Party of four dined at Aria Saturday and could not have been more pleased. Our server, Steven, was the best. His attention to our service was wonderful. His recommendations were on point and wine suggestion mixed well with our meal. We will definitely return for great Italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Littles
Great drinks & spectacular Italian cuisine ?. The ingredients were so fresh and everything was so savory. I had the veal ravioli and my boyfriend had the lamb shank. Both dishes in their own right were top notch. Make sure you have a reservation though because this place gets packed. 10/10.Also the beans with the bread they serve you is a weird combination that oddly pairs very well together.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Catherine Holwager
This place is always at the top of our list for before theater food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria Davis
Walked past empty tables to get sat in between other tables, waiter could barely get through the crammed tables and chairs, we could barely hear ourselves, so atmosphere was not what we had hoped for.Our server refilled waters once, long after we were dry. Dessert took 15 minutes to arrive and it wasn’t the baked on demand option we were warned would take 15 min.After spending time exploring Italy with a garlic allergy and having no problem finding eating I actually stopped asking about garlic in dishes (it’s only in it if it’s in the description!), I question “authentic” Italian when almost everything has garlic they cannot make without. American-Italian throws garlic at everything. Anyway, I was limited to a salad, or pasta carbonara, or salmon. My salmon was 4oz-6oz for $40 and they cooked me a handful of spinach to go with it. My husband was happy with his chicken parm, even if he wished for a bit more pasta.We paid for convenient location, but won’t again. If you like loud and garlic, this is a good fit for you.Dietary restrictions: Kitchen limited in what they can adjust, leading me to think much is premade. My option for garlic free was heavily salted.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Amy Fox
Our server was fantastic! Very knowledgeable and attentive. The food was great. It is one of the very few restaurants my husband said he is looking forward to returning to. Most fall short of his hopes and expectations. The bread paired with beans was delightful. My meatballs and chicken Parmesan were great. His caramelized gnocchi with pear and gorgonzola and pork chops with sweet potatoes and swiss chard were even better. Our tiramisu was beyond the next level. They single handedly ruined all other tiramisu for us including my HOMEMADE!!! Not fair!!! Nobody EVER best my homemade tiramisu! Now I have to step up my game with their delightful inspiration of espresso liquor and Amaretto infused mascarpone cheese. Fantastic meal!Parking: They validate for parking.Wheelchair accessibility: Very accessible. Happened to be dining next to someone who was in a wheelchair. ❤️
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aria Tiramisu
Neak Burke
My group (3) people sat at the side tables in hopes we could move to the bar. Two people moved and there was space for another bar stool, they had obviously moved one from the bar because there was an extra barstool off to the side. We moved the barstool back to the bar to accommodate our group of three. It was obvious the bartender didn’t want us sitting there and he had already been snapping at other bar guest, he snapped at us and said “you can’t move that stool here”. The stool obviously belonged there but because he didn’t want to take care of us he said we couldn’t move it. As someone who has bartended for 17 years, I would never refuse business at my bar but he’s an idiot. Rafael took care of us and he was great. Anyway, won’t be back.
Service: 1
David Rodriguez
I would recommend the Nero Tagliatelle alla Vodka.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mary 11
We recently attended a private event (my soon-to-be, sister-in-law's rehearsal dinner) and had a wonderful experience. We were the first one's to arrive and Lucky made sure to get the bride, groom, and the parents of each names and addressed them formal through out the night. I'd like to make a point of shouting out the staff as they were all very friendly. The food was delicious, my fiancé and I had the meatballs, kale Cesar, pork chop, and chicken parm and loved it all. We left full and happy.The only issues we had came from the setup of the private event space. The staff had to bring any ordered drinks from the bar downstairs. This caused a longer than usual delay which was at no fault of the staff. Having drinks on hand at the bar upstairs would have solved this issue. Another issue we had is that many regular guests attempted to enter through the private event space and completely disregarded the posted signs and ropes. While I know this is not the restaurant at fault, it did cause some awkward and rude interactions between the regular guests and the private event guests. The only solution I could think of is a curtain or harder to breech barrier between the two.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aria Caesar Salad
Charlene Corpening
The food and service were second to none! Our server knew we had the game to go to and was very attentive and personable. Will definitely be back!
B M
The experience at this restaurant was probably the worst I’ve ever had in my life. The restaurant is lovely, but the food was along the same quality as fast food Italian if not worse. There was very little flavor, and the portions were like children’s plates. The most DISGUSTING part of the entire experience was having the waiter bring our bill, come back to check how much of a tip two of us left as a couple(there were 5 of us paying individually) and proceeded to tap on the table with his pen demanding more when we weren’t even finished paying yet. From the food, to the service, I would advise spending your money elsewhere and not being fooled by the reviews that they have. I am dumbfounded on how they have more than 3.5 stars which is the maximum they deserve based on ambience alone.
I had the special of the day. Shrimp with linguine. It was really good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
RubyS
I chose this restaurant because it had an exceptional rating and $$ here. Food was okay, but portions were very small. Bread was served with white beans, which was different (would have preferred seasoned olive oil or butter). The waiter yelled, seemed to focus more on other tables, and we were seated near 4 loud women, so ambiance was not great. One plate was dirty on our table as well. It was a busy Saturday night, but I was not impressed. Meehh
DougD
Good food at reasonable prices coupled with terrific, attentive service. Aria had cracked the code for being able to get diners in and out quickly, without ever feeling rushed. I have dined there many times for both business lunches and prior to symphony concerts. Always a good experience.
Betty
Always a good choice. We were headed to the symphony and the waitstaff got us in and out without making us feel rushed. Food always delicious. Wine choices very good and very reasonable. One of Charlotte's treasures. If I could change one thing it would be the noise level. With a full house and hard surfaces it gets robust. But that is pretty standard everywhere.
The experience at this restaurant was probably the worst I've ever had in my life. The restaurant is lovely, but the food was along the same quality as fast food Italian if not worse. There was very little flavor, and the portions were like children's plates. The most DISGUSTING part of the entire experience was having the waiter bring our bill, come back to check how much of a tip two of us left as a couple(there were 5 of us paying individually) and proceeded to tap on the table with his pen demanding more when we weren't even finished paying yet. From the food, to the service, I would advise spending your money elsewhere and not being fooled by the reviews that they have. I am dumbfounded on how they have more than 3.5 stars which is the maximum they deserve based on ambience alone. There are much better options in Charlotte.
Party of four dined at Aria Saturday and could not have been more pleased. Our server, Steven, was the best. His attention to our service was wonderful. His recommendations were on point and wine suggestion mixed well with our meal. We will definitely return for great Italian food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great drinks & spectacular Italian cuisine ?. The ingredients were so fresh and everything was so savory. I had the veal ravioli and my boyfriend had the lamb shank. Both dishes in their own right were top notch. Make sure you have a reservation though because this place gets packed. 10/10.Also the beans with the bread they serve you is a weird combination that oddly pairs very well together.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is always at the top of our list for before theater food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Walked past empty tables to get sat in between other tables, waiter could barely get through the crammed tables and chairs, we could barely hear ourselves, so atmosphere was not what we had hoped for.Our server refilled waters once, long after we were dry. Dessert took 15 minutes to arrive and it wasn’t the baked on demand option we were warned would take 15 min.After spending time exploring Italy with a garlic allergy and having no problem finding eating I actually stopped asking about garlic in dishes (it’s only in it if it’s in the description!), I question “authentic” Italian when almost everything has garlic they cannot make without. American-Italian throws garlic at everything. Anyway, I was limited to a salad, or pasta carbonara, or salmon. My salmon was 4oz-6oz for $40 and they cooked me a handful of spinach to go with it. My husband was happy with his chicken parm, even if he wished for a bit more pasta.We paid for convenient location, but won’t again. If you like loud and garlic, this is a good fit for you.Dietary restrictions: Kitchen limited in what they can adjust, leading me to think much is premade. My option for garlic free was heavily salted.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Our server was fantastic! Very knowledgeable and attentive. The food was great. It is one of the very few restaurants my husband said he is looking forward to returning to. Most fall short of his hopes and expectations. The bread paired with beans was delightful. My meatballs and chicken Parmesan were great. His caramelized gnocchi with pear and gorgonzola and pork chops with sweet potatoes and swiss chard were even better. Our tiramisu was beyond the next level. They single handedly ruined all other tiramisu for us including my HOMEMADE!!! Not fair!!! Nobody EVER best my homemade tiramisu! Now I have to step up my game with their delightful inspiration of espresso liquor and Amaretto infused mascarpone cheese. Fantastic meal!Parking: They validate for parking.Wheelchair accessibility: Very accessible. Happened to be dining next to someone who was in a wheelchair. ❤️
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aria Tiramisu
My group (3) people sat at the side tables in hopes we could move to the bar. Two people moved and there was space for another bar stool, they had obviously moved one from the bar because there was an extra barstool off to the side. We moved the barstool back to the bar to accommodate our group of three. It was obvious the bartender didn’t want us sitting there and he had already been snapping at other bar guest, he snapped at us and said “you can’t move that stool here”. The stool obviously belonged there but because he didn’t want to take care of us he said we couldn’t move it. As someone who has bartended for 17 years, I would never refuse business at my bar but he’s an idiot. Rafael took care of us and he was great. Anyway, won’t be back.
Service: 1
I would recommend the Nero Tagliatelle alla Vodka.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We recently attended a private event (my soon-to-be, sister-in-law's rehearsal dinner) and had a wonderful experience. We were the first one's to arrive and Lucky made sure to get the bride, groom, and the parents of each names and addressed them formal through out the night. I'd like to make a point of shouting out the staff as they were all very friendly. The food was delicious, my fiancé and I had the meatballs, kale Cesar, pork chop, and chicken parm and loved it all. We left full and happy.The only issues we had came from the setup of the private event space. The staff had to bring any ordered drinks from the bar downstairs. This caused a longer than usual delay which was at no fault of the staff. Having drinks on hand at the bar upstairs would have solved this issue. Another issue we had is that many regular guests attempted to enter through the private event space and completely disregarded the posted signs and ropes. While I know this is not the restaurant at fault, it did cause some awkward and rude interactions between the regular guests and the private event guests. The only solution I could think of is a curtain or harder to breech barrier between the two.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Aria Caesar Salad
The food and service were second to none! Our server knew we had the game to go to and was very attentive and personable. Will definitely be back!
The experience at this restaurant was probably the worst I’ve ever had in my life. The restaurant is lovely, but the food was along the same quality as fast food Italian if not worse. There was very little flavor, and the portions were like children’s plates. The most DISGUSTING part of the entire experience was having the waiter bring our bill, come back to check how much of a tip two of us left as a couple(there were 5 of us paying individually) and proceeded to tap on the table with his pen demanding more when we weren’t even finished paying yet. From the food, to the service, I would advise spending your money elsewhere and not being fooled by the reviews that they have. I am dumbfounded on how they have more than 3.5 stars which is the maximum they deserve based on ambience alone.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
I had the special of the day. Shrimp with linguine. It was really good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I chose this restaurant because it had an exceptional rating and $$ here. Food was okay, but portions were very small. Bread was served with white beans, which was different (would have preferred seasoned olive oil or butter). The waiter yelled, seemed to focus more on other tables, and we were seated near 4 loud women, so ambiance was not great. One plate was dirty on our table as well. It was a busy Saturday night, but I was not impressed. Meehh
Good food at reasonable prices coupled with terrific, attentive service. Aria had cracked the code for being able to get diners in and out quickly, without ever feeling rushed. I have dined there many times for both business lunches and prior to symphony concerts. Always a good experience.
Always a good choice. We were headed to the symphony and the waitstaff got us in and out without making us feel rushed. Food always delicious. Wine choices very good and very reasonable. One of Charlotte's treasures. If I could change one thing it would be the noise level. With a full house and hard surfaces it gets robust. But that is pretty standard everywhere.
The experience at this restaurant was probably the worst I've ever had in my life. The restaurant is lovely, but the food was along the same quality as fast food Italian if not worse. There was very little flavor, and the portions were like children's plates. The most DISGUSTING part of the entire experience was having the waiter bring our bill, come back to check how much of a tip two of us left as a couple(there were 5 of us paying individually) and proceeded to tap on the table with his pen demanding more when we weren't even finished paying yet. From the food, to the service, I would advise spending your money elsewhere and not being fooled by the reviews that they have. I am dumbfounded on how they have more than 3.5 stars which is the maximum they deserve based on ambience alone. There are much better options in Charlotte.