Palio Ann Arbor

We had heard this was the best Italian in Ann Arbor from the locals, the first night we attempted to go there it was an 1.5 hour wait, we made reservations for the next night. We are so glad we did, everything was outstanding. The ravioli appetizer was wonderful! They are huge fried ravioli on pesto and red maniara sauce. Both chicken dishes were absolutely amazing! Would absolutely go back next time were in town!

Beautiful place, first time visiting. We didn’t have reservations and only waited 5 minutes to be seated. Our server was nice but nowhere to be found during the dinner. Appetizers were good but not fantastic, I order Fettuccine Alfredo with Salmon this was absolutely delicious, hubby ordered Chicken Parmesan it was good too.

We arrived at the restaurant exactly at our reservation time. We sat upstairs on the patio and waited for the waiter. From the time we entered until we got our meal, it was 45 minutes. When we got our food, the pasta was a cold hard lump and had no taste at all. The cook slopped huge spoonfuls of pesto on the pizza, which made it not only like someone had diarrhea on it, but it tasted like it was a salt pizza. We each took one bite. That’s all we could do. The dining room hostess was really sweet and tried her best to let us stay and they would make us another meal, but we had already been there for almost an hour. It was such a disappointment for us.

We stopped for supper and sat on the rooftop. It was a beautiful night. The service was great. I had the pesto chicken pasta (all locally made pasta). The pesto was creamy and delicious.

A bit of a hit or miss. Definitely wouldn’t recommend any of their vodka pasta. Was the first time I wasn’t able to eat a dish - was quite watery and bitter unlike any other I’ve had.

Lovely atmosphere, very kind and attentive servers, and the food is delicious. They recently switched to their own made pasta, and its delicious (slightly undercooked however). Nevertheless its great. I’ve taken my parents, my partner’s and her family, and I’m dying to come back!

The food was delicious! I got a pesto pasta, which was very good and my partner got the salmon. It was the best salmon I've ever had! My partner and I also got maple syrup mocktails and they were so good that we had to get the recipe! Our server was good also.

Pesto cavatappi and the chicken Marsala were exceptional. Also ordered the chocolate espresso cake which was wonderful.

LOVE PALIO! This is the ONE restaurant that I MUST go to every time I return to Ann Arbor. My favorite is the Rigatoni! TIP: Go early to put your name down as there will most likely be a wait, depending on the time of year; so that you can explore the Main St area while you wait!

We went here for dinner after my nephew graduated high school this past Sunday. We went as a large group, and unfortunately we didn't have the best experience as far as the food was concerned. I will say that my Tortelloni Alfredo was perfect, but many other people in our party got food that was cold or incorrect. That being said, our server was doing his best and so was the server in training! The manager also came to our table and took care of us. It was not until we left that I found out that a member of our party approached either the server or the manager and berated them very harshly for the food and/or service. I was absolutely appalled to hear that. At least three people in our party have either worked or are currently working in the food service industry, myself included, and while the majority of us were dissatisfied with our meals that was NOT the correct way for the situation to be handled on the member of our party's part. I am very sorry to whomever that guy that was with us unloaded on, whether it was the server or the manager. Neither of them deserved to be treated or spoke to in that way.

What a great place! The food is always delicious and the service is top notch! Our family had an engagement there tonight and Niebal provided an atmosphere for an amazing memory of a lifetime!

Not too much flavor. Ordered the chicken pesto pasta. Pesto was not very seasoned or flavored. Would honestly prefer Costco pesto.

Amazing service especially on a crazy Black Friday and the Michigan Ohio state game the next day, food was Amazing!!! I got a suggestion from our server and was beyond what I expected, will be back for sure!!

**DO NOT ADD SHRIMP TO YOUR PASTA YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED Let's start with the ambiance of the place. You'll feel very cozy and taken care of at this restaurant. The service is excellent and prompt. No complaints there. However the food is hit or miss. Starting with the bread and olive oil. The oil is good quality and the bread is decent but not the warm fresh bread you would like to see at an Italian restaurant. We requested balsamic & herbs although they did not have any herbs for the oil they do have balsamic vinegar. Moving on to salad. With each dish you have the option of salad or soup. The cesare salad was not great. The parmesan was the best part as it was fresh cheese but that's where the praise stops. You'll receive one or two croutons (my date had one) that are rock solid, lettuce that is wet with water and not dressing, and hardly any dressing. So if you like cold lettuce and a sprinkling of cheese I'd recommend the cesare. Now the redeeming (sort of) part of the meal. The tortelloni was good. I'm not a red sauce person but the noodles, cheese, and sauce paired well together. I had the Alfredo and added shrimp for $6.99. The Alfredo was excellent. The shrimp were tasty. BUT FOR $6.99 WHY DID I RECEIVE 4 SHRIMP?! Honestly laughable. This is not a fine dining restaurant experience and dishes are average in price. There's no reason to pay $1.75 per shrimp.

Cozy atmosphere, friendly and efficient service, and good food. We were seated as we each arrived (6 people) and greated with warm bread and olive oil. The server allowed us ample time to choose our meal which was good because they had a lot of options. The server was very knowledgable as well. A few of us ordered the cavatappi pesto pasta with salmon, one of us ordered the mushroom ravioli and then a speciality pizza. Each of the pasta dishes came with salad or soup. We also ordered tiramisu and the chocolate cake for dessert. Everyone cleared their entree plate except for me and the desserts were gone before they hit the table. Overall great meal, reasonable prices for the portion size, and good service.

Eggplant parmigiana is burnt at my last visit . Very disappointed. They can do better . Rest of the meals with my family was good . Service is great .

1st time in Michigan. Traveling from New Mexico with my 18 yo son for a camp on MI campus. Had Amazing service and amazing food! Would definitely recommend. Ambiance is also great, love the dark wood, flags and old charm

Great food, great atmosphere, great service. Will definitely go back. Will probably order multiple plates for the table to share next time. Portions were fine, but 5/6 plates for 4 people would be ideal.

We went in with a reservation and were seated right away. Our server was friendly and attentive. We ordered the espresso martini and Cabernet. Both were great. For food we got fettuccini Alfredo, cheese pizza, and Caesar salad. all of our food was excellent and didn't cause any upset stomachs!

Until tonight I had not been here in quite a few years. I love that when you walk in you're hit with the aroma of fine Italian cooking and you can see the chefs crafting pizzas. Again, until tonight I had only been here in the summer and have been seated in the upstairs outdoor rooftop. Seeing as it's December in MI, we were appropriately seated inside the restaurant. It's charming. We were greeted right away and offered ice water or bottled water. We ordered our drinks (Tucson Mule - a smooth refreshing cocktail, and a Venetian Mule - a little mire bitey but tasty in its own right). The soup and salad were excellent - soup was hot and full of flavor and the salad had all fresh ingredient. Dinner was a pesto pasta - a beautiful green and flavorful dish and the eggplant Parmesan - a little crispy on the edges, but I kinda like it that way and served over a very generous plate of spaghetti! Everything was reasonably priced and service was friendly and efficient. It was an excellent evening experience.

One of my favorite places to eat in Ann Arbor! Homemade food, decent service and a wonderful ambiance. The rooftop is a must visit during the warmer weather. You can order anything here and be pleased. It's a good price for great food. Perfect date night, anniversary, girls dinner, or family outing place to go. Also, their pesto anything is top tier and I am picky with my pesto. More favorites are the espresso chocolate cake, Mezzacorona Pinot noir and Pepperoni pizza! Xx

Servers here were extremely knowledgeable about food allergies and the right questions to ask, which I find highly tasteful for a restaurant. We were seated at a very small table with a lot of walking traffic right next to us, which hurt the ambiance a bit. The pizza was a 10 out of 10. The entrees were lacking in the flavor department. Overall a good experience, but next time we will probably just get pizza and apps.

Great service, nice location. I liked my pasta perosnally it was great and freshly cooked. However my partner said she did not really enjoy it but this could be due to the fact that she is gluten free.

Not even trying to be a hater but the food and service was really really bad. My date was gluten free and after messing it up and giving us gluten (which no biggie) we asked about it and they didn't bother checking they just said yup gluten free. IT WAS NOT GLUTEN FREE, thank god we double checked.

Food was good not great but we liked it. Being a former waiter and now a business owner I was not happy about a 3% service charge that was "just added" without any explanation. When I inquired I was informed it was placed by ownership for credit card fees? But I hadn't even told them How I was paying? As a business owner a business should never just put a bogus charge on a customer's bill. I get it there are credit card fees but just a bad look just bump the prices instead of being sneaky. Probably will not return here with that policy. Customers are always the priority!

Love Palio! Very nice traditional Italian vibe. My favorite dish is the Pesto Cavatappi with chicken, it is perfect every time! Waiter was very nice and attentive, manager came around to ask how everything was.

Palio is so good for some great comfort food as the portions are large and super tasty! We got rigatoni eith bolognese sauce and the cavatappi pasta with pesto and chicken. I love the pesto sauce as it really infiltrates the pasta and you can taste it in every bite. They cook the pasta to a perfect al dente, and it has the perfect chew. You have to ask for the bread, as they don't automatically provide it, but it's typically a hit or miss. Sometimes it's really soft, and sometimes its hard and dry. We love their infused olive oil though, so we still recommend trying the bread.

Have you ever tried Paleo not the fad diet but the restaurant in downtown a.k.a. the parking structure there's pretty fun if you get stuck in there try whistling the tude from the Andy Griffith show. It helps pass the time while they get there you know walk together also it's really fun to have a dance party at the parking garage sometimes the machines work and sometimes they don't put it like that get you down. You just went to a restaurant and ate your body weight in pasta and pizza. This is really fun. I recommend this place and also recommend learning different dance styles to show the parking attendance when you leave thanks.

One of the best meals I have ever had. I went with my fiancée and we ordered the tortellini dish (with alfredo, game changer!) and the special which was a risotto dish. Both were phenomenal. The service was impeccable and everything was quite perfect. Strongly recommend!

First off the vibes here are pretty neat with the classic italian decor and seating style with cute lighting and an amazing upstairs patio, although each time we have gone and we're seated outside they have a serious bee problem and they are not afraid to lane on your food so keep that in mind. The service here is pretty decent with fresh grated parmesan and attentive servers who make sure waters are full and food is up to standard overall this is a great classic italian restaurant with good food.

This is my updated review from the one I made years ago which was ****. I still dine at this restaurant due to the fact that it's a place I can trust to work with my food intolerances/allergies. Plus, it's somewhere I have been going with family for a very long time so it holds a lot of nostalgia for me. It's very disappointing that the food quality has declined so drastically. Since the pandemic the menu has been scaled down considerably. For me that means there are not many choices that I have except salad. My husband usually gets a Pasta dish or Pizza. The pricing, as with everywhere these days, has gone up. The food is not worth the price increase. The Pizzas are often burnt on the bottom. The Alfredo is probably the worst I've ever seen anywhere. At this point they would be better off using a jar which is something I would never say. My husband has tried ordering it several times and it is either clumpy or curdled. I tried ordering a side of sauce to fix it and they brought out what I can best describe as a warm bowl of cream with oil floating on the top. How is that Alfredo? I don't know how any restaurant could serve something like this and on a consistent basis. I could understand if it has been a one time occurrence. This is especially a huge disappointment considering Main Street ventures, who owns this restaurant, also owns so many other restaurants. It's shameful that they would allow this type of quality to be served in any of their restaurants.

Went with a party of 6 for a birthday celebration with daughter. We had ordered 2 chicken parmigiana, actually one was just a milanese no sauce or cheese which was paired with a side of spaghetti and one eggplant parmigiana also paired with a side of spaghetti. The three other people ordered a pizza, ravioli and cavatappi with pesto. Portions were good, ravioli not so much. mWe asked for additional sauce since the spaghetti was barely covered in red sauce, actually part of wife's spaghetti had no sauce and was dry. Waitress brought us an additional side, my wife and I shared it still not quite enough, mother in law asked for a side as well. We than were informed they charge additional for a side, I commented that we really wouldn't need a side had the spaghetti been properly tossed with the appropriate amount of sauce. Manager came over and negotiated to take one of the two sides off since we had a credit with the chicken parmigiana and ordered as milanese. Still charged for one. Normally at italian restaurant you can mop your bread up with red sauce. The plates had no evidence of sauce even with the additional sides of sauce. I won't be back.

If you're willing to wait, get a spot on the rooftop - and yes, you can (should) enjoy a sangria or spritz while you wait for your table. If you're lucky, you'll get a beautiful sunset view. The bread and olive oil is pretty standard, but if the bread were served warm, it would really push it up a notch. Two of us split a full salad and pasta dish, which was plenty of food. The only critique was that the bolognese had very little sauce for that amount of pasta. We wanted tiramisu but we were too full to order it. Several other tables around us got it and it looked wonderful. When it comes to service, Adrian went way above and beyond what we expected, making up for a backed up kitchen. We waited quite a while for the food, but Adrian kept our drinks full in the meantime and the bread basket never went empty. We will definitely return to try more dishes, and we'll be sure to order right away to help reduce the wait for food.

The food and service is really good, the restaurant is clean. My only complaint is that the host who created us gave us a "you don't belong here" look. Also the tables are all crammed together.

I made a reservation to eat there with 7 friends right after my small wedding last Friday. We were told we'd have to wait a bit longer to eat outside, which was fine. We got notified that our table was ready, went upstairs and were told it wasn't. So we sat at the bar and three of us ordered drinks. Two of the three drinks were so bad they had to be sent back (and we are not picky). We were finally seated and waited an hour and forty five minutes before we were served wilted, under dressed salads. They were almost inedible. After another 15 minutes I went to talk to the hostess and was told our food had been put in just 10 minutes previously. No apology was offered. We observed many people who came in after us receiving their orders while we waited. At this point, we got and left. Three of our guests said they had to get home, so they ate nothing. I felt absolutely terrible. I will never go to this awful restaurant again. Bad service, terrible energy and unpalatable food and drinks. What a disappointing way to end a beautiful day of celebration. Btw, we went to Frita Batidos afterwards where they treated us like royalty when we told them what had happened. Delicious food and generous, wonderful service. Thanks for saving our night, Frita Batidos!

Food was bland. The calamari could've used seasoning. Chicken Marsala as well. First time visit after walking past the place numerous times.

Based on reviews, it seems like Palio is hit or miss but we definitely hit a night of a "miss". It's one restaurant that's open a bit later in the area and maybe that's why quality and consistency is lacking. House salad was a bit limp, bread and oil is just OK. Chicken Marsala should be a dependable comfort dish but this chicken was so tough and stringy it was a struggle to eat. Potatoes were greasy pods. They took the dish away with 80% of the food left on the plate and they hardly acknowledged our dissatisfaction in it. The chicken pesto with sun dried tomatoes was OK but the presentation wasn't very appetizing and chicken tasted precooked. Wish we could have spent our money at a better spot but as we had limited choices at the time, we unfortunately settled on a disappointing meal.

This place is amazing!!!!!! So so good!! The service is great and I love the inside of the restaurant - it is so cozy and comfortable. The food is amazing - so fresh and good. I always leave so full and satisfied.

We had a lovely evening here dining on the upstairs patio deck. Our server, Christian, was so attentive and worked hard to make sure we had a perfect evening. We started with the meatball appetizer, and I will say they are among the best meatballs I've ever consumed. Both me and my companion had the Gamberetti Scampi con Spaghetti, but I subbed the shrimp for chicken. We both loved the results. I'm only taking one star away because they were unable to serve the Bruschetta appetizer, and the beer selection is lacking (I didn't mind by my co-worker is all about the beer - I was there for the wine which was outstanding). I would absolutely go back and highly recommend.

Overall we had a good experience. We sat outside on their upper deck which was a pleasant space. Staff was friendly and professional. The food was good. Pesto pasta was tasty, as was the salmon. Pizza looked excellent. We did have to wait a while to be seated even though it didn't appear to be overly busy. I thought some of the food was overpriced. They need to work on their bartender. My Manhattan was not very good. I would go back and also recommend the place.

Great food, great atmosphere. Pricier, but worth it, especially for a special night out.

I've been to Palio about 8 times now and so far everything has been great in my opinion! I especially love visiting in the summer when I can sit on the rooftop patio! For starters we got the Polpette con Salsa di Pomodoro which is House made meatballs with tomato sauce and Parmesan. Very simple dish but so delicious! You also great bread and olive oil with your meal and again it's a very simple food but I enjoy it so much. Typically I get the Ravioli di Vitello alla Palio for an entree... which is Veal stuffed ravioli with sauteed mushrooms, spinach & a creamy veal demi-glace sauce. I've never tasted anything else like it and it is just so good! But I wanted to try something new so I got the Cavatappi Con Pollo, which I do recommends if you're a fan of pesto! It's a decent portion size and I had leftovers to take home for lunch the next day. My husband seemed to enjoy his pasta as well. Our waitress Stephanie was great and very friendly. Oh and we also tried their daily special sangria which was strawberry peach. It was refreshing and cold but more like a wine cooler maybe... not strong at all but it was nice to sip on in the heat. But their classic red sangria is always good

For the price I expected better. Good is very mid, and service is not that great. I think they can improve being one of the only Italian restaurants in AA.

The service and atmosphere are nice, but steer clear of the complimentary soup, which immediately gave me food poisoning. It's a shame because their other dishes, like the tortellini alla palio and the rigatoni bolognese, are really good.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I had never to been to Palio. I always hear people talk about their drink menu and the patio (which I think is open in the Spring) but for some reason I have never been. I went here with a few friends this weekend to try it out and I am completely in love with the menu. We ordered a few dishes and shared them all. If you like pesto at all, the pesto pasta is a MUST!!! Everything was amazing, the bruschetta, the salad, the eggplant (the pesto pasta which was my favorite) and we also had a pizza. Seriously everything was so delectable. Our server was great, it was a nice atmosphere. It was very clean! If you are looking for delicious Italian food with a cool vibe, this is definitely the place to go.

Sat down at 8pm for dinner. Took almost 25 minutes for our drink order to be taken. Dinner comes with soup or salad. The lettuce in our salad was brown. Rigatoni bolognese was basically some crunchy carrot pieces, chunks of meat and a lot of a watery tomato sauce. Never got bread after asking a few times. High light was the espresso martini!

Came in late night Friday our server was Lemma and she was dynamite . Friendly attentive and courteous . We had calamari fritte , vegetable pizza and a salad. All were excellent, esp the pizza . Fast, tasty, thin crust and delicious . Highly recommend ..

Seriously... an hour for rigatoni and sauce? I ordered to go They didn't even start he order til 15 minutes after it was supposed to be ready... Will be at least a year til I go back... Is there anyone that works there that actually cares? Keep getting that tourist money... But no more from a local.

The rooftop is the best place to hang with friends in a perfect A2 eve. The ambiance is Amazing, and the food lives up to the expectations. My friends and I shared: a pitcher of red sangria, chicken Parmesan, cavatappi, pizza with polpette and Chile, a few baskets of bread, as well as eggplant Parmesan and tiramisu. It was all spectacular. The pasta was perfectly cooked with the most succulent sauce. The polpettes, Which are house made meatballs, were so tender and the perfect foil to the Chile spiced cheese. While I have never been excessively fond of tiramisu, this one is unexpectedly creamy and indulgent, without being too sweet. We will be returning soon!

I've been to Palio's 3 times so far and each time has been a wonderful experience. I love the food, friendly staff and inviting atmosphere. My last waitress was Lexi and she was so nice. Every time I order the Chicken Alfredo, it comes with a side Caesar salad. The Caesar salad has a zesty flavor, I wish they could change that. Other than that the Alfredo noodles are so good. I'm not sure if they make it in house, I forgot to ask but it is very authentic Italian. The last 3 times I have came, I always ask for extra Alfredo sauce. I really love the Alfredo cream sauce, I have to order extra because the Alfredo sadly comes with very little and it seems almost dry. Other than that, It is the best I have ever had. They also have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. They also have outside seating on the rooftop in the summer time and I love that. I would recommend Palio's to everyone, a must eat at in Ann Arbor!

The pasta here is truly sublime. I have not had much better in Ann Arbor. Their Alfredo and bolognese sauces are essentially perfect and their cheese tortelloni is beautiful. In fact, no matter what you order off the pasta menu, it will be absolutely delicious. The pizzas aren't nearly as life-changing as the pasta, but they are also solid. The appetizers are wonderful but they are basically simple, rustic Italian dishes. The service is excellent. Waiters and waitresses are kind. There's rarely a wait to be seated. Everyone is amazing. The rooftop patio is always the vibe on non-rainy summer days for a more casual setting, but the restaurant itself is equally charming in an old-fashioned Italian restaurant way.

Wow--we just had a phenomenally bad experience at Palio's after my sister's wedding. It was meant to be a fun, celebratory wedding dinner for the bride & groom and 6 people in the wedding party. In fact, after 2 hours, we left without eating. First we waited about 40 min. to get rooftop seating, which we knew could happen, so that was fine. We were texted that our table was ready, went to the rooftop and were told our table was not ready (and they acted like we were misguided for expecting a table). We got undrinkable mixed drinks and had to send them back (we are not picky customers--they were truly made wrong!). It wouldn't have been so bad waiting at the table if a wait-person had come to check on us, but for long stretches no one came. The last straw was when we got up and asked the manager what was happening with our food. She didn't come back to fill us in, and when we asked again about 10 minutes later, she said the order had just been put in! That was after 80 minutes at the table! Again, we could have been understanding if someone had told us that they lost our order, but there was no communication. Every employee we encountered that night (except the person at the downstairs desk) was unresponsive/indifferent. Something must be wrong with management at a higher level to have a staff that is so unmotivated. I felt very bad for the bride and groom, who just wanted to celebrate and provide a nice meal for their wedding party. Needless to say, we won't go back.

It has been years since dinning here. I wish it had been better. The one saving Grace and reason I didn't give less stars was Justin the bartender. If I was rating just the food I would give them 1 star. The chicken was overcooked and dry, the pasta was gummy and the arrabbiata sauce was flavorless and tasted like watered down tomato juice. I truly hope this was just an off day for the kitchen but after reading more reviews it doesn't seem that way.

Daughter wanted to go here for her 21st Birthday. Unfortunately, the food was not what I expected it to be. Food was cold and overpriced (in my opinion, my Husband got the wrong kind of pasta (they had ran out of spaghetti and told them we wanted rotini pasta). They gave him fettuccine and it was stuck together. My Chicken Marsala was cold and just didn't taste right. Our server was awesome! Not his fault the kitchen didn't perform, thus the 3 star rating.

Went here on a Tuesday, around 5 pm hoping for good food and quick service, and was disappointed on both accords. Firstly, after being seated, it took almost 20 min for our waiter to bring us water and take our order. We waited maybe another 35 mins for our food. This is when things got worse, it was some of the most bland Italian food I've eaten. The bruschetta Zia might have had the hardest bread I've ever attempted to eat. I was worried I was going to chip a tooth with each bite. Would not eat here again!

Fresh Italian food! The flavours are amazing, highly recommend the pepperoni pizza and the tiramisu. Service is amazing. If you want to have Italian food, this is the place...

Unfortunately cannot review the food quality because the cleanliness of the restaurant caused us to leave before starters were served. We were given a water glass caked in makeup, then got a new water glass but the water had a floating dead bug. We got some balsamic vinegar for our bread and found SEVERAL fruit flies floating in it (including a live one that flew out when we went to pour it) and that was the final straw. I hope they change some food storage policies if they plan to leave the entrance door open at all times.

I'm not sure why this restaurant only has three stars. I'd say it was a solid 4 star . The service was good, waters always filled, attentive without being hovering. I got the Parmesan encrusted Whitefish, my husband got the chicken Parmesan, and my daughter got the fettuccine Alfredo. All three had beautiful presentations. And we enjoyed the taste of each entree. The portions were more than fair. I'd definitely recommend this if you want Italian good while in Ann Arbor.