La Grotta Ristorante

My wife and I went here last night. Everything about the place was delightful. The servers were incredibly friendly, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the cheese and spinach raviolis and asked the waiter to give my compliments to the chef. My only problem was there weren’t more of them.

On the downside, it’s pricy. My wife and I ordered appetizers, wine, entres, and dessert, but stuck to the cheaper items on the menu. Still, it cost us $170 plus tip ($210 for the final price). And being in Richmond, you’ll probably have to park a few blocks away, which wasn’t fun considering it was raining last night.

Still, La Grotta was a wonderful experience for fine dining. I would highly recommend it.

A double date night brought us to La Grotta. The service was spectacular. Our waiter was knowledgeable and witty, giving us laughs along with choices. All the meals were delicious and the desserts were remarkable.

La Grotta is a good choice when looking for a nice dinner in a sparkling atmosphere.

came here to celebrate my birthday with a group of friends and the night was just perfect. derrick was the most perfect server i could’ve asked for!! both professional, yet personable, he set the most amazing mood for the evening. food wise, everything was delicious, and you could tell that they make a lot of things from scratch. the sauce on the filet wasn’t my favorite, but i still enjoyed it. i also tried the salmon, which was so yummy, and the pastas could’ve been a little more tender for my personal taste, but my friends thought they were good! all my friends were raving about their food. the strawberry cake was also perfect and the night overall was absolutely lovely.

This was the best customer service I’ve ever encountered at a restaurant! The food was amazing & the atmosphere was so inviting I’ll definitely be back here!!! My man proposed to me here the same night we went and the staff planned everything so beautifully thank you all!! We was the first proposal at there restaurant 🍾💍❤

I cannot say enough great things about this restaurant! Our server was amazing, the food was incredible, and the ambiance was perfect. Will definitely be back.

First timer: Dined in with a friend yesterday before a show and everything was fabulous. Our server Roger, was incredible. Highly attentive, suggestive, personable and made our dining experience great. The food was amazing and perfectly prepared, cooked and served. Will definitely return!

went in with a group of girl friends to celebrate a 22nd birthday and our server derrick was PHENOMENAL! genuinely perfect service and great food! i’m now planning on taking my parents there when they come visit me and im hoping i get derrick! the seafood was so fresh you could taste the quality in every bite

We’re visiting Richmond and were recommended this restaurant for dinner- and didn’t regret it! The food was really good - my husband had veal and I had chicken- both excellent! We also had calamari for an appetizer - tender calamari in super crispy batter- match made in heaven! Couldn’t have any desert after such rich food bug everything we saw looked really good. We do want to point out that we had THR BEST waiter - ROGER! He gave us great recommendations, was super professional - never hovered but was there when we needed him! He also seemed extremely nice and personable - made us felt very welcomed and special. I hope the restaurant appreciates what a gem of a staff and a great professional they have working there! Anyway. great place, great food…and loud and vibrant as any true Italian restaurant!

If I could give 100 Stars, I would! This restaurant was amazing. We had our wedding dinner there last Tuesday. All our guest raved about the service and food. The chef his wife and the whole staff was just AMAZING! can't wait to go back for our Anniversary dinner.

My wife and I came here for a date night. We had no reservation but we called and the woman on the phone said there was a table in the bar and when we arrived it was still vacant. The atmosphere is wonderful. The building is old and classy. The waiter was friendly and knowledgeable and attentive. The food is absolutely delicious and attractive. We decided to get a four course meal for each of us based upon the recommendation of our waiter. My wife had the oyster appetizer, which she liked very much, seafood ravioli with a red pepper sauce, which was wonderful, the red snapper special, which was very good, and slice of tiramisu cake, which she brought home and enjoyed. I had calamari, which was cooked perfectly, the seafood linguini, perfectly Al center with a wonderful sauce, ribeye steak, which was one of the best I’ve ever eaten, and an Italian custard desert with vanilla sauce, which was delicious. All in all, our meal was exquisite and we couldn’t stop talking about how good it was. I highly recommend La Grotta if you enjoy fine food and fine Italian. After our meal we met and spoke for a bit with the owner and she sent us over an after dinner lemon cello. It was a great experience.

After a month or two of deliberation on where to eat for my birthday dinner, we finally decided on La Grotta to celebrate Saturday evening.

Richmond has an extensive Italian food scene that includes handmade pasta and traditional fare at many of the local restaurants. In that regard, it is tough to stand out.

La Grotta Ristorante, in our opinion, is the best Italian restaurant and one of the best overall restaurants in RVA.

To start, we ordered dirty martinis which came out perfectly. Briny from the olive juice, 3 blue cheese stuff olives skewered, and well mixed to create a perfect balance. We also had old fashioned’s which were perfectly crafted by the bartender. Reasonably priced for an upscale restaurant.

Bread baskets came out regularly and flowing with homemade focaccia, Italian bread, and it also included breadsticks. The showstopper here was that Calabrian chili pepper oil that was served with the bread. You could drink it by the bucket full.

For appetizers we ordered the snails and the frog legs over polenta. The snails were served out of their shells on top of button mushrooms in a garlic, herb, and oil sauce. The frog legs were served in a light tomato and Chardonnay red sauce over top of polenta. These were the best frog legs I’ve ever had. Light, tender, and flavorful. The sauce reminded me of a well flavored cacciatore.

For our entrees, we got the Quail, Spinach and Ricotta ravioli, and the special of the night; pheasant ravioli.

The quail is a must try, as I think this is the best meal I’ve tasted in Richmond. It is juicy and packed with herbaceous flavor. A google review can’t clearly articulate how tasty this was. Just order it… now.

The spinach and ricotta ravioli was well balanced and light even though it was based in a cream sauce. The pasta shells have a great chew since they are made in house, and the portions were plentiful.

The special of the night; the pheasant, was perfect. It was not gamey, and you could taste the care that was put into creating a delicate bite. This should be a continuously rotating item if it isn’t already. I will have to order this again.

Overall, the experience was perfect from top to bottom. If you live in RVA, or are just visiting, make an effort to get here.

First time (Dec 20th 2021) for me to try deer meat and escargots. They were so great! The nicest thing was a gentleman sit near us in the bar (we all didn’t reserve tables) paid our desert without telling us! (Thank you so much if you by any chance see this review! ) Richmond has lots of nice people!

Just absolutely fantastic. La Grotta is a gem hidden in plain sight.

Over the past decade, I have increasingly avoided Italian fare due to the utter lack of attention to detail by most restaurants, with boring palate considerations, or mortal sins like watery noodles with marinara. Why would one pay a premium when virtually any dish or sauce can be made at home that tastes far better?

La Grotta has entered the chat! Their four course meal will blow you away. I experienced the first course, with two chef-selected pastas tastefully separated on the same dish, one side smothered in white sauce, with a counterpart of noodles in marinara. It's an offering that you have to experience for yourself. I could not decide which one I liked better so I'll have to, ahem (for research purposes), try this dish again.

The salad was competently tasty. And the main course, Salmone Atlantico with shrimp, was done perfectly.

Our waiter substituted my desired Malbec for a Sangiovese he said would be similar, and he was right. I know, reds and fish aren't a typical pairing, but whites aren't my thing. Lol

The tiramisu was rich and had a finish. After-dinner espressos were fantastic, as well.

I also want to recognize the professional waitstaff - these folks treated myself and my crew with a wonderful experience. They are truly vested, and it makes for a special night.

Highly recommended that you visit La Grotta soon!!

Love this place! Staff is fantastic—accommodating and professional without being stuffy. Food is always wonderful. Perfect spot to have a nice meal before a show at the Dominion Energy Center.

Visited this wonderful establishment last week. The original resturant we made reservations with, was unable to accommodate us. With one day notice, this place was able to accommodate my party of 24 with both professionalism and excellence. The food was extraordinary, and the ambiance was just was needed to make the people in my party feel special. Special thanks to Jeremy for all of his help and hard work.

Upscale Italian restaurant in downtown Richmond, located at the neighbor of Hilton. You can use the parking lot on either side of the restaurant (remember to pay).

The restaurant is suitable for dinning from two to the group of around 40. You can choose 3, 4 or 5 dishes or just select your entree. I’ve tried seafood, beef and chicken, all are cooked with great texture and flavor. Different wine choices. The dessert is the best I’ve ever had in Richmond. Chef is from Italy.

Waiters and waitresses are professional. They tried to understand your need and give helpful suggestions.

Reservation is recommended, especially if you have a big group or you are to take dinner. They have a view of the Broad Street.

Got a reservation on a whim to take my fiancé and father out to a nice dinner. I had always heard good things, but was blown away by the experience. Excellent service, delicious food, great ambiance. We will certainly be back!

Amazing food and even better service. There were so many great items on the menu, it became hard to choose. The four course meal is way to go.

Great experience! Someone in our party is gluten free and there are many options available. Parking is nearby. Will return.

Excellent service and atmosphere, came here for a late meal on business travel. From a food perspective the Caesar salad was a miss - had the Veal Scallopini and the flavors were great. Dishes are sauce heavy, and portions are large.