Wow wow WOW. When I say this was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had, I am not exaggerating. This little gem in Victorian Village is a must visit for anyone who loves authentic Italian food and stellar service. I came here with my roommates family for a celebratory dinner and had an amazing four course dining experience. I was intimidated at first by the number of courses, but each dish is in a small tasting format. Not only was the food delish but our water was incredible. He took time to go through each dish and explain the ingredients and origin. You could tell he was super passionate about his job and the food there. I'm going to come back to try their cacio pepe that they mix in a cheese wheel in front of you!! 10/10!! read more

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For the price point let's get some new street numbers above the door so it doesn't look like a mailbox. The experience was perfect. The atmosphere was cozy. The dinner made for an amazing dinner out. The presentation of every dish was remarkable. The service was phenomenal and a pretty cool seasonal menu! We did the four course + started with bread that we enjoyed through the meal. Great experience and made for a lovely dinner. Chris has been wanting to check this place out forever. I didn't care for my main dish and they swapped it out rather quickly. A bit pricy especially if anyone in the party orders drinks but I would say worth the experience. read more

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Oh Pelino's Pasta we had such high hopes! My sister and I dined here with Cacio e pepe on our minds but then talked ourselves into the seven course tasting menu (with an accompanying wine pairing per course). We had hoped to indulge our senses with an Italian buffet of deliciousness but what we were served were small confusing, unappetizing courses of some unknown cuisine. Our server and sommelier were great! They were friendly & knowledgeable and made our underwhelming food journey a little more digestible. Like finding water in a desert, the highlight of our seven course meal, was most definitely the dessert. Unfortunately, Pelino's pasta didn't win us over with their puke green candle soup or their gravy topped with cranberries on focaccia bread and as good as the dessert was, wasn't good enough for us to even entertain returning to see if they have anything else redeemable to eat. read more

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LOVE IT, we had a fantastic experience and the food was absolutely wonderful. The service was top notch with a fantastic menu overview and explanation of dishes. We did the 4 course menu with my wife, 11 yr old daughter and 16 year old son. The portions are small but filling, I would do the 7 course next time but to keep the experience good and the food flowing they suggest the table do the same course menu. Everything was delicious, house made and a work of art. We will be back for sure, looking forward to 7 courses of Italian awesomeness. read more

It is exactly what I think it strives to be - low key, sophisticated, sort of New York City-ish. I like the vibe. Servers were top notch and very familiar with the complex dishes. The pasta's all looked great and ours was wonderful. Cocktails are imaginative to say the least. This is five stars for sure. But as would be expected, it is pricey. Two folks are going to have to say "no" to some things that they will want if they need to stay under $100. But in my book, it's worth the price!!! read more

Pelino's Pasta is a one of a kind dining experience. They featuring an ever changing, authentic Italian tasting menu, with new features every single month. This is a fantastic place to take a date or for an intimate celebration. All of the staff is incredibly friendly and professional and the vibes are perfect! You can tell every ingredient is of the highest quality and every dish is made fresh by hand. This is one you have to check out! read more

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Good experience here, but the main reason I'm giving it three stars and not four is the price. The way the menu works here is that you have several options that give you a certain number of courses. You cannot order dishes à la cart, but rather as part of the course selection. My girlfriend and I both ordered the four course option which was priced at $64 each, and I just think that's too much money for the quality of food we had. I've been to a lot of Italian restaurants in Columbus, and I think almost every other restaurant has a better value for the quality. I really appreciated that they were able to seat us outside even though we had an indoor reservation. It's a very intimate, but spacious patio and interior. If you're seated in the back of the restaurant, you can actually see it into the kitchen at the high top tables back there. Our food was good (I would not say great), and our server Breanna walked us through the menu very well. The menu changes every month. For the antipasti I had the Polpetta di Zucchine, for the pasta picola I had the Tortelli Settembrini, for the pasta the carbonara, and the salame di cioccolato. I liked everything except for the carbonara. The food was good and clearly well-made, but none of my dishes were particularly flavorful. The carbonara in particular I did not enjoy, and that's one of my favorite pasta dishes. That being said the polpetta was both of our favorite thing that we ate, and the dessert was also delicious. The chocolate ganache on top was perfect. I would say that all of the portion sizes are pretty small (see my pictures). Finally, they have an extensive wine list, and I really enjoyed the glass I had. All of the bottles are imported from Italy, and I recommend asking the server for recommendations. Good experience here, but I don't think I would come back. I just think there's a lot better Italian options that still involve handmade pasta with Italian-imported ingredients at other places in the city for a more reasonable price. read more

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Restaurant was very loud, almost impossible to hear the waitress. Food was underwhelming - not bad, but we didn't have anything that was over the top. The tiramasu that they stated was the best recipe ever, had dry lady fingers that weren't soaked in coffee at all. For the cost, I'd go one time and not again for a while. read more

We went to Pelino's Pasta on New Year's Eve. Had to wait a bit for our table (9pm reservation), but it's a small restaurant, and they were doing their best I'm sure. Dishes were all over the place in terms of what we liked- the pear and polenta antipasti we thought was ok. The risotto was excellent, and we felt the winner of the antipasti's was the bruschetta. It was unique and very tasty! The Gnocchi 2nd course was descent. The tortellini was alright. For the main courses, the cacio e Pepe was traditional and very delicious! The mafaladine pasta was a let down. The duck was tough and the flavors seemed less interesting than the other dishes. The pear and Gorgonzola pasta dish was good for those who enjoy blue cheese... it's VERY heavy on the blue cheese flavor (which I personally was not a fan of). We tried the tiramisu, cake, and the panna cotta for dessert. I must say the tiramisu was one of the best I've ever eaten. I would come back just for this. The panna cotta was delicious as well. I didn't love the cake, with the peppermint flavor. Overall, I wouldn't mind coming back... probably would get the Cacio e Pepe and the tiramisu (or even a couple orders of the tiramisu). read more

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Stopped in for a birthday celebration dinner, we were greeted and given lots of time to peruse the menu. They also offered to give a tour of the menu if we had any questions. We both ordered a s spritz, an Aperol and a Hugo, both were great! We also both did the 3 course selection. I ordered the zucchini crostini, which was super crispy and salty! My fiancé ordered the melon and prosciutto which was plated beautifully and came with a really great melon sorbet. For the mains, I did the cacio e Pepe, which they toss in a cheese wheel table side! The pasta was truly the star!! Lastly, I got the tiramisu which was delicious and came out in the top of a moca pot, so cute. Overall, food was very good, everything felt very fresh and high attention to detail. Definitely more of a special occasion spot due to price point. My only reservation about this place is the ambiance, we were seated in a very awkward corner next to the bar. I think if we were seated in a different area, our experience would have been much better. Due to where we were seated, a lot of the table side experiences were difficult to see and it was difficult to engage in conversation. read more

Pelino’s Pasta - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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My friend and I wanted to go to Cafe Pelino but the timing didn't work out so we decided to try Pelino's Pasta. It is located in a cute little neighborhood, so you'll need to find street parking (pay by app in the area). The servers were wonderful! I honestly didn't realize it was a course meal setting, but the server did a fantastic job of explaining the menu (which rotates monthly to ensure the freshest ingredients!). The bruschetta is amazing. The focaccia is delicious, the pesto was perfectly paired with the blackberry compote. The l'oro d'Agosto was ok. The noodles were a little bland but the pieces pancetta was delicious. The saffron was difficult to pick out as far as flavor profiles go but it was fun to try! The torta della nonna. Now this. The passion fruit sorbetto was AMAZING. I don't typically like passion fruit but I could eat this all day long! The torte was so good in pairing with the lemon curd and toasted pine nuts. Overall, it was a fun experience! read more

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Very wonderful experience. Highly curated dishes and wine pairings. Service was top-notch and everything was high quality. Highly recommend this if you're interested in a multi-course culinary experience. read more

We came for a birthday celebration and it was honestly one of the most disappointing meals I've ever had. The focaccia arrived cold, like it had just come from the fridge. Our soup and risottos were ice cold -- we sent them back, waited almost ten minutes, and they came out cold again. The risotto was mushy, the cacio e pepe main was also lukewarm, with huge chunks of unground pepper cracked tableside that were inedible. The saffron pasta was bland, needed salt, and was lukewarm also. We spent over two hours waiting between courses, were repeatedly served dishes with missing utensils (soup with no spoon... an impossible-to-cut dessert with no knife!), and were told multiple times by staff that because it was the first Monday of the month, the new menu had just been launched, and the kitchen was still working out the kinks. In fact, this was an excuse invoked many times throughout the course of the night -- a friendly reminder from the restaurant that we were their guinea pigs for this self-indulgent pasta experiment. We were also charged for two $10 bottles of sparkling water when we only got one -- the same "still or sparkling" trick other reviews mention. (We, too, didn't realize we had signed up for a $10 bottle until we got the bill.) When I emailed the general manager, he denied that anyone on the staff said the restaurant was still working out the kinks -- something multiple people told us directly -- and tried to justify the cold dishes and long waits instead of taking responsibility. I then noticed on Google Reviews that their restaurant is littered with similar complaints about cold food, long wait times, and opaque service practices. For the price they charge, this experience was unacceptable. And complaining is futile because management is more interested in defending themselves than making it right. Accountability is NOT on the menu at Pelino's Pasta. read more

The service and ambiance was a delight. I felt that the food was very underwhelming for the price. Story telling also felt underwhelming, in which is mostly important in places like this read more

Visited for my birthday and it was wonderful. We love a tasting menu! The service was incredible and the staff were very knowledgeable of the menu. It's a small space but was quiet and perfect for an intimate birthday celebration. Hope to return soon! read more

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I absolutely love Pelino's Pasta - the food is amazing, the service is great, and the atmosphere is so cozy. I've had a great experience every time I've been there. The cacio e pepe is definitely my favorite dish and I love that they toss it right in front of you in a big wheel of parmesan, so so good. I also love their selection of wines, I always try something new when I'm there and have really enjoyed everything. The restaurant itself is small and is a popular spot so you definitely want to make sure to make a reservation or else you might not be able to get in. Parking can be a bit tricky as you have to rely on street parking and probably will have to walk some. This is a pricier place but for good reason, so be prepared to spend a little more for some really great authentic Italian food! read more

Pelino’s Pasta - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Pelino's is a great dining experience. Fantastic food. Very authentic. The menu changes monthly. Knowledgeable and friendly staff, nice atmosphere. I highly recommend it. I hear it's hard to get into on the weekend. read more

Pelino’s Pasta - This is the Cacio e Pepe being served. - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We went here for a birthday dinner and while some of the dishes were good, overall everyone left pretty disappointed especially for the insane prices. We lived in NYC and these prices rivaled much better dinners there. The risotto first course had no flavor. The pastas were better but they were so small we left hungry. Dessert was good but that was the only memorable part of the whole dinner. In addition, we had a large party of 9 and they required us do a higher prix fixe menu than was stated online and when we had people in the party who were sick and couldn't come, they charged the birthday girl $100. Understand it's their policy but I've never seen a restaurant have zero leeway especially when the rest of a large party came and spent a lot of money on their tiny servings. read more

First, let me say the service and hospitality of the staff is impeccable. However, this should be classified as a tapas restaurant. The price for the small amount of food you receive is hardly worth it. Additionally, the handmade spaghetti noodles and pea sized meatballs left much to be desired. The undercooked pasta and house made sauce lacked flavor and were not a fair representation of what I had seen online. I was so excited to try their food based on what I had seen on social media and I was severely disappointed. read more

Very nice staff, incredibly helpful! That being said, the food was very disappointing. No meat options or vegetables. Very small portions as well read more

Hands down one of the best meals in Columbus. The service was fantastic and the food was absolutely incredible. read more

Pelino’s Pasta - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Really wanted to like this place. The place is quaint and a really nice spot. The staff are extremely friendly, professional, and helpful. The drinks are great. The quality of the food just isn't there for what they're going for and what the price is. Don't get me wrong, the food is ok, but for what you're paying I think it should be elevated. The menu rotates, but I had the cacio e pepe which is constant and kind of their signature. It was good, and it's a bit of an experience having them bring out the wheel of cheese and make the pasta table side. But, honestly, it's similar quality to getting table side guac at a Mexican chain restaurant. Good, but nothing spectacular. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I thought it would be this warm, luxurious pasta and cheese experience and it just tasted like Mac and cheese. read more

What a cool experience at Pelino's Pasta. Having a reservation for this restaurant is a must as it is not a very big location and fills up fast. There is some seating outside but at this time of a year, people were asking to come inside. We had a reservation for 7 pm and were seated around 7:15 pm as there is very limited seating. This restaurant is very good but the portions are very small. There are three options on what you can order. One that has three courses, another four and the last is the chefs tasting with seven. If you are looking for a budget friendly restaurant, this is not it. The options start at $49 and go to $99. My friend and I decided to splurge and got the 4 course menu that is $64 that comes with an Antipasto, Pasta Piccolo, Pasta (main dish) and Dolce. All portions came over with big time gaps which was good for digesting your food. The meal did take 2 hours to complete so do not come in a rush. It is an experience not a quick meal. The menu changes seasonally and we came in Fall. We started our meal with an additional charge of Focaccia and Evoo that is made daily in house. The oil was so smooth and amazing. I highly recommend you adding this to your meal. Second, I got the Bruschetta con Mortadella e Cipolla which is highly recommended as well. The third portion that I got was Roselline con Mele which is an acquired taste and was good but did not love it. For my main pasta, I got the pasta made in a cheese wheel that does not leave the menu, Cacio e Pepe which was good but too cheesy for me. Lastly for my dessert, I got the La Strega d'Autunno and I recommend that as well. All the food was delicious and I suggest coming here for a try just know it's expensive, an experience not a faster meal and portions are smaller. It would be a great place for a birthday or celebrating an anniversary. I do not know if I would come again as I experience everything I needed and it was too pricey for me. Great experience to come once! read more

Wow! Outstanding restaurant. Delicious dishes made from fresh- made pasta, terrific knowledgeable service. I had the Pelino's Dinner (antipasto, pasta piccolo, a pasta dish, dessert) and I was so happy. Small courses to savor and I was perfectly satisfied and not overstuffed. Their menu changes monthly, so some of these items may not be there all the time.Antipasto: bruschetta, piccolo: rosseline (flower shaped pasta), pasta: cacio e pepe l, dessert: salami de chioccolato. The cacio e pepe was prepared tableside in a cheese wheel and you could choose your level of pepperiness. Everything tasted fresh and super well crafted. I went with the wine pairing with dinner and the wines were selected to go with the specific dish. My friend had different dishes and got different wines. Next time I'll go with the Chef's tasting - small portions of the antipasto and the pasta piccolo and full size pasta and dessert. Overall an outstanding experience. read more

Simply outstanding! I should say simply sized plates that deliver outstanding food to your table. Came in on a Tuesday night with my daughter. We each ordered the 4 course dinner with a wine flight. We each picked different dishes, so the 2 wine flights amounted to 10 different wines. That was worth the price of admission right there! Ended up leaving with 2 bottles I really, really liked. The presentation of each dish is off the charts. Not a lot of food, but combined it is plenty to leave filled up. Service was great! Our server had only been with Pelino's for a year, but had the knowledge of someone that owned the place. I couldn't pronounce half of what was on the menu, but with his help, I was able to order up some of the most tasty plates I've ever had. Still not sure what that was, but it doesn't matter. It was that damn good! Apparently they redo the menu every month, so looking forward to coming back in the future for an entirely new experience. Place is really small, so make a reservation. read more

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We came for a girls night tonight. You have to buy a 3 or 4 course meal just forewarning you. It is all fresh ingredients and from Italy so that is really neat!! I got the bruschetta, zucchini pasta and tiramisu. I loved each dish!' But I wanted more pasta. It was such a small plate, I'm not used to that. I think my favorite dish was the espresso tiramisu. It wasn't too sweet and it wasn't too much espresso. I wish they had a happy hour too!! But overall really neat experience! read more

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TLDR: would never recommend to anyone. Snake $10 charge for the sparkling water. Food was barely even warm. Price is absolute madness for that experience. Trash anniversary dinner. Went for a special anniversary dinner and when the host sat us at our table said they offered a complimentary Prosecco toast for the occasion (that nice). Then *the host* asked us if we wanted still or sparkling water. My partner got sparkling because why not. Our server came over and was very nice and went over the whole menu to help us decide. After she left finally checked out the drink menu , and to my surprise. The bottle of sparkling water that was on our table was on the menu for TEN DOLLARS. Asked the server what the heck that's about since it was the host that freakin asked us "still or sparkling" IF THE HOST OFFERS "STILL OR SPARKLING" BOTH OPTIONS ARE PRESUMABLY FREE. Once I noticed that insane scam they pulled on us, it set the rest of the night up for a bad time . However, did think the food would maybe be so good I'd forget about that shady move they pulled. NOPE. The food was a let down one after the other. Risotto (served with a black sludge poo on top. Some black garlic thing or something. But looked and tasted gross)- served room temp and not good (and like three spoonfuls). Roasted Cabbage with burrata - served chilled/cold. Was decent but the temperature made my brain confused and disappointed Braised Beef piccolo pasta- was actually good but on top of a cold crema sauce?! Pasta dishes - room temp and not good! Like at least be tasty pleeeeease. But no. Extra $5 for the mini meatball spaghetti dish. Couldn't eat the meatballs, and then the room temp spaghetti turned cold and couldn't bother with that. And my partners pasta had the black sludge on it and wasn't remotely warm/hot Also, don't forget , portions are about four bites worth. Dessert- the tiramisu was bomb. I'll give them that. For such a fancy place I feel like it should have been served with a more narrow dessert spoon tho, given what it's served in. Left there abbbbsolutely staaarved. read more

Pelino’s Pasta - $10 bottle sparkling water ! - Italian Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Went here for Valentine's Day, for their event with 5 courses and wine pairing. Food was good but overpriced for what was given. It was at the event location not their normal spot. It was communal seating which was not disclosed to us. Had we been aware we would have not gone as we were right on top of every other couple in the room. The chef was great and obviously passionate but experience was not advertised appropriately for what it was read more

Pasta dishes are highly inconsistent in their firmness. The fish selections within the various dishes are conceptually great but simply poor quality fish. And the price point is 3x where it should be. If you are reading the glowing reviews, I will guarantee that at least 90% of those are ego reviews that Yelpers write when they are stung by a hefty bill and perceive the problem is with them and not the restaurant. Service is clearly striving to be great but they ask for input in an off-putting manner that lends an aire that they neither care nor will act upon the critique. Caveat emptor (buyer beware -Latin), the menu is priced as either 3-, 4-, or 7-course options but plated courses presented in amuse bouche single or double bites. The proteins exist but you need to look hard because they are less than generous with the proportions. Whoever is procuring their fish clearly has little appreciation for the inland location and the concept that oily species must be eaten fresh or risk the unsavory "fishy" taste dominating your meal. To echo many other Elite Yelpers, the bar is a massive disappointment in that they only serve spritzers and wine. No beer or cocktails. Plus, those aforementioned wines are not available as a taster. You are at the mercy of a shaky description from your waiter. I can state that the desserts, particularly the Torta de Nonna, are well executed. Possibly they are the only item worthy of a return visit. The hostess desk and pastry chef save Pelino's Pasta from a disastrous 1-star. read more

If you are seeking a 5-star dining experience, look no further. The food is exceptional with house made everything. The service is even better! Our server Brianna was outstanding. Every dish was perfectly described to help us decide. We had the Pelino's dinner--4 perfect courses that were filling and delightful. We also had the wine pairing, so we got to try some fabulous Italian wines. Casual, yet elegant setting was not too loud. Highly recommend! read more

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I wish I could give them more than five stars. Everything was phenomenal. I appreciate the portion size; we left feeling satisfied but not uncomfortably stuffed. Alec was our server and answered all of my many questions with patience. The limoncello spritz was light and refreshing. The focaccia was perfect alone but was even better with the zuppa di fagioli. The cacio e pepe was presented after a wonderful tableside presentation. *yall, I forgot to mention the tiramisu. Idk how I forgot it because it was amazing. I don't even like tiramisu but decided to try it because everything else was so good. Like, as good as everything else was, I knew they wouldn't drop the ball on dessert. Idk if I'll ever visit Columbus again but if I do, I would stop by this place just for the tiramisu. read more

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My husband and I had a wonderful experience! We felt so well taken care of by the staff, and the food was absolutely delicious. I especially loved that all of the pasta is hand-crafted and made in-house--it really adds to the authenticity. They also have a great selection of wine. We will definitely be back! read more

I love the vibe. I love the idea of it. But something just isn't quite right. Firstly, the portions are crazy small. And I'm no stranger to fine dining and small bites. But there's only a few courses here, so you're going to leave hungry as well as underwhelmed (more on that). To start we had the bruschetta which was basically the size of half of a piece of white bread (as an example). We also had spaghetti as our entree and while the flavor was good the texture was horrible. Caveat, again my family is Italian, we make fresh pasta at home. I've been to Italy maybe 10 times in my life. I know what fresh pasta is and what al dente should be. The spaghetti was gluey (couldn't be separated when picked up with the fork) got stuck in your teeth, was white in the center. The hallmarks of either being poorly constructed or way undercooked. I asked them very nicely to make me another, and the second was exactly the same (though they said it had been cooked longer - so maybe the recipe is off?). It was sadly inedible. I wasn't angry, and we enjoyed the rest of our wine. The waiter asked if we wanted to take the leftover spaghetti home and maybe "heat it up in the pan and cook it"... No discount on the bill. So we left hungry and disappointed. We won't be back. read more

I went to Pelino's for the third time last night for my friend's birthday. This is a popular spot for special dinners with loved ones for their warm, small (not too tight) and welcoming atmosphere. I love that the servers are trained to be very knowledgeable about the menu and seasonal/monthly (?) dishes they offer. I come here for the experience of their course menu (3, 4, or 7), but there's always one dish out of the 3-4 course meal that I don't enjoy and it is usually their pasta - which is the course I look forward to the most. My friends and I agreed that the pasta dishes lack flavor, and the temperature of the dish is not consistent throughout. The Cacio e Pepe is delicious so if you're ever torn on what to get- you can't go wrong with it since it is always available and doesn't change. Their tiramisu is also creamy and tasty as well! I loved their seasonal pumpkin torta that they currently have which is served with a gelato from their sister spot Piazza Pelino! If I return, I would love to try the 7 course chefs tasting and enjoy the antipasti & pasta piccolo dishes that I usually do love. read more

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We went to Pelino's for our anniversary and had an incredible experience! Service: The staff was incredible from the start of experience and the evening started off with a complimentary glass of champagne since they knew we were celebrating our anniversary. Our waiter went through the entire menu with us and gave us recommendations which was very helpful. Food: we did the 4 course option with the wine pairing and enjoyed each dish. The portions were small with each dish however we were full by the end of the night with all of the courses. Our favorite dish was the carbonara ravioli which was incredible however each dish was flavorful and interesting in its own way. The tiramisu was also incredible. Ambiance: the restaurant is very cute and has an intimate feel, it was perfect for a romantic evening. We would definitely come back to try other things on the menu! read more

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This is the closest experience to dining in Italy that my husband and I have had. Every plate we tried was bursting with flavor. We recommend sitting at the bar, Justin was a phenomenal server and took great care of us. read more

Some of the best pasta in Columbus and an inspired wine list with delicious prosecco!

Waited 45 minutes for a table we had reserved. Decided to leave because it was getting late (8:30PM) for dinner. When we left, we had to fight to get a singular cocktail comped. Was very excited to show my family this place as we have been here many times and this was a horrible experience. We will no longer recommend Pelinos nor will we be back. read more

I've been to Pelino's Pasta a few other times before and needless to say, it never disappoints! I love how the menu changes every month so it's basically a never ending menu of pasta-bilities! The entire wait staff are extremely knowledgeable with each month's hand crafted menu and wine selection. Portions are on the smaller end but it's all scratch made and they use fresh ingredients. $49 - 3 course - Antipasto, Pasta, Dolci $64 - 4 course - Antipasto, Pasta Piccola, Pasta, Dolci $99 - chef's tasting - 7 course menu Great spot for a date night or a girls night! And yes, i've done a solo date night on my own as well :o) Make sure you make reservations ahead of time, especially if you're going in with a group. read more

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This place is ass... it gives the vibes that it's high end but the pasta taste like mush with applesauce on top. The panacotta was curdled chunky omelette. I'm not joking. The servers were acting like ai bots. This place gives chat GBT. Would not recommend :) read more