Well - the food was definitely excellent, but also, I am a sucker for great service, and the service is excellent too. As some of the other reviewers have rightly said, if you are not comfortable eating in a small room with tables stacked close to each other, this is not the place for you. If you are ok with that though, this is a great place to try out. We randomly ordered 3 dishes, and they were all great. The chocolate mousse is a great way to end dinner here. The place seems to run by a small 3-person team including the guy who seems to be the owner/server, but the service is very pleasant and efficient without being overbearing and intrusive. read more

The. Best. I am picky-- especially about Italian food. From the atmosphere to the service to THE FOOD, one of the best meals I have had in a long time... In any city! Fresh homemade Italian bread, tangy dressing on the house salad, excellent marinara. Try the chicken Gorgonzola or the chicken Milanese-- awesome sharp bite of lemon-- and the side of "light Alfredo" pasta is amazing. Oh- and the prices are good!! EAT HERE. You will thank me! read more

Tried to share an entree and was told by the manager rudly that sharing is not allowed and every person must order an entree.

One of our favorite places on 2nd Street. The bruschetta is delicious, and the calamari appetizer is pan cooked, not deep fried, which is rare in this world of deep fried fanatics. Even though it is small, we never feel rushed. My favorite is the ravoli. Just enough so as not to overwhelm you, with a wonderful, not thick and goopy, marinara sauce. The wine list is decent and the service is spot on. One recommendation--spend a little money and reprint the menus--they look tired and they could use a good cleaning. read more

This fine quaint tiny Italian restaurant hasn't changed on bit since 1984 when I first visited it! Why should it? It's perfect. Same waiter/owner all these years makes for consistency. Fine cooking, fine friendly service. The waiter even remembers what wine I tried last a month or two ago on our last visit! 4.5 well deserved STARS. A local favorite read more

Frank, who I believe is the owner, was absolutely pleasant. Great service. I may have found my favorite Italian restaurant.

Loved it! If you want good food, this place is for you. Taste and creativity was spot on. It is tiny, quaint, and cozy. Service was attentive, but not overly so. We will go back again and again! read more

Went back there recently for my birthday. The food was still really good. The owner was really nice and recommended a great bottle of wine. Although, i was disappointed with the dessert. We ordered creme brulee, my absolute favorite dessert, and i wasn't very good. It actual was terrible. I bumped my rating down to 3 stars because of the dessert, but if you are looking for a great meal and quaint atmosphere, then this place is perfect! read more

Everything I've ever gotten has been delicious!! Love this place, they always make you feel like long time friends.

Amazing service, great food, great home like feeling ...perfect for dates!!!

The food is spectacular. You can't go wrong no matter what you order. Seafood, chicken, pasta. The place works but could be a little bigger for us big boned people. The only advice is for the young handsome guy with glasses. Please stop touching your face and hair and wiping your brow and then serving food and touching glasses at the rim and staws where people sip. Please stop scratching your head. Wash your hands! read more

This place is absolutely fantastic all around. I have lived on La Verne Avenue (the same street as Cafe Gazelle) for over 10 years and have heard great things about this place, but for one reason or another, we always found ourselves going to some of our other local favorites. That has all changed after our visit to this quaint cafe with tasty, real Italian classics not to mention their phenomenal service. Prices are very reasonable for the portions and their wine selection is fitting for their menu. The owner and the staff was on top of our every request and made us feel like we were the only table (yet every other table in the place was occupied). We look forward to adding this restaurant to our list of local favorites and we are kicking ourselves it took us so long to find this little gem, slightly off the beaten path (literally 25' off of 2nd Street). read more

I have been to this restaurant many times and the food and service has always been good. However, tonight I had a terrible experience. We put our name and our phone number in, because that is what the list required and were told it was a 40 minute wait. There is only one table that accommodates a party of 4. We checked back 20 minutes and the party was just getting their meals. So we walked around 2nd st. We came back 25 minutes later to see they had seated another party of the 4. As we stood there to determine what the situation was, they ignored us for 15 minutes. And mind you, this place is tiny. It the size of your grandma's dining room. The just kept ignoring my stares. Finally, the owner, who has served my family dozens of times over the last decade, came to me and said he gave our table away. Yeah, no shit. I asked why they did not call us and he said they don't do that. So, I asked, why do you take down a cell number? He said they don't, people just put it there next to their name. Ok, clearly they aren't trying to create a solution. They didn't say they were sorry. They didn't try and figure out a solution. They didn't try anything, they basically said, too bad, piss off. After coming here for over 10 years, probably spending $3,000-$4,000 on meals, they discarded me and my family. They didn't say they'd try and get 2 tables together, offer us a drink or do anything to encourage us to stay. I will NEVER come back to this restaurant. Their customer service in this situation sucked, they blew it. Too bad Cafe Gazelle, we were your advocates and now we are never coming back. read more

Just adding my agreement to those who love this place. Really tiny, so be prepared to be cozy with the other customers. Food and Service A+ The Chicken Milanese is truly to die for - totally melt-n-your-mouth chicken cutlets with capers and fresh lemon. OMG delicious. No parking, but, hey it's 2nd Street. read more

This place is a definitely a gem! I stumbled upon in during a mid-day search for a quick lunch and I have been addicted ever since. Every dish I have tried since then has been exceptional. Service is quick, friendly and always with a smile. It's a very small place so expect a wait if you arrive on a "date night" but it is definitely be worth it! P.s. They do takeaway. read more

I had one of the best meals of my life on wednesday night. It was absolutely fantastically delicious, fresh, homely, authentic. It was awesomely inexpensive, but not cheap, rather inexpensive in the best traditions of a different culture, and maybe a different time, in a way that makes me want to sport a monocle and don a genuine beaver skin top hat. For the record, I had veil with brandy-cream sauce, mushrooms, and capers*. The ask for extra bread to sop it up, lick your plate good, effing brandy sauce. That brandy cream sauce alone is at like 7 stars, my mouth is going all pavlav just thinking about it. I missed that brandy sauce. It was two and a half years ago that I left Belmont Shore and moved inland just a wee two thousand miles. Gazelle was a sometimes packed but well hidden gem that I frequented; they served food that I loved and never tired of. It was a safe choice to bring visitors or dates who enjoyed eating - my brother had a single meal there and talks of it some years after. And, when I moved away from home (*sob*), Gazelle was one of my last dinners on my way out of town. Thus Gazelle was on my shortlist during a recent visit home, it was penned in for my coveted last days. It was destined to be a hail mary. 2nd street has changed a lot in the short time I have been gone, or perhaps my tastes have; unfortunately most of the places I remembered fondly had been disappointing. Gazelle started out much the same. It closes at 9 on weeknights, too early to accommodate us the first night we tried. The second night we went earlier but the single four seat table was taken and would be a forty five minute wait, there was a single two seat table available (we were a threesome), but it was the worst table in the place, prone to draft from the often opened door, and foot traffic. I wanted to wait, but the girls were ravenous. Thus I sat, intermittently cold, huddled in a third chair around a small table meticulously squeezed barely out of the way of foot traffic. It was about then that I predicted with 80% confidence, that this meal was going to suck. And I was sad. But as the owner/host/waiter/bartender greeted our table he recognized me and inquired about my long absence. In a split second I remembered just how much I loved this place. I excused myself and went to wash my hands in the only restroom, located through the kitchen where a single chef works magic over a handful of pans over a hot stove, past the prep area, in the way back. And as I walked past all this stuff, and it smelled fucking delicious mind you, and I recognized that everything was the same (save the missing tablecloths - boo), and the 4 person staff was the same save the prep cook, I smiled, because I knew that dinner was going to be awesome. Giddy, I returned to the table just in time for a fresh from the oven roll, and unsalted butter. It was familiar, completely, and it was delicious, and I was home again. I have to admit here that at this point more or less I started smiling and remained grinning throughout the meal. I was that stoked, to the delight of my traveling companions. We went with veil in various incarnations, pared with the least expensive bottle of Pinot Noir possible, cause I'm classy like that. The soup was excellent. From memory, the salad is as well despite the fact that it has a beet-ish dressing. Choose either with dinner. My entree was so off the hook that words cannot possibly do it justice. I loved that veil like its mother, and the brandy cream sauce compliments so perfectly that every time I have the dish I fight off the urge to lick my plate clean, sometimes unsuccessfully. It was cooked perfectly, served with a pasta al dente and I think some veggies. Its filling, but the portion size is inadequate if only because the dish is so damn good that I can eat for two. I smiled wider and devoured. Even though as a rule I am not a dessert person, I love, love, love the deserts here. They are classy enough to bring them on a tray and show them to you rather then provide a menu. We split the crème caramel (an unflamed crème brûlée) which was a regrettable miss, and also an apple turnover a la mode which was recommended, and excellent despite my hatred of the fruit. All said, I would rank my dinner at Gazelle equal to my former undisputed best meal (some sort of nut or sesame encrusted tuna - its been the titleholder long enough that most of the details of the meal are lost). I love Cafe Gazelle, perhaps more so then any other place on (or just off) 2nd, its an unchanging landmark packed with just enough character to be charming, and focused foremost on delicious food. * - this veil dish has a much more fancy Italian name on the menu, which I have unfortunately forgotten. I think its on the left hand side of the menu, it mentions brandy in the description. read more

Love it! Small, and intimate. The service is great. The owner is personable. The portions served are perfect if your not into large, heavy meals. They serve my favorite red wine, Ruffino classico chianti!!! read more

This place is almost too adorable! Tiny little Italian restaurant with simple, perfectly cooked dishes. Very cute spot for date night or dinner with girlfriends. Would not try to come here with group greater than 4 as the seating is very limited. read more

pros: *almost everything i've had is DELICIOSO, although i must admit i tend to veer again and again the the eggplant special....YUMMY *portions are just the right size, i can finish a dish and feel sinfully full but not sick to my stomach *the homemade bread is fantastic and i love that they give you just one per person instead of a whole basket that you could end up stuffing your face with and ruining your appetite *love the grandpa's kitchen feeling, everything is fresh and homemade, great menu selection without being overwhelming *it lives on the same street as me so i can walk there in less than a minute :) cons: *SO small. i mean TINY. if more than three of their 7 tables are full, i cannot bare to stay....can be very uncomfortable *risotto. the one time i tried theirs it was more like watery, overcooked rice. disappointing. *those are all the cons i can think of i think everyone should try it at least once, i agree with mant others that it is a jewel tucked among shiny rocks read more

Amazing Food! The Filet Minon was heavenly! The chicken meatball appetizer is worth a try...the Italian wine selections are marvelous. This restaurant reminds me of a little authentic place right out of Italy. read more

Small intimate setting. Food prepared to order and outstanding. Prices are moderate. If you are looking for a non-corporate restaurant I highly recommend Cafe Gazelle. read more

We give them 5 stars for the creme brulee torte!! They warm up the bread right before they bring it over which is just awesome!! The atmosphere here is a little tight!! But the food is GREAT!! Great place for large parties. Just kidding! No, but seriously the place is small but the food is really good. This place is really dead, but it is perfect for dates. Very reasonably priced. Please people, I know the economy sucks, but you have to get out there and try this place!!! read more

Another bookmark added to my yelp faves! I'm so glad I took a risk to try something new today!

Great service and a very intimate restaurant on a side street in Belmont Shores. I loved the feel of the place it looks like it was a small family owned place. The food was good but not the best I've had which is why I am giving it a 4 and not a 5. If you are in the area and looking for a small intimate place for a date or double date this is your place. read more

Very small, but cozy place in Belmont Shore. I lived in Italy for 4 years and can attest that the offerings here are classic Italian dishes. No microwaved Olive Garden crap here. Support the little guy and try this place out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Small, semi-fancy Italian restaurant 20 steps off the main street in downtown LBC. We stumbled upon this place unexpectedly as we parked our car on one of the side streets. It seemed promising and there was no wait (I think it was a Friday early evening). Let me first say that I have lived with an Italian family in Siena for 3 months and enjoyed homestyle, authentic Italian dinners c/o my host mom nearly every night I was there - so I am now very critical on Italian cuisine made anywhere besides Italy. I find Olive Garden ridiculous, Fettuccine Alfreddo disgusting, spaghetti with meatballs barely tolerable, and most heavy pasta plates and cream-based sauces in America simply unappetizing. To deal with my raised standards for Italian food, I often resort to making pasta myself. With that in mind, I thought the food here was actually not too bad. It's still nowhere near the food I enjoyed in Italy, but I blame that partially on our mega-farms and genetically-modified, crops-for-the-masses, and shipped-from-miles-away produce. (Trust me, take a bite of a raw tomato in Italy and your tastebuds will be doing somersaults.) 1. Food: decent selection of pasta's, appetizers, and meat dishes (veal, chicken). Maybe because we were hungry and it was cold, but they had really good complimentary bread and butter! It was warm, crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. It was actually the most memorable part of our meal, sadly. What I ordered: - Scallops with butter and capers sauce served on little toasted pieces of bread, appetizer: really good. We asked for more bread to enjoy the rest of the sauce with. - Pasta with tomato sauce, mushrooms, and eggplant: this was not bad. I still found the sauce a little heavy, but at least the pasta was al dente. I don't recall the prices being overly extravagant, probably $13-$23 per entree. I shared the above appetizer and pasta with a friend, and it was JUST the right amount for both of us. They also have a selection of desserts which they will try to tempt you with at the end of the meal, by bringing over a tray of samples. 2. Service: excellent. The (I think) owner was friendly and helpful. You can tell he took pride in the restaurant. 3. Atmosphere/setup: dimly lit and cozy. It's obvious they are trying to go for the whole romantic, fancy, Italian villa thing. It's slightly believable. Luckily there were only two tables occupied when we went, but since the place is rather small, I can't imagine how it would be if all the tables were filled up. Several small to mid-size tables and chairs are evenly spaced out in a small room - that's it. They host private parties to rent the whole place out, which would be good for no more than 15 people. I'm not sure if I'd make it a point to come back here. If I were in the area, with a few of my girlfriends, or a cute date, and I was too lazy to make Italian food myself, I would probably come back. I'm giving this place 4 stars though, since I know I am harsh when it comes to Italian restaurants. read more

There are two types of holes in the wall: one that is not very good and suffers because of a lack of cash flow; and one that is so good there is no need to put more money into it. Cafe Gazelle falls into category two. The minestrone was a bit too oily for my liking. The ravioli was quite good, as well as the veal. While it was good, it wasn't mind blowingly so; which means 4 stars read more

Very good quaint restaurant. Nestled amongst shops and boutiques, its a great place to include on your date or just have real italian family owned food. read more

'Rainy days and Monday's always get me down,' whoever wrote this song need to eat Cafe Gazelle's. OH MY GOD! I think I just ate at one of the eateries on the Italian side of heaven. read more

I met my cousin here for lunch last week. Total hole in the wall restaurant, full of charm! The bread was served warm and the Polpette di Pollo was amazing! Under $6 for lunch in Belmont Shore is unheard of (unless you eat at Jack In the Box). Great service, great food, great price! read more

Great food, great find. A little small and cramped. 8 tables, 1 cook, 1 dishwasher, 2 servers. Food? Fantastic!!

Found this place on Yelp. We wanted a small quiet Italian restaurant. Cafe Gazelle has been there 30 years and the food,service, and setting are great. A real old style neighborhood place. Our favorite new italian restaurant.. read more

My gf and I randomly decided to come here after the aquarium. It was so tasty. I have never eaten chicken that tasted so tender and I don't really like chicken dishes. I got the chicken milanese and my gf got the chicken diavalo. Both were excellent and we got wonderful service. Two thumbs way up. read more

This place is absolutely fantastic. Every course is better than the previous one. I'm a fat kid at heart and would vote for an all-you-can-eat option. Great date place. read more

We loved finding this small simple delicious Italian restaurant off the main drag in Belmont Shore. The tables are so close together that other diners need to make way for you! We ordered carbonara, linguine and clams, some incredible pumpkin soup, and chocolate bread pudding with frangelico ice cream. The best carbonara I've ever had. Light, not at all gluey, and So Tasty! Prices were so reasonable and was like going for dinner, in Italy. read more

Absolutely adore this place. It's small, and quaint, but charming. Perfect for an intimate date night. Food is always deliciousness and the prices are pretty good too! read more

This place is BOMB.com !!! Have been here twice a week since I figured out where it was. Super warm and cozy little restaurant. All the pasta dishes so far have been 5 stars!! It feels as if I'm in a Italian bistro in Italy. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!! read more

First time visit. Might come back here or will try their second location, depending on distance. The restaurant is very small, but offers some good Italian dishes. I am not sure if the pastas are made in-house, but I definitely perceived them to be after trying their Michel Angelo pasta. The pasta entree was not the actual highlight of the night for me, it was the breaded shrimp appetizer and chianti wine that did it for me. I would like to try more of their offerings, but the commute to Long Beach from the OC really makes me think twice about it, especially considering that I have tried Panxa Cocina in the LBC, which is totally worth the drive. read more

Super Small and a local favorite in Belmont Shore. If you looking for a tiny high end Italian this is not it !!!!! But on the other hand if your looking for good food, fresh ingredients and fair prices, be prepared to wait .... OUTSIDE, One of the smallest restaurants I have been to. 7 tables and only 1 four top. couples only here!!! And if you listen carefully you can here every conversation going on!!! Its not that bad but its close. I love Frank and his brother and they care about the customers and the food, Always good and I never worry about the quality. read more

My friend and I went here last night literally on a whim. I had seen it from the outside several times and then would forget about it or not be able to find it (seriously that small and off the main path). I have to say, it blew us both out of the water! I've been to Italy quite a bit and I felt like I was suddenly transported back. The calamari was tender and perfect, portions just right so we could actually enjoy a dessert, exceptional coffee, and both entrees looked like they stepped off the cover of Gourmet. Small, no... tiny setting with a true family affair feel (minus the obvious nationality difference between front and back of the house staff). To sum it all up, on our way home I turned and said, "I have lived in Long Beach for 5 years and this is the best food I've tasted here." read more