Cantoro Trattoria — Restaurant in Northville Charter Township

Visited Cantoro’s Trattoria Restaurant

I went to Cantoro’s Trattoria for lunch, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The restaurant is located inside an Italian market, which adds to the authentic and cozy ambiance. As soon as we sat down, we were served some freshly baked bread with olive oil, which was absolutely delicious and set the tone for the meal.

For appetizers, we started with the Formaggi Misti ($19), a mixed cheese board featuring a variety of cheeses with the chef’s choice of accompaniments. It was a delightful assortment that paired perfectly with the wine we ordered. We also had the Caprese ($18), which included d.o.p. bufala mozzarella, seasonal tomatoes, basil, pesto genovese, and extra virgin olive oil. The freshness of the ingredients really stood out, making it one of the best Caprese salads I've had.

For the main course, my husband had the Radicchio e Lattuga di Boston ($15), a salad with radicchio, Boston bibb lettuce, tomatoes, gorgonzola, toasted hazelnuts, red onions, moscato golden raisins, and red wine vinaigrette. He added veal to his salad, and it was a perfect combination of flavors and textures. I opted for the Insalata Paillard with grilled salmon ($20). The baby arugula, tomato, red onion, shaved parmigiano, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon dressing complemented the perfectly cooked salmon, making it a light yet satisfying dish.

The food was amazing, and the service was top-notch. After lunch, I took some time to stroll through the market and picked up some pistachio gelato, which was a delightful treat to end my visit. I definitely recommend Cantoro’s Trattoria if you're looking for authentic Italian cuisine with a great atmosphere. Whether you're there for a meal or just to shop in the market, it's a place...

1 Star — Absolutely Disgusting Experience

Avoid Cantoro’s Trattoria at all costs. This was, hands down, one of the most appalling dining experiences I’ve ever had. They intentionally seat guests under HVAC ductwork that drips condensation directly onto your food, drinks, and body. That’s right — you’re expected to enjoy your meal while water rains down from the ceiling like some third-rate dive bar with a leaking roof.

When we raised concerns, we were told, point blank, that management and ownership force the staff to seat people there, regardless of complaints. To make matters worse, even the bartender — who deals with this nightmare every day — encouraged us to leave a negative review because they are sick of watching guests suffer while management refuses to fix the issue.

This isn’t a “bad service” problem. This is a total disregard for basic sanitation and customer experience. It’s unacceptable for any restaurant, let alone one pretending to be a high-end trattoria.

Shame on Cantoro’s ownership for prioritizing greed over common decency. Fix your restaurant or stop charging premium prices for a miserable, unhygienic dining environment.

I’m sure the Wayne County health department would love to hear about this....

Used to come here all the time, but our latest visit was a disappointment. My husband and I dined here to celebrate our five-year anniversary. We mentioned this, but no effort was made to celebrate it. Our silverware arrived dirty and caked with food. My entree arrived ice cold, and it was sent back to be reheated. When it came back, it was lukewarm but not hot (which goes to show how cold it was to begin with). Our service was terrible. We sat with empty water glasses the entire night and empty wine glasses and weren’t offered a refill on either. Our server did not come by once to check on us. I had to flag down another server about the cold food issue. I’m not looking for a free meal, and will always pay for what I eat, but at the very least the entree could have been comped on the bill. No effort was made to remedy the issues and no effort was made to celebrate the anniversary. This place is very busy so I don’t think losing two customers is a big deal to them, but it’s sad to see how downhill Cantoro Trattoria has gone. If you’re looking for a great Italian meal, try Bacco. Excellent service and...