Their seafood risotto was delicious!!! What a great place to be with your family! Very homey and friendly. We had amazing appetizers and their desserts were delicious! read more

Avanti - Seafood Risotto! - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We used our Arizona synergy gift card to check out this place with friends and we were so impressed with the food quality and service. Our server, Mike, was exceptional. He was very friendly and was very attentive to all of our needs. He made great food recommendations also. I got the lentil soup, which was one of the best soups I have ever had. I also ordered the ossobucco, the flavor was exceptional. We got the pasta of the day, which was a trio of pastas for the kids. They loved it. I had tiramisu for dessert, which was so yummy. Everyone at my table was also impressed with the meal and we all said we would be back again. Coming from the foodies we are, this is a huge compliment. I can not say enough great things about the food and staff. Pasta is all hand made and it shows. read more

Avanti - Ossobuco Milanese - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We absolutely love Avanti! This is our go to place for a special occasions or just when we're craving a good Italian dinner. The service is top notch, the food is absolutely incredible and what up would expect from your Italian grandma, and the ambiance makes you feel like you've been transported to another time and another place. I highly suggest the gnocchi, osso buco, chicken or veal parm, their desserts are out of this world! Go! read more

I'm disappointed to say, but this was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. I'm not normally one to leave reviews, but last night warrants one... Within 10 minutes of being seated, we still had not been approached by a server. When they did come by, they spilled ice water all over our table and my friends clothes. I understand that this happens from time to time, but the staff did not even react to help us. We had to move ourselves to a nearby table, move our plates, silverware, etc. No assistance or apology. Next, we had a new server stop by and try to take our order unaware that we already had one established. When our original sever returned, she had forgotten she already told us the specials so she recited them again. We had lamb chops, and lasagna. It was fine, but nothing special. Beyond all of that, the dining room is a maze and the restaurant seems to want to cram as many tables on as possible. A shameful experience and I do not plan to ever return. read more

We came here to celebrate my fathers 54th birthday. We enjoyed the delicious wine, appetizers, salads, soups and entrees and desserts. The waiter, and chefs and hostess were so attentive and kind. We had an amazing, luxurious yet cozy time here sharing entrees with family and enjoying each other's company along with the amazing art of food here. read more

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Angelo is friend. I meet him in my teens & loved the food & ambiance. He treats everyone special & I took some friends & as usual ..... Angelo never disappoints thank you read more

We arrived in Phoenix, ready to get our firewood from Berry Bros. Being we had driven in from San Diego, we were starving. We looked in Yelp for an Italian restaurant and found this great gem in the barrio. When you walk in to the restaurant, you are taking a time traveler's journey into the world of 1966. The atmosphere is of a bygone time, and the service is like you are in a 5-star Michelin restaurant in Roma, or Torino! Our servers were professional, and witty. WE WILL BE BACK HERE EVERY TIME WE ARE IN PHOENIX!!!!! Il cibo era degno di mille candele romane! read more

My god best beat food! Italian is here forget all those modern techi locations. Portions are huge! Prices are amazing! Bon appetite !

Family friendly, upscale homemade dining. Authentic dishes straight from Italy. The owner came to our table to great us and made us feel welcome read more

We absolutely loved this restaurant. Initially, the girls and I came here for Restaurant Week, but almost all of us ordered off the regular menu! They have an elegant 70's decor, as I believe the restaurant opened in 1974, with great music and mirrored walls. The pasta is all made in-house and just incredible! Highly recommend this hidden gem. read more

Avanti - Spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

you MUST get the shrimp appetizer with cheese and spinach. WOW, what a treat. Veal parm was very good, quiet place, old school................just good food read more

Omg! Well we are in Scottsdale for a week and went to Avanti's last night. It is still wonderful and nothing has changed. I used to go there with my parents in the late 80's and try to go there now whenever my husband and I are in the area. My husband had the cioppino which he said was excellent. It was loaded with seafood in a tomato sauce with pasta on the bottom. I had the Benito salad and the combo pasta dish. The pasta was AMAZING!!!! The Benito salad was amazing too! Heart of palm, the freshest tomatoes, artichoke hearts, avocado and I think shrimp. I had 2 homemade wonderful cosmos so my recollection is blurry. The cream brulee was crispy on top and some blueberries baked into the custard. Yes, I was in hog heaven and it was worth every calorie and restless and guilt ridden night topped off with Pepcid!!! Worth it I tell you. This is one of our favorite restaurants of all time. read more

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So Avanti should probably be "In Dietro". Italian for backwards. We went for dinner on a Friday night. It was like stepping into a restaurant from 1990. Dark, chrome and mirrors everywhere. This place could definitely use some modernization. Anyway, lets get to the food. We started with a crab cake appetizer with shrimp. It was definitely a crab cake but it was smothered and buried in some orange colored "buffalo sauce?" that (1) made the crispy crab cake soggy; (2) left a weird aftertaste in your mouth; and (3) was terrible. Ruined the crab cake. For dinner I chose the 3 item pasta plate. It consisted of seafood ravioli, tortellini, and penne pasta. The seafood ravioli had a good taste but again came with that terrible orange sauce. The tortellini had a good Alfredo sauce and the penne had a good tomato sauce. My wife ordered the veal Milanese osso buco that was served over a risotto. She said that the meat was very tasty. The risotto was NOT a risotto. It was basically some watery rice in a brown sauce. Not even close to a risotto. For dessert we split a tiramisu and I had an espresso. The tiramisù was good. Small portion but delicious. The espresso was served properly. Like I said the place needs a refresh. The men's bathroom had some type of black stuff (mold?) on the ceiling. Floors were dirty. The other downer was the owner. He was in the front seating people and barking out orders to the staff. A permanent scowl on his face the entire night. Not even an acknowledgement to my wife when she said goodnight. Definitely won't be back. read more

I do have to say this a must visit. It is very unique and will offer some really well made Italian dishes. It is vey old-school and has them a small town diner feel inside. The flavors are really good though and I feel pretty authentic. Pricing I would say is on the higher end for ambiance, but for taste it's on point! Great work to these guys and their team. read more

Amazing!!! We have been multiple times for brunch/ dinner. I literally have been coming here since I was nine years old. Im now 50!! The owner is in his 80's And still working hard. Dinner tonight was phenomenal with a stuffed sole and Osso Bucco. Calamari was amazing... Caesar salad was good... Service---Austin was Over and above. don't miss out on this gem. read more

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Jeannie and Jacob were great! Made our experience 10x better. Very attentive and friendly. The food was great, dessert was delicious and for entree I had the tortellini, Amazing! This is a place everyone should try! Can't wait to go to piano night! read more

Avanti - Italian Antipasto - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We visited here for the first time as a celebration for our son's graduation. The very second we walked through the door until the time we left, the entire staff was very attentive and friendly. They treated us as if we were family. I can't remember the last time we felt this at home. A family owned, warm and welcoming, 5 star restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing. You could tell these were family recipes handed down. For all of you foodies & wine lovers, this is the place to be! They also gave us a huge dessert dish to share in celebration. Oh, and did I mention there are messages from some of the greats as you walk in and out such as Frankie Valli, Jimmy Stewart, and Norman Fell, just to name a few? Salute! read more

What a strange dining experience. We were greeted by the owner who was pretty rude and was upset we booked on open table. I heard him continue to yell at the staff and talk down to them. I felt bad for so many of the servers. When seated, a server broke a glass near our table and they let broken glass sit on the floor all night. I notified our server but no one did a thing. Our table ordered martinis with not a drop of vodka in them just straight vermouth. They remade them again then perfect. The food was above average but I've definitely had better in Phoenix. I likely wouldn't dine here again...which is unfortunate as I was expecting more from a restaurant that has been in business for years. read more

Do not recommend! This place is the reason I'll actually read reviews and not just go off stars. We went here for dinner before going out for my friend's bachelorette and oh boy! One the whole restaurant looks like a 80s strip club. Ascetic wise HIDEOUS! We walked in and we're greeted very nicely I'll admit but as I'm fixing my blouse the owner was like why you rub your titties I can rub them for you I was sexually harassed in the first 15 mins! Food is wayyyyy over priced it's not that good for a $23 plate of lasagna.... I would've rather had a stoffers in a microwave. tbh I don't write reviews but I had to save one girls trip! read more

I loved the old Italian, NYC, goodfellas vibe! Service was ok (meaning the waitress was nice, but not super attentive after she took our order) We shared the lamb, lasagna, and caprese salad... ALL DELICIOUS!! It was very quiet (but we did go in for a late dinner on a Sunday) Would definitely go back the next time I'm in Arizona. read more

First time and last time here. Horrible service. Owner was not accommodating. Server "forgot" to put our food order in. Gave us the wrong checks. After an hour and a half of waiting we got our food and it was cold. Will not be returning. read more

Had dinner here for the first time. My son and his fiance invited us because they had been here before and they were impressed. I can see why. The food was exceptional. We started out with Escargots. Delicious, not rubbery or chewy but tender and the right amount of garlic. Caeser salad was ok. Cioppino was served over pasta with a delightful variety of seafood. So perfectly made. Eggplant parmigiana was a hit with my daughter-in-law to be, and the lasagna was pleased by my sons palate. My husband had the fish of the day, which was Halibut. Again not a disappointment. Our server, Jeanie did an excellent job by going the extra mile. She was very pleasant and made us feel right at home. You must try the desserts............Tiramisu was tasty, Chocolate Mousse Cake was heaven and the Spumoni was a huge hit. I liked that the restaurant wasn't noisy, we could actually carry a conversation without raising our voices. I didn't care for the decor, especially the mirrors to make the place look bigger. Almost like a bordello decor or a scene out of Scareface. Other than that it was a great experience. We plan to return. I'd advise you to give this restaurant a shot. read more

We went to Avanti for my father's 80th bday. I would skip going to this restaurant. We waited 10 minutes until anyone asked what we wanted for drinks and then they didn't know what wine was what. The main server said he's not had wine w/ a cork...accept a couple of times. Wow. However he tried, not to mention the support staff was less than stellar. The atmosphere looked like something from 1993 or a strip club. The white and rose wine were warm. There is no description on the menu items. For example the bruschetta said classic tomatoes, basil and garlic. It did not say olives and cappers. Their pasta was over cooked and their steak was tough. The meals had chili oil drizzled OVER EVERYTHING! They did try to remake the food but unfortunately it's just as bad the second time and they took the steak off the bill. I gave the rating 2 stars because they tried. Our bill after 140 tip was $840 and change. read more

It's me and my wife's favorite place for a splurge. Amazing Italian food and a great atmosphere. I love the neon bar and the black and white tile. I haven't had a bad meal here. I always look forward to the next time we come back. read more

I was in on Saturday night and must say that I was terribly disappointed. The last time I was here was three years ago and it was fantastic then Not sure what happened, perhaps the chef quit? The bread and calamari were great. I ordered rapini and sausage pasta with garlic and olive oil. They replaced the rapini with broccoli. In my opinion, they should've told me that they were going to do that and giving me the opportunity to opt out. It also had a slight red color to it, as though some tomato sauce had been added , which isn't the way this dish is typically served. My guest ordered the pappardelle, which was decent but the meat was fatty and in both cases, the pasta was overcooked. The most shocking issue was the crème brûlée. Avanti used to serve the best crème brûlée in town. In this case, when it was brought to my table, it was clear it had been pre-made. Instead of a hard "shell" on top, it was gooey and the custard was grainy. Absolutely disgusting! It breaks my heart to write this review for one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Avanti, please get back to your old standards!!! read more

Amazing! Food was excellent, service perfect. Best dinner we had in Phoenix. Never would know it from the outside. Absolutely recommend.

The food here is good, not phenomenal. The service is great. But that still doesn't make me want to come back considering the prices. I came for a special lunch, so we had the back room to ourselves and a special pre-set menu. For my entree I ordered the pasta sampler. I had never tried gnocchi, but I loved it. The other pastas that came on my plate were just so-so. The best part of our meal was the service. The waiter was very friendly and attentive and willing to accomodate people's requests. Sadly, I can't imagine coming back here because our bill came out close to $85/person (although admittedly we did have two drinks each). read more

I was confused with other restaurant & end up I gave Avanti a bad review. I am sorry about it. Matter of fact that I would like go back to Avanti...was very good food & service. read more

Wonderful, delicious and terrific food from an owner who takes pride in making sure the meal is good! We've been coming here for 40 years!

I drove up to this unassuming restaurant at night. It was so dark outside one could easily drive by and miss the restaurant. There was plenty of parking, and despite the restaurant not being full to the brim, it was worth the trip. The door was open and I walked down the long foyer into the dining area. It took me not to a place of fake Italian accents and chain restaurants, but to a place where authenticity reigns. I was greeted by an older Italian gentleman, who I would guess is the owner. I'll admit I got lost in the mirrored walls on my way to the table in the back. The host was very gracious. Everything described sounded original and delicious. The dishes range generally from $22-39 but this is the kind of restaurant you would expect to spend that amount. I ordered the mushroom risotto and it tasted as expected, with a twist. Somehow the chef managed to incorporate an aftertaste that included a hint of tomatoes and fresh dried herbs. I don't know how this was done, but it changed it from the kind of monotone risotto I would make (which is pretty delicious but just one flavor) into a multi-faceted risotto. The garlic bread and salad were delicious as well. read more

I've gone to this place two times now (we're from out of town visiting). We've really enjoyed it both times. Our daughter just loves the alfredo and we've had some of the best ravioli and cioppino we've ever had here. Portions are generous and the menu is diverse. One of the greatest things about Avanti's though is the personnel. The servers are all very outgoing and interested in making sure you have a great time by actually enjoying your evening with you, not just serving food. Overall Avanti's is an excellent choice for a night out! read more

We did a take out order and it was our first time here. The fettuccine Alfredo had no flavor, none. The shrimp on top was good quality, but no flavor or spice, not worth the extra $10. Overall $30 for a plate of terrible. It's across from our house, but I will never come back. It just isn't worth the prices for a bland meal. No idea what Italian people are eating to compare to this, but clearly it isn't very good either. read more

Saturday night at the busy Italian restaurant was a great experience for five of us. Our waiter, David expertly guided us through the menu and wine list. We opted for the surf and turf special which was excellent. We will return for the food and service. read more

Old school Italian place with older dated decor, has been here in Phoenix for a long time. The food was great and the owner/chef came out to greet us at our table, very nice gentleman. The food was awesome, tried the escargot and carpaccio for appetizers and they were excellent. Had the pasta special and lamb chops next... the pasta is homemade and excellent and the lamb cooked perfectly. Finally the tiramisu for desert was one of the best tiramisu I've ever had, highly recommend this one for desert. read more

Avanti - Lamb - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Great tasting food, good portions. Great servers they were attentive and pleasant. Had great recommendations. Loved the escargot!

Just love! A valley tradition. The chef and owner is so charming. Do not sleep on this gem!

Absolutely spectacular! Flew in late from LA and visited Avanti straight from the airport. The food is amazing.. authentic Italian, amazing service (our waiter was from New York), great atmosphere. Seafood sooooo good! I've Ben to the best Italian testa in Beverly Hills.. and Avanti blew them away. A must visit! read more

It is restaurant week so we wanted to try some place new two other places didn't have the availability we were looking for. So fortunate for us Avanti did. 45 Years in business...Oh my heavens being from NY and NJ this is the kind of old school spot you would see back East. The dinning room was great, the service was the best I've ever had (and I am 50) the food was brought to the table so hot we had to wait for it to cool off (this is a good thing) The Chef goes around and charms you ;) But the food was incredible I had Escargot, the Osso Buco, Pappardelle pasta and my husband had the seafood Cioppino. They were all very good. We are looking forward to going back in the near future!!! read more

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I'm not even sure one star is deserved for this particular order. The "Lasagna" (What in the world was this awful dish"?) was the worst and it was not anything like lasagna. We let them know we were at a hotel and asked for plasticware, napkins and paper plates. We received nothing. We have no way to eat our food and the hotel does not have plasticware. Awful experience. Will definitely never repeat. read more

Our first visit here on New Year's Eve, had reservations for 9 in the lounge. They told us we didnt have reservations......which we checked on 3 times prior to arrival.....and they were rude about it. They found them.....when our table was ready, they yelled and pointed to it, instead of walking us over with menus as customary. Our server was unbelievably rude the entire evening.....made me not even want to be there. Here is a picture of the chairs they gave us to sit on.......never going to return. read more

Avanti - Italian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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