Fiola Mare Fancies Up Georgetown Harbor

Some were surprised when James Beard award-winning chef Fabio Trabocchi announced he was opening his third DC restaurant — Fiola Mare — at Georgetown’s Washington Harbor.  Home to the ever playful waterfront-facing Nick’s, Tony & Joe’s and Sequoia, and only recently foodie’d-up by the farm-to-table Farmer’s Fishers Bakers, the area was in need of a signature seafood spot… and Georgetowners couldn’t have been more delighted to see the Italian’s investment in the neighborhood. 

Fiola Mare cucina di pesce, officially opened last Friday evening, featuring four private dining rooms, an all-season glass enclosed veranda and seasonal outdoor “boardwalk” tables.  A Seafood Market Counter allows guests to select their whole fish (Dover Sole, Spanish Branzino, Calamari, Mediterranean Dorade, Turbot), priced per pound, then have it prepared in an open kitchen and filleted by staff tableside.  

It’s a “seaside” dining experience with a one of a kind view of the Potomac River.   

“Our inspiration comes from the coastal restaurants that dot the entire Italian peninsula, on the Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts,” says Trabocchi. “The foundation of Fiola Mare is the highest quality seafood available today – from lobsters, oysters, local and imported fish, sustainable Italian caviar, hand made pastas, Italian wines and Italian inspired cocktails – the sum of it all is simplicity, purity, natural flavors and elegance… and the idea of the restaurant and the waterfront location are inseparable.”  

*Fiola Mare is located at 3050 K Street, NW, Washington D.C. 20007

*All images courtesy fiolamaredc.com