I visited Calafuria for my first time on Friday night, and what began as an casual dining experience would turn into a disappointing affair a few hours later. We had reservations for 6:30pm, and upon arrival our party of four were promptly seated at a table for four near the window. Tables and bench seating were made of bright/blond woods, and comfortable for short visits. The atmosphere was quiet when we arrived, but by 7pm the place would be loud and packed with people. I suggest that diners reserve early, and arrive early. Our table experienced three servers/hostesses that evening, but unfortunately nobody introduced themselves so I cannot report who was attentive and who wasn't. On Friday and Saturday nights, Calafuria offers a four-course fixed dinner menu for $39/person. We placed drink orders along with our main/side dish selections. Within ten minutes we received assorted breads, along with prosciutto charcuterie, cheese, pickled vegetables, and salad. Everybody was pleased with the variety, and content with the portions. Approximately fifteen minutes after we finished the starters and plates were cleared away, our side course arrived. I had chicken ravioli, while others had something different. Portions were small, but not too small. Dishes were cleared, and we contently engaged in conversation... ...a very long conversation. This kept on, until we noticed it had been more than 45 minutes since the dishes were cleared and we still hadn't received our main course. Our table had received a fresh bottle of water during that time, but it required a visit to check on our meals. Fifteen minutes later all four plates come out, and I must say, they arrived with disappointment. It was nearly 9pm by this point, so we our appetites were ready for more. I had the brazed beef, which came with diced beets and wrapped in what appeared to be a corn husk. Overall, it was tasty, but was nothing special. Others had the duck, which appeared under-cooked (fat not crisped, all meat still very red). The portions were small, and we were all finished with the main course in less than ten minutes. Dessert followed soon after, as small bowls of bread pudding arrived. It was a taster's dessert, as the entire contents could be consumed within 2-3 spoons. Delicious and sweet, but really left you craving for more. In conclusion, Calafuria has a flair for exquisite food presentation, but extremely long waits for the main meal indicate a lack of rhythm for delivery. Portions were below average size -especially for the price, so while we all left slightly hungry after a three-hour ordeal. I imagine we would be fine if the entire visit were confined to half that time, but our companions said they waited on their last visit as well. Despite of it's obvious potential, this visit left a less than pleasing first impression. read more

Nice people but my husband and I found the food to be flavorless. The Cesear salad was very under dressed and I personally am not into a lot of dressing. We tasted no garlic, no anchovies just very crisp romaine. We had never heard of roman style pizza and were disappointed that this was the style of pizza. Our sandwiches were pretty basic and again just not much going on. The braised octopus was super tender, no flavor and laden with potatoes. Everyone was very nice and a very clean, cute space but we just expect Italian food to have flavor. read more

Waaaaay too loud for what is trying to come across as a fine dining Italian restaurant. Ordered the special deep fried artichoke hearts which weren't hearts and were very salty. Both mine and my husbands pasta dishes were very basic .. nothing special or stand outish at all. Wines by the glass not so good. Unfortunately not thinking this will become one of our favs read more

Outstanding authentic Italian food everything house made pasta, sauces,coppa, soups ...you want food from Italy? Come here! read more

Calafuria - Empty bowl - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

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Calafuria is the fourth restaurant to take this space in the four and a half years since I moved here and man, I sure hope it sticks! I've had lunch, dinner, and takeout here and have loved every one! My go-tos are the the salami and provolone sandwich with an add on of ham for takeout, the eggplant parmigiana for eat in lunch, and the mushroom and cheese ravioli for dinner. Eventually, I'll branch out and try more of the menu, which isn't huge but has excellent, varied selections. The breads are all house made and so good slathered with European style unsalted butter. The food is fresh and flavorful with large portions and reasonable prices, and the service is friendly and welcoming. Even the atmosphere is comfortable and homey (appropriate, since the building was once a house), with a fireplace and modern decor inside and plenty of outdoor patio space, front and side. Basically, I love this place and it is now part of my regular Reno restaurant rotation! read more

I had dinner here last night with a couple of coworkers and they were impressed by every single dish that was placed on the table....needless to say that I am italian and a picky one too! Tim the chef told me the story of his life and what was really touching for me was that he lived in Italy for many years in a small town less than 10 miles away from my own!! We had prosciutto and coppa (to die for), calamari perfectly fried, lasagna, wild boar, rapini and an exquisite tiramisu': perfect dinner. Two tums up Tim Magee! See you "la prossima Volta" read more

We have been wanting to try this place for months and finally got around to it New Years Eve. The best thing I can say is it totally exceeded our expectations! The place is well decorated- Minimal but well chosen decor. It's in an old house so the dinning area's are broken into 3 rooms giving it a very cozy intimate feel. Every person who served us was friendly and efficient. The menu is on the limited end but, somehow, there's still enough variety to please the pallet. Everything we ordered was excellent and they have totally mastered portion control. We left feeling fully satisfied but not stuffed. If I had to give a comment for improvement it would be this: with so many amazing, local coffee roasters in Reno- they have decided to serve Illy's coffee. Hopefully that will change in the future. A well prepared, perfectly executed meal deserves a stellar coffee to finish it off. read more

Some things were great here. The highlight was the cioppino with perfectly cooked seafood and well seasoned broth but everything was quite tasty. I also liked the decor as you felt like you were eating at someone's home. read more

This is a fun new Italian place slightly off the beaten path in Midtown on Center St. As a person who rehabs houses, I really appreciated the job they did there. It's super clean, bright and welcoming. I wish it wasn't fast casual dining style but I totally understand why (lunch crowd and tired workaholics like myself who want gourmet takeout). I'll just have to go on Friday for the prix fixe option! We started with a Moretti & a nice crisp Italian Rosé, Caesar salad (the real kind with Anchovies & raw egg!), Caprese salad and a nice bread selection with olive oil. For entree we had a couple rectangles of that days pizza (homemade crust with thinly sliced mortadella - this spoiled American crew missed the cheese but it was still good) and the Fried Baccala ala Livornese (Fried salted cod over a nice homemade tomato sauce). They were out of lasagne which we wanted but this was good. Finished with chocolate mousse and Tiramisu for dessert. The homemade bread and pizza base were really good - you can tell there's some magic going on there. I was planning to be really wowed. It was all very good but not shout from the rooftops stuff. I look forward to multiple more visits and the prix fixe to really get a feel for this exciting new addition to the Reno food scene! read more

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My first experience at Calafuria was about 6 months ago and it was fantastic! This time around, I was not nearly as satisfied. Having worked a fine dining Italian Restaurant for many years, I am very critical whenever you pay $20+ dollars for a plate of food. We did have a larger party, this maybe throwing a wrench in their cooking. My dish along with several other pasta dishes had un -finished pasta with overdone meat.......How hard is it to try the pasta before serving it? Other than that, the veal was awesome, duck was sub par-too much fat (Farm raised duck)-Not seared correctly. I will be giving it another try as its not fair to judge the entire restaurant off this night. Additionally a little key note for the bar tender. Measure up your wine prior to serving it, nothing worse then setting down wine glasses to see that their all different levels....... read more

I was expecting an amazing experience based on reviews and the menu which I had previewed prior to dinner. As others have stated, highly uncomfortable bench seating ( when you spend two+ hours in a restaurant, you can't expect guests to sit on a wooden bench. The food was lukewarm to almost cold in temperature and over priced for what it was. If you are going to charge 25-30 dollars for a plate of pasta, it needs to be perfect. This was not. Waitress was nice, but experience was lackluster. Then we get the final bill- 335.00! Granted that was for 5 of us but still quite a bit for what it was. We will not be back. read more

A 5-star experience all around. I chose the shrimp ceviche appetizer and the tagliatelle with beef ragu as an entree. Both were fantastic. Waiter was perfectly polite and attentive but non-intrusive. Cute small dining room in the living room of a refurbished residential home. Eat here! read more

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This restaurant exudes quaint elegance in a beautifully remodeled house right in midtown. My boyfriend and I enjoyed delicious house wines paired with the calamari appetizer, the seared duck entree, and the duck bolognese special. In my option, the duck special won out of the two. The service was spectacular, even the chefs treated us to a complimentary lemon liquor after our meal. We will be back to try more! read more

Calafuria - Seared Duck entree in back, Duck Bolognese special in front. Yum! - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

My wife and I have come here for both dinner and brunch on several occasions and I'm getting confused. The food is fairly good. The service generally good as well but can be a bit slow if they are busy. HOWEVER, what is with the hours!?!? Came once 45 minutes after they were supposed to be open, and they weren't. Came again yesterday for brunch over an hour before closing and were told "oh we're closed because the chef closed the kitchen early". As we got in the car saw two other couples turned away as well. I guess they don't need the business? My wife thinks it's an absent owner/manager; I'm betting its the owners son. Either way not a good way to manage the place, but I will give them one more try before I give up on them. read more

Delicious, reasonably priced food! My husband and I enjoyed the $35 prix fixe dinner a week or two after Calafuria opened, and since then, we've been eating lunch there about once a week. Few yelpers have noted that Calafuria offers an a la carte dinner menu Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We've eaten this once and might even prefer it to the fancy weekend dinner--in part because I'm a small eater, and the prix fixe is A LOT of food. Highlights over one prix fixe dinner, one weeknight dinner, and many lunches include: --the porcini ravioli at the prix fixe dinner had the perfect texture and bite! --fantastic a la carte cheese ravioli during our weeknight dinner. Again, amazing texture! --the fried baccala at the prix fixe dinner was light and crisp! This dish (baccala with tomato sauce) can be purchased as an a la carte lunch entree. --favorite sandwiches include: zucchini, anchovy and ricotta; ham and fontina; and caprese. All very flavorful! --best bread in Reno! The only problem we have with calafuria right now is how much we want to try, all at once. This is a wonderful addition to Reno! We'll be back for dinner and lunch again soon! read more

Came for a quick drink while our grandson was taking music lesson next door. Italian chardonnay was sublime and the calamari appetizer was the best we ever had read more

Calafuria - Simple clean delicious venue - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

My daughter met all of her requirements for a masters degree in computer Science today and at her request we took her to dinner at Calafuria. At the same time, my wife and I had Calafuria on our radar of new places to dine. We begin our culinary experience with fried squash blossoms. The blossoms were well prepared and cooked to perfection and seasoned very well. However, I usually have squash blossoms stuffed with cheese or some other delectable food that compliments the blossoms. I will admit, they were my favorite part of the meal. My daughter had the Cioppino. Very small portion, limited shell fish, but it was very appealing to the taste buds. My wife had the gnocchi with pesto, and she had a very good portion and said it was delicious. I ordered the rigatoni with bulk Tuscan Sausage. It was well balanced, but too greasy. By the time I had finished my meal, I had well over a tablespoon of grease at the bottom of my bowl. Food is good with a few tweeks that may make it more appealing and palatable. My wife complained to me that her glass of Barbera wine was to acidic and was more on the vinegar side. the place was not air conditioned and while it was temperate inside the restaurant, the flies were swarming all over the clients and the food. The service was also lagging and we had more than a usual wait to get service, order drinks, pay the bill. I don't know if they can do anything about the noise level, but the inside of Calafuria is extremely noisy, that I could not hear the waitress when she announced the specials of the day. Calafuria, in midtown Reno can turn this around and be that place where one can go for a great intimate or casual Italian inspired experience. I have no problem in going back, if customer services improve. read more

We always have lovely experiences here. Some of my favorites include the caprese and the spaghetti alla chitarra, and for the entrees, the salmon and ribeye are some of the best I have ever had. It is in a cute location with a nice, cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Love it here! read more

Yum!! The starter bread is to die for and the raviolis are insanely good. Paired very well with a glass of rosé. The staff is well educated on all Italian dishes, as each plate is made with perfection. Small and quaint building/house but huge taste. You guys delivered an excellent experience, thank you! We will be back!! read more

Amazing food and a nice, cozy ambience. Italian inspired modern cusine at its best. The duck brest with mushroom infused broth is hearty and delicious! Really wonderful and inspired meal. Thanks! read more

Calafuria - Squid and lemon zest linguine - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

You could blindly pick anything on this menu and be blown way. The flavor profiles and quality of each and every item on this menu takes an immense amount of dedication. Every date night we go through a long list of choices in the area but always end up here. It doesn't get any better than this. read more

With all that is going on in the world as of late, my family and I are trying to do our best to support local restaurants. And almost 100% of the time we have so pleasantly surprised how our local eating establishments have stepped up to the plate, delivering delicious, well portioned and affordable meals. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. My daughter saw a special for yesterday....a meal kit to pick up and grill at home. What a GREAT idea. It included five homemade sausage, steak, salad bread and homemade butter. $29 bucks! What a great deal! We grilled the sausage. Then went to grill the steak and it just didn't look "right". Being forgiving, my daughter grilled it, took it off and still didn't look right. Decided to taste it. She had to spit it out, as the meat was spoiled. I smelled it and there was no doubt, it was spoiled. We are a family of very good cooks. We use quality ingredients and we know when something is spoiled. Before taking the steak off the grill, my daughter opened the homemade butter. It was absolutely rancid. Not knowing it was even butter I smelled it. I thought it was spoiled feta cheese. Fresh churned butter does not smell like spoiled cheese. I called Calafuria and explained the situation. No attitude, no anger. Just asked if we could return the spoiled food and get a refund. I was told that would be fine. We packed our dinner into the bag in which it came and drove to the restaurant to return it. Sadly we were met with arrogance and rudeness. Number one, not one person was wearing facial covering which in it self a bit disconcerting. I am assuming the young man who met us was the chef, but not the owner. His demeanor was completely out of line. He tried to explain to us that the butter is suppose to smell this way (rancid? really?). And he proceeded to dip his fingers into the butter and put it in his mouth. Fresh churned butter smells and tastes like fresh cream and goodness, not like rotten cheese. The young man proceeded to TELL us over and over that the food was not spoiled and "he was sorry we felt that way". We did not "feel" that way. We were without a doubt certain the food was spoiled. My daughter asked him to smell the steak which he said was fine. He was very argumentative, condescending and his arrogance could not have come across stronger. Yes, he gave us a refund. But this is not the point to this review. The point is, to teach your employee some humility. I understand that you may be defensive because this is your creation, but do not insult the intelligence of the people who are trying to support your business. If a customer says the food is spoiled or prepared wrong or isn't placed on the plate correctly, smile and apologize. Whether you believe or agree with the patron is not the issue. The issue is treating the people who support your business with respect. read more

See my little long checkin message . As a European Italian foodie, this is closest you can get to the real Italian feel and taste. Tim (the Chef) spend a good time of his life cooking in Italy, so the food is REAL Italian style: everything is made fresh in house, ingredients are locally sourced as much as possible, deserts are to die for and don't forget the Limoncello.... This is for sure our fav restaurant in Reno (and maybe NV) read more

Calafuria - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Calafuria was the venue I chose for my wedding and I could not have been more satisfied. Organization and help in the run-up were 100% on point, the venue itself is absolutely charming and just perfect for an intimate gathering, the food, drinks, and service were impeccable, and everyone who attended raved about it! They clearly have experience with events and certainly made mine easy and purely enjoyable. This restaurant is top notch. read more

Great service. Awesome atmosphere. Food was great. Good spot for a date night. Or good for just catching up with old friends and getting out read more

Calafuria - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Great service! We wanted to order the Prix Fixe menu, but it was not available that night for an unknown reason. I ordered the duck breast was moist and flavorful, but the skin was not rendered properly. Steak was ordered medium rare, but came out medium well; nevertheless, it was flavorful. I would try this place again because of the flavor and the service, but would not order the same two dishes. Worth a try! read more

Service not great! Red wine list very lacking. I tried each one & decided to skip it. Starters ok, beet salad, squash soup just ok not wonderful. Pasta w shrimp, good but a whole lots pasta, I had to remove half the pasta to get to the good stuff. My friends cheese ravioli was yummy, very buttery & rich. The bread was great, I wish I had more butter. The parmesan was not fresh :( Seating is tight, full it would be really loud 2 ppl $100 I dont know how but it added up The tiramisu was great!!!! I will keep looking for my GO TO italian place here in Reno read more

Waited an hour because we wanted to try the pizza. It's on the appetizer menu and they were sold out. Really?? Opted for a vegetarian pasta dish that wasn't on the menu. Very thrown together and some of the veggies were burned. Cute little place in a converted house. Host was nice. Offered us a free glass of wine because the food took so long. Our waiter - less than desirable. Won't be back. read more

I really wanted to give this place at least 4 stars, but I was torn. I've been here twice now. If you come here, stick to their house made pastas as they were delicious and fresh. I had the octopus ragu pappardelle and it was exceptional. The short rib dish was the replacement for the braised beef that night and we joked that it was more of a "long" rib; it was very tough and pretty disappointing. The ambiance is cute and quaint and the noise level was above average. Overall a decent experience and I may be willing to give it another try. read more

The kitchen was out to lunch tonight! First time, last time! So sad.... Shrimp and scallops were so salty you couldn't eat them, and asperges & onion was grilled to a crisp! Took us a half hour to get oil and vinegar for our bread and then there was only enough for two people; there were 5 of us. Bring bread - like a loaf not three fingers! They were out of Resling as well. Wine would have helped calm the storm brewing.....It took an hour to get our food! read more

Calafuria is a charming, small restaurant in Midtown. The food was good, but not exceptional. The service is attentive, but slow. This is a "commitment for the evening" type experience. Parking is available a couple streets away. No plans to return. read more

This was an awesome dining experience. Our table chose to do the tasting menu. It was so delicious from beginning to end. Everything complimented each other so well. The Porchetta was just so flavorful and delectable! read more

This place is a dazzling gem...a gem! Homemade raviolis, amazing ambiance (an actual fire in an actual fire place), and food orgasms for days. I know it's in a bit of a hidden location, but we all need to mobilize around this place to keep it alive! It's totally worth the drive, and the couple minutes it takes to find parking...so suck it up Reno peoples and get your tushes over to the BEST god damn restaurant in the city. You absolutely will not regret it! read more

I dream about this place. They have for sure stepped up their game since first opening, so if you wrote them off a few years ago I'd highly recommend trying again. I came in for my 21st birthday, and the server seemed genuinely happy for me and I received complimentary macaroons for a dessert!! I had a deliciously sweet glass of moscato, cheese ravioli, and the special fried asparagus/artichoke appetizer. If they put that app on the menu (they may have since- we ate here in January), I would be over the moon. Thank you for making my birthday so special! read more

Calafuria - Italian Near Me - Reno, Nevada

Phenomenal food and service. Duck wing (not what you think), chicken ravioli-different and best i have ever had. Now for desert, orange almond gelato, mmmmmmm. You definitely need to try this place if you haven't yet. And Justin rocks! read more

Not worth the price. I was not particularly impressed with the service, ambiance or the pasta. For a minimum of $20 a plate you can sit uncomfortably at a picnic table and get mediocre service. I was excited to splurge for a night to try this place, but was sadly disappointed. I feel like I could have got a bigger, better portion at Mama Casale's or Lanza's for the same cost. This modern style Italian fare needs work. read more

I don't know why we took so long to come here! My husband and I came here last Thursday evening and we didn't have a reservation so we sat at the bar which I was very happy with since they have the open kitchen! I ordered the sparkling Rose and my husband had a Cab and both were lovely. We started with the Bruschetta and it was one of our favorites! It's piled with a ton of fresh and tomatoes and omg it was so delicious. I had the cheese ravioli in the mushroom sauce and my husband had the chicken ravioli in prosciutto broth, both were great. We ended the night with some Tiramisu and Port! We will absolutely be back and hope we have Michele as our waiter again! He was fantastic, gave us great insight into the food and, being from France, gave us some great travel tips! I love having a waiter that takes the time to talk to you instead of just taking your order and running off. read more

Wow what a pleasant surprise! Found on accident walking thru midtown headed to a different restaurant, noticed the Tuscan sign and decided on a delicious Italian tasting dinner! Inexpensive, classy and authentic we will definitely return to enjoy this fresh local food again! read more

The best Italian food,hands down, in Reno! Calafuria truly understands the love and relationship we should all have with food. The simplicity and flavor of the food here will have you feeling like you are having a meal in Italy. Plus to top it all off the atmosphere and quaintness of the restaurant, which used to be an old home, makes it feel warm, welcoming, and just perfect. I recommend taking your time with a meal here, and having every course (it's well worth the splurge) and a bottle of carefully selected wine. No other place offers this kind of experience except maybe Italy it's self. read more

Started with the ceviche special-some of the best device I've ever had! Pasta was terrific-cooked al dente and not oversauced. Only issue was our pawns cotta-flavor was great, but was not quite properly set. Didn't stop us from eating the whole thing though! We will be back! read more