Always a favorite and this trip did not disappoint. We weren't sure what time we would finish up our work on this particular Thursday evening so I waited to check for a table last minute. Thankfully we were able to get it with just a 30 minute wait or so. I had dreamed of arancini all day long only to find it was not on the menu any longer unfortunately! Heartbroken. All of our dishes were still delicious of course but please bring back the arancini! Service was impeccable, lighting and cocktails on point, still on my short list of all-time faves! Can't wait for our next visit! read more

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Fortunato was an experience. From cozy posture friendly chairs to amazing filling and decadently cooked meal, beautiful ambience, open kitchen, muted lighting, conscientious service.. this place is simply amazing. We were a group of eight, who magically became nine and we were accommodated. We let them know ahead that we had a vegetarian in the group, so they made markings to a separate menu card to help us choose. The drinks were well done, Food was so creative and done just right. For dessert we chose the chocolate salami platter, which was awesome. Our top recommendations, eggplant Parmesan, spinach and cheese pasta, roasted olives, brussels sprouts, and the chocolate platter. Give this place a try. Keep up the good work guys.! read more

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Service was good, attentive and timely. Atmosphere quiet and cozy with a Mediterranean ambiance. Options available in the pizza and pasta category. Nice place to meet friends and catch up. read more

Good food. Great service. Nice atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit if you are in downtown Roanoke.

Authentic Italian, lovely atmosphere. Perfect for a first date. Diverse wine list. The duck ragu was impeccable. Decent service, did feel a bit rushed to finish our bottle of wine and hit the road which was the only downside. read more

Fortunato - Sangiovese - Pizza Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke's downtown is not large, but this is one of a finite number of restaurants here that has a really down-town-y kind of ambience. They emphasized the freshness of their pasted, and the taste delivered. The baked shells I ordered were quite indulgent and on the salty side, but having finished only half I had leftovers for the following day. A kale salad balanced things out nicely and was substantial and carried an appropriately sweet dressing. The bread to start with something like za'atar and flavored butter was the sort of thing that causes one to end up taking half an entree home. I would have preferred the menu offer more in the plant-based direction, but what I did get was about what I'd hoped for. read more

Fortunato - Lumache al forno - Pizza Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Fortunato is one of those locally owned Italian restaurants where people gather for special occasions and where you never know who you may find there. The Crème de la Crème of the City of Roanoke frequently dine there, such as professionals, business owners, and politicians, As a matter of fact last time I dined there I ran into Mayor Jobb Cobb; as I was leaving the restaurant he was arriving and shouted out my name when he recognized me. You can read about it in my previous review of this magical restaurant, where for one reason or another everyone wants to frequent. After being awarded the Triad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, I decided that it would be appropriate this year to go back to this restaurant and write a follow-up review, since my initial review was one of my reviews that contributed to me obtaining this highly esteemed Award. This time when I visited the restaurant, I received a warm welcome, as always, by the friendly host. She escorted me to a wonderfully located table at the middle back-end of the restaurant. My server Trevor who is very friendly and enjoys establishing conversation with his customers, soon came by to greet me and take my order. I ordered a Fruity and Fun Mocktail to drink, as appetizer I order a dish that contained Fried Calamari, among other items. They were delicious. As my main entrée I ordered the Mafaldine Siciliana. A dish that contained Swordfish among other ingredients. I invite you to view my photographs and video clips that accompany this review for a better sense of the exquisite cuisine dishes served. My server did a great job bringing each course at the right time and on coming by to check on me. Who I think was the manager also came by my table to check on me. For dessert I had the Semifreddo which this evening happen to be Strawberry Ice Cream made in-house with fresh local strawberries. As always. I had an excellent dining experience. This is a wonderful restaurant to come alone for a relaxing dinner or with significant other to spend quality time together. read more

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True Gem! Food was fantastic, service very prompt and personable. If you're in the area or passing thru have to stop in! read more

It's very rare that I write a review, but my experience at Fortunato was really beyond my expectations in a positive way. The wait staff was really kind, the food was super delicious, and I even left something behind in the restaurant accidentally, and they went out of their way to make sure I got it back. Shout out to Brett who made the whole experience so positive! read more

I thought it was good but not worth the price. The pasta is but nothing out of this world. The drinks are good. The service is just fine. I wouldn't be jumping to get back read more

Came here for our anniversary and were not disappointed. We were staying a bit of a ways away on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but when we saw Fortunato's menu we knew we had to drive over for a special meal. My wife listed that it was our anniversary on the reservation, and we were greeted with champagne, which was a wonderful surprise! Our server was also a sommelier and right off the bat gave us some very helpful wine suggestions that made the experience even more special. We chose a bottle of the Loggiato Corte alla Flora, which was a great suggestion. We stuck to pasta for our mains, and both dishes (whose names I, unfortunately, don't recall) were delicious. A great blend of traditional and modern Italian. The ambiance was modern and trendy. We arrived pretty early for dinner and when we were seated the restaurant was pretty empty, but by the time we left, it was PACKED with couples, friend groups, families, and even what looked to be a retirement party in the reservable room off to the side. Everyone was having a great time. This was our first trip to Roanoke, but we'll definitely be back to take in more of the city - and return to Fortunato! read more

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Delicious homemade pasta at a great price! It was nice but not overly dressy. The waiter let us know the menu changes seasonally, I will definitely be back to try something new (My carbonara was delicious.) I celebrated my birthday here and had a delightful time ! read more

Yummy food, nice bar, great bartender! The burrata was delicious and the eggplant parm was very good. Great little spot with a good atmosphere and friendly staff! Great drinks too! read more

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We were happy to get a table without a reservation. Our server, Dave, was very attentive and friendly. We ordered the Mafaldine con Gamberi which was delicious with a homemade pasta and yummy sauce with shrimp and blistered tomatoes. We also had a pepperoni pizza that was loaded with pepperoni and had a delicious tomato sauce. This being our first time in Roanoke and our first time at this restaurant, we were very happy with the experience. read more

Hear me out. We went there twice before putting out the final review. The first time we went we had gotten their land meatball pizza as well as their margherita pizza, and I have to say coming from New York I was extremely disappointed. However, we have had good pizza in Roanoke but this was definitely not it. We came back a second time and tried their fish and their pasta and I don't know why but for some reason they seem to skimp out on meat. In your description, if you are going to talk about sausage, I would like to see more sausage in my pasta. Instead it was barely there in my pasta , And it was the same issue with the pizza where we had barely any lamb in our in lamb pizza. The reason why I am not giving this place a two stars is because I do like that the host and staff are friendly and I do like that the place was clean and I also enjoyed the cocktails which were extremely delicious. However, for the price of the food it is completely not worth it to come here for just pasta and tiny pieces of meat. read more

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first of all: shout out to Ashley! she was extremely personable, knowledgeable about the menu, a great communicator. food was pretty good :) def will be back! read more

Fortunato - Calamari - Pizza Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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Definitely worth a visit! Brother booked the reservation for a party of 8 for a birthday for our elderly father (90). Was worried that it wouldn't work for our two crabby teenagers, but everybody had a wonderful time. Interior was novel and not too loud despite the hard concrete / stone floor. I had the Orecchiette con Salsiccia and my wife had the Spaghetti Al Pomodoro Crudo, and both were wonderful, unique and just the right portion size. The salads were great as well. The boys had pizzas and they both raved about the quality of the crust. The waitstaff were very friendly and accommodating for creating pizzas the boys would like (big slices of buffalo mozzarella are not their thing). read more

The service from Josh couldn't have been better. The menu was very unique and everything was great. We were there on a rainy Saturday night but the restaurant was warm and inviting. We will be back! read more

My husband and I came here for our first wedding anniversary. We did make a reservation on OpenTable before hand and noted that it was a special occasion. There's not a lot of lighting from the outside so if you're not paying attention it's easy to drive by and miss the entrance. We were able to park just down the block and walk back to find the restaurant. The host and server were both very friendly and courteous. For drinks we ordered the Happy Accident which was delicious, the Hawaiian sea salt on top definitely helps balance the flavor of the drink. The manager(?) came by at the beginning of the meal and we received complimentary champagne for celebrating our anniversary. For the appetizer we got the Salumi, which is prosciutto, salumi Toscana & bresaola with house bread, pickles and marinated olives. I'm assuming they must have been out of pickles as our dish came with artichoke hearts instead, but this was never actually mentioned. The meat was delicious and light and paired well with the house bread which was well seasoned. For our entrée, while many things on the menu sounded delicious, my husband and I were both excited to have the Spaghetti Carbonara. We have both previously only ever had "americanized" carbonara which is really a variation of alfredo and not made with egg yolk and looked forward to getting to try what actual carbonara should taste like. We were not disappointed at all;; the cheeses (Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano) blended well together, the salt from the Guanciale with just black pepper is a simple but delicious combo, and the texture from the egg yolk meant this was not overly sauced. We both cleaned every last bit from our plates. For sides we ordered the Broccoli (roasted with anchovy butter and parmesan) and the Roasted Potatoes (fingerling potatoes roasted in duck fat with walnut, basil & sage pesto.) Both were served in small roasting pans that they were obviously also cooked in so we didn't miss out on any of the juices. Broccoli was roasted perfectly, light char but still very tender and moist. The potatoes were also roasted perfectly and the pesto was delicious. For dessert we ordered the Cannoli and Tiramisu to share. Both were a nice light serving where they could easily be finished by one person without feeling overstuffed. Overall we had a very lovely experience, my only small complaint was that in the evening the lighting isn't very bright so we couldn't enjoy the full visual of our food and depending on where you sat it was a little hard to read the menu. During the day I'm sure the tall windows give plenty of light. We will definitely be back for future special occasions and probably even just regular dinner. read more

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Why 5 stars? I was really impressed from our server, to the ambience and of course the food. We had appetizers in the meatballs and the burrata. Both were good, with the Burrata leading the way. Meatballs were ok but nothing to rave about. Main course came and the Duck Ragout was outstanding. My wife had penne with bacon and cream sauce that was very rich but great as well. Dessert we were told to get the tiramisu, I am not a coffee fan at all but this was very nice, subtle and a great close to the meal. Will be back! read more

Really good dinner...had the duck pasta, Ragu D'antra...everyone agrees it was incredible...sister had Bronzino...very good also...wife and sister had the carbonara and brother in law a pizza...all were very happy...service was awesome read more

Finally, an authentic Italian restaurant! Don't be fooled by Luigi's. This is legit. My wife and I both worked in fine dining under a chef from Palermo, Sicily. Furthermore, we have traversed Italy, including Florence, Chianti, and Amalfi (and we travel for food). This is it. Go there. Make sure to pair each course with a wine from their well stocked selection. Maybe even grab with a Nebbiolo, which isn't always easy to find outside of a quality wine shop. Most importantly, enjoy! P.S. They easily accommodated our food sensitivities. Separate menus were provided denoting what is gluten free and what doesn't contain pork/beef/lamb. read more

Wonderful service! Food came out in a timely manner and was delicious. My husband and I both ordered the duck ragu. For dessert we had the tiramisu which was spectacular. read more

First timers and we were not disappointed everything was amazing! Quick drink and appetizer service, with perfect timing between Apps and main meals! This will be on our top list to come back to visit for date nights read more

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Visiting Roanoke from NoVA, I was a bit surprised that this restaurant had "NoVA prices" on their menu. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere when we visited. We got the duck ragu to go since we wanted to try some other restaurants in downtown. A bit pricier for the portion size but it was actually really delicious! The duck was tender and flavorful and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. read more

Fortunato - duck ragu - Pizza Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Nice place in downtown Roanoke. All our food was quite good, and the wine as well. Only issue was that the server brought me the wrong entree (which they admitted was their mistake), so I had to wait for my dinner while my partner ate theirs. Normally, a restaurant at this level would comp the dish, or offer a free glass of wine while I was waiting. I was kind of surprised that they didn't offer anything. But apart from that, it was a good experience. read more

Very decent upscale, sister Italian resto to Lucky and Stellina! Fortunato fine-tunes their menu often. This is a 4.5* rounded up for their excellent service! I visited on a weekday evening for dinner. ++. Ambiance is clean, modern and simple with soft lighting. It was busy for a weekday night but I was able to find a seat at the bar without a reservation. If you want a table, a reservation is recommended. ++. Food is updated Italian. Their menu read well with crafted cocktails, beers and a good wine list....and they executed well! I ordered a Sopressata & Hot pepper pizza and a side of rapini. Both came out fresh and hot within few minutes. I asked for oregano and "fresh" chopped arrived in 2 minutes! I was also offered hot oil and hot honey for my pizza...new to me and I gladly tried both with my pizza! I liked them but preferred mine without. My Neapolitan style pizza....fresh mozzarella, pickled jalapeños and Sopressata with red sauce was tasty. The dough was nicely charred but slightly thicker than my preference. Rapini with garlic was perfect! Slightly al dente with chopped fresh garlic....when the ingredients are fresh and good, you don't need a lot of seasoning. I was rather skeptical about ordering a pizza in Roanoke and must say I'm glad I did! +. Price is higher than most places in Roanoke but pretty reasonable for the quality of their food. +++. Service was awesome! My bartender, Leslie was attentive and on point for the food recommendations. Friendly, attentive and knowledgeable:-)) ++. Parking is street and a private lot across the street after 6m. Over all, my best find on this trip to Roanoke and they will replace R&R into my rotation! I already have my dishes picked out for my next visit :-)) read more

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Fortunado has been on my wishlist for a long time, and I went one weekday for a spur-of-the-moment treat. Without a reservation, the host was barely able to squeeze me in so long as I finished before a 6:30 reservation--I'm sure glad I showed up as soon as they opened. As I was on a bit of a tight schedule, I went straight to the main event--the pizza. I ordered a potato pizza, and I was impressed with just about everything. The dough was thin with a perfect dusting of flour on the bottom, while the crust was airy and crunchy on the outside. It was cooked just right, not overcooked or underdone. The flavors of the toppings all worked well together, though it was perhaps missing just a little something--maybe salt, pepper, or red pepper could finish it to perfection. All-in-all, I was really happy to find such a solid Neapolitan pizza joint in Roanoke. It's a great location for a date, dinner with friends, or solo treat. I'd highly recommend coming, and making a reservation too--it's busy for good reason. To try next time: the desserts! read more

Fortunato - Pizza Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

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I have eaten here on several Saturday nights when I visit Roanoke. Everything I've had has been exquisite. I've always sat at the bar to eat because they're always full on a Saturday evening. But they're very accommodating. The place has a good vibe. Friendly and expert bartenders--it's a pleasure to watch them work! The customers next to me have always been polite and friendly. The prices are reasonable, considering the quality of the food and drink. I'd highly recommend the eggplant parmesan--and that's not a dish I usually get excited about. read more

This was a treat for us to go out to a nice restaurant. we are exploring Roanokes options and after much consideration we settled on Fortunato. we did not have a reservation we got there right as they opened and the pleasant and welcoming hostess gave us the option of eating at the bar or next door which had a "different name but the same menu"? we decided to eat at the bar. there was two bartenders. our bartender who never greeted us just asked what we wanted to drink. no small talk no good afternoon just a blank face and what do you want to drink. I ordered eggplant parmigiana, my favorite! so there are no small dinner salads given no bread offered. we just sat there staring at liquor bottles with the blank faced bartender with nothing in front of us but our drinks. my dinner came by a food runner . was a stack of eggplant and cheese, no pasta. no pasta on the side with eggplant parmigiana? no piece of bread on the side of plate. so just some eggplant and cheese. my partners dinner was a spicey pasta dish which they said was good but they wouldn't order again. we had also asked for water. it was never refilled by our blank faced bartender but the other bartender did fill mine but not my partners. we were never asked if we wanted another beer. there was five customers in the restaurant so don't think blank face was real busy. We were there a total of thirty minutes . I ended up taking my dinner home and making some pasta and then eating my completed meal . I would not suggest this restaurant to any one. our special treat was just a total bust. read more

Amazing!!! Seriously one of my favorite meals to date. I got the stuffed shells but tried my friends food. We all got different meals and they were all great. The bread was also amazing. read more

Fortunato - Great vibes - Pizza Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Okay, so the food is good. My hubby was thrilled with his pizza. Nice wine selection. But, be ready to order a bottle or you're relegated to a very slim "by the glass" menu. Our son loved his Bolognese dish. Maybe, I'm not a lover of the wood fired pizza... our crust was charred. It's probably me because hubby loved his. Our server seemed perturbed when our son's coke was flat. "I just opened the can..." All in all, I recommend Fortunato but think our family's profile (sharing dishes, wine BTG) disappointed our server. Cheers to new cities & dining experiences. 3 stars. read more

We stopped in here to try it just for a drink and appetizer and was glad I did. The place was very well decorated very city modern, the staff was very welcoming and helpful. The sign in the restaurant said they specialize in pasta so I will have to try some on the next visit. We got a pizza and the lamb meatballs. The lamb was good but the pizza was some of the best I have tasted in years!!! Whatever they are doing to get it that good is working. We will definitely be back again. As a side note they have a speakeasy bar next door called Stellina that is not really advertised but is worth going and getting a drink. Great cocktails and other drinks. read more

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I have a dairy and soy allergy so I don't eat out many places. To my surprise, Fortunato had many options that fit my dietary needs. The waiter and kitchen staff were very kind and provided me with a menu highlighting all of the options that were safe for me. It was delightful to be able to safely eat out. The food was delicious too! For anyone looking for a safe place to eat with allergies, check out Fortunato. And to the staff at Fortunato, thank you! read more

Live , Love , and Eat Some More. Absolutely crazy about this place! We went here during a visit to Roanoke from Richmond, VA. My bf picked this restaurant before we left home based on the menu. He cooks a LOT, and isn't easily impressed. I honestly wasn't sure about the place after a glance at the menu since it's so small. Saying that, I am so happy we went here! I honestly cannot give enough stars on how good the food is. Everything taste of the best quality, was flavorful, and well presented. We ordered the Formaggi, Marinated Olives, Maiale Al Sugo, Bianco Pizza, Side of brusselsprouts, and dessert (I want to say it was a tiramisu). I really can't rave enough about how good the food was! When people bring up Roanoke we tell them about this restaurant that truly is a place we both tie a GREAT memory, because of the food and the experience we were able to share together. We've seriously considered going back to Roanoke just to have dinner there again! read more

Such wonderful food and ambiance for an evening out! The wood fired pizza is hands down the best in the area. The mushroom pizza is our favorite which we order every single time we go here! The hot honey is a MUST so be sure to ask the staff for some and you can pour it all over for a spicy sweet kick. The duck ragu was pretty good with the pasta being cooked to perfection and the duck melting in our mouths. We finished the evening off with the fried dessert which had an orange chocolate dipping sauce. The dessert was really good just not as sweet as we thought it would be after reading the description. Overall a very successful and satisfying dinner out! read more

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Hugely disappointed by the pizza ordered here - so much so it's probably the most disappointing pizza I've had in the star city with no lasting impact. I do love the atmosphere though and service was nice. read more

F N awesome! Who would have thought there was a restaurant of this caliber in Roanoke! What a great way to end a trip through the lovely state of Virginia where I witnessed a homeless lady kick her boyfriend's ass and get arrested and a skilled tire charger helped me remove the spare tire that was dragging along the highway. I apologize for the rant. This place is awesome! read more

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Absolutely amazing service and amazing food. My boyfriend is Italian (born and raised), but has grown accustomed to eating Americanized Italian cuisines. I took him here based on the reviews to see if he thought it was authentic. He was thoroughly shocked and impressed with both the authenticity and flavor. We also loved the decor and ambience of the restaurant itself. Very classy, very posh. The service was very good. Our server was very attentive, kind. She also addressed any questions we had the best that she could and we appreciated that. I actually came here again with my aunt and uncle (they have a much more refined and diverse palette, having eaten some of the best cuisines globally) and they weren't expecting much but were extremely impressed when I brought them here. Without a doubt, this is a place to visit when in Roanoke (speaking as an outsider). Especially for a date night or a night out for adults for some good food and wine! read more

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Usually I'm not a pizza and drinks type of person. But the restaurants around this place were filled up and they had a few seats behind the bar so we settled in. Our server was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We ordered the white pizza with lamb meatballs. The giant mound of arugula on top threw me for a loop but surprisingly, it was a nice touch to the pizza. The pizza by the way, was delicious. My party also ordered a tiramisu and the warm chocolate pudding to share amongst the three of us, and it was plenty. You would think all tiramisu is the same until you've stumbled across a bad one. But really, it isn't. It's a perfect balance of flavor and liquor and texture of the ladyfingers. This place does it perfectly right and it was super yummy. We also ordered the warm chocolate pudding and holy cow, was it delicious! It's definitely worth sharing because it's very rich. Though I'll admit I could have easily eaten it all myself too. I probably would have hated myself afterward but that's beside the point. Anyway, the pudding was dense and thick, like a molten chocolate cake. The gelato was super chocolate and rich and the hazelnut added a nice nutty touch. Both desserts came out in little mason jars for a nice visual aspect. All in all, I'm glad we stumbled into this place. I wish I lived in the area because we need something like this further down South where I am! read more

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