Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar

This is our go-to getaway for comfort food with ample gluten free and dairy free options. The kids absolutely love it and the ambiance can't be beat.

Been coming here for 35 years and it just gets better & better. I love the fall seasonal items, it's my fave time to dine. Last night I had a special fall spaghetti with pistachio pesto, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach & grilled chicken and an apple & fig salad that were both DELISH!

While in Ann Arbor I wanted some Italian and decided to give this place a try as it was near me. I got take out. I thought the portions were smaller than I am used to getting at Italian restaurants. I went back in and talked to Katie to make sure it was dinner size portions and she said yes. She offered to get her manager whom came out and was a litter abrasive. The owner Elissa then came out and we all talked. Elissa wanted to fix the issue and was super nice about it. She offered another dish which was the picatta and I got it with salmon. Both meals were good and Elissa and Katie were super nice and awesome over the situation. Would definitely come back, whenever I am in Ann Arbor again.

We had a dinner reservation for 6:00 PM, and unfortunately the entire experience was extremely disappointing. It took over an hour and a half just to receive our soup and salad. We were then told our entrées would be out in 15 minutes, but they didn’t arrive until 8:15 PM. During this time, three tables that were seated after us were fully served, finished, and left, which was very frustrating. When we asked to speak with a manager, he approached our table by saying, “I’ve been summoned?” and spoke in a condescending tone that made us feel like an inconvenience rather than paying guests. The food quality was also unacceptable. One pasta dish was severely overcooked and stuck together, another was undercooked, and the veal was chewy. When the manager brought the entrées, he told us he had removed two appetizers from the bill. We told him he did not need to do that, and his response was, “I know, but I did it anyway,” before walking away. This felt dismissive rather than professional. To make matters worse, the bathrooms were filthy, and there was a thick layer of dust on the decorative wall near our table. Our bill was approximately $700, and for that price point, the service, food quality, cleanliness, and attitude were unacceptable. This was meant to be a special evening, and instead it was incredibly frustrating. We will not be returning.

The rolls are soft Tasty and warm and the butter is a wonderful flavor. Chicken masala is wonderful. The salmon masala is unbelievably the best meal I’ve ever eaten. In fact, I would say that salmon is what masala mushroom and wine sauce was made for.

Great Italian restaurant!!! Great food with a large variety of Italian dishes!!! Wonderful appetizers,... Wonderful bread!!! And great service!!! The whole experience was awesome!!!

I had the eggplant parmesan and elected to pay a bit more to have one of their nicer salads as my side. Others at the table did the same and we all agreed they were good quality. Service was quick on a Saturday at 630. Wine was reasonable.

We love this restaurant. We celebrated our wedding anniversary on an off night (a Wednesday) and were not disappointed. Arrived not long before the kitchen closed, but we were not rushed and taken good care of. The tomatoes are not quite in season, but the caprese was excellent (notice the photo of a very empty plate!), and the sauces for both the spaghetti and rigatoni bolognese were exceptional. Bolstered by their addictive breadsticks, we were more than satisfied. They sent us home with ample leftovers and cannoli, which did not last long once we returned home. Delicious. Of course, the Dolci Baci we enjoyed immensely was a little sweeter than we usually choose, but so very appropriate for the occasion. Thanks for a lovely meal and such a genial staff. And of course, we will be back.

We realized recently that we've been sleeping on Paesano. So unassuming and easy to miss in its random location next to Arborland. This place is solid. The clientele is always older folks, and it definitely has a kind of 90s Italian restaurant vibe, but the food is great, service is legit, and the prices aren't bad for what you get. My favorites so far have been: - Rigatoni and Country Greens - Papardelle (seasonal with sausage, peas, mushrooms, pecorino) - Roasted apple and fig salad - A seasonal bruschetta thing with pears and burrata Their desserts are solid, so far we haven't had anything incredible. I wish their tiramisu was out of this world (it's our favorite), but it's not the best I've had. (Needs more espresso, was kind of dry). The chocolate mousse was good, but much more dense/thick than expected. Their cocktails are solid and they have a nice wine list, including a fun alcohol-removed sparkling wine that I've enjoyed twice now. This is becoming a staple when we just want a nice meal out since we live nearby. Good place to take family or folks from out of town if you don't want to bother booking somewhere that gets super busy or dealing with downtown parking/traffic.

My husband, friend and I went to Paesano's for lunch today and really enjoyed ourselves. My friend had Eggplant Parmesan, my husband had Shrimp Scampi, and I had the Calamari appetizer and the Pear and Gorgonzola Salad. The food was beautifully presented and very delicious. Alex was our server, and he did an excellent job seeing to our needs. The place has a warm and inviting feel to it. It's a great place to relax and enjoy a wonderful meal.

The food here is authentic and their service was amazing. I had a party of 9 and we were well taken care of. She even gave us a free champagne toast for my graduation celebration! The place feels so homey and I really liked my experience here.

We were there in the summer with a large group and our meals were really good and the service was great. We were there just recently and it was like we were in a different restaurant. a number of us felt the food was tasteless, lack of sauce and seasonings and really tough meat. The service was questionable also. The server was pleasant but never asked how things were and we had to ask for water three or four times. Very disappointed and will probably not be back.

A girlfriend and I went here for a nice girl dinner and was it a perfect dinner. They are known for their food, but it's also a wine bar with an in-house sommelier. We started with a cocktail and both were delicious. Our server was absolutely impeccable. His attention to detail to timing and refills was amazing. We started with the Insalata di Melagrana. It had goat cheese roasted grapes (this was by far, my favorite part of the salad) and an in house pomegranate vinaigrette dressing that was to die for! Then we g Both got the minestrone soup as our side and wow! It came out piping hot and had a wonderful flavor. I ordered the pork tenderloin special and my friend ordered the goat cheese ravioli. I had the sommelier recommend a good Cabernet and Merlot blend wine to be paired perfectly with my meal and wow was he right. The food was absolutely fantastic! The flavor both dishes had were different, but very tasty. My pork tenderloin was marinated in an orange marmalade that was the best flavor I had all meal. We were both pretty full but saw the dessert menu and knew we had to get something. We ordered the pistachio cake and it was delightful. It had a cranberry compote as an accouterment and it was the perfect pairing with the sweet pistachio.

Stop here for lunch. Service was very good. Our waitress was knowledgeable and very friendly and attentive. The drinks were excellent. We started off with the appetizer platter. It was good, but the fruit lacked flavor and we felt the prosciutto was cut too think. I had the chicken Marsala which very good. My wife had the chicken piccata which was OK. Salad was good and the minestrone was meh. The biggest issue was the wait for our entre. It took a really, really long time. 90 minutes for lunch is a little long for our liking.

I always love coming here when I'm in Ann Arbor and especially bringing someone new or when I pick them up from the airport. It's a nice, cozy ambiance and the food is always fresh and delicious. Service was a little off this time with waiting on our drinks to be refilled and plates cleared.

Paesano's on a Friday night was very busy and we were happy to get a reservation before 7 p.m. Parking was a bit of a challenge here, but once we got inside we were seated right away. The fried burata, fig and prosciutto pizza were very tasty. We also tried the Brussel sprouts and a house salad. And the warm bread...oh my the, soft, warm bread with flavored butter was divine! Save room for dessert and coffee because the almond layered cheesecake was rich, creamy and flavorful. But we had a hard time picking a dessert because several items sounded delicious too. I only wish this place had steak, as I was in the mood for a good steak dish but our server shared they just don't sell beef as much so the stopped providing it.

this is an Italian restaurant also known for their large selection of wine. You can order glasses of wine or choose from a variety of bottles. We had a large group of people and the waitress was very friendly and did a great job, taking our orders and serving us in a timely manner. My husband ordered a pasta dish that he liked, but wasn't his favorite. I ordered chicken Parmesan and I thought it was really good. I have been here several times and will come back again.

So many amazing selections here ! Hubby and I shared the arugula, hot honey, prosciutto pizza. It was incredible !! Unique flavor pairings ! My husband ordered the chicken cannelloni. He loved the cheesy decadent dish , this meal also came with incredible bread and the house salad. I up ordered The cherry salad. Yummy , sweet , and tangy. My entrée was the Bolognese. It was incredible. To end our meal with dessert my husband and I shared the torta chocolate, a must for any chocolate lover. Our waiter was very kind and efficient. He checked in with us continually and offered helpful suggestions. Thank you Paesano, for being our delicious run fuel meal before the Ann Arbor half marathon the following morning!

The atmosphere and the food was perfect. The service was super fast. I would highly recommend it.

While this is still a beautiful restaurant, things were really off last night. It literally took an hour and a half for the server to deliver our dinner. I ordered the Spaghetti Agricola. It is described as "Tossed in pistachio pesto with wild mushrooms, semi-secco tomatoes and sautéed spinach. Finished with baked Pecorino Romano and complemented by your choice of protein." Sadly, it arrived as over cooked spaghetti (mushy) drowning in olive oil and without my choice of protein. The crispy baked pecorino Romano is delicious, but I don't know if this caused the spaghetti to be so well done. Come to think of it, I don't think the waitress actually asked me if I wanted a protein on it. While she was kind and apologetic, she didn't actually come back to the table during the hour and a half wait. One of my dining companions finally beckoned her over to ask about the status of our meal. She explained that there was a large party before us and that our meal would be ready "in another 10 minutes". What was this party that completely overwhelmed the kitchen to the point where it could not deliver meals to other diners for an hour and a half? I wonder if they have a limit on the number of people at a table reservation before a "limited menu" comes in to play? Anyway, while she graciously gave each of us a complimentary dessert and a cappuccino, it was not worth the wait. My dining companions informed me that the restaurant is under new management. Hopefully, things will evolve and they will be better prepared for large parties on a football weekend.

While the server was excellent, the food was really terrible. The drinks were good but the rest of the meal was way below average, including the bread. 3 entrees, only one was worth eating. The gnocchi was inedible. The piccata was fair but the pasta was grocery store quality. One could get much better Tiramisu from Whole Foods (which I suggest they use as their supplier). The restaurant is really tired, even the chairs were falling apart.

I called before coming to ask whether Paesano's is wheelchair accessible. They said yes so I came. It has NO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM. Do not believe their website. It has one larger stall with hand rails, but a wheelchair user cannot pull in and close the door. I had to have someone else come behind me to keep the door closed. Plus there was a garbage can in the entry making it impossible for anyone in a wheelchair to go in. IT is not ADA compliant. This is a huge place. There is no excuse for them to use any weak "grandfather" clause about buildings built before whatever date Michigan uses to excuse non compliance. The ADA passed in 1990. There is no excuse for this place not to have made an ADA compliant restroom available for their patrons.

It's been too long since I've been there but it was some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten, anywhere. As I remember, the service was top shelf. The ambience was warm and busy in a good way. I need to get back ASAP.

First timers here celebrating an anniversary! We started off with a very sweet wine from the bubbly list and it was the best wine I've ever tasted (I haven't had many!). It was sweet, refreshing, with the right level of carbonation. I can't wait to go back and have another glass! The soups were extreme good. I had a very complex and flavorful ham and bean and my husband had minestrone. The only slight criticism is that it was pretty salty toward the end. 9/10 on soup though! They brought out homemade bread and butter that was tasty. The herbs used were spot on. I ordered the chicken parmagiana. I thought the sauce and noodles were pretty plain, I was expecting some herbs and spices, but the chicken was cooked well and breaded well. We got a seasonal caramel torte to go, but it just tasted like a moist bland mildly sweet cake. It was fine, I probably wouldn't get it again for dessert prices.

We returned to indulge in the summer menu, which is now our new favorite ! We enjoyed: 1. Summer vodka cocktail special w/ freshly picked basil and mint. 2. Fried heirloom tomatoes- they were polenta crusted and served w/ aioli, truffle pesto and red pepper coulis. 3. Budini- this was heavenly. Chilled pecorino panna cotta w/ broiled heirloom tomatoes and crostini. I highly recommend this! 3. Agnella all'Amatriciana- chitarra pasta w/ cured guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes and fresh lamb sausage. 4. Frutti de Mare- one of the best dishes that I have ever eaten. Salmon, shrimp , calamari, mussels w/ saffron - white wine butter sauce, cavatelli pasta and heirloom tomatoes. The saffron was perfectly balanced with the seafood. We were checked on several times by both our server and the manager. We will return soon to sample the items we missed.

I was impressed with my experience here! They had homemade bread and pasta, which is my weak spot! The bread was herbed, hot, and delicious. The pasta was perfectly al dente - it may be the best pasta texture I've had in Michigan. I had a berry and prosciutto salad before the entree came: it was good, but too much balsamic dressing in it. Entrees (mine plus others at the table): - Cavatelli: I loved the texture of the pasta and all components worked well together - sweet corn, savory chicken sausage, the acidity of tomatoes, light creamy sauce, and hot peppers. - Caprese ravioli: it had rich cheese inside that went perfectly with their pesto sauce - Bolognese: flavorful and meaty sauce, again with perfectly textured fettuccine As for service: the waitress not very quick and didn't check back on our table after we got food and didn't refill my mom's hot water, but she was friendly Portion sizes on smaller side for what you pay (~$30 each), but it was enough food, especially with the unlimited fresh bread. The dining room was spacious and comfortable. It's a solid place for Italian food and I'd definitely go back!

Decor inviting and cozy. Service excellent!! We had an older lady in our group and she was limping to exit. And a wonderful thoughtful waiter came over offered his arm to lean on And escorted her to the door!! Excellent food. Excellent menu. Reasonable prices!!! It was simply a wonderful experience.

One of my favorite places for Italian food in Ann Arbor! Enjoyed the last days of summer and their summer menu with some wine and sat outside. I ordered their chickpea and artichoke cakes and got their peach summer salad. Both were delicious and weren't too filling!

After being at the hospital we thought we would try paesanos again. $120 dollars later and the food was not good. Won't be going again. Pasta dripping in oil

9-24-24: Came in today for a business lunch and was happy to see Gluten Free Options on the menu. The service and food were enjoyable.

My coworker made reservations for us for our celebratory baby shower for one of our coworkers. Even though our reservation was for 5:30, I arrived around 4:50 and they allowed me back to set up the table with our decor. Our table (for 15) was private enough as it was between a wall and a divider to separate us from the other large party that was more open to the rest of the restaurant. Staff was very friendly. For a Wednesday night, the restaurant was pretty packed. Food exceeded my expectation. I got the shrimp scampi and I thought the spaghetti and shrimp were very well seasoned as you could really taste the garlic and basil flavors. Note: they charge a $3 service fee per person to bring in and have an outside cake

Good food, great service and fair prices. There is lots of seating but would recommend making a reservation on a Saturday night. Didn't have to wait for service with drinks and food arriving quickly. Lots of options on both the food and drinks menu. I will be back to try more.

I wasn't sure what to expect especially based on the reviews, but I was happily surprised. We got a wonderful bottle of red wine and each of us enjoyed our meals. The service was great and the atmosphere is casual and nice. This restaurant has been around a while! They sell bottles of wine in their lobby too!

DISAPPOINTED came for lunch with my mom, hoping to have a very nice meal. Ordered the chicken parmigiana with pasta in tomato sauce and the carbonara pasta. For an Italian restaurant, I would expect the basics: pasta cocked al dente, good tomato sauce and a well made simple carbonara. Fail! Pasta was overcooked. We couldn't even roll in the fork, we had to cut in pieces. Tomato sauce so acid! Obviously undercooked or worse, canned...and carbonara that looked like pasta with scrambled eggs. O was shocked to see the restaurant so full.

There were a lot of people there but It was not loud in the dining room. The young man who served us was pleasant and checked back in with us frequently. I enjoyed the calamari appetizer and my lasagna. Had a very nice gathering there last evening.

Had a great meal tonight! I was craving Italian and came across this restaurant. I had the lasagna. It tasted like authentic Italian with San marzano tomato sauce. The bread was delicious (I love bread!!!) lol. Soup was very tasty. They have a great selection of wines. Great ambiance and amazing service by Matt (bar area).

The food and atmosphere are always great. I had the chicken Marsala and it was so delicious. We stop there if we are ever close to Ann Arbor. The food and service are hard to beat.

Is the food worth the wait? Food is good, traditional Italian. Wait was like TSA at Atlanta airport - told up to an hour took 1-1/2 hours. Had we been told 1-1/2 hours we would not have waited. Is the food worth the wait -NO.

TLDR: appetizers, bread, salad, soup were great but the pasta was almost unbearably bad Came to have a nice dinner at Paesanos craving pasta, but unfortunately it did not deliver. Appetizer: My table ordered Asparagi as an appetizer, and it was good. Nothing too special but the pesto focaccia paired nicely with the burrata and the asparagus. I would maybe consider ordering it again, but the other apps sound like they could be better (3.5/5) Salad: the pear and Gorgonzola salad was pretty good. The portion was enormous (especially cause it was an upgraded side salad that came with the pasta). It could use a little more cheese or dressing but overall enjoyed it (4/5) Housebread: amazing and perfect. It was toasted to perfection and our table ate it all! (5/5) Il Asparago: had so much potential but was mostly just pasta with a creamy sauce and a few asparagus stalks. Under seasoned and I found myself wanting way more flavor. (3/5) Bolognese and chicken parm: my friends ordered it and I tried it, but it wasn't worth trying. The pasta was mushy and over cooked and everything lacked seasoning. Truly disappointing (1/5)

I judge an Italian restaurant by the way they make their eggplant and theirs was awesome! My husband had chicken Parmesan that was awesome too! The service was excellent and the atmosphere was great. Will come again for sure. We came in from Texas visiting family.

Service was great, ambiance lovely, food was barely passable. I got the black and blue pasta, and the pasta itself was gummy and I could not twirl it (it broke). While everything had a slight blue cheese taste to it, it was very subtle and there wasn't much else coming through. I ended up heavily using the salt and pepper on the table, but the pepper grinder dispensed light powder and the salt shaker was barely dropping anything.

Lamb ragu noodles were very flavorful and delicious. I really enjoyed the wine tour and the salad was very fresh. The service was great and the restaurant is very nice!

The meal was really good and the way they gave special attention to our granddaughter was "over and above" expectations. We'll be going back for sure. Good pasta and salad. To be honest, though, a new tiramisu recipe would be a good move for them.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner for a birthday celebration! Everything from salad and bread to desert was perfect. We had Eggplant Parmesan and Pasta Primavera which is a vegan dish you can request. Both were fantastic! We shared a wonderful Tiramisu for desert. The service and ambience were great.

Have been here a couple of times and each time food and wine were all delicious. If you can manage it on a nice day, they have a gorgeous patio. They also have an impressive number of dishes on the menu that can be made gluten free, and they even brought gluten free bread. Made us feel really welcome and not an afterthought. And service was delightful. (I can't speak to their kitchen practices re: cross contamination so if that's important to you you'll need to have that conversation yourself)

Me and a friend dined here recently after I saw it driving by one day. It has been here 36 yrs but I never noticed it before. I love Italian food and so I was happy to find another wonderful Italian place. It was wonderful experience all around. Our waitress was friendly and helpful in service and suggesting items to order. The calamari appetizer is very recommended but we decided to get dessert and skip appetizers. My friend ordered a popular Cavatelli dish and she loved it but warned it was pretty spicy which is a good thing I didn't pick that. I went with the shrimp scampi and it was tasty and filling. I took some home to have dessert. The bread is delicious also. My friend had soup but I had salad with our dinners. The sangria with white wine was very good also.I debated between the cannoli and the tirasamu but we both went with the tiramasu. It was divine and huge so it could be easily split between to people. I took some home also. I saw other diners ordering tarts, cannot and olive oil cake so I don't think you can go wrong here. Our waitress seemed very happy and she relayed to us this was the best place she has ever worked. It's good to hear that also. I hope to return again for some delicious Italian food I the future.

We did curbside pickup and it worked like a dream. We had the Pear and Gorgonzola salad, Bruschetta, and Torte di Asparagi and everything was very good and well-packaged. I called at noon when they opened and requested a 1:15 pickup. When we arrived and parked in the designated curbside parking spots, we called and they ran the food out to our car immediately. They also have inside seating and several tables on a patio.

Ok so the food here is great but the staff here are just unfriendly... Service is also pretty slow.

Disappointing food. Adequate service. Loud-crowded ambience. Chicken Parmesan, pasta bolognese, and tiramisu all fell flat.

Love this place. Food is amazing and service as well. Outdoor patio is really cute. I love the eggplant Parmesan. It's my favorite. I really hope things stay the same with high quality menu etc with the recent sale of the restaurant.

We've been here many times in the past and we haven't been bowled over since the new owners took over. This was our second try and all we said was meh. Not good, not bad. The main issue was the service. Friendly enough but things like not clearing the table before the next course arrrives then only taking some of the items, hostess wanting to close the blinds "because it's hitting me in the eye" (we didn't want it pitch dark), saying they would offer a free dessert then charging, timing was off. The bread and homemade pasta were good, but the lamb ragu had very little lamb and the lasagna was overloaded with sauce. We didn't take the leftovers home. Sad because we have had so many good times here in the past.

This restaurant came with many recommendations. The menu looked great. Service was great, pricing was very good. Shrimp appertizer was ok. The salads were great. I had the caesar and my wife and daughter had the pear gargozola. They liked it. The eggplant parm was ok. The veal scalapini which was supposed tobe saltimboca was a major disappointment. We have been to Italy before and had it several times. There was little veal not half pound as listed. We also have had it in the us.

How can I not be a fan of this place? I used to work there the pasta is made in the house. The food is always amazing. Nothing is ever disappointing. The service is outstanding anytime. I think of an Italian restaurant. This is the first place I go beautiful romantic atmosphere. I absolutely love this place and recommend it all if you're ever in the Ann Arbor area this is a must.

Great service and comfortable setting. The food was ok but would not rush back for the food. Easy reservation to be made for a large party and the service was better than most places. Comfortable and hospitable but not much more.

Recently visited this restaurant and sat at the wine bar. Sable was terrific and recommended great wines and we enjoyed it with a wonderful pizza. We will definitely go back.

Paesano's still earns a solid 'Fiver' after a wonderful Christmas Eve carryout feast of some of our favorites as well as an entree off their special eclectic Christmas Eve menu. Carryout is super easy here as Paesano's team is 'on it' as soon as a vehicle of your description rolls into the parking lot. Pop the rear hatch...they load the bag of well-packed eats...click the hatch close button twice and you're gone! Literally, 1 minute & 46 seconds! Awesome!! Paesano's prep for carryout is very much appreciated. We started with an order of Pazzi Per Calamari and a Pear & Gorgonzola Salad while enjoying a few glasses of vino. I jumped on the Braciolo, an entree I was not familiar with, from their special Christmas Eve menu. This savory dish is built around cutlets of bacon-wrapped sirloin simmered in pomodoro sugo. It was served alongside whipped Yukon Gold potatoes, char-grilled asparagus and topped with creamed spinach. I'm smiling even now thinking about the confluence of flavors...over the moon for me! My wife re-plated the Coppia di Ravioli - goat cheese and butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter, diced pancetta, cranberry mascarpone and crumbled walnuts. My small bite of her dish confirmed why this choice from Paesano's regular dinner menu is one of her faves. Highly recommended. A third entree, the Fettuccine alla Bolognese was relegated to the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. This dish, another universal favorite, is covered with their slow-cooked meat sauce made with lean beef, veggies and red wine...Killer 5-star dish! We finished by splitting their chocolatey creation, the Brownie Tiramisu... a hybrid of Paesano's famous tiramisu combined with soft brownies from an old family recipe. Hard to beat with a little U2 background music. Paesano's once again earns the nickel with an outstanding Christmas Eve dinner.

Passing through Ann Arbor, looking for a nice restaurant off US23, exit 37, after a week in Northern Michigan and way too much pub food. This was the place, had an Exquisite Italian Meal of Veal Scallopine, and my partner had Veal Marsala. Both served with Angel hair pasta. Both with excellent, one of the best Italian Meals I've,m had in a long time. ( Live in NY, and,on East Coast). Salad was very complete for just the house salad, Wine list very comprehensive for the cuisine. After the meal was comfortably full, but not bloated.. You won't go wrong here for Italian. Finished espresso. Several glasses of wine included, all for under a Ben Franklin for two.