Caffe Renato

Ratings, I suppose, are relative to location. But I would rank this restaurant four stars for food even if located in Manhattan.
There was excellent hot bread and butter – the kind that forces you to eat more than you intended. I had the grilled salmon which was brought out medium rare, just like I requested. It was artistically topped with a wonderful sauce described as aioli, but had a balsamic sweetish taste. My wife had penne pasta with artichoke hearts, sun-​dried tomatoes, grilled egg plant, garlic, etc., which we shared. I would describe it as perfect.
The tables were generously spaced and the ambience was enhanced by good quality art, available for sale.
Parking is a short distance away, hidden from the restaurant, and is not really an issue. Just park in the municipal parking lot at the corner.

Decent Italian fare. The bread, with butter, was nice and warm.
I had the pasta vongole — a bit of a workout, picking through all those tiny clams. My fiancée had the spaghetti and meatballs. I liked the Sinatra music playing in the background, sounded like different recordings from the standard ones I usually hear.

We were seated by a friendly new waitress. She shadowed our ‘regular’ waitress while orders were placed. Items ordered: BLT, pasta vongole (linguine with clams) and salad, spinach and artichoke ravioli in marinara sauce, Renato salad, and Black Angus burger. Separate checks were asked for — which we discovered later included a 20% automatic gratuity. Guess we didn’t read the fine print on that, nor was it mentioned when the request was made. Service was sorely lacking and didn’t warrant a 20% tip. It seemed to take forever to get our entrees — don’t know why it took so long — maybe the assurance of getting that 20% no matter what. Once we received our meals, no waitress came by until we were almost ready to go. A waitress came by with a water pitcher for refills — and a request was made for honey, which was delivered. Receiving our checks also took a long time. The food was okay. The service — not so much. Would not go there again. There are many restaurants in the area — too bad we chose the wrong one.

The food is excellent and the staff is very friendly. There is a front and back outside eating area and they are dog friendly.

Can only attest to the quesadilla Margherita. However, it was very good, relatively quick, and a relatively cool atmosphere in an old establishment loaded with personality. Our first stop in Taos, certainly not disappointed!

FRIES ARE AMAZING. you can’t go wrong. I’ve been here for a month for work and the only thing that got me through the horrid ‘new mexican’ food is this cute little restaurant.

Stopped in while shopping. A friendly comfortable atmosphere in what looks like one of the original buildings, with good food and friendly service and great sandwiches. These people like what they do. The art is interesting and we bought one of the framed photos.

Excellent food with an ambiance best described as classy, casual, romantic and cozy. Very comfortable atmosphere whether you are dressed to the nines or just came in from a hike. My husband and I like to start our meal with the clams for two. Tender clams in a delicious broth so light and so perfect, if no one was looking, I think I could drink it with a straw. Lucky they serve some amazing bread that soaks in all the flavor! I’m telling you every bite is heaven. Café Renato KNOWS Italian flavor. The Italian meatballs are seasoned to perfection. My favorite is the meatball sandwich. It has just the right amount of authentic Italian sauce, all nuzzled in that fresh, delectable roll, topped with a delicate sprinkling of cheese. Served with your choice of tasty sides, it just can’t be beat. My husband likes the steak sandwich best. Again, that wonderful roll, packed with a generous portion of perfectly seasoned tender steak. The variety of food at Café Renato is perfectly seasoned, cooked and prepared with care and finesse, consistently. I live here and I’ve also been the owner of a successful dinner house in Idaho. I know how it should be done, and Café Renato does it VERY WELL.

A gem in the middle of Taos! The ambience is really nice and tidy. The service is so good! Nice people and very welcoming. Varied menu and delicious food. The stuffed pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce really tasty. Great for kids due to the varied menu. If you are in Taos, you have to go!

best bowl of cuisine I’ve had in a long time — service was good! — taste reminded me of tribeca and the brick walks of little italy — love it!

Wonderful place! Great food and EXCEPTIONAL service! We were so happy in light that we tried another place down the street. Capresi sandwich = fantastic! Salmon salad= crazy good. Our waitress was so fabulous!

I typaically order the clams over linguini since it is always delcious and tends to be a nice break from my ususal over indulgence of new-​mexican cuisine while staying in Taos. This time I ordered the Pasta Verdura and was very pleased with my choice. A nice balance of tangy sun-​dried tomatoes, eggplant, lots of garlic and other goodies made this a new favorite. There is a nice wine selection. The service was a bit slow but we were told that someone was unexpectedly out that day so they were short staffed. Our server more than made up for the delay by being attentative and so freindly. We’ll be back for sure and I look forward to discovering more favorites from the diverse menu.

This place was way overpriced for the taste of food and the exceptionally poor service. Staff was not friendly, not once did they come around to check if we needed anything or top off our water. The menu stated my meal of soup and salad was served with bread, but I never got the bread, and since the waiter never came around to check on us I never got the chance to ask. Wendys has far better customer service, will never go back.

Wonderful ambiance, service excellent without hovering. Proper Italian food in northern New Mexico. Enjoy the fresh, crisp rolls, the pasta, and the desserts. The French onion soup was flavorful and hot. Do not overlook this refuge of quiet and don’t miss the local art surrounding you.

Service is a large part of the dining experience. If I cannot get the waiters attention until the end of the meal, it tends to put a damper on things, no matter how good the food is.

First, LOVE that they’re open all afternoon, so for those of us who want /​need to eat at odd hours we have an option. We’re a family with young children, the youngest of whom has significant Special Needs, and we found the staff to be accommodating. We’re also vegetarian + vegan, which isn’t a problem here. Phew! And truthfully, while my husband and I were having fun with New Mexican cuisine, the novelty had long since worn off for the children … The food wasn’t stupendous but it was more than good enough, and it met all our criteria (vegetarian, small children, open all afternoon), so for us this was good. Oh, also it wasn’t terribly expensive, not inexpensive either, but we’d tired of spending so much per meal.

Ambiance — fair.
Service — lacking in enthusiasm (but what can one expect in a seasonal tourist town).
Food — poor to marginal.
We started with the calamari which was as freezer burned and overlooked as it could be. The pasta dishes were fair, but certainly nothing to write home about.

Wow! I felt guilty getting Italian in Taos, but after a week in NM, I couldn’t handle another chile meal today. Amazingly friendly staff brought us a Pasta Verdura and Eggplant sandwich. The Verdura was perfect al dente penne pasta in a sumptuous, rich garlic and olive oil with tangy dried tomato and grilled eggplant. One of the best vegetarian pastas we ever had! The panini style grilled eggplant, cucumber and brie sandwich was light and very tasty. Italian fries with chipotle aioli were a decadent addition. An amazing find!

Great dinner, so don’t let the limited tables stop you from trying Café Renato. We had late dinner for 4, the service was very good and the food memorable. Spaghetti and meatballs with a spicy sauce, Caesar salad with chicken, Caprese salad, and the pasta Veruda — each of us could not have been more pleased with our meals.

In our quest to try as many different Taos restaurants before we decide on our favorites, Caffe Renato was where we ate lunch yesterday. I had the Plant Sandwich, which was grilled eggplant, mushrooms, cheese, and assorted veggies on focaccia. Alongside I ordered the cranberry slaw. Some tortilla chips found their way onto the plate, as well. Great sandwich, but a little underseasoned. Perhaps I am getting too used to green chile on everything. Loved the cranberry slaw, which had a light vinagrette. I could have eaten this as an entrée, it was so good. T had a BLT on a croissant with a side of Italian fries. What made them Italian was a sprinkling of parmesan and parsley. He liked everything, but felt that nothing was spectacular. Good, but not amazing. This did not stop him from gobbling everything down in record time.
Service was attentive and polite. We were the only ones there at the beginning of lunch, so we had everyone’s undivided attention.
Good for pastas, soups, sandwiches, salads…
Bathroom was not disgusting, as one reviewer said. It smelled fine, was clean, and the bathtub was interesting.