Osteria da Nino

The food and ambiance of this place is absolutely wonderful and they have a great happy hour with wonderful food specials. We received some free focaccia and pesto on the side. I ordered the mushroom ravioli, which was wonderful and my friends ordered other varieties of pasta dishes. I would definitely come back for a happy hour at some point. The issue for this place was the service. Some of my friends who were sharing received their eggplant Parmesan quickly but then none of our food came out and they already finished their meal and we still didn't receive our food. There was little to no apology and we weren't even offered any extra bread even to compensate us. They did have a large party and places are understaffed, but we could have been checked up on, even for a minute. Overall, I'd come back for happy hour, but not for dinner.

We went for Valentine's Day and was not impressed. We originally made the reservation for the cheese wheel which they then did not offer. The price was way too high for the courses. The burrata was fine but had so many beets would not get again. The dessert was not worth finishing. We had the tiramisu and chocolate mouse cake. The meals were also fine but not worth the $85!! We left disappointed and will not be going back. If the prices maybe reflected the food we would have had a fine time but don't expect to be impressed.

I came specifically for the Winter Restaurant Week experience, which was a 3 course menu that was $40/pp. I got calamari for the appetizer and it was average. The batter was soggy and not light and crispy enough but I did enjoy the two sauces that were paired with it. Of the ones that our table got and sampled, the best appetizer was the Polpettine di Carne meatballs.For the main, I got the Fusilli Salsiccia. The pasta was slightly overcooked and the sauce was watery but overall I enjoyed how the flavor of the pork and sage complimented the pasta, but it wasn't anything to write home about. My friend got the carbonara which was unfortunately disappointing, as it was watery, overly salty and the opposite of what a good carbonara should be. In addition, the carbonara had what looked like pieces of cubed ham instead of pancetta or guanciale, which really downgraded the dish. Chocolate mousse was a good way to end the meal, I would've liked less whipped cream but it wasn't too sweet, which I preferred. Service wise, food came out within a reasonable but towards the end of the meal (and their closing time), they started turning off the lights in the dining area and it felt like we were being rushed and kicked out, which also lended to the lower review. Unfortunately, an overall disappointing restaurant week experience. I had really high expectations given the high reviews on both Google and Yelp, but I would not recommend coming back here (at least for Restaurant Week).

I came here with my friends for restaurant week. Overall, I found the service was ok and staff were accommodating however the food was a bit mid. The biggest miss was the carbonara, which I didn't order but simply tasted. It didn't have much flavor and the pasta itself was very hard which was unexpected in a bad way. Not to mention, another dish (Vongle?) was also lacking flavor. However, on a positive note, my own entree was much better in comparison. The bread + pesto served was delicious, I could have had them all night . However my appetizer and dessert were also lacking and I found myself mainly going for the bread. The entire experience just felt a bit overpriced for the quality we received.

I am honestly so shocked and confused by the raving reviews. This was one of the most terrible restaurants I've been to in a while.We came in for Restaurant Week dinner, and I got the calamari, carbonara, and tiramisu, and needless to say, all three were horrendous.Calamari: 2/5 - It was stale, not breaded and crispy enough.Carbonara: 1/5 - The dish that made me decide to ultimately give this place this rating. The pasta was undercooked- I think they need to learn what a true al dente is. The sauce was runny and tasted like salt water with no other flavor, and the guanciale was... not guanciale. The overall taste and texture reminded me of something that shouldn't be served in a restaurant.Tiramisu: 2/5 - The consistency was more like a tres leches cake, but just in a bad way. It was like cake that was just dropped in water and the flavor was lacking.I usually don't like to do this, but I ultimately had to tell them that the carbonara was inedible and asked for another dish, which raised my rating from 1 to 2 stars.I also am not sure if the Restaurant Week price of $52 after taxes and tip was even good value. It seems like that's around what I would've paid regularly, and even if it was a deal, it definitely felt like I threw $52 down the drain. I will definitely not come back and would never recommend this place to anybody.

Plenty of parking, this is located in Shirlington and there's both street and garage parking. Everyone was so pleasant and so nice and Nino was incredibly sweet and accommodating. He engaged us in conversation and showed us the big parmesan wheel and let us try it. He was so kind to us.The restaurant is quiet and I'm genuinely surprised at how quiet it was because the pasta here is the best pasta I've had since comong back from Tuscany. I got the special of the fettuccine pasta in the parm wheel tableside. My friends got gnocchi, the bolognese and carbonara. All delicious butbthe fettuccine was so good.I definitely plan on coming back, it was absolutely delicious.

Ambiance: (5/5) Great eating options (indoor, outdoor, and a private room for large parties). There was nice music playing and great decor. Price: (4/5) Prices are average for the area. Some things are a bit more expensive, but that is similar to most restaurants. Food: (4/5) We started with the bread bowls that had focaccia. They had this oil and pesto (maybe) dressing on the side. I could have used some salt and pepper in it. I had the fried calamari which was really crispy, but needed some additional seasoning. I really enjoyed the two sauces it came with. The portion size was really good. I had the ravioli as my main. It had an amazing short rib stuffing and a nice red sauce on top. I will say the portion was a bit smaller than I expected. I had the tiramisu which I highly recommend. it comes with an espresso gelato on top. I would love to try more of their desserts and main dishes.Service: (5/5) Food comes out really quick even with large parties.

We had a really great time! I made a reservation a day ahead for my partner and I, and we indulged in 3 courses and drinks. There was complimentary bread and oil for the table, and we ordered a charcuterie board and arancini to share. There wasn't much fanfare for the board, but the arancini was pleasant! It could have been crispier, but I liked that it wasn't just cheese and rice for a restaurant with this price tag. We both ordered pasta, the Garganelli Casarecci for me and the Fusilli al Ferretto for him. We both reaaally liked the fresh pasta touch, and both sauces were developed very well. For dessert, we got the pistachio creme brulee and I got a cappuccino, both of which hit the spot! My only criticism is the creme brulee could have stood to get another few seconds under the torch. The actual dining room is pretty, not too upscale but definitely nice. We had a table but I almost wish we got to sit at the pretty bar top. Service was attentive and we only needed to beg for a water refill once. I think we'll try to hit this place again to try a few other things on the menu, but it was a nice outing for sure.

Great happy hour at the Bar. Bartender and wait staff excellent. Nino very attentive! Mussels and meatballs awesome... Spaghetti del mare, gnocchi, arugula salad, yummy!!!And lovely atmosphere!

The food, drinks, service, and Nino are always on point. My friends and I regularly go for their $1 oysters during happy hour and don't mind paying a $1.50 an oyster when it's not happy hour. We always have an awesome and enjoyable time when we go to Osteria da Nino...