La Cena Ristorante

Reviews

• Sofia M.

  star star star star star_border 10 June 2026

  This is one of the few Italian restaurants in town that I'm always happy to visit. A little bit on the expensive side compared to other options out there, but it's guaranteed to satisfy your pasta cravings! I've been inspired by this place. They have this amazing pickle mushroom pasta (sounds weird, but taste oh so amazing!!!!) that I've tried recreating myself at home since I enjoy to cook.
  The owner is a very nice man who enjoys talking about food and his passion for pasta making!
  This place is a little hidden gem. You either know about it or you don't. There is no way you just stumble upon it by luck because there is no sign that it's a restaurant. You would never guess from the outside that you could walk into a place with awesome pasta. But hey, now you know!

• Christina N.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 7 June 2026

  YELP NEEDS TO HAVE A 0 STAR OPTION...
  Because seriously.
  * Disclaimer this is MY experience *
  
  Notes: I recently just moved to Jax & was excited to see what this city offers. The night life & food & whatnot. I moved from the city of Philadelphia & I was pretty spoiled there with their food options & quality.
  
  + The experience: I've looked up fancy Italian places around me & there wasn't too many options to choose from & this place has the best stars out of all.. I skimmed the photos and reviews so why not.
  
  + The start: I came there right on time for the reservation & the initial reaction was this place was not what I expected from the outside. (But I've seen the photos so it wasn't too surprising. But still... it was very underwhelming). After being seated by the hostess, one of the waiters made eye contact with me twice & proceeded to talk away. Took about 10 mins for someone to come over to be greeted. The FIRST lady gave the rundown of the menu, page by page. She didn't even ask if I was ready to order so I just told her I wanted to get Prosecco (& of course she gave me the dryer version out of the two options they got).
  Then she walked away, exactly 23 mins later lady number TWO came & ask if I've been here before (ya lady number one already gave us the rundown) but anyways, the menu stated that if we wanted to customize any orders they probably can do it. I didn't wanted much so I asked her if I can just get linguine with squid in white wine sauce. She hesitated & told me "I don't know I have to ask the owner" (I'm thinking why listed in the menu if you have to go "ask"). She proceeded to walk over to the table across and ask the dude sitting at the table talking if he can make my dish. (NOTE people: I saw him sitting there most of the night... if u see the chef more than your waiter that's a sign) but anyways he told her he could do it.
  
  + Decor/Atmosphere: this place looks like it used to be a banquet hall that attempted to turn into a "fancy Italian
  Restaurant". The ceilings are painted black with black decor and dim lighting which leaves the place looking so dark & uninviting. Using black decor doesn't necessarily screams fancy. But the whole time I felt so unwelcome, cold & uncomfortable. There were 5 tables in the whole place, with no background music or anything. It was so uncomfortably quiet. I was afraid to talk at all, considering I was the youngest looking patron in the place so I was getting looks. (I didn't know eating had an age restriction).
  
  + The food: I order appetizer which never came out. The entre came. The food looks amazing, however, don't be fooled.
  
  - Linguine w/ Squid in White Wine Sauce: This is my favorite dish so you can only imagine how many times & different places I've had. I rarely use salt in my food but if I had to add salt it must be really bland & that was the case. I even had to add a scoop of butter that was for the bread to give it some kind of flavor. I have nothing else to say about it that it was so bland.
  - Tagliatelli Bolognese: probably the worst dish out of the two. As soon as I try the pasta, I knew it tasted so similar, like a taste I had before that I didn't like & I hate to say it but the sauce taste exactly like hamburger helper. It was the most expensive hamburger helper I've ever had.
  
  * Overall, my review confirms the other people's frustrations that been here already. Safe to say this place is not worth $100 meal.. without appetizer. *

• Elizabeth G.

  star star star star star 2 June 2026

  I was here on Friday for dinner...I had eaten at La Cena before and I loved the place but I had lost it. That is, I lived at the Carling downtown for a few months (couldn't take the howling and fighting of the "residents" of Hemming Park, so I moved) and used to go to a great but hidden restaurant downstairs...and then I moved and the next time I came back the restaurant was gone.  And then - oh joy! - now living in Riverside, I discovered that this place with no sign and no advertising was the very same place I loved!  
  
  The food is unbeatable. I went on a Friday, so we did fish, and the fish (flounder, that day) and the seafood based pasta were amazing. Most of the pastas are house made and the incredible bread and breadsticks are house made.  The menu and ordering system may appear a little complex but it's not really as bad as it looks. Mains come in three sizes. Our waiter was smart and told us just to order the larger portion because then we'd have lunch or maybe even lunch and dinner for a couple of days, since the portions are huge. He was right!
  
  Everything we had was excellent. Service is extremely good and attentive in a way I didn't think existed in Florida and the wine list (almost all Italian) is very good.
  
  You may even meet Jerry Moran himself...except that he's usually busy behind the range, since he does a lot of the cooking himself, and you don't  want to distract him from keeping the great food coming. There's parking on site, and it's definitely best to make a reservation.  The place was full.

• Tella F.

  star star star star star 29 May 2026

  We started with the mussels in clear sauce, amazing! Especially if you use your bread to soak in the sauce, and the shrimp, which my husband LOVED but I like them a little crispier.  Then my husband ordered the veal bolognese (great but he wishes he got a homemade pasta dish in the bolognese sauce) and I got the Tagliatelle Albanese. Mine was made with homemade pasta and IT. WAS. AMAZING!!!! So happy with my choice, which took me about 30 mins to make . Lastly we got the flourless cake, which was okay but we were probably too full to really enjoy it. Waiter and waitress was amazing, definitely going back!

• Hazel G.

  star star star star star 19 May 2026

  Shame on me for not taking any picture of the foods that we had when we went here for dinner. But! Let me just start by saying our experience here is out of this world! If you are a rush type of person this is not for you, this place is a very relaxing, fancy with a amazing  Italian foods we ever had! We were here I think for 3 1/2 hours but it was so worth it. We ordered veal, fish , shrimp and scallops. Dinner here is Italian style. You can order your meals with pasta and they make their own pasta!!!! It is indeed very pricey but like what I said it's all worth it! Our waitress was super sweet and told us some tips when we go there next time. The chocolate mousse was to die for! They made it and it has Hagen Daz ice cream in the middle! To be honest I have decided to go back here and to celebrate my birthday here! But I know for sure next time I will take pictures and will be more detailed on my food description.  This place is a really must try and it's a little bit hard to find but it is located across the library and it's on a yellow building. There are no names or signs so if you see a yellow building you found the little gem in Edgewood!