Sprezza — Restaurant in Richmond

As my mom used to say, “Chi beve vino campa cent’anni”, he who drinks wine shall live a hundred years. Turns out she wasn’t Italian, but the saying never left my mind. I have never been much of a wine connoisseur myself, preferring a tangy spirit to a smooth red Cabernet, and whether that lacked class or simply showed my ignorance in my mom’s (although 23andme proven untrue) culture she loved so much, I strayed from the “fancier” stuff. Until I dined at Sprezza last Saturday night.

The selection of wine was, admittedly, a little overwhelming for someone who’s wine knowledge consisted of barefoot and target’s $5 merlot. Thankfully, my server Amelia had more experience, and helped me narrow down a choice of red I would butcher the name of trying to remember. But damn, was it good.

The service was impeccable, the food coming out hot and plated beautifully. I could tell the difference in what I would order at a Olive Garden and what I had ordered here: Care. I could see the shine of my plate, holding something as naturally messy as lasagna, look almost as if it was individually placed with love and intuition. I’m not sure if many are as picky as me, but this definitely passed my test.

What I ordered:

Focaccia: I’m from the south, so bread is my #1 staple in any meal. While $15, the portion you receive (at least for a single eater like me) could EASILY last you 2-3 more portions to take home. The little tomatoes baked inside looked exactly like how I imagined an Italian grandmother would make, a little artsy, sweet, and packed with olive oil to give you a fresh bite every time. Highly recommend this for all my gluten lovers out there. 12/10

Gambero Frito: even though I’m butchering the name, I can say I also devoured this dish in seconds. Two HUGE prawns that have been deep fried and seasoned with such a sweetness I can’t describe. I absolutely loved the crema beneath, giving it an even softer palette to really balance out the lemon I squeezed on top. 10/10

Lasangna: okay. I read the previous reviews and honestly y’all, I get where you’re coming from. This is certainly NOT a lasagna our grandma’s make. There isn’t an overwhelming amount of cheese I knew we all love, and the noodles are a bit flatter than store bought. Now, that being said, it isn’t their fault we expected grandma’s, cause honestly, I did too! But once you remove your expectations, you receive such a wonderful, subtle flavor with such a delicious texture that nearly melts in your mouth with every bite. You can ask for extra parm (it is a $3 upcharge but I was told this is because it is straight from Italy and quite a big portion), but honestly the sauce was so good I didn’t need it. Just paired with my leftover focaccia, it made for a perfect comfort meal. 8.5/10.

Would I come here again? Absolutely. While it is a classy establishment, I didn’t feel unwelcome. The staff was absolutely wonderful, courteous, and very knowledgeable about what they are serving you. I really appreciate Sprezza bringing back what I loved most about my mom, and hopefully she doesn’t find out I prefer this over her...

Yes Lawwwwwwd!! I'm writing this as I'm devouring my food and waiting for desserts. There's no way this business should be allowed to operate in this manner. I was out with RVA's up-and-coming foodies @we_hungryaf (they always feed me well, lol). We were Uber late for our reservation (because the owner is hiding from the FBI, lol) we couldn't find the place for dear life. The restaurant is so incognito. We fortunately found someone while we were walking, who was familiar with the place, and directed us to it. Kudos to the designer of the place, it was tastefully done. It's so bright, welcoming and sexy. It wasn't over the top like many European style restaurants I have been to. There was ambiance and electricity in the room. The hostess was badass and our waitress Emelia was so warm, efficient and on point regarding all her recommendations. The hostess greeted us immediately and was so personable. We were seated, and our waitress presented us with several menus for cocktails, meals and appetizers. One of the foodies ordered one of the specialty beverages, I don't quite remember the name, I was focused on the food. We tried the focaccia Oh Myyyy, Orecchiette Alla Barese, Lasagna Bolognese, and for dessert we had Tiramisu-Caramel White Chocolate and Torta Della Nonna It's been a while since I had such a delicious Italian meal, and I'm happy to say that Sprezza did not disappoint!! Sprezza is a restaurant that offers Italian dishes, all of which were outstanding. Not only did the food taste great, but the culture of the restaurant was also very soothing. The food was fresh, AUTHENTIC, and absolutely delicious. From starters to main courses, everything on the menu sounded appealing. It was great to visit Sprezza and taste some of the best Italian food I have had in a while. The dishes were delicious and well-executed, and the service was top-notch. If you're looking for an Italian restaurant that will truly make your culinary experience unforgettable, then I highly recommend trying out Sprezza Restaurants. Thanks for having us, Sprezza! If this is the example of just a soft opening, I can only imagine...

I really wanted to like this place based off of the menu and their previous pop-ups, but it was sadly not a great experience.

Pros: The hostess was very friendly when we arrived and so were the waitstaff.

Cons: This place has the ambiance of a 1960s church social hall. It just feels sterile and kind of awkward. It is overly bright, the hard floors make for weird acoustics, there's just a bunch of table in the middle of the room with nothing to break them up, and the lack of BGM makes the vibe feel a little off. We waited 10-15 before we eventually flagged down a waiter because nobody knew we were in their section. No big deal, they just opened and those kinds of things get ironed out. We decided on a couple of cocktails that were good but not memorable. We ordered the lasagna and the branzino. The lasagna just wasn't for me. The pasta was obviously fresh and was great. The balance of acid and salt was just really off to me and the plating itself had little thought or effort put into it. The branzino was just a fail. I have had many amazing branzino dishes and this was probably the most disappointing one I've eaten. To be fair, my expectations were off. I have always had branzino served whole. This fish came out as like two 2oz filets on a spoonful of spinach. I started looking for the cameras because I thought I was on a hidden camera show. It was an insultingly portioned meal for $38. If it was incredibly prepared I wouldn't have had an issue. It was just two thin, slightly overcooked filets. I told the waitress I was disappointed with it. The manager, I assume, came over and was very friendly about it but chalked it up to "traditional portion" sizes. I've had hundreds of meals all over Italy, I don't know what he's talking about. If you want to serve smaller portions at that price point, awesome, but they have to be knockouts and these weren't. He did very kindly offer a glass of Nonino which he didn't have to do but was appreciated. We had the tiramisu before leaving and it was good.

I wish them the best and I hope they dial it in. I probably won't be going back anytime...