Bottega Salaria

The bridge between Rome and Texas

What makes it fun

Bottega Salaria brings the flavors and hospitality of Rome to Fredericksburg with an intimate Roman osteria serving handmade pasta, classic dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara, Italian wines, and seasonal Hill Country ingredients. Bottega Salaria is a great pick for sweethearts who want to slow down and enjoy a meal together, whether you're sharing antipasti and pasta or lingering over wine and dessert. Reservations are accepted and recommended, particularly for the intimate dining room.

Google Reviews

Bottega Salaria

4.8

Based on 278 reviews

Emily H.

3 weeks ago

Tried out this restaurant this Labor Day weekend and everything was so great. My husband and I forgot to book a reservation, but luckily the staff was still able to seat us with a very short wait. The decor and atmosphere was cozy, charming, and inviting. And the food smelled amazing from the second we walked in! We got the bread and butter, cocktails, cacio e Pepe, gricia, and donuts for dessert. Every dish was so good and felt authentically Italian. Our server was Kamryn who kept checking on us and gave amazing service throughout the night. If you’re thinking about trying this place it is definitely worth it! We cannot wait to come back next time we’re in town.

Leah T.

3 weeks ago

Fabulous food and drinks and such a quaint and cozy atmosphere! We sat at the bar at it was so fun and intimate. Highly recommend!

Duane R.

4 weeks ago

Valerio treated us like family when we first walked in.Joslin was our server and was amazing. The food was as good as anything we had in Italy. Definitely a must if you are in Fredericksburg, but make sure you make reservations well in advance of your visit. We will definitely be back

Evan K.

4 weeks ago

Italy in Fredricksburg! Wonderful Italian restaurant with amazing pasta and cheese. Absolutely worth a stop for a great date night for some wine, cheese and pasta!

Alexander S.

4 weeks ago

EXCEPTIONAL in many ways! AUTHENTIC though welcoming and not pretentious. Worthy of a detour. Certainly easier (and cheaper) to come to Fredericksburg and eat here than fly to Italy and drive from Rome an hour or two into the outlying countryside to find this kind of food. Quick to locate (just up the street and across from the Pacific War museum). Convenient street parking if one gets there early enough. Lovely dining rooms with understated decoration. Everything we tried on the menu was outstanding. Excellent, attentive service. Portions are somewhere between "old world" and "new world" sizes so, come hungry as the pasta dishes are more than an "appetizer size" though not "meal by itself". Desserts are definitely still "american size" so meant to be shared, making trying more than one a bit of an adventure after the other three courses. That doesn't even begin to cover what makes this place truly unique, however. The owner is Italian (from there, not merely related to someone who is or someone who lived there 100 years ago). His family has been in the restaurant business for generations and he did his formal training there (where they are serious about such things). After navigating the corporate restaurant world he struck out on his own to create this (can't blame him, I would like to leave Houston too (!)). It is a little slice of Italy transplanted into the Hill Country. Carefully curated seasonal menu which, though there is the ubiquitous "tirami su" (at least here in two forms, the strawberry one being delightful) is not a compendium of tourist favorites. In fairness, that dessert has become routine in Italy as well (I lived there for large parts of my life and saw this change in real time). Picture a small restaurant out in a small town in Italy and this is what it would be like (though I suspect their specialization in Gin based drinks would be an outlier there as well). Beyond his personal experience you have to realize that he gets his chefs from Italy directly, they have done their culinary school there, so this isn't someone cooking who just learned about it on line or from someone who may or may not have ever been there. In fact some of the serving staff was also born and raised in Italy where they train people to wait tables in schools rather than have them learn it (or not learn it) on the job. In addition, the quality is what one would expect in Italy (not at tourist places in Italy, mind you, in places actual Italians would eat). Italian cuisine is not about flashy preparation/presentation, rather, uncomplicated recipes made from the best possible ingredients available. They are true to this ethos. For example, they source the pistachios of the home made ice cream there (and will be having pecan ice cream using the pecans from the trees in their own backyard shortly, in the fall). Likewise, the fresh ricotta inside their (seasonal) ravioli, though made in New Jersey [to preserve freshness], is made by that firm using Italian milk. In any case, it's a unique experience compared to most places that claim to serve Italian food and a version of Italian cuisine unlike that which people will be generally familiar with (which is at best "Italian inspired" when not truly trash like Olive Garden and its clones).

Michael C.

2 months ago

An authentic slice of Rome right in the Texas Hill Country! Bottega Salaria offers a charming, inviting indoor atmosphere with a fantastic outdoor seating area as well. Everything about our evening was stellar. The meal started beautifully with a wonderful homemade bread service, featuring warm Focaccia paired with crisp Sabina olive oil. To drink, we enjoyed the Spritz Roano Classic and the Spritz a Ravello—both were perfectly mixed and refreshing. The attention to detail in the restaurant's design really stood out, from the creative homemade wine bottle shelving to the custom, homemade tiled tables. For our main course, my wife ordered the Burrata e Pomodorini, and I had the Saute di Cozze (mussels and pasta). Both dishes were freshly made, bursting with flavor, and expertly prepared. We paired our meals with an excellent Italian Primitivo Di Manduria vint that took the dinner to the next level. Outstanding food, warm service, and a beautiful setting. We highly recommend adding Bottega Salaria to your Fredericksburg dining itinerary! Salute!! – The Outpost

Harlie M.

3 months ago

We stopped by Bottega Salaria for happy hour one night and loved it so much that we came back the very next evening for dinner! Everything about this place was wonderful. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the staff is incredibly friendly, and the food and drinks were some of the best we had during our trip to Fredericksburg. What really made it special, though, was how kind and welcoming the owners were. You can truly feel that this is a family-owned restaurant, and they genuinely care about their guests and the experience they provide. Our group tried 5 appetizers, 5 pastas, and 4 desserts, and honestly, there wasn’t a single thing we didn’t enjoy. The standouts for us were the Supplì Al Telefono, the Pici Cacio e Pepe, the donuts, and both the Aperol and Limoncello Spritzes. I’m also lactose intolerant, and the staff and chef were so accommodating and helpful when it came to modifying dishes and answering questions. It made such a difference to feel comfortable ordering, and my meal was absolutely delicious. If you’re looking for authentic Roman cuisine, this place is a must-visit. We left dinner already talking about when we could come back.

Jeannie Hu C.

4 months ago

Amazing amazing amazing! Been now 4x and each time it’s better than the last! The pasta’s are fresh and amazing. The wine list is top notch, but the service even better. The servers are wonderful and the owner Valerio will make you feel at home. It’s not a big place so make sure to make a reservation and if you have a larger party you may be outside. The back porch is beautiful and shaded with fans, don’t let that deter you. It’s 1000% worth it. Don’t miss this place if you’re in Fredericksburg.

Laura T.

7 months ago

This upscale dining experience was worth every penny! The owner met us at the door and we were treated like family the entire time. We made a reservation and sat at the cutest bar top table, with 2 couples. We all ordered different itmes so we could share and experience more. They serve auhentic foods like you would find in Rome and the charming old house makes you feel like you are in Italy. I cannot wait to go back and dine out back! My husband ordered a medium rare steak with potatoes and it was cooked to perfection (see photos) I LOVED my seafood pasta. For appetizers we ordered the bread service and the Suppli al Telefono, which is like a fried cheese. It is cheese wrapped with rice and tomato sauce and deep fried. When you pull it apart it stretches out long and looks like telephones with the wire connecting them :) The dessert donut tower came with a chocolate sauce and a pistachio sauce. We also had to try the dessert drinks, YUM! ALL VERY GOOD! I'm adding a photo I took (with their permission) of a couple from out of town, at the private table out front, so charming!