Such a beautiful and lively spot! The dim lighting made it feel romantic and intimate, but it also had such a fun energy where you could easily sit back, enjoy a drink, and people watch. Unfortunately, shortly after we sat down I started feeling unwell and wasn't able to stay for the experience I was hoping for. The staff was incredibly kind and understanding, and they genuinely made me feel taken care of. As we were leaving, one of the staff members (who's name started with a K) was so warm and friendly and told us she hoped I felt better and that we'd come back. I'm definitely planning to return because I've only heard amazing things about the food, and after seeing the atmosphere and experiencing how wonderful the staff was, I can't wait to actually enjoy the full experience next time! Such a welcoming place. read more

My wife and I had a nice time at Scopa Italian Roots. Overall, the food was quite tasty, with the exception of the Chicken Parm, which was overcooked and on the dry side. The Crispy Calamari, Octopus, Pork Tagliatelle, and Housemade Ricotta were all standouts and dishes we would happily order again. Service was by far the best part of the experience. Lauren was knowledgeable, attentive, and did an excellent job pacing the meal. She never allowed our small two-top to become overcrowded or bombarded with too many plates at once. We finished with the Tiramisu and Cannolis, both of which were solid desserts and a nice way to end the meal. The space has great warm lighting and is fairly comfortable, creating a nice atmosphere. That said, it is quite loud, which took away from the ambiance somewhat. The restrooms appeared clean, but unfortunately, they didn't smell particularly clean. Overall, a good experience with some enjoyable dishes and excellent service. read more

Parking is great, location great, ricotta appetizer with gluten free bread is amazing. Service was not so great, very slow and neglected. Everyone is friendly but you feel forgotten. We heard the hostess and manager talking loudly about guests negatively and that's not cool. read more

Hot take coming in.... Scopa is definitely three stars worthy. Let me tell you why..... Parking: Easy. There is valet or self parking for $13 right next door. There's also street parking, but good luck. Service: INCREDIBLE. Everyone's super nice and accommodating. The server was incredible and they really aim to give you the five star experience. Ambiance: Beautiful rustic decor. However, the lighting is very dim and it gets very loud. I think it's so loud due to the space itself. Brick walls, high ceilings so sound just bounces off every angle. Not a deal breaker at all. Food: The food is three-star worthy at best. I've had tastier and more affordable Italian food elsewhere. I was really looking forward to the meal because the drinks and appetizers were incredible, so unfortunately, the food didn't quite live up to the expectations. The marinated olives ($12) and baby beets ($18) were delicious. The burrata on the baby beets was excellent, the beets themselves were sliced super thin, and the bread was fantastic. The mains, however, were just okay. Let me be clear: PORTION SIZE IS WELL BELOW AVERAGE. Most of the dishes are on the smaller side, and for the price point, I expected significantly more. The ravioli with crab and lobster was PHENOMENAL easily the best dish of the night. Here's my gripe: for $33, you get six ravioli. That's laughable. Six pieces for $33 is a tough sell, even when they taste this good. The linguini was very good. The pasta could have been cooked a little longer, but I'm really splitting hairs there. Again, though, at $30, I expected the combination of portion size and flavor to be better. The chicken parm with a side of bucatini is where I had another issue. The chicken parm alone is $35, and it's a relatively small portion. Want pasta with it? That's an additional $11, bringing the total to $46 for what was, in my opinion, a mediocre dish. The chicken is thick it's not your traditional thin and crispy cutlet. The pasta itself was fresh and had a great taste, but it was terribly undercooked. The sauce was fine, but I've definitely had better. The lasagna was tasty, but nothing to write home about. I'd call it a standard portion, and honestly, out of all the dishes we ordered, this was the one that felt appropriately sized for the price. Dessert: The mini cannolis were tasty and pretty good. I'd get them again. The tiramisu was delicious. It wasn't overpowered by the coffee flavor, and it wasn't incredibly soggy like so many tiramisus I've had. Really enjoyed this one. Final Thoughts: All in all, Scopa is a very expensive restaurant serving mostly mediocre food. The vibe is excellent, the service is friendly, and the drinks and appetizers are fantastic. But unfortunately, the food just doesn't resonate with me especially when you factor in the price. When you're spending $300+ on a meal, I expect the food to be exceptional, not just okay. If you're going to spend that kind of money on Italian food, I'd personally go to Bestia in DTLA. If you want something that's going to be more delicious and considerably cheaper in price, try Sunday Gravy instead. read more

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Scopa Italian Roots delivers! The veal was perfectly cooked, the Brussels salad surprisingly addictive, and the meatballs? Basically little Italian balls of happiness. Great vibe, great food, and definitely a place I'd come back to. read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Veal Chop Milanese - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

Can't begin to explain how great the food here is. Great ambiance and beautiful restaurant. One of the most knowledgeable bartenders my wife and I have had in a long time. Knew so much about bourbon and whiskey. read more

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Absolutely love Scopa. Came for the first time for a friend's birthday and it was amazing. The food and drinks were to die for. Favorites were the squash blossoms, Brussel sprout salad and chitarra pasta. But the standout of the evening was the service. Our server, Luis, was so helpful and attentive, even though we had a super large party with a lot of different requests. We couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate our friend. Highly recommend!! read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Oysters - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

Delicious American-Italian food in an inviting atmosphere with friendly service and helpful allergy accommodations. We had a diner with Celiac Disease and the host was very helpful identifying which dishes could be served truly gluten free without risk of cross-contamination. The GF pasta was fresh and tasty, prepared in separate water. All of our dishes were superb - highly recommend the Ricotta Crostini (great to share for the table). Prosciutto and Burrata was a hit, and GF crostini was offered. Crispy Squash Blossoms are awesome - delicate and airy with gooey ricotta. Creste Rigate was excellent (GF pasta) and the Chicken Parmesan was on point. read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Chicken Parmesan with a side of bucatini with tomato sauce - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

My husband and I had travel issues and couldn't fly out on rescheduled day, so we had "stolen time" in L.A. we love watching Antonia in Food Network, so came to Scopa. It.was.Amazing. Definitely see Justin at the bar. He will take the best care of you. We started with the Amberjack Crudo which I would eat 20 of! I had the Lasagna, which was also amazing. My absolute favs were the Crudo and the Macaroni (spelled differently here), but SOOOOO GOOD!! GO. EAT. Wear your big pants! It's worth it!! read more

Los Angeles RoadTrip Episode 8 "Come on, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for twenty guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs. Ah...? And a little bit of wine. And a little bit of sugar. That's my trick.".. We settled in for Dinner at.. "Scopa Italian Roots", owner/Chef Antonia Lofaso does it right. A very welcoming, accessible and comfortable Osteria. The Lass drank glasses of Mathilde Rose Wine.. The Lad drank a glass of Espresso Martini and a glass of White Wine.. These libations were most thirst satisfying..:) We shared plates of Beets, Scallops Oreganata (perfectly cooked and wickedly juicy delish) and Pea Ravioli (al dente yummy.:).. We finished this superb meal w. an Affogato Sundae. Scopa was a highlight of our trip.. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli"..:) Best, Avram Clemenza Jr. read more

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Wow so good and a great vibe. Place was bustling! Our waiter was also the best--so attentive and an absolute delight. My favs were the appetizers -- the squash flowers and the heirloom tomatoes. Insane good. read more

We made reservations for our anniversary after reading the reviews of another local Italian spot that was deemed less gluten friendly. The lighting and ambience is great, however, there is pretty loud music blaring that made it less than ideal for conversation. It definitely LOOKS romantic, but it didn't sound that way. Of course, when it's loud, everyone is trying to speak over the music, so we got to listen to a play-by-play of an awkward first date happening at the table 18 inches away from us. It was definitely amusing, but not the vibe I'd hoped for. Our server, however, was absolutely wonderful and kind. He offered to change the water that the pasta is boiled in to accommodate my gluten allergy, which most places don't even know to ask. They offer one type of gluten-free noodle - spaghetti. None of the warm appetizers with the exception of the scallops were gluten friendly, but there was a large selection on the cold appetizer list. We opted to share the Italian chopped salad, and it was a great light starter. I had the rigatoni with the gluten-free noodles, and the sauce was absolutely wonderful! My husband had Mary's chicken, and we both agreed it was a bit salty. For some reason, we weren't expecting it to be chicken on the bone, so that kind of threw us as well. It wasn't terrible, but also not our favorite. As for drinks, I had the fellow Cabernet Sauvignon, which I really enjoyed. my husband had a whiskey drink that had a very unique flavor- cynar. It wasn't our favorite, but it is a unique earthy taste if you want to try something new. We ordered the espresso Panna cotta for dessert, and it came out with a candle roll for our anniversary, normally when a restaurant does that, it's complementary. However, that wasn't the case this time around. We were charged for the dessert. It's not a big deal, but it would been a nice touch. Valet parking was around $15, and they do accept cards. read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Rigatoni with gluten free noodles - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

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We originally made reservations for 5 PM on a Wednesday coming from out of town. We needed to reschedule to 6 PM. We called and were able to move our reservation via automated service which was quick and smooth. We enjoyed the atmosphere when we first got there. It was somewhat slow, but by the end of our dinner at seven thirtyish it was a full house. Service was great. Our food was amazing. We will definitely come back again. read more

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Amazing food. The pasta was fresh and super delicious. One of Antonia Lofaso's So Cal restaurants and it did not disappoint. Casual setting in Venice, excellent service. Loved it. read more

Too many misses this time. Service was very slow. Not sure what happened in the kitchen. Missed our scallop appetizer order first round. The stuffed mushrooms were tiny (size of a quarter or smaller) and drowning in butter/oil. Same with the scallop appetizer (2 for $20) and drowning in butter/oil. Linguine with clams was very salty (we all tried it). Really disappointed that the food didn't taste good and felt like butter or oil was used to hide it. The best part was the friendly staff who refilled our water. read more

Very nice ambience inside with good service. Can be a little expensive for the portions but worth to check out. Ricotta crostini: GET THIS. The bread is crispy and garlicky. Goes well with the ricotta dip. Beets/Persimmon/Burrata: another hit, and a lighter dish. Sweet and savory Rigatoni: delicious, but can be similar to other restaurants Creste Rigate: GET THIS. Unique flavors and the mushrooms add a great depth. Would crave this. Chocolate panna cotta: good but not memorable Service/ambience: beautiful inside and servers are attentive Parking: street or valet. Valet would be cheaper than the public parking lot nearby read more

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This spot's worth a drive not just a stop. Hella options drink wise, a wall with bottles taller than a Harry Potter wall at Hogwarts sits behind the bar. Black squid ink calamari.......... GOTTA DO IT! Fresh fish and pasta light and right to the flavor points. Pull up and eat good today! read more

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Consistently perfect meals and service, from the moment on arrives in their parking lot throughout the entire meal: perfection read more

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Amazing Ambiance the music was so dope some old school house music vibes, the service was amazing. Waiters and waitresses were very helpful and friendly. They recommended a few dishes. We are already knew what to order. Had some recommendations. It's a bit pricey $25 for drinks but figured it's a one timer. She had the pasta bolognese sauce which was amazing. I had linguine and clam sauce came off a bit salty but overall delicious potions are very small. I will come again . read more

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Scopa's been on my list for a while and I'm glad I finally got a chance to try it! We came on a Saturday night with no reservation but we were able to get a seat at the bar. We had the amberjack crudo (delicious, very light), rigatoni, linguine, and the zeppole. We also got a couple of mocktails. The rigatoni was absolutely delicious, the perfect amount of spice and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The linguine was a little too butter heavy; we agreed we would skip it next time. We got a side of nutella with the zeppole and that was definitely the right move. It's pretty lively and a nice atmosphere for a date or celebration. I feel like our food came out a little slow; probably because it was a Saturday night but just something to keep in mind. There's valet parking or street parking. read more

Fun atmosphere and great food. We thought the lasagne with sausage was terrific as was the eggplant parm. The ricotta crostini is a fun starter to share and the Italian chopped salad large and delicious. Also really enjoyed the chitarra. Our server Bennie was very knowledgeable and helpful and never rushed us on a very busy Saturday night. Prices are reasonable and a good value for this level of Italian. read more

I hate to do this because this was a place I have been coming to for a very long time. I don't know what happened. The kitchen, management and service.. everything is different. I work in hospitality and it's very disappointing to see my local favorite restaurant take a turn for the bad. It was a special occasion and I asked for 2 thing before arrival. Both didn't happen. (Booth and birthday dessert after dinner) Spoke to host upon arrival and before being seated and didn't happen. Thanks for taking off the steak tartar off the bill. Vongole over salted. Left a note on the bill because of how I tipped. Do better scopa. Thanks. read more

One of my absolute favorite spots in all of Southern CA! Hands down. This is a larger restaurant, but somehow feels cozy on the inside. On the weekends and in the evenings it can get pretty busy, and your order may take some time, but the vibes here will help time pass. The food is authentic and made with fresh ingredients. Every bite of every dish is delectable and a surprise to your taste buds. I always bring family/friends here when they are visiting town. Ive come on dates, and have also come alone. The bartenders are super cool, the hostesses not so much, lol, but overall a classic Italian spot in the Venice area worth trying if you've never been. read more

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Amazing spot tucked away in Venice. There is little signage so it's unassuming but when you walk in, it opens up and there are plenty of tables and bar seating. The ambiance is nice and perfect for a date night as it's dim and romantic. Great selection of wine and the food was even better. Started off with their calamari which was battered with squid ink. A unique twist to a classic. Their veal chop was also delicious and loved the herb salad that was served with it. Service was great and they checked up multiple times and food came out in a timely manner. Overall great date night location and would be back! read more

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Food and drinks are consistently great, every time I come here, I have the Pappardelle, and FlutterNutter for dessert. I had the Gold Rush(with BuffaloTrace, lemon, honey) it's not on the printed menu in house, but is on the way line menu, also had the Mr. Burns. Service was top notch, Cory was great at our table and Tatiana, was great behind the bar. , we had an extended wait for our table, and a round of drinks was taken care of. Vibes are consistently great, music adds to the vibe. This place is must stop when I visit LA. read more

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Very romantic restaurant hidden between Venice and Marina Del Rey. I would not have guessed how large this restaurant is. Inside is dim and great for dates. Service is spectacular and the atmosphere is even better. We ordered the cavatelli and veal chop. The cavatelli was delicious and veal chop was huge! Loved the herb salad that was on the veal. read more

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If there was a restaurant at the top of Mt. Olympus where all the gods feasted on the greatest Italian food..... it would be Scopa. Great service. Amazing food. Shout out to the corn and crab ravioli. Comfortable welcoming and warm ambiance. read more

This is my 3 or 4th time at scopa and every time is better than the last. Love the ambiance here, service is always extremely friendly / professional and the food is unreal. Ordered the squash blossoms and the rigatoni this time and both were amazing. I like this place way more than Ospi.. Highly recommend and will probably be back next time I'm in town for work! read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

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I loved the warm tone vibe. Came with my boyfriend for date night and we sat at the pastry bar. It turned out great because we had our own small section. Food was amazing, our server was great. BUT special thank you to the pastry chef Julisella (I hope I spelled it right). She was working hard and was answering the questions we had about the desserts. She even ran out with our leftovers we were leaving behind. We loved the Brussels sprout salad and the doughnuts are a must. 10/10 read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

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Scopa was a great experience for my wife and I during our recent birthday weekend in LA. I had been wanting to check this place out for a while as I love italian food and being a huge fan of the chef who created it I had high hopes. I am happy to report that they definitely lived up to all of them. Parking is valet in the lot next door ($13 when we went + credit card fee which was quite high) or in the neighboring streets but was easy to get and the service was god. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the ambiance was great. There is no sign on the front but you will know you are in the right spot upon your first steps inside. We had arrived almost an hour prior to our reservation and when we walked in and let them know they had zero issue and quickly ushered us to our assigned table near the window which was fantastic. Our server Rennie quickly greeted us and we both put in orders for the Passionfruit Nojito Mocktail. The drink was nicely made but very citrus heavy and lacked a bit of mint but was quite good overall albeit a bit expensive at $17 each. For my meal I went with the Rigatoni and this was absolutely delicious. Everything tasted great, the colors and scent was fantastic and the taste was even better. The downside being the portion size is quite small (mine was smaller than my wife's pappardelle portion) but the quality more than made up for it. We ended the night was the Mini Cannolis for dessert and these were great tasting and made to perfection. It was the perfect compliment to a great overall meal. I did mark this at time of reservation as a birthday dinner and no reference or anything was made which was a bit of a disappointment but not fully expected. I am a fan and for me the food and service definitely lived up to the hype and expectation I had going in. I highly recommend checking this place out if you are ever in the Venice area. We will be back again for sure read more

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About the mains: - Pork chop, is very fatty and the balsamic sauce was over reduced and WAY too sweet. Why are the inedible rib bones included?!?! It's clearly "show" Olives ok but no capers could be found. - The chicken is extremely salty. seriously Antonia?!?! Otherwise: The appetizer menu might be your best option. The wine menu is ridiculously huge and WAY overpriced. I won't be back. read more

Wow amazing as always!!! Everything was amazing, pork chop, veal chop, crab ravioli! Zucchini blossoms fantastic

Best Italian food on the West Side. Their pasta is so great! And they also have a valet which is not that obvious in that area. 5/5

Damn good. Flavorful af bread and overall dishes had depth. Lovely sultry atmosphere. Valet parking read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Pasta - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

2nd time here! Food and ambiance were 10/10. Love that the servers and staff are so attentive, friendly and putting in that WORK! I had the cavatelli with Italian sausage and honestly, it was delicious--creamy and had a nice bite. Shared the meatballs with my boyfriend and they were light but meaty in the perfect amount of sauce + cheese and arugula. My bf got the linguine with clams and he enjoyed how light and tasty it was. Mini chocolate chip cannolis for my birthday dessert were soooo good. Def recommend coming for date night, birthday or just a good vibe. Shoutout to Chef Antonia and her staff!! read more

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This was a home run from the start. We showed up early so we could have a drink at the bar first and the host told us that we could be seated at any time, despite the fact that the restaurant was busy. Justin, our bartender, answered some questions about Italian whites, and offered a tasting. He was knowledgeable and professional, and super personable. Our dinner table was in the corner by the window which was perfect, and our server, Corey, was prompt and friendly and really helpful in navigating the menu. We split a salad (plenty for 2) and each had a house made pasta. We couldn't decide which one was better! Then we enjoyed a champagne flight with the most beautiful Italian cookies as a birthday dessert, which was a lovely way to top off the evening. We thoroughly enjoyed the fun ambiance, the amazing food, and most of all, the attentive and excellent staff. Best evening of the entire long four-day weekend, and we will definitely be back soon. read more

We have been going to Scopa for almost 10 years now, and we have never had a bad meal or experience. Last night was no exception. We had a reservation at 7:30 for NY Eve, but we wanted to go early to eat, drink and be merry. At 5:20, I called the restaurant and asked if we could sit at the Crudo Bar, our favorite place, and the hostess said to come on down! We live within walking distance, so we strolled to the restaurant and were greeted by cheerful hostesses. The restaurant was decorated with black, white and gold balloons and was playing fun upbeat music. We ordered martinis (a Lemon Drop for me), the Squid Ink Calamari (one of my favorites!), Chopped Salad, T-bone Steak with Chimichurri, Broccolini, and Tiramisu for dessert. Our waiter was great: attentive, friendly and efficient. Best of all, by sitting at the Crudo Bar, there was no time limit for seating, so we stayed until 7:45 or so, when the restaurant really started getting busy. We took the steak bone home for a very happy family dog. This is one of our favorite local restaurants. We plan to visit it many times during the new year. read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Fried Calamari with Squid Ink. So good. - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

Delicious Food, great atmosphere and exceptional service. John, Fabio and Kannica are on their A game. We enjoyed the scallop appetizer. Perfectly sautéed in butter and not rubbery at all. The Pappardelle was a highlight with tender house made pasta and an amazing short rib braised sauce. I'm in love! Don't pass on the bread service because it's worth the additional spend with olive oil that had EXCELLENT quality and flavor. Our wine som was very good and our Italian wine perfectly complimented the meal. We will be back! Bravo! read more

Scopa Italian Roots - Scallop appetizer was DELICIOUS! - Italian Near Me - Venice, California

Made a reservation through resy for 845 on a a Friday, place was absolutely packed and music was bumping. We arrived earlier and waited another 20 min before we were seated. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms to start and then got the pappardelle, chicken Parmesan and spicy rigatoni. Honestly, the only thing we enjoyed was the mushrooms. The main courses were all mediocre. read more

This restaurant is on the border of Culver City and Venice. So, not the typical "Venice" vibe. Cuisine is Italian/tapas/small plates. It's very date night-esque. I also think this would be good for groups. Dinner only. Upscale-classy, cosmopolitan. Dark booths and brick walls. New York city vibe. Bar scene (cocktails/wine). Celebrity chef-driven. It was pretty busy and I was there on a week night. Highly suggest the ricotta crostini as an appetizer. The cheese is made in-house and the ciabatta is crunchy. There's lots of bread but it was worth it. For our entree we had one of the pasta specials. It was a seasonal item so it's not on the regular menu but I appreciate when restaurants uses seasonal produce in their dishes. For dessert, the fluffernutter is their specialty. It's a fried peanut butter, banana, and marshmallow fluff sandwich on brioche. Truly unique. A must-try! Valet parking offered. read more