Best Contemporary Italian Restaurants in Bolton Hill

Amazing experience - we were visiting the city from out of town and found a gem. Definitely will be back when we are in town again. Can’t say enough great things about it!

Great food, great service, great vibe. Will certainly come back!

We're so glad we tried this new-ish Italian place for dinner with my mother-in-law in Edgewater! The service was excellent, the atmosphere quite good for what they have to work with, and the food was the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy. The only reason I didn't give the food 5 stars is because there were no vegetarian or vegan options for the entrees. As someone who likes to limit their meat intake for health, humane and sustainability reasons, I would frequent this place more often if there were at least one vegetarian and one vegan choice for dinner. I was happy to see some for the appetizers (we had the delicious portobello mushrooms) and salads, and these would definitely work for a lunch.

We were hankering for good Italian food and were going to be in Chevy Chase, so we looked for a nearby restaurant with very good reviews. We found Talea and were not disappointed. We dined early because we went from an appointment that finished early. We had our pick of tables and selected one just inside the giant rolling doors that make the inside seem almost like outside. A thunderstorm had passed within a half hour of our arrival and the staff had set up fans to reduce the humidity. These were a little noisy but we were glad of their effect. We began with a shared burrata/tomato/pesto salad which was truly delicious. The house-made pesto was superb; the burrata delightful, and the dressing perfect. Soon after the salad arrived, we were served a basket of focaccia morsels with a wonderful little cup of oil, vinegar, and more pesto! My wife ordered the "daily pasta" (pasta del giorno), an immense serving of perfectly cooked (and maybe house-made?) fettuccine with a good Bolognese which was only $12! I had the Pasta Al Pesto E Pollo (rigatoni, chicken, pesto, and pine nuts). At first taste, I thought I might add pepper flakes or more cheese. My second bite told me nothing more was needed and the dish was exactly as it should be. We also shared a bottle from the Sunday-through-Tuesday half-price wine list (a very drinkable Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for $32) and a side of broccolini. The broccolini was the most flavorful we've ever had and cooked à point. Even though we could have stopped when there was still enough on each of our plates to take home without embarrassment, we finished every bite and every drop. Sadly, we left no room for anything from the dessert menu. We will go back soon and this time save capacity for dessert!

Daniella - our server was incredibly helpful and kind! The food was insane and the pizza wasn’t even my favorite thing from the menu. Get the gnocchi and the eggplant for sure. The tiramisu was also delicious. Definitely make a reservation - the place was packed on a Friday night.