Acqua Al 2Excellent, Just Excellent!My boyfriend and I had been meaning to check out A. Al 2 for some time now and finally found a date night to come for dinner. We enjoyed drinks at the bar while we waited for outdoor seating - totally worth the wait! The décor and ambiance on the patio is as well developed as it is inside. Décor offers a simplistic, authentic Italian feel without being too cheesy.
The Strozzapreti al Pomodoro was out of this world and my boyfriend enjoyed a filet mignon with a blueberry sauce - very unique flavor. Our server was perfectly attentive and gauged my boyfriend and I's pace excellently. The restaurant is casual, as are the wait staff yet still offer the upmost in hospitality. This, I have found, is hard to come by in Washington.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good food and very casualThe food is very good so many good choices to look at, food is not cheap but very good price for what you get... The restaurant is casual so make sure you dress down no slacks, dress shirt or dress shoes necessary which is different than i thought and felt a bit out of place for this restaurant.... Service great and very friendly....knowledgeable wait staff and attentive managers and bus staff....6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experience!We were from out of town, recommended by local. Loved the food, great neighborhood.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent Date NightGreat place for a night out. Great food, service, and ambience. I have been there multiple times with family, friends and my girlfriend. Excellent for any occasion!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic!I've been to all three Acqua al 2 (Florence and San Deigo) and the DC location holds up to the original. Delicious and inventive!6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAcqua al 2 never disappoints.Acqua al 2 never disappoints. The food is delicious and the service is great. I highly recommend the Strozzapreti al Pomodoro appetizer!6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMEvery Morsel a DelightI had read a review of Acqua Al 2 and was salivating as I read the food descriptions. Both vegetarians, we ordered the vegetarian pasta sampler - five small plates of pasta. Our server wisely counseled us that we didn't need much more food, so we ordered a salad to share to start. The salad of arugula with pears and a balsamic vinaigrette was magnificent. And then the parade of pastas. Each time a new plate came, the waiter asked to take the previous plate away and we refused -- we wanted every last morsel! My favorite was the fusilli with the roasted vegetable ragu - deep, earthy flavors. My dining partner swooned over the risotto - creamy and perfectly done. The other pastas were also delicious.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent MealWent to Aqua Al 2 for an anniversary. Although the initial service response was slow, once our order was taken, each element was excellent. The cocktails were expertly made, a delicious take on a manhattan using the unusual amaro Cocchi Barolo Chinato. The special appetizer was a super fresh burrata and apricots. The main course was farfalle with swordfish and an expertly grilled grouper. We ordered the sampler of desserts with the silky panna cotta and tiramisu the clear winners, not original but classic dishes made with expert technical skill. We would definitely return.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of my favorite restaurant.One of my favorite restaurant. I come her once a week always excellent service and good food.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth Seeking Out!An excellent kitchen turns out dishes that could fool you into thinking you are in Tuscany! Professional and competent service, in a pleasant Capitol Hill townhouse, round out the very pleasant picture. We took our family here for a celebration dinner and no one was disappointed. The expansive menu is sure to please everyone. The negatives: tables are a little cramped and it gets VERY noisy (Why don't restaurants have a carpet or ceiling tiles to absorb sound? Can it be THAT expensive?). And some of the dishes, while properly cooked (pasta was al dente), missed the mark a little: the vodka sauce was overpowered by too much vodka, and the arugula salad was very bitter. But all in all, very worthwile and you will enjoy it!6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMHidden gem on Capital Hill.Hidden gem on Capital Hill. The food was fantastic- orata (Meditteranean fish) was the main course. Perfectly prepared and delicious.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was not my first timeThis was not my first time at AA2 -- but it was my first time for lunch. The food is always great, but I was really impressed by the great value of the $20 Prix Fixe lunch menu with lots of good choices. And the food was the usual AA2 spectacular. I had the Caprese salad, the Balsamic steak and the tiramisu. It was all great! If they keep this up, AA2 will become the hotest spot on the Hill for a business lunch as well as an elegant dinner. Speaking of which, I was there for dinner the other night & a cabinet Secretary was coming in for dinner while a Senator sipped wine on the patio. That may also make AA2 the best place for Washington star gazing. AA2 is just plain wonderful and we are so glad to have them on Capitol Hill!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMAqua Al II is an Gastronomic Treat!Myself and a friend are regular customers and have been for about a year. We have never had a bad meal, the food at Aqua Al II is as the title says and Gastronomic Treat. An elderly sight impaired friend go out to eat every Sunday and we have always been very happy with Aqua Al 2. The staff is friendly, the owners etc remember us and always come to say hello. It is our favorite restaurant on Capitol Hill. I would recommend Aqua Al II to anyone looking for a great meal. I have nothing negative to say about Aqua Al II. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThoroughly enjoyed brunchGreat selection, food & service. Reasonably priced.
Convenient to the Eastern Market.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food very authenticRestaurant's food and ambiance is great. Food quality is superb and the
Menu is regionally authentic. It is vibrantly noisy. It is somewhat expensive6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentOur favorite Italian spot came through again. Excellent service and incredible food!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAuthentic northern ItalianAuthentic northern Italian food. Worth the trip (and the check) No problem sharing salads and pasta. Excellent fish specials. E , I dolci molto bene! It's a Bistro - so it's informal.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWould go back again anytime.I wanted to come here because I would go to Acqua al 2 in Florence when I was a student there. So i jumped at the chance to visit the DC one when i was in town for the weekend. The Strozzapreti al Pomodoro and caprese salad were amazing. The mozzarella was fresh and some of the best I've had. The sauce for the Strozzapreti was delicious. I had the penne vodka which was okay, definitely not the best and the portion was a bit on the small side. But my father had the Lombatina di Vitella alla Griglia and it was a great size and cooked perfectly. My favorite part of the meal of course was dessert, the cheesecake just melts in your mouth. Loved it! The service was also great. I would definitely go back.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible eveningGreat menu, delightful variety and served perfectly cooked. My veal chop was so tender, and the taglietelle was wonderful. Beautiful trio of salads to start (what a great idea!). Server very knowledgeable about wine and we liked that he allowed us to taste before selecting. Attractive room but chairs and tables more suited for Williamsburg than for awesome DC Italian restaurant. Definitely recommend.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst visitThree of us met for dinner at the restaurant, which overall had a nice look and atmosphere, We were seated in the back room, which had the drawback of being very loud, thus the lowered score for atmosphere. I had a butternut squash soup which was flavorful but not too heavy, and we all got different entrees, I had grilled chicken and my companions had different grilled beef items. The plates all looked very similar, with mounds of arugula and halved cherry tomatoes. All of us liked the meals, but maybe some diversity in presentation and composition of the different plates would be something to think about. Overall, the food and experience was very good, and I would try it again, but ask for a quieter location.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfection!I took my friend in for his birthday and all went well. He loved the food the atmosphere and the service! I did also. It is probably my 15th time there...and it always feels perfect!5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best dinners weOne of the best dinners we ever had. As good as Acqua Al 2 in Florence - we highly recommend the pasta and steak samplers. Be sure to try the blueberry and balsamic steak! Service was friendly and excellent as well.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazingThe food was so amazing and coming from an Italian family it was the best Italian food we have found so far .
Our waiter absolutely loved his job and if we owned a restaurant we would definitely want him as part of our staff.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMBetter than the Firenze location!Top notch Italian fare, cozy atmosphere and reasonable prices.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experience as always.Great experience as always. We had lunch after a morning visit to Arlington National Cemetery and brought along a friend of ours who was visiting from England. Hostess, Anna Bell, cordially slid our reservation by an hour but kept our favorite table for us when we called to say we were running late. Our waitress, Beth, was attentive and took great care of us throughout our meal. Manager, Saji, had great menu recommendations. The grouper was outstanding!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMBusiness MeetingEnjoyed the entire experience at Aqua Al 2, from the cocktails in the bar to the last bite of dessert! Great atmosphere for a dinner with associates. Professional staff gave us time to chat and relax after a long day of meetings. Food was outstanding, specials were perfect and the guidance from the waiter was helpful. Thank you for another great dining experience.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food, ok serviceThe food really is outstanding--we dined at another location in Florence, and this is the real deal. But the service is very slow, even at what ought to be a non-peak time (5 p.m. dinner), with wait staff sometimes forgetting part of the order and needing to be reminded to bring it out. I would rather that the wait staff write down the order and be prompt in bringing food out.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMI really loved Aqua Al 2.I really loved Aqua Al 2. I went having no idea what to expect and everything there was amazing. We were never sitting too long without a server or someone there to help us but they were never buzzing over you. The food was amazing and their menu looked fantastic. The only bad thing was that I could not try everything on the menu. I plan on going back soon.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!Acqua Al is the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy. The food is authtic and the wait staff is wonderful! I took guests from out of state here and everyone was so impressed. The parmagiana al forno is cooked to perfection and the topini (gnocchi) is melt in your mouth delicious! The semifreddo and dessert sampler are a must!! It's the place to go if you want a real Italian meal that will never disappoint.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat MenuSome sites have this as an expensive restaurant, but we were pleasantly surprised by the affordable prices and equally pleased by the variety on the menu, although it was a little "steak" heavy. We would go again when in DC.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful lunch!A group of 6 had lunch there on Saturday. We were seated immediately and service was prompt but not pushy throughout the meal. We had the salad sampler, cheese and meat sampler, and a variety of meals, including fish, pasta, the daily special, and the steak sampler from the main menu. Everyone thought their meal was excellent. We even sampled a dessert, one with caramel, though I don't recall the name, and it was delicious. The wine and mixed drinks and beer were all good. The service was outstanding. The waiter even placed some flowers in a jug with water for us, then in a plastic bag (they had come wrapped in newspaper) so they would remain fresh after we left. We had a delightful time!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMA walk down memory laneI ate at the one in Florence many years ago and always remembered how delicious the sampler menu was, especially the pasta -- this totally lived up to my memory.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food!We are always happy with our experience at this place. The food is outstanding and fresh!5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat food,slow serviceFamily of four, two seniors, two twenty-somethings. We all raved about our steaks, even my seafood-loving wife. The bread was also great, but that wasn't why we ate four baskets-it was the long wait to have our order taken, Also slow getting some drink orders. Had to ask other staff to get our waiter, who seemed in a huge hurry whenever he stopped by. The sides also were great.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyableWe had a pleasant server who made good recommendations without being too pushy.
Not your typical Italian American restaurant, which was nice. Delicious meal.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome dining experience.Awesome dining experience. Would go again in a heart beat. Food was well prepared and served. Staff amazing. Great experience.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMFavorite place to dine with friendsAcqua Al 2 is an excellent choice for great food and conversation; we have taken many friends there and the chefs and staff have never failed to impress! We enjoy the atmosphere, the prompt and friendly service, the extremely clean wine glasses, and most of all the perfectly prepared meal. Lots of folks love the outside atmosphere, watching folks shopping in the Eastern Market area. We enjoy inside dining and always request the booth by the window when taking friends......go and enjoy!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThe mozzarella appetizer,The mozzarella appetizer, risotto, and three beef are all outstanding!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMFlorence, Italy comes to Cap HillWonderful spot. Excellent, enthusiastic service. The place was fairly crowded for lunch and now I see why. I would return and recommend to friends.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was a fun place and theThis was a fun place and the food was high quality. The entrees' arrival was rather a long wait but was worth waiting for. The noise level really ramped up as the evening went on and I became aware of this loud percussion music/jazz playing in the background which added to the din. I think they could stop the music as the restaurant fills up since it's pretty noisy. Still, it was a great find and I expect to return.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMWent on Sunday afternoon forWent on Sunday afternoon for lunch. It was fun to watch the dogs bark at each other in the Eastern Market flea market.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Italian foodAmazingly good food. Wonderful little gem in Eastern Market. Highly recommend4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMAl Acqua 2 is one of thoseAl Acqua 2 is one of those rare restaurants that brings high-end Italian cuisine to the USA. It is not a stereotypical Italian-American restaurant (although there is nothing wrong with that), but genuine Florentine dining. When I eat there I feel like I am in Italy. The pricing is also rather similar to Italy, where people are willing to pay more for a good meal than we might be comfortable with, but for me it is worth every dime. For me Al Acqua 2 has the perfect blend of cuisine, friendly but efficient service, helpful management, and a great ambiance. I love this restaurant.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic food and service.Fantastic food and service. Our group loved it and we will be back.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWould go here again, bestWould go here again, best risotto I have had in a long time. Everything was delicious from appetizer to salad to entree to dessert! Best restaurant I went to in DC! Also check out the Speak Easy above the restaurant for very unique drinks4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMFlorence vs. DC locationAlmost if not equivalent to the Florence location!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was superb includingThe food was superb including an outstanding desert sampler4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfection.My father was in town for meetings on the hill and wanted to take my roommate and I out to dinner. I read the reviews on Acqua and wanted to give it a try. With an 8pm reservation we were seated by 8:20, but the food and friendly service was well worth the wait. I would definitely recommend Acqua Al 2 to anyone looking to charm visitors into liking DC. After biting into the spinach and feta meatballs, there is little left up for debate. EXCELLENT.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service is outstandingThe service is outstanding but for the food we must of hit it on a bad night where the 3 salad special was fair as the fennel was not well prepared and the dressing was blah but the tomato’s with the Mozzarella salad was quite good. We selected two of the evening specials one was Seafood Ravioli which was really tasteless and the ravioli was undercooked and the seafood topping the pasta was overcooked and rubbery the other special was a ground beef pasta special and it too interesting was not very tasty. To end the meal we had the Tiramisu for dessert and it was very good and the best dish of the evening. You ask would we come back I would say yes but potentially no as it was not very memorable.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had the vegetarian tastinWe had the vegetarian tastin gmenu. Everything tasted the same, unfortunately. The tasting dessert tray, however, was fabulous.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AM