il Canale

Honestly I was hoping for better. The focaccia is more like pizza dough with herbs and my bolognese pasta was a little undercooked. Service was also a little slow.

The pizza was quite delicious although a little more expensive than I anticipated for the $ amount on Unilocal.Friendly staff and a nice location even though it felt a little crowded inside.

Let me save you the trouble! If you are in Georgetown and looking for amazing Italian food, go to Filomena.
This restaurant is really underwhelming. Everything from the service to the décor to the flavors of the food, nothing was impressive. We had a reservations and still had to wait for about 20 minutes. Once we were sat, it took a good ten minutes to even be greeted by the server. We got the prosciutto and mozzarella as an app. That was good, but hard not to to be right?! We got the il canale pizza and it was something that I could have easily made at home. For pasta we got the scialatielli al frutti do mare. It did not have much flavor and really not a lot of seafood in it. Probably won’t be back because there is better food in the same area.

Not very good.
Fried calamari&zucchini — batter had no flavor, zucchini was soggy and gross.
Eggplant parm — I’m very skeptical about the «fresh buffalo mozzarella» claims. Cheese was (somehow) tough and rubbery. Sauce tasted watered down.
Pizza comes with a pool in its center. Soggy mess. The crust (the parts that didn’t drown) was great.
Service was good. Atmosphere was cafeteria-​like.

I’ve dined here a few times, and had drastically different experiences depending on where I was sitting (outside vs. inside).
il Canale’s outside seating is incredibly charming. It’s one of few places in Georgetown that allows you to people watch while eating a lovely meal. It’s also right near the canals, which is nice. I have always enjoyed my experience eating outside at il Canale.
Inside, however, is a completely different story. The tables are ridiculously close together. Seriously, I almost elbowed a girl eating next to me, who was sitting at a completely different table. Waiters/​bussers were unable to maneuver through certain areas of the restaurant due to how close together the tables were. This is simply bad organization of the restaurant. It makes for a semi-​uncomfortable eating experience due to being able to hear the conversations of those around you, word for word, as if they were talking to you, and if you’re looking to have an intimate conversation yourself, your best bet would be to sit outside or avoid this place all together.
Anyways, aside from that, I’ve never had any issues with il Canale in terms of food or service. The service is good, very thoughtful and very accommodating, and the food is delicious. I’ve had the calamari, different pizzas, and different pizzas — all equally delicious. The calamari was so good I’ve recommended il Canale to my friends and family based on this one dish alone. The pizza is delicious — definitely authentic Italian, which is a plus. It’s cooked in a wood-​fired oven, too. Very light, not greasy at all, with the perfect crust-​to-​sauce-​to-​cheese ratio. The pasta is also pretty good. Huge portions, we’re talking one bowl serves two people (or one very hungry person, in my case). Very, very good. VERY filling, not for the faint of heart.
The drink selection is decent — good wine list, decent cocktails. I always enjoy a bit of limoncello after a meal here.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this place to a friend, but if I were you, I’d make sure to call ahead and make a reservation, and specify that you want to be seated outside. Otherwise, you’re going to be stuck waiting in an incredibly long line of people, especially on the weekends. Should this happen to you, don’t get too upset; they usually have a platter of baked goods or even pizza sitting in the entrance for guests.

Very authentic Italian and awesome staff.
Gamblers verde — Mussst have. I have never had pasta as delicious as this one.
Veget rossa — very rich in vegetables and good sauce. Another good dish.
Cannoli — perfect sweetness and got it free as I checked in for this place.
On a Saturday night did not have to wait for more than 10 mins. While we were looking for the menu, the host offered us to try mozzarella pizza which was tasty and a good service. The staff was very attentive and gave good recommendations. Good portion size for the price. If Italian food is in your mind, you got to try this place.

I read a lot of positive Unilocal reviews and we were in the mood for Italian food on this particular evening during the holiday break. Located in the Georgetown neighborhood, it was also near our hotel.
I started off with a house salad, and decided to go with the Calzone, which was pretty decent. Pretty good flavor on the inside. The bread with dipping oil was delicious as well. Dessert capped a pleasant visit.
The service was solid during the busy part of the evening. The dining area is very cozy and relaxing, and lends itself to good conversation.
I would certainly return to try other items in the menu, and would recommend giving this place a try if you’re in the Georgetown area.

What a wonderful experience!
I booked a work event for 20 people at Il Canale and everything was perfect. The reservation initially started for 30, but over the weeks that followed, the number slowly dwindled. Each time I called to update them, they were gracious, helpful, and excited to have our business.
Instead of having everyone order individually from the menu, I selected 4 pizzas, 2 large orders of pasta, and salad for the tables. They don’t have a catering menu for that number of people, but Matteo helped me choose the correct amount of food to ensure no one left hungry. He notified me that it wasn’t an order ahead situation and I should order everything with my server when we got to the restaurant.
When all 20 of us got to the restaurant, we were promptly seated at 2 long tables of 10. All staff members, from hostess, servers, and management, were polite and attentive. I truly can’t say enough about the service. Several people covered our party and they were efficient, helpful, kept the tables clean, and were on top of refills on everything. Truly excellent.
I can’t remember the name of our head server, but he was fantastic. I ordered everything with him directly and all meals came out perfectly. For each table we ordered: 1 margherita pizza, 1 Regina pizza (ricotta and prosciutto), 1 diavola (spicy sopressata), and 1 vegetariana plus a 3 person order of each gnocchi and pacchiere (pasta w/​meat sauce). HOLY COW. The pizzas were closely related to true Italian style with thin crust and authentic toppings and the pastas were out of this world. They definitely would have served more than 3 people on any given night — the portions were huge! Il Canale’s sauce was to die for and tasted fresh, simple, and purely Italian. Just wonderful. The house salads were a nice accompaniment as well as the fresh bread they provided for the table.
I can’t say enough about Il Canale and look forward to returning as soon as I can.

Ok, I’m an Italian mutt mix. I grew up in nyc back when it was a bad place to live and amongst many other positive experiences I’ve had, knowing good pizza is one of them.
This place has VERY good pizza. There is only one other place in the entire DC metro area that compares and may edge it out and that’s all the way in fairfax/​chantilly va.
The bread and olive oil you get when you walk in is great, the service was good, and the margherita pizza w/​garlic (always add garlic!!) was amazing.
Thank you!

The food portions here are ginormous and easily sharable. I had their house pizza and I ate about a little more than 1/​3, and I ate the most at the table! The pizza itself was a little soggy and oily for me. I’ve definitely had better. We came for a work lunch and everyone seemed to like the food. A good option in the area, but don’t walk away expecting too much.

I was honestly really excited to try this place — a fan of pizza, I’m always looks for the next cute joint.
Unfortunately this was a huge disappointment.
We asked our server for recommendations. He rolled his eyes and said well we are called Il Canale, so get that. When we asked again for others he mentioned that he just gave us a recommendation.
So we get the Il Canale, and the prosciutto was mediocre quality at best, and the crust was dry and almost burnt.
We got a cannoli for dessert and it was good but not out of this world.
Sometimes, service detracts so much from the experience it knocks down the review by an entire star.

One of my favorites Italian restaurants in DC so far!
The pizzas are to die for! The pasta is very tasty and the attention is mesmerizing!
Out waiter was very nice and helped with some suggestion about pastas and vines.
We had a great meal at this place!

My mom and I were looking for a place to have lunch at and the host was outside giving out a sample of pizza (practically a small but decent slice) and it convinced her to come in. I was hesitant on trying it because 1.) have no idea how old it was, 2.) questioned it for hygienic purposes on where it was being stowed when he wasn’t offering it. Anyways I took her word for it since I tend to like almost everything she does when it comes to food.
We ordered the margherita pizza (probably spelled that wrong, my apologies). It was pretty good but didn’t stand out for me. The service was a tad slow but my waiter was polite. Place is very clean and pretty, in the bathroom the automatic dryer is right by one the sinks just an FYI. It scared the heck out of me when I went to wash my hands because I didn’t notice it lol.
The bread they give to you was a tad disappointing… It tastes good but it was super cold :(other than that good experience.

Great location! I needed a spot for a group of six that was coming from out of town to visit, and I found this restaurant here on Unilocal.I decided to try it out because the prices didn’t look ridiculous.
I easily got a reservation for Friday night at 6:15 two days before. We ended up being almost 45 minutes early (it was a school group that had come from out of town and I met up with my past teachers-​the itinerary changed a bit which is why we were so early) and they had no problem with seating us. The place was actually very empty at this time, so I think they get busier as it gets later.
Beautiful bar and great interior design overall. It has a very modern yet cozy feel. I ordered a delicious pasta that was SO unique! I don’t remember the name of it but the pasta was large tubes and had the right amount of shrimp for the price ($ 22). I definitely craved this pasta for a couple of days after coming here!
My boyfriend got the margarita pizza and was not disappointed! It was a huge serving but he polished it off with ease! I do think it could have used way more basil on it though. The pizza was thin and saucey/​cheesy. The waiter described the pizzas as soggy, which isn’t the best word choice but somehow accurate in a good way.
Great date night type of restaurant along with a group night out!
Very smooth overall dining experience and I was really happy with it! Worth a try

Came in here on a Saturday for lunch. The place itself was pretty large, so while there were a few tables, it still seemed pretty empty.
Ordered the vegetariana Bianca pizza, the crust was nice and crispy but had good chew. Pizzas are a good size for sharing between 2 people. I thought the prices were a little steep, but it is a decent choice for pizza.
The complimentary bread is cold and dense, but I loved the garlic-​Rosemary scented oil it comes with, used it to dip my pizza crust: D

My family and I stopped by on a weeknight with out reservations and were seated right away. My daughter and I shared the spaghetti pomodoro. The sauce was so light but flavorful. The rest of the fam had pizza. The pizzas were perfect, they had a couple margarita pizzas and they were simply perfect! The prices were fair for the qualify of food, the pasta portion (for 1) was enough to share (mom&daughter). Service was fast and friendly. I would recommend stopping by if you are in the area!

My family and I were in DC and decided to drop-​by Georgetown for a little sightseeing. They were hungry so I looked up good spots on Unilocal and decided on this restaurant due to the high ratings.
They served us some bread and olive oil to start. I didn’t realize they did that so I ordered their house made focaccia, which was pretty disappointing. It was basically their pizza crust that was pretty tasteless. We ordered calamari for the table and for $ 14, they give you such a small portion good for 2 people (3 at most). The breading was coming off the calamari and it was quite oily. We ordered 3 pizzas for the table: margherita, Georgetown and la Regina. Overall the pizza crust were thin and chewy with quality toppings but it just didn’t impress.
The service was average at best. I felt like they’re trying too hard to be a fancy restaurant and our waiter came off snooty. Their other dishes might be better compared to my experience but I’m not convinced about coming back here again.

I’d give this place an overall 3.5. I went to Italy a few months ago and tried this place. The décor is interesting. It has some famous people that have stopped by and I recall a Dan Marino picture where it lists what he ordered, which I think was odd.
Ordered the Stella (mozzarella, prosciutto and bread) — mozzarella was fresh and moist. Also got the calamari, which was nice and crispy. The marinara was good as well. It was fancy enough to have a little bag for the lemon!
The pizzas are okay. Thin crust — nothing too spectacular. I got the gnocchi, which as good. I would’ve liked the pieces to be slightly bigger, but it was nice and fluffy as one would hope.
Overall, good spot

Had a very nice day in Georgetown and wanted to eat dinner before a party we were going to. We found this place on Unilocal and I’m happy we went. I give the place 3 stars for the food and 5 for the service and atmosphere. The waiters were great and incredibly helpful and respectful.
We started out with a meat plate which was very big for two people. there was a lot more than just meat, there were cheeses and veggies as well.
We ordered a pizza which was a good thin crusted pizza. It wasn’t amazing but definitely worth going to. Would go back!

I saw this place on Unilocal and decided to make a reservation on a Saturday night, I was glad I did, because even at 8:30p, the place was still busy and there were plenty of people trying to get in. The décor in the place was pretty cool, depending on where you are sitting you might feel a little crammed in though.
For an appetizer I had the Buffalo Mozzarella here was amazing, it was super moist and you could tell it was very fresh. For dinner we had a pizza and if you are a fan of neapolitan pizza youw ill love this place. I would recommend getting some toppings though and not just a plain pizza. We also tried some of the gnocchi, while I thought it was ok, if I went back I would stick with the pizza. Oh, and they have Peroni on draft!

Fui a comer a este restaurante con mi novia el ambiente fue muy agradable nos dieron un buen servicio mi novia ordenó un Paccheri pasta y yo un Ghocchi pasta lo recomiendo

We came there for dinner around 7pm and got a nice table next to the bar. The waitress was really nice and introduced us to «il Canale» as being the truly Napolitan real deal for pizza. So we went for it: every one of us got some ‘za. Margarita, Margarita w garlic and a hot ‘za I can’t remember the name of. the ingredients were all just perfect but there was one thing that messed everything up: the ‘za was not crispy at all. If you wanted to take a slice in your hand, the cheese would fall of the pizza! Major fail!

Senza esagerare, la migliore pizza napoletana in DC.
Gli ingredienti sono freschi, genuini e saporiti, la pasta è eccellente e morbida, gli abbinamenti di ottimo gusto. Se questo non bastasse, i camerieri sono istruiti da Vittorio (il manager) in modo rigoroso e sono in grado di dare suggerimenti da veri buongustai (metteteli alla prova chiedendo qualcosa di insolito, tipo di agginugere del pomodoro su una pizza bianca…). Il chiaro tentativo è di garantire quanto più possibile che la pizza sia fatta ad arte secondo il gusto italiano.
Vittorio è estremamente gentile e disponibile: se lo incontrate non esitate a scambiarci due parole, anche per chiedere qualche consiglio sul menu.
Al di là del servizio, che ho provato solo in giorni di relativa calma (non so se nei weekend avrei avuto la stessa attenzione), è la qualità delle pizze che merita la lode: se si vuole provare una pizza napoletana autentica in DC, è il posto migliore.
La selezione di vini è piuttosto buona, ma è bene stare sopra i 30 $ a bottiglia per un buon vino.
Gli antipasti sono tipici italiani (affettati, bruschette etc), semplici ma buoni, anche se la bufala è un po’ troppo cara (19 $ per 250 grammi).
I dolci sono piuttosto buoni ad un prezzo ragionevole (5 – 7 $ per porzione); nei cannoli alla ricotta il gusto della ricotta è piuttosto leggero: un vero siciliano storcerebbe il naso, ma sono sicuro che soddisfi i più.
Se andate in settimana avrete probabilmente modo di terminare la cena facendovi due chiacchiere con Vittorio