Cucina South

You have to try this gem! The location is set among the Spanish moss trees on Ameila Island. The dining room is romantic which was great because hubby and I were having date night. Benji was our server and he was extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the menu & wines. He made some suggestions which we absolutely LOVED! White wine mussels, Carbonara with shrimp, the spicy pasta (the name sounds like devil and it is spicy but not overwhelming). We had a bottle of the Malbec and was delicious! Everything was fantastic! Thank you and we will be back!

First time & will become a regular in our restaurant rotation. Very impressive welcome, service, & an outstanding culinary performance.

Service was great. Food is vastly overrated. There were 6 in our party and this review reflects all 6. Burr at a was quite good. Entrees were not. Veal Piccatta was dry and not very flavorful. Veal Marsala was terrible. Ratings for this restaurant are very overrated. The fact that the restaurant was almost empty verified it.

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner here last night. Our waiter,Parker, was great. The food was very good and they have a nice selection of wine. We plan to return the next time we are in the area.

I wish I could give it 3.5 stars! The positives: The veal was delicious, as were the mussels and the whipped ricotta with honey. The negatives: The eggplant could have been cooked longer, and they would not make a substitution of a side dish (polenta) that came with a steak special. This group of 4 agreed that 3.5 is an accurate rating.

Bengi our sever was friendly, witty and attentive! Meal was an exceptional and nicely paced allowing the 4 of us to converse and enjoy our time together!

Always a wonderful experience at Cucina South! I've eaten here numerous times. The menu is fabulous and the food is always cooked to perfection! Other than the food being delicious, one of the things I find exceptional is the long standing staff. Cucina has a lovely and attentive staff! They are delightful, cohesive and full of personality. Thanks so much for always making our experience very enjoyable. A special thanks to Brittany, our caring hostess, Benji, our extremely personable server, Nicki, the manager (she's a rock star!), Annabeth & Trinity, our food runners who always remember us and take the time to chat, and last but not least Chef Lew who makes every bite of food delectable. When you dine here, you will feel like family everytime. Thanks again and looking forward to dining again soon!

It had been sometime since our last visit and we were not disappointed. The food and service were excellent. We definitely enjoyed our visit and will be there again.

Cucina South is where we go for special occasions. Our server was so attentive and very nice. The food is always excellent. We had a good time with friends. It was loud upstairs with everybody up there was talking and having a good time so you can't complain about that. We like the new menu. We will be back.

We had a 6:45 reservation for 4 but arrived at 7:00 because the valet at the nearby Ritz took 20 minutes to retrieve our car. Despite checking in at the restaurant within the 15 minute window we were told to wait for our table even though we could see that a table for 4 was already set and open. 10 minutes later we were led to another table next to the bathrooms for 4 that had had to be cleared. As we ordered and ate dinner with our our of town guests we all noticed that the other, better table was never seated. We've been to this restaurant once before and were very pleased but because of what happened this time, and that we had to ask for bread 3 times, we were not really happy this time even though the food was very good. We aren't sure when or if we will come again.

Paparadelle was gummy. Had to ask for coffee twice. Requested extra olive oil with dinner. Did not get & had to ask another server to get it. Far cry from my last visit.

The service was very nice. The caprese salad was excellent, mussels: so-so, carbonara: good, kids spaghetti and meatball: very good and bruschetta: very good. Overall B+

When the new owners took over a couple of years ago we tried this neighborhood spot two times. Then we decided to take it off our list as it just wasn't the same high quality as before. Ironically we booked a reservation last New Year's Eve because every other restaurant in town was full. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise as the food quality had improved significantly. On this past visit we ordered the short ribs which were so tender, fall apart yummy. My husband had the pasta carbonara which was delicious. The diced pancetta was a nice addition. Our server, Liam, was exceptional.

From the moment we were seated, Benji made our entire dining experience outstanding. His professionalism, warmth, and genuine attentiveness immediately stood out. He struck the perfect balance of being friendly and approachable without ever being overbearing, which truly elevated the atmosphere of our meal.

Benji was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and offered thoughtful recommendations that suited our preferences perfectly. He anticipated our needs before we even had to ask—whether it was refilling drinks, checking on how we were enjoying our food, or ensuring everything came out at just the right time. His attention to detail showed he takes great pride in his work.

What impressed me most was how effortless he made it all seem. Even though the restaurant was busy, Benji treated us as though we were his only table. His upbeat energy, patience, and genuine kindness made the entire evening not just a meal, but an experience worth remembering.

It’s rare to find someone who can combine efficiency, charm, and genuine hospitality so seamlessly. Benji is a true credit to the team, and it’s clear he goes above and beyond to make guests feel valued and cared for. I would absolutely come back just to be served by him again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

excellent pasta! twice in one week and both times a hit. carbonara was so good i asked where they source the pasta (and then immediately ordered some for my house) the marsala was equally great, perfect sauce that seemed made to order. prices are more than reasonable, for Amelia this is way under-priced. highly recommend

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4