tavola trattoria

sunday we took my adult children here for one of their birthdays. (it was her choice). we have eaten here about a year ago and it was okay but we weren't impressed enough to go back. however, yesterday was so much better! even though it was busy, we shown immediately to our table. i had called earlier in the week to make reservations for six and found out they don't take reservations. but they do give priority to those who call ahead, and i really dislike that. but it worked for us so anyway... we had a very charming and attentive waiter. the cucumber water was cold and refreshing. at our table we ended up with the rustic pizza which had mozzarella and goat cheeses, roasted japanese eggplant, bell peppers, garlic, fresh herbs, crushed red pepper flakes and cherry tomatoes; two of the wallingford stromboli's which were filled with pepperoni, mushrooms, italian sausage, promodoro and mozzarella; the veal lemon cutlet with mushrooms, artichokes with lemon butter and cream reduction and capers over pasta; and four rocket salads made of fresh arugula, pecorino, oranges, focaccia croutons and dressed in orange-mango vinaigrette. it was all verydeliciousas beautifully presented. because it was her birthday, a choice was given for any free dessert she desired. she chose the chocolate creme brulee. it too was very beautiful. i do not know if our first time was just an off night or if they have greatly improved, but we will be back.

went here for lunch on a friend’s recommendation. i had adeliciouscrab cake salad with a very thick (obviously homemade) catalina vinaigrette. i wasn’t sure how i would like the grapefruit sections in it but it was really good! hubby had an italian sandwich that he said was excellent (& a large sandwich). waitress was so friendly & very good. will definitely be back!!

the food wasdeliciousand the service was excellent. i recommend going and enjoying a friendly atmosphere with good prices. they also have kid dishes at a reasonable price.

the unique spongy bread is sodeliciousand so far from the stale crusty so-called bread that was served by italian restaurants of yesteryear.  also, it's so airy and fresh and everything's pretty good... and it manages to hold its own against tusk and trotter next door, which deserves a medal in its own right.

tavola trattoria is the restaurant that people go to when they want elegant italian food in bentonville.  certainly there are many other choices for italian dining in the area, both independent and chain restaurants.  however, when people go to tavola, they are looking for that special experience.  that includes the funky glasses that come in all sorts of odd shapes and convince you that you are tipsy even before the wine is poured.  the unique spongy bread is sodeliciousand so far from the stale crusty so-called bread that was served by italian restaurants of yesteryear. those things are nice, but people keep coming back to try the many unique recipes at tavola, which one could term nouvelle italian cuisine, except it’s not the least bit snotty!

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 isdelicious(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!

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 withdeliciousantipasto 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!

on a scale of 1 to 10, id give it a 7.5.deliciousfood. went on a friday night and we noticed the service got worse as they got busier. we waited over 20 minutes for our check. the meal is probably the only thing that will have me coming back for more. they need more staff!

bold favors all around! if you are looking for the run of the mill italian flavor then look elsewhere. everything had strong,deliciousflavors. cheese ravioli was creamy anddeliciousbut maybe a little overwhelmed with oil drizzle. "nice bread" was good but hard to assemble since the bread wasn't sliced for you. my salad was great. the service was a little over zealous. waitress/hostess/host checked on me at least 5 times before my entre came. i wished she had just walked by glancing to see if i needed anything instead of asking me every time. appetizer and salad plates were not cleared before entrees came. that was annoying and messy. overall, i would go again! seriously though, way too many people stopped to ask me how things were every few minutes. i started to have anxiety about when they were coming next.

first timer. i really liked this restaurant a lot. i went for the first time for lunch with a large group ~ 12 people. we got two $9 appetizers and it was just enough for a good starter... not sure i would have spent $20 on the family size appetizer. everyone got something different and everything just looked delicious! the portion sizes were really good as well. the only plate that looked small was the 4 chz ravioli - it wasdeliciousbut not enough for the price... the plate seemed empty... like it needed a salad or something, maybe a roll or a few more ravioli's. other than that - i would recommend this spot for lunch or dinner! very cool atmosphere. felt very west coast.