49 Best Italian Restaurants in Washington

“Me and my husband came to the bar for a la carte dining, had an amazing time with a very personalized beverage pairing (s/o to Chris our bartender!) We'll DEFINITELY be back to do the entire tasting menu. Lovely atmosphere, not stuffy, great music, GOOD LIGHTING (hard to come by in DC) and overall stellar food. Come here for your next date night or special occasion dinner, you won't regret it!“

“All of my experiences at L’Ardente have been phenomenal. The food, the atmosphere, and the service are all top notch!!!“

“Wife and I live in DC. We go 4 or 5 times per year. Best dinning experience in DC. Don’t even read the menu. Let Bonnie great server, just bring you food and wine pairings. Blow you away. We usually sit at the upstairs bar. Chefs table was great as well. The wine flight is worth every penny. Bring your Amex!“

“on point!! don't shy away from the menu, everything we had was delicious.“

“Impeccable service and Awesome Hot food“

“based on reviews and dc reputation i had high expectations and unfortunately was underwhelmed overall especially by their speciality, mezzi rigatoni. no one at the table liked the whipped ricotta crostini, the bread to cheese ratio is out of balance, way too much cheese and too little bread.now for the good. we enjoyed the squid ink linguini. the mafalde is excellent, definitely recommend. while food overall was not bad, i don’t think we will return. however, i am not recommending against others trying this restaurant, just not for us.“

“Great food, wines and service.“

“The food was absolutely amazing. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. The atmosphere was perfect. The only reason I gave it four stars was due to price. Our meal was over $500, including the tip. I'm so glad we went but will probably not go back due to that.“

“This place is amazing! My partner and I sat at the bar. The bar attenders who waited on us were so friendly and helpful. The Som helped us picked out a bottle of wine as well.We split the focaccia, arancini, fusilli, and the pork Milanese. All very good and I love how simple their menu is.I am 1000% going to be craving the Pork Milanese again very soon. This place wasn’t cheap by any means but it was reasonable for the quality, great for a date night or special occasion.“

“Wonderful service, wonderful flavorful cuisine. Personalized attention to my grand daughter making her a delicious strawberry lemonade. We will definitely be back“

“We are tourist & was searching for a place too eat since our first choice for dinner totally ignored us after we sat there 30 minutes we left. This pizza joint is absolutely delicious. The thin crust was delicious especially on the cheese pizza. The only negative thing I have too say is y’all charging too much for a house salad. I mean if you gonna charge $14 @ least give me something other than basic lettuce.“

“Great service @ DC the seafood appetizer was delicious!“

“This was above average Italian! I had the lemon, spinach and ricotta ravioli and it was delicious. The pasta was clearly homemade and cooked well and the sauce had a delicate lemon flavor and was creamy with a great texture. The ricotta was also smooth and there was lots of it!I would love to come back here and try other items on the menu!“

“Not only the quality is top notch, the consistency between their locations is even more admirable. I can go to any location and be happy. When you combine quality, creativity, knowledge, skills, the love and passion in what they do, this is what makes my stellina my home.“

“The atmosphere and the people who work there were wonderful! The food was amazing as well! I would thoroughly recommend for anyone to try it out you won't be disappointed“

“Little Cocos is a wonderful Italian spot in Petworth. It has an outdoor seating area that's tented (so shaded) and a fully stocked bar inside. We went on a Wednesday evening and had no trouble getting a table.We ordered the calamari, cacio e pepe, and bolognese. The calamari was cooked to PERFECTION. Crispy, tender, chefs kiss ?‍?.Cacio e pepe was also delicious, al dente pasta with extra cheese. It was super creamy.Bolognese had great flavor and sauce. However, the pasta was a little too al dente. We should've mentioned something because I'm sure they would've fixed it for us.The service is 10/10 here.“

“Wonderful food & charming outdoor patio space . Cocktails yummy too!“

“I Love Italian - and when I say this place has THE BEST MEATBALLS I've ever tasted - it's saying a lot! The mushroom gnocchi was light and delish! Not to mention the roasted cauliflower, burrata and garlic bread!! It was a feast and worth every bite! The staff was friendly, polite and aimed to please! The decor and vibe super cool. It was recommended to me by a local and when I visit DC again - this gem will be a first stop!“

“Food was tasty and service was good. The tip was factored into the bill so there was no trying to figure out what the tip was supposed to be. A HUGE issue for us however was the noise level. We couldn’t hear our waitress, we couldn’t hear each other and ended up with a miscommunication that resulted in one of our party not getting what they believed they had ordered.“

“We heard about this place and were not disappointed. We were in the area, and we went for dinner. We had an amazing fine-dining experience at this historic Italian restaurant, which caters to Georgetown residents and others. Moreover, the quality of food and service is exceptional.“

“2nd time here. Awesome meal. Great service. Pedro took wonderful care of us. Chicken Picatta is my go to fabulous - Wife had the Alfredo and raved about it. Everything is delicious.“

“In the words of Lady Gaga: Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before.Absolutely adored this dinner, the experience, the service and won’t ever forget it.Masseria is no joke!“

“Visited this place in DC last weekend with family and it's the best! The pre-dinner bar experience was delightful with excellent martinis. The waiter made it special by asking about our celebration. With a party of seven, we tried different entree's and everyone was impressed with the quality and portions size. The waiter was helpful with menu suggestions. We felt right at home 10/10, definitely coming back !“

“Everything about this restaurant is high class. Reservations are a must. The food and service are top notch. Mixed drinks were prepared very well. We had the chef's tasting menu. While it's at the top of the price curve it's well worth the money. The portions are surprisingly large for the 4 courses one receives. A must if you are in DC.“

“This was a special Mothers Day theee course limited menu dinner. The options for each course were good. The food was excellent. And the service was not rushed. The fillets were very large and cooked as ordered. The cost was a little pricey but we all enjoyed the food and were pleased to not be rushed.“

“Awesome, great food and very good service as well“

“Nestled neatly into Barracks Row, this longtime establishment offers an incredible cozy atmosphere. It's a fantastic family run business and the staff were great. The tortellini alla panna was delicious. The penne alla vodka was solid, but a little bland. I'm eager to come back to try more of the menu. Highly recommend to those in the area looking for a casual italian spot.“

“Great service and great food. Can’t wait to the next time.“

“Needed a quick bite, and this place was just a couple of blocks away from where I was staying. Crust was soft and chewy and the ingredients were fresh and delicious! I enjoyed it so much I came back on my last day in DC and had another. If I'm ever back in DC again I will definitely be back!“

“The food was excellent and we had a great time . Super sweet waiters .“

“Consistently great food! Friendly, welcoming atmosphere.“

“Amazing is all I can say !“

“The caprese salad was delicious. I also enjoyed the short rib ravioli. I highly recommend this restaurant.“

“This place is highly underrated and needs your business. Why? Incredible wine selection, quality food, super kind staff, vibey music, and reasonable prices. You want to wait an hour or two to go eat at El Presidente, Pastis, and St. Anselm? Me neither. Those restaurants are great but we are overlooking this hidden gem. Pictured: valtellina bruschette, marinated olives, and seafood paella.Wheelchair accessibility: There is an ADA ramp to get to the restaurant.“

“Intimate setting with a creative and inspired menu. Fine dining at its best.“

“What can I say that hasn’t been said already? Amazing… nothing beats fresh made pasta to order, and they have it!Me and my two kids came in and they treated us wonderfully. Very attentive service and accommodating.The food is also appropriately priced, some what under priced for the quality. I am impressed.Kid-friendliness: My 6 year old is well behaved, they made her buttered fettuccine and she loved it.“

“Absolutely delicious!!! I wish this was a bigger atmosphere for better choice of seating, but very happy with my dining experience. I imagine this is very close to the Italian way for Pizza.Kid-friendliness: Many children present, seema friendly environment. Good music.“

“Amazing food and service.“

“While staying at the Royal Sonesta, I had an opportunity to partake at Certo! a couple of times and absolutely loved the space. Not only is it cute and roomy, but the bar was pretty vibrant and fun and there's a lot of extra back rooms that allow for more of a smaller private gathering. Service here was absolutely wonderful. Every bartender was very welcoming and knowledgeable. I did have the opportunity to try a couple of items to include the muscles which were really good and the pizza which I topped with arugula and onions. Overall great experience and I'll definitely be back.“

“Amazing pizza that is only outdone by incredible staff! As tourist we sat back and watched how the staff interacted with regulars & newcomers & it was heartwarming. If we lived here we’d eat here every week! Happy hour prices are so good you have no excuse not to visit!“

“First time at Grazie Grazie. The store was clean and the food was great. My sandwich was absolutely delicious. The waffle fries super crispy, hot and NOT greasy. . I only gave 3 Stars for service because the self ordering can be a bit confusing. The menu is on the wall, then you have to find your choice on the computer. Highly recommended.“

“This was he best pizza I have ever eaten the people there treat you like family as a person who lives across the country and has tried pizza from places in NYC and Chicago this place out does them by miles so if your ever by the area I highly suggest anyone stop “

“This place is so close to being a 5 star. I feel terrible for having to make it a 4, just on the service alone. The waitstaff was incredibly kind, but there was something going on, they were very unorganized and not just with us. They brought out our food and then said they would be back with silverware but never came, then they forgot the table next to us all together until they flagged them down. Honestly I feel bad as nobody was intentionally doing anything service wise wrong, they just didn't have the dance down to a science. Now onto what makes it almost a 5 was the food. Oh my goodness the Margarita style pizza was absolutely divine. I also ordered the Napoli Salad, which was awesome and flavorful. They have outside and inside dining, it is such a cute spot on the corner. I am going to be dreaming of this pizza before I head back to D.C.“

“Great Ice Cream ((I had chocolate-hazelnut). Great coffee too. And great service too by the Manager, Shaleeda (please excuse spelling)“

“The lovely day was made better with a nice meal on their patio. Our business express lunch included a generous salad and sandwich. The biscotti cookies "to go" were nice, but it made me feel like they wanted us to leave before I was ready.“

“Love this spot in union market! The folks that work there seem to really love what they do...every charcuterie board I've ever had there is like a work of art! Definitely cute and bougie...fun for a date night! Union market is pretty chill, but this place feels fancier. I will keep coming back!“

“I love the pizza here . It does have a New York vibe.. not really a dine in type of place unless you like eating standing up. But for the slice the price is amazing... 1 slice is about a small pizza. They also have wings and fries...Parking: You're also going to have to walk up to the place or find parking elsewhere. This place provides no parking lot . Why I rated the atmosphere 3 stars“

“Great food! Love their meatballs!“

“The service is warm and pleasantly engaging and the food and beverages are outstanding. What’s not to love about Lupo?“