Reviews

The Washington Post

Tom Sietsema gave Dino 2 stars in the Sunday November 18 Edition of the Washington Post Magazine.
Some of what he said:
"Pals and I marveled over salads featuring sweet, fragrant heirloom cantaloupe with winy prosciutto, and tomatoes in a dark rainbow of colors, minimally dressed with olive oil. Light and fluffy meatballs, delicately enhanced with garlic and herbs, were supported by a fresh-tasting tomato sauce, and whole branzino put us right at the seashore, save for the starched napkins in our laps. The fish, excited with capers, lemon and a spicy olive oil, was flawless."
Read the full review!

 

The Washingtonian Magazine, Neighbor Eats Issue
March 2008

"Abstract sculptures and mood lighting make this a romantic spot..."
Washingtonian.com

 



The Washingtonian Magazine, Thomas Head
September 2005

"a casual restaurant that's doing lots of things right …. Bottom Line: An appealing Italian restaurant for a casual night out."
Washingtonian.com

 


Washington Diplomat, Rachael Hunt & Stephen Qualiana
November 6, 2006

"Dino’s concept is straightforward: find the freshest and best ingredients, put them together in traditional or sometimes not-so-traditional combinations, kick up the spices a notch, and presto, you have a dish—many of them in fact. Dino offers several different dining experiences, all worth trying, because each visit can yield a distinctly different meal experience....By focusing on offering good food and good wine at reasonable prices in a causal and comfortable setting, they have succeeded in bringing a bit of dolce vita to us all."
Washington Diplomat

 

The Washington Blade:

“Our meal was superb. New chef Daniel Amaya has not missed a beat in keeping the menu fresh and inventive. Dino’s has a contemporary menu that is innovative and yet traditional in preparation, a reflection of the food that owner Dean Gold grew to love doing his frequent visits to Italy as a buyer and coordinator for wine, cheese and specialty foods for Whole Foods.“

Troy Petenbrink, June 30, 2006
Washington Blade
washingtonblade.com

Reader Reviews on WashingtonPost.Com Dining Guide:

great place, constantly improving
Posted by winonelson on May 19, 2008
I've been dining at this restaurant on a semi-regular basis since it's opened and what was once a "good and working to be better" then a "very good but with room to grow" restaurant has blossomed into a "terrific, don't get too crowded for me" place. An expert practitioner of the "buy great ingredients and try not to mess them up" school of cooking (aka, classic Italian), Dean Gold apparently has managed to lose his executive chef while improving the performance of his kitchen staff - no small feat. Service is friendly, competent, and attentive, wine list is amazing, prices more than fair - really no complaints apart from too much discussion of opera around the table for me! If they master making Florentine biscotti, it will be perfect.

Dino - For Wine Lovers
Posted by samsteve1 on May 16, 2008
Fantastic wine list, great food, and a great host ... Dino is the place to enjoy an excellent Italian meal with a wine list that trumps most in the DC area. The owner and host is so knowlwgeable it's scary. Let Mr. Gold pick the wine to go with your meal, or better yet, let him recommend everything!!! You'll spend some money, but it'll be the best meal you've had in a long time. AND you will come back for more.


Reader Reviews

 

WETA.org DC Dining Blog, Don Rockwell
February 20, 2007

"...the last two visits have shown that Dino is no longer just a great place to drink wine, but has blossomed into an excellent restaurant as well....Dino is one restaurant that does more than pay lip service to vegetarians. If I wasn’t running around trying to keep up with every place in town, Dino would be in my regular rotation.
WETA.org

 

The Washingtonian Magazine, Don Rockwell
February 2007
"The reserve wine list at Dino is one of the city’s culinary treasures"
Washingtonian.com February 2007

 

DonRockwell.Com

 Posted by Marcus Aurelius

"I think the restaurant (Dean + staff) is doing a fine job. On a recent visit, the vegetable "stew" was so tasty that I wanted to lick my plate. I also enjoyed the seafood soup."

   

Posted by Reverbbrad

"A few months ago, in need of a sure-thing for a special occasion (a birthday dinner for my wife, attended by her mother and very fussy grandmother), I decided to put my fate in the hands of Dino....I was reminded by contrast of how completely generous, in both spirit and flavors, that night at Dino was. It's about time I mentioned it here.

Posted on DonRockwell.com
DonRockwell.com August 7, 2007

 

Posted by Walrus

"We had a lovely time at Dino -- .... We started with a sparking rose and the charcuterie plate -- love, love, LOVE the fresh mozzarella. Honestly the best I've ever had, including when I was in Italy.... the moscato was pure ambrosia. Like bottled angels laughter. We left full -- but not distended -- happy, and feeling the love. We'll be back!

Posted on DonRockwell July 15, 2007
DonRockwell.com

 

Posted by Lackadaisi

"I was absolutely floored by the dinner that I had last night at Dino; it was fantastic!
Each time I had been to Dino in the past (not very recently), I found it to be very spotty. Some of the food was great, some good, and some not. The drinks were always wonderful, whether wine or Chris's wonderful cocktails. One of our closest friends had been trying to get us to go back over the past few months for a tasting menu at the bar, but our schedules did not permit it until last night. I assumed the drinks would be fantastic and the meal would be perfectly fine. I had greatly underestimated the experience."

Posted on DonRockwell.com by Lackadaisi, February 16, 2007
DonRockwell.com

 

Posted by TinDC

“Dino was so great last night, I cannot believe it took us so long to eat there!
… we had excellent service all night. I am not sure who are server was, but she was excellent. Most of us did the extended restaurant week and were glad that we did. I had a wild berry mojito as a pre-dinner cocktail and it was so good. Refreshing and a perfect (end of) summer drink.… All in all, a great evening and we cannot wait to return, probably with our little one."

Posted on Don Rockwell.com by TinDC, September 3, 2006
DonRockwell.com

 

About.Com
July 2007

  "The menu includes a variety of warm and cold starters with traditional items such as antipasti, olive and prosciutto, and some unique offerings such as a Tuscan crepe: chicken, artichoke, roasted tomato, smoked mozzarella, pesto & tomato sauce and a wonderful Cold Roasted Red Pepper Soup."
Rachael Cooper, About.Com, July 2007

 

eRobertParker.Com

Posted by Craig Potts

Quickly becoming our go-to restaurant for just about any occasion. For wine-friendly dining it can't be beat, IMHO. Between their Sun-Wed variations on discounts from the wine list and/or $0 corkage, to the buy-one-off-the-list-get-one-free-corkage, and a very reasonable $20 otherwise, it's hard to imagine more wino-oriented place.... you owe it to yourself to go and experience how much fun it can be to let Dean talk and walk you through the wonders on both the menu and the wine list. Order dishes for the table and pass them around, and when they're gone, order more! It's really a fun experience and a culinary delight all wrapped into one.

Mark Squires on eRobertParker.com bulletin board, June 18, 2007
Mark Squires BB on "eBob" - eRobert Parker.com

 

Posted by Neal Mollen

“For those in the DC area who have not discovered Dino, you owe it to yourself to try it out. The food is terrific and the wine list is simply amazing. Lighter on the triple-digit "look at me" stuff (although there are some special bottles), but a HUGE list of QPR Italians I am just discovering, most at very near to retail prices. Fast becoming one of my family's favorite places to eat (and I'll be there tonight!)”

Mark Squires eRobertParker.com buletin board, September 19, 2006
Mark Squires BB on "eBob" - eRobertParker.com

 

 

Capitol File, Doug Heye
September, 2007

Doug Heye recently wrote "Perhaps no restaurant in Washington is more passionate about wine, especially Italian wines, than Cleveland Park’s Dino..."
Doug Heye, Capitol File, Fall 2007

                        

Washingtonian.com, Todd Kliman
April 3, 2007

"Todd Kliman, food editor and James beard award winning food writer, says of Dino "The pick, here, is the superb whole fish, which is scored, then roasted simply with herbs and lemon and olive oil." Read more of his Passover feast at Dino on the Kliman Online "Chog" on Washingtonian.com.
Washingtonian.com "Kliman Online"

 


Chowhound.com

On Tuesday night Robyn, myself and two friends reserved 4 spaces at the bar to do a fixed price tasting menu .... Dean, Kay, Chris & Chef Amaya worked very hard to come through with a unique menu, and for your imposed jealousy here is my thorough review:

Posted by jpschust on February 1, 2007
Chowhound.com

 

DCFoodies.com:

"Early Dino Dinner -   I was happy to see that Dino is still pounding out good food when we dropped in for an early dinner on Friday night....A great meal at a great price with friendly service. What else can you ask for?"
Jason Storch
DCFoodies.com, December 4, 2006
dcfoodies.com


“Overall, Dino is a neighborhood gem …. Unlike the other restaurants in the area, Dino is worth going out of your way to eat at, as I do so many times a month.”
Jason Storch
DCFoodies.com, February 1, 2006
dcfoodies.com

 

Slow Travel


July 2005, "Truly spectacular food, beautiful place, wonderful staff - we loved it!"
"Very authentic Italian restaurant, with food from Venice and Southern Tuscany. The best Italian food I have had in DC."
www.slowtrav.com