Wonderful food. Best Italian dishes in Ocala. Highly recommend. Wish they were open for lunch

Excellent atmosphere. Some of the best Italian I've ever had, and the tiramusi was incredible.

Best place for dinner in Ocala. Jose the owner is always there and makes everyone's experience the best it can be. Mesa is our go-to place for special occasions and date nights. Not only is it the best Italian in town but the steaks are fantastic. read more

A wonderful dining experience. Food was excellent, along with the service. Not to be saved for a special occasion! Worth every dollar to have such a nice meal. read more

I've been curious about this place for awhile. I had the creme of mushroom soup and the scarpariello (i REALLY wanted fruiti del mare), which is new to me. I recommend both, though i was quite impressed with the soup, oddly enough. The service was efficient and affable. I'd come back! The noise level was great, and the prices were affordable for a place of this caliber, i feel. read more

Our first time here. To start we had fried calamari and mozzarella Carroza. Both really good, just not hot. For dinner we had the ribeye and cannelloni, both really good, but my cannelloni was not hot. The service was very nice, but I was disappointed in the food temperature. We will probably give them another try, but if the food isn't hot we will definitely send it back. read more

One of the very best Italian Restaurants you'll ever find anywhere. The food here is 5 stars all the way including the service. read more

Mesa de Notte - Italian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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It is one of those places where it doesn't look like it's going to be that great but it was amazing. Remind me of one of those small restaurants in a movie where you take a date on and get a great service from the the Resturant. Food was great. Service was awesome. Will definitely go back. read more

Had dinner here last evening and it was a very positive experience! Service was excellent and the food was even better. We appreciated the fact that they were still following Covid restrictions and we felt very comfortable dining indoors. I would not hesitate to enjoy dinner there again in the near future. read more

Absolutely fantastic!! Never had a bad experience nor bad anything. Mesa de Notte is about a 40 minute ride for us, but well worth it. By far the best Italian food in Ocala. All the sauces are very well balanced and absolutely delicious. Service has always been great, even on Christmas Eve for the last 4 years. read more

Wine list is 100%, food is all top notch, service is second to none. Ocala restaurant owners, if you could be more like this- you'd get more of my money. This hidden gem is next to a loud biker bar, but it's as classy as it gets inside. I have tried nearly everything on this menu and they often make my requests. The ravioli made with the vodka sauce is one I often beg for. They always honor my request and the food never misses a beat. When I can get a glass of a Super Tuscan, enjoy authentic Italian homemade pasta AND yucca fries at the same time? You won me with that wonderful fusion. The chef is from Peru, I was told and he's a culinary genius. Whenever I eat anywhere else in Ocala, I'm always disappointed and wish I just came here. If you can eat dessert you won't be disappointed. All of them so good! If you can't, the Tjramisu martini is a great lower carb alternative! read more

Went here for a family birthday for the first time and the entire group loved everything! Terrific menu, definitely not your run of the mill Italian chain restaurant! read more

Tonight my husband and I went to eat at Mesa de Notte for our 19th Anniversary, Great service and the best Veal Parm that I've had in forever! will definitely go back. read more

My wife and I struggled to find any "nice" restaurants in Ocala, but this has become our go-to every time ever since trying it. And by "go-to," I mean it's literally the only place in Ocala we will go to for a date night. Service: Always friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Reservations are easy to make and we've never had a bit of trouble getting in and served quickly even on New Years Eve. Food: Most everything is top notch. I'm a calamari connoisseur. Not really but I do love it and theirs is the best in town. Not greasy, well-portioned and the marinara is great, not sweet which is where marinara usually fails. Honest opinion here on a couple dishes I wasn't crazy about, but please understand everything else is amazing...the bistecca griglia aka bone-in ribeye. The steak was just ok and I wasn't a fan of the demi-glace/sauce that covers the dish. I like my steaks rare and without any A1 or sauce of any kind, so it could just be me. The creamed spinach was pretty rough as a side. My wife is a salt fiend and it was so salty it was inedible. The staff was really accommodating and those are the only two things we haven't enjoyed so I wanted to make sure you try the good stuff. All the pasta dishes are great. The scarpariello is my wife's favorite. The osso buco (lamb shank) is a must-try if you're a fan of lamb. The salmon is a close-second to my favorite dish, the sweet potato lasagna may sound strange but it's the best side-dish they have on the menu. My absolute favorite is the anatra arrosto (duck). If you don't like duck, you just haven't tried the right kind, and this is the right kind. Crispy skin, not oily at all and the parmesan risotto it comes with is worth the trip by itself. Lastly, get the tiramisu. You're welcome. read more

I have been to Mesa de Notte many times since its opening and have always enjoyed the experience and the meal. Last night changed all of that and I don't expect to return soon if at all. They used to have a high value early bird meal which has recently changed to increase the cost of this option by over 60% and added a mandatory 20% gratuity. So much for that option. The menu has changed and I ordered a dish with mussels and pasta. It is offered with two taste options - marinara and fra daviola. I cannot tolerate highly spiced food and ordered the marinara sauce. When I tasted the first bite, my lips burned from the spice. Thinking that they had mistakenly sent me the fra daviola, I checked our server and he confirmed that it was the marinara. I told him that I could not eat it and asked him to take it away. Our server did offer to bring another meal, but by that time everyone else in our party had been served and waiting for another meal wasn't a reasonable option. (The service was very spotty last night, unlike other visits) Finally, I was astounded to find that after a customer sent a meal back for any reason, no one from management took any steps to find out why and what was wrong. Jose was there and very visible, but either was not advised of the situation or chose to not address it. I find that to be very unacceptable. When we received our check, I questioned our server about the added gratuity and he basically just dismissed my question. Too bad - this was a good restaurant, but I can't run the risk of this level of service again. As we all know, the price of eating out is only justified by good food and excellent service. Mesa de Notte failed in both regards last night. read more

I've always wanted to eat here. Found out chef Felix is cooking here now it was all the more I wanted to try it. Loved when he was at his other restaurant "Felix's" years ago. It was worth it. Food and service was awesome! read more

Mesa de Notte - Tiramisu! - Italian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I went back for Mother's Day brunch for 38.99 and it was a big disappointment . The buffet was awful and the prime rib and lamb was dry. I was so depress since I rated them 4 stars in the past. They must have changed the cook. I Would never go back It was really sad I thought I finally found a Place. The pasta dishes were average and the deserts were bought at publix. You need to get the guy who was cooking back in February. read more

Mesa de Notte is a gem! The atmosphere is cozy and elegant and the service is perfect. Everything that we have eaten here has been just lovely. I enjoy the bread with garlic herb olive oil and their salads so much, I would come just for that. We have tried steaks, fish, shrimp, pasta and risotto and it is all just fabulous. Also, they have a lovely desert menu which includes granita. There's always room for granita! Make a reservation for weekend dinner, they get busy! read more

I'm an Italian who learned the art of fine Italian cuisine at the feet of my great aunts beginning at the tender age of 6. It's a very difficult to find a real Italian restaurant these days. Usually they are glorified pizza parlors that also make some boxed pasta, throw some days old red sauce on it and call it dinner. Mesa de Notte is doing a fine job of continuing the age old tradition of fine Italian cuisine. While the decor is rather plebeian, the service is attentive. I've dined there at least three times. We have had the antipasto which includes the usual salami and prosciutto as well as a passable buffalo mozzarella. The veal piccata is tender with just a hint of lemon and devoid of the ridiculous cream sauce Americans seem to think it needs. My husband had spaghetti and sausage with marinara sauce, a very simple dish. I believe the noodles were homemade and the sauce was just spicy enough and freshly made. We had other dishes there as well over last two months. For dessert, we always get the cannoli. The filling is the ricotta it should be. If you get the lousy whipped cream filling many places pass off as authentic, you know you are in a phony Italian restaurant. This is anything but phony. If you are looking for real Italian food, head over to this trattoria. However, if you are looking for the over cheesed gooey horror most Americans think is Italian cooking, don't go. Oh, and by the way, Mesa de Notte is reasonably priced for the level of ingredients they use. This Italian girl is very happy she found it in her new home city. read more

One of the most delicious Italian restaurants I have been to since living in Florida. It was Valentine's Day weekend so the wait was long but the food is worth it. The prices are great for fine dinning. The staff is awesome. I will make the 2 hour drive again and again just to eat here. read more

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Excellent meal and service. Can't go wrong here. We had the chicken parmagiana and chicken masala. Delicious and more than we could eat.

This is one of Ocala's treasures. The only complaint I have is the noise level which can be louder than I prefer. Other than that, the food is great and the cocktails are amazing. read more

It was weds day night and I just wanted a nice meal.I was alone . The place was busy but I must have been invisible because the service Was so bad.I don't know if it was because I was a party of one but it just wasn't good. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in Ocala. We have been coming here 4 years and it just keeps getting better. Jose, Jean and Julian keep everything running smooth. Joshua was our waiter tonight and in the future he is funny, cute and he provides great service. read more

As as authentic as they come, I have been researching going to Italy and can only imagine what it would be like to come home and experience the restaurant again. I know I wont be disappointed. The staff is wonderful. Always a smile and professional. read more

One of the things that always impresses me at a restaurant is how attentive the waitstaff and owner is to the needs of the customers. Last night was the first time we ate here but it sure will not be the last. The food was seasoned well and plentiful. The server gave us plenty of time to enjoy our food-- we never felt rushed. The owner came to our table to check on us. Good food? Great service? A winner! read more

The boyfriend and I went quite a while ago, so hopefully things have improved. I think we went for lunch and I ordered the linguini and clams. Bleh. Not tasty, but I make this dish at home all the time, so I prefer my own. Everything was mediocre, from decor to food. I wouldn't say stay away because it's bad, but there are better options out there. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't come though. read more

One of my favorite Italian Restaurants in town... definitely the most authentic. Cannot go wrong by eating here.

Great atmosphere, good service, most food is good. We ordered Capesante Champagne which came out cold. When we told the server she apologized but did nothing about it. We're still paid $17 for frozen cheese. read more

Delicious menu, food was on point. Our wait person was excellent and very attentive. Looking forward to our next visit.

Great food, great service. Do not come here expecting Olive Garden.... this is true authentic Italian. They were also very accommodating in allowing us to bring out Great Dane and have dinner on their patio. Very nice, family owned. read more

Take it from two New York/New Jersey born and breds... this is hands down the best Italian restaurant in Ocala, we relocated almost 2 years ago and have not had a meal like we had tonight outside the 5 boroughs. I always opt for a restaurants house wine as it is basically a barometer for their wine list, the house Pino Noir was smooth with a crisp finish. We started with the Carpaccio which was like butter, paired with a balsamic reduction that was actually quite sweet. I went for the Gnocchi which comes with their meat sauce and covered with Mozzarella, delish. My husband chose the Veal Parmigiana which was super tender and not chewy in the slightest. Not a bite was left on our plates! We finished off the meal with espresso and their Chocolate Tower, which was just the sweet needed for this choc-a-hloic. From start to finish, great service and even better food. Well be regulars here for sure. read more

Delicious food.., fettuccine Alfredo was amazing and the lasagna delicious!!! Their rolls and pesto was really tasty.. only reason they didn't get the full five was for service.. I appreciate a business being busy but our waiter was stretched a little too thin.. I'll be back.. read more

We came with high expectations being recommended by a friend. Our table was 25 minutes late but to be fair they were crowded. Wife ordered snail for an appetizer and I ordered the onion soup which the waitress recommended. They brought my wife's snails and they were way overdone. Hammered! And no soup for me. I didn't say anything because I know it takes awhile. After about another 15 minutes here come our dinner. Still no soup! Wife ordered the Duck which was delicious but the bed of risotto it was sitting on was dry and like paste. The zucchini was mostly raw and asked for a salad after dinner. My dinner (I keep it simple) was spaghetti with sausage. Sauce was better than a jar sauce but the sausage was grilled whole then sliced and placed on top of the pasta. Ok. But it was charred black! Now if they would have put that sausage on a bun with spicy mustard they would have been on to something! But they didn't. It was burnt and tough. Never said a word about it ate what I could. When she cleared the table she never asked about it just took my over half full plate! Then the waitress brought our check. No salad! No asking was everything good or Do you want dessert, another drink perhaps? Nope just the bill! Poor service and I'll be kind and say the food was mediocre at best! Never go here! You get better service and food well.... anyplace else!!!! Pity..... came expecting more but got less for over a $100 read more

Oh how I wish they had such an incredibly authentic Italian Restaurant like Mesa de Notte back home. What a treasure. The menu is loaded with so many appealing dishes that it's almost impossible to make a decision. I make it to Ocala each February and it's a must to visit as many nights as I can in the short time available to me. You will not be disappointed. read more

We visited this resturant for the first time tonight and will for sure be back!! Service was super with kudos to Heather who makes a super martini and James who provides excellent service. Best veal Saltimbocca I have ever had and the filet marsala my wife had was tender and flavorful. You have to try this place for the food and service and the prices are reasonable to make it even more appealing!!! read more

Amazing food, fabulous atmosphere and Jose is an amazing host. A favorite of mine. Dining local rather than the big chains adds to this wonderful experience. read more

Excellent food and service. Anyone that gives this place a bad review doesn't know good Italian food.

The exterior of the restaurant doesn't reflect the inside. The restaurant from the outside looks like it was a chain restaurant or something, but once inside there are some nice booths and tables. Tables were covered with white linen, so it feels upscale, but still relaxed. I went for a Mother's day buffet and was very pleased with the quality and selection of foods, but cannot speak to the regular menu. I can only assume it is just as good. Great place for families or couples read more

Third time eating here and just amazing. Christmas eve dinner, my wife had chicken franchese and I had chicken marsala. Just wonderful!!!! The wait staff treated us like old friends and it was a very relaxing experience. The wine and Tequila sunrise was excellent and the cannoli was out of this world!!! I was thinking of going back to get two more takeout!!! See James, great guy. read more