Girasole has huge management issues. We went there for Mother's Day and it was a huge disappointment. When we walked in there was no one to greet us, a lady showed up after a few minutes and looked up our name and took us upstairs. She was very rude . She took us to a huge round table (we were a party of 3) and left. My daughter went and asked her if we could move and she said no. She brought another party of 3 upstairs and they told her they didn't want to sit there and she took them downstairs and gave them a table. The restaurant is lifeless , outdated and unwelcoming. We ordered appetizer and food . The special menus had no price. The tortellini from the special menus was a joke and super expensive, side of pasta was barely a side pasta and it looked like it was in a soup instead of a sauce . The only good was our waiter , the mushroom appetizer and the short rib . Prices are super expensive and actually a rip off. We found out the rude lady is the owner! That's even more disappointing . The restaurant wasn't even packed and she couldn't handle it. They don't give you a reason to go back . There are numerous great Italian restaurants in the area to choose from and this is definitely not one of them . read more

I have to say we were very disappointed in this restaurant. We ordered calamari for an appetizer and I was shocked when it arrived to the table. There was hardly any substantial pieces of calamari. Most of it consisted of pea size morsels and the size of the was incredibly small. I thought I was at Capt D's fast food. The portions are small and pricey. I can't believe we spent $372.00 on this meal. Even my 10yr old grand dtr found the portions of her meal small. The taste of the entrees were good but the prices are outlandish for the size of the portions. Plus 8.50 for a bread basket. We won't be returning. read more

I'll give it two stars for the pretty drive out; the Plains are so nice. The portion sizes are small, the food was so so overall and the service wasn't great. I spent over $500 for four of us, and it just wasn't worth it. This seems like an old classic restaurant that was probably once great but not longer is. read more

The dinner was a delight of wonderful dishes and the service is always warm and personal. It feels like having dinner at a friends' home but with the culinary magic that will bring you back time and again! read more

Chef Lou, an awesome, talented & experienced master of culinary arts is magical at Girasole. This fine dining establishment is unique in so many ways! Service is always timely with attention to detail. Lydia, an experienced chef & gourmand in her own right ensures ALL guests are welcomed & comfortably seated--a personal touch lacking at many fine dining establishments these days. As for ambiance, a variety of exquisite hand-painted Italian pottery & ceramic serving pieces are artfully displayed throughout the authentically INN -like atmosphere you'd expect while dining in Florence or Venezia!. Menu's focus is authentic regional Italian, but you'll find local seasonal produce & other unusual ingredients incorporated to catch your attention. Pastries & desserts are memorably delicious on par with savory offerings--a rare quality indeed. Worth the extra travel time from the DC area, Girasole won't ever disappoint--guaranteed! BTW: sooner better than later since Chef's retirement is around the corner! read more

Honestly, the beginning of our experience here started off so poorly that it never really recovered. We thought we made a reservation and upon arrival, the woman said they didn't have one for us and that we likely called another restaurant with the same name. She assured us that we did not call theirs. We looked at a call log and we did call. She was rude and basically said she'd "try" to seat us (despite there being several open tables) but that it was their busiest time. As if we were LUCKY to get a table here. She gave us two options, but when we said the first one was fine, she insisted we go upstairs and we ended up sitting there- why not just take us there without being rude about it in the first place??? Anyway, our server was a nice man- it took some time for him to help us (in an upstairs room with only one other occupied table of many open ones). He was kind (his name was Trey) and he helped us figure out which items had pork. The bread here was great. We did need to salt the butter, but the bread was warm and lovely. The caesar salad had good flavor. The fried mozzarella was okay- but I think a but overpriced for only 2 pieces. My clam linguini (it had a different name I don't recall) was okay. It was surprisingly small for the price. The chicken dish had great flavor- the potato it came with was mediocre. Another friend got a spinach and ricotta pasta which had pretty good flavor. Really the lady at the beginning left a bad taste in our mouth. We came to this small town to have a nice time, and she spoiled it. We would not return here. Trey should go somewhere else. Also, it was not accessible. read more

Girasole - Italian Near Me - The Plains, Virginia

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Beautiful restaurant exquisite patio. Prices are high for the serving size. If you don't mind that, give it a try. The food is overall very good. Don't pay attention to the bad reviews about the owner greeting the door and taking reservations. She's a character with a heart of gold. We have had Some problems with specials ordered for a large party, some dishes were missing yet price was not adjusted. Changes had been made but not reflected in the printed menu. We were embarrassed, wish we had received an apology but our server wasn't passing along the problem or owner was too busy to care. We simply paid the bill and left. Oh well! read more

Went last week, post Christmas. We've been a few times, but brought my parents for their first time. Ordered a lovely Barolo, it was so good, my husband ordered a case. We always enjoy the food and service here. Even our boys love coming here! read more

Absolutely amazing. Food was fantastic, fresh and everything was homemade. Drinks were strong. Only downside was smaller portions but given that everything is fresh, locally sources and homemade, it's to be expected. One of the best restaurants in the area and will absolutely be back! read more

Food, service and ambience were all great! We celebrated our anniversary there and couldn't have been more pleased!

Came here for a date night with my husband and quickly noticed how whimsical and quaint the restaurant felt. Had to wait a little longer than a 3-4 mins to have a host greet us and take us to our table. As for the food, there were some hits and some misses. The pumpkin blossoms stuffed with ricotta were delicious and pretty unique. The seafood pasta (Linguine ai Frutti di Mare) was okay--but was missing something. There was also very little pasta in the dish, although it had lots of seafood. My husband got the pork chop which was a big portion and the grilled peach on the side really made the dish. Had a good freshness to it. The mozzarella di bufala was okay but nothing memorable. The dessert options were pretty good but once again nothing to write home about. Also it took almost 1 hours for us to get our entrees. Overall it's good option for fine dining in the area but just isn't a top pick for me personally. read more

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Located next to the railroad in scenic Plains, VA, Girasole offers a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy some fine dining. We ate inside as it was storming on this day but they do have a nice setup outside with a tent in their garden/courtyard. The restaurant itself feels very homely. With tables interspersed throughout and beautiful artwork, the presentation is an A+. In terms of food, we started with a couple apps. The melon prosciutto was to die for. The sweetness of the melon and crispness of the meat was a real hit. The Carpaccio di Manzo was also delicious. The local greens were perfect to go along with the beef carpaccio. Finally, we also ordered the calamari. It was fine. I wouldn't order it again. Definitely shoot for one of the other speciality apps. For my main course, I ordered the clam pasta with guitar string noodles and the white sauce. This dish was flavorful and the generous portion of clams was enjoyable. If I could do-over, I would have ordered the scallop pasta that my friend ordered (pictured). Dessert was a must as they had homemade italian desserts. My Panna Cotta was scrumptious. The flavor and smoothness of the dessert is undeniable. The flourless chocolate cake was ok. It came with a dollop of pistachio ice cream. It was good, don't get me wrong, but compared to the Panna Cotta it's not even a contest. My cappuccino with dessert was also surprisingly one of the better cappuccinos I've ever had. I did partake in two drinks with dinner. The first was a local IPA. It was a run-of-the-mill beer but pretty good considering it was only $7. I also ordered the Limosa. This limoncello mimosa was sweet but not overpowering. I had never seen this before and would recommend you get it for its uniqueness. Overall, Girasole is a pretty good eatery in a lovely setting. It's on the more expensive side but if that's no issue it's not a bad option right off I-66. read more

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Food is AMAZING! Everything we've eaten there over the last few months has been superb. The owners and staff are extremely attentive and hospitable. The ambience is welcoming and beautiful-- inside and out. If you dine here, I highly recommend the lobster risotto and the short ribs. Both dishes were absolutely delicious. This is our favorite restaurant! read more

I went for my birthday on a random Thursday. They recommend reservations and I was able to call the same day. We had the burrata appetizer and it was perfect! Greta wine and beer selections. I had salmon for dinner and my husband had a pasta dish. The restaurant is in what looks like an old house, nice vibes. I would go back! Definitely go for a birthday, anniversary or just a nice night out. read more

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The food and ambiance were very good. Service was excellent. But the portion sizes were disappointingly small, particularly the dessert. We were pleased with the experience, the outdoor seating looked gorgeous, but we did dine indoors and it was very pleasant. Please increase the portion sizes and it would be 5 stars. read more

My family was here once before and they enjoyed it, therefore, they recommended we should have dinner here. This was my first time here for dinner with my family of seven, including two children and my family members who were here once before. We were seated at a table near the window in the bar area room. We were the only table seated in this room as opposed to their main dining room where all other diners were seated. I felt isolated. I started with and enjoyed two pear martinis with Absolut pear vodka & Looza pear juice for $12. I also started with their Carpaccio di Manzo beef carpaccio with white truffle oil, shaved Parmesan, and local microgreens for $15.50. I also enjoyed their Brasato al Barolo with short rib braised in Barolo, served with creamy herbed polenta for $34.50. The food here is average at best. I enjoyed my Brasato al Barolo, but some of the others were disappointed with their dinners. Some of the dinners were good and some of the dinners were not so good. Service was slow, which the management warned us about since we changed our dinner reservation to an earlier time. Gabriella served us slowly although she may have been overloaded with serving other tables in the main dining room, which we could not see. My total bill including an automatic service charge of 20% was $493. I doubt I will come here again, since there are better nearby restaurants. When I wrote this review Yelp only rated this place with 3 stars, which I completely agree. Check out my other reviews in this area. read more

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Started by tripping and falling on the uneven granite steps walking in (be careful!!) . Tasteless stuffed olives, pear arugula salad and beef lasagna. Not a fan of the bread. Ok wine selection. Long wait for service on a Wednesday night. read more

We dined on 7/22, which was my Birthday. I was taken away by the beautiful setting. We arrived at our table, right next to the Koi Pond, which was beyond lovely! Flowers on the table from my guy, which was a romantic touch! Our server was extremely knowledgeable and very professional, nice and had good mannerisms. The food was AMAZING!! Very impressive and extremely delicious!! I loved my passion fruit cream brûlée, and it was in the shape of a heart!! The Champagne was very good!! Both of us were very pleased and have decided to make this "our spot" . Thank you all for everything and to the chefs, magnificent!! read more

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It was a little gem in the country side. I had the chef special - curry lamb ravioli , a very interesting dish to include curry into Italian cuisine. This place has a lovely garden, I will visit it again when the flowers are blooming. read more

This was the worst Italian restaurant I have ever been to. We had so much hope for trying this new place and within a minute of our arrival we knew it wouldn't meet our expectations. Having child-free time to celebrate significant moments with my spouse is very rare for my family, so when we knew we would have the opportunity, we found this restaurant and we were very excited. We were told it was a very good and popular place, but when we arrived there was only one other family seated on a Friday night at 6:00 pm. Only one other table was seated during our time there. Three tables on Friday at dinner time, I should have seen the writing on the wall. After being seated, we were treated like we didn't have enough clout to grace the establishment with our presence. Our waiter scoffed at the idea that we wanted to add chicken as a protein to a pasta (an Alfredo, which came out with a cup of clear watery broth instead of sauce). Our other entree was the lasagna, which was the smallest portion I've ever seen and was reheated unevenly and inadequately. We had two appetizers which were the best part of the meal, unfortunately they were almost $20 each and for the mozzarella, this only included two small wedges. Additionally, the heat wasn't working in the building and near the end of our meal, which we ate with our coats on, they finally brought out a space heater and placed it beside our table. Thanks, but our meal was done. Our final bill was just shy of $200 with tip, for two apps and two entrees and no alcohol for anorexia sized portions of mediocre (at best) food with poor service. We went home and made a sandwich. read more

I was so excited for authentic Italian. Honestly the only good thing was the bread. Appetizers are were fine. Entrees were laughable. We had a group of 6.. the ones that were even a portion size enough to be considered a dinner were very mediocre. The clams pasta tasted like a sour fish tank, and the veal was like biting into tree bark. The crab gnocchi was great, but you literally got 6 pieces for an entree for $40. Will not be back. read more

Can't speak to the food but the customer service is SORELY lacking. I reached out 3 times(once via their website and 2 times via email) asking a question about gift cards and absolutely no response even though their site says they will respond within 72 hours. It's now been a full week - noone ever responded and the anniversary has passed. Pretty disappointed since this is my in-laws favorite place. read more

After passing this quaint (but spacious) restaurant so many times over many years on our trips to/from Middleburg, we finally came here with many friends one Saturday evening. We made reservations and our table we beautifully prepared for our arrival. The décor (inside and out) is really beautifully done! They have a nice Italian menu with all the typical favorites, but also a few interesting and unique items, even though many of their dishes are rather high in price. Their wine list is pretty nice and not overall prices. The food was pretty good overall... Everything my wife and I ordered was very good. Some others in our party weren't so impressed. The only issue I had with my food was the pear gorgonzola salad came with the slightest dab of gorgonzola, I had to really take a very small portion of it to ensure I got some flavor in each forkful. Service is a totally different issue compared to the decent food and beauty of this place... it's bordering on rude. Our server was very curt and not very accommodating. He talked down to many in our party, especially when one person asked about splitting the check (it's fine if that's the house policy, but your delivery needs to be worked on)... Overall, so many nuances regarding his service that really made this visit a lot less than great. Overall, the food was enjoyable but the service definitely wasn't and from reading so many other comments about their service, this doesn't seem like it's going to change for the better. That, plus the high prices will probably keep us away in the future. read more

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The ambiance was great! The waiter was not. He seemed to have issues serving us or that is how it felt, very short with us. Tried to strike a brief conversation with him but he could not be bothered. Now for the dinner. Nearly asked for a steak knife for the veal scallopini which was a special that evening. very tough. My wife ordered the lasagna of the day. It was very bland and not seasoned properly at all. Final check $160.00. Not Good. I'll never go back. read more

We celebrated a family member's birthday on a Sunday evening. There were possibly half a dozen diners in the main floor area. There were plenty of seats there. However, we were ushered to the upstairs, where there was one table ready for us. We were never asked where we would like to be seated. One of our members had recently completed surgery to her back and foot. Yet, it appeared we were destined to the upper level, no matter what. Never was this addressed - even when our member clearly had demonstrated her difficulty in moving up the narrow stairs. The upstairs appeared not to be an oft-used space. So, I concluded that the staff wanted to keep the main downstairs open for the weekend cleaning. We felt like second-class citizens. Not a good start. Our waiter was extremely professional, and this was reflected in our generous tip. It is a shame the food did not live up to its hype. Overall, the menu selection was good. The portions had grown smaller and the price proportionally larger. I can understand the impact that the Covid-era has had on the F&B business in general. However, the quality did not have to suffer, and it did. Personally, my meal was lackluster, at best. Luke-warm temperatures and awkward paring of items. We were not asked about options or variations to the meal - ever. You would eat what you were served. It kind of reminded me of an old Seinfeld episode. I don't have to say any more. As far as the ambiance goes, this restaurant has a lot of appeal - if you are lucky enough to be seated in the main dining area with the large windows and beautiful flower arrangements. The upstairs closet was not the same. I will leave this review with one comment: If you visit this place, go the bar and have a drink. The wine selection is above average. read more

So very disappointed. Girasole has been one of my favorites in this grossly underserved area for many years. They have always been expensive, but the food was generally worth it. Several dining companions have had complaints in the past, but I never have. My usual go to is the Brasato al Barolo with risotto, it has always been excellent. This time it was very dry, no Barolo sauce and the few ribs were small and very fatty. Unfortunately, my son and daughter-in-law ordered the same (on my recommendation). My son, 6'4, left hungry and my daughter -in-law was too polite to speak up. My partner ordered the steak which arrived over-cooked and cold. We shared two appetizers, had 3 glasses of wine and the check totaled $360 with no dessert. Sadly, we will not be returning. read more

Hostesses need a class on greeting people. They are rude on the phone and not friendly when you arrive. To drop $200 on dinner for two, on our anniversary, I want to be greeted with a smile and a warm hello. Pork belly was over cooked and late to the table with other apps. Linguine with clams was ruined with chili flakes-why? Lacked flavor. Waitress couldn't answer questions about menu. Like what is Melba Sauce, listening in on the table next to us. Educate and train your waiters on your dishes. Cocktail of the evening was great the first time we ordered but when we ordered another was terrible. Lacked concistency. I ordered a glass of Pinot and the pour didn't even get close to five ounces and was off. Ambiance is gorgeous. Italian pottery de orations is gorgeous and the interior and exterior fabulous. Skip this place, though. Not only will the food leave you unsatisfied the hostess is mean and angry. Giving two stars for the ambiance and location. Should be 1. read more

For atmosphere and presentation I would give them five stars. We sat outside on a beautiful patio with lots of foliage, flowers and a Koi pond. The food was very artistic in its presentation, but unfortunately had very little flavor and were very tiny portions. I had a seafood linguine that lacked any flavor or aroma. The version I've had at Olive Garden is much better. The waitstaff was almost nonexistent. We were lucky to see our waitress every 30 minutes. We were there 2 1/2 hours or just a basic dinner and it was at least 90 minutes from when we sat til when we got our entrées and the pace was empty. For over $100 a person it was a disappointing night out. read more

Picked up some desserts to go. The server was kind but the desserts tasted like the worst I've had. Cheesecake was like cottage cheese. Hard pass on desserts if you go here. read more

In-house cured Salmon over a bed of local Arugula, Morels in a delicate Beurre Blanc over Pappardelle with amazing rustic country bread, and the finale was a Raspberry tarte that may have been the best dessert I have ever had. The service was impeccable from the moment we walked in to the moment we left satiated. The wine list was extensive and the wine chosen, paired with the food perfectly. As a long time resident of New York City where I spend years entertaining clients at some of its best restaurants, I was thrilled to find such quality food, service, and ambiance in such a lovely rural setting. Highly recommend:) read more

Excellent Northern Italian country restaurant which made me feel like I was in a Tuscany Chateaux. The local organic tenderloin with morel sauce was excellent. Local owners make this family affair very personal. Also, the calamari was fresh and tender and cooked to perfection. read more

Brunched here last weekend and was for the most part disappointed. Staff and service is still top notch, but the food is not up to where they were when I first started coming here years ago. My favorite brunch food is eggs Benedict. This used to be my all time favorite place to have that. Perfect hollandaise, perfect ham, perfectly toasted muffin, and the potatoes on the side were always well seasoned and delicious. That is no longer the case. While not bad, they are no longer remarkable, and considering it's a 35 minute drive for me to get here from home, I'm ready to move on. The gnocchi was actually bad. On TV we once heard a chef say that you never order the special since they are made up from the ingredients that the restaurant is trying to getting rid of. Actually I'm not sure if the gnocchi was a special, but it had the consistency of mashed potatoes and we sent it back. The lasagna was a special and while the pasta and cheese portions were good, the meat was unfortunately dry and not worthy of this great dish. Overall, all three of our dishes were either just ok, or bad as was the case for the gnocchi. Sadly this restaurant drops off my brunch list after many years as a favorite. read more

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We love Girasole!!!! Authentic Italian food!!!! I dream with those stuffed fried olives!!! They are a little piece of heaven!!!! Lidia is fantastic always friendly and fun! Their Truffle diners is my favorite festivity!!! The fig leaf gelato is simply extraordinary!!! read more

Came at 8:15 on a Sat night. Empty tables visible and people were still being served. We were asked if we had a reservation and responded no - owner then said kitchen was closed. Website says they are open until 10:30! What gives????? read more

If I could leave 0 stars I would. This place is horrible. The service, the 'ambiance', and of course the food were all terrible. My silverware had more personality than our waiter. We had three entrees and all three did not have an hint of flavor. I do not recommend this place. read more

Horrible service left is waiting for 40 minutes until I asked someone to find out waiter . He explained there were 2 large parties ahead of us So we would be waiting for awhile. We asked for our check and left . They did comp our wine and horrible appetizers Never again read more

It is difficult to describe just how terrible our experience was at Girasole. Without hyperbole, this entire review takes me back to when I was a stupid, young child. I loved to taste everything, and at times, made bad, bad choices. And upon every horrible choice, the conversation would go like this: Me: Oh my God. This is gross. Family Member: Oh?! Me: SO, SO GROSS. You HAVE to taste it! Family Member: *Indulging me and taking a taste* Family Member: OMG! Why did you make me taste that!?! Note: Friends don't let friends be the above family members. In truth, we should have known better to even sit down. When one walks into a restaurant with only two people in the entire dining room, maybe we should have questioned our decision. Turns out, the two people were likely there because the service was so terrible that they could not escape. Services aside, and that is saying something, there was the food. Good lord, the food. Sufficed to say, I have never smelled salmon with such a "special" smell. Also, if the tri-peppercorn presentation is such that the serve suggests more pepper, maybe, just maybe, the chef and the staff need to get on the same page. The good news is that it was my partner that ordered the salmon. The bad news is that my meal was exponentially worse. I could go on, but reliving this meal is honestly making my stomach upset. Ugh. read more

This is mine and my fiancées favorite restaurant. "Mac Daddy" always comes through with exceptional service. The last time we were there we didn't have her as our server and everything on our order was wrong, but the staff was polite and attentive and did there best to make everything right. read more

I'm confused by all of these negative reviews! I've been to Girasole for dinner several times and have always been impressed. First off, the place is absolutely beautiful. If you're looking for a place with great atmosphere and ambiance for an anniversary or birthday dinner or another special occasion, you can't do much better than Girasole. The menu is authentic Italian. If you're looking for heaps of pasta smothered in six different kinds of cheeses and sugary tomato sauce, you should go to Olive Garden instead, because this is real-deal Italian food. The food is fresh, the flavors are delicate, and the portions are reasonable. I had the Pappardelle alla Bolognese and it was a solid dish; the Ravioli Vegetariani was a little bit of a small portion for the price but very tasty. The best dish I've had there was Brasato al Barolo, which is a braised short rib in Barolo wine sauce with polenta. It was to die for, there was incredible depth of flavor. The service has been good every time I've gone there; the waitstaff is well-trained, attentive, and able to answer any questions you have about the menu. It's definitely a bit spendy, especially compared to other options just down the road, but a great place to celebrate a special occasion. You're paying for quality here, not quantity. read more

First time back in awhile, and the experience has changed significantly. Got the first seating on short notice and had to provide a credit card to hold the reservation. When we arrived, and throughout the meal, the dining room was little more than half filled, yet we were assigned a table in an awkward space at the base of the stairs, which seemed to be an intersection for activity. The food was good, but the service was slow and impersonal, and not consistent with what one would expect at these price points. There were gaps in the timing of bread, soup and appetizers coming out, and table visits were quick passes by that always seemed a bit late. From my previous experience, something has been lost along the way. Seems like there is less care about the customer experience. read more