La Campania
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
11 reviews
Neighborhood: North Cambridge
"Marco's doesn't look like much, but it's a longstanding local business in a residential area (it outlasted Marino's Restaurant, which used…" read more »
15 Reviews for La Campania
I had my rehersal dinner here for 10 people and it was an outstanding experience and I would gladly go back anytime for any occasion. The restaurant is casual but elegant, the food is well prepared, amazingly presented, and priced right for what your getting. It's a little hidden gem that's just an amazing experience. As good if not better than most North End restaurants, an affordable wine list that will blow the socks off any wine lover, it's just as close to a perfect dining destination as it comes minus any stuffy attitude. I can't say enough about this place, it made my wedding rehearsal a complete success.
I highly recommend the pan seared foie, the veal chop and the duck/venision entree. Do not miss dessert under any circumstances.
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continuing with my review of waltham's quad Italian eats....
La C for my money was better then II C, so use that for reference. I went with the wifey for my Bday a few years ago. I did like the decor better the II C and the menu had a lot more going it. what i recall about this place is that i got the fish and it came out full of bones, i thought it would have been a fillet and easy to eat. not so much and I sent it back because it wasn't listed on the menu as bone it, it actually sounded like a fillet, so they gave me a second plate, which was also tasty.
it was a hair cheaper then II C and I felt like it was more worth it in the long run.
again, no rush to go back, but if needed i would.
I can't say enough about this place. Favorite choice for a special occasion or for a nice night out. The entrees are pricey but SO worth it, but you can also go and sit at the "bar" (cozy room with a view of the beautiful open kitchen) and have pizza and appetizers. Great wine list, great service, great owners. The food is heavenly, and the whole restaurant is warm and cozy...especially in the winter. Far, far better than Il Capriccio in my opinion.
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Great place to go for a special occasion. Love the food, and there's a good wine list, nice atmosphere. Find a rich friend or a co-worker on an expense account and get them to take you here!
This place is not cheap, but the food is outstanding, and it has one of the better wine lists in the area.
We ate at La Campania on a special night for us. We had lots to celebrate, and the food and wine paired magnificently well with our celebration.
After we each finished our glasses of white wine, my fiancee had the pan-seared fresh porcini mushroom "insalata" with baby arugula, warm gorgonzola, drizzled with 20-year-old balsamic glaze, all in a crispy parmiggiano basket. He loved it. Meanwhile, my choice, the figs stuffed with bleu cheese and drizzled with a balsamic glaze, was devine. The figs' clean, sparse presentation was sophisticated on the whie rectangular platter.
For the entree, I chose one of the specials, and I am so happy I did: the braised shortribs with parmesan polenta. How heavenly! The meat was so tender, I didn't need a knife, and it melted in my mouth. He chose slowly simmered lamb "Osso Bucco" with saffron and English pea risotto, sauteed Swiss chard, with a lamb demi-glace reduction.
We paired our entrees with a 1997 Barbaresco that was not on the wine list. We found out about it by speaking with the wine director and encourage diners to strike up a conversation with any restaurant's sommelier. That's what they are there for, to help you choose the best wine possible to go with your meal, and price range, of course.
For dessert, we chose the baked-to-order hot chocolate souffle with vanilla bean gelato and hot chocolate ganache. Heavenly, especially with our dessert wines. No need to say more.
It's tough to compare this restaurant to the other chic Italian restaurant in Waltham, Il Capriccio. The decor in both restaurants is different: La Campania is homier and more rustic; Il Capriccio is more upscale and swank -- although both styles are lovely and boast a romantic atmosphere. The food is slightly different as well. However, we do prefer the wine list at Il Capriccio, because it doesn't show Wine Spectator ratings and offers many more descriptions of the wines as well as their histories and bios of the winemakers.
But all that isn't a worry for us, because we did have a great dining -- and wining -- experience at La Campania. Like I said, it was a very special night for us, so I'm sure we'll want to visit again.
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La Campania is a lovely little dining spot on Main Street on the outskirts of the main area of Waltham. It is cozy, tastefully decorated, and very intimate. The service is impeccable and the food is carefully crafted. The asparagus appetizer was so exquisite. I highly recommend this sweet little Italian place. It would be an excellent place for a romantic dinner for two.
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My girlfriend and I went to La Campania for her birthday last week. We went on a Wednesday night, and I have to say I was pretty blown away by the food. Our appetizers were good, in particular the arancini (fried balls of rice and cheese). I had a frankly mind-blowing pasta with a veal and pork rag which was the meatiest, tastiest pasta dish I've ever eaten. My girlfriend had the hand-made gnocchi which they definitely do make in-house at the restaurant: you can taste the difference, and the waiter confirmed it. The much-hyped baked-to-order desserts were ehhhhhh, okay. I had a nectarine and cranberry tart, and she had a chocolate souffle. Both were good, but not great.
Speaking of the waiter, the service is the main reason I'm giving this place five stars. We asked for a wine that might complement what we ordered, and his response was essentially, "It's all good." Gee, thanks. He also seemed like he was alternately ignoring us and rushing us. He was definitely more concerned with the several large parties in our room. I understand that he'll probably get a bigger tip from those tables, but that's no excuse to the folks at a two-top feel unwanted.
With the possible exception of Il Capriccio, this is the best food in Waltham. The atmosphere is pleasant and quietly romantic, and it has a more relaxed feel that Il Capriccio. You can frequently get reservations at the bar on relatively short notice.
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I love it here. My boyfriend and I went for Valentine's Day and had an amazing experience. They had a special menu for the night- I had the duck and it was delicious. The tables were set with tulip arrangements and it all came together for a very special experience. The dining room we were in was very intimate but it was nice since it was mostly couples so there were mostly quiet conversations going on. In fact, a couple right near us got engaged as we sipped our wine and waited for our dinner. I can't wait for our next visit.
Let me start this review by saying absolutely AMAZING!
We ate here last night after touring several of the other Waltham Italian restaurants. Being a bit of a food snob (and a proud Italian), I've yet to find anything outside the North End that meets my expectations. La Campania is the marked exception.
We each started with a perfect foie gras, unbelievable tender & paired with the perfect cheese and seared apple compliment. The only other restaurant that I've found that comes close is Valentino in Las Vegas.
This was followed by a wonderful venison tortellini (for me) & cavatelli (for my wife). Words can not express how fresh each of these pastas were. It's very clear that great care is given to the daily creation of the short list of fresh pastas & sauces. The venison was flavorful and juicy, the sauce was a very light cream with pancetta & figs. My wife's cavatelli was in a rich sausage ragu and had the perfect hint of spice. They have taken al dente to an art form.
Our entrees were equally unbelievable. I had the beef short ribs & my wife had the rack of lamb. It is so rare to find a restaurant that prepares meat to such exacting temperature specifications - even in the multitude of Boston's fine steakhouses. The short ribs were fork tender and so flavorful that I wanted to cry. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration but I wanted to convey my point. The rack of lamb was also amazing. The accompaniments were a potato puree & pan seared potato cake, respectively. My potato was a bit over done but the potato cake was perfect.
Neither of us had dessert as a wonderful truffle cake was awaiting us at our home but the dessert menu did seem a tad limited. I assure you though, the chocolate souffle smelled decadent. .
In regard to the service, we were extremely apprehensive based on others reviews. I am extremely pleased to say that we had a great experience. We were seated within 5 minutes of our Saturday 8:30 reservation. The waiter was, without being overwhelming, readily available to top off a shallow wine glass. True, he may have arrived as soon as the food was presented but he was sure to follow-up within a few minutes to ensure that we did not have any needs.
I am pleased to rate this gem of a restaurant, 5 stars:
Ambiance: 5 stars
Service: 4.5 stars
Food: 5+ Stars
Wine List: 5 stars
Price: $$$ (can be quite expensive if you treat yourself but worth EVERY penny)
Food was good, but....
Campagna in Waltham takes the cake for bad attitude and service, all included with a $300 + check.
Last night we went with one other couple for dinner. We were seated 30 minutes after our 8 p.m. reservation time. The manager did not come to us with explanation; I had to inquire as to the long wait. He also was not apologetic, but offered that they were running behind on a Saturday night. A better restaurant with a good manager would have offered a cocktail from the bar to placate the hungry and grumpy waiting party.
We had to flag down and inform our waiter that we were ready to order, rather than him asking us if we were ready. As the waiter served the table of six loud people behind us, he continuously bumped into one man in our group, never apologizing. When the bottle of wine was poured, it was splashed into our glasses rather than being poured gracefully.
The water boy/man who brought the tea pots and poured the first cup found my friends very expensive handbag in the way (since it was on the floor next to her chair), and he kicked it under the chair rather than saying anything nice about moving it. To top it off, one teapot held very cool green tea - almost cold, and the other teapot contained at best tepid herbal tea. When I told our waiter about the temperature of the teas, he did say he could bring more after they heated more water. HELLOOOOOO....this is an expensive restaurant and should have hot water on demand. It sounded very mideival - must build fire and put cast iron pot up to boil.
On the way out, I thought to say something to the hostess, who never apologized but did say she'd pass it on. She did not offer to get the manager.
Overall, the staff is very unfriendly and unapologetic, unless you appear middle aged, hairy and portly. Since we do enjoy finer, more expensive restaurants around Boston and the world (think London, Tokyo, Los Angeles etc.), this will not be on our list of those restaurants to which we will return or take guests. In fact, this will be posted at various sites as a red flag to others.
This is an excellent Italian restaurant. We have eaten at Il Cappriccio down the block several times and it is good, but La C. is better. On this Friday night our table was waiting on arrival, service was friendly and efficient, our waiter knowledgeable about wine selection and food preparation. We were left to eat at our own pace and order courses when ready - first time that has happened since we were last in Italy. We sat near the kitchen and could see that plates were delivered to table as soon as put up on the counter, so they were piping hot. Our meals were beautifully presented and very tasty. My wife was infatuated with the seasoning used on her Branzini and my beef short rib on polenta just melted in my mouth. We finished with a very light chocolate souffle - give them 30 mins. to prepare. Wine selection is limited but spans the spectrum of Italian grapes and looks to be a good selection.
So, as I said at the outset, a memorable meal.
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We had a reservation, and after a few minutes, were offered a table where my hair would have been whipping into my face from all the traffic. We asked for another one, and were seated in the third room back at a private, lovely table with an enormous bouquet of fresh flowers at one end. It was a cool night so I think they thought they'd get away without air conditioning, but the kitchen heated things up, and it was too warm for me. Otherwise, the atmosphere is just great here: three small dining rooms plus a private table in the wine room in back, and a few tables in the bar near the entrance, all warm and elegant with lots of wood, stone and flowers. The atmosphere was the highlight.
The food was a step down. I started with the very good eggplant terrine: fried eggplant with bechamel sauce, asparagus and fontina(?) cheese. Knowing that gnocchi are hit or miss, I took the plunge thinking that at a high-end, authentic Italian place, a hit would be likely. They came with wild mushrooms, and the flavor was topnotch; unfortunately, the gnocchi had the dreaded gummy texture. I've had worse, but they weren't the puffy pillows from heaven I know they can be.
My friend had the same appetizer, and liked it as much as I did. Then he had a smaller plate of the gnocchi and mushrooms. His were just like mine, but he liked the flavor so much that he said they were the highlight of his meal. He then had the beef tenderloin with watercress and potatoes, plated whimsically, but not pretentiously. He liked it, but didn't rave.
I'm afraid the service was the most remarkable aspect. The waiter was unusually laconic--no problem--but when my friend asked whether he knew if the veal was free-range, we got a smirking, condescending "No," as if we'd asked if we could meet the calf and give it a name. To clarify whether it was not free-range, or he just didn't know, I asked again, and got the same smirky head shake. Just plain rude, like he was in a contest with the other waiters to see who could get the lowest tip that night. He forgot my second glass of Prosecco, and even after I asked another waiter to remind him of it, it took far too long. We also waited a good ten minutes for the check to arrive after asking for it. The waiter got a sudden attack of manners right at the end, apologizing for the Prosecco wait, and wishing us a pleasant night.
The constants here are great: ambiance, interesting menu, and good talent for flavor. If they could get the gnocchi consistent (others have said they've been great here), and boot the snoot, or at least better train their wait staff, they might really have something!
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Italian at its best in this romantic restaurant. Great wine list and you do not have to go downtown Boston for a great meal! Specialties include gnocchi with sauted wild mushrooms and truffle oil and sun-dried pesto marinated beef tenderloin. P.S. For those who do not know Campania is region of Italy,
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