So great! Service was prompt and professional. Menu changes daily and is exquisite. I enjoyed the seafood tasting appetizer which was amazing, fresh lettuce cups, perfect bitter crunch, fresh shrimp. I did catch a few shrimp shells but otherwise perfect. I did add a bit of lime juice and salt for flavor. The bread was delicious! I met a new friend at the bar and she and I enjoyed splitting the Wagyu beef 8 ounce with risotto. This was delicious and perfectly prepared rare with a chat. The risotto gravy was a bit rich for me. I would have loved a steak sauce but enjoyed adding lemon butter. Wonderful all around night before my asylum tour. read more

See all

My husband and I came here to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. This was our first date night in over a year after having our baby, so we were really looking forward to a special evening. The restaurant itself had a beautiful, rustic and romantic atmosphere, and the hostess was lovely about accommodating our request for a quieter table. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill once our waitress began taking our order. She initially gave us great wine recommendations and was pleasant while explaining the specials. However, when I decided to order the white pizza instead of the trout because I wanted something lighter, her attitude completely changed. She became noticeably aggressive and dismissive, which made us feel as though we were being judged for choosing a less expensive item from the menu. The service continued to be disappointing. I had to ask for the complimentary bread, and I waited nearly 30 minutes for the second half of my wine. When we asked about it, we were abruptly told that the bar was busy. Her tone throughout the rest of the meal was extremely inconsistent, including literally yelling across the table, "How's the food?" It was so unexpected that my husband and I almost had to laugh. Unfortunately, the food itself didn't make up for the experience. The appetizers were decent, but our mains--the ravioli and white pizza--were very average and lacked flavor. We've been to many fine-dining and Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and we understand that service can occasionally have an off night. What was disappointing here was feeling judged based on what we chose to order. Customers should feel comfortable ordering anything from a restaurant's own menu without being treated differently because of the price. The restaurant itself has a beautiful atmosphere and a lot of potential, but given our overall experience, we unfortunately won't be returning or recommending it to family and friends. read more

It was challenging getting a reservation but we were able to get one after using Resy notify. The restaurant is inside the old asylum hospital so very interesting architecture. The ambiance is nice and quiet. Our server Craig was really nice and attentive. We have heard so much about the restaurant from friends and also from all the lists so maybe our expectation was set too high. We liked our food but we weren't blown away. The highlight of our meal was probably the foie gras and the caprese salad. The wild boar tenderloin came in second and I wasn't really impressed with the rainbow trout, the fish itself wasn't very flavorful. Overall I'm glad we were able to experience the restaurant, maybe we'll try it another day with a different menu. read more

See all

I think that the reviews are fair... not quite 5 star, but definitely a very nice setting with good service and decent food. The price point is a little higher and ambiance tries to match with farm to table type service and seasonal dishes, but I didn't have anything that just blew me away. All and all it's a great visit for one date night if you're in T City. read more

See all

My favorite Traverse City restaurant hands- down. We make it a point to come here every trip up north and they are always incredibly kind. Last night, my son's flight was delayed and despite being packed, they were gracious enough to shift our reservations am hour later. And the food!!!! Always spectacular, and I get excited, to try their daily specials. We go nuts over their sweet breads or veal brains. None of these was on the menu last night. Instead, we had foie gras,, tuna carpacio, that was somehow unique, and the best we'd ever had, wagyu bavarette, octopus, and tiramisu. All set in the former TC asylum, with burrows and stone walls-- lots of nooks that make the busy place still feel intimate. Can't wait for the next visit! read more

See all

Great Italian restaurant in the basement of an old asylum. The menu is changed every day based on the desires of the chef and what is available that day. Basically farm a table, all the food is incredibly fresh. It is an old building, brick walls, tons of paintings on the wall, but very spread out so you don't feel like people are right on top of you. Plenty of space to stretch out. Bruschetta was excellent, crispy bread crust, and soften the inside with a really nice cheese and then fresh cherries on top and onion. Excellent starter to the meal. Bread is perfect and the cherries are amazing. Service was great. Our server is very friendly, very helpful, took his time, explained all the special specials for the day and gave us time to relax, as well as brought our food and checked in on us a couple times with each course. They also brought us fresh bread and a very good olive oil. For dinner, I got the surf and turf. It was a filet mignon cooked perfectly with pepper corns on top, it was incredible easy to cut through not chewy at all so much flavor. It was on a bed of risotto. The risotto was creamy had a great taste. There were also some jalapeños and broccoli broccoli with fresh and crispy. Everything was great, and then also three shrimp that were excellent and In A sauce that had just a little kick to it. We also got the. maltagliati pasta. Thick homemade noodles with beef. Bolognese was excellent. The cuts of beef were soft. The pasta was fresh. It also had mushrooms and broccoli. It was an excellent combination and so tasty. All in all, an incredible meal wonderful experience. read more

Trattoria Stella - Dining room - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

See all

I have been to this restaurant on several occasions through the years. In fact we go there every time we travel to Traverse City. The grounds appeared much more rundown than I remember them. The restaurant food was mediocre at best. There were several bugs flying around the table and one landed in our drink; when we informed the server, they brought back a partial drink as replacement. Not a new martini-no credit to our it bill-another not even half-full martini. I've never experienced this before in any restaurant. The wait time for our food seemed particularly long so much so that we passed on dessert-something we almost never do! Will probably not return. read more

See all

Stella Trattoria... where do I even start. The vibe? Dark, moody, romantic in the best way possible. The kind of place where you instantly feel like you're somewhere special. And somehow, you completely forget you're literally dining in what used to be an insane asylum... which honestly just makes it even cooler. The food was amazing every bite was so good and the wine? Even better. Like, the kind of place where you keep saying "just one more glass" and suddenly it's a whole night. This place is a whole experience, and we will absolutely be back. read more

See all

First time in TVC. I came here with five other friends for a bachelorette party! loved this as our first night dinning experience. Loved the whole concept of Farm to table, knowing where everything is sourced from our waiter was super knowledgeable on all the food items and even help accommodate some special dietary restrictions. All the pasta was great and the tiramisu is a must try. We started off with a few appetizers -- so you're in the cherry city so you have to have the cherry bruschetta super super yummy and refreshing. Some of the other girls didn't like it, but I thought it was a good fresh take on a bruschetta. We also had the little necks and squash blossoms. So many great choices as starters it was very hard to choose. We also had a couple bottles of wine and a few cocktails with our pasta meals. Sorry I didn't take more photos but if you're looking for a nice fine dining dining experience in TC this is your spot. read more

Trattoria Stella - MALTAGLIATI - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

See all

Very cool spot - must visit in TC. Food was delicious started out with great dirty martinis and the bruschetta then had bolognese and shrimp scampi linguine for dinner! read more

Trattoria Stella - Shrimp scampi and bolognese - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

What. A. Vibe. Walking in, I didn't know where this place would be. It's under an apartment complex with winding hallways. Felt a pinch bizarre. But then you walk in, and you're transported into such a cozy restaurant with an underground feel. Yes it is a bit pricey, but the food was delicious and we absolutely went to town and treated ourselves. So worth it. We all shared everything and there wasn't a bad dish. Our server, well she was amazing. Memorized everything, always checking in (but not in an annoying way), and just so friendly. Highly recommended and definitely make reservations way in advance! read more

Trattoria Stella - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Delicious food and great ambience. They're located in the old asylum, it was very cool seeing how things use to be before it was renovated. The staff were super friendly and helpful with recommendations on what to get on the menu. Between two we definitely over ordered but everything came out in a timely manner to where we didn't feel rushed getting to the next course. read more

See all

Lovely first time experience at Trattoria Stella. Craig and team were attentive, extremely knowledgeable about the menu and had great suggestions. The location was easy to find and the contrasting areas of the space really give you two separate realities to dine in. The main dining room was lowlight, moody and trendy. Perfect for a group environment and lively atmosphere. We sat towards the side of the building which may have been an old cellar, but the space has windows to create great natural light that brightens up the space. It was intimate, quieter and felt more like private alcoves. Our food choices were amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better first time experience. We chose the ravioli, maltagliati, lamb tongue (special of the night), squash blossoms and the house focaccia. Everything was delicious. The maltagliati was my favorite, and had a little kick to it which I loved. It was robust and full of flavor. Can't wait to come back and try the pizzas! read more

See all

Great service, wonderful food, comfortable vibe. It's definitely worth going out of your way for.

I had a chance to try some food from here. Fried asparagus is amazing. I had never tried burrata, I get the hype now. Bruschetta - not to be missed, it's tasty. Main course- poultry was delicious, and risotto was 10,000x better than any I have attempted at home. Cannoli- super! Service - no complaints. Ambiance - have you seen the Commons? There's atmosphere galore. read more

Highly overrated. Atmosphere was interesting. Food, appetizers and entrees, all had too many ingredients. The conglomeration hid any taste of the main ingredients, the halibut fish or the rigatoni. The latter was swimming in sauce..a big glob of mozzarella cheese was added. The dish was like a thick soup! The fish had potatoes, corn and god only knows what else was in the dish. The waiter, I believe, lacked a solid knowledge of the wines. When I asked him about two Italian whites he gave me some gibberish about them before immediately extolling his favorite. He also reached and started removing my main dish plate without asking me if I was finished, which I was not. My partner would give the restaurant a second chance, I would not. I'd rate this moderately expensive restaurant a 6 on 10 point scale. read more

Very very good food in a super cool location (former asylum that's been maintained by the region). Only reason for four stars is because of some very minor misses (took a while to be seated for a res and I think the accoutrements with the oysters were a bit disappointing). Otherwise, service was great and the ambiance is incredible. Food was fantastic. The pate in particular was to die for and I loved the chutneys it was served with. The octopus was delicious and cooked perfectly. The house made bread was lovely and the olive oil and balsamic was an amazing complement. The arugula salad was tasty and I loved the candied hazelnuts in there along with the pears. Place is so cool on the inside and the artwork is awesome. Ended up chatting about the local artist who did it for a while and got her business card. Overall definitely worth a visit for the food alone and the location is just a bonus. read more

Trattoria Stella - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Food: Delish!! Get the calamari. It's not fried, which came as a surprise to us, but my gosh I basically licked the bowl clean. It was so tender and the sauce had incredible flavor. All our other entrees were super tasty too. It was hard to pick what to order because everything sounded so good. I also love that they use local farms for a lot of products. Service: Good! Jan, our server, was super nice. Ambiance: Neat interior, which isn't a surprise at the commons! read more

See all

Amazing service. The older building is so intriguing and just so full of history. I just find myself amazed when I am in there. The food was absolutely delicious. If I was going to recommend any place to try while in TC this would be it ! read more

See all

Was able to grab a reservation for a Thursday night and sure glad I did! Greeted by staff and a nice and chill vibe inside. Allison was a great server who navigated me through the menu. The Foie Gras was a special and I knew I had to try. The pears and onions were the perfect pairing on top of the puff pastry. Sweet and salty goodness. The rabbit ragu was phenomenal. The chili flakes brought a nice pop to the dish. Now into dessert again Allison stepped up to help me choose the squash Panna Cotta and oh boy was it insanely good! So delicate and the crumble brought a great texture to the dish. What a start to my trip! read more

See all

We had a wonderful meal at Trattoria Stella. The hostess and server were both very friendly and accommodating. We decided to order a few things to try and shared them all which was plenty of food (not shown but we also split the greens salad). I think our server's name was Anna. She was so nice and fun and didn't rush us at all. The menu is always changing and food was locally sourced and very fresh. We really enjoyed the service and our experience for my birthday dinner. Would recommend Trattoria Stella! read more

See all

Long waits and overpriced food with not a lot of options. We were sat at the bar by the hostess and waited over 15 minutes and no one even acknowledged us, much less grabbed a drink order. We left without ordering. read more

Everything was delicious! I left stuffed. Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. Didn't realize the building was an old psychiatric hospital until you pull up into the parking lot. Inside is not creepy at all though read more

See all

Fantastic experience great food. Every art of the meal was prepared just right. Service by craig was perfect and he was very attentive at alltimes. read more

Trattoria Stella was an very nice tucked away restaurant in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Had been hearing great things about the restaurant from friends and family and wanted to try it out. Was met with great service throughout the night and had a good selection of food to try from that is on a rotating menu. The burrata was a great start to the night, but had a strange main dish that was bit lack luster (pork dish that was described as tender and melts in your mouth that ended up being chewy/difficult to separate with steak knife). That was just one dish that didn't hit the mark for me but several other dishes were delicious. Definitely would still recommend others to go and enjoy read more

See all

Trattoria Stella was hands-down one of our top dining experiences in Traverse City. Tucked into the historic Traverse Commons, the cozy atmosphere made it the perfect spot for a romantic date night. There's something special about the vibe--warm, intimate, and full of character. Every dish we ordered was absolutely delicious, crafted with care and bold flavors. The staff was welcoming and knowledgeable, striking the perfect balance of attentive and relaxed. From start to finish, the whole experience just felt good. Great food, great ambiance, great energy--Stella truly delivers on all fronts. Can't wait to go back! read more

Trattoria Stella is an Italian restaurant located in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a redeveloped state hospital. This location adds an ambience that blends old and new with a rustically elevated dining experience. Trattoria boasts a farm to table menu/concept which allows for a flexible menu based on ingredient freshness availability (to include proteins). Our server was friendly and attentive while allowing us the freedom to pace ourselves and enjoy each course of our meal. We started with the Burrata as a shared appetizer and it set the tone for the rest of the meal. Amazing depth of flavors, perfectly paired with their crostini. For meals, we had two entrees: The Angus Beef Hanger Steak, & the Agnolotti. Both delivered on taste as well as portion sizes for the prices. This could be a $$-$$$ dining experience depending on what you order, however; the pricing is reasonable especially considering the freshness of ingredients. If you're looking for a relaxed sit down dining experience with great atmosphere, an extensive drink menu and food that tastes luxurious, give Trattoria Stella a try. read more

See all

I am honestly disappointed in the way our dinner went tonight. We heard rave reviews about this place regarding not only the food but also the experience of eating in a historical building. Our reservation was at 9pm for 5 people and we were seated within 5 minutes. Our server, Janna, brought us water within a few minutes as well but didn't come back to take our drink orders for another 20 minutes. At the same time, we put in our appetizer orders. Our drinks came within 15 minutes and our apps another 15 minutes after that. The drinks were mostly not that bad, we enjoyed the strawberry margarita but the mocktails were either too sugary or too smoky. I couldn't drink it anymore and asked our server for a cherry coke when she came back for our entrees. We ordered Bruschetta but didn't realize it did not come with tomato. It was bread with melted cheese and spinach on top with barely any chickpeas or asparagus that the menu said it came with. Select pieces of bread had the asparagus and chickpeas where others didn't. The oysters with the housemade hot sauce and diced cucumber/onion were actually enjoyable. Enough that we were eating out of the cucumber/onion mix while waiting forever for our server to come back because we were starving. It took another 30 minutes for our server, Janna, to come back and take our entree orders. At this time a basket of bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil were placed on our table. While we were asking her about the menu she told us that multiple menu items were out of stock or changed due to chef error. We placed our orders and waited another 30 minutes for our food to come out but were disappointed in what was plated. Our ravioli and fettuccine had chunks of tomato throughout the dish. The fettuccine was not even fettuccine, it was more like papardelle with a few pieces of fettuccine mixed in and it tasted like egg yolk mixed with tomato and pesto sauce. At this point we had been there for almost 2 hours and just wanted to leave. When our server came back with a dessert menu we just asked for the check and did not take any boxes home. As a side note, the bathrooms smelled absolutely awful like horse manure and the dishes smelled like must and mildew. There was nothing interesting about the building besides that it is an old building that was repurposed. We were shocked because the reviews were so high but were very disappointed in not only the service but the quality of the food and drinks. read more

See all

This place is good. The food is great. The atmosphere is cool in the old morgue. They have great local ingredients. The menu is pricey but you know that coming in. The down side is really the servers. Pretentious probably best describes them. While knowing it's from a local farm is neat, I don't need a 5 minute lecture on the different terroir my beet salad was grown in. That being said their chefs do a nice job and make it worth tolerating the servers. Bartenders are serviceable to good but unspectacular. read more

I cannot say enough how impressed I always am with Stella's! My boyfriend and I made reservations at Stella's a month or so ago for a trip we were taking to Traverse City. Stella's is one of my very favorite restaurants and a reason to go up to Traverse all by itself. We started our meal off with their charcuterie board. We were able to select a variety of meats and cheese and it came with a few dried fruits along with some spreads and bruschetta. We ordered two main dishes and shared a third. We both opted for pasta dished and shared the lamb chops. Everything was incredible. I am a pasta snob but Stella's has the best pasta I've ever had. I wrote them an email last time I was there to let them know I will forever be chasing a bolognese as good as theirs. We finished our meal with a merengue fruit dessert. The fruit was perfectly tart and the merengue sweet, but not too sweet. Stella's is perfect for date night. Being in the commons, it has the perfect ambiance. Our service has always been outstanding. We've been there before where I requested a specialty drink they didn't have on their menu and the bartender came up with a martini that was just delightful. If you're headed to Traverse City, Stella's a must. Heck, come to Stella's and then visit Traverse as a second destination. read more

See all

Food was extremely mid for the price, with almost every dish having an issue. The mushrooms were so over-salted they were basically inedible. The carpaccio was very good, but the steak special was underwhelming and honestly not very good. The garganelli was especially disappointing -- the noodles were so hard I couldn't eat them, only the lobster that came with it. Definitely not what you'd expect from a pasta dish at this price point. The walleye was fine but had no flavor, not what you would expect for the price. The cocktails were pretty good, and our server was nice, but she gave us a bit of a hard time when we mentioned the mushrooms being too salty to eat. She also only checked on us a few times, so we never really had the chance to mention the other issues before our plates were cleared. Overall, the experience was disappointing. Most of the food was just okay, but nowhere near worth the price. read more

I went here with my girlfriend for dinner the food was delicious and the atmosphere was cozy. Perfect for date night. The staff was very well informed on each menu item. Since my girlfriend is gluten and dairy free diet. Service was excellent. We really had a great dinner and would come back if we are vacationing in the Traverse City area. read more

I came here with some friends tonight, we were lucky enough to snag an 845pm reservation - they book up fast, especially during summer I'd imagine, so I recommend making a reservation. I started with the Raspberry Beret drink, which had macadamia nut liquor, which was different, and raspberry juice. I liked it, but I liked the Ferndale 75 more, which I ordered after, which is their take on a French 75. A friend and I split the fettuccine, which comes in a pesto sauce, and the linguini, which comes with wild boar medallions (first time for me; similar to steak). Both were excellent. We also got the green beans appetizer, and I was a bit disappointed that they brought it with the meal and not as an appetizer. We shared the tiramisu for dessert and that was fabulous also. Our server was Craig, whom was also very good. I would for sure come back here, although it's a little pricey ($28+ for pasta), but everything we ate and drank was excellent. The building has a pretty interesting history too, it used to be a mental asylum. read more

See all

All excellent. Staff were friendly, attentive. Food was good. Oddly pleasant for a basement location. All enjoyable. We thorough enjoyed.

We were visiting Traverse City for the weekend and Trattoria Stella was recommended to us and I understand why. The food was fantastic - we had the White Pizza as an appetizer. I had the Hanger Steak for my entree. The service was also fantastic. I would recommend going if you get the chance! Make sure to get reservations! read more

Trattoria Stella - Hanger Steak - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

See all

We're only through our appetizers and I'm texting everyone about this place. Drinks are good, apps were amazing, can't wait for dinner to come out. Service is on point too read more

On a trip through upper Michigan with my boyfriend and on our last night of our vacation we wanted to splurge and go to a nice dinner with good food... I saw some good reviews and made a reservation here. I gotta be honest the food was not that great. The best things we agreed we had was the lobster soup which I got and the two glasses of wine we had. Sub par calamari, bread was good. We both got the fettuccine which was not even close to being fettuccine honestly. I got the scallops on mine and they were very sub par for the $25 up charge. I am quite experienced with food and have been to many great places and this one was just not worth the $250 we spent unfortunately. Service was good but not great enough to make us return. (Oh and it was my boyfriend's birthday and they did nothing but tell him Happy birthday when we walked in.) Next time we visit traverse city we will be going elsewhere. read more

I can't recommend this place enough! I would give it 1,000,000 stars if I could! My husband and I were in town for the week and wanted a nice Italian restaurant. Our real estate agent recommended Trattoria Stella. This place is in the basement of the old mental hospital (quite an interesting story that adds to the ambiance). It's been redone and now houses upscale spa services upstairs and this wonderful gem of deliciousness in the basement! To say the food was delicious isn't enough. The menu changes daily so it's a new adventure each time. Our waitress' fiancé is the Sous chef so we had the best description and the "ins" on the best of the best on the menu. We ordered the delicious hand pulled and knotted mozzarella appetiser that has a wonderful tomato vinaigrette "sauce" and crusty on site made bread. My husband ordered the veal chop dish with pesto Parmesan risotto and Marsala tri-colored carrots. I ordered the Atlantic Sea Scallops with almond Parmesan risotto and a wonderfully delicious sauce made of shrimp, clams and a hint of tomato. It had Kalamata olives and capers in it as well. For dessert we chose the highly recommended tiramisu but we're too full to enjoy it there. We will enjoy it for Valentine's Day tomorrow. When you're in Traverse City and you want a delicious dinner in a unique restaurant that sources all their food from local farms and businesses make a reservation at Trattoria Stella! You'll want to lick the plate (but just don't lol) read more

Trattoria Stella - Our table. The food didn't last long enough to take a picture! - Italian Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

The food was not only delicious, but art worthy. The service was amazing, she went into detail on every meal, the chefs specials, and the wine menu. All the meat was selected from local farms and there is a new menu each night. We tried the rabbit appetizer the chef made that night, along with calamari. I got the Hake with pistachio and it was amazing! The calamari I'm sure was great but it was in such a spicy sauce i unfortunately could not enjoy it. The architecture is so beautiful, such a great date spot. read more

See all

Best restaurant in traverse. Zero contest. This place deserves a bib gourmand or a Michelin star. I have never once in 18 years of going here been disappointed by anything I've been served. The service here is of a rare type nowadays, and the knowledge of the staff is shown every time you request the chefs taste for the day. If you haven't been here, I cannot insist enough that you change that. read more