Giuseppe’s Ristorante

We had a fantastic meal from start to finish; the restaurant has a very warm, cozy atmosphere and the service was great. Each dish was expertly prepared; nothing too salty or overpowering-​just really spot on and served at perfect temperature. We will be back for sure; lots more on this generous menu we want to try!

BEST Italian food around. The food is made to order by Giuseppe himself! Delicious authentic Italian food. The restaurant is small and has a rustic ambiance. Since the food is made to order I would recommend giving yourself a few hours for dinner but it is well worth the wait and the bread is wonderful! There are always amazing specials. I recommend getting the escargot appetizer and a fish special. They have homemade desserts; crepes, tiramisu, cannolis and usually a seasonal special dessert. If you have never been here I suggest you try it and if you have been here then you know what I am talking about!

OMG! This is the best Italian food around Northeast Ohio. Eaten at many Italian restaurants around the area and can’t wait to go back. The fresh bread was delicious. Salads were nice and fresh but the entrees, were phenomenal. My wife had the Pollo alla fiorentina (Spinach Egg Battered chicken in butter sauce) and I had the Pollo alla marsala (Chicken Marsala). We each loved our dish and also each others. If no one was around I would have seriously drank the leftover sauce off the plate, it was that good. Perfect portion size, along with a nice side of pasta with a light marinara sauce. Loved it.
Overall, great dining experience. Even sat in the small bar area and was able to watch the cooking. Would go back tomorrow. Wait, I am. Woohoo!

Our friends eat here all the time and rave about it. I finally got to see what the hype was about last night when we decided to join them. I am definitely a food snob and appreciate fine authentic Italian. This is the best italian I have ever had. I have eaten in Vegas and other big cities, and this quant, modest little restaurant blew me away. I had cavetelli with sausage and peppers with the tastiest sauce I have ever had. I soaked my plate up with the scrumptious warm crusted bread. Im not a big veal guy, but I tried a bite of my friends, and it was melt in your mouth phenomenal. My wife had chicken and artichokes with a lemon caper butter sauce… another homerun!!! I ended my meal with a very nice cup of cappacino and crepes with nutella and ice cream. I almost had a cigarette after the meal, because it was like having the best sex, but instead of sex… it was great dining!!!

My friend and I were attending the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience at the Rocksino yesterday and naturally we wanted to have a nice dinner somewhere beforehand. We like to check out places unknown to us and being from Lorain county, this was definitely unknown. We both work at Nino’s in North Ridgeville so we’re huge Italian fans. Giuseppe’s was awesome!
The atmosphere and décor was so elegant and charming. It was a cozy restaurant and I found the chairs very comfortable. The server was a nice and answered all of our questions well. He brought us out a small loaf of fresh, warm bread on a cutting board with a knife. He also provided a cup of fresh ground parmesan/​romano and balsamic for dipping. We started out with eggplant rollups for an appetizer and they really got out palettes going. It was nice to get a taste of their house red sauce as that’s always a good gauge for Italian. I found their sauce and flavorful. My friend’s salad (I opted out as I’m not much of salad eater) was a bed of greens and carrots with balsamic; no complaints from her there.
Then we moved onto to our entrees: I had veal parmesan and she had a special which contained artichokes, chicken, and a lemon butter sauce I believe. My veal came with a small side of mixed vegetables and a comfortable side of linguini and she also received linguini. The portion size was nice in that if I really wanted to I could have finished and been overly stuffed or do what I did which was take half home and I just ate it for lunch. I really enjoyed it. I would have liked it if the veal’s crust was a little crispier, but negligible considering that’s minor and the meal was fantastic. My friend enjoyed her meal very much as well. I had a glass of their cabernet with my meal that went with it perfectly.
Finally we finished off our meal with their chocolate bread pudding topped with ice cream; wow! It was like a giant, fluffy brownie. It was very fresh and homemade tasting. We even stopped at their four person bar to get her a birthday shot before leaving and we got talk with some regulars there who also lauded the place. I look forward to coming here again when on this side of town again or maybe for a special date!

A charming hidden gem. It’s in a strip mall next to a gun store — you might miss it — but the service and atmosphere are wonderful.
I had the calamari fritti, veal Marsala and tiramisu. Everything was great!
Overall this place is perfect for special occasions with its romantic candle lit tables, delicious and authentic Italian food, reasonable wine prices and terrific desserts.

Hidden Gem Locally Owned Ristorante Giuseppe’s Ristorante: The owners of this little gem are Giuseppe and Rosaria Ripa and are natives of Naples, Italy, and have been in the restaurant business since their time in Naples. The quaint little restaurant in a strip shopping center in Northfield is very unassuming, and in fact, if you are not looking for it, you’ll pass it right up. Inside, however, the lighting is dim and romantic, with candle lighting and Italian music. The food is made from the freshest vegetables and herbs for a light, but delicious take on traditional favorites. With most entrees in the $ 15 to $ 30 range, this is a great place for an intimate dinner for two. The food and service was excellent. Carry on! We will be back!

I world have rated a five if I would have ordered red meat. Amazing Italian. There apps were great. Great atmosphere. Relaxed and classy.

This place has the best and most authentic Italian food in the area. The place is tiny but the food is great. Service is friendly. Not an everyday place though because it is not cheap by any means. We go here on special occasions.
Highly recommend.

Absolutely disappointing! Where to begin? Met friends here (halfway point/​eastside/​westside) because we had heard fabulous reviews about this restaurant (food) and waited over a hour and half (in a pathetic «bar”/corner of kitchen) past our reservation time. It took about a hour to get served a drink there. While we frequent private/​non chain restaurants and truly appreciate good service and food the service/​management/​owners is where they truly fell flat. Not only did it take forever to get food (we like slow service but this was at a hault) everything took insanely long — food never did come out together and frankly neither the server or owner seemed to care. That’s a shame. We have never experienced worse service in a private establishment. The food itself was fine (nothing we really can rave about that was above and beyond). The experience could have been completely changed by a staff that cared and valued new clients.

The food was delicious! Very reasonably priced for the portion sizes. Make sure to save room for dessert, the crêpe was amazing! After being there for a long time I forgot my purse was hanging on the back of the chair and luckily the owner ran it out to me.

Kind of an odd location tucked away in the midst of a small strip mall next to a gun shop but don’t let that turn you away. The food is great! Never disappointed with the food and the atmosphere is cozy. Sometimes too cozy though as the seating is limited. It’s a small place. It seams like earlier in the week is a better time to go as they are always packed when we go Thursday’s or Friday’s. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because the service is a little slow sometimes. Especially when they get swamped. One time it took 2 hours to get in and out but they had a big party of like 16 people at one table that night. Overall it’s a great place though. We will be back for sure.

Our neighbor recommended this little Italian restaurant. It is a small place easily missed on route 82, but it is excellent. The veal piccata is not on the menu but was a special it was as good as any I have had. The escargot was also very good as was the rest of the meal. I highly recommend the food. The place is small and the service is sometimes slow.

Very good!!! We had the kids which was okay but it was fancier then what we really expected.

We are from the West Coast and here visiting friends who suggested the restaurant. It was excellent; my wife had calamari & shrimp, friends had veal & ravioli and I had lasagna. Minestrone soup excellent, just like Nona makes it. We trade tastes, as good as I have had in Italy or little Italy in New York! Wine was great. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone who loves great, authentic Italian food. Ron 8÷27÷2014.

I am Italian and this is by far the BEST Italian restaurant in the Akron/​Cleveland area. I have been to many Italian restaurants in Little Italy and downtown Cleveland, and in my opinion, this blows them out of the water! I think the food is a bit pricey, but completely WORTH IT!!! The owner is from Italy and he cooks all of the meals himself, from scratch — he is AMAZING and such a wonderful man!
The wait can be awhile for the food, and I think this is because it is truly an authentic Italian restaurant, nothing is rushed; it is cozy and classy, and a perfect place to enjoy time with your friends, loved one and/​or family. Giuseppe takes great pride in his food and his Cavatelli is my absolute FAVORITE in this world!!!

What a delightful immigrant style mom, pop, son and daughter ristorante that will blow your taste buds out of the water. I had a caprese salad and grilled salmon and both were bursting with flavor. Can’t wait to go back and taste the rest of the menu.

I don’t get the hype!
I had been hearing good recommendations for this restaurant and decided to try it for dinner. The food is overpriced, the pasta very watery, the sauce overly sour, the salad nothing special, the service slow and forgetful. I was even charged for extra bread! Are they real Italians?

So, my wife and I have been here twice and had decent experiences both times. First — the food is great. No doubt about it. The food is prepared by Giuseppe himself, and he takes his time in the preparation and it shows in the taste. You can’t go wrong with the food.
My only problems with this place is that the wait staff is not the friendlist in the world. Not that they’re rude, but just not very personable if that makes sense. Further, the wait for the entrée is very long. Both times we waited over 35 minutes from the time we ordered to the time we were served. The quality of the food makes up for it, but it’s still annoying.
If you go on a Friday or Saturday evening, call ahead for reservations. We did, and still had to wait 15 – 20 minutes, which I found annoying as well. Also, in the summer, they don’t like to crank the air conditioning so it’s very hot in the restaurant.
All in all, it’s a good experience. The wait staff, the wait for the food, and the wait even with reservations is what prevented me from rating this place with more stars. If you love good, homemade Italian food, than try this place out. Just don’t have high expectations for anything but the food. Enjoy!

What a great little Italian restaurant gem in the heart of Northfield! Right away, I was pleased with the welcoming ambiance when we entered, and we were soon presented with fresh bread to enjoy while we perused the menu. I ask you… is there anything better than fresh-​baked bread, hot from the oven? The pasta I ordered was excellent (the chef even made it a bit spicy, per my request, and it was perfectly done), and the serving size was quite large… plenty enough to take home for a yummy late night snack! My only regret was not trying the escargot special as an appetizer. I bet it was fabulous. Whenever I’m home visiting family, I’ll be sure to return to Giuseppe’s to try some of the other dishes on the menu. Also… special kudos to our server Ernesto. He was efficient, pleasant, and spot on with his recommendations. Well done, Ernesto!