Just do yourself the favor and get the lasagna. It's to die for. If not, then the steak with mash and creamed corn. Those are my to-go-to's! You can got wrong with either. Everything else on the menu is pretty much the same as anywhere else. But they have a phenomenal happy hour!!! read more

Cafe Fiore - After we were done with the happy hour menu - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

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Didn't like the pizza. Crust was very flat and dense. Not light and airy. More like a cracker crust. Spicy sausage on the pizza was quite good but having avocados so large took away some of the overall flavor. The salad and burrata tray was quite good. I had a beautiful wine, Red Blend, Beckmen, "Cuvee Le Bec", Santa Ynez Valley, 2020. This was $60 a bottle and just superb! Yes it's higher priced compared to a wine store but splitting the cost with a friend made it worth it. read more

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We tried their lavender martinis, which were super strong and good! Ravioli was okay, nothing special but I loved the bread that came with it. read more

Cafe Fiore - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

This is hands down my favorite restaurant. The pasta is always fresh, the drinks are fantastic, and the staff truly make the experience special. I absolutely love this place and have been coming here for years. The tree house has ambiance too. read more

Food was not good. Left it untouched. Ordered the lasagna and the noodles were super overcooked and it was more like cheese soup than lasagna. No flavor, just mush. It felt like eating glue. Service was mid--not bad, not exceptional, just okay. We did have to wait a while to be helped to get the check after we were ready to leave. The busser acknowledged us before our server since we were waiting so long. It was not busy. The staff were all polite though when they did interact with us. My partner got sick from his dish. The dishes were also broken and partially dirty. Wouldn't recommend. read more

We had an excellent time at Cafe Fiore! Stopped by looking for a bar seat- great service and the food was so good! Tried the artichoke frito with arugula yum! And the butter nut squash raviolis. Both so delicious and completely different. We were so full no room for dessert . Seemed like there were lots of locals there too-always a good sign. read more

Great food. Johnny is a nice guy but horrible server. Please Johnny work on your service. Been here a handful times and he happens to be our server and the worst service. Check in with your table sometimes. read more

Took my daughter on a daddy daughter date and Fiore did NOT disappoint! Everything ordered was amazing, even the bread and tapenade delivered to the table at the beginning of the meal! read more

Great vibes, great food. Yves was a fantastic waiter. He was super helpful and friendly, couldn't ask for better service. Thank you Yves and thanks you Cafe Fiore!! read more

The food wasn't bad but our dishes were so salty, I'm not sure if it was a one time thing just that night but it was our first time and that experience is enough to make us not go again. I had the minestrone soup and it tasted salty and my main dish, pasta al forno, was also salty. My boyfriend got the lasagna and he agreed with the saltiness. I drank a lot of water the rest of the night going into the next morning. The food wasn't bad like disgusting tasting just the sodium felt through the roof for us. read more

This beautiful place is easily missed but it's definitely worth the finding it. Interior is spacious. Service is always quick for us and the waitresses and waiters are the friendliest. Depending on what you order this place is pretty light yet filling. Not too little and definitely not too much. I've never had a bad meal here. It's quite a charming place. I've posted reviews as well to Instagram and TikTok as @battygonebatty. read more

It was great that we were seated right away. Make reservations if you can. It was a busy Saturday night & the restaurant was packed. Our waitress was good but seemed very busy with other tables. My husband ordered a beer & it prob took about 20 min for him to get it. She kept informing us that it will be served shortly. A must try: calamari. We had a few servers checking in on us; refilling our glasses. When we asked if we could get more bread, another server said sure but we charge $3. What?!!! We never got to finish our bread bc it was taken before our meal was over. Their service seemed fast & felt like they wanted to finish their job. Tiramisu was heaven but don't get the cannoli. Tasted too heavy & dense. read more

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Love the butternut squash here and also the lasagna. The bread is outstanding and so is everything on the menu. Nice wine list as well. Good simple Italian restaurant read more

My friends and I had late dinner on Sat. 6/28. I've dined here in the past and recommended to my friends because the food was good. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my Oso Buco meal. The meat was not tender if anything a bit hard. I asked for angel hair pasta with marina sauce instead of the Risoto. The sauce tasted like it came out of a can. Lack flavor and there were chunks of tomatoes unlike a typical marina sauce. Very disappointed read more

Great atmosphere and beautifully decorated. Popped in on a busy night, and luckily got seating right next to the fireplace. Came in for a quick drink, but ended up staying to enjoy a couple bottles of Daou. It was the evening of the Winter Wine Walk,so the staff were very busy, yet pleasant. Can't wait to come back to try some food options. read more

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Was really looking forward to this dinner while we were spending a weekend with extended family at the beach. We even got the private room. Sadly that is where the good vibes stopped. Our waitress either didn't care about us, forgot us or was slammed. Either way we were ignored often. Cocktails took 25 minutes. Water and other drinks were never refilled. I had the osso buco, my wife had the roasted lamb (stinco). My meal was bland. Her lamb wasn't cooked long enough. My mom's special pasta with asparagus and crab wasn't great. Place looked good, smelled good, but did not deliver. read more

Cafe Fiore - Stinco - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

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This place has been my go to place now for months. If you are lucky enough to sit at the bar and have Jake as your server/bartender then you are in great hands and won't be disappointed. He makes excellent drinks and is very personable. Don't even get me started on the food, it's absolutely delicious. Haven't tried a dish yet I don't love. read more

Cafe Fiore - Avocado Martini - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

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My wife and I dined at Cafe Fiore for Valentine's Day. Despite the restaurant being busy, we received excellent service, enjoyed a lively and romantic ambiance, and savored delicious food. I opted for the ribeye with spinach and mushrooms, which was absolutely divine. read more

Cafe Fiore - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

I truly go here for the Lobster Bisque (Not Pictured) ... It is by far my favorite lobster bisque around & on a cold day in Ventura - it hits the spot. Next time, I will get a pic for sure. For now however, feast your eyes on this fresh Margarita Pizza. Simple and on point. read more

Cafe Fiore - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

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Wow, I'm surprised by all the shade reviews. I've been fortunate to have awesome service here twice now and I can't wait to go back! I've only been in larger groups and my servers both times recognized we were just going to be "a while" and didn't check up on us too much to feel rushed. My 1st visit was during the wine walk Easter weekend. Our group sat near the bar for lunch. We shared Bruschetta, the Giuseppe pizza, Carciofi Fritti and some others I don't remember. All of it was delicious! Including their complimentary bread and sauce assortment. I knew I had to go back! 2nd visit was for my Birthday. We sat in the back of the restaurant this time and had reservations. We ordered the bruschetta again, Caprese Salad and something similar to Bistecca Alla Griglia that was a special that night. My 4 stars is given the back of the house seems to make different drinks then the main bar. The drinks on my first visit were amazing! The 2nd trip was definitely different, and it was a second bar w/different bartenders than the front. We ordered the Lavender Fields, Blackberry Sage Manhattan and Fig Smash cocktails both times. I wish I knew the front house bartender name. He's was rocking a bun both trips and his drinks were awesome! I wish he had made them on my birthday. I'll be back. read more

My favorite place to relax and socialize with friends. I love the pizza too but you want to order it extra crispy.

Amazing food and drinks - was very crowded when we went (9/1/2024), had to wait for our second round of drinks. The drinks came basically when we were done eating, and the waitress had already told us we need to leave as they had a reservation waiting (which seemed slightly rude) so we had to down our drinks and leave the table. We will try it again sometime, to see if this issue was just because it was a busy night. We did have a reservation ourselves, so not entirely sure why they were rushing us along. read more

**BE AWARE OF YOUR CHECKS** I usually eat here every week, but today will be my last day. Every time I call in, there seems to be a new hostess who never has a clue, making it extremely stressful to place a simple order for just two items. I also have been over charged multiple charged this second time they've tried to overcharge me. I never used to pay much attention to the bills until the last week when I was overcharged, and now I've started checking them closely yesterday was it for me. When I arrived, I noticed two extra items on my bill that I hadn't ordered. I brought this up to a guy named Eric, who was standing next to the hostess and acted like he was a manager, though he wasn't. When I informed him about the extra items that weren't even in the bag, he refused to correct the bill. He was very rude and dismissive. I told him if he didn't remove the extra charges, I would leave, but he didn't care, so I left. I went to Casa Bella instead and had an amazing dinner--highly recommend Casa Bella. Honestly, I have to thank Eric for being so rude, because it led me to discover such a great place. While I used to enjoy the food at Café Flore, it's simply not worth the headache, the overcharges, or the rude staff anymore or the clueless hostess . I won't be coming back. Update: responding to Let's speak facts and be honest The 2 complementary meals was because they made a mistake on my last two meals so it wasn't complementary. They were replacing two meals that they messed up. I also would like to say I never have a problem spending money as a matter fact I left a $50 order and bought at $95 order from the other restaurant so please don't worry about my pockets I just wanna be treated fairly and I want to be charged fairly you're always over charging. And your hostesses are clueless except for the young lady Lola she is the only one that knows what the heck she's doing their Regarding your staff Eddie was disrespectful you weren't there, so you don't know what happened and the hostess clueless. Your always hiding when someone calls never available or always gone anytime someone calls and ask for a manager no one is ever available or they are gone for the night. It's weird that they always have to monitor your calls maybe you are there more you can run your restaurant just a little bit better So please if you're gonna get it straight, get it right the first time and not add anything extra again the two complementary meals were not complementary they were replacements and the 20% discount white from the extra food that I bought was because you were making up for the inconvenience since I had to drive an hour to come out there to get my replacement food. And you can't say good riddance to someone that is giving you a bad review and doesn't wanna deal with your restaurant FYI just because the business has been around for a long time does it mean you have. Whoever ran the restaurant before you obviously did so much better. Your response is really wack Thank you have a nice day . read more

We have been at this restaurant a few times over the years. Our last two times have been below average. The food is ok, but the service was lacking. Last time, we had not completed our meal and the waitress started to clear our table. Today, as we were ordering, the waitress kept telling us that the restaurant was going to charge us for the soda water and the extra order of bread. I am totally ok with being charged for fountain soda water, but it was the underlying tone we perceived as she kept telling us that there was an additional charge. It just did not sit right with us. We will not return. read more

Came in made a reservation for Father's day. I did put pictures of my food most of got deleted. I had the veal , it was OK. I tried my mom's steak mom that rib eye was so great. It was tender, cooked to a prestine condition. The waitress kind of hard to get a hold of her but finally we did and she catered to us. The menus were dirty needed to be clean. But over all it was a nice father's day dinner. The parking is somewhat hard there's free parking garage and I beleive pad parking. They always have reggae day on Sunday and drink specials read more

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I had the steak with pumpkin mash and Gorgonzola sauce. Hands down the best steak and sides I've ever had. I came back weeks later and drove 2 hrs for the steak. So so good. Staff is friendly and helpful. The place is romantic and lively. 10/10 read more

Lasagna was swimming in oil. Calamari was dry Fettuccine Alfredo was very bland. Was very disappointed. read more

Delicious! I came across this place as it's right next door to Lure Fish House. The place looked cute from the outside, so why not? I feel like I found a gold mine here! I love the decor & live music they have. I had penne with vodka sauce & it was fantastic. They forgot to add my mushrooms but the plate was so good it didn't even matter. Their bread tastes homemade & fresh. Some other reviews said this place tastes like Olive Garden? Couldn't be further from the truth. My plate had its own unique taste & was full of flavor. Not like Olive Garden in the slightest. Definitely 10/10 & would recommend/return for any occasion. read more

Cafe Fiore - Penne with Vodka Sauce - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

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All dressed up and now no RESERVATION FOR DINNER! Visiting the lovely town of Ventura on 9/23/23 as we always do. I headed to the farmers market this past Saturday to shop and enjoy the day. After I was done I stoped and made a reservation at cafe Fiore for that evening for 7 of us at 7pm. The hostess showed us where we would be sitting in the tree house area. We were so excited. Upon arrival we were seated at a different table and the birthday boy sat on the end back to back with another table and had no room to move. Strike one. The table that we were supposed to sit at they sat 4 people there and put us at a table smaller and we arrived before them. A waiter came around and asked if we would like to order some water we said yes please with lemon. Five minutes later water arrived and he started to serve our table. Unfortunately, he had an accident and spilled water all over the birthday boy and the table that was sitting directly behind him. Because the birthday boy was pretty much sitting on top of that person at the end of our table. We understand accidents happen so we were like don't worry about it bring a towel stuff happens. We were not upset about that because the young man that served the waters felt very bad when it happened and we did not want to make it worse for him. He cleaned up, the mess and broken glass but never brought back any of our waters. The table that was sitting across from us our expected table had drinks, water and there're order was taken. While we were all sitting waiting for our waitress to come she had no idea what had happened and said oh what happened here! We explain the situation we told her we were fine but that we did need some water. OK I'll go get it for you guys. Another server came and said, did you order lemon wedges and we said no we ordered some water. Same time she was coming to bring us water and then we told the server we did not order lemon wedges. She took off with all of the waters and never served us water. Then another server came and said oh did you order the salad and the and an appetizer. I said oh we haven't even gotten our order taken nor water. So much dis organization and no communication, so all seven of us after 45 minutes scratching our head thinking we were on candid camera for everything that went wrong got up and walked out. I got to the front desk I asked to speak to the manager. He showed up in a smock that look like he was another waiter. He came up and said he was the manager. I explained to him our experience but he kind of looked confused and did not know what to say. To me he did not have manager experience so I do not believe this was the manager. He just kept nodding his head and didn't even know what to do. This was a Birthday party dinner for our Twins and I have never seen so much horrible service in my life. So it was now 7:45 pm no water no service nothing and now no other reservation for dinner. I'm so upset beyond measure and will be reaching out to the owner of this restaurant. They deserve no stars whatsoever but yelp needs me to add one unfortunately, and I am highly highly disappointed that our evening was completely ruined. None of us wanted to eat after this horrible service. The stress of it all affected us tremendously and our appetite. read more

Cafe Fiore - Business card - Italian Near Me - Ventura, California

This is the first and only restaurant we have ever walked out of. The service was horrendous. We waited about 15 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge us after being seated. After finally making contact with our server, he turned around and walked away mid conversation as I was ordering a drink. We've given this place 3 chances and each time was more disappointing than the last. We will never be returning. read more

Never thought I'd write a negative review for this spot. Let me start out by saying I am a local and I have patronized this restaurant many, many times. Previous visits have been okay. I've never had a stellar experience here - but I've also never had anything happen like today. I've been here for happy hour, girls night out, celebrations of every kind. Generally speaking, the food and service are fine. No stand outs, no total shit. But this evening, a friend and I came here to have a glass of wine and exchange late Christmas gifts. The bar area was not busy and we seated ourselves. Original bartender is not attentive and we are kind of annoyed by his lack of attention. No big deal. We get our cocktails and then have to play dodge the fruit basket tower and other chatting/bored servers to order food. Still no big deal, he's the only bartender, we're visiting and catching up. Shift change, new staff, and "regulars" start to circle and hunt. It's very apparent that we are in someone's "spot". It's getting a bit weird and semi-uncomfortable. We're told that the place is known as "cafe divorcee" (clever, I'll admit) and I guess we're cock blocking all the senior citizens from their preferred bar stools. The new bartender (tall, bald guy) told the regular next to us to tell us to wrap it up, close out and leave. I repeat, To leave! Like exit and vacate. I assume so that the "regular" could have their spot. Super weird. Now, customer loyalty is one thing. But to ask people that are eating and drinking and peacefully socializing to leave - it's unacceptable. So many places to choose from down town Ventura. This one is off my list. It was only on it about 50% before. But now, nope - you can keep your mediocre food and service and your weird, gang of senior citizen bar stool monitors. Too weird and not even worth it - yuck!! read more

Great food and service with an eclectic cocktail list. Nice outdoor patio adds to the ambience. read more

We love this restaurant. This is our favorite restaurant in Ventura. It's the best Italian food! The owners are super nice!

Cafe fiore really has the makings for a great place. Beautiful interior with an outdoor patio which was nice. Drinks and prices good, service competent. The food here is the issue. Just not great. No one out of our 7 really liked their dish. Didn't hate it but didn't like it. Chicken parm was a generous portion. Ownership here should really look at their food offerings and decrease the menu and increase quality and preparation. read more

Delicious food and cool ocean breeze. Servers were very kind and accommodating for our large group.

My wife, 93 year old stepdad, and I went for a late lunch on New Year's Day Weekend. When you are 93, you have eaten lots of things. He was telling me about this 15 ounce short rib burger that we would split. I was thinking, that I haven't shared a burger with anyone since I was a kid - why is he making me split a burger. He said that he and my mom went here on opening day 20 years ago, when they were serving drink and appetizers at the bar. My wife had a triple entree appetizer which was rich and delicious and interesting. The crab cakes are full of crab and just enough breading served on a bed of polenta. There were also bacon wrapped shrimp on there, which was okay. The bacon was a little undercooked and didn't really compliment the shrimp like it should have. It was also served with a sautéed veggie mash of someone kind that was cold. I guess it is supposed to be cold, but something about wet cold, and cooked veggies isn't my preference. The restaurant also had a very good selection of freshly baked artisan bread served with an olive spread with a hint of tomato. My wife and stepdad really liked the tapenade, but it was a bit too "tomatoty" for me, but the bread was awesome. If you happen to be an olive tapenade kind of person - then enjoy. Now - to the star of this review - the 16 Oz short rib burger. Well - it came out split and really feel I got screwed because the burger "-appeared" to be small. After taking my first bite, I could not express the complex taste in words - it was interesting. You can definitely tell that this is a much nicer cut of meat as opposed to your traditional ground beef - it was so full of flavor and was well seasoned. It was served with provolone cheese (which I was thinking about changing to cheddar), but I am glad that I didn't. The provolone cheese was so rich and inviting that it complemented the burger well. The short rib burger is also served with butter lettuce, delightful light spread, and small slice of tomato. Now - after I ate "my half" of the burger - could I have eaten the entire thing?!? Yes! But - for me and my heart - nothing makes me happier than listening to my stepdad talk about this burger for a few days, telling me how good it is, and watching him enjoy it. At 93 and in overall good health - he is an early to live kind of guy. Being his junior by some 42 years, I am a "live to eat" kind of guy and I "live to eat" to be able to spend time with my stepdad. The best part is we decided to eat a burger at an Italian place. The rest of the menu was full of delicious and complex pasta dishes, that we will have to come by and try sometime. Congratulations Cafe Fiore for 20 years in business, and I am so thankful that my stepdad who was there on your opening, could reflect and tell some great stories. read more

Attended a birthday dinner here. We were in the back/side covered patio. It was beautiful and the temp was just right. Our server Gabe was a delight. He was professional and friendly and very knowledgable about the menu. He handled a few last minute requests from us with ease and positivity. Our bartender Patty was EXCEPTIONAL! She suggested a few cocktails including non alcoholic versions like the virgin mojito and it was delicious! Our meals were cooked perfectly. My lasagna was piping hot and so rich, full of flavor! My husband had the chicken parm and he just about licked the plate! We had the turtle sundae for dessert and if I didn't know any better, I think every component including the caramel and fudge were entirely made from scratch. It was a perfect night with delicious food and superior service. Totally recommend! read more

The happy hour menu at Cafe Fiore went through a makeover. Most items are still on the list, which is good. Some new added, as the garlic bread which is amazing, the best I ever had, fresh, war, flavorful. The pizza-s are a hit, so are the sliders. Looking forward to try other new items in the near future! The mojito-s are the best! Can't even order anything else! Service varies, based on events, etc. They have mostly one waitress working during this time and it can get very sloooowww. Better not be in a rush! Great food and drinks, service is unpredictable, they keep you in suspense here! read more

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We really like the food, drinks & ambiance here, but 3/4 of the time the service is lacking. Last week the server didn't ever come back to ask about food or if we'd like another drink. Like, don't you want my money?! Might have to stop coming if service doesn't improve :( read more

We had our wedding reception dinner at Cafe Fiore and it was magical! We wanted to keep things on a budget as much as possible so we didn't go the normal big wedding route but cafe fiore exceeded our expectations. The food and drinks were AMAZING! And the staff was so kind and attentive. 11/10 recommend the treehouse at cafe fiore for any event! read more