Family-owned Cafe Pro Bono is tucked away on a side street off of California Avenue. When you walk into the restaurant you are first struck by the warm colors, soft lighting and attention to decorating details, but you are soon swept up in host Tony’s welcoming chatter. Most people leaving the restaurant stop to give him a hug or thank him for a fantastic meal. But beyond the atmosphere and the attention to service, the food is fantastic. When you take your first bite you will ask yourself why you haven’t found this place before.

Cafe Pro Bono has a full bar and wine list to complement its meals. The menu also features a large selection of appetizers and salads, with different specials featured daily. We ordered the Pro Bono Salad with beets, warm goat cheese, organic spinach and honey Dijon mustard. The combination was even better than anticipated and there was just the right amount of dressing. The menu features several other salads, a daily soup and appetizer portions of smoked duck, jumbo prawns or raviolis among others.

For the main course, Cafe Pro Bono features both pastas and a variety of meat and seafood options. We tried the Gnocchi al Pesto with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts as well as the Rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage and mushroom pepper sauce. They were completely different but both fantastic. Other menu items include the Filet Mignon with brandy green peppercorn sauce, Roast Cornish Game Hen with couscous, fresh fennel and cured olives and Grilled King Salmon with horseradish-herb crust. We could continue about the other delicious choices, but when you sit down you should take some time to peruse the menu yourself. Tony insists that no dish can be considered the house special because they are all delicious. From what we tasted, we can heartily agree.

The dessert menu was as tempting as the rest of the restaurant’s selections. Cafe Pro Bono offers up a wide selection of coffees, liquors and desserts including Tiramisu, Lemon Sorbet and Two Chocolate Mousse with fresh raspberry sauce. Exquisite.

Cafe Pro Bono may be tucked away, but it’s an exciting discovery. The perfect place for a nice date or dinner out with visiting parents, you will be glad you ventured away from University Avenue and tried something new. n