It's a nice cozy space, great for an intimate evening. Perfect date night place for some wine and the fig and pear purses.
Katrina Pierce
Nice place for Italian food. Filled me up in no time. The service here is better than most. The bill was fair I would say. Menu is like a cafe in Indianapolis I liked.
Priscilla Chonabayashi
Best Italian restaurant, no doubt. Always consistently great. However, we had to move tables because ours shifted every time a waiter walked near us, nearly spilling our drinks. Major flooring problems, and we found out the following week that the restaurant is going to be closed four about 2 months while construction is completed. Absolutely necessary, so wait out the fix and visit upon reopening!
Dang L.
Dim lighting of the room makes a romantic environment. We were the last people to be seated. When seated, there was a lit candle in the middle of the table. There was a lot of amazing options on the menu, but it was a little pricey. We ordered the porcini veal and the lamb bolognese were amazing. The portions were huge. I can easily say that this is the best Italian Restaurant in Gainesville.
L Sellitti
Really cozy, friendly Italian restaurant with excellent service and food. Best pasta I've ever. They have a wonderful appetizer that is basically a pasta purse and it was delicious. The fresh bread and dipping oil was also very good. It is a small place so reservations are absolutely recommended.
Sharon Brooks
This quaint, Old World-style bistro offers excellent food and generally good service—although when the owner is not on site (a rare occurrence), the attentiveness of staff diminishes considerably. That said, I have been here about 20 times over the last 3 years and have always enjoyed it. I wish their filet mignon were a permanent feature of the menu rather than simply a regular (but unpredictably offered) weekly special.
John Bailey
Great atmosphere and an array of food that you just cannot go wrong in choosing from.
KERRY ROSSLEY
Service excellent. Quiet and could be intimate. The seared duck breast was delicious. Could have been plated more attractively. The breading on the fried calamari was very good however the calamari itself was thickly cut and rubbery. Wine selection excellent.
Dan Barousse
Hands down the best place in Gainesville for a romantic dinner. Food is delicious, portions generous, waiters always recommend the perfect wine pairing, and the atmosphere is intimate. Be sure to make reservations in advance, and to dress up.
A 3.5 overall. I expect more out of Manuel's. I have been here a few other times. It's a quaint place, nice atmosphere, with really good food (up there with the best in GNV). We started with the risotto cakes and the pear purses. The cakes, while delicious, were just warm. The pear purses were delicious. I had the veal piccata, and my friends had a salad and the salmon special. Salmon and veal were great, and the salad was attractive and fresh. We shared the tuxedo bomb and tiramisu for dessert. LOVED the bomb. The tiramisu was so-so... should have been better for an Italian restaurant. My main complaint was the service. Honestly I think it's a common problem across all types of restaurants. When I dine early, when there are few other diners, service is poor. We went right after work yesterday, 5:30. I had to call the waiter over after being ready to order appetizers for several minutes. We had to cal him over AGAIN to order the mains. He was not busy with work, he was busy chatting with the other waiters that didn't have any tables and were surfing their phones. The kitchen staff were quite loud laughing about what they had done earlier in the day. That's not the environment I expect when I am spending $50/per person and more. I was never offered a refill on my coffee during dessert, and couldn't find the waiter to ask for one. When a restaurant isn't busy, I expect better service not worse. Unfortunately it seems servers see the opportunity to take it way easy, and I pay the price.
Kevin H.
easily my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. food is thoughtfully seasoned and well made. flavor combinations are true to an Italian heritage but also unique in their combinations (the lamb bolognese and mushroom/gorgonzola crostini as examples). the setting is comfortable, old school, and intimate. waitstaff are friendly and professional. it will cost you $$$, but you will not regret the expense.
Alexis K.
Quaint little ambient place was perfect for my boyfriend and I's 6 year anniversary! We ordered a bottle of wine and the pear purses which you must order. The bread dip was so simple and delicious. My boyfriend ordered a coffee dry rubbed filet that was a special of the night and it was honestly one of the most memorable steaks I've ever tasted. I ordered the macadamia crusted chicken and it was so good I had a few bites of my leftovers on the way home. We ordered the blueberry cheesecake for dessert and it was fabulous and I normally don't like fruit in my dessert, I could've eaten 3 more slices. We will be back for sure!
Parker L.
We have been waiting to fine a place like this in Gainesville. This is an easy decision to a night out. Highly recommended
Nikhil Shah
One of our favorite fancy date night spots, even for vegetarians! All their vegetarian options (apps, pastas, etc) are delicious and they're very accommodating to our dietary restrictions. Great wines as well. Only wish they had valet as parking can be tough but not enough of an issue to remove a star.
It's a nice cozy space, great for an intimate evening. Perfect date night place for some wine and the fig and pear purses.
Nice place for Italian food. Filled me up in no time. The service here is better than most. The bill was fair I would say. Menu is like a cafe in Indianapolis I liked.
Best Italian restaurant, no doubt. Always consistently great. However, we had to move tables because ours shifted every time a waiter walked near us, nearly spilling our drinks. Major flooring problems, and we found out the following week that the restaurant is going to be closed four about 2 months while construction is completed. Absolutely necessary, so wait out the fix and visit upon reopening!
Dim lighting of the room makes a romantic environment. We were the last people to be seated. When seated, there was a lit candle in the middle of the table. There was a lot of amazing options on the menu, but it was a little pricey. We ordered the porcini veal and the lamb bolognese were amazing. The portions were huge. I can easily say that this is the best Italian Restaurant in Gainesville.
Really cozy, friendly Italian restaurant with excellent service and food. Best pasta I've ever. They have a wonderful appetizer that is basically a pasta purse and it was delicious. The fresh bread and dipping oil was also very good. It is a small place so reservations are absolutely recommended.
This quaint, Old World-style bistro offers excellent food and generally good service—although when the owner is not on site (a rare occurrence), the attentiveness of staff diminishes considerably. That said, I have been here about 20 times over the last 3 years and have always enjoyed it. I wish their filet mignon were a permanent feature of the menu rather than simply a regular (but unpredictably offered) weekly special.
Great atmosphere and an array of food that you just cannot go wrong in choosing from.
Service excellent. Quiet and could be intimate. The seared duck breast was delicious. Could have been plated more attractively. The breading on the fried calamari was very good however the calamari itself was thickly cut and rubbery. Wine selection excellent.
Hands down the best place in Gainesville for a romantic dinner. Food is delicious, portions generous, waiters always recommend the perfect wine pairing, and the atmosphere is intimate. Be sure to make reservations in advance, and to dress up.
Best steak and food in Gainesville.
Restaurantji Recommends
A 3.5 overall. I expect more out of Manuel's. I have been here a few other times. It's a quaint place, nice atmosphere, with really good food (up there with the best in GNV). We started with the risotto cakes and the pear purses. The cakes, while delicious, were just warm. The pear purses were delicious. I had the veal piccata, and my friends had a salad and the salmon special. Salmon and veal were great, and the salad was attractive and fresh. We shared the tuxedo bomb and tiramisu for dessert. LOVED the bomb. The tiramisu was so-so... should have been better for an Italian restaurant. My main complaint was the service. Honestly I think it's a common problem across all types of restaurants. When I dine early, when there are few other diners, service is poor. We went right after work yesterday, 5:30. I had to call the waiter over after being ready to order appetizers for several minutes. We had to cal him over AGAIN to order the mains. He was not busy with work, he was busy chatting with the other waiters that didn't have any tables and were surfing their phones. The kitchen staff were quite loud laughing about what they had done earlier in the day. That's not the environment I expect when I am spending $50/per person and more. I was never offered a refill on my coffee during dessert, and couldn't find the waiter to ask for one. When a restaurant isn't busy, I expect better service not worse. Unfortunately it seems servers see the opportunity to take it way easy, and I pay the price.
easily my favorite restaurant in Gainesville. food is thoughtfully seasoned and well made. flavor combinations are true to an Italian heritage but also unique in their combinations (the lamb bolognese and mushroom/gorgonzola crostini as examples). the setting is comfortable, old school, and intimate. waitstaff are friendly and professional. it will cost you $$$, but you will not regret the expense.
Quaint little ambient place was perfect for my boyfriend and I's 6 year anniversary! We ordered a bottle of wine and the pear purses which you must order. The bread dip was so simple and delicious. My boyfriend ordered a coffee dry rubbed filet that was a special of the night and it was honestly one of the most memorable steaks I've ever tasted. I ordered the macadamia crusted chicken and it was so good I had a few bites of my leftovers on the way home. We ordered the blueberry cheesecake for dessert and it was fabulous and I normally don't like fruit in my dessert, I could've eaten 3 more slices. We will be back for sure!
We have been waiting to fine a place like this in Gainesville. This is an easy decision to a night out. Highly recommended
One of our favorite fancy date night spots, even for vegetarians! All their vegetarian options (apps, pastas, etc) are delicious and they're very accommodating to our dietary restrictions. Great wines as well. Only wish they had valet as parking can be tough but not enough of an issue to remove a star.