The last time I went to Rafagino I gave it 5 stars, sadly I had to take off one star. Mostly…read morebecause I didn't have the same feelings as I've had with my previous visits. The bread that was served was spicy and orange ( not traditional) - we had just returned 2 days earlier from a European trip and at no time received bread like this at our table. I wish I had been warned about the bread by the server because I can't tolerate spicy foods. It's ok that the menu had changed- my favorite lobster dish was gone. And the wine that we ordered was not available ( it was as explained that a new wine list was being printed- so to taste the wine from DOURA valley again was not going to be possible ). Our meals were good mine was the fried shrimp and my husband's was pasta and sausage - he commented that he would have like a little less sauce and more pasta ( being Italian he likes pasta and I noticed that there was only a bit on the plate) I had told the server that we were celebrating our anniversary- after dinner she came out with a tray of desserts and said we would like you to have a dessert to celebrate your anniversary. So we picked on to share and asked for a cup of coffee. We mentioned that was a nice gesture for the restaurant. We discovered later that it was not a gesture at all. The dessert was added to our bill. All and all it was a nice evening out. We will go again in about a year or two to look at their new menu and wine list. I am hoping for an improvement. If not. I will need to find another favorite restaurant.

Intimate | portions | community…read more Intimate Rafagino offers a warm, intimate dining atmosphere that feels more like a neighborhood gathering place than a chain-style restaurant. The smaller setting and attentive service create a relaxed, personal experience that works especially well for date nights or quiet meals with friends. Portions Portions are generous and satisfying. Pasta dishes and entrees arrive hearty and filling, often with enough for leftovers. It's comfort-style Italian that doesn't hold back on quantity. Community There's a strong community feel here -- from the welcoming tone of the staff to the loyal local customer base. The restaurant reflects a family-first ethos that shows up in both service style and operating approach. Pro tip: Check the hours before you go. They keep limited days and times -- mostly late lunch and dinner service -- which reflects their family values and operating philosophy.

We frequently eat here and always enjoy the ambiance. Food is always delicious. Service is always…read morefriendly.

Energy | Grilled Chicken | Atmosphere…read more Energy: This place has genuinely great energy from the moment you walk in. The restaurant is divided into two rooms, each with a slightly different feel. The main dining room is large but arranged fairly tightly, with tables close together. While it's snug, it gives off a warm, lively "big family restaurant" vibe -- full of conversation, movement, and shared enjoyment rather than feeling cramped. The second room is more private and quieter, with about 8-10 tables that seat roughly 4-6 people each. If you're looking for a more intimate or low-noise experience, that room is definitely the better choice. Grilled Chicken: I ordered the grilled chicken, and it was a standout. The portion was generous and satisfying without being overwhelming. The chicken itself was well-seasoned and cooked through while still remaining juicy. The vegetables served alongside it weren't just an afterthought -- they were well prepared and complemented the flavors of the dish nicely, adding balance and color to the plate. Altogether it felt like a thoughtfully composed, hearty meal. Atmosphere: We visited on a Saturday night, and the place was packed -- always a good sign for popularity and food quality. Even without a reservation, the wait was only about 10 minutes, which was impressive given how busy it was. The one drawback to the evening was seating. We ended up next to a family with three very young kids, which shifted the mood away from the romantic dinner we had planned. The lively environment is great for groups and families, but table placement can definitely affect the experience depending on what kind of evening you're hoping for. Pro tips: - There's a surprisingly good amount of parking available, which makes arrival easy even during peak hours. - Make a reservation if you can, and specifically request the more private room or a back-corner table in the main dining room for a quieter, more intimate experience.

We used to come to Vellagio years ago and today came back looking for a spectacular lobster…read moreravioli... but it was a little disappointed about the food. The fried calamari were cold and over fried and lobster ravioli... it not what we remembered just to be. However, our server Lorena did a great job, she was friendly and nice and made the best she could to attend our demands and suggestions. Thank you Lorena.

Always a hit. Love the cozy vibe of the restaurant, service is always attentive, and they truly…read morehave a no-skip menu Our server Rick was amazing and offered to sample us some wine when we couldn't decide as a group, and we ended up with the Whittier Sauvignon Blanc and it paired well with everything we ordered I will say their carbonara leans more toward an Alfredo, it's super cheesy. But I'm not complaining!! Super delicious Salmon picatta is always a go-to for me - super light and refreshing with the lemon and always hits the spot Calamari is a great portion for sharing and a crowd pleaser. And of course can never go wrong with a 7 layer chocolate cake Will always recommend Trattoria Villagio

We love Giardino's! Our family has been enjoying this fantastic Italian restaurant since moving to…read morethe area. BEST pizza in the area if you are looking for stone baked. I have been trying from their weekly specials lately and I wish some of these were on the regular menu. So delicious. While it is a pleasant atmosphere, esp with the patio seating on a nice evening, but ever since the pandemic we've ordered a ton of to-go food and it's always hot and ready when we get there. Excellent service!

Recently was taken to Giardino's for my neighbor's 85th birthday fete. The atmosphere was…read morepleasant. The waiter was attentive and courteous. My neighbor's husband ordered the vegetarian lasagna and I ordered the meat lasagna. When my friend inquired whether her spouse enjoyed his dinner he just shrugged his shoulders and grimaced. I found my entree to be bland and it was not savory. I did not even eat half of my dinner; it was that bad. The birthday dessert, which was strawberry cheesecake, was delicious. I felt sick later that evening. What a disappointment!

Nice restaurant that has been around for a while. They just renovated and connected their wine bar…read moreto the main restaurant creating a casual pizza dining room with a separate cozy wine room dinning area. The grilled octopus with artichoke and garlic potatoes top with chopped basil is absolutely delicious. The flavor really comes together very nicely and the octopus is grilled perfectly. It is The Best grilled octopus in Nova. Highly recommend getting it . Another favorite appetizer is the fried calamari, fried mozzarella, and the mussels. The osso buco is to die for! It is tender veal shank braised with Chianti and vegetables on top of saffron risotto. Cioppino is delicious served on pasta. The lasagna was delicious and the seafood pasta was also very tasty. They're rotating menu or chef special menu as always very good. You can also have variety of pasta made your way with different style options and protein options. We like the chicken piccata which is packed with flavor. The sauce with the capers is really delicious. We tried the chicken marsala which is light in flavor. We would have liked the flavor to be a little more flavorful. They also have great cocktails. The margaritas, espresso martini, pama smash, and the limoncello martini are great cocktails. They have rotating cocktail menu and happy hour specials. The dessert, mixed berry crisp is delicious with a scoop of ice cream on top! We've been back since and had their pizza which is also delicious! Their rotating specials menu featured a lobster pasta with spicy tomato sauce which was delicious and loaded with large pieces of lobster which is probably equivalent to an entire lobster! The tomato sauce was slightly spicy with just the right amount of acidity. There was a robust amount of lobster in the pasta. They do not skimp here! Absolutely delicious! If you like spicy pasta you will like the penne arrabbiata with sausage added. The flavor is really good with capers and olives in a spicy tomato sauce. The New York strip is really flavorful. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the flavor was with the broccoli and roasted potatoes. The braised lamb shank is delicious, it is fall of the bone tender and delicious. They have a beer battered large soft shell crab appetizer on top of spicy tomato sauce. This is very flavorful and delicious.

Thank you to the entire team at Dolce Vita for hosting my mother's 70th birthday! The vibes were…read moreflowing, the wine was pouring and the great food, friendly staff, and wine cellar ambiance made for a great and memorable evening. Special shout outs go to the events manager Heather for working with us on a last minute reservation and for day of manager Erin for being super communicative with some questions we had after the event. Great food and drink is wonderful but it is the people who go above and beyond service that really set a business for long term success (it's no wonder Dolce Vita has been around for over 25 years). Best dishes of the night included the arancini, fileto al pepe and the pesto grilled salmon. And the cannolis .... well I am still dreaming about them! I definitely need to figure out which bakery they source their sweets from because I've never had cannolis or Italian cookies as good as theirs.

Good food. Good prices…read more Service was excellent. My server was really nice, helpful and accommodating. I will come back if in the area at lunchtime. Being a Greek restaurant, I started with the avgolemono soup. With chicken, celery and carrots, though on the tart side, was still very good. For my entrée, I went with the hamburger sub. It hit the spot, subduing my ravenous hunger. I also ordered a side of garlic bread. I expected just a couple of pieces of garlic bread, but was wowed to receive a whole plate of bread. The garlic bread was nothing fancy, but still decent. They do serve breakfast even though they don't open till 11am on weekdays (10 am on Saturday and 9am on Sunday).

I was in the neighborhood and wanted to find a gyro, something in me kept saying go try this place…read moreout instead of going to my other spot in Springfield and boy am I glad I did! The Gyro here was full of seasoning, they were able to accommodate for me grilled onions on my Gyro instead of raw, and it was just perfection, generous meat portion as well. It was so good that I was sad I was finished haha I'll be honest the steak and cheese was also very very delicious which surprised me. It was so good that I would come back just to have that. I wish they did hand cut fries instead of the frozen ones, but those were OK.

Great customer service…read more Great customer service. The garlic knots are exceptional . We have been making this a frequent stop on our drives up north.

Don't let looks deceive you... it was so good even though our eyes were bigger than our bellies…read more.. it was all eaten before our 5 hour ride to get home ended! There was a tal skinny younger than me gentleman w maybe shoulder length dreds that was super helpful and nice.

We recently hosted a 60th Anniversary Party luncheon for 40 guests at Bellissimo Restaurant and it…read morewas wonderful. We offered our guests a choice of lamb shank, salmon, chicken, and a stuffed pasta dishes as their entree and everyone said the food was delicious. I had the lamb and my wife the chicken. Both were excellent. The staff was very responsive to all our special and other requests both before and during the party and the service was all we could ask for. We took over the whole restaurant, and the ambience was very nice. A nice plus for us and our guests, was the ready availability of parking in the area. David F. September 6, 2026

In August, we celebrated our wedding anniversary and this week we celebrated the birthdays of our…read moretwin 30-year-olds! It is such a great atmosphere for family celebrations! It is quaint and quiet to have great conversation. Our waitress was very attentive. Wish she would smile more!

Surprisingly of all the times I've been in the area and have frequented mosaic since it opened I…read morehave not tried Alta Strada. I must say I was happy with my experience. We were a group of 8 going for a surprise dinner for a bride to be. The decor was rustic and very cute. For the most part they were efficient and quite kind. The few times it was a bit slow I think it was because we were a bigger party chatting and waiting for the main guest, they didn't know when the best time to ask what we needed. So not really on them. I tried the seasonal mocktail (wish I remembered the one I got), calamari, and the penne all a vodka with chicken as my protein. Everything was presented well and tasted great. I am very interested to return to try some of their other items on the menu.

My girlfriends and I stopped in for our first visit on a Saturday afternoon for lunch, and we were…read morepleasantly surprised to be seated immediately. Service throughout the meal was excellent. Our waitress was attentive without hovering, kept drinks topped off, checked in at all the right times, and made the experience feel welcoming from start to finish. The dining room itself left me with mixed feelings. It was incredibly humid inside, to the point where it became distracting during the meal. The booth seating also wasn't my favorite. The pleather-style upholstery made it surprisingly difficult to slide in and out, especially if you're sitting toward the wall. It's a small detail, but one that stood out. We ordered family-style so everyone could sample a little of everything, which I always think is the best way to experience a menu. The Caesar salad was the undeniable star of the table. Absolute banger. The dressing tasted unmistakably house-made with the perfect balance of richness, garlic, lemon, and anchovy. It's one of those deceptively simple dishes that can be hard to execute well, and they absolutely nailed it. The carbonara was enjoyable overall with a silky sauce and great flavor, but the pancetta was cut into pieces that were much larger than necessary. Smaller pieces would have distributed the flavor more evenly and made each bite feel better balanced. The table bread with the red sauce was another pleasant surprise. Fresh, comforting, and exactly the kind of thing that keeps everyone reaching for "just one more piece." The chicken parm sandwich had plenty of potential, but it was noticeably dry. It really needed a more generous helping of marinara to bring everything together and add the moisture you'd expect from a chicken parm. One area that could definitely use some attention is the restrooms. They were functional, but they felt tired compared to the rest of the restaurant and would really benefit from a refresh or remodel. Overall, this was a solid first visit with far more positives than negatives. While I'd probably skip the carbonara and chicken parm sandwich next time in favor of trying other menu items, that Caesar salad is something I'd order again in a heartbeat. It's rare for a salad to completely steal the show, but this one absolutely did. I'll definitely be back to see what else the kitchen has to offer.

Picked up a 10-inch pepperoni and sausage pizza from Bozzelli's in Springfield for my son at soccer…read morecamp, and it was a massive hit with the boy. The pizza was hand-tossed deliciousness with exceptional, crisp pepperoni cups and a great-tasting sausage. The crust was great and the sauce was a solid standard. While it runs a bit pricier compared to standard national chains and lower-end pizza joints, the bump in quality makes it completely worth it. Ordering was a breeze via their kiosk or speaking directly with a human, and the staff were great.

Representing 2012 in Scrapbook series is Bozzelli's. I worked near here in 2011-2012 and went here…read morea couple of times for lunch. Their sub sandwiches were excellent and big too. Interestingly, my girlfriend went to the Georgetown DC location in Sept. 2025 after a Potomac River cruise for a Bachelorette party. I told I remembered when I was working in Springfield area going to this location near the office. She said she really enjoyed her food too.