Orange walls and spiky metallic globes make the dining room glow at this Italian hot spot. But the kitchen turns out such homey dishes as a fluffy meatball atop creamy polenta and a subtle mound of ricotta splashed with honey, toasted almonds, and chives. Don’t miss Douglas Hernandez’s inspired dessert menu, which has included a beautiful fruit-and-basil soup and a hazelnut-studded semifreddo. Also worthwhile are the digestivi: The house-made after-dinner liqueurs are reasonably priced for sampling, come in such intriguing flavors as fennel-lemon, coffee, and walnut, and are an authentically Italian way to end a meal.
Don’t miss: Chicken-liver crostini; burrata salad; black spaghetti with sweet crab; squab with peaches; side of cauliflower with garlic and anchovies.
For a full review of Bibiana, click here.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
