Romeo & Juliet

Love this place! Have been for lunch a few times and always had friendly service. Had a wonderful dinner last night — I loved the smokey buttery mushroom stew with rosemary and my date was blown away by the lambchops. It was a busy night but staff was always friendly and attentive. I see that other reviewers have complained about the prices but they seem typical for a DC place like this.

This place has great ambiance, creative, delicious food, and impeccable service. This was my 2^nd visit and I look forward to my 3^rd. We started with the cheese and squid appetizers, both were unique and bursting with flavor. The main short rib and sword fish was delicious and the tiramusu martini dessert was yummy too. The wine suggestions were dead on and the server, bus staff, and food runners were well trained professionals. This is a must try café I honestly forgot I was D.C.

Came in out of the wet snow for a delicious brunch with «never ending» mimosa and bloody mary’s. Service was quick and server was friendly. Food was better than I expected. Come and and visit this place.

I was nervous about trying this place because of the low number of Unilocal reviews. It was so quiet on Friday night at 6pm when we ate there. Not sure why this place isn’t more popular. Location?
We pretty much stuck with an Italian themed meal and got eggplant cannelloni, pasta Mia, and the vegetarian ragout. They were all very satisfactory. The best eggplant I had was in New Jersey, but hey you can’t really compare to a Italian restaurant in New Jersey. I thought my vegetarian ragout was more interesting than the Pasta Mia, but the meatballs in that were good. I also liked the fact that the bread came with olive oil. I prefer olive oil over butter.
We ate indoors by the window and it was a little chilly (maybe it was because the door kept opening so the servers can go outside to the patio) or it was because of the windows.
Don’t be afraid to give this place a try if you’re in the area. The food wouldn’t intimidate you, and it’d envelop you in comfort.

The Wife and I stopped by on one of our usual «Why sit in traffic when we can eat» evenings. Nice location very close to union station. Ample street parking during the middle of the week. We just missed happy hour, which is always disappointing, but we’re ultimately attracted by the patio. Two fire pits emitting the aroma of hickory was too inviting to pass up on a cool fall evening. We sat at the bar and we’re very happy with the service from the bartender. He took the time to advise my wife on the right wine for her and promptly served us drinks. They were made well and packed a solid punch. I ordered spaghetti and my wife had lobster ravioli. Both were excellent. You’ll get a nice portion size. They’re flavorful and all the ingredients work in unison. We also spoke to one of the investors. He couldn’t have been nicer and more appreciative of our business. We felt very welcomed by the entire staff and will definitely be returning for the food and service.

My husband and I came here after work this week. It was a great atmosphere. We sat outside at the bar near the fire pits. The bartender was awesome (didn’t get his name however). He made great drinks and explained which wines would pair well with our dinner. My husband got the spaghetti and I had the lobster ravioli. Of course, I had to try his. Both dishes were good. The lobster ravioli, had small bits of lobster, but the flavor was what I liked the most about it. Great blend of cheese and sauce with the peas worked well. I’m a Boston girl so I was a bit disappointed with the amount of lobster used. Anyway … My experience was great, drinks were awesome, food was well prepared and tasty.

I LOVE this place! The menu has a nice selection, but I hope it changes on a regular basis, since the entrée list is short. This is my new go-​to place in the neighborhood. Hernan is the most friendly and responsive bartender on the Hill. Great outdoor patio — biggest in town! Warm comfortable space. Try the watermelon salad — very impressive thick slice of watermelon with feta cheese, arugula and Kalamata olives loaded on top. The special pasta with short rib ragu was hearty and plentiful! I took some home and enjoyed it all over again for lunch the next day.

With the Folgers Shakespeare Library a quarter mile away, you may mistakenly associate this romantic space with the sixteenth century play about two teenagers poisoning themselves after three days of courtship. Romeo and Juliet Garden Café is, in fact, the first restaurant in Michael Romeo’s nightclub group, which features Fur, Lotus, and Tattoo Bar (or, three places I have no interest in visiting). But walking by the elegant terrace on a few lunch breaks was enough to convince me to give the new restaurant a try.
The patio features an outdoor bar and a small, movable fire pit. Tiki torches outline the fences, creating an inclusive atmosphere. A few strewn ornamental light bulbs complete the mood. We made a Friday night reservation, expecting a bustling atmosphere; however, the patio was mostly empty when we arrived around 7:15. Our server Dan greeted us at the host stand [“normally there is a pretty girl here to greet you”] and hurriedly got us seated [“there are only a few minutes left for the happy hour prices so let’s get an order in for you!”].
We shared several appetizers and happy hour dishes. The Scallop and Black Butter was fantastic, but the pesce crudo was the real highlight. The crudo, a sea bass tartare, had a fantastic citrus profile and plenty of spice. The beet salad was traditional and well-​balanced. The pear and arugula salad was a crowd-​pleaser.
While our tapas-​style appetizers were pleasantly surprising, the cocktail list reflected the conflicted background of club owner seeking a higher form of beverage. After starting with mediocre house libations, we decided on a pair of dirty martinis. My date’s vodka martini was mixed perfectly; however, my gin martini tasted like it was shaken in a tin of lemon juice. Citrus is fantastic with raw sea bass, but not with a dirty martini.
Romeo and Juliet Café seems to have a great foundation – beautiful space and a talented chef. The staff intends to keep the patio open through the winter, though the temperature might have to trend in the opposite direction before we try it again.

They get five star for being accommodating. We arrived around 10:30pm after a long flight from the West Coast (closing time was 11 pm) and the kitchen was about to shut down, but they accommodated us kindly. We ordered three appetizers (shrimp, octopus, and calamari) and a salad (arugula). They were all excellent. The octopus and arugula, especially, were outstanding. Thank you for helping us not go to bed hungry on our first night in Washington DC :-) !

Came on business after some Capitol Hill stuff. The area around here has always been a tad barren, going straight from federal buildings to residences without a ton of businesses. However, this is a nice spot, with plenty of outdoor seating. A good place to kick back after whatever one’s day holds.
The menu did not have a ton vegetarian, but I had already eaten anyway. What I can say is that they have some pretty fantastic garlic fries, and their lemon artichoke hummus is appropriately nuanced in flavor. I wasn’t the only one making a meal of appetizers; there seemed plenty of decent small plates to share.

We were looking for a place that would satiate our desire for early waving drinks and have food for the kids. Bingo! Happy hour drinks are well priced and very delectable. Adults had filet mignon medallions and lobster ravioli. Both were wonderfully prepared and came out hot on cool plates. (My sign that our food was just finished and served, not sitting under a heat lamp.) Medallions were not the small version you get at high prices places, they were full sized steaks, two of them. With a tasty salad to pair with, it was a well balanced and tasty meal. The portobello mushrooms on top of the steak were a great addition as well.
Dessert options were limited, but they apparently do them well. We had the passion fruit pana cotta and enjoyed the many favors on the palate. Dan, our server was very dedicated! He made sure our glasses were never empty and that the kids were entertained and happy. Fantastic service. Pascal, the GM, made it his goal to help us enjoy a nice long and relaxing dinner.
With a great outdoor patio in summer, and food to satisfy most tastes, I would highly recommend them for a wonderful evening.

The outdoor setting is lovely, & we’re big fans of the short ribs (they melt in your mouth) as well as the lobster ravioli & the tagliatelle.
But the prices are high & the service the last time we went was a disaster.
The smoked mushroom appetizer definitely wasn’t s hit, nor were the sea bass or filet medallions.

Five of us had a wonderful, inspired, gastronomic dinner at Romeo &. Juliet’s Garden Café on Capital Hill.
Expert Service and exceptional care was amazing. We tried And shared many appetizers :
The grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes and a tomato tartare. Outstanding !
The beef carpaccio. Delicate and perfectly plated and seasoned with a delicious light oil and tasty bits of Parm.
The appetizer meatballs brought me back to my old neighborhood «aunties’» kitchens in Boston and meals at those family friendly tables growing up.
The filet Mignon entrée with accompanying micro green salad dressed in light vinaigrette and grilled marinated mushroom caps was over the top pure Paleo wonderful.
Exceptional service with great suggestions for cocktails. And a dessert port topped off my meal! Extra special were the Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Lava cake desserts.
We will be back soon and often.
This new place deserves a try by everyone. Wonderfully Mediterranean inspired food by chef Alexis …

The servers were very nice, but there were not good vegetarian options on the menu. Did not like the smoked mushrooms – I had to talk my dinner partner into not trying to send it back just because we didn’t like it.
Had the scallop appetizer – at $ 9 for one scallop it wasn’t the awesomest scallop I’ve had.

A lovely addition to the Happy Hour scene on Mass Ave, NE. For lunch, I had a steak sandwich which comes with the option of fries or salad. I enjoyed it very much. It offers both outdoor and indoor seating and very attentive servers.
Unilocal Tip: Unilocal’s reservation utility indicates this restaurant is booked up when it is not. R&J does not yet participate in OpenTable. We walked up and got a table outside with no problem. They did not even ask for a reservation.

Focaccia bread better than any where in Europe. Short ribs excellent! Pinot Noir topped everything off!

A lovely garden patio with much needed citronella candles.
Dinner was lovely and very fresh, however, I left with about 15 new bug bites which made the rest of the evening quite itchy. My only other complaint was the beef carpaccio was so cold it was practically frozen. Lately the lobster ravioli, while very tasty, was a pretty small portion size. Had we not been running off to a birthday party we probably would have stayed to order dessert.
Other than a few missteps my branzino was well cooked, but needed a bit more salt. I think this place is really trying to push happy hour to compete with the other more established restaurants on the mass ave strip. I wish them well and will return again, but certainly with bug spray.

Returned AGAIN tonight and I must say they are consistent AND listened to feedback. The Taggleatelle w/​Clams was magnificent. The service continues to be impeccable.
We’re all baffled as to why they aren’t «packed» with lines around the corner. For now we’re thankful, before everyone catches on…
They allow dogs on patio and after tonight, I really hope that one table didn’t RUIN it for all of responsible dog owners. A table of what appeared to be 2 – 3 couples/​friends in mid-​late 20’s had a dachshund (long hair) if I had to guess on leash and it would bark and lunge at the wait staff. They didn’t bother to move it to the sidewalk or out of reach of passers by. It narrowly missed one waitress who did not realize how close it came and the owner was oblivious and laughed it off. Finally after the 3^rd time, it struck! It bit and broke skin. The entire staff made sure all was ok at the table… the host even brought a towel for one woman who had spilled wine on herself when pulling the dog off the waiter– the host had to extend his arm with towel to stay a safe distance because owner still wasn’t containing the dog)! We were all apalled at the laughter and ZERO concern from the entire party for the waiter who was bitten, limping and visibly shaken! The staff were incredibly professional and frankly too kind. They wrapped up and departed WITHOUT TIPPING, or without leaving contact info for the bitten waiter… hope dog had up to date rabies vaccine!

This place took over the building that housed White Tiger for so many years. It’s been under construction for a year and I will say as a neighbor I was pretty ticked off when the contractors threw their old paint in the public trash can at the corner of Mass and 3^rd.
I also have serious doubts about the name of this place. How could anyone think that naming your restaurant after two teenagers who ate poison and died is a good thing???
It’s hopelessly cliché too and hard to say but that’s another whole story.
Anyway happy to have this place up and running.
Went here for lunch today.
Somewhat limited menu right now though that may be temporary since they just opened up.
I ordered a steak sandwich that was delicious but very small. Also fries which were ok but just ok. If you’ve had high end fries elsewhere you will be disappointed.
Hoping for slow but steady improvement.

Food here is Amazing, the Braised Short Ribs are to die for — literally. My compliments to Chef Alexis.