This is our go-to special occasion restaurant (anniversary, valentine's day, relatives in town, etc.)! It reminds my husband and I of the food we ate on our honeymoon in Italy. Everything we've gotten has been delicious, from the bread and olive oil to the tiramisu! This last time (our 3rd or 4th visit) they knew it was our anniversary, so they brought out tiramisu to share with a candle in it, and little dessert cocktails. It was awesome! The service is always wonderful. Great wine selection as well. I wish I could afford to eat there every day! Can't wait to go back. read more

Excellent - the best of Little Italy! Owner and GM are visible and very involved with the customer experience.

I felt compelled to write a review for La Scalla after visiting with my husband this past weekend. It was easy to make a reservation the day of, and we were seated quickly. The restaurant is spacious and very nice inside. There's even an indoors bocce ball court! Despite these positives, we were overall very underwhelmed by the food. I had ordered a shrimp penne pasta, which was a special. The noodles were too soft and overcooked. The sauce tastes like Ragu with about a cup of black pepper poured in. The shrimp were fine, I believe there were about 5 for them. I was floored that this meal cost almost $30 when I could cook something much better at home (and I'm no chef!). My husband's food was equally underwhelming though I can't remember what he ordered. Overall, very disappointing for a place with such good reviews and claims to "cook all orders to order." read more

We were in Baltimore for an anniversary wknd. We saw La Scala down the street from where we were staying. Thought we would give it a try. So glad we did! We had one of the best meals we have ever had! From appetizer to dessert...everything was fabulous. Our waitress, Arely was amazing! Despite being on the newer side, she knew the menu inside and out, made us aware of options, made suggestions - was just so helpful. She was a joy the entire evening! So pleasant and personable! Wished we lived closer to go more often! read more

We visited this restaurant on a week night and could not believe how crowded it was. Clearly they are doing something well. Maybe the really cool and large interior is attractive to diners. However, for me, it really missed the mark on almost all fronts. The menu is on the pricier end for Italian in Little Italy, but certainly not unreasonable if the food were outstanding. Unfortunately, not the case. Underwhelming at best. Certainly not "authentic." I was with a large party that all ordered different dishes, including some specials, and there was not one single meal that stood out as good. They were all fair, at best. And considering it's an Italian restaurant, the portions were on the smaller side. Speaking of underwhelming, the service. Our server was initially very attentive and did a nice job sharing the lengthy list of specials. However, once the food had been ordered, he was less visible. This was mainly problematic because it took about 35 minutes for our salads to come out, and then about an hour and fifteen minutes for our main dishes to come out. There was a complication with one of our orders and the waiter notified us one hour after it had been placed. Truly unacceptable wait times that can easily ruin a dining experience. If your looking to do Italian in Baltimore and want to experience Little Italy, I'd recommend looking elsewhere- there are many other quality options with better food and service. read more

Came here for happy hour for some drinks and some quick bites. Definitely had to be quick, because as others have mentioned, space is definitely limited during happy hour. You can sit at the bar or a few of their high top tables. However, when we arrived, the bar was pretty much filled, safe a few "reserved" seats. We saw some open space at a high top table, but they said that those seats were also reserved. Seems strange that you can reserve seating at the bar area during happy hour... and might potentially deter would-be customers. However, they said that they could accomodate us, if we left before the party arrived...in an hour. They were quick with the drinks and the food. Happy hour cocktails are strong! And not overly sweet which is great. Ordered, their calamari and their pasta. The pasta sauce was pretty good! And the portion for the happy hour were generous! They have a bocce ball court downstairs, which is a really nice addition! Although I'm not sure when people typically use it since the rest of the place is very "restaurant-y" (maybe after the meal??). read more

Only had one app and some drinks but the fact they had van winkle made my night and the artichoke app was seriously amazing. The staff was supper friendly and fun. We will definitely be back. read more

We started with the caprese salad and artichoke with lump crab meat and capers. The caprese was built with your average tasteless grocery store Roma tomato. They chose to sprinkle dry oregano on it which we found unnecessary and intrusive. The artichokes were kinda soggy and the flavors of the capers and artichokes drowned out the crab. For entrees we got the stuffed veal chop and spaghetti puttanesca. Both were extremely salty. Other worldly salty. With the spaghetti we managed to just fish out the pasta, brought home the sauce and boiled our own pasta and added it. It was still salty. Whenever I encounter restaurants that overload flavors with salt or sweetness, I can't help but think this is a way to make up for bad cooking that comes from cutting corners. And of course the tasteless soft pink Roma tomatoes made their appearance again in the pasta. read more

Food was great however the front end staff could use some training . The waiting staff came Across as disrespectful. I would only Oder carry out if I were to go there again . And to the young lady with the nose ring. It's is very classless to be in a high end restaurant with something that looks like that in ur nose . And the front end staff appeared to be a lot of drama . read more

It was ok. Service was good. The ambiance fell short. We were at a table that was in the middle of a hallway, and on a Friday night plenty of tables upstairs from where we were seated to have a little better table. Food was ok but not fantastic as anticipated. But have not been back for 20 years. read more

So delicious!!! While visiting Baltimore, on 1/31, my sister and I absolutely had to have some pasta. Searching Yelp and other sites we found LaScala, it met all our criteria so we ordered delivery from a well known delivery service. My sister ordered Risotto Alla Piemontese and I ordered Penne Al Ragu. Sadly, after almost 2 hours, our food never arrived. Seemed to be a delivery problem. We were pretty hangry by then. I called La Scala and spoke to a gentleman who I assume was an owner or manager. He was very considerate and understanding of our problem. After we talked I placed our order with DoorDash. As promised, our food arrived in 26 minutes. It also arrived hot with all the cutlery and extra cheese we would use, but not a wasteful amount. The flavors of both dinners were fabulous and exactly what we had in mind. The food was fresh and presented beautifully. They even placed heavy cardboard between our hot and cold food to preserve their temperature. I can't wait to visit LaScala in person! read more

Just had an early dinner here and had a wonderful meal and time. First their van picked us up at the hotel for free. Very good start. Lovely quaint restaurant with table clothed tables and a bocci court. Manager, owner and servers were very friendly and had opinions (which I love). The grilled Caesar salad was superb. Big enough to share, and I recommend it because portions were large. My nephew had the Spaghetti al Ragu. He savored every bite saying it was "the best meat sauce he'd ever had." I had the Gamberi alla Menta. Five large shrimp over angel hair pasta in an oil and garlic sauce loaded with shallots, fresh tomatoes and mint. I took so long to finish it because every morsel excited my senses. Topped off with a Sauvignon Blanc... Excellent!!! We enjoyed it all so much we wished we could have thanked the chef personally. No room for dessert, I capped it all with an espresso shot. Very good quality. Then the van returned us to our hotel. Lovely. The valet parking is necessary because its a pretty congested neighborhood. But the van shuttle service was even better. GO THERE!!! and enjoy it all. And play some bocci. read more

Great place had gnocchi with vodka sauce, service was excellent atmosphere was great. Highly recommend read more

La Scala - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

After reading the numerous five-star Yelp reviews, I really expected much more from this restaurant. I was searching for a new, unique place to go to dinner with my friends on my birthday last week. We went out to Woodberry Kitchen last year and that experience was all around wonderful. La Scala Ristorante is almost universally praised online and I wanted try out a restaurant in Little Italy. I made the reservations for 9:00pm on Saturday night and informed them that it was a birthday celebration. When we arrived at La Scala, the staff told us that it would be a few minutes for us to get our table. That was at 9:00pm. Thirty minutes later, we were taken upstairs and seated. The decor was nice, welcoming and had a warm homely feel. One of the members of the staff gave me a birthday card on behalf of the restaurant. It was very thoughtful and turned out to be the highlight of my dining experience. She also told me that she would get a slice of Tiramisu cake on the house for me after the meal. Unfortunately, she wasn't our waiter. We were perfunctorily greeted by another member of the wait staff whose name I don't remember. In fact, I don't think he ever mentioned it. He didn't say much. He just stood there and seemed really upset when we asked him for his recommendations. My friends ordered the Abbruzzese (a boneless breast of chicken sauteed with sun dried tomato), the Fettuccine Alfredo, and the Fettuccine Verdi ai Quattro Formaggi (spinach fettuccini with a blend of four cheeses). I wanted a steak so I asked the waiter for a suggestion. He recommended the Pepato (Filet mignon rolled in cracked black pepper topped with brown sauce) which was priced on the restaurant menu and online menu as $28.95. He said the brown sauce was very good. I took his recommendation and ordered the Pepato. Our waiter brought us bread and olive oil as a starter. I've come to expect it at almost any other Italian restaurant. It wasn't anything special. Brio's in the Inner Harbor or even Olive Garden does it better though. After forty minutes, our food arrived. For what it's worth, the waiter was right. I enjoyed my steak and the brown sauce was tasty. The steak came with a side of pasta that was instantly forgettable and possibly store-bought. However, my side of pasta looked like exactly like the dishes my friends ordered. My friend who ordered the Fettuccine Verdi ai Quattro Formaggi said that it wasn't bad but he could easily make it at home. Halfway though our meal, the waiter came to check on us and asked if we wanted anything to drink. After we told him that we didn't want any alcoholic beverages, he scowled. He didn't say anything but his expression visibly changed. Once we were done with our meals, the waiter said that he would bring us he check. One of my friends asked him if there was any complimentary birthday cake for me. The waiter turned his back and shouted "No!" It was very strange and embarrassing. People at other tables were looking to see what was wrong but the waiter quickly stormed off. Two minutes later, he came back with a Tiramisu cake slice. I thanked him. He didn't make eye contact and walked away without saying a word. Some of the other reviewers said that they had great service here and even had the staff sing "Happy Birthday" when they went on their birthdays. I got none of that. The waiter brought us the check and charged me $11.00 for the Tiramisu cake. As if that wasn't enough, he overcharged $35.95 for the Pepato. I had to review the menu again to make sure that it was a mistake. I was about to dispute the charges when my friends stopped me. They said that they had already paid the bill for me during the meal and split it among themselves. Obviously I was upset that he overcharged us and provided a shockingly low level of service, but my friends told me to let it go. They didn't want it to spoil the rest of my birthday and we had plans to be somewhere else. Maybe the waiter was having a bad day or maybe we came at the wrong time but the truth is that I didn't really enjoy my birthday dinner at La Scala. The only saving graces were that I was with my friends and I got a stock restaurant birthday card. Overall, it wasn't a good experience and I don't intend on coming back to La Scala anytime in the future. read more

I loved this place for two reasons: 1. Indoor bocce ball court 2. Grilled Caesar salad The latter blew my mind. Charred lettuce, hot off the grill with the normal accompaniments, so good! We have now taken to grilling salads at home anytime we bust out the BBQ. I can't comment on the food, as it was served en mass to our large party, and I don't think it was a fair representation of their potential. And thanks to the bar tender downstairs for putting up with our shenanigans until 1am and the very very heavy pours of Macallan 25 and Patron. read more

Service was excellent! Food was to die for! I can't wait to come back. Sat on the patio and it was beautiful. Best meal I've had in a while! And the Prosecco! For $48, it didn't disappoint! No idea what our servers name was. She was unobtrusive, funny and always there when we needed her. I just wish she would have told me her name. My sister gets animated when she speaks and her hand broke a glass, it was cleaned up in seconds. read more

Okay, so I am Italian. I grew up eating very good Italian food cooked by my Irish mother who learned from my Italian grandmother. My mom is a great cook and I am yet to find a better meatball than she makes. She also make amazing chicken parm, and this pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage that is to die for. Not only did I grow up in that house, but I spent the formative early adult years living in New Haven, CT where Wooster Street boasts (and rightfully so) some of the best pizza and Italian grub in the country. TV shows have gone to some of these restaurants, folks, they are kind of famous. Oh, and yes, I have eaten in Little Italy in NYC and other majors cities all over the country, too. With all of this said (I will get to my review eventually), La Scala in Baltimore's cute Little Italy will now and forever be one of the top on my list of Italian places to eat and relax. Here are the deets: 1. If you do not get the grilled Caesar salad you are crazy. This is the most delicious salad I have ever in my life eaten and have been dreaming about it for days. I could have had that with chicken on it and called it a night. 2. Great wine list 3. Hubs and I both had veal and it was perfectly cooked and delicious. I had the parm and he had the special which was a scallopine with spinach. Oh boy, the spinach was divine. 4. Hubs ordered some crepe thing for dessert. This I was not thrilled with, but he liked it and I generally don't care about dessert anyway. 5. There is an indoor, yes, indoor bocce court which can be reserved for parties or jut used if not reserved. So, the only thing I will point out is that we were planning on doing the happy hour thing at LaScala--and they have an awesome one, but we were drawn into the coziness of the restaurant and opted for a full price meal. It is expensive. But it is good. We will likely do happy hour on a regular basis and save the full dinners for special occasions. I loved this place and you should go!! read more

Celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last night at La Scala. First time there so a bit apprehensive, but that quickly passed. Valet parking is the way to go in downtown Baltimore, especially on a night when the Orioles are in town for a game. Well worth the $6, plus tip. Made the dinner reservation through OpenTable.com so I'd already alerted the restaurant to our special occasion. Hostess greeted us with a cheerful "Happy Anniversary" and took us right to the perfect table (it was ready despite the fact that we were about 20 minutes early); quiet location in a small alcove upstairs. Chef Nino honored us with a signed anniversary card at the table as well. Very nice touch. Service was spectacular. Our waiter, José, paced the meal perfectly, ran through the abundant specials like a pro, and made sound recommendations on food and wine when we couldn't decide among them. Warm bread and rich olive oil came to the table, followed by an eggplant appetizer in perfectly prepared tomato sauce. Fantastic! Donna had the red snapper filet special that included some of the largest and tastiest mussels I'd ever sampled. I had the Mediterranean Sea Bass special that, while a bit bony, was melt in your mouth delicious. It comes as a whole fish, but the wait staff offered to filet it for me and I gladly accepted. Both dishes came with a perfectly prepared small side of penne pasta. We finished by sharing a generous serving of Tira Misu and coffee. Clearly a spot that knows how to do a special occasion with class. No question...we will be back!! read more

Absolutely the best restaurant I have been to in a very very long time!! The service was exceptional, the atmosphere was great, but the reason for the five stars .... The FOOD!!! I can't put into words how amazing every bite of my meal was. I recommend La Scala with my highest praise. read more

Fantastic experience at La Scala - inclusive of ambiance, food, service, and location. Dinner was certainly not 'cheap,' however, thought it was well-worth the investment. As an Italian-born, self-described foodie, I will say that my bar was set high for this experience. Gladly, I am happy to say that it hit high marks on all fronts. The calamari was some of the largest, most fresh I have had in a while. My girlfriend chose their special - lobster & crab in a creamy tomato sauce - and loved it. I went with the whole Branzino and it was absolutely perfect. The wine was expensive, albeit that was to be expected, and offered choices to avoid the big sting. All in all, it was a great choice for a special occasion - highly recommend. read more

In one word: incredible. La Scala provides an all around experience the moment you step inside the door. From the inviting bar that boasts a great wine selection, to the tables that overlook other areas of the restaurant, to the food that will have you ditching your diet for a few hours. The scrumptious menu offers fresh pastas, tasty seafood and fine cuts of meat that provide a range of options for every foodie. Some tips: Treat your taste buds to a grilled caesar. Take note of the bocce court on the ground floor of the restaurant that will keep you there long after you've eaten. I definitely recommend La Scala for anything from a first date to a rehearsal dinner! read more

Hootie Hooo! What an awesome little place. It's my first time in Baltimore and we got out of a networking session a little late, so we had to find the only open restaurant at 9:30pm (this is why I LOVE NY!); thanks to the handy filter tools on Yelp Mobile, I was able to filter down to the restaurants that were open. La Scala was the first one - we decided not to dance around it and just drove straight there. We called just in case the kitchen closed early and the woman on the phone said it's not a problem to wait for us for a few moments. Sweet! As soon as we get there, we're greeted by a ton of people - and seated at a nice cozy table. Immediately we are served green beans and potatoes (didn't like this) and we chose our wine. Both of which were recommended and really good. I ordered the grilled caesar salad with the house dressing (yucky anchovies) and my husband got this mushroom spaghetti thing. Both of which were nothing short of amazing. I've tried to recreate the grilled lettuce, and it's failed miserably. The prices are a little high for the amount of food my husband got, but my salad was gigantic so I was happy. Oh jesus, I almost forgot, SAVE room for dessert, the Cannoli's were unreal as was the tiramisu. I can't wait to go back to Baltimore! read more

Most amazing food. We visited when we did the loop last year. Hard to beat service, atmosphere,wine & the food is amazing.

We were invited to dinner at La Scala by a dear friend. We had not been there in several years - a mistake we now realize. When you stand outside this restaurant, you would think it is very small (which it used to be). Step inside and you are in for a surprise. There is the hostess stand as you enter, followed by a bar and then dining space beyond that. There is a spiral staircase to the right going up, and another staircase going down. The restaurant is broken up into several cozy dining areas. The restaurant is wheelchair-accessible, with a lift. There is a large balcony (with ample seating) overlooking the street. Our host is a regular here, and we were warmly greeted and welcomed. Our party of six was seated at a round table on the second floor overlooking the lower level. The restaurant had a lively vibe. Even with that, we were able to hear each other, which is important to us. On the lower level, they have a bocce court for everyone to enjoy. We could hear the laughter wafting up to the second floor. I just loved all the pictures of Italy throughout the restaurant. Our server was so friendly and attentive. We began the evening with a complimentary dish of perfectly seasoned green beans and potatoes - a taste that took me back to Italy. Everyone had different starters and entrees. Our friends raved about their grilled Caesar salads and their entrees. My husband and I shared 4 slices of Gorgonzola bread - crusty Italian bread topped with olive oil, garlic and gorgonzola cheese. I savored the Fettuccine Verdi ai Quattro Formaggi - a spinach fettuccini with their blend of four cheeses. My husband had the Saltimbocca alla Romana - tender veal sautéed with mozzarella, prosciutto, fresh sage and cognac. He declared it to be as good as what we had in Rome, Italy the previous week. Our host ordered Amarone wine that only enhanced our dining pleasure. We finished with Profiteroles and Cappuccino. As we were leaving, we had the opportunity to meet the owner/chef, Nino Germano, who hails from Bafia, Sicily. He took the time to converse with us and made us feel genuinely welcome. We highly recommend La Scala and thank them for a delicious evening. read more

So, I was given a gift certificate, and, boy, did we enjoy this restaurant. What a find! We had the grilled Caesar salad and calamari- both quite good, especially the calamari which was light on the batter. My husband had the shrimp fra diavolo and I had the shrimp scampi. In my estimation the shrimp fra diavolo was better - spicy and well flavoried. Thid is more of a classic Italian restaurant, yet should not be underestimated. The service was impeccable and professional - unsurpassed. Nice atmosphere and all the tables were full. We'll be back! read more

Great food, excellent service! I loved the artichoke hearts and crab, as well as the mussels in spicy marinara. We were in meat--heaven when we split our entree - we shared the Fillet with veal and shrimp. The steak was cooked to perfection, the veal was tender and tasty, and the shrimp were huge and delicious! I would definitely recommend La Scala to anyone dining in the Baltimore area read more

Update-- after our last horrible experience, I called and let the manager know what happened and he was very apologetic. So, we tried again. Not nearly as bad this time. Not great - but certainly not nearly as bad. I will say that nearly everyone was incredibly friendly-- always greeting, asking how things were. The host/mgr even appeared asking if my steak was cooked to my liking (it was not-although close and I could have sent it back but we waited long enough as it was). My wife had the shrimp pasta with cognac butter sauce-- "tasteless and blah" as she says. I tried it- would have to agree. I had the filet mignon-- very good. Again, undercooked and could have used fewer peppercorns. Just my taste perhaps with the peppercorns but too crunchy. Bruschetta appetizer was very good. Word of advice to the server- much more customer friendly to have eye-contact with the customers. Especially when you are running through the specials. Neither my wife nor I (mid 40's- not too old) could understand a word he said with all the background noise, his looking away, and his soft tone). I would imagine your customer base is, on average, older than us and would assume that most have some presbycusis (normal age-related hearing loss). Actually left without dessert and coffee and went to a new place in Cockeysville-- CuVina Trattoria. Much better service, better food, and better overall atmosphere. read more

My wife and I checked out La Scala Ristorante. Recommend calling to make a reservation as seating is somewhat limited. We arrived and had a reservation. There is a $3 parking garage around the corner on the same block which is your best. The host was attentive and took our coats immediately. We were seated toward the back of the restaurant at a table for 2. The atmosphere is great. Not too loud and there is a cool scene of Italy on the wall. It is a classy restaurant, but the patrons where not really dressed that way. I felt over dressed in a button down shirt and dress pants. Our service was OK and kind of strange. Our service was good, but the waiter seemed like he was annoyed that he had to work that day. The manager or owner (I am not sure which) was better and came over a few times to make sure everything was OK and to our liking. The appetizers were good. Go with the fried calamari. It was lightly breaded and delicious. Plenty of calamari for a group of four. We also ordered muscles, which were as expected. With both dishes the sauces left a lot to be desired. The marinara sauce for the calamari and the sauce in the muscles were bland. As some of the other reviews mentioned the food is just OK here. I ordered a filet mignon,shrimp and veal dish. The veal was a little tough, but the filet was cooked perfectly and a generous size size. The shrimp were awesome though. My wife ordered a shrimp pasta dish. They went way to heavy on the old bay and she didn't really care for it. In all fairness (and she admits) that was probably her fault for ordering it. Overall we were pleased, but will not be back. I feel like you can get a better Italian dinner for less. Their price point is a little to high. I think they have to pay a little more attention in the kitchen to add a "Wow" factor to their dishes. Everything we had, we've had elsewhere and nothing separated it from the pack. The only difference is La Scala was more expensive. When I go out I will pay more for higher quality food not higher for linen table cloths and napkins. Atmosphere= great Overall= average Service= average Food= average Cost= High read more

I had high hopes since I had heard that Baltimore had great italian food and this restaurant had great Yelp reviews. I was anything but impressed. The good: Service was great and the indoor bocce court was really cool. Oh, and the wine was yummy. The not-so-good: Based on the Yelp reviews many of us ordered the grilled caesar salad. It wasn't terrible but it was not something that I'd order again. It was soggy, which is not typically what a grilled romaine salad should be like. It had the makings to be really good, but just didn't get there for me. For my entree I had a mushroom risotto dish, which is one of my favorite entrees. It was really not good. From an aesthetic perspective the dish came out brown, presumably from the mushrooms, but it just did not look good. I've had many a mushroom risotto that looked as good as it tasted. The taste of the entree was not that good either. It was really bland and I barely ate it. Some others at my table enjoyed their entree so I was disappointed I didn't try something else. I will say that I have high standards for Italian food as I cook it myself and am from the Providence/Boston area, which has a plethora of excellent italian restaurants. This was a big miss for me and I would not go out of my way to go back should I be in Baltimore again. read more

Be honest. I was very very disappointed. We came here for Mother's Day because my boyfriend told me Little Italy in Baltimore have the best Italian food and this suppose to be one of the best restaurant. We should just went into DC or stayed in Bethesda instead. Food: -Veal chop had no flavor but it was cooked perfectly (we asked for medium rare) - Angel hair barely had any sauce and we had to ask for extra. -Penne Vodka was very good. Service: - Waiter never really came around and forgot the only desert we ordered. - They gave my boyfriend a used spoon for his coffee.... Gross! My suggestion: pick another restaurant! There are plenty other good restaurants around the area read more

Was looking forward to eating here after reading all the reviews. The best thing I can say about my experience is the service was great, the restaurant is very nice and has a great feel to it. The food on the other hand is very bland. We ordered the Penne with spicy tomato sauce but it tasted a bit like original recipe ragu. My meal was the chicken parmigiana. The chicken was overcooked and the breading was soggy. Great environment but lack of flavor make this place a letdown. read more

I would rate this five stars for the Cannolis alone! The hazelnut was incredible...light and fluffy, not overly sweet. Mmmmmm. Our server was wonderful. She was friendly and joked with us while letting us take all the time we needed to decide and to relax. Her recommendations were spot on. The decor gives you a lot to consider (upside-down Christmas tree with a lighted octopus? It was fun and lighthearted. ) I would absolutely return and bring friends. read more

Great homestyle Italian food. Our waiter was an older gentleman and was just the right mix of funny and 'angry old man'. He yelled at the bocce players a few times to quiet down and made our evening fun and memorable. The carbonara is great and so is the hazelnut cannoli! read more

To be honest, in the 8 years that I've been living in Baltimore I've never had dinner in Little Italy. I've had plenty of Italian meals, but they've been from other parts of the city. In an effort to check out someplace new, a friend and I did a Foursquare search for the best place for dinner in the area and La Scala came up. The menu was full of classic Italian fare and looked great. I have very strong loving feelings for polenta so when I saw Polenta alla Griglia on the menu, we decided to order it. The dish came with three baked polenta cakes topped with pancetta and porcini mushrooms in a cognac and porcini sauce. I wasn't in love with the texture of the polenta, I prefer it to be either creamier or fried, but the sauce was wonderful and would probably taste great on pasta. My friend ordered the Pollo Abbruzzese which was boneless chicken breast sautéed with sun dried tomato, basil, and in a white wine sauce. My friend enjoyed this dish, but it wasn't anything spectacular. I had a pasta craving, we were in Little Italy! So I ordered the Fettuccine Verdi alla Bolognese which was ground beef, in a creamy sauce over spinach fettuccine. The pasta was fresh and the sauce was creamy, it really satisfied my pasta craving! If you're looking for straightforward classic Italian fare (and an indoor bocce ball court), La Scala has something for you! read more

My business associate and I thoroughly enjoyed the food and the service. Everything from the bread and the olive oil we dipped it in to the Calamari and main course was excellent. I had Veal Pizzaiola. The Veal was cooked perfectly and the sauce was flavorful and complimentary. Having grown up with Italian families I can say that this was pretty authentic food. And when "Momma LaScala" turned me on to her cannolis with "sicilian cream" - which I had never heard of - I was a believer. Highly recommended! read more

I've tried many of the restaurants in Little Italy, and La Scala is one of my favorites: classic Italian food executed with care and fresh, top-of-the-line ingredients. Since the area is endowed with tons of great restaurants, it can be hard to choose. Words of wisdom: La Scala is a good choice A friend and I made our way here last Friday when I was suffering from a savage pasta craving. Even without a reservation, we were seated upon arrival (around 7 pm), and greeted by our waiter with menus and water. A few minutes later, an amuse bouche/pintxo came out: blanched green beans and potatoes marinated in a light vinaigrette and dashed with olive oil and pepper. Nice, light way to wake up the taste buds. We split the grilled Caesar salad, which was delicious and more than enough for two. If you haven't had your romaine grilled, you haven't lived! On to the entrees, and one of the coolest things about La Scala: you can get 2 half-orders of any of their classic pastas for the same price as a full order! Thus, the indecisive of us can get the best of both worlds. I chose half orders of the bolognese and carbonara. The bolognese was the best I've ever had! I would come back and order family sized amounts of it to freeze if I though it would keep. The acidity of the tomatoes balanced by the cream and savory beef had my friend and I fighting over last bites (we always share). My carbonara was good, but incredibly rich with a fried egg on top, and nothing to cut the creaminess. But hey, if you can't get enough butter and cream, this dish is for you! My friend ordered the shrimp and crab alfredo, which was very, very good, with plump shrimp and tons of lump crab meat. This dish was rich, obviously, but not to the degree of the carbonara, so I would rate it second in the pasta trifecta (you take the gold bolognese!). The service was another high point. The chef/owner went table to table greeting and chatting with guests, pouring their wine, and overall being an excellent host. Our waiter was attentive, prompt, and quick to assist with any request. Point being, La Scala is a great dinner destination when you're in downtown Baltimore. Don't miss out! read more

La Scala - Table side filleting of branzino!!! - Italian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Just wandered in here one day. I don't think i will ever forget the "Grilled Caesar Salad"(not on the menu, ask!). Half a head of flash grilled Romaine lettuce, and some of the best dressing I've ever had.. all at once smoky and salty.. I recall the seafood linguine perfectly balanced between tart and sweet with wonderful fresh seafood. i skipped dessert and went for the grappa and wandered away satiated and wondering what had hit me.. This is a real Italian "joint", down to the regulars' kids being introduced to the owner and the Juventus FC flags and banners over the bar... If you are visiting Baltimore, don't make the same mistake I did and come here on the first day.. As wonderful as the food in the inner harbour area is, nothing else will live up to it... read more

Nino is a perfectionist ever since The Godfather Bar many moons ago. Just an absolute chef who all my friends ask "what's the name of that crazy good Italian restaurant in Little Italy" and I'm always proud to send them to La Scala....even when Mom used to be in Italy. Must eat place read more

Nino always makes you feel at home. This is on ALL accounts the #1 restaurant in little Italy. Some would say the #1 restaurant in Baltimore. Tip: get the grilled Caesar Salad and the espresso martini (even if it's to share between the table). Love the bocci ball court, it is always fun to watch. I am always upset because the specials are so good, but you can never get them again! If that is the worst thing about the restaurant, then I think I'm ok. Ambiance: 10/10- you have casual, raucous downstairs. Fancy white table cloth upstairs. Food: 10/10 do I even need to say more? Pasta is soft yet al dente, clearly house made. Service: 10/10- they always remember you, and VERY heavy wine pours. read more

Came here for my gf birthday. The first night the whole block apparently experienced a blackout. I was hoping the power would come back so I sat at the bar to wait and got a drink. I had a hat on and in the darkness was told to remove it. I mean priorities? Also, this place has dress code. It's a nice place. Second night we went back with power. Very nice establishment. The owner is from Sicily and greets each table, nice touch. You can also get his imported olive oil. I would definitely buy it, this is real untouched olive oil. Anyway, we had great drinks and martinis. Buzzed like a honey bee and ordered the antipasto, then for entree the carbonara and the fettuccini. The anti pasta was very fresh, well done cheese and curated cuts. The olive oil makes it even better. The carbonara was as close to sitting in Rome as you can get I feel. The sauce is a little but thinner than I'd like but all the flavor was dead on. The pasta fresh, where you can tell it's made in house. The fettuccini she loved, and it had good flavor as well. We got a complimentary tiramisu for her birthday with a candle. I ordered the classic cannoli and espresso. The cannoli shell was house made and the cheese light and sweet. Loved this place, if I wasn't from NY I'd be back at least a few times a year. read more