We love Il Primo! Food is always excellent and the atmosphere is romantic. We decided for our New Years Eve meal to visit Il Primo. Bonus: Carbonara night is Wednesday night! Theirs is always excellent! We had a pitcher of cider sangrias and Cesar salads as well. Everything tasted amazing. So why four stars? Two reasons.... First, two pieces of plastic in my carbonara. I did not say anything due to the second reason. Server didn't seem to be too keen on giving us top notch service. We have taken note that when we are a table of four, they always give us the rundown of the nightly specials. In. Great. Detail. Every time it is just the Husband and I? Nada. Nothing. Not even an introduction by the server this time. It's not the same server either. Happens with whomever we have. Seems to be something that they need to work on at this restaurant. We love this place! Watchman (our server) did a great job when it came to serving the food. But I should not have to ask about the specials nor ask for his name. We always tip more than expected, but when will servers learn that going above and beyond will get them above and beyond the expected tip? Hopefully something changes before our next visit to Chattanooga. read more

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Everything was really good. The server was nice. It was nice and cozy. It was my first time trying polenta and I enjoyed it. Might have had a little too much wine. lol read more

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I only had an espresso martini here, but it was really good!!! Our waiter was seriously SO nice!!! My friends food looked amazing, I just had already eaten so I didn't get food! So it would be a perfect date night spot or place to catch up with friends!!! read more

IL Primo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

got the bolognese and arancini. Both were great. Bolognese was rich and super solid, and the arancini were crispy and on point. Atmosphere was awesome too--great vibe. Definitely going back. read more

IL Primo - Orecchiette & Bolognese - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Great place. Feta marinara app was awesome. Sauce is on point. Rigatoni was amazing. Service was also amazing. Would definitely come back when in town. read more

Exceeded expectations. A friend's recommendation for our visit to Chattanooga and I'm so glad we visited! Excellent service, top-tier drinks and fabulous food! Also the perfect vibe. White tablecloth food without the white tablecloth or dress code. You cannot skip the bread, it was astounding. All of our meals were so very good. Don't leave town without trying this gem. read more

IL Primo - Branzino special with capellini and beurre blanc, melted feta app, eggplant parmesan special, olive app, Manhattan with Sazerac Rye - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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My friend and I found this place by happy chance, just walking around. The place was packed but as there was only 2 of us they got us in right away. We were greeted warmly right away and were seated. Even though the place was busy we were given ample attention by every server that passed by. It's a quite fancy place and we were challenged reading through menu as they use the correct Italian names (I loved that btw but we are simple people over here) But with Yelp pictures we were able to make our choice. I decided on the Ricotta Cavatelli and I added chicken. It was so perfect! My friend got the salmon and said it was cooked perfectly. My favorite part was the seasonal vegetables that came in the dish, everything was cooked perfectly. read more

IL Primo - Ricotta Cavatelli - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

We have eaten here numerous times with good results. Tonight we had call ahead seating. When seated it was in a dark corner next to the take out exit. The door was a plastic sheet and it was 33 degrees outside. My wife was quite cold. I asked for a different table and they said we would be placed at end of current line. A 35 min to hour wait. There were several open tables. I have eaten here 20-many times usually bringing friends. Will not be returning. The manager called me today and apologized for our experience. She also provided a gift card for our problems. We discussed the issues we had and I am satisfied with the results. It is nice to know that the restaurant management cares about their clientele. I changed the star rating to "good" based on their response. read more

It has been called the best Italian restaurant outside of Florence (Italy, NOT Kentucky, y'all) Authentic Italian cuisine, ample servings, a full bar with many creative cocktails from which to choose, the vibe is trendy and upscale. Whether it is for a full meal, a drink and appetizer, or a soup and salad (my favs are the potato leak with balsamic drizzle and the arugula salad with fresh cheese and balsamic dressing) Come visit next time you are near the Northshore just outside of Chattanooga and you TOO will soon be making your own stellar yelp entry!! Ask for Connor - very personable - he will take great care of you! read more

IL Primo - Connor will take great care of you! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

We are visiting Chattanooga and drove by Il Primo.t felt like a neighborhood restaurant yet the parking lot was full and also the building and area felt fabulous. So we turned around and came back to eat. We had one of the appetizer specials... Cantaloupe with prosciutto and Beretta cheese recommended by Connor our waiter. Excellent recommendation and choice! We also had the pea and scallop risotto... No words to explain how good it was !!! Ask for Connor, he'll take great care of you and will give you recommendations if asked read more

Review on dinner last night 7/2/2025 Had a strange experience the waiter seemed nice enough he told us the price of some of the features and so we ordered the fish to be split between my friend and I. We received the fish and it did not have the topping we were told it was going to have so we thought we got the wrong fish. The young waiter seemed a little flumoxed. He told us that they must've changed the menu since yesterday and that's why the toppings are different.. strange response! He brought the manager over and the manager explained they just changed the recipe! I said without telling the waiter that's kind of odd so he said well. What can we do to make it up and I said how about two free desserts and he said great. We had the desserts, which unfortunately were not great like they had been in the past....and when we got the bill....The fish dish was $10 more than what we were quoted and we asked about it and the waiter trotted off, another male came up and we mentioned the price and lacking customer appropriate response he said "well I haven't seen fish priced at $24 any where". WOW not the response I was expecting from a nice restaurant and obviously he was wrong since $24 was the price our waiter quoted us. Waiter came back and had no explanation. He then said we'll just keep my tip I mean it. It struck me the training was lacking.. of course we tipped him. It wasn't his fault he was not made aware of prices and menu change! The place was very noisy. It was actually difficult to hear what the person on the other side of the table was saying or even hear the waiter. They need some kind of acoustic ceiling. The noise and difficulty hearing has got to be stressful on the staff as well as the patrons. Usually, the chicken piccata is wonderful and I wish I had gotten it and the arancini is wonderful. I've been here several times in the past and not sure I'll be back! read more

We had an excellent dinner there on NYE. Beth was very knowledgeable and on top of everything. Everyone loved the food and drinks.

If you like salty food? This is the place for you. Everything I ate and I ate a lot there that night and everything was full of salt, they don't understand flavor which surprises me, everything in Charlotte was this way. Not for me. Won't be back. read more

IL Primo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Top choice for Italian in the Greater Chattanooga area. The Rigatoni al'Arrabbiata & Sausage is my favorite, but everything is wonderful. Service is great and the dining experience is at the restaurant is wonderful - I do order take out from IL Primo on occasion and have always been impressed by the curbside service. read more

AMAZING SERVICE!!! AMAZING FOOD!!!!!! AMAZING ATMOSPHERE!!! My girlfriend and I had to pivot last night after our first restaurant choice was booked and BOY WAS THAT A BLESSING IN DISGUISE!!! From the moment we walked in we were greeted with excited hosts and an even cooler and joyful server named Connor. Natalie got a Caesar Salad with Salmon, which was AMAZING, and I got the ravioli. I didn't really like the ravioli and Connor could tell based off my reaction. NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DISH!!! The butternut squash just wasn't my taste. Before I knew it, Connor brought me out a replacement dish of toasted ravioli which was WAY MORE up my alley. Next time I really want to try their pizzas!!! When you go, ask for Connor he'll hook you up BUT take good care of him ;) read more

IL Primo - Natalie and I with our to go toasted ravioli - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ambiance is loud. Really hard to have a conversation. Service is so-so and so is the food. Nothing special. Won't go back. Manager was very aggressive and unkind. Not worth it. read more

Staff were very attentive, had drinks before dinner and they arrived in a timely manner. My wife had the mushroom ravioli and loved it. I started with a caesar salad, which was excellent and ordered dry aged Barton Creek meatballs with Sunday sauce which was delicious. The quality of food and service was A+, we had a very enjoyable dining experience. read more

10/10 Experience. Been here a few times now. The quality of food and service has been consistently fantastic. Notably, our waitress Madison, made our most recent experience one that will have us coming back every time we visit Chattanooga. She was attentive, personable, and just made the experience better. The steak was cooked perfectly and comes with a sauce that will have you licking the plate. Atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable. Don't think about it, just go! read more

Love the food and wine selection. Fresh pasta. Meatballs were worth the trip. Went back and ordered the same thing-it wasn't as great as the first time. read more

We had dinner last night. Food , drinks, service was all very good. We sat in the patio area which is covered due to the warm temperatures. The problem came with flies. We had to continuously swat flies away while having dinner. I understand a few but this was a lot more. I looked at other tables and they were also flying around them. I noticed a large opening in the cover towards the back. Not sure why. When I asked the server , he said it was for take out orders. Doesn't seem worth having flies in your restaurant. I'll be back but probably not till winter. I just thought management should know read more

Another successful dinner downtown Chattanooga! This place is a bit on the smaller side so we had about an hour wait. The food and drinks were worth it! We had a few appetizers and drinks. I had the chicken piccata which was absolutely delicious. I chose Brussel sprouts as my side because they are my favorite. The Brussels were just okay. IMO there was too much bacon. My biggest complaint about this place was how absolutely cold it was! Granted, it was 15 degrees outside, but there was a major draft everywhere in the restaurant that made it feel like 30 degrees. I took my coat off for pictures, but we had to stay bundled up the entire meal. I will be back! But will definitely wait for warmer weather. read more

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Rigatoni with sausage was the only photo I took of food. So good. Nice little kick of spice. Love the bread with oil & spices. I had the parpardelle alfredo with shrimp and it's my ultimate favorite pasta dish in all of Chattanooga. Making Il Primo my new favorite Italian restaurant. Upscale Italian dishes. Beautiful atmosphere. We've been to both the Ooltewah location and the North Shore location. Staff is always excellent. Highly recommend! read more

IL Primo - Rigatoni with sausage - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Baked penne 4 cheese with blacked chicken on top. I had this pasta for the first time and it was amazing! It was 26 dollars and for the portion it's worth it! I would say share with someone, all because reheating it would cause the oil to separate. So definitely bring an appetite! read more

IL Primo - Baked Penne & 4 Cheeses - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

We had a great date night out. Our server hunter was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and friendly. My husband and I throughly enjoyed both of our pasta dishes. Large portions with enough for leftovers! The bread and caprese salad (not pictured) we're both delicious as well. We will be back. read more

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We had a wonderful dinner with friends here tonight! We had great service from our waitress Baleigh, friendly and fast! We shared the baked feta as an appetizer which was totally delicious. I had the Rigatoni al'Arrabbiata- WOW! I absolutely loved it. It was so good and just the right amount of spicy. My husband got the night's special which was bone in pork, also very good. The restaurant was lovely and would be perfect for a date night out too! read more

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Wow 10 years and still finding myself enjoying dining here as often as I can. Never change!

One of my favorite restaurants in all of Chattanooga! I truly have never had a bad experience. The food is excellent, the ambiance is stunning, and the service is always great. I suggest starting with the burrata for the table. They have an excellent wine menu and drink options. For my entre, I usually get the Orecchiette Bolognese- you cannot go wrong with this. However, this time I decided to switch it up and get the Chicken Carbonara. So! Good! It's only offered on Wednesdays and it did not disappoint! Highly, highly recommend! read more

IL Primo - Chicken Carbonara - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No. IL Primo is in an old market style grocery store near the North Shore, so the inside is small and intimate. I like the set up, unfortunately the night we went seemed to be a night where everyone knew everyone so our table was frequently crowded around as people came and talked to the tables next to us. We started our meal with the marinara and feta dip, which was delicious and added two side caesar salads which lacked any flavor and had (what seemed) to be store bought croutons. I order the chicken Marsala and spaghetti with marinara for my main dish. The chicken was delicious, but the pasta was probably three times the size of my chicken and didn't compliment my meal, my mistake on ordering it. My husband got the rigatoni arrabbiata with sausage and said it tasted more like a vodka sauce. He liked it, but wouldn't order it again. We finished our meal with a togo tiramisu. All of this, and two glasses of wine later, we were at $100 with tip. We definitely went all out because of our anniversary, but didn't leave overly impressed. Will we go back on our own, probably not. read more

IL Primo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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Motte motte bella Autentico! Burrata is fresh and fantastic. The orecchiette is phenomenal, the carbonara a savory take on a traditional cacio e pepe dish. No thick heavy tomato sauces and greasy cheeses, instead there is a tasteful balance and thoughtful approach to the ingredients in these dishes. Fresh basil, buffaleta, and house made lemoncello; all in a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. As close to Tuscany as Chattanooga gets. 10/10 will try again and again. read more

Had a great experience here. Service and food was spectacular. Some of the best food and service we've had in a long while. I highly recommend this place. Our bartenders were especially friendly and fun. Had a blast. read more

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Great dinner. I had the shrimp fra diabalo. Excellent. Velvet had tbe mushrooms ravioli. She loved it. Jimbo had the chicken marsala. Could have used better mushrooms. He said he would ordet it again. Queenie had the chicken picata . She was happy. Which is amazing. Setvice by Miles was excellent. The only negative was the olive oil served with the bread. Poor quality. read more

As always...the food was delicious. We invited our new neighbors to dinner. At first it was very nice but as the tables filled up the noise level got louder and louder. The four sitting at the next table were competing to be the loudest and one girl was so obnoxiously loud I was surprised the server didn't ask her to stifle herself. Unfortunately, it was a miserable first time for our friends. If we were alone, I would have made it a teachable moment for the table next to us and the servers who let it go. Although the food and service are good, the aggravation was not worth $150.00 ...we will not be back. read more

IL Primo - Lobster Risotto...yummmmm - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Great food - great service! A little loud...but that means a packed a restaurant and that's usually a good sign. Will be back!

Food was good, only they didn't have many gluten-free options. There was a warm but busy atmosphere, which caused slower service, even when we had reservations. read more

Parking is tough! But the food is worth the wait! Love the Shrimp Fra Diavlo with a Caesar Salad although everything is good. Great place to start the weekend. An ice cold Limoncello is always nice. Careful they go down easy. Never had a bad meal here-ever. read more

The Ossobuco was amazing. Fresh ingredients and good seasonal offerings. Excellent menu choices.

Food was delicious, service was great and the ambience was very comfortable. Enjoyed a great evening of food and fellowship with a friend. Highly recommend!! read more

Visiting Chattanooga from out of town and this was the perfect date night spot on Saturday night. Our server, Avalon, was impeccable; she was friendly and helpful in making menu choices. The pastas we ordered were perfect 10s! We love to try new Italian spots, and this was some of the best we've had. Definitely add to your itinerary! read more

IL Primo - Shrimp Alfredo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

This is my favorite restaurant! Food is excellent! Just wish the space was bigger! I love the chicken piccata! The penne! The lasagna! The bread! Everything we've eaten has been good excellent! read more

Had a delicious dinner here last night. Drove a little further from our Southside Airbnb just to check this spot out. The drive was not wasted! Started with the fried ravioli and it was delicious, crunchy and packed full of melted cheese and meat. I had the chicken piccata with a side of spaghetti for my meal. Chicken was moist and flavorful, spaghetti also good. Husband had the scallops in risotto and it was very rich and creamy in the best possible way. What a great local spot! Can't wait to go back next time we are in town. read more

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