Cafe Picasso — Restaurant in Somerville

I came here with my boyfriend because I heard a lot of good things about this restaurant. They have a metered public parking lot across the street and down about a block on the opposite side. There is limited street parking. If you come with someone handicapped it’s best to drop them off in front and then go park. Cafe Picasso has some outdoor seating. Upon entering I noticed a Gelato case with several different kinds of gelato in it, and a dessert case with a delicious assortment of cakes and goodies. Then as you walk towards the dining room you have an Expresso/ Cappuccino Bar with some seating. Cafe Picasso has some unique decor with warm and cozy feel to it. They have ornate high back chairs and on the walls they have different types of paintings. We were seated up front across from the open aired kitchen. It was really cool being able to watch Chef Carlos preparing everyone’s food. I was very impressed with the staff, especially my waiter Mason. He has been working here for 15 years along with Brandon our server. Both were very well trained, attentive,and very knowledgeable. All the staff work together to make this place run very cohesive and smooth.Cafe Picasso is a BYOB Restaurant. I started with Frittura Di Calamari- Lightly breaded and fried calamari served with sweet marinara sauce. The Calamari was light and very good. The marinara had wonderful flavor and was a nice accompaniment. Next came a House Salad that was lightly dressed. We were also served hot bread with dipping oil. For my entree I chose Pollo Alessandra- Pan seared chicken breast with sun dried tomatoes, shitake mushrooms and portobello mushrooms topped with fresh mozzarella finished in a marsala demiglaze sauce.( my pic doesn’t do justice bc too much grated cheese was sprinkled on it.) My dish was delicious and the presentation was uniquely displayed. My boyfriend chose for his Entree Pollo Marsala- Pan seared chicken breast with shitake musfrooms, porcini mushrooms and cremini mushrooms finished in a homemade marsala demiglaze sauce. He really enjoyed his meal. We were both stuffed so we didn’t order dessert. I did order a Cappuccino and it was really good and made well. Cafe Picasso has two rooms they can host a party. One room can accommodate 36 people. The other room can accommodate 50. Call ahead to book and get info. One of the owner’s Lorenzo came over and asked how everything was. He was very friendly and we told him we really enjoyed our time here. I would definitely return to try some other dishes that also...

Horrible place for service. I booked a 7pm reservation for the middle room. Unfortunately the only opening they had was for 8:30pm. I wasnt thrilled about the the time but I took what was available. I arrived in advance of 8:30pm and immediately the hostess took me to the front room next to the cooking area. I told her this is NOT what I reserved. I was informed the middle room was booked for 2 hours and if I wanted the table I would have to wait at least another 30 - 40 mins. They told me to walk around and will call you when they leave. Well we walked around to 9pm and never got a call. We returned to the restaurant to find out what’s going on. Well the people were still there. They offered another room in the the back that was practically wide open, quieter and cooler. Well when we all went to the back room we decided to take it. While this was happening the manager said our middle room table opened up and said the table is ours now. Well we said now want the back room and we were all standing in it. He said NO, the table you reserved is now open. I said Are you Kidding Me??? We’re now at least 45 mins late for a table and this is what you do??? Well after a few colorful words we walked out. He tried to stop us and offer some free appetizers but colorfully declined the offer which I was certain there would be some of his dna in. We went to the Bridgewater diner instead where the service was fast, excellent food and priced right. Will NEVER go back to cafe...

Stopped in for lunch and we were impressed with the style and decor of the restaurant. We were seated across the open kitchen. For some it may be a distraction but, I enjoyed watching the chef staff at work. The hostess/waitress was attentive. Matter of fact the entire team of servers were assisting. Ample selection of entrees to make everyone happy. We ordered the tomato and homemade mozzarella with sweet balsamic salad. It was fresh while the tomatoes were still not in season it was tasty. Next was the chicken parmigiana over penne and eggplant parmigiana arrived. The portions were big and enough was left to bring home. My wife enjoyed her meal while for the tomato sauce was to acidic almost to the point when served I paused because of the aroma. That’s not to say it was bad but, for me I don’t like a tangy flavor but balanced approach to all the ingredients on the plate where each ingredient has its own moment of enjoyment. Maybe it was too much sauce drowning over the eggplant and pasta. Next time I would ask for less sauce or a dish without it. Prices were average and comparable to other restaurants offering similar dishes. They do have more formal seating in the back with a private room if needed. As for outdoor seating it is available but, the tables and chairs are the high ones. They do have dinner specials in the evening. By the way it byob. Give this...