Giovanni's Ristorante

Chicken Marsala was very dry and tasteless. Ordered to go and they gave us the wrong sauce on one of the pastas. The pizza was OK, nothing special (and I hardly ever feel indifferent about Italian food!) Despite leaving a nice top, the servers weren’t nice and didn’t say anything after we grabbed the food. Just overall disappointing. I won’t be back.

We visited Giovanni's on a Friday evening and made a last minute reservation for 730. The location isn't the best being so close to the Marathon plant but they offer inexpensive valet parking so it's fine. We absolutely loved our meals and the shrimp risotto appetizer was also extremely good. I wouldn't spend the extra money for the Caesar salad since their house salad is so delicious. We will be back!

Great fresh classic Italian food. Outstanding & attentive wait staff. Reasonably priced. We'll definitely be back soon. Pics are only of one room.

The valets were super sweet and helpful. The hostess lacked compassion and empathy for a disabled senior even after being alerted to the situation when making the reservation. I was quite shocked and disappointed. Our waitress and all of the other runners were excellent! Very courteous and helpful.

Absolutely fantastic food & service. Our 1st time, we didn't have reservations but they accommodate our party of 5. We all loved it, and the best canolli I've ever had. ❤️ Highly recommend it.

What an amazing old-fashioned Italian experience at this beautiful high-end up restaurant that’s reasonably price and serve top-notch service. The food was delicious. The dessert was amazing. The wine was excellent and the owner stopped by to check on us and have a conversation. We will definitely be back at this wonderful Family Owned Restaurant

A favorite for date night. The food is always very fresh, well made, well seasoned....good balance of rustic and rich. Good wine list. Love to finish the evening off with the dessert tray and espresso. I also am always so into the dimly lit, romantic, old world vibe. It's great to dress up mid week and hit up Giovanni's for a dinner and bottle of wine that always hits the spot.

Made reservations and had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. Very long wait time in-between dishes, was there in total 2.5 hours. Our server was very nice and tried to be as attentive as she could. Table size was small for 4 people, we did find out we could extend the table ourselves, so that's what we did. Calamari was delicious. Alfredo serving size was small and lacked flavor. The shrimp scampi was okay.

I haven't even been there yet but I can say I like it already!! The reviews are 5/5 and the menu looks inviting. I must know! I must go!!

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!

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.

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.

Lasagna was incredible!!! Calamari was my other favorite. They are known for their world famous lasagna here and I see why now. Everything comes with warm garlic bread to start. Also every entree comes with a soup or salad and then a pasta if you order certain things. Classic Italian vibes here and service was very good.

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!

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.

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.

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!

I have been coming to this phenomenal restaurant since 2010. This is the best Italian restaurant in the state of Michigan. Everything is made fresh to order. This is some of the best lasagna, lemon chicken and gnocchi you've ever had. The service is impeccable and you have to have reservation since it's always packed. Don't get intimidated by the location of this restaurant. It is in old town Southwest Detroit near the Marathon refinery, but the restaurant has been in existence since 1965. The ambience is the old school feeling of Italian restaurants in New York City.

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!

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.

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.!!

Stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night. Glad we had reservations because it was busy. Very nice dining area and we were seated quickly. Angie and David provided excellent service. We started with the Calamari (excellent) and then we had the Lasagna, Picatta (Chicken), and the Cannelioni de carna. Finished with a piece of lime pie and Tiramisu. Everything was excellent. Main dishes range around $30, desserts around $10, and appetizers are between $10 to $20. Not a cheap dinner but for special occasions or if your impressing a date, this is the place.

The food was absolutely exceptional. Great service. There were a couple dining rooms designed to provide a private intimate experience. There were four of us and we shared two appetizers, each had a different entree, and shared two deserts. Everyone throughly enjoyed our food. There is a $45 corkage charge for bringing your own wine. Valet parking is available for $5. If you enjoy Italian food and especially authentic pasta dishes, I highly recommend Giovanni's Ristorante.

My grand daughter's first experience with fine dining. Great food, service was awesome, just a great experience. Highly recommended ambiance.

Food was much much better and "fresher" than any Italian restaurant I had for the past 27 years in the DTW area. The bread was to die for, the salad was light and refreshing. I ordered the Polo Picante and the Mrs ordered the Chicken Marsala. Mine was a tad salty (mainly because I was doing a low sodium diet and forgot to mention to go easy on the salt). Other than that, chicken was not just a slab of meat; actually has a taste and flavor to it. The accompanying Alfredo (up charge) was light and awesome. My wife's Chicken Marsala was equally good and looked very appealing. We tipped it off with a slice or their Tiramisu- so light and flavorful; was not loaded with sugar. All in all, a great expand would certainly come back. Not the best place for large gatherings- best for 2-6 people. Overall, BRAVO!!

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!

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!

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.

Best authentic Italian restaurant in Wayne County. The food was excellent! The service was excellent! And the ambiance was very nice. Special occasion, date night or just because you want great Italian food.

Excellent food service and Ambience Went for our Anniversary and order something and the waitress recommended a little something different and I was in love with the place then and there will go again and again. Finish every bite and I don't usually do that.

I found this restaurant on Yelp as I was looking for places to it because I was out of town for work. What pulled me in was the pictures of the food and the look of the place. I loved the vibe of the restaurant. It was dim and romantic. Perfect for a date night. The service was great. The food was spectacular. Authentic Italian cuisine. Next time I'm in town, I will be back.

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!!

Man was i disappointed! I actually want to give 2.5 stars but 2 is a bit less than deserving. First off our bill was $245. With a. $90 bottle of $22 store wine. As expected tho. Our dinner took nearly 2 hours and we had to bay our entree to go because we were pressed for time. I ordered the beef tips and they were burnt and just as bad as their small little gnocchi. The sauce was soooo salty. Took the waiters advice and wasn't a good one. Sorry guys. They did screw our order up and brought us the calamari which I should have just took because of the bad tips but who would have knows. That's bad thing #1. Now bad thing #2 - look at this salad. Is this a joke? 2 halves of a cherry tomato and 3 chunks of a cucumber (see the picture). Poorly dressed chopped up garnish lettuce to boot. Now - bad thing #3 - we ordered the Caprese salad which is my favorite however it seemed as if they used the same lettuce (arugula) and not the normal basil which is what the Caprese calls for. I also asked for extra balsamic glaze which wasn't there either. Over salted too. Like ridiculously over salted. And finally bad thing #4 - I ordered the tagliatelle pasta with bolognese sauce. And got something close to a spaghetti noodle. Since we were out of time and had to pack up there was no time to get this fixed. I'm so disappointed in this place. And the more I write the less I think of even giving 3 stars. 5 star place down the gutter here. Sad to say the years in business can't be paying off.

Way back before the Pandemic, I visited Giovanni's and remembered the experience VERY fondly; fondly enough that I made a point of returning the first time I was in the neighborhood :-) Tip: There's both valet parking and a free self-park lot directly across the street from the restaurant, so they've got you covered regardless of your preference :-) After making a dinner reservation, I arrived right on time and was seated promptly.  Service was totally on-point throughout the meal, with our waitress being both attentive and friendly. Just as I remembered from my first visit, all the food is house-made, and the overall dining experience is second to none - I'm really glad I made a point of returning.  Going forward, I highly recommend Giovanni's, and I won't be a stranger :-)

I did something today I don't think I've ever done; walked out of a restaurant I made a reservation for... I made a 7pm reservation at Giovanni's for my birthday dinner tonight. I thought it would be a great idea since I hadn't been for about 5 years and I didn't want to deal with Downtown's parking. We arrived about 10 minutes early, fully prepared to wait for our 7pm reservation. But we were not prepared to wait an additional 25 minutes beyond our reservation time. As our frustration was clearly mounting, an employee approached us to mention that this is how it always is and that "the table in the back" had been there for 3 hours. We promptly left, drove Downtown, begged San Morello for a table, and was seated before our first drink was even poured from the bar. When you walk into Giovanni's you are greeted by a wall of fame of awards as top Italian restaurant by X paper, and Y magazine; it's quite impressive. Until you look at the dates and realize these awards are 5-10 years old. "Best Italian Restaurant 7-years in a row" doesn't count if that was 12 years ago. Somewhere between my last experience and today, Randy has lost his way. It's unfortunate because I remember having a rather pleasant (but overpriced) experience 5 years ago. Overall, I will never return as I believe I dodged a massive bullet, based on my experience today.

We went there in June of this year. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. I had the veal Marsala. My wife and her cousin both had the lasagna. Cousins husband had manicotti with meatballs. All were very good. They have a quite extensive wine list. We were seated in a corner alcove which was sort of private and cozy. We all will return. Veal Marsala, lasagna and manicotti.

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.

Fancy spaghetti at best. Atmosphere is cool and food was nothing special. My grandma loved it, but she also likes the old Olive Garden. Service was good.

People that say this restaurant is good have never had good food. The food is very bland, the service is all over the place, the wait is ridiculous, even if you make reservations you still have to wait an additional 40 minutes to be seated. They're actually not busy but act busy, extremely over priced. The valet leaves your keys in your car while you're in the restaurant, they literally had the keys in the ignition in my dad's truck, waiting for it to get stolen? It's in a bad neighborhood so why would they do that? I have heard about this place from older people saying it's so good but it was such a gross bad experience I will never come back. They may have been good in the 90s but not now. Plus the decor is dark and dingy and out dated, not romantic at all for a date night.

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.

neighborhood is a little sketchy, but the food is well worth the journey! Service was really excellent, and the desserts were outstanding.

We absolutely loved Giovanni's. I'm a huge fan of Italian cuisine and I could seriously eat pasta every day of the year. lol I've been wanting to experience Giovanni's for many years. I've wanted to wait for a very special occasion to experience it. Located on the west side of Detroit, Giovanni's has quite the history of excellence in food and service. The restaurant itself has limited seating on the inside so making a reservation is essential. I loved the overall decor and the dimly lit ambiance. We were greeted by two serves who suggested wines to accompany our courses. I always like to listen to the experts when it comes to places like this. We ordered the calamari, which was fantastic. It's actually considered a calamari steak, which I prefer. The sauce was amazing. We then indulged in yummy bread and pasta fagioli soup. For our main entrees, we decided to split the meat cannelloni di carne and shrimp scampi; both dishes were amazing and full of flavor. Giovanni's met and exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu.

Food is great! Service is wonderful and ambience lovely! Reservations are a must. Delicious Italian food with a good wine selection.

My absolute favorite Italian restaurant! Love table #2 in the wine room by the fireplace. Unbelievable service and lick your plate entrees. Never ever disappointed in what I order.

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.

I can tell you about the service because we were already so turned off we didn't want to see how bad the food was. We arrived about 10 mins early for our reservation and which we had no problem waiting until our reservation time. We were not prepared to wait an extra 20-25 mins to get seated. After waiting that long to get seated for a RESERVATION we decided to go to another Italian restaurant and had a much better experience! Save your hard earned money and go somewhere else if you want to be treated well. We had an employee come up to us and mention that we should be sat shortly and that a table in the back was there for 3 hours and the owner doesn't want to kick them out. Well our $200 dinner went to a place more deserving because I can tell you right now that is not a good business practice... The atmosphere is run down, old, and dreary it reminded me of a funeral home. It's fitting since all of their posters say "best Italian food in town" from local newspapers, but that's great when it's not from a decade ago. Safe to say we will never step foot in this establishment again.

We had a fantastic evening. The service was excellent and the food was better! The veal and lobster special were both delicious. For dessert, the lemon pie and tiramisu were my favorites. The restaurant is not in the greatest location, but don't let that deter you. They have valet parking and the dinner will be worth it.

Ambiance is amazing and the staff is so pleasant. I got a spiced pear mule and it was so amazing. Location is a bit weird but is totally transformed by the experience inside. We celebrated Valentine's Day here and definitely would recommend !

What can I say other than if you have never heard of or been to Giovanni's you must go. It has survived a fire and many ups and downs, the neighborhood is not the best nor is it scenic, but once you enter and immerse yourself in the smells and feel the atmosphere you are transported to another time and place. Old Italy. Beware....Giovanni's is contagious! Go early and relax at the bar over a refined cocktail!

I recommend Giovanni's! This is an elevated Italian restaurant that is focused on larger portions, and I recommend them for that. Reasonably priced, so I would say this is a better location for a group outing or business dinner. Don't let the random area fool you, the food here is definitely worth the trip. I've had their calamari and shrimp for appetizers, chicken piccata al limone for dinner. Service and food was excellent. Worth it for some good classic Italian food.

So disappointed in my ordered filet of medium rare and came well done. This should not happen in a restaurant of this quality.

Very delicious food, the service is very nice, and the atmosphere is relaxing and romantic!

Giovanni's was amazing! Great classy, little Italian place - food was delicious! They were very busy, had multiple large parties - of which we were one of - so service was a little slow but it was worth the wait! Would definitely recommend!

Food is unseasoned and small portions. Ordered the calamari, chicken picatta, and seasonal lobster pasta. Chicken picatta was 34$ for two pieces of chicken smaller than my hand. Not seared or grilled. Unseasoned meat and the sauce was like gravy, all salt and no flavor.. colorless underwhelming dish. The side pasta was very overcooked. The lobster pasta was overcooked as well, not to mention it was 46$.. for about four bites of blanf pasta and swimming in a thin souplike flavorless sauce. From other reviews, we expected at least olive garden grade food. Ridiculous. Also ordered the espresso martinis, blood orange cosmo, mule. Drinks were okay and our waitress was very nice. The food was not good or even mediocre. I truly do not know how this place is in business.

We had an incredible dining experience last night at Giovanni's! The service was impeccable, the restaurant was extremely clean and everything we tried - the cocktails, the arancini, caesar salad, pasta fagioli soup, filet special and eggplant entree - absolutely out of this world! We were too stuffed to try dessert but next time we will!

Probably like 4.5/5, but they get a 4 from me this visit. This was my first time here, my boyfriend took me here for our Valentine's Day dinner although we were a week belated because I was sick last week. I had scoped out the menu ahead of time and had an idea of what I wanted to order. Their bread is good but Roman Village's (in Dearborn) is better. It's some sort of garlic bread, and comes with fresh parmesan that you can add. Dinners come with your choice of soup or house salad. We ended up getting a smaller portion of the caprese salad to share ($8) and it was delicious; the mozzarella was the freshest I've ever tasted. I also had the chicken noodle soup, and my boyfriend had the bean soup. We split a mushroom appetizer that is on the lunch menu but not the dinner; I had noticed it wasn't on the dinner menu but asked our waitress if we could still order it, and she obliged. It was a portobello mushroom dish in a cream sauce, and it was very tasty. For my entree, I think maybe I chose wrong. I had the chicken piccata, and I was surprised that it came with a side of pasta with red sauce; I had really been hoping for pasta with a lemon/butter (olive oil?) sauce. My two favorite chicken piccata places are Cheesecake Factory (hear me out, it's delicious) and also Uptown Grille, and this didn't compare to either of those; it was fine, but nothing special. The pasta (homemade) with red sauce wasn't really to my liking either; the sauce was sweet, which normally I like, but I didn't like this one. My boyfriend had the ravioli with crab, and it came in a nice cream sauce; I tried a bit of it but wasn't a fan of the ravioli, I think because it maybe had some seafood in the ravioli itself, too. For dessert, we split the tiramisu, which was LEGIT - it came with homemade whipped cream, too. Probably the best tiramisu I've had in the area. Waitservice was exceptional, too, and our water and soda glasses were always kept fresh. My only tiny complaint is the pacing: from our appetizer course to the entrees, we waited about 15 minutes, and from when we finished our entrees to when dessert arrived, we waited another 10-15 minutes. Rather strange, because up until then pacing had been very good. I'd definitely like to come back here, and maybe try the famous 16-layer lasagna I've heard a lot about, or perhaps the gnocchi, which also looked good. Oh and for parking: valet is $5, and the little parking lot next to the restaurant is for valet only. We ended up doing street parking, and it was fine - I read some reviews that said the area is a bit "sketchy" but really I thought it was fine, it's just more industrial and there are only two businesses around (Giovanni's and the deli across the street). Overall, mostly impressed by Giovanni's and looking forward to trying it out another time. It's pretty affordable, too: for two sodas, the mushroom appetizer, our a la carte mini salad, two entrees, and the dessert, it was about $95 before tip.

Good food and fresh salad vegetables quick service, will return to try other items in menus recommended