Jovanina's Broken Italian

This place is called Broken Italian but is anything but broken! The quality of food was excellent, the environment felt comfortable and we enjoyed the heck out of this establishment.We came in from out of town, got seated right away for our 7pm reservation. Service was impeccable, the kitchen was a little backed up and Kelly our server went above and beyond to communicate and compensate for something that was obviously out of her control. Kelly was well knowledgeable and took great care of us. Everyone was happy with their experience and therefore I felt it necessary to make sure to show our appreciation!

The first floor and bottom floor have two very different ambience. Upstairs is bright and modern and the bottom floor is romantic and edgy. We were seated downstairs and enjoyed the settings.The online menu is a bit different from their actual menu so we were a little disappointed that we couldn't order any mussels. My husband ordered the chicken parmesan and I ordered the Gnochietti. We shared the roasted oysters and the shaved winter salad. The salad is amazing! It was very light yet so much flavor from all the different toppings. The roasted oysters were a big disappointment. They were small, close to non-existent, would not recommend this. The chicken parmesan was good but a bit too salty for our taste. The noodles were perfectly cooked, al dente. The gnochietti is a bit different from gnocchi but the same concept. I think it's made of sweet potatoes. It was so creamy and cheesy and oh so delicious.We do love Italian food and cheese, but it did get a bit too much. The food here is very delicious, but it was a bit too creamy and cheesy for us. The portions look small but don't let that fool you. We left very full with leftovers.

Was out with friends on a Thursday evening in LoDo with great weather, some not having a reservation somewhere was causing some stress. Yelped for the best Italians around us and Jovanina's had great ratings and some availability so we jumped. SPO HAPPY WE DID!!Fun place, killer food and great service. YOU HAVE TO GET THE FOCCACIA. OMG IT IS INSANE! Got the octopus and also the elk bolognese. Highly recommend

This was a great choice for our only opportunity to have dinner in downtown Denver. We got a great seat at the back of the restaurant where we could see all the food coming out of the kitchen. I started with a really cozy gin cocktail with an egg white float on top. It tasted like the holidays in a cup. For appetizers we had some bone marrow and fresh bread, along with the rainbow carrots. I could have eaten the braised onions that came with the bone marrow on their own they were so good. For the main course I had lamb raviolis. They were served in a very light broth, so they weren't as heavy as I expected. My friends both ordered the elk bolognese which I stole multiple bites of. I loved the al dente texture of the pasta shape in their dish. For dessert, we had a toffee chocolate pudding that was the perfect sweet bites to finish an incredible dinner.

The ambiance here is sure to make you feel like you are part of elite supper club. The decor is a mix of industrial fixtures with marble tabletops and exposed brick. Long candle sticks grace every table with a live flame. Be careful not to lean into them when you take your seat! Our server was friendly and prompt to take our order. We went with his recommendations and shared everything. We started with the prosciutto and then had the side of oven roasted carrots which were perfectly cooked Al dente. We followed those with the octopus, and then the short rib. Every dish was well prepared with thoughtful flavors that made a perfect bite each time I went back for more. I also had an old fashioned which had just the right balance of citrus and sweet to whiskey. I really enjoyed this place, will be back again!

Good food, good bar conversations, and Kayla our bartender/waitress are what I can say gave Jovanina's a 5/5 for me.Visiting from out of town so you never know what same day accommodations can be made. Called in and was explained that the bar and closer to the front would be available but made it very clear they could accommodate my visit.Chose the bar and was welcomed by some amazing locals who made some recommendations for the Tuesday/Thursday "I know a guy" and a business group who made a recommendation from the Main menu. Simply amazing to be met by that and a waitress like Kayla who explained the menu in an amazing manner and made the visit very accommodating and took care of my but allergy.Food:Aperol Spritz: 5/5-Lovers of Prosecco, this is your calling! Sweet enough to change the profile of your Prosecco, it gives it a light tough of citrus with orange and sweetness with the aperol. The ice in the drink is enough to give it cutting edge to be a drink they continues to give you a different profile as you're experience your meal.Elk bolognese: 4.5/5-specialty item for a fraction of the price gives this meal a 4.5/5, elk bolognese always has a savory and heavy feel with a light touch. The mascarpone ricotta cheese in this meal give it the chefs kiss when intertwine the flavors. Sauce was savory, elk was prepared well but I'd say the .5 could be supported with a little more of an herbal touch on the sauce and dish itself, other than that... this is delicious options I'd pay full price for.Olive oil cake(nut friendly option) 6/5:-this finishing touch gets an extra point because I forgot to mention I have a nut allergy... without a thought second thought Kayla said "nope" and made sure to take care of it and apologize when this was my fault... not hers. This meal I'm sure would be altered with the granola but unfortunately I couldn't have it.... Rich, light, and savory this was what needed to be done. The lightness of the cake and creaminess of the ice cream give you a heavy to light experience that makes your tastebuds tingle as the herbal side of the dish marries the flavors. Simplification of flavors helps this dish get the 5/5, the extra 1 for how accommodating the staff is.- please take care of Kayla as this experience would not have been as good as it was if it wasn't for her attention to detail and caring attitude to accommodate. Give this girl a raise or please ask for her part of the bar as I would recommend her and Jovanina's.

We had a reservation for 6:30 but came 15 minutes early and were seated right away. The ambiance is very romantic. We got the oysters and the pesto pasta and well pasta dishes. They were fantastic. We also sat downstairs which was a very cozy and perfect vibe for our date night. Our server was also fantastic. Will definitely be back.

Pretty tasty. We loved the food, excellent food- absolutely delicious scallops, risotto, pizza and wine selections superb. Ambiance terrific! I would be a regular if local. Why four and not five? For the twenty minutes we waited for service with ten employees lounging around chatting as we attempted to get someone to take our order. Other than that, the night was perfect.

Highly recommend Jovanina's Broken Italian! Fantastic Italian food - creative dishes served with superb flavors and top notch service. So many great menu choices. Wine list, check. Wonderful selection of reds and whites, with emphasis on Italian varietals. Atmosphere is excellent - upstairs is bright and vibrant, downstairs where we sat was cozy and warm. Perfect place for a romantic dinner or fun time with friends. I had the Pasta Amatriciana, which was delicious! Pasta was cooked al dente to perfection with tomato sauce, hint of Calabrian pepper, sausage. Yum! My partner had the sausage, sweet onion and fennel pizza which was amazing. Crust: perfect. Definitely recommend the Olive Oil Cake for dessert. I added an espresso macchiato. Can't recommend Jovanina's enough, and can't wait to go back.

Excellent service. Very good food. Nice ambiance. But they add annoying fees to the bill. A 2% fee and a 3% fee. If they had a warning about these fees, the warning was not prominent, neither my wife nor I saw it. I hate these sorts of fees. Yes- I expect you to pay all staff, including kitchen, well. Build that into your prices, don't add nuisance fees at the end! i am not going to dine at a competitor because their entree is $38 and your entree is $40! I will eat at the better restaurant without fees.