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This martini happy hour popped up on my IG, so a friend and I decided to check it out since it was such a beautiful Friday evening. After reading a few reviews, we learned the $7 martini special is only available in their "martini lounge," which is a small bar area right when you enter the restaurant. It was already standing room only by 6pm, so we opted to grab a table and have dinner instead. The restaurant was pretty busy, so it took a while for our drinks to come out. It looked like our waitress was covering a lot on her own, but thankfully other staff helped run food and drinks, which kept things moving. We ordered the bread and crispy zucchini and both came out hot and were really tasty (great recommendations from our waitress!). All of our cocktails were solid as well. I had the rigatoni and broccolini, and both were flavorful and satisfying. My friend has the ravioli which she said was ok just needed more seasoning. The space itself is really cute, with a mix of tourists and neighborhood locals. Overall, I'd come back, just earlier next time to beat the crowd and actually grab a martini in the lounge.
I've been wanting to try Cucina Morini and was excited to snag a reservation. The ambiance was dark and moody, which I really liked. We started with calamari, focaccia, and burrata. All the appetizers were very fresh and very delicious. However, after that the service was extremely slow and we had to flag a waiter down after 20 minutes to order our mains. I liked that for the pasta you could order half or full portions. I had one of the specials - a veggie forward pesto - and it was pretty good. I tried some truffle ravioli and that was the best dish I had. The service throughout dinner was again extremely slow and we were having to flag people down. The waiter apologized on his own and offered a complimentary dessert for the slow service. I appreciated the gesture but then the dessert was put on our bill. They corrected it after we let them know. While the food was good, the whole experience was still affected by the service and I wish I could've been more present to enjoy the experience.
Another good happy hour deal, if you like a martini you'll like it here. There's not a ton of room so it got a little cramped in there (it was raining so that may have made it a little more cramped inside) but it's a fun vibe. I got their Sicilian martini and it tasted almost a bit like bubblegum in addition to the citrus. Service was super nice and quick though!
I was here last night for a private event and was pleasantly surprised. I do wish there better seating in the martini lounge. You either had to stand and eat or hold the plate on your lap or in your hands. Although there were a lot of us, the food came out quick. The food was amazing! I ordered the frutti di mar. The shellfish and branzino were cooked perfectly. I didn't eat the calamari though because I'm only a fan of fried calamari and they said they wouldn't take it off. I could also tell the pasta was homemade. I also ordered the focaccia, which was delicious! It was light and fluffy. The only thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was the cala rosa drink. It was okay, but way too sweet. It almost tasted like a melted popsicle. I will definitely be back for the food.
Amazing food & service! Don't skip out on appetizers. I would come back just for these apps alone: Broccolini: 10/10! Fried perfectly. The broccolini disintegrates in your mouth kind of like cotton candy. Cavolfiore: 10/10. Sweet and tangy. I licked the plate clean. You have to get this! Graminga: 9/10. The noodles are delicious and have a unique texture because they have a whole in the middle of them. I added crushed red pepper & black pepper to bring in a hint of heat. Rigatoni: 10/10. My man loved this!
Cucina Morini absolutely over-delivered. We came in to celebrate my job promotion and ended up having one of those "every single thing hits" dinners--simple dishes, executed with absurd precision. We started with the espresso martini. It's definitely on the sweeter side and doesn't lean into that strong, bitter coffee bite (which is usually my preferred espresso martini flavor profile). Still decent and smooth--just know it's more dessert-leaning than bracing. The focaccia is genuinely unique: crispy, almost crackly on the outside, but soft and light inside. The herbs really come through, and it's the kind of bread you keep tearing into "just one more piece" until it's gone. For pasta, the rigatoni lamb ragu was a standout. The lamb brings this deep richness that plays perfectly with the red sauce, and the pasta was perfectly al dente--firm, with real bite. Comforting, but still refined. The gnocchi was also excellent--small pieces, not gummy at all, and the sauce was beautifully balanced between sweet and acidic. It's a simple dish on paper, but that's exactly why the execution shines. Biggest surprise of the night: the gramigna. The subtle sweetness from the pork sausage, the sauce, and the egg yolk all come together in this really satisfying, silky way. It's almost like a carbonara vibe, but honestly better--again with that perfectly al dente, slightly firm pasta. Dessert was the affogato, and the portion is absolutely shareable. I love affogato and this one delivered--a must for affogato aficionados. And the cherry on top: our wonderful server Caesar brought out some house-made limoncello to celebrate my promotion. It was the best limoncello I've ever had--sweet with just a slight bitterness and insanely drinkable. If you like limoncello, you have to try it here. Overall: I was genuinely surprised by the quality. The dishes are simple in the best way, and the kitchen's execution turns that simplicity into a masterpiece. We'll be back.
We came here for an anniversary dinner on a Saturday night. Our server was excellent ! He had a kind enthusiasm but also gave us space to enjoy our evening. The menu is a good size and anything you pick will be delicious. We got Hugo Spritzes to start and they were some of the best I've had in the area. Our starters were perfectly sized - the broccolini is a MUST! The meatballs were also delicious and the sauce paired well with the focaccia we got. Our mains were the Gramigna (waiter's rec!) and Paccheri Allá Norma. Both were to die for and great portions! We opted to have dessert at home but the options were super tempting!! Knocked it down a star just because the tables were a little close to together, but all things considered would highly recommend.
My friends and I decided to try this restaurant because we usually visit its sister restaurant for pasta mondays and let me tell you, I was SO worth it. It also has a great martini HH special (at the front bar only). I highly recommend getting a reservation on a Monday or you will be short. We made a reservation for 2 but ended up with 3 and the restaurant wouldn't have a seat for us for 3 hours. We ended up sitting at the bar and giving our table to 2 ladies looking for space. I'm so glad we ended up at the bar because the bartender (with the glasses) was so nice and very attentive. I'd return just to sit at the bar in his area for guaranteed great service. I ordered the Ostriche (osyters), Rosamarino (cocktail), Broccoletti, and Taglioni Neri. Everything was divine! The oysters were 6 for $24 and came with a prosecco mignonette. Very tasty. By the time I finished the 6, I told myself I could've eaten 6 more. The broccoletti was very good. It had a slight kick to it which was so good. It was the perfect consistency of crispy and tender. The taglioni neri was, as the kids say, torch! This pasta was so good. It was a squid ink pasta with seafood in it. I am so glad I ordered the full portion because I cleaned the plate. I cannot wait until we go back to this place for dinner. I highly recommend.
Went in for pasta Monday, there was good service and the pastas were overall quite tasty. My friend and I split 6 of the primi pastas and enjoyed them all though the gramina was our favorite followed by the gnocchi and then eggplant one. One downside, they brought them all quick and they got cold by the time we got to the last ones, would have preferred an offer to space them out but a small gripe. Overall would recommend
Solid Italian cuisine. The restaurant decor is classy and nice. Our server was able to recommend a delicious non-alcoholic drink for me. We shared the paccheri alla norma and the taglioni neri. Both dishes were very flavorful. The paccheri alla norma is made of eggplant, tomatoes, red chilis, ricotta salata, and basil. The flavors came together in an excellent way. The dish was a good serving size for one person. The taglioni neri was a squid ink pasta made with shellfish ragu and Calabrian chili butter. The flavors came together nicely, and I am very happy that the tomatoes did not overpower the seafood (which is an issue I've had with many Italian restaurants in America). For dessert, we shared a slice of the olive oil cake. It was moist and delicious. Overall, I'm happy with my experience here; however, the prices felt a bit high. We ended up paying for an $8 bottle of water when tap would have been fine with us.
Omg! The Griminga, the Rigatoni. Yes, yes, yes! So happy to have gotten the Griminga. The Rigatoni was tasty but was not as perfect as the Griminga. I almost licked the plate. Will certainly return. Thankful for the service that Morgan provided. The staff and manager Pauline were very nice and thoughtful. Everyone was very personable. This place has several places to seat for different size parties.
Love the vibe, nice staff, and the breakfast/ brunch was so good. I will definitely be back! I had a Pomodoro sandwich, which was so good. I think they add like a light dressing, which taste amazing with the grill bun. I also had the truffle omelet, which was good, but the prosciutto makes it a little too salty for my taste. Then I had a lavender latte, which was nice and strong! read more
10 stars for us. Party of 4 Sunday night. Everyone was so kind & helpful. Outstanding service Oh the food....the tomato focaccia bread- yellowtail crudi - Zuppa di pesce (a must - that bread too!) - eggplant- and other fish dishes. Save room for dessert. The bombolini & olive oil cake...I am surprised I shared ! Incredible experience! read more
As someone who's been to countless Italian spots in DC and elsewhere, it takes a lot to wow me. This place is wow. Perfect service - attentive and funny but not overbearing. Cute vibe - check the cool sinks in the bathrooms! But the food is so so so so good. We had a lot of things - came in hungry! The salads were fresh and a great sized portion. The salmon and yellow tail crudos were incredible. The cauliflower small plate was savory and somehow also kind of sweet. The mozzarella came with a multitude of flavors that worked so well with the garlicky crostini. The kitchen sent out a complimentary octopus which was tasty as well! Someone in the kitchen is gifted with the fried capers! For our pasta selections we loved the lemony spaghetti with clams and mussels and the squid ink noodles with chilies and seafood. I'm looking forward to returning already! read more
Had dinner with some friends at Cucina Morini. Staff was friendly but a little slow. I really liked being able to order half portions in order to try more dishes. If you've got a smaller appetite, this would also be a great option, however, prices are still on the higher end for pasta for the amount that you get! The yellow tail crudo was surprisingly good considering the ingredients. I enjoyed the squid ink pasta but their was little seafood in it. Meatballs and oysters were good. I wasn't a fan of the the gramigna and cappellitti. read more
I was told that THIS Italian spot has got good food!! I pulled up, I went in, and...peep the review!! Special shout out to my waiter!! EXCELLENT, SUPERB, customer service!! That's it!! . Where I am: @cucina.morini . Location Reviewed: 901 4th St., N.W. Washington D.C. . Menu Includes: *See Website* www.cucinamorini.com . Items Reviewed: Their Romana Salad (with romaine, cherry tomatoes, mollica, & garlic anchovy dressing $15). STAMP!! Simple, & not fishy!! Their House Baked Tomato Focaccia (with roasted garlic oil, tomato, wild oregano, & stracciatella-a cheesy mozzarella cream-$6 extra $10). STAMP!! Fluffy bread, tangy tomato sauce, & creamy cream!! Their Calamari (Rhode Island calamari pomodoro $18). STAMP!! Well cooked with a superb tangy marinara!! Their Polepettine (with prosciutto, & mortadella meatballs $15). STAMP!! Well blended meatballs, & flavorful!! Their Vignola Punch (with clarified milk punch, sakura gin, pineapple, lime $15). STAMP!! Strong, no bite back, sweet'ish!! Their Prickled Pink (with blue agave, spiritless tequila, prickly pear, pickled calabrian pepper $14). DELICIOUS!! Spicy!! I have to get use to spicy juice!! Their Overruled (with earl grey tea, butterfly pea, lavender, lime $12). LIKE THAT!! Lite, flowery, tasty!! Their Rigatoni (with lamb ragu, fennel rosemary, & pecorino $18). LIKE THAT!! Fragrant, meaty, thick!! Their Gramigna (with pork sausage, green onion, black pepper, & egg yolk $18). STAMP!! I could eat this everyday!! Their Cappelletti (truffle ricotta ravioli, & prosciutto $19). STAMP!! The tang from the meat, & the velvety truffle ricotta did it for men Their Spaghetti Alle Vongole (with manila clam, leek toasted garlic, & lemon $29). LIKE THAT!! Lemony, garlicky, tasty!! Their Zuppa Di Pesce (a classic Sicilian seafood soup with scallops, clam, mussel, shrimp fregola, shellfish broth, & crostini $65). DELICIOUS! Good...I know...but it was a HUGE POT!! . Customer Service: On Point!! . Online Navigation: Easy . Parking: Rough. . Music: YouTube: Backyard Band 4-6-95 . Recommendations: Get what I STAMPED!! =STAMP =LIKE THAT =DELICIOUS =DECENT =PASS =NAH #Bigschlimsreviews read more
2 years ago
One of best meals and experiences I've had in a while. I was lucky enough to grab a reservation the weekend before they officially reopened. It was a solo date and I appreciate the staff offered me the option to choose where I wanted to sit and didn't immediately offer me a seat at the bar. I had a nice seat in the corner which was great for people watching. The space is beautiful. They have a nice bar and lounge right as you enter. They have $7 martini specials if that's your thing. I started off with the cavolfiore and calamari fritti. Both were delicious! The calamari was nice and crispy and seasoned well. The cavolfiore was full of flavor. I loved it! They were both a great size where you enjoy with someone else or have a bit left over if you're solo. I had taglioni neri as my main dish. Since I had two apps, I decided to go with the smaller size of the pasta. It was very good! It wasn't too heavy on the butter and the seafood all tasted fresh. It had a nice little kick to it which I appreciated. I loved that they have two size options. It provides you with the opportunity to try different pastas if you'd like. For my drinks I had the Sustained and George's Ol Fashion. Both were good. The Sustajned included rye and rum. The Ol Fashion was my favorite. The smokiness was amazing! The staff was great! Everyone I interacted with from my arrival were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I appreciate the break down of the menu. My waiter even highlighted the favorite items from their sister restaurant Osteria Morini that were included on the menu. I was given great recommendations and I never had to search for my waiter. It was a bit more pricer than I anticipated but it was worth it. I'm definitely keeping this one on the list! I'll be back frequently. read more
10 months ago
Hands down one of the best Italian spots in the city! I love their martini happy hour (insane deal) and the drinks never miss! I usually order the eggplant pasta. The staff is friendly and responsive. Customers for life! read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
Visited for Morini Monday (discounted pasta dishes!) Went to the lounge first for martini hour! Love how lowkey the lounge is and that you can take your martinis into the dining room straight to dinner. Espresso martini was solid! They're smaller but for $7 a good deal & more of a coffee-forward martini! Ambiance is nice in the dining room! Focaccia bread with the straciatella was delicious and perfect appetizer to share with the table. Rigatoni & Gnocchi pastas were really good and def a good spot for dinner with the girls or date night! Service was also fast and servers were friendly! read more
We ordered a lot of the same things as the prior reviewer and gotta say, she knew what she was writing about! The taglioni neri was earthy, chewy and had nice chunks of small squid. It was proceeded by a romana salad (liked the slightly creamy but not heavy garlic anchovy dressing). My partner and I also really liked the calamari. Most things have a bit of spicy kick. His Zuppa De Pecse was not too spicy for him and a really big portion (the restaurant helpfully provided leftover containers). The olio d'oliva cake was decent - I couldn't detect orange (or rosemary), but it wasn't too heavy on olive oil and the blueberry sauce was a nice touch. Overheard them telling another table they did not offer certain wines (having mainly southern italian varietals) but we didn't order drinks anyway. Slightly loud, but very good service. read more
1 year ago
Visited today for $10 pasta special and enjoyed our time. Everything tasted grearm I have done the $7 martini special before at the bar and that's also great. Staff was super helpful and nice. The restaurant was not too busy tonight, good vibe. read more
6 months ago
I am a little conflicted about my review, as I will explain in a bit. Met my friends for dinner and a birthday celebration last night. The ambiance of the place is nice and cozy and we were greeted well and seated immediately. Given it was a Sunday night and close to 930 pm, the place was not super busy. Unfortunately our experience with our server was strange. He didn't show up for the longest time and left us in between visits for an extraordinarily long time. Given the place was not busy, this surprised us. There was also a language problem in my opinion and then the fact that the server had a chip on his shoulder/ bit of an attitude. Disappearing without listening to everything, not telling us specials, showing visible frustration when someone changed their mind about drinks, misunderstanding orders and then eye rolling when we pointed out it was inaccurate, showing frustration at being flagged down after he left us without water or drinks for more than 20 minutes. Eventually our friend got up and walked to the hostess stand to explain the situation. We were here to celebrate and if the restaurant felt they had too many people to handle fully, we'd be happy to pay our check and leave - we wanted the experience to be enjoyable and memorable. Anyway, they were super gracious and Ryan came to take care of us instead of our original server - 5 star experience for his service! He looks like a leaner, younger version of Justin Timberlake and was the sweetest. We started with the focaccia which was delicious, as was the goat cheese salad( Treviso) and the mozzarella cheese. The cheese was my favorite - the eggplant caponata totally made it. The potatoes were a little sad in my opinion and can be skipped. For entree, I got the cappeletti without the meat and it was very tasty. Definitely truffle forward and the pasta had a slight bite more than I would have liked but I finished it regardless. The lamb ragu was a huge hit, get the larger portion if you are hungry - the smaller portions really are more like appetizer size, which Ryan explained fully while ordering. The scallops and paccheri were also devoured quickly. I think all that pasta dishes were a tad bit under, but that may be just me. The kitchen made an error and gave us a larger portion on one of the lamb ragu orders but they didn't charge us extra for that. Ryan treated us to a glass of champagne each ( he was sweet to notice I wasn't drinking alcohol and brought me a non alcoholic version) and the ricotta doughnuts as a birthday treat. The flourless chocolate torta was a huge hit with the guys in our group. Overall, the food was 4 star and the initial service prior to Ryan was a 1 star. Hence my conflict while reviewing. Given Ryan's attentiveness and the restaurant's general attitude to ensure we had a good experience, I'm providing an overall rating of 4 stars. read more
8 months ago
I am not usually WOWed by a lot of Italian places but this restaurant is delicious - I love that you can get half size portions so you can try different pastas or leave room fot dessert. The apps were delicious but our favorites were ofc the pastas! Al dente, so fresh&flavorful, and not too greasy/oily like a lot of places tend to be. We tried the cappelletti, gramigna, and tagliolini neri and they were all very yummy! read more
The service here is great and interior is posh and clean, but I wasn't so impressed by the food. We tried many dishes: -focaccia: it was fine but nothing mind blowing -crudo: yellowtail was fresh and this was pretty good -charred broccolini: too salty and burnt. I also didn't like the aioli very much -seafood pasta: I liked the seafood but the pasta wasn't really a shape I liked -clam pasta: not a fan of the lemon-y taste -olive oil cake: decent but nothing special Overall it was pretty pricey and not really worth returning for us read more
8 months ago
7 months ago
Loved my pasta and the apps. Service good, food came out so fast after ordering. Cheap martinis during happy hour and the dim lighting was a vibe. Deserts were ehhh. Prob wouldn't order either again. read more
Came back (again) for dinner. Had the Pasta Al Limone special and it was so lovely and bright. Also tried the Paccheri a la Norma which is a new favorite with charred eggplant skin imparting the most beautiful earthy and smoky flavors to this decadent and comforting dish. Chef Adler always crushing it! read more
1 year ago
4 months ago
10 months ago
Back here for the second time and continue to LOVE this place. I want to shout out the service especially this time -- a mistake was made with our order and they immediately made the correct dish for us and were so above and beyond to make sure it was corrected. I think the standouts were the mozarella di bufala with garlic crustinis, and the squid ink ragu linguini. SO GOOD. We also got to try the sea food pasta and really really enjoyed it if you're into a seafood dish. This is really an amazing spot for an upscale date, celebratory dinner, or for any group who is ready to share and enjoy all the apps! read more
This was one of our favorite meals in our visit to DC! We got the Taglioni Neri and Frutti Di Mare which are both red sauce-type pastas with their own distinct flavor. We really loved both of them and were surprised at how different the flavors were despite the same red color in the sauces. I loved the option of tapas size or full size to be able to get more pasta than we would've by being able to control the portions. We also got the Romana Salad (a caesar salad) which was a wonderfully crunchy and fresh starter to our meal. We had also ordered the House Baked Tomato Focaccia with added Stracciatella but it was strange that our bread came far after the pastas did. I was expecting the salad and bread to come out at the same time, or at least during the pastas, but we were finished with the pastas by the time we decided to ask about the bread, since our server didn't give us an update on it. It would've been nice to at least hear that the bread was being made and on the way.. only after we asked about it did the bread come out and it didn't meet our expectations on the taste. I found the stracciatella to give off a very goat cheesy vibe compared to the kinds I had before. It probably would've been better eaten at the same time with he pastas as well. Despite that, we still really enjoyed our experience here because they were some really wonderful pasta dishes! read more
9 months ago
10 months ago
1 year ago
Love this place! The happy hour in the lounge area with $7 martinis was my favorite part! It included espresso martinis made with la colombe espresso we had a reservation for dinner in the main dining room after! I got the regular size gnocchi on Moroni Monday so it was only $20 which is such a steal!! Really loved the vibe of this place and the service was so fast. read more
Cucina Morini was very good. I took an early dinner at 5:30 on a Thursday. The restaurant was quiet when I arrived, even the bar with their much lauded $7 martinis. By the time I left at ~7, the bar and restaurant were mostly full. I tried the Ricciola Crudi ($21 yellowtail, pistachio pesto, fennel pollen), Sfincione ($10 tomato focaccia bread with $6 stracciatella), Rapini ($13 broccoli rabe, spicy pepita gremolata, tonnato), and two half pastas, the Taglioni Neri ($18 squid ink, shellfish ragu, calabrian chili butter) and Gramigna ($18 pork sausage, green onion, black pepper, egg yolk). To drink I had a red wine and the Sirene Spritz ($16, sirene bitter artigianale, a' sicilia lemonata, prosecco). This was enough food for two people to be comfortably full. The stars were the Rapini and the Gramigna pasta. The rapini was the perfect mix of tender on the stalks but crispy on the top, and came with excellent sauce. The Gramigna was a little like a carbonara, but with a much thicker sauce, large sausage chunks, and a fun pasta shape. I would order both again in a heartbeat. The Taglioni Neri was good, but similar to other pastas I've had elsewhere (reminds me of one at Sfoglina), so it was good but not novel. The ricciola was okay. I liked the taste and the crunch of the pistachio pesto on top, but I also thought the pesto overshadowed the fish, which kind of misses the point of crudi. The Sfincione bread was also good, but not worth it in my opinion. The stracciatella portion was particularly small. I did not care for the Sirene Spritz because it was biter and lemony, but that's my own fault for not reading the menu closely. I would not bother to order the Ricciola or Sfincione again. I would appreciate getting a little complementary bread to soak up extra pasta sauce. I have mixed thoughts on value for money. I thought the pastas and rapini were worth it, but the crudi, bread, and cocktails were not. It's cool they are doing $7 martinis at the bar, but it's a bit insulting to then serve dinner cocktails for $15+ a few steps away. A $10 / $13 contrast, for example, would sting less. Plenty of good restaurants these days manage to do sub $15 cocktails, including Caruso's Grocery at $12 (which shares the exec chef with Cucina Morini, although different restaurant group). Service was okay. It could have been a little more detailed and friendly. For example, the server didn't ask about any allergies or dietary restrictions, didn't mention the price of the market price fish entree, and didn't give much in the way of menu explanations, just a few cursory highlights. I like the main dining room, which is mostly a medium-sized, open room with high ceilings, plus a smaller, separate bar area. This is virtually the same as when the restaurant was Nicoletta Kitchen. They turned a cafe into another, smaller bar area on the side and switched the main entrance, and I dislike that part of the restaurant, which feels awkward and cramped. Nudging our way past happy hour guests on our way out was not endearing. I hope they expand the happy hour menu. Nicoletta Kitchen had a great HH with a huge menu and great value. Cucina Morini's $7 martinis grab headlines, but the only food is some chips and olives ($6), so a bit of a letdown. read more
2 years ago
Went to Cucina Morini without a reservation for an impromptu dinner on a summer Thursday. I love Caruso's Grocery and loved Nicoletta so I had high hopes. Overall the meal was good, with one or two disappointments but I would still come back. Food: -Rapini: Wonderful, broccoli rabe was nicely charred -Meatballs: Really dense and dry. Unfortunately some of the worst meatballs I've ever had. -Paccheri alla Norma: Good, not great. Flavor reminded me a bit of eggplant parm but easier to eat. -Cappelletti (truffle ravioli): Really tasty, nice truffle flavor. Also appreciated that it was a good number of ravioli. -Affogato Sundae: Tasted great, nice balance of sweet from the caramel and ice cream, bitter from the espresso, and nutty from the pistachios. However eating it out of a pint glass is extremely awkward. Service was a mixed bag. We sat at the bar in the accessible seats, which is always awkward because you are lower than the bar. It was also right next to the pass and the kitchen. But we didn't have a reservation so that's on us. There were a few times that we struggled to get the attention of a server but luckily there was a great manager who seemed to have a sixth sense for what we needed. read more
$7 espresso martinis... say less I'm there! I was floored by the quality of these draft espresso martinis. They provided a perfectly balanced pick me up while I waited for my friend to arrive. The lounge was relaxed and a good segway into the restaurant. The restaurant itself is dimly lit, fairly loud and perfect for a date night. Now onto the food-- definitely order the focaccia (it's really good). We added on the stracciatella for $6 and it was fine, nothing special. I love that they offer half portions of pasta!! My friend got the half size rigatoni and I got the half size cappelletti (which is one of their signature pastas). My cappelletti was well executed and satisfying. The creme brulee was nice and not overly sweet because of the coffee flavor. I look forward to trying more from Cucina Morini! read more
11 months ago
We tried Cucina Morini while we killed time before a Wizards game. The drinks for the Martini Hour were nice. It was quite crowded and a bit chaotic in The Lounge so we decided to skip a second round of drinks and grab food elsewhere. I liked the overall vibe of the restaurant and I'm sure we will go back to try a meal. read more
1 year ago
Known for their martini happy hour, which I've been to, this was my first time having a full meal here. The setting was cozy as it was snowing outside and the lighting was just right. We had a lovely server who made some great suggestions. We were a group of three and got everything to share. We ordered the mozzarella di búfala and cauliflower to start - both really incredible. For mains we got the agnolotti, cappalletti, and the rigatoni. The star was the rigatoni, then the agnolotti, then the cappalletti. All the pastas could be larger, but were all so so good. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Morini Martini, which had dill and white pepper in it and was so so good! It's not a cheap dinner, but it is perfect for a date night or celebration! read more
More info about Cucina Morini
901 4th St NW
Washington, DC 20001
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(202) 697-6888
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https://www.cucinamorini.com
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Ask the Community - Cucina Morini
What time is their martini hour?
I believe it's all night, but it's only offered in the lounge.
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Cucina Morini - italian - Updated May 2026
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