Michael’s Trattoria

Wallingford, United States

4.1

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

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Telephone:
+1 203-269-5303
Website:
www.michaelstrattoria.com
Address:
344 Center St, Wallingford, CT, 06492
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miWallingford
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
No
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Intimate
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Open now
Local time (Wallingford) 11:46 Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 10:30 pm
Saturday 4:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Sunday 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Michael’s Trattoria has served the Wallingford community since 1994 and one of the first restaurants to help transform the downtown Wallingford area. Food is prepared proudly by Michael and his staff in the spirit of his mother and Italian heritage. We specialize in regional Italian cuisine in a warm trattoria relaxed setting. Just like a bustling eatery in Florence or Venice we focus on big flavors, great friendships and good times. For those who have never travled to Italy, Michael’s brings Italian home cooking to you.

Our customers include a huge amount of locals inspired with eager smiles and anticipation. Friends and strangers, colleagues and family all enjoy memorable good times.

Many customers choose us for dinner before a show at Toyota Theater (3mil) and when it comes to making memories: Mother’s Day, Graduations from (Yale, Quinnipiac, Choate, Southern) Father’s Day, Easter always will exceed expectations.

Al Fresco dining is available.

Best to make reservations, to ensure that you have a chance to enjoy the fabulous freshly prepared dishes, which has made Michael’s legendary with soul (and allure with the locals).

We can also have private rooms for small groups and parties. Michael’s can cater your event on site, we can deliver and set up, pick up and go, or cater at your location. Your party will be crafted with the same enthusiasm as a party of one.

We are also Zagat rated, and have an extensive wine selection hand selected by Michael.

History

Established in 1994.

Michael’s Trattoria was founded and operated for over 20 years ago by Michael Tiscia, Chef. It started on one store front and now has expanded over time to 4 unique small intimate rooms, one can be reserved for small family dining. Michael’s was one of the first eateries to transform the Wallingford Downtown area. We are is a family owned and operated business that lends their passion and much of their lives to the business of feeding people.

Meet the Business Owner

Michael T.

Business Owner

I grew up in the restaurant business, food was always the heart of all our celebrations. It was part of our family culture, it still is. I felt that I just had to open a restaurant, it was in my blood. When you dine with us, our goal is to make your experience like I experienced. homey, unpretentious, honest, and made on premise, that’s heart and soul of Michael’s Trattoria. I’m always faithful to true Italian tastes, aromas and use my skills so my customers are pleased. Feel right at home at Michael’s. I’m grateful for all my loyal customers.

Michael’s Trattoria also recommends

Oakdale Theatre

40

reviews

Venues & Event Spaces

,

Music Venues

Michael T. says,

«Close by if you are going to a show at the Oakdale.»

Choate Rosemary Hall

1

review

Education

Michael T. says,

«Choate is a favorite to take the kids when the parents are in town.»

Quinnipiac University

2

reviews

Colleges & Universities

Michael T. says,

«Where the students come after graduation and other events.»

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20 reviews of Michael’s Trattoria

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Morristown, NJ
Absolutely delicious!
We were here for dinner on a Sunday evening and were blown away! The food was fresh, generously portioned, perfectly cooked, and tasted amazing. The staff was inviting, attentive, and worked really hard to keep everyone in the very busy restaurant happy. The restaurant itself is comprised of a few different eating areas. Each area (bar, formal dinning room, casual dinning room) has i’s own unique vibe allowing the restaurant to cater to a family out for a casual meal, or a romantic evening out for a couple.
Now to the food! While everyone enjoyed their entrees, the clear winner of the evening was the shrimp scampi. Huge perfectly cooked fresh shrimp, on top of the most incredible pasta, all in a light, yet addictive sauce! We don’t know if Michael’s makes their own pasta, but it does not matter as the noodles were to die for!
If you are ever in the area and looking for a great Italian meal make sure to check out Michael’s, you wont be disappointed!
Place rating: 1
Cheshire, CT
If you like screaming to the person right next to you in order for them to hear you, then this is the place for you! Unbelievably loud restaurant! My ears were ringing for two hours! Which is about the time we were there on a Saturday night for our meal. I ordered veal saltimbocca. The melted mozzarella was so over melted it was like eating sticks. The cook obviously forgot he left a meal under the broiler. My husband was also disappointed with the whole experience. We will not be returning.
Place rating: 5
Montgomery, IL
For anyone who remembers and misses Cipri’s Pizza in Stamford, this is where you can find it. When I visit Connecticut, I often have pizza three meals in a row. From New Haven style to Greek pan pizza to this, the king of old Stamford pizza, there’s nothing like any of it outside of New England. I don’t remember what else we had, because I was too lost in the memories of enjoying Cipri’s pizza in the restaurant on the West Side, or in the parking lot at Westover school on one of those summer nights when you just didn’t want to be indoors, I just remember that it was all great and everyone in our party loved everything that was served.
Place rating: 5
Colchester, CT
Great food. Went for lunch Friday. Waitress very friendly. Atmosphere quiet layer back.
Place rating: 5
Wallingford, CT
Jen the bar server is awesome. She cares about her customers. The couple next to us, their order took longer than normal and apologized numerous times and offered them a complimentary drink. She is very engaging with all her customers and cares about quality and service.
Place rating: 4
Wallingford, CT
My husband and I had dinner Friday January 22. We were celebrating our 40th anniversary. Everything was delicious. We were well greeted. Brought to a table in the front, it felt special. Started with clams casino. Yummy. Hubby had smoked salmon. He loved it. The warm bread was nice, and that dipping oil was to die for. The veal scallopini was absolutely perfect. Hubby had the lobster raviolis and said the shrimp sauce was really good. Dessert was a molten lava chocolate cake for me. He had chocolate mousse. It was a wonderful meal, nice enjoyable time. Thanks
Place rating: 4
Glastonbury, CT
I had the veal chop, it was excellent !
For desert I had the lava cake with vanilla ice cream, also excellent. Finished with Lavaza coffee ! How can u beat that ! The meat ball appetizer was excellent, I would stay away from the Tuna app though.
Definitely the best restaurant in WALLINGFORD, if we happen to eat in WALLINGFORD again, Michaels will be our top choice
Place rating: 5
Naugatuck, CT
I’ll begin by stating that I have never been to Italy. However, when I closed my eyes with a mouthful of the fettuccine alfredo, I drifted into a fantasy where I was there! It is, by far, the best that I’ve ever had.
The bread and oil that they gave at the beginning of the meal were fabulous and I wish that I could make a meal of that someday! The oil was delicious and was expertly flavored. Some places use cheap olive oil and then dump tons of strong flavorings into it to try to disguise the flavor. Michael’s oil was obviously good stuff to begin with and then there were herbs and parm added, to great effect.
We had some fried mozzarella/​bread things for an appetizer. I’m sure that there’s a better name for it but I can’t remember it. It was wonderful! I ordered it at another place one time and was so disappointed but my husband wanted to try it so I ordered it for us here. I’m so glad that I did! Their marinara, which was served on the side, is very good, too.
The eggplant parm was good. Not great, but good. The banana cream pie was not to our liking at all (it’s very different from «regular» banana cream pie) and we sent it back. There were no arguments from the waiter, nor did he make us feel like we were being pains in his behind. He took care of our problem without any hassle.
The waiter was nice, even though I am a bit odd. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when I cut him off politely during his «specials» routine and he never even glanced at the mess that my husband and I had made all over the tablecloth. The other waitstaff were very friendly, too. The waiter visited our table the appropriate amount of times and we did not go without anything that we needed. He wasn’t a nuisance but noticed immediately that my water glass was empty. I love that he introduced himself as our «waiter» and not «so-​and-​so who is taking care of you»…I hate when a water or waitress states that he or she will be taking care of me. Just be my waiter and that will make me very happy, thank you very much.
Oh, the hostess was super friendly, too, and set the mood well for the visit. Honestly, the biggest positive was that everyone seemed to like working there. That is refreshing. My husband and I will most certainly be back to Michael’s Trattoria in the near future. It was one of the best restaurant experiences that we’ve had in a long time.
The only thing that could make the place better, in my opinion, is to have more vegetarian options on the menu. I realize that meat can be left out of some menu items (that’s what we did for the fettuccine alfredo that we ordered), but it is always nice to have a few meatless items on the menu as soon as we look at it. I’m giving it five stars anyway, but waffled on it because of the meat heavy menu. We were here for lunch and don’t know about the dinner menu, though. It might have more options, for all I know.
Bottom line is that you should totally go here!
Place rating: 4
Meriden, CT
Last night my girlfriend and I came back to Michael’s to give it another try. The experience was completely different this time! Our server Geno was absolutely fantastic. This may not be a big deal to some but I loved that he was so on top of the water situation. I feel like that is so often missed by servers in general. I really appreciate the ones who keep an eye out for it, especially since I guzzle down water like a champ.
Both of our entrees were delicious, the fish cooked just right. I can already hear my grandma laughing at me for this one, but I really liked that they paired polenta with the sea bass (one of the specials that night) — the creamy texture and that slightly sweet taste ended up playing surprisingly well with the more savory tastes on the plate. My girlfriend had the oven baked salmon, and being the lovely person that she is allowed me to sample it. I’m honestly not sure which dish I liked better. She absolutely loved the sauce that was prepared with that one, we believe it had some sort of butter base.
We ended our night by indulging in some dessert. I saw some reviews on here for the banana cream pie posted a few years ago, so never having had banana cream pie I felt like it would be a good idea to see if the review still held true and try something new. It was infinitely better than what I had imagined banana cream pie would be like. Served cold with blackberries on the side I would recommend this dessert as a summer treat. We also had the chocolate lava cake, which I’m always afraid to order at restaurants since it can be so hit or miss, but at Michael’s it was very good. The cake itself was warm and moist and actually had hot fudge in the center (vs chocolate syrup). It had a dark chocolate taste to it which I personally prefer. My cheat day was definitely put to good use!
Place rating: 4
Wallingford, CT
We’ve been here a few times, and is always above average. Our food is always great. The tables are very close together, but that isn’t usually a problem. Their specials are usually awesome and the staff is generally knowledgeable about them and willing to give advice.
Place rating: 5
Cheshire, CT
Always outstanding and worth the wait if you like authentic Italian.
Place rating: 4
Wallingford Center, CT
I’ve been to Michael’s a handful of times in the last few years, but was most recently there this past Friday. I couldn’t believe how empty it was! There was live music, which was inviting and not too loud. The bartenders came to us right away and were great.
We didn’t eat this time around, but I’ve always been happy with my food here and look forward to returning. It’s a cute, quiet neighborhood place, tucked just around the corner from some of the busier bars/​restaurants, which may be why some people forget about it. In the past, we’ve had to make reservations if we were coming for dinner, as it does tend to get very busy. Their outside seating area isn’t too big, but being off the beaten path also means it’s quieter than other locations.
Place rating: 4
Wallingford, CT
My boyfriend and I have an ongoing debate about the pizza. I think it’s pretty darn good, he says they could do better. It’s not our go-​to, but it’s our second go-​to, so that’s saying something. :) We always get pepperoni pizza and a caesar salad. The salad is not always consistent, which bugs me, but when it’s done right, it’s really good. Sometimes they just sog it up with the dressing. But overall, a great pizza place. I’ll update if I ever decide to branch out (or eat-​in, which I haven’t tried yet).
Place rating: 3
Southport, CT
This is a neighborhood place.
Relaxed, friendly and prompt service.
Regional Italian fare.
Jennie, our server exstrordinair, was excellent in every way; fast, friendly, on point & very accommodating.
They love their Parmesan cheese here! It’s on every table in a jar w a spoon… encouraging you to heap it on everything. It’s also in the olive oil, caper, parsley, garlic dipping oil & ½ loaf of soft warm bread which Jennie enthusiastically placed on our table.
Mom had the veal Marsala. Not as traditional as we’ve had but pretty good & an ample portion. I had the fried calamari Sicilian style tossed w a spicy tomato sauce. Calamari was tender & only a few pieces maintained their slight crunch but the sauce wasn’t spicy at all and I never saw a pepper (well, beside the crushed red variety) but it was tasty non the less.
I will return to try a few more dishes and definately have their infamous banana cream pie and Rereview.
The restroom is micro small and is in need of an update.
The acoustics require some tweaking as it’s very very loud and hard to hear the person you are dining with who’s just across your bistro table.
Live music thurs– sat.
Street parking can be tough.
Place rating: 5
Wallingford, CT
Michael’s is a great place with GREATER food.
The food is cooked with a touch of love, like home.
Zuppa de pesce fra diavlo and the picatta dishes are by far my favorite here.
They also have a great list of wines.
my favorite part about this place is that
the service is WONDERFUL.
every time i come here i feel welcome.
the waitstaff is so friendly and attentive, they never cease to make my day.
i’ve been here about 10 times in the past 2 months and I want to keep coming back, for a full belly, and some relaxation. Everyone here always cares for my satisfaction, they even remember my drink order. I get greeted by the waiters/​waitresses so very sweetly and I’ve never had better service in my LIFE than within the past 5 months and it was HERE.
The pizza here is inexpensive and really good too.
I like the window seats, it’s very bright and i’ve noticed they started doing live music and I think that its a good way to end the night
I was so surprised to read these 1-​star reviews, as for, I have NEVER had anything but the best here.
in my opinion, don’t listen to these negative Unilocal reviews. Come here and decide for yourself. you WILL NOT be disappointed in the least.
ps the desserts are amazing!
Place rating: 3
Wellesley Hills, MA
Overall I enjoyed my experience here; food was good service was good but nothing was particularly excellent. Came here with a friend for a casual dinner on a week night. The restaurant has two sides we sat on the bar side which also includes a pizza menu (the other side I believe doesnt). I got the shrimp scampi he got the salmon and we both got salads to start with. The ball sonic dressing was a little bit weird I think it had mustard seeds or something in it so it was a little bit spicy which was unexpected, but the mixed greens were fresh. My skimpy was good but it didn’t have much variety of flavor it was kind of bland, but my friend absolutely loved his salmon especially the sauce they put on it. For dessert we splurged and got crème brûlée and chocolate lava cake both were good except my crème brûlée was served cold (not sure if this is a regular thing in restaurants but to my experience you serve it warm). Wait staff was extremely friendly and seemed to know what they were talking about and everything came out relatively quickly after we ordered it.
Place rating: 3
Meriden, CT
Really wanted to love this place based on other reviews and my meal itself was good but my boyfriends horrible experience ruined it for me.
First bread is really good! Like delicious, however the olive oil they gave with it, while it looked like it had garlic and seasonings, was bland. Luckily table has salt and crushed red pepper. We also waited over 10 mins for my boyfriends beer because our waitresss was sitting at the bar talking to a patron. She came over and i reminded her and she apologized and took it off the bill.
I got salad with my meal and its all that leafy greens that taste like i went outside and picked them off the tree and dressing (balsamic) was not my taste either. My boyfriend opted for escarole and bean soup which came out in a red broth? First time i seen that, and i felt bad cause i told him to get it. He sent it back after one spoonful.
I got the swordfish florentine– fish was on dryer side but flavor was spot on. My boyfriend got the shrimp scampi and again after one bite almost sent it back. But he was hungry and didnt want to wait for another meal so ate it. For 22 bucks the small bowl of pasta with 4 shrimp wasnt at all worth it– i tried it as well.
Needless to say 58 bucks later im not so sure we will return despite some pluses. We would rather go to our usual spot– fratellis.
Place rating: 5
Keller, TX
Wow– amazing food! The bread is the best I have ever had– so soft in the the middle. The calamari was delightfully spicy and fried oysters were cooked perfectly with touch of homemade sauce. I will definitely be back on my next business trip!
Place rating: 4
Wallingford, CT
Michael’s Trattoria has always been a place my wife and I have frequented on special occasions. The food and the staff always bring us back, and we usually use this as our restaurant of choice for our wedding anniversary every year, and most likely will be this year as well!
The food is really good, I particularly enjoy all of their pasta dishes, particularly their Fettuccine Alfredo. Their Filet Mignon is also amazing, as are the sides to go with it. Another one of my personal favorites is their Fried Mozzarella appetizer. It is spectacular, and a very unique spin on the dish.
Their staff is very friendly, and always treat us well. My only complaint is that on a couple of occasions we’ve had a table that was wobbly. There’s not an overwhelming amount of space, which isn’t bad, but when you have a wobbly table, it can make things seem a little cramped.
Overall, my wife and I will continue to frequent here, and we’ll most likely be there again in May for our next anniversary!
Place rating: 4
Sebastopol, CA
Note: they were listed under the «Pizza» category but had no pizza on the menu. UPDATE: they replied to my review and said they do have pizza but only serve it in the bar area. When the hostess asked us if we wanted to sit in the bar lounge or in the dining room it was not clear whatsoever that they serve different food on each side of the restaurant. I think they should tell customers this or just offer the same menus on both sides.
The food was great but not mind blowing (minus a star). For what I think of as an American-​Italian type of menu, they did pretty well. It’s not exactly what you’d find in Italy (or even NYC), but it’s not bad for small town Wallingford. Service and atmosphere are nice too. It’d be a great place for a date.