

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Recommended Dishes: Porcini in brodo, duck breast with pomegranates and oranges, prawn appetizer on crostini with pine nuts and raisins, fresh mozzarella salad on tomatoes, gnocchi

     ­Toscano, Lafayette   

Major Changes at La Finestra - For The Worse
I had initially written a glowing review of La Finestra. Now I feel it necessary to take back nearly all that I said. New management has come in and destroyed what was once a gem of a neighborhood restaurant. The menu is "dumbed down", ingredients mediocre, cooking inconsistent, and the new wait person completely erratic. Dishes are bland, overcooked and lack the spark that was once the signature of La Finestra's cuisine.    [01 May 2004 03:17:01]

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Recommended Dishes: Scallop and abalone cutlet (appetizer)

     ­Toscano, Lafayette   

Very, very poor service
This is the worst service that I have ever experienced. Very rude waitress, and owner. They tried to blame us for their poor service by telling us that we had too many people in our party. I have been dining in this area for years and have never been treated so poorly. Took almost an hour just to order drinks. Some of our party of 9 never even got our salads, not to mention our meals. I don't know how they can stay in business. The salads that we did get were wilted, and the meals very bland, if you can even get a meal. Will never return to this restaurant. Worst dining experience that I have ever had.    [16 Jun 2005 10:01:07]

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     ­JR   

Are we talking about the same restaurant?
I had two of the best gourmet meals of my life here at La Finestra in May, 2005. One was lunch, one was dinner. Both times we were waited upon impeccably by the Host, who personally chose the wines. The dishes were exquisite, the desserts perfect, and the added complimentary Marsala an unexpected treat. The price was right, as well.    [12 Aug 2005 01:39:28]

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Recommended Dishes: Duck Breast, Filet scallopini

     ­Lisa E, Montclair Village, Oakland, CA   

This is a true Sicilian Restaurant
We dine at this restaurant almost once a month, and I need to say this restaurant is charming and romantic as Bill Staggs of San Francisco Chronicle said once. Last week I had the best Veal Porterhouse with cheese ravioli with sage butter ever, and my wife had the Sole Piccata over baby spinach. If you are there ask for Tony, he will give you the best treat.    [03 Sep 2005 04:05:43]

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Recommended Dishes: Veal Porterhouse, Sole Piccata

     ­JA   

LaFinstra Oct. 2007
Clean, very good ambiance. Very poor service, inattentive, but owner helped and corrected. Ceasar's salad - good lettuce, but dressing tasteless, bland mayonnaise. Gnochi was bland, flavorless, sad. Sole - big chunk tasteless, lukewarm. Veal tough , tastelss    [22 Oct 2007 01:50:49]

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     ­Anonymous