Al's Upstairs Italian Restaurant

Firstly, the owner is one of the nicest people I have met. The views are incredible! I mean wow. To make this review even better the Calamari was splendid and the Veal Parmigiana tasted excellent.

It's no secret to that Al's Upstairs is amazing! But my first experience was dinner celebrating 3 years with my boyfriend last night. Our meal was amazing! However, what I really want to brag on is our server, Allison. She made sure everything was perfect! She provided thorough descriptions of menu items and answered questions before we knew we had any. We had such a great experience! This might have to be our spot for all occasions.

This was such a nice experience. I'm here for work and wanted to take myself out for a nice dinner. Excellent food and service!

This is a bittersweet one to write. We recently moved to the Columbia SC area and had never had a chance to visit this wonderful restaurant, till now. It was on a list of highly recommended restaurants and when we heard that Al was retiring after 44 years serving amazing Italian food here in SC we had to try and go, at least once. Well I am lucky to have gotten a reservation in the final weeks and what a better way to celebrate my wife's birthday then here. The atmosphere was elegant, the staff were all great especially Lillian our waitress. She was wonderful. The food was very good. The pasta al la Al was to die for and my wife tried our Italian restaurant go to, veal parm, which was wonderful. Sorry that this will be our only chance to experience this but am so glad we had the chance. Great job to Al and his staff. Enjoy your retirement.

Wow! This hole in the wall place is so delicious. It's upscale dining with a beautiful view. We had appetizers, drinks, entrees, and desert. We all shared everything and between the 4 of us and there wasn't a bad dish around. If you're looking for a special place with your significant other or you want to hang out and enjoy a meal with your favorite people, this is the place.

Thanks to Al’s Upstairs for a great birthday for my sister. I live out of town and called in the afternoon to arrange Champagne as well as pick up the tab as her surprise gift for her and her husband. Thanks Tony for answering my call, providing super service and helping me make her birthday special. Y’all rock!!!

Very nice dinner experience. 23 years ago we came for prom and didn’t appreciate the view or the food as much as we did tonight. Absolutely a beautiful view while enjoying delicious food. A must try for delicious pasta and beautiful sights of the city.
The Lobster Bisque is topped with a delicious pastry!! My favorite of the night. The chefs special spinach salad was fantastic. The entree of choice this evening was Seafood Manicotti. I must say spot on. Save room for the New York Cheesecake… You won’t be disappointed!!! This was a great date night to get dressed up!!!

One of the best dining experiences in Columbia. Make reservations in advance. We love sharing our Valentines Day at Al’s every year!

Lobster bisque is delicious!

Amazing romantic setting! It’s upstairs (hence the name) and offers a great view of Downtown Columbia! We had the fried oysters and crab cakes for an appetizer and they were top notch. The service was exceptional and the server was attentive without being intrusive. It is definitely an adult only restaurant. The price was appropriate for the food and setting offered.

Omg !! One of the best experiences I’ve had in a while! My husband and I came here for our 4 year anniversary and as soon as we checked in we told Happy Anniversary! Went to our amazing seat with a beautiful view! Our waitress was AMAZING & had a great attitude!! Leaving the restaurant we were told “have a great one please come again” by every staff who saw use leaving! Food was Breathe-taking! 10/10 would definitely recommend!!

We were seated immediately when arriving by a super friendly hostess! The restaurant was full with customers. Tony our waiter was a super friendly and efficient. He had a table of 12 and kept us and that table and several others very happy! Veal parm was to die for and charleston chicken was super flavorful! Sad news they are closing 😢. Had to go before they closed. Will miss Al's Upstairs!

I've lived in Columbia, SC for nearly 12 years and by some cruel twist I had never visited this landmark restaurant until 2019. What a remarkable experience. Beautiful view of the Columbia skyline and river. Soft atmosphere. Impeccable service......all this was just the beginning. The menu is diverse and resplendent. The wine selection is deep and supportive of the exceptional menu. Portions are generous and flavorful with absolutely perfect ingredients. Every phase of this experience was satisfying and rewarding. Highly recommend! 5 Giant stars!

Excellent food and service. Just happen to be driving through town and found them on Google. Very glad we did. Todd was courteous and professional and made the overall experience great. The food is very tasty and worth checking out. Plus the view from our table is nice. An excellent venue for an romantic dinner, esp if you live locally.

Another Columbia favorite. If we lived here, we would come all the time. Creative and sophisticated menu with a nod to regional fare. Nice wine list. Always top-notch service - yes, that's you, Lilly (Lillian). We'll keep coming here until we can no longer climb the stairs.

All 3 of us enjoyed our meals. Thank you for the gluten-free options.

Sooooooo good, great food! Nice atmosphere, great for date or just dine! Try the lobster bisque, hot but tasty, had the ravioli, so creamy!

My husband and I went for my 60th birthday dinner. It was fabulous from start to finish ! I can honestly say it was the first time in the 13 years we've lived in the Columbia area that we had both fantastic food and service at the same time! We will be back!

Food is phenomenal. We come here every time there’s something to celebrate. The crime brûlée is nothing short of perfect.

Overall, amazing food! We went to eat here for Valentine’s Day, and we were given a table right in front of the window and it was such a pretty view. I loved how elegant the tables were set up as well as the atmosphere. Beautiful little restaurant! We were very impressed with the food, I got the sea bass and it was absolutely amazing, my bf got steak and shrimp and loved it. The appetizers were great as well. My bf and I have both been servers at fine dining restaurants so we have very high expectations, my ONLY complaint would be the server seemed very rushed. He didn’t really go out of his way to answer questions and didn’t seem passionate about what he was doing. I understand it’s Valentine’s Day and it’s busy, but guests can definitely feel when you are rushing them. It didn’t ruin our dinner in any way because we understand and we will most definitely be back :)

For many years we have been going to Al’s. We have hosted visitors and large dinner parties there which all loved. The food,service and atmosphere is always top shelf. I don’t know how Al keeps the quality of his food up and his prices remain reasonable. It is a great date night spot. My wife loves the lobster bisque and it is the only place I ever eat veal as I know it will be delicious always.