John Garrison
Absolutely terrific meal! Great ambience -- a classic, small Italian restaurant. White table cloths, attentive service, traditional dishes and amazing specials. We started with a special salad -- artichoke and toasted walnuts -- which was fresh and full of flavor. I had the red snapper special -- with olives, roasted tomatoes -- perfectly grilled. My friend had the orecchiette with homemade fennel sausage. Also excellent.
Very professional service with a sense of humor and great guidance through the menu.
We're putting this on our regular rotation!
Claire Macias
Walked in for dinner and enjoyed one of the best Italian meals I’ve had in a long time!!
I was greeted warmly and attended with a lot of attention and care by the staff.
I ordered the brocoli soup from the specials menu and a pesto gnocchi.
If o had an Italian nonna, I’m sure this is how she would have made it.
Highly recommend!! Will definitely come again.
Sophia Grami
I love looking up restaurants and trying different restaurants every time.
Also , teaching my daughter to try new things and new places. Most people usually go to same restaurant because they already been then and there is no fear of unknown. Well, I’m here to tell you guys you are all missing out on life . Trying different restaurant you get to have different experiences and try different style of everything.
It was our first time going to La Cava, and let me tell you. Its a restaurant that will stay in my memory for ever. Food is delicious, services is excellent. Everything tasted soooo delicious.
Its a restaurant I would definitely go again with a friend that hasn’t been there . Knowing they would love it too .
Matthew Moran
We were driving down Ventura Blvd looking for a place to eat and we're drawn to La Cava and the semi-enclosed patio.
Nice little place. Staff was great. Food was excelled. Met an interesting couple dining next to us.
We're definitely coming back.
Chris Richards
Loved this place. Atmosphere and ambiance was perfect and the service was top notch. The food was amazing and they had some great desserts! Definitely will be back.
Noah Weiss
La Cava is an incredible neighborhood Italian spot. From the owner to the servers, everyone is wonderful. The prices are too high !!
chip messmore
Had a party of 8, and our table was ready when we arrived. Everyone was wonderful from the time we arrived till we left. The food was outstanding, served hot, and the portions were perfect sizes. Deserts were very good! I I I would recommend la cava for dinner.
Amparo Vanni
The food was authentic Italian. Great service. The dessert "torta de la Nona" to die for😃
Nasser Akeel
I got a little worried when I walked in because the restaurant was almost empty, but to my surprise the food was excellent. We were a party of eight so we ordered a variety of dishes and all of them were very good.
cynthia barrientos
Absolutely impecable! The food is authentic and delicious. The staff just goes above and beyond. My husband ordered the risotto special, it was delicious. Definitely recommend, the place is small but worth stopping by.
Ed Serra
We had a family group that the restaurant staff accommodated very nicely. Food was great and arrived together. The service was friendly and attentive. There were three members celebrating birthdays and they served a special sweet treat and sang. Great family atmosphere.
jesse luna
Excelent service, and super delicious food. Ernesto the manager makes you feel very welcomed. Our waiter carlos, hands down the best. He will explain every dish with a smile and makes sure you order the right plate.
Jason Levine
Great little Italian place on Ventura serving mostly traditional dishes but executed very, very well. Everything we had was fantastic, especially the mushroom-based pasta dishes. Risottos were on point and the chef also displays a very nice touch with fish dishes.
Service is excellent, attentive and engaged. The wait staff really makes an effort to get to know the party and make recommendations based on likes and dislikes
Mark
Very good food from a small Italian restaurant in Sherman Oaks. The pasta was fresh, tasty and generous, the fish was very good and the overall meal was quite nice. Difficult to find great places in the valley, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Maria Selivenko
Why did I like this place? ...to begin with I felt there like back in Italy. Very cozy place, amazingly polite personnel, superb Italian food. Oh... I tried every meal that had white truffles in it and it was magnificent 👌. Pictures of Florence on walls can give you a little virtual tour of this beautiful Italian city, which as far as I know is the owner's home town. He made sure he took the best from his home land and brought it here to let us enjoy great Italian cuisine. And the last, but not the least thing "QueVino" 😉👌🏻👍🏻
Lezblowup
Simply delicious. You can tell every morsel is cooked fresh & with love. small intimate setting, great neighborhood spot. wish the portions were bigger, esp for leftovers but service is great, everyone is friends, and the sauces, pasta, seasoning, etc are spot on. - try for yourself!
Rose
Don't bother. I have tried this restaurant 4 times and I won't be back. Completely OVER PRICED! Especially for the food you get which is mediocre at best. The owner is intimidating and rude. Wish it was better since live in the neighborhood.
Chris
Disappointed. Staff arrogant and not attentive; food mediocre. When we arrived, we were asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside, we looked at each other to discuss and when we looked back the host was waiting for us at a table. I guess his question was redundant. Main course was brought to the table before we finished our salads and appetizers. There were no apologies and we weren't asked if we wanted them to hold our plates in the kitchen until we finished. We either had to shovel in whatever we could or our plates were set to the side of the table to retrieve. And we hadn't had the first course for much time. Not as relaxing and enjoyable as we had expected.
Ray F.
Tuscan Terrific!!!. New to Urban Spoon, but had fantastic time tonight at this Italian Restaurant in Sherman Oaks. Thought I'd write my first review. I love Italian food. Nothing makes me happier than authentic Italian and having been to the boot several times on vacation, I know what I'm talking about.<br/><br/>First things first. La Cava is exclusive. Not in a bad way, in a "the food is amazing, get a reservation" way. Luckily, I booked a reservation earlier in the week, so me and my dining partners had a table inside. Upon being seated, we had flatbread and extra virgin olive placed at our table. By the attention to detail the host was giving the limited number of tables, I believe he was the owner. Very nice, very busy guy.<br/><br/>Our waiter arrived quickly and explained the specials and suggested wine pairings. We had a bottle of Sicilian Rosso which went well with our prosciutto and melon appetizer. For my main course I had Papperdelle with Veal Ragu. Now the reason I ordered this was because I had it in Italy about six months ago. And here, in Sherman Oaks, I had a better version!! My friends had steak and branzino(Mediterranean Sea Bass). They loved it. Keep in mind La Cava does everything fresh, so she got the last sea bass of the evening at around 9:30pm<br/><br/>We had cappuccinos after dinner and creme caramel and tirimisu for desert. Decadent, yes. I'll need an extra hour on the elliptical, but I love this place. Waiters buzzing around, tables laughing and drinking, the owner speaking Italian, Spanish, then English all within twenty seconds. It's electric and fun, oh and dark. Its name translates into "The Cave." once the sun goes down, it's lit primarily by the tables small candles. Really cool atmosphere.
Me
Horrible. Dont bother! These guys dont know what their doing! Don't waste your time if you know good Italian food it will disappoint you!
Anais Ganouna
Delish!. I love this place. The food is amazing, the ambiance is warm & welcoming, and the service is top-notch. I love that the owner is always there and is clearly very involved with every part of this business. <br/><br/>The authenticity is clear from the moment you walk in the door (the owner is very charming). The ingredients are super fresh. I even broke my no-carb diet after my friends wouldn't shut up about how amazing the pasta was (totally worth the extra workout the next day). The penne with meat sauce was my favorite.<br/><br/>will definitely be back.
MPK11
The BEST ITALIAN FOOD I have had in LA. Honestly - this food was incredible. I had the salad with shrimp and the pasta with veal ragu. My friend had the grilled branzino, which she raved over. We shared a caramel cream dessert which was insanely good. And their cappuccinos are amazing. This place is simply the best Italian food I have had since living in Italy. Now I'm thinking I shouldn't be so positive about my review because it will now be harder to get into. Oh, well...
Chris Hamilton
Perfecto !!!. We really enjoyed the experience, the food was excellent. Would most definitely go back for more. Wonderful restaurant operated by a very engaging owner, nice atmosphere, La Cava is a nice break from all of the other Italian restaurants out there! The ambiance is elegant, the service is excellent.
Klara E. Jakab
Yummy. I went to this restaurant recently for my cousin's birthday dinner and it was really amazing. The service was super attentive and the food was excellent! everyone left completely happy--totally satisfied with the meal, the wonderful wine that we enjoyed and some scrumptious desserts. I can't wait to go back!<br/><br/>,
5trailblazers
Great Food! Great Service!. What a great find! Great, authentic Italian food. Will definitely be back and recommend it to all my friends and family!
Clara Hamilton
Love it. The food is superb and the service is excellent , fun atmosphere, love the outside seating . Number one Italian restaurant .
Musette
Absolutely Delicious!!. I have eaten at this restaurant over a dozen times because the food is divinely wonderful and the service is impeccable! I just read a couple of absurd reviews...the food is fresh, authentic and cooked to perfection. The bread basket is dangerous because the fresh baked breads are warm and delightful. Best Italian food in Los Angeles....and the wines are great too!!
Thomas
WOW!. Let me just say, i am a italian food kind of guy... and this resturaunt is my favorite Italian spot in the LA area... for the $, there is no better place in town... there specials are orignal, every dish on the menu fills you up, and if you can... try to save room for dessert. The owner Armando is a great traditional italian creator and will suprise you with his skills... Everyone from the beautiful waitress to the polite servers... this resturaunt is MOST DEFINITELY a place to dine...
Jdneider
Great Food! Great Atmosphere!. I highly recommend this restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was great. A taste of Italy in the Valley!
Hks
Disappointing. I decided to try La Cava, since it received a good review in Westway Magazine. My friend and I had a 5:30 dinner reservation on a Saturday night. The man who sat us, who I assume is the owner told us we had to be finished by 7:15. Now, I understand it's a small space, and Saturday is typically a busy night for restaurants, but I'm a paying customer, and if he overbooked that's not my problem. I hate feeling like I have to rush thru a meal, that I'm paying for. I started withj the beef carpaccio, which was bland and chewy. The beef tasted cheap and the consistancy reminded me of prociutto. My entree was a grilled branzino with greenbeans and tomatoes. I asked the waitress how the veggies were prepared and she said they were grilled. The branzino was bland and the skin was soggy. Plus the veggies were clearly sauteed. A huge pet peeve of mine is when a server gives me wrong information with respect to how food is prepared, ingredients, etc. The worst part is the branzino was $35. Also, the restaurant does not serve baskets of bread. What italian restaurant doesn't serve complimentary bread? My husband who is from Italy judges the authenticity of an italian restaurant, before looking at the menu based on the bread. Will not be going there again.
Giasone Levi
A Fraud. Being from Tuscan by birth I can assure every one that there is nothing Tuscan about the dishes offered by La Cava. Where's the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, La Ribollita; Fagioli alle Uccellini and so on. Its menu is a re-hash of every Italian restaurant in the area. A waste of time, unfriendly and very expensive. I know what the ingredients cost and the prices are outrageous. Think about how authentic can the dishes be when the cook's name is Jesus Gutierrez.
Shelby
Incredible menu! The risotto is unreal. Definitely worth the try and the revisit!
Ivan
This could be in Italy. I have now eaten at La Cava 4 or 5 times. I loved it the first time but I am always cautious to judge a restaurant by first impressions as I have often been disappointed after going back to a place that seemed great initially only to be let down at subsequent visits. This has not been the case with La Cava. On every visit the food has ranged from good to fantastic (top of my list so far: for antipasti polenta with mushrooms is a must, beef Carpaccio or Scampi e Fagioli close seconds as antipasti or try the artichoke salad; all the pastas have been great but I particularly liked the Pappardelle lamb ragu and the porcini risotto was perfect; I have not tried many of the secondi but the Costolette di Agnello or Branzino have been great; dolci? a word of warning: if you are trying to keep the calories down you will fail at this point as you will soon discover the question is not whether to have desert but which one). Service: if you like bland, predictable "have nice day" type service avoid La Cava. If you prefer character and genuine commitment to great food this is the place for you.
Mgmgirl
Good food but a bit unfriendly. After reading a lot of the reviews we decided to try the food and see for ourselves if the owner was really as arrogant as reported.<br/>We called and got a reservation for 6:30 on Saturday night with little problem, if we promised to be out by 7:15. We were asked twice on the phone if we were sure we could be out by then. This didn't bother me until we walked in to the restaurant at 6:25 to a completely empty room! Not one table was full. To be fair, the place was about half full when we left at 7:10.<br/>The food was good. Pizza with prosciutto was fine, not great. My husband's pappardelle bolognese was excellent. Father -in-law's angel hair pasta w/ red sauce and grilled veggies was good. Bread on the table was disappointing. Our waiter was friendly and good. The owner was not rude but definitely lacked any kind of warmth, something he should try to work on. These little neighborhood places are always busy when they are new, but what keeps them alive long term is customer loyalty. We eat out 3-5 times per week and are always interested in a good, local restaurant. Although the food was good, it was not out of the ordinary and the price was a bit high for what you are getting. Since we did not get any feeling of welcome or warmth we will probably choose to spend a little more and go to Panzanella in Sherman Oaks or La Loggia in Studio City instead - much nicer ambience and better food.
Fil Eisler
FANTASTIC!!!!!!. One of the best Italian restaurants in LA (certainly BY FAR the best in the Valley). Excellent authentic cooking and a real Tuscan family restaurant atmosphere. Love it.
Paul Flattery
Disappointed. Friends raved about this place and the reviews were great so we looked forward to dinner. We ordered polenta w/mushrooms which was good, shrim scampi pasta, which was ok but overpriced at $25 and the risotto special (barolo sauce, blue cheese and onions) which looked like purple porridge and had no layers of taste, it was a bland one-note dish. But the biggest disappointment was how noisy it was. The acoustics made it deafening and we could barely talk to each other.
Ntp
Best Italian in the Valley. This is my new favorite restaurant in the Valley. Their pastas are homemade and outstanding. They have wonderful specials, using the freshest ingredients of the season. And their menu is extensive enough to please everyone. In addition, everyone who works there, from the owner to the chef to the wait staff, is warm, friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this place for lunch or dinner.
Like To Dine
Italian food at its best. I am compelled to write a review for La Cava after enjoying one of the best Italian meals here in LA. This restaurant really captures the essence of true Italian cooking. We ordered the specials of the day and were not dissapointed. Each dish was prepared with its own distinct flavor. The gnocchi were prepared in a light sauce with porcinis and truffles. The dish was sublime, multi-dimensional in flavor. The food is fresh and not overpowered by salt like so many LA restaurants seem to cook with lately. The desserts were just as good as the main courses. Try the creamy panna cotta. This place is a gem for lovers of Italian food. We will certainly return again.
STB
Best Italian in the Valley. Everything was delicious! This is hands down the best Italian food in the Valley. <br/><br/>Polenta with mushrooms - awesome.<br/>Gluten-free pasta as an option!<br/>Fresh ingredients, authentic flavors - the real deal.<br/><br/>My only critique was that the kitchen was a little slow considering how few people were there. <br/><br/>It's practically undiscovered (therefore not crowded), so go enjoy it before it catches on!
Discmed
Good food, expensive prices. Had dinner with my son and husband.We shared the caprese salad-$14.00 for 3 slices of tomatoes topped with mozzarella and arugula, the soup of the day- crab, and for entrees we had the "brisket"-$28.00 for 3 small pieces of meat- tasty but overpriced, the whitefish -$17.00- probably a better value and tasty ( roasted potatoes were good) and an average pizza.<br/>Friendly staff.
Foodie 401
Take it from an Italian in the food service industry- This new establishment needs help! From the ambiance, to the service, to the menu, and lastly to the arrogant owner starring at my a** while walking to the restroom. A common excuse in this place seems to be the fact that they are a "newbie" in the vally, unacceptable as far as I'm concerned. Print out paper menus, unledgable scribble on a large chalkboard, awful lighting beaming in your face along w/the owner pressuring you to order bottle water bc they aren't fully licensed to sell alcohol...yet. $28 for a 4 oz braised beef entree w/ 3 tablespoons on mashed potatoes, saturated spinach drenched in oil (or butter) seems OUTRAGEOUS to foodie yet anyone else looking forward to a great meal! Don't waste your time at LA CAVA- head to The Aroma 4 minutes away- you'll be glad you did!! Trust me-
Cristian
Best italian food in the Valley!!!. After trying some Italian restaurants in the valley, I came across this fantastic restaurant. From the new ambiance of the place to the cordial staff, my dinnig experience was amazing. The food was extraordinary and very authentic. It is my new place to satisfy my Italian cravings. I will higly recommend it. Bravo!!!
A Brager
From the minute that I stepped inside La Cava, I knew that I was not only going to be greeted with smiling faces, but also with amazing food. The rustic brick walls and black and white photographs compliment one another and add to the ambiance. Each wood table is spacious enough to fit 4 people comfortably and the overall setting is very simple and beautiful. Armando, the owner, is always there to greet each person with his charming Italian flare and sense of humor. The quality of a restaurant is not only based on good, solid food, but also good preparation, thought & consideration for each aspect, and the love for what you do. La Cava proves all of the above because the food is excellent and perfectly portioned. The Salmon entree is absolutely delicious and the Polenta appetizer (with sauteed sizzling mushrooms) is quite the tastebud pleaser. I recommend La Cava to everyone and hope that people enjoy it as much as I do.
X
My experience. Few recommendations:<br/>--when a customer walks in, don't stay on the phone and say "sit whereever you want"<br/>--write clearly on your menu specials board--i couldn't read one thing written on there <br/>--don't be telling people the daily specials and then in the middle of talking to your customer, say 'hold on while i answer the phone"<br/>--get better menus rather than paper take-out looking menus<br/>--if it is going to be a $25 per plate restaurant, the employees shouldn't have their kids in there screaming and making noise for about 15 mins.<br/><br/>That was my experience at La Cava. It's too bad too because I love supporting local small restaurants, but don't think I will be going back considering the experience vs. how much they charge. I will stick with Siam Cabin, Cafe Bizou or Cafe Cordialle down the street.
Amalia
FANTASTICO / MOTO BENE. Last night, my family and I, we had diner at LA CAVA. I must say , the best Italian Food, that we ever had in L.A.<br/>Authrentique italian, excellent service, simple decoration, very homee - extra clean. we had a great time. Congratulaions to Armando,
Jeremy Henderson
Authentic Italian In Sherman Oaks!. Armando Pucci, one of the original founders of La Bucca on Melrose, has opened this small and very authentic Italian restaurant on Ventura Blvd. Everyone I know is excited by this new addition. The food is exceptional and the owner, Armando, has an undeniable charm that only handsome Italians seem to be gifted with. He is very entertaining. Husbands, beware!!!
Kay
DELICIOUS!!!. Went with another couple and everyone loved their selections. I am a fan of Italian and was not disappointed. The service was warm and friendly and the owner made everyone comfortable in this wonderful new addition to Sherman Oaks.
Frankly Speaking
Best Italian. Everything about La Cava was fantastic. The food. The vibe. The staff. The owner. The menu. The FOOD.<br/> Destined to be a neighborhood gem.
L Eisler
La Cava is wonderful.. Best Italian food that I have eaten since last in Florence.<br/>Lovely staff and owners. So thrilled to have a 'real' Italian restaurant in our area.
Anna
Real Italian cuisine - new place. Lovely new restaurant of Italian cuisine. Owned by Italian guy with excellent sense of humor and warm hospitality! All dishes are home made and give you the taste of real Italy.<br/>Lunch menu includes: appetizers (9-12$), salads (10-13$), soups (8$), panini (13$), pizza (11-14$), pasta (13-15$), main course (15-22$), deserts (7$).<br/>Tiramisu is amazing!!!!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes