Reveler's Hour — Restaurant in Washington

Cozy upscale restaurant with unique pasta dishes and juicy burgers! The simple no frills changing menu has only a dozen dishes a few pastas, meaty burgers, apps and desserts. The modern minimalistic decor is filled from floor to ceiling with wine bottles, there are too many to count! I enjoyed a glass of Lambrusco while my hubby liked the Pino Noir.

Smoked eggplant and ricotta cappellacci (3/5) - The fried pepper ragù had quite a spicy kick! My mouth was on fire! I couldn't handle the heat and quickly threw in the towel after a few bites. The fried breadcrumbs didn't do anything for the dish. It was skimpy portion with only 5 small pieces of cappellacci, which are kind of like tortellini. The service was great and kindly let me swap it for the Pesto fettuccine. Glad I made the switch!

Fettucine Pesto (5/5) - Full of flavor with creamy leaks, the pistachio added a nice crunchy texture along with savory romano beans which paired well with pesto. I'm typically not a big fan of snap peas, but surprisingly enjoyed the romano beans. The portion was generous, the plate was filled to the brim with a heap of noodles! I threw in the towel at 3/4 mark and was very tempted to scoop up the rest in a doggy bag. Glad I saved some room for dessert with the tart!

Bacon Burger (5/5) - My hubby ravenously enjoyed his ginormous meaty burger. He conquered it with a happy clean plate and a grin!

Apple and fennel Tart (4/5) - The petite tart with a crispy crust and marinated sweet apple slices was nice and reminiscent of apple pie.

The dinner was a bit pricey at $100 (without tax or tip) for 2 glasses of wine, pasta, a burger, and a petite dessert. At $25 a pop for a pasta dish and $12 for dessert, the dishes didn't quite measure up.

The restaurant is Covid compliant with the staff encouraging patrons to wear masks while not actively eating and having paperless menus that can be accessed by QR codes on your phone. The table are more than 6 feet apart. I admit it was difficult putting on a mask while trying to enjoy a nice meal and I could sense the staff's sense of discomfort, understandably so. It took away from the culinary experience.

Fun to try, but with so many great options in the Adams Morgan and Shaw, I'll try something new! Al Tiramisu, Floriano's, and Napoli Pasta Bar are my...

A Bright Light At the End of the Tunnel! Reveler's Hour just re-opened for inside dining...and it. is. phenomenal. Stars across the board for food, ambience, and service. It feels less "getting fed" (i.e., most of our COVID eating) and more "experiencing a craft". It truly felt like a special occasion, and life's been too short on those!

Food: We started with the beets with smoked honey and citrus, alongside the stracciatella with focaccia. Both were terrific, but the second dish was what really had us...My husband and I practically raced each other to the bottom of the bowl of soft dippable cheese with the bread which I'd say was less "supporting actor" and more "star" of the dish. For mains we had their bucatini with nduja and their tagliatelle with lamb and fava beans. The tagliatelle was delicious...but the bucatini was "exceptional". Literally, stop what you're doing, and go eat this pasta. It'll make you feel better about life. Turns out they make the 'nduja in house. For dessert, highly recommend asking about their gelatos (might be "off-menu"). Their pastry chef apparently discovered she has a hidden talent for gelato during the pandemic...and while we were so stuffed we packed some of the pasta, somehow we inhaled two scoops of this! On drinks - super interesting wines (we tried our first from the West Bank of Palestine, and they also feature wines made by black winemakers!) and the cocktails were on point.

Ambience: We're quite precautious on COVID, and we felt very safe. Sanitizers at each table, scannable menus, very safe distance between tables, and the waiters were super graceful to give you time to mask up if needed or to serve at a distance. The space inside is beautiful - low lighting, fascinating shelves of wines and books to gaze at, and peeks of the bar and kitchen.

Service: This is what took an already great meal to one I'm reviewing. Our server Kenny took every precaution given we had food allergies, had great recommendations (and knew the wine and food menu, cold!), and Bill the owner (whom admittedly we are super-fans of, from his wine school) was also wonderful to us and stopped by each of the tables to say hello.

Reveler's Hour - we're so glad you're back. Congrats on creating something really...

I have a special place in my heart for Reveler’s Hour:

Summer of 2023, my mom had a brain aneurysm which incapacitated her for months. She recovered to full health, but it did cause her to have to cancel her 2 week long trip to Europe that she was taking with my dad.

Once she was able to travel to visit my fiancé and I, I wanted to take her to a special place where she could have delicious pasta & wine.

Reveler’s Hour delivered in every imaginable way & then some. A wonderful member of the waitstaff, Em, took great care with my family and I. I also explained that my mom was alcohol free while she recovered from her aneurysm.

They informed the bar my mom was alcohol free and provided 0-alcohol beverages for my mom to enjoy while the rest of our party drank.

Em also pulled out every stop, bring a variety of free little treats to our table & made my mom’s night so special. It was a teary eyed table & we felt so cared for by the entire staff at Reveler’s hour.

Since then, we have come back a hand full of times & have had the privilege of having Em as our server almost every time.

I am so grateful to Reveler’s Hour for cultivating such a wonderful experience for my family after a really traumatic event. I will continue to be a loyal customer & I will spread the word of what a great experience I had. I will also continue to come back for special occasions so far I’ve come back for 2 promotions.

Thank you for making my mom feel special & creating such a great moment for my...