There aren't many restaurants that deserve a 5-star rating but Charlie Gitto's is one of them. We…read morestopped here 2 years ago on our way through St Louis on our way home from Colorado. It was my birthday and for 60+ years, my traditional b-day dinner has been rigatoni. My in-laws suggested Charlie Gitto's and it was fantastic. So, this year, we were again passing through St Louis on my birthday and I wanted to go back. I was hoping that it was as good as I remembered. I feared that I would be disappointed but I wasn't. It was as great as I remembered. I had their rigatoni with sausage, my wife had baked spaghetti with meatballs, my BIL had lasagna and my SIL had salmon. I also added a classic Ceasar salad. All of our entrees were excellent. The service is superb and definitely deserves a 5-star rating. Our waiter was excellent - he said he's been doing this for 18 years and was one of the best, most professional waiters I've ever met. Anthony, the manager, deserves special thanks for resolving an issue with where we were being seated. He was also the epitome of professionalism. Charlie Gitto's - despite me living in Ohio, you might become a new birthday tradition. Thanks.

It's a classic place, very well appointed but not pretentious. Comfortable chairs with linen tables…read moreNot too noisy, easy to have a private conversation. Service was excellent and helpful. Although claiming to have invented the toasted ravs, really did not enjoy them. Caprese salad was good for this time of year- early June. My go to meal to rate Italian restaurants is chicken Marsala, and was unfortunately the worst. Chicken was overcooked, rather tasteless and hard to cut. Very little sauce, but good mushrooms. Side of red pasta helped but was too sweet.

Clearly, with over a thousand reviews, Anthonino's is beloved in St Louis and beyond! I had to…read morecheck it out for myself. Reservations are a good idea due to its popularity. Parking is easy within a block or two. Outdoor, booth, and table seating is available. My husband had the gluten free pasta because it is also vegan, and no lie and true to form, it was delightful and light! The tomato sauce is Perfection: not too acidic, not too sweet, letting the grand yet humble tomato shine. I chose the puttanesca, one of my favorite traditional Italian pastas. I would order this again!! Had plenty for lunch the next day. Not to be left out: the toasted ravs and cannoli. I've had a few T-ravs since moving to StL, and these are excellent. The tomato sauce for dipping, once again, is a real treat. The cannolis? Precious, flaky, and dreamy. I ate one at our table and took the second bad boy home. FIRE.

While traveling through Missouri, my wife and I were looking for a place to have dinner. I searched…read moreYelp and came across Anthonino's. I also remembered seeing it featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, so we figured it had to be worth a try. When we arrived, we were asked if we had a reservation. We didn't, but noticed a few open seats at the bar and asked if we could sit there instead. The two bartenders welcomed us right away and told us they would take good care of us throughout the evening. My wife ordered an iced tea, and I started with an Old Fashioned. For an appetizer, we ordered the Toasted Ravioli ($14), which is handmade in-house and filled with ground beef, ricotta, and pecorino romano cheese, served with marinara sauce. It's one of the dishes featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. For dinner, my wife ordered the Chicken Marsala ($23), and I went with the Bolognese ($17), made with veal, pork, red wine gravy, cresta di gallo pasta, stracciatella, and Calabrian chili oil. The toasted ravioli arrived looking great. I tried one without the sauce first. The fresh pasta didn't fry up quite the way I expected. It was more flaky than crispy, and I was hoping for a little more crunch. The filling was decent but could have used a bit more seasoning and flavor. The marinara sauce also had a bitterness to it that wasn't my favorite. When our entrées arrived, both dishes looked and smelled wonderful. Unfortunately, the flavors didn't quite live up to the presentation. My wife's Chicken Marsala had good flavor overall, but the side pasta was very gummy, and the sauce again had a bitter note that seemed to overpower the dish. My Bolognese was the biggest disappointment of the evening. When I think of Bolognese or a rich meat ragù, I usually expect a wider pasta such as pappardelle. The cresta di gallo pasta wasn't my favorite choice for the dish, and it also had a gummy texture. The sauce itself suffered from the same bitterness that we noticed throughout the meal. Looking back, I probably should have ordered the Carbonara once I realized the Bolognese wasn't being served with the type of pasta I was hoping for. Overall, the meal was okay, but it didn't quite meet the expectations we had after seeing the restaurant featured on television and reading the reviews. The service was excellent, and the bartenders did a fantastic job taking care of us. While this visit was a bit disappointing, there were plenty of other dishes on the menu that looked great, and I would be willing to give Anthonino's another try and order something different.

Classic Italian food. Do the 4 course tasting. We did 3 of them and turned our dinner into a 12…read morecourse tasting menu by sharing everything. We had the crudo, Gnoccho fritto, smoked burrata, egg ravioli (GET THIS) , tagliolini, Cacio e Pepe, Barramundi, steak, lamb, chocolate lava tort, cheesecake, and Panna cotta. Corkage was a fair $30. Service was friendly. I liked that our server offered us an aerator or decanter for the wine that we brought; that was a nice touch. Ambiance was nice. I really liked the art on the walls, and they were quite affordable. Parking was a biiiiiiish to find. We risked it and used the Schlafly lot.

Top restaurant in STL!! Every single detail is dialed in, from the warm, attentive staff to the…read morecozy, European style ambiance to the FOOD and beautiful plating. It is one of those places you walk into, settle in, and truly take your time, wine, dine, and enjoy the full experience. Executive Chef Nick P clearly knows what he is doing. His talent and experience come through in every dish. The menu feels thoughtful and intentional, simple in execution but elevated by incredibly fresh, seasonal ingredients, with flavors that build perfectly from one bite to the next. You can taste the care in everything, from the house made pasta to the sauces, proteins, and vegetables, all perfectly cooked and balanced. What also sets this place apart, though, is the people. The staff and servers are genuinely excited about the food, knowledgeable about the ingredients and wine, and add to the overall experience. It is the kind of place you leave already thinking about when you can come back.

Have made a few trips to Trattoria Marcella now and it has been a great experience every time!…read moreFirst off, highly recommend making a reservation if you want a sure thing for dinner but they do have a pretty amazing happy hour in the bar that I believe is first come, first serve...and people do wait ahead of time to snag a spot at opening. Didn't snag a picture of the toasted ravs but so far, these have been my favorite one that I've tried in STL. There hasn't been anything I've ordered that I haven't liked. Be sure to listen to the specials as I have had some amazing fish dishes here! The lasagna is also amazing and a generous serving. To cap things off, you must try their tiramisu! So delicious!

This was a little hidden gym for me to try out recently for dinner. You have to utilize street…read moreparking so that can be a little difficult to find depending on how busy it is. On the outside it looks smaller, but there's a lot of dining space inside the staff is very friendly and helpful with menu suggestions. They also have a small patio area for outside dining as it gets warmer outside. They have a wide variety on their drink menu and a large wine selection. They start your meal off with bread and hummus, which was pretty tasty. I got the rigatoni with shrimp and it was a pretty good dish. I think it could've used a little more seasoning, but overall it was a solid meal.

Make the reservation or wait until who knows! Get there early as parking is at a premium as this is…read morein a neighborhood. There is a very small bar but some nights they will not serve food there. It has a downstairs, a patio and the main dining room. Bathroom is off the bar area. We had reservations but were early as we knew parking was crazy. Met some great folks while waiting. Bartenders were fast putting drinks out and giving a little show while doing it. Started with the toasted ravioli as they claim 'they invented it. Got cheese and meat. The sauce that came with was so good we couldn't wait to get our food! I had the tortellini de papa with prosciutto and garlic cream sauce. So good! My husband enjoyed his pizza but remarked the pepperoni was a little salty. It was fine for me. Too full for dessert. This area will be a stop from now on when we visit!

Ambiance (5/5): Super busy on a Sunday night but we managed to get a corner table. A little dark on…read morethe inside and on the noisier side. Service (4/5): It was a bit difficult to get service when they were so busy. The food came out relatively quick with no issues. The young waiter was very friendly. Toasted Ravioli (4/5): Glad we came and tried their famous homemade ravs. They had an exterior crunch with some meat on the inside. The marinara sauce went great with it. Chicken caprese salad (4/5): Added chicken to the salad and they did not skimp on the protein! I liked the vinaigrette that the salad came with. Penne a la Vodka (5/5): It was both rich and creamy. The flavors were on point and delicious all around. Found parking nearby with no problem.

I can't believe I never reviewed this place! I loved Zia's 10 years ago and I love it still! I just…read morewent on 07/03 and had Katie the best server at the restaurant! You need to book a reservation for Friday and Saturday nights. We had ours for 7 pm and were seated promptly. Food we got Toasted Ravs's these are a STL staple and a must get. The sauce is on the sweeter side so be prepared. I got the Lasagna which came with a salad. The dressing is also on the sweeter side. I love that so it's a great salad and it's topped with provel cheese. The lasagna has provel, beef, sausage and ricotta. It's light on the ricotta which I love. They use the same sweet sauce for the toasted rav's. It's a huge portion! My friend got a chicken dish which came with bacon, broccoli, peppers, and had toasted bread crumbs. He loved it, however he said it did not have much chicken. We were so full we skipped dessert. Great meal. For two people it was about $100 so pretty reasonable. We also got alcohol so it would have been cheaper without wine and a mixed drink. Best Italian on the Hill in my opinion!

We've been to "The Hill" in South City countless times, but we'd never tried Zia's. That changed a…read morecouple of days ago. Honestly? We've been missing out. The interior is nothing fancy, but it has that standard charm of The Hill. The service was excellent, we had Katie. She could have told us she went to WashU and majored in waitressing and we would have believed her. Prompt, professional but slightly personable. Good combo. The food was GREAT. We couldn't decide which was better, the Chicken Picatta or the Chicken Speidini. They were both super high quality poultry mixed with a rich and flavorful sauce, yum. Katie even let us make the side shells "pink", by mixing marinara and Alfredo for us. The only reason I'm subtracting a star is that our salads were a bit wilted -- my Mom kept running into some weird looking greens. Regardless, we'll be back.

Absolutely amazing, you can tell the noodles were homemade. Great portion size of pasta.read more

I loveeee pastaria!! It's dangerous how close I live because I do frequent this place often and I…read morecan't believe I hadn't left a review yet! I pop in for gelato frequently, but I also enjoy the pistachio raviolis a lot. You really can't go wrong with any pasta choice, and I haven't tried their pizza but it looks and smells amazing. I usually enjoy my dinner with a glass of wine -- they have a great selection. If it's nice out, we try to sit outside. I do recommend getting a reservation because they get really busy during peak dinner hours! The staff is always friendly, from the hostess to the waiters to the bartenders, I've never had a bad experience. Highly recommend this place!

After several years away, we decided to return to Cunetto House of Pasta, and I'm so glad we did…read more This was probably our fourth or fifth visit over the years, and the food reminded us why this restaurant has remained such a fixture on The Hill. We started with the toasted ravioli, and it may have been the best I've ever had. Crispy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Our party of four was thrilled with every entrée. I ordered a veal dish with a side of pasta, and it was absolutely outstanding. Everyone else ordered pasta dishes, and there was plenty of "oohing" and "ahhing" at the table with every bite. The portions are huge, so we're all looking forward to enjoying the leftovers. Service was friendly from start to finish. Our server was warm and attentive, although things moved a little slower than expected, and it took a while for our entrées to arrive. That said, once the food hit the table, it was clear the wait was worth it. The restaurant has a wonderful history and old-school charm, though the dining room could probably use a little refreshing. We also stopped at the bar before dinner, and unfortunately that was the biggest letdown of the evening. The presentation and flavor of our cocktails were surprisingly disappointing--they looked and tasted more like drinks from a budget hotel bar than from one of The Hill's iconic restaurants. Thankfully, the incredible meal more than made up for the cocktails. With so many outstanding Italian restaurants on The Hill, we've been fortunate to try many of them, and Cunetto House of Pasta has firmly earned a spot in our personal Top 3. We'll definitely be back.

Memorable pre-St Louis Marathon pasta dinner at the legendary Cunetto's!…read more Great service made us feel right at home. Huge portions of delicious pasta! Delicious desserts to finish the night.

Everytime I come to Maggiano's it's a lovely time. Great location for an intimate dinner stop…read morebefore heading elsewhere for a date activity, but also great at hosting larger group outings. I just love the low stimulation and the intentionality of the layout. You're typically not straining to hear your dining partner, it's a very calm setting. In my experience the staff has always been attentive. Special shout out to the server who wasn't even assigned to me who brought an extra serving of bread as we were packing our boxes! The food is consistently great! I do miss the reduced price take-home frozen pastas, I hope to see them again soon. The only area Maggiano's doesn't wow me on is their cocktail selection, specifically their price points for what they serve, but otherwise I'd call Maggiano's a 4.75 / 5 so we'll round up.

Went to Maggiano's Little Italy with a party of 10. We had reservations and showed up on time but…read moredidn't get seated until about 15 to 20 minutes later. It was really crowded so we understood, and they do have a bar area to wait which was nice. Service was pretty slow, but our server was helpful when we had questions. The food was good overall. My favorite was the Our Famous Rigatoni "D" with chicken and mushrooms. It had really good flavor, I just wish it came out hot instead of lukewarm. Overall, decent food but the experience itself wasn't the best.

This is your traditional Italian restaurant. The weight staff was super nice and helpful. Our…read morewaiter was actually amazing. They had a great menu with lots of options. Everything came out quickly and tasted good. It was cutely decorated on the inside. We had a reservation, but the night we came there were tornado warnings and so it wasn't super crowded. For us the chocolate covered strawberries was a stand out.

What a hidden gem! We heard about this place due to their "Eviction notice pasta" (aka penne…read moreamatriciana) for very pregnant people. We called on Saturday evening and were able to get a reservation on the same night. Turns out I've driven by 100 times and never noticed. The vibe is white tablecloth, intimate lighting, and attentive service but somehow still casual. I love that they have the story of the family business right there on the first page of the menu. We had the pasta that we came for and the tortellini as well as the escarola and calamari to start. The escarola was great. The escarola was great, everything else was "pretty good" as my husband put it. In other words, the pasta didn't blow us away. But, the atmosphere, the drinks, and the quick, attentive service sure did. Due to Yelp reviews, we also got the chocolate ravioli which was DECADENT and like no desert I've had before. We'd come back for a date night or to entertain visitors!