Antica Osteria

The decor is romantic with it's warm aged walls and woodwork. Diners have the option of sitting next to the... more

The decor is romantic with it's warm aged walls and woodwork. Diners have the option of sitting next to the street on the beautiful covered patio... more

We tried Antica Osteria again last night from a four year hiatus. We came early because we didn't have reservations and the place fills up. Appreciated the free valet parking. They were barely open, but we had no problems waiting in the bar with a pleasant bartendress. They had a nice table ready at the time we requested. The room had a nice decor matching the ambiance and although full, we didn't feel crowded. Service was prompt and attentive. Menu was varied plus they have several specials all at reasonable prices. Due to a late lunch we only had caesar salads and appetizers, however and both were large portions and excellent. Had a wonderful tiramisu desert with Italian expresso as afters. All in all a very pleasant experience. Will come back. more

THE WAIT STAFF WAS GREAT .. THE FOOD WAS GREAT.. FIVE STARS ALL THE TIME .. MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT Pros: SERVICE more

Every time we go there is a pleasure. The food and service is great. Outside patio is charming.Enjoy it.. Pros: FOOD AND SERVICE more

Taken here for my birthday. Parking is sparce if you don't want to valet. Ambiance was great, very romantic. Waiter was great as well, recommended a terrific wine. HOWEVER, chicken entree was like RUBBER and not edible; it was so bad we were actually laughing about it; fiance's dinner was only okay. The waiter noticed how little I ate and brought us 2 free delicious alcoholic drinks and a free dessert for my birthday. \r \r The free drinks, dessert and good laugh made up for the food, but I won't ever try my luck there again. Pros: Ambience, location Cons: Food more

I'm sorry -- and surprised -- to see at least one reviewer had a bad experience here. We found it delightful, with excellent, attentive service and delicious food, ranging from the bread and appetizers through main courses and a to-die-for dessert.\r \r The veal chop and veal picata were delicious. And the ""Antica torte"" multi-layer chocolate mousse cake was as good as we've had anywhere. The waiters were not only attentive to us, but we really got to see them in action when a patron at another table accidentally spilled a glass of water; we almost couldn't tell who got there first, as one waiter delivered him a replacement glass of water while another arrived to clean up the one that had spilled.\r \r We got the impression that many of the other customers were regulars: some were already familiar with the menu and others addressed the waiters by name as they walked in. For a restaurant to generate that kind of comfort and repeat business suggests our good experience was not unusual, but typical. No, it's not cheap thrills, but then it's hardly among the city's priciest places either; and we found it a particularly pleasant experience for the money. Pros: Excellent food, attentive service, pleasant atmosphere Cons: Pretty much have to valet park as options are limited -- but the service is good more

I just ate here on my birthday, and I had just about the grossest dinner ever. I had wanted to eat here because of the romantic atmosphere and great location. Other than that, there is no reason to waste any time or money here. We arrived and were seated at our table, everything was going fine....we sat there unnoticed for about 15 minutes. We didn't mind since it was a nice table and atmosphere. Finally, the waitress came over. She was fine, but it was impossible to understand her and as a result we didn't order any of the specials. We ordered our wine and appetizer, at this point the rest of the dinner was horrible. I ordered a veal entree which was one of 10 veal options so I figured veal was something they were good at, well I was dead wrong. I never order veal, but it was obviously their best option. My fiance also order veal. The waitress brought our veal dishes- mine was cold and totally bland, his was luke warm and slightly less bland. Each cost 18 dollars.... ridiculous. They were so bad. I also forgot to mention the bread is bad. Honestly, it shouldn't be alot to ask to have decent bread. I really left totally unsatisfied and kept thinking of all the great Italian options there are in Houston. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE. Seriously, there are plenty of romantic, wonderful Italian restaurants in Houston. I just wanted to warn others to stay away from this nasty restaurant with a pretty face. Pros: Nice Location Cons: EVERTHING ELSE ABOUT IT more

Would dine again; my only comment is with the 400% markup on some wines, so be careful of your choices. Our $13 average retail wine was selling here for $52, and there wasn't a lot of other reasonable selections. Pros: Food and service and food value Cons: Expensive wine list more

The first time my husband and I pulled in on a lark. It was 8pm on a Saturday and we didn't have reservations. The host was very polite about our dropping in and asked us to have a drink at the bar while they found us a table. After a drink, they found something for us upstairs. The next time we made reservations to celebrate my graduation from law school. Our entire family loved the place. My advice is to order off the specials list. The first time I had the Trout with a marinara and olive sauce, the next was Shrimp Fradiavolo; both were absolutely delicious! My husband loves their Filet and their Pasta di Luna. Check out Antica for something nice and intimate - dates and special occasions. more

My husband and I went here a with a little hesitation after reading the reviews. We decided we were too overwhelmed by the desire to find a place with the atmosphere we love from Italy to not try it. Don't get me wrong, we love the food at Prego, the wild boar dishes at Da Marco, and the pizza at Dolce Vita. But none of those places have the character of a place you visited in Tuscany. Well, Antica Osteria did. We arrived and the place was packed and somewhat chaotic without being annoying or loud. It smelled fantastic! We waited in the bar for about 20 minutes for our reservation where we flipped through the wine list, ordered a bottle, and admired the atmosphere. We overheard one couple complaining about wanting the rest of their food to come out, but I really got the feeling that it was because they are hurried Americans. If you have traveled in Europe, especially Italy, dinner does not move at our rushed pace. It is an event. So, we relaxed and had a fantastic dinner. The minestrone soup was probably the best I have ever had. The specials were great. The waitor had great pronunciation, knowledge of the food, and a great attitude. We already look forward to going back! Pros: Atmosphere galore, food, and staff Cons: Don't go here if you are in a hurry more

What a wonderful restaurant! The staff is very helpful, corteous and attentive. The food is wonderful from the mushroom ravioli to the gnocchi to the salmon and lamb! You can't go wrong here in my opinion. They even prepared a special request. The regualar garden salad by the way is a hidden gem - sounds dull but wait until you taste the parmisean dressing on it - Wow! Pros: Great Service and Great Food more

I took my boss here for an appreciation dinner last night. He was so impressed with this place. The atmosphere is very nice. The food is outstanding. You have to try the hearty bean soup. Steve our waiter was very helpful with the wine selection to go with what we ordered. The staff is always right there with what you need. I will definately be back. Pros: Great soup, romantic, service Cons: parking more

The food and service are wonderful!! It is like stepping into a elegant family owned Italian restaurant on Rome. Small cozy atmosphere with traditional Italian cooking. This is the place to find fabulous food and a fine dinning experience. The food is well priced and portions are TEXAS size. They also have a great bar and wonderful bartender. I great houston find!!!!!! Pros: Great food, service and atmosphere. Cons: Must valet park! more

First time here we sat outdoors. It was romantic and the food was tasty. We only had time for appetizers and vowed to come back later for a full meal. They seemed to be properly staffed and service was good. This was on a weekday.\r \r Second time we came here was on a Saturday night. We didn't make reservations. We were seated pretty quickly but never saw our waiter. No drink order. No dinner. We waited 10 minutes. So we left - hungry and a bit angry. Beware on weekends. Pros: Nice area. Nice Ambience. Cons: Bad Service. more

I have been several times and have always very much enjoyed the food. The service is great - even with a demanding party! Pros: Good food & service Cons: Valet parking more

We arrived on a Saturday night, a party of three without reservations. We did not think the restaurant would be able to seat us as it was busy and 10p. They graciously gave us a wonderful table, superb service and the food was fabulous. We were celebrating my birthday and the waiter presented a complimentary cheescake and caffe latte. He could not have been more accomodating. We intended to go to a very expensive Steakhouse which had to close due to plumbing problems! Just goes to show you every cloud has a silver lining. We will be regulars here. I think the negative review I read about the couple driving around, then having a bad experience should try driving directly to the restaurant. Driving in the village is enough to dampen anyones mood. This really was a great spot.\r Signed,\r Ultra Picky\r Rice Village Pros: Excellent Personal Service, If not pleased item corrected quickley, comfortable more

We love this restaurant. This has become our favorite restaurant. The food is simply outstanding. The prices are excellent for such high quality food. All the pasta dishes are terrific and the eggplant appetizer is out of this world. But beware this is a very popular place. During the weekend you must have reservations! more

My wife and I had been driving by for awhile and finally had dinner there Friday night. Oh my, how disappointing, first of all the wine by the glass is below average selection. 3 different dishes we all disappointing, the lumpcrab was not fresh...had a fishy taste, the mushroom ravioli was bland, and so was the osa buco. The service was below average, the waiter was always in a hurry and talked so fast you couldn't understand him, had to ask for refills, anyway, we wont be back, too many outstanding Italian spots in Houston to waste time/money here! more

What a wonderful experience to eat at this European feel restaurant. I will be back again and again! Pros: Atmosphere, Food more