Joanna S.
Yelp
I had such a lovely first experience at Cívico that it pains me to update my review.
My family arrived at the restaurant on time for our 6:30pm reservation on a Saturday night. There is free self-parking for Cívico patrons in a lot a few doors down the block, which is always a nice touch in LA. The hostess was really nice, and even greeted me "Happy Birthday," which I noted on the reservation. There were a few patrons here and there, but we arrived before the dinner rush, so service started out great. We ordered drinks and got appetizers right away.
COMPLIMENTARY FOCACCIA AND PESTO - 4/5
A great start to a meal. Tasted freshly made. The focaccia could use more salt and the bake could be more consistent, but it was still delicious. I did eat a piece that didn't taste fully baked. The same thing happened to my friend the first time we visited.
CÍVICO SPRITZ - 5/5 A perfect and refreshing Italian cocktail. I would order this again!
FRITTO DI CALAMARI - 4/5 The calamari pieces were delicious and I loved that they included vegetables, but the zucchini was charred to a crisp. I didn't mind the charr that much since there weren't that many pieces of it anyway, but I was surprised the chef would throw that in to an otherwise perfectly cooked appetizer. The aioli was fantastic and brought the dish together.
FIORE RIPIENO - 3/5 The zucchini blossom was great, but the caponata inside was a bit of an acquired taste. It came with a tomato sauce, but I preferred dipping it in the pesto or garlic aioli from the calamari.
Around the time we ordered our main course is when the service started to slow. It looked like there was only one person in the kitchen cooking and only one waiter who was spread thin with the influx of incoming guests. We decided to order a second bag of focaccia bread from the bus boy (I'm guessing) to tide us over, and we had to keep asking for more water since we waited awhile. When our main course arrived, there were hits and misses.
PAPPARDELLE BRASATO - 5/5 My favorite pasta dish! This one is a must. Perfectly tender short rib.
LINGUINE VONGOLE E BOTTARGA - 4/5 according to my sister but 3/5 according to me. The pasta was served in a light broth with lots of delicious clams. The broth was very spicy, and I thought it should've come with a warning. My sister loves spicy food, so she didn't mind the heat--hence her higher score.
MAFALDE AL RAGU DI CINGHIALE - 2/5 The pasta was noticeably fresh, but the meat was very bland. I'm guessing they forgot to add salt. My brother-in-law was so hungry that he didn't want to complain about it, but I felt really bad! It tasted like someone put ground beef in a George Foreman grill without any seasoning and it lost all of its flavor. Last time I was at Cívico, I thought the same thing about the tagliatelle!
SPAGHETTI LIMONE E GAMBERI - 5/5 If you're looking for the closest dish to an Alfredo, this is it! The pecorino cheese added so much depth, which was a big hit with my other sister. The pasta was perfectly cooked and flavorful. This was a very comforting pasta dish.
LOBSTER SPAGHETTI (SPECIAL) - 5/5 The Eastern Rock Lobster was succulent and the sauce was packed with flavor. A very luxurious pasta dish and fitting for a special occasion!
As we were enjoying our main course, the bus boy kept trying to clear our plates even when some of us were still actively eating. (And I mean, pasta on our forks!) Given how late we got our food, I found it very annoying! Then when we were all done and asked for the dessert menu, they didn't bother to clear the table. They started putting out new silverware on the dirty table. I had to request that they wipe down the table and refresh our glasses.
When dessert arrived there was no birthday acknowledgement or candle. I didn't make a fuss at the time because the waiter looked stressed and barely visited our table to begin with. However, given that we made a reservation weeks in advance, came for a special occasion, and spent a lot of money, I was disappointed by the experience.
TIRAMISU - 5/5 This was smaller than when I visited the first time, but still very delicious.
CANNOLO SCOMPOSTO - 5/5 This dessert felt special! Also, small for $14, but tasted great.
Overall, I'm giving Cívico 2064 3.5 stars.
Food 4/5
Service 2/5
Ambiance 4/5