C'era Una VoltaDelicious Food & Impeccable ServiceThe food was delicious, but service was impeccably . Chad our server provided us with one of the best services that I have received in a long long time. If you don't try this restaurant you are missing out. Chad is awesome! He will take very good care of your dinning experience. I am not very easy to please but I was impressed with his kind and thoughtful manners.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMItalian ItalianC'era Una Volta continues the trend of modern Italian restaurants cooking food that you would expect in a modern Italian restaurant, without the stereotypes. When the waiter offered a special of porcini tagliatelle, we had to try it, but it was offered with a meat ragu. When I expressed concern that the porcini might be hard to taste through a meat sauce, we were immediately offered a mushroom cream sauce, instead. Good call. The porcini flavor was definitely there in the pasta, and, no matter how light the meat ragu, it is hard to imagine it not overwhelming the the delicate porcini aroma of the pasta.
There was no crowd there for lunch. With the hard floors and walls, I worry how "busy" (i.e. loud) it will be on fuller nights.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMnice addition to AlamedaFirst experience. Friendly service. Good food although had to wait a bit for our entries. Pasta dinner portions could have been larger especially for those with hardy appetites. Sea bass was generous & prepared perfectly.
Bread was yummy but we didn't like the fact that they charge extra for seconds.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food -- and Romantic too!This Northern Italian gem never disappoints-- from the very friendly and warm greeting from Chef/Owner Rudy -- to his great-tasting culinary delights.. Everything is always cooked to perfection!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMTransportingThere were 5 women for brunch. We ate outside and it felt like we were on a European holiday i.e. Paris or Rome. Very interesting menu I had polenta toast with a basted egg and a fresh side salad and a blood orange prosecco mimosa. We all loved the setting and the waitress was attentive and professional.
We all would return to this lovely spot.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent!We'll be back! The spicy spaghetti that was a special was outstanding as well as the eggplant. The Barbera wine instantly became our new favorite. :) Excellent dining experience.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place for a special date!I took the new lady in my life out for a nice dinner, and couldn't have been happier with this restaurant. OK, would've been happier if it was half the price, but hey, it's a swanky place and I knew what I was getting myself into.
Our waiter was great, very knowledgeable, gave us wine recommendations and even slyly prevented me from making the inferior choice of sauce for my pasta. Great, intimate ambience. Small, but not tiny. Quiet, but not empty. Excellent lobster ravioli (for me), butternut squash ravioli (for her), and really amazing caprese salad on special (for us).
Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a nice dinner in Alameda. It is a little pricey, so probably better for special occasions.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWarm & InvitingWhat a lovely restaurant! A Great way to end the week, with a fantastic dinner. The menu is filled with many excellent dishes but the daily specials are outstanding! The waitstaff is friendly ,professional and helpful with the all Italian wine list. We highly recommend!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a romantic lunch!Hubby and I stopped by for Sunday lunch. We were lucky enough to have live music during our stay. The food was so good I cleaned my plate completely! I had the spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce with cubed pancetta. Yummy!!!! DH had the filet mignon cooked medium rare perfectly! Great restaurant, we will be back again and again when we're in the neighborhood.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great people.Great food, great people. The people are actually Italian so everything is authentic. Chef is from Livorno I believe.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe really enjoyed the menuWe really enjoyed the menu with the possibilities for aranging a multi-course meal on your own with the salads, antipasti, prima piatti and secondi piatti. The small plates were meant for one person but we were quite full at the end of a meal in which we shared a salad, an antipasti dish and a prima piatti, then ordered our own secondi piatti and our own desserts. The ingredients were all within the realm of the expected but so well-prepared, fresh and flavorful, rich and satisfying. The fondue is dream-worthy. The service was friendly and comfortable, helpful but not overwhelming. I thought the seating could have been a little more private and a little more comfortable but it's not at the level of a complaint. We'll be back for sure.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is my second trip toThis is my second trip to C'era and I continue to be impressed. The food is always exceptional. This time the wait staff for our table was too busy socializing with friends to pay as much attention as she should- I had to ask for the wine we ordered after our entree had arrived and we began eating with no acknowledgment from the wait staff that she had forgotten something. I'm assuming this is a training issue which will be rectified and the food was too good to dwell on it.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food and Even Better Service!This was my first visit to C'era Una Volta. it was lunchtime, and I had a side salad, the pasta of the day, a glass of chianti, and an affogato for dessert. The salad was a delicious mixture of greens and a light, perfectly balanced dressing. The house made pasta with spicy sauce and pancetta was amazing. And the dessert was delicious. Beat of all, the service was fantastic! Both the hostess and the server were polite, professional, and very helpful. I will definitely return.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMI made a Valentines Day ReservationI made a Valentines Day Reservation for my folks and they came back with RAVE reviews. Especially loved the wine list :)2/14/2013 12:00:00 AM