Giovanni's Italian Restaurant

As you arrive the owner greets you, and either he or a family member will seat your party. We have been eating here for over 10 years. My husband ... more

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 more

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! more

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. more

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

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. more

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. Pros: fantastic sauces, wines, desserts. more

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. Pros: Consistantly great food and wine Cons: You might have to wait more

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. Pros: AMPLE PARKING, CONVIENT LOCATION, QUAINTNESS more

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. Pros: Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent service more

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! Pros: food Cons: wait, service more

You don't have to grow up Italian to recognize bad Italian food. That is exactly what I had at Giovannis. The ""specialties"" that my wife and I had were watered down. It was almost as if they did not properly drain their noodles. We found the service to be very rude. I have had better Italian from a jar. There are some very good and authentic Italian restaurants in Greenville. This is not one of them! more

I grew up in NJ, in the heart of Soprano-land and consider myself an expert on Italian food. I've eaten in the best resteraunts in Little Italy on Mulberry Street, and have to say that Giovanni's is that good. You will not find a better red sauce on this side of the Mason-Dixie line! Gabriel, the owner of the resteraunt, has put together a very intimate ambience in which to enjoy a meal that you will never forget. My personal recomendation is for the Sautaed Calimari over Marinara Sauce as an appetizer, and the Linginue with Shrimp and Clams over the red Giovanni sauce as your entree. The portions served at Giovanni's are very generous, and the flavor will blow you away. I've introduced so many people to this great resteraunt and they all say that it is the best Italian food they have ever had. Pros: Unbelivable Quality, Delicious Red Sauce, Reasonably Priced Cons: Hidden on Woodruff Rd, Closed on Monday more