La Vigna

Have not been here in over a year, because it seemed a bit off last time we came. Well it sure was on tonight. A perfect dinner. Lovely, small, comfortable restaurant. We were greeted immediately after entering and seated. The service was impeccable. Every time I thought I might need more water, the fellow would magically appear with a pitcher. Whenever it occurred to me that the server hadn’t checked on us, he would come over and ask if we needed anything. And the food was delicious. Mussels marinara: delicious. We finished the marinara as if it were a bowl of soup. Stuffed mushroom and chicken with prosciutto and eggplant was scrumptious. Plus the best Tiramisu we have yet to taste. Very clean, very relaxing environment. A pleasure. Priced right. Most highly recommended.

Beautiful place, Excellent Service, I was going to leave 2 stars, but at the end, the server tried his best to make our experience better. First off, as an appetizer, we ordered the cocktail shrimps, which, for over $15, I imagined they would have come in at a decent size. Unfortunately, we received 4 small supermarket style shrimps, which were very small but delicious, no complaint, but when my daughters' $50 ribeye steak came out and after a couple of bites I noticed her not eating anymore, I asked why? she replied that the steak had an unusual smell and taste? I took the steak myself and decided to try it out. Oh boy, the smell was bad, but the taste was so horrible and it had a very sour taste, right away I stopped eating and decided to take my loss. lucky for me, our server was nice enough to deduct it from my check and also apologized, which meant they did care. Would I come back likely not? I lived in this neighborhood for about 6 years and always wanted to try this place sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. Pros Service Very Clean Good Music Cons Portions Price

Like another reviewer, haven’t been there in awhile since the last visit was “off”, but on Saturday evening all was fine. The decor seemed to have been spruced up and polished including new lighting and the kitchen was able to keep up with the demands (although only three tables were occupied). Hopefully, the kitchen and wait staff can keep the restaurant at this level when it is filled to capability. Mostly a traditional menu with a few specialties of the chef.Try the exceptional Bocconcini Di Pollo and Cappuccino Tartufo.

I was the magician at a private event there tonight. They were extremely accommodating and friendly, and went out of their way to make sure I was fed. The food is also delicious. Some of the best garlic bread and seafood I’ve had in a long time. I will definitely be going back for dinner. Thanks for a great experience!

This was $54 for a thanksgiving meal & a slice of pumpkin pie. Absolutely rediculous! This looks like half an order. Never wasting money here again.

My daughter and I ate here for the first time, for lunch. The atmosphere was beautiful and the service was attentive. However, I was dissatisfied that I paid for an entree that I asked to be taken away after eating only two bites. I asked to order another entree which was delicious. I was suprised to recieve the bill, which included the entree I did not eat. Be mindful of what you're going to order as the marinara sauce can be quite salty.

Food was great, every serving was excellent. Also, the service was impeccable ! The owner and staff are very helpful. Try the veal !

One of the worst restaurants I have ever ate at. No taste. Low quality. It’s a shame because it’s a nice looking place.

The food is so authentic and very delicious!!! The chicken special was amazing stuffed with prosciutto cheese and asparagus. Wow. The baked clams and special asparagus was delicious. The chocolate mousse cake was yummy! Homemade on premise. Anthony and staff welcoming and hospitable. Amazing experience.

The establishment is small, but cozy. Sorry had to check my ambience box. We have not had good luck with waiting. This was like an hour, probably because there was 50 beside us for a baptism after party (congrats Gabriel!!) While we were waiting, we got bread. It was crunchy and good. But bread is bread, you know it's gonna be good. Also the sprite I had was top tier sprite, second only to McDonalds. Okay, let's cut to the good (or should I say mediocre) part: my Calamari e yadda yadda yadda. I don't speak French. The calamari was pretty fire I won't lie. But the shrimp was a tad overcooked for my taste, and when I tried peeling off the crust the shrimp inside was the most plain thing ever. Also the marinara dipping sauce tasted good. By the way, we said it was one of my party members' birthday, and they did nothing. Overall, the food was okay but I liked the ambience. Also my other party members seemed to be fine with their meals, so maybe I got the wrong thing. 3/5 Also no streetpass.

Delighted to say that my recent visit to this restaurant was a positive one. The first thing I noticed was the decor. The decor seems to be cleaned up, spruced up and polished. Even the lighting distinctly seems different and much more upbeat in mood. I'm not sure if it's the color or the type of bulbs used or what it is but it makes a difference. (It also makes the check look white when it is actually yellow!) The menu is limited but we'll executed with a just a few daily specials. The pear salad and Caesar salad were fine. The stuffed sole was good and the breaded chicken with olives and prosciutto was excellent as was the cappuccino tartufo. But only three tables were occupied on a Saturday evening so the service was attentive and the chef was able to prepare the dishes in a reasonable amount of time. In a previous visit the kitchen and wait staff were overwhelmed by the number of patrons and the food was agonizingly slow to come from the kitchen. None of that was evident on this visit. This restaurant seems to have decided to compromise for increasing costs by reducing portion sizes and adding a 3.5% surcharge to non cash payments. The portions are adequate but don't count on bringing home a doggie bag for another meal. But prices have been kept reasonable as well. Time will tell if La Vigna can again handle working at full capacity. But for now, it's definitely back on my list of places to go to.

As soon as we sat down they brought a little bread plate and informed us of the specials. We ordered the Burrata Mozzarella Caprese which was nice and creamy. Really nice! For mains we ordered the gnocchi Bolognese and the Cavatelli con Bricole di Salsiccia. The Gnocchi Bolognese was really good with soft gnocchis and a nice meaty sauce. The Cavatelli was well cooked but very plain so I probably wouldn't order again. We also decided to order the pear martini and the Bellini which were nice enough. The atmosphere was pretty quiet but there were some regulars and others trickling in towards the end of our meal.

My ravioli was pretty good, but our food took forever to get. Too bad there was a baptism after party next to us. They played some okay songs,but the baby clearly didn't like the baptism, he cried for a bit.

Delicious Italian food! Reasonably-priced! The veal sorrentino and chicken francaise were amazing! Italian bread was awesome! Ravioli... sooo good!

We've had excellent meals here, lately. 99% is knowing what to order. Definitely start with the Pear Salad. Clams and mussels are super, as are pasta and mushrooms.

Came here recently. Ordered the food to go about an hour before closing, we were so hungry and in the mood for spaghetti. Sixty something dollars for two spaghetti's with meat and a pear salad. The salad was pretty good. The food! Tasted like they dumped an entire container of salt with the noodles and meat. Barely any meat. The taste was horrible. I had to go back in originally for utensils. And I most definitely would have got my money back if we didn't drive so far away before eating. Will not be going back

The food wasn't super bad but the portion is SUPER small. For an entree that costs $25 to have literally 2 small pieces of potatoes, a single carrot & 2 broccoli for sides is definitely not enough. The service wasn't too bad & you can see the waiters preferred to serve the bigger tables (more tips I suppose). The older woman there was really gracious and sweet. The overall ambiance wasn't too bad - very family friendly & intimate, but probably wouldn't return there.

Went here for an early outdoor dinner in their backyard. No frills but nice. Just as we were drinking our first cocktail, my Dark Sky app announced a coming storm in five minutes. Five minutes later Boom! Cloudburst . The people around us wanted to know about the app that was SO accurate . The Maitr'd Tony immediately relocated us farther under the tent and we dined watching the rain come tumbling down! We ordered a nice veal Marsala now and fish salad for my guest. Delightful. A real treat eating out in a restaurant. Ah civilization!

I placed a delivery order through Grubhub. There was oil all over the inside of the bag and the containers. You'd think for a $35 steak they'd put some care into the way it's packed. The steak was dry and overcooked. I ordered it medium and it was medium well/well done. It was a very lean piece of meat. The mushrooms were fine. The side spinach was OK, but I don't see how it's worth the $9.50 they charge. I wouldn't mind if the spinach was paired with a nice steak, but, well, it wasn't.

We had a party of 12 and while the service was ok (not friendly) the food was subpar. It felt like microwave and freezer type of food. Taste was mediocre and pasta was over cooked. Desert was skinny - when we complained they said they ran out of some of the cakes and cut it thinner - seriously? Ambience was not terrible but when you looked closer you saw it was run down and not the cleanest place.

** PRE-COVID REVIEW ** Came here a couple times, only for their lunch special. Totally worth it! Room is long, brightly lit during the day and has a classic Italian family restaurant. Portions are definitely shareable off the lunch menu and price within standards. Not everything is great, but many items in the lunch menu are. Unfortunately you're served cold bread once seated. Friendly staff, but 2/3 times I've dined there, service was lacking. Worth checking out if within the area, not worth going out your way for.

The service was very good. The ambiance was okay. The food tasted reheated, from freezer to microwave.

Came for dinner on a weeknight and it was very lowkey. Food was tasty and they have a good wine list. I ordered a side order of pasta and I'm so glad that I did - it was a generous portion!

Will never go back. Thanksgiving giving meal was disappointing. Not much food, nothing to take home. Soup was full of turkey skin, stuffing was mush. Service was okay and ambience was minimal. I made the reservation for my family and was so embarrassed.

Food was mediocre Service extremely slow Some of the meals had to be packed to go because some in our group had to get on the road to get home I will not be returning there

The worst. I would not recommend this place. They took forever to bring our food, The waiter hid in the back. Even the bread was bad. Maybe one time, may moons ago it was good but not the case now.

It's cozy, excellent service, food is good and they just make you feel comfortable. Celebrated my Birthday here and one of my friends. Good Italian food.

I have been going here for years, always a good experience. Ordered delivery today and the portions were literally half their normal portions. The delivery is expensive which isn't their fault but it makes it worse that we paid this much for so little food.

We ordered La Vigna for my dads bday via seamless. The order took a while, so the food wasn't super warm. Would definitely think pickup would be the way to go. We got a Caesar and burrata to start, both good. Then I got the shrimp in a white wine sauce, and then we got a variety of pastas. All really good.

Truly one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had, especially for Valentine's Day dinner. Highly shortened menu served extra slowly. Stale bread, small portions, clumped pasta. The overburdened waitress was sweet and great wine at fair price. We finally had to leave after 2 hours before entrees were even served! A nightmare.

The food is always wonderful. You'd normally walk right past this restaurant, but it's a diamond in the rough. It's a quaint little place but the food is delicious and reasonably priced. It isn't cheap, but you get what you pay for. The service is a little slow but I'm happy to wait, have my drink, enjoy the ambience, and just have a nice relaxed meal. I've never felt rushed going here!

We went yesterday July 18 2021-I found the food very salty-we had chicken and veal parm. Salad was ok. Waiter very polite but had an absolutely dirty apron around his waist at our eye level. Portions small for the price. Sweets ok. Cappuccino ok because I asked extra short of expresso. Food is served on small old plates-perhaps as old as the restaurant. Overall nice atmosphere. Soft music. Bathroom so and so clean. 3 people-$180 and had no alcoholic drinks.

We have lived in Forest Hills for close to 40 years. We have eaten in most all venues that have opened and closed around our neighborhood Tonight's attempt to eat at La Vigna was so horrible all seven of us got up and left after close to 1.5 hours waiting to have our order taken, get water and bread placed on the table. From a shockingly rude and incompetent waitress to stale bread, this place just kept piling up negatives. None of us would ever ever go back and you shouldn't even think of going. Many other places to have a decent meal in Forest Hills.

We are the "older Asian couple" mentioned in Jenn C's 04/30 review. We were at La Vigna half-hour before her family of 4 arrived (witnessed their temperatures taken). Before they left abruptly, she cursed the owner and staff in foul F*** words which they did not deserve. La Vigna is a fine Italian restaurant which not only serves great food but also offers a fine dining experience (not a fast food joint indeed). We are grateful to Chef Giuseppe, son Anthony and staff for their total dedication during this difficult Covid-19 time. They deserve our applauses not false accusations.

Just finished an amazing "take-out" Christmas dinner with all the trimmings at La Vigna. I swear, Giuseppe makes the best lasagna I've ever tasted !!

It's as if the three Italian restaurants along the the two block strip of Metropolitan Avenve, east and west of 70th seem to not have the attentions of folks that live outside of Forest Hills North. Little in the way of passers thru ever seem to know much about them, when in point of fact, we hold host to some of the best Italian food around. Sitting solo for lunch, I was thoroughly impressed with how quickly I became totally at ease, taking in the charming interior. Starting off with a Negroni, prepared to perfection I sat looking out the window nibbling complementary olives, cheese and bread. My Chicken Francese was just so moist and flavorful but in a subdued manner, with white wine, butter and herbs just lightly tapping upon my tastebuds. Everything about my meal, the service was a five star dining experience and reasons as to why most every table was taken.

Post Covid Review We used to love this pace before Covid but visited again and the food was terrible. I had what I thought was risotto but it was a full blown plate of rice. Maybe the owners changed but even the upkeep was lacking and it was freezing. We will not be back.

Would give zero if I could. The food is absolutely DISGUSTING and inedible. There's a reason the other Italian restaurants nearby have waits and this one doesn't.

After passing by this restaurant for so many years, I finally decided to give this place a try... and I wasn't disappointed at all! First off, the service was top notch! My friends and I walked in around 12:45/1pm on a Sunday and were seated immediately. We were given menus and told the soups of the day. Their lunch menu was quite extensive unlike other place where they only give you 2-3 options for appetizers and entrées. After ordering, we were given a fresh basket of bread - we probably could've eaten two or three baskets since the bread was so fresh! For appetizers, we ordered the Mozzarella Corrozza basically a fried Italian grilled cheese, stuffed mushrooms with cheese and herbs then broiled so the top is nice and crisp, as well as the mussels -perfect amount of mussels in one of the best tomato based sauces ever! I was so tempted to keep the sauce to dip my bread into it. All of our appetizers were amazing! So flavorful and plentiful, though I wish they had given us one or two more stuffed mushrooms. For entrées, we ordered the Veal Sorrentino - cooked to perfection, topped with cheese, prosciutto, eggplant, and herbs, in a delectable tomato based sauce, Medagiloni Di Maiale alla Pizzaiola - pork sautéed with a blend of mushrooms, peppers, onions, garlic in a tomato sauce, and the Spaghetti Puttanesca which came in a heaping bowl of perfectly cooked and seasoned spaghetti, with olives, capers, garlic, and anchovies in a light tomato sauce. Such good food for only $17 a person!! We ended our meals with coffee- nice fragrant and strong coffee to wash everything down and leave us feeling full and happy! We will be back!

I have been here multiple times now. I have always been impressed with the service but more importantly the food. My dinner this evening on a Friday night was not rushed and I did request that. We spent 3 hours over multiple courses and the entire evening was excellent. I highly recommend La Vigna to anyone looking for a true Italian dinner.

This used to be an excellent restaurant. Above average to great food with great prices and reasonable prices. standards have slipped in the kitchen. Food is something meh or plain bad. sometimes salty instead of greasy. Portions are smaller. Are the cocktails a little weaker? prob not going back, that's a loss for me

Took a friend out for his birthday to La Vigna, hadn't been here for a year. We were ravenous! Otherwise, we probably would have sent the food back. The chef was very heavy-handed with the salt, starting with the baked clams (and I'm a salt fan), and continuing to my very salty Pollo Marsala. My friend ordered the Veal ai Funghi, which was so tough he could barely chew it and left part of the serving. Italians expect quality veal scallopini to be tender enough to cut with a fork, not tough enough to choke you! When we told the waiter, he smiled without acknowledging and asked if we'd like dessert. NOT GOING BACK!

IMHO -Prices are high for what you get -Who serves Italian food without bread -Red pepper flakes lacked a punch -Service just ok

Terrific, small, neighborhood Italian restaurant. Excellent service. Delicious food. Great drinks. Very cozy. My favorite place!

So went here - wanted to support this place during COVID for Father's Day 2021. The host (didn't get his name) came across very cold, not warm or welcoming. It's Father's Day, we are dining there, bringing in business....smile a little. The menu was not prix fix so it was their regular menu. We were there a little past 1pm, and were given a dinner menu--where the prices were rather high for what they served. The cheese on my chicken parmigiana was barely melted. One other shrimp dish was a dinner entree, yet so tiny! Will not be going back. I did go there for lunch - in Dec. 2020, and I remember it being great back then. I was very disappointed this time around.

When you come here you'll generally find an older clientele, but don't let that fool you to think the food is bland and overcooked. It's a nice quaint restaurant whose ambiance isn't it's strong suit. This place is like a hidden gem for very good italian food in the metropolitan area. And having dined here for the 2nd time, I have to say that the food here pretty flavorful and tasty. The prices aren't bad either. Would recommend.

La Vigna is one of my favorite places to go to for lunch on weekdays. They have a great deal for lunch special which is an appetizer and entree for $17. The lunch special is a pre-fixed menu with 8 selections for appetizers and 10 selections for entrees. Their appetizers are ok - I've had the eggplant rollatini and mussels fra diavolo before, nothing special. I love their chicken francese (basic, I know), and usually add on a side of pasta for $7.50. Service is a little slow during lunch hour, but that is expected.

Unless your Ray or white...do not bother to dine here!!! Saw an older ASIAN couple arriving when waking in. My family ordered only entrees. an hour went by. An "American" couple arrive after My family and they received their meal before us. Yes this place is old school! We left n should anyone else That has to Deal with this nonsense!!!

We dine here every December for our union meeting/holiday celebration and it's a very nice choice for such a get together. The food is delicious, with four options in two courses soup, salad, fried and crusted mozzarella and mussels for appetizers. And tilapia, ravioli, chicken parm or chicken francese for entrees. They take a long time to prepare the yummy food but it's worth the wait. The only drawback for a large gathering that we have is the looooong tables which don't allow for great socializing. But the restaurant is long and thin too so there's no choice.

Very bad attitudes , waiter never apologized for the the foods that was cooked wrong We ordered medium rare steak , the steak came up completely rare , so we asked if they can kindly make us a new one. However , they used the same piece of meat to cook again, not even once , twice but 3 times!!!!!! Horrible taste ! Won't recommend anyone to go

Always great food and service. If you're ever on metropolitan ave, give this place a try!! The decor is stank old, but the food is great!

Very disappointing. Not consistent at all in anything except the price of a glass of wine. This is an Italian restaurant on a weekend night and twice, they say they've run out of bolognese (meat) sauce. How is this possible? Furthermore, if this is REALLY true, why not have more available for the next time since it's so popular? This makes no sense. Poor management. Wait staff is insufficient for the number of customers, although it is a small place. I don't mind waiting for food to arrive, assuming it's fresh, but even to order anything or just get the waiter's attention for the check? Additionally, the menu has no type of alfredo or cream sauce for its pastas. Most sauces seem to be some kind of oil and garlic, besides a very few tomato sauces. People do enjoy cream sauces, and not a single one? Poor Italian pasta dish selection, in my opinion. The quality of the food, also, isn't consistent. You order the cold antipasto and sometimes 1 kind of cheese instead of 2, different meats, one of which was inedible recently because of its chewiness, no olives on another occasion, etc. Plus this last time, I ordered the mushroom sauce pasta with porcini mushrooms that looked like canned mushrooms, and it was certainly no where near as good as the first time I ordered it, that's for sure. The sauce, too, was not the same and more greasy. At another time, they didn't even give us bread without my having to ask for it. Mind you, these are weekend evenings and maybe around 6:00 pm, not even the busiest dinner time, which is usually later. To sum up, we end up spending too much time, and way too much money for a meal that is completely "unspecial"and not satisfying. The only positive for me about this whole place is the look of the inside restaurant. Skip this one for Italian food. Not worth it.

Ordered off their pre-fix lunch menu for Christmas Day. Regular menu was not offered so cannot comment on that (never been to La Vigna before). Menu offerings were pretty basic considering it was a holiday (place was busy by the way), and I had a hard time deciding on what to order---and not because the choices were overwhelming or sounded too-good, either. More of a "ok I have to choose SOMETHING" kind of feeling. Settled on the Mussels Fra Diavolo appetizer and Rib-eye Steak with Wild Mushrooms for the main course. Red Sangria to drink. Mussels were bland, small, and barely any sauce. Steak was large but extremely fatty, and undercooked (I asked for medium-well and got *barely* above rare). Service, while polite during any interaction, was also very sparse and inattentive which is why I didn't bother sending back the steak to be re-fired....I figured by the time I was able to flag down our actual waiter, AND get my dish back, the rest of the table would be nearly finished eating. Sangria was bitter---tasted as though it were made with a low-quality wine. Highlight of the evening was the chocolate-almond tartufo. At least I *think* that's what it was called....Here, let me explain: When we asked for the dessert menu (yeah the meal was not that great but it WAS Christmas Day, so why not have dessert)...we were told the restaurant doesn't have a dessert menu and the waiter spouted off about 8 different dessert choices in about 1.2 seconds flat. Add in a noisy restaurant and his mumbled voice, was not easy to catch them all. He was quite annoyed when we politely asked if he could repeat them (there were 5 of us at the table). So I had the tartufo but not sure if it was almond or hazelnut to be quite honest. It was tasty though. Sadly, a tartufo is not enough to bring me back, or, recommend this restaurant. Quite a disappointment. Especially for a holiday meal.

Wonderful experience! Delicious food and great service. Nice outdoor set up with heaters for the winter covid restrictions. Highly recommend!

To whom it may concern; Yesterday luncheon was a complete disaster, have visit your place few times. But yesterday was a joke. Certain things we picked was not available: Fried calamari, Osobucco, why keep dishes on the menu if they're not available? After we made our choice the food was cool, my potatoes were cold, veggies look warm, for shrimp appetizer you charged $15 for four shrimps!! Fillet of soul stuffed with crab meat was a mush on the plate, the fish must've been frozen and it fell apart when you were preparing it. You have to shape up!!! Me you have lost as a customer, plus I was embarrassed by my quests, who came from Manhatta. Eugenia

Honestly, food was good and so was the service, but we wouldn't go back. WAY too pricy for the amount of food that you're served. Smaller than appetizer portions and none come with Pasta. Everything was an extra add-on. My mother was the most disappointed, she ordered the Garlic Shrimp dish, it was shy of $30, it only had FOUR medium sized Shrimps, 1/4 potato & a spoonful (if that) of vegetables. I had the Chicken Marsala, it was okay, nothing out of the norm. Both dishes didn't include pasta therefore I ordered it on the side... about $9 extra. My son's dish was the only one that seemed like a Full Entree, mind you it was a Child's Size penne Vodka w/chicken. The food wasn't bad as I said, but we definitely won't be back. Service was great. They were very pleasant and attentive. We went on a quiet Wednesday night and there was no wait whatsoever.

Last evening started out with 2 stars and ended up with 3. Made a reservation on open table and when we arrived had to wait anyway even though there was a table for 4 open. After waiting at the bar we were then given that same open table. (Drinks were comped though). They do not rush you and that's very good. Water glasses are refilled promptly. Wait staff is pleasant. Crazily enough I really couldn't find anything on the menu I was in the mood for so I asked if the asparagus ravioli could be made with a pink sauce instead of the garlic and oil as stated on the menu. Waiter said No immediately. Said chef won't do that. Whatever. I asked for an easy pasta dish not on the menu and eventually that was ok'd. Salad was lacking, dinners were fine, dessert of tiramisu was good. The walls were crumbling from the damp all around our table. Yuck! Not really sure I'd return so fast.

La Vigna served as a marvelous backdrop for my Grandmother's 85th birthday celebration! Food, service, and atmosphere were all excellent, and the prix fixe lunch menu was the icing on the cake for our large group! The regular entree options, while scrumptious sounding in their descriptions, seemed a bit pricey (high teens for pastas, mid twenties to low thirties for meats, fish, and poultry), especially when compared to the very reasonable three-course prix fixe priced at $16 per person. I had no trouble finding plenty of tasty-sounding options on the prix fixe menu, and my selections (mozzarella carrozza and pollo francese) were delicious and appropriately sized. As part of the lunch special, they throw in homemade biscotti and coffee but we retreated to my aunt's house for coffee and desserts instead. Our server and Anthony Vitale, the manager, were both top notch. Menu selections and wines were handled ladies first, and waters/wine glasses were topped off repeatedly throughout our meal. They brought out a complimentary slice of cake for Grandma's birthday and happily honored a Yelp check-in offer for a comped glass of vino. Living in Manhattan, I don't frequent restaurants in Queens much (except for Zum Stammtisch, and Chalet Alpina), but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal (and the samples I tried from some family members) and would recommend La Vigna to others.