So far so good! Cute little place for a quick dinner as we just rolled into town for valentine's weekend. Love the ambiance and the starter bread with the garlic infused olive oil is a killer!!! My wife loved the lemon spritz and we had the truffle ravioli. Hot damn that was GOOD! We will certainly be coming back in the future for the full dinner experience. Service was also spot on with friendly faces and smiles galore. read more

Champagne AND spaghetti?! I am so happy you can order Caruso's at Vin Vivant. A match made in Heaven! The Caruso family is so nice and the food is just delicious, pure comfort food. The Gnocchi Al Forno is the best gnocchi I've ever had. Pillowy gnocchi in a hearty, garlicky marinara. It's like eating a WARM HUG. I also love the Fettuccine Vodka and Chicken Parmesan. The complimentary bread with roasted garlic oil is such a nice gift. read more

Like most others reviewing, this place gives off good vibes. The owners are friendly and down to earth, engaging with all of the clientele in their small, cosy restaurant. There is also a neighbouring wine bar which also offers full menu if you're getting drinks. The food itself was lovely, everything came out hot and flavourful. The only downside as brought up by others is the wait time. 1 hour seems expected for normal sized party, though the dining experience is slow, if you're hungry right away, this will put your patience to the test read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Fettuccine Vodka with shrimp - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

Excellent service, outstanding Italian food, cute little tiny restaurant. But SLOW! They were very busy, and we didn't know until after dinner, but they were also cooking food for the bar next door. We waited way too long for food, but it was delicious. read more

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The restaurant is cute and intimate. Such a small hole in the wall if you walk by. Easily miss but once you see it, you start getting hungry. Wait times when we went was not that bad but I'm sure it'll get busy. It's a very small restaurant where you can see everybody walking in. The issue was the wait times for the food. They have orders for doordash ringing in but also one cook working those orders. Big big miss in terms of compartmentalizing the cook. We waited 30 or so minutes for the salad. Once finished we did wait another 30ish minutes. Long wait time for food. Food was delicious, worth the wait? Yes. But if you're impatient don't come here. However it was a nice intimate restaurant, maybe requires more time for the customers who are eating in the restaurant. Long wait times. Food was decently good. I wish they focused more on time management and getting the food to the table? We were there for a long time til closing just to get our food. However food was 4/5. Service? Well 2/5 read more

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I wish I could rate with a 0 star. We had a very unpleasant experience at this place. A lady staff made us wait for 90 mins and did not provide a seating. We understand the space is really cramp and small, but it would have been easier for us if they had just let us know that it was difficult to accommodate. The lady staff/server made us for an hour and couldn't find us a seat and said another 30 mins wait, we still didn't get a seat. That resulted us getting late for several other places. I wish staffs here are more respectful of people's time. Would never recommend! read more

We really enjoyed our dinner at Caruso's in Capitola Village. The food was delicious, the wine complemented the food, and the owner, Jessica, and cook, José, made us feel special. I ordered a Marinara Seafood dish with a glass of Scarpetta Pinot Grigio and my husband ordered the Salmon Piccata with a glass of Monte Antico, Sangiovese blend. The accompanying garlic bread was amazing! We had such a wonderful time celebrating my husband's birthday and our Wedding Anniversary. We can't wait to go back! Hope that you enjoy your experience at Caruso's as much as we did. -Susan in Santa Cruz read more

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We had dinner at Caruso's for the first time last evening. We were wowed by the team, service and Italian cuisine!! Our table started with appetizers. We had the Bruschetta, Burrata, and The Bufala Caprese. The dishes were overflowing with fresh tomatoes and the oils from Italy. These were prepared with precision and love. Amazingly and well seasoned...Popping with flavor. Yum! The owners are very hands on with their guests and take great pride in their authentic Italian dishes. We felt like part of the family. It was a treasured experience. We had the Vodka Fettuccine with Prawns and Cioppino entree. The cioppino was perfectly prepared and powerfully seasoned. It was wonderful! My favorite was the Vodka Fettuccine with the creamy vodka cream sauce and tomatoes. It was prepared perfectly without any separation from the whisking. Impressive! The restaurant is rather small with limited seating. It makes for a very intimate experience. And despite the small tables, you are not rushed. The experience of the meal is slow and paced for you to enjoy the wine, company, and the dishes. It's a little delight and treaure in Capitola!!! See you again soon read more

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Fantastic little place! Highly recommend a reservation since the it is a small venue. We had the Burrata for appetizer. Followed up with the Chicken Marsala and Gnocchi Italia for dinner. The food was amazing. Only drawback was that the service was slow as it took about 45-60min to get our dinner served. Still worth it if you have the time and are not in a rush. read more

Came here famished after hiking in Henry Cowell, and it was delicious! The focaccia bread they serve to start was perfectly fatty and salty, hydrate it with some garlic olive oil and it's perfection! Place does look like a literal hole in the wall, with only 6 tables but the kitchen is pretty tiny too. Maybe it was because I was unbelievably hungry, I was about to eat my own cheek, but service is slow. Staff is very knowledgeable of the menu, but I think we might've waited an hour to get all the food (my phone died though and time might've been an illusion). The salad (insalata di arugula) came pretty fast, and it was so good! The sharp bite of arugula was dampened by smooth olive oil, creamy goat cheese (that wasn't funky, which I like!), but was felt light and fresh due to the tomatoes. There wasn't a lot of smoked salmon, but I feel that was a good thing in terms of the balance of this salad. Then the pasta (fettuccine di mare) had the perfect amount of muscles and clams, and an amazing al dente bite. The sauce was sweet, almost jammy, I wish it were a little more complex. But overall? A great place! They also accept Apple Pay if you're in a pinch. read more

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WOW, what a charming and intimate Italian restaurant in Capitola! We were looking to have a date night in the area and this restaurant was just too cute. Our servers were kind, attentive and very knowledgeable about their menu. We started off with their melon prosciutto, which served as a light and refreshing appetizer. It was both salty and sweet! I ordered the Fettuccine Di Mare, which was a fettuccine pasta dish with lots of mussels, clams, and shrimp. I ordered it with a white sauce (which was perfect) and they did not skimp on the seafood at all. My boyfriend had the Dischetti Al Tartufo, which was a mushroom and ricotta stuffed ravioli. It was very heavy on the mushroom flavor especially because the sauce was also truffle-based. I would say order if you are a fan of mushrooms! Now the reason that I had to knock off some stars was the waiting period. There was no problem getting a table which was pretty lucky. However, once we got our order taken, it took almost 1 hour from our appetizer to get our main dishes to our table. Usually I am a very patient person but it was frustrating to see other parties that got both their order taken and sat down later than us get their dishes before us. Not too sure why that was but hoping that next time is better! Their food is too good to miss! read more

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drove into capitola while in town for a work trip and i'm so happy i stumbled upon this hidden gem. there aren't many tables but that's part of what makes this place great. a small family owned italian restaurant. i had the bufala caprese, seafood pasta and tiramisu and everything was phenomenal. i would love to try the pizza if i'm ever in town again. service was great too! HIGHLY recommend this place! read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Bufala Caprese - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

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We ate here last night and every bite was truly a delight. Our appetizer with burrata, prosciutto and tomato was creamy goodness at its best. The Caesar salad is the best I have ever had -- dressing was homemade and perfectly coated the romaine lettuce. I had the Cioppino and the sauce was absolutely incredible. And the tiramisu . . . Oh my. For a tiny little restaurant with only 6 tables, they are serving up incredible food. Highly recommend! read more

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So Good!! The waitress Melissa steered us to all the best options for our taste!! Excellent food and wine. Gnocchi trio (swapped in the meat sauce), Ravioli with mushrooms and Truffle sauce - Amazeballs! The Valpolicella and the tiramisu! read more

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Great food. Everything is well made . It's a cozy little and worth the wait since there aren't any reservation

I searched Yelp for a place to eat during my work visit to Capitola. This place did not disappoint. I found plenty of parking at 8pm when I came through. I did not make a reservation. There was one table available. It's a small tight fit but very quaint. The service was exceptional. They serve bread with garlic oil while you look at the menu. My waitress was very helpful. She helped me choose the Gnocchi Al Forno. It was hot, cheesy and very delicious. I highly recommend this place. Make a reservation if can. read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Bread with garlic - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

I made a carry out order since we were a large party with small children. I ordered the mushroom fettuccini, spinach ravioli, cesar salad and arugula salad. All delicious options, our dinner would not have been complete without such great service from Caruso's! read more

Unassuming small place with big time flavor and food. Everything we had was first rate and made us happy. No kidding, the food at Caruso's was just that good. The pea soup was a revelation. The panna cotta was rich, delicate with a subtle passion fruit glaze that was a beautiful counterpoint. The Caesar salad, the chicken Marsala, my pasta with a white wine sauce. Everything! Don't confuse this restaurant with most small Italian restaurants, they are cooking up serious eats at Caruso's. read more

Amazing chicken parmesan, atmosphere, and service! Be sure to arrive early, as it can get packed quite fast.

We've been going to Caruso's for the last 30 years...it has always been a favorite, and it still has some of the best food in Capitola. The Service is amazing, taking the extra effort to extend the Restaurant's service to include the wine Tasting room next door. This is a brilliant move to serve even more patron's than is possible with the restaurant's otherwise great demand and limited seating. read more

Tuscan seafood at its best. Fav Italian in Capitola village Now my neighbors will kill me :-) 8 burners and the best Pizza - small and oven baked read more

Fun dinner in Capitola. Small restaurant, not many tables and all were full. We had a short wait but well worth it. Food was excellent, freshly made and good size portions. Would definately go back if in Capitola. read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Kitchen behind the glass - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

I've been meaning to write this review. This place is amazing!!! Food is incredible!!! The owner is so nice and they let us order shortly before closing which we appreciated. This Italian restaurant is a must try when in the area. My husband and I were in town for work. Hopefully we get to come again soon!! read more

Came here on a weekend without a reservation. Took about 45 minutes to be seated. Don't mind waiting to be seated but after we ordered it took about an hour and a half to receive our meals. It was ridiculous. It was a full restaurant but also only about 5 tables in there so I'm not sure how it could ever possibly take this long. We did see them taking care of a bunch of To go/ door dash orders before we got our food. I think a business should always prioritize people in the restaurant over to gos. It was just very very rude to keep us waiting that long. The water tasted like a toilet bowl. Caesar salad was decent, nothing to rave about. I got the gnocchi Italia and keeping two stars because the dish was really good. Just not worth the wait ever again. The prices were really high as well. Someone I was with got ravioli and it literally came with like 5 - which I thought was just sad. Really wanted to love this place as we are locals to capitola. Looks like we will skip it next time. The waitress also didn't acknowledge the wait at all, she did let us know our food was coming soon and then it came out like 30 minutes later. At the end of the meal she said "Glad we were busy tonight" instead of saying so sorry for the wait or anything along those lines. read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Gnocchi italia - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

Third attempt at giving Caruso's a try, thinking over the years they would improve Food -Great Service-POOR- reservation or not, you will wait a minimum of 1 hour to be served. We arrived at 6:15 and I walked out at 7:30. My husband and friend stayed because I get sick if I eat that late. Dinner ended up arriving to my husband/friend 25 minutes after I left and our friend was given the wrong dish and they had to go back and make hers. Ambiance-very small restaurant and not enough help, considering they all serve take out and deliver meals to the wine bar next read more

If you're in Capitola this place is a must try. Food was amazing and the staff was so friendly. Nice and quaint little place read more

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boutique restaurant with very fresh homestyle food. it is small with only a few tables. the wait staff is on queue to provide you with great service and a unique experience. read more

Everything about this place screams, authentic love heart, and the best lasagna you've ever had. Between the wine selection and the friendly staff this is a must visit here in Capitola Village. read more

Caruso's is such a cute spot with amazing food. Everything was delicious. Service was great. read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Spaghetti carbonara - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

ordered ravioli took a fucking hour and a half, server was rude af, when the food finally came they brought me 6 fucking micro raviolis, mind u costed me $22 & my dignity. mcdonald's finna hit doeee read more

1st time dining and will 100% be coming back!! The food was remarkable and the service was top notch! There are only 6 tables in this restaurant so it feels very homey, be prepared to ENJOY your dining experience and not be rushed out. read more

We went to Caruso's for dinner while visiting Capitola. Be aware that the place is really small. Indoor seating is very limited. We were seated outside initially, but the server was kind enough to call us in when a seat opened up. We had ordered the vegetarians pizza and the Dischetti Al Tartufo. Both tasted good, especially the sauce in Dischetti Al Tarufo was excellent. We do not know what was the reason but they forgot about our order for a while. Then they realised later and got the food. It was 45 mins since we ordered. Also they got us gnocchi al forno instead of Dischetti Al Tartufo and we had to send it back. Overall we had a decent experience. read more

Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine Restaurant - Vegetariana Pizza - Italian Near Me - Capitola, California

Caruso's Capitola We had a great dinner here. The six of us all celebrated our anniversaries that happen in the same week. That way we were allowed to make a reservation-need a minimum of 6. We didn't really need to do that on a Thursday night anyway as there were plenty of tables available Unfortunately, they were out of the Montepuciano wine I selected so we made do with a Sangiovese and then the second bottle was the Barbera. The lasagna was to die for-super meaty and plenty of sauce. We split a Caesar salad, and they gave us nice large portions each and plenty of anchovies on request. The Dischetti Al Tarutufo was excellent. Very creamy truffle sauce and super flavorful mushroom filling in the pasta. Our other companions raved about their Fettuccine ala Vodka, which comes with prawns and bay shrimp in a tomato cream vodka sauce. Too full for dessert. read more

The device and ambiance can't be beat. Quaint Italian restaurant tucked in on a side street. Huge menu for such a small kitchen and operation. I had the wild mushroom raviolis, delicious! read more

I just love love this little Italian spot right in the heart of the village. Prices are reasonable and the food is amazing. I absolutely love their Caesar salad and mushroom ravioli in a creamy rich and decadent sauce w truffle oil. Quaint, cozy, friendly atmosphere. Get there early on the weekend! read more

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We got lucky on Valentines to get a last minute reservation. The place is cute and small with a nice romantic ambience right next to the beach. The host (Melissa/owner) was awesome and warm despite being the only one hosting tables. The food is phenomenal, the best Italian we've had!! Better than Lillian's where we go frequently. We are veg, so had the bruschetta, split pea soup, mushroom ravioli in spicy tomato garlic sauce, and gnocci with tomato/pesto sauce. I had the Barbera red wine which was awesome. They had a nice veg pizza but were not serving so we'll have to come back to try. Highly highly recommend this place and will be back with my kids. read more

Food is excellent. Service is a big issue. Takes a minimum of 1 hour from the time you order until they bring your food. Last night it was 1 hour and 20 minutes. So, if you're willing to wait, it will be worth it. If you're hungry or don't want to wait, find another place to eat. read more

It was a cold and foggy evening and we popped in here for what was supposed to be a heated patio, since we had out dogs with us. They had heaters that basically heat straight up, no heat to the tables in this area at all. I have learned there are two types of heaters -the tall skinny contemporary ones that look like a tall skinny cone. These do not heat the surrounding area. The heat goes straight up and out towards the sky. Anyway, we stayed because we were both hungry and wanting dinner. Menu looked good with lots of choices. I tried the pizza and was not impressed. Some people may like it, but it just wasn't for me. The gal that served us was cheery and tried to be helpful. Even brought me a table cloth to wrap around myself since I was freezing! read more

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Standard American-Italianesque food. Menu features lots of starches. Mostly pasta and pizza. Generous portions. Bargain prices. Located in downtown tourist central Capitola harbor. Dog friendly outdoor patio. Fun and helpful staff. Not a fine dining experience but casual enough for you to wear your tee shirt and flip-flops. read more

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Absolutely adorable little place in Capitola with amazing food. Came here on a Thur night as a groups of 4 at 7:30 and we only waited 5 min. Heard this place can get up to 1.5 hr wait time on weekends as they don't take reservations and there's not too much seating. Everything felt fresh and tasted delicious. Food came out relatively fast and are good hearty portions. Would definitely recommend the seafood risotto which offered plenty of mussels/clams instead of skimping on it, and has a slight spicy taste to it, as well as the spaghetti carbonara that had just the right saltiness from the pancetta and creaminess from the egg. The pizza was layered with toppings with a thin crispy crust. I think if you are a party of two, get at least 3 dishes to try different things, a bit of seafood, some meat, and definitely get a dish with their garlic bread, which we can't get enough of, especially with dipping into tomato wine sauce. Can't wait to come back to try more dishes! read more

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