Pizzeria Paradiso - Dupont Circle

malloyca

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -17.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

I would recommend this as a weekend lunch spot, before the Georgetown students get out of bed (or the library). The brick oven pizza is good -- I have never strayed from the one with anchovies and capers, but am told that the others are good, too. The menu is not too diverse, but that is not why I like this place. I like it because the beer menu is really a "book" that is very thick, very diverse and logically organized. If you know what you are in the mood for, you can find it quickly. If you are inclined to browse, the beer menu offers tasting notes to steer you in one direction or another. In addition to the large number of bottles (this is the place I first encountered Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA), they rotate draft beer selections and whoever is picking the kegs and casks knows what he or she is doing. Beer flights are also available, which is a good way to sample the wares before settling into a pint.

07-09-2010 00:13:11 | More by malloyca

drabmuh

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -11.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Been here a couple of times recently, figured I would write it up. Place is on M street, expect to fight or pay through the nose for parking, that's first.

Second, place inside is cool, has a small bar in the front of the restaurant and a second in the basement (the basement one is cooler). The restaurant itself is open and you can see into the ktichen. There are several smaller tables in a small dining area. Place gets a little loud with ambient noise but who cares.

There are about a dozen or so beers on draft with a reasonably cool bottle list. The bottles get a little expensive but not more than DC in general. The draft selections rotate a lot too so it stays fresh. Pretty cool.

The last time I was there I sat at the bar and got served beer regularly and the bartender was pretty attentive except when it came to my food order. I ordered some bruschetta and a white bean salad came out, when I complained the guy argued with me for a minute saying that he thought I pointed to the "thing above that thing" -- annoyed I said that the two items we were discussing were no where near each other on the menu. He took it off my bill and brought me the correct food. This situation could have been avoided if he would have listened to me to begin with. Other than that its a good place.

06-17-2010 22:00:47 | More by drabmuh

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

A little different from the Georgetown one in that no basement and they are able to sit you outside (and to honest, not any drunk college kids in a basement, so to speak). Damn good bottle list and a revolving tap list that should please even the most ardent beer drinkers and barfly reviewers here. Servers aren't the greatest w/ beer knowledgeable but it is passable but who can complain when they are nice, quick and don't screw up a complicated order. In fact the only complaint you'll get out of me is on food - being a pizza snob as well and having had pizzas from near and afar, I find the pizzas here good but not great and a little expensive for what you get. But that's neither here nor there - enjoy a few brews and a slice or two outside while you can and you won't go wrong.

10-17-2011 14:30:22 | More by clayrock81

kaseylanelle

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Loved it! What goes better with beer than pizza?! I visited the Dupont location which was nice but would love a nearby parking lot as I do not live in the city. The one downside was that they do not serve sample sizes. I didn't mind this too much because I loved the beers I ordered. Although the selection was not as extensive as other bars, I felt they had a good variety. The staff was friendly and not overly attentive but easily waved over. This was a great stop on the way to DC Improv where the food was mediocre at best, they offer no craft beer selection and the mixed drinks were just bad (but there's a 2 item minimum). Now I'm way off track... Clean private bathrooms are another plus. I just wish they had a Howard County location!

10-11-2010 02:10:32 | More by kaseylanelle

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

One of my favorite pizza place in the DC area that offers an extensive menu of beer selections. You can taste the slight smokey flavor of the wood oven in the soft yet crispy crust on their pizza. The Rosemary olive oil they use is extreemly flavorful and all of the pizza toppings taste fresh and ripe. This joint has everything for their pizza here and they are high quality. They taste of the ocean in all it's fantastic saltyness! I like their salads - fresh and eclectic toppings.

The beer list is very impressive as well. Tons of beers on tap and even more bottled beers. Their beer menu was like 15-pages long. It can be quite problematic as I tend to review the menu for some time when with the wife or friends. I love a restaurant who has a good selection of stout beers. The bitter yet creamyness of a good stout only makes their pizza taste better. The prices are fair considering the quality of ingredients, and I will continue to eat and drink here.

01-29-2011 20:30:21 | More by CuriousMonk

wspscott

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in here twice while in town for a conference, once for lunch and once after dinner for a night-cap.

It looks like a basic pizza place, simple tables, no tablecloths or linen napkins, a bar along one side (seats ~15). It is relatively open so it can get a little loud when crowded (like Sat night at 11).

I think there were 10 beers on tap and 1 cask (Two Hearted, yum) and a solid bottle list. I had Limb&Life for lunch and then after dinner had a cask Two Hearted, a Hopsickle, and split a 750ml of Local 1. The service both times was fine, I wasn't looking for beer advice so I don't know about knowledge, but it sounded like the bartender knew what he was talking about with other customers.

The pizza was excellent, try the pesto, potato and parm pizza, it was great. The salad we split (not huge, but a good size for 2 people who also want pizza) was also quite good.

I would highly recommend this place if you like pizza or beer, you won't be disappointed. Now, if only they will open a branch in Lexington.

11-11-2009 19:30:48 | More by wspscott

glid02

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in here multiple times during a recent trip as my hotel was right around the corner.

Atmosphere is good. It's pretty open toward P St. with a good deal of outdoor seating. The bar's on the smaller side and it does have a tendency to get packed during the dinner hour, however it still manages to be cozy without being cramped.

Quality is good. Each beer I had was in an unmarked pint glass at a good temperature and with the proper amount of head.

Service is good. The waiter was friendly with recommendations and I never had to wait long for anything.

Selection is very good. It's not quite on par with the Georgetown location however it's nothing to sneeze at. Between 10-12 taps with a large bottle selection and a cask.

Food is good. I had a salad and a few types of pizza and all were very good.

Value is good. I found it a bit expensive but compared to prices elsewhere in DC it's right on par.

Overall if you only have time to visit one place in DC make it the location on M St., however if you're around for a while this is well worth a stop.

11-08-2009 05:34:17 | More by glid02

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

My final destination - just off of the Dupont Circle metro stop. Lots of trekking around the District.

Atmosphere: A brightly-lit restaurant, lots of big windows, and a decent patio. Inside, the bar is upfront with seating to the left and further back. There is a secondary bar facing the pizza ovens. I grabbed the last seat at the main bar. A few taps and several coolers are parked immediately in front of me.

Quality: Nice vibe here. Good staff, clean restrooms and an impressive tap list. Nice finger food too.

Service: Personable and affable, I struck up a conversation immediately. Water was regularly refilled and the beer, oh the beer was good.

Selection: Ten beers on tap. Vildmoesel and Outblack were the most unique, along with a Mikkeller cream ale and Lagunitas IPA. The bottle list is huge, occupying a small three-ring binder. I went with Outblack, going back to the well for a second glass.

Food: Finally, eats! I ordered an antipasto salad, extra cherry peppers. The meats were rich, the cheese sharp (although a second slice would be appreciated). The meats really hit the spot.

05-09-2011 22:19:32 | More by akorsak

Gavage

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

After hearing good things about this place, once my meetings in the Dupont Circle area ended I headed over for a pint or two. Very neat and clean exterior, and it continues inside. Bright from all the windows, old rustic brick, and loads of light colored wood make this place feel comfortable. Open kitchen in the back, and there was an outdoor seating area.

The bar is small as it can seat about 10. There is a beer list on the wall and on menus. There are about 5 well stocked refridgerators behind the bar allowing you to see all the selections too. There were 12 drafts covering many styles. Anchor Bock, La Chouffe, Hitachino Red Rice Ale, Rabid Duck, Mahajara, Breckenridge 471 IPA, and Stillwater Debutante names a few. The beers were fresh that I had.

Service was prompt and knowledgable. Price were a bit pricey but not overly so for the area. Since i had lunch a bit earlier I was not hungry, but the pizzas did look very good. Overall this was a very pleasant experience.

04-22-2012 14:29:15 | More by Gavage

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Had occasion to finally stop by here today.

From the outside, this really looks like a small, unpretentious place. It doesn't look all that much better when you get inside, but as is often the case in DC, they make the most of what they have. As you walk in, there is a modest size bar to your immedidate right, with a back bar (where the kegs are more or less stored), and another bar area in the back where the pizzas are made. There are also a considerable number of booths and tables and chairs, which is probably a good thing given the popularity of this place.

Although this place only has 13 beers on tap and cask, what they have is very well thought out. Two hearted ale on cask, XH on tap... yeah, I'd call the beer selecttion pretty good. As for the bottle selection, they appeared to have around 150 different bottles of beer, and what they had was impressive. Service was pretty good, with the bartender very knowledgeable about the beers in store.

Food was OK. I got the pizza, which was pretty good, clearly made with fresh ingredients. However, the pizza otherwise was a bit salty, and would it kill them to slice the olives up before putting them on the pizza?

In any event, this is a very solid place. Although prices were high, my impression is that they were more or the less the norm for the area. Definitely worth a visit.

11-12-2009 01:36:31 | More by johnmichaelsen