We came here during Houston Restaurant Weeks after living in Houston for 2 years and continuously hearing great things about this restaurant. It was worth the wait! The service was great, our waitress was so friendly, took time to talk us through the menu, and gave great suggestions. My favorite dish we had was the cauliflower. So well seasoned and cooked really well. We didn't enjoy the dip we had as our second appetizer and the server was so nice to replace it with something else for us. Our server suggested making the pasta into a carbonara style and it was the perfect choice. Plus, the portion was huge so we had plenty of leftovers to keep us satisfied.

This was our first time visiting Coltivare, and after hearing so many great things, we decided to make our way to the Heights to check it out. We were seated on the covered patio, and while we were initially concerned about the weather--rain was in the forecast--the skies remained clear, making for a wonderful evening. The patio had multiple fans, keeping the air comfortable and adding to the relaxed, charming atmosphere. We started with a couple of snacks: the Focaccia with rosemary and sea salt, and the San Daniele prosciutto with Parmigiano Reggiano. Both were perfect portion sizes for a snack and incredibly tasty. The focaccia, in particular, was a highlight--it came out hot and practically melted in your mouth. For our main courses, we decided to go family-style and try three dishes. First up was the Spaghetti with black pepper, parmesan, and olive oil--simple, yet comforting. Next was the Bucatini Amatriciana with pancetta, pecorino, and parsley. I was excited for this one and while it was good, it didn't quite blow me away like I'd hoped. Still, it's worth a try! The real surprise of the night, though, was the pizza. We ordered it out of curiosity, not knowing quite what to expect, and it ended up being our favorite dish. It looked like it had sliced pickles on it, but the combination of toppings worked beautifully together, creating a unique and delicious flavor profile. I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot! The ambiance at Coltivare is fantastic--warm and inviting. Our server, Joshua, was a standout; he was knowledgeable about the menu, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. We also enjoyed a well-crafted Old Fashioned and a glass of wine, both of which were delicious. Overall, Coltivare provided a lovely dining experience with good food, great service, and a comfortable atmosphere. We'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu!

What a great experience. This establishment has been in Houston and has stood the test of time. Their garden of fresh ingredients is unmet and surrounds the restaurant adding to the ambience. All of our food was great. My fiancé also tried a Zero Proof cocktail and seemed to enjoy that as well. The biggest highlight was service from staff. We arrived for our reservation at 6:15 and after ordering, our food came out back to back without any delay. I was actually surprised by how quickly the service was.

Came here Monday night for restaurant week! They had a great deal and I was able to try a lot of menu items. We got the whipped ricotta to start! The bread served with it was super yummy. For entrees I had the pepper pasta, my friend had the Campanella and my other friend had the pasta with eggplant and mushrooms. We all tried each others pastas and I was not disappointed by any of them. For dessert we had some lemon pound cake & the pana cotta. The pana cotta was probably my favorite. The pound cake was just a tad too dry for me (but I did love the plums it was served with)! Overall was a good experience. I think reservations are recommended but they have availability for walkins. The waiter was helpful in choosing the drinks and more popular items and was mostly attentive for being pretty busy.

We came here for a friend's birthday celebration. I've had this place bookmarked for a while, hearing that it's some of the best Italian food in Houston. We had a reservation for 4, which is strongly recommended especially on a weeknight. They have both indoor seating and patio seating in their vegetable garden. Parking is tricky given the area right off White Oak. Luckily I was able to park on the street right in front of EZ's less than a block away. At 7:15pm, it was still early enough before the street crowds up with bar-goers. Once we were seated, our server Andrea immediately came and introduced herself. Took our drink orders and make some recommendations for wine and cocktails. Two in our party had cocktails, while my partner and I split a bottle of an Italian white wine. We ordered our food based on our server's recommendations. Since they change their menu daily, come with an open mind. We decided to eat family style and share so that we could all try a little of everything. First, we had a ricotta cheese dip that was topped with olive oil and heirloom tomatoes. This was a table favorite, so simple yet tasty! it came with 4 slices of bread and after we each took a slice, they immediately brought us out more slices. Next was the fried heirloom okra served with tomatoes and black garlic aioli. This was probably one of my favorites. I'm a stan for fried okra, so this was definitely a neat twist with larger chunks of okra fried whole, complemented with halved heirloom tomatoes. Between that and the garlic aioli drizzle, I thought the okra would be soggy, but it was actually some of the crispiest I've ever had. Onto the main courses. First was the cacio e pepe (spaghetti, black pepper, parmesan, and olive oil), the most recommended dish according to Yelp. Again, so simple but they made it taste SO good! I was questioning paying $19 for plain spaghetti noodles + a few extra ingredients, but I don't know what they do to make it taste this good. We were also recommended the wood grilled chicken. This came out already sliced which made it perfect for sharing without having to awkwardly split and deal with bones. This chicken had a nice char to it and was cooked just right on the inside. There was a lot of great flavor and eating it with the cacio e pepe was a wise choice! Lastly, we ordered the lamb pizza which also has feta, roasted eggplant, peppers, and onions. This one really gives Houston's pizza scene a run for its money. the crust was cooked perfectly: crispy on the outside, but chewy when you bite into it. The toppings all blended well with each other, and bonus points for the unique choice of toppings to fuse together. Additionally, our server recommended the salsa verde to dip the pizza crust in. This was such a good call. Despite the name, it closely resembles a pesto sauce with some additions, and this was an excellent way to spice up the crust, or even the pizza itself. I'm still thinking about this pizza after over a week and could drink that salsa verde. Since we were celebrating our friend's birthday, we asked if they did anything for birthdays. Unfortunately no complimentary dessert, but if you order one, they'll light a candle on it for you. The birthday boy opted for the tiramisu, which had a very fluffy frosting and was topped with some cookie crumbles and pistachios. Very sweet of them to add the candle for the occasion. Andrea, our server, was excellent. She was super attentive the whole time and made sure our wine glasses and waters were always filled. And if not her, one of the other servers would happily come by to check on us. Andrea mentioned that she's been at the restaurant for years now and loves to cook, so it's clear she knew what she was talking about when it came to recs. So the rumors were true. Coltivare really is a Houston stand-out. While I normally don't prefer Italian, I know this will be the first thing that comes to mind anytime someone asks for a recommendation of that cuisine. We'll definitely be back soon to try more of those pizzas at the very least!

Their pizza was the perfect amount of crispy, rich and no overwhelming taste!! (I'm not even a pizza person) Our service was amazing. Bit of a wait without a reservation, understandably, but the hostess was so welcoming and accommodating. The manager was happy to take a picture of us during our dinner, didn't seem like she was rushing as she checked in on tables. The waiter was absolutely kind and the right amount of involved.

The food here is consistently great, but we have been disappointed by the pizza on our last two visits. The $30 local tomato and bufala mozzarella pizza had almost no cheese on it and was basically sopping wet from all the tomatoes. Wanted to love it but should have ordered the house pepperoni. Pasta, meatballs, chicken and peach salad were all fantastic. Service is always on point.

I've come to Coltivare a few times now, most recently on a weekday evening where I was able to make outdoor reservations the day of. We were promptly seated and glad to have made a reservation as I saw there was a wait. The outdoor space is cute and you can see the garden where they grow some of the fresh vegetables they use. The service here has always been great with great explanation and recommendations. Food menu changes depending on what's fresh but I'd highly recommend their tomato and ricotta app I had recently. Their pizzas and pastas are always dependable as well.

It's a lovely, bustling place. Greta vibes. The patio and garden area are lovely. The patio is covered but there are a lot of flies. Some tables had the fly deter device but there weren't enough for everyone so we were fighting flies but it's summer and that's just summer in Texas. The waiters were great. Food came out fast. The garden area has lots of herbs and vegetables growing so created a great atmosphere. The lights on the patio were cute. The food was amazing. I don't like fish much but the sauce on the fish collar small plate was delicious and made me like the fish. It's like sweet and savory sauce with herbs. The lamb pizza is delicious. The crust was perfect-chewy and soft and crispy. Steak was cooked perfectly. Spaghetti was very peppery so love pepper if you order it.