I'm glad I waiting a few years to write my review for Arugula because the wait was worth it! I've been to Arugula twice before in the past and both times were not very memorable. I went last night and was blown away! Everything was amazing! My mixed green salad tasted like it was picked from someone's garden and then put directly on my plate. It was so delicious. I had the duck confit which was also great. The tiramisu and coconut cake were to die for! And, I had to order some coffee with dessert because other folks were ordering the coffee and it smelled heavenly. The coffee was amazing. I'm not sure which coffee they serve, but it was divine. So glad I gave Arugula another chance because it was well worth it!
(4)
Michelle F.
Lovely way to spend a Monday evening. Pleasant ambience. View of The Flatirons. Without hesitation, our server brought me complimentary champagne that was quite good, and I've tasted very few I've liked. Delicious mushroom* appetizer that I could have eaten as my main course. Delightful fresh mixed green salad with white balsamic vinaigrette. Incredible roasted vegetables and stuffed pepper. In a word: delicious. Would enjoy this kind of food almost every night. Fine wine. Attentive service, especially considering we had a table of seven. Very kind and warm-hearted server who was patient with children. Didn't seem to mind that three of us had been in Rocky Mountain National Park. Needless to say, we had wind-blown hair and were dressed casually. *They regularly buy from local purveyors, and you know I love that.
(5)
Pat Q.
We were there for a private party. The food was excellent, and the service attentive and friendly. They cheerfully accommodated some special dietary needs. Will definitely return for dinner!
(5)
Gillian O.
I seriously do not get why people seem to like this place. Its sister restaurant is Tangerine which I love, but Arugula has been a flop on all 4 occasions. I'm never going back - it's just a waste of money. Food on the menu is frequently not available as they've sold out already. Which then means you have to pick from incredibly unappetizing dishes like sturgeon and fig, which was just as disgusting as it sounds and cold. Dishes are not filling or worth the price tag. Servers were pretentious to the point of not being helpful. I've sat there waiting to order, waiting to get more water, waiting and waiting for the check even after flagging them down... & watch out if they sell out of things they'll recommend the least popular item on the menu. They even messed up a gift certificate someone gave us to go there, so we had to go there again just to use it. Ugh.
(1)
Jeb B.
This is an expensive restaurant. All I could taste was salt. Over salted asparagus, over salted salad (how did that happen?) And then black licorice flavored quinoa...that should have a warning....not everyone likes licorice flavored meals.
(2)
Peter H.
First time I've been here and I was not disappointed. I was able to go try many things because I came with a large group of colleagues, and just about everything was spectacular down to the wine! We had the mushrooms, mozzarella, beet carpaccio, and olives to start. Mushrooms were my jam, but the beets were out of this world. For secondi, a brilliantly constructed gnocchi with perfect duck confit. Others at the table ordered the Colorado lamb, the pork chop and the steak. All looked and tasted incredible. The one thing I thought could use a bit of work was the dessert menu. Although my flour less chocolate cake did have the perfect blend of flavors, 9 dollars was a bit unreasonable. Just great overall service as well. Professional wait staff that really deserved a hearty thank you by the end of it.
(5)
Brendan K.
Exquisitely balanced meals have I had here. I don't usually talk about food at dinner but here I was engrossed in tasting and talking about the depth and balance of the flavors and textures. The smoked trout salad and the key lime cheese cake were wow.
(5)
Dave B.
Went for a private party. I have no idea what food and wine cost. The food and service were excellent.
(4)
jeremy d.
Out of the 3 or 4 times my wife and I have been to Arugula we've never had a bad experience but last night was probably one of the best ever. The food (gnocchi, tagliatelle, soup and calamari) was excellent. From their good selection of favorably priced wines we found a good bottle. And we had a great server who was always there right when needed and never when not. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Kimber S.
We went here with some friends for their First Bite Boulder menu last weekend and it was absolutely amazing! They must have taken my advice from my last review about improving the lighting, because it was much warmer and easier on the eyes than it was the first time around. Another thing I was really impressed with was the acoustics. For the first time in a long time in a busy restaurant, I didn't feel the need to shout at my dining companions to be heard over the din. Their menu was so diverse with choices for any special dietary concerns. Not to mention fabulously fresh ingredients and excellent flavor profiles to satisfy every palate. We all loved everything we ordered! My favorites were the Hazel Dell mushroom risotto and the hangar steak. The service from the kitchen was a little slow, but totally understandable as it was only the 2nd night of First Bite Boulder and they were booked to the gills. We were glad not to be rushed and had the luxury of enjoying a nice leisurely 3-course dinner with good friends. Dare I say it? This might be my favorite restaurant in Boulder... possibly even the Front Range.
(5)
Craig P.
Food was very good. Some very innovative tasty specials. Unfortunately the service was horrible. We arrived early in the evening and there was one other couple seated. We were promptly given a table and it took a few minutes for our server to come over. We ordered drinks...and waited close to 10 minutes for them. We watched the bartender chatting with others...but not making our drinks. When we finally got them we placed out order. The food came out in a reasonable time. And was delicious. As we ate a few more people came in. As more tables were filled service got increasingly spotty. Quite some time after we finished entrees a bus boy finally showed up and cleared plates and asked of we wanted dessert menus. We heard good things about dessert and said we like see menus. He never came back. Our server was at wait stand....talking, and putting stuff in computer. Over 10 minutes later she came to us with dessert menus. We declined and got the check. We don't mind slower service when a place is busy. But when staff talk instead of work, or disappear...it's just irritating and puts a damper on the dinner. We'd love to go back as we enjoyed the food...just not sure if we'd put up with the service again...
(2)
K. G.
I ate here the other night and let me tell you that it was delicious food. Even though it is located in a small strip shopping center, a hidden gem, when you do find it you will keep going back. They do have outside seating but it is a long the parking lot but you really don't notice because it is very Italian style with lots of potted plants hiding the parking lot. The service and food is so good you won't even care. The corn chowder soup is out-of-this world. We asked the waiter for two quart size to take home and at the end of the night after leaving the restaurant we realized we didn't receive the soup to go. Well, we think the waiter thought we were joking about the take away soup...:( We'll just have to go back to get more. My entree was a lamb belly. I have never had lamb belly but it looked so good I had to order it. I was not disappointed. Just beware if you don't like pork belly you won't care for the lamb belly. I say this because it is the same texture and fatty as pork belly but was nice and crispy. No it's not like pork rinds it is prepared just like a nice pork belly. To complete the night I ordered the gluten free coconut cake. OMG....it too was excellent. Overall, the entire evening was great and I will make this place one of my regular places to dine when in Boulder. Oh...almost forgot....they also have a great wine list.
(4)
Vanessa H.
Food is mediocre. Service is awful. This is the second time in a row I have received awful service. The servers are inattentive. We sat there for a long time before getting served. Our wine glasses sat empty and we had to get the server's attention every time we wanted something. The server walked by us multiple times without even acknowledging us. I gave Arugula a second chance and was disappointed with the service again. I will not be dining there again.
(1)
Steven W.
I really enjoyed eating at Arugula but expected just a bit more than I got. Service is top attentive while the ambiance is casually inviting. The menu is a creative mix of healthy Italian options. The app was a tasty mozzarella/ basil dish that warmed me up for the entree. I had a fantastic shrimp pasta dish that was cooked perfectly and oh so luscious. Overall a quality dining experience but I never had my "wow" moment for anything in particular. I am however excited to go back and see if i get my "wow" moment.
(3)
Kristal A.
Went here for a business meeting that turned into just a great, relaxing meal. I had the fennel salad, which was delicious. Their olive app is also delicious. I also really enjoyed my rabbit confit with gnocchi...absolutely superb. Our waiter kept our glasses full, the wine flowing, and never missed a beat when it came to clearing our plates, despite a very busy and packed Friday night. Will be back again.
(5)
Lindsey P.
There are so many things that were SO GOOD about this place and definitely a few more that just missed the mark. I'd say 3 stars is fair. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive, bordering on maybe a little TOO attentive. I'd rather have that than the waiter that disappears for an hour but we were there celebrating my birthday and if they weren't filling up our 3/4 full waters (whyyyyyyy?), they were checking in every 4 minutes about ordering/how's the food/can I get you anything else. It was a bit much. Didn't allow for a nice, relaxing conversation is all I'm saying. Pick your battles, I guess. Decor - they have some really fun and quirky art pieces on the walls made mostly with wine accessories (corkscrews and whatnot). The only thing it was missing was some of those acoustic boards. You can kind of hear E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G everyone is saying since there's really nothing to absorb some of that sound. The food though! Oh my gosh. So we started off with the soup special of the day which was corn butternut squash bisque topped with a nice aioli. Good heavens!! We shared the bowl and I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish we would have gotten our own. Yowza. We also got the mozzarella heirloom tomato appetizer. It came with a little bit of fresh basil and charred toast - TO DIE FOR. Those tomatoes...I'll dream about them forever. For an entree I got the handmade potato gnocchi with pears, gorgonzola and almonds and I added sausage. The sausage I didn't care for - I think it had fennel seeds and I can't stand them - but I won't count it against the dish as a whole. The original dish by itself without the sausage was divine. The gnocchi was the perfect texture; just soft and chewy enough without being mushy and falling apart. I just really really liked it. The boyfriend got the seafood stew - a bouillabasse. The flavor was good but there were a few things that just weren't...great. The mussels were grainy and very tough, and the scallops were a bit rubbery. Obviously stewed seafood is going to be different than a seared scallop but it was a little off-putting. Lastly - and this is the thing that really burst my bubble - was that when I asked for a box for the 1/2 of my meal that I couldn't finish, they took my plate away (I assumed to box it up in the back) BUT THEY NEVER BROUGHT IT BACK. We didn't realize until we were half way home. Oh come on. We're not the only ones ever to have forgotten our leftovers, right?! But seriously!! That was a $21 meal that I wasn't able to finish because no one ever came back. GAAAAHHHH. I probably should have called but I felt dumb for not remembering to ask before we left. Either way, that was a real disappointment and I'm still a little mad about it a week later...
(3)
Stephanie B.
Three letters. Y E S. I love a spot that has great service, atmosphere, food and drinks without the pretentious mumbo jumbo. I forgot our waitress' name but she was very attentive and knowledgable. The menu changes due to what's in season and fresh which makes it so enticing. I had a Malbec and my boyfriend had a couple different brews from their beer selection. We got the Pork Shoulder Rillette starter...delicious! The blackberry fennel jam was exploding with flavor. Yum! My boyfriend ordered the Beef Tenderloin and me the Italian Sausage, Goat Cheese and Penne. Everything is grown locally and made fresh. Our service was impeccable and to food was great. Overall I left with a smile on my face. We will defiantly come back soon.
(5)
Laura M.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There will not be a third. Went for a girls night for restaurant week about six months ago and experienced awful service. We had reservations, and still waited 50 minutes past our reservation time to be seated! Then we experienced long wait times to order and receive our drinks (that we watched sitting on the bar for over 5 minutes), aloof service, and almost an hour to get food. The manager came by later to ask how everything was, and we told him honestly that it was not a great experience. He asked if we wanted him to take something off the bill - WHAT!? If he wanted to take something off the bill, he should have just done it, not asked the customer if we wanted him to. We were kind of speechless that he asked, so just said sure that'd be great, then we ended up getting a fully charged bill anyway. We said we wouldn't go back. But alas, we did, last Sunday night for happy hour and snacks. What a mistake. The service was even worse than the first time. Our server was inattentive, rude (acted very annoyed we were only drinking and light eating instead of ordering dinner), and then it took 15 minutes to flag her down for a bill. I asked another server for the bill as well, with no luck. I only had a $5 glass of wine, and tipped her $5 on top of it because I knew the bill was small and we'd been taking up a table (even though the restaurant was half empty). I left first and my friends stayed back. After chatting this morning, turns out the service got even worse after I left and the service charged one of their cards for a tip amount over what was left on the receipt. The food at Arugula is really darn good, but we will not be back due to the horrible service now experienced twice.
(2)
Dane F.
Went here for a work party, and it was very great. Great wine, great steak. I'm sure it's a little pricy, but I like the classy atmosphere here.
(4)
David M.
My honey surprised me by taking me out to Arugula's last night on a beautiful evening for a drive to Boulder. And what a treat it was. Interesting takes on healthy, creative, and delicious new Italian cuisine. Sweet and efficient server made some excellent suggestions (the mushrooms with peppers and truffled ricotta was an amazing first course, and the salad of arugula, strawberries, goat cheese and hazelnuts was absolutely delightful). Had the duck three ways for my entree and it was spectacular, as were my baby's lamb chops. Finished the meal off with their flourless chocolate cake. A great decision. All in all, the meal could not have been better (and the '09 bottle of Boroli Nebbiolo and Barbera blend was a fine deal at under $45/ btl, and went perfectly with our food). So dear Boulder, while it isn't frequently that we get a visa to travel to your lovely country, the next time we're into making the trip to the Land of Oz for delicious eats, we'll be hitting up Arugula's again.
(5)
Monica B.
We eat here frequently and it is one of our favorites. We have always had good service and we really love the food ~ the wine list is fantastic!
(5)
Stephen B.
Wow, where to begin, it's hard because I have so many complaints. So, in no particular order. 1) Part of a server's job is being able to read a table. While waiting for drinks our server approached us twice asking if we were ready to order dinner. Well, when the guests (4) are engaged in conversation and haven't even lifted the menu it should be evident that they're not ready to order. 2) Drinks: take forever. 10+ minutes for a cocktail. I appreciate that a well made drink takes a little longer, and it was a Friday night, however the restaurant wasn't full. Then I watched the runner attempt to deliver the drinks to the table next to us who all had full cocktails. Learning table numbers is something you learn on day 1 at a restaurant. 3) Wine. I have an extensive collection and like to bring my own wine to dinner. I expect to pay a corkage fee around $15-20. I was informed by server, via the bartender, that they didn't have a license to open patron's wine. I've never heard of such a thing before in any other state. Now, I'm new to Colorado so perhaps there is such a law that is unique to Colorado. But I did research on beverage laws and licenses in the state and most, if not all, deal with the sale and distribution of wine, liquor and beer. I suspect they were lying or misinformed. However, I'm willing to withhold judgment on the this point on the off chance that there is such a provision in Colorado's liquor laws. 4) Appetizers. We ordered the mushrooms and "Big Squid". While tasty, the portions were laughable, especially for the price. I don't equate quantity with value and wasn't expecting massive portions but they were quite tiny. 5) GF bread. It's delicious, but it's $4 a serving. I think you should be informed that there's an extra charge when you order it. And especially when you order basket #2. It wasn't the amount, we were all offended that the server didn't give us a head's up. We would have still ordered the first, maybe not the 2nd, but either way we would have known before the bill arrived. 6) The weirdest thing happened at the end of our meal. We had paid our tab and were wrapping up our après meal conversation when the server came over, grabbed the credit card folders, and then said "it's ok, we'll be here for awhile." Ok, it was 9:30 and the restaurant was winding down, but then why did she feel the need to take the CC slips from us? That's a cue to "get out of here." We were minutes away from departing the table anyway. As a former server I found it unprofessional.
(2)
Brent B.
The food here was delicious! I service was excellent and on point! I had the Gnocchi with rabbit. It. Was. Superb. Next to Tangerine(a tasty brunch place) in a shopping complex. The entrance was on Iris Ave.
(5)
Liz W.
I came here with a deal where you could get four courses for a set price. Started with the tomato bisque - delicious, wouldn't change a thing, I also tried my friend's mussels which were excellent. Then had the arugula and apple salad, which frankly was not great. The arugula was all wilted and shouldn't have been served, it seemed like it had been dressed and then popped in the fridge awaiting to be ordered. I then had the mahi mahi which was a flavorful dish and the fish was well prepared...and ended with the chocolate molten cake, it was a rich dessert but great for sharing. I think it's all a little overpriced but would return if I had a similar deal or for happy hour.
(4)
Jim M.
I've been here many times and highly recommend the food and service. The corn gnocchi was very tasty. My partners scallops were also good I was told. Somewhat pricy; but it's Boulder.
I've been twice now and enjoy the great flavors and dishes. The best thing we had tonight was a side of the goat cheese polenta. Out of this world. The portions are good and you don't feel like you're paying a lot for a dinky plate like some high end restaurants. Salads, appetizers, main courses and dessert- all hit the spot. We'll be back.
(4)
Elaine W.
They've got some really nice food. My friends were satisfied with their dishes such as rack of lamb with port wine and grilled duck breast. I had sea scallop as my main dish and felt they could have done better. Went there during the restaurant week and the sizes are just super tiny. I'm still hungry after 4 courses. Maybe will go there again and hopefully will find out what's their regular size is. One thing I don't like there is the bread. The bread they offered was not fresh from the oven. It's more like those bread that you buy from the supermarket.
(4)
Christie V.
I am late in writing this review. Should have done it months ago actually . . . this place is a full WOW. M person wanted to take me on a nice date and had done some looking and decided on this place. It. Is. Divine. We often joke about "Boulder Service" being about hiring pretty people who only pay attention to other pretty people. This service is spot on, attentive, and seamlessly becomes part of the excellent food and enjoyment. Also, their menu is something not soon forgotten. I haven't had everything on it, but hope to. Currently, I strongly recommend the warm spinach salad, the fennel salad (it tastes so fresh that you wonder where they're growing their vegetables), and the pear and gorgonzola gnocchi. (Full disclosure: I heart gorgonzola cheese and they seem to also, so clearly it's a match made in heaven.) Their ingredients are amazingly fresh and wonderful, it takes a chef who knows what s/he is doing to get gnocchi right, the blend of flavors they put into dishes is delightful, and the service we got was, as previously mentioned, wonderful. I want to go back and eat everything on their menu!
(5)
Kate C.
This place is fantastic! I love that it's casual yet elegant and not at all pretentious. Having food allergies, it's nice not to have to ask for a separate menu as they list Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free. I went for the first time last night and ordered the Tomato-Fennel Bisque with the Shaved Fennel Salad (both vegan [optional] and GF). Both were decadent but light and very refreshing; they paired together tremendously well and it didn't hurt that they have the BEST GF bread I've ever had in my 5 years being GF (definitely not vegan, haha)! My boyfriend ordered the special Pork Gnocchi and loved it as well, although he said that the gluten free bread I got was better than the regular house bread they served!! The ambiance was nice and quiet, good service, no complaints. I can't wait to go back and order some larger plates.
(5)
Paige J.
We are busy working parents and can't waste a minute on a disappointing night out. We were in amazingly good hands at Arugula! Everything we had was delicious, made with local ingredients and served by an extraordinarily informed wait staff... We learned about the region of Italy our wine came from, the details of how the duck was cooked, were served a dish of warmed olives as a starter to get our appetites warmed up... Shaved turnip, radish, mushroom salad...mussels with olives and capers... The Gnocchi is to die for... Tangy goat cheesecake and chocolate molten deliciousness with anise flavor drizzled on the plate.... Really, Misty and the team at Arugula made our (very rare) date night out an unforgettable treat. Go! It's worth it!
(5)
Samantha L.
This was a first big dinner date night out for me for restaurant week, and that date is now my boyfriend. The romantic atmosphere, excellent service and fresh food helps to make you forget you're in a restaurant that doesn't fit into the strip mall it's in. The lighting and the lower noise volume really feel sophisticated in Boulder which seems to be lacking such places. I was very pleased with my vegetable risotto, but I don't remember much else about the actual food. I guess that's the key to a perfect romantic restaurant afterall!
(5)
Russel E.
I liked the napkins. I can't speak too much on the food being that I have only been here once and will probably never return. It seems everyone's tastes are generally very subjective so critiquing food with little appeal is like critiquing a blank canvas. That being said what the most alarming single moment in our visit was the side conversations being had by from what I discovered was the manager/owner. This man's drill-sergeant type of management was a bit overwhelming and distracting from what I would believe to be a calming ambiance. I understand people may have bad days, but some of the vitriolic and nefarious things coming from this man to his employees were disheartening. I will not be supporting a business that's supervising approach is derived from fear and insulting. You will not see me here again.
(1)
Laura Z.
Out of 9 meals, 6 were great and 3 were blah. The best dishes were the rabbit and gnocchi, seafood stew, shrimp orechiette. The other dishes, particularly the vegetarian platter, lacked flavor and did not meet the price point. Service was fair, ambience was very nice. As a family of foodies, we did not get the wow factor.
(3)
Megan E.
Thursday was our second visit, the first being several years ago. While I'm really thinking 3.5*, I'm rounding up since nothing was wrong and I don't want anyone to get that impression. With reservations, we were seated right away in a booth. We shared a half a bottle of wine to celebrate graduation and then for meal choices, we tried a range of options. My biggest issue, and hence why the 3.5, it just wasn't that memorable. The food was good, the service fine, the atmosphere decent, but I didn't get overly stimulated by anything. So it's cute, has its own parking, and is worth a visit if you want to get off Pearl street, but it's not in my top must go list.
(4)
Tyler G.
We went for a wine dinner and were blown away. They brought in the wine maker from Friuli Venezia Giulia (where the local and famous restaurant Frasca takes their style from). He told the story behind his wine and they explained how they thought it complimented the food. The chef, manager, and winemaker made rounds to every single table (we were surprised they stopped by us since it was obvious we were the youngest and poorest there!). Everything was on time, the pairings where phenomenal. Only complaint is the raw garnishes. Just weird to have beautifully cooked and plated food with a side of parsley and raw red peppers. We felt like it brought the plates down a notch.
(4)
Connie S.
We had dinner here last night. It was a very good experience. Our waitress, Misty, was excellent help getting us through the menu and my wine choice. Our courses arrived at a very nice pace. There was not a rush to them at all. It made a very long day incredible enjoyable and relaxing. We had the fennel salad. It was dressed well and the grapes and pecans were yummy. I had the Vegan Platter, it was filled with such a variety of choices. I enjoyed all of them. I ate and ate and still had more than half of platter to be boxed up. My guy ordered the Hanger Steak. It was prepared as ordered and he enjoyed the sauce that came with it. We finished with dessert and coffee. The coffee was excellent. The tiramisu was light and had just enough chocolate shavings to not over power the marscapone cream. We had a couple of hic ups but the were quickly rectified and dinner moved forward. We will return soon.
(4)
Katie L.
This restaurant should get 4 stars. The food is excellent and the wine list is great. But the service can leave something to be desired. I also wish that the tables were a bit bigger. They get really cramped with 4 people, making it a bit awkward to enjoy your experience.
(3)
Nate H.
This was a pleasant surprise. The Sausage Bolognese was wonderful. Companion raved about the Mahi. The staff was attentive and friendly. Be careful, tables along the front windows are rather drafty. Recommend a table located more to the inside of the restaurant.
(4)
Kate M.
Finally ventured over to Arugula last night. We sat at the bar, as the restaurant was packed when we arrived. It turned out to be a great choice--we had some good company among the friendly bartenders and other guests. The wines-by-the-glass selection was very good. The bartender invited us to try whatever we were interested in before committing to a full glass. I had a great Albarino and Nero D'avola. My boyfriend got a really nice spicy Malbec. Since we were emboldened by a Groupon, we went all out. The fennel salad was a great start to the meal. The citrus and mint made it bright while the pine nuts added a nice buttery flavor. We followed it with the pork belly and polenta, which was divine. I loved the little celery salad on the plate and the belly was perfectly cooked. We also had the Hazel Dell mushrooms with gorgonzola rather than feta, at the bartender's suggestion. My one complaint was that all of this food was brought out at once. The pacing was just a little off for me. I would have preferred the salad and then the hot dishes after we were finished. Next up was the black seafood risotto. Not my fave. It was pretty under-seasoned and only had a single shrimp and scallop. However, I do applaud them for having such a unique dish on the menu--I haven't seen a squid ink pasta anywhere locally. We got the duck three ways as our entree. It was really a shining star of a dish. Delicious cracklings and confit with the hash. And we nearly licked the plate to get all of the cherry sauce. It was also perfectly cooked, which is not something you see too terribly often with duck around here. For dessert, we went simple with ice cream and limoncello. Man, that limoncello. I feel like they might be making it with jet fuel because it was STRONG. Drivers beware. Overall, a really nice experience. And a great place to go if you have food allergies. I am both gluten and soy free and had no problem with anything I ate here.
(4)
Ruth B.
This restaurant came highly recommended to us. Which is why we were surprised to have such an unpleasant experience. As New Yorkers visiting Boulder we had been warned that the service in restaurants may be a little slower than we were used to. However, we did not expect the service to be so slow and also so unpleasant. Our waiter was so surly and indifferent, we wondered why he even works in a service industry. We are polite and considerate patrons and expect the same in return. I wish to identify our waiter as the guy with the beard, only because looking across the restaurant the other servers seemed very pleasant. In addition to a couple smaller issues, like a (fountain) diet coke that tasted medicinal (he exchanged it but seemed very annoyed) our food took a ridiculously long time. Even in comparison to our other (very wonderful) Boulder dining experiences. Additionally a dish that my dining partner ordered, oysters, actually tasted off. And in the years that I have dined with him I have never seen him have to remove an item from his mouth! When we returned that uneaten dish our waiter had neither a comment nor an apology. I hope my review will be used constructively by this establishment to give future diners a better experience and the bearded waiter a lesson in simple courtesy and service with possibly a smile.
(1)
Timolyn E.
Food was OK, but the Manger of the restaurant would not honor my Living Social coupon. I was extremely disappointed because we had a hard time making a reservation and it wasn't until after we sat, that they said they would not honor my coupon. Service was poor and food was mediocre.
(1)
Anita Y.
Overall, I had and experienced better, and probably won't be back. We had reservations, (early November) but you must ask for a booth ahead of time if that's what you want. So we were sat at an awkward table, that stuck out into the pathway to service area, which just wasn't wide enough. I love that they offer 1/2glasses of wine. I'm a light drinker, and sometimes even a full glass is too much. The foie gras was excellent; buttery and decadent. They brought wrong thing first. my friend had run back home to get something she left, so I restrained myself, and the wrong item sat at our table for almost 10 minutes. They suddenly brought another plate, and replaced it with the foie gras, explaining that they didn't realize it was the wrong item.....they just changed to the fall menu. The salad was over dressed and the vinaigrette was overpowering. Because of this I couldn't finish my small salad. Striped bass entree for dinner, with pea shoots that were fibrous and awkward to eat. It was very "Un elegant" in it's presentation, but the flavor was OK.
(2)
Ran T.
If you have money, go to this place. It's expensive $20/dish avg. but you won't regret going there. The food is delicious (warning: small portion, you will be hungry if you only order an entree even if it's pasta). The service is nice (waiters are attentive, attractive but not annoying, my water glass was always full), the ambient environment is decent (not too crowded but not intimate. patio seating available when weather permits). Food presentations and food combinations are excellent (you need to ask the waiter to get you some black pepper because they don't have any sitting on the table, which is a good thing because you know it's always fresh!) Overall, I recommend checking it out if your budget allows :)
(5)
Bruce F.
The food is ALWAYS AMAZING! Perfect flavors, textures and execution. Nice to eat somewhere that the tables aren't packed together and you can easily hear your table mates. The only thing that ever really bothers me is the view of the parking lot. I wish they would keep the blinds closed.
(4)
Tae S.
Their pepper and pancetta risotto is savory and rich. Yum!
(4)
Nicholas Q.
Arugula is great! The first time I ate there was shortly after they opened, I have been back many times. I'm 2nd generation Italian and have been fed home cooked Italian meals from my immigrant grandmother all my life, as such I usually harshly judge Italian restaurants, going so far as to not eat at them. However, with Arugula, I go out of my way to eat there. It has a good atmosphere, the manager/chef's father is frequently there introducing himself to people and talking about his son. And I highly recommend the fried polenta.
(5)
TwentyThird S.
Arugula is by far one of the most underrated restaurant in Boulder. Mostly in my opinion do to the location. Check out Arugula for amazing food and a wide selection of GF and vegetarian options
(4)
Margaret C.
This was a perfect lunch experience from start to finish. Welcomed by a friendly greeting from the European-sounding hostess/waitperson, shown to a comfortable perfect table, I arrived just in time to enjoy the lunch menu. That's good, because it's a lot less expensive than the dinner menu. There is a delightful-sounding special dinner on Monday nights though. (Note to self: return to Arugula with Mr. Mysterious Romantic Date Man for Monday night dinner--soon!) Well, I rambled a bit in that first paragraph. A professional restaurant reviewing journalist I'll just never be :o( So after quickly looking over Arugula's lunch menu, I decided to order trout. I was happy to find out that I could also order their special soup of the day with it, which was a creamy butternut squash soup with walnut garnish. So very good! Beyond verbal description--it was THAT good! I do so wish I had written down the details about the trout. I have consumed a few trouts in my life, and this preparation was among the best I've ever tried. Even their iced tea was amazing. I like the decor, too. Arugula made a wonderful impression on me this first visit. I hope to return. P.S. The service here was seamless, and the lunch prices are what one would expect for quality chef-prepared cuisine.
(5)
Jane K.
I'm not accustomed to the world of strip malls but outside the city, these little rings around parking lots seem to hold certain unknown gems that deserve a stand alone building in more urban a landscape. And here, nestled between a dry cleaner and a pizza parlor (generally; I don't remember its exact neighbors on the strip) lies a little treasure of a high class Italian restaurant I would never have known about if not for Yelp. Walking in on a Friday night without reservations, our party of four lucked out by being seated right away. The hostess advised that they typically recommend reservations on weekends. The decor is classy, refined and very white table cloth. It feels expensive and the service is attentive and friendly, extremely accommodating and never pushy. They offer a large assortment of daily specials, though with a tendency to run out of the more popular dishes later in the evening (consider 8pm late). I really loved how they offer the pasta dishes at full or half sizes, since sometimes those rich dishes can be too much to handle. My green salad ($6) and half sized Bison Bolognese ($11) was simply perfect. The pinot grigio that I drank throughout the evening was also crisp and citrusy ($7) and was the perfect recommendation from our server. We stayed after the meal and drank more, never feeling rushed along. With three glasses of wine each and a full meal of apps and entrees we each left only $50 lighter in the pocket. I'd definitely recommend Arugula for a fun dinner out or romantic date, so don't be deterred by the parking lot facade.
(4)
Linda F.
Another great dinner at another wonderful Boulder eatery. We had a lovely dinner this past week. My husband had the 3-course special with a tomato-fennel bisque, a shrimp dish that was light, flavorful and delicious and a vegetable plate . I also had the soup, which was yummy and their shrimp and scallop risotto which was also wonderful. When we return to Boulder, we will definitely eat at Arugula again.
(4)
Holly C.
The food here is excellent, which is why I'm sad I can't give it five stars. I made a reservation for a weekend dinner weeks in advance. It's tough in this modern age of impulse and last-minute plans to get four people to commit to a certain night and certain restaurant, but somehow I did so. I knew it would be packed because it was Boulder First Bite, and I was feeling secure in my reservation as a friend and I made the drive to Boulder all the way from Denver. We got there on time and met our other friends. I gave the waitress our name, she acknowledged we had a reservation, and then said it would be approximately 15 minutes. Oh... I had a reservation. We actually ended up waiting half an hour, getting increasingly restless as time moved on and we remained cramped near the doorway, and we finally got seated just as we were about to walk out and give our patronage to Murphy's across the parking lot. And not once did the hostess or anyone from the restaurant apologize. I understand accidentally overbooking or just slipping up and not serving people fast enough (sort of), but the fact that no one apologized and the hostess gave us a dirty look every time we commented to one another about the reservation was pretty unacceptable. How dare we be irritated, right? And not that it matters because everyone should be treated the same, but we weren't broke college kids looking to take advantage of cheaper prices for restaurant week... we're professionals who eat out quite a bit, and could have easily been won over and converted into regulars. The food and waiter service was fantastic, and that's are where the three stars come from. It's been a while, but the divine mushrooms stand out. The mahi mahi was the best I'd ever had. I didn't say anything to the waiter at the time because it was more of an issue with the hostess, plus I hoped that the night could still be salvaged (it was, thanks to the food) and didn't want to dampen anything further by starting off with a complaint, and I waited to post this review in hopes that it may have seemed like less of a slight in hindsight. But I still feel the same way. Restaurants that do not honor reservations and whose staff do not even bother to apologize when reservation-holders wait half an hour to be seated don't deserve any more than three stars.
(3)
Fair W.
Arugula is my favorite Boulder restaurant. Lots of gluten-free options. Excellent wine list. My favorite cold-weather meal is the seafood soup including the freshest P.E.I. mussels. Plus, there're always new choices.
(5)
Carrie A.
My husband and I have been here several times for dinner and it is bad! We went back thinking we had ordered the wrong dish, but every time it is super disgusting. Honestly, I would rather go to Burger King. It is possible I have limited options being a peskatarian; however I have tried different dishes and didn't like any of them. I will say the happy hour is priced decently and the food is pretty good. Bottom line, DO NOT go here for dinner and maybe check out the happy hour.
(1)
Morgan W.
Oh Arugula, what has happened to you? I was surprised to go to this page and not find me giving a 5-star review of this place earlier this year. This was far and away my favorite restaurant in Boulder. Perfect portioning, evidence of respect for the food, over-the-moon amazing service. Yep, this place had everything going for it. But something has happened. I don't know what, but somehow the place has gone astray. My husband and I have been here about 5 times over the past 2 years and it always blew me away, as detailed above. Until this week. I came here Monday night with my husband and a close friend who was in town from Michigan for the week. My main motivation was their Boulder First Bite menu that they feature every Monday: Three courses (antipasti, primi, secondi) for $26. I was thrown off by the fact several of the offerings had changed and every single secondi item except for the one vegetable-only dish came with a $2 upcharge. To me this is tacky. If you are going to upcharge, do away with the notion of a prix fixe menu. Our waitress seemed like a typical college student who doesn't give a crap about tips. Her level of "real" service, which you'd expect from this place, was negligible at best. Normally I find their menu helpful for friends with allergies, because they label what is gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. However my husband can have meat and sheep/goat cheese, but not any cow-based diary products (butter, cream, parm, etc). He asked our server and she just snipped "The vegan dishes are labeled on the menu." When he again emphasized he isn't vegan and just wanted to know which dishes could be made without cow diary she just stood there and said "Um, I don't know really" and made NO move to ask the kitchen, be helpful, or generally, you know, do her job. She then asked if we wanted drinks and I said I'd look at the wine list after deciding on courses, and again she snipped, this time a quick "The wine list is on the table" and immediately flounced away. When the bread came, my husband asked about the ingredients, and a list of beers on tap. She came back with "The chef who made the bread is already gone so we don't know" and he had to remind her about checking on the beer. The bread thing caught up with me later when I saw another table being served other types of bread. Is there a possibility she could have found out those ingredients? Maybe. That kind of stuff really digs at me at places that I generally expect to go the extra mile for service (and before you judge, I want to throw out there that I tend to tip 20-25% in those cases whether it's on a $15 check or a $70 check). Anyway. The food. Something has also gone amiss with the food. Everything was okay, but VERY rich which is unusual there. I am used to less of a heavy hand with the dishes. The chunks of cheese in my sauteed mushrooms and gnocchi were huge. The gnocchi was unusually fluffy; still good, but not as dense as usual. The portions were TINY, but served in 13" plates. This is just not a good idea in general unless you expect people to expect next to nothing which really wasn't the case. My main course, sea bass with polenta, was about 3oz of fish, cooked well but not that flavorful, and covered with some kind of chopped vegetable ragout that really overpowered the fish flavor. The polenta was about 3" square and 1" thick. Not nearly enough after two even smaller courses preceding. My friend got vegetable risotto and it was not risotto in any interpretation. The rice was longer grain, not starchy, not creamy, and felt undercooked on my tongue. It tasted good but the dish itself should have been named something else, or executed differently. If you make risotto different, ok, that's your thing, but warn people about that. If I had ordered the dish and expected beautiful creamy, pearly risotto made of abrorio rice, I would have sent this back. Throughout the meal our service as decent; plates cleared quickly but a bit too much time between courses (and it was not terribly busy), our water glasses were kept full, pretty standard stuff. But after dropping over $80 on First Bite courses that left me feeling highly unsatisfied both in quality AND quantity, and a waitress who I felt earned about half the tip money I left, I will not be coming back. I also want to make a note that this was, from what I gather, NOT an isolated incident of a waitress having a bad night or the kitchen being "off." A couple coworkers went there last Saturday and had a similar experience, to the point that I apologized profusely when I heard about their frustrating dinner and feel personally responsible for their waste of what could have been a nice evening. Sorry Arugula. I thought you had me for life, but you lost me this time.
(2)
Usha R.
My husband and I had dinner here last night. We had eaten here before so were super excited to have the risotto. Wow, it was really bad and we were deeply disappointed. It was super salty and almost soup like. The lack of consistency at this restaurant is really the issue so if you hit it on a good night, great and if it was last night, not so great! I admit it was our bad for not sending the food back, but we just didn't want to make a scene. Thankfully there is Yelp and hopefully they will read this review.
(2)
Kat C.
I'm absolutely torn by my experience here. The decor, the ambiance and service should have matched a delicious, high quality meal. However, this was not the case. Our wine was excellent, chosen because we could get it by the glass. My salad and rack of lamb was very good. Also, I truly enjoyed my olive oil cake and sorbet dessert. However, my side of white cannelloni beans and pancetta was undercooked and had obviously been sitting. It was also under-seasoned and uninteresting. My mom's pasta was awful, and had obviously either been cooked wrong or had been sitting out before being resurrected and put into her dish. It was simply an unacceptable dish to serve. I really wanted to like this place and they get stars for concept service, ambiance, wine and my lamb, but the pasta was such a miss, I may not be up for a second go.
(2)
Angela M.
I found myself driving in a parking lot looking for 'Mista Italian'. Clearly Garmin was on crack as this place did not exist. I decided as I was driving round and round in the parking lot if there was no Mista, I'd get myself some Thai food- which I'm usually not against but when you have that craving (which is such a gross word to use. I don't like feeling that my feelings or desires for something overcome me- people with cravings become servants to it)... What was I saying? Oh yes. So I had a HANKERING for some Italian. Mista got me thinking of pasta, wine, and bread. So I spot a small place called Arugula. It looked like nothing special and was on the east side of an okay looking shopping center. I got inside and instantly felt at ease and breathed a huge sigh of relief. I don't know Colorado and whenever I'm on the road traveling, about to embark on another dinner alone, I always hope for the best... I sat at the bar and got there 15 minutes after my favorite hours (you know, those happy ones) were over. I must have complained enough or looked like I needed un poquito vino because the bartender hooked it up on the sly. My meal... Duck breast with the skin still on! and parm risotto Make your own olive oil dip House made almond & fennel biscotti What I'm ordering if I ever find myself in Boulder again... House made lemoncello Tiramisu- they were all out! Honey & spice marscarpone; cheese with clove, cardamom, cinnamon, fresh fruit and walnuts Goat cheese pasta Goat cheese stuffed quail
(5)
Leslie C.
Arugula has been my favorite restaurant in Boulder for about a year now. The food is fabulous. I recommend sitting at the bar, where you might be lucky enough to get Christian working that evening. He is bartender extraordinaire. The food has never failed to be anything but delicious. Highly recommend!
(5)
Dusty W.
Love this place. The Monday special is one of the best deals in town and how do you argue with Wine Wednesday!
(4)
Jamie Z.
How could you not love Arugula? They are one of the best values in town. The markups on the wine are so reasonable for a restaurant that it's kind of shocking. The food is always great...as is the service. The Monday night deal is crazy - and I love that it's two starters and an entree rather than an ap, entree, and dessert.
(5)
Peter C.
I went for lunch and had the squash and chicken risotto with a side salad. It was a little pricy, though it ended up being worth it. They served bread with a really nice olive oil. Next came the side salad which was totally first-rate, quite a rare occurrence around here! There were a nice variety of different lettuces and other greens, all immaculately fresh, dressed with what I took to be a pear vinaigrette. The salad was dressed perfectly, just the right amount of dressing (which is to say, not very much) and totally complemented the freshness of the greens. The risotto was very good: the squash and tomato gave it some earthy sweetness and actually lightened up the thickness of the stuff. It had really nice shavings of cheese and nice pieces of roasted dark meat chicken. My only qualm was that the risotto was not as al dente as I usually like. Also the service was not that great, it didn't live up to the quality of the food which is too bad. But it still got 4 stars out of me, which means they are doing pretty damn well for themselves!
(4)
shiela r.
Great lunch! Most importantly, the food was really good. And worth mentioning, the attention to sustainability in both the materials used for the build out and in the ingredients they choose to serve. Highly respectable, IMHO. I had a house salad and 1/2 portion of gnocchi. Portions - the salad was generous with fresh, perfectly dressed, organic greens. I especially enjoyed the parsnip. Yeah, parsnip. A pleasant surprise but still very simple - what a house salad should be. Gnocchi was generous in portion (I couldn't finish my half order) and just decent. I've had better but the elements where all there. The manchego was delicious but entire dish could have used more salt and I'm not a huge fan of pears on anything but salad. My friend got the vegetable panini and said it was "ggGREAT!". Super stacked with veggies and bread, if that's what you're into, was reported to be very good. She could only finish half due to her substituted side of squash soup. She thoroughly enjoyed that too! Waiter was good, a little slow to take order but pleasant. I appreciated that it was busy enough for a Friday lunch but not the scene that many restaurants on Pearl are. We were too full to try the desserts but they looked very inciting - "dear flourless chocolate cake, I'll be back!"
(4)
Marc S.
This place is amazing! My friends told me to go and talk it up a lot so I had high expectations, but this place went above and beyond what could imagine. Amazing food. Five star service.
(5)
Ali M.
Arugula is not cheap. But they make up for it with Incredible food, excellent, unpretentious service, and most importantly (in my book) very generous portion sizes! Many of the pricier dining options in boulder totally skimp on the food, even though you're paying over $20 a plate (um, The Kitchen?). Arugula is very, very good food and for your money you'll have enough to take home for a second meal. I think the food here is better than any other Italian place in or around Boulder.
(5)
Bruce R.
I read through the Yelp reviews, which, for some reason, were somewhat mixed. But having heard good things about Arugula, my wife and I went for the first time to the sight of what was one of our favorite restaurants in Boulder (the original Laudisio's). We were both very impressed, and had great meals. We both started with the Arugula house salad, which was excellent. For the main course, I had the Shrimp Orechiette which was extremely tasty with a good quantity of shrimp and a new kind of pasta for me. My wife had the hangar steak that was cooked perfectly in a savory sauce. The service, if anything, was overly friendly - not perfect, but certainly good enough for a "neighborhood restaurant". We've both agreed - this is one of our new favorite restaurants in Boulder, right up there with places like Radda, Aji, The Med, and dare I say The Kitchen?
(5)
Dustin C.
Went to Arugula because my wife and I got a Groupon for them and since it was about to expire, we went. Although we arrived fairly on a Saturday afternoon rather than Saturday evening, we were not made to feel unwelcome by the staff, which was attentive, though not intrusive. Upon seeing the specials of the day, I immediately decided on the cioppino, as did my wife. However, we were undecided on an appetizer or salad, all of which looked terrific on the menu. On our waiter's recommendation, we both decided on a caprese salad. The caprese salad was delicious, as both the tomatoes and mozzarella were fresh and tasty, but what really tied it together was the basil-infused oil that was drizzled over it. The cioppino was also delicious, with shrimp, mussels, fish, scallops, and calamari in a tomato-fennel broth. It was served in traditional San Francisco style, with a few pieces of a toasted crusty Italian bread (the name escapes me). And like the cioppino you get in the North Beach neighborhood in San Francisco, it was hearty and satisfying. They should really consider making a part of the regular menu. Arugula is not cheap, but you get what you pay for: Great food and terrific service.
(5)
Nick P.
Everything was excellent. Tonight was my first meal at arugula and I was completely satisfied. The atmosphere was casual and upbeat, the service was good and my meal was complimented perfectly with a nice glass of Nero, cabernet sauvignon. I had the arugula and orange segment salad, delicious and light, fallowed by the bison bolognese and a small gnocchi with caramelized pears served in a rich cream/gorgonzola sauce. Good work arugula I will be back.
(4)
Eric M.
I'm so grateful that I live in a town where there are so many great restaurants! Arugula is no exception! It's a comfortable little place, Laudiso's old home, with an excellent menu. The weekends are the best time to go however, they offer specials based on whatever is the most fresh and embrace local as often as possible. We've had some of the most amazing seafood dishes here and the Buffalo Bolognese is crazy good! The sommelier is quite knowledgeable and talented and the Father of the owner is a pleasure to talk to as he makes his away around the room.
(5)
Risa G.
In a word: unremarkable. In two words: unremarkable and disappointing. Granted, I feel as though it is not entirely fair to judge a restaurant based on its Restaurant Week (or in this case, First Bite Boulder) menu; however, I feel a little more justified doing so here, as Arugula boasts this prix fixe menu on Mondays year round. Generally speaking, I felt as though the food was pretty without being substantive. The ingredients were subpar (e.g., chewy mozzarella in my caprese salad) and the dishes poorly executed (e.g., tomato accompanying my dining partner's pear and gorgonzola gnocchi). The effort was there; the skill was not. Mind you, had I prepared the meal myself, I would have been quite pleased. That said, I expect a higher caliber of food from a restaurant, and particularly from a restaurant whose entrees normally run in the $20 range. Of the three courses, the entrees themselves were the highlight -- mine being creamy polenta and nicely flavored shrimp. My dining partner also enjoyed his lamb stew. The entrees, however, did not compensate for the pedestrian two courses that preceded them. As this restaurant is very convenient for me, I'm sorry to say that I won't be returning anytime soon.
(2)
Ricky S.
I always think American food is too big. But tonight I get it that too big is better than too little. Tried First Bite menu continue for Mondays. When I went out, I'm still hungry. Food is not bad, but as Risa says, unremarkable, at all. BTW, every interval of the dishes took too long time to wait. We took almost 2 hours there. Maybe I'm just not a gentleman for this kind of Italian restaurant.
(3)
Joanna C.
We recently had family visiting & I wanted to take the mothers (my own, my in-law & my husband's aunt) out to dinner. We brought along the bebeh (9 mos old) - with that stipulation, we chose to have an earlier dinner (6-ish). We were seated right away & they even had a high chair for bebeh. The menu was larger than I was expecting, with a nice variety. The menu also marked gluten-free which was good for one of our diners. Everyone enjoyed their dinners - I started with the beet salad & had the scallops for my entree. The scallops were cooked perfectly. My only complaint would be that our server waited until all of our salad plates were cleared to put our dinner order in with the kitchen. With a 9mo old bebeh, time is crucial. She ended up getting fussy, needed to be nursed, fell asleep & woke up again during dinner. It made dinner a little more complicated. I will definitely visit Arugula again, but perhaps for date night with my husband or if we bring bebeh again, we'll specifically ask for them not to wait on bringing out the dinner course.
(4)
Jared H.
We are in Boulder for two days for a wedding. A friend recommended this place. We were highly impressed! (and that is not easy as we hail from NYC and DC) FIrst off, they were willing to accommodate my wife's gluten intolerance and my pork intolerance. They substituted duck confit into a fig appetizer on the daily specials because I couldn't eat the speck. The cauliflower soup was refreshing and delicious. My wife loved her risotto with summer vegetables, and I loved the trout. We finished with flourless chocolate cake. I usually find something that needs improvement, but I did not tonight. Highly recommended.
(5)
JeZippy E.
I have mixed feelings about Arugula. As a neighborhood establishment, I have eaten here a few times. Unfortunately, the service is never very good. I've had to wait for over half an hour for a reserved table I made over a week in advance for my birthday. I had asked for an inside table and ended up being put on the patio. I don't like their patio as it faces the parking lot and it's too crowded. We had a 3 year old child with us so we ordered Mac & Cheese for her. That came quickly, but the rest of our meals took FOR EVER! The little girl go so cranky while we adults waited for our food that when our food arrived, we had to ask for it to go! On top of that, we were ignored between ordering our food and it coming out. No water refills, no checking to see if we wanted to order another drink. No bread, really no service. We tried to get the waiter's attention several times, but he just walked by us, and every other table too, and never checked on his clients. We stiffed him on the tip. Then I went inside to speak to the manager and complained. I was told, "It's very busy today." SO WHAT, that's no excuse for the lack of service. I don't even remember what I ordered, outside of a house salad, so can't comment on the food. The second time I went I took my sister for her birthday, at her request. Again, had to wait half an hour for our reserved table. Our bad luck... we got the very same waiter as the last time. Again, he was somewhat inattentive. This time, the kitchen was very slow AND the waiter brought my sister the wrong entree and insisted it was what she ordered! She was fuming! I had to get up and go to the manager AGAIN and tell him what was going. He spoke to our waiter who came over and apologized for HIS error and offered to give us a free dessert. WTF! We didn't want a free dessert or a free glass of wine. We wanted the food we ordered and to have it comped too. That didn't seem to go over too well with him, but I said too bad. You are the worst waiter ever! So, when my youngest daughter turned 21, she requested this place for dinner. I tried to dissuade her but it's what she wanted, having never eaten there. So, I agreed. This time I didn't make a reservation. We just showed up and were sat immediately. We were handed a menu I'd never seen before. Then I realized it was Restaurant Week in Boulder. Okay. This might be fun! But then, it happened, OH NO! I saw the same awful waiter heading for our table and thought, NO F'N WAY. I stood up as he approached and said, "You had better not be serving my table. I refuse to EVER have you as a waiter of mine again. In fact, I'm shocked you even still work here!" He looked so embarrassed, as I'd said it loud enough for a few other tables to hear me. He turned around and went to speak to the hostess. Next thing I knew, we had a different waitperson, a woman, who was fabulous! So, why the two stars? Over priced for the quantity of food. Spotty service. No real compensation for waiters' mistakes. Long waits even with reservations. I just won't bother going back. UPDATE: I went for Happy Hour in Arugula's north side room not so long ago and had a great experience. It wasn't busy at all, so I had pretty good service and excellent food and wine. Tangerine, which is also owned by them, has been wonderful the 4 times I've been there, though I still feel all their venues are over priced. Service had much improved in the past year. Maybe it was the down economy that forced them to improve, if they wanted repeat business. Who knows.
(2)
Fallon V.
I had heard so many good things about this place and the other yelp reviews seemed pretty good too. I too, am torn. On one hand my scallops in a strawberry and balsamic reduction were out of this world but the strawberry risotto that came with it was one-dimensional in flavor and after a few bites I was done with it. I struggled with giving them 3 or 4 stars. I decided 3 because a 4 star place I would definitely go back to but I'm not so sure about Arugula. I think for the price you can find better and you can also find better for less cost. I'd say for the 2 of us on my b-day we dropped about 100 bones. For that much money I expect a freaking candle in my dessert. I also expect to not be sat next to the big top giving a presentation. Put one of us away from everyone else. What bothered me the most was the service. While the support service was fantastic our server was not. When I ask for a suggestion on food or wine or dessert, I do not expect you to tell me the most expensive thing on the menu every time. That, my friends, I can figure out on my own, thank you very much. Did she not get the memo that we're in a recession?? Now that I have really thought all this through I am re-thinking my star situation. I would not recommend this to my friends, so dear reader I will not recommend it to you. 2 stars it is.
(2)
Lisa P.
Fabulous restaurant!!! This is my new favorite place to eat in Boulder. I occasionally opt for a vegan meal & last night I felt adventurous. I ordered the Vegan Plate at Arugula's & it was the best I've ever had in my life. Unbelievably delicious blend of flavors. My boyfriend ordered the Scallops and they were perfectly prepared. Another wonderful choice. The service was first class. We liked it so much we tried the sister restaurant the next day for breakfast (Tangerine) - it's our new favorite breakfast place now! A nice plus, the shopping center Arugula is located away from the "Pearl Street madness" so parking is easy & plentiful. We'll be back for many more meals here...
(5)
Dawn G.
My daughter and I stumbled onto this place during happy hour and found it to be a fantastic value for the fantastic food. Everything was absolutely delicious: sage braised Brussel sprouts, calamari with green beans in garlic, white bean "something", a mushroom dish, and pot roast. Topped off with a good beer selection and fresh brewed coffee, great service by Leah (sp?), and you've got one heck of restaurant. Can't wait to try it for dinner!
(5)
Seth B.
A thoroughly depressing experience. The food did not taste good. It was not well prepared and not seasoned properly. The homemade pasta came out as a big glob. The gnocchi had a large handful of walnuts on it that overshadowed the featured ingredients which were scant and hidden, none of the recipes were salted, and the cocktails were godawful. I would never go back. This place needs to die a quick death so that something new can be born. Stay away, you have been warned.
(1)
Tom K.
Be advised if you are going there, demand not be seated at the first table. One person gets to sit half in the walkway and be hit be everyone coming past, and to make matters worse, right on the other side of 6" glass partitition groups of servers stand withing 3" of your head or clank dishes at the level or your ears. Who puts a prep station right next to a table. I had to stop our conversation 5 times because we had two or more servers standing looking right down at us from the other side of the partition. I leaned back in my seat which put me past the partitition in the aisle and one of the servers stood off the end 3" from my face. I understand maximizing floor space but good lord, that table could have been in an episode of Seinfeld. CLEARLY no one from that restuarant has ever sat in that table and tried to eat. Including travel to India, China, Hong Kong, that was the absolute worst seating I have ever experienced.
(1)
Deborah F.
I'm almost in shock how much I enjoyed dinner here. It was pretty much perfect. Ordered the strawberry scallop entree, which was, yes, strawberries and scallops with risotto and a balsamic vinegar reduction. It wasn't anything I have ever eaten before. And it was epic. Many of the ingredients are sourced locally, which always wins with me. Add the fact that the service was spot on, tables aren't crowded together (a dining pet peeve of mine) and the walls are adorned with wine corkscrew art and you have ... well, a winner. Cheers.
(5)
blake h.
This place sucks. Service, food, all around junk. I will no be returning and can see why so many reviews are in the yellow.
(2)
Jane G.
I've been looking forward to trying Arugulas since I heard they were taking over the space formerly housing Mista Italian Kitchen and then before that Laudisio's--both among my favorite restaurants. Arugula's didn't disappoint--granted the entrance was funky, but we quickly got over that and settled in for a lovely lunch. Enoying delicious chewy bread dipped in olive oil is a wonderful way to wait for the first course. We split the mushrooms, which were heavenly--rich, savory, foresty, and the right amount to split for a lunch first course. We then split the penne with goat cheese and sausages--it was also really good, but the mushrooms were the sensation of the meal. Wine list was good--nice variety, affordable, and flexible (they provide glass, bottle, 1/2 glass, 1/2 carafe, and carafe prices). I know we'll be back for many Friday lunches and we'll probably take the kids there for dinner as well. Thumbs up for another great Italian bistro on Iris.
(4)
Andrea K.
My BF and I went there last weekend during Boulder Restaurant Week (their version of 5280). We were very impressed! The mushroom and gorgonzola dish was amazing. You could definitely taste the freshness of the mushrooms (they boast of using a local farm). I absolutely loved the chicken pate. It was creamy and delicious. My BF really enjoyed the bison bolognese though I could have gone without. I ordered the halibut and it had this lovely salsa made of tomatoes and capers- it was yummy. The BF had the lamb stew and though the staff said it was a family recipe, we both felt it was missing something. It lacked a richness that you'd expect from a stew. All in all, it's a cute space and our server was terrific. We'd definitely go back and recommend it for a shot.
(4)
Jason S.
Delicious and authentic Tuscan food. The dishes are creative and varied. We had a wonderful appetizer plate with an array of meats, veggies and cheeses which was fantastic. I had the pork tenderloin and my wife had the hangar steak, and we were taking turns eating off of each other's plates. They had a wide and varied wine selection, and the servers know their stuff. The decor was cool... salvaged bits of wine paraphernalia. The entrance looked like pretty much every restaurant in Europe that opens onto the street. I'd definitely going to return.
(5)
Durham R.
The service was good, they timed things perfectly we finished the appetizer before they brought the main course. The salad was yummy and full of unique flavored. The appetizer (mussels in white wine) was good. The main course (scallops and risotto) was not - the scallops were cooked to the perfect texture but were tasteless, fortunately there weren't very many of them. The shrimp were good when we found, but I will never understand why expensive restaurants leave the tails on shrimp in pasta and sauce style dishes - they don't really expect me to pick them up by the tail and get my fingers all covered in sauce, do they? The risotto was ok as long as you didn't think of it as risotto because it wasn't cooked long enough to get that yummy creamy, cheesy texture that good risotto has (with no cream or cheese added) - it was better to think of it as rice in a wine sauce. The whole dish would have been better if they had wrapped the scallops in bacon and made it a bacon grease and wine sauce. Really not worth 50 bucks with no alcohol.
(3)
Scott M.
This was my favorite meal in a restaurant in Boulder so far. Our waitstaff was exceptional and I looked to him for every dish I ordered. The ambiance is perfect for a nice restaurant and not loud nor quite. Their dishes are refreshingly original and done with perfection. The scallops were the best I've had anywhere and the quantity was just right. I will be returning here sometime soon to enjoy another great experience.
(5)
Kerri M.
Went last night for 5280. Nice atmosphere and menu selection for a limited menu during 5280. I had the beet salad which was fresh and had a nice array of flavors, the Gorgonzola gnocchi which was packed with strong flavor and gnocchi was soft and light. The pork tenderloin was great and while it was a tiny portion of meat, the sauce was amazing. I gave it a 4 b/c our waiter wasnt the greatest. He didnt seem excited to serve us...it was crowded but still.
(4)
Dustin C.
Pretty good food, portions could be a little healthier....
(3)
Joe B.
I had lunch at Arugula yesterday. We arrived just before noon and we told to take a seat where we would like. We sat on the "patio" up front. While we were promptly served water, it was at least five minutes before we saw anyone again. It appeared that only two servers were working despite the mostly full lunch crowd. The patio is pretty annoying because cars pull into spots less than two feet from the tables. The car engines are lound and put of heat and fumes. The food lacked flavor and simply fell short of being good. I've been to Arugula for dinner on numerous occasions and yesterday's lunch simply did not impress. Im probably done with this place. Laudisio, while flawed, would be a better choice.
(1)
Doug F.
We stopped in there after doing some shopping in boulder, I had seen it and wanted to try it out, was I ever glad that I did. Since the place is away from down town Boulder you don't feel like you need a passport to go there and you miss out on all that "attractiveness" that is Pearl Street. The staff was great, polite, curious, and unobtrusive. They never left you wanting yet you hardly notice that they are there. The place is very well laid out, upscale yet not pretentious. I had a lamb special that the chef married peach and lamb in a way that was out of this world! It was really nice to find a place that is imaginative and can make it work, places like that are hard to find. Cost, it isn't McDonald's but then you don't need to take a second out on the house. I would put it at about average, the food is almost cheep for what you get but the drinks are a little on the pricey side but not so much that you would get drunk before going.
(5)
Jennifer C.
I love this place. I've been twice now, once with my entire family, and once with my boyfriend, and each time, it was excellent. I love the fact that it's not on Pearl Street, so it's easy in and out, but with the same excellent food and service. The calamari steak appetizer is ridiculously good. There are no words that can give it justice. Tender, with lovely garlic scampi flavor...yum! The house arugula salad is also yummy. For entrees, I have now tasted the seafood special, the bison bolognese, the sausage and goat cheese pasta, and the sausage risotto special, all which were amazing. Portions are good, not overly huge, and certainly not skimpy. And the service has been excellent each time. Well worth it, and one of my new favorites.
(5)
Lindsay B.
I had my first visit to Arugula and enjoyed a great lunch last Friday with some girlfriends. We were surprised at how crowded the place was, until we tasted the food. I started with a glass of Albarino- which was lovely and served very chilled, (maybe it's a little uncouth to like white as cold as I do, but they serve it exactly as I wanted it), and a little fennel salad, which had shavings of grana padano and a citrusy vinaigrette, with oranges and toasted pine nuts- yum. I followed the salad with the roasted chicken and squash risotto, which was near perfect. Creamy, savory-- the sage and peas married perfectly with the roasted dark meat and the soft squash. Also, the portion was just right (I ordered the half size). I also tried my friend's gorgonzola gnocchi, which was delish- and I am picky about the texture of that pasta. Arugula's tasted fresh and firm but had just the right give to it. I did have a little food envy at my other friend's selection- she ordered the Mahi special that was prepared in a brown butter sauce with a tasty crust of herbs. Wow. Also worth mentioning about our trip, as it seems others had a different experience, is that our service was great. The servers kept our waters filled, made menu suggestions when we were torn between items, and generally made sure we felt taken care of. Now, it could be that it was a mostly young male staff and we were a table of girls, but worth saying, they were attentive, fast and helpful either way :) For lunch, I'd say this is a bit of a splurge spot. It ran a little over $30 per person, including tip- for a salad, a lunch item and a glass of wine. That said, sometimes a gal's gotta splurge and this is a great place to do it.
(4)
Michelle B.
I love this place!! Consistently good food and service. The Vodka and Shrimp Gnocchi is great. Good coffee selection too. Yesterday had the Pacific Cod special........YUMMY
(4)
Mary S.
THis is my new favorite special restaurant. We barely able to get a reservation for a Thurs night and there is seating indoors and outside patio. The food is healthy and served fresh. I had a basic salad with my meal that had the lightest but flavorful balsamic dressing. Each dish is well thought out with light sauces, but well seasoned. I asked my waiter to choose between 2 dishes and his description of the dishes was perfect to help me make my choice. We had two salads, 2 entrees, split a dessert and water to drink. Our bill was $65 total with tip. If you want old school Italian with heavy sauces and lots of butter, go to Via Toscana. If you are a foodaphile that likes different blends of foods and spices, with visual presentation, new and gourmet, go to Arugula. I did not feel really full, but satisfied since it was so flavorful. I felt like I ate a healthy meal. Worth the money.
(5)
R P.
I haven't had a meal this delicious in years. Each bite exploded with flavor. It was the type of food that you eat slowly and enjoy - because you are overwhelmed with each bite! We enjoyed the polenta, roasted vegetables, mussels, and a savory appetizer plate. My cousin's aunt said she'd never liked polenta before, but this blew her mind - it was moist with a light consistency of quiche - and so delicious. Anytime I go back to Boulder, I will be dining there. They are closed on Sundays, but open on Monday-Saturday.
(5)
Kate S.
Arugula is a block away from my house, but it took me a while to finally make it over. I wish I had gone sooner! They are one of the vegan-friendliest high-end restaurants in Boulder. There is a vegan platter on the entree list, so you don't have to send the kitchen into a tizzy by requesting a special dish. The platter had at least 12 different items on it. It was like an advent calendar for my mouth! While Arugula is great if you eat vegan, the omnivores in my party were highly impressed with their dishes. The fennel salad received high marks, as did their lamb dish. The huge list of specials makes every visit exciting. I haven't returned yet to dine, but I've been back to the bar a couple of times, as it's a nice, quiet (but still fancy!) change from the Pearl Street scene.
(4)
monkey l.
this place is insane. it came as a recommendation to a woman we met at community night at the kitchen the other day. yesterday, exhausted and starved, we crawled into arugula for dinner and some wine. can i say - insanity?! holy crap. the shaved fennel, mint, and pine nut salad we had was incredible. my mushroom risotto was heaven and bf's roasted trout was perfectly cooked. the best part - the owner, alec, is pretty awesome. he sat down at the bar and explained to us what was in the dishes, how to cook things, and recommended the lemon pudding cake dessert, which btw, was divine. i love this place. this is our new neighborhood haunt.
(5)
Lara I.
I am so excited to have this restaurant replace Laudisio in the Willow Springs Shopping Center. I loved the old Laudisio, and Arugula is such a fine replacement, filling up some epic big shoes. I've eaten here twice now and both times had very good service, attentive, enthusiastic but not overbearing. The food is awesome. It's a nice touch that the pasta selections can be split and ordered as an appetizer. The strawberry scallop dish is amazing. If I had any criticism at all, its the water. They need a better filter. Something not quite right there. Sort of sewery, like Eau de Philadelphia. But stick with wine and you won't be disappointed.
(4)
SUSAN T.
Pesto... should have basil... not just spinach. Start the countdown til it's shuttered.
(1)
Dylan R.
So after moving to Boulder from NYC in April my wife and I have finally found our go-to "neighborhood" restaurant and it is Arugula. I put neighborhood in quotes because it's a bit out of our way but it is by far our favorite restaurant in Boulder. We've tried all of the "name" restaurants (Frasca, Kitchen, etc.) and they are all very good but not really the kind of place you want to go every week (if only because of the prices). Arugula on the other hand reminds us of our favorite neighborhood places in New York - warm, welcoming, with excellent food and wine and none of the fussiness that ruins more pretentious restaurants. I truly hope their location doesn't do them in - if this place was on Pearl it would surely be packed every night!
(5)
Like F.
I've eaten here once. On the upside, we walked in without a reservation and they agreed to seat us so long as we would be out of there in an hour & 20 minutes. In most places this should be enough time. However, the service is very slow & the wait-staff were not very attentive; it was 45 minutes until we were served our meals and we went 10 minutes over the alloted time we were given to have our dinners. The food was very good, but we could have done without the 'attitude' we got from the owner/manager? & the hostess as we left 10 minutes after our alloted time. Barring the latter, I would have given the food 4 stars.
(3)
Cate C.
Had heard from friends that the place to sit is at the bar and we should have done that. We made a reservation on a Monday night and sat at a booth and waited for about 15 minutes before we were greeted by our server. Once our order was taken, either our order wasn't put in or it was forgotten, but we waited 20 minutes for our appetizer to be served. Once served, it was delicious as was our entrees. That said, the food was excellent, the server should have comp'd our appetizer (but didn't) and service was very slow. Not a great beginning for a new restaurant.
(3)
Ellyn B.
Finally, I went to Arugula, and WOW!~ Having been to Italy, I would say Argula is a good Tuscany region-American adaptation. They have a regular menu and then a specials menu. They source a lot of their vegetables from local farms, and its right on the menu! So I had a veggie side dish that was from Red Wagon farm, right down the road. If you live and breathe local, you'll love that touch. I had the gnocchi with gorgonzola and pears. Wow! Amazing flavor, very interesting dish, and the gnocchi was perfect - not too chewy, not under cooked. My partner had one of the specials - a seafood pasta that did remind us of something we had a Florence. We shared a chocolate explosion cake (or something like that?) that was the perfect end to a good meal. The wine list is balanced and extensive, though we did not partake the evening we were there. Went home and didn't feel overly full, as the portion sizes were reasonable. Too many times, I have Americanized Italian and I feel like a cow after dinner, because the plate could have fed three! Try them out. I'm glad I did!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Wed Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Noelle B.
I'm glad I waiting a few years to write my review for Arugula because the wait was worth it! I've been to Arugula twice before in the past and both times were not very memorable. I went last night and was blown away! Everything was amazing! My mixed green salad tasted like it was picked from someone's garden and then put directly on my plate. It was so delicious. I had the duck confit which was also great. The tiramisu and coconut cake were to die for! And, I had to order some coffee with dessert because other folks were ordering the coffee and it smelled heavenly. The coffee was amazing. I'm not sure which coffee they serve, but it was divine. So glad I gave Arugula another chance because it was well worth it!
(4)Michelle F.
Lovely way to spend a Monday evening. Pleasant ambience. View of The Flatirons. Without hesitation, our server brought me complimentary champagne that was quite good, and I've tasted very few I've liked. Delicious mushroom* appetizer that I could have eaten as my main course. Delightful fresh mixed green salad with white balsamic vinaigrette. Incredible roasted vegetables and stuffed pepper. In a word: delicious. Would enjoy this kind of food almost every night. Fine wine. Attentive service, especially considering we had a table of seven. Very kind and warm-hearted server who was patient with children. Didn't seem to mind that three of us had been in Rocky Mountain National Park. Needless to say, we had wind-blown hair and were dressed casually. *They regularly buy from local purveyors, and you know I love that.
(5)Pat Q.
We were there for a private party. The food was excellent, and the service attentive and friendly. They cheerfully accommodated some special dietary needs. Will definitely return for dinner!
(5)Gillian O.
I seriously do not get why people seem to like this place. Its sister restaurant is Tangerine which I love, but Arugula has been a flop on all 4 occasions. I'm never going back - it's just a waste of money. Food on the menu is frequently not available as they've sold out already. Which then means you have to pick from incredibly unappetizing dishes like sturgeon and fig, which was just as disgusting as it sounds and cold. Dishes are not filling or worth the price tag. Servers were pretentious to the point of not being helpful. I've sat there waiting to order, waiting to get more water, waiting and waiting for the check even after flagging them down... & watch out if they sell out of things they'll recommend the least popular item on the menu. They even messed up a gift certificate someone gave us to go there, so we had to go there again just to use it. Ugh.
(1)Jeb B.
This is an expensive restaurant. All I could taste was salt. Over salted asparagus, over salted salad (how did that happen?) And then black licorice flavored quinoa...that should have a warning....not everyone likes licorice flavored meals.
(2)Peter H.
First time I've been here and I was not disappointed. I was able to go try many things because I came with a large group of colleagues, and just about everything was spectacular down to the wine! We had the mushrooms, mozzarella, beet carpaccio, and olives to start. Mushrooms were my jam, but the beets were out of this world. For secondi, a brilliantly constructed gnocchi with perfect duck confit. Others at the table ordered the Colorado lamb, the pork chop and the steak. All looked and tasted incredible. The one thing I thought could use a bit of work was the dessert menu. Although my flour less chocolate cake did have the perfect blend of flavors, 9 dollars was a bit unreasonable. Just great overall service as well. Professional wait staff that really deserved a hearty thank you by the end of it.
(5)Brendan K.
Exquisitely balanced meals have I had here. I don't usually talk about food at dinner but here I was engrossed in tasting and talking about the depth and balance of the flavors and textures. The smoked trout salad and the key lime cheese cake were wow.
(5)Dave B.
Went for a private party. I have no idea what food and wine cost. The food and service were excellent.
(4)jeremy d.
Out of the 3 or 4 times my wife and I have been to Arugula we've never had a bad experience but last night was probably one of the best ever. The food (gnocchi, tagliatelle, soup and calamari) was excellent. From their good selection of favorably priced wines we found a good bottle. And we had a great server who was always there right when needed and never when not. We will definitely be back.
(5)Kimber S.
We went here with some friends for their First Bite Boulder menu last weekend and it was absolutely amazing! They must have taken my advice from my last review about improving the lighting, because it was much warmer and easier on the eyes than it was the first time around. Another thing I was really impressed with was the acoustics. For the first time in a long time in a busy restaurant, I didn't feel the need to shout at my dining companions to be heard over the din. Their menu was so diverse with choices for any special dietary concerns. Not to mention fabulously fresh ingredients and excellent flavor profiles to satisfy every palate. We all loved everything we ordered! My favorites were the Hazel Dell mushroom risotto and the hangar steak. The service from the kitchen was a little slow, but totally understandable as it was only the 2nd night of First Bite Boulder and they were booked to the gills. We were glad not to be rushed and had the luxury of enjoying a nice leisurely 3-course dinner with good friends. Dare I say it? This might be my favorite restaurant in Boulder... possibly even the Front Range.
(5)Craig P.
Food was very good. Some very innovative tasty specials. Unfortunately the service was horrible. We arrived early in the evening and there was one other couple seated. We were promptly given a table and it took a few minutes for our server to come over. We ordered drinks...and waited close to 10 minutes for them. We watched the bartender chatting with others...but not making our drinks. When we finally got them we placed out order. The food came out in a reasonable time. And was delicious. As we ate a few more people came in. As more tables were filled service got increasingly spotty. Quite some time after we finished entrees a bus boy finally showed up and cleared plates and asked of we wanted dessert menus. We heard good things about dessert and said we like see menus. He never came back. Our server was at wait stand....talking, and putting stuff in computer. Over 10 minutes later she came to us with dessert menus. We declined and got the check. We don't mind slower service when a place is busy. But when staff talk instead of work, or disappear...it's just irritating and puts a damper on the dinner. We'd love to go back as we enjoyed the food...just not sure if we'd put up with the service again...
(2)K. G.
I ate here the other night and let me tell you that it was delicious food. Even though it is located in a small strip shopping center, a hidden gem, when you do find it you will keep going back. They do have outside seating but it is a long the parking lot but you really don't notice because it is very Italian style with lots of potted plants hiding the parking lot. The service and food is so good you won't even care. The corn chowder soup is out-of-this world. We asked the waiter for two quart size to take home and at the end of the night after leaving the restaurant we realized we didn't receive the soup to go. Well, we think the waiter thought we were joking about the take away soup...:( We'll just have to go back to get more. My entree was a lamb belly. I have never had lamb belly but it looked so good I had to order it. I was not disappointed. Just beware if you don't like pork belly you won't care for the lamb belly. I say this because it is the same texture and fatty as pork belly but was nice and crispy. No it's not like pork rinds it is prepared just like a nice pork belly. To complete the night I ordered the gluten free coconut cake. OMG....it too was excellent. Overall, the entire evening was great and I will make this place one of my regular places to dine when in Boulder. Oh...almost forgot....they also have a great wine list.
(4)Vanessa H.
Food is mediocre. Service is awful. This is the second time in a row I have received awful service. The servers are inattentive. We sat there for a long time before getting served. Our wine glasses sat empty and we had to get the server's attention every time we wanted something. The server walked by us multiple times without even acknowledging us. I gave Arugula a second chance and was disappointed with the service again. I will not be dining there again.
(1)Steven W.
I really enjoyed eating at Arugula but expected just a bit more than I got. Service is top attentive while the ambiance is casually inviting. The menu is a creative mix of healthy Italian options. The app was a tasty mozzarella/ basil dish that warmed me up for the entree. I had a fantastic shrimp pasta dish that was cooked perfectly and oh so luscious. Overall a quality dining experience but I never had my "wow" moment for anything in particular. I am however excited to go back and see if i get my "wow" moment.
(3)Kristal A.
Went here for a business meeting that turned into just a great, relaxing meal. I had the fennel salad, which was delicious. Their olive app is also delicious. I also really enjoyed my rabbit confit with gnocchi...absolutely superb. Our waiter kept our glasses full, the wine flowing, and never missed a beat when it came to clearing our plates, despite a very busy and packed Friday night. Will be back again.
(5)Lindsey P.
There are so many things that were SO GOOD about this place and definitely a few more that just missed the mark. I'd say 3 stars is fair. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive, bordering on maybe a little TOO attentive. I'd rather have that than the waiter that disappears for an hour but we were there celebrating my birthday and if they weren't filling up our 3/4 full waters (whyyyyyyy?), they were checking in every 4 minutes about ordering/how's the food/can I get you anything else. It was a bit much. Didn't allow for a nice, relaxing conversation is all I'm saying. Pick your battles, I guess. Decor - they have some really fun and quirky art pieces on the walls made mostly with wine accessories (corkscrews and whatnot). The only thing it was missing was some of those acoustic boards. You can kind of hear E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G everyone is saying since there's really nothing to absorb some of that sound. The food though! Oh my gosh. So we started off with the soup special of the day which was corn butternut squash bisque topped with a nice aioli. Good heavens!! We shared the bowl and I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish we would have gotten our own. Yowza. We also got the mozzarella heirloom tomato appetizer. It came with a little bit of fresh basil and charred toast - TO DIE FOR. Those tomatoes...I'll dream about them forever. For an entree I got the handmade potato gnocchi with pears, gorgonzola and almonds and I added sausage. The sausage I didn't care for - I think it had fennel seeds and I can't stand them - but I won't count it against the dish as a whole. The original dish by itself without the sausage was divine. The gnocchi was the perfect texture; just soft and chewy enough without being mushy and falling apart. I just really really liked it. The boyfriend got the seafood stew - a bouillabasse. The flavor was good but there were a few things that just weren't...great. The mussels were grainy and very tough, and the scallops were a bit rubbery. Obviously stewed seafood is going to be different than a seared scallop but it was a little off-putting. Lastly - and this is the thing that really burst my bubble - was that when I asked for a box for the 1/2 of my meal that I couldn't finish, they took my plate away (I assumed to box it up in the back) BUT THEY NEVER BROUGHT IT BACK. We didn't realize until we were half way home. Oh come on. We're not the only ones ever to have forgotten our leftovers, right?! But seriously!! That was a $21 meal that I wasn't able to finish because no one ever came back. GAAAAHHHH. I probably should have called but I felt dumb for not remembering to ask before we left. Either way, that was a real disappointment and I'm still a little mad about it a week later...
(3)Stephanie B.
Three letters. Y E S. I love a spot that has great service, atmosphere, food and drinks without the pretentious mumbo jumbo. I forgot our waitress' name but she was very attentive and knowledgable. The menu changes due to what's in season and fresh which makes it so enticing. I had a Malbec and my boyfriend had a couple different brews from their beer selection. We got the Pork Shoulder Rillette starter...delicious! The blackberry fennel jam was exploding with flavor. Yum! My boyfriend ordered the Beef Tenderloin and me the Italian Sausage, Goat Cheese and Penne. Everything is grown locally and made fresh. Our service was impeccable and to food was great. Overall I left with a smile on my face. We will defiantly come back soon.
(5)Laura M.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There will not be a third. Went for a girls night for restaurant week about six months ago and experienced awful service. We had reservations, and still waited 50 minutes past our reservation time to be seated! Then we experienced long wait times to order and receive our drinks (that we watched sitting on the bar for over 5 minutes), aloof service, and almost an hour to get food. The manager came by later to ask how everything was, and we told him honestly that it was not a great experience. He asked if we wanted him to take something off the bill - WHAT!? If he wanted to take something off the bill, he should have just done it, not asked the customer if we wanted him to. We were kind of speechless that he asked, so just said sure that'd be great, then we ended up getting a fully charged bill anyway. We said we wouldn't go back. But alas, we did, last Sunday night for happy hour and snacks. What a mistake. The service was even worse than the first time. Our server was inattentive, rude (acted very annoyed we were only drinking and light eating instead of ordering dinner), and then it took 15 minutes to flag her down for a bill. I asked another server for the bill as well, with no luck. I only had a $5 glass of wine, and tipped her $5 on top of it because I knew the bill was small and we'd been taking up a table (even though the restaurant was half empty). I left first and my friends stayed back. After chatting this morning, turns out the service got even worse after I left and the service charged one of their cards for a tip amount over what was left on the receipt. The food at Arugula is really darn good, but we will not be back due to the horrible service now experienced twice.
(2)Dane F.
Went here for a work party, and it was very great. Great wine, great steak. I'm sure it's a little pricy, but I like the classy atmosphere here.
(4)David M.
My honey surprised me by taking me out to Arugula's last night on a beautiful evening for a drive to Boulder. And what a treat it was. Interesting takes on healthy, creative, and delicious new Italian cuisine. Sweet and efficient server made some excellent suggestions (the mushrooms with peppers and truffled ricotta was an amazing first course, and the salad of arugula, strawberries, goat cheese and hazelnuts was absolutely delightful). Had the duck three ways for my entree and it was spectacular, as were my baby's lamb chops. Finished the meal off with their flourless chocolate cake. A great decision. All in all, the meal could not have been better (and the '09 bottle of Boroli Nebbiolo and Barbera blend was a fine deal at under $45/ btl, and went perfectly with our food). So dear Boulder, while it isn't frequently that we get a visa to travel to your lovely country, the next time we're into making the trip to the Land of Oz for delicious eats, we'll be hitting up Arugula's again.
(5)Monica B.
We eat here frequently and it is one of our favorites. We have always had good service and we really love the food ~ the wine list is fantastic!
(5)Stephen B.
Wow, where to begin, it's hard because I have so many complaints. So, in no particular order. 1) Part of a server's job is being able to read a table. While waiting for drinks our server approached us twice asking if we were ready to order dinner. Well, when the guests (4) are engaged in conversation and haven't even lifted the menu it should be evident that they're not ready to order. 2) Drinks: take forever. 10+ minutes for a cocktail. I appreciate that a well made drink takes a little longer, and it was a Friday night, however the restaurant wasn't full. Then I watched the runner attempt to deliver the drinks to the table next to us who all had full cocktails. Learning table numbers is something you learn on day 1 at a restaurant. 3) Wine. I have an extensive collection and like to bring my own wine to dinner. I expect to pay a corkage fee around $15-20. I was informed by server, via the bartender, that they didn't have a license to open patron's wine. I've never heard of such a thing before in any other state. Now, I'm new to Colorado so perhaps there is such a law that is unique to Colorado. But I did research on beverage laws and licenses in the state and most, if not all, deal with the sale and distribution of wine, liquor and beer. I suspect they were lying or misinformed. However, I'm willing to withhold judgment on the this point on the off chance that there is such a provision in Colorado's liquor laws. 4) Appetizers. We ordered the mushrooms and "Big Squid". While tasty, the portions were laughable, especially for the price. I don't equate quantity with value and wasn't expecting massive portions but they were quite tiny. 5) GF bread. It's delicious, but it's $4 a serving. I think you should be informed that there's an extra charge when you order it. And especially when you order basket #2. It wasn't the amount, we were all offended that the server didn't give us a head's up. We would have still ordered the first, maybe not the 2nd, but either way we would have known before the bill arrived. 6) The weirdest thing happened at the end of our meal. We had paid our tab and were wrapping up our après meal conversation when the server came over, grabbed the credit card folders, and then said "it's ok, we'll be here for awhile." Ok, it was 9:30 and the restaurant was winding down, but then why did she feel the need to take the CC slips from us? That's a cue to "get out of here." We were minutes away from departing the table anyway. As a former server I found it unprofessional.
(2)Brent B.
The food here was delicious! I service was excellent and on point! I had the Gnocchi with rabbit. It. Was. Superb. Next to Tangerine(a tasty brunch place) in a shopping complex. The entrance was on Iris Ave.
(5)Liz W.
I came here with a deal where you could get four courses for a set price. Started with the tomato bisque - delicious, wouldn't change a thing, I also tried my friend's mussels which were excellent. Then had the arugula and apple salad, which frankly was not great. The arugula was all wilted and shouldn't have been served, it seemed like it had been dressed and then popped in the fridge awaiting to be ordered. I then had the mahi mahi which was a flavorful dish and the fish was well prepared...and ended with the chocolate molten cake, it was a rich dessert but great for sharing. I think it's all a little overpriced but would return if I had a similar deal or for happy hour.
(4)Jim M.
I've been here many times and highly recommend the food and service. The corn gnocchi was very tasty. My partners scallops were also good I was told. Somewhat pricy; but it's Boulder.
(4)Vanae T.
We love this place. Love the classy yet non-pretentious ambience. Food is excellent. We came on a Monday night which happens to be Monday night nite (3-course dinner). I had the: - sauted mushrooms w/Gorgonzola (delicious, best I've ever had) - shrimp pasta (shrimp was super fresh, pasta was kinda bland, but I loved the sautéed greens) - hangar steak (medium rare, but came out more on the rare side, was still delicious and tender) Would love to come back here when we're in town.
(5)Christina V.
I've been twice now and enjoy the great flavors and dishes. The best thing we had tonight was a side of the goat cheese polenta. Out of this world. The portions are good and you don't feel like you're paying a lot for a dinky plate like some high end restaurants. Salads, appetizers, main courses and dessert- all hit the spot. We'll be back.
(4)Elaine W.
They've got some really nice food. My friends were satisfied with their dishes such as rack of lamb with port wine and grilled duck breast. I had sea scallop as my main dish and felt they could have done better. Went there during the restaurant week and the sizes are just super tiny. I'm still hungry after 4 courses. Maybe will go there again and hopefully will find out what's their regular size is. One thing I don't like there is the bread. The bread they offered was not fresh from the oven. It's more like those bread that you buy from the supermarket.
(4)Christie V.
I am late in writing this review. Should have done it months ago actually . . . this place is a full WOW. M person wanted to take me on a nice date and had done some looking and decided on this place. It. Is. Divine. We often joke about "Boulder Service" being about hiring pretty people who only pay attention to other pretty people. This service is spot on, attentive, and seamlessly becomes part of the excellent food and enjoyment. Also, their menu is something not soon forgotten. I haven't had everything on it, but hope to. Currently, I strongly recommend the warm spinach salad, the fennel salad (it tastes so fresh that you wonder where they're growing their vegetables), and the pear and gorgonzola gnocchi. (Full disclosure: I heart gorgonzola cheese and they seem to also, so clearly it's a match made in heaven.) Their ingredients are amazingly fresh and wonderful, it takes a chef who knows what s/he is doing to get gnocchi right, the blend of flavors they put into dishes is delightful, and the service we got was, as previously mentioned, wonderful. I want to go back and eat everything on their menu!
(5)Kate C.
This place is fantastic! I love that it's casual yet elegant and not at all pretentious. Having food allergies, it's nice not to have to ask for a separate menu as they list Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free. I went for the first time last night and ordered the Tomato-Fennel Bisque with the Shaved Fennel Salad (both vegan [optional] and GF). Both were decadent but light and very refreshing; they paired together tremendously well and it didn't hurt that they have the BEST GF bread I've ever had in my 5 years being GF (definitely not vegan, haha)! My boyfriend ordered the special Pork Gnocchi and loved it as well, although he said that the gluten free bread I got was better than the regular house bread they served!! The ambiance was nice and quiet, good service, no complaints. I can't wait to go back and order some larger plates.
(5)Paige J.
We are busy working parents and can't waste a minute on a disappointing night out. We were in amazingly good hands at Arugula! Everything we had was delicious, made with local ingredients and served by an extraordinarily informed wait staff... We learned about the region of Italy our wine came from, the details of how the duck was cooked, were served a dish of warmed olives as a starter to get our appetites warmed up... Shaved turnip, radish, mushroom salad...mussels with olives and capers... The Gnocchi is to die for... Tangy goat cheesecake and chocolate molten deliciousness with anise flavor drizzled on the plate.... Really, Misty and the team at Arugula made our (very rare) date night out an unforgettable treat. Go! It's worth it!
(5)Samantha L.
This was a first big dinner date night out for me for restaurant week, and that date is now my boyfriend. The romantic atmosphere, excellent service and fresh food helps to make you forget you're in a restaurant that doesn't fit into the strip mall it's in. The lighting and the lower noise volume really feel sophisticated in Boulder which seems to be lacking such places. I was very pleased with my vegetable risotto, but I don't remember much else about the actual food. I guess that's the key to a perfect romantic restaurant afterall!
(5)Russel E.
I liked the napkins. I can't speak too much on the food being that I have only been here once and will probably never return. It seems everyone's tastes are generally very subjective so critiquing food with little appeal is like critiquing a blank canvas. That being said what the most alarming single moment in our visit was the side conversations being had by from what I discovered was the manager/owner. This man's drill-sergeant type of management was a bit overwhelming and distracting from what I would believe to be a calming ambiance. I understand people may have bad days, but some of the vitriolic and nefarious things coming from this man to his employees were disheartening. I will not be supporting a business that's supervising approach is derived from fear and insulting. You will not see me here again.
(1)Laura Z.
Out of 9 meals, 6 were great and 3 were blah. The best dishes were the rabbit and gnocchi, seafood stew, shrimp orechiette. The other dishes, particularly the vegetarian platter, lacked flavor and did not meet the price point. Service was fair, ambience was very nice. As a family of foodies, we did not get the wow factor.
(3)Megan E.
Thursday was our second visit, the first being several years ago. While I'm really thinking 3.5*, I'm rounding up since nothing was wrong and I don't want anyone to get that impression. With reservations, we were seated right away in a booth. We shared a half a bottle of wine to celebrate graduation and then for meal choices, we tried a range of options. My biggest issue, and hence why the 3.5, it just wasn't that memorable. The food was good, the service fine, the atmosphere decent, but I didn't get overly stimulated by anything. So it's cute, has its own parking, and is worth a visit if you want to get off Pearl street, but it's not in my top must go list.
(4)Tyler G.
We went for a wine dinner and were blown away. They brought in the wine maker from Friuli Venezia Giulia (where the local and famous restaurant Frasca takes their style from). He told the story behind his wine and they explained how they thought it complimented the food. The chef, manager, and winemaker made rounds to every single table (we were surprised they stopped by us since it was obvious we were the youngest and poorest there!). Everything was on time, the pairings where phenomenal. Only complaint is the raw garnishes. Just weird to have beautifully cooked and plated food with a side of parsley and raw red peppers. We felt like it brought the plates down a notch.
(4)Connie S.
We had dinner here last night. It was a very good experience. Our waitress, Misty, was excellent help getting us through the menu and my wine choice. Our courses arrived at a very nice pace. There was not a rush to them at all. It made a very long day incredible enjoyable and relaxing. We had the fennel salad. It was dressed well and the grapes and pecans were yummy. I had the Vegan Platter, it was filled with such a variety of choices. I enjoyed all of them. I ate and ate and still had more than half of platter to be boxed up. My guy ordered the Hanger Steak. It was prepared as ordered and he enjoyed the sauce that came with it. We finished with dessert and coffee. The coffee was excellent. The tiramisu was light and had just enough chocolate shavings to not over power the marscapone cream. We had a couple of hic ups but the were quickly rectified and dinner moved forward. We will return soon.
(4)Katie L.
This restaurant should get 4 stars. The food is excellent and the wine list is great. But the service can leave something to be desired. I also wish that the tables were a bit bigger. They get really cramped with 4 people, making it a bit awkward to enjoy your experience.
(3)Nate H.
This was a pleasant surprise. The Sausage Bolognese was wonderful. Companion raved about the Mahi. The staff was attentive and friendly. Be careful, tables along the front windows are rather drafty. Recommend a table located more to the inside of the restaurant.
(4)Kate M.
Finally ventured over to Arugula last night. We sat at the bar, as the restaurant was packed when we arrived. It turned out to be a great choice--we had some good company among the friendly bartenders and other guests. The wines-by-the-glass selection was very good. The bartender invited us to try whatever we were interested in before committing to a full glass. I had a great Albarino and Nero D'avola. My boyfriend got a really nice spicy Malbec. Since we were emboldened by a Groupon, we went all out. The fennel salad was a great start to the meal. The citrus and mint made it bright while the pine nuts added a nice buttery flavor. We followed it with the pork belly and polenta, which was divine. I loved the little celery salad on the plate and the belly was perfectly cooked. We also had the Hazel Dell mushrooms with gorgonzola rather than feta, at the bartender's suggestion. My one complaint was that all of this food was brought out at once. The pacing was just a little off for me. I would have preferred the salad and then the hot dishes after we were finished. Next up was the black seafood risotto. Not my fave. It was pretty under-seasoned and only had a single shrimp and scallop. However, I do applaud them for having such a unique dish on the menu--I haven't seen a squid ink pasta anywhere locally. We got the duck three ways as our entree. It was really a shining star of a dish. Delicious cracklings and confit with the hash. And we nearly licked the plate to get all of the cherry sauce. It was also perfectly cooked, which is not something you see too terribly often with duck around here. For dessert, we went simple with ice cream and limoncello. Man, that limoncello. I feel like they might be making it with jet fuel because it was STRONG. Drivers beware. Overall, a really nice experience. And a great place to go if you have food allergies. I am both gluten and soy free and had no problem with anything I ate here.
(4)Ruth B.
This restaurant came highly recommended to us. Which is why we were surprised to have such an unpleasant experience. As New Yorkers visiting Boulder we had been warned that the service in restaurants may be a little slower than we were used to. However, we did not expect the service to be so slow and also so unpleasant. Our waiter was so surly and indifferent, we wondered why he even works in a service industry. We are polite and considerate patrons and expect the same in return. I wish to identify our waiter as the guy with the beard, only because looking across the restaurant the other servers seemed very pleasant. In addition to a couple smaller issues, like a (fountain) diet coke that tasted medicinal (he exchanged it but seemed very annoyed) our food took a ridiculously long time. Even in comparison to our other (very wonderful) Boulder dining experiences. Additionally a dish that my dining partner ordered, oysters, actually tasted off. And in the years that I have dined with him I have never seen him have to remove an item from his mouth! When we returned that uneaten dish our waiter had neither a comment nor an apology. I hope my review will be used constructively by this establishment to give future diners a better experience and the bearded waiter a lesson in simple courtesy and service with possibly a smile.
(1)Timolyn E.
Food was OK, but the Manger of the restaurant would not honor my Living Social coupon. I was extremely disappointed because we had a hard time making a reservation and it wasn't until after we sat, that they said they would not honor my coupon. Service was poor and food was mediocre.
(1)Anita Y.
Overall, I had and experienced better, and probably won't be back. We had reservations, (early November) but you must ask for a booth ahead of time if that's what you want. So we were sat at an awkward table, that stuck out into the pathway to service area, which just wasn't wide enough. I love that they offer 1/2glasses of wine. I'm a light drinker, and sometimes even a full glass is too much. The foie gras was excellent; buttery and decadent. They brought wrong thing first. my friend had run back home to get something she left, so I restrained myself, and the wrong item sat at our table for almost 10 minutes. They suddenly brought another plate, and replaced it with the foie gras, explaining that they didn't realize it was the wrong item.....they just changed to the fall menu. The salad was over dressed and the vinaigrette was overpowering. Because of this I couldn't finish my small salad. Striped bass entree for dinner, with pea shoots that were fibrous and awkward to eat. It was very "Un elegant" in it's presentation, but the flavor was OK.
(2)Ran T.
If you have money, go to this place. It's expensive $20/dish avg. but you won't regret going there. The food is delicious (warning: small portion, you will be hungry if you only order an entree even if it's pasta). The service is nice (waiters are attentive, attractive but not annoying, my water glass was always full), the ambient environment is decent (not too crowded but not intimate. patio seating available when weather permits). Food presentations and food combinations are excellent (you need to ask the waiter to get you some black pepper because they don't have any sitting on the table, which is a good thing because you know it's always fresh!) Overall, I recommend checking it out if your budget allows :)
(5)Bruce F.
The food is ALWAYS AMAZING! Perfect flavors, textures and execution. Nice to eat somewhere that the tables aren't packed together and you can easily hear your table mates. The only thing that ever really bothers me is the view of the parking lot. I wish they would keep the blinds closed.
(4)Tae S.
Their pepper and pancetta risotto is savory and rich. Yum!
(4)Nicholas Q.
Arugula is great! The first time I ate there was shortly after they opened, I have been back many times. I'm 2nd generation Italian and have been fed home cooked Italian meals from my immigrant grandmother all my life, as such I usually harshly judge Italian restaurants, going so far as to not eat at them. However, with Arugula, I go out of my way to eat there. It has a good atmosphere, the manager/chef's father is frequently there introducing himself to people and talking about his son. And I highly recommend the fried polenta.
(5)TwentyThird S.
Arugula is by far one of the most underrated restaurant in Boulder. Mostly in my opinion do to the location. Check out Arugula for amazing food and a wide selection of GF and vegetarian options
(4)Margaret C.
This was a perfect lunch experience from start to finish. Welcomed by a friendly greeting from the European-sounding hostess/waitperson, shown to a comfortable perfect table, I arrived just in time to enjoy the lunch menu. That's good, because it's a lot less expensive than the dinner menu. There is a delightful-sounding special dinner on Monday nights though. (Note to self: return to Arugula with Mr. Mysterious Romantic Date Man for Monday night dinner--soon!) Well, I rambled a bit in that first paragraph. A professional restaurant reviewing journalist I'll just never be :o( So after quickly looking over Arugula's lunch menu, I decided to order trout. I was happy to find out that I could also order their special soup of the day with it, which was a creamy butternut squash soup with walnut garnish. So very good! Beyond verbal description--it was THAT good! I do so wish I had written down the details about the trout. I have consumed a few trouts in my life, and this preparation was among the best I've ever tried. Even their iced tea was amazing. I like the decor, too. Arugula made a wonderful impression on me this first visit. I hope to return. P.S. The service here was seamless, and the lunch prices are what one would expect for quality chef-prepared cuisine.
(5)Jane K.
I'm not accustomed to the world of strip malls but outside the city, these little rings around parking lots seem to hold certain unknown gems that deserve a stand alone building in more urban a landscape. And here, nestled between a dry cleaner and a pizza parlor (generally; I don't remember its exact neighbors on the strip) lies a little treasure of a high class Italian restaurant I would never have known about if not for Yelp. Walking in on a Friday night without reservations, our party of four lucked out by being seated right away. The hostess advised that they typically recommend reservations on weekends. The decor is classy, refined and very white table cloth. It feels expensive and the service is attentive and friendly, extremely accommodating and never pushy. They offer a large assortment of daily specials, though with a tendency to run out of the more popular dishes later in the evening (consider 8pm late). I really loved how they offer the pasta dishes at full or half sizes, since sometimes those rich dishes can be too much to handle. My green salad ($6) and half sized Bison Bolognese ($11) was simply perfect. The pinot grigio that I drank throughout the evening was also crisp and citrusy ($7) and was the perfect recommendation from our server. We stayed after the meal and drank more, never feeling rushed along. With three glasses of wine each and a full meal of apps and entrees we each left only $50 lighter in the pocket. I'd definitely recommend Arugula for a fun dinner out or romantic date, so don't be deterred by the parking lot facade.
(4)Linda F.
Another great dinner at another wonderful Boulder eatery. We had a lovely dinner this past week. My husband had the 3-course special with a tomato-fennel bisque, a shrimp dish that was light, flavorful and delicious and a vegetable plate . I also had the soup, which was yummy and their shrimp and scallop risotto which was also wonderful. When we return to Boulder, we will definitely eat at Arugula again.
(4)Holly C.
The food here is excellent, which is why I'm sad I can't give it five stars. I made a reservation for a weekend dinner weeks in advance. It's tough in this modern age of impulse and last-minute plans to get four people to commit to a certain night and certain restaurant, but somehow I did so. I knew it would be packed because it was Boulder First Bite, and I was feeling secure in my reservation as a friend and I made the drive to Boulder all the way from Denver. We got there on time and met our other friends. I gave the waitress our name, she acknowledged we had a reservation, and then said it would be approximately 15 minutes. Oh... I had a reservation. We actually ended up waiting half an hour, getting increasingly restless as time moved on and we remained cramped near the doorway, and we finally got seated just as we were about to walk out and give our patronage to Murphy's across the parking lot. And not once did the hostess or anyone from the restaurant apologize. I understand accidentally overbooking or just slipping up and not serving people fast enough (sort of), but the fact that no one apologized and the hostess gave us a dirty look every time we commented to one another about the reservation was pretty unacceptable. How dare we be irritated, right? And not that it matters because everyone should be treated the same, but we weren't broke college kids looking to take advantage of cheaper prices for restaurant week... we're professionals who eat out quite a bit, and could have easily been won over and converted into regulars. The food and waiter service was fantastic, and that's are where the three stars come from. It's been a while, but the divine mushrooms stand out. The mahi mahi was the best I'd ever had. I didn't say anything to the waiter at the time because it was more of an issue with the hostess, plus I hoped that the night could still be salvaged (it was, thanks to the food) and didn't want to dampen anything further by starting off with a complaint, and I waited to post this review in hopes that it may have seemed like less of a slight in hindsight. But I still feel the same way. Restaurants that do not honor reservations and whose staff do not even bother to apologize when reservation-holders wait half an hour to be seated don't deserve any more than three stars.
(3)Fair W.
Arugula is my favorite Boulder restaurant. Lots of gluten-free options. Excellent wine list. My favorite cold-weather meal is the seafood soup including the freshest P.E.I. mussels. Plus, there're always new choices.
(5)Carrie A.
My husband and I have been here several times for dinner and it is bad! We went back thinking we had ordered the wrong dish, but every time it is super disgusting. Honestly, I would rather go to Burger King. It is possible I have limited options being a peskatarian; however I have tried different dishes and didn't like any of them. I will say the happy hour is priced decently and the food is pretty good. Bottom line, DO NOT go here for dinner and maybe check out the happy hour.
(1)Morgan W.
Oh Arugula, what has happened to you? I was surprised to go to this page and not find me giving a 5-star review of this place earlier this year. This was far and away my favorite restaurant in Boulder. Perfect portioning, evidence of respect for the food, over-the-moon amazing service. Yep, this place had everything going for it. But something has happened. I don't know what, but somehow the place has gone astray. My husband and I have been here about 5 times over the past 2 years and it always blew me away, as detailed above. Until this week. I came here Monday night with my husband and a close friend who was in town from Michigan for the week. My main motivation was their Boulder First Bite menu that they feature every Monday: Three courses (antipasti, primi, secondi) for $26. I was thrown off by the fact several of the offerings had changed and every single secondi item except for the one vegetable-only dish came with a $2 upcharge. To me this is tacky. If you are going to upcharge, do away with the notion of a prix fixe menu. Our waitress seemed like a typical college student who doesn't give a crap about tips. Her level of "real" service, which you'd expect from this place, was negligible at best. Normally I find their menu helpful for friends with allergies, because they label what is gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. However my husband can have meat and sheep/goat cheese, but not any cow-based diary products (butter, cream, parm, etc). He asked our server and she just snipped "The vegan dishes are labeled on the menu." When he again emphasized he isn't vegan and just wanted to know which dishes could be made without cow diary she just stood there and said "Um, I don't know really" and made NO move to ask the kitchen, be helpful, or generally, you know, do her job. She then asked if we wanted drinks and I said I'd look at the wine list after deciding on courses, and again she snipped, this time a quick "The wine list is on the table" and immediately flounced away. When the bread came, my husband asked about the ingredients, and a list of beers on tap. She came back with "The chef who made the bread is already gone so we don't know" and he had to remind her about checking on the beer. The bread thing caught up with me later when I saw another table being served other types of bread. Is there a possibility she could have found out those ingredients? Maybe. That kind of stuff really digs at me at places that I generally expect to go the extra mile for service (and before you judge, I want to throw out there that I tend to tip 20-25% in those cases whether it's on a $15 check or a $70 check). Anyway. The food. Something has also gone amiss with the food. Everything was okay, but VERY rich which is unusual there. I am used to less of a heavy hand with the dishes. The chunks of cheese in my sauteed mushrooms and gnocchi were huge. The gnocchi was unusually fluffy; still good, but not as dense as usual. The portions were TINY, but served in 13" plates. This is just not a good idea in general unless you expect people to expect next to nothing which really wasn't the case. My main course, sea bass with polenta, was about 3oz of fish, cooked well but not that flavorful, and covered with some kind of chopped vegetable ragout that really overpowered the fish flavor. The polenta was about 3" square and 1" thick. Not nearly enough after two even smaller courses preceding. My friend got vegetable risotto and it was not risotto in any interpretation. The rice was longer grain, not starchy, not creamy, and felt undercooked on my tongue. It tasted good but the dish itself should have been named something else, or executed differently. If you make risotto different, ok, that's your thing, but warn people about that. If I had ordered the dish and expected beautiful creamy, pearly risotto made of abrorio rice, I would have sent this back. Throughout the meal our service as decent; plates cleared quickly but a bit too much time between courses (and it was not terribly busy), our water glasses were kept full, pretty standard stuff. But after dropping over $80 on First Bite courses that left me feeling highly unsatisfied both in quality AND quantity, and a waitress who I felt earned about half the tip money I left, I will not be coming back. I also want to make a note that this was, from what I gather, NOT an isolated incident of a waitress having a bad night or the kitchen being "off." A couple coworkers went there last Saturday and had a similar experience, to the point that I apologized profusely when I heard about their frustrating dinner and feel personally responsible for their waste of what could have been a nice evening. Sorry Arugula. I thought you had me for life, but you lost me this time.
(2)Usha R.
My husband and I had dinner here last night. We had eaten here before so were super excited to have the risotto. Wow, it was really bad and we were deeply disappointed. It was super salty and almost soup like. The lack of consistency at this restaurant is really the issue so if you hit it on a good night, great and if it was last night, not so great! I admit it was our bad for not sending the food back, but we just didn't want to make a scene. Thankfully there is Yelp and hopefully they will read this review.
(2)Kat C.
I'm absolutely torn by my experience here. The decor, the ambiance and service should have matched a delicious, high quality meal. However, this was not the case. Our wine was excellent, chosen because we could get it by the glass. My salad and rack of lamb was very good. Also, I truly enjoyed my olive oil cake and sorbet dessert. However, my side of white cannelloni beans and pancetta was undercooked and had obviously been sitting. It was also under-seasoned and uninteresting. My mom's pasta was awful, and had obviously either been cooked wrong or had been sitting out before being resurrected and put into her dish. It was simply an unacceptable dish to serve. I really wanted to like this place and they get stars for concept service, ambiance, wine and my lamb, but the pasta was such a miss, I may not be up for a second go.
(2)Angela M.
I found myself driving in a parking lot looking for 'Mista Italian'. Clearly Garmin was on crack as this place did not exist. I decided as I was driving round and round in the parking lot if there was no Mista, I'd get myself some Thai food- which I'm usually not against but when you have that craving (which is such a gross word to use. I don't like feeling that my feelings or desires for something overcome me- people with cravings become servants to it)... What was I saying? Oh yes. So I had a HANKERING for some Italian. Mista got me thinking of pasta, wine, and bread. So I spot a small place called Arugula. It looked like nothing special and was on the east side of an okay looking shopping center. I got inside and instantly felt at ease and breathed a huge sigh of relief. I don't know Colorado and whenever I'm on the road traveling, about to embark on another dinner alone, I always hope for the best... I sat at the bar and got there 15 minutes after my favorite hours (you know, those happy ones) were over. I must have complained enough or looked like I needed un poquito vino because the bartender hooked it up on the sly. My meal... Duck breast with the skin still on! and parm risotto Make your own olive oil dip House made almond & fennel biscotti What I'm ordering if I ever find myself in Boulder again... House made lemoncello Tiramisu- they were all out! Honey & spice marscarpone; cheese with clove, cardamom, cinnamon, fresh fruit and walnuts Goat cheese pasta Goat cheese stuffed quail
(5)Leslie C.
Arugula has been my favorite restaurant in Boulder for about a year now. The food is fabulous. I recommend sitting at the bar, where you might be lucky enough to get Christian working that evening. He is bartender extraordinaire. The food has never failed to be anything but delicious. Highly recommend!
(5)Dusty W.
Love this place. The Monday special is one of the best deals in town and how do you argue with Wine Wednesday!
(4)Jamie Z.
How could you not love Arugula? They are one of the best values in town. The markups on the wine are so reasonable for a restaurant that it's kind of shocking. The food is always great...as is the service. The Monday night deal is crazy - and I love that it's two starters and an entree rather than an ap, entree, and dessert.
(5)Peter C.
I went for lunch and had the squash and chicken risotto with a side salad. It was a little pricy, though it ended up being worth it. They served bread with a really nice olive oil. Next came the side salad which was totally first-rate, quite a rare occurrence around here! There were a nice variety of different lettuces and other greens, all immaculately fresh, dressed with what I took to be a pear vinaigrette. The salad was dressed perfectly, just the right amount of dressing (which is to say, not very much) and totally complemented the freshness of the greens. The risotto was very good: the squash and tomato gave it some earthy sweetness and actually lightened up the thickness of the stuff. It had really nice shavings of cheese and nice pieces of roasted dark meat chicken. My only qualm was that the risotto was not as al dente as I usually like. Also the service was not that great, it didn't live up to the quality of the food which is too bad. But it still got 4 stars out of me, which means they are doing pretty damn well for themselves!
(4)shiela r.
Great lunch! Most importantly, the food was really good. And worth mentioning, the attention to sustainability in both the materials used for the build out and in the ingredients they choose to serve. Highly respectable, IMHO. I had a house salad and 1/2 portion of gnocchi. Portions - the salad was generous with fresh, perfectly dressed, organic greens. I especially enjoyed the parsnip. Yeah, parsnip. A pleasant surprise but still very simple - what a house salad should be. Gnocchi was generous in portion (I couldn't finish my half order) and just decent. I've had better but the elements where all there. The manchego was delicious but entire dish could have used more salt and I'm not a huge fan of pears on anything but salad. My friend got the vegetable panini and said it was "ggGREAT!". Super stacked with veggies and bread, if that's what you're into, was reported to be very good. She could only finish half due to her substituted side of squash soup. She thoroughly enjoyed that too! Waiter was good, a little slow to take order but pleasant. I appreciated that it was busy enough for a Friday lunch but not the scene that many restaurants on Pearl are. We were too full to try the desserts but they looked very inciting - "dear flourless chocolate cake, I'll be back!"
(4)Marc S.
This place is amazing! My friends told me to go and talk it up a lot so I had high expectations, but this place went above and beyond what could imagine. Amazing food. Five star service.
(5)Ali M.
Arugula is not cheap. But they make up for it with Incredible food, excellent, unpretentious service, and most importantly (in my book) very generous portion sizes! Many of the pricier dining options in boulder totally skimp on the food, even though you're paying over $20 a plate (um, The Kitchen?). Arugula is very, very good food and for your money you'll have enough to take home for a second meal. I think the food here is better than any other Italian place in or around Boulder.
(5)Bruce R.
I read through the Yelp reviews, which, for some reason, were somewhat mixed. But having heard good things about Arugula, my wife and I went for the first time to the sight of what was one of our favorite restaurants in Boulder (the original Laudisio's). We were both very impressed, and had great meals. We both started with the Arugula house salad, which was excellent. For the main course, I had the Shrimp Orechiette which was extremely tasty with a good quantity of shrimp and a new kind of pasta for me. My wife had the hangar steak that was cooked perfectly in a savory sauce. The service, if anything, was overly friendly - not perfect, but certainly good enough for a "neighborhood restaurant". We've both agreed - this is one of our new favorite restaurants in Boulder, right up there with places like Radda, Aji, The Med, and dare I say The Kitchen?
(5)Dustin C.
Went to Arugula because my wife and I got a Groupon for them and since it was about to expire, we went. Although we arrived fairly on a Saturday afternoon rather than Saturday evening, we were not made to feel unwelcome by the staff, which was attentive, though not intrusive. Upon seeing the specials of the day, I immediately decided on the cioppino, as did my wife. However, we were undecided on an appetizer or salad, all of which looked terrific on the menu. On our waiter's recommendation, we both decided on a caprese salad. The caprese salad was delicious, as both the tomatoes and mozzarella were fresh and tasty, but what really tied it together was the basil-infused oil that was drizzled over it. The cioppino was also delicious, with shrimp, mussels, fish, scallops, and calamari in a tomato-fennel broth. It was served in traditional San Francisco style, with a few pieces of a toasted crusty Italian bread (the name escapes me). And like the cioppino you get in the North Beach neighborhood in San Francisco, it was hearty and satisfying. They should really consider making a part of the regular menu. Arugula is not cheap, but you get what you pay for: Great food and terrific service.
(5)Nick P.
Everything was excellent. Tonight was my first meal at arugula and I was completely satisfied. The atmosphere was casual and upbeat, the service was good and my meal was complimented perfectly with a nice glass of Nero, cabernet sauvignon. I had the arugula and orange segment salad, delicious and light, fallowed by the bison bolognese and a small gnocchi with caramelized pears served in a rich cream/gorgonzola sauce. Good work arugula I will be back.
(4)Eric M.
I'm so grateful that I live in a town where there are so many great restaurants! Arugula is no exception! It's a comfortable little place, Laudiso's old home, with an excellent menu. The weekends are the best time to go however, they offer specials based on whatever is the most fresh and embrace local as often as possible. We've had some of the most amazing seafood dishes here and the Buffalo Bolognese is crazy good! The sommelier is quite knowledgeable and talented and the Father of the owner is a pleasure to talk to as he makes his away around the room.
(5)Risa G.
In a word: unremarkable. In two words: unremarkable and disappointing. Granted, I feel as though it is not entirely fair to judge a restaurant based on its Restaurant Week (or in this case, First Bite Boulder) menu; however, I feel a little more justified doing so here, as Arugula boasts this prix fixe menu on Mondays year round. Generally speaking, I felt as though the food was pretty without being substantive. The ingredients were subpar (e.g., chewy mozzarella in my caprese salad) and the dishes poorly executed (e.g., tomato accompanying my dining partner's pear and gorgonzola gnocchi). The effort was there; the skill was not. Mind you, had I prepared the meal myself, I would have been quite pleased. That said, I expect a higher caliber of food from a restaurant, and particularly from a restaurant whose entrees normally run in the $20 range. Of the three courses, the entrees themselves were the highlight -- mine being creamy polenta and nicely flavored shrimp. My dining partner also enjoyed his lamb stew. The entrees, however, did not compensate for the pedestrian two courses that preceded them. As this restaurant is very convenient for me, I'm sorry to say that I won't be returning anytime soon.
(2)Ricky S.
I always think American food is too big. But tonight I get it that too big is better than too little. Tried First Bite menu continue for Mondays. When I went out, I'm still hungry. Food is not bad, but as Risa says, unremarkable, at all. BTW, every interval of the dishes took too long time to wait. We took almost 2 hours there. Maybe I'm just not a gentleman for this kind of Italian restaurant.
(3)Joanna C.
We recently had family visiting & I wanted to take the mothers (my own, my in-law & my husband's aunt) out to dinner. We brought along the bebeh (9 mos old) - with that stipulation, we chose to have an earlier dinner (6-ish). We were seated right away & they even had a high chair for bebeh. The menu was larger than I was expecting, with a nice variety. The menu also marked gluten-free which was good for one of our diners. Everyone enjoyed their dinners - I started with the beet salad & had the scallops for my entree. The scallops were cooked perfectly. My only complaint would be that our server waited until all of our salad plates were cleared to put our dinner order in with the kitchen. With a 9mo old bebeh, time is crucial. She ended up getting fussy, needed to be nursed, fell asleep & woke up again during dinner. It made dinner a little more complicated. I will definitely visit Arugula again, but perhaps for date night with my husband or if we bring bebeh again, we'll specifically ask for them not to wait on bringing out the dinner course.
(4)Jared H.
We are in Boulder for two days for a wedding. A friend recommended this place. We were highly impressed! (and that is not easy as we hail from NYC and DC) FIrst off, they were willing to accommodate my wife's gluten intolerance and my pork intolerance. They substituted duck confit into a fig appetizer on the daily specials because I couldn't eat the speck. The cauliflower soup was refreshing and delicious. My wife loved her risotto with summer vegetables, and I loved the trout. We finished with flourless chocolate cake. I usually find something that needs improvement, but I did not tonight. Highly recommended.
(5)JeZippy E.
I have mixed feelings about Arugula. As a neighborhood establishment, I have eaten here a few times. Unfortunately, the service is never very good. I've had to wait for over half an hour for a reserved table I made over a week in advance for my birthday. I had asked for an inside table and ended up being put on the patio. I don't like their patio as it faces the parking lot and it's too crowded. We had a 3 year old child with us so we ordered Mac & Cheese for her. That came quickly, but the rest of our meals took FOR EVER! The little girl go so cranky while we adults waited for our food that when our food arrived, we had to ask for it to go! On top of that, we were ignored between ordering our food and it coming out. No water refills, no checking to see if we wanted to order another drink. No bread, really no service. We tried to get the waiter's attention several times, but he just walked by us, and every other table too, and never checked on his clients. We stiffed him on the tip. Then I went inside to speak to the manager and complained. I was told, "It's very busy today." SO WHAT, that's no excuse for the lack of service. I don't even remember what I ordered, outside of a house salad, so can't comment on the food. The second time I went I took my sister for her birthday, at her request. Again, had to wait half an hour for our reserved table. Our bad luck... we got the very same waiter as the last time. Again, he was somewhat inattentive. This time, the kitchen was very slow AND the waiter brought my sister the wrong entree and insisted it was what she ordered! She was fuming! I had to get up and go to the manager AGAIN and tell him what was going. He spoke to our waiter who came over and apologized for HIS error and offered to give us a free dessert. WTF! We didn't want a free dessert or a free glass of wine. We wanted the food we ordered and to have it comped too. That didn't seem to go over too well with him, but I said too bad. You are the worst waiter ever! So, when my youngest daughter turned 21, she requested this place for dinner. I tried to dissuade her but it's what she wanted, having never eaten there. So, I agreed. This time I didn't make a reservation. We just showed up and were sat immediately. We were handed a menu I'd never seen before. Then I realized it was Restaurant Week in Boulder. Okay. This might be fun! But then, it happened, OH NO! I saw the same awful waiter heading for our table and thought, NO F'N WAY. I stood up as he approached and said, "You had better not be serving my table. I refuse to EVER have you as a waiter of mine again. In fact, I'm shocked you even still work here!" He looked so embarrassed, as I'd said it loud enough for a few other tables to hear me. He turned around and went to speak to the hostess. Next thing I knew, we had a different waitperson, a woman, who was fabulous! So, why the two stars? Over priced for the quantity of food. Spotty service. No real compensation for waiters' mistakes. Long waits even with reservations. I just won't bother going back. UPDATE: I went for Happy Hour in Arugula's north side room not so long ago and had a great experience. It wasn't busy at all, so I had pretty good service and excellent food and wine. Tangerine, which is also owned by them, has been wonderful the 4 times I've been there, though I still feel all their venues are over priced. Service had much improved in the past year. Maybe it was the down economy that forced them to improve, if they wanted repeat business. Who knows.
(2)Fallon V.
I had heard so many good things about this place and the other yelp reviews seemed pretty good too. I too, am torn. On one hand my scallops in a strawberry and balsamic reduction were out of this world but the strawberry risotto that came with it was one-dimensional in flavor and after a few bites I was done with it. I struggled with giving them 3 or 4 stars. I decided 3 because a 4 star place I would definitely go back to but I'm not so sure about Arugula. I think for the price you can find better and you can also find better for less cost. I'd say for the 2 of us on my b-day we dropped about 100 bones. For that much money I expect a freaking candle in my dessert. I also expect to not be sat next to the big top giving a presentation. Put one of us away from everyone else. What bothered me the most was the service. While the support service was fantastic our server was not. When I ask for a suggestion on food or wine or dessert, I do not expect you to tell me the most expensive thing on the menu every time. That, my friends, I can figure out on my own, thank you very much. Did she not get the memo that we're in a recession?? Now that I have really thought all this through I am re-thinking my star situation. I would not recommend this to my friends, so dear reader I will not recommend it to you. 2 stars it is.
(2)Lisa P.
Fabulous restaurant!!! This is my new favorite place to eat in Boulder. I occasionally opt for a vegan meal & last night I felt adventurous. I ordered the Vegan Plate at Arugula's & it was the best I've ever had in my life. Unbelievably delicious blend of flavors. My boyfriend ordered the Scallops and they were perfectly prepared. Another wonderful choice. The service was first class. We liked it so much we tried the sister restaurant the next day for breakfast (Tangerine) - it's our new favorite breakfast place now! A nice plus, the shopping center Arugula is located away from the "Pearl Street madness" so parking is easy & plentiful. We'll be back for many more meals here...
(5)Dawn G.
My daughter and I stumbled onto this place during happy hour and found it to be a fantastic value for the fantastic food. Everything was absolutely delicious: sage braised Brussel sprouts, calamari with green beans in garlic, white bean "something", a mushroom dish, and pot roast. Topped off with a good beer selection and fresh brewed coffee, great service by Leah (sp?), and you've got one heck of restaurant. Can't wait to try it for dinner!
(5)Seth B.
A thoroughly depressing experience. The food did not taste good. It was not well prepared and not seasoned properly. The homemade pasta came out as a big glob. The gnocchi had a large handful of walnuts on it that overshadowed the featured ingredients which were scant and hidden, none of the recipes were salted, and the cocktails were godawful. I would never go back. This place needs to die a quick death so that something new can be born. Stay away, you have been warned.
(1)Tom K.
Be advised if you are going there, demand not be seated at the first table. One person gets to sit half in the walkway and be hit be everyone coming past, and to make matters worse, right on the other side of 6" glass partitition groups of servers stand withing 3" of your head or clank dishes at the level or your ears. Who puts a prep station right next to a table. I had to stop our conversation 5 times because we had two or more servers standing looking right down at us from the other side of the partition. I leaned back in my seat which put me past the partitition in the aisle and one of the servers stood off the end 3" from my face. I understand maximizing floor space but good lord, that table could have been in an episode of Seinfeld. CLEARLY no one from that restuarant has ever sat in that table and tried to eat. Including travel to India, China, Hong Kong, that was the absolute worst seating I have ever experienced.
(1)Deborah F.
I'm almost in shock how much I enjoyed dinner here. It was pretty much perfect. Ordered the strawberry scallop entree, which was, yes, strawberries and scallops with risotto and a balsamic vinegar reduction. It wasn't anything I have ever eaten before. And it was epic. Many of the ingredients are sourced locally, which always wins with me. Add the fact that the service was spot on, tables aren't crowded together (a dining pet peeve of mine) and the walls are adorned with wine corkscrew art and you have ... well, a winner. Cheers.
(5)blake h.
This place sucks. Service, food, all around junk. I will no be returning and can see why so many reviews are in the yellow.
(2)Jane G.
I've been looking forward to trying Arugulas since I heard they were taking over the space formerly housing Mista Italian Kitchen and then before that Laudisio's--both among my favorite restaurants. Arugula's didn't disappoint--granted the entrance was funky, but we quickly got over that and settled in for a lovely lunch. Enoying delicious chewy bread dipped in olive oil is a wonderful way to wait for the first course. We split the mushrooms, which were heavenly--rich, savory, foresty, and the right amount to split for a lunch first course. We then split the penne with goat cheese and sausages--it was also really good, but the mushrooms were the sensation of the meal. Wine list was good--nice variety, affordable, and flexible (they provide glass, bottle, 1/2 glass, 1/2 carafe, and carafe prices). I know we'll be back for many Friday lunches and we'll probably take the kids there for dinner as well. Thumbs up for another great Italian bistro on Iris.
(4)Andrea K.
My BF and I went there last weekend during Boulder Restaurant Week (their version of 5280). We were very impressed! The mushroom and gorgonzola dish was amazing. You could definitely taste the freshness of the mushrooms (they boast of using a local farm). I absolutely loved the chicken pate. It was creamy and delicious. My BF really enjoyed the bison bolognese though I could have gone without. I ordered the halibut and it had this lovely salsa made of tomatoes and capers- it was yummy. The BF had the lamb stew and though the staff said it was a family recipe, we both felt it was missing something. It lacked a richness that you'd expect from a stew. All in all, it's a cute space and our server was terrific. We'd definitely go back and recommend it for a shot.
(4)Jason S.
Delicious and authentic Tuscan food. The dishes are creative and varied. We had a wonderful appetizer plate with an array of meats, veggies and cheeses which was fantastic. I had the pork tenderloin and my wife had the hangar steak, and we were taking turns eating off of each other's plates. They had a wide and varied wine selection, and the servers know their stuff. The decor was cool... salvaged bits of wine paraphernalia. The entrance looked like pretty much every restaurant in Europe that opens onto the street. I'd definitely going to return.
(5)Durham R.
The service was good, they timed things perfectly we finished the appetizer before they brought the main course. The salad was yummy and full of unique flavored. The appetizer (mussels in white wine) was good. The main course (scallops and risotto) was not - the scallops were cooked to the perfect texture but were tasteless, fortunately there weren't very many of them. The shrimp were good when we found, but I will never understand why expensive restaurants leave the tails on shrimp in pasta and sauce style dishes - they don't really expect me to pick them up by the tail and get my fingers all covered in sauce, do they? The risotto was ok as long as you didn't think of it as risotto because it wasn't cooked long enough to get that yummy creamy, cheesy texture that good risotto has (with no cream or cheese added) - it was better to think of it as rice in a wine sauce. The whole dish would have been better if they had wrapped the scallops in bacon and made it a bacon grease and wine sauce. Really not worth 50 bucks with no alcohol.
(3)Scott M.
This was my favorite meal in a restaurant in Boulder so far. Our waitstaff was exceptional and I looked to him for every dish I ordered. The ambiance is perfect for a nice restaurant and not loud nor quite. Their dishes are refreshingly original and done with perfection. The scallops were the best I've had anywhere and the quantity was just right. I will be returning here sometime soon to enjoy another great experience.
(5)Kerri M.
Went last night for 5280. Nice atmosphere and menu selection for a limited menu during 5280. I had the beet salad which was fresh and had a nice array of flavors, the Gorgonzola gnocchi which was packed with strong flavor and gnocchi was soft and light. The pork tenderloin was great and while it was a tiny portion of meat, the sauce was amazing. I gave it a 4 b/c our waiter wasnt the greatest. He didnt seem excited to serve us...it was crowded but still.
(4)Dustin C.
Pretty good food, portions could be a little healthier....
(3)Joe B.
I had lunch at Arugula yesterday. We arrived just before noon and we told to take a seat where we would like. We sat on the "patio" up front. While we were promptly served water, it was at least five minutes before we saw anyone again. It appeared that only two servers were working despite the mostly full lunch crowd. The patio is pretty annoying because cars pull into spots less than two feet from the tables. The car engines are lound and put of heat and fumes. The food lacked flavor and simply fell short of being good. I've been to Arugula for dinner on numerous occasions and yesterday's lunch simply did not impress. Im probably done with this place. Laudisio, while flawed, would be a better choice.
(1)Doug F.
We stopped in there after doing some shopping in boulder, I had seen it and wanted to try it out, was I ever glad that I did. Since the place is away from down town Boulder you don't feel like you need a passport to go there and you miss out on all that "attractiveness" that is Pearl Street. The staff was great, polite, curious, and unobtrusive. They never left you wanting yet you hardly notice that they are there. The place is very well laid out, upscale yet not pretentious. I had a lamb special that the chef married peach and lamb in a way that was out of this world! It was really nice to find a place that is imaginative and can make it work, places like that are hard to find. Cost, it isn't McDonald's but then you don't need to take a second out on the house. I would put it at about average, the food is almost cheep for what you get but the drinks are a little on the pricey side but not so much that you would get drunk before going.
(5)Jennifer C.
I love this place. I've been twice now, once with my entire family, and once with my boyfriend, and each time, it was excellent. I love the fact that it's not on Pearl Street, so it's easy in and out, but with the same excellent food and service. The calamari steak appetizer is ridiculously good. There are no words that can give it justice. Tender, with lovely garlic scampi flavor...yum! The house arugula salad is also yummy. For entrees, I have now tasted the seafood special, the bison bolognese, the sausage and goat cheese pasta, and the sausage risotto special, all which were amazing. Portions are good, not overly huge, and certainly not skimpy. And the service has been excellent each time. Well worth it, and one of my new favorites.
(5)Lindsay B.
I had my first visit to Arugula and enjoyed a great lunch last Friday with some girlfriends. We were surprised at how crowded the place was, until we tasted the food. I started with a glass of Albarino- which was lovely and served very chilled, (maybe it's a little uncouth to like white as cold as I do, but they serve it exactly as I wanted it), and a little fennel salad, which had shavings of grana padano and a citrusy vinaigrette, with oranges and toasted pine nuts- yum. I followed the salad with the roasted chicken and squash risotto, which was near perfect. Creamy, savory-- the sage and peas married perfectly with the roasted dark meat and the soft squash. Also, the portion was just right (I ordered the half size). I also tried my friend's gorgonzola gnocchi, which was delish- and I am picky about the texture of that pasta. Arugula's tasted fresh and firm but had just the right give to it. I did have a little food envy at my other friend's selection- she ordered the Mahi special that was prepared in a brown butter sauce with a tasty crust of herbs. Wow. Also worth mentioning about our trip, as it seems others had a different experience, is that our service was great. The servers kept our waters filled, made menu suggestions when we were torn between items, and generally made sure we felt taken care of. Now, it could be that it was a mostly young male staff and we were a table of girls, but worth saying, they were attentive, fast and helpful either way :) For lunch, I'd say this is a bit of a splurge spot. It ran a little over $30 per person, including tip- for a salad, a lunch item and a glass of wine. That said, sometimes a gal's gotta splurge and this is a great place to do it.
(4)Michelle B.
I love this place!! Consistently good food and service. The Vodka and Shrimp Gnocchi is great. Good coffee selection too. Yesterday had the Pacific Cod special........YUMMY
(4)Mary S.
THis is my new favorite special restaurant. We barely able to get a reservation for a Thurs night and there is seating indoors and outside patio. The food is healthy and served fresh. I had a basic salad with my meal that had the lightest but flavorful balsamic dressing. Each dish is well thought out with light sauces, but well seasoned. I asked my waiter to choose between 2 dishes and his description of the dishes was perfect to help me make my choice. We had two salads, 2 entrees, split a dessert and water to drink. Our bill was $65 total with tip. If you want old school Italian with heavy sauces and lots of butter, go to Via Toscana. If you are a foodaphile that likes different blends of foods and spices, with visual presentation, new and gourmet, go to Arugula. I did not feel really full, but satisfied since it was so flavorful. I felt like I ate a healthy meal. Worth the money.
(5)R P.
I haven't had a meal this delicious in years. Each bite exploded with flavor. It was the type of food that you eat slowly and enjoy - because you are overwhelmed with each bite! We enjoyed the polenta, roasted vegetables, mussels, and a savory appetizer plate. My cousin's aunt said she'd never liked polenta before, but this blew her mind - it was moist with a light consistency of quiche - and so delicious. Anytime I go back to Boulder, I will be dining there. They are closed on Sundays, but open on Monday-Saturday.
(5)Kate S.
Arugula is a block away from my house, but it took me a while to finally make it over. I wish I had gone sooner! They are one of the vegan-friendliest high-end restaurants in Boulder. There is a vegan platter on the entree list, so you don't have to send the kitchen into a tizzy by requesting a special dish. The platter had at least 12 different items on it. It was like an advent calendar for my mouth! While Arugula is great if you eat vegan, the omnivores in my party were highly impressed with their dishes. The fennel salad received high marks, as did their lamb dish. The huge list of specials makes every visit exciting. I haven't returned yet to dine, but I've been back to the bar a couple of times, as it's a nice, quiet (but still fancy!) change from the Pearl Street scene.
(4)monkey l.
this place is insane. it came as a recommendation to a woman we met at community night at the kitchen the other day. yesterday, exhausted and starved, we crawled into arugula for dinner and some wine. can i say - insanity?! holy crap. the shaved fennel, mint, and pine nut salad we had was incredible. my mushroom risotto was heaven and bf's roasted trout was perfectly cooked. the best part - the owner, alec, is pretty awesome. he sat down at the bar and explained to us what was in the dishes, how to cook things, and recommended the lemon pudding cake dessert, which btw, was divine. i love this place. this is our new neighborhood haunt.
(5)Lara I.
I am so excited to have this restaurant replace Laudisio in the Willow Springs Shopping Center. I loved the old Laudisio, and Arugula is such a fine replacement, filling up some epic big shoes. I've eaten here twice now and both times had very good service, attentive, enthusiastic but not overbearing. The food is awesome. It's a nice touch that the pasta selections can be split and ordered as an appetizer. The strawberry scallop dish is amazing. If I had any criticism at all, its the water. They need a better filter. Something not quite right there. Sort of sewery, like Eau de Philadelphia. But stick with wine and you won't be disappointed.
(4)SUSAN T.
Pesto... should have basil... not just spinach. Start the countdown til it's shuttered.
(1)Dylan R.
So after moving to Boulder from NYC in April my wife and I have finally found our go-to "neighborhood" restaurant and it is Arugula. I put neighborhood in quotes because it's a bit out of our way but it is by far our favorite restaurant in Boulder. We've tried all of the "name" restaurants (Frasca, Kitchen, etc.) and they are all very good but not really the kind of place you want to go every week (if only because of the prices). Arugula on the other hand reminds us of our favorite neighborhood places in New York - warm, welcoming, with excellent food and wine and none of the fussiness that ruins more pretentious restaurants. I truly hope their location doesn't do them in - if this place was on Pearl it would surely be packed every night!
(5)Like F.
I've eaten here once. On the upside, we walked in without a reservation and they agreed to seat us so long as we would be out of there in an hour & 20 minutes. In most places this should be enough time. However, the service is very slow & the wait-staff were not very attentive; it was 45 minutes until we were served our meals and we went 10 minutes over the alloted time we were given to have our dinners. The food was very good, but we could have done without the 'attitude' we got from the owner/manager? & the hostess as we left 10 minutes after our alloted time. Barring the latter, I would have given the food 4 stars.
(3)Cate C.
Had heard from friends that the place to sit is at the bar and we should have done that. We made a reservation on a Monday night and sat at a booth and waited for about 15 minutes before we were greeted by our server. Once our order was taken, either our order wasn't put in or it was forgotten, but we waited 20 minutes for our appetizer to be served. Once served, it was delicious as was our entrees. That said, the food was excellent, the server should have comp'd our appetizer (but didn't) and service was very slow. Not a great beginning for a new restaurant.
(3)Ellyn B.
Finally, I went to Arugula, and WOW!~ Having been to Italy, I would say Argula is a good Tuscany region-American adaptation. They have a regular menu and then a specials menu. They source a lot of their vegetables from local farms, and its right on the menu! So I had a veggie side dish that was from Red Wagon farm, right down the road. If you live and breathe local, you'll love that touch. I had the gnocchi with gorgonzola and pears. Wow! Amazing flavor, very interesting dish, and the gnocchi was perfect - not too chewy, not under cooked. My partner had one of the specials - a seafood pasta that did remind us of something we had a Florence. We shared a chocolate explosion cake (or something like that?) that was the perfect end to a good meal. The wine list is balanced and extensive, though we did not partake the evening we were there. Went home and didn't feel overly full, as the portion sizes were reasonable. Too many times, I have Americanized Italian and I feel like a cow after dinner, because the plate could have fed three! Try them out. I'm glad I did!
(5)