Giovanni's Italian Restaurant

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Frank P.

Joined 1 year ago

Something special. My wife and I delighted in a wonderful dinner at Givanni's last night. Amazing.....real aldante pasta, and an extremely tasty marina sauce. My wife had the eggplant parm and I had veal parm. Both were delicious.

Everyone was very friendly and the atmosphere was rather intimate.

We're looking forward to exploring the interesting menu

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missymac1971

Joined 2 years ago

Best.food.in.Greenville.period.. Giovanni's is the best food in Greenville. Hands down. End of story!! Gabriel is wonderful, the specials are ALWAYS delicious (my favorite is the four cheese tortellini with chicken and asparagus), and service is always spectacular - even when they are busy... which is every night. Tell Gabriel how much you want to spend on wine and he will pick out a wonderful bottle for you every time. If you can make yourself eat early, then go early... you will not have to wait! Best place in Greenville and has been for many, many years!

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Cuideri

Joined 2 years ago

Awesome food!. I am new to SC, so I was asking around for a good Italian restaurant, abd Liz, (a friendly gal at the Palmetto Pass office) told me about Giovanni's! I am glad she told me ahead of time that there would be a wait. She wasn't kidding! I was in line for about 20 minutes chatting up the other folks who were waiting. Nobody seemed to mind, and since I was told it was worth it, I didn't get impatient.

I was seated at a small table near the kitchen (lets face it - this place is small) and although the owner and the waitress(maybe his wife) were hustling around like crazy, it only took a look and smile to get them over to answer a question on the menu or get me a glass of wine. They als treated me to a nice little appetizer since they saw I had been waiting a while. I decided on the spinach and cheese stuffed manicotti. It was heaven! There was so much, I only ate half. The dinner was served with a nice little salad and delicious bread. I enjoyed every minute and every bite. Giovanni himself will go over the specials of the day, and even if you can't understand him, I don't think he knows how to serve bad food! The restaurant is small, crowded and noisy, but you are coming here for the food. If you want atomosphere, take the food to go and eat it at home with candles....Overall, I was really happy to be directed to this absolute gem of a restaurant in Greenville! Enjoy!

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Zero11

Joined 3 years ago

phone number?. I want to make a reservation for this restaurant, is it still open/ have a phone number?

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JLC1965

Joined 4 years ago

Outstanding Italian. The ONLY authentic Italian in Greenville, or the greater Greenville area for that matter. The food is fresh, simple and delicious, the owner is personable, courteous, and willing to spend as much time as you wish chatting about the food, wine, weather, or whatever. Forget about the chains, or the overpriced downtown joints. Giovannis is outstanding.

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mattsmatts

Joined 5 years ago

BRAVO !. I was raised in NY in a town that was 90% Italian. I thought I knew good food. I moved to northern Italy as a young man and spent many years there and the food was totally different and much better than home. When I moved to Greenville, an old friend knew my quest for good Italian in the South. I would have settled for food like NY. I was blown away by the flavor of Giovanni's. I was in Italy again...enjoying my food with a zest and zeal I learned from the Italians. I have recommended Giovanni's to all newcomers that cross my path and with wonderful results. Most are now regulars like myself. I am not a food critic, so I won't tell you what to order, but I will tell you to get there ASAP. You will not regret it.

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dine4pleasure

Joined 5 years ago

Giovanni's. My husband and I have been enjoying this cozy quaint Italian restaurant for years. We are always greeted by Gabriel's smiling face and now his darling daughter is there also to greet you. His food is wonderful and to my delight Gabriel brought back his chicken cacchitori (sp), best anywhere hands down and needless to say my favorite. My husband has had many favorites and most recently the chicken piccata.

We enjoy the conversation and accents along with experiencing Gabriel's long list of wines. My husband

has taken many visitors local and foreign to Giovanni's and they all enjoyed the delightful dining experience.

The only downside is you might have to wait because the word has gotten out. Do yourself a favor and try Giovanni's and you'll become a regular too.

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LCARTER2

Joined 5 years ago

GREAT ITALIAN, GREAT WINE AND GREAT SERVICE . A TRIO THAT CAN NOT BE BEAT.. MY WIFE AND I WERE INTRODUCED TO GIOVANNI'S ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHERE WE FOUND GREAT ITALIAN FOOD , WINE, SERVICE AND PERSONAL ATTENTION AND HAVE BEEN REGAULARS EVER SINCE. WE ENJOY THE MANY SPECIALS THAT ARE RECITED AND NEVER EVEN LOOK AT THE MENU SINCE OUR FIRST TIME DINING HERE.

MY FAVORITE STARTERS ARE THE BRUSHETTA, THAT IS SERVED IMMEDIATELY AND THE APPETIZER MUSSELS THAT I ORDER PRACTICALLY EVERY TIME. THE ENTREE THAT FOLLOWS IS ALWAYS PREPARED TO PERFECTION. I TRY TO HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY VISIT BUT I KEEP COMING BACK TO THE CLAMS AND PASTA IN A WHITE SAUCE AND MY WIFE LOVES THE RAVIOLA WITH THE CREAMY TOMATO GARGANZOLA SAUCE AND ORDERS IT VERY OFTEN.

GABRIEL'S KNOWLEDGE OF HIS (ONLY ITALIAN) WINES IS EXCELLENT. I HAVE CHOSEN A WHITE AND A RED. NOW WHEN I SELECT AN ENTREE AND ASK FOR A BOTTLE OF WINE, MY CHOICE IS REMEMBERED AND THE CORRECT WINE IS SERVED. IN THIS TIME WHERE CUSTOMERS ARE MOSTLY AN ITEM TO BE HURRIED ALONG TO GET TO THE NEXT, IT IS REFRESHING TO HAVE SOMEONE REMEMBER WHICH WINE YOU ENJOY.

THE SERVICE WHICH IS RENDERED BY FAMILY MEMBERS IS VERY PROMPT AND COURTESY. YOU FEEL THE PRIDE OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY AND THE DESIRE TO ACCOMODATE EVERY CUSTOMER WITH THEIR VERY BEST EFFORT.

NOW YOU MAY HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO WAIT AS THE RESTURANT IS SMALL AND COZY, BUT YOU WILL NOT MIND BECAUSE YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU TOLD ABOUT THIS GREAT LITTLE RESTURANT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU IN LINE. SEE YOU THERE.

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prissy5222

Joined 5 years ago

Better than food in Italy!!!!!!. I will honestly say that not only is this the BEST Italian food I have ever had, but it is also one of the best all around restaurants I have been to. It is a cozy family run restaurant, where when you walk in, you feel like you are having dinner in Mr. Gabriel's house rather than at a restaurant. The smell of his homemade Italian sauces hits you as soon as you get out of your car. I have been to Italy several times, and the pasta and sauces at Giovanni's are more authentic and flavorful than ANYTHING I had experienced in Rome or Venice or Florence. The comment of watered down sauces made by another reviewer, I STRONGLY disagree with. Not only are all the specials wonderful, Mr. Gabriel makes his sauces from scratch, which is truly amazing. The pumpkin sauce is my favorite, as well as the porcini and sun dried tomato pesto. I am always thrilled to see what new sauce he has created. His creativity and culinary experience is remarkable. The wine is always good, and we have tried probably 50 varieties, and I haven't had a bad one yet. Also, the tiramasu, handmade by Mr. Gabriel's wife, is truly the most delicious thing I have ever had. The prices are always reasonable, wine, dinner, etc. I love the specialized attention and service we receive every time we go. Again, it would be a loss for you to miss this amazing little find.

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eat4two

Joined 5 years ago

best italian we ever had!. we have been going to giovannis regularly for over a year now, it is the best italian food we have ever had the pleasure to eat. unfortunately it is not a secret and the small restaurant is usually packed especially on the weekends and you will have to get use to the service but the food is awesome and well worth the wait! they also have a pretty good wine menu!