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Cafe Giulia
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
5 reviews for Cafe Giulia
5 reviews in English
-
Review from Allison C.
New York, NY
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Questo ristorante stupisce!
My goodness...
Tucked into a cozy and unassuming white house along Main Street in Lakeville, walk into the intimate dining area, dazzling in creamy whites and mossy greens, and prepare to have one of the best meals in the entire Northwest Corner of Connecticut.
Whilst visiting my parents one weekend, they wanted to take me out to dinner. (No. Twist my arm...) Making a reservation was wise on my mother's end. I didn't think we'd need one, but shortly after we arrived at 6:30, the place was packed. That's saying a lot for a restaurant of roughly a dozen or so small tables in the middle of sleepy Lakeville. I overheard the waitress turning people away over the phone because all reservations for the night had been filled. Popular lil' place, indeed!
The three of us shared an appetizer of shaved Brussels sprouts tossed with parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Absolutely divine and exactly what an appetizer should be: it whet our appetites. It didn't fill us up.
I ordered the ricotta and spinach ravioli off of the specials menu. Never in my life have I had better ravioli! So rarely do I eat pasta, even fresh homemade pasta, and think, "Wow! This taste like the pasta was made ten minutes ago!" This...well, you could tell. Served with a roasted tomato sauce with six plump (and slightly slippery) raviolis on my plate, I tried to eat at slowly as possible, as I wanted to savor. They were gone too soon...and it was a sad moment as I begrudgingly popped that last one into my mouth.
Mother Dearest ordered the skirt steak with salsa verde, potatoes, and spinach. Ma père ordered the quail with green beans and polenta fries. I tried a little off of each of their plates (...hey, I'm an only child AND a scavenger, clearly...), and every morsel of food was absolute perfection.
Dessert was the orange olive oil cake with homemade whipped cream and homemade caramel sauce. Next time, I'll be ordering this again...except asking for the entire cake for myself, as well as separate vats of the whipped cream and caramel sauce for my own selfish enjoyment. My parents split an espresso chocolate creme caramel, and...well, I could have and should have ordered a few of those for myself as well.
Also, for what you get, the price is right. For three of us, a little over $100 was spent on an appetizer, three meals, two desserts, two glasses of wine, two coffees, and a ginger ale.
The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating (our waitress was a neighbor of my parents; she reminisced how she hasn't seen me since I used to walk up their road to the bus stop my senior year of high school...ahhh, memories...); the open kitchen lent for fun food preparation watching, and the chef was friendly enough to greet us pre-meal!
Cafe Giulia, you've won my heart!
Now, whenever you are ready, please come down to Manhattan an open up your second restaurant.
Please and thank you in advance. -
Review from Janet C.
Cornwall, CT
12/4/2011
My husband and I enjoyed our date night here - a perfect place for it, by the way. We like their new digs even better than their old location. Spot on service, interesting menu. I had Caesar salad (delicious but a bit large) and quail. The creamy polenta underneath was incredible - loved the cherry sauce and the green beans were perfect. My husband had salmon and really enjoyed it. We got a carafe of red and it was the perfect accompaniment to our meal. We shared the pear claufouti, which was right out of the oven and delicious.
All in all, a terrific dining experience - perfect for a date, because you can actually have a conversation and hear each other! It was nice to see the chef mingling with customers and thanking them for their business - we are happy to spend our money here - a great experience. -
Review from Sadie V.
Manhattan, NY
12/27/2011
Chef Robert Willis moved Cafe Giulia to 329 Main Street last summer. We enjoyed the menu at the former location, however, the new Cafe Giulia is updated, modern and, at the same time, warm and intimate. Our dining experience and conversation feels private, and the servers are knowledgeable and professional. As food enthusiasts, we love the views of the open kitchen that are accessible directly, or reflected through a huge mirror opposite of the stove. Chef Willis personally visits the tables as time allows, and it's evident that he has a devoted following from the positive interactions with other diners. He made us feel quite at home, and even sent out a beautiful desert for us to sample as his treat.
We count on Cafe Giulia as our weekend dining destination, and we look forward to sharing it with visiting friends. Fantastic food, service and presentation! -
Review from Emeric H.
Litchfield, CT
1/8/2010
This place is a gem hidden in a small town. Fortunately for me, it wasn't too hidden, it's just across the street! The new owners have done an amazing job redecorating the space. The walls have been painted a warm orange, giving you and your friends a toasty glow. They've added acoustic paneling to the ceiling, which was a necessary addition because of the chocolate box like open dining area. They moved and separated the bar with glass panels, creating a separate entity from the dining area. The ambiance is casual, yet sophisticated.
To the food: The drinks here are phenomenal. Bartender Jim Kennedy stirs a mean Bombay martini, believing that shaking bruises the liquor too much. The wine list is not overly extensive, but has a great selection, one of my favorites was a Pinot Noir Hob Nob, a smooth velvety pour and inexpensive to boot! There isn't much left of the menu I haven't tried, but some of the killers off the menu are the Roasted Little Neck Clams, the Fried Calamari dish, the Poached Beet salad, The Berkshire Porkbelly, The Hangar Steak con Salsa Verde and of course we cannot forget the finger licking good Roasted Quail.
This place is a knockout, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not going.
Caveat: They are closed Tuesday and Wednesday -
Review from Katie B.
Lakeville, CT
2/21/2010
A well needed addition to the community. Robert has transformed this former loud building into a cozy, warm spot to enjoy a great meal. Fantastic service. Fabulous food. I loved the brick oven pizza! You are made to feel like a special guest!
Thank you!
Specialties
Simple italian food featuring home made pastas, regional italian specialties and home made desserts.
History
Established in 2009
Cafe Giulia moved to it's new location at 329 Main Street in Lakeville and re-opened for business on June 9, 2011. Our new space is modern, crisp & casual with an open kitchen and a trattoria menu.
Meet the Business Owner: Robert W.
Owner/Chef Robert Willis was most recently chef at Manna Dew Cafe in Millerton New York. A graduate of the Institute for Culinary Education in New York, Mr. Willis worked at Chanterelle and Bolo restaurants in New York before opening Vaux Bistro in Park Slope, New York. He and his family moved to Northwest Connecticut several years ago and opened Cafe Giulia on October 29th, 2009.
