Fiola Mare: Best waterfront restaurant in Washington DC
Where do you go in Washington DC for a special celebration to make memories with family and friends over food and wine?
Fiola Mare – Best waterfront restaurant in Washington DC
My choice for my birthday this year was Fiola Mare restaurant, the newest brainchild of award-winning chef and owner, Fabio Trabocchi, whose passion for cooking and for seafood came from his years growing up in Le Marche region of Italy.
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Fiola Mare chef and Owner Fabio Trabocchi
Opened in February 2014, Fiola Mare strives to evoke the kind of seaside dining experience found along the coast of Italy and the Mediterranean with a focus on “pristine seafood prepared with elegant simplicity”.
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Fiola Mare – main dining area
In many respects, Fiola Mare succeeds in attaining this goal with serene river views featuring DC landmarks, superbly fresh and creatively prepared seafood married with home-made artisan pasta and the best of farm fresh produce, an extensive wine cellar, and the pampering provided from expertly trained staffers. Add in the elegant sophistication of the contemporary decor, the trendy bar with cocktails aptly named for the DC crowd such as “Foreign Policy”, the fascinating people-watching both inside this powerhouse restaurant and outside on the docks, the ambiance created by just the right edginess to the music and the perfectly dimmed lighting, and you have an overall restaurant experience that indisputably competes with some of the finest Mediterranean restaurants featuring seafood prepared with the “elegant simplicity” for which the Italians are famous.
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Fiola Mare Main Bar
But I truly would not call our meal “simple”, although it was indeed “elegant” … elegantly prepared and served, and elegantly delicious.
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Fiola Mare restaurant – Washington DC
Following in the spirit of the Italians, we shared every course we ordered so we could appreciate and enjoy the tasting experience together, and we kept our wine choice simple but memorable … a delightful and refreshing Chablis, Jean-Marc Brocard, Montée de Tonnerre, 1er Cru 2013.
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Fiola Mare Raw Bar
We began with the FIOLA MARE RAW BAR, which included East & West Coast Oysters, Main Lobster, Middleneck Clams, Jumbo Prawns, Blue Bay Mussels, Ahi Tuna Tartare, Jellyfish Salad, Wakame Salad, Sea Urchin, Ocean Trout Sashimi, and Alaskan King Crab. A veritable feast and a meal unto itself, served with three different sauces … a classic mignonette, a rosy mayonnaise with a kick, and a tart pomegranate. The freshness of the seafood did not disappoint, but the deliciousness of the Jellyfish Salad and the Sea Urchin was totally unexpected … most certainly a result of extraordinary culinary creativity.
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Fiola Mare Colors of the Garden Salad
We then moved onto COLORS OF THE GARDEN, a salad which included California Strawberries, Marcona Almonds, Snap Peas, Baby Carrots & Beets, Casatica di Bufala finished off with edible Pansies. An edible work of art, this salad provided sheer delight as we savored the tart sweetness of the macerated strawberries with the crunchy saltiness of the toasted Marcona Almonds and the creamy sweetness of the Casatica di Bufalo, all the while appreciating the freshness of the ingredients.
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Fiola Mare Bucatini with Wild Tiger Prawns, Espelette and Catalina Sea Urchin
What transforms a marinara sauce into a thing of beauty that evokes the sea at every bite? The answer: Catalina Sea Urchin. We next moved onto a BUCATINI with Wild Tiger Prawns, Espelette chili pepper, and of course … the Sea Urchin. Awesome and satisfying at every bite.
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Fiola Mare Crostata di Fragola e Rabarbaro
We splurged at dessert, unable to resist either one of two offerings, but we followed our ritual of sharing. CROSTATA di FRAGOLA e RABARBARO, a light warm strawberry, rhubarb, & almond tart was served with honey gelato, a perfect complement to the tartness of the crostata.
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Fiola Mare Chocolate Bons Bons
CHOCOLATE BON BONS, Passionfruit Milk Chocolate Coffee & Cardamom Dark Chocolate made from the renowned El Rey Single Origin Venezuelan Cacao, were the perfect ending to a truly memorable meal.
Fiola Mare Chocolate birthday cake
Proust was right. The aromas, the sight and the taste of exquisitely prepared food provide you with a powerful experience and memories that last well beyond the meal. The next time you are looking to make memories over food & wine in DC, I recommend you try FIOLA MARE and I hope you savor the memories for many years to come.
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I love chef’s philosophy of “pristine seafood prepared with elegant simplicity” — the raw bar looks incredible. Fiola Mare definitely sounds like a spot to move to the top of my list
Looks absolutely stunning in every detail. Sophisticated surroundings and delicious preparation. What a treat.
Fresh ingredients translate to a clean taste where the produce stars as it certainly did in the marinara
Looks like a great meal in a beautiful setting. We used to live in the DC area—before it became a real food paradise.
Wow…the food looks delectable! And the Fiola Mare restaurant atmosphere wonderful. BTW, Happy Belated Birthday!
A feast for the eyes, the stomach and the soul. The location doesn’t hurt either! It looks like my kind of place! Thank you for the introduction!
What a fabulous birthday dinner! Yes, we’re getting spoiled for choice in the DC area – lots to enjoy!
Fiola Mare is a place I would love to try, seafood with Italian flair. Every dish looked beautiful, from the colourful salad to the chocolate cake.