4 Best Restaurants in Virginia, USA

Inside an old building just one block from the Potomac, Il Porto's interior is reminiscent of Italy, with plaster walls, exposed wooden beams, and checkered tablecloths. The menu includes traditional Italian versions of veal, seafood, pasta, and chicken. Healthful touches include whole-wheat pasta and organic wines. On weekend nights the cozy dining room can get crowded.

This family-owned restaurant, decorated with lace curtains, red carpeting, and walls covered with paintings, specializes in traditional northern and southern Italian cuisine, including veal, chicken, pasta, and seafood. Standouts include veal Florentine, fettuccine Alfredo, eggplant parmigiana, steamed mussels, and lasagna. The 260-seat restaurant is also open for lunch on weekdays. Save room for the Italian desserts such as cannoli, spumoni, and tiramisu.

Locals love this family Italian restaurant and pizzeria that serves up pasta, fish, chicken, and veal dinners as well as subs and pizzas. It's a good choice for families who want to please the kids: parents can get quality "adult food" while their children graze on pizza and subs. The restaurant delivers free to nearby hotels. Families rave about Sal's, especially its family feast.

Homemade pasta—about 20 different kinds—fills the menu in this cheery, yellow-stucco restaurant in the city's Old Town. Owners Franco and Marcella Stocco and their son Riccardo serve up their native northern Italian cuisine, including lobster pansotti (lobster-filled ravioli in a sauce of white wine and lemon). Try the Trio Violino, an antipasto platter with duck breast prosciutto, homemade venison bresaola, and duck salami with a raspberry vinaigrette. A strolling violinist entertains diners on weekends. The outdoor patio, enclosed by potted plants, is a quiet spot in the midst of street bustle.