Osteria Avanti - LEOLA

Nice but small restaurant inside the Inn of Leola. Place is on the pricer side though I'm not sure the food warrants the overall price they are asking for. I had the Penne with the braised beef. There was some good flavors going but wasn't as mind blowing as the menu made it out to be. My wife got the Scilian Swordfish which she really enjoyed, it was a little to fishy for my taste however. My wheelchair bound wife had no issues getting into the restaurant or moving around since they sat us near the front where there was plenty of room to maneuver. If we had been stuck towards the back it might have been a different story. They could use another handicap parking spot or two though. Out waiter was ok, took awhile to get my drink refilled and when he was going over the desserts he rushed through them so quickly I wasn't sure where one ended and the other began. Not sure the price warrants a return trip or not but overall it was an enjoyable evening.

I would like to start off the review by saying that the service was excellent. The wait staff was really on the ball and we had no issues with over-the-top wait times. I felt like they really cared about whether or not we had a worthwhile experience. The food, however, left a lot to be desired. For our appetizer, we ordered the arancini (fried risotto balls). They were nothing special, really just like any mozzarella sticks you'd get in a bar but in ball form. We've had better arancini. My husband ordered the beet salad, which was the highlight of his meal; he would highly recommend it and it is the only reason this review is getting 2 stars. I ordered the Caesar salad which was just okay. It was not what I was expecting; it was tossed in a red pepper oil so it did not taste like Caesar dressing at all. Then, for my husband's entree, he ordered the spring risotto. He said it was so salty that it was verging on inedible. Interestingly, my entree, the fettuccini with sun-dried tomato pesto was very bland. It had obviously been made with dried pasta from a box; I would expect that a nice Italian restaurant would use fresh homemade pasta, especially at these prices. Also, the bruschetta that came with it was really just their free focaccia bread grilled and limp. My favorite part of my meal was actually my drink, a Peach Bellini mocktail. Pretty sad when you think about it. We were so disappointed by the food that we didn't even order dessert. I had planned on ordering the chocolate torte since it was my birthday, but my daughter and I are both bakers and I didn't have the heart to be disappointed all over again. The ambiance was nice. The restaurant was nestled in a cute little inn in the heart of Leola, PA, but the table next to us was so close that we could smell the seafood they ordered, a bit off putting considering my husband is a vegetarian. All in all, we would not recommend this restaurant to anyone with tastebuds and we will not be going back.

If only we lived nearby this lovely restaurant and hotel! We'd return again and again. We do travel to this area of Pennsylvania regularly and definitely are planning to visit the restaurant again (hopefully bringing friends) and stay in the lovely hotel and spa. Our wine, salads and entrees were wonderful! Best of all was the care and attentiveness of the staff, making the experience even better than a great meal. The restaurant is beautiful inside and the ambience relaxing.

This restaurant could be a hidden gem, as the food and service are both very good. It's a little cramped to be considered fine dining, although it's priced as though it believes it is. The menu is okay... they do have some great dishes, but it's somewhat limited. What lowers their rating even more for me is that they have a sub-standard wine selection. To make it worse, they charge a $25 corking fee if you bring your own. I think this place is really just a convenience for visitors staying at the beautiful Inn... not for locals who have many better options.

Had a great evening at the Inn bar Osteria. Bar tender Kyle, was friendly, knowledgeable of the menu, and went above and beyond to make our visit a good one. Great spirit selection, even some good cigars. Thanks again Kyle, we'll be back soon.