I am disappointed that I have to write this review but I hope that the owners/management take note. We used to occasionally eat at this neighborhood Italian restaurant. It smelled like Italy when you stepped in and it also used to have a small area that sold Italian small food goods. After new management, much is gone. That food goods corner is gone. Attention to detail and charm seem gone as well. We've been here a couple times in the past year to give it a few more tries but now that things have settle, it has not improved. The dishes are mostly the same from the prior owner but prices have gone up and the dishes seem smaller and do not taste as good. High 20's/30'a prices for pasta dishes - one expects quality and fine dining. Not to be. Please try again. read more

First time here in a few years. Love the location and setup. All the pasta, sauces and dishes were good. The service is inexcusable with broken glasses and spills frequent. There seems to be no passion in the front of the restaurant that connects with the good food and vino. Some better management and service would help here as this place has some strong points read more

My husband and I came here last night for dinner and it was lovely. Started with a friendly welcome from Wafaa. She and her co worker, Hamid took great care of us. We started with a bottle of their featured red wine that was half price. Quite good! For appetizers we had Cesar salad and a baked eggplant dish, both very tasty! Entrees were frutti del mar for my husband and the shrimp risotto special for me. They were awesome! The quality of the seafood stood out. Finished the evening with a perfect cappuccino! We'll be back soon.. read more

Sfizi Cafe - Delicious cappuccino to end a very enjoyable dinner! - Italian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

I've had the lasagna and few other dishes. Not bad at all. Sauce and consistency was always good. The muscles in red sauce is my absolute favorite. read more

Atmosphere was like we were in Italy! Food was good and reasonably priced. The staff was very attentive. read more

Been here three times now. Twice has been for Father's Day and then most recently, Mother's Day. We chose it bc it has nice outdoor seating and we always bring dogs- so our choices are limited. They've improved their patio seating with comfortable cushions and large sunbrellas. The food has always been pretty good. The Bianca pizza was out of this world amazing the year prior but that seemed to have changed. It doesn't taste as good as it did before. Service is amazing- I can see they don't cut corners here. They even accommodated by making fettuccini Alfredo, which wasn't on the menu. I liked their salad but I'm going to stick to pasta- seems like that's their specialty and I love how homemade it tastes. read more

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This place used to be really great, but must be under new management or something. My family and I were regulars here for a long time. The past few months the quality of both the food and service has fallen off a cliff. Rude and inattentive server, burnt bread, and soggy pasta. It's unfortunate. I don't see the business surviving if they don't get their act together. read more

Terrible service. Been waiting for half an hour with no food, no service and staff were wandering around with nothing to do. They seemed helpless and bewildered. Then the head waiter went up to the table next to us and said they "lost the order" of the table. We are still waiting... read more

Sfizi Cafe - Empty plates - Italian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

We had been to Sfizzi before and it was a pleasant experience - a local, neighborhood place with reasonable food and decent service. However, recently the restaurant changed ownership, and our experience last evening was horrible. We arrived at 6pm, the correct time for our reservation. Our dinner companions, another couple, had arrived already and were seated. The restaurant was virtually empty. Perhaps there were another 3 tables taken. While it took us about 30 minutes to order, several additional tables filled. The other couple ordered wine. We ordered an appetizer. The other couple ordered a salad. We also ordered our dinners---4 pasta dishes. We asked for separate checks. This was at approximately 6:30. The restaurant was certainly not even close to full. Our dinner companions got their wine. Bread was provided along with olive oil. For the next hour and fifteen minutes, people around us were served. We waited, mostly patiently. One of our party got up and inquired about our dinner. An excuse was made. After while she asked again. Finally, we asked for the check and said we were leaving. The manager came to the table and said our dinner would be out in two minutes. It arrived at 7:45. This was clearly after many other tables that arrived after us were served. We were livid and made our displeasure clear. The manager was unapologetic, bordering on rude, basically stating that they were short-staffed (which was clear) and that we should complain to the owner who owns another restaurant down the street. No accommodations were offered. We will never return to this restaurant and would advise others to avoid it. There are too many pleasant Italian restaurants in the area to put up with what was a service nightmare and merely adequate food. read more

Let me first say I wanted to like this restaurant. Also quality is more important than quantity. Unfortunately I will not go back due to its shortfalls and price point. Venue: was pleasant and appeared to be well maintained. Service: Once we were able to get a servers attention she was courteous and pleasant. Too much talking among the servers and not paying enough attention not only to us but also to the other 2 tables of customers. One of the other tables customer had to get up - 3 times to get their attention. We had to continually wave to get some service. Food: Bread good - olive oil w/ a little balsamic was so bitter I really thought it had gone bad. I asked for real butter. Insalata Di Vegetali - Looked lovely - red peppers were sweet and good,-- string beans were crunchy and good, -- eggplant was very thin but was like eating leather. Lasagne $27 - size was very small with hardly any visible meat or meat sauce. Taste was bland. Chicken Parm - $30 - 1/2 not freshly pounded chicken breast and 1 1/2 cups of overcooked spaghetti. The sauce was sweet and not acidy, however the taste was bland. Deserts: When I asked we were told all made in house. $13 each - Triple Choco Mouse was fine. I specifically asked if the Millefoglie was freshly made that day and was the pastry crispy and was told yes. It looked fine but the filling was very dense and the pastry was not crisp. After tasting with 2 bites I did not eat the rest - I told the owner/manager and she asked me if I wanted to take it home -( why would I want to take it home) I was still charged $13. 1 Peroni Bottle of Beer $10. read more

Great food Traditional Italian Nice location with patio Very reliable location and have used carry out it for holiday meals read more

The food was good and the servers were very friendly. It's a big menu, especially the dessert menu, so everyone should be able to find something. My kids were happy with their choices. read more

Love this italian place, perfect go to for some hearty food. The seafood was on point with the tomato sauce. Food took a little long to come out, it looked like they were a little understaffed? The lamb chop was so delicious and very tender. I enjoyed both dishes with lots of leftover. I definitely will be back! read more

Sfizi Cafe - Italian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

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Pretty decent Italian food in Virginia! Decided to come here a second time because it's right near the hotel I'm staying at and our waitress was so friendly and remembered us from last time, which was so lovely. It hasn't ever been too crowded and it's a nice open space, definitely nice for a relaxed dinner. From both times I came here, my favorite was the tortellini. The parmigiana cream sauce was actually cheesy - not overly buttery - and there was a good amount of sausage. The braciola was good - the meat was really tender which made up for the fact that I didn't taste any parmigiana "stuffed" inside. It was topped with peppers and onions which I also wasn't expecting but that helped make it more flavorful since I didn't taste the cheese. Also, the pasta was cooked perfectly Al dente and the sauce was really good so that was probably my favorite. Overall a really enjoyable place to come for a meal! read more

I always eat here when I travel to the area. Great group of folks here. Good wine selection. The chef really knows what he's doing. Never had a bad dish. read more

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Fantastic food. Outdoor seating in a peaceful courtyard. Quick service, and very accommodating. This is one of my favorite restaurants. The whole family loves their food. I always get their spinach ravioli in Gorgonzola sauce. It's amazing. My mom always orders, their rigatoni alla Bolognese. It's fantastic as well, and I always try to steal some of hers. My dad usually gets the special which could change each time. We also love to order delivery from them when the family gets together on special occasions. read more

This place has been around a while, but I've only visited recently. The restaurant is situated such that it looks empty from the street and I "eyeball" a restaurant's level of busyness before going there. From the street, it looks empty. Oh, how I was mistaken. It's a wine shop that serves Italian fare. Service is prompt and attentive. For the appetizer, I had mussels and calamari. The mussels come with either red or white sauce. I got the white sauce. They bring freshly baked bread with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip which was very good. For the main course, we got seafood pasta with mussels, scallops, and shrimp. We also got sausage with pasta. I can't remember the Italian names, but both dishes were fantastic. The pasta was perfectly cooked. The sausage dish said it was spicy, but I didn't find it so. For dessert, we got cannoli and tiramisu. Both were fantastic. If you're looking for a nice local non-chain Italian restaurant, Sfizi is fantastic. Service is prompt, wait staff is attentive, they have a full bar and a nice selection of wine. Garage parking is available and is free. read more

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A good solid 4 stars and a lovely Italian restaurant to have in the neighborhood. We've been here twice and overall liked what we had. We've tried their spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, frutti di mare fradiavolo, antipasti for 2 and a pasta dish that was on their specials that came with a ragu and capers. Out of everything, I liked the chicken parmesan. It's a classic and it was done really well. I feel like every component was properly seasoned and taken care of versus a lot of places they just fry a piece of breast and slap it on some spaghetti. Even the sauce tasted like it had been simmering for awhile and was given some love. The frutti di mare was also delicious and highly recommended. Another classic dish that will guarantee to make you smile. I wasn't a huge fan of the antipasti for 2. I felt like it just wasn't worth the price and just wasn't really impressive. I would definitely ordered their grilled calamari next time. Also, we have tried both their grandmother cake (highly recommend) and their chocolate ganache cake, which was incredibly dry and disappointing. We asked if they made it there and they said they have it shipped in from a bakery from NY. That's fine, but maybe it had been sitting there for awhile? Overall really liked the food and the customer service. We will return for sure. read more

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I chose this restaurant because it had bucatini Cacio e Pepe pasta. It's a pasta dish with pecorino sheep cheese and black pepper. A specialty from Rome. Hard dish to get right. It was good. The bread was excellent and it was served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. A nice touch. Huge portion for lunch! Took half of it home. Deserted for lunch and service was fast and efficient. read more

Service was fine but think price is overwhelmingly more than quantity. Very underwhelmed by this place and was hoping for more. Food was okay but again, overpriced for what you get. read more

This review is based on a private party experience. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves on a Saturday afternoon. The experience started on Friday when we went to the restaurant to finalize details and look at set up etc....It was a wedding celebrations. The manager Wafa was so accommodating and nice and helpful and did anything she could do to make things happen. We arrived at the restaurant - all of us at once....about 50 ish people. The staff was wonderful and on top of things. Everyone had water. It was an open bar for wine which was flowing. We had a buffet style with bread, salad and 3 or 4 different entrees. Rigatoni alla Norma, spaghetti con polpette, a dish with salmon and another pasta option. I, of course, tried all of them and they were excellent. We had tiramisu for dessert and that was also delicious. I have pictures but can't find them on my phone but as soon as I do I will post what I have. And the icing on the cake....I bought a gift card in the amount of $127.24. Why? Thats the date of the wedding celebration. I told Wafa the amount and why. Not only did she do that amount but she literally found the gift card with the number 0127. Are you kidding me? How completely thoughtful!!!! Above and beyond. I would love to go back and just experience a regular dining experience but I would highly recommend for a private party!!! Everything ran so smooth and they were so accommodating. Highly recommend!! read more

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Beware. Tips are not paid to servers. 100% of tips go to the owner!!! read more

Went down hill When changed hands. Prices up quality and quantity of food down. Dont go anymore sad

One of my favorite place for Italian when pizza will not do. We've been there often over many years. The pasta dishes are consistently first rate. The wine list is as-good-as-it gets if you are serious about Italian wines, which I think are the best. The service is always attentive but not intrusive. Ambiance occupies an easy space between casual and upscale. Neat and attractive but not fussy. There is covered parking with direct entrance to the restaurant off of Oak St. read more

We came here kind of late on a Friday night hoping to get a table after visiting the Monet experience in DC. They had ample room for us on a rainy night around 9pm. We're so lucky to have come across this place in falls church. It has been on my list of places to try for a while but haven't had the chance to try it until tonight. The service was great and everyone was so friendly. The perfect amount of attention from our server. We were a party of four and we loved everything! We didn't feel rushed at all. I got the bucatini cacio el pepe, hubby for the fruto Del Mar, our friends got the tortellini and cavatalli salsiccia. We also started with the arugula salad and grilled octopus. Everyone enjoyed their meal and the appetizers were enough to share. We all had leftovers because the portions were plentiful . I can't wait to come back and try more dishes! read more

Sfizi Cafe - Buccatini cacio el pepe - Italian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

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The service is amazing! Had a glass of wine and ordered dinner to go! The spaghetti and meatballs are fantastic with salad! Also, the ambience is so relaxing! Thank you! read more

Aside from a rather uncomfortable interaction we had with the owner and/or manager in which we felt very unwelcome toward the end of our meal, we had a lovely visit. We opted to sit outside and had unintentionally (and with the help of our server) sat in a way that blocked a gated entrance in the railing, which was impossible to notice if you didn't know it was there. As we were cleaning our plates, we were approached for what we thought was a "check-in" by the owner and/or manager but which proceeded to be a very awkward and uncomfortable conversation with poorly veiled dissatisfaction about why we had sat there. We would have been more than happy to move and in no way intended to block a wheelchair-friendly entrance. Either way, it was handled in poor taste. That said, our food was delicious and our server was phenomenal. We ordered the Caesar salad with salmon which is so perfectly dressed. I have never had a Caesar salad that tasted so fresh and light and the salmon was cooked to perfection. We also shared a pasta dish. Their tomato sauce is bright and full of flavor and the pasta was perfectly Al dente. Our server, whose name I don't recall, was an absolute gentleman and a consummate professional who made our experience a very pleasant one overall. We will definitely be back for the food and the friendly wait staff. read more

The pizza was served on a tray, like dominos. The crust tasted frozen, like a flatbread and not an authentic Italian pizza. The artichoke topping was from a can (verified by the restaurant) and tasted completely off. So gross. I told the server who then recommended the salmon pasta. The sauce was very tasty but the rigatoni's texture was like it had boiling all day - disintegrating, and breaking when poked with a fork (see pictures). Like a cafeteria, not al dente. I'm really sad because this place used to be fantastic. What a let down. Will never come back. read more

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Our favorite Italian spot in falls church. Can't get enough of it. Another Helatheelicious spot in DMV area. Rose, coffee, muscles, pizza, pasta and the best of all their read more

Sfizi Cafe - Arugula Assaggi di Pasta - Italian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

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Had out of town company who felt like Italian and Sfizi hit the mark! We tried three different primo dishes. The homemade pasta was delicious and different on all three. The server was attentive and when asked gave us excellent menu suggestions . The meals were reasonably price as was the wine. And don't leave without trying the grandma cake read more

It's an Italian restaurant, but the smell of garlic was excessive and oppressive. I requested a table, kept wanting to put me in a booth, annoying. The waitress gave me stink eye when I ordered tea instead of wine; I've been a waiter, I know alcohol is where the money is made, but if you absolutely want a drink minimum, make it a glass of wine minimum and make it clear when you're seating. Asked for a recommendation, didn't get one either because by not ordering wine I was not worth the effort. I ordered lasagne and a contorno of potatoes and onions; the lasagne was cold and the contorno was burned. I got a glass of water but never did get my tea because I refused to beg for it. read more

reservation at 6pm Saturday for four adults our dinner was served 1hr 45 late. the bread was stale , the salad over dressed with dressing. other patrons were served before us who arrived AFTER us. the staff was unsympathetic and rude. the dinner was not worth the cost or the wait. do not recommend and will not go back read more

Came here recommended, very casual cool concept restaurant. Food was good. The service on the other hand wasn't the best. Our server never mentioned the specials. We overheard another server telling me about them. No smile, no positive energy and very slow. The owner looks around but doesn't seem to greet and check on costumers to see if they need anything. We wanted to order wine or dessert and it took forever. We ended up not ordering due to the lack of attention. We came here with no expectations, especially knowing service might not be best due to Covid. But this experience was painfully slow. We want to come back and will give it another try. I recommend to have some music for the restaurant and staff to pay more attention to costumers The lady who works here always had a smile on her face which was very pleasant. read more

I had one of their eggplant parmesan sandwiches from their lunch menu. I requested it for take out and ate it at home. I enjoyed the sandwich. It came with some olives. I will return some evening for an eat-in meal. read more

Sfizi Cafe - Eggplant parmigiana sandwich - Italian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

Food was amazing and the service was great! We had a group of 19. We were very pleased with our service. Highly recommend.

We called in the afternoon to request a big table for our family following a memorial service. The staff and owners were extremely helpful in accommodating us. The food was delicious as well as the drinks. I would recommend this place to others. The wait staff is very attentive and helpful and the food is delicious. read more

Went there for lunch. Good paninis and salad. It was quiet there during a weekday, we miss the bottled wine and the shop they had before.

Sfizi was sold to new owners. Recently, they raised lunch prices to the dinner level. I can no longer afford to eat there. What a great way to ruin a restaurant! read more

The people are really nice but the food is terrible for the money. I am eating lasagna and there is raw garlic, raw tomato sauce, random ground meat pockets. For $27 I expect actual Italian food, not Olive Garden plus $12. read more

sadly, the Italian owner Geno sold the restaurant The ambience that existed is now gone. Geno is no longer involved in the transition. Our Dining experience this august 023 will be our last after decades of being customers. A member of our party had shellfish, which did not settle well in their stomach. shellfish has little storage life. The seafood pasta dishes we had was not tasty. It had little pieces of seafood typically seen in frozen bag purchases. complementary salad is no longer offered as in the Prior run restaurant The pizza was not as good as it used to be. The price of all dishes is audacious: even a simple spaghetti and meatball dish is expensive. For the high price we paid for our meal, we could have eaten at a good restaurant with tasty and fresh quality food. Sfizi was good and fun while it lasted. Ciao read more