I attended a family member's small wedding party here. As soon as we arrived the hors d'oeurves began to flow and I really enjoyed them. The mozzarella sticks reminded me of the ones I used to get as a child at an ice skating rink, nothing tastes better than nostalgia right?? The other finger foods were good too, the fried zucchini and mini-pizzas. I also enjoyed the appetizer table, with cold cuts, shrimp and fried calamari. The fried calamari was also another stand out. That, the mozzarella sticks and the free flowing drinks, of course. What really made me not enjoy my experience was after that. I had been up dancing and came back to the table to find everyone else had a salad, except for me, despite my table setting clearly looking like it was used. I brushed it off, I was pretty full still on the appetizers. But it would come back later to haunt me. That is, I ordered the Bistecca Florentine, having had a similar dish at an italian restaurant a few weeks prior. I always ask for my steak rare/medium-rare since I know restaurants tend to overcook that. My sisters fiance ordered the same. We both got our steaks and they were overdone and dry. While my sisters fiance asked for a new one, I don't like to send back food, so I stuck with it. His second steak came the same exact way. And when he mussed again about it he asked for the snapper, which he had tasted off my sisters plate. Lesson learned, do not order the steak from here, read more

My husband & I came here last night for dinner with a Groupon. The host Will seated us & was very cordial & friendly. Our appetizer of grilled octopus & shrimp with broccoli was very good. I inhaled my dinner of monk fish & my husband also devoured his seafood with risotto The owner was also very friendly & cordial to us. We will definitely return soon! This is a hidden gem - it's inside the Best Western Hotel in RVC. Parking is in the hotel parking lot & close by behind the hotel. Also, they had live music playing which really made the whole dining experience much more pleasant - they played many oldies but goodies read more

Cala Di Mare - Seafood with Risotto - Excellent! - Italian Near Me - Rockville Centre, New York

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We came here on a Thursday night with a Groupon. Although there were people at the bar, I believe we were the only diners. The owner/waiter brought a plate of bruschetta which was fabulous, nice and garlicky. We had a lovely bottle of wine, the seafood risotto, and cavatelli with pancetta and eggplant. We both enjoyed the food, and feel that the menu prices are reasonable for the amount and quality of the food. We were somewhat surprised that he added a 20% tip to the bill. That's not usually done for a party of two, perhaps they do that with the Groupon? All in All, we were very pleased with the meal, and will return. read more

I attended a graduation party here a few weeks ago. The thing that I was most excited about was it's close proximity to the LIRR Rockville Center station. Literally within walking distance. The size of the restaurant is perfect for a small- medium sized function. I believe there were eight long tables set up on this particular day and there was still plenty of room to move around and dance if you wanted to. Once I arrived, I greeted the graduate and servers started to swarm with appetizers. None of the appetizers were all that special. The appetizers included mozzarella sticks, fried zucchini, and bruschetta. The servers were very attentive; possibly too attentive. They kept returning offering more appetizers and I had to keep declining which made me feel bad and a little uncomfortable. While the guests were mingling the servers begin to take drink orders. For this particular event, there were also bottles of wine on the table. There was a buffet set up for dinner. Some of the things included on the buffet were a green salad, pasta, chicken, and calamari. The food was okay but definitely nothing to write home about. Overall it was a pleasant experience. The food was somewhat lackluster but once again it was conveniently located next to the LIRR. read more

What a wonderful surprise! Came here for dinner not expecting so much and wound up enjoyed an amazing dinner - the owner, Roberto, obviously takes great pride in the food he serves. We had a sumptuous meal - I tried the eggplant rollatini appetizer and my companion had the jumbo shrimp and both dishes were excellent. For our entrees -- I had the very best piece of halibut I have ever tasted, pan seared and served with a delicate, lemony beurre blanc sauce over rice with fresh green beans - just PERFECT in every way. My pal had a just-exactly-right medium rare steak accompanied by delicious mushrooms in a flavorful rich sauce along with a lobster tail with drawn butter. Heavenly! Roberto brought out a yummy dessert; two halved chocolate covered mini ice cream bombes flanking a generous piece of tiramisu! We groaned but ate up every bit of it! This place is a hidden gem. Do yourself a favor and stop by. I heard there's a jazz combo that plays on Friday nights and I plan to check that out first chance I get. Oh yes, forgot to mention there's a generous pour on the drinks here -- and let Roberto suggest some wine to go with your dinner too! read more

We and here because of the glowing reviews despite knowing it was associated with the Best Western. Bread was cold and stale, the oil used to fry the arancini balls was old and we could taste it. The "seafood platter" came with a couple of pieces of previously frozen fish and one over-cooked rubbery shrimp, and the duck was ok. Wine tasted like it came from a box, and when I asked the waitress what kind of wine it was before ordering, her answer was "white wine" (so again, probably should have known better). We are using a groupon and I still don't this this was a good value for the garbage we mostly left on the table. The waitress tipped herself 20% and the bill was exorbitant for what we ate - even with the groupon. There are much better places to eat in rockville centre... Pizza would have been a better option. I have no clue how this place got 4 stars... Maybe the manager, wait staff and extended family wrote the 16 reviews? read more

Off the chart! The atmosphere is so elegant, like I was in a little place in Italy. Had a great beet salad and lasagna. They also have a place for parties. If you haven't visited this restaurant you need too. Trust me you won't be disappointed. read more

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No one answers the phone and both times we walked here it was dark, empty and closed. Is this place still even in business? If I didn't have a Groupon I wouldn't have came here and by the looks of it the Groupon deal was an exit scam. When I asked the receptionist at the hotel what the deal was she said she had no idea as they are completely separate and they open whenever they want to. Don't buy a Groupon here because they aren't even really open. read more

Delicious Food! Excellent Service! Great Ambiance! Very Friendly Staff. The perfect combination for a Great Italian Restaurant! I will Definitely Visit them again. read more

Cala Di Mare - outside of restaurant at night - Italian Near Me - Rockville Centre, New York

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It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. I got the Groupon deal and was glad I did. It's not good enough to pay full price but not bad enough to totally trash the place. I do agree that the bread they give you to start out with is horrible. Be sure to skip that. The overall meal for my date and I was good. I say check it out for yourself and make your own judgement. read more

Sorry to say that we were given a Groupon for 4- We were only 3 people. The owner - not very nice- took only half the value of the groupon and we still had to pay over $80 for half quality food. Because we were only 3 people. He should have taken the Groupon and we would have gone back just because he was a good business man - NOT ! I took the Groupon and threw it in the garbage. That's what i think of that place. read more

We went to this restaurant on New Years night. First of all the food was horrible . The owner said we Will get cocktail hour . We only got cheese and cheap cold cuts my dinner steak was so cold I send it back . I was not happy with this place they need to Get more help on this New Years night. We did not get what we pay for $80.00. If I knew this I was going to be like this bad food cold and cheap cold cuts cheese and bologna . After the night he gave us the check good think we was not drunk he try to charge us for adults we had three kids for40.00 not 80.00. And they do not deserve 18 percent there service stinks. So I gave them 15 percent then the owner curse me out and got loud with me . Omg I never will come back to this place ever. He needs to go back and take lesson how to talk to people. This the worst place ever horrible food and the owner was nasty . I will never come back good luck the owner was drinking alcohol and the bar service was drinking too. Horrible the food was cold read more

Wonderful experience and excellent food. Came here for my birthday with a group of 20 people and the service was the best I ever had. And the food was just as phenomenal. Even better is the fact that it's very affordable. I recommend this place to anyone from anywhere on Long Island. I will definitely be going back in the near future. read more

My husband and I came here about a year ago for our anniversary and we loved it! It was like we discovered a hidden gem. At first we were apprehensive because the place was empty but we decided to give it a try anyway. Best decision. The wait staff was attentive(granted we were like the only ones there), but also the food was spectacular. They were offering a special seafood dish with lobster which was ammazzing! The owner even came up to us and introduced himself and offered us two glasses of wine on the house. Really nice gesture. We plan on going again for our next anniversary. read more

Phenomenal! Wonderful! Outstanding! These are just 3 of the many words I would use to describe Cala Di Mare. I held a party there and down to every detail, Roberto ensured my event was a huge success! Food was delicious, cake was sweet, music had the crowd moving and his staff was beyond attentive to every need! No detail was missed!The Resturant is beautiful and was transformed into a party venue meeting needs of both adults and kids! Without any reservations I highly recommend Cala Di Mare for dinner or a party anytime! read more

My wife and I went out for dinner to Cala de Mare using a Groupon certificate. This is the home restaurant for a Best Wester hotel in Rockville Center.We were seated quickly in what was essentially a empty restaurant. We were given a starter of unwarmed bread and Bruschetta which was terrible. We then ordered a pasta soup and a salad. The salad was OK however the pasta fazul soup has some underdone beans. We then ordered two entrées one lemon chicken and a pasta with eggplant dish. The lemon chicken was OK but not great. The pasta dish was well below average in quality and taste. We quickly stopped eating packed away our food and left this restaurant. disappointed I cannot understand the high ratings my fellow reviewers gave this restaurant since my experience was so different from theirs. Service was good and was responsive. The price to value ratio is about average for this type of restaurant. All in all this was a poor experience and I will probably not be going back. read more

I ate here with several family members for a Thanksgiving Lunch. My uncle does not eat dinner so... Anyway, everything tasted really good. Its a new place that has only been open for about 2 months. I really enjoyed the bruschetta. The seasoning on the tomatoes was really good. I could eat an entire plate of just that. They had a special menu for the day. I had an eggplant portabello mushroom with cheese appetizer and that was good. I also ordered the Scallopini Veal cutlet with prosciutto, cheese and tomato sauce. It was well seasoned and tasted delicious. Later I ate an apple pie dessert but I was not a huge fan of that. My girlfriend ate a vegetarian pasta dish with eggplant and zucchini. She loved it. I had a small piece and that too was delicious. I tried some of her tiramisu and that was pretty damn tasty. The place was not busy at all. There was only 1 other table with guests. The decor inside was nice and clean. The waitstaff was very friendly and helpful. I plan to visit this place again very soon. It will be nice to visit when there are more people and see if the food and service is as good as it was today. read more

Food here was disgusting. Unfortunately, I don't have gum. Waitress added her own tip and wouldn't take it off.

Food is mediocre at best. The lentil soup was watery, the chopped salad very good (the only really good dish), duck a tiny portion and not even good, the vitello romano (veal with artichokes & capers) was OK, but made with poor quality veal. For $24 just for the main course, I expect premium veal. The ricotta cheesecake was dry & terrible. To add insult to injury, a 20% tip was added to the bill. That was probably because we had a Groupon, but we weren't told in advance & it shouldn't have been. We wouldn't even think of going back. Too bad the food was so bad because the restaurant is very attractive. read more

Gee -- what happened? I'm almost inclined to think it's a "Groupon Thing" as I'm required to present that voucher when seated, and I did. I am a generous tipper, on the full amount as Groupon suggests -- but how about the waiter slapping on a flat 20% and lucky the customer who reviews the check and notices that (because the waiter doesn't say a word, and the tab does not say "service is complete" -- it rather lists suggested gratuity amounts). Dinner for 2, no drinks/wine, no desserts, no coffee $79.75. ME: small caesar salad with scant dressing and 4 croutons: $7, slender sliver of salmon with two pieces of zucchini, one slice of carrot, 1/2 potato, $23.00; HIM: four shrimp appetizer with the digestive tract intact $11.00 and one chicken parm. $18, plus $3 for a soda water. Tip: $12.40. I think when management sees the hoisted Groupon flag, everything gets the cheap-o treatment. Maybe next time anywhere I will present the Groupon when paying the check. Sad to think that management is using Groupon to introduce its restaurant and encourage new customers--well, they're gettin' it backwards. We won't go there again, done. read more

I organized a reunion of 40 of my closest high school friends, and a few spouses, near our high school. We chose Cala di Mare for our Friday night get-together dinner. Roberto, the owner/manager, couldn't have been more helpful in planning the event and menu for a special four-course meal, including four entrée choices, at a very reasonable price. He gave us a separate area of the restaurant that was ours and ours alone for the entire evening. We ate and drank and talked for more than 5 hours. The meal, wine, and service were excellent. The Penne Filetto di Pomodoro (primo), the Veal Sorrentino entrée, and the home-made Tiramisu were all delicious. When a later-arriver showed up a half hour late, they simply started the meal from the beginning, just for him. We were extremely satisfied with all aspects of a festive and memorable occasion. Kudos to Roberto and his staff. read more

Went here for dinner with the family with a Groupon. Wasn't worth the Groupon cost. When you purchase the Groupon you think your getting a deal but your not. I feel as though if we didn't have a Groupon deal our meal would have been cheaper. Also warning they add a 20% tip without telling you upfront. Luckily I read about that on one of the reviews so I knew about that. For the amount we paid we should have at least received warm bread. Who gives cold bread ? Bruschetta was ok. Stayed away of many of the choices after reading reviews on here. Main dishes were okay not worth the cost. My wife's chicken Marsala came to the table cold and the meat was tough. The meat in my gnocchi was too salty. When we were there only one other person was there then we were practically by ourselves all night, at least it was quiet. A family came down sat at a table was there for about 25 mins and then left when no one would take there order. Couldn't figure that one out if your a restaurant how can you not handle the only other second table filled with people in your restaurant. How do you let people leave, if you have no one in your restaurant? Chairs are not comfortable at all. read more

Solid 4.5 stars! quality Italian dishes. Personalized service in a Living-room atmosphere. Must order the potato croquettes. Will be going back! read more

Clams casino was great. The service was friendly and personable. Happy we stopped in.

How difficult is it to list your hours? Seriously! Tried calling on Saturday at 6pm to place take out order, no answer. Tried calling Sunday at 6pm to place take out order, no answer. Tried calling on Monday at 7pm to place take out order, no answer. You absolutely have to be joking me! If I knew it would be impossible to place an order, I never would have purchased a groupon. GROUPON PURCHASERS BEWARE!!! read more

Firstly, the restaurant is beautiful. The service is excellent but most important the food was delicious. Roberto made sure our party of 8 had antipasto , salad, dinner and desert everything was perfect. The Friday nite live music was nice. This restaurant is a gem! read more

Cold rainy night got so much better when we entered this gem of a restaurant. Jennie our waitress was right on top of things, neither hovering or hiding! Food was excellent....a very different menu than spaghetti and pizza. Enjoy every minute.....will go again and again! read more

cala di mare is a top shelf restaurant.... first: excellent food!!! second: elegant!!! third: service...my wife and i went there on friday march 3rd, and will be back again next saturday for another wonderful dinner....will update with a second review!!!! read more

My husband and I dine in and around Rockville Centre a lot. On a whim, we stopped into Cala Di Mare one night, and we are so glad we did! It's a bit deceptive because it's in the Best Western Hotel, but it is a wonderful, independently-operated, fine dining experience. The atmosphere is relaxed, inviting, and comfortable. The tables are set apart at a reasonable distance from each other, giving the room a spacious feel, but still intimate. In addition to the main dining room, there is a space for private parties. But the main event, of course, is the food which is fantastic! The menu is not overly long and has something for everyone. We will often order from the Specials Menu - everything is fresh and delicious. The wait staff, bartenders, and maitre d's are professional and informative, providing superlative service. Even if we don't partake in the yummy desserts available, a plate of homemade cookies is always generously offered. Oh, and because it's conveniently located right by the train station, parking is never a problem - in Rockville Centre that's a BIG deal! Lovely ambience, awesome food, professional service, and friendly staff: Cala Di Mare is our new favorite place! read more

Are the 5 star reviews here from the friends of the owner? lol This is a super late review for a party I've attended around spring. Let's start with the hor's d'oeuvres - the zucchini sticks, crostini and the mozzarella sticks were okay. The shrimp cocktail, I think it was frozen then thawed. not too fresh! The wine on the table was so-so. (our host said to take bottle home if we didn't finish it but the waiters was cleaning up the tables and took bottles too! umm isn't that paid for already why take it back?) I overheard too that they wanted to serve prosecco instead but the owner Roberto said it was expensive? since when was that expensive? I bet the owner just wanted to get rid of the old ones that they have. Anyhow, going back to the food. The calamari was good not rubbery, the chicken dish was somewhat tough, nothing special, the beef dish i don't know what it's called, it's overcooked and tough too. To be fair, the meat dishes flavors were good. The penne was good too as well as the salad & cold antipasto. There's some chicken fingers (looks too dry) and fries for the kids too which I did not try. If you ask me, will I have my party here? Sorry it's a NO. though the owner seems nice he was there to supervise and takes pride of what he does but I've had better. Go somewhere else. read more