Caffe Bravo

Pretty average Italian food in the area. No dish stood out to me as incredible, but if you're looking for a comfort food Italian restaurant, this one is an okay choice. The app plates are pretty small, but can be shared by 2 people (3 means everyone gets one bite). The entrees were pretty bland and nothing special honestly. The wines were solid, but overall things were a little pricy.

I have recently been to “Caffe Bravo” and I was deeply impressed by its exquisite cuisine. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the staff is extremely friendly and attentive. But the strong point of the place is definitely the cuisine. The menu presented a variety of Italian dishes, with bold flavors and beautiful presentation. In this restaurant you have the opportunity to taste typical products of the Italian/Neapolitan tradition. Pasta and desserts made personally by the young chef Giovanni were excellent. I recommend to all lovers of authentic Italian cuisine not to miss this place. I absolutely recommend it, a must try!!

Caffe Bravo is New Haven’s best kept secret. It’s an intimate space, making it the perfect place for a date night, or in our case, our anniversary dinner. I had the lamb and it was incredible! The staff is friendly and hard-working. My wife and I love to come here and are always well taken care of. Highly recommend!

I was really excited to try Caffe Bravo after seeing many of the reviews. The service was great and the staff was very attentive and the food came out in a timely fashion. However, the flavors and quality of the food were mediocre at best. The Caesar salad wasn’t flavorful and the presentation was poor. The Polpo Grigliata was relatively tasty but lacked seasoning and the chickpea puree was dry when it came out. The Pappardelle Bolognese was flavorless (needed salt and spice) although the pasta itself was cooked well. The tiramisu had too much espresso but the texture was solid. The quality the price ratio didn’t add up for me, especially in comparison to other Italian restaurants in the area . Not a bad overall experience but the food itself didn’t live up to the hype, respectfully.

Excellent Italian food from a clearly caring staff with an outstanding patio dining area. What more could you ask for? A gem of New Haven that people should know about. Try the arugula salad, the radiatore, and the rigatoni.

Went with a bunch of us, Family style….first time there, not my last. Chef came out to all the tables to great the customers. Amazing food, Katherine our waitress was the absolute best ! Highly recommend

This is an excellent place to eat if you want to try  fresh and high-quality food. Each component is exquisite and they have homemade delicious cooked pasta 🍝 The presentation of each dish was outstanding and made the dish even more appetizing how. Also great atmosphere, the patio is lovely, especially when uncovered in the summer and you feel like family there! Highly recommended! 💙🇮🇹

The server Salvatore was excellent and attentive He met all our needed. The chef even came out to ask how are meal was. We happened to come from the same area in Italy and I really enjoyed his enthusiasm. It was a wonderful expert

Food was good, service left much to be desired. Our server essentially ignored us for the better part of two hours. Mind you, we had only two entrees - the server never went over the specials or tried to encourage further purchases (as one would expect in a 'nicer' restaurant). Not sure what we did, but we had to ask the hostess to interfere in order to pay our bill after 20 minutes of waiting. Cute place though!

Great food. Not overpriced. The specials were outstanding! Wanted to carb up before the road race. The homemade pasta really fit the bill!

From the moment I walked into Caffe Bravo, I knew I was going to have a great meal. We dined in their patio area and absolutely loved the vibe and decorations. The Italian bread was so fresh and was truly some of the best I've had. Delicious calamari and meatballs for appetizers, followed by their incredible housemade pasta. There's a nice variety on the menu, and my fiancé enjoyed the lamb chops. I'm so glad we saved room for dessert, because the homemade lava cake and tiramisu were great! Our server was friendly and attentive as well. What a nice neighborhood spot!

Situated on Orange Street in the Prospect Hill/East Rock neighborhood, and not too far from Yale Divinity School, Albertus Magnus College, and East Rock Brewing, Caffe Bravo is one of my favorite spots in New Haven to go for lunch with colleagues. This establishment serves up authentic Italian cuisine with a smile, and the ambiance is modern and pleasant. The neon lights along the outdoor dining terrace's wall that read "Mangia" (and is surrounded by lemons) as well as the garland strung above the tables featuring more lemons and industrials lights add an interesting touch that I'm sure is even lovelier at night. I visited with a colleague during restaurant week. Her shrimp and polenta appetizer that came with the prix fixe lunch was enough for one meal, so she ended up taking her branzino entree home. I did not opt for the prix fixe lunch, but for the grilled salmon entree. The fillet was done perfectly and the grilled vegetables included a medley of onions, grape tomatoes, peppers and squash sauteed to perfection. Prices are reasonable. Staff is friendly. Caffe Bravo is a nice, quiet escape from the rest of New Haven. Bravo for Caffe Bravo!

I think Caffe Bravo would probably have made a really good restaurant in 1994, but they've failed to adapt and today it's just not worth it. The food is uniformly mediocre. I've had their short rib and several of the pastas. The they are edible, which is better than nothing I suppose. But they're also overpriced and bland. The outside space seems nice but it ends up feeling really cramped. The inside space has a very strange feel to it. It doesn't feel like a restaurant, more like a store front for some reason. The service is usually pretty good. Overall the only reason I ever choose to go here is that they're open on Monday when almost everything else is closed. Every time I do make that choice, though, I end up regretting it.

Pasta genovese was just like I was in Naples Italy. I also got the pasta special that seemed a little odd but I was intrigued to order because im a sucker for culinary creations, blew me away it was so good and creative. Authentic food not your typical Italian American home made pasta you can taste the freshness. I will be back and i am excited to see new specials everytime I go

Reminded me of a small modern Italian restaurant in Milano.....lots of old world traditional dishes....what I have to absolutely Yelp about is the Polpette "Meatballs" the best I have had in any restaurant even in Italy.... They remind me of my aunts in Italy almost identical....that was a great feeling while Dining. Most items are made fresh and authentic to traditional Italian modern meal....our waitstaff was patient and on point for the cafe being so busy...very good service!! for dessert definitely try the Tiramisu and wait for the hazelnut surprise......Delish!!!

We have been coming here 20+ years. Our son lived upstairs in one of the apartments above when he was in grad school. Food is fabulous, cocktails are first rate as is a good selection of wines. My favorite meal is the Veal Limone or the Gnocchi. Kathleen and Michael are first rate servers. They always get it right and know exactly what and how we like our meal. The porch/patio is excellent-heated when necessary. Wonderful for people watching. We now live on Orange Street having moved from the suburbs. Parking is on the street so leave a little early.

A bazillion stars for Cafe Bravo in the East Rock section of New Haven, CT. Not just because it's the exact spot where I fell in love with coffee 40 years ago this November(yes, I remember that morning like it was yesterday :)), but because you can't beat the atmosphere of an authentic old fashioned Italian cafe. Where else can you relax outside on a terrace under a lemon arbor with htwinkling lights and try your coffee with a twist of lime? When you've had enough, take a stroll on the pretty city sidewalks lined with 100+ year old Oak and Elm Trees. Notice the architecture of the historic Victorian homes, and Yale University Buildings along the way. If you like, this small neighborhood, family run business offers dine in or take out with delicious homemade food to take back home with you.

Was seated outside in a enclosed room with large windows. Small restaurant, but it had a great selection of dishes. Parking is a challenge, due to the fact that they only have street parking. They start you off with a nice crusted Italian bread and a bruschetta. Appetizer I ordered the Spanish Octopus, Shrimp, and Sea Scallops mixed with carrots and peas in a puréed Peruvian yellow pepper sauce. It was delicious it also had a little bit of a kick , but not enough to be real hot , just enough to be a little spicy , it was very good. The sauce was so good I used the Italian bread to mop it up Entree Pan-seared Mederterian sea bass topped with sautéed fennel and cherry tomatoes in a citrus wihite wine sauce served with roasted vegetables . This was also very good, but not as flavorful as the one I get from Pasta Cosi in Branford. The service was excellent and they kept it very clean ,

I had my Birthday party there and we chose to do it family style for 17 ppl on their beautifully decorated patio. It was AMAZING! With the help of the owners Stacy and Giovanne and their incredible ideas and flare, I couldn't have asked for a more delicious and memorable dinner. Kathleen our waitress and the whole staff were right on point and incredible. My thanks and appreciation to each and every one of them

Excellent customer service and food. Loved the holiday decor- especially the center pieces on the bar!

I was very excited to get some authentic Italian food while visiting my home state. Unfortunately my experience here wasn't the most pleasant. Firstly, we had ordered an appetizer that had been forgotten. A table that was seated after us had received their appetizers first. Secondly, the eggplant parmigiana came directly out of the oven scalding hot. It was over cooked and it burnt the entire inside of my mouth. And lastly, while the pasta was very good and the sauce was very good as well.. they overloaded my pasta with sauce. I am not sure if all of these happenings were on purpose considering I was accompanied by a black male? Hopefully not. But I would have much rather chose another authentic Italian restaurant to eat at and spend my time. New Haven has other places that will make people that are not elderly feel most welcomed.

One of my favorite restaurants ever! This is one of those restaurants I grew up going to and will never get tired of. It's the type of place that attracts locals and the regulars who recognize each other when they're dining in. The food is outstanding, however, I do have to say that since the new owners took over in the past year, it hasn't been AS good as it originally was. The pics attached are from before the new owners took over, but I think the original owners still help out sometimes (from what I understand based off my last visit in February). I had one bad experience in February of this year for my birthday dinner when I got lasagna con carne and it came out ice cold in the middle not once, but twice. I ended up getting fettuccine bolognese and that was amazing (and hot!) Definitely recommend going to this restaurant.

Beautiful quaint Neighborhood Italian Restaurant! Very Friendly and accommodating staff and Owner! The Food was Delicious and unique! We will definitely be back!

The food was genuinely stellar and the vibe was really nice (especially the covered patio). The service was a bit strange/slow, but it wasn't too bad at all. Would very much recommend giving Caffe Bravo a visit!

I wanted to like Caffe Bravo but the incredibly delinquent service is impossible to overlook. Visited twice in the past three weeks and both times our food came out remarkably late. Tables that were seated 20 or 30 minutes after us, with a similar party size, were served before us. The wait staff is very nice, was aware of the issue both times, even verbally acknowledged the problem, but was just not capable of addressing it in real time. If the food was better perhaps we'd be willing to continue being treated this way, but unfortunately it's not worth it.

Great place, awesome food, new ownership right from Italy! Excellent homemade pasta, fish, meats and desserts!

This is New Haven Restaurant week and Caffe Bravo did not disappoint! The stuffed calamari was unique and delicious. We chose the panko veal cutlet which was also delicious. I would say there were a few too many greens atop the veal, but other than that it was delightful. The prix-fixe lunch menu made it a very pleasant affordable outing at $23 per person during Restaurant Week. I would highly recommend this restaurant. It is a little challenging to find a parking space but if you are willing to walk a block or so, it is fine.

Bucatini de Pepe. Chianti reserve . Homemade Tiramisu. Wonderful food and ambience. Great view on Summer evening. Service was prompt and error free.

We came here to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. There were five of us at dinner, and it was one of the only Italian restaurants open on a Tuesday night in New Haven. It's good we made a reservation, because once we were in this adorable restaurant, all the tables started to fill up very quickly. There were about 10 tables inside, and they had an atrium area with another 6 to 8 tables. The food was outstanding. We shared 3 appetizers including Arancini, tuna tartare and the most amazing filet mignon carpaccio. Honestly, I think this was the best carpaccio I've ever had in my life, and if someone had told me, it was available every single day I would eat it. Absolutely phenomenal. For dinner, we shared veal scallopine, eggplant parm was not fried ahead of time, fish, and Gnocchi with short ribs. All the food was delicious and well prepared. My only negative is it took a solid 45 minutes for the dishes to come out, I'm not sure if they were shorthanded, or because there were several tables with large groups. For the dessert, we all shared lemoncello mascarpone cake, gelato, cheesecake, and sticky toffee pudding. Not a crumb was left on anyone's dish! The wine selection was lovely as was the beer selection and the service was extremely friendly. I definitely want to go back, maybe not on a Tuesday night, but definitely want to go back and explore more of these delicious and tasty dishes. Sauces were outstanding, and not overdone, and a very lovely experience!

** private event review ** I came here as a guest for a private party. Renting the whole restaurant seems like an option option for a 40-70 people party, especially if the weather is nice since you'll have the patio, too. (I can't speak to the price.) The bartenders and waiters did a great job with the crowd overall, pouring us more wine, taking our plates, asking if the guests needed anything. Before the meal were some awesome, stuffed breads. I didn't see them until the very end of the welcome hour, which is probably good, because I would have eaten even more of them. The main meal was buffet style, and there were a couple of protein and sides options. The salmon was very nicely cooked, which is often hard to do when cooking it for a large group. I also liked the grilled veggies and pesto pasta. Even the bread basket was scrumptious. They allowed my friends to bring in an outside cake, which was cool. Oh, and they make a mean cappuccino!

Hands down...Best homemade pasta and Italian dishes in the area. Great owners. My new favorite!

Real good Italian restaurant. Always friendly service. Also reasonable priced. A great neighborhood joint!

Came here for Restaurant week. The three course menu was $34 for dinner or $17 for lunch. I've never been to this establishment before and I was pleasantly impressed with the quality of the food. I choose the pear salad, ravioli, and the lemon marscapone. It's a very intimate environment with seating inside or in the enclosed patio which is heated. We chose to sit inside. I happened to come here on my birthday with friends and couldn't have asked for a better experience. The food. The food. The food. It was so flavorful and aromatic. My spirit was filled with every bite. I appreciated the lightness of the marscapone, the crispness of the arugula and pear salad, and the savory taste of the ravioli. I suggest you check this place out. Easy access to 91 with on street parking. I will definitely return.

One of the most delicious Italian meals I've had in a very long time. The grilled octopus was cooked to perfection and the meatballs were delicious. The Casio e Pepe pasta was exquisite and is not typically a staple on menus here. Run, don't walk to Cafe Bravo. The owner, Giovanni is from Napoli and has a gem of a restaurant in the Elm City.

Consistently good food and have made it my neighborhood "go to." I usually get the same three things and crave the homemade pappardelle. I love sitting outdoors because overall the decor is really outdated.

Another great meal tonight at Cafe Bravo! I had the Scrod Livornese which was outstanding while Brooke and Alexa enjoyed sharing lobster Ravioli and Pizza Margherita ! To cap it off we had the homemade tiramisu that was one of best I've ever had ...thoroughly enjoyed by all ! Thank you John ,Mark and staff

Though I've lived near Caffe Bravo for many years, I haven't been there for a meal. So when a group I know made a reservation for dinner there, I decided to join them. Since the restaurant is in a residential area, parking is a challenge, but it's obviously very popular with people in the neighborhood. The owner and his son Mark work the room continually, greeting many customers like old friends. Servers are hard working and attentive. I wish that I could say that the food matched the goodwill of the staff, but sadly it does not. New Haven has many excellent Italian restaurants at this upper-end price point, and just about all of them have better food. My chopped salad seemed little more than field greens from a bag, with a sprinkle of goat cheese, some shredded carrot and a single canned black olive. The spinach lasagna I ordered as an entree had seen better days. The pasta layers were gummy, and there was no discernible ricotta. None of my table mates was particularly impressed with the selection each had chosen. "Bland" seemed to be a common observation. It seems that Caffe Bravo's popularity rests more on the personalities of the owners than it does on the quality of the food.

Upscale and intimate Italian dining with good food! Service was a bit slow during visit though hence the 4 star. If you are in east rock and don't want to make the trek to NH downtown, give this place a try!

Came across Caffe Bravo thanks to Yelp. I was in the area on business and wanted a nice Italian Restaraunt for lunch with my mother (one of the best Italian cooks on the planet). We were not disappointed! Food was fantastic! Best escarole & bean soup ever (hope my mom doesn't read this, LOL). Also had broccoli rabe & sausage - delicious. My mom had the Shrimp Scampi & was very happy (she can be a bit hard to please, so that's saying a lot). It's located in a kinda residential neighborhood but definitely worth finding it! Enjoy

Caffe Bravo is a charming neighborhood gem in a residential part of East Rock which offers delicious, home style Italian food in an attractive, simple setting. There is an outdoor, covered patio with spaced out seating as well as a few tables inside, and friendly servers wear masks and sanitize tables in between guests. I was looking for a place for a quiet lunch with an old friend and found Caffe Bravo to be perfect for this. We had the burrata to start and a sausage and peas rigatoni and a shrimp pasta fra diavolo. Everything was delicious--the rigatoni was the standout. A heads up that regulars of an older generation come well dressed in "smart casual" attire to Caffe Bravo...It clearly has a devoted following and I can see why they love it.

We hosted a party for friends a few evenings ago and could not have been happier. Our guests and I were seated on the patio which was ours exclusively for the evening. The seating was arranged with proper social distancing and because we could enter and exit through a door directly into the patio we did not need to go through the restaurant or be inside at all. It was a beautiful evening so the roof was retracted and bright sparkly lights overhead made the area quite beautiful. Because of the virus we were concerned that everything be done safely and the servers were incredible! Of course, the food was wonderful as it always is at Caffe Bravo. All agreed the evening was"perfect."

This is a wonderful little Italian restaurant . The entire restaurant is one small room. The food was delicious and the staff was the best. I can't wait to comeback again .

One my favorite places to eat! This hidden gem is the perfect little neighborhood place. The food is delicious, especially the lasagna and vodka sauce. The best part might be the outdoor patio. There aren't enough patios in the city, and most are too loud and in the street. Caffe bravo doesn't have an amazing view, but they do have a relaxed, calm neighborhood feel that's perfect on a warm spring night.

We went to cafe bravo tonight for dinner. Greeted politely at the door, service was great, we sat inside because it was a little chilly for us. We had the whole place to ourselves. Food was fantastic. Could have used a little salt but better less salty than too much. Only recommendation is for staff not to hang out in the dining area while people are dining. People don't want to hear about who's doing what sidework, who got cut, silvware rolls, or how long until close. Other than that recommended 100%

Mondays are a wonderful time to have a casual meal. Our server Maryrose could not have been better... feeling well cared for

Definitely one of the best authentic Italian restaurants. I'm an Italian chef and most of the time find it hard to thoroughly enjoy eating out without feeling like, "I could make this better" or "this isn't real Italian" and this place did not make me feel either of the two ways. This is definitely my new go to Italian.

The food here is high quality, authentic, and consistent. Everything down to the arugula is ALWAYS fresh. We are obsessed with the Toscana pizza, the veal milanese, and the beef carpaccio. I can go on and on about the staff, as well. They are ALWAYS so friendly and helpful. The owners are also genuinely invested in making sure that all patrons are satisfied with the food AND service. With service as good as the food and food this good, Caffe Bravo can't be beat!

Today, was my first experience eating at Caffe Bravo. I've had lunches brought to me, and I've sampled leftovers, but never dined in. I had decided on a light meal, of Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken. Thankfully, my two companions ordered apps, so I was able to sample. First, I tried the Broccoli Rabe & Sausage. The sausage produced a wonderful snap, when I sliced into it. Next, I politely slurped the Escarole E Fagioli. Both starters were seasoned and portioned perfectly. The waitress was also standing by with the cheese greater, ready to hit our soups. All three of us got salads. Mine was of the chopped sort, while the other two dined on the Insalata Arugola with Balsamic Chicken. Both salads were large and fresh. Again, the waitress was there to provide fresh ground black pepper. To finish off the meal, we sipped on Double Espresso and Cappuccino. Before we left, the owner came over to say hello to my colleagues (both of whom frequent the establishment). After talking for few minutes, he disappeared and returned with some fresh figs. A perfect ending to a perfect meal. Great, fast service and wonderful food. Will definitely be going back.

This place used to be excellent. Now it's the pits. Dismal food, demoralized service. A $13 "Mediterraneo" salad is literally a handful of greens with a few scraps of red onion. Calamari salad ($14) was inedible, a sprinkling of off-tasting rings and tentacles on a few leaves of lettuce. Living in Seattle, I haven't been here in about four years, but back then the salads were robust and it was worthwhile. Now it gives all the signals to stay away.

Walked in no reso on a Friday night - residential neighborhood so parking is a challenge but doable. Nicely lit atmosphere. Hostess sat us immediately, waitress quickly took drink order. GREAT MARTINIS! Excellent menu. Chose a dinner special - Tuna! Amazing

Cafe Bravo is a nice intimate neighborhood Italian restaurant with very good Italian food. It should be of particular interest to the Gluten Free crowd because that have great gluten free pasta! Many items are gluten friendly as well. We started with a house made sausage and broccoli- rob. This was served with a fabulous red wine Cantina Zaccagnini. My wife had the chicken Marsala with roasted veggies and mushrooms. I had a pasta (linguini with a bogurnese sauce (traditional Italian meat gravy). The service is also terrific as the server staff back each other in a seamless manner. We had the pleasure to have Daniella serve us in the outdoors enclosed patio. We had a full moon and all was perfect for a Friday date night. Definitely a great place. Check it out

This used to be our favorite restaurant, but, after dining here twice since there are new owners, I am sorry to say that we won't be coming back. I'm writing this in the hope that they'll bring back the old chef or maybe recipes as the food was extremely bland and not nicely cooked. Please also restore at least some of the items from the old menu. Veggies! But above all please bring back tasty food. The wait staff is as wonderful as ever. Thanks.

Excellent service, creative menu, excellent food. My husband has lasagna and it was excellent. I had the special "sword fish " with capers, ovules and tomato. Desert tiramisu and Keoke coffee. A great night to celebrate the marine corps birthday!

Heard mixed reviews about this place. Tried it for ourselves this past Saturday evening. Patio was packed--a good sign! The dining room was empty. Three tables filled (parties of between 3-5 people at each). All three tables (we were #4) were crammed into one corner of the dining room! The servers were, literally, all tripping over chairs trying to squeeze in between chairs/tables to fill water glasses, bring drinks, and drop off/pick up plates! There was more than enough help! The dining room is NOT big! No idea why they couldn't spread out the seatings! And to top it off--within 5 min of us being seated, another party of six arrived and--you guessed it--was placed right on top of the other four tables already there! Servers/table staff were all lovely, attentive, and helpful. No complaints there! Food was barely average. Completely bland. We had one shrimp/pasta marinara. BLAND! We also had one veal parm. BLAND! (And a lousy cut of veal). This was not one of New Haven's better Italian restaurants!

Zero customer service, do not label delivery packages of food, uber delivers to wrong address, failure to fix problem, zero interest in correcting the error.

My fellow Yelper Amber C hit the nail on the head when calling this spot a great hidden gem of the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven. We came for dinner on a Saturday night a few weeks ago and had a fantastic meal here. The interior is far more elegant and romantic than the aging green awning would lead you to believe. I've passed by many an evening to see the large patio completely filled and have even caught glimpses of those cool fire tornado lamps to heat that space when it's not utterly freezing out. Unfortunately, the night we visited it was literally freezing out and there were giant snowflakes falling during our short drive over, so we couldn't take advantage of the spacious patio in a city where there's real scarcity of good outdoor seating. Our server was a complete doll...very polite, professional and friendly. I started off asking what bourbons they had behind the bar and after being told that the options were limited to Jim Bean and JD, I opted for a classic Italian brew the Moretti amber. Or if you're getting technical over here the Birra Moretti La Rossa. I followed it up with a red cabernet sauvignon and it paired quite nicely with my Fettuccine Bolognese entrée. We started with the Calamari Fritti, which was very well balanced by not having too much breading or being too greasy and the squid tasted fresh and wasn't rubbery. The marinara sauce it came with was excellent as well. Another nice touch is that they bring out a couple pieces of free bruschetta with the bread basket. A very nice touch that made me want to order the bruschetta appetizer next time. A tasty and fresh salad with a house balsamic vinaigrette came with our pasta entrees. My wife got the penne a la vodka and she really enjoyed it. The vodka cream cause was executed very well without being too heavy or rich. My Bolognese was delicious and I basically licked my plate to get every last drop in my mouth. Our friend who joined us got the lasagna and she really enjoyed that as well. All being East Rock natives, we left completely satisfied and talking about how this would become a regular date night spot. And by the crowds that I often see here during dinnertime, we're not alone in this line of thought. Maybe this gem isn't all that hidden after being an honest neighborhood Italian joint for over 20 years!

Food is just okay. I had the broccoli rabe and sausage - a little watery/oily. It seems to be open weird hours and they don't seem to be open forI lunch or brunch on the weekend which really is a shame. Such a good location and not well utilized. They have outdoor dining in the warmer months - but you are pretty close to the street and a bus stop so it can be noisy/smelly.