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Candela Cucina, New Bedford, MA

Candela Cucina

4.6
4.6
151 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 60 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for creative cocktails
Candela Cucina is an upscale Italian restaurant from Servedwell Hospitality in the historic Candleworks building. Candela Cucina is not just another Italian American restaurant, Candela is an authentic Italian restaurant. Candela’s menu ranges from classic Italian dishes to innovative contemporary creations, all crafted with the finest ingredients.

This new concept from Servedwell Hospitality is in partnership with Peter Biondi. Pete has opened other Servedwell concepts and has worked at several NYC Michelin-starred restaurants. The menu is crafted and overseen by Chef Josh Riazi. Josh has been overseeing all Servedwell’s culinary development and operations since 2018. Josh has worked in several highly acclaimed restaurants; most notably, Josh was Executive Chef at Al Forno in Providence, RI. Josh is assisted by Chef Joe Melo, a Servedwell alum, who will oversee daily culinary operations at Candela.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Italian, Italian, Regional Italian (Sardinia)
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (774) 510-7901
  • Website
    https://www.candelacucina.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Jose Melo
  • Location
    72 N Water St, New Bedford, MA 02740-6264
  • Neighbourhood
    New Bedford
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 151 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Boston Metro South

    Best Service

  • Boston Metro South

    Best Ambience

  • Boston Metro South

    Innovative

  • Boston Metro South

    Great for fine wines

  • Boston Metro South

    Romantic

  • Boston Metro South

    Good for special occasions

  • Boston Metro South

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Candela Cucina delights with "excellent food and service," offering a cozy and upscale Italian dining experience in New Bedford. Patrons praise the "amazing cocktails," "beautifully presented dishes," and "attentive staff." Though the restaurant can get noisy and tables are close, the "warm ambience" and "flavorful menu" make it a cherished dining destination.

151 Reviews

  1. Greg

    Greater Boston

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Was super loud, couldn't hear each other across the table. Salad needed salt/pepper (had to ask for it), next table had fresh parm on their salad, we didn't. Calamari sauce was smokey, very different. Drinks are expensive and just okay. Waitress took my plate to box up my leftovers but forgot to bring it out to us. It was just an OK experience, but I will take into account that it was restaurant week, thus super busy & running like a factory in the back.

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  2. Nancy

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    19 reviews

    1.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had been the first week. it opened , was wonderful , all of it !!! This 2 nd visit was terrible. !!! The noise level prevented us from carrying on any kind of conversation !! We won’t be returning any time soon !, and that’s too bad, the food is wonderful. !

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  3. Madison

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great dining and reasonable price and even had 4 course meal deal that wasn’t bad either! Will be back!

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  4. Connie

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Homemade delicious pasta. Shrimp limone is fantastic and the whipped ricotta. The cappuchino was the best I ever had. The lasagna is so flavorful with lots of cheese but no meat. Our server Jordan was the best.

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  5. Elizabeth

    Greater Boston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    My husband and I really enjoyed our experience at Candela Cucina and plan to return. The food was carefully and thoughtfully prepared. The shrimp arancini was a delicious surprise! My husband had the whole grilled branzino, which he thought was very tasty. However the salsa verde (which the waiter referred to as a pesto) was very harsh tasting due to an abundance of garlic. The ambience was cozy and contemporary, however the choice to play dance music rather than dinner music should be rethought.

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  6. Roger

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Happy that the former Candleworks is still resurrected. They have done a great job renovating the place and the menu. We were pleased. Portions were large. The veal was great. 

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  7. Wendy

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    HI, We had a lovely time at Candela Cocina. There was a problem securing our table as the existing guests kept having more drinks and didn't want to leave. The manager handled the situation with grace and generosity. We had excellent drinks at the bar and shared a delicious caesar salad. We were finally seated at our cozy booth. We ordered right away as we were hungry. It took a long time to receive our entrees as the restaurant was hosting two very large parties. My whole fish and the sides were tasty. My friends shrimp with limone had a good flavor but the shrimp were rubbery and over cooked. All in all, it was a positive experience and we will try it again.

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  8. Lindsay

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food, service, and atmosphere were excellent. Highly recommend.

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  9. Michael

    Washington DC

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    First visit, food was good although there were a couple missteps in the service, was not informed that one of the dishes ordered had been sold out, when check arrived sold out dish still was being changed for. Would recommend and will return,

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  10. Gregory

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Atmosphere is great. Mackenzie, our server was excellent. The swordfish was excellent. My wife’s Caesar Salad, tasted a little too vinegary for her liking, but she refused to say anything. All in all, pretty perfect spot

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FAQs

Candela Cucina offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (774) 510-7901.

Candela Cucina is rated 4.6 stars by 151 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 60 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Candela Cucina

72 N Water St, New Bedford, MA 02740-6264

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    New Bedford
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Italian, Italian, Regional Italian (Sardinia)
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Jose Melo
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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