Quanto Basta: A Taste of Italy in Wilmington, NC

Fourteen of us dined at Quanto Basta before going to the theatre (18 July 2025). We were seated at the high tops across from the bar. Our reservations were at 4:30pm. There were two servers taking care of us, splitting the long table in half with a waiter on each end. I ordered the caprese salad and Orecchiette with sausage. My husband ordered the linguini with clams. The caprese salad had fresh burrata, which was creamy but the interior was not as soft and creamy as I’ve had before in other restaurants (especially in Italy!). But it was good. I liked the heirloom tomatoes and pesto/balsamic glaze. The pasta dish was quite flavorful with the pesto, but way too much grated parmesan on top. I could taste the fennel in the sausage, which I like. My husband, at first, wasn’t sure about the white cream sauce in the dish, but the waiter assured him it was just a touch and not really noticeable. My husband really liked it. The dish came with several whole clams and diced clams. I got to have a taste of the fried calamari. It was excellent! Tender calamari and lightly coated, along with a yummy red sauce. There was one person that didn’t like her seafood pasta saying there wasn’t enough sauce and that the pasta was dry. While service was very good, it stopped when we got our bills (separate checks for each couple). All seven couples were charged 1/7th portion of two glasses of wine that belonged to just one couple). Why would the waitress charge 1/7th to each couple? The waiter that took care of my side of the table didn’t want to take the time to correct the charges and re-print the bills. Meanwhile the waitress disappeared. We were told to figure it out among ourselves afterwards. While I won’t ask the one couple to reimburse us what we were charged, an establishment such as Quanto Basta should have re-printed the bills with the correct totals. I am revising my star rating to 4, “Good”. Please take the time to ring up the bills correctly. Yes, we will be back. I like the bar scene and atmosphere.

Great restaurant. Simplicity is the key to a successful restaurant. Quanto has demonstrated that with their menu and staff. The food was outstanding with a great blend of flavors. The Tuna Puttanesca was a great mix of sweet and savory, especially with squid ink pasta. What was nice was that the staff was very informative of the menu. Being handicap, the parking was right across the street. Definitely will return.

We had a wonderful experience at Quinto Basta! The restaurant is beautiful, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. Our server, Colin, was absolutely fantastic — attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. He made us feel right at home from the moment we arrived. The food was delicious, full of flavor and beautifully presented. Since we’re not from Wilmington, NC, Collin went above and beyond by giving us great recommendations for local attractions and places to visit. We also had the pleasure of meeting the owner, who was very kind and welcoming. This was truly a memorable dining experience. Highly recommend Quinto Basta — both for the amazing food and the outstanding service!

Everything was amazing. The capreze salad was by far the best thing we ate.

The food was absolutely delicious, the atmosphere was very pleasant, and the service was outstanding. We truly enjoyed the time we spent at the restaurant. The chicken marsala was especially delicious, full of flavor. We will definitely be back!

I love the atmosphere & our waiter was great. I was also expecting the food to be great, but was a bit disappointed. The penne vodka was bland, & the chicken marsala was ok. Now, the brushetta & bread was excellent. I will go back & try different dishes because of the location & atmosphere.

Amazing food and atmosphere. I had Rossini from the drinks menu, and I loved the refreshing twist on champagne. I also appreciate the carafe of water. The calamari was great! Most restaurants over fry or under season but theirs was a great balance, tho a bit oily so they could have let it drain a little more. Also had the shrimp scampi risotto, I loved the flavor but with I had more than 4 pieces of shrimp at the $24 price point. Great atmosphere and beautiful decor, will certainly come back!

Went here on a Saturday night with early (5:30) reservations. Sat at a small table by the window to the patio. We noticed this place earlier this year parking across the street at the City parking deck. The patio is neat looking sonwe thought we'd try it. It was too cold to sit outside, however, on this night. The interior of the restaurant is a little industrial but pretty cozy. Service was good, and the hostess, manager, and waiter were very nice but took some time to both be waited on and get our orders. Had the fried calamari as an appetizer, and it was good. I had the Marsala, and my partner had the braised beef. Both were very good, but the portions were slightly small in our opinion for the price. She had the canoli for dessert, and it was very good. Overall, the price was moderately high for 2, but not unreasonable. The menu was slightly limited but not overly. Enjoyable meal. We'll return when it's warmer to try out the patio.