If I could give zero stars, I would. We reserved Paganini Ristorante in Doylestown for a rehearsal dinner.. 30 guests, three tables, and what should've been a special, celebratory evening. Our reservation was for 7:00 p.m., and by 8:00 p.m., not a single bite of food had been served. People were tired, hungry and confused. Upstairs, drinks were flowing but food? Nowhere to be found. When we asked for just bread, we were told they wouldn't serve it until everyone was seated. The bartender (who doubled as the server) and the manager were rude, defensive, dismissive, repeating, "We've been in the business 35 years." You'd never guess it. We didn't start eating until 9:00 p.m., and honestly, it would've been better if we hadn't: - Frozen, boiled chicken with soggy canned tomatoes - Veal so tough you couldn't cut it - Watery, flavorless fish / "Family-style" pasta dumped on individual plates: reheated, cold, overly garlicky (and we like garlic), with zero balance or seasoning When the bread did finally arrive, they handed out one roll per person--and some of us are convinced they were from Costco. No butter, just a bottle of off-brand olive oil at the table. It was comical--until it wasn't. To top it off: - My mom found a bug in her salad - My brother spotted one crawling on the wall - A quarter of our group left early to feed their kids elsewhere, and staff still tried to serve food to their empty seats Meanwhile, every other restaurant in Doylestown was packed (thanks to a nearby game), yet people looked happy and well-fed. Paganini only had four tables to manage and still couldn't get it right. Then came the final insult: a surprise 20% mandatory gratuity on drink tabs. No signage, no heads-up. Just quietly added. When we pushed back, we were told, "That's just how we do things." Not only unethical, it's probably illegal in PA when undisclosed. My mother paid over $2,000 for this dinner. We wouldn't have paid $5 on the street for this food. Nothing was homemade. Nothing was Italian. And nothing about this experience reflected care, competence or customer service. Save yourself the heartbreak and go literally anywhere else. read more

Paganini Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

This is the worst Italian restaurant I've ever visited. Your servings were minuscule, a 3 inch piece of fish that was swimming in tomato sauce that tasted terrible. If it wasn't for my friend who lives nearby, I would not have been there. The appetizers were just as bad. You have paper thin slices of vegetables offered, that's unacceptable. Your pasta dish was also bland, but at least it was cooked properly. You have ABSOLUTELY no idea what good Italian food is. Nobody who knows NYC Italian food would ever recommend this place. Not to mention the fact that I have an injury and had to walk up two flights of stairs to go to a bathroom. You should get a citation for not having handicapped access to a restroom. The only positive thing was the lovely waitress who served us. You're lucky you're in a German area where nobody has a clue what real Italian food is like. read more

We went on Father's Day. The food was ok. I got the lasagna. Very basic, no cheese and the sauce was very salty. The service was not great. We had to ask for everything; rolls, butter, water, and parmesan cheese. The ambiance was fair. We were seated in a back room away from everyone. The music was very loud and distracting. I have been here before and I remember it being a much more pleasant experience. I was very disappointed. read more

The cozy space and authentic Italian comfort food made Paganini the perfect spot for a late lunch on a crisp winter's day. Everything is scratch-made with attention to detail, so settle in and allow time for a leisurely meal. My vegetarian lasagna was well worth the wait (30 minutes, which our server explained in advance) and my husband got two meals out of his bountiful bowl of pasta with mussels and shrimp. Next time we want to save room for the cannoli, which looked delicious. Our only hiccup was an accessibility issue, which probably has more to do with the city than the restaurant. There is a wheelchair ramp at the back, however, the sidewalk leading to the ramp doesn't have a cutout (meaning a wheelchair user would have to be able to stand with assistance, get out of their chair, and step down off the curb before returning to the chair). Fortunately my husband could do this, but just a heads up to other potential diners who may have mobility issues. There is a small outdoor patio that looks to be fully accessible for dining in warmer weather. read more

Paganini Ristorante - Wheelchair accessible seating on main level - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

This place saddens me... First off, the food is outstanding!..OUTSTANDING!.. The chefs are easily Michelin level chefs... But the service sucks... The waitstaff is either a young kid who doesn't really know what to do, or an older guy who is too tired to do anything... The ambience needs work, as tables are either right in the way or completely isolated... It could benefit from a newer manager... read more

Overly pretentious Italian cuisine. The taste and quality was very good. Prices were also reasonable. The menu was just not very good. The service was subpar too. The older gentleman that served seemed less than enthused to be there. He came off as annoyed we were there and he had to serve us. The only time we felt like guests was the younger server that brought us bread. Our table was for six and we could not even fit all our plates on the little table. It was rather uncomfortable. The more I review/remember the more annoyed I get for going here. One and done here. read more

My favorite Italian food in the area! Highly recommend, the building itself is also very beautiful and historic. I've never had something from here that I didn't like. read more

I had spaghetti Bolognese (meat sauce) and added meatballs to it. There was zero meat in the sauce. The meatballs were small and tasted like they came frozen from the grocery store -- stiff and tasteless like cardboard. My date had a pasta dish with a cream sauce and " sausage and mushroom". It had neither of the two. It was essentially mac & cheese with a little parsley on top. Tasted no different than a frozen Stouffer's dish. Only good thing was the spaghetti itself. I would give the food 2 / 10, do NOT recommend, totally fake Italian restaurant. read more

I love Italian food but this was a horrible experience. The food was like a 5/10 and the service was a 1/10. Nobody checked on us, ever. A different person took our drinks order, food order, and brought the food. It took about 45 minutes for 2 pizzas and 2 pastas to come out. One pasta was inedible (the zucchini flower pasta without zucchini flowers); the other was bolognese (meat sauce) without meat. The pizzas were super thin and cracker-consistency. The caprese appetizer was 4 quarter-sized slices of tomatoes with mozzarella for $12. For the price I would have expected much more, although it was good. I was also served broken cookware. We sent back an inedible pasta and nobody ever came to check on us about it. read more

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Had an amazing dinner at Paganini's tonight, epic as always. High quality ingredients, amazing menu and excellent service (thanks Echo!). The garden has a delightful ambiance and everything was perfect. My favorite place in town for many years. read more

This is our third time eating here. We love sitting on the patio. Enjoying a bottle of wine and eating underneath the grapevine covered patio our new favorite experience! We will be back again! read more

Paganini Ristorante - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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We were trying to figure out where to have dinner in Doylestown by strolling along State St. We lucked out and tried Paganini's. We sat under the gazebo out back and it was really romantic. We shared the fungi salad, side of pasta and eggplant parm. Everything was wonderful. All their pasta is homemade and it was really good. If you get there before 5pm, they offer wine specials during happy hour. We'll def be back!! read more

We went to Paganini's on Mother's Day, which was a really busy night for them but we had an AMAZING time! The servers were so kind and personable (shoutout Luca!), and we were laughing all night. Pasta is phenomenal, especially the pear gorgonzola special which I will taste in my dreams. Outdoor seating section is beautiful too. We'll definitely be back, thanks for making the night so special! read more

Beautiful ambiance yet the worst possible service. Every so often we decide to give it a try again because it's close, beautiful outdoor seating and good food. But...you will wait literally hours for your entree. We've been here for two hours on a quiet evening and haven't gotten our food yet. Ridiculous. I wish I could give it zero stars but it's not possible. read more

Food was amazing and wait staff was great. Our waiter knew everything about what they serve. Will definitely be back

Some things are good, others - not so much. Service at lunch on a slow Thursday at 12:45 by Paige (Page?) was great. I also enjoyed a decaf cappuccino ($4.50) which was truly excellent. However, the strong smell of cleaning fluid as I entered the restaurant, which initially made me feel relieved that they do clean the place, never dissipated and the smell (Bleach-y smell) was not good. I also did not appreciate the paper-thin slices of eggplant and zucchini on my antipasto platter ($12.95). And one - ONE - piece of roasted pepper. Yes, everything tasted great but not enough food for the money. Not likely to return right away. I fear they have passed their prime. read more

I was so disappointed. My friends drove 2 hours for my 65th birthday celebration and I recommended Paganinis. I've eaten there before living in Doylestown for years, but that night was terrible. I made reservations and they gave us a table where no one even remembered we were there. After 30 minutes, I had to go to the hostess and tell her we never even got water and that it was extremely hot down there. We had four waitresses that forgot one of my guests dinner. The food was fine, but the bad service took away from that. My one friend ordered a second glass of wine and never got it. read more

I absolutely love Paganini: this is something that I wish I could experience every day of the week as they have a rotating menu of homemade pasta specials for every day of the week: I've already tried three of their dishes and each was outstanding, so I have high confidence the rest of the pastas they have are the same. The pastas are also fresh, and that makes a huge difference in the taste: fresh pasta just tastes so much better. Also, the menu isn't too complicated: so its easy to find something that anyone will like, and you get to enjoy the freshness of the pasta and sauce without having it dominated by other add ons. The portions are a little smaller than other places, so that is the only downside. However I think that having the trade off for fresh tasting ingredients makes its worth it, as I don't mind paying a bit more for quality vs quantity. read more

The experience was absolutely horrific, the service was awful, the. bartender couldn't make a mixed drink properly, slow for a bartender, oh wait he was the waiter as well, which leads to why we had to wait to order our food. The tables did not have any bread on the table to help settle the stomach while waiting through the long wait, no menu to glance over to even give you something to look forward too. The bartender/waiter brought the menu to the table, handed it to us and said what would you like to order, wait I didn't even get to look at the menu! The salad was brought to the table and my wife's salad had a bug in it, we also had to continuously ask for bread. My granddaughter's pizza was forgotten about as were my daughter and son in law's dishes, which one ordered chicken and one ordered fish but both got chicken anyway. My son and his family just left because the kids were hungry and couldn't wait to eat. When the waitress that was helping out finally brought the pizza out for granddaughter, she shoved the hot pizza in my wife's face and I grabbed the tray as to shield my wife from getting burnt, I will say my wife confronted the waitress, which at least she had the decency to say she was sorry, no one else apologized for the horrible experience, but were very defensive. When paying our individual bar tab, we were not notified of the 20% gratuity, also wasn't posted anywhere along with no drink menu. The food was not of good quality and some of the party became ill afterwards. Needless to say I won't be returning to this establishment again! read more

I would skip this place. The sauce was very salty and my wife's quiche was very dry. Service could have been a lot better too. It was also too expensive for the lousy food and service. $112.00 for the worst brunch for two ever. We did each have two mimosas - and that was $60 of it, but still.... read more

My review is for a Wednesday evening before Christmas. To put it plainly there was some weirdness to our meal, but overall the food was quite good and the management was friendly. We ordered some pasta I dare not try to attempt a butchering of the name. It was delicious. The two dishes were served in an arrabiata sauce and a carbonara. The pasta was very fresh home made pasta and the sauces were on point. For the weirdness, I'll forget about it and come back for the good food. Our server seemed nervous, and the table adjacent us was obnoxiously loud with annoying conversation. Cant win the draw all the time lol. read more

currently sitting at our table. been here for 75 minutes. this place stinks. terrible service. have seen our waitress once. got an app of tomatoes and cheese that took 55 minutes. no one checking in. got three simple pasta dishes. the "chef" must have quit this evening or something. read more

6/5 stars , this place is aahhhhhmazing ,. The drinks , service , appetizer and entree ... best of the best. I drop a fork on the ground and someone shows up within 2 seconds to switch it out . Paganinis is the Spot! It's our spot ! read more

Paganini Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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food was fine, but the service was absolutely horrific. honestly shocked, for service that bad the food needs to be much much better. the bummer is that it is in the heart of Doylestown and the location is attractive. DO. NOT. FALL. FOR IT. read more

The Service here was I'm the only thing that was good. The appetizer was a pile of shredded carrots, 2 paper thin eggplant, slices, three strips of skinny roasted peepers that were mushy, and maybe some crumbly mozzarella? We were too sure. Didn't get a picture of this appetizer. The eggplant was a pile of mush and the meatballs were straight out of the frozen section. The Pizza was expensive and had crumbles of mushroom and one half of a tomato slivered on top. I didn't want cheese but expected sauce of some kind. This was a "cracker bread" thick crust. read more

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I met a friend for lunch, and I was very impressed. We were seated at a lovely table by a window near the sidewalk, and I enjoyed the view and the sunshine. Our waitress was very attentive and was good about checking on us. I asked for recommendations, and she suggested the Margherita pizza which was delicious- thin crust with flavorful sauce. I look forward to returning. read more

Amazing house made pastas and dishes. Very dedicated staff. Quaint and warm space and ambiance.

I am so upset at the service and the food in this establishment. Not only was the server completely absent during our entire meal but they took almost 30 minutes to serve three small plates but the food was awful and terribly priced. Menu is pretentious and server gave little info on what was going to be served. Never coming here again. read more

Paganini Ristorante - antipasto - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Paganini is a charming Italian spot in downtown Doylestown they were open with outdoor seating due to the coronavirus pandemic. We got a quiet table and it was pleasant. We started with an arugula salad and antipasti platter. The arugula was fresh, though the salad was marred with a clumsy creamy dressing (something like a ranch dressing) that didn't compliment the freshness of the arugula. The antipasti was fine, though it was served with shredded carrots soaked in what looked like mayonnaise - I thought that didn't really fit. We also got some free bread (the waiter brought it to the table and offered everyone a slice); the bread was solid. For my main course, I went for the classic lasagna with meat sauce. The sauce was mild but still with a good amount of flavor. I enjoyed the freshness of the pasta, but the portion was on the smaller side. The others in my party ordered the pasta special and it wasn't spectacular; the pasta was slightly undercooked. Service was on the slow side; it wasn't clear who our waiter was as we were served my multiple people? read more

Paganini Ristorante - Lasagna alla Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Great Italian food The service is always excellent and it is always quiet.It is our go to place in Doyylestown read more

Worst Italian pasta meal we've ever had. The service was good, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were very accommodating and polite. The buffalo mozzarella caprese appetizer was good. That's pretty much where the positives end. The first two bottles of wine we tried to order were out of stock. Ok, no biggie, we'll order something else. The third one was available and was good, but not as good as what we would have liked. My wife ordered a fusilli pasta dish with chicken. It was overly spicy and had 4 tiny strips of chicken in the entire thing. Not good at all. But it gets worse. I ordered the lasagna bolognese, thinking it would be a delicious hearty entree. I've had that at numerous Italian places and it's always been very filling. When this one came out, we were surprised at how small the portion was. It looked like a kitchen sponge covered in sauce. It also had no height to it at all. It was maybe an inch thick tops. I started to try it, and the sauce that it was drowning in was delicious. The lasagna itself - not so much. I tried another bite and same reaction. My wife (who is Italian by the way) then tried it, and she said "what the heck is this?" We proceeded to lift up the sheets of pasta within the "lasagna" to discover that there was literally nothing in between them. No cheese. No sauce. No meat. Just 5 layers of lasagna noodles. No wonder it was so thin! (See pictures for proof). The wait staff, again very nice, said that's how theirs is. "It's been that way for 30 years." No clue how that's possible. I've never had anything that pitiful in my life. Neither of us finished our meals. Worst part? We paid nearly a hundred bucks for that crap. Needless to say we won't be back. read more

Paganini Ristorante - Crappy lasagna - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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No stars- couldn't even eat my over salted pasta dish. What's worse? They didn't even ask me if I wanted something else when I asked them to take it away. It was down hill from there with the rest of my families entrees. Please save yourself from disappointment. Service was close behind. read more

Lovely Italian ristorante in Doylestown! Service outstanding by Luca, Echo and Madre! Appetizers were delicious especially the creamy burrato! Entrees very good! The ambiance makes this place a charming place to eat and the food is superb! The owners deserve applause! read more

What a terrible experience. My gf is vegan and we ordered the eggplant parm minus the cheese. We triple confirmed - no cheese - and they said yes there will be no cheese. And what happens?...the dish comes out with cheese. We expressed our concerns and the waitress comes back and says the owner said that you guys can return the plate but will still have to pay for it. Whaaat?? I never heard of such a thing. Clearly the owner does not care about his customers... we confirmed three times no cheese and the meal came out with cheese and they really had the nerve to add the dish to the receipt. Haha no chance I paid for that dish and no chance we will be returning to this place until the ownership changes to people who actually care about their customers requests. (Also, my meal was extremely tiny and it was an entree! I had to go get a slice of pizza elsewhere to fill up) read more

Paganini Ristorante - The restaurant that we will not be returning to - Italian Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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Maybe the chef called out sick when we went because this was one of the worst "Italian" meals I've had. The veal piccata was bland and tough. Just no seasoning at all, and a very small portion with just a couple pieces if cauliflower on the plate. Boring to look at. The homemade pasta was very thick and chewy and the sauce too cheesy considering there was already ricotta inside. And the wine pour was tiny. read more

Waited 20 minutes until a server first came by to take drink order, appetizers took an hour to come out and were only dropped off when I asked for an update. Similar story with entrees, did not come out until I flagged down a server to ask for an update then they were dropped off quickly. Terrible service, food was mediocre and overpriced. Gave it two stars because it is well decorated and in a solid location. read more

Worst restaurant ever. Antipasto was rubbery 1/16 inch grilled eggplant, a tablespoon of shredded carrots and some other unrecognizable garbage. "Wood fired pizza". Was a raw dough! Tasteless 9 inch tortilla. Should have taken the clue of nobody else in restaurant, and avoided it. read more

Not sure I ever gave a restaurant lower this few stars but this one deserves it. When my Piccata al limone arrived I thought I was being pranked that we were on the Kitchen Nightmare show. The entire dish was a white soup complimented by steamed white cauliflower. And then it was tough and sauce nothing limone and the waiter came by saying he should have warned me that all there meats are super tough because they don't tenderize like all others. My husband thought his fish was over cooked too. Overall very disappointing. This place is getting crossed off the list. The moths didn't help either. Website and exterior were so tempting. Service was fine. read more

Food is mediocre at best and overpriced, and service is very slow. They also add a surcharge to the check for paying with credit card.

The worst "Italian" meal I have ever had. The pasta frutta di mare had no seafood. We were sat in the dungeon which is where they should keep mops. The carbonara tasted like rubber. read more