Pitango Gelato

Doesn’t seem like I can give 0 stars, so 1 will have to suffice. I came in for a shot of espresso the other day (It was an emergency and there wasn’t a closer place as I was rushing back to work). First shot — disgustingly sour. I ask the «barista» to remake it. Second shot — exactly the same. Third shot — again, the same. «Barista» even questioned where else I get my espresso because according to him nothing is wrong with what he’s made. After trying three disgusting shots (the last one of which I tried to «fix» with sugar, I just left. I should have asked for a refund, but didn’t feel like bothering over a couple dollars. Lesson learned: don’t get coffee from a gelato place.

Favorite gelato place in DC! I love hazelnut so that’s what I always go for. I recommend ordering a cappuccino and a gelato. Eat your gelato while drinking your cappuccino

I was in the mood for some late night gelato but wow, the only saving grace for this place, is that the gelato wasn’t bad. I had the chocolate orange and the hazelnut, those flavors were quite yummy.
Upon entering, no one else was in the shop except for one other non employee, the server is chatting up with a friend. Immediately, I got the impression that I was bothering him, like I interrupted a very important conversation because of his demeanor. The staff member, not so friendly, It’s like he was only forced to go through the motion to server a customer.
My friend and I ordered three scoops, I remember saying it, my friend remembers saying it, but when when the employee gave our two scoops and we corrected him («I thought we ordered 3 scoops»), his big sigh made me want to get out of there quick, I accepted the two scoops.
Maybe it was the end of the day, maybe it was the culture, but don’t make us feel like we’re bothering you for gelatos when *ahem* you sell gelatos.

This place has huge selection of various gelatos and sorbets, including more traditional flavors like gianduja (chocolate hazelnut) to less common but just as delicious flavors like quince.
They let you sample different flavors (score!) before deciding. The small size gives you two flavors. I got the rhubarb and blackberry. Both were delicious, especially the rhubarb.
The place has a few seats inside and outside. The staff is friendly, letting you try a few different flavors and making recommendations on flavors or combinations to try if you ask.
The prices are pretty steep — $ 6 for a small, making this a once-​in-​a-​blue-​moon kind of treat. But I definitely recommend trying it at least once! After all, YOLO.

Pitango is my absolute favorite gelato place in DC. I usually stick to the nut flavors (pistachio or almond) and either the chocolate noir (dairy free!) or their local seasonal fruit. The flavors are classic and not so unique, however the flavors are really fresh and natural, and texture of the gelato is perfect. I just did extensive research in Italy, so believe me when I say this is awesome gelato.
I docked one star because there is quite a variation in the service I receive here, though I am a regular. Also I find some days I get a ton (almost too much, if that is even possible) of gelato in my scoop, and some days the scoop is sooooo tiny and unsatisfying. Bums me out when you pay $ 6 and get 2 tablespoons of gelato.

I stopped here while on a trip in DC because I was looking for some dessert and really enjoyed it! Of course, they specialize in gelato, so that’s what you should get.
They had a lot of different flavors to try and what I really liked was that not all of their flavors were traditional flavors. Of course they had the traditional ones but they had some really refreshing and natural tasting flavors.
I really liked their boccio? Flavor which is like a vanilla with hazelnut and chocolate swirls. It wasn’t too sweet and had a very nice blend to it. They also had some pretty yummy citrusy flavors like the white grapefruit that was pretty good too, but there is a bit of a bitter taste to it, but finishes off sweet.
Their pistachio was also really good and very smooth. It had the flavor and it wasn’t over powering.
They had a few ranges of chocolate too, so you can definitely get your chocolate cravings filled, whether you’re a sweeter chocoholic or a bitter dark chocolate lover.
Overall, their gelato is really creamy and smooth and I just love all the different flavors they had.
Price: their pricing is pretty standard, so I wouldn’t mind coming here again for a treat.
Atmosphere: it’s a small space so there wasn’t much room to sit or stand. They had a small bar area that you could sit at near the window, but other than that, no space to sit.
I would definitely come here again the next time I’m in DC.

I live on the same block as Pitango and it can be a serious problem in the summer when they are open late. This place as one of the best gelato selections in DC. My favorite is their pistachio, but their seasonal specials are also delicious. I once had a coconut chocolate chip flavored gelato and it was delicious. Aslo, the staff is fun to talk to and they’ll always let you sample as much as you want.

Found this gelato shop by accident. It is probably the best gelato /​sorbet I have ever had. Our kids love it.

Pricey, but really really good. Atmosphere’s a little sterile, but it’s not the kind of place you sit for hours. We took ours to go and walked around the neighborhood.
The hubby’s generally not big on anything creamy, but the gelato was light and smooth and we both really enjoyed it.

I’m not the biggest fan of Pitango. I find their sorbet oddly sour — both the strawberry and the mango — both of which were sour enough to leave that uncomfortable feeling on my tongue. Somehow, Dolcezza’s rich and complex tasting gelato seemed better than most of the gelato I sampled at Pitango (the exception is the truly great cardamom gelato). And, honestly, on a weekend evening, the lines of people sampling everything can get pretty tiresome. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes to place an order and there were only six people in front of us, which made me think that the sampling policy might need to be reigned in a bit.
It was also a weird night at Pitango last night — first there were two big roaches hanging out by the shop’s outdoor seating area (not unusual in DC), and then a large mouse ran into the shop and had to be chased out by the shopkeepers. Neither of these were Pitango’s fault, of course, but it was super unappealing.

After a heavy brunch a few doors down, I was looking for something to cleanse the palate and was excited to see a Gelato place nearby. Myself and two friends walked in and there were no other customers. One of the workers simply ignored us and the other was downright rude and obviously has no regard for customer service.
Many flavor descriptions left them sounding similar so when we asked for more clarification, the snippy twit behind the counter was getting aggravated, sorry I am asking you to do your job. My friend asked for a sample and snippy stared at her throughout her tasting experience with devil eyes as if to say you better order this if you wanted a sample.
I had the boccio flavored gelato which was hazelnut and chocolate chips and it was very delicious and hit the spot. A small will cost you, but I guess thats the price for gelato as it is generally made with higher quality ingredients, but be careful to ask any questions because that is just too much trouble for the staff. Scooping gelato into a cup is way too stressful to answer any questions.
Overall: Gelato was good, but wear your sunglasses this way if you also have Snippy Snipperson serving you, she can’t break you with her glares.

Was looking for a good ice cream or gelato option while visiting a friend who lives nearby. I hope this isn’t indicative of the dessert scene in D.C. because that would seriously be sad! Firstly, the staff was curt bordering on rude. With the glares we got you’d think we were asking the server to scratch our backs rather than for a few details about a small selection of flavors. As for the product – solid. While I wouldn’t even compare it to selections in other big cities, it gets the job done. The price on the other hand was far marked up considering the size. I would never recommend going out of your way for any of their locations (based mostly on my sassy service experience) but if you’re in the area and craving its a fair filler.

Searched Google Maps on my smartphone for a well rated ice cream place near our location while on a recent trip to D.C. and came up with Pitango Gelato.
Small place, exotic flavors, good gelato. I would say, if you are into more traditional flavors, you may want to skip this place or go very early in the day as those sell out faster, but their other flavors are also very good.
I thought what I received was reasonably priced for the amount and quality and my little one enjoyed her chocolate hazelnut flavored gelato.
Not my favorite gelato, but still very good and worth patronizing.

This Pitango Gelato is as incredible as their location in Penn Quarter! A definite recommendation!

My favorite place to get gelato. My usually get either the black tea or when it’s in season, the strawberry. It’s refreshing and tastes like just picked strawberries. I also love their chocolate. It’s smooth and creamy, how chocolate should be.
I’ve always thought the customer service was above average compared to other establishments in the area.

Gelato is just ok and overpriced
More so the staff are very rude– asked for help or suggestions they didn’t want to respond!

Wow. This place is absolutely amazing. The gelato here is wonderful and so much better than 90% of the gelato that you can get.
I got the black sesame and pistachio. The black sesame was delicious. It honestly tasted like the chinese black sesame dessert but in ice cream form. Yum. The pistachio is some of the best if not the best pistachio gelato that I’ve ever had! My sister got the chocolate hazelnut and the white grapefruit. The chocolate hazelnut was good but I was not the biggest fan of the texture. The white grapefruit was wonderful. It was incredibly refreshing and very flavorful. I stole quite a bit of hers!
Yes it is expensive and pricey. But the portion size really is pretty good and it fills you up quickly. Also you honestly pay for what you get and you can tell that the stuff here is quality. I really don’t regret shilling out the extra money for the amazingness!
Overall definitely go!

I came here with a pretty large group (there were 7 of us) after enjoying a few beers at nearby ChurchKey on a Saturday afternoon. The girls working the counter were very generous about allowing us to sample the flavors and were patient as we made our selections.
The flavors were so rich that my husband and I opted to split a small gelato. You can get two flavors in the small size! We chose orange dark chocolate and chocolate chocolate chip. Actually a bit strange for us, since neither of us are huge chocolate fiends. TOTALLY YUM. Minus one star though for being pretty pricey. Would definitely stop by here again next time I’m in the neighborhood.

I’m not sure how anyone can be unhappy with this place… warm weather + cool gelato = happy us! :)
To me the best combo is the pistachio and choco hazelnut, it’s like they were created for each other. My wife really enjoyed the white grapefruit and blackberry mix. All in all get lots of napkins and be prepared for it to melt quick

Eating gelato during the cold weather? I have no problem with that.
This gelato is very traditional and old school; milk-​based, served in stainless steel closed buckets instead of pans. The server uses the spade to scoop and twist it into your cup. The gentleman serving was quite skilled. Guy was fast, so it was quite cool to watch.
I opted for Chocolate Noir and Chocolate Hazelnut. Both high quality and delicious.
Would definitely return and try other flavors.
Their coffee looked to be high quality as well.
Overall, Pitango is great place for a sweet treat. I didn’t find it as pricey as you would get in Miami.