First I have to say the food and the service were excellent. Very prompt and everything was incredibly delicious, especially the Calamari and the Chicken parmesan -- best I've ever tasted. However. I ordered the squid-ink pasta with crab, and the waiter said they were out of crab. That dish goes for $28. He suggested one of the specials, the house-made linguini with lobster. I didn't ask the price, and he didn't offer it. I thought he was offering a roughly equivalent dish for a roughly equivalent price. Only when I get the bill do I see that my small bowl of pasta, with about a tablespoon of lobster on top, was $55! More expensive than the ribeye and the "lamb two ways" on their menu, and double the cost of the dish I wanted. I thought he was very deceitful and I walked away resentful, even though it should have been on me to ask. I hope everyone who goes here will ask how much the specials are, because it made me suspect that they are trying to get you to spend much more than you intend by making you feel embarrassed to ask the price -- you know, like, if you have to ask, you can't afford it. I probably won't be back just because I left feeling really icky about the whole thing. read more

Ordered the Filet. It's served on top of a salsa verde sauce. The sauce is made with anchovies and is incredible pungent and overpowering. There's is no mention of this on the menu what so ever. We ended up sending them all back. Why would anyone want a fish based sauce on their steak?! And if you're going to do that, let people know in the menu, or have the waiter tell them up front. If you like your steak to taste and smell like fish, this is your place. read more

Food is excellent but portioned very small. This is a ***low price to value restaurant*** In our group we had 3 *micro-mini* appetizers, 5 *very small* pasta dishes and a bottle of wine. $429.00 !!! The service was mind boggling. We had 4 (yes 4) different waiters within an hour and a half, none being attentive at all. I had to get up numerous times for an extra utensil, napkin, straw, water etc. Again, the food was excellent but we won't be returning for a long, long time. read more

Was here on a Saturday night at the wharf. But first of all I have to say, the wharf is overrated. We came to Officina after trying to get in to all the other restaurants at the wharf. The ambience was obviously nice, a modern and classy vibe. Although the music was far too loud, we couldn't hear each other talking over the sound. It took a while for the food to come out, the portions were small but the food was ok. Although prices were very high. For sure not worth and I would not recommend this place. If your going to the wharf, go for some drinks, not the food. read more

Very bad pgnoli cookies and other items on the menu. I expected great quality, given the price I paid for the food items, however it is nothing but an overhyped and expensive bad quality italian shop. I will never go there again and wouldn't advise my friends from going there also. read more

Enjoyed a lovely brunch with friends at Officina recently. First, the restaurant space itself is impressive, large and open and airy and spread out across multiple floors in a premium waterside location at the Wharf. Very nice views of the water from the upper floors. As for the food, we shared the burrata as a starter, which was so wonderfully decadent and delicious that we ended up ordering a second one. For our main dishes, two of us got the eggs in purgatory, and another person ordered a frittata with vegetables. The egg dishes were very tasty and satisfying. We also ordered sides of pancetta, which was a huge portion, and the spinach with olive oil and lemon, which was also a pretty generous size and nicely prepared. The spinach seemed fresh and was just lightly sauteed. We also enjoyed a couple of desserts, a chocolate hazelnut one and another that involved lemon cream, both of which were very nice. We rounded out the meal with various beverages, including a bloody mary, a mimosa, and a very nice rosé wine. While not inexpensive, the breakfast (or "colazione") dishes seemed relatively reasonably priced and reasonably portioned. (In contrast, though, another friend who dined here separately with others, all of whom ordered pasta and risotto dishes, said that their portion sizes were very inconsistent, with some of the dishes, like the risotto and the ravioli, being quite small and ultimately unsatisfying, whereas others, like the bucatini, were quite generous.) Beyond the good food and the attractive setting, what really set our experience apart was the service. Our server Devon (I hope I spelled his name right) was truly outstanding -- attentive, friendly, polite, and happy to share his thorough knowledge of the menu to help us decide what to order. When we finished our meal, he even took the time to escort us to the roof deck so that we could satisfy our curiosity, even though it wasn't open at the time. That kind of wonderful service is a rarity and what really made our meal a 5-star experience. read more

Food is good, but nothing spectacular. Portions are very small, you will definitely need to order more than just one thing. The arancini are okay - not a ton of flavor inside as I wanted. Tried two pastas and they were good but not great. Very pricey - not worth it in my opinion. Would rather go to Centrolina, pastas melt in your mouth there (seem fresher). It is a very nice restaurant as far as the atmosphere and ambience goes - probably a cool place to just grab a drink if you're already in the area. Service was very good, very attentive. Food took a little longer than one would usually expect - probably around 30 minutes. read more

We had a lovely time at Officina for our 5th anniversary! We had asked for a quiet table because it was a special day and they gave us a gorgeous table on the balcony overlooking the water. The staff was very kind -- our waiter in particular was so attentive and warm, and made us feel so welcome. And the food was delicious. We had the burrata appetizer, the scallops and the tuna, which were all heavenly. For dessert we chose a creamy chocolate something-or-other with sour cherry gelato, it was wonderful! The bread basket is out of this world. The space is very nice -- inside it is a little noisy but the balcony was quiet and beautiful. It was definitely a splurge for us, but worth every penny. We didn't make it to the rooftop bar or the market, but we hope we can come back sometime! read more

Amazing service and excellent food! Went for a birthday celebration and had drinks at the rooftop bar - a beautiful and very comfortable area with outstanding bartenders. Went to dinner and got a small table for 3 right in the middle of the dining room. The noise level was probably my only real issue with the restaurant but after the large table next to us left, the problem solved itself. From start to finish our service was amazing! Michael, the manager (?), was phenomenal and our waiter (I apologize but I don't remember his name!) was wonderful and attentive. When our second course was taking a little too long to come out Michael arrived with a delicious arugula salad and the even better burrata antipasto, on the house. He saved a spot for us to enjoy an after-dinner drink back out at the rooftop bar which, unfortunately, we couldn't take advantage of! He brought me a box of cannolis to bring home as a consolation gift. Wait, did I mention the calamari, the pasta dishes, the ribeye, and the ridiculously delicious potatoes? All delicious as was the bottle of wine recommended by the sommelier- which pleased all three of us although we have very different tastes. There are many beautiful restaurants on the Wharf now, but not many offer a memorable experience as far as food and service is concerned. Officina is the exception and I highly recommend it! read more

I was left exceptionally underwhelmed with this establishment. Its one saving quality is the decor-quite fashionable, but that's about all I can say in terms of the good. I went here on a Friday afternoon mid March with my aunt and step grandmother (the latter treated us.) When we arrived, it was almost empty except for maybe 6-8 people. So why did it take at least 35 minutes for bread and oil to come? The bread was toasted far too long-it was borderline too crunchy and stiff to chew. We ate it nonetheless because we were quite hungry. Our appetizers took another 18 minutes to arrive (keeping in mind it was not even close to busy) and the arrancini we ordered were barely average-it honestly could've been fried frozen section stir fry rice balls with little bits of sausage in the middle. I got a calamari dish that was lukewarm-LUKEWARM calamari covered in this strange, orange, creamy/bitter sauce with little pickled pepper slices and some type of cabbage. It was about 15$ and do you know how much I got? The plate was a bit smaller than a whopper. 15$ for a whopper sized bowl of less than sub par. My step grandmother ordered 20$+ dollar risotto (I believe it was pecorino romano risotto, or some similar white, nutty cheese). It was Kraft Mac n Cheese yellow. Undercooked. Tasted nothing of the cheese it was supposed to contain. And, surprise surprise, lukewarm. My aunt ordered a mushroom pasta dish-the cream sauce was simply bizarre. There is no other word to describe it. Simply bizarre in taste, texture (thin, thick, and almost cold. Somewhere around the mouthfeel of warm salad dressing, alfredo sauce, mayo, and watered down Campbell's tomato soup if you could imagine the texture). The pasta was gummy. Mushrooms were fine I suppose-its pretty difficult to mess those up. But it was, once again, served on a whopper sized dish and was lukewarm. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. I saw at least 10 cooks and/or chefs and sous chefs in the kitchen so it was not for lack of staff that the food was terrible and the wait time so long. Too expensive, the food seemed (and I hate to say it) lazy and misguided, and it felt like more effort, time, and money went into aesthetics instead of effecient and effective service and quality food. I would not recommend in the slightest in less you feel alright with spending a pretty penny on an undesirable Italian restaurant and bar. read more

Amazing dinner for our family holiday celebration. We were a party 7. Everyone loved loved their meal from the antipasti of calamari and pulpetta to our entrees of various pastas and carnes. We got the veal chop, pork chop, duck, and branzino. Everything was amazing. We all had to get dessert just to see how they executed. Officina did not disappoint from cocktails to dessert. Staff were friendly and welcoming and we had a beautiful view at the corner table overlooking wharf. read more

The dinner experience went from unsurprising, to nauseating, to delightful. The overall culinary experience is disappointing. Steer away from the beef cheeks, I hadn't seen such a poor cut being served in a restaurant before. The pistachio gelato seems to be missing a key ingredient, pistachio. The highlight of the night was the exquisite Panna Cotta, that presented a well put together melange of flavours. No reason to come back for lunch or dinner, but a dessert in the café area still seems quite alluring. read more

Just experienced really poor experience. Had moderate expectations and both service and food were a great disappointment.

Solid "okay". Went for an anniversary with my partner and have had much better experiences for special occasions. At Fiola Mare and Casa Luca they gave us champagne, card and dessert - this was a different experience. The hostesses were lovely but the waiter was a dud. Didn't introduce himself or make any attempt to make us feel like we were welcome - he seemed to check in with other tables but not ours. The food was fine and the ambiance is modern/cool, but we've had much better interactions and experiences elsewhere. Will most likely not return based on the lack of hospitality and service. Too many other options in this city. read more

This place has horrible service! We waited 20 mins for anyone to even acknowledge us after we were seated. And the place was only 20% full. Three times when a waiter passed us, and we tried to get his attention, he just ignored us and came back later looking irritated, to ask what we needed. Will never be back. I'm giving it a little more than 1 star only because the cappuccino was decent. read more

Food is mediocre. Had the calamari, tortellioni, beef cheeks (could not have more than one bite-weird taste), and rum cake. The cake was the best part of the entire meal (and dessert was OK). read more

This place is exceptional! Service -Food- Atmosphere- Especially our server Danny! He was very knowledgeable of the food items, drinks, and paid attention to detail...he made our dining experience memorable! This is probably my favorite steak house in town! read more

Bad experience today for lunch. Very few options, pizza was not good, kids pasta was not good... left upset with our experience. Very nice ambience but food has to improve 100% read more

We were seated on the patio celebrating a birthday and it seems like our table fell off of the service chart. It took us 40 minutes before anyone came to our table for drink orders. Despite the fact we only saw our waitress, Tayler, 1 hour and 45 mins into a 2 hour dinner after we had to ask the bussers for the dessert menu, the sommelier Christian was great. He welcomed us, took our drinks and food orders, and even saw the food throughout the main meal. If you're looking for good waterfront Italian food go to Osteria Morini in Navy Yard. read more

I had such high expectations for this place because I read about it in the Washingtonian. My family and I went just for an afternoon drink and snack and were very disappointed. The waiter acted like it was a burden to take our order; our drinks were served on a platter that had another table's dirty drinks on them; the cheese plate (awful!) had the worst presentation I have ever seen at a "nice restaurant" (there wasn't even a drizzle of honey or nuts and it cost like it should have had gourmet fixings to go along with the cheese); the bathroom didn't have toilet paper; and our silverware and napkins had hair on them! I will never go back or recommend this place to any of my friends or family. read more

Officina is simply sublime! Chef Nicholas Stefanelli, the Michelin-star Chef of the Masseria, now brings us authentic southern Italian cuisine from Puglia, the source of his Italian roots, in an amazing new space in D.C.'s newest neighborhood--The Wharf. We were so delighted with our first dinner there -booked the first week of the restaurant's opening - that we booked our second dinner reservation on the spot! It is a wonderfully romantic space on the waterfront with a diverse and palate pleasing menu served by an exceptionally well trained and attentive staff. Our waiter, Tao, ensured that everything arrived at our table promptly and piping hot; charming Natalie ensured that we were able to select the perfect bottle of wine to complement our meal at a reasonable price, and Corey Black, the manger, brought everything together for a seamless and attentive dining experience. And yes ... we have already made reservations for our next visit to what is now our new favorite restaurant in DC! read more

The service was great the food was good and Julio was outstanding. I would definitely recommend this place.

This restaurant is beautifully designed and really quite stunning visually... a great place to have a drink. Sadly, the food portions were so small, that I left feeling unsatisfied. I don't understand why these new upscale DC restaurants cannot provide a REASONABLE food portion. I'm not asking for huge portions here, but an entrée should be more than two bites on a plate. The prices were so high that when our order arrived, I was so embarrassed for the two European clients I invited to lunch that I took them somewhere else after we ate here, to actually EAT.... read more

The food was good and red wine was delicious. But you need to make a reservation if you want to enjoy this place without waiting

Mediocre at the best. I just had a quick lunch at the cafe with my family. Fries were cold and soggy, the tomatoes in the burgers were ice cold. The burgers were just burgers, nothing more than average. I'm italian, and from a place that charges 12$ for a small draft moretti beer, I honestly expect something more. read more

Great new restaurant, market and rooftop bar. It has it all, great food, amazing atmosphere and very attentive staff. Our waiter, Sam, made great recommendations from wines to desserts and every recommendation was a home run. Get in there while you can, once the word is out it will be tough. I'd give it ten stars if I could. read more

Officina was great, the ambiance was nice as well as the location. A con I have for the restaurant was the waitstaff, there were too many of them!! We had about 8 waiters come to our table throughout the course of the night. I felt as though I couldn't get a sentence in without someone stopping by to grab a plate or ask us how we were doing. All of the waitstaff were extremely nice however it was overwhelming! I would have loved to relax and enjoy our meal rather than quickly being moved from course to course and getting the check 3 minutes after our final bite. Besides that the food was delicious and the drinks were great, I am willing to give it another chance. read more

I have never left a restaurant so ANGRY and DISAPPOINTED. For a restaurant that costs so much, I would have expected better service, better people, overall more humanity. My daughter got an allergic reaction or food poisoning from the food. We told the staff about how she didn't feel well after her food. She was rolled up in a ball on the seat. Nobody came by to ask if she was ok - which I can live with. But then when we asked the manager about ingredients, he expressed no concern over our 5 year old daughter, pale and dizzy in her seat. Never offered to replace her food, never tried to get to the bottom of what may have caused, maybe allergy, maybe bad food. Nobody offered any assistance, so we got our check, paid and left. As I carried my daughter in her ill, limp body, we saw that manager again. Didn't say a word to ask how she was, whether there was anything we needed - water or a bag to be sick in. I'm not sure this is service, but I am sure that I will never come back to eat here. One of the reasons why we pay to eat out is to feel like a valued customer. Instead we felt like an ATM that just paid money for food. If you want to pay $100 to feel like nobody, go to Officina. read more

Great atmosphere and selection of pastas! The location is very nice at the Wharf with a view of the water. I wouldn't say its the best Italian place but still good! The service was very nice as well!! read more

The worst service I've ever had in DC. The food was good, but everyone was so rude that it ruined the experience. Similar to another reviewer, we were seated 40 minutes after our reservation time and no one did anything to make up for it. Would not recommend to anyone. There are so many enjoyable experiences in the city--do not waste your time here. read more

This restaurant was surprisingly disappointing. We had heard so much buzz we assumed it would be good. The food was so bland, which you should never say about Italian! It was surprising lacking in anything memorable about the food. Our sever was not at all helpful. We asked her for recommendations on cheese and her answer was "this one is soft and that one is hard." which by the way is on the menu. She was not able to describe anything on the menu beyond what was already written when asked. The only reason I am giving it two stars is because the cocktails were good. read more

I went for a late lunch for restaurant week, was pleasantly surprised to find that the choices were not limited and I got to choose from complete menu. I chose 4 courses for 40 plus 10 supplement if I wanted the cheese course in place of the dessert. It's 22 for 3 courses. I ordered the salt cod, tuna and rigatoni, eggplant parm, then cheese course, soft cows milk, a semi hard sheep's milk and a dry pecorino. The salt cod potato mixture was light and full of flavor, with hints of lemon and mint. It was served with thick cut of grilled light sourdough bread, with touches of light buttery olive oil. The olive oil tuna rigatoni was perfectly cooked, with baby artichoke leaves dotted through out, the olive oil did not have much flavor but was buttery, the tuna was velvety and beautifully oil poached or cured. This dish exemplifies what I love about Italian food, using only 4 to 5 ingredients and having each one shine. The eggplant Parmesan I was a little nervous about ordering but it was lovely, tangy tomato, crisp and earthy tomato, milky lovely mozzarella in a layered lasagna style. A lot of care went into this dish. I opted for cheese course, the soft cows milk cheese was pleasantly funky, the semi hard sheep milk cheese was gritty and flavorless, pecorino was nutty, sweet and briny, it comes with a potent orange marmalade and toasted crusty sesame bread. My bread was a little too hard for my liking. The service was attentive, the waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and invited the som to answer questions about the wine list. Which is massive and exciting. The prices can daunting but the som walked me through my price range and style that I was looking for, I got a Nebbiolo for 70 and it was round but also sharp in old world style which was exactly what I was looking for. Being unfamiliar with this restaurant I asked the waiter to make sure I wasn't rushed through my dishes. I was sat at 2:30 so I know they were closing for lunch and the tendency some restaurants have to push things along quickly to close down for lunch. I was hoping that at this price point that wouldn't be the case but I wanted to make sure. I was a little perturbed when the waiter approached me during my first course informing me that the next course was ready and I still was eating my first course. I informed him that I specifically asked not to be rushed and he went to inform the kitchen. It put a damper on meal knowing there was probably food under a heat lamp waiting me to finish my cod, which I finished off with my focus on my service and instead on savoring my meal. The second course came immediately after my plate was cleared from first course. The waiter approached me during my second course to introduce the replacement waiter and to assure me that my order would be only be fired after I completed my current course. The timing from then on was perfect. I thought it odd that only once my wine glass was poured by the waiter who asked permission if she could. The only other issue I had with service was during the change to dinner service there were carts of mise en place right in front of my table, not bothering to divert a little for my sake and as I was finishing my delicious moscato di asti, waiters were loudly talking and mulling around, 4 feet away from me, it's a long restaurant, no need to be under my nose. It was incredibly discourteous and none of the management seemed to care. It was unwelcoming and I finished my lunch with a lovely buzz from wine and food but feeling that there was no sincere service. So I suggest Officina if you want more casual style of dining with pretensions or notes of the professional. And elegant homey Italian fare Just a quick note on the space itself, banquet was ok as far as comfort, color was amazing. It's a hodgepodge of things there, 50s French lighting, Austrian shaped chairs but skeletal like outdoor marseille seating, bathrooms erte deco ish. It was fun and a little all over the place. read more

Great service, but the food just tasted a bit off. The calamari had bitter cabbage, but I pushed through because the calamari was cooked properly. The pasta dish with duck confit has way to much salt that I had to return it to the kitchen. The server was really great about allowing me to take another pasta dish. The tortellini tasted much better but was unfortunately drenched in oil. I could turn the tortellini over and have pools of oil within it. For dessert, the ice cream selection was delicious! Unfortunately the cannoli was more savory for my preference. read more

the positives: the space is absolutely beautiful. great atmosphere. a restaurant where you walk in and you say...ooohhh. this is where it stopped for me. areas for improvement: sat at the chef's table in the upstairs restaurant on a wednesday evening. it took about 10 minutes for the waiter to come over to give us water. another 15 for her to return to take our order. we had to flag her down to get her attention. we actually had to flag her down for everything. more water. the check. come pick up the check. ridiculous. then the food....blah. gnocchi was bland with zero flavor. i ate a few bites then just quit. my friend had some form of steak...i dont eat meat but she said it was really salty. overall just a very disappointing experience. from the service to the food. the 2 stars are for the 1 positive. read more

This place is a ripoff. You'll spend $40 on an entree and it's an appetizer side. I asked the manager why their portions are so small and she said it's because you're supposed to order more food. Basically they're trying to be like an Italian style tapas restaurant but charge you the entree price. The rooftop is fun for drinks but I won't have dinner here again. read more

Beautiful space. Food is delicious but overpriced and tiny portions- you won't get value here. Service needs a serious evaluation. I made a reservation and the hosts attempted to seat me and my very pregnant friend at a bar, aka the chefs table. Had to go back downstairs to the host stand and wait to be re-sat at an actual table. We had 3 different servers come up to take our order. Also, we were asked more than several times if they could clear our plates when we were still eating. Not to mention, some of the staff are a bit off putting. A very annoying and expensive experience and also embarrassing since I brought my friend there who's visiting from out of the country. Will not be returning. read more

The best view with the worst service ever. More than half hour waiting for a server that never arrived. Walked to the bar and another half hour for expensive drinks that didn't cut it. Too bad when there are plenty of options around read more

We arrived 15" late, it's true -bad traffic. I called to let them know. Website says they will hold tables 15". Upon arrival, we were told they couldn't seat us right away, but "soon." 40" later, we left to make our show with a half-assed apology and empty stomachs. Cannot recommend. read more

Special occasion met with perfection. Impressive fresh pasta al dente with cauliflower and raisins. Superb fennel Salsiccia. Well timed service. Great selection of liquor. Ask for a gin and tonic with Monkey 47 and cucumber. read more

I can not rave enough about this restaurant. I wandered in one day and keep coming back. The market has everything Italy you could want. The cafe is casual with great sandwiches. The lounge is comfortable and I learned about Amaro from Doug.. the terrace has breathtaking views. My first visit I was greeted by a host (LoriAnn) who gave me a tour and assured me that I would be treated like I was a celebrity even though I was in jeans and a tee-shirt. The next time I brought my family and she was there. She took our coats, walked our drinks upstairs, played with the baby, pulled out chairs and gave the best conversation. She is Amazing!!! Always dressed beautifully and smiling! I have never met a host that really makes you feel at home as she does. We talk about this young lady to all our friends. She is genuine every time we come in! Our server (Devin) was also amazing. Full menu knowledge and sweet. I have also met Corey who made sure we were well taking care of. Food..to die for.. Staff..Amazing Building...beautiful I will return again and again.. read more