Cugini's is more than a wonderful restaurant; it's a treasure. When you need a reminder that human beings can and do create experiences worthy of artistry, it's time to visit Cugini's. Try the wood oven artichoke antipasto if you want to be amazed how much you have to say about what makes something delightful, delicious and dynamite. This amazing dish, we slowly realized, must have been marinated, steamed, AND grilled to lock flavors in that fully. The service is just as worthy of celebrating as the food. I'm not a frequent flyer in high-end restaurants, but Angel is my favorite waiter in Berkeley. Genuinely glad to see me when I arrive, Angel remembers me after a long absence and never fails to make us feel welcome and excited to sit in his care. Cuginis' -- a place to bring long-separated friends. read more

I remember liking the food I ordered from here in the past, but this time I ordered the fettuccine alfredo and it was just ok. The service was good, and the restaurant was nice and quiet. read more

I just had the best Cobb salad They ever made. I had it delivered ,it was full of tender roasted chicken , egg, avocados,yummy bacon ans delicious dressing read more

Cugini Restaurant will always have my heart. I love frequenting Solano Ave. in Berkeley and with the recent Solano Stroll, it was so exciting to see the entire Solano Ave. shut down and filled with life. So many families, businesses, and community moments celebrating local. Cugini offered Al fresco dining for the stroll and it was really great to be able to sit outside, people watch, enjoy the festival, while having a delicious (and special) lunch spread. The staff was truly amazing on such a busy day and ensured everything was set for our little to enjoy their time as well. We ordered a few house margaritas drink-wise, and the Fritti Plate, Homemade Meatball, and Classic Caesar to start. We also ordered one of each personal pizza options including the Margherita, Pepperoni, Sausage, and Patete (potato). Everything came incredibly timely and efficient. The homemade meatball presentation was unique and created table fun (and photos), the Caesar was crisp and fresh, and the pizzas were absolutely perfect. Crisp, flavorful, and just the right amount of food. In the Fritti Plate, there were churros, a fun surprise for a nice way to end the meal. Overall, would love to come back for lunch or dinner here. Fair pricing, outside of the stroll there is typically metered parking on Solano, and great energy. We can't wait to come back! read more

Cugini Restaurant - Patate Pizza - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

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They are wonderful! Really attentive with the customers. Super nice and sweet. The environment is wonderful as well. It's always a great experience coming back ! (: read more

Great food , service is great staff is super welcoming and nice overall good vibes, good environment , drinks are amazing would highly recommend coming here 5 stars for me !! read more

Located on the popular destination known as Solano Ave in Albany. Parking can be scarce but there's plenty of street parking available on the side roads, if necessary. The decor is golden era film poster style pictures and simple table seating. Dim lighting and casual attire. I've been here a handful of times now and haven't been let down yet. This last experience, I ordered the risotto with scallops but they ran out of scallops so I requested prawns instead. The grill on the prawns was exceptional and the risotto wasn't bad at all.. one of the members in our party ordered the salmon dish and had zero complaints. The only thing I can mention that wasn't ideal to the evening was the seafood penne was a bit chewy/overcooked. They may have threw the seafood in too early resulting in the mishap but i won't take a star away. We actually had 2 orders of the penne that were identically over. Our lovely waitress took it off of the bill and gave a sincere apology. She offered us to order something else being that the plates were nearly untouched. Our night was coming to an end so we just paid the tab and went on our way. We made sure to let our waitress know that we will definitely be frequenting this place again and we understand that it wasn't her fault. Things happen and we enjoy this restaurant.. read more

Cugini Restaurant - They ran out of scallops risotto so I subbed for prawns - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

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The service was terrible. People who came 15 minutes after us got their pasta before us. If the food we ordered was a dish that takes longer to prepare, they should have let us know before hand. The crabcakes appetizer took 20 minutes to bring out, and it was probably the only good thing on the menu. We waited another 20 minutes for the main dishes. My husband's linguine clams was sitting in sauce, and it tasted like wine instead of red sauce. I ordered scallops risotto, it was awful. It had no sauce, no flavor, and it was mushy paste. My scallops were brown and looked like they were deep fried instead of being seared in a pan. Trader Joes Scallop Risotto is a 10 compared to this place: at least it has flavor. The food I had Cugini was the worst Italian food I ever had and the waiter was terrible. The bartender gave better service and we didn't even order drinks. This place is over priced and the food is not worthy of the wait. We will see what our chickens have to say about the leftovers. read more

Cugini Restaurant - Risotto - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

Ordered their calzone this evening and it was barely edible. Way too salty and they forgot to add the sausage. We come here often and it just seems like the quality of the food is so inconsistent. Kind of hit or miss. read more

Solid Italian with nice ambiance and friendly service. Good wine selection. Really liked the garlic bread.

Tried to call on MLK weekend to make a reservation to have dinner. No answer. Website said they are open but called and called no answer. Oh well. Found another place to go to. read more

The food, ambiance and service is second to none. Jenny and I have had most of what Cugini has on their menu. We have never had a bad meal. Armando and Becka are always at their best, making you feel at home. Stephanie, Mia, Angel, Marco and Jesus work as a team in making sure all of their guests are taken care of. Thank you Armamdo for making the best Martinis in town. Simply fabulous place. Love you guys. read more

Cugini Restaurant - Armando makes the ultimate Martinis. Grey Goose and a tad dirty. Shaken like hell. - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

Really quaint neighborhood Italian restaurant in Albany! This was a nice discovery we stumbled upon for date night. Solano Ave is always full of gems and this is one of them. Friendly attentive service. Cozy atmosphere. And delicious Italian eats and drinks. This is the spot you need to go to next! read more

Food is terrible, servers are unfriendly, and they are lying. I asked for a dish that was on the menu, but they brought me a different dish. When I complained, they brought me another menu, claiming that I had pointed at something different. This place is pure robbery. Worse restaurant on Solano, worse Italian ever. This place should be closed. read more

We admit, we were wrong! After having avoided Cugini, for, I don't know, 25 years, my husband and I had dinner at Cugini last night. Dinner was great. The service was great. We will go back very soon. (I don't know why we took against the restaurant to begin with, so that doesn't matter here.) To begin with our waiter was sweet, kind, careful. He took good care of us. In addition we were impressed with the menu, a lot of the standards, yes, but some things that we haven't seen in most Italian restaurants around Berkeley, and it does look like it's a neighborhood restaurant. Several customers came in while we were there who were known to the staff and welcome to warmly. My husband ordered linguine with clams, he was so happy! The linguini had more than two dozen clams, which is a lot, and a lovely broth with just a hint of heat in it. He was surprised and pleased by the number of clams, and the slight taste of chili flakes. He ate it all. I ordered canneloni. It was a a big flavorful pasta with a really yummy sauce. What I couldn't finish my beloved did. We also ordered garlic bread. The bread was tasty, cheesy, garlicky, delicious. In addition it wasn't hard and dry like you get in so many other places. So, we will go back soon. Happy to find a new neighborhood place to have dinner. read more

We were a party of five, and we arrived around 4:00 p.m. for a late lunch, and the restaurant was completely empty. When we walked in, a heavyset man standing at the door looked irritated that we were there and treated us like an inconvenience. He offered no greeting and immediately asked if we had reservations. When we said no, he reluctantly seated us and literally tossed the menus onto the table. It took quite some time before our order was taken, and when the food finally arrived, parts of the order were incorrect. That said, the food itself was excellent and genuinely delicious. We later noticed there is a mandatory 20% gratuity added for parties of five or more, which felt especially frustrating given the level of service we received. While the food was the highlight of the visit, the poor service completely overshadowed the experience, and unfortunately, we won't be going back. read more

Quaint Italian restaurant on Solano Ave. we were seated quickly but the the remainder of the service was a bit slow and it was not that busy on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was a bit noisy, so not a great place for conversation. The food was good, nice size portions. They brought fresh bread with balsamic and olive oil. I would for sure come back read more

Cugini Restaurant - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

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I loved this place the food was delicious, the flavor was immaculate. It was our first time here and the service was perfect everybody was so nice and welcoming! Ambiance was really nice on this sunny day they have window seats and outdoor seating and it's just beautiful enjoying the breeze. The drinks we ordered were delicious as well really nice restaurant, I would definitely keep coming here! read more

We placed an order on the phone and went to pick up but they forgot one dish and we had to go back. They didn't apologize for forgetting an item. read more

The food is good quality and I upgraded them to 4 stars for excellent service they offered me on my second visit.

Tasty! I ordered a pizza to dine in and it came out quickly and it was delicious. The service was excellent, and the scene was lively. It's a great little neighborhood spot. read more

We love this place. There are no shortages of pizza or Italian joints in Albany/Berkeley/Oakland, but this shop is one of our go-to's when we're there visiting family and friends, which is five or six times a year The staff are amazing. Not just with food and service, they have been really on the ball about food sensitivities. Really, the staff absolutely makes this place and the owner manager walks around and personally checks on tables and makes sure that folks are having a good time and that their food and drinks are as expected. Not a mechanical gesture. Really seems to care that you're having a good time. The wood-fired oven inside is a highlight, not just for how pretty it is but for the fantastic pizza and goodies that come out of it. Full bar and lots of adult beverages on tap. Good wine list and bartender was a hoot the last few times we've been in. The Italian dishes like the pasta and the lasagna, are exactly what you would expect from any popular neighborhood Italian restaurant, but the unexpected on their menu is what brings the fire: wood-smoked clams and ribs. You gotta try the ribs! Deserts are good too. I wish they had cookies, but that is my own food kink. Great for an intimate date on a night that your favorite sister-in-law babysits or fun for medium to large groups. For more than 4, Call ahead - need a reservation for a group because they do get busy, especially on weekends. I didn't call ahead once that's on me. Parking can be an issue, but that is not their fault, it is the nature of the beast in the Bay. Bathrooms spotless - always a good sign. read more

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The food was amazing we had such a great time there. We ordered the Raviolis, and the Cugini Pasta everything was so delicious. The service was excellent. Everyone was super sweet the hostess and our waitress were so welcoming, and super sweet. She was super helpful and gave me lots of good recommendations. The ambiance was great as well a little loud but it was pretty busy so it's understandable other than that best Italian food in the bay! read more

Good food and service. Went for a private event. Had lots of choices. I enjoyed their mixed berry salad with Gorgonzola & a light vinegarette dressing. The rib eye risotto was delicious. It had cherry tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms risotto and sliced rib eye on the top. Very filling and the portion is enough to share. Highly recommend if you're in the area. read more

The staff is friendly and the food is amazing. The crab ravioli and the bombolini desert were so good! I like the vintage posters they have decorating the place read more

I've always loved Cugini. Delicious, fresh food, fun atmosphere , bar area for cocktails or dining and attentive staff.

Food, service and ambiance always a winner here! Enjoyed the seared ahi salad. Great martinis! read more

Cugini Restaurant - Seared ahi salad - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

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Best cannelloni I've had since I arrived in California 54 years ago. I love this restaurant! Warm bread, great service, excellent ambiance.

I love this restaurant. The service is always good. The bartender and the waitress are very sweet and attentive. The food is delicious. I had the Cugini salad which has Gorgonzola on it and just the perfect amount of dressing. Gorgonzola is 50% cheese + 50% mold = 100% delicious. Such a good salad. I followed with the rigatoni, which is a favorite of mine. Yum. read more

The food here was average, one dish was a miss, the other a hit, one was meh. I ordered the mushroom burger , which was very thick, juicy and flavorful. The side of fries was also very good. That was a hit. Now for the miss. The fried calamari was not so good. It tasted like fish that was left out too long. It had a strong fishy taste, so maybe it was left in the freezer too long, or it was left out too long before frying. The Rigatoni all Calabrese was meh. It had good flavor but boy was it greasy! read more

Man....a true and blue mamma mia Italian Restaurant. No kidding, yes the meatballs did have fancy spices in them, but the overall effect is muy may excellente. And the dessert, that's the kicker on this joint the dessert plate will knock you socks off.....highly recommended. s/VH read more

Good neighborhood spot for when you're craving Italian food! Both indoor and outdoor dining options. We got the pizza special which was solid, and the seafood penne which we both really liked. Service was good and friendly. read more

Cugini Restaurant - Seafood penne - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

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The food was slightly overpriced. We ordered the bruschetta, crab ravioli, and seafood pasta. The bruschetta was okay but for $17 was not worth it. The crab ravioli was nice. $30. My date said the clams in the seafood pasta were not fresh. Another $30. Flavors of the pastas were good. A quick lunch for two turned out to be $85 plus tip. Service was good the waiter was polite but extremely soft spoken. Very hard to understand what was said. Ambiance okay. Slightly cold. read more

Lovely family-owned restaurant. Every staff member was super friendly and attentive. They have an open brick oven where you can see the chef making pizzas. They have indoor and outdoor dining and they leave windows and doors open for proper air ventilation. Bring a jacket because it can get cold. We ordered the calamari. Margherita pizza with sausage. Clams w/ linguini, the scallop pasta (special), and the manicotti. For desserts, we ordered the bomboloni (basically ice cream between a donut) and chocolate lava cake. From start to finish, everything was delicious! Everything tasted freshly made. Definitely a place worth coming back to for some Italian craving. read more

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Sub mid restaurant. Food is nothing special, service is whatever teenager they can find. Tables were sticky and gross, bathroom was beyond disgusting. Super tacky decor. Would never go again. read more

Friday date night. Called ahead and the chipper staff noted our name and party size. We initially requested to sit in the alley alongside the restaurant where we've enjoyed dinner at Cugini before however it was a little too busy in the alley for us so we opted to sit at one of the three tables along the sidewalk. The sidewalk seating was a little chilly/windy but manageable. It also got quite busy in the front with folks waiting for and picking up take out orders. Just FYI another available option is inside the restaurant which has very large windows that remains open to allow for air flow and creates sort of a hybrid indoor/outdoor space. We ordered the same appetizers as our previous visit because we enjoyed them so much. The first being the garlic bread which is full of flavor and toasted just right and the second being the baked figs stuffed with Gorgonzola which are delectable, especially with the apple slices they are served with. For drinks, I ordered my usual vodka martini here because they make it just right. My companion ordered a mixed drink - vodka/cranberry which came in a martini glass the first time around. The second time around he requested a normal glass (which is what this mixed drink normally is served in) but the waiter had a somewhat argumentative attitude and stance about it. Nonetheless, the drink did come out in a normal glass after our request. The crab raviolis are my favorite here, perfect number of raviolis, perfect filling that isn't too fishy, topped with the perfect creamy sauce. Good idea to save some of the garlic bread appetizer to dip in this sauce! My companion ordered the penne con broccoli minus the pancetta plus chicken. He loved it, particularly the bread crumb topping and the portion size which left him enough for lunch the next day. We didn't have room for dessert but surely will return for the tiramisu which looked divine! read more

Cugini Restaurant - Baked figs stuffed with Gorgonzola - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

Cugini is a great spot on Solano Ave for a nice lunch or diner. The food is consistently good and service is swift and friendly. read more

Cugini Restaurant - Salmon Salad - Italian Near Me - Albany, California

What happened to this long-time favorite restaurant? New owners! Party of 6, only 2 drinks, was $265. Took forever to get the drinks, at 5:30 on a Sunday with several empty tables. The Feliz Navidad drink was nothing special. Didn't even taste the tequila. Waiter tried hard, but owner has it severely understaffed. The expensive rib-eye must not have been a prime cut. The Spaghetti Carbonara added a nice creamy touch, but seemed missing much "guanciale" (cured pig jowl) pieces or even that flavor, and was $40. Didn't even substitute pieces of bacon. Where to go to now? read more

The food was mediocre, the service - unwelcoming and unaware. There were two cooks standing en garde in front of the woodfire oven with nothing to do but stare out at the few unserved tables. A busser wandered around picking up on tables with no one sitting at them. Our waiter casually asked after 15 awkward minutes if anyone talked to us when we said no he simply asked if we were ready to order. I ordered an antipasto plate and it came out five minutes later with jarred pickled gardiniere, a pile of peperoncinis, sliced cheese, sliced prosciutto and salami. Our mains, spaghetti bolognese and seafood penne. The pasta bolognese was overcooked but the sauce had decent flavor. The penne seafood pasta looked like soup, the sauce was watery and it was more like fishing for food in the sauce. The restaurant has the ability to be a decent neighborhood spot in a high traffic area if there was some thoughtful management of the food and service. read more

Been coming here for years, have always loved it. The food and service are typically very good, and while it can get loud when busy, the atmosphere is pleasant. Yes, the prices have always been bit high (even before the recent years' inflation) but the portions are typically generous and I've always found the total experience to be worth it. 4.5. read more