Ristorante Piccolo — Restaurant in Washington

I went with a girlfriend of mine for a leisurely splurge day about Georgetown. Decided on Ristorante Piccolo for dinner on a Friday, walk-in was available as it was just before the dinner rush, and had our pick of the free table in the nook by the window, underneath the stairs. Very cute and intimate restaurant, and the rest of it--downstairs or upstairs--was no less attractive. Fireplace on both floors, with a cute balcony to eat on when it gets warmer.

I ended up getting a full course meal, with complimentary bread and olive oil, which was delicious... along with a side dish of Linguine which was surprisingly large and plentiful, but SO good! Who'd have thought something so simple on the menu would be so tasty?

For the main dish I got a Margherita Pizza which was absolutely satisfying as well, and we split a bottle of white wine, per the recommendation of our kind and attentive waiter. For dessert, I got vanilla ice cream with bits of chocolate drizzled on top and it was rich, yes, but satisfied my sweet tooth without sacrificing the flavor and experience of the dessert as a dish in and of itself.

Everything was so wonderful, from the food to the service to the atmosphere... and I came to love love love this restaurant. It's a great little splurge of Italian cusine with an intimate setting, and I'd recommend everything based off my first experience here.

After we paid and left, too, we stopped outside so my friend could smoke her cigarette, and we ran into the owner, Ahmed, who stopped to briefly chat with us. He was very kind, and welcomed us back and, overall, left me with a genuine feeling of wanting to return. I hope to do so again soon! Thanks for a fantastic dining experience!

*PS: there was a violinist playing lovely music near the front entrance, which added to the overall atmosphere. Also, the Gnocchi is made in-house, confirmed to me by Ahmed the owner, which I definitely will have to try next time I return!

Full recommendation from me...

Where do I start Our party had a reservation, but we were told to wait for our entire party before we could be seated. When everyone arrived one of the my friends went back to get the table where the manager Ahmed was by that time it was a few more people standing at the front with us, as we were speaking to the manager about the table he completely spoke over us to make sure a white customers had reservations and were seated and then he came back to us. Ahmed came back to the front of the restaurant and was completely rude, we asked “why the table wasn’t ready” we felt unwanted so started to leave as we were leaving out the door Ahmed followed us and the first thing he said was “we don’t fight here”. I was confused, shocked, taking back and appalled. My party of seven walked to the next block where we stood, Ahmed came out moments later with menus apologizing profusely and asking would we comeback in because it was a big misunderstanding. After we went back in we were seated and right away I noticed that the table behind us was waiting for their party (which they got to do at their table and didn’t have to stand outside like we did) and the rest of there party arrived 15 minutes later. After seeing that I asked to speak with the manager Ahmed I asked him the policy and procedures of the establishment and was told that he would seat half the party if we were here, but we were never told that we were told that we had to wait for our entire party before we could be seated. Ahmed went on to say “now that I see your nice people” as if he prejudged us from the moment we walked in the restaurant. The entire conversation all he did was assume things about who I am, when I’m simply asking about customer service and explaining what I’m experiencing. Being the only minority group in the restaurant I felt that we were racially profiled, that was...

Danny Meyer, a New York City restaurateur, defined in his book 'Setting the Table' the difference between service and hospitality. He wrote, ‘SERVICE: Is the technical delivery of a product,’ ‘HOSPITALITY: Is how the delivery of that product makes its recipient feel.’”

From the moment my partner and I stepped into Ristorante Piccolo, on a bustling Sunday evening, with no reservations I instantly recalled the above quote. The host, Ahmed, graciously welcome us and asked us to give him a moment as he attended to patrons with reservations. We didn’t expect anything extraordinary as walk-ins, but he seated us at the window in a cozy, tucked-away corner with a lovely street view. Our server, I don’t want to misspell his name but do remember it, was knowledgeable and thoughtful when discussing the menu options. My salmon was cooked to perfection as with my partner’s pasta choice which I snuck bites of as well. I am a native New Englander and particular when it comes to seafood preparation, and the chef did not disappoint.The tiramisu was excruciatingly delicious, and the overall experience —superb. Our server even comped me an extra cocktail because I had expressed interest in it and went with another option. It was an unexpected surprise and treat, and I actually liked it better than the cocktail I chose initially.

I can’t believe that after living off/on in the DC area for 30 years, and within walking distance to Georgetown, that I/we had yet to encounter this fine Italian establishment. We were so impressed with the staff and service that we reserved a table for New Year’s Eve. Thank you, all, for treating us like gold. My partner recently lost his mother, and your hospitality was valued and appreciated. We were navigating a tough week. See everyone...