Barolo Ristorante

Great service, relaxed atmosphere, and quality food. Wine selection is mostly from Italy but there are a few Washington choices. Delicious herbed salty focaccia as soon as I was seated, and the accompanying oil had a tantalizing flavor profile. Rigatoni bologanise had just the right amount of meat and cheese, noodles were perfectly al dente, and it was served piping hot. Mango sorbet wasn't an overpowering flavor, which is probably a good thing but it could have just been me after several glasses of wine by that point. Overall a nice meal, albeit somewhat noisy inside.

The service was amazing. They placed our group of 9 in a small area that gave us an intimate experience. Everyone ordered something different, yet everyone's food was exceptional. The wine list was also very good. The only problem we had is the cannoli had pistachios which were not listed on the menu and one of our group members had a severe nut allergy.

Stumbled upon Barolo since it was near our hotel and was pleasantly surprised! They have an amazing late night happy hour after 9:00pm, where all their bar food is 50% off! We got some complimentary bread to start off and it came with an amazing olive dip. We ordered some happy hour white wine, which was a Pinot Grigio that day. Tasted great and was $7.50. We ordered a few items to share - the beef carpaccio, calamari, and the rigatoni pasta . Beef carpaccio tasted great and had lots of arugula and shaved cheese on top. We were pleasantly surprised by the calamari since it wasn’t fried, and the tomato sauce was so good we asked for extra bread. The pasta was also hearty and delicious. Overall lovely night, though it’s quite dark in the restaurant and service was slower in the end.

The positives: The restaurant boasted a delightful ambiance and provided excellent service throughout our visit. The negatives: While the food received mixed reviews, it fell within an average range considering its price. Unfortunately, the calamari ordered by my friends turned out to be rubbery in texture. The coffee, far from resembling an authentic Italian brew, disappointed with its taste akin to generic American coffee. Moreover, my lamb dish suffered from being excessively charred, leaving an unpleasant charcoal residue that affected both its flavor and texture. However, it was accompanied by a delectable Amarillo cherries sauce. The kale served alongside the lamb dish, unfortunately, had a notably bitter taste. On a positive note, the cheese board was enjoyable, and the veal carpaccio was quite good, although the overwhelming amount of olive oil overshadowed the flavor of the meat. Another main course, a sirloin cut, featured pleasant meat, particularly when combined with the amarena cherries from the lamb dish. To our surprise, an unexplained additional surcharge was added to the bill, and a 20% automatic gratuity was applied for our group of six, although we were unsure if this should be considered a large party. Despite these drawbacks, I must reiterate that the ambiance was truly delightful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the restaurant. The final bill, for two mains, two starters and two coffees, was around $180.