Had a food delivery from C'era Una Volta in Alameda which also had free delivery and fabulous food. I ordered pasta and spaghetti sauce, spinach, garlic potatoes and tiramisu and it was excellent! The pasta was cooked al dente which made the food more amazing. The best was the dessert. The best I ever had and I have dined in great restaurants but this one was incredible. read more

All I can say is,If you want authentic Italian food come here! no frills good food,great wine and a staff that was very friendly!The last time I was there,Chef Rudy made me a summer pasta dish that was delightful........... gourmet ghetto dude! read more

Terrible service! My boyfriend and I went to C'era Una Volta for Valentines Day and were completely ignored. No girl wants to be ignored on Valentines! It's too bad; we'd been looking forward to trying this place out. The hostess seated us and came back in 5 minutes, I asked for a wine menu but was told that someone would come by for that. She took our order right then and the only other time we saw a person was when someone from the kitchen brought our food out. No wine, or even a refill on our water glasses. After finishing our meals and sitting idle for 20 minutes, we had to call a waiter over, and it took another 8 minutes to get our check. It sounds over dramatic, but they really ruined our attempts at a romantic relaxed night out. If they are going to charge $20+ a plate they should at least be willing to take a wine order or acknowledge that we are there. I have had better service at Taco Bell (and at least I know I can refill my drink there when I am thirsty!) read more

Everything at C'era Una Volta was fabulous--the food, the ambiance and decor, the service--all exceptional! Some co-workers and I went for lunch one afternoon, and we were all pleased and impressed. Located at the end of a cobble-stoned walkway, the restaurant has a very European feel to it. Since it's tucked back, away from the hustle and bustle of Park Street, the atmosphere is very tranquil and romantic. There are small tables and chairs set up outside for those who want to enjoy the sunshine and greenery on nice days. Inside, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The walls, painted in hues of yellow and gold, are adorned with a variety of cheerful paintings by a local artist. And there is plenty of space between the tables, so you don't feel crowded by your neighbors. Now, about the food: It was magnificent! For an appetizer, we ordered the Caprese (mozzarella and tomatoes with basil olive oil and balsamic vinegar). The chef added sliced avocados, as well. I had never had this dish with avocados before, but it was a great complement. For the entree, I ordered the Pollo alla Pizzaiola (pan-fried, breaded chicken breasts w/tomato sauce and mozzarella), which was simply divine. (My mouth is watering just thinking about it.) There were capers in the sauce, too, which made it perfect. The dish also came with pasta, which I forewent in favor of vegies. The vegies were a medley of peppers, green and wax beans (and maybe something else, too), with herbs sprinkled on top. They were cooked just right and the presentation was artful and lovely. A fresh green side-salad also accompanied the meal. I was pleasantly surprised by the generous amount of chicken that was served--especially for a lunch entree--and took half of it home for dinner. Both of my co-workers ordered the Ravioli di Spinaci (spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli with pomodoro sauce). I had a taste, and this dish was delicious, too, although the chicken is still my favorite. The raviolis had a delicate but full flavor that made you want to savor them slowly. My two co-workers ordered desserts, as well: a raspberry creme brulee and spumoni ice cream. Both were heavenly and made me wish I weren't staying away from sugar. If you haven't tried C'era Una Volta, go! You won't be disappointed. So many restaurants serve mediocre food these days (unless you want to spend a fortune), so this restaurant was a very pleasant surprise. Also, service was great; the staff friendly and helpful. Loved everything. A+ read more

Last day of school, my wife and I decided to take the kids out to a nice dinner. My daughter loves Fancy Nancy and with a name like C'era Una Volta we figured the place to be "posh" enough for our little princess. The restaurant was clean and there were a lot of fancy people there, the wait staff were courteous and nice. They brought out a mini cheese pizza for the kids to share, which we thought was great. The prices were in line with some of the better restaurants in Alameda, and the food at neighboring tables looked really good. We ordered our food, which had really fancy names and descriptions, which worked well in our Fancy Nancy theme that we were going for. While waiting for our food I noticed something just wasn't right. It was too quiet, people weren't having a good time, didn't seem to be enjoying their food. In fact, my son was not eating his pizza, which was really odd. When our food came it looked great, couldn't wait to dig in, my steak looked nice the vegetables weren't over cooked and it all looked really pretty. Then the first bite, what a disappointment. The food had absolutely no flavor at all. All the ingredients were right but the food tasted bland and uninspiring. It reminded me of hospital food, I'm sure it's healthy but it needs to be palatable too. I should have known something was wrong when my 3 year old wouldn't eat cheese pizza. read more

Service is excellent but it's not worth it. The food is mediocre. The wine selection does not provide less expensive wines.

The food was ok ,not much to write home about,customer service was good.dont order the tortellini ai porcini if your hungry ,it's really on the small side. Definitely won't be coming back here again. read more

Very good Italian cuisine and the service was excellent. It was a great location for a birthday celebration with friends as it has a very charming atmosphere. A hidden gem in Alameda! read more

it's a shame that my first review has to be one of such disgust and annoyance. this review is actually a year and a half over due, but i always told myself that after dining at this place, i vowed to myself that i needed to YELP about them. so please pardon the tardiness, but this was something that needed to be addressed. i made reservations for mother's day brunch here hoping to take advantage of their so called "yummy" italian food that a co worker raved about. however, what we ended up with was a delayed meal and mediocre drinks. we placed our drink orders first, which came out quite quickly. after the waiter took our orders, we noticed that people who were seated AFTER us started to receive their plates. at first we thought, okay no biggie, maybe their orders were basic and didn't require much preparation. we even checked in with our waiter and he reassured us that our food was on its way. an hour passes and the tables next to us are having their plates cleared while my family and i were trying to keep the sounds of our grumbling stomachs at bay with the bread they had provided us. at that point, my family and i decided to just cancel our orders and leave. we notified our waiter who then notified his manager. we told the manager that we would pay for our drinks, but we refused to wait any longer for our food. the manager threw a fit and told us that our food was being plated and we were welcome to take it with us on the house. she disappeared into the kitchen and we see her chewing out our waiter. it looked as though he was either causing her problems or there was just an unresolved conflict of some sort? she then comes from out of the kitchen and apologizes and explains that she was short staffed that day. again, what doesn't make sense is if she was that short staffed, then how was it possible that all of the other tables who were seated AFTER us were served their food? my family and i didn't believe her excuse and since we were so irrate with the horrible service, we left the to go boxes and walked out! this was by far one of the worst dining experiences i've ever had. i will never return to this restaurant! yelpers, please take note as it appears as though i'm not the only person who has had an experience like this at this establishment! read more

Just did not do it for me. The food taste like something that came out of a can. Very bland and just plain. Came here with the restaurant.com coupon expecting to at least get a deal. I guess you get what you paid for. Will be looking for other Italian Restaurant to go to in Alameda. read more

Have had much better Italian. As a first time customer, I aired on the side of caution and ordered the basics - ceasar salad and penne alla pescatora - figuring if they can get the basics right, then they are good. Lettuce was not crisp, and pasta didn't have a lot flavor except the hot spices which completely overwhelmed the seafood, of which there wasn't much variety to speak of - only mussels, clams, bits of fish (no shrimp). Very disappointing. Service was good enough, and the place is very quaint. Too bad about the food. read more

Huge disappointment to say the least. Place looks promising with pretty good ambiance and decor, and the menu actually sounds good. However, the food tastes horrible. I took two bites of my steak and could not eat another bite. The menu said "grilled ribeye" but it looked like the meat was broiled. My wife's mixed veggies came out completely soggy and fell apart at the touch of her fork. Avoid this place at all costs, because not only will it cost you a lot of money, but you will regret it from first bite. read more

This was my first time here and it was awesome. I highly recommend the dinner for two steak option. It was cooked to perfection. The portion of food was made for a king and queen. They literally serve you a 32 oz steak with mixed veggies and potatoes on a huge platter. But also note that you both get a small salad and a side of pasta, pesto or pomadoro too. So worth the price. I plan on coming back and trying the cioppino for two. Delicious! read more

C'era Una Volta - Dinner for two: 32 oz steak option with rosemary potatoes and mixed veggies. - Italian Near Me - Alameda, California

I love this establishment. Cheryl and Rudy run the Best restaurant in Alameda imo. Fabulous food, service and attitude. They totally ROCK and go beyond other establishments to take care of you. Absolutely fabulous hands down. read more

I went here a while back and it was great but I went back the other night with my wife the atmosphere was great they had a really good 3man band the wine was very good we ordered a dinner for 2 which was expensive I thought we were getting a steak as said on the menu with potatoes carrots when it came to the table it was ribs no steak under cooked and everything was cold very disappointing the waitress was overwhelmed for the price I won't be going back and served cold bread read more

I've been here several times now over the past 18 months, and everything is pretty consistent---the service is very good, but the food is just okay and way too pricey for just okay. The potential for greatness is there, and for some reason I keep going back hoping it will be better and worth the money, but it never is. Nice atmosphere, nice staff, mediocre overpriced food. I guess I just keep hoping a new chef will come and make it great. read more

A great place for a romantic dinner. I took my new girlfriend here and they had live music playing on the main floor and we sat upstairs at a table overlooking it. Very nice atmosphere and the food was great too. Definitely will come back. read more

Great food! Great decor! Great Services! We went there for Sunday brunch. Tried their Mascarpone almond pancakes, Crepe, French Toast, Omlete, and a side of Italian sausage. Everything is great except the sausage is a bit on the salty side. Love the finishing touch of a Tuscan sun in my mocha. It's a cozy little place that does remind me of Italy. The staff is very attentive and nice. read more

Mediocrity at best. If you are going to have caprese salad in summer time, one should be able to expect tomatoes that are ripe and flavorful.. bland food, expensive for what it was. The patio was pretty though. read more

Horrible service. They took forever to bring our food and then they brought salads individually, our server was so unpleasant. Never coming here again, the runners were nicer. read more

I have been sitting here debating between 2 and 3 stars and I just can't bring myself to give our experience last night more than 2 stars. We took my parents here who are visiting, but they know the Bay Area well enough to know that there are countless outstanding restaurants - and we were planning go back to one of the places we've had great experiences before (in the city and Rockridge.) But I had this great idea that we should stay in Alameda and try a new local place - and the consensus was Italian. I came here to Yelp and read some of the reviews - I saw they were mixed but I thought I'd give the place the benefit of the doubt. And here's how it went: We arrived. There was hardly anyone there. The waiter came with the menu - he was very polite. We asked for the wine list before anything - this is the way we start our Italian dinners, even before looking at the menu - but no, the waiter said the "wine steward" would be over right away. No sign of "wine steward." Finally got the waiter's attention again - can we just order some wine? Nope, he had to send the "wine steward", who finally came over and gave us a sort of bizarre theatrical presentation of the wine list but, whether or not he was going to launch into a schpiel about the wines, we were like - just bring us this one and that one PLEASE. Okay we get salad and bread (so far so good besides the wine.) But it takes forever and a day to get our food. There was almost no one in the restaurant and the bus boy had stopped by about 6 times (the waiter avoided us completely by hiding in the kitchen.) So much time went by (and we had plans after dinner) that it was getting uncomfortable. I was ready to walk out. Finally the food comes and we literally all burst out giggling - but in a bittersweet way - the "small" portions of pasta were more like "tiny". My husband's was the most ridiculous - like three noodles on a plate. It was laughable and I should have made a fuss, but wasn't in the mood to make our dinner even more unpleasant. Here is the entire two stars' worth: the food was actually quite good. We got the salmon, lobster ravioli, and some pasta with meatsauce - but the small pasta portions were extra small and the large portions of pasta were overpriced. Here's the thing. Had we arrived, been shown a wine list, gotten some wine, gotten our food in a reasonable amount of time, and not laughed at the money we were throwing away for three noodles, the dinner could have been perfectly fine. Although I won't ever go back to know. We would have been better off in any old place in North Beach. read more

So disappointed with my meal tonight- the seafood risotto. The first bite was so heavy with black pepper (I didn't see it) that my mouth was on fire for the rest of the meal. It seemed more like rice than risotto. There were only two clams and one of them was closed- what chef would plate that? Food was also quite slow. The waiter was very personable but didn't seem to know whether the dish was supposed to be spicy- if I had misread the menu. The waiter said he would tell the kitchen of my complaint but offered no remedy to me. This was my "second chance" visit; I won't go back. read more

I ate here with my husband for weekday. Firstly we ate assorted antipasti (piano Freddy misto) for share, then moved on to each choice. He took grilled rib eye steak (tagliata di manzo). Mine is Sicilian tuna salad, called tonno. I like the atmosphere, sitting outside. I think anybody can relax here. Unfortunately their food is ordinary...The restaurant locates in the center of Alameda downtown. read more

We had the most wonderful dinner last night. Our server, Mark was absolutely fantastic, very attentive and service oriented. He recommended a great red wine and the Branzino which was so delicious - chef special for the evening. We had such a pleasant dining experience because of the excellent service, great food and we're definitely going back. Thank you Mark! You are the best! read more

I've never paid to eat here but the food is good. They serve mustard in the olive oil used to dip your read. I luv mustard. The salmon is good if you like a ton of butter. The cannolis with the filling of the day are filling. The next time I come I will have to order a land animal. read more

It wasn't the worst food I've ever had, but we spent $100 and both felt screwed. We didn't feel like we'd actually been *robbed* though, so it probably could've been worse. But, unless the only other restaurant in the running was the god-awful Linguini, I'm quite confused about how this place could've won Best Italian Food in Alameda, as the sign by the door claims. The server was great -- for the most part. But by 9, when we were the last people left in the place, she decided cleaning up was a better use of her time than bringing us hot food. (They don't close til 10.) I was sitting there watching her cleaning, knowing we'd be getting cold entrees. Expectations were met. My eggplant portion was tiny and lukewarm, though it tasted fine. My husband got a big piece of (lukewarm) salmon. He said it was ok, not great. We were both irked by the "roasted vegetables" that came with our entrees because they clearly were just frozen veggies, nuked. The dessert that came with the fixed price meal was, predictably, tiramisu. It was fine but I don't know, I feel like it needed to be great because I'm pretty sure I actually *lost* money on that fixed price dinner, comparing the a la carte prices to the $35 meal price. Like I said, it wasn't the *worst* meal ever, but I can think of about eleventy trillion better ways to blow $100. read more

SOME OF THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD IVE EVER HAD! By far my best experience! The owner and his staff were amazing, so friendly and so attentive. The food was excellent! My husband and I were so impressed with how wonderful everyone was and how authentic the italian food was! will definitely be regulars for now on here! read more

Went there once for dinner with friends - it was a weeknight - nothing memorable happened - the food was good and the service was good - I will try it again read more

I think the 3.5 star average is the right score for this place. Live music but so-so food in a place where parking is virtually impossible. My wife got the special "Orata" fish and it was really good, but everything else made me question why we didn't eat at home. I had the ribs "rosticiana" I guess and they were obviously re-heated, they tasted like when we make too many at home and we keep re-heating for 3-4 days. Not what you expect on a saturday night. Everything else was lackluster, I got a glass of wine probably for $11 and was cheap wine borderline drinkable. I will not go again but if you go take only plates that can't be re-heated or microwaved. Being Italian myself I do expect better from what is supposed to be a real Italian restaurant, I wish they invest on the food, not the music. P.S. the service was pretty good, they did their best. read more

Nice location and decor. Friendly and competent staff. The whole fish was the best dish, outstanding. Good gnocchi with meat sauce. The scallops starter was ok, but something was off with the taste. Not seared properly and a bit fishy. Nice Chardonnay if you are in Alameda and want Italian, a good choice. read more

Good romantic setting. Off street parking is nice as the location by park street make parking a challenge. Great food and wait staff.

Nice cute place to go if you want to have a quiet dinner. Food was ok, server very nice, helpful and patient.

I lived in Alameda for a good portion of my life and really want to support local businesses. That said, this place needs to BUMP IT. The meat dishes were dry, and the pasta was nothing special. Our waiter forgot about us the first 20 minutes we were there; he did however apologize later and gave us a free appetizer. Too bad the appetizer was not good. I would have been really upset if we had to pay full price for the meal. We had a restaurant.com certificate: the waiter said that they didn't accept on Sat nights, which was wrong and he apologized again, but we were nevertheless embarrassed already. I see potential in the place because it's so cute-quaint, but without good food and service, ambiance cannot save the experience. read more

Loved this place! The caprese salad was fresh and tasty, my pasta arrabiatta was yummy ( loved the pasta they used) and my boyfriend's veal was so delicious. The staff and owner were super friendly. I can't wait to go back an try more dishes :) read more

Wanted to just note that I was here for dinner finally with a Restaurant.com certificate and loved the food and wine selection. They were short on wait staff that evening, but the food was worth the wait. read more

I've only been here twice for lunch on the weekend and both times I enjoyed my meal. I don't remember what I had the first time but the last time I had one of their crepes and it was really good. I like how they have a lot of pasta options on their menu BUT i find it kind of weird that they don't serve a lot of them at the same time. i guess it's good that they let you know that when they seat you. I'd like to come back during brunch one day during the summer time so that we can sit in the outdoor patio area and people watch because i looove to people watch. haha. read more

Fabulous dinner last night. The seafood ravioli and the black truffle gnochi were knock out dishes. Nice service. Pretty setting. Don't know why there's a line at Tomatina when this place is around the corner. read more

I went here for breakfast not too long ago, thinking it would be an awesome brunchy kinda spot to cure what Lucky 13 gave me last night in the form of a nasty headache. I was impressed with the interior, and the coffee. They also have cute outdoor seating. But, for the cost of it, the food wasn't spectacular. I mean, it was good, but not worth overpaying for some eggs. I always like to just hit Jim's for a good, cheap breakfast. I probably won't be back here, but don't let that deter you! I'm sure dinner is fancy and tasty. read more

What a pleasant surprise, tucked away in a little alley almost we were truly surprised and quite happy. The decor is very cute and charming, wait staff is professional, wine captian very nice and knowledgeable. Their food is definitely a cute above the rest, some of the best desserts anywhere. A little off the beaten path for most if you do not live on Alameda but well worth the drive ! read more

An okay place for Italian food, though I probably wouldn't come here again. Had dinner here with a couple of my girls, and one ordered a ravioli entree and the other a breaded chicken entree. I ordered "Pasta al Sugo di Peperoni con Salsicce" with penne. The pasta was okay, though nothing to write home about. The chicken, however, was very bland and dry. Yuck. Might be best to just stick to the pastas, because those are hard to mess up. read more