Vino Restaurant

This place is very good. The prices are excellent, the food great and the atmosphere romantic. When I go I just have Castro bring me what he thinks is good including wine. He so far Is Batting 100%.

I would have given the place a 3 star as the food was good and the service… well, I think we knew what we were getting into prior to getting there. Kind of felt like the «Soup Nazi» as we weren’t sure when would be appropriate to ask for something.
Well, here’s why it is a 1-​star for me and will never go there again. After, we had paid our bill with generous tip and left (this was the Friday prior to Labor Day weekend), he called my wife’s phone a couple of times, but she could not get back to him as she was traveling. Apparently, he may have made an error on the bill and conveniently increased the amount charged to my credit card without me knowing it.
I’ll be working with my credit card company to figure this, but beware.

I love this place. Our friends who had been here several times before took us here for dinner/​get together. I had heard several things about Vino: it was quirky and offbeat, not really sure what to expect. It definitely lived up to its reputation and was even a little off-​putting. Castro, the host is somewhat brusque at first. When you order «wine,» you get what he brings you. I did enjoy the white he brought me, and the other three loved the red they were served.
Atmosphere is charming. This place seats only about 15 or 18 people, and all tables were filled. There is a piano there, and we were lucky enough to hear some movie themes from The Godfather and Love Story. Classic.
The food is the real star here. Great selection of simply prepared dishes with all very fresh ingredients. The style of food leans toward Italian/​Mediterranean/​Spanish (Basque), all my favorites. Standout dishes for apps: beet salad, meatballs (very Spanish), and prawns in lemon butter sauce. Mains: pasta with prawns and artichokes, fresh halibut, and beautiful salmon. Dessert was shared: tiramisu (fabulous) and a chocolate torte of some sort. Choosing what to eat was difficult; the menu is full of dishes I would try.
By the time we left, Castro was fist-​bumping the men and hugging Andrea. Great experience here. I would love to go back to Vino, This place reminded me of small off the beaten path restaurants I discovered in San Sebastian (northern Spain).

My grandparents are regulars here. The owner Castro knows them by name. Amazing ravioli. Great wine and a cool atmosphere. Only 11 tables.
Definitely coming back next visit.

We were lucky enough to get a seat on a late Thursday night, after waiting 15 mins. It was definitely worth it.
I’ve meow gone twice. Both times ordered the Steak, it was cooked so well. Great texture, med rare, and the veggies with it were very tasty. My wife ordered the Mussels pasta special and that was fantastic. The broth was delicious and the pasta tasted fresh.
I would highly recommend it for the great food, interesting ambiance and décor.

Well you better get ready for a Seinfeld episode when dining in this place. The owner Crazy Castro has a personality like the Soup Nazi. Rude, opinionated and I think a little senile. But the food was great, and the ambiance of the tiny place is quaint with him playing pretty good piano occasionally. Personally, he should just stick with playing piano and hire an experience waiter.
Would I go again? Maybe, but I would definitely have to be in the mood.

Delighted to patronize a local restaurant.
I don’t have anything to add to the other recent positive reviews. Castro is a Character and a Narcissist and the four of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The food was excellent.
If you are looking for a place to take visiting friends and family, this is it!
The friends and family must be 30 years of age or more.

It is rare that you have a meal that each course betters itself. Last night I experienced just that. Starting with the ½ dozen oysters on the half shell; sweet, fresh and tasting of the sea. Then entrée of roasted leg of lamb. Generous portion of sliced lamb garnished with fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes. The lamb was perfect Rosemary garlic a hint of lemon. Then for dessert a special Greek pastry, shredded phyllo dough wrapped around nuts with honey lemon glaze served with ice cream.
All of this while sharing the company of friends.

Had dinner here with the parents. Food was very fresh and tasted fantastic. Old school and family style place, completely opposite from most places in SF. Will definitely come back!

Last night we met our friends David and Diane here for dinner. I had had Vino bookmarked, then unmarked it after reading several negative reviews, but Alan suggested it and I decided to give it a try and see for myself. It’s a small place on the side street that parallels Lafayette’s main drag. There are probably 8 or 10 tables, some for two, some for four. We had 6:30 reservations and arrived first to find lots of parking right in front. Two or three other couples were already seated. The one in the window our host knew by name and history, which he shared w/​us briefly after they left. The woman was celebrating a birthday. The rest of us he addressed as «Lovers». He has a strong personality and if you have problems w/​that you won’t like him. We enjoyed him.
The table had a small plate of olives and one of white beans and a bowl of olive oil. We were given a handwritten card w/​the night’s specials and menus. Bread was brought and then a refill when we requested it. The olive oil was delicious, as were the other dishes. He asked whether we wanted wine. I started to tell him I would like a glass of the Zinfandel when he interrupted me. «Red or white?». «Red», I said and the glass he brought me was perfect. Everyone else drank water. He brought us a plate of stuffed grape leaves on the house, telling us he did that on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They were good. Frank Sinatra was playing overhead. There is a grand piano in the back by the bathroom and our host played a few songs for us while Frank took a break.
Alan and I decided to share a beet and goat cheese salad and David had one to himself. Alan ordered eggplant parmagiana as his main. When he told our host he was on a low sodium diet the response was serious and respectful. He talked about the overuse of salt in fast food restaurants and how Americans in general eat too much salt. I ordered cioppino, Diane ordered the special pasta w/​mussels and I’ve forgotten what David ordered. The salads arrived and were delicious, w/​mint leaves and golden raisins in addition to the expected beets, goat cheese and greens. The taste Alan gave me of his eggplant parmagiana was excellent and he was very pleased. My cioppino was full of seafood, clams, mussels, prawns, scallops and either calamari or octopus along w/​pieces of fish. The sauce was heavenly. It was probably one of the best cioppinos I have ever had. Diane loved her dish and finished it, to her surprise, as she’d had a big lunch and wasn’t that hungry. She was already thinking about when she could return. David finished his dish and was pleased. None of us had room for dessert. Prices are extremely reasonable, particularly given the quality of the food. While they do take credit cards, there’s a sign stating that cash is preferred and that’s how we paid. Needless to say, we’ll be back.

This place was amazing. We went for a birthday dinner for my older sister, and the food and atmosphere was incredible. Castro was also a wonderful host and waiter. He played the piano beautifully and recommended an excellent wine with our entrées. I would recommended this restaurant to anyone (and already have!). The only down side (which, in my opinion, is not one) is that there are only seven tables. It makes for a very intimate dining experience. Excellent food, wonderful staff and a great dining experience!
Last note: this is also a very healthy place to eat. Castro allows no fats to be used in his kitchen. Nothing is fried, everything is oven baked! And even with this, the best Chicken Parmesan I’ve had in a long time!

We’ve been several times over the past few years and have enjoyed Vino. However, our last visit was a disappointment. I give Vino 3 stars for the delicious food, however, the service from the owner was terrible. He was grumpy from the moment we sat down. He never asked us if we liked our food. Never said or asked a thing when he would come to take dishes away. I think that will be our last time at Vino. It was a very uncomfortable vibe.

Castro prepares a lovely dinner that is never heavy and always sumptuously delicious! The restaurant is intimate and if you are lucky you will be serenaded by the maestro himself. It’s a jewel.

Good, classic Italian cooking, the kind people enjoy at home, such as fillet of sole, potatoes slightly seared in olive oil, fresh, crisp green vegetables. Expertly prepared and very fresh ingredients. Luscious, authentic Italian desserts. A reservation is recommended as it is a small place with a regular clientele. However, if you are in the neighborhood, do stop by. It is in a quiet spot. The owner will occasionally play the piano if requested to entertain guests.

Good tasty food. Fresh tasting and good flavors! Small cozy restaurant. Quirky owner as everyone mentions. Prices are reasonable. Fast service. On a Sat night we had an appetizer and two entrees and got in and out in 45 minutes!
Cash only.
Not kid friendly. No high chairs. Brought our toddler and it wasn’t appropriate but stuck kid in the stroller. It was fine, but I wouldn’t bring a child here.

Been here twice & love it more each time for the food. The owner has has been in the business for 50 years & he knows how to treat his clientele. Menu is small but delicious with specials. The owner is delightful and lays piano on a whim. Very romantic!
WARNING: NOT KID FRIENDLY!!!
The owner is persnickety about NO kids to the point of being rude. For example, we had a 5:30 pm reservation and because our youngest (15 months) was a little loud he said, «would you like to put your order in early? It’s not me its the other customers that would be bothered» This was said 3x in the course of 15 mins. Just BEWARE.

Good thing I read the reviews of the proprietor on Unilocal.He greeted us and everyone who came in, practically ordered our dinner before all of our party had arrived, played the piano and was generally the character described by fellow Unilocal reviewers — so don’t be surprised.
It’s a very small restaurant, so the owner really got us to order quick and served us quick to clear us out of there. I must say that the only really negative thing was that he cleared one of our tapas dishes before we finished it and we were too intimidated to point that out to him because we didn’t know how he would have reacted to that kind of criticism.
The tapas appetizers were pretty good. The meatballs were a bit spicy. I loved the caprese salad. The shrimp appetizer was also excellent — just wish I could have eaten that last prawn.
We went early in the evening during the week and street parking was plentiful.
It’s a good place to eat, but watch out and be prepared for the eccentric owner.

The entire experience was MEH except the owner, Castro made it just plain irritating. He prances around calling everyone «Lover» and injecting himself into every conversation. It’s not cute, nor is it charming. It feels like bad cabaret.
I ordered «something vegetarian» which in an Italian restaurant is about as easy as it gets. What I got was a plate of utterly flavorless vegetables. Now I eat very little and never complain about portion size, but this was not enough to sustain a bird. The whole experience was ridiculous. There are far better Italian restaurants than this locally. Skip it unless you want to be part of a bad play and then leave starving.

Last night my boyfriend and I were going to go to Chow, but it was a madhouse, as was the new place across the way (2 hour wait) so we wandered over to Vino. It was packed outside a couple of reserved tables, so we weren’t optimistic, but Castro cleared one of the tables for us and sat us right away.
The place smelled fantastic, and it was warm and cozy. The beet salad was fine, but the patatas bravas blew us away — it wasn’t fried potatoes with a tomato sauce, but a warm greek-​style potato salad. We shared the Chioppino which was very solid.
However the best part was Castro — owner, waiter, entertainer! He played the piano several times and even got up and told a joke. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be going back.

What a treat! My boyfriend asked me to meet him at the restaurant knowing we both were completely underdressed, but not knowing we needed a reservation. The owner, who is the maître d’, was more than charming and sat us anyway asking us to be quick, which I laughed at because he didn’t know how quick I can eat.
My expectations weren’t high at all with all that I just filled you in with, but what an amazing dinner! The food was incredible! We shared the meatball appetizer which I chose more for my man, but they were the BEST meatballs I’ve ever had. The couple next to us ordered it after they saw us pretty much lick the plate. We then shared a salad and one of the fish specials. I don’t normally like fish, I’m more into shellfish, but this, and everything else on the plate, was incredible. Again, the plate looked licked clean.
To top it off, the now even more charming, romantic, funny, and chatty maître d’ played the piano! Talk about ambiance. I am European as well, and my grandfather also was the maître d’ of his restaurant, so it couldn’t have felt more like home.
I can’t wait to go back!