Absolutely incredible. Authentic, old school, homemade Italian! If you want a place that has a comfortable upscale feel, but the food reminds you of your Italian grandma's kitchen table, this is your place! Phenomenal staff, always checking on you to ensure you are enjoying your food and drink. This is a must go for a meal when in Detroit! read more

Not what it used to be to be The only server that was terrific, was on vacation. The others there have no clue. They can't make drinks and most of them were wondering around. We reserved a table in the corner and I specifically ask for that table and the hostess said definitely we could have it and they gave it away when we arrived. It wasn't that busy and we were excited knowing we could have that table and let down as we walked in the door. They said the owner gave it to their friends. Bad Business and we had been going for years. My dish was good but everyone else said it was just ok. Sauce tastes like ketchup. I don't recommend it , but there are customers that probably don't know what great Italian food is all about. Don't waste your time going here. read more

Food is good. Pasta is homemade. Lasagna is awesome and they have ot frozen to take home as well. The service is polite. The ambiance is old school family style round tables with tablecloths and kinda intimate. read more

Giovanni's Ristorante - Food menus - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Service was amazing. Attentive and gave me his run down of his favorites which I love. The place was a little dark but was suppose to give that ambiance. Like an Italian grandma house. Everything was actually amazing arancini fried perfectly. The soup was flavored well and the peace pasta was a little spicy which was prefect for my taste buds. read more

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food was awesome as always service was very good except long over two hours for dinner ambiance is good subdued lighting, it is smaller inside than you would think read more

In a very unexpected spot is a glorious Italian restaurant. Went for my birthday. My significant got reservations! No lot and it appeared to have some street parking available. We paid $5 for valet. It's dimly lit, so wait for the adjustment. Had the special cocktail with bourbon and pistachios- little sweet for me and definitely never had a cocktail that had pistachio anything. We had a beef tip appetizer with gnocchi and cream. (Very lactaid worthy!) I had pasta with shrimp, crispy fish, and mussels with tomato's and spinach. It was in a sauce with sambuca (?) - brothy and delicious. My significant had pasta with shrimp and cream sauce that was amazing (also lactaid worthy!) dessert was tiramisu and chocolate flourless cake. Definitely recommend! It's a bit far and definitely worth it! read more

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The service and food was good the lighting needs to be turned up a little bit but other than that it was really good and the only other thing that I didn't like was they want you to have a reservation but they wasn't busy but they set us down anyway but said next time please call for a reservation so I didn't know really didn't like that part but I'll go back read more

Great food, old school Italian ambiance as well as great customer service. I love the lasagna and wine menu

Kind of a cool glimmer of the remnants of a once great city. I've known about and wanted to try this place for years. Apparently I shouldn't have waited so long, since other reviewers talk about better days of this harkening back to better days. Reservations don't mean much here. When I walked in, a group of people looked like they had been waiting a while. I ended up joining them in this wait, with another group joining in the wait after me. All of us had reservations. Not sure why this was. Do people really meander around this place so long it delays later reservations? Even doctors get to me sooner these days than I got a reserved table here. Service is abysmal. All the hostesses sort of look and feel lost and confused. The main one artificially pretends to care you exist near the end of your meal. Waitresses are robotic and border the line of making you feel like an inconvenience. Better to just hire some actual robots if the whole objective of the waitresses here is to mechanically tell you information you could just read yourself somewhere. Some of the guys working there were cool, and the bustle of the kitchen was handled surprisingly smoothly. The food's great. Good bread, above average pasta, meats, and sauce, and okay desserts. Not really worth the prices, though. You can go to pretty much any other established Italian restaurant or bakery in the area for similar quality. I guess you pay for the ambiance, which was decent enough, but not really worth the additional price increase. Ample street parking. It is Detroit, after all, so only goers of this restaurant and those up to no good are anywhere in sight. Place has valet..in which they take your car to an open parking lot a few yards to the right with what amounts to a rope in front of the entrance for five bucks? Not even sure of the point of this. I guess if the empty streets of Detroit scare you that much, it's an option for you. Location: 3* Convenience: 2* Service: 1* Product/quality: 3* Aesthetics: 3* read more

Food, service and ambience are all top notch. This Restaurant is probably the best Italian restaurant in the Detroit area unfortunately I really can't afford to go unless it's a special occasion. read more

Just tried this spot for a friend's birthday. Parking is pretty limited. There is valet but mostly street parking is all there is. Very dimly lit inside which adds to the ambiance but it could be a bit more lit up as it was hard to see the menu. Service was excellent! Our food was also delicious, everyone loved what they ordered. Most items are house made and it shows. The arancini balls as a starter were amazing. I also upgraded to a caprese salad which was well worth the upgrade. I also had the Scampi alla Giovanni as my entree which was tasty, but could have been a larger portion for the price. Overall everything was delicious. read more

Giovanni's Ristorante - Scampi Alla Giovanni - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Best Italian food in all of Detroit in my opinion. I have travelled to New York and Detroit a few times. I didn't realize how much good Italian food is made in Michigan. I love the Ravioli plate. It was Fire. Love the food and the vibe here. Just a little on the expensive side, but What do you expect? Me and my girlfriend was cool with it. Its a nice family oriented restaurant with that real Nastalgia look. I will be back for more. read more

Authentic, delicious and homemade Italian food that brings me back to Italy. The place is warm and cozy but with a romantic flare. Our server was wonderful, very professional. I ordered the chicken piccata which is one of my favorite dishes and Giovanni's definitely hit the mark. Moist chicken with a creamy and salty sauce. read more

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We had an amazing dinner for our Wedding Anniversary, our waiter was great, food was awesome and the ambiance was good, don't fear the surroundings of this place because the inside is a true gem!! read more

Giovanni's Ristorante - Chicken - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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What's more can I say about this restaurant, food was excellent , waiter was spot on he knew when to insert without overwhelming us or doing to much at the table, my wife had lasagna which was phenomenal, came out hot, table side bread was very good. I don't know if I was just hungry but I eat 2 baskets which they give u just enough bread not to spoil your appetite, I had Oscar steak topped with crab meat grilled shrimp & vegetables, that was a excellent dish as well, they even offer cocktails as we waited to be seated. The only critique I can give this place Upon arrival the area of the restaurant is located around an industrial area with a lot construction, so the outside smell is horrible do to the manufacturing stuff around this restaurant. But food here is a must try, phenomenal place for a date night , if you love rustic and authentic Italian food . Great restaurant read more

I fell in love with Giovanni's and I can't believe I haven't been here sooner! It's so romantic and intimate inside. You feel like you're in an episode of The Sopranos having a romantic dinner. I love the old school Italian vibe and the history of Giovanni's. Truly a family business. It's also so cool knowing who dined at Giovanni's and where they sat, there's a map online with pictures of stars including Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Jack Nicholson, Paul Giamatti, and the judges of American Idol. The food is some of the best Italian food I've ever had. So fresh, so delicious, and so flavorful! We tried the cannelloni di carne and lasagna al forno and loved them both. The sauces are so rich and authentic. Portion sizes are also generous. For dessert, we tried the cream puff and cannoli and both were amazing! Everything here is so good and I can't stop raving about it! Highly recommend, can't wait to come back! read more

Giovanni's Ristorante - Cream puff and cannoli - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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The food was delicious. The service was excellent. A shout out to server Adam. Very friendly and sociable. Be sure to ask to sit in his area. Reasonable valet price. Would recommend valet. read more

One of the best restaurants in all metro Detroit. Outstanding white glove service. Foos is fantastic. Try the Canneloni di Pesce!!! We often sit in the Godfather room and it is cozy and has a fireplace for ambiance. Highly recommend you try it. Use the valet, location is in an industeial area and it is worth the $5 valet charge. Alao, ask for zeppoli for dessert! It's not on The menu but worth the $9. read more

We tried Giovanni's tonight and it was a hidden gem. I know it's been around for a long time but it didn't disappoint. The calamari was very good and I liked the chicken limone. Great date night or special occasion restaurant. read more

We had a wonderful dinner here with great service! We all got lasagna and it was 17 layers of heaven! I also had the chicken brodo soup and the blood orange Cosmo and the strawberry cheesecake for dessert! Wow! What a fab dinner. Can't wait to go back! read more

Giovanni's Ristorante - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Went back to have dinner with family and all I can say is don't sleep on their fish special, although on the pricier side it was fresh and incredible! Obviously, it might change since its a special but the two times (a year apart) and they were not disappointed. The service was friendly and attentive and the restaurant is dimly light which makes a nice ambiance. The veal saltimbocca was good but not great. I think if we go back I will just stick with steak or the fish special. read more

Giovanni's Ristorante - Veal Saltimbocca - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Giovanni's was our choice for our supper club's outing for my best friend's birthday dinner. Our reservation was at 8pm because we all work & that was the best time for us to get in for an amazing Italian dinner. We did wait for almost an hour to be seated- note: the kitchen does close at 9pm. We were sat in the Godfather Room. Absolutely stunning. It was so cozy & private, exactly what the birthday girl wanted. The drinks were coming a bit slow, nothing to complain about. It was a Friday evening, two weeks before Christmas so we expected longer than usual wait times. The cocktails were marvelous. The Italian margarita was a favorite, along with the espresso martini to keep me going after all the pasta I was about to scarf down! The appetizers were delicious; sausage & peppers, an order of artichokes, portobello app, and the best I have ever tasted calamari. It was so tender I could cut the pieces with my fork. The salads were fresh & the soups were tasty. The dinners were served up piping hot & everyone was satisfied with their choices. The gnocchi was out of this world! I will get that dish on the next visit. My dinner was the only one staggered, and they made it right. They deducted it off the bill. Thank you for that gesture. The birthday tiramisu came out at the perfect time- and it was so delicious, tasted like Grammas! We felt like family when we dined here & we will definitely be back. Give Giovanni's a try. It's a Detroit staple and a James Beard Award Winning Restaurant! read more

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What an amazing meal and experience. From impeccable service to a super ambience, Giovanni's is "it." And that's before you order from a nice wine and cocktail list, ample menu and then taste the flavorful food. We went with 5 other couples so we got a variety of drinks (I had the espresso martini - incredible!!!) and numerous appetizers from calamari, to aranchini balls to meatballs and mushrooms. Everything was so delicious. The caprese salad was so fresh and flavorful. And my meal, cantelloni de pesce was amazing as well. So much food. And I was stuffed at the end. But wow. This is a gem! read more

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The ambiance in this restaurant is dark and old-style upscale. The service is great. I wouldn't really get the calamari again. It wasn't as crispy as calamari fritti usually is. They gave us complementary bread and oil. the bread was okay. I ordered the gnocchi in white mushroom sauce and added breaded chicken. It was to die for. Definitely would order this again and again and again. They gave us complementary dessert for my birthday and the tiramisu was delicious. read more

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Old school, traditional Italian food. Delicious! Had the lasagna and gnocchi. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Worth the trip. Valet parking available. read more

It was my first time at Giovanni's and I really enjoyed myself. The space was great with several different seating areas. We were in a small room in the back with only four tables which was really cozy. Our server was friendly, just the right amount of attentive, and made some great recommendations around what to eat and drink. We shared the calamari to start which was a winner. You will not leave hungry since most of the dishes also come with soup or salad. I loved my salad with the addition of some blue cheese. For mains we had the veal piccata, lasagna, and linguine with pomodoro sauce and a meatball. I liked that the portions weren't so huge that it was overwhelming....it was just right to feel perfectly full and maybe save room for dessert. I'll be excited to go back again! read more

Good food. A classic. Always a good meal here. Spinich gnocchi a stand out. Chicken Madeira was nice. Good ambiance. Good service.

Service experience is wonderful amazing I died alone, but I felt like I had friends with me. Thank you for a wonderful meal. Thank you for a wonderful company. read more

I don't know if I would have ever known Giovanni's existed if it hadn't been for my Italian American friends, who are basically regulars here! We all came here one day for dinner and it might've been some of the most fantastic food I've ever eaten! Easily the best calamari (they soak it in milk first to make it so incredibly tender!) and the best lasagna (the layers!!) OF MY LIFE - and I've tried a lot of both!! Everything here was so so delicious! We ate family style and got two appetizers (the calamari and the mushrooms, which were both so good), each person got a soup and I chose chicken noodle for that (also scrumptious!), and then our main dishes - most everyone got pasta! I love that you can order the meatballs here by quantity! Do you want 1 or do you want...13?! All are doable! And then of course we couldn't pass up dessert when our waiter came around with the ENTIRE DESSERT TRAY! I love spots that do this and it's few and far in between where they bring their entire selection of desserts on a tray for you to see WITH YOUR OWN EYES to decide on which one you want! We decided to get 1 of everything and there were about 6 dessert options on there! All of them were delicious and I left Giovanni's in a food coma! I would be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible service as well! It felt like a family here, which probably had something to do with the fact that I went with people who are regulars here. But all manners of workers from Giovanni's kept on coming up to our table throughout the entire dinner to say hello and check in on us! Everyone was so friendly and I felt incredible welcomed and it was just plain wonderful here! I truly cannot wait to go back to dine here again - they've got a loyal customer for LIFE in me!! read more

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OK, I am so sad to say that I have never been here! Most of the times I went to Roma's because I lived in downtown Detroit! But I must say that this is my go to place now for Italian food without a doubt. My food was so dang good that I cannot wait to go again and it will probably be pretty soon! We had the lasagna and the chicken marsala! I give them both 10. The servers were excellent, and the ambience was good old-fashioned Italian restaurant nice! I've got a lot of making up to do and I'm sure that I will try most things on their menu. And people?: I have no idea what some of the negative comments are coming from because I can't think of how this place wasn't appreciated. Definitely go people.!! read more

Excellent food. All made in house and unbelievably fresh! Service was wonderful, told us their best sellers and what they are known for. Ambiance is typical Italian, good linens, quiet and cozy. read more

Was very lucky to come here for a coworker's work anniversary, so we got to ball out a bit. Everyone was starving since it was a very late lunch, and we were so happy when we got the bread at the table. The bread was okay, not life changing. We then went with the award-winning-best-in-the-state fried calamari. These were so delicious, and the beurre blanc it came with was such a great complement to it. Some of us then got a salad with the lovely waitress's recommended dressing concoction, which we all loved. My other coworker who got the minestrone soup said it was the best she had ever had. For my entree I got these steak medallions that were on special. I loved these so much. They were cooked really well and the pasta that they laid on was great. I capped off the meal with some lemon pie, which was beautiful and tart. Great experience here, very intimate atmosphere that would serve for a special occasion. Would definitely recommend! read more

Giovanni's is the best Italian restaurant in all of Michigan. If you are from out of town, this is the only Italian restaurant you need to come here, there's no need to look anywhere else. Gives you mob vibes from the old days, it's still family owned and made fresh everyday. The prices are extremely reasonable and reservations are needed, and expect to valet your car. You will leave completely full and be talking about it with others for years to come. read more

Italian style restaurant with a new age spin. I came in with a friend for dinner on a Friday night. Parking is limited but doable. They offer street parking (free) and/or valet parking for $5. I called ahead and reserved a table for two. When I arrived the restaurant was completely filled and we ended up waiting an additional 30 minutes before we were seated - no biggie. By the time we were seated, I was ready to eat! I ordered the Gluten-Free Calamari to start - super good! I also ordered Gluten-Free Scampi alla Giovanni. All entree's come with your choice of soup or salad - I ordered a house salad with house dressing and ranch on the side. Salad was fresh; nice green leafy lettuce with a sprig of sliced cucumbers on the side. As for the main course, the scampi pasta came on a huge plate with a small portion. Although I didn't taste the garlic as much there was a lot of butter and olive oil. The Gluten-Free pasta itself was yummy... too bad the portion wasn't a bit bigger as I love to eat pasta. For dessert, I decided to try the Key Lime Cheesecake and that was SWEET but good. I also ordered a glass of their house Sauvignon Blanc which was EXCELLENT! Overall, the service was good and the ambiance was nice. Plenty of pictures were tastefully placed around the walls, brown wood trim hides the corners and sides of the white walls. A nicely lit candle with black table cloth for each table makes this the perfect date night spot or dinner for girls night out. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and would recommend checking this place out if you're in the area. read more

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Took the family there for our annual Christmas get together. Had to wait a bit for our table. No big deal. As soon as it was available we were sat promptly. Our server arrived with the beverage menu presented us with the days cocktail selection. She returned to take our drink orders and presented us with the specials of the day as she handed out the menus. Everything was paced nicely. Courses were cleared a few moments before the next arrived. We had arancini for a starter which was prepared well(could have used a dash more sauce) overall delicious. The entree's were fantastic. Quality ingredients well prepared, great flavor pairings. I had the chicken dish stuffed with Boursin cheese atop a bed of angel hair with a Boursin cream sauce. My daughter's veal was on point as wed everyone else's meal. Dessert..well again, fantastic.. decadent, made in house. Want to impress? Make your reservations here, you won't be disappointed. (Side note. It's table cloth. Very nice atmosphere but dimly lit) read more

Kitchen closes at 8pm. Angela is waiting on us tonight. Looks like an old school Italian spot inside, classy. Has smaller more intimate rooms with only a fee tables. The room with the fireplace is nice too. We are seated right by the main entrance, not such a great spot. It can get loud with the larger party behind i. Ordered bistecca al calamari fritti, insalata alla Caesar, no croutons and anchovies on the side, insalata Caprese invernale, lasagna alla forno and off menu blackened salmon with sautéed spinach and asparagus. Calamari was perfectly cooked, breading wasn't too heavy and wine sauce was yummy. The Caesar had croutons on it, luckily they are big chunks. Salad was ok. Dressing was light and didn't have a ton of flavor to it. The Caprese is yummy. Balsamic glaze makes Caprese so much better. The julienned basil and lettuce is a nice accompaniment too. The garlic bread is super soft and billowy, it's not bad. More butter and garlic would make it better for me. It's still not too bad. Is it carb worthy, a little. The salmon here comes medium cooked, had to ask to get it cooked through to done. The lasagna alla forno is pretty good, sauce isn't too bad. It's barely warm, definitely alla forno hot at all. The salmon was nicely cooked and had good blackened seasoning as well after it was cooked some more. The better part of the meal was definitely the Caprese for me. Service was good as well. I was expecting all of our food items to hit a higher mark for the hype for this place though. $104.94 for our total tonight. read more

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Such an intimate experience. Called in advance and made a dinner reservation for a Saturday night without problem. The restaurant looks like it's literally in the middle in nowhere. While driving, I was contemplating if I was in the correct location. There is free street parking. No parking lot. Upon arrival, we were seated within 10 minutes. Our waiter was amazing and fully knowledgeable about the entire menu. We ordered calamari and shrimp for our appetizers. Very fresh and lightly breaded. Great start to our dinner. For entrees we ordered the cannelloni di pesce and gnocchi di patate. Both were ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!!! The flavor was impeccable. You can definitely taste that the pasta is made in house. We literally enjoyed every bite to the fullest. We couldn't believe how good this food was. I'm not an Italian food fan, but this place has made me rethink that statement for sure. read more

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So dark inside!! But after your eyes adjust it's just right for a lovely night.. pasta on point and a lasagna to write home about.. so many layers!! read more

I have eaten Italian food all over the USA and Giovanni's is the best Italian Restaurant I have ever eaten in. It is my go to place for any special occasion. The food and the service is off the charts. I recommend it to everyone I know. read more

I don't know how it took so long for me to find out about Giovanni's. But I'm glad I did. It has easily become my favorite restaurant. The service is always phenomenal! The food is absolutely superb! #foodgasm And the old world decor and photos set a very calming and inviting atmosphere, good for every occasion. read more