tavola trattoria

excellent dinner out. i have 3 kids (including a 1 and a 2 year old) and i've always been a bit intimidated bringing them out to this place to try it out, but finally decided to cave and bring them out after being assured that it was ok to bring them.

it's a fairly noisy environment, and the kids fit right in thankfully. the food was incredibly flavorful. we had stuffed olives for appetizer, and for maincourse i had stromboli and my wife had some pesto pasta stuff i don't know how to pronounce.

the kids meals aren't on menu, but a great deal (and huge). it was a pizza bigger than their plates for a very reasonable price. i would have had a glowing review even before dessert pushed it from a great experience to one of the best i've had.

the cake similar to tres leches cake is just to die for, and i will go back here just for it many times in the future i feel.

service was excellent, and i was overall very happy.

the waitress was exceptionally rude! after patiently waiting for a table she put the bums rush on us to order returning to our table 4 times in 5 minutes pushing us. then she brought our main course out immediately like it was pre cooked and waiting food was fair at best and luke warm. for those who rave about it i find it lacking!

i don't understand all of the bad reviews. my boyfriend and i are both foodies and we can not get enough of this place! everything we have tried is delicious (definitely recommend the lasagna or giovanni pizza)! the servers have always been attentive and very friendly. to me, the prices seem very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. i would definitely say that this place is a must try in bentonville! i'm a local and it's my favorite!

tnks for all comments ;)

really great food! i had the spaghetti and meatballs (i am an italian and i kinda live judging italian food joins based on their execution of classic recipes. definitely did not disappoint! they are, however, a more contemporary restaurant featuring dishes that are similar to those found in mediterranean cafés or greek restaurants as well. my boyfriend ordered crab mac and cheese and loved every bite. even used the bread to eat the last bit of sauce off the plate! we dined for lunch, and i can imagine it is busy for dinner. downside is slower than ideal service, but for the price you really can't complain. i will definitely go back!

in bentonville visiting the museum and wanted to eat local fare. tavola was fantastic and cami was great! best italian we have had in a very long time.

i love this restaurant! i have been there several times and every time i've tried something different and loved it! the services is awesome and never mind if i customize my meal a bit! would recommend to anyone!

pretty good. went here for my birthday dinner. the service was good but the decor is a bit funky for the classy italian food they serve. my vegetarian lasagna was good, and a big portion, but it pretty much tasted like eggplant parmesan in lasagna form, and i couldn't taste the different types of cheese. my mom got the crab mac and cheese and enjoyed it, but my dad was even more excited and pleased with his gnocchi formagi. the desiree cake for dessert was creamy and good, very moist/soft from the cream they soak it in, but i couldn't really taste the nutella which i was looking forward to. all in all, it is a great place to go for classy italian food.

never again!!!!. my husband ordered the crab cakes which were recommended by out server. very strong taste and mostly filler. i had the cheese ravioli , very bland to the point of being boring. very lou's in the restaurant so we ate outside with the flies!!!!! surely they can do better than that!!!

tavola-how dining on the square should be. i don't visit downtown bentonville much, really not at all. i can't believe how i've been missing out! bentonville square, on a thursday night: lots of people dining outside, various musicians playing for tips scattered about, some guy with a smoker, with something smelling close to heaven, passing out samples. this is how a square should be, look, smell....makes fayetteville square seem like a ghost town, sadly. on to dinner.....
parked right in front of the restaurant (no paid parking here). had called for preferred seating for 7:30, arrived at 7:45 and immediately shown to our table. very friendly front of the house. the gal had even called me when we didn't show at 7:30.
started with delicious antipasto misto. perfect. crispy eggplant was the best i've ever eaten.
dinner (me): u district pizza (figs, mascarpone, goat cheese, prosciutto, arugula, parmigiano - reggiano, balsamic, truffe oil.) black mission figs, i think. yum. fresh arugula! (i don't know what they dress the arugula with on the antipasto plate, but i could eat just that all day.) best crust- light, perfect thickness, crispy. i've had my share of pies with this beautiful mix of ingredients-except for the arugula. my pizzas shall never go arugula naked again. arugula! arugula! and forget about the price. $13 bucks for that? i'd have paid $33 and been happy to do it.
my companion had the crab mac n' cheese. blue crab: tasted as fresh as any you'd eat on the coast-and he's from the new england coast. parmesan sauce was smooth, creamy, not too overpowering..and let the crab be the star...
we ordered the dessert platter which consisted of homemade tiramisu, desiree's cake (do not leave without trying this one) and homemade ice cream. and a pot of french press.
dinner service was excellent! i've forgotten the young man's name...i just couldn't concentrate with all that deliciousness in front of me. but really a sweet and excellent dining experience. thanks you.
i highly recommend tavola...casual with creative plates and superb service and atmosphere on the square combined for a magnificent evening. thanks tavola!

for dinner, our group walked a couple of blocks down to tavola for italian fare. i'd been there before on a solo dining trip, and both times i loved the food. i indulged in the house sangria as we waited for our table. i had to stick to my guns and order papparedelle bolognese. the pasta is fresh and the sauce is the bomb. in fact, my coworker ate the extra sauce off my plate. that. good. the menu itself is extensive, so there's truly something for everyone. you can even get some french fare!

good food, cool little space. on our list of good places to eat.

great food! put our group of four upstairs for some reason with two older diners and later a group with young children. i was very disappointed with the seating since downstairs was not full. upstairs is just a blah area and i would not be seated there again. food was still great but a mixed review because of the seating arrangement....

absolutely amazing!!! loved the service the food and the atmosphere. the fried olives are so wonderful we had to order two plates!

near perfect meal, service. we were very happy with dinner on a busy friday night.
we are low-fat vegan this month, and both the menu and our waiter made it easy to accommodate this: mixed greens salad with avocado slices and asparagus, hold the feta ($6?). pasta pomodoro (basic tomato sauce), hold the parmesan ($9). plus a red sangria and a manhattan cocktail at reasonable bar prices. the food servings were ample.
the service was as good as james at the mill, the area's gold standard, imho.
this is an informal yet classy restaurant. we will come back.