La Grotta - Richmond

We made our reservation a month in advance for our anniversary. When we arrived there was no seat in the window area as we had requested. After a conference with the Manager, Lisa, she guided us to the bar where we had complimentary Prosecco. In a few minutes she had rearranged the window seating area that was set up for two large parties and set up a table for two. That was good customer service, which is why we return there often on special occasions or just to have a fine dining experience. The other large parties next to us called in late for their seating so my wife and I had the entire window are to ourselves for the duration. Thanks again to Lisa!

Anthony took excellent care of our large crowd - kept us in drinks and appetizers (calamari and antipasto) and maintained a watchful eye over the table. Everyone cleaned their plates. My food was good not great, but La Grotta has great food, which I will get on my next visit.

I was visiting from Florida, there to celebrate my graduation from college and my first mother’s day without my mom who passed away a few months ago. Our reservation was for 8pm. We were traveling from Lynchburg and hit some traffic and arrived at 8:06 - the doors were locked. But there were people inside. Open Table said we had a 20-minutes grace period so we thought maybe we needed to go into a different door. We tried several doors back and forth, walking around the building and finally called at 8:15. I was greeted by Andrea (the owner’s wife) who stated they took the last table at 8pm and locked the doors. When I explained we had a reservation and ran late due to traffic but didn’t call because Open Table said we had a 20 minute grace period, she just kept reiterating that the current time was 8:15 and they took their last table at 8pm.

She finally let us in, reiterating all the way that it was after 8pm. I should’ve walked out then but remained hopeful the experience would turn around. Long story short: the food was awful, overpriced, and our waiter quite stoic and not warm, never checking on us once someone else delivered the food. I cried at the table because it was already an emotional weekend missing my mom, and it seemed my graduation/Mother’s Day dinner was a bust. With a $153 bill, we still tipped him 20%.... but I would NEVER recommend this place. Their attitude alone would prevent me from ever considering this restaurant again, aside from the overpriced, bad food.

I travel frequently for business (Italy often) and am not a stranger to different foods ...this was the worst Italian food I have ever eaten. The restaurant is typically not open Sunday and were opened specifically for Mother’s Day. Perhaps they had many things pre-made that were old and tasteless by the time we got there? I don’t know. But between the owner‘a wife’s attitude, our waiter and the food ..I paid $200 for nothing.

A wonderful dining experience with exceptional service and a friendly atmosphere. I would definitely recommend for any special occasion!! Great food presentation while very delicious.

Graduation

It's a shame that the service at this restaurant is so bad because the food is excellent.

First time in this location. We have eaten in the old location many times over the years. Same quality of service, food and ambiance. Nice evening.

Very delicious and great ambience

Portion size for entrees varies quite a bit. Two of us got a ravioli special, which was delicious but was of a much smaller portion than another diner that ordered the gnocci (regular item menu).

Three of us visited La Grotta for the first time. Our reservations were for 7PM and we were seated promptly. The menu had lots of options. We decided to order two appetizers for the table - the daily antipasto plate and fried calamari. The calamari was outstanding and a very large portion. The antipasto plate changes frequently and I would recommend asking what was on it if you choose to order it. We liked several of the things but the pate was not a favorite of anyones. I made the mistake of digging into what I thought was eggplant and it turned out to be anchovies that I do not like. My mistake, I should have asked! It was quite a different style of antipasto than we were accustomed to being served. For my dinner I had Agnolotti alla Panna which was truly outstanding. My husband enjoyed Fettuccine alla Papalina and my cousin the Linguine alla Scogliera. The servings are extremely generous. My husband enjoyed his so much that he took home enough for another meal. They make their own pasta and it is definitely worth ordering. Drinks were served promptly. The restaurant continued to get busier throughout our meal but our service remained steady and great. I would definitely recommend La Grotta, particularly if you are staying at the Marriott as it is just across the street.

Noise level was somewhat high which distracts from the excellent service and high quality food. The recommend wine was the best cab I have tasted.

Enzo gave us amazing service. He made the meal even better, which was hard to do because the food was so good.

Very nice, upscale Italian in downtown Richmond. Located within the Hilton Hotel, it is a popular spot. Friday was very busy and therefore pretty noisy. Large wedding crowd was primary culprit. Prix Fix Menu (it was Restaurant Week) was varied and quite good. Extensive wine list. Nice ambiance. Very good service. Not a good spot for young kids. All in all, an 8 out of possible 10.

Delicious food and excellent service! Hostess was very welcoming and attentive. This was our first time dining here - we will be back!

Very pleased with the Restaurant Week menu. The tiramisu is still the very best in Richmond!

We all enjoyed the interesting food offerings and wine.

We enjoyed our quiet dinner at La Grotta over the Easter weekend while visiting the family. Our waitress was very nice! Although the food and service were great, we still missed that cozy downstairs room on E. Cary Street. We missed that romantic atmosphere.

Delicious food and delicious wine! I could highly recommend choosing one of the course meal options! We chose the 5 course meal which was SO much food, but absolutely delicious!

Loved the former location, but look forward to dining again at your “new” location.

As always everything was wonderful. Our out of town friends (from Denver) thought it was great, too.

Mostly good however due to parking challenges I am not sure how soon I will go back. Parked in lot across 4th street and parking kiosk did not record my card after two tries. After anticipating a $14 fee for two hours I made the wrong assumption my fee was paid. When I returned I had a $22 parking ticket. Adds to a pricey meal.

La Grotta was a splendid place to meet up with family. The food was fresh and tasty, and the service excellent. There were not many people there on a Monday night. We liked that we could hear each other talk!

Great food, great service, nice atmosphere, definitely go back.

The food was delicious, but the service and seating were poor. The restaurant had plenty of open spaces and they put us right on top of a group of college formal kids. Their tables for 4 are also ridiculously small. It felt very crowded and jammed in the restaurant. It was also a Saturday night and they were literally sweeping us out of the door at 9:30pm.

Overall experience was not very enjoyable at all!

La Grotta has become our favorite restaurant when we visit Richmond. It is always excellent in every way. And one of the ways they make the experience memorable is the staff. My dear wife wanted something a little different for an appetizer. She liked a lunch appetizer, but that wasn't offered for dinner. So our waitress went to speak with the chef. Nope. Can't make that, BUT ... He made my wife a special appetizer of shaved octopus served with a touch of lemon balsamic and EVOO. It was heavenly. What a treat!!!
The menu is very creative. The chef has been "The Chef" since day 1. The food is the top. The desserts are excellent. And the wine list is more than adequate.
Will we be back? I'm counting the days.

Very busy! A little noisy but great food! Service nice. I'm a repeat customer and will be in the future!

More than just food, a wonderful dining experience! We ordered the wine paired dinner, and the food was all delicious and the wines chosen for each course was perfect and per our preferences. Courtney was attentive to our service needs.

Greet restaurant! Food is good. Definitely worth visiting!

Loved this place. The food and service were great!

La Grotta is one of the best Italian Restuarants that I've eaten at ever. I eat out a lot entertaining customers and this place is an instant hit. The bread is amazing. The appetizers rock without being too much. The main dishes are amazing especially the spinach stuffed ravioli. The deserts are very rich!!

We had 10 people for a business lunch and the staff at La Grotta was amazing. We were able to be in a semi-private area so that we could talk. The food was really good too.

food was great and service was super -- enjoyed look forward to visiting again

Not a negative word to say. Everything was perfect Would highly recommend to friends. The space is lovely and the staff is wonderful

We go to La Grotta often. The atmosphere and service are excellent. The special ravioli was way over sauced and the sole was buried under cooked vegetables.

Excellent wine list, our server was fantastic, the food was delicious. My friend has food allergies and she was easily able to find a meal that she could eat.

We usually love going to La Grotta as the food is excellent and the location perfect for attending performances at The Carpenter Theater. However, this past Saturday night, even though we arrived at 6:00 and told the server that the symphony concert we were attending started at 8:00, it wasn't until about 7:15 that our entrees arrived. I practically gulped my duck ragu pasta down which was a shame as it was quite good, I think. We sat for a full 1 hr and 15 minutes before dinner arrived. Many tables came and went and we were still there.
We were placed at the table I requested by the window and the server was nice. Don't understand, however, why the service was so slow.

La Grotta remains terrific!

Disappointed from the moment we sat down. Server not knowledgeable about wine list. Asked for wine to come out with dinner, and it was brought before we even finished cocktails (and the pours weren’t even 6oz). Then we waited...and waited...and waited for our appetizer...then waited for salads...and waited...and waited...for entrees. Get the picture? Food was sloppily plated. Pasta tasted fresh. Filet mignon wasn’t even pink when it was suppose to be medium rare. The veggies...yuck. Couldn’t bare to send it back given how long we waited for our entrees. Absolutely will not be going back or recommending to others. Many TOO MANY better options for Italian in RVA...including Olive Garden.

Enjoyed a pre-symphony dinner at La Grotta. The restaurant was packed, the noise level was cacaphonic, and the service was far-from-prompt. However, the food and drink were certainly worth the wait. Delectable appetizers and perfectly prepared entrees. Will we go again? Of course!

Great food, wine and service.