They were closed for a private event, but still accepted our reservation?
Sue
We sat at a table in the back and were able to easily heard conversation. The food was excellent from the seared tuna special, sausage gnocchi, shrimp and special homemade pasta, and veal Milanese. The service was excellent, and the wine was reasonably Priced and delish!
Ron
When walked in it was loud, when we sat down it was louder! Food was delicious! We ordered the escarole Caesar salad, the pizza special, the pasta special, and the chicken parm. The food was delicious! She ordered 2 dirty martinis and the figgy stardust and I had their old fashioned . Drinks nothing special. Service wasn't there since they had 2 servers, 1 runner, 1 bartender, and 1 manager running around seating and collecting checks off tables. Bill was $160. Food was delicious!
judy
I love the energy and the food.... it's a great place for a delicious, fun dinner and an excellent drink!
jeremy
pizza and salad was amazing, great service and wonderful ambience. Drinks are always delicious. Only issue was the noise, there was a large table that was very loud and the noise carried. I have been here many times and tbis was unusually loud.
Robyn
My reservation was made for 10:30 pm on open table. I was running 10 min later so i called the restaurant. They agreed it was fine to continue to come. They rushed me so much that it was impossible to enjoy my meal. Ive been there before and loved it. I was excited to go back. They raced over with eatery, literally running. Then asked immediately if we knew what we wanted bc the kitchen was closing. We got drinks and food and everything tasted good. The staff sat in back at a table talking and having drinks, but when i went to order a second drink they said no and that they already wiped down the bar. It was strange and really rude. I am put off. I would have rather them tell me not to come.
Joe Carbone
Rude, Condescending Bartender and Zero Customer Service – Won’t Be Returning
We visited on Monday, August 5, looking forward to trying a new neighborhood spot after recently moving in just down the block. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from the start, due entirely to a rude and condescending bartender who clearly lacked any sense of hospitality.
We started with wine. The first bottle we requested was unavailable, so we asked for another. She glanced at the menu and replied, in a smug tone, “Oh, it’s a price point.” Unnecessarily condescending!
When we asked about the daily special, a pizza with an egg, we were curious how the egg was served. Her response? “Oh, it’s just an egg.” No description, no context, just dismissive and uninterested.
We then asked about the four pasta dishes on the menu and whether any were particularly good. She snapped back, “If it wasn’t good, it wouldn’t be on the menu.” When asked for more detail, she simply said she’s gluten-free and doesn’t like eggplant. That’s fine, but if you’re working the bar and taking orders, basic menu knowledge and customer engagement are part of the job.
On top of all that, she repeatedly reminded us that “bar seats are set in twos.” We understood, we were already a set of two, but she kept saying it like we were breaking some major rule. It was unnecessary and irritating.
As for the food: the baby gem salad was average at best, and the pasta was served overly al dente—borderline undercooked. And yet, my girlfriend still left over a 20% tip just to avoid being as rude as the bartender had been throughout our visit.
Customer service from this bartender was an absolute zero. She’d be better suited behind the scenes rather than interacting with guests. Unfortunately, despite the promising location, we won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Mike
The food and service were great. The room was very noisy making conversation difficult. I had to return my vodka and tonic. There was excessive lime juice in it making it undrinkable. Other than that everything was good.
Tom
Food was wonderful! Service was outstanding! The only thing better than the food, the atmosphere and the beautiful restaurant was Nico's absolutely outstanding service and politeness and the incredible lady who welcomed us as we entered the restaurant. Thank you so much for a lovely evening. Tom B.
Natasha K
I was here for my birthday. The food was delish! I didn't order dessert so my waitress put a candle next to my martini- so clever :)
The Grotta di Fuoco is an amazing place for dinner and drinks. The owner’s passion for his work shines through, making it an unforgettable experience. Perfect date night spot, we loved it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessie
Simply the best ! The food is delish ! Their chicken cutlet is cooked to perfection aswell as everything else we ate. The service was fantastic ! You didn't need to wait 10 years for the food to come out. It's a great gem in Long Beach ! Highly recommend coming here! It was our 2nd time and we will for sure come back again many times !
Mark Krug
First, I want to say I would add an extra star for service. Gabby was AWESOME. We arrived on a Saturday evening with no reservations. We are seated as a partial party as two of us were finding parking. The atmosphere inside was a bit loud and chaotic; but fortunately, we were seated outside. It was perfect weather. Service was prompt and attentive. Our orders were taken quickly and the service was quick. Water was never lacking. The food was excellent. No one in our party of 4 had any complaints. We had mussels, octopus, pizza, and chicken parmesan, which was delicious. The pizza was wood fired. While it is not a short distance to travel, we will 100% return to try some of the other menu items. I highly recommend giving this place a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eitan Schwartz
From my 7 year old: “The bread is amazing. The food looks so good and it is. If I can give this place 100 stars I would”
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
krock2222
Sat at the bar. Pizza for app, it was tremendous. Dinner was veal chop and branzino, it was tremendous. Bar tender was awesome. Cosmos were delicious
They were closed for a private event, but still accepted our reservation?
We sat at a table in the back and were able to easily heard conversation. The food was excellent from the seared tuna special, sausage gnocchi, shrimp and special homemade pasta, and veal Milanese. The service was excellent, and the wine was reasonably Priced and delish!
When walked in it was loud, when we sat down it was louder! Food was delicious! We ordered the escarole Caesar salad, the pizza special, the pasta special, and the chicken parm. The food was delicious! She ordered 2 dirty martinis and the figgy stardust and I had their old fashioned . Drinks nothing special. Service wasn't there since they had 2 servers, 1 runner, 1 bartender, and 1 manager running around seating and collecting checks off tables. Bill was $160. Food was delicious!
I love the energy and the food.... it's a great place for a delicious, fun dinner and an excellent drink!
pizza and salad was amazing, great service and wonderful ambience. Drinks are always delicious. Only issue was the noise, there was a large table that was very loud and the noise carried. I have been here many times and tbis was unusually loud.
My reservation was made for 10:30 pm on open table. I was running 10 min later so i called the restaurant. They agreed it was fine to continue to come. They rushed me so much that it was impossible to enjoy my meal. Ive been there before and loved it. I was excited to go back. They raced over with eatery, literally running. Then asked immediately if we knew what we wanted bc the kitchen was closing. We got drinks and food and everything tasted good. The staff sat in back at a table talking and having drinks, but when i went to order a second drink they said no and that they already wiped down the bar. It was strange and really rude. I am put off. I would have rather them tell me not to come.
Rude, Condescending Bartender and Zero Customer Service – Won’t Be Returning
We visited on Monday, August 5, looking forward to trying a new neighborhood spot after recently moving in just down the block. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from the start, due entirely to a rude and condescending bartender who clearly lacked any sense of hospitality.
We started with wine. The first bottle we requested was unavailable, so we asked for another. She glanced at the menu and replied, in a smug tone, “Oh, it’s a price point.” Unnecessarily condescending!
When we asked about the daily special, a pizza with an egg, we were curious how the egg was served. Her response? “Oh, it’s just an egg.” No description, no context, just dismissive and uninterested.
We then asked about the four pasta dishes on the menu and whether any were particularly good. She snapped back, “If it wasn’t good, it wouldn’t be on the menu.” When asked for more detail, she simply said she’s gluten-free and doesn’t like eggplant. That’s fine, but if you’re working the bar and taking orders, basic menu knowledge and customer engagement are part of the job.
On top of all that, she repeatedly reminded us that “bar seats are set in twos.” We understood, we were already a set of two, but she kept saying it like we were breaking some major rule. It was unnecessary and irritating.
As for the food: the baby gem salad was average at best, and the pasta was served overly al dente—borderline undercooked. And yet, my girlfriend still left over a 20% tip just to avoid being as rude as the bartender had been throughout our visit.
Customer service from this bartender was an absolute zero. She’d be better suited behind the scenes rather than interacting with guests. Unfortunately, despite the promising location, we won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
The food and service were great. The room was very noisy making conversation difficult. I had to return my vodka and tonic. There was excessive lime juice in it making it undrinkable. Other than that everything was good.
Food was wonderful! Service was outstanding! The only thing better than the food, the atmosphere and the beautiful restaurant was Nico's absolutely outstanding service and politeness and the incredible lady who welcomed us as we entered the restaurant. Thank you so much for a lovely evening. Tom B.
I was here for my birthday. The food was delish! I didn't order dessert so my waitress put a candle next to my martini- so clever :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The Grotta di Fuoco is an amazing place for dinner and drinks. The owner’s passion for his work shines through, making it an unforgettable experience. Perfect date night spot, we loved it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simply the best ! The food is delish ! Their chicken cutlet is cooked to perfection aswell as everything else we ate. The service was fantastic ! You didn't need to wait 10 years for the food to come out. It's a great gem in Long Beach ! Highly recommend coming here! It was our 2nd time and we will for sure come back again many times !
First, I want to say I would add an extra star for service. Gabby was AWESOME. We arrived on a Saturday evening with no reservations. We are seated as a partial party as two of us were finding parking. The atmosphere inside was a bit loud and chaotic; but fortunately, we were seated outside. It was perfect weather. Service was prompt and attentive. Our orders were taken quickly and the service was quick. Water was never lacking. The food was excellent. No one in our party of 4 had any complaints. We had mussels, octopus, pizza, and chicken parmesan, which was delicious. The pizza was wood fired. While it is not a short distance to travel, we will 100% return to try some of the other menu items. I highly recommend giving this place a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
From my 7 year old: “The bread is amazing. The food looks so good and it is. If I can give this place 100 stars I would”
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sat at the bar. Pizza for app, it was tremendous. Dinner was veal chop and branzino, it was tremendous. Bar tender was awesome. Cosmos were delicious
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