Fresh and tasty food! Ate the Angel hair and carbonara dishes. We sat on the patio. The bartender waited on us and was attentive and helpful. (Indoors looks nice, too.) read more

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First time to visit Cynthia's and what a great place. The restaurant is in downtown Paducah and is in a beautiful old building great ambiance. We had the tuna appetizer daily special. Very well prepared seared on the outside and rare in the middle. Also had the prime filet ragu with house made bucatini that was delicious. My brother had the scallops perfectly seared. Our server did a great job as well! Definitely will lot be the last time to dine at Cynthia's. read more

Cynthia's Ristorante - Prime filet ragu - Italian Near Me - Paducah, Kentucky

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Decided to try Cynthia's for my wife's birthday. The fining area is very elegant with the dark wood, tin covered ceiling and white table cloth tables. Our waiter was very professional and fit with the elegant surroundings. We were surprised to find that the menu posted on their website is just an example as their actual menu changes frequently. I had my heart set on cacio e Pepe because I find it on menus infrequently. I think I threw a little fit because our waiter left for a minute and came back to say he had spoken to the chef and they could still make it for me. That is first class service! I ordered the beer cheese soup because our waiter highly recommended it. It was indeed good, but very salty. My wife had a Caesar salad and found the dressing to be too garlicky. Of course I ordered the Casio e Pepe. The pasta was very good. I'd guess house made. Very firm and cooked properly. The sauce, though was a little watery and the flavor just wasn't there. Since it was a special order, not too surprising. My wife had the 4 once filet. It was a little undercooked for her taste. She thought the mashed potatoes were a little were a little "gloppy". So kind of a mixed evening and review. They had a decent amount of people and it was the nicest looking restaurant we saw in the immediate area, so it is probably worth a try. read more

Cynthia's Ristorante - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Paducah, Kentucky

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Great food wine selection is over the top waiters very friendly and the ambiance is good for date nights

A local eat in Paducah! It's been open at least 30 years, in the historic downtown/riverfront area. Seems to have a somewhat rotating menu. The bartender was great and carried on conversation well, and also knew when to just let me enjoy my food. Mid March, I got a pear salad for an appetizer, scallops in a tomato basil risotto, and pineapple mango strawberry cobbler. Every single one of the dishes I ordered were excellent. The risotto was perfect, not too runny and not too chunky. For the cobbler, it was more of a cake topping instead of pie crust. All were great flavors! It is probably on the nicer end of restaurants, and is in a cozy historic building. There are a couple tables on the front sidewalk for outside dining. I would definitely splurge here at least once any time I visit the area! Did not disappoint one bit. read more

I'm going to give 5 stars because normally the service and food are amazing just not tonight. I know the owners are certainly due to hire more help and take some time off for themselves but the caliber of the food and service just was lacking. Forgotten coffee , no soup spoon for the soup, grabbing plates without asking and my boyfriend was still eating! I missed my favorite waiter. My favorite salad had no cheese to speak of and the greens were bitter and tough. No brown butter vinaigrette and the dressing was so acidic It burned my tongue. It's a lovey place and the guys loved the veal chop, but I hope hired help doesn't ruin a great place read more

We were told this was the best restaurant in Paducah but we disagree. Service was only mediocre. Our waiter seemed much more interested in others. We shared a Cynthia's salad and that was the best part of our meal. The small filet was served on a little bread plate with half the potatoes and asparagus from other dishes. Them mahi was very salty and could have been better with a risotto instead of dry rice. Crème brûlée was actually good - creamy but with crackly crust. For an Italian restaurant, pasta options were lackluster. Freight House is a better option if you want a fantastic meal. read more

Last visit here the food was just ok. I felt the waiter was not very attentive. My salad had way too much dressing on it. Will we return?, probably not as there are better restaurants in the area. read more

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Our reservations were for 6pm, we arrived about 10 minutes early and was promptly seated. The restaurant decor is old town Paducah with old brick walls. Very charming and great character. My wife and I had the peel and eat shrimp, the cocktail sauce was good and the waitress even found me some saltine crackers which is a must if I'm truly going to enjoy peel and eat's. My wife got a tomato and cheese salad then for our main course my wife had the fillet which came on bed of mashed potatoes and all of that was delicious. I got the ribeye which came with a sauce on top plus red new potatoes, and a vegetable melody. All of this was very very good. For dessert we got the multi berry black berry cobbler with ice cream. Sorry I didn't get a picture when it was set down BUT it was so delicious we dove in and did not stop. The meal was awesome and waitress was awesome as well. I wish I had of gotten her name. read more

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This is one of the best restaurants in Paducah if not the best! The food and service both are excellent.

We were in Paducah to celebrate my wife's birthday. I chose Cynthia's based on the previous reviews and its menu selections. Since we were a little early, it allows us to take in the classic decor, including the bar, wood trims, paintings, and ceiling. After we were seated, the waiter promptly greeted us. He said he has been there for 18 years and competently answered all of our questions about their pastas and sauces. He also provided us suggestions and recommendations. My wife commented it was like we were family and welcomed. My wife had the filet, and she said it was prepared just as she asked and it was great. I had the Tagliatelle with shrimp. The pasta is made in-house and the sauce reminded me of our trip to Italy. The service was outstanding. The waitstaff appeared when we needed them but did not disturb our celebration dinner. We will definitely be back next time we are in Paducah. read more

My favorite restaurant in Paducah. I recently moved back to Paducah after living in California for 17 years. The food is excellent. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because I like A1 sauce with my steak and when I asked for it, I was shamed by the waiter. I was told they don't even have A1 in the restaurant. I have eaten at most every in Napa and several Michelin star restaurants across the US and was never denied A1 before. read more

Great Restaurant ! This place exudes character the moment you step through the door. The food and drink and service were exceptional. Make it a planned stop foe dinner when you visit Paducah!! read more

Had reservations for 6:30 finally seated at 7:40, some bs about best table in house. Bartender gave us a glass of wine on house for wait. Thanks a lot Food was not up to par, veal special was tough, mussels were a little fishy and pasta dish just okay. This used to be such a great place hope they can get get back to what it once was. After waiting over an hour we finally got 3 small slices of bread. I about shit read more

Small cozy restaurant with changing menu. The staff are long timers and attentive. Daily specials are well described and will not disappoint. If Oysters a la Cynthia are on the menu I am ecstatic! Drinks are creative and cheerfully served. Pricey but worth it. Not to be missed. read more

We had my wife's birthday dinner here last night. A gentleman called to confirm the birthday reservations in the morning. He arranged for us to have the best table in the restaurant which overlooked the dining room. The server was outstanding we didn't have to ask for anything. The food was great I had the shrimp dish which was spicy and my wife had the chicken. You can always tell how good the chef is by the sauces so he is a great chef. The wine was a perfect match and birthday dessert which was free was also outstanding read more

Cynthia's Ristorante - Cynthia's - Italian Near Me - Paducah, Kentucky

Quaint little place and, based off other reviews, tried the pear salad. It was really good! Just a tad sweet. Followed it with eggplant ravioli. Not bad! Wish it had a couple more pieces of ravioli. Bread served was pretty good but they use a ton of parm mixed with the olive oil to dip. read more

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Oh what a lovely little Italian restaurant with impeccable service & brilliant food in downtonwn Paducah. All the pasta dishes we ordered were fabulous, seafood portions were generous, succulent shrimps in Extra large size. Their pear salad here was da bomb! I know, it's just a salad but somehow it turns out so refreshing & yummy. read more

Been a customer since it opened and have always enjoyed dining there. One of my favourite restaurants in Paducah. Thank for doing a super job. read more

We've never had a bad meal from Cynthia's. We've dined in and taken out. Our order is always correct. Cynthia is a jewel. Their food is AMAZING! You cannot go wrong with their oak grilled steak. Any of their pasta dishes are SUPERB! Get the Cynthia's salad, it's really good. We will be back! I highly recommend. This is our favorite "splurge" restaurant in Western Kentucky! read more

Meh. Super disappointed. Nothing was fresh. Pears were canned, rigatoni tastes like it was microwaved then broiled. Cheese cake from a box, sent it back after a bite. Should've sent it all back. Would give lower rating if I could. read more

The service was awesome. My wife has gluten sensitivity and they accommodated with bread and even modifying the entree as well. The cucumber martini is a must try and we are big fans of eating outside so give it a try. Well worth it. As for the food. I had pork tenderloin and my wife had the tiger prawns and risotto. Dessert sounds good. We just ordered. Likely as good as everything else. The staff at the restaurant was very accommodating. I know. Sound too good to be true but a great experience. Just visited another local establishment before coming here. Not so good. That rating I will save for another day. read more

Nice ambience and wonderful tasting food. The service was top notch. The ribeye that I had was extremely flavorful and was the best steak I have ever had. read more

My daughter took me to Cynthia's for my birthday. it was a wonderful dining experience. Our meal was extraordinarily delicious and our servers were very friendly and attentive. I totally enjoyed the atmosphere. read more

This place is amazing.My wife and I went on our anniversary and that particular weekend they happened to have soft shell crab. This my first time eating it and it was simply amazing. The chef did an excellent job. It's a low and romantic place. Ms.Cynthia actually walks and and checks on guest. You also do indeed get your money worth. This is a place that I highly reccomend and will be returning when I'm back in Paducah. read more

Cynthia's Ristorante - Fresh Maryland Soft Shell Crab - Italian Near Me - Paducah, Kentucky

Outstanding restaurant. It was date night with my wife and we decided to make reservations. It was our first time dining here and we both enjoyed it very much. The ambiance is great. Decor, and food were top notch. The service was on another level! The waitstaff were friendly, attentive and communicated very well. We, both, thoroughly enjoyed our meals, had plenty to take home and had a great time. We will definitely make this a regular place. read more

I was a bit disappointed with the service and not wowed by the food. I used to live in Paducah and actually worked at Cynthia's several years ago. Last night I was celebrating a special anniversary with my wife and wanted to take her to some place different, we live in Nashville. I didn't tell them we were celebrating, we just wanted dinner, nothing special. We were seated and then another couple was seated a minute or so later. The other couple was greeted first and served their wine before we were even acknowledged by the server. We ordered a drink and began to look over the menu. The drinks were delivered by someone else and it was another several minutes before the server returned to present the specials for the night. We had more or less made up our mind and then told half the things we ordered were not available...at 5:30. My wife ordered the Roasted red pepper soup (delicious) and the Roasted oysters as her entree with a side of mashed potatoes. The oysters were good and the potatoes were not hot. I ordered the Pistachio crusted goat cheese salad (quite tasty as well) and the scallops with roasted root vegetables and risotto. The scallops were ok at best and the risotto was al dente, crunchy even, when it came out the first time and somewhat bland both times. After the dishes were remove, the server approached with dessert options. My wife ordered the flourless chocolate cake. It was rich and delicious. As I was taking the first bite, the server walked past and dropped the check on the table, with a word and kept on walking. A couple minutes later he came up and asked if he could take care of the check. He grabbed the book off the table and as I was trying to tell him there was no credit card in there, he was gone before he could hear me. The server assistant did a great job, very attentive. As we were leaving, I was a little disappointed to find our coats were hanging in the COLD coat rack. We were cold before we ever walked out the door. Neither the server nor the hostess told us to have a good night. It's too bad, this used to be a great restaurant. Had I known, I wouldn't have spent 5 hours on the road for this meal. Good luck Bill and Cynthia, but I wont be back. read more

The best phrase to describe this dining experience was "Don't Quit Your Day Job." Except, this this IS their day job. I'm generally reluctant to write negative reviews because I'm well aware that this is someone's reputation at least, and their passion at best, and I'm not interested in damaging either. However, the meal that I had at Cynthia's last Saturday night missed that mark in so many ways, it needs to be discussed, and hopefully, remedied. The FIRST IMPRESSION of a place that serves the public is cleanliness; it shows attention to detail. The windows of Cynthia's were smudged with fingerprints and the floors were dirty, as was the restroom. This always worries me, because if you aren't cleaning the spaces that the public sees, what must the kitchen look like? AMBIANCE is important, too. The temperature of the establishment was about 65 degrees. As women tend to wear slightly more revealing clothing in the summer, and on dates, it was too cool for comfort. It was extremely dark inside; not romantic, but dark. As in, couldn't read the menu. The music was far too quiet, which beats too loud, but then, why have it at all? Lastly, in the downstairs seating area, there were five couples eating a quiet dinner, and a large party of loud, boisterous men were brought in and seated next to us. Since we all had reservations, this was not a last-minute accommodation and disrupted the mood for all the other diners. Inappropriate. On to the STARTER: a fourteen dollar pizza that claimed to be "Margherita Flatbread." Margherita should be lite, crispy, with minimal tomato sauce, very little cheese, great quality olive oil, and a single, perfect leaf of basil to infuse the entire pie. In reality, it was cardboard topped with tomato paste seasoned with what I truly believe was Herbs de Provence. Please no: lavender has its place, and it's not to make a pizza taste musty. When you added the huge wedges of unripe tomato on top (seriously, like in a hospital-cafeteria salad), it was genuinely inedible. The MAINS: Pasta vegetable dish: more of the heavy tomato sauce that was on the pizza, overcooked noodles, and zucchini and broccoli. A fish dish (which was actually well-cooked, but poorly seasoned) on top of a bed of fusilli pasta that was supposed to be served with a cream sauce. The sauce was separated. As in dry, with chunks of something (cream? butter? eggs?) sitting on top. I politely, (at least, I hope it was polite,) pointed this out to the server, who said that he was going to kill the chef for it (all in good fun,) but then billed us for it anyway. DESSERT: at that point, we were so disappointed that we weren't even interested in looking at the dessert menu. All in all, it seemed like they wanted to do a good job, but missed the mark on all accounts. Some suggestions to improve the situation? Clean it up, warm it up, maybe hire a consultant for some ideas about music and ambience. "Fresh and local" still needs to be quality; don't serve food that is unripe, poorly seasoned, and inconsistent. Taste the food more frequently, and correct the missteps. The upshot? We were out a hundred dollars for something I would have been embarrassed to serve in a high school cafeteria. read more

Cynthia's totally underwhelmed me. Maybe I hit them on an off night. I'm from out of town and I've never been before and will never have a chance to go again, and as someone who's worked in high end restaurants for all of my adult life, I know there can be pretty awful nights at even the best places. So maybe I'm wrong. The other two reviewers gave it 5 stars, so obviously, I'm in the minority here. Cynthia's is a cozy, romantic spot with great art on the walls and around every corner. We didn't have a reservation, but the hostess finagled a bit and squeezed us in at a two top upstairs. We ordered some drinks, though it was well after my husband had finished his before my glass of Chianti arrived. Our server (Matthew? I think?) left the remainder of the bottle (easily another glass) on the table as an apology. How attentive is that? He also had a deep knowledge of the menu, the restaurant, the art on the walls (which we inquired about) and the beer selection. I really appreciate waitstaff like that. Totally five star service, at any rate! The food, tragically, didn't hold up to the environs or service. I love bread. Bread can make or break a meal. For some reason, at Cynthia's, they serve this ubersoft, dense, crustless, near flavorless bread. I'll give them points for making it in house, but I hate to tell them, there's a bakery one street over making phenomenal breads. Why not pair up with a fellow locally owned business? Let them do what they do best, and free up your kitchen staff from the daily bread routine? So I thought the bread was terrible and it made me sad considering there was a lovely dish of olive oil on the table and I had a bowl of pasta for dinner. Would have been nice to have some crusty bread! If soft soft bread is your thing, though, you'll be thrilled! So they're making their pasta in-house. Awesome! It was pretty good (the quality of the pasta I mean), but the dish itself was totally under seasoned and undersauced. The pasta set up firm enough (lack of sauce?) that I couldn't twirl it. :( It just sort of congealed into a tangle of starch in my bowl. Also had the flatbread special. Was expecting, you know, flat bread, but instead had a deep dish pizza. In all fairness, it wasn't bad! Just wasn't my idea of flatbread. The star of the evening was the duck and fig salad, which may be indicative of the normal quality of the restaurant? It was awesome. Maybe it really was an off night. . . read more

Cynthia's was a huge surprise and a hidden gem in historic Paducah. The menu changes frequently based on the seafood flown in. We had a party of 8 and tasted each other's entrees. I had plate envy for the seabass which tasted like lobster. Don't get fixated on posted menus because the entree will likely not be there. But honestly everything was yummy and every dish was a masterpiece. Top it off with great service--it was a memorable night. Yeah--we took pics of every dish!! read more

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Unbelievable Italian ristorante in an unlikely place. Good food -- on a par with anything I've ever had in the traditionally Italian haunts of Chicago. Nice wine list! read more

My husband and I were in town and stumbled across this Italian restaurant. The waiters were very attentive and polite. The main course was exceptional. I had never eaten trout before, but I could tell that if I tried anything for the first time at Cynthia's, the chefs would not disappoint. When the main course came, it was perfect!! Lastly, if you believe you have had excellent Tiramisu, I challenge you to try the Tiramisu at Cynthia's. I have NEVER had better!! We will definitely return. read more

This is the best Restaurant in Paducah !! We love everything they have on the menu . The Staff is excellent also. We have been here numerous times. The prices are worth paying because what they serve is nothing but the Best . read more

This place is fabulous!! I had the grouper omg to die for! Loved the atmosphere! We will definitely be coming back to this gem!

Fabulous dining experience - especially for Paducah, KY. It's the ONLY fine-dining establishment worth going to. Smaller & more intimate, with hands-on details from owners/chef/creators. Unique, original and always excellent service and food!! read more

Would be five stars if rated purely on quality of food. We went to Paducah for a quick getaway and to explore Shawnee National Forest and decided on Cynthia's for our first night. First, when we scheduled our reservation we were told they only had 5pm or 8:30pm available and not wanting to go so early we chose 8:30pm. We decided to walk the cute little downtown and walked by the restaurant about 45 minutes early and found a number of open tables outside and seeing as we were hungry asked if we could be seated at one. We were but didn't understand why they weren't mentioned on the phone. We probably should have waited to be sat inside. The service outside was very slow and unattentive. Maybe they are still getting used to the outside tables, I don't know but for $$$ you spend here, you would expect great service. All the food we ordered was very good but the Tuna appetizer only had four small pieces (which were great) for $15, not a very good value. In all, we probably would go back but only if seated inside. read more

Locally owned! Delicious! Lucky to have a restuarant of this quality in Paducah. We love it. read more

The hallmark of a great dining experience is attention to detail. Cynthia makes sure that each of her guests has a wonderful dining experience. From the excellent cocktails to the mind blowing mozzarella tomato salad and excellent main courses we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. For a true family operated restaurant that prides itself on consistency and excellence be sure to stop at Cynthia's! read more

Tonight was our ever first dinning experience at Cynthia's Italian Ristorante in Downtown Paducah, and it came highly recommended for good reason. As we arrived into this romantic, low lite old building with brick walls covered by fine art Cynthia herself treated us. We had a 7:00pm reservation, at table #7 which is all by itself on a balcony and extremely romantic! Also highly recommend. My husband ordered us the Nipozzano Reserva Chianti Ruffina, which was well presented, and after a taste, we knew it was the right choice. They offer Silver Oak which is also one of our favorite labels. My the Flatbread of the evening came out with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh mozzarella and Italian spices! Heavenly! My first course was Grilled Mozzarella Salad. Oh my! Oh my! It has fresh Buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil wrapped prosciutto, romaine lettuce, oak grilled on grilled ciabatta and sun dried tomato with a dash of balsamic vinaigrette. (See picture) It was breathtaking! My second course was Fresh Hokkaido Seared Sea Scallops. (I live for excellent Italian seafood) they are wrapped in bacon, and served over a pancetta sweet pepper and portabella mushroom risotto. (Yes it is well worth $29) which I thought was extremely reasonable. I've eaten all over the United States, I love 5 Star Dinning. With our two servers taking care of us, and spending over an hour and a half dinning, this romantic dining experience was everything we wanted it to be and more. Bill & Cynthia has taken a smaller town like Paducah, and given people a true 5 Star Dining Experience. Our next reservation has already been placed and I'm going to try the Lobster/Shrimp Fettuccine. As well as the famous homemade soup. The cost was minimal for 5 Star Service. I believe our check was $89 and we tipped 20% for both of our servers. Bottom line, for a slow paced, romantic, old world Italian dining experience....You must invest a night at Cynthia's!!! Loved it! read more

Cynthia's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Paducah, Kentucky

I hosted a bridal shower for 20 in their private dining room. It's a beautiful intimate space that worked perfectly for us. A wonderful menu was created for the event. All of the food was delicious and perfectly portioned. Our servers were professional, attentive, and courteous. After a simple glitch in the booking being remedied, everything else was perfect and my guests were very happy with their evening. I'd recommend Cynthia's private room for your intimate group event. read more