Bresca

I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love with someone by eating food they’ve cooked, but after dinner yesterday, I want chef Ratino to know that I am utterly charmed by him! :) The food was phenomenal. The meal I had yesterday is probably one of the best I’ve ever had. I have never had oysters that tasted that good, the pasta was perfection, and the entrecôte was out of this world. The ambroisia dessert was also amazing. Everything was just so whimsical. Bresca is one of my new favorite restaurants in DC, incredibly creative, with excellent food, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. I will be back!!!!

My wife and I had the best dining experience of our life at this restaurant. Not only was the food incredibly delicious, but the service was exceptional. They even went the extra mile by surprising my dog with a little treat. A truly memorable and outstanding place!"

Overall a nice experience. The food was delicious and the courses complemented each other well. The pasta dish and bluefin tuna were divine. I wish the tables weren’t so close together. It can be hard to hear. While the food and service were excellent, the rating menu is slightly overpriced when compared to other DC Michelin starred restaurants.

Food was amazing. Service was amazing. I’ve a had lot of delicious food… Bresca is another level. Each course was explained and well presented. The staff was awesome. Do not skip Champagne and caviar if you have the chance. We did the full tasting menu and one of us has a pescatarian modified menu. The only way it could have been any better (because it was phenomenal) … was if there was a way to add some heat to the food. Hot peppers?

Bresca delivered in every way across our experience, in ways that other restaurants in DC truly struggle. We were admittedly nervous to dine in after being sorely disappointed by other highly regarded restaurants around town, so we started by visiting for Sara's cocktail tasting experience. We took the time to check out the space and service and were pleasantly surprised that the same level of attention we were seeing on the floor was being paid to guests of the cocktail tasting. I don't want to spoil that too much, but if you enjoy a well-made cocktail, Ethos is certainly worth paying a visit for. On to the meal itself, we brought a friend to celebrate her birthday while she was in town. I worked with Nitiya in advance to provide her with some insight about our friend in order to personalize the experience. It was really fun to see the little ways they incorporated all of the information in mini celebrations across the visit. I highly recommend Bresca as a fantastic place to celebrate any special occasion. We were so impressed by our experience that we decided to change an upcoming celebration at another restaurant in town to Jont. Service throughout the meal was amazing. Servers were observant without hovering - within about 30 seconds of everyone at the table finishing a course, our table was being cleared and prepped for the next course. The staff was incredibly friendly, sharing information about each dish that was delivered as well as being open to a bit of chat back and forth. Other restaurants in the greater DC area seemingly instruct servers to be invisible and not engage. Meanwhile, Bresca takes the opposite approach and goes that extra step of welcoming you back if you have visited before (they take good notes). The food itself was also excellent! Each component of the dishes was flavorful on its own, and the dishes were cohesive in the sense that the flavors intentionally worked together. Dish presentation was on point, and the provided utensils for each course made sense with both the food and the dish in which it was served. Aside from all of this, I do really appreciate the steps they take to try to make dining here more accessible. On certain days of the week, there are prix fixe menu options, an early bird special, and they are participating in Restaurant Week. If you've never been, Restaurant Week looks like an amazing opportunity to try several of the dishes from the tasting menu. We will definitely be back, and we are already singing the praises of Bresca to everyone we know.

I had the Restaurant Week 2023 special; each dish was tasty but the portions were small. Even though I finished off the small bread loaf I felt as if I had only dined on a few delicious appetizers with next to zero vegetables. The meal started with a small complementary glass of a flavored kombucha, and a tasty bite of tuna. The most memorable aspect of the pasta first course was its al dente nature, the sauce was not memorable. The two small strips of Wegyu beef of the main course were cooked rare to perfection but I still needed the steak knife to cut it. It was accompanied by the only vegetable in sight, a tasty shoshito pepper. The dessert was an imaginative combo of a small blueberry cakelet and a wonderful lemon marscapone. I had a 3 oz pour of a lovely rose but it appeared as though the cocktails at the same price point were a much better deal. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try this restaurant but have no particular reason to return.