El Dorado Hills Restaurant Guide

Wonderful food, cozy environment and good service. Have been back many times and would recommended to friends.

My husband and I went for dinner last night, and found Cafe Campanile to be outstanding. The ambiance was nice and the wait staff were gracious and accomadating, not to mention that our meal was amazing.
I do not understand the negative reviews!!! Maybe it is the patrons attitude!!!

My husband and I arrived one evening for dinner and waited 10 minutes at the hostess (????) desk where we were NEVER greeted! The so-called "Queen of Mean" hostess (I assume the owner?) wouldn't even acknowledge us, nor would any of the other staff milling about. We finally got thoroughly DISGUSTED and walked out . . . never to return again! You couldn't pay me to go to this restaurant! After reading numerous reviews and the Sac Bee article in Sunday, Feb 15 paper, I am GLAD we did not get a table and eat there! I am SURPRISED this restaurant is still in business!

I have eaten here since the place opened and continue to bring family and friends from out of town or for special events. I have always found the service excellent (but have never been seated by a woman that gets mentioned as being rude) Everyone has always found their meal cooked to perfection, portions perfect. I highly recommend! And to the woman from O'Vale who wrote the May 27 comment - go taste the food before you mention the Bistro...they are known for drinks, appetizers & party atmosphere.

I have dined at this restaurant many times over the past few years. I have found nothing but memorable evenings and an increasing list of friends. I suggest you put yourself in a state of mind to appreciate a true fine dining experience. The filet mignon melts away in your mouth almost eliminating the necessity of a knife, the eclectic wine selection allows a sampling of a wide range vintages and regions ensuring a selection favorable to your palate. The newly expanded bar offers a classier “drink on the town” experience. I agree that you need to prepare yourself for the fine dining pricing but I find it well worth the ambiance. I will continue to give this establishment my business and encourage all of my friends to visit as well.

I have always dine at this restaurant for the Lamb Chops, so I have always ignore the fact that the Hostess and all the waitpersons have attended the same Rude School. Wonderful restaurant if you go by yourself, but if it's a date you will be embarrassed at the service.

We were frequent customers in the past, but have had several bad experiences in a row. Take your money somewhere else; the food is strictly average and the service is terrible.

My husband and I continue to return to Cafe Campanile because we enjoy the food and ambience very much. The wait staff is competent. The owner, however, is very rude and unfriendly. We suggest she stay away and hire a manager in her place whose strength exudes friendliness and an appreciation for all those who continue to support them.

My husband and I have dined at Cafe Campanile several times, all four seasons, and we have never been disappointed. The food is always fresh and prepared perfectly as to our request. The presentation lovely and the wait service professional in every aspect. We look forward to going again and again.

Our group of 7 stopped in on a Friday night. The manager stated he couldn't accommodate us w/o a reservation, although there were numerous tables empty. Two tables for 4 in the front alcove, and two more tables for four in the patio remained empty for most of the evening,.... we had a view of them from the restaurant we handily got a table at directly across the street.
They've burned through 3 couples that dine frequently in EDH, and a larger cast of friends and neighbors.

The Food is good. However, every thing good on their menu keeps falling off of the menu. The onwer(s) Marry I think is her name, is a real jerk of a person and should stay in the back room and never come out. the Chef, can cook great food, but dont ever send it back, even the staff dosnt want to send it back, they will just order you a new one. I wounder why? Who cares, they have gone down hill fast. I dont enjoy going there any more. The staff is garbage, and not great any more.

My son, daughter-in-law and grandson took me to Cafe Campanile last night for a surprise birthday dinner. My daughter-in-law had read online reviews and told me very few were favorable, but I kept an open mind until we had experienced a meal there. The service itself was fair, but the menu is very limited and is definitely not "kid friendly". That is okay, because this restaurant is striving to provide fine European dining in El Dorado Hills, with a menu geared towards adults. In my opinion, it just does not come up to the standard of other resaurants with a similar priced menu. I recently returned from a couple of months in Australia and dined out frequently. Where Cafe Campanile misses is in presentation. My salmon came unadorned with a spoonful of diced vegetables - no lemon, no dill, nothing. Likewise the steak dinners which the others ordered. Presentation is everything, especially in a high priced restaurant like this, and theirs is non-existent. The food is so-so. We had a far superior meal at Carvers recently, which at least does not pretend to offer fine dining, yet their food was not only better, but their portions were much larger. I think there is a good reason why Bistro 33 across the street is so busy and this place is not. I doubt they will survive for long, as there were only about a dozen other people there. I certainly will not be returning and honestly could not recommend it.

VERY disappointed! Food was not very tasty and the meat served was NOT what was order. Wine served was not what was ordered. Ordered Simi Alexander Valley 2003, waiter began opening a 2004 and when questioned, stated that didn't have the 2003. Then, rib-eye steaks were ordered and CHARGED for, but we were served New York cut steaks. (I sell wholesale meat for a living, and know cuts of meat.) Waiter was rude and stated I didn't know what I was talking about. WILL NEVER go back and recommend you spend your money at Denny's for a better value.

And I too ran into the hostile owner/hostess, several times. My wife and I consider ourselves wine and food Connoisseurs (snobs)and brother this place gave us plenty to talk about. The food is good and the wine list very nice... but the service, yikes. Previously the owners owned Christophe's Restaurant in Folsom, and they went out of business, now we understand why.

I have to agree with the El Dorado Hills person who gave the Dec. 14, 2006 review. My husband and I were there for dinner February 17, 2007. We did not have a reservation although we arrived well before the dinner crowd, about 5:30 p.m. As the hostess was seating us in the middle of the resaurant, I requested a table in the back for a more intimate setting with my hubby. She said it was reserved for a larger group. The table I requested was a seating for four and she set us at a table set for four.

When a hostess is cold and unwelcoming, that sets a definite initial negative tone. This was my husband's first and my second visit to the restaurant. If they want people to come back, my suggestion is to wise up and stop being so elitist and snobby about the whole deal. We proceeded to spend upward of $200 for just the two of us.

On a positive note, our waiter was wonderful. The wine was fabulous as well as the lamb. The salmon was so-so. My next visit will definitely be with a reservation and a REQUEST for a preferred table. If the hostess is as unaccommodating as the first time, we won't be back again. Wise up restaurants and show more hospitality.

My wife and I have dined here half a dozen times and have never had a bad meal. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable. The outside patio is a great option depending on the time of year.

We too were greeted by the rude female owner..more then once..I give up!
I like the food, but the rudeness and arrogance of the owner was just intolerable

We were hostily greeted by the hostess which started our evening out rather horribly then found out that the hostess was the female owner. It was a romantic celebration for my husband and I and we had reservations, yet we were seated next to a loud, large 12+ birthday party and when we asked if we could be moved...we were informed that it wasn't possibly dispite the rest of the restaurant being practically empty as well as all the outdoor tables being unoccupied. We were told that all the empty tables were for reservations, as I previously said we had reservations also. Needless to say this made for an even more enjoyable evening. We ordered a couple of appetizers and a bottle of wine. The hostess remained hostile and rude and our evening couldn't have gotten much worse. Her service was horrible and if the location of the table wasn't bad enough it was a small round table that could barely hold everything necessary for the appetizers. We left afterwards since we were out for a nice evening together which wasn't possible at this restaurant being served by a miserable owner. If you are celebrating an occasion...don't ruin it by going to this restaurant.