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✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
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Set menus of simple Italian cooking & wine are presented in an informal townhouse setting.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 2029 P St NW, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 872-1180
Website: http://obeliskdc.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: obeliskdc.com
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Thomas Strehle
Awesome experience in this DuPont Circle gem. Be prepared for a big meal! Ever changing menu and absolutely delicious. The staff is excellent and super knowledgeable! Must try! Pre fix is $135pp without wine pairings. Reservations necessary.
… moreCam Hawkins
Obelisk is an outstanding restaurant where diners can savor a 5-course Italian dinner in an intimate space and at a leisurely and unhurried pace. This isn’t a restaurant that strives to turn tables over as quickly as possible—they want you to linger and to have plenty of time to enjoy the experience.
We visited the restaurant for my wife’s birthday and were incredibly pleased at the personal touch guests receive at the restaurant. The front-room staff members are absolutely wonderful and attentive, and will happily engage in conversation as much or as little as you’d like.
The food itself is top notch, as are the optional wine pairings. Dinner is a two- to three-hour long experience, beginning with mixed antipasti, and progressing through the typical Italian “plates” (piati). The menu seems to change frequently, and the dishes we had all relied heavily on seasonal ingredients; we can’t wait to go back in a few months to see what the spring brings!
… moreWe visited the restaurant for my wife’s birthday and were incredibly pleased at the personal touch guests receive at the restaurant. The front-room staff members are absolutely wonderful and attentive, and will happily engage in conversation as much or as little as you’d like.
The food itself is top notch, as are the optional wine pairings. Dinner is a two- to three-hour long experience, beginning with mixed antipasti, and progressing through the typical Italian “plates” (piati). The menu seems to change frequently, and the dishes we had all relied heavily on seasonal ingredients; we can’t wait to go back in a few months to see what the spring brings!
Wendy Gao
This place is very unassuming with a menu posted out front and having to go up a set of stairs. The setting is very house-like, as if you were invited to an Italian grandmother’s house for dinner. It’s a nice place to catch up with friends since the service is more relaxing, with a long downtime vetween courses for plenty of time to chat. It can get a bit loud if there is a roudy table.
The menu changes each day and offers a 5 course meal (antipasti, pasta, protein, cheese, and dessert). We had the gnocchi dish, and the spaghetti with clams dish which were both really good. The protein dish we got seared bluefin tuna which was also good and such a large portion! If there’s anything that you can’t finish, you can ask them to wrap it up for you to take.
The service was impeccable, dishes were served at the same time, plates were cleared quickly, and drinks were also refilled often. The place is very clean, the bathrooms were nice, and there is a coat rack/room in the entryway before entering.
… moreThe menu changes each day and offers a 5 course meal (antipasti, pasta, protein, cheese, and dessert). We had the gnocchi dish, and the spaghetti with clams dish which were both really good. The protein dish we got seared bluefin tuna which was also good and such a large portion! If there’s anything that you can’t finish, you can ask them to wrap it up for you to take.
The service was impeccable, dishes were served at the same time, plates were cleared quickly, and drinks were also refilled often. The place is very clean, the bathrooms were nice, and there is a coat rack/room in the entryway before entering.
Bo P.
To say Obelisk is discreet is a massive understatement. Tucked away in Dupont Circle, the address is really of a large building that houses multiple businesses. Obelisk does not have a super large sign to indicate its presence so keep your eyes peeled. Oh the mystique! Practically speaking, folks should do what I did and just call if you can’t find it.
Once you finally arrive, you’re seated in a very elegant and quaint medium sized dining room. It has a homey and relaxing feel that along with their color scheme and mini tree, seems to really fit as a concept.
The restaurant offers a tasting menu that has a small number of options. The menu is handwritten, which speaks to the constantly changing dishes. In a nice gesture, I was given one of those menus to take with me, which is great because there’s no way I would have remembered everything I had. Speaking of great gestures, the staff was so pleasant and accommodating. They really make customers feel at home, which again fits very well with the décor and concept.
I tried Burrata, Swordfish Belly, Arancini, Salad, Pici with Lamb Ragu, Lobster Soup, Black Bass with Chickpeas, Fennel and Romesco, Cheese Plate, Baba Au Rhum with Pineapples and Whipped Cream and Butterscotch Custard.
Burrata is a cheese that was topped with seasoning and olive oil. It was subtle, creamy and stringy, all of which made for a fun and interesting start to the meal.
The Swordfish belly is like a hybrid play on sashimi and carpaccio. Absolutely delicious! The swordfish, while thinly cut, retained a firm texture, which is also due to it being a fatty fish. It was also very well seasoned, which brought out the natural flavors. The arancini and salad were both tasty dishes but paled in comparison to the swordfish belly.
The Pici with Lamb Ragu was a definite highlight. Pici is like spaghetti except the noodles are thicker. They were perfectly prepared and an excellent pairing with the hearty ragu. Now, I’m no ragu expert, but this was some amazing stuff. The depth and intensity of the flavors was impressive and addicting. The lamb was so tender.
The Lobster soup was an interesting dish. The pairing was more like lobster meets vegetable or minestrone soup. The lobster was very tender and had a hint of sweetness. The broth had a mild tomato-ish flavor but the texture was odd, a bit gelatinous. Tasty soup.
The Black Bass came with other items but there was no doubt what the star was. Such an amazingly prepared fish, it was moist, tender, well seasoned. Although it wasn’t the biggest size, somehow it satisfied me. Don’t get me wrong though, I’d gladly eat 10 more of it. The chickpeas brought a different flavor and texture to the mix, but was otherwise unspectacular. The romesco was a great pairing with the fish and tasted like cocktail sauce.
The Cheese plate consisted of barilotto, canestrato and raschera. Not bad, especially for those who take their cheese seriously. I’ve never been one to pay much attention to cheese plates and in fact, would much rather have a more meaningful dish instead. Good palate cleanser though.
The Baba Au Rhum with Pineapples and Whipped Cream dessert is definitely visually appealing. The sweet bread/profiterole is soft and pairs very well with the cream and rum sauce. The pineapples add some texture and acidity. I have to say though, way too much rum going on here. The assertiveness of the rum was a tad bit overwhelming.
On the other hand, the Butterscotch Custard was an exercise in restraint. The custard was mildly flavored, and had just the right balance of being firm yet creamy. The butterscotch also shines through but does not overpower. Great way to end a magnificent meal, along with the small candy plate that was given at the end.
Obelisk is a high quality meal in my opinion both from a quality and pricing standpoint. In DC, where everything tends to be overpriced and underwhelming, that’s saying something.
… moreOnce you finally arrive, you’re seated in a very elegant and quaint medium sized dining room. It has a homey and relaxing feel that along with their color scheme and mini tree, seems to really fit as a concept.
The restaurant offers a tasting menu that has a small number of options. The menu is handwritten, which speaks to the constantly changing dishes. In a nice gesture, I was given one of those menus to take with me, which is great because there’s no way I would have remembered everything I had. Speaking of great gestures, the staff was so pleasant and accommodating. They really make customers feel at home, which again fits very well with the décor and concept.
I tried Burrata, Swordfish Belly, Arancini, Salad, Pici with Lamb Ragu, Lobster Soup, Black Bass with Chickpeas, Fennel and Romesco, Cheese Plate, Baba Au Rhum with Pineapples and Whipped Cream and Butterscotch Custard.
Burrata is a cheese that was topped with seasoning and olive oil. It was subtle, creamy and stringy, all of which made for a fun and interesting start to the meal.
The Swordfish belly is like a hybrid play on sashimi and carpaccio. Absolutely delicious! The swordfish, while thinly cut, retained a firm texture, which is also due to it being a fatty fish. It was also very well seasoned, which brought out the natural flavors. The arancini and salad were both tasty dishes but paled in comparison to the swordfish belly.
The Pici with Lamb Ragu was a definite highlight. Pici is like spaghetti except the noodles are thicker. They were perfectly prepared and an excellent pairing with the hearty ragu. Now, I’m no ragu expert, but this was some amazing stuff. The depth and intensity of the flavors was impressive and addicting. The lamb was so tender.
The Lobster soup was an interesting dish. The pairing was more like lobster meets vegetable or minestrone soup. The lobster was very tender and had a hint of sweetness. The broth had a mild tomato-ish flavor but the texture was odd, a bit gelatinous. Tasty soup.
The Black Bass came with other items but there was no doubt what the star was. Such an amazingly prepared fish, it was moist, tender, well seasoned. Although it wasn’t the biggest size, somehow it satisfied me. Don’t get me wrong though, I’d gladly eat 10 more of it. The chickpeas brought a different flavor and texture to the mix, but was otherwise unspectacular. The romesco was a great pairing with the fish and tasted like cocktail sauce.
The Cheese plate consisted of barilotto, canestrato and raschera. Not bad, especially for those who take their cheese seriously. I’ve never been one to pay much attention to cheese plates and in fact, would much rather have a more meaningful dish instead. Good palate cleanser though.
The Baba Au Rhum with Pineapples and Whipped Cream dessert is definitely visually appealing. The sweet bread/profiterole is soft and pairs very well with the cream and rum sauce. The pineapples add some texture and acidity. I have to say though, way too much rum going on here. The assertiveness of the rum was a tad bit overwhelming.
On the other hand, the Butterscotch Custard was an exercise in restraint. The custard was mildly flavored, and had just the right balance of being firm yet creamy. The butterscotch also shines through but does not overpower. Great way to end a magnificent meal, along with the small candy plate that was given at the end.
Obelisk is a high quality meal in my opinion both from a quality and pricing standpoint. In DC, where everything tends to be overpriced and underwhelming, that’s saying something.
Nick Foster
For a relatively expensive tasting menu spot a lot of the food was kind of disappointing. Some of the dishes were very bland (which perhaps explains why they had salt and pepper on the table), though there were a couple of standouts that were very good. The wine pairings were on point.
… moreHarry Moore
I have been a big fan of this restaurant for decades. I will confess that it has been a long time since I have been there, for a variety of reasons, none of them related to the restaurant itself. I went back last night with a small group of family to celebrate my birthday.
The experience was fantastic from beginning to end. It reminded me why it’s such a favorite of mine.
The meal was impeccable. The service warm yet professional, The quiet, elegant ambience is such a departure from most restaurants.
I loved it! I would recommend it highly to anyone who wants a special dining experience.
… moreThe experience was fantastic from beginning to end. It reminded me why it’s such a favorite of mine.
The meal was impeccable. The service warm yet professional, The quiet, elegant ambience is such a departure from most restaurants.
I loved it! I would recommend it highly to anyone who wants a special dining experience.
Naveen Sarna
If you want to be pampered with food for hours while you enjoy the discussions with your friends then this is the place for you. The pre-prix menu is short. I tried the swordfish, a nice portion as the main entree. There is a lot of food, so go easy on the initial serving of bread with Burrata.
… moreMillie Kwan
Most amazing food, wine and service! This restaurant is more of an experience rather than your regular restaurant. Rotating choice of items on the menu depending on what’s available seasonally or what the chef has decided to present. Service is impeccable, bread is amazing especially the grissini. Presentation of the plates were spectacular and the wine list is very nice. The pasta course was delightful and just what pasta should be and the entrees are imaginative. Beautiful, cozy dining room. A must go of you can get reservations which are required.
… moreMaya Bryant
I had an amazing experience from beginning to end. I got all courses along with the wine pairings, everything was good. It was a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and try new things as well.
… moreMichael O’Connor
We had an amazing feast for a birthday dinner. Intimate, romantic wonderful food and service. I’m so glad this gem made it through the pandemic!
… more