I was looking for an Italian restaurant to go to lunch and found this place thanks to Yelp. The restaurant is hidden in a residential neighborhood, and it is extremely easy to miss, we actually missed the turn and had to drive around, but oh man! the food is really, really good! One of, if not the best Italian restaurant I have been to. I didn't care for decor as it is more old school as was the music they were playing. It wasn't busy at all the day we went for lunch, service was great, but be ready to pay for the what you're getting. I would definitely recommend, if you can find! read more

Good not great italian. You won't regret your meal but you may not remember it either

Very nice environment. I love the warm color style decoration and the music. The paintings on the walls are great. The service was very good. The server was very polite and recommended us some special dishes. The food looks good in large plates. We can only eat half of them and felt full. read more

La Vera Cucina - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

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We were there a few months ago. I couldn't believe how bad it. Wife had a seafood and pasta dish. The seafood was previously frozen, completely over cooked and dry. Tasteless. Like cardboard. My steak wasn't much better. And very expensive. I wouldn't go back if they paid me. I gave one stat because the bartender made good drinks. read more

Once again fantastic. This time we sat near the fire place and it was so wonderful. The service was excellent. The food was great, especially the Veal chop and pasta with prosciutto. Its been consistently impressive and glad to have this place nearby. read more

Nice staff(Janet was super friendly and really nice,) comfortable atmosphere, excellent food and great Long Island iced tea! Lol I loved the stuffed mushrooms! Stuffed little neck clams were awesome :) They give a nice size salad! Lamache Contadina and chicken la vera was delicious! I highly recommend this restaurant. Their prices were very reasonable! We will return! read more

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This restaurant has been a family favorite for the past couple of years. It's a go to local place for celebrating family birthdays, anniversaries etc. The food is Italian-American and definitely gut-busting. We recently came here for my aunt's birthday, although she didn't let us tell the waitstaff. So we missed out some cake with candles and a happy birthday song. We had reservations and were sat immediately. All the mains we ordered were very good. I especially liked the stuffed veal chop, the flavored oil for bread (omg I could eat buckets of it), and their angus steak. My only complaint would be that the vegetable sides that come with some of the entrees were very "meh", some sad looking broccoli and a couple of sliced carrots. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is cozy. Overall we always have a great experience here and I am enjoying working my way through their menu. read more

Tucked away in a residential area this gem was a wonderful experience and fantastic food! Service also very good. We were with a large group having a great time together and the manager made us feel very special. Bravo! Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Nice place, nice outside patio seating. Service is a bit choppy, took a long time to be greeted by out waitress (15 minutes) other waiter couldnt care. Waitress was obviously too busy to deal with tables inside and out, our service suffered. Food was ok,a bit over priced for the quality. basically pizza place style dishes. Veal Sinatra etc....nothing local! They should take the rissoto off the menu after two attempts and two major fails they either need to train the mexican cook how to do it or remove it from the menu and the special menu. There are way better places for food, local product and value in OC. What a shame for such a nice place read more

Great service, ambiance and amazing food. My boyfriend and I come here often and we are never disappointed. I'm a customer for life! Every pasta dish is excellent, my favorite is the spinach ravioli with pink sauce. For appetizer try the baked Brie is fantastic! The prices are very reasonable, for the quality of the restaurant. read more

Had a really great experience at La Vera Cucina last night! We had our 2 year old toddler and my 83 year old Grandma with us, both of who have discerning tastes and waning patience. We still had a wonderful experience! First, we were sat outside, which was quaint and beautiful. A fresh flower bouquet adorned each table. The weather was perfect and soft Italian music classics played in the background- like Armstrong and Sinatra. The white tablecloths and napkins were clean and crisp. Once we sat down, we were greeted by our waiter. A respectfully dressed, charming older gentleman who very nicely engaged both my grandmother and my toddler in conversation. He was also very knowledgeable as he told us all about the specials, different wine pairings and more. We decided on the burrata appetizer and a couple of soups. My brother had the chicken spinach soup which he stated was amazing! I had some of my husband's generous portion of lobster bisque soup and it was one of the best I've ever had!! And I've had lobster bisque at some of the more overpriced establishments in south Florida. This was still better! And a much better value! We ended up taking some of the soup home since it was so delicious but probably could have been a meal in itself! As entrees, I had the chicken Francese, which was light and flavorful. I tasted some of my grandmother's chicken Marsala and the mushroom Flavor was out of this world! Highly recommend that dish. My brother had the pasta Quattro w artichokes and mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, which he said was awesome. My husband had the oxtail pasta which he enjoyed. We ended up taking a lot of food home since we were stuffed after having half of the portion served. Very generous portions, awesome food, impeccable service. Will def be back again when we are in town!! read more

You will not find a better place for Italian and American cuisine. I have had almost every kind of special, every kind of entree and all were excellent. It's not a "hit or miss" type of place. From their appetizers to their amazing salads and onto their entrees. Been coming here for years and it never disappoints. If the branzino is on the menu -- GET IT. I usually stick to their Chilean sea bass or their clams posillipo (white) as an entrée. Their cold antipasto is my favorite along with their calamari and clams oregano. I occasionally order pasta (clams and linguini) and their penne ala vodka is amazing. My wife gets the lasagna which never disappoints. They have this arugula salad on the menu to which they don't describe it well --- it's amazing -- it has arugula with a caprese (tomato/mozzarella & roasted red pepper) in it. I sometimes just get that as an appetizer. I've also had their filet mignon -- they cook it exactly how you want it. Mine always still has the cow bell on it. Perfection. I can't say enough good things about this place. The staff are wonderful, attentive and all have sparkly personalities (which is HUGE in the restaurant business!!!) The atmosphere has a couple of 'scenes": first there is a cozy and decorate dining room (very romantic). The second section is more casual, near the bar and very beautiful. The outside seating is just amazing as well. The place is very clean, well kept and the dining or bar experience is always super fun! This is my favorite restaurant -- even above ones in NYC. read more

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Brought my Lovely Lady for her Birthday and though the establishment was packed with a confirmation party, Billy had them put a table together in the front of the place just for us! The food was out of this world my wife had the chicken Marsala . I went for the Supa de Pesci Fra Diavlo, best ever. I will come here again and again. Pasta was cooked to perfection, when the sang Happy Birthday every employee seemed to be involved including the owner. A GREAT PLACE INDEED! read more

La Vera Cucina - Supa De Pesci Fra Diablo... - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

A cozy little spot tucked away in a residential area. Note that the address is 43 Hillside TERRACE. Don't go to Hillside Rd., Hillside Ave. or Hillside Trail, which are all different streets in Monroe. Awesome extensive menu of various preparations of meat, chicken, seafood and pasta. All delicious fresh flavorful ingredients, perfectly prepared. Wonderful attentive service. Don't miss this gem. read more

My boyfriend took me to this restaurant to celebrate my birthday. As an appetizer we tried the coconut scallops and they we're amazing, I love the way the coconut mixed with the champagne sauce, If they're serving it the day you visit, then I really recommend trying it. It's so tasty! For an entree, I had the Lamache Manache, which was good, but a previous time I had the zuppa di pesci and loved it. For dessert, we had a slice of the triple chocolate cake, which we both really enjoyed. The chocolate wasn't overpowering, and the cake was soft and not dry at all. The wait staff was helpful, friendly and courteous as well. I will be back as soon as my pocketbook can handle it! read more

My boyfriend and I found this place by accident on our way home from the Catskills. The place is delightful and a veritable treasure trove of carb laden delights. First of all their bread is amazing and totally sets the meal off to a great start. We had the grilled calamari is light but super flavorful. We had lobster ravioli and the trifecta ravioli as our mains. Both were phenomenal albeit extremely decadent. We were a little( okay a lot) underdressed for this place, we came in in spandex, hiking boots and sweatshirts. The vibe is definitely more of a special occasion place and is perfect for birthdays, holidays, or fancy date night. Regardless of being dressed like we spent the last 4 days in the woods ( we did), We were treated kindly and the service was thorough and relaxed. We will definitely stop by again after trips upstate and to Harriman, but with a change of clothes. read more

Easter meal at 1pm. Limited menu. Osso bucco with risotto was good. Steak and shrimp $40 each overcooked, sent one back, should have sent both back. Steak 2nd time was raw. Veal saltimbucca came out 5 minutes after everyone else's meal came out. On the way out of the restaurant I saw a few dishes not on the menu. I questioned the hostess who said that we had our choice of preparation. the waiter did not tell us this, which we would have ordered appetizers prepared differently. Our service was not the best. Menu too limited. I should have thought to ask. Disappointed. Not the usual experience. read more

We went to this restaurant yesterday as a recommendation. We were a party of eight. The food was decent, not great. Some of us enjoyed our meal, some did not. The service was very good until the end of the meal, hence the two star rating. We had family style appetizers, two rounds of drinks, dinner, dessert and coffee. The bill was pretty sizable to the point where it cost over $100.00 per person including a tip of about $140.00. We gave the waitress cash including her tip. She came back a few minutes later with $40.00 and said "This is your change." We were confused until it dawned on us that she thought we had stiffed her and left her only $40.00 as a tip on a sizable bill. I immediately told her that we had given her a $140.00 tip to which she replied that after the bill was satisfied there was only $40.00 left. She proceeded to go and get the money that we gave her and counted it in front of us at the table stating again that we were short. I took the money from her and counted it and it was exactly what we had given her, a $140.00 tip. She apologized and walked away. Now it's OK to make a counting mistake, but that's not exactly what happened here. She came back to our table to call us out for not tipping her better and then she was embarrassed when she was proven wrong. If you're going to call out one of your tables for something like that you better be damn sure that you're right. Needless to say, I will not be going back again. P.S. Be careful about ordering any of the specials without asking what they cost. I ordered a steak from the menu and the waitress tried to talk me into the porterhouse steak. Having been burned before I asked what it cost and she told me that it was $68.00. That's the price you pay for steak in a fancy steak house, not La Vera Cucina. read more

Fantastic! My husband took me to La Vera Cucina for my birthday this past Sunday. The meal was outstanding, the service was outstanding! I can't wait to go back. Had the fried calamari for appetizer and the chicken parm for my entree, it was perfect. I loved the dessert tray they bring out for you to choose from and so many desserts! Everyone was so personable and I loved the ambiance. read more

Where should I start? So yes its Mother's Day and yes it's the busiest day in restaurants. But the service at this establishment was terrible. I know the staff was stressed because it was so busy, but arguing with customers is completely unnecessary as well as arguing with eachother in front of customers. We waited over an hour for our meals- and when asking about it - the rude attitude from our server was unbelievable. Listen I get it, it's a busy night but please just own up to your mistakes and then your customers may not be so unhappy. Do not recommend and will not return to this restaurant. read more

After hearing how great the food is from reviews I decided to take my husband and kids to celebrate Father's Day. What a disappointment. We waited close to 2 hours for our dinner. Our kids were hungry and sleepy. I was even more disappointed when we received our food. The rice was under cooked and very salty. The topping on my chicken was salty. My husband as well was disappointed. Needless to say we won't be returning. Waste of time and money. read more

Where do I start? First, I will say, even though the restaurant was packed we were seated immediately. After that it was a night mare. We were seated at 7:15. At 7:40 we finally had a waitress come to us to take our drink orders. Being that it had been 25 minutes we also ordered our food along with our drinks. One salad was brought out about 15 minutes later. One drink came about 5 minutes after that salad and only because the waitress made the drink herself. We were told your food is coming out. 10 minutes after that the waitress came over and asked myself and the third guest what kind of salad dressing we wanted. This was 15 minutes after one guest had received their salad. We felt like it was a stall tactic. Fast forward to 8:40 and one hour after placing our order we asked for the owner to come to our table. He apologized and said let me check 30 seconds. He left and came back and said please be patient, I'm short staffed. We realize it's hard to find workers. The problem was salads being brought out in different shifts, being told multiple times that our orders were coming out, and never being told when our food was really going to come out. We told them to cancel out orders and we would pay for our drinks and salads. Magically our food came out 2 minutes later. I had the ravioli and it was a bit chewy on the outside and way too salty. The owner came back several times once we got our food and made a big show out of apologizing multiple times. It became irritating. Just leave us alone to eat in peace. I heard other customers complaining about no one taking their orders. I believe one waitress was serving the entire room. We don't hold it against her. She was phenomenal considering she was the only waitress for approximately 18 tables. I would not work where I was expected to wait 18 tables with no help from management. Will not return. read more

An epic failure! We booked a table for Christmas Eve a month in advance then I called a week prior to confirm and I received a call on the 23rd asking if we were still joining them for dinner. Well first of , not once during the reservation process were we informed that is was going to be a limited set menu. Secondly we arrived 15 minutes early to find people lined up out the door. Once a worked my way to the hostess she informed me that it would be a 1/2 hour wait for our table. I asked to see the menu and she could not offer me a copy. Thirdly once we were finally shown to our table did we find out it was a seafood only fixed menu and very limited. We decided to go else where and informed the owner who could not have cared that we were disappointed. So. That will be the last time we spend our hard earned money in that establishment. read more

Went last night for my gf birthday. Weather was horrible but they were still open. Haven't been there in a long time but it felt like I stepped in to an old Italian villa. The atmosphere was awesome! Food was phenomenal!! And the staff was on point! The chef even came out to talk to us and ask us about our experience! Will def be back! read more

We were a large party of 23, who order plan B at $35 per person. We were offered family style anti pasta at an additional cost of $400. Which the head waiter Beka, picked all the dishes. Next issue was the continuous pouring of bottled wine at $40 each, we questioned how many bottles he had poured he stated 9. We instructed him to stop this he stated, "this is how we do it here, I am a salesman". Since alcohol was not included and we were not even given an option of wines to choose from. Again this waiter over sells! The open bar bill we received was $388. We asked for the owner Alex, the response was he is not available he is at the pizza shop down the road. We spoke on the phone he only offered to take one anti pasta off the bill $70. We informed him that would not work. Alex stated ,"I will be right over and I am going to call the police." After 20 minutes, no one came, the waiter came out with a bill crediting his tip $200 off the bill. Needless to say the experience was horrible! Plus the food was not good...iceberg lettuce with coated with dressing. The chicken was deep fried with a strange red sauce with black olives and the mashed potatoes were instant. Yuck! Plus we supplied our own cake...lesson here never going back! read more

Vera Cucina knows the formula . . . Excellent Food + Exquisite Ambiance + Attentive Service = Stellar Dining Experience My family and I have frequented this lovely dining establishment for years for special occasions and family dinners. Vera Cucina never fails to impress us. A few of my favorites are the Chicken Bolognese with homemade tricolor pasta, chicken scarpariello, spinach and artichoke dip, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp scampi and as for dessert . . . get ready to have your mind blown all over your face with the fresh homemade strawberry shortcake and hold on to your socks if you decide to do battle with The Naplolean. read more

Good, authentic Italian! Love it! I can bring my Dad here and he's a real Italian and SUPER picky about his Italian food! read more

Great Italian dining. A lot of homemade dishes that are delicious. Best House dressing for a salad I have ever had. Sometimes I go just for that. read more

This is the second time I've been to this restaurant. I was having a horrible day from my job and my so called shitty life. As I was passing by Monroe I was wondering where to eat and I remembered about this place. I went in on a Wednesday night and saw that there were two tables sitting outside so I decided to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather while I dine. As I sat wherever I liked, right by the staircase cause I was tired, the garçon (the male waiter) came up right away and asked if I wanted something to drink and explained the specials with enthusiasm. After he was done I told him that I needed some time to decide because a lot of things sounded very good. It did take me a good 20 minutes to decide and the waiter was patience with me. I ordered the hot appetizer sampler. Some spinach and tortellini soup and the pasta basilico. Each one was brought out at appropriate times after I was done with the dish before. I would say 15 minute wait after each one. Which is perfect timing cause it lets me savor that dish. At times it did look like gentleman was tied up with other clients so two gracious women stepped in to either bring a dish, fill my water, or just ask how everything was. Dessert and coffee was the splendid service. As I left with some food I noticed that all the negativity of the day that transpired had lifted and it was thanks to the great food and wonderful staff. I will definitely be back hopefully sooner rather than later. read more

La Vera Cucina - After I tried to finish but couldn't since it was so much food!! - Italian Near Me - Monroe, New York

I've noticed some mixed reviews for La Vera Cucina on yelp, but my family and I have never experienced the service issues that seem to be popping up in the reviews. My family, long term residents of Orange County, who transplanted from manhattan about 20 years ago love the place, as do I. The food is NYC quality (but also pretty close to NYC prices), and the restaurant itself, situated in a residential area, is very charming. The dining area has a very homely feel, it's comfortable, the staff is very attentive, and I find the menu offers a good breadth of Italian-American staples. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to close friends and colleagues. It offers a unique opportunity to enjoy high quality food in a comfortable atmosphere well north of NYC. Do make reservations before you go, the crowd size is going to be hit or miss and is difficult to predict. People come from all over the county to eat there, and it isn't worth the risk of a long wait prior to beginning your meal. read more

Love this place! The dipping oil is to die for - pls share the recipe or marketed it for sale. And the crab cake entree is my favorite. I high recommend read more

I was there Sunday night and was so disappointed. This is one of my favorite restaurants and in Monroe area there aren't many I love! I ordered a dish and when it came I noticed the sauce was a Marsala but looked like dishwater and tasted pretty bad. I must admit I thought it was in a garlic white sauce not a Marsala sauce so I take the blame for ordering wrong. The head waiter came over and I told him I didn't like it and he said that's the way it comes. Okay, my fault, I understand. However, if the owner, Alex, was there he would have replaced it with something that looked and tasted better! This place is pricey and for two expect to pay close to $100 with one drink, one dessert, tip and Tax. Not going back soon! read more

Omg I wish I could give this place 6 stars!! I was always a regular at the tallman location which is closed I've been here maybe half a dozen times. The food is TOP NOTCH. This is my favorite Italian restaurant (and that's coming from someone who's been to a lot of Italian restaurants and is picky). The chicken franchise is DEADLY good. lasagna ristorante in NYC which outta be ashamed of them self would be put out of business any day by this place. The prices are cheap for the quality and quantity. The service is excellent and the old living room style atmosphere makes u feel at home. This is probably one of the very few traditional Italian ristorantes left in the area and should be a model to be followed by for other restaurants. The 35 minute drive it takes for us is well worth it! read more

I have been going to LA Vera Cuchina for years. I can honestly say that I've never had a bad meal there. Their meals are large and delicious! The service is exceptional, especially Jamie. He knows his stuff and is so personable. Try any of the dishes and you'll be very happy! ! Going into this restaurant is like being part of a family. read more

It was my nephews birthday party, I have to tell you ,worst experince of my life. We were a party of 12. Had resaverations for 6 pm. We sat down, the waitress was really nice. Took our orders for the appertizers. Only two people ordered. That took 20 minutes. Then she took out orders. We waited and hour and a half for the food to hit the table. We had three children with us. So you could imagine. We all got our food but my nephew. He ordered steak. That took a little longer. Most of us ordered only salads and fired calamari. And the kids had pasta.. I don't get it. Then we wanted the checks split up. I get it that's was kinda ruff on our part... But what that took just to get the check was an hour after everybody finished eating. So we brought a cake outside to bring so we could sing happy birthday. That wasn't aloud... It was nice of them to put it in the refrigerator since we couldn't have it. The whole experince took till 8:55pm. Till we all got to leave. By the time time food came we were all starving. But here's the real kicker.. The food was out of this world... It was great... They really put that old saying to test... Some things are worth waiting for.... I won't wait again.... Never again..... read more

Delicious Italian cuisine. Authentic atmosphere and good service! Make a reservation.

I went there for lunch with my family. Atmosphere and decor are very nice Service was very good but food was fair. I had linguine with shrimp marinara. The pasta was not properly cooked, as if it sat in strainer too long then served a bit hardened. The shrimp were border line spoiled, and tasted like iodine. My family's meal which was better than mine (cheeseburger and salmon) but were only average. read more

So delicious as usual. They're daily specials are always amazing as well as their regular menu. Owners are amazing and personable A++++ read more

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Me and my fiancé came here before we were engaged for our anniversary. I have managed a few restaurants so I know good service and food. It was absolutely amazing all around. It was during the week and we were one of the only people in the restaurant. The server was so good we gave him about a 35% tip. The pasta was made in house, the seafood was fresh, the wine was phenomenal, and the dessert: just wow. We went last night and to start the hostess was very rude and unwelcoming. Sat us and didn't say anything and no smile at all. She seated us right next to the bar and it was extremely loud. The other waiters were making fun of the bartender and telling her that she was overreacting when there was a full house and she only had a barback to help her. We waited 20 mins to even get greeted by our waiter who was absent for most of the night. Another waitress and bread and water boy was more attentive than our own. She had 4 tables and one table she had was a table of at least 8. My fiancé ordered the surf and turf like last time and the lobster was very small. But the beef was tender and was a huge amount of beef. It was cooked to perfection. My food on the other hand was appalling. I had the seafood tarallucci.... it was gross. The sauce wasn't seasoned enough, there was barely any seafood in the enormously shaped pasta lumps I received and there were brown spots inside the pasta. They claim it was homemade but whoever made it was lazy. It was mushy and tasteless like the sauce. Charging $18 for 5 pieces of pinky sized seafood is ridiculous. The pasta chunk was bigger than the size of my hand. The dessert was still breathtaking. We had tres leches and an espresso. We saw our waiter 3 times. To come to greet us, take our order and take our money. All in all, we know the only time to come here is during the week when we will absolutely have great food and service. We won't be returning during the weekend. read more

My favorite Italian Restaraunt in Monroe (orange county for that matter). they offer an extremely varied menu - Italian combinations you don't typically see. Has an Olde World charm - Oh and they give you a healthy pour!! read more