What a great spot for an early dinner before a show! Perfect location if you're planning to head to Blumenthal afterwards or a game in uptown. Overall: 4.5/5 Food: 4.4/5 - We got the caramelized gnocchi, focaccia bread, sausage pizza, and Wagyu sliders. The caramelized gnocchi was hands-down my favorite dish (and honestly, it always is every time I come here). Perfect texture, perfect flavor- just so good. The focaccia was also really tasty with the garlic confit. The sausage pizza was okay; could've used a little more flavor in the sauce. The Wagyu sliders were a miss for me..too salty from the mushrooms, and the buns were a little charred and burnt. Not a good bite and I wouldn't recommend those. Service: 4.7/5 - Service was excellent! We didn't have a reservation and were seated right away at the high tops by the bar. Our server greeted us immediately, asked if we had a show afterwards, and kept that in mind to get everything out quickly. Orders were taken promptly, food came fast, and we were in and out in under an hour. Super efficient and friendly! Vibe: 4.7/5 - Great date night spot. Upscale but not overly fancy. Hustling and bustling with tons of chatter. It's a classic dinner ambience. There's plenty of seating with both downstairs and upstairs areas, but I'd still recommend making a reservation, especially on weekends. Other: They validate parking in the Bank of America garage. Plus, you get 10% off your bill with a Blumenthal Arts show ticket for the same day. If you're doing an early dinner before a show, they offer a 3-course meal for $35 with your ticket (valid before 6 PM on Fri and Sat--check the menu for details). However.. if you get something from the bar bites menu then you can't get the discount. We learned the hard way after some mediocre wagyu sliders lol. Overall, a great choice if you're already in Uptown for a show or game. I probably wouldn't go out of my way just for the food, but it's perfect for a pre-event dinner. read more

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Ended up here for my birthday dinner a little over a year since my last visit! Coincidentally we were at the same table and had the same waiter! The service and food was once again amazing. We got lucky and had the long table upstairs and only maybe 20 or so minutes after we got there we were the only ones up there so we were able to laugh and talk without possibly causing a disturbance (we weren't loud but with 14 or so people it can naturally get loud at times). Will definitely keep them on my radar again! read more

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Still love this spot, especially before a Blumenthal show! The bar offers a bar bites menu. Bartender was kind and attentive. I enjoyed summer sangria, sliders -- so delicious! And tiramisu. Ask about the seasonal dessert! read more

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We visited Aria before attending a performance at Booth Playhouse on a recommendation from a friend. The service was friendly and helpful giving us the specials and my wife chose the wine special. I picked an Old Fashioned which was the best one I've ever had anywhere. It was smooth and flavorful. My pasta with wagyu and pork was filling and tasted amazing. The flavors were wonderful. My wife loved her pasta and chicken. We were running close to the start time of our performance so we asked the waiter if there was a dessert that would fit our timeline and he was very honest in telling us that the dessert we wanted took 12 minutes to cook so we wouldn't have time for it to be made and eat. That was very much appreciated as it kept our night on schedule. read more

Aria - Old Fashioned - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Such a beautiful restaurant! The ambiance is so sexy. The food was pretty good. The service is standard. Our waiter and some staff wasn't as attentive as they should have been. Drinks were forgotten, staff kind of look over us. The only staff that made us feel welcome was the runners who bought our food to that table! Lamp shank was tender. Meatballs were delicious. Salad a bit to much onions for me. Old fashioned was amazing. read more

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Came for a birthday dinner. Our waiter was nice enough and also had that Italian feistiness to them... some may take it the wrong way but i found it to be very real of him. Lol. The food was fine! I think my fave dish is the carbonara. Everything else is fine food but not spectacular in my opinion. I think i would opt for little mamas or momma ricotta for Italian food. The space itself was fine - its a white tablecloth establishment so its what youd expect. Parking is validated at the BoA hotel parking. I wish our birthday boy was celebrated by the restaurant but i think our waiter was ready to go since we were his last table lol read more

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Delicious food and drinks in addition to kind service! The roasted garlic and bread was delicious, as was the lamb shank and filet. The only negative was the amount of salt in the lamb shank. Otherwise a delicious romantic meal. read more

My friends and I had a great time here the other night. We had been here before, maybe a couple years ago, and we remembered it was fantastic! Our waiter was phenomenal (I believe his name was Timothy). He had great energy and was so attentive. If you come here, you have focaccia bread-it is amazing. I got the ravioli for my entree, and the only complaint I have is regarding the portion size (and this was for dinner). It seemed more like a lunch portion to me. Regardless of the size, it was also amazing. I got the espresso martini and it was great as well. Since we live in Greensboro, we can't go to Aria as frequently as I would like! read more

Aria - My entree - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Aria is amazing! I dined here years ago and have been wanting to come back. I'm glad I finally did! I started the evening with a maple old fashioned. It was delicious! I then ordered focaccia bread and mussels. So delicious! For my main I went with the tomahawk and sweet potatoes. One of the best meals I have had in a while! The evening concluded with an espresso martini. Perfect ending to a perfect meal! read more

Aria - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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My husband and I have been to Aria many times in the last fifteen years, and they are still one of our favorites in Charlotte. I give VERY few five-star ratings, but Aria deserves that rating every time we visit! Their food and service are exceptional! We recently visited twice during Charlotte Restaurant Week--because the first visit was phenomenal. Their menu has lots of choices and is still very affordable. On both visits, we started with the burrata and meatballs for our first course. My husband even stole some of my burrata to have with his tender meatballs. Both dishes were fabulous! For our entrees, I had the striped bass (twice), and my husband had the lamb shank and pappardelle bolognese. The bass was perfectly cooked, and I loved their original presentation with puréed sunchokes and brussels sprouts. The lamb shank was served with pastina (like couscous), and had a delicious gravy. But the pappardelle blew both of us away. Their bolognese sauce is EXTRAORDINARY--just full of flavor, with a wonderful ricotta topping. For dessert, we had the mascarpone cheesecake and chocolate torte. The torte was lighter than the cheesecake, but both of us favored the cheesecake. Aria is also our first choice to dine whenever visiting Blumenthal Theater for a show. They offer a 10% discount if you are attending a show, too! Aria also validates parking if you park in the Bank of America garage connected to the Ritz, Founder's Hall, and 1BAC (we always enter the garage off 5th Street, but there are additional entrances off College and Trade Streets). I must also mention their cocktails. I had the whale trail tini both visits--it's not too sweet, and so good! My husband had the mountain apple old fashioned the first visit, and a black negroni the second. Both were fantastic. We can't wait to return! read more

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This is HANDS DOWN THE BEST Italian restaurant I've been in the US. Can't comment a lot on prices because I went on restaurant week but the food was incredible. Caramelized gnocchi for appetizer, REAL Carbonara (with guanciale NOT BACON) and a tiramisu (big cut) Service was nice and quick. Very good selection of wines. They VALIDATE parking in the same building but I didn't know :( One of those restaurants that I would consider going several times to try everything! read more

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The ambiance of the restaurant was warm and sexy. The food was very tasty and was very good. The waitress was warm and attentive even with it being very crowded due to it being restaurant week and a concert one block away read more

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Get the lamb gnocchi and the tiramisu. Heaven sent, my god. Genuinely enjoyed both. Ambiance was pretty.

Came in for restaurant week! Got the 3 for $35. The caramelized gnocchi & tailagatale were delicious! I cleaned both plates. I got tiramisu for dessert which is another classic dessert favorite of mine! Would definitely come back to try more food. I highly recommend this place! Service was very slow so that's the only reason i give it 4/5. read more

I can say from my own experience of having lived in Italy for a decade that this is authentic Italian cuisine, not the Americanized version that most so-called Italian restaurants in the United States serve. It's DELICIOUS! It's AUTHENTIC! And they serve the food with love, just like they do in Italy. I'm from out-of-town but I would consider moving here for this experience. The salmon was perfect and flaked under the touch of my fork. The charred octopus was the best I have ever had, including in Italy where I ordered it every time it was in the menu! The dessert cannot be overlooked! Please do not leave this restaurant without trying their Cannoli! It is superb and you'll remember it as the standard for how cannoli should be served! It's a dip, oh my! Overall, it could be a destination point for any visit but residents should be required to dine here once a month, minimum! read more

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We came here for restaurant week and were blown away by our dinner! The ambiance was upscale but cozy, they had an extension wine selection and our service was friendly and efficient. We got caramelized gnocchi and meatballs for the starter, the meatballs were good but the gnocchi was amazing! Then for mains we shared the carbonara which was authentically made with real guanciale and NOT bacon, and the orechiette with lamb sausage, which was phenomenal. For dessert we got a chocolate tart and a generous piece of tiramisu, which were both delicious. Definitely the best Italian restaurant I've been to in Charlotte! read more

Aria - orechiette with lamb sausage - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I truly enjoyed my dinner here at Aria. The bartender was great and personable. He was kind and knowledgeable of the menu. The reason I ordered dessert. Lol. Very cute place for a date night, solo date, and more. read more

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I loved it. Today I had the Caesar Salad and the Pork tenderloin. Both gluten free! The chef recommended medium rare which is perfect. Honestly well seasoned and the sausage in the lentils were a great touch. The person with me had the lamb shank which a lot of people like but they didn't enjoy it and the kitchen switched it out without a fuss for the Bass. I tried it! Amazing! We also had the cosmo and the margarita. Robin, our bartender/ server, was great she was helpful and gave great recommendations. Couldn't eat any desert but they gave me sorbet which was good. I can't wait to visit again. read more

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Boo! I wanted to love this place so bad. Boyfriend and I decided to try out Aria on New Years Eve. As far as the ambiance, it's nice... not romantic. A place you'd want to take a few friends for sure though, it was packed and everyone was pretty loud (which doesn't bother me tbh) I've hung out at the bar previously and had a fantastic experience. Did their small $5 dollar week day bites and drinks. Never had a a problem and really enjoyed it. This New Years Eve experience wasn't good. First we arrive for our reservation a few minutes late, but it states when booking there was a 15mim grace period. We arrived within that and but our table was given to another couple. Frustrating. The host altogether was rude and really just an unfortunate way to start our meal. Our server was fantastic and shout out to her for being great. I ordered the carbonara and boyfriend ordered the pizza. Pizza was great! Flavorful and definitely big enough for a meal. The carbonara and the chicken was very bland, not a whole tone of flavor and the portion was kind of small. I had two glasses of wine which I really enjoyed. I'll be back but I'll hangout at the bar. I also wouldn't recommend this place to anyone either. If you can go somewhere else. read more

Aria - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The restaurant is very nice and offered both a dining and bar area. The menu had a variety of options that all sounded tasty but sadly disappointed for the most part. The highlights were the arugula salad (I'm a fan of beets so I enjoyed that addition!) and the Bianca pizza (perfect combo of savory and sweet). Everything else was flavorless and bland. Everyone at the table despite ordering different things, all agreed that our meals needed more seasoning and flavors. I was hoping that dessert would be a nice way to end the experience on a high note. Unfortunately, the apple dessert I ordered was served with undercooked apples with a weird texture that made it a little hard to enjoy. Another highlight was the service! Emili was so kind and patient with us the entire time. He certainly made the experience an enjoyable one despite the other circumstances. read more

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One of my all-time favorite Charlotte restaurants! I love everything about Aria! Wine, cocktails, food, atmosphere, staff!!! Love it all. Great location at close to center city. And sometimes I love to sit at the bar with my husband and chat with the staff and other guests. read more

I dined here with a friend for Queen's Feast & it was a wonderful meal. There is a large dining area with booth & table seating, as well as a bar. While it is a large space, the tables are close together. It was dimly lit & surprisingly loud. We had reservations & we were seated immediately. Our server & all staff that we encountered were very pleasant & professional. A manager stopped by at one point to check on our experience - not only how we liked the food but also how we liked the service - it was a nice touch. Our parking was also validated. Although our order was taken at once for all three courses, it took longer & longer between each course for our food to arrive. Overall, our dinner lasted two hours but the food & service were so great that we didn't notice until we got in the car. All dishes were presented well. We each ordered something different but we enjoyed every course. The Steak was cooked perfectly & the Carbonara was so flavorful. Caramelized Gnocchi is a great appetizer & the desserts were a nice, delicate end to the meal. read more

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I went to Aria last night with my husband and another couple for dinner before going to a show at the Blumenthal. The tables were very close together, but comfortable. The menu had recently changed and had lots of delicious looking options. I opted for the scallops with sweet potato risotto. My husband got a lamb loin with a delightful citrus flavor and gnocchi. Our friends tried the kale salad, a pizza and another pasta dish. If we had more time, I would have loved to do the 3 course meal. The staff was very friendly, and even validated our paneling, which we didn't know was an option! Sorry, I got excited and forgot pictures. read more

This is more of a wine bar with accompanying food than a grill/restaurant per se, but the food offerings were well executed. A few more vegetarian choices would be nice, especially given a "no substitutions" policy that hearkens back to the Stone Age. Still, our dishes were lovely, service was good, and the ambience was elegant and comfortable. The white bean accompaniment to the table bread was a flavorful highlight. read more

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This place is the best but if you don't get the chefs table might as well not go! They only give it to real ones though.....

Everything we ordered was so fresh and amazing. Nice atmosphere as well. Best tiramisu i've ever had. read more

Aria - Classic Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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One of the very best Italian restaurants in Charlotte the food is excellent the service is excellent make sure you ask for Enzo hands down the best waiter we've ever had....Mangia! read more

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Aria is on my "always a good option" list. The food is consistent, service is very good, and the atmosphere is lively. They also have daily special menu items so there's always something new to try. Oh- and the cocktails are outstanding. They have a whole Negroni menu! Because of the location, it can be busy and very buzzy when there's a show or a lot going on in uptown. I definitely recommend reservations. read more

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The food was so good and the service was exceptional. I will dream about that focaccia. read more

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Bad experience. I had diarrhea the whole night Will no more go back Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz read more

We really liked this restaurant & would come back. The staff was very nice and the food was delicious. Our favorite part was the tiramisu!! read more

Aria - Italian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Slightly older demographic, but nice restaurant. The wait staff were really friendly and had good recommendations. We got the Crostata for dessert and it was delicious. The honey mascarpone ice cream was SO good read more

I have dined at Aria multiple times, and the food always impresses me. However, it's the exceptional service that sets this place apart. Walking in, you'll notice the refined dining atmosphere with the exposed wine cellar, elegant bar, and white tablecloths. The dress code is business casual The hosts are always gracious and level-headed, even when they are packed. The servers have been fantastic, even the one I had who was doing side-by-side training. I love that they take the time to do side-by-side training to ensure exceptional customer experience. I have had several appetizers, including the focaccia, meatballs, kale caesar and fritto misto. All of these are perfect portion sizes for sharing. They do a wonderful bread basket as well, with marinated white beans on the side, that is phenomenal. The pasta dishes I had are no longer on the menu, but they were all excellent. You can confidently order from their menu. For dessert, the tiramisu is always a delicious ending to the meal. My wow service moment was when I lost my Apple watch while dining here. It was dead so that it couldn't be pinged or located, and I didn't go straight home. I was distraught and didn't know where to find it. I was retracing my steps to no avail. Hopeless, I called, but they were only open for dinner, so I left a message. The manager called me back during the day and told me he'd check as soon as he got in for the evening. Later that afternoon, I got a call saying an employee found and turned in my watch and that they'd have it for pick up that evening. Upon arriving to retrieve it, I found that the manager had it in their possession. After a few verification steps, I was able to take it home. I felt grateful and relieved. Located inside the Bank of America center, Aria is easily accessible for pre- or post-performance bites. They also validate parking, so you can easily enter the parking deck; just remember your ticket. read more

Great food! The bruschetta was delicious, definitely one of the top dishes of the night. The tiramisu is also a must have. Everything else was great too. Nice ambience, perfect spot in uptown for a fancy dinner. Make sure you make a reservation as they got busy fast. Service was good. Our waiter was nice and helpful. But he was pushing us to order / bring up the bill a little too much, and wouldn't stop asking me if I wanted another drink, even though I made it clear I didn't. Overall, a good meal! read more

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Stopped in for dinner. Had the Bolgonese - it was really good. The bread was really fresh. Service was good.

Always great ambiance and food. The food is fresh and the pasta is homemade. Not huge portions which I love so that I have room for an app or desert! read more

Great service and high quality food! Extremely impressed with the quality served coupled with an amazing ambience! Two thumbs up!

Unfortunately this experience did not live up to the excitement. Food was mediocre, small portions, and charged for refills on soda. Long wait for entree to come. Best part was focaccia and chicken parmigiana. read more

I came here reading some reviews about them having vegan options, it's a lie. There are only 2 options that too doesn't sound too good. If you are vegan stay away from this place. I'm regretting, the food quantity is so less. read more

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It's around 8:45pm on a Saturday night, when hubby and I decide we wanted an Italian dinner. We had done some research and decided we wanted North Italia but the reservations were completely booked out and we weren't going anywhere to wait 1 1/2 hours for walk in... We decided to check this place out. I called to see how long the wait would be. The man on the phone said no wait. On a Saturday night no wait for two people. Hubby said that's weird that there's no wait. I thought so too. We came in. Was sat quickly on a shitty little table upstairs, clearly we protested and got a much better spot. It was busy but not packed. The service was just fine. The place is NOISY NOT VERY ROMANTIC when you want to have a chill date but what did I expect on a Saturday night I ordered a poppy Chardonnay and it came in a water cup. That was odd. I guess they do that, of course I asked for a glass with a stem cause I'm not that type to drink wine from a glass! it felt wrong. Next, we ordered lasagna and chicken parmigiana. SKIP THE LASAGNA. Tasted like chef boyardee ravioli in a can. Cold cheese on top, bits and piece of god knows what in the sauce, and the marinara around the piece was cold with chunks of canned stew tomatoes. It wasn't good. It was a 3/10 at best. Hubby got the chicken. Solid 4/10. Not seasoned at all with a very thin breast.... Also it was cold too. Would not recommend this place based on my experience. Didn't stay for dessert. read more

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