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Angeli Caffé - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
7274 Melrose AveLos Angeles, CA 90046
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
(323) 936-9086
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Vanessa M. said: "This update is still based on their pizza. It's still fkn good! &they're not tight with their condiments (If you're nice n friendly, of course)" read more »
289 reviews for Angeli Caffé
Review Highlights
"For dessert we ordered the chocolate chunk bread pudding."
(in 14 reviews)
"Butternut squash lasagna: This was also very good."
(in 14 reviews)
"Great Gnocchi and all-around great menu."
(in 103 reviews)
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289 reviews in English
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Review from Lynn C.
Updated - 1/11/2012
Good Food is one of my favorite radio shows - even if you're not in the LA area, you should definitely tune in for this weekly (free!) podcast. There's wonderful cooking tips (guess where I got the idea for breadcrumbs in salads?), interesting food topics (discover the history of the toothpick!) but mostly my reason for tuning is the dynamic, knowledgable host, chef Evan Kleiman, whose landmark restaurant is closing after 27 years. The lady herself was there to greet customers. I overheard her say, "It's like being at your own funeral."
Even with reservations, we had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated. But once we were, things moved rather quickly.
I admit, we've only been to Angeli Caffe once - and were actually a bit disappointed. However, I knew we had to give the place another shot (and a proper adieu). I consulted with some regulars for menu suggestions, including Evan Kleiman's friend, Good Food correspondent (and Pulitzer Prize winning food writer) Jonathan Gold. I listened and ordered the Polpette di Melanzane - croquettes made of roasted eggplant puree, herbs, garlic, breadcrumbs, and parmesan - plus an order of the roasted spicy marinated carrots (tons of garlic).
Every meal starts with their epic bread (video link on my food blog!) which is, essentially, an ENTIRE round of pizza dough - dense, chewy, piping hot perfection. I remembered this from our last visit and couldn't wait to tear in. EVERYONE told me to order the Gnochetti of the day - last night's was a simple ricotta, swimming in herb butter sauce. Creamy, fluffy, and light pillows of perfection. I ate a little more than my fair share.
That would have been enough food, but I felt like since this was the last supper, we needed to try their Pizza Meradona: A double pizza filled with tomato sauce and cheese - usually it comes with spinach, but they ran out, so we got it with caramelized onions instead. Yes, you read right. DOUBLE PIZZA. Two layers. Two crusts.
As we were waiting for the waitress, the runner plopped down a whole other bread on the table! Usually they charge extra for this, so we weren't going to say no - we brought a lot of dough home with us...speaking of which...I had to order their chocolate bread pudding (which I believe is ALSO made with that same pizza dough)
My husband was too full to have any, so my intention was to just eat half of it, and save the rest for later but once I started, I couldn't stop (save a few bits of whipped cream).
Needless to say, I was (and still am) stuffed with pizza dough, and thus - very, very happy. But also extremely sad. I was beyond pleased with our second Angeli experience, but realized it was our final one. Sometimes you don't know what you got til it's gone.
A dinner reservation is going to be difficult, but they are still open for lunch and takeout/delivery through Friday the 13th.
I was glad we had the opportunity to talk to Evan in person, but I will say it again - thank you so much for all your years of service, your spirit, your delicious food, and your amazing radio show. I will continue to be a fan and supporter of everything you do.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/26/2009
I was uber excited about this place, since I listen to chef-owner Evan Kleiman's public radio show… Read more »
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Review from Lys T.
Monterey Park, CA
1/9/2012
I was here last night, it was my first and last time I will ever be able to set foot into Angeli Caffe. Sadly, they are closing. Its really sad to see a restaurant with so much history and loyal customers have to close its doors due to the economic downturn.
My brother frequent this place alot..and I mean ALOT!! I've always had the privilege of enjoying Angeli's food because my brother always brings home togo orders of her Fettucine Bolognese.
We were lucky enough to get rez here last night before they close their doors forever.
First off, they have amazing piping hot bread. Crunchy on the outside, soft and hollow on the inside. I can keep eat this bread nonstop, had to stop myself from filling up on bread to eat their other delicious food. Just knowing this place will not be around anymore made the people in my party of 6 want to order everything on t he menu.
This is what we ended up having...
To start:
Ricotta Gnocchieta w/sage butter - Soft ricotta filled little balls of dough. Creamy and delicious
Antipasta plate - mixture of 3 cold sides (lemon thyme button mushrooms, green beans tossed in tomato sauce & carrots)
Calamari Fritti - there was a bit of a raw flour taste to it, with that said, I wasn't a fan
Entrees:
Tagaliata - nicely seasoned and flavored thin beef steak, soft and tender served w/roasted garlic potatoes, and steam broccoli. Dish was good but the meat was a little on the cold side.
Lasagna Bolognese -Delicious as always. Bolognese anything here at Angeli has always been good.
Linguini Vogole - linguini in a seafood broth with fresh clams
Lasagna Angeli-vegetarian version of the lasagna.
Calzone Parmigania - veggie filled calzone.
House special pizza - artichoke, sausage, carmelize onions.
By the end of our meal, we order 3 more orders of Fettucini Bolognese for old times sake with 3 orders of their wonderful fresh bake bread because we know we won't be able to taste their food again.
Overall, the food was great as always, we were able to take a pic with the chef herself. Hopefully we will see her pop up with another restaurant sometime soon. -
Review from Joseph S.
Updated - 1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
sad to see this place go. we were able to snag a ressie right before they got booked up til the end. the gnochetti was STILL on point.
thanks evan kleiman for all of your years of service :)Listed in: Jonathan Gold's 99 Things to…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/5/2011
i still think about their gnocchi w/ ricotta and sage brown butter sauce. that dish was probably one… Read more »
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Review from Joyce V.
Monterey Park, CA
1/4/2012
I did not go to Angeli Caffe in the '80's or '90's, my parents were not adventurous foodies. I've listened to Evan Kleiman on Good Food over the years on KCRW and honestly just went to Angeli Caffe recently when we were in the area. My first thought was, wow, why did we wait so long to come here? I'm not a regular but I'm still very sad to see it close because the food was delicious and the service was terrific!
Here's a previous review since we will most likely not be eating here again before the closing on Jan. 13, 2011 (all booked up until the end). : (
The piping hot bread was delicious! So good that we had to order another one even if we had to pay for it. The scallop special salad was so fresh and and the roasted garlic was amazing. My husband had the Petto di Pollo alla Griglia which he was completely happy with. I had the Fettuccine Bolognese. The noodles were so fresh and cooked al dente. The Bolonese sauce was so good that I sopped up every last bit with the bread. -
Review from Jason B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/31/2012
Better off at Galanga up the street on Santa Monica Blvd..
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Review from Jonathan K.
Saint Louis, MO
1/2/2012
Tonight I heard they were unfortunately closing next week, and I just wanted to leave my thoughts here because this place was pretty great.
It's a small and comfortable Italian restaurant with absolutely incredible bread. Seriously the bread here is so good that they charge extra after the first, because they can. The entrees are fairly good as well, and some of my favorites include the pizza al caprino, which has goat cheese, garlic, and caramelized onions (yes the pizza dough is nearly the same as the bread). Their pastas range from really good to great, and the specials are often excellent too.
The service has always been solid and the prices are quite reasonable for an Italian restaurant this good, I'm sad to see this place go. -
Review from Jill Y.
1/18/2012
Review for July 2011: Came here while waiting for my sis-in-law was getting her tattoo done at Body Electric, which is just upstairs from Angeli. Luckily, we were only a party of 2 and were able to be seated..but there was a large party and reservations. Small but nice place. Servers were helpful and attentive. The FOOD was AMAZING! Reminded me of country side Italian cafe/restaurants. Remember - QUALITY not quantity.
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Review from Marilynn L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/13/2012
Fantastic bread. Like a ball of pizza dough that's cracked and puffed in a brick oven which is exactly what it is haha. They use the same bread for their sandwiches and pizza which have both been good in my experience bit the pasta is the true star of the place. The seafood pasta is chock-full of seafood and the service has always been sweet. Sad to see it's departure as a staple Italian place in town.
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Review from Tim B.
Van Nuys, CA
12/11/2011
This is the second time I've been here and the food has been good both times. The gnocchi is real cheesy and we usually get that as an appetizer to share with the table. The two dishes I've tried are the lasagna bolognese and the risotto. Both were tasty. The fresh bread and olive oil to start the meal is a winner for me And might have had too much bread cuz I didn't finish my risotto with basil pesto. Unfortunately they didn't have the scallops that it usually comes with but the shrimps were a good substitution although I would like to try the scallop version.
All in all a great place to eat if you're in the Hollywood area. It's conveniently located across the street from Groundlings where we were headed next so a good place to eat beforehand. -
Review from Matt A.
Los Angeles, CA
11/26/2011
This is one of our go to places for "when we want pasta or italian". Evan Kleinman has put together a rare thing in Los Angeles: unpretentious, delicious, well priced food. The only other place that reminds me of this (although with a different genre of food) is Taste on Melrose. Taste is a masterful restaurant because they match composition and pairing and form with taste...no pun intended, but it is artful food without the pricetag, food prepared by people that truly love food. They understand the subtleties of pairing and texture and color with top quality ingredients. And, all for a reasonable price. I said this in my Taste review but Taste and Angelli are the type of place that you would find in cities like Minneapolis or Portland- food-centric cultures that are less pretentious than LA. Sadly, not many of them here.
Angelli is like taste. In fact, my go to is the spaghetti aglio olio with a bit of added red sauce, an off the menu creation they call "spaghetti festiva". It's simple and rustic and wonderfully done. My fiancee gets the vongle which she loves for it's clarity and how clean the flavors are- she always comments that it is so clean "you can actually taste the parsley flakes"
They have had a peach burrata with basil oil on special for the past 6 months that has been an example of why they are great- the flavor pairing is perfect (peaches and cream!!!) and the ingredients fresh with a simple and clean beauty- the basil oil cuts the cream of the burrata and the sweet of the peach. It's the kind of thing chefs like to eat after working in their michelin kitchen all night.
We also get the salad with fennel- another wonderfully light and delicious creation that sets up dinner perfectly.
You love food. So do they. Go here! -
Review from Lulu S.
Glendora, CA
12/30/2011
I love this place.
IT IS CLOSING ON JAN 8! -
Review from Wilhelmina P.
Long Beach, CA
11/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
More like 4.5 stars since some of the food was outstanding and others were just ok.
We really enjoyed the assorted antipasti platter with sauteed mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, olives and fresh mozzarella; we didn't leave anything on the plate.
One of us had the penne which was ok and another had the sausage pizza, which was good, but the Ricotta Gnocchetti in sage butter with garlic crumbs was the the dish to have--simple yet so delicious! Soft and not dense balls of goodness--the best gnocchi I've ever had.
Save room for the dessert! The tiramisu is ok but the Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding is THE dessert you must have while you're there... They make it using the bread they bake onsite into a bread pudding and add in semisweet chocolate chunks....Mmmm mmmm mmmm. -
Review from Lisa R.
Los Angeles, CA
10/26/2011
This place was terrible for catering. Wayyyy too expensive and not enough food for what you get. I've called in my order 3 times to triple check and make sure everything was okay. The day of, they forgot my $90 ravioli tray. They quickly made some ravioli and there was about 40 pieces of ravioli....so that comes out to $2 a ravioli and these raviolis are small. Basically 5 people can eat the whole thing. The food was okay, but I've definitely had better service and more food. We were hungry and broke after we ate. Also, they were not willing to work with my budget after they screwed up my order, they could have at least threw in their pathetic $90 dollar ravioli tray in for free as a "sorry we screwed up but we appreciate your business type-of-thing". I'll never get catering from here again. I don't think they are ready for Medium Catering Orders.
Opal is really nice to talk over the phone with though. -
Review from J C.
Los Angeles, CA
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Called in a made a reservation for 16!!
When we showed up they had our section ready!
The bread they gave us at the beginning was awesome, especially dipping it in the olive oil.
Beer and wine selection was good. Had a few carafes of wine.
Placed 16 orders of food and they came out in a timely manner. Service was excellent! The waitress came by often to check on our big group.
I ordered the Pizza con Salsicce, ended up sharing it with a few people. The caramelized onion, Italian sausage, fontina and sage was a great combination. It does not come with tomato sauce and I did not miss it. Each bite I took was delicious!
Everyone in the group enjoyed their food selections as well!
This dinner went very well all thanks to the service and food provided to us by Angeli Caffe!
I will be back to try some other items on the menu that caught my eye! -
Review from Megan S.
Los Angeles, CA
12/31/2011
I've eaten here many times, I hear this place is closing so I thought it was about time to leave a positive review. Chef Kathy Ternay really knows what she's doing,I always see her working away in the kitchen. I love love love the fruit tarts she makes, amongst other things. Great pizza too, the bread is amazing. So sorry to see this place go, it really is a great, homey place.
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Review from Carol L.
The STARTER BREAD is still amazing. But my newest amazing discovery is their POLPETTE DI MELANZANE. The soft crunch of breadcrumbs gives way to a piping hot center of roasted eggplant puree mixed with herbs, garlic and parmesan. These croquettes are wonderful!!! Good to share between two people, although you might not want to after you take a bite.
Listed in: Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/12/2009
This place is located in the middle of the super-busy stretch of Melrose shops so it's just a little… Read more »
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Review from Jordan P.
West Hollywood, CA
1/16/2012 Seated via OpenTable 5 Check-ins Here
Evan, we will miss you and your wonderful restaurant
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Review from Emily J.
8/8/2011
Decent enough food - annoyingly subpar service.
I wanted to like this place based on the amazing reviews I had read, and thought Angeli would be a great place for me and the bf to celebrate my new job. From the moment we walked in, things weren't looking too good.
After standing and waiting near the front register for a few minutes too many, we finally caught someone's attention and were seated....and we waited....and we waited...and waited...for like 10 minutes and NO ONE came to our table. Not to bring us water, not to bring us bread, not to take a drink order. I have never been so close to getting up and walking out of a restaurant. Finally, one of the waiters came to our table and took our drink orders and brought our bread (and didn't bother to bring us olive oil). I am throwing in an extra star because my glass of wine was gigantic...maybe it's because they felt bad for making us wait? I dunno.
I ordered the vegetable lasagna and my boyfriend ordered the gnocchetti of the night (ricotta gnocchi with butter and sage sauce). We also ordered the special appetizer of the evening, which was seared scallops with garlic cloves, olives and spices on arugula. My lasagna was so-so, the gnocchi was splendid, and the appetizer was amazing. The bread was also super delicious, as was the olive oil (which I had to steal from another table). I don't think I can recommend this place based on this experience, but it seems as though most everyone who has reviewed this place has had more positive experiences. I think I'll be searching elsewhere for good Italian food in the future... -
Review from Michael A.
Los Angeles, CA
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is basically historic by LA standards - and they're still around for very, very good reasons.
Located in an neighborhood that doesn't really mesh with their clientele, they're like an oasis in a sea of craziness to me.
The bread is pizza dough, served with great olive oil. Heavenly.
The daily gnocchi is something always worth getting. Especially if it's beet-ricotta with sage brown butter sauce.
I'm a big fan of the insalata forte, and the antipasti which changes around.
If you're hungry, you can't go wrong with the Cacciuco Livornese. The pizzas and pastas are also always great, and my wife usually orders, and loves, the daily fish.
Great beer and wine (Fin du Monde, and a zinfandel from Seghesio are my faves).
We end up here maybe once every six months, and we love it every time. -
Review from Lana T.
Los Angeles, CA
8/29/2011
This has remained a favorite place of mine since I moved here 10 years ago. The bread and pasta here is always fresh and wonderfully flavorful, the wine selection is good, and the ambience is cozy.
I don't know if they still do the family-style meals for some holidays, but I went to one Passover and one Thanksgiving when we had no other plans and they were great experiences.
Plus, Evan Kleiman is such a likeable person--a champion of good food everywhere, she has a radio show here in LA and is active on Twitter (and amazingly accessible on Twitter as well).
I am proud to have Evan and her restaurant in Los Angeles. -
Review from Tracy L.
Los Angeles, CA
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of my 3 favorite Italian restaurants in LA. That's saying a lot coming from someone who isn't too hard to please (especially when wine is involved with the food).
Their piping hot, fresh-baked bread at your table just about kills me. It almost makes me forget about the incredible antipasto platter with olive oil-infused veggies, and the tastiest eggplant. Almost.
Veggies and bread get me really excited. -
Review from Suzanne C.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2011
Best Gnocchi Ever. Light, melt in your mouth deliciousness.
Service is always charming. Evan comes around occasionally to say "hi" and is a wonderful host.
Never had a bad meal here. Definitely one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. -
Review from Joey H.
West Hollywood, CA
10/11/2011
This place has great Italian food and great table bread. The gentleman who brings out the bread makes you feel like you are in old Sicily...Table bread is a big sign of what is to come and its all good after the bread.....The appetizers are amazing. The potato croquettes and calamari are a must. For Dinner you cannot go wrong with any type of pizza...the penne arrabiata is great and their gnocchi is fantastic. This is also a great first date spot....slightly romantic vibe, not crazy overpriced, good wine and a friendly staff.
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Review from Brian K.
Los Angeles, CA
6/28/2011
It's worth coming here merely for the gnocchi. Which clearly you should get with butter-sage sauce. I ate here like a month ago still think about it. The version we got -- made with ricotta -- is one of those perfect dishes that you so rarely encounter that when you do, you have to consciously force yourself to eat slower.
Second of many reasons to come -- the bread. Fresh out of the oven. Amazing.
Not terribly fancy, sometimes too loud, but modern and comfortable. Not the cheapest place either, but everything that is brought to your table is of extremely high quality, from the freshness of the seafood (the stew is great) to the ingredients in the red sauce (over a great house lasagna).
But really, the gnocchi... I mean, geez... -
Review from Laura C.
Redondo Beach, CA
5/31/2011
Cute, quaint and clean place. The fresh baked bread that greats you mere moments from sitting down is spot on. Crispy on the outside yet soft and perfectly doughy on the inside.
Our party of 5 shared a bottle of red and a delicious Mista Salad and enjoyed their attentive service.
Our table saw 2 pizzas, 2 pastas and one appetizer plate and all were pretty tasty. It was good to see a mix of their offerings at one table so I could get a taste of it all. My order of the spinach and cheese ravioli with garlic butter was cooked al dente and was very flavorful, and pared perfectly with more of the bread loaves that kept coming.
Angeli Caffe was a good choice for a Saturday night dinner. -
Review from Alvin F.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 5/3/2011
This place is great. Finally took some friends there to celebrate a birthday. We got there on a Friday night at 7:30p and were promptly seated.
David, our waiter was amazing. The bread was amazing. The gnocchi made with the ricotta cheese and something else was like butter. So delicious.
There was a slight delay in serving the table next to us and the restaurant gave them some gnocchi on the the house. Got to love that kind of service. It wasn't even like the two guys next to us were complaining about the wait either. Nice little extra.
The only odd thing about the place is that it appears to be kind of bi-sected by these stairs that go up somewhere to the second floor to another place. The entrance is on the left with a small dining area and then the other main dinning area is in another room. One of those things you will notice as you are looking for the door.
Had a great time. More importantly my friends had a great time.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/7/2011
This is a peliminary rating because so far the customer service over the phone has been great. I… Read more »
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Review from Vinnie B.
Los Angeles, CA
7/26/2011
Skip this place and go down the block to Frankie's on Melrose.
I ordered the Penne Bolognese - it was dried penne out of a box with a pretty lousy meat sauce. Not even close to a proper Bolognese.
The wine selection is sub-par.
I will say that the bread pudding dessert was kinda awesome.
BTW - it's loud as HELL in this place. Fuggeddaboutit if you're tryin' to have a conversation with a lady.
Hit up Frankie's instead. Way better. -
Review from B S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/17/2011
Great food but small portions and pretty pricey. Tables are tiny, too.
It was OK. -
Review from Azita M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/31/2011
Two stars does seem a little harsh, but "Meh. I've experienced better" is more or less how I felt about Angeli Caffe.
I tried the Pizza con Salsicce (caramelized onion, Italian sausage, fontina, sage - $14) and the Pizza Margherita (mozzarella, basil, parmesan - $11), and both pizzas were merely okay. Honestly, they tasted pretty one-dimensional, and not terribly interesting - I didn't really taste much sage or basil or anything noteworthy. We got an order of seasonal gnocchetti (gnocchi made with ricotta instead of potatoes) for the table, and it was quite good (possibly because it was basically little balls of cheese, and I looooove cheese), but for the fact that it was about fifteen little balls of gnocchetti on a plate for $14, it was a bit of a bad deal. My friends ordered various other pizzas and dishes, and the general consensus was that all the dishes were either just alright, or good but not worth the pricetag (ahem, I'm talking to you, $24 salmon "special").
Incidentally, parking was a bit difficult to come by, the ambiance was merely okay (not horrible, but not really nice or stylish either), and the fact that they charge you for any more than one loaf of bread for the table is a little tacky. But service was attentive, and their beer and wine selection looked good too.
Not to be an asshole, but CPK serves pretty comparable (and possibly even tastier) pizzas and pastas... and they'll bring your table all the free bread you could possibly ask for. -
Review from Ryan V.
Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2011
Came here for dinner on a Friday. The service was great and our waiter was nice and friendly. The bread to start off with was delicious. We had the calamari as an appetizer which was perfectly made and a large portion for just two people. I had the linguini with shrimp and zucchini off their seasonal menu and my fiancee had their daily special gnocchi (spinach and ricotta with a lemon sage butter sauce). Both were fantastic. The atmosphere was nice and the prices were totally reasonable. I would definitely come again and recommend it!
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Review from Alison m.
West Los Angeles, CA
12/20/2011
Our "go-to" place for birthdays or when we feel like great Italian food. We usually order scamorzza (sp) - a fantastic warmed cheese that goes perfectly with their great bread. Then we share a salad, a pasta and a dessert. Makes a great dinner. Every pasta i have had there has been fantastic and we try to order the seasonal specials. Chocolate bread pudding for dessert -- double yum. You can't go wrong.
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Review from Sanam L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/18/2011
I usually don't write negative reviews but I think I owe it to everyone on Yelp to do so this time. This was the first time when I actually went to a restaurant based on Yelp reviews and was absolutely disappointed. The food was just terrible. We tried three dishes and they were all really bad. The restaurant itself is kind of cute but there's way too many tables in such small space. The service was ay OK. I definitely won't be going back here.
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Review from Brett O.
New York, NY
1/6/2011
I hate to just sit here and repeat everything everyone says--but I experience phantom taste sensations of the gnocchi when I'm away from it. It's not good gnocchi like "oh, that was really good gnocchi" it's just remarkable for food in general to be that amazing.
Had a great glass of wine too--heavyweight cabernet, that I've only ever seen there (and I'm not even really a big wino--wine generally just tastes like wine to me, but this was exceptional...i mean, I'm talking about it). -
Review from Andrew Z.
Burbank, CA
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am never in this area. Never. However upon visiting Angeli Caffe I will frequent it more often. Its a very cute, romantic place. I wouldn't recommend coming unless you were on a date, but that's just my opinion. I had the double crust pizza stuffed with spinach and I can't recommend it enough. My gf had the pesto pizza and wouldn't recommend it as much. The only reason I am rating it four stars is because the space is limited and sometimes feels claustrophobic and the small tables didn't help. Irregardless, it wont affect my decision to return.
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Review from Amy U.
3/16/2011
Meh.. I've had better.
Me and my fiance came here last night for dinner. I liked the decor and the ambiance was nice. But.. the food... was so bland....
I read the reviews and was expecting much more. I had ordered the Penne with Ricotta and Panchetta and my fiance had ordered the Gnocchi. The Gnocchi was okay.. but the sauce was terrible. It tasted like they went down the street and bought it at Ralphs. My dish was just bland and had too much olive oil.
Would I come back... probably not. -
Review from Paula L.
Updated - 11/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'm still in love with this really amazing Italian restaurant.
I love it when I feel like the owners themselves are actually Italian and know their stuff.
I don't like being tricked.....*stares at the TONS of Koreans who own sushi places*
As usual, the seasonal gnocchi is TO DIE FOR.
Remember your first taste of ice cream? How the creaminess blended SO well with the flavors? You just had an INSTANT smile on your face and wanted more. Well..that's how I felt when I ate their gnocchi. I was so sad when I saw my plate empty :(
The complimentary bread is like baked pizza dough. Its SO delicious! Its also REALLY obvious how popular it is because the first one is free but any "refills" will cost you a $1.
This place is filled with the right kind of crowd. No obnoxious people here. Everyone is friendly, happy, and just downright glad to be in such a welcoming restaurant where all the food won't let you down.Listed in: Bestest of the Bestest, When in Rome...
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/10/2010
I am a fan of this place :)
It's not Melrose kitschy which I completely love.
There is a review down… Read more »
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Review from Katherine P.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/23/2011
Came for dineLA. Let me start off by saying their bread is soooooo good!!! I had to practically sit on my hands to stop myself from eating more of it. The burrata fritters were super yummy - light and fluffy balls of cheesy doughy goodness. The roast chicken was as good as everyone's raved about. It was huge and ohmy the flavors bursting out of this chicken....lemon, rosemary, garlic. Some of my favorite things :) The ricotta gnocchi in brown butter and sage were excellent and yes, I know it's a butter sauce but my delicate light gnocchi were swimming, or should I say drowning in so much butter....after a few, I couldn't eat anymore. The butternut squash lasagna was a good surprise for me. I thought it would be too sweet but the woody mushrooms in there balanced it out.
I want to come back and check out the pizzas just for that ridiculously good bread -
Review from T M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/31/2011
Great Gnocchi and all-around great menu!
The servers here are always accommodating and personable. Although I find it annoying that they don't bring water to your table so you have to ask for it... and when you do, they take their time to deliver it. -
Review from Alyssa C.
Los Angeles, CA
4/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Came in on a Saturday night, late for our reservation, but we seated right away.
The staff was very friendly, and I loved that it seemed like there were only a few waiters.
The bread. O.M.G. I cannot say enough. It tasted like it was brought DIRECTLY from the oven to our table. Absolutely amazing.
We split a half carafe of white wine, a pesto pizza, and the gnocchi, and were the happiest we had been after a meal since our month we spent in Italy. The gnocchi was unlike any gnocchi I'd ever had. It was light and fluffy, not heavy whatsoever. Unexpected, but a great suprise. The pesto pizza was great and we left paying around $60 including a 20% tip!
We will definately return. -
Review from michael s.
Los Angeles, CA
2/12/2011
Angeli Caffe, where have you been all these years?
Smack dab in the heart of Melrose amidst the bustling storefronts rife with fickle shoppers, Angeli Caffe is slightly out of place in that most of the restaurants in the vicinty cater towards shoppers on the go - quick food, not entirely tasty, and lacking in any kind of character. Angeli is quite the opposite.
I've eaten at Angeli Caffe 3 times, and all 3 experiences have been fantastic. If you are looking for a romantic dining experience, this is probably not your place. The venue is compact and diners are very close to one another. If you are, however, looking for one of the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, you're at the right place.
Having grown up in an Italian family, I'm pretty well versed in Italian food and hyper critical of anything that isn't up to snuff with back home cooking. The one key element I always look towards as a sign of a good or a GREAT restaurant is the red sauce - by this measuring stick, Angeli Caffe is outstanding! Simply, hands down the best tomato sauce in the Greater Los Angeles area. Even the simplest dishes come alive and burst with flavor (I usually get the Penne Arrabiata) due to the exquisite taste of the sauce, which comes complete with slices of garlic cooked in it. Angeli also makes an amazing bread that comes out piping hot and makes a great "dunker" for the sauce.
Every dish I've had here has been awesome and service has been great. Keep it up Angeli, and I'll keep coming back!
