Delicious food expertly prepared. Wonderful attentive service. One of the best restaurants we have visited and we have eaten in many restaurants in many cities and countries. Bravo! The ambience was warm and festive with live music for Christmas Eve! We actually ate here two consecutive evenings because the food was so good! The eggplant parm was delicate and delicious. The capellini that accompanied it was perfectly al dente which is hard to achieve. The penne bolognese was excellent and not oversauced. The filet of beef was so tender and delicious. The chicken piccata was delicious and not too oily which was perfect. Black Forest cheesecake on Christmas Eve was creamy and flavorful. The Sogno Di Ciocciolata the evening before was perfect but the ice cream was a bit dry in texture and too many crumbles on the side. The wine selections by the glass were all very good. By far the best food we had in Sedona and there is a lot of good food in Sedona! read more

Nothing from my original review changes, other than fabulously great and even better than our first jaunt to this incredible culinary corner of Italia tucked away just outside of Sedona. We had the tremendous opportunity to meet two extraordinary gentlemen who behind the scenes help make things happen to make Cucina Rustica what it is. Beto our Server extraordinaire, and Huicho the fab Line Cook. When ordering my beloved Frutti de Mare dish, a recipe that traditionally is prepared in an Arrabbiata Sauce, in speaking with our server I requested if it specially be prepared in Marsala Sauce instead. Wow! He spoke to Huicho and bravo it was magnificent. And, I was very happy Huicho came tableside to see if I enjoyed it! The service and the cuisine extraordinaire! That's why we keep coming back! read more

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We went to Cucina rustica for the first time for a nice Italian dinner in Sedona. We had a group of 12 people and the restaurant was able to accommodate our large party, despite it being completely full that night. We did place reservations over 1 week in advance, which I highly recommend if you are trying to come with a larger group. We ordered artichoke beignet and focaccia bread for appetizers, which were incredible. Chicken Parmesan was my favorite entrée, however, the ravioli was also good as well. Service is outstanding in this restaurant. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant for a upscale dinner experience in Sedona! read more

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We visited Cucina Rustica for a special celebration and we were happy with the food itself, the courteous hostess, and the professionalism of the busing staff. Unfortunately, the service from our server, significantly diminished the experience. Over the course of the meal, he came to our table no fewer than 22 times, typically every 90 seconds to four minutes. Yet, these visits added no value. It was incrediblely difficult to enjoy the evening because of the constant and unnecessary interruptions. The server showed little awareness of body language or pacing. When we requested a bit more time with the menu, he returned less than four minutes later with the remark, "Certainly you've had enough time to make a decision by now," which came across as impatient. He continued to hover nearby throughout the night, making it difficult to enjoy our conversation or the atmosphere. Moreover, he did not refill water (at any point in the evening, even when the water container left on our table was empty) or provide share plates, despite us clearly indicating we would be sharing each course. Our salad, entrée, and dessert were all brought on single plates. We eventually had to take plates from a nearby table ourselves. After we gently mentioned this issue to the server, nothing changed; we were left using the same small bread plates we found on the table at the beginning of the evening for the next course. We used the small plates for our salad, appetizer and entrée! This was a special occasion for us, and we were hoping for a more refined and peaceful experience. While the food met our expectations, the service did not reflect the standards we associate with a restaurant of this caliber. In fact, a restaurant of any caliber should never have a server who interrupts a small table of two a minimum of 22 times. The service was invasive rather than accommodating. On average we would estimate that he disrupted our conversation approximately every three minutes. At the end, when paying, we were given a survey to complete on the payment terminal. However, the server stood over us as we filled out the tip amount and survey. Subsequently, we did not feel comfortable completing the survey. A survey should be private and confidential, and I believe the results the restaurant are receiving can be significantly skewed by this type of implementation process. We sincerely hope management considers providing further training in guest awareness, pacing, and table service fundamentals. If management would like to reach out, I'm happy to provide the server's name. Out of extreme consideration, I'm not stating his name on this Yelp review. read more

Great dinners, service and ambience. Bolognese was very good and seafood pasta as well. Thanks for the nice anniversary touch too.

One of the few Italian places we could find in the area. The decor is really quite stunning. It reminded me of some of the higher-end Italian places in NYC. Unfortunately, so did the prices. The food was very good but I don't know that it warranted the prices charged. Our servers were very nice. They had a fine-dining demeanor, which meant they were not really up for chatting with us. Nonetheless, they were still very polite and efficient. read more

Amazing Ambience, outstanding service, I'd say it was phenomenal. Food also delicious would definitely go back. read more

We felt our server Eric was among the best we have ever had. He was professional, courteous and attentive, or as my husband put it, he was the epitome of what good service should be. The decor inside this restaurant is stunning. I felt like I was back in Europe. The food was spectacular including the pastas and the very delicious veal piccata. The coconut snowball to end the evening with was sublime, don't miss it! We wanted to try this place as it's the last of the Dahl restaurants we hadn't tried. Our anniversary weekend includes 3 of them. Tonight we're off to Dahl and Deluca which we already know is fabulous. read more

In Sedona with friends for the week and wanted a nice quiet dinner. We have eaten at this lovely Italian restaurant before so it was no surprise that we were warmly greeted by the staff upon arrival (we always get advance reservations-you should too, they are easily available on the website). We were seated in the main dining area, which I would describe as understated elegance. Medium dark colors, cozy lush padded chairs with bright stars hanging above. The place is quiet, even the fountain is muted with chains so you don't hear the dripping of the water; which means you can carry on a a conversation without yelling across the table (as happen in many restaurants these days). Our waiter was very friendly and efficient and brought our order quickly. We had the veal piccata, halibut and the chicken parmesan. All of the food was served hot and it was delicious. Portions are generous so my husband and I split the veal piccata. The prices are realistic for a fine dining experience, and there was no additional cost to split our plate. If you love Italian food please don't miss Cucina Rustica in the Village of Oak Creek, just south of Sedona. read more

Food was just ok and very small , not worth the price !! Service was good. We have gone all over from Italian and we live in New England, so we know a "good enough for the price" ambiance is beautiful. We went to another and all I can say is wow. But I know there is always room for improvement. Thank you. The bread was great !! read more

Came back for more! And it did not disappoint! A full year later returned to this place after hiking through Sedona. I had completely forgotten that we needed reservations but was craving the Mediterranean appetizer again and wanted to actúa try the food this time. They told us the wait was going to be like 2.5 hours and I almost cried knowing it was my bad for not organizing this better but the host was incredibly sweet! She suggested we add our name to the list and if one of their reservations did not show up that we could have the table for three! I said a little prayer and before I was done the Lord answered with the perfect table for our little group! It was the perfect night! The service was amazing we each ordered a different dish but they were all equally delicious (I had the white fish). We had wine, our Mediterranean plate and ended the night truly happy and satisfied. As a note - this is the kind of place you may want to dress up a little for, we showed up in hiking gear and stood out like a sore thumb but I really appreciate the fact that all the staff was super respectful and did not glance twice at our outfits read more

Cucina Rustica - White fish - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

We were looking for a restaurant that Lisa Dahl ran and we tried to get into Mariposa and no luck. This was the next option and we were not let down! The inside was decorated upscale old world. We loved one of the dining rooms that had the starry sky. We would request to be in that room next visit to Sedona. Our waitress was amazing btw! Cocktails- we started out with a house made limoncello spritz. This was refreshing and exactly what we wanted on a hot day. Appetizers- artichoke beignets: really tasty. Extra savory and didn't taste like artichoke (teen enjoyed them and didn't know what was inside!). We would have ordered another one to share with our group! Curry cauliflower (or vegetable) soup . It was the soup of the day and it was amazing. It had such full flavor and was very exotic. We would have eaten this over and over. Entrees- 2 of us ordered the special "Frutta del Mare / Fruits of the sea" and it was a glorious pasta dish with tons of seafood. Yummy! Tortellini deal bosco- we will order anything with truffle! Rich, creamy and everything you want in a comfort pasta dish. Would eat again! Lisa's Luscious Lasagna- it was luscious!! The sauce had a nice acidic tomato and you could tell it was homemade and a secret recipe. It was made with love and you could taste it! The cheese was creamy and a nice balance of freshness. One other in our group ordered the Angelica. This was a light style pasta with big prawns. Of course we saved room for tiramisu!! It was incredible and had a thick layer of cocoa espresso powder. Be careful and make sure to look down on your top. That powder lingers. Hahah. We had a few laughs. The creaminess of the tiramisu coated our mouth and kept us wanting more. We shared this with 5 people and we all got a few bites. Overall, when in Sedona we always stop at one of Lisa's restaurant. It is ALWAYS worth the money as the quality is there! Thanks again Lisa and your staff for such an amazing meal! We will be back! read more

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We have been coming here for years, the last two nights we stopped in for appetizers at the bar (non peak times). Both evenings, not a single acknowledgment until tonight when we got up and left after 10 min the bartender says thanks come again.. we won't be back! read more

What a delightful evening at Cucina Rustica. The food, service and ambiance made for an enjoyable and memorable evening.

My very good friend and I have our birthdays 2 days apart and decided to celebrate. The service is always wonderful, the food amazing and atmosphere sophisticate but fun, like being in an Italian courtyard. We each got a surprise dessert with a lit candle to celebrate our birthdays from the restaurant. . .what a wonderful and special treat! Thank you. read more

This place was so much fun! The waiter was a lot of fun. Food was delicious especially the desserts and great cocktails too.

What a delight to dine here. After numerous hikes our bodies needed a hearty yet not overly heavy meal. Cucina Rustica didn't disappoint. Isaac our server was amazing and fun, the meal was delicious, full of nuanced flavor profiles and enabled is to get true picture of Lisa's mastery as the Chef. We had the Kale Salad, Lasagne, and the Garganelli Don Quixote. Shared the two pasta dishes, each had our own salad and left comfortably satisfied. Highly recommend a visit when in the Sedona area read more

Rather than communicating with concern and a solution-focused response the server, Eric, attempted to educate us about food allergies and our food allergy concerns that we have contended with for 20+ years. He proceeded to place the wrong order for one of our guests. Beyond concerning. Food allergy safety is in question in this restaurant. read more

Absolutely perfect, from the initial greeting by the hostess to the charming decor, which included Valentine's decorations, to the delicious food. We were celebrating our anniversary and everyone from the hostess to the manager wished us a happy anniversary. Plus they add rose petals to the table and brought us a lovely gelato dessert. Kavindra was our server and she was amazing! She was very reassuring about my severe shellfish allergy. And her recommendations were fantastic. I got the price fix menu which included the burrata appetizer, the gnocchi with a delightful vodka sauce, a sorbet palette cleanser, veal saltimbocca and tiramisu. The portions were perfect and allowed for the ability to taste many different dishes. I chose the wine pairing and very much enjoyed the choices. He had the artichoke beignets which were as incredible as the server promised. Next was lasagna and meatballs both of which were delicious. The sauce was perfectly seasoned and the meatballs juicy. Last was the lemon cheesecake which was one of the best bites of the evening. We had an incredible experience. Brava! read more

Cucina Rustica - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

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Our evening was extraordinary, we are so grateful! The beautiful atmosphere and most delicious cuisine made it very special for our family. Thank you so much! read more

Always my favorite restaurant when I visit Sedona and my favorite Lisa Dahl restaurant . Sure they may not have the views that the other restaurants have but the drive there during sunset is breath taking and the food and ambiance makes up for it. The bar is so comfortable, the booths inside are perfect for date nights when you wanna be close and the outside by the fire place with live music is a vibe! I always get the pasta or their steaks and their wine selection is amazing! I've gone just me and my 10yr old, I've been with a big family, and an intimate date night! It's perfect for all! read more

Beautiful quiet surroundings. The tables are spaced so you don't feel cramped. We were there celebrating our anniversary and several of the staff stopped by to wish us a happy anniversary even though they weren't serving us. We were also comped a dessert which was unexpected. Thoroughly enjoyed our time there. read more

Loved the outdoor patio with small fire pits, real flowers and fun lighting! Service, Nicco, was friendly and attentive. Food was delicious!

Great food. We have been coming to Sedona for several years and always make it a point to go to this restaurant. Recommended it to our friends as well. Great setting and service is outstanding. read more

Our server Eric remembered us and welcomed us back in as soon as we walked into the dining room. As always, he was fantastic! I tried the rack of lamb chops for the first time in our many visits, and it was impeccable. Wonderful crust and seasoning on the outside and perfect medium rare inside. My wife had the eggplant Parmesan, which stands out for being very lightly breaded, not a deep fried bomb. She commented that it was even better than usual last night. Ambiance is always nice and sets the tone for the meal. The whole team took good care of us. read more

So incredibly disappointed in our experience here. My brother and I share the same birthday so we chose this place as our "birthday" dinner on our short trip in Sedona. Our table of six was very excited for dinner based on the rave reviews. Took about 30 minutes for our waitress to take our drink order. They weren't busy at the time but more people were arriving for dinner. After about 45 minutes of waiting for our drinks I started to realize how much time had past and started looking around the room for our waitress. She hadn't appeared so we asked another server if he could check on our drinks. About 35 minutes later they arrived - delivered by our waitress. Mind you we are now 1 hour and 50 minutes sitting at the table until our first drink arrived. She stated that she just realized our order was "stuck in the system and nothing had gone through". Which we accepted even though it was mind blowing how long we have waited. She insisted the food was being expedited and it would be right out. The appetizer did arrive shortly after. However our entree did not arrive for another 40 minutes. By this time my brother and family had to quickly eat and leave as they had other obligations and didn't anticipate at 3 hour dinner , especially at such a "fine dining" establishment. I finished my meal without him. I mentioned to our server that I wanted to order dessert but didn't have another hour to wait and she said she "understood" and that tonight was a fluke accident on her end. She didn't say it wouldn't take another hour for dessert nor offer to make any portion of our evening right by offering a credit or bringing the manager over. It took another 25 minutes to obtain the bill which was nearly 300 dollar (with tip) and another family member had to leave while waiting for the billl so I was left alone at the end to pay. To top it off the bill had a "business operations DINE IN fee of 3%". To charge us a fee to "dine In" on such an awful experience was salt to the wound. Gratuity wasn't charged but we still tipped 20% in cash. Terrible experience. And this place is not worth what they charge for a single thing they served us. The ambiance is nice for a strip mall location and that's about it. Run from this. Sedona has much better out there with amazing staff who cares about your experience and serves delicious food. Cucina Rustica is not one of them. read more

Cucina Rustica - Terrible 3 hour experience. And let's add salt to the wound by charging us a fee to "dine in" - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

First, the food was amazing. Four different entrees and we liked them all. Just couldn't give it 5 stars because the wait staff was ... A bit odd, a bit affected. We had a low talker and couldn't even hear him when he was right next to us. One of the waiters was with a trainee, and they kept bumping into each other. The hostess seated us without menus, and when our waiter realized it, he went to go get us some while he shook his head and muttered to himself. So it was dinner and a show. LOL We'd go back... The food was that good. read more

Once again, Cucina never disappoints us. The food was fabulous along with our server. We had the bread with oil, meatballs in porcini sauce, sea bass special and their famous pasta dish in the chipotle sauce. Never knew Lisa was from Indiana and a Lawrence school graduate, which is the same with us. Small world. Would love to meet her sometime. We will be regulars here. The ambiance was perfect also. read more

Great restaurant! Everything from the appetizer, drinks, food, desert was excellent! We will be back in April!

Beautiful restaurant, wonderful service, and amazing food. Our waiter was super nice which just added to the experience. I got the gnocchi and my husband got the lobster pasta. Both were very yummy! I also got the prickly pear margarita which was very good! I look forward to coming back when my husband and I are in Sedona again. read more

This restaurant when you call them, they don't answer their phone (wanted to know if they have availability for that night). You have to leave a message. We made reservation thru Open Table for the next night. Restaurant was quaint and nicely decorated. We ordered the Rustic Bruschetta and we were disappointed with it, the toast was burnt black on the bottom and all you taste was the bitterness and the char. Husband ordered the Garganelli pasta with prawns and I had the special, Linguine Seafood Cioppino (has clams, mussels and prawns). The pasta was delicious. The server was very attentive and personable throughout our meal. When the bill came you can select the percentage of the tip. We selected the 20%. She looked at it and slammed her folder shut and attended to the next table without even saying thank you or acknowledging us when we left. I guess 20% is not good enough. read more

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Lovely Italian dinner! Their website says they're closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but we somehow got a reservation on the Wednesday before Christmas (special holiday hours I guess). The ambiance was so cozy with holiday decorations, lights, and a fireplace. The bruschetta and beet salad appetizers were light and tasty. The salad could do a little less on the dressing though. The Angelica and frutti di mare special were delicious! The seafood in them was cooked perfectly. The vitello piccata was flavorful, and the garganelli bolognese was the best bolognese I've had. The flavors were elevated yet comforting. The rich, fudge-like flourless chocolate torte and apple pudding were a nice way to end the meal. Would recommend! read more

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Look elsewhere. We made a reservation as this "appears" to be a nice, high-end restaurant. Based on our experience, it is not. We checked in with the hostess and were seated. We waited 25 minutes and were never able to put in an order. Not even for drinks. The restaurant was not busy at the time. During our wait, the restaurant called me wondering why we hadn't honored the reservation!!! Being extremely disappointed, we walked out. Additionally later, the restaurant sent me an email wondering why I didn't honor the reservation. We learned there are much better restaurants near by and they know how to treat their customers. Look elsewhere. read more

Amazing. The true northern Italian cuisine and flavors I remember growing up in an Italian family. Absolutely perfectly cooked and sauced pastas, don't miss the meatball app, saltimboca or the porcini sauce. Service a 9/10, just great. Only knock I have is that a family with young kids shouting wasn't managed, resulting in a smattering of applause from 3-4 tables when they finally, mercifully left. Facing the wall, I could see 3-4 patrons start to relax when they finally left. But beautiful interior, easy parking, aromas that brought be back to childhood like no restaurant has in 10 years. Hope to return soon. read more

This restaurant is a jewel. We were looking for a good first meal in the Sedona area and had the good fortune to find found Cucina Rustica. The space is gorgeous on the inside, warm, dark, and perfect for a date night or a more than casual dinner. The staff is attentive and professional, and our waiter was happy to discuss the menu and give recommendations when we asked. In addition, he knew the wine list and how to match our pallet with a great Italian Borolo. And the food! Simply excellent. It's clear that Chef Dahl puts a lot of pride into her work, but food this good can only be the result of a labor of love. I will definitely be back. read more

Cucina Rustica - Fruit do Mar - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

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I visited Sedona with my cousin over memorial weekend. We were craving Italian food and this place was perfect. Our server Luis was so welcoming and kind!! His knowledge on the menu and food was amazing! The food was soooo good. Everything tasted authentic and freshly made, i was very impressed. 10/10 would definitely recommend this place read more

Cucina Rustica - Lemon cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

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We were in town for Thanksgiving week, and had eat at Rene the night before, so my expectations going into our actual Thanksgiving dinner at Cucina Rustica were extremely high. In case you don't read the rest of my review- they delivered over and above my lofty expectations. We had reservations at their 4pm opening time, and were seated promptly. We were in their side room, which I liked, though my dinner companion felt it was a bit small and crowded. They had a special holiday menu, including a prix fixe option, though it had a few errors (the dish titled gnocchi had tortellini in the description, my meal said it came with green beans but arrived with asparagus) that didn't detract from the meal at all. There were also errors on the wine and beer list, none of the draft beers were correct (maybe that page just didn't get replaced in our list) and I ended up with a different although excellent Chianti from what was listed by the glass. We started with the meatballs in truffle cream and the prosciutto wrapped endive and mozzarella packages. Both were glorious, though I was especially enamored of the more unusual prosciutto option. Moving on to the entree, I couldn't resist the filet. As I mentioned, it came with asparagus which was a happy surprise over green beans, and the potatoes were perfection, as was the temperature of my steak. My dining companion had the sea bass, and really enjoyed his dish, especially the orzo pilaf. Dessert was another treat, although we should have shared, as both the flourless cake and pumpkin swirl cheesecake were ridiculously rich. We couldn't quite finish our dessert course, but did come close. I was so pleased with our holiday dining experience, with fabulous service and a truly special meal. read more

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The one star is for our hostess who quickly sat us & added red rose pedals to our table after noticing we were celebrating my bachelorette. We were so excited to come here but quickly became disappointed with the overall experience. Our waiter Luis did not care for our table. He put our food order in 10-15 minutes late. It took them an hour and 20 minutes to get our food. It was frustrating to see the other guests who were seated after us quickly receive their drinks, food and dessert order before us. It felt like we were discriminated because we were the only Hispanic group in the restaurant. The cherry on top of our bad experience was when we asked another waiter if they could please take a group photo, she quickly said no and walked away. Terrible experience and the food was subpar, at best! Save your money and go to Mariposa instead, much better service and food. read more

Cucina Rustica - 3 sad raviolis and nothing else! -__- - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

I wish I could give more than 5 stars! Phenomenal food with a cozy upscale rustic vibe. Eric was our waiter and we will be requesting his section next time we come. He was very attentive without making us feel rushed or smothered. I truly cannot wait to come back and dine again. read more

Cucina Rustica - Focaccia bread with the Mediterranean sampler - Italian Near Me - Sedona, Arizona

Cucina Rustica Mother's Day at Cucina was special dining for me considering Lisa Dahl wrote a tribute to her Mom and a special menu in honor of the day!! We ordered a special bottle of Montelpulciano, (actually introduced a year ago at Dahl and Di Luca). Our terrific server Nolan had suggested this bottle and he was right on. Our appetizer was Artichoke Beignets which was cheesy and accompanied by a white creamy sauce. My husband ordered the Asparagus Leek Bisque and said it was very good. I remembered having the Australian Rack of Lamb last year which I loved, but I decided to try Lisa's Lucious Lasagna with a side of Bolognese sauce and the house Focaccia for dipping. I definitely ordered the right trio! It was so delicious!! Then my husband (day 12 of our marriage) ordered an entree Garganelli Don Quixote, which was also in her newest book "Romance with Food"., so he wanted to try it. The chicken and pasta and chipotle cream sauce made a winning dish. It was impossible for us to order desert. We were happily sated. It was a wonderful dining experience for Mother's Day!! Harriet D. read more