La Tomate — Restaurant in Washington

Such a gem of a spot that has been in DC since the 80s. I went for the first time and I’m kicking myself it took me so long to visit. We just got back from Italy about two months ago and this took us right back there. They ambiance felt exactly like Italy, tiny cozy tables, decorated likely by the proprietors and not some big design firm, so it is beautiful without feeling overdone. Raw pasta and funky vases and candles are the centerpieces. Wine bottles decorate the rest of the restaurant. It felt sincere if that makes sense.

The food was fantastic. We chatted with the owner and let her pick what we would eat with the exception we knew we wanted the Burrata and the Cacio e Pepe.

Calamari: 5/5 surprised us that it wasn’t the typical fried calamari, it was somewhat like a stew. Served in a hot creamy broth with tomato and kalamata olives. Topped with a few fried ones.

Smoked Salmon: 5/5 and another surprising creation. Served with grapefruit and shallot. The flavors paired great and I think I now prefer salmon with such strong zingy accompaniments. It was a wonderful divergence from the standard smoked salmon dish.

Burrata: 4/5 although I enjoyed it immensely I only rate it this way as an FYI for others. The Burrata itself was not as creamy as you may have gotten elsewhere. The owner warned us about this but we insisted - we love Burrata. It’s served with a GENEROUS helping of tomato and pesto. We were not disappointed!

PASTA

Ravioli: 5/5 hot damn this was amazing. Ricotta and Swiss chard and the most velvety brown butter sauce. I need more of it.

Cacio e pepe: classic. 5/5 Delicious. Super cheesy. The waiter would not add Parmesan garnish like the other dishes until we tried it. My partner said it was too salty for him but it was just right for me.

Bolognese: 4/5 classic,...

Restaurateurs since the early 1970s, Natalina and George Koropoulos opened La Tomate in 1987, when Dupont Circle was an up-and-coming area of Washington D.C. Family-owned and operated, La Tomate has been a landmark in Dupont Circle - a neighborhood bistro proudly serving there local, out-of-town, and international clientele.

Originally conceived as French bistro, since 1988, La Tomate has featured regional Italian cuisine, complimented by friendly service and warm ambiance.

Their menu is characterized by fresh, simple, but flavorful ingredients. We serve local, naturally raised products whenever possible, and favor no-frills recipes, to offer bistro style comfort-food “alla Italiana.”

For almost 4 decades, they have been committed to providing quality service and excellent Italian food in a warm and familiar atmosphere.

Enjoy there fresh, hand-made pastas including ravioli, linguine and tagliatelle, prepared in-house using artisanal techniques and the finest ingredients. Our clients adore our homemade bread, crafted in-house, along with all of our desserts and gelato.

Occupying an iconic, triangle shaped building flanked by windows, there dining room is a cozy corridor for people watching onto Connecticut avenue.

La Tomate's outdoor patio offers splendid vistas onto Dupont' bustling neighborhood. Covered for winter months, enjoy outdoor seating on the patio year-round.

They are committed to being your local Italian bistro and invite you to join them for a casual lunch, dinner or our weekend "Buono, Buono" brunch. Stop in for an "aperitivo" and light-fare or a La Tomate signature cocktail, coff-tail...

It was a bummer to go to an Italian restaurant and have undercooked pasta noodles.

I sat outside with four friends last night and ordered the "crudo di carne" to start, which was without capers as the menu described (honestly not a big deal, but not a great start).

For my entree I ordered the "spaghetti di mais con vongole". The waiter told me that they had run out of spaghetti and asked if I had any issues with penne as the carb instead. Neither me nor the other dude that ordered the same dish had an issue with the change. When the dishes came out, the waiter said, "we were able to find some more spaghetti!" and so we were all excited. Unfortunately, the spaghetti was still hard and clumped together. I know al dente, but this was still crunchy. I asked my friend how his was and he said it was the pasta "was so crunchy and raw". Bummer.

I had the panna cotta for dessert and it was lovely.

One last thing I want to note: the waiter was taking the parmesan dish from one table to the other, which is risky during a pandemic. I would recommend only the wait staff handle the parmesan and dish it out for the patrons. It allows them to get a nice feeling of service and for fewer hands to touch a common dish.

Overall, I wouldn't take friends or family here unless we just wanted appetizers...