HIGHLY RECOMMEND Beautiful restaurant with bright and open ambiance. From the bartenders to the wait staff, everyone was beyond excellent. Extremely professional Our food was outstanding. I don't think we ate one mediocre item. I wish we weren't just visiting because this would be a regular for us. read more

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I wanted to love it. We took a family member here today for his birthday, and had really high hopes since we'd never visited before, and we typically travel distances for great steak. Well...haha...unfortunately, this isn't it. I used to work in this area, and though our reservations were early on a Friday right when they opened, I thought it was a bit tacky for the blinds to be all the way up on the windows with a street view of a parking garage (Dayton is not cute). Loved our server, but he was doused in an overwhelming cologne and I couldn't get the smell out of my nose the whole time; though he did apologize. I was also seated facing the kitchen and had the displeasure of watching one of the chefs handle my steak sandwich bun with his bare hands (pray over your food folks). Unbelievable! Highlights: Spiritless Ginger Smash, Fett'Untaa Oilio E Prezzemolo, 18oz Strip Steak, and my Steak Sammy (bare hands notwithstanding). Lowlights: Chicken Milanese - I'm sorry, this is supposed to be an Italian restaurant and they served this without pasta, without a side dish??? We had to order a separate order of fries for this and the 18oz Strip. I was pretty shocked, my daughter disappointed (she packed it to go). I would say for what we paid, last year for this birthday we drove to Michell's Steakhouse in Columbus and had Waygu and Filets for just a bit more of the cost. Do yourself a favor, make the drive. read more

Wife and I went for their V Day special which cost $95 per person (plus tip, drinks, and parking). So for a dinner that is guaranteed to be over $100 per person, it was a let down. Started with an $18 chocolate old fashioned that had to be sent back because there was no detectable chocolate flavor, and an espresso martini that had a hair in it. Meatball appetizer was great. Salads were mid. Lobster risotto was one-note. Grouper was over-cooked and similarly underwhelming. Finally the dessert (unfortunately not pictured) was basically a cup of passion fruit soup with a single raspberry. Finally, although the restaurant has a cool vibe, we were sat in the back area sandwiched closely to other couples...who were all whispering to each other about the food-price mismatch. read more

Bistecca - Caesar salad, house salad, tasty spiritless espresso martini, (half eaten) delicious meatball appetizer - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Downtown Dayton used to be a mecca of nice restaurants. That was then...this is now. And I was thrilled when I heard there was a new Italian Steakhouse in the newly opened Hilton Hotel. We tried to go several times around the Schuster Theater, but could never get in....usually because the matinee gets out at 4 and they don't open until 5. What a loss for both theater attendees and this restaurant. I hope they look at that. Finally we went here for dinner. Valet is convenient, no problem checking in, and service was excellent. So far winning. Cocktails were nice, but a little on the high side. Had mussels and artichoke hearts, and they were both good. Six of the eight of us went with the waitress recommendation of steak. They were all just ok, but not up to steakhouse quality. The big fail was Eggplant Parm...and it was eggplant and sauce but no pasta. I've never seen that before and was profoundly disappointed. The bottom line is that this was upscale for a " hotel" restaurant. They need to open around Schuster and Victoria schedules. I would return for drinks and apps. read more

The sunrise and strawberry spritz were delicious. The Bistecca steak was recommended by our waiter Israel who was attentive and made great recommendations. It is a 32 oz steak and with a couple sides and an appetizer was enough to split between three of us. Cooked perfectly and is a porterhouse cut. The sweet potato apple hash is a must try, we all agreed this was delicious. The seasonal risotto had goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, delicious. The dining is not fast food, allow yourself time to experience the food and the company you are with. This is a restaurant within the beautiful Ardent hotel across from the Victoria Theatre. The only negative is it is a bit loud at times but not to the point you can't hold a conversation with your table. read more

Love this place! I've been 2 times now on busy weekends and service and food quality were great both times! The steaks and pastas are cooked and seasoned to perfection! I will definitely be back! read more

We were treated like second class citizens from the moment we walked in with a reservation by the way. After 40 mins at the table and no drinks we decided to end the disaster. I'd never go back. read more

The location is beautiful. It is in a newly renovated Hilton in downtown Dayton. The bartender was fabulous, she was friendly, fast and the drinks were made well. We had a large group and reservations. The server at our table, Jonah, was great and very attentive. Some of the other tables from our group felt the service was lacking but Jonah took good care of our table. Our food was hot and orders came out timely. The menu did not have any vegan options. There were a few vegetarian options but the offerings could benefit from a few plant based options. read more

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After reading a few other reviews, I was hoping for a better experience at Bistecca. The drinks are fantastic, and we enjoyed the grilled artichoke hearts, the lemon you could squeeze on top made the dish The Burrata I've had so much better the Burrata seemed like an afterthought as they piled too many tomatoes & raw onions & not enough bread to soak up the cheese. Once we finally received our main dishes, risotto and cacio e Pepe was so dry & had no flavor. Also the wood fired smell was overpowering throughout the restaurant. Our waitress did her best as it was a busy night due to event next door. Next time will just have a drink & head somewhere else for Italian. read more

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The service was great and the attentiveness of the bartenders were what created our evening. Our highlights were the desserts!

Arancini felt like cold use a bit more salt and something about the crunch kept me wondering. The burrata was good and the steak was cooked perfectly and delicious. Gnocchi was on point. Definitely a good choice... food was good . Atmosphere was nice . read more

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Just had the worst breakfast of my life in this place. Got avocado toast and a berry yogurt parfait. Avocado toast was brown avocado spread with a weird sweetness over soggy toast with some pickled jalapeños and cold cooked cherry tomatoes and the yogurt parfait was unsweetened yogurt with a few blueberries and some ground nuts. Zero sweetener of any kind. Who would have thought the avocado spread would be sweeter than the yogurt parfait LOL. Waiter could have cared less. Wow read more

Delicious! Pride Brunch Special. I had an Italian dish with roasted tomatoes, peppers, onions, chickpeas and egg. Them mocktails as well for the dry bar inclined. read more

Bistecca - Pride cake pop, layers of rainbow cake covered in white chocolate! Yummy! Thanks for making us feel so welcome! - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

We sat at the bar before a show at Schuester. Nick and Mariah, both at the bar, were fantastic. Drinks were great and well balanced. We met some new friends there and had a great time, even on a busy night. My 2 cents? Stop in for drinks (or maybe dinner- we didn't have time last night) and hope to get Mariah and Nick at the bar. Beautiful bar. A well balanced drink- old fashioned with Rye. Thanks, new friends! read more

We did not have a good experience at Bistecca. Walking in at 5:30 PM with a reservation,it was unclear where we were supposed to go. There was no greeting and a party of 5 in front of us going nowhere as well. We eventually moved to another side of a hostess desk and after another short delay were seated. The location led us to our dining choice as we were headed to the theatre nearby and welcomed parking once. The food at this restaurant is what drives me to stay home and cook. We split a salad, appetizer, and a pasta entree. Our server recognized that we needed to leave in time for our show. He was friendly and efficient. The salad and appetizer were adequate but nothing special. The entree of Carbonara was the biggest disappointment. Undercooked, chewy pasta was dry and I think we each got 3 peas. The dish was room temperature at best. Not even 1 piece of prosciutto in both our bowls. We declined any discounts but let our server know our complaint and he told us other customers had the same complaint! And he still served it! I have total empathy for restaurants dealing with staffing issues, costs of food, high rents and all the costs of doing business. But we are not obliged to keep your doors open by paying the high prices for a less than lackluster product. read more

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. Our server Ethan was friendly, polite and helpful. The wine list was extensive but one had to look for wine by the glass options. Our salads, Caesar and Caprese were outstanding. My husband had the bavette Steak which he said was tender and delicious. There were only French fries offered for potatoes and he would have liked baked or mashed potatoes. I had the eggplant Parmesan which was baked, very flavorful with a very nice cheese topping. I would have liked a small side of pasta with it. The menu had many options and we had a hard time picking our Mains. We were too full for dessert. The Location to attend the Victoria Theatre and the Schuester Center is excellent and it was easy to make reservations. I highly recommend this Restaurant. read more

My husband and I went for our first time last night. Our food was amazing however the highlight of the night was our server Jonah. He was terrific and we are looking forward to going again! read more

This was our 3rd visit. Atmosphere is upscale and contemporary. It is a Italian steakhouse located close to home and the theater venues downtown. Hence the reason for returns. Food is OK. Staff friendly and well meaning but needs more training from the hostess to the chef to the wait staff. Cocktails are good! read more

The food was amazing & the service is like no other! Lexi was our server and took great care of us. I appericated the chef coming out to ask how our meal was going. We will defintley be back for another dining experience! read more

Great Place--morning and night! Stumbled into this cozy rustic Italian spot for breakfast and ended up coming back for dinner -- it was that good! Breakfast was fresh, flavorful, and the perfect way to start the day. Later that evening, the dinner vibe was warm and inviting, and the food was just as incredible. Big shoutout to Anastasia at the bar -- she gave amazing drink and food recs, and her service was top-notch. read more

Unfortunately despite our 5:45 reservation prior to a 7:30 show at the Schuster next door, when we still had no drinks and hadn't ordered food at 6:15 and the flustered server could not tell us anything helpful or hopeful about the situation, we had to bail and grab dinner elsewhere. I hope they turn things around and hire the staff they need because the menu sounded great. If you go, just be prepared for a slow-open type getting-up-to-speed experience until further notice. Great concept, beautiful decor. read more

ANASTASIA took care of me a couple nights in a row, perfect Negroni (the speciality de la casa), and the menu is incredible (grilled octopus with chorizo and fingerling potatoes...heavy Italian influence and holy cow it's incredible)! Plan to stay at the Ardent every time I visit, and I will try everything on the menu (plus another Negroni) read more

Sat at the bar Anastasia was an amazing host. Good meal and drinks... will come back! Thanks for everything

The food was expertly crafted and tailored to my parties requests even with a full house. The servers are attentive and the chef made a point to visit our table to check in our food quality once it came out. The personal touches by the staff and kitchen really made us feel like we are welcome and high class guests. read more

My husband and I went here for a date night and were very impressed. The food was amazing, the wine was great and the ambiance was perfect. The service was top notch. We will definitely be back. read more

Arrived a few minutes before our 6 p.m. reservation, checked in with the hostess and we were told it would be a 10-15 minute wait. I gazed over the restaurant with multiple empty tables ready for patrons and empty tables waiting to be cleared. And we waited, and waited, and waited.......tables taking 20+ minutes to be turned while we waited inside the front door. 45 minutes later we were seated with the "short staff" excuse offered. It did not get better. 20+ minute wait for a cocktail. We rushed ordering (afraid we would be late for an 8 p.m. Schuster show), ate and left. Food was good and the restaurant pleasant. It could be a good addition to the Dayton (and downtown in particular) dining scene. but there is lots of work to be done. Paying $125 for a miserable dining experience does not seem right. Management needs to get step up; the staff was disorganized and lacked direction. It will be a long time before I get back. read more

It's important to return to your new favorite restaurant to make sure the previous visit wasn't a fluke; you want to make sure the food, the menu, the service, ambience, and cocktails were as good or better than the the first visit and that your previous review still stands up and is accurate. That's my opinion anyway; I want my reviews to be an accurate accounting of the experience. So, my wife and I and six of our friends (four couples) returned based on our recommendation. We arrived at Bistecca a little early to have a cocktail as we waited for our friends. The barkeep was friendly, knowledgeable, and served up a fine drink. Yes! The first confirmation of service and quality hit home. When our friends arrived we were quickly seated. We ordered drinks and appetizers and again they were very good. We were happy to have been seated in a sort of alcove so we felt a bit more privacy and less traffic around us. I recall background music, subtle, and without noise that conflicts with conversation. We ordered dinner. I had the Kansas City bone in steak, my wife had the salmon, others had the slow roasted pork, carbonara, and a dinner salad. All reported thumbs up. And service once again was very good, plates arrived when expected and at the right temperature! I heard only one complaint, a minor one, she ordered a Caesar salad with no anchovies. Unfortunately, it had a few anchovies flecks in it that caused the salad to miss the mark. I suspect it was tossed in a bowl previously used by the chef rather than a fresh one. A simple fix but one that was missed. People who don't like anchovies really despise any sense of the scent and flavor it imparts. Our drinks were refilled upon request, the water was refreshed continuously, and once again the friendly and unobtrusive service was there! We had a very enjoyable dinner and a wonderful time catching up with our friends. My five star rating stands. Yes! Bistecca seems to be the real deal. I recommend you put it in your casual/fine dining rotation! An important side note. Even though my wife and I had only been to Bistecca once before, our server from that visit greeted us right away - nice touch and another affirmation that the staff wants to work there and wants its customers to have a pleasant experience. read more

Four of us met for a beautiful evening out. We got there early. There was a small crowd at the bar. The service was good. The ambience is beautiful. There was one glitch. One of the guest asked for no tomatoes twice, and the main dish came with a heavy tomato sauce. The white staff said they put the order in for no tomatoes, which is disappointing because better restaurants in other cities such as Cincinnati would've caught that when it came out. So unfortunate that people today don't pay attention to detail. One other small issue was it was very very loud in there and it wasn't 100% full. I hope they do better as they build up their clientele. read more

Unfortunately the promise of authentic Italian cuisine was not realized. The service was nice and the drinks okay, but the food was flavorless and just not worth what they're charging for it. We went on a Sunday early evening and the place was pretty much empty. The restaurant itself is nicely designed but the views of a ghost town seemingly inhabited only by the unhoused is depressing. It's probably quite different when there's an event at the Victoria or the Schuster Center?! I wanted to like it but just can't. read more

This has become my go to spot when I'm visiting Dayton. Thanks to Stasi, she's great. I have become a temporary regular here

The ambiance was pretty nice and the restaurant was gorgeous, but the music was maybe a bit too loud. The food was good, not great. The Caesar salad had essentially a cream dressing on it, I'm not sure if it was a mistake but it didn't have the classic Caesar taste at all. The Burrata wasn't executed very well, it seemed like just a small block of soft mozzarella. The Gnocchi was cooked very well, crispy and quite tasty. The strip steak was just average. Better than a chain steakhouse like Outback/TRH but not as good as a place like Jeff Ruby's/SOB. I don't think this competes with some of the other great restaurants in downtown Dayton, I was definitely let down. read more

Flew into Dayton Sunday evening and got to my hotel an hour before the kitchen closed. Decided to stay in and give Bistecca a try. Ordered the elk filet. It was great. Well-seasoned and cooked properly. Came plated with a comically large bouquet garni which felt random but that's just a stylistic choice. The asparagus I ordered, though, was a little rough. Very woody ends. Didn't seem to have been trimmed at all. Service was fine. All-in-all, if you're not wanting to go out, a good enough spot. But pricey for what it is. read more

We had an amazing date night last night here! The staff were kind and attentive. We didn't wait long and the noise level was not loud. We went on a Saturday at 630pm. I got the elk filet which was very lean and tender with great flavor. My husband got the pasta carbonara that was obviously made with freshly made pasta and very garlicky and delicious. The bacon was crisp and flavorful. We also got the limoncello cheesecake which was deconstructed and delightful. The cocktails were so good. Highly recommend the espresso martini and the Bellini martini. read more

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Breakfast was delicious! Campfire Hash! Vibrant tastes; perfectly cooked eggs, fingerling potatoes, shredded pork and a wonderful chimchurri sauce to top it off. Well done! read more

I so badly want this restaurant to be successful because of its primo location near the downtown arts, but unless its service improves, I don't have high hopes. The dining room was only moderately busy on a Sunday at 515pm. My husband and I waited at the door for 10 minutes before we were acknowledged. A few minutes later, we were seated with "apologies that we are spread thin." Ten more minutes passed without even a glass of water. When we decided to give up and go elsewhere, the manager was busy straightening the stools at the empty bar. read more

Food was very tasty. The woodfired steaks are excellent. At lunchtime at lunchtime the burger was excellent. Anastacia makes a great Negroni at the bar - don't miss this. read more

Poor service, coupled with small portions and very high prices made this an unsatisfactory experience. I ordered the Alle Florentina Steak ($97) with asparagus. The steak and the asparagus tasted good but there were only six tiny spears of asparagus. The steak was large enough for two people to share while the asparagus which cost $9 wasn't sufficient for one person. My wife and daughter ordered the eggplant parmigian. We noticed the Chef set the eggplant dishes on the counter for several minutes. When server failed to deliver same to our table, he pulled it back and then returned it to the counter at the time the steak was done. When the eggplant was delivered to table along with the steak the eggplant was only lukewarm, and the amount of cheese and tomato sauce were inadequate. We do not intend to ever go back, and do not recommend this restaurant. read more

Worst experience in history. Seated incorrectly. Food bland and overpriced. Service slow, slow. Then 45 minutes from time of check arrival to being given credit card back and leave. I'll be checking for fraud! read more

Best cosmopolitan ever!!! Anastasia was incredible. Very helpful and we even cancelled a dinner reservation to stay here to eat!

Amazing service and atmosphere! Delicious food, kind staff, would recommend for anyone looking for a very fine dining experience downtown!!