5. Trattoria Giorgio

This is currently my favorite restaurant in Greenville SC. I love simple rustic food and I’ve been on the search for the best Bolognese. Trattoira has it. The atmosphere is perfect, very simple, low-key and charming. The service is wonderful and the food is amazing. My husband and I have been there twice and are looking forward to going back many times. The charming spot has a special occasion feel to it, but the prices are not high end. I imagine people assume the restaurant is pricy because of the look and feel of the place, but it’s not, it’s an amazing deal for the food and service. It has been full every time I’ve been there and we’ve always gone on a week night, so I imagine they are very busy on the weekends. If you are looking for a sweet spot to have a quiet dinner, a peaceful view of downtown Greenville, amazing food and wonderful service, check out Trattoria Giorgio.

On a recent visit in April 2001, my wife and I were seated in the very rear of this nice, but small restaurant. I sat in the seat facing the kitchen/linen/employee gathering area that was totally unsatisfactory. I was amazed that when I inquired as to the possibility of being seated somewhere else that every employee I talked to never once showed any empathy or concern when they told me no. I suggested to the waitress that something complimentary like a dessert might help to show people who get stuck in this seat that "we're concerned" and the small gesture was done to acknowledge that. When I got our bill the charge for the desert was on there big as life so I guess my idea didn't go over too well. I asked the waitress was the owner there and she said, "oh yes". Surprisingly, he never came over to our table to talk to us. The food was good, but think twice if they try to put you in "the corner" where the view on a scale of 1-10 is a 1. I think that if someone had just acted like they cared we would have felt completely different and from then on we would have known which table to ask that we not get when we made our reservation.

The Trattoria is great! If you haven't been, go. But, make a reservation. You will not get a table without one on Friday or Saturday. My favorite dish is the lobster ravioli appetizer. For Greenville, this is a 10!