Giovanni’s On the Hill

Wow. What a meal. So I received a groupon for this place and decided to check it out with my bf. I got the pappardelle alla Bella Oprah which is a flat noodle pasta dish in a tomato sauce with pesto and ricotta cheese. My boyfriend got the lasagna and we shared a plate of prosciutto and mozzarella. We also had two glasses of wine, a coffee for me and a tiramisu. Our meal came out to about $ 95 dollars. (The groupon was $ 50 so really like $ 45). The food was phenomenal. Everything tastes super fresh. It was definitely heavy, because it was pasta, but it was delightfully so. I recommend this place to everyone.
Two things: you have many people waiting on you so make sure to tip accordingly factoring in all of the people waiting on you. Also the restaurant is a little upscale inside so don’t come in a tshirt and shorts.
Overall a nice elegant experience. I recommend to all!

You cannot help but be impressed by the ambiance of this fine old elegant restaurant on the Hill in St. Louis, There are at least 30 3 star awards as you enter from both Mobil and AAA,
The décor is old Italian Grandmother, but still nice.
The food is pricy but we had two different pasta’s and they were excellent. Giovanni’s ranks among the very top of the Italian Restaurants in town.
The service was super.
The cabrese salad was below average, overpriced to the max, and they upcharged an inordinately high price to split the salad.
Would we return? Yep but only if we had a Groupon.

The owner of this company called my place of business to have us complete a small electrical job. I informed him I had no one immediately available, as all our guys are at their respective jobs, but would see how quickly I could get someone out to him. Before I could even explain how I could help him, he hung up on me.
Poor customer service translates in how you work with others, too, not just how you treat your customers.

Our dinner tonight left us completely underwhelmed. The service was horrible. Six of us were crammed into a corner where every waiter and busboy In the house congregated and heated up/​doled out the food. You’d think with that many waitstaff nearby we’d have been able to get bread within 20 minutes of placing our drink orders. We sat and looked at the olive oil for ages before our waiter graced us again with his presence. The food? Eh. It was just ok. Not nearly worth the price tag. Neither was the service (with the exception of the busboys, who were excellent). I had the linguine with clams which consisted of mostly garlic. A LOT of garlic. They’re very proud of the Oprah dish, which is what two of our party had. Again, it was fine but not great. They’re also really proud of all of their awards; they’re all hanging on the walls as you come in. Don’t be blinded by the awards. Skip this place. It’s overrated and there are MUCH better Italian places in St. Louis.

Went for our 15^th anniversary. Was way, way over priced and the quality of food was not good. We were dressed business casual and felt very out of place. Husband should have been in a suit and tie. Super stuffy, waiter had no personality. Food was just plan strange. I totally regret steering away from our favorite go to, Brazies on the hill. Wanted something fancy since it was a special anniversary and left with nothing but regrets.

We had an evening at Giovanni’s on the Hill tonight thanks to Groupon. We started with an order of calimmari zucchini in a delicious red sauce and a Cesar salad. We split the two and it was a perfect amount for a pre-​meal. I had the jumbo shrimp lightly coated in bread crumbs and cooked to prefection. The coating was lightly browned and it was served in a lemon butter sauce, delicious. This came with a side of angel hair pasta in butter garlic sauce. My dinner partner had veal saltambuco and it too was cooked perfectly in a butter sage sauce with a side of pasta. The wait staff were all dressed in black suit and tie, the service was great, not too fussy but very elegant. The prices were high but for the quality of the food, ambience and service, it was worth it. I think it is a gem from the past, old Italy at its finest. This was our first time and we will defiantly go again.

Fantastic time here. Great food and servers. Pros: food and staff. Cons: bus boys were a little too eager to remove my plates (3 time s we had to say,“we’re not finished”). Price of wine. But that can be overlooked since the place has great food.

Ok, so the food is pretty good it could be a little dated at some point. The décor reminds you of old old Italy. The price is overpriced. The waiter could have been a little more polite and more informative. He kind of acted like we were out of place. I think they’re under some assumption that this should be a coat and tie establishment and there is nowhere near a coat establishment. 90% of the seats were empty and I think this would have to be contributed to stuffy atmosphere and the staff pompous attitudes. Still, for dated food it was still pretty good it just was terribly overpriced. Who knows maybe someone will read this and make the necessary changes but I have a feeling they are stuck in the eighties. It’s sad to say because I used to really love this restaurant when I lived in St Louis and it’s hard for me to bash any restaurant on the hill because typically they can give restaurants in Italy a run for their money. It was pretty evident that since the last award that was hanging on the wall was from 5 years ago they are living in the past

Giovanni’s is one in the last of a dying breed of old world, old school fine dining. In an age of apathetic and snarky food service, loud dining rooms, cramped seating and mediocre food for high prices, Giovanni’s is a reminder that dining out can still offer fantastic food with an intimate, personal experience.
I have been to Giovanni’s twice, my first time to celebrate a birthday and the second for a date with my good friend. From the moment you walk in you are greeted, even before entering the front door. The ambiance is that of old world Italian a la the Godfather: crystal chandeliers, windowless dining and white tablecloths with a properly set ample arsenal of silverware. The wait staff is seasoned veterans of the trade.
The food is delicious. It comes from the kitchen piping hot, onto heated prep stations where the waiters prepare and plate the food according to the tables’ desire. Items are carefully split when shared, and each course is carefully delivered to the table at just the right time.
Now, to break down the food and drink:
Wine: I’ve had a few different reds here, their Barolo being my favorite.
Appetizers: The calamari fritti with zucchini is fantastic and plated upon a tasty marinara.
Salad: The cesar is made fresh in house. It definitely a traditional non-​creamy dressing that is light and delightful.
Entrees: Everything we’ve had here has been fantastic. I enjoy the ample serving of lasagna bolognese which also boasts roasted eggplant. The steaks are cooked to order perfectly, and the recent fresh catch plate of Tuna with a creamy peppercorn sauce was incredible. I cannot believe what a large serving of tuna (Yellowtail) it was. On top of size, the quality was excellent.
Giovanni’s is an experience, and that is part of the price tag. However, for the quality of food and service, they are very fairly priced. Although they have been around for a long time in the neighborhood, they seem to be a hidden gem to many who are not familiar with the local flavor. As a part-​italian foodie, I highly suggest Giovanni’s if you have the patience and appreciation to have a european dining experience as you will never be rushed from your table.
If you’re looking for a great date restaurant where you can enjoy your date in a setting where you can take your time and enjoy fantastic food, look no further than Giovanni’s on the Hill; you’ll feel like the only two in the restaurant while being treated like King (s) and Queen (s)!

My husband and I were here a few weeks ago and it just doesn’t feel as good as it used to be. I probably had not been back here in a long time, but when I saw a Groupon I decided to give it another go. For the entrée, I ordered the Gnocchi con Ricotta and my husband had the Farfalline del Presidente Reagan. Both were pretty good, but I’m not sure they warrant the high price on the menu ($ 24). Again, thank goodness I had a Groupon!
What really sent me over the edge was the dessert. I absolutely love dessert and I’ve been having a bad string of luck when it comes to ordering dessert lately. Unfortunately, Giovanni’s did not save me from my bad luck… they only perpetuated it. I decided to order the chocolate torte cake. I should have said something when they brought out what could only be described as a birthday cake. It was a pretty plain chocolate cake with a little frosting and some colored sprinkles. What a disappointment!!! It tasted nothing like a chocolate torte… I thought it might have been some kind of mistake (but my bill said otherwise). One of the most disappointing things I have ordered for $ 8.
I’d say the thing that is really saving this place from a lower review is the service. They are always friendly and SUPER attentive. My drink was always refilled and we didn’t have to wait long for our food.
If you’re looking for a fancy place on the Hill that has the same great service but better food, I’d suggest Dominic’s. Charlie Gitto’s and Five Bistro would also be better options.

I love the flavor of the foods here. The atmosphere is definitely the romantic euro style with all the details. I had the nights special which was a flattened swordfish filet covered in breadcrumbs stuffed with a vegetable cream and raisin inside. It was very very good. Not our first time dining here and it always seems to please no matter what we get.
Great for dates and special occasions. Well mannered children welcome. It’s a pretty quiet and solemn place.

My real score is 3.75. Service was 5.0. Food was better than average.

Fine dining Italian style. Amazing place with quite atmosphere. Great for date or special occasion. Food is always good. A bit pricey, but worth it. Nice wine list. Service is never disappointing. Enjoy!

Great service and great meal. Beef modiga was fabulous and my husband had the smoked salmon pasta that was wonderful! First time here — had a groupon. Definitely will be returning!

Would not seat us at 9:10pm even though they are open till 10pm because we were 10 minutes late to out 9pm reservation. They said the kitchen closed at 9:03pm. We thought they were kidding, but they were not and did not show any remorse. Really disappointed in how they handled the situation.

What can you say about a St. Louis classic?
Giovanni’s is that classic restaurant on The Hill! Try the Cannelloni, they are great!
We will be back.

I’ve been here twice and each visit as exceptional! First time was December 2009 and I’m a little behind but I was last here in May 2014. Everything sounded delicious — being conservatives, we liked the dishes named for Republican presidents. Attentive service, well paced meal. We had the President Bush and President Reagan dishes. Giovanni himself was in the restaurant and came by our table to ask about our dinner. Lovely dinner, parking might be a little difficult but a little stroll is well worth it.

It’s pretty pricey, but the atmosphere and quality of the good make up for it. Might be worth it if you have a Groupon or want to splurge on a special occasion. The calamari appetizer is definitely the winner here.

My wife managed to nab a groupon so we planned a date night out for our family to go eat somewhere a bit more upscale than we usually do.
It was a very chilly evening and I am so glad we did the valet service. Our reservations were for earlier in the evening and so it wasn’t too crowded.
We were seated and then was promptly greeted by our waiter. He handed us menus, told us the specials, filled out water, then gave us plenty of time to review our options.
My daughter ordered the Swordfish, my wife, a pasta dish, and I the Grilled Shrimp. Ok, they all had fancy Italian names but I don’t recall them.
My daughters Swordfish, according to her, was just OK. Sampling it, it was a tad ‘fishy’. Much more so than the last Swordfish we had tried. My wife’s Pasta was good as was my grilled shrimp. None of us thought the food was incredible, just good.
Desserts were better. My daughter enjoyed her cheesecake, my wife throughly enjoyed her lemon cake. My cannolli was too hard, too covered in chocolate to fully enjoy the filling. Still, not a bad cannolli.
It was just OK but no where near worth the price of the evening. There is better Italian out there.

I was going through my reviews I needed to write and seen that Giovanni’s has such awful reviews. Either A) I’ve been lucky the 4 times I’ve been here or B) You have way higher standards. Including higher standards than President Reagan and Oprah.
I went here on the best «official» first date of my life. He took me shopping to buy me a dress, shoes, we had dinner here and finished at a James Blunt concert. (Don’t mind the fact that James Blunt was so out of it he didn’t know he was performing in St. Louis.)
After I put my new dress and shoes on we came to Giovanni’s. All of these fancy pictures, tables, waiters. I was a little overwhelmed. I’ve had the Fettucine alla Romana con Prosciutto which is Fettucine, Proscuitto with fresh Parmigiano cheese. It had a thicker consistancy than some of the fettucine sauces I’ve had, but it is really good. The other favorite I’ve had is the Involtini di Pollo alla Presidente Bush which is spinach, prosciutto, and asiago cheese stuffed in chicken breast and dusted with bread crumbs. These were both really good. The chicken was definitely my #1.
Random note: I really wish this place was handicap accessible. The person I used to go with loved this place, but unfortunately not be able to get in the door.