Limone

Pretty awesome little joint. I think i can best describe this petite restaurant as upscale, service oriented, tasteful and compact. I enjoyed every course of my dinner here and would certainly plan on holding a nice gathering here — their beautiful private dinning area would be just perfect!
Street parking and reservations needed.

This place was hyped up so much by my bff that I don’t know if my rating is really all that fair. I ordered the lobster ravioli and tuscan bean soup. They were good. but nothing that makes me want to come back.
I do have to give credit to the gracious and hard working owner/​manager. He was greeting every patron, going back and forth to the next door sister restaurant & keeping an eye on the whole operation. Very impressive.

Limone– no.
What a bummer, I had such high hopes for this restaurant. Walked right in with no reservation, then was asked after about 10 minutes to change tables. (I thought this was no big deal since my friend was still on her way and maybe they had a larger party coming in).
The service was ridiculously slow, and the servers seemed disinterested. Ordered an appetizer soup which didn’t come until a few minutes before my entrée (45 minutes in). Server forgets to bring parmesan cheese to top the pasta. Server forgets friend’s decaf coffee (manager puts the order in for the server and it’s not decaf). Instead of requested club soda, server brings friend $ 6 bottle of sparkling water and never asks her for clarification. I think we would’ve forgiven all these things if our server seemed to care about our service or if the food blew us away.
I will give 1 star for the manager who made his way to every table to check on the customers and took off the $ 6 for the bottle of sparkling water as well as another star for my lobster ravioli.
I am normally a very easy to please diner (see my other reviews!), so it made me feel slightly more justified that the table next to us was also dissatisfied with the service.
Hope this place improves!

Mama Mia, that’s Italian!
Picked this location out from a Unilocal search on the way up to San Francisco. We were greeted at the door by who I presumed was the owner sporting a pretty legit Italian accent.
He made us feel welcome and then began the meal experience.
The pizza was delicious with a crust with a good chew. The spaghetti tasted home made and the meatballs and sauce were excellent. The carbonero and lobster ravioli got great reviews as well.
So, stop in, say hi to mom the cook and relax with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. You will have no regrets.

If it were possible to give a negative star… I would
The rudest treatment we’ve ever received at a restaurant… ANYWHERE!
Walked in on a Friday night… saw empty tables in the back and asked for a table for two…“si, signore” replied the manager/​owner (never quite sure who is who between Limone and the place next door) and then a few moments later the manager told us to go next door, that «they had the same menu.» Seriously??? And he would even walk us over… no thanks…
No explanation, no reason for not wanting to seat us (it wasn’t late, maybe 8:30) so we actually started laughing as we walked around the corner one of the many NICE restaurants in San Carlos… but had to ask each other: what the hell just happened there?
Anyway, that was the second try for Limone and perhaps the name says it all: it’s a lemon.

Great for both dinner and breakfast & a bit more affordable than 888 or other restaurants in the San Carlos area, although it gets expensive with steaks and drinks.
— Bottomless Mimosas were awesome!
— Nutella desert — amazing — we ordered extra
— Mushroom risotto — fantastic and doesn’t feel too fatty like most restaurants! (skip the shrimp because it just doesn’t go with the meal and tastes fishy then & is liek $ 5 for 5 shrimp)
— Great atmosphere inside & outside seating
— The restaurant to the left of it is owned by the same manager and has awesome reviews (and has the same food) and is usually more packed but if you want a quick table Limone will be faster as people are still discovering it

This place was really quite quiet on a Sunday noon. Maybe too much partying for the San Carlos folks on the weekend? I saw that it is a subsidiary of Locanda Positano, and that was enough reason for me to try.
Their breakfast/​lunch menu has a variety of things that includes bread, so naturally I went for the wild boar ragu on some, and that was very delicious. Their bread is, as usual, amazingly flavourful, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I’d kill for that bread.
It’s quite a lovely place to have lunch at, and you will feel fancy eating there. I felt a bit guilty eating that scrumptiously for lunch, but luckily if you stick to the smaller plates, the portions won’t give you too much of a food coma.

I love this restaurant. I have been there six times in the past few months. I had two mom’s reunion (our kids are now in college and met in Kindergarten) there for brunch. We had a private room (they have two and can expand) where the service was fantastic. I love Anna Lise who is one of the key components of the restaurant.
Last night, Valentine’s Day, I did not have a reservation; however, they accommodated us. For a busy night with their adjacent restaurant (Positano) the food came out quickly and with quality. The service is wonderful. Everyone is friendly.
I have lived in San Carlos now for 21 years an hands down this is my favorite.
p. s. my favorite server at Positano is Steve!

If you like Locanda Positano, you’ll like Limone. Basically.
Limone has an equally chic design but feels a little more clubby — probably because of the less-​formal seating, the dimmer lighting (at dinner), and all the Veuve Cliquot-​branded pillows, umbrellas, art, etc. They also have a large party room at the back.
The menu is identical, minus cocktails and plus freshly squeezed juices, which I believe are for the brunch times. If they have the gnocchi with tomato, basil, and mozzarella, GET IT. Service was equally attentive and friendly.
If I had a recommendation to make, it’d be that they have some distinctive dishes that set it apart from Locanda Positano — things you could only get at Limone. I think that would make it more of a destination and less of a «place to go if LP is full,» at least at dinner time. Brunch is always busy.
I’d go back to Limone — especially if Locanda Positano looked busy at dinnertime and I was in the mood for their food but in a more chilled-​out atmosphere. I’d also like to try the fresh juices along with the brunch items (which are good at LP and thus, I assume, good at Limone).

I sauntered past this lovely black and yellow, swanky, modern designed establishment during the San Carlos Art & Wine Festival. The enticing menu drew me back with the bf, and we had one of the best dining experiences ever in a long time, courtesy of Daniel and of course the yummy, fresh food!
Our server could not have improved in ANY way. He was friendly, personable and charming –especially for the ladies with that Italian accent. We ordered a spinach bean soup and seafood arugala salad for starters. Can you say fresh? Seriously, the shrimp in the salad was so soft and plush; I just as well assume it was swimming earlier in the day. The soup was a clear broth with fresh flavors of some leafy green, fava bean and tomato (great hangover soup). We decided to share the rib eye with fries and spinach entrée. Additionally, we ordered a side of eggplant with fresh, flavorful cherry tomatoes and basil which was a delectable nuance of flavors down to the last bite. For the rib eye, we asked for medium rare, but unfortunately, were served a steak more well. The flavor was great. We contemplated not sending it back, but it was hard for us to give up the juicy flavors of a rare to medium rare steak. So against the embarrassment that comes with sending food back, we did anyways. Daniel did an impeccable job returning to the kitchen, subsequently doing so without making us feel uncomfortable. When he finally brought it back, we were even more pleased to enjoy it as we ordered and didn’t feel a hitch in our dining experience at all! This is the sign of an exemplary server!
He topped our night off with espressos and an authentic Italian farewell. We’re definitely coming back here!
The only thing lacking here is the bread which isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t make me want more. The plain olive oil for dipping doesn’t do much more for enticement either. Either way, it makes little difference. I shouldn’t be eating major carbs anyways.

We were supposed to meet my cousin here but she stood us up! Well, the food and drink helped us get over that…
We sat at the bar and ordered some happy hour cocktails and food. The limoncello lemon drop and the bourbon, orange and ginger ale thing (can’t remember the name!) were delicious. The fried calamari was actually the best I have eaten (other than the version served by the long closed Happy Immortal restaurant in SF). Super tender and non-​greasy. The pepperoni pizza and the bruschetta were also very good. The happy hour pricing made it all fairly reasonable. The bartender was very nice and attentive.
Overall, this is a good place to have some drinks and snacks!

Haven’t yet been to Italy? Go to Limone. Yea, I know, I thought it was Peruvian too (but not to be confused with Limon in SF).
The quaint décor and ambiance of the restaurant, the simplicity of the food, and the staff speaking Italian all contribute to the authentic Italian ambiance of Limone.
I must say, however, upon entering it is a bit confusing as you are overwhelmed with Veuve Clicquot branding everywhere (umbrellas, seat cushions, server aprons, etc)! I was questioning whether they own the place, but looks like they just sponsor the lounge at the front of the restaurant.
The food is simple and homemade — perfectly Italian. I ordered Mamma’s famous gnocchi, which was covered with an amazingly fresh marinara sauce and fresh basil leaves. The gnocchi itself was a bit bland, but the texture was good and definitely melted in your mouth, as it should.
Looks like Limone is popular for brunch too, so I’m looking forward to being back for some mimosas and more food.

I’m really sad to say that my experience at Limone was really unimpressive. I have been to their sister restaurant, Positano (next door) several times and very much enjoyed the ambiance, service and food. So I guess I had the same expectations for Limone.
I came here for brunch on Sunday as I saw a sign announcing a new bottomless mimosa brunch. I was excited that we were able to score a table outside– which is quite lovely on a nice day. The experience started to decline when I had to tell three different people that we were a party of three. After letting the hostess know there would be three in our party (we were still waiting on one), I was disappointed to have to ask for an additional menu, then for an additional glass of water, then from a third person, an additional place setting. I would normally expect that this would have been communicated to the wait-​staff…
We ordered the mimosas (cranberry for myself and traditional fresh-​squeezed orange for my friend). We had to flag down our server each time to refill them. Not once did she notice the empty glasses, which was a bit frustrating.
As for the food, I would actually probably give it one star. I ordered the Eggs Benedict (with tomato instead of bacon) and my friend ordered the smoked salmon frittata. I truly have nothing positive to say about the benedict, aside from the fact that the eggs were well-​cooked. The hollandaise (if it was, in fact, supposed to come with hollandaise) was practically non-​existent. What I thought was intended to be hollandaise was thin and watery and added ZERO flavor to the dish. It was served on english muffins, which I can’t stand. When I asked the server to tell me about the dish she said it was served on french bread, which sounded interesting. The english muffins turned into a soggy messy goop from the sauce and were inedible. The «side of potatoes» turned out to be 6 tiny pieces of overly salty/​greasy potato. And the fresh fruit consisted of two sad, unripe halves of a strawberry and an orange slice. The frittata looked equally unappealing and my friend indicated it was dry and poorly seasoned.
We saw the table next to us eating what looked to be some delicious croissants so we ordered one to see if that would overshadow the sad entrees. Again, disappointing. They were cold and stale and lacked the flaky butter flavor I would hope from an Italian restaurant pastry.
Overall, I would not return for the food. The mimosas, perhaps, but I would certainly be making sure I get my money’s worth.

Had a really bad experience today during brunch (Sunday around 10:15 am).
We came in and were shown to our table and handed menus. We realized the menus we were handed were dinner menus and not brunch menus, so we asked the person who brought us water for brunch menus. We then sat there for about 15 minutes without anyone coming by our table, despite the fact that other people had been seated and served drinks and I attempted to flag down multiple people to come to our table. We ended up walking out and going to Town, where we had a fantastic meal with impeccable service.

Food was good, but service was meh. Slow and confused, not a good combination especially if you’re coming here for a business lunch where you need to finish within an hour. When I came in and saw the private event space in the back, I started thinking of holding an event there, but after the meal I don’t think I’d consider it because the staff was so slow and seemed so uninterested. A stark contrast from the sister restaurant next door, which always feels so warm and inviting when I come in.
I also don’t get that whole champagne sponsored front section… seems like a waste of space.
I’d come back, but I’m certainly in no rush to do so.

I’m sitting here right now… weather is beautiful, I’m with my son… just wish that the food would have been worth it. I ordered the Bacon, spinach and mozarella fritata. Sounds great right? If it weren’t the tiniest most sad looking fritata there ever was… and for $ 9? I expect something with a little more oomf. It tasted good, just the portion is really stingy.
I ordered a $ 4 orange juice. yes its fresh squeezed but it came in a glass smaller than their water cups. Wtf.
Definitely will not be coming back.
Service was crap too. A group who sat after me & my son got their order taken before I even got any water on my table.
Unacceptable.

Finally, open, the little sister to both Locanda Positano next door and Acquapazza in San Mateo. Open starting with breakfast, this café space in the front opens into a beautiful large semi private dining room with a big screen TV in the back. I got to talking with one of the employees of about the Serie A Italian soccer league while one of the Olympic soccer matches were on. Got a prosciutto and mozzarella panino plus the spaghetti fritatta with parmesan/​ham, while the co worker got the Bacon, mozzarella, and spinach frittata. All the flavors were good. My only complaint was the spaghetti fritatta was lukewarm. The espresso after wards was spot on however. They folks working are very friendly and if your Italian or Spanish is rusty you can practice with the employees here.

Fantastic Service, fantastic Food, fantastic Ambiance, what’s not to love?
I came here for a late morning brunch with my friends, we picked the outside seat because it was sunny and beautiful, the waiters greeted us probably more than twice in Italian (Which I don’t know how to reply because I don’t know Italian) and they’re just very warm…
They recommend us ordering the waffles and the frittatas for brunch, and that’s what we did. We ordered a Mozzarella, Bacon, and Spinach Frittata, my friends ordered the waffles and the sausage and mushroom frittata.
And let me tell you, it was such a refreshing brunch, the cheese in the frittata was heavenly ooey, and the baconess permeates the whole egg, making it so meaty, but the spinach completely balanced with it. If you love bacon, you will LOVE this dish.
Each meal comes with super fresh and whimsically carved fruit, super sweet and tasty, and how can I forget? It also comes with these beautiful golden potato. So DELICIOUS.
And plus, the price was cheap for such a good service and atmosphere. My food was basically 9 dollars!
Anyways, must come here a lot in the future, outdoor brunch was such a good experience.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Enzo, for bringing two great restaurants to San Carlos. I have been to Locanda Positano, which I really like, but I may like Limone more. Mostly because of my own weird preferences. First, it is much cooler inside than LP and that may be due to architecture and ventilation. However, it is also less noisy and more welcoming, IMO.
The food was *wonderful* (Starter — Rock shrimp and organic artichoke fried with the Chef’s famous Capri sauce; 2^nd course — Boscaiola rigatoni pasta, salsiccia, fresh porcini, peas, spicy tomato sauceand; Entrée — Wild king salmon grilled garlic lemon in a bed oflemonrisotto). Very sizable portions and plenty of food split between two diners (who are very healthy eaters).
The service was lovely — so attentive, and who doesn’t love charming and handsome Italian men? :) Good wine list, but I let Enzo pick mine (a crisp Italian white) and he was spot-​on with his recommendation. The wait staff went out of their way to make sure that we (and all of the diners around us) were having a terrific experience.
In summary, if you want the delish boar pasta or a bit more formal menu/​ambience, then you should probably go next door to LP, but Limone feels more like a bistro — they serve breakfast, complete with adorable benches in the front of the restaurant with little individual coffee tables and I believe they are open/​serve all day. The lunch menu looks awesome (maybe my next meal there?), the place seems a bit more casual than LP, and I would feel comfortable dropping by any time of day. Again, I love both places, but I think Limone is more «me» and I will definitely be returning in the very near future. Grazia, Enzo!

Happened to walk by this morning while they were taking pictures outside this new hot spot. Opened by the same charming owners of Locanda Positano, the finishes are very classy, high end, yet welcoming. Think cross between rustic wooden market cart, and the command center in the minority report. Ok, maybe think white marble, light wood, lots of glass and stainless steel. Ok, how about you check it out and come up with something more fitting then? ;)
Enzo welcomed me inside and offered a scone as I walked by with my coffee and bagel. I didn’t taste it until I was back home but I will have to tell him next time: it was fantastic. The texture a perfect balance between shortbread flaky and biscuit fluffy, pops of cranberry and caramelized citron. I can’t wait to return for an espresso with my next scone.
Will have to update my review after a full meal, but the scone and welcoming experience were definitely 5 stars.