10/03/09

Great Night

by Kemper

We attended Azzurros last night for an evening out with our family while in town. Let me say, we were impressed by not only the attention to detail each member of the staff gave us, but also the crowd they amassed during what is supposed to be a "recession."

It seems necessary to make a reservation here. We sat around 6:00pm as a few tables started trickling in. As we were leaving, we saw many groups being turned away at the door. I would say the ambiance is very inviting but the restaurant became very noisy as the night went by.

Order the Lasagna. Best me and my wife have ever had. We will return when back in town.

• Pros: Attentiveness of Waitstaff, Lasagna
• Cons: Parking was difficult

10/02/09

Inexperienced maitre d'

by biker2000

We arrived without a reservation and were told the wait would be about 30 minutes and that we could wait outside. After 40 minutes, we finally got fed up and went inside to see what the problem was. It was the confused state of the staff. They had completely forgotten about us! In a nutshell, don't go here unless you like to wait.

• Cons: Poor organization

12/13/08

Best in Richmond

by Assumptiones

My husband and I have been Saturday night regulars for many years, and each Saturday night has been a wonderful experience. Beginning with the awesome manager, who is unfailingly classy, gracious and concerned, to the amazing waitstaff, who are intelligent, beautiful (guys and girls alike, inside and out!), efficient, interested and knowledgable (they also have a great sense of timing and never bring out the next course before the current course is finished, always clear in a timely fashion, often come by to quietly and subtley check on you, repour your wine, refill your water, etc--something that doesn't always occur in some of the best restaurants i have visited in large cities), to the gorgeous ambiance, whether indoors in winter w the fire, or outdoors on the patio in nice weather, to the delicious appetizers, creative salads, out-of-this-world entrees (their sauces are all to die for! the ravioli tartuffo-w black truffe cream sauce, the eggplant rolatini, the perfect risotto, the best shrimp gazpacho in town..just to name a few! yum!) and desserts (love the tiramisu and the bomba), to the wine list (if you are unsure, they are GREAT at choosing a nice pairing, and are respectful of your budget!), Azzurro is hands down the best place in town. We have taken many out-of-town guests there and all have raved. It is loud but if you ask when you make reservations, they will seat you in the quieter areas. Italian friends say it is the ONLY authentically Italian restaurant in town. You can find a ton of delicious items if you are vegetarian (more difficult for vegans as they use a lot of cheese...but the marinara and always perfectly al dente pasta are the bomb!). They are really busy so absolutely you need a reservation for most evenings. And if you are especially celebratory, don't forget to order a Godiva martini!!!

• Pros: Service, food, atmosphere
• Cons: noisy at peak times