Sfoglina Van Ness

This is one of our go-to places for a great meal. Fabio Trabocchi is one of the great chefs in D.C. His Fiola Mare is our anniversary spot but Sfoglina is closer and terrific for pastas, salads and more. The house red wine is wonderful. The San Leo is a favorite pasta although they are all great. Service is always exceptional.

Great atmosphere with a classy, but not overstated, vibe. The servers and host were very friendly, though it did seem that they were either forgetting or too busy to come check in on us regularly. It did not seem super busy, but the restaurant is quite large and has multiple seating areas nestled separately from each other. It's possible our server was busy with other tables that we could not see. As for the food, it was generally good but nothing to rave home about. I got the beef short rib agnolotti, which came with a truffle pesto. The pasta was not uniformly cooked throughout the dish, and many parts were either over- or undercooked. For a place that markets themselves as a "pasta house", this was pretty disappointing. Lastly, the prices are pretty obscene for the quality of the food and drinks. I know that this is somewhat standard for Italian restaurants these days, but unless you're sourcing all your ingredients directly from Italy, it feels pretty egregious to be charging this much. Had the prices been cut in half, I probably would've given this 4 stars.

This review reflects my experience dining out with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that requires me to maintain a diet free of gluten (including cross contact).SERVICE: 4/5 starsDRINKS: Not applicableFOOD: 3/5 starsAMBIANCE: 3/5 starsVALUE: 3/5 starsOVERALL RATING: 3/5 starsI recently visited Sfoglina's Van Ness location to attend book-club brunch with friends. Our 10-person party was seated quickly after a majority of our group arrived; there is a single table that works well for large reservations (located in the back room to the right of the host stand). Once seated, we were given water immediately; our server came by to collect drink orders quickly. The server was able to answer questions from our party, including sharing information about food allergies and substitutions.Sfoglina changed its brunch menu on Saturday, January 25; the updated menu was not available online prior to our arrival (and is still out of date). I originally planned to order the cacio e pepe pasta, substituting for corn-based tagliatelle (rice-based macaroni is also available for those who avoid gluten). Unfortunately, the recipe for the cacio e pepe sauce has changed; it now contains wheat, making it unsafe for me to eat. Instead, I ordered two sides--mixed fruit (raspberries and blueberries available today) and bacon (four slices were provided). Both the fruit and the bacon was fine, but unremarkable; the fruit was predominantly blueberries, and the bacon was slightly undercooked. I did not drink anything other than water today.When reconciling our bill, we were told that a maximum of two cards could be provided as payment (so we Venmo'ed one person). No service fee was applied, nor was an automatic gratuity.Overall, Sfoglina remains a solid, decent option for brunch or dinner when in the Van Ness neighborhood. I appreciate having two pasta choices, though providing notations on the menu to indicate which pastas could be made gluten-free, safely, would allow for better planning what I plan to eat. I also hope Sfoglina updates its online menu soon, so the brunch options match what is available on site.

We made a last minute reservation here for dinner on a Friday night and they were able to take us! Which was great news and we appreciated them being so accommodating! Anyways...The food was pretty good! The Mafalde alla Norcina was great and so decadent. The sausage was so good and the sauce was delicious. The clam dish however was very... interesting. My boyfriend got it and said the sauce wasn't great and found it to just be extremely clammy and he loves clams so that's saying something. But everything else besides that was awesome. The garlic bread was gooey and cheesy but the crust was crunchy. The desserts were insane! We were given a complimentary gelato swirl and that was the star of the show--truly.Our service was fabulous. The waitress (I wish I knew her name) was so attentive and helpful. She gave recommendations, checked in, and ultimately was just really awesome! And the food came out pretty quickly too. So the overall dining experience was really nice.As for the restaurant itself, it is cozy and intimate. Perfect for date night! Their menus are also super fun, they look like newspapers. It's really fun. Honestly, I can see us coming back here and enjoying another date night!

Order the Pasta Trio. It's pasta perfecto. We , a couple, ordered the paprpadelle, linguini with clams, and Mafeldi (?), with a simply elegant and nourishing Caesar Salad with a side of mushrooms with Parmesan fondutti and was served by a professional and dedicated staff equals an exceptional experience with plentiful leftover, imho.

Food was delish. Service was excellent. Patio was quaint and we got lucky our September night temps were perfect!Kept it simple and had raviolis. I think I made the best choice of all of us. Husband had the crab ravioli (special for the evening). They tasted good but not as good as mine. Daughter, our recent graduate- celebrating this night, had Branzino. It too was good, but I think mine was best. Desserts were amazing. Even got one for free!Thursday is half price wine night. A good night to go! Also, bought the graduate a new shirt

Every time I come here, I have a nice pleasant dinner. Staff are always kind, service is great, and food is consistent. My heart is saddened by the decision to remove gnocchi off their current menu but hopefully it comes back because that's my favorite dish.

SFOGLINA! Actually the best Italian food I have ever had (and I've had a lot). I have gone a few times and every single meal has been perfect. Our waitress, Jocelyn, was so sweet and helped us navigate the menu and we even got free sherbet! The Italian music, outfits, and lighting just tied it all together.

Sfoglina is a gorgeous dining experience that deserves all the rave!Came here for evenings drinks and bites and left extremely satisfied and excited for my next visit.We were seated at the bar and were welcomed by a friendly, lively staff that helped us pick the best menu items. The restaurant is beautifully decorated in a red, classic Italian theme and has plenty of seating.To eat, we got the Provolone Garlic Bread alongside the Spritz Tower. The bread was perfectly seasoned and paired well with the varieties of spritz. The cheese and tomato sauce were so fresh and practically melted in my mouth. My personal favorite spritz was the limoncello - very light and refreshing. Highly recommend ordering the tower! It's a decent price and helps those that are indecisive, like myself My friend then got an Espresso Martini - truly one of the best I have EVER HAD! Truly changed the game for all future ones I'll have. Was so good we split another and gave our compliments to the bartender.The Van Ness location is particularly adorable and adds such a charm to the neighborhood. The staff here took their time on each item served and did an exceptional job at making sure their customers were accommodated.Very excited to have a Sfoglina meal soon! It is a must try if you are near one.

Excellent Service and Excellent Food made for a delightful evening. I wanted to treat myself and I did! From the Prosecco to the Bread - the Arugula Salad - the Spicy Calamari - Pappardelle - Best for last - Gelato Swirl!!!!!!! And as a single diner I was well taken care of by all the Staff.