Food is consistently excellent. I recommend the short rib pappardelle. Staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. Great place for dinner and drinks! read more

My relative went for dinner a few nights ago and brought us back something to try. We sampled the rigatoni pasta in meat sauce entree and it was gone in a matter of seconds! The best pasta I've had in a longtime, hands down! They give you a good portion of food to go as well. I can't wait to actually to have dinner and try the food fresh and hour out of the kitchen. The pasta was still delicious even after I'm sure we're in for a special treat. On Tuesday's and Wednesday's they have a special deal for only $35. If your ever in the area this is a must! read more

As usual, we had a wonderful experience. Friendly knowledgeable, attentive waitress, great food, good service.

Alright. It's yummy, I'll admit. Carpaccio was good if anything under seasoned. I wouldn't order it again. I really enjoyed the calamari. My spinach salad with apples and Gorgonzola was the nicest salad I had in a while. The kiddo's papadelle noodles were rich. Very good to share. BD liked his dinner (short ribs and mashed potatoes). Dessert was nice, the donuts had a great texture not too sweet. Kiddo had the salted caramel ice cream. Everyone enjoyed their food. Service was nice. Atmosphere is quaint. read more

The best restaurant in Tolland County - hands down. My uncle - the italian food connoisseur - ordered an appetizer, and was so impressed he ordered 2 entrees + dessert because he could not get enough. I should be keeping this place a secret though, as they do not take reservations. I went there on Saturday night at 5:15, and there was already an hour wait. People literally line up at the door for 5:00 when they open. read more

This place is next to the Chinese Restaurant that makes really good General Tso's. Small restaurant, but packed on a Thursday night, had drinks before we were seated. They make em strong.. (nice) I was impressed by the menu, not very pricey but more importanly it was quite authentic (no olive garden bs). They have cheeses, wines, meats. Their bread (onion bread, cheese knot) is awesome. I remember someone posting about their 3 dips, all tasty. Excellent service, the owner/chef even came out to greet everyone once things calmed down during the night. Salads were great, gargonzola cheese, mushroom & spinach. Main course - stuffed chicken was tasty, diver scallops a bit salty, but overall very satisfied. Banana bar for dessert was still good. Saw someone order ice cream at another table, it looked fresh and had nice color. Great go to italian joint besides heading out to hartford. Can't believe this place has been open for 2 years and the chef still comes out to greet customers. read more

Their food is farm to table and the service is great. Their bolognese is my favorite. Other dishes they often run out of their popular dishes the later you go for dinner. Its a small restaurant, reservations are recommended. Every time we've gone we forget to make a reservation and are lucky to get a table. The place is often packed. read more

I think at some point this was super amazing food. Really nothing special now. Also it seems like their prices have come down, but still overpriced for mediocre food. Personally I'd rather pay more and have something really special. But in terms of business sense, reduce your price and keep quality the same, do more marketing to increase volume. Find it less busy than it could be. read more

Great food, great wine and great service. Comparable to any excellent N.Y.C restaurant. I have never been disappointed here. They make fantastic martinis that go really well with their flatbreads. A perfect place to celebrate a romantic occasion. read more

Looking at this place from the outside, you would never guess the hidden gem inside. This is the perfect place to spend a date night or celebrate an occasion. For starters, the beets or the whipped feta are delicious. I typically order the braised short ribs for my main meal and have enough to take for leftovers. read more

This is a quaint little gem hidden in the rural town of Ellington. Small place but quaint and charming. The owner greets you at the door and makes you feel very welcome. The ambience is reminiscient of a place in Europe. The wine list is done very well. They put some thought into it and have offerings by the glass that would satisfy anyone. The food is carefully prepared and presented. Every meal I have had there has been wonderful. Residents in the tri town area are lucky to have this as an option to avoid driving into Hartford or elsewhere to enjoy a great meal. I would have given 5 stars but the only one thing that affected this negatively was the service. We ate at the bar. Its definitely a locals place so maybe being new the bartender was not interested in taking care of us. To say the least we were pretty much ignored. Plates slammed down in front of us, "Ya want another wine?" Poured and dropped off never to appear again. Food came out, salt and pepper and cheese would have been nice. Not asked. Not offered. Couldnt even get her attention. Felt uncomfortable and made it hard to enjoy a good meal. So we left. I wont say which bartender it was. She prob wont be around much longer as she looked like she was planning on a maternity leave. Because of her I prob wouldnt go back. Why? Because the place is great, food is great but you pay for it. For Ellington, its expensive. Chicken parm $27? Come on? So for that price you expect the whole package and rude and non responible service is the wole package and she was unacceptable. Its a shame because the owner was very nice and the other waitresses too. But all it takes is one bad apple. read more

Deb, Frank, and the staff are marvelous. The food presentation is superior. An ever changing menu that's always fresh and creative. Each dish is like a circus in your mouth. The recent addition of the veal trio is a must have; get it while you can. Michele is a bartender goddess. My wife and I sit at the bar and have met a lot of great local people since the day they opened. We eat there virtually once a week. Love it! The rigatoni bolognese is awesome, a great staple dish. Seasonal soups are outstanding. read more

Trattoria da Lepri - Italian Near Me - Ellington, Connecticut

They just try too hard. It's like some one is just filling in the blanks trying to be a big city bistro. Jarred olives, canned artichokes, calling something rissoto when it's not. Maybe the owner and chef should dine at there own place more often. read more

Trattoria da Lepri - Trattoria Da lepria - Italian Near Me - Ellington, Connecticut

This is a great restaurant for the area. Went there with my fiance. Food was excellent and the waitstaff was very attentive even when the place was packed. I don't think my water glass got below half full and I was litterally chugging it down. For the appetizer we had 3 prociutto wrapped mozzerella hunks that were served with balsalmic vinegar, basil fondue, and a sweet/spicey red pepper sauce. It was amazing. Dinner was chicken saltimbocca over a fantastic roasted garlic potato risotto. Really good stuff. Only cons would be that the place is very small and you may have to wait. We were lucky enough to get right in with just 2 people on a Friday evening around 6:30pm. Also, they give you 3 different things to dip bread in, however they have someone come around with bread so you don't get a whole basket at your table. Tip: Ask for a few different pieces the first time they come around, but don't fill up too much before the main course. read more

As an Italian who grew up on pasta, and one who travels across this country seeking the best pasta dishes Trattoria da Lepri delivers. Much has been made of Trattoria over the years and its well deserved - best dishes are a combination of local, quality, fresh, and simple ingredients. I have had just about everything on the menue and have never been disappointed. Dream Dinner - Deb's Meatballs followed by Truffle Whipped Ricotta then the heavenly Trattoria's Own Bolognese with DiFiore's special made Rigatoni Gigante (though the Braised Beef & Truffle Pappardelle is to die for). A side benefit is a small bar serving solid inventive cocktails, local beer and a good wine list. One of my personal pleasures over the years is being greeted by Dick, the owners dad, as we knew many of the same people from Hartford. Owner Debbie makes time to come out of kitchen and the chefs are always willing to help with food allergies. Having grown up west of the river I love having great pasta "East of The River." read more

This is our place to go. We live in Somers Ct. and there isn't any really good restaurants around the area except for Lepri. We go every other week usually on Wednesdays and sit at the bar. Tracey is the bartender who keeps us entertained. She is great. The food is wonderful. The owner Debbie is a delight and a really sweet person. If you are looking for a great dinner or appetizers this is the place. The prices are comparable to the food. Be ready for a wonderful time. We love it there Danise and Steve read more

This is a great little place. Never knew it existed until we got a gift card and I must say, the food was fantastic! We went on a random Tuesday. The fresh bread is amazing, l suggest to eat it with the ricotta cheese app. The beets app is also delicious! Wish it came with more goat cheese balls though. I got the salmon entree to try something out of my ordinary and was pleasantly surprised! The green beans were crunchy which is not my preference but the onions and sweet potatoes made up for it. Fourless cake with chocolate raspberry icecream was amazing!! Very cute in there too. I will certainly go back. read more

Talk about a hidden gem in Ellington! The food, wait staff and atmosphere all combine for a great meal. This restaurant sticks out for its authentic and varied Italian cuisine (i.e. you won't find chicken parm on the menu). Make sure to come early or eat late since they don't take reservations and there are only 15 tables in this very small restaurant. read more

This restaurant is cozy and has a nice atmosphere. I had the carpaccio as an appetizer and it was fantastic. I was really excited for the balsamic braised short ribs I ordered as my entree, however it was a little disappointing. It was good but lacked in flavor. Definitely not something I'd go out of my way to eat again. More importantly, the portion was very small. I got four string beans and maybe two tablespoons of mashed potato. For $36 dollars I expected more. I've been to plenty of other restaurants at this price point and received generous portions. Overall, the food and drinks were good but there are plenty of better restaurants in the area if you are looking to have a nice dinner. read more

We have been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened so we chose a birthday to do so. Initially we were very impressed. The service was nice, the bread and spinach salad were excellent and my maple glazed salmon was superb, however the 'much toted' balsamic glazed short ribs that the 'birthday boy' got were just so,so. The risotto was excellent but the ribs were actually sort of tart and tough. A disappointment for $34.00!! Then we ordered their 'fruit tart with local ice cream' for dessert. It was served 15 minutes later without the ice cream, when I inquired the waitress said 'I forgot' the freezers are malfunctioning so there is no ice cream. We sent it back! No birthday acknowledgement at all. Good but overpriced even taking into consideration the very fresh food! read more

Amazing food and staff! Starting with a chef's board and moving onto delicious entrees. Ending with the donuts to top off the best meal in the area! read more

Amazing food. My first visit I started with the short ribs, my second was the duck. I plan on going back and trying everything on the menu. Don't for get to order the cheese board. Who would of thought Ellington would have the best restaurant in the area. read more

Always amazing! Appetizers, main course, and dessert!! Drinks are great, as well. Rigatoni Bolognese and the parpadelle are both amazing. For dessert you HAVE TO get the donuts. 100% recommended. read more

What a tremendous LETDOWN! and a downright insulting experience! We will NEVER go there again, and i am soooo very disappointed! We used to go to Pastis (the French restaurant) when they ran that, and everyone says the FRENCH are 'Pretentious'....but Damn, that place was WONDERFUL, and this place was obnoxious.... I would think its maybe only the waitress (starts with a J, I don't want to specifically say her name here).....but the things she said that made the chef sound pompous were obviously true since he came out and glared at us, the people who 'DARED' ask for my spinach to be on the side (so i could give it to hubby since I am allergic to spinach). She told us she DOUBTED he would do it, since it would ruin the presentation. I told her then just leave it off! Hubby wanted to walk out then, because she was so damn rude in the way she said it and looked down at us. She had NO RIGHT to treat us that way. You had to be there.... Im getting ahead of myself here...I want to tell the WHOLE STORY, so that if u do not like to feel uncomfortable at a place that touts themselves as 'casual and laid back', when what they truly are could not be further from the truth! Hey, maybe you like pretentious places....but in case you don't, i want you to know what u are getting into. We truly wanted to take off before our first course (the cheese course) came out....I wished to hell we had, all we could think was we wish we had just gone to Chef Eugene! At least there, you could have your OWN bread, instead of having to beg the bread girl for another paltry piece! Ok, digressing again, sorry, Im still so aggravated and hubby is still sick (he got ill shortly after the entree was served and spent the rest of the time in the restroom, but they didnt even bother to ask if he was ok). We arrived at 5:05pm, not to that 'huge line' we were told would be there.....there was one other table and one person waiting for a friend. We told the owner (she didnt intro herself even tho we did), but we told her it was our first time, and she said 'oh no, the pressure is on'...I wish she had taken her words to heart and tried to please us. I dont think we go the worst waitress, since the others didnt seem all that friendly, especially when I'd have to ask them to please send over our waitress, because she had a habit of disappearing! When we had a couple of questions on the menu, we were treated with snarky responses. We were really surprised (after being so excited about homemade breads and pastas), to find the breads were guarded with an iron fist (and they didn't even have a nice crusty Italian bread. And there were not many pastas on the menu....and not the wonderful sounding appetizer sized pastas that they have on their online menu. Unfortunately we had already ordered the damn cheese before we realized we would not be getting a nice basket of fresh, hot, crusty bread to spread out nice cheese on.....and when we asked if maybe there might be some different bread that comes out with the cheese, and that had we known we wouldn't have ordered it, she piped up, well i cant cancel it now, the order is already in! We weren't asking to cancel it, but when we saw the order, we laughed that they couldn't have canceled it, it was a hunk of Brie on a board with some weird cranberry chutney next to it (weird because it had a rosewater flavor). Nothing that took any prep time what-so-ever. IN FACT, the cheese was served incorrectly, fine cheese should be served at room temperature, so that it is at its fullest flavor, and perfect consistency.....this brie was COLD to the touch and rigid (was not triple or even double creme Brie)...not a fine quality cheese at all. And to not serve any crackers, whole fruit or nice bread with it, was ridiculous. We begged for another 'roll' (that bread girl was just as snarky as the waitress!)....and I dont know who the heck was supposed to be in charge of the water, I had to fill my glass from a bottle i had in my purse, i guess she was pissed i didnt order an alcoholic drink (based on the face she made when i just asked for a larger glass of water with some lemon (i never did get the larger glass, which if i had, i would not have been trying to ask for water). i almost got up from the table to go get it myself because everyone i tried to flag down for water just ignored us. The service was just atrocious, and rude. Its one thing to be ignored, another to be insulted. For appetizers, i got the stale and undercooked Tomato and Onion tart with Parmesan Tuile cup. Which was stale as hell. I make those all the time at home and they should be crispy, not thick and stale as it was. The puff pastry was not cooked enough, it was very doughy (another ingredient i am very familiar with)...Hubby had the braised beef sliders, which he burned his mouth on, they definitely felt like the beef was microwaved, it couldnt be that hot coming out of a pan after sitting for 5 mins! out of room, WILL FINISH IN 'UPDATE' read more

My new favorite place! I can't believe it took me so long to try it. There are three different menu choices: Italian, French and a rotating selection which I believe was recently sushi and as of tonight was Thai. We had two Thai appetizers, spicy shrimp spring rolls and spicy chicken and sausage dumplings; both were absolutely delicious, especially the dipping sauces. Highly recommend. My husband had the short ribs with potato gratin and I had duck leg with coconut curry with pineapple fried rice. Sooooo good. My husband does not usually like curry, but he tried it and thought it was great, especially since it did not have an overwhelming curry flavor. We split the apple tart with caramel sorbetto. It was perfect. I am looking forward to trying many of the dishes on the menu. read more

This place is a solid go to nice service, good food and well presented. All of the dishes I have tried have been good to great. Solid cocktails and wine choice read more

I must begin by prefacing that I fondly remember Lepris during their early years. They were one of the great restaurants in central CT. I'm sad to report prices have gone up and quality has gone down :( and service has disappointed again (our last visit November 2012 was a service debacle but food compensated for service). I had been telling people kitchen compensated for service but not this time. I had been a raving fan but this last experience means we are unlikely to return. It started badly when after wait 20 minute wait after being seated and no service, we finally asked for a waitress. I wish I could say I was surprised. Our first food surprise was they had run out of braised short ribs by 6:30. I ordered my favorite Seafood Risotto, which has become a $28 seafood rice soup. No more clams or crab ;( Now its 2 bay scallops and 5 shrimp. So much broth couldn't see rice. Disappointing for a $28 dish. On a positive note, my mozzarella tomatoe salad best part of meal. They make the mozzarella on site. The onion rolls and bread sticks now replaced by small Italian bread loaf. The dipping sauces replaced by butter and olive oil. any where else, it be fine but i was spoiled. My wife's scallops had no seasoning. Just pan seared. The night topped off by the 20 minute wait for coffee. Oh so sad how Lapri has fallen to ordinary status. read more

Have gone here many times over the past few years but it seems like each time we go, the quality or quantity drops a bit. The prices were always rather high but the food and atmosphere was worth it. This place is still one of the best in the area, including Hartford. The menu changes often and is usually seasonal. We always start with the "board" with various cured meats, cheeses, and marinated veggies. Up to a couple years ago, bread was served table side and offered a variety of delicious options out of a large basket. Now it is just a generic dinner roll or bread left on the table. The warm bacon salad is also a great way to start a meal. I usually get the short ribs and pappardelle which is very rich and flavorful with a creamy mushroom ragu. The dish is amazing but is an example of a drop in quantity over the years. Much less meat and noodles every time I order it. I have also ordered the braised short rib dish, which was very good. Very simple but a large portion and executed well. My wife often gets the seafood casserole, but this is an example of the drop in quality. It has been very mushy or watery the last couple times. Also, it comes in what looks like a grandmother's chaffing dish, which continues to cook the seafood at the table leading to it becoming tough and overcooked. My wife also ordered the seared scallops once but was disappointed in the flavor profiles of the side dishes paired with the scallops and the small portion of the dish. Overall, the food is seasonal, fresh, and prepared well. A couple years ago I would have rated it 5 stars but now it is a 4 - still making it a great place to have a high quality dinner unlike anything else in the area. read more

The food and presentation were excellent. The music was at a perfect level. The ambiance was perfect. What threw me off when I left is that the host we're sitting at the bar and calls boyfriend and I over to the bar and asked us what we thought. I would have appreciated if she would have been at the hostess table asking all these questions instead of in front of other people. I did notice the crust of the complimentary bread was pretty hard. Kudos to Chef Jonathan. Our waitress was and knowledgeable and pleasant. read more

This is as good as it gets!!! From the Chef's Antipastia Board to the Flouress Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Ganache this place has it all. The Ravioli du Jour- braised beef with Brie and roasted onion sauce -outstanding! The Seafood Risotto - perfectly cooked, a symphony of flavors in your mouth. The waitstaff was knowledgeable and friendly. We will be back to work our way through the menu. read more

Ate hear a couple nights ago..always very good. Had the bolognese for the first time and it was probably the best I've ever had. My gf had the braised short ribs and she enjoyed hers as well. But the star of the dinner was the bolognese 10/10. read more

By FAR the best place for date night anywhere near our house in Tolland. We visited for the second time on a recent Saturday night and it was amazing. We had the carpaccio app, the diver sea scallops and the pasta bolognese. Everything is super fresh and totally house made - I mean even the blueberry reduction on the scallops was made with fresh local blueberries! We are every single bite!! Then, to top it off we tried the house made Irish cream and I thought I died and went to heaven - it is that good. Service was excellent as well!! If you live in the quiet corner, you've GOT to try this place! read more

The best of the best in town. This place has the best chicken Marsala in the world. The roles were the best and the Brussels were amazing. Also the mashed potatoes are the best. Also the dessert I had the colole and it was delicious. I love this place and recommend it to anyone that can spend a little more then usually but it's worth it! read more

This restaurant was amazing. So glad we went. We ordered the antipasto, these pina colada type martini drinks (so good), and scallops dinner. The dinner was cooked to perfection. The atmosphere is perfect. Great drinks. Great service. Cannot wait to go back! read more

Our new favorite restaurant! I only hope they stay in business (all of our favorites seem to disappear). Every time we have gone we have loved the food and the service. The calamari is to die for - the best we've ever had. The drinks are generous, if a bit pricey, and the food is generally excellent. Get there early! read more

It had been a long while since I had visited Trattoria daLepri and decided to go for St. Valentines evening. As in the past the service was very accommodating and catered to our every request. The food as it was as I remembered.....Outstanding !! The short ribs were tender, delicious and left me wanting more BUT as it was I was unable to finish my portion. Thank goodness for take-home. My girlfriend had the shrimp and to this day still raves about her meal and experience. Definitely a return trip is in the near future. read more

This is my favorite restaurant. Everything is absolutely top notch. The service is good but the food really stands out. I thought the variety of cuisine was a little unusual at first but it really works. read more

This chef has the courage to let the flavor of the food carry the dish. All the cheeses are homemade and they are tremendous. What a great surprise for us! read more

Way over priced for what you get been here a few times not worth the money food is just mediocre.

Meat and cheese board was delicious! Everyone loved their food- wish I ordered something else though because my dish, a special for the evening, (eggplant and Parmesan ravioli) was very bland. When I cut open a ravioli there was nothing inside.. I found maybe 2 little pieces of eggplant throughout the whole dish. The tomato sauce was great I just wish the ravioli were stuffed with eggplant and cheese. read more