Shortly after arriving in Washington, I decided to step out for lunch between meetings. Being in Georgetown, surrounded by Italian restaurants, I opted to make a reservation at Filomena, a well-known establishment in Washington.

The concept

The concept is simple: a traditional Italian menu and decor… left as-is.

The setting

I can appreciate “left as-is,” but this place is entirely underground, and the decor was literally overrun with Halloween decorations. Absolutely terrible.

The menu

The menu looked promising, but I would criticize the lean toward Italian-American cuisine, with its awful meatballs and that dreadful carbonara recipe. I should have been wary, but the arancini caught my eye.

The meal and the dishes

I started the meal with an overpriced glass of Montepulciano, which was excellent nonetheless.

A basket of bread with olive oil and marinated basil was served, and it was delicious.

I ordered the arancini, which were mediocre at best, though freshly fried.

The service

The service was disappointing—unsmiling and slow, with the bill taking quite a while to arrive.

The atmosphere

A grim, dark atmosphere.

Bottom line

A major letdown for what is supposed to be Washington’s best Italian restaurant.

Itinerary

As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:

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