Gioia Cafe & Bar is always a great choice, but this was my first time checking out the rooftop with a friend, and it was such a great experience! Our server, Kervin, was absolutely wonderful. He was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and made us feel welcome from the moment we sat down. His calm demeanor and genuine smile really stood out and made our visit even more enjoyable. The rooftop ambiance was perfect. It wasn't overly noisy, so we could actually relax and have a conversation. I also appreciated how thoughtful the staff was with the shades--they kept them down while the sun was out to keep everyone comfortable, and once the sun went down, they raised them so everyone could enjoy the beautiful view. The drinks were good, although I think they could've been a little stronger. The pizza, on the other hand, was delicious and definitely something I'd order again. If you're planning to sit on the rooftop, keep in mind that it's first come, first served, so get there early if you want a good spot. Overall, I had a fantastic time and will definitely be back. Highly recommend checking out the rooftop if you haven't already! read more

Was disappointed - it was a 10 minute wait for a slice so I ordered a scoop of ice cream 15 minutes later they forgot to put the pizza sliced order in they refunded the price of a slice, but not the ice cream I had while waiting for the pizza slice for which they never put the order in. It would've been a great gesture to offer a refund on the Ice cream as well because I really only got it because I was waiting for the pizza. That said the kid work in the counter was working her ass off but somebody backstage forgot about me and was disappointed to Manager didn't offer more to rectify the situation. - I never give a one star review, but wish I could here read more

Very nice gelato. We got a vanilla and the espresso flavors. I added dark chocolate chunk = dark chocolate chips. I spent about $16 for a small and a large. read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - Outside - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

A wonderful place to get your Italian food fix on in New Haven. Wonderful cocktails and service as well. Had the chef's nightly special with has app/ entree/ dessert-- all very well done and very tasty. Casual place to enjoy a great meal read more

Overpriced for small drinks filled with ice and overpriced food. I'm sure there are many people who love the choices on the menu, but it wasn't for me. I am a foodie and go out multiple times per week. I eat out often in New Haven and spent many times eating dinner in the Bronx and Philadelphia. I'm sure this restaurant has attraction for many, especially the roof deck; however, I won't be back. The 2% charge for the kitchen staff as a tip really turned me off. Perhaps the owners should pay a living wage so customers don't have to tip the kitchen staff for doing their job. I had the squash for $22 my friend had the shrimp scampi. The squash had a lot of nice ingredients in it however way overpriced for what you got. That was listed as an entrée for dinner. Many plates are probably best to share. The focaccia was probably some of the best I have had and the olive oil was an A++! It was awesome and I should have purchased some to take home. It was smooth and flavorful !!!!!! I wish for two people I got more than 3 very small pieces of focaccia. There was nothing on the menu that really turned me on however let's be real. that is an individual preference, but I would suggest looking at the menu prior to going to the restaurant. The restaurant had a good crowd midweek which speaks to them doing a lot right. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about GIOIA! We hosted both our rehearsal dinner and welcome party here, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations. We started with an incredible, intimate rehearsal dinner in the Market, followed by a larger welcome party for 100 guests on the rooftop. Both spaces were absolutely beautiful and provided the perfect atmosphere for such a special night! the food is PHENOMENAL. out of this world, and very farm to table with rotating menu What truly made the experience exceptional was the staff. Alex, the manager, worked closely with us for months leading up to the event and was consistently responsive, accommodating, and an absolute pleasure to work with. The service on the night itself was remarkable, thanks to bar manager Zeus and his incredible team, especially Christian. They went above and beyond to make sure everything ran seamlessly and that our guests were taken care of. From the planning process to the final moments of the evening, everything was executed beautifully. We are so grateful to the entire GIOIA team for making our wedding weekend kickoff so memorable. We could not recommend them more highly for a private event or celebration! read more

Beautiful restaurant! The service and meal were great! The mussels have a light, yet flavorful creole sauce. The bread was fluffy and a great vessel of consuming more of that sauce. The crispy skin salmon was great as wells. The salmon was definitely not dry and paired well with the sauce. read more

See all

First thing first, hands down the best gelato I've ever have in the U.S!! The gelato is so silky smooth, creamy, and packed with flavor! They have really unique gelato flavors to choose from. I'm truly in love with their desserts (I probably go too often haha). Definitely the best desserts I've had in this area! My go to desserts are the almond torta cake and their seasonal sticky toffee pudding cake with warm caramel sauce (tastes just like the sticky toffee pudding I had in London). I've been to Gioia a few times (mostly for desserts) but I thoroughly enjoyed my brunch experience here. The decor has an elegant feel and the overall ambience is impeccable. The glassware they use for brunch is straight from Italy and so beautiful! read more

See all

We ate at the bar and everything was excellent except the bartender. He incorrectly told us the pasta ragu was not available and would be a vegetarian dish but then flip flopped saying it was available as a meat dish. He was inexperienced and cared more about chit chatting with the other servers than tending to us. Despite that, the food was 5 stars! Carrot appetizer stellar, pasta with chickpeas off the hook and modified ragu with meat excellent. Kudos to the gracious chef who told us if he can make any change, he'd be happy to do so. They make their own pasta and it's delicious! I'd have ordered the white bean soup but they were out of it, unfortunately. Mocktail list is great as is the dessert selection. Unfortunately we were too full to order dessert. Next time for sure. Space is lovely as is the Italian market. This is a great addition to Wooster Street! read more

See all

We enjoyed a delicious brunch with excellent fast service, hot coffee and a lovely atmosphere. For the Eggs Benedict they used prosciutto which was a nice touch. The breakfast sandwich had kale in it which I enjoyed. My son has been there before and enjoyed the rooftop, but there was a special event up there so we ate indoors. A perfect brunch before exploring the Yale Art Museum. read more

See all

What a lovely place for Sunday brunch! Beautiful rooftop dining or in the restaurant with a full service bar. Food was exceptional. We had the margherita Sicilian pizza, shashuka, cacio peppe scrambled eggs, beet salad, rigatoni carbonara. All the dishes were delicious. Be sure to ask for the homemade jam with the toast. Ours was a peach jam and it was so good. Be sure to visit the Italian market next door and also the gelato stand around the corner! read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - Shashuka, beet salad - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

See all

Pronounced Joy*ah, was a great date night spot for my girlfriend and I for the first night in town. Rooftop had a had nice decor with an outdoorsy ambiance with music playing in the background. Bartenders were great, food was enjoyable to share. Overall a great experience. read more

See all

Gioia is a multi-use Italian eatery that opened in New Haven, Connecticut in October 2023. It was founded by a partnership between restaurateurs Tim Cabral & Avi Shapiro and contractors Anthony & Gerard Bianco. Cabral is one of the owners of the cocktail bar Ordinary while Shapiro was the chef and owner behind ROÌA before it closed. The two met at a restaurant in 2011 and soon became great friends. After COVID happened, and ROÌA shut down, the two started brainstorming about a new culinary project that they could work on together. After acquiring a space on Wooster Street that was previously home to Tony & Lucille's, the partners set to work on a culinary vision that was new to the neighborhood and New Haven as a whole. It functions as an Italian restaurant, cocktail bar, rooftop bar, gelateria, and specialty market. The space was dubbed "Gioia", which is Italian for "joy". My family and I recently stopped for dinner at Gioia. A spacious dining room encompasses most of the ground floor, while a seasonal rooftop cocktail bar fills up the second floor. To drink, I ordered the "Black Manhattan" (Old Overholt rye, Foro Amaro, 1757 Torino, Luxardo cherry, Liberation Unholy Mole bitters) from the bar. This was my kind of cocktail! For food, we decided to order multiple plates for the whole table to share. We all enjoyed the "Crispy Potato" (salsa verde, aioli), "Butternut Squash Ravioli" (brown butter, fried sage, hazelnut breadcrumb, parm), "Margherita Square Pizza" (tomato, bocconcini, basil), and "Goat Cheese Square Pizza" (truffled ricotta, parm, red onion, pistachio, honey). While we waited for our food to arrive, my older son and I explored the market, which is stocked with everything from housemade pastas to sauces and Italian provisions. We were interested in some gelato for dessert, but our server informed us that there was a better selection if we went outside and ordered from the gelato window directly. Collectively, the delicious flavors that we sampled were "Vanilla", "Vanilla/Chocolate", "Strawberry", and "Caramel Apple". We thoroughly enjoyed every dish that we sampled from our experience and the staff were lovely. We look forward to returning! read more

See all

Gioia is such a great local spot with good vibes and delicious food. We came for dinner on a Saturday night with a reservation but our table wasn't ready, so we decided to sit and dine at the bar. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. - Olives ($6+) Even though I love good olive oil, I'm not a fan of olives, which I generally find too salty. However, these warm marinated olives, I loved. They weren't too strong or too salty--they were just right and are a must-try! - Farro Arancini ($13+) with fried mushroom & farro risotto, parm fonduta These fried rice balls were flavorful and tasty, but also quite filling. Maybe a bit heavy for an appetizer for 2 people, especially if you want to try a variety of dishes. - Ricotta Ravioli / S ($17+) I ordered this as my main dish and the smaller size was large enough for one person. The combination of the mushrooms and cheese was divine. - Grilled Fish ($32+) Salmon with farro salad, yogurt, harissa My boyfriend ordered this and I just had a bite, but it was a nice dish also. The only reason for the -1 star is for 2% fee for "Kitchen Share" added to our bill. Not really sure what this is for. read more

See all

What a joy to be at Gioia! This modern Italian inspired cafe and bar uses such unique ingredients and flavors. I started off with a date and walnut infused vodka mixed with a blood orange soda. I must say it was very interesting but delicious. For a salad starter we had the fennel and citrus salad as well as the gioia salad with lemon and olive oil. Both were fresh and light. For the appetizer we chose the arancini. This was made with fried mushrooms and farro risotto in a parm fonduta. This is not your typical arancini but it was absolutely amazing. My favorite was actually the entree. We shared the Wooster square Goat cheese pizza made with truffled ricotta, parm red onion, pistachio and honey. The flavors blended so beautifully. Our server was very attentive and the atmosphere was very relaxed. There was a candle lit on the table and such good vibes. I can't wait to come back and goon there rooftop! read more

See all

Came here for a 6 pm Thursday meal. The restaurant was decently busy but not crowded at all. The staff was incredibly nice, and overall the place was very cozy. The appetizers were all delicious, and the stand outs to me were the potatoes and the mussels. The potato pizza was overall was fine. Very starchy overall, rosemary heavy which I loved. I did enjoy the cream sauce on it too, it just needed a touch of salt for me I think. Overall cute place! read more

See all

Went for apps and cocktails last weekend prior to dinner reservations we had elsewhere. Wish we stayed here! The ambiance was delightful. We got there early (6pm) on a Friday night and sat at the bar until about 7:15. Our bartender Freddy was a doll and super knowledgeable. Their cocktail menu is fun and creative. I started with the Monty's Cure which was amazing. A friend had the Pera di Fuoco - to.die.for. So unassuming - spicy, crisp, sour, sweet. Everything you could want in a Fall/Winter cocktail. My husband started with a Fig Margarita - yummy but once he tried the Pera di Fuoco - he had that next. Last person in the group had the Wingman which he enjoyed. We tried 2 apps - the fried artichokes and the arancini - both out of this world. If we weren't meeting 2 friends somewhere else - we would have likely eaten dinner right at the bar. Can't wait to go back for their Christmas pop-up!! Been a while since I've rated something 5 stars. read more

I took a trip to New Haven to visit my favorite Pizza shop, and it was closed. I stopped into Gioia Cafe to grab some lunch. I ordered an Italian combo and sat outdoors to enjoy my lunch. My sandwich was good, and I will definitely return the next time that I'm in New Haven. read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

See all

We had such an incredible night at GIOIA. The service, management, atmosphere, and food (we had the crispy potatoes, caesar wedge, and the goat cheese pizza with affogato and vanilla cheesecake mousse). Seriously! I downloaded Yelp to leave a review because of the spectacular experience. I'm so glad we came tonight. read more

See all

I came here for a quick dessert while walking around the area. It was my first time visiting New Haven and a friend who studied here mentioned this was her favourite restaurant. While we had other dinner plans we made sure to stop by for a dessert. I had the chocolate-coconut and raspberry sorbettis. Both were equally refreshing with a good mix of sweet and sour flavours. I would highly recommend mixing and matching various diverse flavours as I would now come back for this pairing + to try new ones as well. read more

Fortunately it was easy to make a reservation for two for a great time slot on a Saturday night. I had a question and left a vm and received a call back from the restaurant. The staff are very nice and professional. We were seated promptly at a booth table which was cozy for a cold winter night. Our order of grilled calamari bruschetta came first but the calamari was cold and the bread was soggy in the middle. We assumed that it was ready quickly but sat for a bit before it was served. When we told our server about the calamari being cold and soggy he asked if we sent it back. This was an odd question since he was our server and came to the table after we already consumed it. We were curious who he thought we would send it back with?? Our N'duja mussels were just right. We also tried the Gioia salad and the braised lamb pappardelle - both were exquisite. For dessert we had the vanilla gelato with expresso and the best pistachio gelato that we have ever had. Overall it was an enjoyable evening with good food and service. read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - It's my Birthday celebration! - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

As a flight attendant on a private jet, I was arranging catering from Gioia for five passengers at the request of the lead passenger. I went in personally and spoke with Alex, the floor manager, who was professional and assured me the order would be ready for pickup at 2:30pm the following day. He even took my credit card information to secure the order. In the morning i happened to check my email. I read an email from Alex informing me Gioia would not be able to accommodate my request. After reading the email I did discover Alex left a voicemail at 11pm. In a time-sensitive industry like private aviation, last-minute cancellations create significant unnecessary stress and inconvenience. A follow-up text message after the voicemail would have been appropriate given the urgency and the prior commitment. I appreciate the attempt to notify me. However, once a commitment is made--especially after payment information is taken--it's critical to honor it or exhaust every reasonable effort to do so. I had even offered to compensate the kitchen staff additionally to offset any inconvenience. With a background in culinary arts and restaurant management, I was taught that it's always better to under-promise and over-deliver rather than the reverse. In hospitality, reliability is everything, and word of mouth can either strengthen or damage a business's reputation. read more

Gioia has delicious, fresh pasta dishes! They also have great cocktails & desserts. Their small plates are great to share with others so you can try a little of everything! Beautiful interior and great rooftop bar for the summer and winter! They also have their own small parking lot which is a plus on Wooster St. Service is always top notch, the staff is always very helpful! read more

See all

Went back some time ago and was just thinking about some of the best pastas I've had and Gioia is definitely one of the best spots to find a great homemade pasta! The drinks are fantastic, the pastas are fresh and the vibe is immaculate! Keep thinking about when I need to return to try another dish of theirs! read more

See all

I was unable to attend a few events at Gioia, which saddened me because it looks great. I recently had a different event on Wooster Street and I used that as an opportunity to order a cocktail. I didn't visit the rooftop bar, but I understand it's very cool. The restaurant and bar space is awesome. I asked the bartender, whose name I think was Kaylee, to make me something passionfruit flavored. Which was not in the menu. It arrived and sort of looked like a margarita in a wide circular stemmed glass. The drink was pale yellow colored. It tasted like passionfruit. Sweet but not too sweet. Very good. At least one of my friends ordered an espresso martini and liked it. Can't wait to return for a meal, gelato or more drinks. Five Stars read more

Although the rooftop was closed on this Tuesday night, we thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Jenna was great as our server tonight. I had a smoked old fashioned and everyone was wowed by the presentation. I ordered off the $39 prix fix menu - burrata salad, fettuccine shrimp fra diavolo, and the chocolate mousse. Absolutely delicious and amazing. A must-visit locale! read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - Menu - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

The food is quite different here. It gives you a flavor of Old Italy. If you are not very much familiar with Italian cuisine, I would not recommend this place to you. But if you would like to taste something different, this place is definitely for you. The service staff are very courteous and help you with any dish you would like to know more about. read more

See all

This was our second visit to Gioia. The first visit was for brunch and we loved the menu so naturally we had to return for the dinner menu. The service and ambience was wonderful all around. Plates and serving sizes are big and we had some take home for the next day. Our next visit will be for the rooftop and we can't wait! read more

See all

We celebrated my wife's 40th birthday at Gioia Cafe & Bar, and I honestly couldn't imagine a better experience. From the very first phone call about hosting a private party, the staff was responsive, helpful, and incredibly accommodating. We had a group of 23, and they set us up in the marketplace in the evening so we had our own private area -- which was perfect. The space was decorated beautifully, felt warm and special, and immediately set the tone for the night. They helped me build a family-style menu and were thoughtful about food allergies (huge appreciation for that). We did the beets, roasted chicken, salad, meatballs, cacio e pepe pasta, pizza, and dessert -- and every single dish landed. Portions were generous and perfectly paced, and everything tasted fantastic. The cocktails deserve their own shoutout -- creative, fun, and genuinely excellent. What really stood out was the service. The waitstaff was friendly, attentive, and proactive. At one point they noticed we were running low on pizza and immediately brought out more without us even asking. That kind of awareness makes such a difference, especially with a big group. Start to finish, the team made the entire night effortless and memorable. My wife had an amazing birthday, our guests were thrilled, and I couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. Could not recommend Gioia more -- if you're planning a celebration or just want a great meal with outstanding service, this is the place. read more

Have been here three times now and it's always been a really nice meal with good service. The gnocchi and pasta have always been excellent, nice cocktail menu, inventive brunch too. The chairs are not comfortable, but most restaurants seem to have terrible chairs so I won't dock them a point a for that. read more

LOVED LOVED LOVEDDD THIS SPOT! Such a great find even for a fairly new restaurant they are easily establishing themselves as a missing piece to the Italian strip that is Wooster St. I highly recommend the goat cheese wooster square pizza and the cocktails, sooo incredible! Beware it is a bit chilly indoors and the wait times can be high when it's a nice summer night like this one Lovely staff! Flavorful food! read more

See all

Gioia recently opened in the Wooster Square area and has received remarkable publicity about the owners and their new establishment. It is evident that a lot of time, energy, planning and money has been put into this restaurant, marketplace, and gelato window. As we checked out the place and strolled through all of the areas, we were surprised to find that not one employee was welcoming, helpful, or interested in anything but their telephones. Unfortunately, after the cool reception, we decided not to stay there to eat. We will possibly try again another time as many friends have been pleased with the quality of the family style dinners they ordered. The menu looked interesting and the marketplace had an outstanding selection of Italian imported goods. The gelato window is a novel idea in that area but personally I prefer Italian Ices which are available across the street. Parking was frustrating and the noise level was not conducive to a relaxing meal. read more

See all

We must have hit an off night. Our server was pleasant and attentive. The restaurant was very clean and dinnerware was authentic Italian. The food and wine were disappointing. All three plates were bland. The full size ordered was smaller than the half size. The glass of wine was not drinkable. While not charged, fairly certain they were not believing that it was not good. Either opened too long or a bad bottle. After having been recommended was a disappointment. Tried the Gelato- fun flavors- read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - Nice to choose from sparkling or still water - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

See all

Personally, I would rate it as only okay, hence the three stars in my book. The inside was nicely decorated and the cocktails were good, however I felt like the food was pretty mediocre and the menu itself is pretty limited. I'm pretty picky with Italian food and I didn't didn't get an authentic vibe at all... more like a trendy crown street restaurant trying to pretend to be authentic Italian. Also, the shared bathroom was just weird. I'm sick of being told as a woman that we have to be okay with sharing our private spaces with men. Put the politics aside and stand up for yourselves women. No, it's NOT okay! read more

Recently had a chance to check out Gioia! Here's my run down: Space: Beautiful! It was packed on a Wed night. We got lucky and there was a booth available Service: Our waitress was great. Very attentive! Wine: the wines were awful! I had a rose and kept thinking it was lukewarm because of the mouth feel. My friend had Sauvignon blanc and hated it. Switched to a Pinot Grigio and it was way too floral for me. They need to get some better wine in! Appetizers: The Star of this place. For real. We got the potatoes and the broccolini. The broccolini was so tasty and the potatoes with salad verde and aioli were out of this world. I could have eaten another bowl Pastas: We shared the gnocchi and rigatoni carbonara. They were good! Can't wait to try the butternut one next time. Entrees: Epic fail. We shared the fish. Not only was it very fishy, there were a lot of pin bones. Dessert: We shared the chocolate torte and also got a pistachio gelato. Loved the pistachio gelato! It wasn't overly sweet which was refreshing. The torte was good and olive oil gelato so creamy! Complimented it well It was a reasonably good experience. I'd probably stay away from wine and maybe just do all apps and pasta next time. Hoping they'll make some adjustments, but we will give it another go. read more

See all

Had to try this place as I wait for my pizza from Frank Pepe. Grandma Pizza slice was good . Crust was light and the chocolate coconut gelato was delicious. New Haven ,CT read more

Gioia Cafe & Bar - Pizza and chocolate coconut gelato - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

This is purely with regards to the the bar and the Friday afternoon, July 25 bartender. Avoid the bar. I have never seen anyone measure out with a shot glass a glass of wine. Basically for 3 ounces of house Pinot Grigio I was charged $13. I asked her to add club soda and she measured that out with a shot glass. I asked her why, and she said they are having a hard time getting seltzer. An astounding response. In addition, we finally got our bill and they added almost a two dollar charge to tip the kitchen staff, but we never ordered food and we only had one round of drinks because of the service read more

This place is incredible! Our server was fun, engaging and informative. The nicest thing I can say is that his mode of service completely fit the style of the place. The cocktails were really different and supremely flavorful. The pear margarita was a 1 out of 10! We split a lot of dishes. Highlights were the delicata squash, perhaps the best vegan dish I have ever had, and the fennel salad. I can't wait to return and try some of the other amazing dishes on the menu. Pro tip: get dessert! Both the pastries and gelato are made in house. They are not to be missed! By the way: lots of on street parking on the adjacent side street. read more

See all

My first issue with this restaurant is the noise level. There were four of us - I needed to almost yell to the person next to me and talking to the person across from me was very difficult. The prices were a bit high but that's to be expected these days. Almost no traditional Italian fishes on the menu, but I guess they're trying to be different compared to the numerous other Italian restaurants on the street. My gnocchi dish was oily without much flavor. We also ordered the Banzai fish special to share and it too didn't have much flavor. I'd give this place another chance if it weren't for the noise level. read more

I really enjoyed the ambiance of Gioia as well as the very friendly staff! I have heard great things about the rooftop bar but I didn't personally get a chance to go up there. The appetizers were amazing. I'm not a big beets fan but I finished one whole bowl of the whipped ricotta and beets appetizer. The broccolini was also amazing. For the drinks, I tried a gin&tonic and a tequila based drink, both were great. I tried a non-alcoholic tamarind sour and it was SO good! For the main course, I enjoyed the pasta and the salmon. I did not try the chicken, but everything was good. I was less impressed by the main course than the appetizers, dessert, and the drinks. For dessert, there were tiny bite sized chocolate cakes which were very good! Highly recommend this place for an experience with big groups or a small party! read more

See all