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I was a little apprehensive about choosing Michelangelo's for a romantic birthday dinner after reading some less than flattering experiences with rude serving staff but decided to risk it as generally everyone has different experiences and I'm glad I did! I made the reservations fairly last minute so our table wasn't in the best location but we were seated promptly and our server was the sweetest old Italian gentleman who took great care of us, for example he suggested the Carpaccio would go great with the wine I chose (damn it, I forgot to take a pic of the label for future reference) and had that promptly brought out for us, plus after the meal my date mentioned to him it was my birthday so he arranged Tiramisu with a candle and had the pianist and upright bassist play Happy Birthday for me.
The food itself was good, my date had the lobster stuffed ravioli special and I had the sea bass topped with gulf shrimp special, nothing extraordinary but nothing to complain about either. The atmosphere was very romantic despite being located close to the clangor of the serving station, the music seemed adequate for ambiance but I must say I didn't listen too closely to it but it did add to the mood without taking away from it.
I find it silly that they add 15% gratuity to every check though and not leave a space to add extra tip, why would they stiff their serving staff like that? My starting tip is always 20%, if the service is meh then it drops to 15%, if the servers are rude or don't do their job then maybe less but often I will tip more and this time I wanted to as our server had added to the experience but I was unable to.
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I understand that this restaurants setting is quite the institution in Houston where we tear down anything that is older than 10 years. However, nostalgia can only carry a restaurant so far.
The menu is from a cruise ship circa 1982. Dining at my grandmothers Country Cub excites my culinary appetite more. Nothing is ill prepared, however any at home cook could prepare the dishes with more flair.
Bottom line, cute old house, not worth the price of admission.
I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect - having seen photos of the outside of this place and thinking it looked a bit like a dump (sorry guys). Upon walking inside, though, I really was touched by the quaint elegance of this small place, complete with piano player, lovely curtains, and nicely clad waiters.
We were taken to our table and given the wine list. This, unfortunately, is where things were less than perfect. My friend attempted to order a bottle of champagne - and we were informed they were out. O..k... I ordered a split of champagne so we could toast to my friend's latest good news, and the waiter seemed perplexed why two people would be sufficed with a single split. (It did fill each of our glasses, so why would this be a problem?) In my opinion, he was pushy.
Another bottle of wine I inquired about (a red I typically order at other restaurants) was also "out" and they suggested one that was $30 more. After many rounds of wine tasting, I just opted for a simple but sufficient white.
The bread they sat on our table was boring - typical white, sliced bread which was also dry and perhaps almost stale. I can say I was feeling rather sad at this point.
The "Toasted Capellini Crab Cake" was extremely peculiar to me. It was in fact 4 deep fried nuggets of crab salad atop a mesclun salad with strawberries. That is not exactly a crab cake. The crab salad was sweet as you might expect, but overpowered by the deep fried breading. The salad that accompanied it was lovely.
The Carpaccio is described as "Paper thin slices of filet mignon and cheese with a touch of pesto" though in reality the thin strips of meat came covered in a brown sauce, and was so moist you couldn't even pick up a slice - as it had all turned to mush. Another waiter at this point brought us over fresh, warm bread to eat with this - nice of him, but it didn't stop this dish from disturbing me. This was actually also quite oily and all around strange. Not at all what I am used to from carpaccio, which I typically love.
The Caesar salad was also not worth ordering. The lettuce was served too warm, the dressing was just acceptable, and while I was brought pepper and cheese when I asked, I just don't think this was worth eating.
My friend's Canneloni Pavarotti I thought was very well executed. He seemed a bit disappointed but I think it was an overall disappointment, as the bites I had of his dish seemed a great melding of delicate cheese and spinach punctuated by well-seasoned veal. The pasta and sauce atop it were nice.
My Pesce "Snapper Siciliano" was a pleasant surprise. I fell in love with the pasta that accompanied it - as it had a slightly spicy red sauce on top of which was a delightful pesto sauce. Happy surprise! The snapper was very well prepared, cooked perfectly to bring out the delicate flavors of this moist fish over a decent lemon butter sauce. The crab on top was so-so.
So the decision? The main courses seem pretty reliable, but the appetizers could use some work. The service was ok if a bit awkward. Still, a nice atmosphere. My friend thinks this restaurant has declined some, but maybe they were having a slightly off-night. I also hope they decide to restock their wine cellar and aren't just trying to upsale.
Taste: Consistently delivers good quality Italian food. It has always been the same each time.
Feel: Romantic and small, Michelangelo can give you a feel as if you are not in Houston. The little old house might not be located in the best of places but it does take you away.
Bang: Although pricey, Michelangelo is a nice date spot that is worth the Euros.
We went here for our wedding anniversary.. suppose to be romantic..not suppose to be great food..not suppose to be great atmosphere..not
OK first lets say the people who work here do not even know where this is.s.(bad directiokns) We get there and thce table we are sat at wobbles bad a guy sticks his head under there to fix and after about 3 minutes of him under our table I ask can we please just have another table. We moved 1 table over. When my husband made the reservation he told them it was our annv. We got our menu's and the people seemed offended that we did not want a bottle of wine. We get menu's and order. Appitizer out in about 5 minutes not bad. Dinner not out for 50 minutes later. We had been sat by the kitchen.. On a Sat. night that played music but we could not hear it. When then food arrived our tea glasses we're less than half full so we ask for a refill and steak sauce.(Because the steak was burnt on the outside and rare on the inside.) We never got refills or steak sauce. We decided to go somewhere, anywhere but there to have dessert. We ask for our check 3 times before it showed up (with grat. added in for a table of 2) So we quickly paid our bill and left. Oh and the sign at the door say's dress code enforced. The guy next to us had on basketball shorts and a tshirt (guess someone forgot to tell him about the dress code) This is only a fraction of our evening there we we're there for more than 1 1/2 hours. I would never recomend this rest. to anyone.
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I love this place! Great for that first date, or a group double date.
Everything I've eaten has been DELICIOUS.
You won't go wrong here!
There is only valet at the restaurant, unless you park down a street in the neighborhood across the street. (Valet guys! I believe that should be a requirement when on a date. Don't make the girl walk. ...especially when there is the option to valet)
It's really dark and romantic in this place. There is usually someone on the piano. ...and there are candles on the tables.
GO..if you've never been.
...even as an excuse to rekindle the love! =)
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1. Best tiramisu I have had in many, many years!
2. Romantic, romantic, ROMANTIC...did I say romantic?
Came here for dinner last Saturday evening, which was lovely, to say the least. The place was packed, naturally, full of couples swooning over candlelight and flowers. Did I mention it was romantic?
Yes, when picking a place to dine at, my date touted this as "one of Houston's top 10 romantic restaurants." MMM...expectations were high. Fortunately, he did not disappoint. Michelangelo's makes me want to jet off for la dolce vita. It's the kind of place where you want to take in, with body and soul, every moment, every scent and every sight, every lovestruck glance your way. Ok, I will stop with the romance writing right there, but just thinking of this place is making me swoon...
The food is fabulous, all around. We started with a bottle of Far Nienta (price tag $200 I come to find out...guess I'm worth it!), highly recommended by our server. I'm honestly usually more of a light-medium bodied red drinker, but this was a great Cabernet. I could go for a glass just about now. At noon. After pulling an all-nighter to finish a report. Ok, but back to the food...we started with just the Insalata Gamberoni, which was mixed baby greens, with sesame oil and balsamic vinaigrette, sliced orange, grilled shrimp and toasted capellini. This was wonderful! Light and tasty to get the juices flowing even more after a 2.5 hour workout.
Per the recommendation of my date, we were both going to have the grilled snapper (which comes topped with crab). It turns out their special that evening was also a snapper, topped with shrimp and lobster and a variety of other things including artichoke hearts. So we ordered both to share. They were both wonderful! Half of the dish was more than enough for me but my hungry friend enjoyed the rest of my dish :)
For dessert, we had the tiramisu! SO GOOD. I have a huge sweet tooth. All the desserts looked wonderful. The red velvet cake is next on my list to try. But oh my goodness the tiramisu was nothing like I've ever had before! It was like body butter for my mouth.
Service was wonderful the whole time! Our server made many great recommendations and was always attentive filling our wine and water glasses, as well as the bread basket for my carb-loving date. The place doesn't have a particular style to the decor inside, it's all mostly dark and feels very much like a romantic antique home. With a tree growing in the middle! Sounds kind of weird, but actually it makes the place feel very connected and cozy. There's mirrors on one wall of the refurbished house that the restaurant is in, and that makes for fun spying on other couples. Or your date, if you're still in that coquette stage when you pretend to flirtatiously look away.
Finally, the piano...the icing on the cake to a beautiful evening. The live piano music is delightful and very impressive. We ended up sitting around for almost an extra 30 minutes after finished with the check, etc. to listen to him play. Simply wonderful.
If you're ever in need of a Roman Holiday in hot Houston...be swept away in la amour at Michelangelo's.
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The perfect place for a date of any kind. It's very cute and romantic. I love places with live music and the piano player along with a celloist (? - it didn't look like a normal cello according to Tricia C.) created a great atmosphere. The tree in the middle of the room adds an organic sense and you feel like you're out in the open.
We had the calamari as an appetizer and split a bottle of wine. We also split the jefe di jefe which is a filet mignon with a blue cheese cream and shrimp topping. They graciously split the meal onto two different plates and it was a perfect portion size for two girls watching their figures...or at least trying to. The jefe di jefe was phenemonal. I dont generally like blue cheese but it was a great compliment to the filet and did not overpower the meat.
On another occasion, I had a nice cappuccino and the tiramisu. The waiter praised the dessert by saying it was the number one tiramisu in Houston. So obviously, I tried it. Don't listen to your waiter if he tells you this. It was edible and ok, but definitely NOT at all in the top list of tiramisus in the city; at least I hope not.
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I am always so excited to find a good Italian restaurant--there are so many mediocre ones out there. Michaelangelo's was a breath of fresh air though, luckily I had Carla C. to introduce me!
This place was super cute--an old house turned into a cozy spot for a romantic date or a classy girls' night out. Carla got us reservations right next to the big tree growing in the middle of the dining room (well ok I'm sure the dining room was built around it), up close and personal with the pianist and cellist. We waited for our table next to the cute patio that I'd love to come back and eat at sometime in the spring. The hostess offered to get us water or drinks while we waited, which was appreciated.
The upstairs bathroom was really adorable, and I got a glimpse of what seemed to be a party room. It was very homey.
The wine list was pretty reasonable but I was a little disappointed I didn't get to try the Riesling mentioned on the menu-I think they were out and instead brought us a bottle Chateau Ste. Michelle, which is always a solid bet but I was hoping to try something new.
For our meal, we split the fried calamari (we might have picked something else had we not smelled the calamari being delivered to another table--ah, heaven) and the jefe di jefe - filet mignon with absolutely SINFUL gorgonzola sauce, spinach, and rigatoni. Apparently that sauce was hundreds of calories, but worth every single one. But the portion was huge-4oz each was definitely plenty to share, especially since we were planning on drinks and dessert later. The medium rare steak was cooked to perfection...buttery smooth and melted in my mouth.
Several other items on the menu that caught my eye for another visit were the veal, spinach, and cheese stuffed canneloni, the veal medallions with mushrooms, crabmeat, and asparagus in cream sauce, and the duck and spinach tortellini. Mmm.
This place will definitely be a keeper on my Houston rotation!
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If it's one of those chilly Houston nights (yes, I know, there are only about four of them per year) and you're craving a filling meal and some alone time with your honey, Michaelangelo's is the place to be.
A tree grows through the middle of the restaurant, so indoors seems like outdoors. No matter how cold it is, the patio is great. It seems like you're actually indoors: the upholstered chairs and space heaters make it beyond comfy.
Nota bene: don't wear flip flops. My poor brother almost got shafted by the hostess because the kid wore flip flops to dinner and she almost wouldn't let them in because she was trying to enforce some sort of dress code. He was just out of high school at the time...they should have cut him some slack!
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Been here twice to eat dinner, and from what I recall, the food was good; however, it wasn't anything amazing because I don't remember exactly what I had. What struck me most was the atmosphere, with a big tree growing literally smack dab in the middle of the restaurant. A combination of low lighting, requirement to dress up a little, and the soft music make this a perfect spot for a romantic date.
Speaking of. I took my girl friend here the summer after I graduated from high school, and not realizing there would be a dress code, was almost refused a table because of the sandals I was wearing. After a little begging and a well-placed tear from my date, they compromised and put us in the corner of the restaurant. This is totally understandable from my point of view, and no blame goes to the restaurant. Just remember to do your research! Close toed shoes are a must. Nobody likes to get sniped by the dress-code Nazi.
Still though, check this place out, it's worth a try!
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I came here the day after Valentines Day with my girlfriend looking for some place romantic, unique, and with great food - I have no regrets on all three counts. We came pretty early and there were still a decent amount of people throughout the night.
Decor: I agree with the other reviewers - this is a perfect place for a date. The restaurant is very romantic with dim lighting and piano music nightly. Most of the tables are small so it seems to be made for couples and smaller groups. I also went upstairs to the bathroom and noticed a bigger room for a larger group which was nice and homey. There is also a tree in the middle of the room which adds a unique feel to the ambiance. As for the dress code, there is a sign outside that states business casual is recommended and the vast majority of people were dressed up - some guys were in suits.
Service: The service was great - somewhat less attentive than desired (it took them a little while to take our order) but for the rest of the night, the waitress was attentive. I also mentioned that there is piano music nightly and the music was very good - he played songs from movies and even came around afterwards to everyone's table to ask for requests which was much appreciated. One other thing I wanted to mention was that the check already had a 15% tip with no line for an additional tip - personally, I found this to be a good thing since the service was still attentive.
Food: The food was amazing! I had the special - lobster and spinach ravioli with lump crab meat and my girlfriend had the shrimp michelangelos. Both dishes were extremely fresh and delicious - my entree also came with a side of caviar which was a pleasant surprise. Even though we were full, we were tempted to look at the dessert tray (which is one of the pictures). Both the tres leches and the chocolate moouse (sp?) cake looked delicious and we went with the cake which was recommended by the waitress. Both of us were extremely pleased with that choice - the cake was soft and moousey (is that a word?) and not too chocolate-y which is what I prefer. All in all, the food was delicious!
Summary: Romantic and homey ambiance, Attentive service, and delicious food - I would definitely come back for the food!
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I've been here celebratory b-day dinner and Sunday brunch. It's a house-turned ristorante with valet parking and a business casual dress code. Free parking available in the neighborhood across the street, just watch out for Westheimer traffic.
It's very cute and romantic inside. The live tree in the middle of the house grabs your attention immediately, but there's also piano-loungy live music and nooks and crannies to explore seating. The food as I remember was good Italian food, but like a previous reviewer, I thought tasted "fatty." I remember leaving stuffed. Service was good.
Definitely on the pricier side of my usual eateries ($$), but worth a splurge. Plus, there's a coupon for buy one entree get one of equal or lesser value free you can find on their website so click and print before you go!
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I like Michelangelo a lot. I can go there for lunch or dinner. I love the way the dinning area is set up. It looks amazing during lunch time because the area is surrounded by tall windows so plenty of light comes in. Nice and Sunny!
Even for dinner , the place is tiny and romantic. Their food is amazing .. if you like veal .. I would def recommend this place. Also try there Linguine Nuovo.. its to die for ! (that's if you like Spicy linguini with crawfish).
Oh and do try their Carpaccio...
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Super romantic. Without being too contrived. The giant tree growing out of the middle of the restaurant is so great. I love the live piano music. It's a small place so make sure you have a reservation.
To be honest, the food is not that memorable but I still give it 4 stars because the experience was so lovely.
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I don't know if it was the bottle of wine my date and I shared but this was by far one of the most memorable dining experiences I have ever had. The food was great and the ambiance was absolutely perfect. I was on a first date and this place was rather romantic which I would have thought would have been slightly uncomfortable. I was wrong; the lighting, coziness, and piano player made a great backdrop for good conversation. I was very impressed with the service we received and wish I would have gotten our server's name. He was an older gentleman who was extremely friendly with all of the ladies. I think my date was jealous. I'll definitely be going back to dine here; hopefully with the same guy.
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I love this place. Very intimate and/or romantic, and great live piano player. It is a beautiful place with lots of charm and character. And MOST importantly, terrific food! EXCELLENT fried mozzarella appetizer. Italian food at its best. 5 stars! I recommend making reservations, especially on a Friday or Saturday evening.
UPDATE: Just returned from dinner, and this place lost 3 stars. The bread was horrible and cheap, the food was sooooo salty it had to be sent back and re-done, the pasta was not anything special, and the flavor was blah. In short, I can cook better.
Mandatory complimentary valet parking in their little lot and unprofessional staff (including the valet attendant).
In addition, the pianist/accordian player/singer tonight was AWFUL. He messed up playing Fur Elise (again, I could do better in elementary school) and should NOT have been singing. Bad bad bad.
The service was meh, and our party of TWO had 15% gratuity already added on my credit card which I think is just tacky. It's also stupid because I NEVER tip that little and it did not even leave me a place to modify it, so I left it alone. Bad mistake for them.
I have a feeling that ownership or management has changed since I was last there, because this is NOT the place that I fell in love with 10 years ago when I used to live in Houston. Back then the food was to die for and the piano player was awesome. So sad. R.I.P.
Now I gotta find a new Italian spot....
I would technically give it 3.5 stars.
My husband and I have turned into the ultimate old couple, we went with coupon in hand (only valid for seatings before 6pm) and arrived at 5:45pm for dinner. The coupon was a great value (buy an entree, get one free), but having to use it early is sort of awkward. Luckily, it is getting dark by 6pm this time of year, so it didn't seem so silly eating so early.
The coupon is available on their website and can also be used at lunch, which is where I will use it next time.
The husband loves his combo plates at Tex-Mex places and he can get a combo of the Italian variety here: Chicken Parm, Fettuccine Alfredo, Lasagna and Cannelloni. The portions are sizable and tasty. The escargot appetizer was so-so and the Veal Piccata was nice, but nothing extraordinary. The live piano and upright bass music was lovely, but doesn't start until 7pm. So the early birders (and coupon users) don't get it for the most of their dining experience.
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My boyfriend and I ate here for the first time on a Saturday evening a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it is has changed hands since all of the positive reviews, but both of our meals were truly awful to the point of being inedible. We both had chicken entrees and it was quite obvious that the "chicken" was a pressed chicken breast that had been microwaved or baked from some sort of frozen state to become a tasteless, dry, chewy excuse for poultry. In addition, the accompanying sauces were butter and salt filled and so bland that they could in no way salvage the pathetic slabs of meat. My boyfriend also had the Pasta Fagioli soup and it was basically salt broth with soggy noodles and beans without a tomato or fresh herb in sight - not even remotely reminiscent of this lovely Italian standard.
As far as the "atmosphere", while I can see the novelty appeal of the live tree growing in the middle of the restaurant, it in no way makes up for the overall cramped dining area and the fact that the wait station where the waiters get their ice and sodas is sitting right in the middle of the dining room. Throughout our meal, there was a constant flurry of activity around us as waiters got their various beverages and to top it off, we had the pleasure of observing the ice cooler periodically being filled from dirty plastic bins. The only other "ambience" was provided by the cars driving by on the street inches away, and the completely dreadful Muzak that was much too loud. In addition, our server was marginal at best and barely acknowledged us after taking our order.
I consider myself a fairly seasoned diner and worked my way through college as a waitress many years ago. As such, I'm very open minded about restaurants and generally willing to make a tradeoff on atmosphere if the food is good or vice versa. Michelangelo's has virtually nothing to offer in either category and I'm astonished that there are so many glowing reviews with so many other great choices in Houston. If you're looking for some good, basic Italian cooking, go down the street to Dolce Vita for a casual, relaxed vibe or over to La Grigilia in River Oaks for a more elegant Italian dining experience.
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This is a perfect place to take some one on a first date or on an anniversary dinner. The food is authentic and delicious. I recommend eating near the giant tree that grows through the restaurant.
You gotta love a restaurant that has a live oak tree growing out of the roof. This is the best chicken parmigiana I've ever had in Houston, and possibly anywhere else in the US.
this place is fantastic. it's very romantic but good for a small group as well. it's in a house and there is a tree in the middle of the dining area! there is also a live 2 man band, piano and bass. now onto the good stuff--the food! we ordered the calamari, fried mozzarella, and carpaccio. the calamari and carpaccio was excellent, didn't care much for the mozzarella, but maybe that's just not my thing. for the entree, i had the scallopini piccata, it was very tasty and tender, not too salty as many italian restaurants make it to cover up for poor cooking. other entrees ordered were the trout, was very fresh and excellent. the miso bass was also fresh, but it tasted a tad "fatty." for the dessert, i topped off the meal with chocolate mousse, it was well done.
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Neighborhood: Montrose
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Midtown
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Fourth Ward
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Fourth Ward
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Montrose
Category: Italian
Here are my pics on romantic places to dine.…
