Philotimo - Washington

What an awful restaurant.As a previous reviewer said, the service is both terrible and overbearing.How bad is the service?So bad we lleft early (ie, before fini... read more What an awful restaurant.As a previous reviewer said, the service is both terrible and overbearing.How bad is the service?So bad we lleft early (ie, before finishing our planned dinner) and asked the waiter to split our check 50 50. Literally said split the bill 50 50 . He split the bill 1/3 2/3. Wtf??????

We ordered a total of ten dishes, but only six of them were correct. The service was absolutely terrible. Our waitress didn’t catch my dessert order, even thoug... read more We ordered a total of ten dishes, but only six of them were correct. The service was absolutely terrible. Our waitress didn’t catch my dessert order, even though the restaurant was completely quiet. The pacing of the meal was confusing; it felt rushed at first, then came to a standstill. Either all the food arrived at once or none of it did. Overall, it was a deeply disappointing experience, especially coming from one of DC’s top chefs.

To make this lengthy review more manageable, I’ll break down each course individually before summing up my experience. **Drinks:** My friend ordered the 'Mykon... read more To make this lengthy review more manageable, I’ll break down each course individually before summing up my experience. **Drinks:** My friend ordered the 'Mykonos,' a gin and tonic style cocktail, while I chose the Rum Mele, a rum-based drink with a hint of honey and other mixers. Honestly, I wasn’t overly impressed with my drink; one of the components overshadowed the rum and honey flavors I was hoping for. My friend's drink, on the other hand, was very refreshing. **Starters:** We began with Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), which are my favorite Greek dish and a crucial benchmark for gauging a restaurant's authenticity; Melizanosalata (traditional eggplant dip) served with complimentary bread; and Tirokafteri (spicy feta dip). Unfortunately, none of these starters really stood out. The Melizanosalata was my favorite, but it was milder in flavor than I expected, though still delicious with the bread. The Dolmades were of good quality but didn’t taste traditional and lacked flavor; I primarily relied on the yogurt they were served with to enhance the taste. The Tirokafteri was tasty too but reminded me more of pimento cheese than anything you’d find in Greece, which, while not inherently bad, didn’t feel unique. **Main Courses:** We ordered Octopus, Braised Beef from Naousa, Mantia (Turkish meat dumplings), and Gemista (stuffed peppers). We also opted for a bold red wine that the waiter suggested to pair with the beef. Overall, I found the main courses much more flavorful. The standout dish for me was the Mantia, which is somewhat ironic as it’s distinctly not Greek. Despite the small portion, the pasta and filling were rich in flavor and enjoyable. The Octopus brought back fond memories of dining with my grandfather in Cyprus; it was fresh and well-cooked, seasoned perfectly to complement the mollusk. The stuffed peppers were good, but felt more fitting as an appetizer rather than part of the main course lineup. I had expected the Beef from Naousa to be the highlight, and it was my friend’s favorite. The meat was cooked well, and the pairing was spot on, though I found some flavors to be a bit less intense than I had hoped. **Dessert:** We ended with 'Yiayia's Nightcap' and a Baklava, accompanied by some evening Greek Mountain Tea for me and Metaxa for my friend. The 'nightcap' was quite innovative—baklava served in a glass with some aperitif and cream! While tasty, I’m not sure I would order it again. The baklava consisted of four small pieces; while flavorful, it felt a bit small for the $16 price tag, as you can find similar quality for less around town. My tea was delightful and provided a fitting end to our meal. Overall, my dining experience was very enjoyable, and my friend and I had a wonderful time. While the food wasn't at an elite level, it was still good and worth trying. I would return, but at about $180 per person, I think there are other places offering a high-end, elevated Greek experience at a more reasonable price in the DMV area. **Vegetarian options:** Greek cuisine offers a rich variety of vegetarian dishes which appeal to many tastes.

I had high hopes for this restaurant. The ambiance is stunning, and the food was overall good. However, the greens served with the lamb were excessively salted,... read more I had high hopes for this restaurant. The ambiance is stunning, and the food was overall good. However, the greens served with the lamb were excessively salted, which was disappointing. Ultimately, the meal wasn’t remarkable enough for me to return, especially considering there are much better dining options in the city at this price point.

High end ambiance and service with good food great for groups. Excited to write one of the first reviews for this restaurant since they re opened Fall 2023. It... read more High end ambiance and service with good food great for groups. Excited to write one of the first reviews for this restaurant since they re opened Fall 2023. It seems like the reviews from before had a pretty different experience than what the restaurant is today i.e. prix fix vs. a la carte, a chef 's table, etc. so also want to caution with that.I came here on the first Wednesday of their reopening to the public with my close friend for a 7 PM dinner. I was extremely excited to try this restaurant, for a a variety of reasons. For one, I had yet to patron one of Nicholas Stefanelli restaurants. For another, I am 1st Generation Greek American who loves finding more great Greek restaurants, especially at the higher end scale although that also comes with having a higher standard for Greek food... The interior was expansive and stunning. There are several large windows to the outside, which at night made for a nice background. Chandeliers adorned the wall, and the booths were elegant. There did not appear to be a chef 's table, but the kitchen was open and could see everyone working. The restaurant had two levels, the second appearing to be a half floor that overlooked the first although I did not go upstairs . The bar was separate from the chef 's kitchen. The waiters were very friendly and accommodating, knowledgable on the menu and drink list yet still at the modesty to allow me to help them with their Greek pronunciations . To help make this long review more digestible, I will go through each course individually prior to writing a summation: Cocktails: My friend ordered the 'Mykonos ' a gin and tonic style drink and I ordered the Rum Mele a rum based drink flavored with a touch of honey and other mixers . Candidly I did enjoy my drink that much one of the components was over powering to the rum and honey flavor I was hoping for. My friends drink was very refreshing, however.Starters: We ordered Dolmades 'stuffed grape leaves, my favorite Greek dish and an essential piece for judging the 'authenticity ' of a restaurant 's ties to the homeland , Melizansolata traditional eggplant dip to be eaten with the complimentary bread, and Tirokafteri a spicy feta dip . Honestly, none of these three really were a stand out dish. The Melizansolata was probably my favorite, but was a bit milder on flavors although with the bread was delicious and as I expected . The Dolmades were OK and of good quality, but certainly not traditional and again didn 't feel they had much flavor I had to get the taste profile and flavor from dipping in the yogurt they were served with. The Tirokafteri was certainly tasty, but honestly tasted a lot like pimento cheese rather than anything I 'd find in Greece. Which in itself not a bad thing Greek 's don 't really do spice anyways , but still not something I couldn 't have ordered elsewhere.Main Courses: We ordered the Octopus, Braised Beef from Naousa, Mantia turkish meat dumplings , and Gemista stuffed peppers . We also got a bolder red wine at the recommendation of the waiter to pair with the beef. Overall I found the main courses to be much more flavorful. The stand out to me was the Mantia slightly ironic, as it is the one distinctly not Greek although the serving size was small the pasta and filling was very flavorful and enjoyable. The Octopodi was true to the memories I had eating it with my grandfather in Cyprus even if it was 4x the price ; and met my expecations as it was fresh and well cooked with approriate seasonings to compliment the mollusk. The stuffed peppers were solid, but felt more at place with the appetizers rather than the heavy hitting main courses. I had expected the Beef from Naousa to be the star, and it was my friend 's favorite dish. The pairing was on point, the meat was cooked appropriately, and there were tastes of perfection. However, I felt there were tastes that were at times a bit less flavorful and relatively disappointing given the high hopes I had.Dessert: We tried the