Located in downtown McLean, a new neighborhood bistro called Town made its debut early November. It held a grand opening on Dec. 13, aiming to create an environment where customers can eat good food, enjoy nice drinks and spend time with friends without venture out of town.

Although the restaurant was crafted with care, blending the area’s history with the excitement of a new, modern dining spot, our high expectations were soon met with disappointment.

The service was very disorganized and slow, with some appetizers coming after entrees were served, and one of our entrees arrived 20 minutes after everyone else’s and was the wrong order.

The restaurant itself was warm and cozy, with an appealing bar area and comfortable seating. However, the music echoing in the background was turned to an unpleasant volume, and customers had to raise their voices to hear each other.

Calamari – 4/5

The calamari was one of the stronger items on the menu, arriving warm, with a breaded crispy outside and chewy inside that didn’t taste too rubbery. Paired with a dipping sauce, the sauce was creamy and a bit spicy, with a slight hint of ranch flavor, and balanced well with the calamari. The fried pickles added a nice salty flavor and variety to the dish making it overall an enjoyable start to the evening.

Grilled Wings – 3/5

The wings arrived grilled despite being ordered fried, which set expectations off from the start. The wings were tangy with a nice spicy flavor, however the wings were a bit bland and needed a touch of seasoning for the flavor to really stick out. While the spice was enjoyable, an extra layer of seasoning would’ve helped the dish feel more complete.

Steak Frites – 3.5/5

The steak frites had a nice peppery flavor but the cooking was uneven, resulting in a chewy and noticeable dry texture with little juice on the plate. The portion was limited, with only four pieces of steak on the plate, and only one steak knife was brought with the dish out of the four we ordered. The dipping sauce was delicious, with a buttery and good tangy flavor that paired well with the steak. With an abundance of fries, their texture was the perfect amount of crunchy, but they could’ve benefitted well from more salt. Overall, the dish offered a variety of textures and taste, but lacked consistency.

Mushroom Risotto – 2/5

The mushroom risotto had a pleasant texture but struggled in terms of flavor. The rice was slightly undercooked and al dente, and the risotto was noticeably bland, lacking seasoning and flavor that would make the dish standout. The overall texture of the dish was smooth and creamy, but it could’ve benefitted from more flavor to make the creamy texture.

Rockfish – 1.5/5

The rockfish meal was overall disappointing, with a salad that was overwhelmingly sour, with an excessive amount of lemon dressing that made it inedible. The dressing tasted acidic and overpowered the rest of the salad. The fish itself was tender and a bit mushy, with the flavor being simple and bland with a little salt and pepper seasoning. Overall, the fish lacked flavor and the dressing on the salad was overpoweringly sour.

Mixed Desserts – 5/5

The desserts were a strong finish to the night and provided the delicious flavors we were looking for. The chocolate gelato was creamy smooth, with a rich, deep chocolate flavor, while the vanilla gelato was sweet and fresh with a soft but delicious vanilla flavor. The cheesecake was soft, creamy, and decadent without the flavor being too overpowering. The pistachios on top gave it a nice crunch and the orange gave a pop of flavor and contrasted well with the creaminess of the cheesecake. The tiramisu cake had a rich chocolate flavor with a subtle hint of strawberry. The texture was delicate and smooth, with high quality chocolate shavings that gave a nice crunch. Overall, the desserts were beautifully made and had a variety of delicious flavors.