IL Primo

This is one of my favorite places to eat in Chattanooga. Everything I have tried on the menu has been above average to amazing and even though there is usually a decent crowd there, I’ve never had to wait for a seat. If I thought my arteries and bank account could take it I would eat here 3 nights a week.

Wow! Surprised at some of the lukewarm reviews of this truly great restaurant on here!!! We went here tonight for the second time. Alex was our server and was great. Josh, one of the owners, is a wonderful person. It all starts at the top. He’s why the people and food are so good.
We split the mushroom ravioli and the Arancini app. Arancini is risotto, cheese ball deep fried and plated on sort of a pinkish, creamy marinara. Un-​freaking-​believable. The focaccia bread is made in house. Mozzarella is made in house. The music they play is great. Not one bad, depressing song. Mostly classics by Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, etc.
We sat in the patio seating tonight, which was nice because they closed the windows off and had heaters. Loved it. Free desert for our anniversary.
Five stars and recommend as highly as any restaurant in Chattanooga!

I’m a food snob and Chattanooga lacks good restaurants. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal tonight and will definitely be back. The owner of this establishment also is behind St. John’s. I chose the special, butternut squash risotto with scallops. Delicious. This restaurant would do very well in Midtown Atlanta.

This was very hit or miss. I had the chicken piccata, which was very good, but very small. I order piccata more or less any time it is on the menu anywhere because I really like it but no one in my family likes the taste of capers I have never, in any restaurant, ever gotta such a small serving of it. For $ 14 it was a single small flattened chicken breast, not even on a bed of pasta. Probably 3oz or less of chicken. Most restaurants would have at least double that. Now, it tasted really good, but I don’t think I can forgive the portion size.
My wife got the lasagna, I thought the portion size was good, but it was light on the meat, as well, heavy on ricotta and salt. She liked it, I thought it was one note, all I could taste was salt and ricotta. Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods, so good, usually. And yet, I don’t think I would order this.
Service was good, décor and atmosphere was nice, pre-​meal bread was good.

Every time I have come to Primo I have really enjoyed it. The manager, Josh, is always really kind and actually cares that our experience was exemplary. Friday nights they have brought in live music, which has added a cool atmosphere to the evening.
I’ve come in on a Friday and on a Tuesday and the experience was the same both times. Servers were kind and attentive while not being in your face. Wait times were respectable and the restaurant was clean.
Make sure that you get the Tiramisu for dessert — it’s excellent! They have great wine selections and is one of the best places in Chattanooga for good wine service.
I would definitely add Il Primo to one of my go-​to Nooga restaurants and has to be the better restaurant on the north side of the river.

It was our first time at il primo. The service was absolutely fantastic, John was our server. We ordered the baked feta as an appetizer it came out quickly. We also observed their wine specials and ordered a bottle of wine it came out very quickly. John did a perfect wine presentation. We Ordered a café salad and it came pre split– fantastic-​. I had the lobster spaghetti and my boyfriend had the chicken piccata our entrees were ABSOLUTELY fantastic :) the manager on duty came to check on us, he was awesome and made us feel so at home. Everything was fantastic:)

My husband and I ate here for the first time last night.
Ambiance– a little loud but hey it was a Saturday night
Drinks:
Martini– the martini was delicious however I noticed that the bartender would set the olives on the cutting board after removing them from her garnish box… the cutting board was coated with citrus /​fruit juices, I am however allergic to certain fruits and my face broke out in a splotchy rash making it hard to enjoy the rest of our meal
Brooklyn– very good
Beer
Appetizers:
Fried Calamari/​Cod– very heavy on the batter, we also felt that the batter could have been seasoned a little more heavily; we each had 3 – 4 pieces each and opted to order something else
Carpaccio– this dish was just average, I felt the flavors could have been enhanced by perhaps some fresh cracked sea salt and a drizzle of truffle oil or olive oil
Entrée:
Lasagna– I’ve had better… only ate a quarter of it, I was told there was a lot of meat in this (there wasn’t), the thick layer of rubbery baked cheese on top all congealed together and peel off like a tupperware lid
Steak– My husband ordered the steak and it was delicious, but was still a tad hungry since it only came with one small side (that we were told was shareable size) and half a head of roasted garlic
Dessert:
Cannoli– still being a tad hungry we opted for dessert and ordered the cannoli’s, 3 came out and we each took a bite of one… I asked the bartender what the filling was and he said «cool whip», last time I checked that wasn’t the filling for a cannoli… we told him we were finished with them, his response… «yea they aren’t very good» he laughed as he took our plate and brought us our bill totaling $ 130.00

Three words: Un, Freaking. Believable! Grateful to IronMan Chattanooga for directing us to this beautiful bistro! Décor, location and ambiance just perfect! Ok to be casual or all dressed up, romance or business gathering. Extensive drink menu and wine list with bold, bountiful reds. Appetizer special was «baratta» with flash roasted tomatoes, described it as «food crack». Just that darn good! Mushroom ravioli (shrooms grown on site) and rigatoni –delicious! Ask for Mac and never look back!

Absolutely love this place and so thankful they are in our neighborhood. Service is always excellent and food is always great. Frequent Date Night for Cheryl and I.

Make sure to call ahead. We were told the wait was 30 – 40 mins and it ended up being over an hour. We left and they didn’t even care.

Very cool neighborhood restaurant. The orchetti bolognase is my go to dish. My wife usually gets the 4 cheese penne and both are fantastic. We get take out from here almost once a week, we have 3 very little children thus not dining in. Great wait staff and cool bar.

I would classify this as a great meeting or date place. Good Italian dishes with some class. I was with a 7 person party and think we had some variation of 7 different dishes. Everyone loved them. For me, the Lobster Ravioli was excellent. Comes with a cream sauce but you can modify depending on your diet and preference.
This is not a big place and was formerly a small grocery store. Service was great, but you could wait for a seat depending on your timing. They do not do reservations. I think in warmer days they may be able expand to some areas outside.
Overall, a place I will return to

This place is good. The food is good. Great wine deals.
Went to dinner a few weeks ago with some good friends and we chose this place. They had a great deal on a couple bottles of wine and so we had a couple bottles of wine. LOL.
I had the lasagna because, well, seeing the plates that went by and this gorgeous thing of lasagna with the cheese crispy and melty on top, and our server raved about it.
I also split a side dish of the roasted beets and they were divine. I have developed this passion for roasted beets in the past couple of years. When done right, there is nothing better.
My friend ordered the meatballs with a side of spaghetti squash. Now these were two enormous balls, yup, I said that. I had a taste of them and they were the best tasting meatballs I’ve ever had. That with the sauce and the spaghetti squash, the pasta was not missed. This is a great low-​carb option that I will definitely get in the future.
We also shared a desert but I can’t remember what exactly it was. I remember it was tasty, but nothing memorable about it.
Now there are a couple of cons. The service is a tad slow. We were also seated at the back of the restaurant next to the window where the food comes out. It got quite congested there and the acoustics of the place aren’t great. Cement floors, open plan, nothing to really absorb sound. Also, while I love the big windows/​doors that seem like they open up when warm, it was night and fall so a bit chilly and so they weren’t open. This means that when cars pull in/​out and their headlights shine right in your eyes. This happened all night long and was not pleasant. I almost put my sunglasses on. The outside is beautiful but gets lost with the cars right there up to the building. I know parking is limited in this area, but those headlights are very bothersome when you’re trying to dine and converse.
Overall I’m a fan of this place and will go back, will just ask not to be seated by the windows or kitchen.

Great entrees. I had the butternut squash ravioli. My friend’s entrees were delicious as well – lasagna, meatballs. We went on a Wednesday and they had wine bottle specials. Service was average and desserts average.

New place in town so we decided to check it out. This is a cool looking place inside and out, very trendy.
We were seated right away, on the patio since the restaurant was at capacity and it was about an hour wait.
The menu was a one pager with some standard and not so standard fare. I ordered the meatballs with a side of polenta. The polenta was very good, like cheesy grits but creamier. The meatballs weren’t that good, on the bland side and a little too much gristle. Actually, the meatballs were a pretty big let down.
Overall it was decent but I’m not sure if I’d return since there are still other places I’d like try out.

I will say that this place is really nice. The building is pretty cool from a builders point of view. I really like the exposed old school wood framing and then you have the modern huge steel trusses. The finishes are pretty sweet too. The service was flawless from the bartender Kasha. She really made my night with a smile and personality that made you feel like she really was happy to serve you. The food was pretty awesome to. I started with a recommended dish of Fritto Misto with an aioli dipping sauce. My Italian is a lot rusty so in laymen terms. It was fried squid and cod fish with a aioli sauce. Then I ordered the dry aged beef meatballs form the local Barton Creek farms. To top the whole meal off I enjoyed the also recommended cheese cake which was melt in your mouth yummy. This was a very enjoyable evening and I will probably make them a stop on my top restaurant return list.

Wonderful neighborhood restaurant with absolutely amazing food. The casual atmosphere, excellent wine offerings and amazingly delicious food creates the perfect place to enjoy an anniversary dinner or a quick meal with a friend. Order the sausage and peppers, the house made limoncello and whatever is offered by the server for dessert! Can’t miss!