Cafe Oggi

Very disappointed. Food was subpar. Very poor ambiance as well. Tried to do something new but will stick to our local Arlington favorite, Ruffinos.

Not a fan. My company frequently does our parties here & each time they announce it’s at Café Oggi there is an audible groan throughout our office. The waitstaff is rude. The food is mediocre. Do NOT order the lobster unless you like chewing on overcooked rubber bathed in canned spaghetti sauce! If you like going to a restaurant where your very presence is looked upon as a pained inconvenience, Café Oggi is the place for you. Everyone else steer far clear.

Came here for first time using a
coupon. I had veal piccata, which was delicious and reasonably priced. My wife had the luncheon special, scallops, which was also very good though quite expensive for a lunch dish ($ 25). When a waiter recites the off-​menu specials, he should also tell diners the cost, imo. The caesars salad was ridiculously small for $ 7. Overall, well-​prepared food but pricey, even with a discount coupon.

My husband and I came here because we decided it was time to explore restaurants in McLean. This restaurant was really mediocre. We were seated towards the back, and there was definitely a strange odor coming from further back in the restaurant, which was a little unsettling. The restaurant was also surprisingly dead. My pasta was fine. The pasta was al dente and the sauce was better than what I can make, but not worth the almost $ 20 that it cost.

My husband and I were greeted graciously and had a lovely corner table. I had the linguini lobster special that has delicious. It was served with a light tomato sauce and the tails were presented and then added to the dish. This all help keep the dish very warm. My husband opted for a standard menu item a chicken pollard over arugula and felt it was okay but lack seasoning. We then had tiramisu and cannoli for dessert both very good with cappacino. The service was excellent and the atmosphere such the one can hold a conversation with your dinner companion

The service here is very good, the waiters are detail oriented and nicely explain the dishes. I have overlooked Italian food for too long. The food was very tasty; I especially liked their Capri. It is a neat little spot that is right near the center of Mclean, no Tysons traffic. I used a
coupon and they kindly accepted it. We were surprised that it was a little empty, but it started to get crowded later. It would be great if there were a few more places like this in Mclean.

We had a reservation set for 8 PM on Sunday. There were maybe 3 other tables there when we got there. The restaurant looks BIG from the outside but its kinda small. Quaint looking. we were seated in a booth like table area. I sat on the booth side. There’s a small bar area behind us.
We started our meal with 2 appetizers, the calamari fritti and an avocado dish with crab meat drizzled with truffle sauce. The calamari was a little on the bland side. BUT the avocado was delicious. I ordered the Linguine Scoglio in the white sauce which was basically garlic and olive oil. It was quite good. It came with clams, mussels, and calamari. The boyfriend had the lobster ravioli. His dish was a little smaller in portion size but i could clearly taste the lobster inside his dish. My uncle ordered their special for the night which was the lamb chops with Marsala sauce and he loved it. A very generous portion cooked to perfection with asparagus on the side. The service was quick and attentive, Food was decent. Prices were a little high for my liking but it makes sense since we were in McLean. A homely restaurant with a touch of an upscale feel to it. Nice overall experience but I’ve had better Italian restaurants. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to come again but if I was in the area might be willing to try it again, who knows.

I have only been here for lunch and only twice. I went some years ago with my oldest daughter and remembered liking it. We were looking for a bite to eat in Mclean for lunch recently and I suggested Care Oggi as I remembered enjoying it. It is still good. We had the Mozzarella Caprese as an appetizer. The mozzarella was very fresh and good. My daughter had the Linguine Scoglio, a pasta dish with calamari, muscles and clams. She was impressed. My mother got the Vitelo Marsala which is a veal and mushroom dish, she was also impressed. I got the Borsine di Ricotta, a spinach and cheese pasta dish. It was very good. I brought my one year old with us but because it wasn’t too crowded it was okay. In general I would not bring young children here. I also felt a little under dressed in my jeans and T-​shirt.

Had a very nice experience here for dinner. My dad was visiting and he really likes good italian food. This restaurant delivered on food/​service and quality. From the moment we walked in everyone was very courteous and welcoming. I went on a weekday so it wasn’t very crowded.
First they had a varied selection of wine by the glass, which is nice to have options other than just white or red. We got the montepulciano and merlot, both were good choices considering we weren’t getting a whole bottle.
Then onto the food, we got the Linguine Scoglio and Rainbow trout. The Linguine had different types of seafood mixed in and it all tasted very fresh. The rainbow trout was flaky and well seasoned. There were a lot of options on the menu that looked really good and enough that it would fit whatever the craving was for. Whether it was for pasta, fish or meat.
I was very happy with my visit here, and would definitely come back.

Tried Café Oggi after hearing so much about it both online and through friends. We started in the bar since we were waiting on friends. I have to say I was not really that impressed. The bar area is small and feels like a basement. Both at bar and dinner the service was slow (inattentive and even a bit stodgy). We went with friends and dishes were good but we definitely felt they fell short if all the great recommendations we had heard. I had the lamb special. Was very disappointed when I found it to be both a small portion and overcooked. I typically order medium rare or defer to «chef’s recommendation». It arrived overcooked, chewy and with sparse sides. Wife ordered the whole sea bass that was prepared table side which turned out to be pretty good. Our friends were «OK» with their meals. But said they’ve been better. Maybe we hit them on a off night but don’t see us rushing back.

I love this restaurant! The food is fresh and excellent — I especailly like the veal and the fresh wild fish, the salad starters. I also eat the dessert here because they are that good. The waiters are top notch, friendly but not intrusive. It is the only restaurant I have found in McLean that is reasonably quiet, so you are not blasted with loud drinkers from the bar, a din of music and televisions blaring. It is very civilized. I am so surprised by the person who said that the tables were close together because they are not — this restaurant is more spacious than others in the area, I even wonder if that reviewer got the wrong restaurant. And you get all this for reasonable prices. It’s just delightful.

An extraordinary experience today for lunch! I had passed Café Oggi a few times and was curious about it, and finally went. It was wonderful, from the attentive and warm but not obsequious service, to a meal (fish with special-​order delicious, garlicky spinach, buttery potatoes, and tiramisu for desert) that was perfectly prepared and reasonably priced. I experienced the atmosphere as cozy (in the intimate sense, not crowded) and friendly. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would make it a tradition to eat there regularly, get to know the folks. Since I don’t, I’ll definitely make the effort to take family and friends there.

Mediocre food and service. My glass of red wine had lots of cork in it. Took our order wrong. We were told Sea bass w. Risotto but out came just the fish. Aptz. Entrée. Was all just edible so didnt even try the dessert. –_–

We love this place. Sit outside. Order from the special menu. If you see something on the menu they are always happy to let you try it as an appetizer.
They have a new chef as of a couple of weeks ago and there were some good tasty new things on the menu.
Until the wait staff gets to know you they may be stiff and formal. Live with it and come back often.
The wine list is good and as expected tends toward Italy which is somewhat of a problem for me as I don’t know Italian wines. But guided by price and some recommendations I’ve had some very nice wines here.

Such a pleasant restaurant for date night. The wait staff is patient, friendly and not pushy at all. I had the Pasta alla Norma — rotelli, eggplant, tomato and mozzarella — and I had them add a little spice! It was just *delicious*. I can’t wait to order it again! My husband ordered shrimp in butter and garlic — not on the menu, but our kind waiter had no problem with that! :)
A relaxed and delicious dinner. Highly recommend.

Good Italian Food! I love Limoncello!
I reviewed the online menu after noticing a groupon for this resturant and decided that this was a place that I should check out.
My friend and I were pleasantly surprised by the ambience of the place — small and intimate yet upscale. The staff was pleasant. Although it was Valentine’s Day, the place was not crowded. The service and food were very good. We tried the following: Mozzarella Caprese, Romana, the Veal & Cheese, the scallops & veggies, Limoncello and one other dessert (I can’t recall the name right now).
Overall, I enjoyed the experience and would go back (if I have another groupon or win the raffle for the 21^st Year Celebration!).
Buon Appetito!

After reading the reviews, my husband and I were looking forward to eating at Café Oggi. The overall experience was marginal.
The restaurant itself is fairly small and very cramped. It is difficult to walk around the tables, and I could barely get into my seat. I am 5’3′ and weigh 100 pounds. I can’t imagine how it would be for larger people to walk around the restaurant and seat themselves comfortably.
Because of the close quarters, you could hear everybody else’s conversations. Seriously, I wanted to tell the couple sitting next to us to go ahead and sell the house and get the divorce.
The service was very, very slow. The waitstaff was neither friendly nor rude. They seemed rather bored with their jobs. The food was good, but not spectacular. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. I doubt we will return.

The first time I visited Café Oggi, it was for my son’s birthday (his choice) and it was a nice treat — just the two of us. In case you’re wondering, he’s a picky teenager — he eats a lot, but not «adventurously.» He likes what he likes. He told me he thought this is the kind of place that «a guy would bring his mom.» So true, but I feel so frickin’ old now, thanks.
We arrived on time for our 7 p.m. reservation and were warmly greeted. The place is small and there is no «bad seat» anywhere. It wasn’t full at first, but within the hour it was packed. But it never got noisy. Most of the crowd was older (sigh) and well-​dressed, in groups of two or four, enjoying their food and lively but discreet conversation. So, great acoustics — I hate hearing other people’s chatter but when it’s a hum, it’s quite nice.
The first thing that struck me was that it is «cute» — all white table cloths, intimate and dimly-​lit — this makes for great romance with all the twinkle-​lights and candles, but it’s pretty tough to read the menu, which is in cursive script. The second thing I noticed is that the menu (thankfully or not) was fairly limited. This didn’t set of any alarms in my head as I generally take this as a sign that when a restaurant does this, it’s because it wants to focus on what it does well. While I believe it’s partly true here, it’s also true that the dishes draw from the same core set of ingredients: mussels, calamari and mozzarella, perhaps to keep the costs down. Thus the menu is not particularly «adventurous» — a missed opportunity for creativity or showcasing the catch of the day or whatever the kitchen has sourced or come across to create something unique.
I asked our server (a mature Italian gentleman) for a wine-​by-​the-​glass list; he responded, «What do you want? I get it for you. Red or white?» (sigh) I asked for a nice Prosecco to start.
From the limited menu we ordered the calamari fritti, which was piled high, lightly breaded and melted in our mouths. We skipped the overpriced salads. I opted for the Spaghetti Fra Diavolo — spicy spaghetti with generous pops of lobster — which I hadn’t ever had before. My son — shockingly — went for the Linguini Scoglio, which was pasta tossed with clams, mussels and calamari in a garlic oil sauce. Both were quite yummy and I suspect the pasta may have been fresh, not from a box. Meanwhile, I asked our server to bring me whatever red wine he thought would go well with my spicy lobster — he chose a Brunelo, which was perfect. Wine service was disappointing since he never told me what label I was I drinking.
After a quick discussion about dessert — we only had three or four choices, after all — we had the Tiramisu. Shocking, I know. But it was very good — the espresso shined through.
Anyway — this is definitely where you bring someone on a first date, grandma’s birthday, parents’ anniversary, or other occasion that you want to ensure doesn’t go awry. In other words, it’s «safe» and reliable, and there’s something to be said for that. Judging from my two visits, I’m confident that I can come here over and over again and the experiences will be consistent and predictable. Again, probably not a bad thing to have in our repertoire of dining options and as the Italians may say, «E ‘quello che è.»

Café Oggi — the old fashion
Finally pulled the trigger to walk in their door, I’ve been always passing this old fashion Italian restaurant ever since 1998 but never went in to try it. Ever felt a bit betrayal to my favorite Pulcinella which is right across street a couple of blocks away, before I sat down. However, amazingly Café Oggi offer high quality authentic Italian food, with their nice Italian influence deco and good service, I’ll say Oggi is even higher end than Pulcinella. (but I still love my Pulcinella!)
Location: McLean, VA
Parking: their own parking lot or street parking
Decoration: Classic with Italian influence ****
Cost: $$$.5
Service:
Service: knowledgeable and average attentive ***.5
Lavatory: average business clean ***.5
Atmosphere: casual ***.5
Food: ****
Recommendation: highly recommendation ****.5
Some of the Highlight:
* Carpaccio Di Bue — thinly sliced beef, topped with tartufo oil, over fresh arugula and grana cheese shavings ***.5
* Fegato Veneziana — Calf liver sautéed with onions in a wine reduotion ****
* Vitello Marsala — Veal scallopini in marsala wine with shiitaki mushrooms ***.5

MEH, MEH, MEH Oh yeah, I said it — — MEH!
And I have yet to have a meal here that was not marred in some way. Either the service was catastrophic, or the kitchen was as slow as mollassas running uphill backward in January, or they were out of all their «specials» 30 minutes into lunchtime, or the waiter was snotty, or we got an appetizer portion of food for entrée prices (Dudes! Pasta is cheap, put an extra ½ cup on the plate already.)
Gave this place 3 (maybe even 4) tries, and sorry, time’s up for you Café Oggi.