Emily C

Tried Fontana earlier this week with a friend and we loved it!! Tried a salad based on a server suggestion and I’ve been craving it ever since! Looking forward to trying more of their menu. We had a beautiful patio day so took advantage of that space, but the inside is such a vibe!!! Excited to go back. Won’t be long!

Trevor Keyes

Incredible 5-Star Review! We brought a group of friends and food critics into Fontana Divino in Charlotte for a tasting experience — and wow, did they deliver. From the moment we walked in, the service was flawless. They surprised us with mini appetizers, curated boards, and a parade of unbelievable bites. The meats? Next level. The pasta? Handmade perfection. But the pork belly… let me pause — I would come back just for that alone. It was divine. Literally melt-in-your-mouth, close-your-eyes-and-savor-it good. The ambiance is warm, welcoming, and just the right kind of lively. The vibe here isn’t just good — it’s contagious. Every server had a smile and great energy, and it really made the night feel like something special. Huge shoutout to our dream team: Riley, Jeff, and managers Christina & Kitty — if you don’t give these people immediate raises, I’m changing this review from 5 stars to 1. 😂 JK (but not really 👀). Oh, and did I mention the drinks? So many drinks. From cocktails to wine, they’ve got a bar that means business. Bottom line: if you come here once, I guarantee you’ll come back. Fontana Divino is that good.

+4

David Traugott

Visited with several friends and it was an amazing experience. We decided to eat "family style" so we just ordered everything for all of us to share. It started off as Chef Scott Leibfried (Hell's Kitchen) personally came table-side to present our Polenta Pour. There were so many favorites throughout the evening, but just to name a few: the Branzino and Frutto Di Mare Alla Griglia spectacular (we ordered another of both after the first), we also loved the Burrata, Fritto Misto (fried calamari) the Mozzarella Condimenti Stracciatella (toasted bread with a cheese sauce and other condiments like olive tapenade, etc.), Filet Mignon, Cioppino, Roasted Chicken (chicken doesn't regularly make my notable list, haha), and tons of mixed drinks (the Hugo Spritz was a standout). We finished with several gelatos (the pistachio, cherry, and Nutella) and the Bittersweet Chocolate & Caramel Tart (decorated with edible flowers). Will definitely visit again, but we live up in the Lake Norman area so it was quite a drive...but we heard they are opening another location in Davidson, so we can't wait for that to open!

+1

Abby Hamm

Absolutely delicious food and an inviting and welcoming atmosphere. Serving staff were delightful and so accommodating. If you’re dining here you MUST get the poured polenta and the branzino. The mozzarella bar is something I dream about!! And you have to get the Nutella gelato at the end of the night. Would give ten stars if I could.

+4

Cynthia Panara

We went with friends to the new restaurant in Davidson. We had a very good server and the four of us ordered a pasta dish, each one something different. Mine was a delicious choice…the roasted mushroom (fungi) with Campanelle pasta. The sauce was wonderful but a big complaint was that my pasta was more cooked than I would like. It was definitely not al dente. I didn’t want to say anything because we were with friends we hadn’t seen for a long time. Come to find out, my husband had the cavatelli pasta and he said it was overcooked. One friend had the same pasta with a vongole sauce. At the end of the meal, she also said hers was overcooked. I don’t know if it was a one time error by the chef or if that is the way he/she cooks it??? The restaurant is only open less than a month so we will “cut them some slack” and return”. My husband felt the room was a bit “cold” (not temperature wise) with brick walls and the acoustics weren’t great…noisy.

Tatiana Litovchenko

I took a while to think about how to phrase this, because the place really does make a good first impression. Visually, the restaurant looks very nice. The interior is beautiful, and it feels like the concept was meant to be stylish and refined. At first, you expect to relax and enjoy the experience. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn’t last long. The main issue is the staff. The waiters were extremely disappointing: unprofessional, tactless, and clearly unfamiliar with their own menu. I asked for a sweet white wine and was offered a Sauvignon Blanc, which is dry and acidic. That alone says a lot. And this wasn’t an isolated moment — the same lack of knowledge and attention showed up throughout the evening. On the positive side, the cocktail was decent. No complaints there. But that’s about it. The service was poorly timed, the communication felt cold and at times even rude, and overall there was a sense that guests were more of an inconvenience than a priority. It’s also important to mention the pricing. Dinner comes out to around one hundred dollars per person — and this is without ordering a main course. We had one appetizer, one salad, one dessert, and one cocktail, and the total was $97 per person. For that price point, expectations for service and professionalism are naturally much higher. In the end, there’s a strange contrast: the restaurant looks elegant and upscale, but the level of service doesn’t match at all. In my opinion, management really needs to rethink their approach to hospitality and staff training if they want to maintain a high-end image. At this moment, I wouldn’t recommend this place. There is potential, but it’s very poorly executed.

John Shekian

There are so many things to review here. The portions are small so if you’re a big eater definitely order some appetizers. The service was very good and the staff was pleasant. They ran out of a few different pastas but the manager sent over an appetizer of fried calamari which was EXCELLENT! The entres do not come with any pasta which we found odd. My wife wanted hot tea which they didn’t have. Overall a great staff but the menu needs some adjusting for sure.

+7

David Zeitouni

Not worth it. Food - 3.5/5 - hit or miss. Caesar salad was excellent. Zucchini pasta was good. Clam pasta a miss. Don’t ask for table bread, they’ll charge you for cold dry bread. Service - 4/5 - very nice waiters but management is ridiculous. They wouldn’t let me add meat to my pasta, but you can add meat to salads. I had to buy a salad to pay for protein.. Price: 1/5 - Speaking of…$13 to add a tiny piece of chicken to my salad?!? Overall, way overpriced for quantity & quality. Ambiance: 2/5 - can’t decide what they want to be. Modern or classic Italian? A loud and weird playlist that is all over the place. Lady gaga to classic rock to Sinatra. Pick a lane.

Lena

My experience here was nice, but the prices (in some cases) are completely unjustified! The portions are normal-sized and easily manageable for an adult. The price is really high for that. Many of the dishes aren't authentically Italian. A cup of tiramisu for dessert costs $15 and isn't worth it! It tastes good, but not Italian, and for that price, you could fill up on another dessert! I've also heard from other guests that a view of items are already sold out! How can that happen at dinner time at 6 p.m. in a newly opened store?

Teri Hamilton

Our waitress, Mahoganee, was very friendly and helpful. She laughed with us easily and checked in at the appropriate times. The food was not good. It was very bland overall. The fact the at the stracciatella was the consistency of a thin soup should have prepared me for what was to come. I ordered the radicchio and endive salad with seasonal fruit and a sherry dressing. What I received was radicchio and endive drowned in Cesar dressing with a few very thin slices of bland peaches. I ordered the creamy polenta with mushrooms, parm and chives. There was nothing creamy about it not that I could see it as it was covered in cheap mushrooms and bad parm. I also had the flank steak. It was cooked to the right temp but was very bland. The toasted garlic on top was cold and the meat itself was room temp at best. My friend also ordered the burrata. I’m being generous when I say there was a dollop of balsamic on there. When she requested more she was told it’s very expensive and they would have to up charge us. After 2 glasses of Chianti with questionable lineage, my bill came to $120. I wasn’t even able to eat the salad or the polenta. I would not blink once over $120 for good food. For what received last night I am having serious buyers remorse. Speaking from experience, they either are corporate owned, have an owner that has too much input or have a chef that is not qualified to create at that price point.

Krystal H.

Our server was very nice and attentive, but I give this place 3 more months tops until they’re out of business. First, seated at a high top in the bar on a Friday night with reservations. The food is awful. I ordered the Campanella Trartufo is $55. It’s literally buttered noodles. Terrible buttered noodles at that. The buratta was also terrible. Don’t spend your money here