Pricing: The prices are a bit higher than many students can afford; however, it is certainly reasonable for the type of establishment. 3/5 Food: Sad to say, I found myself a little underwhelmed by the food. Everyone raves about how amazing the food is and I did not agree. Now, the food is good, sure. It is definitely better than average Italian food. But for the price, and the atmosphere, you'd expect a bit more. There are enough options that everyone should find something they like. None of the soups are vegetarian which is very disappointing. Minestrone is easy enough to make vegetarian and there should be at least one veggie soup option. 3,5/ 5 Atmosphere: Pleasant, quiet and classy. Nice change of pace from the typical establishments around here. 4/5 Service: Service is average. Hostess may ignore you even if the restaurant is essentially empty. Definitely a bit of a snooty vibe. 3/5 Parking: A bit hard to park as is typical downton. Misc.: Chef will most likely pop out to say hi. Overall: If you're looking for a classier place than this is it. Perfect for date night or special occasions. read more

Some of the best Italian food in Gainesville. The restaurant is small, so make sure you have a reservation, but it's totally worth it. The veal is to die for and their pasta sauces are amazing! I've always had a great experience here and recommend it to anyone looking for Italian in Gainesville. read more

Was in the area visiting UF; found this place on yelp. Everything was excellent. The best Marsala I've ever had as well. Definitely a place to try. read more

My daughter had heard of this restaurant and decided to try it for her birthday last night for dinner. Huge disappointment!!! She ordered the chicken marsala, it was okay. The mushrooms looked like canned mushrooms. I had the fried calamari. It was cooked well, tender, but was a little too salty. My husband ordered the Caldo antipasti dish for two and it was lackluster at best. But the marinara sauce that came with the pasta dish on the side tasted like it was just squeezed out of a ketchup bottle. Seriously, we couldn't believe how terrible it all was. I've tasted better marinara from pizza joints. It was really not even edible. We've experienced some of the best four and five star restaurants across the nation and my husband spent a lot of his military time in Italy and this was the worst "Italian" food we've ever had. It's so bad that I had to come write this review to warn others. Oh, but the staff was great and the water was cold. That's the only plus. read more

If you want "real" Italian, this is your place. Chef Andy is an inspired chef. Forget the chain Italian restaurants. Treat yourself and enjoy a great meal. You'll think you're in Tuscany. If it's your birthday, make sure you let Chef Andy know. You'll be in for a surprise! read more

This is hands down the best Italian food in Gainesville. The dishes are generously portioned, authentic and delicious. My favorite is the gamberoni fra diavolo, but the grouper and the pollo inverno are also outstanding. The gnocchi is the best I've tasted. The patio seating is a wonderful way to spend an evening in nice weather, but the interior is just as charming, The service is always very good. I love the touches like the house salad being included with the entree and the side dishes of pasta. Part of what I like so much about this restaurant is a commitment to an excellent dining experience, and that seems to have gone by the wayside in so many other places. read more

Fettuccine Alfredo is worth every single penny!! I get it every time I go and probably will never not get it. Comes with bread n salad...Drink cup is never empty n staff is always friendly along with the owner whom has greeted us at our table almost every visit. Probably best to have a reservation, but have walked in once and was seated. Yummy!! read more

Absolutely fabulous! Love the food and love the service! Was cool when the Chef came over and checked on us twice. Very nice. And again, the food was amzing. Was a great date night. read more

I don't think my dining experience could have been better. The service was first class and the food was exceptional. My wife and I had the grouper and salmon specials. This is by far the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. Highly recommend! read more

Amelia's - Salmon special! Yum! - Italian Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Visited on Easter Sunday, our first time eating there. Everything said a restaurant in fast decline. Survive was good and downhill from there. Patio was dirty with chairs stacked at one end, flatware was dirty, bread was average, pasta tomatoe sauce was over salted, bolognese was worst I have ever had. read more

Eh. Amelia's is an Italian restaurant in the Sun Center. The food was good, but nothing earth-shattering. The fare offerings were the usual "fine Italian" options done with decent expertise but no real imagination or dress. The appetizers were all done quite well, and those really stole the show for me. The salad was weak, the bread dry and without flavor. Don't even bother with either - they aren't worth putting in your mouth. The chef/owner is a nice guy and on slow nights visits each table. It's nice to have that personal touch and care but he often arrives at horribly inconvenient times - such as the moment you go to take your first bite of your meal. Main course: Eh. Everything is cooked and plated well, but it comes out too cookie-cutter. The tomato sauces are too sweet and there is an overabundance of oil in the dishes. The deal is to go for their lunch specials. It's all good food, but at much better prices and drink specials to boot. I am not a fan of Amelia's but they do a good job for a nice lunch. Save dinner for another place, but definitely try them in the afternoon! read more

Regarding Amelia's Fine Italian Cuisine - 235 South Main Street, Suite 107, Gainesville, FL 32601 - We enjoyed an incredible dining experience at this restaurant. Andy, the chef and owner, was personable and helpful as far as helping us decide what to order from the menu. Leo, our server, delivered stellar service; Our meals from the fresh warm bread to the torte's for dessert were exquisite - I mean they were magnifico. Also, we while eating we enjoyed the relaxing music of a couple of very talented jazz musicians. All in all it was one memorable dining experience. read more

This is a shame to Italian cuisine. Once I sat down and had the first bite of my salad, I wish I went to Olive Garden's. Actually, I was wondering if I could just pay for the salad and just skip out. I think the mushroom and the carrots used in the salad were canned? The dressing was off too. I was deeply disappointed. I ordered a suprema pollo marsala. It was the most disgusting thing imaginable. The chicken pieces were soggy and rubbery (that's after I was able to get thru to it after the disgusting marsala sauce). The sauce was watery and a totally different type of marsala wine I ever tasted. It was almost a florescent orange hue with a watery sweet taste with no depth; I managed to keep from gagging public. I, then, wanting to give the place a second chance, ordered the chicken parm, which too disappointed me. The chicken this time was cooked well, it was the house marinara sauce. It was very acidy, fruity, and minty. I was repulsed. The price for the chick. Marsala and the chicken parm were 15.99 each. For the same price, the food quality and the atmosphere at Olive Garden or Carabba far exceeds Amelia's. I was deeply disappointed. read more

Went with my girlfriend for a celebration, we thought we'd try out Amelia's since we were feeling fancy. We had reservations well in advance and were seated at 6, not exactly the dinner rush, but we were still seated in a tight corner, right up against the only other couple in the room. The tables were uncomfortably close together. Food quality was fine, but not for the prices. I could tell you all of the ingredients in each of our dishes, we were being charged at least 50% more than is reasonable. On top of the excessive prices, our waiter never put in our appetizer order (which was a special). When we asked him about it, he tried to blame us for the mix up, telling us we never ordered it. He offered to bring us the appetizer after dinner in a box in exchange for no charge for our two drinks. The drinks cost less than the appetizer! He was still charging us full price for the item we never received! The quality of the dinners, and especially the appetizer, was sub par, the service was horrendous. Steer clear and give business to some of the other other, more reasonable, restaurants in Gainesville, there are plenty of options. read more

I am so disappointed! After reading the reviews, I had high expectations and wow were we disappointed. A few things people should know: they DO NOT make their own pasta and they do not have fresh pasta at all besides their ravioli! They use dried grocery store-style pasta. Gross. If I wanted to boil pasta from publix I would do it at home. No decent Italian restaurant doesn't make fresh pasta. The meat was low quality, and the fish was also subpar. The most disappointing part of the meal was the tiramisu! It was the most disgusting tiramisu I have ever had anywhere. Hershey's chocolate syrup on top, with some type of low-quality cheese and dry chewy flavorless lady fingers. No coffee to be seen. The table next to us ordered it too and they were saying how awful it was as well, "This is so dry and weird" is what we overheard. We definitely will not be coming back and will not be recommending it to anyone else. read more

This is the worst Italian food I have ever had. I ordered a special grouper, which was caught the same day as they claimed, but really, it wasn't fresh enough. The mussels were sandy. They just charge way too much for what you get. The service wasn't good either. read more

Yesterday dinner at Amelias (invoice # 4258, $ 94.34). The bruschetta bread has no consistency . Whith respect to the Other plates excessively abused use creams and sauces so that the plate see enjoy pasta it Seems you were taking a cream Shake. When they brought the Bill had a premium of $ 9. Upon observing the innkeeper give me she told us that dishes come with salad and as usual i brought cesar salad that was an upgrade. Se said that we would never notified and he told us that she would see what she can do for us and ejem she return again said that she cant do Nottingham for us. But we can do something and its: write it that people are prevented, the Other thing we can do is no go back anymore. read more

We have recently eaten twice at Amelia's and everything was superb on both occasions. The house salad is so tasty - is it the olive oil? Anyway, it's about the best we've had. And, contrary to other reviews, the bread is crusty and delicious and the olive oil for dipping is just right. Chef Andy is often present in the dining room and will cook to order so I'm sure he would bring butter for the bread! My husband had the sauteed calamari twice and said it is the best he's ever had. The pasta fagioli is so tasty - must be the herbs and lots of garlic. The service is excellent and the prices are not high. We plan to return often and bring our family and friends. read more

What an amazing restaurant! The food was out of this world but I wanted to say thank you to Drew and Chef Andy for an a amazing meal and great customer service. read more

What a lovely discovery! An essential taste of Italy in the midst of Gator Nation! Amelia's offers astonishingly genuine Italian fare, exceptionally prepared and presented in a style confirming olde world grace and sophistication. An experience to be savoured in the right company, and with the right wine or other preferred liquid condiment. Positively European! read more

Very slow service and the staff never acknowledged delays or apologized. Took an hour and 45 minutes to get entrees and then an automatic 20% tip was added on a party of 6's bill. The waitress again never mentioned anything about this when providing the checks. Food was ok but just didn't care for the way some things were handled by staff. read more

We came here to celebrate a GATORS graduation this year! The staff was very accommodating and the server was great. We made reservations in advance for a large party of 12 people. Everything on the menu was delicious especially the calamari, sonoma pinot wine, and the fetuccini alfredo was spectacular! I will come back again if I am ever in the area (i.e. football season!). read more

Booked last minute on opentable for party of 6. Great attention to service all around by host, server and chef. Very solid Italian fare and everyone enjoyed their meals. Appetizers (calamari, crostini and bruschetta), fresh bread and good selection of soups to start. Also a nice variety of main courses, highlights in our group were the NY Strip, spinach manicotti, and chicken piccata. All meals accompanied with house salad and penne. Also enjoyed the house Cabernet, but again there were a good number of house wine options available by the 1/2 carafe. Didn't save room for dessert, but will be back next time we visit our daughter. read more

Love it, very tasty. Had the surf and turf today. The bread is really good. The calamari is also great.

Gainesville has a lot of great restaurants and Amelia's is one of the very best. I always recommend it to out of towners. I take clients here frequently for lunch and dinner and always take out of town guests when we want to eat at a great locally owned place. Definitely blows away chain Italian. I usually get chicken parm or a salad for lunch and one of the specials for dinner. My wife's favorite is the lobster ravioli. I've had a grouper special and a steak special, which both usually seem to be on the menu and if you go in the cooler months and they are doing the lamb shank you are crazy not to order it. Might be the best meat dish I ever ate. The chef/owner has come to our table to say hello just about every time we've been there for dinner. Highly recommend. read more

Chef Andy is so nice and his food is so good. The pesto tortellini is out of this world!!! Have trouble ever ordering anything else because I dream of the pesto tortellini. So good!!! read more

Nice place! Good food, free bread, nice salad came with the pasta. No complaints.

Okay, forget all other restaurants in Gainesville if want you want is authentic fresh food! My father was a chef and so we were always exposed to "real" food, not some imitation canned bull.&)t. The Caesar salad was amazing, the flounder special with clams was to die for, bread was hot and authentically Italian and pasta sauce was great and fresh. It's very seldom I find a restaurant that produces a better meal than I can make in my own kitchen (thanks dad!), but here I have found it. Mid price I would say, $20 per meal - and well worth it. And no the owner is not my brother we stumbled on this place via Yelp. read more

The restaurant is beautiful, the food was incredible and the wait staff was just phenomenal. I do not think I have ever had Italian food that tasted that good. Everything that we ordered was wonderful and there are so many things on the menu that sounded so good that now I definitely want to go back and try. It was the perfect night out for my birthday and I will definitely be going back again and would recommend it to all of my friends. read more

Here's the short version: service and customer service were abominable. I can't speak to the quality of the food as relatively little of it arrived. ZERO stars. Here's the long version if you care to read it: I took my wife and mother-in-law to Amelia's for dinner on Saturday night. The restaurant was busy but not jammed. We had to wait a while for drink orders to be taken and decided that, since they were busy, we would order dinner at the same time. My wife ordered an appetizer and another appetizer for her entrée, mother-in-law and I ordered an entrée only, allowing the salad to serve as appetizer. After a wait consistent with a busy restaurant, I asked the server if there was a delay in serving appetizers, wife's appetizer arrived a few minutes later. She waited a few minutes to start, expecting our salads to arrive presently. She finally gave up and started on her appetizer, sharing it with us. Server finally reappeared a little while after her appetizer was finished and I asked if there was some delay with our salads. Server said they would be out right away, which in this case meant about 10 minutes. Mother-in-law and I ate part of our salads, waiting for the entrée to finish them. At this point it became obvious that every table around us, all of whom had been seated after we had, had all been served their entrées and one was even finishing up. Close to an hour and a half after sitting down, we had still not been served our entrées. Server showed back up and I asked what was going on and he said that the entrées would be out shortly. My wife asked if the order had been put in. We got an equivocal non-answer as he walked away. After recovering from my stupefaction at this treatment. I went to the maître d' to ask that our orders be canceled and the check brought out. At this point, it was late enough that we had to get my 90-year-old mother in law home. My wife went to get the car and, lo and behold, our entrées showed up about 10 minutes after she left. Our server informed us that the owner said we could not cancel the entrées. I asked to speak to the Chef-owner. The server returned and informed me of the chef's reply, that he was too busy in the kitchen to come out. He did arrive just as I was assisting mother-in-law to the now-arrived wife and car. I was rather brusquely informed that the restaurant serves meals in courses and waits for each course to be completed before serving the next. He further informed me that if we were in a hurry we should have told our server. How an appetizer for one and salads for the other two comprise two courses, why we had to ask about the delay for each course, why tables seated after us had been served promptly, and how an hour and a half from seating to entrée is considered acceptable service (or, indeed, constitutes a hurry) at this restaurant all completely confound me. The owner displayed a dismaying disregard for customer service, dismissing a dissatisfied customer in front of other tables and failing to make any accommodation on the bill for food neither eaten nor taken. read more

Nice little restaurant tucked away in corner of downtown Gainesville. Nice decor & very pleasant hostess (Dana). Very clean and upscale, but the food and service did not match the ambiance. Clams in linguine and claim sauce were over cooked and the pasta was under cooked. The red sauce in all the dishes was way to salty.. Kind waiter offered to take it back, but after 45 minute wait for a table and 45 minute wait for our food, we toughed it out. Staff was very nice but it didn't make up for the disappointing meal. read more

Amelia's is one of my regulars. Food always fresh, staff always friendly and helpful. One of the top 3 in gainesville. Amazing seafood. Fresh pasta. read more

***FOOD POISONING*** I would not recommend anyone eating here. A group of my colleagues and I went here after a long weekend of conferences. It appeared to be a regular restaurant on the surface. Unfortunately by the next day I was throwing up, nauseas and highly weak and dehydrated from having diarrhea. I knew it was the food that I ate here because shortly after dinner my stomach was cramping, but I did not think anything of it. But then the next day I ate leftovers and by the end of the night I was in the fetal position. During the same week after recovering I later learned at meeting with my colleagues that others were also experienced nausea, cramping and diarrhea. Two of my colleagues were admitted to the hospital and needed fluids. We all had different orders that night. My dinner was neither that great nor horrible. I had the ravioli. I must say it must have been the utensils, cookware and plates/cups that probably were not properly sanitized. Honestly this can happen at anytime but because it was my first time eating here, I am unfortunately scarred and probably will not ever eat here again. Please be careful. The service was great. It was a nice atmosphere. But the bathrooms need to be kept better. read more

I arranged with Chef Andy to have all my Intern Applicant dinners at Amelia's this year - 20 nights, 15-30 people. Hands down we had the BEST food and BEST service in Gainesville. Chef Andy went out of his way to make my group feel at home. The food was always superb. The applicants AND my residents raved about the lobster ravioli, the steak, the appetizers, etc. Not one complaint! This has been the smoothest applicant season I've had in the 12 years I've been doing it. I love the venue,the food is always delicious, the price is reasonable and I recommend Amelia's to everyone in Gainesville! Italian food at its best! read more

If you like canned tomatoes smothering a blah tasting meal then this is the place for you. The salad was boring, the parma chesse came from a canister and i was greatly disappointed. Italian cuisine is to be made from the freshest ingredients and this is certainly missing at Amelia's. UGH. never again. read more

We were looking to book a nice restaurant for a wedding rehearsal dinner. We were not familiar with restaurants in Gainesville but found Amelia's highly reviewed. We visited about 5 restaurants in the downtown area. Amelia's was the last one. We knew when we walked in the door that this was the one for us. The atmosphere was classy but friendly. We were able to have a private room for our dinner. Chef Andy was very organized, with a sample menu and a printed list of entrees to chose from. We were able to book our date immediately and work out our choices by email after we returned home. The dining experience (23 people) was excellent. The food was fresh and tasty with choices to please everyone. We had appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts and drinks. The servers were responsive and unobtrusive. Our guests were impressed. We had a nice, personal dining experience for a very special occasion. Whether you have a large party like we did or an intimate dinner for two, we recommend Amelia's. The prices were reasonable, the food was outstanding and the experience was memorable. read more

Wonderful evening, disregard the old reviews, under new mgmt with chef Andy as others have said, for past few years, an affable man who will come to your table at some point during your dining experience. A friendly and diligent staff drive this relaxed yet dignified atmosphere, I took what at this point I hope to be the girl of my dreams for our first date, and this fine repast did not hurt my cause. She had I think a chicken dish and I had the salmon, both with salads and pasta side included. Also, a bottle of a decent sauvignon blanc, sizable portions and very good, the salmon was rare and on the money. No appe/desert, we couldn't finish what we had and I was hungry going in, total pretip was @70. As expected in downtown gville, be careful where u park, they validate at the garage and there is a free lot, but if you park in a numbered space behind the funeral home, make sure you put ur 3 bucks in the box or u will be towed as I was: a tow job that I accepted with perfect aplomb given the company I kept, they could have put it in the crusher and I wouldn't have cared:) read more