This place was like a blast from the past! Total nostalgia. The taste pallet caters to the older generation for sure. Everything was good, but nothing that was like Wow, I’m giving this 4 stars for the experience, because although the food didn’t cater to my young pallet, the service was excellent and we were lucky enough to be served by Austin the bartender who made one of his specialty cocktails, a New York sour with a twist of his Italian blend to it. The service was excellent. To boot there was a live piano player playing old beautiful stuff that is too old for me, but I’m sure it was pleasing to the older generation. I wish you could give half a star because it’s a place where I would take my grandmother or grandfather for a memorable meal. The walls are littered with old famous people and the neon lights in the bar were classic! Definitely 4.5 star for the experience. The food is just something I can make at home.

Good food, good service. The meatballs were outstanding!! We were there for the Mothers Day brunch and they had a very nice layout of food. The prime rib was a bit dry but everything else was pretty good. Lots of amazing pictures on the wall of 50s - 60s celebrities and their kind words about the restaurant, which was very cool. The place is a bit dated but I can see where it was amazing its hayday and I know I will certainly be back for the meatballs.

Absolutely the best authentic Italian food I have ever had. The staff and the owner are amazing hosts as well! I am adding this restaurant to my top places to eat.

Old school Italian feel- great service, large portions, perfect taste, and reasonable pricing. Will definitely be back.

Wonderful old world restaurant! Pasta is made in house, delicious pasta. Michael was an amazing waiter who really cared about his service. Will be returning and bringing friends and family back for more.

Went here for the first time on Thanksgiving dayHad the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Food was very tasty and elegant service. Cant wait to come back and try some more of their menu.

Excellent food, but even better service. The staff remind me of the friendly guys who run the nice Italian restaurant in Lady and the Tramp. They make you feel comfortable and enjoy your company. My family and I had a lovely time!

Went for restaurant week. Excellent food and service from our delightful waiter Austin.

Our waiter, Michael, was an amazing and precious soul! The owner/chef is one in a million. Everything our group of 10 ordered (from drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts) was the best we have ever had! We loved Avanti so much that we went there twice in one week.

This is the finest Italian restaurant in the valley. There are other good restaurants like Thomasos. Both have great food and certain exclusive menus items. Although Avanti is expensive, it is not quite as expensive. The staff and service is where Avanti is infinitely superior. They all have been there for twenty years to 1974 when it opened. They are more customer oriented and not snotty nor snutty like Thomasos. They service is unmatched.

Everything that we have ate here has been great the Ossobuco is to die for! I love that this place has a vintage 80-90’s vibe to it all of the celebrity photos on the walls are always cool to look at. My favorite Italian spot in the valley.

Wow service old school waiter Excellence in every way. We had each the lasagna yeah and it was very filling but yet very light its not overdone with cheese it was handmaid excellence

This was the first time I visited this Restaurant, and I am very content that I came here. All of my favorite foods were right here and it was all affordable. They served it professionally and on time without any delays at all. I deeply admired this Restaurants assistance. Their wonderful and affordable service was strongly recommended!

We went here during Restaurant Week 2021! We had the pleasure of having Mike be our waiter, and he made it such a memorable experience. The food is INCREDIBLE, Mike brought it all together with his top notch service, and I can’t imagine going anywhere else for My birthday dinner.

Losing its Ambiance In favor of more trendy spots, this old school Italian restaurant cannot be beat for great food, superb service and Nostalgic Photography. Hey Mike Buble stopped in to dine on tour a few years back- so you KNOW the enjoy a grand reputation

The first time I came to this restaurant I thought who owns this place? The decor was nothing Ive ever seen before in Phoenix and my date told me I needed to try their spaghetti. I was hesitant but I did and, it reminded me of the way Papa used to make it.Im glad almost 15 years later some things never changed. This is a great restaurant theres a reason why it has an A rating.

Absolutely stunning food! A bit pricy compared to restaurants around it but very resonable for the large portions. I cannot stress enough how delicious the food is.

Great customer service,soothing live music. The food had an authentic flavor. Affordable prices well worth.

Not as good as we remembered. The service was good, but the lobster had very little meat, tiramisu was tasteless, creme brulee had a weird consistency. Other dishes were so so

A hidden gem. 6 Stars. If you dont make this part of your restaurant bucket list, shame on you. Staff was excellent..the Pasta Chef, as Im told, has been here 40 years. President Reagan dined here, you cant get do better than that.

Ive never been here before and decided- its my 63rd birthday so Im going to treat myself!! Ive lived here in the valley since 1972!!! This was THE BEST BIRTHDAY DINING EXPERIENCE IVE EVER HAD!!!😊😊😊 The ambience and service were- OUTSTANDING!! JUSTIN& MIKE WERE SO PROFESSIONAL!! Now lets get to- THE FOOD!!! OMG!! Had escargot to start and wanted oysters Rockefeller but they were out of them!! Thats okay!! Im glad actually because Justin recommended- Stuffed Shrimp!!! OMG!! THE BEST IVE EVER HAD! Then I wanted- VEAL SCALLOPINI which was- off- menu but they did it for me anyway!!! JUST EXQUISITE!! BTW- Im a retired chef of 40yrs!!! It was so cool also because there were 2 other tables celebrating birthdays too!! Had to go say hi to them both!!! Such nice people!!! Then before the bill came- a nice tiramisu arrives by Justin followed by a chocolate mousse by Michael!! What a nice PROFFESIONAL TOUCH!! Then the bill comes and I inform Justin to give this $20 to the chef! Next thing I know- here comes CHEF MARGARITA to meet and great me!!! So cool!! Shes been cooking there for over 40yrs!!! Thats JUST AMAZING!!! It showed in every aspect of what was placed in front of me!!! Then on the way out- just to look at the- Whos-Who of guests is just AMAZING BUT SHOULD BE EXPECTED GIVEN THE EXPERIENCE HERE!!! I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS EVENING AND HOPE TO SPEND MANY MORE HERE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!! TBANK YOU SO VERY MUCH- JUSTIN, MIKE AND MARGARITA!!! SINCERELY- MICHAEL KOLB

We have been only going to Avanti for the last 4 years or so, but everytime we come with family or friends we always have exceptional service. We are fortunate that we usually have Michael wait on us and he is so attentive and personable. The soft pillow puffs of gnocchi is to die for. I usually order chicken parmesaen. But our guests usually order many different items on the menu from chicken malenase or the specials. Never a complaint. We always end our meal with the terrimisu.

Classic Italian cuisine. Angelo is a treasure. Decor is flashback to the 70s but it works. Service impeccable

Gnocchi was so insanely good! Chicken parm was also really good.

Amazing food, service, atmosphere. Good pasta, veal, rissotto, great prices.

Great food & service.Update for holidays:Avoid. Too busy.We waited 55 minutes to get our menus and had to ask for them. Never got our drinks. Food is always good. The restaurant was clearly taking more customers than it could accommodate. The tables around us were also complaining about the service and wait times to see the waiter. The food was in much smaller portions than usual, but same price. I paid $13 for a mozzarella salad that had 2 slices of tomato, 2 slices of mozzarella, 1 olive, 1 roasted pepper slice. The dessert was half the size it normally is.

Date night was a win. Place is small and quiet. Service was so on point drinks never empty food came out very hot and flavor was explosive. Will def be back. I would reccomend 100%

Great quick service and fantastic food. Everything was full of flavor and felt like a home cooked meal by an old fashioned Italian. Absolutely wonderful experience.

The service and food were excellent! Will definitely plan on going back and will highly recommend to family and friends.

Absolutely LOVE this place! Came here on a Wednesday night around 9pm with my man as we were celebrating our 4 1/2 year anniversary and we were treated to a delicious meal with a very attentive waiter. Sergio was so friendly and treated us like family even though it was our first time there. He gave us amazing recommendations on food(the jumbo stuffed shrimp & lasagna are FANTASTIC), checked on us just enough, and even threw in a free dessert on the house. Love the vibe of this place. So fancy & romantic-with relaxing music. We will definitely be back soon! Thanks Sergio!

Seems like a once upon a time great place that has fallen behind the 8 ball.Setting: The decor is dated. Whole walls that are mirrors. Animal print backed booths. Worn out banquet chairs. The napkin over the bread stained.Service: I think if you knew the family and servers it’d be ok but since we don’t, it’s not. Server came back once with food in his mouth trying to speak. The busser seems ready to slap you with plates he’s retrieving them, very unhappy.Food: Poor poor flavor for ‘house-made’ food. Good portion size but not great Italian. The chicken parm is not breast, flat and tasteless. The spaghetti sauce less impressive than Prego. Calamari and Halibut worse than any other restaurant we’ve tried including the franchise restaurants like Olive Garden. Just no taste. Considering the price, go somewhere else.

Really excellent service. Top notch food too. Stuffed mushrooms were excellent. Cannelloni and Gnocchi with meatballs were beautiful. Great experience and highly recommend!

I took my daughter here for her 21st birthday. I made reservations online and noted it was her birthday. I mentioned to the waiter a few times we were here for a special birthday dinner and he didnt wish her a happy birthday. Maybe he was having an off night. He was super nice otherwise.The restaurant has a nice ambiance. The calamari and pasta were fantastic. Oh yes and the garlic bread smells and tastes amazing, too.

Excellent food and outstanding service!! Pasta is fresh, Marinara sauce is off the charts and the Service is very good!!

AVANTI is a must try restaurant, unique food menu and dining experience. Tasty food and good drinks menu, served by friendly staff. Affordable for that special occasion. I can recommend this restaurant.10/10 for the experience.

Wonderful, thoughtfully prepared Italian food. Old Phoenix fave!

The food outstanding the Scotch very good. And the young lady celebrating her 50th made the place sparkling

The was good the service was good desert was good this is the first time Ive been in a long time to a buffet like this thank you for your service today will be back soon.

If you want original Italian, expertly prepared and personably-professionally service, this restaurant is a must go! OFTEN

Great and clean place. For family time great flavor

Oh! I forgot to post a review. I went here for the first time to celebrate my bestie’s bday. I had driven past this place many times and never noticed it. After that night though, every time I’m hungry the first thing I crave is their Ossobuco. The apps and desserts were great and the service was above and beyond. That ossobuco though, pure fire! Yummiest thing I’ve ever had so far. Complements to the chef! Everything was mwah! Will definitely be back.

How have we not been here before now????? Absolutely amazing food, incredible service and really awesome atmosphere.

Truly a gem, with outstanding food and an engaging Owner/Chef. Seeing all the signed pictures of various movie stars (old to semi-old) hinted at what was to come: a Frank Sinatra-esque dining experience!

Great food, great service, and very personable. The owner came around to each table to ensure we were satisfied with the food and service.

Amazing. We have found a new favorite restaurant

If you want some of the best and most authentic italian food around, dont wast your time looking anywhere else.

The atmosphere​ was wonderful 😃the service was stellar the food delicious!

We love coming here! Great food and atmosphere! Check out all the photos on the wall. The place has been open forever and is amazing!

My wife and I went here for a date night and Michael took very good care of us. While he is rather new to the wait staff, the rest of the staff has been there over 20 years. Truly a group of strangers that have become family running the place. The vibe is really nice with nice dim lighting, quieter music, white table clothes, and artwork on the walls.Anyways, they have a full bar with well trained bar tenders. We had a Jamaican Ten Speed and their in house take on the Old Fashioned which had their own bitters - they have been making their own for 10 years - and the traditional ingredients except they add some OJ to the drink. Very good and their cocktails are generous in size.For dinner they bring out complimentary crispy buttered bread, we had the crab cake and shrimp for a starter, a wedge and Caesar salad, mushroom risotto and lasagna for our pasta, and the tiramisu for dessert. All of it was fantastic. All of their pasta is made everyday in house and the flavor in everything is wonderful. Highly recommend the place.

Loved the atmosphere and the food! my bf took me for my birthday and it was lovely. they also gave me tiramisu for my birthday! very friendly.

Best Veal Parmigiana Ive had in years. I would definitely go back

Stay away from this place!!! Wait time for ANYTHING(menus, water, drinks, food). Extreme chaos between the wait staff. Extremely rude and arrogant.STAY AWAY!!!

Beyond amazing!!! This is a must try, everything we ate was amazing but their lasagna is to die for! The atmosphere is great, delicious wine, and amazing staff and owner. The owner personally visits tables and chats with guest, which was nice.

Absolutely wonderful. Avanti smacks of old-school cool, maintaining a decor that instills a feeling of dining at a high class, high quality Italian restaurant of the 70s while offering superb dishes, both modern and classics. The service here is the best my wife and I have ever had: the folks are just top-notch. Theyre attentive, knowledgeable, and a joy to talk to. The bartender, a veteran of mixology, made the best Old Fashioned I have had in years.We cannot wait to visit again; thank you for an excellent dinner, Avanti!

Such a lovely place! The food is all you want in old school Italian. The staff is always very friendly.

Authentic italian...decor is older but cool cause definately original...and the food is crazy good..

Always delicious tasting food! Authentic flavors of their pasta dishes that remind me of eating at restaurants in Rome Italy.

Food and Service were outstanding. I will be back!

We always have an awesome experience at Avanti! Service is outstanding. Thank you

Great food,service and prices

Great food,reminded me of an restaurant in new York and Connecticut where i from.

First time visit for our company holiday dinner. The restaurant definitely has a long standing in the community and you feel welcomed as you first walk in.The Service, the Food and Ambiance were amazing and while our group was small, we will all be returning to this gem.

Fantastic food and awesome service made us feel like family! Highly recommend

There were not enough servers the food was excellent in the service we did get puts fine

Simply the best.

Everything was perfect. Bahia oysters as an appetizer and Pinot Grigio to complement the linguine with clams, perfecto! Great customer service, great food. I left a generous tip because I was so impressed.

Great Valentines Dinner! Tasty food and good ambiance.

EPIC authentic Italian. A MUST go in Phoenix.

Michael is our favorite makes the good (which is excellent)and the experience so much better. We ordered the halibut and osso bucco both were phoenomonal!! P. SOrder the chocolate mousse as dessert, yummy!!

Food was A++++++. Service excellent. Highly recommend.

Waiter, Michael, was awesome! Great experience. Worth the money. Well be back.

Great service and excellent food!

May I recommend the spaghetti and meatballs OMG!

What a special night. Our good friends Julie Sullivan and Michael Belcher shared the evening. He proposed!! It was spur of the moment and amazing!! I was almost brought to tears. So wonderful. The restaurant still brought out a red flowers in a vase. We had dinner family style. Started with Calamari the continued on.for salad and then other main dishes. Way too much food but all was delicious.

Amazing food and even better service! For an appetizer we ordered the calamari. It is hands down the best calamari we have ever had. For dinner, I had the pork tenderloin and my wife had the tortellini portofino. Both were delicious. Heck, even my veggies were yummy. I highly recommend. The only downside was that I was excited to dine accompanied by a piano but no one was playing.... on Valentine’s Day! Fortunately, that was the only disappointment of the night.

If you like Italian food... This is the place! It is an amazing time capsule of atmosphere reasonable prices and the best wait staff. The food was amazing.. Can you tell I enjoyed my self? 6 stars

We were a group of 12. Most of us had a form of pasta and a few had meat such as the veal chop and the pork chop. The meat choices were beautifully prepared and very tender and flavorful. Those with pasta said it was the best theyd had in years. Probably because they made their own pasta on site. Several choices of Rombauer wine also helped make the evening a huge hit.

Simply an amazing experience! This is a first time review for Avanti restaurant, dinner for 4 on a Sunday. Yes, simply amazing.There is ample parking right in front of the restaurant directly off of Thomas road, and with a large sign off the street you cant miss it.Our reservation was for 7 pm and upon arrival we were greeted and seated promptly. The restaurant is roomie and tables are well-spaced with a great low-light ambiance and soft music in the background.Our table was clean, well-laidout and perfectly sized for a group of four. Geraldo looked after us and his service was outstanding. We ordered the antipasto dish to start and was very impressed by the presentation and size of the dish. Our meals were also just as fantastic in taste, freshness, presentation and quality. Geraldo continued to impress us throughout our meal.So with a starter, 2 bottles of wine and meals for 4, our total was about $300. Factoring Gerlados impeccable service and the quality of the food, we all agreed this was well worth the price and a great bargain.For the record, this is an unbiased review and no consideration was recived for writing it.Enjoy!

The best seafood risotto Ive ever had.

Love their steak and lobster for such a reasonable price

Excellent selection. Everyone loved their dishes. Perfect service. Prices are fair foe the quality.

We enjoyed our evening out! Great service, clean restaurant, delicious food!!

Delicious food and amazing servce!

Great food and service. The garlic bread is fantastic. Not at all busy on Monday night, we had the entire bar side of the restaurant to ourselves. Very intimate and romantic. Our server, Sergio, was amazing. Very helpful with menu and drinks. The pasta was cooked perfectly with fresh vegetables and seafood. We will return when in the area.

Outstanding place for tasty italian food. mood here reminds me of colorado springs area.

Great experience

Pretty nice ambience with very less crowd but bit expensive and selective menu

Great service friendly waiter wonderful ambiance HUGE PORTIONS AMAZING food well worth the cost!!!

Best bread I ever eat in Italian restaurant

Ignored at the door. No acknowledgement whatsoever.

Have been here several times over the last couple of years and they never let us down! Andrew took great care of us and stayed with us, even as we wandered into the lounge after dinner and then over to sit at the piano bar for a while. The food speaks for itself and the atmosphere is always welcoming and comfortable. Thank you, Avanti, for never disappointing!

Food and service were wi fearful. Thank you Michael!

Great local resturant, a place like Cheers where they always know your name, and you favorite drink order. We love it for multi generational dinners, not too loud, everyone across the years and table can hear, and the food is great. Find the veggies a little over cooked, but the pasta and rest is spot on. A must visit for a true traditional Italian place in PHOENIX.

Truly the best lasagna in Arizona! Everything else from the calamari appetizer to the cheesecake dessert was also amazing and I could not stop eating every bite. The staff was super friendly and charismatic which only made our meal all the better. With a gorgeous interior and enchanting ambiance, its no surprise so many big names are in love with this place.

We had a great evening, my wife and I have driven by this place hundreds of times and out of the blue stopped in. It has the vintage Durants swanky ambiance which works really well. The waiter was very knowledgeable and professional, the service was impeccable. The food was great, I had the fish special of the day and my wife had the 3 pasta special. We will definitely be back, after dinner we hung out for a cocktail and listened to the pianist serenade the lounge.

It was wonderful...thanks Micheal for being a great waiter.

I love this place. I went for Valentines Day and the food was delicious and the staff was friendly and on point. It was my first time there but I will be going back

Atmosphere was awesome. Suitable for a romantic evening. Had the double pork chops, which was good, but the potatoes were old and dry. Main problem was lack of staff and our server (presenting as affabe) asked us if we were ready since we changed our minds several times, which wasnt the case and came across as passive aggressive and rude. I am gluten-intolerant and had to ask some questions to find out what I could eat and he wasnt really answering my questions and kept walking off under one excuse or another. It took 40 minutes to get served once we finally ordered and another 20 to get a box and the check. Not sure I will go back.

We go here often. The men pamper us and make us feel like we are the only customer there. The food is always perfect and its authentic Italian food.

Best place to eat in the entire southwest. Better than Los Angeles, Better than Albuquerque, this place is hands down BEST KEPT SECRET OF ALL TIME...Double Breasted Pork Chop - my mouth is watering right now from just picturing it...Amazing. Best atmosphere, so cool. They just don’t have this anymore. A+++++