Ambiance- Uncomfortable chairs, close quarters and a seating right next to the bar, why not give better seating when the restaurant was empty? On top of that, it was cold and nothing great in terms of interior design. Service- The host was efficient and friendly enough. The server was snobby, forgetful and unpleasant. He completely did not hear my bf's order and we were left wondering when his food would come after my salad came out. After waiting a good 20 minutes, during which the server never came back to check on drinks or to see if everything was ok, we were able to flag him down. He chalks it up to miscommunication (ok, understandable) but why does he not offer anything to make it better? And no, I don't mean free food, I mean some friendly, genuine apologies. To top it off, when we had first ordered, he practically sniffed at my order of a salad making it seem like it wasn't a pricey enough pick. I just wanted something light! Food- So to the salad that actually did come out. I don't know how a mixed greens salad could go so horribly wrong, the greens were bitter and not fresh, the dressing and walnuts were also bitter- a word that actually summarizes the whole experience there. The bread was cold and looked like it was bought from shoppers food warehouse and then dumped into the breadbasket. The only saving grace this place had was location. Normally I am very easygoing and look for the silver lining in situations; however, this was by far probably the worst experience I've had at a restaurant, and I have def. frequented my fair share. read more

The food here is amazing! I came across this gem of a restaurant after 2 years of getting my nails done across the street! My best friend and I (the first time) were "thirsty" so we stopped in... thirst turned to hunger... hunger turned to food! Sergio, our server, was awesome! I went back yesterday, and had the privilege of meeting the owner, Natalie! Very passionate and knowledgeable individual... makes sense the restaurant has been open. 30 years! Everything is delicious ... my fave app is the prosciutto and mozzarella ... which after being there for 3 hours I ordered 3 plates of! So Good! Jackson is very cool people as well... only his 2nd week... but he was eager to please and eager to learn. I've been working in this industry for 10 years... hospitality and restaurant life! Natalie... you're establishment Is AMAZING .. just like you! Thank you for everything... look forward to coming back in soon! read more

Took a friend here to catch up on their patio and she thought her dish was amazing (fish and scalloped potatoes). She said everything was cooked perfectly. My apple salad looked appetizing but my tastebuds begged to differ. I've never tried mustard on a spinach salad as a dressing, but now I know it's overpowering. We both ordered Arnold Palmers and the waiter gave us a puzzled look and brought out iced tea with a side of bottled lemonade. He was gracious with the tea refills so I couldn't get the accurate proportions after many attempts. I might consider returning for dinner since this is a great location and I would like to try the entrees. read more

I added the third star because the gnocchi were spectacular. But the portion size was unforgivable. My friends's bolognese was at least twice as much macaroni for a similar price. Water never refilled. read more

Flew into DC for a quick trip, La Tomate was the one stop I wanted to make. So we had lunch there. Everything was Fantastic, had the Bolognese home made pasta and the sauces as so yummy, wonderful bread, rounded out with superb wine. And then the absolute best Tiramisu I have ever eaten. When we left, I was one happy girl read more

I usually don't go crazy about Italian, but this place was more than a little exciting. The environment was upscale with natural light and white tablecloths, but unpretentious. The waiter was a little aloof, though I wasn't rushed. Everything on the menu looked enticing, and I loved what I ordered - a dish with with sundried tomatoes, spinach pasta, cream sauce, chicken, and artichokes. The prices were great and the quality top-notch. read more

Very good food, friendly people. Normally while in DC I am not in this part of town and did not know where to eat - walked by this place and yes, the location is interesting. A real urban bistro with a ringside seat for everything going on outside and in the area. Food was very good and a good value; I got the caprese to start then risotto with a marlin ragout - delicious. They also serve Illy Caffe which makes any meal better. Recommended... read more

La Tomate has great ambiance and very attentive wait staff. I went with a group of 6 people and they did not have trouble dealing with a group. I have to say though that I was disappointed with the food. I got the spinach fettucini and could not even eat half of it because it was extremely salty. The prices are also a bit much for food that is sadly sub-par. read more

the first time we went here it was just my husband and i. we enjoyed a very nice dinner. my spinach gnocchi were melt-in-your-mouth good. some people might say they were mushy but i thought they were great. the second time we came down we had raved about it to all of our friends who had joined us in DC for a show. we went before the show and i think there were 10 of us altogether. we enjoyed drinks and appetizers but the time it took to even get the appetizers discouraged our friends from ordering anything else and they ended up leaving early to rush to the show. my bruschetta was ok but kind of cut my mouth from being so hard. i don't know if it was our hippie attire or the fact that my drunk girl friend fell out of her chair, but the waiter didn't really seem to like us. my husband ordered a meal while everyone else just ordered appetizers. after the appetizers were all eaten and still no meal in sight, my husband asked the waiter about his food. the waiter was clearing the table and trying to usher us out and responded "you never ordered anything". all of us sitting next to him were like "yeah...he did. we were right here". i guess the waiter was just pretending to write something on his notepad because he checked the notepad again and insisted he never ordered anything, but he could get the order for him now. we had wasted to much time at this point anyway and had to leave for the show, and just said, no thanks. on the way out my husband told the manager that our waiter had argued with him about having ordered and the manager just says "are you serious?" didn't attempt to reimburse us with a coupon or anything. it's a shame we had such a good experience the first time and now after this second time we won't be back. read more

This is my time to this bistro. We have a party of 10 including children and they seated us on the second floor. The service is intentionally slow, so plan for a relaxing dinner. The food is delicious. I enjoyed their proscuitto with melon, carpacio, and seafood pasta. read more

I actually had a very pleasant experience eating here. Came here with 3 friends, we were seated promptly upstairs. Started with the prosciutto. I thought it was delicious, but I guess it's not terribly hard to mess it up especially when parmesan is thrown in there. I got the Pasta al Nero di Seppia "La Tomate". Pasta seemed hand made and had an interesting chewiness while still maintaining al dente that I liked very much. Shrimp were huge and cooked to perfection. I thought the shitake mushrooms were a very welcome addition as well. We all had a great experience at this restaurant, and I thought the prices were pretty reasonable. The location is great since it's smack dab in the middle of dupont circle, so there is plenty of stuff to do after dinner. read more

Mediocre food and service. Had a few friends recommend this place but I wasn't all that impressed. I had the sea bass and thought it to be bland. read more

This place has improved a lot. Went back for the first time in years (after a few totally mediocre experiences that were way overpriced), and I was amazed. I had a really delicious salmon dish, wonderfully fresh and juicy and tasty. I would love to go back. read more

2.5 just average nothing exceptional in the menu (at 8pm some menu items were no longer available but it took 3 minutes for the waiter to know/say it after you ordered), not a fabulous experience and service doing the strict minimum sorry read more

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary here and it was delightful! The restaurant is quaint and intimate amid a busy corner in DuPont Circle with a nice ambiance. We were there on a quiet weekday night in January and received lots of attention from the staff, but I suspect it is similar on more busy nights, as well. We were even delighted to receive champagne when the learned it was our anniversary. Food was great and prices were very fair. I hope to go back soon! read more

Friday night, my friend and I put in our names for the de rigueur 40 minute wait; she moseys to the bar while I hit the ladies room. Kind of icky, the worst part being the perpetually running toilet in the next stall. Having just come from the Environmental Film Fest, the water waste bugged me so much I pulled off the top and fixed the chain so it would stop running, then washed my hands until I didn't have fingerprints anymore. I went to join my friend at the bar, which was only about 70% full. We stood there for about 10 minutes while the 2 bartenders refused to make eye contact, even when they were pouring drinks directly in front of us. We finally asked the female bartender if we could see a wine list, she said yes, then walked away to continue chatting with another customer, then started pouring more drinks elsewhere. At this point, I let my friend know I was ready to leave and go to Sette Osteria across the street whenever she was ready to give up. She is persistent, so we waited and waited, then finally asked the male bartender for the wine list when he went by. He did not even have to move his feet to hand it to us, which made us wonder why the woman could not have done that. Several customers came and went, with drinks served before we could convince the bartender to take an order from us; we asked for a recommendation, and each ordered a glass of wine based on it. When it came, at last, we also got a menu to just eat at the bar. The wine was not really what I wanted, but I chalked it up to experience, and thought it would still go well with the risotto I was anticipating. Except.... When the female bartender came over to ask if we were ready to order, she told my friend that there was NO WAY the chef could be expected to add proscuitto to her dish of choice, for any price. Apparently, he's too much of an artist. Everything comes AS IS on the menu. This did not bode well for me, as the mixed seafood dish I was looking forward to had shrimp in it, which I do not eat, and had been expecting to order without. So when I meekly asked if the chef would be willing to leave out the shrimp, the woman said no, as if I were crazy for asking. At this point, my more-patient-than-me friend asked for our tab for the wine and told the bartender we would just eat elsewhere. "NOOOOO!" says the bartender, aghast, as though she had not just told each of us that the restaurant would not serve us what we requested, "Why?". Then she offered to go and actually CHECK with the chef about the shrimp. She did, came back, and said, "No, I'm sorry, the shrimp is already in the dish." Oh really? So when was it even made? Gross. We asked AGAIN for our tab, since she had talked us out of it before, paid, and left. I've never been so happy to leave behind 2/3 of a glass of overpriced wine. And by the way, Sette Osteria was TERRIFIC - they made my dish without shrimp, were charmingly warm and friendly, and had speedy service, and succeeded in erasing the tragic attempt to eat dinner at La Tomate from my mind. read more

The food was just okay. The service was mediocre. Couldn't believe how crowded this place was considering my experience there. Maybe that's why it was not that great because it was busy. Too bad, I frequent DC quite often and would have recommended this place. Will never eat here again. read more

Extremely limited menu which I typically appreciate because the dishes that are offered should be outstanding. But not in this case. The tortelli was fine as was the branzino. The comfort food option & shrimp pasta option were lacking creativity & flavor. Service was mediocre especially considering the establishment wasn't busy! read more

If you're looking for a great place for a drink or dinner with outstanding people-watching, La Tomate is your place. The inside bar has huge windows surrounding it and the outdoor seating area sits at the apex of three streets. Food is authentic Italian and reasonably priced. It's also a local favorite, so you can mingle with residents and learn from them about our beautiful city. read more

Great service, bottomless mimosas and the burger was great!!! Did I say great service?

The management of La Tomate reached out to us with profuse and sincere apologies for our experience there last weekend. They clearly felt awful about what happened and were anxious to make amends. Because of their response I am convinced our experience was an exception and am certainly open to returning and giving them another chance. As I said in my initial review, the food was fine and hopefully our waiter received appropriate feedback about his lack of customer service This restaurant left a bad taste. We were "upsold" and not given good service. There were 6 of us and when we ordered a bottle of wine we were brought 2 bottles. "Because we needed 2 for 6 people. " We said we weren't yet ready for a second bottle . Our server then disappeared and after waiting for quite some time we had to find someone to take our order. We were also given multiple bottles of Pellegrino & when we asked for tap water there was quite a delay before it appeared. The food was fine but I don't recall anyone asking how we were doing or interacting with us in any genuine way. And the final huge problem: we were charged for 5 antipastos instead of the one we had. When we pointed this out we were told there were problems with the "computer system "??? Overall not a good experience and considering the amount we were paying (we did end up ordering 3 bottles of wine) this was a HUGELY disappointing experience. read more

Awful experience tonight with a group for work . Slow service, rude waiter, and bad food. I've been here previously and it was fine, but earlier tonight it was just dreadful. We all got the 3 course price fixed restaurant week menu. The mushroom soup was cold & the dessert tasted (and looked) like it's been sitting out since the holidays. Will not be returning. read more

Decent food but I wouldn't go back. Service is very slow. Less expensive than some other nearby places. Bathrooms are in the basement and are not well maintained or cleaned. read more

Solid neighborhood Italian. Cool building. Good service. No wait. Had dinner, would come back for brunch.

This used to be a reliable moderately priced place. Totally unreliable tonight. Avoid this place. I arrived and placed a drink order with the host. He spent fifteen minutes talking to the bartender about another guest's drink. At dinner we split the Aranchini. Dry and not enough sauce. My guest's pasta with frutti di mare was fine. My veal was atrocious. Too over cooked and too many peppercorns. I complained and was not charged for my entree. Am at home and sick to my stomach. Go elsewhere like Siroc down a few blocks. read more

I had dinner at La Tomate with a friend last night and really enjoyed the experience. The atmosphere is casual yet classy. The service is friendly and attentive. The menu is interesting and more than your usual Italian fare. We tried the pumpkin knocchi with a black truffle cream sauce and it was delicious. My friend had the fish of the day stuffed with eggplant and tomato. The fish was very fresh, simply done and very tasty. The wines were reasonably priced, we tried the Col di Sasso, a Sangiovese blend and were pleasantly surprised how nice it was for a house red. We ended up our meal with a delicious Italian lemony pastry cake and foamy cappuccino. Overall we had a really positive experience and will definitely be going back soon! read more

Some of the worst food I've ever had in a restaurant, anywhere in the world. The waitstaff's cordial and pretty prompt, and the big-windowed ambiance is fine, but that doesn't make up for the fact of calamari AND chocolate cake served straight out of the deep-freezer. read more

Great food, great atmosphere and great service! A really romantic spot especially if you are outside and the weather is nice! HIghly recommended! read more

Place is adorable and location is perfect. Service was whatever, but when we were being served they were kind. When my partied arrived, they only had one waiter working the outdoor area and then it looked like the manager started serving, so getting food was slow, as was water, and bread. Food is something to be desired. I ordered the bruschette ($8 for four pieces), and I've had better. Too expensive. Also, ordered the tagliatelle, it was decent, cooked al-dente (a major plus in my book), but so, so extremely salty. I had to drink three glasses of water with it, it was that salty. Overall, I wouldn't necessarily run back to this place, but hey. Eh. read more

Flavorful pasta, a wonderful server, and strong drinks. I was so impressed and will definitely be back the next time I'm in DC.

I now live in DC, but this past summer when I visited with my girlfriend, we decided to go there for my birthday. I decided it would be fun to have a big dinner with about 12 of my good friends here. I called ahead and arranged for them to do a pre fixe menu, which was very nice and accommodating of them. We were staying a couple of blocks away at the Palomar hotel, so it was a nice June walk. However, upon walking inside, it sort of looked like a cheap hotel restaurant. There is carpeting upstairs! Look, we all had a good time, drank plenty of wne, and the staff was great for putting up with us. We were loud and getting boozed for sure, so they were very nice to us. However, the food lacked. I cannot really remember what the dishes were, so they were pretty forgettable. I know there was a simple marinara in there, perhaps a chicken cream sauce, and maybe a bolognese? All mediocre. Decent salads I suppose. The best part of the dinner was hearing stories from the lively and Italian staff! The waiters were great and took part in smoking cigarettes outside with us. So, it was definitely fun, but I would not go back unless under the same circumstances. I would go back for lunch though, but dinner? Definitely better options around. I think the 12 of us ate, with plenty of booze for about $50/head - not too bad. read more

Honestly can't get enough of this place, been to it consecutively for the past two weekends and my experiences just keep getting better. The first time I decided to go off menu since my desire for carbonara could not be ignored, not only were accommodating but gave me EXACTLY what I was looking for in my meal, a classic "no fuss" take on the timeless Roman dish. My second time me and my friend decided to work our way through the menu, for appetizers we had the polpo alla toscana, polpette, and the carrots with black garlic aioli. All three were phenomenal and not to mention our dinner entree's were exquisite. Finished off with a delicious cup of espresso which they also serve at their caffé. Proud to be a newly regular here! read more

To be honest I don't really know how this place stays in business. Not that it's terrible, it just isn't really anything special. Just sort of average Italian food at above average prices. Nice setting and location, but other than that I struggle to say anything too positive. Sette Osteria across the street is cheaper and better. read more

Inattentive and rude service. Mediocre food. Lovely location. Bread came eventually. Apparently disgruntled waiter stuck his fingers in my bread plate to turn it over before slamming it back down on the table and pouring some olive oil. I asked to have a small salad with my crab omelette, and the waiter told me that would not be possible, and besides, the omelette comes with asparagus and potatoes, which would be plenty of food for me. Omelette was dry-- it could use some cheese and definitely more tomatoes. Asparagus were over cooked and dedicated. Come for the location, if you will. But lower your expectations about everything else. read more

Their patio on a warm summer night makes an excellent place to catch up with good friends.

A truly authentic Italian restaurant in a great location. Some may think the service is slow, but I think they are more European in their approach. If you're looking for fast Italian food go to Olive Garden! This place makes great food at decent price with great presentation. read more

This was one of the best places to dine in D.C. close to Washington Hilton!! Even if you had to travel a little bit to get here.....amazing!! Fernando was amazing and watched over me tenderly. He made the best recommendations when I put him on the spot. The food was perfect!! Just the right portion sizes! Flavor! Presentation! Everything. If you don't stop here for an cozy, intimate dinner, either alone, with a partner or a group of friends you're missing out!! Highly recommend. read more

La Tomate - Italian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I always pass by this restaurant on my way to some other place in Dupont. Even when I lived in Dupont, I would always pass La Tomate, and think "I should check this place out... another day" So finally when my girlfriends wanted to meet for dinner in the city, I suggested La Tomate since none of us had ever been. The restaurant is nice and open with big windows that lets in a lot of nie natural light. We met at 6:30pm, and the place wasn't packed and our party of three was seated right away. Since it wasn't packed, we could have a nice conversation without shouting or leaning over the table. Everyone passed on drinks since the guest of honor' news prevented imbibing, and we abstained too as a show of solidarity. Thus, I can not comment on the wine or cocktail list, however it did look impressive. I ordered a salad which was nice and fresh. it wasn't overly dressed like some salad tend to be, and it left me surprisingly satisfied. I saw a charcuterie platter go by and it looked amazing, and kind of regretted not getting one. My friends seemed to enjoy their meals as well. The pasta dishes looked deliciously fresh as well. Overall, it was a successful ladies night out, and I would come here again. read more

I have always passed by La Tomate whenever I was in DC and finally decided to stop there for dinner a few weeks ago. It was delectable! Not only was the staff inviting and courteous, but the food was fantastic. It makes for a lovely night in Dupont! I ordered the Tortelli di Peperoni e Porri al Mascarpone...ravioli stuffed with peppers, parmigiana, and ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese sauce, and oven roast tomato. Our waiter also suggested a great glass of wine. read more

We spent the weekend in DC and walked by many restaurants. We even ate at some! Saturday night we were going to wallk around Georgetown but ended up walking straight through to Dupont Circle. By that time we decided to drop into La Tomate before we dropped over from hunger and exhaustion. We were seated outside on a very nice night and had attentive servers. We could have used more bread but that aside, our pasta dishes were nice portions (I did finish mine and gave nothing to my husband) but not overly generous. Very tasty, I might add. Our friends ordered an appetizer and that was kind of skimpy but overall, our experience was a good one. read more