Real Italian food served with wonderful service! Try the primitivo wine. Fresh, unique, fantastic.

This place takes me back to being in Europe. It is a very quaint and romantic place. We started with the prosciutto and two choice cheese plate. It was amazing, the prosciutto was hand carved right in front of us and the cheese was served with fig, honey and I believe an apricot marmalade. We were both so happy with our selection but sad that we were getting full. Instead of skipping dinner, we opted to split a plate of gnocchi. I can only say it was gnocchi love. The wine selections were also fabulous and we opted for a bottle of Italian. The atmosphere, food and attentive staff made this evening such a wonderful evening. We definitely will be back to try more of the amazing food & wine, plus take in the atmosphere of this quaint place. read more

My wife and I were running some errands and decided to grab a bite to eat.... Since the Pandemic we've been eating out more than usual supporting our local restaurants. We heard some good things about Aqua e Vino so decided to check it out. The food was exceptional, on par with the better restaurants in NYC.. The waitress we had and the waiter she had assisting her were horrendous. They were obnoxious and condescending to say the least. I unintentionally insulted the waitress by questioning why she wanted me to taste the bottle of wine we ordered. (we had a glass and decided to get the same wine with dinner). At that point she passed us off to the only other waiter there who seemed to be her assistant. Once he took our order, he actually had the NERVE to correct my pronunciation of some of the selections I made in a very condescending way. My wife and I are married for more than 36 years... I have never seen her so upset. Upset to the point of saying she never wants to go back. I never write reviews but this experience and how we were treated I felt it necessary. To feel like we were judged by the way we were underdressed or our New York accent is terrible. We are fortunate enough to have dined in some of the best restaurants in NY and Charlotte. Aqua e Vino has left me with such a bad taste I would never go back. Try Kindred, Stagioni's or Bardo...... Their waitstaff is stellar.... Real professionals. read more

This is by far the best Italian restaurant in Charlotte. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary here after getting married in Orta San Guilio, Italy. Our dining experience reminded us of being back there. Every food course was impeccably prepared. So delicious. The lamb chops and risotto were to die for. The cheese plates and deserts divine. Chef Grigo made sure everything was presented properly. Perfect for special occasions, even better to impress a first date or business associate. read more

I've been meaning to do a for review for months now.We've been several times. I can't say enough.Between ourselves and friends I think we've had everything on the menu! All the Primi are out of this world my favorite is the gnocchi no matter how it's served I also love the chicken"my nonna style".You might want to start with Dessert so as not to miss out.Best in the city and all made in house.The service is always on point and friendly.It's so nice to see people enjoying their work.I could go on and on about Chef Grigo his staff the food the wine.Make sure to make a reservation or call a head! read more

Simply fabulous. My husband and I went for restaurant week and everything we ate was super delicious!! The service was top notch too. The servers here really know how to connect with the diners. Very tiny inside and slightly cramped, but they do well with the space and make you feel comfortable. read more

Spectacular! Absolutely the closest to an authentic Italian restaurant you will find in Charlotte. Trust me, I know because I am married to someone from Italy. We took his parents there and they were so impressed. They are extremely picky when it comes to eating out but loved their experience here. Wonderful authentic dining experience. read more

Charlotte now has four restaurants that match some of the best in the country. Aix en Provence, Barrington's, Kindred, and Aqua e Vino. We had dinner at the latter for the first time and every aspect of it was superb. The atmosphere is so inviting -- warm, cozy, and a respite from the world outside. It is exciting that Charlotte's restaurants are finally great. read more

Superior meal, gentle and excellent service, reminds me of a good European style restaurant, have been before and will return.

This place has amazing food and service. Be careful though, this restaurant is tiny with no bar area- reservations are needed, especially on weekends. The chef is very talented and many times will come out of the kitchen to greet guests. read more

The food was good but they made us feel like they were doing us a favor to serve us. Told us we needed to be there at either 5:30 or 8 pm when we made the reservation (in addition to providing a credit card). We chose the early time slot but ended up being the only people in the place other than one other couple that arrived after we did, for the first hour or so. Told us we had to order entire meal at once. Rushed us through the meal and told us they were out of coffee! I guess our time was up read more

Best restaurant in Charlotte. Every bite is sublime. I've been to most of the CLT "top 50, " so no joke. Have had several dinners there and just did lunch. Best lunch I've had in my four years living in Charlotte....the gnocchi and the oxtail rigatoni. This is also the only place I've found so far outside of STL (grew up there) where I can get my meat-filled toasted ravioli fix with their barbajuan...an elevated version originating in Monaco. Thanks, Chef Gabriele! read more

My husband and I went here for dinner and it was definitely one of the best meals we've had in Charlotte, if not the best. Enjoyed every bite, from the octopus to the gnocchi to the roasted duck. And wonderful wine list! Plus, the service was was great too. Will definitely be going back. read more

We called for a reservation 2 weeks in advance. We walked in and we're told we didn't have a reservation because there was a party. I then asked them to check and one of the servers immediately said "it's impossible!" Another server said he had no record of my call. They continued to treat meet like I was stupid for showing up. Then another said she would look in the reservation book. And there it was for the next night! No one was apologetic at all. Don't waste your time! read more

the best italian restaurant in Charlotte !!! great service , romantic and great wines !!! Try the pastas with a nice bottle of Sapaio Volpolo ! read more

Fantastic meal! Best meal we ever had during Queens Feast Week. The chef and waiter were most gracious and took care of every request. Planning to go back next month and in December for the Truffle meals. read more

The new best Italian restaurant in Charlotte. High quality of food prepared to perfection. All at a fair price and great service. Highly recommend! read more

One of our favorite restaurants in Charlotte. Very attentive service, great menu selection. The chef Gabriel always try to spend time with guest and explain dishes. Great Italian place. read more

We would never go there again, ever! My wife and I had an 8:30 PM reservation. We got there early and we waited for a table for 30 minutes when another couple came in and was seated immediately as soon as a table was freed up. No explanations were given. Finally my wife asked the head waiter why and he said the other couple had a "standing reservation" every week. So that means they can cut in front of everybody else whenever they choose to show up? That really made us angry and we walked out. We don't care what food they serve. We will never give them the business. read more

Third dinner at Aqua e Vino last night and it was amazing, as always. It is my favorite restaurant in Charlotte! The chef came out and talked with us and we decide to let him pick our menu, which was out of this world delicious. The chicken with greens on top is my favorite, but the fresh pasta can't be beat. The service is second to none. It is fantastic night out with friends or date night. GO! read more

Amazing food. Every. Time. Gabriele is phenomenal, he always has something new cooking up and it is ALWAYS great. We've tried Sunday brunch/lunch served family style, we've tried a wine paired dinner (three times) and we even held our daughter's first communion luncheon there. All fantastic. I'm stingy with my five star reviews, this restaurant easily deserves one. read more

The owner came to our table and made recommendations, the food was delicious, and the experience excellent. Quiet inviting atmosphere, personable, and quaint. You would not expect such a great experience, but while there a number of repeat customers were met with hugs. Add this place to you list of stops! read more

The best in Charlotte. By far. Call for reservations because the secret has gotten out.

Wife and I Came today, from 45 miles away,for a late lunch meet another couple from N. Syracuse. Wanted to be seated outside as it wasn't raining. Had a beautiful setting and a fantastic waiter. Just about the time our was given a group started to arrive and sat at a long table right next to us. All of a sudden there must have be about in the party. They were so loud we could not visit with our friends. Asked waited if we could move indoors so we could visit. Waited moved us with no problem. At least two other sets of guests did the same. My point being when group this large comes to celebrate why not put them in a banquet type room. I felt because of such a large group and loud voices this was unfair to other patrons. Our food was too notch as usual and our waiter was one of the finest. PLEASE when something like this happens again for the fairness of others dining move large groups into a separate room. read more

This is the best Italian restaurant in Charlotte, hands down. Very little publicity but oh man, the food is absolutely delicious.

Delicious food from a real Italian chef. Finally, I found Italian food in Charlotte. Not a knock off but the real soul of an Italian kitchen. Perfection from the service to the kitchen I can't wait to return. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant in Charlotte! Very authentic and the chef is so creative. His food is amazing. Five stars!

We got kicked out of this restaurant because we were not ordering fast enough. Apparently they have a 2 hour limit (I was not told that when I made a reservation). We were celebrating a friend's birthday and supporting her because of a death in the family. We complained to the owner about the server (who wouldn't spend the time to suggest a wine to my husband and kept trying to hurry us), and the owner basically took the server's side and then yelled at us about not ordering fast enough. He was a jerk. A bit of calm and listening could have solved the situation, but he literally pointed to the door. So we left. Never go there again. read more

This place is amazing. The attention to detail and the quaint ambience really add to the charm of the whole experience. A must try in the Charlotte area. read more

Hands down best fine dining Italian in Charlotte, probably the Southeast. Authentic, delicate and delicious. Every dish is exactly as it should be. I wish I could go every week. read more

Great little spot! Make a reservation, this place fills up quickly -- even on weeknights. Went to AQUA e VINO last night for 3rd or 4th visit. Expect updated dinner menus at reasonable read more

Great Northern Italian food-A small restaurant but very cozy, excellent service-spectacular food

I went for restaurant week with a friend and the meal was amazing! Significantly better than the unnamed expensive steakhouse I went to the previous week. The octopus appetizer was the perfect size and the medley of flavor was spot on. The veal cheeks and polenta melted in my mouth - I don't think I left a drop of gravy on the dish. And the bread pudding was one of the best I have ever had. The servers were very attentive and engaging - both with suggestions and with funny one liners! I will definitely go back. read more

This was one of the best dining experiences my wife and I have had in Charlotte, and we have both lived here for about twenty years. We went during restaurant week for our one year anniversary so we really got to explore the menu and taste several dishes. The grilled octopus appetizer was the most tender I've ever had. My grouper and risotto entree was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. My wife had what we thought was going to be a caprese salad but turned out to be a very refreshing cold heirloom tomato soup (almost like a gazpacho) with fresh mozzarella, a basil leaf and focaccia bread croutons. It was delicious. Her eggplant and ricotta manicotti was excellent too. It wasn't covered in melted mozzarella and not smothered in chunky, overly-flavored tomato sauce like other places do, which really let the pasta, delicate sauce, and filling stand out on this one. Desserts were homemade and light, and a perfect end to the not overly filling meal, accompanied by an espresso to keep the night going! The plating and presentation was top notch. You can tell the chefs put all their effort and passion into each dish and do not let any plate leave the kitchen that is not up to Chef Grigo's standards. It was a nice surprise to see Chef Grigo come out to the dining area and slice the prosciutto on the carving station to prepare the meat and cheese platters. He even carved us each a slice to try since he caught my wife watching him work. The fact that there are only about 8 tables in the restaurant allows for an intimate or small group dinner with great service. I highly recommend everyone give this place a try. read more