Ristorante La Perla of Washington
Chef-Owner Vittorio Testa will make you feel like you're dining in his house. The waiters exceed expectations, and the space is garnished with painted tiles and Venetian glass to make every dining occasion a memorable one. There's also Private dining and Outdoor seating when the weather permits.
Menu
Incredible food and a DC gem!
Food and service great! Wine list not so much. Wine list needs a revamp.
Phenomenal food, great service and the head chef comes to each table to talk and ask how everything is. So authentic and such a great atmosphere!
My new favorite place before going to a show. The food is amazing and the service very good and friendly. A rare quiet place in DC to have dinner. See you next month.
Always love coming to La Perla. Food is outstanding and the wait staff are amazing.
Went for dinner on a Tuesday because a friend described La Perla as a local gem for good Italian food. Food was indeed delicious and well-made, from the way my simple salad was dressed, to the pasta to sauce ratio in my penne vodka, to the creaminess of the pistachio icecream. Yum. Chef came out to say hello to guests and talked about making everything in house. Will be back.
This restaurant had been a favorite of mine over the years. However, it had been a couple of years since I’d dined here. As others have noticed, the portions seem to have gotten smaller, which isn’t a bad thing - i.e., more European-sized, and the prices have increased. The overall quality of the food remains the same, except for the bread, which isn’t sufficiently crusty for my taste. The service was good, but not great. When trying to make a reservation for 1, I was repeatedly rejected, but was able to reserve a table for two without problems. This was very odd as it was an early dinner, and there was only one other table occupied when I arrived. The maitre d’ said to just call in the future if there were problems.
Waiter was horrible, but the food was good.
This was our first visit to La Perla and overall we were happy with the experience. Our server (don’t know his name because he never told us) was ok but had a hard time managing multiple tables it seemed. Our meals were very good. Portions were a little small but not too bad. I had veal and it was delicious. My wife had chicken and she said it was “good.” Prices were reasonable as well. I will definitely go back next time we visit DC.
Food was excellent. Servers were not attentive. We were three at the table, a friend of mine, my husband , and myself. We ordered a sparkling water for my friend and I. My husband repeatedly told the server he did not want sparkling water, but he served him anyway. My recommedation is that server should listen to his customers in the future. Other than that, everything was good.
Gnocchi was cold, server was not attentive.
Valentines
Great meal!
Not sure how this place got such high ratings. Food was average at best (especially for a simple dish like Chicken parm). Ambiance and service were good, but definitely could have done without the fake Italian accent from the waiter.
Great food
This is the very best Italian restaurant in the entire DC area. It is always a must visit for me when I am visiting DC.
Food was excellent. Lobster and shrimped could have been a little less tough in my pastabut everything else was great
Absolutely beautiful and refined dining experience. Truly a special, old school place that I personally would highly recommend.!
20th anniversary
It was great: the food and the service
True Washington Gem and great value. Personal touches and homemade “goodness” are what makes this place spectacular.
The food is ultra expensive, no flavor, small dishes.
Great location and super food but the soup portion is now 1/3 what it used to be since 2013. This should be noticed going forward ✍️
We love coming to La Perla when we visit friends in DC. The food is excellent. It is our traditional anniversary spot and hope it will continue for many years to come
Excellent service & food! Loved it & cant wait to go back! Parking was a challenge but good to know now that they have valet parking!!! Highly recommend!!!
Recommend. As good as when we last visited DC a half dozen years ago. Good location. Very good menu and wine list. Staff want to please. A fine Saturday night dinner.
It was a dinner to celebrate a birthday. Bringing out a desert with a candle for the birthday girl was a really
Nice touch and not something we expected. Food was very good too.
This was a first date and everything was perfect. The waiter was attentive, without hovering. He made sure that the champagne glasses were always refilled. The chef/owner came to the table to greet us and welcome us, always much appreciated. The food is amazing, and they don't skimp on portions either! An evening at La Perla is not to be missed whether it is for a first date, a family dinner or a business meal.
Had dinner here before the Kennedy Center. It was a fabulous experience from the time we were greeted at the doorway. The staff is very friendly. The food was absolutely incredible. We can't wait to go back.
First time but definitely won’t be the last time. Food and service were superb!
Thought main entree food portions were small for the cost.
Great Food and the chef was a pleasure to meet!
I would not recommend going here, the overall Yelp reviews are misleading. The food is about the same quality (or less than) as Olive Garden, and not worth the price. The portion sizes are small, and the quality of the ingredients are clearly from cans/frozen. The service is overall good, but again not worth the prices they charge.
The service was excellent. My 4 daughters and myself were out for a girls evening. We were treated like royalty. Our server was beyond attentive. The food was delicious
$10 plus 10 % Tax and 20 % Tip = $13 for a Caesar Salad served on a tiny plate with maybe 6 leaves.
That was it. Should have walked out.
Chicken was pressed so thin it was hard to slice it. This is a VERY expensive restaurant without
any value at all. Instead of Pasta as a side opted for Vegetables. They served wet, over cooked red peppers on a plate. How does this place get the reviews it gets. What a waste of time and money. One of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time.
3rd or 4th time dining there and it is consistently excellent. I especially enjoy the personal conversations the Chef has with us as he visits every table during the course of the meal. My only wish is that I lived closer to DC.
We had the BEST experience at La Perla! Food was amazing, wonderful ambience, and Victor our waiter provided great entertainment and was so attentive. Highly recommend La Perla and we will be back the next time we are in DC!
Love this place always great. We go there a couple of times a year. Have never been disappointed.
c
We'd only stopped in for a late-night drink before, this time for a full dinner with our son. We all had a delightful time, charmed by the chef/owner's practice of visiting each table personally. All our food was excellent, my veal parmigiana probably the best I've had. Very convenient location near to our hotel and Georgetown.
Excellent as usual right from the time you enter the restaurant until you leave. Our favorite in DC
Great quality place since residing in Virginia starting 2013
