Cattivella

4.7

2258 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 1, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 41 times today

Neighbourhood gem
Great for happy hour
Good for special occasions

Award-winning Denver chef Elise Wiggins welcomes you to Cattivella, wood-fired Italian in the Eastbridge project in the Stapleton neighborhood where she lives. Cattivella translates to “naughty girl”.

Chef/Owner Wiggins brings decades of restaurant experience to Cattivella and was named Best Italian by Westword and winner of multiple awards for food and service from The Denver Post, 5280 magazine, The American Culinary Federation and The American Automobile Association. She makes an annual pilgrimage to Italy to work with Italian chefs and learn the classic techniques and ingredients that she employs at Cattivella.

An exhibition kitchen is the star of the show at Cattivella and focuses all attention on a wood-burning pizza oven, a wood-burning grill and the graceful dance of the Cattivella cooks.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of Operation
Mon 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(303) 645-3779
Website
http://www.cattivelladenver.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Elise Wiggins
Catering
We do on and off site catering. please contact us for more information. 303-645-3779
Private party facilities
Awarding Woodfire Italian Restaurant set in a beautiful modern and open space. Surrounded by glass and huge wrap around patio, Cattivella is a sophisticated environment with out being too stuffy.

Location
10195 E 29th Drive, Ste 110, Denver, CO 80238-3025
Neighbourhood
Uptown
Cross Street
29th/ Havana
Parking details
A parking lot of no charge is available.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

4-6 every day & all day on mondays
Multiple dates available
Mon - Thu - 5:00 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
Come try our happy hour....huge portions for super cheap!

Agnolotti dal Plin
An iconic dish from Piemonte, Agnolotti del Plin gets its name from the regional dialect for "pinch," which is how you made the pasta. To form each agnolotto, you pinch two sheets of pasta together, or "fare il plin," to create the small pouches
Agrodolce
sweet and sour
Bagna de L'infern
salsa dell'inferno, or bath in hell, hot sauce made with tomato, chili, garlic and anchovy from the Piedmont region
Batsoa
means silk stockings, traditional Langhe dish of pickled and fried pigs feet meat
Burrata
Means buttered, is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture
Chitarra
Guitar, refers to pasta that is long but square in width. Historically it comes from pressing pasta through guitar strings
Cornicione
the outer crust of a pizza. Neapolitan pizza must have a soft and airy but full cornicione to be authentic
Coppa
Cured whole pic muscle from the shoulder. We smoke ours
Crudo
means raw
Fattoria Piatto
Farm Plate
Finocchiona
fennel flavored salumi
Focaccia di Recco
Bread of Recco. This dish has an ancient history dating back to the Third Crusade (1189–1192). During this time, Marauders would invade Italian towns and steal from the villagers. When the villagers of the town of Recco would hear that theses bandits were heading their way, they would grab ingredients that wouldn't spoil, crescenza, flour, water and olive oil and head to the mountains to hide. These items would be used to create the famous dish to sustain them until the marauders left
Gnocchi
Dumpling. The word gnocchi is thought to come from nocca, which means knuckles, or from the Lombard word knohha, which means knot (such as wood knot) or walnut—all words that imply the small, tight, rounded shape of gnocchi that we know today
Gnudi
Naked. Refers to a pasta made with the filling of a ravioli but not wrapped in pasta
Gremolata
A chopped herb, citrus, condiment for meats
Lumache
Snail. Shaped pasta
Nduja
a spicy calabrian sausage that is spreadable
Paccheri
a type of pasta in the shape of a very large tube, originating from Campania and Calabria. They are generally smooth, but there is also a ribbed version, paccheri millerighe. They can be served stuffed or not
Pappardelle
long wide flat ribbon pasta. Comes from the verb Pappare which means to gobble
Pasticcio
means mess. Dish originates as a birthday dish for the Queen of Florence, Catherine di Medici during the Renaissance period. She married French King Henry II and moved to France. History says that she was so depressed by the barbaric way that the French still ate their food...with their hands. The Italians had invented the two prong fork so seeing them eat with the dirty greasy hands appalled her. It is said that all the chefs she brought from Florence decided to create a dish with a little bit of everything she loved. Meatballs, cheese tortellini, bolognese sauce and savory pie crust. It is said they prebaked a pie crust and pie crust dome in which they placed live birds. Once presented to the Queen, they cracked the pie dome to free the birds
Piadina
Italian Flatbread similar to pizza dough
Pilacca
spicy fermented red chili sauce from Bari Vecchia Puglia Region of Italy
Sgagliozze
fried polenta is a famous street food that is popular in Bari Vecchia in Puglia
Speck
smoked, is the most treasured food product of the sudtirol, a distinctly flavored, smoked, cured ham that represents well the characher of the alto adige's cuisine Much lighter in flavor than the heavily smoked hams found north of the alps, but more robust than the delicate, mediterranean- influence proscuitto
Spigarello
wild green that looks like broccoli but it is in the kale family
Stracciatella
means rags or stretched, stretched fresh buffalo curd

What 2,258 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.8Service
4.6Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cattivella is a celebrated dining spot known for its "delicious and creative" Italian cuisine and "excellent service." Guests praise the "inviting atmosphere" and "fantastic" dining experiences. Standout dishes include the Lamb Ragu and seafood options. While some reviews note inconsistencies, the overall experience is "wonderful" and "highly recommended."

2,258 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Just all around great experience. Been here so many times. Great food and drinks. Bring our young kids and the entire staff is so welcoming.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
VIP
Greater Boston
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a great evening at Cattivella! Food, service always on point!
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A
Alyssa
Denver
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Food and service was really good. Our only complaint was that it seems like they had shoved extra tables in, we were way too close to the other diners. Our chairs were literally touching the tables behind us and it was uncomfortable.
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K
Kathryn
VIP
Washington DC
66 reviews
4.0
66 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Food was delicious, service good, but the noise was terrible!
Is this helpful?
D
David
Denver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 19, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
From the moment we walked in, we felt welcome. Our server, Tim, was fantastic! Attentive, but not intrusive. Every dish we had hit the the spot., Polenta, Oysters, the special lamb ribs, meatballs, and pizza were fantastic. This was our first time here, but it will not be our last!
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E
Ernesto
Denver
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We've gone here a few times, and the food and service are always top-notch. We'll definitely be back.
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m
matt
San Francisco
4 reviews
2.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
I went here for my birthday/Valentine’s Day yesterday and just was pretty disappointed. Was seated at the bar counter which was unexpected as I am pretty sure this was not disclosed on the initial opentable reservation screen but I checked and it was added to my email confirmation I received the day before. So that is what it is and The bar counter was fine besides our seats were pushed up against where the bathrooms are and the open fire grill side of the open kitchen. I would suggest installing a foot bar on the bottom of the bar counter so customers can relax their legs and add some purse hooks and to replace all the bar chairs. The bar chairs were not all the same (mix and match) and in a state of damage, needing repair and/or replacement. Bar chairs are only $75-$150 for decent ones and these really need to be replaced and improved, especially for a place charging $60 (mkt) for a steak dish and in the $25 range for pasta. I would not recommend this place and would go to Quality Italian, Restaurant Olivia, or Lo Stella 10/10 times before going here again. I also felt staffing might be an issue, hard working kitchen staff but felt like their experience cooking authentic “from scratch” Italian food was most likely limited.
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M
Mitchell
Unspecified
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cattivella provided me and my partner with a fantastic dining experience this Valentines. While most restaurants were booked, I was fortunate enough to find this place with an open reservation for 5pm and we took it - we couldn’t be happier with our choice. The dining room and atmosphere is upscale but casual, and seating is arranged in a way that allows you to be comfortable regardless of where you’re placed or who’s around. The service is even better - our server specifically was quick, attentive, and answered any questions we had about the food, drinks, and desserts effortlessly. Additionally, both our food and drinks arrived very quickly. Speaking of food and drinks, everything was AMAZING! My partner had some wine and I had the grapefruit cocktail, which was sweet and hit just the right spot as someone who prefers sweeter cocktails. In terms of food, my partner got the Trenette and I got the Lamb Ragu. I can’t attest to the Trenette but from what I tried it was delivious, but the Lamb Ragu? Oh my gosh. That is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in my life. Super savory flavors and some of the most tender lamb - let alone meat - that I’ve ever had. All in all, Cattivella provides diners with an elegant dining experience in every regard, and I can guarantee that my partner and I will be back. Thanks for an awesome Valentines!
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T
Terri
Denver
48 reviews
5.0
48 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love this restaurant: food is always good and service is great.
Is this helpful?
B
Bret
Denver
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Just a wonderful place. Love it over and over and over.
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FAQs

Cattivella offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (303) 645-3779.

Cattivella is rated 4.7 stars by 2258 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 1, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 41 times today

Order delivery or takeout

10195 E 29th Drive, Ste 110, Denver, CO 80238-3025

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
29th/ Havana
Neighbourhood
Uptown
Hours of Operation
Mon 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Sun 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
A parking lot of no charge is available.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Elise Wiggins
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.cattivelladenver.com/
Phone number
(303) 645-3779
Catering
We do on and off site catering. please contact us for more information. 303-645-3779
Private party facilities
Awarding Woodfire Italian Restaurant set in a beautiful modern and open space. Surrounded by glass and huge wrap around patio, Cattivella is a sophisticated environment with out being too stuffy.

Cattivella

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

4-6 every day & all day on mondays

Main

Agnolotti dal Plin

Agrodolce

Bagna de L'infern

Batsoa

Burrata

Chitarra

Cornicione

Coppa

Crudo

Fattoria Piatto

Finocchiona

Focaccia di Recco

Gnocchi

Gnudi

Gremolata

Lumache

Nduja

Paccheri

Pappardelle

Pasticcio

Piadina

Pilacca

Sgagliozze

Speck

Spigarello

Stracciatella

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Cattivella offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Cattivella restaurant rated?

Is Cattivella currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information