Giuseppe's Ristorante Italiano

Mu husband and I went there yesterday on a date. The food is amazing! Probably the best ravioli and sea bass I’ve had in Kentucky. The atmosphere was great as well, since they had a live performer. However, we are quite disappointed with the service, maybe because it was a Saturday night. Our female server wasn’t tentative enough. She didn’t ask us if we wanted drinks besides offering alcoholic beverages. We had to ask her for drinks after our entree was served. She took forever to fill the water. We had to ask for bread as well. Besides her service, everything was amazing. If we’re spending $200, we are expecting better service.

We celebrated our son’s 29th birthday tonight at Giuseppe’s. The food was amazing! Appetizers, salads, entrees and dessert! We were blown away! Tony’s used to be our restaurant for celebrations but no more. We found our new restaurant! Delores was our server and gave the perfect wine pairing recommendation as well as being a great server! We will look for reasons to celebrate to return often!

This is the 3rd time we’ve been here and it’s always wonderful! Julia is absolutely the best waitress and makes our experience each time so special! The live jazz music had us swaying away in our seats. Everything we have eaten there has been amazing but I have to say that our favorite is ending the night with a warm Butter Toffee cake with salted Carmel ice cream.

Absolutely the best restraunt in Lexington. I've been to Giuseppe's many times over many years. Always consistent with service and dinning. It never disappoints. Walked in right at 5:00. Didn't have reservations. Asked if they might happen to have an opening for 2. The young girl said we do. The table is reserved for 6:30 as well, will this give you enough time? I so appreciate her willingness to get us seated. Our food was amazing. We enjoyed drinks, an appetizer and our main course. We were sad we didn't have room for dessert. Always my go to restraunt.

Delores was amazing! The food was fabulous. Lobster ravioli and tortellini pesto are our favorites. Birthday dinner and they never disappoint. Ask to sit in the bar area. It has the best atmosphere. Best restaurant in Lexington

Great place for a special night out (or just after a long week). It’s no longer a well kept secret, so reservations a week out for peak times is advised. For the food (try the scallop appetizer and the lobster ravioli at least once) service and atmosphere, there really isn’t a better overall spot in town. One of the best little bars around as well.

This is the perfect place for special occasions. My Wife and I came here in celebration of my job promotion! Inside, the place is beautiful and romantic. I ordered the Chicken Piccata, and my wife ordered the Manicotti. They were both super delicious. The service made the occasion even more special.

The last 2 times I have been here the food was not up to par. Scallops. One was under cooked one was over cooked. $60 sea bass was mushy. Like it had been frozen and quick thawed under running water. Waiter Didn’t offer any specials for the night. He looked lost. The atmosphere is like a morgue. It’s dark, unsettling and uncomfortable. Parking is a nightmare. I watched 4 cars pull into a spot and pull out, because I opened the shades. I could not stand the closed off morgue. The bathrooms are a mess. 2 stalls and one was out of order. It was cold and uncomfortable. In conclusion… this place is old, out of date, overpriced, lacks service, and just not a pleasant experience.

We went for valentines weekend, and it was my first time. Walking in it seemed busy but once we were sat, it seemed my slower/quieter. We both got the soup of the day with our pasta- lobster bisque. It was good, but not my favorite. Then was the salmon and the lobster ravioli which were both great. For dessert we got the vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and crushed pistachios. Service was great the whole time and felt very welcoming. Was a very pleasant experience overall

The chicken meatballs were too salty and lacked good flavor. I was gravely disappointed. I was even disappointed by the "customer service"or lack thereof. I definitely wouldn't go back and would not refer the restaurant to anyone I know.

My friends and I had a great experience at Giuseppe's for a girls night this week! We had a reservation for a Tuesday at 8 and it was busy! The restaurant is tucked away off Nicholasville road very close to Brannon crossing. Parking is limited but luckily wasn't a problem. We started off with drinks- I had a dirty martini which was well prepared & on the strong side. When ordering food everything on the menu looked so delicious- I opted for the gnocchi starter with basil marinara and the pasta e fagioli- both were very good! Portions are large - we all left very well fed! Looking forward to my next visit to Giuseppe's!

We found Giuseppe's via a TV ad. Overall, a nice experience. The service was wonderful. The ambiance was comfortable, classic Italian- American- I wouldn't say 'old- school' but not contemporary or casual either. I could have done without the live music. It was nice but intrusive... We had to sit on the same side of the table to even have a conversation. Granted, we are not loud-talkers, but we didn't want to yell or disturb other diners with our conversation, either. Next time I would request sitting as far away from the music as possible. My husband had the scallops with a Caesar salad and he was delighted. I had the calamari appetizer (which was HUGE - more like an entree than an appetizer), the Caesar salad, and chicken piccata. The calamari was delicious but it was so big it ruined my appetite. I didn't think the Caesar dressing was very flavorful but it was passable (maybe diners in Kentucky are afraid of anchovies so, sadly, places just leave them out of the dressing). The chicken piccata was just ok. The chicken was cooked to perfection but the sauce was clunky - more like a gravy than a sauce, not very lemony and, way too much of it on the plate. Overall, a good experience and we would go back.

We had a wonderful time at Giuseppe's! The staff was incredibly friendly, and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting. We tried two dishes: Conchiglioni di Stephano - Pasta shells stuffed with chicken and ricotta cheese, baked with marinara and provolone. While the dish was good, the ground chicken didn't quite hit the mark for me, so I probably wouldn't order it again. But if you like ground chicken, you might enjoy it. Manicotti - Giant pasta tubes stuffed with ricotta and parmigiana cheeses, baked with marinara and mozzarella. This dish was absolutely excellent! It's a cheese lover's dream, with plenty of rich, gooey cheese. Highly recommend if you're into cheesy pasta dishes. Overall, great food and a lovely experience! Can't wait to come back.

Loved this place. Fun spot with a cozy video fire right at the hostess stand. The food was great and we had fantastic service.

A bit disappointed with this venue. First i started with the mussels as an appetizer. And that was really good, they serve it with some angel hair pasta that soak up the broth, cooked to perfection (i wish they provided bread to pickup the broth). Then i had the eggplant parmesan served with spaghetti. The spaghetti were overcooked and not enough sauce so somewhat dry...also the sauce was very blend. There was a musician playing some music using different instruments. Not too loud so it was perfect, ambiance in the place is good! I highly recommend a reservation it get full quickly. I feel i will have to visit again upon my next trip in town and try another dish to see if maybe this was just an exception as it was highly recommended!

Food was just okay, not great. Our server Corey was very nice. Best part of the experience. Ambience was strange. Restaurant is very expensive and has a semi date night feel. Requires reservations. I felt having the bar and big screen tvs going took away from the experience of meeting with family and conversing.

Dinner for my Birthday. Our server Ricky was fantastic, and the food was exceptional! Love the Scallops.

Very nice interior and friendly staff. Live jazz was worth going alone, and the artist at the time was phenomenal. As a northeast Italian, I'm used to the best Italian American food around, but Giuseppe's definitely held up. It was solid, no complaints, and not overpriced. The server was very knowledgeable on the wines, and we ended up enjoying it. We did have to wait 20-30 minutes after our reservation time, and the parking is probably the worst I've experienced. Especially considering they have a parking lot, it was worse than imagined. Regardless, we will be back, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

A very nice place. Great atmosphere. The service was 5-stars. The food was equally good and delicious. Wonderfully prepared. The restrooms are clean and well kept. Always important at a restaurant. We went with a group of 4 and were extremely pleased. We all left full and happy. We will be back on our next visit to Lexington.

EXPENSIVE. It was expensive but delicious! Celebrating my mother in laws 90th birthday, they made her feel special with a complimentary piece of red velvet cake and a saxophone happy birthday song. It made her day of happy tears. I got a little misty myself. The parking lot is small and a lot parked roadside, just off the main road and kind of hidden. Reservations only. Our waiter was attentive and informative about the menu and specials.

This was our third visit. Our daughter goes to UKY and she requests dinner at Giuseppe's every time. Giuseppe's has yet to disappoint. Our waitress, friendly, tall, pretty blonde (my apologies for not remembering her name) was fantastic. She was very attentive. There was no hurry to order. She was very chatty in a very good way. We ordered arancini and the gnocchi to start. The waitress encourages us to the cheese sauce and the red. Great suggestion. Very good. My husband got the special gorgonzola stuffed meatballs with Bucatini. He loved it. My daughter got her typical fettuccine with shrimp. She's very picky about her fettuccine and loved it. I got the Tortellini de Simpson (shrimp and crab in a creamy pesto sauce). Absolutely fabulous. Dessert looked amazing but we were stuffed. Thank you for another great evening.

27 years ago I met my future wife here for dinner, our first date. Last night we celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary and Giuseppe's was again outstanding. The stuffed mushrooms and the garlic bread paired perfectly as appetizers, and my Chicken pepperoni dish was fantastic. Bottles of wine are half price on Mondays, (lucky me) and the Red Velvet cake was so good. Can't wait for our next visit, the saxophone is always appreciated. The staff here are superb.

Went for our after wedding dinner here on 9/8 and it was lackluster to say the least. When I booked the table on OpenTable I mentioned the significance of the dinner. Apparently that wasn't passed on to the server. No offer of a free dessert or drink, and got up charged $10 for a salad that was supposed to come with the meal. This wasn't mentioned when she rattled off the various salads. Just disappointing when you spend $160 for dinner.

Randomly showed up on a Sunday at 6pm. 1+ hour wait so we sat at the bar. Atmosphere was a little loud for me but I would assume most people wouldn't mind it. There was a man playing the guitar there. The service was overall good. The bartender was very nice! I didn't take pictures of the bread or salad but the bread was steaming when she brought it out to us! It was very warm and fresh. I ordered the tortellini, added chicken with a salad with me entree. Nothing special but was fresh. I would have liked if they had cut the peppers and tomatoes. The tortellini was good but the sauce added a lot to them. My friend ordered the lasagna and preferred it to my tortellini. I was the opposite. Tortellini 8.8/10 Lasagna 8.5/10 Bread 9/10 Creme brulee 7.5/10 Molten Lava Cake 9/10 I'm not a pasta person so I would have never opted to try this on my own. I'm glad my friend chose it. I would definitely return for anything we ordered!

Food and cocktails were gross, this place has been around for 30+ years and being around that long doesn't make you good at what you do. Let's start with the cocktails, espresso martini doesn't get served with a glass filled with ice cubes in a martini glass that was shaken so much it was watered down from the ice melt most likely from hot coffee being poured into the shaker. If they actually added Kahlúa to it I would be shocked, 20$ for just a miserable frothy drink. 2/10 FUNGHI AL FORNO, the app we ordered, the bell cap mushrooms had to have been sitting out all day and wilting, these are not even close to being fresh, the corners were wilting, this was put together with pre cooked Italian sausage that was scooped in and then put under a salamander most likely to melt some cheese across the top. 3/10 MARSALA CHICKEN, what TF was this? This was the worst thing I've ever had that was Italian, the chicken had to have been sitting in a water container that keeps hotdogs warm and then pulled out and tossed into a sauce that looked like it had 1/4 of cornstarch added to just even thicken it up it was almost gelatin. The chicken tasted like rubber, was not seasoned and was placed on top of spaghetti that had been most likely sitting in hot water all day. The mushrooms in this dish were at least 2-3 days past their prime just like the appetizer was and were probably bought on clearance. The thing about this dish is included in the title, MARSALA. It is a wine that gets added to it that marinates and incorporates everything together. I've made this dish for myself countless times and even accidentally I can't mess this up. I didn't take pictures of anything, because it didn't even look appealing. Imagine spaghetti floating in a gelatinous attempt at Marsala sauce with rubbery thin sliced chicken with no seasoning and wilted mushrooms. Trash..... Wife's order was the lobster ravioli, 5/10, butter and salt can only do so much, the Cesar salad it came with needs rebranded to a lemon with a water based salad dressing, they might as well have added it to the bottle, shook it and added it in. Croutons might have been the only thing palpable, and even those didn't get ate all the way. Hostess and server were both nice, sorry if I didn't want take anything home, it would have been left in the parking lot. Offering 2 free desserts full of sugar wasn't a compliment we wanted on our anniversary dinner. Not returning, been here once 20 years ago, wasn't pleased with it then. Save your money go somewhere else.

Everything was very flavorful and delicious. Our server was great. The atmosphere was very social and loud. Definitely will come back!

Food was AMAZING! We came here for my birthday celebration and it was everything I had hoped for and more. Make sure you make a reservation as they typically book up. I would 100% come back here for any occasion. Also the red velvet cake that comes complimentary for your birthday is one of the best cakes I've ever had.

What an incredible experience. The service was great, the restaurant was beautiful, and every bite that passed our lips was fantastic. I've been wanting to visit for a while and decided my birthday was a great excuse to finally make it happen. We enjoyed cocktails (a cosmo and a lemon drop), mozzarella sticks (but the fancy kind), a wonderful Caesar salad, perfectly cooked, warm, crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside bread with butter, and for our entrees we had lasagna and chicken pepperoni. And of course we had to finish the night with a piece of their award-winning tiramisu cake (I now see why it's award-winning). Everything was as close to perfect as you can get. S/o to our wonderful server, Julia. We'll be back!

Step into the enchanting world of Guisseppe's in Lexington, KY, where the cozy ambiance wraps you in a whimsical embrace. This hidden gem transports diners to a realm of delight, where tradition meets eccentricity in the most delightful way. The decor dances between quirky and charming, setting the stage for a culinary journey through the enchanting landscapes of Italian cuisine. Guisseppe's is not just a restaurant; it's a whimsical escape into the extraordinary flavors of Italy, waiting to captivate your senses!

Food A+ Service A++ Ambiance A Menu A+ Wine menu A+++ I started with some bread and an olive oil / parmesan / balsamic trio dipping tray. Very well done. Caesar salad. Server was on it with the cracked black pepper. . Just the right amount of anchovy in the dressing. I went with the bone in pork chop. I know... but it was listed as a house favorite and I'm on Dr.s orders to avoid shellfish (otherwise the several scallop dishes sound PHENOMENAL). OMG. This was the best chop I've had since Ruth's Chris (I know...who orders the pork chop at RC? Me. ). SO tender. SO delicious. SO perfectly cooked. Last...I finished with a 20 yr Sandman Port. They have the 10, and the 30, and the Ruby (btw the chop has a Ruby Port reduction) but the 20 was spot on. Well done!!! Unfortunately I don't do desert (just Port). But the Tiramisu looked other worldly. P.s. I don't work here, and don't know anyone here. I just moved to Lex from Indianapolis. I saw this place sitting back off the road, in a freaking neighborhood of homes, and the parking lot was JAMMED. So, I tried it. Amazing.

We visited October 27 for my husband's birthday. Our party of four was seated in the bar area. The atmosphere, service and food were excellent. My husband's brothers were in from out of state and were very favorably impressed with our whole experience as were my husband and I.

One of my all-time favorite Kentucky restaurants! Classic, creative, traditional, and yet contemporary! A gem!

Tucked away in a quiet rural spot, Giuseppe's is an enjoyable dining experience with an upscale, yet family feel. The service is attentive and warm. Meals are tasty and come out on time. Overall, it presents a good experience.

Great staff, quick and responsive service. The food is amazing. Every time my wife and I visit Lexington we always make reservations. It is truly the best Italian we've ever had. The ambiance is nice, would recommend going in early for a quieter meal but if you don't mind happy customers being a little loud then feel free to go anytime.

This is the freshest tasting pasta and sauce in Lexington. Make sure to make a reservation as it gets busy!

Yesterday was my first visit to Giuseppes. I'm from Lexington and I have seen their commercials for years. The commercials show Guiseppes as a top notch Itailian restaurant with a small romantic vibe. Fast forward to last night my visit was with 4 other couples. I made reservations 2 weeks ago for 7pm. We arrived at the restaurant at about 6:45. At 7:28 we were seated at our table. At no time did anyone apologize for the wait. We were seated beside a table of about 20 people who were there for an office party. Immediately we noticed how loud it was. When our waiter came to our table to tell us about the specials, he had to repeat them on both sides of the tables because it was so loud. I guess you can see that the atmosphere was less than ideal. Moving on to the food. I ordered the pepperoni chicken with a Caeser salad. My salad was ok but not anything to write home about. It was a typical Caeser with some type of shredded cheese on the top. Next came my chicken. I was totally disappointed with my $27 entree. I was expecting a flavorful chicken with a strong pepperoni after taste. What I got was a dry over cooked half chicken breast with some tasteless pepperoni. The chicken was plated over some spaghetti and sauce. I will say that the spaghetti was good (if that is possible). At the end of our meal one of the ladies at our table called over the manger to discuss our seating arrangements. This was not an attempt to get a discount on our meals. At this point the checks had already come out and the waiter had taken our cards away to run our cards. The manager was very disrespectful. He never apologized and he even said "What do you want me to do? ask them to lower their voices" " It's Christmas time and this always happens and there is nothing we can do about it. At best the food last night was below par and the overall customer satisfaction was not important to the management. I really hope this was just a bad night and not the norm however I will probably not be going back.

Food is delicious. Definitely feels tradition on the inside. Bolognese and Ravioli are my faves!

From the moment we entered, I knew this was a special place. The service, atmosphere, and the food were all 5 star. We were in town to run a 5K at Run the Bluegrass and called last minute for a reservation. We got in within 30 minutes and were definitely so glad we called. It was the best spaghetti bolognese I've ever tasted. Portions are huge! I can't wait to return whenever I'm back in Lexington!

Food was amazing!! The chicken meatball & mussels for appetizers, spaghetti & meatballs, lobster ravioli and shrimp pasta with lemon butter sauce are all so delicious!

Perfection! Best Italian in Lexington Kentucky! Chicken Parm was mouthwatering good.

Been wanting to come here for a while. They have good reviews and are always busy. We got funghi al forno, salads, linguine and clams, and gnocchi with half marinara and half cream sauce. Also got bread, butter and red velvet cake. Also got the $9/glass chianti. As an Italian, I was very unimpressed. The stuffed mushrooms were good. Sausage was delicate and delicious. The salads were ok. Ceasar salad was ok. Verde salad with Italian vinegratte was sad. There was the top of the tomato with the part that attached to the stem. There was a giant slice of cucumber I didn't really want to attack, and a big banana pepper that should also have been pre-cut. The dressing was just ok but nothing special. The bread was warm but nothing special. Butter was whipped but quite flavorless. Linguine and clams was sad. Very brothy. A broth sauce thickened with flour. I have an amazing family recipe that uses white wine and parmigiano. In comparison, I wasn't happy with the dish. Server saw I didn't even finish half of it and didn't ask anything about if I didn't like it. I don't want to cause a stir or give anything back so just saved up my feedback for this review. Very scant on the clams. One of the in-shell clams had sand in it. Gnocchi was good but not amazing. Chianti was very flat. Not great but I guess it was the cheapest option. The red velvet cake fell flat as well. It was very wet but not moist. It should be a moist dense cake with a tangy frosting. Perhaps too much sugar water was poured on the cake before frosting. Very unimpressed all around. For the prices on the menu, I expected this to be so much better. This is our first and last meal here.

Well, Where to begin. It has been at least 20 years since we have eaten at Giuseppe and based off memory it was pretty good. So, I thought i would have my wife and I anniversary there. Memory did not fail. It was as good/better then I remember. We was a party of 7 everyone of which enjoyed and was going on about. The service was outstanding everyone was professional and delightful. Now my kids are asking when we are going back.

Great food and good service. The parking situation is a little close but I will definitely go back

This is our favorite Italian restaurant in Lexington. There is live jazz. every night, the food is incredible, the ambience is wonderful, as is the service. The oven roasted sea bass & the grilled salmon are two of my favorites, and my husband prefers the Tournedos di Burgandy & the Fileto Alla Mama. Their pasta is also delicious and everything is fresh made. There is a great wine list anda full drink menu. You won't regret making this stop

Giuseppe's is a classic Italian restaurant. It is spacious inside, perfect for events or an evening out for two. Parking can be difficult since the parking lot is small. I went to dinner early that day (around 4:30 PM) so it was not an issue. The receptionist welcomed us and was able to sit us right away. Our waiter showed up the wine list and got us our waters right away. We ordered a pasta Vincenzo with shrimp and arancini as an appetizer. Both were great. The shrimp in the pasta was not overcooked and the arancini was crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. The minestrone soup was also good and hearty with veggies, beans, and noodles. We also ordered dessert and thoroughly enjoyed the cheesecake which was smooth and creamy. The cannoli was okay but we would definitely come again to Giuseppe's for dessert.

I have tried for two years to get in here. Finally tonight and it was well worth the wait. Outstanding! Service was what you would expect from this level of restaurant. If possible the food exceeded all expectations! This is a destination place and should always be considered. If you can get in that is.

Excellent Appetizers The new appetizer item of chicken meatballs with a smoked gouda dipping sauce is a delicious addition. As always, the fried oysters and prosciutto wrapped asparagus dazzle. Thank you Liz for superb service.

Best Italian food in Lexington, hands down. We had been struggling to find an Italian spot that we really liked, coming from New York. This place is it! Ambience is great, live music. Great menu variety and each dish was delicious.

I absolutely adored Giuseppe's. Great restaurant with fantastic live music last night by Dave Hall. The ambience boasts that of a family restaurant. The drinks are a mix of Italian and American classics. We tried the Brie En Croute that was phenomenal. The calamari was fresh tasting with the perfect extra sour bit of banana peppers. My husband had the Conchiglioni Di Stephano which was perfectly cheesy and wonderful. I had the tortellini a panne e pesto which was scrumptious. Just perfect sauce. We were too stuffed for dessert and had leftovers. Can't wait to go back!!

Great service though our attendant seemed stretched over several tables. Nice ambiance. Wonderful selection of food. Very delicious---lots of attention to detail.

I went to Giuseppe's after ages for a family birthday dinner. I had reservations for 5:30pm; on arrival at 5:25pm, the young girl at the reception told us to wait as our table was getting ready... the table had been ready when we got there but we weren't led to it before 5:43pm. So yes, I did not like the blase attitude of the youngster. But our server was great and most of the food was awesome!! The shrimps, scallops and calamari were top notch. My lobster ravioli was delicious!! The chicken parmigiana and gnocchi and pesto pasta were awesome as well! The salmon was ok but the sea bass was disappointing. On being told about the birthday, the server brought out a red velvet cake slice that was really sweet! In desserts, we ordered tiramisu, chocolate lava cake and creme brûlée.... All were really good!

The restaurant is tucked away off the beaten path, which was welcome given competition for seating at other restaurants near the university. Loved the old school feeling of this restaurant. Our server was amazing, and the food....delicious. Highly recommend the chicken Picata... my favorite dish and one of the best i've had anywhere. We will be back

I always forget about this restaurant because it's tucked away. I've only had good experiences with great food here. They have so many items on their menu to choose from. It always makes my selection difficult. I recommend the Carbonara---it was so good I forgot to take a picture..

Amazing food as expected. Our waitress Autumn was perfect. This was our first trip but we'll be back. You can't go wrong here.

One of my favorite restaurants in Lexington area. Kind of hidden, but you will not be disappointed!! Food is delicious.

Great authentic Italian cuisine! Service is excellent! You won't be disappointed! Great selection.

I have always heard good things about this restaurant. The last time I went to Giuseppe's was about 8 years ago and I had a great experience. My recent experience was very mediocre. The service was extremely slow. In my party, a of the discussed how salty their entrees were. We were wondering if they had new staff cooking and as well as wait staff. I feel the quality is declining while the prices increase.