Cafe Carolina

Encino, United States

4.2

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 818-881-8600
Website:
www.organiccafecarolina.com
Address:
17934 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA, 91316
Encino
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
1.3 miReseda Bus Station - Eastbound
1.4 miReseda Bus Station - Westbound
2 miBalboa Station
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Encino) 10:39 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

If you’re craving Italian food, come on over. While we specialize in northern Italian food, we also offer a number of classic dishes like Gnocchi Marinara and Penne Alfredo. We use fresh ingredients, and organic whenever possible (milk, coffee, chicken, eggs, greens, and more). We also offer a variety of items for vegetarians, vegans, and those with special dietary needs. For those on a gluten-​free diet, we have gluten-​free pasta made from brown rice flour. We also make a dairy-​free fruit cobbler and an all-​raw carob-​coconut torte. We do not offer conventional sodas, but healthier choices (in as much as sodas can be healthy) using cane juice or Splenda as sweeteners. Our dinner specials change often – so there’s always something to look forward to!

History

Established in 2003.

Chef Giuseppe and his wife Isabella opened Café Carolina for business in April 2003, naming it after their daughter. Her brother Thomas’s favorite dish bears his name. (Look for it in our menu!)

Meet the Business Owner

Giuseppe D.

Business Owner

Chef Giuseppe, from beautiful Lago di Garda in northern Italy, and formerly of Il Fornaio/​Manhattan Beach and Prego/​Beverly Hills, invites you to experience authentic Italian food as it was meant to be — fresh, delicious, and made with passion. He began his culinary journey at his mother’s side helping to make lasagna noodles for the neighborhood and ravioli cremaschi for the family. His grandparents owned and operated a popular trattoria; his aunt, at various times, cooked in a hotel, a restaurant, and then opened her own B&B. Clearly, cooking is in his genes. Before coming to the U.S., Chef Giuseppe worked in restaurants in Italy, learning the business first-​hand before attending culinary school here. He is dedicated to bringing authentic flavors in house-​made dishes to our patrons. Yes, sometimes this means the food takes a little longer to reach your table, since dishes are made to order; for those who take their food seriously, we believe the wait is worth it. Buon appetito!

Café Carolina also recommends

The Healing Rose — CLOSED

5

reviews

Skin Care

,

Makeup Artists

Giuseppe D. says,

«Irina & Galya are so knowledgeable and thoughtful, using only exceptional Dr. Hauschka products to enliven the skin and enrich the soul. Bliss out!»

Heal and Soul Yoga

32

reviews

Yoga

,

Tai Chi

Giuseppe D. says,

«The owners & teachers are committed to serving the community with classes and lectures on all aspects of health and well being. Love the yoga classes!»

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20 reviews of Cafe Carolina

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
Nice little italian restaurant in the valley. whole in the wall place .
we took our own vine. appetizers and the food was good
I would definitely recommend this place.
Place rating: 5
Lake Balboa, CA
We go to Casey’s for some of the most authentic Italian food. And having been to Italy, we can vouch for its authenticity.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Love this restaurant. Beautiful interior, cool little wine selection, and excellent fresh pasta. I’ve worked in restaurant hospitality for a long time. My wife and I are always charmed by a true labor of love. Thank you, Café Carolina, for caring service, delicious food, and always a great date night!
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
This place seems to be hit or miss. The bread they serve you in the beginning is really good (crunchy exterior, almost cake like interior) but the marinara sauce that comes with it is oily and tasteless. Their menu sounds fantastic but I was not happy with my dish. I ordered the special (spinach ricotta ravioli in a rosemary butter sauce) and was very underwhelmed. The ravioli was cut too thick, so it didn’t cook well enough or evenly, the spinach ricotta flavor was pretty bland and while the sauce was good, there was not enough of it. Another bummer is that they do not serve a proper cappuccino (mine was more like a latte). The one shining star that makes this A-​OK is the dessert. I really enjoyed the torta nonna (italian cake with lemon cream, almonds and pine nuts), it was scrumptious.
2 hour parking on the street.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This place is my go to family restaurant. They know my order and my daughters. Both my parents and my in laws come here on their birthdays. The most friendly staff and amazingly fresh food!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
One of our neighborhood faves! Family owned, amazing specials, and a charming atmosphere. We had our daughter’s high school graduation dinner here. It was delicious and extremely reasonably priced for a party of 25! We love this restaurant and come here often! They like it if you call for reservations. :)
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
Excellent Italian restaurant in the valley!
–Funghi di Campobasso (appetizerl): I’m sorry but it’s NOT worth ~$ 10. Two medium-​sized grilled stuffed Portobello mushrooms (vegan — it’s soy meat!). For our table of 4, we ended up cutting the mushrooms in half. One bite per person. Great flavor, but just not worth the price.
–Spiedini: pork sausage with grilled red bell peppers and onions. Comes with an arugula salad and roasted potatoes. Recommend if you’re not interested in a pasta dish!
**Strozzapreti: This (ricotta-​spinach) gnocchi baked dish is the reason why I would love to come back and why I highly recommend coming here. Very unique because the gnocchi almost looks like a snap pea shape instead of round chunks. Comes in a mushroom cream sauce which actually isn’t as heavy as it sounds. My boyfriend ate the entire dish (although I definitely helped out because it was so good!)
Tips: Make a reservation and order the *Strozzapreti*!
Place rating: 5
Woodland Hills, CA
My favorite Italian restaurant. Folks I have told about it always come back with a big smile and thank you. The specials change every 3 weeks to reflect a different region of Italy. The food is healthy organic and tastes great. The staff is friendly and makes you feel like family. I’m looking forward to seeing which part of Italy I’ll be visiting tonight.
Place rating: 5
Santa Clarita, CA
The food and the staff are as good as it gets. We love it there!
Place rating: 5
Woodland Hills, CA
My husband and I have been fans of this restaurant for the past decade. We love the casual vibe of the place – but more important – we love Chef Guiseppe’s cooking. The quality of food is top drawer, mostly organic and highly creative. Monthly, he showcases foods from different regions of Italy. Who knew there were so many different tastes? Of course, they keep the tried and true winners which keep people coming back.
The food is consistently good and we’ve introduce many many friends to the restaurant. I really love to cook and I am particular about quality and ingredients so I dine out less than a few years ago. Ever a weight watcher – I don’t want to blow the calories on food that isn’t really good. They have always adjusted fat and dressing so I am a happy camper.
If you want fancy and stuffy – this isn’t the place. But as a family restaurant with a big heart and soul then this is your place. It’s a little gem in a very un chic ho hum stretch of Ventura Blvd. Once inside you forget the outside world. The Italian food is stellar and on par with dining in Italy. That’s partly because the Chef is from Northern Italy. And re the 1 star… argh. Sounds like an «off» night which happens. Sometimes the service can be less than amazing but they sure try hard. Anytime something like water hasn’t been delivered to the table Pronto – a few nudges and they make it better.
Place rating: 4
Pasadena, CA
Tasty food, though my pasta carbonara’s noodles were tougher than al dente (perhaps made earlier and became dry) and the prosciutto tasted old. Wife’s bone marrow dish was stellar and raised review from 3 to 4 stars. Waitstaff is friendly and there is parking in the back.
Place rating: 5
Beverly Hills, CA
Fantastic lasagna. Mom and pop joint that is very serious about good food. Mellow atmosphere — I take my college friends here so we can talk for hours with no pressure.
Place rating: 5
Encino, CA
I can’t believe I have not written a review for Café Carolina, as it is my absolute favorite restaurant. My husband and I eat here at least once a month. We had my mother-in-law’s 50th birthday party here. I have had multiple friends move to the Encino/​Tarzana area and the first thing I do is give them a run down on the «must eat» locations, with Café Carolina being #1. Why? The food is amazing. Delicious. Seriously.
My absolute favorite menu item is the strozzapreti, which is a spinach-​ricotta gnocchi in a mushroom cream sauce, baked and topped with bread crumbs. SO GOOD. If you are looking to order an appetizer, I highly recommend the burrata. The way it is presented changes slightly on a seasonal basis, but it is always amazing; creamy and delicious. Also – be sure to check out their specials, they change on a monthly basis. If there is ever a ravioli on the specials menu, order it. It’s going to be delicious. Fresh, hand-​made pasta? Yes, please!
Place rating: 1
Deerfield, IL
This restaurant failed miserably! I came her from out of town with my family who lives in Calabasas. We were a party of 9, and had a reservation. From the minute we walked in, the experience was horrible. We ordered appetizers, and about 15 minutes later another waitress came by and asked us if we wanted to order appetizers. We said we did already, and she said that the waitresses had switched stations and the order hadn’t been placed yet. I will spare you the details but things got progressively worse from then on forward.
We waited over 30 minutes to get our appetizers. About 55 minutes later our order came. I ordered asparagus which was on the menu but they said it was out of season and didn’t have any. They didn’t bother to let me know for over 20 minutes so when they finally let me know, everyone’s food had come and I had nothing to eat.
I am a very laid back foodie, and this experience really sent me over the edge. When the food finally came, it was just ok. Not worth a 2 hour wait.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Very fast to be seated. Great service from the staff too.
Best foood ever I could eat here every day!!! Everytime u order for delivery there soo fast too! Less than 30 minutes!!! Highly recommend u try anything u won’t be surprised! Highly recommend the pesto pasta!!! The portions here are HUGE! Deff can share a portion and still be full! l
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
We tried this place based solely on Unilocal reviews, and we weren’t disappointed. What a find! We’ve been there many times since, and we’ve always been very happy with the food and service we’ve received.
Café Carolina is a cozy little neighborhood on a not-​very-​fashionable block of Ventura Blvd. Looking at it, you’d never know how great it is. However, they attract the kind of clientele that keeps going back for years, and once you eat there, you’ll understand why.
It’s not cheap, but it’s not too dear, especially given the quality of the food. The chicken marsala is amazing, and we love their revolving menu — each month, they highlight a different region of Italy, providing a little history on the menu about the kinds of food they’re serving from each area.
We’ve been there in a variety of contexts: Valentine’s Day, birthday party for several guests and, most notably with a notoriously picky food snob who grudgingly agreed that the food was outstanding.
Place rating: 2
Topanga, CA
I was excited to visit this restaurant because it boasts organic and has «vegan» options. I was so disappointed and won’t be returning.
Here’s the basics:
–restaurant was empty at 630 pm. By the time we left two hours later, there had been 3 other tables. It was a ghost town.
–waitress was not educated on the food. Three times we asked questions, regarding food and also price for ½ pasta order. She didn’t know and had to go check with the kitchen.
–bread was bland and marinara tasted like it came from a can.
–our appetizer was brought out and the center was still cold. It was the fried rice balls. (can’t remember the name.) obviously this is not a fresh item if it was cold in the center. It seems they must microwave it.
–the dinner was okay tasting but I am lactose free and often eat vegan so as to avoid it. I ordered pasta with vegan pesto. The waitress came back and said the sauce is vegan but the pasta is not. What?! That’s totally misrepresenting. Very unfortunate as they claim they have vegan/​non dairy options. I guess if you just ate the pesto you’d be safe but it was VERY oily and tasted like straight basil. It was also quite chunky, more like a marinara sauce.
–dessert was the only decent part of the meal, according to my friend.
I find it hard to believe that all of their ingredients are organic and fresh. It tasted much like food one would get at Olive Garden (Which isn’t saying much…) but the price is higher. Our meal (for two) was $ 60.
I’d rather visit another one of the lovely Italian restaurants on Ventura. Won’t be returning.
Place rating: 4
Chatsworth, CA
This is a true gem in the valley. Their dinner choices are delicious, from the rack of lamb with spinach and rosemary potatoes, to their mouth watering pasta dishes. The dessert options are just as good with a nice round of tiramisu and hot chocolate or coffee.
Service is great as Mo will make sure you are taken care of and your needs are met.
Parking is on Ventura blvd.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
This is based on a take out order.
It was OK, kind of a let down because we dined at the restaurant before and thought it was good (we came back, right?)
The salad was tiny! So if you plan on sharing beware. We ordered 2 entrees. The Ricotta Spinach gnocchi was weird. It tasted like flour. The Thomas (chicken meatballs) was pretty good.
If I am blown away –next time– then I will change my rating.
Place rating: 4
Woodland Hills, CA
Ok so at first look this place is cozy and has a unique layout with the 2 seperate rooms. The waitress was super attentive and very open for making recommendations which is always great.
Starter: Burrata Caprese
Holy poop, if your a mozzarella/​cheese fan you have to get this. It’s just the right consistancy between creamy and firm (That’s what she said) ok sorry. But I would honestly have to say its one of the better mozzarellas i’ve ever had in my life.
Pasta: Rigatoni Buttera
Sausage fans just order this. It has a great peppery taste mixed with some great herbs. The sauce isn’t 2 runny and the consistancy between the oil from the sausage and the pasta itself is wonderful.
Fish: Ombrina alla Genovese
(This was a special they had cause they were doing a regional special each couple weeks from different area’s of italy which was pretty cool)
It was meant to come with halibut but came with sea bass instead which i think it took away from the richness of the meal. Overall it was good sitting on sauteed spinach & cherry tomatoes.
Dessert: Cheescake
Not your normal cheesecake just please do it. It’s like a hybrid between cheesecake & flan. It’s freaken wonderful. I just told the waitress to bring me her favorite n she slammed that greatness in my life. I would order that byitself over n over. I probably could have ate 3.
I will definatly be back