I've been coming to this lovely Italian gem for so many years. It is consistent and delicious and friendly and cozy. Their pastas are perfection. Their menu is simple and it works. We've taken out of town guests, we've taken our son, we've done takeout. One of my favorites is the bucatini with short rib ragu. I always ask for an extra side of buratta, which pair is so nicely with the hearty sauce. read more

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A cute little neighborhood spot. Was in the mood for pasta and decided to go on a whim on a Saturday night. It was crowded but there were still a few seats available. Found it to be a bit louder than I would've liked but I think it was because of the spacing between tables. Came toward the end of the night and got seated and welcomed right away. I ordered the polpette, meatballs to start. They were quite tasty, but the sauce was a bit watery. Think that's just because the meatballs themselves were pretty juicy. Heard the focaccia was a hit, so asked for some of that. I was told they didn't have any left. Which was weird, because then another server came and asked if I wanted bread. I'm glad I said yes because the focaccia is very fresh and was a great addition to the meal. For my main, I ordered the vodka pasta, which was very flavorful and very saucy. I love a good, thick vodka sauce and that's what you'll get here. The one part of the pasta I didn't really enjoy was the chicken inside the pasta. I think I would've preferred a grilled chicken option instead of the chicken that comes in the pasta. That being said, this place is a gem. The prices are great and the portions are hearty. The pasta is thick, you're really coming here for fresh noodles and ingredients. If you want to top your meal off just right, you'll get the chocolate lava cake. Very delicious! Service was good and staff was very attentive! read more

Osteria Al Volo - Polpette - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Service was so nice and accommodating. I felt very welcomed. Food was very yummy, not out of the park Italian but veryyyy very good. Vibe was great too. The window seat on the upper level was great for sunset. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Bufula caprese - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I visited this Italian restaurant to put my friend's lasagna craving to rest. It's somewhat small but comfortable seating with good views of the fire from the open kitchen. I very easily made a reservation on Sat for Monday @ 6:30. I was very happily greeted by a young man who seated me near the window. Once my friend finally found parking and arrived we ordered the Caesar salad and the meatballs as appetizers. Our server was a very friendly young lady (sorry I didn't catch her name) also brought us garlic bread in a cup and dipping oil. Friend's entree was the "lasagna"and I enjoyed eggplant Parmesan (although I had never had it prepared with eggplant pieces mixed with the corkscrew pasta). Well they owe US nothing. I guess the lasagna was good because I never got a taste and it was gone real quick. read more

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If the over 500 reviews and 4.5 star rating hasn't swayed you to come check out Osteria Al Volo yet then let this be your sign. You NEED to check this place out, I am so impressed. My faith in DC food being delicious and affordable has been restored lol. I came to the restaurant on a Friday afternoon at 5:00 pm and we were the first people there. Best decision too because by the time we left it was packed. We parked right up the street from the Line Hotel for free and it was very easy to find a spot. I would say our server was amazing but we were constantly checked up on by all 3 servers in the restaurant, I loved how they tag teamed all the customers to make sure everyone was being helped in a timely manner. Here's what we ordered and my rating, * Sangiovese wine 10/10 divineeee * cod croquette 9/10 * meatballs 8/10 * complimentary bread with olive oil 10/10 * carbonara 10/10 lovedddd it, perf amount of bacon * lasagna 6/10 * short rib ravioli 9/10 * lamb risotto 7/10 Everything was amazing here and the best part was that we spent about 220 and that included 5 dishes, 3 appetizers and a bottle of wine. I can't wait to come back and wish this business all of the success. My food was almost just as good as the pasta that I've had in Italy years ago. Thank you, what's your favorite dish if you've been here before? read more

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Definitely a great small restaurant. The service was just ok I think our server might've been new or not very experienced, but other than that a good experience. The carbonara was really good, I couldn't stop eating it. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Spaghetti Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Volo is a consistently satisfying experience, one of the better Italian options in the city, and not too expensive. They bring out some great table bread, warm and soft, with a tasty dish of olive oil. They change up the options from time to time, but our easy fave is the short rib ravioli, which has short rib inside the ravioli and more outside. Great stuff. It has really deep flavor and mushrooms that taste like they have been soaking in garlic. Yum. For drinks they have a wide variety of wines, a few beers, and my fave: a list of Italian amari for $7 a pour. That's a steal. Try the montenegro, I say. They have been open now for 9 years! And still delivering, that is not easy to accomplish. They have become an absolute staple. read more

It's a hot and humid night in DC and no relief from the heat in the restaurant. Servers should have included a mention on arrival... apologize for the heat blah blah blah whatever the reason but nothing said and instead the tables waved their menus looking for some coolness which never came as the kitchen was hot and the outside was hot and two hots just make it hotter. I had a moment where I thought I can't do this but after reading reviews I had invested in staying to try it out. And it was eh! I enjoyed my dish but I didn't think it was '-shout from the rooftops' fantastic. Mixed feelings but what I am sure of is that it's hot and humid. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Green Kale Fusilli - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We ordered delivery of beef lasagna, pappardelle funghi, short rib ravioli, fried arancini, and two almond galettes. I've never been the sort to like short rib, but it ended up being my favourite dish. what can i say, it's all really good italian food. I always use lasagna as a marker for how good it is. It's not the best lasagna but it's near close. The béchamel sub ricotta makes it feel properly italian, and adds a nice depth and silkiness to it. My one note is that the almond galettes were dry and underwhelming. read more

The service is outstanding in this exceptional Italian restaurant in Northwest Washington. The open kitchen behind the glass is an added bonus. It is great to see the chef at work. Everything is home from start to finish. The bread, salad and sauces are tremendous. There were three of us and we all got something different. Pasta, chicken and ravioli. Everything was cooked and seasoned just right. This place is a gem, give it a try, you will be so glad you did. read more

Everytime I come here I love it. To be honest I gatekeep it more often than I should. So many delicious vegetarian options. Service is always hospitable and kind, wait time is nothing to concern you even though their noodles are hand made. The atmosphere reminds me of how'd I would feel if I was at Ratatoullies restaurant LOL. read more

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This may be my new favorite Italian restaurant in DC! My family and I started off with a bottle of wine (Sangiovese) and it was AMAZING. It was more of a bitter wine, and it had me coming back for another glass lol. For appetizers, we had the Baccala and Polpette and both were very tasty and perfectly made. The sauce with the Baccala was perfect with the taste of the fried ball. With the polpette, the meatballs were perfectly made - very moist and tasty. The tomato sauce was super fresh and well seasoned as well. That was my first time scraping a red sauce off of a plate! For the main course, I had the Carbonara and I will definitely be coming back for it again. The pasta was Al dente, the meat was nice and seared so that it gave a bit of crunch. The sauce was perfectly creamy and savory with the Parmesan added to the sauce. I love this place sooo much and I 100% recommend going. read more

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Very good pasta. Good portions, flavorful and just salty enough, truly al dente. And we love a place that does specials! And they were so kind as to accommodate my request for a red sauce instead of a white sauce. There's an upper dining area where you can get a good view of the open concept kitchen. Also I am obsessed with the tiling on the tables and throughout the restaurant. Such a cute place and honestly I might've missed this if my brother didn't point it out! We came here on a Monday night and it was not too busy but just busy enough to feel cozy and vibrant. There was a large party celebrating a birthday and someone dining alone and a few other small tables. read more

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Option 2: The carbonara is hands down my favorite and never disappoints. The octopus salad is incredible the wine selection is great and the Caesar salad is really good too. Everything feels thoughtfully prepared. read more

Needed last minute reservations and was pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed this dinner. We got there 15 minutes early and they sat us right away. The place itself is small, but it is really modern inside. The food was the best part! All the pastas are made fresh in house and the bread they bring is so soft and delicious. The pasta was meaty and so flavorful. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Bucatini Short Rib Ragu - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had a lovely dinner at Osteria al Volo! Very fresh pasta and delicious sauces. We started with the bread and oil and got some fried arancini to start. The marinara was delicious and I ended up scraping it off of the plate. We each got a different pasta and those were also so yummy. There was a ton of spinach on my tortellini and the cream sauce was so flavorful and the pasta was stuffed well. We were sat upstairs and it was so fun to watch the chef cooking inside of the kitchen. Service was attentive and friendly. We finished the meal with some tiramisu which was super light and not too sweet. read more

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Food was was great, went 3 consecutive days, had the chicken vodka sandwich, service and great and the wait wasn't too long even with the slight crowd . The food hall itself is typically buzzing with movement and noise. read more

Just OUTSTANDING in every way... Food Quality/Flavor, Service, and Value were ALL Excellent! I highly recommend this restaurant for great Italian meals! read more

Really cute and cozy pasta place! Service was great-- everyone was super nice. Ambiance was really nice too-- perfect for a cute date or a good meal with family. I got the fettuccine amatriciana and it was pretty good, but not amazing. I really liked the sauce and the texture of the pasta, but I thought that the sauce could be a bit spicier from my personal taste. Overall, will be coming back to try the other dishes! read more

Osteria Al Volo - Fettuccine Amatriciana - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Probably the best Italian food I've had in DC. Fresh pasta and delicious sauces served piping hot from the pan, enough said right? Great service, open to substitutions. I got Eggplant pasta (alla Norma) but subbed the marinara for the spicy marinara and asked for a different pasta shape, it was absolutely delicious. Crowded on the weekend, high recommend a reservation read more

Osteria Al Volo - Burrata Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My boyfriend was able go snag a last minute reservation, and I'm so glad we ended up coming here! We were seated immediately and drank our beers while dunking the complimentary bread in the delicious olive oil. The waiter even offered to bring us another round of bread, which I always appreciate! We ordered: Seafood Chitarra- 9.5/10 This dish comes with SO much seafood and the squid ink pasta was delicious! It was a tad bit too salty for me. Parpadelle Funghi- 8.5/10 The first few bites were amazing, but towards the end of the dish, the pasta was swimming in a pool of oil. Still delicious. I absolutely want to come back because everyone else's orders at the tables surrounding ours looked incredible! read more

Osteria Al Volo - Seafood Chitarra - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Best pasta from scratch I ever had. Perfection! Great wine pairings too. If you like Italian, I highly recommend.

This is one our favorite spots of Italian food especially fresh made pasta. It's in Adams Morgan so parking can be a pain. We typically use Uber/Lyft to avoid all that hassle plus it's a nice area to walk around a bit after dinner to work off some of those calories and make room for a nice beer at one of the local pubs lol. Service has been consistently good whether it's just 2 of us or a party of 10. We love it here and only wish they were closer to us in Alexandria. read more

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Food: everything we ordered was a hit which included the beef lasagna, seafood chitarra, short rib ravioli and orecchiette in vodka sauce. There was depth of flavor and pasta is all homemade. Service: our server was so sweet and friendly. read more

Full disclosure -- I've only ever ordered takeout/delivery from here, but I can't stop going back to their carbonara. It's some of the best I've had. I've tried some other items but the carbonara to me is one of the best things they do. I'm sure I'll eventually get there in person to dine-in but otherwise, you can't go wrong. read more

My brother and I were looking for a place to eat on the evening of 12/15/2023, we had a place in mind that we wanted to eat at, but they had a long wait. So, we did a little walking in Adam's Morgan, turned to Yelp and came to Osteria Al Volo. We were greeted by a friendly hostess, told the wait was about ten minutes and we were sat shortly afterwards. My brother ordered some wine, I wanted a cocktail, but they do not serve liquor, so I just had water. We ordered meatballs and a Caesar salad as an appetizer to share. The meatballs were okay, they were a little too soft for me and the marinara was not my favorite, I wish the marinara had more seasoning and a hint of sweetness. The Caesar salad was pretty good, I just wish it had croutons. Oh; they also serve bread and olive oil to start with and that was good. For our entrees I got Seafood Chitarra which comes with squid ink pasta and lots of seafood, including salmon, shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari. My brother got the fettuccini bolognese. My meal was pretty good, I was impressed with the amount of seafood, however the meal lacked seasoning. I will say it was better when I heated it up the next day. My brother said he wished he had ordered something different as his meal had the same flavors as the meatballs, he also said his meal was better the next day. The service was good, but overall I was not super impressed and felt this restaurant was average. read more

This is a go-to casual Italian date night spot for us in Adams Morgan. It's low frills and everything seems really fresh, and there's a large window looking into the kitchen where you'll see staff tossing pasta and sautéing. Pasta is always cooked perfectly. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The food was excellent! Highly recommend for Italian food. Service was okay. The servers were quite slow and didn't refill water but won't take off stars from the review cause the food was excellent. The restaurant is cute and intimate. It seemed like a hidden gem with cute seating upstairs and main floor. I would definitely come back for the pasta. Would skip out on the lava cake though read more

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Pasta was okay. I've had so much better around DC. Went there since they were the only one open for reservations. The ambience is nice on the contrast. read more

Best Italian Restaurant I've had period! The service was top notch, the food so delicious, savory and fresh ! The codfish croquettes were a favorite - we had to order a second one! My party also had the spaghetti carbonara which I tasted n was so impressed! I stuck to a typical lasagna that was very cheesy n tasty. The wine we selected was perfect! And best of all, the serving sizes and price were very affordable! I would definitely dine again and highly recommend this restaurant! read more

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OVERALL: cute date night restaurant. It's intimate, food is delicious, and prices are reasonable. FOOD: my table all got the braised beef ravioli. The ravioli is huge and comes fully stuffed. I ate 4 or 5 and was full and still had some leftover. They serve the softest bread - probably some of the best bread I've had. SERVICE: the staff here is top notch. They are so attentive to you and go out of their way to check up on you. We also didn't have a reservation but were told if we finished within a certain timeframe we could take the next table (we had to finish before the next reservation came in). We normally come here to celebrate our friend's birthday and they always give her a tiramisu with a candle on the house. Oh and the Caesar salad was interesting. VENUE: small but super cute and intimate. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Ravioli braised beef - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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If you want an affordable, quaint, and delicious meal, Al Volo is one of the few relatively unscathed places left in AdMo that is worth a damn. Although I'm disappointed they started using cream in it, their spaghetti carbonara is an al dente perfection with a welcome heavy handed portion of guanciale. The star of the show, as usual for the last 6 years I've been frequenting here, is the pork osso buco. Fall apart shank with a beautiful white truffle risotto to cut and balance every meaty bite. A welcome addition tonight was the pappardelle with lamb ragu. I almost feel like this trio was too indulgent but I'll live. I finished the night off with a slice of tiramisu which was perfectly light density lady fingers with a spongey cream. Not overly sweet and a well deserved end to the meal. Wait staff was all polite, attentive, and quick. This place deserves the world and more. read more

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If you're looking for a hole in the wall, cozy italian restaurant in Adams Morgan, this place is it. Snuggled right next to Tacqueria al Lado, Osteria al Volo can be easy to miss. The interior of the restaurant is cozy, with a nice platform of seating that overlooks the street. My friend and I went on a Monday evening and were easily able to get a table, but this place does fill up on weekends as it's a relatively small restaurant. I appreciated the complimentary bread with a garlicky olive oil/balsamic mix to go with it. I got the spaghetti carbonara and would get it again in a heartbeat. The sauce was creamy, flavorful, the pasta cooked perfectly, and they did not skimp on the flavorful bacon! Also, I found the portions to be perfect- large enough so I left the restaurant feeling extremely full, but not too big of a portion. We also got the tiramisu and cannolis to split for dessert and those were delicious as well! The tiramisu was a pretty hefty portion, and the cannolis were so rich and had some great quality chocolate in the filling. My friend and I were able to linger in the restaurant til it closed and never felt rushed. We were well taken care of by our waiter and I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a nice experience. read more

Osteria Al Volo - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Beautiful place, the food was fantastic and our waitress was so nice! Food came out quick as well

Came here with my son as it's just a block from his place. Love that it's authentic Italian food that I miss from Rome. We got the short rib ravioli which was yummy and not too greasy. The Caesar salad was my favorite with its dried sardines. The fried arancini wasn't memorable. The red wine menu pricing started at $12/glass for the house wine. Portions were on the smaller side and we were still hungry afterwards. The staff was ok but not very engaging. The ambiance was cozy and lively for a Thu night. A bit pricey for what it was. read more

The first thing I noticed when I walked into Osteria Al Volo is how glaringly BRIGHT it was inside. It was around 6pm on a fall evening where outside is completely dark, yet inside looked like the interrogation room, with what is essentially spotlights on each table. It kills what could be such a romantic vibe, because the decor and patterned tables is adorable. I'll be honest, I almost turned around and left. I'm glad I didn't, because the service and food were great. I was greeted promptly and given fresh, warm and delicious focaccia bread with olive oil. I had a glass of the house red, which was tasty, but - very skimpy pour in a small glass for $12 a pop. I ordered the Bucatini Short Rib Ragu. It came out steaming hot, the pasta was perfectly al dente and the meat in the Ragu sauce was tender and flavorful. It had large pieces of mushroom, which I enjoyed. The portion was huge as well. If they can work on their lighting situation, it would be the perfect date night or quiet evening out spot. read more

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Have been here many times but haven't had the chance in quite some time. Food did not disappoint. Highly recommend reservations though tonight we went late and easily got in. Service was good as always. Highly recommend read more

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I've never been in person but I order from here all the time. The pasta is always so fresh and the serving sizes are pretty good. My go-to place when I'm craving some pasta!! read more

Had family in town and came here for dinner and everyone was really happy with their food. The portions were very generous, fairly priced and every dish was tasty. We arrived around 6:30 and by the time we left the place was packed with people waiting out the door, if that tells you anything. The servers were all very kind and friendly. The menu is somewhat small with a few additional specials posted on a board. The wine and beer list is also pretty small. The reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is the kitchen is open to the restaurant and at times the smoke and aromas got to be overwhelming. As the place filled up it also got extremely loud. I would 100% return for the eggplant pasta, it was perfectly al dente and so tasty. My boyfriend also enjoyed his lasagna as did the others who got the bolognese. read more

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Great Italian food in DC (which can be hard to find). I highly recommend this place. I came here on a whim and tried their pasta dishes. Would come back again soon. read more