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SINCE 1980 WE HAVE SERVED OUR CUSTOMERS AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CUISINE, TRADITIONAL FRESH HOUSE-MADE PASTA. ALL OUR DISH IS MADE FROM SCRATCH USING FRESH INGREDIENTS, AND OUR CELECTION OF WINES COME FROM ITALY’S MOST POPULAR AND WELL-KNOWM REGIONS, GARDEN PATIO OPEN IN SPRING. WE HAVE BEEN HOSTED CELEBRATION OVER 46 YEARS. PRIVATE EVENT VENUE ACCOMMODATE OVER 80 TO 100 PEOPLE AND CAN BE BOOKED WITH ITS OWN DEDICATED BAR AND SERVICE STAFF. OUR PRIVATE VENUE ROOM FEATURES A 100-INCH SCREAEN, FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SHARE THE MEMORIES AND STORIES FROM THEIR TREASURE TROVE OF RECOLLECTIONS. FOR CORPORATE BUSINESSES ALSO WITH OFFER PROJECTOR MOST SMART FEATURES. RESERVATION ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 305 S Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 548-9338
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Reviews
Sean Birckhead
My family and I came in here for dinner one night while we were in town. It took forever for anyone to greet us at the door to be seated, probably about 10min. We had a reservation through “Opentable” and the hostess/waitress did not even ignollage that at all. But we finally where seated in the main dining room. We ordered drinks and a couple apps. “Zucchine Fritte” and the “Calamari Fritti e Zucchine” both where tasty, while they where both very good, if I would have known that the Calamari also came with a portion of the Zucchini Fritte, I wouldn’t have ordered both. I also ordered a soup of the day, broccoli soup, which never came out to the table. Our waitress seemed very frazzled and discombobulated. Almost like it was her 1st day on the job, but I don’t think it was. Next for our main course my wife ordered the Insalata Ceaser salad and the “Gnocchi alla Bolognese” and I ordered the “Osso Buco Alla Milanese”. While the Osso Buco and creamy Risotto was absolutely Amazing and on point, we where really disappointed with the Gnocchi they where very dense and chewy, no different from the mass produced ones I buy from the grocery store. Again, very disappointing for such a highly rated Italian restaurant. I will say that there Basil tomato sauce was incredible and I could have drank that stuff with a side of fresh bread or fresh made pasta…while I would like to give them another shot, unfortunately I don’t think we will be back. More hype then there worth, IMHO
… moreMizii Si
Ruined Valentine’s Day but also dinner itself. To start off we were first dinner table at reservation time 4:45pm. No one took our order till 5:20pm- 5:30pm . The whole time it was just us there on the upper floor. Premade v-day menu, and not full menu. Appetizer leek soup- bread cold. Burrata served with unappetizing cherry tomato’s. Husband’s Main steak- asked for medium well- it was rare. Sent back. I got risotto- lobster rubber; scallops rubber- over cooked sent back. Steak (same stake with initial cut to check if cooked) 2nd time medium still very pink. my entree didn’t come at all… until someone came to check on us asking how dinner was and i informed them i haven’t received my meal. At this point I’m ready to go home. 2 mins later entree arrived told them just pack it and bring the check. We get the check alright. No let’s make it right/ half charge bc night is ruined oh no. Full check. And cash vs card charge is diff amount. Tax with no percentage. Just 0 stars. Prices they’re charging- they should take a class on customer service. All night servers were serving incorrect orders- those who hadn’t even gotten appetizers were served dessert. Others were given wrong orders from THE LIMITED prefix menu ♀️ . It’s a no for us.
… moreMarlin W
If I could give 0 stars, I would.
We made a reservation two weeks in advance and were never informed that the restaurant would be serving a fixed menu tonight. We came specifically for the pasta, only to learn that we weren’t allowed to order from the regular menu at all. The price of the fixed menu was never disclosed upfront.
When we were asked which appetizer we wanted, we politely declined because neither option appealed to us. About ten minutes later, someone returned to tell us it was a required three‑course meal, so we had to choose one anyway. Bread wasn’t an option- though we later watched another table receive a basket without issue. They were the only table in the restaurant to receive bread
I ordered the filet medium‑well. What arrived was not a filet, and it was cooked rare. I sent it back. They seared only the cut edge and returned it still rare in the center. I sent it back again and let one of their servers know that I requested medium well and had already sent it back once. She took it and said that they would comp it. The food overall was bland and subpar.
Service was chaotic. There were six servers upstairs, yet no one seemed to have a section. Dishes were repeatedly delivered to the wrong tables. There was no organization, and it showed.
It took an hour—an actual hour—to receive and pay our bill after asking for it. The manager told us he would comp part of my meal because the steak was mishandled (and it never came back after the second time) but when he brought the revised bill, nothing had changed. When I pointed it out, he simply said “oh,” and it took another 15 minutes to get the corrected version.
We were there for over three hours due to the painfully slow service. And we weren’t the only ones blindsided. We saw at least three tables waited so long for their food that they walked out. Several others argued their bills because the prices were never disclosed, and a 20% gratuity was automatically added. For a party of two, our original bill was over $300—completely unreasonable for the quality and experience.
The manager eventually returned with the adjusted bill, but by that point the damage was done.
Do not recommend.
… moreWe made a reservation two weeks in advance and were never informed that the restaurant would be serving a fixed menu tonight. We came specifically for the pasta, only to learn that we weren’t allowed to order from the regular menu at all. The price of the fixed menu was never disclosed upfront.
When we were asked which appetizer we wanted, we politely declined because neither option appealed to us. About ten minutes later, someone returned to tell us it was a required three‑course meal, so we had to choose one anyway. Bread wasn’t an option- though we later watched another table receive a basket without issue. They were the only table in the restaurant to receive bread
I ordered the filet medium‑well. What arrived was not a filet, and it was cooked rare. I sent it back. They seared only the cut edge and returned it still rare in the center. I sent it back again and let one of their servers know that I requested medium well and had already sent it back once. She took it and said that they would comp it. The food overall was bland and subpar.
Service was chaotic. There were six servers upstairs, yet no one seemed to have a section. Dishes were repeatedly delivered to the wrong tables. There was no organization, and it showed.
It took an hour—an actual hour—to receive and pay our bill after asking for it. The manager told us he would comp part of my meal because the steak was mishandled (and it never came back after the second time) but when he brought the revised bill, nothing had changed. When I pointed it out, he simply said “oh,” and it took another 15 minutes to get the corrected version.
We were there for over three hours due to the painfully slow service. And we weren’t the only ones blindsided. We saw at least three tables waited so long for their food that they walked out. Several others argued their bills because the prices were never disclosed, and a 20% gratuity was automatically added. For a party of two, our original bill was over $300—completely unreasonable for the quality and experience.
The manager eventually returned with the adjusted bill, but by that point the damage was done.
Do not recommend.
Bear
Let me tell you, if you’re thinking of going anywhere else for dinner tonight, don’t! This place is as authentic as Italian food can get. Having visited Italy, I can tell you this is the real deal. The owner is amazing and tends to everyone. The food, the service and the ambiance are all 10/10. I LOVED the linguini carbonara. The espresso martini was wonderful as was the cannoli. I’d get here early or have a reservation because it’s a small restaurant.
… moreMaggie Murtagh
Wow! I’m only in town for 48 hours and stumbled upon this amazing place! Quaint and perfect atmosphere. Live piano and accordion music. Fantastic service and the food…. OMG the food! I had a seafood ravioli filled with shrimp and scallops as well as the tomatoes soup and garlic bread. When I come back I’ll definitely be back. Thanks so much for how much care you put into your restaurant and food!
… moreJessica Richardson
We were the lucky ones.
When we walked in, I immediately knocked a picture off the wall because I couldn’t breathe or move because people were literally rushing the door to get out.
But I didn’t get it- not yet.
Then we went up some rickety steps to the second floor, where we were seated directly beside the piano, with the cord under my chair.
Then I saw the menu, no pasta. When all my wife has talked about ALL DAY is pasta.
The waitress asked us what we wanted to drink, and yet we had seen no drink menu or wine list. My wife said Rose and the waitress immediately became confused. Then we were poured tap water from a yellowish in color plastic pitcher.
When the piano stopped, I began to hear the complaints. From EVERYWHERE. Then… I started to notice the flipped over glasses from the drinks that had never been poured. Everywhere.
In the entire restaurant, I saw two people with food.
Then it hit me, why everyone had been rushing out.
AND WE RAN down those stairs into freedom. Burst into the cold free as a bird; not owing a PENNY to that horrid place. And on our way out, the same hostess that had just seated us told us to have a great evening and thanks for coming.
And people were dressed IMMACULATELY just standing outside the restaurant in awe.
This place is the place nightmares are made of.
We were the lucky ones.
… moreWhen we walked in, I immediately knocked a picture off the wall because I couldn’t breathe or move because people were literally rushing the door to get out.
But I didn’t get it- not yet.
Then we went up some rickety steps to the second floor, where we were seated directly beside the piano, with the cord under my chair.
Then I saw the menu, no pasta. When all my wife has talked about ALL DAY is pasta.
The waitress asked us what we wanted to drink, and yet we had seen no drink menu or wine list. My wife said Rose and the waitress immediately became confused. Then we were poured tap water from a yellowish in color plastic pitcher.
When the piano stopped, I began to hear the complaints. From EVERYWHERE. Then… I started to notice the flipped over glasses from the drinks that had never been poured. Everywhere.
In the entire restaurant, I saw two people with food.
Then it hit me, why everyone had been rushing out.
AND WE RAN down those stairs into freedom. Burst into the cold free as a bird; not owing a PENNY to that horrid place. And on our way out, the same hostess that had just seated us told us to have a great evening and thanks for coming.
And people were dressed IMMACULATELY just standing outside the restaurant in awe.
This place is the place nightmares are made of.
We were the lucky ones.
Ann Donohue
Arrived at our much anticipated Valentines dinner at Trattoria da Franco! This was our first visit and we had read a lot of positive reviews at this well established Old Town restaurant. The menu looked great and we were excited. We were seated upstairs in a packed, very bright lit dining area. It almost looked like card tables had been set up. Not very intimate or cozy but we were still excited. We were given a Valentines set menu with very limited options and no price. When asking waiter about a la cart options he answered “ I was told no a la cart tonight”. I asked about price for set menu and was told $110/person!!! I did ask twice with same response. No wine included and no wine list provided. I started noticing people around us not having any food. One couple were served wrong order. Every one looking around with “what’s going on” expressions. Waiter coming over after 20 min asking for orders. I asked for wine list. People still not getting their orders. Serving staff appeared clueless and disorganized. After another 10 min we decided to leave as did many others. Obviously the right decision after reading other reviews. Totally ruined our much anticipated Valentines dinner. If I could give 0 stars I would.
… moreRachel Young
I don’t normally leave bad reviews but this was honestly one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. When we first sat down, all the couples around us were silent and appeared extremely frustrated…we quickly found out why.
I don’t even know where to start. There was a prefix menu that was horribly put together. We were expecting pasta options from an Italian place. I felt bad for the piano player who had to play over the speakers blasting music. He kindly asked them to turn the speakers off but no one did. We started off with a bottle of wine, and the server brought the wrong bottle. No big deal, we said it’s okay, and drank it anyway. We ordered our food with a different server and waited. The woman comes over and says they have 1 burrata left and offered us a Caesar salad as a replacement. We said okay. Then the man comes out and serves us both barrata. After our appetizer we waited an eternity for our entrees. The server tries to drop off scallops and we tell them we ordered two filets. The woman who took our order comes back very confused and says “I thought you ordered the scallops”. At this point I thought we were in a tv show being pranked. We sat down for dinner at 8:30pm, it is now 10:30pm and we still haven’t received entrees. My boyfriend orders an old fashioned and it took 20+ min to receive it. He had to ask multiple times. Finally he gets it and it is completely watered down. He asks for another one, neat, and never receives it. Finally, as we’re still sitting there waiting for our food, he asks them to get our entrees to go, to which the woman responded “oh sorry I thought you didn’t want the entrees anymore” what? We were ready to get out of there as fast as we could. He got the bill and it was $110 per person!!! Absolutely ridiculous. Every single worker in there was disorganized and clueless. It wasn’t only our table it was everyone in there. I’ve never had a dining experience like this and I hope I never have to again. Save your time and your money!!
… moreI don’t even know where to start. There was a prefix menu that was horribly put together. We were expecting pasta options from an Italian place. I felt bad for the piano player who had to play over the speakers blasting music. He kindly asked them to turn the speakers off but no one did. We started off with a bottle of wine, and the server brought the wrong bottle. No big deal, we said it’s okay, and drank it anyway. We ordered our food with a different server and waited. The woman comes over and says they have 1 burrata left and offered us a Caesar salad as a replacement. We said okay. Then the man comes out and serves us both barrata. After our appetizer we waited an eternity for our entrees. The server tries to drop off scallops and we tell them we ordered two filets. The woman who took our order comes back very confused and says “I thought you ordered the scallops”. At this point I thought we were in a tv show being pranked. We sat down for dinner at 8:30pm, it is now 10:30pm and we still haven’t received entrees. My boyfriend orders an old fashioned and it took 20+ min to receive it. He had to ask multiple times. Finally he gets it and it is completely watered down. He asks for another one, neat, and never receives it. Finally, as we’re still sitting there waiting for our food, he asks them to get our entrees to go, to which the woman responded “oh sorry I thought you didn’t want the entrees anymore” what? We were ready to get out of there as fast as we could. He got the bill and it was $110 per person!!! Absolutely ridiculous. Every single worker in there was disorganized and clueless. It wasn’t only our table it was everyone in there. I’ve never had a dining experience like this and I hope I never have to again. Save your time and your money!!
Ryan Megill
DO NOT RESERVE here for a holiday
Wow so my wife and I have been here before and the food was very good but a bit pricey as to be expected. We came back for valentines and were surprisingly met with a super limited menu, extremely over priced and no flex options.
Keep in mind we reserved well in advance and were not notified of a modified menu
First of all they didn’t have any poultry listed which my wife has both a seafood and red meat allergy. They didn’t at least accommodate and make a chicken a very dry chicken breast. Whatever at least they flexed for us.
But the food was worse in almost every way than their regular menu and there wasn’t even really any Italian dishes. No pasta or red sauces. We did not receive any smaller price for chicken versus the high end proteins and then. The menus were a fixed price of 110 dollars per person and a fixed gratuity of 55 dollars
Yeah I don’t know previously I would have gushed but this was honestly an awful experience for some average food. Their regular menu was good just go then
… moreWow so my wife and I have been here before and the food was very good but a bit pricey as to be expected. We came back for valentines and were surprisingly met with a super limited menu, extremely over priced and no flex options.
Keep in mind we reserved well in advance and were not notified of a modified menu
First of all they didn’t have any poultry listed which my wife has both a seafood and red meat allergy. They didn’t at least accommodate and make a chicken a very dry chicken breast. Whatever at least they flexed for us.
But the food was worse in almost every way than their regular menu and there wasn’t even really any Italian dishes. No pasta or red sauces. We did not receive any smaller price for chicken versus the high end proteins and then. The menus were a fixed price of 110 dollars per person and a fixed gratuity of 55 dollars
Yeah I don’t know previously I would have gushed but this was honestly an awful experience for some average food. Their regular menu was good just go then
Mindy Starson
The food was delicious. I’ve been on a quest to find the best carbonara all of 2025. Whenever I traveled in 2025, I’d make it a point to eat at italian restaurants, because I was determined to find a top carbonara dish. My travels included 2 other countries and many states.
This restaurant was by far, in my opinion, the best carbonara I had all year.
… moreThis restaurant was by far, in my opinion, the best carbonara I had all year.