Mesa de Notte

The BEST in Italian Cuisine… Great Service… Super Menu… Fantastic holiday buffet… what more would you want?

The exterior of the restaurant doesn’t reflect the inside. The restaurant from the outside looks like it was a chain restaurant or something, but once inside there are some nice booths and tables.
Tables were covered with white linen, so it feels upscale, but still relaxed.
I went for a Mother’s day buffet and was very pleased with the quality and selection of foods, but cannot speak to the regular menu. I can only assume it is just as good.
Great place for families or couples

I went back for Mother’s Day brunch for 38.99 and it was a big disappointment. The buffet was awful and the prime rib and lamb was dry. I was so depress since I rated them 4 stars in the past. They must have changed the cook. I Would never go back It was really sad I thought I finally found a Place. The pasta dishes were average and the deserts were bought at publix. You need to get the guy who was cooking back in February.

Tucked into a little spot is the BEST Italian I have ever eaten. Our first visit and WE WILL BE BACK! Everything was oh so AMAZING! The «onion soup» had enough flavor that it doesn’t need the little pieces of meat. The chicken piccata was balanced between wine & lemon flavor; it wasn’t sour like some places make. Everything is made from scratch, and it shows in the details. Our waiter Joshua, was very friendly and attentive. I wish there was room for dessert, but I guess we will save that until next time. The owner works the dinning room making everyone feel welcomed and visiting. I’m STUNNED this gem has escaped my attention for so long. Dinner with an appetizer & water was $ 51 for the 2 of us! Plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Great food, great ambiance, and great service. I had the linguine pescatore and my husband had the filet. Both were excellent, will go back again.

OK — I rarely rate restaurants. After the 1 star review I felt I had to respond. I went for the first time last night. The early bird special — priced at $ 18 for a 3 course meal — was exceptional. The portions were large enough for two meals. Actually I have just finished the ½ I brought home with me, again excellent! The service was warm, attentive and friendly. I was amazed at the reasonable price for such high quality food. Ocala is lucky to have this great Italian restaurant. I will return. In fact I will make a point of returning whenever guests are in town to visit. My friends from Miami, Dallas, New York and Chicago will be amazed at the reasonable cost for such high quality Italian cuisine. This restaurant is super! Give it a try. I’m glad I did!

Best place for lunch! Beautiful interior, great wait staff, and simply great food. My husband likes the meatball or sausage sandwiches. I enjoy the salads. The dressings are house-​made and delicious. Theirs is the most beautiful antipasto platter, I’ve ever seen.
There is not much better than a cozy, non-​chain, local resto. Go there!

This is an excellent restaurant if you like great Italian food. Service was good, the menu had a great variety and it was super. I highly recommend the Capellini Loring and house salad.

The food and wine are very good. One criticism though, would be to put large parties is side room. We at dinner there last night and the had a table of 16 or so which raised the noise level quite a bit. One woman loud and grating laughter near wrecked our evening

I have been to Mesa de Notte many times since its opening and have always enjoyed the experience and the meal. Last night changed all of that and I don’t expect to return soon if at all.
They used to have a high value early bird meal which has recently changed to increase the cost of this option by over 60% and added a mandatory 20% gratuity. So much for that option.
The menu has changed and I ordered a dish with mussels and pasta. It is offered with two taste options — marinara and fra daviola. I cannot tolerate highly spiced food and ordered the marinara sauce. When I tasted the first bite, my lips burned from the spice. Thinking that they had mistakenly sent me the fra daviola, I checked our server and he confirmed that it was the marinara. I told him that I could not eat it and asked him to take it away.
Our server did offer to bring another meal, but by that time everyone else in our party had been served and waiting for another meal wasn’t a reasonable option. (The service was very spotty last night, unlike other visits)
Finally, I was astounded to find that after a customer sent a meal back for any reason, no one from management took any steps to find out why and what was wrong. Jose was there and very visible, but either was not advised of the situation or chose to not address it. I find that to be very unacceptable.
When we received our check, I questioned our server about the added gratuity and he basically just dismissed my question.
Too bad — this was a good restaurant, but I can’t run the risk of this level of service again. As we all know, the price of eating out is only justified by good food and excellent service. Mesa de Notte failed in both regards last night.

One of the things that always impresses me at a restaurant is how attentive the waitstaff and owner is to the needs of the customers. Last night was the first time we ate here but it sure will not be the last. The food was seasoned well and plentiful. The server gave us plenty of time to enjoy our food– we never felt rushed. The owner came to our table to check on us. Good food? Great service? A winner!

Mesa de Notte is a gem! The atmosphere is cozy and elegant and the service is perfect. Everything that we have eaten here has been just lovely. I enjoy the bread with garlic herb olive oil and their salads so much, I would come just for that. We have tried steaks, fish, shrimp, pasta and risotto and it is all just fabulous. Also, they have a lovely desert menu which includes granita. There’s always room for granita!
Make a reservation for weekend dinner, they get busy!

I can’t imagine why this isn’t #1 on Unilocal.It is amazing! The bread is so good. The wine was wonderful. The staff was so friendly. Ask for Jesse. He is the best. It’s really clean and easy to find.

One of the worst non-​authentic pizzas I’ve ever eaten only half of because I was starving, not bad atmosphere.

Came here with two other couples on one of the couple’s recommendations. The atmosphere inside is very nice. The selections on the menu was good, and the wine selection was good too. We all enjoyed our drinks, appetizers, and meal. Our server was somewhat attentive. However, we all found that it took a little too long for our meal to be served. Another negative – their telephone rang loudly throughout the restaurant, and I found it rang often, which disturbed my enjoyment of my meal.

My wife and I struggled to find any «nice» restaurants in Ocala, but this has become our go-​to every time ever since trying it. And by «go-​to,» I mean it’s literally the only place in Ocala we will go to for a date night.
Service: Always friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Reservations are easy to make and we’ve never had a bit of trouble getting in and served quickly even on New Years Eve.
Food: Most everything is top notch. I’m a calamari connoisseur. Not really but I do love it and theirs is the best in town. Not greasy, well-​portioned and the marinara is great, not sweet which is where marinara usually fails.
Honest opinion here on a couple dishes I wasn’t crazy about, but please understand everything else is amazing… the bistecca griglia aka bone-​in ribeye. The steak was just ok and I wasn’t a fan of the demi-​glacé/​sauce that covers the dish. I like my steaks rare and without any A1 or sauce of any kind, so it could just be me. The creamed spinach was pretty rough as a side. My wife is a salt fiend and it was so salty it was inedible. The staff was really accommodating and those are the only two things we haven’t enjoyed so I wanted to make sure you try the good stuff.
All the pasta dishes are great. The scarpariello is my wife’s favorite. The osso buco (lamb shank) is a must-​try if you’re a fan of lamb. The salmon is a close-​second to my favorite dish, the sweet potato lasagna may sound strange but it’s the best side-​dish they have on the menu. My absolute favorite is the anatra arrosto (duck). If you don’t like duck, you just haven’t tried the right kind, and this is the right kind. Crispy skin, not oily at all and the parmesan risotto it comes with is worth the trip by itself.
Lastly, get the tiramisu. You’re welcome.

The food at Mesa De Notte is amazing. I had the filet cooked medium rare and my wife had the mahi and both items were very delicious. The service was great and we are sure to return for dinner again. Thank you Mesa De Notte for a wonderful evening.

I liked the interior decoration very much. I felt more thought went into it than at other places in Ocala. Food quality was very good and presentation was on point.

Greeted by a nice décor and fine dining service, and an extensive wine list, I was excited to try the food at this establishment. I wasn’t disappointed with the Zin by the glass, or the hot bread. The Francese was salty but well made, and paired with the broccoli-​rabe side, that was a bit under seasoned, my meal felt well rounded. But then there is the ubiquitous side of pasta. Penne in marinara. Just like momma made, right out of a jar.
The fine service (thank you Jose!) and ambiance probably keep people coming in for special occasions, but the food won’t be bringing me back.

One of the most delicious Italian restaurants I have been to since living in Florida. It was Valentine’s Day weekend so the wait was long but the food is worth it. The prices are great for fine dinning. The staff is awesome. I will make the 2 hour drive again and again just to eat here.