Washington, DC
Best Italian in Washington.
Harry's top 10 Italian spots in Washington score 78–86 on the Harry Score. 3 carry critic or guide backing. Prices run $$ to $$$.
Shortcuts show. Italian cooking is the hardest to fake because it has nowhere to hide — no sauce heavy enough, no portion large enough to disguise mediocre pasta. Harry cares whether it was made in-house. The red-checked tablecloth is irrelevant.
Ranked by Harry Score. The Harry Score is a weighted blend of Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and critic mentions. No paid placements. No affiliate links.
Scores last recomputed
Ulivo
italian
2737 Sherman Ave NW, Washington
4.8 across 537 Yelp reviews; priced about right for what you get.
$$
Harry
86
Worth It
78
Paccis
italian
106 13th St SE, Washington
4.7 across 264 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; fairly priced for what it is.
$$
Harry
85
Worth It
78
Pines of Florence
italian
1990 M St NW, Washington
4.8 across 635 Google reviews; a sensible spend, nothing wasted here.
$$
Harry
85
Worth It
78
OLIO E PIÙ
italian
699 14th St NW, Washington
4.7 across 2.9k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; priced about right for what you get.
$$
Harry
85
Worth It
78
L'Ardente
italian · european
200 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington
4.5 across 2.3k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
$$$
Harry
82
Worth It
75
Tortino Italian Restaurant
italian
1228 11th St NW, Washington
4.6 across 1.1k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; tuscan-style trattoria offering pasta, meat & seafood dishes, plus a happy-hour menu.
$$
Harry
79
Worth It
75
Filomena Ristorante
italian
1063 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington
4.6 across 6.0k Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; ranked #51 of 3,267 locally on Tripadvisor.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
$$$
Harry
78
Worth It
73
il Canale
italian · pizza
1065 31st St NW, Washington
4.3 across 5.2k Yelp reviews, and Google lands in the same place; ranked #49 of 3,267 locally on Tripadvisor.
$$
Harry
78
Worth It
75
San Lorenzo
italian · steak-house
1316 9th St NW, Washington
4.5 across 463 Google reviews, and Yelp lands in the same place; listed in the Michelin Guide.
$$
Harry
78
Worth It
75
Centrolina
italian
974 Palmer Alley NW, Washington
4.3 across 849 Google reviews; named by World's 50 Best and Eater 38.
Caveat: You're getting an experience. Whether you needed it is up to you.
$$$
Harry
78
Worth It
73
Italian in other cities
More cuisines in Washington
More Washington guides
Questions Harry gets about Italian in Washington
- What is the best Italian restaurant in Washington?
- Ulivo tops Harry's Italian list for Washington right now, with a Harry Score of 86/100.
- How does Harry Hungry score Italian restaurants in Washington?
- Harry Hungry blends ratings from Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and critic mentions into a weighted Harry Score (0–100). A separate Worth It Score ranks restaurants by value for money. No paid placements, no affiliate links — the ranking is built from public data only.
- Are there tourist-trap Italian restaurants in Washington to avoid?
- Harry Hungry flags restaurants where Tripadvisor ratings diverge significantly from local reviews — a common tourist-trap signal. See the tourist trap index for Washington on Harry Hungry for a full breakdown.