Darlington House

Darlington House was just around the corner from our Air BNB so my fiancé and I settled in for brunch while we waited for our friends to wake up.
This place was underwhelming. It was quiet and empty. Service was slow and a bit apathetic. The restaurant was fairly empty, yet it took quite a while for our order to be taken.
I ordered a rather simple brunch dish — potatoes, eggs, and toast. I attached a picture of the plate. As you can see, the dish just looks sad. The potatoes were bland — they definitely weren’t seasoned. I had to drown them in ketchup to make them edible.
My fiancé ordered a side of bacon. The side never appeared, but it was charged to our bill. This place does get credit for quickly taking the charge off the bill with no apprehension or resistance.
It wasn’t horrible, but there were quite a few small mistakes that didn’t make this an effortless customer experience. As the star rating says… Meh. I’ve experienced better.

Came for New Year’s Eve, so I unfortunately wasn’t able to sample from the full menu, but I still had enough of a problem deciding what to order from a great selection! I started with the warm spinach and goat cheese salad and finished with the tiramisu, both of which I devoured because they were delicious. For my entrée, I got the butternut squash ravioli with sage, which was just perfect; I was scraping my plate. And all this on top of the adorable rich grandmother’s house décor, which I loved. The service was a little slow, but I also appreciated that they weren’t rushing us during a holiday group dinner, so nothing to complain about overall!

I selected Darlington House for my staff holiday party, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The room upstairs was beautiful and the perfect size, and the staff was friendly and very helpful! The event felt intimate and warm, and since we tend to be a talkative group it was wonderful to feel that we could enjoy ourselves without bothering other customers. The food was great, however if you are a vegetarian/​vegan make sure you ask after ingredients as we had a «vegetarian» squash soup that ended up having chicken stock. But the waiters gladly substituted it. Thank you to all at Darlington House for making our annual party so memorable!

Empty… dated…and dull. Perhaps we were there too early, but based on Darlington House’s reviews, I’d have expected a few more people in the restaurant at 7:00p on a Thursday. Nonetheless, in a town where boring is taken to new heights by each overpriced steakhouse that opens on K Street, Darlington House managed to give boring new meaning.
Admittedly, our meal got off to a bad start when the waiter came back to our table to ask the Frogette how to make a gin fizz, and when she showed the bartender the recipe on her iPhone he commented, «I can’t make this. It has egg whites.» Really? No egg whites… in an Italian Restaurant that supposedly makes it’s own pasta? To their credit, they did manage to miraculously scare up an egg in the kitchen and delivered the gin fizz.
But on to the meal: I will give Darlington House credit for a delicious salad. In fact, it was the best part of our meal. My gnocchi, on the other hand, was gluey and served with a sauce that was one step above bottled Prego. The Frogette’s steak, accompanied by a pile of limp soggy fries, was smothered in a brandy peppercorn sauce that didn’t actually compliment the meat.
The wine list was limited, looked to have about a 4X markup, and didn’t inspire me to order anything… not even by the glass. We skipped dessert and bolted as soon as the meal was over.

This is not the place you come for for great service. This is the place you come for for amazing Eggs Benedict. Repeat after me, Dupont Circle is kind of always like that. Hit it up after the farmers market on Sundays.

It is delicious Italian food. Especially salad and pasta are delicious! It is anti-​Italian interior. Also servers are very friendly. You can have $ 19 lunch special (one appetizer and main course).

Preface: This review is primarily for using Darlington House for an event.
Our friends had their wedding ceremony and reception here for a small-​ish wedding (less than 100 people) and it worked out well. The space on their second floor may seem small, but it does require some shuffling between going from the ceremony to the reception, where we all went downstairs for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The second half of shuffling would be between the reception and making it a dance floor. Rest rooms are located on 3^rd floor.
Food was pretty good. Definitely some of the better wedding reception food I’ve ever had at weddings. The appetizers during the cocktail hour were delicious: calamari, flatbread, and risotto balls. I don’t want to name names, but I’ll say it here. The wedding couple had their rehearsal dinner at Urbana, and Darlington House had tastier food. Urbana had better service though.
Service was ok. The wait staff just seemed confused on drinks and orders. It’s noisy by the downstairs bar and I had no idea what the bartender was trying to tell me about my drink choice whether it was something they don’t have or that it was a cash bar. Additionally, our waiter was a little shy in stepping in to ask us for orders and while serving, accidentally stuck a finger into food on a plate. This is a bit nitpicky, but these things prevented me from giving this place 5 stars.
Great food though. If I’m back in town and in the area, I might check this place out again for a regular dining experience.

Was here for a wedding reception.
Pros: Great location, attentive staff, cozy/​sunny atmosphere
Cons: Very small, better suited for an intimate gathering of no more than 20. The food, I had the «pesto» potatoes and chicken… served cold and bland.

Tough choice between three and four stars. I think if there wasn’t such a disparity between their happy hour and the regular prices, I would feel more comfortable leaving a four-​star review.
I should say, this is one of TWO places in the United States where I actually LOVE the olives. I normally hate olives. Like, they make me gag. But a professor once told me that the sooner I learn to love olives, the sooner I’ll have something amazing that I love. So I try them everywhere I go, and oooooh boy. I don’t know what it is about their olives, but they are so good.
The happy hour specials are great, but it is really, really easy to stay there past happy hour (I think it ends kind of early, like 7) and rack up a major bill.
The skizzas are also good, despite having a less than appetizing name. I love the Italian nachos and the wings are also solid.
Having said that, I’m not sure I would actually go here for dinner. It’s expensive, and the quality of the food doesn’t match the prices. It’s a great place for happy hour, assuming you can stop drinking and eating when HH ends.
Try the olives.

Great Service and nice flavor. Just need to be sure to hit each cut of flat bread with a little of each ingredient, but hey! I’m just splitting hairs! Tasty FIGO and 4 Stagioni! Salads were un-​remarkable. Mela salad needs more attention to the dressing and add lots more stuff to make the mark. Caesar was standard. A nice respite before more touring at 545pm and second lunch or first dinner. Gratzi!

Picked this place because of the close proximity to the Phillips Collection, where the boyfriend and I planned to spend part of our day. That being said, I didn’t pay a lot of mind to the Unilocal reviews when making my determination.
The place was very cozy and intimate. Wonderful atmosphere for a first date. The food here was very, very good. I had the veggie delight. The braised lentils and poached eggs were perfectly cooked but a little under-​seasoned. A little hot sauce and it was PERFECT. Great brunch option. My boyfriend had the chicken tenders. They were also good.
The service, however, is lacking. We were one of 2 parties in the restaurant when we arrived. We were seated immediately. We were asked what we would like to drink — me a coffee, him a water. Then about 5 minutes later another server came by and we were asked AGAIN what we would like to drink. Perhaps it was miscommunication. The coffee, when it finally came was excellent and fresh (likely the reason for the wait). It then took a while for anyone to come and take our orders. And again when we asked for ketchup and honey mustard for the chicken tenders (which were served with BBQ and not honey mustard as stated on the menu). None of these were such terrible issues on their own but taken together just seemed like sloppy service.
Come here for the food but don’t come too hungry. You’re going to have to wait…

I had the best experience at Darlington House on a Friday night. A friend and I were in Dupont and looking to grab a few drinks. We randomly stumbled upon Darlington House. It was very quiet, which was great for catching up. The bar tenders were incredibly friendly and service was prompt. I ordered to arranchini, which was not only mouth watering, but also quite a large portion for $ 5!
To top off a great night, they played an out of this world 90’s play list the whole time we were in the bar. SCORE!

I met my work colleagues here for Saturday brunch. The experience and food were good. The service was somewhat sluggish for an American (I can sense a European style service), which can take adjusting. We were a large party, and we split the check five ways. This could have contributed to the sluggishness.
The food was superb. I ordered the pancakes. They were cooked properly. The order was covered with strawberries that were sitting in a simple syrup. The syrup was not overpowering when the strawberries were removed from the solution, and the natural flavors were evident. The dish came with a side of whipped cream and maple syrup. Both were a high quality product.

Came here yesterday with a group of friends for a birthday. The place is beautiful, the decorations and lighting is perfect. The location is nice too however parking can be a hassle as they have no valet parking. The service was great the waiter was very attentive and polite. The food was good but the portions are quite small for what you’re paying for. I got the ravioli with spinach and red sauce and it was delicious. Overall, the place is nice but I’m not crazy about it.

Let me start off by saying this bar is awesome! The ambiance is exceptional and the classic music makes you feel like your chilling in a 1960’s martini bar… I was waiting for Frank Sinatra to walk in. Things continue to get better when I receive the complementary pizza (basil skizza) with any drink (happy hour special. I ask the bartender Fransisco to make me something unusual and good, he did just that… in spades!!! GOD I wish we were meeting our friends here for dinner!

I took my wife here for her birthday and we had an amazing time! Everyone from the hostess to the manager were so friendly! The strip steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned and my wife’s gnocchi melted in your mouth.
We had the donut holes for desert which were crazy good! I highly suggest you get them.
The atmosphere was relaxed but elegant. We were seated in the front window which had a beautiful view of DuPont Circle.
We will definitely be going back!

Nothing spells out D.C. charm like eating in an adorable converted townhouse right in the heart of DuPont Circle, which is exactly what I did earlier this week at The Darlington House. This restaurant serves rustic yet refined Italian cooking, using simple, fresh organic, and sustainable ingredients. The Executive Chef, Fabio Begggiato, never fails to disappoint, and each meal feels refreshingly different even for those «regular» visitors such as myself.
As a creature of habit, I always go straight for their homemade pasta dishes, this time selecting the delicious penne arrabiata. I recommend adding sausage for those who love meat! My friend Catherine selected an amazing ravioli dish, which was also to die for.
In terms of a drink pairing, the restaurant offers exquisite cocktails and an extensive, thoughtful wine & beer list. I recommend having a glass of Prosecco with a white sauce pasta dish and a glass of pinot noir with a red sauce dish.
And who can end a night without dessert? We went for the doughnuts and chocolate dipping sauce and it did not disappoint! The wait staff is extremely attentive and charming, making the whole experience one that I highly recommend.

We decided to come here totally last minute, because it popped up on OpenTable as a 1000 point table. We are so glad we did!
We were seated in the main dining room, which is upstairs. There is also an elegant bar on this floor too. There is a much more casual tavern, downstairs, which I saw because that is where the bathrooms are. The tavern seemed to be doing a good business, where as the upstairs dining room was a bit quiet.
The main ding room has kept much of the townhouse’s elegant architectural details, while modernizing it a bit too. It’s comfortably upscale, without being stuffy.
The service was very friendly and extremely attentive. Even the bus boys impressed us with their professionalism.
The food here is really quite good. Typical red-​sauce italian fare, but served in an elegant way. We split a caesar salad, which was excellent, and they served it on two plates for us, which was really appreciated. We then had a lasagna and a pasta bolognese, which were both delicious. For desert, we had the house-​made warm donut holes, which were also very nice.
One note: The wine list here is a bit pricey. We drink red, and they have a reasonable Chianti by the glass, but were were talked into a $ 45 bottle which was more money than 2 glasses each. I don’t fault them for trying, and we did agree to it, so it’s totally our fault, but I think the meal would have felt like a better value if we had stuck to the $ 8 wines by the glass. We also noticed that a bunch of other tables were sold the same bottle, so it did feel like they were pushing that one. The wine was tasty, so not a criticism, but something to be aware of.
Otherwise, it was a lovely evening, and we’ll be back.

I love being able to say «I brunched at Darlington House,» makes it sound like I was just stopping in on my way to Downton Abbey for tea. It does kind of feel like dining in some rich person’s elegantly understated row house rather than a restaurant, although maybe on the cook’s day off.
The little donut holes are a step above Dunkin’s, but just barely, and chocolate and caramel dipping sauces are a little rich for my first bite of the day. The mimosa was good if a bit pulpy towards the end. My omelet and potatoes were tasty if unremarkable, and the challah toast was a bit of a disappointment, clearly from some prepackaged square loaf rather than real Jewish deli challah.
Overall, I’d say the experience was decent enough, and useful for calibrating my brunch scale in DC. Darlington House can serve as the median: anything ranking below it won’t be worth going to, but anything ranking above will probably beat it out in the future.

My husband and I held our Rehearsal Dinner at Darlington House on Friday, May 23, 2014. We choose Darlington House as the prices were very reasonable as compared to other restaurants in the area, we were able to hold the event in a private space, and we were able to offer guests options to choose from (including Gluten Free pasta).
Pro’s
* Private Location — The upstairs space was a perfect location for our event in which we had a total of 41 guests (including ourselves)
* Private Bar worked great for cocktail hour as guests did not have to go far and could take a seat in the couches rather than the dinner tables if they so choose
* Private Bathroom for the upstairs space
* Using the 60′ (5 FT) rounds we sat 8 to 9 guests at each of the 5 tables and still had plenty of room to wander during the cocktail hour. (Note: Darlington House recommended 10 guests per a 60′ table but typically 72′ rounds are used to seat 10 guests and 60′ for 8 guests.)
* The centerpieces for our tables were made in house and were both beautiful and reasonably priced (approx. $ 40/​table)
* All in all the food was brought out timely and guests enjoyed the selection of fish and pasta (including GF pasta)
Con’s
* Of all the vendors I worked with throughout our wedding, Darlington House was not the easiest nor friendliest but was manageable and responsive
* If selecting Darlington House for an event such as a rehearsal I recommended selecting the price per hour for alcohol verse consumption as we ended up spending more than if we had done the all-​inclusive rate which was recommended by the venue.
* No Parking, however, Valet services are available for a fee
* Limited selection of linens available if you have a particular theme/​colors in mind (colors available include black & white, blue, bright blue, bright green and white, light green, red, and white)
* If you want to have place cards and other decorations, be sure to have someone get there early to set up as you will need to do that yourself!
Overall, we had a very positive experience and response from guests. I would recommend Darlington House to any other couples who are looking for a restaurant for their rehearsal dinner as we were very happy with our food and service during the event.