Cucina Fresca

Amazing food and service ! The dinning room is small, cozy and intimate. The food was beyond my expectations and portion sizes are perfect to take some home with you. Its BYOB, which makes it even better. The owner is very nice and comes over to each table to chat and tell you more about the entrees. Definitely will be going back soon !! Wish I could give more stars than 5 !! A rare find on the island!

This is the most amazing restaurant ! The owner Jill and her family go out of their way to introduce themselves, pay you extra special attention, and provide first class service. The dishes are so delectable. Some very unique plates and everything is so fresh and delicious.
The ambiance/​décor is also spectacular. It makes you feel as if you are in a small café in a town like New Hope, PA, etc, which is very quaint and soothing and takes your mind off being in Staten Island for awhile.
They offer a generous amount of daily specials as well, and the presentation of all dishes is superb. My only regret is not visiting it/​finding it sooner !
There aren’t many out there like this anymore. They truly care and prove the passion is not only about making money. I plan to eat there at the least once a month.

Great food and amazing service! the best part is that they are super fresh! nothing on your plate has been frozen. Love the «pizza» apps they give.

We come to this restaurant when we are in the area. It never disappoints. Jill is a sweetheart and we love talking to her. My penne vodka was great and my hubby’s eggplant parm was awesome. Will definitely be back.

I absolutely love quaint, cozy restaurants and this one may be my new favorite. Impeccable staff and their attention to detail makes this one better than the rest. Everything was fabulous: baked clams, pear purses with walnuts and marscapone, and the complimentary pizza bread with ricotta and spinach. really delicious. We all loved our entrees and dessert… Plus it’s a BYOB! Cannot believe I’ve never been here before… go you will not be disappointed. definitely make a reservation

This will be the 4^th time that I’ve eaten lunch here and I haven’t been disappointed yet! Cucina Fresca is a very cozy place staffed with engaging people who truly care about their patrons and are very knowledgeable about the food they serve. The owner is down to earth and she takes the time to not only greet, but serve and talk to the patrons at some point during their meal.
From the pizza to the potato and egg sandwiches — of which both bring back fond memories of my childhood, you will not be disappointed. The serving sizes are huge and if you aren’t very hungry you will definitely ask for a doggie bag. My kudos to the cook staff also.
I will be going there for dinner one of these nights — the menu looks very appetizing no pun intended. If lunch is that good, dinner will not disappoint I am sure.

First of all the service is amazing. The staff is beyond friendly and they make u understand that your Buisness is important! They make sure you are satisfied.
For apps we order the clams, these «money bag» stuff with pear and ricotta which my husband and brother loved. I know it doesn’t sound ideal but don’t knock it til u try it! And mozzarella in Carozza everything was Delish! And then I had the branzino. On point. Thank you for your hospitality !!

This place is amazing! A little hole in the wall restaurant that is a diamond in the rough! Came to the Moravian Cemetery and just needed a place that was close and we looked on Unilocal and this place popped up. Honestly we thought it was another restaurant (not from this area at all) and had come here last year but when we arrived it wasn’t but man are we glad we stayed instead of leaving! It’s a BYOB and the staff are amazing! Now the food… out of this world! While waiting for our meals the chef even brought out his own concoction of bacon and cheese wrapped in heaven! The whole experience was amazing! The food is divine and the staff are so nice! Will make this a must when we come to visit the cemetery!

Went with friends for dinner. Nice complimentary appetizer tasting dish. Had Mushroom Ravioli as entrée-​Average. My wife had a Shrimp dish that was also Average. Seating is tight in a very small dining area. Service was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating-​Very Good/​Excellent.

This place is surprisingly good. Very small space so make a reservation. Great service and outstanding food. Nice touches such as a portion of fresh cooked ham that was served to each customer– tasted real great. Its BYOB so that’s a big plus. Had the lamb chops and they were perfect. Meat was carved at our table and the presentation is something I wouldn’t want to miss. While the counter offers pizza service I wouldn’t miss sitting down for dinner. You wont connect the food you will be served to any pizzeria you have found in NYC. Truly exciting meals served by an exceptional staff– Top notch service. A real special place

The service here is fantastic! Wow. Could not ask for better. Very personable, accommodating and friendly. They make you feel as though you are the only table in the restaurant. Went last night and the man waiting on us could not be nicer. Not to mention the great food. i had the rigatoni bolognese, delish! Will definitely be back for seconds!

I like the food here. It is a nice cozy quaint restaurant that you can bring your own wine to. The food was very good and the service was excellent. The owner Jill is a little bit of a perfectionist and can come off as somewhat pushy. But all in all she’s a nice person and does not mean to be pushy she’s just looks for perfection, try to overlook that at all costs. The ambience and the food is well worth going to this place any night of the week. Also, they have delicious Grandma slices.

Stopped in for dinner and absolutely fell in love with the cute outside seating. Our waiter was super nice and really made us feel at home. He gave great recommendations and even catered to me being a vegetarian. the food was delicious and the presentations of the food were beautiful. i can’t wait to go again to try all the other delicious food on the menu. p. s while you dining here you do not feel like you are on staten island.

Delicious gourmet pastas, fish, grandma pizza and byob! Very affordable! Most professional wait staff, cozy environment and varied menu make this a five star venue!

As always, my full review with all the juice and photos is on my website. But for a summary:
This was a very good meal. Jason and I got squeezed in at 7:00 on a Saturday night, which was impressive for a tiny place with all the tables full.
After an awkward initial conversation with on of the owners, Jill, I realized the staff here may be a little quirky, but are all passionate, professional, and very sweet. So don’t blow them off too quickly if you start off on a weird note.
What we ate
— First was a series of very yummy complimentary dishes: pizza bread with mushrooms, warm sliced roll, zuppa di mussels, and pork tenderloin in a brown butter jus.
— Baked clams were some of the best we’ve ever had.
— Caesar salad we hated: they glopped on too much of a bottled dressing.
— Mushroom raviolis: very good, nice light olive oil and mushroom sauce, lots of roasted garlic, earthy flavors.
— Frutti di Mare (special): pretty good, the flavors were a little bland, but much better after adding some grated cheese; seafood was inconsistently cooked — two scallops were perfect while everything else was just slightly overcooked.
— Chocolate chip skillet cookie: amazing, if they have this available you need to get it — warm and chocolate let and gooey perfection.
I would prefer this place over a lot of the other Staten Island Italian places because of the intimate, family vibe you will find here. If not for that Caesar salad fail, they would have had four stars.

Rumors of Bad Service have been greatly exaggerated.
I was moved to post this review after reading some of the negative ones before dining here tonight. Now, any SI restaurants do suffer from terrible service. Cucina Fresca is not one of them. From our arrival until our exit, the owner and staff could not have provided a better experience. Expect Manhattan fine dining service with small town charm.
Now, on to the food. While we looked over our menus, complimentary ricotta/​spinach squares, bread, and an order of zucchini sticks came our way on the house. All were excellent. We still managed to try some baked clams which were crisp, gooey and delicious. The two of us shared the watermelon/​feta/​arugula salad which was both spicy and sweet. I was a big fan.
We split two entrees: the lobster ravioli and the veal parmigiana. Whoever posted that the vodka sauce was «slap yo momma» good wasn’t joking. The portions are huge and they didn’t skimp on the lobster. Their fresh and crisp bread was a perfect utensil to scoop up the extra vodka sauce. The veal parmigiana was good, great crust to the veal, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best in the city. The chicken rollatini and the pork chops sounded really good so I’ll be sure to try them out next time.
Dessert: The apple pie a la mode. Get it. It’s simple but deliciously well made.
Oh and don’t forget, it’s BYOB! Wins all around.
Jill and her crew are on to something great. Just when you thought Staten Island didn’t need another Italian restaurant they figure out a way to make it a mandatory stop.

They’ve been consistently polite and the food deserves the 4 stars. Call ahead for specials if taking out.

This is a quiet classy little place. Let me be totally honest, the food was really good, and the service was even better. After being discouraged from a difficult moment when trying to park the car, I must say the food and service all made up for it. Small place but intimate. This was my first time there and it was a good impression. I will update after one more time there to see if my «enjoyable experience» remains consistent. but as of this one time experience, I am a fan–

I have driven past Cucina Fresca on Richmond Road more times than I can count. Tonight we decided to stop in for a late dinner. What an awesome surprise. The food is incredible, the service is personal and the owners (Charles and jill) really love what they do! A special thank you to Amelia for her gracious hospitality!!!
Listen up Staten Island… Cucina Fresca is the real deal! For those of you that live beyond the shores of Staten Island… its worth the trip.
I guess I’ll be stopping by more often!

I learned about this place this pasted year from my brother-​in-​law Been here once before taking my wife for the first time. She loved every single item we ordered from appetizer to desert. The food and service is amazing. I live in Florida and will plan to have dinner here when I am visiting NYC. I suggest to bring a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with your dinner.