100 Very Best 2023Chef Fabio Trabocchi’s elegant Italian flagship has evolved over 12 years—and it’s at the top of its game. A 2021 update brought a retro-glam vibe to the Penn Quarter space. Calabrian chef Antonio Mermolia seamlessly melds forward-thinking touches—“winter soil” hiding wild mushrooms—with Old World decadence (cue the truffle box, presented with white gloves, or the sumptuous oyster-and-caviar pasta). There are two prix fixe menus, though you’ll find similar pleasures—such as dry-aged branzino encrusted in caviar and swimming in buttery citrus sauce—if you go à la carte. Very expensive.
