Norma and team deliver a high-quality, personal dining experience that is also 100% gluten free! They were temporarily closed due to flooding but are open again and back in action!
Cindy
We were shocked when we got our bill! First, the food: My friend had one of their specialty polenta dishes which came in a huge bowl and was tasty. Worth the $24 charge. However, my eggplant parmigiana was in a tiny dish with a pile of sauce and cheese poured over one eggplant slice. Not worth the $30 price. Drinks: Without a liquor license, they had a menu of mocktails and beer. When we mentioned that it would have been nice to have wine with their menu items, the waitress said that as long as we didn't say anything, she could get us some wine. There was a $14 price on the menu for chardonnay, so my friend ordered that. The waitress asked if I'd like a chianti, so I agreed. When the bill came my friend was charged $22 for her chardonnay and I WAS CHARGED $27 FOR THE CHIANTI!!! I asked the waitress if this was a mistake and she said "no", that was the price. A TOTAL RIP-OFF!
Kaylah
Oh my goodness. Our whole group was literally speechless. The food was so, so good! Best gnocchi I have ever had in my life... So tender so quality. I cannot wait to go back!
James Bailey
Had the gnocchi. Was very good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Golsheed B
What is going on with this restaurant and its management? After renaming the place and being closed for a couple of weeks, they came back up but suddenly their IG profile is deleted and their phone number is non-responsive (calls don't go through) and emails aren't responded to. I've never seen such inconsistency in service and poor customer service in my life.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Jeremy Warren
Senza delivers an impressive dining experience, especially for those seeking fully gluten free options without compromising on flavor or texture. The menu is thoughtfully designed, and the attention to detail shows in every dish.
The meatballs and spaghetti were a standout. The pasta had the perfect bite, and the meatballs were tender with rich, developed seasoning. It is a rare treat to find gluten-free Italian comfort food that tastes this authentic.
The chicken Parmesan maintained a crisp coating while remaining juicy inside, topped with a bright, balanced marinara and just the right amount of melted cheese. It is everything you hope for in the dish, simply without the gluten.
To finish, the cheesecake was smooth, decadent, and remarkably well crafted. It tasted like a true classic dessert rather than a gluten-free alternative.
Senza proves that gluten free dining can be both satisfying and elevated. A great spot for anyone who loves Italian cuisine and wants peace of mind along with a great meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeremy
Senza delivers an impressive dining experience, especially for those seeking fully gluten free options without compromising on flavor or texture. The menu is thoughtfully designed, and the attention to detail shows in every dish. The meatballs and spaghetti were a standout. The pasta had the perfect bite, and the meatballs were tender with rich, developed seasoning. It is a rare treat to find gluten-free Italian comfort food that tastes this authentic. The chicken Parmesan maintained a crisp coating while remaining juicy inside, topped with a bright, balanced marinara and just the right amount of melted cheese. It is everything you hope for in the dish, simply without the gluten. To finish, the cheesecake was smooth, decadent, and remarkably well crafted. It tasted like a true classic dessert rather than a gluten-free alternative. Senza proves that gluten free dining can be both satisfying and elevated. A great spot for anyone who loves Italian cuisine and wants peace of mind along with a great meal.
Candis
Had the arancini, the Caprese salad, pasta with sausage and vodka cream sauce and the lamb chops. Flavors were all outstanding. The recommended barbera was so good we each had two glasses. This was my third visit and the food does not disappoint. Did not give 5 stars for service because of two faux pas: bringing the salad before we finished our appetizer and clearing my dinner plate before my friend had finished hers. Wine was also a little pricey at $22 a glass. But trust me, I will be back.
Davis Lehman
Senza is exceptional and our most highly recommended restaurant in Los Gatos for Brunch or dinner!
It's celiac friendly and the gluten free options are outstanding. For all those who claim gluten free can't taste the same, think again! Some of our favorites are the arancini, the Chicken Parmesan, and the funghi polenta. For dessert, the beignets are mouthwatering. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu, it's all SO delicious. They have a great wine and cocktail selection and some creative mock-tails for those who don't partake.
Norma is wonderful and takes care of her customers and cares deeply about the space and experience. We can't recommend Senza enough!
3/5 Stars - Amazing Food, But We Need to Talk About That Liquor License Situation Let me start with the good news: the food at Senza Italian Kitchen is ‘chef's kiss' fantastic. If this were solely a food review, we'd be looking at a solid 5 stars. The arancini? Absolute perfection. Smaller than your typical Italian grandmother would approve of, but packed with enough flavor to make said grandmother weep with joy. These little golden orbs of deliciousness were the star of the show. Mama's Meatballs were flavorful and clearly made with love, though Mama might have left them in the oven a bit too long - they were slightly overcooked and on the tough side. Still tasty, just required some jaw commitment. For mains, the Salsiccia E Funghi (polenta with house-made sausage and mushrooms) and the Arrabiata Burrata were both exceptional. The burrata cooling down that spicy arrabiata sauce? Magnifico. Now, about that awkward elephant in the room... Here's where things got weird. We booked through OpenTable, paid $30 per person to hold our reservation (totally reasonable for a Friday date night in Los Gatos), and showed up ready for a lovely evening with good food and wine. Plot twist: No liquor license. The maître d' launched into this rambling explanation about how they recently changed their name from Polenteria to Senza Italian Kitchen because apparently people thought they ONLY made polenta (I mean, fair concern). BUT - and this is the kicker - because of the name change, they lost their liquor license. He then casually offered that we didn't have to stay if that was a problem. Here's the real issue: At NO POINT during the OpenTable booking process, or on the Senza Italian Kitchen website, was there ANY mention of "Hey, by the way, we don't have a liquor license right now." That's the kind of information you lead with, not casually drop after people have committed time, money, and worked to have a kid-free evening.
Inna Lauris
I think many of the positive reviews here are left over from the previous restaurant, Polenteria. The new place just isn’t as good.
My friend used to love this spot when it was Polenteria, so she asked to celebrate her birthday dinner here. I called and made reservations several days in advance.
Unfortunately, the evening didn’t start well. When we arrived, there were two open tables for two. We asked for the more private one, but the host said it was reserved. About 20 minutes later, another couple came in and was seated there. They mentioned to me that they hadn’t requested a specific table—so it was frustrating to see them placed at the spot we were denied.
Next, our server brought drink menus, only to inform us that the restaurant doesn’t yet have its liquor license and all beverages were zero-proof. This was surprising, since I mentioned during the reservation call that it was a birthday dinner. It would have been helpful to know in advance.
As for the food, it was just okay. My friend said the menu looked nearly identical to Polenteria’s but wasn’t as good. I ordered the shrimp scampi special, and the shrimp was unfortunately overcooked.
Overall, the atmosphere didn’t feel very inviting or intimate, and the combination of the host’s dismissiveness and the lack of alcohol options made the evening less enjoyable than we had hoped.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Nicolette Hinkle
Such an amazing little hidden restaurant. I almost don't want to give it a good review so I can keep it to myself
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris
Food was really, really good. Service was outstanding. I feel the menu was a value for the price and quality of the food.
Pam
Was very impressed with the restaraunt being all gluten free. Such a great experience to be able to have anything I wanted on the menu. Not a great wine menu, few options. Food was very good we had beet salad, Arrancini, polenta and saausage homemade, gnnochi delish, and flourless cake for dessert. Cake a little crunchy but good. Also they aren't usually open on Tuesday but when I called to say I needed Tuesday they had availability. I hope to go back.
My favorite restaurant <3
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Norma and team deliver a high-quality, personal dining experience that is also 100% gluten free! They were temporarily closed due to flooding but are open again and back in action!
We were shocked when we got our bill! First, the food: My friend had one of their specialty polenta dishes which came in a huge bowl and was tasty. Worth the $24 charge. However, my eggplant parmigiana was in a tiny dish with a pile of sauce and cheese poured over one eggplant slice. Not worth the $30 price. Drinks: Without a liquor license, they had a menu of mocktails and beer. When we mentioned that it would have been nice to have wine with their menu items, the waitress said that as long as we didn't say anything, she could get us some wine. There was a $14 price on the menu for chardonnay, so my friend ordered that. The waitress asked if I'd like a chianti, so I agreed. When the bill came my friend was charged $22 for her chardonnay and I WAS CHARGED $27 FOR THE CHIANTI!!! I asked the waitress if this was a mistake and she said "no", that was the price. A TOTAL RIP-OFF!
Oh my goodness. Our whole group was literally speechless. The food was so, so good! Best gnocchi I have ever had in my life... So tender so quality. I cannot wait to go back!
Had the gnocchi. Was very good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What is going on with this restaurant and its management? After renaming the place and being closed for a couple of weeks, they came back up but suddenly their IG profile is deleted and their phone number is non-responsive (calls don't go through) and emails aren't responded to. I've never seen such inconsistency in service and poor customer service in my life.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Senza delivers an impressive dining experience, especially for those seeking fully gluten free options without compromising on flavor or texture. The menu is thoughtfully designed, and the attention to detail shows in every dish.
The meatballs and spaghetti were a standout. The pasta had the perfect bite, and the meatballs were tender with rich, developed seasoning. It is a rare treat to find gluten-free Italian comfort food that tastes this authentic.
The chicken Parmesan maintained a crisp coating while remaining juicy inside, topped with a bright, balanced marinara and just the right amount of melted cheese. It is everything you hope for in the dish, simply without the gluten.
To finish, the cheesecake was smooth, decadent, and remarkably well crafted. It tasted like a true classic dessert rather than a gluten-free alternative.
Senza proves that gluten free dining can be both satisfying and elevated. A great spot for anyone who loves Italian cuisine and wants peace of mind along with a great meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Senza delivers an impressive dining experience, especially for those seeking fully gluten free options without compromising on flavor or texture. The menu is thoughtfully designed, and the attention to detail shows in every dish. The meatballs and spaghetti were a standout. The pasta had the perfect bite, and the meatballs were tender with rich, developed seasoning. It is a rare treat to find gluten-free Italian comfort food that tastes this authentic. The chicken Parmesan maintained a crisp coating while remaining juicy inside, topped with a bright, balanced marinara and just the right amount of melted cheese. It is everything you hope for in the dish, simply without the gluten. To finish, the cheesecake was smooth, decadent, and remarkably well crafted. It tasted like a true classic dessert rather than a gluten-free alternative. Senza proves that gluten free dining can be both satisfying and elevated. A great spot for anyone who loves Italian cuisine and wants peace of mind along with a great meal.
Had the arancini, the Caprese salad, pasta with sausage and vodka cream sauce and the lamb chops. Flavors were all outstanding. The recommended barbera was so good we each had two glasses. This was my third visit and the food does not disappoint. Did not give 5 stars for service because of two faux pas: bringing the salad before we finished our appetizer and clearing my dinner plate before my friend had finished hers. Wine was also a little pricey at $22 a glass. But trust me, I will be back.
Senza is exceptional and our most highly recommended restaurant in Los Gatos for Brunch or dinner!
It's celiac friendly and the gluten free options are outstanding. For all those who claim gluten free can't taste the same, think again! Some of our favorites are the arancini, the Chicken Parmesan, and the funghi polenta. For dessert, the beignets are mouthwatering. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu, it's all SO delicious. They have a great wine and cocktail selection and some creative mock-tails for those who don't partake.
Norma is wonderful and takes care of her customers and cares deeply about the space and experience. We can't recommend Senza enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
3/5 Stars - Amazing Food, But We Need to Talk About That Liquor License Situation Let me start with the good news: the food at Senza Italian Kitchen is ‘chef's kiss' fantastic. If this were solely a food review, we'd be looking at a solid 5 stars. The arancini? Absolute perfection. Smaller than your typical Italian grandmother would approve of, but packed with enough flavor to make said grandmother weep with joy. These little golden orbs of deliciousness were the star of the show. Mama's Meatballs were flavorful and clearly made with love, though Mama might have left them in the oven a bit too long - they were slightly overcooked and on the tough side. Still tasty, just required some jaw commitment. For mains, the Salsiccia E Funghi (polenta with house-made sausage and mushrooms) and the Arrabiata Burrata were both exceptional. The burrata cooling down that spicy arrabiata sauce? Magnifico. Now, about that awkward elephant in the room... Here's where things got weird. We booked through OpenTable, paid $30 per person to hold our reservation (totally reasonable for a Friday date night in Los Gatos), and showed up ready for a lovely evening with good food and wine. Plot twist: No liquor license. The maître d' launched into this rambling explanation about how they recently changed their name from Polenteria to Senza Italian Kitchen because apparently people thought they ONLY made polenta (I mean, fair concern). BUT - and this is the kicker - because of the name change, they lost their liquor license. He then casually offered that we didn't have to stay if that was a problem. Here's the real issue: At NO POINT during the OpenTable booking process, or on the Senza Italian Kitchen website, was there ANY mention of "Hey, by the way, we don't have a liquor license right now." That's the kind of information you lead with, not casually drop after people have committed time, money, and worked to have a kid-free evening.
I think many of the positive reviews here are left over from the previous restaurant, Polenteria. The new place just isn’t as good.
My friend used to love this spot when it was Polenteria, so she asked to celebrate her birthday dinner here. I called and made reservations several days in advance.
Unfortunately, the evening didn’t start well. When we arrived, there were two open tables for two. We asked for the more private one, but the host said it was reserved. About 20 minutes later, another couple came in and was seated there. They mentioned to me that they hadn’t requested a specific table—so it was frustrating to see them placed at the spot we were denied.
Next, our server brought drink menus, only to inform us that the restaurant doesn’t yet have its liquor license and all beverages were zero-proof. This was surprising, since I mentioned during the reservation call that it was a birthday dinner. It would have been helpful to know in advance.
As for the food, it was just okay. My friend said the menu looked nearly identical to Polenteria’s but wasn’t as good. I ordered the shrimp scampi special, and the shrimp was unfortunately overcooked.
Overall, the atmosphere didn’t feel very inviting or intimate, and the combination of the host’s dismissiveness and the lack of alcohol options made the evening less enjoyable than we had hoped.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Such an amazing little hidden restaurant. I almost don't want to give it a good review so I can keep it to myself
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was really, really good. Service was outstanding. I feel the menu was a value for the price and quality of the food.
Was very impressed with the restaraunt being all gluten free. Such a great experience to be able to have anything I wanted on the menu. Not a great wine menu, few options. Food was very good we had beet salad, Arrancini, polenta and saausage homemade, gnnochi delish, and flourless cake for dessert. Cake a little crunchy but good. Also they aren't usually open on Tuesday but when I called to say I needed Tuesday they had availability. I hope to go back.
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