La Gioconda

Had dinner at La Gioconda for the first time recently. Picked it because it was convenient to us and the other couple and because of positive reviews on this site. Arrived at 7:30 on a frigid Saturday evening and was astonished to see the restaurant (which is small) with very few occupied tables. This is usually an "uh-oh" sign. But we figured, oh well, we goofed; let's just make the best of it. The meal, however, was a surprise. The food was served piping hot; the salads were huge, and FRESH; the bread basket and the complimentary "amuses bouches" were generous and the service was friendly and professional. Prices were (as stated in other reviews) more than fair, and all in all, we were not sorry in the least that we came. We ordered four different appetizers and four main courses, and everyone was very pleased with what he/she ate. Our bill was $120 for two, which included several glasses of wine each (but no dessert). Caveats: there is no hard liquor served, only lots of - very good - wine, by the glass and bottles. The restaurant is a little hard to find, as it is up a short flight of steps in what looks to be a residential building, and the sign consists of a red banner, above eye level, so we actually walked past the place at first and had to double back. I would go back.

La Gioconda was simply wonderful. A quiet, cozy place with a pleasant atmosphere, it seems like a great place for a first date. Everything we ordered was excellent and in addition to the usual bread and olive oil there were complimentary bruschetta and olives, both of which tasted fresh and delicious. Considering the look, feel, and food quality of the restaurant I was pleasantly surprised with how small the c heck was when it came. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and I will be going again.

The food was mediocre at best. The complimentary bruschetta consisted of hothouse tomatoes on stale bread. The lentil and beet salad was pretty good. My entree Tagliatelle Abruzzesi (tomato, prosciutto, porcini mushrooms and smoked mozz) was too salty and didn't taste very good. It tasted like a canned sauce. The prices were average, but expensive for the quality. Atmosphere pretty nice and intimate, nothing special.

I am very disappointed. I ate here after reading very good reviews, and I must say I was completely underwhelmed. Perhaps they specialize in certain dishes but I ordered the lentil salad (actually very good) and the ravioli with spinach (drowning butter sauce) and the whole wheat tagliatelli in veal ragu (beyond salty).

So love this place... I'd been to La Gioconda a while back n thought it might not be there, so when i realized it was still there I had to go! The food is very tasty and a good price. I had the braised lamb shank it was tender and delicious. The lamb is served with rice, which was not thoroughly cooked (the only pitfall). But all in all the food, service were great.

The food is soooo good!! My husband and I have been living in the area for two years and never thought of trying La Gioconda. We are so glad we did! We both ordered salads.. he had the Lentil and I had the mushrooms.. Both were fresh and full of flavor. Then he had the pesto pasta, and I had calamari and shrimp over black linguini. Both were excellent! We can't wait to go back!

I found this place under menupages. I read the review on hidden gem and it is absolutely true. The prices were reasonable, food delicious, and well prepared. My seafood dish was excellent and I asked for whole wheat pasta which was great! The shrimp was cooked just right. I brought a friend who use to live in New York and she was impressed as well. The service was great and we were treated like we were regulars! Our waiter said the dessert was on the house. I was quite surprised by his gesture. However I would have still given this restaurant a thumbs up. I will definitely go back and recommend this place to others.