Aldo's Restaurant

This was a surprise 78th birthday dinner planned by my family and their dear friend, Diane. Close to Baltimore Harbor, there are not enough words to describe this fantastic restaurant, the location, the ambiance/decor, the service, the kind, perfect attention to our party, treating us royally. No, trust me, I am not a relative....had never been there, previously. The wine, the food (Jumbo Maryland Crab Cakes....my mouth is watering as I write this), the Napoleon for dessert, and the Lemon Jello to cap off the most fabulous dinner I can ever remember. As if that was not enough, Sergio, one of the owners, and an unbelievable opera singer (I get chills just thinking about his magnificent voice) sang an aria, Nessun Dorma, at my request. This young man is a young Pavarotti, both in talent and looks (but better looking, trust me). If it was up to me, he would be singing at the NY Metropolitan Opera. I cannot stop bragging about his performance. As an added attraction, having dinner there that same night (Saturday, March 26th), we met Chazz Palminteri, the famous actor from movies (A Bronx Tale, etc.), and T.V. He was so very kind and gracious to pose for a photo with my son, and speak with us. Everyone in my party had an exceptional time, we were treated like family, the food, the wine, the hometown atmosphere made for one of the best birthdays which I will never forget. My sincere thanks to the Vitale family and staff for making everyone so very happy. more

When you think of Baltimore food you think of Little Italy. If you think about the best of Little Italy you think Aldo's. A staff that will do anything to make you happy, valet car service, a beautiful place but mostly it's the the food that keeps me coming back. Whether you have a guest/date to impress or a desire to make you glad that you ate those calories... Aldo' is the place. more

Am a frequent visitor to Aldo's in Little Italy. Have read some of the recent reviews, and am mystified. I have always found the food to be exception - literally the best in Baltimore. I have never had any issue with service either. I can't imagine why other diners would not rave about this restaurant. You definitely need to try this place and see for yourself. more

Don't believe the other glowing reviews, this restaurant is definitely NOT worth the effort. The good reviews must have been written by relatives of the owners. When we were seated on Sunday night, 3/7/10 @ 6:15p.m. there were only two other people in the restaurant, and we were seated right next to them in a table with barely enough room for our plated and drink glasses. We had to wait for the 5-7 minutes for a glass of water, waited to place a drink order, waited for dry bread and butter had to REQUEST a menu. Food came very quickly which surprised us, but it was because the food was barely cooked and only lukewarm. We would definitely NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone. Cons: Unattentive host, waiter and kitchen/chef, expensive more

We went to Aldo's last night, it's restaurant week in Baltimore. We were planning on Cinghialis for Italian, but someone told us to try Aldo's. My overall review is that the food was very good, but the experience was disappointing. It's all in the details. When we arrived, the host was uninterested and waited a few seconds longer than necessary before looking up, so a bit uncomfortable. We were seated immediately, which was nice since we were early. A waiter asked if we would like sparkling or still water. Still, please. Normally I'm pretty savvy with the water trick question, but I missed it that night. The bottle of still water was six dollars. I noticed another couple being served ice water from a silver pitcher immediately after the waiter walked away and knew I'd been had. My partner was reviewing the wine list when he burst out laughing, startling me. Apparently a couple of bottles that we frequent at home were on the list and the mark up was well, insane (and we're used to markup, right?) A David Bruce (normally around $18-20) was $95. And a Robert Mondavi Cabernet (reserve) is usually about $30 and was listed at $165. I'm pretty much a wino, but could not in good conscience order a bottle with a markup like that. That's just stupid. It made us really suspicious with the rest of the list, finally settling on a Francisco (?) for $55. Now the food. The Restaurant Week menu was great. I ordered the grouper from this menu. My partner wanted the veal saltimbucco which wasn't on the restaurant week menu, so he did that. His audible gasp of pleasure when he took the first bite was pretty funny. My entree was fabulous as well. Egg breaded pan crusted grouper seared in lemon butter chardonnay sauce with seafood risotto and spinach. It rocked. I would recommend this place for the food, but only if you've got a thick skin to deal with snotty host, ridiculous wine list, and slick servers with trick water question. Pros: Food Cons: Wine List more

Went with high hopes, but dinner was literally a disaster. Our server was less than attentive. A martini came complete with floating gnat. Entrees were delivered literally 2 hours after we were seated. The two chicken dishes ordered by our table were completely raw in the middle (yes, raw!). Manager was pompous and unapologetic. This is likely an anomaly, but I most certainly will not return to find out! more

My wife and I were celebrating our wedding ann. here few nights ago. Pros: Service, Food Cons: Valet more

My roomie and I ate here for Baltimore Restaurant week. We had the special meal deal. I had a salad with beets and gorgonzola, and he had sashimi g... more

My roomie and I ate here for Baltimore Restaurant week. We had the special meal deal. I had a salad with beets and gorgonzola, and he had sashimi g... more

I had heard wonderful things about Aldo's, but tonight's experience was very frustrating. The food was very good. The lambs chops were excellent. The waiter (John) was very cold & seemed absolutely disinterested in serving us. Did not ask if we wanted another glass of wine. Did not ask if we wanted a second cup of coffee. To make matters worse, when the bill came, there was a 19% gratuity already added (for just 2 of us)! Very disappointing. We won't be back. Pros: Food Cons: Service more

My girlfriend and I enjoyed a dinner at Aldo's the past saturday night. What happened exceded our expectations and resulted in an evening that we will remember forever. We had a table in the Loggia. While we expected a high quality evening of food and service (as the price demands) we did not expect to watch two different couples become engaged! A quick dinner turned into a complete evening of meeting new friends! After some drinks, we agreed to meet one of the newly engaged couples out for drinks later in the week! Most fine-dining places have service that seems to be doing you a favor. After asking questions about wine, our waiter suggested a $50 bottle of wine! At Aldo's, we had a waiter who actually cared about our evening....even though we are not high spending big-wigs! A most unique experience and worth every penny! I know where I have to ask my girl to marry me! The Loggia at Aldo's! (p.s. get the veal chop butterflied! awesome!) Pros: Service, decor, food, wine list Cons: valet can take some time more

I was visiting and staying at a hotel, found Aldo's online, and called in hopes that they would deliver. Before I get to the food, let me tell you about the AMAZING service. I call - yes they deliver - the guy offers to make my favorite italian dish - but makes a great recommendation. Very nice and helpful. He ends up delivering it himself - turns out later he's the owner. Pros: Service Cons: A bit pricey for not so large portions more

Found Aldo's based on several reviews from this site. Made the reservations and mentioned the fact that it would be my mother's 73rd birthday and to note it for dessert time. Overall, the food was excellent, done very well and presented nicely, but on the small side. I didnt care for the overall service. They not only forgot about the birthday aspect of the reservation, our waiter didn't seem terribly attentive to the table needs. Our water glasses remained empty at times and the waiter seemed preoccupied. I expected more from a place where tips can cost as much as another meal. During the meal we watched a large party being escorted past our table as they headed towards the wine cellar. It was quite distracting. I would think the wait staff would be more conscientious of this and not create an annoying surprise. Sorry, cant fit more details. Pros: food preparation, location to parking Cons: waiter quality, semi cramped seating more

Aldo's Italy is my top choice for Italian restaurants in Baltimore's Little Italy neighborhood. Great food and amazing service (You feel as if you have your own personal butler) combined with the romantic atmosphere make you feel as if you're actually sitting in Italy, enjoying the romance of the beautiful country. Make sure to request seating in the atrium portion of the restaurant. It'll add to the ambience and mood of your meal and make it even more spectacular. You'll never forget this dining experience! I know I won't! Pros: Decoration (Atrium), Service, Romantic Cons: A bit pricey more

Aldo's was my first choice for dining in Little Italy and now I am not sure any other place could compare. A genuine pamper-yourself-silly splurge, but worth every penny. The sides of rissotto were perfect: creamy and smooth and seasoned just right. The spinach was sauteed beautifully and the main dishes were splendid! The meal was comfortable, and so very tasty. The desserts we tried were exquisite! The wine (reccommended by our fabulous waitor) was divine! Can anyone supply me with more positive adjectives? I seem to have run out of the words necessary to praise my meal and experience! Pros: Quiet, Romantic Cons: Slightly pricy, no rubber spatulas, to get the last taste more

The evening was perfect. Everything from appetizers to dessert was delicious. The service was very attentive and very helpful when selecting our main course. Aldo himself visited our table to see how we were enjoying our dinner. Visit Aldos you won't be disappointed! more

Expensive! Otherwise the place is great. Efficient and attentive service, fabulous food, extensive winelist. Try the shrimp st. andreas (appetizer) -- out of this world delicious. And the tiramisu was among the best i've had. It was expensive, though. But we were splurging (for New Year's Eve) and got the $65 bottle of wine and appetizer and dessert. YMMV. Pros: great food, elegant decor, attentive staff Cons: high price more

The service was outstanding,not only fast but like watching a fine art happen.The food was also outstanding. Pros: Romantic Cons: expensive more

Quietly tucked away in an old two story rowhouse, this ristorante offers it all... light oak trim, leaded glass, comfortable banquettes and chairs, rich place settings, fine wines, exquisite main courses topped with mouth watering desserts...served to you by a very knowledgeable and friendly wait staff. Truly a gem tucked away in Little Italy. Pros: Great Food, Great Wait Staff, Valet Parking Cons: Expensive more

The pleasent greating as we entrered the restaurant was an indication that we were at the right place. The food was very good, if not excellent. My wife thought that the Caesar's salad was a bit peppery and her Amish chicken was a little bland. I, on the other hand, thought that the Red Snapper was outstanding! All of the dishes needed a little salt for our taste, but I would rather add salt that have food that was too salty.The waiter made an excellent wine suggestion that complimented our meals. The deserts were delicious. The service was somewhat uneven. Our waiter was attentive when he was present, but we felt that there were long periods of time that he wasn't around. Everythin considered, it was a good experience and we will return more