Italian Restaurants in Washington's Penn Quarter

Ristorante Tosca

• This restaurant features cuisine from North Italy. It provides a quiet atmosphere and a lush, warm environment. Frommers Travel Guide recommends the veal with wild mushrooms or a roasted sea bass with balsamic vinegar sabayon and sauteed spinach with pine nuts and raisins. The restaurant also offer healthy grilled fish with organic veggies and rich desserts like ricotta-and-goat-cheese fritters and classic tiramisu.Expect to pay around $25 for a lunch entree here. According to "The Hill" news publication, you might also spy some powerful politicians lunching here.

  Ristorante Tosca

  1112 F St. NW

  Washington, District of Columbia 20005

  202-367-1990

  toscadc.com

Posto

• Posto offers a bright, open cafeteria-esque dining room. It's owned by the same Chef who runs the high-end Tosca. Like Tosca, the fare hails from North Italy and includes dishes like handmade tortellini with ricotta, spinach and walnuts and grilled baby octopus with saffron potatoes. Main courses here run less expensive than Tosca, about $8 to $22.

  Posto

  1515 14th St., NW

  Washington, DC 20005

  202-332-8613

  postodc.com

Finemondo

• For some Italian Country cuisine, check out Finemondo. they offer an ongoing lunch special for $18.95 that includes your choice of a half-pasta (penne with spicy tomato sauce or orecchiette with broccoli), an entree of garlic-rosemary chicken or pork loin with roasted potatoes or fire roasted salmon and mixed veggies. They offer a variety of hot and cold appetizers and entrees, which cost between $18 and $30 for lunch and dinner. They have a large dessert menu. Choose from hazelnut chocolate cake, panna cotta, cannoli (Sicilian style), homemade sorbet/ice cream and more.

  Finemondo

  1319 F St. NW

  Washington, D.C. 20045

  202-737-3100

  finemondo.com