LiLLiES Restaurant & Bar

This restaurant was excellent and perfect for our Girls Night! We were seated right away, and the ambiance was chic and cozy. We shared a bottle of the Pinot Noir and had the Bruschetta appetizer which was not too dry & full of flavor. For dinner, I had the Shrimp Florentine, which they made Gluten Free which I LOVED. Wonderful setting, excellent food and great service!

This is such a cute restaurant. The food is good, there is an extensive drink menu, and the dessert is delicious. A little on the pricy side compared to the amount/quality of food you get, but the atmosphere makes up for it.

Pancakes and blueberries. Light and crispy around the edges. Delicious. Blueberries were so fresh. Not over ripe or sour. They should keep the same supplier. I haven't found delicious blueberries like what they served in a long time. If you are visiting the zoo, this is a nice place to stop by for a good meal.

Overall, our experience at this restaurant was good. However, as this is a small business, be prepared to wait just a bit for food. It is obvious that the staff is hard working, but with a small staff you often face a slightly longer wait time for food. Definitely a place to try if you have some time and aren't in a rush. The food is quite good.

Beautiful restaurant! Great Atmosphere! Wonderful food! Service was excellent!

Fun find after zoo time! Great location with unbeatable food. Lovely decoration, informative staff too. Only downside was a limited dessert menu on a Sunday.

Beautifully decorated indoor dinning area. Given the circumstances, service was fast n professional. The waitress opened up once we started talking to her. London fish n chips were tasty, the date salad was on point (hint: the dressing is very tangy) and the kids chicken tender was yummy. The fried calamari was a bit tender and chewy for my tasting. Overall the restaurant was clean, including the bathrooms. Well run restaurant!

Wonderful place for cocktails and lunch after a long day at the zoo! It’s super fresh, unassuming and has a relaxing atmosphere. I highly recommend the Lillies Martini and The Paillard.

I hosted a dinner (30 people) and a brunch (20 people) at Lillies recently. I can't say enough nice things about those events. The manager, Ryan, and I worked on the planning in advance (reserving room, menus, etc). Everything went exactly as planned and was stress-free for me and my wife. The food and drinks were excellent. We heard nothing but compliments from our guests. Dennis and Noura were all class and charming servers. I would recommend Lillies for events (and for small quiet dinners).

The food was sub par for the price spent there each plate ranges about 30 bucks and it's not a huge portion the flavor you can get better at olive garden ...we were starving from a day at the zoo and that was the closest. Very pretty inside service was slow for being the only ones there but they waiters were kind. Would not return unfortunately due to lack of flavor for the price

The service was good (is it one family running the place?). The food was even better, with a huge bonus of the place being very close to the DC national zoo! This is a place I'd love to return to in the future!

Great service! Very attentive waitress. Pretty good deals for a range of common food options. Pesto tortellini was super creamy and cheesy, portobello mushroom burger was very yummy and filling, but biggest let down was fish and chips which really didn't have enough fish to breading ratio.

We were exploring the neighborhood and came upon Lillies right around dinner time on Tuesday. We walked right in and were seated. We started off with the happy hour wine and an order of the bruschetta. Really enjoyed the flavors! For my main I selected the shrimp florentine - which boasted fat shrimp and a creamy pesto sauce. Very good! The space is intimate, dimly lit and outdoor seating is available.

Escaping the mosquitos and running into this cute Italian spot was a great decision. Happy hour all day on Tuesday?! ALL DAY. Count me in. Oh wait, I work on Tuesdays...! (Be responsible...) Marvelous choices for happy hour for apps and drinks. Our dishes were smashing! Bruschetta-- it does have olives. I'm not a fan of olives but this tasted really good. I could barely taste them! Lobster ravioli with some shrimp. Oh Yes, count me in. Like I said in another post-- give me all the carbs! My friend had the house white and the gnocchi with sausage. I had a bite or two as well. I love this food! We order the brownie and icecream too. Honestly, I'm more of a carb freak but this was fairly good. Gooey and rich! Come check this place out- it's close to the zoo!

$18 for a rueban that had no flavor. I could get the same meal for less at a pub that would taste much better Ambiance was a mixture of decor that made no sense. Service was very slow. Not recommended unless going for a quick brunch and in need.

Great place for brunch. Friendly staff. The mimosas were great too. We all enjoyed ourselves.

I'm not sure why this place isn't more highly rated. I walked down from the National Zoo looking for a quick lunch; fortunately, this was a short walk. It was Monday so the place was largely empty. The vibe is halfway between casual and upscale. The lunch menu had pretty good options, but I went with a pretty standard buffalo wrap and side salad. Service was good and the wrap was tasty. Prices were reasonable. Maybe not 5 full stars but a very solid 4.

Had a great experience! We sat inside since the mosquitos were out in full force this night but it was a lovely experience. We enjoyed the seafood ravioli and gnocchi as well as some wine from the happy hour menu. They have specials almost every night of the week.

Was really disappointed. Service took FOREVER. Vegetable lasagne portion was small and not worth the price...at all. A lean cuisine frozen lasagne dinner would have been better. Could not believe I waited a long time for this. Friend orderd Chicken parm. It was ok, but nothing special. Ambience is ok, but also nothing special. Will not return. As I have small children it is rare I get the chance to go out to eat. This was my first time out in a long time and was so upset my big chance of a night out was wasted on this place.

Quality food at reasonable prices and quick enough for a lunch break. Service was great and the place was packed.

On Valentines Day, I typically go for my main places but this year because of COVID19 I wanted to give back to small businesses and I came here! I made reservations on a different platform and wasn't notified of the pre-set menu. I came - got seated - and left. I was super disappointed about a pre-set menu. They have a huge menu that I was so eager to try. I'll have to come back to enjoy it all. Until next time!

This was our first time at Lillies and we were excited about this neighborhood gem that we've heard about. We were also excited since they were on Restaurant.com and we had purchased a gift card to use. We came on a Wednesday night and noticed on the chalkboard outside the restaurant that they had weekly specials. Wednesday nights are 1/2 priced bottles of wine. At first glance, the restaurant is very cozy and inviting while still maintaining a chic, elevated ambiance. Once seated, we let the server know that we'd be using a Restaurant.com gift card and she kindly let us know that they do not accept them anymore. That was the first disappointment but understood that maybe they haven't contacted Restaurant.com yet to take down their profile. Then while looking at the menu, my partner noticed there were discrepancies on the menu booklet and an added page (specifically the price of a bottle of wine). When she was taking our appetizer order, my partner asked if there was a difference between these two bottles of wine to explain the price difference and she said no they are the same. So he ordered a bottle of wine and asked to confirm that it would be half off. She said that the restaurant doesn't do 1/2 off bottles anymore, even though it was written on the board right outside the restaurant. So it seems like the restaurant is going through some changes, but Gaby was kind enough to ask the manager to honor the special, which she successfully did. For my main, I ordered the recommended Lemon Chicken Soup. I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the soup. To me, it was clear that this was not housemade; the chicken and vegetables were cubed similar to canned soup and there was no trace of fresh lemon juice (or any lemon juice for that matter). I asked Gaby if it was homemade and she assured me that it was. Overall, I didn't have the best experience but I am going to try again and hope that this night was a fluke.

Amazing service, beautiful atmosphere, so close to the zoo! I felt so welcome! Breakfast Burrito

What I got (weekday dinnertime): Lillies Martini, Chicken soup, Tortellini in Pesto Sauce, Garlic bread. -- Everything was good. Ambience: Good / dimly lit with candles on the tables. The one oddity/curiosity/headsup: All of their salads, (even a basic mixed house salad) are $18. Overall: Two thumbs up, and would return.

This is not an Italian restaurant. There is no family running the place. Food is bad, service is poor and when you order wine they bring an opened bottle that clearly is not the wine ordered. Then, watch our for the bill. Our bill was double what it should have been. In other words a rip-off. Customer Reply: The owner's reply is not factual or relevant.  We did not complain about the time it took to serve.  We ordered the Orvieto Classico, the bottle was already partially uncorked when it was presented at our table and the cork did not match the wine label.   We have an American Express receipt that shows they charged us 2x the real bill which would have gone un-noticed unless we raised the issue and asked that it be corrected.  Finally, the problem is that this restaurant represents itself as a family-run italian restaurant which it isn't.   I don't know what to make of the video record, to which we did not consent, but that will be an issue for a later day.

I liked LiLLies. We went on a Saturday afternoon when we went to the zoo. There were three parties there and the place was pretty dead. Stood at the host stand and no one came out so we went inside and still didn't see anyone. We almost left but then someone finally came out. We were seated on the covered patio which was lovely. We could watch all the people walk by and it wasn't very loud. Service was good after getting seated. I ordered the breakfast panini which I enjoyed. The potatoes were great and the sandwich was pretty good. My boyfriend got the western omelette which I tried, of course. That was really awesome! But the toast was not good. We didnt eat it and gave it to a friend who ordered the fish and chips. He really did not like the fish. It was cold and he had an upset stomach later. Wouldn't recommend that. The bathroom inside was really nice and the place itself has a lot of indoor and outdoor seating. Its a good place for a nice quiet meal.

Stumbled across this restaurant 8 years ago while visiting .D.C., was pleased to see that it was still in business on our recent return visit. Delicious food, excellent service. Highly recommend!

Food was okay. Bathroom was dirty and smelt terrible. Service was poor. Prices were fare.

Grabbed a outdoor side table with the grandparents and baby on a busy warm weekend day. It was a perfect spot for a lazy afternoon. The calamari were well fried and crispy and the hummus was surprisingly flavorful with some nice pita. They are big on Hendricks gin and had a lot of options for those who fancy a refreshing alcoholic drink while relaxing and chatting.

Goodness. The service here is miserable. I had to flag someone down literally multiple times for coffee and at the end for our check. Our group was stuffed in the back with no daylight, and the food took quite awhile. My Lilies Benedict wasn't great. One egg was overcooked (not poached or runny), the potatoes were dry and not salty, the side of fruit was inconsistent (my friend got pineapple and I didn't??). Overall... wouldn't come back. Coffee was fine though.

Such a huge fan of Italian food and this did not dissapoint! Love the fact that you could taste how fresh the food was. Also love that it's a small family owned restaurant but also very intimate setting. Only gave a 4 because when we arrived service was a slow but then we were rushed when the restaurant was closing. Overall great food and good pricing. The tiramisu was also made fresh so I loved

We had a reservation for brunch on the patio. We walked inside, saw one table occupied indoors, and saw the server. She said if we wanted the patio she could not serve us since she was the only server, so we left. If the restaurant is that small, not busy, and you want to accommodate reservations on OpenTable that can specify outdoors, you should take customers where you can get it. You can also see the entire patio from inside the main restaurant to keep an eye on things.

Great brunch spot! My wife and I enjoyed awesome French toast and I swallowed the worst Martini that I have had in my entire life. It was awful!! It was briny like a dirty Martini and tasted like it was shaken with ice from unfiltered tap water...I ordered a Sapphire Martjni, stirred, up, no olive/no twist. Nevertheless, the cannolis and French toast made up for it! Next time we will try the Panda pancakes!

I had an expierence that wasn't amazing. Rude employees and I didn't get what I order. They also lack informatoin when making posters and signs.

I already had an accepted reservation on OpenTable for this place, but I called anyway to confirm (OT is sometimes inaccurate). I asked the hostess who answered the phone, "Hi, are you open for dine-in this evening?" To which she goes, "Yea *sigh* but it's been a slow day, and we want to close at 5 today." Mind you, it was 4:15 pm. I said, "Well, I have a reservation at 5:30pm." She goes "Well, can you just come now?" What in the world?! I cannot even get into how unprofessional--I immediately canceled my reservation because no one wants to eat at a restaurant that doesn't want to serve. I can only imagine how poor the experience would have been had I gone.

I just paid $18 for a shrimp scampi dinner. It was actually $30 if you include the Grub Hub delivery fees. It came with 6 small shrimp along with some cold and stale bread. This should have definitely been under the appetizer section because I am still hungry. This "dinner" isn't enough food to satisfy a small child. It's definitely not worth the money. It's the biggest disappointment.

For our family reunion, we had a large group of 65 that was displaced due to dinner plans falling through. Lillies was able to accommodate us quickly and we couldn't be more grateful for their service. The staff is extremely kind and the food was delicious.

Food was good but the service was poor and, oddly, kind of hostile. On a Saturday night, there was a single server who ignored us, had a bad attitude, and made us feel unwelcome. The kitchen closed at 9, at which time he unceremoniously brought us our bill and a couple of minutes. later turned up the lights and shooed everyone out. I won't go back, but for future reference, LiLLiES, it's nit a bad idea to give patrons a heads up that the kitchen is about to close so they have a chance to order coffee and finish their meal comfortably. Such a weird experience.

Was excited to eat here because it was down the street from the zoo. One of the male servers told us to wait while he cleaned the table. We literally watched him. We were waiting for like five minutes then a second female server came over and told us it was reservation only. Wtf? Why would you have two workers tell customers conflicting things? Not to mention the place was more than half empty and no one was staffing the front. Don't come unless you have a "reservation" but it doesn't matter because there won't be staff to tell anyway LOL. They apparently like turning business away, confusing customers and wasting time your time. At least have a sign if that's your policy.

Utterly disgusting and disappointing!! I am convinced that this restaurant only stays in business due to it's proximity to the National Zoo and pulling in unsuspecting tourists because no DC native I know would consider this to be good Italian food! I visited Lillie's for dinner and ordered the Veal Parmigiana. It was lukewarm, served on a plate with a few equally lukewarm vegetables, and the veal was GREY. The meat was so tough I actually struggled to cut it with the knife I was given. The sauce was watery and tasted completely bland, and I paid $26 for this dish! My roommate ordered the Eggplant Milanese and was also disgusted and neither of us finished more than half of our meals. Truly the only reason we tipped was because it seemed like our poor server was running the kitchen, bar, and front of house entirely alone. Do yourselves a favor and head further up Connecticut Ave for actual food!

I went for lunch with my dad. We were seated right away. The service was fine. I didn't find much on the menu appealing so I went with the veggie wrap and my dad got an Italian sausage sandwich and asked for a salad instead of fries. It seems like the cheapest thing on their menu is $14, that's what both of our items were. The food was edible, but not very good. I ate half of my food and left the rest. They skimped on the sausage and brought fries instead of a salad. I'm not sure why they charge so much for lunch... but especially for lackluster food.

I once came here just over two years ago as I was housed for the summer a block away and decided to explore the zoo for the day and was hungry as it was still brunch time. I then got the Panda Pancakes which were delicious. It's a great way to advertise to the many zoo customers using the Woodley Park Metro stop as it is right between the Zoo and it. After several months of moving back to the area for good, I saw a Groupon which I planned to use with a friend as we have been planning a zoo visit, but the heat of the summer delayed it. My friend and I finally made it there for brunch before our zoo trip we've been waiting about two hot months for. We sat out on the patio which is very nice on a beautiful day. I've actually never been inside the restaurant before as I sat on the patio the first time as well. She wasn't that hungry and I was quite hungry myself. I ordered the Breakfast Burrito and Panda Pancake which was delicious and she had part of my Breakfast Burrito. The brunch drink selection is decent as well, as I got a Tropical Martini and she got a Bellini. They also have Bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary's, but I don't think having more than one drink before walking around the zoo is a great idea. The reason I am only giving this place three stars is that our waitress last time was rude and unprofessional. She asked for my our IDs which I understand and support, but she actually asked my friend if she was 18 (she is several years above 21) which we both felt was rude. Then she asked for the Groupon and then kept asking make the screen on the phone bigger for her which wasn't possible. She should have asked someone else for help rather than insisting we do something that is not possible. However, she did eventually get the Groupon to work. It's too bad they gave this waitress a number on the receipt and not a name, as I should have reported her behavior to the manager. As a result of this, I'm hesitant to return.

Decent food, bad drinks/wine, very very slow service. The wait staff didn't acknowledge us until 15 minutes after we arrived, it look 20 minutes to get drinks and the food took an hour.

We stopped for brunch on our way out of the zoo, and had a fantastic time. We sat on the covered, tented patio. The service was excellent; our server got the kids' food out fast and kept the bottomless mimosas flowing. All the food was great; I couldn't help stealing a bite of the kids' food and it was super tasty! Our favorite was the French toast panini. The crab cake on the Benedict was okay; I'd get the salmon next time. Still, that's the only constructive criticism I have. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety in the fresh fruit bowls. We will definitely come back!

Very nice. A nice place for a date night and the service is top notch! I will return!

Since we have tried all other good places between the zoo and Woodley Park Station, we decided to give LiLLiES a try. Bad choice! We couldn't have been more disappointed but the poor service, mediocre food and overall disrepair of the place. For a place with such informal service and quality of food, we found the prices high. There are many other choices around, I will avoid this place in the future.

Update to the Update: Because they were not willing to rectify the insect infestation issue, I was able to successfully dispute the charge on my credit card and received a full credit from the credit card. If I could give zero stars I would.

BRUNCH review only I recently moved into an apartment around the corner from LiLLies, so I purchased a Groupon and used it yesterday for a casual brunch with the bf. We arrived at 2 and there were a couple tables seated outside and one table inside. We chose to sit out on the patio. We were promptly served water and greeted by our waitress. We had a rough weekend and just wanted food, but noticed that they had $20 bottomless mimosas. The menu sounded appealing, with options for everyone, including specials (breakfast burrito, etc). We both went for the LiLLie's benedict ($15), which had smoked salmon, avocado, poached egg, and hollandaise. I chose fruit and my bf chose the breakfast potatoes. The food came out within a reasonable amount of time, and it was delicious. The benedict was loaded with fresh salmon and avocado. The hollandaise sauce was on point. My side of fruit was generously filled with raspberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc. My boyfriend also enjoyed his meal with the side of potatoes. At the end of the meal, it was easy to present my Groupon voucher from my phone and pay the check. Overall, a great low-key brunch option in the Woodley area.

Nice people, nice ambiance and a nice meal ... Worth checking out, if you're in the area and in the mood for some Italian.

Excellent service and superb food. Lovely retreat from the heat after the National Zoo. My dining companion enjoyed an Italian sandwich and a side salad. I had an outstanding veggie wrap and a small fruit cup.

Went hear for the second time with some friends. I ordered the calamari for us to all share. Probably one of the best I've had. No funky stuff just the round circle calamari. So tender. I ordered the seafood Pescatori in white sauce. It was just as fabulous. My three other friends ordered the lamb, chicken piccata, and everything was great. Took the tiramisu home for breakfast next morning! Love the bartender. She's so sweet. She also waits on the tables. She does it all. Great restaurant.

Nora and Dennys were absolutely amazing this past Saturday!!! We had a dinner cruise planned for our family reunion this past weekend and they cancelled on us at the 11th hour after having mechanical issues. I called LiLLiES and spoke with Nora after finding them on OpenTable. Nora was quick, efficient, hospitable, and super friendly. She and her team accommodated our group of 60 people last minute and did it with ease. She saved our Family Reunion! Everyone enjoyed our family style dinner and thought that the food was amazing! We enjoyed our time at LiLLiES and it will always be a dinner that we will remember forever! Thank you Nora and Dennys for your amazing customer service and for saving our Family Reunion!

This place was such a disappointment. I just stopped by for a snack with my friend. And the moment I walked in I was not greeted with friendly service. The servers did not even stop to say hello. I had to deduct a few stars due to the very poor service I received. As far as the food, it was better than I thought. However, I found some problems with my meal. 1.) my chicken had two large feathers still attached to the wings 2.) the wings were dry, I can tell they used frozen wings and fried the wings frozen. 3.) the buffalo wing sauce was almost acidic due to the overwhelming amount of hot sauce they used. However, I really enjoyed the mushrooms. They were well cooked and not too overcooked. With that said, the sauce was creamy yet too overwhelming. I really appreciated the fresh bread they served before the meal. The bread comes with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Overall, I don't believe I would ever eat here again unless I am promised a five star dinning service.

Love this hidden jewel a short 5 minute walk from national zoo! Small, intimate, sunny restaurant. Attentive service, delicious drinks! Got here right at noon time on a Saturday in April (sorry this is so late)! The fish n chips was by far the best I have eaten to date! Fresh, crispy, non greasy and perfectly flaky fish! Fries were perfect! Crispy on outside, soft on inside. Everything was cooked perfectly! Can't wait to get back to this place for dinner! Perfect lunch out with a friend, it topped off our day.

Food is fresh and delicious. Servers are attentive and friendly. The restaurant delivers a classy dining experience (both for indoor and outdoor seating), but the prices are very reasonable. My family of four enjoyed a nice dinner there. Kids loved their food as did we. Our meal started with fresh baked bread accompanied with olive oil and a sweet balsamic vinegar. We enjoyed a Greek Salad and Chicken Marsala while the kids had fresh fruit and baked macaroni & cheese. I was really impressed with the variety of fruit and how tasty all the food was. Service was wonderful. Table decor included a candle and fresh flower. Will definitely dine here again when we are back in town. Anyone in the vicinity of the National Zoo should consider enjoying a meal at Lillies. Highly recommend.

Met an old friend at LiLLiES last Friday for lunch. It's a beautiful space that I feel like you might miss if you weren't aware that it is there, nestled among some residential buildings on a shady part of the street. When we entered, we were the only people inside and there were two occupied tables on the patio. Our group was already seated when my husband and I arrived. I don't recall being greeted by the staff and it took a little bit for someone to come take our order. The server didn't really talk to us at all during the ordering process, or over the course of our meal. I ended up feeling like we were a disturbance to their day rather than welcome customers. The lunch menu was pretty extensive, almost to the point of being overwhelming and I had a hard time deciding. My husband chose Chicken Parmesan, his go-to order at any new restaurant for us. I had a crab cake sandwich. I didn't really like the crab cake. It was brown throughout, which was weird. It tasted more like fish than like crab. I didn't finish it. The fries were good but they were clearly frozen fries, not made in house. My husband's lunch smelled amazing and looked better than mine but he reported it to be a standard, chicken parm. He enjoyed it but he wasn't blown away. I ordered the cannolis for dessert. The plate arrived with 3 small cannoli on it, heavily drizzled with chocolate sauce and something tan. It wasn't caramel. It looked like sweetened condensed milk. I don't know. They were very tasty but messy to eat. The service was exceptionally slow and it wasn't very busy. Maybe they're more of a dinner place than a lunch place?

A friend set up a dinner for 18 of us and I was expecting slow service and so-so food since we were such a large group. I could not have been more wrong. The staff handled our group with ease. Our water glasses were kept full, they were attentive without being pushy and were outstanding. The only thing better than the service was the food. A-MAZE-ING!! I wasn't sure what to order so asked the server to bring me his favorite dish. It was an amazing pats concoction that I found out later is made fresh in the kitchen daily. After the meal, I again took his recommendation and ordered the flan. It was hands down the best I've eaten. I would go back just for that. I will be eating there every time I'm in DC from now on.

We came in after the zoo. We came in to virtually no one inside. We placed our orders for the NY steak and Chicken Picatta. They brought out bread with oil and a syrup like consistency balsamic vinegar. On touch of the bread, I was stale. I waited on our food. My husbands steak had A LOT of gritty parts. I had a piece and didn't care for it. My chicken was good but it was served with a side of pasta and marinara. The chicken was okay, pounded properly to be tender but the dish didn't scream $20+ dish. Totally something I could have experienced at Olive Garden. The staff was friendly but I came for food and it just wasn't that great to me. Also, those potatoes with the steak tasted either old or like they were microwaved at some point. I wouldn't come back here.