We were there during their opening week, so we'll ignore the service delays, which one might anticipate. The staff was very pleasant and attentive. I found the menu rather limited and perhaps a bit too specialized. The salads were good if a bit sparce. My bride enjoyed the salmon but I found the pollo marsala wanting. The chicken cutlets were far too thin and the sauce was tasteless. The cannoli was wonderful. Not sure if we give it another go...perhaps wait a few months for them to attend to some issues and take friends to gain another perspective. read more

I rarely Make reviews, but sometimes you have an experience that warrants it. this was one of the best italian meals I've had in America. between the top notch food, staff, and beautiful new building, civita brings the whole package with a Great welcoming environment and I cannot wait to come back Again! read more

We went to Italian Vita with friends and the first thing you notice is how beautiful the space is. It's big and open, but still manages to feel warm and inviting. Just a really great atmosphere for dinner with friends. The service was excellent. Attentive without hovering, helpful with the menu, and our server made several recommendations that we trusted. One small picky thing: the four of us were seated in a booth with a small half-moon table, and it really wasn't big enough for four people, especially once drinks and appetizers started arriving. I'd definitely ask for a regular table next time. We started with the calamari, marinated pepperoncini and crostini. The calamari and pepperoncini were both delicious. The crostini wasn't my favorite. The bread wasn't really toasted and the truffle flavor was a little overwhelming for me. That said, I'm not a big fan of truffle flavor to begin with, and everyone else at the table liked it, so it's a me problem. I had the whole branzino and it was fabulous. The skin was perfectly crisp while the fish inside was tender, flaky and beautifully cooked. It was served over crispy potatoes that were excellent. The asparagus was the only miss for me because it was a little overcooked. My husband had the chicken Marsala and really enjoyed it, and both of our friends ordered the penne alla vodka and loved it. The menu has a nice variety without feeling overwhelming, and they also have a great cocktail and wine selection. Beautiful space, great service and very good food. We will definitely be back. read more

Decor is interesting- kind of a grand great gatsby feel to it. It's nice that even though it's large space it didn't seem to get too noisy. Probably good for big groups. Pretty disappointed that the patio wasn't open because it was the best night we've had in Richmond since early June. Service was friendly- not always attentive but we came on a weeknight and weren't in a rush. My friends ordered wine and I got the Amalfi Fling for cocktails. Mine was refreshing and tasted unique but there was very little alcohol. I'm a lightweight and hadn't had anything to eat for 5 hours so expected to feel something but no, nada. For appetizers I shared the burrata caprese which was good but came out without the grilled crostini. Thankfully they didn't make us wait that long for it. The burrata was delicious. My friend really enjoyed her Caesar salad- said it was one of the best she has had. For entrees we got the scampi, the salaiccia alla vodka, and the pappardelle alla bolognese. Here's where the stars dropped for me. For $35.70 the scampi should be better than something I can make at home. It was not. It was edible but did not blow me away. Criminal that most of the shrimp were overcooked and tough to chew. The homemade spaghetti again was fine but it seemed like very thin spaghetti which took away from the experience and the sauce was a little low on flavor. At least it felt like a fairly healthy dish compared to most there and there was a decent amount of shrimp. Pretty sure though that if one of my sons' ordered it they would still have been hungry after finishing it. My friends enjoyed their entrees; one finished off the alla vodka and the other brought home a small portion of her bolognese. Both those entrees were richer and had a lot more pasta. The problem for me is the price point on a lot of the entrees. The drinks and appetizers seemed mostly reasonable. But if I'm going to pay $73 for a $13 drink, a shared appetizer @$8 and a $36 entree then IMO it better knock my socks off. read more

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OK so really a 4.5 but I'll get into details and explain. But first, some of these previous reviews are so brutal it almost scared me from going. Glad we went as an excellent experience, previous reviews were quite accurate in some areas so.... Beautiful setting, well explained below- they are accurate Service- could not have been better, including detailed and exceptional wine service not only in assisting is choosing an Italian bottle, but the offer to decant, stemware etc. And it was Saturday night. 10/10 for Blaze our server Portions are significant, that also addressed below and is accurate Bland taste? Come on really. I can split hairs and say the ravioli itself on my wife's pasta was a little al dente, but the short rib inside was fantastic. My veal- fantastic. Arancini and burrata apps- great, just freaking large. So it's a great value and we had to take a good portion home Is it mamma zu's or anything else Ed ever touched- no. But come on, this fills a big hole in short pump when Maggianos is the only other choice. Edo's/ Gersi and its cousin in the old Buddy's are better but 30min downtown. And have to think they will continue to dial it in better and better read more

Great 1st visit, will definitely stop in again. This is an EAT Partners restaurant so it comes across a little "chainish" for an independent spot. Beautiful interior, vibrant atmosphere, good service, well stocked bar, broad wine list, and delicious food. Pasta was homemade! Any restaurant doing this automatically gets 2 thumbs up! Arancinis were good, but I didn't love them I thought they were a little too cheesy and prefer them with meat an peas. Pasta dish was great! What I tried: ARANCINI: crispy arborio risotto, fontina, basil pesto cream SALSICCIA ALLA VODKA: mild italian sausage, cremini mushrooms, creamy tomato alla vodka, homemade rigatoni RICOTTA CHEESECAKE My rating rationale +1 Service +1 Food~Taste/flavor/quality +1 Presentation +1 Atmosphere/vibe + 1Value read more

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I came here for my birthday because I love pasta and a cute ambience. Had a reservation so we were seated right away. The restaurant is very cute. The staff were very nice. Tables are a little close together. Our waitress was sweet and was kind enough to offer her opinions on the menu. I went with the salsiccia alla vodka and my husband hit the lasagna. As soon as I saw my dish I knew I was in trouble. It was the blandest thing I've ever had. I truly couldn't eat it. Husband's lasagna wasn't good but it was edible. Our waitress checked in on us and I let her know I didn't like the dish. Someone from management came over and asked me if I wanted to try something else. I went with the bolognese. It was better but still not very flavorful in my opinion. Dishes missed the mark for me so I don't think I'll be coming back. Glad to have checked it off the list. read more

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Gorgeous! So much open space and it feels like a great place to grab drinks with friends. Drinks and appetizers is where I would end it. The actual entrees were lacking flavor. We tried the spaghetti, eggplant parm and veal Marsala. All the dishes had their own issues but the underlying theme was the lack of flavor and complexity. For a place to be this aesthetically pleasing, I want my food to have the same vibe. I will say the appetizers were really good. The octopus was by far my favorite. A little chewy and possibly overcooked but still flavorful. I also have to give a shout out to our server. The restaurant is new so of course there were some minor issues. Overall we felt very taken care of. read more

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Great staff, wonderful drinks and the food was amazing!!! Looking forward to come back here real soon! read more

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First things first, the restaurant is beautiful. With high ceilings and open space, it's a lovely place to come dine and/or have drinks. The service was very attentive. However, the food was sub par. We ordered the chicken parm and the lobster risotto. The chicken was overcooked, and not seasoned well, very bland. The risotto was extra cheesy and creamy almost like a stew. You get one lobster tail and that wasn't so good. The best thing we had was the Cesar salad. I had high hopes for this place but I don't think we will be coming back. The bar area is cute. read more

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Great good, excellent service and fantastic ambience ! We enjoyed every minute staying at the restaurant. read more

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Let's start with the ambiance. It's a big space so not cozy and romantic but it is cool and modern. Great design and love the car over the bar. The food was pretty good overall. Not world class but good solid Italian fare. My pollo parmigiana was a bit tough but my wife loved her mountain of carbonara. The star was the arincini (3 to an order). We sopped that basil pesto up with the bread. So good! Decent portions for adults but kids meals were big. Cocktails were Italian themed but fairly pedestrian and not really dressed up. I felt like this aspect could be improved. We got the cannoli for dessert and loved them. They come two to the order and the kids devoured them. Some of the desserts coming out of the kitchen (flourless torte and ricotta cheesecake) were tiny portions. Overall great experience, we will be back. Great place to bring family or friends. read more

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I'll start off with the positives: the restaurant itself is really nice with a contemporary design. It's very open feeling with large windows and varying seating designs. Our server was friendly and for the most part attentive considering the restaurant was busy. The food however was a bit disappointing, especially considering its price points. Our first appetizer was Burrata Caprese. There were only 2 slices of tomatoes even though there were 3 guests at the table. And, on top of that the tomato had clearly been stored in the refrigerator for a while and was rather mushy. This time of year and in Richmond, there's no reason for not serving absolutely fresh tomatoes! The whipped ricotta app was very tasty but there was hardly any crostini with it. The main entrees were Eggplant Parm and Chicken Marsala. These dishes offered plentiful amounts of food, but was rather weak on taste. I struggled to decide whether or not to award 2 or 3 stars because it was very close honestly. I decided to give them a little bump up just because of the restaurant design and certainly not because of the food. read more

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We came here with friends for the first time last night. The service was excellent; the waitress was attentive and checked on us often. The restaurant itself was very cool, down to the 3/4-scale Ferrari over the bar. Despite being large and busy, the noise level was low. Being able to see the meals being prepared and where the pasta is handmade was also fun. The menu selections were broad, and the GF pasta and other options made it easy for diners looking for those entrees. The chicken parm and chicken marsala (GF) were excellent, as was the bolognese. For the amount of food and drink, we felt the price was reasonable, which is always a bonus. Pittsburgh guy Chef Kevin came out for a brief chat about the Stillers' outlook for the upcoming season. We'll be back for more. read more

Civita Italia - Italian Near Me - Short Pump, Virginia

I ate here for the first time tonight, as I heard it was a new restaurant in town, and wanted to give it a try. The ambience and decor of the restaurant are interesting, hip, and unique. It's very modern, but retains a certain classic element. We were immediately greeted upon entering and sat right away despite not having reservations. Firstly, a shout out to our server Krystal: exceptional, above and beyond service. She was polite, attentive, and highly knowledgeable about the menu. We had three items from the small bites menu, three items from the appetizers, and the lobster risotto and veal marsala for our entrees, as well as the cannoli to go for dessert. All of the food was exceptional. The small bites and appetizer menus provide a good balance of light and refreshing options together with some richer, more indulgent items. Our entrees were excellent: the veal was perfectly cooked and the risotto was textbook. You can tell from the professional demeanor and coordination of the staff that the managers training them know what they're doing. Manager Rachel greeted us and checked in to see how things were going, recommending some items from the dessert coffee menu which proved to be good recommendations. read more

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This place is beautiful and sophisticated. I loved the service at the bar and our waitress was kind & helpful. The hostess was ok, it seems as if they don't have a professional system in place. I was told we couldn't be seated till 5pm but I watched several other customers be seated. I also didn't get a notification to be seated. I had to check on the status on being seated. I think presentation wise the food was 10/10. As far as flavor and food temperature it's a 4.5/10 I enjoyed the appetizers but the meatballs were not even hot. The mozzarella was extremely salty. The vodka pasta, was my least favorite. The taste seemed way off and the sausage was chewy. The chicken Parmesan was good, I liked the pasta but I did not enjoy the chicken. Overall, you can get better food at Perry's or Cheesecake Factory which is down the street. I will not be returning read more

Civita Italia - Burrata Caprese* Homemade Meatballs - Italian Near Me - Short Pump, Virginia

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We had such a wonderful experience at this restaurant. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it feel like the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the evening. The staff was incredibly attentive, friendly without being overbearing, and made us feel truly welcomed. And the food, wow, every dish was flavorful and clearly made with care. Everything tasted fresh and beautifully presented. We left happy, full, and already talking about coming back. read more

Our Midnight Supper Club visited Civita Italia last night and we all walked out extremely satisfied. The place is nicely decorated and included a comfortable seating area to wait and grab a drink. The service was outstanding- Bailey was our server and she was amazing. The food was great - we tried four different apps, four desserts and we each got an entree - most folks would up w the bolognese and everyone loved that. I had the short rib ravioli and another had the special. All was good. Will definitely be back! read more

The homemade pasta was the clear highlight of the evening. The staff seemed young and inexperienced, particularly in their knowledge. While the restaurant positions itself as premium Italian, it falls well short of LaGrotta. The sauce was quite mediocre and lacked protein, and the cannolis weren't very good either. They still have a long way to go, but there's hope they can improve. The atmosphere was pleasant, though the place was very loud.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

My husband took me here for date night and they didn't disappoint. The food and cocktails were amazing! I had the lobster risotto and he had the short rib ravioli. Both were chefs kiss! read more

Well it has been open for over 3 weeks and Chris is a seasoned owner of restaurants. We had a 6:45 reservation , we were told that our table was not ready bc ppl were not leaving. So we accepted that and went to the bar. Our drinks took 25 min to be delivered. We finally got sat at a very small bar table , not in the formal dining area . We prefer an appetizer recommended by the server. It was going to be to be served with bread . We were told that the bread was being baked . We never got the bread to accompany the app. I would say to wait to go. I am giving it grace but with the owner knowing how this should go , it's was disappointing. read more

Service was delightful. Our waiter and even other way staff were very friendly, nice, and attentive. The design of the place is cool. Food was mid at best (2 apps, breaded artichoke, arancini, 2 entrees, veal marsala, Carbonara). Tables with investors were being absolutely pampered, like they got bread, we did not, no stop by at our table. If you'd like to eat dinner in Short Pump with people who think the are elite and you're not and you've never eaten Italian food, this may be your place. read more

Great ambiance and clean atmosphere. Our table of 5 did not enjoy their food at all. My chicken and Parmigiana looked like it was cooked by a 5 year old. Didn't look appetizing at all. Also no flavor. Definitely has potential to be a good restaurant... read more

Amazing restaurant! Excellent staff and customer service!! Our food was incredible! We had the best experience! Definitely will be back! read more

Civita Italia - Arancini appetizer - Italian Near Me - Short Pump, Virginia

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I sent this email to the restaurant over a week ago and received no response. Beware. I got food poisoning and threw up for three hours straight. " Dear Eat Restaurant Team, I wanted to reach out regarding my experience at your restaurant yesterday, especially since I know you have just recently opened. First, I want to say that I genuinely enjoyed many aspects of the experience. The ambiance was beautiful, the food was delicious, and our waiter, Mason, was wonderful. He was attentive, friendly, and made our experience enjoyable. I was really excited to support your new restaurant and left feeling very positive about the meal. Unfortunately, after I got home, I became extremely ill. I experienced persistent vomiting for approximately three hours and was unable to keep anything down. Based on the timing and severity of the symptoms, I am concerned that I may have gotten food poisoning from the meal. The only dish I am specifically able to identify as a potential source was the Pappardelle alla Bolognese, which I ate during my visit. I wanted to make you aware of this as soon as possible, particularly because you are newly opened and may want to investigate whether there could have been an issue with an ingredient or food preparation. I am not reaching out simply to complain, I really did enjoy the restaurant and the staff--but becoming that sick shortly after dining there was concerning. I would appreciate it if you could please look into this and let me know how you would like to proceed. I'm happy to provide additional details about my visit if helpful. Thank you, and I hope this can be addressed quickly. I truly wish you success with the new restaurant. Best, Lori" read more

Food was bland and gross. Owner is MAGA. Support at your own risk. The food came out cold and the waiter couldn't have cared less about attending to us. read more

We had an amazing time at Civita Italia this past weekend. We were met with amazing service from all the staff. The chicken parm was large enough to split and have some left over. It was great to experience a lively atmosphere on a Saturday night! read more

Civita Italia - Italian Near Me - Short Pump, Virginia

Atmosphere is pleasing, but food was very disappointing. We had the Salmon and the Eggplant Parmesan. The Eggplant was inedible--tough, rubbery and with a soggy breaded coating. The consistency was as if it had been leftover and heated in the microwave. The Salmon was average. Even the olive oil was subpar and had no flavor--tasted like plain vegetable oil. They do come around and offer to put pepper on the olive oil, I suppose to give it some flavor. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. There are far better choices in the RVA. read more

This was very disappointing to say the least. The food was awful. The food lacked flavor. The crostini was very underwhelming. The chicken didn't taste like chicken no.seasoning.at all.The server was great!!! The sauce tasted like it came straight out of a can..The ambiance perfect setting but the food definitely needs work..I was so excited to see the new Italian restaurant and experience good Italian food..This is not it.It is fairly new so I hope as time passes, things will improve. read more

Civita Italia - Crostini - Italian Near Me - Short Pump, Virginia

We had a wonderful experience at this beautiful restaurant. I'm so glad to see a classy yet modern build-out and some fun aspects in the design such as the replica of the Ferrari on the wall above the bar. The restaurant has a really nice clean feel with the lounge area in the front and a beautiful bar set up and very comfortable seating. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable and the choices he recommended were absolutely delicious. We had multiple waiters come into our table which elevated the experience even more. Their homemade pasta was absolutely out of this world and so was the Veal Marsala and the prime porterhouse. And let's not forget about the fun cocktail menu and great wine selection. We cannot wait to come back! read more

Finally...great authentic Italian in the west end! Been a few times now. Last night, I had the chicken parm. Loved the portion. As a table, we also had the Bolognese, which was incredible...great pairing of the meat sauce with fresh in-house made pasta! Loved it! One of our guests was gluten free & the menu is loaded with GF & GFO options! She had the chicken marsala with the GFO, which she said was delicious...tough to do being GF. We also tried three appetizers that we hadn't had before. The roasted red peppers, the marinated pepperoncinis and the whipped ricotta! Our server Megan was super cool, very attentive and proactive, and always on top of things! We also had a bottle of Vice wine with dinner and with the appetizers I had the espresso martini. It was very good and made with a fresh shot of espresso! Of course the desserts were awesome...we had tiramisu and fresh made cannolis with pistachio crumbles! And I wouldn't do anyone justice if I didn't recommend the shaved prime ribeye carpaccio. That was probably the best I've ever had in my life! read more

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Owner Chris and GM Eddie very hands on great place 4td time back love it food is amazing

I want to say that our server was very nice. However this place has a lot of room to grow. Went to celebrate a birthday which was mentioned in the reservation but not acknowledged by staff. Ordered the lasagna and pasta Amatriciana. Lasagna came out 10 minutes before the other dish and was cold. They took the lasagna back then the pasta did a couple of laps around the restaurant as another server picked it up and wasn't sure what dish it was. It was another 6 minutes before the lasagna came back and it had shrunk considerably in size. Bread was not offered, no one went over the menu. Food was very bland. We will give it another try in a few months to see if the kinks are worked out. Disappointing first experience. read more