Mele Trattoria — Restaurant in St. Catharines

Visited Mele Trattoria for the first time this past Saturday for dinner. I'm not from the area but my parents are and had been there a couple times in the past. Although the dining room is relatively small, it didn't feel uncomfortable and we had no issues with space between other patrons and could easily carry on a conversation without interruption. We ordered a bottle of wine (somewhat of a small list to choose from but we found a nice Malbec) and had the calamari/ shrimp platter for an appetizer. The squid was lightly breaded and tender as was the shrimp. The aioli was tasty and fresh. They also served warm bread with olive oil and balsamic which was very good (I even inquired about the brand of oil they used because of its mild taste and light viscosity). They offered a nice selection of specials (one fish, one beef and one pasta) and the main menu also had a good variety of entrees (not too big, not too small). The braised veal was the special that I ordered and enjoyed it immensely. Nice sized portion, pasta was cooked al dente, which is perfect for this dish to play off the soft textures of the veal and mushrooms. The staff were attentive without being overbearing and were happy to answer questions about the menu. For a nice, quiet and authentic Italian meal at a reasonable price, I highly recommend visiting...

Update I've been back multiple times and have never been disappointed. If you see something on the menu you normally love, it will probably be better here. Even if you see a food you normally shy away from, you can trust that it will be done expertly here. The portion sizes are always satisfying. I can never decide what to get because everything is amazing, and their seasonal menu that makes use of as many local ingredients as possible just makes me want to go back even more. My original review was a while ago, so I thought I would make sure everyone reading this knows... It is consistently incredible food at Mele Trattoria.

This place has easily one of the most talented chefs I've encountered. Every dish that leaves that kitchen is beautiful and delicious. Be prepared... Once you eat here, you will never want to go to another Italian restaurant.

The only down side is that a fair amount of the menu is in Italian, which I can't pronounce, but it's not ruining the 5 star review because you get FULL BLOWN...

My family has been coming here for years now. For all our special occasions. My son and daughter in law introduced us to Mele and their beautiful family atmosphere. Love the Mele family, of course Julie is included. The food is incomparable. We have just came from Rizzo’s House of Parm and it was lovely. Really. But it can’t compare to Leo, and the way he has shared his talents with his beautiful sisters. My son leaned over to me and said it’s still Mele. And I said YES. I was saying the same to myself. Mele is so so delicious. I could not say the...