Roberto's Ristorante Italiano

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Roberto's Ristorante Italiano is an absolute gem! We had an incredible evening here celebrating a special occasion, and everything exceeded our expectations. The authentic Italian cuisine shines through with fresh, high-quality ingredients—their fried zucchini blossoms and smoked burrata appetizer were divine, perfectly crispy and flavorful. For mains, the homemade pasta dishes (especially the gnocchi and risotto) were cooked to perfection, with sauces that were rich yet balanced, not overpowering. The ambiance is charming and upscale—beautiful Chihuly-style chandeliers, elegant Italian decor, and a cozy yet sophisticated vibe that feels like a little escape to Italy right in Vienna. Service was warm, attentive, and welcoming; the staff (including the friendly longtime waiter) made us feel like family. Portions are generous, and the wine list pairs beautifully with the food. If you're looking for genuine, chef-driven Italian dining without pretension, Roberto's is a must-visit. We'll definitely be back—highly recommend! Grazie mille! 🍝🇮🇹

Delightful NYE’s dinner experience at Roberto’s - on the special prix-fixe menu set for the occasion to celebrate the arrival of 2026, great options were offered, and there was truly the embarrassment of choice! We had “assaggini” to get us started, then the true appetizer, and primo and secondo course, and dessert - all delicious, super well presented, and very creative. One member of our dinner party needed also a GF pasta option, and it was graciously made available too. The wine list at Roberto’s is simply stellar, and the service was quite attentive. The dinner event was concluded by a Prosecco toast to the New Year and a lovely taste of the ultimate post-midnight Italian tradition, cotechino with lentils! Bravissimo Roberto!

We had an amazing dinner here. The ribeye steak with red wine sauce was cooked perfectly, juicy and full of flavor. My wife loved the gnocchi with truffle, creamy and rich in every bite. The beef tongue was so tender it melted in our mouths. It was also our first time trying drop peppers and they turned out to be a great surprise, sweet and slightly smoky. The complimentary breads were really good too, we finished them all before the main dishes even came out. We ended the meal with their deconstructed tiramisu, which was beautifully presented and tasted incredible. The decoration and atmosphere were spot on, warm and elegant at the same time. You can tell they pay attention to every detail. Definitely one of the better Italian restaurants around and we will be back for sure.

Such a splendid experience here! We had Italian style beef strip and foie gras, and ordered duck, steak, braised fish for entrees. Impressed by the tenderness of steak, probably cooked in low heat for a long time. The fish is among the best I had in western cuisines, good combination of roasted outskirt and softness, original seafood flavor and sauce. Usually western cuisines cook all meat with the logic (or standard) of a steak, such as duck, pork & fish. We loved the beef stripes whose flavor was well covered by the sauce. The Foie gras was great from my perspective, and a different variety from common paste form, but it does leave a strong gamey flavor afterwards. I will definite come back and try the whole fish! Last I have to mention their outstanding service which made you at ease with respect. Most waiters here seem quite aged and just walk around the restaurant like at their home, with right amount of formal attitude.

Rare to find a real Italian restaurant these days. I thoroughly enjoyed my group dinner experience here. The menu was enticing and I knew it was real when I saw the Osso Bucco come out. The Calamatra was excellent with the variety of seafood and the red sauce was excellent along with the homemade pasta. The bread basket was unique with a few different bread types. Enjoyed the wine selection and both the Pinot noir and Italian red were pleasing. It’s a lovely spot for a real Italian meal and I would imagine coming back for date night

Absolutely wonderful place. My boyfriend & I loved it; he ordered the salmon and absolutely adored the whole dish, including the sauce. I ordered the gnocchi which was also incredibly tasty. Our total came to about $80 (not including our tip!), w/ each plate being around $36 (I think?). No problems here as that was honestly the best $80 we can recall spending on Italian food in this area. The highly talented Chef also delivered our food & even cleared our plates (something you rarely see! Speaks to the caliber of his passion), and he was so remarkably kind. The rest of the staff was also so warm & welcoming 🖤 such a delightful establishment. Thank you, everyone!

Went for dinner. Was very impressed, I had gone to Galileo 20 years ago and loved the food, so was excited that this place on my 'to go' list was founded by old owner. It was VERY expensive, and had two pastas. One was out of this world, best butternut squash ravioli ever. Had another pasta, which was also very good. Service was excellent and the inside is very nice. Would go again and if you can afford it, I would strongly encourage you to visit.

Incredible food and amazinggggg dessert. Highly recommend the panettone on the dessert menu! Great wine and cocktails. We came with a big party of family for pre-Christmas Eve dinner and were very impressed with the meal and the service. Can’t wait to go back! The breads at the beginning of the meal were spectacular. Wish I could just come back tomorrow and have those all over again. They were these incredibly buttery flaky pastry-like breads of different sizes. They also took amazing care of our party of 12! Also got to meet Roberto which was great. They were very accommodating for my husband’s severe food allergies as well. Thank you!

10-stars for our party of 4 tonight -Monday. Steve took great care of us. The talent and creativity of Chef Roberto is evident - he was there tonight. Everything was outstanding- squash blossoms-burrata-ravioli- to name a few. Save room for dessert & Limoncello too. Such a fantasy experience!

We went specifically for the table side fettuccine on the Parmesan cheese wheel. They don't specify which table, and I'm glad I made eye contact with our server because we would have missed the entire experience with it happening 3 tables away. So FYI for anyone under the same impression that table side is right next to the table you're sitting at. That being said, the service was really good and the host is delightful. We went for a special occasion and it was an extremely nice touch to be wished happy birthday and we were given a small complimentary drink. Found a new favorite wine per the recommendation of our server. The squash blossoms were great for the first time trying this dish. Duck was slightly on the dryer side. I was expecting a creamier experience for the fettuccine on the parmesan wheel, reality was slightly gritty. Overall good experience and glad we tried it, but most likely won't frequent with so many restaurant options in the area.

Upscale Italian restaurant with an old-school feel that was rated as one of the best restaurants in NOVA by NOVA Magazine Pricey but delicious food and drinks I came here for dinner with my GF and we had a great experience. I ordered their signature pasta alfredo dish which is cooked inside of a parmesan cheese wheel. It was delicious (and a cool show to watch it be prepared), but it wasn't very warm by the time it got to me. The staff were all very friendly and attentive, and food was prepared very quickly Very tasty complimentary bread basket with an impressive variety of options included Drinks were very large and very strong! Have a tasting menu option Have a reserved parking lot behind the building, but it is very small and there were no spots available by the time we got there so we had to park in another lot illegally. Fortunately we didn't get ticketed

It was Saturday and I didn't make reservation but want to try the food here. The nice lady said it will take about 40 minutes for a party of 4. Since the weather was nice we decided to wait. We ordered various appetizers and entree as seen in the photo. The pasta taste fresh and the food is served hot. I like my Calamarata. Overall, everything we ordered is good Service is great. Our waitress always check on us and make sure we are doing ok. I let her pick a red wine for me and it's excellent. I don't remember what she picked for me unfortunately There are two really good Italian restaurants in Vienna and I will make sure to remember making reservation next time. I want to try the black ink squid pasta next

The pasta was absolutely delectable!!! The duck melt in our mouths. The squid ink pasta was the best I've ever had with soft shell crab. Bread was so fresh and delicious! Get the Tiramisu!!! You'll thank me later. Outstanding and friendly service. Family friendly place with warm ambiance.

The ambience is very intimate and romantic. Perfect for a well-deserved date while the babysitter watches the kids. The food is amazing. I had the risotto. It was one of those dishes where you feel the need to comment on its flavor after every bite.

Ordered the scallops and they are good, but came out cold. Would suggest faster serving times.

Dined here for wifey's birthday. Let me just say...AMAZING FOOD, SUPERB SERVICE, CUTE interior Out comes fresh homemade bread. Well crafted and delicious. Paired it with the octopus appetizer (YUMCH), crab avocado salad (OMGGGG SO GOOD). Entrees we had boar ragu (tomato sauce was on point), pumpkin ravioli (THIS IS THE ONE TO GET), and their parm pasta in a wheel (I mean, it's THE experience.) Roberto is still rocking the food scene after all this time 5/5. Must come

What a wonderful meal! From the ambiance, to the service, to the food ... I felt like this was a compete experience. When you arrive, you are greeted by warm smiles. Not only from the hostess, but all the staff. And if you book a reservation (which I highly recommend), the staff will know your name! Impressive! As you look around, you can tell others are enjoying themselves immensely ... and you are ready for the first drink. On to the food. It was excellent! They start you off with an abundance of wonderful breads for the table. For appetizers , we ordered the octopus, which was tender and flavorful. For our entrees, I chose the ravioli stuffed with duck. Yes ... it was as good as is sounds! And my wife, who seeks out gluten free options, was happy to hear they have their own homemade GF pasta. So ... she selected the Gnocchi ingredients to go with her GF pasta ... and she told me it was delicious! We look forward to returning.

Fantastic spot right in the heart of Vienna. I cannot recommend it enough. Jeffrey was an attentive and kind waiter. Our meals were amazing and everything on the menu looked delicious. The only negative would be a $45 corkage fee seems excessive. Otherwise perfect in every way.

The dining room is small but not crowded. The service from Sara was terrific. The bread basket (complimentary) was excellent, especially the popover. Our entrees were delicious- pappardelle with wild boar ragu (my friend) and fettuccine alla parmigiana made table side in the cheese wheel (for me). The desserts were yummy - bugie (airy fried dough) and panna cotta. I washed mine down with cappuccino, but will definitely follow my friend's lead next time and end with Vin Santo. Can you tell we are planning for next time?

Came to this place that is tucked away in a back road in Vienna for a business dinner, and it turned out to be a great place to eat. The service is great. The food is very tasty and interesting. The veal was great, the branzino was okay, but the starters and desserts were too good. The prices are high and the parking is very tight, but this place is a must to visit if you want to try authentic Italian food in Virginia. The chef Roberto (of iron chef fame) even came out and greeted us, and suggested the food entries, which was very cool.

Met with a couple friends there. The Husband is American Italian and grew up with his Italian mama's home cooking. We ordered the veal tribe and beef tongue as appetizers to share, and 4 entrees: lamb loin, pappardelle, seafood stew, and ossobuco. The lamb was supposed to be medium rare, came out medium well; the pappardelle was al dente, but the wild boar ragu was bland; the seafood stew was fine, and the ossobuco was a winner. With the polenta so creamy, my friend questioned what it was underneath the meat. He was so sure it wasn't polenta and called over the manager to have her check with the kitchen. She reported back it was for sure polenta. "It tasted nothing like mama's polenta!" He exclaimed. We advised him to feel free to lick the plate. The table next to us orders two pasta dishes, one was Caccio O Pepe made in a giant Pecorino wheel with a blow torch. We have to come back for that!

Our favorite local Italian restaurant. We are big fans of Roberto Donna. We particularly enjoy the themed menu events. Nancy and Roberto close the restaurant during these events. It feels like a private dinner party with fabulous food. Well trained, attentive staff. Highly recommend

Great meal, reasonably priced. Waiter recommended a very nice wine. Roberto's is truly a neighborhood favorite as it was packed

I loved this place! First of all, the genuine, warm greeting from the hostess was something unlike anything I have seen at a restaurant in recent memory. Then the decor was like your great-aunt's house--so adorable. And finally, the food was just wonderful--I got the arugula salad and the soft-shell crab appetizer, and both were to die for! I mean honestly maybe the best soft-shell crab I've ever had, with the creamiest mashed potatoes. I want to come back and try more appetizers and the pastas!

We came here for a dinner with friends. I'm giving a 3 because it averages out our evening. The service probably deserves a 1 but the food was all fabulous and deserves a 4 or 5. Regarding service, after we were seated, no one spoke to us at the table to bring water or even just say "hi give us a minute to catch up" for at least 10 minutes. We were chatting and catching up so not a big deal but certainly a precursor to the level of service throughout the night. I asked for a glass of wine when dinner was brought and never received it. A friend asked for salt and had to go find someone to bring it. No one came back to check on us after the food was delivered so I couldn't even ask about my wine. Our water glasses were not refilled so I had to track someone down for water because by this point, I didn't even want the wine. Servers, and there were many, were all standing around and talking but no one ever looked our way for me to try to get someone's attention. Regarding the food - I loved everything I had, as did friends. The mushroom appetizer was so tasty and beautifully presented. I could have made a meal of it. The burrata and crabmeat appetizers were also beautiful and so flavorful. For entrees, I had the gnocchi and really enjoyed it. A few friends had fish and although needed some salt, it was cooked well and presented nicely. I'm torn if I would go back. The food is great but at a place like this, I don't want to have to chase down basics like water and salt.

Roberto's is bringing fine dining and beautiful Italian food to Vienna. The space is inviting with artful details. The menu is interesting featuring some local ingredients. Service is personable and friendly. We primarily ordered seafood dishes. The seafood was very fresh. Everything was well seasoned. Our favorite dish was the fried zucchini blossoms. The warm ricotta oozing out of the crispy batter was devine. The pappardelle was made with stinging nettles which gave it a pleasant, fresh, mildly herbaceous flavor. The risotto had a perfect texture but was a bit aggressively seasoned. We were beyond stuffed after the entree but could not say no to dessert. The dessert offerings were interesting with a fun presentation. Overall, Roberto's offered a fun night out with elevated food.

My husband made a reservation here for my 31st birthday. We have a 2 year daughter. We arrived and were clearly not welcomed because of our daughter even though she was perfectly well behaved and dressed up for the special night. The hostess proceeded to ask me if we had a toys or tablet to entertain her, clearly implying their concern that she was present at the restaurant. Absolute disgrace to be treated this way and they should be ashamed. If you don't want children at your restaurant, you should say so on your website instead of ruining a very special night with your ignorance and attitude. Not to mention- the hostess knew we were there celebrating my birthday.

Fabulous food and the service was exquisite. There are not enough words to express the pleasure we experienced. Our taste buds were delighted and the service only added to the experience. Really appreciated that desserts start at $4.

Delicious Dishes w/ Attentive Services! Two Thumbs Up & Definitely a Repeat for me! Today's Calf Liver, Red Snapper, Lamb are VERY good!

It's hard to find good Italian food in the DC area and Roberto and his team, not surprisingly, far exceeded expectations. Service was friendly and attentive. Ambiance was lively, but not loud - I could hear my company and also be heard. This is not your run of the mill place, and I cannot wait to go back and see what comes out of Roberto's kitchen next.

The ambiance, the food and service were stunning! I had the PETTO DI ANATRA* Roasted Mulard duck breast...AMAZING! Thank you Chef Roberto! And Thank you to our server Matt! You were amazing!! I will definitely come back!!!

We went for our anniversary and had an OK experience. The place is lovely and the service was pretty good but the food was spotty. My wife started with a Manhattan that was outstanding and I had an old fashioned that was way too heavy on the bitters but in the range of acceptable. I had the scallop appetizer and it was fantastic, as was the prosciutto my wife had. Things fell apart with our mains due to an excess of salt. My wife had the veal which was perfectly cooked and delicious. The sauce and the polenta were both heavy on the salt but it was my gnocchi that kinda ruined the meal for us. I admit that it took me awhile to figure it out. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that maybe there were some little pockets of salt here and there but figured out it was the entire dish. I admit to not liking a lot of salt in my food but this was borderline inedible. Like amateur hour levels of WAY too much salt. I ate about half, brought the rest home and ended up throwing it away because it is really quite bad. They redeemed themselves a bit with desert because the berry tiramisu was unique and lovely. The same goes for my wife's desert of the peaches and macaron. In thinking about it, we have been to our fair share of pricy restaurants and always came away with a feeling that great experiences are worth the price. This was the first exception. For a meal that cost (with tip) a little north of $250, you expect and should get an experience that hits all the marks. This one did not and I doubt we will be back. I agree with the others who note the surcharge for credit cards is ridiculous in this day and age but that is far from the worst flaw of Roberto's.

We had such a lovely dinner here a couple of weeks ago. Small, intimate dining. Everything was excellent. The service was wonderful. Easily earns 5-stars. You must reserve a few weeks in advance. They do not have a lot of tables, which is nice. Some parking available to the side of the building, but otherwise street parking. Pasta is freshly made, and the menu changes seasonally. Smaller menu but everything is fresh and excellent. The squash blossom app was amazing. The fettuccini done in the cheese wheel was incredible. I had the Bolognese which I loved. Dessert is lovely as well, so save room. Nice wine list. Tasty coffee. Portions are ample, we actually took home our yummy leftovers, and we are hearty eaters, lol. This was a special birthday occasion, and I had tipped off the staff in advance. They brought a pretty slice of cake with a candle, a nice touch which I appreciated. We will most definitely look forward to going back.

I have been here twice. My favorite meal was Monday night called Familia Night and we got the following: FETTUCCINE BOLOGNESE BIANCO - This was the best of the pasta dishes. Definitely had a lot of flavor. LINGUINE, MUSSELS, TOMATO SAUCE - This was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. A standard linguine with shellfish, but very good. MEZZI RIGATONI, CAULIFLOWER SAUCE - this was good and unusual. I had never quite had pasta with cauliflower in this way. It definitely blended well. CHICKEN PICATTA - was worth adding very tender and perfectly executed version of this dish. A pretty good wine selection. One member of the party had the English 51 cocktail and really enjoyed it. The dessert was a Tiramisu and not his deconstructed version, which I liked the first time. It is a bit on the higher side of cost for Vienna, but you would likely pay more in DC. I enjoy it is 10 minutes from my house. The first meal we had Calamarata, which we thought was good but not exceptional. Some how the flavors didn't totally blend. We enjoyed more the Pappardelle with Wild Boar. I saw on yelp a not so favorable review, but I liked it. The serivce was great both times and they were helpful. A plus is the restuarant is not noise so you can talk to others in your party pretty easily.

A very expensive restaurant with rich Italian food. The zucchini blossoms were good, as was the squid-ink pasta with soft shell crab. The piece de resistance was the Fettuccine alla parmesana - a super-rich Parmesan and olive oil sauce made table-side in a wheel of expensive Parmesan cheese, tossed with fettuccine. It was dastardly rich, too much so for a sizable main course, but doable if you share with a friend or two. We intend to try desserts next time, too, when we leave room for them.

EXCELLENT FOOD!! The pasta is great! So are the breads. Excellent service!! Did I say EXCELLENT?

Visited Roberto's for the 7th, and likely last time last night. Out of the previous 6 visits one was great and the rest were uneven (either the flavors were bland or the service was bad - but usually good enough to keep us coming back). Last night we made a 6pm reservation. The hostess (who based on other reviews seems to rub a lot of people wrong) coldly welcomed us, interrupted seating us to chat up a guy walking in the door, and was rude the entire meal. We ordered the burrata appetizer. The tomatoes were not fresh, the focaccia was so stale to the point where we we couldn't cut it with a knife, the truffle oil was bitter, the whole thing just didn't work. I ordered the ravioli off the tasting menu. I've made significantly better at home. The whole thing was one dimensional - kind of like eating a bland beef stew. The serving size was generous, but I got sick of it halfway through because the flavors were so boring. My wife ordered the halibut. The menu listed a fish sauce - we told the server that she had a crustacean allergy... when the other server came to pour the sauce on the fish I asked if it had crustaceans in it, he said yes. I told him about the allergy, he backed up and asked "so what do you want to do?" I said she can't eat it, so he picked up the plate and left. A few minutes later our main server came over to tell us the chef was going to put the fish back on the grill to "burn off the sauce" - meanwhile the hostess came back to very aggressively say "so what are we doing here? Do you need a new piece of fish? If you want a new piece it's going to take a while because we have to cook a whole new piece". First of all - a halibut filet takes like 8 minutes to cook, and in no other fine dining restaurant would this remotely be a problem. The restaurant replaces the fish no question. But at Roberto's apparently it's a huge production. They brought my ravioli out, and about 15 minutes later they brought out the new piece of fish. No sauce. No attempt to replace the sauce - just no sauce. The fish was so overcooked it was inedible. Not sure if this was a passive aggressive gesture from the kitchen or just bad execution - either way, unacceptable for a nearly $50 dish. My wife did her best to choke down half of it, but just couldn't finish it. The hostess came over and again aggressively asked "so you don't like it?" My wife said it was fine. For $48 we expect better, but didn't want to deal with the attitude anymore so we asked for the check. The hostess rolled her eyes as she rhetorically asked "so no dessert then?" As the server came toward the table she sighs and tells him "no dessert for them, just bring the check". The total for our very below average food was $123 (including that stupid credit card fee - seriously, who does that). This was the worst restaurant experience I've had in years at any price point - let alone at a $40+ a plate Italian restaurant. Going to be very hard justifying coming back - prices and lackluster food are reason enough - but the bad service (and frankly aggressive attitudes) were the nail in the coffin.

The food and service at Roberto's was top notch so I give them 4 stars. However, personally, the limited options and relatively high cost left me unsatisfied and most likely would not be a repeat customer.

We had a wonderful evening at Roberto's. It was our first time there and it won't be our last. The service couldn't be better from the beginning to the end of the meal. Our waiter was very attentive and informative. I had the Burrata E Bietole as an appetizer. The cheeses and beets combination was perfect . It was delicious! My main dish was Filetto Di Angelo. It was lamb tenderloin pieces wrapped in a yummy chicken and parsley mousse. The sides on the plate were equally great. My husband had Pappardelle Al Cinghale. It's a wide noodle and boar pasta dish that will not leave you hungry. Very tasty. We thoroughly enjoyed everything and are looking forward to going back.

4 stars for food, 5 stars for service. We ordered the calamarata, gnocchi, fettuccine, risotto, halibut, and beef ribs. The breads were good and gnocchi was delicious!! Calamarata also very good- had to refrain from eating too much bread dipped in that sauce. The rest of the dishes we ordered were okay, some a bit salty. Service was exceptional, my water was constantly filled, and the staff, very friendly and attentive. Would definitely go back for the gnocchi and to try their other dishes.

Two visits so far, excellent food, top notch. Going tomorrow for my birthday. Great service and atmosphere too.

I was taken here for a birthday dinner. Truly a great choice! Extra special was the burrata salad with roasted tomatoes, and the awesome desserts. Everything is done with extra care and the service was impeccable. On request they will make you an espresso that will have you thinking that you've been transported to Rome.

I've been excited to try Roberto's for a while now and finally got the opportunity this past weekend. Overall it was a positive experience. The staff in particular stand out as being warm, welcoming, and helpful without being a nuisance. We started with cocktails, both of which were very good and then switched to a glass of wine with dinner. The bread basket was delicious--I wish there was another one of the butter-parmesan rolls though. Overall the food was very good. We shared the octopus and it was delicious--it was one of my favorite octopus meals ever. The octopus was tender and the dish as a whole was perfectly seasoned. For entree I had the gnocchi, and something I've never said before, it was perhaps too big of a portion. If I had fewer I would've been better off, in particular since I clean my plate. It was beautifully presented and was quite good--I think it could've used a bit more body in the sauce and maybe a touch more salt but it was very good. My wife had the duck ravioli and it was quite good too. Though I thought the jus was overly salty, something else I rarely say, and tasted too much like broth/stock. It's a nice space--there's a more open dining room but he a more private spot by the window closer to the bar side. I'd return, especially to try the fettucine prepared in the parmesan wheel. There is a 3% additional charge when paying by credit card. Parking is a bit tight--the lot behind the building was filled up and the two spaces open were too tight for a normal car to fit. Street parking is hit or miss.

Would not recommend and will not come back. The food was overpriced and underwhelming. We ordered the octopus as an appetizer and it was so salty with all the capers and olives in it. My husband ordered a dish with a completely inedible carrot that he was unable to even cut with his knife. We informed the server and she said "sorry" and left. I ordered the squid ink pasta and gave me such a bad stomach ache. My husband ate the left overs the next day and he also had a terrible stomach ache. The cherry on top was the extra surcharge to pay with a credit card at the end. How tacky.

At $180 for 2 people I'm not coming back. Really not a fan despite desperately wanting to be. One of my favorite pastimes is perusing the menus of local restaurants and whenever a dish catches my eye, I'll go. Roberto's was exciting but when it first opened nothing on the menu caught my eye, so I figured to give it a fair shake I would follow their social medias and pop in when I saw a dish that was truly enticing. The SMOKED BURRATA DI BUFALA with Roasted yellow & red peppers, bagna cauda, yellow pepper gazpacho was this siren song that drew me in. The burrata itself was good but the dish ultimately tried doing too much. Despite listing bagna cauda as an ingredient the dish lacked any anchovy garlic flavor, and when I asked the waiter said they use white anchovies as to not over power the cheese. It really seemed like they just forgot to include it on the plate. The octopus was undoubtedly the best thing we ordered and was in my opinion, a perfectly composed dish. With Black olive, capers, baby spinach, pesto, and potato foam the flavors worked together perfectly. The potato foam is truly just smooth mashed potatoes but they were damn good. The Vitello Tonnato was exactly what I expected, sliced veal in a tuna sauce with capers. sadly, the rolled sliced veal only evoked the flavors and thoughts of dry turkey deli meat in a starfish tuna veloute. The FRIED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS with Ricotta, parmesan, mint, pea pesto, spring salad were good but almost too full on the ricotta. The salad was well dressed with a good acidity that was essential to balance out the sweet starchiness of the pea pesto and overwhelming dairy bomb of the ricotta. Admittedly, I only tried these because of the Gilmore Girls pilot episode in which chef Suki's stuffed squash blossoms bring her a devout following pf restaurant go-ers who come to the inn just for those, not sure these live up to the fame of the fictional ones. The veal scallopini was over cooked and tough. The mushrooms on it were great and I'm a sucker for morels. The overall flavor palate was overwhelmingly milky, which I know veal often can be but I found I'd rather just drink cream instead of paying $42. The thumbelina carrots and Florentino were the star of the dish and I don't usually expect vegetables to outshine the protein. The fried polenta was mushy and seemed like it was probably the first dish component plated so they could wait to get soggy while the veal over cooked. The wine was ok and for $7/glass on happy hour I don't feel like I have the right to complain here. The Diet Coke was charged by the glass but was poured out of a can, most nice establishments give you the full can, but nonetheless the open can was sitting on a table next to open wine bottles, while each pour was done into a glass that was overly filled with ice for $3/serving. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe I just ordered wrong. Did I managed to get the most fringe menu items they offer? Should I have asked my waiter for recommendations rather than going by descriptions of items that I wholly expected to be delicious. I would maybe give them another chance if it wasn't on my own dime but for $180 I'd rather go get the tasting menu at clarity and not feel like I've been robbed of an evening out in the process. The service was great and I frankly would've brought up the food while there if it wasn't so embarrassing to provide feedback at a chef driven restaurant and could be confident that my complaints wouldn't be interpreted as an insult to the chef. I really wanted to love Roberto's but with only 1 dish I'd be willing to return for, I'd rather go somewhere where I don't have to try and convince myself that the food is tasty. P.S. the credit card surcharge was an odd thing to see on my check in 2022 but you live and learn I guess?

2 stars for the quality of food. Although I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I had wanted to. 1. The server made us repeat everything twice. Quite Literally Everything twice. "Can I have bread?" "What?" "Can I have bread?" "Bread?" That was the dialogue for every conversation 2. The wait time for food, to order. This was where I dock off three stars. It took us 10 minutes for someone to come take our order. 10 minutes for bread to come out and another 10 for the appetizer to come out. We were seated at the table at 08:15, and by the time we got the appetizer it was 08:45. The food came our at 09:17, which would have been fine if the following three things did not occur. I asked two different waiters to check in on our food, and neither ever came back with an answer. Instead I saw them going in and out of the same room we were in (there were 4 tables in our little nook) to serve everyone else but didn't provide us reassurance of where our entrees were. I asked the owner that it has been around 35 minutes since we got our food, and granted perhaps I wasn't exactly right (since I haven't been taking too close of a watch on time). Fortunately the food came right when I sat back down, so I gave the owner a thumbs up to tell everything was good now. But the owner came back to really tell me off. She told me it's been 33 minutes since we ordered and not 35 and stated that all meals were scheduled exactly to come out how they did, and made it clear that we were in the wrong for asking for status update on our food as we felt it was taking too long She reprimanded me in such a way the other guests at our table asked if I was okay. Tough to say I really didn't have an appetite to eat anything afterwards, and pushed most of my food to the other guests at the table as it did objectively look good. The food is great, and the wine is great. But expect a long wait or meal time for this restaurant. My experience made me reluctant to ever return there again.

Love the monthly wine dinners and the tasting menus for special restaurant week. Portions are enormous, but great for leftovers! Great service and you can trust them on the wine recommendations.

Roberto's was a mixed bag for us. We went for our anniversary with our (sleeping) baby in tow. The hostess made a full on scene about us having a stroller and basically said she couldn't accommodate us but they'd try. We were sat at a table, where another male hostess said we would have to put our baby in her car seat on the ground. We said ok just to end this saga, but a very kind waitress (who wasn't even ours!) came over and offered us a chair to put the car seat on which was much appreciated. However, once the female hostess spotted that, she proceeded to continuously whisper with her colleagues and look back at us. So rude, unfriendly and unprofessional. Our baby didn't make a peep the entire dinner -- even the chef said "omg there's a baby!" because he did not notice her at first. When we left, the hostess didn't even look up from her iPad. Additionally, I was talked out of ordering the risotto by the waiter because it would take too long to cook (?) and therefore would not work as a second course. I said ok... then proceeded to wait a lengthy time between courses anyway. I've been to fine dining establishments in DC with multiple courses and have never been told anything like that. Unclear what it was all about, but it felt like they wanted to get us out of the restaurant as quick as they could since we had a baby. When the chef's wife (who was just lovely!) heard it was our anniversary, she said she would send out two limoncellos on the house. A kind gesture, except we never actually got the limoncellos. The food was good, but not good enough to justify the service issues and general feel that we were not welcome. Would not recommend going here with kids (even if they are silent and sleeping the entire time). It's a shame, because the chef and his wife were super nice!

Fabulous food and wonderful customer service, true Italian experience with creative dishes.

The food was everything the reviews have said. It was unique in its pairings. The flavors were exceptional. The amount of food was perfect. It's a meal you want to wipe the plate so as not to miss a morsel. The service was good but hampered by staff that was new and not familiar with Italian food at this level. They were very friendly and attentive. Parking can be an issue. The space behind the restaurant only holds about 10 cars max. Typical Vienna problem. We will be back and have told friends about it

Vienna VA has arrived. With Roberto's there is another fine dining experience in town. Roberto's is a warm cozy room. Gracious service led by Roberto and his wife Italian fine dining with food that looks as good as it tastes The bartender is charming and competent. Yup... Vienna has arrived

Really good food. Great attentive service. Nice quiet intimate environment. Highly recommend!

Came here on a Saturday night with 5 friends, all moms who worked hard to enjoy a night out together. One friend had to bring her newborn last minute - because, babies are unpredictable, you know? The hostess was AWFUL to us. She was already less than accommodating before my friend and her baby arrived ("I don't have space for you yet - you can stand over here." Wow, thanks, I thought that's what reservations were for.) But once the baby in the stroller arrived? Total meltdown and a complete lack of customer service. She just couldn't let it go with the judgment and shaming. We offered many different solutions: put the stroller back in the car, just use the carrier, physically hold the sleeping baby in our arms) - which are 3 more solutions than the hostess offered. She could only roll her eyes and say "I don't know how I'm going to make this work but I guess I'll try." It only got worse when we got seated - lots of snippy remarks about where the stroller could and couldn't be, condescending remarks about "we serve hot food here (based on other reviews and our own experience...yeah, no you don't) so we have to be careful", and then a group of staff just staring us down because of the stroller. You would've thought we tried to bring a beeping dump truck into the restaurant. The baby slept the entire time, by the way. The food was boring and not worth the price - nothing was served hot, just lukewarm. The bolognese was nothing special and barely had flavor. The best part was the breadbasket. And what a fun surprise to see the credit card surcharge on the bill - the cherry on top of this sad experience. We won't be back, and I encourage families to find elsewhere in Vienna to dine - plenty of other family-friendly restaurants with good service and good food.

I really wanted to love this place as we are always looking for great Italian in the area. The food was good nothing to really complain about, but considering the place is a little more upscale I was expecting to at least have one dish just be amazing. We ordered the burrata to start and then the fettuccine and pappardella as the main. Again all were fine just not inspiring - also didn't like the surcharge for credit card payments

Not amazing, but a pretty solid restaurant. In the old red galanga space which is sad because that restaurant was amazing and so good. However this restaurant was way more crowded inside even on a Thursday night and it seemed most people knew the owners. The hostesses were so kind and friendly. I was seated at a corner table near a window which is really nice but also resulted in incredibly slow service because the bartender was also taking our orders. I think this restaurant needs more service staff. The food was delicious and yes pricey but very good. The zucchini blossom appetizer was like tempura zucchini! So flavorful with the pesto sauce and the creamy ricotta inside. I tried the risotto with mushrooms which was delicious and a big serving size! It was creamy but not overly so and not oily at all. I also tried a bite of the rockfish with potato purée. Delish! I will come back to try the cheese wheel fettuccine. Unfortunately they wouldn't serve it at the corner tables due to the narrow hall size.

Service was superb and Chef Donna's dishes were an absolute delight. The beet tortelloni was a hit as was the veal with polenta. The zucchini flowers never disappoint and Chef was his magnificent best. The best in NoVa. Trust me I am a big foodie.

What an awesome surprise! Backstory: I went to college at GWU. And when my Dad was in town on business, he'd ask me where I wanted to go. So I always said Galileo. It was my favorite place in DC and about a year ago I was wondering what happened to it. Turns out it's been closed a while and I was sad to read that. So while I'm sitting in Roberto's, I look up on the wall and there is a bunch of framed stuff in the name of the chef--Roberto Donna. Whipped out the phone and realized it's the same guy. To say I was happy was an understatement---it was like meeting a long-lost friend again. When I was at GW, it was a holy grail to eat at a Donna or Michel Richard restaurant. Can't believe I'm getting the chance again. Now to the food: Starters--fried zucchini blossoms & a porcini dish Both awesome. Porcini was a special and came with an egg that ran/bled perfectly when cut. Zucchini blossoms are one of their big attractions and was actually what got me and my mom in the door. Don't miss them Mains--lamb shoulder & squid ink pasta, both specials Lamb was cooked perfectly--no red, but fell apart when it saw the fork. Asparagus, polenta and turnips rounded it out nicely. Pasta was absolutely wild and came with a whole softshell crab, deep fried. Flavor combos were out of this world. And unlike most high end places...I got full. Couldn't finish my food. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is nothing to do with the food or the service. It's just the space. Parking isn't super easy, getting in isn't easy (you really should make a reservation and that's pretty competitive too), and the restaurant is actually pretty small and doesn't have an outdoor section. But the food is worth the logistical hurdles, and I'm hoping they do so well that they have to expand. We didn't have a reservation so we just walked in and got seated, but it was early. I wouldn't recommend just strolling in cold on a busy night after 6p. Service was great and we got checked on by our hostess and by the owner. Very welcoming and warm vibes. I'll wrap this up now but you must try. It's a level of culinary sophistication that is really unmatched in this area. Happy eating!