The 18 best Italian restaurants in Washington, D.C.

Cozy doesn’t begin to describe this rustic corner bistro in Bloomingdale. The Red Hen is essentially one huge hearth, thanks to the wide-open kitchen’s grill, which runs on 100 percent Virginia oak.

Most of the Italian-leaning dishes make a pit stop in the fire before hitting your plate; one great dish is the Mafalde pasta, made with a symphony of mushrooms, rosemary, toasted breadcrumbs and cheese. Best of all is the handmade rigatoni with sausage ragu, which will have you throwing all your carb cares to the wind. I also adore the desserts here, particularly the panna cotta, which comes with a seasonally-flavored sauce; I've loved the maple and blueberry iterations.

Time Out tip: The Red Hen's cozy interior and comforting dishes make it a great date spot. The small dining room feels really romantic, and there are lots of great cocktails and desserts to enjoy, too.

Walls lined with framed photos and shiny red booths call back to the type of Italian American red sauce joints that live in the memories of many East Coasters, including the chef, here. (Adler spent his early years as a line cook at Scoozi, his dad's Italian restaurant).

Caruso's Grocery boasts a menu filled with Italian American staples made with cheffy techniques and fresh ingredients; each bite of the thinly-pounded chicken parmiginia yields a satisfying snap and swims in marina sauce, and the wedges of tiramisu are the stuff of dreams. There's also an excellent wine and cocktail selection, too. 

If you're into Southern Italian food, you must visit Cucina Morini. The same chef behind Caruso's Grocery, Matt Adler's menu here is filled with bright and light dishes that include pastas and plenty of seafood. Start with the house-baked tomato focaccia and stracciatella for a decadent beginning; my favorite entree is the Tagloni Neri, a thin black pasta made with squid ink.

Time Out tip: This is a great spot for people who love a great cocktail. The massive 18 seat bar and lounge is also beloved for its $7 martini deal. 

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Head to Menomale, which has two locations in Brookland and NoMa, for the best Neopolitan-style pizza in D.C. The dough, which is snappy and crisp, is baked from an original recipe from 1715; thank a wood-fired oven imported from Italy for imparting that beautiful bake, too. All the pies here also come with a hefty pile of toppings, and there are surprisingly plenty of options for those with dietary restrictions, too. I personally love the Verdone, a satisfyingly green pizza with Genovese pesto, rosemary chicken, walnuts, and mozzarella on top. 

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Whether it's a cold winter night or warm summer day, Floriana is a great spot for Italian. Centrally located on 17th Street just a couple blocks from Dupont Circle, Floriana has fast become one of my favorite places in the city for pasta and drinks. The intimate rowhouse bistro serves dishes made with local ingredients that include generous portions of tender pasta. Friendly bartenders sling strong drinks in the cozy basement bar. I love the seasonal raviolis, which come stuffed to the brim with filings like squash, and the Black Gnocchi appetizer, a rich pile of lobster cream, sausage, shrimp and roasted peppers lathered in cream sauce. 

Another reason to adore Floriana is the restaurant's over the top holiday decor, which include a massive themed Christmas tree. Past themes include America's educators (which included many pictures of First Lady Jill Biden, and prompted her and the president to visit) and Vogue, which saw the tree adorned with tons of mini magazine covers. To celebrate Pride, the restaurant draped its entire extrior in rainbow ribbons.

Time Out tip: Drop by on Monday and Tuesday night for dinner and take advantage of a deal that gets you an appetizer, entree, and dessert for just $60 per person. 

Though you’re likely to eat your face off at 2 Amys, consider grabbing a snack beforehand: The secret is out on this Cleveland Park restaurant, and wait times can stretch over an hour. But the Neapolitan pies, which meet Italy’s precise Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) standards, are worth it.

2 Amys tends to draw a family crowd, so anticipate a seat next to a marinara-flinging toddler. Otherwise, enjoy pies like the puttanesca (tomato sauce, rapini, mozzarella, sliced garlic, anchovy and hot pepper) and stellar calzones distraction free.

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Sfoglina's name honors the Italian pasta wizards who traditionally made fresh pasta by hand—and when you visit, you'll see that Fabio Trabbochi's trattoria earns its name.

This spot from the multi-Michelin star chef, who also runs Fiola and Del Mar, is all about the pasta; heaping plates of the stuff from various regions in Italy are the bulk of the menu. My favorite dishes are the Spicy Penne Alle Vodka, which feels unusual because of its rosemary-infused, smoky sauce, the Radiatore Cacio e Pepe, which is made with crushed peppercorns and pecorino cheese made with sheep's milk.

Dining at Sfoglina feels really special, too. The vibes here aren't quite traditional, but that's okay; the dining room is light and airy, and decorated with vintage Italian ads and posters and done up with cheery red and white fabrics.

Time Out tip: Don't sleep on Sfoglina's desserts and drinks. The tasty "Don't Touch the Cookie Tin!" comes with lemon ricotta, snickerdoodle, and chocolate crinkle cookies; I also really like Torta di Mele, a warm apple cake lathered in maple caramel. I've also had an especially delicious (and strong!) iced latte brewed for me at the Downtown location. 

Osteria Morini pays homage to the casual and rustic cuisine and ambiance of the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.  In Italian, “osteria” means a place where the owner “hosts” guests, and at Osteria Morini, Chef Bill Dorrler succeeds with a menu that includes plenty of luscious meats, succulent vegetables and cheese done in numerous ways. 

Chef-restaurateur David Deshaies is a newly minted member of the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, but don’t let his Gallic roots get in the way of enjoying some of the city’s best pasta. At his “glam Italian” restaurant, the 40-layer lasagna, filled with short rib sugo and truffle-scented mornay sauce, gets the most word-of-mouth. But don’t miss the oversized veal parmigiana, blanketed in bubbly cheese, which will eclipse any version of the dish you’ve had before.

From the same team behind Red Hen comes this casual, always-packed Italian joint. The pizza at All Purpose is Jersey-style, meaning the dough is slightly sweet and cooked in a deck oven, resulting in a bite so crisp it makes a noise when you chomp into it.

In addition to classic dishes like eggplant parm and garlic knots, All Purpose serves almost ten different types of pies, including the buona made with tomatoes, pepperoni, mozzarella, chili hone, basil and grana. Dessert here is great, too; I love the massive baked chocolate chip cookie, which comes to the table in a hot skillet.