Primo

My boyfriend and I decided to escape typical Christmas and treat ourselves to staying at JW. Made Christmas night reservations for primo. The vibe is fancy but the environment is more on casual end in my opinion. The staff are of course professional and caring and definitely deserved special thanks for working through the holidays. The menu had a little bit of everything for everyone even as far as price goes. We settled on beer, wine, bolognese and lobster pasta. Portions were decent- small but typical for this price point. Reservations are recommended. Looking forward to trying again at next JW stay !

Restaurant was booked out so we sat at the bar. Bartender was nice and helpful. I got a skinny margarita and it was good. Started with the meatballs. They were nice and I liked the crispy thinly sliced garlic in it. It could have used a little more seasoning. We then got the pork saltimbocca, pasta bolognese and ricotta cavatelli. The ricotta cavatelli was incredible. All the flavors were perfect. The bolognese was also very good. The pork was decent. I liked the sauce it was in but the rest was just ok.

Great service and food/wine. Had the snapper and lobster cacio e Pepe. We will be back.

This restaurant was so unimpressive. I never send food back and the lobster was so overcooked and rubbery I had to. Pizza was eh, the only thing that saved the meal was the bread service with aged balsamic. For being at such a nice hotel. This needs a lot of work. It's a skip.

The food is absolutely life changing. The service is unrivaled. The ambiance is lovely. A MUST try.

We really enjoyed our dinner here!! As locals we tend to not venture to restaurants in hotels too often but now we want to more! The remodel is gorgeous inside and we started it off with the tastiest corn soup! The flavor was wonderful and the nice waitress explained everything is from local farms. Which made it better! The meatballs were yummy and hot and fresh with the cool ricotta. The eye of rib was so flavorful and the bone marrow potatoes were unlike any we've ever had!I loved my fish dish, the savory fish with the vinigarette salad was a perfect combo! We didn't try dessert but next time we'd definitely get a cannoli. All in all 5 stars!

Primo @ the JW Marriott Grande Lakes focuses on farm-to-table cuisine with Mediterranean & Italian accents. Primo procures much of its produce, eggs, honey, & proteins locally, including from on-property Whisper Creek Farm & Primo's own garden below the restaurant. Primo has been designated a Recommended restaurant by the Michelin Guide since June 2022. Chef Melissa Kelly, owner, is a 2-time James Beard Foundation award winner for NE Best Chef. The restaurant is named after her grandfather, Primo Magnani.Primo underwent a major renovation in 2021 & is light & airy. You feel like you were whisked to a Southern Italian Villa. I sat @ the bar & the service was strong. The food & beverage arrived w/in an appropriate time frame. What I Ordered the Say Less Cocktail, Zellwood Corn Soup, Primo Meatballs, Oysters Oreganata, Bread PuddingDinner service began w/ an amuse bouche. The tuna tartar w/ mango & avocado was a well-balanced, tasty bite. Say Less featured Appleton Estate Signature Rum, Amaro Montenagro, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, & lime. The drink lacked depth of flavor & did not make the components shine. The soup was amazing & memorable. I could have had a bowl of the corn relish alone. The whole kernels provided great texture & the acid from the relish cut through the richness of the crème fraiche. I wanted to love the meatballs & I did enjoy the fresh ricotta and scamorza cheeses. I was just looking for more flavor in the meatballs. The tomato sauce was solid but not memorable. The oysters were well prepared. I loved the herbaceous quality created by the oregano and the garden greens. A squeeze of the Meyer lemon accentuated the breadcrumbs, & I appreciated the generous amount of breadcrumb on top of the oyster. The bread pudding had nice subtle notes that went well w/ the bright basil-calamanzi coulis. I thought it was a fun play on French toast sticks and liked the slight crisp on the ends. However, I feel the dessert tasted more like banana bread than bread pudding.

I was at the JW Marriott for a work event and had dinner at Primo. The service was exceptional from the host stand through to our table. Our waters were always kept full, the food never too long to come out, and the bar drinks were great. I ordered the corn soup and the braised beef tortelloni. The flavors were great and portion size were so filling.Our table also started with the octopus appetizer which was a hit. Our server brought out an amuse bouche of pimento cheese and pork rind after we were sat. It was a fun start with a seeming simple, but delicious taster to begin the evening. We live in the area and will consider this restaurant again. Pro tip: the restaurant has a wonder herb garden on the ground level below the restaurant and some herbs growing in planters on the balcony outside or the bar. It's worth a smell and appreciation if you have time.

My husband and I have stayed at the JW Marriot many times. First thing I would say is absolutely make a reservation before hand. Or you will be eating at the bar. The bar does have enough space for you to eat if you're by yourself for work or eating with a spouse or friend. But if you want the full experience I would recommend making a reservation. All of the food is very good.

The Rigatoni was delicious, very good favor & portion size. The tortellini was good the pasta was a little to undercook. However, this is expected from homemade pasta.