“ We rarely do other Italian spots in Walnut Creek, but Massimo Ristorante serves lunch and had covered outside seating during the rainy weekend, so we decided to try them out. Everything but my caesar salad was delicious. The affogato was rich and the ice cream decadent, the sides of veggies were cooked perfectly and seasoned well, and the tiramisu with caramel and cocoa powder was light and sweet without overpowering. That being said, my salad had about the same price point as the amazing salad at Chataeu, however Massimo's was average. The dressing didn't feel fresh and the chicken tasted dry and bland. It wasn't bad, but felt inexpensive. The service was spot on, friendly and prompt, and they have quite a bit of covered outside patio seating with heat lamps that also boast fresh flowers on the tables. I just wish my salad had been better. All in all, I'd absolutely return but order the pasta next time. ”

“ Italian restaurant located amongst a line of restaurants in Walnut Creek. There's paid street parking and garage parking nearby. With both indoor and outdoor seating, they do have heaters outside but we easily made a reservation via opentable in advance and opted to sit indoor. We were greeted by our very kind server and she helped us decide what to order because we wanted some appetizers. We ordered calamari, grilled octopus, and the golden beet salad which had a lot of burrata. Then we opted for the special gnocci and sausage for the main. You can get bread, oil and vinegar upon request. I asked what wine paired well with our choices and she recommended a red. For dessert we got the tiramisu and when I made the reservation I stared it was my friends birthday and we got an ice cream for it, we opted for vanilla. We devoured our meal and was big enough for 2 of us. They have a bathroom located in the back, a bar area with TVs if you're trying to watch sports and all of the staff are super friendly! ”

“ Had a lovely time here celebrating our anniversary. Booked a reservation ahead of time and the restaurant was very accommodating of our celebration. Very popular spot as well, especially on Saturday night for dinner. My favorite was the crab cake appetizer and crab ravioli. Pasta portions are quite generous, and we paired our dishes with some of their seasonal cocktails as well. Lovely interior space and great vibes. Would definitely recommend for a birthday or other celebratory meal. ”

“ Overall, a really good experience with delicious food. Everyone was super welcoming when we arrived, and we were seated promptly. I'll quickly summarize that the food was great, but the only issue was that our waiter seemed kind of forgetful and clearly not quite focused on this particular evening. I'll definitely be back, but I felt the service was not quite on par with what I expected. I'll start with the good: the food and (most of) the drinks. Things we got: *Roasted cauliflower app - these were good, though they are less roasted than coated and deep fried. *Scallop app - my friend got this and loved them, and especially the risotto *Cacio e pepe - I really wanted pasta and this definitely hit the spot! Absolutely delicious! *Salmon - my friend got this and loved it *Penne - my other friend got the penne and loved hers as well *Oaxaca Old Fashioned - very decent drink! *Limoncello spritz - I ordered this and it was awful (I sent it back, just not my thing) *Chocolate martini - I replaced the aforementioned spritz with this and it was yummy! For dessert, we ordered a tiramisu (it needed way more espresso and brandy, as it was kind of flavorless), and the chocolate mousse cake, which was delicious! Now for the lacking... Our waiter came over as soon as we were seated, and we were ready for drinks. He took our drink order (three drinks total, one of which was a beer), left and then came back a couple minutes later because he completely forgot what I had ordered. No biggie. He then came back with my friends' drinks, but not mine and asked again which drink I ordered, before going back to the bar. He then ran back over because he had given my friend someone else's drink. Eventually, my drink arrived. He then took our food order, and then had to come back and ask what I had ordered again. And then to add the cherry on top, my friend ordered an espresso and he completely forgot it, and we had to ask and remind him. All that to say, the service was just off. I'm going to assume it was just an off night for this waiter, and the food definitely hit the spot enough that I will absolutely be back! ”

“ It's really about 4.5 stars. We have had 5 star meals there in the past. Service was a little bumpy even though our waitress was friendly and charming. She definitely gave it the college try, not sure if it was a short staff thing. We will still go back. Their food is still yummy and it's a lovely fine dining experience. ”

“ The food was very good (and the service attentive and nice.) We had spaghetti bolognaise and the prime rib sandwich. The ambiance was wonderful! Thank you Massimo! ”