Salento Italia

Salento Italia is a charming Italian spot. My friend and I popped in without reservations and found ourselves happily perched at the bar during Happy Hour. We savored the pizza of the day and the delightful bruschetta, which stole the show alongside the heavenly tiramisu. While the calamari, Caesar salads, risotto, and bolognese were enjoyable, they didn't quite match the magic of the pizza and bruschetta. We even took some home to jazz up later. Despite the delicious food, we couldn't help but wish for blinds on the windows, as the setting sun made our bar seats uncomfortably hot. Nonetheless, the inviting ambiance ensures we'll be back for more happy hour delights at Salento Italia.

Salento Italia, one of Donelson’s newest restaurants, is such a treat to have right down the street from us. My wife and I tried it for the first time on Feb. 24, 2024, and we will be back! We started with the antipasto plate and it was the best dish of the night. Superb quality meats and cheeses on this plate. She had the pappardelle bolognese, and I had lasagna bolognese. Both were very good, but we agreed the lasagna was the best. The drinks we ordered were also delicious. This restaurant has a very pleasant, cozy atmosphere. Our waiter could not have been any better. He got a big tip! The service was outstanding, which I think is as important as the quality of the food. So glad to welcome Salento to our neighborhood. Oh yeah, make sure to make a reservation. This place is busy.
Update: We came back here for dinner on March 22, 2024, and it was even better … I think I found the best pizza in Nashville - the La Carne at Salento Italia. I promise, it will blow you away. They also have the best meatballs, paired excellently with polenta, that I have ever tasted. Truly impressive, tender, flavorful meatballs. The sauce and polenta are just as flavorful and the whole thing is a delight to the tastebuds, bite after bite. That’s part of why the La Carne Pizza is so good - toppings include pieces of the meatballs.

Beautiful new addition to Nashville. Their chicken parm was classic Italian and delicious on all accounts. We also ordered the calamari and scallop special. Highly recommend! Great date night atmosphere!

My husband took me here on Valentine's day. We loved the atmosphere it's very inviting. We had to bring our son with us he is 3, I was worried but when we got to our table upstairs there were kids near us. We all ordered a drink my husband had a beer (all canned or bottled) I had an expensive glass of not great Cabernet l($15) and my son had a lemonade that I had to ask for twice. We started with the focaccia bread which absolutely delicious, it's served with an oil that had chopped up olives in it. They do not have a kids menu and the server never recommended anything for our son either. I ordered Chicken Parmesan because it came with fettuccine think I could share. My son didn't like it and to be honest neither did I. The red sauce has ZERO flavor... chicken was tender but overall BLAND. My husband had the filet it was served with broccolini and parmesan risotto. I did have one bite of it but it had some type of salsa on top of it that tasted like fish.🤔 I also ordered a side of the parmesan risotto which was very tasty. For dessert we had the tiramisu that was a bit dry but better the next day from the leftovers that we took home. This place is very new and still needs some kinks worked out. We will eventually go back and I'll try something else.

I can not say enough good things about this new restaurant.
- Super friendly staff.
- Prompt food service
- Great wine and cocktail selection
The restaurant has a fresh look that is cozy and inviting.
We truly enjoyed the octopus app, Mista salad, Lasagna entre, and Gnocchi Short Rib.
For desserts, we had Affogato & Tiramisu.

This is a great new addition to Donelson and to our surrounding area. I look forward to going back and enjoying many more dishes.