Embassy of Italy

Beautiful architecture, and I’m glad I came here for the EU Open House. The embassy is spacious, and the property was optimized for ultimate use during the event.

Buon Giorno! Mi chiamo Norry! Lobby is like an atrium and very spacious. There is a cafeteria or espresso bar I should say, inside. The Embassy of Italy was very entertaining on this EU Embassies Open House day.

I came here for a film event recently, and will definitely be back for more cultural events. Going to the embassy is like a consolation prize for not being able to visit the actual country itself (at least not yet).
Bountiful street parking can be found along Whitehaven St although I would advice you to be mindful of where along the street you park as some spots are designated for diplomatic vehicles only. You walk through the gate, get waved through by the guards and ease on down the winding steps down to the visitor entrance. The auditorium is to your immediate right. From the inside (at least in the main foyer) there seems to be some interesting artwork, sculptures, and seating placed around. The auditorium itself is spacious with squeaky but comfy chairs.
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The Embassy had an contemporary design mixed with arts from the past. The bright yellow and blue walls in the circular structure along with the colorful leather chairs and couches gave a very Italian signature look. The see-​through ceiling opened up to part of the top floors of the building and the sky it was full moon that night. The event was catered through the Embassy it was a very basic buffet (for $ 70) the chicken was so dry it hurt my throat. The salmon with lentils was okay but the risotto was completely overcooked it was mushy and spinach was awful. The worst part was there was no really dessert just some cut fruits and biscotti. The circular space was great for a party but the sound system didn’t work quite as well. When we were leaving the gate was locked up and there were no guards to be found. We stood in the freezing cold for a while before the gate opened up. Not cool.

Love this place! Just went there for my first movie and plan on returning for other free cultural events. It’s a great way to take advantage of the cultural city that DC is!

Not overly impressed, but possibly because I was expecting a lot. It is the Italians after all! The event space could have been better utilized by the event planners, but I’m still not sure that it’s the best event space around. The smaller rooms were far less than impressive and the main space didn’t leave me feeling much of anything.
I agree with Miriam– the uniforms (and faces/​bodies) of the Italian guards were by far the best part.

The drama of the Italian Embassy’s architecture is far more interesting when viewed from the outside. Upon further inspection of the interior, I was less impressed.
The auditorium, which is directly beneath a glass-​domed atrium, serves as an events space. With the right event management I could see the Italian Embassy playing host to an incredible fête.
The uniforms worn by the Arma dei Carabinieri who wave you through the metal detectors are pretty fabulous, though would you expect any less from the Italians?

If you have a diplomatic ID card or work for an Embassy or State Dept. then you can visit the cafeteria here. Check in with the guard and exchange your ID for a cafeteria pass. The café has home-​style Italian that changes each day, served a la carte, along with gelato, coffees, and wine. Modern architecture styled with black-​and-​white photos and clean lines. Comparatively inexpensive to Dupont Italian restaurants but unfortunately limited in access. Don’t try this if you don’t have Dip ID or Embassy credentials.