Excellent food and wine list. Interesting menu. Warm, attentive service and charming ambience. What more could you ask for?

Let's remove everything that isn't related to food. First of all, the olives were absolutely delicious!, I've eaten whole olives before, and these were amazing! Their antipasto was to die for, the main course, hey, I've eaten Italian and must say, this place's dishes were orgasmic. The waiter was the utmost! I will come back a year later to celebrate the time I took my girl there! Sincerely, Jaime & Kellie. Devout Trump supporters! read more

Came in here expecting that it would be overhyped. I was wrong. Incredible Italian food and affordable as bonus. My fav Italian food so far. The rigatoni truly met the hype, the whipped ricotta and octopus were mind blowing, the dessert was even better. You can make the ambiance however you want it to be. I finally get the the hype read more

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Came here on weekday night with no reservation and was seated immediately. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I started off with the whipped ricotta toast which was AMAZING, seriously the highlight of my night and I wanted to order like 5 more. The bread to cheese ratio may look intimidating at first but the QUALITY of the ricotta + truffle oil + honey made it the perfect balance I also ordered the squid ink linguini pasta which was also just delicious. The prices may be a little on the higher side but you definitely get what you pay for. There's also a pretty good deal on happy hour on weekdays. I'm 100% coming back! read more

The Red Hen - Squid Ink Linguini Pasta - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Lives up to the reviews! Chefs kiss! Michelin guide never disappoints and this restaurant delivered in food, service and ambience!

This was our first visit to Red Hen while visiting family in the D.C. area, and the first time I felt moved to offer a Yelp review of a meal. The Red Hen's ambiance and service were great, but my meal was strange in its presentation and poorly prepared. I may be old-fashioned, but when I order a meal featuring a pork chop I expect to see it on the plate, not be literally buried under 2-3 inches of red cabbage and apple slices. The chop was overcooked and not very tasty. A couple of others in my party found their Mafalde pasta entrées disappointing, "nothing special" to quote my wife, although our two appetizers were quite tasty. Unfortunately, the overall experience was disappointing. The items ordered were: Crispy Pork Chop Milanese; Mafalde Pasta read more

What a horrible restaurant. The staff was rude and made us feel like we should be honored they were open to serve us. The food was average at best but atmosphere killed our enjoyment. Management needs to get a grip and come to terms that people have choices. read more

I love the extra effort at customer service. I love the simple menu. I love the display of the chefs in the kitchen. I love amazing aromas smelled all over the restaurant. I love the drinks. And I love the food. It is delicious and the CACIO I PEPE was the best I've ever had in my life. read more

The Red Hen - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Visited my bestie in DC and she selected The Red Hen as our dinner spot for my first night there. This is one of her favorite restaurants in the city, so I was super pumped to try a fellow foodie's favorites. We were a group of four, and ordered 4 pasta dishes and two toasts to share. The dishes are smallish portions, but perfect to try a few delicious things. I'll start with the toast - it was INCREDIBLE. I feel like I could eat 10 of these toasts and remember the flavor as if it was yesterday (mind you, I dined there in June of 2018). The mushroom toast was savory, silky, super good. We also got a ricotta toast which was sweet. We ordered 4 pastas, and without a doubt my two favorites were the rigatoni and cacio e pepe (it's off the menu). In my opinion it shows great skill to make simple ingredients really shine, and Red Hen does just that. I washed down my meal with a couple of glasses of red wine. It was pure perfection. I'd suggest a reservation as it seems to get pretty packed. It's a really cozy atmosphere, and the service was great as well. Will definitely visit again when in the area. read more

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Went here lasts night for dinner around 7pm with my husband. We had a reservation that I booked a few weeks out so maybe not a place you can just make a reservation day of. On the inside it's very farm-to-table-y style as in lots of wood used in interior design and soft/dim lighting. To me, it was almost looked game-of-thrones-y, like you could drink ale out of one of those metal mugs but maybe that's pushing it, also pushing it with making up adjectives so going to move on. We each got a cocktail, and we tried each other's. They were the "boulevardier of broken dreams" and the one that is something like "if you got 'em, smoke 'em." I liked them both but think the boulevardier one is probably more my speed. We got the bread with cultured butter and anchovies, which was yummy. Oh and they give you olives as a free appetizer--FYI,not bread--so if you're one of those people who never learned to like olives, now you know. We split 3 pastas--the rigatoni, which they say is their signature one and seem to really recommend (via mobile when they are confirming your resy via text message and in person via server), the mafalde, and the linguini with clams. They said the pasta is all made in house. I think the pasta portion is a bit small if that's all you're getting--you'll need to order other stuff to be full in my opinion. However, the pastas are on the heavier side, either with cream or Parmesan cheese. Personal preference--not criticism--but I prefer a lighter pasta with less sauce than they put in the pastas BUT they texture of the pastas was really good-chewy but still al dente so appreciated that. So in conclusion I think this place is good overall, would recommend, but also not in a hurry to go back. read more

The Red Hen - Bread with cultured butter and anchovies - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Terrific, creative food. Always something new to experience- ramp toasts, pasta with spring peas, pea shoots, and a bit of lemon zest. Most amazing pork Milanese and best grilled octopus!! read more

Im not crazy about the food here like so many others are. It's not authentic and i like authentic. I also like place where i can at least not see the roaches crawling up the walls as my friend i was dining with did a got this photo. The server acted as if it was an everyday occurrence and brought us complimentary gelati. I couldnt even finish my meal and sure didnt was dessert which is apparently the prize you get for catching a roach on film. I know one thing, where there's one words there are hundreds haven't been there since I don't plan on going back. read more

The Red Hen - Roaches! - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

During a business trip in DC, my friends and I were lucky to snag a res at The Red Hen. What a gem of a restaurant! Attentive, friendly service and a tantalizing menu based on seasonal ingredients. They were also offering 30% off champagne which was a nice start to the meal. we shared the Aaron Cheney, the whipped ricotta toast, and the duck pate for appetizers (feta was the winner!) Unfortunately I had to steer away from the pasta selections due to a gluten sensitivity, but I enjoyed the seared scallops, which were delicious and a generous portion. We also tried the charred octopus which was tender and flavorful. Save room for dessert - the hazelnut torte was over the top (a homemade and way tastier Nutella-like cream topped a moist sponge cake and homemade ice cream and crumble). My new fave in DC read more

Love love love!! As my boyfriend said at the end of the night, we found our new favorite Italian restaurant. Everything was incredible from the wine to the cocktails to the starts and entrees. The highlights were the brussel sprouts, the mezzo, and pork chop. Get them all they were all unbelievable!!! Highly recommended and cannot wait to return! read more

Fantastic on all fronts. [important sidenote: they take reservations for about 50% of their tables. The other 50% are walk-ins so if you get there early, you can get a table.] I had not seen my friend, Marc, for 6 months, and so we decided to treat ourselves to this delicious gem of a restaurant. Food is insanely good- everything we tried was delicious. Not a bad item on the menu. Service is very professional. Decibel levels can get high. Will be back. read more

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Red Hen is a gem not to miss. When I am asked by friends, "Where should I eat in D.C.?" I always answer, "Red Hen." Earlier this month, we celebrated my son's birthday at Red Hen, and, as always, it was exceptional. Before I go into the excellent cuisine, I should underscore how the service at Red Hen is tremendous. It is obvious the folks on Team Red Hen love what they do and believe in enterprise. From the moment you walk in, and throughout your visit, you cannot help but feel at home. We started with the prosciutto, ricotta crostini, and the chicken liver mousse. They were all fantastic. Then, for our second course, we showed restraint and only ordered the burrata, octopus, and arancini. I say restraint because, like the starters, it's hard to select just three. It is the same issue with the pastas, yet we went with the rigatoni (a classic for a reason), the squid ink linguini, and the creste di Gallo. All were delicious. The creste was new to us and is worthy of a place on the Red Hen menu. We ended the savory part of our meal with the pork Milanese because it was essential to save room for Red Hen's exceptional desserts. The Milanese was pork perfection. The preparation was perfect for a cold night. While the Milanese changes seasonally, in my experience, Chef Mike and Team Red Hen always know what we're craving. This time it had cabbage, bacon, and mustard cream - sensational. For dessert, we shared the carrot cake, sticky toffee pudding, and a few gelatos. I am forgetting the gelato of the day, I think it was espresso cookie...it doesn't matter, all their gelato is worth it. The pastry chef is an artist, and the desserts are not an afterthought, they are memorable. We "chased" the desserts with Americanos, which were hot and perfect. Do not miss Red Hen. It's insanely popular for a very good reason. read more

I love it because they have the best rigatoni i love it it'z da stuff that makes your stomach warm -- Benji, Age 8 read more

The Red Hen - Rigatoniiiiiii - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If you're craving really good traditional Italian food in DC - come here. I went to the red hen twice and was not disappointed. Inside is really cute, dark, vibey - feels like a nice Italian spot. Loud and lively. I got the different kinds of toasts which were amazing and you don't need bread service if you're getting the ricotta toast for example. People come here for the rigatoni and I'd say that's exactly why you should come here. It's the best pasta on their menu. It's traditional sausage, red sauce, really satisfying if you want to hearty bowl. We also split an affogato at the end, which was a great way to end a meal. read more

The Red Hen - Mezzi Rigatoni Pasta - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Heard about this on Tik Tok and was so excited to go! I was SO pleased. The ricotta toast was so unique and delicious. My friend kept saying it was the best thing she'd ever eaten. The free olives they gave us were just fantastic. We both don't like green olives usually and both greatly enjoyed them. We split our pastas and absolutely loved both of them. The mushroom one blew us away, seriously. The butter cake had a unique twist with the citrus. It was not as soft as desired but great flavors. We will be returning! read more

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Really great place with inventive food, excellent service and fun vibe. Whipped ricotta bruschetta was delicious and pork Milanese the juiciest best ever. read more

This place is killer! Mainstay in Bloomingdale, they were able to quench my burrata craving. They paired the burrata with grapes and hazelnuts. Normally, I am a strictly tomato/basil/burrata combo customer. I was blown away at how sympatico the dish was. Also ordered the mezze rigatoni and the portion was large in a good way-- I was able to eat some for dinner, and then save some for a little late night fare. Also worthy mention: the staff carefully packaged all the take-out, storing the burrata in its own container so it didn't sog. In this COVID-era, well packaged take-out shows the customer that you appreciate their order. read more

The Red Hen - Burrata appetizer - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Yummy Italian cuisine in the cool part of NE DC with a relaxed romantic atmosphere. We went for a bit of a stretch with the squid ink linguini. Very different, but the spices described didn't really come through, possibly before of the ink's strong flavor. read more

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I came here with some friends a few weeks ago, and we really enjoyed the refined but unpretentious atmosphere, the friendly servers, and the attention to detail in the delicious food. We tried the Arancini, polenta, and 3 of the pastas: Mafalde, Linguini, and Crete di Gallo. To our slight surprise, the vegetarian Mafalde was by far the best one, that we all kept going back for more of. I've been to Red Hen a time or two before and what I find really impressive is that they continuously and gently change up the menu and maintain a very high level of consistent quality. It's a great neighborhood place for a minor celebratory meal or a nice dinner with good friends. read more

The Red Hen - Clockwise from Left: Polenta, Crete di Gallo with duck and sausage, Squid Ink Linguini with Calamari, and wild mushroom Mafalde - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great food-- seriously, everything we tried was amazing! Service was stellar! Vibe is really nice (a little on the loud side, but not so much that it would keep me from eating there again.) read more

We had an unforgettable meal here last night. The flavor combinations here rivaled that of Rose's Luxury, and we couldn't pick any one dish that stood out in particular. Everything was delicious, and we savored each bite. The Mezzi Rigatoni is a MUST. The rigatoni was very fresh with an al dente texture that was perfect against the meaty ragu and the nutty pecorino romano. The fennel sausage was divine. I usually love fennel, but this was the best rendition I've ever had. I loved the way it perfumed the sausage. The caramelized scallops was perfect - so buttery tender, slightly sweet inside with a crispy, caramelized skin on the outside. The sweet corn and toasted farro that accompanied it were like a symphony of flavors. A bite carried sweetness, umami, smokiness and heat! Talk about flavor explosion! We also shared the summer squash, which was in an alfredo-like sauce. All the moisture from the squash balanced out the creaminess of the dish. Not only is the food absolutely scrumptious, but the service is fantastic and the ambiance warm and inviting. The cocktails and wines are also delicious. I will be back many times over! read more

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Great spot for celebrations or fun date night. Have also sat at the bar for solo meals or a glass of wine. Staff is always extremely friendly. Food is delicious but I feel like the portions get smaller every time I come back. read more

I came to The Red Hen for dinner hoping to grab a seat at a table. However, the restaurant was completely packed with a wait list. Fortunately, I was able to find a seat at the bar after a short wait. Once seated, I was thoroughly impressed with the service. The bartender was extremely attentive and seemed very knowledgeable of the menu. I went with the Grilled Tuna Steak and was not disappointed. The tuna was cooked to a medium-rare and was perfectly complemented with yellow tomato crema. I also had the spaghetti squash, which was lathered in a delicious pecorino fonduta. The spaghetti squash also came with lemon and hazelnuts, which added another dimension of flavor. read more

The Red Hen - Grilled Tuna Steak - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The Red Hen is a quaint little Italian restaurant fittingly situated in the quaint little neighborhood of Bloomingdale. I had always heard excellent things about this place and wanted so badly to visit, but reservations need to be made pretty far in advance and I'm just not quite that put together yet as an adult. Nevertheless, someone else made a reservation for us so I did finally get to go-and the verdict? It lived up to the hype, and then some! It's on the pricier side so better for special occasions or put together adults with more disposable income. But the portions were great and the food was just so delicious! We ordered arancini balls, which never fail to be excellent, the mafalde dish which had the best creamy sauce that paired so well with the mushrooms in the dish, and finally the hazelnut torte which was perfectly sweet and an excellent dessert for closing out the meal. In addition to the absolutely spectacular interior design and the extremely caring staff, i urge you to make your reservation now so you too can partake in this wonderful escape from the doldrums of Trader Joe's frozen entrees. read more

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Scrumdidlyumcious, great atmosphere, great service. They don't take reservations so make sure to get there early to put your name down. Get a glass of wine at the bar while you wait. We started w pretty much every appetizer on the menu. The risotto balls and basil dipping sauce were out of this world- we ended up ordering another round . Sadly, I was disappointed by the burrata - it wasn't bad, but texturally not there for me; I did just get back from Italy though so probably super spoiled in the cheese department. The pastas we prepared and plated well. Pro-tip they always serve Cecio Pépé but it's off the menu so be sure to remember and ask. I got the duck ragu, but tasted my friends' lamb sausage cavatelli and much preferred that. My only turn-off during the whole meal was the mushroom toast as a side which was as much as a pasta plate. It was super heavy on the cream, but packed a citrus punch I imagine was supposed to cut the fat, but was just way too combative; for my palette at least. I've been wanting to visit Red Hen since 2014 so I'm super happy I finally made it! Just wish I had saved room for dessert #fomo read more

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Best Italian food i've had in the DMV area. Great ambiance and great service! Very friendly staff! We got the cacio e pepe arancini, hamachi crudo and the Burrata with kale for starter and loved every single dish! For the main course we got the Mafalde with wild mushrooms and it was very delicious!!! I cant wait to go back! read more

Good food, great service and excellent ambience! Do try the scallops and the arancini ...yum ! read more

Impeccable service, food, and beverages in a cozy atmosphere. You will have the best pasta of your life here, among other things.

Expensive , small portions. Excellent service. Food was delivered fast and hot . Don't believe the hype and I don't think we'll be back .

We had a great dinner here tonight. When my good friend suggested the Red Hen and I looked them up on line, they had me at chicken liver mousse, I could have done 3 of those for dinner! I started with the mousse and the wine flight (pretty cool) Nice vibe, nice menu! read more

Best Italian restaurant in DC! Great food and service. Also has a nice ambiance. The only downside is that it's difficult to get reservations. read more

It was my quarantine partners birthday so a friend of his ordered delivery for us for dinner. Not only was it a super nice gesture, but it also kept us from being complete gluttons and ordering the entire menu. We started with the burrata, which pleasantly satisfied all expectations. It wasn't too sweet and a nice filler of stomach space for what was to come. We also had the arancini which tasted like a fried ball of risotto. It held together well, unlike most fried foods which usually taste best 2 minutes out of the fryer. The endive salad was refreshing but not necessarily a salad I have dreams about. It didn't disappoint and was a nice reprieve from the carbs. We ordered two pasta dishes, the radiatori and the mafalde. What's interesting is I think we got an off the menu dish in lieu of the mafalde, based on there being no mushrooms and the dish not looking anything like what's posted on yelp. I have no idea what we had and while it was good, both of us liked the radiatori more. I know some reviewers commented on the small portions but I disagree. We had leftover pasta which I'm already excited about eating tomorrow. The short rib was exquisitely cooked despite the polenta not really holding up as well as we would have liked. To finish we had the panna cotta which was light and delightful. One suggestion would be to separate the nut crust so that it doesn't lose it's crunch as ours did. Overall, the quality of food was stellar and since we didn't get to order everything on the menu you can bet that we'll be back either in person or for takeout/delivery. read more

The Red Hen - Supposed mafalde, but since it's a red sauce, with different noodles, and lacking of mushrooms I'm thinking it's something else - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Over-rated, over-priced. I heard good things about this restaurant but it's not worth the trouble of getting a reservation.

It's an uninspiring menu with generally pretentious offerings. While the food is good, it's not what any reasonable person should call great. It's just not. So, is it repeat worthy? Absolutely, positively not. There are far better offerings in this day and age around the DC area. So many people bomb this with glowing reviews for political reasons and that is sad. It should be judged strictly on the merits. Therefore my concise perspective shared above. NOTE - Get a better wine list. You guys clearly do not know the importance of pairings or you have a fraud for a sommelier. read more

Obviously love the fennel sausage rigatoni but a must-try is their "off menu" cacio pepe. A true DC gem!

Cozy atmosphere, and great service that provided the right balance between attentiveness and not pressuring you. They did not rush the coursing, which is a rarity nowadays and much appreciated! The food was delicious: lamb pasta was the star of the show, short rib with polenta was delicious (but not as warm as it probably should be), and grilled octopus with cannellini beans. We will definitely return. Great food and fair price. read more