I love this place so much because I usually don't like Italian food, but this place has the best…read morecalamari and very good pasta. The place is always packed because of how good the food is.

Service was great. We were easily accommodated when we requested to move to a different table…read moreaway from the door ( it was cold and damp and every time the door opened cold wind blasted inside, even with the double doors). It was much appreciated. As for the food it was hit and miss. Our husbands had the short rib raviolis and-although it was flavorful, there was not enough meat inside the raviolis nor were there enough raviolis to justify the price tag. Since the sauce was extremely flavorful I forced my husband to share some of the skimpy sauce to dip my pizza crust on it. Luckily the guys had enough of the wonderful fried mozzarella and bread to not be grumpy. One tip that our whole party agreed on was that the sauce was better suited if it was paired with chunks of lobsters instead of of the stuffed short rib raviolis. I was happy with size of my thin crust pizza and it was way more than I could eat. However, I am not sure if I was actually ok with how the ingredients were divided jn the quarter a fourth of the pizza contained olives ,another fourth was the mushrooms, ,another fourth was the prosciutto and for the life of me I could not remember the fourth ingredient. I'm still ponedering whether I am a fan of this. My friend had the Marguerite pizza and she was extremely satisfied with it. As to the place itself, it's nothing fancy, it's just your typical pizza place in a strip mall. It's just ok. One thing I noticed about it is the dim lighting, but to be fair it's a normal complaint for most eating establishments. We all had to break out our IPhone flashlights to read the menu. I wish most eateries would have a dimmer switch by your table so that when you are ordering, there is sufficient lighting as you read the menu and when done can be adjusted to mood lighting. I noticed most of the upper forties and up patrons did the same thing as us when ordering.

3.7 stars! Tried this after a friend recommended it. This place has such an old school vibe but…read morestill felt like fine dining. The owner greeted us and even checked up on us a few times. He seemed to know a lot of the customers which makes it feel homey. They gave complimentary bread which came with butter, olive oil, balsamic, and other fixings. The bread was super soft on the inside and had a nice crunch from the exterior. My boyfriend and I ordered the calamari, scaloppini mare terra, fettuccini con funghi, and fettuccini al frutti di mare. In simple terms: calamari, a seafood vodka pasta, fettuccini alfredo w mushroom, and veal with lobster bits served with green beans and scalloped potatoes. Surprisingly, I didn't love the calamari. It had a good size but lacked flavor. It also could have been cooked a tad bit more for better color and texture. The fettuccini alfredo was super creamy and had such a strong mushroom taste! The veal was nice but a bit chewy for my liking. The scalloped potatoes were good but nothing special. However the star of the show was the seafood vodka pasta! It had such an amazing vodka flavor with loads of seafood! I have to admit, they put way too many calamari pieces and not enough of the other items mentioned in the dish. Another thing was that I found a strand of hair on my plate. When I notified the server, he said it was just from the green beans but would exchange it for me. Later, he explained that the "hair" was green bean skin.. which was odd to me considering the hair was turning black to white. I didn't appreciate him trying to make an excuse. I decided to look past it even though the server didn't apologize. Good first experience (other than the piece of hair). The seafood vodka pasta is def a must-have. The vibes are great and the owner makes you feel like family.

Very authentic and very old-school Italian joint with a large menu…read more I came here for dinner with my GF and it felt like we were eating at Artie's straight out of the Sopranos. Massive bread basket with a ton on different toppings for the breads Food was all fantastic. I got a chicken dish, and both a tiramisu and a cappuccino for dessert.

Unfathomably good food, so much so that I could hardly move after I finished my food. I was…read moresurprised that so much Italian love and culture could be packed into a smaller building. In combination with the space and the spot on service, we had an incredible night!

Wow solid 4.5 and what a gem! A family friend who's a regular here and has been following this chef…read morearound for 30 years and we could see why. The quality and executions of the pastas were super high end and authentic. It said Italian semolina and based on not having a crazy gluten reaction to it- it seems legit!! The bread basket is one of the most abundant and generous baskets I've seen in a long long while. My branzino was perfection and the Ceasar salad a MUST! It's charming inside and honestly just dinging a half star because it felt a little warm and stuffy and airless - but it was busy and obviously a sought out spot! We'll be back!

We chose Clarity in Vienna for my mother's 91st birthday, and it turned out to be a wonderful…read morechoice. My mom is extraordinarily sensitive to anything remotely "spicy"--even black pepper can be a problem, and sometimes arugula! Our server David listened carefully to her concerns and made sure the chef knew exactly what she needed. The kitchen modified her dish accordingly, and she was able to enjoy a delicious meal without worrying about what might be in it. But the food was only part of what made the evening so enjoyable. David and Ceara were both fantastic--warm, attentive, and incredibly personable. They really listened to Mom and made an effort to engage with her. Mom eventually started telling jokes, including a few that were definitely on the bawdy side. David and Ceara were wonderful sports and laughed right along with her. They made her feel welcome rather than simply accommodated, and that distinction meant a lot to all of us. Clarity gave us delicious food and excellent service, but more importantly, they helped make my mother feel celebrated on her 91st birthday. A memorable evening and a restaurant I'm very happy to recommend.

We've been dining at Clarity in Vienna for years, and it was particularly a favorite for intimate,…read morespecial-occasion meals. Chef Jon Krinn's menus and his warm, personal touch with diners made the place special. After he left, Chef Tracy O'Grady admirably revived it with creative new menu concepts, and under Chef Danny Ahn the brand has now expanded to a Reston location. Through it all, bartender Victor has been a steady, caring presence -- even as service slowed and courses started taking a long time to arrive. After one visit where we waited 50 minutes for dessert, we stayed away for a while. We decided to come back to celebrate our anniversary. The new manager, Jeff Miller, and the rest of the staff greeted us warmly, but the dining room was nearly empty, and the air conditioning was set to meat-locker levels. Victor had the day off. Clarity is known for a daily-changing tasting menu, and we were looking forward to that night's advertised special -- giant tiger prawns, lobster and black truffle risotto, and venison. Instead, we were handed a menu with octopus, cod loin, and duck -- solid dishes, but standard fare you'll find at plenty of restaurants in the area, not the standout the website promised. We ordered from the regular menu instead. For appetizers, we each got the grilled Wellfleet and Old Salt oyster platter. For entrées, my spouse ordered the yellowfin tuna with tiger shrimp; I asked if I could get the Maryland soft-shell crabs as an entrée with two crabs instead of one. The waiter said no and suggested I add a sweet corn bisque to round out the meal. When he mentioned to the manager that we were unhappy, Jeff offered to plate two crab appetizers together for double the appetizer price. I happily agreed. The manager explained that website updates were no longer handled in-house, that the tasting menu posted online hadn't actually been available for months, that other guests had complained about the same thing, and that the takeout/pickup menu was also wrong -- to the point that he' had just contacted customers to tell them their online orders couldn't be fulfilled. Service was slow, and the waiter never told us which oysters were Wellfleet and which were Old Salt. To kitchen's credit, the portions were generous, properly cooked, and genuinely tasty. The dessert menu seemed uninspired, so I asked about a double shot of Angel's Envy rye instead. It had always been reasonably priced when Victor poured it -- generously, too. This time, I overheard the manager quote the waiter $56. A 750ml bottle (25 oz) currently retails at Virginia ABC for about $75, or $3/oz -- so $56 for a double shot works out to about $18.67 per ounce. I said that wasn't acceptable. At that point, the manager repeated, for the fourth time, that he was still on the phone trying to get the website fixed. I told him his reiterated efforts might help future diners, but it didn't help us that evening. He said Victor had trained him and that he was charging what Victor would charge -- I told him I didn't believe that, since Victor had always been fair and accommodating. I also said that as the manager overseeing service, he should be checking the website' daily for accuracy himself. He then offered to pay for my "cocktail" out of his own pocket. Before I could point out that a shot of whiskey isn't a cocktail, my spouse asked him to just leave us alone. We paid and left feeling genuinely sad to see a restaurant we loved fall this far.

I've visited this North Italia before and had another great experience. I've also been to their…read moreReston location as well. I will say, I think I like this location a little more. This time, my fiancé and I decided to try multiple appetizers and everything was excellent. We ordered the White Truffle Garlic Bread which is what we get every time. The bread is crispy on the outside while still staying soft and not too hard throughout. The flavor is always amazing and we love the ricotta that comes on top. We also tried the Italian Meatballs. They were very good, flavorful, and comforting. Lastly, we had the Little Gem Caesar with added chicken. It was fresh, well balanced, and a great addition to the meal.

We dined in at North Italia for a friend's birthday. Although a really big party, our server was…read moresuper attentive, and the food came out pretty quickly. We started off with the calamari the white truffle garlic bread. The calamari was absolutely delicious. I'm so used to having a lot of breading on my calamari, but the breading on this was super airy which I really enjoyed. If you're gonna get an appetizer, I highly recommend the white truffle garlic bread. The strong truffle and garlic flavor perfectly together and the bread was super soft and warm. Onto the entrées, my husband and I decided to split the squid ink pasta, lasagna, and the hot honey smoked prosciutto pizza. The portion for the lasagna was a lot smaller than I thought but honestly, I was super full by the end of it. I really enjoyed the pizza because it wasn't super oily and the flavors all worked really well together. Overall, this was a really pleasant dining experience. I would say the food was pretty solid. It's a great place for celebrations and even a casual date night.

After hearing so many great things from friends, we took my wife and toddler to Thompson Italian…read morefor a midweek dinner and it did not disappoint. We had a great table overlooking King Street, which made for a wonderful setting. We ordered the focaccia, rigatoni, roasted carrots, and more. Everything was delicious and reminded us of classic New York Italian cooking. The chef even came out to greet us, which was a thoughtful touch. We also loved that they offer both dine-in and takeout. We'll definitely be back. Be sure to pay for parking if in the back, there is a parking attendant ready to issue a ticket.

Where do I begin? I had the most wonderful experience at Thompson Italian, the service was…read morephenomenal, my party never had to wait for waters to be refilled or search for cutlery as it was replaced almost immediately after each dish. All of the food was fantastic, for appetizers the meatballs and garlic bread stood out for me. The coco joy desert was also absolutely phenomenal it was also vegan which made my lactose intolerant self very happy. The absolute star of the show for me though was the roasted chicken. This entree was one of the best things I have eaten this year, the sauce was a perfectly balanced tangy and herby addition to the crispy chicken. My meals were accompanied by their Sangria and Espresso Martini (which has a decaf option!). The drinks were delicious and they also have an extensive wine list which the rest of my party thoroughly enjoyed. The restaurant is stunning and has a mix of tables and booth seating with lots of natural light streaming in. This is definitely the place to come for a date, girls night or just to treat yourself!

Pizza, pasta, and salads were all excellent, service was good and the atmosphere was cozy, really…read morenice place.

I love coming to this place. The food is amazing and they really have options for everyone. The…read moreservice is so good and everyone is really nice!

We wanted to find a nice French restaurant near Falls Church to celebrate my husband's birthday,…read moreand my search landed on Cafe Renaissance. I was a little hesitant at first because of some of the reviews, but I've been around long enough to know that there are some on this platform who provide reviews that are unfair and just plain nasty. So here it goes. I would describe this restaurant as a place to have amazing French food with a very engaging wait staff. Saeed himself waited on us, and he is very warm, charming, and very appreciative. I can tell by the clientele dining there, that Cafe Renaissance draws repeat customers who have come back not only for the good food but for the warm service. The room was very ornate, decorated with gold guilded pictures. Tables were adorned with fresh flowers and white linen. The cutlery was beautiful. The food too was amazing. First, the bread was to die for! It came out warm, crusty on the outside, and chewy on the inside, like french bread should be. A table next to us recommended the duck confit appetizer, and yes, it did not disappoint. The duck fell off the bone, and the depth of flavor was mouth-watering. The sauteed cherries and raisin/almond rice were the perfect accompaniment. My husband order foi gras, and yes, it was the lobe - not a terrine, not a tourchon. It was paired beautifully with poached pear and I believe some aged balsamic vinegard. For someone who loves foi gras, this took us back when more restaurants served just the sauteed lobe. My husband was not too fond of the carrots that were served with it, but he doesn't like carrots so that's that. We couldn't decide on the halibut or the scallops so Saeed offered to do the halibut with a scallop on top for us to try. What a nice idea. We both weren't into the scallop (I think maybe it was a little overdone, but it was tasty) but the halibut was the star, especially in the lemon/butte sauce. For dessert, Saeed recommended some simple berries, flambe'd tableside, with a side of ice cream. That was perfect, and again, Saeed indulged us with a small glass of port and slice of chocolate cake. Everything was amazing. So, if you want great French food and a warm and engaging staff, come to Cafe Renaissance. It's what I would call, APPROACHABLE fine dining without the pretence and snootiness. Thank you Saeed for making Christopher's birthday a special one. Can't wait to come back to try your other dishes on the menu.

What a great place in the end of a strip mall. Exceptional service, delightfully decorated…read more Serving French cuisine this was a total surprise for me. The location will have to doubting yourself but once you walk in it is delightful. Attentive service, great wine menu and daily specials ensure there is something for everyone. Had the mushroom soup and French onion soup. Both very good. I've had better French onion soup but this was very good. Mains were Parmesan crusted cod and fettuccine with vegetables. Both very good. Portion size was just right. Free dessert of chocolate mouse and raspberry cake was welcome and added a nice touch to the meal. I would definitely come here again and think it's a great place to enjoy if you want upscale at a very reasonable price.

My girlfriends and I stopped in for our first visit on a Saturday afternoon for lunch, and we were…read morepleasantly surprised to be seated immediately. Service throughout the meal was excellent. Our waitress was attentive without hovering, kept drinks topped off, checked in at all the right times, and made the experience feel welcoming from start to finish. The dining room itself left me with mixed feelings. It was incredibly humid inside, to the point where it became distracting during the meal. The booth seating also wasn't my favorite. The pleather-style upholstery made it surprisingly difficult to slide in and out, especially if you're sitting toward the wall. It's a small detail, but one that stood out. We ordered family-style so everyone could sample a little of everything, which I always think is the best way to experience a menu. The Caesar salad was the undeniable star of the table. Absolute banger. The dressing tasted unmistakably house-made with the perfect balance of richness, garlic, lemon, and anchovy. It's one of those deceptively simple dishes that can be hard to execute well, and they absolutely nailed it. The carbonara was enjoyable overall with a silky sauce and great flavor, but the pancetta was cut into pieces that were much larger than necessary. Smaller pieces would have distributed the flavor more evenly and made each bite feel better balanced. The table bread with the red sauce was another pleasant surprise. Fresh, comforting, and exactly the kind of thing that keeps everyone reaching for "just one more piece." The chicken parm sandwich had plenty of potential, but it was noticeably dry. It really needed a more generous helping of marinara to bring everything together and add the moisture you'd expect from a chicken parm. One area that could definitely use some attention is the restrooms. They were functional, but they felt tired compared to the rest of the restaurant and would really benefit from a refresh or remodel. Overall, this was a solid first visit with far more positives than negatives. While I'd probably skip the carbonara and chicken parm sandwich next time in favor of trying other menu items, that Caesar salad is something I'd order again in a heartbeat. It's rare for a salad to completely steal the show, but this one absolutely did. I'll definitely be back to see what else the kitchen has to offer.

Surprisingly of all the times I've been in the area and have frequented mosaic since it opened I…read morehave not tried Alta Strada. I must say I was happy with my experience. We were a group of 8 going for a surprise dinner for a bride to be. The decor was rustic and very cute. For the most part they were efficient and quite kind. The few times it was a bit slow I think it was because we were a bigger party chatting and waiting for the main guest, they didn't know when the best time to ask what we needed. So not really on them. I tried the seasonal mocktail (wish I remembered the one I got), calamari, and the penne all a vodka with chicken as my protein. Everything was presented well and tasted great. I am very interested to return to try some of their other items on the menu.

Food was wonderful and the waitress Kash was great!…read more There was a $3 beer special that was the best part of my night

**A Pleasant Surprise at Circa Bistro, Tysons**…read more We decided to have lunch at Circa Bistro in Tysons on a rainy Wednesday 9/23, expecting a quiet weekday crowd. To our surprise, the dining room was completely full when we walked in. The host kindly offered us seats at the bar, and we happily accepted, and it turned out to be a great choice. Service was excellent. We didn't have to wait long at all, and the bar staff were attentive and friendly. We ordered the Circa Burger and the Crispy Chicken Cobb salad, and both were delicious. The burger, made with Creekstone Farms beef and aged cheddar, was juicy and satisfying, and the Cobb was generous and fresh, loaded with crispy chicken, bacon, avocado, and blue cheese. The atmosphere and ambiance made for a relaxing, enjoyable lunch. It's definitely a place we'll be coming back to. A tip for fellow diners: if you're set on a table, consider making a reservation, since it clearly gets busy even midweek. And if Circa happens to be full, Open Road right next door is a great alternative. Both are part of the Metropolitan Hospitality Group, so you can expect the same quality. Highly recommended, give them a try!