Service was horrible and the food was mediocre for the price. Want a better meal go to Olive Garden

Very good service,friendly, tasty food with a great menu selection and cozy atmosphere at

Absolutely love this place! Every time I come to visit Urbana from Florida I always come here to eat! The food is amazing and the service is spectacular! With all of our meals we got soup as well (but they were so good we finished those before the picture could be taken). If you are looking for a great meal at a great price with amazing service stop here ! read more

See all

Amazing food. We love it there. Fantastic pasta and bread. We eat here at least once a week!!!! Would recommend to anyone.

Visited my brother & Sis-n-law for a long weekend and had a fabulous dinner on Sat. night. I think this is my 1st ever yelp review and well deserved! Might be the best restaurant I've been to. The garlic soup is life changing! The Rafano dressing that our fantastic waiter Mark suggested was amazing as was the chicken piccata I ordered, and let's not forget about the lobster ravioli my sis-n-law ordered. Can't wait to visit again just so I can eat here!! read more

My daughter and I have had lunch here several times and the food has never disappointed. My daughter absolutely loves their lasagna. I have gotten something different each time. The food is always so wonderful that I decided to go outside my comfort zone and try something I never thought I would try...anchovies (pizza) . When you get this quality of cooking you just gotta trust that something that sounds odd to you will be absolutely delicious. Our waitress suggested I go light on the anchovies the first time around. That was an excellent suggestion. And guess what?! Not only did I survive anchovies but they were pretty damn tasty! Another unusual choice for me was trying garlic soup. Sounded really odd to me. It was spectacular! The atmosphere is beautiful. It's a small place but decorated for maximum use of space. They also have a few small tables for dining al fresco. We had a server , our first visit several years ago, who really snubbed us. We were dressed casual and she just did the bare minimum , choosing to cater to the business crowd in suits. Her loss because, casual wear or not, we tip very well for good service and food. She left us feeling as though we didn't belong so, although the owners are fantastic people, we really had to debate if we wanted to give it another shot. I am so happy we did. Every visit since the service has just gotten better and better. Our latest visit we had Cassie for our server. She was attentive, pleasant, made excellent suggestions and talked us right into tiramisu even though we got to-go boxes because we were full. We split a piece and it was divine! (And the girl who snubbed us our first time around was never to be seen again) Sadly, I have not eaten here for dinner. (The dinner menu selection and specials look out of this world!) My husband is just not big on Italian except for my own cooking. I am bound and determined to drag him in here yet before I die. Silly man has no idea what he is missing. Boy won't he feel silly for having resisted for so long?!! New to urbana? This is located on the square so parking directly out front can fill up quickly on busier days. Do not despair. There are several parking lots within a block or two with plenty of parking. We are moving away from town but I will definitely be making the drive back to town to eat here again soon. This gem will hopefully have many,many more years of great success. read more

Homemade at its best! Great atmosphere and staff to go along with the food! 10/10 would recommend!

The food and people are always a pleasure. If I had to complain I'd say, they need to find a way to keep the cold air out when the door opens. I suspect this is a landlord problem tho. Seriously love this little spot. read more

Great place, just remember to make reservations. Great food and great service. Will definitely go back!

My favorite place to get Italian. Owners are the best. Food is yummy. Been going here for almost 10 yrs.

Good food. Nice people. But I didn't get Angel hair pasta I asked did. Also I miss there eggplant parm.

The best Italian restaurant around! Better than most, even in big cities like NYC...

A+ for change of scenery, (much needed!!) an A for cozy atmosphere (next time, want a window seat or the one right next to the fireplace!!) quick, friendly, and knowledgeable service, and a B+ for food and drink options. Our choices? Closer to C+, but that's our own darn fault.... There is plenty to discover "off the beaten path" here in Urbana, and a SUPER deal on restaurant.com was just the ticket to get us out of hibernation and try something new!! A cozy, date night sort of spot, but also good for meeting up with family and friends; as fancy or casual as you want to make it... Start with some, yummy-sounding Italian "standards," (anti-pastas, interesting apps/salads and soups, then pastas, lasagna, ravioli with a variety of sauce options...) and then you can veer off into some more "creative" choices, including the Sicilian meatloaf I ordered, which was ok, but just sort of a flattened out meatball... Mr. M&P got 5 cheese mac and cheese, which was tooooooo cheesy, IMO (and I'm a cheese lover!!) I found myself looking longingly at everyone else's meals all around us. Next time I'll have to go more traditional, I guess...!! There is also a list of tempting sounding desserts, but we were too full this time... Nice place, definitely worth the short trip from Springfield, and looking forward to returning... Give it a try!! read more

See all

Tried to go to Catfish Jones, but it seems to have closed. Right next door, saw this place, and said "what the heck, why not?" It's a pretty cozy Italian bistro. Music is trying a bit too hard to say "Italian," but it was easy to ignore. The service was briskly professional when I got there, but after a large party left they were much more friendly. I tried a cup of carrot ginger soup, one of the daily specials, and it was excellent. Wish I'd gotten a bowl... I had a hard time making up my mind on an entree, and for whatever reason the Sicilian meatloaf sandwich sounded good. And was good. Meatloaf in an Italian place? Meatloaf, meatballs... not so far apart. The seasoning was good, and there was a pesto-y sauce. Slices of nicely ripe tomatoes and good Italian bread made it an awesome sandwich. I had a little room left, so I tried one of the desserts: blueberry balsamic sorbet. Amazing. Just amazing. 5 stars? "As good as it gets"? Well, I can't think of any negatives (okay, the music, a little...) The best Italian ever? No, but I'm sure it's the best Italian in Urbana. Best restaurant in Urbana? I'm still wading through them, but surely it's right near the top. I would gladly stop in again. read more

Fantastic Italian food in a fantastic environment. Great service, too! Get the lobster ravioli!

Had this one time. It was really good. I had one of there spaghetti plates. It's so good that you want more of it. will go there again. You have to call it to book. That can be inning if you want a quick bite to eat, but other than that good survive. read more

Our waiter was excellent, the atmosphere is cozy, the music was at just the right level, not too loud. We had the crostini which was delicious and recommended by our waiter, lasagna and salad, I had Italian wedding soup and the dinner salad. We shared a bottle of Pinot Noir. The prices were very reasonable, the atmosphere was cozy. read more

We spent the day touring Folck Winery, Dragonfly Winery and downtown Urbana. We took a chance on getting a table at Cafe Paradiso and we were pleasantly delighted to get a table and order some of the BEST food we have had at a restaurant in quite a while. The Fettucine Alfredo was delicious, the Mushroom Risotto was done to perfection and the Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Cap was outstanding. Service was excellent and the best we have had at a restaurant in quite some time. Bravo to the whole crew. We will make the 45 minute drive to dine there again. read more

We just had the best experience at Cafe Paradiso! We are in town passing through and after checking into the coolest Inn, Scioto Inn, we walked down the street and came across Cafe Paradiso. After walking in without a reservation, we were fortunate enough to get a seat at the bar... (thinking how awesome for them they are so busy). Besides the fact that the atmosphere is so quaint, the staff so personable, the chef so brilliant and the meals so delicious... we met and spent time with the owners, Pat and Patsy, and that itself...was priceless! We feel like we could pack up and move to Urbana and invest in this beautiful town and people. We will be back, and we can't wait! Thank you all for making this trip a highlight of ours, for many reasons. We pray blessings upon you and everything you touch. ~James and Dawn Canton, MI read more

Excellent excellent food and great service. Beats many large city special restaurants in my book

What a gem! We were recommended by both Rich at The Sciotta Inn & Robin at Dragonfly Vineyards. We had the most amazing soup! Highly recommend combining the tomato & garlic soup, it was fantastic! Had the strip steak & it's the best steak I've had in a long time. My hubby had the Beef Gorgonzola Gratin, which was superb. Finished off our outstanding meals with the tiramisu for dessert. read more

Called before we went to see if we could use the Resaurant.com certificates to pay for the entire meal. The girl we spoke with supposedly checked with management and said that we could. Just needed to spend more than $20. Well tonight we went and after our meal, we were told that we could not pay the the entire check with the Restaurant.com certificates.the service was poor at best...the food over priced and not worth the money spent....and if you plan on a quite conversation...forget it...bring ear plugs... Warning...some dishes are very spicey and no warning on the menu or from the staff...sausage in particular!!! Never again..... Update;patsy from cafe paradiso called and left a rather terse message demanding we remove this review and stated we did not tip the server....we did and he handed it back..not that you are required to tip for poor srevice....remove the review...not going to happen..we called and they TOLD us we could use the certificate to pay for the meal....not a good meal any way.....sometimes the truth is painful....review stays read more

I was there tonight for the second time in a month. We had the mussels both times and they are fabulous. I've never had them in a spicy, thick chunks of tomato's sauce. The bread served with them is fabulous. My favorite meal so far is the braised beef Gorgonzola pasta dish. Great food for a great price! read more

We had the best panini sandwiches! So crisp and yummy. My son had the meatball, my husband had the Italian and I had the steak and onion. They were all really good. read more

Safe to say one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever ate at. The food was excellent

Let me start by saying that I happily drive 42 miles for this amazing Italian jewel right in the middle of the Urbana historic district. The locale and the ambiance, bossa nova, prepare you for the gastronomic experience you're about to embark. Our server, Christina, the best server I have ever met, recommended mixing up the cream of roasted garlic and cream of tomato soups. Excellent advice!!! Lasagna was incredible, the sausage is exquisite, pasta firm and tasty. Sicilian meatloaf sandwich was spot on. Tasty, with the most delicious pesto and toasty warm. Perfecto. When I swore I couldn't have another bite, my mother ordered tiramisu. WOW WOW WOW. We'll be back. It's only an hour away and the drive is scenic and Urbana is gorgeous. read more

See all

A great small town gem. Creative take on standard Italian fare. The Freshwater Farms trout is AH-MAZING!

We got takeout tonight basic spaghetti eggplant but we got this wonderful excellent chocolate Italian love cake. It looks very rich and I thought all this is going to be too sweet but it wasn't with a cup of tea it was marvelous it's been worth the price of a mission just to get the cake is very good I only eat half but very good. Also the bread was actually salad was a side salad your name thing I would've maybe asked for was more sauce but I would definitely do take out or go into the restaurant at any time. read more

Why on earth would you go to the Olive Garden when you can have this? My wife and I enjoyed the bruschetta - delicious! Salads were good - nothing exceptional, but definitely enjoyable. Bread is excellent - we ate the entire basket and asked for more. For our entrees, my wife had the Sicilian Meatloaf - a little slice of meatball heaven! - and the spinach Alfredo risotto, which was also wonderful. I had the creamy red pepper shrimp and fettuccini, which was one of the best pastas I've had in years. Great experience, outstanding service, and relaxing atmosphere. You won't go wrong eating here. read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - Urbana, Ohio

Will for sure be back to this place. It was good place to eat, just a little pricey for small town food but decent quality.

Very cute place! Service and food is very good. The garlic soup is to die for!!! But served only on weekends.

Lunch was delicious. Spaghetti & meatballs came with a salad. My husband is Italian and very particular about his sauce and meatballs. Said it was some of the best he's ever had. Meatloaf panini was excellent. Great service and reasonable prices. Will definitely be back! read more

See all

Delicoius dinner -- we had a large group (~12) and there was a fair bit of passing plates to try various dishes. The mushroom lasagne was great and so were all of the other dishes I tried. Service was outstanding, and they split the check without complaints (thank you Ohio, can you please teach California restaurants to figure this out?!) Urbana is not on everyone's path, but if you are within 20 miles, veer over to a quaint town and a great meal. Cozy spot. read more

Urbana is lucky to have Cafe Paradiso. Since moving back three years ago, we frequent there for lunch or dinner. The service is top notch as are the owners who always make sure you've had a pleasant experience. For lunch I usually pick one of their pizza offerings, but the Sally's is my favorite. Moving onto dinner, you'll have some of the best pastas around here, especially their lobster ravioli. All pastas come with the house salad and the rafano dressing is a great addition. One added bonus is a great craft beer selection. There's always two on tap, and one usually has an Ohio brewery showcased. read more

Would give this place 0 stars if I could. Made a reservation for 7pm a week in advance for an anniversary dinner. Waited until 730pm until I walked out of this place -- did not get served or asked if I even wanted water for 30 minutes. Another server even said that the fact that our table wasn't attended to "wasn't her problem". As an out of towner to Urbana, I am not impressed. read more

Not sure what to say about this place other than if you have an opportunity to go and you don't....you're missing an amazing treat. Eileen, our waitress, was personable, funny and made the perfect recommendations. We had mussels, tortellini with a Gorgonzola cream sauce and borsetti with a cream sriracha sauce. Best pasta I've ever had! No lie! Go, enjoy, you'll be glad you did!! read more

Ok my first visit, I ordered a special. Chicken bruschetta panini. I couldn't believe what I was served. It was on sliced bread with a small amount of filling. It looked grilled like a grilled cheese sandwich . $12! I should have sent it back. Then , for my 70th birthday, friends took me to dinner there. I ordered pasta carbonara. Another shock. A circle of pasta that has congealed. It was orange. When I stuck my fork in it, it was actually stiff. I tasted it it was very disappointed. I told the waitress that it wasn't acceptable to me and it was not pasta carbonara. I asked her if they used cheddar cheese because it looks like it and definitely taste like it. She told me it was asiago cheese and Parmesan but neither one of those cheeses are orange. So I said just bring me pasta with Alfredo sauce and pancetta and toss in some peas if you have it. The salad that came with it was very disappointing because it was such a small portion. So overall the service was very good, the food tasted good, but to me, way overpriced and very small portions. Won't be wasting anymore money there. read more

Definitely make a reservation. Even though I had no reservation, they were able to seat me on a cute outdoor table at the entrance. The staff is very friendly. I had the amazing chicken piccata with a side of spinach risotto and a glass of Pinot Grigio. The lemon sauce with the capers was very good and the risotto the perfect compliment. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Fantastic service and amazing meals every time we've been here! We love it! Always feel welcomed. read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - Urbana, Ohio

Was excited to try this place as it came highly recommended by some friends. We had reservations for 5:30 and were promptly seated and our orders taken. It went down hill from there. After an hour's wait we finally received our food after watching people who came after us get theirs and a bunch of take out going out the door. The excuses ranged from the kitchen was backed up, we have a very small kitchen, it takes a while to cook the eggplant. Once the food came it was OK but nothing spectacular. Maybe they should concentrate on the customers in the restaurant instead of the take out business. This really put a damper on our anniversary dinner, but at least they comped us our drinks. I doubt we will be back. read more