Primi Piatti

This place is amazing! The food is delicious real Italian cuisine and the service is also great. When the manager found out it was our first time here he gave us a free dessert which was to die for!

Excellent food, wine and atmosphere. Great staff that are always taking care of u and converse with u on just about everything. We (8) were the only ones in there near closing and they make u feel welcomed and not rushed.

My second time here and I’m more disappointed than the first.
I ordered the Alfredo Carbonara and the Alfredo sauce was bland and tasted as if an imitation cream may have been used and no taste of Parmesan in the sauce. It was covered with green onions (which I’ve never seen) and consequently over powered the the dish. Had the waiter been allowed to leave the Parmesan at the table, I would have been tempted to pour the whole container on my plate.
When I’m in the area again, I will be hard pressed to come here again.

My daughters’ and I were outside their restaurant after hours. The whole staff was inside having their dinner. They invited us in to come in through the window. We said we had just eaten and were looking for ice cream. They said they had ice cream. So we came in and sat down. They moved all the glass off the table. It was very elegant and gorgeous. We ordered our ice cream and it was the most amazing dessert ever. It was coffee or chocolate ice cream with a hard shell chocolate covering. So rich and delicious. It was mother’s day weekend. They were so welcoming and familial, just like my family of Cubans. They just want to show you their love by feeding you in their home. They offered me a glass of wine and they discounted the ticket magically since my girls were paying. I took pictures of them and we all took selfies. This establishment is amazing and makes you feel very welcome and exceed the standard of excellence!!! We will definitely be back!!!

Very quaint and inviting environment with beautiful violin music playing in the background. The Shecrab soup was amazing! Would highly recommend this place based on the ambiance, food quality and service.

My in-​laws came to town for a visit and they love Italian food so we took them to primi patti. The night started off a little rocky. We made a reservation but the table they were planning to sit us at was next to a large party. The hostess was super nice about letting us sit at a table near the door. Our waiter, Andréa (Andrew), took our first course order then wanted to know what we wanted for our second course prior to asking what we wanted to drink. Approximately ten minutes passed and the hostess came up and was surprised we had not received water or bread. She brought water back quickly and apologized for the delay. She brought bread out within minutes of realizing the error and apologized again for the delay.
Our appetizers came out shortly after the bread. We ordered the mussels, calamari, small Cesar salad with anchovies, and small house salad. The salads were really good but I was not very impressed with the mussels or the calamari. The mussels tasted overcooked and the calamari had too much batter. Our drinks arrived after the first course which was a little odd but I think Andrew was very busy.
For Our second course we ordered lobster raviolis, the grouper special, gnocchi, and grilled chicken dalla griglia. The second course stole the show. The gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce was perfect balanced and the grouper special was phenomenal. I think my least favorite item was the lobster raviolis because they tasted old and the sun dried tomato sauce lacked flavor.
For dessert, my husband ordered the limoncello cake and I ordered a cannoli and cappuccino. Both desserts were amazing and the cappuccino was delicious.

As an Italian food lover: this place is AMAZING! I have a high standard for fettuccini Alfredo and they exceed it! Everything I’ve ever had has been outstanding. Risotto is not on the menu, but they will make it. I had incredible porcini risotto last night. The mushroom ravioli is incredible, the cream sauces are outstanding. Highly recommend if you’re looking for delicious Italian– it’s a little pricey, but completely worth it!

Seriously– the perfect place. If you want to have a truly special one off experience, or a weekly family dinner-​trust me. This place is amazing. Talk to George, the owner. He’ll set you straight.

Came here for Valentines Day and it exceeded our expectations. Great atmosphere, wine list and the some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had. I got the cheese ravioli and my boyfriend got the lobster ravioli. Can’t wait to go back and try other dishes. Also, George is the best waiter!

Oh my goodness! I’m normally not a fan of Italian but holy smokes this place changed my mind. I had the Linguini Fra Diablo with angel hair. My cheeks are rosy from the heat in the dish. The flavors and presentation were fabulous! Hubby had chicken picatta that was very good as well. In love with our early Valentines dinner!

What a gem. It took us several months of driving by to actually stop in, and we regret waiting so long. Primi Piatti offers great authentic Italian in quaint Riverside location. They have a nice little wine list with good variety and price points. The cheese ravioli and chicken francese were on point. We’ll definitely be coming back more often with family.

This is a hidden gem. Authentic wonderfully prepared Northern Italian cuisine in a quiet old world like setting. Intimate and charming … best of all, you can actually hear your dinner partners.

Our favorite Italian restaurant when we want something that isn’t smothered in red sauce. The chef is friendly and extraordinarily talented. The only waiter is always smiling and will greet you enthusiastically at the door. The she-​crab bisque, a frequent special, is to die for. Try the Gavi do Gavi white wine for a light treat you won’t fine in very many places.

Fantastic food, great service, awesome wines and a decent amount of ambiance. A bit louder than we are used to but I believe that’s the small areas fault, the sound just seems to bounce off the hard walls. My wife had the Pasta Fagoul and the house salad, I had the Lobster Ravioli and a Caesar Salad. We will be back!

Sadly disappointing. Everything, right down to the bread, was average. Overpriced. Only two other tables there the night we went. I was surprised to learn they’d been in business 8 years. I nicely let server know the meal was dissatisfying, and he did nothing to make it right or make us want to return. We won’t. :(

Fantastic time tonight with the wife.
I know, it’s Saturday night, no reservations. All the young hip places were packed with long waits. Walked right in here as a back up plan. Soooo glad we did. Excellent service, the food was great. Fried calamari, fresh and clean. You could tell the frying oil was fresh. Caesar salad, great. The best She Crab soup I’ve ever had. Wife had a pasta dish with shrimp, salmon, and mussels, it was great, but my Grouper Franchaise was awesome. Finished off with house made tiramisu! And a great cappuccino. Oh! And a great bottle of wine. Super happy people here. Bravo!

Wow, ridiculous! As the others have said, just truly an amazing place. I was surprise that it was just us and one other table, it makes no sense.
This hidden place is easily one of the best kept secrets in town.

The food here was really good and the service was exceptional. There didn’t seem to be anything here that you can’t get at any other Italian restaurant though. I guess it lacks originality.

Primi Piatti is my go-​to when I am hankering for some good Italian food. The waiters have always been very attentive, the food is delish, and the ambiance is relaxing.
I have tried several dishes, and I haven’t found one I haven’t liked; the chicken marsala and chicken picatta are fantastic. I had the veal parmesagn last night, and let’s just say I am already looking forward to my leftovers for lunch. Try the crab bisque, it is creamy and sweet and all kinds of good.
They say third time’s the charm, and last night I finally had the tiramisu everyone on Unilocal (and everywhere else) mentions. Oh dear god, it was that good. I see why it sells out so quickly!
You really can’t beat a quiet spot that has excellent dishes, attentive service, and to-​die-​for tiramisu. It’s a great place for a date, impressing your friends when they come from out of town, or when you just have to satisfy that Italian craving. I’ve become a big fan and will definitely be returning soon.

Those mussels are seriously where it’s at!!!
But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
So I’ve known Primi Piatti was a short walk away from our place, but it seemed every time we wanted to head that way, it was Sunday. (And they are closed.) Positioned sort of unassumingly right in the little strip with Sumo Sushi, across from Walgreens, it is sort of easy to just walk past. But after you’ve found it, that just won’t happen anymore.
We strolled in around 5:30 ish, and there were only a few tables, so no problems in getting the seat of our choice. After perusing the menu, (we were pretty starved at this point), we order a few drinks and an order of the mussels, with the white wine sauce.
A few short minutes later, we had beer in hand and bread on the table. From the first airy bite, you can tell this bread is made in house. (I confirmed with our server too.) It really does taste like the bread my mom made for us as kids. Flavorful, light and amazing. The oil for dipping isn’t anything fancy (seriously, just oil and a few sprinkles of herbs) but it won’t matter. Just hang on to some of it, especially if you ordered the mussels.
Ah, now to the mussels. SO FREAKIN GOOD! They definitely tasted fresh and ocean-​y, but the white wine/​butter/​lemon/​garlic/​basil sauce is by far the best part. Just go ahead and out your whole piece of bread in there to soak it up. You’ll thank me later. :)
Had to order a side Caesar salad, complete with anchovies (yay!) and the dressing was fantastic. (Don’t be scared of the little fishies… just cut them up and wow, it’s an amazing salty bite that blends perfectly with the romaine and the homemade croutons.)
For entrees, I went for the fettuccine carbonara. It was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was rich, but still had a creamy lightness to it. The only thing I would have changed is the prosciutto. It was a little underwhelming, and I was expecting just a tad more saltiness, which would have added a bit to the sauce, but all was fixed with a sprinkle of the table variety.
We finished the meal with an excellent pull of espresso and shared a cannoli, made in house.
This is the perfect date night spot and let me tell you why. Besides the intimate feel, (15ish tables… maybe a few more), it’s super cute, our service was amazing and friendly, (frequently checked on but not overbearing) but it’s the timing of the meal. This is not a fast-​paced, order your food and everything comes out at once. There is time to catch your breath between courses, to sit and chat, sip your wine and to digest before consuming the next round. Sit back and enjoy the experience!
Disclaimer: I did eat a lot of the bread, so ended up taking most of my pasta home… (No regrets! And it did re-​heat very well the next day.)