C'era Una Volta

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C'era Una Volta
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C'era Una Volta

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Address:
1332 Park St on Redwood Square
Alameda, CA 94501

Neighborhood:
Alameda

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Cuisine:
Italian

Price: $30 and under

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C'era Una Volta Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.ceraunavolta.us
Email: reservations@ceraunavolta.us
Phone: (510) 769-4828
Hours of Operation: Caffe: Tuesday - Thursday 10am to close Caffe Express Lunch: Tuesday - Thursday 11:00am - 2:30pm Brunch: Friday - Sunday 9:00am - 3:30pm Dinner: Tuesday - Wednesday: 4:00pm - 8:00pm Thursday - Saturday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm Sunday: 4:00pm - 8:00pm Happy Hour: Tuesday - Friday 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean, Contemporary European
Executive Chef: Rutilio Duran
Dress Code: Business Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area (patio only), Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
Catering: C’era Una Volta Italian Restaurant catering is a superb way to enjoy the time-tested culinary traditions of Italy in the comfort of your own home or office. One day advanced notice required for parties larger than 20. Delivery available throughout the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Our chef and catering department here in Alameda can also tailor a menu to fit your specific needs or help you plan ahead for special events, receptions, weddings and conferences. Schedule a consultation or place an order by calling 510.769.4828 anytime during our regular business hours!
Entertainment: Live Music most Sundays for Brunch and Dinner. Our Alameda restaurant location hosts semi-annual Flamenco Dance performances , live music most Sundays for brunch and dinner. Check the C'era Una Volta website calendar for Events and Entertainment. http://www.ceraunavolta.us/
Special Events & Promotions: C'era Una Volta holds semi-aanual Flamenco Dance Performance dinners, and also has guest musicians on Sundays in our Alameda restaurant. Visit our website for upcoming entertainment. We also hold an annual festival of Italian food and culture, ZabFest, every May with barbecue and games.

Getting there

Cross Street: Alameda Avenue
Public Transit: C'era Una Volta Italian Restaurant in Alameda, one block from AC Transit Bus lines O, OX, 20, 21, 51A. BART connections available for each bus line. Bus 51A from Berkeley to Alameda via Downtown Oakland. Bus 20 & 21 from Fruitvale BART Station to Downtown Alameda in 10 min. Transbay Buses O & OX from San Francisco bus terminal.
Parking: Private Lot
Parking Details: Free weekend and weekday parking after 5 pm in private lot located directly beside our Alameda Park Street entrance on Redwood Square. Ample street parking, also metered parking also lines the adjacent to Alameda Park Street shopping district.

A word from C'era Una Volta

C'era Una Volta - Italian Restaurant This sun-splashed location is a hidden treasure on a quiet tree-lined cobblestone promenade. Our Italian restaurant brings a Taste of Italy to the Island of Alameda with delicious Tuscan, regional Italian dishes and an extensive Italian wine list. From the… day we opened our doors in 2004 we have received numerous awards for our food, ambiance, service, and wine selection. Chef Rudy Duran is one of only a handful of Bay Area chefs recognized by the Academia Italiana della Cucina for his authentic Italian cuisine. C'era Una Volta, voted Best Italian Restaurant in Alameda 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011. C'era Una Volta Italian Restaurant special events include wine tastings and wine dinners. Chef Rudy is available to schedule your own customized wine dinner. With semi-annual Flamenco dinners, live entertainment, and regular guest musicians throughout the year. Please visit our website for more information and events http://www.ceraunavolta.us Continued

C'era Una Volta

4.0

83 $30 and under restaurant

Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerMost Booked 1000-Point Tables

Featured Reviews

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Reviews from OpenTable Diners Learn More

84 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Food

(Outstanding) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.9 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

84 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Food

(Outstanding) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.9 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

Filter Reviews By:

Diners classify this restaurant as:

neighborhood gem(52)
fit for foodies(33)
special occasion(33)

romantic(30)
notable wine list(26)
good for groups(16)

Current OpenTable.com Diner Reviews (84)

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Great Experience

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/10/2012

2012

Dined on 04/10/2012

2012

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"I took my girlfriend here on our first date. We wete given a table in a small alcove which made the experience quite romantic The restaurant was quiet, and nicely decorate. The food was terrific and the service outstanding. We will definitely return."

Dined on 04/10/2012

2012

Special Features: romantic, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Easter Brunch

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/08/2012

2004

Dined on 04/08/2012

2004

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

"We celebrated Easter by having brunch. The set menu of 4 items we had included champagne. We had a great time of fine dining. My wife is vegetarian and she enjoyed having the brie and portebella mushroom. Would definitely return in the future."

Dined on 04/08/2012

2004

Special Features: great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

A fine Easter dinner for the family

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/08/2012

2012

Dined on 04/08/2012

2012

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Great chef, great meal. The contorni were delicious. I had the sauteed spinach and oven roasted potatoes. The lamb stew on polenta was very nice.
We were seated immediately and had to wait for a member of our party to arrive. It would have been nice to order an antipasto for the table, sliced meats or the like, but the choices were limited to individual plates and salads. Nevertheless, the wait staff kept bringing us freshly baked bread which was delicious."

Dined on 04/08/2012

2012

Special Features: neighborhood gem, special occasion

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Hidden Gem

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/25/2012

2005

Dined on 03/25/2012

2005

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

"My girl friends and I came here for a night out (sans kids) and were not disappointed. The waiter was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to accommodate us and make us feel welcome. The meals used high quality ingredients and the flavors complemented one another to make happiness in my mouth. We will definitely be back!"

Dined on 03/25/2012

2005

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem

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Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

Pretty solid Italian meal.

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/23/2012

2005

Dined on 03/23/2012

2005

Food

(Good) 3 / 5

Service

(Good) 3 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"Pretty solid Italian meal. Had a pork loin stuffed with sausage and topped with a tomato-white bean sauce, delicious. Sauce would be great on pasta too. Also had the asparagus ravioli. Nice that they have two portion sizes for the pastas, small portion is really all one should eat. Liked that the yummy wheat bread was warm, but oddly served with mustard-olive oil dipping sauce. A bit noisy though with the vaulted ceilings."

Dined on 03/23/2012

2005

Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem

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Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

At 11:30am, C'era Una Volta

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/18/2012

2004

Dined on 03/18/2012

2004

Food

(Good) 3 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"At 11:30am, C'era Una Volta did not have any patrons except our party of 3. Tucked away in a side street, the restaurant is in a quaint location and inviting with its interior decor. Our waitress was very accommodating with our dietary restrictions, offering to substitute ingredients or adjusting the seasoning. Food selection was limited at this time with only 2 items out of about 10 available from the the pasta menu. The potato souffle could have been fluffier, and thus had the texture of scrambled eggs."

Dined on 03/18/2012

2004

Special Features: kid-friendly

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Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

The salad specials were very

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/21/2012

2003

Dined on 03/21/2012

2003

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"The salad specials were very goood.Fresh motzarella, tomatoes and basil.The other was warm beets, lettuce and a nice vinagerette. For the entre' we had the veal. It was tough and greasy. It was breaded and fried in olive oil. then a few capers were thrown in for flavor. When it was served the oil was puddling on the dish, it was not a very good quality of olive oil. Virtually no flavor except for the capers. Perhaps we ordered wrong."

Dined on 03/21/2012

2003

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Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

Almost Italian

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/23/2012

2004

Dined on 02/23/2012

2004

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Good) 3 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"I wanted to try out a local Italian restaurant, but didn't really have the greatest meal. Overall I'd not recommend this restaurant or want to return. While the waiter was very nice and personable, the space really needs to have a warmer and more inviting ambiance. They also need much better and more ergonomic flatware (it was painful to use their forks/spoons) Design of flatware was sooo dated and sooo uncomfortable. Classic and elegant would have been much better. They are close to having decent food, but could have been elevated to a whole other level with some better choices of ingredients and creativity with the menu. Prices were pretty decent, but I'd not want to chance having so-so food again. So sorry :("

Dined on 02/23/2012

2004

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Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

This restaurant is very convenient

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/14/2012

2002

Dined on 03/14/2012

2002

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"This restaurant is very convenient for us...the restaurant is quite lovely...however...charging $7.50 for a salad that has lettuce (romaine), some grated carrots, blue cheese and walnuts is crazy! We shared a half order of pasta that was very boring. However, our entrees were delicious. Again, for $95 (including a 1/2 bottle of wine)the food should be much better than it is. However, the staff working in the restaurant makes up for the food. They were attentive, knew the food and wine menu, and is the reason for rating the restaurant as high as we did!"

Dined on 03/14/2012

2002

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Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Excellent Cuisine prepared

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/03/2012

2006

Dined on 03/03/2012

2006

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Excellent Cuisine prepared only like a native born Italian can deliver. Every dish that the five us enjoyed was outstanding. And dessert was just as wonderful. We will return very soon. It's worth the drive to Alameda."