Red Hen
24 people recommend, 3 warn against itvia r/washingtondc28 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Red Hen is an Italian restaurant in Bloomingdale that diners repeatedly recommend for its great food, cozy neighborhood feel, and a bolognese one visitor still remembers years later. A few call it romantic and good for a date night, and several say you can often walk in and sit at the bar, though reservations can be hard to get close to the date. The main caveats are noise, with a couple of diners finding it too loud for conversation, and one person who was not impressed for the price.
Address
The Red Hen, 1822 1st St NW, Washington, DC 20001
At a glance
- Price
- Mid-range
- Signature dishes
- Bolognese
- Best for
- Dates, Solo
- Opinions divided
- Yes
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/just_another_classic in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Had very good meals there.
- Recommendsu/ResponsibleSwing1 in r/washingtondc · Dec 2023
Directly recommended for the date night request.
- Recommendsu/TimWhatleyDDS in r/washingtondc · Feb 2025
One of the first places they'd return to
- Recommendsu/charlesbarkley2021 in r/washingtondc · Jan 2025ambience
Casual but cozy with great food.
- Recommendsu/RNH213PDX in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Seconds the recommendation, calling it different and delightful.
- Recommendsu/Civil_Conference8772 in r/washingtondc · Dec 2023ambience
Lists Red Hen as Italian and more romantic, tasty and nice.
- Recommendsu/fancypants1589 in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Lists Red Hen among the city's best Italian restaurants.
- Recommendsu/1one1000two1thousand in r/washingtondc · May 2024
Lists Red Hen and Aventino as sister restaurants.
Show all 28 cited comments
- Recommendsu/Routine_Low_622 in r/washingtondc · Jan 2024ambience
Frequents its nice bar as a solo diner.
- Caveatu/Early-Television-307 in r/washingtondc · Dec 2025ambience
Actually gets very loud; acoustics aren't great.
- Recommendsu/Material-Cry3426 in r/washingtondc · Jan 2025wait time
Says you can usually walk in and sit at the bar, where the ambiance is even better.
- Recommendsu/bubbabubba345 in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Named as a suggestion.
- Recommendsu/BaristaTech007 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2025
Praises the food.
- Mixedu/starkingremnant in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026ambience
Calls it great but says it feels more neighborhood-y than upscale.
- Recommendsu/The_Autarch in r/washingtondc · Jan 2025wait time
Says you can walk in and get a table if you arrive early.
- Recommendsu/shivaspecialsnoflake in r/washingtondc · Dec 2023
Seconds Red Hen.
- Recommendsu/AdditionalAttorney in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026taste
Bolognese is the best; still remembers it years later.
- Caveatu/SnowboardSquirrel in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026value
Not impressed for the price after several visits.
- Caveatu/men-2-rocks-and-mtns in r/washingtondc · Dec 2025ambience
Music was too loud for group conversation when they took parents.
- Recommendsu/Intelligent-Gift295 in r/washingtondc · Feb 2025ambience
Neighborhood regular since opening; feels like home
- Recommendsu/Tecmolllogy in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Calls it and other mentioned spots safe bets.
- Recommendsu/deep-blue-1996 in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Cannot say enough good things about Red Hen.
- Recommendsu/Paperclip137 in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Calls Red Hen one of the very best for food and atmosphere.
- Recommendsu/thevoodooclam in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026
Named as a suggestion.
- Recommendsu/Opposite_Tomorrow733 in r/washingtondc · Apr 2026wait time
Great; reservations hard but can walk in and wait at the bar.
- Recommendsu/save_the_empire in r/washingtondc · Jul 2025
Names Red Hen as a suggestion for the romantic dinner request.
- Recommendsu/antibread in r/washingtondc · Jan 2025value
Lists Red Hen as great for the price point.
- Recommendsu/leigh1003 in r/washingtondc · Dec 2023wait time
Agrees with Red Hen and advises arriving when they open.
More maps in Washington DC, United States
Did this page answer your question?
Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.