I genuinely have never had such a great dining experience in Arlington. We were seated outside and it ended up storming so bad that we couldn't finish our meal outdoors. The service and care for customers I saw from the manager Stefano was unmatched. He went out into the rain with an umbrella to get customers inside as comfortably as possible. It's things like this that set restaurants and managers apart. If that wasn't enough, Sharron, our waitress went ABOVE AND BEYOND for us. She got us sat inside while dealing with such a stressful situation with all her tables being outside in the rain. She was attentive and kind and one of the best servers I've ever had. If you come here ASK FOR HER!!! We will absolutely be back read more

Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Skylar our waitress was amazing. She was so informative about the menu and had great recommendations. The holiday decorations were also so amazing. 10/10 I will be coming back. read more

I've been seeing this place all over my Social Media accounts and said lets go see whats the hype's about. The Chicken Parm is extraordinary!! Definitely worth the hype! The presentations from the starters to entrees and finally desert was beautiful. Im coming again this weekend and im asking for Margarita the server, she was attentive at all times and gave well recommendations. She's awesome read more

Wow! We are so glad we celebrated our 41st anniversary with Carbonara. We had a Sunday afternoon reservation, which put us on the lunch menu, and it was perfect. Prices were great and food was amazing! They do some things for show here - table side Buccatini, Chicken Parm, and Tiramisu, all of which is super cool (it's actually the reason we drove almost 2 hours - their IG sold us!). The food was just outstanding. We did the chicken parm and tortellini stuffed with beef brisket - both were outstanding. Started with bacon wrapped shrimp and burrata caprese, both were delicious and fresh. After dinner, we enjoyed lemon creme cake (to die for) and Angels Envy Affogato, so good! They offer an Espresso Martini flight, but I just tried the Ferrero Rocher and it was so good. Highly recommend Carbonara for fantastic service, quality food, and a great experience! read more

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Carry out service is on time. No long wait, love the food- incredible, chefs kiss penne Alla vodka is my FAVE read more

The food is absolutely spectacular. Get the BUCATINI CARBONARA TABLE SIDE. Absolutely the best pasta dish outside of Italy!

We heard that when the chef was not there the food is iff. This proved true. Ordered chicken parm, it was smothered in a beer cheese flavored sauce despite me telling them when they arrived to not pour it over and keep on side. Ive had better chicken parm at home or at Pi-tanza for half the price. I really want it to be amazing. Calamari was ok. Again, pricy for not wow this is amazing. Wife's dish was not really edible. The spaghetti with braised beef tortellini felt like not italian and weird. Noodles were way overcooked like mush. How hard is it to get noodles to be al dente? (After response) we definitely will try again! It's brand new and kinks to work out. Will update review accordingly. read more

First-time visitor -- Saturday evening, early...about 5pm Tried the minestrone. It's a brothy minestrone -- not thick or like a stew. Wasn't a fan. Second course was the Caesar salad. Sooo good! It includes bacon bits, which make a good salad great. I would go back and eat a double portion of this salad! Third and final course was spaghetti and meatballs. Pretty run-of-the-mill. Service was good. Drinks are on the higher end -- a one shot vodka cocktail is $15. I parked on the street, but there may be underground parking (according to Waze). read more

Food and location were great. My drink was beautiful but could have been stronger. Our waitress was very attentive and accommodating to our needs. read more

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I had a great experience at Carbonara for dinner. I ordered the chicken parm and it was delicious. The service was amazing and wanted to give a special shout out to Margarita who was our server. She was extremely accommodating and took good care of us!! read more

Julia our server was fantastic! The food was fresh and delicious and I can't wait to come back!!

Had my birthday celebration here and it was great! Margarita was very attentive to our large party and overall the service was exceptional. My party and I ordered several dishes off the menu and everyone enjoyed it! Will definitely be coming back read more

Omg I love this place! This is literally my favorite place now. Service is amazing, Stefan omg he was so attentive, we didn't even have to look or ask for drink refills, he was always on point. He even made our cute cocktail called STELLA di LIMONE, The ambience is cute af, Carbonara and Chicken Parmesan were amazing!! read more

Carbonara - Chicken Parm - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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First, they serve you at your table so remember that when you add in the tip! Second, it was great. Definitely will go back. Had tamales, quesadilla, pupusas and plantains at our table and every one could easily be on repeat. Third, I regret not getting a desert. I will next time! read more

A perfect 5-star dinner at Carbonara! Potter was a fantastic waiter--our kids even loved the food and finished everything on their plates. Everything was wonderful, and we can't wait to come back! read more

Been wanting to try Carbonara for a while after hearing good things and it lived up to the hype and more! The ambiance was great, inside you could see them making pasta and they had a singer preforming live music. If you want a quieter option, you can sit out on the patio. Out of the many great Italian restaurants I've been too in the area, this one made me feel like I was actually in Italy the most. The service was also great, our waiter was very nice and helpful and they were attentive to all our needs. For food and drinks they have great options. Started with a delicious free bread basket with great focaccia. For our mains we tried their famous chicken parmigiana alla vodka and the orecchiette. The pastas were cooked perfectly, the sauces were super fresh tasting, the chicken parm had a great flavor. We're still thinking about that food today. To finish we had the tiramisu for dessert and once again did not disappoint. Also I would highly recommend the espresso martinis! They have a bunch of fun flavors. We loved our experience here and can't wait to go back! read more

Carbonara - CHICKEN PARMIGIANA ALLA VODKA and ORECCHIETTE - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Did the expresso martini flight. Delicious. Table side Carbonara, worth the experience. Could have done without the bacon. Chicken parm- Not my favorite but great sauce and nice table side presentation. Linguine & clams were great. Did the hot pepper and sausage app. It was awesome. The octopus was amazing. The tomatoes and Burrata were just average. Thought the bread to start was probably the worst thing. Just bland and boring. The inside of the restaurant was very cool. Super clean. The service was excellent. Look forward to going back again sometime. read more

Carbonara - Table side Carbonara- could have done without the bacon. - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Our waitress Margarita was amazing. We had to wait a few minutes for a table to open up and we ordered a drink at the bar and then our table was ready! Amazing. Margarita didn't pressure us to order new beverages and let us take our time with the menu. She was so friendly and knowledgeable about everything on the menu. We will definitely be back !!! read more

Great food, great atmosphere, great service old school Italian joint if your thinking about eating Italian somewhere else in Arlington forget abat it! read more

Came here for a girlfriend's birthday, which we booked about a month in advance. You're greeted with prosciutto which was a treat as you walk into the restaurant. We had the mama Mia and ferrero espresso martini which were delish! I unfortunately, was disappointed because I thought the chicken parm was more of a traditional one and it's not. I unassumingly thought chicken parm is with a marinara sauce (as to why it's my go to). just a warning it's not a marinara sauce and honestly a vodka sauce heavy & I mean heavy on the cream. I actually can't have cream sauce (stupid GI issues) and ate the chicken (which I asked to not have cheese a ton on it) and it was well seasoned and crispy. I had some of the pasta, as I didn't want to be rude with my friends at a new place on a special night, but boy am I in pain now. Again not the restaurants fault, just wish the chicken parm was with the traditional marinara sauce! read more

The restaurant was excellent, great food and cocktails, impeccable service and warm, welcoming environment! Margarita, who served us, was fabulous! And the ability to enjoy a cigar on the patio topped it all off! read more

A great Italian Restaurant in Arlington! It is located on the northeast corner of North Pollard Street and Wilson Blvd. on the day we went there there was street parking available. There are at least 10 parking areas/garages within 4 blocks of this location. I would recommend reservations as it is a popular restaurant and can get very busy. Our party visited at first lunch seating and, since it was a beautiful day, decided to sit outside on the upper deck. The inside and out are very nicely done. Even if you sit outside, I would recommend looking at the inside as it has some very nice touches like the liquor shelf above the bar, the open kitchen, and the wine rack seating separators. The waiter was efficient and knowledgeable. We ordered an array of food to include the pasta cooked in the cheese wheel. I tried the pasta made in the wheel and Tortelloni Di Michael. Both came out quickly with the pasta being mixed in the cheese bowl close to the tableside. The dishes I tried were excellent. Seating, as with many higher-end restaurants, is tight with tables close to each other. Each main item was between $25 and $30. It was pleasant outside but might try the inside for the next visit. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience that I would highly recommend for people wanting a great dining experience in the Arlington area. read more

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Sooo good! Also has great weekday lunch specials that are great if you work in the area!

Great food and the service was amazing. Environment was nice as well. Sharron G made sure we had an amazing birthday dinner! Request her if you can! read more

The food was amazing Fresh warm bread with olive tapenade or sauce to dip in is served when you're seated The Arancini balls were delicious I had the pasta cheese wheel carbonara prepared table side Delicious!! They make their own pasta You can watch while they make it Service was very friendly read more

Carbonara - Arancini balls - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Really nice addition to the Ballston area. I tried the Campari spritz which was the right amount of bitter. We shared some meatballs that were good but wouldn't necessarily get again. They were very spongy. Would like to try the arancini next time. The bread comes with marinara and olive tamponade. Would appreciate the option of butter or olive oil. The chicken parm was really delicious. The vodka sauce is great and the chicken was super crispy. The pasta was good too. We also tried the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. The sauce and pasta was delicious. I didn't love the flavor of the sausage it was kind of bland and I think a spicy sausage would go better with the rich sauce. Portions were large and we had leftovers to bring home. I'm sure we'll be back and glad that I can walk to get solid Italian food! read more

Sharron G is the absolute best! She was really attentive and took great care of us. We love this place!

Fantastic experience, fantastic dinner. Sharron was knowledgeable and very personable. Give that lady a raise!

Great service, wonderful food! Big portions as well. Fettuccine bolognese was very tasty.

WILL UPDATE REVIEW AFTER A SECOND VISIT. They reached out to me which is more than I can say for some others which is a plus. The update...Well, they said they'd make it right but that's just something restaurants do in a public forum I guess, my review/ opinion of this place will stand. My honest review of this place is that it's just another novelty restaurant that has heavily relied on social media instead of merit to succeed thus far. They slap some cheese on your fried chicken breast or they'll stir some pasta with sauce on some dirty looking drum thing table side all while being the least enthusiastic employees I've ever seen. If restaurants were an assembly line this would be the main one as far as what seemed to be like a customer in customer out mentality going on. My experience and opinion is that you'll go and give them a couple hundred bucks for food you can cook yourself. It's the kind of place that you're there and in the back of your head you know it's overpriced and overhyped so you pretend to like it even though you know you're underwhelmed. The truth is that this is some easy money for these people. The food is very mediocre. The facility is small and squeezed in to the tune of the servers rear ends were brushing up against me while I tried to eat. The ambiance is...never mind there's no ambiance so to speak, maybe slightly downscaled from Olive Garden in terms of food, service, and ambiance. For those of you who have been to little Italy NYC it's the kind of restaurant that is trying to pull in tourists all day and night, this place is imo is not even half as good as those, at least they are enthusiastic. Anyhoo, that's my opinion to all of the potential customers of this restaurant, I wouldn't go back and wish I never had in the first place. I hate to waste money is what I'm saying. read more

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Delicious and very filling. Food was very fresh and the drinks were tasty. I would definitely go back. read more

Carbonara - Breas - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Cheese!! Come here if you love carbs and cheese. Literally after watching the table next to me get the dish where they toss the pasta in the cheese wheel and cook it with flames, table-side, they slid a hot cheese blanket on my husband's parm. The short rib lasagna was indulgent, tender, and flavorful...and also with lots of cheese! Nice modern vibe and good service. Would recommend for a date or nice occasion. read more

Carbonara - SHORT RIB LASAGNA - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Updating my review to five stars. My second visit was beyond my expectations. They were able to accommodate my changes to the Mozzarella in Carrozza and it was delicious!! I also tried the Tortellini all Boscaiola and it was great, too. The service was as impeccable as last time. read more

I believe this place does have potential, but overall an average experience. The good: great live singer, friendly hosts, good flavor in food. Cocktails are solid. Tableside Carbonara was delicious and the Lemon Cake special rocked. The meh: we were seated and waited 10-15 mins for someone to come by and realize no one had stopped by the table. Server came to take drinks and brought one drink about 5 mins before bringing the other (seemed strange to not bring them together). Ordered arancini- delicious initially, but one was ice cold like it had not been warmed through, which gave the impression it's not fresh. Chicken in the spicy rigatoni alla vodka was very overcooked and tough. Also- dish wasn't spicy. Flavors are definitely good, staff seemed friendly. It was a very busy night so maybe that was why some things were mediocre. I'd give it another shot, but probably for the HH small-plates. read more

Carbonara - Ciao Bella and Zenzero - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Had the most amazing time at Carbonara celebrating my brother's birthday. The atmosphere was incredible, loved the music and the food was amazing! We also loved our server Cepheus! He was so sweet and polite and did an outstanding job. Can't wait to return, and will be recommending Carbonara to people looking for a great restaurant! Keep it up read more

From the moment we walked in, Jennifer, the hostess, greeted us warmly and seated us promptly. Our waitress, Sharron, was fantastic! She was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and made excellent recommendations. For our appetizer, we shared a plate of their delicious meatballs. They were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. We then decided to try something special and opted for the BUCATINI CARBONARA TABLE SIDE. It was a truly unique experience to watch the dish prepared right in front of us. The chef did an amazing job, and the carbonara itself was phenomenal - rich, flavorful, and absolutely divine. My wife couldn't resist the FAMOUS CHICKEN PARMIGIANA ALLA VODKA, and it certainly lived up to its name. The chicken was crispy and juicy, the sauce was perfectly balanced with a hint of vodka, and the pasta was cooked al dente. To top it all off, we shared a MARTINI flight - a great way to sample different flavors. Each martini was expertly crafted and delicious. Overall, our experience at Carbonara was exceptional. The food was outstanding, the service impeccable thanks to Sharron the atmosphere was inviting. We highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back next time we are in town. We are from Boston, MA, and always eat in the famous North End neighborhood and I can say Carbonara is top 3 and they ain't number 2 or 3. When we return I will make sure to ask for Sharron as our waitress. read more

I wanted to like this place, I honestly did but cant. We had our reservation already so we got sat right away. Someone pour us water and then that's it. We dont see another person for like 15-20mins. I had to ask another waiter to find ours. She came finally brought us some bread and this was how my dipping sauce came out. Like how can you serve someone a dipping sauce like this, dripping everywhere and messy. It got all over the table as you can see. This is a decent nice restaurant, I honestly expected more. The foods overall were great, besides 1 dish that we had to sent back due to the overwhelming taste of truffle. Not a big deal at all. But the aftermath when I got home was horrible. I got food poisoning. Constantly threw up all night, following with diarrhea the next day. I had to call off on monday since my diarrhea was continuing. It's really sad that I have to post this, since it was my bf's birthday and our anniversary. So sad and disappointed. I just want to spread awareness in case someone has similar experiences so that management can look into it, both the food and the service. It scares me enough to probably won't recommend it to another person. read more

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Had an awful experience. Ordered the house special michael's beef tortellini and the brisket was chewy. Sent it back and was informed that the chef disagreed with me, but two waiters who tried it thought I was right. By the time my replacement dish arrived, my husband was done with his meal, which was a very average/typical beef bolognese. No idea why this place is rated so highly. It was a very standard Italian restaurant with below average food. After going home from the restaurant, I was sick all night and left to wonder why given the drama with the chef... read more

Lucked out on a last minute reservation at Carbonara. We ordered a mixed green salad, carbonara and spicy vodka pastas. The salad was quite good and very large. Glad we decided to split it! The spicy vodka pasta was a bit too spicy. I personally would prefer a non spicy version because the actual pasta noodles were delicious. My husband had the carbonara pasta, and said it was excellent. The restaurant is a bit small and cramped but there is outdoor seating. Looking forward on visiting Carbonara again and trying some other dishes! read more

Carbonara - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Sharron G an absolutely wonderful server!! she made us all laugh !! complete sweetheart !!