Beautiful place, amazing service and a really cool spot on the town square. On the spendy side, but it's worth it.

What a wonderful place ❤️ great foods and wines .. service was excellent!! Definitely will be back many more times!

Fantastic fresh pasta dishes from traditional to more contemporary. Don’t skip the fresh baked bread and house signature butter. Full service bar polishes it off with craft cocktails. Great staff and great atmosphere!

Went for the first time the other day and I got the gnocchi: wow! Like eating soft, fluffy , flavored pillows. The bread was a great starter that they provide and the beer on tap was great, specifically the organic porter. The service was pleasant and they came and checked on us often, which I really appreciate. Wait time was not long at all and the food was piping hot! Highly recommended.

Beyond beautiful location! Very romantic 😍 Table selection was extremely tight, though they had many other selections for seating. Major downfall was the servers who seated us and served us When you walk in, we should've been greeted with welcome in, and we didn't get this The feeling "we don't belong " The other server wasn't very friendly at first, but some how the more we ordered changed her tune. In my opinion I would give this place another try! Very pretty!!

Service and food was great. Portions were large. Definitely would recommend!

delicious food. the calamari was too tough and chewy. it only has tentacles but no circles. still delicious.

Lovely dinner on a Saturday night with mellow live music and full bar. Try the Italian soda for a nonalcoholic beverage.

Dinner was so much better than I thought it could be! The chocolate torte that they had specially made for us tasted better than amazing!

Excellent farm fresh food from local farms. Also Wednesday night lasagna night and live guitar music which was lovely. Nice easy weekday special treat for the family

Absolutely amazing food and highly recommend the meat calzone hold the bell peppers. It was probably one of the best experiences I’ve had with an Italian restaurant in a really long time. Service was great from beginning to end appetizers great couldn’t recommend this place enough

Their doorway is where I slept my first night in Arcata. Can't say much about the food but it makes a great emergency shelter for the evening though it's a little close to the park which remains active throughout the night. It looks like they probably serve really good food. Definite five stars for emergency urban camping. 👍💯❣️

The Chicken Marsala was so filling, but the Spinach Raviolis with Gorgonzola Sauce were incredibly delicious and so Large as well... So Stuffed! Will sleep great tonight!

I had the Smoked Duck Breast with polenta, mushrooms, and fresh vegetables in a sherry, honey, and rosemary reduction, and it was incredible! Our server Harley was so nice and the live music (soft jazz) on Sunday was absolutely delightful. Will definitely keep coming back here. So glad to see such a lovely restaurant in Arcata.

Love the dark setting, feels authentic! Food was great! Service was great! We will definitely return.

Great Italian place with decent no. Of vegetarian dishes. The service was good and the ambience was pleasant

Food was delicious service was amazing! Our waiter Kenny was super friendly and definitely great a his job!

+5

The food tasted very good, the portion was a little smaller than average for the price point. The bread was very fresh! The food arrived quickly and service was awesome. We came in on a weekday ~615 pm.

Thru its many iterations Mazzotti's has provided good Italian food in a comfortable atmosphere. They serve freshly made bread with an herb butter, ensuring your appetite will be satisfied. The stuffed chicken Alfredo never disappoints and clam linguini is delicious. The house vinaigrette 👌.Fully remodeled after the big flu and now is featuring a huge bar with seats for all the godfathers. Molte grazie for all the great food and service for all these years.

What a find in downtown Arcata! We are a group of 3 friends and we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at Venicia. Each dish was exquisite: colorful, fresh, plentiful, and most importantly, delicious. Standouts were the Brussels sprouts roasted to perfection, the subtle yet flavorful tomato-pepper bisque, the pesto with chicken and the heavenly chocolate torte. The service was perfect… period. Our server was quite knowledgeable, answered our questions thoughtfully and paid us just the right amount of attention…. A rarity anywhere these days. We can’t recommend this place enough.

The secret to their Amazing Salads is their specialty house dressings! Wow! I also like to try house wines because it says a lot about a restaurant (which I learned from my extensive travel in Italy). I can tell you that incredible thoughtfulness and care went into picking out their house red. I will be back to try a more substantial meal now that I’m overwhelming impressed. Thank you!

VENICIA !! I have been here a few times since the change of ownership and I have to say IT WAS DELICIOUS and a nice experience enjoyed with friends. We hit the matinee and came in for a somewhat early dinner. Everyone’s orders were amazing and delicious and ABUNDANT ! I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana and it came with spaghetti and sauce on the side. I don’t normally order this when eating out because I make it myself. It was really really good. Presentation and taste were above and beyond. At our table there was a Steak, along with a Carbonara order and the Pesto pasta with burrata and tomatoes. Portion size is huge which I never mind as I can do leftovers of this caliber. Our server, BROOKLYN, was awesome too. Whenever we needed anything she was on the ready and extremely pleasant. Truly can’t wait to go back again !!

My second review for Mazzotti’s, but this one is for the NEW Mazzotti’s. Just wow! The atmosphere is amazing and the staff has only been working together for a week and they are running like a well oiled machine. We are so glad they are back. The same delicious food we know and love with everything stepped up a notch or two. Really not much of a wait for a busy Friday night. Come back and visit them. You won’t regret it!

Great food and wine selection! You will never be disappointed with any dish here, from pasta to seafood they are the best! Very attentive waiters, never have wait for them to see what you need.

It was a really nice place. They did run out on a lot of things which means it was good. My food was delicious. All the food I tasted and my tamarind margarita was delicious. Great jazz band. Waited awhile for things but not a huge deal.

Larry Kellogg

My food was amazing, however my wife thought her meal was too salty. Didn't complain, but when we were asked how it was, they comped her meal. Would definitely go back.

mara schueneman

We went for a birthday. The food was delicious and the service was amazing. The gentleman playing the saxophone was an extra treat!

Tanja Sutton M. Ed., Founder

This place has a wonderful ambiance. The Fall Salad and Fettuccini Alfredo were super delicious. It has romantic booths and a happening bar area. It's great for families and romantic dinners.

Glen Colwell

We hadn’t been in since the previous ownership departed… So glad we came back ! Will definitly return regularly now. The quality and generous portion sizes, atmosphere and service, all were just fantastic. So great to have a nice spot with delicious food back in town. Our server was great too, friendly and skilled! Two of us spit a massive and beautiful order of chicken piccata (our serving, not the one in the pic, was two very large butterlied chicken breasts, slightly breaded, with a perfect lemon buere blanc sauce, served over tasty house linguini and nicely done broccolini spears on the side. This main was more than enough for two of us, with leftovers for the next day. I would order this again in heartbeat.! Started with an appetizer (also a very generous portion) of calamari - nice touch to see the breaded lemon wedges and capers with the calamari. Shared a Caeser salad as well. It’s been a bit since we’ve enjoyed a dinner out that satisfied like this one.

Tim Cunha

Great service and friendly staff. The Pizza is excellent. Atmosphere is pleasant. We always enjoy our meal here.

Kayla Irving

One of my absolute favorites. I literally dream about their calamari appetizer. The fettuccini Alfredo is to die for. The steak is always delicious. And their Italian sodas?! YUM. Perfect atmosphere with family and friends - or even a solo venture. My aunt who is vegan & gluten free had options as well which is always a plus! This has quickly become one of the top places I recommend to people. Love love love

Chelsea Turner

This place is amazing! We had the duck, lamb bolognese and steak with calamari for appetizer. Everything was delicious! And fun live

Maggie Anderson

We were looking for Mazotti's after being recommended it at Humboldt Mercantile, and discovered that it is now Venicia! We happened to be there during their soft opening, and the team did amazingly for presumably being new staff and a new menu. We didn't have any hiccups. It's not cheap -- an entree, non-alcoholic drink, and tip will run you about $50pp, but we liked everything we got. The hibiscus ginger iced tea was AMAZING and the special butter that came with the complimentary bread was really good too. We got the chicken parmesan and chicken piccata. My friend had a hard time cutting the chicken for the piccata, but didn't have any complaints when eating it. She only wished that it had been plated with the chicken next to the pasta instead of on top, but that's a super easy thing to change on your own. The portions were perfect, to me -- not so much I felt uncomfortable, but it didn't leave me wanting more. If I could do anything differently, I would probably box up some of my main course so I could order dessert. I overheard the manager, who was making her rounds to all of the tables, say that there were two flavors of ice cream and an espresso crême brulée, which sounded amazing. They have a great selection of drinks, too, with a full bar in addition to an espresso machine. The bar area is really nice and would be perfect for hanging out and just getting drinks. They had two big screen TVs on the walls by the bar and what looked like a fireplace, but they weren't on.

+4

George U.

A nice find and gem of an Italian restaurant in Arcata. We were seated by Marquis, our server extraordinare. We started with our favorite drink, Don Julio Blanco, club soda with 2 limes and mint muddled, and Marquis made these drinks to perfection. We started with the bruchetta appetizer, which was tasty and well presented. My wife ordered the angel hair pasta with prawns, and I had the stuffed chicken fettuccine. Both dishes were excellent, and the service Marquis provided was stellar. This guy could easily be working at the Ritz Calton or any 5-star restaurant as his customer service skills deserve applause and much appreciation. If you are in Arcata, stop in and see Marquis, a true professional, while enjoying a fine Italian dining experience. Highly recommended

+6

D. Marie

We recently visitedMazzotti's Italian Restaurant in the charming town square of Arcata, California. Let's start with the location itself. Nestled in the heart of Arcata's town square, Mazzotti's Italian Restaurant boasts a quaint and inviting atmosphere. The warm and cozy ambiance, coupled with the friendly and attentive staff, made me feel instantly welcomed and at home. The picturesque surroundings only added to the overall charm of the place. Now, let's talk food! Mazzotti's truly knows how to deliver an authentic Italian culinary experience. The bruschetta was a flavor explosion, with fresh mozzarella, green tomatoes, fragrant basil, and drizzles of balsamic glaze, basil oil and pesto, that danced on my palate. It was the perfect way to start our meal. The salads (we chose salad over soup) at Mazzotti's were a refreshing complement to the main courses. Fresh and crisp, they featured a vibrant medley of greens, topped with a variety of flavorful ingredients (peppercinis, garbanzo beans, olives, croutons, etc.). Next up, the manicotti and cannelloni were absolute showstoppers. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the fillings were rich, creamy, and bursting with flavor. And let's not forget about the wine! Mazzotti's boasts an impressive selection of wines, carefully curated to enhance your dining experience. The knowledgeable staff was more than happy to recommend the perfect pairing for our meal (wine recommendations are also on the menu). Overall, the best meal I had in Arcata was undoubtedly at Mazzotti's Italian Restaurant. The combination of exceptional service, delightful ambiance, and mouthwatering food made for an unforgettable experience. If you find yourself in Arcata, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Mazzotti's. Your taste buds will thank you 🤌

+2

Justin Legge

This has been a great local establishment. We have been coming here regularly since we moved to the area to go to the University. They are always consistent, clean, friendly, and yummy. They had a wonderful interior remodel recently, completely changing the vibe of the place. A welcome change. It seems they are going for more of an event space, the stage feels more highlighted, the bar stands out much more with pretty RGB lights behind the glass. The food is great as always, and the menu seemed to be their classic same. Our server told us that it was still under the same owners, which is great. One of the best things about going here for Dinner service is their super amazing special butter they serve with the bread. You can also buy it in local stores, it is super yummy hard to describe! My wife always gets their Seafood Pasta dish and loves it. This time I had the Chicken Parmesan which was wonderful. They have a good selection of local beers which I always appreciate from a local spot. We love Mazzoti's, nice view out on the Arcata Plaza, which is just nonstop entertainment usually! A nice spot for lunch as well!

Two of us ate dinner here on a Monday. The restaurant was busy but not crowded. Service was excellent, and the menu was very appealing. We both ordered cioppino, and the portions were generous and flavorful but contained way too much garlic. We spooned out the largest pieces. For dessert, I had chocolate mousse. It was outstanding. My wife was highly pleased with her spumoni. We would return in a heartbeat.

Got so much better since opening. Now have gluten free pasta but sadly no gluten free pizza crust. Great happy hours and friendly staff. My new place for happy hour. Music a little noisy for me, but others may enjoy.

Very good food on the plaza. Service was good. Chicken Piccata could use a little more flavor. Calzone was large and decent. Bread was very good and beer was cold. Good overall Italian place

We are visiting from San Francisco and were brought here by friends who are local. The food and wine was very good and the atmosphere was lovely. The restaurant is very busy, but the service kept up. I had the wedge salad and the eggplant parmigiana. The wedge was up to the standard I've come to expect from this most American of salads and made with delicious homemade blue cheese dressing The eggplant was deep fried to a nice crisp and served into a mild tomato sauce. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely!

Very busy! Excellent staff. Salads were over dressed but food was excellent.

+1

The food was decent and the service was good, the atmosphere was fairly dismal, with bright led lighting glaring in places. If they turned off all led lights and left the others on it would feel much better. Also, the gray color felt cold. A really good design consultant could do wonders to the place!

Service was very friendly and food was pretty good, but we weren’t blown away. For $30+ a plate the pasta should really come with at least a side salad. Also, they only give you two tiny pieces of bread and if you want more you have to pay per person. I guess maybe I’m just spoiled by how Mazzottis used to have endless bread and a side salad included with their meals. After spending over $100 for two dinners and two drinks, we left without any leftovers and still a little hungry. We will give it another shot some time but as of right now it’s not somewhere we would frequent like we had hoped it would be.

Overall a great dinner. Appetizer, salad, bread and dinner was all delicious. Definitely recommend eating here.

+1

Nice reasonably priced Italian restaurant in Arcata. Delicious summer salad!

Very nice place to go... But a bit too fast... 😁... I started my salad, 2 or 3 min after comes my pasta! Waitress was nice... But a bit too fast... it's a really open space so, it's easily noisy, but it looks contemporary and nice though. They try, I guess, to be a bit too fancy on the recipes, but it makes it "too much"... My carbonara was good, but not great... The sauce was overtastong, and way too much onions...

Street parking was fairly easy. Bar looked very cool. Focaccia was warm. Chicken piccata was very tender and lemony, and we could get pasta in lieu of the standard potato. Reasonably large portions. On the pricey side.

Leslie Drickey

Only reason for 4 is because of the wait to get our food. The kitchen got backed up and, like rush-hour traffic, there was nothing to do but be patient. Our server was great, checked on us & apologized for the delay. Adult beverages were great. 3 in our party; we ordered the eggplant parmesiana, spaghetti with meatballs, and chicken parmesiana. Also the fried artichoke hearts with pancetta. Each item was spot on! Flavorful, fresh, sauces great (my fave, the vodka sauce, was suprb!). Definitely will be back again! Probably on a Wednesday to snag the lasagna! Also, there was a duo on sax & drums who added a very enjoyable vibe!

Sophia Zwald

We are in the new Italian restaurant, it’s nice. There’s live music and the service is excellent with a very bubbly and attentive hostess. We ordered Calamari for an appetizer, and when we got it, we were happily surprised. The plate was nice and full with a side of tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. The calamari was soft and tender with the perfect crunch. The parsley with the flavor of the calamari paired beautifully. The only feedback on the calamari would be to have a bit more dill in the tartar sauce, to make it taste a bit less like mayonnaise. For a drink, I got the pineapple kiwi mockarita and it was excellent with a nice contrast between sweet and sour. The initial flavor was more tart but as the drink settled, it tasted sweeter. For my meal, I had ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and when biting into a meatball, you could taste the flavor of the spices and herbs they seasoned the meat with, specifically oregano. The meat is tender and rich in flavor. The sauce has a fresh tomato taste and has an almost acidic taste, which perfectly complements the herbs used in the sauce. My father had ordered the scallops and polenta and he thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The polenta is good, however it could be firmer and creamier. The polenta is not over salted and has good herbs that encourage the flavor. The scallops are perfect. The scallops are tender and flavorful, overall improving the quality of the meal. Overall the service was pretty great. Our hostess was an amazingly bright and bubbly young lady, who was very lively and energetic. Our waitress was also very kind. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who asks about it, and I am excited to return for another fabulous meal.

Kim

One of the better restaurants in Arcata..not a great selection. The food was ok..lacking flavor, and a bit overpriced in my opinion. The service was excellent.

Paola Tomei

It is a nice place to eat, very busy. The food was ok, I ordered calamari and they were different but tasted good, I have a soup which it was ok and my husband ordered the Pesto Genovese and it was really tasty.

The food has gone downhill at this place. We had to send the calamari back, very small portions too. The other dishes we ordered were just below ok. Service was good. Would get a drink at the bar but will not order food again.

I will say, for two people with only 3 tables seated that had food already we did not get our food for over 45mins.. we only ordered off the lunch menu. The food was amazing though! Just sad we had to wait so long.

A shame. Another Humboldt county staple that just isn't what it used to be. I was told to stay away but it a WAS my wife's favorite restaurant. We've been eating here for as long as we can remember. The Italian sodas were made very poorly. Little syrup and less soda. It was like drinking a glass of milk. When we pointed out how poorly they were made, and that there wasn't any whip cream on top, we were there told they were out of whip cream and were currently making more but they could add more re syrup. They did not offer to remake them properly. The food took a long time. Felt like about 40 minutes. I don't know exactly because I don't start my stopwatch when I place a food order. My calzone was fine but at $25 I was expecting better. The wife's eggplant sandwich was super disappointing. Eggplant was way over cooked and there wasn't enough. When your sandwich is on a thick Italian roll, it needs more then two thin pieces of eggplant. Other dinners on the menu, some of which cost less then the calzone, can come with a salad or soup for a $2/3 upcharge. Pretty sure that used to be free. When I asked for a dinner salad to go with my calzone I was told it would be $7. Not sure why they need to charge me 3.5 times the because I ordered bread and not pasta. So all in all, a very middling experience from a restaurant that used to offer more. We probably won't be back.

Mazzotti’s has changed since we last dined there. Prices went up, they now charge for soup or salad and do not tell you. Our food and salads came out at the same time and the pasta was cold - like it was pre-cooked and hot sauce just put over. Any empty plates or bottles were left on the table for the duration of the meal. The final issue was the wait staff giving themself a 25% tip and then saying my husband chose that - he hadn’t as we were unhappy with the service. They cancelled the first payment and re-ran it.

The spinach-cheese raviolis were decent, not remarkable. The place seemed to be very busy (probably due to the live music, which I didn't care for--though I never do; I'll concede that I'm a complete curmudgeon in that department)

I felt it overpriced. I just wanted to take the kids out to dinner for their birthday. Dinner, drinks, and desert took us for over $450. The food and service was good but not worth what they are asking. Serving time was way too long, almost an hour. $57 for Alfredo and steak was the special, which they didn't tell us the price, my bad for mot asking. And the tip was automatically charged because our 11 yr made the 6th person. Sorry , but we won't be back.

First time customer. Waited an hour for food. Spaghetti cold. Server ignored our group. Expensive meal. The eggplant parmesan was tasty. Sorry but will not return a second time.

The bread and garlic butter before dinner is super. The minastroni soup was mediocre. The chicken parmigian was good and enough for two. The crab cakes weren't worth it--too much spice and not enough crab for 17 bucks.

+1

Really varied menu with fair enough prices (25$ per plate) pasta, steak, chicken, and more. Great openers such as bread and salads. The wait staff was aloof and distant. The interaction was minimal and seemed to be an inconvenient chore. Fix it'd be 4 stars.

Wade van Buskirk

Italian style food served in a bar with high ceilings, modern styling and loud disco music. Plenty of efficient staff of college age are somewhat distracted. Not my kind of vibe, but few options for lasagna or eggplant Parm in the area. Both dishes were prepared and presented as individual servings, assembled, e.g. not baked and cut from a larger pan, aka family style. The sauce was good, the bread was great. Unlikely to return anytime soon. Will be sure to eat Italian Food outside of the area when traveling even if at a Macaroni Grill. Forexamle, I went to a hole in the wall place called Sacramento Pizza Connection and had a amazing good tasting lasagna served with cheesy bread in styrofoam with a plastic fork.

This month I have experienced their food and service twice, both times I have been disappointed, the dishes I have tried include the shrimp scampi, chicken piccata, risotto farmers market, steak fritters; and a few appetizers. Overall the meats in the dishes have been prepared nicely with methods that allow you to enjoy the taste of the meat itself. As for all of the accompanying foods brought with my meals they have all lacked flavor in my opinion and have been very greasy. Sad husk of pre-covid mazzottis unfortunately

Review for Mazzotti’s: Well first I’ll start that we had reservations at 7pm they called and asked us to push it to 7:30pm we agreed to be flexible for them durning this holiday weekend. We showed up right before 7:30pm we did not get greeted for over 5 minutes of standing at the front door. When they finally got to us they were in panic because the have gave our table away to some who “had reservations but not on their books” that was strange. They told us it would be about another 10-15 min wait. 45min go by and we still have yet to be seated. They did not offer us menus or and drinks while we wait for a table. We finally got sat at 8:20pm. When we ordered drinks we had to send them back multiple times cause it was drinks we did not order. On top of that one of us went up to the bar to order drinks and the bar tenders walked up looked at him grabbed a napkin walked away to serve the back employees shots and didn’t even say I’ll be right with you. Just terrible costumer service. I got a good appetizer and my main dish was good, however I did not get a protein with my main meal and I’m glad I did not because the rest of my table all of their main meals with either the salmon and chicken was extremely salty. The entire experience was very disappointing. There was live music and the duo had better costumer service than the actual people working. I won’t be returning here for at least 8 months to a year, hopefully they get a good turn over of employees.

Great service but terrible food. Bowl of pasta with no meat was $35!. For $35/plate, the fettuccine Alfredo was bland. Pizza was honestly no better than a frozen pizza.

Great service but very disappointed with the food. I’ve never written a bad review but I felt inclined to share my experience. Service: The service was great. Our server was very attentive and the host was accommodating. Food: I was extremely disappointed with the food itself. I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana (Parmesan). It came with a side of vegetables and pasta. The chicken itself was overcooked and tasted like it had been in the freezer for a long time, the vegetables were very undercooked (some were pretty much raw), and the pasta was extremely overcooked (very mushy). Atmosphere: The atmosphere was beautiful, truly. It’s a beautiful restaurant right in front of the Arcata Plaza and it is decorated very nicely. It’s a beautiful restaurant with great staff, but it seems that there are some inconsistencies in their food. Given the fact that Venicia opened recently, hopefully that will improve over time.

The bread was good. The chicken parm was not. It tasted like it was made hours beforehand and reheated. Super thin and overcooked. The mushroom cakes were soggy. The oysters were tiny and lacked any real flavor. The whiskey sour was lackluster. For a 220 dollar meal, I hate to say it but Olive Garden is better.

The Shrimp in the scampi was way to salty and a little over cooked the pasta was cooked good. The chicken in the marcella was over cooked but the sauce was good. The vegetables that came with it had an inconsistent cook, some of it was black some wasn't cooked much. The wedge salad was good. And the calamari was over cooked but not bad. The service timing was way off.

I had the chicken parm. I asked for lunguini and got angel hair. The sauce was awful. It tasted burnt. The salad and bread were excellent. My friend had beussells that were hard as a rock. She also hsd calamari which she enjoyed. We had asked in advance for seperate checks. We were told she couldnt do 2 checks but could pay seperate . When time to pay she had a fit when we stated we pay seperate. She eventually split it and put mine on my friends card snd vice versa. This was after us telling her which to put on each card. All of the good reviews seem to be on items with a different sauce than marinara. I am Italian and if the sauce isnt good, the whole meal is ruined!

Food was ok. Atmosphere was nice. Service was terrible. Our waitress disappeared after taking our order. Never checked on us. Never got us bread. Never told us about the specials. Never asked use if we wanted dessert. We had to flag down a different waitress to get our check.

Mark “Firehorse” K.

My disabled wife and I have been making the Venicia Restaraunt our choice for our holiday dinner for almost 4 yrs. They haven't been open much longer than that.I say almost because the hostess was more concerned about filling every possible seat than seating us in a location that was more private and fitting for my wife. Having 2 empty boothes that seat 4 crowded together, she refused them to us citing they were only for 3 or more pointing us to a bar in the middle of the restaraunt. How do you tell somebody without embarassing your wife that she has medical issues?? Shame on the Venicia. The food is outstanding but their staff at the front is very young,ignorant, and rude. Customer satisfaction is key. I know I did it for 10 yrs. We were not asking for anything special just one the same booths we have always sat at. When I said no, the bar would not work, she honestly said, then there's nothing we can do. Fine, we then went to Eureka, and happily laid down 200 for our new Christmas dinner location, which included our traditional 50 dollar tip. I'll do a review on them as well, it was great. Never again Venicia. We will miss it, but to turn us away is to turn us away. Merry Christmas Venicia Italian Restaraunt.

David A

Service was fine, but the food didn’t live up to the price. The pasta lacked flavor and was a bit overcooked, and the pizza came out oddly shaped and very burnt, bread was ok. For how expensive the meal was, I expected better quality. Probably won’t return.

The food is good. They messed up my To go order. After telling the wait time was 1hr. I show up an hour later still not ready. After 1.5hrs later finally done. Get home to having the wrong fettuccine made with scallops. Tried to call back and no one answered. Voicemail is extremely long so I sent a text as they were using a cellphone. Nothing wasted money. I was not about to show up and wait another hour. Was my favorite restaurant.

We had a big party and reserved space well ahead of time. They only had one server for the entire restaurant. The food came out at all different times. Most of us had finished our entrees before others got what they had ordered. Of course, we had to pay the tip regardless. The manager said she would do something for us, but no response

I’m not normally one to give bad reviews, but I’ve been incredibly disappointed with Vencia several times. IMO an Italian restaurant has no business charging $30 for a pasta dish when the pasta isn’t homemade…. Especially with portions as tiny as theirs!!!

The food was pretty good, salads weren’t the best. But the service was absolutely horrible. We were never checked on just brought food and that was it. The busser paid more attention to us than our server. Hopefully she gives him the tip considering he deserves it more than her. She was more worried about talking to other servers then taking care of us. Then forgot about my dessert completely till I had to ask her again for it.

I wasn't going to leave a review for this place, but waking up this morning with food poisoning has prompted me to do so. My friends and I got there around 7:30 so understandably we had to wait 30 minutes for a table. While waiting we decided to order some drinks, my ID expired a few days ago on my birthday and my new ID is still in the mail. The bartender wouldn't even glance to see that I'm 25. The card needed to be valid, and I understand that it's the law, but she wasn't exactly pleasant about it and didn't suggest anything else I could order as non-alcoholic. They have a list of several mocktails I would have considered. Anyway, we get to our table and order food. I got chicken picatta. The chicken was slimey and pale white, the large slices of garlic and tablespoons of capers in the sauce absolutely overpowered the whole dish, and for $35 the portion was rather small. I was starving after waiting for a table and regrettably ate the whole thing as I'm up in the early hours with a horrible stomach ache. The waiter forgot my order of extra bread for the table and brought it at the end of our meals "on the house". My friend also had a breaded chicken that was burnt and dry in her dish.

My husband and I stopped in for a quick cocktail and appetizer. The cocktails were $15 EACH! I am pretty sure mine had literally zero alcohol in it where as my husband's was insanely strong! It definitely couldn't have been that the bartender was distracted chatting up the lady servers. Service was pour we had to ask for the check repeatedly we were the only people in the entire restaurant it was 4 in the afternoon... the calamari we ordered was alright we liked the seasoning that was on it but its cut so paper thin it had zero texture to it. Also our appetizer came out well before our drinks infact we had finished the calamari when he dropped off our drinks....it was all just kinda awkward... Generally when on vacation I dont mind being a little extra but honestly this place has a high price tag for low low quality.

They made the wrong item, which we noticed when we got the food home. The manager blamed us for reading the online menu, which she stated was for the old restaurant. The manager continued to argue with us rather than offering a solution. When we got there, the item was on the physical menu there. Upon returning to get the corrected item, they told us 20-25 minutes. It took over 45 minutes. We talked to the actual manager instead of the hostess pretending to be the manager, the hostess proceeded to argue with us. The actual manager finally offered a discount. They could the. Not figure out how to refund or discount. We got chips to come back. Do you think I want to come here again?! For the owners, you need to hire or train people with the capability to have customer service skills and make your customers happy. This used to be one of my favorite places. I will likely never go back. Shame it’s become what it is.

The food although tasty, was overpriced! The atmosphere was extremely loud and noisy. To make things worse the waitress decided to take the liberty to add an extra $3 on top of the tip for herself, which I of course didn't find out until after the transaction cleared. So if you like overpriced food and to get ripped off by their employees then this is the place for you!!

I would like to like this place but alas, I have eaten here four times in the last three months and my experience has gotten worse each time. They’ve add live loud and bad music during dinner times on many evenings. The menu keeps changing and the dishes are less appetizing and more expensive. On my last visit the creamy pesto pasta (cost $30) was awful. One big gob of pasta with a very poor pesto sauce (mostly spinach, cream and oil, I could not taste any basil). Huge potion but almost inedible.

We went for Mother's Day and they decided to do a limited menu. They should have said that when we made the reservation because we wound up walking out! $55.00 for steak and shrimp it's a little outrageous. If we would have stayed, that would have been the only thing we would have ate. The other four items that they had to offer were not even remotely tempting disappointment considering we've been here before and it's relatively good food. This was a huge mistake on their part!

Arrived on a Sunday at 530. We were quoted a 30-minute wait so we decided to wait at the bar and have some drinks in the meantime. Around 6:15. The bartender told us our table was about to be ready and they would come get us. 10 minutes later. No one has come to get us. One of us goes to check in with the hostess. She rudely says that after 15 minutes they give our table away since they were unable to contact us. They never once called the number that we left for them and we were sitting at their bar in plain sight. The group they gave our table away to was also sitting at the bar right next to us. The bartenders were lovely and very nice. They made sure to check in on us multiple times while we waited for the table. After being seated at the table, the waitress arrived to take drink orders ironically and appetizer orders. Our appetizers came out really quickly but we did have to ask for bread three times. After the appetizer course. We waited an hour for our entrees. One of the items came out wrong and had to be sent back. Two of the pasta dishes were undercooked, one of which being completely inedible. The pizza however was just fine. During this experience we were polite to the waitress since she was not a part of the waiting process, but we all noticed the looks we were getting from the rest of the staff as if we had done something wrong for waiting over an hour for our table. Can say will not be going back anytime soon. Seeing as and how the service and wait time was not worth the quality of food. The drinks and bartenders however were worth it. But not enough to make me go back. Start to finish. We spent 2 and 1/2 hours in the establishment as we left around 8:00 p.m..

I was looking forward to treating myself to lunch on a day off but Venecia was the wrong decision. The dish I wanted was 86'd (yet still on the menu). I ordered soup and salad instead. The minestrone soup was the worst I've ever had. It was completely bland and absent of flavor. The vegetables in the soup were hard and not cooked. It felt like cheap ingredients haphazardly throw together. I had a bread plate on my table yet no bread was served. The service was awkward and the food was awful.

Not typically the type of person to leave a bad review but this place was terrible. We went for lunch intentionally trying to have a faster experience than if we attempted dinner because we have 2 small kids. It took 20 min after being seated to even be greeted by the waitress so we ordered right when she came by. Our food took over 45 minutes for spaghetti, the baked meatballs, and our kids had ordered chicken strips. Our kids had taken a couple small bites of the chicken and I decided to break it up to check the middle because they looked really light in color and they were RAW. You couldn’t even break the pieces apart because of how undercooked and they were completely pink. The waitress was very apologetic and didn’t charge us for the kids meals but knowing my 2 & 4 year old ate multiple bites of raw chicken had us both ready to just leave. Still took another 10+ minutes to get us the check so we could leave. Definitely won’t be back which is sad considering mazzotis was always a go to for years and we were really hoping this place would be able to live up to that name.

Went there to show my boyfriend arcata when he was visiting. Used to love mazzotis and saw it was under a new owner and wanted to give it a try. Immediately regretted it. The meals are already more expensive than the old place, mind you it was a 7dollar upgrade for what felt like I got half a chicken breast IF that. And no soup or salad came with the entree. I asked if it was just for lunch and the lady was short with us the whole time and said dinner costed more for just bigger portions. I then ask if it came with bread she said no again so I ordered the bread side. We get it and neither of use wanted to eat it when we got a single slice each (paid for mind you??) And it was cold and felt like it was never under anything warm. I ask to take it off and apologize that it wasn't to our taste and she huffed at us saying it wasn't stale and made that morning. I just said it was cold WAS it stale????? She barely spoke to us and we felt rushed despite the restaurant being nearly empty. The pasta was alright but no fettuccine is worth 30+ dollars. And having to pay for a single slice of cold bread? Yeah never going back there. Mazzotis was lovely thus place is soulless and sad.

waitress boxed up our food for us but we found out she only put half of the food that was on the plate in the to go box. Nothing better than someone esle throwing away the food you paid for...

We used to frequent this restaurant when it was mazottis and we lived in the area. We walked in (3 adults and 3 kids) on a saturday evening, it was busy but not packed. Hostess waked away spoke to another employee who looked at our party and said "we aren't seating that many kids". Hostess came back and informed us there were no accommodations available for the evening. And turned us away. We go out to eat frequently. Kobes, view 202, jacks steak house, blade and barrel all upscale restaurants in the redding area where we live. Never have we been turned away because of our children. I guess they should put a sign on the door that says we dont seat children so family's dont waste the time walking in here and being insulted. I will never frequent this restaurant again and I will not recommend it to friends either.

I can honestly say I have never had a worse experience at a restaurant. I travel regularly all over the world and have experienced many of the finest restaurants in the world and lots of lesser restaurants. I understand the service necessary for a restaurant to prosper. We went on a very slow Thursday night with only one or two other customers in the restaurant. It was nearly impossible to get a server to come to our table. We had 4 adults and two children and had to wait and wait and wait to get a server to come and get our order. The food took a long time to arrive and after serving only 5 of us, there were no servers that we could find to bring us the meal for our daughter. I ordered the ribeye and asked for it to be rare. It came medium. After we shared our food with our daughter, who did not get her meal, eventually we got a server to go find out what happened to her meal. It was so late, we got it in a to go box. I literally had to stand up next to our table and wave my hands to get any attention from the servers, who repeatedly walked by while looking the other way, so we could not make eye contact. It took over 20 minutes to actually get a bill. They brought a bill for $336.00 that included an automatic 20% tip. This was not evident on the menu. I asked to speak to the manager, who came up — and without any greeting — said the tip is on the menu and we are required to pay it. She arrived with an attitude I have never encountered in a service organization in my entire life. I have never in my entire life had such a terrible experience from a service establishment. The manager came up immediately with an attitude and posture that was so hostile and adversarial, that I was initially stunned. She had her fists balled and looked ready to have a fight! I was not interested in a fight, I just wanted to get some relief for a service charge that was for zero service. My son-in-law owned and ran a restaurant in the Castro district of San Francisco for 20 years, and he has never experienced anything close to this. They may have had a bad day — but this is not something that any reasonable service establishment should ever allow to happen. As we walked out, the manager said, “Have a nice day and never come back”. Don’t worry, we never will!

Milly Ume

In case you were thinking of coming for valentines I went here for one valentines recently and it was very tacky food took over an hour and was only able to have 2 drinks throughout the whole 2 hours because the waiter barely came by to check on us def would not recommend for valentines also the food came out cold

Rob

We went here for date night. I ordered a mix drink the waitress had to come back 3 times to tell me they were out of the alcohol I ordered. After my 3rd attempt I finally got a drink. It was very watered down so I switched to beer. Food service took approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes. We received our food I ordered the chicken parm and girlfriend got a pizza. The pizza was under cooked on 1 side and burnt on the other. I don’t know how they managed that. My chicken however was way over cooked and hard as rock. I couldn’t eat it. We ended up just sending our food back paying for drinks leaving hungry after an hour wait. Btw we had reservations. No discount was offered for the poor food service.