The food was amazing!! We had the meatballs and Caesar salad to start our server Hadi was thoughtful enough to split the salad between my husband and I. We both had the carbonara- the presentation was pretty cool!! Drinks were good too- distinguished gentleman and the Pinot Noir! Hadi thanks for great service and the dessert recommendation- lemon cake was 10/10! You can tell the team work really makes a difference . We will definitely come back read more

Carbonara - Lemon Cake - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The food and service were simply fabulous! Sat inside at a reserved table for three on Thursday. To start - instant water (filtered)) immediately poured (and continuously refilled without having to ask). Welcome bread is complimentary -- the foccacia and tapanade are excellent. The place was packed at 6PM! Our order highlights were the Frito Misti and the clam trio. Both could not be fresher and more flavorful! The biggest hit among the entrees was the brisket stuffed tortellini -- so freakin' good!!! (Though a little too salty) Everything from start to finish was so robust in flavors! We LOVE a kitchen that is NOT afraid to amp up spices. No salt on the table because none was needed. Love that the fresh grated parm is offered not just once, but twice! Little touches like the chicken parm being placed, then immediately followed by a second staff attendant placing hot melted cheese on the meat. Little touches mean a lot. And our server (Arlington native Ashton) was simply spectacular! He was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the menu -- super attentive -- and really fun! Only minor recommendation -- acoustics need to be addressed. The volume is at a 10 out of 10. Hard to hear my table mates often. Suggest adding some draping between sections from the ceiling to soften the resonance of the customers. read more

Decent pasta that comes with a good show but is inconsistent, a tad overpriced, and could have better service. Went with a group of 5 for Saturday dinner. We arrived around 5:30pm but unfortunately, all of the tables inside were already full, but there was bar seating and patio seating available, both of which offered the table-side carbonara. We sent with the patio seating but soon regretted our choice, as the table we were seated at was distractingly wobbly. We moved tables, but they were all so close together that at one point, the server lightly dropped a plate full of sauce on the table next to us and it splattered onto my friend's clothes, and the server didn't notice. He (our server) was nice, but they seemed to be severely understaffed and backed-up. It was just some little things that detracted from our experience of what we believed to be a nicer establishment. The food itself also left a bit to be desired. My favorite parts were the meatballs, the fresh rigatoni, and the spicy vodka sauce. We ordered the carbonara and the vodka pasta, but the 2 vodka pastas were cooked differently, with 1 plate being more al dente and the other plate being much softer, which I thought was odd for a restaurant of this caliber. Also, I noticed that the guanciale was undercooked, and it was hard to eat due to all of the fat still on it. The vodka sauce was well-balanced with a little kick, and the carbonara, although not a true carbonara since they used a cream sauce instead of the traditional eggs and pepper, was flavorful albeit a little heavy. Overall, there was some good and some bad, but for this kind of restaurant, I just expected better. read more

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What can I say? I came here with my family from Orange County unsure what to expect, but Sharon left us beyond satisfied. Strong menu knowledge and even stronger customer service 10/10 recommend. read more

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Nice place, the food was excellent and the service on point. Is my first time in one of these in NY these are really fancy restaurant but this one feels more like a chain. The ambiance was elegant. read more

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Food was fresh and tasty. Service was as quick as they can as we requested the carbonara made table side and had a nice conversation with the server. Overall the famous chicken parm was delicious, the carbonara was not a disappointment. We enjoyed the big cheese wheel. The price is reasonable. Will come back. read more

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Carbonara was absolutely fantastic! Two of my friends ordered the famous chicken parmigiana alla vodka and I had the Gnocchi Della Mama--everything tasted incredibly fresh and delicious. We also ordered the espresso martini flight and loved sampling all the different flavors, especially the s'mores one, which was a standout. The staff was so kind, and our waitress was knowledgeable, attentive, and very friendly. Halfway through dinner, a singer came out and performed Frank Sinatra songs, which completely elevated the experience--it was amazing and such a fun surprise. Overall, it was a perfect night out with great food, drinks, and ambiance. Highly recommend! read more

Food that makes you make yummy noises when you eat. Absolute perfection. Went for my birthday with my daughter and she couldn't stop talking about it the drive home read more

Loud, crowded. Tables crammed in to close. Food was way too salty. Their signature carbonara dish was over cooked (pasta mushy) and too saucy. read more

We had a reservation for 8:30, but we got there at 8 and was seated promptly. Inside the restaurant: Cute! Very loud inside and hard to hear others if you wanna come here to chat LOL. Not sure if it was where I sat, but cell signal is weak and spotty. Food: AMAZING! For starters we chose the beef carpaccio and bacon wrapped shrimp oreganata. Presentation was nice and flavors were there! And for our entrees we got the tableside carbonara, lasagna bolognese, and the fettucine posillipo. Pasta was cooked to perfection but the seafood in the fettucine was a little tough and chewy. We had to leave early, but good sized portions though, had to take the rest home because I was so stuffed. Will def come back again! read more

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I don't even know where to begin with this review. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. There were 7 of us and we knew due to the lovely weather outside, there was a high chance of us not getting a table here. To our surprise, the bar had JUST cleared out so we were all able to sit together there - best decision ever. We were able to watch Kat and David (loveliest people) work hand in hand perfecting every single cocktail ordered all the while watching to see what our next order would be. Each person in my group decided to order something different and we were able to try one another's dish. Every dish I tried - I basically want to go back and order it for myself because gosh dang, it was heaven in each bite. I'll attach a few pictures and videos for reference! read more

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We went here last night for date night and omg it was sooooo good! They had a great singer singing Italian songs. Reminded us of Frank Sinatra type music. The calamari was great! Loved the peppers and zucchini's also fried. We would have preferred if the calamari rings were half the thickness. Table side carbonara was sooooooo good. My only complaint is I don't think it got hot enough or retained the heat well enough? I took down the whole plate soooo Husband got the porcini crusted rib eye and omg. So good!! We kept raving about it after each bite. We took it home and just reheated it (in a sauté pan) for breakfast this morning. Yum!!!! My 3yo and I kept asking him for bites of his steak We will be back! Fair warning. This restaurant is very loud with the customers and the singing. It's very hard to have a conversation with the person across from you. I'm hard of hearing so my hearing aids do a fab job of filtering out the background noise, but my husband is ADHD and had a hard time hearing me without leaning over the table (He wears apple AirPods for noise cancellation). As we get older I am realizing we prefer quieter restaurants ‍. My Apple Watch alerted me that the decibel level in the restaurant was 90+. And yes my husband was a server in his past life and I know having a loud restaurant helps turn the tables over faster. read more

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First let me say that I don't believe this location is worth the hype. The chicken Alfredo wasn't good, definitely lacked flavor. The chicken parmigiana alla vodka was a good portion size, it tasted good but I wouldn't order it again. The price point was really good. The location was small and seating was tight! The service was good and the entertainment was nice. The meatballs tasted good, nothing special. Trying to get a reservation on the weekend was definitely difficult. I recommend planning ahead or try calling the restaurant. read more

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Carbonara is really good - and is exactly what bAllston, Arlington VA needed! The vodka sauce is decadent - creamy deliciousness packing a great flavor. However, the chicken served with the vodka sauce pasta was very thin and dry. I'm not sure why they even put the chicken in there - they should just stick with the pasta, it can definitely stand on its own! I've been here a bunch and love it! My advice would just be to know what to order. Fried mozzarella, vodka sauce pasta - those are the things. read more

Carbonara - Fried mozzarella - delicious - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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One of the best restaurants in the DMV - hands down! We have been coming here since it opened and the food, service, and drinks have only gotten better. The service is efficient and the wait staff are amazing! Never had a bad meal here - and they always go out of their way if you are there celebrating something. If you're there on the weekends, the live performer is wonderful as well. Can't go wrong with the martini flight and the tortelloni, also love the chicken parm! read more

The Food was cold and disgusting. From the serving table bread, and the block of cheese that was unmelted on the chicken parm. When we brought it up to the server (Which wasn't her fault) They remade the chicken parm, but the entire experience for my wife was a fail. She dragged me for weeks to bring her here ... Then they sat us next to the kitchen exit to make things worse, so all the trash, employees and bleach fumes was just crushing the vibe. It wasn't even busy to deal with all that. The sauce is what saved the entire experience from a total disaster. Outside of that, isn't worth the traffic or the big hype. Olive Garden trumps this place like I told my wife from the beginning. Now she understands. This place sucks. read more

It is so rare to find chicken piccata that is the real deal: no cream, lots of lemon and white wine, capers. I'm super picky about it. I decided to get the chicken piccata today from this place and it was the best I've had in the area in a long time. My only gripe is that there was nowhere for me to sit (inside or outside) while I waited for my food. A bench would have been nice. Keep up the great job, and don't change that piccata recipe! read more

The pasta is freshly made right when you come in. You can see them prepping the food which is great. The ambiance is good. The service was good and the food was amazing even the dessert was great. I will definitely go back again. read more

I love the addition of having more sit down restaurants in the Ballston area and this one is certainly a great place to sit out on the patio and relax! Food wise the portions here are massive, you can easily split this into two or split with someone else. I ordered the carbonara which comes served in a flaming cheese wheel. The table side service is cool but the dish was oddly lukewarm which was so odd considering that they toss it in hot cheese right before serving. The spicy rigatoni was honestly so disappointing, it was tasty but so so mild. I had to ask for extra red pepper flakes, it was so bland to the point that I thought they got the order wrong (they didn't I checked the receipt). Seriously no need to worry about the heat level on this dish when you're ordering it. On a side note, in the beginning they ask you what type of water you would like to drink - make sure to order tap! The still water here is $10. read more

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We had an amazing time at carbonara. What a gem in Arlington the service was amazing, the vibe of the place was spectacular. Some of the best Italian food I've had!! Will definitely be back. read more

Carbonara - Espresso martini flight - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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10/10 will come again! Carbonara is where you'll receive an unparalleled dining experience culminated through authentic old school Italian cuisine, a captivating ambiance, and service that makes guests feel as if they're visiting their grandmother's home! Hosted my graduation meal here, all guests locally & from abroad shared that this was one of the best meals they've had! My uncle even said he'd consider moving here to visit Carbonara regularly. We tried the Brooklyn Ceasar Salad, Trio Baked Clams, and Nona's Classic Meatballs for appetizers. Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka Sauce, Lasagna alla Bolognese, and Grandma's Chicken Cutlet Parmigiani for entrees. Sautéed Broccolini and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes for sides. ALL of which were phenomenal - Bravo Zulu to Chef Mike Cordero & the entire team! I can assure you that any visit to Carbonara will be an exceptional experience to remember. Do yourself a favor, schedule time in for a phenomenal memory with your loved ones at Carbonara! read more

Carbonara - Trio Baked Clams - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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This it should be tiramisu without alcohol, I'm 20, you can't sell me alcohol, I went with my family yesterday, Saturday 16 of August. read more

Carbonara - Tiramisu, it should be without alcohol in it but it has alcohol in it, I'm 20 years old I went there with my parents. - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The cigar event was amazing. I look forward to enjoying a cigar and scotch there more often.

I came across this restaurant through an IG post and was eager to try it! We have ordered there for takeout a couple of times and the food has been great... we decided to go in person for the carbonara experience... our server is what really prompted me to put in 4 stars as she was amazing, super helpful, and kind! I must say although it's cool to see them preparing things near the table, the liquor they used to warm up the Parmesan wheel overpowered the flavor of the carbonara... all I could taste was the liquor... either way my husband who ordered the dish said he enjoyed it (I took a bite)... I ordered the famous parm chicken a la vodka (I think that is the name) and it was delicious! We also had an espresso martini, which tasted great and ended the meal with a chocolate lava cake! read more

The table-side Carbonara was WORTH!! the little bits of pork on top really elevated it. The pistachio ricotta cake CHANGED MY LIFE!! Tiramisu was also great. This birthday visit was made especially enjoyable by our amazing waitress, Margarita! She made great recommendations and was so friendly and kind. Also her attention to detail was phenomenal! Thank you! read more

My friend and I caught the Metro into Arlington just to roam around and see what we could get into. I checked Yelp for a dinner recommendation and stumbled upon Carbona. The photos showed the decor and I was was taken aback by how vintage and beautiful the restaurant was. We took a beat to check the website for reservations and were not surprised when we saw how booked they were. We took a chance and took the 12 minute hike to see how long our wait would be. Upon entering we were greeted with smiles and a lot of warmth and amazing hospitality. Feeling underdressed initially, I timidly smiled back and approached the host area and asked if they had any availability to seat myself and my guest. I let them know that I know they were super busy and I understood if they couldn't. The handsome host looked down and smiled and spoke with his colleague and both let us know that they had a table but it was reserved for 7pm. They let us know that we could have it (at 5:10) if we believed it would be enough time. Needless to say...we agreed! We were seated and greeted by an amazing server who gave us a quick rundown of the menus and returned with the most delicious fresh-baked bread and marinara and olive spreads. My mouth is still watering. We put in our appetizer order of the bacon-wrapped shrimp, along with our entree orders: lobster risotto and the chicken parmesan (I tried to play it safe). The guests beside us food began to arrive and I wished I changed my mind because their food looked so tasty as well. Finally, our food arrived and it was just as amazing as I assumed it would be. Fresh and cooked to perfection. It is rare to visit an establishment that is aesthetically beautiful, with a staff that really felt oddly familiar in a great way, with lovely-plated and delectable food options. I will definitely recommend Carbonara to my friends and family. read more

We came here for our anniversary dinner and I will say the service was exceptional. The environment is small town/ strip mall chique which I do enjoy. the famous chicken parm! The chicken cutlet was cooked absolutely perfectly however, my boyfriend and I both felt the vodka sauce was lacking. I didn't taste much tomato or flavor, it tasted mostly like cream. The portions are huge so for the price, you get enough to take home leftovers or even split an entree. My boyfriend ordered Veal Francese which is one of our favorite dishes and was extremely good. They didn't let us sub out pasta for potatoes which was a little weird for an Italian place. However the flavor was on point. Our favorite dish was probably the arancini which isn't pictured but was very very tasty and unique. read more

Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Margarita was an amazing server! Very quick, knowledgeable, and attentive! Food was good as well! The serving sizes are massive, I saw a lot of people with to go bags (including myself). The Christmas decorations are very cute. The restaurant is pretty tight and cozy. Enjoyed myself! read more

Great service. Great food! I love the lobster pasta and the lasagna is perfect! You can't go wrong with either of the drinks.

Margarita was an awesome server and the food was wonderful. This place is always top tier!

Unfortunately found this really disappointing, especially for the price. My boyfriend had the bolognese and I had the agnolotti stuffed with spinach and cheese in a pesto cream sauce. Both of us found our pastas inconsistently cooked; some noodles were appropriately al dente, but some were underdone to the point of being crunchy. The table bread was sort of an inexpensive soft sliced sandwich bread rather than a high quality crusty loaf. The flavor of both pastas was generally fine and they were hot when they arrived, but the agnolotti was swimming in a pool of the sauce and was overall far too rich; the dish really could've used more acid for balance. Service was subpar; our waiter was friendly, but seemed to forget about us after we ordered drinks and it took us a half hour to put an order for food. The ambiance was also a huge turnoff. It was so loud that we had to shout to hear each other talk the entire dinner, which was stressful rather than fun. The chef was also walking around the dining room the entire time (not once or twice, truly constantly), which was strange as one would think he should've been in the kitchen guiding the staff and monitoring quality of the food. They had a guy wheeling around a cart with a gigantic wheel of parmigiano reggiano, which he was using to perform the tableside carbonara dish; it was a bit distracting because it felt like he never left our row of tables, and the aisles were narrow enough that when he did it at the table across from ours we felt uncomfortably crowded. The pasta was clearly finished before being poured onto the cheese wheel, so it's more of a gimmick than anything else. All in all, there's much better Italian food and experience in the DMV for less money. One pasta dish and one glass of wine cost $65 per person. read more

Sharron G... was an amazing server. Her knowledge of the menu, the types of dishes that go well together. I'm so glad we were able to have this amazing experience! Thank you for your kindness and great skills! read more

Wish I could give zero stars. My girlfriend and I waited at our table for 20 minutes without anyone even acknowledging us. Meanwhile, multiple other couples who sat down after us were greeted and served promptly. We were dressed casually, just like everyone else, so there's no clear reason for the lack of attention. We had heard great things about the food, which makes this even more disappointing. When we mentioned the issue to the woman at the front on our way out, she just gave us a confused, almost annoyed look, no apology, no explanation. This place seriously needs to work on its customer service read more

Please take my opinion with a grain of salt. As I overheard another server mentioning the "dinner" menu is better than the "lunch"-- which is still not a good look (IMO). The decor was fresh and beautiful, with friendly and attentive staff. They have outdoor seating options too. I thought it was interesting as I was walking up the street, you smelled cigars which was coming from the gentleman's puffing outside. So, yes, theres a cigar "lounge" and if that is your thing, here you go. Luckily, I was able to grab an RSVP for a Saturday/Early Mother's Day lunch celebration. The moment I walked in, I was greeted as my kids were in tune watching the kitchen staff making ravioli- as it's faced right in front of the host area. After being seated, and looking through the menu, I was happy that the menu wasn't too overwhelming with options, its straight to the point and simple. What I had ordered: carbonara (duh), spaghetti with meatballs, arancini balls, and their famous chicken parm with spaghetti in vodka sauce. Here's my opinion: 1. Everything we had was really bland. I know we're not in Italy, but our dishes had little to no taste- no flavor yet very buttery and very creamy. Sadly, I asked for salt and pepper, and crushed peppers in hopes to enhance my dishes but it still didnt do any justice for me. 2. My kids ate well which was a plus. The noodles were cooked just perfect. 3. Fave part at least, was the bathroom wall paper. I typically dont look at the bathroom decor as my heart is racing to see if the stalls are clean or not. But the moment you walk in, the feels of Venice comes in mind which was nice since Italy was my honeymoon (Venice, we did visit). Given the fact that they just opened, MAYBE I'll make another trip since it's so close, but we shall see. As for may fave Italian spots, thats for another post. :) read more

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This was great Italian food. We got the espresso martini flight (coconut, pistachio (my favorite), and Ferrero rocher) and the Carina in Rosa cocktail. The carbonara and chicken parmigiana dishes had a tableside experience to go with them, and the taste of these dishes were just as good as they looked. I'm a bit picky when it comes to chicken, but the chicken parmigiana ended up being my favorite dish of the night, so if you're conflicted between the two dishes, get the chicken parmigiana! As for the lava cake, I wish there was a bit more "lava", but it was otherwise still great in taste, especially the ice cream on top. Would 100% come back here in the future! read more

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Had such a lovely dinner with one of my best girl friends! Beautiful space, especially loved the fabulous light fixtures. Our server Taylor recommended the bacon wrapped shrimp appetize4 which did not disappoint! We had 2 bottles of prosecco rose, which was perfect for summer. I had the famous chicken parm (delish) & my friend enjoyed the namesake Carbonara & loved it. Enough to take home for seconds. Taylor was knowledgeable, patient, funny, & the perfect amount of attentive. Such a great night! If you haven't been, make plans. It's wildly popular for good reason! read more

Recently dined at the Carbonara at lunch with out-of-town guests. Dinner reservations are difficult to get. I had expected a huge menu with equally huge prices, but the menu (at least for lunch) was adequate and prices were not that bad. Wine similarly was not any more expensive than anywhere else. The food was good, but not crazy great like I had expected. Maybe that's the downside to hearing others say how great the place is and, well, it's simply above average. Very small seating space and the noise level borders on painful. Won't be going back, but it was a worthwhile, one-time experience. read more

Absolutely delicious meal omg! And I got a fun cocktail that was gorgeous and all decorated, both enjoyed our meals a lot can't recommend enough! read more

Very good service, we really liked our sausage pepper appetizer. It's busy in there but they hustle, and they have a good menu. Shockingly, the carbonara was the least favorite thing we ate. It tasted way more like an Alfredo sauce they carbonara. If you're a carbonara person, I'd skip this one, despite how fun the cheese wheel is. read more

For a new restaurant, this place is already working like a well-oiled machine! The service was amazing and the food was fantastic. We went on a Friday evening and there was an entertainer singing Frank Sinatra and it was such a vibe. The tried the Clams and Mussels (in white sauce) as an appetizer and loved them both. My husband has the table side carbonara, which was not only perfectly Instagram-able, but he said was delicious, cooked al dente and very filling. I tried the Chicken Piccata and it was juicy and very flavorful. We can't wait to go back and try more from the menu! read more

Carbonara - Clams - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia