Il Primo Northshore

Above and beyond experience! Our server and the owner were so friendly, the food is the BEST Italian food we have ever had hands down. If you haven't been to this gem go try it 😄The food has the best flavors and is so filling. We got the Baked Penne and 4 cheese and Lasagna Bolognese. We were brought delicious bread with oil and the manager sent us home with tiramisu. Food and service was amazing we have a new favorite date restaurant 🌹

Had a wonderful dinner at Il Primo on a Saturday evening. We were lucky and got in around 5:15pm right before an influx of other diners began pouring in. The food was absolutely delicious and our server Jacob was friendly and great throughout our entire experience. While I didn't have any complaints on the entrees nor the portions, I feel like was the real star of the meal was the arancini telefono which we ordered as our starter. While the meal was a bit pricier than I expected it to be, I feel like it was worth it for the quality of the food and service. I think Il Primo is a great place for a date night and will definitely be coming back.

This place is stellar! Amazing food! Amazing ambiance. Amazing service. The chicken piccata is honestly the best I’ve ever had. Creamy and buttery and lemony…oh my! So, so delicious. My mother ordered the lasagna and it was big enough for 3 people. And delightful. My husband had the meatballs and they were good, just not great. Place can be loud and hard to hear your dining partners. Clean and well decorated interior. It’s a must try!

What an interesting experience... our server acted as though it was a privilege for us to be eating there. Like this was a Michelin rated restaurant or something! She was a bit too snippy for me. This place is LOUD! The food is okay, nothing to get snooty about on any level. They did not bring out the sides because they forgot about them. The brocoli was soggy while the rest of the food was pretty good. We would have ordered more if it was a better experience. Not a place that we need to return to.

Always a good time. Entire staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and appears everyone enjoys sharing their space. The food is fresh, flavorful, delicious, and always delivered correctly. They choose high quality ingredients and it’s showcased in every dish! It’s aesthetically pleasing from the moment you walk into the establishment.

Great place to eat! My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at IL Primo and it was a great choice. The food was fresh and delicious. Our server was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu. We told him it was our anniversary and he mentioned it to the owner or manager and they brought us a glass of champagne on the house and one of our desserts was also on the house. The only downside was it was very busy and a little loud for a romantic setting but the service and food made up for that. I could definitely see why it's a popular place to go and would highly recommend.

We had a phenomenal dinner here during the recent Ironman weekend. We had the orecchiette bolognese and the spicy rigatoni. Both were fantastic and tasted very fresh. Menu here was fairly traditional and extremely well executed. Caprese salad and the limoncello pie were also delicious. Definitely would return.

I was in with a group of 5 on a Saturday night. We had reservations and were promptly seated. Our server was phenomenal, he made excellent recommendations for food and drinks. The owner/manager came by to chat. Everyone was friendly and welcoming without being over bearing. The food was incredible, we had mushroom ravioli, chicken curry soup, appetizers and sangria. I would definitely visit again.

We had dinner last night. Food , drinks, service was all very good. We sat in the patio area which is covered due to the warm temperatures. The problem came with flies. We had to continuously swat flies away while having dinner. I understand a few but this was a lot more. I looked at other tables and they were also flying around them. I noticed a large opening in the cover towards the back. Not sure why. When I asked the server , he said it was for take out orders. Doesn't seem worth having flies in your restaurant. I'll be back but probably not till winter. I just thought management should know

We are visiting Chattanooga and drove by Il Primo.t felt like a neighborhood restaurant yet the parking lot was full and also the building and area felt fabulous. So we turned around and came back to eat. We had one of the appetizer specials... Cantaloupe with prosciutto and Beretta cheese recommended by Connor our waiter. Excellent recommendation and choice! We also had the pea and scallop risotto... No words to explain how good it was !!! Ask for Connor, he'll take great care of you and will give you recommendations if asked

I only had an espresso martini here, but it was really good!!! Our waiter was seriously SO nice!!! My friends food looked amazing, I just had already eaten so I didn't get food! So it would be a perfect date night spot or place to catch up with friends!!!

Review on dinner last night 7/2/2025 Had a strange experience the waiter seemed nice enough he told us the price of some of the features and so we ordered the fish to be split between my friend and I. We received the fish and it did not have the topping we were told it was going to have so we thought we got the wrong fish. The young waiter seemed a little flumoxed. He told us that they must've changed the menu since yesterday and that's why the toppings are different.. strange response! He brought the manager over and the manager explained they just changed the recipe! I said without telling the waiter that's kind of odd so he said well. What can we do to make it up and I said how about two free desserts and he said great. We had the desserts, which unfortunately were not great like they had been in the past....and when we got the bill....The fish dish was $10 more than what we were quoted and we asked about it and the waiter trotted off, another male came up and we mentioned the price and lacking customer appropriate response he said "well I haven't seen fish priced at $24 any where". WOW not the response I was expecting from a nice restaurant and obviously he was wrong since $24 was the price our waiter quoted us. Waiter came back and had no explanation. He then said we'll just keep my tip I mean it. It struck me the training was lacking.. of course we tipped him. It wasn't his fault he was not made aware of prices and menu change! The place was very noisy. It was actually difficult to hear what the person on the other side of the table was saying or even hear the waiter. They need some kind of acoustic ceiling. The noise and difficulty hearing has got to be stressful on the staff as well as the patrons. Usually, the chicken piccata is wonderful and I wish I had gotten it and the arancini is wonderful. I've been here several times in the past and not sure I'll be back!

Exceeded expectations. A friend's recommendation for our visit to Chattanooga and I'm so glad we visited! Excellent service, top-tier drinks and fabulous food! Also the perfect vibe. White tablecloth food without the white tablecloth or dress code. You cannot skip the bread, it was astounding. All of our meals were so very good. Don't leave town without trying this gem.

10/10 Experience. Been here a few times now. The quality of food and service has been consistently fantastic. Notably, our waitress Madison, made our most recent experience one that will have us coming back every time we visit Chattanooga. She was attentive, personable, and just made the experience better. The steak was cooked perfectly and comes with a sauce that will have you licking the plate. Atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable. Don't think about it, just go!

Any time we visit Chattanooga, Il Primo is always a must! Wednesday night is our night due to it being Chicken Carbonara night. Il Primo opens at 5:00 each evening, but we always arrive at four, put in a reservation, then sit at the bar and have sangrias. Spouse and I first had a red sangria each. Very tasty. Not too strong. Not too weak. We then had the cider sangria. Again, incredibly tasty, but not too strong and not too weak. The bartenders were very friendly and we bantered with them about the like/dislike of Bob Segar. Had a good time. Before we knew it, it was 5:00 and we were seated. Low lighting and a booth in the corner made for a romantic setting. Our server was quick to come to the table and take our drink orders as well as orders for some bread for appetizer. Only $1.00 an order. We had two. We then ordered a Cesar salad and our Chicken Carbonara. The Cesar salad was very tasty with just the right amount of dressing. First time having theirs and I would definitely recommend. But, as always, the highlight of the meal was the Chicken Carbonara. Packed with flavor and so filling! Noodles cooked to perfection and loaded with meat. It never misses. I have never been disappointed at Il Primo. Can't wait to go back! Highly recommend.

It has been called the best Italian restaurant outside of Florence (Italy, NOT Kentucky, y'all) Authentic Italian cuisine, ample servings, a full bar with many creative cocktails from which to choose, the vibe is trendy and upscale. Whether it is for a full meal, a drink and appetizer, or a soup and salad (my favs are the potato leak with balsamic drizzle and the arugula salad with fresh cheese and balsamic dressing) Come visit next time you are near the Northshore just outside of Chattanooga and you TOO will soon be making your own stellar yelp entry!! Ask for Connor - very personable - he will take great care of you!

My friend and I found this place by happy chance, just walking around. The place was packed but as there was only 2 of us they got us in right away. We were greeted warmly right away and were seated. Even though the place was busy we were given ample attention by every server that passed by. It's a quite fancy place and we were challenged reading through menu as they use the correct Italian names (I loved that btw but we are simple people over here) But with Yelp pictures we were able to make our choice. I decided on the Ricotta Cavatelli and I added chicken. It was so perfect! My friend got the salmon and said it was cooked perfectly. My favorite part was the seasonal vegetables that came in the dish, everything was cooked perfectly.

Top choice for Italian in the Greater Chattanooga area. The Rigatoni al'Arrabbiata & Sausage is my favorite, but everything is wonderful. Service is great and the dining experience is at the restaurant is wonderful - I do order take out from IL Primo on occasion and have always been impressed by the curbside service.

Ambiance is loud. Really hard to have a conversation. Service is so-so and so is the food. Nothing special. Won't go back. Manager was very aggressive and unkind. Not worth it.

Staff were very attentive, had drinks before dinner and they arrived in a timely manner. My wife had the mushroom ravioli and loved it. I started with a caesar salad, which was excellent and ordered dry aged Barton Creek meatballs with Sunday sauce which was delicious. The quality of food and service was A+, we had a very enjoyable dining experience.

If you like salty food? This is the place for you. Everything I ate and I ate a lot there that night and everything was full of salt, they don't understand flavor which surprises me, everything in Charlotte was this way. Not for me. Won't be back.

AMAZING SERVICE!!! AMAZING FOOD!!!!!! AMAZING ATMOSPHERE!!! My girlfriend and I had to pivot last night after our first restaurant choice was booked and BOY WAS THAT A BLESSING IN DISGUISE!!! From the moment we walked in we were greeted with excited hosts and an even cooler and joyful server named Connor. Natalie got a Caesar Salad with Salmon, which was AMAZING, and I got the ravioli. I didn't really like the ravioli and Connor could tell based off my reaction. NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DISH!!! The butternut squash just wasn't my taste. Before I knew it, Connor brought me out a replacement dish of toasted ravioli which was WAY MORE up my alley. Next time I really want to try their pizzas!!! When you go, ask for Connor he'll hook you up BUT take good care of him ;)

Love the food and wine selection. Fresh pasta. Meatballs were worth the trip. Went back and ordered the same thing-it wasn't as great as the first time.

Baked penne 4 cheese with blacked chicken on top. I had this pasta for the first time and it was amazing! It was 26 dollars and for the portion it's worth it! I would say share with someone, all because reheating it would cause the oil to separate. So definitely bring an appetite!

Another successful dinner downtown Chattanooga! This place is a bit on the smaller side so we had about an hour wait. The food and drinks were worth it! We had a few appetizers and drinks. I had the chicken piccata which was absolutely delicious. I chose Brussel sprouts as my side because they are my favorite. The Brussels were just okay. IMO there was too much bacon. My biggest complaint about this place was how absolutely cold it was! Granted, it was 15 degrees outside, but there was a major draft everywhere in the restaurant that made it feel like 30 degrees. I took my coat off for pictures, but we had to stay bundled up the entire meal. I will be back! But will definitely wait for warmer weather.

Rigatoni with sausage was the only photo I took of food. So good. Nice little kick of spice. Love the bread with oil & spices. I had the parpardelle alfredo with shrimp and it's my ultimate favorite pasta dish in all of Chattanooga. Making Il Primo my new favorite Italian restaurant. Upscale Italian dishes. Beautiful atmosphere. We've been to both the Ooltewah location and the North Shore location. Staff is always excellent. Highly recommend!

Great food - great service! A little loud...but that means a packed a restaurant and that's usually a good sign. Will be back!

Food was good, only they didn't have many gluten-free options. There was a warm but busy atmosphere, which caused slower service, even when we had reservations.

We had a wonderful dinner with friends here tonight! We had great service from our waitress Baleigh, friendly and fast! We shared the baked feta as an appetizer which was totally delicious. I had the Rigatoni al'Arrabbiata- WOW! I absolutely loved it. It was so good and just the right amount of spicy. My husband got the night's special which was bone in pork, also very good. The restaurant was lovely and would be perfect for a date night out too!

We had a great date night out. Our server hunter was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and friendly. My husband and I throughly enjoyed both of our pasta dishes. Large portions with enough for leftovers! The bread and caprese salad (not pictured) we're both delicious as well. We will be back.

One of my favorite restaurants in all of Chattanooga! I truly have never had a bad experience. The food is excellent, the ambiance is stunning, and the service is always great. I suggest starting with the burrata for the table. They have an excellent wine menu and drink options. For my entre, I usually get the Orecchiette Bolognese- you cannot go wrong with this. However, this time I decided to switch it up and get the Chicken Carbonara. So! Good! It's only offered on Wednesdays and it did not disappoint! Highly, highly recommend!

This is my favorite restaurant! Food is excellent! Just wish the space was bigger! I love the chicken piccata! The penne! The lasagna! The bread! Everything we've eaten has been good excellent!

Food was delicious, service was great and the ambience was very comfortable. Enjoyed a great evening of food and fellowship with a friend. Highly recommend!!

Motte motte bella Autentico! Burrata is fresh and fantastic. The orecchiette is phenomenal, the carbonara a savory take on a traditional cacio e pepe dish. No thick heavy tomato sauces and greasy cheeses, instead there is a tasteful balance and thoughtful approach to the ingredients in these dishes. Fresh basil, buffaleta, and house made lemoncello; all in a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. As close to Tuscany as Chattanooga gets. 10/10 will try again and again.

David has been our server all three times we have dined there and I guess that's just our lucky stars. David is one of the most professional, accommodating and hospitable servers I have ever had the pleasure to dine with. I have been in the business for over 20 years as a server, bartender and manager and I go out to eat often and feel like I can be hyper critical of restaurants after all my experience in the field. David leaves nothing to be desired, but is prompt, witty, informative, kind and is excellent at describing menu items but never with a hard sell feel. The man has finesse. The food is also excellent, the wine and drink choices are refined, but what really impresses me is David and how he strives for excellence at every level. Kudos. We had the bolognese and the Baked penne, both were recommendable. We have also tried the Arabiata but in all honesty those two were so good I can't review anything else because those 3 dishes are all we have ordered all 3 times we have dined there. The ambiance is upscale casual but not pretentious. Clean feeling. Welcoming hostess in a blue and white dress who could model for any fashion magnate and was very sweet. Great team there who take pride in a job well done.

Had a great experience here. Service and food was spectacular. Some of the best food and service we've had in a long while. I highly recommend this place. Our bartenders were especially friendly and fun. Had a blast.

What a great place for creative Italian food! We were worried we didn't have reservations on a Friday night but we arrived at 5:30p and were seated right away. Cool! Our waiter, Connor, was absolutely the best - informative and attentive. We asked for a few minutes before ordering entrees to enjoy our cocktails and he respected that and brought us bread to hold us over. The space is small and most of the 2-person tables are also small but that didn't matter. I had the cavatelli with roasted winter veggies, bacon and brown butter sauce which was amazing and full of flavor; my husband had the beef ragu and polenta... again, amazing! Look forward to going back.

Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No. IL Primo is in an old market style grocery store near the North Shore, so the inside is small and intimate. I like the set up, unfortunately the night we went seemed to be a night where everyone knew everyone so our table was frequently crowded around as people came and talked to the tables next to us. We started our meal with the marinara and feta dip, which was delicious and added two side caesar salads which lacked any flavor and had (what seemed) to be store bought croutons. I order the chicken Marsala and spaghetti with marinara for my main dish. The chicken was delicious, but the pasta was probably three times the size of my chicken and didn't compliment my meal, my mistake on ordering it. My husband got the rigatoni arrabbiata with sausage and said it tasted more like a vodka sauce. He liked it, but wouldn't order it again. We finished our meal with a togo tiramisu. All of this, and two glasses of wine later, we were at $100 with tip. We definitely went all out because of our anniversary, but didn't leave overly impressed. Will we go back on our own, probably not.

Parking is tough! But the food is worth the wait! Love the Shrimp Fra Diavlo with a Caesar Salad although everything is good. Great place to start the weekend. An ice cold Limoncello is always nice. Careful they go down easy. Never had a bad meal here-ever.

Visiting Chattanooga from out of town and this was the perfect date night spot on Saturday night. Our server, Avalon, was impeccable; she was friendly and helpful in making menu choices. The pastas we ordered were perfect 10s! We love to try new Italian spots, and this was some of the best we've had. Definitely add to your itinerary!

There are so many Italian places in Chattanooga but IL Primo should be near the top if not on it. While you will likely need to wait for a table, there is a call ahead option, it's worth waiting for. The service was fantastic and the ambiance is superb. It didn't seem like we had to wait long for our food however they came out at the end with a complementary dessert and Prosecco to apologize. Completely unnecessary but appreciated!

Great dinner. I had the shrimp fra diabalo. Excellent. Velvet had tbe mushrooms ravioli. She loved it. Jimbo had the chicken marsala. Could have used better mushrooms. He said he would ordet it again. Queenie had the chicken picata . She was happy. Which is amazing. Setvice by Miles was excellent. The only negative was the olive oil served with the bread. Poor quality.

As always...the food was delicious. We invited our new neighbors to dinner. At first it was very nice but as the tables filled up the noise level got louder and louder. The four sitting at the next table were competing to be the loudest and one girl was so obnoxiously loud I was surprised the server didn't ask her to stifle herself. Unfortunately, it was a miserable first time for our friends. If we were alone, I would have made it a teachable moment for the table next to us and the servers who let it go. Although the food and service are good, the aggravation was not worth $150.00 ...we will not be back.

Amazing Italian. Great service and even better ambiance. Little loud but you know a good restaurant will always be busy

Finally tried this place for the first time tonight. Food was amazing and our server Avalon was superb! I would absolutely come here again and recommend this place to anyone!

Great place, great atmosphere, great service. First time trying and thought the food was delicious. Menu has a nice variety and good potion sizes. A little louder inside vs outside. My husband & I sat outside & it was exceptionally comfortable with heat lamps( I'm usually very cold) and it was far more private/intimate. Definitely a good place to go for Italian cuisine.

Attentive server... nice beverages ...arancina overcooked, rice was mushy ... every pasta dish ordered by our table was overcooked and mushy... had to stop eating the mussels in the spaghetti di mare (after 3) because they all tasted rotten and funky...in summary, good service and drinks, mushy arancina, mushy pasta, and funky mussels...The atmosphere and service were nice, but the food preparation was sorely lacking. Definitely a place that suffers from the mediocrity of having a monopoly in North Chattanooga.

Fantastic Italian food, great drinks, the prices are nominal, and the service is always impeccable. I can't pick one dish to use as an example because all are great! Two locations here and in Ooltewah. We've been to both multiple times and never been disappointed.

The Ossobuco was amazing. Fresh ingredients and good seasonal offerings. Excellent menu choices.

Never Disappoints! My absolute favorite in Chattanooga. I love the Limoncello, Spicy Feta, Arancini, daily specials and always delicious! If they have the Osso Buco Get it!!!

Had a delicious dinner here last night. Drove a little further from our Southside Airbnb just to check this spot out. The drive was not wasted! Started with the fried ravioli and it was delicious, crunchy and packed full of melted cheese and meat. I had the chicken piccata with a side of spaghetti for my meal. Chicken was moist and flavorful, spaghetti also good. Husband had the scallops in risotto and it was very rich and creamy in the best possible way. What a great local spot! Can't wait to go back next time we are in town.

IL Primo is such a unique experience here in Chattanooga! They have a quaint dining area and the meals they prepare are super fresh!! The cocktail menu is to die for! This is a must visit for locals and travelers passing through!

The menu sounded amazing! However the polenta was lumpy, the cheese plate was drizzled with far too much olive oil and balsamic. Even the prosciutto and the Coppa had balsamic on it which was a crime. The pork scallopini was dry and tuff, and I love a good eggplant Parmesan but this one was a hot mess! Layers of flavorless eggplant piled on top of each other topped with a meat sauce(?). With a side of spaghetti with sauce that could have been out of a jar. No grated Parmesan was offered. My super Tuscan was served in a small stemless glass.

Went for dinner in a Friday night. While we were waiting for our table, the hostess mistakenly gave our table to another group. When she realized it, she sent an appetizer to the bar. Great move. The server was awesome. The food was really fantastic. I can't wait to go again.

I cannot wait for them to reopen because the experience is so missed, but the pickup orders we've done recently are just outstanding. The Lasagna is just perfect and the Orecchiette & Bolognese, my wife's favorite, is just as good. We had our quart of Sangria, too. And, it's plenty of food. We get dinner and a small lunch out of this order each time. The people there really look to be taking good care of themselves and go the extra step to social distance as the food is handed off. Caesar salads were good, too. Looking forward to dining in again one day!!!

Desert was just the icing on the cake for the food we ate! It was our first time going here and I would definitely recommend if you are looking for new places to try, the waiters? Amazing attitudes all the way around.

Food is so good. Wednesday night Carbonara is the bomb! Happy hour 4-6 with great wine prices.