Obelisk

These people obviously know what they are doing. Everything single thing we has was fantastic, but the burrato takes the cake. The restaurant is fairly small, and I believe they only seat any table one time per night, which makes the atmosphere perfect for a special occasion with one’s significant other.

I took my fiancé here before proposing. The food and service were beyond expectations. We dropped there money for the wine pairing and had no regrets. The steak was to die for. The menu is different every time, so its a new experience! It also worked to my advantage… she said yes!

My meal here was great. They have such attention to detail and the choices are well crafted. On the whole I think I am more excited to eat somewhere innovative, like Roses Luxury. Oblesque is just simply wonderfully made fresh high quality food — but you don’t feel a specialness or excited meant eating there.
The menu is in courses for a set price and I think the volume was too much actually — we were full by the first two courses. The cheese is to die for. Bread cheese and olive oil and olives were the most memorable part of the meal. Everything was good though.
I would just note that our service was extremely slow. They were trying to read us I guess and thought since we were on a date and took a while to order that we wanted the while thing to last three hours. They were mistaken. I also wasn’t seated until my date was present so I missed sitting in the window seat. The décor and booths in the place are old and frayed, so looking out the window would have been better.

I can see why this place has been around for 20 years. An enchanting 5-​course Italian tasting menu that is great for special occasions. The menu changes every day based on seasonal & local food availability. Restaurant is intimate & seats about 15 – 20 people. Feels like you’re at a friend’s dinner party!
It’s a little hard to find & be careful on the steps on the way in & out. As a woman said on her way out: «these steps aren’t made for old people who have been drinking.» But the food & the experience was all-​around amazing!

Probably won’t return. This meal was not worth the $ 265 we paid (two full menus, two glasses of wine, tax, and tip). I understand paying for a good meal, but I expect more if I’m dishing out this kind of money. Individually, the courses were fine, but not super impressive. Taken in total, they were underwhelming. I can’t quite pin point why. Maybe I was looking for a little more creativity? Maybe I chose their less flavorful options? The cooking was simple and clean but, nothing was really flavorful.
The service was fine. Everyone was nice, but something felt off. All our questions were answered, but all the interactions felt curt and somewhat clipped. I was also annoyed to find that two of the three secondi options consisted of red meat, even though I’d informed them that I didn’t eat red meat. I didn’t expect them to change their menu, but at that price point, it would have been courteous to reach out and suggest another night to dine if that was the case.

This place has so many good reviews in many websites, which made me to go there, but the food is totally not what i expected. I had 5 courses and there was not a single dish that i liked, including their dessert.
The food needs seasoning. All i taste is olive oil and lemon in most of their dishes. All that olive oil almost started my bowl system going… come on man. Even the dessert is not sweet. i don’t know what the deal is. May be this food is some sort of abstract or art but it is definitely not tasty.
This is the first time i do not agree with most of the Unilocalers who gave stupendous review for this place.

We celebrated our anniversary last night at Obelisk and had high expectations, as it came very highly recommended by friends. We very much looked forward to the 5-​course experience reminiscent of the wonderful meals we had while traveling in Italy.
First out was a cow’s milk cheese similar to a Buffalo Mozzarella. It was nice, but I found it to be overly salted. Left alone in its simple state in true Italian fashion, it would have been just fine without the added over-​salt and pepper sprinkling added just before delivery. Speaking of delivery, they had a buffet-​like table in the center of the restaurant that served as their antipasti misti and formaggi delivery station. This is where multiple plates sat awaiting delivery. I don’t know why, but this reminded me of that Valentine’s/Mother’s/New Year’s Day pre fixe dinner we’ve all been to at some point in our lives where things felt a bit banquet style and template driven.
For the primi course, I ordered a squid ink tagliatelle. The pasta was very fresh and good, but the sauce left a little to be desired and the flavors were redundant, as the head-​on shrimp I had as part of my antipasti course was sauteed in the same exact boring white wine and butter sauce. For the secondi course, I ordered a black sea bass with wild mushrooms that while perfectly cooked, were in the same white wine reduction base. My palette was nearly asleep at this point, bored and unaroused by the redundancy of flavors.
By this time, we were frankly eager for dessert and the check to come out so we could just get the meal over with. We both ordered the chocolate rice pudding which was quite good, but it’s decadence reminded me of a dessert more akin to something offered at a typical steak house and not of an Italian restaurant.
If I had to sum up my experience, I’d say that they need to refine their execution in simplicity. What makes true Italian food so good is its simplicity using the freshest ingredients prepared just right. While I can’t say that they don’t have this part down, there is a fine line between simply exquisite and simply boring. Obelisk skews more toward the latter.
This was not a nearly $ 300 meal, in my opinion (granted, we drank a lot of wine). We are glad we tried Obelisk, but won’t be back.

Add me to the list of people who brought a significant other here for her birthday. Thankfully it is perfect for the occasion. You will definitely make someone feel special if you bring them here. The first adventure of the night was just finding the place — it is not adorned with a large sign, and the address refers to a large building that seemingly takes up the whole block. The entrance to Obelisk is above Tomfoolery (We had to call for directions, despite having a GPS.) There is a small piece of paper on the door with the name on it.
The space is small and looks almost like someone put a restaurant in their apartment (you even have to hang your coats in a smallish closet area near the entrance), it barely looks like a conventional restaurant at all, so right off the bat, you feel like it’s going to be a unique experience.
Anyway, you will get a large assortment of different small dishes to try, and they were consistent in their high quality taste. Our dinner consisted of grilled black bass with radicchio and blood oranges, steamed cauliflower, buratta with olive oil, and a pasta dish with watercress and prosciutto. Can’t beat that variety. I do not have the mental prowess to remember specifics of each, but I do remember the way I felt after making my way through everything. That feeling was happy, full, and satisfied that we just had a meal worthy of a birthday celebration. The only course we didn’t care for was the cheese plate, but I’m not a big cheese guy to begin with. I have to end on the dessert, because it was heavenly. It did not sound like much, a rice ice cream, but it was among the creamiest ice creams I’ve ever had and tasted super fresh. That makes all the difference in an ice cream.
For drinks, their specialty is wine as you probably expect, but they had some eclectic beer options as well. I had a japanese espresso stout. Delicious.
Bonus points for the bathroom shenanigans — I was using the facilities, and imagine my surprise when I turned my head to the left and saw the large picture featuring drawings of a root, the phallus impudicus. I was shocked to find this was actually a plant in nature because it really does look like its namesake. Extra bonus points for stellar service. And, for those curious, for two dinners and two beers, the bill was slightly over $ 200.

My boyfriend and I both had a pretty spectacular dinner here. There were a few misses that makes me take off one star but overall — the food and wine were memorable and the wait staff extremely knowledgable.
Antipasti:
–Uni on Toast. EXCELLENT! So smoky and delicious — the concept is genius. Uni has the creamy consistency that goes perfectly on a crunchy toast.
–Burrata. PERFECT! Light, Airy, Pure, Clean… I want to bathe in this dish. The olive oil is one of the best that I have ever tried in my life.
–Crispy Pork Terrine. DECENT. This was a tasty dish but forgettable. The skin was a little too hard for my liking– could have taken out some of my teeth.
–Radish with Pressed, Dried Fish Roe. MEDIOCRE. Beautifully plated dish but just lacking flavor.
–Arugula Salad with Anchovy Dressing. EPIC FAIL. The salad was swimming in dressing. They really need to take it easy on the dressing because I couldn’t eat more than a few bites.
–Sparkling Rosé pairing works well with the dishes.
Primi:
–Shrimp and Clam Soup. SPECTACULAR! Thick, rich and flavorful — the saffron comes through nicely in the broth.
–Corzetti with Rabbit. AMAZING! The rabbit was tender and succulent with just the right amount of salt.
–Italian whites for both dishes. My boyfriend would have preferred a light red with his rabbit corzetti.
Secondi:
–Wagyu Culotte. INCREDIBLE! This dish was so simple and yet so well prepared. The peppers were a great compliment to the beef.
–Yellowfin Tuna with Asparagus. GOOD. The pure flavors in this dish let the ingredients shine.
–Wine pairings were on point! :Applause:
Formaggi:
–Three cheeses and eggplant jam. TERRIBLE. Eggplant jam was a surprising winner but the sharpness of the goat cheese scratched the roof of my mouth and was extremely unpleasant.
–Moscato worked well with the cheeses (if only the cheeses tasted better…)
Dolce:
–Rum Brioche with Cherries and Rhubarb. FANTASTIC. The fluffy brioche with the viscous cherries was a perfect combination
–Strawberries, Ice Cream and Black Pepper Shortbread. DIVINE! I don’t even know how to summarize how awesome this dish was.
–The dessert wines were HORRIBLE. I refused to drink mine with my dessert because it completely overpowered the dish.
…with a few improvements, I would be a die hard fan.

I had Obelisk classified as an «oldie but a goodie» since it has a great reputation – starred reviews – and has been in DC for seemingly forever. Finally got my chance to try last Friday and can confirm that the raves are well-​deserved. The service and food were both excellent.
For a place with $$$$ attached to it, Obelisk is very accessible. There’s nothing stuffy about this restaurant, which I really appreciate. On their website, they said of their dress code: «Whatever you’re comfortable in is fine with us.» That’s my kinda place! I want relaxed but elegant settings and great food, and Obelisk delivers all that.
The restaurant occupies the upper level of a Dupont Circle row house and probably seats no more than 50 people at a time, if that. Obelisk’s smaller space creates a very intimate feel, making it perfect for dates and other special occasions.
Unlike other area restaurants, Obelisk only serves a five-​course meal, no a la carte dining. They can make tweaks to the menu for pescetarians and vegetarians but not vegans. Let them know about your dietary restrictions when making the reservation.
Tom N. told them I was a pescetarian, so the servers were very mindful of that throughout the evening. Our main server identified pescetarian-​friendly dishes on the menu, either ones that contained no meat or that could be modified.
The things I enjoyed that night (well, everything. here are the details):
Amuse-​bouche #1: Homemade burrata bathed in olive oil. Creamy deliciousness. So wonderful. Simple and comforting.
Amuse bouche #2: Arugula and sardine salad. Just way salad should be – simply seasoned, not overly sauced, and super fresh. The croûton-​like bits of fish complemented the greens really well.
Amuse-​bouche #3:Marinated shishito peppers. Someone described eating shisito peppers as «playing roulette.» Pretty accurate. Luckily for us, these peppers were mild and sweet.
Amuse-bouche#4: Radish, red onion, and botarga salad. Mixing rich and salty seems to be a common technique employed by the chefs, and it also worked really well in this dish. The snappy radish slices and the simple marinade worked well with the buttery yet briny fish roe.
Amuse-​bouche #5: Shrimp crostini. This was a superlative dish. The sauce was perfect, not too salty, just right. The head-​on shrimps were hugeeeeee. I just couldn’t ask for more.
Primi: Fava bean ravioli with chives. Despite being a pasta dish, the ravioli was rather light and the fava bean and chive stuffing was a winning combination. The sauce wasn’t cloyingly rich.
Secondi: Black bass with clams and asparagus. This dish usually comes with guanciale (similar to salami), but they removed it for me. I definitely wasn’t missing out on anything. The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Its accompanying sauce was delicate yet flavorful. The clams were sweet and the asparagus was as fresh as could be.
Formaggi: We were offered three types of cheese: cow, sheep, and buffalo. The buffalo cheese was akin to brie, which I love. Accompanied by a lovely jam, the cheeses, smeared on their fine bread, were delightful.
Dolci: Fiore di latte custard with almonds and balsamic vinegar. I never was a flan kinda gal, but this dessert made me think twice. Eggy and decadent. I would order this again.
He ended his meal with chocolate cake served with pistachio ice cream and cherries. Yum! Very, very good.
I also sampled his primi, lobster soup. Awesome! Huge chunks of lobster in a chunky soup, not a bisque.
Obelisk takes fresh ingredients, some not native to Italian cuisine, and treats them in Italian ways. Their food is simply seasoned and prepared yet elegant and very satisfying.
The servers’ timing was really good. Dishes came out steadily, but we never felt like we were being bombarded. Plates were cleared as soon as they were emptied; glasses were refilled without us ever having to ask. The servers were happy to explain things to us and also checked on us often enough but not too much that it became annoying.
Obelisk may be considered a very expensive restaurant, but it’s totally worth it. I feel like you get more than what you pay for.
Will be coming back for sure.

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: Still the same consistent and delicious.
I’ve been there ate that got the burrata and the breadsticks.
Obelisk consistently serves delicious dishes from a repertoire of rotating daily menu dishes. Other than that there is no change here which may or may not be considered a good thing.
The price point is a little high for what you receive inclusively especially since there are so many wonderful choices in DC today.
Service was a little weird, odd. Everything flowing smoothly until we finished our secondi and ran out of conversation wondering if we were going to have the opportunity to order dessert.
Finally with extreme patience we got to order dessert!
This is what we ate:
The chocolate cake was light, airy and scrumptious. Served with cherries and a pistachio ice cream. The texture of the pistachio was a bit chalky.
The strawberries on brioche with vanilla ice cream. Loved the vanilla ice cream which I preferred with my chocolate cake instead of the pistachio ice cream. The strawberries were delicious but the brioche seemed like an after thought. It did not hold up or compliment the strawberries.
Aloha & Mahalo!

Four of us had a 9pm reservation on a Saturday night. The place is small and we waited a little bit. That’s my only negative comment. The entire meal was death row worthy. I will return to this restaurant.
The set up is that you choose a primi course a secondi course and a dessert. They bring an array of appetizers and bread first before the primi course arrives. And a cheese course before dessert. We also chose the wine pairing which were well matched based in your choice per course. Wines were outstanding.
The bread basket was delicious but the long crispy bread sticks stole the show. Good luck trying to stop a snapping pieces off it during the meal.
Antipasto included the «crickets», burrata cheese, a yellow and red pepper mix, olives, pork rolet, and fennel salad with citrus. The «crickets» looked like something in the giant shrimp/​prawn family from the Mediterranean but my friend who is native Italian said what they call them in Italy is literally translated as «crickets» but the server called them something that sounded like praying mantis. Both agreed that they are rarely found in the US. They tasted like sweet shrimp. I could have sat in front of a bushel if them and kept eating. I am not a big roasted pepper fan but the pepper dish was mild and tasty. The burrata cheese tasted heavenly.
I started with the paparadelle with porcini mushrooms which I loved. But since no one had ordered the gnocchi with pesto, they also brought that our. They were mini pillows of heavenliness. I got the snapper which was thick and fresh. Loved it! Two people split the chicken and one got the lamb. Everything was excellent. I ordered the lemon tart for dessert. It was good but the coffee toffee chocolate chip ice cream was better.

3.5 stars total…
First course was the highlight but it went downhill from there. In general way too heavy on the butters, oils, and cheeses. Granted we chose the ravioli with cheese for the first course but when the antipasti includes a main of a burrata and a side of a goat cheese crostini to be followed with a cheese course later kinda overdid it. Wagyu beef top sirloin was grainy and very disappointing. Not melt in your mouth like it should have been. Regardless of price, don’t think it’s worth it. Oh, and additionally no palate cleansers which would be a nice touch for a meal like this. Finally, bread basket was very average.

This was probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had. (Sorry Mom, your lamb curry is still pretty high on my list). At $ 140/​person for the tasting menu + wine pairing, you expect (and demand) greatness, and this place certainly delivers. While I was lucky enough to not have to pay for this meal, I wouldn’t have minded if I had.
The process of dining at Obelisk involves making reservations well in advance and choosing your dining mates well. This will be a 3 hour experience at least and you want to select eating buddies that will order a variety of dishes so that you may greedily sample all of them (and the amazing wines that are paired alongside).
The establishment itself is unobtrusive and humble as is evidenced by the «sign» out front, which is merely a piece of computer paper with Obelisk written on it. (Some might think it’s pretentious, I think it’s charming. If you’re confident that your food speaks volumes and you don’t need a flashy sign, then power to you). The interior is a simple living room sized dining area with 12 tables maximum. The lighting is dim and the atmosphere is of a private dining experience.
As you know by now, the menu is hand written and changes daily. While I know there is no point in painstakingly enumerating my thoughts on the food, I shall do it anyways. (Keep in mind, as the night goes on, it becomes harder and harder to remember the names of any dishes, as you become tipsier and tipsier with the ridiculous amounts of wine and champagne you are consuming…).
Antipasti round 1:
— Cheese: I have no idea what this cheese was called but it was deliciously soft and coated in a spiced olive oil. YUM.
— Cauliflower: These people know how to make cauliflower the most memorable dish of a night. It was crispy, buttery, scrumptious heaven. I could have eaten this over and over!
In between each course was a champagne and/​or wine – all of which were fantastic. My favorite probably being the desert wine served at the end. (I’m in the process of requesting the wine menu, because it was AMAZING).
Antipasti round 2:
— Tangelo salad: I’ve never been a huge fan of salads as meals, but I could have made this salad the only thing I’d eaten that night and walked away a happy woman!
— Clams: This item disappeared quickly amongst our group of 4. Sour and savory goodness all around!
— Pork head balls: Fried, creamy deliciousness. It’s a crime they only serve enough for 1 per person :(
Primi:
— Watercress ravioli with walnuts: OH EM GEE. I almost didn’t share this one with my dining mates. I cannot stress enough how delicious and decadent this ravioli was. Each bite was almost too much to handle. It’s good that this is a smaller portion size. You might just pass out from the goodness.
— Tagliatelle with chanterelle mushrooms: My beau ordered this and it was superb. I’m not the biggest fan of mushrooms, but the flavoring was done so well that this dish was definitely a TKO!
Secondi:
— Black bass: This was probably my least favorite dish of the night. It was very simple and had a nice fresh taste. The bass was a little plain for my taste. However, the shishito peppers on the side were fantastic! The veggies certainly made up for the plain flavoring of the fish.
— Duck breast with pear mostarda: *Swoon.* This was the ABSOLUTE BEST DISH OF THE NIGHT. My beau owes me so hard for making him order this. Duck is an amazing meat in its own right, but the pear mostarda combo was ridiculously and shamefully good. I ate more of his food than I probably should have.
Formaggi:
— I’m in love with La Tur! All three cheeses were delicious, but La Tur is a treasure. They were served with a walnut jam which was just the perfect pseudo-​sweetness to pair with the cheese.
Dolci:
— Pineapple polenta: And polenta does it again – shows its diversity. How ingenious and delicious!
— Orange panna cotta: This dish is somewhat similar to flan… but dare I say it… better?! Once again, beau owing me for suggesting he order this.
Small sweets:
Fruit jellies and almond and chocolate biscuits. YUM!
This was truly an unforgettable night!

The Obelisk is a perfect example of one of those DC establishments where you go, eat a fancy dinner with wine pairings, and then leave wondering why this not at all memorable dining experience cost so much. We went here for a special occasion dinner at a friend’s recommendation. Granted, the staff seated us promptly and was attentive throughout the meal but the wonder ended there.
Now, I enjoy food that is on the salty side but the grub here was over salted – and I mean with every course except cheese and dessert! At a place where people typically bring well-​dressed dates, I was also baffled by the choice of the chef to serve scrub, a tiny bird, whole rather than cut into manageable pieces. The rare little creature was impossible to eat with a knife and fork so, to do properly, would require getting hands involved and nibbling off of the bone. This was not part of my dinning plan, of course, and was not even proposed as diners were not served wet naps. My date also tried his hand at eating the critter and ultimately gave up as well.
Obelisk’s last sin was in its wine pairings: more than a couple of selections were completely overpowered by the food. For instance, the lobster bisque’s wine lost complexity upon being tried together. Likewise, the post-​main course cheese plate’s wine did not stand up to the selections at all and got lost in the creaminess and in the side jam. Obelisk – this monument-​titled place was not at all monumental and, quite plainly, just not worth the money.

I Loved the execution of the food at Obelisk, but I probably will not return here for $ 85 per head (I posted a picture of the handwritten menu).
What impressed me most about this place was that everything we tried was perfectly prepared and seasoned, from pasta to salad to meat… everything! It is one of those very few places that can season food to perfection. It uses quality ingredients to bring out the best and freshest taste without using too much herbs and seasoning.
I would recommend Obelisk to those who like clean taste-​perfectly prepared food. If you are expecting something more innovative and unique, then this place is not for you. For example, I ordered grilled pork chop as my entrée. The server recommended medium rare, but I asked mine to be cooked medium since I felt uncomfortable eating medium rare pork. (Note: Medium park chop comes out pretty pink, so if you don’t like pink pork, then you should order yours medium well-​done).
My pork was again cooked to perfection and it was delicious. A huge chunk of meat that was tender and seasoned perfectly. But that was about it. The dish would have shined more if it came out with some special sauce to enhance the meat flavor, but again I really think that Obelisk only focuses on bringing out the truly simple but wonderful raw flavor of the ingredients.
In conclusion, Obelisk might be worth giving a shot, but for me it is not a place where I want to go back over and over.
As a tip, food portions are huge here!!! You will get over stuffed like thanksgiving turkey by the time you finish dinner.

Went here to celebrate my sister’s birthday; there were three of us. Service was excellent. Food was prepared very well. The wine we had was excellent. Was a very relaxed 2.5 hr dinner; the restaurant itself is small and intimate. I felt that I needed to go here once because it is such a highly acclaimed restaurant (in DC). While it was an excellent meal, it is also quite expensive (was about $ 400 for the three of us, all inclusive) and I did not think the menu offerings were overly original or over the top amazing.

My husband had fed me well for every special occasion. For his 30^th (and since I do finally have a grown up job), it was my turn to return the favor.
I chose Obelisk after learning their tasting menu changes daily. It was a risky choice since i didn’t have a clue what would appear on their menu that day. We went in keeping our fingers crossed hoping that they were serving attractive options. And we definitively were not disappointed!
Antipasti — smoked swordfish, grilled stuffed sausage, grilled pepper, fried fish, and burrata. I wasn’t a big cheese fan to begin with (I actually asked if I could swap the cheese course for something else) but their burrata was a life changer! Soft, creamy, and light — I ate two whole breadbasket with smear of their scrumptious burrata alone!
Primi — arugula ravioli and spaghetti with clam — both pasta dishes could had been a meal on their own. Definition of perfectly made pasta!
Secondi — bass and quail. My husband enjoyed his bass but didn’t think it was too memorable. He wasn’t a big fan of the slaw salad pairing. I, on the other hand, picked up my whole quail and attempted to eat every piece of meat off the bone. Tender, juicy — out of the world!
Cheese — I’m so glad they said no to swapping my cheese course. I initially was just going to take a small bite of each but ended up polishing my plate clean! The hazelnut berry jam was the perfect compliment!
Desserts — chocolate chestnut cake and rosa pudding. The cake was nutty and moist but wasn’t sweet enough — perhaps should had been paired with some type of ice cream or sweeter cream? My rosa pudding was really runny and didn’t have the consistency of a pudding. It was also overwhelmingly sweet — what a contrast to their cake.
Overall — attractive, ever changing menu — perhaps we just came on a bad night for their desserts. Most of the dishes nevertheless were something I would definitely return for more! Service was a bit of a miss — we placed our order prior to the group of 6 next to us but they were served a whole course before us. We sat around for 25 minutes between each course. Our servers were not apologetic and offered no explanation. Ultimately, our 5 course dinner took over 3 hrs. Perhaps it was because we didn’t order wine…
4 stars for food, 3 stars for service — Bad service really spoil dining experience! In sum 3.5 stars.

One of my biggest qualms about the Washington DC area is the lack of good spots for Italian food. Several of the highly rated spots were a complete bust including Tortino, a highly rated Italian restaurant in the Logan Circle area. Going into Obelisk, my expectations were low. At the $$$$ price point, I become excessively critical (it’s bad enough already at lower price points) because I start comparing the restaurant to high end restaurants all over the US and the world. Very rarely, if ever, would a DC restaurant come up on top… say compared to a top restaurant of this caliber in NYC. That said, I think Obelisk turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
I feel that from a stylistic standpoint, Obelisk is the «opposite» of Rose’s Luxury. What does that mean? The food at Rose’s luxury is an avante guard like style (reflective of the molecular gastronomy movement) that tests the limits of the physical and chemical transformation of ingredients in the dish in ways you would not expect. In stark contrast, Obelisk does the opposite. Obelisk plays it on the extreme conservative side, focusing mostly on the ingredients and execution. The meats are cooked perfectly and almost all the dishes were made from solid ingredients. The seasoning was very simple (salt, olive oil, pepper) yet on point. Dishes were dead center on the border of becoming slightly salty or bland. I was amazed at how well balanced the seasoning was.
This stylistic difference does not indicate that Obelisk falls short in any way. It just means that it’s a completely different style from the trendy restaurants with fancy dishes. If I were to judge based on execution and preparation only, Obelisk would be the winner of all restaurants I have tried in the DC area.
While I would like to go in detail about the dishes that I had, that would be rather pointless as Obelisk changes their menu on a daily or near-​daily basis. As for the the pre fixe course, while the menu you receive gives you the impression that it’s only a few dishes because you only choose from your appetizer, main course, and dessert, you’ll receive 4 – 5 additional dishes that are not on the menu… at the end of which you’ll be stuffed.
The most memorable dishes that I had here were:
1. Pasta dishes– perfect al dente cooked pasta. It’s amazing to this day why it is so hard to find an Italian restaurant in DC that can do this properly. The ravioli dish that I sampled was creamy but not overwhelming and the natural salt from the prosciutto chunks gave it well balanced flavoring
2. Squab– for those who don’t know… this is pigeon and it was absolutely delicious. For this wonderful medium rare preparation (very commonly done this way in Europe), I was on the verge of giving Obelisk a 5 star. This is reminiscent of the fantastic pigeon dishes that I had in France. For those who have not tried this, it can be repugnant simply because of the fact that it’s a pigeon and the color of the meat.
After this experience, the question remains as to whether I would recommend Obelisk to someone who has not yet experienced it.
My answer is yes if you are actively looking to go to a $$$$ restaurant in DC. It wins on value, quality, quantity, and atmosphere. Is it fair to compare Obelisk to $$$$ restaurants in NYC? Unfortunately, no. I don’t think it’s a fair comparison because $$$$ restaurants in NYC can become far far more expensive than here and give far fewer dishes, If I were to compare to DMV restaurants… say Volt, I would wholeheartedly recommend Obelisk over Volt.
The one small qualm I have is that I expected some degree of novelty that distinguishes the dishes from a $$$ restaurant and below (whether it’s a novel ingredient that is rarely used at a $$$ restaurant or a distinct preparation). This area could use some improvement.
Overall, I had a great time enjoying their wonderful service, cozy atmosphere, and solid execution and preparation of the food. For a special night, I give my thumbs up for Obelisk.

There should be a law dictating that everyone has birthday tours. I have been eating so well for a week straight and fortunately for me, my friends don’t mind forking over boatloads of $ to allow me to celebrate in style. One such night landed me at Obelisk, which is a high end Italian inspired restaurant.
To say Obelisk is discreet is a massive understatement. The address is really of a large building that houses numerous restaurants. Obelisk does not have a large sign or marking to indicate its presence. On its door is a 8×11 paper sign that has the name typed out. Oh the mystique! Practically speaking, folks should do what I did and just call if you can’t figure out which door to go into.
Once you finally arrive, you’re seated in a very elegant and quaint medium sized dining room. It has a homey and relaxing feel that along with their color scheme and mini tree, seems to really fit as a concept.
The restaurant offers a tasting menu that has a small number of options. The menu is handwritten, which speaks to the constantly changing dishes. In a nice gesture, I was given one of those menus to take with me, which is great because there’s no way I would have remembered everything I had. Speaking of great gestures, the staff was so pleasant and accommodating. They really make customers feel at home, which again fits very well with the décor and concept.
I tried Burrata, Swordfish Belly, Arancini, Salad, Pici with Lamb Ragu, Lobster Soup, Black Bass with Chickpeas, Fennel and Romesco, Cheese Plate, Baba Au Rhum with Pineapples and Whipped Cream and Butterscotch Custard.
Burrata is a cheese that was topped with seasoning and olive oil. It was subtle, creamy and stringy, all of which made for a fun and interesting start to the meal.
The Swordfish belly is like a hybrid play on sashimi and carpaccio. Absolutely delicious! The swordfish, while thinly cut, retained a firm texture, which is also due to it being a fatty fish. It was also very well seasoned, which brought out the natural flavors. The arancini and salad were both tasty dishes but paled in comparison to the swordfish belly.
The Pici with Lamb Ragu was a definite highlight. Pici is like spaghetti except the noodles are thicker. They were perfectly prepared and a excellent pairing with the hearty ragu. Now, I’m no ragu expert, but this was some amazing stuff. The depth and intensity of the flavors was impressive and addicting. The lamb was so tender.
The Lobster soup was an interesting dish. The pairing was more like lobster meets vegetable or minestrone soup. The lobster was very tender and had a hint of sweetness. The broth had a mild tomato-​ish flavor but the texture was odd, a bit gelatinous. Tasty soup.
The Black Bass came with other items but there was no doubt what the star was. Such an amazingly prepared fish, it was moist, tender, well seasoned. Although it wasn’t the biggest size, somehow it satisfied me. Don’t get me wrong though, I’d gladly eat 10 more of it. The chickpeas brought a different flavor and texture to the mix, but was otherwise unspectacular. The romesco was a unique pairing with the fish but because it tasted like cocktail sauce, seemed to work.
The Cheese plate consisted of barilotto, canestrato and raschera. Not bad, especially for those who take their cheese seriously. I’ve never been one to pay much attention to cheese plates and in fact, would much rather have a more meaningful dish instead.
The Baba Au Rhum with Pineapples and Whipped Cream dessert is definitely visually appealing. The sweet bread/​profiterole is soft and pairs very well with the cream and rum sauce. The pineapples add some texture and acidity. I have to say though, way too much rum going on here. This dish could make an alcoholic relapse, that’s how strong it is.
On the other hand, the Butterscotch Custard was an exercise in restraint. The custard was mildly flavored, and had just the right balance of being firm yet creamy. The butterscotch also shines through but does not overpower. Great way to end an magnificent meal, along with the small candy plate that was given at the end.
Another bookmark goes DOWN! It was truly an honor to dine here and have such a delicious experience. Given that I ate at Komi the previous night, the comparison of the two naturally comes to mind. Not only is Obelisk a better quality meal in my opinion, you also get more value for your money since it’s almost half the price ($ 75 pp) of its competitor ($ 135). As much as I love a free meal, I’d be willing to spend my own money to come back here. Now that’s saying something!