The Best of the Best Italian restaurant in Ocala, Florida. The food is always well prepared and served hot.

Always a great meal. Great service, nice atmosphere. Ordered calamari, veal parm and finished with chocolate peanut butter martini. Everything was soooo good! read more

We waited too long to check this place out! Great food, great service! Chix Marsala, Fettuccine, Osso Bucco and Spaghetti were all excellent. We will be back. read more

Greeted by nice decor and fine dining service, not to mention an extensive wine list, I was excited to try the food at this establishment. I wasn't disappointed with the Zin by the glass, or the hot bread. The Francese was salty but well made, with perfect breading, and paired with the broccoli-rabe side I ordered, that was a bit under seasoned, my meal turned out well balanced. But then there is the ubiquitous side of pasta. Penne in marinara. Just like momma made, right out of a jar. The pasta would have been better if part of my main dish or as an option for which I could sub out for the side I ordered. Overall my impression was that the food lacked the luster I expected based on the setting. For a Florida Italian restaurant, it was a 4 out of 5 stars. The fine service (thank you Jose!) and ambiance probably keep people coming in for special occasions, but the food I had won't be bringing me back. Though I'd probably give them another shot with a different dish, if there were more options without cheese. read more

Best upscale Italian restaurant in town. Everything is excellent, and the atmosphere is great for that special night out, as well as just looking for a great meal. read more

Fresh ingredients, generous portions. Great service too - overall one of the best Italian dining experiences we've had while traveling

Some of the best Italian food I have had in Florida. Service was excellent. Even though the restaurant was pretty busy, it was not loud.

I love this place. Service and food are amazing. I recommend this place to everyone . Very elegant, I always take my hubby here for his birthday read more

Excellent food and excellent service. You really could t ask for a better experience or better quality of food for that matter. If you love Italian ... (Oh yes I do) .... You'll really like this restaurant. read more

my husband and I went to Mesa de Notte to celebrate our anniversary. our table was ready , we got a nice booth. our server Kathy greeted us with a beautiful smile took our drinks order and gave us the specials. we started with the Octopus in a chimichurri sauce perfectly cooked and a delicious perfectly dressed Caesar salad. we follow with the Veal Sorrentino and the ossobuco both flavorful and delicious. for dessert their carrots cake and their own chocolate cake a perfect way to close a meal. throughout the meal the service was great, professional, attentive and warm. what a great experience!!! read more

Excellent Italian food, we go there a couple of times a year - always a great experience! We usually order the veal Parmigiano, which has never disappointed, but this past visit tried their Osso Bucco- wow!!! Fantastic, and a giant portion. Can't wait to go back! read more

Delicious food in a nice atmosphere. Definitely make reservations. Our go to for Italian dinners with friends.

This is one of the best Authentic Italian restaurants we've ever been to. The sausage in the Penne Alla Norma dish was not only delicious, it melted in your mouth...and it is made fresh by the chef. The entree was outstanding. We also had the Ravioli (Homemade) Catalina in Vodka Sauce. We could have licked our plates. This is a special place. Don't miss it! read more

Mesa de Notte - Penne Alla Norma - Italian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Have eaten there since it opened . Service and food top notch . Owner cooking on site, staff friendly and competent. Always make it a point to eat there while at horse show read more

highly efficient service from Kathy and excellent food. I had the Pescatore, and the seafood was perfect. They also made a salt free meal for my wife, and she said it was stellar. We will be back and soon I hope. read more

our go to place in ocala. def. top italian restaurant in area and one of top overall in town. consistsnt kitchen, nice variety of daily specials, attentive and personable waitstaff. good value. read more

Great experience at this local spot. Host and servers on top of their game. Food was hot and timed perfectly. Will definitely make this place a "return often" spot. read more

Very expensive my husband had a long hair in his salad but didn't want to make a issue. We wont be back

The best restaurant around!!!! The ambiance and food are above any!!!! When I'm visiting ocala I go there at least twice a week! Can be fancy or casual. You will feel comfortable regardless! read more

Amazing food and service. Probably the best restaurant in Ocala. Love to go and eat there. Have been multiple times and have never had an issue. Would recommend read more

One of the best Italian restaurants in the Country. Beginning with a fabulous ambience, great service and personalities of the entire staff, ending with fabulous food and deserts! Simply enjoyable! read more

Always great food and fantastic service. The servers seem to love working there and their enthusiasm makes the dining experience consistent. read more

We rented out this space for a private catered memorial & it was a wonderful experience from beginning to the end. The food was excellent & Julian guided us perfectly on the selections. He was very knowledgeable about every single food item & accommodating regarding all questions & requests during this entire process. Staff was beyond attentive. Great local business that I will continue to support & recommend. Thank you!!! read more

Yesterday I wrote that my husband and I were celebrating our 42nd anniversary at Mesa. We were excited to continue our annual tradition. BOY, WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. We would have been better off at Charlie Horse next door. When I made the reservation, they asked if this was an occasion and I told them an anniversary. They seated us opposite one another in the middle of the room. The server knew that I did not like the table. But the restaurant was getting very full. A table of 12 was so loud we couldn't talk to one another. I was less upset about getting food poisoning from the clams 3 years ago than tonight's visit. The server knew we were dissatisfied, but the manager never came to speak with us. I will never go back. read more

Seemed OK at first however a bit on the expensive side for what you were getting. However my biggest issue was the 15 inch long hair that was in my side Caesar salad. No I was not impressed however kept my cool and did not make a scene. NO we will not be returning to this place and NO I do not recommend it to anyone..... This was Dec 22 2022. read more

Mesa de Notte continues to impress me with their outstanding Italian cuisine, impeccable service and warm aesthetics. MdN is one of my personal favorite restaurants in the entire central Florida area. Here are some of my favorite things to order at this excellent Italian eatery: Fiocchi de Mandarino: this is an excellent dish. Little "purses" of pasta are filled with a slightly sweet Gorgonzola/pear filling. They are topped with a mandarin cream sauce. This dish is totally unique. It definitely airs on the sweet side, so if I'm craving something more savory, I substitute a vodka sauce on the purses. Penné a la vodka: I am a super fan of MdN's vodka sauce. It's perfect and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a pink tomato cream sauce. I order this dish with the addition of broccoli. Caesar Salad: it's a light "just creamy enough" dressing and the lettuce is always fresh and chilled. I love their complementary bread & pesto. The pesto is delicious and you've gotta try it! All of the desserts I've tried here have been unbelievably good! The tiramisu is incredible and very authentic. The pastry chef here obviously knows their stuff and the desserts are always beautifully presented. The bartending staff is also always on their A game! I've never had a bad drink here and the martinis are superb. When I'm craving an authentic Italian meal in Ocala, my first and only thought is Mesa de Notte. From delicious pasta, sauces that impress, lovely desserts and amazingly friendly and professional service, Mesa de Notte is always my first choice. Tip: sauces available by the quart to take home! read more

Best local restaurant we visited. 5 stars for menu, wine, food, service and ambiance. High quality Italian cuisine -delicious marinara. Tasty wine. Gracious owner and server who actually served. Surprised to find it in a small business strip, but once inside I was delighted with the subdued ambiance, lowered lighting and dark walls. Intimate and relaxing. The space was not small and not large, two open but attached rooms. Definitely on our list for a special night out. read more

We have never been disappointed at Mess de Notte. Always delicious food and great service.

Always great food and service. Also a great dive bar next door to finish off the evening.

We were expecting a great dining experience, because of all the great reviews, but was very disappointed. We made reservations for a birthday dinner, James our server was excellent. My husband had the Osto Bucco, he said it was the best he ever had and he liked the risotto too. I had eggplant rollatini, it was the worst I ever had. No flavor and did not taste fresh and this was on a Saturday afternoon. It was paired with fettuccine alfredo, which I didn't realize. Only mediocre. Then I was told I was going to get a birthday dessert I ended up paying $9 for a tiramisu, when we were told the birthday dessert was complimentary. We won't return. read more

I have been to this restaurant many times before and after the virus. The atmosphere is nice; however, due to the location, there are no windows that are not covered. The bar serves a nice selection of top-shelf liquors and the wine list, although small offers a wonderful selection. Before the virus, I would give this restaurant 4.5 stars. Now, I would be hard-pressed to go back. I will focus on my last meal. 7 salad was warm. The Cesar dressing tasted like a poor-tasting grocery store brand. I didn't eat any of the appetizers (big mistakes). We did enjoy the wines. Our server was new, so by this time, we were into our second bottle. There were five in our party. I ordered the filet of beef which came with a sauce and garlic potatoes. And with a side of gasparagus. Have you ever had a piece of meat that, no matter how much you chewed the meat felt as though it was getting bigger in your mouth? Exactly what happened. I told this to fthe waitress but endured looking at it the fgentire time the rest of the party ate. The mashed potatoes looked and tasted instant. The asparagus was too large not to have had at least part of the stalks cut or peeled. I was offered another steak but by this time we were all just ready to leave. I do not review the others of my party meal. This is not the type of food or service I have enjoyed here in the past. I do hope that other restaurants I enjoy don't fail in service and quality of food as this has. read more

Best Italian food in the county!! Jose Moreno is a super talented chef, the service is fantastic and the folks are the most accommodating!! When friends come into town....we are there!! read more

I ordered the 16 oz. ribeye steak. I like my steaks well done. My steak was so delicious. It comes with a bourbon honey glaze, roasted potatoes and sautéed zucchini. Everything was so delicious. The dinner also comes with bread, which is to die for. I took my daughter there for her birthday and we also ordered mango painkillers for cocktails. I was very well pleased to be able to get my daughter such a delicious birthday present! read more

Mesa de Notte - Ribeye steak dinners. Bistecca Bourbon - Italian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Excellent food, great variety, fantastic service--especially Christie, pleasant ambiance.

We had a good experience. The wait staff was excellent. Food was good. The only disappointment was when I made the reservation I made sure to mention a special birthday and I wanted to take care of the check. I even called in the morning and made sure they knew my requests. None of these things happened. Very disappointed. read more

Upon walking in, the restaurant opens up into a much larger, and nicer, dining room than expected from the outside. The food was overall good. Our server, Ty, was the highlight of the night though! He was very accommodating, polite, helpful, and professional! The only downsides were a bit of a funky smell by the rear entrance and a slightly long wait between courses. All in all we had a great experience. read more

Service and food are excellent. I highly recommend Mesa de Notte for any special event or a nice dinner out with family or friends. This is definitely one of the best restaurants in Ocala! read more

Made a reservation online for what we thought was an upper scale restaurant. Our waitress was fantastic and very polite gave us the specials let us know the different wines they had as well. The bread was delicious. We ordered calamari for an appetizer it tasted very rubbery. We ordered our food I had a seafood blend with scallops, muscles, calamari, shrimp and pasta. The calamari was rubbery and it tasted like it just came off the Docks. And that fishy taste to it. My wife's food was cold presentation was awful. It honestly felt like they microwave their food poured my seafood have a bag and brought it out to us I had two bites and that's it. We got to go boxes just to drop it in the trash once we got home. For as expensive as the food is you would expect it to taste good. read more

Excellent Service. Relaxed Atmosphere. Food was exceptional with generous portions. We will definitely be eating here again.

Great food and service ! Heather goes over and beyond for the customers!! She is the best!