I Monelli

I should have snapped a few pictures but I didn't. The food is fantastic and the service is impeccable. We had the stuffed filet, ribeye, each a small Imonelli salad, and a shrimp and scallops grits for an appetizer. We followed it all up with a piece of yum yum cake. It was all cooked and prepared as desired. Always an enjoyable experience. 2/10/24 update: Still delicious. Enjoyed the veal Osobucco this time. Picture attached.

Quaint fine Italian dining! I had fettuccine Alfredo, it was very simple and flavorful! Desserts were 💯

I had a delicious oyster and artichoke soup and the oyster spaghetti is something I think about long after I ate it.

anirudh girey

Imonelli is hands-down one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Lafayette. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is warm, elegant, and inviting—perfect for a romantic dinner or a special evening out. The food was absolutely phenomenal. I had the seafood crepes and the soft-shell crab, and both were rich in flavor and beautifully presented. Every dish tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. You can tell there’s real passion in the kitchen. Service was just as impressive—attentive without being overbearing, and the staff made us feel welcomed and well taken care of throughout the evening. If you're looking for top-tier Italian cuisine with a Southern flair, Imonelli is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be back

Jeff Caffery

This restaurant is a jewel. I've had the pleasure of eating here since I was a teenager in the 80s when I first tried the stuffed rainbow trout and could order nothing else for long after. Literally everything I've had here is amazing. The fact that their house cabernet is my favorite go-to J Lohr doesn't hurt either. Friday nights means Walter Jr. playing in the back room so I always go for the back room on Friday nights. Low lights, candles, and a great atmosphere here helps the mood get right. Be sure to make a reservation, you'll need it. This is gourmet Italian with a Cajun flair. You MUST try iMonelli. Be sure to ask for their house fresh-baked warm bread with their oil and vinegar. Their Oyster Rockefeller Soup, Duck and Andoille Gumbo, Oyster Spaghetti, Seafood Stuffed Tortelloni, Veal Ossobuco, and Seafood Crepes appetizer must be tried as well so, just keep going back until accomplished.

Stephen Sarver

AMAZING experience! Grace was our server and she was phenomenal! Our favorites were the seafood crepes and dessert (turtle cheesecake & white chocolate bread pudding). Thank you Imonelli’s

Mateo Atwi

We had a great time at iMonelli. Our server Sarah was excellent. We had the crab and artichoke dip with fried eggplant to start. The crab and artichoke was excellent. The fresh bread was also excellent. The sorbet was a great pallet cleanser and transition to the Rack of Lab plate. The lab was excellent as was the oyster spaghetti. I definitely recommend it as a nice quieter restaurant to have a meaningful dinner.

Paul Vingiello

Tonight's meal was the best I have had at a restaurant in years. The oyster Rockefeller bisque was rich and flavorsome with a fair amount of delayed heat. The Halibut special with lump crab meat was fresh, flakey goodness! The chocolate ganashe with raspberry sauce was delicious, especially with my last bit of red wine. Our waitress never dropped her smile. She knew the menu flawlessly. The entire experience was amazing. Another trip to Lafayette and another impeccable meal at iMonelli. This place is a gem. Super romantic, but not overly pretentious. EVERY SINGLE DISH was fantastic and could have been the star at any other restaurant in town. I ended up having 3 appetizers. That duck and andouille gumbo was one of my favorite gumbos ever. And if you knew me, you would know how strong a statement this is. Dark, super rich roux makes this a home run. So much Andouille, it almost has a bacon flavor in the back end. The sherbet between courses was nice so you got a "clean" start at the next set of flavors about to hit your taste buds. The Red Snapper with shrimp was fantastic. That sauce was SO good. I'm glad the bread was good so I could clean the last drops from the plate. Our waitress was great. Knowledgeable about every option. Kept a couple of thirsty guys who had played tennis all day with plenty to drink....not an easy task if you ask the other restaurants we have been to. They don't rush you to turn the table, something I hate at some high end smaller restaurants. My Old Fashioned made with a nice eye whiskey was quite nice. The weakest part of the meal was the marishino cherry. I'll live with it. The cane sugar swizzle almost made up for it. I can't say enough good about the myriad of house made desserts. They are SOO good and so rich!! I can't wait to come back again and update this again. Back again. Got to introduce 5 more people to this place. All went away very happy. It was my first time there for lunch. That was a great value! The oysters spaghetti was delicious. The softshell crab was good. The bisque was delicious!! The star of the show this time was the seafood crepes! I will DEFINITELY be ordering those again, but not as a share. 😂 Great job, iMonelli!!

Jessica LeJeune

The seafood crepes were delicious! We also had red fish and seafood tortelloni. Our server Presley was amazing. Atmosphere was quiet and intimate, a nice change from noisy restaurants, especially for my birthday. My only regret was being too full to order desert.

Willie Pippen

We had a great dinner experience at Imonelli. Crab and artichoke appetizer was fantastic. We had the oyster Rockefeller soup and wedge salad. The wedge salad was one of the best I've ever had. For our entree I had the bone in veal chop with cognac cream sauce. My wife had the veal Italiano. Both were fantastic. Bone in veal was incredibly tender. Highly recommend 👌

lanie senette

Love this restaurant!! The food is amazing! Love the lunch and dinner menu. We went for lunch and they give you a free soup or salad with your meal. The spinach and tasso bisque is so flavorful! Paired so good with the homemade free bread! Service was great!!! I got the small crab cake with a side of pasta with imonelli sauce! DELICIOUS! My friend got the oyster spaghetti with shrimp and it was so good! Definitely recommend everyone should come eat here!! Love the staff!!

Roger

Eating out in Lafayette can be expensive and the worst thing about eating out in Lafayette is paying a lot of money for a bad meal with worse service. That won't happen here. iMonelli never disappoints!. Excellent meals with great service.

Tiffany Steward

My husband and I had a superb experience at iMonelli’s thanks to our waiter, Robert. He set the pace of the evening allowing the atmosphere to set the tone. Everything he suggested was perfection on a plate! A quiet and romantic place, away from the noise of life- iMonelli’s will now be our go-to place for date night and family celebrations.

Travis Brice

I should have snapped a few pictures but I didn't. The food is fantastic and the service is impeccable. We had the stuffed filet, ribeye, each a small Imonelli salad, and a shrimp and scallops grits for an appetizer. We followed it all up with a piece of yum yum cake. It was all cooked and prepared as desired. Always an enjoyable experience. 2/10/24 update: Still delicious. Enjoyed the veal Osobucco this time. Picture attached.

Lauren (Rose)

Quaint fine Italian dining! I had fettuccine Alfredo, it was very simple and flavorful! Desserts were 💯

Jim Gossen

I had a delicious oyster and artichoke soup and the oyster spaghetti is something I think about long after I ate it.

On a quick weekend trip, my husband and I googled restaurants in Lafayette. We came across this restaurant just to try something different. It was winner! Although we came at 1:45, not knowing that they closed at 2:00, we were welcomed in to dine anyway! Both of the waitresses on shift were perfect to us ( this was Friday lunch time). The food was very good and the atmosphere was perfect for an Italian restaurant. We will be back!

Best soft shell crabs around! 2 soft shell crabs topped with lump crabmeat and lemon butter! Wow! Everything on the menu is awesome and always cooked perfect. Service is always 5-star.

The chef never disappoints this is my 3rd visit nd every visit the food was immaculate in my opinion you'll never find another restaurant better for the pallet

We went to Imonelli’s for Valentine’s Day and it was absolutely amazing, especially for my first time. The atmosphere was warm and romantic, and the food was so fresh and flavorful, every bite was so good. The service was kind and attentive, which made the night feel even more special. Such a perfect Valentine’s dinner, and I’ll definitely be going back. Our waitress was absolutely amazing! Wish I remembered her name.

Trippa Jay

The chef never disappoints this is my 3rd visit nd every visit the food was immaculate in my opinion you'll never find another restaurant better for the pallet

Ryan

Best soft shell crabs around! 2 soft shell crabs topped with lump crabmeat and lemon butter! Wow! Everything on the menu is awesome and always cooked perfect. Service is always 5-star.

DEBORAH CRAWFORD

On a quick weekend trip, my husband and I googled restaurants in Lafayette. We came across this restaurant just to try something different. It was winner! Although we came at 1:45, not knowing that they closed at 2:00, we were welcomed in to dine anyway! Both of the waitresses on shift were perfect to us ( this was Friday lunch time). The food was very good and the atmosphere was perfect for an Italian restaurant. We will be back!

Overall a good experience. We had the eggplant fries to start, great texture. For entrees we ordered the veal chop special and the rack of lamb. The veal chop was chewy and tough to eat but the flavor was great, most likely would not get again. The rack of lamb was cooked to perfection. For dessert we had the turtle cheesecake and coffee, the cheesecake was rich and delicious. Would definitely go back again but order something other than the veal. Grace was a wonderful server, very knowledgeable, kind, and attentive.

There was a 45-minute wait due to being short staffed, but well worth it. The Soft Shell Crab appetizer was delicious. The Ribeye was cooked to perfection and so tender. I apologize for the dark photos. I didn't want to ruin the ambiance with a huge flash.

Zoey Lindsey

Overall a good experience. We had the eggplant fries to start, great texture. For entrees we ordered the veal chop special and the rack of lamb. The veal chop was chewy and tough to eat but the flavor was great, most likely would not get again. The rack of lamb was cooked to perfection. For dessert we had the turtle cheesecake and coffee, the cheesecake was rich and delicious. Would definitely go back again but order something other than the veal. Grace was a wonderful server, very knowledgeable, kind, and attentive.

Mike Moya

There was a 45-minute wait due to being short staffed, but well worth it. The Soft Shell Crab appetizer was delicious. The Ribeye was cooked to perfection and so tender. I apologize for the dark photos. I didn't want to ruin the ambiance with a huge flash.

Shyla L

As a party of 20+ We were seated fast @7pm, the staff were nice by bringing bread and whatever beverage for hours, they brought a palette cleanser and still had to wait for food and hour . We didn't our food until almost 10:30pm after all the other customers were served and almost cleared out. They stop seating at 10:00pm. The entertainment was interesting. I don't know if I would go back.

Worst experience I've ever had at any business, let alone a restaurant. Had reservations for me and my wife's anniversary dinner. We were walked through a mostly empty, nice, quiet dining area to a crowded backroom illuminated almost solely by a large, spinning, neon Disco ball light... With about a half dozen children jumping and running around the dining area. Not a good start, but hopefully the food will be worth it. I couldn't tell you, we sat completely unattended at a table for over 20 minutes, not a greeting, not a water, nothing. I used the last 5 minutes to look up another restaurant nearby.

Blake Foco

Worst experience I've ever had at any business, let alone a restaurant. Had reservations for me and my wife's anniversary dinner. We were walked through a mostly empty, nice, quiet dining area to a crowded backroom illuminated almost solely by a large, spinning, neon Disco ball light... With about a half dozen children jumping and running around the dining area. Not a good start, but hopefully the food will be worth it. I couldn't tell you, we sat completely unattended at a table for over 20 minutes, not a greeting, not a water, nothing. I used the last 5 minutes to look up another restaurant nearby.