Italianni's SM Clark — Restaurant in Angeles

I guess I’ll be the first to not give this restaurant a 5-star rating. Let me start with the backstory when I saw a restaurant with almost 500 reviews and a 5-star rating, I was curious could the food be really that good, and was the service truly exceptional? (Spoiler: it wasn’t).

It all began when i was ordering. I had already looked at the menu online and had decided on a cocktail, but when I arrived, the drink I had chosen was no longer available. No problem I thought and tried to choose another one that too was unavailable, I asked the waiter for a recommendation and he apologized saying “Sorry, I’m new here, and I can't recommend anything.” Fine I thought I’ll order something new I’ve never tried before. I went with the “From Italy with Love” cocktail—and it turned out to be a huge miss. It’s very sweet, almost to the point of being overpowering. Maybe it’s more suited for those with a strong sweet tooth, but for me it was too much. The second cocktail, the “Rossa Sangria” was just average—decent price, average taste.

The complimentary two small bread were a nice touch and I have to admit they were good. As an European I appreciated the quality.

Service and Timing Now, things started to get interesting. The wait for cocktails was 16-18 minutes, and the food took 18-20 minutes to arrive. To my surprise, the restaurant had only two occupied tables when I arrived. The service and kitchen staff clearly had no understanding of how to properly serve courses. First, the cocktails arrived. Then within a minute, they brought the salad. Two minutes later, the pizza arrived, followed by the main courses another two minutes later. There was no coordination between courses and the timing was all off.

Food Quality I ordered a small portion of the “Shrimp and Pomelo Salad,” priced at 500 pesos. It came with just three shrimp, which weren’t fully cleaned (I prefer to eat everything without having to clean it myself). The salad leaves were of low quality, and the honey-balsamic dressing was a failure—it was overly sweet and lacked balance. The parmesan cheese, as listed on the menu, was missing altogether.

Next, the pizza. I ate it quickly before it turned into a cold, hard stone. The pizza was decent, but nothing special. The dough was about a 6.5/10. The plum sauce was bland—no salt or seasoning—and the mushrooms tasted bitter. If you want good pizza, I recommend “Biggie’s Pizza House.” Their pizza is tastier, more authentic, and more affordable.

As for the main courses, I ordered the lasagna. It was bland and covered with an overwhelming amount of béchamel sauce (which might have been the same sauce used in the pizza). There were no spices in the tomato sauce to bring out the flavor. The best lasagna I’ve had in Angeles was actually at “Sbarro” (yes, I’m serious). Just add a simple tomato sauce and it’s already quite good. I also ordered the salmon with vegetables. The salmon was cooked well, but like everything else it was tasteless. The potatoes which were cooked well, were literally swimming in oil. It seems the chef doesn’t know that paper towels could help absorb excess fat. The kitchen staff seemed inexperienced and unfortunately, the food lacked flavor and non-aroma. If you want good salmon, head to “Chili’s” where you can also enjoy a decent Margarita. Service Issues While eating, we had to ask the waiter for napkins after sitting at the table for 40-45 minutes. The waiter never thought to bring them right away, and no one else noticed either. It would be much better if napkins were placed on the table from the start or brought immediately after guests sit down. Also, no one cleared the plates from our table, even though two waiters, one manager, and one administrator passed by us multiple times without paying any attention to the state of our table. Final Thoughts My personal experience was far from impressive. I won’t be returning. There are many...

✨️Polite , Accomodating Staffs ✨️Great & Delicious Food ✨️Quick & Attentiveness to Service ✨️ Recommendable to Family and Friends For the price it is expensive but the quality and the taste is there Money won't go to waste

I really loved the attentiveness of the waitress that served us Very accomodating The manager would come up to us and asked if there is anything we need , the complimentary bread always a spot on The service is fast The waitress we had was quick, polite, always giving us a smile, and friendly. Her name is Cera i hope they will give her a raise for such wonderful service. The staffs are polite wonderful people The food is delicious I have nothing bad to say to our experience The atmosphere of the restaurant is welcoming and warm I really appreciated the interior design of this restaurant

Keep it up and you will be rewarded...

I had the pleasure of being served by Misrael during my recent visit to Italianni's, and I must say she made the experience outstanding. From the moment we were seated, Misrael was attentive, courteous, and professional. She took the time to explain the specials, offer thoughtful recommendations, and ensured our drinks and meals were served promptly.

What stood out most was her genuine warmth and attentiveness. She frequently checked in without being intrusive and handled our requests with grace and a smile. It’s clear she takes pride in her work, and it elevated our dining experience tremendously.

The food at Italianni's was delicious as always, but it was Misrael's excellent service that made our visit memorable. I would definitely return and recommend asking for her section if possible. A true asset to the...