Memorable, but only by what went wrong I was looking forward to a wonderful dinner at Dante based on a glowing description from a friend who had dined there just a month earlier. Sadly, it was a disappointment on all levels; food, wine and service. Despite individual dishes on the menu that looked interesting, we ordered the tasting menu with the wine pairing. Big mistake. Without going into specifics, foods that were mentioned as favorites, and shown on the menu, were not served, though foods that were requested to NOT be served were. One course was a complete duplicate of the previous course with just a change of the type of meat placed on top of the vegetables. Excuses were made, but only by a rueful waitress, not the chef or manager. I could go on and on, but it's not worth the effort since the kitchen couldn't make the effort to serve a dinner worthy of the price they charged. read more

Went here tonight for the 2nd time in the last 6 months, and was as disappointed this time as I was the last. The food is tasty and the value ok. I recommend the tasting portions of risotto or the pastas. The calamari was ok, just not strong enough to differentiate from other fried squid. The lobster spring rolls are also ok, just a big taste of oil and a bit of lobster. As for mains, the ribeye was good, and the current chicken is full of truffle scent but lacking in flavor. The duck was good, but smoked to the point that it tasted too much like a slab of bacon. As for desserts, well, we didn't get to those and not because we didn't want them. My major issue with this place is the HORRIBLE service. Our waitress disappeared 3 times tonight for over 20 minutes each time. First it was after we ordered our appetizer. Second was after they brought the wrong soup and there was literally zero employees in the dining room for 10 minutes and we finally got her after the rest of our group had already finished their appetizers. Then, after we received the dessert menus she again disappeared. Not wanting to sit in a half empty reataurant until 2 am on a Wednesday, we decided to cut our losses and just get the bill. My recommendation is to go elsewhere. Today's dining experience is just as much about the service and experience as it is about the food. read more

Not what I expected at all! My husband and I went for my birthday. We made our reservations online, and when we arrived were surprised to find that they seated us in "the vault", which is one of their specialty seating spaces. It was nice and cozy, and out of the way from the rest of the restaurant. We expected to have a romantic dinner, but were quite confused half way through our five course dinner when loud, thumping party music started playing. The waiter apologized, stating that there was a wedding reception happening in one of the rooms. In regards to the food- We each ordered the chef's tasting menu: his the original version, mine the vegetarian. I am quite disappointed to say that the first two courses were the best. My husband's scallops were overcooked and chewy, and his steak was not a good cut (also very chewy). My vegetarian tasting was very mushroom heavy (not that I am opposed to mushrooms, I would've just expected more variety), and the main course of vegan lasagna tasted like something that I could've made myself (and I am NO chef). We were also quite disappointed in the desserts, which were just meh. We expected so much better from a $200+ meal. read more

Salt salt salt salt salt. My dish was so over salted we sent it back. Calamari was inedible. My girlfriend sent back her lobster salad. Same thing. Way oversalted. For the price of their food I expect way better. Will not be going back read more

This place is damn near perfect. It has a perfect location. Next to my favorite bar (Tree House) and in front of my favorite store (banyan tree). I am madly in love with treemont so I am a bit bias. I will start with the bad part first. The hostesses were good to fit us right in with our reservations (wait that wasnt bad )However they walked us thru the kitchen which I can live with but it was a bit messy. Reminded me of Monica's messy closet in friends. House was perfect but she had a messy closet. Another thing I didn't like was the table. Was annoyingly small. Between the two plates and the wine glasses there was no room. Now the good part. The food was amazing! The menu was small but so versatile. There were so many options. Definitely an Italian cuisine but with a great contemporary twist. I got the scallops and my friend got the salmon. They were made by the Italian gods of seafood. Meravillioso!!! You know those food shows on TV where the stupid chefs eat the food and explain it and you have no idea how great it is because you didn't taste it? It would be like that. I can tell you how great it is but you won't know till you go in and try it. read more

Delivering gourmet American fare and an exciting modernist space providing all the dining options the modern consumer might want--including an honest-to-golly bank vault (!) seating area for those brave souls wishing to confront their claustrophobia head-on--Dante, despite two minor setbacks outlined below, is a real stand-out from the crowded CLE foodie scene. The staff are pleasant, plucky, and not at all pretentious. Hosts greet from behind a podium wedged full of more post- dinner candy treats than that creepalicious candy man ever offered to the scallywag kids in the Wonka-verse's original outing. While this may be a bit disconcerting ("Did we wander into a sweets shop by mistake?" asked one befuddled diner), the candy array exists as a primary means of showing one how much Dante et al. care. These are fine hard working folk who ensure that fresh baked bread flows freely (with humus, gratis!) and drink orders are promptly and efficiency placed. Your reviewer was whisked through the kitchen to a table in back in an exciting, voyeuristic frenzy wherein glimpses of the behind-the-scenes magic were possible, even encouraged. While everyone seemed to be working at full tilt to hand-craft the delicious dishes we later enjoyed, it was obvious that no one was taking much time to salt. But more on that in a second... Let's first say that Dante is apparently a steak and potatoes man run through with a modern gustatory purveyor's predilections for the strange and nouveau. Enjoy some squid ink with your pasta. Or perhaps instead of fois gras by the tin as in days of yore, you'd like it as an entire, mammoth Lobe (with an equally mammoth price tag). The menu here is small, primarily meat based, and unapologetically a la carte. There are some vegetarian options such as a rather delectable polenta, but mostly this is a place for carnivores. The wine list is staggeringly long (a good 10 pages or more), with the top entries fetching $2,000-$3,500 a bottle. The cocktail list seemingly changes often, and there were fun twists on old school favorites like a revamped Mule and some iced sweet brandy treat named after John Steinbeck. Those looking for beer shouldn't waste their time, as there are only about ten options (most of them paltry domestics). But let's get back to our salt trouble, shall we? The corn and shrimp bisque was probably the blandest soup on record for your reviewer, to the point where a salt shaker had to be procured (and kept at the table like a granulated life raft) lest taste buds atrophy from underuse. As far as chief complaints go, this is the only serious one. Elsewhere, the house salad dressing left a legion of red welts in its vinegary wake, cut with not enough oil by a long shot. Your tongue might plead for mercy after a half dozen overly sour bites. These are nitpicky quibbles to be sure, but should be mentioned in an effort to be comprehensive. Overall, Dante is a winner. A wonderful, if pricey affair ($200 for four) with a meaty American focus. read more

We had an amazing dining experience here tonight. We can't thank Jackie enough for taking such excellent care of us. We'll be back!

My friend and I went to Dante to celebrate a special occasion and absolutely loved it!! The ambiance is really intimate and my friend and I were seated in a corner so we could catch up appropriately and still receive personalized service. First, we ordered the Double Goat Cheese Tartlet. I loved it because goat cheese is my favorite cheese and the pear chutney complemented the bold flavor of the cheese perfectly. We also ordered the Three Cheese Polenta and it had just the right touch of boldness but was not too heavy. The cheeses tasted wonderful together, which is slightly surprising since it was a rather unique three cheese blend. My friend and I shared our entrees with each other. We each ordered an appetizer portion of pasta and split them. This was more than enough food for both of us! We ordered the Linguine alla Carbonara (minus pancetta) and one of the weekly pasta specials. The poached egg on the Linguine was easily the best part of the dish and made it very filling even though it was an appetizer size. Both kinds of pasta looked really similar when they were served to us, but they were unique and dynamic! Overall, I loved this place so much. This is food you I cannot find at many other restaurants, nor it is something I can make at home myself. Well worth the money. Also, since we ordered many appetizers, the total cost of the meal was not too high at all! read more

Dante - The amazing Double Goat Cheese tartlets!! - New American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

Just had a wonderful evening at the chef's table with a group of 8. Service was attentive, helpful and great. Chef Dante was there himself and was incredibly hospitable. We had a group including vegetarians and non beef eaters and those without restrictions. The meal was incredibly delicious for everyone. 7 course meal and each one was memorable. My favorite was spaghetti with basil and artichokes. Dessert chefs produced an incredible array of dishes for the last course. A great experience for a celebration and any other special night. Big fan of the restaurant and the people who work there. Always a wonderful night no matter where you sit or eat. read more

Cool Tremont fancy place. Great service, wine list, and well appointed menu with chef power galore. Dante takes care to be sure. Calamari was superb. Mushroom soup was perfectly done, I was told. You can opt for the full lobe of fois gras ($150 feeds six). Tempting, but we are on a budget, for now. Next time we may try a dessert or two. read more

One of the best meals I've had anywhere in the world, much less Cleveland, and for a lot less than I would have paid for something comparable at a Vegas or NYC restaurant. The tuna tartare, charcuterie, chicken miso soup, steak, and twice-baked brownie were all in the outstanding to mindblowing range. The brownie (wrapped in phyllo dough!) was easily the best brownie I've ever had, and perhaps the most decadent desert I've ever had period. The service was top notch and also ranks as among the best experiences I've ever had. This was my first time at Dante, and I think that it may be ahead of Lola and Greenhouse Tavern in my book. Can't wait to return. read more

Ya know, I enjoyed the food and so did DH, but both of our instinct was to give 3-stars. Our server really turned us off- we sat for ever and ever once he established that we didn't want alcohol. Watching him stroll around and chat with people while we waited hungrily for, no kidding, 20 minutes to ask about the fairly complex menu was ridiculously frustrating. There is a tasting menu mentioned at the top of the printed menu which he didn't bother with til we asked. I really believe that at a restaurant with a menu like theirs it is a MUST to ask guests promptly if it's their first time and then orient them. We were so afraid he'd disappear again that we basically ordered whatever we could think of and hoped we had a reasonable combination of sizes and courses. I don't know how to explain it, but some dishes have one size, some two, and some a third which turns out to be for the tasting menu but a tasting portion is also available a la carte... or something. It was all over the place. Fun, and I think it would be great with a large group, but it needs to be a little tighter in terms of organization, clarity, and coursing. Both of our soups were just ok, the chicken veloute was fine and the beef with barley wasn't too exciting. I wouldn't order either again. I loved my carbonara way too much, it was fantastic and I nearly exploded. DH had rabbit which we enjoyed, nothing out of this world flavor wise but cooked perfectly. Desert was the chocolate bar, which was refreshing with a blood orange sorbet and very good overall. Throughout the meal though our waiter was forgetting what we ordered, disappearing, and just really a mess. At one point we both started laughing because... is that dude HIGH? We also sat near the bar and had smoky, tipsy people leaning all over the wall between the bar and our table. Nothing says romance like a stranger's errant elbow between you and your love. If you're going with a significant other, definitely ask for a table in the back or middle!! read more

There tonight and the service was horrible. They dropped off the food at the wrong places and we're unpleasant. Fine, off night but when they brought the wrong drinks, then charged for them when they weren't drank and gave an incredible attitude for it complaining, I had to call it out here, which I never do for service. More importantly, the Halibut and burrata was good, but the pasta was horrible, which in their defense seems to be impossible for Italian restaurants to do right. Brighter note, bread and wine was great. read more

Perfect for a fun night out with friends. In fact, get a group together (go fashion forward here, folks!). After happy hour somewhere else in Tremont, say 806, head to Dante. Sit at the bar and order a range of dishes (many items come in various sizes, such as Tasting, Appetizer or Entree so you can sample. My favorites: the polenta and the strawberry balsamic risotto! read more

It was our first time at Dante's and we absolutely LoVeD it! The energy is electric, the staff is uber friendly and ready to please you and it's just cool inside with that big bank vault. I'm on a doctor restricted diet and figured I'd have to find a way to work around the menu, but to my pleasant surprise, not so! Dante's offers several tasting menus and I asked our server, Katie, if the chef would be able to accommodate me and without hesitation she replied absolutely! None of this, oh let me go check stuff, it was just yes. She asked what I was not allowed to have and reported that to the chef and my meal was every bit as delicious and beautifully displayed as everyone else's at my table. The sommelier, Phil, was knowledgeable and excited about the wines he paired with the courses. After our dinner, which was a relaxing 3 hour experience, Phil gave us a tour of the restaurant and the kitchen, showed off the Chef's table and introduced us to Chef and Owner Dante. Great Food! Great Time! We'll Be Back! read more

Good food, but overpriced for what it was. The individual plates looked good, but the Chefs 5-course meal was waaaaaay overpriced at $75 a person. The server was really odd, the expo was a mumbling mess when delivering our food, and the cappuccino (which was delicious) was $5 each. Disappointing since I'd heard pretty good things. Too much great food in Cleveland to waste another trip here. Sorry read more

Exceptional food, especially the pasta. Service is warm, friendly, and obliging. But where this place really shines -- and unexpectedly -- are the drinks. The bar is fantastic, my whisky sour delicious, and the "cockpit" (think chefs table for two, but behind the bar) is very fun. read more

While I have never eaten at Dantes, since I'm addicted to Ginkos in the basement, I love coming up for drinks at the bar. You can wait for your table at Ginkos at Dantes bar and they come get you when seats open up. Paul one of the main bartenders there is very friendly and makes the best drinks I have ever tasted. I highly recommend drinking here, it is worth the price. read more

Food was good. Great atmosphere. Service was poor. Waiter was constantly eavesdropping and chiming in on our tables conversation, unaccommodating to dietary restrictions and took advantage on the bill. We ordered a simple cocktail and was charged for a premium top shelf spirit that was not requested ($21.50!!). Plus an extra cocktail was added to the bill along with swapping of an entree with a much more expensive one. Waiter just shrugged his shoulders and said it is what it is and was unapologetic. He knew what he was doing and tried to take advantage of us. read more

Dante was an awesome dining experience. Our party was a little confused going in, but our server explained the menu and how the tasting portions work. The food was phenomenal and the service was never hurried, but also not slow. I would recommend this place without a second thought to anyone. read more

The food was unbelievable and a great ambiance to match! We started with a plate of meats (cured in house) and split carbonara and muscles for our entrée. Our service was great as well! We're new to the area and will definitely be coming back. read more

Review of Late Night Noodle menu only .... Ok ... so we only came here for ramen ... always on the look-out for great ramen in Cleveland (still to be found) ... while the toppings were fine ... these really were just dried ramen out of the bag with fancy toppings ... the broths were really overpowering ... my only point of rating this a one-star is hoping that the chef who opened next door Ginko fixes this menu (even store bought fresh noodles would be a huge improvement) ... anyways ... multiple chef colleagues highly rave about Dante being the best restaurant in the city ... now I can see why the wait staff gave us funny looks when ramen is all we ordered and were encouraging us to order other things ... please fix the ramen on this menu or take it off, it's too embarrassing to your otherwise great reviews. For those who think you've found a great ramen secret in the city like we did ... it's not publicized for a reason. read more

5 course chefs tasting dinner. Do it! My fiancée and I had dinner on Saturday night with a reservation for the table in the Vault. She was amazed to see that they offered a gluten free option for the 5 course dinner. We opted for the wine parings with the courses. What a perfect dinner, we did not have to decide on a thing, everything was selected for use from the food to the wine. The service was just as amazing as the food. A truly special dining experience in Cleveland. read more

They have Schramsberg champagne, great decor and great food! The carbonara was excellent and they cure their own meats. The service was very attentive- I recommend! read more

I love the atmosphere - hand blown Chihuli style glass, bank vault, gears. Food is also excellent. Not very busy on weeknights, no TV's at bar. Intimate and dimly lit setting. Also, it's a great area to walk around in Tremont. GF friendly. read more

First-time, out-of-town visitors we were, and the Tremont neighborhood gets one away from the too-touristy downtown area. Our Uber dropped us in front of Dante, we took a quick peek at the reviews, and took a chance on it. Cool interior, nice combo of the old and the new in a former bank. Nice. The clientele was older than the millennial crowds we had seen and experienced in Cleveland's downtown restaurant district, fine with us. Dinners were pretty darned good, except for a chicken breast dish that had issues with the sliced pea pods (stringy). Service was perfectly fine, but it should be when you are paying this much for dinner. It was $200.00 with a bottle of wine and four entrees. One big issue that will keep us from returning? The loud music that started up halfway through our meals. It was far too intrusive, unnecessary, and irritating. This is a fine dining establishment with pricing to match an upscale crowd. We want to have easy conversations without straining to hear, or shouting across the table at each other. The downtown brewpubs have plenty of overly loud environments, and it is a significant faux pas for to experience it here at Dante. We would have considered dessert and coffee to linger, but the music drove us out. read more

My wife and I often start our nights out at the bar here for some wine, cocktails, and/or appetizers. Food is awesome and bartenders are good people. I'm always jealous of the old rich looking white people that get to sit in the bank vault though. read more

This place was amazing! Went for an anniversary and it was the first time I've ever been. I found this place on the PD's "A list" of restaurants. The service was impeccable, they filled our wine the whole night for us, the server described all of our food when it came out and it was perfect timing. The atmosphere is great. More importantly, the food was INCREDIBLE. We bought the duck dish, which I would highly recommend and a pesto pasta dish. They were both the right size and delicious with every bite. In addition, the prices were fair. We're east siders, so we have not been to Tremont much, but this place was worth it. We frequent Bistro 185, but will travel for this place more often. The ice cream and espresso dessert was also great! read more

Before I begin my official review, I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with Dante. Almost everything went off without a hitch. It was our one year anniversary, and we figured that we'd go a little classier than usual. And because I am both lazy and easily influenced, to yelp I went. Pretty much closed my eyes and used the fickle finger of fate to choose out of the seemingly endless list of good choices. Dante won. And here we are. I made reservations for the vault. (A really really good choice. So intimate, romantic, out of the way...) Because it was our anniversary, we both got surprise glasses of complementary champagne! (Whoo!! Spelled it right on my first try!) We shared an order of calamari. It was very good calamari too... Light, crisp, and flavorful. Definitely a must try. I got the pork with white beans as an entree. Delicious and filling for sure. I almost passed up dessert. But thanks to peer pressure, I gave in and got the Chocolate Peanut Parfait. Sweet, but not too sweet. Loved the banana ice cream! It paired perfectly with the salted caramel. The food, the service, and the atmosphere, all get 5 stars. BUT Dante lost a star on one thing, and that's parking. It is horrendous to say the least. I know they have valet, and if we were in any other car we would have used it. Unfortunately, our vehicle of choice is a giant pickup truck. Its already hard to park, and handing the keys over to someone who doesn't know how to handle it and trying to maneuver that monster into that tiny little lot? No way. It was also weird that on a Monday night there was literally NO parking anywhere! We ended up parking almost three quarters of a mile away and hoofing it. Definitely plan ahead when you make a reservation. Come a bit early so you can circle to find a space if you don't feel like paying for valet. TL;DR version: Calamari is good, pork is great, service excellent, reservations a must, and parking is chaotic. Great place but plan ahead for sure! read more

I was in town for a business trip and dined at Dante with a group of six. Dante is in an old bank building and has some historic features around the dining area and bar. We sat in the front window where there was a little less nostalgia, but the food more than made up for it. I had crab encrusted sea scallops which were served with fingerling potatoes. The scallops were perfectly prepared and had amazing flavor. I barely had room for dessert but managed to eat the chocolate creme brûlée with sesame ice cream. While I was stuffed, I couldn't leave a bite of it on my plate. read more

I would give Dante a solid 3.5 stars for the waitstaff, but definitely a 2 for the food, and for me, that's what really counts. I believe in paying good money for good food, but the flavors just weren't there, especially not for the price. I had the scallops, and two of my party members had the polenta and short ribs. The black rice risotto served with the scallops was slimy and pretty inedible. My mother and I split the meal, and after the first bite of risotto, we both decided to avoid it. The presentation on the scallops was pretty, though, and they were happy to split the order for us. As for the short ribs, they tasted underseasoned. One member of our party has a wheat allergy, and she asked that the meal be made gluten-free. Our waiter was awesome about accommodating her, and even found her a gluten-free cider to go with her meal. The weird thing was, without the sauce, which my allergic friend couldn't have, the ribs actually tasted better. If you are a beer snoot, as I am, this place has a decent selection of bottles, and a surprising amount of unfiltered and belgian-style beers, so that's a plus. On the other hand, if you know how you like your beer poured, DO NOT LET THEM POUR YOUR BEER! They use tall "cheat" glasses to catch all the foam, and they pour it right down the middle. Thankfully, our waiter left the bottle to my Unibroue Fin du Monde, so I was able to pour a little beer back in and swirl it around (as is actually instructed on the bottle) to get to all the unfiltered goodies left in the bottom. Unfortunately, the bad pour still left it flatter than I would have preferred. It was also unfortunate that there didn't seem to be much on tap. The menu, it must be said, is completely stupid and seriously pretentious. The wine and beer list is well organized and thoughtfully laid out. So why, I must ask, is the menu so incomprehensible? We had to ask the waiter to explain after we had several misunderstandings, and he sounded like he had done this about a million times before. The most unforgivable moment, though, was when they brought out our entrees. This place probably would have gotten 3 stars out of me, but none of our meals came at the same time. They brought out our delicate scallops first...cue a three minute wait, and then they brought the regular short ribs...cue a four minute wait, and then FINALLY the gluten free short ribs came. It was clear that the kitchen had their timing off, and rather than refiring the scallops, decided to send them out alone. For almost 30 dollars, I don't expect to have to watch my scallops cool and die on the plate while I wait almost ten minutes to eat them. Maybe the risotto wouldn't have been so awful if it had still been warm when we started eating. That said, the patio was a really pleasant space, the waiters were friendly, and the little guitar pick that came at the end of the meal instead of a mint was kind of pretentious (this place looks like it's never seen a live band), but still cute. It wasn't really a bad experience, but I was annoyed by some serious kitchen slip ups and will probably not be back. read more

Went last night for "Late Night Noodles" and they exceeded my expectations. The taste and cook was spot on. Our server was very nice and attentive. We sat by one of their floor to ceiling windows and the ambiance combined with the falling snow was really nice. I've been here before and rated 5-stars. read more

Food was not bad, not the best Italian food I've ever had but certainly not the worst. The wait staff is NOT friendly at all. Both of my sisters, who each went on separate occasions, had the same experience with rude servers. Will not be returning. read more

If you happen to dine at Dante please avoid the Duck, you'll thank me for it. Unless of course you enjoy having your weekend ruined due to food poisoning and the like. Good service and atmosphere but not worth the risk. read more

My fiancé and I celebrated our anniversary of our engagement at Dante's! It was a wonderful night! Keith was our waiter, and he did a great job explaining the menu and offering suggestions, as this was our first time there. He also was very genuine in his interactions, and was always meeting our needs. The food was delicious, we couldn't have had anything better. My fiancé had the carbonara and I had the salmon. We were offered a desert to celebrate our engagement and it made us feel so special. Thank you Dante's for a beautiful night, we will definitely be back! read more

Amazing ness ... Hands down best restaurant in Cleveland... And yeah it's that good

Wonderful experience, again. Every time we have been to Dante, we have gotten the vegetarian tasting dinner and it is excellent and different every time. Extraordinary creativity and excellent wine pairings. We split the tasting and it is plenty for two people. Love the service and decor. read more

Food was very good however service was not. We had a reservation on a Friday night and sat at a high table in the bar area. We would think we would get a dedicated waiter, but every time someone came to our table, it was a different person. We asked multiple times for a steady waiter, instead of having them just all "tag team" and after the 3 or 4th time asking we have a steady waiter. After a while of figuring that out, we were able to order our appetizer (oysters), which took forever and when it finally got to table it was wrong. They took it back and brought out a different complimentary app (tuna tartar), which was nice, but the oysters still took even more time to come out. When we finally ordered dinner, we ordered a 2 soups, a risotta, their seabass and steak. Each dish took over a half hour or more to come. We were so starving in between each plate as it just took so long - the 2 of us were there over 3 hours. We also ordered dessert and that even took a long time. We kept mentioning how we were a bit dissatisfied, and you would think they would step their game up but they did not. Unfortunately, the bad service overshadowed the food. read more

Highly recommend Dante. The menu is suitable for all tastes and I especially like the portion options for some of the dishes (taste, appetizer & entree). I like having the option of getting a few items to try and this is menu is certainly accomodating. Nice atmosphere and great service. read more

Impeccable Food and Service! Dante's did not disappoint. Our server Darlene was personable and helpful and fun! She helped us make our choices, love the 3 portion sizes available. She suggested we start with the lobster roll and had it cut in half in the kitchen so we could share it, it was excellent! Next, we had the tuna tartar, and omg, this was fabulous. We then did some tasting portions of the carbonara and bolognese pasta. Even tried the 3 cheese polenta. Everything was delicious. Loved the atmosphere too, will definitely return. read more