Walking into Logan Circle’s newest restaurant Dolce Vita, the first things you notice are the murals of the Mediterranean coast, the cerulean blue chairs, and the brick backsplash. “When you’re here, you feel like you’re in Europe,” says owner Med Lahlou, who is also behind the nearby Italian dining room Lupo Verde, and its spinoffs in the Palisades and at the Wharf.
His two-story Med-fusion restaurant opened Monday, November 22. The menu blends flavors from Italy, Morocco, Spain, and Greece, which reflect the heritages of Lahlou and chefs Juan Olivera and Elier Rodriguez. The restaurant takes over the space formerly occupied by the pizza spot Ghibellina.
Small plates to kick the meal off include a cheese and meat platter, spanakopita, and King-crab-stuffed piquillo peppers. Entrees pull from various regions of the Mediterranean: there’s a Moroccan-inspired chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives, a salt-crusted dorade that calls to mind Greece, and a seafood platter with prawns, mussels, octopus, and more. Look for several vegetarian options, such as grilled eggplant with tahini and orzo risotto laden with squash, pine nuts, and feta.
There are about 150 wines to choose from at the 19-foot bar, plus cocktail options such as a Moroccan spritzer made with gin, Massaya Arak, mint syrup, mandarin, prosecco, and club soda.
Dolce Vita. 1610 14th St., NW.
