We walked by Trattoria Da Luigi a few times before and noticed it was always packed, so we decided to make a reservation. We had to wait a short bit before getting seated, even with a reservation, and there was very little space to wait without getting in the way. However, service was excellent, and our table was cleared as quickly as possible to get us seated. Our server introduced himself quickly and read us all of the specials with the prices as well. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. He also checked up on us frequently and made sure we were doing well. I got an aperol spritz which was nice and refreshing. The starter bread was very soft and warm. We split of one of the specials (arancini alla norma) which was excellent. We also got the insalata mista which was exactly what you would expect. It was a pretty small portion, but otherwise, there was not much to note. I got a rigatoni alla norma for my main. The tomato sauce was excellent. It was acidic and vibrant which complemented the roasted eggplant and cheese very well. I also had a bite of the rigatoni alla vodka which I would totally order next time. It was a great pick for someone who wants something with a little more kick to it. Overall, I think this restaurant was solid, and I would return. The environment was a bit loud and chaotic, but it was very cozy and family friendly. This is a great spot for those looking for a classic Italian American eatery. read more

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My family and I went here on Valentine's Day. We had a wonderful waitress. It didn't take a particularly long time for the food to come out, however the members of our group that ordered salmon did mention that it was terribly overcooked. I, personally, got the vodka pasta, which was absolutely divine. It is definitely a pricey place, so it's disappointing not everyone enjoyed their food. One other thing I want to note, if you have a big group, maybe look for some other place to eat. They really squeezed me and my family in-people kept running into the back of my chair, which was irritating, to say the least. Overall, It was very expensive for something average. read more

Have dined here several times over the past few years and was mostly very pleased with the dining experience and the food was consistently good. Our latest visit did not meet the high expectations. First, the staff was attentive and our extremely friendly and excellent Waitress was a joy to deal with. The food however was not as elevated as the service. The Vitello Pollo Marsala was overcooked, dry, minimal sauce, and sliced as thin as paper. And for the first time since we began dinnig here, the pasta dishes we ordered were nothing spectacular and the sauces were truly uninspiring and in our opinion lacked seasoning. Sadly, we left feeling disappointed. We don't mind paying a bit more for good food but unless this was one time issue..We would have to consider not returning for a while. read more

Tried a few different dishes but the standout was the gnocchi... Get the gnocchi!!! It melts in your mouth and is delicious. That is all

This is perhaps one of the most surprising ratings on yelp for me. I saw this on Yelp Detroit Instagram and added to my list. First off, the owner was there and he knew SO many people. You can tell they have a healthy flow of regulars who love it there which was a good sign. Every course was so delicious and so well priced for the quality. Got out of there for $60 for two. The gnocchi is a must have, it is homemade and the sauce is unreal. We also loved the house signature dish. This will be a regular spot for us, best Italian I have had in Royal Oak by FAR. This rating is a crime - check it out! read more

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I have to preface with Luigi's is usually very good. Not great, not bad just good. The restaurant is cozy, the food is on par, and the service (if Luigi is there) is bang on. We were in for a birthday dinner this weekend, we didn't notify the staff, and had one of the worst experiences there thus far. I've never seen a server knock over more stuff and care less about their tables in my life. No "would you like a refill", no "is there anything else I can get you", and not even the classic annoying, while your mouth is stuffed with food "how is everything". Plenty of broken dishes and sweat beads dripped on the table. This is our first bad experience here and what really makes it stick out is that it was not even remotely busy. Lots of empty tables. This is a management issue and can be easily fixed. We really like this place but not sure if we would come back after that. Maybe the B team comes in on Sundays and we need to go on a Friday but that's still an unacceptable excuse. Past experiences have been very enjoyable. Good food, attentive staff, and a great night out. This weekend was the opposite but the 4 stars reflects past experiences as I can't deny it has been good. read more

Hate to say it but....extremely disappointed with my experience here. Slow service, food was very VERY mediocre, bit into calamari and some type of metal coiled piece was inside of the piece I was chewing!!! The waitress was friendly but that was the only highlight of the night. read more

I have been looking forward to going here since I moved to RO 7years ago. What a disappointment. This is only for my experience. First of all, the waiter, who looked like a hot mess, never bothered to tell us the specials. If I would have known, I would have changed my order. But that is just poor service on the waiter. I ordered a mediocre and extremely over priced salad. I thought maybe fresh ground pepper nope. Maybe some bread, nope. It did come after the salad. WTH? I ordered the Zuppe di Pesce. Completely flavorless. Every bit of seafood was grossly overdone. Campbell's tomato soup is better. I am so bummed out by a $132 mistake. read more

I almost never write a bad review for a local restaurant but feel like it's my duty to let others know they shouldn't waste $100 of their hard earned money at this restaurant. My husband and I were very excited to visit this long standing restaurant in Royal Oak. I actually thought, it's been there a long time so they must be doing something right. I have visited many years ago and the food was delicious, service was good and vibe was that of an authentic Italian, family run business. Last night however seemed extremely reminiscent of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. We were greeted and seated promptly to an almost empty restaurant at 5:30. Several others joined within a few minutes. Weather was cold and windy, so thought it might have something to do with it. We quickly ordered Bruschetta, Pasticcio, and Spaghetti Al'Amatriciana. Bruschetta ok, bland tomatoes (but it's the winter), liquid quickly saturated the bread and made for a soggy bite after the first couple. The pasta dishes were absolutely inedible. The Amatriciana was so gamey and overcooked, it definitely felt like it was a pre-made sauce and possibly frozen. As my husband tried to eat it, I could smell the meat across the table. If you're wondering, I have ordered this before and made it myself and it should not smell or taste the way it did. The guanciale wasn't crispy, rendering it's delicious fat or anything resembling how it should taste. The Pasticcio was definitely made and frozen. It was cut into a square and covered in a creamy meat sauce to disguise rubbery, chewy pasta on every single side of that cube. Unacceptable quality and so disappointing. We will not be back ever and I feel like Luigi's vision has turned into a tired restaurant struggling to survive. read more

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The restaurant is small but intimate. While it might be a little loud, it capitalizes on its old school vibe and exudes an adorable Italian family feel. The service was extremely attentive and helpful. They cleared every plate as soon as we were finished with it, and were ready with refills without seeming intrusive. The food was great! We had the bruschetta (which was solid but not noteworthy), insalata Siciliana (uniquely amazing), Gnocchi Casarecci (silky smooth gnocchi), Fusilli Calabrese (just the right amount of spicy), and the Torte al Cioccolato (very good) for dessert. We plan to go again! read more

The food was ok but Owner was a rude A-hole!!!!! My wife and I were trying to leave and the owner was standing right in front of us and would not move!!! He clearly knew we were behind him and just ignored us!! The waiter by the door saw what was happening and apologized when we were finally able to walk around his fat ass and leave. read more

The food was amazing!! And the atmosphere was great!! Will becoming back for sure, got the rigatonia ala vodka and it was delicious better than Carbone!! read more

We went for dinner on a Saturday evening and sat on the patio. We didn't have a reservation but were able to be seated quickly. We started with the lemon calamari and it was incredible the creamy lemon sauce was so light and the perfect amount of citrus. We had the special (lamb rigatoni) and the vodka rigatoni. Everything was delicious our waitress was so kind and told us all her recommendations. Finally we finished dinner with two lemon cellos which was home made and the end of a perfect dinner! By far the best espresso martini I have ever had! read more

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Very much enjoyed our meal here. We were visiting from out of town and decided to have a meal here. Part of my high rating is the ambiance. The trattoria has a great throwback feel to it, classic italian food, with excellent service and quality food that is decently priced. It feels like a restaurant you may have eaten at 20-30 years ago, but in a great retro sense. It is a bit crowded and noise carries, but lots of families and groups having a great time. We got the special appetizer of the day arancini alla norma which was very good with a nice presentation. We shared the insalata mista which had was very fresh and nicely dressed with red wine vinegrette. I like the fact that the olives were classic brined olives, clearly not canned. The serving size of this was small. The drinks were very fun and well priced. The highlight dish at our table was the rigatoni alla vodka. We all agreed that we would want to have that again and again. We also got the Fusilli Calabresse. The arribiatta sauce had a great kick to it, but the sausage was a bit too gamey in taste. The pasta portions were ample. We very much enjoyed our dinning experience here and would come again when visiting our family read more

Poor service. Too loud. Not exceptional apps nor main course Management could help but didn't seem interested read more

Excellent food and service! This little Royal Oak gem is a wonderful find if you're looking for good food in an intimate atmosphere. So charming! The menu is unique and special to the owner's Sicilian heritage (we met him at the bar). The staff was so warm and created a great experience! We will be regulars! read more

Trattoria Da Luigi - Vitello o Pollo Vitello Marsala - Italian Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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We set out to go somewhere else, which had an hour wait, so we came here. The ambiance is very casual, festive and celebratory. The crowd was loud and fun-loving, which bothered my wife. She thought it was way too loud and prohibited conversation. I had fun though. For food--we had bruscheta for one starter and eggplant for the other. Both good. For mains, I had lasagna that I absolutely loved, wife had chicken and artichoke. She thought the dish was very very skimpy on artichoke, having only a few leaves and no hearts. We had a bottle of pecorino wine that I liked. So all in all, I thought it was very good. My wife would say it was fair. You go and tell me what you think? read more

Excellent service - recommend sitting at bar w bartender Cameron. Owner is lovely guy. Suggest the gnocchi pasta (homemade).

Properly authentic Italian dining. Intimate atmosphere. Great wine list with the best bottle prices I've seen in downtown Royal Oak. Don't park at a bagged meter, you will be towed. I met a friend for a show a Stagecrafters. The menu was limited. No pizzas, most appetizers were not available. They were out of a lot but what they had was good. Pasticco had an amazing sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly. The goat ragout special had fantastic meaty flavor but definitely goat, so don't try it if you don't like a bit of a gamey flavor. Only downside was that there were no pieces of meat in the actual pasta dish, just hunks of goat fat. The owner replaced the first dish of very large tube noodles that were a bit too al dente, with a plate of penne-like noodles. Same sauce. Still very good. We both like al dente but this noodle was a bit too stiff. Sticks in your teeth too much, which distracts from the dish. The owner came over and chatted with us a couple times. He explained that regional foods of Italy are of the past in this modern age. The place was filling fast and the busser guy kept coming over asking to box us or if we needed anything. No dessert option presented. So we scraped the plan for another bottle and cashed out to give up the table. Absolutely lovely place. I hope to visit again when more of the menu is available. Great place for a date. read more

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My wife and I like to try new restaurants so we tried Trattoria Da Luigi. I ordered the beet salad and the salmon dinner. The waitresses brought my salmon dinner out she forgot my beet salad and said the kitchen never made it. The fish was ok but the potato side was ice cold. The waitresses was more interested in looking at stuff on the other tables phone then checking on my wife and myself. So we left the money on the table and left. We won't be back! read more

Everyone is very friendly and welcoming. I thought the portion of the spaghetti and meatballs was a little small considering there was just two meatballs. It's a nice atmosphere and the quality of the food is good. read more

Came here due to the close proximity to the Royal Oak Music Theatre. We also were able to make reservations. So it was a win-win. The decor is very old-school Italian. Staff aren't the nicest. Our waiter was pretty pushy. It felt like he was trying to turn over tables quickly. Coming by many times to see if we were ready to order yet. He was helpful regarding suggestions of the menu. But my biggest complaint was our waiter coming by to pick up our checks. Just feels like a tacky move picking up the checks before the table leaves. Staff were not wearing masks. Restrooms are single stalls and tucked in the back to the left. The menu is decently large but not overwhelming. Pricey as one could expect. The pizza options were not available when we came and dinner menu specials were also not available. We came at 4:30p, so I guess that technically isn't dinner time yet. No drink specials. The complementary bread was very nice. The menu is à la cart. So what you see is what you get. If you want a salad with your pasta you're gonna have to order a salad. If you get an entrée the only thing you get is an entrée. I went with a house salad with house dressing. The salad was good and dressing was tasty. My pesto pasta dish that I got was good. It was the strozzapreti and came with shrimp. The pasta was definitely homemade and delicious. The dish came with five tiny shrimp. The pesto was delicious but very oily and herby all at once. Would I come back? Probably not. It was good but I'm not sure if it was good enough to keep coming back over and over again. Food came out very quickly though which was nice when we had a show to catch. read more

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I don't know which was better, the service or the food since both impressed the dinning group I was with. Authentic Italian food from different regions of Italy. Appetizers are not what you find in other places. Calamari is cut into thin steaks not rings. Salads range from mixed greens version to fresh fruit with goat cheese. First course is the pastas. I had the Spaghetti Alla Napoletana which warmed up in the oven to taste even better the next day. My fellow dinners raved about the Lasagna al Forno and the spaghetti Alla vongole e pancetta - spaghetti with light wine sauce and clams. The second course of different meat dishes ranging from fish, fowl, beef, pork, chicken and lamb. All with veggies and potatoes. I skipped this as most of my fellow dinners because the first course filled us up. There are few desserts but you have to listen to the list. Tiramisu and cannoli which you expect. I ordered the cheesecake with raspberry sauce and pistachio chips. It was the best cheesecake combo I have ever had. The noise level rose as more dinners came in to fill up the tables. But the group thank me for choosing this place and asked when we might come back. We will. read more

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I hate to be this negative about a restaurant in the area, but this was a disappointing meal. The sauce tastes like it was straight out of a Chef Boyardee can. Not sure if it was missing some herbs, salt, maybe a shot of vinegar I don't know. The fusilli noodles were fine, and the sausage was really good, but if you're going to put down a red sauce to tie it together, you need the balance. I will say that service was good, the guy who sat us and checked in on us was nice and attentive, and our server was on point, but the food just isn't there. read more

Such a great place to grab dinner! The staff is very kind and helpful and their food is amazing! Can't go wrong picking this place for a date night! read more

So I finically came back and one thing I love is that they still had seating for walk ins not just reservations, we did not have a reservation but was seated right away on a Saturday evening they had all the rest of the tables taken. I finally was able to figure out the dish that is my absolute favorite and it is called pollo Tosca it was not on any menu I've seen of this place previously but I got it last time and this time and every bite makes you say yum. We always get the cafe affogata after which honestly makes me want to get an espresso machine so I can make this dish my self, we previously got one to split this time we both got our owns. My boyfriend got the veal he said it was good as well with good flavor. read more

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This place is a joke just like his old business that got shut down. My child doesn't eat much but she could actually finish an adult dinner and thankfully it was super bland LOL. It was like eating out of a can of spaghetti o's the price and flavor is a joke. And if you tell anyone you don't like it you are more than welcome to just leave. So rude and in front of my 6 year old child. Just shut down you are a gross person and your food is gross as well!!! read more

Returned to Trattoria Da Luigi after a long time away. Still a good experience, but disappointing in a few respects. For our appetizer, we got the caprese. The co-diner enjoyed the ap, but had a few complaints. We were given 3 very thin slices of tomato, with a much larger quantity of cheese. Also - a side of balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the ap would have improved the dish. For our mains: I got the chicken Milanese, which was wonderful. The co-diner got the chicken Marsala. Unfortunately, both of us thought the sauce for the Marsala had been over-salted. This really reduced our enjoyment of what could have been a very good entree. For dessert, we had coffee and tiramisu. We thought it the best tiramisu we'd had in many moons - a great finish for the meal. Our server was nice, attentive, and very knowledgeable. One tip: advise that those visiting Trattoria da Luigi park in the nearby parking deck (about a block away, so not too bad). This will enable you to avoid having to back into angled parking - the latest innovation by the sadistic Royal Oak parking overlords. All in all, a nice experience at one of the area's very fine Italian restaurants. read more

Dinner before comedy show. Place is small so kinda loud food delicious Caprese salad yummy I had stuffed chicken 2 kinds of cheese with spinach Delish read more

Trattoria Da Luigi - I had the dinner special stuffed chicken was delicious!! Caprese salad was delightful Minutes from Royal Oak music theatre - Italian Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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We ordered the calamari and sausage with peppers for appetizers, there was maybe 2 small pieces of sausage. The Pasticcio was terrible, no one at the table liked it. It tasted like something in it was spoiled, the owner even came to the table when he found out we didn't like it and told us what was in it. He never offered a replacement meal. The chicken dish was good, the veal dishes were so small it looked like half a meal. Food was very overpriced for what you got, will not go back. read more

We went to Luigi's tonight just shortly after 5 pm. (Restaurant was pretty empty) While we were finishing up our dinner barely an hour later, the busser started removing our silverware, water, and dishes as he was told to do by the owners son. We overheard the owners son say we need to get these people out of here. ( us and a few other tables) Mean while they would stand a table away with paper tablecloths and dishes waiting for people to leave. My sister asked for a refill coffee, and the busser said sure. After speaking to someone, he came back and said it would be 15 minutes. On our way out, we asked if we got out in enough time to the rude owners son. I told him he was rude and we would not be back. He said enjoy Olive Garden. We would certainly get better service there. It wasn't worth the money we dropped there to be treated like that. The actual server Mia was the only nice person there. read more

This place is terrible.. made reservation then an hour before they send text saying they are booked. I would go to Olive Garden before I wasted my money at this place read more

My sister and I went here for dinner after a show, the food was amazing I got the spicy rigatoni and she got the rigatoni nonna both were absolutely delicious! Our server Ashley was phenomenal super inviting and kind overall! The ambiance inside was so friendly and welcoming a very lively atmosphere and the entire place was just super! Highly recommend if you are looking for a place in Royal Oak! We did call and make a reservation which was really nice because they were super busy. read more

Trattoria Da Luigi - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

I went here for a date because we had just walked by, it looked nice, and we hadn't been before. We went and were sat quickly and our waiter was excellent, but the food came out very quickly and was cold and appeared microwaved. The meatballs and gnocchi seemed frozen. We asked the waiter to take the food back because it was disgusting and allow us to finish our wine. The manager came out soon after and comped our food, but was quick to inform us that he needed the table to be vacated in twenty minutes (by then we had been seated for no more than twenty). We left and went around the corner to little bros burgers and had an excellent time. read more

If you like canned pasta ! Canned tomato from Kroger/Costco! This is the place. Please eat hear ! It's fresh from the CAN

I came here with my sister and her boyfriend. It's a cute little place in downtown Royal Oak. We were seat quickly, the service was incredibly friendly and the atmosphere was nice. Being honest, the food was lacking in flavor for all three of us dining there. The flavors felt elementary - just very bland and not cohesive. read more

Trattoria Da Luigi - Italian Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Da Luigi is a hidden gem for authentic Italian food. Everything is delicious, fresh and homemade - including recipes straight from the owners hometown in Italy. My husband always gets pasta and is very picky about his sauces. He is not disappointed. I always get chicken or fish and have also never been disappointed. And the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Definitely one of our favorite places. read more

My husband and I had a 5pm reservation (They open at 4 pm). Our first time eating there. And definitely the last time! Our waitress came to us after about ten minutes, but we were still discussing the courses. She came back two more times while we were clearly still reading and deciding our order. She seemed a little pushy so we started with house salads. They were fresh and tasty. Bread basket was okay--not warm as you'd expect at a fine dining establishment, so I was disappointed. Our entrees were not brought out timely. Waitress was no where to be seen. When she finally came to see if we we pleased or needed anything, I explained that the chicken dish I received was very bland (not sure how the chef managed to make a lemon sauce with capers so tasteless and unspectacular!) and the chicken was tough and tasted like it had been boiled instead of sautéed. They reluctantly offered to remake it and it would be really quick to do. It was about 20 minutes later, my husband had finished his equally unsatisfactory meal; and unbelievably it was even more tasteless and still tough and rubbery. My husband had ordered a steak and he choked down about a third of it and had no interest in finishing it. I obviously had offended the owner because when we paid the bill, I asked him to take off my entree. He became loud and abusive, saying he did not want us to ever come back. And then, even louder, told us to go back to Olive Garden next time we want Italian food! It was at this point we found out our "waitress" was actually their bartender who had filled in before all the servers had arrived. She clearly was not capable of juggling the two positions. I'm 7o+ years old and enjoy real Italian food; I don't go to Olive Garden because I appreciate authentic cuisine as opposed to "fast food that stresses quantity vs quality". (My apologies to Olive Garden.) He actually followed us outside hollering that we had eaten there for FREE. I turned and reminded him that we paid with a $50 gift certificate (which was not returned to us) and a credit card for the additional $65 + a tip (despite the very poor service we received.) He replied he would not consider that payment at all because we were not welcome back ever! Bottom line: THE WORST dining experience of my entire life. DO NOT EVER GO to Trattoria da Luigi. LUIGI CUTRARA is the rudest proprietor EVER. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. read more

Stopped in for dinner and was highly disappointed. The atmosphere is beautifully decorated inside. Very romantic and lots of authentic Italian vibes throughout. Unfortunately, the food was not very good. I ordered the Gluten Free Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce. To my surprise, it came out on a beautiful plate. Although the portion size was great, I could barely finish my meal. The tomato sauce resembled ketchup - very thick. The sauce was very bland and had no flavor. The worst part is, the noodles combined with the marinara sauce had a very "sticky" consistency. It was very awkward eating it. I was still very hungry after I left the unfinished plate of un-eaten pasta at the table and ended up going to another restaurant in the area. I hate leaving bad reviews but I would honestly say, I would NOT recommend this restaurant. read more

Trattoria Da Luigi is hands down my favorite Italian restaurant! Their pasta dishes are absolutely heavenly--I highly recommend trying their Pasticcio and Pappardelle con Marsala e Funghi (mushrooms). And when I'm in the mood for something else, the Pollo Tosca hits the spot every time. Oh, and don't miss out on their delicious Espresso Martini--it's the perfect way to end a fantastic meal. Trattoria Da Luigi has that cozy vibe and incredible flavors that make it a must-visit for any Italian food lover! Luigi the owner and his son Mario are fantastic. The servers are always super friendly. I come here often! read more