Service was friendly and my water glass never was lower than a third full. The restaurant was dimly lit and was decorated nicely. My main complaint was with the portion sizes and prices. The meatball appetizer was three mini meatballs. I've seen meatballs on sub sandwiches bigger than these. The lasagna, was really without any sauce. It was a bolognese sauce. Also it lacked the stretchy cheese pull that one expects from a lasagna. The pasta dishes from what I tried was a little to al dente, there was too much chew in the pasta. That said for the prices that they charge to not offer a side salad or at least some bread with the meal is disappointing. read more

Osteria Stella - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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This post is for Osteria Stella and Brother Wolf as they are "sister" restaurants - they share a kitchen and from what I can tell, have the same offerings for both drink and food. The food is amazing. For appetizers I would recommend getting the focaccia and meatballs. Entree wise, I would HIGHLY recommend splitting the Pappardelle e Ragú di Maiale Bianco and something else with another one of your table mates. The portion size is perfect for one person but you'll want to try more than one item. If you are there in the summer, you must try the Tomato Martini (PLEASE bring it back for next summer's menu!). The service and ambiance of Osteria Stella and Brother Wolf is what completely sets them apart. OS is a high class, quiet, romantic restaurant with dark colors and knowledgeable servers who value your experience. BW is simply a high end bar. That said, BW is much more fast paced and really my only complaint, the music was absurdly loud the night we were there for dinner and the restaurant was crowded, so everyone was trying to talk over the music and you almost had to yell to even hear the person sitting right beside you. If going to OS, you would likely need reservations, especially on a weekend. With BW, they don't take reservations to my knowledge and it's a free for all for an open seat at the bar or an open table. Really the difference is what kind of vibe you're going for. read more

Osteria Stella - Pappardelle e Ragú di Maiale Bianco, Lasagne alla Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Overhyped. High key mad I drive all the way downtown to try this place. The service was great and the place is a dim light setting which is pretty. The food though? Not good. Overly salty. Over priced. Luke warm. Not much variety in the menu. I went with my family and we ordered a bunch of food and nothing stood out to us that would make us come back here. The sauces in the pastas are kind of unusual as well. Not great flavor. The osso bucco was tender but everything just lacked FLAVOR but definitely not SALT. read more

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Long Story Short: A very nice, and very expensive, upscale restaurant. We were driving through Knoxville, unfamiliar with the area. It was raining, and we were over-hungry. We found this place on Yelp, saw good reviews, so we tried it. We were out of place from the get-go. Soaking wet, all wearing jeans. If it was an old western movie, the piano player would have stopped playing when we walked in. Everyone else, both customers and staff, were very well-dressed, and it was clearly an upscale restaurant. Multiple customers looked at us with a "What are YOU doing here?" look. Everyone working there was VERY nice, and I could sense that they knew we felt out of place. We were treated very well. The food was very good, but portions were very small. It was very "old school" Italian, which I haven't experienced in many years. There was a separate pasta course and a separate main course. So, ultimately, I think that you are expected to order both, which gets really expensive, real fast, as each course is the cost of a full entree, but is half-size, and it's all ala carte. We are simple people, and they were able to put a simple spaghetti-and-meatballs dish for my son. It was expensive, but it worked. Bread before the meal costs money, and it's not unlimited. If we were going through Knoxville again in a similar situation, would we go here again? We'd likely go to a pizza joint a block or two away. If I was a Knoxville resident, and I wanted to take my wife out for a really high-end Italian meal, would we go here again? Yes. read more

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We've been here for a few special occasions and they always do a wonderful job! Today was our first wedding anniversary and Nick and crew knocked it out of the park. The food is incredible and hard to go wrong with anything. Highly recommend the arancini! read more

My husband and I dined here for the first time last night and had a fantastic experience! The ambience, service, and food are top notch. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate- the perfect date night spot! We started with a couple of cocktails and they were delicious. Our waiter was wonderful and gave great menu suggestions. He recommended the arancini for an appetizer and it did not disappoint. We ordered the gnocchi and steak for our entrées and both were fantastic. The gnocchi was decadent and had the perfect balance of flavors. My husband loved his steak as well. I was really impressed with how quickly our food arrived considering how busy they were. If we hadn't been so full we would have ordered dessert! It was a perfect evening and we look forward to dining here again! read more

Osteria Stella - Gnocchi alla Bava. This was decadent but so delicious. - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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This meal was INCREDIBLE!!!! Always have the best meal and service there! It's a very cool vibe, dark and classy! The menu is always changing which I LOVE! Pasta is so fresh and incredible read more

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The vibe and service is great. Very knowledgeable servers. However the food is awful. Tried over 5 items and just absolutely disgusting. Go for vibes and drinks and maybe an arancini and stop there. read more

Its decor and feel are welcoming, cozy, and romantic. It's the perfect place for a special occasion. Our server provided outstanding service with his complete knowledge of the menu and insightful suggestions. We were attended to well, but not too much. All of the food we had was excellent. Everything was prepared perfectly and well-seasoned to taste. We had a relaxing meal, paced just right, and never felt hurried. read more

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You could easily assume this place is closed for business . The windows are blacked out and it looks deserted . However, the place next door Brother Wolf ( a cocktail bar) is connected , so you can walk through that way as well as the front door that looks closed :-/ The ambiance is great, loved the jazz music playing in the background ! A table for 2 is a bit too tight for fitting everything on it which takes away from the feeling of being relaxed . They missed out on selling a $250 dollar bottle of wine because even though it was on the list , they ran out. The focaccia bread was top notch !! My husband ordered the ribeye which was poor quality , lots of tendons & fat , tough and chewy . I ordered a pasta dish with " wild boar"!? It was beef for sure, like some sort of pot roast with noodles. It was tasty, but I'm not convinced it was the meat that was described.? Overall it was a nice experience and a decent meal. read more

Great ambience and service. The food was delicious and perfectly prepared. The gnocchi could've been better but overall everything was scrumptious. read more

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Great food served by very attentive staff. Staff's menu recommendations were spot on. read more

Let me start by saying this review is paradoxical, which perfectly describes our experience at Osteria Stella. We decided to arrive at Brother Wolf an hour before our reservation because I was excited about Miracle in the old city. In tow were my husband & in-laws, as I suggested this was THE PLACE to go for our Christmas get together. Our cocktails were served in fun and festive tiki mugs and were tasty. Our reservation time came & went & we were informed that our table was not ready. No problem, as they brought us focaccia bread to snack on while we waited. Once we were eventually sat at a table in Osteria Stella, we shared a terrific bottle of wine, appetizer, entrees, a side dish & desserts. We all had a wonderful time. OR SO I THOUGHT. Four days after our visit, I received an email from Casey Clarke, (Principle Server & Sommelier), letting us know that we were not invited back because of the disrespectful behavior we had shown the staff. I made the reservations, so I assume that is why I received the email. We were bewildered. What were our transgressions we wondered & you're probably wondering, too. We tried to relive the evening: *Did we complain about the food? Send plates back to the kitchen? Demand to have free drinks or refuse the $125 bottle of wine we ordered? NO. We enjoyed the food & ate all of it. The wine was terrific. *Did we complain about the prices? Refuse to pay our bill? Dine & Dash? NO. We spent well over $400 between the bar and restaurant, paid promptly and left a generous gratuity. *Did we touch anyone inappropriately? Curse the staff out? Yell at our server? Complain to the manager? Annoy other guests? NO. We departed in good spirits & wished everyone a merry Christmas as we left. I complimented them & said what a terrific time we had. I believe I even threw out phrases like " best meal ever". We later learned that apparently, we were unknowingly disrespectful to our server & did not pay enough attention to her spiel. Additionally, I inadvertently belittled her by admiring her glasses. She was hurt. Also, as it turns out, our voices sound "mocking", which is news to me. It wasn't so much what we said, as it was our mocking tone that was condescending. No one gave us any indication while we were there that anyone had taken any issue with our party. I'm still flabbergasted. It reminds me of the soup nazi from Seinfeld, except he turned Elaine away BEFORE taking her money. Osteria Stella took our money & allowed us to tip the very servers that later accused us of being horrible people. It's difficult not to feel personally offended. As for the restaurant itself, it is small & intimate with homey, warm decor. The meatballs were pleasant. The much-touted lasagna was quite flavorful, but small & a tad bit dry. Our wine was lovely, albeit over-priced. Scallops were fine, but forgettable. Dessert was good. The most standout dish we had was the focaccia bread, which was also recommended by another reviewer. The sommelier that came to our table was capable & friendly with a warm smile. If I had to summarize, the portions are quite small with a nice flavor, but carry a high price tag. I've read about the exceptional service, however that was not our experience for obvious reasons. The real tragedy here is we had a nice time despite whatever weirdness was going on with our hypersensitive server that we were oblivious to while we were there. The response from their end, (the reservationist was the person that eventually called us back after we called several times for an explanation), seemed inadequate & fairly flippant given the serious tone of their original email. After originally passing the matter off to other staff (his email was, verbatim: "I was not there.They will call you tomorrow to discuss this."), owner Aaron Thompson did email me a week later with nothing really to say other than he supported his staff. While that is a commendable principle, in this case the staff was in the wrong. Please don't brag about being an inclusive, family-owned business when you treat members of your community the way we have been treated. We love our hometown & try to support small Knoxville businesses, which is why we were at Brother Wolf & Osteria Stella in the first place. For them to tell my almost 80-year-old father-in-law (who has lived in Knoxville his entire life, and certainly has contributed to this community) that he is not welcome back in their restaurant is shameful indeed. I've read all the press about the restaurant and perhaps it is more important to the owners to be highlighted and/or mentioned in a national magazine than it is to actually get to know & serve people that live in their 'neighborhood'. We were dismissed from their potential customer base easily & without fanfare. Given the disingenuousness of everyone we dealt with at Osteria & how this misunderstanding grew out of control, I could never recommend it to anyone. read more

Osteria Stella - Be courageous. Be strong. Be gentle. This photo was taken before our experience went sideways. - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Our first trip here was during the soft opening - which was met with a lot of missteps (i know they were just trying to figure out out). We had put off our return for a while and recently came back for a visit - and LOVED it! Everything with the exception of two minor things (risotto needed a tad longer to cook, steak was medium & not medium rare), the rest was perfect. Our server and supporting staff was awesome - friendly, and kept everything moving nicely. The Gnocchi pasta and fish were amazing, would recommend them both. The cannoli dessert was awesome too! Will be back - check it out, it's doing great! #datenight read more

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First let's start by saying - beautiful ambience, they nailed it! Just LOVED the decor, the bar next door - absolute brilliance, showcases their desire to standout. Food - the appetizers and salads were delightful. The lemon fresh lettuce salad was a hit! We were a large group and so shared the starters and they were fantastic. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable and kind. The entrees though - underwhelming sadly. The swordfish was a beautiful piece of fish, grilled so beautifully- but was taking a bath in an overly heavy butter caper sauce that lacked flavor and was oily, we were not able to enjoy it. I think the concept of the dish was/is clever and maybe it was an off night. Another colleague ordered Risi bisi pasta with ricotta and it really didn't impress at all. It was so hyped up but lacked flavor. I was struggling to understand what the flavor profile was aiming to be... Couple folks ordered the lasagna and it was the saving grace at the table. It was tasty though all our dishes were lukewarm when they came out and I was puzzled about that because the server gave us instructions that we place our entire course at one time as the kitchen needs it to prepare it timely manner. Oh well. In the end - I would go there again, but just for the cocktails wine and starters. It's such a lovely vibe though. But tad hyped up and reading some of the other reviews I know we weren't the only folks who had this experience. (I do think maybe we had an off night and maybe it was a new chef or something because several of the other reviews appear awesome so I'd definitely give it another try!) read more

We've dined multiple times at Osteria Stella in the past and have always had good experiences, but I have to come on and brag about the incredible dinner we had last night specifically. Two things to note: I am a wheelchair user and we were celebrating a birthday. We used their online reservation system, Resy, and noted the above mentioned things: it was a birthday celebration and that I was a wheelchair user. From the second we came in, everyone who greeted us from the host to our server, to the bartender, all said, "Happy Birthday." Everything felt so special! Being a wheelchair user, I let them know when making the reservation that I was fine being sat at a regular table, but that I was also able to transfer from my wheelchair to a booth if one was available--their velvet booths make your dining experience feel so fancy, intimate, and special! They gave me a choice when we came in and I, of course, chose the booth! We started dinner with the Focaccia Osteria Stella that comes with marinated olives and the Panzanella di Verdure Grigliate. Both starters were absolutely delicious; I could buy their foccacia by the loaf. My spouse loved their Faux|groni, a non-alcoholic Negroni mocktail. For our entrees, we had the Gnocchi con Lardo e Spinaci and Bucatini con Granchio e Asparagi. Both were mouth-watering good. We love that Osteria Stella changes up their menu and puts new twists on things regularly. The food was truly so good. We were stuffed by the time the option for dessert came around but our sweet server brought out a sweet treat with a candle for our celebration. The gelato was delicious and had little white chocolate pieces--it was SO good! We truly can't rave enough about how much we enjoyed our dinner at Osteria Stella and can't recommend it enough for your next special occasion, date night, or just a great spot for some good food! Thank you to the staff, our host and server especially, for such a beautiful, memorable birthday dinner. read more

Osteria Stella - Chocolate Gelato with White Chocolate - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We reallllyy wanted this to be our new favorite date spot. Alas, not meant to be. We had a stellar experience the week prior at their connected bar, Brother Wolf, and immediately booked a reservation for an Italian feast the next week. We were impressed with the email follow-up by the biz confirming the reservation and providing parking info. We were greeted warmly upon arrival and were seated immediately. Our server Olivia was fabulous. In fact, our food experience would have been more of a 3/3.5-ish but the great service from beginning to end (the hosts, the man refilling waters/bussing tables, and Olivia) definitely elevated our time inside. Also amazing, the atmosphere. Fun chandeliers and classy wall decor in the small, dimly-lit space. When I say dim, I mean dark. We needed our phone flashlights to read the menu. It did add a more romantic feel to the night. We started with a cocktail and a glass of wine. Olivia brought out three wine samples to try and allowed us to sip before picking. So helpful! Note that the food menu rotates seasonally with a few staple entrees that remain. We ordered: -focaccia bread and olive/oil app: phenomenal. great dipping oil, paired with perfectly baked and seasoned bread. -the current salad for Summer 2023: (Insalata con Ortaggi Misti): tasty. The crouton crumble and blueberries were perfect with the refreshing lemon herb dressing and crispy greens. -Pappardelle al Ragú Bianco: these wide and hearty noodles were delish. I just wish they had all been cooked through. I love al dente, but some of the thicker noodles were a bit hard to chew through and it was a small portion for the price. The sauce was unexpected with more of a shredded beef texture instead of a ground beef. I liked the crispy sage on top and that there was a beefy sauce to dip my leftover bread into. I really wish there had been a vegetable of some kind included in this dish. -Lasagne alla Bolognese; I see people rave about this dish, but we were honestly incredibly disappointed. It was a small square of lukewarm lasagna that had hardly any meat, barely any sauce inside, and no sauce whatsoever on the outside. I didn't feel that my papparadelle dish was worth $22 so the lasagna was definitely not worth that same amount in our opinion. Overall, the service was great and the atmosphere is lovely. We will definitely head back to Brother Wolf, but do not feel like the cost is worth the quantity and quality we experienced at Osteria. read more

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Osteria Stella is an elegant and intimate Italian joint located in the heart of the Old City. We had a romantic dinner here on our last night in Knoxville and it was the perfect way to end our visit. The food was delicious and their lasagna was our favorite! The service was exceptional and we received amazing hospitality from their sommelier who helped us select the perfect bottle of wine to accompany our amazing meal. Pro tip is to head over early and have pre-dinner drinks at their sister aperitif bar, Brother Wolf located next door that is walk in only. read more

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This is my first review i've ever written. That's how good this place was... I felt compelled to leave a positive note. Coming in from out of state we've been exploring different restaurants but I had yet to have good pasta. We decided to check this restaurant out. First impression the decor and vibe of this restaurant is amazing! VERY comfortable and very welcoming staff! Excellent menu choices. Quick service. The food is OUTSTANDING. Probably one of the best restaurants i've had in a long time. I had the Gnocchi which was outstanding. Every course we had was beyond amazing. To top it off the dessert (Affogato) was AMAZING!!! Waitress / manager made the experience even better. Lots of laughs! Will definitely be back! 10/10 read more

The ambiance was lovely but am guessing staffing challenges could have impacted our service. The waiter was rushed when reviewing the menu and even left the table when I was getting ready to ask a menu question. Food wise; Arancini and focaccia to start with were good. The pork shoulder amazing! The breaded veal chop was dry and not flavorful so would not recommend. Rigatoni with chilis was way too spicy even though waiter said it wasn't. I can tolerate some spice but not this. I think there are other Italian restaurants to explore before choosing this one. read more

KNOXVILLE NEEDS MORE ITALIAN PLACES.. If this were in Chicago I'd give it a solid 2.8 star based upon customer experience, decorations & plates. I'll leave it at.... "Don't judge a book by its cover." Provide respect for all customers because you never know who they are, where they come from. Don't assume/provide less for someone who is younger than your average customer or not a regular. Manager with the beard and glasses: Thanks for the new plate of lasagna considering your cook gave me a crispy/stale/cold piece that came out like 3 minutes after I ordered it.. anyone who is authentic knows how lasagna should be presented... very disappointing when I'm paying $22 for a square piece of un-authentic lasagna... For the record, I'm not a Karen but I do enjoy a solid plate of Italian food & this was a very disappointing experience.. wish I could've tried more on the menu including food + drinks but didn't feel the interest to spend my money there based upon my experience. read more

Osteria Stella - Burnt but cold, stale base :/ very disappointing. Please for future reference, Never try to take advantage of a customer - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Went to try something new. The only good thing was the drinks. Rowdy patrons, mushy pasta, gross salty sauce honestly I could have made better at home. $105 later I left hungry and disappointed. Save your money go ANYWHERE else. read more

My go to! The perfect date night, special occasion, and girls night spot. Osteria is intimate, elegant, and intentional. All of their dishes are delicious, specifically their pastas - my personal favorite is their lasagna. I love that they have seasonal menus that they curate every few months. Their service is always 10/10, including their in-house sommelier. Which reminds me...their wine list is exclusive, extensive, and elegant. Same goes to their cocktail menu. Their espresso martini is my absolute favorite. Osteria is connected to their bar, Brotherwolf. Brotherwolf is the perfect vibey bar to have an end to your night cocktail. I will say on the weekends Brotherwolf is packed and mainly taken over by college students/ a younger crowd. Osteria Stella (and Brotherwolf) do a phenomenal job at making you feel special, keeping you interested, and sending you home happy and full. I will continue to keep Osteria Stella as one of my go to places in Knoxville. read more

This place is very romantic and date night-esque but I came with a co-worker. We were sat in a small booth and out server was over to grab water and get our drink order. We inquired about the menu and he told us that even though the pastas are basic - they are all made in house and very good. He suggested a couple and they ended up being what we got. We also ordered some bread and olive oil. The plates they have are very cute. And he was right - everything was great. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the cacio e Pepe was the perfect creamy and peppery. The tomato sauce pasta we got was also very good and the sauce was flavored well. Again, two very basics but made so delicious. I cannot wait to come again! read more

Osteria Stella - Cacio e Pepe and basic tomato pasta. - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Me being the Italian food lover that I am, I have been wanting to come to Osteria Stella for so long. I have to say that they did not disappoint! Lemme tell you why, friends. My drink tonight was a traditional Negroni which I found our is served from Brother Wolf, the bar next door. It was my first time having a Negroni and I love how gin forward it is while also going down easy. I also ordered a Negroni Sbagliato due to the TikTok trend and For our appetizers, we had the soup of the day, focaccia & garlic confit, and mussels. The soup had a very savory & thick broth while the beans and kale were very fresh. The focaccia & garlic confit are a must try. As someone who doesn't like bread, I loved the fresh made focaccia and it's crispy edges while staying soft inside. The mussels are not your typical garlic forward wine sauce mussels, these mussels have a very rich wine flavor that isn't too strong or too lite. For our entrees, we had the lasagna bolognese and Italian sausage polenta. The Italian sausage you could just tell that it was freshly made and it isn't bombarded with spices which paired really well with the tomato and polenta purée. Now the STAR of the whole night is the spinach lasagna bolognese. The cheese and edges are crispy, the insides are soft and delicate, while overall being a very lite dish. The choice to use spinach instead of pasta takes away all the heaviness and makes it a very delectable dish. If you don't come for anything else, you MUST come for the spinach lasagna. Lastly, for our dessert we had the Bunet! A heavy chocolate dish that represents flan served with a cookie. The Bunet is delicate like rich chocolate on top of a dark chocolate brownie. The cookie looks like one of the hardest cookies you'll ever eat, but ends up falling apart in your mouth. We also found out that the cookie is a gluten free option which makes it even more amazing with its texture. Sorry for the long review, but I have been dying to come here and they did not disappoint at all. The food was delicious, but the services was even better. Shout out to our server Olivia who we will definitely recommend and personally request every time now. She was fun, energetic, and very helpful when navigating the menu. Anyways, enough from me... time for you to come try it. read more

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Without a doubt, the best meal I've had since moving to TN. Our Server, Bella, was terrific. She provided great food and wine pairings and was very attentive without being intrusive. Great food, great service and a romantic atmosphere make for a great date night. The liveliness of the attached Brother Wolf spilled over for just the right amount of background noise. read more

If you plan to dine here, start off with drinks at their sister bar Brother Wolf (maybe their Brothers Bar). It's right next door. Very cool place with Italian flare, we sat in the booth in the back! The waitress was phenomenal, she knew the menu and offered some good wine pairings for the food. I started off with an Old Fashioned with Rye, very good, it came from the Brother Wolf. Started off with some Antipastti, Pampanella di Pancetta Di Maiale, bam that was so good! That's Pork Belly with honey shaved apples! Then some Beef & Veal meatballs and Arancini! For Secondi I had Cotoletta all a Milanese (Veal Chop), breaded very light and tasted amazing. Sides we got Caroline di Bruxelles, everyone said they were good, I couldn't tell you.... Moving on to the Patate Fritte, they were great. Save room for Dolci, I didn't. Great date night, remember to start at Brother Wolf's and then dine at Osteria Stella. Cheers! read more

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The ambiance was really nice. We got a private booth that was decorated well. However, the clam linguine was small in portion, the noodles were not cooked and only 4 pieces of claim.. read more

Osteria Stella - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Wowza! If you are looking for a place that will make your taste buds dance then this is the place for you. I went here with some friends a few months ago and I was very impressed by the presentation, the waiter's ability to recommend dishes, and the complexity of flavors in each dish. The Somalia came over and answered all our questions and recommended a great red wine that was in our price range. The waiter gave vivid descriptions of each of the dishes and was able to pair our courses very well. I'm salivating just writing this! I can't wait to come back! read more

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Knowledgable, attentive staff; delicious food, and menu that seasonally changes so there is always something new to try! The ambiance is cozy and stunning. read more

I lived in Northern Italy for a few years and can say that this is some of the best Italian food I've had in the States. We had: Pane dell'osteria Stella Arancino Rigatoni al Ragù di Agnello Radiatori al Pesto di Rucola e Salsiccia Tagliata Rucola e Grana Our server, Luke, was a delightful person and we felt very taken care of. He was knowledgeable, friendly, quick but not overbearing. He even had some knowledge of Italian culture & cuisine! I was very skeptical of this place, just because I'm very picky when it comes to Italian food; however, I was truly blown away. I cannot wait to come back! Mille grazie ragazzi! read more

Osteria Stella - Our shared Primi piatti. It truly was so, so good. - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Amazing!! We had our first visit Friday evening and Osteria Stella DID NOT disappoint! We are new to the area and are LOVING the food scene out here. Knoxville is reminiscent of what our home (west coast) used to be. Our server, Chris was fantastic. At one point, he asked a pan handler to leave the patio where we were dining. He heroically smoothed over what might have a potentially soured an otherwise perfect evening. It was a little chilly that evening and he made that sure everyone on the patio was comfortable. Chris's knowledge of the menu was superb. His suggestions were excellent and when we asked about wine pairings, he called over the sommelier who gave EXCELLENT recommendations. Everything was VERY, VERY good. The food was delicious and delightful. The Tiramisu was by far the creaminest I have ever had. Our dining experience was definitely worth it. I have seen some of the other reviews.. if you want a DINING experience, this is THE place for you. If want to eat to the point to where you need to loosen your belt and take an antacid, the Olive Garden might be a better choice. I highly recommend this establishment, 5 stars easily! read more

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Good place but won't return. Looking back on this experience, I wish I would have researched more about the place ahead of time and reset my expectations. I had heard Osteria Stella was hard to get into - and that you have to make a reservation weeks in advance. I don't know what I want to have for dinner tonight much less a few weeks from now (ha!). However - a couple of friends had some extra room in their reservation (a couple backed out) - so I was spontaneously able to go with my partner one Friday night. Great wine selection. We tried to order an appetizer to start, and we were told that due to limited kitchen capacity the server needed to put the entire order in at the same time. That seemed odd to me since every other kitchen in the US had figured out how to take an appetizer order before an entrée order. Place was a little pricey. Which is fine, I don't mind paying a premium for a good meal. However, the portion sizes were small. I got the risotto con pollo e funghi (risotto with chicken and mushrooms) and nearly laughed out loud over the minuscule pieces of chicken. It tasted decent, but nothing spectacular. My partner got the Lasagna. We were both still hungry after the meal. The way the menu is structured I assume they want you to order something off the Primi section and the Secondi section plus an antipasti or the like - which would be about $60. My final thought as I walked out was this place must be making BANK. I mean pasta is inexpensive to make. Yes, I get that they make it in house and import ingredients and on and on - but if pasta wasn't cheap to produce you couldn't get it for a dollar a pound at the grocery store. I realize that I'm not their ideal client. When I think of a "good" (i.e., expensive) meal I think of a nice steak dinner. If I want to pay $30-60 a plate plus alcohol for dinner, I'll go to a steakhouse - not for risotto. Again, fine place. Good food. Just not for me, especially with other places like Emilia so close by. read more

Osteria Stella - Risotto - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

This review comes with a warning that this offering isn't in my sweet spot. There were a lot of positives in our experience at Osteria Stella but I can't help but thinking they haven't reached their full potential. For starters the atmosphere is wonderful. Charming old world decor and opportunities for privacy that scream fine dining. The staff are extremely well trained and the sommelier was very professional. She was very helpful in deciding how to navigate the menu. When ordering you need to carefully consider where to share and skip or you will certainly not be able to finish or try what you have your eye on. Sadly, we couldn't sample the dessert which sounded very enticing. The drink menu is unapologetically Italian. A choice by the owners that I respect for their vision. If you like Negroni, you will find something you enjoy. I find all the specialty drinks unsatisfying and would recommend wine if your flavor profile doesn't favor this very specific style. We very much enjoyed the focaccia and loved the addition of olives and garlic confit. Don't pass spreading these soft cloves on the bread. This may be the oddest post for a carnivore of epic proportions, but the contorni was the best course by far. The insalata used crisp and flavorful greens and the lemon herb dressing was the perfectly balanced. I can't believe I am saying this, but the grilled zucchini was the star of the night. DO NOT miss this. It was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I had the bucatini because I been searching for the simple pleasure of cacio y pepe since a trip to Rome decades ago. I was fairly warned that this dish was very salty and I should have listened. It is completely over the top and it did negatively impact my view of the cuisine. My wife very much enjoyed the carrot puree ravioli. It was not to my preference in both texture and flavor profile (soft with a slightly sweet cream sauce). But she very much enjoyed it. We shared the pounded chicken thigh secondi and thought it was excellently prepared and enjoyable but not enough to persist in my memory. read more

The food was absolutely AMAZING as were the drinks! Brad provided phenomenal service and recommendations! The atmosphere was incredible! read more

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We quibbled over 4 or 5 stars for this place and decided on 5. The negatives that we had were far too small and trifling to remove a full star (once again I find myself wishing we could give 4.5). We found the evening in its entirety was delightful. The food was exquisite, from our first plates (especially the arancino. We've had it often at another Italian place we like much, and there was a clear difference of the two; frankly at the other place they are simpler but quantity is bigger. Here, they were exquisite with a more varied/refined taste, albeit smaller amount). The mozarella dish we thought was ok, although honestly neither of us are great fans of that cheese...we ordered it for the winter squash and greens and they were very tasty. We had gnocchi for our pasta and loved it...very tender, mouth-melting texture. Then finished with a delightful swordfish cooked just perfectly. Add to this some very tasty cocktails (I love negronis, so having variations of that great drink were really fun), a wonderful dessert (cannoli) and espresso...perfect evening! So why would I even consider 4 stars: let me mention my petty issues. One...the espresso had no lemon peel. I know that's not "mandatory" but in my world, it would be!!! Another....I never like it when places charge for bread (other than having some basic bread available then charging for special, or more). Especially with the DELICIOUS sauces; my bad for NOT ordering the bread....I recommend you do, and I sure will next time. Prices are high but well worth it for the exquisite fine tastes. Can't wait to go back with a larger group to try more dishes. read more

Osteria Stella - Swordfish in red sauce with olives and capers. YUM. - Italian Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Felt like I was back in Italy. Incredible service and outstanding food. You must get the Focaccia and Olives and the Burrata con Verdure di Stagione both delicious! For entree, had the lasagna bolognese and pasta with shrimp and clams. And of course tiramisu. Drinks were great too read more

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This restaurant is fantastic. Truly a great gem in downtown Knoxville. Our server, Jade, was quite inhospitable, but other than that, this place is perfect. The breakdown: The food is stellar. Almost everything is made in house, including all the pastas, and it is obvious that they care about that they are doing. We had appetizers all the way through desserts, and everything was great. Don't skip over the salads. We almost didn't get salads, and they were amazing. The cocktail list is amazing. I only made it through two cocktails before we switched to wine, and I'm anxious to get back to try some more. You can also pop into Brother Wolf, the bar attached to this, and try all the cocktails as well. The atmosphere is fantastic. It's dark and brooding, but in a good way. The tables are intimate and a good size. They don't try to pack you in like cattle, but it is definitely a small place. Make reservations as early as possible as they can fill up quickly. The flatware is also something different; like you're in your italian grandmother's house. Very home-y. The service was just okay. Our waitress, Jade, made us feel like we were a burden even being there. On top of having little knowledge of the restaurant's offerings, she made it a point to let us know 3 times throughout the meal that the table would be turning quickly, and basically told us when we would need to leave. She was snarky in every way, and it definitely put a stain on the whole experience. A little backstory, I have grown up in restaurants. My parents used to own one, and I spent many, many years as a server. I make it a point to be as gracious as possible because I have been in their position. However, you definitely don't give the customer the impression that you don't want them there. Especially, customers who are going to tip you and who are about to spend hundreds of dollars on dinner, which we did. We had multiple cocktails, wines, courses, and desserts, and we wanted to experience everything we could. I will say, every other person that came to our table was fantastic; they knew the food and they were excited about it all. I'm assuming we just got unlucky in that respect. All-in-all, great restaurant! I will return at some point, and I'll be specific on where we sit. read more

Enjoyed a sneak peek at this latest addition to the Old City restaurant scene. With adjoining bar Brother Wolf, Osteria Stella takes over the space formerly occupied by Rebel Kitchen. The space is completely transformed with a chic mix of decor, lots of soft florals, yet edgy and fun. While it was pretty and eye catching, it lacks some softness that could absorb some sound - it was packed and rather loud. There are three private booths tucked in the corners. And the outdoor seating looks directly out of Southern Europe! Great attention to details with touch-adjustable table lamps, a fun mix of silver flatware, bold yet fun table menus (no QR codes here) and an eclectic yet cohesive mix of glassware and tableware. The drink menu is massive, with cocktails, wine, beer, aperitif and digestif options - easily 5x as many options as food! Note that Brother Wolf has its own drink/food menu, being a little more casual and social. And the food! Delicious nod to all things authentically Italian. We were greeted table side by Amelia? who carefully explained a few dishes on the menu, helping us to select a variety of great tastes. Being the soft opening, we felt comfortable giving feedback as there were some opportunities to balance dishes, but overall, the plates were tasty, eye-appealing and right-sized. Our favorites were the Spritz (I can't recall which one - there's 3 on the drink menu and they all looked good!), the potato and octopus appetizer, the swordfish entree and the panna cotta dessert (the texture was silky smooth!). Our server Matt did an excellent job, answering questions and retrieving info when he didn't have it. We look forward to their regular hours (start mid July 2021) and hope to see the small menu refresh seasonally. read more

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Was looking forward to coming back here after a great prior experience. We made reservations, had to put a card down to book it- got text alerts that there was only a 15 minute grace period. Arrived early, waited well over 35 minutes after our scheduled reservation and we were never seated. The hostess kept saying just 5 more minutes. We ended up going somewhere else. read more