Love coming too have dinner and listen to Walter Jr... He is phenomenal!!!! The food is great and the Walter Jr is fantastic!! read more

Imonelli - Italian Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Nice wine list. Very good veal, I would not get any red sauce: too strong and too much. Did not try seafood but looked good. Very quiet and romantic! Reasonably priced. Recommend you try! read more

We were told once by an Italian chef that the veal dishes were the way he tested an Italian kitchen. On our first visit we both had different veal dishes. Both were excellent and perhaps among the best we've had anywhere. I had an appetizer with breaded eggplant which was also first class. The service was efficient and courteous. The atmosphere reminded us of some of our favorite Italian places in Lugano and NYC. It was quiet and traditional. It was definitely the best Italian meal I've had so far in Lafayette and ranks in the top tier with the food I've had anywhere. We will definitely go back. read more

Some claim that iMonelli is outdated, but I enjoy the atmosphere. The fact that the building is so set back from the hustle & bustle of Johnston Street, in addition to the dimly lit interior, lends itself to intimate dinners, so it's very conducive for a nice meal with someone special. The service here has always been quite to my liking. The servers are very knowledgeable & happy to clarify anything I need. They always seem to show up right on time, too, which is fabulous to an impatient belly like mine. The complimentary sorbet is a lovely way to start off a meal at iMonelli. I've enjoyed the Crab Cakes here too, even though I would prefer less breading in & around them. The Crabmeat Salad is flawless. I've sampled the Tilapia Brents & was very impressed as well. Also, my inner Pellegrino fan was thrilled to find it on the menu. Quality of the food is good, but not enough for the prices asked of each entree. This is the reason I gave iMonelli 4 stars & not 5. Perhaps an option is to wait for a daily deal site to feature them & try them out that way. Just make sure you try them out. read more

Nice rich food for the occasional treat. Low lighting which I enjoy for a nice ambience. I always order the stuffed tortellini. Troy is such a professional waiter he always makes us feel at home read more

I really do love this place! The food is great, the atmosphere is excellent , but the only draw back for me is that the staff is on the verge of being overly attentive. For a place like this, that might be just part of the package but I'd prefer a more laid back experience even at an upscale Italian restaurant such as this. The more I think about it, this doesn't make as much sense I originally thought it did, lol! Ultra Attentive Service + Expensive Cuisine = Laid Back Experience? .. Me thinks not They do deserve 5 stars but for the life of me, I just can't seem to validate it =( .. Imonelli, I will be back read more

The atmosphere is very romantic, and the service, top notch. The menu had so many delicious-sounding options and the waiter was very well-versed with the daily specials. That was actually the most impressive part to me. The service was outstanding. Here's why two stars were lost. First of all, I really expected more with the food. I got the caprese salad as an appetizer and the duck breast as an entree. I chose this because I'm not really a seafood fan (I know I'm a minority in this area), and there wasn't really much else. But I like duck, so I wasn't hesitant at all. As a nearly lifelong resident of Lafayette, I've heard quite a lot about this restaurant. Maybe my expectations were too high? It was... Surprisingly average, and this was a disappointment. The other thing that I noticed, and this may be a preference very specific to me, was that the place was outdated. Maybe they pride themselves on the warm, quaint atmosphere. And I can respect that. However, Lafayette is such a booming city, I feel that if I'm paying $25 or more per entree, the restaurant should reflect that. If a restaurant has the quality of a 5-star, my standards shouldn't be the only ones raised. I've been to some really great restaurants, and I only want for Lafayette to be on the same level. I love this city! Anyway... They have the reputation, but in my opinion, they need a new image. No insult intended. My experience just wasn't what I thought it would be. Great service and a very creative menu. read more

While I agree with Kayla about the dated decor here, it really is of no importance when you're doing take out... he heh. Spagetti & meatballs --- dee-lish -- good meatball and nicely spiced marinara. House bread -- wow!. this stuff is about as good as any bread I've had in IT joints in NY. House salad -- pretty good but very small portion. I need to come back here a few mores times and check out other menu items. read more

Me and my fiancé loved our meal. Our server was Allison was the best -- attentive and real. So refreshing! We will be coming back!

This was one of the best luncheon meals I have ever had! I am a published "home chef" and I am very selective as to where I eat, when I decide to go out for a meal. Imonelli's was so satisfying and definitely met my standard. The choices were so difficult to make because there were so many tempting choices. I LOVE the chef's combination of flavors. Our waitress, Jessica, was so friendly and it was her FIRST DAY!!! The food was served quickly and hot!! Love the cozy setting and the management was on point!!! Wish I lived closer!!! But, I'll be back!!! read more

This is a great place. Great food and reasonable price. Have the seafood stuffed 8oz fillet with mushroom butter sauce. Its a must! They have walter jr that plays music and sings. Great atmosphere for a romantic dinner! Must try! Great service read more

Amazing food and excellent service. The crab cakes are heavenly and honestly I don't think that you can go wrong with anything on the menu from what I've tried. I highly recommend this place for a fun evening out or a special occasion. It is rather pricey but in my opinion worth every penny. Defiantly an amazing place to stop and I wouldn't pass it up if your in town. read more

I find it VERY hard to give any restaurant 5-stars and this maybe my first! This was our first experience at Imonelli and we're like, wow! We've been sleeping on this restaurant. We called to place our takeout order and immediately knew this was going to be a different experience. Kennedy (not sure of spelling) patently and graciously took our large order for my family of 5. We even ordered extra food for lunch tomorrow. When I arrived, I was immediately greeted then went to the bar to meet Kennedy who checked my order like 3 times to ensure it was 100% accurate. Surprisingly, when we arrived home the food was popping hot. We tore into the food. The children ate the crawfish fettuccine and we started with the crab salad and crab cakes. The children, my wife and I all agreed this was the best crab cakes EVER! Cooked to perfection and no filling just jumbo lump crab meat! My wife and I could only sample the stuffed trout as we were too full. Certainly coming back regularly, certainly telling everyone, and certainly a must place to visited. You won't be disappointed by the homemade sauces and food and friendly staff. Cannot say enough great things! read more

This is the best food in Lafayette for a romantic dinner. The desserts are especially delicious!

Don't be put off by the outside decor. This is the only haute cuisine in Lafayette. The owner is a very serious chef who knows his stuff. Stick with the specials and you won't be disappointed. Quite frankly, I don't think Lafayette has very good food, (unlike the locals who believe it's akin to Paris or NY). However, I Monelli's breaks out of the local mode of heavy cream sauces on everything, and serves impressive food read more

This is really great Italian food!!! Very romantic and classy place, so dress nice.

I still love Imonelli. Truth is I never order anything remotely Italian when I'm here as they always have a deliciously fresh fish smothered in lump crabmeat and a nice butter sauce...seriously, who would EVER pass that up. Only once in many years of eating pretty much the exact same thing here have I ever been remotely disappointed. It was likely an off night as it was again the grouper served as usual. But never stopped be from going back many times after. read more

The Italian food here is unbeatable. While it's a bit pricey, the incredible food and romantic ambiance definitely make it worth a few extra dollars. This restaurant has been around Lafayette for a long time and with good reason - it has some of the most unique flavor combinations I've ever tasted. read more

Phenomenal. Everything we tried was great. Crab cakes. Seafood crepes. Corn and crab bisque. Crawfish fettuccine. Seafood stuffed filet. Bread pudding. read more

Easily the best meal I've ever had locally and the best fish I've ever eaten anywhere. We had a great experience, service was great, our waiter, Troy, was friendly and personable without being overbearing and seemed extremely knowledgeable. Atmosphere was quiet and romantic. This was a splurge for us as we are celebrating our anniversary and I couldn't be happier that we came here. We will definitely be back again read more

Ok so here's the deal. I'm on the road again, back in Lafayette, LA, and I'm looking for a good restaurant and not the Cajun types ... So I asked at the hotel front desk for recommendations. We went back and forth as she named a few... but then she suggested Imonelli's Restaurant, as an Italian Steak House suggesting that Bill is a great cook. Ah... Personal recommendations I'm game. Imonelli's is a small Italian restaurant with an intimate atmosphere with Italian chop house cuisine. On this night I choose to sit at the bar, leaving the tables for other guests. When you're eating alone, the bar is a great choice, you get to observe the staff interactions, make casual conversations with the bar keep, and who between drink preparations is like your personal assistant. Her recommendations were right on. The food was absolutely exceptional. The prices were very reasonable, and they even served sorbet between courses. can't wait to go back there again. read more

My wife and I went for Valentine's Day this year - Saturday the 14th, the restaurant is closed on Sunday. We had been a few times before and had a nice experience overall. The location and parking lot leaves a lot to be desired (potholes and cracked concrete) but the interior is pleasant and warm. The service is excellent and the food has always been good. But on this evening, both of our meals arrived cold, not lukewarm - actually cold. We informed our waiter and he apologized and immediately took our meals back to the kitchen to be re-heated. We waited about 10 minutes and our meals re-arived and were hot. Having our meals served cold did put us off, at the prices and reputation of service, we didn't find this acceptable. We may give it another try in the future. read more

This place does everything perfectly. The old fashioned was the best I ever had. Every course was magnificent!!! Have nothing bad to say. In fact this is on my list of all time greats!!! read more

When tonight had a wonderful glass of wine a beautiful appetizer to order with the special my main dish which was spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce on top of the pasta made it like a soup I returned it to get just the pasta drained from the sauce. Not happy it was still too saucy. Returned it again explaining my unhappiness to basically get the same thing. I come to this restaurant because I'm Italian trying to find real Italians cooking real Italian food this is a disgrace and my ancestors of rolling over in their graves!!!!! read more

Excellent food and service. Quiet and cozy - great place for a couple's night out. A little on the expensive side, but worth it in my opinion. read more

For the person who wrote the place is out dated. You must be young and a hard core cajun who dont ''Know Better'' and never really been away from lafayette. i'm italian and the atmosphere we like is low key, quiet, low lighting not trying to be what everyone else is doing. Italians are very traditional about everything we do. We don't try to keep up with the Jones. The place did not let go of the old world tradition .That is what makes Imonelli so great and different from all these chain resturants in lafayette. And whats up with a crawfish pizza. Come on! There is no such thing of a cajun pizza. That is just dum .Cajuns, you got crawfish, boudin and all that other nasty stuff, but when it comes to pasta or pizza leave it to the italians. You cant put a cajun lable on everything. Please get out and travel . There is the rest of the world out there beside cajun land. just to let you know . when ur away from here , everyone thinks of cajun people being like the water boy. So when you go to imonelli think of italian tradition and you will be well satisfied, Don't think of a fast paste,frozen foods or crawfish. When you want to go out and eat italian . Think italian . I bet your Girlfriend or wife would love it. Remember Italians and smooth and romantic. read more