Fiola Mare Reviews

Date destination... bring you wallet, pricey but worth it

Stopped in for a quick work lunch and they seated most of the guests in the room with a lot of window light which was very pretty. I loved the added touch they had throw blankets at each table in case you get cold.

Eggplant al Funghetto $16
Japanese Eggplant, Pomodorini, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Black Garlic
*Japanese eggplant is less seeded than the American or Italian eggplant so it's less bitter (less seeds) and I found the skin nice and meaty with a really delicate flavor. The cherry tomatoes were warm and juicy and the contrast of the garlic aioli was heavenly. This is my favorite appetizer so far in 2019.

Paccheri Frutti di Mare $22/$36
Monkfish, Octopus, Mussels, Calamari, Saffron Brodetto
*This fish stew was so full of flavor and the seafood tasted so fresh, my favorite was the calamari but the paccheri pasta was a little undercooked for me, it needed a couple more minutes to cook. I got the smaller portion and I wish I had gotten the larger one because I couldn't stop eating it!

Torta Della Nonna $14
Grandma Cake, Tahitian Vanilla Crema, Pine Nut Brittle
*If you are a big fan of vanilla then you'll love this dessert. I personally am more of a chocolate fan but I split this dessert with my co-worker. I was expecting a cake but the texture is more cheesecake-like. To be honest I've tried a few of their desserts and they've just always missed the mark for me.

Service was consistent throughout our lunch, would definitely come back but skip dessert.

Food is pretty good but pricey for what it is. I think dinner is probably better than brunch

Location, atmosphere, service and food are excellent.

The location is perfect.The service is excellent.The meals were awesome.

Wonderful food. Great patio and great value for the lunch prefix.

Beautiful. You absolutely get what you pay for. It's a waterfront restaurant with lovely views. It was fully booked from 5pm - on a Sunday. The Fabio vocktail was incredible. lobster ravioli was divine and worth every penny. The californian sauvignon blanc was wonderful. My daughter's steak wasn't to her liking (a bit of an offal flavour) so they immediately changed it for something else. We were very respecttful about it, and they bent over backwards to help. A really special meal on our first ever weekend in DC. The service was impeccable. Thank you to the manager and our waiter both were supremely professional, warm, friendly and likeable.

Excellent lunch prix fixe menu offering 3 courses for $28 til 2:45 weekdays. Without this "deal", it's very, very expensive, especially drink prices. You could easily spend $50 for lunch with a glass of wine, and that's for one person.

Everything is great, including the view, atmosphere, and service.

My friend and I came here for her birthday dinner. I had made a reservation a week in advance, at which point they asked what location and I explicitly told them it was at Fiola Mare. I even got a confirmation text from them. We arrived at the restaurant to find out my reservation was never made at this restaurant, but incorrectly at their other restaurant. We were still not given a table because there was a private event tonight, which I was not told when I called to make a reservation. Overall, I can t comment on the food since we never got to eat there, but management was poor and this was terribly handled. My friend and I were looking forward to this dinner all week, but luckily I was able to save my friend s birthday dinner by taking our business elsewhere.

The first time you go here.. you have to try the seafood platter!! Well done!

Great collection of pizza. Not that reviews online, but this restaurant offers really yummy food items. I love to get there at least once a week. Various kinds of pizzas with different flavors are available. Recommended for foodies nearby.

We went for Restaurant Week lunch. A limited menu, but very nice. Great service. The "doughnut hole" dessert was the equal of Dunkin or Entemans

The food is always fresh and so tasty and the drinks innovative and flavorful. The service is always wonderful.

We went to Brunch at Fiola Mare on Sunday. This is indeed a beautiful setting. The service, however was far less than desirable. Our server was slow to take our drink orders, brought a plate of olive oil only after we requested bread, but did not bring bread until asked a second time. When bread finally was delivered, the bread plates were taken away. The server was slow to take our order and the main course was again slow to be delivered. Other than filling water glasses, very little attention was paid to our table. My son ordered the steak (cooked medium well) & eggs and was delivered a very rare steak. I understand this my be the "preferred" chef prepared order, but it was not what the customer asked for. I believe it was obvious the service was poor, because we were offered a complimentary desert at the end of our meal. This was no compensation for another lengthy delay in bringing us the bill. Sadly, the service was so poor, the quality of the meal was incidental.

Excellent food and service. Would definitely return.

One of the best in DC. Has Potomac River view. Wonderful brunch service

Told hostess we were just coming in for a drink while waiting for our water taxi. The look we got from the waiter when we said we're not interested in appetizers was wholly unnecessary. After that he pretty much abandoned us. Had to ask the person who brought our drinks for the bill. At least the drinks were good

Maybe brunch is not their strong suit. We went for brunch and it was solid. Nothing to scoff at but it could have been better. The location, views, and service were outstanding. I expected a little more flavor punch from the dishes I ordered.

Expensive and excellent. Great for a splurge date or expense account meal.

The food was excellent. Cooked to perfection.

Service at the table was a big disappointment. The hosts were great. But the server was pretty bad. Never refilled waters. Never asked if we wanted another round of drinks. Had to ask for everything. At this price point I expect my needs to be better anticipated and timely when expressed.

Excellent
No other words are needed
Exquisite desserts

Beautiful spot on the waterfront. Incredible seafood, pasta, cocktails - and weekend brunch.

It is extremely difficult to get in touch with management at this restaurant. Spent quite a bit of money there a few days ago and unfortunately left my suit jacket at the bar as it was pretty warm inside. The phone number this restaurant provides is only for reservations, the reservations team then has to email management to check on things like a lost item. I have now called 3 days in a row and been told the same line, "we will send the restaurant another email." Disappointing from what is supposed to be a high end place, checking on a lost suit jacket should be extremely easy.

I can only complain about the price, however, it would be ridiculous to expect any lower prices with the quality of their food and their attention to detail.

For the first time in years I was disappointed. Pasta was under cooked, fish was over cooked, and potatoes under cooked. Irony is that meat dishes were done right but seafood plates were off. Hope this is not indicative of a dilution in quality which would be unfortunate. Wine service was predictably strong but food has to align or other options will prevail. Hope this is a learning lesson given the constant stream of business my firm provides.

indeed it was very pleasant to feel it going down my esophagus. very goooood!

Along with being beautiful, Fiola Mare has some of the nicest and (seemingly) happiest staff I have ever encountered. They all seemed thoroughly genuine about their kindness, and the sommelier did an incredible job picking the perfect wine based on the description we gave him of what we were looking for. The waterfront is beautiful and the lighting both inside and outside was on point, for lack of a better term. There was also a LOT of staff - but not too many - so didn't have to hunt someone down when you needed something. They were extremely attentive and one woman even complimented me and told me I looked 'lovely.' SHE WAS LOVELY. 10/10 would recommend - very romantic as well :)

Ramsey, our waiter, was delightful and accommodating. He really showed great hospitality towards our 10 and 12 year olds. They enjoyed the experience since we don t tend to dine like this all that often. Our food, drink and views completed this outstanding dining experience for the last night of our stay here in Washington. Don t forget to ask for one of Ramsey s tables. Great guy. He really made this a great evening for our family.

Fantastic service, beautiful flavors. Portions are conservative.

Excellent food, pleasant and accommodating staff. Very pricey. Was not clear on website about a small menu before dinner time. But, they worked with us and we had a great meal.

so.someone else.knocked.their red wine over and it landed in four people.all the bar man did was to tell us all to get out clothes laundered by a professiinal and serbed the obvioulsy drunk person who caused the problem more wine appaling service appaling bar perdon

We had lunch at Fiola Mare today. Service was great, restaurant was classy yet comfortable, and the food was tasty and fresh. My reservation was for yesterday but they were great about getting us a table today. Portion sizes were small and bottles of wine were $50 and up which is pricey, especially for lunch, but I would definitely eat here again.

Amazing food, beautiful interior, the best views D.C. has to offer right on the Georgetown waterfront, check in with Fredy at the bar he might be the best bartender in D.C.

Great service. Divine food. The best in Washington, D.C.

My crab cakes were awful. All yucky bread with a little crab in the slice down the middle. Arugula salad a joke: a few leaves and cheese topping. At the end, the waitress gave us a 10 minute lecture on the importance of tipping a lot.

This Michelin Resto is nothing short of Richness.
A delightful ambiance whether sitting inside or outside by the cozy chic fire pit tables.

A definite instagram worthy place with a savoir faire ambiance for a special evening.

Absolutely wonderful! The food was perfetto, the service superbo & the "extras" so generous & delisiosi!! Mille grazie per tutto!! Pero, A bit noisy!

Top-notch high-class experience with great waiststaff, high quality food of all types, great bar service with top shelf liquors, fantastic on-the-water location.

What a wonderful place located right on the river. My husband and I had a late lunch along with another couple and sat outside. Service is outstanding. From the inside bar, very classy, to our table outside, everyone catered to our every need. The food was delicious and so fresh tasting. Portions are on the smaller side, but satisfying. One of the bottles of wine that we ordered had a "corky" taste. The sommelier came over, and quickly replaced it, with no issues. Everything about this place was top notch.

I like the restaurant, but expensive and pricey, but worth the price!! If you felling fancy

I don t usually review places, but I thought this place was worthy of a note. I ve lived in New York for a year, travelled throughout the United States and this was the best restaurant I ve been to with my partner.

The first thing you do when you arrive is ask for Erin, he is the best waiter I ve ever dealt with. Articulate, generous and kind. Knows his meals but also has your best interests at heart.

We ordered the eggplant and tuna tartare for starter, and we both succumbed to the amazement of our tastebuds. Sure enough, Erin was there to tip up our drinks and reassure us that everything was in order. The mains (or entrees as Americans call them), were another level. I ve tried crab cakes but these were different. They melted on my tongue, the crab linguine was unparalleled and the desserts were phenomenal.

If you are after a restaurant that provides a good view, tasty drinks and the best food you can imagine, please, do yourself a service and dine at this restaurant. Ps. I implore you to ask for Erin. He is the best.

Excellent food, top-notch service, nice balcony outdoor seating overlooking Potomac

The bread was outstanding, but everything else was overpriced and mildly flavoured. Additionally, the vegetarian options were thin, so it wasn't a good choice for a mixed diet group.

Overall, they're good at what they do, but a portion of the experience is just being at a prestige restaurant.

If you just want great Italian food without the Georgetown price inflation, try Pacci's Trattoria in Silver Spring instead.

Excelent food and the service was phenomenal!! Our waiter Douglas was a superb server. Ask for their gin and tonic special....very good!

Fiola Mare is an excellent seafood restaurant. The service is very friendly and welcoming. The views over the Potomac River are picturesque and the outdoor patio seating is very relaxing.

Excellent experience, high quality seafood and service by the GT waterfront.

The entire experience from start to finish is superb. We ve been here several times and Fiola Mare has yet to disappoint.
Absolutely scrumptious & oh so romantic.

Our visit was saved by an amazing server named Maude.
My family made reservations for my birthday at 2:45pm via the Opentable app. However, when we got to the restaurant they tell us they're no longer serving brunch and dinner doesn't start until 5 but we can have the "Sundown" menu.
Needless to say we were not happy, there should have been an explanation posted on Opentable, I've seen notes like this from other restaurants several times about meal hours or special menus and such. Add to that the hostess knew immediately what the mix up was but showed no remorse or any urgency to remedy the problem.
After weighing our options we chose to stay, to be fair the sundown menu has good items from the main menu it's just very limited.
In comes Maude, who wasn't actually assigned to our table but had just started her shift and was standing by to be of service. After we were seated and waited a few minutes for a server to greet us, we decided to call her over.
She is a doll. The food is good but the service was better, she helped us make the most of the limited menu and all her recommendations were spot on. (We suggest their seafood towers, the lobster ravioli and the branzino filet)
She saved my birthday "dinner" and I'll always thank her for that.

Fantastic flavors, craft cocktails, service was excellent. let them know when you reserve if you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary

Exquisite lunch, beautiful view and attentive service.

The gazpacho was very subtle and beautiful, the tuna tartare delicious and the squid ink fusilli were the best pasta I have had in a long time.

Wonderful experience!

Absolutely beautiful atmosphere, perfect for a special night!

To sum up my experience and give advice to others, definitely try the brunch deal. Yes, it's expensive (just under $50 per person), but there are so many choices to choose from and the drinks are strong, bottomless, and completely worth it. The food is really top-notch, and you also get a basket of bread! I asked for extra chocolate croissants because they were warm, flaky, and perfect.

Definitely come here when the weather is warm because there are plenty of outdoor seating by the waterfront.

I've never hard a negative experience at Fiola. The food is exquisite, the service is faultless, and the atmosphere is perfect. My go to spot for special occasions or for simply pampering myself.

Great cocktails. Fantastic seafood, awesomely delicious lobster ravioli, beautiful wines to accompany. Very charming, knowledgeable staff who make you feel at ease. Restaurants often fall down on desserts, but not Fiola Mare! The bombolini with the Tahitian vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, and the chocolate hazelnut dessert were amazing. Can't think of enough superlatives to describe this place. Oh, and a lovely view of the waterfront, even if it was raining.
I was going off restaurants lately, so many just don't deliver. But Fiola Mare does in spades. They also served us some extras, such as beautiful petit fours with the (excellent) coffee. We had the most wonderful evening, thank you.

Food was fine, service was great.

We went as a regular dinner night, and will be going back.

Mix of wonderful and terrible plus pay extra for disinfection fee

1. Miscommunication on reservation
The problems began when I made a reservation today at noon for 1:15 And specifically discussed the pricing over the phone while making a reservation. I was directed to the website while on the phone call and I asked whether or not the lunch for $28 per person was being served. The woman confirmed that it was available yet once we got to the restaurant they only served brunch for $85 per person. We spoke with GIUSEPPE FORMICA, the general manager about the conversation and I even remembered the name of the girl who took my reservation (wow! )
2. Great recommendations
Our waiter was very nice and gave great recommendations
3. Uniforms are wonderful
I am a highly visual person and I absolutely loved the cobalt blue dresses with white polka dots on the ladies and wonderfully tailored suits on the men. It's certainly adds to the ambience of the restaurant. Loved decor. Suggestion: the whie&black take out bags could match the restaurant theme
4. STEFANIA SORRENTI service director was less than pleasant... very pushy and demanding.
My friend and I got rained on while sitting at the balcony, we had to run inside. We were "greeted" by a Stefania who very improperly yelled at us to put on our masks. We quickly Obliged yet she physically yanked my friend's purse out of her hands without asking her permission. I commented that even under normal circumstances it's not proper to take people's belongings without their permission. She actually!!! responded back defending her totally illegal actions saying that it was for our safety! My friend lost her sense of speech... I simply grabbed the bag right back telling Stefania that it's not protecting our safety by grabbing my friend's bag especially without wearing gloves. Only after we had this confrontation
She sent us a free dish of calamari (which I thought was a nice gesture but didn't like the taste at all). No apology. Just free food that we didn't like. She insisted on the doggy bag that we gave to the homeless.
5. Service was not synched
When we placed an order for the dessert with who I think may have been the assistant manager SHARIF ABDULLAEV, I also asked for coffee from yet another waiter. Too many cooks in the kitchen... Coffee came 10 minutes after we already consumed our disappointing dessert (after waiting for coffee and trying to get attention for a while)...
6. Tiramisu was an unpleasant surprise
The one that was served to us in a small white bowl was very different from what i got in the past both in presentation and taste (the gorgeous layered cake shown on this Google pictures). Hate to say it, but it was too liquidy more like a mousse consistency mixed with chocolate ice cream (which i hate) rather than a cake (see a picture of me with the white bowl).
7. Disinfection fee of 4% of the bill
In addition to taxes and tips on a very expensive meal.

Best food that's not only flavorful, but prepared for presentation. Exquisite service and wait staff.

Pretty place, pleasant vibe, didn't get to try enough dishes so we'll try to get back here one day when in the neighborhood

Was all right. Made reservation, hostesses seemed not to be aware of it

Beware of the bait and switch here. When I read the bill, they tried to upcharge me 20% and when caught, claimed a misprint in the menu. This is an old trick. Don't fall for it.

I brought my girlfriend here to celebrate one year together and wanted it to be special. I requested a view of the water in the main dining tea and we were immediately brought to a back room with no windows. We then asked to change where we were sitting because it s not what we requested previously in our reservation. They gladly moved us and we ordered some drinks and then ordered our entrees. We ordered the truffle rosemary pasta and it was bland and had no true flavor to it. For an 85$ dish you would expect something pretty special and it fell flat. We did not finish it and the manager asked what was wrong and we told him it was bland. The chef even tried it and said it was bland. We had the salt crusted branzino and that was amazing. The waitress was great and we ordered dessert and got our check. They gave us three desserts to make up for the poor pasta dish and then I see a $10 charge for water. Nickle and diming patrons of your restaurant and putting out a poor quality dish will not bring customers back. We will not be returning and not recommending Fiola Mare to others.

this is a great restaurant to take your special loved when two for a special occasion. The menu has a wide variety of special meal options as well as excellent service and ambiance

Good good, but really too expensive for what it is.

Excellent food, but pricey as you would expect for a star rated restaurant.

We flew in to celebrate our wedding anniversary. From the beginning to end the experience was very special. The food was exquisite and the staff was very courteous. We even stopped the Sommelier for a quick hello. We came in early for dinner so we were ahead of the dinner rush.

Do not come for the pre-theater menu!! We made the mistake of thinking that a 5:15 reservation would get us out in time for a 7:30 show at the Kennedy Center. Despite ordering from the pre-theater menu and informing the hostess at the time we were seated that we were going to a show, it was 45 minutes between courses, and impossible to find someone to pay the bill. We also asked to be seated inside, but were seated under a tented in outdoor patio that was actually hotter than outside not what we hoped for when we showed up wearing jackets on a 90 degree day. 2 Stars because the food was delicious and the staff was friendly and apologetic, but its inability to provide a seat actually in the restaurant and complete the pre-theater menu in under 2 hours made the whole meal unenjoyable.

This is a wonderful place for a special ocassion date night! The prices are quite high and the food/drinks were delicious. The service was impeccable! We had a perfect location on the second floor, outside with partial waterfront views. Our table was private and allowed for effective social distancing.

Our family specifically asked for a table away from serving stations, and they placed us in between two serving stations. There were other tables available and open nearby.

The food was mediocre at best. Their pasta was overcooked and of such quality that one can easily find in any neighborhood pasta places. But this place charges $30 to $60 for their pastas! Very average food and experience.

They are racist. If you are not white, they will not be WILLINGLY TO SERVE YOU