Il Gatto

Such a lovely addition to La Habra.Gorgeous setting, live music and friendly staff. We came during our first big rain of the year for Valentines Eve. The hostess immediately offered to take our coats.Our meals with amazing, good portions and delicious. We had the catch of the day that was blackened cod on pesto risotto and Italian sausage with peppers and vegetables. We complimented the chef to our server, she came out to chat and thank us. We will be back.

On the rare occasion, or so it seems, of a date night with my wife, we opted for something different, yet familiar. We've driven by this place more times than we can remember and I even got fish and chips here when it was The Cat and Custard Cup. We were on our way to get sushi when my wife looked up the Yelp reviews and said, let's try this place... " Fair enough, I thought (and it was close to home)."I vaguely remembered this place, but it seemed brighter than before. Parking was tight for a Saturday night at 830, but we got a spot. (Their closing at 1030 was a huge plus!). Walking from our parking spot under the veranda that fronted the small shops set the tone for our date night. The open entrance with the bar front and center and the huge English fire place on the right with a smattering of tables and booths gave a cozy and romantic vibe that my wife commented on right away. We were seated almost immediately, albeit near the restroom (not a good first impression). But we had a great view of the open kitchen. The head chef was expertly crafting the evening's dishes with his sous chef following suit and the cook preparing the meals. I was captivated by the smoothness of the kitchen and the constant direction by the head chef.Our waiter, Daniel, was top notch and attentive and very polite. I started with a draft Peroni and my wife just had water. The water was bottled still and was good. Daniel graciously poured for both of us. My beer was cold and delicious. Warm sourdough bread was brought out along with the requisite olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread had the right amount of chewiness with a nice crunch.Of course, if you've read my reviews in the past, the caprese salad was a must... And I must say it was absolutely wonderful. Unlike Vivo at Universal City Walk, this version was not deconstructed or with sliced mozzarella. No, it was sliced heirloom tomatoes under a half ball of buffalo mozzarella with generous amounts of arugula decorating the entire plate. The balsamic vinegar drizzle was appropriate and not overpowering. I'm not sure if there was pepper and salt, but as far as I was concerned, the dish was seasoned perfectly. In addition to the standard fare on the menu, there were two specialities of the the evening: crispy skinned black cod over risotto and linguine vongole (with clams).We decided on the two specialties: the cod for my wife and the linguine for me. We continued to finish the two remaining pieces of bread when our entrees arrived.Both were served hot, with the risotto creamy and cooked to perfection and the linguine al dente. The crispy skinned cod had a wonderful crunch when the fork pierced the filet, but the skin was a tad over salted. The saltiness continued into the broth/sauce of the risotto. When eaten without the skin, both the risotto and fish were delightful.Likewise, the Manila clams were perfectly seasoned, but the white wine sauce was salty. When I mentioned this to Daniel, he said that the clams were naturally salty and that the white wine broth may have had additional salt added. Nonetheless, my wife and I did not send either plate back and we gladly finished our meals.Btw, Daniel thanked me for my observations and told me he would relay it to the chef.I couldn't develop a comprehensive review without including dessert. I was excited to hear they had bread pudding (one of my favs) but with an Italian twist: panettone for the bread base!I love, love, love bread pudding and this, by far, is my absolute favorite. The pairing of warm, soaked panettone with a vanilla brandy sauce with a hint of confectioners sugar was sheer artistry. If I just had this dessert, my review would have been a strong 5 stars. Everything made the evening memorable, from the ambience, to the service, to the dessert and yes, even the entrees along with their salt. We'll be back for sure, but I've already told my Italian friends to join us next time. And that time will be sooner rather than later...much sooner.

So happy to have this establishment back! The charm and ambience remain!! A true hidden gem off Whittier Blvd. in La Habra. Cat and the custard cup reincarnated as Il Gatto, an Italian cuisine delight!! This place makes you feel like you're in a quaint village restaurant! The design is so warm and inviting! Our server Eva was wonderful! Now for the food; Delicious!! We started with cocktails at the bar which didn't disappoint. We order the charcuterie which is a must served on a cat shaped charcuterie board full of delightful small bites! We ordered the lasagna which was different from a traditional lasagna, creamier and less tomato taste which was very good! Also the mushroom ravioli was flavorful! For me the standout dish was the Spaghetti Carbonara!! This dish was excellent and would return just for this dish!! It is made in the tradition Italian way exactly like I've had throughout Italy!! They do have a happy hour and the bar area is so cozy!! There's live music a few nights a week. This is the perfect date night or if you're looking for something other than a corporate chain restaurant.... This is your spot!! Can't wait to return for another amazing dinner and evening!!

Perfect date night spot for intimate, low lighting and shareable plates. The large corner stone fireplace crackling while you bite into a fresh slice of bread drizzled with olive oil and vinaigrette? Class.The drinks-we ordered two cocktails which took over 20 mins to arrive at our table. Our waitress was very kind and perfectly attentive, I'll assume this is not the norm, because all else was great.

I have been wanting to bring the family to a fancy Italian restaurant for a while now. My girls are only 6 and 8 so I did not feel they would appreciate the authentic flavors. To my surprise, they also noticed the difference in quality. We reserved for a Friday night at 6pm. It's located in a small plaza with another bigMexican resultant. Thank goodness for back lot parking. There is a small side walkway that brings you back around to the front of the store for entering. We were seated promptly and server Teresa helped us. We originally preferred the tap water and it tasted terrible. We ended up just buying soft drinks due to the nasty taste. Teresa was courteous and provided us with an intro to the specials. We got the fettecinni Alfredo. Lasagna. Bruschetta and flat iron steak. Start bread dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil was amazing. We ordered another bread basket and was happy Teresa was transparent about the additional charge of $3.50. Our bruschetta was a little delayed but so worth the wait. Very nice approach without using red tomatoes. All the entrees were amazing. We have been to Italy but we did not like the food there. This has got to be one of the very good Italian places in the area. My girls could taste the difference and did not need any convincing on partaking in dinner here. My 8 year old asked for more pasta after the plate was finished. I had to gently tell her it's not all you can eat LOLWe ended our meal with a spumoni ice cream and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I loved the vibe. Service and food for this place. The damage was hefty but well worth the experience. Highly recommended

It is our first time here. It was really good. The service was great. The ambiance was amazing; I loved the live music ( especially playing Charlie Brown Christmas music). I had the spaghetti bolognese with an extra meatball and it was very delicious. He had the flat iron steak and ate it all. I had his vegetable. The Caesar salad was good for him w the anchovies. I had the bruschetta which I loved. No room for dessert, next time.

My husband and I went to date night to this cute restaurant. The ambiance was nice and romantic. I had the pomegranate salmon and my husband had the steak. They were both delicious. The staff was polite and attentive. I would recommend this restaurant.

This establishment has now taken over the former Cat and Custard Cup restaurant. I always thought the restaurant was cute from the outside whenever I drove by, seeing string lights hanging on the patio. Now that I have dined here, I can say that the inside is also just as cozy and charming. Since it is an Italian restaurant, they incorporated some Italian decor. But, I can recognize aesthetics of the old steak tavern feel that had existed before. I love the live music, as it adds to the ambiance and mood. As for the food, I wouldn't call it authentic Italian- it's more like Italian-inspired. Keep in mind that this is not fancy or high-end cuisine so the pricing is fair and not too costly. Food was overall good, but it can be hit and miss depending on the chef that day. Having been to this restaurant a couple times now, we ordered the exact same dishes every time- calamari, pizza, and seafood linguini. Calamari was lightly battered and tasty. Pizza was savory, although it tastes more like American style pizza and not authentic Italian. Seafood linguini had great flavors. The pasta wasn't handmade as I had hoped, but the dish was still delicious. There was a generous amount of seafood and the tomato/white wine sauce was very well-seasoned. It is my favorite go-to dish whenever I dine here. My only callout with this dish is that sometimes it can be too soupy like a cioppino. I definitely prefer when the thick sauce coats the linguini pasta. Cocktail drink was also refreshing. Service has been hit or miss and varies based on who your waiter is. I've had a waiter who wasn't as friendly or attentive, while other time, I've had a waitress who was the complete opposite and very friendly.

if you're going to charge a cake cutting fee, please make sure to present it well as well as box the leftovers nicely... maybe im asking too much but to put the left over cake flipped upside down into a to go container was pretty sad to see... anyway location was nice... larger than I though.. there's a small bar area, dining area and somewhat of a side/back dining area... def opt for indoor during winter because their patio was very cold looking...food was average... charcuterie board was sad looking but I guess "cute"... carbonara was too meaty tasting but that's just my opinion...

Great ambiance cozy beautiful restaurant Great for a date night our server Daniel was very attentive and the food was really good I had the lasagna It was a little different since they pour Laredo sauce over and could use a little more meat but still really tasty And the hubby got the chicken Parmesan also really good We had the caprese salad as an appetizer and it was delicious the mozzarella was soft and creamy Definitely give this place a try