giovanni's one89

awful!!!. i got the prime rib special; the cut was weird; it had what looked like white connective tissue running through the part that traditionally doesn't have anything in it. the side of fettucini was okay, but nothing special. my boyfriend ordered the penne croatia (spelling?) that had mussels, scallops, and shrimp. he gave me a scallop to try and it was hard and dry, and he said another one was like that as was a shrimp.
i will not go back. try clemenza's - way better, close, & same prices!

the foam head on your draft bear is measured !. ok do i like this resturant yes ! but when you order a draft bear watch out i received a 3 inch foam head . now when i asked for more bear and less foam my waiter dropped the bear off at the bar & went on to another table in a nother room . 10 minutes later my nice frosted bear was warming up . the batenders new nothing & when i question them . was told this is what we must do or the management would not like us to much ! ok saving money by giving out more foam on draft is ridicules ! bear is cheap ! and a draft bear should be cold and full . there food prices are not cheap and being so should be enough . this is my only problem period . all else is good & great music . and a good happy hour . pb

don't get the carpaccio!. this place has great potential; they still need some fine tuning.

i usually get an appetizer for my dinner since i can't eat much at night, especially if i'm going to drink a cocktail or two. most restaurants in fwb/destin give you a pretty good bit of food even for an appetizer under $10. so naturally i figured if the dish was $12 it would be a pretty good amount of food. boy was i wrong! carpaccio is not an appetizer. it's literally about 1 teaspoon full of meat which is so tangy i could barely eat it! the other people at the table i was with got regular meals, and they all enjoyed their dishes. this dish is a joke! it should be removed from the menu! it was worth about 50 cents (if that) and they charge $12 for it. there was no description saying that it was a tiny specks of meat! don't be fooled like i was! don't order it! if you order an appetizer, ask them how much food you will be getting! they should be ashamed to have this dish on the menu!!!! i'm embarrassed that i ordered it!

we also had to ask for water (they didn't serve it until we asked). we had a table of 6 people, and they only brought one carafe of water, and we had to ask for another. it took over an hour to get our food from the time we sat down. it was pretty busy though.

on the other hand, the place is nice, and there's a good environment, and they have an excellent view - right on the water. they did have a guy playing guitar for entertainment, and we enjoyed that. also, we were with a retirement party, of about 20 people, and they gave us really good prices for drinks because we asked for them.

i will go back, but i'll definitely have to order a regular meal and take a to go box home.

great. just love tis place the food is amazing and all the renovations are just outstanding. stop by and see the new bar and say hi to brandy, she is an icon and knows her stuff about wine.

delicious italian food. we dined here recently with friends and it was a wonderful dining experience.
the food is delicious and the service excellent. prices are reasonable and i highly recommend. house wines are very good too.

fantastic atmosphere : friendly service, the pizza is fantastic. very nice wine selection. lovely place to go and enjoy spectacular view.

nice change. ordered lasagna for dinner and it was very good. the renovations to the restaurant are incredible. inside and out and especially the new bar are very nice for the area. prices have come back in line with the fwb market. highly recommend that you give the new caffe italia one189 a try. of course their main core of servers are the great ladies you have known for years and they do a great job welcoming you and serving you in the restaurant.


-----25 jun, 2013-----

wow. the prices have gone through the roof. hope the food meets the quality that jim and nada served!

great food moderately priced. very reaonable wine prices with a beutiful deck and bar area. was very impressed that this restauraunt was in ft. walton beach. it is under new ownership and i can tell they have put a lot of work in giving the place a nice facelift! the chicken parmasean was delicious and the best house italian dressing i have had to date.service was excellent. was so full i couldn't try their desserts but look forward to returning there in the future.

mediocre brunch. have been several times for dinner (under both the old and new ownership) and absolutely love the food and atmosphere. tried them for brunch today and was disappointed. the breakfast menu is somewhat limited and over priced. everything is a la cart and can add up to be a pretty costly breakfast. bottomless mimosa/bellini/poinsettias are $14 which means you'd have to have at least three to get your money's worth. definitely the highest priced bottomless drinks in the area and the mimosa was subpar at that. would not come back for brunch but will definitely continue to come back and enjoy dinner.


-----08 sep, 2012-----

great food & service. tried caffe italia on a friday evening with a few gals and had a great experience (everyone else had been before). we sat outside - loved the porch overlooking the water. we were greeted immediately by our server who brought out our carafes of wine shortly after. the carafes of house wine are a great deal at $16 each. although the bruschetta sounded fantastic, we just went straight to entrees. everyone else had the lobster ravioli (except me) while i had the chicken picatta. after placing our order, our server brought us some bread and the olive oil with onions and capers - yummy. our entrees were deliciously prepared and hot. i tried some of the ravioli and mussels - will definitely be getting that next time. we were not rushed at all and enjoyed a leisurely meal. the owners stopped to talk and ask how everything was, very friendly people. my fiance also asked me to bring him home some chicken alfredo and when i asked the server, she told me it was not on the menu but they could probably make it. they did and it was great. now that is what i call service!

readers need to be aware when reading the reviews that this restaurant was purchased by a family march 2013. they are providing authentic delicious italian food, with great service. all should enjoy and recommend to others.


-----07 oct, 2013-----

excellent meal! highly recommend penne vodka. service superb. family owned; authentic italian. three of us rated out meals as excellent.

wish they would have changed the name because it is the all new cafe italia with new owners and a fantastic facelift. brought friends here twice this month and dined on the lovely patio. appetizer scallops a delicious meal itself. carbonarra wonderful and also the alio pasta. pizza is great. the exterior not yet complete and wine bar in progress on patio. family friendly. casual.
moderate prices.

our new favorite spot for date night! what a lovely treat to enjoy such delicious food and specialty cocktails without having to drive to destin or further. the ambiance and water views are perfect for any special occasion. or, if we feel like a simple meal of soup and salad, this is where we'll go. if you're fortunate enough to visit on a night that brandy is working her magic in the bar, order one of her amazing tusacan lemon drop martinis.... mmmmmmmmm!

fabulous food. fabulous food, wine, service and ambiance! everything was geat - the penne vodka was especially enjoyable!! would highly recommend and will definitely be back!!

beautiful setting, delicious food, friendly service. i had the salmon, my son the lasagna. both were flavorful, fish was fresh, nice presentation of the caprese salad, fantastic calamari. varied menu with lots of different price points. very best part of a great dining experience was definitely the ambience and outdoor waterfront setting. relaxing and beautiful. will bring my husband here next time we are visiting.

amazing food!!! skeptical when i saw the outside but my friend said we should at least look at the menu and i'm glad we did! the inside was beautiful!!! the staff attentive and food great!!! don't let the outside keep you from trying this great italian restaurant!!!