Love this place!! The staff was absolutely wonderful and the food was even better! It's a great, small Italian restaurant with unbelievable food for a good price! I went with my Mom when she was in town and we decided to split two dishes and a salad and we had plenty left over which worked great for lunch the next day! The restaurant is cute and small, filled with people. A great casual date destination. It's not particularly fancy, but instead provides more of an intimate family restaurant setting. We got the lasagna and one of the chicken dishes plus the beet salad. All were absolutely perfect and exceeded our expectations! Highly recommend!! read more

We dined here on Friday night before a late movie in Harbor East. The restaurant is a smaller size but has plenty of seating and a really nice cozy vibe. Really beautiful decor gives it a very Italian feel. I read some other reviews about this and did find that the service was slow. We ended up skipping an after dinner cocktail because we had waited so long after our glasses of wine went empty for too long. I also tried the limoncello martini when we sat down and unfortunately did not enjoy it as much as I hoped. For $15 it tasted mostly like an inexpensive vodka with a little bit of lemon. The food was good, I tried the Casoncelli which had a really nice flavor, but I would have liked it to have a little more sauce. The linguini and meatballs had a nice homestyle feel like your grandmother had made it. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Linguini with Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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My colleague and I popped into this restaurant on a whim, as it was our last day in town. We are from south Louisiana and are not easily impressed by restaurants outside of our state. Cafe Gia blew us away! From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel welcome. They were very attentive and just downright nice! And the food!!! Y'all, it was amazing! I wish I could give it more stars. I don't know when I'll be back in Baltimore, but Cafe Gia will be my first stop when I arrive. read more

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A family owned Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Cute decor inside. Service to be seated and then orders taken were a bit slow but all very friendly staff. We were brought complimentary bread and butter. For drinks, I ordered an orange and basil spritzer that was refreshing. We shared their Burrata appetizer which we both thoroughly enjoyed. For my main entree, I got the Salmon alla Griglia while my friend got the branzino with risotto, a special for the night. The salmon was perfectly cooked and crispy. The spaghetti that came with the pomodoro sauce wasn't anything exciting but just your basic tomato based sauce. I did get to try my friend's dish which was delicious. It was a really good dining experience here. Gia even stopped by to take our main orders which was fun. read more

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Had a pleasant and delicious meal at Gia's with some girlfriends! Gia herself even closed out the place with us at the end of the night, we had such a warm conversation for such a cold, windy winter night! The service was super quick which was great because we were so hungry! Bruschetta was delish with capers!! The entrees were all so yummy and flavorful, I loved the eggplant. Lots of veggie friendly options! We also shared a bottle of wine. Overall, a great experience and a cute spot! read more

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I love the outdoor dining experience with the street lights and Italian flags. The waitress was super sweet & I was grateful they seated me close to closing. I love finding an Italian restaurant in the states that something similar to a true Carbonara. I added a meatball ‍ my Italian friends are shaking their heads at me. But hey, this is America. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Cacio al Pepe con una Meatball - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I really wish Yelp could give 3.5 stars because that's exactly what Cafe Gia was. I was recommended it by a local because La Tavola was not opened. Upon first impressions it seemed cute outside, inside not as cute, it gave an older vibe to it and also had closer tables. We were seated fairly quickly, service was great. Our server was accommodating and I'll explain why in a moment with the ranking of everything we got. Started off with grilled Caesar salad 6/10: the lettuce was just really warm it threw me off even though I knew it was grilled (I've just had other grilled and it wasn't like this). The dressing itself was quite average but there wasn't enough. More than Meatballs 8/10: The sauce is really what made this pretty good, it was flavorful, hot (as in temp), and creamy. The meatballs itself were also average. *here's where I wish I could give it 3.5* Main course I initially got chicken alla Florentina 4/10: it almost tasted like ragú, chicken was slimy, and chicken was also not seasoned at all, like not even salt. HOWEVER, our server was kind enough to be understanding and allow us to order something different. We then chose Manicotti Al Forno 9/10: this was honestly really good, the sauce was creamy, it was super cheesy, it was super flavorful and fulfilling. Couldn't even get dessert after because I was so full from it. Overall it was a good experience but I wouldn't necessarily go back again because it didn't have too much of a wow factor. I also thought it was interesting that the bread was giving butter in little packets like that, it was a little tacky but not a big deal. read more

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The food was delicious. I came here with my one year-old daughter , the server I can't remember his name, but he was very knowledgeable. The ambience was relaxed in between casual and formal. I would definitely return. It would be a great spot for a date. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Patio - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

So glad we found our way to Cafe Gia during a weekend trip to Baltimore. Every aspect of our meal was just right. Our party of six sat comfortably outside on their covered patio. Gia herself came out to greet us and make sure our table was safe from any rain that threatened to fall. We shared the bruschetta, fritto misto, and arancini for our appetizers. The arancini were a particular standout - light, perfectly crisp, super delicate and flavorful. For dinner we ordered lasagna, chicken florentina, linguini vongole, cacio e pepe, and casoncelli. Everything was beautifully plated and tasted delicious. The pasta was cooked just right. The chicken was tender. The standout for me was the casoncelli. Great balance of flavors. I also highly recommend orderingtheir espresso martini. The caffe'cello they use in the beverage is made in house and it's wonderful. You can taste the quality of their ingredients and their experience in every bite. Highly recommend Cafe' Gia. read more

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Extremely cute place in little Italy Baltimore. I was here with a group of 10 women for dinner on a Friday night after a conference. I had reservations for 6 people initially but they were able to accommodate a much larger group. They opened their secondary part of the restaurant for us so it gave us a private feel. We all got drinks and mains. Complimentary bread and butter for the table. The service was fast. The food was delicious. We also got homemade tiramisu for dessert. Keep in mind that they do not split checks, which wasn't a big problem as we all have Venmo or other apps nowadays :) read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We were a party of 8 looking for a table in Little Italy without a reservation. Kirk checked to see what he could do. In about 5 minutes, we had an amazing table off a back bar, but the whole room to ourselves; it was perfect for hearing each other, tasting each other's entrees, and having the best time as a family. Evelyn, our waitperson, was phenomenal in answering questions from our teenagers and making accomodations where possible. The food was awesome - osso buco to die for, great salads, delicious pasta classics. The service and food made for a wonderful dining experience. We will come back! read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Our family of 8 had a great table at a fabulous restaurant - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My man loves this spot and wanted me to experience this too. I had lasagna and a sangria and he chose to eat the spinach and Fritto Misto. We forgot to take pics but enjoyed our time together and the meals were delicious. read more

Very good food from a quick search. There were good portions and well seasoned and well cooked food. The salad was huge, enough for two. Soda is served in a can with a glass of ice and there are no 'free refills'. Seemed like a neighborhood spot so there were families and couples too. Positive vibes that made you want to come back. There was a little music playing but not too loud. We were seated quickly and food can e out fairly quickly too. The server was kind and attentive so service was good. My favorite thing........ where some places give a breadstick in the side m, they served a small slice of cheese pizza. I thought that was awesome lol. You should visit. Plus there is a cute picture for a couple or family to take a picture in front of too. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Salad, fettuccini with meatballs and lasagna. - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I was really excited to go here because I thought the external decor was super cute and eclectic (love the light trees!) and I was hoping to sit on the deck upstairs... (I'm not really sure if that's possible though because I've never seen anyone actually sitting up there? Maybe the tables and chairs are just decorational..? I'm not sure.) But anyways, the food was just very run of the mill. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything that I couldn't make myself or buy from the grocery store either. Idk if this is unreasonable to say and to be fair we only got one dish with 2 appetizers so it's not like we sampled the whole menu but... I just don't think we'll be going back with all the other options available to us in little Italy. It was still a cute place though! read more

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Had higher expectations based on reviews and how the restaurant looks on the exterior. Main points to hit: - Long wait to receive food (longer than one hour, on a weeknight nonetheless) - Brought us the wrong food, after we looked at it for a little, they picked it up and then brought it to the correct people (in COVID times, not good) - I specifically made it known that I was gluten free, they said they had gluten free pasta (which they did), although the sauce in my pasta ended up having flour in it as a thickener. Learned this after the fact - Brought my friend the wrong dish entirely (he just went with it) - The only positive was our burrata appetizer. Pretty hard to mess up Will sadly not be returning. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Burrata - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We've been coming to little Italy since 1975. We moved from Baltimore in 1998 and continue to come back to see friends and family. We had an Amazing dinner here and call my cousin and she and her family meet us here. The service was great everyone loved their dinner. A must if you are passing through Baltimore or if you live there. read more

Called 550 asking how long for 4 people. Guy on phone says I can't now I can do 630/645. I say ok I'll come 630. Guy takes down my name for reservation. Arrived at restaurant 629. Guy walks to us and ask how can he help (same guy on phone very distinguishable voice). I respond with my name and my reservation for 630. He responds with "we're so backed up there's no way I can sit you". My question why would you agree to my reservations if you can accommodate us? Could've went somewhere else earlier instead of wasting my time. read more

Wonderful meal and friendly server. The restaurant is also beautiful. My husband had the veal osso bucco. The rest of us had pasta (lasagna and pasta with meatballs). Everything was delicious! read more

We were here 8 months ago and had the best experience. Today that all went out the door. Service was slow and terrible. I asked Abdel our waiter if the arugula could be omitted, and he said he wasn't sure and would check with the chef. 20 minutes later I flagged him down and asked if the no arugula was ok with the chef and he looked at me, no apology, and said yeah I told the chef no arugula. Seriously annoying. He never checked how the food with us. They were busy but they were not busy when we arrived. Food was mediocre at best. We will not be back. There are too many options in this area. read more

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Cafe Gia is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore no doubt! Every time I come here the service is great and the ambiance is lovely. I will admit that their pasta is pretty standard and nothing too special (although their gnocchi has an amazing soft pillowy texture!!) The real star of the show on their menu is their appetizers. You must order their arancini and their mussels. Not many places in Baltimore serve arancini so this alone is worth visiting cafe Gia for! The mussels are also the best I've had in Baltimore. They are always huge, juicy, and the saffron broth is incredible. They will also give you free bread so be sure to ask for some extra to dip in the broth!! The staff are also all Italian and this restaurant truly reminds me of when I visited Italy. Definitely give this place a try and order the apps!!! read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Sauteed Mussels Ricotta Gnocchi w/ Shrimp Fried Calamari - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Some of the best Italian food I've ever had. Lovely service and delicious food. Check this place out. The ambiance is wonderful. You'll never regret it. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Little Italy - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The food was absolutely incredible, but the service was even better! The owner took time to sit with us, after I invited her to, and she told us the story of the restaurant and was so sweet and kind! The atmosphere is great, and the food is very authentic. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - The outside of the restaurant is very cute. - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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It is remarkably rare for me to write a review within hours of an experience. This usually means it was either amazing or abhorrent. I'm sure the single star alerts you to which of the two experiences you'll read about here. Arrived about 10 min ahead of 2 friends for dinner. Walked in the open door and stood by the hostess stand as 4 different employees taking food to patrons outside just walked by. After several more minutes, a lady who had seen me standing at the door and was about 10 feet from me the entire time, came over and asked if I had a reservation. When I said no, she said she'd see what she could do and that I needed to wait for my party. A few minutes later my friends arrived and we were seated outside. We were given menus and a carafe of water. Each table surrounding us, literally, had been visited by a server twice and we still didn't even have glasses for the water. We had enough time to catch up, make weekend plans, choose our entrees and select another place to dine before anyone even asked us if we needed anything. Luckily we were able to go across the street for dinner. Light years apart in terms of customer service. Such a wonderful experience that I almost forgot about this one. Cafe Gia has been on my must try list since moving to Baltimore and now it's on a completely different list. Wouldn't recommend anyone be treated so poorly. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Poorest customer service received in years - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I have been meaning to try this place ever since I moved to the neighborhood, but due to the higher price point, it took me a long time to get around to it. Right off the bat the restaurant is very warm and cozy with some really cool paintings all over the walls and some funky lighting. It was quiet and a nice soundtrack was playing. Ambiance was a 5/5 Our server seemed to be the only one in the building, and he was also making the drinks. He was incrredibly friendly, quick, and professional. Service was a 5/5 For dinner we ordered bruschetta and buratta for the table. Both tasted very fresh and were really good. I loved the addition of capers and olives in the bruschetta. For our entrees we ordered 3 of their pasta dishes, all priced around $22 each, Including the vegetarian option. The portions were generous, leaving us all with leftovers. The pasta was made in house and was also very good. Unfortunately the flavor fell flat in all three dishes. They were definitely good but there's not much more to say about them. They could have used more herbs and spices for sure, especially for a $22 bowl of cauliflower pasta. The food was a 3/5. Overall we had a great time and will definitely return, just maybe for apps instead, as those were the star of the show. read more

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I love Gias. We are here at least once a week & when family is in town they request it. Their lasagna & mussels are the best in town. My absolute fave. 10/10 service & love the patio + art! read more

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A wonderful dinner on our last night in Baltimore. We sat outside and enjoyed the great food and service. Our server Abdell was made our evening very enjoyable! We had the opportunity to speak wit the owner Giovanna.....what a pleasant surprise. She capped off a great evening. We will be back. Thank you Marc and Michelle. read more

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Amazing family owned and operated restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy. Food was fantastic. Friendly staff and owners onsite. Highly recommend! read more

We hit the jackpot. The food was delicious and the ambience inside and out was so charming. We will be back for sure.

Food was fresh and pretty good. Staff was very attentive. When we arrived we did wait in the lobby for almost 10 minutes before anyone came out of the back to seat us - it was early in the evening but I would have normally left. Glad I stayed though. read more

We were staying in the area overnight and wanted a restaurant near our hotel. Was so glad we found this one!! The food, from our appetizer to dessert, was absolutely fantastic. Our server, and the rest of the staff as well, were attentive and so wonderful. I'm actually sad I'm not from the area, and can't make this a routine stop for myself. If I'm ever back in the area, I'm definitely going to be returning to this gem. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Grilled Octopus - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We were 2 couples for a 6 pm reservation on Valentine's Day. The other couple was stuck in traffic and the server was kind enough not to make us wait until they arrived. We were seated and ordered drinks. We had the grilled octopus appetizer. It was OK, but nothing special. The Chicken Cotoletta was breaded, dry and not seasoned. However, it wasn't greasy, which was ok. The cheese on top was only on a couple of the chicken pieces and wasn't melted and there wasn't enough sauce. The spaghetti that came with it was very good - should have just ordered that. And the Lasagna Bolognese was very good. One nice thing is that they did not rush us out. They were very accommodating. read more

Most wonderfullly delicious meal I've had in Baltimore maybe ever Goa's is Beautiful aesthetically colorfully Italian I had the Creme mussels I ate like 2 pounds I think the Creme could be a Michelin 3 star - then I had a warm roasted Caesar Salad My wife ordered the beet salad and the bruschetta and then spaghetti with meatballs all are going home in take away boxes because the portions are very generous/ for dessert there were cannolis and chocolate crème brûlée OMG. The waiters are very handsome kind and accommodating/ on a scale of 1-10 I give a 18! Can't wait to return! read more

Our first time in Baltimore and stopped in this little Italy joint - the outdoor seating looked lovely, and the bathroom was well kept. Those are the two stars sadly. Service was okay - the server seemed annoyed with us (3 people total) even though the place was practically EMPTY... until the end when we were about to pay. The food was also a little sad - we got the Calamari and it was $13 for literally 9 pieces of calamari!!! I could get more pieces of calamari for 1/2 the price during happy hour in DC!! It was also a little rubbery and was lackluster. The mussels were ok and also a little steep at $16. I don't think I would return and would have preferred to have just skipped this place! read more

Went for the first time for a birthday celebration. We were a loud, fun party of 8 and Mike our server rolled with us!!! Terrific food especially the mussels and the shrimp/calamari app that I can't remember the name of. The service was impeccable and Gia is the absolute sweetest. Just fyi it's a smaller restaurant but we felt like we had plenty of room. Definitely going back!!! Oh and make sure to grab Limoncello and the tiramisu. Incredible. read more

This is a tricky one to write. I went in solo on a weeknight about 6:30. The restaurant filled up rapidly. They have inside and outside seating. I heard the waiter apologizing for delays as they were short staffed. I ordered the fried romaine salad (5*), Florentine Chicken (rather overcooked 3*), and a glass of chardonnay that did not arrive. Later, when the waiter brought my chicken he asked if I wanted a drink but I opted for my water. The table behind me requested a martini, but the waiter indicated they did not currently have a bartender. To his credit the waiter said he would try to mix the drink after the customer gave him instructions. This is a popular place that could be 5 star as it is quite charming and the servers were friendly but the service was lacking seemingly from being understaffed. I do recommend giving it a try. I may have just been there on an off night, as the reviews are mostly good. read more

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I'm sorry, but the food was not good. The meatballs and sauce were bland. It reminded me of Chef Boyardee's meatballs from my childhood. Wow! The lasagna was not good. The dish tasted better than the meatballs appetizer, but that's not saying much. I make a much better lasagna. The cannoli had a strange lemony flavor. I threw it away after two bites. read more

The service was very good. The atmosphere was less casual and very nice. First impressions are everything.. The first thing that came out was the bread. It was plain white Italian bread with butter in a plastic throw away Containor. The salad was good and the food was average. read more

Awesome! This neighborhood favorite comes thru yet again. We ordered: Chicken Marsala - mouthwatering deliciousness! Cooked to perfection. Lasagna Bolognese- little too cheesy, but very tasty. The atmosphere is charming with a nice buzz. read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Chicken Marsala with side of pasta - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Worst Italian I've ever had. We lived in Europe for 10 years. We visited Italy a few times and Cafe Gia is not authentic Italian. Given the reviews, I drove round trip over 2 hours to try this restaurant. I ordered two orders of sea bass over risotto with lobster bisque. One of the pieces of fish was way smaller than the other. The hostess lied and said the smaller piece looked small on top of the rice and would probably be bigger once I ate it bc it was buried over the risotto. I got home and not only was the fish super dry and bland, the risotto was disgusting and the fish was small and there was a ton of rice. There was barely if at all any bisque on the sea bass. There was also bones in the fish. We threw both meals away. I called the restaurant incessantly and no one picked up. I left a voicemail and no one returned my call. I finally spoke to an incompetent waiter who advised I needed to call back to speak to an owner that wouldn't be in til the next day. The waiter refused to take my info and have the owner call me back. Like you gave me trash food, why should I have to keep calling to voice my complaint. No one called me back.Horrible customer service. Horrible food! Stay away from this restaurant! read more

Cafe Gia Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Yeah, visiting the area. Found Gia's on yelp. The food was absolutely delicious. Prices are very reasonable. Appetizer, two entrées, bottle of wine for $100. Good authentic Italian cooking. Gia walks from table to table greeting everybody as if they are family. She has a beautiful spirit makes everyone feel like they are. Definitely recommend. Ambience is cozy and quaint. Definitely will be back. read more