Osteria da Nino

We went here for dinner last evening as prelude to seeing a play at Signature. I was optimistic that it would be an excellent choice, based on several of the reviews posted here. I was also a little leery based upon others of the reviews on this site.
I can say that I was delighted with our choice. The meal was magnificent in almost every way. We began with appetizers – I had Fritto Misto, flash fried calamari, shrimp, salmon, and vegetables, that was tasty, crispy, and not the least bit greasy. My wife had Cavolini di Bruxelles Croccante –crispy Brussels sprouts, beet purée, pistachios, and pesto herbs, Our friend, of Italian descent and very picky about Italian restaurants, had arancini. We all thoroughly enjoyed our choices.
For the main course, I took the advice of one of the reviews I had read and ordered the branzino, a whole fish, beautifully filleted and pan sautéed with superb seasonings and vegetables., My wife had the Mitili Pepperade, mussels, sweet and spicy red pepper broth, arugula, and speck. Though an appetizer, it was enough for an entrée. Our friends had the lamb shank and the short ribs. Again, we all found the entrees to be wonderful.
The only thing keeping me from giving five stars was the service. While our server was pleasant and attentive, her English was somewhat limited and her recitation of the daily specials was almost impossible to understand. We were also troubled by the appetizers not all coming out together and our having to ask her what happened to the arancini. Upon our asking her, the arancini was served almost immediately.
The prices are moderate (with a 15% discount if you tell them you are going to Signature), the surroundings very nice, and the food excellent. This has now become my new favorite in Shirlingtron.

After living in Italy for over two years this is as close as you’ll get without the airfare. The true Italian experience! The food was extremely flavorful and reminiscent of our dinning experiences in Italy. Simple dishes comprised of ten or less ingredients made from scratch not assembly line made in plastic bags warmed in the microwave to heat the plate to give the impression of «homemade».
The owners made their way around to every table engaging customers. The wait staff performed exactly as our experience dinning out in Italy was. The wait staff waits for you to make eye contact before approaching to see what you need, not hovering around the table looking to increase the amount of the tip through hollow interest.
It’s ashame that so many reviews about this establishment compare the food to American chain Italian dinning which in my humble opinion was exactly the opposite of our experience.
If you want true Italian cuisine give this place a try!
Nino and Joginder, PERFECTO! GRAZIE MILLE!

I tried this place with my wife and son based on the positive reviews that I read. Getting my wife to try it took some convincing as she is not very adventurous when it comes to food and many of the ingredients used here are a little unusual, in her opinion. Nevertheless, we gave it a try.
The visit started well with a greeting by the owner at the door but went downhill. The waitress was not very knowledgable about the menu and seemed puzzled when I asked for a martini.
My wife asked that her braised short ribs not come with mushrooms. Guess what, it came with a big pile of them. Once the mushrooms were picked off by me, she said that the dish was very good. The short ribs were very tender and flavorful. I ordered the lamb shank with polenta. It was also very tender and not overcooked. However, it did not come out of the kitchen at the same time as the other two meals. Our waitress never made an appearance to check on our meals and after 20 minutes of waiting for my meal, we finally waved her over to inquire as to where my meal was. After another 10 minutes it was finally delivered,
In most restaurants, chains included, a faux pas like this would trigger a visit by the manager to offer an apology. Nothing of the sort occurred here, just a perfunctory apology by the waitress.
And still we ordered dessert. My wife and son ordered the chocolate soufflé which was more like a lava cake. I ordered the panna cotta which was supposed to be cherries, sheeps milk cream and cherry basil sorbet. It contained none of these ingredients. It was an ordinary custard with a few blue berries and black berries on top.
The experience was disappointing which is sad because we like to support independently owned restaurants. We will not return to this one.

Restaurant was clean, service was average, food was less than average. Mediocre at best, had the fresh mozzarella salad, squid ink pasta and seafood red sauce pasta. Salad was alright, nothing spectacular. Squid ink tasted very bland, seafood red sauce was super bland with barely any sauce… Good amount of seafood but just bland. Pricey even with the Specialicious voucher.

Knowledge service, fresh pasta and quality ingredients make this place solid. Shrlington Village can be stressful getting in and out the first time but eventually it makes sense.
First off, not all pasta dishes are made with fresh pasta. The menu is misleading saying dishes are made with fresh pasta while only a few were actually «fresh». Overall experience was pleasant but not outstanding. The calamari with squid ink was tasty but nothing outstanding or out of the world which people wrote. Overall flavors were balanced which gives me more hope in exploring more of the menu.
Food: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Value: ³⁄₅

Our new favorite Happy Hour spot! Christina was a wonderful server/​bartender! We felt so special and will def be back to try to main menu. We only had the bread and pesto and a bit of breshetta and they were very good.

Either I’m crazy or Shirlington has no taste. This food was NOT good! None of it. The appetizers were really bad and the pastas were mediocre. I make better chicken Parmesan at home. My husband and I have had our fair share of Italian food and love some local favorites like Orso, Casa Luca, etc. We lived in New York for two years and enjoyed the best. This was just not a 4 star Unilocal choice. Not even a 3 star!
As a cherry on top, the service was also not good. We sat outside, so maybe that’s why? But we were looking for our waiter repeatedly.
We won’t be back.

Fantastic service, bartender remembered my name and my drink even after we grabbed a table. The owner was very personable and walked around. Our appetizer took awhile to come out but our server kept us in the know. Food was good not the best Italian food I’ve ever had but the service alone would have me coming back for more!

So I gave this place another shot hoping the last experience was just a fluke. Sadly, this time ranks even lower.
Tried brunch yesterday and for the place being nearly empty (2 or 3 other tables), service was unacceptably slow. While waiting for our food for what seemed like an eternity (at least 30 minutes), our coffee mugs went empty several times and we had to ask for refills… and only got one. Not only that but I originally asked for black tea and was told they didn’t have any. What place serving brunch does not have black tea!!!
When the food finally came, we were very disappointed. My shrimp and grits had to be sent back because the shrimp tasted terrible and the ‘grits’ was a dry pile of cold polenta (really?!). One friend ordered chicken and waffle and was not thrilled with the flavor, left most of it uneaten. Another friend ordered French toast and bacon (the French toast was actually decent but the bacon essentially came out raw and was sent back).
Food, attention to detail, and overall service is really lacking here. I’m wondering, where are all these four and five star reviews coming from? For now I will stick with Carlyle or Copperwood tavern. Even cap city brewery would be preferable and that’s not saying much.

We’ve been here a few times because we live nearby, but this place is well worth the drive if you’re not local. The sea bass is amazing, their house made pasta is extraordinary, the lasagna rivals anything from the kitchen of an Italian grandmother, and the baby octopus appetizer served over squid ink hummus is to die for!
To top it off, the service is always attentive in a classy environment.

Was excited to try this place based on reviews.
Went during HH and sat at the bar. Their service can definitely use work because we were not greeted immediately and sat at the bar for a while before we were even acknowledged but there was plenty of staff standing around. It was empty around 530 on a Friday. The bartender/​server was nice though and we got some wine.
Definitely still some hiccups in terms of service, food, etc. Ordered oysters $ 1 for HH, mussels, meatballs, and I got the Brussels sprouts from the regular menu. Again, the oysters took forever to come out even though we ordered it right when we got there. The mussels were supposed to come with fries but that was forgotten and finally came midway through our meal.
Meatballs were amazing! Loved the fresh tomato sauce and the cheese was so good! So light and perfect complement to the meatballs. The Brussels sprouts were also great, cooked perfectly and crispy though I didn’t taste the beet purée at all. It was also extremely salty (only parts of it) but the owner was really nice and got us a new plate of it.
Overall, the food was pretty good. The freshness of the tomato sauce on the meatballs plus perfect cook on the Brussels sprouts flavors makes me excited for the rest of the menu with high expectations.
But they can definitely work on things like not forgetting things (the fries), timing of the food, more efficient service. The owner is so nice and he is definitely trying his best to make everyone have a pleasant dining experience. Because they are still relatively new, I think they will be great with a little more time.

Outstanding hospitality is notable, from the moment you step into this modern, spaciously arranged restaurant. The owner, Nino himself, welcomes you as if you are a guest in his home. The wait staff will settle you into tables (or, if you prefer, their casual, centrally-​placed bar). Herbed foccaccia and pesto are set out as amuse-​bouche, while you peruse an extensive wine list and cocktails.
The hazelnut martini I got was decadent albeit the chocolate sauce at the base was distinctly Hersheys-​ish. I am not a fan of their chocolate at all.
The restaurant feels spacious (some would say slightly too vaccuous) and a warm soundtrack sets a modern vibe. The menu offers a series of modern twists on small courses as they would be served in an Italian home– rice balls, vegetables, crispy octopus, followed by a decent selection of main courses of pasta or cuts of meat/​fish.
For appetizer I had the roasted brussel sprouts which were crisp, served on a bed of beet sauce, charred and roasted to bring out the sugars. Quite elegant in the mouth. I couldn’t finish it all, so I took it home and warmed it up for lunch the next day and it was even more delicious. Order yourself these brussel sprout appetizers!
For main I had the squid ink pasta with mussels, calamari, and shrimp. I wanted the seafood to have a slightly more forward flavor. Now this could just have been my mind telling me that the quality of the seafood itself was not as wonderful as it might have been had I been dining on the patio of an Italian seaside restaurant rather than alongside I-​395 in Shirlington. Wouldn’t want to seem like I was complaining; I certainly enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as bold in flavor (neither briny, herby, nor lemony) as I imagined it would be.
My companion had the beef steak with potatoes and kale (he is the most limited eater ever) and I tasted some of his roasted kale which he did not touch, due to his vegetable phobias. The kale was ridiculously salty, and I think it was to complement the steak which was not spiced itself (which met the terms and conditions of my dining partner well). The potatoes were deliciously roasted.
I would gladly return to this place as it is a contrast to the average fake, corporate-​trained hospitality one is met with everywhere in this country. This is the real deal, with an owner who clearly relishes his role as host of his own restaurant. Kitchen might have been a tad spotty, but the experience is spot on.

After seeing the good reviews, I came with high expectations. The atmosphere is nice, not super fancy but not casual either. It’s perfect for a date, family dinner, or any special occasion. Our waitress was super, duper enthusiastic and attentive and answered all of our questions about the menu. She suggested the Pilopo for our appetizer (braised rock Octopus, black hummus, cucumbers, sultans, pomegranates, fried capers). The octopus was very tender and the flavor combination of creamy, savory, and tart (from the capers) went well together.
For our entrees, I opted for the lobster risotto (off-​menu special) while my friend got the Bucatini Carbonara (parmesan cream, lightly smoked pork belly, grilled ramps, smoked chili flakes). The lobster risotto, which I was super excited for, was undercooked and the rice was hard to chew. If I wasn’t in a rush, I definitely would have told them to cook it longer because it pretty much ruined the dish. It was also a bit bland especially for a dish with no variety. There were plenty of lobster pieces, though, and the presentation was pretty nice (almost instagram worthy).
My friend’s pasta was creamy and delicious but the noodles were a little too thick and short so it was a bit messy to eat.
Overall, it’s a nice restaurant but I wasn’t blown away by the menu or food.

3.5
Stopped by Osteria da Nino in Shirlington the other evening for a late dinner and dined on their small patio since we had the doggies with us.
The bread basket was phenomenal and I absolutely loved the olive oil and pesto mix. It was really addicting. I went with the pork ragu pasta since I was coming from working out and was looking for something hearty. The pasta and sauce were decent but neither stood out as exceptional. I got a bite of the pork chop as well and thought it was on the dry side.
Service was great though. Our server was über friendly in a genuine way and Nino stopped by to make sure we were doing okay. They were both also super accommodating to our dogs and brought them a water bowl as well! Waters remained refilled and food arrived in a timely fashion.
Looking forward to having their bread basket and stopping by to check out happy hour sometime!

I love this place! Now I’m not going to bore you with the details of what I’ve had here. I will simply say that the food and drinks are spectacular, and this restaurant is a great replacement for what used to be The Curious Grape. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone for any occasion — an outing with friends, a date, or a meal to impress the family. It’s a lovely restaurant where you can dress up a bit and chill out and stay for hours on end.
The menu has a great listing of vegetarian options. I love it! Also, the owners are basically the best people. They are very personable, talkative, and sweet.
Bottom line: I never go out for Italian food but now I will. The food is fabulous, and I hope this place is here to stay!

MOLTO BENE! I don’t remember much from my three semesters of college Italian, but I do know that Mr. Nino and his Osteria in cute Shirlington have turned me back into a fan of Italian food. Not that I wasn’t a fan, per se, I had just grown tired of the same entrees at every Italian restaurant in the area… and in America in general.
Thanks to Nino’s unique flair — he is 100% Sicilian, after all, you will find some unexpected gems and new favorites at Osteria da Nino that surely will have you clamoring for more. A deal on Specialicious for this restaurant convinced me to make the trek from Herndon to Shirlington; the free parking, amazing food, and home-​like service will bring me back.
The atmosphere is nice enough for a date night, but casual enough that you can arrive in shorts and not feel out of place. Nino himself greets every guest who dines at his restaurant, and he clearly has a gift for hospitality and food service, as his entire staff is well-​trained on some of the finer points of serving, and you will certainly see Nino gently reminding so-​and-​so to «please refill the water at table 2,» or «check and see if table 6 wants some more pesto.»
Oh, did I say pesto?! Holy cannoli. The fresh-​made complimentary pesto dip that is served with the warm, fresh foccacia bread is to die for. My husband and I kept arguing over who was at fault for not sharing it!
In terms of wines, Osteria da Nino has shortage of affordable and tasty Italian wines to pair nicely with your meal. We also whet our appetites with two appetizers: the Eggplant Croquettes (easy to share, perfectly pan-​fried, delicious cheesy center) and the Meatballs (these are better than your grandmother’s meatballs — and that whipped ricotta will haunt you in the best way possible; it’s so good). The appetizers were beautifully-​presented, fairly-​priced, and easy to share.
When it comes time to choose an entrée, while you won’t find pizza or plain old spaghetti and meatballs, you will be met with several surprising and awesome choices, many of which are seafood-​based, and definitely still some carnivore– and vegetarian-​friendly options. I chose the Branzino Fillet, which was two perfectly-​cooke sea bass fillet cuts over a spicy arrabiatta tomato sauce, and served alongside a new treat for me, Sicilian «tabbouleh,» which takes everything you love about tabbouleh, and adds crunchy wheatberries! My husband chose the Squid Ink Tagliatelle and oh lord — that was amazing. Talk about super-​fresh pasta! And the dish was positively overflowing with mussels (all of which were open-​shell and tender and fresh), spicy shrimp, and grilled squid. We loved that the pasta was tossed in olive oil and dusted with a healthy amount of chili powder. No cream sauce or tomato sauce needed here.
We loved our waitress, Beth (she greeted us in Italian and was so sweet), and we chatted up a storm with Nino! He treated us to a little taste of a Sicilian blood orange after-​dinner liqueur, Solerno. You must order some. Please give Osteria da Nino a try, and tell Nino «ciao» for me!

Four of us had dinner at Osteria del Nino last night.
Nino’s has only been open three months. The owners are Nino Pino from Taormina, Sicily and Jim Manchisi, whose mom is from Taormina. The food is so sigilian that the restaurant’s logo is taken from the flag of Sicily.
Among the four of us we had bruschetta (yummy but skimpy), arancini (the waiter bought a fourth arancini when I asked), pasta with pork belly ragu, moules frites (Monday night special: only $ 9.00!), a mixture of beans and pasta, and bronzino (excellent!). My son was the only one with enough appetite for dessert: fabulous vanilla gelato with espresso poured over it – a kind of espresso float.
Nino and Jim are great hosts, greeting each guest, schmoozing with the schmoozers and supervising the kitchen. They even explained who was who in the great old photos on he wall. (Family photos from their families, not stock photos.)
Bottom line: Nino’s is a great neighborhood restaurant. Authentic. Friendly. Tasty. Welcoming.
Extra points: The flag of Sicily since the 1200s has been the head of Medusa with three bent legs around it. And that same head with three legs is inside the restaurant over the bar. But outside the restaurant, the head is legless. Seems that the Arlington County authorities in their wisdom thought it was too racey. Imagine that in Virginia, whose state flag is the only one of the 50 state flags showing a woman’s bare breast.

The best food I”ve had in Shirlington (OK — not that high a hurdle — although I like Carlyle — everyplace else is in the OK category). Service could have been a little better but giving 5 stars for food and value.
Located in the site of the closed Curious Grape, it’s just off the Shirlington main drag so the outdoor tables face 395 (eat inside).
We started with polpette (meatballs) and a panzanella (bread) salad. The meatballs were hearty and delicious. The salad was beautifully composed. At first I thought this will not taste as good as it looks, but it was delicious. The several types of cherry tomatoes went perfectly with the croûton-​like bread pieces.
We both had pasta — a fregola (a pea-​sized ball of pasta) with ricotta and mushrooms and a bucatini with pork belly and grilled ramps. Both were outstanding. (also not expensive). Very filling and very tasty. This is a serious kitchen.
Only quibble was that on arriving (around 6:15) we noted that we wanted to have the check settled by 7:15 as we had 7:30 tickets at Signature. We had the check by 7:10 — all going well — but had to make a little fuss to get the card processed by 7:20. We got to the play on time — but in this neighborhood where many diners want to see a, movie or a play getting folks out on time is important.
We look forward to coming back.

We recently visited Osteria de Nino for dinner after learning that the Curious Grape had permanently closed and this restaurant had taken its place. We’ve eaten at every single restaurant in Shirlington Village already, so we figured we should try the newest resident restaurant of the bunch. We were seated off to the side because they had a private event happening in the main area of the restaurant. We were OK with that, but hopefully in the future we would be able to sit in the main sitting area.
Food: We ordered two appetizers — Bruschetta and Fritto Misto. Both were quite tasty and decent in portion for the two of us to share, but the bruschetta tasted a bit funky. Might have been the cheese on top. It didn’t taste like bruschetta usually should. The Fritto Misto was definitely my favorite of the two and came with: Crispy Calimari, shrimp, mussels, salmon, seasonal vegetables, saffron aoli. I loved the saffron aioli and I had never had breaded/​fried salmon before, so that was unique! For my entrée, I ordered the Cape Sante (Atlantic diver scallops, creamy farro, braised fennel, sultans, brown butter, baby fennel). This was delicious and the four scallops it came with were decently large in portion. I left feeling very content and happy. My fiancé ordered the Pollo Marsala (Amish Chicken confit, local mushrooms, fried Marcona almonds, dates, and Marsala jus) and liked it, but it was a smaller portion than he expected. He was a bit envious of my scallops, and that’s honestly a first, since scallop entrees are generally smaller in portion than chicken entrees. We also ordered 2 glasses of wine each, which paired perfectly with our meal.
Service: Service was decent, but our first waiter (they switched in the middle of our meal) seemed to be hurried and asked us 4 times whether we were ready to order, despite the fact we had just gotten there 5 – 10 minutes earlier. The restaurant wasn’t even crowded at that time. A new waiter served us halfway through our meal and seemed nicer.
Ambiance: Honestly, this place reminds me of Curious Grape and it doesn’t seem like they’ve changed much about the atmosphere. It has a cozy and intimate feeling, though it would have been nice to sit in the main dining room which was closed off for a private event.
The reason I’m giving this place 4 stars instead of 5 is that they have some growing pains, as many new restaurants have. The service wasn’t the best at the beginning and they were out of the steak but did not inform us of this when we sat down to order. I think it would be nice for them to let us know ahead of time, before we have our hearts set on a specific entrée that they no longer have. Also, their entrée portions (for the chicken marsala at least) could be improved, considering the price.
We would certainly visit again and overall, we really enjoyed the meal.

My father and I just visited Osteria da Nino for the first time last night, and the experience was excellent. The staff was extremely pleased to have our business, as we were seated with bread and water right away.
Between the fennel soup, grilled octopus, orecchiette, and mussels, we were able to sample a taste of Chef DiPietro’s creations, and we were seriously impressed. What I loved about this place was the chef’s ability to introduce new ingredients and flavors without neglecting the classics.
As the restaurant continues to improve and mature, they will continue to perfect the decorations and ambiance. As for the food, in my book they have already hit their stride. We will definitely be back!