Paolino

Let me brag to you about this mom-n-pop Italian restaurant called Paolino. It's located in South Decatur, near East Lake. Offers free parking and Italian dishes made from scratch. Yeah, can it get any better? Yes it can! Cause it's reasonably priced and they offer some great specials during the week. There's lunch specials that is available M-Th until 4 pm. On Wednesdays, wine bottles are 1/2 off. Well, the bottles are significantly marked-up but the 1/2 off makes it grocery store level price, so not so bad a deal. Before jumping into food, let me draw the picture of ambience for you. In a world where we are all about getting that insta feed picture, well they tried to make it insta worthy. It's mom-n-pop so you can expect to see crates and supplies stores around you. That's giving hole in the wall vibes. But they did hang some beautiful plants all around the shop to give it a charming vibe. There's outdoor covered space available and the gelato shop is right next door. Now food. First - Calamari $16. Small calamari pieces. Smells AMAZING and tastes VERY flavorful. I'd use the word flavorful for all their dishes. It's as if they just dumped all the MSG on their food. I doubt they out MSG but I mean to say that the flavor is Lamb Ragu - $17. Lunch portion is not too carby and comes with salad. Fresh salad is just so refreshing. Lamb was a bit dry but again, expect to be filled with flavor. Alfredo fettuccine with shrimp $23. Lunchtime portion is small and comes with a salad. It's great cause really low carb portion and you enjoy some good Italian food. Kid's Alfredo pasta with penne was great except I have picky eaters. The strong smell of garlic didn't go well with the kids. So, I'd say 4 on 5 rating. It's a great spot.

Paolino is a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Decatur with a friendly vibe, large portions, and reasonable prices. The parking lot at the restaurant is not large, but it is pretty easy to find street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and thankfully the outdoor seating is underneath and awning, because it started raining really hard partway through our meal!Their menu is pretty comprehensive and has something to satisfy most tastes. I eat everything, but I did notice that they have a gluten-free menu as well, which I rarely see at Italian restaurants. We started with the bruschetta, which is topped with goat cheese, italian sausage, onions, peppers, and marinara sauce. I had the chicken parm for my main and my dinner buddy had the italian sausage pappardelle. All tables get a nice serving of complimentary bread and oil, which was pleasant to start out with. The bruschetta might have actually been my favorite part of the meal. The bread was well toasted and was loaded with the toppings which balanced each other nicely. The italian sausage was very flavorful. Portions for everything are very generous, which I appreciate. When I eat Italian food, I want comfort food, and to me comfort food involves a large helping of carbs. Paolino certainly satisfies that comfort food appetite!If I wasn't so hungry, I probably could have brought home leftovers from my entree, but I did end up finishing it all. The chicken parm itself was well seasoned but a bit on the dry side. The pasta was cooked well--not under, not over. Service is attentive and friendly. It seems like they hire local teens for front of house, which I actually think is awesome. They were trying really hard and did a good job! You're not getting super slick service from career servers here, but I personally don't mind that at all. Overall we passed a pleasant dinner here, and I would definitely return to get the bruschetta again and try something else when I'm in the area!

I had really high hopes given the other reviews. I order clams and pasta. I picked up the order as soon as it was ready and it was very disappointing. The noodles were soggy, the flavor was lacking and tasted tart. It was as though it was missing ingredients. The staff were nice but I wouldn't risk going back with my first food experience. It was quite literally the worst clams and pasta I have ever had. I had to toss it after my first 2 bites. The second bite was to make sure I wasn't going crazy.

I met a colleague here for work after seeing reviews on Yelp. My salad was alright, while she did not enjoy her soup(s) or main entree. The bread was stale, unfortunately, but our server was kind and helped my colleague out when she wasn't 100% satisfied. Overall I wouldn't return as it's far from my home and the food was mediocre.

I really wanted to like it, it's in a cute neighborhood and really cool vibe inside. Ordered takeout. I ordered Chicken parmigiana with a caprese salad. I'm sad to report that the pasta was overcooked, the water wasn't salted properly so the dish was bland and the chicken was also overcooked and dry. The caprese salad came with an odd side of grilled peppers (not necessary), and the tomatoes were mediocre and poorly sliced (uneven and fat). The mozzarella was mediocre. Overall it just didn't work. True caprese really sings because of the quality of ingredients. This sadly for me fell flat. I would possibly try again, but probably not. Maybe with some different menu choices.

Paolino is a nice and intimate Italian restaurant nestled in the Oakhurst neighborhood. I always passed by and made a mental note to stop by next time I was in the mood for Italian Fare. Last night, my partner and I were able to walk in and quickly get a table two. I absolutely love the decor of the restaurant. The hanging plants and lighting reminded of a tucked off joint in NYC. Sienna was my server and she was absolutely wonderful and friendly. To eat, the table started with the "Italian Sausage Brushetta" . The appetizer was a 10/10! My entree, the "Lamb Ragu" was about a 6/10. Granted, Italian food doesn't contain a ton of frills, I still feel like this dish was just ok and kind of basic. I kind of wished I ordered the Mushroom Ravioli instead but, I'll try that next visit.

Such a cute small neighborhood Italian restaurant. Great service and great food! I tried the bruschetta appetizer which was delicious! A must try. Also got the bolognese lasagna which was super flavorful. I loved it.

We dine at Paolino sporadically through the year. We enjoy sitting inside AND outside, weather permitting. It's such a wonderful, always pleasing, go to, neighborhood restaurant. Oakhurst is such a charming area. Paolino adds to that charm.This evening, Teresa, aka-TJ, made our evening extra special. She was extremely attentive to our needs. Her warm personality shines. I feel like I've made a new friend in TJ! She saw us grabbing a gelato, as we were leaving. She said it was on her & she even tipped the young man who was helping us. It's people like TJ who make all the difference to an organization, especially a restaurant. She's one of the reasons we keep coming back.On top of it all, the food & wine selection are excellent. So good! I'm more of a 4.5 vs 4. My only critique is that I enjoy hearing the music, especially if sitting outside. Music means a lot to me & it can make or break an experience.Overall, we enjoy Paolino & will be back soon!

My sister and I came here for lunch and we sat on the patio. It was kinda slow but the vibes were so nice. There are fresh flowers on the table and there was a nice breeze when we went. Teresa was the kindest server I'd had in a while and she recommended some great things to us like the cheese sticks and the mushroom ravioli! I will be coming back again and bring more people to enjoy such a jewel!

It's very dirty in the restaurant. I had the feeling that the tables had never been cleaned. There was even cobwebs above the table! Administration and management, you should be ashamed! Disgusting, rusty tables and chairs!