Firstly, the wait staff couldn't be better, super Tahoe friendly and kind. I wish I could say the same for the other parts of the dining experience. I ordered a glass of Clos d' Argentine Malbec and water as beverages. Tahoe water, enough said.
The wine was sour and jammy indicating it had been "cooked." Wine when it heats to temperatures above eighty degrees Fahrenheit literally cooks inside the bottle. That's the reason for the wine having the off-taste.
The bread was warm and tasty. The Caesar salad had a nice amount of dressing, and a generous portion of anchovies, and great flavor. Like Dave Portnoy using cheese pizzas as his standard, Frutti di Mare pasta is my go-to dish when evaluating an Italian Ristorante.
The spaghetti was swimming in sauce and the noodles were far past al dente. The great Umberto Eco wrote a column about American restaurants’ proclivity for misunderstanding that sauce should merely coat the pasta. The noodles should never be drenched in sauce. The oddity there, is that the person cooking is Italian.
Overall, maybe it was a bad night in the kitchen, and maybe the one bottle of wine was cooked. Who knows? I’ll return and find out. In the meantime, I give it 3 out of five stars. The wait staff carried the day.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Hidden Italian gem in Tahoe! All fresh made high quality Italian food - just like you want served like grandma made it. Ivano owner comes out to check on tables often - he and is staff were great. Had an accordion player too to set the ambiance :). Highly recommend to anyone seeking a delicious home style Italian meal
The Italian Bread is bomb, also the Fig Pizetta very tasty! You will not be disappointed with your meal.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Ivano's is by far my favorite place to eat in south lake Tahoe and one of the best restaurants I've been to period. I've been looking forward to coming back here after some time away and I'm extremely saddened to hear the passing of Ivano. RIP Ivano :( I'm going to miss your restaurant, your cooking, and your company..
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Best place in the area! 👍🏽Ivano is one amazing chef, every thing is delish and made to order- be patient and its worth the wait! 😋 Thanks to our awesome waiter, Patrick, he takes care of the whole place 🇮🇹
That's amore ❤️delicioso - grazie mille!!
I've gone twice on my short trip here because it is just that good. The owner is fantastic and everything is delicious. I got the garlic basil spaghetti with meat balls, while my boyfriend got the pesto gnocchi, and both were delicious. We tried the garlic bread (amazing) and the soup of the day which was absolutely delicious. If you have room for desert (generous meal sizes) I recommend the cheese cake! If you're looking for an authentic Italian restaurant with great food and great service, this is your place.
Loved this restaurant and its owner. Delicious food and beautiful paintings to gaze at...was like being in an art gallery. Ivano was friendly and warm-hearted and told us his mother and friend were the artists who painted those paintings. Despite being the only one working that night, he still spent time talking to us.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
