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Italian, International, European
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Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
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Reviews (228)
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Traveller rating
102
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26
11
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All reviews pasta bread escargot trout italian food wine list lovely evening by the glass for special occasions appetizers lydia crust country bloom
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Reviewed 8 April 2023

Let me start by saying we are local and have often considered trying Girasole. 1. To make a reservation you must leave a credit card, that reason alone set a tone that made me unhappy. I travel for work, I am all over the country,...just returned from Chicago and had dinner at Ocean Prime which was outstanding and busy. Made a reservation without issue and MAYBE would understand such a requirement for a major big city establishment. The fact that there were several empty tables throughout our visit only added to the puzzle as to why this establishment requires a credit card for a reservation. 2. Leonardo our waiter needs a personality, any personality. He was very cordial to the table next to us, who were obviously regulars. A lesson to Leonardo might be to treat everyone equally because those who you don't know may become a regular. My wife and I had to ask for everything and most disturbing he never came back to our table to ask how things were AT ANY POINT in the evening. 3. Food was really average, I'm of Italian decent and very hard to please when it comes to Italian food, I admit that fact. The Lasagna was the size of a deck of cards which for $30.00 was stunningly inadequate. The pasta and clam sauce barely filled the bottom of the dish it was served in. My wife is very slim and doesn't eat huge portions, she commented to me, "I've never left any Italian restaurant hungry, this is a first." The best part of the meal was the bread which I normally do not eat because I don't like to be filled up by bread. I'm glad I finished the bread, at least we didn't have to stop on the way home for something to eat. 4. Despite this subpar experience my wife insisted we leave a tip which I reluctantly agreed to, but I wasn't happy.More

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed 27 November 2022

We just had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner at Girasole! From the appetizers to the desert...WOW! Great service, great food, very comfortable, unrushed atmosphere.

Date of visit: November 2022
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Reviewed 11 November 2022 via mobile

We ordered pasta which was fresh, apparently handmade, perfectly cooked and sauced appropriately. The patio is lovely through autumn. Service was casual but prompt and thoughtful. Highly recommended.

Date of visit: September 2022
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Reviewed 12 October 2022

My family was here once before and they enjoyed it, therefore, they recommended we should have dinner here. This was my first time here for dinner with my family of seven, including two children and my family members who were here once before. We were...seated at a table near the window in the bar area room. We were the only table seated in this room as opposed to their main dining room where all other diners were seated. I felt isolated. I started with and enjoyed two pear martinis with Absolut pear vodka & Looza pear juice for $12. I also started with their Carpaccio di Manzo beef carpaccio with white truffle oil, shaved Parmesan, and local microgreens for $15.50. I also enjoyed their Brasato al Barolo with short rib braised in Barolo, served with creamy herbed polenta for $34.50. The food here is average at best. I enjoyed my Brasato al Barolo, but some of the others were disappointed with their dinners. Some of the dinners were good and some of the dinners were not so good. Service was slow, which the management warned us about since we changed our dinner reservation to an earlier time. Gabriella served us slowly although she may have been overloaded with serving other tables in the main dining room, which we could not see. My total bill including an automatic service charge of 20% was $493. I doubt I will come here again, since there are better nearby restaurants.More

Date of visit: September 2022
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Reviewed 28 July 2022 via mobile

The best place around!!! Their trout is amazing along with homemade pasta. The tiramisu is out of this world. It’s not always the best service, depending on who you get - hence the reviews … and it’s one of the higher quality restaurants around !...I love their selection of chef specials + the Caesar salad. You really can’t go wrong with their fish dish or a homemade pasta. They use higher quality cooking oils which always makes everything taste better. Love themMore

Date of visit: May 2022
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Reviewed 18 June 2022 via mobile

We had a special dinner to celebrate Father’s Day a bit earlier. Every dishes we ordered, antipasti (melon salad, smoked trout, escargot, and tuna), main dishes (trout pistachio, pollo Diablos, porterhouse steak and salmon ravioli) and desserts (tiramisu and apricot tart) were beyond expectations. We...really enjoyed every bites. Chef knows how to perfect every dishes with freshly harvested veggies and locally-grown organic ingredients which make every bite so beautiful. Chef’s home-made bread was irresistible! We loved the authentic ambiance with Italian decors in the restaurant. From the moment when we got into the entrance through the patio with gorgeous flowers in bloom and rich greens, a very special moment starts. When we stepped into the restaurant, we felt like we time-slipped in Northern Italy where we just visited last summer. Girasole will be our very special place for us to keep going back for special occasions. Thank you so much for the lovely evening!More

Date of visit: June 2022
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Reviewed 18 April 2022 via mobile

Fantastic experience...homemade bread had wonderful crust. Cod w/ fresh vegetables...artichokes, asparagus,peas was delicious. Service was top notch w/ Gabrielle treating everyone like family. Owner Lydia stopped to visit and make everyone feel very welcome. Loved eating here with my sister and brother-in-law.

Date of visit: April 2022
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Reviewed 1 December 2021

Thanksgiving Day was my second time to Girasole. The food and service were exceptional. I passed on the Thanksgiving dinner and went for the Veal stuffed with Italian chestnuts. Everything was fresh and well executed, a true delight. The wine list was excellent and the...prosecco by the glass was truly authentic by Adami. I highly recommend a visit. Thank you.More

Date of visit: November 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 24 October 2021

After passing this quaint (but spacious) restaurant so many times over many years on our trips to/from Middleburg, we finally came here with many friends one Saturday evening. We made reservations and our table we beautifully prepared for our arrival. The décor (inside and out)...is really beautifully done! They have a nice Italian menu with all the typical favorites, but also a few interesting and unique items, even though many of their dishes are rather high in price. Their wine list is pretty nice and not overall prices. The food was pretty good overall… Everything my wife and I ordered was very good. Some others in our party weren’t so impressed. The only issue I had with my food was the pear gorgonzola salad came with the slightest dab of gorgonzola, I had to really take a very small portion of it to ensure I got some flavor in each forkful. Service is a totally different issue compared to the decent food and beauty of this place… it’s bordering on rude. Our server was very curt and not very accommodating. He talked down to many in our party, especially when one person asked about splitting the check (it’s fine if that’s the house policy, but your delivery needs to be worked on)… Overall, so many nuances regarding his service that really made this visit a lot less than great. Overall, the food was enjoyable but the service definitely wasn’t and from reading so many other comments about their service, this doesn’t seem like it’s going to change for the better. That, plus the high prices will probably keep us away in the future.More

Date of visit: October 2021
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Reviewed 28 September 2021

From the beginning with our server Gabriella to the wonderful salads and appetizers, and the most amazing bread. The entries were excellent seafood and vegetables. The wine-perfect, and to top it off just the best peach dessert. Third visit, and each time better than the...previous dining experience.More

Date of visit: September 2021
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed 14 September 2021

Everything about this Restaurant is first class - service, menu options, wine menu, ambience, delicious food with lovely presentation. It's all perfect.

Date of visit: September 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 26 August 2021

We were staying near Winchester, VA, an area where restaurants tend to be closed on Monday and Tuesday nights. so we searched farther afield and found Girasole about 30 minutes away. It was worth the drive. The owners are devoted to Italian cuisine. The restaurant...is lavishly decorated with items brought back from Italy. But the food is the reason to go to this place. From the appetizer to the salad to the homemade pasta in the main courses, the food is first rate and seems to be pretty authentic. Yeah, the service was kind of slow but it was a very busy night at the restaurant. Besides, the pauses between courses reflects what we experienced in Italy two years ago. So, make the drive to this restaurant and give yourself enough time to soak in the culture he enjoy your meal.More

Date of visit: August 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 22 August 2021

Look, I know this us a difficult time in the restaurant business. Places are short staffed, overwhelmed with gov't mandates, extra cleaning and prevention tactics, public concern. I get it. That isn't the issue here. It's always been a bit unfriendly up front. We've been...dining in the area for decades and I honestly don't know how Girasole is still in business. While the food is usually good, if not over priced; other than the water and bread bussers the staff needs a major attitude adjustment. You cannot book through open table, yelp, or any other booking service, you have to call the restaurant directly. If you show up without a reservation you will be treated as though you're a huge inconvenience, despite the majority of tables being empty. If you provide your credit card, which is now required for reservations as another reviewer mentioned, you'll have to do so during the most convenient time FOR THEM to be bothered with you, as they have inefficient people or are too understaffed during normal business hours to take reservations. Once you are finally seated (oh what a bloody privlege) the servers are hardy attentive. Twice in one evening recently we were brought someone else's food after waiting 30 minutes between courses. Our wine selection arrived after we had finished the course we ordered it for. In difficult times such as these, we tend to give way, tip heavy, and try to be patient. But Girasole has broken the record of restaurant faux pas for a return visit. I don't hold out hope that much will change. The woman at the helm will always be truculent, it's just her nature no matter how unattractive.. Judging by the comments i've read, it's hurting the business. Sad for such a lovely location with a talented chef.More

Date of visit: June 2021
Helpful?2  
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Reviewed 21 August 2021 via mobile

The whole experience was wonderful, the service was sublime and the food was delicious. Classic Italian in Virginia. I had Breaded Veal which I usually have in my hometown of Rome, and it absolutely met the standards of italian food. Will definitely go back there...again. Sat inside and had the air condition coming straight on me, and that may have been the only bad part, even though it wasn’t their fault. All the employee were masked up and following very good safety measures. Rose was amazing and the bread was out of this world. Definitely recommendMore

Date of visit: August 2021
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Reviewed 19 August 2021

This has been a love hate relationship for years. We adore the patio atmosphere. Drinks are wonderful. Nice wine list. Generally really good, if not pricey food. But the service...to begin with, they want a credit card to reserve a table, even for regulars who...have never pulled a no show. The hostess is routinely downright rude and unaccommodating. If you don't have a reservation, regardless of how many open tables they have they claim they are all booked. I call bulldung. The servers recently have been so slow that we've had to get up and go inside to find someone. Mind you, we're not fast diners, we take our time...but that's not the same as inattentive, slow service. To say it's offputting is mild. We've been there with friends who will not return. At this point, i'm leaning back too. We'll go to Ciao Osteria where they'll take good care of us and behave as through they're glad to have our business.More

Date of visit: July 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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stevesX8397YB
26 April 2017|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from Lydia P | Property representative |
Nicely casual is certainly acceptable. Shorts with flip flops would not be. Hope that helps and hope to see you soon!
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Girasole Restaurant, The Plains - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Girasole Restaurant

Yes, Girasole Restaurant offers takeaway services.

Girasole Restaurant is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4