Vapiano - Washington

The food at this restaurant is excellent and very budget-friendly, and the staff is incredibly friendly. The pasta is made fresh every day, and all the garnishes are top-quality and fresh. I especially love that there are actual basil and oregano plants on each table, allowing you to pick fresh leaves to enhance your meal. As a lovely bonus, they give you Haribo gummy bears when you leave, which is a charming touch.

I ordered the chicken Alfredo pasta and added broccoli and mozzarella cheese, and it was made to perfection—exactly how I imagined it! I regret not asking the chef's name because he did an amazing job with my pasta. They also offer a variety of homemade sauces, all of which are delicious, especially paired with the warm, crispy bread that’s soft on the inside—absolutely perfect! One sauce that stood out to me had a hint of orange juice (I’m not sure of its name), but it was incredibly tasty. Overall, my experience at this restaurant was outstanding, and it has officially become my favorite Italian spot in DC! I highly recommend it!

An interesting aspect is that they provide a card for you to scan at the grill once you receive your food, which I thought was a clever way to keep track of orders. The staff was friendly, and just a note: I was informed that this location is typically less crowded than the one on M Street. The only drawback I encountered was an unpleasant odor in the bathroom, possibly due to its proximity to the kitchen or food storage area in the basement. However, this shouldn't take away from the overall experience—maybe a simple air freshener would help. By the way, I'm sorry about the pictures. The food looked so good that I couldn't resist digging in before snapping a photo! (Haha)

Very nice place! It's a chick location but with very reasonable prices, you can get a very good Italian Dinner for around 15$. I went several times and the Pasta and salad I had were delicious. The complimemtary warm slice bread is very tasty with the olive oil!

This place is bomb for some authentic Italian food. I usually come here before a Wizards game. Everything is cooked fresh. Pizza and pasta entrees average $10-15 with 2 slices of bread. This location is always kept very clean and the chefs are great at multitasking. They can easily be making 2 pastas while taking on 3 more orders. Don't expect a long wait and to spent a lot here. 1 pasta or entree dish will be enough. I always go for the risotto, any pizza, carbonara or any pasta with pesto. I don't like how they charge you 3-5 for extra meat, but it's really small portions. Also with the card system everyone is paying at the same time when they leave. So you've got the hostess greeting people, taking payment and sometimes orders it can be chaotic during dinner time. Wish there was a way to expedite the process. Try the spicy olive oil at your table if you like spice.