Caffe Bravo

Very disorganized!
Called ahead for a meal before the theatre.
Do not take reservations, but told no wait come right over.
5 minutes later on arrival hostess tells us 1 hour wait!
While waiting she is taking tells a couple she will take their name to hold a tables.
There are better options for good food in New Haven.

We were very pleased with the food and service during Restaurant Week 2015. In fact, we liked it so much that we went twice. For what we paid, the quality of food and service far exceeded our expectations.

Caffe Bravo is fantastic! I was craving insalata di mare and their Unilocal reviews won me over, so we headed down to Orange St and had the best meal I’ve had in quite a while. There isn’t a private lot, but there was ample street parking. The outside patio was packed, but we were greeted by a hostess and seated immediately. The service was perfect and consistent among every employee there. Our water glasses were kept full (in a good way, not in an «every time I take a sip of water someone’s pouring more into the glass» kind of way) and our server was perfectly attentive without being overbearing. The staff here is great and deserves recognition, if nothing else.
We started with the burrata appetizer, our server said that’s one of her favorite things on the menu and I see why! It was delicious and a perfect way to start our meal. The bruschetta that came out with the bread basket was a nice touch and went perfectly with the burrata. I opted for the insalata di mare as my meal, and my boyfriend settled on the rigatoni alla vodka with chicken. I was happy to see that my dish (an appetizer) was actually massive and definitely enough for me to eat as my dinner. The insalata di mare was perfectly prepared and the amount of seafood they give you is insane, they seriously nailed this dish. My boyfriend’s dinner was equally as good, the vodka sauce was perfectly executed; flavorful, but not overly heavy like some vodka sauce can be.
All in all, I don’t have a single complaint about Caffe Bravo, it’s the best Italian food I’ve had in New Haven and I can’t wait to come back! Awesome service, phenomenal food, and incredibly reasonable prices. you honestly would’ve spent more money on inedible food at Olive Garden.

The Eggplant Parmesan was way to salty, but the other dishes I’ve tried are very good.

Even though we live in the neighborhood and go here often to enjoy the patio, I sometimes forget how good the food and service is. This is a neighborhood treasure and I promise not to forget how much we enjoy having Caffe Bravo within walking distance of our home.

I recently went to Caffe Bravo for a birthday dinner. Here are the positives and not so much:
1) space = I really liked the outdoor space with heating lamps and spacious indoor seating. This is a good size restaurant.
2) service was solid and professional.
3) meat lasagna was very good. Fresh beef and cheese, the tomato sauce fine.
4) gnocchi was a big miss. Overcooked. However, when returned I was given a meat lasagna.
I would have given 4 stars but the gnocchi was not good so therefore three.

I came here for lunch during restaurant week. The location was a little hard to get too if you don’t have a car (I über here) and its definitely worth coming here for the food. It was really packed for a weekday lunch crowd so I was really surprised. Most of the customers were working professionals. I liked that for restaurant week, their menu was extensive and generous. I tried their roasted beets with goat cheese. It wasn’t what I expected (hence I took away a star), I don’t think the beets were roasted, it felt like it came out of a can/​jar? I ordered the skirt steak, medium rare for my main and that was spot on. The meat was seasoned perfectly, medium rare. The roasted vegetables that came along with it had a great texture and crunch (not like soggy steamed colorless veg). The veg was seasoned well and I really enjoyed my skirt steak. My friends had different dishes: Branzino, Salmon, Lamb, Gnocci and they enjoyed their mains too. Dessert was awesome, we could choose any dessert from their pretty long list and the serving size was a little larger than average. Tiramisu, Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Tarufato and the Chocolate Lava cake was good. I think the ‘lava’ bit could be more lava-​like. Service was great, they were quick and efficient. I would definitely come here more often if it wasn’t hard to get to.

This is an excellent Italian restaurant, certainly one of New Haven’s quieter places to eat. I’ve only tried two of the pasta dishes, which were both very good. Very nice ambiance and good service, but a bit on the pricey side, even for New Haven.

Always have a wonderful meal here. The owners and wait staff are incredibly accommodating and pleasant. The food is consistently good no matter what I’ve ordered. A wonderful new Haven option.

I came in Tuesday, yesterday, for lunch. I had the most amazing special: Spanish octopus with puréed chick peas and an arugula salad. It was delicious! The octopus was tender and seasoned just right. I could eat the puréed chick pea by itself if I had to. I would eat this dish everyday if I could. I am sticking to my recommendation of this restaurant. Look for the picture of this dish. I’m not able to attach it to this post.

A friend of mine was in town visiting last week, and asked me to take her out for «good Italian food,» as she lives in an area that isn’t nearly as blessed in that department as New Haven. My boyfriend and I took her to Caffe Bravo, as we live in East Rock and wanted something cozy and comfortable. She had the delicious house gnocchi with braised short ribs, my boyfriend had the pappardelle con porcini (my favorite of our three entrees) and I had the orecchiette with dried figs, which was really interesting and different. Everything was wonderful, and the atmosphere at Caffe Bravo is so relaxed and inviting — a great neighborhood spot. We really enjoyed ourselves and will definitely be back.

Excellent food and wait staff. Only downside is that the atmosphere is a bit stuffy. For a small place, though, they handle large parties really well.
Wish they were open later. Even though the atmosphere isn’t for dinner, the food is and I’d take people there all the time for a quick, good Italian meal.
Could use better chairs. They get uncomfortable if you’re sitting and talking and drinking for a while.

I ate here omg the food was great. Small but very quaint atmosphere. Check it out. Great italian food. Must visit if in area

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

I frequent the East Rock neighborhood quite a bit and have walked by this restaurant many times. Friday night, I decided to finally check it out and I’m so happy that I did! It’s small, but absolutely beautiful inside and it looked like the clientele was a lot of neighborhood folk. We started with the frito misto-​a mixture of fried calamari, artichokes and zucchini and it was melt in your mouth delicious. On top of that, they gave us complimentary bruschetta and a basket of bread that was mixture of regular Italian bread and focaccia-​SO GOOD. For my main course, I ordered the papardelle con porcini and my date ordered veal-​both absolutely delicious. I am rarely this impressed with a new restaurant. I’m so glad I checked out this hidden gem and I will definitely be back!

Tried to eat here last night but lack of hostess made for long line to check in. It seemed more like a place for students and their parents and felt kinda dead even though it was crowded. We walked out and likely won’t return. You get once chance to make a first impression.

Solid, quality, somewhat pricey Italian food like your grandma might make.
I enjoyed the menu layout which made for both easy and difficult choices. On one hand, I know exactly what different sauces I can get for my chicken, but on the other hand, there are so many choices that sound so delicious! I do wish the Pollo ala Bravo was slightly more acidic/​lemony in the sauce. Nice meat and potatoes though. They were gracious enough to accommodate my friend’s off the menu gnocchi request.
The ambiance was quite calming. The staff were utterly professional and courteous. The bread basket was delicioso and their cappuccino was a great ending to my meal. In my opinion though, my grandma makes better Italian food. So I may or may not be back.

We live a block away from Caffe Bravo and we LOVE it! My husband is Italian so he’s pretty picky about Italian food, but he says Caffe Bravo is the best Italian in New Haven. We dine-​in regularly and do take-​out more often. The Gnocchi Sorrentina is delicious, as is the Cavatelli with Sausage. The service and atmosphere are also great and the wine is reasonably priced, given the quality of the food. Highly recommend!

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

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