My husband and I will be visiting D.C. the end of June. We have 1 night and would like to go to a nice restaurant. We have a friend from the area and he recommended Galileo. Under the restaurant "rants and raves" section of this website, the reviews were less than favorable. Before I make reservations, I would love some feedback from any one who has been there recently.

I haven't checked Rants and Raves but I'm amazed to hear there would be less than favorable reviews. This is one of the best restaurants in Washington. Very expensive, quite special. When you say "nice," can you be more specific--glitz, romance, gourmet, cushy, etc.? Galileo is a fine gourmet experience but may not fit everyone's description of what "nice" means to them.

I agree, 5 or 10 years ago it was one of the best restaurants in the city, but the last couple times I have eaten at Galileo, it has been quite disappointing. The prices are still very, very high, but the quality of food and service have definitely fallen off. There are many places in DC I would go before returning to Galileo again.

My favorite "nice" restaurants in DC these days are: Equinox, Palena, Citronelle, Butterfield 9, 1789, and Obelisk. Don't know exactly what your tastes are or how much you want to spend, but reviews of all of these should be in rants&raves, and also on the washington post website.

My definition of "nice" would include something romantic and price is not an option. We both like Italien, just about anything, as long as it's not too weird. Kristen, some of the restaurants you recommended, I had on my list. Thanks for your input.

Just to follow up with some more info - 1789 is very romantic and serves classic cuisine.

Butterfield 9 is rather bustling and can be loud, so that might not be your best choice.

Equinox has a few tables in their wine cellar room, which I think are romantic and cozy. The chef st Equinox used to be at Galileo, in fact, and still has some Italian influence to his cooking, although it covers a broader spectrum.

Palena is also romantic and has French and Italian influence. The two chefs both used to be White House chefs (one a pastry chef, one a regular chef), and the food is outstanding and very creative.

Obelisk is Italian, but definitely not your average pasta and veal piccata place - it's a fixed price menu, you choose 3 courses plus dessert (you have about 3 or 4 choices for each course usually) and the service and food are exceptional. It's in a small townhouse in Dupont Circle and very intimate. I just ate there last weekend for the third time and was completely impressed all over again!

Just to follow up with some more info - 1789 is very romantic and serves classic cuisine.

Butterfield 9 is rather bustling and can be loud, so that might not be your best choice.

Equinox has a few tables in their wine cellar room, which I think are romantic and cozy. The chef st Equinox used to be at Galileo, in fact, and still has some Italian influence to his cooking, although it covers a broader spectrum.

Palena is also romantic and has French and Italian influence. The two chefs both used to be White House chefs (one a pastry chef, one a regular chef), and the food is outstanding and very creative.

Obelisk is Italian, but definitely not your average pasta and veal piccata place - it's a fixed price menu, you choose 3 courses plus dessert (you have about 3 or 4 choices for each course usually) and the service and food are exceptional. It's in a small townhouse in Dupont Circle and very intimate. I just ate there last weekend for the third time and was completely impressed all over again! One note: sine the restaurant seats so few people, it can be difficult to get a reservation - I'd call right away if you think you want to eat there.