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    tavola

    4.1 (449 reviews)
    PriceyItalian, Bars
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    tavola Photos

    Business Info

    TAVOLA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - tavola

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    It's not the best Tiramisu we've ever had but decent enough.
    Sari S.

    Make sure to make a reservation, everyone! It's a must! This is a small restaurant, and half of it is dedicated to bar dining only, which means you can't order from the restaurant menu in that area. **Cocktails:** We tried the Bad Apple, Ryan's Drink, an Old Fashioned with Nebbiolo reduction, and Grass is Green. They were amazing! This place really knows how to craft delicious cocktails. **Appetizers:** We ordered the Cavolfiore Caramellato, which is their caramelized cauliflower with garlic anchovy butter. WOW! Just WOW! If you're like me and borderline vegetarian, this is a must-try appetizer. It was so good that my husband, who usually mocks cauliflower, loved it! We even asked for plain bread to dip in the leftover anchovy butter. The balance of flavors in this dish was perfect! **Main Dishes:** Between the two of us, we ordered: - **Bucatini All'amatriciana**: This dish left me speechless! The homemade pasta is something that no pre-made pasta can ever substitute or match in flavor! - **Orecchiette Alla Autunno**: This pasta is DELICIOUS! It's a bit heavy for me, but the flavor is HEAVENLY! Pair this pasta with a Super Tuscan red wine (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese), and you'll forget about dieting! - **Bistecca Alla Griglia**: It had nice flavor, but it was missing sides. However, you can order sides separately. Pairing this with the Orecchiette is a match made in heaven! **Dessert:** We had Tiramisu and Grappa (my husband loves having this after an Italian dinner; I prefer limoncello). Is this the best tiramisu we've ever had? Absolutely NOT. The flavor is decent, but the texture was a bit watery. Though I've never attempted to make Tiramisu, I trust my palate. The texture balance was off, so it didn't leave me feeling like I was in heaven while eating it. The only issue I find difficult to accept is the imposed 20% tip on the bill. I'm not a big fan of being forced to do anything, including tipping. That doesn't mean we don't EVER give 20%, 30%, or even 50% tips; tipping is part of American culture, and I understand its importance. However, forcing guests to pay 20% when we don't know if our server is attentive enough is completely ABSURD! What happened if we have a shitty server like the Italian restaurant in Newport News at the City Center Oyster Point? We had to file a complaint and asked for the manager! That said, this particular restaurant, as well as the server and the host, deserve more than a 20% tip. At the end of the day, I stand by my principle that tips should never be automatically imposed on the guest check, especially when the prices of the dishes are already high. For instance, the host lady up front, the younger one, didn't even bother to ask if we were planning to have dinner or just cocktails and appetizers. I thought we could just sit at the bar and ordered dinner there. Nope! You can't do that! Thankfully, the older lady was kind enough and was willing to see if we could get any table to dine in. Had this host our server, I would be livid with the imposed 20% tips on my bill!!! This is the reason why I think it's RIDICULOUS!!! I would give this place 4.5 stars, but since there's no option for half-star increments, I'm dropping it to 4 stars.

    Chocolate creme brulee
    Bailey S.

    Great food, service, and atmosphere! The chocolate creme brulee (must-have if available!), pancetta wrapped shrimp, and bucatini were some of our particular favorites! They do charge a 20% gratuity to every bill which is listed on the menu but important to note.

    R F.

    Wonderful service and food! Tavola is easily one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. We tried a variety of appetizers (carciofo, pane e olio, and burrata), and they were all delicious. I ordered one of their specials for dinner, and it did not disappoint! For dessert, we tried the tiramisu, chocolate hazelnut tart, and affogato, which were also amazing. I highly recommend and will be returning!

    Capellini frutti di mare
    Kayla P.

    I'm a pasta lover so I was SO excited to try out this restaurant. I found it to be a bit overrated. The food, wine, and service were good. The noodles definitely tasted homemade and the sauce was yummy. However, the portions were pretty small and I wasn't wowed by anything. Disappointing and wishing I didn't hype it up in my head so much. Worth trying but we preferred Vivace's pasta, so we'll probably go back there next time. P.S. sorry for the blurry photos

    Calamari
    Jim L.

    This place is "the Charlottesville restaurant" and I do think this place is the best restaurant in Charlottesville. We had the four course meal at 65 dollars per person, which is reasonable. Notably, the squid ink past was cooked al-Dante and had good flavor. But the branzino was a bit too salty. I would definitely come back again for sure

    Marylee B.

    Service, drinks, and food are 5 stars! My coworker and I recently popped in after work (without a reservation) and sat at the bar. The bartender was attentive and recommended a tasty white wine for me. Highly recommend.

    Tiramisu
    Kirsten A.

    Somehow I've managed to live in Charlottesville for three years without making it here - so glad I finally got to try it! The restaurant is tiny, so reservations are a hit hard to come by. At the time I made the reservation the only option was the chef's table which is essentially bar seating but in the area where food is being prepared. It was cool to see the different dishes be plated and having the chefs chat with us, but would definitely recommend a regular table for a more intimate experience. Now onto the food and drinks! I'm currently pregnant so always appreciate a good mocktail selection. Here you can basically tell the bartender what flavor profile you want and they will come up with a mocktail for you, which I loved. The wine list looked excellent for the next time I come back. For food we ordered the scallop risotto and the shrimp pasta. Both came out perfectly and were super fresh and not too heavy, which was great because we knew we wanted to also get dessert. I got the tiramisu and it was the best I've had outside Italy. My husband ordered the gelato and an espresso and enjoyed both as well. This is definitely a spot that deserves to be a part of our date night rotation - we will definitely be back!

    Jacqueline D.

    Amazing Italian restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by the meal here. Reservations definitely needed. My main knock is that we had a reservation and weren't seated for over 15 minutes past the time (we had a late reservation). When in the main dining room at peak hour it is loud, so can be hard to hear your party if you're not very close to each other at the table. The food is stellar - lots of options and nothing disappointed. I was a big fan of the fried artichoke and burrata appetizers. The pappardellep was very wide cut which I loved! Specials menu has great seasonal items and constantly changes.

    Bolognese
    Alexandra A.

    I loved their pasta. The bolognese was really good. It's not heavy on the tomato which I appreciated. The seafood pasta was really good too, but it is a little salty. We also tried the homemade almond and blackberry gelato. It was soo good. The staff was amazing. Our waitress was great and really accommodating. I can't wait to come back and try more.

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    8 months ago

    Great food and love that the kitchen is part of the restaurant. Enjoyable environment with great service!

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    10 months ago

    Very loud with poor acoustics. Window seating is hot. Food is ok, staff is arrogant.

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - tavola

    What is the back room of Tacoma? Is it fully indoors or outside? We want to come for dinner but that's all that is available.

    The back is fully indoors. The dining room is at the front of the restaurant where the window is facing the street. The front is more well-lit and there is an open kitchen to see the kitchen staff at work. The back of the restaurant is more… Read more

    Do you have gluten free options?

    Yes, we do. We do not offer gluten free pasta though. Most of the gf dishes are meat based but there are vegetarian sides and risotto.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Lampo - Cool Scissors

    Lampo

    4.3(548 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Husband and I went here for dinner during our first night in Charlottesville. The pizza had great…read moretextures- thin crust on the bottom but bready at the edge, and the right amount of cheese and spicy sausage topping. We each got a pizza and were able to finish both since we were starving. We loved the pizza scissors! Our server was prompt, and we felt lucky to be seated right away on a Wednesday night. Their connecting bar was having a concert outside, with what felt like hundreds of people in attendance. We also learned that we could park in the industrial warehouse lot next door since it was after 5 PM. We'll be back!

    SERVICE We came in on a rainy evening and were told the…read morewait might be about 45 minutes...and no space to wait indoors so we sat outside in the covered patio and they came by to let us order drinks as we waited. Thankfully, got the drink and were called in early about 15 minutes into the wait. That little surprise made things start off on a good note. Once inside, we sat at the bar since there weren't tables available and we were HUNGRY and cold! Even with the weather and a busy crowd, everything felt smooth and relaxed. AMBIANCE The place was small and cozy with a warm vibe that instantly made us forget the rain outside! The cool shallot-shaped lamps over the bar gave off soft light, making the whole space feel super calm and inviting. Sitting at the bar felt right choice for us for our first time -- close enough to the energy of the restaurant and people watching and seeing the pizzas get made but still comfortable! There's a soft buzz but cozy enough to chat and just feel at home. FOOD We ordered the Abruzzo pizza with beef and pork meatballs, fiore di latte, San Marzano tomato, basil, and pecorino. It was hearty and rich but still balanced. We also wanted to try the Prosciutto pizza, which was not the favorite but still good. The San Marzano tomato sauce for the Abruzzo was the star of the show. We were sad we didn't order another pizza with the tomato sauce to switch it up but oh well, another time right?! Loved the floppiness, the tomato sauce flavor, and the crust! Have to love the scissor-plate idea -- very clever and so easy. And size of these personal small-sized pizzas perfect for 2 people so we could have room for dessert and not have leftovers! We finished with the Zeppole "donuts" which were fried ricotta donuts tossed in cinnamon sugar with a hint of lemon (which I LOVED the lemon here and cinnamon sugar worked perfectly!). They were light, warm, crispy and just what you want at the end of a meal. The food was delicious, though definitely on the pricier side ($16-$18 each for the small pizzas, $9 for dessert. Still, everything felt thoughtful and worth it for the quality!

    Photos
    Lampo
    Lampo - Meatball Pizza

    Meatball Pizza

    Lampo

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    Vivace - Chicken parm with gluten free pasta

    Vivace

    3.8(222 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    SERVICE Rolled in on a late night for a spontaneous date and…read morewas told the wait would be about 45 minutes since we didn't have a reservation. About a few minutes after purring our names down, we were told it could be shorter since some parties cancelled their reservation! AMBIANCE We were seated upstairs in a small table in the middle of the dining room. It was a cute candlelit and homey and cozy spot...the booths upstairs seemed to be able to fit 6 or so and it was somewhat loud later in the night due to some nearby folks on their second or third round of drinks. Once seated our waitress served us water and bread which was slightly warmed. We decided to each order a salad and try the pasta dishes but no sides to save room for dessert! FOOD Our salads came pretty quickly and were good portioned for the price in this economy. The spinach salad with goat cheese, beets and the walnut candied crunch were quite tasty and the Caesar was solid too. Nothing amazing but served as fresh appetizer/starters for us. 10-15 minutes later our pasta dishes arrived. The spaghetti bowl was massive and the bolognese was also a huge portion! The meatballs were hefty and well seasoned. While a bit oily for my taste and in leftover form, the bolognese dish was delicious! Loved the house made tagliatelle with the thick handmade bounce texture and beefy tomato sauce. Definitely too much food for us so we got a takeout box and took half home. The tiramisu was well portioned, fluffy and airy and the ladyfingers were not oversoaked and there wasn't as bold of an espresso flavor as I liked but definitely one of the better spots in this area. OVERALL Totally would return for next date night and way better valued than Tavola. Loved the pasta dishes way more here and the tiramisu was at least much more authentic in my opinion. Only taking off a star since our service was definitely way slower than expected after asking for more water and the check. But overall cute and solid through and though.

    Disappointed in the decline in service and quality. We've been a patron of Vivace for a long time,…read morebut have really seen a significant fall off in the last year or so - especially regarding service. Our most recent dinner there was slow and inattentive. Dishes were forgotten and did not arrive, and the ones that came were lukewarm at best. No one cleared plates and no one checked on our satisfaction with our meals. Expect an experience that leans heavily on the long time reputation of the place and less on the current quality of the food and service.

    Photos
    Vivace - The hallway of the restaurant

    The hallway of the restaurant

    Vivace - Rockfish with butternut risotto

    Rockfish with butternut risotto

    Vivace - Peach bellini

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    Peach bellini

    Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Seafood Pappardelle

    Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar

    3.8(166 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    On my quest to try every single Italian establishment in Charlottesville somehow I missed this gem…read more The food here was spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of my meal. The ambiance of the location was that of an upscale Italian eatery. The perfect spot to celebrate a big accomplishment or fancy date night dinner. Our server was something to behold. He waited in every table in the room. It was super crowded but he took time at each table to make the customers feel welcomed. Will definitely add this to the list of must try spots in Cville.

    This local Italian gem exceeded every expectation. The ambiance was warm and welcoming, making it…read moreeasy to relax and truly enjoy the experience without ever feeling rushed. You can taste the quality in every bite -- from the locally sourced meats to the fresh, thoughtfully prepared dishes. The calamari was hands down the best I've ever had -- lightly breaded and perfectly cooked so you could actually taste the seafood. Our table ordered the Seafood Pappardelle, Carne Carmello, Chicken, and Manicotti, and every dish was exceptional. Each entrée comes with a house salad and their spectacular homemade dressing, which honestly could be a star on its own. The whole experience felt like eating in a friend's home rather than a restaurant. Incredible food, fair pricing, and genuine hospitality. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar
    Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Salad wine and bread

    Salad wine and bread

    Carmello's Restaurant & Wine Bar - Tomato Risotto which is rich yet light and perfectly seasoned, goes great with Chicken Parm or Veal

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    Tomato Risotto which is rich yet light and perfectly seasoned, goes great with Chicken Parm or Veal

    tavola - italian - Updated May 2026

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