Il Canale

il Canale was fantastic for our anniversary dinner! We had two pizzas and wonderful cocktails. Service was fantastic. I think it's a great date spot or for a group dinner. I would go again in a heartbeat. Definitely make a reservation it is a busy spot.

A truly good Italian restaurant. The arancini are the real thing, the pizza has great flavors and a soft dough—only the mozzarella was a bit too elastic. Good desserts and a nice atmosphere. A solid Italian spot in Washington! Recommended.

Il canale was a pleasant experience for my family and I on a chilly evening in Georgetown. The interior was reminiscent of a family's home in Italy. Our server was a nice gentleman and took care of our needs with respect. The food was extremely delicious! The calamari fritti appetizer was crunchy and the sauce paired with it made the calamari melt in your mouth. My meal was the Caesar salad w/ salmon and it was probably the best salad I have ever had in my life. It was not overdressed nor were there too many croutons. It was the perfect portion to fill me up. I would highly recommend anyone who was thinking on coming here to visit and enjoy a nice hot meal.

Excellent service with great food. Best value in Georgetown. The staff was truly wonderful and made a birthday party memorable. They paid special attention to detail to make sure everyone had a good time. Special thanks to Ella who went above and beyond to ensure everything was set up for a surprise party. Thank you. I will most certainly be back

The service was great, very attentive to our needs. They accommodated our request for a particular table placement. The service was only topped by the food. The vegetables were fresh and the gnocchi was delicious. I ate every bite!

I have been here 3 times now and I have always felt wowed! Trifecta of food, friendly service and atmosphere. Dine inside it out. The food here is amazing- super delicious! What I find most memorable is the people. It seems everyone wants you to have the best experience possible!

We had a wonderful experience; the food was delicious and the service was very friendly. They accommodated me and my family (14 people) on a day like today, January 1st!

Amazing pizza place and crowds expected during day time. They also have a sign saying that they are top 40 on Yelp nationwide LOL Must-try: pizza. Food: We ordered a pizza and two pastas (salmon & bolognese) — everything was delicious. The pizza crust was super airy, soft, and juicy. They also have tiramisu. In total, it cost ~$30 per person. Highly recommend! Parking: metered street parking nearby. The area is busy. Not sure if they have their own parking lot or not. Waiting time: we visited the restaurant in March. When we passed the restaurant after 6 p.m., there was a crazy line. We came back after 10 p.m. and got a table quickly. They close at 11 p.m.

Wonderful staff, delicious food, and lovely space. We can't wait to visit again and we are telling everyone. This visit was based on a recommendation.

Had dinner with my Sicilian colleague at this Georgetown Italian restaurant. I had the meatballs to start, followed by the Meat Lovers pizza. Both were excellent. The service was also great, as was the ambience, although it was a tad noisy at times from some of the large groups also dining. Would eat here again if after pizza in Georgetown.

We were staying in Georgetown for three days and ate here twice it was so good. The service is friendly and the food is delicious. I tried the ravioli, gnocci bolognese, and the pizza. Oh, and “take the cannoli”, best I’ve had!

Had the most wonderful evening at il Canale!! Celebrated my wife's birthday with family and everything was on point - the food was incredible, wine was delicious, and we had the most beautiful table upstairs on the terrace to enjoy the evening! Shout-out to our incredible server Kaitlin for the amazing service, and for snagging the last pizza special of the night for me (fresh burrata on a white pizza with truffle oil 🤌). She was even so kind to bring a cannoli with a candle for my wife's birthday ❤️. A gentleman named Giorgio even came by our table to make sure everything was ok, we felt incredibly well taken care of. Also the ricotta cake was insane, a must try. This is our second time bringing family to il Canale, and we can't wait to come back!

Wow what an authentic Italian restaurant in Georgetown area of DC! Amazing & delicious! Great original menu choices! Huge building housing this restaurant allows so much room. Lots of tables, inside & outdoor. Service was so attentive & and friendly. Great job!! They seated us quickly. Came to get our order $ brought our drinks away. Our server was so attentive she kept us refilled on whatever we needed. We ordered Caesar salad 🥗. Yummy. We ordered 2 different pizzas. 🍕 both were amazingly delicious!! We left with to go box for lunch. We will happily return some day. Yummy!!

il Canale offers a fantastic dining experience! The pizza was delicious, and the drinks were excellent. My favorite, though, was the lobster ravioli—absolutely divine. Highly recommend for a memorable meal!

Second visit and same review: Not a single low point in this restaurant (for the food that I ordered) It's officially the best pizza I've tried ever, and as for the pasta, just amazing, these raviolis qualify on my top 3 easy. Totally recommended. Service was fast (we went at 2:30pm on a Sunday), AC was at a comfortable temperature and the atmosphere was great, not too noisy.

If you want a true Italian restaurant in DC with delicious food, amazing service, and a welcoming atmosphere, this is the place to go. I have been here multiple times and always walk out extremely pleased with my visit. My favorite appetizer is the Bruschetta I definitely recommend!

After living in Italy for several years and then moving to the U.S., it was honestly hard for me to find an Italian restaurant that truly felt right. Il Canale became that place for me. From the very first visit, I felt at home. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, and the staff is incredibly kind and welcoming. The Italian hospitality is real here. The waiters speak Italian, greet you in Italian, and say goodbye the same way, which immediately brings back the feeling of being in Italy. The food is excellent. The pasta, pizza, and salads are all delicious and feel authentic. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up coming back every single day while I was in Georgetown. I truly recommend this restaurant. Make sure to book a table in advance because it is very popular. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and overall experience. A special place that I will definitely return to.

The best pizzas outside of Italy, full-stop. Great staff top-to-bottom, quick service, and a clean and charming dining room. What we thought was going to be just a good lunch turned into one of the most memorable dining experiences we have ever had. My partner ended up not liking a dish and they ended up offering a replacement dish and not having us pay for the original dish. Thank you to Il Calle for making this lunch so amazing and we will be back many times in the future.

This was my first time at this restaurant and it was exceptionally outstanding, in my view. I am a wife of a Chef, and get pretty picky or have my expectations set pretty high when it comes to genuinely good food. Everything that we tasted was just amazing. You eat and feel the “Amore” in this food. The atmosphere, genuinely welcoming and caring personnel including Tesse who took care of three of us last Sunday and wine recommendations from the gentleman who I believe is the owner (or manager), all that plus exceptionally delicious dishes, made our first experience impressive and just perfect! My husband and I will be back very soon for our special occasion.

Delicious dinner - started with the Focaccia and meatballs. Then 3 pizzas and a lasagna dish. The food was all very good. Pizzas were definitely larger than we expected so took leftovers home. Reservation recommended - it was crowded even on a Monday evening!

The food here is the closest new world rendition to Italian cuisine in the US. I’d bet on that. The Margherita pizza… I spent YEARS craving to try it again and finally did on my parents (yes both!) birthday tonight. The atmosphere and service all around was impeccable but a special shout out to Wendy!! I’m a server myself but this woman is superb! So attentive, caring, and positive!! Wendy made my parents night unforgettable with stellar recommendations and a sweet treat to top a spectacular night! Turns out she’s from the same village as my folks and it was a great experience. I can’t wait to return to Il Canale, keep doing what you guys do! It’s amazing and priceless!!

had a wonderful dining experience at this Italian restaurant in Washington, DC. I ordered the gnocchi with meatballs, which were absolutely delicious—fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Our server, Virginia, was truly outstanding: warm, friendly, and incredibly attentive. Her positive energy made the whole meal even more enjoyable. I really appreciated both the excellent service and the welcoming atmosphere. I’ll definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic Italian food in the city!

Early Valentine's Day dinner. We definitely beat the rush. Toto was fantastic, personal recommendations and personal experiences. We ordered a bottle of red wine, calamari, tomatoless pizza (my fist time having pizza without tomato sauce), their lobster pasta special, tiramisu, and cappuccino. Everything was delicious! I prefer calamari with marinara sauce versus the white sauce that it came with but still delicious. Calamari had body and wasn't mushy. I thought the pizza would've been drier than normal but the cheese and grape tomatoes made it perfect. The homemade pasta was light and had the right amount of lobster. The tiramisu was delicious and not overly sweet or watery. Cappuccino was a great flavorful way to end the meal. Parking outside sucked but that's DC... Definitely returning!

4/5 seems right. The pizza was the best part and it was pretty good. Lobster ravioli was good but not close to enough quantity. I was still a bit hungry after finishing it. Starters including the meatballs were ok but nothing special, same goes with the desserts. Service and atmosphere are nice 👍👍 it is worth going to, we will be back for the takeout pizza.

Il Canale is a solid Italian restaurant in Georgetown. We were seated immediately with no wait, and the bathroom was very clean, which was a nice touch. Three people in our party shared the spaghetti and meatballs and absolutely loved it. I tried the “Tagliata di Manzo,” a flat iron steak with arugula, cheese, and sun-dried tomato. It was quite good and flavorful. The pizzas and come highly recommended based on others we spoke too. While we didn’t try the pizzas ourselves, they came out to other tables looking and smelling fantastic. If I am ever back in town I would definitely want to try a pizza. Overall, it’s a good spot for Italian food with quick seating, clean facilities, and tasty dishes.

We haven’t been back in nearly a decade. It was merely the myriad of Italian options in the DMV. Overall, it still remains a solid place for pizzas with its VPN designation. One can’t go wrong with the pizzas. We had the classic margherita pizza, arancini, fried calamari, spaghetti carbonara, and taglioni with truffle pasta. All tasted fine. The pasta dishes were a let down. Not because of the flavor but they were not “al dente”. I expected more I guess. Service was exceptional.

Had been 6 years ago with some girlfriends and wanted to bring my husband with me this time. Lobster ravioli was as good as last time. Everything else (which I tried for the first time) was good but not the best. I would not recommend the calamari as it lacked seasoning. Service was great though. Thank you Cruz!

Great dining experience here with the whole family. The pizza was delicious. The kids loved it. I enjoyed classic Italian food like lasagna. They have lots of great seating options either inside or outside. Tucked away in such a cool spot in Georgetown.

Good food and service. Would come again. Branzino was delish. Calamari was fresh and not greasy. It was decent.

I was so excited to eat here. We made reservations and it was like not making a reservation. It was cold night and we ate outside with the heaters so we could finally eat because we were so hungry! The seasoning was off and the server wasn't very helpful. I expected more authentic. It had good reviews. It wasn't bad, but I won't be returning because it wasn't impressive.

This was a really nice and cozy place. The place was full of warmth and good Italian food. I am vegetarian and I tried: 1. Margherita Pizza - 4/5 - The pizza base was fresh and tomato sauce was made from organic tomatoes which really enhanced the taste. 2. Ravioli porcini pasta - 4.5/5 - this was one of the best pastas we have ever had in this area till now. The pasta was made in butter sauce with truffle oil and hosini mushrooms and ricotta cheese. Overall, I would highly recommend this place at least once for good and fresh Italian food. Attending neapolitan pizza. I found this place budget friendly too for the quality of food, vibes, quick service and the fantastic ambience.

Decent spot to get pizza, but there are better options in the city. They have one meat pizza on the menu with a beef option, the rest of the meat pizzas have pork. The service is average, the host made a big deal when we wanted to switch tables when the restaurant was empty except for 3-4 tables. We were a party of 2, we got the il canale salad which was 10/10, the vegetariana rossa 7/10 and the del pizzaiolo rossa 7/10. The total bill was $85 plus tip.

We came here on Valentine’s Day. We were not seated until 30 mins after our reservation time and there was literally no where to stand while we waited. Everyone was crowded in the front of the restaurant. My pizza was unfortunately soggy when it came out. Not worth the battle. Maybe we will try again on a less busy night but they need a better system for busy nights.

Went here for my birthday and the food was amazing but the service was not the best. I had to keep on waving down my server for everything which was annoying. The food was great but I wouldn’t come back.

Pizza itself was good, nothing crazy/special. Mentally you want to be eating pizza in Italy, but you’re just eating it in DC. Host was top guy 👌 (Forza Nerazzurri!). Waiter was a little rude, but I had no problem with it, typical Italian guy with a little attitude - always good for the culture.

This place was a mixed bag for us. There are some positives. First off, the location is near the canal. The building looks more like an authentic historical building versus the newer places on the main drag. The atmosphere is great. Many people were enjoying themselves outside. The inside was cool, too. As for the pizza, we got to margherita pizza. The dough was really good around the crust areas, but the center was raw, soggy, and soaked in grease. It may have been from using too much cheese, but the cheese wasn't a noticeable flavor or texture. The sauce was saturated in grease. There were no tomato flavors or tomatoes that you would get with a margherita pizza. We got a complentary glass of water, but we never received our actual drinks. Maybe our server was overwhelmed with guests, so I can't really fault her. It was busy, and we did get our food in a timely manner, but it might be just as simple as a staffing shortage. So my review is mainly about the food and it was our first impression. It might not be the same case if we were to return.

Stay away from the Carbonara! It’s not an authentic one. They use cream and it’s the typical version American people love. I tried it and I couldn’t even finish it. The pizza is good. Honest pizza. Maybe a little burnt the margherita I had. Great service. Great atmosphere. Please fix the carbonara. An Italian dies every time you serve it!

I can not comment on the pizza but the lasagna and the gnocchi was disappointing. Everything taste very average. The tomato sauce form the lasagna and gnocchi plates tasted like it came out of a tomato sauce can. Not coming again.

We visited this restaurant on August 1st, 2025. We were five people (three adults and two kids) and had a reservation. Sadly, it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. It started with the host trying to squeeze an extra chair onto a table that was too small for us. After we sat down, no one came for 15 minutes. When a waiter finally came, he didn’t give us menus, he only asked what kind of water we wanted. We said tap water. We waited another 15 minutes. Then, a different waiter brought a small jug of water. He could only fill 2 and a half cups. The last cup had a piece of dirt fall into it. We asked them to take away all the glasses and bring a sealed bottle of still water instead. We still didn’t have menus, so we had to ask for them. We ordered two pizzas, a pasta, and a salad. It took a very long time for the food to arrive. When it finally came, the food tasted terrible and had a very bad smell. When we asked for the check, they told us they had already added a 20% tip because we were a “large party” of five. Overall, this restaurant was very slow, not clean, the food was bad, and they added extra charges. There are so many good restaurants in this area, go to any of them instead of wasting your time here.

I just ate there today with my mother. We had a tall waitress with dark brown hair in a bun. We are extremely disappointed in the quality of service she provided, she made no effort into checking up on us which is something a good waitress usually does. She failed to bring me my drink I ordered and just seemed like she never cared. The pizza sauce was very watery and overall I wish I went to another restaurant then go through that again.