Il Localino

il Localino is Such a great And unique spot. I love everything from the food to the service. Giovanni and his wife are the sweetest most attentive patrons. The staff is amazing. I love every pasta! They have a little bit of everything to satisfy anyone’s craving. This is definitely my favorite Italian restaurant!!!

This was by far the most overrated dining experience I’ve ever had.
We had a 7:45 reservation and were not seated until 8:00. No one took our drink order until 8:20 (including complimentary water). Did not receive our food until 9:00. Once finished, we had to ask three times for the check.
Our check was $ 367 between 6 people. Without the tip, the bill would have been $ 311. Because our party was 6 or larger, we had no choice but to leave a $ 56 tip for AWFUL service.
Also, they will not do separate checks. I ordered a $ 25 pasta dish which was small and not worth the money (I couldn’t even make a to-​go box with what was left), but I ended up splitting the bill down the middle and spending $ 61 even though I had a plate of pasta and one glass of wine.
This is NOT worth the 2.5 hours and hundreds of dollars you will spend for a tiny plate of pasta and a couple of glasses of wine. Save your time.

If you are in Atlanta, this is a must try!!! The atmosphere is so indescribable, it can only be experienced! The staff is unbelievable and Rio and Mama Gale will absolutely make your meal one of the most memorable you’ve ever had! And the food was never ending and absolutely scrumptious!!! Must must must must try this place!!! One of a kind!

Best Italian restaurant in Atlanta impeccable service with a feel of home cook meal in Sicily with your favorite family members.

We LOVE Il Localino so when an out of town friend was visiting for a birthday celebration the choice for a venue was an easy one. Needless to say, Il Localino did not disappoint. Our guests had a wonderful time and commented that their meal was one of the best they had enjoyed in recent memory. Not only was the meal delicious, but these first-​timers were amazed at the impeccable service, attention to detail and personal touch offered by Gale, Giovanni and the entire Il Localino family. Thanks to everyone at Il Localino for making our friends’ birthday special. We can’t wait to go back!

The absolute best. Thank you, Michael Steven’s at Hilton for introducing us to our new family at Il Locolino.

3 friends and I arrived here on a Monday night for dinner. For Monday the restaurant was busy but I believe it’s because of the holiday dinner. There were many tables that looked like they were out for dinner from work. The restaurant’s theme is very kitschy with photos of Frank Sinatra and of celebrities that dined here; the walls are completely covered in photos.
There was one server that took our wine order and was a nice gentleman that was patient with our ordering. He recommended a Montepulciano Italian wine that we tried and ordered. He made sure to decant the wine as well. (That was the only good service we got all night)
The owner’s wife (I guess) took our food order made sure to tell us that the restaurant has been operating for 16 years so they are very successful at Italian food. (Do you need to tell patrons that? Shouldn’t we decide that on our own based on the quality?)
Between the 4 of us we were planning to order one appetizer and one main entrée each. The lady said each appetizer was for one or to share with two but not four people and recommended we get two apps. We agreed on mussels in wine sauce as well as calamari. For main, I ordered the veal parmigiana, others ordered fried red snapper, penne alla vodka, steak with spinach and mashed potatoes. (The server suggested I get veal over chicken since they are known for the veal ever since they opened 16 years ago. She asked me if I wanted pasta with my veal; I opted not to. But it made me wonder, if you’re charging $ 24 for a main, shouldn’t it include pasta?)
While waiting for the food, the owner (I guess) walked by all the tables to greet everyone. He seemed like a nice friendly man. In the mean time, we also got a loaf of baguette with herb butter.
Our appetizers came promptly; we all agreed the calamari and mussels were very good. The wine sauce in the mussels was perfect for dipping the bread in. I thought the amount of food that came in each appetizer could’ve been easily shared by 4 instead of ordering two appetizers. I was disappointed in the server’s recommendation in ordering 2 when only 1 would’ve sufficed.
Finally after a period of extended waiting, we got our mains. My veal was two pieces of meat, breaded, fried and topped with mozzarella which was melted. I thought the veal was okay; the pasta would not have added much to the dish so I am glad I didn’t pay extra for boxed pasta. The woman that got the snapper was happy with her choice and the other women said they liked their food as well. Although it was obvious the penne alla vodka was pasta from a Barilla box, cooked to order; it didn’t seem special.
The part about this restaurant that was odd was the loud music that starts at some point during the dinner, the lights dimming and the disco ball. The servers put random hats on unsuspecting patrons. I am not a fan of (any) restaurant that does coocky things for diners.
Here are the kickers that made this place a terrible experience for us. We ended up paying through the nose for a dinner that wasn’t very good and the experience was below average. (It was someone’s birthday so three of us paid for her dinner. For a dinner for 4 people, the three of us paid 245 (without tip). The quality of the food, the coocky music/​hats show as well as the upselling of food was not worth it. Sad to see this place being in business for 16 years when there can be others that deliver on all levels.
And finally, the reason this place gets 1 star. At midnight, long after I’d gone to bed, I felt something funny in my stomach and couldn’t sleep for very long. Without getting into further details, I can say that veal didn’t stay down for very long.
Sadly due to all of this, I will never return and recommend not going unless the average food at an Italian place with high prices and loud music is your thing.

What a wonderful treat! We treated my mother to an early evening birthday dinner here. Our party of 5 was the first table of the night. We were treated with special attention from the start. We had several servers watching over our table which was nice. Giovanni the owner was also a regular visitor to our table throughout the night. Marco our main waiter was awesome! We had the aged parm. and olives appetizer, pizza, and polenta to start! We loved the wine selection. Steak, pumpkin ravioli, gnocchi, and bolognese were our entrees, not to mention our baby girl ordering the spaghetti and meatballs. Everything was great with the steak and the pumpkin ravioli being the highlights. Desert; house made tiramisu was excellent. Everything was great and delicious — we will definitely visit again.

The wine list at Il Localino is excellent. The quality and selection of good is as well. The atmosphere was awful. When my party of four came in, the music was on loud. I have nothing against Frank Sinatra, but it was interfering with our ability to talk. Asking to have the music turned down had no effect. I should have seen this as an omen. There was a party celebrating a birthday. Il Localino went all out, including turning the music up. Then they started putting party hats on random people, which included on of the member of our party. We had planned on desert and coffee, but I ask for the bill and we left as fast as we possibly could.
Il Localino could be a great place for dinner with a few friends or perhaps a romantic evening out, but we got a circus.

The food was very great and the owner was very welcoming. The price was fair for the food and the area. The only complaint is the sound level is extremely high but it warned about when you walk in. The food is authentic Italian and there is a vast menu but not overwhelming

This was the most fun way to spend my husband’s birthday! He was adamant about not having a party and so we kept it to a few close friends and made some new ones. Food was incredible, staff was superb, and the music was just what you want in a cozy Italian restaurant — Dean Martin and friends! When the party hats came out, smoke machine blasted, and singing started it became the most festive party my husband didn’t know he wanted. From start to limoncello finish, this place is super fun — we look forward to next time!

Old world atmosphere, you enter as guests and leave as part of the family. Gail and Giovanni are your new aunt and uncle. 7 cheese lasagna is over the top. And Marco was the perfect sever.

Can I give it 10 stars? 5 is just not enough!!! The atmosphere is lively and fun! You will dancing in your seat to the fun music while you dine on the most amazing Italian food ever. The food is made with love and for scratch and you can taste the difference. The owners will stop at your table and make sure you are enjoying yourself. If you are uptight and looking for a fancy no fun meal this is not the place for you. However if you are looking to have a unique dining experience where the food is the best the. Il Localino is for you! We traveled from Nashville just for this and we will be doing this again!

This was probably one of the most memorable dinners I’ve ever enjoyed. Honestly it’s hard to really describe, as the experience was such an odd combination of things.
Is it a good neighborhood Italian restaurant? Yes.
Is the food good? Yes, though a bit overpriced.
Is the service good? Yes, although I’ve never eaten somewhere where the staff was pushing wine this aggressively. Seriously, the last time I had people encouraging consumption this much was at a frat party.
Is it kitschy? At times, yes. Most of the meal was completely relaxed, but once things go wacky they really go wacky. But if you are open to the kookiness accompanying the otherwise classic Italian restaurant experience you’ll have a great time.

Came here on our last night in ATL during a group outing. The eclectic (that is an understatement) décor here is a cross between the Dean Martin era meets the Mad Hatter and Mr Toad’s Wild Ride (for those that have been to Disneyland) with the owner resembling a younger Gerard Depardieu when he had longer hair. With a name like Il Localino, one would think that Italian music would be playing but instead that was far from the truth as Disco tunes (complete with the disco ball and disco lights) popped out from the speaker complete with the man made fog coming from the back of the dining area. Once we were seated and appetizer orders taken, the owner came over and proceeded to give us a plethoria of hats to wear — I was given the Egyptian headpiece to wear while others had an Abe Lincoln hat, sombrero, etc. Throughout the evening a «wide» variety of music genres were played and they should nickname the restaurant «IL Loco.»
Appetizers were great that were recommended by our server and we all loved the warm sourdough bread followed by the changeover from appetizer to entrees with a complimentary
limincello which was a nice touch.
Solid entrees that were chosen included the Branzino, linguine and clams and osso bucco. All desserts are made in house and the tiramisu which I ordered was superb.
The dining experience was truly memorable and the owner came by multiple times to all the tables to talk with those guests making sure that they would have a fun dining experience.
This place is a definite must if one is with a group or perhaps a first date (be warned — the place does get loud and crazy) as well as wanting something other than southern style food for which ATL is known for.

The atmosphere was so very eclectic, loved it! Family owned and run business that makes you feel at home. The food was very fresh– tender calamari, handmade pasta and sauces, fresh seafood, fresh herbs, fresh cut cheeses. Great music to go with the classic wine. And Mr & Mrs Giovanni are family (muah)!

The most amazing food and people here. We have been here several times and from day one you feel like family. I love it here!

I lived in Atlanta for 3 years and never knew that Il Localino existed… and I am super bummed about that, because it is AWESOME! My friends who still live in ATL discovered the restaurant and go all the time, so we came here with a group of 12 girls on the Friday night of my bachelorette party weekend for dinner and drinks. I literally couldn’t think of a more fun restaurant atmosphere and am so grateful for this place!
The restaurant is small and cozy, and looks like your standard authentic Italian restaurant… if that restaurant was drunk (and I mean that in the best way!) Everything glows red because of the rope lights everywhere, and there is SO MUCH TO LOOK AT! Framed pictures and posters and signs and paper lanterns and chairs hanging from the ceiling… And there are racks of hats throughout the restaurant that you can not only borrow to wear during dinner, but are seemingly encouraged to! Everyone in my party borrowed a fun hat — mine was a sequined cowboy hat with a rhinestone tiara on top! They play their music pretty loudly, and it’s upbeat and fun. The disco ball will randomly start spinning and when you least expect it the fog machine will go off. And in the back room where we were sitting all of this organized chaos was offset by a large TV screen showing scenic and peaceful views of Italy.
The food itself was average at best. I started with the fried calamari appetizer and it was okay, but tasted a bit under seasoned. For my entrée I got the «classical rendition» fettuccini alfredo, which was also just fair. The noodles tasted homemade, but the sauce was also under seasoned and very oily. Also, this place isn’t necessarily cheap for the food they’re serving — the fettuccini was $ 22.95. But I think you honestly pay for the atmosphere and good vibes there, and that’s why I’m giving this place 4 stars instead of 2 or 3. That food for that price would have been disappointing if I wasn’t having such a blast in such a fun place with my friends!
The restaurant also gave us all complimentary limoncello shots in honor of my bachelorette weekend, which was delicious and so very nice of them! The bottle of limoncello was frozen in a bucket with a bunch of lemons, which makes for a pretty neat presentation (though it probably doesn’t make it the easiest to pour). Basically, this was the perfect spot for this weekend and we all really enjoyed ourselves. They welcomed us with open arms and made sure we had fun! Sure the food isn’t the best ever, but really Atlanta isn’t even known for having amazing Italian food so this should be no shock. Come here when you want a place where the food is second to the atmosphere, and consider Il Localino for a fun birthday or bachelorette party dinner!

Came here for dinner. First of all be prepared that is is very teeny and cozy with very tacky decorations. We had a reservation so we were seated right away. They jazzed up our table with candles and rose petals (a nice touch). The owner immediately came over and greeted us. He was very friendly, sometimes too much so as he kept coming over interrupting conversation but I think that just the vibe of this place.
The wine was superb but go ahead and order a bottle since they Nickle and Dime you for a glass. The food is pricey but only ok so if you’re going please go for the ambiance of the restaurant in the Grant Park neighborhood not the grub. Service in general is pretty good, they just keep trying to add to your tab.
Apparently at some point in the night they crank up the music put on crazy hats and encourage everyone to dance. It may not be choice for a weeknight but definitely good people watching. Overall it was nice to experience something different outside of the BUCKHEAD and Midtown scene.

i’m not quite sure what to make of this restaurant. The décor is pretty outrageous — LED lights wrapped around chairs hung from the ceiling. A mix of of Andrea Bocelli followed by the Village People. Disco balls, karaōke and fog machines… Is it meant to distract from the mediocre food?
This was a business dinner, so we were led into one of the many private rooms. As people were gathering, our hosts ordered a variety of appetizers from antipasto classico, aged Parmigiano Reggiano with pesto and assorted olives, and calamari. Each were fine and nothing to complain about.
For my 2^nd course, I ordered the lobster bisque. The lobster bisque as amazing. It really stood out against every other food I ate that night. When the waiter brought the soup to me, the aroma was just fantastic! Tasting it was exponentially better. I don’t recall ever savoring a soup like this.
For my 3^rd course, I went with the namesake of the restaurant — the Linguini Localino (Shrimp, Broccoli Florets, Pepperoncini and Olives Sautéed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil). I figured if the soup was this good, linguini must be awesome since that is their signature dish right? Wow, was it ever one of the biggest letdowns! It wasn’t bad, it was so very average — something I’d find at an Olive Garden.
The service was fine, our wait staff — consisting of two waiters — were generally good, save for slow refills of wine for some folks. Although I don’t have anything bad to say about Il Locolino, it wouldn’t be my first (or second) choice for Italian food while in Atlanta.