1/2 My fiancé and I…read morerandomly decided to try Altruda's for a date night, and I wanted to love it so badly because the atmosphere is absolutely a 10/10. The second you walk in, it feels like you've stepped into a little restaurant in Italy. It genuinely gave me Lady and the Tramp sharing spaghetti vibes. Cozy, romantic, intimate and completely my kind of atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the setting for us. We both had water, so I can't speak to the wine or cocktail selection. My fiancé ordered the lasagna, and I ordered the rigatoni with basil. I'll admit I didn't realize the rigatoni was literally pasta with oil and basil no marinara, no cheese, just a LOT of basil. And when I say a lot...I mean a lot. Neither of us really enjoyed our entrées, although we did eat them halfway. The salad was a disappointment. The lettuce seemed old and was extremely limp, and the chickpeas were soggy and tasted like they had been sitting in the dressing for quite a while. Nothing tasted particularly fresh. Overall, I'd give Altruda's 2.5 stars. The atmosphere alone makes me want to love this place because it is SO my vibe, but ultimately I'm going to a restaurant for the food, and ours just didn't hit. Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but based on this visit, I loved where I was sitting a whole lot more than what I was eating.

I'll be altruistic and give Altruda's 5 stars for the overall experience. We had great service and…read moreI love how the tables are segmented off into different "rooms" which makes the ambiance more intimate and quieter. The meals came out with a family style salad, which included neat toppings such as beets. The rolls doused in cooked garlic might be some of my favorite bread from any restaurant. Our server was prompt and did a great job anticipating our needs. I ordered the veal canzanese, which is breaded veal in a red wine sauce with mushrooms, ham, and cheese. My mom ordered the same dish but with chicken. Literally could not tell the difference between the chicken and veal. While the sauce tasted fine it's not a good idea to dowse a breaded meat in sauce because they were extremely soggy. I probably wouldn't order the veal again. I enjoyed how the meat sauce for the spaghetti had parsley in it - made it taste different from other bolognese. However, the meatballs, though large, were dry and bland as all get out. Some of the driest meatballs I've had in a while. Altruda my word, I'll give them 5 stars for the overall experience. Service 5, ambiance 5, and food 3.5.

Food: We have gone 5 times now and honestly cannot wait until our next visit. The food is real!…read moreHomemade, with authentic taste, texture and has been consistent. We have had spaghetti, meatballs, chicken parm, lasagna, baked ziti, manicotti, bruschetta, tortellini and salads and with absolutely no complaints, not one. All food has always been hit, fresh and delicious. Service: we have had every server and they each carry the owners idea of what a business should be, they are responsive, in tune and hustle. Service with heart, compassion and a smile. Price: For the portion size the price is on point.

This is our new go-to place for Italian food! Today we had the pizza and it was the best ever!…read more Melissa was our server and she went above and beyond! You won't find a friendlier waitress on the planet! She didn't just top of our iced teas when needed but even came by with a glass of ice and topped off our glasses with it! We've never had anyone do that before. Nick, the owner, was checking in on all the tables to make sure everything was great and he was so friendly we told him to pull up a chair and chat for a while! I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed this visit! And Nick....Go Yankees!!

I was looking forward to trying Emilia after it was highly recommended by my hotel. Before heading…read moreover, I checked the restaurant's website, which stated they were open until 9:30 p.m. I arrived at approximately 8:23 p.m., only to be told they were already closed and that they actually close at 8:30. If your hours have changed, your website should be updated to reflect the correct closing time. It's frustrating for both visitors and local customers to make the trip based on the information you provide, only to be turned away. Accurate business hours are a basic courtesy and show respect for your customers' time. Unfortunately, this experience left a disappointing first impression.

We couldn't get a reservation anywhere on downtown during grad day except this place. It is a cozy…read morelittle place. We wanted black squid ink pasta but they didn't have it. But they got Buccatini. Woohoo! Beet salad - we are a fan beets anything so it was good. Brussels sprouts- flavor was good but overcooked and mushy. PEI mussel - was really good. Highly recommended Pulpo (grilled octopus) - a tad overcooked but not too bad. Focaccia bread w/ Ricotta cheese - yummy. The only sad part was when our waiter took the Ricotta away before we can scraped off every little bit of cheese from the container without us realizing it. Pasta carbonara- barely any pancetta but yummy. Pasta bolognese- I am not a fan of bolognese. Gnocchi- soft and fluffy pillows but sauce is alright. Desserts: Pistachio gelato- homemade and delicious Tiramisu- ok but I personally prefer ones with more espresso and alcohol.

Amazing staff and amazing service if you are looking for somewhere responsibly priced and still…read morehave that fancy atmosphere this is the perfect place!

Service was friendly and my water glass never was lower than a third full…read more The restaurant was dimly lit and was decorated nicely. My main complaint was with the portion sizes and prices. The meatball appetizer was three mini meatballs. I've seen meatballs on sub sandwiches bigger than these. The lasagna, was really without any sauce. It was a bolognese sauce. Also it lacked the stretchy cheese pull that one expects from a lasagna. The pasta dishes from what I tried was a little to al dente, there was too much chew in the pasta. That said for the prices that they charge to not offer a side salad or at least some bread with the meal is disappointing.

Everything was wonderful as always at the Kennedy! Must stop when in Knoxville. Jason our server…read morewas great, food awesome and cocktails even better!

1. Ryan and William were amazing at the bar. William was our waiter and he did a fantastic job…read more 2. The food was top quality. 3. The drinks were over the top and William is an amazing bartender with deep knowledge on how to make drinks taste appropriately. 4. I've been coming to downtown Knoxville for a long time and never knew about the Kennedy, will make it a regular stop for me now.

My husband and I stopped in for dinner after having this restaurant on our list of places to try…read morefor quite a while, and we're so glad we did! My husband ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, and I chose the lasagna. Before our meal, they brought out bread with dipping oil. The bread was good, though I felt the dipping oil could have used a little more flavor. The lasagna was absolutely delicious and the portion was huge! I even had the leftovers the next day, and somehow it tasted even better. My husband loved his spaghetti and meatballs, and he was equally impressed with the generous serving size. Our server, Maya, was outstanding! She was attentive without being overbearing and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. We also loved the atmosphere--it was warm, welcoming, and made for a great dining experience. We'll definitely be back!

Italian cuisine at its finest is found at Cappuccino's. You know Copper Cellar the best steakhouse…read morein Knoxville; sharing space on Kingston Pike with the finest Italian restaurant at the same location. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is a little quieter than the other said of the business that has the bar. The service is exquisite and your palate will be satisfied with excellent combinations of meat, vegetables, pasta, salads, and desserts.

A second delivery, a second failure. They completely missed half of our holiday dinner, requiring a…read more10 mile round trip... hey, I said, give 'em a chance. Lots of time has passed, maybe it's all better. Well...at least they are consistent. Another Bravo chance, another massive miss. Ordered 4 items, got 3 and 2 were wrong. Eggplant parmigiana came with Chicken, Chicken items came with Shrimp, and the last entree just never showed up. But hey, you got a half cup of lobster bisque at no charge. I believe in second chances... but THIRD?

Excellent dining experience! Our waitress was lovely and attentive. Our food was tasty and…read moreauthentic (I've traveled to Italy often) and everything was served fresh and hot! Definitely a must visit. Beautiful atmosphere too!

This is our GO TO place when we want an incredible dinner experience as a couple or with family…read more We've been here many times and the staff is incredibly kind and accommodating. We actually moved further away and still commute here because we love it so much. We want to give a special shout out to Hunter, our cheese wheel king! Our server Colin was also exceptional.

So much to say about Bella! We had all been looking forward to coming here since we were in town…read morevisiting family who are regulars and always rave about it. Located in downtown Maryville, there is plenty of parking available. Since we were a large group, we were seated upstairs, which I loved. The view overlooking the restaurant was good, and it felt more private with only one other table next to us. Our server, Jack, was one of the best servers I've ever had! If I ever owned a restaurant, I would hire him! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and very attentive and made the whole experience even better. Most of our group ordered the tableside pasta wheel and loved it. I had the penne allá vodka and couldn't get enough of it, while my husband really enjoyed their wide selection of bourbon. I can definitely see Bella becoming our go-to Italian spot whenever we're back as locals in Maryville!

The baked ziti is the best...creamy, cheesy, and perfectly baked. The traditional Neopolitan piza…read morehas a great hand-tossed crust with just the right amount of sweetness in the sauce, the wings are solid, and the cannolis are a must. The weekdays lunch menu pricing is a fantastic deal and servers make every visit warm and welcoming.

We on the way out of Knoxville but in need of food, namely Italian. Gavinos popped up in Yelp and…read morethe reviews along with the photos of the interior hooked us. We arrived on a Sunday evening and were promptly seated. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. We ordered a deep dish pizza with pepperoni and bolognese for entrees. For appetizers we ordered fried ravioli and garlic knots. Mysteriously, I am the only one in my family that appreciates a good garlic knot. The waiter voiced his approval of the order for the bread. He was right!! The garlic knots were great. They were light and fluffy and so delicious. The ravioli was good but not a stand out. The entrees were a mix. The pizza was outstanding. The pie was not heavy and the ingredients were top notch. The bolognese was another thing entirely. It was brought out soupy. We have had bolognese in a lot of places and they are different to a degree...not soupy like this. The pasta was out of a box. Once you have had homemade pasta, factory made pasta is easy to tell. Finally, Gavino's did not have cappuccino or any coffee at all!! We were surprised...we looked around at the wonderful Italian decor, the red and white plaid tablecloths, the full Italian dessert menu and could not believe the restaurant did not have some kind of coffee, Italian or otherwise! To our waiter's credit, he did offer to make some especially for us but that's not the point. An Italian joint should have some Italian coffee. We left without ordering dessert, which is a rarity. But the lack of coffee killed the vibe. We did bring the pizza home and we ate every slice of it over the next few days. So, go for the pizza and garlic knots and bring your cappuccino with you. ;)

We had such a great experience at The Brass Pearl in Market Square! Everything we ordered was…read moredelicious, but the cocktails really stood out. The Old Fashioned was fantastic, and the Living on a Pear was absolutely delicious -- definitely two drinks I'd order again! We started with the calamari fries, which were so good and a fun twist on a classic appetizer. We also had the lobster bisque, which had a great flavor and was filled with delicious chunks of lobster. It was a little different from the thick, creamy, sherry-forward bisque we're used to -- this one was a bit lighter and more on the watery side -- but it was still really flavorful and enjoyable. For entrées, we had the shrimp basket and the fish and chips, and both were delicious and satisfying. And the crème brûlée cheesecake was to die for -- easily one of the highlights of the meal! Our waitress was nice enough, although she did seem to struggle a little with checking on us throughout the meal, keeping our waters filled, and knowing exactly what alcohols were available behind the bar. She was decent, but not especially friendly or attentive. That said, the food, drinks, and overall experience more than made up for it. We'll definitely be back!

We came here for lunch on a busy Market Square Saturday. Thank goodness for making reservations…read moreahead of time, because the restaurant was packed with happy diners. Immediately, I loved their quaint interior decorated with octopuses and mermaids. The mermaid at the helm of the bar was just Instagram worthy by herself. We were seated right away and our server was the delightful Brooke. She was so helpful in her recommendations, as it was our first time here. I ended up getting the fish tacos. I loved the tender mahi mahi and the slightly hot sauce in the tacos. My better half was happy with his Pearl Burger. We both agreed that the hand cut fries were amazing and we devoured all of them. For drinks we just did soda, and ended up the meal with a cappuccino. Big thanks to Brooke for always being on top of our drinks as well, and taking such great care of us. My tip: make reservations!!