At Al Dente guests can enjoy fresh house-made pasta, risotto, fresh fish and meat offerings along with Italian desserts and a selection of gelato. Al Dente also showcases Neapolitan pizza from the restaurant's centerpiece oven.
Washington's most famous Italian chef going back to 1984, Roberto Donna is a James Beard winner and twice DC "Chef of the Year". Owner of some 20 restaurants over the years, he is best known for his award-winning Galileo restaurants and I Matti, a ground-breaking trattoria in 1980’s Adams Morgan. From Torino (Turin) in Northern Italy, Chef Donna’s current cuisine spans Southern and all regions of his beloved country.
A boutique selection mostly Italian and also wines of other origins are available by the bottle along with various selections of wines by the glass. Prices range from $6 to $20 by the glass and $30 to $100 by the bottle. Additionally, eight draft beers are also available.
Al Dente can accommodate up to 116-seated guests in the main dining room; 12 seats at the bar; 12 seats around the pizza oven and eight seats in the open exhibition kitchen complete with dining bar. An outdoor patio is also available during the spring and summer months (weather permitting) with seating for 30.
Matt Norris, of Norris Design in Atlanta, is responsible for transforming the 3,150-square-foot space into a modern, urban Italian trattoria like those found in Rome or Milan. Upon entering the restaurant, guests will note the stacked wood on s