Amir was phenomenal in every way! He took care of us all night. Ask for him!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Y. L.
This is the best seafood place in DC. I eat seafood every day and fly to Spain/portugal at least twice a year just to eat. (I consider 99% of seafood dishes trash in the U.S.)
And the service is always excellent. I will go back often. At the end, they give free ice cream to kids — and we certainly appreciate your kind gesture! Will be a regular.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jen Powell
Despite someone booking my birthday reservation for 12 well in advance, our private room was given to another party. We were split into two tables — not too far apart, but definitely a bit of a walk to mingle with everyone.
That said, the food was amazing! Towards the end of the night, once most tables had cleared, the staff moved us to one large table offering the entire table one of each dessert — which we truly appreciated. Still, given that my reservation (a surprise, booked four weeks in advance) was mishandled, the initial separation was disappointing.
I would possibly revisit again as the food was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Robert Jones
Fiola Mare is my favourite restaurant in the world, and i make an effort to come here every time i visit DC.
On the surface its a traditional amalfi coast inspired seafood restaurant, with a fairly conservative interior; not the most innovative or adventurous concept... but if you appreciate the art of a fine dining, then none of that will matter.
I first came here with an affluent relative who dropped $750, and we had one of the bet meals of my life, i was blown away. I next came about a year later, during restaurant week, for a special service lunch menu with my then GF (now wife). We didnt have a lot of money, the whole check with drinks and tip came to just under $100, but we had an even beter service experience. When my gf said she had never had caviar before, they gave us a complimentary scoop on each of our dozen oysters. a very nice gesture that ensured i would always make an effort to come back. iver been now over a dozen times, and every time just feels like a special occasion. i feel bad having taken so long to write a review!
Also, specifically of note - they have both an incredible wine menu and cocktail menu - its rare to get both!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leanne Tobias
Try the Sunday night prix fixe menu: four courses for $85. With the exception of the dessert, one of the very best meals I’ve had in DC and a bargain for the price, with excellent service and surprisingly robust portion sizes. We supplemented with a half dozen oysters (exceptional, $27) and a spinach side dish ($16, rounded out the entree).
The four prix fixe courses for our dinner: Snapper crudo (exceptional) Pasta with mussels, lobster and shrimp (exceptional) Salmon with fennel puree and blood orange (excellent) Banana and chocolate pound cake (essentially a muffin, exterior was dry; partially redeemed by marscapone cream served on the side, but not on the same level as the rest of the meal)
Cocktails are exceptional, wines by the glass very good, service and setting exceptional. Window tables or outside seating flanking the Potomac are superb. I look forward to another occasion here.
Tom Fancett
On the river. Excellent food and cocktails. Best seafood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jim Croft
A lovely setting and a cool space. The food is great, if a little fiddly. The wine list is truly remarkable. Great all round aside from (for Brits) being so expensive it actually hurts. $16 for a side of potatoes? Get in!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Mike Heuple
Pricey but always great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Geovana Pessoa
My boyfriend and I went to Fiola Mare to celebrate our two-year anniversary, and it was honestly perfect. The service was on another level, everyone was super attentive, friendly, and made us feel really special the whole night. You can tell the chef cares about every little detail, because the food was full of flavor and beautifully prepared.
Everything was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and we felt truly taken care of from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. It was the perfect place for our celebration. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Johnson
My wife went here when visiting DC a few years back. Everything was amazing & we left with fantastic memories. We will always come back here when in town.
The food was delicious. I was not expecting this place to be so good. Stopped in last minute with my friend and they did not disappoint.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hank Mierzwa
Spinach stuffed ravoli in a lemon sauce, excellent. Cocktails are just as good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Varner
We arrived on time for our 5:00 dinner reservation for a special occasion. At first, service was excellent. As the restaurant filled service declined. Appetizers were great. One of the five entrees came out cold. It was supposed to be hot. Two of the desserts were not as ordered when they came out and had to be replaced. The gelato had been thawed and then refrozen (I’m a dairy scientist). Fiola Mare certainly didn’t live up to the reviews or our expectations on a special occasion
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
J K
My wife and I went to a Sunday brunch. We ordered the Wild Hamachi Amalfi-Style Crudo, Bucatini Carbonara, and Ravioli San Leo, along with a bottle of sparkling water and a glass of beer for myself.
The Hamachi Crudo had nothing that remotely reminded me of Amalfi. The Carbonara tasted like an overly salty boxed macaroni dinner at best. The saltiness only got worse if you accidentally picked up a piece of guanciale (or was it bacon?). The ravioli was mediocre—just seven pieces for $28.
The service wasn’t great either. The server who took our order never checked in with us. I had to call him over from a nearby table—after he finished taking another group’s order—to ask about my beer, which still hadn’t arrived more than 20 minutes after we had placed our order. By that point, we had already finished the Crudo and were midway through our entrées, which had been brought out by a different staff member, a female staff member who was friendly and great.
The only positive about this establishment was its location overlooking the Potomac River.
Safe to say, I won’t be returning or recommending this place. If you’re looking for good Italian food, there are plenty of better options nearby.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Joe G.
Excellent location, food is gourmet, very good. Hospitality needs some serious attention.
Amir was phenomenal in every way! He took care of us all night. Ask for him!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the best seafood place in DC. I eat seafood every day and fly to Spain/portugal at least twice a year just to eat. (I consider 99% of seafood dishes trash in the U.S.)
And the service is always excellent. I will go back often. At the end, they give free ice cream to kids — and we certainly appreciate your kind gesture! Will be a regular.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Despite someone booking my birthday reservation for 12 well in advance, our private room was given to another party. We were split into two tables — not too far apart, but definitely a bit of a walk to mingle with everyone.
That said, the food was amazing! Towards the end of the night, once most tables had cleared, the staff moved us to one large table offering the entire table one of each dessert — which we truly appreciated. Still, given that my reservation (a surprise, booked four weeks in advance) was mishandled, the initial separation was disappointing.
I would possibly revisit again as the food was amazing!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Fiola Mare is my favourite restaurant in the world, and i make an effort to come here every time i visit DC.
On the surface its a traditional amalfi coast inspired seafood restaurant, with a fairly conservative interior; not the most innovative or adventurous concept... but if you appreciate the art of a fine dining, then none of that will matter.
I first came here with an affluent relative who dropped $750, and we had one of the bet meals of my life, i was blown away. I next came about a year later, during restaurant week, for a special service lunch menu with my then GF (now wife). We didnt have a lot of money, the whole check with drinks and tip came to just under $100, but we had an even beter service experience. When my gf said she had never had caviar before, they gave us a complimentary scoop on each of our dozen oysters. a very nice gesture that ensured i would always make an effort to come back. iver been now over a dozen times, and every time just feels like a special occasion. i feel bad having taken so long to write a review!
Also, specifically of note - they have both an incredible wine menu and cocktail menu - its rare to get both!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Try the Sunday night prix fixe menu: four courses for $85. With the exception of the dessert, one of the very best meals I’ve had in DC and a bargain for the price, with excellent service and surprisingly robust portion sizes. We supplemented with a half dozen oysters (exceptional, $27) and a spinach side dish ($16, rounded out the entree).
The four prix fixe courses for our dinner:
Snapper crudo (exceptional)
Pasta with mussels, lobster and shrimp (exceptional)
Salmon with fennel puree and blood orange (excellent)
Banana and chocolate pound cake (essentially a muffin, exterior was dry; partially redeemed by marscapone cream served on the side, but not on the same level as the rest of the meal)
Cocktails are exceptional, wines by the glass very good, service and setting exceptional. Window tables or outside seating flanking the Potomac are superb. I look forward to another occasion here.
On the river. Excellent food and cocktails. Best seafood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A lovely setting and a cool space. The food is great, if a little fiddly. The wine list is truly remarkable. Great all round aside from (for Brits) being so expensive it actually hurts. $16 for a side of potatoes? Get in!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Pricey but always great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My boyfriend and I went to Fiola Mare to celebrate our two-year anniversary, and it was honestly perfect. The service was on another level, everyone was super attentive, friendly, and made us feel really special the whole night. You can tell the chef cares about every little detail, because the food was full of flavor and beautifully prepared.
Everything was delicious, the atmosphere was great, and we felt truly taken care of from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. It was the perfect place for our celebration. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My wife went here when visiting DC a few years back. Everything was amazing & we left with fantastic memories. We will always come back here when in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was delicious. I was not expecting this place to be so good. Stopped in last minute with my friend and they did not disappoint.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Spinach stuffed ravoli in a lemon sauce, excellent. Cocktails are just as good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We arrived on time for our 5:00 dinner reservation for a special occasion. At first, service was excellent. As the restaurant filled service declined. Appetizers were great. One of the five entrees came out cold. It was supposed to be hot. Two of the desserts were not as ordered when they came out and had to be replaced. The gelato had been thawed and then refrozen (I’m a dairy scientist). Fiola Mare certainly didn’t live up to the reviews or our expectations on a special occasion
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
My wife and I went to a Sunday brunch. We ordered the Wild Hamachi Amalfi-Style Crudo, Bucatini Carbonara, and Ravioli San Leo, along with a bottle of sparkling water and a glass of beer for myself.
The Hamachi Crudo had nothing that remotely reminded me of Amalfi. The Carbonara tasted like an overly salty boxed macaroni dinner at best. The saltiness only got worse if you accidentally picked up a piece of guanciale (or was it bacon?). The ravioli was mediocre—just seven pieces for $28.
The service wasn’t great either. The server who took our order never checked in with us. I had to call him over from a nearby table—after he finished taking another group’s order—to ask about my beer, which still hadn’t arrived more than 20 minutes after we had placed our order. By that point, we had already finished the Crudo and were midway through our entrées, which had been brought out by a different staff member, a female staff member who was friendly and great.
The only positive about this establishment was its location overlooking the Potomac River.
Safe to say, I won’t be returning or recommending this place.
If you’re looking for good Italian food, there are plenty of better options nearby.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Excellent location, food is gourmet, very good. Hospitality needs some serious attention.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
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