i love the dim lighting and the family style entrees…read more the brocc rabe garlic + oo w ricotta + parm add shrimp was absolutely life changing i cannot wait to have it again we had an amazing waiter he was spot on w everything so grateful to have been shown this restaurant

I know this is a Richmond institution bc it's been around forever. It's good but I feel like it…read morecould be even better. Very old school with no online reservations which is not super convenient but hey I can get behind it if they are going for an exclusive vibe. Very much an old style Italian restaurant but feels like they have really packed the tables in here - like sardines- so yeah it feels a little tight for my tastes. Service was friendly and helpful. (Making the reservation over the phone was not overly warm and fuzzy but hey I get it you probably are tired of having to take reservations over the phone all day lol). We got a popular app- the squid,white bean and arugula which was bright and flavorful so lived up to the hype but a little disappointing in that there was not a lot of squid so $18 for beans and arugula seemed a bit much. Also got the seafood bisque which was pretty tasty. For entrees we got the halibut, the monk fish fra diavolo and the spaghetti with crab meat. The spaghetti with crab meat was shockingly good. It better be for $40 but I don't always like crab bc it can be overly fishy in a not good way but this entree was very good. We also liked the halibut- nice piece of fish perfectly cooked. The MonkFish had a nice flavor, but the bones in it was a little bit overwhelming, and kinda made eating a lot of work. Seemed pricey to me since only one of us had a glass of wine and no other drinks, but I guess $50 a person sans cocktails and dessert is the new norm?!

Great experience! The owner is very friendly and helpful. The food was so delicious and there is a…read morevariety of options. Love the fan area in Richmond and great place for dinner.

Bacchus was good…read more It's a lowkey spot, very cozy vibes and not too busy on a Monday evening. The wait staff was on the slower side, which is surprising due to the fact that the place wasn't very busy. The menu is large and filled with Italian classics. The wine list was extensive. They do not allow any requests to the menu... for example, my friends chicken piccata came with a salad and they would not let her sub that salad for pasta. Nothing about this experience blew me away. The dishes are very simple for how high priced they are. I paid $24 for a bowl of spaghetti noodles with mushrooms and chicken. The menu does not get much more complex than that. To make a whole meal, you'd almost need to order an entree, a pasta and a side seperate, which would probs cost you around $60 My meal was good-- I was happily it and the quality was just fine, but it wasn't the kind of place I'd likely return to. There was nothing particularly bad about this experience, but also nothing blew me away. Next time, I think I'll just make the same tasting dish at home for a fraction of the price.

Ate here with 2 Italians: Even THEY were happy with their meals! My husband never gushes about…read morefood when we eat out and he couldn't stop raving! They even cooked the calamari to perfection so it wasn't chewy! Everything was fresh, cooked to perfection, and had great flavors! We ordered 2 appetizers and 4 different meals and everything came out well! The portions are huge. The service was excellent. Highly recommend this place...especially if you're a foodie and can appreciate good quality Italian food!

Food and service was really good. Food was fresh! First time there and we got pasta. I did see many…read morepeople come for the pizza. It must be good. Owner came by to talk with us as well as others. Not fancy, but good and friendly. Recommend.

This may be my favorite restaurant in RVA. The bathrooms are super cool. The drinks are great. The…read morepasta is amazing. You feel like you're transported into a small NYC restaurant, except you're in RVA. I will come back here all the time!!

The atmosphere was great. It's a typical foodie Richmond restaurant vibe with the cozy interior. I…read moregive the atmosphere five stars. I expected better food though... two stars. I got the waiter recommended spicy penne à la vodka. It wasn't spicy and tasted like something I'd get at Noddles and Co for $12. My friend thought his food was meh, too. Another friend loved the salmon so it wasn't all underwhelming. Overall we enjoyed it. So it gets three stars.

Unexpected enjoyment... I decided to give myself a day off from cooking for myself and try a…read morerestaurant that I was told was pretty authentic. I arrived with an open mind and was greeted with politeness and escorted to my table. My waiter was very knowledgeable and personable. I did the 3 course meal. Salad, pasta and entree. Salad was very fresh and you could taste it. The pasta course was gnocchi...fresh pasta with fresh tomato sauce. The entree was fettuccini with duck, super rich and filling. I finished my meal with a tiramisu and coffee. I think it was a perfect ending of a great meal. I would definitely recommend

Had a great experience at La Grotta. I ordered the quail and they let me know up front it would…read moretake a little longer, which I appreciated. While I was waiting, the owner actually brought out a complimentary plate of pasta with three ravioli and some fettuccine--both were unreal. The ricotta ravioli (not pictured) is honestly some of the best I've ever had. The quail was definitely worth the wait too--really well cooked and super flavorful. I'm in town from Texas for work and this is 100% a spot I'll be coming back to every time I'm in Richmond.

Made a reservation and went here to celebrate a birthday. This place is great. Ambiance was classy…read moreand clean. The lighting really contributed to the very intimate feel of the restaurant. The open layout of the kitchen allows diners to see the cooks preparing food. One can also see the patio/outside seating from the inside as it was separated by a huge glass. Our server Matt, though he did not introduce himself, was very nice and knowledgeable of the menu and gave us great recommendations. Food was great. They a great and huge selection of wine and other drinks (I did not take pictures of this wine list that had multiple pages). I was not a fan of the nonalcoholic "Is that Cashmere?" Since it had grapefruit, pomegranate, cinnamon, vanilla, and soda, I was expecting a fruity taste but the cinnamon and other ingredients overpowered the fruity notes. Polpo alla griglia was great as the grilled octopus was chewy and flavorful. I would have preferred the beans to be softer though. Stinco di Maiale was very tender braised pork shank that really went well with polenta. Pesce arrostito was roasted rockfish and black rice with fennel sausage. This was very good too with a hint of spiciness. For dessert, the bunet was fantastic. It's chocolate, almond with amaretto. Love the texture. It was light and very good. Service was fantastic. Once you've told them food restrictions, everyone serving your table will know it without asking you again. The sommelier was very nice. If you're taking out your food, you'll receive a small piece of paper like for coat checks and you can get it when you leave. They also had card and a little something for birthday celebrants (cookies with candle) which was sweet. Would definitely be back!

I can't believe it's been almost a year since our last visit. This time we got a spot on the patio…read moreand loved it. The weather was a balmy 72° at 6:30 PM and slightly overcast which made the patio the perfect place. A very serene setting for a sophisticated meal. I highly recommend the patio, but you need to plan way in advance. Even on a Wednesday night. And definitely get there early because parking is a bear. I don't mind the walk, but anybody with mobility challenges, might find it tough to get there on time unless they can get dropped off. For cocktails our friends got a very swanky bottle of white wine by Cinque Terre. My husband and I got mixed drinks : the Italian stallion and the ciao fantasy. Very different experiences, but both very good. The Italian stallion was complex yet refreshing and the ciao fantasy was complex and smooth. For appetizers, we got the beef tartare and the Borlatti farro verde. Again, both very different but equally delicious. The tartar obviously more a protein forward appetizer that had a smooth richness brought out by the egg and the well chopped beef. The extra sourdough was a nice touch. The Borlatti was the perfect starter for a spring evening and I actually enjoyed it more than my entrée. It has a lightness to it, but also richly satisfying, especially with the sourdough. For the entrées, we went back to our favorites from last time which was the cavatappi and the rockfish. I enjoyed the cavatappi more but I was trying to get more protein and less simple carbs so I stuck with the rock fish. This time the fish was not a great piece and had very little edible protein because of the bloodline running down the center of it, so for $38 it felt a bit stingy because I needed more of the fish than the slightly over spiced rice and sausage. Did not feel like a good choice for the evening. I did not finish and went back to my appetizer to satisfy any hunger pains left. Definitely disappointed that there was no specials for the evening and a lot of the menu seems pretty similar to the last time we were there. Also seems like fewer choices at least for the small plates. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful and again really enjoyed the atmosphere. However. Everything seems overpriced these days but even though prices haven't shifted that much at LL on this occasion, $172 after tax but before tip seemed a bit much for Richmond. Feels like everything is a few dollars over what the price point should be especially if it's not done to perfection. We will probably go back but not for a long while bc of price but also because of menu options. There are several restaurants in Church Hill that bring more bang for your buck.

LOVE THIS STORE! I'm not sure if she's the owner but the woman working was so friendly and helpful…read more They have so many fresh pasta options including gluten free. There is also a small distillery within the store with a bar to sit and enjoy drinks. A few patio tables outside as well. And the best part is they allow dogs inside! This will be a regular stop of ours for fresh pasta, sauces, and more.

Purchased some of their goods at the RVA Big Market. We were slow to roll into the market so lots…read moreof items were sold out - a good sign! Their smoked salmon & summer ravioli were dynamite when we cooked at home.

A hole in the wall hidden gem for authentic Italian food and excellent value (portion and quality…read moreto price ratio) --------------------------------- Food: some of the best food I've had in Richmond, and ever! We ordered a beet and fennel salad - and now, that is a salad. The beets were fresh (I've had canned beets in salads before but this was fresh), and the fennel was crunch, mild, and texturely satisfying in contrast with the soft beets, the dressing was well coated but not drenching the salad. Could have eaten the salad all day but then the entrees came: Squid ink fettuccine with calamari and shrimp -- it was so fresh I could not eat it for a few minutes, massive entree, fettuccine tasted like it was made in house, so flavorful and rich Sausage with polenta -- my first time trying polenta in solid form, tastes a bit like if rice and corn combined, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, sausage was good too Also the complimentary bread was excellent, crunchy exterior soft interior, especially dipped in the pasta sauce Recommendations: making a reservation (you have to call), we made the mistake of assuming it being a cold rainy Sunday, we could do a walk in at the bar, but ended up walking in the rain for about an hour - well worth the wait Affordability: ~$25-30/entree Ambiance: it's pretty small and easy to bump into people on accident, but very cozy ambiance with deep red color theme Service: great, no issues! Good for: date night, celebration, when you just want good food

If you're looking for a spot that delivers Italian comfort with thoughtful execution, Dinamo is an…read moreabsolute standout. From the first bite, it was clear the kitchen took pride in both tradition and detail. The mussels were exceptional; tender, briny, and swimming in a deeply flavorful tomato broth that begged to be sopped up with their freshly baked bread. The gnocchi with cream sauce was pure comfort food elevated to art. The pillows of gnocchi were light and delicate rather than heavy, and the cream sauce struck that perfect balance: rich and indulgent without overwhelming the dish. Every bite felt carefully crafted and deeply satisfying. My wife commented that it was the best cream sauce she's ever had. Another surprise were the baked cabbage and Swiss chard dishes we had as appetizers. Savory, tender, and layered with flavor. The slight caramelization and depth from baking gave the greens a richness that complemented the meal beautifully. Between the warm RVA atmosphere, attentive service, and a curated menu that respected Italian tradition while delivering satisfying flavors, Dinamo is the kind of place my wife and I will certainly return to. Highly recommended.