We had dinner here for the first time after years of passing right by it. They have a cute patio in the back and the staff are really friendly. Our waiter was great even if I didn't appreciate the wine recommendation he made. (I asked for a dry white, he recommended a Prosecco). The pasta was mediocre - the sauce was watery and the flavor subdued. It's a cute place with a great location but I'd head elsewhere if you're looking for good pasta.
Tristan M.
It's okay at best. I would say that the food is a bit overpriced for what it is. The portion size is big but the food itself is salty and bland. I had the lasagna and to me it almost tasted store bought.
Yair Romero
PERFECTION! This place is an absolute diamond! The atmosphere is very cozy and romantic with a beautiful back patio area. There was even a musician serenading everyone as they ate. Highly recommended for a first date.The service was exceptional, very friendly and accommodating.The food….. I’m literally salivating thinking about the food again. It was so perfectly done that I began to have moments of absolute bliss.I’ll say this much, not everyone can cook lobster and when I say the lobster melted in my mouth and I was blown away. I WAS BOOWN AWAY!The tiramisu was so soft, delicate, and eloquently plated that it felt like I was having tiramisu for the first time in my life.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagne Al Forno, Spaghetti Carbonara
Veronica A.
This restaurant has a very soothing and welcoming ambience with live music, the most hospitable and warm staff, and delicious food. We ordered the calamari which was also very good (i forgot to take a picture). The pasta dishes were very fresh and perfectly al dente. I highly recommend the seafood dishes!
fennecky
Hands-down, my new favorite place in Long Beach. They present a solid, uncluttered menu, fantastic food, charming interior and service.
It's a hard spot to find because it's amidst other eateries. I wanted to celebrate my birthday in the quaint restaurant due to such great reviews. Italian food is my second favorite cuisine. I think our experience would have been a little better if it wasn't raining bcs I was looking fwd to sitting outside with my group of 12. The inside seating is narrow and so I felt I was in the way of the main path. It took us a minute to figure out the best seating. What I ordered was great: Pappardelle de Aragosta, bruschetta, garlic bread. I did hear Pollo Alla Parmigiana was pretty awesome and also heard the mushroom ravioli wasn't a hit. Some people did order "fettuccine Alfredo" which isn't an Italian dish and those people said they have had better so I was bummed for them but not for me :) Carlos, the owner, was very accommodating and very generous I was sung to, got a delicious treat pana cotta and dessert wine, Thank you Carlos and staff!P.S. If you have a large party, suggest for people to bring cash, they can only take a few cards.
Asal P.
They hose are holiday party once a year and each time we have a great time. The patio is cute and romantic with lights and as a former citizen of little Italy I can voice for their cannolis and tiramisu. Lasagna was great too, not too cheesy at all. We were a large crowd so our poor waiters do their best but they're polite and efficient. I'm 99.9% sure we'll be back next year as well. Sorry I was having too much of a good time to take pictures!
Denise L.
great food. great customer service. the salad is refreshingly nice. the seafood linguine is amazing, the tomato sauce is nice and savory, and they didn't skim on the succulent seafood that comes with it. If you haven't tried bombas, you are missing out! their spumoni bomba will change your life. the friendly staff checks on us often. will definitely come back here.i don't mind the far drive from LA.
Kathleen Valdez
Weird
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Alex D.
I've been here twice and so wanted to like it based on the reviews, but it's just basic. I got the carbonara twice, a second time in case they were off. First off it definitely doesn't use pancetta or if it does, it's very low quality as it has very little flavor. The carbonara doesn't seem to use egg yolks, underutilizes pepper and cheese. As a result it's just plain. For 24 dollars it's an extremely poor deal. Having made authentic carbonara before, this is a pale shadow of it. A second visit merely confirmed the disappointing first visit. My husband ordered the minestrone soup. It was overloaded with cheese and uniquely had mushrooms. He's had minestrone from many places but this was the worst and strangest he's ever had. Lastly, we got the tiramisu. It was half the size of that in the photos despite still being 10 dollars (seriously it was down right tiny - a few bites) . The "mascarpone" tasted off (I've made home made tiramisu several times), the lady fingers were nearly bone dry with no espresso flavor, and it had a drizzle of cheap chocolate sauce (presumably to cover for the failings of the first two.)
There's simply nothing wrong with this place except that they don't have a drive-thru. Every pasta is made fresh along with their sauces. The flatbread earns a million gold stars in my book and the service is great. Pronouncing the names of some of the dishes can be difficult but the staff never judges you and if you point to what you want they'll help you out. From the outside it doesn't look like much but once you get escorted to the back patio, you're transported to a secret little garden in some Nonna's backyard in Italy. It is the perfect date night spot with cute string lights and live music as well. The live music features one person either playing the violin or flute along to a track and they do have a top jar but don't make you feel uncomfortable if you opt out. Overall a 10/10 place.
Poojitha S.
Picked up the mushroom risotto for dinner - mainly wanted it for carb loading before my race the next day.Didn't like the dish - felt like they used too much wine while cooking, the risotto just smelled and tasted like it . The food was ready on time for pick up and the people working there were courteous, so I will give them that.
laureno548
This restaurant has become a family favorite whenever we’re in the mood for authentic Italian food. I personally love the eggplant Parmesan. Super cute outside patio in the back, often with live music.
Elizabeth Sosa
Great food ! Fantastic service! We will definitely come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Seth George
All around great night. Food and service were amazing despite being short a server. Atmosphere was great with live music being played at reasonable volume. I WILL be dining here again.
We had dinner here for the first time after years of passing right by it. They have a cute patio in the back and the staff are really friendly. Our waiter was great even if I didn't appreciate the wine recommendation he made. (I asked for a dry white, he recommended a Prosecco). The pasta was mediocre - the sauce was watery and the flavor subdued. It's a cute place with a great location but I'd head elsewhere if you're looking for good pasta.
It's okay at best. I would say that the food is a bit overpriced for what it is. The portion size is big but the food itself is salty and bland. I had the lasagna and to me it almost tasted store bought.
PERFECTION! This place is an absolute diamond! The atmosphere is very cozy and romantic with a beautiful back patio area. There was even a musician serenading everyone as they ate. Highly recommended for a first date.The service was exceptional, very friendly and accommodating.The food….. I’m literally salivating thinking about the food again. It was so perfectly done that I began to have moments of absolute bliss.I’ll say this much, not everyone can cook lobster and when I say the lobster melted in my mouth and I was blown away. I WAS BOOWN AWAY!The tiramisu was so soft, delicate, and eloquently plated that it felt like I was having tiramisu for the first time in my life.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lasagne Al Forno, Spaghetti Carbonara
This restaurant has a very soothing and welcoming ambience with live music, the most hospitable and warm staff, and delicious food. We ordered the calamari which was also very good (i forgot to take a picture). The pasta dishes were very fresh and perfectly al dente. I highly recommend the seafood dishes!
Hands-down, my new favorite place in Long Beach. They present a solid, uncluttered menu, fantastic food, charming interior and service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Caprese Salad, Ragu Pappardelle, Carpaccio
It's a hard spot to find because it's amidst other eateries. I wanted to celebrate my birthday in the quaint restaurant due to such great reviews. Italian food is my second favorite cuisine. I think our experience would have been a little better if it wasn't raining bcs I was looking fwd to sitting outside with my group of 12. The inside seating is narrow and so I felt I was in the way of the main path. It took us a minute to figure out the best seating. What I ordered was great: Pappardelle de Aragosta, bruschetta, garlic bread. I did hear Pollo Alla Parmigiana was pretty awesome and also heard the mushroom ravioli wasn't a hit. Some people did order "fettuccine Alfredo" which isn't an Italian dish and those people said they have had better so I was bummed for them but not for me :) Carlos, the owner, was very accommodating and very generous I was sung to, got a delicious treat pana cotta and dessert wine, Thank you Carlos and staff!P.S. If you have a large party, suggest for people to bring cash, they can only take a few cards.
They hose are holiday party once a year and each time we have a great time. The patio is cute and romantic with lights and as a former citizen of little Italy I can voice for their cannolis and tiramisu. Lasagna was great too, not too cheesy at all. We were a large crowd so our poor waiters do their best but they're polite and efficient. I'm 99.9% sure we'll be back next year as well. Sorry I was having too much of a good time to take pictures!
great food. great customer service. the salad is refreshingly nice. the seafood linguine is amazing, the tomato sauce is nice and savory, and they didn't skim on the succulent seafood that comes with it. If you haven't tried bombas, you are missing out! their spumoni bomba will change your life. the friendly staff checks on us often. will definitely come back here.i don't mind the far drive from LA.
Weird
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I've been here twice and so wanted to like it based on the reviews, but it's just basic. I got the carbonara twice, a second time in case they were off. First off it definitely doesn't use pancetta or if it does, it's very low quality as it has very little flavor. The carbonara doesn't seem to use egg yolks, underutilizes pepper and cheese. As a result it's just plain. For 24 dollars it's an extremely poor deal. Having made authentic carbonara before, this is a pale shadow of it. A second visit merely confirmed the disappointing first visit. My husband ordered the minestrone soup. It was overloaded with cheese and uniquely had mushrooms. He's had minestrone from many places but this was the worst and strangest he's ever had. Lastly, we got the tiramisu. It was half the size of that in the photos despite still being 10 dollars (seriously it was down right tiny - a few bites) . The "mascarpone" tasted off (I've made home made tiramisu several times), the lady fingers were nearly bone dry with no espresso flavor, and it had a drizzle of cheap chocolate sauce (presumably to cover for the failings of the first two.)
Restaurantji Recommends
There's simply nothing wrong with this place except that they don't have a drive-thru. Every pasta is made fresh along with their sauces. The flatbread earns a million gold stars in my book and the service is great. Pronouncing the names of some of the dishes can be difficult but the staff never judges you and if you point to what you want they'll help you out. From the outside it doesn't look like much but once you get escorted to the back patio, you're transported to a secret little garden in some Nonna's backyard in Italy. It is the perfect date night spot with cute string lights and live music as well. The live music features one person either playing the violin or flute along to a track and they do have a top jar but don't make you feel uncomfortable if you opt out. Overall a 10/10 place.
Picked up the mushroom risotto for dinner - mainly wanted it for carb loading before my race the next day.Didn't like the dish - felt like they used too much wine while cooking, the risotto just smelled and tasted like it . The food was ready on time for pick up and the people working there were courteous, so I will give them that.
This restaurant has become a family favorite whenever we’re in the mood for authentic Italian food. I personally love the eggplant Parmesan. Super cute outside patio in the back, often with live music.
Great food ! Fantastic service! We will definitely come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
All around great night. Food and service were amazing despite being short a server. Atmosphere was great with live music being played at reasonable volume. I WILL be dining here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5