My wife and I were at the Juanita K Hammons to see Alton Brown. We went inside and all they had was chips/soft drinks. We found Gilardi's on yelp and it was only a 5 minute walk so we went. Be aware, it's not on the street but is actually behind the historic houses there. We had no reservations and they were busy but they took us anyway. The bartender had to serve us - but again they were busy that's on us. The spinach artichoke dip was mind blowing. It was better than our delicious meal. It was so rich thick and creamy. It was a fantastic experience getting to dip bread into that heavenly concoction. The Gilardis pasta was really good as well. I do wish the sausage was a little more meaty against the sauce (tiny pieces really just part of the sauce) but it was really good nonetheless. The shrimp were big firm and delicious. The ricotta pasta was great! The wine went great with the dip! That's all we had time for unfortunately - I realllly want to try the tiramisu. read more

I was not impressed. the tuna was pretty good. the chicken ravioli was not. Chicken was dry, pasta was gummy and the dish needed a sauce. Certainly not worth the price paid. service was attentive and they do have a nice wine selection. over priced but nice. read more

Love the location. Pasta was not really warm and not much flavor. Expected much more for the price. The cheesecake was the high point of the dinner. read more

Serice excellent. Food quality far below the price. Don't think we will go back. The rooom was very dark, anf room temperature was cold. read more

Service was stellar! Patio seating was lovely. Food was all tasty. Prices were moderate. We'll be back!

Food was awesome with excellent service, great little find!! Hidden gem near campus and hotels

We like the ambiance at this restaurant and why we continue to patronize. The service was acceptable. The food was not at a caliber to match the price. Two people, (no drinks, one appetizer, two salads, two entrees) $125 not including tip. The appetizer was good, the salads were not crisp, the pasta dishes lacked flavor and had poor consistency. Olive Garden would have been better. read more

Blown away. We assumed our food would be good, but two of the items we ordered were excellent! Service was also great. The best service we've had in Springfield. The standouts: - Pasta di Giorno with vegetables and goat cheese; - Hummus with bruchetta and crusty bread The lemon herby sauce on the pasta was fabulous. Honestly, the best Italian dish I've had in recent memory. I can't recommend it enough. The hummus was wonderfully smooth with just the right amount of garlic. I was a little offput by the kraft paper on the tables, especially because it really highlighted my post-meal debris field! There was also a live trap visible from the parking area. This didn't impact my dining experience, but I'm still very curious about what they're catching!? The canolis were okay, but I'd have enjoyed the strawberries with chocolate sauce more by themselves. read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - The paper on the table really highlights my post-meal debris field. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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We had an epic meal!!! We literally planned our stop to eat at this place. Ate here 13 years ago and have thought about it often. The smoked mushroom Hummus was so die for. The fillet was incredible and I tasted the chicken Parmigiana and it was incredible as well. Great place for a wonderful meal to remember. read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Bisteca de Giorna - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

We were out looking around for a "date night restaurant" last minute. It's gotten really hard to do that now here in Springfield since everyone from surroundings towns come here every weekend lol. Well we happened by Gilardi's, and called to see if they were open. I had no clue that the restaurant was reservations only, and around back of the historic house. Upon calling they were able to squeeze us in without a reservation. Staff was extremely nice, and knowledgeable; it seems as though this place is supposed to be "upscale" since the majority of people were wearing jackets or a colored shirt. We weren't dressed up, and they let us in with no problem. The place is pretty small, and dimly lit; a bar close to the main dining area next to a wall of wines. We had the signature pasta dish that had hand made noodles and a creamy cheese sauce. To be completely honest I wasn't that impressed. Two pastas, and two glasses of wine $96. Completely overpriced, and not even an amazing experience. The bread was not great, and the pasta was okay at best. To be honest Bambino's is way better. Kind of a let down since my wife has been wanting to come here for years. read more

We love Gilardi's! You can always count on great service, food, and ambiance. When we have the chance for a date night, Gilardi's is a go to. read more

We ate here for decades, even after it sold to someone not Gilardi., and it was still good. After last night, I can say only that most of my party left annoyed by our sorry food and hungry and disappointed after paying an outrageous swindle of a bill. Any of the many downtown restaurants a few blocks west are easily superior. Flame is pricey and well worth it. We stopped at Andy's and Steak and Shake post-symphony, which saved our evening. Steer clear. read more

I'm torn in giving this three stars for several reasons. I ordered a Cabernet to start. A few minutes later cocktails arrived and server stated that they were out of Cabernet. Initial impression was surprise that they didn't have any Cabernet; however you could buy half bottles or full bottles of Merlot or Pinot Noir. The rest of the group ordered bottles of the other and the server never returned to ask if I would like the same or something else? Kinda weird if you want to sell a lot of drinks to a group ready to party. We ordered an assortment of appetizers such as the meatballs, bruschetta Italian salsa of which were just okay. Not a whole lot of effort to upswell more appetizers to our group of eleven. No effort to sell salads. I had the sea bass which was really good and the best part of my experience with the restaurant. The sides of vegetables were really good and what saved this review from going to two stars. Service lacked along with being out of a wine staple without a backup from a wine store down the road to fill in. read more

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Came to Gilardi's Ristorante for dinner not expecting to be seating at a distinctively different establishment. When I walked in I could not notice the red walls, stocked bar and chandelier above a corner nook. Not to mention the variety of wine bottles displayed on the wall. Our waiter was very friendly, professional and courteous. We enjoyed the interesting appetizer, the seafood pasta and topped off the evening meal with a Tiramisu and French press coffee. Delicious! Aside from a throwback ambiance the dinner experience was unique. Enjoy! read more

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If you want to be insulted for simply having the nerve to arrive at this restaurant without a mask and asking for one, then this is your place. "I can't believe these people there signs all over the place" as if I am completely incompetent- that was rude and uncalled for as was the aggressive manner in which you thrust your mask packt to me. This wasn't about mask or no mask - I am completely vaccinated, there is no ordnance in place, and I had no way to know in advance of the door which is half a block off the road and hidden behind a building. I simply wanted to know if you had one available so I didn't have to go back to my car which was not parked close. When I tell you how I didn't appreciate your attitude to a customer, and then walk with the host staff to get seated - your response was to follow me stick your finger in my face and tell me "we are not going to do this bud" When try to leave it was clear you wanted to have some type of confrontation by the fact that you and your staff followed me half to the road wanting to continue this. I was there for a car club group outing and you felt it was a good idea to do this in front of my group. I have never been so humiliated as I was this night. So, I guess this "head dishwasher" owner has too much business. You should think twice before going to this place at the risk of humiliation from this rude psychopath. read more

Delicious dinner and fabulous service! Highly recommend Gilardi's for a delightful dinning experience.

The food was cold and watered down but no way as good as Alvanzares. The atmosphere was OK but an old horse barn converted to a cheap looking restaurant . The service was decent at first and then as the 9 PM closing time approached then Jordan was practically THROWING US OUT OF THE RESTAURANT!!! we didn't feel singled out. There were many that were ENCOURAGED TO LEAVE. We were asked so many times "are you wanting to package this up or that up" and finally then they took my drink away before I even finished it then I drew the line. It wa 8:58 PM when we left and they are a bunch of young people looking to leave their jobs at 8:30 pm. Felt like I was in Wendy's at 11:00 PM closing time or Something and then.... they grab my expensive drink and throw it out. DESSERT WAS LIKE WALMART PUDDING (not even so good) I cannot recommend anyone eat here after our experience. I should have read fhe other reviews of this poorly managed place before coming here. The owner James I never met him but he and his wife must be total batty and crazy Never again We dine at many excellent fine restaurants in Springfield and around the globe and this one DONT WAIST YOUR TIME read more

My husband found this gem after a google search for restaurants with lamb shank. When he called, no reservations were available. After speaking to the actual chef on the phone, he agreed to give us a table at the bar. To our sweet surprise, we were seated in a private booth. We ordered lamb shank, seafood pasta, Caesar salad and Tiramisu. There was only one waitress and the chef running the whole show. People kept walking in without reservations and they kindly accommodated each and every one. My husband loved the anchovies on the salad. The prawns were massive. I could only eat one or two. The lamb was cooked perfectly and I ate my share of the garlic mash underneath. The only complaint was the gravy was excessive and heavily salted. The big decision of the night was the dessert. Cherry-orange Cannoli or Tiramisu. After speaking to the chef who wandered table to table speaking to customers, (love) we chose the later. It was perfect. We will no doubt drive 3 hrs sometime to try more of the great hospitality and the food. It was a pleasure!! read more

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For our anniversary, we were looking for someplace "special", as we were passing through Springfield, MO. We happened upon Gilardi's, & we will definitely be back the next time we are in town. It was a wonderful! The food was absolutely delicious! We couldn't decide what we liked better; our salads, entrees or soup! All delectable!The atmosphere was perfect for our special night, but if we lived in Springfield, it would definitely be a regular place for us. We highly recommend! read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Beautiful! - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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A fantastic find! We are here for a graduation and stumbled upon this gem or a restaurant. The puttanesca was absolutely delicious and the overall service was fantastic. A person in our party has celiac and was made a special dish. So impressive! This a beautiful space and was quite a treat. I wish we lived closer. read more

Friendly staff. Good pasta dishes. Salad is a side salad. Expensive but everything was so flavorful.

What a hidden gem! Walking past, you may not realize it's a restaurant. The restaurant is in the very back of the property, upon entrance it's quite small, but the intimate quarters sets the vibe instantly. The staff are above & beyond with the politeness and the chef himself goes table side to make recommendations, checkin on your dinner, etc. This is our second time dining here since moving to the Springfield area, and I'm absolutely sure we'll have another experience soon. I will say the prices are a bit high on some of the items, even for fine dining (which we're quite knowledgeable with), so with that being said, it might be more fitting for special occasions for those not familiar with the restaurant or area. You absolutely have to try the meatballs & their caprese salad, when the tomatoes & cucumbers are in season, they're picked from their own garden! read more

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Credit and praise to Gilardi's Restaurant. We dined on their patio last week. Masks must be worn as you walk thru the restaurant to the patio, they took temps at the door, all staff were masked, they had a serving/clearing procedure that involved two separate people so there wouldn't be cross contamination, and tables and seats at the tables were all socially distant. The mood was festive. The food was fantastic. The safety measures--all outlined on disposable paper menus--were above and beyond. Thanks for taking the safety of your customers seriously, James Martin. Best practices from a restaurant that's always been a celebration staple. read more

I rarely post reviews but since we live locally and Saturday's (1/13/24) experience was so disappointing I feel I must...plus I hope James reviews it. First I want to state it's one of our favorite Italian restaurants (been going for 20+yrs with Nicola too) and we'll certainly go back BUT I must say, think again about going on a symphony night! I thought I would try the fish special which was salmon with a strawberry and something, something reduction served with risotto, which I found to be enticing...it wasn't. I purchase salmon at home from Wild Alaskan Co and get the very same "captain cuts" of coho and sockeye. My salmon was charred along the edges and dry. Hold the filet from any side and you could hold the entire filet above the plate. I was surprised that our waiter (Matthew) didn't inquire as to why my 1/2 eaten dish....was 1/2 eaten?! I was disappointed in the risotto too, extremely dry, must have been made that morning. I really looked forward to my merlot with my dish but it was as cold as the entire room so I had nowhere to bail to at this point. I think I'll return to my pasta love at Gilardi's and call it quits. I realize everything has risen in cost but don't make portions smaller and charge more for them. My Caesar salad had shrunk in size and is $11....really?! The salmon entree "special" was $54. My wife had a house salad and split a filet with our daughter, hot tea and coffee. Along with my 2 glasses of wine brought our entire tab to $160. +20% tip for just under $200 rockets, WOW!! The symphony was nice:).... PB read more

My fiancé and I had our New Year's Eve dinner at Gilardi's, and it was absolutely incredible. This was our first time having dinner here and it was great. The only reason I gave this review 4 stars instead of 5 is because I saw our waitress cracking pepper or sprinkling Parmesan for every other table but we were not offered that for either of our entrees. Our waitress was very nice, but I wonder if she didn't expect us to care because we aren't 50 or older? I'm not sure what it was. Either way the food was delicious, the atmosphere was perfect, and we will probably be back. Update: I posted this review on their Facebook page and within minutes I had a comment with an apology and a promise to do better next time since they will discuss the issue with their staff. I am impressed. read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Seafood cakes, squash soup, pasta al gilardi, tortellini, and blueberry chocolate cheesecake. Beautiful NYE Dinner. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Me and my husband wanted a date night and we came to this restaurant. We definitely do not recommend. My husband got major food poisoning the next day. His pasta looked like dog food and my steak was well done when I ordered medium rare. Nothing had much flavor. read more

This was our second time to Gilardi's and it did not disappoint!! Incredible service. The food was great and portion sizes were big enough to have leftovers. The chicken parm was excellent! w read more

A coworker recommended this place, and I decided to grab some take out from Gilardi's on the way from the airport to the hotel. What's so unique about Gilardi's is that it's located on a residential-looking street in a house! The actual restaurant is set back from the Walnut St. a little, and there's a long driveway you can take right up to the front door where there's several parking spots. I knew I wanted pasta, and on a last minute whim, I asked if the restaurant could make gnocchi, though I didn't see it on the menu, so I kind of built my own dish: gnocchi + cream sauce + shrimp. Man, that dish smelled so good in the car on the 15 minute drive back to the hotel that I'm pretty sure part of my stomach ate itself. I was also pleasantly surprised that when I busted open the container in my room that the pasta was still hot. G's version of gnocchi is more dense and much doughier than other gnocchis I've had, therefore being a bit heavier. I also found the pasta to be underseasoned. The cream sauce helped, but I wanted more garlic, mushrooms of some sort, fresh herbs... just some other elements to give the flavor more depth. Glad I added the shrimp bc I need my protein, though it was a little too salty for my palate. I think I would really enjoy dining in here. The staff I interacted with was friendly and professional. I may just be back one day to do so! read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Gnocchi with cream sauce and shrimp - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Terrible would not recommend!!! Arrived 10-12 min early for our 7pm reservation for 6 and were told they keep their reservation very prompt so we would have to wait out in the parking lot with "no seating at all". So at 710 I check on the reservation and told "oh it will be shortly.."715 we finally get seated.. we waited and waited "30" min for our server to great us and take drink orders. So we got drinks and waited another 30 min for 6 drinks; 5 wine drinks and one whiskey.. 20 min later he finally came to get our food order. We ordered and well 1.5hr later we finally got our food!!! Never got drink refills not once!! Got 4 pieces of bread for a table of 6 waiting for an 1.5hr for our meal! And then we go it out food and it was COLD! And over cooked! Never asked how our food was! Hell! We had to ask for the check! Never offered desert or a Damn thing for the long wait and poor service! But he was sure to over charge us on the bill! 38$ for once whiskey!! Every table around us complained about their bill.. WORST BIRTHDAY MEAL EVER! Food was cold and over cooked! Over $200 for 3 people to eat a very tearable meal! RECOMMEND JIMMS STEAK house!!! read more

What happened to Gilardi's? A couple weeks ago my husband, good friend, and I decided to go to one of our longtime favorite restaurants - Gilardi's. Something has drastically changed........I ordered tortellini - and it was a disaster. There was some kind of unrecognizable hard nuggets in the sauce - and I'm supposing it was ham or pork of undetermined variety - but it was hard as a rock. I think the sauce was made W-A-Y earlier - and the little diced rocks were just hard and dried out. I ate about of my meal and took the rest home. When we arrived at home I investigated further..........still no identification of the mystery meat........something that would NEVER have happened at Gilardi's before. Wow - I was impressed but not in a good way. Let's step it up Gilardi's.........please. read more

We had our rehearsal dinner here for our wedding. WOW, just incredible. The private room in the back is intimate and romantic and with the help from our florist it became absolutely stunning. The three dinner options were all incredible and the chef made a delicious special meal for my vegan mother in law. They were so professional and made our event flawless. In the months leading up to the rehearsal dinner we ate at the restaurant 4 or 5 times just because, and each time we were blown away by the food. This unique and beautiful venue is perfect for both events and regular dinner! read more

If you're in Springfield and you're looking for either a fancy meal or great Italian food that isn't Olive Garden, head to Gilardi's. Guys, this place is great for a special occasion with the lady. You're likely going to spend a lot of money, maybe close to $50 or $75 (with wine), but it's worth it. One of the reasons I love this place is that it feels like the stereoypical Italian restaurant that you would come across in New York: very dimly lit, extensive racks of wine bottles, the friendly owner of the restaurant speaking Italian over the phone near the bar, etc. It didn't even feel like I was in Springfield when I ate here. No offense, Springfield. I still love you. The excellent food, hospitality, and ambiance are all why I give this place five stars. read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Courtesy of the Gilardi's Web site. - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

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I wish I could give this spot a better rating, but my Monday dinner certainly wasn't more than a 2 star. Let's start with the good. My server Ashley was terrific and rescued an otherwise disappointing dinner. The italian wine by the glass for $10 was good (and necessary to wash down the food). The "spinach with parmesan" starter was a plate with 6 or 8 little scoops of spinach with parmesan inside. It appears they likely were microwave cooked, and then attempted to warm/sear in a pan. They weren't good at all, and I was hungry! I tried to eat 2 of them. Then I closed my eyes and took a bite and tried to guess what was in my mouth. Other than texture these things had no flavor and no flavor of fresh spinach. Ashley rescued me recognizing I wasn't much enjoying the item and brought their meatball appetizer which was much more pleasant. My dinner entree of chicken parmagiano wasn't much better. The chicken piece was breaded heavily and again felt like it was likely microwaved/defrosted and then baked with the cheese. As I cut in to the piece of meat, the breading slipped and the chicken piece slid out of the breading like a pillow out of a pillow case. The 3 glasses of wine were nice and I wasn't charged for the rescue appetizer, so again a nice job by the staff. Too bad, I was hungry, some Yelp reviews had positive comments and there was even a magazine cover as I entered the restaurant recognizing their fine food. I'm not sure I'll come back given other choices in town and I can't recommend you try it either. read more

If you want fancy and you are in Springfield, this is the place. The only place. The food is very good, but you pay for it! There is a full bar, but few people drink other than wine. I had the Lobster Ravioli and it was great. The other people I was with enjoyed their food as well. You should defiantly go at least once, but if you aren't much for spending a lot of money, you may want to save it for a special occasion. Random Note: I met Missouri Governor Matt Blunt here. It seems that it's a common place to run into your local politicos. read more

This place is amazing! I am on bed rest and a friend brought Gilardi's to my family for dinner. We had the Pasta Al Gilardi and the Pasta Al Greco with Shrimp. I had a couple of bites of my husband's dish (Al Gilardi) and it was just as delicious as mine! I can't wait to go there for a date night after the baby is born! read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Top notch Italian! Highly unique atmosphere, in a positive way. Very good portion size, and very delicious and balanced Italian flavors. This is the place to go to surprise a date and seem like a Springfield insider for hidden gems. I got the Alfredo pasta and was really pleased. Everything was done right and was prepared above board. Definitely a first date restaurant or a leave the kids at home venue. read more

I was looking for a nice place to have a family dinner after our daughter's college graduation. I asked some Springfield friends for recommendations and ended up choosing Gilardi's and I'm so glad I did! The service was great without being too over the top. The food. Ahh, the food. It was SO good! There were five in our group and we all liked everything we ordered. The crab cakes had a lot of meat in them and not a lot of filler. The filets with sauces were perfectly cooked and the sauces were flavorful. My husband really enjoyed the "house" pasta and I loved the cheese ravioli and the Cesar salad. I would recommend Gilardi's to anyone who asked and I'd go back in a heartbeat! read more

Gorgeous pasta filled with all the flavors, brightened by the sauce, completed with impeccable service. read more

Gilardi's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

SHOCKED is an understatement. I am writing a negative review for the first time IN MY LIFE. I have traveled all over the world and dined in hundreds of establishments. I've had bad experiences along the way, but I've always tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and carried on with my life. I wish I could have done the same with Gilardi's, but I feel it would be a disservice to not warn future patrons of the abusive and shocking behavior of the owners. It was my mother-in-law's 95th birthday and being a LIFE LONG resident of Springfield she chose Gilardi's as the place she most wanted to celebrate. We reserved a space for 7 pm. Our family flew in from all over the country to be there with her to celebrate. The day of the party we called to confirm our 7 pm time slot. The owner, James, said he had us down for 5 pm, apologized, and said he must have gotten confused because of the number "95" in her birthday. We agreed to accommodate the new time slot. We hustled to get the cake and decorations picked up at earlier than originally planned, as well as my MIL and her friends (also in their 90s) to be picked up from their residence in a van. We got everything done in time and were excited for the evening of such a special celebration. James said we could come at 4:30 to set up and were greeted by the owner's wife, Courtney, not with a friendly hello, but a "you can't park here, move your car over there!" We were a little taken aback by the cold greeting, but explained we intended to move as soon as we unloaded. Once inside, Courtney entered the room where we were setting up and proceeded to explain that we were causing a serious inconvenience as we were slotted for 7 pm. You can imagine our reaction as we had been told by her husband that we needed to change to 5 pm to accommodate his mistake. I explained to her what he had said earlier and she said rudely "I don't know anything about that, that's not my department". My husband then informed her that our party was now smaller by several people. When I tried to explain that given the fact that many of our guests are in their 90s, things change by the second with their health and ability to travel, so it was out of our control. She looked at me and said, "that's great, but now my waitress won't be able to pay her rent!" Really? We fully intended to cover in difference with a generous tip to make sure she was compensated accordingly given the change. The owner, James, came into the room at that point and started to pull away the two tables on the end that had been allotted for our guests that couldn't make it while exclaiming loudly so we could hear " this is the busiest night of the year, and our server can't lose these tables". It's interesting that February 10th happened to be the busiest night of the year, but I digress. He turned to my husband (whom he had the conversation with telling him that we needed to change to 5 pm) and said "you were supposed to be here at 7!" So now the gaslighting begins, got it. No one disagreed that she should have those table tops available, and we were there before opening so that that could be adjusted. I would also like to mention that those tables were filled in the time we were there. We left our waitress( who was WONDERFUL by the way) a FORTY percent tip. Once James and Courtney had successfully sucked all of the air out of the room (there is no way here to fully describe the way they left us all stunned with their behavior), my MIL arrived and we all tried to carry on with the evening to make her big 95 special. These two were abusive from the moment we pulled up. Never a hello, never a thank you for dining with us, just gaslighting and uncomfortable exchanges to make sure we knew how unwelcome we were. I am SO thankful that my MIL hadn't arrived yet to see all of this. It saddens me to know that a lifetime resident of the city chose to celebrate her 95th year on the planet at this place, and not only did it mean nothing to them, they acted in the most unprofessional way I've ever experienced in my life. STAY AWAY. read more

Service was outstanding, can't complain there at all. They squeezed us in on Saturday night. They take COVID very seriously, it's their right, just know you'll be asked for your personal info for contact tracing. Food and wine were OK, the ribeye was good, but not outstanding, which it should of been based on what we paid for it. I should of known to not order a steak at an Italian place. The cut flowers in the dishes was new, not sure that it added anything really though. Overall decent Italian in Springfield with good service. read more