As someone who is a vegetarian with Celiacs, I was disappointed with the appetizers/entre selection. I finally settled on a salad, because they did not have gluten free pasta, no gluten free crackers (like Crunch Master) for the cheese plate, no gluten free bread, and for some reason they wanted to put lamb on a caprese salad (marked vegetarian on the menu)??? I asked for a larger portion of the caprese (vegetable/greens/etc.), minus the lamb, and got a small salad the size of my first for $18. Luckily, the desert selection was far better, being I was starving and had ordered a bottle of wine for the table. I actually had several good gluten free choices for deserts. My husband and friend (who knows the owner) enjoyed their appetizer and main course selections. My husband's pasta dish potion was ample. Our service was excellent. In fact, the first bottle of wine had a bad cork, and Drew got us another bottle. We ended up taking another bottle home (as a gift for our friend) and tipped him well, because he was so conscientious. With Italian restaurants like Travinia's near, which cater very well to people with allergies (they have a separate allergy prep area), we hope this establishment will choose to do likewise in the future so "everyone" can enjoy their meals and not worry about someone not getting enough to eat. It is actually nerve wracking for me to have others trying to advocate for me, because they are worried I can't enjoy my food like they are in these situations. In all, Drew's efforts gave the review an extra star. He did what he could to make the situation better, but I don't think those preparing my salad paid attention to his notes. My friend who knew the owner was a bit embarrassed for suggesting this restaurant in the end because of the rigidity of the menu and lack of catering to gluten allergies. We plan to try the Dragon Room (same owner) next together and hope the meal goes better for all who are dining.Vegetarian options: Frustrated that a salad selection marked vegetarian some how ended up including lamb??? Then when I stipulated without lamb but with more of the greens, I didn't get much to eat for $18.Dietary restrictions: If you have Celiacs and are a vegetarian, you have a few desert selections but almost nothing else to eat on the menu because they don't have gluten free pasta, nor gluten free bread, nor gluten free crackers.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Elaine Boubenider
I'm visiting my daughter from Houston. Have driven by in the past but never came in. This time we did and it was amazing. They just switched from French cuisine to Italian and it was so good. Half off bottles of wine was a great start. My daughter's chicken parm was the best she ever had and I loved the roasted beet salad and mushroom risotto. We ended the night with lemomcello shots and lemoncello creme Brule on the rooftop. What a great place to really celebrate the uniqeness of West Columbia. Highly recommended!! Drew was our waiter and really made this experience so special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca Salter
We had a great experience with Drew as our server! Food, drinks, and atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rankin Sim
The Italian was amazing! Drew, our server, was so friendly and knowledgeable. It was a great experience overall!
Jerome Josef
We first had the escargot as an appetizer which was fantastic. We have had a lot of escargot and this had a nice spice kick from some chilis, so very good. We then had the scallops picatta and herbed rotolo which were both very, very good. For dessert, we had the chocolate panna cotta with almond brittle which was a fine finish....our red wine was a great palete cleanser that melded with the chocolate flavor....yum. Drew was our food coordinater and server, and he did an outstanding job, especially since he has only been working there for a few days. Excellent job Drew!! Thanks for a wonderful evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Rozzi
I spent some time at the Black Rooster before the switch to Italian, and I have recently been back now after the transition. The food was great. The rooftop view is always a great experience, and the dinning room was professional. Our server bobby was more than attentive and did a great job.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Scott Me
Came here for my wife's birthday, pretty disappointed. For service I'd say it was ok. Our waitress was very nice but needs some training on providing better service. When a guest moves from apps to entree, they should be given new silverware, not just put it on the table for later use. If someone orders mussels, a bowl should be brought for the discarded shells. As far as the food goes, it was good but definitely not great. First of all they were out of escargot, at 7:00, unacceptable. I was looking forward to having those for over a week. $13 for a single meatball app, definitely not worth it. $13 for a single skewer of veal & bacon, not worth it. The seafood mare dish was good but nothing special, for $34, since the sauce was too thin and the clams too rubbery. I will say the pasta was cooked perfectly, not sure if they make it fresh or not but the sauce & flavor didn't add to it like it should have. The only things that stood out was the creme Brule and my wife loved her drink from the bar. Also, bread should be offered with dinner, especially with a seafood & pasta dish. For a $200 dinner not impressed at all with the food or service. We'll go somewhere else in the future.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Melinda Higgs
Absolutely fabulous Italian restaurant - food was exquisitely prepared. I had the linguine seafood dish which had the perfect amount of « heat » to compliment the seafood. And, you won’t find a better server than Drew Austin who is extremely knowledgeable about the menu offerings and delightfully attentive!!!! No doubt one of the best restaurants in the southern U.S. and I’d venture to say in the entire U.S. We are so grateful to have this quality in Columbia, SC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Moser
We stayed at an Airbnb and the owner suggested this spots. It Did not disappoint!!!! Excellent Italian food and excellent service! If we are ever in Columbia, we will return! Our Server, Drew was on his 3rd day but you would have thought he had been there 10
Too expensive, especially for the quality of food.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
George Dinsmore
We came a week ago but needed a reservation or a 75 minute wait so we came back tonight with a reservation. Our server, Drew was friendly, energetic, and happily made suggestions. The swordfish was very good. The stuffed pork chops were a little tough but had good flavor. And the limoncello creme brulee was good. I never ate there when it was French cuisine but they seem to have nailed the transition to Italian food. I'll be back.Parking: Not a lot of street parking but there is a nearby lot and a free public parking garage
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marybeth McDonnell
Great food & the rooftop is super cool! Love the view of Columbia & the state house!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jeanette Pazda
We went last Saturday to check out the new menu and everything was so delicious. I am happy for the switch and highly recommend going to try it. Great service and on time reservation.
TJ Kimel
We live in the neighborhood and visit 1-3 times a month, and have for a few years now. Food, service, and drinks are reliably excellent.Definitely best to get a reservation on the weekends.
I enjoy myself every time I go. I was impressed with them remembering my food allergies each time I dine there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie Plate, Steak Frites, Basque Escargot, Salmon Wellington
As someone who is a vegetarian with Celiacs, I was disappointed with the appetizers/entre selection. I finally settled on a salad, because they did not have gluten free pasta, no gluten free crackers (like Crunch Master) for the cheese plate, no gluten free bread, and for some reason they wanted to put lamb on a caprese salad (marked vegetarian on the menu)??? I asked for a larger portion of the caprese (vegetable/greens/etc.), minus the lamb, and got a small salad the size of my first for $18. Luckily, the desert selection was far better, being I was starving and had ordered a bottle of wine for the table. I actually had several good gluten free choices for deserts. My husband and friend (who knows the owner) enjoyed their appetizer and main course selections. My husband's pasta dish potion was ample. Our service was excellent. In fact, the first bottle of wine had a bad cork, and Drew got us another bottle. We ended up taking another bottle home (as a gift for our friend) and tipped him well, because he was so conscientious. With Italian restaurants like Travinia's near, which cater very well to people with allergies (they have a separate allergy prep area), we hope this establishment will choose to do likewise in the future so "everyone" can enjoy their meals and not worry about someone not getting enough to eat. It is actually nerve wracking for me to have others trying to advocate for me, because they are worried I can't enjoy my food like they are in these situations. In all, Drew's efforts gave the review an extra star. He did what he could to make the situation better, but I don't think those preparing my salad paid attention to his notes. My friend who knew the owner was a bit embarrassed for suggesting this restaurant in the end because of the rigidity of the menu and lack of catering to gluten allergies. We plan to try the Dragon Room (same owner) next together and hope the meal goes better for all who are dining.Vegetarian options: Frustrated that a salad selection marked vegetarian some how ended up including lamb??? Then when I stipulated without lamb but with more of the greens, I didn't get much to eat for $18.Dietary restrictions: If you have Celiacs and are a vegetarian, you have a few desert selections but almost nothing else to eat on the menu because they don't have gluten free pasta, nor gluten free bread, nor gluten free crackers.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
I'm visiting my daughter from Houston. Have driven by in the past but never came in. This time we did and it was amazing. They just switched from French cuisine to Italian and it was so good. Half off bottles of wine was a great start. My daughter's chicken parm was the best she ever had and I loved the roasted beet salad and mushroom risotto. We ended the night with lemomcello shots and lemoncello creme Brule on the rooftop. What a great place to really celebrate the uniqeness of West Columbia. Highly recommended!! Drew was our waiter and really made this experience so special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great experience with Drew as our server! Food, drinks, and atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Italian was amazing! Drew, our server, was so friendly and knowledgeable. It was a great experience overall!
We first had the escargot as an appetizer which was fantastic. We have had a lot of escargot and this had a nice spice kick from some chilis, so very good. We then had the scallops picatta and herbed rotolo which were both very, very good. For dessert, we had the chocolate panna cotta with almond brittle which was a fine finish....our red wine was a great palete cleanser that melded with the chocolate flavor....yum. Drew was our food coordinater and server, and he did an outstanding job, especially since he has only been working there for a few days. Excellent job Drew!! Thanks for a wonderful evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I spent some time at the Black Rooster before the switch to Italian, and I have recently been back now after the transition. The food was great. The rooftop view is always a great experience, and the dinning room was professional. Our server bobby was more than attentive and did a great job.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Came here for my wife's birthday, pretty disappointed. For service I'd say it was ok. Our waitress was very nice but needs some training on providing better service. When a guest moves from apps to entree, they should be given new silverware, not just put it on the table for later use. If someone orders mussels, a bowl should be brought for the discarded shells. As far as the food goes, it was good but definitely not great. First of all they were out of escargot, at 7:00, unacceptable. I was looking forward to having those for over a week. $13 for a single meatball app, definitely not worth it. $13 for a single skewer of veal & bacon, not worth it. The seafood mare dish was good but nothing special, for $34, since the sauce was too thin and the clams too rubbery. I will say the pasta was cooked perfectly, not sure if they make it fresh or not but the sauce & flavor didn't add to it like it should have. The only things that stood out was the creme Brule and my wife loved her drink from the bar. Also, bread should be offered with dinner, especially with a seafood & pasta dish. For a $200 dinner not impressed at all with the food or service. We'll go somewhere else in the future.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Absolutely fabulous Italian restaurant - food was exquisitely prepared. I had the linguine seafood dish which had the perfect amount of « heat » to compliment the seafood. And, you won’t find a better server than Drew Austin who is extremely knowledgeable about the menu offerings and delightfully attentive!!!! No doubt one of the best restaurants in the southern U.S. and I’d venture to say in the entire U.S. We are so grateful to have this quality in Columbia, SC.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We stayed at an Airbnb and the owner suggested this spots. It Did not disappoint!!!! Excellent Italian food and excellent service! If we are ever in Columbia, we will return! Our Server, Drew was on his 3rd day but you would have thought he had been there 10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Too expensive, especially for the quality of food.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
We came a week ago but needed a reservation or a 75 minute wait so we came back tonight with a reservation. Our server, Drew was friendly, energetic, and happily made suggestions. The swordfish was very good. The stuffed pork chops were a little tough but had good flavor. And the limoncello creme brulee was good. I never ate there when it was French cuisine but they seem to have nailed the transition to Italian food. I'll be back.Parking: Not a lot of street parking but there is a nearby lot and a free public parking garage
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food & the rooftop is super cool! Love the view of Columbia & the state house!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
We went last Saturday to check out the new menu and everything was so delicious. I am happy for the switch and highly recommend going to try it. Great service and on time reservation.
We live in the neighborhood and visit 1-3 times a month, and have for a few years now. Food, service, and drinks are reliably excellent.Definitely best to get a reservation on the weekends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5