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CommanderZeno

Joined 4 years ago

AWESOME NEW FRENCH CHEF. Cetrella is a three-star European Bistro which blends casual elegance with rustic charm, reminiscent of a Tuscan villa with cozy stone fireplaces and sun-lit terraces. It is a Mediterranean dream come true and one of the best restaurants anywhere. It features lusty, flavorful dishes inspired by European cuisine and it has a winning international wine list. The halibut and the cod are prize winners and the soups are really something to write home about. Mother's Day Brunch was an awesome experience. We walked to Cetrella the back way through the neighborhoods. The food was mouth watering. The sunlight was filtering in from above to give the place a dream-like atmosphere. The kitchen crew were in perpetual motion. Everybody and their mother was there. We walked back home through town. It was a perfect day and an unforgettable dining experience!

A few days later we had another amazing meal at Cetrella in the evening! We had the potato and leek soup which has become our favorite along with the foccaccia drenched in truffle oil and followed by the foie gras and then we shared the risotto with fresh spring garlic stems puree and asparagus and peas and fava beans and morel mushrooms with a truffle foam while for my main course I had the halibut which had been fresh caught by Native Americans from a ship in Anchorage and flown in and was also bathed in morel mushrooms. This was all accompanied by a superb 2003 Barolo from Serralunga and followed by the local strawberry and mint and shortbread dessert and I also had the rice pudding which was simply mouth-wateringly delicious. It was an awesome meal and afterwards Chef Sylvain Montassier came to our table to talk with us about the preparation of our meal. He helped us make our dessert choices and talked with us about the new and exciting things we could expect on the menu in the weeks to come. We had arrived quite late well after 9:30 PM and did not finish our meal until almost 11:30 PM and by then we were the last ones to leave. We bid goodnight to all the kitchen crew and went home from a most memorable dining experience. We are so very happy that you are back!

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Traut

Joined 4 years ago

Great dining experience. Friendly wait staff.

Attentive owner who came by our table a couple times to talk.

Produce is from the local farms.

Menu had something for everyone.

Crabonara was wonderful!!!

I recommend this restaurant to everyone!!

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jjt415

Joined 4 years ago

Looking forward to Cetrella reopening. Its the one of 2 great restaurants on the Coastside (Cafe Gibralter is the other) and the area just isnt the same without it

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Augusto

Joined 5 years ago

awesome place!. Well, to be honest I don't really know this place. I'm just testing the site from a facebook connect account.

Doesn't Recommend

frangooch

Joined 8 years ago

Wouldn't eat here again with YOUR money.... Ate here last Saturday night and won't be back. Our clueless, deer-in-the-headlights server took 5 minutes to bring us water (which arrived with no ice), 10 minutes more to bring bread, and (after several requests) another 5 or 10 to bring oil and vinegar for the bread. We had an early reservation, so there were not many people in the restaurant when we ordered. Ordering was interesting. We asked for meat cooked medium rare and were told that the place cooked on the rare side, so that if we ordered medium rare we would probably get rare, so if we wanted medium rare we should really order medium. Huh? We said, "just bring it when it's pink". Our wine was brought to us promptly, but it took another 15 minutes to get the salad. The restaurant was filling up by this time, and I noticed than no one around us had any food on the table. I had a good view of the open kitchen and also noticed that no orders were being put up for serving. What were they doing back there? Our server was nowhere. Long after we had finished our salads and nearly finished the bottle of wine, she made a rare appearance and I asked for the check and told her to forget our main courses (it had been more than an hour since we'd been seated!). She came back and said the food would be a few minutes--they were "a bit backed up in the kitchen" and that the manager had said they would be on the house. I appreciated the gesture, so we foolishly stayed. We were served a full hour and 15 minutes after we'd been seated. The duck was undercooked. The lamb was overcooked. We left. As we did, I saw the kitchen staff hurriedly dishing up order after order for serving, seemingly all at once.

Don't eat here. The room is beautiful and the wine list is excellent, but these folks don't know how to run a restaurant. Unless they trotted out a whole new crew, I wouldn't trust 'em to make me a taco.

Doesn't Recommend

hkeck

Joined 5 years ago

Food only soso. Service was really gruff a not effecient. Not enough servers. Food was OK, nothing special. We were there several years ago and the food was better and the ambience much different ( and better!) They remodeled and it's not as warm and comfortable as before. Prices are high.I would not recommend this place.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Half Moon Bay restaurant caters to romantic couples with lavish Californian-Mediterranean cuisine.. The Scene
This vast, warehouse-sized space was used for processing and shipping artichokes and Brussels sprouts, but all that really remains of the original structure (besides the veggies on the menu) are the rustic wood trusses and some industrial-looking ventilators on the roof. The rest is natural stone, rich wood and warm colors, plus a big fireplace and a luscious exhibition kitchen.

The Food
With more than 16 years of culinary experience from the East Coast to the West, Robert Holt serves as Executive Chef where he prides himself in using local seasonal ingredients in his Mediterranean-influenced, daily-changing menu. From artichoke and chanterelle fritto misto and Catalonian shellfish "zarzuela" to a hearth-braised vegetable stew with chickpea socca, it's all good. Pay special attention to the whole fish of the day--order it with a buddy, along with sides of crispy Brussels sprouts and perfect fries.

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cityscape09

Joined 5 years ago

Great Experience! Will definitely go back!. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the menu, great variety of flavors in the dishes we had....My husband had the duck (delicious) and I had the skate. We were happy to try something new! They obviously have many influences in their cuisine. Our server was very attentive and was great with guiding us through the menu. We had a great time, and will definitely be back again.

A new chef, and a new look! Great!!!

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apple415

Joined 8 years ago

Brunch on Sunday :). I had a Sunday brunch at the restaurant with my husband. The atmosphere was very nice. Most of the customers were elder. It was a bit more expensive (Branch menu price was between $12 and $17) than what I wanted it, so maybe that explained why?.

If you are looking for a nice quiet brunch, I recommend Cetrella Bistro.

I would like to take my mom next time. :)

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abann

Joined 6 years ago

Great coast side destination restaurant. My husband took me here for our anniversary and I was quite impressed with the food and service. I had not known of this restaurant - and it was lovely inside both romantic and cozy. We shared two appetizers, the sardines and the hamachi which were both tasty and well presented. I had the vegetarian plate which was delicious and filling and my husband had the Halibut which as also excellent. We finished off with a tasting of 3 of the goat cheeses. The wine list was quite extensive with a range of options to choose from depending on if you are casually dining or there for a 'special' night like we were and want to spend a bit more. Overall, a wonderful experience.