This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Denver, located in the Highlands neighborhood. It's old school (originally opened in the 1930s) serving great authentic Italian food with an interesting history. Back in the 1950s & 60s it had a unique connection to organized crime & was known as a hub for mobsters. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a lively place with a cool vibe playing music from the 50s, 60s & 70s. I especially enjoyed the Motown sound.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lots of windows, both booths & tables were comfy & cushioned.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Jack was our server & he was very friendly & attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We arrived for Brunch on a Sunday afternoon & the place was busy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had Cheese Bread with Marinara, Lasagna & Chicken Parmigiana. Our dishes were delicious! The bread was a meal in its self with a really tasty sauce. The lasagna was very good as well but the parmigiana was even better...crispy flavorful chicken. What tied all this together was the scrumptious red sauce used in everything we ate. It was awesome with a spicy kick. This was an amazing meal & I look forward to trying some of their dishes from the dinner menu like the Lobster Ravioli & the Chicken Marsala. read more

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Absolutely loved this place. Honestly, not sure why the reviews aren't even higher than they are, but to each their own I suppose. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant has a classic old school Italian rat pack throwback vibe. It's fun and lively and a great place to join friends for dinner[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Food here is genuinely delicious. I grew up in a big Italian family and have eaten a lot of Italian food over the years. This is exactly the kind of Italian comfort food I was hoping for. Super flavorful and delicious dishes that won't disappoint. We tried the Gnnochi Salsicia, Lobster Ravioli, Tasty Treats and lasagna (always kind of hesitant to try a lasagna or spaghetti) and all of them were amazing. The Lobster Ravioli and Gnnochi were probably the table favorites and were genuinely two of the best dishes I've had at an Italian food spot in a long time. Absolutely plan to make this a regular stop moving forward! read more

My family and I stopped in for a quick lunch. We ordered caesar salad (the only great dish), clam aglio & olio, and the mushroom pizza. The aglio was bland and flavorless with cheap, frozen clams that tasted so fishy (and maybe old?). How are you going to charge $25 for overcooked pasta and frozen fishy clams? Ridiculous and a scam. Pizza dough was not even pizza-esque and felt so thin, it was crumbly. Service: 3.5/5 read more

Stopped in for lunch today. Our server Briggs was great. Super friendly and attentive! We ordered calamari for the table that was pretty good, I had the caprese chicken sandwich with fries. I thought it was tasty, I never had one before! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Loved the ambiance here, felt like an old timey Italian place :)[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I'd like to come back for dinner some time for sure read more

Gaetano's - Caprese - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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We came for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and this place was hopping! The service was gracious and accommodating of our larger group size -13- of us! So much history in this area of north Denver. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant reminds us of times gone by when a long lunch was not as much of a luxury.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It has many well appointed seats, booths, and tables as well as a long bar with generous seats.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had minestrone and a spaghetti with a very tasty meat ball. We then had spumone ice cream for dessert. read more

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Best Italian spot in Denver hands down. The service was incredible, staff were all so sweet. The drinks were stellar and the food was spectacular. We will absolutely be coming back, I am so glad we found this place. read more

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Amazing! We really enjoyed our meal here and plan to return soon. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself has a fun ambience and is decorated with pictures from their mob history.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Each of the dishes we tried were delicious. -clams aglio e olio: the clams were fresh and plentiful, and the sauce had just enough red pepper to add a kick without being overpowering. -lobster ravioli: the vodka sauce on this dish was incredible. The pesto made it a touch oily, and I would probably order the dish without it in the future. The shrimp were also cooked very well and were large. -chicken Parmesan: the chicken cutlet was huge and perfectly crispy. The pasta on the side, however, was cold as if it had been pulled from the fridge (actually cold, not just room temperature). When we told our server, he took it to the kitchen to reheat quickly. The flavors of the dish were great though. -bread basket: the addition of the focaccia was unique. It had a good flavor but was pretty dry. The service was fast, and our food didn't take too long to come out even though it was busy. I would definitely recommend a reservation during the weekends, as they were completely full during most of our visit. read more

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Amazing food, customer service, and the atmosphere is incredible. The owner is truly an amazing person who cares about his customers. We will always recommend Gaetano's!!! read more

Wow wow wow. Not my first time here- but it has been about two years since I have been. The last time, was not great so I went in having mid-expectations. I was so blown away that I asked our waiter if the kitchen staff had changed. Even the bread tasted different- in a phenomenal way. We shared the antipasto chopped salad- ALSO PHENOMENAL - I had the bolognese- had a kick to it but was GREAT (I'll change my adjective) My sister had the lobster ravioli, my mom had the chicken mala(no clue how to spell) and my dad the eggplant parm- my god. Each tasted better than the next. I won't leave the desert out! The tiramisu & the limoncello cream cake was spectacular! It was crowded and loud but honestly- that was part of the entire experience. Very Italian!!!! Will be back, much sooner this time! read more

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We went a for my brother's birthday. We all don't live to far and had heard great things. I am so glad we finally made a reservation. The portions are large, the food and restaurant is hot, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We got the Shinto peppers as an appetizer, they were as expected and no surprise spicy one. They brought us a basket of bread that was delicious but don't fill up on the bread. Because the lobster ravioli was delicious. It'll the sauce was light, paring well with the freshly made pasta. It was surrounded by large juicy shrimp. My husband got the bolognese which our waiter warmed us that "if you don't mind a little spice" you will enjoy it. My husband thoroughly enjoyed it - he cleaned the plate. My brother got the fettuccine and said it was good but not the best he has ever had. Because we were there to celebrate a birthday they brought us a tiramisu which was "chefs kiss"! We all decided we would got back to try a few other dishes that caught our eyes. read more

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Been looking forward to visiting here with my family, made a reservation days in advance to prepare. We had 5 guests and reserved a spot at 7:15. We arrived on time, meaning a little before our time and the front was packed with patrons, no where to sit while we wait. We waited 15 min to be seated for our reservation when our table was open the whole time. There was also a point when there were three two tops next to eachother that were open and could have been made into a larger table as well. I asked when we will be seated and hostess said we have to wait for the reservation before us to be seated? Meanwhile the table we were sat at was open the whole time, this logic does not make sense to me as I was a hostess before. We got sat and the service was slow, the waitress took another 10 min before asking our drink order. The food and drinks were great but service was not the best. Also my menu was dirty and I would think a fancy establishment would have the hosts clean the menus while they're standing there or not reuse them. All in all I would go back again but maybe with the mindset that service will be slow. read more

Gaetano's - Empty tables, won't be sat. Our table can can be seen in the far back. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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AMAZING very good service and food I'm super happy with this place and definitely will be coming back

We went during the lunch menu time. All the food was pretty good. Drinks too. I really liked the look of the place. Very cool inside. I thought it was a little expensive for the quality of the food. It was all good but I would have expected a little more for the price. They were also a bit understaffed. It took 10 min to get a table cleaned just because of not having enough servers. GF substitutions/options available. I would come back again if I were in the area. read more

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This has been the best Italian food I've had in a longtime. The flavor of the chicken Marsala was outstanding. The staff were right there when you wanted something. read more

Food was amazing. Service was amazing. 10/10. Burrata was amazing. Chicken parm was amazing. Just yummm! Will be back! read more

Gaetano's - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Wow! I had an amazing dinner here with a friend recently. Our reservation was at 515, we showed up around 5 and there was literally a line down the street of people waiting for them to open. We got in quickly and were seated right away thankfully. The server let us know the specials and then brought us our drinks. The bartender here knows how to make a great martini, and they have blue cheese olives, my favorite! I'm not kidding when I say I think the Bruschetta here is the best I have ever had. The pasta and salad were amazing as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I also love the old school Italian restaurant ambience they have going on, makes me feel like I'm in NYC.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Definitely recommend, make sure to make a reservation though! read more

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We had a wonderful dinner at Gaetano's! It's a cool, mobster themed restaurant with a chatty ambiance. Our server, Andrew, was great, very attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and an overall nice guy to chat with. Our meal was delicious. We ordered the shrimp de jonghe for an appetizer and it was soo good. I recommend dipping the bread in! Then we each had pasta dinners, the creamy Gorgonzola was our favorite. We also got tiramisu for dessert and it was just a perfect ending to our night. Definitely recommend for some yummy Italian food! read more

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We had a friend come in from out of town and another friend recommended this Italian restaurant. We gave it a try for lunch. I loved the ambience. From the photos to the seating to the big beautiful shotgun bar, it's just welcoming and delightful. We had meatballs and cheesy bread, meatball sub, sausage and peppers sandwich, minestrone soup, and a epically hellacious wedge salad. The food was very good. Of the things we tried, my fave was the rich and robust red sauce. I loved it Our server was well educated on the menu and guided us well. Everything was a hit. We will definitely go back. We are currently on a waitlist for a reservation for Valentine's Day dinner. In my experience, this restaurant is underrated.. they could have made changes. But for me, this is the real deal. read more

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It had been many years since I had been to this restaurant. The menu looked good and authentic. My chicken piccata was not good at all. No color, the flour dredge was still flour , not browned , watery sauce , It was very unappealing to look at and there was no flavor. They were very nice and didn't charge us. However , the minestrone soup was equally bad. Oily , tasted too much of pesto and was too spicy. So disappointed. read more

Gaetano's absolutely crushed it! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The happy hour here is next level.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Incredible drinks, amazing food, and the vibe is perfect. Ashley & Amber are an absolute dream team behind the bar -- friendly, attentive, and they make the whole experience feel special. The HH martinis are fantastic, but the real star for me is the HH oysters. Fresh, delicious, and the perfect happy hour treat. If you're anywhere near here, do yourself a favor and stop in read more

Wow what a lucky find. I'm from Scottsdale in for work and Gaetanos popped up on my Facebook. Well everything about this restaurant was well documented. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was old school and I love old school.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The chicken parm was amazing and huge! Loved every bite. Service was on par. I'll be back! read more

Gaetano's - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Celebrating a milestone with my friends. We have been here several times and had never been disappointed, this occasion was no different. As usual, the food and service were outstanding. I'm looking forward to my next meal here. read more

Gaetano's - My friends - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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the food was amazing !! we ordered 4 appetizers, entrees & dessert, it was all so good! BUT i can only give 3 stars because the service was atrocious. it ruined our entire dining experience. we had to ask our waiter for everything, from small plates to share the appetizers, more water, & forgotten beverages. at a point, our waiter tossed our dessert forks on the table instead of handing them to us individually or placing them at one end of the table. our party is truly disappointed with the way we were served, i wouldn't come back because of it. don't know if it was just our waiter or the usual standard. read more

Gaetano's - Gnocchi Salsicia & Funghi - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

My boyfriend and I decided to try this place and it is my new favorite Italian restaurant, possibly favorite new restaurant period! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is gorgeous and fun! I loved the wall art and classic booths![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had mussels to start and which were delicious! I had the mushroom Gorgonzola rigatoni with gnocchi and it was absolutely fantastic! The house made bread was insanely great and definitely a must for dipping in the delicious sauce! Our waiter Briggs was phenomenal! He suggested the perfect wine and food! He was excited to share about the food and restaurant and definitely set a great night over the top with his hospitality! I cannot wait to go back! read more

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New Yorkers and Jersey boys and girls will love the food and the old-school Rat Pack vibe. Bolognese (delicious), Eggplant Parm (best so far in Denver, tastes homemade - thick, firm, not mushy, peeled, crispy breadcrumb coating, not drowning in cheese), Chicken Penne in Pesto Cream Sauce (delicious, light). The tomato sauce is wonderful with the right balance of garlic and a little spice. Great prices! read more

My family and I visit a few times per year, usually to celebrate a birthday or anniversary and previously have had great service and food. Yesterday we went for an early dinner- 4:00 - because it was a last minute decision and later times were unavailable. We were seated by one of the bartenders who asked if we were celebrating anything and also started out as our waiter, and that was fine. He asked about drinks and specifically mentioned that we had to vacate the table before 6:00 for another party, and we were the only table seated with a few patrons at the bar. A few minutes later a young man, Caden came up and said he was our waiter and asked us about drinks again. We were confused and said we already had another waiter. So Caden left and our original waiter came back and told us he was actually the bartender and Caden would be taking over. So Caden came back and asked about appetizers and we ordered soup and salad, he did not take our dinner order or even ask about it. We also asked for bread and he said it wasn't delivered until 4:00, and it was almost 4:30. I know he simply forgot. After approximately 15 minutes our soup and salad arrived, and they were okay, nothing exciting. Caden finally then came back and took our dinner order, which was pasta with grilled chicken on top. Again after several minutes another server brought out our food, which again was fine but not exceptional. Caden came back a few minutes later to check on us and we said that we would need boxes only because we weren't sure when he would come back again. He brought 2 boxes and the dessert menu. We declined dessert and had to ask for the check. Caden didn't offer to box the food for us, which in previous visits, the servers did. Bottom line is that Caden was a bus boy not a server, he had poor waiter skills and my gratuity reflected that. Gaetanos also charges a back of the house fee, which I consider as part of the gratuity. If this were my first visit, I don't know if I would go back but next time, it will be during the regular dinner rush when the regular serving staff is on duty. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is part of the charm.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Service was inattentive. He only checked on us twice throughout the whole evening. Our server never even told us the specials, and we only knew about them due the server at the table next us informing them. We would have gotten dessert but by the time it was offered we were one of the few tables there, and everybody else had already finished. Staff seemed liked they wanted to go home so we just asked for the check and left. read more

Dined this evening, one of our 'go to' spots, got seated right away with reservation. Service - stellar, chicken parm & lobster ravioli - 9 out of 10, had to partake in a Tiramisu, made in house - yummy. Ron, the owner stopped by the table to say hello, welcomed us like family. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love to come here to relax, eat, laugh, enjoy and just exhale[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Try them! read more

Lived in the Highlands for nearly two years and have passed by Gaetano's countless times, but I only recently stopped in for dinner. The food was so good that I couldn't stop talking about it and ended up coming back just a week later. This time we sat at the bar and Ashley and Amber took care of us. They were both incredible. Ashley in particular had such a calm demeanor that made the whole visit feel really relaxed and pleasant. It's the kind of service that makes you want to stay longer and come back again. read more

We love this place and ever since our first visit in April, visit for every family birthday. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The food, ambiance and service is always amazing!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] A definite must if you're in the area! Can't wait to dine there tonight for our son's 21st birthday. read more

Great Italian restaurant in the highlands! Andrew was a very attentive server who provided recommendations right away. We tried the bolognese and rigatoni which both tasted amazing! There was an extensive wine list and recommended pairings with the pasta. Would go back! read more

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Super happy with my experience here! My best friend and I sat at the bar on a busy Friday night. Service was super quick, even with how busy they were and the bartenders were both so sweet. Amber was amazing and kept us laughing the whole time. Food and drinks all incredible. Priced very reasonable as well. Definitely recommend! read more

Gaetano's - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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We've been here a few times now for dinner service. Each time were pretty busy and loud. Servers are friendly and check on us often. The linguine alle vongole description didn't have red pepper flakes listed so we had to send it back to the kitchen. It came back 3 more times with just as much red pepper each time. Other than that, the food is good. read more

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So delicious! I would highly recommend. We had a party of 7 and our server, Andrew, was excellent. He offered suggestions, made himself available, but didn't hover. The food was top notch, large portions, seasoned perfectly and hot! Don't forget dessert! The Italian Lemon Cream Cake was very refreshing and a generous serving. Make reservations, this place is busy! read more

Sometimes my partner and I go to a nearby Taco Bell and we pass this place on the way home. About a year ago we saw the sign in the window: DRINK LATE. that's all we needed to know, but when I found out it was an Italian restaurant, I couldn't believe I had let so much of life pass me by without stepping foot inside!!!! It was a shameful realization. My wife made us a reservation ASAP that coming Friday night. We got in the uber because we knew about the drink late feature. We entered the restaurant and it was like a tsunami of noise, real lively and people moving around a lot, and I don't know what happened but I stood directly in the way of every person around me until my wife just pulled me to somewhere more appropriate for standing. I think I was astral dreaming or whatever that crap is when you leave your body. Ok so then we sit down which was a relief especially when I saw Italian Margarita for sale. And I think we got zucchini plank because our booth was in front of a revolving crowd of people as they arrived for their reservations and we imagined ourselves trying to eat a grilled bread with bruschetta in front of them. We had stage fright about the way you have to go about a piece of grilled bread like sometimes you have to be aggressive with it. Sometimes I'll do it but with my astral dreaming problem I just couldn't do that yet. The zucchini's was the right choice for sure. Our server was hilarious btw. we were dying laughing because for everything we ordered they came back and asked if we wanted to order that even though we already ordered it. Some sort of amnesia but the good kind. We have soft voices so we were also cracking up because we could not hear each other as we tried to figure out what to order for the main deal. We tried to shout but we just look at each other like ?? :) the food came and we were like oh wow we have to come back here but maybe like before the evening tsunami next time. 7pm on a Friday we should've know that. Also my wife even took some pics of our food with the flash on because we only knew what to order because of the brave souls who did that before. Oh and I guess this place used to be the mob, i'm not sure about that but my wife was like obviously it's the mob did you see the pictures on the walll? But I don't know what kind of pictures are mob pics. She said it's obvious though. We got a dessert to go because at some point I needed to breathe. Thank you we will be back. Xo frankieeemf read more

Our family came here for my son's birthday based off of other Yelp recommendations, and we were so pleased with everything. The atmosphere is old style Italian with a warm and welcoming vibe. We were greeted and seated promptly for our 5:30 reservation. We were seated in one of the cool semi-circle booths that made conversation easy with our family and the server. The server was kind, personable, and very attentive the entire time. He made good drink suggestions and let us know about the special. We did not feel rushed for drink or food orders. For food, we ordered the calamari fritti, chicken alfredo, chicken piccata, and chicken marsala. We all very much enjoyed our meals. I personally had the piccata, and it was lovely lemony and buttery with the delicious salty capers for balance - really good! I had a hard time deciding between the many options. We also had tiramisu and cannoli for dessert, and our server lit a candle for my son's birthday. We had a wonderful experience, and this is now on our family's list of must return to restaurants. read more

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Top tier Italian, authentic atmosphere, quality taste, service was outstanding and everything went amazing while dining here. The food was so mouth watering delicious cannot wait to go back!!! I want to try everything on the menu! read more

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The only thing cool about this restaurant is that it's so old that there are stories of mobsters gathering here. The food is not the greatest. The cream sauces are so so watery. The cheesy bread was OK and so were the grilled oysters. The carbonara should not be soupy. Not worth the wait read more

Delicious food, the tiramisu was one of the best I've had. Kind and welcoming staff. I would highly recommend. read more

Gaetano's - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I was really craving some pasta, specifically, ravioli, and I had seen this place before. I took to Yelp and saw that it had pretty good reviews so I took a chance and went by. I ordered a Caprese salad and a lunch portion of the cheese ravioli. The salad came out, was exactly what I was hoping for, tasted great. But my ravioli took almost 45 minutes to come out after my salad and not only that, it wasn't hot. The pasta tasted fresh, The sauce was great, but it was like it had been sitting there and somebody forgot about it. It was less than Luke warm. I could understand if the restaurant was busy, and the meal took a little longer to come out, but this wasn't the case. When I walked in there, there was only one other table that was occupied. It was maybe five or six ravioli. It wasn't even a ton of them which makes me wonder why did it take so long and why was the dish so cold? For me, that was a very big turn off to the restaurant as a whole. Additionally, the staff was polite, you could tell they knew their customers, but as a new customer, I want to be made to feel just as special as their regulars. People who came in after me were being served their food before I was. I don't think I was being targeted, I don't really know what happened, but I was very disappointed. The entire meal was about $30 and I did appreciate the fact that they automatically add a 4% gratuity for kitchen staff specifically. So in terms of price for the quality of the ingredients, I think it was fair. As always I check the bathroom, and while it was clean and had a changing table, it did have a sewer smell so they might wanna get that checked out. Maybe even a little air freshener machine. Sadly, I don't know if I would recommend this place. First impressions matter and the wait time, the cold meal, and not feeling like I was as important as the rest of the regulars all lead me to give this restaurant a 3. read more

Gaetano's - Caprese it was perfect. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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