FOOD: We ordered the... - soft shell crab - corn and crab bisque - red snapper special - veal pannata - cookie dough cheese cake EVERYTHING was a 10/10. The quality and flavor of the food here was amazing and the prices were so reasonable! The veal pannata was delicious, great size sized dish. The veal was flatted and fried perfectly! Anything on the menu I don't think you could go wrong with! ALSO this was our first time here and I have to mention the pallet cleanser with the lemon sorbet was just an extra special touch! Also, they do not have a dessert menu, inside they have a dessert tray that they come out and show you!!! SERVICE: we had Casey as our server and she was great! She gave us recommendations as well listed all of the specials for us! We came on a Wednesday evening so it was pretty dead, but excellent service! AMBIANCE: the ambiance is incredible. I truly have nothing bad to say about this restaurant. You walk in and it feels like a luxury restaurant, but you don't break the bank on one dish! Everything was clean, moody, and perfect for a date night or celebration! If anything it was a little chilly so I'd recommend bringing a jacket! read more

The place is the perfect date spot with relaxing atmosphere with dimly lit quaint dining area. White tablecloths & candlelight! It reminds me of a restaurant back in the 80's or early 90's so could use updating but still a clean nice place. The service was friendly. I ordered the chicken parmesan and it was just ok. The chicken & spaghetti were room temperature so I'm not sure if the chicken is suppose to be served this temperature since I'm not Italian but I wasn't impressed. The sauce was super dark, another thing I'm not sure about but it needed more spices. My friend had the crepes and they were crispy so she really enjoyed them! I might go back to try another dish but not sure as of now. read more

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Creative/great menu, outstanding staff and atmosphere. Our servers have been professional and friendly. Food from this kitchen is delicious!

I Monelli has been around forever for good reason. The food is outstanding and the bar is fully stocked. The service can be a little hit or miss, with waitstaff sometimes inexperienced but always eager and kind. It's dark and clubby inside, perfect for a date night or intimate dinner with friends. There's a great private room for larger groups. Our favorites are the veal options, particularly the veal chop and the paneed veal which is topped with giant pieces of lump crab. read more

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Great food always. First time visiting in a while. Service was excellent, we will be back soon

All wonderful. Halibut and snapper were perfect. Wedge salad and shrimp and corn bill awesome. Quiet. Excellent service. read more

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Imonelli is always at the top.of my list for a fine.but nit so fine, dining. The food here is always 5 star. Brian knows exactly what he is doing in the kitchen as do his sous chefs. The appetizers are phenomenal. The food is always spectacular. The waitstaff is always superb and attentive. Service is always a plus. The ambience is great for a first date, anniversary or a dinner with the boys or ladies read more

Imonelli - Soft shell crab topped with lump crab meat and sauteed green beans. - Italian Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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Amazing veal ossobuco and veal Italiano. Great wine. Fantastic staff. Not great lighting read more

Imonelli - Veal italiano - Italian Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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Just good old fashioned hamburgers and PoBoys. Lots of other stuff on the menu as well. Friendly, home-town people.

My family wanted to go out for a nice dinner and after a pleasant first visit, my mom wanted to return. We made a 7pm reservation and we're promptly seated once we arrived. However, we were not greeted by our server until 10-15 mins after we were seated. In the meantime, he serviced tables to us three times to our zero. I will say that when grrerywsy, it was friendly and he was knowledgeable about the specials. So, the reason for the 3 stars in due to the inconsistency of the server. Our service did not align with other patrons. For example: - Drink orders were placed. We did not receive drinks after 15 mins. After which, my mom inquired about them. Still nothing after many minutes. Our server then came and asked if we still wanted our drinks. Odd question being that 1. We ordered them and 2. We inquired about the progress of receiving them. - We noticed in our long waits that other tables were receiving green sherbert after their appetizer course to cleanse palate and get ready to receive their entree. However, our entree came out without us receiving the sherbert. We inquired with our server as to why we did not receive the pallet cleanser and, he said he didn't think we wanted it. If it is the process of the restaurant to serve the sherbert between courses, why would we be omitted from that? We also had to ask for bread. Why are we constantly asking for things that are apart of the meal and dining experience? My mom spoke up about our lack of service and our server did apologize and ask if there was anything he can do to make our experience better. My mom's request was that he just be mindful moving forward. The food was delicious which is why I gave the experience three stars. I ordered the Rack of Lamb which was a nice portion size. My mom, the Shrimp Spaghetti and step dad, the Veal. I can't say I won't be back because, the food was good and other tables received more adequate service. read more

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Food was well worth the wait. The staff was very accommodating. The atmosphere was romantic.

First time coming here recently and wow. The food was delicious. The server was very attentive and had good knowledge of the menu. The decor was quaint. Loved the presentation! Will be back read more

This is a fine restaurant with excellent service, high quality food, and great ambiance. It's relatively quiet and allows guests to actually speak to each other. read more

Lafayette is a Foodies Paradise. We are blessed to have many excellent restaurants serving a range of different cuisines. I have a short list of favorites that meet my standards for ambience, service, value and of course, exceptional food. iMonelli is at the top of my list. Brian Blanchard's success stems from determination, hard work, fearlessness and - again - amazing food. Enjoy! read more

My favorite restaurant in Lafayette. It reminds me of a restaurant I used to frequent in Metairie when I lived there called Sal and Sam's. Excellent food. Excellent service. Get the Osso Buco or the Veal Funghi! You won't be disappointed. Their Caesar dressing is excellent (even though they don't make it at your table like Sal and Sam's). The palate cleanser between servings is a nice touch. All the desserts are good too, but I'm usually full. They have a small bar but with a good selection. The wine list is good too and their bottle prices are quite reasonable. Can't wait to go back! read more

Great ambience!! I came for lunch and the food was amazing. I would suggest anything with veal. Would definitely like to come for a romantic dinner! read more

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Everything was great. Everyone's meals and service was excellent and we will be going back. Thanks

Had the rack of lamb. Had an old fashioned. They give you lime sherbet. I had that too. They have desert. I had cheesecake. Can't complain. read more

Imonelli - Rack of lamb - Italian Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Not a good experience, we didn't even get a chance to experience it. We wanted a good steak but didnt even get to eat one. But I didn't worry I will just not go bk. read more

AWESOME!!! Walter Jr plays live jazz with candle light in the back on Friday nights! Food is amazing, price isn't bad either!

Have you tried their crab cakes, they are wonderful he sure does cream sauces justice, nice portions‼

Excellent food. The food here is very tasty. The service is great. The prices are fair. I recommend this establishment. read more

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I really enjoyed Imonelli didn't have reservations upon arrival so we had to wait 30 mins for a table which wasn't bad being that they were packed out on a Saturday night the food was great as well as the service read more

Watery, bland.. no flavor. I was pretty disappointed. Lafayette has much better food and atmosphere than Imonellis. Don't embarrass yourself bringing a date here. The food is horrible. read more

THE CRABCAKES!! You know the feeling you have from a long day at work and you can finally get home just take your bra off and the instant feeling of "ahhh" you get. It's better than that. read more

Amazing food and service from amazing people ambiance is nice and elegant. Kennedy is an amazing bartender and Brian Blanchard is a five star chef!! crabcakes are out of this world and so is the shrimp Imonelli!! Definitely recommend coming here for any event. Five stars out of this world read more

Update: After 3-4 good experiences I rated Imonelli's very highly. Since then I have had two very bad back to back visits and will probably not return. read more

Ambiance was well decorated and subdued so conversation was easy , service was excellent, and all dishes were well plated and delicious. Also good value for quality received. read more

We just discovered this place a few months ago, and can't believe it hasn't been on our radar before. We are going back for our third time this weekend, and I can't wait. We had the same waitress both times (Miranda, like the warning, lol) and she makes a mean Cosmopolitan. The soft shell crab is to die for...not overly breaded, and cooked just right. My husband has had one of the fish specials each time, and both were amazing. Price points are reasonable, the ambiance is cozy and much quieter than many other restaurants which is nice...you can actually have a conversation and not have to yell across the table. Highly, highly recommend!!!! read more

A hidden gem in Lafayette! Crab cakes were some of the best I've ever had - everything we ordered was wonderful

The crab salad is to die for! I will definitely get the entree size the next time. The ambiance was intimate and cozy. Our waitress was kind. We will be back. read more

Food was excellent and so was the service! Had the Ossobuco and it was so tender I cut it with a fork! Yum

Favorite Date Night place with hubby, romantic, chill atmosphere so we can talk and flirt, best food in Lafayette.

Very nice and quiet little Italian restaurant. Out of the three options in town, this one is by far the best to visit. Love their pasta! read more

Imonelli - salt and pepper shakers on a table - Italian Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

Had a fantastic time here tonight. The food was superb, the ambiance was excellent, and the waitstaff was attentive and friendly. We started the evening off with the artichoke and crab appetizers from the menu, and added the quail appetizer from the specials. For the entree we had a the veal italiano and one of the specials which was a seafood dish, all of which tasted fantastic, and was presented simply but wonderfully. I do believe this has made my top 10 list of restaurants in the area. My only issue of the night was that my GPS unit tried to direct me to a place about a mile away from the restaurant, but a quick call and got great directions. read more

Imonelli - Italian Near Me - Lafayette, Louisiana

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Went tonight party of 2 with reservations for 8 pm. Was on time and told it would be a few as some tables were leaving. Stepped outside the door to be considerate for the small entryway and watched 2 party's of 2 walk in and be seated immediately. Hostess had the oh shit face but damage was done and we just left for greener pastures. No apologies or suggestions. Shame because we book healthcare dinners/ In services their frequently. Great food but seating seems to be preferred. We were both so angry with the lack of acknowledgment and reservations probably not going back. Sucks cause we really like the place. Angry mellow people! read more

I love the crab meat salad in the summertime! Very refreshing and light!

If I could give over 5 stars I would. The wait staff, food, and vibe are amazing! Everything we had was so good. I highly recommend the stuffed filet!! It is one of the best things I have ever eaten! read more

Location is kind of hidden because the other businesses nearby stood out more.. the atmosphere was nice, and staff was friendly. Food was just really mediocre.. I really did expected more after reading so much reviews.. nice that they have a palette cleanser sorbet.. we had got the following: -Louisiana Lump Crab cakes: was decent, the crust is really heavy, and not flaky, its more like, I am guessing a stuffing layer instead of a batter -Smoked Shrimp & Lump Crab crepes: which was good, my mouth was having a party -Rack of lamb: the glaze reduction was really overwhelming and the pesto pasta did not taste well with the overwhelming glaze -Boneless Breast Ducklin: was decent, nice glaze over a bed of potatoes.. nothing special -Chocolate Mousse: was too dense for a "mousse" Will not return. read more

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The atmosphere can't be beat! It's such a romantic but overall welcoming and warm place. The wine list was great... the old fashioned needed some work. We chose a Pinot Noir - Willamette Valley, OR. It was perfect! Caprese - well you just can't go wrong with this salad. My husband ordered the Veal Italiano and absolutely loved it. I ordered the Seafood Stuffed Tortellini... the pasta looked more like a dumpling wrapper and definitely not tortellini shaped, but otherwise tasted good. Tiramisu for dessert... tasted great but a little soggy for my taste. Overall, our server did a good job. Definitely recommend. read more