Napoli Pasta Bar

Italian is my favorite cuisine; so I’m always down to try a new Italian spot. Thanks to trusty Yelp I was alerted that Napoli Pasta Bar was opening in the area, and knew that I wanted to check out the restaurant sooner rather than later. I got the opportunity to have an early dinner there last week Thursday with a friend and I loved everything about the restaurant from the food, ambiance, and service.

Parking and Location: Napoli Pasta Bar is located in the Columbia Heights area, and the exact address is 2737 Sherman Ave. NW. Our reservation was at 4:30 pm, so there was ample amount of street parking available. Also, I don’t believe that there is a parking garage relatively close by, but I might be wrong.

Ambiance: The ambiance is unique and it’s evident that everything was chosen with care from what chairs and tables to utilize to what wall decorations would tie the place together. They even have a relatively large glass table with a Vespa (European scooter ) as the base, which gives the place a hip vibe.I also appreciated the fact that the plates were colorful, which elevated the food presentation and we all know I'm a visual eater. The restaurant is relatively small, which automatically creates a cozy and relaxed environment. They also have an outdoor patio, which is where we dined because the weather was perfect for outdoor dining.

Food and Experience: Let me start off by saying that the service was excellent, which we all know can either make or break a dining experience. Food wise we started off with an Antipasti ( appetizer) and got the Zuccotto Di Melanzana, which is eggplant, ricotta cheese, tomato sauce and basil pesto. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the dish and liked the combination of the eggplant with the basil pesto sauce. The portion size is shareable and is worth $12. For the main course, I got Paccheri O RRau, which is Paccheri, slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce, parmigiano cheese, and basil and my friend got the Tortigioni Alla Genovese, which is Short pasta, slow-cooked meat and onion sauce, parmigiano cheese. Ironically enough we both preferred each other dish. The Paccheri is the perfect dish if you’re looking for something tomato base and the Tortigioni is perfect for anyone who loves onion. It goes without saying that no meal is complete without dessert, so we indulged ourselves with the ricotta cheesecake with chocolate chips, which was also delicious.

Overall I liked the restaurant especially because eating there won’t break the bank. Napoli would be perfect for girl’s night or date night, and I plan to visit again.