La Cucina Sul Mare
237 Main St, Falmouth, MA, 02540
La Cucina Sul Mare Menu
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Address :
237 Main St
Falmouth, MA, 02540 - Phone (508) 548-5600
- Website https://www.lacucinasulmare.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Corina G.
My husband and I came here after a weekend at the Vineyard, and we were not disappointed. I had the sweet potato encrusted scrod, and he had the prime rib (special of the day). Both meals were absolutely amazing. The rib had this almost butteriness in regards to texture, which was so delicious. I had a couple house margaritas, very well made. Not sure what my husband had to drink, he just told the bartender EJ(?) to make him something refreshing. It seemed like a spicy watermelon martini, but I'm not sure. (both gentlemen who were working the bar were delightful by the way) To finish, this place was amazing. We will definitely be back next time we're in the area.
(5)Emily J.
Best Italian in the cape and maybe even boston too. Owner is a family lady with kids who work in the restaurant. Food is high quality and made with love. Highly recommend the piccata and veal parm!
(5)Amanda R.
The best meal in a long time. Make sure to order the Zuppa de pesce. Superb and so filling, recommend sharing! The others at my table ordered Veal parmigiana veal Milanese which were both solid.
(5)Claudette D.
Three of us stopped in for a mid-shopping lunch in Falmouth Center. It was a rainy cape cod day and we remarked to hostess that AC was on too cold a temp. It was immediately adjusted and we were very comfortable. It was just supposed to be a quick lunch while out shopping the boutiques. We didn't particularly expect to have a fabulous meal, but that's exactly what all three of us got. I ordered Schrod al Limone on angel hair pasta. The fish was twice the size portion I would expect at lunch and it was prepared to perfection! Buried in caper and lemon sauce. The side order of spinach was tasty and perfectly cooked. The young waiter was excellent and pleasant. I will make Cucina sul Mare a frequent stop when I'm in Falmouth.
(5)Patrizia R.
Good food. Big portions. Dainty setting. On the pricier side. Experience was just okay for me. I might be or might not be back.
(4)Suely C.
We were there for dinner and it was busy but tables were opening up. We were seated in the dining room where the band was playing. Our order was taken and wine served. Their Calamari was okay - had to eat quickly before the fried batter got soggy. We had a late lunch and so decided to split the Veal Marsala, which was excellent. Service was spotty; our waitress was distracted by a gentleman at another table.
(3)Douglas D.
The shrimp and scallop piccata was very good. The bread and whipped garlic was very good as well. Everyone at the table was happy with their meal
(4)Joe T.
Average Italian Pros: Good presentation Good Service Cons: Veal was a little overcooked Lobster ravioli had way too much sherry in it. 1 beer, 2 meals, 2 oysters $72
(3)Susan M.
We arrived early, about 6, and were pleased to find seats at the bar. We asked for a drink Menu, and instead had the wonderful experience of a talented bartender who could ask what I liked and make a delicious cocktail. She made it perfect and it continued from there. Excellent service was just the beginning! Hubble had the swordfish, which was delicious and cooked perfectly. Only to be topped by my ribeye, cooked a perfect medium rare. Delicious and beautifully plated. Though the restaurant got very busy, the service continued to be excellent with the servers working together as a team! Great job and marvelous food : we will be back.
(5)Steve R.
This restaurant is one of the best Italian Restaurants I've ever been to, and one of my favorite restaurants period. The food is amazing. Every time we are in Falmouth we come here and no matter what we order, we enjoy it. I am sure you've seen photos that other people have posted. The food here is wonderful and the portions give great value. The wait staff, while quite busy, are friendly and attentive. For both food and service I would give this wonderful place five stars. It is that good. So why am I giving this place four stars? The folks here really do need to revise the way they handle the crowds. (at least during tourist season ) They won't take reservations if you have a smaller party (eg. party of three. ) They suggest that you call ahead a half hour and put your name on a list. When you arrive the place is pandemonium, with call aheads mixed in a line with walk-ins. You still have to wait excessively to get in, and not everyone in that line is pleasant. The folks who handle this are in a place so noisy that they can't hear your name clearly on the phone, never mind be able to communicate comfortably in person. The experience of arriving and getting seated is far more stressful than it should be. A more effective way to make reservations would make the overall experience of this place much better. Owners please take note and fix!
(4)Torie R.
We loved our meal at La Cucina Sul Mare. We were attracted by the charming entrance as we walked by and we are so glad we stopped. The portions are HUGE. I had the Sweet Italian Sausage and Rapini, which came with two 10" sausages, and made for two meals worth of leftovers the next day (which were equally delicious!). The wine selection is extensive and our waitress, I believe her name was Jennifer, made great recommendations based on our description of what we liked in a wine. The service was excellent, and on our way out, when we wanted to compliment our waitress to the manager, the host walked us to a table where the owners were enjoying a meal themselves. That told us that this really must be the best Italian around! They were very gracious, and we would certainly return here and recommend the restaurant to friends.
(5)Sergei B.
Tried the short rib with risotto. Seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. The creaminess of the risotto and tomato sauce and the tenderness of the ribs combined with the zest of the marinated peppers took this to another level. The atmosphere was nice too, not overbearing in terms of noise. If I had to nitpick it would be on the free bread. Overall much better than dishes in the North End in Boston.
(5)Meg M.
Delicious! Be prepared to wait but it's worth it!
(5)Stephanie B.
Went here for dinner for first time last night on a recommendation. Place crowded as expected but we lucked out and got two seats at bar where we were able to order dinner. Bartender EJ excellent. Attentive and friendly. Food was really good! We had shrimp cocktail, chix parm and cheese ravioli. Shrimp plump and tasty (better be we're on cape cod!), chix much better than average (and I know being a Brooklyn born Long Island girl!) but the ravioli was off the chart yummy! Big pillowy squares with delicious filling. Portions pretty big which was a nice surprise. We left with a "people bag". Their basic red sauce is excellent so I suspect everything they make with it is going to be tasty. Def going to try to go back before we leave.
(4)Bernie B.
felt like the North End in Boston. the food tasted better than there and was extremely well seasoned. get the house special salad. waitstaff was excellent, friendly and attentive.
(5)Michael Z.
Stopped by for lunch. Great food and nice staff. Reasonable prices. Would recommend this place if you're looking for good Italian food
(5)Jon S.
Short version. Food: 5 stars. Service: 0 stars Details: It was a busy summer night so we called ahead and the hostess was very friendly on the phone and put us on the list for call-ahead seating. By the time we arrived, we were seated even though two in our party were not there yet. We ordered drinks and appetizers. The calamari was excellent though putting it on top of the sauce (which was delicious) made about half of the calamari soggy. We got a salad from the list of specials with edible flowers, goat cheese, nuts etc. It was huge - it serves 4 - and very good, but there were only two edible flowers for the whole salad. The problems with the service started here. We asked our server, Patricia, to set aside a couple desserts because we'd had them before and they are a big reason we came back. She acted like this was a strange request and said she couldn't promise they would still be available by the time we finished. I've never encountered this before. It seems like a simple request. Three people in our party had to ask about this before she agreed. Our entrees came, and they were all delicious. I had the scallop and shrimp picatta which was great. By the time we finished our entrees we had the feeling they wanted us to leave to free our table. Our server came with the dessert menus and made an odd, rude comment. We got the creme brûlée (delicious but could've had more vanilla) and tiramisu which was excellent. Two of our party also ordered espresso. Our server brought the check and we were still eating our desserts and drinking coffee. She came back to check to see if we had put the money in the billfold and basically said she wanted us to leave because they needed the table. The food was so good, the ambience is nice (though it can get loud at times), but because of the poor, rushed service I'm not sure if we'll go back. This is sad because it is some of the best Italian food I've had on the Cape.
(3)Chris B.
We are frequent visitors to the restaurant. If you find yourself in Falmouth, stop in. The food is excellent. While we have tried many dishes, one absolutely stands out. Ask your server if you can have the 16 oz ribeye steak (often a dinner special on a Saturday night) prepared marsala style and have it served over the risotto. You will not be disappointed! An absolute fantastic dish! Ask to sit in dining room, away from the bar, as it can be loud on the bar side. No reservations but you can call ahead to put your name on the list. Service is attentive.
(5)Mckenzie G.
Cute decor, classic Italian menu, and fresh ingredients. A good combination for a nice meal. I originally told my dinner companion that I wanted a light meal, but when I saw the pasta making its way to the other tables with the bright red tomato sauce, I knew I had to go for it. I went with the classic ligunini and meatball with their pomdoro sauce (red sauce). This was amazing. 1 huge meatball over good pasta and the sauce was just what I wanted. They start you off with nice bread and an olive oil & garlic dip. However, the salad that we decided to order was another story. First of all, I think it should be pretty standard to get a salad with a pasta dish, or at least have the option to add on a side salad. Here you have to order a salad separately, and the price is a little ridiculous - $8 for a garden salad!. They have 3 salad dressing options: tomato & basil, creamy garlic, and honey vinegrette. For someone who likes a classic italian or balsamic vinegrette, these options were a little hard to handle. The waitress kindly brought us 2 of them because we were having a hard time deciding. While I didn't love either of them, the creamy garlic was definitely much better than the tomato & basil. We were surprised that the dressing was made with yogurt, so it definitely felt healthy. Overall a pretty good experience. I would go back, but I would skip the salad next time.
(4)Karen W.
Great food, atmosphere, cocktails and family friendly. Wonderful veal piccata and roasted duck, desert was also delicious. Nice place!!
(5)C Q.
Very disappointed!! Used to love this place. Bartender was more pompous than friendly. When I asked for menus I wasn't given a wine or drink menu so had to get up and ask the hostess for one. Total bill for two people, 1 bottle of wine, I great meal, and one very very very bad meal (threat parm tasted old, maybe frozen, just plain bad) $89 before tip. Not impressed. Wasn't offered coffee or dessert. Husband feels I'll after the bad veal. Overheard: customer to bartender, " would you recommend the salmon or the veal?" Bartender, "salmon" Hmmmm.... Never ever returning.
(2)Scott P.
What I ordered: I had a Chicken Marsala dish. I ordered this because I saw someone else's plate on the way in and it looked good. It was. The dish itself can vary in prep and taste from place to place. Meat was very tender and sauce was rich and flavorful. I thought to myself someone took the time to develop the flavors for sure. What I shared: tomatoes, basil and mozzarella salad. Again, good (in-line with expectation). What I tasted: The halibut special/capers etc.: it was great! My dish was excellent, but I should have gone to the special. The Service: One could tell there was an attempt to look and be attentive, but it was busy. With that you could tell that the wait staff is really just summer help. What we paid: not sure exactly (on vacation I tried to just have fun and not pay attention), but it wasn't cheap. Value-wise it was probably what you'd expect at one of the better places on the Cape (Falmouth) in the summer.
(4)Rebecca C.
The Yelpers got it right! This cozy restaurant was a great place to have dinner in Falmouth. From the garlic olive oil to the entree everything was delicious. Don't let yourself eat all the bread because the portions are huge. I got a very nice (and generous) glass of Chianti and we had a Caesar salad and the calamari. The server suggested that if it was our first time eating there the portions are huge so offered us to do a half Caesar... It was the same size as a normal and plenty to share between two with the calamari. The calamari were lightly breaded and really tender, some of the best I've ever had. They come on top of a bright tart tomato broth and sprinkled throughout are red and green peppers ranging from sweet and tart to zingingly spicy. Also a generous douse of capers (the chef seems to love capers, luckily I do too!) The entrees were also hearty I had a lovely veal breaded and egg washed in the limone sauce with lemon, capers and shallots and my husband had a huge piece of lasanga. Unfortunately we were staying at a hotel so couldn't bring leftovers home. My only two issues were the good all came out very fast without a gap between app and entree and with the big portions that was challenging but they had a buyout in the next room so maybe the pace isn't always like that. I also could have done without the orchid on top of the entree. To me it didn't suit the theme but maybe that's just me being picky because everything else from service to wine to food was really great.
(4)Matt A.
A Jersey transplant to the cape can certainly qualify a great Italian joint! 7:30 Thursday night, no wait at all, seated within minutes. There was a bar crowd in place, while somewhat noisey, not horrible. Sysco silverware. Ambiance is reasonable, tables are sort of close together, prices are on par for Falmouth.. Server was pleasant, not obtrusive, regularly available. Fettuccini bolognese tonight.. Noodles were a little softer than I prefer but, well within reason, gravy (yea, gravy) was good, not acidic, very nice flavor, plenty of meat. I liked it, I'm not 4 * ing for the food... I'll be back, and I'll update accordingly. I would defiantly recommend La Cucina
(4)Al T.
excellent with a very good reasonably priced wine list. best meal I've had on the cape.
(5)Cynthia A.
Really good meal. I had Chicken Lemone, good lemon taste. My friend has chicken marsela, the portions where good. We also had salad which the waiter should have told us that it was really large, we should have shared it and perhaps we would have shared a dessert. The parking is really confusing we had to call about. Prices ok. Waiter good.
(4)John W.
When deciding which meal is my favorite, it's a tough place to start. The meals are top notch and I usually have some left overs for the next day : )
(5)Kyungah C.
A classic Italian restaurant in downtown Falmouth. We ordered a lobster roll and linguini alla vongole. The lobster roll was packed with fresh lobster with chopped vegetables, and it was creamier than other typical lobster rolls you would find in the same area. It was delicious. My dish was the linguini alla vongole. It was just a tad saltier than I would have liked it, but it was still one of the best linguini alla vongole I have had in a long time (better than some of the restaurants in Boston's North End!). For dessert, I highly recommend taking a very short walk over to the Maison Villate. They have amazing pastries and tarts!
(4)Linda A.
That is for food . We had the least friendly bar tender ever . And we always sit at the bar. Not good for a restaurant !!!!
(4)Rachel E.
We arrived to a disorganized, long line at the entry with no hostess to be found. There was a wait for a table, in the back corner of the restaurant, next to a particularly rowdy large group. Once seated, our waitress seemed frazzled and overworked. However, once our food arrived, our stress melted away and was replaced by only extremely full-bellied contentment. Portions are gigantic and we could have easily shared our entrees - the linguine alle vongole for me and zuppa de pesce for him. Both delicious and piled high with fresh seafood in a flavorful tomato broth over perfectly cooked linguine. At market price, which ended up being $38 dollars that night, the zuppa de pesce wasn't cheap but you should get it anyway because it is perfection. As the evening went on, service improved slightly, but was still disappointing overall. You go for the food I guess!
(4)S C.
You know halibut is fresh and wild when it has that soft and slightly flaky texture and just melts in your mouth like butter. This was tonight's special with lemon sauce and capers served on angel hair pasta with a few springs of asparagus. It was a generous portion and I've never had it so well prepared. It was pricey, but so is fresh halibut so I decided to dish it out and was absolutely in heaven. And the lobster bisque...I've never had it prepared with an Italian flair and so much lobster meat. I can't say enough good things for this place. My dad's oysters Rockefeller were perfect too (or so he told me). Highly recommend this restaurant when visiting Falmouth.
(5)Mikhail H.
One of our favorites at the cape. The owners are super nice and the staff is so friendly. I warn you though - you will be waiting for a table. They do great takeout also - just sayin. I am addicted to their halibut and their mussels...hands down some of the best I have ever had. In addition they serve this roasted garlic paste and oil which is so good with their bread while you wait which I love - though you have to be committed to garlic.
(5)D A.
ok.
(3)Cameron C.
Yet again, there are only a handful of times that I would write a review; if it was horrible or it was amazing. This is one of those time that it was amazing! We did not have a reservation so the wait was about 40 mins which was not to bad, we had a healthy glass of wine (all of their pours were generous to say the least) and we chatted with some other customers. After about 30 mins we were seated and the hostess Doris was more than pleasant and she was quick and on the ball with drinks and apps. The Bruchetta was to die for! Just the right mix of pesto, moz, and tomato with a little balsamic. Anyway, the entire entree was amazing! Ordered the braised lamb shank with a mushroom risotto. To die for! The shank was massive and was cooked to perfection, cut with a fork, fall of the bone perfect! The risotto was creamy and had just the right amount of rosemary. I would say this is the only dish that I would recommend even though I have had nothing else, this is what I am going to get always! After dinner for dessert I had the gelato which was creamy and fresh and it was nice to have that cleanser after dinner. I also ordered a cognac which again was extremely health on the pour! You do not want when it comes to wine or spirits. I cannot say enough good things about this place and would recommend it to ANYONE who wants good food and awesome service! I will be going back here again as soon as I can! Thanks for reading and bon appetite!
(5)Kristen O.
1/17/15 Went to this restaurant with my boyfriend and another couple. They do not take reservations but you can call half hour ahead...when we got there we had an hour wait. When we finally got seated I ordered proceso with a splash of st germain, when she came back with our drinks 15 mins later my drink was in a martini glass and tasted like a margarita. The waitress claimed that how they make it...hmmm thats not how they make it everywhere else. Our meal took an hour for it to come out. The waitress was barely at our table. I got the chicken piccata, it looked more like chicken soup. My friends pasta was overcooked, and another's chicken parm was burnt. Our waitress was very slow and made for an undesirable experience. I can get better Italian food elsewhere and better service. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
(1)Stephanie P.
Great atmosphere and great food. I ate there once before and it was so good that I brought along 10 of my friends who also enjoyed it!
(4)Addy S.
Amazing!!! Do not be fooled by the review that said its to loud or etc. this place is one of the most amazing Italian places we ever been. We will definitely go back and will bring friends with us! Great food, great service and really cute restaurant!!!
(5)Ysabella F.
Nice staff, reasonably priced wine but the food isn't anything special. I ordered calamari & fingerlings and it was mostly potatoes, all of it unappetizingly cubed. I also had the caprese salad and the same situation - all cubed and not much flavor.
(3)Mel S.
We were very disappointed in our meal tonight. My husband had sausage with pasta and a little bit of rapini. The pasta sauce was tasteless. No attempt was made to make the plate look interesting or appetizing - just 2 big sausages on a bed of sauceless pasta. We took the leftovers home and my husband, who is not a good cook, added bottled vodka sauce to make the leftovers edible. My meal was sword fish with rapini topped with shrimp. The swordfish was well cooked - not over cooked - but there was no flavoring. The meal was tasteless. We live in Falmouth and have been to this restaurant before. We will not be go to Cucina Sul Mare again.
(1)Kelly B.
We asked a local for a dinner recommendation - assuming it would be a seafood place. He said if we were buying him dinner, he'd want to go to La Cucina Sul Mare. We were so pleased to find a warm, inviting environment and live music from James Taylor's voice twin. Our food was very good, but the meal was made more by the ambiance.
(5)Ryan K.
Great place, great food, great location, great staff and great family business owners. The food there is awesome. Try their Oysters Rockefeller and Chicken Marsala, my personal favorites. If you have time check them out you'll thank me later!
(5)Doug A.
Great meal and service! 6 courses including appetizer, salad, mussels, shrimp, halibut, chicken, pasta, sausages. All cooked to perfection!
(5)Adam L.
The food and service are excellent. Every year we vacation down the cape and every year we make sure we eat here. We have driven up to 45 minutes to eat here. We have never been disappointed.
(5)Rich M.
Visiting Falmouth for the week, our friends said La Cucina was their favorite restaurant, and we understand why now. The seafood pastas were delicious, especially the white clam linguine, and the lobster bisque was phenomenal. A nice somewhat upscale place with great service to go with family and friends for a great meal, highly recommended.
(4)Deb G.
Pros: There was no wait to get in, unlike the other restaurants on Main St. We had a very, very cute waiter. Like adorable cute. Perhaps underage, but still very cute. Good garlic puree that was served with the bread, and very nice bolognese sauce. Cons: Kind of ridiculously expensive for italian food. I realize Falmouth has been infested by frou frou restaurants, but spaghetti and meat sauce for $21? Really? The complimentary bread was bland and cold, and the wait for the food was really much longer than warranted.
(3)Paloma M.
I was very disappointed with this place! I waited for more than a hour for a table and my food wasn't that good. My fish was too rich, the sauce was just too much and I couldn't even finish it. My husband's veal had the same problem, sauce was very greasy. And the noise level is unbelievable!!!! The noisiest restaurant in Falmouth, I left there with a headache. The service was very good, though, but I'm not coming back for sure.
(3)Gilles B.
Some disappointments. We each chose the lobster bisque. The portion was generous but it lacked flavour...essence. It seemed too much cream was added to lengthen the base and as a result it was bland for a true bisque. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The pasta was too thick, heavy while the sauce was glutinous and again bland. The service was good and the wine list was full and well priced. The place echoes and as a result average noise is amplified.. Not a romantic venue and some tables may be placed too close. In summary it was ok but could have been so much more.
(3)Cheryl L.
On the Cape resource list. Lively atmosphere. Vey helpful waitstaff. Comfortable and pleasant surroundings. La culinary Sul Mare 237 Main street Falmouth, Ma 1508.548.5600 Www.lacucinasulmare.com We started out with the Special salad, big scallops, gorgonzola, apples and almonds, various greens and a maple syrup dressing, enough for four although there were two of us and we finished it down to the last bite ( $14.00 ). Mmm was it good. The above was a terrific suggestion by our very intuitive waitress - she knew exactly what we wanted. Then came my special of Blackened Striped bass ( more than enough ) with mango salsa and a kick on a bed of greens. All just delicious. $ 24.00 Also, we had a Melanzana alla Parmigiana ~Breaded eggplant with a pomodoro with linguine...$ 21.00 .. very good. Stop in and you will be very pleased.
(4)Mike L.
They seem to always be crowded and recently expanded, so they must be doing something right. I wasn't overly impressed though. The tables seemed a little cramped. The bread and garlic paste in oil wasn't very good. I ordered the Chicken Marsala for dinner. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything spectacular either. Portions are fairly large and service was decent. Nothing to really want to make me come back.
(3)Ryanne T.
Consistently good food, supported year round by locals and well-embraced by the town. If you like seafood, try any of the seafood dishes. If you're looking for seafood dining straight out of Venice, its not here. But its its own flair and unique find, and they achieve good, quality dishes with huge portions. Non-seafood dishes are traditional Italian menu items, but on a finer dining level. Decent wine list. Definitely recommend reservations for dinner. Tip: noise level inside is LOUD. Patio outside is tented, cool, and spacious....try to eat out there. Inside is cramped and hectic.
(4)H. H.
Food is ok and nice atmosphere though a bit loud at tyre tables near the bar and the big flat screens on the wall detract from the dinner time ambiance. The minestrone soup is a tad too much vinegary flavor and the pomodoro sauce is a bit on the acidic side. If you like BIG main courses, then this is the place for you. If you have a normal appetite, then split a main course between two adults.
(3)Davy C.
We have been coming here for years and it is still one of our favorite places. The waitresses are wonderful and the food is fresh. The new bar area is a bit loud but the Bruins playoff game was going on at the time. The Zuppa de Pesce was excellent as always. It is a skillet full of mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp and fish in a tomato broth all over linguine. It took a while but I ate the whole thing. The wife and our friends had the scallops and shrimp piccata and they loved it. It used to be a special and now it is part of the regular menu. Some may complain about the price but you have to consider the location. Most everything on the Cape is priced higher than it should be.
(5)Nick M.
Best food I have EVER eaten in my life. The restaurant can be a bit loud. Service was Ok but wow was the food amazing. It's expensive so be prepared to open the wallet. I had this amazing $23 lasagna that was incredible. Great wine selection.
(4)Cheryl M.
La Cucina Sul Mare is the best place for Italian entrees in Falmouth period. I'm separating my review by entree and salad/desert. The entrees are consistently outstanding I give them a 5 although their daily specials hardly ever change. They fall short in the salad and desert options. A small garden salad really should be included with pasta meals. A simple garden salad is on the menu for a whopping $8.00, come on really it cost $.50 to make, they should at least offer a discounted price if you order it with your meal. Staying with salads their dressings are limited to 3 and none are considered Italian, so if they do decide to offer salads with pasta they also need to expand on dressings as well. I have never ordered their speciality salads as they are too expensive and too big unless you are sharing. Their desert menu is also lack luster, we've tried some of the limited choices and they are nothing to write home about and we usually opt out, especially since entrees are really filling. They should really hire a pastry chef to specialize in italian pastry so their customers wouldn't leave after dinner and go next door to the French pastry shop.
(4)K D.
If we'd only had their bread (served with fantastic roasted garlic) and the exquisite mussels, we would have left very happy. Unfortunately, we (three adults, two kids) ordered entrees, all of which were basically bad hotel food. Lots of it, but really pretty bad. Flavorless and gummy Caesar, unidentifiable Saltimbocca, heavy-handed sauces. It was definitely a surprise after the wonderful start.
(2)Paul C.
I have always loved this place and always will. Excellent food with pleasant atmosphere, espcially since they took over the space next door, doubling the size of this excellent restaurant. Creative menu, generous portions and we're glad that La Cucina is there for us. I'm an eggplant fan and their's is delicious.
(5)Food L.
I should have known when 2 other restaurants did not have tables on a Friday evening, but this one did. Something was not right...The decor was nice. We sat in the back "garden" section which was outdoors with a nice breeze, and away from the noise inside. The food was very mediocre, and certainly not worth the price we paid for. The calamari was soggy. The braised short rib and prosciutto wrapped stuffed pork loin was done well, but the bed of soggy, saucy, risotto and mashed sweet potato they rested on made everything lack texture. They were also pretty heavy handed with the seasoning and cream with most of what we ordered, except the rib eye and salmon which were actually under seasoned and overcooked. All in all, not worth it.
(2)Nola S.
Not impressed at all with the food or the service!!! We went there late (around 9pm) on Saturday night with our 3 yr. old. Wanted to have a light dinner so we ordered an appetizer, salad (which we split) and pasta with sauce for our son. Well I think the waitress did not like the fact that we were not ordering a lot of food because she was ignoring our requests to go attend her "higher bill" tables which was very rude! Also the food was not good at all. Sooo much lettuce in the salad with barely any toppings. The pasta for my son looked like soup because the sauce was so watery!!! Very disappointed at the whole experience!
(2)Stephanie M.
Visited tonight after seeing great ratings on Yelp! Per previous reviews, we called on our way to put our name down and only had to wait about 5 minutes when we got there for a table (it was a Tuesday night though so be prepared for a longer wait time on the weekends). The fake Mona Lisa painting in the corner and dimming of the lights right as we sat down had us off to a questionable start, but dinner quickly went uphill from there. Quick points for having a good beer selection for the boyfriend, which is often a complaint of his when we go out for Italian. Started off with the bruschetta which was good but only two pieces, so beware if you are with a group. They were nice enough to being a steak knife out with it though so we could cut the pieces. Maybe would have passed on this if we remembered they gave you great bread with your dinner. The bread itself is nothing special but you get awesome roasted garlic with olive oil to dip/spread. We both enjoyed that! For entrees, I tried the sweet potato crusted scrod which I really enjoyed. Not too rich since it was a very delicate white fish, but the sauce was great and I liked how it was served over greens that got a little blanched from the hot fish. Boyfriend got the lamb shank which tastes a lot like pot roast, but in a good way. The risotto it was served with was also very good. Minus one star for slightly slow service when we first arrived (would be hesitant to bring some of the more impatient family members here) and a boring dessert menu (stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home to satisfy my sweet tooth), but it did the trick for our special night out together on vacation and the food itself would probably bring me back!
(4)Kristin M.
Wonderfully romantic restaurant with amazing food. The roasted garlic oil is to die for. Chicken Limone and Marsala-- both amazing. I highly recommend this place for the food, service, and lovely atmosphere.
(5)Margo J.
My partner and I were there in October 2012 for my 50th birthday. Our Inn keeper recommended this restaurant and we were not disappointed. I wish I could remember the exact dishes we had, but it's been a while. I had a chicken dish with lemony pasta and I could have licked the dish clean it was so good! Just a wonderful evening all around.
(5)Tara P.
I honestly don't understand why this place is rated so high! The food is okay but there are much better places to go for Italian food
(2)William S.
Checked out this place for dinner. We had lobster bisque, caprese salad, lobster/ravioli with scallops, bread with roasted garlic and olive oil dip. The service was excellent. The place was a bit loud. We were seated in the back and heard crashing dishes throughout dinner. The bisque and salad were predictable. The bread and dip was very good but very heavy on the garlic. The raviolis were thin, and were not really lobster ravioli. They poured lobster bisque over a cheese and asparagus ravioli...added a two scallops and called it a day. It tasted fine but was not what we expected for the $23.00. So the long and short of it is that it was pleasant dinner but we will likely not be back.
(3)christina t.
Delish! I had the fettuccine Bolognese and my mom had the fettuccine and meatball. Both were wonderful. We shared the house salad with the house tomato basil dressing, YUM! The portions were large and we could not finish our meals, although we wanted to! This is a delightful place, perfect for a relaxing evening.
(4)Matt N.
Fantastic waitress (Tina) held her own after a long shift and aggressive patrons (us). New wine glass portions are unacceptable. Massive glasses, but fill line is below 1/4 glass. Response to complaint was that the other glasses were over-poured. Wait staff not great, service slow among other frustrating situations. For fairly patient patrons, we were quite frustrated.
(3)Kelly A.
Had the service not totally pissed me off, this would be more like a 4-star review. But I was so annoyed by the time that I left that it must be knocked to a three. We were on the Cape for a wedding, and we got into town Friday night. I had gotten a recommendation to check out La Cucina Sul Mare, so we decided to check it out for dinner. We called ahead, which saved us some wait time, and after we got there, we were seated in like 15 minutes, so not too bad. Things started off well. I got an iced tea, and it was lovely. We also got some nice rustic bread with a most delicious dipping oil (it contained a giant chunk of roasted garlic puree to spread onto the bread). The menu was very pricey. I mean, $16-$20 for pasta sans meat? That's higher than most places in the North End! But what can you do. I ordered the tortellini in pesto cream sauce and the mister got the rigatoni in vodka sauce. Both of our meals were really good, and the portions were quite large, so we did have a lot to take home. The service was mediocre throughout the meal (we waited 15 minutes to get the refills on drinks that we ordered), and then when the check came, I tried to pay with a prepaid Visa card that I had received as a gift. The thing SAID it could be used anywhere Visa was accepted, and to tell the server to just run it as credit. Well the server refused. She tried to tell me they weren't set up to take "gift cards" and never even bothered to offer to run it and see what happened. I tried to ask her to please just try, but she wouldn't. And this pissed me off.
(3)K C.
2nd time going here with family and friends. First couple years ago was great. Especially remember the calamari which was fresh with the pickled peppers. Ordered it again second time and still as good. Also had the short rib, tender and flavorful with onions and mushrooms over super yummy Risotto.
(4)Hrishikesh H.
Very good service. My wife and I walked in there late afternoon just to have dessert. We wanted to have just tiramisu and so asked the wait staff if we can sit at the bar. They allowed us to sit there even though the bar was closed ( which we came to know later ). While enjoying the delicious tiramisu I decided to order moscato and they served me without questions even though the bar was not open yet. I will definitely go there again for lunch or dinner when I visit falmouth next time.
(4)Charles T.
Great food excellent bar staff. Food was fairly authentic. A good place when you do not want to spend a fortune but still have good quality. Very busy in the summer delightful in the winter.
(4)Loiosh T.
This really pains me to write, as I've had really good meals back in 2008 here, but lately La Cucina is falling flat. The last two times I've visited, the meals were disappointing; aioli was heavy on the oil and missing the garlic flavor, the red sauce didn't really pop, either. And the final time we stopped in to get dessert, no one even came to the front to seat us. We waited for five minutes and then turned and left. And the tables weren't even filled. Yikes!
(2)Maryan P.
Went here the other night and it was wonderful. It's hard to find a good restaurant these days. We had the mussels as an appetizer, I got the chicken milanese as an entree and my hubby got shrimp and scallop piccata which was to die for. We also got a wonderful bottle of wine for about $25 and we got desert and coffee. It was a wonderful, non-rushed night and the food was really good. The chef even came out a few times to talk to some tables of regulars but he even said hello to us and this was our first time there. We will be back, even though it's a 40 minute ride from our house.
(5)casey c.
Certainly did not meet our expectations. I believe the this establishment takes for granted the difficulty in serving good pasta dishes. Ours included watery sauce over mushy pasta. Simply not matching the nice interior, the food was disappointing.
(2)David P.
Great Italian food, get a bottle of wine and feel like you are in Rome, I love the shrimp and Scallop Piccatta, or the bolognese, or the osso buco, or the bread and hummus, ok now I am rambling. I promise you will be rambling when you leave. All the dishes are delicious. Check out my pics of some dishes.
(5)Michelle P.
We had the lobster ravioli with scallops as well as the sweet potato encrusted scrod. Both dishes were delicious. The presentation was excellent and each dish had a very nice blend of ingredients which complimented each other impeccably. The price was very reasonable considering the high quality of the food... 2 meals, 2 glasses of wine each, split a dessert with cappuccinos for $100!
(4)KATE G.
The vibe is great - warm and laid back = dress up or dress down. Very romantic, I love that the noise level is low even when crowded. The crowd was very nice Sunday night, nice middle age couples all races, families etc. Server was good, friendly but forgot a few side dishes etc for shells. Wine list fine. Many food special. seating very comfortable, fresh flowers on the table w/ a cloth. I had the Salmon served on salad with sliced fresh tomatoes rubbed with garlic and basil and so fresh and perfect. There were many fresh herbs in the salad that complemented the fresh dill loaded mayo for the Salmon which was cooked perfectly - I love the whole marinated artichoke as well. The another dish was the cioppini type special in a light broth with linguine. It was loaded with lobster - white fish , mussels and scollop's with a few clams. Although it was fresh and loaded ( 20 dollars) they white fish had more than a few pins and cartilage. With a nice bottle of wine, two entrees and two espressos with a frangelico side 120.00 usd. I would return if I was in the area again , very nice comfortable vibe.
(3)nicole b.
After dining here a few times, we enjoyed it so much we booked it for our rehearsal dinner of 40 people. EVERYONE loved their food and service experience. The Clams Oreganato, Bruschetta and Lobster Bisque are my favorites so far. I love the selection of Italian classics, although some have home-style twists to them that make them a little different than "everywhere else". I also really enjoy the seafood selection, in case I am in the mood for a lighter dish, like grilled salmon, and my husband wants pasta. I was (probably rudely) eyeing a shellfish dish (looked like clams, mussels and lobster) at the table next to me the last time I was there, so will soon be returning to try. I read some of the one-two star reviews here, and i don't understand the food/price point issues. I can tell you while this restaurant is not 'cheap', it is priced competitively with several good restaurants in the North End. With the quality of atmosphere, food and service that I have received I am ok with paying that. I think some people think that just because they are on Cape Cod it should be cheap?
(4)Jean W.
This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants, by far. Terrific waitstaff, delicious food, and great decor.
(5)Doug M.
What a great italian restaurant - in Falmouth no less! We went in a few weeks ago and sat on the newly expanded bar side. Got a nice table with views of the BC Championship hockey game. The food was fantastic. The service was great and the new seating/bar is really nice. We'll be visiting every time we're in Falmouth.
(5)J R.
Thought the food here was very good and the server we had was great. She went out of her way to meet our needs. The only negative is the tables are a bit close together and can feel cramped. They don't have a kids menu but they do half portions.
(4)David B.
you cannot go wrong good food good portions just a little noisy
(4)Corina G.
My husband and I came here after a weekend at the Vineyard, and we were not disappointed. I had the sweet potato encrusted scrod, and he had the prime rib (special of the day). Both meals were absolutely amazing. The rib had this almost butteriness in regards to texture, which was so delicious. I had a couple house margaritas, very well made. Not sure what my husband had to drink, he just told the bartender EJ(?) to make him something refreshing. It seemed like a spicy watermelon martini, but I'm not sure. (both gentlemen who were working the bar were delightful by the way) To finish, this place was amazing. We will definitely be back next time we're in the area.
(5)Emily J.
Best Italian in the cape and maybe even boston too. Owner is a family lady with kids who work in the restaurant. Food is high quality and made with love. Highly recommend the piccata and veal parm!
(5)Amanda R.
The best meal in a long time. Make sure to order the Zuppa de pesce. Superb and so filling, recommend sharing! The others at my table ordered Veal parmigiana veal Milanese which were both solid.
(5)Claudette D.
Three of us stopped in for a mid-shopping lunch in Falmouth Center. It was a rainy cape cod day and we remarked to hostess that AC was on too cold a temp. It was immediately adjusted and we were very comfortable. It was just supposed to be a quick lunch while out shopping the boutiques. We didn't particularly expect to have a fabulous meal, but that's exactly what all three of us got. I ordered Schrod al Limone on angel hair pasta. The fish was twice the size portion I would expect at lunch and it was prepared to perfection! Buried in caper and lemon sauce. The side order of spinach was tasty and perfectly cooked. The young waiter was excellent and pleasant. I will make Cucina sul Mare a frequent stop when I'm in Falmouth.
(5)Patrizia R.
Good food. Big portions. Dainty setting. On the pricier side. Experience was just okay for me. I might be or might not be back.
(4)Suely C.
We were there for dinner and it was busy but tables were opening up. We were seated in the dining room where the band was playing. Our order was taken and wine served. Their Calamari was okay - had to eat quickly before the fried batter got soggy. We had a late lunch and so decided to split the Veal Marsala, which was excellent. Service was spotty; our waitress was distracted by a gentleman at another table.
(3)Douglas D.
The shrimp and scallop piccata was very good. The bread and whipped garlic was very good as well. Everyone at the table was happy with their meal
(4)Joe T.
Average Italian Pros: Good presentation Good Service Cons: Veal was a little overcooked Lobster ravioli had way too much sherry in it. 1 beer, 2 meals, 2 oysters $72
(3)Susan M.
We arrived early, about 6, and were pleased to find seats at the bar. We asked for a drink Menu, and instead had the wonderful experience of a talented bartender who could ask what I liked and make a delicious cocktail. She made it perfect and it continued from there. Excellent service was just the beginning! Hubble had the swordfish, which was delicious and cooked perfectly. Only to be topped by my ribeye, cooked a perfect medium rare. Delicious and beautifully plated. Though the restaurant got very busy, the service continued to be excellent with the servers working together as a team! Great job and marvelous food : we will be back.
(5)Bernie B.
felt like the North End in Boston. the food tasted better than there and was extremely well seasoned. get the house special salad. waitstaff was excellent, friendly and attentive.
(5)Michael Z.
Stopped by for lunch. Great food and nice staff. Reasonable prices. Would recommend this place if you're looking for good Italian food
(5)Steve R.
This restaurant is one of the best Italian Restaurants I've ever been to, and one of my favorite restaurants period. The food is amazing. Every time we are in Falmouth we come here and no matter what we order, we enjoy it. I am sure you've seen photos that other people have posted. The food here is wonderful and the portions give great value. The wait staff, while quite busy, are friendly and attentive. For both food and service I would give this wonderful place five stars. It is that good. So why am I giving this place four stars? The folks here really do need to revise the way they handle the crowds. (at least during tourist season ) They won't take reservations if you have a smaller party (eg. party of three. ) They suggest that you call ahead a half hour and put your name on a list. When you arrive the place is pandemonium, with call aheads mixed in a line with walk-ins. You still have to wait excessively to get in, and not everyone in that line is pleasant. The folks who handle this are in a place so noisy that they can't hear your name clearly on the phone, never mind be able to communicate comfortably in person. The experience of arriving and getting seated is far more stressful than it should be. A more effective way to make reservations would make the overall experience of this place much better. Owners please take note and fix!
(4)Torie R.
We loved our meal at La Cucina Sul Mare. We were attracted by the charming entrance as we walked by and we are so glad we stopped. The portions are HUGE. I had the Sweet Italian Sausage and Rapini, which came with two 10" sausages, and made for two meals worth of leftovers the next day (which were equally delicious!). The wine selection is extensive and our waitress, I believe her name was Jennifer, made great recommendations based on our description of what we liked in a wine. The service was excellent, and on our way out, when we wanted to compliment our waitress to the manager, the host walked us to a table where the owners were enjoying a meal themselves. That told us that this really must be the best Italian around! They were very gracious, and we would certainly return here and recommend the restaurant to friends.
(5)Sergei B.
Tried the short rib with risotto. Seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. The creaminess of the risotto and tomato sauce and the tenderness of the ribs combined with the zest of the marinated peppers took this to another level. The atmosphere was nice too, not overbearing in terms of noise. If I had to nitpick it would be on the free bread. Overall much better than dishes in the North End in Boston.
(5)Meg M.
Delicious! Be prepared to wait but it's worth it!
(5)Stephanie B.
Went here for dinner for first time last night on a recommendation. Place crowded as expected but we lucked out and got two seats at bar where we were able to order dinner. Bartender EJ excellent. Attentive and friendly. Food was really good! We had shrimp cocktail, chix parm and cheese ravioli. Shrimp plump and tasty (better be we're on cape cod!), chix much better than average (and I know being a Brooklyn born Long Island girl!) but the ravioli was off the chart yummy! Big pillowy squares with delicious filling. Portions pretty big which was a nice surprise. We left with a "people bag". Their basic red sauce is excellent so I suspect everything they make with it is going to be tasty. Def going to try to go back before we leave.
(4)Jon S.
Short version. Food: 5 stars. Service: 0 stars Details: It was a busy summer night so we called ahead and the hostess was very friendly on the phone and put us on the list for call-ahead seating. By the time we arrived, we were seated even though two in our party were not there yet. We ordered drinks and appetizers. The calamari was excellent though putting it on top of the sauce (which was delicious) made about half of the calamari soggy. We got a salad from the list of specials with edible flowers, goat cheese, nuts etc. It was huge - it serves 4 - and very good, but there were only two edible flowers for the whole salad. The problems with the service started here. We asked our server, Patricia, to set aside a couple desserts because we'd had them before and they are a big reason we came back. She acted like this was a strange request and said she couldn't promise they would still be available by the time we finished. I've never encountered this before. It seems like a simple request. Three people in our party had to ask about this before she agreed. Our entrees came, and they were all delicious. I had the scallop and shrimp picatta which was great. By the time we finished our entrees we had the feeling they wanted us to leave to free our table. Our server came with the dessert menus and made an odd, rude comment. We got the creme brûlée (delicious but could've had more vanilla) and tiramisu which was excellent. Two of our party also ordered espresso. Our server brought the check and we were still eating our desserts and drinking coffee. She came back to check to see if we had put the money in the billfold and basically said she wanted us to leave because they needed the table. The food was so good, the ambience is nice (though it can get loud at times), but because of the poor, rushed service I'm not sure if we'll go back. This is sad because it is some of the best Italian food I've had on the Cape.
(3)Mckenzie G.
Cute decor, classic Italian menu, and fresh ingredients. A good combination for a nice meal. I originally told my dinner companion that I wanted a light meal, but when I saw the pasta making its way to the other tables with the bright red tomato sauce, I knew I had to go for it. I went with the classic ligunini and meatball with their pomdoro sauce (red sauce). This was amazing. 1 huge meatball over good pasta and the sauce was just what I wanted. They start you off with nice bread and an olive oil & garlic dip. However, the salad that we decided to order was another story. First of all, I think it should be pretty standard to get a salad with a pasta dish, or at least have the option to add on a side salad. Here you have to order a salad separately, and the price is a little ridiculous - $8 for a garden salad!. They have 3 salad dressing options: tomato & basil, creamy garlic, and honey vinegrette. For someone who likes a classic italian or balsamic vinegrette, these options were a little hard to handle. The waitress kindly brought us 2 of them because we were having a hard time deciding. While I didn't love either of them, the creamy garlic was definitely much better than the tomato & basil. We were surprised that the dressing was made with yogurt, so it definitely felt healthy. Overall a pretty good experience. I would go back, but I would skip the salad next time.
(4)Karen W.
Great food, atmosphere, cocktails and family friendly. Wonderful veal piccata and roasted duck, desert was also delicious. Nice place!!
(5)C Q.
Very disappointed!! Used to love this place. Bartender was more pompous than friendly. When I asked for menus I wasn't given a wine or drink menu so had to get up and ask the hostess for one. Total bill for two people, 1 bottle of wine, I great meal, and one very very very bad meal (threat parm tasted old, maybe frozen, just plain bad) $89 before tip. Not impressed. Wasn't offered coffee or dessert. Husband feels I'll after the bad veal. Overheard: customer to bartender, " would you recommend the salmon or the veal?" Bartender, "salmon" Hmmmm.... Never ever returning.
(2)Scott P.
What I ordered: I had a Chicken Marsala dish. I ordered this because I saw someone else's plate on the way in and it looked good. It was. The dish itself can vary in prep and taste from place to place. Meat was very tender and sauce was rich and flavorful. I thought to myself someone took the time to develop the flavors for sure. What I shared: tomatoes, basil and mozzarella salad. Again, good (in-line with expectation). What I tasted: The halibut special/capers etc.: it was great! My dish was excellent, but I should have gone to the special. The Service: One could tell there was an attempt to look and be attentive, but it was busy. With that you could tell that the wait staff is really just summer help. What we paid: not sure exactly (on vacation I tried to just have fun and not pay attention), but it wasn't cheap. Value-wise it was probably what you'd expect at one of the better places on the Cape (Falmouth) in the summer.
(4)Chris B.
We are frequent visitors to the restaurant. If you find yourself in Falmouth, stop in. The food is excellent. While we have tried many dishes, one absolutely stands out. Ask your server if you can have the 16 oz ribeye steak (often a dinner special on a Saturday night) prepared marsala style and have it served over the risotto. You will not be disappointed! An absolute fantastic dish! Ask to sit in dining room, away from the bar, as it can be loud on the bar side. No reservations but you can call ahead to put your name on the list. Service is attentive.
(5)Kyungah C.
A classic Italian restaurant in downtown Falmouth. We ordered a lobster roll and linguini alla vongole. The lobster roll was packed with fresh lobster with chopped vegetables, and it was creamier than other typical lobster rolls you would find in the same area. It was delicious. My dish was the linguini alla vongole. It was just a tad saltier than I would have liked it, but it was still one of the best linguini alla vongole I have had in a long time (better than some of the restaurants in Boston's North End!). For dessert, I highly recommend taking a very short walk over to the Maison Villate. They have amazing pastries and tarts!
(4)Linda A.
That is for food . We had the least friendly bar tender ever . And we always sit at the bar. Not good for a restaurant !!!!
(4)Rebecca C.
The Yelpers got it right! This cozy restaurant was a great place to have dinner in Falmouth. From the garlic olive oil to the entree everything was delicious. Don't let yourself eat all the bread because the portions are huge. I got a very nice (and generous) glass of Chianti and we had a Caesar salad and the calamari. The server suggested that if it was our first time eating there the portions are huge so offered us to do a half Caesar... It was the same size as a normal and plenty to share between two with the calamari. The calamari were lightly breaded and really tender, some of the best I've ever had. They come on top of a bright tart tomato broth and sprinkled throughout are red and green peppers ranging from sweet and tart to zingingly spicy. Also a generous douse of capers (the chef seems to love capers, luckily I do too!) The entrees were also hearty I had a lovely veal breaded and egg washed in the limone sauce with lemon, capers and shallots and my husband had a huge piece of lasanga. Unfortunately we were staying at a hotel so couldn't bring leftovers home. My only two issues were the good all came out very fast without a gap between app and entree and with the big portions that was challenging but they had a buyout in the next room so maybe the pace isn't always like that. I also could have done without the orchid on top of the entree. To me it didn't suit the theme but maybe that's just me being picky because everything else from service to wine to food was really great.
(4)Matt A.
A Jersey transplant to the cape can certainly qualify a great Italian joint! 7:30 Thursday night, no wait at all, seated within minutes. There was a bar crowd in place, while somewhat noisey, not horrible. Sysco silverware. Ambiance is reasonable, tables are sort of close together, prices are on par for Falmouth.. Server was pleasant, not obtrusive, regularly available. Fettuccini bolognese tonight.. Noodles were a little softer than I prefer but, well within reason, gravy (yea, gravy) was good, not acidic, very nice flavor, plenty of meat. I liked it, I'm not 4 * ing for the food... I'll be back, and I'll update accordingly. I would defiantly recommend La Cucina
(4)Al T.
excellent with a very good reasonably priced wine list. best meal I've had on the cape.
(5)Cynthia A.
Really good meal. I had Chicken Lemone, good lemon taste. My friend has chicken marsela, the portions where good. We also had salad which the waiter should have told us that it was really large, we should have shared it and perhaps we would have shared a dessert. The parking is really confusing we had to call about. Prices ok. Waiter good.
(4)John W.
When deciding which meal is my favorite, it's a tough place to start. The meals are top notch and I usually have some left overs for the next day : )
(5)Rachel E.
We arrived to a disorganized, long line at the entry with no hostess to be found. There was a wait for a table, in the back corner of the restaurant, next to a particularly rowdy large group. Once seated, our waitress seemed frazzled and overworked. However, once our food arrived, our stress melted away and was replaced by only extremely full-bellied contentment. Portions are gigantic and we could have easily shared our entrees - the linguine alle vongole for me and zuppa de pesce for him. Both delicious and piled high with fresh seafood in a flavorful tomato broth over perfectly cooked linguine. At market price, which ended up being $38 dollars that night, the zuppa de pesce wasn't cheap but you should get it anyway because it is perfection. As the evening went on, service improved slightly, but was still disappointing overall. You go for the food I guess!
(4)S C.
You know halibut is fresh and wild when it has that soft and slightly flaky texture and just melts in your mouth like butter. This was tonight's special with lemon sauce and capers served on angel hair pasta with a few springs of asparagus. It was a generous portion and I've never had it so well prepared. It was pricey, but so is fresh halibut so I decided to dish it out and was absolutely in heaven. And the lobster bisque...I've never had it prepared with an Italian flair and so much lobster meat. I can't say enough good things for this place. My dad's oysters Rockefeller were perfect too (or so he told me). Highly recommend this restaurant when visiting Falmouth.
(5)Mikhail H.
One of our favorites at the cape. The owners are super nice and the staff is so friendly. I warn you though - you will be waiting for a table. They do great takeout also - just sayin. I am addicted to their halibut and their mussels...hands down some of the best I have ever had. In addition they serve this roasted garlic paste and oil which is so good with their bread while you wait which I love - though you have to be committed to garlic.
(5)Cameron C.
Yet again, there are only a handful of times that I would write a review; if it was horrible or it was amazing. This is one of those time that it was amazing! We did not have a reservation so the wait was about 40 mins which was not to bad, we had a healthy glass of wine (all of their pours were generous to say the least) and we chatted with some other customers. After about 30 mins we were seated and the hostess Doris was more than pleasant and she was quick and on the ball with drinks and apps. The Bruchetta was to die for! Just the right mix of pesto, moz, and tomato with a little balsamic. Anyway, the entire entree was amazing! Ordered the braised lamb shank with a mushroom risotto. To die for! The shank was massive and was cooked to perfection, cut with a fork, fall of the bone perfect! The risotto was creamy and had just the right amount of rosemary. I would say this is the only dish that I would recommend even though I have had nothing else, this is what I am going to get always! After dinner for dessert I had the gelato which was creamy and fresh and it was nice to have that cleanser after dinner. I also ordered a cognac which again was extremely health on the pour! You do not want when it comes to wine or spirits. I cannot say enough good things about this place and would recommend it to ANYONE who wants good food and awesome service! I will be going back here again as soon as I can! Thanks for reading and bon appetite!
(5)Kristen O.
1/17/15 Went to this restaurant with my boyfriend and another couple. They do not take reservations but you can call half hour ahead...when we got there we had an hour wait. When we finally got seated I ordered proceso with a splash of st germain, when she came back with our drinks 15 mins later my drink was in a martini glass and tasted like a margarita. The waitress claimed that how they make it...hmmm thats not how they make it everywhere else. Our meal took an hour for it to come out. The waitress was barely at our table. I got the chicken piccata, it looked more like chicken soup. My friends pasta was overcooked, and another's chicken parm was burnt. Our waitress was very slow and made for an undesirable experience. I can get better Italian food elsewhere and better service. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
(1)Stephanie P.
Great atmosphere and great food. I ate there once before and it was so good that I brought along 10 of my friends who also enjoyed it!
(4)Addy S.
Amazing!!! Do not be fooled by the review that said its to loud or etc. this place is one of the most amazing Italian places we ever been. We will definitely go back and will bring friends with us! Great food, great service and really cute restaurant!!!
(5)Ysabella F.
Nice staff, reasonably priced wine but the food isn't anything special. I ordered calamari & fingerlings and it was mostly potatoes, all of it unappetizingly cubed. I also had the caprese salad and the same situation - all cubed and not much flavor.
(3)Mel S.
We were very disappointed in our meal tonight. My husband had sausage with pasta and a little bit of rapini. The pasta sauce was tasteless. No attempt was made to make the plate look interesting or appetizing - just 2 big sausages on a bed of sauceless pasta. We took the leftovers home and my husband, who is not a good cook, added bottled vodka sauce to make the leftovers edible. My meal was sword fish with rapini topped with shrimp. The swordfish was well cooked - not over cooked - but there was no flavoring. The meal was tasteless. We live in Falmouth and have been to this restaurant before. We will not be go to Cucina Sul Mare again.
(1)Kelly B.
We asked a local for a dinner recommendation - assuming it would be a seafood place. He said if we were buying him dinner, he'd want to go to La Cucina Sul Mare. We were so pleased to find a warm, inviting environment and live music from James Taylor's voice twin. Our food was very good, but the meal was made more by the ambiance.
(5)Ryan K.
Great place, great food, great location, great staff and great family business owners. The food there is awesome. Try their Oysters Rockefeller and Chicken Marsala, my personal favorites. If you have time check them out you'll thank me later!
(5)Doug A.
Great meal and service! 6 courses including appetizer, salad, mussels, shrimp, halibut, chicken, pasta, sausages. All cooked to perfection!
(5)Adam L.
The food and service are excellent. Every year we vacation down the cape and every year we make sure we eat here. We have driven up to 45 minutes to eat here. We have never been disappointed.
(5)Rich M.
Visiting Falmouth for the week, our friends said La Cucina was their favorite restaurant, and we understand why now. The seafood pastas were delicious, especially the white clam linguine, and the lobster bisque was phenomenal. A nice somewhat upscale place with great service to go with family and friends for a great meal, highly recommended.
(4)Deb G.
Pros: There was no wait to get in, unlike the other restaurants on Main St. We had a very, very cute waiter. Like adorable cute. Perhaps underage, but still very cute. Good garlic puree that was served with the bread, and very nice bolognese sauce. Cons: Kind of ridiculously expensive for italian food. I realize Falmouth has been infested by frou frou restaurants, but spaghetti and meat sauce for $21? Really? The complimentary bread was bland and cold, and the wait for the food was really much longer than warranted.
(3)Paloma M.
I was very disappointed with this place! I waited for more than a hour for a table and my food wasn't that good. My fish was too rich, the sauce was just too much and I couldn't even finish it. My husband's veal had the same problem, sauce was very greasy. And the noise level is unbelievable!!!! The noisiest restaurant in Falmouth, I left there with a headache. The service was very good, though, but I'm not coming back for sure.
(3)Gilles B.
Some disappointments. We each chose the lobster bisque. The portion was generous but it lacked flavour...essence. It seemed too much cream was added to lengthen the base and as a result it was bland for a true bisque. I ordered the lobster ravioli. The pasta was too thick, heavy while the sauce was glutinous and again bland. The service was good and the wine list was full and well priced. The place echoes and as a result average noise is amplified.. Not a romantic venue and some tables may be placed too close. In summary it was ok but could have been so much more.
(3)Cheryl L.
On the Cape resource list. Lively atmosphere. Vey helpful waitstaff. Comfortable and pleasant surroundings. La culinary Sul Mare 237 Main street Falmouth, Ma 1508.548.5600 Www.lacucinasulmare.com We started out with the Special salad, big scallops, gorgonzola, apples and almonds, various greens and a maple syrup dressing, enough for four although there were two of us and we finished it down to the last bite ( $14.00 ). Mmm was it good. The above was a terrific suggestion by our very intuitive waitress - she knew exactly what we wanted. Then came my special of Blackened Striped bass ( more than enough ) with mango salsa and a kick on a bed of greens. All just delicious. $ 24.00 Also, we had a Melanzana alla Parmigiana ~Breaded eggplant with a pomodoro with linguine...$ 21.00 .. very good. Stop in and you will be very pleased.
(4)Mike L.
They seem to always be crowded and recently expanded, so they must be doing something right. I wasn't overly impressed though. The tables seemed a little cramped. The bread and garlic paste in oil wasn't very good. I ordered the Chicken Marsala for dinner. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything spectacular either. Portions are fairly large and service was decent. Nothing to really want to make me come back.
(3)Ryanne T.
Consistently good food, supported year round by locals and well-embraced by the town. If you like seafood, try any of the seafood dishes. If you're looking for seafood dining straight out of Venice, its not here. But its its own flair and unique find, and they achieve good, quality dishes with huge portions. Non-seafood dishes are traditional Italian menu items, but on a finer dining level. Decent wine list. Definitely recommend reservations for dinner. Tip: noise level inside is LOUD. Patio outside is tented, cool, and spacious....try to eat out there. Inside is cramped and hectic.
(4)H. H.
Food is ok and nice atmosphere though a bit loud at tyre tables near the bar and the big flat screens on the wall detract from the dinner time ambiance. The minestrone soup is a tad too much vinegary flavor and the pomodoro sauce is a bit on the acidic side. If you like BIG main courses, then this is the place for you. If you have a normal appetite, then split a main course between two adults.
(3)D A.
ok.
(3)Davy C.
We have been coming here for years and it is still one of our favorite places. The waitresses are wonderful and the food is fresh. The new bar area is a bit loud but the Bruins playoff game was going on at the time. The Zuppa de Pesce was excellent as always. It is a skillet full of mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp and fish in a tomato broth all over linguine. It took a while but I ate the whole thing. The wife and our friends had the scallops and shrimp piccata and they loved it. It used to be a special and now it is part of the regular menu. Some may complain about the price but you have to consider the location. Most everything on the Cape is priced higher than it should be.
(5)Nick M.
Best food I have EVER eaten in my life. The restaurant can be a bit loud. Service was Ok but wow was the food amazing. It's expensive so be prepared to open the wallet. I had this amazing $23 lasagna that was incredible. Great wine selection.
(4)christina t.
Delish! I had the fettuccine Bolognese and my mom had the fettuccine and meatball. Both were wonderful. We shared the house salad with the house tomato basil dressing, YUM! The portions were large and we could not finish our meals, although we wanted to! This is a delightful place, perfect for a relaxing evening.
(4)Matt N.
Fantastic waitress (Tina) held her own after a long shift and aggressive patrons (us). New wine glass portions are unacceptable. Massive glasses, but fill line is below 1/4 glass. Response to complaint was that the other glasses were over-poured. Wait staff not great, service slow among other frustrating situations. For fairly patient patrons, we were quite frustrated.
(3)Cheryl M.
La Cucina Sul Mare is the best place for Italian entrees in Falmouth period. I'm separating my review by entree and salad/desert. The entrees are consistently outstanding I give them a 5 although their daily specials hardly ever change. They fall short in the salad and desert options. A small garden salad really should be included with pasta meals. A simple garden salad is on the menu for a whopping $8.00, come on really it cost $.50 to make, they should at least offer a discounted price if you order it with your meal. Staying with salads their dressings are limited to 3 and none are considered Italian, so if they do decide to offer salads with pasta they also need to expand on dressings as well. I have never ordered their speciality salads as they are too expensive and too big unless you are sharing. Their desert menu is also lack luster, we've tried some of the limited choices and they are nothing to write home about and we usually opt out, especially since entrees are really filling. They should really hire a pastry chef to specialize in italian pastry so their customers wouldn't leave after dinner and go next door to the French pastry shop.
(4)K D.
If we'd only had their bread (served with fantastic roasted garlic) and the exquisite mussels, we would have left very happy. Unfortunately, we (three adults, two kids) ordered entrees, all of which were basically bad hotel food. Lots of it, but really pretty bad. Flavorless and gummy Caesar, unidentifiable Saltimbocca, heavy-handed sauces. It was definitely a surprise after the wonderful start.
(2)Paul C.
I have always loved this place and always will. Excellent food with pleasant atmosphere, espcially since they took over the space next door, doubling the size of this excellent restaurant. Creative menu, generous portions and we're glad that La Cucina is there for us. I'm an eggplant fan and their's is delicious.
(5)Food L.
I should have known when 2 other restaurants did not have tables on a Friday evening, but this one did. Something was not right...The decor was nice. We sat in the back "garden" section which was outdoors with a nice breeze, and away from the noise inside. The food was very mediocre, and certainly not worth the price we paid for. The calamari was soggy. The braised short rib and prosciutto wrapped stuffed pork loin was done well, but the bed of soggy, saucy, risotto and mashed sweet potato they rested on made everything lack texture. They were also pretty heavy handed with the seasoning and cream with most of what we ordered, except the rib eye and salmon which were actually under seasoned and overcooked. All in all, not worth it.
(2)Nola S.
Not impressed at all with the food or the service!!! We went there late (around 9pm) on Saturday night with our 3 yr. old. Wanted to have a light dinner so we ordered an appetizer, salad (which we split) and pasta with sauce for our son. Well I think the waitress did not like the fact that we were not ordering a lot of food because she was ignoring our requests to go attend her "higher bill" tables which was very rude! Also the food was not good at all. Sooo much lettuce in the salad with barely any toppings. The pasta for my son looked like soup because the sauce was so watery!!! Very disappointed at the whole experience!
(2)Stephanie M.
Visited tonight after seeing great ratings on Yelp! Per previous reviews, we called on our way to put our name down and only had to wait about 5 minutes when we got there for a table (it was a Tuesday night though so be prepared for a longer wait time on the weekends). The fake Mona Lisa painting in the corner and dimming of the lights right as we sat down had us off to a questionable start, but dinner quickly went uphill from there. Quick points for having a good beer selection for the boyfriend, which is often a complaint of his when we go out for Italian. Started off with the bruschetta which was good but only two pieces, so beware if you are with a group. They were nice enough to being a steak knife out with it though so we could cut the pieces. Maybe would have passed on this if we remembered they gave you great bread with your dinner. The bread itself is nothing special but you get awesome roasted garlic with olive oil to dip/spread. We both enjoyed that! For entrees, I tried the sweet potato crusted scrod which I really enjoyed. Not too rich since it was a very delicate white fish, but the sauce was great and I liked how it was served over greens that got a little blanched from the hot fish. Boyfriend got the lamb shank which tastes a lot like pot roast, but in a good way. The risotto it was served with was also very good. Minus one star for slightly slow service when we first arrived (would be hesitant to bring some of the more impatient family members here) and a boring dessert menu (stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home to satisfy my sweet tooth), but it did the trick for our special night out together on vacation and the food itself would probably bring me back!
(4)Kristin M.
Wonderfully romantic restaurant with amazing food. The roasted garlic oil is to die for. Chicken Limone and Marsala-- both amazing. I highly recommend this place for the food, service, and lovely atmosphere.
(5)Margo J.
My partner and I were there in October 2012 for my 50th birthday. Our Inn keeper recommended this restaurant and we were not disappointed. I wish I could remember the exact dishes we had, but it's been a while. I had a chicken dish with lemony pasta and I could have licked the dish clean it was so good! Just a wonderful evening all around.
(5)Tara P.
I honestly don't understand why this place is rated so high! The food is okay but there are much better places to go for Italian food
(2)William S.
Checked out this place for dinner. We had lobster bisque, caprese salad, lobster/ravioli with scallops, bread with roasted garlic and olive oil dip. The service was excellent. The place was a bit loud. We were seated in the back and heard crashing dishes throughout dinner. The bisque and salad were predictable. The bread and dip was very good but very heavy on the garlic. The raviolis were thin, and were not really lobster ravioli. They poured lobster bisque over a cheese and asparagus ravioli...added a two scallops and called it a day. It tasted fine but was not what we expected for the $23.00. So the long and short of it is that it was pleasant dinner but we will likely not be back.
(3)Kelly A.
Had the service not totally pissed me off, this would be more like a 4-star review. But I was so annoyed by the time that I left that it must be knocked to a three. We were on the Cape for a wedding, and we got into town Friday night. I had gotten a recommendation to check out La Cucina Sul Mare, so we decided to check it out for dinner. We called ahead, which saved us some wait time, and after we got there, we were seated in like 15 minutes, so not too bad. Things started off well. I got an iced tea, and it was lovely. We also got some nice rustic bread with a most delicious dipping oil (it contained a giant chunk of roasted garlic puree to spread onto the bread). The menu was very pricey. I mean, $16-$20 for pasta sans meat? That's higher than most places in the North End! But what can you do. I ordered the tortellini in pesto cream sauce and the mister got the rigatoni in vodka sauce. Both of our meals were really good, and the portions were quite large, so we did have a lot to take home. The service was mediocre throughout the meal (we waited 15 minutes to get the refills on drinks that we ordered), and then when the check came, I tried to pay with a prepaid Visa card that I had received as a gift. The thing SAID it could be used anywhere Visa was accepted, and to tell the server to just run it as credit. Well the server refused. She tried to tell me they weren't set up to take "gift cards" and never even bothered to offer to run it and see what happened. I tried to ask her to please just try, but she wouldn't. And this pissed me off.
(3)K C.
2nd time going here with family and friends. First couple years ago was great. Especially remember the calamari which was fresh with the pickled peppers. Ordered it again second time and still as good. Also had the short rib, tender and flavorful with onions and mushrooms over super yummy Risotto.
(4)Hrishikesh H.
Very good service. My wife and I walked in there late afternoon just to have dessert. We wanted to have just tiramisu and so asked the wait staff if we can sit at the bar. They allowed us to sit there even though the bar was closed ( which we came to know later ). While enjoying the delicious tiramisu I decided to order moscato and they served me without questions even though the bar was not open yet. I will definitely go there again for lunch or dinner when I visit falmouth next time.
(4)Charles T.
Great food excellent bar staff. Food was fairly authentic. A good place when you do not want to spend a fortune but still have good quality. Very busy in the summer delightful in the winter.
(4)Loiosh T.
This really pains me to write, as I've had really good meals back in 2008 here, but lately La Cucina is falling flat. The last two times I've visited, the meals were disappointing; aioli was heavy on the oil and missing the garlic flavor, the red sauce didn't really pop, either. And the final time we stopped in to get dessert, no one even came to the front to seat us. We waited for five minutes and then turned and left. And the tables weren't even filled. Yikes!
(2)Maryan P.
Went here the other night and it was wonderful. It's hard to find a good restaurant these days. We had the mussels as an appetizer, I got the chicken milanese as an entree and my hubby got shrimp and scallop piccata which was to die for. We also got a wonderful bottle of wine for about $25 and we got desert and coffee. It was a wonderful, non-rushed night and the food was really good. The chef even came out a few times to talk to some tables of regulars but he even said hello to us and this was our first time there. We will be back, even though it's a 40 minute ride from our house.
(5)casey c.
Certainly did not meet our expectations. I believe the this establishment takes for granted the difficulty in serving good pasta dishes. Ours included watery sauce over mushy pasta. Simply not matching the nice interior, the food was disappointing.
(2)David P.
Great Italian food, get a bottle of wine and feel like you are in Rome, I love the shrimp and Scallop Piccatta, or the bolognese, or the osso buco, or the bread and hummus, ok now I am rambling. I promise you will be rambling when you leave. All the dishes are delicious. Check out my pics of some dishes.
(5)Michelle P.
We had the lobster ravioli with scallops as well as the sweet potato encrusted scrod. Both dishes were delicious. The presentation was excellent and each dish had a very nice blend of ingredients which complimented each other impeccably. The price was very reasonable considering the high quality of the food... 2 meals, 2 glasses of wine each, split a dessert with cappuccinos for $100!
(4)KATE G.
The vibe is great - warm and laid back = dress up or dress down. Very romantic, I love that the noise level is low even when crowded. The crowd was very nice Sunday night, nice middle age couples all races, families etc. Server was good, friendly but forgot a few side dishes etc for shells. Wine list fine. Many food special. seating very comfortable, fresh flowers on the table w/ a cloth. I had the Salmon served on salad with sliced fresh tomatoes rubbed with garlic and basil and so fresh and perfect. There were many fresh herbs in the salad that complemented the fresh dill loaded mayo for the Salmon which was cooked perfectly - I love the whole marinated artichoke as well. The another dish was the cioppini type special in a light broth with linguine. It was loaded with lobster - white fish , mussels and scollop's with a few clams. Although it was fresh and loaded ( 20 dollars) they white fish had more than a few pins and cartilage. With a nice bottle of wine, two entrees and two espressos with a frangelico side 120.00 usd. I would return if I was in the area again , very nice comfortable vibe.
(3)nicole b.
After dining here a few times, we enjoyed it so much we booked it for our rehearsal dinner of 40 people. EVERYONE loved their food and service experience. The Clams Oreganato, Bruschetta and Lobster Bisque are my favorites so far. I love the selection of Italian classics, although some have home-style twists to them that make them a little different than "everywhere else". I also really enjoy the seafood selection, in case I am in the mood for a lighter dish, like grilled salmon, and my husband wants pasta. I was (probably rudely) eyeing a shellfish dish (looked like clams, mussels and lobster) at the table next to me the last time I was there, so will soon be returning to try. I read some of the one-two star reviews here, and i don't understand the food/price point issues. I can tell you while this restaurant is not 'cheap', it is priced competitively with several good restaurants in the North End. With the quality of atmosphere, food and service that I have received I am ok with paying that. I think some people think that just because they are on Cape Cod it should be cheap?
(4)Jean W.
This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants, by far. Terrific waitstaff, delicious food, and great decor.
(5)Doug M.
What a great italian restaurant - in Falmouth no less! We went in a few weeks ago and sat on the newly expanded bar side. Got a nice table with views of the BC Championship hockey game. The food was fantastic. The service was great and the new seating/bar is really nice. We'll be visiting every time we're in Falmouth.
(5)J R.
Thought the food here was very good and the server we had was great. She went out of her way to meet our needs. The only negative is the tables are a bit close together and can feel cramped. They don't have a kids menu but they do half portions.
(4)David B.
you cannot go wrong good food good portions just a little noisy
(4)Lenny A.
Love the place.............EJ the bartender is great, the service staff including the hostess's are very friendly and the Food is very good. Sometimes a little to wet with the sauces but overall the place is great. Since they double the size and opened the bar it one of the two busiest places in Falmouth so be prepared to wait.
(4)Janet L.
My husband played with his band here on New Years Eve and he couldn't stop talking about how wonderful the owners and staff were...how great the food was and what a great time he had. We went for dinner on Saturday and it was all true. The serving was warm and welcoming and knowledgable, my favorite combo. The food was delicious and every dish was beautifully presented...just a wonderful setting and lovely evening. We will return often!
(5)jon t.
I love this restaurant. Amazing Italian food. They just doubled in size and added a full bar. The salads are big enough for two and the entree servings are very generous. Best restaurant in Falmouth for a date. I think there are better choices for families with young children.
(5)J M.
The only reason I am giving this 3 stars and not 5 is because I've only been there twice and although the first time was a 5 star experience, the second time disappointed. The first time I went was with my boyfriend the week after Christmas 2010. The atmosphere was most romantic and the service was spot on. We had this small table at the back of the restaurant. Our waitress was foreign and so sweet. The bar only consisted of a few select bottles of wine and some liquors, so we both got mixed drinks. The food was to die for... I got the salmon and my boyfriend got the chicken saltimbocca. We left that night raving about the experience, dying to go back. This past new years, my boyfriend and I spent a couple nights in Falmouth with intentions of going to La Cucina Sul Mare. Our hotel informed us that they were closed for New Years Eve and Day and we were devastated. New Years Day comes and as we're walking through downtown falmouth, we notice the restaurant is open! So excited, we plan for dinner there. The evening comes and we get to the restaurant. We notice that the place has expanded from it's quaint dining room to a 2 room restaurant with full bar. Immediately, I am disappointed because it has lost it's charm I fell in love with the first time. We are seated in the back of the restaurant away from everything going on. This was nice. As we are perusing the menu, we notice that the prices are almost $5 more expensive than their online menu. Our waitress was an older woman who didn't know much about the menu and wasn't too enthusiastic about the dishes when we asked questions. When we pointed out the price difference, she simply said "oh, they must not have updated the website" and proceeded to wait for us to place our order. I'm not looking for any type of price-fix, but say a little more than that!! So, perhaps to our mistake from straying from what we know, my boyfriend and I both order something different than the first time. I ordered the Chicken Milanese which oddly enough was on my menu, but not my boyfriends. He ordered the fettucine bolognese. My dish was overpowered with lemon juice.. but decent. My boyfriends supposedly meaty dish was very watery, but again, tasted decent. When the bill came, we noticed one of the dishes was priced higher than the menu price (what is with this place and the price differences??). We put the credit card down and when the waitress comes to get it, we mention it to her. She says that she can't change the price right now, but when she cashes out at the end of the night, she will. It was only a couple dollars different, so it wasn't life changing, but her plan didn't make sense. At this point we just wanted to leave so we paid and left. So with one experience being outstanding and the other being less than mediocre, a 3 is all I can give. Maybe we'll try them a third time... hopefully they can redeem themselves.
(3)Stephen B.
My family and I have been enjoying this restaurant since day one, long lines and good good food, BUT, my past 2 times I was very disappointed, the food was just okay, the prices are getting to high and I just won't be returning again...I never really minded the wait to get in before but now just not worth it anymore.....Hopefully someday the return to good prices and food will happen...Falmouth needs good restuarants..this just is not one of them anymore:(
(2)Patrick P.
My family decided to treat me to dinner at a restaurant of my choice for my birthday, and, having never tried saltimbocca, I chose La Cucina Sul Mare in downtown Falmouth. I liked the name of the place, which translates to something like "kitchen by the sea." We started with an antipasti of mussels and bruschetta, that grilled bread drizzled in olive oil with various toppings that is so popular in European bistros. I found the mussels to be tangy and tasty though rather small. The bruschetta was nice and crunchy, perhaps a bit too liberal with the tomatoes. My order of veal saltimbocca (you get a choice of chicken or veal here) was excellent, wrapped in generous wads of prosciutto and pinned together with big wooden picks. The veal was served on a type of angel-hair pasta instead of spinach, which would have been the norm for classical Northern Italian saltimbocca, but this made no difference to the rich quality of the dish. Can't say what anyone else at my table ordered that day, as I was too involved in my own vitello to notice. The wine was a very good bottle of Cotes du Rhone that no doubt helped boost the price of the check, but, hey, all in the service of the higher gastronomy. Thanks Mom and Dad! I owe you for this one.
(4)Sonia R.
I ordered Suppa di Pesce which was amazing. I didn't expect a lobster in it. Very good, but had a known it was going to be a lobster plate I would probbably ordered something more "low key"...less expensive. I'm saying this bc the menu didn't mention the price of this dish (nor the lobster) and duh I didn't ask.... We went before 7:00pm so we didn't have to deal with the wating hassle... The outdoor seating is a tent, not open air.
(4)B J.
Used to be a favorite spot when it was about fresh dishes in a cozy, funky storefront atmosphere. Now it has expanded into another storefront and they seem to have switched to "quantity over quality" philosophy for their cuisine as well. The service was still great. But now it feels more like the Olive Garden or Vinny Testa's. Give the people what they want, I guess. Giant platters of food with way too much sauce.
(2)N C.
Been here for the second time recently and it was just as good as I remember it. I had a braised pork shank in hunter sauce with risotto. Good stuff. I've had a few bites of some friends pasta dishes and I wasn't wowed by those, but then I've never been a pasta fanatic. Still good food overall. The waitress put up with a lot of crap from my smart-alecky party and service was prompt. La Cucina loses a star for price. I'm a hard sell on la comida di Italia and I can't see paying $20-30 a meal (per person) for Italian, even of this caliber, more often than once in a blue moon. Oh, it's also a bit small. I really can't say I'd reccomend it for groups larger than 6 and that's pushing it. Most of us finished the meal with a hazelnut/espresso ice cream cake which was phenomenal. I'd run over a friend for the desserts here. Not, like, fatally or anything. Just a foot or a couple of fingers.
(4)Nadia G.
I found it really hard not to give this place anything less than a five star rating. For 100 bucks we had some of the best seafood I think you can probably get on the Cape. The Suppe Di Mare was a feast to behold - half a lobster, juicy scallops, mussels, clams and spaghetti drenched in a naturally flavorsome seafood broth. Despite my very tasty Robster and Aspargus Ravioli I was most jealous of my boyfriend's oceanic feast. To add to the quality of food, the service is efficient but not in-your-face, the wine is not horridly overpriced [30-50 bucks a bottle or 5-9 bucks a glass] and the atmosphere is very laid back and complete with italian [but not cheesy-one-cornetto-style] music. Go here for an intimate dinner or with a small group of friends.
(5)Jennifer C.
This was the perfect spot to end our vacation. With call ahead seating available, we put in our name and poked around the center to pass the time. The wait was about 50 minutes, and in line perfectly with the range given to us by the owner/host. Our party consisted of my parents and three 20-something siblings. And yes, we still take a family vacation. The house we rent includes a framed photo of Magnum P.I., along with a smaller photo taken on set... And it's awesome. Back to the food: Our orders ranged from red sauce, to Northern Italian, to steak. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana ($19) and it was just perfect. Their sauce is amazing, and pasta cooked just right. The eggplant was thin and lightly breaded. The waitress and bus staff were very attentive and we felt well cared for. A nice change from the seafood offerings that abound in these parts.
(5)EDWARD C.
Every September since 2002 my wife and I spend a week in Falmouth like migrating birds stopping off on local shores and quiet ponds. We spend an evening at La Cucina...and have had many of their dinner entrees. Most notable this year was a very large mixed green salad with sun dried cranberries, macadamia nuts and a warm peanut oil/ balsamic vinaigrette that was special. The service was attentive from waitress and bus staff, but not smothering. Another wonderful Italian experience that we have grown to expect from La Cucina...see you next September.
(5)marlene a.
WAY over priced. LOUSY chicken Marsala! Actually looked & tasted like brown gravy that goes on meatloaf-wtf! Good meatballs but they are too big, why not make them NORMAL sized and just give more the two. Very romantic atmosphere, as long as the place is not crowded. When it gets crowded it gets LOUD becuase of small size of teh place. Service was THE worse I can remember in a long long time. It started out promising as we got a drinks & bread right away. After that we barely saw our waitress & when we did it was because I was flagging her down (something I USUALLY NEVER do). I would not return. But I might buy a side of meatballs to go, on my next trip to Falmouth.
(2)Ricky A.
I called ahead for take out but the lady couldn't hear me over the sound of the restaurant. Finally she gave up and went somewhere a little more quiet. Before telling me my total or about how long it would be she must have set the phone down without turning it off. I tried calling back ten minutes later and got hung up on. So I went down and waited for about ten minutes without anyone saying anything to me so I cornered a waitress by the cash register and she told me to wait up front and someone would help me. So I waited there another ten minutes or so with no help so then I just stood in the path of waitresses and finally someone asked if I was all set. When they brought me my bill it was 17 dollars more than I was expecting. Apparently, their online menu doesn't reflect some recent menu changes, including a nearly 50% mark up. The food was ok. I had the lemon sole, which was fried, but it had gone soft after sitting there for thirty minutes. I would have been happier making my own Italian at home. The whole place was incredibly loud and there was a couple waiting to be seated the whole time I waited, with about 8 people waiting outside.
(2)John H.
Great food and bar. EJ the bartender is excellent. Upscale Italian, not your typical place.
(5)David C.
Tepid veal saltimbocca with a fairly horrendous mucousy sauce. Companion had a "chicken Napoleon" which was was not extraordinary. With wine, dessert, the bill indicated an experience which was far from delivered. Not a great example of Italian., but the ambiance is cute and quasi romantic.
(3)Lila S.
It seems to be a trend on here that La Cucina is the place people go on dates etc. It certainly is the perfect place for them! I truly have nothing bad to say about this place. My bf and I have been here a few times and counting. The vodka sauce is dead on gourmet, if you like pasta, please try it! If you're a meat and potatoes type, they usually have filet mignon as a special, and thats what my bf usually gets! It is better than most steakhouse cuts I've had. The service is so good its almost overbearing but still extremely friendly and attentive.
(5)Richard S.
We live in Falmouth, and I know folks love this place, but for me, it's just disappointing. Same old dishes you see in many American Italian restaurants: eggplant parm, pasta w/ oil & garlic, fettuccine alfredo. Food is decently prepared, and the portions are huge. I mean huge, as in could feed 2-3 people. So what's the problem? It's just that we are a bit snobby having lived in Northern Italy for a few years, so enjoy something a bit more authentic.
(2)Dan L.
We popped in here last summer and I have had this review pending since. Very busy around dinner time, expect a wait - we ended up popping in for lunch. All 4 of us loved our lunch, I was very surprised by the quality of the food. Service was good, a touch on the "stuck up" side, which takes away 1 star.
(4)Nick W.
Went there for our anniversary, and it was a pretty decent place. Wife had the pork tenderloin, and I had a brasied short rib cacciatore. It's definitely a small place, which is very reminiscent of the north end. Seating was not a problem due to it being offseason. Service wasn't the best, though I think it was just the waitress we had in particular. She seemed to dumb everything down for us and made us feel pretty stupid when asking for a wine. Other than the way were were treated by her attitude, everything else went great. The food was brought out quite quick, maybe 15 minutes after ordering. The pork tenderloin was amazing with its sweet potato mash as a side. The braised short rib was les than memorable. I've had a top round roast come out tasting near the same after a day in the crock pot. The risotto which was under it was overpowered by the cacciatore sauce on the short rib. Plating was quite nice. Dessert was amazing. Espresso and hazelnut icecream cake and a seasonal pumpkin cheesecake were great. I was going to give it three stars based on my food and the service, but because the service was quick and the waiter that brought out our desserts was nice and the pork tenderloin was great, I'm willing to give this place a second chance, with a different item on the menu. The prices weren't horrible. We had dinner, desert, she had a glass of wine, and we were done for $70. For Cape Cod, that's not so horrible.
(4)Sandy G.
Delicious fresh seafood prepared with a light touch. So much better than anything available on Martha's Vineyard that it's worth a stop on your way home. Open for lunch on Sundays, even Easter.
(5)Elaine S.
Had heard good things about La Cucina but i wouldnt go back. Had an early dinner of chicken piccata with angel hair pasta. Tasteless and bland. I had to take the roasted garlic and oil dipper and pour it over the pasta to be able to eat it at all. The only reason I gave 3 stars was because my companion had the sweet potato encrusted scrod which was very good but from my perspective it was awful.
(3)Jay S.
The food is excellent.... the food is 4+ stars.... the reason this review is knocked down a star is the service. Or maybe it was just our particular waitstaff. The bus boy and our waitress were preoccupied with the table next to us and basically disregarded us the whole time. But honestly the dinner was excellent. Definitely try the schrod encrusted with sweet potoato... probably the best piece of fish I have had in a while. My wife got the lobster ravioli which were really good, not really special, but good. Same goes for the lobster bisque, good not great. But they had many other things on the menu that looked good and all of the plates delivered to the tables around us also looked extremely well prepared. It is obvious the chef takes pride in his work, I just wish the waitstaff did the same.
(3)Richard C.
My favorite Falmouth Restaurant! I eat the braized Lamb shank when it's on the menu. I don't drink, but the wine list looks fine, and the menu variety is appealing. The service and atmosphere are surprisingly good. It gets crowded, and the waiting space is less than one might ask for. Eating outdoors in summer is poor! A parking lot by any name...
(5)Courtney S.
I had always passed by this restaurant and never thought to try...why go when I have the North End in Boston but after needing a restaurant on Easter Sunday and wanting a drive we tried it out and boy am I glad we did. While the menu on the website didn't wow us with orginality there were over 15 specials to chose from. My sweet potato encrusted scrod was completely original and amazing. The tiramisu, my favorite dessert, was homemade and one of the best I've had although by boyfriend got the lemon cake and that made me envious. We just kept saying how amazing it was all the way home and finally were so excited we found a place worthy of the price that had customer service. Our waiter Joe, was a great server and made you feel comfortable and provided helpful advice and fun facts. While we both ordered specials the people behind us ordered off the main menu and we kept hearing them oo and ah over the veal piccata. We are eager to go back :)
(5)Dan T.
Very rude hostess who couldn't seem to handle the evening traffic, however the food is very good. Everything was fresh and well seasoned. The meatballs are softball size!
(4)Jen L.
Coming from Brooklyn....I am always a little hesitant to try Italian food outside the city, but this place came recommended. So, I figured, why not? What a mistake!!!! I would NOT recommend it to anyone. The food is LOADED with garlic and has absolutely NO taste! I mean, I love garlic, but everything has too much garlic and lacks taste. We started with the fried calamari. Normally fried calamari is...well, fried. This dish came with the "fried" calamari in a large bowl of marinara sauce. It essentially was soggy!!!! Totally gross! For the main course, my friend ordered penne ala vodka. It was disgusting!!!! It wasn't creamy like it should be. I ordered a sweet sausage dish and it came with two huge links on top of the pasta....again loads of garlic with no taste. Even after the disappointing dinner, we decided to order dessert. We probably should have just gone for the door. We ordered the tiramasu. The lady fingers were dry and the mascarpone cheese was thick and not fluffy...YUCK!!!! The only saving grace was the quaint atmosphere.
(1)E G.
Had lunch there today. Delicious as usual. I've been to La Cucina about 20 times in 4 years. Consistently excellent Italian food in Falmouth, that's worth stand alone points. I bring my out of town friends & they've all enjoyed the whole Sul Mare experience.
(4)John M.
Last Thursday night my bride was craving bouillabaisse. In spite of living in seafood heaven, it's not an easy meal to find on Cape Cod restaurant menus. On a hunch, we decided to try La Cucina Sul Mare in the middle of Main Street Falmouth. We felt we would not eat there unless they served this dish so I entered the restaurant myself and inquired. I was told they did not but served a similar dish called Zuppa de Pesce: a medley of seafood, sautéed in olive oil and garlic, finished in a white wine herb and tomato broth, served over linguine, PRICED DAILY. I returned to the car and she decided to give the Zuppa a try. I had the half duck with mashed potato and asparagus for $25.95. The cost with tip, no drinks, no ap's, no desert was $88.65. The restaurant was empty when we arrived at 5:15 and four diners occupied the place when we left at 6:30. Cost has consequences. However, the meals served were indeed worth it. I want to tell you about the Zuppa de Pesce. Served in a frying pan, the ingredients were heaped high up over the rim of the pan. It contained a half lobster, a large fillet of cod, five each of scallop, clam, and shrimp and about fifteen muscles atop a mountain of noodles all covered with a substantial amount of mildly flavored, lip-smacking broth. The Zuppa de Pesce looked overwhelming and was overwhelming. We had a wonderful second meal at home with what we could not eat and had packed to go. Our only disappointment was the bread. Two slices were served while we waited for out meals. One slice was crusty and hard on one side indicating it had been sitting out in the air for a long time. It was replaced quickly with two new soft slices. It was a healthy grain bread but not good eating as a stand-alone item. We should have saved it for the meal and used the broth as a dip. We never asked about prices although the duck was presented as a nightly special and the price was mentioned. We were so satisfied with the meal that we happily paid and left discussion of the cost for after we arrived home. We decided it was a good thing we made no inquiry of the Zuppa price. It was a feast we wanted and the chef did not hold back. It was worth every cent. I'll end with one suggestion: Zuppa de Pesce is an old fashioned, hands-on, messy meal. Although a second cotton cloth napkin was provided it's not enough. The restaurant would do better to provide, what the Japanese call an oshibori, or a wet cloth napkin at the end of the meal.
(5)Iska B.
Probably the best restaurant in town for Italian food. I went there when it first opened and it was almost like being in the North End...including the prices...Yes it's expensive but the food really is good and creative. The bread basket in the beginning also helps offset the rather long wait for the food. It's also really crowded during the summer season on weekends so be prepared for a long wait or if you're like me and go sometimes during the off season you'll most likely get a table pretty quickly. Very classy and a nice romantic atmosphere what with the candles on the tables. Lovely paint job as well. A GREAT date place.
(5)J W.
We visited this place on a Friday night in July. We were seated on the back patio, which looked pleasant enough. Everyone liked their meals. I ordered the halibut special, which was not cooked all the way through, but was alright. While clearing dishes, a server spilled marinara sauce all over my white shorts, down my leg, and on to my sandals. I asked the server to remove my dish from the bill. One of the owner's came over and told me they would pay for the dry cleaning instead. I told her that the shorts were ruined and I did not want to try dry cleaning them. She proceeded to tell me that the stain was not that bad and my wife should know how to remove the stain when she does my laundry! That is when I took offense and told her that was not good enough and she walked off. When we got the bill, we found they had added the tip in with the explanation of large party. We had 5 adults and 2 babies! We paid the bill in full minus the tip, which roughly equaled my meal. Our party went our separate ways once out on the street. I was alone carrying my one year old daughter when the other owner who was also the chef, ran up behind me on the street with one of the waiters. He proceeded to yell at me in a very threatening manner while I was holding my one year old daughter. I felt very threatened. I explained myself as I had to his wife, turned my back, and walked away. These people should not be business owners with the way they conducted themselves. I would warn anyone and everyone against visiting this place of business.
(1)Jim M.
Wow, what a meal! Fresh crusty bread basket with a garlic and olive oil dipping to start. I had briased short ribs, a beautifully cooked rib sauced with a red wine reduction over a creamy risotto. accompanied with asparagus. My wife's entree was sweet potato encrusted sole with spaghetti squash and asparagus. She raved about it! The service was truly outstanding, and the owner Cindy was gracious and warm. With 2 glasses of premium wine, tax and tip our tab was $104.00. Worth every penny!
(5)Yasin S.
lobster ravioli and tortellini were great. should definitely try.
(5)Brenda H.
Whenever my husband wants to go out for a meal, this is where we end up. And if everything weren't top-notch, I'd be sick of it by now. By never am! The menu always has something interesting and the large salad is addictive. Service is always professional. Whenever we want to impress some visiting friends--who might otherwise think the Cape is all about fried clams--this is where we head. We've also taken our (admittedly quiet) child here for meals & there was no problem. They made him a special plate of plain pasta and doted on him. You can wear anything here, too--dress up, dress down. You'll never get different service.
(5)Renato L.
ok ,for american italian food ,
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