This restaurant used to be Roma Cafe - the oldest Italian food joint in Detroit. Located in Eastern market, I was happy to find they have their own free parking lot in the back. We had a reservation for a Friday night, but it wasn't as busy as I expected it to be. Only one bartender working - in general, they seemed slightly short staffed and even though service was friendly it was very slow. I enjoyed the old world decor and traditional ambiance. Music wasn't too loud so we could actually converse over our meal, which is a rarity these days! For drinks, I started with the Italian Whiskey Sour, which was just ok. They also bring basically an entire loaf of bread and breadsticks to the table, complimentary. This is the kind of place that's more quantity over quality - you will not leave hungry. When I ordered the eggplant parmesan for my main, it came with minestrone soup and an entire plate of spaghetti as a "side". The eggplant parmesan was ok but absolutely smothered in cheese. The bill was affordable, but they'll give you a hard time for splitting the check in parties 3+. Overall, I'm glad I tried this restaurant but probably won't go out of my way to return. read more

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Traditional Italian restaurant convenient to Eastern Market. Food was good but very heavy especially on the cheese. Service was pleasant but simple things like a demitasse spoon with our espresso got overlooked. read more

Amore da Roma - Veal Parmesan with side pasta with meat sauce - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

This is the old Roma Cafe. Same old restaurant and building. Private parking lot is located in the back of the restaurant. It's located next to a fire station, here in Eastern market. They must've been doing a fire exercise, as there were quite a few fire men and women all around, as well as a bunch of trucks. There is a small bar and eating area on the ground level. There's several separate dining areas, some additional space upstairs as well. The women's bathroom is on the second floor. Was here ages ago. It's been around for l a really long time. Ordered calamari, Roma 2 tossed salad with broiled chicken, scallopine limone, paglia & fieno Italian sausage sandwich, ravioli, gnocchi. They don't allow you to split a bill for parties of 5 or more. Makes it harder for work colleagues. :( Food was all decent. Our waiter was attentive. read more

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Delicious and authentic Italian cuisine served in one of the oldest standing restaurants in Detroit! I love the history of this place and it's pretty cool that it's been there since 1890! We enjoyed cocktails and beers to start off the meal. The dirty martini was great. The bread basket came and the bread was served warm and included a few sesame breadsticks. The texture and fluffiness of the warm bread was great but I feel that it lacked flavor and could've used more salt or something. The baked cannelloni features veal and beef and it was incredible! The cannelloni noodles were cooked to perfection and the flavors were fantastic especially paired with the meat sauce and cheese baked on top. The dish came with a cup of soup, I chose minestrone which was also flavorful and good. Our server was very nice and although it got a little slower at the end, it was alright as i know she was working a lot of tables. The restaurant is comfortable and well decorated. The bathroom was cleaner than you'd expect a restaurant bathroom from 1890 to be (it's been updated since ) read more

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Amore da Roma is a cozy old school Italian restaurant in Eastern Market. The building, built in 1888, is filled with character and charm. The food is Italian American comfort food. There is nothing fancy, but the pasta is made in house, fills you up, and leaves you feeling satisfied. I ordered the Paglia & Fieno - house made Spinach and egg angel hair pasta with prosciutto, sweet peas, and Parmesan cream sauce. The pasta came with a cup of Minestrone. I thought it was delicious. I will return to have the Palia & Fieno again, as well as to try the other pastas on the menu. read more

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Amore de Roma - Detroit Review (9.5/10) Amore de Roma is one of those rare Detroit institutions that feels as if time pauses the moment you walk through the door. Open since the 1800s, the restaurant carries its history in every detail - the warm glow of the dining room, the easy hospitality, the sense that generations have gathered here for meals that linger in memory. On this visit, the standouts were the eggplant parmesan and the garlic green beans. The eggplant was layered perfectly: tender without being mushy, well-seasoned, and covered in a sauce that struck the ideal balance between bright and hearty. The garlic green beans were a surprise favorite - crisp, flavorful, and seasoned in a way that elevated a simple side into something you want an entire bowl of. Service was friendly, unhurried, and true to the classic Detroit Italian spirit. You feel taken care of, not rushed. Overall, I'd give Amore de Roma a 9.5/10. It's the kind of place you're grateful still exists - historic, consistent, and deeply satisfying. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Came here on a random Thursday night. Only one server and she was working her butt off- shoutout to Sara S. The ambiance is cozy and friendly which i feel that a lot of newer places lack. Outside of building is adorable. Food was very solid. Didn't care much for the minestrone soup, it was a bit harsh, but the orzo in it. Wish a side salad was an option instead of soup or vegetables. Overall, we all were content, especially considering how hard the staff were working. Restaurants like this are far and few between, I hope they stay afloat read more

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Chicken parm was amazing! The filet was cooked perfectly. The service was impeccable. We will definitely be back! read more

Amore da Roma - Chicken Parmesan halved portion - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Amazing food and service. Cecelia was our server and she was the best! Cecelia if you're reading this I liked your earrings:)

Fast service and it was very fresh, though the sauce was a little bit sweet, which I wasn't expecting. We definitely would go back if I was in the area. read more

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We had a party of 10 to celebrate an 85th birthday. Many of us had to send our food back because it was cold. The Fettuccini Alfredo was the worst I have ever had. I would not return. read more

Its a very cozy restaurant with an old money ambiance. I had the pasta with prosciutto and peas ,the sauce was creamy and delicious.My husband had a veal with a side of meat spaghetti.We enjoyed our time and definitely will be back as the service was excellant too. read more

Amore da Roma - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Stopped by this spot after finding it on Google while at Eastern Market, and I'm so glad I did. The service, food, and people were all fantastic. The place has a charming old-world vibe. I'll definitely be back! read more

Amore da Roma - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

This is old school Italian. I think it's the oldest restaurant in Detroit. Also in eastern market across from the fire station. Had the spaghetti with meat sauce and lasagna. Very good traditional sauces. Nothing fancy. read more

The food was fresh and tasty and the ambience cozy ... but $55.00 for a pasta with shellfish and vegetables was a little steep. Not quite worth the price. read more

Had an excellent meal at Amore de Roma. Our server Stephen gave great recommendations and our water glasses were never empty! The best thing was the spaghetti sauce it was Devine. We started with the calamari - personally I prefer the rings of calamari vs strips but it still was good - and tossed salad which was very good. I had the perch which came with a side of spaghetti and honestly the side was my favorite thing! Everyone loved their food and it reheated great the next day for left overs. This place has classic flavors and great service. For dessert we got an espresso martini and cannoli which were excellent. All staff were very welcoming and friendly and the food all was very flavorful and fresh. The only complaints are that the parking lot is super dark so we'd have appreciated better lighting getting to and from our car since it's Detroit after all! And the decor and ambiance was pretty dated but that didn't take away any enjoyment from the meal! It fits the classic Italian restaurant vibe for sure. read more

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I just wanna start off and say, this place was way too hyped up and racist as heck. When someone says to me that their restaurant is homemade and everything in their kitchen is homemade and prepped. I'm expecting the food to show that. I'm expecting that that pasta was made from flour and egg and that sauce was started from scratch with the tomatoes and for the meat sauce not to look and taste like damn dog food. I don't know if they just didn't try with me and my boyfriend's food because of some racism shit or what, but the prices are ridiculous and that food felt like it was just microwaved and put out on the table. If I can make better food at home, then the restaurant is not good. The point of going out to eat at a nice restaurant is for the experience and if you're just gonna charge extra for everything then you've already ruined that experience. I barely even ate my lasagna and my man was not enjoying his lasagna either and the Fettuccine Alfredo looked overcooked and I know what fresh chicken looks like-- that chicken looked like it was pulled out of a frozen bag. I just don't understand... when we told the waitress that we did not like our food and she could clearly see that everything was not eaten, she said, "wow I've never heard anyone say they didn't like our food before." AND she didn't even have the decency to take the plates that I didn't even eat off the bill. So we paid over $100 for food we didn't even eat. It's just shitty. Don't eat here if you want real Italian food, they lie about it being homemade it's definitely not homemade and the experience was not good. And if I go out to eat and I wanna order as much food as I want over the menu, you should not make a comment about that. She said, "dang you guys are hungry!" And laughing and shit. Like you don't know that we drove an hour to the restaurant, you don't know where we're coming from, you don't know if we didn't eat all day like, why would you make those comments? Don't you want us to order the food so you can get your tip. I'm a server and I know how to do an exceptional job at serving and these people just aren't it. And the food it's not worth it for the price at all. It did not taste good you can make better food at home if you know what you're doing. I also know what a homemade lasagna looks like and this looked like it was frozen out of a bag... same goes for the fettuccine. So do your research before you go to a restaurant. The only thing that was good out of everything was the salad and now we know that they get their bread on Monday and they don't get any other orders besides that bread, so they start serving a stale ass bread and when we asked them to go back and re-heat it up, she said no she couldn't do that. ???? Why. An extra TIP** if you ever eat an Italian restaurant look at the bread, if that bread is nasty do not continue eating at that restaurant. Just get up and leave because that's the first part and that's how you know if the food is good and that bread was stale. I don't know what was going on, but we're never going back there again. ever. And with the garlic bread, I've made garlic bread at home way better, way more fresh and with herbs... ***I rarely give reviews on restaurants and I am not gonna have somebody else have the same experience as me which is why I'm so strong about this review. I'm a literally foodie and honestly I hate eating bad food and I'm disappointed. If you go to an Italian restaurant and they aren't using fresh herbs on their stuff and that sauce tastes plain as hell then it's not homemade and it's not a good restaurant and don't even consider calling yourself Italian food that's just disrespectful. read more

I have had a reservation with Roma for about a month - it's a special occasion for my family - we were supposed to be eating there tomorrow and today they called me and said the kitchen won't be open - I confirmed the reservation a few days ago and now leave us hanging. Beware if you make a reservation there read more

Not good. It used to be. Not anymore. Salads were drenched in Italian dressing. The bread was very dry not warm & the butter so hard that it ripped the bread. My friend ordered the fish. It had too many bones. I had the vegetarian entree. It was an awful not flavorful sauce poured over boxed penne. Coffee was not hot. the cannoli were good but very small. Very disappointed. Will not be back. read more

Best service. Amazing food. Very cool old school feel. We got the saganaki, salad, fettuccini, and the angel hair with peas and prosciutto. Cannolis were wonderful. read more

I had the shrimp Alfredo which horrible. They put some some like lemon juice and it overpowered the Alfredo sauce, it was watery. Minestrone soup was pretty good. My wife had the seafood Alfredo with red sauce and that was good service was nice and they were quick but I won't be going back. read more

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I used to go there on occasion for the lunch menu meatball sandwich. The wait staff was always professional which is something seldom seen these days. Some years ago the family that owned it sold out to the chef, always a bad sign as the chef movement has ruined modern dining. I'd only been there once since then until now. So I went there recently. The waiter immediately put off bad vibes but whatever, and I had the forsight to ask what kind of cheese is on the sandwich as I don't like strong cheeses and parmesan in particular triggers a gag reflex in me. I know that "authentic" Italian cooks often automatically pile on parmesan because they assume everybody likes it. Waiter said it was a blend of three cheeses which included parmesan and I asked if they could just use a slice of something mild, specifially mozarella. He said no, not possible, so I ordered the sandwich without cheese. The meatballs were dry, tough and overcooked and I won't return. I'm tired of having to leave 1 star reviews. read more

My lasagna was perfect both in size, taste, and temperature. The waiter was a little annoying as he kept coming back over and over again when we just wanted some time to relax with our friends. Lasagna did not come with a salad it was all à la cart and cost $19 for a lunch a bit pricey if you ask me. Did come with a bread basket. The ambience was the same as it has been for 30 or 40 years. read more

Amore da Roma - Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

My partner and I went for our anniversary dinner. It was crummy weather out so the restaurant wasn't very busy. We had chicken Parmesan, seafood Alfredo, and the tiramisu. All of the food was delicious, including the complimentary minestrone soup. I'm usually not a tiramisu person but we got it on the recommendation of our waiter and it was absolutely to die for! Highly highly recommend. Our server was attentive and helpful with questions and suggestions! read more

Amore da Roma - Seafood Alfredo and chicken Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Still "trying" to be like the former Roma cafe. Has lost bit of its luster.Shared spaghetti/meatballs along with egg plant parmigiana. Both tasted quite good. The waiter definitely cost 1 star off this review. He over tried. Came off as he was reason we dined here. Very cocky, but a crap waiter. Table of 4 & he couldn't keep track. Forgot to bring 1 salad and 1soup. No apologies- forgot to bring more butter & bread. Drinks took 15 minutes to arrive. I still over tipped him - shouldn't have. read more

Tonight I stepped back in time. This used to be Roma Cafe that I used to frequent 2-3 times per week in the 90's and 2000's as I worked in the area. It originally closed in July 2017 after 127 years in business. "Detroit's Longest Operating Italian Restaurant". Former head chef, Guy Pelino, leased the building and reopened it up with the new name of Amore da Roma and now serves the signature dishes it was known for. In a word, tonight's dining experience was EXTRAORDINARY!! I am speechless. The same great high quality food, service and newly updated ambiance were EXACTLY the same as it was when I originally started dining there. Our server was Deidra and she was assisted by KJ. Deidra was beyond outstanding and was the perfect server. It's not surprising because she has an impressive background having worked at high end Detroit restaurants including Lelli's and The Whitney. After dinner, we had the pleasure of having our hands washed with lemon followed by a hot towel to dry them with. I have always looked at this restaurant as my all time favorite and extremely fortunate to experience it again. I HIGHLY recommend Amore da Roma and look forward to making it a frequent stop with family and friends. read more

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My friend really wanted to try out the restaurant, since the building is over 100yrs old; the business has only been running here since 2017. The building is gorgeous inside, made me think of an old Italian restaurant, but sadly the bathrooms were very outdated (knees touched the inside of the stall doors, and no handicap accessible ladies stalls, unless those are somewhere else!) The service was good, but the food lacked anything exciting. I had sautéed mushrooms, which were sadly over-salted and sitting in an absolute puddle of butter. Don't get me wrong, I love mushrooms cooked in butter, but sliced mushrooms take on too much or the butter, I guess I was anticipating whole mushrooms, as that's what I've been served at other restaurants. The meatball sandwich was under-seasoned, and needed a side of marinara, since the meat was a little dry. Also for $13 I just expect the sandwich. I didn't expect flaccid pickles spears, iceberg lettuce, and a slice of watery tomato on the side. Would I go back? Probably not? read more

Amore da Roma - Sautéed mushrooms - Italian Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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This place has been around for a long time. So we had to come try it out. Almost everything can be made in family style portions, we decided to each get our own meals though. Enjoyed the food and our service was great, would definitely come back. I recommend the chicken parm with eggplant. read more

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Getting a reservation same day for Saturday night was easy. When we arrived, we had a few minutes wait but nothing too bad. I found it rather delightful that multiple members of the staff are family to each other. The matriarch working the door, granddaughters seating people, etc. This restaurant is historic, and, although we did have a longer than normal wait for the aspects of our meal, I found the extra time enjoyable in that I was able to take in the ambience of the restaurant. You're dining in one of the only historic restaurants left in Detroit. I ordered a plate of spinach and egg angel hair, prepared with a cream sauce and some slices of prosciutto. It was unique and absolutely delicious. We also opted for a plate of hot garlic cheese bread as an appetizer, which was also wonderful. I was delighted that my little cup of espresso was brought out at the right temperature and was a slightly more generous pour than what you get in other restaurants. Our server was a friendly older gentleman who indicated he'd worked at the restaurant going all the way back to 1978. Some of the people leaving lower reviews need to bear in mind that this is now a family establishment and you need to just relax and enjoy the experience and not be in such a hurry to eat your food and run. read more

Great service despite waiter and busboy having the entire room to service!! Felt bad for staff, they seemed short staffed...but service was fantastic. Food was fantastic! The entire experience and atmosphere was wonderful...can't wait to go back!! read more

Have been here many times in the past few years and it never disappoints! Food is delicious whether you are having apps and a cocktail or a wonderful meal. Filet is exceptional for the price, special chopped salad is wonderful and all of the pasta dishes are really good and just a bit different from what you expect. I try to time my visits to when my favorite bartender is on duty---Matt is personality plus and makes great cocktails. This old time restaurant has been around for a very long time and deserves a try. read more

Work group lunch. We were in just after open and immediately seated. The staff is very nice. The food was very good with lots to choose from. I opted for the meatball sandwich and it was more than enough. I'll definitely be back. read more

Excellent food and drinks. Stephen was an excellent waiter, and took good care of us. The only thing that I could say, would be to have better bread , maybe warm ? It just tasted stale Chicken Limone and Marsala delicious read more

I've been wanted to visit Roma Cafe for such a long time. If you know me, you know I LOVE Italian. We stopped in after an amazing event in the city. It was a perfect way to end the night. The bartender was absolutely fabulous! I can't say enough about him. The new owner, former head chef, was also seated at the bar. I enjoyed learning history of the restaurant and the recent change of name to Amore da Roma. Same great food just a new name. I requested a lemon drop martini and the bartender made it with limoncello....wowza! It was the best I've ever had. My friend ordered an Italian Whiskey Sour. I had the veal, which was very good, but the pasta OMG! I was in 7th heaven. My friend ordered a steak and loved it. Apparently the have fantastic lamb chops; I will most certainly be back for those! Lol We didn't have room for dessert, blasphemy, I know! Lol I was so happy & full...I guess pasta will do that to you! Haha read more

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Old school Italian period. Best cannolis in Michigan. Always great service and food. I could eat here daily but I would have to change my name to Fat Tony lol. Been there since the 1800's and it was a speakeasy in the 20's. If you have not been here go tonight! Ambiance and general feel is great! read more

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Yes, we had a great evening at the Roma Café. It's been about 35 years since I've eaten here. I don't know why I waited that long, but I'm so glad we returned. Service food was fabulous. It was really interesting to see that they had opened an 1888. One of Detroit's oldest restaurants and definitely a worthwhile restaurant to check out read more

I just went to Roma's yesterday, and I'm already insane with craving for their angel hair pasta with meat sauce! I don't know how they get the flavor they do, but it's amazing. The staff is so nice and service is always impeccable. I would totally recommend Romas if you've not been there before -it's right downtown by Eastern market. read more

Went to eastern market with my Italian family and decided to try Amore. Where do I start, oh bread yeah that was ok it was warm but lacked flavor and butter was frozen. Calamari was the worst I've had it was fishy with no salt and a shot glass of marinara and cocktail really Salads were way overdressed with a stinky egg in it Saltimbocca was in a pool of watery sauce Veal parm breading did not taste good Baked cannelloni was the worst food I've ever had smelt like feta cheese, meat looked raw. You should of saw the waiters face when he smelt it lol I would NEVER go back to the place I'd rather eat chef boyer D I should've took these reviews more seriously this was a costly mistake read more

The food was mediocre. Calamari was not fresh but frozen and deep fried. The worst part was the service. We had to ask the waiter 5-6 times for things. A soup to eat our soup, a refill on water and Parmesan cheese. He took our orders (9 people) without writing anything down and then came back to the our table 4 times to ask each person again what they ordered. I asked for anchovies to put in the salad and I had to ask 2 more times for them and when he finally brought them (30 minutes later) I was done eating. It was a nightmare. Also, the waiter double charged us for his mistake. Not a good experience. read more

This restaurant maintains the reputation it earned when it was simply known as Roma. The staff is very friendly and accommodated our request for service in a separate room even after our number of diners was reduced. The food was excellent. The wine in the spaghetti sauce raised it to anew level of deliciousness. All in my party raved about their food. The location is a little off the beaten path, but worth the effort to find it. read more