Calafuria

Tucked inside a lovingly preserved 1920s home on a quiet street in downtown Reno, Calafuria is the kind of restaurant that makes you want to linger until the chairs go up and the busboys start sweeping around your feet. From the moment my wife and I stepped through the door, we felt like we were walking into a friend’s house—a friend who just happened to have converted the back half of their home into a full-size, open kitchen. We were intrigued by the chef’s backstory: an American, classically trained in Italy, who staged at the world-famous Noma in Copenhagen, opened a restaurant in Calafuria, Italy, and then returned home to Reno to share the wealth of his culinary travels. We started light with the Caprese salad—a bit of a surprise to see cherry tomatoes where I would have expected beefsteak or San Marzano. But their sweetness perfectly balanced the mini mozzarella balls and basil chiffonnade, all drizzled with just enough balsamic and EVOO to remind you that restraint is its own art form. For our main course, we shared the Fettuccine Carbonara (homemade fettuccine, naturally) and the Ribeye with house smashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Here’s where the quality truly came through. The ribeye was perfectly cooked—arguably the most tender cut of meat I’ve had in recent memory. A simple pepper sauce paired beautifully with the carbonara’s creamy, peppery flavors. And to be clear, this was real carbonara—no cream here. Just the luxurious silkiness of egg yolks binding pecorino, guanciale, and pasta into an unforgettable bite. The roasted bell pepper, zucchini, and Vidalia onion medley added another layer of sweetness, tying the primi and secondi together like a Tuscan sunset. Service was impeccable: warm, attentive, and never intrusive. Our server guided us through the menu with the ease of someone who clearly loves the food as much as the chef does. Calafuria isn’t just dinner—it’s transportive. A place where you can almost hear the waves of the Tyrrhenian coast in one bite and feel the discipline of a Noma kitchen in the next. Perhaps that’s the magic of this place: a quiet meritage of two culinary worlds, where French Laundry meets Noma, in the most unexpected corner of Reno.

Came for dinner with a group of friends. We were sat on the side patio a little before sunset. There were supposed to be lights that automatically turn on at dusk, but for some reason didn't, so the end of our meal was mostly dark. Thankfully staff brought some lamps to have on our table. Service was very good throughout dinner. Overall the food was very good, and the portions were just right. The Ceasar was good, though could have used a little more dressing as it was a little dry. An offer of fresh cracked pepper would have been appreciated, but I was able to use some preground that was on the table. My wife ordered the ribeye and it was cooked, as she asked, to the perfect rare temperature. The carbonara was made well. I'd been wanting to come here for a while and finally did, and I was every bit as happy and impressed as I thought I would be. I'll definitely be returning to try some other dishes I was eyeing.

This is a great experience in midtown Reno. Tucked away off S. Virginia, this house turned restaurant is worth it. My wife had a perfectly cooked salmon. Light fluffy and medium well done. I had beef dish that was on special. It was delicious. It didn’t have the “wow” factor that the salmon did, but the flavor was great. We also had the olives and the bruschetta for starters. Both really good. I think next time we’ll try a few more starters, split a pasta (which looked amazing on other people’s tables), and a main. Then save room for dessert, which we didn’t have, but also looked worth the effort. All in all, a great place with wonderful staff, solid food offerings, and a cozy home vibe.

I am so mightily impressed with Calafuria, I felt compelled to write this review. I had the pleasure of meeting a member of the staff, twice, and after my discussions with her, my wife and I decided to try out Calafuria for a weekend dinner date. WOW. HOLY WOW. I think this may have been the best dining experience we have had since we moved here in 2018. The bottled water was a GREAT, European, first sensation and experience. The food selection was absolutely perfect, and since Calafuria is a Coastal Region in Italy, we were both fine with the seafood-centric collection. We ordered, and drank a Tuscan Red just because, while we waited for the courses to come out. First up was the Caprese salad. FRESH Mozzarella, imported daily from Italy, along with REAL Italian olive oil, which had that just-opened effervescence and light, light taste. We literally licked the plate clean. Then came the pasta. We ordered the squid ink, and it was freakin' divine. My wife had never tasted sauce with squid ink, and she's not overly adventurous, but again - we split the dish and ate every morsel. Finally? My scallops and shrimp. Again - spiced JUST RIGHT, cooked JUST RIGHT, and the scallops literally melted in your mouth. I have to say - the entire concept of the restaurant is cool. The kitchen is accessible, the indoor-outdoor table count is just right for the staff, and you all focused on putting us in the shade, to offset the July heat. Furthermore, I LOVE the vines around the fence and up the front of the building. It keeps things private, but allows you to see the world passing by. It felt VERY authentic, and it was a wonderful experience. I collected some 3x5's from the front to pass around to friends; We were that impressed. We'll be bringing family and friends with us in future visits, for sure. OH - and the 'not every night' thing? Honestly, I wish there were MORE restaurants like that. It keeps staff from going crazy, and puts the Restauratuer in charge of quality and presentation. So thank you - our 11th anniversary couldn't have gone better. Y'all have something unique and magical, and I can't wait for some of your classes and the speakeasy to kick in so we can learn as you share a bit of your magic.

Very nice restaurant, great location, great atmosphere, amazing food!! You can literally taste the experience and the passion that they put in each dish, very knowledgeable staff is able to bring to the table traditional plates with an hint of innovation that bring any plate to a whole new level! Very very recommend

Pretty disappointed with our service last night. Our waitress seemed annoyed from the second we walked in. Im happy to wait for good food but to be waiting on a server to even get our order on a relatively slow night in a very small restaurant is frustrating. After waiting for hours for dinner service to be complete, our server again disappeared when we were ready for the check. Food & drinks were great though as always.

One of the best best best place to experience authentic taste of Italian cuisine. The pasta indescribable.

To start I'm a terrible cook.... But even I could make all the dishes we ate 10x better. The grilled sausage was abysmal. I can't even describe how bad it was and I'm Hungarian, we eat all sorts of sausage. Sent that back and got the ravioli, which is frozen ravioli doused oil and butter. Seriously? I mean a pizza place puts more effort into their ravioli. Wife said her seafood pasta was "edible" and all this for almost $100 with tip. To think these people offer cooking classes is shocking.

What a phenomenal night. To begin we were seated in a cozy corner at a wonderful table with fresh flowers. The sound was so rich and delightful with exceptional music. My husband got an IPA and I got their frosted pear drink followed by the Italian Margareta. Both were delicious. I should preface by saying, I've been a vegan for ten years and tonight was the night I quit being vegan. To start we got both the fried bread and the bread + salted butter. Both arrived warm and delish. The fried bread had truffle oil and my husband was hoping for a sauce which he later got with our other appetizer. The fresh bread and salted herb butter was absolutely stunning. For starters we got the special friend mushrooms in a dill sauce which.....stop the press was hands down one of the best appetizers we've ever had. We also ordered the 3 Suppli which came out super warm, and when I cut into it, I was tickled pink by the burst of warm fresh cheese that oozed out. It came with a reach yummy creamy tomato sauce for dunking. Yes please. For dinner my husband did the fried cod special with olives on the side. It came with a slightly spicy marinara type sauce over the top. It was crispy and crunchy, and just what he wanted. I ordered the Pappardelle with Mushroom Ragu, which.....shut it down, was the most rich, creamy, delicious, fresh, holy shit batman pasta experience I've ever had. Those wide noodles just coated in that ooooey gooey sauce, and the thick chunks of mushroom, oh my word, I mean....Yes. Just yes. This was a long drawn out meal, designed to make you engage with your partner, take your time, slow down, and smile. Our waitress Harper was phenomenal. She had such a great personality, excellent suggestions, and she thrived off of our good time. I will absolutely return here for another spectacular meal. Yummmmm!!!!

I have been dying to go to this place. I finally on a last minute date decided to try it out. It reminds me of someone's house turned into a restaurant. Very cozy and intimate. We didn't have a reservation but their website said they take walk ins. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes (we came in on a Friday night around 730pm). However, we were able to wait and have a drink in their speakeasy in the back. You walk outside to what feels like a mother in law quarters. Limited seating but it was a great idea! Dinner was phenomenal. They have a pretty large menu as well as wine list, cocktail/mocktails, and some beers. The fried bread had good flavor but a little dry. The house made spaghetti was my favorite. But the rib eye was also cooked to perfection. I can't wait to go back and try other dishes.

I can't remember the last time I went into a restaurant that has the kind of ambiance I found at Calafuria. It's an old house, so it has that vintage feel, with plants everywhere, the fire place blazing, dim lighting and just the perfect place for a cozy dinner on a Saturday night. Unfortunately, the service kind of ruined the experience. It all started good, the wait we were told would be about 30 minutes and with a Speakeasy outside in the back where we could wait, we were golden. We ordered drinks and were having such a good time that I didn't realize it was over an hour and we hadn't been called up for our dinner. It wasn't until the people next to us (that got there way after we did) got called that I realized how long we had been waiting. When I inquired, I was told we were next and were asked if we were OK with the bar top. Really? After waiting for over an hour. By this time I was starving, so we said yes. So the same girl that greeted us at the door, was our server, was making drinks, and just running around everywhere, so I wondered is it just a staff shortage? I guess I'll never know. The food itself came out fast. We had the Gnocchi Al Pesto and the Artichoke and Cheese Ravioli in a Sage Butter Sauce, Topped with Fried Sage. Both were tasty. We also had the Italian Delight Mocktail at the Speakeasy. This place is pricey, and at least for me when the price goes up, the expectation of the service you recieve goes up as well. The food was good enough to return, but the service I recieved tonight would make me think of going to another place first before returning here. I really think this place could benefit from having a better system for seating patrons and feel confident that an apology or explanation when you fall short on a service would go a long way with most people.

When we came in there was a hour + wait due to not having full staff. Which was fine, but their wait system is very old school. Wouldn't text or call us when a table was ready so we decided to walk around the corner for a drink and hope we'd be back at the right time. Inside is very cute and romantic. It was too cold for us to eat outside. The food was very tasty, but we felt it was a little overpriced for the portion size, everything being al a carte, and the sub par service. I understand they were running short on wait staff, but we felt we were just ignored and not really checked on or had to wave someone down for water refills. Overall, id come back to for the food since it was very good. But i think they could better their services a bit, as that was the biggest turn off for us.

We went on a Friday night. We had to wait over an hour and a half to be seated for a party of three. It was bad enough that the staff gave us free champagne for the wait. When we were finally seated, I inquired if the ribeye came with any vegetables and the waitress said yes. However, when the food came, she realized she told me wrong and comped a side of grilled vegetables. I ordered the ribeye and fried bread. The fried bread was bland and not filling. The ribeye was cooked to perfection and the fries were delicious. All together, we had a "meh" experience.

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful date night here, and everything from the atmosphere, food and the service was great. I had the seafood spaghetti, which was light and flavorful. The scallops were cooked to perfection! My husband had the rigatoni, which he enjoyed (it has a bit too much grease). Overall, this spot is a wonderful choice for a date night, evening with friends or to book to celebrate a special occasion!

Came to Calafiria to celebrate a friend's birthday. They were so accommodating to seat our party of 12. The wine selection was fantastic and the pesto ravioli was delicious.

I've been to this place twice, and its outdoor dining area is amazing for Reno's summer nights. The food is decent and reasonably priced, considering the experience and vibe the place offers. I've tried their Carbonara and their seafood special, which was a salmon creamy pasta. I loved the initial taste, but the cream was so heavy that I couldn't finish my food and I didn't feel good for a while after that, but overall, I loved the place and will go back.

If you're planning a fun date night or want to give someone a gift then it's time for you to book a cooking class with Tim! Tim and his crews did such an amazing job with our group. He was knowledgeable and patient. It was a fun and interactive class. The food were delicious and the price was reasonable. Highly recommend!

I think we must have gone to calafuria on an off night because they were somehow out of tagliatelle which is the main ingredient in two of the dishes on the menu! And since the menu is already so limited from the outset, it made our ordering very stunted. Also, how does an Italian place run out of pasta? It's just egg and flour make some more! It's one of your main ingredients! From what we did order, the mushroom ravioli was so stunning, fresh, melt in your mouth flavors. I liked the edition of the crispy sage leaf which is a flavor that works so well with brown butter anything I really enjoyed the arancini ball appetizer and fried appetizer with clams, calamari, oysters- loved the diversity of options. The beet salad on special was a bit of a joke, tiny cubes beets with the smallest quantity of whipped cheese and at least that was only like $6 because it was wimpy. The rigatoni with beef ragu had great flavor but the sauce was very thin and soupy, after the first layer of pasta it just looked like soup unfortunately with the thin sauce pooling in the bowl. I really wish we had had an opportunity to try the tagliatelle dishes. The ambiance of calafuria is so cute and homey and classic that you feel like you could be in Italy. Wish the food was more substantial though.

One of my favorite Reno spots for a date night! They recently opened a bar in the back which offered great drinks while we waited for our table. Once inside we had great service! The suppli and bruschetta were perfect appetizers. With the servers suggestion we tried their ciopinno (a good spicy broth and LOADED with all kinds of seafood), my new favorite dish. We finished with a couple desserts and delicious Calafuria Coffee (their twist on an Irish coffee). Definitely recommend this place to all my friends/ family coming into town!

How have I never been here before? I almost want to keep this little gem a secret but I can't be selfish. If you want intimate and a handmade experienced, this is it. Came here with a group of 8 (*reservation encouraged for large parties*) and it felt like a true Italian experience. This place is only open three hours a day and I suggest savouring your time like the Italians do and enjoy a glass, or two, of wine with your loved ones. If wine isn't your thing, they make some pretty good cocktails, too! They have fried bread. Yeah, you read that correctly. FRIED BREAD. Ordered 2, stopped from ordering the third. They were out of the focaccia, just means I have to come back! Darn. It is a special place to share alone, as a couple or with family and friends. Order food for sharing and if it sounds good, get it!! Because it will be! Oh, and get the fried bread. Salute.

I can't believe it took my 5 years of living in Reno to finally come here! I had heard amazing things, but then with the pandemic and their focus on events, I had never had a chance to go in. Then, just the other week, I heard they were back serving weekend dinners! My husband and I popped in (no reservation needed). We were seated by the cozy fireplace very quickly. It's an intimate setting where you can see the chef and staff hard at work. The menu is small and selective--pasta of the day, ravioli of the day, steak and a selection of tasty appetizers. They also have an extensive wine list and cocktails to enjoy. The small menu may scare some, but the freshness and flavor of the dishes leads me to believe you'll never be disappointed. There is care cooked into every bite. Definitely worth a visit!

One of my new favorite restaurants in Reno! Great cute atmosphere, lovely staff, everyone working there is very welcoming and friendly and seems to really care about making sure your experience is great. The food and drinks overall were very good especially their house specialty salmon dish with veggies, the green salad and house made warm sourdough bread. The ribeye steak was decent but not as flavorful as some of the other items. The only reasons why i didn't give this restaurant five stars is because the bathroom in the new bar area out back of the restaurant definitely needs to be remodeled and is very small. Having a sign on the bathroom door would be helpful. It would be more convenient for the customers if they brought the check to you versus having to pay at the counter when you leave. But I can also see how some people might like this when you just pay on your way out or when you are ready to leave versus having to wait for the check. I still prefer the first way! Also, the Mexican chocolate gelato was a little surprising in that it was super spicy which wasn't listed on the menu. Wasn't a big fan but the actual chocolate flavor tasted good. When I mentioned this to our waitress she was very appreciative of the feedback and gave us a credit for the ice cream which was very sweet even though my fiancée had eaten it. Overall I really enjoyed this place, was very appreciative for all the great service and quality food. I will definitely be back to try other dishes or order the salmon again!

Calafuria is such a gem! We recently went for date night and it did not disappoint. It was a hot night but we sat outside by the fountain and really enjoyed the ambiance! We each started with a Negroni, which was absolutely delicious! We shared three small plates; the cheese platter, fried seafood, and meatballs. They were all amazing and really large portions. I must say the fried seafood was really the star of the show, specifically the shrimp! We shared the tagliatelle pasta with spicy sausage and broccolini, which I also would recommend. We had planned on getting an entree to split, but were so full there was no way! We ended the night with the almond tart. This was just okay, a little on the dry side. Overall a great experience at Calafuria with excellent service. We're excited to go back as the menu is constantly changing!

Service: dined in on a Thursday night. Not too busy (I don't think people know they have opened up the restaurant to walk ins thurs -Saturdays !!). Waitress was very attentive . We met one of the owners and he showed us the back patio area that they worked so hard on during Covid! ITS SO BEAUTIFUL. Perfect little cute spot to have dinner parties or receptions! Food: the menu was small (which I like-- it means their dedicated to quality over quantity). The pasta for the night was rigatoni- we chose a sausage tomato sauce. It was delicious. We also got a little seafood sampler and broccolini side dish. What I loved most was the salad- we chose the Caesar dressing and it was perfect. I'm a Caesar salad snob. The lettuce was nice and crisp. Not overly dressed. The dressing was packed with flavors and homemade. Right amount of crutons and cheese. MHHM!! Such a pretty and romantic place. We will be back forsure!

My bff took me there for my bday. It was my fist time so I was very excited to try something new. As soon as we stepped in, the waitress welcomed us and took us to the table. Food was amazing. I would definitely visit again, but the drink was really miss. I ordered mine w: cranberry and vodka and some mint leaves, but it was really awful drink I've ever had. Other than that, it was absolutely good place to celebrate and catch up with friends. Very cozy and quiet. Our table was outside and it was bit wonky, but I had really good time with my girl :)

Want to try the best Northern Italian food outside of Northern Italy? Well then, you'll have to get your pasta lovin' butt over to Calafuria on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday - the only days they're open - and that's exactly what you'll find. We've dined here twice, and I can't wait to go back. (Take all my money, Calafuria!) It's a casual affair, no reservations taken and you pay at the counter, but there's nothing casual about the magic that happens in that kitchen. They turn out dishes that would make my family in Tuscany proud: marinated chi-chi beans, rapini with garlic and anchovy, bruschetta with plump cherry tomatoes...all these small dishes are $6. The fried calamari, shrimp and oyster dish ($16) is a must-order for me, as is their beautifully fried fish with tomatoes and olives (Lots of olives!). Pastas are perfect, toothsome and deftly dressed. My only quibble might be that the sirloin I ordered rare came out more of a medium (I traded with my buddy who ordered his well-done, but was served medium-rare), and even with this quick fix, I still found the meat to be too tough to fully enjoy. Might be the fault of the cut, however, a kitchen this good should get their steak perfect every time. Either way, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the meal, nor the 5 stars I feel they deserve. I'm going back tomorrow for one of their cooking classes, Friday for my birthday and next Wednesday for a wine-pairing meal. Like I said, take all my money, Calafuria...you're worth every penny!

Great food, great service! Meatballs and special was so dang good. Drinks on point, great place.

Amazing service, the waitress was attentive and kind! We ordered bread with salted butter, meatballs and 2 rigatonis one with the beef ragu and one with the pesto. Every single dish was AMAZING. Best pasta in Reno by far!!! The ambiance is so cozy and warm. Perfect place for a beautiful meal!

I had the pleasure of attending Wednesday wine pairing night. Wow just amazing. The food is so fresh and delicious the wine pairing is perfect. The owners Christina and Tim are the sweetest so is Mary Liz. Tim and Christina owned a restaurant in Tuscany before moving back to Reno and opened Calafuria. The food is fresh and authentic. Such a beautiful ambience. They offer wine pairing every other Wed and cooking classes every other Wed. We will be back.

Went for a retirement party. Great food! Great outdoor venue. They offer a cooking classes I definitely will take the class!

The food was amazing and I love the ambiance. We sat outside in the garden and it was just perfect.

Time to update- there's been some changes. Thanks Covid. Prior to Covid, there were brunches, lunches and dinners here. During the last two years Califuria switched its game plan. They are now a small event center and wedding venue. And if you follow then on Facebook, you can get in on the occasional pop up dinner. So you don't have to beg a stranger to invite you to their wedding. So recently five of us attended a Friday night pre fixe pop up for $60 each. This cozy old brick house has converted three large rooms into dining areas. The side and back yards are fabulous spaces in our summer weather. Not sure of the wine situation, we each brought a bottle or two. They had a nice wine list, but our first couple of choices were out. So we opted the $15 corkage fee and had our own. There is also a full cocktail bar available. We started with fresh baked bread out of the oven and truffle cheese. Then large sage and artichoke leaves battered dipped and fried. Served with a thick garlicky bagna cauda sauce. Second appetizer plate was smoked duck breast tartare with garlic crisps. Micro greens and pepper aioli accented the plate. The main course, a bowl of fresh house made tagliatelle cooked to perfection, topped with a sausage ragù. Plenty for leftovers. The dessert was a generous scoop of decadent chocolate gelato with a caramel drizzle. I enjoy the pop ups and hope we get a few more through the summer. The portion sizes are plenty and variety of dishes have been wonderful. For the price, a great deal. Parking is a trick. You are in the Midtown area- narrow streets, popular businesses, and very limited parking. I accept the fact I usually have to walk 2-3 blocks from my car. That's fine, it's a beautiful neighborhood and I probably ate too much.

I've been here several times. The first time I went by myself, excited by the prospect of fresh handmade pasta in town. The subsequent times, I had to be dragged against my will by friends. The amount of arrogance and pretension going on in this building is off the charts. Like others, I have been served dishes at Califuria that were absolutely disgusting - so salty it burns the mouth, pasta so undercooked it crunches in the teeth - only to be told to go pound sand when we sent it back. This feels like a 20-something chef watched a YouTube tutorial on how to make pasta and then grew an enormous ego, despite the fact that he never actually learned how to make it correctly. Anything beyond the pasta, which I have found to be consistently poorly made, is Sysco and US Foods slop with prices hiked up into the stratosphere to convince undiscerning boomers that they're not eating trash. They are, though. Califuria is trash.

Considering this has been one of our favorite places for date night, it saddens me that I have to write a review about the horribly poor service we experienced on a Saturday night. Walked in at 6pm and the restaurant was full, one of the gals let us know that she'll put our name on a list and give us a call in about 30-45 minutes when a table opens up. No problem at all, we went around the corner and had a beverage while waiting. Unfortunately, after an hour we still had yet to receive a call so we walked back to check in. 3 tables that we were in line for had new people seated at them (which means they forgot to call us and we got skipped to people who had just walked in). We again, had to wait for a table. Once we got seated, it was 15 minutes before our server even acknowledged us. 20 minutes in we placed our drink order, appetizer, and meal due to ensure we'd at least get something in a timely manner. Our drinks and seafood appetizer came out, and then we waited ONE HOUR for two entrees to arrive. Neither of the servers acknowledged us the entire time we were waiting or offered to refill our obviously empty drink glasses or water. Complete disappointment. We ordered the fried seafood as an appetizer, which the only thing that wasn't over cooked was the shrimp and it was delicious. Our entrees were bacon wrapped filet which my partner highly enjoyed, and rigatoni with marinara. Decided to give two stars because most of the food was delicious, the service was just significantly poor. We will give the place one more shot on another night considering we always recommend friends and family and buy gift cards for the holidays.

Summary: wonderful food and service. Nice romantic ambiance for dates and seems flexible for large groups...did not know they had a cute and spacious outdoor area. Just call in advance to make sure they are not booked for a private party. We ordered the Pinot Grigio - delicious. We shared the pickled veggies, salad, beef ragu with fresh pasta, moist chicken with mac and cheese. Mac and cheese awas a bit dry but chicken was made to perfection. I still recommend the entrees. In all, everything was nicely seasoned and I did not feel thirsty and swollen the next day from the salt. Yay. I get worried with creamy and saucey stuff. Haha. Just make sure to give a little bit of time to find parking. Nice dinner and will be back to try the specials with our kids when they are back from break. I can see this place being a regular dinner place.

Unfortunately no pictures, but went here for a holiday event with coworkers. We had a great time! The space is intimate and beautiful with plants everywhere and an open kitchen. Looks like there was a nice outdoor space but it was too cold to explore. The cocktails were well made by very friendly and attentive staff. We loved the cheese plate appetizer and the different vegetables - ratatouille and pickled. The main ravioli was amazing, some of the best I've had. Our group got the porcini mushroom ravioli with sage and butter! Highly recommend. The cannoli was good, a little different with some added citrus zest. Definitely a good space for an event or a nice date night!

Open with online ordering and curbside takeout during COVID with extra precautions in place in the restaurant as well. This meal had been calling to me. I spotted the photo of the take home bbq kit of the week earlier in the week and had to have it. So I sprung it as a surprise on my wife and picked it up. Theyve been offering this for a few weeks now, changing the cut of beef. This week it was 1lb pair of beautiful picanha (Brazilian cut of beef), four house made sausages, fresh salad and bread and house made butter for $30. The beef had a beautifully white cap of fat over fairly lean red meat. The sausages were incredibly well cured. Dry to the touch with incredibly chunks of fat that just melted on the grill. Even the butter had a special flavor I can only describe as cultured or fermented like a blue cheese, and the salad had some delicious pickles. I got some cooking tips for the beef from chef Tim, and I went home and really took my time cooking everything. I've gotta say, it was a lot of fun and the results were pretty darn good. Tender beef with a delicate sweet marinade and a sausage with full depth of flavor and crispy exterior. We ate all the beef and one sausage that night, and made the other sausages into three other meals. The photo they used on social media was so old school and primal, it stuck with me all week, and I couldn't wait to cook it. I'm so glad I picked it up, and I'm looking forward to the next Edition.

Went here for a drink in the back bar. The drinks were refreshing and the presentation was impecable. Virginia was our bartender and she was personable and incredibly attentive. She even offered us snacks. Such a great experience here, I definitely will be returning!

Another hit in midtown! Calafuria is located very close to the Stix shopping center but don't be fooled, you can't park there. Look for street parking nearby instead. When you walk up to the restaurant you'll pass by the patio first which they do seat in summer. It was a colder night so it was closed but there were a few tables available even though it was a Saturday night. The inside is warm and inviting with colorful pieces of art on the wall and flower centerpieces at every table. We had some remnants of Valentine's Day since ours also had a pretty puffy pink sequined heart in the vase. The menu sounded a little too good so wound up with three entrees instead of a deuce since we were only a pair. My boyfriend was starved so his main was the grilled salmon. His first words after sinking his teeth into the fish sang the praises of the best bite of salmon he'd ever had which was very high praise. We split the gnocchi pesto which was okay but it was way overshadowed by main which was the cheese ravioli. I know you're thinking like what's so good about a cheese ravioli? Its pasta wrapper was amazingly executed. The cheese inside of it had a slight pull to it when you bit open the ravioli...it was the first time I've had it like that and it was superb. The flavor of the truffles and mushrooms was just right. Not too intense, just enough to remind you that you've been depriving your taste buds of real goodness. The staff were all super nice. At one point I asked what the lump in our water was and our waitress let us know that it was activated charcoal! Pretty cool. Really glad we found this little gem on a busy night!

Disappointed for sure. My husband made a reservation three weeks in advance and was told the specific date we wanted was not available due to a wedding. We decided to go the day after but certainly regret it. At the time the reservation was made, my husband confirmed the gluten free pasta options. Today when we went we were seated outside and the couple next to us ordered at the same time but received everything including their desert before our food even came... long after we placed our order we were told they ran out of the gluten free pasta because of the wedding the day before. Instead of pasta the only other option was risotto. The food for my birthday dinner took over an hour to get to our table which made it difficult to enjoy. Sad to say it was our first and will be our last time visiting. If I had to recommend an item on the menu, it would have to be the French fries which is sad because the "smashed potatoes" had no flavor and I never tasted the gluten free pasta.

I'm from California and I been to many amazing restaurants. This place in Reno, Nevada is now part of that amazing restaurant list. Wonderful and attentive service. Each dish was delicious!!! The food was so fresh and flavorful. The decor is charming and welcoming. This place is definitely a hidden gem. Treat yourself to a spectacular and beautiful meal by trying this place out. It's a wonderful and memorable experience. Enjoy!!!

It's been a while. Great pasta place. Locally owned and run. Secret tip is ask for the prosciutto. Now that I'm GF that's my go to.

I walked pass this place many times and I've always wanted to come here. Today we planned our night and finally made it in! It was a very cute place. Nice interior design, lovely outdoor seating area, and very tasty snacks. The servers were friendly, but the wait time for our drinks and food was very very long.. if you have plenty of time and don't mind waiting, this is really a cool place to hang out and get some really delicious snacks! It's vegetarian friendly too!

This was our first night trying calafuria and we were very excited. I hate writing bad reviews but this was on a whole different level. We got seated promptly which was great. We placed a round of three appetizers and 2 cocktails in an order. It took 30min to receive our cocktails and 40min to receive our appetizers. In the meantime while we were waiting for the appetizers the table next to us orders another round of drinks. About 8-10min later the same waitress advises the couple that the cocktails are taking extra time and inquires if they would like a glass of wine on the house (their choice) as they awaited for their next round. This was quiet insulting to my wife and myself. When our appetizers arrived at the 40min mark this was the first time we had interacted with our waitress since our initial drink order. She asked if we would like to order entrees but at this time we decided getting the check and moving on would be the best option for us. The appetizers were all subpar beside the salad which was a simple garden salad with vinaigrette. The meatballs were burnt and charred and we requested them being taken off the bill as we did not eat them. We've made better frozen meatballs at home. We then had some attitude from the waitress about this request. I would not recommend the fried bread either. Essentially we opted to leave and are currently driving to in&out. Zero stars as there is literally no service nor food that entices the appetite. I suppose the waitress knew how lacking our experience was as when we checked out she stated she did not expect a tip.

Over the last three weeks, I've had three business dinners here. The vibe of the restaurant is excellent: fancy without being stuffy. Because it's an Italian restaurant, vegetarians and meat-eaters have many options from which to choose. The building's previous life as a historic home gives it a cosy atmosphere. Calafuria's location on Center Street showcases what I think are the best aspects of Midtown Reno. The restaurant was bustling on two of the three weeknight dinners, but it was not too loud for my hard-of-hearing elder colleague. UNR's rules for business dinner expenses put a cap on dinner at $50 a person for food and $20 a person for alcohol, and it is surprising that Calafuria is one of only a handful of classy, non-casino-based Midtown offerings where one can reliably stay under those restrictions. (Fin + Filet and Centro: alas!) It is easy to call to make a reservation, and on each occasion, the host was able to seat us at our preferred table by the front window and fireplace. Service was excellent: unobtrusive but present. There is an attractive bottle of water at each table, so one can easily refill one's own water glass. The bread and their salted, slightly warmed butter are absolutely delicious, and our servers were happy to bring us a second basket. Our food was served piping hot, and on all three occasions, everyone enjoyed their meals. The tiramisu dessert is exceptional: the best I have ever had. Suggestion for improvement: make sure the under $40 bottles of wine are in stock.

Amazing food. Beautiful atmosphere. Service was the best. A good time was had by all.

Love the food. But we arrived at 7:30 and were told we would be seated before they closed. Came back at 8:00 and they said they would not seat us. Very disappointed considering we could've spent that hour eating somewhere else

Oh, Calafuria. You spoiled me a few weeks back. Michael T. knows I can eat Italian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why not take me to one of the finest spots in all of Reno. Course after course, drink after drink, and smile after smile. Everything about the dining experience was divine. I began with a delightful Sweet Vermouth aperitif, since wine ain't my speed. Dining on the outdoor patio felt as if we were dining in Italy. A truly magical atmosphere! Now let's talk main course. Introducing one of the better pasta dishes I've had lately, Chicken Ravioli with Sage and Prosciutto Broth. WOW. The saltiness from broth gelled exquisitely with the fresh pasta and tender chicken. The sage brought a gentle herbaceous note to the dish. Just spectacular! Ceviche, Fried Flowers, and a Melon Starter kicked off the meal, with each dish being executed flawlessly. Pro tip: do not skimp on dessert! Chantilly Creme Granita was the most refreshing end to our luxurious meal. House made cream mixed with flavored shaved ice, you cannot miss this for the life of you. Totally recommend making a reservation, but on this particular Wednesday night the dining room was empty. If you go when they first open you "should" be able to snag a table. Reno, count your blessings. Calafuria is fantastic from beginning to end!

I haven't eaten here in a few years. But when I ate there a few times I was able to make a reservation. I tried to reserve for a Friday night and was informed they do not take reservations. That is a disappointing policy for what I remember to be a nice restaurant. I'm not going to hope that I can get a table, especially on a Friday night. The hostess said this was their policy because they can't count on people coming to the reservation. So charge a cancellation fee! Needless to say I won't be dining there now.

My wife has been wanting to try this place and what better reason than to celebrate her birthday. We made a reservation for 5pm on a Saturday. They are open from 4:30pm to 9:30pm Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant is housed in an older bungalow style home. The interior is simple but very comfy and cozy. My wife especially liked the river rock fireplace. We arrived just a bit before 5pm and were seated right away. We just about had our pick of the place as it had just opened. They have a very nice outdoor area however, due to the heat and the smoke we decided to sit inside. Our server brought us waters and menus and told us about the daily specials. My wife decided to get a glass of Moscato and I chose an Icky IPA. She brought us our drinks and we placed our orders. She also explained to us that the bread was just coming out of the oven and she would bring it to us momentarily. My wife decided on the cheese ravioli with mushroom truffle sauce and I chose the rigatoni with homemade Tuscan sausage. Our server brought the bread out to us while it was still warm and our entrees were delivered shortly after. Everything looked and tasted amazing! Our server was very attentive and anticipated our needs. We debated trying something off the dessert menu but there are so many places in this area we decided to go explore for dessert. Overall this was a great experience. For us, it felt a little on the higher end for price but great for a special occasion!

Without meaning offend any other Reno establishments, I have to say that this is the best dinner that I've had in Reno. Why, you ask? Well the atmosphere is fabulous - sit outside for a lovely alfresco dining experience, the service is top notch and the food is right. Like, it's just what you want in a menu and in an execution of a dish. Fresh interesting ingredients, a diverse and changing menu, interesting items that you wouldn't cook at home, extremely fresh and locally sourced veggies and proteins, and perfectly cooked and presented! We came for dinner with a few friends, shared a couple of apps, each ordered a different entree, and shared some desserts. Every dish, I mean EVERY dish, was fantastic and beautifully plated and perfectly delicious! My main course was the grilled scallop, shrimp and squid in a lemon butter sauce with veggies of the day. Let's start with the seafood - shrimp can be done right or they can be done wrong. These were very large, plump, perfectly fresh, slight char on the outside but not over cooked. No mushy over cooked shrimp here - these babies were perfection! And the squid - yummm - full bodies, nicely cooked, very fresh and crisp yummy tentacles. Oh yes! The scallops were a little small but also perfectly cooked! And the side of veggies, well I was pleasantly surprised when my dish arrived on a grilled piece of Romain, with a big beautiful roasted carrot on the side, parsnip purée and some sliced grilled squash. All topped in a light and flavorful lemon sauce. Seriously.. what a dish! I would order this again and again. Calafuria, I can't believe I just discovered you! This is my new date night spot!

We came in for dinner on a Wednesday evening at 5:30pm. Asked for a table for five although only four of us would be staying to eat (called to make a reservation and told our hostess as we were being seated to make sure we didn't take up room at a larger table). Our experience was quite unpleasant and unlike any other time I have been to Calafuria. The food and cocktails were up to par to what I have gotten from here before, but they did not stand out as something I would come back for after the overall service we were given. Our server did not introduce himself to us nor did he give us any recommendations on the menu (aside from which white wine to choose). He was being shadowed by another woman during the first part of our evening but they did not tell us why. Over the course of the night we ordered cocktails for each of us, two bottles of wine, two appetizers, two pastas, and an entree for each of us. The round of cocktails did not come out all at once and the latter half of the table did not get their drinks until the first half was almost done with theirs. We had ordered our appetizers before the restaurant started to fill up. We ordered the fried artichoke hearts special of the day and the calamari, but saw every other table get their food before us (many of whom also got the artichoke hearts). We also had to ask for bread a couple of times after seeing the other tables get theirs. We got a Cava wine with our appetizers and it spilled on the table when our waiter opened the bottle. He did not wipe up the table or the glasses it spilled on. The pastas came out in a timely manner and the entire table enjoyed both pastas-- the pesto gnocchi and the truffle raviolis. The raviolis stood out to me most. The truffle slices were substantial and the cream sauce held a lot of flavor. It was a long wait between the pasta course and the main entrees. We got our second bottle of wine at this time, and we each had to sip very slowly so as not to finish our glasses before the main courses arrived. Our water glasses ran out and we were never checked up on. We had to ask for a water refill and some of our glasses were missed. I don't have any qualms with the food. It was all very good. I was especially impressed with the seafood platter. The shrimp was very large and juicy. It was reminiscent of a grilled lobster tail. The squid and scallops were fresh and cooked very well as well. I ordered the duck breast. It was delicate, tender, and not at all gamey. It went very well with the foie gras reduction. The grilled salmon had a nice smokey flavor. I cannot comment on the ribeye since my friend made the poor decision to order it medium well. We were asked to order desserts while we were still eating dinner. It felt rushed, especially after the long wait for dinner. Every other time I have eaten here, I was offered a shot of limoncello at the end of my meal. We were not offered it and our server explained that it could only be purchased at about $8 a shot. When we got our bill, we were charged an automatic gratuity. I had to point this out to our server, and he apologized because he thought that we were a table of six. This could be a simple mistake, but it was our server himself who asked for our sixth table setting to be removed as soon as we sat down. We were at most a party of five (for the first round of drinks) but only four of us stayed for dinner. We came to Calafuria with the intentions of ordering and eating very well and to have a fun girls night. We did not feel like we got the experience that we paid for. We were often times looking around for service to get our food, refill our drinks and simply check up on us. I will be going elsewhere in Reno for future fine dining experiences.

Small, intimate spot with a great menu. My coworker and I were recommended this spot by a local and I cannot thank her enough for the recommendation. I got the gnocci but after trying the braised duck, I wish I had gotten that. I'd skip whatever cauliflower soup they had. It was awful but everything else was top of the line!

My wife and I went here for Valentines Day. Overall great service, servers were very attentive and our food came out quick. We really enjoyed the fried artichoke hearts, the cheese ravioli with mushrooms and truffle sauce (even my wife really liked this, and she hates mushrooms), and the cotoletta Milanese. Our only complaint would be that the bruschetta came out with obviously burnt bread, and overall lacked any substantial flavor.

I'm a little conflicted on this one, but am looking at the big picture and an average of multiple eating experiences here. The first time we came with some very dear friends and the experience was great. Company, food, service, all were great. The second time was for a large group. The food was good, but the service was not quite up to expectations. The last time, I came for brunch with group of friends and the experience was mixed. We sat on the outdoor deck with was lovely on a warm summer morning. We were all offered water and drinks when given our menus. I ordered the eggs Benedict. It took awhile for our orders to come out - the restaurant was very busy. It was fine, but there were no offers to refill water or other drinks during the wait. The food came out in shifts, and when I got my plate of eggs Benedict, the eggs were very underdone - the white was very runny. And the dish was barely warm. We were able to flag down our waitress and I let her know. She right away said she would put in the order again and have the eggs more to my preference. They came back out and appeared more fried than poached, but were done the way I like them. It was served on brioche toast which to me is a tad sweet, but it worked and was very tasty. The Hollandaise was a bit bland; I like a larger lemon presence. The potatoes were fabulous. I look forward to coming back and giving them another try.

The food is great here! If you are in town this is a must! We have come here for date nights, celebrations and for a quick bite. The food is different and very flavorful. This little restaurant is very cute and has an intimate dining experience. Their bread and homemade butter is what we keep coming back for (it's little things, right?). The desserts are great. We have too many favorites from their menu.

Sometimes I wonder if there are "spirits" that are embodied within a building. And those spirits draw certain people to them to open a business. We wanted a date night. A fantastic date night is what we definitely received. We scooted in as early as possible and started with a fine house wine suggested by one of the staff. We decided on the Chef's Tasting Menu because what better way to try a restaurant for the first time. We enjoyed the charcuterie, cheese, veggies, italian sausage, salad and tuna as the appertivo course. The first course followed with a light pasta dish for each. I chose the cheese ravioli with mushroom and Ly chose the spaghetti with shrimp and they tasted as good as they looked. For my main I chose the beef shoulder which was delightful and tender. The dessert course was a small and satisfying bowl of Zuppa Inglese to share. Our service was attentive and our view from the bar stools felt like the best seats in the house as the kitchen bustled with activity. Bringing out dish after dish the wait staff were silently selling us to make plans for a return visit very soon. I sure hope they have something like the nog we were able to sample at the end of the meal.