Went on a Tuesday night and it was not too busy at all. The specials are always a must. My husband had the grouper and I had the salmon. Both were so delicious! They even brought out three different fresh artisanal breads that were great. House salad was good, the lettuce could be cut into smaller pieces, and there could be more vegetables. It only had one slice of cucumber, carrot, and mushroom- so it was a bit sad. The owner and executive chef did come out twice and greet himself and ask how we were doing, that was very kind of him and the service in general was amazing. Prices are a bit high, but the main entrees were very good. Would definitely go again. read more

Wonderful! Excellent! Exceptional! Both the service and food here is great! Second time to dine here and can't say enough good about it! I love trying the chef specials as I think they really try to make outstanding dishes as their "special". Not wrong! Huge portions but save room for dessert! A must try is the almond panda cotta on the almond tuile cookie! Over the top delicious! And it was brought out by the darling pastry chef who didn't mind giving me some clues about making it at home. Thank you so much! We will be back. read more

The food and service is wonderful. The owner comes by to chat, they make you fell welcomed.

I was underwhelmed by the place. The service was slow; the food was mediocre and to top it all off, they got my order wrong. The place was rather noisy, but there was a large party at one of the tables. I was really looking forward to eating there, but was disappointed. read more

Great atmosphere didn't expect from the outside. Food amazing. Service great. Chef even came out with a saxophone for sappy birthday serenade. We'll be back!happy read more

Ok, so the disclaimer here is that I have only been to Amelia's for lunch. I cannot comment on dinner - yet, but I am sure I will eventually do dinner as well. I haven't yelped in a while because like Carol King I "felt so uninspired". And I had some preconceived notions on Amelia's. Food would be average, cost would be great, service would be slow. I was so incredibly wrong. On three occasions I have been for their lunch and each time it was a wonderful surprise. Amelia's has this deal where they do a quick lunch (comes out of the kitchen in less than 10 minutes) it's like 8 bucks and it's a giant portion that tastes divine. Carraba's? Seriously? Olive Garden? Really? Calling them Italian is like calling McDonalds a steak house. New chef/owner Andy Foss (or Fass) is amazing. I had the Fagioli and spinach salad on my last visit. The Fagioli was the best tomato based soup I have ever had! Ever. The Spinach salad was fresh and tasty. On my previous trip I had the mussels teresa. The portion was huge and the mussels were perfectly prepared and delicious. The service was nearly invisible until I needed something and then she magically appeared with whatever it was. What really annoys me is that Gainesville seems to be clueless about good food. I pass a packed house at Harry's (average on a good day) and enter an empty Amelia's. Twice as good, half the price and no one there. I guess everyone's goes to Olive Garden or Carrabas for Italian...really? read more

Excellent food, especially the dinner specials, which tend to be more inventive than the stuff on the very traditional main menu. The appetizers can be hit or miss - I love the spinach/artichoke/garlic crostini, but Italian staples like bruschetta and prosciutto with melon are just so-so. What really stands out about Amelia's is the service. Everyone is so friendly and attentive. Five stars for that! And you must try their homemade limoncello. It's got cream and vanilla in it, which sounds odd. But it's fantastic! read more

Great food. Good service. Excellent atmosphere. Hard to get reservations but well worth it.

This place was perfect. It is me and my wife's new fine-dining spot. Cute and quaint....just perrfect. The server was slow to warm up initially, but the rest of the staff made up for it (the other server and the water/host guy). Amazing first impression, I loved the open brick, such a WARM welcome from the owner (he gave me a hug on the way out - which I loved and happily welcomed). You can tell they have so much pride in what they do. This is probably the best italian restaurant I've ever eaten at. I was stuffed about half way through and JUST KEPT EATING because it was SO good. My wife asked the kitchen/server to make her favorite pasta dish, which they happily obliged. Everyone was so warm and professional. Mini-cons: I'm weird about bread crumbers - if I'm paying (Gainesville) top dollar, I would have liked to see them use this throughout the meal (in between each course) - but he did use it at the end - in case we decided to have dessert. The 2nd loaf of bread was inconsistent, but the third (it was that good - we got 3 loafs of bread!) was back to consistent. Other than that, it truly couldn't have been better. I would recommend this to the world. I can't wait to be back. read more

Boringgggggg. My food was so bland and dull... I could have drizzled olive oil on my own overcooked pasta at home. The service was slow, the atmosphere stuffy, and the food overpriced. Stay in, boil your own pasta, and add some flavor. Then give yourself a well-deserved tip for serving yourself in a timely manner. read more

Great dining experience. Fantastic service by Drew! Very accommodating for a custom dish request. He is also very knowledgable of the menu. Chef came out and showed us the Blue Oyster mushrooms that he bought from a local purveyor. Fantastic add to the veal marsala. Definitely recommend if traveling to or through Gainesville. read more

Amelia's - Great shrooms Chef Andy - Italian Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This is a little classic Italian restaurant tucked away behind the Hippodrome. They have a HUGE menu of more traditional Italian foods, which I feel can be a little overwhelming. As an appetizer I had the Rollatini di Melenzane which is eggplant wrapped around ricotta with marinara sauce. It was a nice, fresh, light way to start a meal. However, it was a little expensive for the portion size, and there are several offerings my friends had that were much better. As a meal I ordered the Veal Scaloppine with Artichokes, Capers, & Olives in Light Tomato. The artichokes were a great addition, but I feel like it needed something to balance against the capers and olives. I think having some pine nuts instead of olives would make take this to a new level. My veal was overseasoned for my taste, but it was very tender. The sauce itself wasn't anything to write home about, I expect this type of quality coming from this restaurant. For dessert I had flan - which was absolutely delicious. A wonderful blend of caramel and custard made it a great way to end dinner. However, it wasn't all bells or whistles. The bread that was served was lacking flavor, and they just gave us olive oil to dip it in. I would expect a restaurant of this caliber to have something else. The service was fine, but I felt misinformed when they charged $3 extra for replacing a house salad with a caesar salad, and that you can only split checks prior to ordering. Yes, it's in small print at the end of the menu about splitting checks, but it would have been nice to be informed. All in all, not bad, but pretty average as far as italian restaurants go (Olive Garden and Carrabas earning ZERO stars from me..gross). But definitly one of the only places in Gainesville offering real italian. read more

For your money, this place is tremendous. Andy (the chef) has narrowed his menu down to things he does extremely well, and doesn't deviate. The mussels and clams and veggies are all farm to table and Andy carefully picks them out himself weekly. They have a bar that's good enough and a wine selection that's good enough. If you are just about the food-- you can't go wrong. Why no 5th star? Two reasons mainly. First, the service at night can be slow. They don't check on you much and if you are there on a date and drinking wine with your meal or having a drink, that's an issue. It isn't a problem as much at lunch, which is impressive actually because they are very busy given the proximity to downtown businesses and the courthouse. The lunch server is friendly and has been there forever, even if she is sometimes a little overworked. Give her a raise, Andy!! The second issue is the place could use a spruce up. Pay more careful attention to place settings. Do something with the patio, even if it is to put up a lantern or three and a mosquito deleto. Buy some better fake lighting inside. Hire a musician on Fridays. Little things. But this is a Gainesville staple and the Italian comfort food game does well here. read more

I think the last time I went to Amelia's was around 1999 for a work lunch. I remember it being good, but I just haven't thought about it since. I haven't heard anything bad about it, but rather nothing at all. In its defense, I haven't really given Italian food a whole lot of thought up until recently. We actually ended up at Amelia's on a fluke. A friend of mine originally set up reservations in advance for a party of 10 at Manuel's. That was all fine and dandy; I've heard mixed things about them, but I haven't been there myself and wanted to try them out. Well, Manuel's calls the birthday girl about an hour before our reservations and informs her it will be 1.5-2 hours later than originally agreed upon. In a last minute search, Amelia's it was. And what a pleasant suprise it was! The service we had was great and had no issues at all - considering the size of our party. Drinks were great and affordable. Wine list looked nice (didn't try myself). Beer selection was okay, they did have a couple obscurish "Italian" offerings - no, not Peroni. (I've been spoiled by all the craft beer around here lately). The bread was great; I want to say there were 2 or 3 different types. The calamari appetizer was awesome! I can't speak for everyone on their entrees, but my raviolis were great. I didn't hear any complaints from anyone else, and the table was very quiet while we ate. The chef came around and asked how everything was. Chef Andy was friendly and attentative....as well as a saxophone player! Unbeknownst to any of us, he's known for playing Happy Birthday on his sax to patrons celebrating their special day. Overall, I was very pleasently suprised. Food and drink were great and affordable (for a fine dining establishment). Service was attentive and friendly. Atmosphere was very nice (makes for a greate date night). Overall, we'll definitely be back. read more

Having passed Amelia's countless times I was really looking forward to trying them out. From the menu posed outside I could tell they were pricey and the patio looked like a nice place to hang out. Unfortunately expectations and reality were once again on the outs when we went here. They weren't seating outside and the inside was a surprise. It was clean etc. but it looked like high tea at my grandmothers social club... seriously *not a comfortable setting (to me - maybe you're a senior looking for some action). I don't remember what we got for an appetizer (so I guess it's fair to say it wasn't memorable) but I do remember that it was tiny. I do remember I had gnocci as a main course and that it was something better than Olive Garden but not as good as Carrabba's. I don't remember what my wife got but I remember trying it and wondering if the sauce was Ragu. Way too expensive for what it is and I can make *way WAY better italian myself. I'll probably go back at some point just to verify that I didn't hit them on an off night. read more

I heard about Amelia's from a friend and looked up their menu online and decided to give it a try for date night with my boyfriend. We were promptly greeted and sat by the hostess and the first interaction we had at our table was with the chef and owner of Amelia's, who came by to give us waters and let us know our waiter would be with us shortly. Our waiter made a great recommendation to my boyfriend for an imported beer called "La Rosa" by the Italian brewing company Moretti. I ordered the Gamberoni Amelia (jumbo shrimp with linguine in a lemon butter sauce) and my boyfriend had the Suprema di Pollo Sorrentino (chicken breast topped with eggplant, prosciutto, basil & mozzarella). I'll have to admit that my bf won this round of "who ordered the better entree?", but mine was still very good. My only complaint was that there were only 5 jumbo shrimp in the pasta--I would've like a few more. The flavors in both our entrees were exactly what we expected and the portion size was extremely satisfying, but not Olive Garden-jumbo-size-overkill. After we were finished eating and waiting on the check, the chef/owner came back by to formally introduce himself and thank us for our patronage. In fact, he made it a point to stop by every table during the evening to say hello and thank each customer for eating at his restaurant. How often do you see that anymore??!! I thought is was extremely thoughtful and commendable, and I will definitely come back to Amelia's when I'm in the mood for a quiet, romantic dinner or when I want some fresh, delicious Italian cuisine. read more

I met a colleague for lunch here. She suggested it and I'm glad she did! I discovered a new place to eat in Gainesville that's affordable and delicious. I I had the Pomodoro Salad and it was awesome. I don't usually enjoy salad but this one was great. Really nice staff and the chef comes out and plays Happy Birthday to you on his saxophone for your birthday. Coffee was excellent, too. All around great experience, I will be back. read more

I have been there few times. Steak has been amazing but last time we had fish and I think we got frozen fish because the center was raw and cold. Maybe it was a fluke this time but highly recommend their steaks when they be them which is not often. read more

Delicious! We're here because our dog is in the veterinary hospital at UF after 3 long days we needed a good meal! This was it! Wine was great and the Pasta was to die for! The chef /owner Andy came to our table and truly involved in your dining experience! Lovvved it! I had the sorrentino and my husband had the veal we will be coming back ! Let me add the pistachio Tartufo was amazing ! read more

Amelia's - Italian Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I was craving Linguine and Clams. I ordered the Linguine and Clams with the white sauce. My friend ordered the same dish with red sauce instead. It was definitely better with the white in my opinion. WIth the white sauce, the clams were able to shine and you can taste the seasonings in the pasta better. With the red sauce, all you taste is tomatoes. Dinner was served with a bread basket (ask for more if you love bread, who doesn't). From what I remember, each entree costed around $14 dollars. It's a decent price considering that there were clams involved but I couldn't help but wish there was MORE of it on my plate. As a poor college student, at the time, I just ended up eating more bread and butter. Overall, it was good. Just wish it was a larger portion. read more

I am going to admit that when I went to Amelia's it was after my first restaurant of choice for the night was fully booked. At first glance it seems to be a very typical Italian restaurant. However, with a great wine list, delicious entrees, and excellent service it's really enjoyable. The restaurant itself is pretty plain. The servers are dressed well and all the staff are very courteous. The owner and chef, Alex, can sometimes be seen making the rounds checking on the service. It is nice to see that he takes pride in his ownership. He even plays "Happy Birthday" on his saxophone for guests' birthdays. The wine list has great variety in both selection and price. I'm a fan of pinot noir, which there weren't many of, but that's just a personal preference. House wine is priced at $7 a glass and $17 for a carafe. The house cabernet was nice. The food is great My friend and I had bruschetta as an appetizer and veal for dinner. The ingredients were fresh, the food was perfectly prepared, and the presentation was impressive. Overall I was delighted with my experience and I'll be returning to dine again. read more

Great restaurant but bad experience last night Lady greeter wouldn't seat me saying place was too understaffed ? It was 1/3 full ...like where is the owner...I was respectful and didnt argue but maybe she needs training ..it was 8:30 pm and I believe she just wanted to close early. Not cool read more

Everytime we have been the restaurant has been completely empty to a third full and they say they are booked for the night. I would just like to know where all these supposed reservations are at 8pm when your place is empty read more

Came here for a solo dinner and was quickly seated without having to wait without a reservation. On a Saturday night I would expect the restaurant to be busy, and it was. However the servers were very attentive and made sure that customers were taken care of. I even saw Chef Andy play "happy birthday" to a customer on the sax! I ordered the Ravioli al Forno, which comes with a garden salad and bread on the side. The food was delicious, but the cheesecake wasn't as good as I thought it would be, so I give this place four stars. I'd recommend. read more

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More attention is paid to the table settings and ambiance than the food. It certainly has a regal quality to it, but semi-watery pasta sauce is a big NO in Italian food. The Eggplant Parmesan could have been a little crisper, but the sauce was definitely flavored well compared to many places in town. Not too acidic or sweet. Side pasta was boring. Their bread was fine, available from some place local and purchasable at Lucky's, but upping the game with house focaccia would set it apart. Friendly staff. Comfortable seating and nice outdoor area. Not sure I'd go again but worth a try. read more

Amelia's - Side pasta - Italian Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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So good. Everything is from scratch and So delicious. The manicotti is my fav. Great date night. Very intimate and the owner will single happy birthday on the saxophone read more

Hands down one of the best restaurants in Gainesville. Chef/owner Andy Fass is a master. Great ambiance. Warm and welcoming staff and the food is incredible. No matter what you order. You can't go wrong. Everything is hand-made and absolutely delicious. You will love this place, right in the heart of downtown GNV. Do yourself a favor and check it out. read more

Andy was very welcoming and quick to give us a menu to show off the specials. The interior was surprising in comparison to the exterior. If I were Andy I would change the patio a little and make it more apparent when they are open and be as welcoming as he is. The hours sign is a bit complicated and there were no chairs on the patio so I initially thought they were closed. I love hole in the wall places like this and really hope they do well. I will certainly be back to try the pesto read more

Awesome food and service. We were traveling and found this on yelp. Called at 5:45 and got the last table available at 6:15. Glad the one who answered the phone told us it was not on Main Street but behind the theater. Didn't know what that meant... but found a large colon building and figured we would go behind it and there it was. Best Italian fresh seafood we have had in months. Well worth a few extra $$ read more

Great Food. Great Atmosphere. Quiet. Doesn't get any Better! We come to Gainesville regularly to see the Dance Alive National Ballet and we have increased the frequency of our visits in the last few months. We love Italian food but had never tried this restaurant. It was recommended to us by some friends who are Gainesville natives. What a great place for dinner!! We went there with two dear friends. The Portobello appetizer was excellent as was the homemade bread. My manicotti was the BEST I have ever had. The meat lasagna was excellent and so was the gnocchi. The chef comes out to greet you and he is a very nice guy. We LOVED this place!! read more

I really enjoyed the meal I ordered which was simply angel hair with olive oil and garlic broccoli and mushrooms. It wasn't on the menu but the chef made it to order and it was wonderful and my friend enjoyed his meal as well. This is one of two Italian restaurants I really enjoy in Gainesville. You have to ask for the vegan option I guess they don't offer it otherwise unfortunately. Wonderful wait staff, very clean. I would only hope that they would add vegan options to their menu to encourage healthy eating otherwise I have no problems with this restaurant, they're very good read more

Good food but bad service. The second time I tried to get food there it was 45 minutes before they were closing and when we got there they said they weren't serving anyone else for the night. The next time I tried to get food there, we tried to order takeout (around 7pm) and they said they didn't take orders for takeout until 8:30 which is 30 minutes before they close. When I called again at 8:30 like they asked they said they still weren't taking orders because they were too busy. I don't understand why they couldn't just put the order in the first time. We ended up eating at OGGIs which was much better in food quality and service. Sad to say but I will not be going back here again since they clearly don't need anymore business. read more

Ahhhhh!!! This place provided us with such a phenomenal meal, environment, and service. My mother and I went on a Saturday evening right when they opened, at 5pm! We had pasta dishes that came with bread and a salad, a glass of wine and a beer. With tip our bill came out to about $70! We will definitely be back! read more

Highly recommend!! Went for my birthday dinner and everyone loved their choices. Service spot on!

Enjoyed an amazing time with family here Christmas night. The service was wonderful, the food had to have been the best I've ever had. I ordered the steak and shrimp with red potatoes covered in parmesan cream sauce and it was phenomenal. I am pregnant so had to order my steak cooked a little more than I typically would, and to my surprise, it was still so tender I could cut it with a spoon. My fiance actually proposed to me here and it was perfect. The owner/chef made rounds to check on each and every guest. The atmosphere is romantic and relaxing. I definitely recommend this restaurant for a nice evening out with your significant other. I can't wait to go again. read more

Best Italian food restaurant i have tried in Gainesville so far. Nice place to take your girlfriend/wife for a little date. Our food was perfectly cooked and they had some pretty good wine. Staff was friendly and attentive. Will come back soon for some more! read more

Amelia's - Italian Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Incredible food, great atmosphere, excellent service. Would recommend to anyone who wants a great date night in Gainesville.

OMG! This was outstanding! Chose this restaurant because a) we were hungry for Italian, b) it was Sunday and open, c) we just completed an 8 1/2 hour drive and needed a good dinner. We ordered take away, cuz COVID, and planned to take it back to our hotel for the night. Had a nice little glass of Chianti while we waited for our order. I ordered Chicken Inverno, my husband had the Veal Marsala. Neither disappointed! Nice side house salads and penne pasta with red sauce. Delish. Then, because I saw a photo on Yelp, we ordered their cheesecake special - basically an apple pie cheesecake and a bourbon pecan cheesecake. They were both SSOOO good. It's just off Main Street in Gainesville, Fla - a little hidden or set back off the street. Find it! It's worth it. read more

Made a reservation for a weeknight but didn't really need one. A little hard to find as the GPS doesn't quite understand the ins and outs of downtown Gainesville sometimes, but we managed. If you are unsure about where to park/where you are allowed to park, just call the restaurant and they will help you. Food was very good and service was good as well. I had the chicken Parmesan and it was very good...lots of food. They boxed up the rest of it for me and it was a great lunch the next day. My dad was taking me out to dinner but needed to put his food on a separate (business) card since he was in town for a meeting, and the server had no problem doing that for us. Will definitely try to go again, maybe for a graduation dinner. read more

This place was truly amazing. I got the chicken Marsala which they were able to make with oil instead of butter for me. I was blown away by how amazing it was. My brother got the lobster ravioli and said it was 10/10. Both of my parents got the grouper special. It was a nice thick piece of black grouper absolutely delicious. The owner/chef came out and made sure we liked everything. Highly recommend. read more