Cafe Paradiso

We had a great experience at this restaurant. (To start, I will say we made reservations for 2 on a Tuesday night, and I’m glad we did. It’s a small space with few tables and it filled up quickly. There is limited bar seating and outdoor seating.) The atmosphere was cozy and quirky. We had a friendly and attentive waitress who made good recommendations. My husband got the Sicilian meatloaf (amazing!) and I “made my own” pasta: cheese tortellini with pesto. It was outstanding. Their sangria, peach iced tea, and selection of desserts were also great. I wish we lived locally so we could make this a regular spot!

Great food, great service, attractive cozy little place to eat. Tomato soup and Cream of Garlic soup were both excellent. Salad with Caesar dressing and optional salmon was good, but the there was above average amount of dressing already mixed in, which I love, but my desire to eat less calories doesn't. Your choice! Salmon was good but I prefer salmon lightly cooked and this was thoroughly cooked. Probably better for most people. We loved our lunch and highly recommend eating here. We'll be back!! Review helpful? Like it....

My first time at Cafe Paradiso and it won't be my last. The place was packed on a Thursday night, nice ambience & good vibe. Exceptionally clean. Enough on the menu for choices while selections are skilled high quality options, each boasting great flavors. I started with an order of baked bread which was warm and had great flavor, perfect for the dipping oil served with the bread. I chose an Italian Chef Salad as my meal. It was full of fresh greens, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, small pieces of cubed cheese, slices of pepperoni & ham. I topped it off with Creamy Italian Dressing. Everything was fresh and tasted great together. And very filling. Service was welcoming & friendly. I almost gave this review 4 stars because it did take a long while to receive our bill, but the food & ambience was so enjoyable it deserves 5 stars.

We spent the early afternoon at the local flea market and were ready for a good meal. Cafe Paradiso delivered in every way.

Walking in, the atmosphere is charming and welcoming. Staff is extremely attentive and accommodating, as well as friendly. The beautiful smell of garlic hits you immediately and wakes up all of your senses.

We had no wait. We were there late afternoon. We were waited on immediately. The server offered many good suggestions. I was craving garlic and ordered the roasted garlic soup combined with the tomato soup (recommended by our server). And it was delicious! The bread was tasty and fresh. We asked for a second round. My "build your own" pasta with spicy Italian sausage and creamy pesto satisfied every one of my food cravings. It was seriously one of the most delicious pasta dishes I've ever had. My husband was very happy with his Fettuccine Alfredo. It's the first time in a LONG time I finished an entire meal on my own.

Stuffed full with amazing bread, creamy delicious pasta, and a nice chianti, the server asked if we were interested in dessert. I mean, I'm STUFFED.

Of course I'm interested in dessert! The tiramisu is SPOT ON! So delicious and very worth the calories!

Overall, we will make the 1.5 hour drive just to eat here and shop to charming downtown. Do not miss Cafe Paradiso when you're in the area. Better yet, make Urbana a destination!

This was my first visit. I had a 5:30 pm dinner reservation for party of three. We arrived a little early and were seated right away. Our server (Katherine) was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. The appetizers (charcuterie board, mussels, and tomato soup) were delicious. Our entrees (carbonara, chicken piccata, spaghetti & meatballs) were also delicious. In short, we were quite pleased with the food and service. This place has character and a friendly atmosphere, but it is rather small, and it became very loud as more guests arrived. The wine list is somewhat limited, but the prices are reasonable. We had an enjoyable time and will definitely return.

Small quaint restaurant in Urbana. Food and service was excellent. I ordered Create your own pasta lunch. I ordered Chicken Alfredo Pesto dish. The Roasted Tomato soup was delicious.The bread and Olive oil dipping is addictive. I will definitely visit again.

Went here tonight with my husband for the first time! We had a really nice waitress who explained the menu and specials thoroughly to us. The food was absolutely phenomenal! I got the chicken marsala and my husband got the tortellini with bolognese and mascarpone..it all was delicious we shared our entrees with one another!! We ended up getting bread with our order and salad with in house made dressing which was also fantastic! Then for dessert he had cookies and cream cheese cake and I had the lemon creme cake which both were to die for..I had no problem paying $65..the service food and ambiance were worth every penny! We will be returning customers for sure :)

If you want old school Italian Cuisine, you need to head to Cafe Paradiso in Urbana Ohio. They crushed it, amazing atmosphere, fabulous service and great prices.

Garlic Lover's Delight!

The aroma hit me the moment I walked in and I knew I was in the right place. This quaint little restaurant in the heart of downtown Urbana was such a joy to visit. Our server was friendly and attentive and the food was amazing!

We started with the Paradiso Chips Alfredo ($10)--kettle chips covered with Gorgonzola cheese and their alfredo sauce. Delicious! Next, I had the creamy garlic soup (WOW--amazing!!) and my wife had their salad dressed with the vinaigrette that has balsamic mixed with something that she loved. Her main course was the Cheese Ravioli ($15, again, delicious) and I had the server-recommended Beef Gorgonzola Gratin ($21). Both meals were covered in delicious sauces. I loved mine both in full bites and when I picked out individual components. The large chunks of sauteed onions covered in the sauce were so tasty; the same with the beef that just feel apart in my mouth. And the whole plate had a wonderful peppery flavor. Even stuffed (I got to finish half my wife's ravioli!!), we had to get dessert. We opted for the Salted Caramel Brownie with Ice Cream ($5)--a sweet finish to our savory dinner.

All in all, Cafe Paradiso hit the spot as we went away stuffed and satisfied.

My wife and I went for a late lunch on Wednesday for our first time there. They weren't busy so we could choose where to sit. The service was superb. Our server was prompt, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the menu and answered our questions fully and honestly. There were many options to choose from, including traditional pasta entrées, pannini's, and even some interesting gourmet pizza selections. Serving sizes were perfect for us (we were pretty hungry by 2:30 ), and the food was delicious ! ! There's also a nice selection of wines and beers that are reasonably priced.
We will definitely be going back for more !
It is recommended to call for reservations during busy meal times, as they are a smaller café which fills up quickly. There are also a few added tables on a small patio if the weather permits.
It is well worth a drive to downtown Urbana (in the town Square) for a meal at this quaint Italian café with delicious food at reasonable prices ! You won't regret it.

We placed our order with no difficulty. The food was excellent and hot! The tomato soup was delicious!!!! Make sure to get the Italian grilled cheese!!!

We really love this place! We have had different kinds of their soup, and they have all been amazing!
Their roasted garlic soup is probably our favorite (served on Fridays and Saturdays). Don't miss their pasta and pizzas, they are very good!
We keep saying, "Why don't we come here more often!"

Delicious!! I love their food, especially their soup! They always have their tomato cream soup and I had them swirl it with their soup of the day garlic cream... it was fantastic! Their house bread is always warm and tasty. Highly recommend!!

Great little restaurant to get a taste of Italian. My party got the chicken parmigiana. Fettuccine alfredo and spaghetti with meatballs. The servings were huge. My spaghetti was well seasoned. Great flavor in the meatballs. Tried my wife's alfredo. Excellent smooth creamy sauce. Quiet atmosphere while eating with light music. Try this place out.
Another dinner here. Had the angel hair pasta with sauce and salad. Just as good as the first visit.

Café Paradiso serves Italian fare and is located in the SE corner of Monument Square in downtown Urbana. They have an excellent reputation and are quite popular so reservations are best especially if coming in from out of town.

They have a full service bar with menu complimentary wine and rotating beer on tap as well as few European bottle selections.

Please support Cafe Paradiso's upcoming November 2022 ballot initiative allowing Sunday sales of alcohol so they can begin offering reservations for private parties on Sundays.

Fun authentic Italian restaurant. Friendly staff.

The food was extremely good. Service was great.. we stopped here for the first time on a visit to the aircraft museum. Plan on making the 45 mile trip again just to eat here..

Quaint Italian restaurant in the center of Urbana. Excellent food, prepared perfectly. The sausage lasagna is my husband's favorite, I like to build my own pasta. Always get the garlic soup when available, the best. One of our favorite places,you won't be disappointed.

Love this restaurant. Food is tops, owners and employees are great. We have a 20 mile drive and still eat here about once a month.

This has, by far, been the best local place we’ve tried. We came for lunch on a Tuesday, so it wasn’t too crowded, but they were pretty busy. The prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious. The soup of the day today was carrot dill, and I don’t think I’ve ever tasted such good soup. We will definitely be back.