07/02/08

Best Veal Saltimbocca in the Galaxy.

by READTHISREVIEW

Order the Calamari Crema Appetizer, Side salad with Creamy Italian (WOW), Veal Saltimbocca (Out of this world) If you dont like veal, get chicken or shrimp Saltimbocca but the Veal is phenominal. Then Tiramisu. You will have the best dinner ever. I Guarantee it. Don't deviate from this list. and you will have a 6 star experience.

• Pros: Salimbocca, Calamari Crema, Tiramisu, Wines
• Cons: Snotty Male Servers

11/26/07

Worst service in Tucson and surrounding areas

by imedic8

My first trip to this place onLa Cholla on Sunday AM. It took 15 minutes to get coffee; 25 minutes to get an omelet after ordering. Wait staff was inattentive and made excuses about the shortage of staff. Who cares? I am paying good money for minimally adequate food and lousy service. was never even offered more coffee. Will not go back.

• Pros: seat yourself
• Cons: noisy, too small, slow service

07/04/07

no longer impresses

by hea

Originally, the novelty was appealing. So many dishes; so relatively delicious. Eventually all dishes went up by $5 and the quality and quantity declined. Some sauces are now more routinely overdone, with some tomato sauces tasting grossly overcooked--little TLC. Fra diabolo and carbonara (two of my personal speicalties), for example, are excessively greasy. At their current prices they can no longer impress. I don't go there any more. Especially considering their skimpy aesthetics, one can get better ambiance, better flavor and lower prices at better venues.

• Pros: large variety
• Cons: not always tasty

03/28/07

Big City Taste

by frmrbiebs

My family and I have been customers of Gavi's for 10 years. The food has never depreciated in quality. (Maybe the price has gone up, but isn't that called inflation?) Yes, the wait may take a while, but it is worth it. The spicy calamari is great. One tip... ask for the sauce on the side, otherwise the calamari becomes soggy, especially if you have leftovers. I am bias to the serenata. Wonderful sweet garlic taste in every sauce that is used. The tables are in close proximity to one another, so if you are disabled or someone in your party is disabled, request a table near the door. Other than that... TRY IT! It is "big city taste" in Tucson.

• Pros: great service, tasty food, WONDERFUL COOKS!
• Cons: can be noisy, tight seating arrangement

02/03/07

You cannot beat the pasta and sauces

by rkalla

After hearing all the hype, I could see someone being somewhat taken back by Gavi's because of it's size (maybe 20 tables in the entire place?) and thinking the decore couldn't possibly justify the prices (About $45 for a couple without drinks). The thing about Gavi's is that you have to pay close attention to the food itself, especially the sauces. One thing you will notice is that your cream sauces and tomato sauces are going to taste richer and most flavorful than likely any other Italian place in town. After going back to some of your regular places (Macaroni Grill, Carabas, etc.) you'll likely see the stark difference between the two and just keep coming back to Gavi's after that.

When my wife and I first went, we were so disappointed we decided to not go back again. After trying out our regular places we gave it a second chance and were hooked. There really isn't a great substitute for Gavi's food. If you ever take the left-overs home and re-heat them, you'll discover the secret to why everything tastes so good: BUTTER, and a lot of it.

If you are in the mood for some delicious pasta dishes, head over to Gavi's for dinner. Any of the alfredo dishes, chicken marsalla or even spaghetti will likely be some of the best you've had in a long time.

• Pros: Delicious food, casual environment, affordable
• Cons: Small resturaunt, not really any ambiance to it

Don't let the soccer banners fool you--this casual Italian trattoria serves upscale, southern Italian food.

by Contributor

The Scene
Tables are close together and surrounded by walls covered with soccer paraphernalia. The cooks sport ball caps as they flip pasta over open flames. Energetic servers are knowledgeable and helpful. The conversational buzz is quieter at the outdoor tables and traffic in the mall lot is unobtrusive toward evening.

The Food
The smoked salmon a la Greca has the salty fish wrapped around eggplant and feta cheese with a heap of tasty spinach in the middle. The fabulous calamari crema floats in a creamy, white wine sauce balanced with lemon and spice. The veal
saltimbocca is fork-tender and served with proscuitto and kasseri cheeses. The lasagne, moist and complex, is loaded with spinach and riccota. You can add chicken to pastas like the mostaccioli serenata, which has mushrooms, spinach and a tang
of pepper in the wine sauce. The heavenly tiramisu is the house specialty, but the chocolate cannoli is also a must.

04/29/06

Best in Town

by baseball06

Simply the best in Tucson. Great food and good time.

• Pros: Great Food, Big Portion
• Cons: A bit expensive

10/04/05

Absolutely Divine

by bellamamag

I am extremely biased when it comes to Gavi's being that I've been a faithful diner of theirs for over 4 years, but it is always a great experience. The food and service is out of this world. It is to be expected that the staff can't please everybody all the time so for those who wrote bad reviews- try working in such a high stress job such as Gavi's and then complain. I must have eaten there over 500 times and all but maybe a few times have been the best dining experience I've ever encountered.

• Pros: exceptional service, authentic food, extensive wine list
• Cons: pricey

11/08/04

It's Amoré!

by elfurbe

Best Italian in town. As someone who's tried about every Italian place he can find, Gavi is my personal choice for Italian perfection, in any city.

The service is always prompt and courteous, even at peak times, and not one thing will disappoint. However, don't get too involved in scouring that menu until you've heard the specials. They are guaranteed to please. An excellent wine list, as well as a good selection of beers and liquors. Ample portions with some dishes making an easy two meals. (Don't worry, it reheats wonderfuly.)

• Pros: Ambience, Food, Service
• Cons: , Pricey

03/12/04

Everything is good there!

by tmartinez2000

It doesn't matter what you order, everything on the menu is fantastic and authentic.

Once you eat there, everything at places like "The Italian Garden" tastes as if it came from a frozen dinner.

Gavi's is pricey, but for authentic Italian food, it can't be beat.

• Pros: Tasty Italian food
• Cons: , crowded