Reviews for Thompson Italian in Falls Church, VA
Service from start to finish was not good. It was my mother’s 65th birthday and we wanted to take her somewhere different so... unfortunately we chose this place. We requested to changed tables because our mother would not be comfortable sitting on barstools. In addition to this, the accommodation services offered a pillow instead of changing seating arrangements. Waitress wasrude. Appetizers and entrees arrived at the same time. The food was good but portions were WAY TOO small. We felt rushed. Wewere told not to linger passed 6PM because another large group had a reservation scheduled. The next reservation arrived and therestaurant provided a dining room area with lower chairs and table. At arrival, we requested a suitable table for our mother toenjoy her birthday but we were denied. After having endured all this nonsense, the thought of enjoying a good meal seemed to meimpossible. Read more
I visited early on a Saturday evening to round out a recent tour of eight of Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top Ten restaurants.... Room at the 13-seat bar was plentiful as early as I went with more traffic arriving soon afterwards. The barkeep on duty greetedme promptly and cordially. Over the course of two hours, my experience ended up consisting of their white wine spritzer for anopening drink, the spicy pork meatball appetizer, their octopus appetizer, the squid ink pasta with scallops and pancetta, thepork chop entree, berry tiramisu, and scoops of vanilla gelato, passion fruit and peach sorbets. Timing of my food coursesinitially was lightning quick for the appetizers and then settled into a more normal rhythm for the others. For whatever reason,I was not offered bread service nor explained any specials (I learned from a pair sitting next to me later in the evening whodid receive both as they ordered.) The drink had a bitter aftertaste, and I probably should have said something rather thanhoping the taste would improve. (My rudimentary Spanish told me the barkeep checked with another bar team member for the mixingratios for my drink before serving.) The plain aperol spritz I subsequently ordered tasted much better. The restrained portionof meatballs were spicy as advertised, texturally pleasing, and well balanced with the herbs and red sauce base — a satisfyingstart to be sure. The octopus was a highlight and worth an additional splurge. The eggplant purée was wonderfully flavorful onits own, but the farro and vegetables provided both earthiness and brightness against well portioned and cooked octopus. Thesquid ink pasta arrived thermally hot and predictable cooked perfectly as were the scallops so much so I cannot recall havingmore than one occasion of having scallops as tender and delightful to eat as these morsels. I found the pancetta adding a touchtoo much saltiness in this dish, but overall I was more than pleased with selecting this offering. Read more
The starters, salads, and pastas are where it’s at. They’re accessible but also thoughtful and seasonal. Desserts and... bread are fantastic. Also, Juliet is an amazing server with a lovely personality and always treats my family and I likefriends. Other servers here also have been excellent. Read more
We have wanted to try Thompson Italian for the longest time. Food was tasty. But disappointing is the abrupt service provided by... a particular server behind the bar not listening to her customers and was so tuned out that she cleared our left-overs withoutpacking my husband's meal even after we said we would like to take it home. After we asked her what happened to my husband'smeal. She simply said she was mistaken and she did not offer to make it up, but said "they were going to have to do it all overfrom scratch" as if it's a burden for her. Is that good customer service? You should really think about the people you want toput in the "front lines" to make that first impression for your restaurant. This is why we gave it 2 stars. We would have given5 stars, but she made our decision to give it 2 starts. If you are trying to be the next level restaurant, customer service andprofessionalism are key along with the excellent food. I get it that people like to try new things but a good restaurant is notonly about food but also the customer service. I have never given a low rating, but truly it was a very poor dining experience.Thank you to your bar master. Read more
The food was absolutely delicious. The menu was small, often signaling higher quality. The portions were a good size. The bass... was absolutely perfectly cooked and in a delicious white wine cream sauce with ramps. The mango sorbet was fantastic. This isa good restaurant for a special occasion but a bit pricey for a casual visit. Read more
All the dishes we had were good…but did not wow us. It’s a place I would go again if I’m in the neighborhood, but not... something I would go out of my way for. Also, what’s with their HVAC system? It did not keep a constant temperature in therestaurant during our visit. It would blow hot air until we were sweating, then it would switch to cold breeze until we need toput the jacket back on. Read more
Amazing. Would return in a heartbeat if I lived closer. They have the most amazing bread to start the table with and the pasta... was amazing. (I had the gluten free pasta.) Great atmosphere and great service. I wish the weather was better so we could'veeaten outside, but still a great experience. Would be a great date night spot or just a dinner/meal with friends or colleagues.Such a great find and I highly recommend going to eat here! Read more
It's a cute restaurant with ample seating and a small patio out back as well. The apps and pasta were great! Can't complain... about al dente pasta. I would say the portions are medium to small, so it's a bit pricey considering that. Definitely a nicespot for a drink and pasta! Read more