La Scala

Favorite restaurant in town. I am from Chicago and am also Italian. I found it hard for the first few months living here to find a non-​chain nice restaurant. Once I found this, it became my favorite. The pasta is amazing and authentic. The service is wonderful. The wait staff is always so nice and cheerful and make it fun.
Best place to eat for dinner or special occasions!

Nice ambience (the outside patio is great when the weather’s warmer), solid beer and wine lists, and good food with something for everyone add up to an enjoyable time at La Scala. I’ve been to La Scala a couple of times when life takes me to Lafayette, most recently for a celebratory lunch. Our server was very friendly and just the right amount of attentive and the food was delicious from start to finish (my only regret is that we were all too full to order dessert – they sounded amazing). My husband went pretty basic with angel hair in a delicious tomato sauce while I had the rich, satisfying ravioli florentine (stuffed with cheese and spinach and covered in a delicious cream sauce with sundried tomatoes. Every bite was heaven) and our little graduate had the seafood Giorgio (shrimp and scallops with red pepper cream sauce over pasta). We all cleaned our plates to an almost embarrassing degree.
As a side note, I also appreciate how inclusive La Scala’s menu is – they understand that people have dietary restrictions and still offer plenty of flavorful, creative choices for vegetarians, vegans, and people with a variety of food allergies. A big bravo for welcoming us to the table!

This was the only Italian restaurant I visited in my short time in Lafayette and I was not disappointed. We ordered the Gratinee del Mar and the Broken Seafood Ravioli served with a side of butternut risotto. The pasta was cooked perfectly with generous amounts of prawns, crabs, and scallops. The sauce was rich in flavour while not being overpowering. The ravioli was al dente and the seafood was cooked well. However, the butternut risotto was a little too glutinous and lacked punch. The risotto also lacked a butternut flavour. We were too full for desserts but they looked scrumptious. The service was also excellent and we were well attended to throughout our entire meal. Would recommend anyone craving Italian food to drop by.

I had heard about La Scala from my friends on campus and it was outlined to be one of the more classy restaurants in West Lafayette with exceptional Italian food.
I took my boyfriend there for his 21^st birthday knowing his love for Italian food, and had very high expectations.
We arrived around 7:30 on a Tuesday and although we did not have to wait for a table, it was still quite busy considering the day of the week and also the fact that it was beginning to lightly rain.
We ordered two appetizers, the calamari and a small pizza-​like dish. The calamari came out quickly, but was soggy instead of crispy, as if it had been sitting out or wasn’t fried long enough. The other appetizer came shortly after, and to my dismay, it was covered in so much cheese it might as well have just been cheese lumped on top of bread. My boyfriend and I crossed our fingers that the entrees would be better.
After eating the small salads that came with out entrees, our main dishes arrived. He ordered a shrimp/​scallion linguini and I ordered angel hair pasta with four meatballs. Because of my allergies to shrimp, I could not taste his dish, but when I asked him how it was his response was «meh.» The flavors in the dish were either too strong or too bland, and did not mix well together. As for me, I think a key staple of any Italian restaurant is sauce. The marinara sauce that came on top of my pasta was very bland as well, and I did not think it was much better than the other pasta place just over the bridge, Puccini’s.
Since my friends had planned a dessert surprise for my boyfriend back his place, we did not order any dessert. We did want a fruity gelato, but they only had vanilla and other non-​fruity flavors. Our total check came out to be $ 60, which isn’t too pricy considered we had two entrees and two appetizers, but I can’t say I would return and order that much food again.
As for service, our waiter was attentive and as polite as his position obligated him to. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be back by my own choice, but I wouldn’t object if friends wanted to come here. If you are looking for a more upscale restaurant I would suggest McGraw’s, a steakhouse that also carries Italian dishes and better calamari as well, but if you do want to try to stay with Italian food, please try La Scala and maybe it will fit your palette more than it did with mine!

This was my second visit. The first was several years ago, so that won’t count. To make it short. The food out weighed the service. Took longer than normal for the server to come over, we had reservations as well. The soup of the day was awesome. We asked about the house baguette’s for the table and our server acted like she didn’t know what we were talking about, we saw all the tables around us get them. We had different servers starting with our food order, drinks and delivery of the food. Small place, low lighting. I ordered the Seafood Giorgio which had shrimp and scallops over a linguine pasta! The only thing that would have made the food better would be a little bit of a spice. I’ll definitely be back. Just hope the service is better next time.

Food was delicious. Very small town quaint charm mixed with an attempt to be classy Italian. For Lafayette it’s a great date night option.

Delicious, cute ambiance and a different than your normal Italian menu. My boyfriend and I shared the cranberry Brie appetizer which was delicious. My main course was a bit less flavorful but I enjoyed the butternut squash risotto that it came with. I will definitely be coming back and recommending it to friends!

Located just across from the courthouse on the square in Lafayette, La Scala is a great Italian restaurant with a unique selection of menu items that includes something for everyone. Beyond wine and beer, they also have a thorough selection of cocktails and Whiskey. I had a Farmer’s Daughter wheat beer and my date had the «Hold the Bacon» cocktail, which we both agreed was ok, but a little too sweet — overwhelmed by a syrupy flavor. They have 5 different types of Mac & Cheese, which are essentially a traditional Italian dish with cheese melted over the top. I tried the Tortellini Carbonara Mac & Cheese, which was on point. The multi-​colored tortellinis were tossed in a creamy parmesan sauce with peas and a substantial helping of prosciutto, then covered with melted mozzarella. My date had the ceviche, which he ate every last bite of so it must have been pretty good. Both meals included a soup or salad and bread with oil. Prices were on par with a sit-​down Italian restaurant — toward the high end. I’d eat here again.

Wow great surprise to find this great restaurant. The service was incredible if you are visiting the area a bar sit is a must especially if Jake is bartending. Excellent antipasti platter and the seafood Sofia. After dinner ask for Jake’s homemade Limoncello is incredible.

Charming little Italian place on the square in Lafayette. Food was really fresh tasting and service was friendly and well-​paced.

Not sure why this place gets low ratings. I’ve only been there once, but the food was really good. Service was… weird. The waiter was just bizarre. Still, if you want decent Italian food in Lafayette-​West Lafayette, this is definitely the place to come. Nothing else compares. They actually know how to make a delicious sauce. A wide variety of them, even. It’s obvious the stuff they make isn’t just pre-​packaged frozen crap. They source most of their ingredients from local farms. It’s fresh and tasty. :-)
Prices vary dramatically between lunch and dinner, but the food is the same. If you want good food for (relatively) cheap, go for lunch. Dinner will break the bank.

I love Italian food but have high standards for it, and this is very good.
Their sauces are almost all cream-​based and are rich and heavy. It’s definitely not health food and even for Italian food it is probably less healthy than normal (or maybe I’ve just been eating California-​Italian for too long).
Entrees come with soup or salad (or fries, in the case of sandwiches). Their creamy tomato soup is very good but is $ 1 extra, a fact the servers do not advertise at all when offering it to you, which I discovered to my great annoyance. The Caesar salad is excellent.
I’ve tried a few things here including the chicken parm sub (excellent but not a sub at all, more like a thin slab of chicken parm over focaccia bread), the ravioli florentine (excellent), the butternut squash gnocchi (excellent), the veal parm (very good) and the chicken, cheddar, avocado melt (good, but a bit boring — although I don’t personally like mayo it is a bit odd that it doesn’t come with mayo or any other sauce). Sandwiches come on their excellent focaccia bread and pastas come with a focaccia roll. At dinner you get readily refilled bread and olive oil for the table, but they don’t seem to do that at lunch.
Prices here are definitely on the high side, but the portions are generous and the quality is very good. Also worth noting: the chairs in the restaurant are soft leather chairs, not typical hard dining chairs, and they are incredibly comfortable.

The gold standard for Italian cuisine in «the Lafayettes.» Whether your looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion or a place for casual walk– in meal, here are a few reasons why this place is worth considering.
1. Big Menu: while sojourning in Italy I made a habit of trying a different ristorante or trattoria every evening. The food was always good but I never found a single establishment that had as many offerings as La Scala does. I recommend the Ravioli Pomodora if you like fresh tomatoes. If you’re into seafood, give the seafood mac and cheese a try
2. Great Service: Friendly, quick, and when consulted, ready with good suggestions.
3. Great Location: Located just across the street from the Tippecanoe County courthouse, La Scala is easy to find. Weather permitting try dinning on the patio and enjoy the view with your meal.

Went here for my birthday! It was absolutely delicious and the staff was very friendly and professional. Sit outside if you can — the patio is quite nice

My overall experience of this restaurant was positive. The décor was a bit dated and dark and tables were a little too close together. As our friendly waitress seated us and showed us the menu, I was surprised at how large the menu was. Items were arranged by appetizers, pastas, fish, veal, etc. and a wine list, as well. I ordered 2 different types of wine and both were too sweet. I really enjoyed the free garlic bread dipped in herbed olive oil that was given complimentary. It was so good I had 2!
My table ordered the antipasti platter which came with a large assortment of mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted sweet peppers, cured meats, olives, and artichokes. For our entrees, we ordered the porcini mushroom pasta with Marsala sauce and the Cajun fettuccine. Both dishes were great, but after filling up on starters, I couldn’t finish mine. The wait for the entrees seemed a bit long too, around 30 mins or so.
La Scala seems like your bit more upscale ($$) neighborhood Italian joint. It provided solid food and service but I wasn’t blown away or anything.

My husband and I have only been here twice, but we love it. The décor has recently been updated and it looks very nice.
I love their menu. They focus on using local ingredients; very «farm to table» focused, which I appreciate. The owners have recently opened up another restaurant that focuses solely on farm-​to-​table dining, Restauration. We will have to check that out soon!
We ordered the Shrimp & Crab dip for appetizer. There is a little spice to the dish, but both my husband and I love it over a warm garlic crostini. They will also bring out complementary bread and oil for each table.
Each entrée comes with either soup, Cesar, or side salad. We both ordered the side salad with their balsamic vinaigrette-​the dressing was great.
My husband ordered one of their house favorites, Tortellini a la Scala. It has their house-​made tomato cream sauce. It’s a perfect portion and tastes amazing.
I ordered the pasta funghi di bosco. It’s fettuccine noodles with various mushrooms in a cream sauce. If you love mushrooms, you will love this dish. If you are «okay» with mushrooms, I wouldn’t recommend it. It has a strong flavor, which I love, but not everyone may appreciate.
We skipped dessert, because we were so full from the bread an pasta but they do have a nice dessert menu to pick from. Maybe next time?
We both drink water with our meals, but with our appetizer and two entrees the bill was still under $ 50. I think this a great price for what you get. A nice atmosphere, great food, and intimate setting. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for nice dining in downtown Lafayette.

Quality Italian food doesn’t come to mind right away when I think of Lafayette, Indiana, but my colleagues and I were pleasantly surprised with our dinners.
Our group of twelve were able to get seated together on short notice, and more impressively, our checks were handled individually.
After being super indecisive about the menu because of the breadth of the options and finding excuses to nosh on the complimentary bread that I dipped in olive oil, I settled on the lasagna platter. (I guess that’s not settling if my order came with a classic meat lasagna, ravioli filled with spinach and cheese, and a side of sauteed vegetables.) The plate was $ 16.45 but considering the portion size, I was really impressed with everything. Great, filling Italian food satisfied me after a day of traveling.
They calculated our tips for us ahead of time so paying was made easier.
One down side overall to both places I went to for dinner in Lafayette is the slowness of everything — from taking orders to receiving food to getting a check and paying. Maybe there was only one server at each place, but considering how big they both were and how well attended, I would think service would be more efficient.

Second time I’ve eaten here, disappointed the first time and the second time fell flat again. Front of the house dose a great job, back of the house doesn’t know how to treat beef, season dishes, and missed proper flavor profiles.

We arrived without reservations at 7pm on a Friday evening and the place was packed. They kindly told us they’d have a table in about half an hour if we’d come back which we did and they escorted us to the outdoor dining area. This place is clearly very popular due to the good food, despite the slightly harried atmosphere created by staff trying to stay on top of things. We had delicious salads and meatball dishes with beers and mixed drinks and bread and we were very happy with the food and service by Hugo who refreshed our water at the right times and was on top of serving our food, despite the crazy business of the place. We greatly enjoyed this restaurant and can see why it’s a local hit. It’s also wheelchair accessible, including the bathrooms (but they had stacked chairs in the passageway to the toilets which would make wheelchair passage difficult).

Dinner at La Scala tonight made me think: «Hmmm… Maybe I should spend more time in Lafayette.» As a Southern Indiana girl, with an IU background, I have been casually dismissing everything about Lafayette for years. Dinner tonight makes me reconsider.
La Scala is a Lafayette staple, serving a wide variety of Italian dishes. The menu is large and fairly comprehensive — they seem to have something for everyone. What I loved more than anything was their commitment to Farm to Fork dining. Their list of local farmers and the integration of local foods into nearly every dish is what will bring me back.
The staff was friendly and helpful, while also diligent about not being intrusive. I was having dinner with a colleague and the waiter was cognizant of when your conversations turned serious and when we were more relaxed.
Overall, the food was amazing, the atmosphere was quaint, and the service was friendly. So suck it up, fellow crimson and cream alumnae, because something good does come out of Lafayette!