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A beautiful dining atmosphere at Cafe Aura - Cafe Aura, Manchester, CT

Cafe Aura

4.7 (705)
$31 to $50
Italian
45 E Center St, Manchester, CT 06040-5201

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for fine wines
CT Magazine's pick for Best Italian Restaurant, Cafe Aura brings authentic Italian cuisine to your table in a beautifully redesigned restaurant. An award-winning wine list paired with Executive Chef Erminio Conte's signature specials create a dining experience that rivals the most well-known restaurants throughout Connecticut. From brunch to Happy Hour, to date night and private events...Cafe Aura brings a versatility that covers a wide customer base. Owner and Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma has created an atmosphere that combines dishes from the old country with a modern but understated decor. Don't miss the opportunity to come enjoy all that Cafe Aura has to offer.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Steak, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Nicola Maggioni
  • Private party facilities
    Cafe Aura offers three beautiful private dining spaces to cover a variety of events. Our Cavey's Room is perfect for events from 10-20 people. Our Garden Room, which has a street view, located in the front of our dining room holds 20-30 people. Our downstairs banquet room has the capacity to hold an event up to 75 people.
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    Manchester
  • Cross street
    South Main Street
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 705 people are saying

Cafe Aura reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Hartford

    Best Ambiance

  • Hartford

    Great for fine wines

  • Hartford

    Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe Aura offers a delightful dining experience with "amazing food" and "perfect service." The ambiance is both "warm and inviting," making it ideal for special occasions. Diners frequently praise the "exceptional bartenders," a wide array of menu options, and the "attentive" waitstaff. While some dishes could improve, overall, it's a "wonderful experience."
705 Reviews
  1. Susan

    New York City13 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on July 9, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We sat at the beautiful bar and had a martini and an appetizer before moving to the dining room. I enjoyed my martini but my friend said her’s was too sweet and she had asked for it to be not sweet. The shrimp appetizer was very good. At dinner, my flatbread was delicious but my friend said her chicken dish was just OK. The Brussels sprouts were boiled and not roasted. YUK! The green beans were also not so good. T The pina colada cheesecake was very, very good! I would go back to Cafe Aura but my friend has decided not to go back. The table service was very good. One note: They use the same type of glassware for sodas and waters. When my soda glass gets low on soda but there was still a 1/3 glass of sodas remaining, someone comes around with a pitcher of water and fills my soda glass with water. This has happened on 2 separate occasions there. They should be more aware of this.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Maurice

    Connecticut1 review

    5.0

    Dined on July 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food wish to meet Geno! Would be nice to eat there again in the future

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jeff

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on July 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a great meal. This is a great restaurant. Our meal was very reasonably priced and the quantity and quality was excellent. The staff is always polite and energetic, you never feel rushed. I highly recommend this restaurant.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    New York City2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food portion size was very good but the main dishes lacked flavor and were bland. The waitstaff were very nice, but the food delivery was rushed and very quickly tossed in front of us. It's a very pretty restaurant, but too pricey for the food quality and service.

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  5. Doreen

    Connecticut2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 28, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    This is the first time we have been disappointed in our experience at Aura. Not not was the server slow (and a bit snarky) but the food for 3 out of 4 of us was disappointing. We've been happy in the past but this time was noticeably different.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Kathy VIP

    Greater Boston23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We sat a high table in the bar. The service from Shannon and Frank (bartenders) was exceptional! The food was very good. We had a NY strip that was tender and delicious!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Susan

    New York City13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We were really happy with the quality of the food. We were given castlevertrano olives and cubes of cheese, which was a really nice touch. Also warm fresh bread with choice of butter and olive oil. Our food arrived to the table temperature hot, which was very impressive. It was literally plated and immediately carried out and served! Very nice presentation to boot! The steaks we had were delicious! The pineapple cheesecake was extremely fresh and delicious and I am normally not even a big fan of cheesecake. I will be going back to Cafe Aura very soon!

    Is this helpful?

  8. james

    Baltimore / Maryland7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We celebrated our anniversary at Cafe Aura and we weren't disappointed. The appetizer beet salad was delicious with just the right amount of candied walnuts. Our entrees, red snapper and veal marsala were superb. We shared a gluten-free creme brulee for desert and it was light and sweet. Just right. The service, from entry to table, was quite good. It was certainly worth a special night out.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Barbara

    New York City9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Parking is plentiful. Ambience is relaxing and luxe. Even though it was a busy Friday evening, it was easy to converse with my table mates. Food was excellent (home made pasta!) and good portion size. Server was efficient and served us complimentary champagne to celebrate my friend’s retirement. Just missed seeing Geno!

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  10. Nitesh

    Chicago / Illinois1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    For a busy night, service was incredible, the food was really great and the restaurant felt really warm and cozy. Love coming here and absolutely will be back again

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Cafe Aura offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (860) 643-2751.

Cafe Aura is rated 4.7 stars by 705 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Connecticut
  4. Hartford
  5. Manchester

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today
Google Map for Cafe Aura

45 E Center St, Manchester, CT 06040-5201

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    South Main Street
  • Neighborhood
    Manchester
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Steak, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Nicola Maggioni
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Cafe Aura offers three beautiful private dining spaces to cover a variety of events. Our Cavey's Room is perfect for events from 10-20 people. Our Garden Room, which has a street view, located in the front of our dining room holds 20-30 people. Our downstairs banquet room has the capacity to hold an event up to 75 people.
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