There are restaurants you visit once and forget, and then there are places that quietly become part of how you think about a city. Centro, tucked into the ground floor of a handsomely restored building on Locust Street in downtown Des Moines, is firmly in the second category. From the moment you push open the door and feel the warm glow of the dining room wrap around you, something shifts. You stop rushing and start paying attention.
Centro has been a cornerstone of Des Moines dining since 2001, and what strikes you immediately is how it manages to feel both timeless and alive. The space is elegant without being stiff — exposed brick, warm lighting, leather banquettes, and a long, inviting bar that practically dares you to pull up a stool and order a Negroni before your table is ready. The crowd on any given evening is a wonderful mix: couples celebrating anniversaries, groups of friends catching up over a shared bottle of Barolo, solo diners at the bar reading a book and savoring every bite. It feels like the kind of room where good things happen.
The menu draws its inspiration from regional Italian cooking, but the kitchen isn’t slavishly devoted to tradition for tradition’s sake. Executive Chef and owner George Formaro — one of Des Moines’ most respected culinary figures — brings a thoughtful, seasonal sensibility to the table. House-made pastas are a genuine point of pride here. The tagliatelle, dressed simply and beautifully, is the kind of dish that reminds you why pasta made by hand is worth every extra minute of effort. The wood-roasted selections showcase the kitchen’s confidence with fire and technique, and the result is food that tastes deeply considered without ever feeling fussy or overthought.
Starters deserve your full attention too. The charcuterie is assembled with care, the bruschetta changes with the season, and the soups — particularly in the colder months — are exactly what you want after a long afternoon exploring the city. Portions are generous without tipping into excess, which means there is always room for dessert. Order the tiramisu. Just do it.
The wine list is thoughtfully curated with an obvious affection for Italian and Italian-inspired bottles, and the staff knows it well enough to make genuine recommendations without ever making you feel like you are being lectured. Service here strikes that rare, difficult balance between attentive and relaxed — you feel looked after, not watched.
Centro sits in the Court Avenue District, making it an easy walk from many downtown hotels and a natural anchor for an evening that might start with a stroll through the sculpture park and end with a leisurely dinner and a digestivo at the bar. Reservations are a smart idea on weekends, but the bar area often has room for walk-ins, and sitting there is its own particular pleasure.
Des Moines has a dining scene that continues to surprise visitors who arrive with low expectations, and Centro is a big reason why. It is the kind of restaurant that makes you proud to recommend it, because you already know the person you send there is going to come back with a story. Go hungry, go curious, and give yourself permission to linger.
