Venuto

Authentic and they take great pride preparing their meals. Highly suggest the garlic plate appetizer! Service is fantastic and we will be back!

A restaurant week pick done by the husband. I have never heard of it before and I was kinda getting on him about the location of the place since we live all the way in Chesapeake.
We had made a 7:30 reservation on a Saturday night and were running a few minutes late. I didn’t get a chance to call the place and give them a heads up, but once we got in — the hostess said it was no big deal since it hadn’t been that long. (Thanks, it was almost a good 10 – 15 minutes late!)
We went off the restaurant week menu. I ordered the Caesar Salad, Chicken Marsala with Parmesan Risotto, and a Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich (all pictured).
— The Caesar Salad was healthy portion and came with table side Parmesan you could add to your liking. There was also some toasted pieces of bread. One had an olive tapenade. I was daring enough to try it and confirmed I do not like olives.
— Chicken Marsala with Parmesan Risotto was the ultimate comfort food of the night! I think I was the only one who ordered off the cheaper restaurant week menu and I have no regrets. The chicken was tender and full of flavor. The risotto paired great with it as a rich and creamy sauce to go with it. I ate it all!
— Dessert was the ultimate with a Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich. There was a variety of ice cream in the sandwich: pistachio, cherry, and another flavor I can’t remember. The bread of the sandwich was a dark chocolate brownie that was so rich, that you must eat it with the ice cream.
Meanwhile, husband got the salmon with noodles. I got to try a bite and it was very well seasoned and had a great crust to the salmon. For dessert, he got the red velvet tiramisu since red velvet is his favorite. I think he picked the restaurant just for the dessert.
Table side service was the best. Joey, our waiter, offered great service. Refilled our wine glasses whenever it was running low and offered us some great insight on the place and food. He’s a great example of why we like to eat at local places.
My only complaint of the night was the pace of how food was served. Our entrees took some extra time to come out, but with how great all of us were raving about the food… it was worth the wait and the five stars. We don’t tend to eat local Italian food, but this place makes me want to come back! Plus, happy hour is until 7pm! We might be back for just that!

Went in during restaurant week and arrived around 6ish. They weren’t busy when we arrived but the restaurant quickly filled up. That being said, the service slowed to a crawl after everyone arrived. I don’t believe they were expecting a large crowd on a Tuesday night. Everyone working at the restaurant was friendly and did their best to keep up with the crowds and make sure everyone was taken care of. 5 stars for effort 3 for execution. Good effort.
On to the food. The bread was warm and served with oil and balsamic vinegar with fresh grated cheese. I really appreciated the fact that they left the condiments on the table so we could adjust things to taste. We both had the Caesar salad which was very good. Lettuce was crisp and fresh, dressing was really thick, almost like a sandwich spread. Definitely not «pourable» but I loved it. It was rich in flavor just a little difficult to apply. For the entrée I ordered the carbonara my companion ordered the chicken Marsala which came with parmesan risotto and broccolini. He ordered it with no broccolini but substituted the oil and garlic pasta. His meal was outstanding. The pasta, I could have had that alone and been happy. I didn’t taste the risotto because he wouldn’t share it with me so I am assuming it was excellent. The carbonara on the other hand was just … awful. I have had this before at other restaurants and liked it a lot so I’m not sure if this was a different recipe or if it was a bad batch but I couldn’t stand the smell or taste. My companion tried it and he couldn’t take it either. It took a while to send it back because they were so busy but once I did they offered something else so I ordered exactly what my companion had with the same substitutions. I knew it would take a while for it to arrive so I was fully expecting to take it home. Once it came, it had the pasta but they gave me the broccolini instead of the risotto but they were so busy and so nice about it I didn’t say a word. I started to eat the chicken and this is the best chicken I have ever had in texture. It was soft and melted in your mouth like the finest filet. You literally could cut it with your fork. Even though I thought I would be getting it to go, I couldn’t stop eating it plus I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be as good reheated. I did take the pasta and Marsala mushrooms home. They actually box the food for you there and I didn’t really want the leftover mushrooms but I am so glad I got them. When I reheated the pasta the next day, OMG it was awesome. With the oil it even fried a little in the microwave, don’t judge me because I used the microwave it was good and fast, but when I tasted it with the mushrooms … it was wonderful. I would suggest they put that on the menu!!! As for dessert. My companion had the red velvet tiramisu and he loved it. I had the cannoli pie and … yuck! It tasted nothing like cannoli or pie. It was grainy and almost like a pumpkin pie. The crust was good but the rest, nothing like a cannoli at all. 4 stars overall, 5 for chicken Marsala, 5 for risotto and 5 for pasta but 1 for carbonara, and 1 for cannoli pie, 3 for the tiramisu. You may be able to guess this but, if you go, I recommend the Chicken Marsala with the oil and garlic pasta instead of broccolini.
Thank you Joey for being so accommodating. Also the floor manager, whose name I didn’t get. Please go and enjoy their food and atmosphere, just ask for a sample before trying the carbonara!

My husband and I just dined here last night (participating in the restaurant week menu) and we were so impressed! Everything was absolutely delicious with very attentive service and wonderful presentation from the bread and salad to the desserts. My husband had the Veal Venuto while I chose Verdura Lasagna. You must try the red velvet tiramisu for dessert! The atmosphere felt very romantic which is what we wanted. That probably can depend on where you are seated.

Celebrated Bobby’s birthday dinner last night with good friends, Brenda & Tom and Bob & Cindy and we all really enjoyed our meal! I had my normal Eggplant Parm and as usual it was delish! Lighted breaded and sautéed with abundant marinara and melted mozzarella! Bobby also ordered his favorite Lasagne… again meaty with lots of marinara and ricotta, part and mozzarella cheeses! Brenda had the Rockfish special and it was fabulous!!! Cooked perfectly flaky, tender and moist! Almost tasted like it had been cooked via the confit method! Tom had Clams Linguini in white wine, garlic & parmesan! Excellent! Our waiter, Mark, was spot on! Very attentive and knowledgeable but not hovering! WE all enjoyed Bobby’s birthday dinner immensely!

Four of us dined. Great martini! We all had very different dishes and everyone thought there dishes were terrific. Our group is very particular and I was floored by the uniform praise of the food. Calamari was very nice and had an unexpected twist. Wine list was more than adequate. Waiter was extremely attentive and knowledgeable. This place will definitely be added to our list of go to restaurants. A low key, neighborhood gem.

First visit after hearing about the restaurant on the radio. Small but accommodating. Service was excellent, the food was very good as is the décor. Half of the store is a bar and therefore it is extremely loud. The night we were there, there was a party celebrating a birthday and it got so loud we couldn’t have a conversation at our table.

The best Italian food in Hampton Roads bar none! From the owner Blaine to our waiter Joey, to anybody we came in contact with there, it was the best experience we’ve ever had! The food was phenomenal and the service was hands-​down the best. Keep up the great work and you will definitely see us back again.

We enjoyed an excellent dinner at Venuto. Everyone enjoyed the meal. Great eggplant parm.
Service outstanding!

Whole family came here for dinner and food and service was great. Meat Lasagna and salmon dinner entrees were delicious. Their marinara sauce is amazing. Everyone enjoyed their meals and left with full bellies. The place was clean and spacious. The whole staff was very kind and always checked on our table throughout the meal. I will definitely be coming back here.

A great meal with excellent service. Fried meatball appetizer was amazing. Meat lasagne and veal Marsala were excellent entrees. Good drinks. Very good dining experience. Will definitely return and recommend to others.

Fantastic meal! Superior wait staff and exceptional food. You must try the stuffed meatballs. The veal parmasian was outstanding and generous. The drinks packed a punch. 5 stars all the way.

I have to agree with the reviews below:
Service was fantastic! Personable, sincere and prompt. My waiter let me sample a wine before pouring an entire glass. When a large party came in behind us, the host stepped in to make sure we were taken care of.
Food was just ok. Seemed like
chicken parm. to me. Or premade, frozen breaded stuff– Thick and tasteless. The piccata had great consistency, but was bland and the spaghetti side was not al dente. Ugh…
With so many other amazing Italian places near by, Venuto better step up the food menu to match their original crafted cocktail menu.

This place is fantastic! Joey our server was amazing and the food was outstanding! I will definitely be back!

Cozy Italian restaurant. Love the décor, the food was fantastic and I can’t wait to go back. I was craving Italian but didn’t want to go to a chain. It’s hard to find a place that has great food and atmosphere that is also reasonably priced, but this is it. The menu is not extensive, but what was on it looked great. I had a simple spinach fettuccine and shrimp and it was perfectly done. My husband had the lasagna, which was so good. Must try the cannoli pie. I was surprised at how good it was. The wait staff was very attentive without hovering and the manager checked in as well. So happy this place showed up. Just a great experience altogether.

Amazing food. Had the veal and it was the best I have ever had. The service was great. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

This was our second visit to Venuto and we can’t wait to return! This time we brought a business friend with us to share the evening. We were not disappointed in anything at all! The staff was very attentive, service was spaced as we needed it and the food was absolutely amazing! A must try is the Baked Caprese and the Veal Marsala was beyond words! I hesitate to mention the Wedding Cake for dessert for fear they will run out the next time we come in! But it was delish!
We are so glad there is finally an Italian restaurant in Great Neck that not only offers spectacular food and service, but doesn’t rush the meal in order to turn the table! Thanks Venuto, see ya soon!

1^st Class Service!!!
Server Joey was Excellent!
Felt like we had the entire staff waiting on us.
Hard to choose entrée… Everything was described in detail. Even wine list was hard to choose from.

Not worth you time. Fast food italian. Who breads calamari with Progresso bread crumbs. The eggplant was terrible and Foccaia harder up like it had been microwaved.

Tried this new addition to the local restaurant scene and was delighted by the excellent food and service at modest prices. This is an Italian restaurant offering traditional food that is excellent in every respect. Very nice and comfy dining room with a nice bar. It will hold up very well in comparison to the best long established Italian restaurants in the area. Bravo Venuto!