Giovanni’s on the Hill has been a St. Louis icon for 38 years. Founded in 1975, it has been rated one of the finest Italian restaurants time and time again. Giovanni's has welcomed celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Frank Sinatra, Yogi Berra and Paul McCartney, and a steady stream of local residents and visitors from across the country and around the world. He also has cooked for presidents and vice presidents, such as Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and both Bush presidents.
Some of this attention from celebrities has been memorialized as menu items, such as a bow tie with prosciutto for the first President Bush; and Pappardelle alla Bella Oprah pasta, a dish for Oprah Winfrey.
Consistently rated by publications such as Zagat, AAA, and Mobil Travel Guide as one of the finest Italian restaurants, Giovanni's strives for perfection by using only the finest ingredients, tableside preparation, and excellent service from our professional staff.
A Family Affair
Giovanni ’s journey to fine-dining prestige on the Hill began in Sicily, where he was born and raised in a large family of four boys and three girls. He got started in the restaurant business with his brother, Rosario Gabriele, who owned a fine-dining establishment in Sicily.
“I had this dream of owning a restaurant in America,” Giovanni says, a dream fueled in part by his attraction to a girl named Fina Manno, who was a neighbor growing up in Sicily." “Fina went to live in St. Louis with her family,” he says. “After two years she came back to Sicily, and we were married in 1964. Then, together, we came to St. Louis.”
From the start, Giovanni relished the opportunity to share his passion for the fine Italian dining experience with every guest that walked through his doors. Today, 38 years, 3 children, 9 grandchildren, 4 American Presidents and one iconic Oprah Winfrey later, Giovanni, Fina and his entire family continue the tradition of providing a passionate and award-winning Italian dining experience to all his guests.