La PanetteriaLiked it except for a things...Overall, I would come back here especially for their chocolate mousse, which was absolutely delicious. The food was very good, but not the best. It was how I expected it to be. Their fried calamari is a must-try. For the entree, I got linguini with shrimp. I liked it, but I would probably try another dish when I come back to this restaurant.
The service was okay. It felt like the waiters were rushing us because they kept on checking back to see if we're done with our meals, and the server asked twice if we want to take our food home when clearly we're all still eating. Seeing the server too much is just as bad as never seeing him/her.
The place looks better at night, especially with the lights hanging on the walls and the ceiling.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAll of the food arrived pipingAll of the food arrived piping hot. The chicken marsala and veal parmagiana were wonderful. The pasta with a requested spicy sauce was also great.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGood spotFood was very good. Two of us had veal and shrimp and we both enjoyed the meal. Vegetables were fresh and the unique house salad dressing was excellent. Very pleasent atmoshere and I would say the price was excellent for the location. Service was a bit slow at times but we would not hesitate to go back.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMCharming placeThe restaurant was very quiet, but the service was friendly and efficient and the atmosphere was charming and cozy. I loved the Veal Saltimboca that I ordered and my friend enjoyed her linguini. We had a lovely evening and were able to talk for quite awhile without feeling any pressure to leave.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was excellent andThe food was excellent and the serving staff gave us an excellent service. We felt very comfortable and special. If we can we will go there again.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurant with great food!My boyfriend and I went on a romantic dinner to La Panetteria, and we had amazing evening! We were sitting in their 'garden' and the ambiance was so romantic. Especially around 8:00 p.m. the place became a little bit darker and there were candles on tables, and the music was very romantic. The entire place was beautiful! There were few couples, a family, and a group of four people so it was not too crowded and loud. Moreover, the food was delicious and portions were pretty big. Since I love desserts, we decided to share a chocolate mousse cake. That cake was, honestly, the best cake we've had in a few months. On top of all of this, the waiter was very friendly, respectful, and the service in general was excellent. Will definitely return!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was a celebratory meal.This was a celebratory meal. Our daughter had just graduated form college and all our family was in town for the event. We let our daughter choose the restaurant and she chose La Panetteria because she thought it would be like her favorite restaurant in Rome. Everybody had a good meal and the service was fine.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA Long Time FavoriteHave been here many times over the years. Always excellent food, moderately priced, and warm, efficient service. Ambiance of a family run restaurant with Old World charm is hard to resist.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat TimeI took a big group to this restaurant after my wife's graduation and couldn't be more impressed with this restaurant. The staff was great, the food was delicious and portions were perfect. Will definitely go back again.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved this place!Dined here for a graduation luncheon celebration. Party of 8. Found this place on Open Table as we are from out of town. It's on a side street so it was not crowded, no problem getting a reservation as a lot of other places were booked solid. I am so glad I found this. The service was wonderful, the full menu was delightful, everyone enjoyed their meal, wine list was good and reasonable. The only downside was finding a place to park. Two parking garages across the street that were full on Sat. afternoon. Kept driving around and around waiting for a spot to open up. But once you're inside it's worth it! Enjoy!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat foodGreat food, fabulous neighborhood ambience! The mushroom ravioli with crab and lobster was outstanding!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMStupendous Italian CuisineWonderful, authentic Italian cuisine in an cozy setting!4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMPleasant Findthis was our second trip. not as good as our first occasion. food was awesome, drinks were perfect. I believe the waitress might have been new hence our moderate service. she was very pleasant but not as attentive as she could have been. the restaurant wasn't full so certainly she wasn't being over taxed. it was brought to her attention that it was my sons birthday but no attempt was made to arrange a special dessert which was the case during our first visit. had trouble placing items on the table. all in all we will most certainly return.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food. Great service.I rarely go to Bethesda for dinner, so I can't compare it to other Italian restaurants in the area, but I thought the food was excellent and the service outstanding. Great food. Great service. Great company.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is the second time weThis is the second time we have been to La Panetteria and the food was excellent both times. From the pizza, to the eggplant parm, to pasta and meat dishes, everyone enjoyed the food. The house wine was good as well, and, although they do have a good wine selection, it is slightly on the expensive side. The service was good, but a little slow (but not to the point of being annoying). Overall, we really like this restaurant and will definitely go back as soon as we can.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is always good. TheFood is always good. The waiter left something to be desired. We were not sure he understood English. He never returned to the table to ask if we needed anything. Therefore, we were straining to look for him. He didn'know the menu therefore. we had to ask Harry for his imput. The service was disappinting4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic food and tremendousFantastic food and tremendous service. My waterglass never went below half. They didn't hover, but were always attentative to our needs. We live in Virginia and went to La Panetteria because it was convenient on the way back from a trip out with the kids. We will be driving back especially to go to the restaurant.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had brought my parentsWe had brought my parents there for their 60th wedding anniversary. I had made the reservation on line and made that as a comment. I never mentioned it to our waiters when we came in but sure enough after dinner they brought a couple cannollis out with candles for their anniversary. The food was very good and filling. No one left hungry, that's for sure. Thank you so much,4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFood as always was very goodFood as always was very good with attentive service. Only downside was a very noisy nearby table of four that made conversation very difficult.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent veal stuffed shellsExcellent veal stuffed shells and sauce, and rissoto and pork tenderloin. Only down side was bread.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was excellent andThe food was excellent and our service was great considering that there were son many of us. Looking forward to going there again soon!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful meal.We had a wonderful meal. The food was great and the service, without a doubt, the best we've experienced. The ambiance was perfect and we recommend it without reservation to anyone seeking a nice intimate yet inexpensive meal in the Bethesda area.3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMwe have always enjoyed diningwe have always enjoyed dining at this restaurant. The quality of the food is good as well as the service. Never disappointed.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMLa Panetteria: Is this Italy?A bit off the beaten track, the dishes are so authentic one might think they were dining along Rome's Piazza Navona! The soups were good, particularly the "Pasta e Fagioli" chocked full of delicious white beans. The "Antipasto alla Panetteria" composed of cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables is a healthy mélange of colors, textures, and tastes. I passed on a pasta, but with a main plate of grilled leg of lamb, which had been marinaded in olive oil, garlic, and herbs — it was tender, so much so one only needed a fork to consume this succulent dish— "molto deliziosa!" As is increasingly the case I was much to full for dessert, so I have no suggestions that category. However, be prudent when parking as the Bethesda enforcement is very vigilant.7/19/2012 12:00:00 AM