Just not a fan. Â
The restaurant is cramped, hot and lacking.
Visited with 3 girlfriends on a busy Saturday night. Tables feel like they're stacked on top of one another and the heat the pizza oven throws off is unreal. Â We went through water after water trying to cool off...on a freezing night in February!
I think the wine list is pretty nice, with some nice Italian choices.
Menu was comprehensive. Â Others were pleased with their choices of a simple salad and pizza. Â I though my scallop dish had entirely too much pepper, giving the dish a one-note, forgettable flavor. Â I pushed the scallops to the side and ate the risotto cakes and beets the dish was served with. Â I though that was a random pairing but I liked them well enough. Another friend ordered seafood risotto and she thought the rice was too gloppy but the seafood was prepared nicely.
For desert we split a chocolate lava cake and tiramisu. The presentation of the tiramisu was pretty but the lava cake arrived deflated and melting all over the plate. Our waiter scurried away after he dropped that mess on the table.
Service was okay. Nothing special. Would not return.
I visited this restaurant recently with a large group of family and was extremely impressed with both the decor and the wait staff. However, for an Italian restaurant I thought the updates on some classic flavors were a little too crazy for me. However, I would go back to try some other dishes. I recommend this place for a group of adults, adventurous eaters, and couples looking for a romantic spot to dine.
Decor: Slightly subterranean with lots of exposed rock. Felt a little bit like I was eating in a cave. Tables weren't too close though, which was great, and the dining room had excellent romantic lighting.
Service: Attentive and unobtrusive. Everything came out on time and piping hot, so no complaints.
Food: Not a fan of some of the crazier combinations. I started out with the grilled octopus -- it was cooked perfectly but I though pairing it with a lentil salad, avocado, and cherry tomatoes wasn't quite right. Plus the dish was more about the lentils than the octopus. My dad had these great flash fried artichoke hearts, but the sliced raw jalapeno they came with again was very strange. I thought a great pepperoncini would have been much better. For my main, I had pasta with chicken and wild mushrooms which was just ok. I thought it was a little bland and the "wild" mushrooms looked pretty ordinary. For the price, I would have loved to eat a couple delicious morels.
However, my boyfriend had one of the best duck dishes to ever touch my lips. It was perfectly roasted and absolutely succulent. It came with a side of butternut squash with some kind of vinegar (?) mixed in that gave it the perfect acidic note. This is what I would definitely order the next time I go. My aunt and uncle also swear by the butternut squash soup, though I didn't get to have a taste.
So, all in all I had to give this restaurant just three stars for some weird pairings that I don't think worked very well. But, everything we ate was cooked perfectly. My advice is to peruse the menu carefully and be open to untraditional Italian.
Cava is a great choice for a delicious meal. The pastas and pizzas are fantastic. My favorite pastas are the papardelle and cavatelli with chicken and the sausage and broccoli rabe. For pizza, I highly recommend the chicken and mushroon, which is a delightful combination full of flavor (plenty of garlic). For entrees, the specials are normally the highlight and consider these on your visit.
Review Source:I've had two meals at Cava recently while visiting family. Â We enjoyed lunch there so much that we went back for dinner another day. Â Both times we came at off peak hours and had no issue with noise or crowds. Â I have eaten in many fine Italian restaurants and found that Cava's menu contained many winning dishes, including fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, a great tri-colore salad with gorgonzola and pine nuts, simple but elegant grilled salmon, lobster and scallops with sweet corn and mushrooms, and a great coconut cake served with chocolate sauce and a scoop of gelato. Â The wine list is extensive with interesting Italian finds. The dinner menu had extensive seafood offerings. Â I have to go back to try some pasta!
Review Source:My parents really like this place for some reason. Maybe it's because there are only two real options for Italian food in New Canaan.
I personally, think it's declined in recent years. Back in the day of Prezzo's, this place had a Motorcycle on the wall. I swear once they removed that timeless piece of American muscle it's been all down hill.
Last time I was there my Salad was unwashed [covered in sand or something] and my main course was "meh."
I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about but obviously they haven't been to Cava in awhile. Cava has totally gone down hill. They used to be good, but now, I definitely recommend to avoid this place. Unless you have over a half an hour to wait for your reservations.
I went there last week with 8:30 reservations on a Saturday. We got there 10 minutes early and they had tables available. Instead of sitting us there, they just shuffled us into the back bar...where we waited 20 minutes. Finally they do sit us, and 20 more minutes later they are just getting around to pouring us water. My friends and I just got up and walked out.
Cava just has awful service..and anyone who knows the place I'd like to believe they would agree with me.
as far as the food goes, it used to be better. They let go of their main chef (Scott) the year before. The menu is the same, but the quality is not. I just think it's average at best. as far as the pricing goes -- they are no longer a value. Cava has raised their prices big time. I guess they did to pay for all those new restaurants they're building; who knows.
I am pretty upset with Cava. It used to be my favorite restaurant in New Canaan, but no more. I will never eat there again....it's just not as good as it used to be and i don't see it getting any better.
If you're in the mood for Italian, and you don't mind a small trip -- I recommend Capriccio Cafe in Stamford (Bedford St). Great food, reasonable prices and you can eat outside.
Wonderful menu, superb prep and presentation and even more gracious and attentive owners/hosts. Â Despite the din in the dining crammed with the local Ralph Lauren-attired gentry, this is one of our favorite places in the area. Nice bar and surprisingly varied wine list, but if you don't have hearing problems before you come in, you just may after.
Review Source:Cava is a cool little grotto of deliciousness, tucked into the corner of Forest street in downtown New Canaan, next to the perennial Lily Pulitzer faves Gates and Tequila Mockingbird. Â The difference here (and great surprise!) is the new Italian fare is REALLY worth the designated driver! Coming out to the burbs from NYC can be jilting for the foodie, but I was at home with the gourmet menu and fresh seafood fare.
Its not 5 stars, despite the grotto ambiance and great service, because I think they made a mis-step on the tables and chairs. I couldn't help thinking they were elft over from a school dining hall-- I think they should have gone the extra mile and made it feel more rustic inside.
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