Too much amazing food! Â Pork Chop with Marsala/porciinii mushroom wine sauce & Risotto - Beef Carpaccio Classocp; Artichoke stuffed Ravioli, Linguini & Clams, Chicken Parmesan... Nothing ordered was not stellar! Marco and Roma Bistro in Northridge Rocked It! : )
Service, Food Quality, and Value are as good as gets for fine Italian in the SFV 818... Why are people staying away from this little gem in the Northwest SFV!
I am so happy I found this restaurant. Â Unlike most "American" Italian places, Roma Bistro has fresh, healthy dishes made to order. Â Portions are reasonable and prices range from 14 dollars for a pasta dish to the high 20's for a fish or meat meal. Â The ambiance is classy/ romantic and the service is great. Â Many of the dishes are prepared simply and deliciously. Â Chicken with mushroom sauce is wonderful. Â SO is the chicken with green peppercorn sauce. Â Tonight my husband had the mahi over spinach and it was very tasty. Â The soups are always piping hot and you can taste the freshness,
Review Source:First thing to greet us was music that was way too loud to enjoy your meal let alone talk at a reasonable volume. The Musician was good, but needed to turn the volume down by half.
Focaccia with Checca that was served with the waters was decent.
Fried Calamari was seriously overcooked and tough. Weirdly, it is was cooked with small battered strips of zucchini and onions. Pretty much inedible. By far the worst I have ever had.
Misto salad looked like it came as is from one of those mixed green containers you can purchase at any supermarket with a few oddly warmed half cherry tomatoes. Asked for oil and red wine vinegar on the side but had to settle for balsamic which was all they had. Both dispensers were so sticky I had to wipe my hands with a napkin after using.
The true crime of the night however were the two pasta dishes we were served.
My wives came with a few, and I mean literally a few, overcooked broccoli florets served with broken pasta shells in a watery cream sauce that seemed to lack enough butter, cream or cheese, or possibly all of the above.
I asked for al dente Spaghetti alla Checca and instead was served overcooked pasta with what appeared to be simmered tomatoes and garlic chunks cooked to the point where it was more sauce than Checca. This was strange given that the Checca served earlier was about right. If they had just taken a couple of tablespoons of that and sautéed it for a minute they would have had something infinitely superior to what they served me.
Possibly one of the worst excuses for Italian food I have ever had in the Valley, maybe anywhere.
I say avoid at all costs.
BTW this place was recommended by a neighbor. Apparently he shares the same inexplicable view of the many people who gave this place 4 plus stars.
Had dinner there last night with two of our oldest (Folks we've been friends with the longest...?) friends. The atmosphere was delightful - meaning you could read the menu, have a conversation with the person sitting next to you without screaming and the live music was music you actually enjoyed listening to.
The selection of appetizers and entre's was more than adequate, the service was "attentive but not overbearing," and the food was excellent! In fact, I'm not sure any one of our four plates needed to be washed they were so clean.
They say you can judge a good Italian restaurant by the bread they serve. If that's really true - and, I think it is... - you can't afford to miss Roma Bistro Station. The bread was addictive and it was served with a suprisingly good brochetta (spelling?).
Great first visit that will ensure there'll be a second visit!
My wife and I had a great dinner at Roma Bistro, and were pleased enough that we will definitely be back with the family and friends.
The food is absolutely delicious. Everything we ate have the taste of excellent and fresh ingredients. Clearly everything was cooked to order.
M wife started with a wonderful minestrone soup. It is tomato based, has an assortment of ingredients, and was the right temperature (hot).
I had a perfect veal piccata with mixed vegetables and spinach. The spinach was a substitute for mashed potatoes, which I do not eat due to diabetes. I really appreciated how Marco was very happy to accomodate me when I explained the dilemma. My wife had chicken piccata, which was also delicious. The piccata sauce was just right.
My wife had tiramisu for dessert. It is made on the premises, and is the best she has ever eaten. The other desserts looked good too.
Service was excellent. Food came promptly, water glass was refilled whenever it got low, and the staff was very, very accommodating.
I didn't try to comp flat bread or diced tomatoes, but my wife reported they were also excellent. Sort of a free make your own bruschetta.
When we arrived, there was a sign encouraging everyone to sign up for a text message program. It is free, but gets you discounts, specials, etc. Â We signed up, and received our text for 10% off.
I recommend this excellent dinery for a wonderful meal.
E My husband and I were originally thinking of eating at olive garden however the wait and environment did not seem welcoming. It is always loud from families with their young children crying and screaming. We quickly used yelp to find the next best thing.. we came across Roma Bistro and gave it a try.
I am so glad we did! Everything was amazing! The staff is very attentive, I don't think we had to ask for a single thing. Our salad as well as our entrees came out in just the right amount of time. The food is delicious! Nothing is over seasoned, and somehow the food feels lighter than most Italian restaurants. The price is very reasonable considering the quality of food and service. If you are looking for a place to take children between 1-6 I would re-think it based on the menu choices. I will definitely be back and next time with friends!
Cute little restaurant tucked into a mini mall shopping center (next to BEVMO). Starter Caesar salad a little mushy. Complimentary garlic bread was a little hard, but the tomato relish was very fresh. Chicken Piccatta was a tad too lemony, but the presentation was nice. Came with a dollop of mashed potatoes, and a stingy portion of vegetables. This was during lunch, so maybe dinner portions are larger. The tiramisu was out of this world. Come for dessert and coffee.
Review Source:I think there is good intention to be a great restaurant. The manager (owner?) had a great attitude  and the highly inexperienced staff was trying hard.
But, my family's experience was a three way dissappointment. First, the wait staff is inexperienced and slow with the important things. Second, the food quality was OK but nothing I would go back for based on taste. Third, the price is relatively high given the first two issues.
Further, they are not geared up for kids. No kids menu or deserts. Asked for a scoop of ice cream for the kids while we finished our dinner since they served the kids first. We received an extra $12 for two scoops of something. Hmm.
We enjoy Maggiano's and like to go back there often. The second place for casual family time with average food and an overpriced menu, is Olive Garden. This place needs to aspire to a least meet the quality of Olive Garden given that it is just around the corner.
Unfortuately, I suspect that this place is headed in the same direction as the last business at this location (The Soul Station). Â I never understand why start up restaurants don't do their homework. For example, offer less on the menu but make each dish awesome. And, hire experienced waiters. Ya, I know that a good waiters won't take a job at a restaurant like this but if you paid them more than minimum wage until the businees builds, maybe you could get someone to wait tables that could bring the customer back. Oh ya, and better food or lower the prices.
I hope this place turns around since I like more choices near work. We shall see.
My friend and I went on a Friday evening. Â We had a little trouble finding the place. Â It is tucked away from the street. Â We had the Eggplant Parmegiana (sp) and the Spinach Ravioli. Â They were both very good. Â The fresh Ciabatta bread and the Tomato-Basil-Garlic spread were wonderful. Â We are looking forward to trying the salmon and the lemon chicken next time.
This is a grown up place. Â I hesitate to use the word "Adult" because of the connotations that word now carries. Â The place was populated with families, but not children. Â Adults with their adult children, a real nice change. Â There was a fellow playing an electric piano as well. Â It was pleasant to listen to him play and sing selections in French, Italian and English from the 30's to the 70's. And much to the credit of the establishment it was background music: played in the background. Â Wonderful selection and at the perfect volume. Â Like I said, a place for grown ups.
The wine list is written in a rather funky manner but the bartender is part owner and will help make a good selection. Â But this is a very European style restaurant. Â If you are looking for a quick in and out, go to the Burger King down the road. Â If you are looking for Kid's meals, go to the Burger King down the street. If you are looking for a table for the evening where you and your guest can enjoy a quiet meal at a relaxed pace, this is the place to try.
First I'll start by saying, it's more like a 3.5 star as far as food goes. Â Not bad, just didn't try anything that punched me in the face and said, HERE I AM, COME ON BACK FOR MORE BUDDY.
This is definitely NOT a great location. Â It's odd, it's hard to find. Â Not to mention, The Soul Station used to be here, the sign is still up and the Roma Bistro Station sign looks like they just used the sign that was there and inserted Roma Bistro.
So what REALLY happened was that we stumbled upon this place. Â The staff was VERY nice and attentive. Â The manager (which I am assuming is the owner) was VERY personable and awesome. Â
We ordered the Calamari to join our complimentary flatbread.  There were julienned zuchinni and onions along with the calamari.  The batter was really light and crispy.  The marinara wasn't typical, had it's own flavor.  I liked that.  We proceeded with the Lasagna and the Penne ala arrabiata...something something, basically the penne with Italian sausage for our main courses.  The dessert  cart looked delicious, there was creme brulee, creme brulee tart (with a crust), tiramisu and one more for the life of me, I can't remember.....they need a website with a menu so people can look them up!
It's a nice quiet restaurant. Â Probably would make a great date restaurant with not much to distract from your significant other. Â There is MORE than ample free parking,. Â It's located near BevMo in Northridge. Â I'd go again and try some other stuff if I were in the neighborhood.
On the advice of the other reviews on Yelp, I wandered into this restaurant hoping for the best. I was not disappointed.
Considering the surplus of chain restaurants in the area (Mimi's, Olive Garden or even, shudder, Macaroni Grill) and the meh food at LA Buffet, Roma Bistro Station Italian Cuisine has some stiff competition jut to be noticed. The name's also a mouthful -- but it's appropriate considering the mouthful of flavor to be had.
I had mushrooms for my appetizer. I assumed it would be stuffed mushrooms, but instead they were slightly sautéed funghi in olive oil. Very tasty but nowhere near as filling as what I was expecting, which was a good thing considering how overboard some restaurants get with the filling in stuffed mushrooms.
My main course was pasta with Italian sausage. It was extremely flavorful and the spices of the sausage did not overpower the dish. It was also perfectly portioned, leaving me satiated and not wanting for more. If you're expecting the monster portions of Buca, you won't find that here. This is quality, not quantity.
Would I return? Yes. But I'd bring a date, as the decor and atmosphere are best experienced with someone else rather than alone (yes, I like to eat alone).
My biggest worry is that Roma Bistro may be overlooked. If you like Italian food, this is far better that what you'll find at most other places in the area.
A hidden gem!
My co-worker and I stopped in for a late lunch today and we were pleasantly greeted by Marco, the owner, who escorted us to our table. We each ordered the Chicken Milanese with Caesar Salad; shortly after we ordered, the waiter came by with bread and bruschetta that was phenomenal!
The prices are very fair.
Our overall experience was amazing, as was the food and service.
TIP: If you order the Chicken Milanese, ask for a side of Marinara sauce. You'll thank me later :)
Wow,
The new contender for best dinner/lunch spot for a sit down and enjoy a fine meal place in the west end of the san fernando valley.
Wonderfully yummy!
The service has stepped up, the food incredibly good, the price fair.
The wine list is growing and the atmosphere is happy!
I'm tough on the stars,,,,, Â give Roma a shot.... Â and laugh a bit when you ask about the LUCH menu :)
Something about my first review caused Yelp's filter to remove it from the standard view. I have been back to Roma Bistro a few times since my first visit and each experience has been fantastic. I have enjoyed dining at Roma Bistro so much that it's worth posting another review to spread the word. It is a great local restaurant and I'd love for it to be around for many years to come.
The food is so flavorful that my simple pasta dish with some sort of marinara basil sauce impressed everyone in my party. My family and friends tend to be more adventurous and have had many of their offerings - eggplant parmesan, lasagna, penne and sausage, etc. No one has been disappointed with their meals.
Ever since my first visit, Marco always has greeted us warmly. He takes extra care to ensure that we are enjoying our dining experience. We always receive attentive, friendly and accommodating service. I can't say enough great things about this restaurant!
Living in Studio City for 15 years makes me a tough customer when it comes to dining out. We recently moved to Northridge, while it's only 8 miles away from Studio City, I felt like we moved to a far away land of fast food and crappy chain restaurants. We stumbled on this place a few weeks ago and I admit, I was pleasantly surprised. It's kind of off the beaten path in a strip mall next to BeMo.
The atmosphere didn't look quite finished. Parts of it were cute and other parts were bare. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because the proof is in the food and running a restaurant is costly and no easy task.
They seem to still be working out some bugs with service, etc, I would safely assume it's because they're a new restaurant.
I have to say, I've spent a lot of time in Italy and I know good Italian food and this place is it. Again, I was pleasantly surprised about how good and fresh everything tasted. Good sauces, perfect noodles, really delicious. We will definitely be back.
I met one of the owners and, of course, they are from Italy. Nice. This is just plain good (real) Italian food.
I don't understand why this place isn't packed?! Â Owner used to own Fontana de Trevi and they can really cook!
We need to support our local businesses or we deserve the National account garbage we get with Buca di Beppo and Maggianos.
Pizza is thin and delicious, pasta is al dente and perfect, and the entrees are homemade to order with great preparation.
Right next to Bev Mo go out and find this place and support it or shame on us.
You will not be disappointed!!
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