We moved to Long Beach/Lakewood a couple of years ago, but could not find a place to enjoy GOOD Italian food nearby. Mario's, Sbarro, and other commercialized places aren't even in our vocabulary (lol). After one visit to Vino & Cucina , I'm happy to say, it exceeded all of our expectations! Not only is the food incredible, but the staff/service was terrific. My wife and I were amazed at how each customer personally knew each server (one customer even walked in just to say 'hi' to one of the lovely ladies). And the food? Well, there aren't enough words to describe how tasty our food was! All I know is that we'll definitely be back to try a few other dishes we've already circled on our take-home menu (I defintely want to try the Spaghetti della Nonna!). BTW, I must've read that take home menu 10 times since we got home (lol). Just in case you were wondering, I ordered the Farfalle Sara and my wife ordered the Gnocchi Amalfi. Oh, and the pistachio gelato IS THE BEST! We enjoyed it so much, we had to share some with our baby daughter. :0) You definite MUST for dessert!!! It was our fist visit, but definitely won't be our last. My family and I were fortunate to find THE BEST TASTING place for Italian food just around the corner... read more

The service was excellent and they really made you feel at home here. I came during early dinner hours and was greeted right away with a polite greeting and a smile. They checked up frequently, but not too frequently and the waitress was open to conversation. The food was good, but not excellent. I feel like it was rushed out of the kitchen. The chicken was a bit dry but the food looked appealing. I would eat there again, but it's not my "go to" restaurant. The ice cream next door is AMAZING. (Home made Italian gelato) read more

First and most likely the last time I'll come here. The food was meh and overpriced for a small portion of pasta, but the service was absolutely terrible! Took 45 minutes just to get a bowl of pesto and a bowl of carbonara( the pesto tasted storebought and the carbonara was so bland it was nearly inedible). Overall a very "meh" experience. read more

Good for lunch. Enjoyed my ravioli. My friends special / scollops ran out, and shrimp substitute was minimal. Not that busy. Comfortable place. Would return. read more

Authentic Italian cuisine! Food is so good and very fresh. Ravioli di Carne, Spaghetti Nona, Fresh Mozzarella with Prosciutto, stuffed Artichokes, Tiramisu; all wonderful and there is much more to this little Italian restaurant. Service is friendly and Italian.. The space is small and cramped but this is no surprise with a kitchen that offers the real deal. read more

You may find that this is my first Italian review on Yelp. That would be because I am not a big fan of Americanized Italian food. In today's corporate climate its more profitable to make big chains like olive garden and macaroni grill that serve disappointing food that they dare call authentic.... Vino & Cucina is the answer to my Italian food related ills. This absolute GEM was created by an Italian family, fresh off the boat if I may say so. This fact shows throughout. The menu, decor, every bit of your dining experience bears striking resemblance to a trattioria you would find in Italy, The Tuscan feel to the dining room is very inviting and warm. The warmth of the experience is deepened by the family that owns the restaurant. They will take you in as their own and make you feel like part of the family. (This is harder of course when the place is jammed, and naturally so.) I've been there so many times now, that every time I go, I have to hug the whole family before I can even take a seat! Oh yeah, the food. The first thing you need to know is that the portions are not large. They aren't going to try to hide a poorly designed menu behind massive quantities. So, if you are very hungry, you will need to invest in dessert and/or appetizers. I am a big fan of their bread and eat it up like mad. The calamari is solid. I must admit though, that as often as I have eaten there, I have not sampled much of the appetizer menu. The 2 entrees in particular I am in love with are the Scampi risotto and the Pollo Funghi (BTW, this is Italian not Spanish, pronounce the "L's" Poe-Low.) The sauce that completes the rice/shrimp dish is excellent. The Sauce that accompanies the chicken is also perfect. The Tiramisu is good, its very well balanced. The Creme brulee is very good. The canoli is also solid. Now let me reiterate where I started this review. I want to be plainly clear. Do NOT come here looking for spaghetti and meatballs. If that's what you want you are not going to find it on the menu and you probably aren't going to enjoy whatever you get on the menu as a substitute. (Even though you SHOULD, because it will be great!) Open your mind, go to Vino & Cucina, and your pallet will thank you! read more

i believe it gets a 3.5, until i try again...... The food is good. The gelato is great. The people are nice. I went to eat with a group of friends and we ordered a few things off the menu, two different types of pizza and a sandwich. I didnt care for the fact that they serve soda in a can instead of fountain drinks, I dont even drink soda but the fact that you charge for a can of soda like it is a fountain soda- then there is a problem. They have a place next door, thats connected to it, one side is a sit down and the other is like a little cafe shop- they serve the espresso, gelato, pizza by the slice, etc. Except for it to be a cafe I think the sandwiches are too pricey. Also they changed their hours, It opened at 7 am which was awesome because I could go before work but then the next day they changed the time to 1030 and they are closed on Mondays..... read more

Tried Vino Y Cucina tonight with my family. I loved it. Much better than the Greek place that was there before. We got there really early so no one was in there besides one couple that was just finishing their meal...but they told us that we would have to hurry and eat because they had a full list of reservations for the evening. We quickly sat down and ordered because we didn't want to go anywhere else. The bread was delicious and fresh. I ordered gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce... it was super rich but I LOVE gnocchi and the sauce was really good. My sister had spaghetti and I had a bite, it was also pretty good. My mom's ravioli was also amazing. They have great service and friendly staff. I want to go back so I can try some of their appetizers and desserts. The only downside to this place is that it is small and gets very packed! so go early or make reservations! read more

Im giving this place 3 stars not because of the food but because of the staff... When my boyfriend and I recently moved from Cypress to Bellflower we wanted a italian spot that we could go to all the time. We found this place by luck, we finally went to have dinner here and their food is delicious. The only problem with this place is the staff, dont know how it is now but three years ago it was horrible. everytime we wanted extra napkins or something we would tell our waitress and 10 minutes later we would have to remind her again. Same thing with the check we had to remind her about 4 times will she finally gave us our check. Im on the fence of trying this place out again because of that... Food was perfect but service sucked!!! read more

Looked this place up on Yelp and decided to try it out with 8 of my work buddies. Upon entering we were greeted with an interrogation if we placed a reservation. When we mentioned we did not, we were almost refused entry. Luckily the place was half empty and they sat us down by relocating some other patrons. There was no service with a smile, we seemed like more of a nuisance to them. The food was decent. There were some people in the group that through the food was excellent, and others that weren't as impressed. I ate the italian Sausage ciabatta sandwich and it was tasty. read more

Mmm, calamari fritti! It was delicious, and the mildly spicy sauce that it's served with, is a perfect complement. We ordered the spaghetti de nonna and Francesca, which I believe are their more popular dishes. I wasn't disappointed, and the dollop of ricotta cheese on top added just enough creaminess. We went on a Friday night, and, of course, it was busy. But one of the employees let us know we could go sit next door and there would be no wait with the same exact menu, plus we could order pizza....GREAT!! The service was a little on the slower side. I didn't see it as negligence. I believe it's just so you don't feel rushed, and I appreciated that when I'm enjoying my dinner date night. I will definitely be going back. read more

Still a fan! last night was my 3rd or 4th time here. and i'm haaapppyyy :D apparently this place has only been open for 2 years and i found out that this is a family run place - i don't have all the facts but i hear that the husband and wife opened it together - sadly, the husband passed away shortly after realizing his dream of opening Vino and Cucina. how heartbreaking :( you can certainly see that the woman owner cares for the restaurant - she's always running around making sure things are done. she seems happy to serve you and comes by to say hello. i'm thankful to my friend Anna Maria for introducing this place to me! anyway, the servers and owner seem very italian to me considering they suggested the dinner reservations be moved to sunday because celebrating a birthday (not mine) the day before your actual birthday is bad luck in italian tradition/culture. but i digress.... i always got the seafood stew but this time, i got a pasta dish. the fettucine rustiche. it was prettty good. thin, perfectly cooked egg fettucine - nice and light noodle than say a linguine pasta of course. the sauce was a tad bit thick for my taste (dried out pretty fast) but it's fettucine - most sauces are supposed to be thick with this pasta! i got over it. anyway, it was certainly creamy, filling, and the sausage wasn't bad (comes cut in round slices). i'm not sure that i'd get this dish again but it was yummy. i would suggest this dish if you like thick and creamy pasta dishes. the mushroom polenta and brushetta was pretty good! the polenta didn't have the off-balanced graininess that some polentas do. it wasn't overly creamy or "corny" either, hehe...brushetta had lots of tomatoes and a lovely sweet balsamic reduction. not too garlic-filled like some places make it. the bread was a bit hard to eat with though. tiramisu was very good - good size to share with another person. light and the perfect amount of "wetness." all in all another satisfying meal. read more

Gnocchi with tomato Basil cream sauce with added veggies! Delicious!! read more

I am writing this for all of the poor souls about to go to La Parolaccia for the first or 20th time. *This* is the Italian meal you are craving and a five-star Long Beach establishment. I have been to Vino & Cucina upwards of ten times and have tried at least that many items on the menu so I am telling you, get in there! Do you love a good Italian red? Get in the car right now and don't read the rest of this review. I recommend the Dolcetto d'Alba in particular. As for the food - the cappellini alla checca is the best pasta on the menu. That's how you know this is the jam. Their ingredients are so fresh and of such high quality you just say yes, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Get your protein with the tonno e cannellini apppetizer, or the calamari (just breaded enough) or lasagnetta if you want something hot. Can't speak for the meats, seafood's as far as I go, but this past Valentine's their seafood special - shrimp and monkfish - was a very intimate experience. Dessert, yes, if you have room, which I basically never do. Service is attentive and if you are lucky enough to have the most wonderful woman in the world (she has a ponytail and I don't know her name but she is sometimes the reason I get up in the morning), you will know. It's an LB establishment, so you don't need to dress up or even usually make reservations, and there's no real people-watching to speak of. Which is exactly why it's a great place to take someone who deserves to linger over delicious food and conversation. read more

First time here. Probably won't be back due to poor service. We walked in and waited to be seated. No one approached us so I looked for somebody. I was met by a surly woman who snapped, "Do you have a reservation?" I replied we did not and observed many available tables. She tried to seat us in a corner, we preferred another table and sat there. This place appears to have a regular crowd that they obviously cater too with excellent service. I guess they don't need any new customers. The food that we ordered was very good. Compliments to the chef. They also had very good bread, unfortunately after three requests for more bread were ignored, never came. The waitress for some unknown reason flat out refused to bring bread. It's too bad this woman was so nasty, good restaurant but we won't be coming back. read more

I love finding these little gems around town. This is a little family owned restaurant. It really feels as if you went to some italian ladies home to eat. The staff has to be the most authentic. Pretty much all family. The food was great. The service perhaps seemed a little slow. But then I realized they don't like to make you feel rushed. Enjoy your food, stick around drink some wine, conversate awhile. This place is so chill it's like life just paused for my dinner. Want good authentic italian food? Come here just dont be in any hurry. read more

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This is a great place to be if you're serious about authentic. Just the smell of the pasta reminded me of Italy when I visited years ago. If fusion is what you desire, I suggest you go to one ot those chains. We came on a Friday night and purposely showed up early to beat the crowd. A steady stream came shortly after. This is a very warm place. Practically everyone knows each other here. The locals were greeting each other with kisses as well as the servers. The service was VERY attentive. I didn't get a kiss or anything like that. LOL!But I was definitely compelled to give them a bigger tip. And I don't do that often! Now because it's authentic, you may initially think..."Hmmm, I don't recognize the stuff they have on the menu..." Then ask for suggestions! Or be like me, just order the "favorite," which is the Spaghetti della nona. It's great if you want the basic, simple, and delicious. We had the calamari for appetizers and I put the left over calamari in my dish. Hehehe! Needing some protein, is all. The portions here are not the enormous portions we are used to--which is great! You don't leave stuffed! But you definitely leave satifisfied! I can't wait to go back and try more authentic dishes. Everything is Italian: the food, the servers, and the TV shows! read more

I was anxious to try this place because they shortly after it opened since I knew one of the owners. My first experience was very good because the owner that I am aquainted with was also my server. The food is very delicious with a great wine selection. The ambiance is very charming and makes you feel as if you are in an Italian kitchen. Upon entering this restaurant last Saturday night at around 8:00 pm there were several empty tables. We stood around for about 5 mins with no acknowledgement from anyone in the restaurant so we assumed it was "seat yourself". We proceeded to sit at an table for two and a very unpleasant woman asked my husband if we had a reservation. We said no and were told to wait so we stood around for about 5 mins before we were directed to sit at the original table for two. Our server, a youngman, was quite personable and friendly. We both ordered a green salad and we were very disappointed with the few greens on our plate. They even split a very small cherry tomatoe and placed one half on my salad and the other on my husbands. My husband ordered the Spaghetti Francesa and received a very small portion. Fortunately, the Penne Aarrabiata dish contained a larger portion so I was able to share with him. During the meal we encountered a female waitress, older woman, that came by and practically "threw" water into our glasses. Even when we said thank you and tried to engage her she did not crack a smile or acknowledge us in any way. Three of the owners were in the restaurant at the time. We were there for about 2 hours and I did not notice any of them engaging the clientele. In such a small restaurant, it has been my experience that someone would come by and talk with you about your meal. They just stood in the cash register area with very mean looks on their faces. I have been to this restaurant on 3 occasions and each time I go I am hoping that the service has improved. I believe that it is getting worse and not better. Each time I have I visit the restaurant or even walked by on my way to New Miyako (where the owners acknowledge us by name each time we visit), I see neighbors and members of my parish. This seems to be the only friendly faces you encounter at this establishment. In closing, the food it really good.......but for the price that is charged (an average of $50 - $60 dollars with appetizer, main dish , wine and dessert it is difficult to overcome the feeling that you are doing them a favor by coming to spend your money. Also, if you would like more bread (which is really good) you are charged. I think that is ridiculus. My husband says he will never go there again. I am going to give it one more try........? I really hope that somehow they are reading these reviews and work toward improved customer service. read more

My fiancée and I enjoyed the food here and was happy that they opened up for indoor dining due to Covid. We went last night and she ordered a salad. She's ha the salad before and never had any issues. This time the ingredients taste old or not properly cleaned. She brought it to the waitress attention and she told us that the salad was perfectly fine to her. Pretty much called my fiancée a liar without using those words. They did take it off the bill but the rude response was the hardest thing to swallow. We use to enjoy this place but will no longer be dining here and wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. read more

Best Italian food I have had in a long time! Bread yes please, Wine why not? Appetizer...Sure!! Soup and Salads for everyone! O.k so it was hard for us to turn down anything we wanted to try it all. The Lentil soup was the special soup of the evening and it didn't last very long at the table, super tasty packed with flavor. The entree we liked the best was the Rigatoni al Profumo do Bosco the flavor was amazing. We finished the meal with espressos and the creme brulee and we didn't regret it (totally worth loosening that top jean button). The desert was topped with berries and was the perfect texture and flavor combo to finish our meal. Mmmmmmmm writing about it is making my mouth water! We thoroughly enjoyed our evening, weird location but food and service were top-notch. read more

When I think "Italian food" I think of my best friend Andrew. His family used to make dinner for 20 when there was in fact only 10 of people eating. The portions at vino & cuccino are some what small my chicken covered half the plate but it was thin really thin. The taste was pretty good I'll admit to that. My portions was not my most concerning issues with this establishment. When I have to get up out of my seat mid dinner due to the fact that my wife is nagging me about a refill for 5 minutes is probably my biggest issue, I tried to call either of the two ladies over and they were to busy talking to a customer about something odiously not that important. The customer service was bad! When they finally decided to talk to me is when I was asking for my check, I paid $37.50. When my wife and I go out for good Italian in santa monica or Orange County we usually pay $80.00 plus. I guess I got what I paid for... Due to all the details I've described I know they will remember who I am, and if I ever decided to return maybe I'll get better service! read more

I read the reviews and thought I would give this a chance. We have been on the hunt that serves good pasta-- particularly lasagna. Unfortunately lasagna is on their rotating special menu and is not part of their fixed menu. (sigh.... I can't imagine why it's not part of the fixed menu) We ordered a small pizza and a lunch entree to split and some garlic bread. They didn't mention that the lunch portions were really meant for one person. It was an ok dish, nothing special. It had a bit too much olive oil . Considering the price, I expected a bit more food than what I got. I had to buy the garlic bread. It was just disappointing and it took a bit of time at pickup too. PARKING IS AN ISSUE since it is near the main campus. We won't be going back. It was not a good experience. read more

I found this place on yelp and decided to give it a shot. I was a little worried that a small family owned Italian food restaurant was going to be either pricey or bad-tasting. Instead, what I found is a little hidden gem. The food here was excellent, reasonably priced, and the atmosphere was very cozy. We arrived exactly at closing, but the owner talked it over with the people there and let us in. I appreciated this "no man left behind" attitude and it showed that they either really cared about their customers or are really desperate for business. I was please to find out that it was the former. Every dish was amazingly fresh and delicious. Bottom Line: If you come here, prepare to be spoiled with great Italian food. Also, be ready to lower your view of main-stream Italian food restaurants even more. read more

This is a nice hole in the wall tucked away in North Long Beach. They do all the basic Tuscan and Southern classics well. One step up from a red sauce joint--this feels like it is Grandma's recipes. The mushroom polenta and the gnocchi with bleu cheese sauce are pitch perfect, a little heavy by Italian standards, but hearty and on-the-mark by American standards. read more

I stumbled upon the restaurant one afternoon and did lunch. I found it to be a really great place to dine. Great ambiance, pretty good service, and the BEST Italian I've had in years. Pretty decent sized plates for the price, the parking is on the street, but plenty of it. Only draw back, if you want to consider it one, is they have unusual business hours. So I recommend checking the hours for the day/night you want to dine. Also told reservations are highly recommended. But none the less; an awesome place if you're looking for some pretty authentic Italian. read more

Good place. I really like their house wine. $10 for a 1/2 liter that was enough for about 2-3 people. This place was four stars overall. Food was good, I ordered the cioppino... it came with some scallops, mussels, clams, shrimp and fish. One complaint I have about that entree was that they buttered the bread... I didn't expect that and I would've asked them not to had I known... I want the seafood flavor on my bread, not a buttery tomato/seafood flavor :(. But that is just a minor complaint. Overall the dish was pretty good. We had the portabello mushroom with polenta... this was a bit of a disappointment. For a $9 appetizer, it seems like they just thinly sliced half a portabello mushroom and put it over a mound of polenta... ehhhhh. For 5 people, the bill came out to be about $105 pre tip so it will not break the bank to dine here. I would come here again if I'm feeling Italian. Oh yeah, the service... it's OK. The first chick I would've mentioned that she's a great server, but this one tanned middle age woman... ughhh. She got us what we asked for (for the most part) but it was definitely without a smile. Maybe because it was the end of the day... but eh... just wanted to bring that up. The service definitely was not bad enough to change my rating of 4 stars. read more

Went here last night at about 6:30 pm on a Sunday night w/ my husband and were seated right away (even though we were asked if we had a reservation, and we didn't). My husband and I had seen people waiting outside of this place one time and decided to try it out after seeing the good Yelp reviews. It was our first time there, and overall the food and service were pretty good. The portions weren't huge, but seemed to be just the right size for you to finish it and have room for dessert. Appetizer - Carciofini di Bracciano (fried baby artichoke stuffed w/ marscapone and goat cheese drizzed w/ evoo and balsamic vinegar over arugula) - This was a light flavored appetizer. We were hoping for a stronger goat cheese flavor, but it was still pretty good. Eating a piece of the stuffed artichoke with the balsmic vinegar and argula in one bite was really good. I liked the "spiciness" the arugula gave to the artichokes. Fettuccine Contadine (fettuccine w/ sausage, mushrooms in rosemary white wine sauce) - My husband got this and liked it. I tasted it, and it tasted like it was more of a red wine sauce rather than a white wine sauce. He normally doesn't like rosemary, but he said it complimented the sausage really well. Rigatoni al Profumo di Bosco (large tube pasta w/ mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and tomato sauce drizzled w/ truffle oil) - I got this dish and asked to add chicken to it (for $3 more). I'm really glad I added the chicken, because it really added to the dish to make it better in my opinion. The sauce wasn't just a red sauce like I imaged it would be. The flavors of the mushrooms were terrific, and they mixed in with the tomato sauce to give a darker color and stronger flavor to the tomato sauce. I thought also that I tasted balsamic vinegar in the sauce. It was actually a strong balsamic vinegar taste, which might be a slight bit too much for you if you're not a huge fan of it. Overall, I liked this dish, though it did taste a tad too salty or vinegary. Dessert - Cannolis - We got an order of cannolis to share, and we received 4 small cannolis. My husband remarked that the crust tasted like a crispy chocolate chip cookie. The ricotta cheese filling was very sweet and smooth. Overall, we liked these, though I thought they were a tad too sweet and could've been better with a bit more of a thicker ricotta cheese taste. But that's my opinion. We've both had cannolis in Boston at the North End (their little Italy) at some of the supposedly best cannoli places in the US, and these were good, but not as good as those in Boston (though close). Our check I think came out to about $50 for the appetizer, 2 entrees, and dessert. It is a bit pricey, but the food seemed very authentic, simple, yet flavorful. We would definitely go back here again. I'm interested in trying out their cioppino and other seafood dishes, so we'll be back. read more

I tried Vino & Cucina today with my boyfriend and we enjoyed our first time. Although we didn't get a glass of wine, it looked as if everyone else was enjoying theirs. I will have to take a look at their wine menu. We enjoyed both of our dishes and though we couldn't say what those were, I can describe that the pasta was el dente. The sauce was light and flavorful. The chicken was cooked in a lime butter juice. The bread they serve with the oil and vinegar was tasty. The dessert was alright. I did not care for the creme brule I think it needed more sugar on top. The canola was good though tiny but you get four of them. The service was excellent and they were busy. We will come back and try more dishes. Lots of stuff on the menu from vegan to vegetarian to pescatarian all are welcomed here! Great parking structure! Hope you guys enjoy. read more

Vino & Cucina is my new favorite Italian restaurant. It has great authentic food, wonderful service and a homey welcoming vibe. The prices weren't too high and the portions weren't too big. I left satisfied but not overwhelmed with too much food. I would recommend any one in the area to try this hidden gem! You won't be disappointed. read more

Great restaurant, lovely atmopshere, and WONDERFUL food. You can hear the cooks singing in the back while making the food, come on this is like coming home! The service is very friendly despite what "others" may have said. If you make problems, then you are going to get problems. They are more than friendly and nice. I'm a vegetarian and they did a lovely spicy Capellini, I can't wait to go back. I can't believe this place is tucked off Carson and Lakewood blvd. what a treat, and close to my house! Thank you so much for your efforts, and dealing with "the public" :) :) hats off and buon appetito! read more

Thanks a lot! I now dream about this place and it's not near my house at all. We live 30 + minutes away and I wish I could move to LB area now. It was so authentic and perfect. We are picky and hard to impress as we cook at home and have managed and owned restaurants. I love this experience at vino and Cucina read more

Made reservations on a Sunday at 5. By 6 they were almost filled up. Good friendly service. Had the carbonara and salad. Started with fried mozzarella. All was delicious. My wife and I shared and it was enough for both. Will be going back. Carbonara was made the real Italian way, with egg! Yum! read more

Best italian food I've had back in California. After living in Italy, I've been on the lookout for quality italian food back here in So Cal. Vino & Cucina did NOT disappoint. Excellent wine (Sicilian Nero d'Avola is my Favorite!), excellent pasta, and excellent meats, excellent sides, and excellent desserts! read more

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This is a great place for lovers of authentic Italian pasta. Nothing seemed pretentious, and the restaurant gets a good amount of business considering it is in an odd location, and it is quite small. Though it is a litlte crowded, the service staff were all attentive, and you could tell the owner really put her heart into this restaurant. Aside from the salad I started with, I really enjoyed the pasta especially for the price. 1 - Panzanella: The salad was probably my only disappointment here. Maybe I've just got my facts wrong, but I thought panzanella had to be mostly bread. The salad was actually large slices of tomato, olives, ricotta salata, and barely any of these tiny little croutons. Wasn't a fan. 2 - Spaghetti della Nonna: I really love simple spaghetti with marinara, and this was delicious. The addition of fresh ricotta and pancetta to the sauce made it hearty without feeling too heavy like a cream-sauced pasta. I ordered this dish with grilled shrimp. 3 - Tortellini alla Boscaiola: Another great dish! The sauce was very flavorful and rich without being overpowering. The peas and mushrooms worked well with the tortellini. What I liked most was the diced prosciutto. It was cooked perfectly so that it avoided that gamy flavor. 4 - Creme Brulee: I finished my meal with some creme brulee with berries. Creme brulee is done so often that it is hard to really find one that is outstanding, so I don't blame V&C. It was still decent. I really felt that the emphasis of this restaurant was the pasta, and they did a beautiful job of presenting a menu of so many delicious pasta selections. They really know what they're talking about! it is definitely a tiny gem that I will be heading to whenever I am feeling like some "home-cooked" Italian. read more

Delicious and authentic Italian food. Their dishes are full of flavor and tastes like you've been transported to Italy for the evening. Service: It was a Saturday night, we called it 15 minutes prior for a party of 6 and was seated promptly when we arrived. Food: Bruschetta - yummy. Pasta was al dente and flavorful. I got the Spaghetti Francesca - good. But, the Ravoli di Carne was even better! My friends got Spaghetti della Nonna (since it was highly recommended on Yelp) and it was excellent. Gelato was a great way to end our meal (you get to choose 3 flavors) hands down Pistachio was my favorite! Seems like you you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Great place for fine Italian dining. I'm definitely a fan. read more

My fiancée and I recently had our engagement dinner (with 20+ guests) at Vino & Cucina and could not possibly have been happier with the experience. This was not our first visit to the restaurant, but it was our best. The planning experience: - Roberta was a pleasure to work with and was happy to talk over e-mail and make time to meet and work out details in person. She made it easy to discuss and figure out solutions for all of our needs from start to finish. Menu planning was quick and easy and provided the exact sorts of dishes we were hoping for. We also greatly appreciated her suggestions and flexibility for how to handle wine service for the evening. The restaurant and dinner service: - The restaurant is just beautiful and provides a great atmosphere for anything from a casual lunch to a more intimate and romantic dinner. Roberta and the staff did a great job setting up the side room for our party, providing a layout that never felt cramped and made it easy for guests to see and speak to one another. We also never had to worry about waiters bumping into guests while serving food and refilling drinks. - Service was attentive and wonderfully timed. Glasses were always filled and no part of the meal felt rushed thanks to perfect spacing between appetizers, dinner and dessert. The food: - The food was AMAZING from start to finish. That bread... my mouth waters just thinking about it. We started with a perfect sized salad/bruschetta combo that was delicious. I generally dislike tomatoes outside of sauces, but their bruschetta is wonderful. - We had three pastas: bolognese, penne arrabbiata and gnocchi della riviera. Everyone LOVED all three dishes! The pasta had wonderful flavor and texture and the sauces were incredibly fresh and flavorful. The pastas were served family style with plenty to go around. - Dessert was a delicious homemade tiramisu that perfectly capped off the evening. As I said at the start, we could not have asked for a better meal and way to celebrate our engagement. Every aspect of the dinner was handled perfectly by Roberta and the restaurant, and the result was a meal and night we will never forget. Our thanks to all the staff for making the night so special and memorable! We can't wait to come back! read more

My colleague had told me this place was great but that was not my experience. I had the risotto which came with all of 3 shrimp and that cost me $17+. The food was decent but not a fair price. I still can't get over the 3 shrimp. I felt like they thought I was stupid to think that was acceptable. They didn't check up on us and I wanted more water. They also took my signed receipt while we were still sitting there talking. Poor etiquette. read more

This place is a must try! Everything we got were so good! We got bolognese, lasagne and tiramisu! We'll go back to try more of there food.

Wow! I wish this place was in San Diego instead of Long Beach! I had the Spinach Ravioli because someone mentioned it in a review. I expected the normal, good-but-not-exceptional taste I'm used to from ravioli. This delicious dish, however, was like a defibrillator to my near-flatlined taste buds. I was pretty much blown out of the water. If every meatless dish tasted that good, I might consider vegetarianism. Not only is the food great, the restaurant is clean, welcoming, and very cute. Italian pop was playing in the background, and the decoration made me forget I was right next to the Long Beach Airport. Oh! and I can't remember any dishes over $20 - very affordable! I kept thinking how amazed I was that the place wasn't completely full. I hate eating alone on business trips, but it seemed like there were quite a few other lone guys in there, so I didn't feel so dumb about being alone. However, I can't wait to take my wife here, and enjoy it together! read more

I've always wanted to go to Italy ... this is as close as I'll get for now and it's amazing! The staff is lovely . They are a true Italian family. If you take a minute to watch how they interact with their regulars you will see how much they care about people . Order the spaghetti Nonna and you'll taste how much they care about the food. Simply my favorite restaurant! read more

Vino e Cucina - Spaghetti Nonna - Italian Near Me - Long Beach, California