This is our go to for a family meal on "Wednesday Under the Stars". Food is great. Love their pizzas.

Ariano is one of my favorite Italian restaurants to eat at in Media. They always have great specials and there are healthier options on the menu so it's not your typical Italian restaurant. They also have a place next door where you can order takeout or try their homemade gelato! I knocked off one star because the dining room upstairs wasn't very clean the last time I was there. read more

Ariano - Pizza Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

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One of our favorite go-to's in the area. We've eaten here more times than we can count and have always enjoyed our meal. Consistently good food and service, great atmosphere. We particularly enjoy sitting in the upstairs patio and one of our menu favorites is the risotto balls. And the gelato is amazing. Just thinking about Ariano makes me hungry! read more

We were traveling through for work and got in late and was looking for something to eat and decided that based on current reviews at that time that we were going for Italian deserts! We go there and since we weren't having dinner we were told to go to their gelato bar next door. Totally fine! We went in and the gentlemen behind the counter asked what we were looking to have and we said we had seen that they had tiramisu and lemon marscapone cake on yelp and did they still have that and he said yes and we have a hazelnut chocolate cake also. We love desert and said, okay we will take one of each to go. Well...he then pulled out 3 boxes of commercial Made desserts from a mini fridge that were pre cut and put them in a box to go. I mean, they were good, but also a bummer because we were hoping they were house made. I am still giving 4 stars because they have a gelato spread that is so good and well even though they didn't make the dessert, they weren't bad so I can't complain about that either. read more

One of the best spots in Media, and there are plenty to choose from! Their brick oven pizzas are insane, the salads are unique and delicious, they have a nice wine list, and the ambience is amazing. read more

Excellent seafood choices, good service, pleasant outdoor seating. Mussels in bread basket exceptional.Also enjoyed cioppino. Grilled romaine salad terrific. read more

Both the food and service were excellent. I enjoyed a seafood dish and my wife had a panini. Both were delicious. It was our first visit. We will return next time we are in town. read more

My girlfriend and I enjoyed catching up over lunch. We sat upstairs in the balcony which was gorgeous - weather and restaurant atmosphere. We shared the roasted artichoke hearts which were absolutely delicious! I got a grilled chicken salad that was on special and my friend got the scallops dish... both were very good.... so good we dug in and forgot to take a photo. I would recommend this place!! read more

get the bread bowls.... even if you don't like clams or muscles . great staff, really cool setup if you're on the second floor. only complaint is the bartenders are not what they used to be. you might have to wait a bit to get service... and by a bit i mean 15 minutes read more

The food was really good, the pictures don't do it justice! Loved being able to sit outside as well! read more

Ariano - Crocchetta di Granchio - Pizza Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

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Very nice place. 7 of us had a little Christmas get-together upstairs. Service was good, not intrusive. They have many varieties of pizza and other entrees on the menu. Pizza was delicious. Good crispy crust, some char marks and bubbles (which I love) and above average topping choices. Some of us got entrees and they said they were prepared well. The interior is very interesting too. Upstairs, the ceiling is painted like a scene from an Italian town, Michaelangelo style. It was early December when we were here, but I bet it's nice in the summer when all the patio doors are open since you're seated up above street level. read more

Used to be a 3 star for mediocre food. Now a 1 star for mediocre food and poor credit card policy. Will not return for their gelato. Their vanilla is bland & lemon basil no longer has as much flavor. read more

Went for dining under the stars in Media. Great food and wine selections but odd seating on the hill. Things were sliding off the table. Also there is zero pasta on this menu and the salads are very tiny. Vegans and vegetarians be warned. Not an easy place to find a fulfilling dinner :( read more

Incredible food -not overpriced very good service - we go here when we have a large party 9 to 10 people and always have excellent service and incredible food read more

Simply put - PHENOMENAL food, blah service, miserable atmosphere. We've gone twice, and have been blown away by the quality of the food. The pizzas are incredible. I guess some of the previous reviewers were expecting the typical cheesy, tons of toppings fare available all over Philly. Seriously, folks, you need to get out of South Philly more. The best dish we've tried is the seafood cioppino, and the wine selection is fantastic, too. That said, the restaurant is simply too small. They cram the tables in to try to accommodate more (make more money?), which means you are constantly bumping into other diners, have no privacy, and the restaurant is just loud. It's worst if you end up seated in the bar - on top of loud, drunk people shouting at each other at the bar, they have crappy music BLARING. Not a very relaxing atmosphere. Another disappointing result of a crowded, busy restaurant is overworked, uncaring staff. Both times we've gone, the waiters have disappeared for surprisingly long periods of time, and haven't even bothered to ask if we wanted more drinks, etc. Last weekend I had to wait nearly ten minutes after my entree arrived to even get a set of silverware. As much as I like the food, I will not return to this restaurant as it is. read more

It's been a while since my last visit but, Rocco and George never disappoint behind the bar. I've been customer for a few years now. Their bartending skills are on-point while their warmth and humor charms. When I want to try something new, they haven't failed me yet. Drinks and food are top notch here and the service is superb. Thanks guys. Well done. read more

I've always live ariano for its Italian style food and pizza. I went here to celebrate a birthday and the staff was very nice and helpful but we waited forever for our salads and then we aren't even done with are salads and they are trying to put our pizza in front of us. After I gave up half my salad to have room on the table I was ready for a delicious pizza which is not what I got. I order a pizza that was supposed to have peas and prosciutto on it with a cream sauce but I got a white pizza with barely any peas and barley and prosciutto it was unflavorful and not worth it. read more

I can't believe I haven't tried this place before! What an amazing night under the stars! The food was amazing and the service was phenomenal. The fig and goat cheese salad was one of the best I have ever had. Can't wait to come back to try one of their pizzas and desserts!!! read more

Ariano - Fig and goat cheese salad - Pizza Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

I wish this was better. I was psyched on eating one of their many pizza's, since I was told they have great pizza. Yes it's made differently then other pizzas around, however their descriptions do not match the actual pizzas. The one pizza we ordered came out entirely wrong. Another, a white pizza, came out with cold ricotta on top, no garlic sauce base or layer of cheese directly on the crust like NORMAL white pizzas out there. It was really dry and other then the sausage it was disappointing. Three pizza and two drinks for $68... Not worth it. Simple as that, pretty disappointed. By the way no soap in the bathroom I was in, so we know the employees can't wash their hands before returning to work. GROSS! read more

I decided to come here for Dinner Under The Stars last Wednesday. Although I did not sit outside because all the tables were reserved and it would be an hour wait. The inside seating was still nice and all the windows were open so we were basically outside. This is a pizza place. And I say that first because I want food that was not pizza and I was so disappointed when I sat down. They have a few menu options that are not pizza but they were super expensive. The pizzas are reasonably priced. I ended up getting the tuna special, which is grilled tuna with mashed potatoes and green beans. I also got a Caesar salad. Both were really good and I would get them again. If I ever want pizza at a nice sit down place I will come here again! read more

A complete disappointment redeemed only by the nice weather. We went here with a group of eight for Dining Under the Stars. I had the Regina, a really tasty pizza with spicy sausage, mozzarella, portobella meshrooms, and stewed tomatoes. Unfortunately that's the end of the positives about Ariano. Once seated the waitstaff was fumbling and awkward to converse with. It took well over an hour for our order to come out and even then not everything arrived at once, some items were wrong, and half were cold. Inexcusable. The pizzas ranged in price from $10 to $20 and while mine was enjoyable every other that I tried at the table was bland, bland, bland. And small. In no way worth the wait. On top of that the manager apparently gave the bottle of wine we brought to another table for...some reason and offered us a replacement bottle probably stolen from some other unfortunate patron. Argh you know what? I'm getting mad again just writing this review. Ariano well earns that coveted one star from me. The apathetic and unapologetic waitstaff was just the cherry on top of the horrible dining experience sundae so I'm taking another point off. Definitely won't be going back. read more

The food is really great!! If your looking for good for this is the spot! It's alittle expensive so ask about the wine prices before ordering and the staff is alittle slow read more

There is an arugula salad with friend goat cheese that I love. Romantic and lovely ambiance.

Bad service doesn't necessarily mean bad food. And there are enough bad-food places out there that I'm willing to sit through moments of bad service just so that I can have good food satisfy my palate. If I had been scared away by bad-service reviews, I would also have never tried numerous other restaurants that have since become my go-to places for a flavor unique and removed from the usual blah. I have yet to experience bad service when I visit Ariano. However, I will qualify my review with the note that we have been there only for lunch/brunch and an afternoon gelato. So on with our 3-hour tour... Our first visit was during our staycation here in my home town, at the end of June of this year. It was completely on a whim in our mission to venture away from our usual haunts in Media. We were tempted by their pizzas, and our whim led us to a delicious meal of the Melazzo and Regina, with a crust that others have also noted is quite good and unique, even through the opaque curtains of bad service. We finished our meal with gelato all around (and with 8 owl eyes smiling at the selection in the gelato case). While reading their menu, we spotted that they had breakfast pizza, so with that fly in our eye and idea in the back of our minds, we headed into... Our second visit. It was later that same week, for an afternoon gelato break with my Baby1. The gelato experience there really is the closest I've had to true Italian gelato, of my attempts to find true gelato this side of the pond. There are enough un-cleaned-to-the-bottom bowls of "gelato" in various establishments up and down the eastern seaboard to prove my attempts (really? you call this gelato? and it's supposed to be italian on top of that? how about trying first with one part, and then with the other?). The fragola, strawberry for those on this side of the pond, is smooth and creamy - not an easy feat considering that catering to the majority leaves us with "gelato da fragola" that is either an icy strawberry-flavored clump of sorbet or sherbet, or strawberry ice cream that has had a name change and, I'm sure, a botox treatment or two. AND - it's not super sweet - another counter-majority feat. They have, however, called their strawberry gelato "sorbet" to help alleviate some level of confusion for patrons. But Baby1 only likes vanilla, so it's all she'll eat. We vowed we'd return for... More savories, on our third visit. We made our excursion in hopes of getting the breakfast pizza. We got there at 1pm, too late for breakfast pizza. But we did order their monstrosity-sized frittatas for lunch, which left us full enough to practically skip dinner, if not for the long walk we took in the afternoon. And we did have more gelato. Then, most recently, we conquered our mission with... Yesterday, when we finally got there before noon and were able to enjoy their breakfast pizza. And what an experience it was. Between the delicious crust (even Baby1 ate it, who usually leaves pizza crusts untouched!), the eggs with fresh parsley on top (such a fresh flavor, I can't believe I hadn't tried this already!), the marscapone and fruit on my pizza (NO NO, I REFUSE TO SHARE, EVEN WITH MY OWN OFFSPRING! BACK, BACK, GET YOUR OWN!), clear lemon-lime soda (Pellegrino limonata?) and coffee that was phenomenal, I've decided that good food is indeed worth waiting for, enough so that I will venture into the infamous dinner course here next time just so I can see for myself exactly how bad it is. Can I also note, how well behaved both Baby1 and Baby2 were, which leads me to my most recent theory: good food yields well-behaved children. Our waiter was wonderful, never leaving our coffee empty, and the owner was warm and welcoming as always. And, of course, we had gelato. Even Baby2 who usually hates ice cream enjoyed the fragola as well as Baby1's vanilla. So here's the verdict: go for the good food, and take your experience with a grain of salt, an ounce of patience, and a momentary lapse into Latin time. Maybe that is how we can let this restaurant survive and continue serving us good food - because you really have no idea, how good their gelatos are and the uniqueness of their crust. And if you happen to see me chomping away on their breakfast pizza - don't let a limb come near me. Just ask my kids, the ones with the bandaids on their arms and scowls on their faces. Hey - not my fault they tried reaching for my food. read more

Ariano - Breakfast pizza, marscapone and fruit - Pizza Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

I just ate here tonight and everything was good but I was confused about one thing... How is it that your an ITALIAN place WITH NO pasta or bread? It just doesn't make sense! The waiter said it was because they owned fellini's down the street and that restaurant was known for pasta... Not very good reasoning lol. My grandmother being super Italian was not pleased with these two things. Had to give it 4 stars for this reason. Also we sat on the third floor up the spiral stair case (very cool) but it took the waiter a little longer to get back & fourth to us. Plus being on the 3rd floor caused him to drop my food on the way up. No big deal, enjoyed being up there & I guess had to pay the consequence for it. I would go back again but now it makes me want to try Fellini's. read more

This place is amazing. The owner and the staff are super friendly and knowledgeable and everything is really, really delicious. Their pizza crust is like none other, and their specials are always amazing. Go. Now. read more

The food is great. The service was less than stellar. I made my reservation earlier in the week. I was asked for special instructions for my reservations I had said it's a birthday, we will have a 2 year old, we will need a high chair . rhen I'm constantly reminded about the reservation and any questions please contact so they can accommodate. Our reservation was made for Sunday at 530. Earlier in the day I called the restaurant and asked if there was a plate charge if I brought a cake. I also asked if they had small cakes for a birthday that there would be 4 adults. i was told no plate charge but I could just buy the cake there. I was told the small cake was 9 bucks. I said good I'll do that do you want to tell me what kinds of cakes. So she told me and said let the server know when you get there. You know , I can't go into every detail. Maybe I worked in restauranta too long which makes me more understanding. But I also know when staff is inexperienced and not well trained. When we got there it was like, who are you? I explained we had a reservation that we will have a 2 year old and we need a high chair. Hello?? Haven't you been Sending me communications several times about my reservation? We sat then we sat, and the bus girl got us water. Then we sat some more and the waiter finally took our Drink order. We sat and sat and sat and I watched this waiter set up a couple more tables, take their drink order, not bring ours and give others their drinks before us. Did I say we have a 2 year old ? He just went around to everyone else and finally I got him and said. Look you gotta take our order and take it now. We have a 2 year old with us and you have yet to even get our order. I'm telling You please get over to our table. I mean I think we sat a good 25 min before he even took the order. I also asked him to pleas go get some bread so we can put something in front of the baby. For gods sake please this is restaurant 101. The bread still didn't arrive, I asked the bus girl and the bread still didn't arrive and finally when the apps arrived I asked that food server and magically bread arrived. Basically, there was no cake, just a piece of a lemoncello cake and 4 forks. Are you kidding me?? I wouldve brought a cake and then dessert menus were given to us. This restaurant was not busy I can tell. When we got there it was basically empty. So basically the service is less than marginal and food came out piecemeal. When we left , I looked at the bar and I could see just what most of the problem is. You have bus staff, wait staff and the bartender all standing ing around the bar playing on their phones, socializing and doing absolutely NOTHING. Where is your management ? We will not go back. This was my husbands 70th birthday and quite frankly because of your service it and the BS with the cake it put a damper on it. read more

My family and I recently dined at this establishment. The atmosphere was nice, but it was a little cramped upstairs and it was way too loud for our taste. The food was pretty delicious, but for the price we paid, was not abundant nor was it really worth it. But the reason why I'm giving this place 2 stars is because my father ordered a pizza and everyone else's meals arrived before his. The waiter didn't even notice he was entree-less until the check came. My father told us not to wait for him, assuming his food would be coming shortly. It never did. By the time his pizza did come, we were all done our food and he was not pleased. He informed the waiter what had happened, and nothing was fixed. We paid for our dinner and left unhappily. We will not be returning. read more

Alright, Ariano, you may have won me over. I went back here with a few friends and decided to try one of the entrees since the pizza was so blah last time. I ordered the Pazzo Marco (Panko Crusted Lobster Risotto Balls stuffed with Lump Crab Meat, Basil Pesto, and Fontina Cheese) and was pretty excited because I had never tried something like this before. Oh my god. Holy Lord, it was amazing! The risotto was cooked perfectly and shaped into three baseball-sized balls of deliciousness (...did I really just say that?). They also came served with a side of piping hot vodka sauce that was also very good and a side of what looked like broccoli rabe, which really didn't interest me because I had lobster risotto with crab and cheese to dominate. Go to Ariano - skip the pizza - order the entrees. The end. read more

Amazing gluten free pizza. The gelato is equally amazing. Great family business. Unbelievable atmosphere.

Much like their across-the-street neighbors, Dos Gringos, I'm amazed at how harshly the Yelp community is treating this wonderful addition to Media! I think a lot of people are reviewing the restaurant they want and not the restaurant they have - in my experience, it's important to remember that distinction. Ariano is a great casual restaurant serving up unique pizza varieties that you simply won't find this side of downtown. I've eaten there about half a dozen times and have never experienced the unfortunate poor service that some have complained about; I've experienced waits here and there, but I guess nothing that felt uncomfortable for me. During dinner hours the place can be cramped and frantic and that might leave a bad taste in your mouth if you want a quiet and peaceful night out, but again, knowing what you're in for is important when choosing a restaurant. Anyway, the focus for me is undoubtedly the pizza. The pies they serve up are as delicious as they are unique. My personal favorite is the Toluca - trim NY strip with guacamole and chorizo that has a very slight bite to it - but experimenting and trying offerings slightly out of your comfort zone is just as fun as falling back on a reliable choice. Chicken with pesto sauce, fontina and caramelized onions, cabbage and cheese; there are many memorable items on the menu. Finally, I have to mention the gelato. You can get a few scoops for dessert or walk in off the street for quick, over the counter service. It is consistently creamy, flavorful, and wonderful. My three-year old can't walk near that area of Media without demanding a stop for some strawberry or stracciatella! In closing, embrace Ariano for what it offers - decently priced, unique food that is as good as it gets. read more

My favorite pizza place in the media area! Love the decor and they offer outdoor seating. They also participate in dining under the stars. The desserts are divine! The Nutella pizza is great and enough for 5 people! If you are looking for high quality pizza would highly recommend ! read more

The restaurant is really attractive. The pizza is very good But the fact that it was cooked to perfection quickly was forgotten When the plastic plate that is was served on created so much steam that the pizza became soggy and when I tried to salvage the non soggy part my plastic fork Broke in half oh and I hope you don't mind your wine served in water glasses. It seems that all that plastic has to go Environmentally and it certainly downgrades the decor. read more

This is a pretty little corner bistro in Media. We stopped at Trader Joes and asked for a recommendation. We were told this was an Italian restaurant, but it is mostly about the pizza. I ordered the breaded veal cutlet. It arrived on a plastic (hmmmm...) plate along with sides of sliced potatoes in custard (?) and broccoli mixed with peppers and greens. Very pretty - but everything lacked seasoning...isn't that the first rule of culinary school? The cutlet was sauteed perfectly with a light panko crust. The vegetables were crisp....just needed one more level of flavor. The waiters seemed harried and ran back and forth from the kitchen. Might be helpful to have a manager or "front" person circulating and helping keep the chaos down a bit. Nice hammered copper tables. A bit cramped, but I think this place has potential. read more

I have been going here for years and took my mom for the first time last week and she is in love! She's also been in the business for 30+ years so it's extremely hard to please her! I have never once had a bad experience here, the food, drinks, atmosphere and service is superb. The food is so flavorful and the cocktails are OUT OF THIS WORLD. I've had every single one of them and they're all amazing!! This place is doing it right and Rocco's cocktails are mouth watering and hard to resist! read more

Ariano - Morning Toast and Very Berry - Pizza Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

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Absolutely the worst service ever. Had a reservation for 7:00pm. Arrived on time. They were busy, so we did not get seated until 7:45. Meanwhile, there were at least 4 tables that already had their checks when we arrived. Those people continued to sit and talk. Poor service by the front of house to not offer those people a drink at the bar or something to clear the table. Once we were finally seated, no waiter came over until I had to tap one on the back. We ordered our drinks and food. The pizza is grossly overrated. Even if the service was better, I would not come back for the food. My mother ordered another glass of wine when our food arrived. It never came, but of course still showed up on the bill. Worst dining experience. Will not be back. read more

Dined here twice over the past two months and both times were amazing. Most recently, we came here (party of 20) last Friday evening for dinner before our wedding. The staff went above and beyond for us and made sure we had everything we needed. Laura was our server and she was amazing! She was very attentive and patient and we appreciated her extraordinary hospitality! The food was delicious as were the cocktails. We will definitely be back and continue to rave about this wonderful place to all of our friends and family! Thank you for a wonderful experience! read more

Really nice building, but the food just didn't do it for me. I went with a group of guys so we ordered several appetizers, one of which was pizza. It was a plain margherita pizza, but wasn't anything special. Just a note on the pizzas, while there are a ton of options, some of them are kind of ridiculous (salmon with asparagus and cream sauce?). I get it that they are trying to appeal to a wide range of people, but there is something to be said for simple ingredients. As for my entree, just ok. I had the chicken rolled with prosciutto, provolone and broccoli rabe. They are three very strong flavors, however the dish was somehow bland. Maybe the most perplexing thing was the side of rice. This is an Italian place and they served sides of rice with all meals. Not even risotto, regular white rice. No pasta, in fact there isn't a single pasta dish on the menu. Quite strange. Another quick tip, we sat on the 3rd floor, which was probably the coolest seat inthe house, but you have to go up a spiral staircase to get there. That means tough to get up there for the servers so they don't come around as often as you'd like. Bottom Line: The decor is great, all the walls and ceilings are intricately painted. Unfortunately the food doesn't quite stack up. read more

I love their pizzas and the crispy outer crust it just warms my soul! I give a 5 stars for having the best pizza ever!

I've been going to Ariano for a couple of years now; started very shortly after they opened up. The restaurant is very attractive, like somebody stated in an earlier post. The pizza is great and there are so many options to choose from. They used to be a BYOB but starting in November 2012 they acquired a liquor license (sad face). The service is typically very friendly, although because I know one of the managers my opinion may be a little biased. They do have plastic plates and glasses, which I was told one time is because they have a very steep spiral staircase that leads to the 3rd level of seating and at one point glasses/plates were dropped and broken (yikes). I have never dealt with my pizza getting soggy because of the plastic plates, but then again that's probably because I eat so quickly haha! Their gelato is also great, which I usually get with an espresso for dessert. If you're looking for pizza/Italian and you're in Media, I'd suggest Ariano for something a little different. read more