As soon as I stepped into Little Venice Restaurant, my hopes were raised high. The warm aroma that greets you in the lobby is enticing, welcoming and distinctly Italian. The faux Renaissance-era paintings decorating the walls and the classical music playing let me know immediately that I was in for a delicious Italian experience.

Little Venice’s Restaurant Week menu includes your choice of an appetizer, entree and dessert for lunch or dinner, at $12 and $20, respectively. For the appetizer course, my photographer and I ordered the garlic fries and soup of the day, which was split pea. The soup was simple and well made, but didn’t hold a candle to the garlic fries. At first glance the garlic chunks on top of the fries threatened to be overpowering, but we were pleasantly surprised to discover this was not the case. The fries had a perfect crispiness despite being doused in garlic oil, and the flavors were strong but not overpowering, making them probably the best garlic fries I’ve ever eaten.

For the main entree, I ordered the eggplant parmigiana, which came with a small bowl of house-made spaghetti on the side. The spaghetti noodles were thick and covered in a delicious house-made marinara sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet, which countered the acidity of the tomatoes and made it a perfectly balanced, hearty dish. I can’t think of anything that would have made the spaghetti better. The eggplant was also a grand slam. The dish is my go-to at Italian restaurants, so I’ve had my fair share of them to compare to this one. Little Venice’s offering stood out because the eggplant was a lot softer than others, but topped with a crispy layer of melted cheese on top. The delicious marinara sauce used on the spaghetti was also used in the parmigiana, giving it the same fulfilling flavors the pasta had.

Like at many Italian restaurants, the entrees were served in large portions, so they were filling; but luckily, we still had room for dessert. We ordered the tiramisu and the chocolate mousse, both of which came in small glasses and were topped with a heavy whipped cream. The chocolate mousse was rich and sure to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth, and the sweet and creamy tiramisu was the perfect texture. I had never tried tiramisu before so I didn’t have anything to compare it with, but from what I tasted at Little Venice, I would order it again in a heartbeat.

Our overall experience at Little Venice was very satisfying. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, taking time to chat with us, which is something that I greatly appreciated as it strengthened the homey quality of the restaurant. My single complaint was that it took a long time for our entrees to get to the table, but then again, the time spent making our order was reflected in the quality of the food we were served.

Whether it be this Restaurant Week or sometime in the future, if you’re in the mood for Italian food I would highly recommend checking this place out. With its friendly staff, comfortable atmosphere and delicious food, Little Venice is everything an Italian restaurant should be.