Los Angeles RoadTrip Episode 8 "Come on, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for twenty guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs. Ah...? And a little bit of wine. And a little bit of sugar. That's my trick.".. We settled in for Dinner at.. "Scopa Italian Roots", owner/Chef Antonia Lofaso does it right. A very welcoming, accessible and comfortable Osteria. The Lass drank glasses of Mathilde Rose Wine.. The Lad drank a glass of Espresso Martini and a glass of White Wine.. These libations were most thirst satisfying..:) We shared plates of Beets, Scallops Oreganata (perfectly cooked and wickedly juicy delish) and Pea Ravioli (al dente yummy.:).. We finished this superb meal w. an Affogato Sundae. Scopa was a highlight of our trip.. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli"..:) Best, Avram Clemenza Jr. read more

See all

I hate to do this because this was a place I have been coming to for a very long time. I don't know what happened. The kitchen, management and service.. everything is different. I work in hospitality and it's very disappointing to see my local favorite restaurant take a turn for the bad. It was a special occasion and I asked for 2 thing before arrival. Both didn't happen. (Booth and birthday dessert after dinner) Spoke to host upon arrival and before being seated and didn't happen. Thanks for taking off the steak tartar off the bill. Vongole over salted. Left a note on the bill because of how I tipped. Do better scopa. Thanks. read more

Too many misses this time. Service was very slow. Not sure what happened in the kitchen. Missed our scallop appetizer order first round. The stuffed mushrooms were tiny (size of a quarter or smaller) and drowning in butter/oil. Same with the scallop appetizer (2 for $20) and drowning in butter/oil. Linguine with clams was very salty (we all tried it). Really disappointed that the food didn't taste good and felt like butter or oil was used to hide it. The best part was the friendly staff who refilled our water. read more

We made reservations for our anniversary after reading the reviews of another local Italian spot that was deemed less gluten friendly. The lighting and ambience is great, however, there is pretty loud music blaring that made it less than ideal for conversation. It definitely LOOKS romantic, but it didn't sound that way. Of course, when it's loud, everyone is trying to speak over the music, so we got to listen to a play-by-play of an awkward first date happening at the table 18 inches away from us. It was definitely amusing, but not the vibe I'd hoped for. Our server, however, was absolutely wonderful and kind. He offered to change the water that the pasta is boiled in to accommodate my gluten allergy, which most places don't even know to ask. They offer one type of gluten-free noodle - spaghetti. None of the warm appetizers with the exception of the scallops were gluten friendly, but there was a large selection on the cold appetizer list. We opted to share the Italian chopped salad, and it was a great light starter. I had the rigatoni with the gluten-free noodles, and the sauce was absolutely wonderful! My husband had Mary's chicken, and we both agreed it was a bit salty. For some reason, we weren't expecting it to be chicken on the bone, so that kind of threw us as well. It wasn't terrible, but also not our favorite. As for drinks, I had the fellow Cabernet Sauvignon, which I really enjoyed. my husband had a whiskey drink that had a very unique flavor- cynar. It wasn't our favorite, but it is a unique earthy taste if you want to try something new. We ordered the espresso Panna cotta for dessert, and it came out with a candle roll for our anniversary, normally when a restaurant does that, it's complementary. However, that wasn't the case this time around. We were charged for the dessert. It's not a big deal, but it would been a nice touch. Valet parking was around $15, and they do accept cards. read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Rigatoni with gluten free noodles - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

See all

Simply great food, great service. Environment is modern and open. Parking is a little difficult.

Scopa Italian Roots is a fantastic neighborhood spot with a menu that truly has something for everyone. Portion sizes are shareable. We had the Italian Chopped salad, Rice Ball (arancini), papardelle, and crab ravioli which was absolutely incredible--rich, perfectly balanced--easily the standout of our meal. The service was EXCEPTIONAL. Every member of the staff was genuinely kind, attentive, and welcoming attentive. A special thank you to Bot, the manager, for the lovely conversation and thoughtful gift of Italian cookies to take home. The only reason for four stars on ambiance is that the tables are quite close together so it was difficult not to hear neighboring conversations. Excellent selection, incredible authentic Italian food, outstanding hospitality, and definitely a restaurant I'll return to. read more

Consistently perfect meals and service, from the moment on arrives in their parking lot throughout the entire meal: perfection read more

See all

Fun atmosphere and great food. We thought the lasagne with sausage was terrific as was the eggplant parm. The ricotta crostini is a fun starter to share and the Italian chopped salad large and delicious. Also really enjoyed the chitarra. Our server Bennie was very knowledgeable and helpful and never rushed us on a very busy Saturday night. Prices are reasonable and a good value for this level of Italian. read more

This spot's worth a drive not just a stop. Hella options drink wise, a wall with bottles taller than a Harry Potter wall at Hogwarts sits behind the bar. Black squid ink calamari.......... GOTTA DO IT! Fresh fish and pasta light and right to the flavor points. Pull up and eat good today! read more

See all

Amazing Ambiance the music was so dope some old school house music vibes, the service was amazing. Waiters and waitresses were very helpful and friendly. They recommended a few dishes. We are already knew what to order. Had some recommendations. It's a bit pricey $25 for drinks but figured it's a one timer. She had the pasta bolognese sauce which was amazing. I had linguine and clam sauce came off a bit salty but overall delicious potions are very small. I will come again . read more

See all

Very nice ambience inside with good service. Can be a little expensive for the portions but worth to check out. Ricotta crostini: GET THIS. The bread is crispy and garlicky. Goes well with the ricotta dip. Beets/Persimmon/Burrata: another hit, and a lighter dish. Sweet and savory Rigatoni: delicious, but can be similar to other restaurants Creste Rigate: GET THIS. Unique flavors and the mushrooms add a great depth. Would crave this. Chocolate panna cotta: good but not memorable Service/ambience: beautiful inside and servers are attentive Parking: street or valet. Valet would be cheaper than the public parking lot nearby read more

See all

Scopa's been on my list for a while and I'm glad I finally got a chance to try it! We came on a Saturday night with no reservation but we were able to get a seat at the bar. We had the amberjack crudo (delicious, very light), rigatoni, linguine, and the zeppole. We also got a couple of mocktails. The rigatoni was absolutely delicious, the perfect amount of spice and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The linguine was a little too butter heavy; we agreed we would skip it next time. We got a side of nutella with the zeppole and that was definitely the right move. It's pretty lively and a nice atmosphere for a date or celebration. I feel like our food came out a little slow; probably because it was a Saturday night but just something to keep in mind. There's valet parking or street parking. read more

We originally made reservations for 5 PM on a Wednesday coming from out of town. We needed to reschedule to 6 PM. We called and were able to move our reservation via automated service which was quick and smooth. We enjoyed the atmosphere when we first got there. It was somewhat slow, but by the end of our dinner at seven thirtyish it was a full house. Service was great. Our food was amazing. We will definitely come back again. read more

See all

Two for two on great experiences coming here. Ambiance is great and all of the staff members were professional and polite! Everything we ordered was divine, but a special shoutout to the beef tartare, cavatelli, and Panna Cotta. I've been on a search for good beef tartare in the area and this is the clear winner out of several competitors in the area by a long shot! My boyfriend got the chicken parm which was delightful and cooked to perfection. We also made sure to get the sugared donuts which paired very nicely with the panna cotta. Officially one of our favorite spots read more

Lovely restaurant. I haven't ordered anything that I have not loved. Branzibo is fantastic. The lighting is lovely. I just love the vibe and the food is on point. read more

One of my absolute favorite spots in all of Southern CA! Hands down. This is a larger restaurant, but somehow feels cozy on the inside. On the weekends and in the evenings it can get pretty busy, and your order may take some time, but the vibes here will help time pass. The food is authentic and made with fresh ingredients. Every bite of every dish is delectable and a surprise to your taste buds. I always bring family/friends here when they are visiting town. Ive come on dates, and have also come alone. The bartenders are super cool, the hostesses not so much, lol, but overall a classic Italian spot in the Venice area worth trying if you've never been. read more

See all

Amazing spot tucked away in Venice. There is little signage so it's unassuming but when you walk in, it opens up and there are plenty of tables and bar seating. The ambiance is nice and perfect for a date night as it's dim and romantic. Great selection of wine and the food was even better. Started off with their calamari which was battered with squid ink. A unique twist to a classic. Their veal chop was also delicious and loved the herb salad that was served with it. Service was great and they checked up multiple times and food came out in a timely manner. Overall great date night location and would be back! read more

See all

Food and drinks are consistently great, every time I come here, I have the Pappardelle, and FlutterNutter for dessert. I had the Gold Rush(with BuffaloTrace, lemon, honey) it's not on the printed menu in house, but is on the way line menu, also had the Mr. Burns. Service was top notch, Cory was great at our table and Tatiana, was great behind the bar. , we had an extended wait for our table, and a round of drinks was taken care of. Vibes are consistently great, music adds to the vibe. This place is must stop when I visit LA. read more

See all

Very romantic restaurant hidden between Venice and Marina Del Rey. I would not have guessed how large this restaurant is. Inside is dim and great for dates. Service is spectacular and the atmosphere is even better. We ordered the cavatelli and veal chop. The cavatelli was delicious and veal chop was huge! Loved the herb salad that was on the veal. read more

See all

Food was great as well as the service. The only problem was the air conditioner was working too well!

This is my 3 or 4th time at scopa and every time is better than the last. Love the ambiance here, service is always extremely friendly / professional and the food is unreal. Ordered the squash blossoms and the rigatoni this time and both were amazing. I like this place way more than Ospi.. Highly recommend and will probably be back next time I'm in town for work! read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

See all

I loved the warm tone vibe. Came with my boyfriend for date night and we sat at the pastry bar. It turned out great because we had our own small section. Food was amazing, our server was great. BUT special thank you to the pastry chef Julisella (I hope I spelled it right). She was working hard and was answering the questions we had about the desserts. She even ran out with our leftovers we were leaving behind. We loved the Brussels sprout salad and the doughnuts are a must. 10/10 read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

See all

Scopa was a great experience for my wife and I during our recent birthday weekend in LA. I had been wanting to check this place out for a while as I love italian food and being a huge fan of the chef who created it I had high hopes. I am happy to report that they definitely lived up to all of them. Parking is valet in the lot next door ($13 when we went + credit card fee which was quite high) or in the neighboring streets but was easy to get and the service was god. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the ambiance was great. There is no sign on the front but you will know you are in the right spot upon your first steps inside. We had arrived almost an hour prior to our reservation and when we walked in and let them know they had zero issue and quickly ushered us to our assigned table near the window which was fantastic. Our server Rennie quickly greeted us and we both put in orders for the Passionfruit Nojito Mocktail. The drink was nicely made but very citrus heavy and lacked a bit of mint but was quite good overall albeit a bit expensive at $17 each. For my meal I went with the Rigatoni and this was absolutely delicious. Everything tasted great, the colors and scent was fantastic and the taste was even better. The downside being the portion size is quite small (mine was smaller than my wife's pappardelle portion) but the quality more than made up for it. We ended the night was the Mini Cannolis for dessert and these were great tasting and made to perfection. It was the perfect compliment to a great overall meal. I did mark this at time of reservation as a birthday dinner and no reference or anything was made which was a bit of a disappointment but not fully expected. I am a fan and for me the food and service definitely lived up to the hype and expectation I had going in. I highly recommend checking this place out if you are ever in the Venice area. We will be back again for sure read more

See all

Damn good. Flavorful af bread and overall dishes had depth. Lovely sultry atmosphere. Valet parking read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Pasta - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

2nd time here! Food and ambiance were 10/10. Love that the servers and staff are so attentive, friendly and putting in that WORK! I had the cavatelli with Italian sausage and honestly, it was delicious--creamy and had a nice bite. Shared the meatballs with my boyfriend and they were light but meaty in the perfect amount of sauce + cheese and arugula. My bf got the linguine with clams and he enjoyed how light and tasty it was. Mini chocolate chip cannolis for my birthday dessert were soooo good. Def recommend coming for date night, birthday or just a good vibe. Shoutout to Chef Antonia and her staff!! read more

See all

It was my first time dining here, Ended up ordering Chikory salad 1/5 Rice ball 5/5 Meatballs 6/5 Rigatoni vodka 7/5 Eggplant parm 4/5 2 sodas Bill total $153 plus 20 percent $30 tip $183 total The salad needs to go the dressing is great but just make it a citrus Ceasar and call it a day also it's overpriced Rest of the food delicious I do wish the food came out faster I feel as though I waited 40 mins between for the pasta and eggplant at the end and I put everything together in the beginning to come out The ambiance was great also My only complaint is the couple next to me that was so drunk they turned the Resturant into a kissing booth it kills the vibe a bit I wish the Resturant had sad something read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

We have been going to Scopa for almost 10 years now, and we have never had a bad meal or experience. Last night was no exception. We had a reservation at 7:30 for NY Eve, but we wanted to go early to eat, drink and be merry. At 5:20, I called the restaurant and asked if we could sit at the Crudo Bar, our favorite place, and the hostess said to come on down! We live within walking distance, so we strolled to the restaurant and were greeted by cheerful hostesses. The restaurant was decorated with black, white and gold balloons and was playing fun upbeat music. We ordered martinis (a Lemon Drop for me), the Squid Ink Calamari (one of my favorites!), Chopped Salad, T-bone Steak with Chimichurri, Broccolini, and Tiramisu for dessert. Our waiter was great: attentive, friendly and efficient. Best of all, by sitting at the Crudo Bar, there was no time limit for seating, so we stayed until 7:45 or so, when the restaurant really started getting busy. We took the steak bone home for a very happy family dog. This is one of our favorite local restaurants. We plan to visit it many times during the new year. read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Fried Calamari with Squid Ink. So good. - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

Delicious Food, great atmosphere and exceptional service. John, Fabio and Kannica are on their A game. We enjoyed the scallop appetizer. Perfectly sautéed in butter and not rubbery at all. The Pappardelle was a highlight with tender house made pasta and an amazing short rib braised sauce. I'm in love! Don't pass on the bread service because it's worth the additional spend with olive oil that had EXCELLENT quality and flavor. Our wine som was very good and our Italian wine perfectly complimented the meal. We will be back! Bravo! read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Scallop appetizer was DELICIOUS! - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

This restaurant is on the border of Culver City and Venice. So, not the typical "Venice" vibe. Cuisine is Italian/tapas/small plates. It's very date night-esque. I also think this would be good for groups. Dinner only. Upscale-classy, cosmopolitan. Dark booths and brick walls. New York city vibe. Bar scene (cocktails/wine). Celebrity chef-driven. It was pretty busy and I was there on a week night. Highly suggest the ricotta crostini as an appetizer. The cheese is made in-house and the ciabatta is crunchy. There's lots of bread but it was worth it. For our entree we had one of the pasta specials. It was a seasonal item so it's not on the regular menu but I appreciate when restaurants uses seasonal produce in their dishes. For dessert, the fluffernutter is their specialty. It's a fried peanut butter, banana, and marshmallow fluff sandwich on brioche. Truly unique. A must-try! Valet parking offered. read more

Made a reservation through resy for 845 on a a Friday, place was absolutely packed and music was bumping. We arrived earlier and waited another 20 min before we were seated. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms to start and then got the pappardelle, chicken Parmesan and spicy rigatoni. Honestly, the only thing we enjoyed was the mushrooms. The main courses were all mediocre. read more

Pricey but good food and fun cocktails. Service was pretty solid and they have nice decor. Not sure I'd go back as the portions are pretty small considering the prices. read more

This Italian market/restaurant has a lot to offer. Their sandwiches are well-made, scrumptious, and big enough to share with another person. They also have a nice selection of market goods to purchase and take home. I've been here for dinner as well. It was nice, but not as yummy as the multiple sandwiches. I've eaten from here so far. They do have a happy hour which I have unfortunately never gone to. I look forward to doing that soon. Parking is a bit difficult. They do offer some complementary parking, but be aware. There are not very many spaces. read more

Foods solid, but $27 for this portion lol. Dumbass requirement for 85 characters so just typing more read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Cavatelli - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

Great vibe , good food , amazing service. Nice to see this place survived Covid . They had it set up in the parking lot. The bar and the restaurant was buzzing. Had the beets burrata salad was amazing but the server told me it rainbow beets never heard of it . Burrata was fresh the beets were not beets . Lasagna and the rigatoni was perfectly done the sauce great pasta was el Dante . Wil be back to try more of their dishes. read more

See all

Awesome experience. Stellar service. Amazing food. Sexy ambience. I loved everything except the expensive valet at $15 not including tip.

Came here last night for a work dinner with a party of 5. Valet parking was easy and I was charged about $18 (including tip). We were seated right away and our server and the rest of the wait staff were excellent and very efficient. I started with the Sierra Norte cocktail that was great and we shared several appetizers (Prosciutto&Burrata, meat ball hero, and stuffed mushrooms). My favorite app was the piping hot stuffed mushrooms! For our mains, we were recommended to share several plates so we went with the Pork Chop and Chicken parmesan for proteins and the Rigatoni, Cavatelli, and Pappardelle for pasta. My two favorite main dishes were the pork chops and the pappardelle. Lastly, we shared the Fluffernutter, Ricotta cheesecake, and Zeppole (italian donuts). Hands down, the Fluffernutter was the best dessert of the night. We also shared a couple bottles of A. Rafanelli Zinfandel that paired well with our dinner. Overall, we had a great meal and the ambience was nice. Of course there was a lot of ambient noise and no music but it wasn't overly loud despite an almost full house. Good spot for italian with a small group or for couples. We also got the Broccolini and Kale for sides - I liked the Broccolini more. read more

We had a very nice server and there's a great ambiance at Scopa, perfect for dates and connecting with friends alike. They have a gorgeous bar, large window, candles on the tables, and all of our food came perfectly coursed. We were easily able to make a same-day reservation via the Resy app, and I do recommend making a reservation in advance because it was popping when we arrived. For parking, you can either park in the connected valet lot ($13 on a Monday) or look for free street parking (we found it pretty easily, but then again it was a Monday). There are the top four absolute must-order items you should order to share: 1. Hot Antipasti - Scallops Oreganata ($23) with brown butter, bread crumbs, & lemon. I'm gluten free so I asked for no breadcrumbs, and I also recommend ordering a side of gluten free bread to dip in the brown butter after you finish enjoying the scallops because they have the absolute best gluten free cheesecheese bread! They only came with 2 scallops in an order so consider ordering enough so each person can have at least 1 full scallop. 2. Hot Antipasti - Mortadella Meatballs ($21) with pistachio pesto, arugula, & parmesan cheese. This came with 3 medium-large sized meatballs covered in a delicious green pesto - don't let looks deceive you, even if this isn't how you expect meatballs to look they're delish. 3. Cold Antipasti - Heirloom Tomatoes ($18) with sweet onion, basil, ricotta salata cheese, sherry vinegar, & olive oil. If you enjoy tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, this is the dish for you. My favorite were the little orange tomatoes. 4. Salad - Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad ($22) with generous pecorino romano cheese, parsley, grapes, olive oil, sherry vinegar, & toasted almonds. This was a good portion size and the best raw Brussels sprouts I've ever had. While I did really enjoy the flavor of oysters themselves and their sauces, and I do want to put them as item 5 to order, each of the oysters had some shell bits had to spit out, and it only came with 1 spoon and 0 mini forks. The oysters come with lemon slices, cocktail sauce, shredded horseradish, mignonette, and are $4.50 each with a minimum of 6. I would order them again, but enjoy them carefully and hope that they're shucked better next time. However... Maybe things were off because it was a Monday and they had multiple large last minute parties walk in. Maybe I should have gone for the pastas instead of the below because it is an Italian restaurant. Maybe I'm just a person who enjoys more seasoning on seafood or less sauce on pork chops, but a few of the dishes weren't exactly as good as I was expecting. Unless you love canned tuna, absolutely avoid the Sicilian Tuna Cold Antipasti ($19) with market green beans, fingerling potato, capers, lemon, & olive oil. It wasn't until we mentioned to our server our strong disappointment with the dish, as we were expecting either Tuna Crudo or Seared Tuna, that our server told us that he usually steers guests away from it. It also had zero seasoning, and boy did it need it. It also feels like this dish should have automatically been served with crackers. The Amberjack Crudo ($25) with watermelon radish, bulls blood micro greens, & herb oil needed a combo-sauce or a stronger flavored oil, as it was very bland as-is. Luckily not a fishy-fish, but still lackluster for their only fish crudo on the menu. For the Mains, they were already sold out of the 24oz T-bone Steak ($82) when we arrived, and the server recommended the Pork Chop. The generous portion of Pork Chop ($66) came with crispy fingerling potatoes, roasted shallots, olives, capers, garlic, balsamic vinegar, & fresh herbs. The balsamic was more of a thick, sweet, heavy glaze, and it overpowered the meat. Personally, we both felt it was over-sauced. read more

See all

Service is always great here. I got the vodka pasta that was really good and a great portion! The ricotta is pretty good, my boyfriend is obsessed with it. They put red pepper and olive oil that adds a good taste. The drinks taste great and have a good amount of alcohol. Ambiance at night was definitely different from early evening. Night was very lively and loud, early evening was more quiet. This is turning into a favorite for my boyfriend and I. I would recommend for pasta. My boyfriend got the chicken parmesan and he said it was a small portion, so be mindful of that for entrees. read more

Drew was an amazing server! The food was also incredible, we loved the stuff mushrooms, the ricotta dip, and the macaroni pasta! Drew made it such a great dinner experience being our server. Definitely recommend! read more

Evening out with my son and he suggested Scopa. The place was really nice and busy. The decor was somple but pleasant. Love the wine list, my Chianti was on the list, i scored. The pasta was amazing. My dude loved the pork chops he talked about those for a week. He never had squid ink before so that was funny to watch. When in LA I will be back. read more

See all