Postino has been a Lafayette institution since 1992, housed in a charming Carr Jones-designed historic building in the heart of downtown. The restaurant celebrates Italian-influenced California cuisine, with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and housemade pastas. With over 1,100 reviews and consistently high ratings, it remains one of Lamorinda’s most beloved dining destinations.
What to Expect
The atmosphere is white-tablecloth elegant without being stuffy — warm lighting, exposed brick, and that unmistakable hum of a neighborhood institution. It’s the kind of place you go for anniversaries, birthdays, or when you want to impress out-of-town guests. The bar area offers a slightly more casual vibe if you prefer.
Both indoor and outdoor patio seating are available, with the patio being particularly lovely on warm evenings.
Recommended Dishes
- Housemade Pastas — The kitchen excels here; don’t skip them
- Seasonal Risotto — Changes regularly, always excellent
- Osso Buco — Rich, falling-off-the-bone, and perfectly braised
- Antipasti Selection — Great for sharing to start
Lunch at Postino
A more recent addition, lunch service offers a lighter take on the dinner menu — perfect for a civilized midday meal in downtown Lafayette. Same quality, slightly quicker pace.
The Patio Experience
Postino’s outdoor patio is one of downtown Lafayette’s gems — especially during spring and early fall when the weather is perfect for al fresco dining. The golden afternoon light filtering through creates an ideal setting for a leisurely lunch or romantic dinner. Request outdoor seating when you book if weather permits.
Good to Know
- Reservations strongly recommended, especially weekends — bookings via Toast Tables on their website
- No Sunday lunch — Sunday is dinner-only (4:30pm-8pm); the lunch service runs Monday through Saturday
- Bar seating between services — the bar offers the full menu in the gap between lunch (3pm) and dinner (4:30pm), useful for an off-hour drop-in
- Delivery & Takeout available via their website
- Valet parking available
- Full bar with excellent Italian wine selection
- Private dining room for events and celebrations
- Catering available for special occasions
2026 Closure Dates
Postino publishes its annual closure calendar in advance — worth knowing if you’re planning ahead:
- Monday, May 25 — Closed for Memorial Day
- Saturday, July 4 — Closed for Fourth of July
- Monday, September 7 — Closed for Labor Day
- Friday-Saturday, September 19-20 — Open through Lafayette’s Art & Wine Festival weekend (worth a reservation as downtown gets busy)
- Thursday, November 26 — Closed for Thanksgiving
- Thursday, December 25 — Closed for Christmas
- Friday, December 26 — Dinner only (lunch closed)
- Thursday, December 31 — NYE dinner only (lunch closed)
Local Lore: The Carr Jones Building
The charming building housing Postino is a piece of local architectural history. It’s a Carr Jones design — Jones was a local architect known for his Spanish Revival and storybook style homes throughout the East Bay in the 1920s-30s. His residential designs in Oakland, Piedmont, and Berkeley are highly sought-after today.
This downtown Lafayette building showcases his signature touches: warm stucco, exposed brick, intimate scale, and that hard-to-define quality of feeling both elegant and approachable. When Postino opened in 1992, they weren’t just opening a restaurant — they were becoming stewards of a piece of Lafayette’s architectural heritage.
The marriage of California-Italian cuisine with a Carr Jones interior isn’t accidental. Both share a philosophy: quality materials, attention to detail, and timelessness over trendiness. After 30+ years, both the building and the restaurant have aged beautifully together.