I'm confused by all of these negative reviews! I've been to Girasole for dinner several times and have always been impressed. First off, the place is absolutely beautiful. If you're looking for a place with great atmosphere and ambiance for an anniversary or birthday dinner or another special occasion, you can't do much better than Girasole. The menu is authentic Italian. If you're looking for heaps of pasta smothered in six different kinds of cheeses and sugary tomato sauce, you should go to Olive Garden instead, because this is real-deal Italian food. The food is fresh, the flavors are delicate, and the portions are reasonable. I had the Pappardelle alla Bolognese and it was a solid dish; the Ravioli Vegetariani was a little bit of a small portion for the price but very tasty. The best dish I've had there was Brasato al Barolo, which is a braised short rib in Barolo wine sauce with polenta. It was to die for, there was incredible depth of flavor. The service has been good every time I've gone there; the waitstaff is well-trained, attentive, and able to answer any questions you have about the menu. It's definitely a bit spendy, especially compared to other options just down the road, but a great place to celebrate a special occasion. You're paying for quality here, not quantity. read more

Over the river and through the nightmare of route 66 construction we went. At the end of the rainbow lay Girasole. Since it was a lovely night and everything else we opted for outside. Unfortunately the tent was still up but maybe that was fortunate because it wasn't quite balmy yet. The regular and special menus are on lovely card stock with accurate Italian. There was a good selection of Italo-American wines and we selected a nice half bottle. Our appetizers consisted of a refreshing broccoli cauliflower salad and a beef tongue salad. Our mains were a rabbit special and a piping hot and crisp arctic char atop a bed of fennel. Dessert was a delightful amaretto hazelnut torte accompanied by honeybush tea. The crockery features pleasant Italian designs. We look forward to returning often and checking out the food and wine events. read more

Terrible everything. Now, I will point out that we went several years ago and I am just getting around to a review but anyone giving 5 stars is not rating this place objectively. The service was awful and every person's meal (4 of us) was terrible. They need a complete overhaul of food and staff. read more

I really wanted to love this place and have a great experience especially in spite of all the negative reviews. Unfortunately, most of the negative reviews I've read about Girasole are true. In short, nothing was terrible but nothing was great either. And considering they're a self-proclaimed "fine dining experience" (and their prices reflect as much), my experience left much to be desired. Ambience: Nice/quiet. Service: Was just okay. Seemed like it was everyone's first day, and we had two people wait on us before our actual waiter showed up. When he did, he was very "whatever" about everything and hardly attentive. If I knew his name, I'd use it but he didn't even tell us haha. Maybe saw him twice the whole night. No one even offered dessert at the end of our meal...the whole thing just felt weird like they were all just tired and out of it. The one redeeming factor was we did not feel rushed at all. Whether that was due to a lack of attention or on purpose I don't know but it was nice. Food: We got the calamari which was great, salmon, chicken, and veal. Salmon was just okay "seems microwaved" from the person who ordered it, chicken was good, and veal was good as well. Decent wine list, I thought the Pinot Grigio paired well with the calamari and veal. Probably about 10 bucks over priced per main meal. Because of the many great reviews, I'd say this place is worth checking out for yourself because if it's an "on" night I think this place could be pretty great. It just wasn't for us unfortunately. But it didn't stop us from having a wonderful time together. read more

Really bad, will never return. Food was extremely bland and WAY over priced, 30$ for over cooked chicken and greasy green beans.

4 stars for good food, perfect pace of service and friendly staff. The only sub-par dish was the seasonal fettuccine with mushrooms which was just meh. Minus one star for the tables outdoors being WAY too close together--when you're sitting one foot away from a stranger who is talking about not getting vaccinated and how to get away with not wearing masks on planes, it doesn't exactly facilitate a relaxed dining experience. CDC recommends keeping distance, even outdoors. read more

What a beautiful and a delicious evening! The hubs found this gem of a place, and brought me here to celebrate our anniversary :D This restaurant is owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team, Chef Patierno and his wife, Ms Lydia. Girasole means 'sunflower' in Italian and offers authentic, regional Italian fare. We arrived a little bit early, but Ms. Lydia welcomed us warmly and we were led to the bar area to grab some drinks. When our time arrived, I was glad that we were led to the main dining area with the high ceilings - our table was a nice spacious booth, overlooking the restaurant's patio/garden, which was nice! We started off with: Burrata (served with artisanal Tuscan olive oil and sea salt, with a side of some micro greens - this was super delicious! The burrata was creamy and delicate, and the Tuscan olive oil was fragrant and was a nice touch); a House Cured Bresaola with Imported Piedmontese Ricotta with Kinloch Farm Honey (this came with a side of local greens, the house-cured bresaola wasn't too strong in taste, and while I thought these were forgettable, the hubs enjoyed these - I absolutely LOVED the ricotta, as it was super fresh and delicious! The drizzle of the Kinloch Farm honey was to die for, and it added a lovely sweetness to it!); Calamari Fritti (crispy-fried squid, this had a nice tang from the lemon juice and was seasoned so that no sauce was needed; it also had some fried parsley leaves on top); and, Mozzarella Fritti (fried mozzarella triangles with a crisp exterior, set on top of a light lemon anchovy sauce and crispy parsley bits - super cheesy and melty!). For a salad, we shared the Pear Arugula (this was so yummy! The arugula was dressed in this lovely house vinaigrette, and there were freshly-sliced pears, a creamy mound of gorgonzola, and walnuts - super fresh!). For our entrees, we tried: the Ravioli di Taleggio con le Spugnole (housemade ravioli filled with Taleggio cheese and served with morels - the ravioli was cooked perfectly al-dente, had a thicker skin, and filled with a tasty Taleggio cheese filling; the raviolis were covered in a butter-like sauce, and I loved the fresh morels that came with); a Papparedelle alla Bolognese (wide ribbons of housemade pasta served with a classic Bolognese style meat sauce - I loved the papparedelle, as these were cooked perfectly al dente - the hubs was a fan, but I thought it was a little too thin); and, a Braised Beef Short Rib (served in a Barolo wine reudction over a creamy, herbed polenta - the braised beef was meaty and fork tender, and I loved the herbed polenta (definitely creamy and had a lovely herb taste!); the sliced carrots were also delicious!). Complimentary crusty bread is given with creamy butter slices - delicious! For dessert, we had the creme brulee (nice sugary crisp surface with a creamy interior), an apricot tart (this was absolutely delicious, as it contained large generous halves of apricots in a cake-like tart - not too sweet, but it was a lovely surprise!), and a cherry cobbler (yummy cobbler crust filled with lovely whole cherries, topped with a creamy vanilla gelato). I just wished the restaurant had housemade non-alcoholic cocktails and juices, but they only offer Sprecher sodas. Our server was D'Antwan, and he was super friendly and made some great suggestions. Ms. Lydia also made sure that everything was impeccable and that we had everything that we needed! The restaurant itself is beautiful, with the high ceilings and the rustic wooden decor with beautiful Italian dishware. This is definitely a little gem, and I am so glad that it isn't too far of a drive! I can't wait to come back to try out more of their specials and the rest of their dinner menu :D Check Girasole out - you will not be disappointed :D +authentic regional Italian fare :D +Burrata :D +Imported Piedmontese Ricotta with Kinloch Farm Honey :D +Pear Arugula salad +housemade pastas :D +housemade specialties :D +apricot tart :D +ask for Ms. Lydia :D +patio seating available +plenty of parking in lot read more

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Incredible food, service, and ambiance! If you find yourself in the plains this is a stop you must take. From the house made bread to the fresh made pastas and perfectly cooked fish, we had a wonderful Mother's Day brunch. There's nothing on this menu you won't want to try, but don't believe before trying the homemade gelato, tastes just like it does in Italy! read more

If you're thinking that traveling all the way to The Plains from NOVA/DC for a plate of eggs benedict isn't worth it, I would strongly encourage you to reconsider. At Girasole, you're getting so much more than just a plate of excellently executed and presented eggs benedict. My inner girl-child squealed with glee as we approached the restaurant. We had driven through (what seemed to me) countrysides and dilapidated, abandoned buildings, and had suddenly turned the corner into a charming little town. The restaurant itself is brimming with rustic charm, and greeted us with tall lavender and sunflowers in the outside patio. The decor is warm and inviting, and while I've never been to Italy, I strangely imagine this is what Tuscany would look like. Do not pass on the bread basket! The cinnamon buns are soft, airy, and melt in your mouth. The little blueberry muffins were good, but it was the zucchini raisin muffins that slightly blew me away. I don't like raisins and never understood who would have thought zucchini would be a good ingredient to put into bread, but it all made sense when I bit into the just-slightly-sweetened-and-delectably-subtle muffin. The basket of tuscan country loaf was piping hot out of the oven, and as advertised on their website, "crusty on the outside, chewy in the middle"--and most definitely "baked fresh on the premises." We ordered our eggs benedicts extra runny, and the bright yellow yolk gushed out beautifully onto the plate over the impressively fluffy whites. The hollandaise sauce wasn't overbearing or excessively creamy. Compared to the excellent bread baskets, I wasn't a huge fan of the english muffin on the benni, and I would have preferred canadian bacon over the regular bacon; but otherwise and overall, the dish was excellent. There's a dessert tray displayed in the back, and every single dessert item looked amazing. I didn't have room for dessert after the two bread baskets and eggs benedict, but there is a possibility that I may just go directly to dessert and coffee the next time we're here for Sunday brunch. read more

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I am giving it a neutral rating because I never set foot inside. It looks like it has a really beautiful patio. I called around 7 for a table. They said they were packed for dinner (understandable; their website says reservations recommended). I asked if they could just do a dessert seating. The reply was clear, "We don't do 'just dessert'. We only do dine in." Their dessert and cappuccino menu seems really extensive. My bad. I was thinking I would go and "dine in" with reservations in advance so I could try out the dessert menu. The food looks pretty bleh in the pics, but I figured I could tough through the overly priced kids' meals to get to the goods. After reading the reviews, my initial assessment seems correct; while appropriately friendly with their response to me tonight, the pretentiousness rang through. I wonder if they realize that sometimes the wealthiest people drive Nissans aka they want "just dessert". read more

Stay away... our friends recommended this to us. They're no longer our friends anymore! It started with the hostess with the mostest! She was a drag. We waited an hour to get our appetizers, another life time for our dinner...the staff could care less about us it seemed. The soup tasted like it had cardboard pasta, beef carpaccio was decent, the pasta.... chef boyardee is top notch compared to what we got. The bronzino was delish!! Don't come here hungry.. or really in general... read more

Just got back from a fantastic Thanksgiving Dinner at Girasole. Service was excellent and the food was delicious. For Thanksgiving it was a fixed price menu with four courses. There was an abundance of food which they gladly boxed up the leftovers so we could take home. So glad we have this gem in Fauquier county read more

We wanted to go to fine restaurant for my wife's birthday. Some place new and we have been touring Northern Virginia's fine Italian eateries. So, we decided to drive from Purcellville to the Plains to experience Girasole. We walked into the building, and we both we taken aback by the mortise and tenon construction and beauty for the woodwork. We were seated on the second floor overlooking the rest of the main dining room. My wife started with the Sushi grade tuna crudo and for her main she had lamb ravioli in sweet curry sauce. I started with Calamari followed by Costolette di Maiale gratinate. The pork was fabulous and the Morels were shipped in from the State of Washington. Every bite was a delight. The staff was polite, well informed and attentive. All in all, we give Girasole 5 stars and will return. I am not sure why anyone would have a bad thing bad to say about Girasole. read more

The food was mediocre. The service was good enough. The ambiance is sad and cheap looking.

Put going here right out of your mind...they need new everything. New ownership, a new menu, a new chef and some heat. What you get after all of this is overpriced miniature portions. it was so bad I almost stopped at McDonalds afterwards. read more

My wife and I and my brother and sister-in-law came here for Sunday brunch. Here's my take: Atmosphere - lovely place, we ate outside as the weather was perfect. Patio area is very nice with umbrella covered tables, flagstone surface and low stone walls with plants and trees everywhere. Did not see the inside, but my sister-in-law checked it out and seemed impressed...she described it as resembling Tuscan style. Service - waiter was attentive and gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu. We did not feel rushed when we had finished dining and plates were cleared only after everyone was finished. Food - Two of us ordered the Frittata, one the Belgian waffles. I had the classic Eggs Benedict. Frittatas were disappointing, looking nothing like those served elsewhere. At first glance ressembled thin giant chocolate chip cookies with an avocado slice on top. They were described as generally tasteless and ridiculously thin. The Eggs Benedict were good as were the small portion of potatoes served on the side. The meat beneath the poached eggs was rather pale looking, so much so that I had to ask the waiter what kind of meat this was. He said it was Canadian bacon....must have been from pigs north of the arctic circle..tasted odd...but, hey, I ate it. The Belgian waffle looked great with plenty of berries. Brother in law, who had ordered it, described them as a bit tough around the edges. Portion was generous, however. All in all, gave it three stars. Great atmosphere, but somewhat blah food - probably won't return...food makes the experience. read more

Girasole is absolutely a beautiful place. It's Tuscany in The Plains! Architectural details are very impressive. From the outside parking lot to the bathrooms -I can't find anything that is not nice. It is absolutely a stunning place. However, I gave them 3 stars because the food was okay. It did not "wow" me. We went there for brunch and we were not that happy. The price does not match the quantity or the taste. I had the frittata and it was thin like a crepe and not much flavor. Perhaps, I will give it another try and go there for lunch or dinner. read more

Since I left high school this is the first time I wished I was eating at the Olive Garden. My wife and I came here for our sixth year anniversary and after having the host run away on us twice before sitting down we almost left. I wish we had. There was no hi, hello or warmth by either our server or the owner, the latter coming over to our table multiple times but not taking any orders. We saw our server maybe one minute out of the hour and a half we were there, and all we got was "are you ready" or "anything else" all night long. They were out of fried mozzerella (this is an italian restaurant ), one of the two wines my wife was looking at, and two salad specials despite having only, you guessed it, two salad specials. This was made worse by the owner saying she thought they were out of the fried mozzarella special because they were out of it this weekend. How often do they go shopping/order food? The service was sporadic at best, and the entrees were overpriced ($30 for a small meat lasagna and $28 for a pasta bolognese?) for what they were which was palatable at best- light on both flavor and portion size. We sat for ten minutes debating whether or not we should have coffee and a dessert or just get the check. After the bus boy appeared and started to clear our plates and then the owner appeared not to ask how the food was but to clear only the salt and pepper from the table we decided to just get our check and leave. Not sure if the positive reviewers haven't had decent Italian or if we just came on a bad night but we definitely won't be back - life is too short to pay for mediocre Italian food and crappy service. read more

We went here last night for daughters birthday. Warrenton is pathetically short of good eating, and I have been trying to find a new fine dining experience that is consistently good. We were absolutely delighted by the staff, service and food here. No one was disappointed with their choices, and the wine list was short but impressive. Sauteed baby artichokes was my starter choice, followed by salmon and leek ravioli as my main choice and both was very flavorful. All the servers were professional and attentive, as well as pleasant to chat to. This restaurant is without doubt one of the best I have visited in the area. My fingers are crossed that it will remain this good. read more

I've been in the area as a customer for over 25 years. Always loved Girasole and frequented it over the years. But it's not the same now. Maybe they are burned out. Could be. Maybe understandably so. I am an Italian American and know our culture well. I don't understand, however, why an owner of a successful place should be quite so arrogant. The restaurant refuses to modernize and use an online booking service. If you call for a reservation they don't answer the phone. Then if you finally reach them they give you a LOT of attitude and hassle, and take a credit card to make a reservation, and practically threaten you with the cancellation fee warnings. They message is clear - you are an annoyance to them given that you called to get a reservation. It's a sad day when business folks do not respect their long-time clientele. No restaurant experience is worth that in my book. This is 2023. We need more decency all around in all directions. We should all treat folks with respect, not arrogance. I understand that American values continue to support the most privileged but I also have more hope for the future, where folks understand we are all in this together and should treat all with respect and kindness as neighbors, and make it simple and easy for all parties to support your business. Is this rocket science? read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants within 100 miles of DC and definitely the best Italian place in the DMV! We go as often as we can for special occasions, despite living almost 45 minutes away! Having lived in Italy, this is as authentic as you can find in the States. The restaurant is gorgeous, the ambiance is quaint and very cozy. The pasta is made to perfection and they always have wonderful specials to choose from, plus an excellent wine list. We always leave extremely satisfied and wondering why we do not eat here more often. Knowing that this is a family-owned business that pours their heart and soul into their restaurant makes for an incredibly satisfying experience after every visit. Highly recommend Girasole! read more

I really hate to ding a restaurant post-covid, but I have to write this review because I also hate to see people waste a lot of money on bad food. To start with the good things, the patio is lovely and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere. The service was very good, if a little slow, but it's pretty hard for businesses to find workers these days, so I feel that gets a pass. Then came the appetizers. There was calamari and fried mozzarella, and those were both pretty good, although I suspect they were frozen, but at least they tasted good. My salad was barely edible. It was a soggy heap of arrugula over slightly mushy apple slices in a gooey vaguely cheese-flavored sauce, with exactly 3 walnuts. Not candied. It had almost no flavor at all. I took a few bites, but couldn't find anything redeeming about it to make me want to continue eating it. It's really hard to mess up a salad. To prove I wasn't being picky I made everyone else try it, and everyone agreed it was just not good. Even my husband, who will eat absolutely anything, could only take a few bites. The entrees ran from relatively good to ok to inedible. The lasagna was apparently good, although I didn't taste it. My kid ate most of it, and said it was pretty good but not great, but his favorite food is Chik-fil-a, so make of that what you will. There were a couple of pasta dishes that were "just ok," and then there was the ravioli. Oh, the ravioli, where to begin. It was supposed to be ravioli with butter and balsamic vinegar, so I imagined perhaps something with a balsamic brown butter sauce drizzled over ravioli, but no, this was ravioli - just the ordinary kind, not homemade I'm fairly sure - swamped in oil, butter, and plain old balsamic vinegar, with, for reasons I cannot understand, a few drops of lemon juice thrown on top. It looked bad, and tasted worse - I took two bites and wished I hadn't tasted it at all. Others at the table agreed. My husband, a guy who once ate monkey brains, declared it tasted "weird." They didn't charge us for the meals I didn't eat, which was nice, but I just can't understand how they can serve something like that. I had heard they served authentic Italian food, like in Italy, but I have been to Italy and Olive Garden is closer to authentic Italian food than this was. I think it would be great it this place stayed in business - it's cute, and we need more Italian restaurants, but there is no excuse for charging high prices and serving food that tastes that bad. So I say still go there, but avoid the ravioli, drink the house wine (it's pretty good), sit on the patio, and keep your expectations low. Maybe bring a snack just in case. read more

Went here for New Years Eve and the food was terrible and the Service was even worse. You do not get what you pay for. The drinks were served in the tiniest glasses we ever saw. I don't think there was even a shot of alcohol in the glass. Decided to switch to wine and I think there was only 3 ounces in the glass. I will say the dessert was good. I don't usually get dessert but I was hungry because my dinner was inedible. Only one person at the table was satisfied with their dinner. Not going back. Don't mind paying higher prices but the Food, Service, and Drinks weren't worth it. read more

Place was beautiful!!! Very cozy and service was great! The only (BIG) thing is that food wasn't. Very pricey and the taste and flavor were definitely not authentic Italian (my husband is Italian so I know what to expect).It was pretty plain and boring, not bad just not good. My husband and I ordered soups (I got lentils) as our first course, then we each got 2 different types of ravioli (I think mine had squash inside, we went at the end of FALL) that were very bland. Bottle of wine (good selection and somewhat big) and dessert (pretty good). I'd just recommend they spice things up! Literally! read more

A classic in The Plains, great outdoor patio, friendly staff, and food is always great

After reading the reviews and seeing good things about the dessert menu here, me and my friend decided to stop by and give a few of them a try. Unfortunately, on a Tuesday evening with a seemingly empty dining room, our request to just have dessert and coffee didn't sit well with the management that night. It's unfortunate that they didn't want our money; but the other neighboring restaurants had no problem accommodating our fairly simple and reasonable request. read more

Being from Italy I always struggle to find an Italian restaurant that deliver the true italian food experience. I've been to Girasole multiple times and I always had a consistent, great experience. The food is great and you can tell they use only the best ingredients. My favorite are the agnellotti and the veal. After they show the dessert tray I can't say no and tiramisu always makes me happy. Location ad service also great. I raccomend it to anyone one who wants a true Italian experience without having to go to Italy. read more

Great authentic Italian cuisine. And the proprietors and their family are an absolute delight. Wonderful salads, inventive ideas, great desserts. read more

The restaurant was short staffed in the kitchen. Hope they have found help since our last visit. Our meal was below average and over priced. read more

One of my favorite restaurants to go to. I went for years before moving to the west coast, but every time I'm back in Virginia I make sure to make the drive out. Started with the fried stuffed olives that and they were so yummy. Ordered a salad and entree both off the specials menu. The fig salad with prosciutto was very good and well and a great choice from my usual pear salad I always got. Entree had the seafood ravioli in a delicious sauce. The lobster and scallops tasted incredible, I was so full but had to finish it. My friend got the octopus salad and the trout which I tried and both I absolutely loved. Of course, the bread they bring out at the beginning is the best I've ever had. Our waitress Cara was very nice, knowledgeable, and made a great wine suggestion. Beautiful restaurant, delicious food- already looking forward to my next visit. read more

There is a lot to take in visually starting at the porch. Amazing huge lemons growing already just delivered from greenhouse. The fig trees have figs! We planned a brunch visit and enjoyed a stretched out time frame to take in the whole experience. Our waitress was amazing reading out each special course for us since the list was long in addition to the menu. Very attentive and fun. Each course was a delightful discovery from the appetizers to the desserts! The lovely pottery from Italy is so beautiful it took me back there. Even had a delightful talk about the landscaping and plants outside and the history of their Restaurants from the past. We will defiantly be back. read more

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We had dinner there tonight for the first time and was very disappointed in the serving size of the entree. If I am going to pay $30 for a pasta dish it better be substantial and it was far from it! Food was average and service horrible! Won't be back and won't recommend! read more

The food is divine. This upscale European style service in 18th century farmhouse style is a welcome joy to visit. The specials as well as the wine list is extensive, and our family had a wonderful meal that included a fantastic Ceaser Salad, fettuccine with chanterelles, and fresh baked bread. Already looking forward to a future meal here! read more

Don't bother .. staff is rude and food mediocre .. very disappointing., pre Covid it was lovely

Excellent Italian food. The Soft Shell crabs were delicious and the portions huge. The salads and pasta excellent. The wine list had some real gems at very fair prices-Giacomo Conterno Barolo and Barberas as well Vahra. Great restaurant with good service. Highly recommended read more

We held a 100th birthday party for my mother-in-law and everything was great. Our group of 28 had the downstairs room and had a great time. We had picked a limited set of menu choices and Lydia helped me pair a great selection of wines to pair with the menu. The food, wine, and service were terrific. We've been happy with all our other visits to Girasole, but we were particularly pleased that this landmark event went so well. read more

Phenomenal and authentic Italian cuisine with an inviting atmosphere, Girasole is truly the gem of The Plains. With an exceptional staff that makes you feel right at home, you'll feel like a long-time regular as soon as you're seated. My favorites are the Salmone Affumicato, Agnolotti and calamari - but with a one of a kind wine menu and rotating specials, you can't go wrong. There's also a bountiful desert menu (the tiramisu is a standout) that can't be passed up. A family-ran restaurant, you'll likely meet the owner and get to know more about the impressive history of the restaurant. I've been for brunch, dinner and private events - and consistently had exceptional service and food. Highly, highly recommend Girasole to anyone in The Plains and the surrounding areas, or anyone looking for a destination restaurant outside of D.C.! read more

This past August (I know, I know - I'm way behind in my reviews - lol!), to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary, hubby & I wended our way over to The Plains & gave Girasole a try. We'd heard both yays & nays about the place, so decided to decide for ourselves. Are very glad that we did. What an adorable place! One really does feel like one has been transported to some little bistro or trattoria in Italy. You enter by first crossing an impressive stone-walled garden/terrace/patio with a large stone fireplace/oven, a few umbrella-topped tables for outside dining, & perfect landscaping. Small Italian glazed ceramic hangings, large (like 10'-12' tall) in-ground fig trees, & rustic flowers & herbs tucked here & there. Inside is just as lovely - very Mediterranean with lots of beautiful wooden beams & rustic furnishings. We had reservations & were seated immediately upon arrival. While our table was right behind the hostess stand, it wasn't an unpleasant spot in the least & overlooked that beautiful walled patio. We started with a couple of well-made gin & tonics, which were accompanied by a basket of warm, house-made "Tuscan" bread (loaves of which they also offer for sale separately at $9/loaf) with a plate of softened butter. The butter was refreshing as opposed to the usual bowl of seasoned dipping oil offered seemingly everywhere these days. For appetizers, husband had the "Fried Mozzarella", which was two nice-sized wedges of cheese, breaded & fried to perfect exterior crustiness & interior ooziness. You could tell from the creaminess of it that it was really fresh mozz. It was served atop a pool of a creamy lemony anchovy sauce. A really, really good dish, & something I'd like to order for myself on another visit (which there will definitely be). For my appetizer I chose my favorite "Escargot", which was good, but nothing really spectacular. Six snails in lemon-butter sauce in the usual dimpled ceramic dish. Not enough garlic for me, & sort of skimpy looking. (Snails are usually so small, that they really do need to be served in-shell or set on mushroom caps or small toasts or something - if only for appearance sake.) For entrees, we both chose the "Fritto Misto", which is a mélange of small pieces of mixed seafood fried in a sort of tempura-like batter. This version contained mussels (fried in the half-shell), some small pieces of white fish, calamari (both rings & tentacles), shrimp, & sea scallops. It was well-prepared, not greasy at all, & the portions were HUGE. Served on its own with fresh lemon halves, each lemon half wearing a little elasticized cheesecloth "cap" so we could squeeze the juice onto our food without having to pick out seeds. Both elegant & cute at the same time. Since the portions were so large & we wanted to save some room for dessert, we had half of our entrees boxed up to go & enjoy at home. For dessert we shared a "Crème Brulee" (always a favorite of ours), which was wonderful & very rich. Oh, & a nice bottle of Italian Prosecco was also enjoyed throughout the meal. Service was warm & friendly - absolutely zero snootiness anywhere - & while we didn't spot any famous locals, it was more than obvious that we were surrounded by many regulars. The acoustics are a bit on the loud side (whether we wanted to or not, we were privy to a few amusing conversations around us - lol!), & since the restaurant borders train tracks, a couple did breeze by. Bill after tax but before tip came to $160.59, & was worth every penny. Bottom line: All in all, it was a very, very nice evening, & I'm glad we decided to visit. Will definitely have to return to try other items, especially since they seem to offer around 15 or so daily specials covering all the menu categories. And I'm very glad we made a reservation, because even though this was a Thursday evening, all tables were full when we left around 8:45. read more

We went here with my parents, who are in their 80's and they loved it and so did we. We started with calamari that was very tender and the Belgian endive salad with blue cheese that was lovely. My husband and I tried two special appetizers, risotto with speck and tomato with tapenade, both were fabulous. We all loved our main courses, short ribs, osso bucco, pasta with chanterelles and the brazino. Great meal in all and excellent service. read more

Girasole - Best fresh pasta with chanterelles that I have ever eaten. - Italian Near Me - The Plains, Virginia

My wife and I returned to Girasole this past Saturday to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. When we called to make the reservation we told the person on the phone (I believe it was the maitre'd) of the occassion and asked if we could be sat at a more private/intimate table, he said he would see what he could do and mentioned the outdoor seating area- which is neither intimate nor private as far as their tables go. We arrived Saturday evening (only 10 minutes before our reservation!) and the maitre'd remembered it was our anniversary, which was nice, but the restaurant was pretty empty and he sat us down in the first table- right next to the front door and the largest party in the restaurant- a loud group of 12. Gee, thanks for accommodating our simple table request... This waiter did a much better job of reciting the specials than the last one, we actually were able to retain the majority of the list. Still, I don't think it's too much to ask that the specials be in written form somewhere on the table considering the large amount of them. We started off with the mozzarella fritti and the crabcake special. Both were very good but even with the lemon anchovy sauce the mozzarella could have used some seasoning in the breading. The crab cake was delicious. For entrees I had the medaglion di manzo (beef tenderloin) and my wife had the tortellini formaggio (cheese-filled tortellini). My wife liked her tortellini but there was a lot of sauce in the dish (she prefers less sauce with her pasts) and she said the filling had a "taste" that she couldn't place. I ordered the tenderloin medium rare and it came out well done. After trying to get our waiter's attention for almost 10 minutes I just gave up and ate it. The reality is that the tenderloin wasn't bad- it just wasn't what I ordered and a restaurant this small at this price point should be able to cook some tenderloin properly. Anyone who orders a steak well done should stick with the chicken... The waiter never came back to see how we were doing with our entrees or appetizers, he didn't return to our table until after a buslady (Is that even the proper title? Busgirl just sounds disrespectful considering the age of the woman.) cleared our table and she (yes, the buslady) asked us if we wanted to see the dessert tray... Do I really have to chase a waiter down in a fine dining restaurant? There is a big difference between having a slow-paced dinner and the serving staff just ignoring you. We had more interaction with the buslady than our waiter. The loud "party table" next to us was getting a lot of special attention- who cares about the younger couple celebrating their 10th anniversary? After another long wait the waiter finally arrived with the dessert tray. We chose to split a lemon meringue pie since it was so good last time but when the pie came out it just wasn't as before and the crust was overcooked. I wish I could give Girasole 4 or even 5 stars, we do love the look of the restaurant, the location and just the quaintness of it all. Some of the dishes are truly great but then they seem to totally screw up the little things that make other dishes sub-par. Having a weak waitstaff certainly doesn't help things. Overall just a pretty disappointing experience. The food was probably 3.5-4 stars overall and the service brings it down to a 3. I doubt we'll ever bother going back. read more