The way this restaurant treats potential customers deserves to be called out…read more The biggest problem isn't the food--I never even got the opportunity to try it. The problem is the complete lack of customer service and the dismissive attitude of the staff. This restaurant doesn't offer online reservations, so I followed the instructions on their voicemail exactly. I called before they opened, left my name, phone number, party size, and requested time as instructed. The message clearly stated that someone would call back to confirm the reservation. That call never came. Thinking it might have been an oversight, I called again after they opened. No answer. I called a third time. Once again, voicemail. We decided to take our chances and drove to the restaurant anyway. After standing at the entrance for several minutes while multiple servers walked past without acknowledging us, someone finally came over and asked if we had a reservation. I explained everything that had happened. Her response was, "Yeah, if you don't get a call back, you don't have a reservation." I replied that a call letting us know that would have been helpful since I had followed their instructions exactly. Her response? "Yeah, when you called we didn't have any tables available anyway." That simple statement summed up the entire experience. No apology. No acknowledgment that their reservation system had failed. No attempt to make things right. Just a shrug and an attitude that suggested our time didn't matter. If you know you can't accommodate a reservation, pick up the phone or return the call. If your voicemail promises a confirmation call, honor it. And if a customer shows up after doing everything they were told to do, the very least you can do is treat them with courtesy instead of indifference. My family lives in town, and we make a point of supporting local businesses. After this experience, this restaurant won't get another opportunity from us. There are WAY too many restaurants in town (actually several in the SAME PARKING LOT) to tolerate that treatment.

Everything is EXCELLENT. The experience and food are exceptional / the staff charming and don't…read moremiss a thing in service or commitment.

You must visit Viola Cucina. This food is among the closest of Italian dinners - like I've grown up…read morewith - that we've ever enjoyed. The pasta e fagioli soup was delicious and tasted as it should. We savoured it. Our salad tasted garden fresh. I asked for a basic spaghetti with meatballs. Delicious. Their meatballs meet my approval. And that is saying a lot because usually no restaurant meatballs measure up. Except for the meatballs my Grandmother, Mother and I have cooked. This is why I'm tentative about eating Italian out since we grew up making it, ourselves. Everything we tried here falls under the "did not disappoint," category which is an A all around. Even the rustic dining style with sentimental interior home furnishings and decorations. All of it speaks to the heart. They are a warm bunch and will talk to those just passing through. When I'm traveling the Eastern seaboard, I will make it a point to dine at Viola Cucina.

Mostly Smoke and mirrors.... At first glance, their website…read morelooks impressive, their menu looks authentic, and their staff promised 'everything' made fresh and to order. But upon tasting their food, it was clear, 'Viola' is just another Americanized Italian restaurant. We started with an a la carte order of: 'House made focaccia, roasted garlic spread, evoo, craft butter' This was fresh and tasty. We then shared the 'Caesar: traditional romaine hearts, foccaccia croutons, shaved pecorino cheese. classic caesar dressing.' This lacked any flavour, the romaine was cut into too small pieces, there was no hint of garlic or anchovy in the dressing. But the most disappointing dishes were the pasta dishes: 'Fettucini bolognese, house made, beef, pork, veal ragu, pecorino, basil, calabrian Chili.' 'Scampi viola, squid ink linguini, shrimp garlic, white wine, julienned vegetables, preserved lemon butter.' Although the pastas were freshly made, their textures were compromised; both pasta dishes were not 'al dente'. In fact the Scampi viola was drenched in a dark gravy and greasy. This is just not a very skilled preparation of pasta. A fresh pasta needs very little sauce, and should be dressed very simply so the 'textures' can be enjoyed. I ordered the: 'Zuppa di vongole: fresh little neck clams, vino biqnco, fresh herbs, crostini.' But this dish was replaced by a fried calamari dish. This was well prepared, actually the only star of the evening. This restaurant may succeed on its 'blandness' but will never attract the discerning diner who wants and appreciates authentic Italian cuisine. ~tiaotse~

Visiting a friend in Warren for the week. On our last evening I had such an incredible surprise…read more This little jewel of a place had us incredulous with every mouthful. Delicious flavours, layered and complementing each other with every bite. The salad and the croquettes on a bed of beans so flavorful but to my absolute astonishment the dessert I could not believe they had il Monte Bianco, typical of my northern Italy region, a cream of chestnuts with merengue and whipped cream, Subtle flavours and not too sweet. Bravissimi. That was worth the trip alone. Never seen it on any menus I have come across in the USA. Beautiful and professional service. A must go to quaint restaurant.

Introduced to Saint Martha by some friends. The interior is very different (nicer) than we remember…read morefrom previous restaurants in this space. The menu isn't overly extensive but we all found dishes that appealed to us. My wife and I shared the Napa Caesar salad - very tasty and unique. I had the White Lamb Ragu with home-made papperdelle (fabulous, rich, flavorful). Wife had the Artichoke Fettuccini with cured egg and she loved it. I started with the Instant Crush, an upgrade from a traditional margarita. She had the orange wine which was bright, not overly sweet and surprisingly refreshing. Service was spot on. Ambiance was lively (small place with as many tables as could comfortably be set). Parking is easy. We'll be back!

Great experience. Small intimate setting. Large portions. Our waitress warned us when we were…read moreattempting to put to many apps in. 6 people split 2 apps. Everyone took leftovers home. Great wine selection as well

I was expecting to be blown away considering all the amazing things I have heard about spaghetti…read morelane.. here's why I just couldn't give 5 stars.. We had a reservation for 5pm.. we arrived around 440.. to find out we couldn't sit in the "restaurant side" meanwhile there were vacant tables. We asked politely if we could just stay in that room considering it was our first time there, we were clearly for our res and didn't plan staying too long (just a quick early dinner) .. we were told no and next time to "request" that room.. oh well.. so we sat in the "cafe".. definitely not the vibe we wanted for our dinner but we still had high hopes.. it was awkward- people in and out.. standing around us getting coffee/pastries etc while we are "having dinner" however, our waitress was great, very polite, knowledgeable about their menu.. the food wasn't anything special but it was delicious!! I really wanted to LOVE this place so I will be coming back to give it another shot!

such a gem! the bolognese is $18 which is good for this dish & it was yummy! service was good…read more(shoutout annie- she's a hoot!) and there was plenty of seating (they even let us pick!) vibes are nice semi-casual but still good for a nice dinner out

Great food and exceptional management. Friendly and…read morecomfortable experience with good parking.

I stumbled upon one of the cutest homemade pasta shops walking around Warren, RI. The place looked…read morelike it could have came out of an authentic Italian magazine - welcoming, bright, and airy inside. It was a great location for a stroll and surrounded amongst other local coffee shops, icecream shops, and local businesses. One of the local baristas in the area recommended this place and I'm so glad I went! The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable on all of their products. I went on a Sunday afternoon and they were so busy they sold out on the bolognese ravioli that seemed to be a big hit amongst all of their customers - I WILL be back for this! However they had plenty of other homemade pastas available like linguine, bucatini, and tagliatelle. The pastas are all homage and they also have gelato. Great spot for a home cooked pasta date night at home!

First off anytime you can support a local business is a good thing and supporting this one is a no…read morebrainer. Great pasta and other food products that you won't find anywhere else. The owners and service team are very friendly and always friendly. And the shop itself is exactly what you want it to be. Authentic and rustic.

Great selection, loved the Poke bowl! I built it myself and loved every bit of it. Lasted…read morewonderfully in the fridge too. Ambience is cool but I couldn't figure out how to get in the front door... Sand on the windowsill (yes on purpose) got in my bag on the floor, I suppose I should've been more careful but why do they have a bunch of sand on the windowsill. Also, tell me why they have smoked bacon in the pear salad under the "veggie" menu?? Very disappointing. Service is nice but not very attentive.

Brunch spot with plenty of gluten free options and absolutely delicious calamari and fish & chips!…read moreThey offer most of their menu to be made gluten free except some of their maki/sushi. They have a pretty decent sized dining room and a few outdoor seating options. They're located on a busy street with lots of traffic but plenty of parking. The servers were super friendly but a bit slow and forgetful. Overall we had a great experience and would give it another try!

I had the absolutely perfect dinner here. We were a party of 6- 2 kids meals…read more We started off with the bread bowl with 3 dipping sauces. The pesto was bright green and amazing, best ever. I had the osso bocco. It was a large portion , falling off the bone deliciously seasoned with a tasty spinach, grits underneath. I enjoyed every bite. I was sorry I couldn't eat it all! I shared some with others telling them how delicious it was. My friend ordered the bolognese entree which she says is the best she has ever had. Their eggplant parm sandwich was recommended as well. My husband had the shrimp fettuccine, also delicious. The kids like their chicken tenders. Hostess was friendly and sat us right away. Waiter was so nice. Took drink orders and brought everything out efficiently. Checked if we needed anything. He was great with the kids. When we complimented him on our food, he was pleased. It looks that the restaurant is adequately staffed so that the service is excellent. Ambience is good. Moderate noise but has a pleasant hum. Unfortunately, we were visiting so I don't get to dine there as frequently as possible. Prices are reasonable!

Dinner at Revival has never knocked my socks off, but it is consistent. Sometimes that's exactly…read morewhat you need. Consistent, good enough, & a good place to gather with friends. The pros: - Friendly staff - Cute covered patio - Gluten free options - Reliable The cons: - Uninspiring cocktails - Food is never ~amazing~ - Weird raw oyster situation* *I really can't get behind serving raw oysters with soy sauce & lime. I understand wanting to do things differently - maybe offer some cool additional sauce options? But please - a lemon & some mignonette would be just fine.

Food was great ordered steak rare bc i like medium rare and its always overdone but not here it was…read moreperfectly rare! Which was great since I enjoy that too. The real treat was the fried spaghetti they brought out for the apps. Such a treat i didnt know i needed but was amazing

So I was visiting my pal Nick in Providence and he brought me to Oxford Tavern and it was a great…read morechoice! I went for the Filet Minion and it was delicious.. It was accompanied by some asparagus and savory mashed potatoes! Couldn't go wrong here. There were definitely some other dishes I'd love to try.. But more reason to visit right!? Staff was accommodating. In any case, if you're looking for a really nice spot to get some great food you should definitely try this place out. Ok. Have a great one yall! -Ray

Bywater is a highly popular restaurant that has the notoriety of being a James Beard semi finalist…read more We were very much looking forward to an excellent dinner with the family. They have a daily menu, and I've had some friends suggest this place as their favorite restaurant. We parked blocks away due to the lack of adequate parking. Once we walked in, we were greeted with pleasant smiles from the staff. The menu was short, which we attributed to a focus on quality. We ordered a French onion dip and a littleneck entree as an app for the table. We were served with lukewarm water, neither cold nor hot. The apostle John might have been somewhat disappointed (Rev 3:16). The dip was decent but was somewhat lacking in great onion flavor. But nothing to complain about. The little necks were served in a small bowl and lacked a bit of salt. Rather pricey for $26, but this place charges $6 just for bread and butter, so maybe it's just inflation? Enter the entrees. They apparently were short on chicken legs so they asked to substitute chicken breast. Two of us got burgers. First the $20 burgers, which were served with an aioli with no offer of ketchup or other condiments. In short, both burgers were terrible. Far worse than we make at home. It's always a disappointment when you realize you're paying all this extra for food you can make better at home. The buns were shockingly flat, like someone smashed them by hand. Or in a McDonald's box. Come to think of it, the flavor was similar, though overall the hamburger was somewhat bitter, salty and lacked an appetizing flavor. Wow. We all agreed they were terrible. The fries were also burnt and over salted. My daughter quit on her $30 chicken, so I tried it. The sauce wasn't bad, and it was served with a decent brocollini. But the chicken was some of the driest I've had in a restaurant, with no crisp skin and a uniformly poor texture. No wonder no one finished their entrees. And I hate wasting food. So, as much as we would have wanted to give this place a great rating, we just won't be back. The service, although with a smile, was slow and terrible. Our candle burnt out in the middle of dinner. It was never relit. Our glasses were empty halfway through dinner. No refills on the tepid water. The entrees took an hour and a half before they came out (we were warned the chicken could take 30 min). Generally a very disappointing experience. Hard to explain the rave reviews but our Saturday dinner was a sad bust. The cold wet madeleines they provided in a doggie bag didn't do anything to help. Oh well. Hope y'all have a better experience if you go here.

Bywater, we will be back!…read more Warren, RI has some great restaurants and I was surprised since I don't frequent this area much. But after this past weekend, I know I want to come back. We were having a lovely dinner in Warren and stopped into Bywater for a quick after-dinner drink. It was a bit cooler out but since they had no seats in the extremely limited bar area, we took the plunge and sat outside near their fire pits. They did not have many wines to choose from BTG which was disappointing. The one I had which was Cinsault was just ok. I had to dump out most of it since I did not enjoy it but that was my fault since sampling it I thought I liked it. My friend had the bartender make her a cocktail with grapefruit since they did not have pineapple. She was looking for a French martini but seemed to enjoy what they made her. My husband's espresso martini was very good I thought and light but could've used some bailey's. We already had dessert so we did not plan on anything else but I know I am interested in returning for dinner. The restaurant is very small inside but I loved the warm lights and decor. It was a very sexy and attractive vibe! If you are ever in Warren I highly recommend coming here for either drinks, dinner, or both. Dress warm if you plan on heading outside to sit near the fire...it does not give off that much heat! Cheers!