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By far the best Italian I have had in this city, and it's REAL italian and goes beyond just pasta! I loved it! Every little dish was a surprise, and even before your courses start you get several amuse bouches, so even though it's pricey you do feel like you're getting your money's worth.
I had the best ravioli of my life here.
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If you've ever been to a restaurant in Italy where the locals go, then you'll be very familiar with Obelisk. It has a small dining area and the tables are close enough together that by the end of the evening you may very well know the couple sitting at the table next to you. The staff is friendly and the overall atmosphere comforting.
As far as the food, simply amazing. True, you may have to be a risk taker for some dishes, but even if you skip the anchovie skewer and the calamari soup you will still have plenty of outright delicious food to fill you up. For me it was a 5 course meal: appetizer (a mix of about 5 dishes), first entree (like a pasta, soup, or risotto), second entree (meats/fish), cheese plate (3 cheeses), and dessert. This all comes with unlimited homemade bread and butter. Add a bottle of wine and an espresso or grappa afterwards and you will not want to think about eating again for a couple of days. Well well worth it though.
This won't be my last time there.
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Obelisk is certainly one of the best restaurants in DC. It might not have the fancy feel of other dining rooms, but the intimate setting, impeccable service and fantastic food and drink are really enjoyable.
Not only was the food excellent from start to finish (with the exception of the squab I ordered - a little too gamey for my taste, but that shouldn't deter squab lovers!), but there was also a LOT of it. We came close to feeling like we had overdone it, but left with smiles on our faces. yum!
Our fellow diners ranged from a young couple (one of whom was wearing flip flops) to a family with a teenage son to a group that seemed to be having a business dinner - and everyone fit in just fine. Each diner was really focused on his company and his food, which is just how I like it.
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I just wanted to say thank you to all the wonderful folks at Obelisk for making my engagement (to Alex L. under my friends, the one with the big...reuben) happen on August 15th!
This place is no-questions-asked our favorite restaurant in town.
Alex managed to call ahead and do a visit to the restaurant ahead of time in order to get the kitchen and the staff all in on the surprise. I realized Alex was acting a little squirrelly earlier that day, but he's often busy with work, so I didn't pry too much....
We had the last reservation of the night, and ended up at the window seat. And as usual, the place was packed with Friday night patrons. I wasn't getting any vibes from the staff that anything unusual was happening that night. By about the third course I had given up all suspicion.
When dessert hit our table (we both got the sorbet), I saw the kitchen door swing open out of the corner of my eye. Out walks three mariachis in full regalia. I speak Spanish, but I couldn't understand anything they were singing as the whole world slowed down and I knew.....THIS IS IT!!!! Our waittress from our prior two visits, like lightning, put two glasses of champagne on our table. Alex got down on one knee next to my chair, put the ring on and asked me to marry him. I said "ABSOLUTELY! Yes!!!"
The man at the table next to us announced to the rest of the restaurant. Everyone clapped and cheered.
So thank you again to everyone at Obelisk for making it a wonderful night. Thank you to the kitchen for stashing 3 mariachis with very large hats. Thank you to our lovely waitress for not judging us for taking the cheese course to go. Thank you the the guy who was seated right next to the trumpet player and had the horn blowing on his head while they serenaded me :).
You know we'll be back soon!
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01/19/2008
Update 3/13 -- we went back last night. I'd live there if they'd let me.
Highlight of this meal was…
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My girlfriend and I headed to Obelisk in celebration of her birthday. Quite simply, this is one of the best restaurants I have been to in the United States. I give it 5 stars with no hesitation. Here is how I broke down eash dish we sampled:
Antipasti
Fried Squash Blossoms: These perfectly fried treats brought forth a different flavor with each bite. They were doused in oil and had a hint of sausage. I cannot begin to provide this dish justice with superlatives. Quite simply, it is one of the best items I have eaten at any restaurant.
Burrata: The fresh burrata was also excellent. I have never understood why this mozzarella resembling cheese has never found its way onto a gourmet pizza, but it was a nice accompaniment to the squash blossoms.
Heirloom Tomato Crostini: The local tomatoes (cherry and orange) made the difference in this upscale version of bruschetta. Simply masterful.
Capicola: I love capicola, but the kitchen did not take any real chances with this dish. It was simply nice capicola, but it wasn't transcendent in any way, shape, or form.
Shrimp with green sauce: The green sauce was a bit sour, and we found the breading didn't really add flavor to the shrimp. On the bright side, the shrimp was perfectly cooked.
Entrees:
Chittara with squid and zucchini: The chittara was little more than an upscale version of angel hair pasta, but it was fine for this dish. The squid rings added a hint of necessary flavor. The broth was a nice, spicy concoction that would have went well with the bread.
Duck Raviolini with Poached Egg: The tiny duck raviolini was excellent, but I'm not too sure about pairing it with the poached egg. Having said that, the egg mixed excellently with the chicken broth.
Meat Entrees:
Pollastrino with Chantrelles and Guanciale: Guanciale? No idea. The young chicken was paired with flavorful mushrooms that perfectly matched the olive oil based sauce. I will be adding chantrelles to quite a few of my own dishes as a result of trying this dish.
Halibut with fennel, tomatoes, and olives: A nice, tender filet of halibut with just the right touch of spices. Although the dish took little chances, it was quite tasty.
Cheeses:
We had a mix of Cinerino, Raschera, and a goat cheese from Pipe Dream Farms in Pennsylvania, The Cinerino was the winner here. This sheep milk's cheese had a milky taste with a pleasant, slightly sweet finish. The raschera was a delicate, soft cheese that had the perfect texture. It was very soft, but at no point did it turn into a useless dribble. I only wished I could have paired it with some vegetables. My girlfriend loves the Pipe Dream Farms goat cheese, but it was much too pungent for me.
Desserts
Chocolate cake with mint anglaise: The mint anglaise was the correct complement to the bittersweet chocolate. The kitchen did a great job with this dish.
Peach Melba: Wow. A sugary peach served with cookies and ice cream. Sounds simple, but I assure you that it was exotic. Rather, it is my restricted powers of description that fail to deliver the true value of this excellent finish to a wonderful meal.
The kitchen serves us complementary biscotti, hazelnut brittle, and apricot candy. The biscotti was filled with oats and had a hint of licorice. It was an interesting combination, but my girlfriend didn't seem to enjoy it. On the other hand, I found the hazelnut brittle to emphasize the nut and leave out the toffee. The apricot candy was delightful; it was perfectly sweet and went well with my Americano.
This is a great place to go for a special occasion. Reservations are taken in advance, and it is best to take only a small group. This is not the place to have some drinks with your friends; this is a sophisticated meal that takes hours to enjoy. However, the end result is that you will appreciate the service, atmosphere, and food at this wonderful DC restaurant for years.
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I have to say, I often find myself in situations not uncommon to someone extremely lucky. My fiance has a really awesome job. Her boss offered to send us out for a fancy dinner at their expense.
As you can tell by the placement of this story, we took advantage.
Obelisk went beyond my expectations. Granted, it is a bit out of my normal price range and I'm still not sure if I would have gone had the bill not been picked up by someone else. However, having been there once, I can say that I would consider saving my pennies to go again.
The food was phenomenal, and all five courses were exquisite. They have a hand prepared menu that appears to change often, so I won't go too much into detail, however a few things really stood out. My favorite thing by far, was a tart served for desert. This blackberry custard tart they served was beyond words. It had an absolute perfect flavor, and that "melt in your mouth" quality that was unforgettable. Another favorite was the Culotte, which at first looked nearly too rare. I was way off base, as it was nice and warm, not to mention incredibly tasty. Without a doubt the best piece of meat I've ever had in my life.
We shared a $95 bottle of wine, and I had a nice $16 glass of desert wine, which brought the total bill to around $350 including tip and espresso. Would highly recommend if you've got the cash or a very very very special occasion to celebrate.
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I recommend this place to anyone who loves food and is not hesitant about trying "different" food. I have been here many times and am always impressed with the food and service. THe only thing that disappointed me was their fish main dish-- a bit too fishy (forgot the type of fish). It seemed as if the chef cooked the vegetable (that came with the dish) in the same pan.... ugh~~~ who wants to eat fishy vegetables? Other than that, everything is great... price, food, service... Will absolutely go back...
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I went there for my birthday last year and I can tell you that it does live up to the hype. Our table wasn't ready when we arrived so we were treated to a glass of prosecco while we waited (5 minutes).
All the courses were tasty and well thought out. The smoked duck was perfectly done with a crisp skin and moist (not oily) meat. My pasta course was the lowest point of the evening but that's only to say it wasn't quite as amazing as the rest, but still very very good.
If you want a great date spot then I highly recommend taking them here. It's hard to go wrong.
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This is definitely one of the best meals I've ever had in DC and my brother and I agreed that this was some of the best Italian food we've had since we left Italy.
The chef is a genius of what I call "gestalt" cooking, where each element of a dish is unexceptional by itself but, when the ingredients are combined, it's...transcendent.
An example of this would be the first antipasto they served--a cow's milk burrata with very, very good olive oil, served with an heirloom tomato "jelly" which was more like a pudding. Alone, each of these was delicious, but not amazing--but when I tasted the yielding burrata with the jelly, it tasted like summers from my childhood. My parents' friends had a summer home which was partially carved into the mountainside (their living room was a cave) in between two small poppy meadows near Calcata village, north of Rome. Sometimes we would go there for long, slow lunches during the summer and from the sundrenched terrace, you could look out into a wide green valley, all the way down to the serpentine melted chocolate river on the valley floor far below. In the stillness, you could hear the tiny thunderclaps of white doves' wings as they fluttered above the treeline punctuated by the harsh bray of a donkey. That is what this dish tasted like.
Every single dish was like that--enchanted, expertly-woven, evocative flavours that brought back so many memories. My brother and I spent the whole meal talking about food and remembering different meals from our childhood and planning meals for the future. Fiori di zucca stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella and deep-fried in a light batter made us remember a pizzeria we used to go to which had the best baccala and olive ascolane ever. When I was little, I loved to watch the two pizzaioili make the pizzas behind a tall counter, shovelling the pale, tomato-smeared circles into an infernal wood-burning oven on a paddle like automatons.
Homemade bresaola. Stewed octopus--tender and yielding in a heady tomato-garlic sauce. Housemade braised duck raviolini in brodo with sauteed spinach and a poached egg--the luxurious egg yolk swirling in your mouth with the delicate broth and the rich, meaty flavour of the duck. Housemade whole wheat pasta sauteed with cherry tomatoes and pancetta--texture upon texture, the sweet-tartness of the tomatoes and the crispy, fatty, salty bacon against the nutty pasta. Crisp halibut with smoky guanciale. Then cheese.
And to finish, a decadent, bitter chocolate pudding with a sweet pistachio tuile--again, the tuile itself was too sweet and the pudding too bitter and rich but together...
Perfetto.
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I've been here three times with a friend who loves it. I've never found the food particularly tasty, nor worth the price.
4.5 stars.
Why not five?
My fiancee and I went here sort of on the spur of the moment. I've heard it's difficult to get reservations, but when I was planning a few days before his 30th b-day, I called Obelisk to ask if they had a table for two for Thursday night. Woo hoo, they DID!
The only thing that's weird is that you have to call them the day of the reservation -- before noon -- to confirm. I don't know what happens if you don't. They called me twice before I called them back!
Anyway, on to the food. We'd been looking forward to eating at Obelisk for MONTHS, and we've gone to pretty much every other great restaurant in the city but this one.
I can see why it's so popular. Great atmosphere, and it's affordable for fine dining. For $70 a person, you get a TON to eat and it's all very tasty. The cost includes the amuse bouche, cheese course and DESSERT.
First, you get about six "little bites" courses -- of which were really good, except the first one, the cheese that everyone liked so much on here, didn't really do it for me. It was more like an egg yolk than it was like cheese.
Then, you get a pasta course, which you choose from the menu. I got the eggplant ravioli, which was quite good. It was very meaty although there was no meat there!
For the entree, I chose the duck, while my fiancee had the tuna. The tuna was awesome -- perfectly cooked, etc. But the duck? Eh. It didn't wow me. The flavor was good, but it was totally chewy.
But the dessert was TO DIE FOR! I got the chocolate cake on the recommendation of the server. It was the best! It was light and dense at the same time -- weird, I know! -- and had a great caramel sauce. Simple but delish. I could have had five of them.
The reason I'm docking half a star here is one for the duck but two because of the spastic service we received. All of the "little bites" came out quickly, but then we waited like 30 min. for the second course! This is an unacceptable amount of time! The waiters were dealing with some larger parties while we were there, but I still don't think I should wait more than 15 min. for the next course.
When we go back, I hope we don't have this problem again.
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After dining at Obelisk it's easy to see why yelpers rank it the best restaurant in DC. In a word: superb.
The prix-fixe menu consists of five courses, three of which you choose. The antipasti comes rolling out after you make your choices and really starts the meal off on a high point. On the night we went the highlights included exceptionally fresh Burrata cheese, lightly battered fried shrimp and amazing grilled Italian chicory which continues to occupy my mind weeks after the meal.
Were it not for the loud commentary of the tanorexic bridezilla seated next to me my birthday dinner would have been absolutely perfect. Still, for the most part, the hypnotic flavors delivered by the kitchen were enough to drown out her incessant whining.
With only 36 seats in the dining room, it's best to think ahead when making a reservation.
If you're still wondering whether or not Obelisk is the right restaurant for your special occasion - birthday, anniversary, hard fought re-election bid, graduation, passing the bar - wonder no more. Obelisk is a place worth celebrating, whether you've got a good reason or not.
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What I liked about this place was I was forced to try something outside of my comfort level and it was worth it as it was all really well prepared.
The antipasti was interesting there was sardine, an octopus cold citrus salad that I enjoyed my date didn't like it too much, goat cheese with olive oil and the usual which was all real nice.
pasta course:
I had quail ravioli my date had homemade spaghetti with a tomato sauce she lets me try everything. I recommend the spaghetti.
For the main dish:
My date had lamb and i had the squab. Once again I recommend my dates meal. Not from taste because the squab has a real unique taste but if you are with a date especially if you were to take someone here on a first date it can be distracting trying to pick through the bones with a knife.
Then they gave goat buffalo and sheep cheese.
We liked them all especially the buffalo but sheep was also really good.
Desert:
I got walnut cake with banana ice cream.
My date had rhubarb tart with vanilla ice cream.
I really like vanilla ice cream so I was hesitant but the walnut cake and banana ice cream went really well together.
It is nice warm place here and the service is very good. Me and the date got a glass of wine and we enjoyed our time it's expensive but try it out you'll be happy.
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My boyfriend had expressed an interest in trying Obelisk, so I decided to surprise him for his birthday. It was a fantastic experience. I would never think to try sardines, but that was one of the small plates served in the beginning of the meal, and they were surprisingly delicious. You know you will be getting the best meal possible since the menu changes daily based on what's good that day. My boyfriend was certainly surprised and we still talk about the delicious meal we had that night. Unforgettable is all I can say!
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Obelisk served me the best meal I have ever had in DC. The only complaint would be that my stomach wasn't big enough to hold all of it. For $65 pre-fixe I got sardines, then cockles (sp?) which were soooo good, then raviolis, sea bass, a cheese course and for desert fabulous grapefruit and lemon sorbets. The service was amazing, very attentive and friendly. There are only 11-12 tables in the place so you get alot of attention from your server (not in an overbearing annoying way). The menu looks like it changed very often (it is handwritten and photocopied) which is always a good thing. Also, it give me another reason to go back and see what other delicious foods are in store.
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After the raving reviews about this place, I thought I was going to have a food experience like none other. That did not happen. That being said, this was a very very solid meal.
Highlights: first three courses. They had a fresh cheese drizzled in olive oil with a little salt and fresh pepper. Spectacular and a great way to show off a great cheese. Most of the dishes in the first course were great. The pasta course was delicious too, as the was cheese course.
Lowlights: the last two courses. Perhaps it was a mistake on our part, but my dining companion and I opted for the steak for two. It was nothing special, and the sides, a tiny bit of broccolini and onion rings were unimpressive. I only include dessert in this list b'cos by the time dessert came round, I was so full, I don't remember what dessert was like. I just ate it, but clearly, it was not enough to make an imprint.
I would like to give Obelisk another chance, and maybe pick another entree to see if that made the difference. But overall, it was good, maybe sometimes great, but never completely out of this world. And it was too much food.
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This joint looks nothing like a restaurant from the outside and more like an unimaginative brownstone, but when you do actually do enter to partake in their prix fixe menu (among the 15 other people eating in here, since this place is pretty damn small), the culinary maven inside of you will definitely not be disappointed. Parking is a bitch though in this area so cab it if you can, and as previously mentioned, this place is tinier than a McMansion's living room, so make your reservations way in advance.
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I went here long ago for a birthday dinner, and while I can't remember now what I ate at all--I do remember it was very good. A great place to take a date for a special occasion.
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First thing's first: if I weren't sick to the point where I couldn't smell or taste, I'm 98.153% sure I would have given Obelisk five stars. I'll update this when I return with full sensory perception.
Obelisk offers a five-course prix fixe for 65$. Hailing from Manhattan, this is an incredible steal, especially considering the freshness and quality. My favorite course (probably due to limited stomach space) was the first: soft, velvety goat cheese slightly reminiscent of good buffalo mozzarella, fried cous cous, tomato gelatin, crab cakes... It was pretty much a meal in itself. I also adored my next course: a creamy mushroom soup with so much flavor it punched through my congestion. I didn't eat much of my venison, cheese plate, or dessert, but my dining party ensured me everything was magnefique!
Service was impeccably friendly and well-trained. I can't wait to come back and write a full-on review. This place has the potential to break into my top five meals... Ooohhh.
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Due to a couple years of relentless business travel, I'm not particularly fond of business trips. To mitigate my travel related bitterness, I like to take my best girl (ME!) out for a nice meal. So I yelped at the office in DC and Obelisk came up at the top for Dupont circle.
I stopped by Obelisk on the way back to the hotel and they said they were booked but I could leave my number in case they had a cancellation. The woman was nice but I thought, whatever, like they'll actually follow up if they get a cancel? An hour later, there's Obelisk saying they've got a table, woo-hoo!
The dining room is small and can get quite noisy but I loved the quaint feeling. Decor is decent but nothing amazing. It's basically saying, hey we want you to be comfortable and all, but let's be clear, we're about the food.
And they are indeed.
My antipasti was five small plates including:
-House-made burrata with a perfect amount of high quality olive oil, salt and pepper, just beautiful.
-Roman chicory (I think - it was crunchy like cabbage) with anchovy dressing. Excellent!
-Veal tongue with green sauce (good and I wanted to adore it but I wasn't in love with the consistency).
-Chicken liver pudding with candied hazelnuts. Love the savory/sweet combo.
-Eggplant crostini with the just the right amount of acid in there to give it some kick.
And hello, this is just the antipasti. After mingling among all these jewels I was having one of those wonderful food experiences that makes one glow. To add to that, the couples on both sides nicely chatted me up, wondering why I was eating alone, then asking where I worked, did I want more restaurant recommendations, etc., very sweet.
I continued on the prix-fixe with squab with farro and spinach. Then a cheese plate that had THE best house-made fig jam, not too sweet, a really wonderful accompaniment. Dessert was a chocolate hazelnut cake, yum.
The server was also kind enough to recommend wine with my courses and they were excellent.
All in all, a lovely food experience, kind service and a beautiful night. Not too bad for a business trip!
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This is a special restaurant. I have always had amazing service at Obelisk (thanks Kat!). The space is small and intimate (so make a reservation). The food is incredible (and plentiful -- 5 courses)! It is exciting to see how the menu changes over the seasons. I've had a hard time discovering new restaurants near Dupont Circle, because I always want to come HERE!
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I would have to say hands down the best meal that I have ever had in DC. There was so much food that I can't even remember everything that was served. We were so stuffed when we left that we actually decided to walk home to Columbia Heights.
The staff was great and recommended a great bottle of wine that complimented the food perfectly. My 2 favorite dishes from the night had to be the second course (beet ravioli served with in a brown butter walnut sauce) and the main course which we split the suckling pig. They carved it table side and the skin was crisp but the meat was very moist.
The only negative thing that I can think of from the night is that I felt like the courses were served too quickly. I felt rushed and had to quickly finish each course when they brought out the next because there was no room on the table for the extra dishes (we were seated at a small 2 person table).
I can't wait to go back.
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I've been to Italy 3 times and this is the best Italian food outside of Italy that I've had. The only downside to this place is the difficult parking situation, the tiny size (although that could be a plus, now that I think of it) and the waitstaff. Now, the host/manager was incredibly nice and helpful with the wine choice, but our waitress was just so offputting. I'm not sure what her problem was. The best words I can find to describe her are emo and haughty. Great combo, eh? No matter, the food made up for it. The pork chop was amazing and the pineapple infusion dessert was incredible. I guess they change the menu so much that there's no point in raving about particular dishes. I can say that I enjoyed my meal far more than my husband enjoyed his. I think it all comes down to how you order. Hit or miss. The portions are generous so I let him eat part of my pork chop to make up for the squab he ordered that he didn't care for. Aren't I nice? Aww
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If I could eat at Obelisk and Komi only for the rest of my life, I would be happy. This place puts the food over all else, and it shows.
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I needed a special occasion restaurant. It was Mother's Day weekend, I hadn't visited my mom and stepfather in over a year, had spent every major holiday for the last several years with my ex-SO's family. I did extensive online research and also asked around to friends who knew the area. Obelisk came up a couple times so I made a reservation.
When we arrived, I thought perhaps I'd made the wrong choice. Obelisk is in a tiny townhouse off Dupont Circle. The decor is not fancy - it literally looked as if someone had one day decided to turn their living room into a restaurant and went out and bought some tables and chairs to fill the room. No music, so you could hear every conversation in the room. I'm generally of the opinion that ambience does matter when it comes to a dining experience, so I was worried that the dinner would be disappointing.
I didn't need to worry. My meal at Obelisk reigns in my memory as one of the best meals I have ever had. Possibly takes first place.
The menu is fixed price with five courses. Each course offered three choices, and since there were three of us, we decided to order all differently so we got to try every single dish on that day's menu. We also ordered a lovely red wine that was recommended by our waiter, I wish I could remember what it was.
The meal started with an antipasti platter that included fried anchovies, carpaccio, prosciutto, among other things. All delicious, each piece perfectly flavored - even the prosciutto was perfect on the palate, not overly salty like most prosciuttos I've had. Then came individual dishes with baby buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes, sprinkled with olive oil and kosher salt. WOW. I had never previously, and never since, had mozzarella that good. The texture was amazing and the salt balanced out the flavor perfectly. I could have eaten just that and would have been happy.
The pastas were delicious - so good that my mom, who was on one of those low-carb diets, couldn't help but devour hers and parts of ours. The meat courses were excellent, especially the steak (our least favorite was the squab, just because it was a teeny bit of a hassle to eat - lots of bones, little meat - but it was still good). Desserts were perfect - nothing too rich or too sweet, just the perfect finish to balance out the marathon meal.
Everything was perfect. A meal this good is not only appetite-satisfying, it is emotionally satisfying.
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A lovely space and beautiful presentation. However, the dishes are conceptually weak and tend to lack flavor, creativity and ultimately any reason to return. I have tried this place several times due to the inflated zagat ratings (but see the user reviews), but cannot find much to like about it except the aesthetics. The prices are exhorbitant and the dishes mediocre (not to mention very, very small). Most dishes overemphasize oil and salt, and cheese is involved in most courses. Worst of all, the flavor profiles in each course tend to remain the same rather than build or play off of each other. When the predominant flavors are salt and oil, it is not a good thing.
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AMAZING.
Small, Italian restaurant on P street. You'll take thre hours to enjoy course after interesting curse for a fabulous evening. Kat always takes care of us.
Best breadsticks on the planet...no seriously...
The hand-written menu changes daily.
Cool space that's a little old, a little new, very Italian, very urban hip cool without trying...
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As a result of a lucky football bet, I won dinner at Obelisk. And it did not disappoint. Like Komi, its another fixed price, expensive, converted brownstone restaurant in the heart of Dupont that has great ambience and great food.
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I have been here 4 or 5 times. Each time I leave thinking I had a wonderful meal, but there was just a little chemistry missing.
You do get to try some interesting things, last visit we had pig ear salad as part of our antipasti -- I can't say I was a huge fan.....actually, I can't say I was really overwhelmed by any of the antipasti.
Squash ravioli with a very mild blue cheese followed -- but the dish was dominated by orange zest -- and in my mind needed something like a simple sage butter sauce to make it complete -- but still very good.
I had the lamb chops for my secondi -- highlight of the meal, very simple and perfectly cooked.
Secondi was followed by a nice cheese course and dessert. It is worth a visit -- time seems to slow down and you get to enjoy 5 course over the course of 90-120 minutes and service is top-notch. Atmosphere is elegant but not stuffy....you can hear most conversations in the restaurant....so it is not exactly intimate -- or is it?
It is more expensive than Babbo in NYC when all is said and done with food, wine and tip -- and it does not leave me with the same impression. That probably isn't fair, but many people do speak of Obelisk as one of those types of food experiences......it doesn't quite hit that level with me, but it is still one of the better restaurants in DC.
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I love this little place. I've been here twice -- the first time during my honeymoon. It is intimate, and romantic, but not in a cloying kind of way. The waitstaff is professional and low-key.
The food was fabulous both times. There are occasional experiments that the chef tosses out that aren't necessarily my favorites, but I really appreciate his adventurousness, and the knowledge that we won't be getting the same old same old.
The ingredients are always so fresh, and high quality. I remember particularly an appetizer topped with the most exquisite parmesan I have ever tasted.
Not cheap, but perfect for that special occasion.
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This Italian restaurant in a Dupont townhouse serves a fixed-price menu that changes daily and focuses on the simplicity of each dish's ingredients. Five courses of deliciously simple yet inventive food is the reason to go though. Even the breads and pastas are made in-house, but one negative (for me) is that the choices are limited among the courses, making it challenging for vegetarians and picky eaters. I'd recommend calling in advance for a sneak peak at the menu if you have this issue. One tip: save room for dessert - this is one of those restaurants where the dessert doesn't take a second seat.
The atmosphere is elegant yet cheery and despite the close proximity of the tables around you, it manages to be intimate in a good way. It's not exactly library quiet though. Reservations are needed and you better make them WAY in advance (there are only 35 seats and they fill up quickly!).
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There are only 36 seats in chef Peter Pastan's townhouse restaurant (next to Pizza Paradiso in Dupont) -- so you cant just go walking in off the street, you need reservations.
Get them.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant in DC. The food is northern Italian and brilliantly turned out. Pastan changes the menu daily to reflect his whims and the best offerings from his suppliers
The wine list is long but not too tough on the wallet and leans towards Italian wines. Wish I could award this place 7 stars -- its way out in front of the pack.
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This place is excellent. The antipasti are wonderful, as are the paste. The desserts were a little off, but this is generally very fine food and the prices aren't too bad. Tops for Italian in the city, as far as I know.
www.thegourmetpig.com
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Amazing food and service. Best cheese I've ever tasted.
expensive, sometimes hard to get a table, but the food is exceptional. best italian food you will get in washington
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this is a really great restaurant.
so great that i thought i was sure to score on prom night after taking my date here. i ordered mushroom soup. it smelled like butt. the soup was good but i didn't get none.
the food is still great. but stay away from the butt soup.
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i'm a sucker for italian and this place does not dissapoint
