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La Lanterna Ristorante, San Mateo, CA

La Lanterna Ristorante

4.8
4.8
1006 Reviews
$30 and under
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
Open since 2001, La Lanterna is a family-owned business with Ramon Lopez as Executive Chef and Jennifer Villa-McGuffin service as manager. Prior to opening, Ramon and Jennifer were employed at various fine dining restaurants in the San Francisco Peninsula. With his own signature style, Chef Ramon has received numerous accolades and is honored to serve you at La Lanterna.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 341-8877
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Ramon Lopez
  • Neighborhood
    San Mateo
  • Cross street
    El Camino Real
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,006 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Peninsula

    Best Value

  • Peninsula

    Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
La Lanterna Ristorante is a beloved neighborhood gem in San Mateo, celebrated for its "excellent food," "attentive service," and "wonderful ambiance." Guests rave about the "delicious cocktails," "generous portions," and "expertly prepared dishes." The family-owned atmosphere adds warmth, making it perfect for any occasion from business lunches to intimate dinners.

1,006 Reviews
  1. Matthew

    VIP

    San Francisco

    26 reviews

    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience and the food is so much better than I remembered. I admit we haven’t been there in a long time. We went for a family dinner and everyone enjoyed all their meals! Can’t wait to go back.

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  2. Alan

    VIP

    San Francisco

    74 reviews

    2.0

    74 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Two issues: 1. Large party (24 people) next to our table 2. No minestrone that night, only lobstser bisque which my wife can't eat

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  3. Jane

    VIP

    Central Coast

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on January 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time visit. Gracious welcome, attentive but but not intrusive service, great food and wonderful ambiance with beautiful holiday decorations. We will be back!

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  4. Virginia

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our favorite place to celebrate milestones! Always delicious food and delightful service.

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  5. Arline

    VIP

    San Francisco

    30 reviews

    5.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was superb. The food was as usual very good. The place was very decorated for the holidays. Our wait staff was very amusing and informative. All of us had a great time and looking forward to returning.

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  6. Bruce

    San Francisco

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this place. Great service, friendly efficient servers, good food.

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  7. Jan

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have always loved the food at this restaurant. We were a little concerned that on New Year’s Eve it would be kind of chaotic. It was not. They were very busy. And, they were very organized. The hostess was delightful and set the tone for the whole evening. As usual, the food was delicious and the service was great. Very impressed.

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  8. Wayne and Jennifer

    San Francisco

    51 reviews

    5.0

    51 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome experience! Wonderful staff! Very friendly! Food was excellent!

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  9. Jack

    VIP

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    La Lanterna has always been one of our favorite restaurants and last night was no exception. Hector as always provided excellent service.

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  10. Carol

    VIP

    San Francisco

    71 reviews

    5.0

    71 reviews

    Dined on December 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and Hector excellent server. We love eating there.

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FAQs

La Lanterna Ristorante offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 341-8877.

La Lanterna Ristorante is rated 4.8 stars by 1006 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for La Lanterna Ristorante

180 W. 25th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403

Additional information

  • Cross street
    El Camino Real
  • Neighborhood
    San Mateo
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ramon Lopez
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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