DuPont Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Washington

There’s a kind of sacred honesty in simplicity. A refusal to bend to trends, to over-garnish, to gild the lily with foam or flamboyance. DuPont Italian Kitchen, tucked into the pulsing rhythm of Washington DC’s 17th Street corridor, doesn’t shout. It murmurs with the confidence of a place that knows exactly what it’s doing, and does it damn well.

🍝 The Cacio e Pepe Some dishes transport you. This one arrests you mid-thought and sits you down in a tiny Roman trattoria with chipped walls and wine-stained tables. The pasta is creamy, yes, but not heavy. The pepper sings, not screams. There's restraint, wisdom, and a kind of culinary modesty that only comes from respect for the form. It’s a plate that doesn’t beg you to return, it dares you not to.

🥗 Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese This isn't just a salad. It's contrast, conversation, balance. Bitter arugula playing jazz with the creamy tang of goat cheese. Each forkful feels like a purposeful collision, fresh, smart, and a perfect counterpoint to the Cacio e Pepe's velvet weight. Add a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, and you could almost forgive the world’s sins. Almost.

🪟 The Vibe Think rustic warmth meeting urban candor. The staff’s got that practiced ease, welcoming without fawning, attentive without hovering. It's the kind of place locals defend with a territorial pride and travelers stumble into, only to wonder why it's not on every “Top 10 Hidden Gems” list.

👍 Final Thought DuPont Italian Kitchen doesn’t need to impress, it just needs to be. And in a city full of pretense and polished plating, it offers something harder to find: authenticity, wrapped in pasta and...

I swear to god, this place’s Alfredo ravioli cured whatever I’m sick from. I’ve been here in person once and ordered doordash from them twice and wow their food and service is great. They’re very quick with getting the food out, amazing at correcting mistakes and even gave my friend a slice of cake to apologize for it. The Alfredo ravioli is my absolute favorite out of anyplace else, and I just ordered it today over doordash and they even gave me a slice of bread to go with it (which doesn’t even come with it!), which I really appreciated. I’ve been sick with something and have been coughing all month, and on Wednesday I started having a fever and horrible pains and aches and a painful sore throat. I ordered their Alfredo ravioli today because I could barely eat anything since my throat is so swollen… within 10-30 minutes my throat’s inflammation started going down and my coughing fits are gone, as well as my fever and body aches. I don’t know what crack you put in your food, but it was the only thing that fixed whatever I’m sick from, and today was the most painful and horrible so it was such a relief. I can’t thank you guys enough for whatever miracle you put in that...

Food ok, could use some personality.I'm always known for my expectation for good service. It can mean the difference of mediocre food being good or good food being excellent. That said, the waitress didn't bother to introduce herself, only smiled twice during the whole meal and didn't even ask me how my meal was. as an appetizer, the choices are good. The meatballs with the meal were very tasty, although they could use a bit more garlic. I was very disappointed in the veal marsala as the veal, which generally is incredibly tender, was tough to cut and rather chewy. In addition, the 'marsala' sauce was anything but. bit too light and too sweet for my liking. plenty of mushrooms, though again, tainted by the overwhelming sweetness of the sauce. cocktails were good and not shy on the pour. I may consider going back only because i saw other servers more engaged and warm. That said, i highly encourage the management to revisit customer service and...