La Cava Reviews

Nice but small northern Italian restaurant in Sherman Oaks on Ventura Blvd. Hard to find street parking so use the valet in the back . The food was light and very flavorful, the staff quick and efficient and the owner very friendly. Highly recommended.

I read the previous reviews prior to my visit to La Cava. The one negative review had very little context and was so vastly different from the other reviews that I decided to ignore it. I'm so glad I did. La Cava serves, great, rustic, Italian food. If your idea of Italian food is Chef Boyardee with lots of cheese, then this isn't your restaurant. However, if you like fresh, delicious Italian food, give it a try. The place is small, so make a reservation! I started with the Pasta a Fagioli soup. It was perfect! Next came the Tagliatelle al Pesto. Those homemade noodles were beautiful. And the pesto was heavenly. My friend smelled it and was amazed at the aroma. Some places overload their pesto with too much cheese or pine nuts. Not here. The balance was spot on. I couldn't have asked for a better meal and will definitely be back. (Someone a couple of tables away ordered a pizza and it looked and smelled amazing!)

We took friends to this restaurant while we were visiting in the LA area. We were overwhelmed by the service. We have eaten all over the world and this service was totally top notch. Not too much attention but the right amount of attention. Food was delivered on time, served correctly and dishes picked up quickly. The food was fine, but not extraordinary, and the prices were a little on the upper end, but again we don't know LA prices as we live in Palm Springs. We enjoyed the atmosphere, the rather subdued noise level, although the restaurant was crowded.

This placeciscin Sherman Oakscin the San Fernando valley. Somehow tripadvisor has classified it as being near LAX and this is wrong. We were a party of eight and I think everyone enjoyed their food. I had the special pasta with a lamb ragu sauce and it was excellent. The waiter recommended a light Italian white wine and this also was a nice choice. I was disappointed with the fried calamari. I think it was a bit chewy which typically means it was overlooked. Others really liked their salmon main course. There aren't a plethora of good eateries in the valley. I think this one justifies a second trip.

Very lovely evening. Great service in a small welcoming restaurant. Excellent Italian menu. Pasta was great and all enjoyed the food. Good wine list with nice Chianti. Tiramisu was tasty and lovely ending to a fun evening.

The Skinny- Parking - valet in the back, street if you can find it Decor - brick and wood Restroom - clean single Service - friendly Coke Factor - can with a glass Food- average The ambiance is nice here at La Cava and we all loved our waiter's accent! He was super friendly and kept checking on us and making sure we had water and refills etc. Since there were 6 of us we had a table in the back though there are quaint little tables outside out front which I am sure are nice to sit at in the summer. We ordered: Sausage Pizza- HUGE portion, enough for 3 people I would say, super thin, ok crust, nice cheese to sauce ration, floppy in hand though Ravioli - handmade pasta always is nice and this simple dish was tasty Risotto- very bland, scarce on the mushrooms Calamari - best dish, full of flavor, hot and crunchy! They do bring bread to the table so try not to fill up on that! Would try again to see if any of the dishes ignite a spark.....

Happen to stumble in on Christmas eve looking for an open restaurant. Owner and staff was delightful, great service. Food was exceptional, we enjoyed the ravioli, pasta with italian sausage, and grilled scallops. Tiramisu and the chocolate tart were some of the best we have had. My only complaint would be the bread, I expect a nice italian bread when eating Italian food, the pita like bread wasn't great. I definitely recommend this charming place.

Wonderful food, service, and quiet cozy ambiance. This is a great spot for a date, but we dropped in on a whim while vacationing in LA with our family of four. My wife and I were very pleased with our entire experience. Our waiter was cheerful and attentive to our whole party. All our meals (two northern Italian fish entrees and two specialty pizzas) were very nicely executed and delicious. Our only regret is that this isn't one of our own local restaurants. We'll be back when we visit again.

Being a local restaurant, I get here as often as possible...excellent food, excellent service and can't go wrong with Armano running the room!!

Very good specials, especially burrata salad. All pasta was al dente and tasty. One of the authentic Italian restaurants in the valley, at least from an east coast perspective.

100% amazing! Absolutely terrific meal! Great ambience -- a classic, small Italian restaurant. White table cloths, attentive service, traditional dishes and amazing specials. We started with a special salad -- artichoke and toasted walnuts -- which was fresh and full of flavor. I had the red snapper special -- with olives, roasted tomatoes -- perfectly grilled. My friend had the orecchiette with homemade fennel sausage. Also excellent. Very professional service with a sense of humor and great guidance through the menu. We're putting this on our regular rotation!

I really disliked this Italian restaurant - the food has absolutely nothing to do with good Italian food and the wine list is very limited for an Italian restaurant. The ambience is not nice either. I would never recommend this restaurant to anybody, especially to people looking for good Italian food.

this is a small place, first time went there, the food is super good, they offer a excellent menu, a nice selection of daily specials.. service is great. pricey but good.

The bread is very poor for my taste.....not a good way to start the evening. Six of us had multiple items. I and another person shared a Caesar Salad that was good....not great. Another person had Insalata di Barbabietole which looked very nice. For our main courses I had the Tagliatelle Bolognese at $24....pricy for what it is. My wife and another lady shared the Ravioli in Salsa Rosa at $21....which they seemed to enjoy. One individual had lamb chops which she enjoyed ($39). Another party had short ribs that were very good. Wines are quite expensive. Ambiance is pleasant without the high noise factor. Service was excellent.. All in all I think for the price. this is not a restaurant that I would frequent often. .

As far as quality, authentic Italian food goes in the valley this place is as good as it gets. Everything is made fresh, never over salted, and always delicious! I love the cozy atmosphere and the fact that you can come in for a casual mid-week bite or make it more of a date night and go all out with wine and dessert. My favorite items are the artichoke salad which is simple but divine and the minestrone is always fabulous. Every pasta I've had has been great. One note is that it's not the heavy "American" Italian many people are used to so don't go expecting things to be overly cheesy and served in massive portions. This is top-notch Italian food and worth every penny.

This is my 50th review and I will bore you why I do this - I had a friend with a great high end restaurant that was crushed by mean spirited reviews from disgruntled diners, who though this prices were high and service to slow. This was caused by each dish being prepared to order. He asked me to write a review as a regular and here I am 50 reviews later. I try to be objective for what the location and setting are designed to be - and fair to reward good service and food.Today, his restaurant is always full and received amazing rave reviews- Ferraro's in Las Vegas don't miss it. So I try to help travelers and here we go with #50 and about 50,000 travelers have read my reviews. . La Cava was recommended by a friend and his family; so we gave it try on a Saturday night- Armando the owner greeted us with snappy wit and gave us the best table for 6 in the restaurant. Back in the corner a rectangle was comfortable and easy for 6 to share. The bread is warm and the dipping oil goes well with the rosemary slices. The calamari starter was ok not crispy enough but the Tuscan style meatballs with peas were great to share. The mozzarella w tomatoes were generous and the tomatoes lush - nice. Everyone enjoyed the main dish which is truly Tuscan style, beans, peas, risotto, angel hair with pesto and grill. Choices are great and well prepared. The vote was risotto with sausage was the big hit along with the scallops and beans. Service by Sean was sharp and very on top of everything. Desserts were terrific made with real cream. Wine list is well thought out and reasonable - no liquor license - wine and beer only. A $20 corkage fee for BYOB - I thought a little high for the family style atmosphere. Cost per person was $40 to $50.00 per person for a full meal, pasta main dishes are very reasonable.Seating on the patio was full so RSVP if you want to eat outside. Parking on the street is no problem so go go go...

The food here is so fresh and delicious. I especially enjoyed the Burrata e Peperonata special, so creamy and fresh, and the Pappardelle al Ragu’ di Vitella (veal ragu) is amazing. Their risotto is spot on. I've eaten about half way through the menu and haven't hit a bad dish yet.

I had lunch with my husband at La Cava in Sherman Oaks. The food was absolutely delicious, beautifully prepared, with excellent service. I recommend the burrata with sweet peppers as an appetizer. My husband loved the fish special. My sliced steak over arugula with shaved Parmesan slices was perfect. The meat was so tender and the dish very light and tasty. Being from New York and traveling often to Italy, La Cava rates among the best Italian restaurants I have visited.

So. We booked in here on Open Table, where my wife is a VIP. We are "A" rated. On arrival, the owner or maitre d' pulls my wife aside and lectures her. "You know , we called you to confirm the reservation and you didn't call us back. You are on time and we are going to honor this reservation, but we doing it as a courtesy. You had better be sure to call us back next time." We shrugged this off as we were held up a few minutes to meet our friends. We proceeded to spend lavishly (and the food is expensive) and buy two $95 bottles of wine and we do commend our server and had a nearly $400 check for four people. On leaving, the maitre d' pulls my wife aside again, presumably to apologize but actually to upbraid her again. "Remember this next time," he repeated. I held myself back from complaining in person at the behest of my wife and our guests. There won't BE a next time.

Okay, the food is good, maybe very good. It’s pricey, not ridiculous, but on the high side: $30 for most pasta dishes + $12 for a side of spinach and if I had a salad add another $20 + a glass of wine add $16. But then the service was dismal. We had a table of eight friends and we were pretty much ignored the entire evening. We waited an hour for food after we placed our order. We repeatedly had to ask for water refills during the evening. Some of us ordered a glass of wine - but we were never asked if we wanted a second glass by the time our meal was served. No one ever mentioned to us that the kitchen behind, asked for our patience or even apologized that service was taking so long - until one of us finally inquired of someone, the owner it turned out. Maybe he was having a bad night, maybe he was caught short handed - I don’t know the reason but his attitude was just defensive and not apologetic at all. He just said they were very busy - right, Saturday evening at 6:30 it should be busy, that’s the point of running a restaurant. One of our friends finally left in exasperation before the food was served and told them to cancel her order. Bottom line: the owner made his problem our problem. Not a good way to run a business. We had a good dinner and they comped us desserts when we asked due to the long delay. But they should have offered with out us having to ask. I know eight people that will never return - there are other restaurants on Ventura Boulevard.

I've hesitated posting a review, selfishly trying to keep this gem to ourselves. But ...La Cava just celebrated its 6 year anniversary and I figured it's time to share. Having been to Italy multiple times, I can assure you that La Cava is the real deal. Armando, the owner/host is as charming as can be (and quite handsome, my wife assures me!). He also has quite a resume as an actor! The waiters are all top of the line professionals too. But, the star at La Cava ... the food. The menu is full of all your favorites--done better than anywhere else in town and as good as you'll find in any top trattoria in Italy. But the specials showcase La Cava's best. If you haven't tried La Cava... wait no longer. It's the fantastico!

Good food, but the service not so much. Had to ask 4x to get some lemons for our water. Our caprese salad and bruschetta took an incredibly long time to come out. For the main course, my husband had the sea bass with lemon and capers. He loved it. I had pasta in a basil pesto sauce and it was good.

We happened by last night, after parking for the theater and stayed for dinner. My wife enjoyed her minestrone. I LOVED my pasta fagioli - best ever - and enjoyed my spaghetti and branzino. Outdoor table and good service completed the experience. Go for great Italian food.

Called ahead for a table at 8:45 last night, arrived and we were sat right away. Ordered water while we looked a tthe menu. We had already looked at the menu online and had an idea of what we wnted to order. Waitor came back about 5 minutes later and took our order, Tagliatelle alla Bolognese and Gnocchi a Piacere and two glasses of chianti. The wine was served and we waited for our food, and waited and waited and waited. The wait staff kept walk by checking on the table next to us and behind us but we still waited for our food. I noticed a large party inside at the back being service and thought for,sure we were next. Every table around us were served except us. Then a couple was seated inside, ordered and received their food before us. That was it, the waitor was flagged down and he scrambled to see what happened. He came back and said he was sorry but the kitchen was busy with the large table and would get our food out. Now 40 minutes have passed and we are not happy. The manager on duty came by and said the same sorry excuse. When the waitor came back to the table to make an excuse again that he had no contol as he did not make the food. I spoke up and said the couple inside were seated 10-15 after us and received their food way before us.....so it was not a problem with the large table, they misplaced our order. Come clean and fess up to the mistake and I would have more respect for you. Our order finally arrived....the food was very good except the gnocchi was luke warm. We at least expected to have the wine taken off our bill but we were wrong....the waitor did bring some weird looking fried desert "on the house" which we did not touch. We will never be back

I can't quite put my finger on why this is such a favorite spot with us: we want to go for special occasions, for nights when we feel we need a break, when we are about to go out of town, when we first arrive back. We love the food, of course, it is consistently delicious and to our taste. The fish is always fresh and excellently prepared, the vegetables perfectly prepared, the pasta delicious, salads simple but fresh. I love the spinach ravioli, my husband loves the Branzino. Wines by the glass are always good. And please, try the pear tarte! I have never had a disappointing experience here. It just makes up happy!

We were hungry for a good neighborhood Italian meal and were lucky enough to spot La Cava in Sherman Oaks, California. The moment we were led to out table, it was obvious that whatever we ordered would be more than tasty, as we peeked at what the couple at the next table were eating. It looked fresh and mouth-watering. When offered the wine list, there was more than a good range of wine to choose. We chose a pleasant middle range bottle and it was well preserved and served. The other liquid, water, was constantly replenished throughout the meal. As a big water drinker, this is attention I have come to appreciate. Our appetizers made each of us realize that what we had seen on our neighbor's table was neither an illusion or coincidence. While what we ordered was something different, it was well prepared and tasty and we looked forward to the entree. Let me say right away that the entree, like the appetizer certainly gave us reason to return. The food was fresh, the flavors sophisticated and and tasty. All of the above is reason to recommend this neighborhood place to any and everyone. However there is one other fact that is another reason to write this review. When the entree was served to my partner, she realized that there was an error in what she was served. She stated this simply and without a fuss. Immediately the waitress apologized ( no one had said it was her fault) and said she would remedy the problem. When in very short order the proper order was presented, again, without acting obsequious, the waitress again apologized. Who can say for sure if she had made the error. I am writing this to stress how customer friendly La Cava is. I can not wait to return many times and try most of the menu and wine list.

We are in every Italian restaurant in the valley and la cava is the best. On top of the food being great the service is excellent and the owner Armando takes a personal interest in every table. If you want Italian food in the valley this is the place

The ravioli -- spinach stuffed -- and sauce was the best I have ever had. The Margherita pizza was among the best three or so I have had. We drove 20 miles in LA traffic to get there, but I will be back time and again.

I have eaten here at least on 6 occasions and loved every meal. Having just returned from Italy, the restaurant makes me feel like I am there again for the 2 hours. The food is fantastic and fresh. The service is excellent and always friendly. The ambiance is cozy and very clean. I have many friends that go there all the time. I will be back many more times and I hope to see you there.

I made reservations for Valentines through Open Table base on location and menu. Restaurant was small and even though had reservations about a week before we were sitted in their sidewalk area which was covered (with a filthy plastic curtains) and this was suppose to be aromatic dinner? Prices were moderate but was dissapointing with the portions of plates but most importantly it was not the best or close to being the best Italian food that I have had. Restaurant also made a couple of phone calls to make sure that I would keep my reservation, that had never happen to me before.

I was on foot in the neighborhood a couple of months ago and spotted this pleasant-looking little Italian restaurant, and made a mental note to return. Recently, going out to dinner on a whim, we were not sure where to eat locally until I remembered having seen LaCava. I knew which side of the street and generally what part of Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks to look, and shortly we found it. We had no reservation, but there was a table for two available, a little too close to another table for two for my taste, but with no reservation, we were hardly in a position to complain. Everything was cooked just right and delicious. I ordered shrimp and canneloni beans. The runner brought a different, similar dish. I informed the server, who promptly replaced the dish with the correct item. Several moments later, the server came to the table and said that she wanted to assure me that SHE had made the mistake and submitted the wrong order, that the chef had not made the mistake. When was the last time that happened to anyone, that the wait staff wanted to be sure you understood that the error was hers? I was not upset, and needed no apology, but was certainly impressed by her behavior. The swordfish with a checca-style sauce was really, really, good. One oddly disquieting note was that, in the middle of dinner, the host/owner came to the table to MOVE the table several inches. Why? So that we wouldn't be too close to the next table. He made no effort to move the table when the table next to us was occuppied by another couple, and now that the table was empty (and at nearly 9:00 PM in this neighborhood, unlikely to be occuppied again that evening), he decided to move it. For the next half hour, the servers and runners bumped my chair almost every time they passed by. It made no sense and was disruptive, but is not a deal-breaker as far as I am concerned. I will definitely go back to LaCava (and certainly hope the owner doesn't turn out to have too many idiosyncratic needs, like rearranging the furniture in the middle of dinner). Nice, modestly prived wine list. We had a young, Justin cabernet. Terrific addition to the area.

This is a cozy place with good atmosphere but it seemed not as friendly as it could be. Service was efficient but almost too stuffy. Food for 4 of us was fine served a little quick for my liking. Overall the experience was good but I came away thinking it could have been better.

This is a small restaurant and seats are in high demand so reservations are recommended. Valet parking in the rear ($3.50). Nice menu selections (pasta, fish, poultry, beef and vegetarian). Great soups and salads and they always have a nice selection of daily specials (I had lobster/pasta special with a lovely light fresh tomato sauce; another member of our group enjoyed a great spinach gnocchi item with truffles). Nice selection of Italian and California wines. Patio and indoor dining. Great for a special occasion or romantic evening. Pricey but really good.

My sister-in-law took us and some friends here for lunch. The food we ate was real Italian food not a U.S. style tomato sauce Italian restaurant. The different salads were all, very good. Than we had the most fabulous Sea Urchin with pasta. The wine list is very good and if you enjoy real Italian food I recommend this restaurant. After our meal the owner came to the table, introduced himself, and asked about our lunch. Yes he is Italian, my sister-in-law spoke Italian with him. If you are in the area La Cava is a must.

Prices are quite high for the uniqueness, presentations and a little in the taste. but nothing to fancy about for a regular restaurant goer looking for great taste and satisfaction. The deserts though were gteat. Coffee was ordinary. Good some of us have already eaten otherwise our bill could have been enormous. Our main server was not nice and so serious looking. He is sometimes difficult to find but when only a few guest in The restaurant were left he was able to make-up form the service. The server for the deserts was totally the opposite. He is so friendly, accommodating and pleasing.

What a disappointment! Our meals were barely one step above cafeteria food, and the ambience has zero charm unless you like to hear cheap wood chairs scraping on old floors. Our first inclination was to walk out, and I wish we had. Have they never heard of flowers, candles, or some nice wall art in place of a specials blackboard that the owner's kids have scribbled on? We've eaten Italian food all over the US and Italy, and can confidently say that La Cava is asleep at the wheel. $28 for a small plate of fettucine with barely a tablespoon of crumbled ground chicken--and that was a "special" for the evening. A double order of beet salad with a scant few slices of ... beets. Clam sauce with rubbery clams. One review said "a taste of Tuscany on Ventura Blvd" but as my friend said, "Is anyone tasting Tuscany here? I'm sure not." It seems like the kind of restaurant that survives on its regulars, people who care more about being fussed over than fed well. We chose this based on the reviews for my husband's birthday, and the best I can say is that they wrote "happy birthday" in raspberry icing on the edge of his dessert saucer. The waiter was friendly but the rest was a big downer. Oh, and they stuck us in an alcove where noise levels were awful and our heads hit the vaunted blackboard. We went with friends who live in Sherman Oaks. They say they'll never return, and we sure won't either.

$200 dinner for Two! my chicken parmigiana when ordered I requested extra sauce when I received the dinner it was still dry the brought me a tiny cup of sauce when the bill came I was so offended when there was a charge of $3.50 why do they think how a good repeat customer will react as aresult of their policy.

Service and food are excellent. We almost felt like we were back in Italy. Not busy on a Monday night.

My son, boyfriend and I had dinner at La Cava last night. I had driven past the restaurant repeatedly but hadn't gone in so we decided to try it. The service was great--friendly and attentive but not overbearing. The food was good although I thought that it was expensive for what it was. My boyfriend had a glass of wine which was huge==probably twice the size of the one he had at Roy's the night before--and he said good. He had the Superior fish which he liked and finished. I had the trout with tomatoes and spinach. The trout was butterflied and was crisp although one part had a lot of bones which was a surprise since the rest was boneless. The tomatoes were really flavorful which was nice given that it's the beginning of the season. I also enjoyed the spinach. My son had a steak which he seemed to enjoy but it didn't look as good as the ones I make on my home grill. My son had the ricotta cheesecake which was light and delicious. My boyfriend had the fresh peach tart which I thought was less exciting. (Make sure you feed the meter well if you park on the street because they ticket constantly on this part of Ventura Blvd.)

Great food, nice people, cozy and warm atmosphere. La Cava should be on everyone's neighborhood list

We went here for dinner and were impressed with the feel and the warm atmosphere of the place. Seated at 6:30 PM and the place really picked up about 20 min later. We ordered a grilled veggie salad that we shared and the white fish and pasta special, all at the same time. From here things got strange! While the salad and wine came in a timely manner, our main courses did not. While we were in no rush and really enjoyed sitting on the patio and drinking wine, after a while it was very awkward. Tables seated after us were being served, and one even had finished and left before we got our food. There were no big parties, and we got there early so it was very strange. When our food did finally come out they served it to the wrong table who rejected it and had it sent back. 2 min later they served it to us. The food was served hot, very delicious and nicely presented. But then our table became "invisible" again as we could not get a cup of coffee, or anything for that matter, for at least 20 min after finishing our meal. We finally got out waiter's attention, had coffee and dessert, paid the bill and left. Long and short, I am giving it 4 stars because the food was so good (reason you go out to eat) and the feel and atmosphere was very small/neighborhood, like your a local. The service however was 2 stars. Thought in fairness pretty much everyone else around us had great service.

A group of 3 of us completely enjoyed our meals here. They also have a great wine list. Try the lobster pasta or branzino! Service was excellent.

Great food, the pasta and pizzas are exceptional, the out door seating is really nice howeever we sat inside do to the heat.

We went with friends who had been there before and loved the food. We had reservations on a Friday night and were seated promptly . Then the waiter seemed to disappear . We all ordered a Caesar salad to start and even though we hate to complain the Caesar was tasteless. Our friends flagged down our waiter and they replaced the Caesar salad....equally as tasteless. The best thing about the Caesar was the large strips of Parmesan on top. It tasted like there was no dressing. We each ordered something different and all dishes were underwhelming not to mention small portions. Our friends were disappointed that they had brought us there as they know we love great Italian.