This may possible have been the best Italian food inside the US I have ever had. The atmosphere was great and our server was incredibly friendly and attentive. I would absolutely visit here again and again!! We did family style and ordered 4 different things. The swordfish and chicken parm were my favs, but bolognese and ravioli were also really good. read more

Nice evening...good Italian food, extensive wine list, good service. Neighborhood restaurant gives it a comfortable ambiance. read more

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I have been here multiple times over the last many years. This week my family was driving through Birmingham and asked for me to take them to dinner somewhere. I told them we would go here and I was so glad to take my family(who's from out of state) to this local restaurant. The food is always delicious and the vibe in here is always so relaxing and nice. This place can be hard to come to because the reservations get tied up all the time by almost every single option. That is because it is loved by so so many people so I will always recommend for anyone to go to this place for sure. read more

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By far one of the best Italian restaurants I've ever had. This place is packed, so make a reservation -- you'll need it. Complimentary valet is a nice touch (just make sure to tip). The entrance feels warm and intimate, with a bar directly to your right and high-top tables to the left where diners are already deep in conversation. The main dining area is just past the bar, offering an elegant yet comfortable atmosphere. Our server was straightforward but friendly -- professional without being overbearing. One of my friends claimed he saw a roach in our first bread basket (I didn't see it myself, and honestly doubt it), but even that couldn't take away from how amazing everything else was. I ordered the bacon-wrapped quail special, and it was heavenly -- perfectly cooked, flavorful, and beautifully plated. Every dish that came to our table looked incredible, but the real star of the night was the mac and cheese. My friend, a local regular, couldn't stop raving about it. I finally tried a bite and immediately understood why -- it was one of those "eyes closed, head tilted back" moments. Hands down, one of the best I've ever tasted. If Chick-fil-A, your grandma, and every Southern cook came here, they'd be taking notes. It was that good. If I lived closer, I'd probably go broke eating here. Everything was meticulous, flavorful, and worth every penny. Gianmarco's is a must for anyone visiting Birmingham who appreciates fine dining done right. read more

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I am hesitating as I am writing this. It had been years (YEARS) since we dined here and so looked forward to being back and being close by. So close by that we can frequent this place all the gd time. And now we have. Three times in the last 6 months. And...what happened?? The first time was not bad. A "okay maybe they didn't hit a home run on this special but it was serviceable" kinda thing. But then it happened again. Two off nights? Maybe sure. The lasagna was still pretty good. The special not so much. The wine was good though. So let it slide. And then. It happened again. But this last time, the special AND regular item was off. The veggies on the bolognese were barely cooked. I might as well have been eating raw carrots. I know the economy is bad, but is it bad enough we can't make a soffritto correctly? I am not giving up on this place. I plan to give it some time and reassess. Update to come. read more

Food wasn't anything special. I get better chicken parmesan at Olive Garden! Service was good, but it took FOREVER to get our food and we arrived at 5:30 and it wasn't crowded at all! Ambiance is ok - unique light fixtures, but that was about it. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Veal scaloppini - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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We decided to try this place out for my boyfriend's birthday since he loves Italian food. We started off with the fried Calamari which is his favorite. The squid itself was soft but the breading was not done well and didn't have much flavor to it. He got the Spaghetti since that's his method of screening an Italian restaurant. He liked his pasta but didn't think it was anything crazy. I got the Quattro Formagio which was recommended to me by our waitress. I actually did not enjoy it. The cheese tasted more like cheddar than white cheese I didn't expect. I expected anlot more after seeing all the lovely reviews, the price of the food, and seeing the restaurant. The restaurant has the perfect ambiance for a date night with dim lighting and intimate seating. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Quattro Formagio and Spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Everything was absolutely delicious! From the appetizers to the dessert I was way to excited about to snap a pic, every bite was wonderful The macaroni and cheese that came with my boyfriend's dish was some of the best I have ever had. I would go back just for that. The steak and branzino were equally as enjoyable. I'm not sure there is anything you could order from this menu that wouldn't be amazing read more

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I love their ribeye, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna etc. I probably go 2-3 x month. Their takeout is fantastic.

Consistently, dependably delicious with outstanding service. A wonderful local restaurant with warm ambiance.

We kicked off the evening with cocktails, and I have to say--my espresso martini was absolutely delightful. It was rich, smooth, and packed a strong (but welcome) punch. A perfect start. For our appetizer, we chose the Roasted Gulf Shrimp, served with herbed garlic butter, creamy polenta, crispy pancetta, and breadcrumbs. This dish was out of this world. Every element was thoughtfully balanced--the polenta velvety, the shrimp perfectly cooked, and the pancetta added a wonderful crunch and depth of flavor. Truly memorable. For my entrée, I ordered the Lasagna. It was hearty and flavorful, with a well-balanced meat sauce that wasn't overly acidic. My only critique would be the bechamel--I would've loved to see more of it between the layers to create a creamier, more luxurious texture. Still, a very solid and satisfying dish. Unfortunately, the Seafood Risotto missed the mark. While it featured a generous mix of shrimp, mussels, and calamari, the calamari was sadly overcooked to the point of being rubbery. A more delicate approach--adding the seafood toward the end of cooking--would have preserved the tenderness of each element. Given Gianmarco's reputation, this dish felt like a misstep. Overall, the atmosphere and service were excellent, and several of the dishes absolutely shined. With a few small tweaks, especially in the handling of seafood, the entire experience would've been flawless. read more

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I was confused why there was a wait but after tasting the food...I 100% understood. Every bite was full of flavor! read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Everything was so good! Portions are huge! Service was great. Make reservations if you can. We didn't and had to wait about an hour and a half, but it was worth it! We will definitely be back! read more

I was there today for early dinner with girlfriends, we start with stuffed Mushrooms and it' was delicious! I ordered pan roasted Branzino with rizoto and asparagus, it was divine! Service was great and fast. The ambience is okay but becomes chaotic once customers starts to arrive., I love this restaurant, surely I will be back. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Pan roasted Branzino with rizoto and asparagus - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We dined here on a Saturday night for my mom's birthday. Our waitress was super attentive & offered good recommendations. The extensive wine list here is wonderful. I got the veal Marsala, which is enough for two, and enjoyed it! Everyone else said their food was good. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Veal Marsala - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Jake at the bar will take great care of you. Amazing wine list and specials every time!

One of our "go to's" for a romantic date night. Whenever we have a babysitter, we love to go here for a nice relaxing evening. Great food, great drinks, amazing ambiance. The service is impeccable. The servers are highly trained and well versed in all the specials. Really doesn't matter what your order, it's all great food. I highly recommend getting reservations. There is a small bar that's first come first serve but it's pretty small. There is a smaller restaurant out back for overfill. It's called the "Wine Bar". You can have the full menu out there as well as buy wine. But again- call ahead and get reservations. read more

Loved eating in the wine room. Less noisy than the main dining room. Food was great and the service was very good. Have eaten there twice now and enjoyed it both times. read more

Last night was my 68th birthday. I booked Gianmarco's about two months ago. Gianmarco's WAS our go to place for a special meal with family and friends. I am from New York and the Veal Chop Parmesan has always been my go-to dish that reminds me of my past. This meal was very disappointing on many levels. Service: At first, I was very hopeful the service would be good. Our reservations were at 06:30 PM. We were seated right away. I wanted a relaxing meal with my wife and adult children. It took 15 minutes to get my wife a glass of wine. That was my first clue. Still I was hopeful. The waiter had a lovely accent which reminded me of being in Europe. He must have been new. He had a hard time remembering the special or it seemed that way. He was pleasant but seemed overwhelmed, over worked and a bit stressed. Ambiance: Gianmarco's is always loud. If you want a quiet place, this is not the place to go. I knew that prior to getting there. Always packed and always popular especially on a Saturday night. Food: This was both a disappointment and shock. Let's start with the appetizers. We got the special which was Moral Mushrooms. My wife has fond memories of fining Moral Mushroom with her dad growing up. They are very rare, only this time of year, and very delicate. They are supposed to lightly fried. These Moral Mushrooms were heavily battered, tasteless and the only flavor was the Aloi. We also ordered Mussels. These were awful, must have been old and were VERY fishy. My entire family said, they were bad which is very unusual. I shared this with the server, who said nothing, took the place with a frown on his face. I had the Veal Chop Parmesan and shared it with my son. Unlike times before, it was way to salty and I only ate half of my half. My wife had veal picata. On her first bit, she had grizzle, and her entire plate was uneaten at the end of the meal. The sauce on it was off as well. My daughter had the sea bass; he liked it but was not wowed in anyway. When the server came to the table for dessert, we asked for to-go boxes for my left-over Veal Chop and my daughters Sea Bass. My wife entire plate was unneatened and she said she did not need a to-go box. The server clearly saw nothing was eaten on her main course and said NOTHING. Not a word. We skipped desert mainly due our disappointing meal. The check came and it was wrong. Seems the server only charged me for my neighbor drink instead of my bill. It took a while to get his attention, and he saw the mistake and apologized. We all agreed, this iconic restaurant was not the place it once was. Sad, it was the place I would want to go went I wanted a taste of the past. Eat well, Drink Well and stay healthy. read more

Gianmarco's never disappoints! Whether dining inside or stopping by the wine bar, the service is always excellent. I tried the crab cake special tonight--so delicious! A consistently great experience. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Crab cake special - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I love Gianmarco's wine bar! This is such a fun and unique spot to take someone from out of town or go on a date or a girls night with. You do have to have a smaller group when choosing to sit in the wine bar, but it is perfect in the summertime and it is quintessential with the lighting and the bottles of wine around you. The pasta is so good and the appetizer with the Himalayan salt block was really unique. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We have lived this place for years. From the service to the food, it is the best Italian food in the Birmingham area. I can't wait to go back. read more

My daughter chose GianMarco's to celebrate her Sweet 16. I made the reservations about 2 weeks in advance. During that time, my preferred time was not available. So I suggest making reservations 3+ weeks in advance. The day of the dinner I had to add an additional guest to our large party. I was accommodated without a problem. The service was very good. All of the food tasted fresh and like it was made from scratch. This was my 3rd visit and every time I have had to add salt to my meal. The lack of seasoning is what prevented this from being a 5 star dining experience. read more

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I have eaten in the wine bar a handful of times but this was my first time in the restaurant side. The service was impeccable. The vibes are old Italian and intimate. The food was fantastic! It's definitely something to write home about! I will be returning for a date night with my husband! read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Mac and cheese side - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Amazing dinner! I've only had pasta purses in Italy, and these were just as good! Fabulous service with Fritz. Located on a neighborhood street. Skip the valet and street parks read more

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First things first , the vibe was great and energetic. Server a gentleman who described the specials to a tee. Knew the menu We ordered wine and a full array of entrees. Manager/owner engaged with us as well The appetizers were lacking a tad, certainly not a deal breaker, but noted read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Perk Chop - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

If you go to GianMarco's, definitely sit in the wine bar! It's a separate home in the back covered with vines. You have to make reservations specifically for back here. You buy whatever wine you want right off the shelf and pay grocery store prices!! With the best ambiance! Feels so homey. Serve exact same menu as up front. Service was unmatched. Food was absolutely incredible (probably best in town). Only one complaint, ribeye was overcooked, then sent back and came mooing it was so rare. read more

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Always excellent!! The mussels and beef carpacio are wonderful=packed with flavor and generous helpings-plenty for 2.

This is my second time trying Gianmarco's, but I don't think I will be back. My experience wasn't bad, in fact, the service was very good. It's the food that's underwhelming to me, especially for the price. I like well-seasoned and favorable food, but everything I tried was bland. Not terrible but just average. The star of the night for me was the French 75 cocktail. I must say the restaurant is always booked and busy. It's just not for me. read more

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Everyone raved about Gianmarco so as a food lover I had to give them a try. When I arrived I felt like I was no longer in Birmingham and transported into a modern cute town. This made me even more excited to dine at Gianmarco's. Upon entering you walk through a very tight/small bar area, which is super busy and buzzing with lots of eager patrons. I was early to my reservation and 2 of the 4 were no longer able to attend but the hostess was super accommodating and seated us right away. Our waiter came over and quickly took our drink order, which was the only quick part of the evening. I will say the most exciting part of the dinner was my martini it was perfectly made and for the first time since being in Birmingham it was actually full to the brim (as it should be). Well there was a negative, the waiter spilled it on me and my purse and didn't even apologize Moving on, I'd probably not return as there was nothing magnificent about the meal or space. The ambiance is nothing special, it's extremely loud and just basic IMO for the price. Martini - 10 out of 10 Beef carpaccio - 8 out of 10 Lamb - 4 out of 10. The lamb was just ok but the asparagus and potatoes were a joke. Both were very overcooked and the overall greatness that was raved about just wasn't there for me. read more

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Great food and great service! Get there early otherwise wait time for your food can take awhile but it really is worth the wait anyway.

Nice evening with parents celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary last Saturday night. Place was packed but had made reservations and got seated straight away. Waitress was so kind and friendly throughout the entire night. My father has a cocktail that he orders and it has become a family effort for the drink to come out correct as it isn't a popular cocktail (@50 years ago) so when our waitress took on the challenge and broke out her phone to look it up for the bartender we know she was keen to please him. Of course it was wrong but she stayed to make sure she got it right 2nd time. She also helped my mom select a nice dry red bottle for dinner. Dad loved the goat cheese appetizer and could have ordered a second helping. My husband's veal chop was huge and wonderful -had to take home leftovers. My veal piccata was a large portion lemony, tender. We brought in a cake to celebrate and waitress asked if it needed candles which I didn't think of since it wasn't a birthday and she was so thoughtful that she put a pink and blue candle on top for each to blow out have a cheers to 60 years! Thank you to the staff for helping us make this day wonderful (and delicious) celebration. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

After finally dining here I understand why they have reservations. I ordered the Veal Chop Parmesan as a main dish and had the steamed mussels for an appetizer. I cannot remember the wine but my waiter made a great recommendation. read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - Veal Chop Parmesan - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

We were in town for a dr's appointment at UAB. A friend recommended Gianmarcos. I really liked the atmosphere of this restaurant. We walked in for our reservation early and had martinis at the bar. The bartender was full of good advice. Most memorable was "listen to the specials before you make a decision on what to eat". We sat in the back room. We were told it would be a little less noisy.... Our waitress, G, was awesome. She guided us through the menu, recommended good wine and was very attentive. Our food was super yummy and we can't wait to Come back and try some other items on the menu! read more

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Excellent food service and wine bar. Variety of specials and extensive primal Italian and seafood items.

I'm not sure how I haven't reviewed gianmarco's previously, but here we go! I've dined in the wine bar at least a half dozen times. The highlight is honestly the staff in there. They are extremely kind and knowledgeable on the menu, specials, and wine selection. We always enjoy seeing them and they always remember us even though we only go a few times a year. We enjoy picking a bottle of wine for our meal and the small wine bar area has such a cute ambiance. I've never dined in the main dining area so cannot speak to that. You will definitely need a reservation as they are booked in advance 95% of the time. I wish the barrel tables were more comfortable to sit at, but I understand the styling and choice to fit more customers in the area. As a female though especially if you're wearing a dress, you kind of have to sit sideways at those tables which isn't ideal. Anyway, the food is for the most part very consistent, and very good. My friend and I once had a ribeye with a tough texture which we sent back and they made it right. We have tried many of the seasonal specials which have always been good. A favorite of mine is the 4 cheese rigatoni and the fiocchi. It's not the very best Italian I've had, and is on the pricy end, but it is the best I've had in Birmingham. The wine selection is good and there is a good mix of price points. I am happy to pay a premium price though if it means the business retains elite service workers. Brava to our friends working back in the wine bar! read more

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Awesome experience! Heard such great things about it and finally decided to try it on valentines eve! I did have to call about a month in advance for a reservation! Our waiter, Kevin, was so great! He was knowledgeable about everything on the menu, and had great wine recommendations. We had the veal tortellini and the prime coulotte steak. Those were both amazing and so was the Mac and cheese! Then we had the New York cheesecake which was delicious! The ambiance was nice and romantic! read more

Gianmarco's Restaurant - New York cheesecake with strawberries! - Italian Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Another fine night of eating. Everything was perfection. Waitress was helpful and so sweet. We started with an app and the cheese was soooooo good. Paired nicely with my wine. For dinner I chose a special, lamb with veggie risotto and my husband had baked short rib ziti. Both were fantastic. We finished the night with tiramisu which I regret sharing because I wanted more! read more

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Food was so amazing and felt so authentic. Super quaint inside, next time we want to sit in the wine room! The dining room was a little loud but the amazing food & service made up for it. Definitely will be returning soon! read more

The atmosphere was cozy. Our server was very attentive and knew when to approach. The Chicken Piccata I dreamed about and could have gone back 2 nights in a row. Delicious! read more