DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA – When Piatti restaurant in Danville closed last year, locals were initially terrified that it was going out of business.
That turned out to be a rumor–Piatti was embarking on a massive renovation of its space at the Danville Livery shopping center that ended up taking months.
When it reopened a bit under a year ago, I visited and reviewed the renovations. Now, I returned to Piatti to see how the restaurant is doing as it nears the anniversary of its huge transformation.
Photos…and Have the Prices Changed?
Before the big renovations, Piatti had a rustic farmhouse feel–white exposed beams, red brick-colored floor tiles, and classic wooden restaurant tables.
It’s wasn’t necessarily modern or high-concept. But the restaurant always felt fancy and upscale in an understated way.
The menu reflected this. Simple pasta dishes were a staple of the menu.
The pizzas were always a hit, too.
I especially liked their meatballs, served in a hot cast iron skillet.
When Piatti re-opened in October 2024 after a multi-month renovation, it looked totally different. The rustic farmhouse look was gone, swapped out for a much more modern interior with dark wood and hunter green accents.
The open kitchen at the back of the restaurant was still there, but it was upgraded with new counters and lots of lighting that added a dramatic flair.
Piatti added little displays of Italian items around the restaurant–again, with lots of dramatic light!
Overall, it felt a bit moodier–more like the kind of trendy eatery you’d find in the city than the rustic, neighborhood joint it had been before.
One thing that didn’t change much, though, was the menu. And one year later, it has stayed largely the same–with some tasty additions.
Some of my favorite dishes are still there. You’ll still get the sourdough bread with an oil and balsamic dipping sauce.
The pizza is still there, too, including my favorite–the “Salsicce” pizza with Piatti’s unique Sweetie Drop peppers. These tiny, red peppers are sweet and bursting with juice, and they’re fantastic on a hot pizza.
A few dishes appear to have vanished, including brussels sprouts that I used to love getting (they might just be out of season, though, as I visited in late August 2025.)
One thing that blessedly hasn’t changed much since the pre-renovation days are Piatti’s prices. Lots of locals were afraid that the restaurant would immediately jack up its prices after its fancy update.
One year out, that hasn’t been the case. Looking back at a slice (get it?) of Piatti’s menu CA 2023:
And comparing to the same menu section today:
The price of a margherita pizza hasn’t budged–it’s still $22. And my beloved pizza with the special peppers has a fancier-sounding new name (calling it “Sausage” is so 2023), but has only increased in price by $1.
Given how much inflation has happened between 2023 and 2025–not to mention the renovations themselves–it’s actually remarkable that Piatti has barely raised prices on its basic items.
Another welcome addition is that fact that Piatti appears to be making more of its pastas in-house. The most noticeable change on the menu is the addition of a big “homemade pastas” section.
These are delicious, and elevate the pasta dishes I always enjoyed getting at the restaurant.
The service is also noticeably better now than just after the renovation. Piatti hired a lot of new servers when it renovated. When I visited last year, they were understandably still getting the hang of the menu and the new space.
Now, the service feels much more confident and locked-in. I had some of the best service I’ve ever had at Piatti on my August 2025 visit.
Overall, while I miss the old farmhouse look and feel, I’m happy that Piatti has grown–without changing too much.
