Been here before but only now writing a review of this place. Went here yesterday at around 6:30PM/7:00PM to celebrate my dad's birthday and mothers day. We were greeted accordingly at the front by a server. To get to the front, one has to climb stairs and open the somewhat heavy doors. Definetely not handicap accessible! Anyways, he took us to a table that was near the kitchen to the right of us. Little complaint is that he seated us sort of near other people. it's okay, but some people may want to sit away from others, especially on a slow night. Anyways, we were served accordingly with waters and bread. Next, we were told the specials and looked at the menu. Now, i have already looked at the menu online, so sort of knew what i wanted. They have lots of wine selections. Then, we ordered appetizers: we wanted the seafood casino, but they were all out. So we got the Fried Calamari, a side of brocolli rabe, and the special with the italian cheese. Food did take a while to come out, however when it did, the appetizers were really good! the Calamari was moist and not crunchy; the brocoli rabe was slightly bitter but whatever seasonings were on it made it delicous. The special we also enjoyed, and i tried the cheese for the 1st time and enjoyed it. The waiter refilled our waters several times, so water refills were not an issue. Next we ordered our entrees, i ordered the Mussels Maranara with Lingine pasta. My dad ordered Scallops with pasta, and my mom ordered a chicken dish. my dad also asked for a drink which was titos with 7-up/sprite. He waited a bit for that drink, but later when he wanted another one- it was refilled right away. Finally, the food came! I ate all the mussels, which all came out of their shell easily, and was really delicous. After scouring down the mussels, i went to my pasta. immedially asked for pepper- brought out red pepper but wanted the black pepper. The black pepper isn't on the table because they use grinded black pepper, which was good- except if one wants pepper one has to get the waiter. Anyways, got the black pepper from the waiter. Now, the pasta was a little hard (and my dad said the same thing!), but i feel like it was okay and didn't ruin the meal. My mom and i took home leftovers, as one of the waiters packed it for us. Next, we got our check and it was about $100.00! granted some of the stuff is a little expensive, but worth it i feel. We paid via credit card and was on our way home. we left a cash tip on the table for the waiter. probably will be back soon. read more

Went here with my girlfriend for our 6 months with no reservation. Upon arrival we were greeted by the host which was very attentive and caring. Upon sitting we were greeted by our waitress and she gave us a big half loaf of bread which was nicely baked. While munching we went with the sautéed calamari and Caesar salad to start. There was quite a decent wait but this places ambience and scene was very relaxing for my girlfriend and I so we didn't mind. When our calamari was served I was so excited. I love calamari served this sort of way and we dug in. The sauce was beautiful which was on the plate. With the calamari cooked very nice and tender it was simply delicious. The Caesar salad came out and was fairy average but still enjoyable. Then our entrees we ordered came in about 20 mins after. We were constantly checked on which we appreciated and felt taken care of. My chicken sorrentino came out and I was so excited. I love Italian food. My girlfriend ordered a veal dish. We both split our cuts of meat to get a try of both and the flavors were fabulous. I definitely enjoyed my chicken meal more since chicken parm is one of my weaknesses but the eggplant and prosciutto with the fresh mozzarella was a match made in heaven. The veal also had a delicious deglazed sauce which paired so nicely with the veggies as well. After cleaning our plates to the best of our ability the dessert tray came. I went with a chocolate mouse banana cake slice and my girlfriend went for her favorite lava cake. This is where the night went south in some aspects. My dessert came out perfect while my girlfriends not so much. With us having culinary backgrounds and inspecting the lava cake it was way over cooked or almost warmed up. The inside has no ganache or raw middle and the cake itself tasted almost sandy and just not palatable. We told the waitress and she told our host he asked what happened and I let him in on the details. He went to check it himself I presume and he took it off our bill which we appreciated. Overall was a great dine out experience just wish it was a home run with the lava cake. I'd definitely try this place out for a nice dinner. Hope this review helps! read more

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I believe we have found our new favorite restaurant- I don't know how we missed this gem in our backyard! The food was excellent! It was fresh and flavorful. The staff was amazingly attentive and friendly without being intrusive! The prices were reasonable - it will be your own fault for a high bill when you can't choose between 2 appetizers, 2 entrees (so you make 1 a side) and 2 desserts so you end up getting it all like my husband lol! We brought many leftovers home and our kids are now making plans to go there themselves. read more

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Unfortunately the quality of food went down big time.. But the owner and workers are all very nice. My stomach was terrible all night long. I felt dis read more

our Server was terrible . Arrived at 5:30 only 1 other table was occupied, by 7:00 our orders were still not taken even though we told him we were ready to order long before that . After reading several reviews it appears he does this often. Not acceptable especially if the owners allows it . We paid the bill and left. Never going back read more

We absolutely positively love this place!! Our favorite restaurant!! Place is beautiful service is great owners are fantastic and the food even better!! read more

La Vera Cucina - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

Came here on two separate occasions with family (Easter and Christmas Eve), and had a great time both times! I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered (we pretty much ordered every app on the menu). Biggest highlight within apps were the grilled octopus - man, it was so tender and flavorful, and the beans and olives it came with complimented it perfectly. For entrees, I got the shrimp and scallops with linguine, which was absolutely delicious! The scallops were packed with flavor, and even the tomato sauce was pretty damn good! The pasta dishes are pretty huge by the way, so if your table ordered a bunch of apps, I'd recommend to split with someone. Considering how packed the restaurant was both times I visited, the service was impressive. Everyone was polite and courteous, which is hard to maintain when dealing with so many patrons, so plus point for that! read more

I was disappointed in my veal chop it look awesome however the taste was either gamey or the oil my cutlet was fried in was gave the coating a bad taste. How can you give that a better score. My family enjoyed their meals even anther person who ordered veal parmigiana did not have the bad taste. They aren't writing the review though. read more

La Vera Cucina - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

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So many of my friends and family have been talking about La Vera Cucina for a while. Long story short, we tried and fell in love. The ambiance, the service and the food is totally impeccable and you certainly cannot get all three around here, perfectly. Our server "File" was so.. literally... perfect. She was friendly without being too much, well spoken with fluidity, graceful.. I would go back just for her. Me and my fiancé have been in the service industry for 10+ years. We never express our line of work at times when we are out. La Vera Cucina is top notch. Thank you. (We are Greenwood Lake natives) read more

Unfortunately, I do not have good news. I used to LOVE this place but now it's just a normal Italian restaurant with fairly high prices. Avoid the pasta at all costs it's not cooked well, and it will ruin your experience and meal. I had the veal Parm, and wife had chicken Francess. They were both OK, but just OK not what I am used to at this restaurant. I will only give it three stars. The service has always been good here, but the food has gone downhill but just down to the same level of the other local Italian restaurants. Good but not fantastic anymore. read more

The food is excellent, staff is great, very attentive. Restaurant very cozy and quint.

Let me first start out by saying I have been going to La Vera Cucina for many years and it used to be my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. I had dinner there Saturday October 10th and had a very negative experience. The waiter was extremely unpleasant! He was the older tall gentlemen with an accent. When we ordered my boyfriend ordered an alcoholic drink and I did not and the waiter rolled his eyes at me. This is not the first time he has been my waiter and if we do not order alcohol or an appetizer he has an attitude. La Vera Cucina always used to give you a salad with your meal but this time our waiter took our order and walked away and overheard me say to my boyfriend "wait what about our salad" and he turned around and said "you want a salad? ok". When the salad came it was on a very small plate with barely anything on it. In the past we always got a nice size portion of salad and we were asked what type of dressing we wanted. The meals have shrunk to 1/4 of the size they used to be. My boyfriend ordered the chicken parm, which used to come with pasta and instead it came with 2 very small pieces of a potato, 1 carrot and 1 broccoli. I ordered the penne alla vodka, which I used to be able to bring 1/2 home, I was still hungry after eating it was so small. I understand that times are hard now, but I would rather pay $5 more per meal and receive the normal portion they used to give. If you do decide to go make sure you do not get that waiter. read more

First of all I like to say this place has the best risotto and the entrees are absolutely delicious thr only issue is our waiter wasn't that great , he didn't pay much attention to us and our mealtime was 3 hours long . As I like a great dinner experience I felt it took to long to get my beverages appetizer and meal ! Do to Covid wait staff was short so I can't really blame them for that but wait staff should at least be attentive .. read more

Consistently delicious! We've been going to La Vera for years and never had a bad meal. The service is excellent, the staff is friendly and the food is super good!! read more

Dare I say this is one of the best Italian places in this area? The food here is so amazing! I've been here a few times, and while I think the place itself needs some updating, the food never lets down. Here are my favorites: Chicken Francaise Chicken Parm Chicken Scarpiello Yes, I only stick to the chicken dishes, but that's because they are the best! They cook the chicken perfectly and you can tell they put a lot of effort into the quality of their food. I also love the salad that the entrée comes with. It's always fresh and is a good portion. The bread with the olive oil type sauce is addicting. I've only tried the chocolate mousse with a cream puff inside for dessert, but that also did not let down. The service is a tad bit slow, but the reasonably priced high quality meals are worth it. read more

La Vera Cucina - Chicken francaise (so good!) - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

Aaaaand I was wrong. In the past few years, La Vera went downhill big time. It all started a few Christmas' ago. We went for Christmas Eve as this was out go-to at that point and we hadn't been for awhile. There wasn't one person who was satisfied with their dish. We chalked it up to the holiday. Awhile later when we visited again, we noticed little things that had changed. The pasta wasn't al dente anymore. Dishes weren't seasoned quite as well as before. Service became a bit more patronizing. This continued to the point that my family's last few visits have been downright problematic, including sending dishes back. La Vera as a result is no longer on the table for dinner options. I'm not sure what happened here. At first I thought that I may have jumped the gun with my initial review but this seems to have been a trend. As cute as the setup is, if the food and the service falls off, the place has lost its charm with this funk they've been in. I hope they snap out of it but just in case they don't they seem to be doing fine. read more

Don't let the strange location among residences fool you. The food is awesome. My husband and I went for a late dinner with two other couples and had a fantastic meal. I usually don't go to Italian restaurants because the menus are all the same, but La Vera Cucina has some unique dishes that are worth the trip. The dipping sauce for the bread is awesome - sundried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan... so good. We started with the cold antipasto (salami, provolone, red peppers & mozz, olives), and everything was fresh and delicious. We also ordered some stuffed mushrooms and they were super tasty. All entrees came with a salad, and I really should have asked for dressing on the side because there was more dressing than there was salad - my only complaint for the evening. Literally a puddle of dressing! Everyone at our table was pleased with their entrees and the servings were huge, so most of us left with lunch for tomorrow! Our servers were wonderful - they must have overheard us talking about our friend's upcoming birthday because they brought us a round of shots (Sambuca) on the house to celebrate! The desserts were all delicious, as well. A great meal! With two appetizers, 6 entrees, 2 bottles of wine, 3 desserts, and 2 coffees the total came to $299 before tip. read more

Made reservation for 6ppl on Friday at 8pm. From outside the place looks homey like someone's house with a large porch. We were seated in a corner table with plenty of room for 6. Waiter was very pleasant and gave us plenty of time. We ordered a few bottles of wine and began with appetizers. - Fried Calamari: fresh calamari mixed tentacles and body. Perfectly fried great sauce. - Stuffed Mushroom with veal: great flavors with tomato sauce and cheese - cold antipasto: simple (prosecutto, roasted peppers, fresh Mozz, salami, ham and provolone) drizzled with balsamic and basil. For dinner I had the veal chop special which I chose grilled medium. Perfectly grilled with hot cherry peppers and onions with a light white wine sauce. All our dinners came with a house salad. Pasta was very fresh and made in the restaurant. Overall everyone enjoyed their meal and plenty of leftovers. I had homemade tiramisu and were given sambuca on the house. Price was reasonable, portion was large and customer service was great. I would recommend this place. read more

La Vera Cucina - Grilled Veal chop with hot cherry peppers onions - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

Amazing and delicious, top notch service! Highly recommend this quant, Italian restaurant in Monroe. read more

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Possiamo mangiare.. translation "Can we eat"!!... WOW, who knew that you'd have to leave the city to have a metropolitan meal in the suburbs of NY.. Once I heard that my family moved from the city to the burbs I thought "why"? After visiting and appreciating the serenity and tranquility of the lush landscapes and gorgeous mature trees why doesn't everyone live here! Big fan and pleasantly surprised but completely enjoyed our meal and time with family. read more

This is a nice elegant restaurant with a classy ambience and a great menu. If you feel like dressing up and eating out for the night, this is a solid choice! The steak has never failed me, and the classic chicken parm is always a steady contender. They used to have a surf and turf option which doesn't seem to be on the menu anymore, but maybe you can put in a special request. The desserts are also quite good. They bring you a display platter so you can see what each one looks like. The main complaint I have is the last time I came here there was no music playing. We came at an odd hour as well, so there was only one other family eating. The silence was pretty awkward.. read more

La Vera Cucina - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

Last night we got take out for our anniversary. I always love their food, that's not my complaint. After spending $100 on a meal for 2 ($8 on each piece of cake). I was very disappointed when it came time have dessert. The one slice was great the other slice was horrible. It was a sliver, less than half of what they showed me on the dessert tray. I usually don't tip on take out, but this time I did as I felt they had gone above and beyond. That won't happen again. 9/5/21 Today I called and let them know that they almost lost me as a customer due to a paper thin piece of cake that they served as take out in the past, but my mom wanted her birthday dinner from there. I was told that there wasn't any way that it was that thin. I was told first not to order, then placed on hold, when the owner came back he said they would make sure that mom's was good but they didn't care about me. We always used them for holidays and special occasions. They had one chance to obtain me as a customer, they blew it. If I could give no stars I would. read more

Perfection. Perfect ambiance, incredible food. The lobster bisque is absolutely incredible. From the time we were seated, until our after dinner coffee, my family and I were treated like family. This restaurant has an old school ambiance which is warm and inviting. They also have an outdoor seating area which is absolutely stunning. The food was spot on , the BEST I have had in Orange County. The prices are reasonable and more than comenstrate with the superb quality of food that they serve. Highly recommended. The staff and management were extremely professional. I will be returning again , I'd be CRAZY not to. Check it out you won't be disappointed. read more

It is a a romantic quiet peaceful place to enjoy food, is not scary expensive as I thought portions are big, my wife and me bought an appetizer And one pasta plate with a dessert and that was enough. Dessert are homemade and before ordering they bring a plate with all the dessert on it, we ordered Chiken alfredo and was the best one I ever tried yet not too oily or overpowering read more

Food NOT terrible BUT................ when everything on the menu is between $10 and $25 and you are offered a filet of sole special-at lunchtime-you should be told that it's $49.80 including tax. Insult to injury? He made a big deal about throwing in a piece of bread! We will never be back read more

dis shit gasssssssssss i love it they do it like nobody else yassssssssssssssssssssss

We enjoyed our first dinner here. Nice, upscale, somewhat romantic ambiance. Just had soft drinks to start. Didn't feel like wine or beer as we were dining quite late - 9:30 start. An advantage to this place is that the kitchen is open until 11pm on Saturday night. We ordered the shrimp scampi and linguini putunesca. She enjoyed that the shrimp came as ordered with light oil and mine was tasty although I feel they cheated with the sliced grape tomatoes. I don't need tomato seeds in a pasta dish. Plenty of sauce & enough to take home to mix in our pasta later. Also, awesome bread, BTW - rustic county bread. We'll be back. I'd like to try something with fungi. read more

My wife and I had an opportunity to go back to La Vera Cucina last night for dinner to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. The restaurant itself and the decor are very nice. Typical Italian themed music playing nicely in the back ground. The staff are all very nice and friendly. However, with regards to the restaurant itself, there was a major issue with the air conditioning last night and it was super hot in the dining room the entire evening. The wine list is quite extensive with good variety and we had one of the Malbec's. The bread served with the water was not toasted or even warm. For appetizer I had the clams oreganata which were very good and my wife had the eggplant rollatine which she said was good. For the main course my wife had the chicken marsala which sadly was basically tasteless. We even joked that they forgot to use marsala wine. I had the Zuppa De Peche, fra Diavolo which i thought was good. We ended the night with dessert and no coffee as it was so hot we didn't dare drink hot liquids. One of the major disappointments was as we left the main part of the restaurant was feeling the cold blast of air in the other section of the restaurant. The staff knew there was an issue with AC but didn't offer us to sit in the section with AC? Very odd. read more

I stopped going to La Vera Cucina about a year ago after having a few mediocre meals in a row but decided to give it another try. I am thrilled I did! Rumor has it, the restaurant is under new ownership as of July 2022 and boy it shows! The service was superb and the food was AMAZING! I wanted to devour 3 orders of the Risotto with Filet Tips it was so delicious. Thankfully the portion was a bit too much for me so I enjoyed it for lunch the next day. My husband said the Dover Sole was the best ever and totally worth the price. The wine list is extensive and the dessert tray is incredible! WAAAAY too many choices, we tried a few and they each were delicious. Whatever has changed has brought me back to an old favorite!!! I'll definitely return the next time I visit! (P.S. The restaurant is handicap accessible but the entrance is on the right side of the building, not the front.) read more

Good service. Awful management. After tipping more than 15% the owner came over and asked if everything was ok since we tipped less than 10%. This was done in front of other diners and was terribly embarrassing for us. We will not be back. read more

Been coming here with family and friends for as long as i could remember and it never disappoints!!! Atmosphere is 10/10 as well as service, waiters are attentive and friendly and we love it here every time we come. read more

Came here for lunch with my boyfriend and his family. We had the fried calamari, the chicken scarpiello, chicken franchise, chicken parm, and the New York strip steak. First off, the bread was very good, we are lots of it. I like how there's a complimentary salad to start our meals. The fried calamari was good, all of them were crunchy. The chicken franchise tasted a lot like egg. The chicken scarpiello was too cheesy but still was a decent dish. The chicken parm was full of flavor and the New York strip steak was huge and was delicious. The tiramisu was a nice ending to our meal. Definitely worth a try if you're in the neighborhood. read more

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My wife and I and another couple went for dinner Nov 12. The service was horrific and the food was not good.I spoke to the owner about this and he said, "if you don't have 2 hours on a Saturday night, don't come". We were there for over 2 hours. I had no problem with that. The service again was horrible. I have been coming to this Restaurant for over 20 years. I never had this problem I will never go back. read more

Is "fantabulous" a word? Because I would like to use it to describe this restaurant. Delicious, authentic Italian food (and I had a real Italian person--one who visits Italy every year--with me to verify this), a perfect dessert tray, and homemade Sambuca. A little hard to find (it's off the main road, and in one of the neighborhoods), but well worth the effort. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g48192-d1862663-r554308085-LA_VERA_CUCINA-Monroe_New_York.html# read more

So glad La Vera Cucina is open again! Food is as fresh and delicious as ever! The staff is fantastic. Never a bad meal from here.

My husband and I have been here 3 times in the last 2 months. The service we received the first time was extraordinary and we couldn't wait to return. Unfortunately, the service has never been the same since that first visit. The food is great but the wait staff either don't care or are preoccupied. I don't base a restaurant solely on the food. I must receive good service. I don't appreciate never getting a basic item I requested or having to ask for a drink refill. We have always been seated on the patio so maybe the service inside is better. I may try it again and see how it is inside. Please La Vera Cucina---impress upon your staff that their service and attitude makes all the difference in the dining experience!! read more

I have eaten here a bunch of times a few years ago and thought the food here was great. I ate here last week and still feel the same. The service was very good. Our appetizer of fried calamari was very good and cooked (or fried) just right. For dinner I had the Chicken Vald'Aostana which was excellent. The marsala sauce was delicious. Portions were big for dinner. Not really much else to say other than this is one of the best Italian restaurants in the area hands down. I highly recommend this place. read more

An absolute staple / hole in the wall. This restaurant is perfect for any occasion. I went for my birthday last year and will be going for Valentine's Day again this year! The owners are so sweet and their wait staff is very thorough, respectful, and attentive. You will feel at home at this place. If you like seafood and pasta, make sure to get the hand rolled pasta with the assortment of seafood on the inside. Their specials are also always exceptional. WheTher you're just stopping in town or just moved to the area, make sure you stoop by here. You will not regret it. read more

There are certain things I expect when my family gathers for dinner: respect and quality. If you want to be respected like you're family and have quality food made with love, Vera Cucina is the place. Great customer service and impeccable food. Vera Cucina makes any gathering extra special.. read more

We waited two hours for our appetizers. The service was awful. The waiter never checked in to give an update on the food. We finally asked for our salads to tie us over and the response was we normally don't do it this way. The unsweetened tasted like water. It had zero flavor. The ceasar salad was drenched in the dressing that the lettuce was soggy. The grilled chicken on the salad: some were undercooked and some were overcooked. This is a 3 dollar sign restaurant not 2. read more