My wife and I have been residents of Upland for the past 7 years. Being a business owner myself in upland I like to support local business. So we decided to give Aria a try after I had my hair cut done at smother barbers in downtown upland, When we walked in the place was decorated nicely. We were seated by a gentleman. There weren't too many people there just about 2 other tables. We sat down and looked through the menue and we both decided to get something off the lunch menue. As we were looking at the menue the waiter brought out water and bread and other things. He didn't even bother to ask us if we wanted any else to drink besides water. Isn't that the first thing you ask your gusts when they sit down???
My and wife and I both got the lasagna for lunch which came with either soup or salad. We both got the salad. What a disappointment that was. A big dish with just a few piece of greens on there. I mean 3 Â bits and it was gone. So we just munched on the bread which was very good until out lunch came. It was a good portion but the taste was just bland. I finally had to ask my waiter for a glass of sprit since he failed to ask us if we cared for anything to drink. After asking him for a glass of sprite he didn't even ask my wife if she would like anything else to drink? I mean come on its not that hard to do.
We left with so much dissapointment cause we both love italian food and this place didn't live up to it. Oh a few hours later both my wife and I got sick from the food as well. We will not be coming back to this place at all. The service was horrible and the food made us sick. Â Olive Garden would have been a much better choice than this place.
My boyfriend has been in the Upland area for the past 2 1/2 years and we've only just discovered this restaurant because we've made a point of trying new places and Yelp has been a great help. Â First of all the ambiance is beautiful and the restaurant was quiet and peaceful (even though the Lemon Festival was going on just outside the window). Â The place was decorated elegantly and complimented with dimly lit chandeliers and a beautiful wine cabinet against the back wall. Â Our server was so attentive and checked on us frequently but not too frequently. Â He was great in helping us decide on what dish to have as EVERYTHING sounded wonderful. Â We started with the spicy mango fusion drink that was an excellent choice. Â For my entre, I had the smoked salmon with linguine and champagne cream sauce and my boyfriend had the lobser ravioli. Â Both were excellent dishes. Â The wedge salad and rolls were great compliments to a delicious meal. Â I would most definitely come back. Â Thank you Aria for taking care of us and see you again soon.
Review Source:At the height of the Upland Lemon Festival (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.) we were looking for a nice sit down dinner for my wife, daughter and myself.
We were hesitant as the glass windows are very dark, and what we could see of the tables was that they there were draped linen tablecloths and as we had been walking the festival , we were VERY casually dressed. In addition, my wife and I each had one of the local beers in hand. Initially we couldn't find the front door, which is pretty non-descript.
However, upon entering we were graciously welcomed and we asked if it was o.k. to bring in our beers. The gentleman became even more gracious and made a joke that he hoped we would sample some of their drinks when we finished.
The waiter came as was attentive the entire evening, but not overbearing.
We ordered the mozzarella as an appetizer. My wife ordered the Tortellini Genovese and margarita, my daughter the mushroom and sausage pizza, and I the lamb chops and a house salad.
The bread....soft, warm, delicious!!! The mozzarella with olive oil was very nice.
My wife loves pesto and was excited to have a creamy pesto (not oil, which is very difficult for us to find.) Very good! I even sampled it and found it very tasty (and I usually don't care for pesto). The margarita was smooth and tasty.
The lamb chops...always wanted to try them and if they always taste like this, then I will be ordering them frequently..tender, juicy, flavorful! The mashed potatoes were hot and smooth.
The pizza...$10 for a single pizza OUTRAGEOUS!!...NO, WAIT, HUGE PORTION and  DEVINE, MOUTH-WATERING!!! Well worth the price.
It was a great experience for each of us and we would gladly return, in fact, looking forward to returning.
NEVER will I come here. Why? Here's what happened: During Upland's Lemon Festival yesterday, we were trying to decide where to eat. As we looked around and saw this place, we also realized that my toddler's diaper was a little full, and unfortunately, portapotty's don't have changing tables. My mother (who was with us) said "Let's eat here. But let me take me take her to the rest room first." As she walked in, a man (who later we found out was the owner) followed her in and began to yell LOUDLY at her (in front of his customers mind you!) about why my mother was using the restroom. I watched as my mother remained calm and asked if she could use the restroom. After he finished his rant, he reluctantly told her to use the restroom, but continued his rant as she walked inside! A woman (a customer who was dining there), was kind enough to get up and follow my mom and let her know that his behavior was uncalled for (especially because it was the need for a place to change a tiny toddler), and that she knew she would never return to Aria just based on what she had witnessed.
Here's what the owner didn't realize was that I work in higher education, planning large-scale events for several local institutions. As I watched the entire time from the sidelines, I made a mental note NEVER to recommend this event hall to any higher education institution AND I will most certainly let my students know about this issue in my Management Strategies, Customer Service, and other business related courses that I teach to undergraduates and graduates.
Shame on you, Aria manager! Through your actions, I can tell you that you lost one customer (the kind lady), and will DEFINITELY not be seeing myself or any of my acquaintances, students, or family as customers. EVER.
Took my daughter to check out this place. As soon as I took out my phone to take pictures she knew. She said, "Aww mom, are you going to put this on Yelp?" Hahaha, you know I am.
I'm a sucker for Italian food and it's hard to find in the IE. So, I was hopeful. The interior of the restaurant is well appointed. Our server, gosh I wish I could remember his name, he is also the bartender, was great. No complaints. He had a personality and he was attentive. The drinks he made us were delightful. I'd go back just for the drinks. Â The bread, I should've passed. I don't know what it was, but something didn't taste right. Our salad was a bacon wrapped beef steak tomato slice served warm with mozzarella cheese and balsamic reduction. It was tasty. Bacon and cheese, hard to beat. I had the spaghetti marinara. It was good. The sauce was creamy, not watery and the pasta was cooked perfectly. My daughter had the filet with the gorgonzola cheese. No complaints. Lots of cheese and the steak was moist. I will agree the food was slightly on the bland side so be prepared to add salt and pepper.
Salt Shaker Alert! Went to check out a new restaurant in Upland, new to us, Aria. The place is well decorated and has a nicely decorated empty bar attached. It was suppose to be Italian. We ordered the linguini with shrimp and the pasta primavera. Both should have come with a high sodium warning. She sent the primavera back. The replacement was bland and tasteless. The Shrimp was well cooked and sauce had a great taste, but then they combined it with pasta bathed in salt and melted cheese that turned it into a big salty glob. The house salad was a salad and the bread good but uneventful. Our server was good and tried to make up for the kitchen. The busboy took the bread basket while it still held bread in it and never returned. They offered a desert but did not want to take the risk. Not a big fan of chains but to continue to eat local they have got to figure out the concerns regarding salty food.
Review Source:I hosted a business meeting here after reading reviews on Yelp. Â
I have to disagree with most of the reviews, Â the food was ok, not great. Â I went during the weekday, there weren't alot of people. Â Maybe the food is better at dinner? Â
The bread was cold and a bit stale. Â I do not like when the food server has their thumb in the plate they are serving. Â This happened as our waitress brought my client his appetizer. Â Not good. Â Â I ordered the grilled salmon which had too much olive oil and the broccoli was way overcooked. Â Needless to say, I didn't finish my salmon.
There were not too many people the day we went, Â the waitress was very attentive and nice. Â She just needs to cut her nails and watch where her thumb is.....
I had a strange mixed experience w/ some very high highs and some very low lows. First off, the place was very dead for dinner except for a few "regulars" @ the bar that we'll get back to later.
The bartender/waiter/everyman was super nice and helpful w/ the menu as well. He definitely deserves a raise! I also thought the place itself had the feeling of a slightly upscale but not stuffy Italian restaurant. We ended out sitting in the bar area where there are several tables for dinner as well.
I'd give the food a 4 and the bread a 5 (I'd give it more if I could)! We had incredibly good mozzarella sticks as well as a pair of entrees that would really solid.
The downside of Aria: The "regulars" and the karaoke. This takes what should be a really nice establishment down several notches- SEVERAL! It was strange and off-putting to have karaoke at a place like this. The "regulars" were pretty drunk and went up blasting their voices and they were terrible and a bit sloshy and also very annoying. They talked to us a few times and made some very rude insinuations more than once. Upon leaving, a pair of them were outside and continued harassing us- this is TERRIBLE for business. I think the karaoke and the overly laid back atmosphere in this bar is being mistaken for a way to bring in some extra cash. My guess is it is turning off many people that come once and just don't want to deal with fools on their future visits or karaoke in a nice restaurant (even if you were sitting in the dining room and couldn't see the karaoke you'd still hear it loud and clear). The owner needs to watch a few episodes of Bar Rescue...getting the right crowd in there will make a world of difference and the current "regulars" are a serious nuisance. If they were gone and the karaoke was gone, I'd surely come back.
This is a a very quite and casula place for peace and quite.
Syng one of the owners is a GREAT host and greets everyone with a big smile.
My husband and I live Antininos so we knew we would also like Aria.
Bunch of us are returning there on Friday after work for drinks and snacks. Probably stay for dinner too.
Great addition in place of the former place and nasty owner.
Please go give it a try. you will not be disappointed.
We ate here last night and enjoyed the quiet, secluded ambience plus great service. Our guests said the eggplant parmesan was some of the best ever. I had the special of the night that included a beautifully arrayed dinner salad. Dessert choices were run of the mill (cheesecake, tiramisu etc.) so we skipped that course. We need to support our local restaurants and we will definitely return.
Review Source:First time having lunch here. They have several lunch specials and I had the chicken parmesan. All lunch specials come with soup and no substitutions. My soup was tasty but not hot. My entree was just the chicken--no pasta, no vegetable or any side-very odd. It was good but should have included something. They did have good bread. Service was good but we weren't asked if we wanted coffee or dessert. Don't think I'll return.
Review Source:I just decided to see if Aria was on FB & saw this site. I am totally surprised at the 3 poor comments. Â We ate there the 2nd night it was open & it was our waiter's first time waiting. Â We had fabulous meals. Â Though wedud think the bread should be as good as Antoninos.I had the baked ravioli which was fabulous & my husband had lamb- which he is SO fussy about & it was perfect. Â had a canoli which was ok- we're from Chgo so it's hard to get something in CA when you know of the best. I think their drinks area priced high. Antonino'sis owned by Singh, this one with partners. Â Four of us are going back tomorrow night. This place is so much better than that rude man Christophe- he was terrible in Rancho at LeBellisimo & at Christophe's.
Review Source:I had great hopes for this restaurant, but the bread was cold and dry. Requested fresh grated Parmesan, and they brought out a grater that grated the cheese so large you couldn't use it with oil and balsamic vinegar to put on the bread.
My Sole was over crusted and overcooked. My husband loved the steak it was cooked to perfection. Wine selection was OK but not great. Maybe they are having growing pains and we may try them again in 6 months once they have gotten better at their offerings.
My friends and I Â ate here tonight. Â We brought a bottle of wine and were pleased to find out the corkage fee was only $10! Â We had two appetizers which were good...the tomato and bacon on top of mozzarella cheese and the bruchetta with the tomatoes and beans on top. Â
I had the eggplant parmesan which was really good but only lukewarm. Â The weird thing is it was served with baked potato wedges and squash and one of those small purple orchid flowers on top. Â Really? Â I thought this was an Italian restaurant. Â
Service was excellent, ambience was good, and I thought the decor beautiful.
Since they are still so new (only opened 2-1/2 weeks), I am sure they have lots of things that they will eventually change. Â If you go, make reservations.
I am proud to be the first to review this wonderful new restaurant in Downtown Upland. We made reservations and were seated within 5 minutes of our time. Keep in mind that this restaurant opened just a week ago yesterday. They were having some difficulty with the lighting (it's a very old building), but the owner profusely apologized and I know it will be taken care of very soon.
The food! We were given water and bread almost immediately. I, personally, would have preferred the bread warm, but it was still tasty. We had a bottle of the "house" Chianti (Piccinni) on the table, so Tom and I decided to give it a try. Very good choice!
Tom ordered the Minestrone Soup and I the "house' salad, both excellent. Tom ordered the Chicken Rolitini (? Chicken rolled with cheese, mushrooms and spinach) and I ordered the salmon. Both dishes were absolutely divine! I honestly have not had salmon this good EVER. The wait staff is excellent (Jennifer was our waitress) and we were charmed by the owner, Singh.
Over all, I must say that this evening was delightful! Downtown Upland is charming, we walked over to the Grove Theatre to see friends Bill and Sherry Kinison after our meal, and Aria is a new MUST in this lovely area.
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