This restaurant is amazing! My cousin and I visited this restaurant but for a performance first. Let me first say that, I assume, upon ticket purchase parking is free (validated at the front hostess space) and walked in about 20 minutes before the start. I say I assume because as I'm not sure if that is just for performance customers or both the general restaurant seating/tables. There are 2-sides to the space, to give a visual. The performance itself was great - 'Tygressa Sings Natalie' was amazing all night! Additionally, the service was great as well. Although the singing was occurring and the band was playing, the servers had no issue or delay in bringing items, food or just asking if you were okay. From start to finish. I ordered the painkiller (drink), calamari and pork belly to share, and the chicken fettuccine as my main course - and omg. It's been 2 days and I'm still thinking about that pasta that I reheated when I got home and ate in the middle of the night - .....that good..... read more

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The restaurant has a small bar with tables in the front and a dining area in the back with medium sized dining area in the back with the stage at the front. The show was great. The food was great. There were 11 of us at the table . I had the La Porta pasta and my girlfriend had the chicken volt. I have sautéed spinach. We all tasted the lemon cello cake and it was divine. I hate when that kind of meal is ruined by little things which soured the experience. The service was fine- NOT worth 25%! My friend was promised a discount on her meal- she was responsible for bringing over 20 of us to dinner. They said, "Oh, we're not giving discounts tonight because of the band." When I asked if there was Jazz Daily, I was told yes - What? On the menu, it says that there's a 20% gratuity added, so imagine our surprise when we got our checks and there was a 25%. Gratuity for each of us. We were then told that anytime there's a request for separate checks, there's a 25% gratuity. When we advised the Manager, she did adjust the checks. I didn't feel welcome and so I won't be coming back. There are just too many options for good Italian food in old town. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Wanting to try somewhere new, my husband and I chose this spot for Valentine's Day, especially since we were looking forward to enjoying some live jazz. We made the 1 hour and 10 minute drive to Virginia and were seated immediately in the section we reserved, which featured a 3-course meal priced at $125 per person. Unfortunately, the service started off a bit slow. After waiting about 20-25 minutes without being greeted or offered water, I had to flag down the first person who made eye contact, who happened to be a busser. Shortly after, Adonnas, who was friendly and welcoming with a warm smile came over to take our drink order. Nina then took over as our server for the remainder of the evening. I ordered a Painkiller, which was well-balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. For my appetizer, I had the mushroom caps, which were flavorful with a hearty, meaty filling. My entrée, however, was underwhelming. I had the braised trout with a rice cake and sautéed spinach. The trout itself lacked flavor, but adding some of the seafood thermidor sauce from my husband's dish helped elevate it. The fish would definitely benefit from having its own sauce. Dessert was carrot cake, which was enjoyable. The ambiance was one of the highlights of the evening. The dim lighting created a romantic and intimate setting, and the spacious room, with its mirrored backdrop which allowed for easy conversation without competing noise. The live jazz band truly added a special touch to the experience. One area for improvement would be the restroom setup. With only two unisex bathrooms, guests waiting were positioned in a way that interfered with servers moving through with food. Overall, the experience was just okay. While there were some enjoyable elements, I'm not certain I would return but I wouldn't completely rule it out either. read more

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3.5 stars. The live jazz music was nice, and our server, Nina, was amazing. However, the food is where I'd have to dock 1.5 stars. The appetizers (flash-fried oysters and pork belly) tasted much better than the entrees. I ordered the salmon special, which was almost $50 for a half-full/half-empty plate with overcooked, dry salmon. My boyfriend had the steak, which wasn't bad, but it also wasn't anything special. The mac and cheese honestly tasted better than the steak itself. I do admire that all of their sauces are homemade - they tasted amazing - but the actual dishes themselves were lackluster. If I had to recommend anything from this restaurant, it would be the carrot cake. read more

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Came in for a Friday night celebratory dinner, with reservations through OpenTable. Immediate seating, to a nice table near the back. Atmosphere was loud, so hard to hear normal conversations. The Jazz music was nice, with a live quartet at the other end of the room. The conversations drowned out the music, so yeah, there was that. I had to say "What?" a lot. Hostess and waitress were very good. Busy night, but no mistakes in any of it. Food was good (Pork Snitzel, Chicken Breast & BBQ Flank steak) , done properly, and served in an appetizing way. Very tasty too. Portion size was large, as we each had take home boxes of food. The house wines were disappointing (Merlot was thin body, Malbec was gritty), but not terrible. Prices were moderate to high, but also expected ($35/plate in December 2025), with $14 for each 9 oz glass of wine. Full bar & Mocktails available for those interested. Overall: B+/A- Can highly recommend, would happily go again for the jazz music, service & food, (Thanks Chef!) -but check on updated menus to ensure satisfaction & for daily specials. Not recommended for the noise sensitive or hard of hearing. No obvious access for anyone handicapped or with disabilities. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Main dining area with Jazz quartet. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

A Nice Evening Spoiled by a Couple of Things Attended a paid performance. The entertainment was great. Our waiter was very personable but not as polished as others. He did not know wine pairings and did not know the specials. When he found out the specials, I ordered what I thought was a simple monk fish over angel hair pasta special. I was surprised when I saw I was charged $50 for cheap "throw back" monk fish. It's not like it was chilean sea bass! Besides it was overly salty! There were 8 friends at our table. We requested separate checks. The menu says there's a 20% gratuity added, so we were surprised when we got our checks and there was a 25% gratuity added to each check, including the tax amount, without prior notice either in the menu or from the waiter, that simply asking for separate checks triggers a 25% larger mandatory gratuity! I have not previously encountered that at other restaurants. I typically enjoy times at Laporta's and would give a higher score to past experiences. read more

I seem to be here on Mondays and Tuesdays and always order off the special menu. Which today was the Linguine Vongole and the Tuscano Chicken (To Go) and it comes with a bottle of house wine. Sitting at the bar where the service is spot on. Casual with good tunes versus the live jazz next door which I do like. The rest of their menu is excellent. Trust me. But it's hard to turn down a great deal that has two great dishes. read more

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Absolutely amazing food and vibe! It was my first time dining here on a weekday for lunch. I came with a few people. We had the bread baskets, Hummus with olive tapenade, Seared Salmon Fillet, Bourbon BBQ Hanger Steak, and roasted cauliflower. Everyone told me they enjoyed their food. I had the hanger steak, which was perfect and very delicious as well as the mac and cheese, which I enjoyed very much. I ate and ate until I was very full. The service was great by the waitress and owner. We are planning to visit again! read more

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I took my fiance here for his birthday. Good service, good food, good cocktails, nice concept. Server was knowledgable about the menu and they were more than able to make substitutions, so my various dietary restrictions could be accommodated without issue even though I am allergic to basil and this is an Italian restaurant. I would note is that I would describe this as more of an Italian restaurant that has live jazz rather than a jazz club that serves Italian food. We were somewhat expecting more of a dark, jazz club environment and were surprised to enter a space that was incredibly bright and airy. The performance had a relaxed vibe rather than a rigid structure. Nothing wrong with this, just a matter of setting expectations. I got dolled up in a fancy cocktails dress and makeup and was overdressed. But this place definitely calls for a collared shirt. Decor was maybe a little 90s/dated, but you can tell it was tasteful and high end when everything was selected and that they have done a good job of keeping everything in good condition, so nothing too problematic. Food is pricey. It is excellent and fresh with no corners cut, however, and keep in mind food prices are also paying for the free musical entertainment. But it is pricey enough that this has to remain a special occasion spot rather than a regular hang. Overall, I recommend it for a special night out if you are looking for something high quality but very easygoing. read more

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The food was wonderful . The service from Denice was outstanding! The live entertainment was amazing and made the atmosphere very classy. I loved my experience and made a great date night read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Rockfish over cheese ravioli and eggplant - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Service and ambiance were wonderful. Quiet place with a nice Bartender and speed of service were great. Food choices were good and alcohol choices good. Had the mussels then some bruschetta which wasn't planned but good. Mussels were a bit undercooked. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Mussels - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

So close to the coast, I really wanted a frutti di mare. LaPorta's have a Tutta Mare (all the sea)!! Extra bonus? You can get it in an appetizer size!! Perfect!! It was excellent and just the perfect size! My waitress Denise was amazing!! I also was just in time for some live jazz music! Such a nice compliment to the wonderful food! read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Tutta Mare - appetizer portion!! - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Solid. This was next to my hotel and since it was surface-of-the-sun hot, I ate here twice. Staff was super friendly and it seemed like lots of neighborhood regulars. The menu is kind of confusing as what's online, in house and on line ordering don't seem to match? Whatever - the food was solid and enjoyable. read more

Best mid-week impromptu decision I've made! Every day I passed this place and I finally decided to stop in, and I'm happy I did. I was the only patron at the time so I got to see the place come to life. I sat in the bar area - next visit I'll sit in the main dining room. Service was top tier, food was delicious, and it was the perfect "detour" as I waited for traffic to die down. I will be back for sure! read more

Laporta's Restaurant - The NY Strip & a Kettle One Martini - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Sat at the bar and really enjoyed my time at this place. Bartender was super friendly and the Drinks were fantastic. I ordered the grilled New York strip steak and it was sooooo good. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Grilled New York Strip Steak - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

A really nice experience. First time here the restaurant has a jazz night which was nice to have. The server Frank was very nice abd attentive made sure we had everything we needed. The food was fresh and delicious for dessert try there tiramisu it was amazing. Definitely will head back and try this restaurant again. read more

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I recently dined at La Porta's last Saturday night with my family, and it was a delightful experience. The restaurant features live jazz most nights, which adds to the ambiance. However, our seating made it a bit difficult to hear the music--though that may have been due to the crowd that evening. I recommend sitting alittle closer to the stage if you are trying to hear more clearly. Despite the busy night, the service was excellent, and our food arrived impressively fast. Parking // Free in the garage right behind the building on nights and weekends Food Appetizers :: Rich Onion Tart // A must-order! This dish is rich, flavorful, and generously portioned--perfect for sharing. The caramelized onions were the star, and while I'm not usually a fan of blue cheese, it blended so seamlessly that I barely noticed it. Absolutely delicious! Lobster Bisque // Just okay. It was thinner than expected and could have used more lobster. Not bad, but I'd likely try something else next time I go Mussels // Served in a generous portion with a vibrant, herbaceous verde sauce. I would recommend Main Meal & Dessert :: Salmon // Perfectly cooked and paired with a sweet pineapple salsa and a flavorful sauce. If you prefer a more savory dish, I'd recommend getting the salsa on the side. The only thing I'd change is the rice--I wish it had more seasoning--but overall, a great dish Steak & Mac & Cheese // A standout! The steak was cooked to perfection and served with a delicious sauce. The mac and cheese, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, had the perfect level of cheesiness Dessert Trio // We took this to go, but it included a homemade cupcake, apple crumble, and a scoop of ice cream. The cupcake was a bit dry, but the vanilla flavor in both the cake and frosting was spot on. The apple crumble could have used more flavor, but it was still decent Had a fantastic time and will definitely be back! read more

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Our agency's go to luncheon location. No matter how many times we say we will try somewhere new we always end up at our favorite place, Laporta's! Family like treatment. Friendly staff, private seating, we love that they are willing to set up based upon our needs when we reserve for large parties. Our last Christmas luncheon was by far the smallest group of us to ever attend but like every other time they were ready for us. They always seem to be able to serve their guest as if they're the only ones there. Parking garage available, rate changes. Highest we've paid is $20 Street parking next block over, metered. Located walking distance to Old Town!! read more

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Hidden.Gem. If you haven't come, you are MISSING out. The service, the food, the ambiance....5/5. Don't make the same mistake we made and drive past it day after day without coming in. You won't be disappointed! read more

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Attended a semi-private event here. The waitstaff was fantastic - attentive, friendly and catered to any special dietary needs despite us having a preset buffet. The food was flavorful and the wine pours were generous. My Alfredo pasta was delicious! There's free parking behind the restaurant but I parked across the street for a small fee. The live music was enjoyable and the crowd seemed like locals. read more

Partner and I wanted to try La Porta's as he lives 5 minutes away. We made reservations for 7 PM, ended up going earlier because we had a late morning. It was fairly busy at 6 PM, we were seated immediately. Around 7 PM, when the live music starts, it got packed! Does get a little bit difficult to speak with the persons at your table though. The waitstaff are very helpful and check in often. I ordered two of the daily specials: potato chowder with bacon , beef tenderloin tips, the affogato. My partner ordered the pork belly, Chicken Envoltine, apple cobbler. Potato chowder - 9.5/10 creamy and well blended! Wish there were bigger chunks of bacon? Didn't seem like there was any. Tenderloin tips - 8/10 steak was cooked the way I liked it, felt like the sides didn't justify the $52 price tag? Pork belly - 10/10 spoon tender and delicious, the sauce with it was fantastic Chicken Envoltine - 7/10 thought it was a standard chicken dish? Apple cobbler (we opted for no ice cream) - 7/10 the topping was delicious, wish the filling was more gooey? Affogato - 10/10 read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Potato chowder - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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EVERYTHING that comes out of this kitchen is perfect. The chef is OUTSTANDING. You know a chef is a taskmaster when every plate is delicious and beautiful. I just moved to the area, and I've been here a number of times, and it's my new favorite place. I would've provided a better photo, but I devoured most of the mussels before I could get to my camera. MARVELOUS! read more

Laporta's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The restaurant was empty at noon, which should have been a red flag. The staff was very friendly, and the service was excellent; however, unfortunately, the food was disappointing. Prices were nearly twice as high as those of average chain restaurants, yet the taste, freshness, and execution fell far short. I left feeling let down by the quality and the chef's preparation. Hopefully, this was just an off day or a matter of what we ordered, since many other customers seem to have had positive experiences here. read more

This was a nice intimate restaurant. There was a band playing, which was nice. I found the food to be okay, would have liked more seasoning on the Salmon, but it was cooked well. The dessert, which was the apple cobbler was good, with the apples and crust just right. I would say it was more 3.5 but service was excellent so rounded up. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Apple Cobbler - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Treated my husband to dinner in celebration of his recent promotion. A bit disappointed the "quartet" band turned out to be a duo with no singer. Food was good. Our server Frank was sweet and funny. Very casual atmosphere. read more

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Had an amazing time visiting this past Sunday. Was celebrating a birthday with some friends and everyone had a great time. Birthday girl loved the vibes and music. The piano player they had was fantastic. Service was great too. The hostess was super friendly. Our server was great as was the trainee that was shadowing her. Some of us had asked for a few modifications/substitutions which they were happy to accommodate. Food was great too and had generous portions. A tad expensive for certain things (10 bucks for 3 slices of bacon but can't lie the bacon was cooked to perfection). But not everything was expensive and there were a lot of reasonably priced dishes as well. From what I heard from my friends, the French toast, the Laporta pasta, the mussels, and the steak cheese sandwich were all great and are recommended if that's your cup of tea. Highly recommend this place. read more

I lean more towards the flavourful side- this place fell flat. If you're into salt and black pepper it will float your boat, but not mine. I actually liked my meal - the trout - but it was just bland. A lot of patrons were more senior and it made sense. The only thing that sucked was the fried crispy oily spinach they put on top. Ruined perfectly good spinach. The restaurant is nice enough inside and they have a live band. Only thing is I asked for an extra extra dirty martini and they gave me a regular martini. The waiter also kept placing items on the far side of the table so I had to keep reaching for everything. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Im super late on writing this review, but I visited Laportas for thanksgiving. I really appreciated that theres a parking garage thats very close because there isnt any other place to park thats close. Its a nice establishment, complete with nice hostesses and a dude playing the piano. We participated in the pre-fixed menu and chose the turkey dinner, butternut soup and carrot cake/cheesecake for dessert. The butternut soup was fantastic and really exceeded my expectations. The carrot cake and cheesecake were also great and we really enjoyed those. The turkey dinner was okay...kind of bland really. I dont know, I think I came into it expecting mind blowing food because of the ambiance of the place and was disappointed. However, I do think that it was a mass produced meal and thats probably why it was so forgettable. Despite that, I would still recommend visiting it and I will to see what its like on a different day. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Had an unexpected enjoyable evening here. Food was delicious! Music was awesome! Service was superb!

Would give them 100 stars if i could. Genuinely one of the best meals I've ever had. We started with the calamari, bread basket w their oil. Incredible. Calamari tasted fresh, bread and oil seems like a simple dish but i could've eaten 6 baskets. For entree we got chicken envoltine and the bourbon bbq hanger steak. Thinking about the mac and cheese that came with the steak makes my mouth water. 10/10 experience. Highly recommend. You have to try it. read more

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What a wonderful place. The food is wonderful and the service by Sarah was great. The ambiance is very comforting. Then the live Jazz comes in to play and you have the whole package! Thank you for making our trip to Alexandria so wonderful!!! read more

Went at 3 pm expecting lunch prices and they were serving dinner already lol. The prices are high for what we got. The "bowl" of soup is such a small portion. Chicken fettuccine was pretty good. Salmon was fine. Cheesecake didn't have crust which is my favorite part. Server was so nice. The dining area looks outdated in my opinion. Didn't experience the live music maybe that's a vibe idk read more

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I first stopped in a few years ago on a date night. This place is NICE and they have live music every night. They had a woman singing Jazz in an old school dress like Jessica Rabbit which I had never seen in real life before. The Lobster Bisque was the best I had ever had. The whole atmosphere is super casual. At some restaurants I've felt like I'm being rushed out because the servers want to get a new table, new customers, new tip but this is a place to sit back, relax and enjoy the music. read more

My wife and I attended a company party here. Free bar for an hour. The barman liked my recipe: equal parts of Coke and OJ, no ice. Looks a horrible shade of brown but is very refreshing and starts conversations. Try it! We then had a sit down dinner. Excellent service and meal. The tossed greens vinaigrette, almond encrusted mahi mahi, bourbon barbecued hanger steak, carrot cake, and Godiva liquor soaked cake layered with chocolate mousse and whipped cream were all great. Super noisy when the place is full. We could hear the person next to us but not the waitress. Had to raise our voices. A noise measuring app showed 78 to 88 decibels read more

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Food excellent Service fast informative Live music Charming Overall a very charming dining experience with delicious food Live music on weekends read more

Laporta's Restaurant - Strawberry fluette - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

If you're looking for a place called Laporta's, you will be confused when you see the storefront sign that reads "Cooper's". I'm assuming that was the former name. So keep that in mind. While I hear this place is nice to listen to live jazz in the evenings, I came in on a weekday early afternoon. I stayed at the Residence Inn right next door and needed a place to walk to while the hubby was working in the hotel room. And yes, it's literally right next door. There was only a handful of other customers. I went to the bar to get quick service. There was a very pleasant man and woman behind the bar, they seemed like owners or maybe managers. They got my food out quickly. And the food was tasty...my soup and salad was not fancy but it tasty good. Problem is that the portions were very small for the price. I only got about half of my "bowl" of soup. And there didn't seem to be lunch specials. I took a burger and fries entree to-go for my husband. I think it was like $17. For lunch--ouch. My husband enjoyed the burger. But was taken aback at the price. I would try them again for dinner if I wanted a full dining experience. But not for lunch. read more

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Great table service and decent dinner. Food - The bread basket was enough to hold us over until our meals came but will easily be skipped during any future visits. I enjoyed my red wine and the sangria was a table favorite. We started with the portobello mushroom appetizer, which is one mushroom cap seasoned well with a few asparagus spears. I would've loved to have that as an entree if there were more caps. For our actual entrees we had the chicken and the mahi-mahi curry. Both dishes were delicious to the last morsel. They have a pretty lengthy dessert menu. It was impressive that our server was able to remember all of the options and share customer favorites. We decided on the chocolate cake and the carrot cake - both fantastic. They have a decent meal and wine paring deal on Tuesdays that we look forward to checking out. Atmosphere - I was hoping to have dinner with live jazz music. There wasn't a band during this time, but there was a live piano player that was able to add to the ambiance. Coming in from the garage we weren't sure where the front door was. We ended up coming through what we believe is the side or back of the restaurant. Upon entering we were not greeted and wandered in the main dining area looking for the host stand. I think it would be helpful to have more signage as the restaurant is in an office building and coming from the garage you can somewhat see a patio. The furniture inside is a little dated but comfortable. I would come back for a relaxed evening out to hear a live band and try more of their food and wine selection. read more

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My all-time favorite restaurant in Old Town. Have spent many special occasions here and always have a great experience.

We went here for Mothers Day Brunch and the food, service and ambiance (pianist playing) was amazing! If you're in the area , this is a must try. Love it!! read more

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It's been a minute since I've been to this Old Town institution. It's a great place for music. They have since remodeled since my last visit. We opted for the $40 - 2 entrees with a bottle of wine Monday & Tuesday special. It's a limited menu and the "free" wine is either the house red or white. You can upgrade to a better bottle and pay a little extra. We had a chatty waiter, who has been there along time. The chicken parmigiana & the chicken Tucsonco was good and filling. I recommend the carrot cake for dessert. They have free garage parking. It's a bit pricey but nice. read more

Laporta's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia