Cannot imagine why people posted such awful reviews. I almostt didn't go and would have missed one of the best culinary experiences. We dine out everywhere from Philly to Willmington and this place should not be missed! The ambiance was quiet and serene. Amy provided impeccable service and the food.... oh! Caccio pepe was better than I had inI Italy. The bronzino served tableside by Chef Sergio melts in your mouth. Our experience was amazing! read more

Cafe Mezzanotte - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Mediocre at best. Everything undersalted. Appetizers taste like Cisco. We are one of only 2 tables on a Friday night. The tipping point was we asked for a little parm to put on the pasta. Without telling us, they charged us $4 for a teaspoon of cheese. Specifically the bolognese was underseasoned and texture was off. Veal ossobucco and veal shank were fine. Calamari tasted like Cisco. Marinara for the chicken parm was too sweet but the cutlet was fine. Got some sand in my linguine with clams read more

One of the best places to eat in Delaware. I love the food and the atmosphere. Owner/Chef Sergio is a great guy.

My biggest gripe with this restaurant is that it gave me two (and counting) horrific days of food poisoning after eating here on a Friday evening. Despite my initial excitement after ordering, the fettuccine bolognese was entirely disgusting and inedible, and was returned to the kitchen barely touched. The rest of the entrees and appetizers I tried were unimpressive (the bruschetta was good, though!). Our party was charged an additional $4 after requesting a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on one entree, and when we questioned the waitress, she said it's because all of the meals prepared by the chef "come from the kitchen complete" and therefore a request for an additional tsp of cheese must require payment. According to her, the $4 is due to the Parmesan being "from Italy"--I can purchase an entire tub of shredded Parmesan from Italy for about the same price at my grocery store. It was a disappointing experience, and we have never heard of any Italian restaurant charging such an obscene and unfair price for such a simple request. read more

The only good thing about this place was leaving! The service was absolutely poor. We sat for a good 20 minutes before someone approached our table. We ordered an appetizer and 2 glasses of wine, and told we needed to put our entire order in at once. I don't like doing that and I don't do that anywhere, as we like to enjoy our drinks and appetizer, without dinner coming right out after. The Server dropped the food and drinks and we never saw him again, until he finally noticed we were finished. Never came and asked if we needed anything more, or if we liked our dinner. Big mistake on his part, because we would have ordered a few more glasses of wine and dessert! The food was adequate, but not worth the steep pricing. We were glad to leave and we will not return! Tonic would have been the better place to go. read more

I have never had a bad meal here. It is my "go-to" place whenever I have out-of-town guests. Chef Sergio's food shows he is a native of Italia, and he is always present, coming out of the kitchen to greet guests whenever possible. I have always found the staff to be attentive, and it is a quiet, classy atmosphere in which to enjoy good food with good friends. I highly recommend Cafe Mezzanotte if you're in the Wilmington area. read more

I'm wavering between a 2 or 3-star rating for Cafe Mezzanotte. The food was hit or miss for me. The mixed green salad with goat cheese and slivered almonds was actually the best dish of my whole meal. What does that say about a restaurant when your favorite dish is a salad? Hmmm... The burrata was just OK. There wasn't much basil on it, the tomatoes it came with were pretty dried out, and there was no balsamic vinegar, which I feel is a necessity in a dish like that. The lobster ravioli was delicious, but 6 ravioli for a whole dinner serving was majorly skimpy. The crab tortellini was the biggest let down for me as it was filled with bits of shell! I make crab cakes often and never have the amount of shells or the size of shells that I found in that tortellini. I get that every once in a while some small bits will make it through, but I couldn't finish eating them because I kept biting down on shells. Thankfully we had a gift certificate here and didn't "pay" for this meal. Had this money come out of my own pocket, I would have been even more disappointed with my experience. read more

My husband and I came for restaurant week! The menu sounded fantastic and we are excited to try it. I was nervous since the Yelp reviews said the service was awful and the food was a hit or miss. For first course we tried the homemade meatballs and mussels. Mussels were actually decent and there was a ton of meat and it tasted fresh! Meatballs were pretty decent. Not the best I've had but good. For entrees I got the seafood risotto. I was impressed by all the different seafood in the risotto! I felt the risotto was a bit overcooked and under seasoned. It was a huge portion though which was good! The next day I had the leftovers and it was much better with a little more salt and pepper. For dessert we both had tiramisu. Omg the best tiramisu I've had since we went to Italy! We heard it's homemade and every bite was delicious. I would go back just to eat that tiramisu. Overall service was good. They had good wine selection as well. Food was decent but wasn't wowing. read more

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Their delicious Fettuccine Bolognese was just what I needed tonight. Great portion size if you're hungry, quality ingredients, and perfectly al dente. Service was prompt and the atmosphere is great for a nice date (or date for one!) Best meal I've had in Delaware so far read more

Cafe Mezzanotte - Fettuccine Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Been a fixture here for many years and was recently renovated so I convinced my party to have dinner here around 5:45 on a Tuesday. Bar was busy with 2 parties but no one seated in the dining area. Hostess, when she had time to check the desk, almost looked surprised that we wanted a table. 15 minutes after seating we had to flag down staff and ask for service...no water, no bread, nothing until we asked to be served. Server apologized and took our order. As we waited for drinks I thought we should run across the street because it was going to just continue disappointing the table. There's a few reasons one should avoid slow restaurants...no sales=no tips=poor wait staff; and slow restaurants don't move enough food to keep high quality fresh foods...we should have left! Food was mediocre at best served on sparse oversized plates! Green beans were 2 shades (old and fresh) so I did not eat them, Gorgonzola sauce was a sad tiny lump of melted cheese, my two filet medallions were cooked on opposite ends of the done scale, potatoes were like eating home fries at Bob Evans, and our red wine could only be served in 3 red wine glasses...the others in white glasses because they did not have enough red wine glasses with an empty restaurant. Appetizer of tomato and mozzarella was the best part of everyone's meal. Renovation was a wasted effort, when service and food was poor. Owners should have saved the renovation cost and left the place boarded up...we would have been guaranteed a better experience! read more

Cafe Mezzanotte - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Very good food and friendly staff. I have had almost the entire menu over the past few months. My favorites are the veal chop, pork chop, and any of the homemade pasta. Highly recommend any of the above. The owner (chef) and his daughter have done a fantastic job making you feel at home. The bartender Chris and all of the servers are great as well. read more

Meh! Food, service, & ambiance were just average. I ordered lobster ravioli in a pink cream sauce. Server, Ami, walked away when I was expecting her to ask if I'd like cheese sprinkled on top. I waited for her return and request cheese. She said I would ruin the sauce by adding cheese, but I insisted on it. I heard her in the kitchen asking for cheese. Don't you think an Italian restaurant would have a cheese mill? She came out w/ cheese in a plastic to go cup. When it came time for dessert she said it is not written so I will tell you of the dessert options. She mentioned gelato & espresso (ingredients for an afogato) amongst other items. I asked her if they can make an afogato? She said. "I'm sure the bartender can make what you want. An afogato is gelato w/ espresso poured over it and NOT a drink! Come on!! read more

So yum. I had the bolenese, sooo goos. My partner had the mushroom sausage pasta. Sooooi good. Waiter turned on the heater so we xould enjoy outside. So european read more

The staff was absolutely lovely. It was not too crowded. Our drinks and entrees were amazing. I got the fettuccine alla panna, and no exaggeration it's the best pasta I've ever had in my life. Highly recommend!! read more

Visiting Wilmington from NYC to meet friends from NC for the weekend (1st time together since COVID-19). Four of us loved everything--appetizers, soup, salads, pastas, entrees, cocktails, wines, and desserts. Plus, service was excellent. So we returned for dinner the next night, and once again it was a memorable, completely satisfying dining experience. Hostess Francesca, servers Angie and Dawn, and Chef Sergio all were great, made us feel at home and they were friendly and very professional. Five stars rating from four traveling amicos. read more

Grabbed a quick lunch here with a co worker before a meeting and was a little concerened at first after reading about the slow service. That being said, I compensated by asking for things in advance and kept the service moving along just fine. The waiter was very content to oblige and we had no issue at all. I had the salmon topped salad and it was great actually. The warmth of the fish combined with the cool salad is one of my favorite textures and they did a good job on both. read more

I went here today on my lunch break, my coworker loved it and raved about the penne and sausage pasta so I thought I'd give it a try. I had the crepes and my coworker had the penne and sausage dish. All in all it was a pretty solid meal, nothing to write home about but no real complaints either. I probably won't be back but I'm glad I tried it. read more

Cafe Mezzanotte - Sausage penne pasta - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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I came in on a Saturday night with my family. My sister and I each ordered the 3 for $30, which was much more food then expected. The staff was phenomenal at making us feel welcome. They were all very knowledgeable about each item and recommendations. Chef Sergio surprised us and came out to say hello and check on us, which is not common in any other place I've been. We will definitely be back. read more

Stopped here for dinner based on reviews and it was in walking distance to the hotel we were staying in. The weather was beautiful that Saturday evening so we dined outside. Our server was Sam and she was delightful and attentive. Unfortunately, our meals were not as impressive. Appetizer: Gamberi E Proscuitto Croccante - Good Main Dishes: Pappardelle Boscaiola - little meat for the amount of pasta, good flavor, reminded me of a fettuccine alfredo with bits of meat. Cioppino: Usually this dish is seafood in a savory broth or stew. This version was more of a sauce with seafood. Flavor was ok, just lacked the savory version we were expecting. I wouldn't say the meals justify the cost. read more

I was here with a large work group at lunch for retirement party. The food was good and service was very good for such a large group. Only down point was we were in the one large back room and with 2 tables, the servers had a hard time getting food served, although of course the group helped with passing plates. Very nice restaurant which i do frequent with a co-worker for lunch and we always like the server as very attentive. read more

Nothing special at this restaurant. Ambiance is just ok and service is ok. I wouldn't drive to come here. Yelp describes this as a wine bar... they have wine but not a great list especially by the glass. Average restaurant and it works if you are starving and the others restaurants are packed. read more

Bad butternut ravioli. Please don't order it .its with cinnamon and tastes like a bad desert !!

Amazing Italian food in downtown Wilmington. The chef came to our table to check on us and ask us if we were enjoying the food. We will definitely be back! read more

I must say that I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed in this restaurant or the reviews that I based my attendance on. For the reviews I read prior to going, I thought this may be a pleasant little treat. No sir. This was Chef Boyardee out of the can at best. I'm fairly certain I can make a better chicken Parmesan! That's not saying much either. This is my go to entrée. If an Italian place can't make a decent chicken Parmesan they should probably just go ahead and re-label themselves as a bistro. read more

You can hardly call yourself a "fine dining restaurant" when you have neon vodka signs in the window. Here's the thing, the pasta was good. Really, really good. Everything else just sorta fell flat for me. The musician was a little corny, but talented and friendly. The bread was probably thawed out that morning. The menu was good, but not great. read more

I had high hopes but was terribly disappointed. We arrived for our reservation on time and were seated within a few minutes. After waiting more than 15 minutes we asked if anyone was serving our table. We eventually did have a server take our drink, appetizer and entree orders at the same time. We also told the server that we were seeing a show so time had become an issue, the reply should have been that they would ensure our meals were prioritized, bu instead it was that it depended on how quick the kitchen was. A full 45 minutes after our reservation time we received our appetizers. When our entrees arrived we had to ask for the check since we would have to eat quickly and leave. The food was uneven with some dishes being very good while others were lacking. Unfortunately we won't be back. For a show night and a full restaurant they were terribly understaffed. read more

The food is amazing, the furniture and layout are stunning, but the music is god awful. It ruins the entire experience. The music makes what should be a lovely Italian dinner feel like a diner on prom night. Order out. The food is worth it; don't sit down unless you want a confusing aesthetic?¿ read more

This was my fourth visit in just six weeks. Business has brought me to Wilmington and the amazing staff at Cafe Mezzanotte keeps me coming back. I'm working my way through the the menu out of Calabria Italy. The pastas made in house are all amazing. Had the pappardelle and sausage in white sauce tonight. AWESOME! Gave a compliment to Sergio, the chef owner. He said with an Italian accent. Anyone can make pasta. It's the sausage. I will give you the recipe. 10% fat, 90% lean pork, and then he went on to list many herbs and spices. Remember the Italian accent. He next tells me "I give you the recipe but you need my hands. Without these hands you cannot make my recipe." I'm sure that is true. When I requested affogato for desert and it was not in the menu, the team went to work. Daniella put a large scoop of vanilla bean gelato in a ramekin, placed in the coldest spot in the freezer, waited, then brewed an espresso shot to pour over. It was amazing. In addition Leslie always makes great drinks. You have to stop at the bar and say hi. read more

Service non existing., and the staff had a terrible attitude. The food nothing to rave about. The rib eye looked like something you'd get at Longhorns. (at1/3 the price). The swordfish obviously not fresh. Looks like taken out of a plastic bag. I'd give it ZERO STARS, but lowest on Yelp *. Do not waste your time. read more

Good food. We enjoyed everything. Waiter was changed mid meal - not at our request. It was a little awkward. read more

Cafe Mezzanotte - Celebrating our anniversary. - Italian Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

We ate here on a week night... the restaurant was empty besides one other couple. There was no bartender working so the waitress made our drinks. Not the greatest. The limoncello which they said they make in house tasted like lemon flavored mouthwash. The waitress was nice and did her best to make it a good experience. No complaints regarding her service. Calamari was rubbery, bread was so-so, and our entrees were just bland. We will not be back. read more

Excellent service, really good bar food! Pizza, wings, and antipasta were definitely worth trying! Solid old fashion too! Will be back!

Despite the fact that both times I have been there in the past few weeks, the place was virtually empty (that's Wilmington for you), I LOVE this place. Food is awesome (calamari, carpaccio, carbonara!), it's family run and they are super friendly. I love it!! read more

Cafe Mezzanotte serves up good pasta. My running buddy and his gf came across here on a recommendation by our hotel's concierge and carboloaded before our Delaware Marathon back in May. The pasta did its job. read more

I have had lunch here probably half a dozen times because it is a convenient place to have a meeting with people coming from different parts of town. I've had dinner there twice. Whether the meal was lunch or dinner, the food was no more than ok and service left much to be desired. The food and the service do not warrant the price. The bar tender is very good, but drinking is part of the experience of dining out for me, so I don't go some place to sit at a bar. The drinks are very good, and the price is comparable to other places. That said, without better food and better service in the dining room, this place is very expensive for what you get and I cannot see it as a destination. In reading other reviews, I note the recurring statement that the restaurant was almost always nearly empty. This has always been my experience. My lunches and the two dinners did not take place on a regular schedule, so always being present at the same time does not explain the absence of patrons. I invited friends to the two dinners because of the convenient location. These were not the same friends both times. No one wanted to return because of the price and the service, nor do I have any incentive to return. The absence of other customers is something that puzzles me; I can understand that a place does not pack them in, but how does it stay open? read more

This restaurant has amazing Italian cuisine. The atmosphere is very relaxing and the service was impeccable

Took more money out of my account than I tipped. Took away what was a great experience.

The food was good, the service was quick. We really enjoyed the pasta. However, they charged me an extra $6 on my initial tip. Hard to feel like you want to go back to a place after they do that. read more

This place is the best little hideaway tucked away in downtown Wilmington. We have tried several items off of the menu and have never had a negative review to give. My favorite dessert drink is the Espresso Martini. You should give this place a try, you will not regret your decision. read more

Crazy good Italian. Wonderful atmosphere and very nice staff. The service was prompt and you have to try the desserts. If you want real Italian this is it. read more