Lupo Marino

Lupo Marino delivers decent fare, but your coin pouch won’t survive the encounter. Two Margherita pizzas for over $42? That’s not a meal – that’s extortion by wood-fired oven. The food is fine, the service pleasant enough (though not swift), and the waterfront setting is undeniably charming. But the prices? As if a gold dragon personally enchanted the menu with inflation magic. Portions are modest, flavors decent, but nothing you’d write home to your adventuring party about. It’s the kind of place where you half expect a surcharge for breathing the Amalfi air they’ve bottled inside. If your quest involves a budget, steer clear. If you’ve just looted a castle, maybe.

Wharf Lupo Marino- great experience! The pizza was delicious — perfectly baked with a great balance of flavors and a nice, crisp crust. The fries were fresh, golden, and seasoned just right. Cozy atmosphere and good service made the visit even better. A solid spot for anyone craving quality pizza and snacks.

Delicious Italian food in a cute spot! The staff is so helpful and friendly here. I highly recommend the lasagna, cacio e pepe and chicken parm. The spaghetti noodles are homemade and taste fantastic. The portions were normal size and the pricing was customary for a prime vacation spot.

Stopped by on a Friday evening with a friend and had an enjoyable dinner. It was busy but we were able to walk in and be seated immediately. Our sever Juan P was knowledgeable about the menu and after his recommendation, I decided on the seafood chitarra. My dinner was absolutely tasty and filling. Would return for a wonderful Italian meal!

Follow @internationalchicshawn for more experiences! 🍝 Review: Lupo Marino – Washington, DC July 2025 Visited: Saturday, post-11 PM Setting: Quaint, energetic, ideal for night owls 🔍 Vibe Check – Rating: 4.3/5 Walked in close to midnight and still got seated immediately. The soccer crowd gave the space a buzzy vibe, and our window seats were clutch for people-watching. The open kitchen and bar added charm—definitely a hidden perk for culinary voyeurs. 🍽️ What We Tried – Food Quality: 4.2/5 • Drinks:• Stella Double Zero (nonalcoholic) • Still water • Bites:• Bruschetta with tomato 🍅 – creamy and fresh • Bruschetta with prosciutto 🥓 – smooth, indulgent, well-balanced • Spaghetti Bolognese: Loved that the noodles were homemade, but I’d prefer them thinner and more al dente • Tagliatelle with Short Rib: My friend said it was “bomb”—rich flavor, perfect texture Value: 4.1/5 🧾 Service & Scene – Service: 3.8/5 Understaffed but working hard. The check took a while, though once it landed, things moved smoothly. Restroom was clean, and the bar gave great views of the kitchen action. Cleanliness: 4.5/5 🎶 Crowd Energy – Rating: 4.7/5 As we left, a flood of about 40 people came in from the music venue nearby. If you’re looking for a late-night spot post-concert or game, this one’s built for it. 💬 TLDR: Creamy bruschettas hit, Bolognese could use a noodle tweak, short rib tagliatelle was the standout. Solid late-night spot with great crowd energy and people-watching. Would revisit to go deeper on the menu.

Due to high value location (the wharf), the restaurant is very packed and fast paced, with a two hour time limit and the waiters naturally move quickly. The food was mostly pretty good. The Impepata was immensely good, with flavorful sauce, the Margherita pizza was quite good and the dough was cooked very well with fresh ingredients, the Shrimp Pesto on the otherhand was not very good. The shrimp pesto was lacking flavor and the pesto added barely any flavor to the dish, making the pasta taste like plain al dente pasta. The price was decent for a restaurant in the wharf area, where things can get quite expensive.

Went here for a date with my husband and it was pretty good. It was very busy so it was hard to hear since it was full of people that were seated very close together. The bathroom was pretty clean. The food we got was a personal pizzas and some sparkling waters. The service was good, I don’t remember having any issues. This is a great spot for dinner but note that when it’s busy it can be quite loud. Good but didn’t knock me out of the park.

The food was incredible and the service was amazing. I ordered the lobster ravioli and my husband got the shrimp pesto. The sauce on the ravioli was divine and my husband and I enjoyed every part of our meal. We also got to try the pizza which was some of the best we’ve ever had. Excited to go back and try more.

When we first arrived, I was carrying a reusable coffee cup from Starbucks, and a manager immediately approached me to let me know I couldn't keep it inside. While the policy was understandable, the initial approach caught me off guard and felt a bit off-putting. I was reluctant to give up my cup since it was reusable and my latte was still fresh, but I handed it over. A short time later, the manager returned, apologized for his initial approach, introduced himself, and offered to refill my cup with any coffee drink of my choice. This gesture really turned the experience around, and I appreciated the thoughtfulness. We ordered drinks and the grilled octopus, which was absolutely delicious. The flavors were incredible and paired perfectly with the aperitif shots the manager kindly brought out to complement our meal. When we were finished, he returned my cup, freshly filled with an americano, which was such a thoughtful touch. Despite the rocky start, the manager's professionalism and effort to make things right truly stood out. The food, drinks, and service were fantastic, and I'd definitely go back to Lupo Marino the next time we're at The Wharf

I was visiting DC for a Bachelorette Weekend and this is one of the spots we ate at for dinner. The restaurant is in a nice location and is beautifully decorated. They have a mix of indoor and outdoor seating and can accommodate larger groups. We ordered a mixture of things as apps and they were pretty good. The table really enjoyed the Fritto Mistro and Polpette Al Sugo. For my entree, I got the Tagliatelle allá Genovese (pasta with braised short ribs) and it was underwhelming. It lacked the depth of flavor I'm used to from short ribs.

Lupo Marino in DC was a solid spot for pasta and pizza. The pasta was fresh and cooked perfectly, with a great balance of flavors in the sauce. The pizza had a nice, crispy crust and tasty toppings. Overall, the food was really good, service was solid, and the vibe of the place was relaxed and welcoming. It's definitely a great choice if you're in the mood for some good Italian comfort food!

Met a friend for lunch on a quiet Monday. This is a very traditional northern Italian place but friendly and low key. We had fried artichoke with a killer sauce, very zesty and the artichokes were actually large and nicely brown and crispy on the outside. Then I got gnocchi funghi, super creamy with cute little gnocchi and fresh porcini mushrooms...you know it's a good place when the spinach is so fresh it shines through a creamy cheesy sauce. Friend got a Santa Bridgeta pizza, also great, with prosciutto arugula and balsamic drizzle. Will be back!

Lupo Marino, located in the wharf area in DC, offers Italian dining. I like the location and the decor. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dining options. The staff were very nice but service was very slow. I had some calamari and the Spaghetti Rosa. The calamari was consistent with what you would expect. The spaghetti was OK, but still filling. The expresso martinis were fantastic. I would give this restaurant another try. I will try different menu items next time.

Visited here for the first time this past Friday. I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio and the shrimp pesto pasta. I enjoyed what I ordered. Even though we had a larger group, the staff did a good job serving us. I parked in a nearby garage. Parking was pricey.

I had always heard of the Wharf from my friends in the DMV area. So, I came here to look for good food and great views. Food: 3/ 5 I am not going to lie, none of the places by the water are cheap. So be prepared to spend some cash. We found this place had a the most reasonable prices (which around crazy is still crazy ). I got the pasta dish and she got the pasta. If I had to choose one dish to not get it was the meatballs. They were very tough not very tasty. For two entrées, one app, one drink ($120/ tax and tip). Ambiance:2/5 We came at a bad time since the bar next door was blasting music for someone's birthday party. We choose outside seating (clearly a mistiake) and suffered from the loud noise and not enough table lights avaliable to be spared for us and another table. It is not that the service was bad, but these rest of the experience was lacking. All in all, I don't think I will go back because I know other Italian options that I preferred more. However, I was happy to finally eat in the Wharf.

Came here for a quick dinner after running in DC & the food exceeded my expectations. I got the carbonara and yes, its not authentic, but the pasta was super chewy and tasted homemade and the sauce was the perfect amount of creaminess. They added broccoli to the pasta and it made it taste healthier. Service was great! They kept refilling our waters and making sure we were happy with our meals. I felt taken care of. I liked the vibe of the restaurant!

Made reservations here on a Friday for 6 pm. When we arrived it wasn't very busy just yet. It got super busy throughout the hour which was expected. It seems like a popular family dinner spot at least at the time that we went. I decided to get the impepata (mussels), fritto misto (fried calamari and seafood), and the tagliatelle all genovese. The food was ready pretty quickly. I wasn't a huge fan of the mussels, they didn't taste the freshest but the bread and sauce tasted good. The fritto misto was pretty good. I didn't like the smelt as much but the calamari and shrimp were cooked perfectly. The dipping sauce wasn't anything special but the grilled lemon was unique. The pasta dish was my favorite item kf the night by far. The braised short rib was tender enough but the sauce and pasta were the real stars, excellent flavor and the pasta was had great texture! My friend ordered the chicken parmesan and the chicken cutlet was huge! He wasn't able to finish it. He said it was okay but the spaghetti was delicious. I think it's a great family spot on the wharf but I would personally choose somewhere else to eat if I'm in the area again. It wasn't bad but not my favorite. Service was quick and efficient and the ambiance was casual and lively.

This is an Italian restaurant located at the Wharf. Service was okay. There was live music playing across from the restaurant, so the place was quite loud. * Fritto Misto 4.5/5 - This came with lightly battered and fried shrimps and squids. They were warm and crispy. There was a mayo dipping sauce that enhanced the dish's flavor. It came in a bigger portion size than I expected, so I was quite full before the entree arrived. * Tagliatelle All Genovese 3/5 - This came with flat pasta, tender pork pieces, and tomatoey, sour meat sauce. It was alright. The pork was good, but the overall flavors didn't go well together and the sauce was too sour for me. * Vongole 4/5 - This was a simple though flavorful pasta dish with clams. It was a little spicy which I didn't expect. There was a good amount of clams and they had that sweet, savory seafood taste. Overall a good dish.

Cozy Italian joint on The Wharf. We skated in a little after 5pm and were seated by the window. It's small and the tables are close together. My Aperol Spritz was in a large glass but tasted a little watered down and flat. The carciofi (artichoke) was fried and crisp -- never had this before -- it was the hearts and it was ok -- in a bagna cauda sauce (garlic anchovy). We split a Polpette pizze--meatball, passata, mozzarella, ricotta and basil. The crust was bubbly, chewy and charred crust -- meatball was soft and this was nicely cheesy with stretchy strands of cheese. The tomato passata I think is a little bland, I would have liked more spices and a zestier sauce. Still, the pizza was nicely crusty and cheesy with large pieces of meatballs scattered atop. Though the restaurant filled up, our pizza was up quickly and served hot and cheesy.

Lupo Marino has gone downhill post-pandemic. The salads are less interesting than they used to be, and it's really tough to find anything on the menu that isn't buried in cheese (including the salads). It's as if they hired a new chef who came from Dominos, where "double cheese" is considered a good quality. It's a shame, because they have a nice brick oven and the crust on the pizzas is good. The sauces are tasty, too -- if only they weren't buried in cheese. This is NOT how you construct a neopolitan pizza. We were particularly taken aback by the Funghi pizza. It's described as a minimalist pie -- with mushrooms and pecorino. I expected something light on the cheese. WHOOPS. It was covered deep with gooey melted cheese -- nothing like the menu description. We each ate a piece and left the rest.

In an alleyway just off the riverwalk, providing quiet outside dining. Nice place to escape the crowds. Service is attentive and quick. The menu has a nice selection of Italian specialties. Pizza has an excellent crust and fresh ingredients.

Cute and cozy spot in the wharf! We got the margherita and funghi pizza! I would say both were decent and ones I would get again! We also tried the eggplant parm which was delicious!

It was our first time trying Lupo Marino and we had a great time. We sat at the bar and the bartender was very attentive. We enjoyed our house Chianti and pasta was cooked just right- al dente! We ordered the Cacio e pepe and diavola chitarra. Great casual Italian option for the wharf. Prices were reasonable too.

Order this: Lupo Picante cocktail Spaghetti Rosa Spicy and spectacular. You'll be thinking about how good it was all day tomorrow, guaranteed.

When I arrived, it was suprisingly difficult to open their door. I thought the restaurant was closed for an event or something, anyways pull hard lol. The restaurant is quite small, but the decor would be nice for anything from a date to a business meal. I ordered the Tagliatelle all Genovesse, which was great, but the portion was quite small, especially for the price. The pasta tasted freshly hand made and was cooked al dente. The sauce had a rich, meaty flavor. I just wish they had served a full plate of food I felt like I was leaving hungry.

I appreciate that the restaurant is open late for dining and service is always great. Not many options at the wharf during the week after 10pm.

Wow what an epic fail here. I rarely post a review but this was just awful. Stopped in for lunch. Salads were tasteless, barely dressed, and without any creativity. Pizza was overloaded with grease and cheese. A sloppy mess. Will not be coming back.

Beautiful restaurant and scenery little bit hidden at the wharf. They had outside seating and we decided to pop a squat. We started with the grilled octopus. It was delectable. It was perfectly grilled and tender, not tough at all. It had a great flavor that went with the bean purée and the pancetta that came with it on the plate. For the main course, I decided to get Cacio E Pepe pasta. The noodles you could tell are freshly made. They were nice and chewy and slightly al dente. They soaked up majority of the sauce so all the flavor became the noodle. My friend got a Panini. She loved the sandwich. It was perfectly filling the aïoli make sure it wasn't dry bread perfectly toasted. Our server was always present or relatively available. She made sure that we had the best experience and I thank her so much. The prices are reasonable as well! Can't wait to return

Sat at the bar with friends. Bartender is friendly and the drinks were good. Some of us got the regular espresso martini while some of us got the holiday version (velvet espresso martini). I personally liked the velvet espresso martini more - it was almost like a liquid tiramisu, which, as a fan of sweeter cocktails, was the better option for me. Inside decor isn't anything special, but it's a nice place to grab drinks (and apparently pizza, which I may need to try another time).

It's okay! Stopped for a quick bite and ended up getting the calamari. I thought it was a little on the oily side. The portion size seemed small for the others apps my table got. We sat indoors so ambiance was okay, a little small but they also had an outdoor patio which most people seemed to love. Service was great !

I like the inside. It's cozy and where we were sitting, it kind of felt like we were inside an Italian chefs pantry. We were a big group and we had a few pizzas to start. They were tasty. Heavy on the crust but the middle with the cheese/sauce and all the good bits was kinda small. If you love crust-you'll be in heaven. As an entree I got the shrimp pesto and to be honest, it wasn't my favorite. The shrimp was a bit undercooked for my liking, and the pesto was heavy on the cream. Staff was attentive and friendly. They pre-bussed the tables throughout the dinner which is always a plus.

Best food on the wharf. I know that's a big claim, but I live on the wharf and this place is my comfort food home. First, their pizza is amazing. You want legit Neapolitan style pizza? Order here. Tonight I have wanted to try their pasta and was not disappointed. I ordered the spaghetti verde all'amatriciana.... and oh my... quite possibly the best pasta I've ever had. A little spicy and a lot fresh. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the ingredients amazing. Lupo Marino is located in an alley across from the Pearl Street Stage. The atmosphere is quaint and comfortable. Expect to be greeted by friendly staff who have great recommendations and who listen to your preferences.

Everything was amazing. Focaccia was toasty and delicious. The beet salad was awesome and a decent size. We had the lasagna, which was phenomenal. The truffle pizza was dangerously delicious. I doubt anything is bad here - the whole menu looks amazing.

The service and the food are good. The portion sizes are a little small for the price. It is on the pricey side but the location kind of justifies it.

Perfect atmosphere for a small group on a Saturday night. Had a great time. Nora, the bartender and Juan, our server were very attentive!

Great service, great food, great drinks, and even greater staff! Nora the bartender and Juan our waiter were both incredible and went above and beyond! Will definitely be back!

We were welcomed and able to select our own seats. Admittedly it was about 430pm so the dinner crowd had not yet arrived. The decor gave us the feeling of being in Italy with a mix of americano. Their little fire oven was beautifully crafted. We enjoyed the house Chianti perfecto! And our friends had ice tea which they requested to be sweetened and the waitress sweetened it for us which was super nice!! Usually some places will say oh we don't have sweet tea. Here customer is first. She also was attentive to our beverages throughout the meal without being intrusive. The prices were on point with the generous servings. You won't be disappointed and you may find yourself reminiscing about your last trip to Italy.

The food, service, experience was amazing! Pizza and pasta were both delicious. We also enjoyed their coffee and desserts.

Holy shit I can't believe the small portion of a $24 dish Casio e Pepe !! I can't not believe how slow and awful of a restaurant this is !! Note: the pic in this review represents how big of a portion you could possibly get for $23 so please don't let me insult the institution by suggesting that that's the amount of food I received but as you can see it's not much more ... great job to your staff John but shame on you for seriously ripping people off !! Your restaurant is still a joke

Went on a Monday with wife and 3 teenage kids. Food looked and tasted great. Service was good. Bill with a couple drinks and tip was $240. It's located right on the waterfront so you can take a stroll before or after. Would recommend for a decent meal, decent ambiance in DC for a family.

Lupo Marino has great Italian pasta and pizza. We had to wait for a table and this is to be expected on a Saturday afternoon filled with festivals and events. We were seated quickly and received our drink orders within a few minutes. Our entrees were prepared within 15 minutes and our waitress Leidy did an excellent job serving us with the restaurant at full capacity. Everyone enjoyed their pizzas and pasta. The pizzas are too big for one person, so I would recommend sharing if you're getting pizza. The restaurant is cozy with tables seated within a foot of each other. The outside seating is the best option.

I'm disappointed in my experience here. First, some of the servers are unprofessional and impersonal. They seemed to have a lack of knowledge about the dishes, unaware of restaurant etiquette, and overall no friendliness. Besides that, the food is bland and the portions are a little small. I ordered the chicken parmesan which comes with spaghetti and I couldn't taste any seasoning. My partner had the same experience with his dish.

Situated in the alley-like area of the harbor, you won't find this place as easily as the ones facing the channel. The main appeal of this place is the fact that it is close to the water, but not too close to be too touristy (although it is in fact a tourist food destination). The first to come out was the bruchetta with a crispy toasty, garlicky bread.The Tagliatelle Alla Genovese is pretty good with bits of beef and a creamy sauce, and I'm glad the thick noodles were firm and didn't fall apart. The cacio e pepe was also pretty good with a thick firm noodle that was creamy and peppery. I can't quite remember what the name of the cocktail, but it was a sweet lemon treat. I definitely recommend this place if you want to find somewhere to eat at the Wharf.

Although I've been to DC before, I'd never visited the Harbor. We stopped in to Lupo Marino one evening after waiting a little too long to get a glimpse of the local soccer team boarding their bus before a game. My old fashioned was well balanced, excellent taste, beautiful presentation. My only critique is the use of ice cubes over one large cube or sphere. The food was delicious. I highly recommend the Margherita pizza!

Super super packed on a Monday and they rush you in and out so the service is overly attentive! It's so loud in here it's hard to talk. I only tried the cacio e Pepe and it was really yummy and full of flavor, but it wasn't that big of a serving. I would love to come back and try more dishes someday for sure.

My Funghi pizza was different but tasty. The lemon was actually very good. The service was awesome!! We sat outside and was great.

We got a late start to dinner & this place was one of the few we found that was decent & open late. We came in & were seated right away, drinks to start I had an Aperol spritz & hubby had a Peppino cocktail both were good & our drinks for the night. Appetizer to start we got the Caprese salad , it was delicious cheese was so good along w big pieces of tomatoes. Main dish I had the Shrimp pesto pasta yummm pesto sauce was very good, light tasting good grilled shrimp. Hubby had the Cacio e Pepe, another tasty dish very good pasta. When u walk in u get that great scent of brick oven pizza no room to try any but maybe next time. Nice restaurant inside it has a nice home feel to it, lots of Italy inspired decor very nice. Service was good & prices were reasonable, we enjoyed our meal.

We had a reservation at 7pm. My friend who made the reservation said there was a 2 hour max per reservation. Not a problem. By 8pm the restaurant was busy and there was a wait for tables. After finishing our meal, around 8:15pm, we were asked by the hostess if we had paid our bill because they had a lot of people waiting to be seated. She then came back a second time within 10 mins to see if we had paid. Didn't appreciate being rushed. Food is decent, cute outside seating but tables are really close.

We came here with reservation on a Saturday night. It's busy but seems like you can get seated without a reservation. The food was super good, I loved everything we got: fritto misto, tagliatelle, funghi pizza and tiramisu. Only thing is i didn't really care for is the sardines in fritto misto. Service was great as well. Overall it's a nice spot to hangout with friends or casual dinner date.

Came on a busy Sunday night before a holiday. Was able to get a table for 2 without reservations (pure luck) highly recommend having reservations because they are very busy. Parking is a pain. There's a strip of parking along the wharf but good luck finding an open space. There is plenty of lots around the area that range from $5 an hour or have fix prices that could get up to $35. The girl who got us the table was very nice. The server was nice too but it felt like he was burnt out and not happy. There's seating inside and at the bar as well as outdoor seating. The food came out steaming hot and was delicious. I definitely enjoyed the calamari they threw in a few anchovies and shrimps in too which I liked. The pasta and meat was cooked perfectly. Drinks were good too no complaints. Definitely would recommend

The food was delicious! I would definitely eat here again. I Having lived in Italy, the food tastes like I was back on the Piazza dining al fresco.

Honestly, just ok. Not the best Italian food I've ever had, but definitely not the worst either. The ambiance of this place was spectacular and they charge more for location than quality of food. We tried the Carbonara and the Tagliatelle allá Genovesse and they were both just ok. The flavor was good but definitely not great. I don't know if I would return. However, the service was amazing and our waiters were incredibly kind.

Pretty average all around. If you're looking for a splurge "cheat meal" ... save your calories for somewhere else. The food flavors don't seem balanced and lean only one way. The giardineira that comes with the sandwiches is strange tasting and doesn't taste like any I have had from Chicago. Apparently there is discounted pasta nights or promos even through Yelp here... I guess it might be worth it then. The chips got better actually sitting out more. When they come out fresh they have an oil flavor that dissipates if you take them to-go. The short rib sandwich and porchetta panini would be a skip. Maybe I made a mistake and should have ordered pasta.

Had an unfortunate experience here which brought the rating down. I am local to the area and have been wanting to try Lupo Marino for awhile. I love Italian food and have lived in Italy so always on the lookout for a good spot. Unfortunately this will not be one of my recommendations. The food was good, the pasta itself was nice, however, the quality for the price doesn't seem justified. When paying this high prices for pasta, I expect incredibly fresh and flavorful dishes on top of customer service and that is where this place lacks dramatically. We were welcomed in a slightly disdainful way as we did not have a reservation which I slightly understood as it is small limited space, however we came in at 5:30 on a Tuesday and there were many empty tables. He mentioned that the tables were booked for reservations but was able to place us at a low top table pretty quickly. We ordered quickly and received the oily bread for the table which did not come with sauces. I asked for marinara which we got (was not told it would be an extra) which helped with the breads taste. We ate very quickly and were sitting talking and asked for the check and that is when the weirdness started. It was at this point the realized we never had 1 assigned waiter and that various people were looking after us randomly. The woman who brought our checks was odd and scolded my friend for holding the check machine like a child. And then aggressively handed the machine to my friend. It was also at this time that it started pouring. When we finished paying we sat there and planned on waiting for the rain to lighten a little but the original man who not so nicely welcomed us into the restaurant told us "we need the table now girls" and sped walked away. It was so strange to have such a decline in customer service and weird as we had only been at the restaurant for a little less than an hour. We promptly left and when walking by again 15 minutes later, the table was still empty. For the price, I expect great quality food, great location, and great customer service. What I got was decent food, small restaurant on the wharf, and mean service. Not worth a visit. Go to grazie grazie or officina for a way better experience.

Comfortable place for a tasty Italian meal. We split two pizzas among three people which was just the right amount. The crust for each was incredibly doughy and delicious. The funghi pizza was my favorite though for certain bites the lemon flavor overpowered others. The Margherita was good but not incredible. Also really enjoyed the panna cotta for dessert

A tiny restaurant tucked away behind Del Mar and across from the Pearl Music venue. My friend and I landed on this place after taking a walk up and down the wharf and the host came out to greet us sharing this seafood specials which brought us joy. we had the white sangria which was crowded with too much ice but was refreshing ($50) the shrimp with olive oil and bread to dip, octopus (cooked to perfection), and a seafood pasta and the halibut special. I came to the realization that a 7 oz. portion + risotto is way too much and I should have went with the 5 oz. The staff was kind and attentive, the dining room is roaring with laughs and birthday celebrations and to much wine and I left the restaurant feeling happy and full.

Restaurants serves great baby lettuce salads with grilled shrimp. Open really late till 12 mid!!