My first visit to Cafe Aura has left me with mixed feelings. I went in a Friday night and sat at the bar for a few drinks and appetizers. The inside is beautiful and very inviting. They've done a great job there. All of the bartenders were friendly and attentive which was also nice. As others have said, it's the food where they fall a little flat especially for the prices they are charging. My friend and I ordered a few plates. The first was the tuna tartare which was excellent. My only complaint was that there were not enough taro root chips on the plate. Not a huge deal but a few more would have been nice and seem like an easy enough fix. We also ordered the burrata which came with two small pieces, tomatoes, and prosciutto. It was pretty good, but honestly, I've had better burrata from a food truck for half the price and double the portion. Lastly I ordered a side of fries. Tasty enough but they were not hot or crispy at all. These are small complaints, but like I said for the amount we spent and the type of place they are trying to be I expect a little more. Hopefully they will still continue to work out some of these issues to really set themselves apart. read more

The staff was not engaged and unhelpful, the food was mediocre at best and over priced. I would not recommend this restaurant.

I am hoping to help this restaurant by giving some honest feedback. Tonight was our first time here and we left not feeling like it was a great way to spend our money. We first ordered the butternut squash soup which was decent, but nothing special. The next course was the fennel and arugula salad which was absolutely tasteless. The only thing they dressed this salad with was olive oil. It needed acid, salt, something! Needless to say I did not end up eating that. We had the rigatoni and pork chop for our entrees. The rigatoni also had absolutely no flavor! I had to ask for salt, pepper and red pepper flakes just to make it edible. It was mentioned that the chef doesn't like to over salt the dishes because he wants the guests to choose their level of seasoning. However; they does not provide salt or pepper on the tables.. how does this make any sense? The pork chop came with a sauce which was salted and the chop was cooked very well. Overall, we left disappointed and not wanting to go back. It should be the chefs responsibility to serve properly seasoned food, not ours. read more

Had dinner last night there with 3 other people. I'll start of by saying that the redecoration was fantastic, it looks beautiful inside. The staff were all superb, extremely friendly and courteous, and we had amazing attention paid to us by our waitress. The espresso martinis were very very good, and there are certainly nice attention to detail things they do here that make you really appreciate the effort, like the small biscotti that comes with coffee when you order it. The food though, left a lot to be desired. While none of our entrees were horrible by any means, that cannot be said for our appetizer. We got the calamari to split between the four of us. The dipping sauce was unbelievably salty if you tasted it by itself. The squid was well over cooked as it was extremely rubbery and chewy, and the batter they were in just lacked flavor all together. None of us liked it, and we all love calamari. That should of been evident when we told the waitress we were done with it and there was still half of it on the plate. As for the entrees, I got the lamb and they were extremely delicious. The chops were cooked perfectly and had great flavor. I got the brussel sprouts, and they were just ok. Perfectly cooked, but obviously lacking something as well as seasoning. Bacon? Maybe a light sauce. But def needing some salt and pepper. They were just...ok is all. The lamb was the best thing on the table. Two orders for the table were fish(branzino I think?)no complaints with the fish honestly, both people liked it very much so and they were cooked good. An excessive amount of leeks were on one of the dishes however. The last dish was the veal Marsala. Good sauce, delicious potatoes, and great spinach. The veal though-overcooked likely as it was tough. Too much chew to it and more reminiscent to the texture and toughness of a skirt steak. Overall, a good dinner. Sure. But not a dinner worth the 270 bill that came with it. Not by a long shot. We were really excited about this place opening up, but sadly, we all left for the night with one thought on all of our minds, "we miss Caveys". read more

Wonderful dining experience. I ate the cavatelli ragout and my husband had the lamp pops and shrimp combo. Everything was absolutely delicious, including my whiskey sour which was not too sweet. Coming back in October to celebrate my birthday. Server was excellent also. Cafe Aura is our nee favorite special occasion restaurant. read more

I hosted a work dinner at Cafe Aura the other day and it was a truly fantastic experience! The food was amazing and the staff went above and beyond to accommodate us! I can't say enough wonderful things about our server Derek. He was helpful and funny and rolled with every curveball our party of six threw at him. The food was excellent. Our party ordered cocktails, wine, salads (all amazing but shout out to the grilled Caesar!), entrées (all delicious but I had the salmon with ratatouille which was excellent), and desserts. We had a taste test and all agreed that the key lime pie was better than the tiramisu (don't tell Geno!). Kim helped accommodate our party's COVID concerns by allowing us to use a private room. Or should I say a private floor as we had the whole downstairs to ourselves. Derek also kindly wore a mask to keep us safe. I wish I could have tipped him more but didn't want to get in trouble with the business expense police! This was a truly fabulous night out and our guest of honor raved about how special it was. Thank you so much to the Cafe Aura team for the slam dunk! read more

We began this evening like any other with an anticipated dinner at a new spot with good friends. Excited. My husband was ready to keel over from excitement at the thought of an octopus appetizer. We ended three hours later with the same good friends and a plan for next month. At another restaurant. As high as our spirits were, our tummies were sad. Crushed. In no particular order 1. Vodka gimlet with no Roses Lime Juice - "we have our own lime juice". I think they squeezed a lime in my vodka. Shop Rite carries Roses lime. My parents had it. Please get some! 2. Our Caesar salads (and our companion asked if the dressing was homemade) was tasteless. When we requested extra dressing, it came, but our server said "we like to underdress our salads" HUH? You mean increase your margin on a $7 bowl of romaine? 3. We read the menu and the hostess switched them, claiming a typo or missing item. Besides that, the typo was also that at least one entree (what two of us ordered) increased in price. Ok, it was the lobster fettuccine. Lobster is expensive - so price it as "market" and provide a solid portion. We'll pay, we aren't rookies, though there was maybe a tablespoon of lobster in each of our meals. We had to dig for it. So we paid $37 each for a bowl of pasta. Don't order the lobster fettuccine if you want .......lobster. 4. My poor husband ordered a filet medium after his chewy, gummy octopus, he was starving. Again, he's no rookie. What he got was a filet charred outside and rare inside. The manager seemed affronted and had the same piece of meat re-fired so it came back extra charred outside and marginally better inside. The response "that's how we do it" and this guy couldn't leave our table fast enough but ten minutes later, he's pouring wine at the next table and yukking it up with those folks. 5. Dessert - by now I've established we aren't rookies. My key lime pie was okay - seemed like it came from outside the restaurant. The Pots de creme was more like a pot of pudding from aisle one of Stop and Shop. Nobody forced us in, we came on our own. We wanted it to be really good. It just fell down. We didn't want any money back or free food - we just wanted our meal to be great and to have enjoyable professional service which could have saved it. Sadly, our server was so readily defensive, I think she was a regular at deflecting criticism of the kitchen and the bar, and poor quality is not her fault. After all, you can't get a meal back! Save your money or spend it elsewhere. Signed, Four Still Hungry Tummies read more

Disappointing given that this is supposed to be the best place in Manchester, which maybe means that you should eat in a different town. The service was chaotic: They repeatedly brought food to the wrong tables, seeming to have no clue about who ordered what. My daughter made a point of ordering vegetarian gnocchi, but it came with lobster in it anyway. No apology was offered. Portions were tiny, and the flavors lacked originality. But at least it was expensive. read more

Awesome dinner the other night will be going back had chicken parm which was delicious. We also had a special guest. Gino showed up and made the rounds. Very nice time read more

I had a memorable birthday dinner at Cafe Aura. Heirloom tomato salad to start. Their bread is just too good. A polenta dish that was scrumptious and fresh pasta with a short rib sauce. It was out of this world. Dessert was a pot of chocolate. Everything was delicious and the server was great. read more

Why travel to West Hartford or Glastonbury?? Love this establishment. We went for our second visit and enjoyed our time having apps and drinks at the bar, where great! Cassy was friendly and made great drinks and delivered great service. Depending on the time of day,you'll meet UConn's favorite coach, Gino! read more

Rancid pork chop. Not much else to say other than the chef came out and challenged my assessment thereby exacerbating the situation. Brought me a different entree but was neither gracious nor accepting of the fact that the undercooked chop had simply past its shelf life. Server was dutiful. read more

Excellent service and the food was very good. The place is beautifully put together. Prices are fair great wine options. The place has a very nice vibe. read more

I was a little worried at the beginning with the cold bread and cold butter but, then BAM!!! Rockefeller oysters were delicious!!!! Beet salad and aura burger were amazing!!! Outstanding service!!! read more

Dinner for 4, inside. First visit. Very nice setting, front room. Waitstaff pleasant knowledgeable and timely, no sense of being rushed Drinks. Manhattans VG Starters. Arancini, nice presentation with 3 portions for sharing with marinara sauce. Rather bland taste Mussels with toast points. Nice presentation/12+ wonderful broth... no toast points VG Salads. Beet salad G. Could have been better with a bit more goat cheese and pistachios Caesar salad G. Nice presentation and quality, but bland dressing Mains Tagliolini with bolognese sauce G. Nice serving but not a good connection between pasta and sauce Veal Scallopini Fair. Overcooked Pesto risotto with shrimp. Fair 6 medium sized shrimp hidden in a bowl of risotto Overall rating 3 out of 5. Not a good value $256 for + 20%+ tip. Glad I tried it. Time to move on read more

Really was not impressed and definitely would not eat here again. Food and experience was not very good or memorable, as it took me some time just to leave a review. read more

Very nice ambiance, plenty of parking, tables are well spaced out, wine list is robust. Service was very quick. Food is tasty and well presented. Maybe a little over price comparatively to what I eat in Manhattan restaurants but reasonable. I had the meatballs erinimo and the three cheese ravioli with short ribs, which was very delicious. Asked for the truffle creamed spinach but they forgot it. Its okay, very fulfilled on what I ate. Was there for my daughters birthday who attend UConn. We bought in a cake and they handle it well. By read more

Cafe Aura - Italian Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

I keep hearing great things about Cafe Aura but frankly I was disappointed. We ordered their Valentine Dinner for two ($140). Included was bread and a bland dipping oil. We asked for salt and pepper and were briefly allowed to use them until they were whisked back to the table from whence they came. Our amuse bouche which we were really anticipating was nothing more than deep fried risotto balls. Probably leftover. The crab raviolis were OK but a little overcooked. Our dinner was served on a small plate to share-a filet mignon ordered medium rare and served medium to well done and a small lobster tail. There were under cooked multi color carrots and some spinach. We also got duchess potatoes. I make them all the time at home with leftover mashed. I can only assume these were leftover as well. Dessert was supposed to be a red cherry cheesecake but in fact was a sliver of cheesecake with a faint red vein for the two of to share. Dinner was not cheap. Alcohol included 1 cocktail, 2 glasses of wine and 2 coffees with Grand Marnier. With a $50 tip it was an expensive Valentines day to remember. read more

We were SO excited to be able to enjoy one our favorites now that their dining room is back open. The service here is top notch and the food is really amazing. The head chef, Erminio, makes it a point to come out and check on the diners as well. They truly care about making it a memorable experience. We can't wait to go back! read more

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My Wife and I after some anticipation finally ate at Cafe Aura. We would visit Caveys somewhat regularly so, we were excited for the next generation of restaurant here. We did wait about a month after opening to go because we know a lot of restaurants can have some kinks to work out in the first few weeks. The interior and remodel looks excellent and there is a great and relaxing ambiance in the restuarant. The waitress we had was very personable and provided frequent and attentive service and also seemed very knowledgeable of the menu. Unfortunately, we were just left so disappointed with the quality and flavor of the food. For starters we ordered the Burrata E Prosciutto which was excellent and that's where it stopped. I ordered the short ribs which was ok, it was just bland and lacked what you would expect from a restaurant like this. Not bad but certainly not great. My wife ordered the shrimp risotto Chef special which was small, bland and overall terrible quality. It came with just 4 flavorless rubbery shrimp. We each ordered desserts that were also very disappointing and sup par compared to restaurants that are even half the price. They tasted as if they were almost store bought from a freezer section and no effort went in to preparing them Overall I think the Chef(s) are failing this restaurant. The prices are equivalent to any of the Max Restuarant group establishments but the quality of the food isn't even remotely comparable and just insulting. A $100+ bill for 2 people and realizing we could of had a better meal at almost any restaurant in Manchester was frustrating. I hope this restaurant changes something because it needs to. Unfortunately and sadly we will not be back. read more

VERY solid place. We haven't been here since it was Cavey's. The new decor is modern and great. They had a large outdoor tent to eat outside during covid. The service and environment was A+. The food is an A-. Excellent (and somewhat pricey). The snapper and short ravioli was amazing. The dessert was very good to. The ceasar salad (grilled) did not have nearly enough of a strong dressing (or salt). All other dishes (and drinks) were very good. I am being picky, but overall this is a must try for one of the few excellent places east of the river. read more

Great decor and great service. My waitress Kelly was so attentive and helpful. The food was amazing on top of it! Came for my friends birthday and my own, and will definitely be back! read more

Another great meal. They were very accommodating with my changes off the menu. Veal is easy to get wrong. I use it as a barometer on the kitchen's abilities. They nailed it. Again! The wine list has something for everyone. A basic Chianti to Dalla Valle Maya on the Coach's list and everything in between. I'm an in between. A very nice 2015 Brunello that Marcus put aside for me. Eat at the bar and you'll and meet an interesting cast of characters. Share your bottle and you will make some friends. I'll be back next week read more

Great wine list, the baked octopus appetizer was incredible. We had panzanella special app which was just good, the tri-color beet salad, porcini pasta and osso bucco all were just great. Service was by Erin was great, we had told them it was our anniversary at reservation and two glasses of complimentary champagne was a nice surprise. read more

If you are looking for a place to overcook your food, this is the place for you. Veal Chop, Waitress states Chef cooks it medium, I have NEVER heard that before. I was under the impression the customer made that choice. I requested medium rare " no problem" says the waitress. Calamari arrived OVERCOOKED ,rejected. Veal Chop arrived,not even pink well done. The chef came to our table "very sorry", will cook(?) you another one NO First time....last time. Terrible experience! read more

I've been here a few times now, each time the food has been delicious and flavorful! Great wine selection, the bartender was attentive and funny and the atmosphere was very relaxing! read more

Visited on Saturday night, Feb 22 with two other couples. All of us came ready to have a good time and check out Geno's new restaurant for which we had high expectations. Modern chic decor - check. Packed place with happy, well dressed patrons - check. Nice bar humming with activity - check. Immediately seated at our reserved time - check. Those were the good points. Cocktails were well mixed but took a bit of time to arrive. Wine list was on the smaller side but you certainly can find something you want. Food and service were not up to the high level of the surrounds. Coming for the rare "other side of the river" restaurant visit, Joyce and I wanted to explore as much of the menu as possible. With a great swordfish special on the menu that we both wanted, we also wanted to try the pasta at this Italian restaurant - specifically the Black Truffle Gnocchi ($25) - after all, this new venture was taking over for Cavey's which had some of the best homemade pasta in Hartford County. We asked our waitress (surprisingly in jeans) if she would ask the chef to make us appetizer versions of the dish. She told us she didn't think he would do that and that was the end of that conversation. Ok. We asked to split the iceberg wedge salad ($12) as we do at every restaurant we go to that has it on the menu and she said she thought the kitchen could do that. When the salad arrived, she did it at the table and told us the kitchen wouldn't do it. Ok. That table side splitting didn't look too good on the plate and did not accomplish the 50/50 split which meant someone lost on portion and dressing - that would be me! Swordfish ($35+/-) was excellent and three of us had it at the table. I added the Hammered fingerling potatoes( $7) to my order but they never came out. I mentioned it to the waitress when I next saw her and she brought them to me 1/2 way through the meal - too bad, too, because they were excellent. They did comp those on the bill which was the right thing to do and was appreciated. My dining mate to my left had the short ribs ($32) served on polenta and he reported it was good. It looked a little on the light side as far as portion size to me. All in all, we had a good time but for a venture now in its third month I was a bit surprised at some of the hiccups and the lack of going the extra mile for customer requests. I get it that some kitchens don't want to veer from the set menu but you better be Per se if you are doing that in Hartford County! read more

Cafe Aura - swordfish special - quite good - Italian Near Me - Manchester, Connecticut

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A worthy successor to Cavey's. First the quibbles. The parking is kind of confusing. There is a no parking sign on the entrance east of Rocco's which is intimidating. We parked directly behind Cafe Aura and checked with the staff who said that area was immune from the towing threat. Also, the waitress didn't know what dry-aged was. I wasn't expecting dry-aged beef there, but I did expect that a high-end steak house server would know what it was. Last quibble is that the restaurant is too noisy. Younger patrons may not care, but it's definitely too loud for the senior set. So what was great? The food, the attention by the server, the decor, pretty much everything else. I asked for a glass of dry red wine and left it to the restaurant to decide. I wasn't disappointed. I had the prime NY strip and it was perfectly grilled. My grilled Caesar salad was a treat as well. Others at the table raved about the tuna tartare, octopus, Stracetti di Mare, lamb chops and calamari. The maitre d' stopped by a couple of times to make sure everything was going well. I am sure he was concerned about some of the reviews here and was intent on us having a top-flight experience. We did. It's new. Give it a chance. read more

Very fortunate to have been invited to attend the soft opening of Geno Auriemma's latest addition to his restaurant group, the former Cavey's, now called Cafe Aura, in Manchester. The first impression one gets when approaching the building is how bright and alive it all looks now. The inside is equally vibrant. A total remodel has done this old building good! A very modern gray, white and black interior has a classic, sleek look with gorgeous booths and very comfortable seating. The staff was friendly and very well-versed about the menu and wine offerings. Our waitress, Savannah, impressed our party of three with her patience, kindness and depth of knowledge about the wine and food options. Manager Todd checked on us frequently and we even received a warm welcome from the chef, Erminio Conte, himself! The wine offerings are outstanding, with single glasses priced from about $8 to full bottles in the $350 range. Geno's own label was represented in several of the categories. Our party shared a green salad (Geno's Salad) which was fresh and flavorful with heirloom tomato wedges and shaved parmesan in a light olive oil vinaigrette dressing. We also sampled the beet salad, which included several types of beets stacked together in a delicious dressing. My friend had the seared scallops and proclaimed them "Perfect!" and explained that it is very hard to get the sear just right, but the talented kitchen staff done just that. My other friend had the Veal Scallopino and said it was fantastic. I had the Roasted Chicken and it was cooked perfectly with a very satisfying taste and aroma. The veal and chicken both came with freshly mashed potatoes and made for a very satisfying, filling meal. We made a valiant effort to finish the almond cookies plate that we ordered for dessert and an espresso went perfectly. This place is going to be gangbusters in Manchester and I predict reservations will be hard to get for a while. read more

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Cafe Aura is one of the nicest fine dining restaurants in the area. The staff is friendly, polite and attentive. The manager on duty always makes an effort to walk around and greet tables, sometimes if you're lucky Chef Erminio will come out and say hi as well :) Wide range of seafood and meat dishes as well as delicious desserts (pistachio cake is the best) and to finish the night very good espresso martinis. I highly recommend! read more

Great food, great attention from the staff. They say they are working out the parking issue, so I would not worry about it. Plus, there is plenty of parking on the street as well. read more

I took my mother here for her 75th birthday. Absolutely amazing meal. This is Manhattan quality in Manchester. Every ingredient was exceptionally fresh and cooked to perfection. If you are in the Manchester area and looking for a high quality meal you can do no better. read more

The only reason I'm writing a "constructive " review is because a FSE at this level should not be offered The Decor is amazing and the service was as well My girl ordered the red fish encased in potatoes a very difficult preparation the was flawless my short ribs not so much. The meat was spongy and there was no texture to the dish it was served on white mashed and some lentil I believe. I was tempted to send it back as I HATE doing that. For $34.00 I should have. I will try Cafe Aura again and I know it will be a better experience. Ed CIA "81 read more

The most delicious meals, the most beautiful ambiance, most attentive staff, managers and chef! I could not recommend this restaurant enough!!! read more

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We enjoyed a special night for a family birthday this past weekend. Aura was terrific. Great service. Caring manager checking our table. Wonderful menu. Delicious food and huge portions. Atmosphere is like being out of town! Geno does everything first class! read more

Five of us celebrated a birthday last night. Both the service and the food were incredible! When we arrived, we were greeted with complimentary champagne and the evening only improved from that point forward. read more

I came here for brunch for my birthday. We shared the salmon entre' which was cooked perfectly. We also had the Heuervos Rancheros which had the exact right flavor and texture and one perfectly cook egg atop a crispy, spicy ish corn tortilla. That was my favorite. I think the only thing I would wish for was more gluten free options. read more

Party of 15 expertly handled by party coordinator Todd S. Service was exceptional, timely, personable. The Negroni is the best I have had outside of NYC. The limoncello the best I have ever had. I love that they carry a rotating selection of Manchester breweries beers. The restaurant is beautiful inside and out. The menu is extensive, tuna tartare very fresh and presented brilliantly with avocado. Braised short rib was enormous and fork tender as was the salmon. The real winner are the pastas, housemade and cooked to perfection. The Porcini Pappardelle was the best I have ever had. A wonderful evening arranged by Todd S. has become a very fond memory and will likely become a birthday tradition. The visit from Geno to our table completed an exceptional dining experience! read more

An absolutely perfect evening dining outside for our anniversary. The avocado crab mousse and the watermelon goat cheese salad were both exquisite. Truffle gnocchi was delicate and light. The special seafood risotto was heaven. The chef has perfected the truffle fries and crispy Brussels sprouts . Professional yet friendly band cheerful staff rounded out the evening. Could not have asked for a better place to celebrate!! read more

Stopped in for happy hour this past week. My friend and I loved the new look. The bartender Mike was very cordial and answered any questions we had. A very nice wine list and cocktail selection. The food was outstanding and cooked to perfection. The service was impeccable and prompt. We will be going back this week. We have found a new home. read more