Romantic Italian in DC

[freddyboy62]

I'm coming to DC later this month to have dinner with an old flame who I haven't seen in quite some time. She is not a very adventurous eater and I want to be sure that she's comfortable. I know that she's fond of Italian, doesn't much like seafood and is not likely to stray into French or Asian.

That said, I'd like to find a romantic, quite place in Dupont Circle or Georgetown with an accessible Italian or Mediterranean menu. I'd like somewhere small and quite. Any suggestions?

[dcgdc]

Obelisk is it. Siroc is very good but the tables are really close to each other.

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Siroc Restaurant
915 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

[JillianK]

Try Iron Gate on N Street. They don't have a website and I don't think they take reservations. The restaurant is entirely outside in summer under a canopy of grapevines and lit with candles. The food is considered "american/middle eastern" but its not too adventerous or fussy. As romance goes, I was taken for a date there 3 summers ago and while the relationship went nowhere, to this day it was the most romantic date ever...

[dcandohio]

Iron Gate:
Setting = LOVELY.
Food = BAD.

[chocolatstiletto]

You might also try Trattu, which is expensive (though less than Obelisk, I believe) but utterly charming and small. If the weather is nice, you could get the tiny two-top table outside in the niche by the street; the inside is cozy. It's on Jefferson Street, I believe, just off Connecticut- by Bertucci's, although clearly I don't recommend that for this at all....

I hope you have a lovely evening, wherever it is!

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Trattu
1823 Jefferson Pl NW, Washington, DC 20036

[Elyssa]

Trattu? Is it new? I don't think I've ever heard of it but it's near my apartment.

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Trattu
1823 Jefferson Pl NW, Washington, DC 20036

[chocolatstiletto]

Haha, oh, it's not new at all- the original incarnation was open in the 80's, when my parents started going and fell in love with it. It reopened in the last ten years or so under Giovanni. It's not swish or posh, and it is tiny, but it's remained a beloved family favorite. The lentils and sausage, a special for New Year's, were better than any I have had in Italy for that holiday. It is quite hard to see from the street, because it's at the basement level- look for the menu and sign on the iron railing; in the basement niche below and behind that is the lone outside table. I admit to thinking it's romantic because we had dinner there before prom, but I do think it's a kind of space that's very different than the powerhouse Italian restaurants closer to downtown proper. If you should go, I would love to hear someone else's impressions because while we go there every couple of months, it is seldom (ever?) mentioned on chowhound!

[Elyssa]

Not in Dupont or Georgetown but I think Bibianna would be perfect for what you are looking for.

[Pappy]

There is only one correct answer to this question...Tiramisu on P Street.

I aasume they are still open?

[buzzy715]

Hear, hear

[dcandohio]

Siroc is not at Dupont or Georgetown, but is metro accessible and close enough to both. Definitely quiet. Tosca, near Penn Quarter, also fits the bill. More expensive, and more formal. Also easily metro accessible.

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Siroc Restaurant
915 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

[foodtrip]

While Siroc is possibly my favorite Italian restaurant in DC right now, I would not describe it as quiet. Not on a Friday night, which is when I was last there. Still, there is a romantic quality to the experience there. Tosca is definitely quiet, but I would not describe it as romantic, it's like dining in your corporate board room. Obelisk is definitely the best fit for the OP's requirements, although as Joe H. said, reservations may be hard to come by.

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Siroc Restaurant
915 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

[Joe H]

You just described Obelisk. Unfortunately it is known. You must make a reservation right now, even for a weeknight. For a weekend hope for a cancellation.

[Pool Boy]

I agree! And ressies aren't impossible, especially if you go late or go early.

Tosca's another option, though not in the location you desire. It's also not really romantic, but it is quiet, the food is great and the service wonderful.