This is my second Yelp review of this place and my third visit, and honestly, I still don't understand the negative reviews. I will never stop coming here. Here's a picture of my bf, Keith, and me. Keith was the very first person to serve us during our chaotic (but somehow magical) NYE dinner, and we've been back ever since. The food is consistently top-notch. We actually request bar seating because that's where we had our first experience, and it's become part of the tradition. This visit, I ordered the lemon ricotta pasta again, bc it's always delicious. My bf ordered the chicken Alfredo, and it was fantastic as well. I can't speak to what it's like for large groups, but as a couple, we've had nothing but amazing experiences every time we've come here. The food is excellent, the staff is welcoming, and the atmosphere keeps us coming back. 10/10. Highly recommend. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Food was horrendous. Pasta seemed undercooked. Both the kids garlic pasta(spaghetti) and eggplant pasta were horrible. Service also could be better. Had to wait 5 mins before someone would even say hello. Would avoid as the pastas were undercooked and lacked salt or any taste. The outdoor ambience seemed better than the indoor. read more

Disappointed. Had reservations for a celebratory dinner. Based on reviews we anticipated a fantastic experience. Arrived on time and here is where my disappointment began: Turned away because our table wasn't ready. It wasn't the wait, but the attitude of the hostess. Like we were an annoyance. Once seated we order wine and apps. Before we even got our apps we were asked for our dinner order. This is not appropriate for a supposed fine dining establishment. Didn't get one of the apps we ordered. Waitstaff didn't come back to check on us, and then a different server dropped off our meals. And that was the last time anyone checked on us. We were blatantly ignored. Had to ask for the check. No acknowledgement of our celebration. Our plates were never cleared. The suggestion of dessert was more of a dare. We declined. I don't intend this review to discourage future diners, but to bring service problems to management. It could have been the lack of waitstaff, or poor reservation management. But I've seen too many restaurants with potential die due to service issues. I'm so sad for our célébrée more than anything. BUT the food was excellent and the choice of Chianti quite good! read more

Great girl dinner here last night outside on the back patio. Love that all the pasta is made in house. The portions were great so we split a pasta and added another salmon to it for more protein. The salmon dish was delicious and the sauce was so yummy. Service was great and love its location downtown so you can walk around and explore all the cute local shops before and after dining. read more

Cafe Stella - Bruschetta board - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

We walked by and went into this place and boy was I glad. The service and food was amazing and when I go back to Flagstaff again this will be on the top of my list to eat. House made pasta dishes YUMMY GOOD! read more

This small, family-owned scratch kitchen offering Italian dishes is on Aspen Ave in the heart of downtown historic Flagstaff. Parking can be a challenge so factor in some time to find a spot if you can't walk here. We made reservations online yesterday (Sunday) around 12:30 pm while driving up from Phoenix. We made reservations for 5pm, right when they open again for dinner after closing for a couple hours. You must put a credit card in to make a reservation. We walked in right at 5pm. The greeter pointed at our table and told us we could sit down. Placard with our last name and time at the table. Didn't look too busy on this Sunday but wanted to reserve just in case. Service was slow at first. Maybe because they'd just opened? Second half of the meal, our server, Giovanna, was really great, friendly, and on top of it. Scratch-made pasta, sauces, and old, heirloom recipe marinara here. I was in the mood for some good pasta and felt very satisfied with my meal. One of my daughters is gluten sensitive and thought she'd have to get a salad but good news- house-made gluten free options available! She finished her entire dish. My daughters and I were all happy with what we ordered. Everything was delicious. My bowl was piping hot. We ordered: - Raspberry Vanilla Italian Cream Soda - 5/5 - CAPRESE SALAD - fresh sliced mozzarella (5 pieces), bruschetta, topped with balsamic glaze - 5/5 - CREAMY TUSCAN SALMON - House-made pasta, creamy spinach, artichoke, sun dried tomato, caper sauce, 6oz portion of grilled salmon (chardonnay recommended) - 5/5. This was my dish and it was absolutely perfect. Looks are deceiving- this is a very large bowl of pasta. I took my leftovers home - 5/5 - LEMON CAPER - daughter chose gluten free pasta with lemony garlic buttercream sauce with capers, and fresh mushrooms - 5/5. She was trying to save this delicious sauce for leftovers at the dorm but couldn't resist eating it all - 5/5 - GRILLED CHICKEN MARGHERITA - nut free pesto sauce, fresh sliced mozzarella, NAE grilled chicken & heirloom bruschetta, topped with balsamic glaze and basil (pinot noir recommended). Daughter said this was the best. I tried a noodle with pesto and very good, strong fresh green basil flavor - 5/5 Server will shave as much Parmesan onto your dish when they bring it to the table - Yum! Really wanted to try some of the fabulous cocktails and desserts. Had to drive home so we'll have to come back soon. TV playing hockey above the small bar. Two gender neutral restrooms for customers. More seating in the back. read more

Cafe Stella - Creamy Tuscan Salmon - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Very small portion of steak on the Alfredo. The flavors were bland and overly mellow from the dairy. The noodles were like play doh consistency and not well salted. Overall pricing is outrageous for what you get and the ambiance is low effort fake plant wall and dark lighting. read more

Great dinner experience here recently. We were visiting from Las Vegas, NV for a Christmas event. And decided on comfy Italian food for dinner. We made a reservation a week in advance, which was immensely helpful, since we noticed a lot of walk-in traffics were quoted 45-minutes of wait time. Upon arrival, the White male staff welcomed us warmly. We decided on Caprese salad as the appetizer, which was fresh & had well-seasoned diced tomato atop. I had the Tuscan salmon pasta, and it was delicious with spinach & artichoke. However, I wished the sauce wasn't watery. My husband had the pork chop with pasta, in which he LOVED with fork-tender pork and amazing red sauce. My toddler son loved the butter/garlic pasta. We also had a side of meatballs, which were amazing (not too salty like most restaurants) enmeshed well with marinara sauce with a touch of cinnamon. Our female server was very pleasant too. The restaurant was cozy & inviting too! read more

Cafe Stella - Creamy Tuscan Salmon - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Fantastic. Cute spot. Friendly staff member. Amazing pasta. We did the Creamy Tuscan Salmon (subbed with chicken) and it was so delicious. Large portion- we split it and were both still full. HOMEMADE pasta!! That was the best part. Coming back for martinis! read more

We are here after a long day snowboarding and were pleasantly surprised with some of the best Italian food we've had in awhile. The service was excellent and the pasta was very authentic. This last time we got the bolognese which was some of the best I've ever had, meat based and so rich with thick noodles. Aspen and Keith (with hair nonetheless!) helped us and the service was superb. The ambiance here would be great for a date with nice dimmed lighting and just an overall good vibe. read more

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We found the staff very friendly and fast. We started with the house salad. The dressing had great flavor, not too acidic and not sweet, but the salad was extremely one dimensional. Just lettuce, a tiny amount of chopped onion, and croutons. They easily could take it from being a mediocre salad to a great salad by adding tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and a bit of thinly sliced pecorino. You can split the large house salad amongst two or three people. The sausage and mushrooms pasta was good. You could tell the homemade pasta and sausage immediately. They served the sausage skinless, which I liked. The red sauce was good, a touch biting, but did lack garlic. If they would get it a touch less acidic and amp up the garlic, the sauce could go from good to great. A very generous portion, you can split this dish amongst two people without anyone going hungry. Their prices are a welcome third dimension to Flagstaff's two dimensional restaurant scene: Bar food/pizza or empty the wallet haut cuisine. read more

We walked past cafe Stella during the day and I saw the fresh noodles hanging in the window, thought we would give it a try! We were sat in the back which has a cute ambiance. We tried the Lemon Ricotta Pasta which was light in flavor and a splash of lemon. It was an excellent dish to share since we were surprised by the large portion. Would be a great date night spot. Service was a a little slower since it was a Saturday night. We will be back to try another dish sometime in the future. read more

Cafe Stella - Menu 6/20/25 - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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This lovely little restaurant is popular for a reason. They have great food with huge servings that is unbelievably priced. We enjoyed the lemon ricotta pasta and the Bolognese with garlic sourdough bread and a side of steak that was eight dollars as an add-on to our pasta. I hope people appreciate this little restaurant and continue to support it so that we can come back for years to come. read more

Cafe Stella is our fav spot in flag. We always get the lemon pasta. The ambiance is so beautiful and the service is fast! Great spot read more

Cafe Stella - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Made from scratch, simple Italian food. Not fancy, just good. Location downtown is a real plus. I'm looking forward to returning.

Absolutely delicious! Would come back here in a heartbeat! My husband and I had the Sausage, Mushroom Pasta and the Creamy Tuscan Pasta and both were exceptional. Also loved the House Salad and Sourdough Bread. Service was fast, respectful and friendly. The ambience is charming and cozy. Highly recommend! read more

Cafe Stella - Creamy Tuscan Salmon and Sausage Mushroom Pasta dishes. - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Great service, ambiance was perfect for a date and excellent food chicken Alfredo and cheesecake was delicious. read more

Cafe Stella - New York Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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Wow top notch! Brought my whole family here after a full day. Food came quickly and was extremely good. Plenty of flavor and very creative dishes. Just classic good food! read more

We were visiting Flagstaff for the Lowell observatory. Found this place and decided to give it a go. Well it was worth it! It may have been because we were there for lunch or it was just a Wednesday lull but we were able to get a table right away. The waiter was prompt and was very professional. I had the ravioli with ground beef and cheese and the alfredo sauce. Let me tell you, I only use the word sauce because that is what you would expect someone to call it, but, to me, it was more of a cheese gravy. I'm not complaining, not in the least bit, if they had biscuits and 'gravy' on the menu and it was this sauce there is no amount of GLP1 meds to fight the weight I would put on. Appetizer? garlic bread and the alfredo sauce. Desert? just a glass of alfredo please. My partner had the Calabrian Chile & Burrata Pasta with peas and it had a nice heat on it that grew on you. She kept trying to get me to have a bite, but I was in alfredo heaven. It's been only a few days since we've eaten there but we still talk about how great the food it. Negatives is that the tea was not good. I think that is more the water in Arizona and less the restaurant but that could just be me. While it did not impact us, I could see where someone might not like how small it is, but if you know what you're getting into you should be fine. If we are ever in Flagstaff again we will be back and I'm going to bring a needle to mainline that alfredo 'sauce'. read more

We came in early without a reservation and were seated immediately. A different take on the pasta...thick. Tasty and held the sauce quite well. Took a while to be attended but when we were the service was quite good. read more

Hands down one of the best Italian restaurants! The spaghetti and meatballs were absolutely delicious. The sauce was so good and nothing beats fresh, homemade pasta. My husband got the Mob Boss sandwich and WOW!!! It smelled and looked so good and he confirmed it was excellent. We were there on a weekday for lunch and our party of 7 was the only one there; however, I have no doubt the service would've been equally satisfactory even if there were other patrons. read more

A lovely evening! Their pastas are phenomenal. I had the pasta with eggplant which was their vegan option. It was delicious and the portion size was huge. Great wine selection with really reasonable prices. Our service was very sweet and the ambiance was lovely. We asked for the table by the window and it was perfect. I love the lights on the ceiling. Keep up the great work! read more

Cafe Stella - Pasta with eggplant Vegan and delicious! - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Cafe Stella is located in the wonderful downtown Flagstaff and a great place to visit for clean, homemade pasta in a cute restaurant. Staff are friendly, reservations not required. Portions were generous and it wasn't heavy, primarily because they don't drown their pastas in heavy sauce. Their dishes were not oily at all. Some notes about the dishes: just a fair warning that the Calabrian chile and burratta pasta has a nice, spicy kick and might not be for the spicy naive since the spice builds up over time. The salmon was a nice size for the Tuscan pasta and I liked the sauce! The pacherri had ground beef so just be aware of that if you wanted something with more bite. Their pastas are homemade and made fresh in house, sometimes you can watch them make it in the front. They have a small choice of types of pastas with a doughy texture. I'd recommend this place for its clean, fresh ingredients and mellow flavors that won't make you feel guilty eating it afterwards! read more

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Delicious pasta , great service very attentive. We came when it first opened and gave it a second chance, well worth coming back! read more

Good chicken ceaser salad & the waiter "Andre" was always checking on us even when it was busy! read more

Cafe Stella - Chicken ceaser salad. - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

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I wish I could have given Cafe Stella a better review, however, their customer service is extremely disappointing. My friend had a reservation here who made a huge career accomplishment and planned to celebrate at this Italian restaurant. I called six hours ahead, confirmed what reservation she was under and bought $40 worth of Prosecco to be there upon her arrival as a surprise since I can not be in Flagstaff with her. As my card information was taken and the drink was purchased, I was truly devastated to find out the bottle never made her table. She called me later to describe her night and that the food in the restaurant was not so great, but not mentioning the prosecco I bought was an even bigger disappointment. I later called and they saw exactly where someone had made a note of the bottle I bought next to their reservation. They offered a refund, which is obviously necessary as I am unsure who ended up consuming the alcohol I pre-bought, but the surprise was already ruined. Unfortunately, I will not be coming here for my next trip to Flagstaff. read more

Really delicious meal. The pasta is so good. I had the lemon ricotta with arugula. I wasn't disappointed. I also drank a nice Pinot noir and enjoyed the garlic bread. My son ordered the but free pesto. He liked it! Thank you for offer nut free- he's allergic and hasn't had a lot of opportunity to try pesto. Didn't have a reservation, but they were able to seat us. Friday night around 8. We waited several minutes for server to come to the table initially, but after that she was attentive. I liked the vibe here and definitely will return. More items on the menu that look and I'm sure are delicious! Bill was about $100 with tip. Luckily my son and I don't go out to eat too often so this splurge was worth it. read more

Stopped in for dessert and everything was amazing!! We got the tiramisu and strawberry cheesecake. large portion and so tasty. 100% recommend! read more

Cafe Stella - Tiramisu and Cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

First off get reservations! I've traveled all over the world and by far one of the best Italian dishes Ive had. Chicken Alfredo was insane, the noodles were perfect and the chicken was perfectly cooked! You can get any dishes minus the meats if you need. The tiramisu was out of this world! Great ambiance and quick service! Even if they show a lot of availability when you are looking for reservations don't think oh they don't look busy, you'll be turned away quickly as it gets busy quick. Drinks were also well balanced. read more

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Located in down town Flagstaff , this gem has a wonderful patio allowing dogs. The pasta is made on the premises. The food was quite good . Friendly staff and speedy service. It is also called I believe scratch kitchen. read more

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Friendly staff and great Cesar salad but we did not really enjoy the thick chewy pasta. read more

Cafe Stella - Kids menu - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Came here for brunch! Sat in the cute outdoor patio out back. Had the flagstaff hash waffle which is just like it sounds. It was a hash brown made in a waffle maker! Two eggs sunny side up with nice roasted peppers! Delic! The homemade Pasta and sauce looked good too! read more

Cafe Stella - Flagstaff Waffle - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

My boyfriend and I had a reservation for his birthday dinner. We are visiting in town and had someone recommend Cafe Stella to us. We started our dinner with the garlic bread and marinara sauce, which was flavorful and perfectly toasted! I ordered a side of meatballs to try and they were very tender and full of flavor. The marinara was acidic but not too sour. I really enjoyed it. I ended up ordering the sausage and mushroom pasta and my boyfriend got the steak Alfredo. The pasta was so soft and had a perfect bite to it. The shape held the pasta sauce well and had a great texture. The sausage made the dish, and I could taste the fennel and herbs well. The steak Alfredo was perfect and was surprisingly not too heavy. We really enjoyed everything we tried. We will definitely be back next time we are in town. read more

Cafe Stella - Garlic Bread - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

This is the first stop at we stopped at Flagstaff , and the Pasta was amazing and they have 308 years recipe that was so amazing I will be definitely back when I come to flag staff~ read more

Overall a solid cafe. Cozy atmosphere, tasty coffee and pastries, and friendly staff. Minor improvements in service speed would make it perfect. read more

We came here while visiting Flagstaff before heading to the observatory, so it was an early dinner. Service was quick and professional. My wife tried the beef raviolis in marinara and our waitress recommended the lemon ricotta pasta with arugula, so I tried that. All I can say is Wow! The food was amazing and the pasta was as fresh and delicious as we have had throughout Italy. The raviolis were perfectly al dente, with an amazing fresh marinara. The lemon ricotta was otherworldly, perfectly balancing the creamy with the pasta and the arugula, all with a bright lemon flavor that enhanced the dish. I so recommend you try it. read more

Ambiance is pretty good nice vibe in the restaurant. Food, Well it's alright....my lady ordered the lemon ricotta and it's okay. Very heavy sauce. I had the chicken margarita and it's alright. Chicken tastes like teriyaki chicken. Pasta is good that's about all. Lastly the bread was okay just not cooked enough. read more

Cafe Stella - Lemon ricotta pasta - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

Food was excellent the service stupendice. Not to mention ambiance... had eggplant pasta wife had lemon caper..... read more

Cafe Stella - Eggplant Pasta Vegan - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona

This was my groups first time here and we absolutely loved the food. For our appetizer we got fresh bruschetta which was some of the best bruschetta Ive ever had. 2 of us got the Steak Alfredo medium rare and 2 of us got the sausage and mushroom pasta. We also got 2 orders of garlic bread which was so delicious. I absolutely recommend this place and come back here the next time in Flagstaff. read more

Service was amazing. Food was delicious and authentic. Small cool place and, strange as it may sound, I totally loved the background music! The best cannoli I've ever eaten, by far, and a cannoli martini! read more

Cafe Stella - Cannoli martini - Italian Near Me - Flagstaff, Arizona