The Room
Fabio Trabocchi opened Fiola Mare on the Georgetown Washington Harbour in 2014 — the seafood-focused waterfront sister to his Penn Quarter Fiola flagship. The dining room is intentionally cinematic: floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Potomac, an open kitchen at the back, and a wraparound terrace that earns the restaurant its national reputation.
The Washington Post has held Fiola Mare on its top-fine-dining rankings every year of operation. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recognises the room's serious wine programme.
The Food
The Adriatic seafood programme is the menu's calling point. The whole-roasted branzino, the seasonal-rotating Italian seafood, the crudo programme, and the hand-rolled pasta with seafood preparations run as the menu's spine. The chef's tasting at $145 is the order for a first visit.
Wine programme is heavily Italian. Cocktails are classic-Italian. Service is brigade-Italian in rhythm.
Best Occasion Fit
Proposal: The corner waterfront table at Fiola Mare at sunset, with the Potomac framing the view, is one of DC's most-photographed proposal venues.
Birthday: Birthdays at Fiola Mare are warm, Italian-seafood-led, waterfront affairs the room has hosted for over a decade.
Close a Deal: Fiola Mare is the Georgetown waterfront deal-dinner address for the meeting that requires the architectural spectacle.