Fiola Mare (Washington, D.C.)

What are your expectations when dining at a “Fancy Restaurant”?  Do you expect service be exceptional?  Or that the food taste so fresh you’d think they hand picked it from the ocean that day?  What about the decoration?  Do you want amazing views and an “upscale” look?  Because that’s EXACTLY what you’re going to get dining at Fiola Mare.  There are many restaurants that call themselves “fine dining”, but Fiola Mare sets the bar in the category of seafood restaurants with the outstanding quality they provide in this establishment.  I always enjoy going to this restaurant because the scenes are awesome, the staff is friendly, and the food is fresh.  If you’re looking for a “date night” restaurant or a “special occasion” restaurant then this is the place for you.  The restaurant is located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. most wealthiest area, so if you decide to do some shopping, get a spa treatment, or do something as simple as go to the movies then you’re in the right area.

One thing I can say about this restaurant is that the portion sizes aren’t very big, so if you’re looking for a place to fill you up then this won’t be the place for you.  The menu portions are those of slightly bigger appetizer sizes, but you can order items that can be paired with others to help fill your stomach.  The menu consistently changes where there are a couple of items being on the menu everyday because it’s loved by so many.  Three items were ordered with two being pasta dishes and the third being a mixed seafood grill where I was able to get a taste of different varieties of seafood.  I wanted to start off with my favorite dish from this restaurant which was the lobster ravioli.  This pasta dish was packed with lobster.  The pasta is stuffed with lobster, ginger, chives, and a cream sauce that taste like no other.  The sauce is buttery with a smooth texture and with a couple of bites you’ll ask yourself if you should order a second serving.  They provide you with huge lobster claws that provide you with more meat surrounded by your lobster ravioli.  This is definitely a go to if you decide to dine at this restaurant.

The second dish that was ordered was a Bucatini with Prawns.  The pasta was cooked al dente and worked well with the tomato based sauce that came with the dish.  The dish added spices to it as well, so if you don’t like spicy food then this won’t be the dish for you.  Although, I don’t necessarily like spicy foods, it isn’t that spicy so you can definitely give this dish a try.  If you’ve never had a prawn before (which is a fancy way of saying Shrimp with its head on) then this is the perfect opportunity for you to order it.  They provide you with two nice size prawns, but take your time eating it as you’ll be looking for more to eat when you’re finished.

The third dish that was ordered was the Mixed Seafood Grill.  The dish offered branzino, squid, lobster, and prawns mixed in a buttered sauce.  The seafood was nice and fresh and definitely was enough for two people to share.  The branzino was fresh and didn’t have a “fish smell” to it, although if you have a “fish smell” to your seafood, please return it and ask for something else.  They provide you with a lobster claw and a half of a whole lobster.  A quarter pound of squid and two jumbo prawns round off this awesome dish.  The chef sent out a side of potatoes to go along with this dish, most likely because this dish took so long to come out.  I thought that was very thoughtful and providing a “side dish” made the experience that much better.  It indirectly showed that they made a mistake with having the dish sent out in an adequate amount of time, so they incorporated a side “on the house”.

Overall, I was thoroughly pleased with this restaurant and although I’m going to provide this restaurant with a First Class Experience, I do want to warn you that the amount of food they provide you for the price wouldn’t isn’t compatible.  You are paying for the quality of the food they provide you and the quality of service that is given.  When you decide to go, let me know what you think.

OVERALL RATING : FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE