OLIO E PIÙ — Restaurant in Washington

Only “note” in the reservation was that my wife and I like to be seated next to each other. In the typical trendy, packed DC restaurant we like to be able to speak without screaming across the table - sure enough this restaurant was LOUD on a Friday night, which I am not going to knock them for – it’s better than quiet, dead or stuffy. However, we were promptly taken to a two-top without regard for our only special request. When we expressed our displeasure, we were informed that “there would be a wait”. Cool with us – drinks at the bar! However, there was no wait, the hostess immediately handed off to another staff member and promptly taken to a small round booth where we could sit as we liked. This occurred immediately, so I am not sure why they didn’t take us there from the jump, per our request, or why I was informed of a non-existent wait. Not the end of the world, but not off to a good start.

My wife ordered a cocktail, and I ordered a beer. We explained that we would start with these drinks while we decided upon a bottle of wine to share. At first, I was told they 86’d the Italian beer I wanted, so I ordered an alternative. Later our server came back to inform us they 86’d ALL beer on the menu, so I asked for a martini instead. We also requested services of the sommelier to steer us towards a wine. Unfortunately, we received a wine that did not meet our expectations – BEFORE we even got our cocktails.

We ordered salumi and cheese to start off the meal – 2 meats and 3 cheeses. Unfortunately, they messed up the order and brought us the inverse. The last thing I am going to say on this course is when you have 2 different salamis and 2 different pecorino cheeses and you ask for one of each based on the staff’s recommendations, maybe tell the diner what they are getting when the plate is served. The salami we had was excellent, but I wouldn’t be able to tell which one of the two I had, because I was never told.

We ordered three pastas and the branzino. The only highlight I will mention is the texture of the pasta. I could tell these were house-made pastas – made with an Arcobaleno or other semolina pasta extruder. They texture and cook was perfect; however, the sauces were severely lacking. The carbonara was sent back after two bites (yet remained on the bill!) – it tasted of the pool of pasta water it was sitting in, and chili flake. I wouldn’t even call the sauce broken – it was JUST watery with zero richness from the egg yolk, saltiness from the cheese, or funk from the pork. Just an all-around disappointment. The fusilli was muted, lacking any flavors typically associated with a hearty, complex ragu. The trofiette in pesto was the favorite of the three, but only because they remember to salt this one. Otherwise, the pesto lacked any discernable basil flavor. I had to doublecheck the menu to see if it was perhaps a spinach or ramp pesto, but no – it was made basil.

Lastly, the branzino itself was good – well seasoned and cooked, tasting fresh. However, the plate lacked any sauce or, if it was there, it was flavorless and forgettable. You would think a lemon/caper sauce would ring notably with flavor, but the lasting memory of this dish was the sad bounty of under seasoned haricots and carrots the fish was plated upon, reminiscent of sad vegetables on a wedding dinner plate.

We were presented with a short book about the restaurant as an anniversary gift, which was a nice gesture, but not nearly enough to overcome our overall disappointment.

I am always hesitant to eat at a restaurant embedded in a hotel – since they don’t have to work as hard to retain repeat clientele when a portion of their patrons will be short-term visitors to the city. This experience reinforced this hesitation. Lastly, to cut the restaurant some slack, they have only been open for a few weeks, so kinks are to be expected. Perhaps you would be wise to wait 6 months or so before trying, but with so many other great options in the city, my wife and I will not...

We had the pleasure of being initially served by Zach during our visit, and he was an absolute delight. The wine selection caught my eye, especially since it was 50% off, but I hesitated—I mean, $180 for a bottle of Chianti felt a bit extravagant for someone like me who doesn't have a sommelier's palate. So, I settled on a simple glass of wine… or so I thought... until the ever-charming Jeremiah, the manager, approached our table.

Jeremiah had me rethinking my frugality by showing me an alternative that was reasonably priced. Let’s just say the glass of wine was officially ditched, and I opted for an affordable bottle of wine. Meanwhile, my nephew dove into bottomless pineapple mimosas because, well, why not?

For appetizers, we started with calamari that came with shrimp, zucchini, carrots, and a tartare aioli—absolutely divine. The Olio Caesar salad was unbelievably flavorful, with dressing evenly served on each piece of lettuce. The spaghetti carbonara was my first, but not for my nephew, and my goodness, it was just spectacular for the both of us. Before Zach went on break, he brought us his favorite dish, fritto primavera—beyond savory, it was utterly unforgettable.

Jeremiah let us know that Zach went on break and that Neo would be the covering server during that time. By then, the rest of our party had arrived, bringing more laughter, food orders, and fun to the table. Neo joined right in on the good vibes and kept the experience seamless.

The grand finale was the highlight of our lunch. Neo, Jeremiah, and the Executive Chef surprised us with a tiramisu complete with a celebratory candle. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday—just a group of people enjoying great food, great company, and a shared appreciation for life.

I and my family that late afternoon to evening would like to personally say thank you to Zach—enjoy Italy and France with your partner—sounds like a dream! Jeremiah, please know that we followed your recommendation on which museum to start with and which to end with—thank you for that! To Neo, thank you for speaking to us in your native language—it brought us so much joy. And to the Executive Chef, we were honored to be surprised by your presence at our table.

To the entire staff at Olio e Più on 01/18/2025, you reminded us that no matter where we come from, we all deserve moments like this—filled with laughter, kindness, and a touch of culinary magic. Here’s to the best for 2025! Thank you, Olio e Più in Washington, D.C. We can’t wait to...

Newly opened! Delicious Italian dishes; good ambiance and decor; friendly, attentive and knowledgeable service; another success of the group that also operates La Grande Boucherie (in fact just upstairs from this Italian restaurant). We came for dinner on Halloween, and the waitstaff were dressed up for the occasion, some with proper Halloween makeup!

The bronzino and ribeye steak are both excellent, done right.

Octopus carpaccio is very good as expected

Calamari as an appetizer is generous in portion; crispy and nice though pretty standard fare.

The very refreshing cocktail is called Rebirth: Don Ciccio Cinque Apertivo Blanco, Lemon Tarragon Oleo, Giffard Pêche de Vigne, Prosecco. It's a cocktail by Kapri Robinson

The other cocktail to try is CAFFE A LETTO: Chocolate Infused Rum, Amaro Lucano, Lucano Caffe, Espresso. Good one.

For dessert we had their tiramisu (lives up to Italian reputation) and the more showy lemon-chocolate ball (table-side service).

For that chocolate dessert, it comes as a ball. Then, the waiter pours chocolate table-side. It's called LIMONE CIOCOLATTO SPHERA: Dark chocolate sphere filled with chocolate crème légère, lemon gel, lemon crumble, lemon confit and Valrhona dark chocolate sauce.

Rebecca who served us was very knowledgeable about their offerings (she also had the best Halloween makeup and costume ever, see photo). She's Jack Skellington tonight.

The whole place is decked out for the season and for Halloween but tastefully: plenty of orange motifs and lots of pumpkins.

Water was refilled regularly; staff came regularly to ask how everything's going; crumbs were removed between dishes; cutler also changed; premium service.

They gave us a book as a parting gift, what a surprise! The book is Olio e Più (restaurant name) -- it's about la dolce vita, the Italian way of life.

Given that it was Halloween night, they had party music on (at one point Ghostbuster came on). Very loud (90 decibels; we measured it). Hard to talk across the table or even hear what the waiter's saying.

Small problem was they gave one of us the lunch menu (it's dinner time) which led to some confusion. Finally, mystery solved!

But they reassured us it's just tonight. Normally they have Italian music on to suit the Italian vibe and ambiance.

Plenty of plants inside and out, stylish and elegant.

Clean spacious restroom,...