Toscana — Restaurant in Charlotte

Yet another unfortunate experience at Toscana. Really unsure if I will return to what used to be one of my favorite spots for high-end Italian food and dining experiences in Charlotte. About 3+weeks ago, I went in person to make reservations for a special birthday celebration, asking that our reservation be for a table in the back room so it would be quieter. Upon arriving for dinner recently, we were taken to a table in the middle of the restaurant near the very noisy bar area. I mentioned that we had requested a table in the back room and the hostess indicated that a family with young children had come in for dinner and asked to be seated there so their children could run around and be noisy while the parents ate dinner. The hostess indicated that she would be happy to seat us in the back room, but upon walking back there, it was what the hostess indicated. Unbelievable that parents would do that at a high end restaurant like Toscana, but even more unbelievable that Toscana would allow that - including basically "closing" off the back room from other guests who could have enjoyed a nice evening in a less than noisy bar atmosphere. Service (waiter was Ryan) was solid, but the food (albeit the prices are on the higher end) the quality is in no way reflective of the price point. One last point, it felt as if we were being rushed throughout the dinner - as soon as you took the last bite of your food on your plate (and often while food was still on your plate), servers (who seemed to be hovering over our table) would ask (or simply do so without even asking) to remove your plate, thus giving the feeling of constantly being rushed through the meal. One of the things I truly enjoyed about dining in Italy, was the relaxing meals that would last several hours. So although Toscana is trying to give the feeling of dining in Italy, the experience of a relaxing meal, the quality of the Italian food and so much more is clearly missing the mark. Such a shame that Toscana has declined in its past status of a great Italian dining experience and that the Conte Group has let Toscana drop...

An authentic, real Italian restaurant with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Extremely knowledgeable and attentive staff. An exquisite menu that is limited yet vast all at the same time (tell me that isn't a magic trick in and of itself!). And while most establishments wine by the glass is typically a bit harsh on the pallete, because the good stuff gets sold by the bottle, that was not the case here. The first sip of their pinot noir caught me off guard and made my eyebrows jump with delight at how delicious it was. Now, for the food. If you're looking for the stereotypical Stromboli, or pizza by the slice, I suggest the random 'Italian' place around the corner from __ (fill in blank with wherever you live). Or if your idea of 'fancy' Italian food is that garden where I guess they grow olives, then you probably also think p.f. changs is legit asian food, much like chili's is mexican food for scared white people, or your favorite wine is white zinfandel. Toscano serves true Italian food, there's love, knowledge, and consideration in every dish. And every dish comes to the table looking like art, and is a feast for your eyes, heart, body and soul. It is true nourishment. Then top all that off with an honest to goodness proper espresso martini, which you'll just have to order from, Ryan, to understand why that's all the explanation it requires. The price? Worth every penny. Big girl Pro tip: No matter the establishment, try to go on a Tuesday. Tuesdays are the slowest day of the week for the...

The WORST dining experience I have ever had…. I kid you not. Our whole party felt uncomfortable the entire time we were sitting there. All of the staff were rude and short with us (except for the host, she was kind). One of my friends ordered a martini and the waitress assumed it was for the girls at my table. As she was walking to our table someone pointed to him (who ordered the drink) and she started laughing and mouthed “Italian wedding cake martini?”

Our waiter was very short with us and didn’t seem very interested in serving us. He would come ask us a question, and a couple of times he didn’t even listen to us. I told him we were ready to order when we came and took our drink order, and he said alright and then walked away.

When our dinner finally came (which took a long time), the same waitress who made fun of my friend came and tossed cheese on our plates with the most uninterested and disgusted look.

Honestly we felt so uncomfortable the entire time we were there, and we were itching to get out of there. But it took an hour and a half to do so. When we were ready to pay for our checks it took another 20 min or so for the waiter to even bring our checks. He said we could split them up however we wanted, but he gave us one check. When we gave him our debit cards he was annoyed.

I would never recommend this place to anyone. Food was good, but not worth...