Ariani Ristorante Italiano in Cape Coral, FL -- A Restaurant Review

Located at 1529 SE 15^th Terrace in Cape Coral, Florida, the Ariani Ristorante Italiano sits on the edge of the Del Prado Mall's parking lot.The building is directly behind the Dairy Queen and is a square, tan rather non-descript building from the outside. Walk inside, though, and you are transcended to a cobblestone road somewhere in Northern Italy. Decorative archways, Italianate lighting and a painting of an Italian scene on one wall sets the stage for the meal you are about to experience.

According to Ariani's menu, they have been recognized as "The Best of Florida" in Top 500 Restaurants. Ariani's was the only Cape Coral restaurant chosen for this prestigious award and one of only 24 restaurants singled out in southwest Florida, as stated at Ariani's website.

Also, for six years in a row, Ariani's was named, "The Best of Cape" restaurants. In addition, Ariani's received a Peoples' Choice Award in the "Star Chef of Florida" category. The Gourmet Diner's Society of North America has issued a Golden Fork Award to Ariani's. Let's just say that when you are hungry and reading the menu and you come across this type of information, you're happy.

Master Chef, Chef Dario and the Wait Staff at Ariani Ristorante Italiano in Cape Coral, Florida

If you are lucky when going to Ariani's, Master Chef, Chef Dario will greet you in the foyer. His delightful Italian accent, his friendly smile and the concern he shows in leading you to just the right table is refreshing. The waiters scurried about, smiling and speaking amicably to customers. Everyone who works at this restaurant seems to be interested in you, the customer. Other waiters besides our own stopped by our table to pour sparkling water or just to inquire about how we were doing or whether we had eaten at Ariani's before.

Dining Experience at the Ariani Ristorante Italiano in Cape Coral, Florida

Arrival to the restaurant was at 5:15 p.m. The party of 2 was shown immediately to a table near the corner of the dining room. White table linens contrasted nicely with the dark-toned walls with curved arch windows and archways to smaller dining areas at the front area of the dining room. Water was poured immediately upon the party of two being seated. Drink orders for San Pellegrino with ice and lime were taken soon after.

Family Style Cold Antipasto was ordered and shared. Prosciutto with home-made mozzarella, spring mix, beans, and nice vinaigrette all served atop crunchy, toasted mini-bread slices made a very tasty salad. With warm home-made Italian bread, does it get any better?

Apparently, it does. The waiter was observing the table and waiting for the dining party to finish the Antipasto. Then, he waited just a few minutes more before entrees were brought. And wow, these entrees were beautifully presented and hot. The man ordered a chef's special for the evening, Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce.

Layers of pasta, cheese, and meat-filled Bolognese sauce were arranged between two rows of freshly steamed spinach lining the plate. The man took one bite and appeared to be in heaven. He stated, "This is some of the best lasagna I've ever had in my life." At this point, this reviewer was fed a bite of this dish. Wow! What was in that sauce? This lasagna was one scrumptious dish.

But let's move on to the reviewer's dish, Filet of Salmon Oscar. This dish was described on Ariani's menu as, "Topped with crab and lobster meat, asparagus, béarnaise baked in lobster bisque sauce. With linguine clam sauce." Seriously, if you think this dish sounds good, you really need to taste it.

The Filet of Salmon Oscar looked like a work of art on the plate. Digging in to this dish was pure delight. The pasta sauce was light and luscious. The salmon was perfectly cooked (steamed, maybe?) and piled with crab, lobster and asparagus. The béarnaise sauce was the perfect complement to the salmon, crab, and lobster. This fish was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Oh, almost forgot, a row of that luscious, steamed fresh spinach separated the salmon from the pasta on the plate. Ariani's Filet of Salmon Oscar is in the top 5 best meals this reviewer has ever eaten.

Dessert was offered but declined. Of course, one does wonder if the entrees taste this great, what must the desserts be like?

Atmosphere, Décor and Menu Selections at Ariani Ristorante Italiano

The back wall of Ariani's dining room was painted with a scene from Italy. It was the perfect back drop and set the scene well for a lovely evening dining on the cuisine of Northern Italy. Lighting was adjusted to low, but not so low that you couldn't read the menu. Beautiful sconce lighting graced the deep tan-painted side walls. With the painted scene of Italy on the back wall, this party of two felt like they were dining in an intimate restaurant in Italy. The setting was perfect for a romantic dinner.

Ariani's menu offers hot and cold antipasti, pastas, seafood, meats, and poultry. Many of the entrees described are some of the most creative Italian dishes ever seen on a menu by this reviewer--Tuna Steak Ariani, Pork Medallions alla Florentine, and Chef Dario Favorite Pork Schnitzels. Ariani's offers gift cards and can handle parties up to 30 in their VIP Tuscan Party Room. Desserts were not listed on the menu, which most likely means they are on a separate menu.

Cost of Meal for 2 at Ariani Ristorante Italiano

Including tip, the meal for two was $62.00. No alcohol or dessert was ordered.

Rating of the Dining Experience at Ariani Ristorante Italiano

This restaurant experience is rated 5 out of 5 stars. Atmosphere is marvelous, wait staff are attentive to customers and the food is absolutely top-drawer. If you live within 100 miles of Ariani's, set your GPS to the address in the first paragraph and enjoy the best Italian meal of your life.

Sources

Ariani Ristorante Italiano's website.

Personal experience.