My partner and I ventured to Lake Geneva to get away for a few days.  We came across this cute restaurant and walked in without a reservation.  We were immediately greeted by who we believe to be the owners.  They were personable and instantly we loved the inviting atmosphere!  This place was packed!  We were told that it would be an hour wait so we made our way to the bar.  The female (possible owner) kept checking in on us, letting us know the status of table.  We had brushetta at the bar while we waited.  The bartender was awesome!  We get to the table and our server Tanya was freaking awesome!!  The food was out of this world!  The experiene was so amazing that we returned the next night!  We are so glad that we came across this wonderful restaurant that we plan to return over and over again as we retun to Lake Geneva.  I work in the restaurant industry and these people know how to run multiple restaurants.  Keep up the awesome work! read more

Bottom line: it's definitely worth a try. Try to get a seat outside just after sunset. Caprese salad and bruschetta were excellent. Entres were typical country Italian--nothing over the top or amazing, but good, nonetheless. Wine list is typical for the distributor in the area with an emphasis on--you guessed it--Italian selections. Italian wines are not my forte, but I did find a bottle that did the trick and wasn't outrageous. As far as pricing, sure, some may consider menu items to be a tad ambitious, but in my opinion, it's worth the price of admission just get away from places like Popeye's, etc. (No slam on Popeye's here, as it certainly has its place.) Service was fine by me. I'm more of a casual, take-my-time diner, so snap-to-it-on-my-elbow-ready-to-go service isn't something I'm generally looking for. We never felt like we were waiting around for anything. Wow, there are a lot of haters out there! While I wasn't blown away by any means, Cafe Calamari was a nice change from what we've seen in our limited lake area dining experiences. It's certainly one of the nicest restaurants we've been to on the lake--nice in terms of clean cut and not grease-laden. It's hard to find places around the lake with much more than a glorified bar menu to begin with. Yes, the parking lot has a lot of luxury cars parked in it. Recall that restaurants in the city often have valet parking, and many people take cabs, so you might not notice what the clientele drives while dining downtown. At least I wasn't worried about getting my doors dinged. Would it survive in Chicago? Probably not for long given all the would-be competition, but it's just fine for the Lake Geneva area, and one of the better places we found at that. My. $.02. read more

This was my third time to the cafe but the first time I ordered off the menu. We did not have reservations but were seated immediately and the place was full. Very impressed with the wait staff. My water glass was never empty. My glass of wine was brought quickly and our waiter who has worked theirs for 13 years had great knowledge of the food. The scallops I had were cooked perfectly along with the angle hair pasta in a lemon sauce. My wife's filet was cooked to a perfect medium rare and cut like butter. The food was priced well for its quality but the wine was a little inflated in price for a house wine. $9 a glass seemed high considering my meal cost $26. Great date place on the lake. We will return! read more

Cafe Calamari - Italian Near Me - Williams Bay, Wisconsin

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The restaurant is very nice inside and the outside seating is nice. Staff is very attentive. The food is very good and you get bigger portions. I would recommend this. I had the tortellini and my honey had chicken and shrimp gamberetti. read more

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Had an amazing experience here. The food was excellent starting with the focaccia bread down to the dessert. What made it a truly enjoyable experience was the service from Rachael and the rest of the staff including the busboy. They were all so attentive, but we never felt rushed. Would definitely go back when I'm in the Lake Geneva area. read more

Went here with my boyfriend on the 13th (day before Valentine's Day). It was packed but we were able to sit at the bar. I actually enjoyed eating dinner at the bar. The bartenders were awesome and we got great service. They had a special menu for Valentine's Day so I ordered off of that. They had a heartini drink (Champagne and Chambord) which was phenomenal. We ordered their calamari which was amazing. I got this seafood dish which included lobster tail, shrimp, scallop. It was very well cooked. It was pricey but worth it. When you come here 1) get reservations. 2) expect to pay a decent amount. Again, this is such a great date night place or a place to go and celebrate a birthday or anniversary. It's romantic and all the food is phenomenal. read more

Our server, John, was excellent. Two in our party learned that an 18 ounce prime rib is a lot to eat for one person (John clearly stated the weight). Both persons enjoyed their dinner. We took pleasure in the grilled salmon, served with green beans almandine (perfectly cooked) and pasta. Others enjoyed the shrimp pasta. Desert included cappuccino gelato (heavenly) and turtle cheesecake (highly enjoyable). The restaurant has a pleasant ambience and is very popular. One interesting feature: the screened porch with fire pits is not part of Cafe Calamari; it belongs to Harpoon Wiliies. We had a delightful evening at Cafe Calamari and look forward to our return. read more

Excellent dinner with girlfriends. I had the veal piccata and it was very good. Server was very attentive with more bread and extra cheese. The gelato desserts was delicious. read more

This place is run by racist management. The food is delicious but their staff is disgustingly elitist. We had a waitress that could not pick up a plate or even a clean knife. She continually asked her "busboy" to do all of the work. When we addressed the manager, he claimed that was "out of character." We followed up with asking if the tip is split evenly and it is NOT. The kind sir that was cleaning our table and bringing us anything we asked for deserved way more than our server. We will not be returning based on the dynamic of Cafe Calamari. read more

Service was good. Appetizer was good. Main course was meh. Salmon was overdone. Tortellini was bland. Better use of the white sauce would have been to add sausage and serve over biscuits read more

Ate there two weeks ago and am going back this weekend. Enjoyed new drink Dark and Stormy (on the rocks) and fish and salad was excellent. Give it a try. We were there early around 5 and I think that made a difference in having good service. Went back the second time and service was not as good and salad was warm not cold. Still worth it at least once. Had a good crowd. read more

Our group of 8 was welcomed like family, and things got better from there. The terrific service from Billie, the wonderful calamari and salads, and the terrific entrees and drinks made for a great evening. We finished with a selection of deserts, and everyone raved about everything! This is our new "go to" spot on our visits to Lake Geneva. In fact, it may a reason unto itself to make the trip! read more

I'm sitting get here now writing this.. haven't had my main course yet, but the calamari as a starter was GREAT! Freshest that I've ever had, and cooked to perfection. I had a blood orange sidecar martini before dinner. Simply amazing. The house honey mustard salad dressing is great--everyone around the table is talking about it. I finally got my main course; the Chilean Sea Bass and I am pleased. My dinner choices were perfect! read more

Cafe Calamari - Blood Orange Sidecar Martini - Italian Near Me - Williams Bay, Wisconsin

First off we happened upon this restaurant after a night stay at the Abby resort. We are Italian so we're open to what they could offer. Our server Corey was so delightful, informed and helpful. We were sat immediately on a Thursday evening at 730. Their seemed to be a good buzz of people, so we knew it was popular Husband had the chicken and shrimp farfelle pasta, just the right amount for the serving, had a little kick which was perfect. He continued to bring plenty of bread oil and balsamic, without hesitation I had the linguine bolognese which was super even though I was going to have the seafood Diablo ; although we had the mussles already for our app, so wanted to switch it up Our bill matched the night before where we had sushi and were very underwhelmed and left the sushi restaurant angry. We would gladly give calamari our business every year we come here read more

Cafe Calamari is a wonderful Italian restaurant. The staff is always courteous and polite. There are many longtime servers on staff which help to keep the guest experience the same each time you come in for dinner. The owners are kind and courteous as well...they always make sure they thank each guest for coming. Even late at night while they might be enjoying a bite to eat as a family, they always leave their table to greet or thank their guests :) The food is great. It's definitely not "Olive Garden-esqe" like some noted. It has a nice, homemade and comforting preparation to it. Winter months bring hearty and stick-to-your-sides soups, changed daily that are very tasty. Springtime-Summer they are off of the menu. RECOMMENDATION: It would be nice to see the appearance of lighter or chilled soups, etc. added to the summer menu. I would love to sit on the patio with a bowl of gazpacho, a glass of P Grigio and look at the lake :) Martini list and wine list are delicious and creative. Desserts are your typical choices, but still good. Coffee drinks are good as well. Bartender is quick and accurate. There are daily specials (same every week) that helps to change up the menu. Friday's are a huge night...they offer a Prime Rib special that is seasoned soooo wonderfully. Only negative here is they always run out, and sometimes very, very early in the evening of their seemingly most popular Friday Night special, the prime rib. Summertime dining hours are late, which is great, but when you're coming in off the lake around 7 or so and want a great Prime Rib dinner and a bottle of wine...you are sorely disappointed if you don't call ahead and reserve a few plates of it. RECOMMENDATION: Chef: please over order and serve up sandwiches next door if you have too much left over!! Happy customers are ones that don't have to worry about pre-ordering their dinner every Friday night!!!! Also, with the uncertainty of Prime Rib sometimes (toughness, etc), please, please slice off a piece of the main roast and try it before sending it out. Sometimes we have to "saw" instead of "slice" through this delicious cut of meat. If its bad, tough, stringy, chewy...please make the decision to make sandwiches out day and serve up what your customers have come to love (pay for) and refer the restaurant on a great piece of meat! Overall...I love this place and yes the "Calamari" is good too! read more

The food is amazing!!! Especially the salad. The prices are normal, but I live in Chicago so Im used to a high price point. The prices are average nothing to crazy. The reason for only three stars is due to the service. Our server John was so slow!!!! We were watching him, he isn't great at his job. I would say go here for the food but just know you need to ensure you aren't crazy hungry or need to go somewhere after. Due to the serve you will never get there or you will still be hungry since it takes awhile to get served. read more

Must be the end of the summer wait staff. Very poor slow service and it was not that busy. Server messed up drink orders a couple of time, (puts a lemon in scotch on the rocks), and messed up the food order as well (veal instead of chicken). Food was good as usual. read more

Love this place! Food, service and drinks are always great. Sitting at the bar is my favorite!

John and I love this place from the ambiance to the great food. This is where we eat when we stay in Lake Geneva and we are never disappointed. We had an appetizer made w/phyllo dough, tomato sauce infused w/fennel delicious. As another review said the house salad is fresh and prepared table side. I had a pasta dish with the same sauce so good. John had the sea bass prepared to perfection. The owner seated us I asked to sit where it would be warm and he offered to turn up the heat...he came back to make sure I was comfortable. Disregard the old reviews and give Cafe Calamari a go! read more

The food is great! We went for my brother's b day and tried the place out based on my uncle Dag's recommendation. We ordered the raw oysters (blue point from maine (excellent) and brushetta (the house bread is better with olive oil). I ordered the seafood devollo and my brother and SIL ordered the fettuccine Alfredo and the chicken and shrimp order. We all loved our pasta orders. The only downside is I called ahead and notified them of my brother's 25th b day and the waiter knew and they didn't even bring out a cake or ice cream for his bday. I would have given them 5 stars if they completed the whole package bc they seem to get sup par reviews. The waiter was very polite, the seating outside was nice. It's pricey but food is filling, and c'mon you get a beautiful view. read more

Huge fan of this place! I've been there a few times now - it's usually a stop when I am in the area. The place is always packed, which is a good sign! But, call ahead for a reservation. They have a nice little bar area to grab drinks before dinner. Note, little. Not a ton of seating, so you may need to stand, which isn't a huge deal. It's a cozy restaurant. Cozy = lots of tables, kind of close (not that it's a bad thing). And, there is a lot of chatter (again, not a bad thing). You kind of feel like you walked in to someone's home for dinner. Their food is delicious. I have tried a few things on their menu, and all were very tasty! They make a very good chicken parmesan. Probably one of the meals that stuck out to me. When you sit down, you get some fresh bread with olive oil and parmesan for dipping. Classic touch for an italian restaurant. If you're in the area and looking for a nice Italian restaurant, this is your spot. read more

One of our favorite places to dine in the area. The drinks are good and the staff is friendly and attentive. The food is good but wish they would change up the menu or offer different specials. We have enjoyed many meals with with friends and family here but also love to dine at the bar where you can order a pizza as they share a kitchen with Harpoon Willies (that serves some of the best pizza around town) The oysters are another favorite, both raw and Rockefeller. A great house salad comes with most entrees and is served with an excellent dressing. The fresh bread is a nice start to any fine dining experience. Wonderful view of Williams Bay if you are lucky enough to get a table outside in summer or near a window. Overall 5 stars in my book. read more

Worst experience ever. The waitstaff was inexperienced and somehow rude at The same time. We asked if a dish had dairy and she said she couldn't be sure. We asked if she could check with the chef and she was not happy. Told us no special requests bc they were so crowded. The manager said they specialize in service which is just false. If you have allergies or food intolerances STAY AWAY. We walked out with our drinks sitting full...which they made us pay for!!! read more

There's plenty o' options for dining around Geneva Lake, and the best combo for quality food, courteous service and the intangible "ambiance" is CC in Williams Bay. Sure, others have ambiance - Popeyes in LG and Gordy's in Fontana come to mind. But seriously, their food is not the draw. Cafe Calamari is worth your time and everyone from the hostess to the waitstaff made us feel like a wonderful priority (Shout-out to Corey, serving us at table 52-1). I'm not a local, but I sensed stopping on a Wed night, I might be stopping on "local" night. I'm happy to say, I could not spot a difference in service. CC is a winner winner Chicken Vesuvius dinner. read more

A wonderful dining experience. We had a group of six and enjoyed raw oysters and calamari for appetizers. I'm typically reluctant to get calamari due to so many bad and poorly cooked preparations at other places. This was literally one of the best calamari experiences. The oysters were fantastic. Tuesday night special was ribs, which we had 2 orders. We had 2 orders of scallops which were also a pleasant surprise, PERFECTLY prepared, not overlooked as happens many times. One order was sea bass, I heard no complaints, but can't say on their rating. We enjoyed a couple of bottles of Decoy Cabernet. I'm not sure where the negative reviews experience originated. The tables were white cloth and atmospheres. read more

A little intimate place near our B and B. The tableside tossed salad was delish. I don't like salad but I gobbled this one down with ease. I had the sea bass while my wife had seafood diavola. The service was great and the dinner went off without a hitch. The atmosphere is dim but delightful. We ended the night with tiramisu which made the stars shine even brighter. read more

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Great Date Night. I had the Beef Wellington special and my wife had the Sea Bass. Both were wonderful. Service was attentive. Only negative was that it was a little too cold inside. read more

The biggest complaint is how many people coming and going with no masks on and the managment did not care. Calamari was breaded too much. A tad tough also. Potatos with one of our dishes were undercooked. Just an average place to eat. read more

The food at Cafe Calamari isn't the best I've tasted but the service is absolutely wonderful! Our waiter was very attentive and a really nice guy, the food came out quickly and the atmosphere was beautiful. My main course, Chicken and Shrimp pasta was excellent, however the calamari was doughy and greasy, not what I was expecting considering the name of the restaurant. The gelato was also freezer burned. I'll definitely be venturing back soon for the main course, but I'll skip the appetizers and desserts! read more

everything about this place is amazing. this was the best restaurant experience we have ever had, the perfect way to ring in the new year! the food and service was amazing and our waitress kelly was OUTSTANDING and extremely accommodating. if you are looking for a nice place for a date night go here, you will NOT regret it!!! 5 stars all across the board. read more

Most importantly the food is great! The seafood is fresh and top quality! The staff is freindly and accomadating. I enjoy the menu and large portions. The atmosphere is relaxing and enjoyable. A hit amongst the locals! Side note- The scallops entree is prepared perfectly!! read more

This is most definitely the best fine dining experience we have had in Wisconsin. We are from Chicago and have high expectations of restaurants. Cafe Calamari has a great patio with a nice view of the lake, great wine even though I ordered the least expensive Cabernet on the menu, and we enjoyed all of our meals. We were a party of six with picky eaters and gluten free diners and we were all very happy with our entrees between the seafood linguini, gluten free chicken marsala, the chicken vesuvio, and traditional linguini with meatballs. Everything was delicious! read more

We enjoyed our meal very much. Beautiful views of the lake. Oysters Rockafellar were yummy! The tableside salad was unique and fresh tasting. It did get crowded very quickly so I would recommend making reservations. Will def be back! read more

My family has been here many times and raves about this place! I went here tonight for my 25th birthday, and our sever, Tony, was phenomenal. The service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the drinks were wonderful (raspberry martinis are to die for)!! If you get the chance to have Tony as your server, request him! I was a server myself for years--and Tony was the best I've had. What a lovely, delightful person! I hope Cafe Calamari management recognizes what a great staff they have! read more

Great pasta and great ambiance. Loved the gluten free options! We had a big group of people and some of us were gluten free and some vegetarian: everyone had great options. My favorite was the salad! The dressing was the best ever! read more

Walking into the restaurant it's beautiful. It did get quite chatty as there wasn't much spacing between tables. Starting with my appetizer I got the Calamari, cuz you know why not. It wasn't very impressive and I got more bottom of the bag bits versus actual Calamari. We had the sea bass and scallops for dinner. The sea bass was amazing and flaky, it was beautiful. The scallops were a bit small to be called jumbo, and they were kind of chewy so not totally in love but they were good. The service was slow, but it could factor that the place was full. My bill was kind of high for the amount of food we received which I'm also not in love with. Might need another visit to revise some thoughts. read more

nice location on Williams bay. great for a drink outside. Went there last nite for my wifes birthday. the service was so so. slow and not attentive. wine and cocktails are overpriced. had the parmesan crusted shrimp app. good but 2 shrimp for 12 bucks? my wife had the salmon special which was 32 dollars. I had the scallops. pretty good, slighty overcooked but not rubbery. came with pasta with...no sauce. I had to ask for the sauce. the veg were dry and had no seasoning. all in all mediocre. ok for a drink on the bay but way overpriced for what you get and service seems spotty. read more

We have been here before and it was always nice. Tonight was my husbands birthday and we called well in advance for a dinner reservation. We arrived and they didn't have any tables available but one in the bar???!!! Restaurant was packed during the pandemic and hostess was so uninterested in getting us a better table. We left and will not be back. How can you treat a guest that way with an attitude and no interest in being helpful? read more

This place was wonderful. Spent our 3 year anniversary here. The staff was very attentive and courteous, our server Tony wonderful. My husband had the bolognese capellini with meatballs and I had the rack of lamb. Both were delicious. Will definitely eat here again and highly recommend for a nice date night. read more

nice atmosphere for an intimate dinner or drink. The Italian food is ok but service and ambiance are very good. I advise eating at the bar where you have access to the bar menu which has nice sized portions of most of their food. Decent wine by the glass selection and solid cocktail making skills by the staff. Big shout out to Thursday special of ceviche and Friday special of the sicilian prime rib. Yum read more