Avellino

I wish I could do a review of our meal here last night but I can’t. Made reservations last night here. I was in the mood for Italian and tried the usual good Worcester restaurants but everything was packed. One of the restaurants told me ‘good luck making a reservation, it’s ‘Homecoming weekend for a lot of Worcester colleges’. So we decided to got west and try Sturbridge. So after calling Avellino and waiting about 5 minutes on the phone we were told we had a 7:00 reservation. After spending 10 minutes riding around to try and find parking (all of their lots were full) we checked in with the hostess. We were told that we our reservations were not with Avellino but with the ‘Duck’ restaurant upstairs. There are actually two restaurants in the same bulding, Avellino and ‘The Duck’. The building is actually the old where the ‘Whistling Swan’ and the ‘Ugly Duckling’ use to be. I had been to both and thought they were both excellent restaurants. I had no idea until I got there the Avellino was now in this building. When we question the hostess about why are reservation were for the wrong restaurant we were told that Avellino had stopped taking reservations 2 days beforehand and at least we had a place to eat. At this point everyone just wanted something to eat so we went upstairs and waited in line on the stairs for about 10 minutes. I had remembered eating at the ‘Ugly Duckling’ before and it was good, a cheaper version of the food at the ‘Whistling Swan’ so this wasn’t going to be that big a deal. Well the ‘Duck’ is not a cheaper version of food at Avellino. Totally separate menus and the ‘Duck’ was actually more expensive the Avellino and not an Italian dish to be found on the menu. The cheapest meal was an $ 11 burger which my son had and said it was nothing special. We had fish and chips for $ 16 and it too was nothing special. Most of the other meals were around $ 25+. To top things off their drafts were $ 8 each which found out when we got the bill. Although my meal at the Duck was less than great my beef is with Avellino. How can a restaurant take a reservation and then tell you it’s for a totally different restaurant when you get there. I don’t care if both restaurants were owned by the same establishment and were in the same building. We chose Avellino based wanting Italian food and reviewing their menu and Unilocal rating. If I make a reservation with Via in Worcester and when I got there they told me that Via was full so my reservation at the ‘Sole’ on Highland St (same owners) would this be OK. I think not.

My wife and I took my son out to eat here, we were greeted upon arrival and sat us near a window. Our view was downtown Sturbridge.
The décor of the restaurant was classy, clean, well laid out with just the right of music in the back ground, with out being to loud at all, just enough for the perfect ambience.
My wife and son want the home made pasta, but the dish my son requested didn’t come with home made pasta, the waitress said she would check with the chef to see if anything could be done. She came back and said the chef would make his meal with the home made pasta. Myself I got scallops over risotto, we sampled each other dishes, each plate was scrumptious. We got a Caesar salad which was very nice, I had a Belguim style beer that was made at a local monastery. Very nice! I finished the evening with a espresso with a twist of lemon. Jenny our server was very pleasant and accommodating. The night was excellent, the bill was pretty much in line with other fine dining establishments. I highly recommend try it out for others, I know we will return!

Jenny was the server and she was very nice and accommodating. A good waitress! There was plenty of parking and the location is very nice. The inside of the restaurant is decorated in authentic Italian style with murals on the walls and nice quiet music.
The appetizer was great; a risotto with a creamy short rib stuffing that was delicious. The Caesar salad with prosciutto was good and the prosciutto was not chewy. The meals were great. The chef accommodated us by creating fresh fettuccini to go with my veal even though that’s not how it’s listed on the menu. Everyone else’s dishes were great too. All in all a great place. Prices are reasonable for a classy Italian restaurant.

Great meal tonight, Scallop special was exceptional. The chocolate flourless torte was exquisite. Service was fantastic-​Christine was attentive. Perfect spot for my dad’s birthday dinner. Thank you Avellino!

Avellino was a remarkable restaurant. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the food. Have you ever heard of a flavor explosion? Well Rico Avellino the man behind this incredible cuisine causes a flavor explosion if I have ever tasted one.

Wife and I had an enjoyable experience here on a surprisingly busy Wednesday evening. restaurant is well lite and pleasant… server (Daniel) was excellent… and the food was very good and plentiful Its a casual, relaxing place. We started with my wifes usual pinot grigio. I had a «little Italy”(weak $ 11 cocktail). we shared a delicious Caesar salad. very fresh croutons. Wife had the scallops with butternut squash risotto. I had the veal parm…2 big pieces sitting atop a bed of spaghetti. Both entrees were very very good. prices seem in line for the quality and quantity you get. Overall… way above average Italian food,. we shall return to try different options.

Just had my sister’s baby shower at Avellino today. The only problem was the event manager, Dakota. The food was delicious, the room is beautiful, the waitresses Jamie and Sydney were great. Jen (who identifies herself as the manager of The Duck) stepped right in to help us. If it weren’t for these three girls, I would have walked out without paying our bill. Dakota never finalized our menu or total price (because she didn’t respond to my voicemail nor my email 3 days before the shower), she is horrible at communication, and was not even on site for the shower — and due to her lack of follow through, I didn’t even know she wouldn’t be there. I’d say that’s a pretty important job for the sales and event manager. She sometimes took more than a week to respond, or just didn’t respond at all and I had to track her down via a different form of communication, which she then didn’t follow up on either. I hold the Table 3 corporation /​group to a higher standard in this area, but honestly this employee brings you guys down. Thank you to the other staff who were present today, as mentioned above, to give my sister a beautiful shower. Especially Jen who was very helpful in a time of confusion, very understanding of why we were upset, and I felt did Dakota’s job for her — but did it better.

Went here on a Saturday night. started off at the bar with a couple drinks. bartender was nice. When we were seated we were featured fairly quickly. Server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. She arrived when we needed her and didn’t hover over the table, so can’t get much better.
The food: we started with an app which wad the special risotto balls stuffed with goat cheese. They were extremely tasty, better than we were expecting. For the entrees I had the chicken picatta, served with parmesan risotto. It was very good, but I only had one caper. my husband had the seafood special which was pan seared scallops. He wasn’t super impressed with the presentation (they were only seared on one side) but the flavor wad good.
Overall we had a good time, nice vibe and the place was clean and well decorated. We would go again while in the area.

It was good. I can’t say I RUSH back, but would certainly consider it if I was in the area.

Loved it! We are a big fan of the Duck, another restaurant in the same group and located in the same building. Avellinos is great. The service and hospitality is wonderful. This is one group where u feel the mgt trains front of the house well and selects good people. So important to be greeted properly
Now about the food: perfectly cooked and served hot!!! I am really fussy about food temp– hate when it sits around before being delivered or the expediter puts sides on too soon and they are cold while center of plate is hot. So. This place does it right. Everything hot
I had burrata app which had roasted tomatoes and balsamic sauce and a bit of basil olive oil. Amazing on the grilled bread. My friend had arrancini which she liked. We both had veal parm. The usual thing I order although I was tempted by soany things. But it’s a good way to see if you want to return! And I do! And maybe I will try something else (or not — this was so good). Food was so good. Veal was tender. Breaded but very lightly (done right) Sauce was sweet (not too acidic). Pasta was al dente.
Sadly, no room for dessert. Will eat ½ next time so I have room.
Price is correct and reasonable for this quality.
Highly recommend

Was recently in the area for my wedding, and chose Avellino to host our rehearsal dinner. I communicated back and forth with Dakota, who I believe is a manger. Everything was running smoothly until she didn’t respond back to the final email where I had added 3 people to the guest list (19ppl, room holds 20) and changed the time to 6:30. Lack of communication made things a little hectic at first.
Chris, our server, was a doll. Very accommodating, but felt as if he was in a little over his head as he also had tables in the main dining area. Food was delicious, I feel like for the price I paid per person for the dessert platter after dinner, they could have been a little more filled, or maybe even bring out a 3^rd platter for 19 people.
All in all, I was impressed, and should Enrico’s ever close, I would consider going back for dinner :)

We were here last week. Took my bride out for our wedding anniversary. 5 stars across the board! Amazing food, fantastic wine list and wonderful and personable staff.
We will be back over and over.
Thank you for making a special night just perfect!

Don’t judge a book by its cover! This is a hidden gem and by far one of the best Italian themed restaurants I have been to. On the exterior you may question your choice but don’t be fooled.
This restaurant was highly recommended and I attended as part of a work group.
Wish I had obtained the servers name because he was attentive and yet unobtrusive with his service given it was a work dinner. He made excellent appetizer and wine recommendations. (Calamari was unique and not typical). Dinner was excellent (I chose the salmon and it was cooked just right)
Will definitely find a reason to visit again!

My family and I just had dinner at this lovely restaurant. The Caesar salads were crisp, fresh and a generous portion. The focaccia bread was served fresh and warm. Our entrees were delicious. I had the Chicken Marsala which was perfection served over risotto. This was the best Chicken Marsala I have ever had. My sons had the Chicken Parmesan. It was a large portion too much for even my big guys to finish. They said it was delicious. We had the S’mores Cheesecake which was delicious and my son’s girlfriend had the Coconut Crème Brûlée. She ate every bite and raved about how good it was. Our server, Dan, was professional, efficient, and delivered excellent service. The dining room is beautiful, immaculate with a warm and inviting feeling. If you are looking for a fine Italian restaurant you must try Avellino. You will not be disappointed.

I chose Avelino’s in Sturbridge for date night last night. I’ll start by saying that the drinks were very good, the food was pretty good but that the rest was a real disappointment.
When we arrived the hostess went into the restaurant to see what tables she had open, when she came back she led us to a small table right outside the kitchen door. I told her that was not acceptable and then she led us to a better table in another room. I did take her aside to explain that attempting to seat someone in that very busy spot when there are other seats available is an insult.
The waiter was harried and inattentive to detail. He took our drink order but ran off before we could order our appetizer. After returning with our drinks I told him we wanted to order a starter. As soon as he brought that out he asked if we were ready to order. Why is it that so few restaurants understand that cocktails and appetizers are meant to be savored and not rushed by the entrée that arrives while still eating?
We had the calamari. It was drowning in sauce and a bit rubbery. I would try something else if you dine there.
The meal was good. I had the mushroom risotto with scallops and my husband ordered the beef shank ravioli and he enjoyed it.
We asked about dessert and were shown a menu. When I ordered the Key Lime Pie the waiter apologized for not having mentioned that they were out of it. By then I had had enough and we just took the check
I see that this restaurant has plenty of good reviews. Either this was an off night or this place is simply not up to my date night standards.
I might try again.

An OK but pricey Italian restaurant. Food is decent but by no means memorable. In my personal opinion they have merely imitated another place in the area. Their Bouillabaisse was pretty good but virtually identical to the other place’s, ingredient by ingredient. This buyer’s group has taken over so many previously privately owned restaurants in a not-​so-​large town that many of us find it disconcerting. We miss the personal touch of individual owners who care.

What a wonderful restaurant — not my choice with children but found it on Unilocal and they did not disappoint with their food.
Restaurant shares space with another, i.e., you enter through one restaurant to get to Avellino.
Server was good but not sure she appreciated we had children. Our kids were pretty good but our 2 yr old can be unpredictable. Other patrons were fine with our kids. It was early, 5:30 so there were only 2 other couples in our seating area. It is a small space.
I don’t recall our dishes, as it was a few months ago when we visited after going to Old Sturbridge Village for the afternoon, but we each had pasta dishes and the sauce was very good — marinara and a white sauce. I didn’t see any GF food so don’t go there if you are GF. Enjoyed the breadsticks and dessert!

My five star review is for the food. I’m such a food lover and Italian food is so delicious. I have dined here once plus ordered food to take home once. We have dined upstairs at their other restaurant a couple times too.
When we enjoyed dinner at Avellino we had 8 in our party and our waiter, (Dan I think) was perfect! Not to mention the exquisite flavor in the food. I ordered the homemade ricotta gnocchi bologonase. Wow! Yumm! The salad with burratta is to die for. I believe they make their own mozzarella. The only thing we didn’t like was my boyfriends smoked mozzarella ravioli, but that’s on us because we realized we just don’t like smoked cheese. The flavor in everything was great. We also tried Parmesan risotto, meatballs and many other items. Oh and desert… don’t miss that part.
I will be returning soon.

We recently had a bridal shower here, and the staff and Dakota went above and beyond to make the day one to remember! The food was wonderful, the staff were sweet and pleasant and happy to help from get more drinks to moving furniture to our liking. My guests were so impressed with the facility and the attention to detail that the restaurant offered! It was really just perfect! Thanks so much.

This is one of the best italian restaurants I have ever eaten at. They have a new school kind of italian menu. The staff is great, drinks are great and the food is incredible. I wish I could eat here a few times a week (the rest of the time I would eat upstairs at The Duck)