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Bistro Italiano
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
320 D St NE(between N 3rd St & N 4th St)
Washington, DC 20002
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill/Northeast
(202) 546-4522
- Nearest Transit:
-
Union Station Metro Station (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Paul M. said: "Have grabbed a panini here a few times before or after dropping the dry cleaning off across the street at lunchtime and I like it very much. Sandwiches are fantastic - great selection and great prices. Fast, friendly service. Please…" read more »
74 reviews for Bistro Italiano
Review Highlights
"I recommend trying your favorite pasta in their pink sauce."
(in 7 reviews)
"Especially the Seafood al Diablo."
(in 3 reviews)
"...it as that it is tucked away on a residential street and it..."
(in 5 reviews)
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74 reviews in English
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Review from Brian B.
1/24/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Shhh! There is no Bistro Italiano! Stop spreading these malicious rumors and falsehoods! Just keep on walking, buddy. Nothing to see here...
In all seriousness, this is the best Italian restaurant in DC that nobody has heard of. They have no website and do virtually no advertising, so other than Yelp and word of mouth, you won't hear much about it. Furthermore, it's nestled within a sleepy yet handsome block of Federalist row houses on a quiet Capitol Hill street, and if you didn't know it was there you just might walk right by it.
But locals know all about Bistro Italiano as evidenced by its swelling customer base, much of which is composed of congressmen, and the increasing difficulty to get a reservation within 2 weeks. And good luck trying to get a table at lunch, folks. Fortunately for you ravenous afternoon munchers, BI offers takeout service. Still, despite its close proximity to Union Station, this place is completely off the grid to tourists. For now, anyway.
There is so much to like here. It's essentially one quaint traditional Italian dining room with a small bar in the back. The setting is cozy and romantic, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better date spot in the neighborhood, especially if you're trying to influence your date into a little post-dinner hard-pressing of your own.
Some of the menu options are in complete diametrical opposition to all things Italian. Gyros? Steak and shrimp? Potato skins? Jalapeno poppers? Really? Really, Bistro Italiano??? Anyway, the more traditional Italian dishes are straightforward and mostly superb. The antipasto is plentiful and served with more vegetables than most, but the use of iceberg lettuce instead of romaine and the absence of artichokes were a bit disappointing. The Calamari Al Diablo is served sauteed over a bed of pasta with a remarkably tangy marinara sauce with a nice balance of garlic and herbs. The Chicken Castellana is a real winner. The baked chicken breast is lightly breaded and served with eggplant and mozzarella, and that phenomenal marinara sauce is used here as well. I've had two veal dishes here: the Parmesan and the Marsala. The former is obviously a staple menu item and it's sometimes hard to differentiate between one restaurant's take and another, but again, the incredible tomato sauce just makes this a superior experience. The latter is my favorite dish. The veal is breaded similarly, but it's served with a hearty brown gravy with sweet Marsala wine and succulent portobello mushrooms. An absolutely wonderful alternative to the more traditional Parm.
The wine list is fairly large for such a small restaurant, and the service couldn't be more accommodating. The fine folks of Bistro Italiano truly have their operation wired tight, and I'd wager that their renown is shortly forthcoming. Still, if a tourist asks you how to get there, politely deny its existence and inform them that they'd surely be happier at Ben's Chili Bowl.Listed in: I get my thrill in Capitol…, In The Mood
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Review from Bryce H.
Medford, MA
11/11/2011
Terrible service and below average food. They are less than a mile from our place and would not deliver, even after they said they would when we dined in the restaurant. We went to pick up the pizza, and the manager was more busy adjusting his pants than running his business. The food was less than impressive, and they didn't even make the mexican pizza as ordered without black olives.
This is the first time I have ever wrote on yelp. I am not picky and can only think of one or two dining experiences that were worth complaining about. This was so bad, I had to warn others looking on yelp. I highly doubt any restaurant with such lack of regard for service when you are right in front of them does the due diligence to take care of the areas you can't see. So, if you are looking for quality food, don't go to bistro italiano. If you are looking for good service and atmosphere, don't go to bistro italiano. If you are even just looking for something that is close and want it to be sanitary, I definitely wouldn't go to bistro italiano. -
Review from Janis B.
Taylors, SC
12/29/2011
We had dinner here twice and both times had a wonderful experience. I liked the Caesar salad especially. The garlic bread was fabulous.
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Review from Sean M.
Along with Il Radicchio, this is my favorite place for red sauce Italian. They don't have red checkered tablecloths here actually but looking at the menu, that's what you might expect. The food is consistently delicious, and since we usually go a bit earlier than the dinner hour, it's never too crowded when we arrive but it usually fills up as the evening progresses. A few tables over the other night were Senator Al Franken and a dining companion, which may or may not be an attraction for some but it's fun for those of us who don't often get to Capitol Hill to spot a legislator living his/her life just like us regular folks!
Unfortunately they were out of eggplant the day we visited so I couldn't order either of my two favorite dishes, chicken or veal castellana, which I guess is an Italian interpretation of chicken in a Castilean style. I love me some eggplant so that was a bit of disappointment. That forced me to order pizza here for the first time and I chose the Bistro Italiano signature pizza, topped with grilled chicken, sausage, green olives, onions, and tomatoes. I'm a hard judge of good pizza and the pizza here was just OK. Still, plenty of folks were coming in for takeout orders so the pizza certainly has its appeal.
I'd say that the entrees are the draw here and my partner's seafood al diablo is what keeps him coming back. He loves this dish, which comes heaping with mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari. Had I been able to order MY favorite dish, this would probably be a four star review, but I can't give four stars on distant memory alone. Besides, how can an Italian restaurant run out of eggplant? On a Saturday night no less? Hopefully that won't be the case if you decide to give this place a chance based on this humble review. -
Review from Thomas J.
BEVERLEY BCH, MD
6/7/2011
The food here is definitely above par, but you're never going to find the place. OK - maybe you'll find it...if you're coming from the Senate, it's behind Schneider's (the big liquor store).
I almost always get one of their excellent sandwiches. Usually something like an eggplant parm. The ingredients are fresh, the sauces flavorful and the portions normal sized. Nothing too spectacular about the sides. I hear the pizza is also wonderful, but I haven't had a chance to try it.
The one huge downside is that the place is tiny. If you get there in the middle of the lunch rush with a big (6ish person) group you'll likely have to wait. But it's worth it. Unless you're willing to get on the subway or drive, you're not going to get better food around here. -
Review from Michele S.
Cherry Hill, NJ
4/21/2011
My husband and I went to to this restaurant for my pre-marathon dinner in March 2011. I was visitng DC, and wanted to visit a local restaurant, rather than a generic chain, and chose this place based on several decent reviews online. The reviews lead me to believe it would be one of those great, little, authentic, straight-off-the-boat-Italian-mom-and-pop restaurants, tucked away that only the locals would know about. Well, it was all of that, except for the "great" part. Huge dissapointment.
First, I made a point of making a reservation several days in advance. Realizing this place was small, and assuming any Italian restaurant would be packed the night before the local marathon. When I called and made the reservation I spoke with a man with an accent, who I assume was the owner. What he did with my reservation, I have no clue, but they had no record of me and my husband when we got there, so we had to wait about 25 minutes.
Then when we sat down it didn't get any better. The waitress was very inattentive. She brought us our drinks and then took forever to get back to take our order. She never brought bread, even though it was clear that a bread basket was standard for this restaruant and every other table had a bread basket. We did ask for bread when our meal finally came, but it didn't arrive at our table til we were almost done eating. When the waitress did finally bring the bread, all she said was, "I know I'm really late," but didn't go so far as to actually offer an apology.
For an appetizer we got motzarella sticks. They were average. It's hard to screw up a motz. stick.
For my meal I got the baked ziti. It came out in a single-serving caserole dish, and looked to be completely filled. "Perfect," I thought, being as the point of this meal was to carb-up for the marathon. Unfortunately, the casserole dish was filled mostly with their chunky tomato sause. It seemed almost as if they threw the ziti in there as an after thought, after filling it first with the sauce.
We declined dessert.
On the up-side, their prices were reasonable. That said, for my next big race, I'll stick with my previous tradition of the Olive Garden. At least I get a consistly decent meal there.
It's a shame this place sucked, becuase I really had high hopes for the small mom-and-pop place. -
Review from Robert S.
Washington, DC
4/11/2011
This restaurant is around the corner from my house. I sometimes forget it is even there - tucked away on a residential street behind more popular [mediocre] spots. If I hadn't walked by one day and hadn't been paying attention, I would have never have found it.
It's frickin' tiny. And not in a bad way. A euphemism for this closet-of-a-restaurant would be "cozy," which it is. And it's also about the size of my living room.
We were seated upon our arrival - on a Saturday night, no less. I ordered the cheese tortellini with pink sauce, which was great. I seriously had to hold myself back from acting all beast and inhaling it all in at once. So I paced myself. My boyfriend had a rosa pizza - and I had a few slices. Was good - even with anchovies, which make me nervous.
Even though the place was packed, service was rather quick. But in such a small place, that's expected.
That said, everything came out to under $30. Our wallets weren't raped and pillaged - that's always a good thing [unless you're into that]. -
Review from Jennifer F.
Washington, DC
4/13/2011
We have been fans for years and much to our shocked eyes did appear? A much hipper, sleeker and cleaner Bistro Italiano. There was even a total wait staff of two - doubling the norm. There is a bar - who knew? The great thing is that the service was pretty good, the food was excellent and this party of two left with one app, one salad and two mains for $65 before tip, not much cha ching for a mid week date night. Seems to be a hot spot for mother/father kid bonding times as there were at least two of that sort but don't think they are noisy - the parents had wine and the kids played on their blackberry type toys!
I would recommend that they add Oglio e Olio as well as a wheat pasta but for a great, down home cooked Italian meal - delic! -
Review from Yenly T.
San Diego, CA
1/11/2011
This is an excellent place to meet for lunch especially with an old friend you haven't seen for years. I met up with one of my old Peace Corps friends here. Let me tell you, they have the best veggie pasta! I am not a vegetarian but the pasta I ordered was so good that I almost became a vegetarian--just for a day though.
Their service was wonderful. It is a great atmosphere and very cute setting. I ended up very satisfied with my meal and the price! I spent under $9.00 for a delicious lunch in DC and got to catch up with an old friend! -
Review from Laila L.
Washington, DC
11/3/2010
What's the matter with me that I fantasize about writing Yelp reviews and then I realize I never wrote one? Well, Bistro Italiano is one such review. Have I mentioned yet how happy I am that I'm done with law school?
A lot of people come here for the pizza, but I really recommend trying the pastas. Especially the Seafood al Diablo. The kitchen does not expect you to finish the pastas -- they're huge. The fried calamari here is exceptional.
And speaking of the kitchen, when we were last there you could hear people laughing in the kitchen. Having worked in several restaurants, it's nice to hear people getting along and keeping each other positive through the shift.
The house red is easy to drink. Not spectacular, but not bad for the buck. -
Review from Robert R.
Washington, DC
2/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bistro Italiano is a great little neighborhood restaurant on the Hill. It's close to Union Station and the Senate buildings, but it feels like it's in a residential rather than a commercial district. It's cozy inside: tables are close together and the whole dining room is probably only 400 square feet.
The food is consistently tasty, especially for the price. Don't get me wrong--this is not fine dining, but it doesn't really aspire to be either. This bistro is more about a familiar cuisine that, for me at least, is both sentimentally and gastronomically satisfying. -
Review from Thom R.
Larkspur, CO
4/6/2011
Highly mediocre. Food was not hot, had to ask for bread. Wine at $6.50/glass was a Pinot Grigio - not nearly cold enough and due to that(?) not very tasty.
Red sauce on my shrimp, scallops, and peppers over pasta was watery and undistinguished. Decent portions. Price was reasonable for the neighborhood and decor (minimal), but given the quality of the meal , this is not a value.
The pizza looked good and I saw some locals getting take out pizzas so that leads me to think I should have had pizza. I liked the decently lit, casual ambience. Service was a bit too casual, especially for such a small place. -
Review from Dominic A.
San Lorenzo, CA
7/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
Don't judge a book by its cover, or a restaurant by its exterior.
The outside of this restaurant looks worn down and small, but when you walk in its really cute (no homo). I ordered the lasagna and it was really good. Careful its really hot!! I know this cuz I burned my tongue =( Our server should be on america's got talent, because he really has talent. He was able to take care of the whole restaurant (which is about 12 tables) on his own. It kinda slowed down the operation, but was still fun to watch.
My only cation is that since the place is really small you can hear everyones conversation. If you were looking for a quiet setting to dine, this may not be the place for you. -
Review from E J.
Washington, DC
6/20/2011
This place is consistently good. I love the chicken picata with fettuccine alfredo. It's amazing, you can't imagine unless you go there.
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Review from Jim B.
Washington, DC
3/2/2008
After trying several times to grab a meal here (they have slightly odd hours, call ahead), I finally found myself sitting down with three of the pickiest eaters in the DC metro area.
In one corner we have a vegan, the other corner a vegetarian, and to my right we have someone who has sworn off pasta and potatoes for 40 days. Because nature is balance, I found myself there - the guy who enjoys veal, foie gras, and the tears of little children. Surprisingly enough, there was something on the menu at Bistro Italiano that we could all enjoy!
The restaurant itself is dimly-lit and romantic, without trying too hard. It's a great place to take a date, or to just grab a casual meal with friends, and then sit back for an hour or two to enjoy conversation and a carafe or three of wine.
The food itself was good, with decent-sized portions for everyone. My girl and I started with the fried calamari appetizer. There were big hunks of calamari with just a minimal amount of breading - it was done well. As I previously mentioned, everyone enjoyed their respective dish. Mine was clams and linguine with a white sauce. They were very generous with the clams, so that even my last bite of pasta had some.
The prices of all the appetizers, dishes, and drinks were very well-priced. With the good food, great atmosphere, and friendly staff, I'm sure to make the walk again to this hidden gem. -
Review from rebecca m.
Alexandria, VA
11/17/2008
After living in Dupont for the past year, I realized that by moving to Capitol Hill that I would be missing out on the plethora of restaurants that were in walking distance. However, one evening when I was entertaining I decided to bring home some home-style italian food. After reading several yelp reviews I decided to give this place a spin.
Unfortunately this restaurant is not the most tech savvy-- however I was able to find their menu after doing a quick google search. While I wish I could attest to the restaurant itself, I am equally happy to report that they have delivery service for dinner!
The menu is typical italian fare and reasonably priced. I tried the meat lasagna which was absolutely delicious--- it reminded me of the lasagna my mom used to make me as a kid. Additionally their jalapeno puffs were delicious-- an interesting spin on a jalapeno popper.
While I wouldn't consider this place dirt cheap, nor would I say their delivery is anything to write home about. But I can say that I will be visiting this place much more often in the future! -
Review from Joye P.
1/24/2008
I have sampled food in Tuscany, and this really can't compete. However, you can get a big plate of decent spaghetti for $7 or less. Pizzas are wonderful. I had the thin crust spinach white pizza and loved it. Wait staff are a little slow. This is a very, very inexpensive place. Young families are often here, as are young couples on dates. It's a casual, family place. Good, straightforward cheap eats, off the beaten track.
I recommend. -
Review from Rachel S.
Washington, DC
8/13/2006
I love this place. I have eaten here more times than I can remember. Words cannot accurately describe my feelings for this restaurant. This has been my old neighborhood standby for years.
First of all, the prices. Granted, this food is not five star food. But you can get a great sandwich plus fries for under $5 here, which is unthinkable at other DC restaraunts. I love the mild Italian sausage parmesan sandwich, and the eggplant parmesan sandwich is good too.
For dinner, my friends and I enjoy the roasted garlic bulb with brie. The mussels are great, and I have never had a bad pasta dish here. The spicy marinara sauce practically makes you sweat garlic, but that is okay with me.
The pizza is decent, and I think they still have the two large for $15 deal.
Bisto Italiano is a tiny place, with probably only ten to fifteen tables. But I really feel that is a great bargain, and I always walk out feeling satisfied.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Stephanie M.
Washington, DC
9/2/2010
Yuck! I don't get on yelp and rip into places ever but this place deserves it! We got a thin crust pizza and chicken Caesar salad. The pizza was so heavy on the sauce ( which was overly sweet ) and sorry that After a few bites of my slice it went in the trash.
The chicken caesar salad was pitiful. The greens were cut up so small, the crouton hadn't been crispy in at least a week and they put Italian dressing on it!!!! The sugary sweet store bought tasting Italian dressing (chicken was fine, nothing to write home about but not bad). Head to the grocery store and grab a bagged salad before getting one here.
I really feel like I should call my credit card company and deny this charge for complete lack of delivery. -
Review from Candace H.
Washington, DC
3/17/2008
My love affair with Bistro Italiano started with a yelp review, as most good things do. With a craving for Italian and no desire to drive to Georgetown, I first considered looking for an Italian restaurant on Barrack's Row. When I narrowed my search on yelp and found that Bistro Italiano is only a few short blocks from my house - I took down several addresses just in case this turned out to be a fluke, and we set off.
Tucked away in between row homes on capitol hill, Bistro Italiano is pretty elusive. You have to really ... look for it ... to find it.
After a good ten minutes of i-spy, Bistro Italiano revealed itself to us - hiding behind the liquor store on a quiet street. Boy am I glad we found it. It's a quaint little place, on enough tables to sit 15 couples or 6-7 couples and a group. The place reminds me of a mom & pop hole in the wall that Tony Soprano launders money through... right down to how attentive and friendly the waitress was.
It was a quarter to ten on a Friday night and while they were about to close the kitchen, but they took us in anyways. They were out of a few things but were extremely accommodating. The food came quickly - I ordered the pink sauce on a yelper's recommendation, and it was delicious.
The food is typical Italo-American fare, done deliciously. The price is GREAT - so. darn. cheap. Our meal - two entres, appetizer, and two sodas was $25. And the setting is intimate and conducive to conversation... couldn't be better.
We tried to eat quickly since we were kind of holding them up - everyone had trickled out and finished by the time we were just beginning, but the waitress wasn't rude about it at all. She laughed with us, and when our conversation got kooky she joined in.
We were in and out in about half an hour, and just mere seconds later we were back home.
Take that, Georgetown!Listed in: I'm So Hood in the Atlas…
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Review from Kim T.
Washington, DC
9/21/2010
After tiring of NY Pizza and Papa John's (I know, I know), I decided to try Bistro Italiano.
I ordered the White Pizza, a Rosa's Supreme and the Garlic Cheesebread. The White Pizza was amazing. I love White Pizza, but this was enough to rival my fav Italian Store and it was delivered to my door! The Rosa's Supreme was also delicious, and came with an overwhelming amount of toppings which I appreciated. I would heed a previous posters advice and order it extra crispy. The sauce and toppings made the crust a bit soggy. The Garlic Cheesebread was just okay. A bit too much butter for my taste - I dont want to wring out my bread!
Overall, I was very satisifed, quicker delivery than anywhere else, comparable prices, and great food! -
Review from Brian W.
Washington, DC
3/14/2008
I love Bistro Italiano. To put it simply, it features good, cheap food in an unpretentious atmosphere where you can enjoyably dine with friends from out of town, the girl you met at the grocery store, or, given some finagling, a group of 10 friends.
I waited tables at Bistro as an occasional second job in 2006-2007, and working there gave me a lot of respect for Carlos and his staff. They work with minimal resources, no room for error (well, the place is small, so really no room for anything!), and tight margins. But they love to serve, and the regulars who make up most of the crowd love them in return. Whether its Capitol Police coming in the back door to talk to the cooks while waiting for their food, Congressmen dragging their staff in on the same night at the same time every week, or the local real estate agents who always come in when you are trying to close (but tip great), people appreciate and revel in the nature of a small operation like Bistro.
I quit working there eventually because I got tired of the cramped work environment, and having to hustle over from my day job. But I certainly don't regret the experience, and the free food after work was the happiest ritual of my week. Walking to the metro with a thin crust white pizza with green olives and hot peppers (itsa my favorite!) was an adventure, as there was no way for me to go more than two or three blocks before i had the box open with one hand while I was enjoying a slice in the other.
I highly recommend Bistro to anyone. Everything is good. -
Review from Jen G.
Washington, DC
7/24/2008
Bistro Italiano - my neighborhood Italian restaurant.
It's no Filomena's, but it will hit the spot!
Their pizza is awesome. Thin Crust (much preferable to that thick crust at Armand's, IMO). Their meatballs are delicious and I've had several pasta dishes that I thought were great.
The place is quaint - and what I love most about it as that it is tucked away on a residential street and it is not touristy in the least bit. It is pretty much all locals from the neighborhood.
A plus is that they also deliver. Nothing beats sitting at home when you don't feel like cooking and you are hungry and getting Bistro Italiano to deliver some Italian comfort food to your door. Like I said, It hits the spot!Listed in: Living on The Hill
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Review from Devin N.
Washington, DC
10/13/2011
This is an excellent, quaint little Italian restaurant. The food was great for the price. The only problem was the service. If you want details, keep reading, otherwise you have the general idea.
We got the calamari appetizer, which came out a little late, but was overall cooked very nicely (which is the important thing when getting calamari), even if we both found it a little salty. I got the spaghetti with meatballs. It was general and good. There were only two meatballs, so that was kinda lame. The meatballs were simply good. Not great, but not bad. I didn't mind eating them. The red sauce that it came with was also pretty good. It was a fairly large portion, so much that I was full when I was done, but I ate it all. My girlfriend got the lasagna, which I wished I had got after I tasted it. Also a very large portion, and very cheesy. Excellent. Everything was decently priced. For the appetizer and two entrees I paid 35 with tax and tip. All in all, an excellent place that I would go to again (and plan to soon).
The only downside was the service. When we arrived at 7:30 on a weeknight it was a little busy (but there were still a few empty tables). We were seated immediately and soon given menus by a man that we never saw again. He was good. After that we had the waitress, who seemed less than enthused to be there. When she finally got around to coming to get our order, we hadn't really decided, but I at least told her we wanted the calamari so she could get that in so we wouldn't get it at the same time as our entrees. It almost worked out. When she decided to grace us with her presence to get our entree order it was considerable time later, and no appetizer. Finally our appetizer came out, and we were about halfway through when our food came out. She apologized as she gave us our entrees while I was thinking "why didn't you just hold it? Or, better yet, place our orders at the appropriate times so you don't have this problem?" By this time it was dying down considerably, and the waitress was just hanging out at the bar at least trying to look attentive, but clearly paying attention to a family that was having problems with a child of theirs. We waited for quite a while after finishing for her to bring us the check. I'm not sure that a bread basket is complimentary here- I didn't ask, and I don't think that it is. I didn't really notice anyone else with one while we were there, but if a bread basket is supposed to be there, we didn't get one. The whole time I got this attitude from the waitress that she didn't really care whether or not we were taken care of.
All things considered, it was good and I'll go back. I'll just hope I don't get that same waitress. Also, I don't know why people are complaining about how its hard to find. It's right off of Massachusetts Ave, and if you know how DC addresses work, it's not a problem to find. I give it three and a half stars for the food, and half a star for the service. -
Review from Elizabeth E.
Washington, DC
10/17/2007
The Bistro is an excellent local restaurant tucked right behind Schneider's wine shop. They've recently given the inside a fresh coat of paint and some new chairs, so it's a little less sketch than before. You cannot beat the price for the quality and quantity of food you will receive. I recommend splitting a carafe of the red wine, calamari appetizer, and the tortellini with the PINK sauce (red and white mixed together).
Expect to leave the place smelling of garlic, even if your meal doesn't actually contain any. -
Review from Pat S.
Chicago, IL
12/16/2007
My wife and I live around the corner, but only recently tried this place. It's a great find.
Maybe it's the Pittsburgh thing, but I tend to give extra credit to mom and pop locales even if their food isn't hip and sophisticated. Don't come here looking for fusion; this is Italian-American grandma cooking that's made for nights when you're in the mood for something unpretentious and comforting. We walked right by it the first time thanks to its inconspicuous nature: it's essentially an old house in which someone converted the living room into a restaurant.
The pasta plates were big, and the seafood within was plentiful. The garlic bread with cheese was nothing special, but the mussels in white-wine sauce were as good as the Yelpsters below have mentioned. I had the linguine with calamari and diablo sauce. It was just like the restaurant: predictable, but predictably delicious.
The weirdest part of the night was the woman and her daughter next to us eating a pizza: they got up and left, leaving half the pizza in their wake. This was strange enough, and our waiter also commented on it, but what was even stranger was when the waiter told us later on that the woman had called the restaurant to have them deliver her the rest of the pizza instead of carrying it herself. That goes on my all-time highlight reel for laziness and entitlement. -
Review from Laurent D.
Washington, DC
10/14/2009
Bistro Italiano has some of the best thin crust pizza in DC. It's my go-to pizza place for work, though you do have to pick it up during lunch hours (apparently they deliver in the evening). I typically get the Gholly's White w/pepperoni, which isn't quite as crisp as the other pizzas due to the olive oil and pound of cheese they put on it :)
Having eaten lunch in about a dozen times, I can confidently say: Do not be in a rush, because there is only 1 waiter for the entire floor. Get there early, get your order in, and you may get out within an hour. We have also experienced problems in the past with the credit card machine.
The calamari is hit-or-miss: sometimes it is perfect, other times it is rubber. No idea why. The pasta is decent, their meat sauces are pretty good, their subs are good as well.
Apparently the ambiance is nice at night, I've never gone for dinner. Overall, this is an extremely affordable place (esp for Capitol Hill) with great pizza for cheap! Highly recommended.Listed in: Capitol Hill
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Review from Leah C.
Washington, DC
4/12/2010
I don't get it.
The food was hardly imaginative; I have made better 'gravy' (tomato sauce, as it were) myself and I'm not even Italian!
Service was sub par - the waiter only occasionally stopped to see if we needed anything - and the wine fell completely flat.
I suppose I shouldn't have expected fine cuisines at these prices, but these reviews certainly caused me to expect way more than I experienced myself.
The salad, bread and pasta were totally boring though the mussels looked nice. The spicy marinara seemed intriguing - but only for the first few bites.
I guess the pizza would have been the way to go?? -
Review from Tim O.
Washington, DC
1/14/2008
This place is terrific. It's an intimate little storefront place, not commercial at all. The pricing is just right for very good (but not life changing) food. It is exactly the type of restaurant that you love to have in the neighborhood and that you want to visit frequently.
I recommend trying your favorite pasta in their pink sauce. The lasagna is also very good and a generous serving. Skip the bottles -- go for the carafes of wine.
This place can get very crowded, and they sometimes play fast and loose with reservations. Still it is definitely worth it. It is a good restaurant for a date, since it is something of a hidden gem and is intimate in size. But be forewarned: no one feels sexy after eating their garlic bread and a huge plate of tortellini. -
Review from Ginger H.
11/15/2008
Bistro Italiano is far from standard Italian food. I have not tried the pizza but from reading the reviews, pizza might be the best way to go here.
As for the pasta dishes, they are adequate at best. Their prices, quality of food and service are all in sync... reasonable prices for reasonable food and very friendly staff. The alfredo sauce tasted more like sweetened cream (milk), the seafood pasta was decent but nothing to rave about and my chicken eggplant (?) was salty and lacked flavor other than the tomato sauce and pasta.
I love the atmosphere and feel of the restaurant but would seriously welcome an authentic Italian restaurant in the neighborhood.
...and what's up with "broken credit card machines?" This seems to be the norm these days.... perhaps a means to save money on the cc transactions???
gh -
Review from Tom M.
Washington, DC
5/21/2011
It wasn't terrible, but after reading a good number of solid reviews here I was certainly disappointed.
The appetizer was surely bought from a grocery store's frozen section. My Caesar salad was made with Kraft dressing and terrible croutons. My girlfriend and I had two different pasta dishes each was mediocre. The red sauce was too sweet and the pink sauce lacked flavor. The price wasn't bad, but no cheaper than dozens of other places with better food. It's not hard to do better. -
Review from Kristin B.
Atlanta, GA
11/28/2007
I really, really wanted to like Bistro Italiano, but I left my Monday night dinner underwhelmed. BI had all the qualities that make a good restaurant in my mind: quaint setting, neighborhood location, family feeling, authentic menu, etc, but never really lived up to the great neighborhood find I expected based on yelp reviews.
We started with the mussels in white wine sauce, which were excellent. Succulent and plentiful mussels in a fragrant sauce with tons of fresh garlic=perfection. However, there was no bread brought to our table, so we had to order some to sop up the wonderful mussel "nectar."
My chicken castellana was a large chicken breast layered with fried eggplant slices, covered in mozzerella, and baked until golden was served with an unremarkable lump of linguine with red sauce. The thick slices of eggplant would have been fabulous if the bitter skin had only been removed, or if they had used "female" eggplants which have a tasteless and thin skin. I wasn't expecting fine Italian food by any means, but the our entrees were rather flavorless. I was looking for the authentic, home cooked tastes that usually characterize my other favorite "hole in the wall" places.
However, I will agree that the prices were very reasonable, if not very cheap, and I will be going back in the near future. If the previous comments on the caliber of the calamari and roasted garlic bulb are any indicator, it may be that appetizers are the best bets at this neighborhood joint. -
Review from Lily R.
Washington, DC
4/25/2010
Bistro Italiano is tucked away behind Schneider's, and not too far away from the Mass Ave restaurants. I noticed that it's fairly small, with seating only located on one floor and not very many tables for large parties (i.e. larger than 4). The atmosphere is fairly laid back.
The menu is pretty basic, and contains all of the typical Italian foods one would think of - pizzas, pasta, etc. I think it's a good place to satisfy a craving, but would not expect a mind blowing culinary experience. -
Review from Paige W.
Dallas, TX
6/30/2008
I really really wanted to like this place, seeing as it's soo close to home. But after 3+ visits, I'm not really a fan.
My problem is that the pastas just aren't that good. I ordered the cannelloni last time and it really could've been a frozen TV dinner the way it tasted. Completely blah. It just didn't have much flavor at all! The cheese was way too mild (ie - tasteless?) and I barely knew there was even meat in my dish. I also don't really like the tomato sauce they use in all their pasta dishes (tastes like it came out of a can).
The restaurant is itself is kinda hidden...past Mass on D St, behind Schneider's. If you didn't know it was there, you'd miss it. Inside, it is just one echo-y room with lots of tables shmooshed in. Service can be spotty.
I've tried a few of the pasta dishes here, and my complaints are pretty consistent. They just aren't that great. -
Review from Lisa J.
Washington, DC
5/7/2009
I went there with my visiting Mother a few weeks ago and had some pretty nice spaghetti and meatballs, not the best I've had but not the worst. While I was there I saw quite a few couples come in to pick up pizza for take out and two of the female halves of couples were pregnant. That made me think it must be good za since pregnant ladies were seeking it out. :-). I grew up in South Jersey in a town that was probably at least half-Italian, so I know what real pizza should taste like, so I decided to follow up with an order of pizza a few days later. I was not disappointed. The crust was good, the sauce was flavorful, and the toppings were super tasty. I am now a fan and have found my new pizza place. It makes all of the other pizza I've had in town taste meh, in comparison, but I still haven't tried the 2 Amy's which I've been hearing about for a long time.
I also thought the ambience was nice, they had lots of cute pictures on the wall of Italy and nice wainscotting. We had a very polite young waiter who was very attentive. -
Review from Kristin F.
Washington D.C., DC
9/12/2011
Completely mediocre and uninspired.
-
Review from Brandon B.
Washington, DC
4/8/2009
Let me start off by saying the Calimari here is NOT GOOD. I don't know what the people on here have been putting on their tastebuds before coming to this restaurant to think otherwise, but stray away from that app. The calimari came as all rings, they were very chewy, and the breading was super light. I have a hungry puppy at home that may deter from that nonsense.
The reason for my 3 stars, however, is that I went with the recommendations of many yelpers and got the pizza. Not bad. I can see this place being a regular takeout spot for me in terms of the pizza. Doesn't hurt that a great wine store is right across the street. Decent pizza - check. Grab a bottle of good Chianti - check.
The decor is decent, but the seating is less desirable. I was stuck in a booth type thing where my back could rest on some super flimsy curtain rod - gross. Oh and the service was atrocious. The 2 servers on staff were fumbling around looking like they wanted somebody to feel sorry for them. I wonder if they get beaten by the cooks? And I shall stress COOKS and not chefs.
My recommendation for anyone wanting to try this place is skip eating in the restaurant and grab a pizza to go. -
Review from Ali U.
Warrenton, VA
3/21/2010
4.5 Stars! This place is a very hidden, hole in the wall Italian joint that serves very exquisite dishes for the price. Because of this, It's almost always packed - so make sure to call ahead if you can. It also offers take out if you wanna say go to a different part of DC and have a picnic with some DELICIOUS food. And yes it does have very weird hours LOL.
The manager is very friendly as is everyone else who works there. This would be a very nice place to go to for an anniversary dinner/taking the mother-in-law to eat type scenario. Only received 4.5 stars from me because the parking is always a pain in D.C and I wish it had outdoor seating. -
Review from Melody C.
2/6/2010
It's good. If you're in the neighborhood and craving something classier than Sbarros pizza and/or spaghetti, you should definitely come here - especially around this area where there's very few restaurant locals to begin with. This place is easy to miss, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.
It's a tiny place, think the size of a one-story apartment in DC, although they pack the tables in pretty tightly, so get ready for a cozy, dimly-lit dinning experience. I personally like it, but conversations can easily be heard by the people next to you. It was packed when I went and there was only one person waiting on all the tables, so I felt bad for the guy. He was still very nice and attentive, so be patient for his sake please.
My BF and I ordered the garlic the cheese bread and a pizza, which was enough for two. He's also been here before and had pasta which apparently came out a little watery - so you've been warned. The table next to us got salad and it looked pretty good - I was slightly jealous that we didn't order it.
Also, we saw Sen. Berni Sanders there, so if you're the type of person who enjoys politician sighting, I suppose you might try your luck here. -
Review from Dustin H.
Washington, DC
1/25/2007
Bistro Italiano has decent food and it's a great place for a clandestine meeting.
I've heard that Gary Condit took Chandra Levy here, and they may have shared one of the reasonably priced pizzas. I haven't tried any of the other food, but nothing on the menu really jumps out. The restaurant itself has the same unassuming quality, but that can be a plus for a low-key dinner.
