Trattoria Da Lepri — Restaurant in Ellington

An excellent restaurant that's unassuming from the outside. Four of us on a Saturday night with a 7:30 reservation. Cocktails were good and house made bread was great, served with garlic oil. First course was Deb's Meatballs as well as the house made mozzarella and tomatoes(special), that were said to be grown on site. Both were excellent. Meatballs were tender, but light, with a rustic tomato sauce that was complex but balanced. The tomato and mozz was beautifully presented, large rough chop on the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, very fresh mozz, perfect consistency with just the right amount of balsamic, garnished with enough bitter greens to balance each bite. Entrees: Pan Seared Halibut, Balsamic Braised Short Rib. Halibut(my fav fish): perfectly composed, bright citrus, creamy richness, umami from the sucotash with a salty finish from the bacon. Fish was just slightly overcooked for me, but that may be a matter of preference. Short Rib: perfect, classic with a twist. Melt in your mouth, perfectly caramelized with just the right amount of acid from the balsamic, on a bed of veg and mash that were flawless. Other couple got the Shrimp Oreganata and Rigatoni Bolognese, which were said to both be icredibly delicious. Dessert: house made cannoli as well as the apple tart Ala mode (special). Cannoli was bad, a great attempt but a flop. The shell was excellent, light & crisp. The filling was the downfall, the ricotta should've been drier and sweeter, it was overly wet and borderline salty, but garnished nicely with chopped pistachio(not the reason the filling was salty) and chocolate chips. The apple tart was excellent, flaky crust, the texture/flavor of the apple was perfect with a side car of j.foster vanilla ice cream, you can do no better. The waitress knew how to do her job well, but didn't engage beyond the bare minimum. Overall, this restaurant is well beyond par for the area. I would stack it up against any high end restaurant in the tri state area. I will be...

I recently dined at Trattoria Da Lepri and unfortunately, my experience with their food left much to be desired. I decided to order the Pistachio Salmon, considering salmon is my all-time favorite meal. However, what was served to me was far from satisfying.

The main issue I had with the dish was the overpowering sauce that was smothered over everything on the plate. It seemed as though the chef had gone overboard with the sauce, completely drowning out the delicate flavors of the salmon. Instead of enhancing the dish, the sauce dominated it, leaving me unable to taste anything else.

It's disheartening to admit that I could only manage to stomach two bites of the entire meal. I've had salmon prepared in various ways before, but I have never encountered such a disappointing rendition of my favorite dish. The excessive spiciness of the sauce completely ruined what could have been a delightful dining experience.

As someone who appreciates the flavors of a well-prepared salmon, I was truly let down by the execution of the Pistachio Salmon at Trattoria Da Lepri. I had high expectations for a restaurant known for its Italian cuisine, but this particular dish fell far short.

Overall, I regretfully cannot recommend the Pistachio Salmon at Trattoria Da Lepri. It was a huge letdown for someone who loves salmon, and the overpowering sauce made it nearly inedible. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback into consideration and makes the necessary improvements to ensure a more enjoyable dining experience for...

This lovely Italian restaurant was a delight in so many ways. The service was good, the wine excellent, the ambiance spot on. We had dinner for five; I reveled in the salmon; stuffed with shrimp and crab and a cream sauce. Even the fingerling potatoes and veggies were crisp and superb. Mother and sister had a special; pan-seared halibut with broccoli and carrots. Vegan son found some delicious butternut squash ravioli, hold the cheese, and father proclaimed it the "best restaurant he had ever visited" over his calamari salad. He is given to superlatives. Dessert was the flourless chocolate cake, a pyramid of creamy chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a strawberry garnish. I waddled from the table with a fabulous glow, vowing to return ASAP to do it all over again.

And so we did. A lovely Anniversary dinner with coq au vin, Rigatoni Bolognese and braised beef with mushrooms and truffles papardelle....