Notti Bianche

We’ve been here a few times and I guess you could say it’s hit or miss. The best thing about it is the proximity to The Kennedy Center. It could be a really great place, it is kind of tucked away, the staff is really friendly, and when the food is good, it is really good. The last two times service has been really slow and for reasons I can’t explain, our table was never cleared of its empty plates, even between courses. We have had the same waitress both times so I suspect it is her, because in previous visits they have been great.

My girlfriend and I decided to eat here before a show at the Kennedy Center. Our show started at 8 so we made a 6:30 reservation but showed up at 6:15 and were seated promptly. We were told the place was busy and «food would be served in the same time frame as our original reservation but you can get drinks while you wait.» A half hour later we were finally greeted by a waitress. Not even a «hi, how are you?» Or «Sorry we’re really busy I’ll be with you as soon as I can.» The party next to us were also on their way to a show. The same waitress ignored their pleas for a quick credit card exchange when they received the bill and instead refilled the group’s water glasses. We were offered a half hearted apology as our order was taken and we were assured that we could still make the 8:00 show time. 45 minutes later, still no bread or check ins. Or drinks…
There was apparently a large party seated in a back room that took most of the staff’s attention.
The food was great when it arrived. We both ordered the shrimp fettuccine and it was just enough to fill us up. Tasty as well.
Two stars just for the customer service.

Stopped by for a glass of wine and an appetizer, and there was NO ONE there. Lights off. Door locked. Not sure if it is still in business? Disappointed to say the least.

Usually great food and service but today no wine or beer until the manager gets in. Moved on.

I had the displeasure of eating here prior to watching a performance @ the JFK Center. The food is over priced & oh so bland. Please invest in some spices & seasonings! I will not be dining here again. The staff lacks the knowledge & experience needed to provide a fine dining experience. It was my worst dining experience in DC during my week long stay. The dipping oil had a rancid taste. The only steak offered was a strip steak, which was tough & such a poor cut of meat for an alleged high end eatery. N I «settled» for this meal due to not wanting to be late for the orchestra. My advice for anyone heading to JFK is to leave early enough to eat somewhere else! There are many wonderful places to eat in the city, but unfortunately this isn’t one of them. The food & service are sub-​par. The place has potential, but needs to step up its game immediately!

I’ve had lovely meals here in the past but today’s tagliatelle fell flat — overcooked with a large clump of unseparated pasta on each of our plates. The veal and mushroom sauce was delicious. Service from the waiter/​host was very pleasant; less so the waitress. Tasty bread and olive oil and was nice to sit outside in the back.

4.5 out of 5. Slightly high priced but overall great experience. Great service, food was delicious. Intimate atmosphere. Would definite recommend for dinner.

The food was great, but it took forever. For a restaurant that caters to a theater crowd, it shouldn’t take over an hour for the meal to arrive. Also, the service was severely lacking. The server never checked on us or updated us about the status of the meal. She also mentioned the manager would come to speak with us, but he never did except at the end of the meal after we had paid (whereupon he opened the bill while we were still sitting there to check that we had tipped the server). Needless to say, I don’t recommend it, unless you have several hours to wait.

This place is a hidden gem in the DC area (or maybe because it’s our first time here). Inside, there’s a bar at the back with quite a selection of wine and beer. The place is small but really cosy, quiet and perfect for dinner. I ordered the filet mignon and it was cooked to perfect medium well as I requested. The olives are a bit too salty and vinegary (if there’s such a term). The guy asked if we liked it, when he noticed it’s almost untouched, we gave them our feedback. He didn’t say a word but later we noticed that they didn’t bill us for it. Overall good service, great food and nice ambience.

The food was delicious and the staff was very attentive! We had the butternut squash gnocchi, tagliatelle, blood orange panna cotta, and the lava cake. I will definitely eat here the next time I am in DC!

We came here for a quick lunch while we were at a nearby conference. That was our first mistake. Despite the fact that we told our waiter we had a limited amount of time the service was very slow. The waiter did politely answer my questions about the foods pertaining to my dietary restrictions. When I ordered their salad with shrimp, I asked to ‘exchange’ the prosciutto and feta that i can’t eat for ‘extra’ shrimp. Well, he got the ‘extra’ part, but not the ‘exchange’ part. The salad came with plenty of shrimp, and the bill came with an $ 8 up charge. I got him to go down to a $ 4 up charge. Still not the exchange I asked for, and he seemed shocked that since I said the word ‘extra’ I didn’t expect to be charged more, and indignant when I suggested that he should warn a person in advance. Oh, and the coke was flat and the iced tea terrible.
I would not suggest not going here unless you have plenty of money and time to burn on average food.

This place has all sorts of potential, but the food quality and service falls short. The bartender was kind and his manhatten was ok, but the rest of the staff lacked the professionalism you would associate with an establishment that has $ 27 entrees. This place may have been a find in the DC of a few years ago, but with the number of places with good food popping up daily, they really have to improve the quality to cost ratio of their food.
Still, if you are headed for the Kennedy Center and want to get a bite to eat that is close by. There are not too many options. This may be Notti’s saving grace.

Olive starter was so salty I could not eat them. Veal in the tagliatelli was chewy. Should have been braised longer.

Went to dinner with dear friends before a Kennedy Center show. Small cozy warm atmosphere. Very friendly and joyous service. Excellent food. Everyone got something different and rated the food very highly. I will be back

This is a cute pleasant place to get good quality Italian food. I approve.
Summer Bruschetta — I guess they change the toppings depending on available ingredients because the last time I was here, it was a pea spread that was delicious. Also, plenty of pea spread to spread generously.
Tagliatelle — really well done homemade pasta of perfect thinness yet still retains structure. The veal pieces are not many, but each bite is delicious.
If they ever have the bolognese with papardelle again, ORDER IT.
Dessert — Panna Cotta is solid. During the Thanksgiving holiday, they had pumpkin flavored kind which I enjoyed.

Went here to have a quick dinner before going to the Kennedy Center. Based on the positive ratings on Unilocal I expected quite a bit more. We got here very early, about 5:30 pm and were the first couple there. Service was pleasant enough, though not very attentive since waitress only had us to attend to. The food however was another matter. We both had the skirt steak entrée. The meat was so tough and stringy that my girlfriend wouldn’t eat hers. The «creamed»? potatoes were cold and runny. The desert of chocolate cake was flavorless, topped with a dollop of ice cream so small it was laughable.
Well, don’t like to bash a place but also don’t want people to think that this is a great place for dinner. Do not come here for a fine meal… something quick before seeing a show… it’s OK. Want a good dinner? There are much better places.

I took a client to lunch at this location, about midway between the Kennedy Center and the Foggy Bottom Metro. We both were impressed by the atmosphere and menu. Afterward, we realized that the atmosphere and menu were the best parts of the experience.
We both ordered Panini sandwiches and both of us found their featured ingredient (mine-​steak; his-​mushroom) too tough and chewy for neat, slobbery-​controlled eating. While tasty, my steak was tough and stringy, which is a hallmark sign of an inferior cut of meat. The accompanying side salad was swimming in way-​too-​much dressing.
A few modifications would make this restaurant quite good. Service was competent. Maybe it was an off-​day for the back-​of-​the-​house, but DC is a big place, so why come back?

I stayed at the George Washington University Inn along with a few colleagues. While we were at the Kennedy Center, someone had mentioned to one of my colleagues that one of their favorite restaurants was the one inside the George Washington University Inn.
Now since the GWU Inn is one of the teeniest hotels I have ever stayed in (even smaller than one I had booked in NYC), I wondered where in the world the restaurant would be. I said aloud, «It’s probably behind the laundry room.»
Little did I know that it probably was. We didn’t go for dinner, but instead for breakfast the next morning. I tried to go down the hallway beside the lobby desk, but was politely steered toward the bar door.
After entering the bar/​dark cavern, I was directed down a darkly lit hall and into one of the most depressing ever spaces. Notti Bianche translates to «white nights.» What an oxymoron.
I have read that this place has an acclaimed menu and reviews, but since we had breakfast, I cannot attest to that. But I have to say that they need to seriously upgrade the ambience on this joint.
The waitress was great, very attentive and friendly… like everybody we had encountered at GWU Inn. But the breakfast was basically a continental breakfast. Eggs can be ordered, but that’s it. I wonder if at $ 10, it was all you can eat eggs? Hmmm…
Patrons have to toast their own toast in a toaster. The toaster had four slots but only two worked. So I had to wait in line with bread in my hand to have toast. But I must point out that the bread was great… obviously homemade artisan type bread.
I read somewhere a description of Notti Bianche, comparing the atmosphere to that of a rustic Italian kitchen. Hmmmm… that’s delusion at its best right there.
I wonder if I plop a table in my laundry nook, could I run a bistro out of my kitchen?

This is a great little low key spot to go to for lunch just to relax. Most people will avoid a restaurant with just one or two people in it, for fear that the food is not that good, but this restaurant is more of a pregame dinner spot before going to the Kennedy Center. I had a glass of delicate white and the Sweet Corn and Ricotta Ravioli with pancetta, cherry tomatoes, and basil. This dish is light and tasty perfect for a summer/​fall afternoon and anyone who likes corn pudding. The wait staff is nice and the service is pretty quick. I sat on the back patio, not much of a view back here due to a train of parked cars, but it’s a quiet and pleasant retreat for some midday relaxation. More to explore here later this Fall…

This is an abnormal review for me, so I’ll explain its brevity. I had struck up an academic relationship with a subject-​specific celebrity (read LEGEND!!!) that is famous within a DC-​specific circle. Definitely not TMZ type. I met him here when he was visiting DC and treated him to dinner in trade for a book signing and a few hours of his time learning and talking about his trade.
I have to say that I paid much less attention to the meal than to the discussion. I had beef medallions with vegetables which was fantastic, no appetizers or desserts. The medallions were cooked perfectly to medium rare and had a very tasty dark sauce. The vegetables were cooked correctly to restaurant standards (I always prefer them relatively undercooked — crunchy).
The service was fantastic — very attentive and helpful. Though our discussion went well beyond 2.5 hours, I never once felt rushed or hurried — with a place like this I bet the thought crossed their minds but I never got the impression it was a bother. I had taken the metro so had a bit of a walk and can’t comment on parking.
I’ll definitely be back, this time I’ll take my wife there and pay more attention to the food.