This place is luxurious. It makes me feel so bougie and I'm here for it. The restaurant itself is so beautifully done inside with the floating wooden slates and modern chandeliers. But then you get the little details like a leather bound menu and ornate additions to their signature cocktails. I had been wanting to check it out since it first opened and just fell in love with the aesthetic the moment I walked in. Finding the entrance is a little difficult and one girl (who was very intoxicated) complained saying the drunk people would have trouble finding it, but honey if you are that trashed you shouldn't be coming to a place this posh. Can't wait to come back. I just love this place is so close to my work.
The staff is excellent. The building is beautiful. I let the bartender choose a drink for me based on flavor preferences and he hit it out of the park! Their wine selection is amazing. The 48-hour slow cooked pork melts in your mouth and was hands down the best thing I’ve eaten at a restaurant in ages, and I don’t even eat/like meat that often! Their dessert and drink combo to finish the meal was a perfect compliment to one another. I will be going back!
Beware and avoid. Service was atrocious:1. Arrived and there was no host. We waited several minutes in the vestibule to be greeted for our 730 reservation.2. Waited over 15 minutes after being seated to be welcomed by waiter and asked for drink order3. After appetizers, we asked for the sommelier to order a bottle of wine and more water. Neither came.4. We were served the third course without silverware being replaced, and had to wait several minutes after requesting silverware to eat.5. They ran out of food items - even though this is a prix fixe menu. More broadly, the food missed the mark and was underwhelming. Dinner ran more than three hours.The manager and staff on duty on April 30 seemed very inexperienced for fine dining, overwhelmed, and unable to entertain basic requests. I tried calling the restaurant the day of the reservation and the phone lines were not answered during business hours.I could go on. Incredibly disappointing experience for what was supposed to be a celebration. Despite a beautiful setting, this place will not last unless they make substantial changes. I have dined all over the world and across the city. There are many better options in DC.
I was incredibly excited for this restaurant opening - a new upscale greek restaurant of which I feel had been lacking in DC… well that was a nice thought.At $160 per person for the price fix menu, you think I’d leave vaguely satisfied. The food was mediocre at best. First, the options are incredibly limiting for pescatarians. When I made it clear that we did not eat meat, the waitress and waiter trainee looked at me flustered. I mean if you can’t accommodate pescatarians at a greek restaurant, you surely won’t last long.The meal began with some snacks, none of which were satisfactory. The pastry topped with caviar I found particularly unpleasant. The pastas were the best part but mind you they were tiny. The remainder of the dishes were genuinely bad.Aside from that, the service was appalling. I understand needing to train new staff, however, it made for a very unpleasant experience where I did not feel like a patron but rather a fill-in guest to be practiced on. Additionally, at one point, the waitress and trainee frantically placed the dishes down and splattered a portion of the food onto the table.A truly terrible experience, one of which I wouldn’t go back for $50 let alone $160 pp. I do not recommend it here. This experience has made me reluctant to try Masseria.The setting is beautiful, however.
Food was very good. Most items were delicious and unique. There were a couple of small bites that could be changed out. It's a bit pricey but not more than than should be expected. Service was excellent but needs a bit more experience. However everyone was very friendly and accommodating. The ambiance is perfect; busy but not too noisy. I look forward to a return visit.
Great experience. Excellent from beginning to end!
The service and food were absolutely impeccable! The hosts and the servers were very attentive and took excellent care of us! The food, especially the gemista (stuffed onion), gogges (house-made pasta and shrimp with tomato), and the 48-hour roasted suckling pig were outstanding! Looking forward to another visit soon!
We went to Philotimo for dessert last night. Walking in you instantly know this is elegant fine dining at it's best. Everyone from the people who greeted us at the entrance to the servers, bus people and bartenders were professional and provided a high level of service. We had dinner elsewhere and just wanted to see what it was all about. We will have to come back for dinner to enjoy the full experience. My wife had a Cosmo and I had a Greek beer along with our deserts which we shared. Not sure how to describe them other then a beautiful presentation and great flavor. The Chocolate Ganesh and Baklava desert was our favorite. Just a little taste but highly recommend this establishment. Our server Alexis was professional and attended to all of our needs with a pleasant demeanor. Thanks.
Dining at Philotimo was like being in a not-scary, but strange nightmare. Service was lacking and overbearing at the same time. Some of the food was okay, but mostly tasted like business class airplane fare. The whole enterprise seemed like a money laundering front- because there can be no other reason for a waiter in a Greek restaurant to not have EVER heard of ouzo.
FINE, NOT GREAT. The price does not match the service and/or quality. For $500+ spent on multiple (2) guests the experience and quality was—unfortunately—lackluster. Server was Ill informed on the menu and didn’t engage much. There are better options at the same price point… such as Albi in Navy Yard.