Can you say overrated??!! This restaurant has been held in such high regard for one too many years. I was encouraged to try this spot by a client of mine. I wanted someplace special to take my fiance for his birthday. My client told me it was expensive but worth it. My man and I, dressed to the nines, walked in and witnessed people in jeans, flip flops, etc. That was the first tip off. I ordered the squab, and when it arrived, it was bloody and rubbery as hell! Needless to say, when we left (after spending upwards of 250.00), we were still hungry, and ended our special night at Kramer books and afterwards.. EATING! read more

- Overpriced. Prix Fixe should cost $40, not $75, for the food served. There was no alternative menu. The menu was photocopied, not printed nicely. - No ambience. No music. Clanking sound of dishes accompanied our meal. The room was dingy. - Decore was cheap, the environment was a diner experience. Nowhere to stand upon entering the restaurant. No one there to greet us or seat us promptly, even though it was reservation-only. There was no waiting area. - Wicker chairs, stains on the cushions, table cloths didn't match and didn't fit the table. - The flowers were fake. - There were bread crumbs leftover from previous diners at the table. - Wait staff was prickly, and treated us like toddlers who had never been out to eat, even though two of our guests were Italian chefs from Cortina. Apparently they felt it necessary to explain burrata cheese. - If you order something, it may come. You may have to ask twice - very long wait between courses. - The food was mediocre and over-valued. Most of the meals could be prepared at home. - There was no diet soda available. - The dessert was dry. - The check did not come in a leather binder. AMEX is not accepted. - No website. - You're better of at Posto in Logan Circle or CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. read more

Amazing service and great atmosphere. The one thing to note is that this is for real foodies. Come prepared to have a meal worth working out for (or adding a few lbs. to the mid-section). I join the chorus of amazing reviews for this one. read more

Really mind-blowingly good. This place is high end without being pretentious. The wine pairing was great as well. I had the lobster soup, and the quail. The price is totally worth it for the experience, which is very unique. read more

Seriously -- I still fantasize about the 3 or 4 meals I've had here over the last few years. Each time there has been at least one course that just "pops" -- where the flavors are so full and robust and amazing and surprising that you wish it could linger (but then you'd miss the rest of the meal....). We've dined at a few other "fancy/special occasion" places (City Zen, Cafe Atlantico, Nora's) and this trumps all (though Nora's is a very close second). I always walk out thinking that (despite the price) we diners were the ones that got a deal. The food is that plentiful and lovely and of such a high quality. I pine for my next chance to return -- and send my electronic thanks out to those fine folks behind the scenes at Obelisk. Please don't ever stop cooking for us! read more

This joint looks nothing like a restaurant from the outside and more like an unimaginative brownstone, but when you do actually do enter to partake in their prix fixe menu (among the 15 other people eating in here, since this place is pretty damn small), the culinary maven inside of you will definitely not be disappointed. Parking is a bitch though in this area so cab it if you can, and as previously mentioned, this place is tinier than a McMansion's living room, so make your reservations way in advance. read more

The three best meals in my life have been eaten at Obelisk. The dining room is intimate and the staff are very attentive to, but not pushy with, their customers. It feels like you're eating at your own home. The food is amazing and well worth the price (which is very reasonable given the quality). read more

I've been to Obelisk twice in the last year or so. It is definitely one of the better restaurants for "foodies" in DC. It serves up a more Tuscany style Italian cuisine that plays off of the original flavor of the ingredients vice a hearty American style Italian cooking. The burrata cheese is always nice, and main courses like lamp chop and sea bass are always good choices. So why just 3 stars? Ok, there are just a lot of good restaurants out there nowadays. If you open an upscale restaurant in any cosmopolitan city, I think you need more than just a regular "good" to get 4/5 stars. Comparing Obelisk with other restaurants in the same price point/category ($300 for 2), it is a good restaurant... but it's just missing that wow factor for me. Would I go back to Obelisk for the third time? Sure! I know I will get a bit of good food, good ambiance, and good service... But it doesn't mean I will be counting the days until I get to go again. Just saying, good food is good food... just because you're paying more doesn't mean that good food turns into mind-blowing amazing food. So 3 stars. I'd say in DC, I would choose Blue Duck Tavern or Corduroy over Obelisk. But if you happen to be in Miami, a restaurant that serves up the same type/style/price of cuisine as Obelisk that has wow'ed me... Casa Tua! read more

A lovely space and beautiful presentation. However, the dishes are conceptually weak and tend to lack flavor, creativity and ultimately any reason to return. I have tried this place several times due to the inflated zagat ratings (but see the user reviews), but cannot find much to like about it except the aesthetics. The prices are exhorbitant and the dishes mediocre (not to mention very, very small). Most dishes overemphasize oil and salt, and cheese is involved in most courses. Worst of all, the flavor profiles in each course tend to remain the same rather than build or play off of each other. When the predominant flavors are salt and oil, it is not a good thing. read more

Obelisk served me the best meal I have ever had in DC. The only complaint would be that my stomach wasn't big enough to hold all of it. For $65 pre-fixe I got sardines, then cockles (sp?) which were soooo good, then raviolis, sea bass, a cheese course and for desert fabulous grapefruit and lemon sorbets. The service was amazing, very attentive and friendly. There are only 11-12 tables in the place so you get alot of attention from your server (not in an overbearing annoying way). The menu looks like it changed very often (it is handwritten and photocopied) which is always a good thing. Also, it give me another reason to go back and see what other delicious foods are in store. read more

This is a special restaurant. I have always had amazing service at Obelisk (thanks Kat!). The space is small and intimate (so make a reservation). The food is incredible (and plentiful -- 5 courses)! It is exciting to see how the menu changes over the seasons. I've had a hard time discovering new restaurants near Dupont Circle, because I always want to come HERE! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in DC. They are consistently excellent, both with food and service. Also, it is not too loud. A nice place to have a good conversation over a great meal. read more

The dining area is cozy and intimate, no music, no televisions, just a nice simple room. I was greeted by the lovely and knowledgeable hostess and was seated instantly even though I was 15 minutes early for my reservation. The menu is price fixe at $75 and there were 3 choices for each course. The antipasti was delicious. A yummy burrata cheese per person that can be eaten solo or over the bread and breadsticks that they served. We also received pork with a creamed tuna and capers that was divine. A red snapper croquette and these super cute baby eggplants that nearly melted in your mouth. On to primi we got the faglioletti pasta and the arugula ravioli. You know how occasionally you put something in your mouth that is so delicious that you stop and just look at it, lick your lips and think is it possible to taste this good? That was the ravioli for me. Culinary ecstasy. On to secondi we had the stuffed duck and the fluke. Beautiful the fluke with mussels and pancetta was cooked perfectly and showed all the restraint of the chef. But the shining star was the duck. Never have I had more deliciously prepared duck, pan seared then braised. The skin was crisp the meat was juicy. It was phenomenal. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. For dessert we ordered the chocolate and fig cake and a tart with caramel ice cream. The cake was beautiful delicate and sitting in a bath of Creme fraiche. The tart was amazing flaky sweet and tart. The caramel ice cream was just yummy. . DCers classy attire does not mean shorts, ever... Nor does it mean polos and flip flops which were some of the things I saw people sporting at obelisk last night. read more

This place is amazing. Very comfy and intimate setting (maybe 7 tables, no bar). Set in the top floor of a redone row home in west DuPont. ALL of the courses, and the service, was impeccable. The spacing between courses leaves you wanting your next dish, but not at all wondering. Solid wine list. One note is that you would not want to come here with someone you arent close with. Wife, family member, best friend: yes. Business associate, first date, annoying in-law, no. The meal takes a long time, and there is no background music or anything. Unless you like the words coming out of your fellow diner a lot, try another place. All in all, one of DCs best. read more

Not the best meal I've ever had, but a really good one. Atmosphere is just so cozy and chill, and we had a great waitress. The entree (fish - i forget what exactly) and dessert (profiteroles) were good, but the stars of the show were the little starters and the appetizers. I had the tagliatelle tossed in uni - YUM. Had a great bottle of wine (Le Cruste) that I can't find anywhere else...yet! read more

So close to five stars I could taste it... but not quite. I can't say much that others haven't said. The ingredients are incredibly fresh and only of the highest quality, and the execution is almost as flawless. I mean, the bread alone could blow the wheels off most entrees in DC - so chewy and delicious. They don't skimp in portion size either - L and I both left stuffed. On top of all that, one of the waitresses who doubles as sommelier helped us pick a reasonably priced and absolutely delicious torrette that complemented nearly every course. Highlights: - Compote served with the cheese course outshone everything else on the plate. - Arugula stuffed ravioli that redefined what a pasta should taste like. Perfectly balanced; flavorful without being too dense or overwhelming. - Petit fours. The lemon jelly was especially a favorite. However, there were a few flaws that I felt demoted it a star. - Some of the dishes were actually boring. The tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms was bland beyond belief. Did they forget something? It was like a bad stroganoff. This goes double for the fritti misti, which included a fried wonton like creation that housed zucchini - all I could taste was oil, like cheap onion rings. - The cheese course, which I appreciated for its quality, was also just plain milk fat. i prefer a stinkier cheese. Between the excellent bread and compote, the ricotta served basically couldn't be tasted. - The lamb chops, though succulent, were surrounded in fat. I understand the need to leave some on for flavor, but it might have been 50% of the fleshy portion. The sides it was served with, roast red peppers and some leafy green, had seen better days. They appeared tepid and a bit watery, as if they had been sitting too long. - The waitress had trouble describing some of the dishes. If we had a better description, we might have steered away from the fish. - I wouldn't describe the setting as romantic. Small maybe, cozy even, but romantic is a stretch. Overall this place is great. Some dishes excelled and hit us right in the brain stem pleasure center. Others missed the mark. I'm not sure I'll be back, but probably worth going once. read more

Obelisk has lost its charm. I've been going to Obelisk for at least a decade. 5+ years ago I tried to go every other month--it was just that excellent. And it wasn't just about the thoughtful food pairings but the delight of the wait staff. Each ingredient would have a story that would charm a smile out of the stuffiest of diners. A diner could leave with not only a satisfied palate, but also an enlightened mind. And, vegetarians who announced ahead of time their food preference for non-meat would get their own menu selections. Over the past few years I now make it in maybe once or twice a year with hopes that my last experience was a fluke and time and time again I'm left wistful for "back in the day". First, vegetarians no longer get options. Your food just shows up. And when I asked out of curiosity what just "shows up" the wait staff said "most people like to be surprised but if you want to know, I can go ask the kitchen"--I felt like I was at a diner! My dining companion had the joy of knowing what to look forward to, why should I feel like I was getting my meal tossed together? After the wait staff came back and informed me of my courses, then 30 minutes later another staff member came back and said the chef had informed her there would be a substitution of one of my dishes as the chef couldn't make the soup without the animal stock. Good thing she remembered! You'd think she'd think of that earlier in the month our reservations were booked with a vegetarian. Many of the vegetarian options seemed thrown together and low budget like the braised lettuce--seriously? Overall, the staff these days are relatively abrupt, given the expectation for Obelisk, they no longer have the feel of "friends" sharing with you the joy of what has been put together and that has killed most of the presentation factor. You should be excited to share in the joy of your food, not acting like funeral directors. There is enough good food in this town, go elsewhere where the presentation matches the food quality. read more

I have NO idea what all the hype is all about. The food is good and deserves a solid 3 star rating but it is FAAAR from a 5 star restaurant. The food is on par with a good neighborhood Italian restaurant. To call it one of D.C.'s best restaurants gives the other really good restaurants in D.C. a very bad name. I called on Monday afternoon for reservations at 7 pm on Wednesday and had no problems at all. The place is gimmicky (as other reviewers have said, handwritten daily menu, no website, hard to find, etc.) and that adds to the build-up and allure of the place but once you start eating, it's obvious that this is not a 5 star restaurant. It's relatively expensive for the quality of food you get. I spent a little bit less for dinner at Tosca the next night and the food was far superior to Obelisk. read more

I almost enjoyed my meal here as much as Komi. However, the antipasti were kinda gross. That said, the second, third, cheese and dessert courses were phenomenal. The cocktails were great. We did the $40 wine pairing and I highly recommend doing so. The wines were generally excellent and complemented the food very well. The best part of this place is the service. Timing was flawless, never felt rushed and the food was explained well by the server. Definitely pricey (~$175/person with tip) but a really wonderful experience. I look forward to taking my parents here. It would be nice if they updated the decor a bit. It looks a little 90s in there. read more

This is probably the first fancy restaurant I've dined at in DC where I spent a lot of money, but left feeling like it was completely worth it. Komi was amazing, but when I left I was thinking.. "was it $300 amazing?" Let me start off by saying that this place is absolutely worth it, and they accomodate vegetarians very well. In place of the pasta course and an entree, they served me three pasta courses. Each course was delicious and we ended up with about 9 total since we had several appetizers. All their ingredients were top notch, and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who was looking for a nice place on a special occassion, or who just wanted to splurge. Probably best gnocchi I've ever had. The entire meal including dessert was absolutely delicious... though I gained four pounds the next morning. read more

Unfortunately, I chose this restaurant based on all the glowing Yelp reviews; but, I left rather disappointed. The food was alright, but nothing amazing, and certainly not worth the high price. I realize that restaurants in DC tend to be more expensive on average, but there are better ones in this price range. As others have said, it's hard to find. When other reviewers said to look for the obelisk, I pictured something a little larger. Instead it was a rather small marking outside the door. Anyway, upon entering, I was quite disappointed that I had decided to take my girlfriend here for a nice date. We had dressed up a little, thinking it would be nicer based on the price, but we felt quite out of place since everyone else was rather casually dressed and the decor felt much more like that of a cheaper restaurant. To be fair, it was a lot of food - I was full enough toward the end that I could barely touch the dessert. The duck-curry appetizer balls were probably my favorite dish. Although I was disappointed by the food, since nothing really stood out, the worst part was the atmosphere and decor. It was not at all romantic, everything felt quite dated, and the lighting and the smallness of the room made us a little uncomfortable to speak in anything louder than hushed voices. To conclude, certainly the food wasn't *bad*, but it wasn't worth the price, and I wouldn't go back. read more

This is a going to be a long one, so if you don't want to read the whole thing, I will summarize nicely here. The fixed menu is $75. We spent about $50 each on drinks. Worth every penny. Food is delicious, staff is friendly, wine is great. So I tried to book a table earlier in the week for Saturday night. They only have eleven tables apparently, so they were booked. But they put me on the wait list. Called me on Friday, but I missed the call because I was in a meeting. They gave the table away again, but they called 24 hours later with another cancellation. I guess the lesson here is get on the waiting list. People cancel. I never go to northwest, so I didn't really judge the amount of time I needed to get there. Tip. If you go down P St, the next cross street is one way. Go past it, do right, right, right and there's a spot that's marked no parking. But it's not. It's diplomatic parking M-F during the daytime. It's a good get. Yes, that's right. My reviews are that good. So because of my excellent parking skills and my terrible understanding of distance we showed up like 20 minutes before our reservation. The table wasn't ready yet, bar was full. It's a little restaurant. I might have been upset, but they sat us out on the stoop and we drank prosecco for 20 minutes. Better than that, we drank on the house. Felt a little weird drinking wine on the porch watching flocks of identically dressed people walk past, but I survived. So anyway, we got seated. We had like four waitresses. All very friendly. They brought out antipasti, which is, apparently, Italian for appetizers. Not a single person in that restaurant was speaking Italian. I know Tarzan learned to speak French from a phonograph record and read English from a Bible, but he was a fictional character. I don't know why people were writing in Italian and speaking in English. But they were. There were a bunch of different little appetizers. They started with some almonds which I'm told were roasted in fennel and olive oil. They were crunchy, but I don't think that's particularly special. I mean, most nuts are crunchy. Then they brought out bread and mozzarella. Not together. There was bread, which was good, but bread is bread. The mozzarella was just a big piece of cheese on a plate with pepper and olive oil. It was pretty fantastic, very soft and cheesy. Sorry. I don't have a developed vocabulary for describing cheese. Trust me though, it was good and cheesy. Olive oil and pepper obviously gets soaked up by bread. That's a pretty basic thing that happens with food. You probably didn't need me to explain to you that you should do that. But apparently there are people out there writing and speaking in different languages who may or may not have been raised by jungle gorillas. So, if that's you, and the language you read happens to be English, then you should know that in civilized society, people often dip bread in olive oil and pepper. It's a sight better than grubworms and bananas or whatever it is you grew up eating. After that they brought out some sort of mutant nubby cauliflower which was inexplicably green. I thought cauliflower was white. It was done up in roasted garlic and breadcrumbs. Seriously exceptional garlic flavor. There was zucchini egg pie that was served cold. Not what I expected. Actually the only thing that didn't impress me. I guess it's kind of a gamble though. I mean, when someone brings you like ten things in a row to eat, odds are one of them won't be insanely delicious. There was shrimp next. But this was no ordinary shrimp. This was the platonic ideal of a shrimp. Fried, juicy, with fresh squeezed lemon and a lemon mayonnaise cocktail sauce that exploded with lemon fresh goodness in my mouth. Like a little crustacean oral orgasm. I recommend it. There were lamb meatballs, which were pretty damn delicious. Some sort of red sauce highlighting a great meatiness that was just fantastic. I know, I know. I ate some poor ewe's child. I'm sure if she was in any way sentient, she'd hate me. But she's a sheep. Sheep is a basic euphemism for mindlessness, so I'm not really worried about retaliation. I think there were some other ones. Maybe one more? Can't remember. I didn't write this down. If I had though, you can bet it would have been in English. The first course, I had a pasta dish. It was the long flat kind, with a ton of butter and huge heapings of fresh jumbo crap mixed in. My friend had quail and wild mushroom. The mushrooms were fantastic, all little and red. I wouldn't have eaten them if I'd have found them in the forest. But if a complete stranger puts them on a plate and charges money for them, I just chow down. It's a miracle any of us survive long enough to die of cancer. But this restaurant gets a whole extra star for not killing me with poisonous mushrooms. Here's something new. Review length is limited to 5000 characters. read more

I recommend this place to anyone who loves food and is not hesitant about trying "different" food. I have been here many times and am always impressed with the food and service. THe only thing that disappointed me was their fish main dish-- a bit too fishy (forgot the type of fish). It seemed as if the chef cooked the vegetable (that came with the dish) in the same pan.... ugh~~~ who wants to eat fishy vegetables? Other than that, everything is great... price, food, service... Will absolutely go back... read more

On April 23, 2010, my now-husband proposed to me at Obelisk when we went to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. It was a total surprise, and the restaurant was just perfect. It is tiny, and the menu is handwritten, changing daily. The chef accommodated our vegetarian request, and everything was amazing. I remember eating purple onion flowers in a cream sauce, the most delicious pasta, and a deep chocolate dessert. And then, of course, lots of tears when he asked me to be his wife. read more

Would have given it a 5 except the only option is prix fixe. The food was quite good but too much of it. They did accomodate my request to change my pasta course to a salad which they created for me. Very well done. The antipasti course was very generous and the cheeses were all wonderful read more

The first thing I noticed about Obelisk was how small the restaurant is. Even though the small space adds to how cozy and intimate it feels, I was kind of put off because of how quiet it was. I felt a bit uncomfortable especially with no music playing because I could hear every table's conversation. The only saving grace in terms of the "mood" of the restaurant was the fun and charming couple sitting in the table next to us. Naturally, we befriended them and had a blast randomly weaving in and out of our tables conversations (Yes, we were THAT close). I couldn't help but notice that the rest of the crowd at the restaurant was not as lively. Perhaps our moods were just mismatched with the ambiance of Obelisk. I imagine it'd be lovely if I were in quiet, mellow, soft mood. To add to the uneasiness, the waitress seemed nervous & uncomfortable when speaking to us. I'm not sure if she was having an off night because she also made several mistakes throughout the night. Nonetheless, she was a sweet girl and gave us an extra dessert to make up for it. Despite initially feeling a little bit uncomfortable with the ambiance and service, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food here was pretty good. The standouts were really the starters & the desserts with my boar chop entree falling in their shadows. The cheese burrata was amazing, the octopus was amazing, the pork belly fois gras was extremely rich & flavorful, the gnocci and ravioli were divine! & for dessert the hazelnut ice cream and chocolate truffles really stole the show. All in all, I'd recommend this restaurant to others and may consider coming back for the food even though the ambiance was not my style. read more

A new all time favorite restaurant. We both had the tasting menu (I don't know if there was an alternative). We also ordered the wine pairings. Everything was excellent and well paced. More to come.... read more

this is a really great restaurant. so great that i thought i was sure to score on prom night after taking my date here. i ordered mushroom soup. it smelled like butt. the soup was good but i didn't get none. the food is still great. but stay away from the butt soup. read more

Ok, writing yet another breathless review of Peter Pastan's small gem of a restaurant is indeed "carrying coals to Newcastle" (or as the old Greeks used to say, "fish to Hellespont"), there is not much original insight here, so I try to be brief (pay heed to earlier descriptions on how to make a successful reservation and don't forget to confirm a day before your visit). What makes eating at Obelisk such a treat is the meal in its totality: the food served, the service, and the ambience. The small space is well thought out, "opened-up" by a dark mirror running along the wall and well spaced tables. The all-women crew was professional, understated, well-informed (on wine and food) and above all, very efficient. If you can start a meal with a breadbasket such as served at Obelisk, (with fine butter and a few marinated olives) you know you are off to a good start. The five anti-pasti were generous, standouts included the burrata, the porchetta, and fava bean bruschetta. Both pasta courses (eggplant-walnut filled gossamer ravioli and a chewy southern style pasta with small meatballs that riffed very convincingly on Sicilian tastes) worthy of mamma's acclamation. The high light for us was the squab (pigeon) dish, a terrific bird served saignant (or almost saignant) - definitely more French than Italian (I have not had pigeon like that except in fine French restaurants). The very small cheese platter was a good preparation for the seasonal desserts (cherries in zagablione and strawberries on terrific shortbread). The cheeses were quite conventional but the grapefruit mostarda enlivened them nicely. Nice final touch with three carefully done mignardises - together with a text-book cappuccino, all very very good. We drank a bottle of Aglianico wine - it matched almost everything we ate that evening (robust flavors) very well. The price/quality ratio in Obelisk is excellent, the size of the dishes and the sequencing done well (as to allow two seatings). Treat yourself to dinner here. read more

Obelisk is hands down one of the best restaurants in DC. A few of my friends are true foodies so I have been taken to many of DC's "top rated" restaurants. I have spent more money than I care to think about on tasting menus at places that are supposed to blow me away. More often than not, I end up leaving those places feeling truly bummed that I spent $120+ when I would have probably been happier at a Chipotle or Sweetgreen. After my first trip to Obelisk, the only thought on my mind was when we would go back. read more

One of the best dinners I've had, ever. It was a very personal dining experience. There are probably no more than 10 tables in the entire restaurant and the menu changes nightly (it is hand written). You have to go all-in, which is not a problem at all. They just start bringing out small plates as starters (fresh buffala, lobster croquettes, bread with a fava bean spread, etc). You get to pick your first and second plates. My second plate of fluke was incredible. Then you take a break with a 3 cheese plate served with various jams. Finally, the dessert comes. Everything is top-notch. And, all things considered, the price of $75 per person (pre-booze, obviously) is on the cheap side. If you wind up in DC, skip the sight seeing and come here. read more

This was our first visit and I can't express enough our gratitude for the most amazing experience we had the other night. It was Northern Italian cuisine executed the most perfect way possible. Outstanding culinary experience. Elegant, cozy and very smart in point if eliminating the noise ambiance, knowledgeable friendly and very professional service and most importantly the amazing food made our evening very memorable. We loved the place so much that reserved out next visit right there on the spot. We highly recommend it to every foodie/gourmet person who would appreciate the creativity and sophistication as well as perfect execution of their cuisine. read more

5 stars for DC despite the decor. Obelisk is located right off of Dupont Circle and it is quite easy to miss, but that somehow adds to the charm. We were staying at the new Klimpton hotel (which is fab by the way) and started arguing that we should have left earlier only to find that we had passed Obelisk twice already. The unassuming location on the second floor of townhouse belies the incredible food in store. The atmosphere is somewhat casual. You hang up your own coats by the door. The space itself is quite small and there are very few tables but alot of attention. Customers ran from groups of hip 20-somethings in black to families in jeans to older couples in suits. The decor is somewhat dated, especially for the price you pay. While Obelisk does what it can with a nice table in the middle, floweres, etc, they seriously need some new flooring and tables (it's a little upscale diner-esque). But, on for the meal. The staff was really friendly and were quite apt at describing all of the dishes and recommending wines. Obelisk also seems to cater to customer needs as I noted the vegetarian selections at the table next to us. The antipasti was great with good cheeses, fried squash balls, etc. Arugula pasta was really fresh and quite light. For the main meal, the fish was cooked quite nicely, but I was slightly confused as to how I was supposed to eat the artichoke presentation before me. For dessert, the grape sorbet is incredible and normally I don't rave about sorbet. But seriously this sorbet was concord grape goodness iced into delightful scoops. Obelisk has great fresh food, and maybe I am a glutton, but I left full, not uncomfortable. I highly recommend it for groups of 4 or less. read more

My girlfriend and I went here for dinner when we were in town for Memorial Day weekend. I was tasked with picking out a restaurant, and based on the reviews here, as well as the ratings distribution, I decided to pick one of our meals to be at Obelisk. At first, we didn't see the entrance; you have to walk up a set of stairs to get into the restaurant. Once we were in, it was easy to get seated once we told the hostess we had a reservation. It's a nice cozy little restaurant - there's not really a good place to wait if you have to, and the overall restaurant itself felt like it was a loft-style apartment that was converted into a restaurant. I really wish I had written this review earlier - I'm struggling to remember what all we had on the five-course menu. The antipasti was delicious; I was a huge fan of the mound of cheese (it tasted like mozzarella, but I'm not certain it was) in oil, along with the boiled eggplant served with a strip of anchovy. For the second course, I ordered the fazzoletti, which was dipped lightly in a cream sauce. Being a very by-the-book pasta guy, I enjoyed the different texture, and the cream sauce wasn't the typical heavy kind of alfredo; it was a bit lighter and complemented the pasta well. I want to say that my girlfriend had some kind of ravioli, but to be honest I just don't remember...I need to look at her camera and look at the pictures! The third course was delicious...I've been into eating various types of fish recently (branzini, barramundi, and now pompano) that I had never had before, much less tried. This wasn't a very buttery fish, but it had a firm texture that made it very pleasant to eat. My girlfriend ended up getting a meat dish (I want to say it was filet mignon, but again my memory betrays me) that was prepared extremely well. The fourth course - assorted cheese - ended up making it hard to finish dessert. By no means was it the cheese selection at Gary Danko, but 2 of the 3 cheese selections given were very heavy and filled me up quickly. We ended up being able to finish dessert (which was delicious as well). For $75 per person, this was a very well-done 5-course meal. The portions were very well-sized. I was also impressed with the variety of food. Even though I've eaten a fair amount of Italian, I had many dishes that were new to my taste buds, thus making it a new experience beyond simply eating delicious food. The service was good (not memorable, but above-average), and all in all it was an enjoyable romantic dinner for a couple of hours. If you're in the neighborhood, I'd definitely recommend it. Given the menu changes daily, you're bound to have some new and exciting dishes whenever you dine there. And I promise to update the review with the exact dishes once I get my hands on my girlfriend's camera! I think she took a picture of the menu...which should make my recollections more vivid... read more

Amazing foods and drinks. The vegetarian option is fun because they don't tell you what is on the menu; they just keep bringing out things. All the desserts are worth trying. read more

I'll have to base this review on my boyfriend's reaction, as I am not really a foodie. In fact, I am probably the anti-foodie. Full disclosure here, I find McDonald's cheeseburgers to be a culinary pinnacle (mmm...mushy AND bland, what more could you want....) But I digress. We actually went to Obelisk about a year ago but since my boyfriend is still talking about it I thought it would be worth writing a review. It is a gem in his eyes so it seems worth it to point other people in the direction of this place. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, but probably would have enjoyed something about a fourth of the cost just as much. Be forewarned, Obelisk is pricey and even after all this time it is still a process to get a weekend reservation there. My summary - if fab food is worth it to you, then by all means, save it for a splurge. If you are more my speed, well, I'll see you at Mickey D's! read more

Overall, it was good. I went here with my mother to celebrate me finally getting my degree. I was a little disappointed in it since I had such high hopes with it being one of DC's best Italian places. The service was pretty good. We started off with cocktails. I got a cosmopolitan spin off that overall I felt was kind of weak on the bourbon. She ordered a prosecco cherry drink which overall, she enjoyed. Started off with some anti pasta misti. The burrata was good, we both (along with the two tables next to us) thought the swordfish belly was a little on the over salted side. The fish croquettes were good, and I loved the panzanella. I enjoyed the giardiniera, but my mom didn't care for it much. For our primi I ordered the soup (can't remember what it was called) which was a bean and kale soup with some pork. I thought it could have used a little more pork, but other than that it was very good. She ordered the pasta dish which had tagliatini with a mushroom and zuchinni cream sauce. For the secondi we both ordered the "steak" since both at the table had to get it. It was a veal served family style on the bone, which was carved at the table. It had a side of chanterelle mushrooms, and a vidalia onion which was stuffed. The steak was cooked well for the most part (nice medium rare for the parts that were sliced) however the meat still on the bone was pretty much still raw so you couldn't pick off as much as I would have liked. Next came the cheese course which was served with a green tomato sweet relish. I enjoyed it, but she wasn't a fan of the relish. For the desert we both ordered the chocolate cake with espresso and toffee ice cream. Overall I loved this and thought the cake was well cooked and had a good texture. I also had the wine pairing throughout the dinner, and while the wines matched well, I wasn't too overwhelmed by anything brought out. Overall it was a good experience and worth going once. Not sure if I'll go back as there's plenty else to try in DC! Sorry for the dark pictures, lighting at night is on the darker side. read more

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My favorite restaurant on the planet. You won't eat the same thing twice - the servers are smart as whips and respect the art of food and wine, all of them! This place is an old school DC classic -- be prepared to be awed. And if you aren't, you don't respect beautiful Italian delicacies. read more

The starting courses were unreal. Each course was thoughtfully arranged with simple and fresh ingredients. I walk by this restaurant all the time and the menu is always changing according to seasonal variations of ingredients. After visiting twice, the only similarities between the menus were the long crispy bread sticks. At 75 dollars for the tasting menu, it's about half the price of Komi's degastazioni menu. I love fine dining in casual atmospheres and obelisk delivers. read more

I don't have a ton of time to write but I did want to note that we loved, loved, loved Obelisk. Great meal, wonderful service and just all around a memorable dining experience. Only 4 stars because, as some of the other reviewers said, the desserts basically sucked. All other courses were stellar though and we'll definitely be back! Also - Yeah, I agree with the dude who said he can't believe this is only #26 on the Washingtonian's top 100. We went to Vidalia (#12) a few months ago and it was definitely not good. This place beats Vidalia by a longshot! But I'll save that for another review... read more