I often ask myself: Why go anywhere else? Paul Manno's ranks among my top three Italian restaurants in the Saint Louis area. I know that statement might spark a debate with some people, but that's how strongly I feel about it. Our favorite dishes include the stacked salad, the sea bass, and the veal parmigiana. Every visit delivers the same high quality. We've never left disappointed. We have friends who moved to Northwest Arkansas, yet whenever they come back to town, Paul Manno's sits at the top of their must-visit list. We happily meet them there every chance we get. Over the years, we've celebrated anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions here. The restaurant continues to play a role in many of our favorite memories. The ambiance leans a little old school, but that adds to its charm. The atmosphere feels warm, comfortable, and inviting. read more

A gem in a strip mall! Don't let the outside fool you. It looks like not much behind those dark windows, but this place delivers. It's been in the area for years (like 30+) and they know what they're doing. Service was on point, the menu authentic, and the food (oh, yes, the food) well prepared, presented, and beyond palatable (for those who like alliteration). Give it a try if you're in the area, and I doubt you'll be disappointed. Well done, Paul Manno's, and thank you for the great service, Matthew! read more

Man, I'm not gonna lie. Everything can be great. the food and you can have a really bad service thet totally affects review. I think we had the worst server I've had in so long. I can't even imagine. The food was fantastic. We had a fillet! Super amazing with mushrooms and Gorgonzola cheese It was so great. We had two salads. While my husband didn't like it, my friend took it over for him and totally loved it. I had my own salad with goat cheese and spinach and it was fantastic. I enjoyed every single bite of it. I would say the place is a little bit too dark. Hard to read the menu and see each other. Kind of hard to hear each other but it all worked and it mattered. Because sometimes it matters who you're with However our server's name was Matt, he was the worst of the worst. the fact that I even gave him a tip was more than I can imagine that I did because I just don't do that Don't come to work if you're unhappy! You're making a bad name for a really great restaurant Matt. My lower view has to do with Matt and low lighting The food worth it ! read more

Close your eyes and imagine being in Florence Italy at a fine restaurant. Now imagine getting that same experience right here in the Midwest. This place has old world charm fantastic food and drink. If you want a cocktail it will be made by your waiter who has probably been there every night for twenty years. I had the Chilean Sea Bass and a side of Rigatoni Ubriaco. The Sea Bass was very good but not as good as Napoli's. The real gem besides our wonderful waiter was the Ubriaco. It's a crazy combination of lobster and Italian sausage in a vodka sauce. Unbelievable! I can't wait to go back! Oh - and my wife was raving about the perfectly balanced cosmo. read more

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Everything I've ever ordered here has been outstanding. The food the service and the ambiance is great. It is a true great dining experience. I guarantee you will enjoy yourself. read more

Wine list was really good. Service was perfect. Parking was easy and well lit. We had a wonderful 4 course meal and 2 bottles of great French wine. Would go every night if I could! read more

Paul Manno's Cafe - Great White Burgundy!! - Italian Near Me - Chesterfield, Missouri

My wife and I stopped in for dinner. My wife started with the tomato stacked with fried eggplant and I had the baby spinach salad with goat cheese both were outstanding. My wife had the scallops in a brandy cream sauce with Portabella mushrooms . She gave me a taste and it melted in my mouth. It was amazing. I ordered the halibut it was pan seared with a white wine and lemon it was delicious. Our server Brian was excellent. He recommended an Italian beer to go with my fish and it was very good. The restaurant's theme was a throwback to the rat-pack of Las Vegas. It was a great experience and we will definitely be back. read more

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Great food, great service, great wine, great place! I would not change anything. THANK YOU for the wonderful evening!! read more

Paul Manno's Cafe - White burgundy!! - Italian Near Me - Chesterfield, Missouri

Early Birthday Dinner!!!!! If you are looking for an upscale place to have dinner for a special occasion or to just blow 1/2 your grocery budget you have to go to Paul Manno's. We had the Mussels in a spicy tomato sauce and Cannelloni for an appetizer!!! Both Amazing!!! You can get Cannelloni as a Main dish as well!! The Sea Bass in a white Wine sauce was on special and the Filet with Gorgonzola and mushrooms were both excellent!!! They come with a side ! The Tiramisu was a bit different as it had fresh fruit on top which I didn't hate!!! The Drinks!! Superb!!! Dirty Martini and a Lemon Drop Martini!!! Service is always Top Knotch!!!! Tip: it is a very dark ambience so use your phone light!!! read more

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Long well established restaurant only open from 5-9 pm serving up delicious house favorites and tasty creations. Service is impeccable and the ambiance is remarkable. Drinks are well poured, salads are fresh and crisp., bread was served warm and fresh with a dipping sauce. Chicken Parmesan was a lightly breaded breast fried perfectly crisp covered with a tomato sauce and cheese enough for 2 . Seafood pasta was good , had plenty of seafood Tiramisu was Perry and loved the fresh fruit on top. read more

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Paul Manno's Café is in a class all its own. The Yelp 5 Star system does not adequately rate this stellar establishment. Paul Manno's deserves 10+++ stars. All accolades you have heard about or read are well deserved. This makes for an amazing night out. I have been dining at Paul Manno's my entire life and have never had a bad meal. The food is classic Italian made with the most important ingredient of all...love. You can taste the passion for food in every bite. Some of my favorite dishes here are Mezzi Rigatoni Alla Nonna, Mamma's Lasagna, Rigatoni Ubriaco, Pollo Limone, Rack of Lamb, Filet Mignon Gorgonzola, and Gamberone Fra Diavola. Special Note, if you order something like Veal, you can have any pasta on the side with an upcharge. I highly recommend the Rigatoni Ubriaco or Mezzi Rigatoni All Nonna as your side. The staff and owner at Paul Manno's make every meal extra special. Pure dedication to the craft and service to others is felt at Paul Manno's. I have been here for everything from special romantic nights to huge family meals and look forward to my next visit. I am planning my next reservation now. read more

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Everything about this place was GREAT! Our server, Avery, was amazing he was cracking jokes and making conversation, and clearly knew his way around the menu. We got the Shrimp Scampi followed by the salmon special and rigatoni, all 10/10. The dark chocolate gelato and cheesecake are a must order as well We barely have left the restaurant and already are planning on our next visit we cannot recommend this place enough. read more

One of the best Italian restaurants in St. Louis! Old school style red sauce place. Definitely get a reservation well in advance.

Congested. They make too many reservations for the small space. Not good lasagna. My husband was disappointed But other family members liked theirs. Like veal chop. read more

Every time we come back to Paul Manno's we end up saying "why don't we come here more often?" Indiscreetly tucked in between Firehouse Subs and Jenny's Restaurant, Mannos's consistently delivers old school Italian cuisine, atmosphere, and service. You really can't go wrong here. Pro tip: even though it's not a requirement, get dressed up to dine here, you'll feel like you belong! Highly recommended! read more

Quite the Italian experience and atmosphere. Darker inside and smaller more intimate place. The music was a bit too loud to have any private conversations. Otherwise you are a bit louder to talk to other tables. Table balsamic vinaigrette was delicious, could have eaten this all day. Appetizers were roasted peppers and mozzarella and platter of meat/cheeses. The prosciutto was delicious! Chicken Parmigiana was pretty classic. Tortellini superb with no complaints! Cannoli was flaky. Tiramisu was definitely split worthy. In season the berries would have been better but out of season they were very tart. Great place to eat with real authentic and home made ingredients. However, I would turn down the music just a bit for a more romantic date. Also, try the wine - the cab was the cherry on top. read more

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Fantastic dinner at Paul Manno's, possibly one of the best Italian restaurants in St. Louis. I felt like i had been transported straight to Italy for dinner. Ambiance 10/10. Definitely make a reservation, they fill up fast! We got the lasagna and rack of lamb. Lasagna was fantastic, as expected. I was slightly hesitant in ordering the lamb, just because I had never had it. It did not disappoint! Melted in my mouth and the hints of lemon were delicious. For dessert, tiramisu of course. Very good and light tiramisu , not too chocolately or overpowering. Perfect tiramisu texture. In conclusion, if you've never been here and are contemplating, GO! read more

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Delicious Food! Outstanding Service. Nicely Paced Food Service. Never Felt Rushed or Hurried by Staff. It was so lovely. The ambiance was romantic and at times a little dark, but it didn't interfere with anything. Will be back again! We dined 1/30/26, 4 people, all dinners were top notch! read more

A shining star amongst lots of basic shops. The restaurant outside doesn't look like much. The parking lot has a goodwill on the other hand when you walk inside elegance bounds fantastic flavors great service and what you expect to have. Highly recommend I've ordered several things on the menu and always had good food. read more

Joined a group for a pre-New Years eve celebration and the food and service was fantastic. What we had: - Negroni: (4.5/5) GET THIS. best Negroni in town! - house salad: (4.25/5) Split this with my wife. Simple and perfectly executed. - lasagna (4.25/5) Ordered a 1/2 order of lasagna plus 1/2 of the Rigatoni Ubriaco. Lasagna was very tasty. Bright tomato sauce. Didn't notice ricotta. - Rigatoni Ubriaco (4.75/5) GET THIS. This is a fantastic dish. Tip: If you can't make your mind on which pasta to try, go for a two 1/2 orders of pasta as your meal! Love the ambiance. I kept waiting for the rat pack to walk in. read more

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Everything works here. Great staff, menu choices, parking, location, food quality, rvrn the clientel are good.

We had dinner at Paul Manno's Cafe with our friends a few days ago. The entry door was kinda hidden from the outside. It's a little too dark to read the menu but it didn't bother me much. The restaurant has a cozy and charming atmosphere. We started with calamari fritti for appetizer. For entrees, we ordered their famous Rack of lamb (med rare) with Caesar salad and linguini mare monti. My little one had his own off menu item.Rack of lamb was definitely the star of the show. I loved the flavor a lot. We finished our dinner with homemade tiramisu. I didn't take photos of my friends orders but they were satisfied with the quality of food and service. Paul Manno's Cafe is absolute a great spot for anyone craving authentic Italian cuisine. read more

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My boyfriend and I came in last night for dinner and everything was amazing! Our waiter Aaron set the perfect vibe right off the bat, very friendly & knowledgeable, and consistently present without being overbearing. We started with the calamari fritti & the red pepper & mozzarella dish, both were fantastic! For our main courses, I opted for the Chilean seabass special, which had a delicious lemon caper sauce, and a side of green beans. My boyfriend had the rack of lamb, their specialty, with a side of rigatoni. For dessert, our server treated us to a hefty scoop of amaretto ice cream, and then we brought home tiramisu for later! It was our first time here, and we were both blown away by the quality of service and food. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Excellent experience!! This is one of our go to special occasions restaurant and been here quite a few time. Brian was our server and he was most attentive and answered all our questions. Food is always top shelf. We ordered the cold antipasto salad plenty for two and was a delicious start to the meal. We followed this with Mamma's Lasagna and it came out hot and delicious. The atmosphere is old school white table clothes, dark wood, soft Italian music in the background. You'd expect to see Old Blue Eyes singing in the corner. Highly recommended!! read more

The rigatoni ubriaco is the best pasta dish I've ever had. This guy understands sauces. The sausage was incredible. And the combination is perfect. Service was very professional, ambiance was great (dark and classy like a classic Italian restaurant) -- so the whole experience was great. But. That. Pasta. read more

We dined here last evening with another couple. Atmosphere here is warm and cozy. Coat check at the checkin desk is nice as you don't have to sit with your bulky winter coats. Service throughout the evening was excellent. I had thought about ordering the Rack of Lamb and a side of the Drunken Pasta (Rigatoni in a vodka sauce with Sausage and Lobster), but I thought that might be too much food, so I opted for the Entree size Ubriacco (Drunken) Pasta. It was fabulous and ranks up there with the finest pasta dishes I've ever eaten. It was a bit pricey at $40, but every bite was delicious and I would order this again anytime. My Martini was perfect and the wine that I had with my pasta was delicious. The only problem with Paul Manno's is that it is so good you have to make a reservation far in advance if you want an early spot. But that's because everything is so good! Can't wait to go back and do it all again. read more

Paul Manno's Cafe - Ubriacco Pasta - FANTASTIC - Italian Near Me - Chesterfield, Missouri

We were just there two days ago and we were a party of six. One recommendation you must make a reservation. You will not get in otherwise. That should give you a good indication as to how good this restaurant is. All six of us had wonderful entrées. We had everything from the veal to lasagna to chicken, entrées, and fillets around the table, and everyone was very happy with their meal. Highly recommend the tomato mozzarella eggplant Stack if it is available that evening. The Wine from Camas was of course superb and our server was lovely. It's a little dark so if you have difficulty reading, bring your cell phone and use your light, but otherwise we will be back. read more

Paul Manno's Cafe - This is a picture of the tomato mozzarella eggplant salad I had cut it in half and took the picture. It is delicious.!! - Italian Near Me - Chesterfield, Missouri

There is no better place for Valentine dinner than Paul Manno's Cafe. I love the name because this restaurant is as far from a Cafe as possible. It sits in a strip mall and has a very indescipt front. You have no idea that it is a fine dining venue until you open the front door. We had reservations for 5:30PM and we were quickly seated after arrival. The coat check is at the reception desk. Our waiter, Matt arrived at our table within 5 minutes. He quickly took our wine order. When he returned he asked if we had perused our menus and then offered a description of off menu specials. At that point I ordered an antipasto plate for our appetizer. Before the plate arrived we ordered a house salad and entrees. She ordered Sea Scallops and I opted for Chicken Limone. The antipasto was delicious with 3 cheeses, 2 meats and a collection of veggies & olives. We could not finish it off. The House Salad was very good and we were glad we split it because our entrees arrived! The scallops were perfectly seared and large. I got a taste of one and I do a very good job cooking them but these far exceed what I can produce. I don't know how they do it. My chicken was plated with two large breast pieces covered in mushrooms and a lemon white wine sauce. It came to table on a very hot plate and was delicious. I could only eat about 60% of it. We took our leftovers home with us. Needless to say we had no room for dessert. This is a place to go for a special occasion. It costs a bit more but it's worth every penny. The service is great and it's very romantic. read more

Definitely a locals' joint. It's an old school Italian restaurant located in a strip mall. The interior, however, was done up to transport you to another world. We tried a couple of times to make reservations via phone but was frustratingly met with busy signals. Alas, we persisted and showed up "early" and were able to be seated. In this day and age, you'd think they'd upgrade to an online service like Open Table or Resy. Oh well. In any case, the food and service were pretty good. The calamari was tasty, as were the lamb chops and chilean sea bass special. The star of the night for me, though, was their Super Tuscan that they had on the wine list. It went well with everything we ordered. By the time we left, the place was still plenty packed. read more

Paul Manno's Cafe - Super Tuscan - Italian Near Me - Chesterfield, Missouri

Went for a birthday celebration with another couple based on a recommendation. Had the off menu veal chop with mushrooms and fontina. Very tasty. Companions had the veal Milanese and the filet and the fourth person had pasta. All the food was very good but ambience was non existent. To be clear, it was a Saturday night. The place located in a strip mall was packed with tables soooo close and the conversations happening across the establishment could easily be heard. Very loud. As many other reviewers have mentioned the lighting is too dark. You have to use your phone flashlight. The service was fine but the waiter seemed rushed and spread thin and stressed. We were able to bring our own wine with a reasonable corkage fee. Sadly i would not plan a return visit as the experience overall did not warrant the price tag. I would encourage the owners to seek another space that could showcase their offerings to the best possible advantage. This felt like another situation of an STL mainstay resting on their laurels, not making any effort to evolve with the changing demographic and tweak the culinary offerings, assuming the crowd will always be there. Based on my observations (and I am an almost retired person so take this as objectively as possible) their crowd will be disappearing over the next decade. I saw ZERO 30-40 year olds or younger. I wish the best for you PM but i don't hold out hope if you don't change read more

Once again we are astounded by the professionalism of the staff and the quality of the food. This is not your everyday Italian restaurant. This is the best or the best. Don't be fooled by the strip mall location. Be prepared for a huge treat. Ambiance, service and high quality culinary - Paul Sr. & Paul Jr. aim far above your expectations. Kurt read more

You would never believe it from the outside, but this place is the perfect formal date night! The servers warm the food right in front of you before serving it and the service is great. Delicious every time! read more

Paul Manno's Cafe - Grandma's pasta with chicken subbed for the meat! - Italian Near Me - Chesterfield, Missouri

Everything food was out of this world! Our waiter Bryan was top notch and made us feel special!! Great ambiance can't wait to go back again!! read more

It took me forever to finally go there. After our meal, I felt even worst for waiting so long. Well worth the hype. Not a lot of old school dining spots left. This is one of them for sure. read more

Had to get reservations a month in advance. Great place. Worth the wait. Wonderful service.

They are a very well oiled machine. The food, service and ambiance was first class. We are new to the area and Paul Manno's is now our go to restaurants for special occasions. read more

This place is so delicious. Everything was soooo good. The service is great, the vibes are perfect for a fancy Italian place. I'd recommend to anyone and cannot wait to go back. read more

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We went here for our anniversary and everyone needs to check it out once in their life. Inside is very dim and gives a very warm feeling to anyone sitting. I was that person to use their flashlight to see the menu, but noticed at least one person at every table following suit. The menu is very specific and precise. The rack of lamb was the best lamb I've ever had. The seasoning and flavor of each bite was delectable. Our pastas were fantastic and left us more than full by the time we left. The service was 10/10 and took time to explain every dish and answered any questions we had. It truly felt he was our personal waiter. At least come here once in your life! read more

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High quality food, top notch service. Dinner is delicious- a bit pricey but worth it! Dimly lit, romantic atmosphere - which really takes you by surprise, considering it's in a strip mall. read more

Don't understand the hype. It's too dark inside to see the menu. Food takes a hot second to get out. Very crowded inside with very little room to maneuver. Just a nightmare. If I want to get some quality Italian you won't catch me at this place. The level of quality just isn't up to par with the prices being charged. The popular "want to be fancy" restaurant idea is hard to execute, and it's safe to say this place failed. It was not all bad though as they had the Chiefs vs Ravens game on TV. I was very pleased with that as it provided an escape from the mediocrity hidden behind the high prices. Also, why is it so hidden from the public. This place just isn't good enough to hide themselves from the everyday person. Sorry. read more