ilili DC

I recently chose Ilili for my birthday dinner, and while the atmosphere and décor were beautiful, the service was not. Our server never introduced himself and felt disconnected from our entire experience. The mezze dishes were not cleared away before our entrées arrived, leaving our table cluttered until we asked the server to clear our dishes. Towards the end of the meal, at least 4-5 staff members came by repeatedly to rush us along and clear plates, which made us feel pressured to leave despite there still being 6 other tables still enjoying meals around us. Lastly, we were not offered dessert menus and brought out a birthday dessert that was not suitable. When we followed up for the menus, they told us it was too late to order. This was unacceptable, one of our guest is gluten-free and could not enjoy the option they chose for us and they were made aware of the allergy at the start of the meal. They then handed the check without asking, which felt like they wanted us out the door, going as far as reminding us to include a tip. Overall, despite the nice ambiance, the service just didn’t match up, and I wouldn’t recommend going here if you’re looking for a high quality and professional dining experience.

Excellent, creative, flavorful food, beautiful, trendy atmosphere, excellent service, and numerous options for gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian diners. Pricey, but I suppose everything in the Wharf will set you back, along with the parking!