The story
Since the summer of 1987, Obelisk has been serving a five-course Italian dinner from a 1930s row house on P Street in Washington, DC's Dupont Circle. The setting is intimate and unpretentious—a former home where the dining room feels like a well-kept secret. The menu changes from week to week, driven by what the season offers. This consistency of purpose, paired with a quietly evolving kitchen, has earned Obelisk a Michelin recommendation.
Each evening, guests are guided through a five-course menu that reflects the kitchen's current inspiration. The format is fixed, but the dishes are not. A sample menu is available online, but the actual meal changes frequently. The restaurant works with a small team and cannot accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan restrictions. The $75 per person deposit holds the table and is refunded at the end of the meal.
Reservations are released on the first of each month for the entire following month via Tock. Obelisk is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. A corkage policy allows up to two 750ml bottles at $50 each. For parties of 5–7, email is the best way to inquire; groups of eight or more can rent the entire restaurant.
Obelisk remains a rare constant in Washington, DC—a place where Italian cooking is treated with quiet, consistent respect. The atmosphere is warm, the food direct, and the setting unmistakably of its time.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
Location
Instagram