Got to come in and try some items on their spring menu. I love the variety on their cocktail and wine list. They also have a great $5 bar bites menu, if you want to come by after work for an appetizer. Great list, including beef sliders and pizza.. Totally a winner. They have a spring sweet pea ravioli on the menu that is out of this world! It's made with mint, lemon, peas, and topped with prosciutto, swiss chard and a butter sauce. It is perfectly refreshing and very tasty. The pasta al nero is a great mix with lumb crab, mussels, shrimp and linguine. It's a great way to try a little bit of everything, with a hint of spice. Super delicious and worth getting to share.Service is very good, and I love the intimate setting. They even have a private table in the back. Can't wait to come back for bar bites and restaurant week. read more

See all

This is my go to spot. The food has always been consistent. We usually go here for their food happy hour specials. ($5 small plates). It's easy to order to much because the menu is extensive. Usually this place is packed and you'll have to 'look' for seating at the bar area. This is also a good deal prior to going to a hornet's game because it's a simple walk. Aria also has a very good drink menu regardless of what you drink. The bartenders are always on top of things and helpful for any questions. read more

See all

You guys - this place is sooooo yum! Hand made pasta, extensive ItalIan wine list. What's not to love?!!! Stopped in during Queen's Feast (restaurant week) and completely forgot it was going on. Started with the Shaved Kale Salad. Which had a really great and light vinaigrette on it. Little pops of pomegranate bursted in my mouth! Main course, I obviously chose the Carbonara. And boy am I glad I did. The pasta was perfectly created from scratch and perfectly al dente. I highly recommend it if you want one of those pasta dishes that will speak to your soul. Dessert - went for the marscapone cheesecake. Had little drizzle of caramel and chocolate sauce all around it and was sprinkled with pistachios. My pops got the gelato trio. Do yourself a favor and just get the orange gelato. Life changing. Creamsicle. Can't wait to come back after Dryuary and drink some Italian vino!! read more

Tried Aria last night. Very dark interior and boy was it hot inside especially after a brisk walk from our hotel. The white wine was tepid but decent selection. Salads had beautiful presentation. Calamari was just ok but was fresh enough. My husband had the veal loin special and loved it. Lots of typical trattoria selections. read more

It has been a while since I been back to Aria. This time it's for their bar bites. Must be at the bar area when ordering bar bites for 5 dollars. There are drink specials as well. Had the Tiramisu Martini which was good. Found the food not to be that impressive. Quality has apparently changed. One of my friends did not like her Gnocchi and found it to be too salty. The Baccala Brushetta was not impressive. The whipped cod spread came on one piece bread and not on toast. Inquired with waitress, not use to seeing Brushetta on one piece of bread and accustomed to small pieces of toasted bread. She did not seem happy that I was inquiring and asking her this questions. Waitress ignored me and did not bother to refill my glass with water when it was empty and gave the cold shoulder. Even when we asked for the check. The waitress brought out one bill, put it in front of my friend and said split it amongst yourselves. What is up with that? Customer service was not at it's best Today. read more

Delightful experience at Aria with girlfriends! Service was great! Food was full of flavor! Extensive wine list. Warm inviting atmosphere. Cacio e pepe, meatballs, charcuterie were all super yummy. read more

Aria is perfect for a large party, a cocktail at the bar, or a romantic dinner. The service was reasonable and everyone in my party enjoyed their meal. I was slightly disappointed in the caramel ones gnocchi appetizer, but I highly recommend the eggplant starter, home made pappardele, steak, and tiramisu. read more

Aria - Steak - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

We chose Aria for their Tuscan grilled fare. Such a wise decision. We started with ice teas to quench our thirst after a little city walkabout. We ordered the artichokes, which were seasoned and grilled perfectly. There are four on a plate, so plenty for two people, but also a fine tasting portion for four people. From there we moved on to a grilled chicken Caesar salad that we split. Fair portion for two, anchovies included. We love the salad itself, but the bitter radicchio had no business jumpin in the mix. Moving along to the special, medium grilled skirt steak expertly seasoned over grilled endives with herbs. Perfection, although only 7 small slices, each 4 small bites in the serving. It would be a fair portion for a 20% price reduction. We ended the night with their delicious coffee (they refilled our beautiful cups in saucers 4 times and served with sugar in the raw and real cream, not half and half or any other inferior creaming game. To top it off, we had coffees to go along with tiramisu and their strawberry delicious desert. The wait staff were experts and their service was impeccable. We were well cared for and cannot wait to return again! read more

Aria - Aria dining and bar area - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

My husband and I are visiting Charlotte from Arizona and we found this lovely restaurant for dinner tonight. The food was superb and our waiter was excellent! read more

Aria - Hand Made Mushroom Ricotta Cappelletti - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Went here with a friend and the service was impeccable and the food was amazing! Our server was attentive and jovial. He had one of his fellow servers come do a few magic tricks that made the night even more spectacular. The ambiance was beautiful and great for a girl's night or a date. You should definitely check them out! read more

I was here for a work dinner and this is one of those places that get's the uptown post work "business" crowd. Decent amount of menu options and a very extensive wine list and some beer choices. I got the had the salmon with mashed potatoes dishes, tasty stuff. The customer service was good. read more

My husband and I were here for their "bar bites" (happy hour) menu before going to an exhibit at the nearby Mint Museum uptown. I think everything on the bar bites menu was $5 (food) and there were drink specials as well. In NC, sadly, we can't really enjoy happy hour (it's illegal to sell drinks at a discount for a set window within a day - you can have specials on drinks, but they must be offered all day...). Like most bar bites and happy hour menus, you have to eat in the bar to get the special. We were promptly greeted by the bartender who poured filtered water from a bottle (tap water basically) into our glasses. She was very friendly, and gave us the time we needed to look over the menu. Tip: the happy hour or bar bite menu is tucked in the back of the cocktail menu. We ordered the calamari (small portion and average at best), the lamb sliders (you get two, they're served with delicious goat cheese, some kind of lettuce/green, and homemade thin-sliced pickles - yum), and two orders of the truffle oil gnocchi! We got two orders because my husband had tried them here before (they're offered as an appetizer for much more) and insisted we get two. Thank goodness we did - I don't think I would have shared. This was far and away the highlight of our options! Crazy-delicious. Usually, anything cooked with truffles or truffle oil is great, but the texture was almost airy-pillowy, they were perfectly cooked and seasoned and were served with some thin slices of fresh and deliciously salty prosciutto. We will definitely come back, but we'll just jump to the gnocchi! My husband got a glass of Woodford reserve on the rocks - $14 - not cheep at all, but not an uncommon price or markup. The entrees of the nearby customers looked great too. The restaurant is big (with an upstairs area) and is nicely decorated without being stuffy. I went in wearing jeans and felt fine... I visited the ladies room, which I only note because the floor was oddly super sticky - my shoes stuck with each step. Overall, I give it 5 stars. Great location, good service and quality food. I believe they also offer free valet, but we didn't use it because we got there before 6pm (the city of CLT doesn't let the valet companies set up before 6PM due to traffic flow). We parked in the underground deck "the greens" for $5. Hope this review was useful. Enjoy - and don't forget to get the gnocchi!!!! Also see my attached pictures... read more

See all

I am a little surprised the rating is below four. Aria has great food and great service. They have by far the best bar bites in the city and the cocktails are top notch. Never had a bad meal here and the wait staff is great and consistent. There doesn't appear to be much turnover, which means they are treated well. read more

Turned away at the door after we called before coming. And in such a rude way. We called one night before we came out to dinner. They said they were very busy, and I indicated we would be happy to wait as long as needed for a table and asked if we should come, or go elsewhere instead. I was told we should come and that would be fine. I indicated two of us would be there within half an hour. Otherwise we would have gone somewhere else and this never would have happened. When we showed up 20 minutes later, we valet parked and went in. There I was told they were busy. I said again we knew, I had spoken to the hostess (clearly the same person) and we would be happy to wait a long time. I think a manager was there next to her, and he repeated "we're busy". It was really weird. Eventually I got the picture! It was like they wouldn't admit out loud they were turning us away. Very strange and so rude. The hostess looked uncomfortable and the manager next to her was just hostile. The valets didn't know it was that "busy" either otherwise they would not have parked our car. Honestly the hostility turned us off so much more than them being full. Definitely don't want to interact with staff again, there are equal or better restaurants for the price. We won't be returning. read more

Never been here before and was excited to try it to kick off Charlotte's Queen Feast. I had made reservations for 5 people with no other special orders. I was so pleased to see that they took our group and seated us at a special table, the Chef's table. To top if off the menu was fully open for Queen's Feast. Most places do a shortened menu but not Aria. I had the daily special which the name escapes me but it was very similar to a pork osso bucco dish atop pasta. It was delicious! The teramisu (sp) was incredible as a dessert as well. The service was also very good and the food came out incredibly fast actually. I would have liked it to have come to the table a bit more throttled but they were also slammed and probably trying to turn tables as quickly as possible. read more

Great wine collection! The waiter was friendly and had good knowledge of their wine selection. read more

Aria - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This new addition to Charlotte did a great job in exceeding our expectations on a recent snowy night. Aria serves Tuscan food in a contemporary environment, and I loved that the open bar with live music that kept us entertained for most of the night. We had a reservation at 9 on a Friday night. Good thing- as this place was packed! The restaurant is below street level so we were able to peek in as we walked along the sidewalk to gauge where we wanted to sit before walking in. Upon entering the front door, you are in a vibrant bar with a wall of wine from floor to ceiling. Glancing around, the open kitchen is the next thing to catch your eye and then you spy the seating area as the tables are filled with animated people all enjoying their food while listening to the live guitar music. I could have sat in the bar all night- but dinner was our goal! We were seated immediately and began to look at the menu. Our server, Carolyn was great! She knew the menu inside and out and was able to make some great suggestions for us. And the patrons were friendly too, as we struck up a conversation with the couple next to us within minutes of sitting down (but that's another story for another time) We began with the tuna carpaccio and the antipasto plate. The tuna came with asparagus and was terrific, and the antipasto? Gone in an instant but not before enjoying the salami, olives and cheeses. We decided to split a pasta and and a couple of entrees so that we could taste a larger range of the menu. The penne pasta with ricotta and vodka tomato cream sauce was perfection on a plate (would it have been wrong of me to lick the dish?). And the lamb chops were so good I didn't want to share them so my friend enjoyed his veal scallopini in peace. Dinner for two with drinks and wine came to about $130 which was great considering the quality of the food and the quantity of the drinks that we had. It was a great night out and the service was spot on. We walked to the restaurant but if you are driving- they do have complimentary valet parking and also validate for the Bank of America parking garage. Aria may be a new addition to Charlotte- but they have none of the new restaurant blues that so many places experience. Unless, of course you count the blues being played in the lounge, but on the night we were here- those were just the kind of blues we wanted to hear! read more

The food was good, not spectacular, but again...good. I had the: - calamari which could have used more seasoning, salt...flavor - lamb pappardelle which was good, but also needed something to bring out the flavor - la scalla limoncello cocktail which was really good I had just come from the spa and was dressed casually (jeans, sweater, boots). I was concerned I might be a bit under-dressed, but turned out I was fine. My point is...while it may seem like a very dressy place to some, if you're a bit casual...no worries. Decor was really nice, clean and simple. Thankfully being that there were a few local events happening that night, finding a seat at 8:30pm was easy (despite not having reservations). I opted for the bar, which ultimately was a mistake. Service (for me) was lacking! One seat a way was a couple who I imagine had some affiliation to the restaurant (i.e.; owner, frequent patron, friend of the owner, etc.). Everyone... chefs, servers, managers, other diners at the bar and those working the bar seemed so engrossed with their every need. Before their glasses of wine was done bartenders were waiting to pour more. They received great treatment, but as a result it unfortunately seemed that I (a paying diner) was an afterthought. I had to call the bartender over so I could order a drink. When my glass of water finished, no one offered a refill. When my cocktail was done, not once did anyone check if I wanted to order another. Even complimentary bread (which others received) wasn't offered. Upon finishing my meal, I wasn't asked if I'd like to see a dessert menu. As a frequent diner at casual and fine dining establishments, I found several things to be unacceptable. Although the food was fine....the service received left me disappointed. read more

My visit was for a girlfriend's birthday celebration. Our table was upstairs which seemed a little cramped surrounded by other full tables. It took almost an hour to get our order taken. Not sure if it was that busy or if the waitress was waiting for one person from our party. I ordered a ceasar salad with grilled chicken which was slightly dry. I ordered an Amoretta stone (Amoretta sour with OJ) and that was very good. Overall the visit was decent. I would possibly come back another time. read more

Aria - Amoretta Stone (Amoretta Sour with OJ) - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Really impressed with this place! We had a great server which is hard to come by right now. I was impressed with the wine list - you can never go wrong with a bottle of Daou Cabernet. We started with the caramelized gnocchi and it was so delicious. I didn't think I even liked gnocchi but now I do if it taste like this. Then I got the bolognese tagliatelle which was phenomenal. My friend asked them to make her a vodka sauce pasta dish and they did. She loved it. Overall great experience and I will be back for sure. read more

overall this is a great restaurant from the initial reservation contact, in person dining, food, drinks and dessert! Aria provided seating for 12 that allowed for interactive conversation, the food was top notch, all served timely, well presented. our drinks were delicious. Thank you for a great experience in downtown Charlotte! read more

We dined here tonight for my boyfriends birthday and honestly it was incredible beginning to end. The drinks, the bread plus Italian bean salad, appetizers, entrees, all the way to dessert. Service was top notch, Robin was very knowledgeable all around and just made our entire evening so much better! We will definitely be back! read more

See all

This place is very lively on the inside! I came on business so I sat at the bar. They have a very large wine and cocktail list, I saw that they even have bottles in $30s which is nice and you don't see that often at nicer restaurants. Decided to go with the rack of lamb and half order (yes!! They do that too!!) of homemade pasta. The lamb was under seasoned but the pasta was really good... too bad I got a half order of it read more

Aria - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

I have been to Aria several times, mostly for drinks and appetizers. Most recently I met a friend for lunch. After arriving we were seated upstairs and brought water, bread and their cannellini beans spread. I have had the spread before and unfortunately this time it was very dry, missing some of the freshness of the beans, but the bread was on point. After browsing the menu I decided to try the Pepperoni Pizza and my friend ordered the Tomato Basil Soup and a kids grilled cheese, since she was craving a grilled cheese with her soup and they did not offer that on the main lunch menu. The Pepperoni Pizza is described with crushed tomatoes, bacon, onion and ricotta. Let me first say the dough was cooked perfectly, a thin dough with a light and fluffy crust. However, it should have been described as an onion pizza. Maybe it was the order I received but I picked forks full of onions off the pizza as it took away from the flavor of the pepperoni and cheese, which is what I really wanted to enjoy. Service overall wasn't on point and I definitely didn't think the lunch menu lived up to what I expected. I will definitely go back for drinks and think about giving them another shot for lunch and/or dinner. read more

Eating here was a weird, unpleasant experience. We went for my friends 24th birthday, we had 6 girls total and brought a cake. When we got in, they told us it would be $5 PER PERSON to eat the cake we brought at the table... that was already weird as we are dining and giving them business. But we sit down anyways and get greeted by our waiter TAYLOR about 5 minutes after we sit down. He brings water and asks what drinks we would like. I do not have a lot of knowledge about wine and they have an extensive menu with names I have never heard of. I tried asking about them and he looked at me dumbfounded as to how I don't know that that, so I ended up ordering a spritzer that tasted like a white claw. I asked the waiter to leave the drink menu at the table and I guess he didn't hear me because he kept walking away. For food I got the Chicken Cacciatore Ravioli, which consisted of 7 raviolis with a fabulous sauce. The ravioli was undercooked and somewhat tough... $27 is crazy for that. Also one person at our table never got her drink she ordered. The server really made this a bad experience. The lack of sales experience he displayed, and the lack of attentiveness. On top of that, he did "automatic gratuity" on our table of 6 which they did not tell us when we arrived, and the server wrote it in with pen on the tip line as if he was the one making up this rule and enforcing it. Anywhere else that auto grats for groups has a system to support that and print it out, not the server writes the tip where the paying customer should. You don't get to pick your own tip amount. If you want to do that on our table because we have 6 fine, but I've never been somewhere where the computer doesn't print it out, and that was sketchy to me. Don't recommend dining here if you are younger and look like you might not run up a $400 bill on the company card... and I don't recommend Taylor to be your server, especially if your a group of girls looking to have a fun, relaxing time read more

The last time I went to Aria was a year ago, it popped up on my timehop and I had to write a review and now I'm thinking about going tonight! The ambience is really nice, kind of elegant. It definitely feels like an upscale restaurant when you walk in. The wine selection is on point and the wine display is awesome! I'm a huuuuge wine personal I absolutely loved it! I got the penne ala vodka and I have never had this dish prepared the way it is at Aria and boy, is it delicious! It definitely has a different faster than most penne ala vodkas but it is sooo good. I think it's a lighter dish than normal which makes it nice. You don't feel as full but it's just as good! My friend got a risotto which is pictured below. I can't remember the name, but that was just as good. Definitely a lot heavier than my dish but delicious, if you love cheese, get it! We also got calamari to start, and it was perfect-crispy, not over or undercooked, it was just right. And a delicious dipping sauce! I definitely will be going back soon, if not tonight!! read more

See all

I went here for lunch with a couple of coworkers because we saw their $8.99 lunch special. It was well advertised, and they got us to go. The $8.99 special comes with a choice of Cesar or mixed house salad, choice of pasta (from 4 choices), and a dessert (with no choice). They also serve complimentary bread in the beginning which is always nice. SO the funny thing is that they serve all 3 portions (salad, pasta, and dessert) all on the same plate! It was cool in a way, BUT the portions were way too small. So i had to eat extra bread to feel full! I got ordered: House salad: I got the balsamic dressing (FYI, this was a thicker kind of balsamic dressing) everything about the salad was acceptable. Penne Vodka pasta: It was very good, but the portion was too small. Cheesecake: I am not sure everyday it is cheesecake for the lunch special. It was great cheesecake, but once again a very tiny portion. I am not holding them against their tiny portions for their lunch special because we took a risk to try it. The one thing that brought them down to 3 stars was their lack of service for refilling our sweet teas, and bringing our check just very slow during lunch time. Other then that I would definitely go back for the normal large portions of food! ENJOY! read more

Aria - 3 meal lunch deal for $8.99 - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The staff is unpretentious for a prestigious address. Located in Center City @ Founders Hall/Bank of America Corporate Center one might expect the "Uptown Aura". One Block from Time Warner Arena, or Epicenter the location is great. The food. Presentation is important, but so are the quality of ingredients. Try the 3 Course lunch for $9. I had the salad, spaghetti with meatballs, cheesecake, and plenty of La Bozza Toscana bread. Tip: Request to have your parking validated. read more

Aria - Awesome Three Course Lunch for $8.95! You can't park in Charlotte for under $10. - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This has truly been the best meal I've had since moving to the Charlotte area. The drink I ordered was a "Thyme to drink" was tantalizing. I also ordered the Caesar Salad and It was amazing. The highlight of the meal was the lamb. The absolutely the most amazing lamb I have ever tasted. read more

Aria - Braised Lamb Shank Mascarpone Polenta, Herb Roasted Tri-Colored Carrots, Natural Pan Sauce - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My husband and I like Aria a lot. It's our go-to place to eat before catching a show at Belk Theater and we've done New Year's Eve dinner here every year for the last 4 or so. We've really missed them (and life in general) during COVID so we took a chance on take-out and it did not disappoint. The food was delicious as always and they do curbside pick up so it felt very safe (and easier to pull off in uptown where parking can be a nightmare). Everyone is very friendly which is nothing new for Aria (at least in my experience) which helps make these weird times a bit more tolerable. We can't wait until we can dine-in again but until then, we'll enjoy take out. read more

Aria is a great place. Did I really not write a review for this place? 1. Restaurant Week 2014 / Evening Dinner / Live Music / Good Food. 2. Lunch with a colleague in 2015 / Great Spaghetti & Meatballs. I mean really. 3. Lunch with friends in 2016 / Spaghetti & Meatballs! Really! 4. Lunch with law school acquaintance 2016 / Goat cheese pizza and... Spaghetti & Meatballs! 5. Lunch with the wife in 2016 / Spaghetti &... You know. 6. Lunch with the colleague in 2016 / 3 course lunch set with fettuccine and caesar greens. Although I liked my first experience, I didn't start going to Aria frequently until I began working in the connected building pretty much on top of the whole complex. It's one of my go to places for lunch - not just because of the location, location, location, but also because of the awesome food and great ambiance. There was this one time that service wasn't good. In fact, it was bad. No eye contact, and nothing after a compliment. But all other times have been great so I'm willing to bet that it was just that one person. Now, in case you haven't noticed, I love their Spaghetti & Meatballs. It's fantastic. The sauce is what I remember from childhood, the pasta is just right, but the meatballs definitely steal the show. They are the best in town. I'm saying it and you can trust me on this. read more

Aria - I'll keep saying it. Best Spaghetti & Meatballs. And the lunch special Goat Cheese Pizza was really good today. - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Aria is one of the best Italian restaurants in Charlotte. I had the eggplant parmigiana and the cavatelli. Both were amazingly delicious. Cavatelli was handmade and it is definitely the signature dish of Aria. I highly recommend Aria either for a dinner date or a group dinner. The waitresses are very nice and the service is perfect! read more

Aria - Eggplant Parmigiana al Forno Dinner - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My wife and I came here for dinner recently. The atmosphere is amazing! The service was perfect! We got scallops which were some of the largest and best scallops we have ever had. They were full of flavor! We also got chicken parm that was delicious. The tiramisu for dessert is a must. They have amazing cocktails as well. We can't wait to go back for date night! read more

The perfect spot for a date night! The drinks are interesting and dare I say a must! The ambience is dark and romantic. The staff was so sweet and attentive. I got the carbonara with chicken and it was amazing with every bite. My date got the ravioli and it was as equally good. Would go back to try everything on the menu! read more

After you have a great dinner at fantastic restaurant, you want a great drink. While out celebrating a promotion, we were not ready to go home yet after dinner. Aria has always had great food, but their craft cocktails are phenomenal. We had The QC and Skip the Wine. We will be back to accompany these savory cocktails with dinner in the near future. read more

Aria - The QC - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Best food in Charlotte, and we've tried a lot of places. Very authentic Italian food, and the service was very good. Great ambience. Couldn't recommend this place enough. Try the gnocchi to start, it was our favorite. read more

I like Aria. It served it's purpose for my lunch outing with co-workers. I had the Grilled Salmon and it was tasty. Portion size was small...but I'm sure if it were bigger, I prob would have been sleep at my desk later on. Prices were a wee bit steep. I should have ordered off the lunch menu. They have an express lunch for $8.99 and you get a lunch portion entree, a salad and cheese cake. Perfect for lunch!! Happy lunchin' Uptown business folk! read more

Came for Valentine's Day with a RSVP. Got sat right away but had a really bad seat. Good was good. Calamari was tender. My seafood pasta was so good. Husbands scallops was melt in your mouth!! read more

See all

I loved everything about Aria. The food was excellent, my server (Richard) was wonderful and the decor was beautiful. I stopped by on a Thursday evening after work to grab some dinner. The bar was getting pretty packed with men and women in suits and ties. The menu looked good but the bar bites menu looked even better. Each plate was $5 and that was what sold me. I am always one who wants to try everything on the menu but my eyes are bigger than my stomach so I stuck to just three of the items. I ordered the caramelized gnocchi, beef short ribs and the bone marrow. Before my orders were brought out I was presented with a small bowl of tuscan beans and a nice loaf of bread. It was crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The beans were drizzled with olive oil and had a hint of lemon juice, salt, parsley, black pepper and salt. You eat the beans with the bread. I've never had this before and it was really good. When my entrees came out they were beautifully plated and they tasted as good as they looked. My top favorite is the bone marrow. In close second was the beef short ribs and then the gnocchi. You scoop out the bone marrow, spread it on your buttered toast and top it off wit the veggies (parsley, red onions, capers). The beef short ribs were sitting on top of polenta and was topped with some greens (don't know what type) and what looked like cubes of beets. It was drizzled with a fruity, acidic sauce. The dish was pulled together nicely. The gnocchi was also beautifully plated but I got this only because it was a dish I have never had before. It looked like little balls of dough but did not taste doughy at all. It was soft and chewy but did not have much flavor. If it wasn't for the toppings (Prosciutto di Parma, Pear, Gorgonzola, Truffle Oil) I wouldn't have liked it. I was pretty full at the end of my meal and didn't finish everything but wanted to get dessert to go. I opted for the chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Hazelnut Gelato & Vanilla Cream. Since I did not have a freezer in my hotel room for the gelato and ice cream, I had to get a substitute of berries. The slice of cake was pretty big and I could not finish it. The cake itself was a little dry but if you take in the hazelnut and the cake along with the chocolate together it is absolutely decadent. I would have been sinful if I had the ice cream and gelato too because I was told that it compliments the cake beautifully and brings out even more flavors. Ugh, I wish I had saved room to eat it the way it was supposed to be eaten. Oh well. read more

See all

Since I keep passing this place on my way to lunch everyday, I figured I had to try it out sooner or later. After I received two good recommendations about it, I decided it was finally time! I went there last Friday with my co-workers and I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the food delicious, but the variety of items offered on the menu allows for an expansive Italian taste tour. My only reservation about Aria is in regard to the appetizers which, in my opinion are far too small to demand the price that they do. It's literally ONE crab cake for $12 and five tiny morsels of cheese also for $12. I found the caramelized gnocchi a bit "doughy," but the calamari is the best I've had this side of the country. The entrees are definitely the selling points of this restaurant. The slow cooked beef short rib was tender, pink, juicy, and fatty! Osso Bucco and Angus Rib-Eye Filet were equally note-worthy. I'd say the red meat is their forte. Moreover, the portions suddenly quadruple in size once you get to the entrees such that you may as well skip out on the apps all together. My compatriots weren't raving about their chicken or pasta dishes and I came to the conclusion that their judgments were reasonable. "Tastes like chicken." One aspect I particularly enjoyed about Aria was the attention placed on the garnishes for each dish. The tuna sashimi is served on a salt board, which flavors the meat as time passes (Don't wait too long though!). The "italian mac/cheese underneath the rib-eye is absolutely amazing (not overly-cheesy) and the garlic swiss chard on the Osso Bucco was relished by all. I would definitely come here again to try more things on the menu. Perhaps I would pass on the apps this time because I would trade one entree for three apps any day of the week. Yum! 4/5 read more

See all