Roma Ristorante brought more than one surprise that elevated them into rare 5 star territory for me. When researching a restaurant by Richmond International they seemed to be an obvious choice.
Signage was easy to locate them and parking was not an issue on a Monday night. The parking area and walk up were clear of debris.
A hostess greeted my party and immediately seated us in the main dining room with menus. Of note the menus were quality stock. A friendly server arrived for drink orders, I got a glass of house Cabernet. We put in for an appetizer of bruschetta. Our party was seated close to the small bar. The lighting, decoration of bourbon bottle displays and atmosphere was totally on point for me.
They were having a Monday pasta night special which was considered. Ultimately with a long travel day and just arriving from the airport I went big and got the Trio. That's a combo of spaghetti, manicotti and chicken parmigiana. Our waitress warned us all the portions are large. My guest got the Lasagna. Both came with salads and bread. The app was pretty good. The wine was just ok, not sure what their house was. The bread warm and yum.
Food orders hit the table around 30-35 minutes after ordering which was perfect. It allowed plenty of time for the app, bread and salads. The Trio was enormous and lasagna was formidable. Both were enjoyed and half the Trio was put in a to go. I mentioned to the waitress that I was crazy impressed with their bourbon menu. She pointed out that they offer a bourbon tasting night that always sells out and requires reservations.
Desert was up next and they have a nice selection, ultimately the chocolate cake and tiramisu were chosen. They came out within minutes. My tiramisu was nicely portioned, light and flavorful. The chocolate cake was a wow! The close out of the check was smooth. Note they offer a 3.5% cash discount.
As we ate desert the owner Antonio came to our table to thank us for dining with them. He learned from the waitress that I enjoyed bourbon. So we talked probably 10 minutes about his menu and more. I learned he has another location by the same name in Mechanicsville that his brother runs.
Whenever a GM or owner checks on my table the review is elevated. However it's the rare bourbon menu which sealed their fate as a full 5 stars. They offer bottles few restaurants dream of having and the prices are good. Antonio himself a bourbon lover hand picks the collection.
This is a sleeper location so far East of Richmond in Sandston by the airport, but they have their regulars. They have a strong bourbon following which is no surprise. Also they have options for event space. Check them out, I promise you will not be disappointed.
