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    Cucina South

    4.3 (244 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Italian
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Cucina South Photos

    Business Info

    CUCINA SOUTH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy
    Quiet

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    Recommended Reviews - Cucina South

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    Rose all day
    Elly M.

    Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach never disappoint. Such an easy getaway from Jacksonville with amazing food and vibes. Today I was a plus one for Restaurant Week and we chose Cucina South, and it was chef's kiss. The Bolognese con Pappardelle stole the show. That sauce was rich, and perfectly balanced. Shoutout to our server Liam for making the experience even better.

    Menu Left
    Richard L.

    Solo dined on an early Friday evening without a reservation. Chatter from the staff indicated the restaurant had recently reopened with new management and chef. Ambience subdued, casual. Perfect for date night. Not a good choice for family with young kids. One major change I noticed is the new menu. Yelp menu information not accurate. The new menu is much smaller. Wine selections outweigh food choices. No kid menu. That being said, the food was awesome. I had Eggplant Rollatini for an appetizer, Angel Hair Pasta with Vine Ripe Tomatoes for an entree. Portions good, taste better, wait staff excellent. I will return and hope the menu expands in the future.

    Chef's Choice Fried Raviolis
    Scott C.

    Quaint Italian restaurant on the south end of Amelia Island. Staff is friendly and our waitress was exceptional and very helpful. Nice by the glass wine list. We started with the Caprese salad which was ample and very tasty. Then had the chef's choice fried raviolis which were unique and good. My wife had the buffalo bolognese and pappardelle which she said was rich, creamy and delicious and was too much for her to eat in one sitting. I had the chicken parmigiana with a side of pasta which was good but chicken was a bit overdone. Overall, we had a nice time with ample good food.

    Lauren B.

    Let me say the service was good. We have lived here for years and always wanted to try this restaurant. I am gluten free, my husband is not. I was very excited because the menu online states gluten free options are available. To me, if an Italian restaurant offers gluten free options I was expecting gluten free pasta. There is no gluten free pasta or alternatives to warm appetizers available. Instead the only offering was risotto as a pasta alternative. Not my favorite when eating a Marsala or Alfredo entree... seemed strange for any of the pasta entrees available. So I figured I'd just get the salmon entree cooked medium with the risotto and Brussels sprouts. Husband ordered the carbonara with shrimp ( regular pasta). When the food arrived my portion of salmon was about half a filet of salmon. I was a little surprised at the size but it came with a good sized portion of rosemary risotto and Brussels sprouts. I wish I would have taken a picture of the meal. The salmon was so over cooked it was tough... I've never had tough salmon in my life especially when it was ordered with a medium temperature. The risotto was okay but it had a lot of large rosemary sprigs all through out that took away from the risotto and made taste only like rosemary and a lot of it. So I did not eat very much of that ... as I was trying to pick out the leaves with every bite. The Brussels sprouts were also trimmed poorly with stems on most of them ( never seen that before on a Brussels) but the sprouts were very tough and raw in the inside making them hard. Super disappointed in my meal. Carbonara tasted good, shrimp were cooked perfectly. The pasta was almost crunchy and not in the good al dente way. The ham in the dish was very overcooked almost like Little Rock's in the dish and not edible. Again, we have been looking forward to this place for a very long time and now I don't think we'll return. Very sad. Could have been an off night but regardless the food, to us, was worse than any of the tourist traps on Amelia island. If you are going to offer gluten free options at an Italian place and make it seem like there are options or "alternatives"... offer pasta and actual alternatives for items like your menu states. Attached is the menu with the misleading gluten free information. 2 stars only because of our server. If it were based on her alone it'd be higher.

    Bruschetta of the day

    Super nice server and very cute inside and out. However, our food just wasn't that life changing for the price.

    Outside

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    2 months ago

    Some of the finest Italian food I've had outside of Florence. I had the salmon with a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc.

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    4 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Food could be better. No lasagna in an Italian restaurant makes no sense. Limited offerings. I'm not going back until things change.

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Ambiance and food were fantastic. Went on a Saturday evening...definitely make a reservation!

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    10 months ago

    I have been multiple times and have enjoyed my meal each time. Particularly enjoy the pasta dishes.

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    11 months ago

    Great food and very authentic Italian. Air conditioning gets tricky in summer since it is an old house

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Well the Service and the food are in competition with each other. And I really can't say which is better. Delicious and charming.

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    1 year ago

    Food always exceeds our standards and chef Lou and staff are very accommodating highly recommend.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Cucina South

    I believe this restaurant closed over a year ago..... Correct?

    It was, but this is new ownership/chef

    Is there a happy hour?

    No, but they have wine specials.

    View All 3 Questions

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    Catullo’s Italian

    Catullo’s Italian

    4.7
    (660 reviews)
    18.7 mi
    $$

    Catullo's is phenomenal Italian. Probably the best in Jacksonville, if not all north Florida…read more Catullo's would rival even some of the top Italian restaurants in south Florida. Not only am I quite picky, I'm also Italian, and Catullo's absolutely gets it right. No corners are cut here as everything is made with quality and care. I HIGHLY recommend the lemon mascarpone cake. It is absolutely insanely delicious and reminds me of being back on the Amalfi coast. The meatball appetizer is also something truly special. Last time I went I had the scallop lemon pasta and it was perfect. Everything I've had is so good at Catullo's that merely writing this review is making me hungry! The restaurant is always busy, so show up early, but they treat every party with a personal experience. It's a small spot in a strip mall, and the inside has a fun sort of New York Italian American theme.

    I recently dined here with my wife, while visiting my son. We are from the north east and are used…read moreto great Italian food. Well, I have to say that this restaurant can compete with the best in NYC, New Haven, and Providence or Boston! First and foremost, the service was top notch. The attentiveness and efficiency of our waiter was the best, but to top it off, 2 of the owners each came to the table to check on things. This is something that stands out today. I love it. The atmosphere was comfortable yet refined and the place is very clean. The dim lighting is a point that my wife appreciates in a restaurant setting, but our seats were probably the least lit, (our backs to the front window) and our old eyes needed our phone lights to read the menu, haha. The Arancini was perfect and we loved the marinara. My veal dish was magnificent with it's perfectly cooked, large and very tender cutlet. My wife fully enjoyed the Pappardelle con Vongole nero and I thought it was phenomenal. We can't wait to visit the best Italian restaurant in JAX again, when we return in October.

    Photos
    Seating
    Seating
    Arancini / 1905 / Carlucci's Way
    Arancini / 1905 / Carlucci's Way
    The neighbors put up a barrier for line control.

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    The neighbors put up a barrier for line control.

    Cucina South - seafood - Updated July 2026

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