Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar

Event Venue Review - Sonoma is a gem, and so is their event manager Hilary! I'd highly recommend Sonoma as an event venue, especially for nonprofits. We love the Avenue Lounge on the 2nd floor, as well as the meeting space behind it, and we will continue to book as often as the team will have us!

Nice spot! Great service, our server was very warm, friendly and checked in frequently. The inside of the restaurant is very cozy and nice! Order: the pork ribs, the carbonara Skip: the tuna tartar (they squeezed a ton of mayo from the bottle on it which was not good)

While the restaurant certainly strives to present a welcoming atmosphere, the overall dining experience fell short of expectations. The service, while not unfriendly, could be best described as perfunctory, lacking the warmness. As for the food, it regrettably did not live up to the promise of its description. The flavors were underwhelming, and the dishes seemed to lack the finesse and freshness one would hope for. In a city bustling with culinary talent, this establishment unfortunately doesn't quite hit the mark.

After passing this spot for over 10 years I finally made it inside. I enjoyed myself everyone was helpful we arrived around the start of their dinner menu. I ordered the barnyard pizza and my friend had the GOAT pizza. Very nice atmosphere with the flowers and candles oh and dim lighting !

The place is nice and the staff very kind! However we were a little disappointed with the food. The steak was very fatty and the duck floated in the gravy. Plus they both arrived cold. Pity. The wine list is interesting. I don't think we'll be back.

I want to love Sonoma, but I just kind of like it instead. The food is pretty good, the service can be kind of slow and the wine list is very large.

One of the greatest dining experiences I've ever had. the atmosphere, service, food, and drink selection is impeccable. I dinned over the weekend, and told them I was vegan, and they went above and beyond to fit my dietary restrictions. They custom made me my own pesto, and adjusted 2 menu items to accommodate. The pizza they made - was probably the best pizza I've ever had in my life. the crust was so fresh, as well as the tomatoes and greens that were on top. it had the snap of toasted crust but a soft bready inside - with the most intense fire roasted brick oven flavor. absolutely incredible 11 out of 10. the restaurant itself is super open and clean, and has a warm vibe to it. if ur in DC - this is a must stop.

This is one of the only nicer restaurants in this immediate area, as most places nearby are mainly lunch spots. I like it here and the food has always been good when I've gone. They have a good wine menu and the atmosphere is pretty good, although I took a star away for atmosphere as it can be cold in the winter.

Nice duck dish! The fish (as a main) is a tiny dish (maybe for people who are dieting?). Generally good ambiance. It's one of the better restaurants on Capitol Hill. Not crowded, and comfortably low noise level (so that finally we get to chat!) This was a Saturday night, just FYI. See my photos

We came back for lunch, the menu is changed. So I tried a new dish, and my friend ordered the burger which was still good. I ordered: 3*Paella included saffron rice, chicken, shrimp, coppa, onions, red peppers, and green peas. It wasn't that fresh nor tasty. I was a little disappointed, but I haven't given on it because it still offers good burgers, lambs and goat cheese dishes.

I went before closing on a weeknight. It's a nice lowkey restaurant on the beaten path. The shrimp offered a flavorful punch coupled with the sauce. The fries were tasty too.

The staff was excellent and the food was delicious. We had a party of 14 and they went out of their way to accommodate us, including getting a squatting party to move so that we could all sit together. I had the Brazino and it was delicious.

I got street parking luckily, right around the corner. The staff was great. I got the rose, it was ok...but the place was really cute. A Saturday, around 6pm and empty. I did not try any food but the table i was at did and it all looked good. I had to be in and out though so only got the rose.

If you're touring Capitol Hill and looking for a fun environment to chill and sip wine, look no further. Sonoma has an extensive wine list and nibbles to go along with the wine. Plus, you're within ears shot of buzzing hot topics. A friend was visiting from out of town and wanted to walk to the Capitol Complex. Afterall, it was a beautiful spring day. We booked a reservation for 7:15 pm since it was a weeknight. Sonoma is busy during the week. It's located near the Library of Congress. Food: We ordered salads and glasses of wine. My salad was just the right size after adding chicken. She ordered the beet salad with an order of warm focaccia bread. Note: they charge for bread. Service: We were seated right away and the staff were prompt and attentive. We were informed about the bread charge beforehand. Ambiance: It's chill and low key. Some would say chill enough that right before we walked out, a group of four very noteworthy House members sat next to us. It was a first and short lived experience for me to sit next to members' at a restaurant. Overall, Sonoma is a place to sip and chill. They have varied food with prompt service.

I went here for dinner with a few people after visiting the Library of Congress. Overall the food was 3-4 stars the service was pretty bad and drew my overall score down. First Ill cover the food we all ordered. We ordered the Burger, fettuccine, and Chefs pizza. The burger was well cooked and was to the temperature requested. The two people who ordered said it was juicy and flavorful. The fettuccine is a big portion. Had a taste of it. Pasta was well cooked and the red sauce had good flavor it needed some pepper or something to make it more balanced with other items on the dish. The shrimp were well cooked and nicely seasoned. The chefs pizza I ordered was good but has a few drawbacks. It comes with ricotta, slow cooked beef, arugula, and caramelized onions. All the ingredients on the pizza tasted great and worked great together. You get the richness of ricotta with the savory flavors of the onions and the beef. Unfortunately, the pizza was held down by the fact it's mostly a thick crust. The thickness of crust in contrast with the thinness of the pizza causes an uneven cook. A few pieces of the crust were still raw when I ate them. In regards to the service it was pretty poor unfortunately. The server forgot drink orders a few times, the pizza came out much later then the rest of the tables entree's, forgot the burger orders ketchup and mustard when we requested it the server didn't come and deliver it till much later. Luckily in condiment situation the manager saw us waiting and got them to the table very quickly. Overall, the food is solid, restaurant just needs some improvements to get it where they want it.

Walked in unannounced with 17 people... not a problem even with only 1 server. Excellent service, great food and beverages. For a place that said at the beginning they were short staffed, they delivered. Give this place a try. You won't be disappointed! Thanks for a great evening Sonoma!!

The food and service were great. I don't normally post, but the place was empty and I'm kind of surprised more people don't go there

Came here for dinner and thought it was just ok. Had a bread basket that was so-so and then got the burger & fries. Ordered the burger cooked medium with bacon & sauce on the side. Unfortunately it came out well done with bacon on it, so that was a let-down. Fries were great but couldn't make up for the burger. I don't think I'll feel compelled to return.

Starters: roasted brussel sprouts, 2hich were flavorful and crisped to perfection. Went nicely with the " Bubbles" flight. Moved on to the fettuccine with prawns, which were plentiful and the size of mini lobsters. Literally had to share them. Flavor popped, and al dentéd to perfection. People watching is great and congressional gossip aplenty...sssh, don't talk so loudly, intern, we now know what you did and with whom...yes, know it's a loud place, the distressed brick doesn't absorb any sound.

Amazinnnngggggggg! The fettuccine was to die for and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. They forgot my focaccia but I was so full that I didn't miss it that much. Great flavor and presentation. Some of the wines we tried were good and very affordable. My friend had the steak and said it was the best thing he's ever had. We got to talk to what I assume was the owner and he was incredibly friendly. Ps Don't forget to try huckleberry wine!!!!! ;)

I've been coming to Sonoma off and on since they opened and I was super disappointed tonight by the quality of the post-pandemic food. I ordered the pesto pasta with chicken. It was super oily, the chicken pieces were tough and there was very little pesto on the penne. I hope they invest in the food quality going forward, because this used to be a solid recommendation on the Hill and is frequented by lots of Hill and Supreme Court notables. With that said, service was good even tho they were clearly understaffed. I'm sure I will be back for happy hours in the private space upstairs.

This review is specifically for Hilary and the beautiful private event she helped me pull off last month. I was a little bit extra and had flowers delivered, dropped off custom cookies, and created a playlist that I wanted played in a specific order starting at a certain time. Hilary didn't blink an eye at any of it and was so helpful giving me a hand with making menu selections as well. I didn't arrive to Sonoma as early before the event as I was hoping so I was freaking out that there'd be a scramble putting everything in place...but Hilary had already handled it! The cookies were displayed, flowers were on tables, candles were lit, music was playing...everything was perfect and it would have been a disaster of a mad dash without her. I'm so grateful for her support, and will definitely look to host future events at Sonoma--especially if their food and beverage minimum continues to be the only option on the Hill that's not highway robbery!

We ordered takeout the other night because we've been picking up wine here for a wine club we're in, and the 2-person Netflix and Chill meal looked promising for the price. In the carnivore meal, you get an app of meatballs with polenta, a small salad, a burger (that also comes with a salad), a pizza, and a pint of ice cream. For $60! The highlights were definitely the meatballs and the burger (which had a really delicious bun). Oh wait, actually no. The highlight was the ice cream. Obviously home made, super delicious, and I could have eaten two or three by myself. Okay back to the dinner. The salads were a little underwhelming, but that's okay. The pizza was good, but I'm a person who likes blue cheese so if you don't, find something else to get. I've heard their pastas are really nice, so that's what I'm looking forward to trying next. After I get some more ice cream.

Truthfully, I was disappointment considering this restaurant is on the Michelin's list. They don't have many options on their menu and if you want to substitute something, they're not willing to do so. For example, I wanted to flank steak and asparagus but the server said it was not permitted but I could order the flank steak salad with no dressing or additional toppings and a side of asparagus. Now, I will say they have a nice selection of wine and no one was disappointed in that department.

I've been to Sonoma for happy hour several times but this afternoon was the first time I've eaten here (Summer Restaurant Week 2018 lunch menu) and the food was pretty bad. My starter salad was very lightly dressed but it was the saltiest batch of lettuce I've ever had - pretty little salt crystals clung to every leaf and the two little carrots I dug around for were a tad bit dehydrated. Second course was a decent salmon with green beans and potatoes. I had no significant complaints but the butter sauce had broken, if you're worried about that kind of thing. Dessert was sadder still, though, and my sliver of a goat cheese cake reminded me of a frozen pie, except for the crust - a remarkably smooth mush (perhaps almond flour missing butter and the oven?). It took us thirty minutes to get our first course and despite leaving it nearly untouched, over an hour to finish our lunchtime meal on the Hill. The manager did stop by to let us know when our courses were being plated and he was quite gracious, but I'll stick to Sonoma for happy hours and events.

I need a place to stop during all the city walking, so I just walked into this restaurant. Kelby and Nick were so helpful and even gave me recommendations for places in DC! (Visitor post) This is a perk of sitting up at the bar and talking to your server, they will talk

I just visited Sonoma for the first time tonight. It was a fantastic experience -- the sophisticated neighborhood vibe, coupled with great service and excellent food and wine made for a terrific, relaxed evening out with friends. We will definitely be visiting again.

An easily shareable pizza with good toppings and a nice crust. Burgers were good also. Nice atmosphere with efficient service. Outside dining available.

Well appointed and very clean. Not busy at lunch. Not cheap but definitely not expensive. I got a burger and fries, my wife got a chicken panini. Burger was unevenly cooked and taller than my mouth. Kinda messy. Fries were tasty to start but way too salty. Chicken on the panini was dry. Wine selection is good, beer selection adequate. Service was below average but fine. Again, really nice ambiance. Might be better for dinner.

Deliberately Horrible service for tourists. We ordered a charcuterie board and reminded the wait staff twice and it still never came. We finally flagged a different server down for our check when our original server never came back to give us our check.

I would trust all the negative reviews here and just pass on Sonoma. We only visited because we had a gift card and were severely disappointed. There are so many lovely places to dine in D.C. I'm not entirely sure why this place is still in operation. Ambiance: Nothing special. Weird tiles on the floors circa early 2000s. Needs a refresh. Also on the chilly side. Food: Underwhelming. We could have made these dishes at home and they would have tasted better. Some dishes were lukewarm and others were bland. And at this price, it's shameful. Service: Our server was pleasant, but couldn't really make up for the issues with the food. We almost felt bad for the waiter for having to present the food in a positive light. And to top it off, they don't allow you to charge tax or tip to the gift card, so we got stuck with a hefty bill and a remaining gift card balance that we don't plan to use. If you're feeling adventurous, we're happy to donate it. We definitely won't be back.

My friend and I came in for dinner. They had a private party upstairs, but the restaurant downstairs was quiet. My friend ordered the short rib panini. He said it wasn't great and left more than half of it on his plate. I ordered the leg of lamb which was incredibly dry. Although it was smothered in gravy, no amount of sauce or gravy could mask the dryness. The servers were nice, but it was a bit difficult to get their attention; likely because of the party upstairs. I rated it 2 stars purely because of the food. For $34, I expect food to be better.

This is actually one of the best places to enjoy good wine and a good quiet environment. The food is good also. However, they have poor business practices. For example, they offer happy hour from 4:30-7:30...but only upstairs. Not only does this exclude people with disabilities...a whole other story, but if there's a private event it's upstairs. Therefore, there's no happy hour as they don't move it downstairs. Most recently there was a DC water issue- which isn't their fault. However, it took 20 minutes before we were notified they wouldn't be serving food, and that's only after we asked for a menu. Better business practices necessary. General manager is kind though.

The food is fantastic, and it's never very crowded when I've been. Honestly, such a great spot for some appetizers or a date night!

Had a lovely dinner with the server Lindsey last night. Please excuse my poor photo quality- i didn't want to start taking photos with flash on so I used the candles to help light up the plates. So Lindsay recommended a lovely white for my friend and I and helped us navigate through the charcuterie and cheese. We went ahead with a charcuterie board of manchego & 1 other cheese and the duck prosciutto & prosciutto di Parma. I couldn't be too adventurous with meat/cheeses as it wasn't my friends favorite thing but they definitely have more fun options to choose from. The board was delicious however the bread that comes with the board is lacking something... either their focaccia needs to be grilled longer or brushed with garlic/EVOL to give it flavor- it was almost not worth the carbs to eat the bread. There also was i believe a crostini of sorts but my girlfriend ate them all so i can't speak for how those taste. The charcuterie was delicious and we were given a heaping amount of prosciutto di Parma. For main course my friend got the spaghetti vongole & I had the mint papardelle with lamb Ragu. The mint papardelle were definitely interesting and had an enjoyable taste. My friends vongole had just the amount of additional clam broth at the bottom of the plate helping the pasta to not dry out & remaining flavorful. If you're visiting for dinner and are sensitive to cold I'd suggest to get seated farther inside as the restaurant did get a little cold but that's just expected of winter time!

i come here every weekend and the staff is great. Very friendly. the pan seared salmon is the best entree I've had thus far. you won't regret your visit

Sanoma is my absolute favorite restaurant on the hill! Their food and service never disappoints me. I've been here for dinner enough to have tried most everything on the menu, I've been here for happy hour and after dinner drinks so needless to say I've had a "well rounded" experience here. The menu is "farm to table style" so it does change up frequently and you can also get local wines and brews as well. Sonoma boasts a fantastic e wine selection. For main courses I highly recommend the duck when it's on the menu, the pan seared rainbow trout, the pork chop, or the pesto gnocchi. For those with a dessert stomach the bingets and goat cheesecake are amazing!! I've never had a bad experience here. The ambiance is great, there's room for groups, but the setting is warm and romantic.

I dined with one of my best friends for my birthday. The experience was nice. I wasn't blown away by dinner. The establishment was small, but I did however, like the intimacy of the dining area. The soft candle lighting helped give a nice ambience. One of the initial turn-offs, was that the hostess had a bit of an attitude, and she attempted to sit myself and my friend at a very small table at the front of the restaurant in the window. Luckily, my friend requested to be seated further back. Our waiter, "Nick" was friendly, but I will say, he was a bit "snarky" when he brought out the ricotta beignets with a candle and my friend asked him to help her sing, "Happy Birthday" to me. He stated, "I don't sing, Happy Birthday." I thought that was a bit rude, but I said, "it's fine, and there's no need to sing." My Salad was ok. My steak was a bit over seasoned. It was spicy, and had a lot of fat. The steak really fell short. The last comment that I'll make is that, there's only one stall in the restroom. So where we were seated, there was a line that formed with people waiting to use the restroom. Needless to say, I didn't like that at all. So the plus side for me, was that it's near the White House. The downside, is that I didn't feel very welcome or comfortable dining there. Would I return? Probably not, but I don't know

My family and i were seated in a half full restaurant for lunch. Except for providing water, the staff proceeded to ignore us and take orders from several customers who were seated after us. Given the staff's clear indifference to waiting on us, we got up and left - i really can't say if the food is good since there was no effort to serve us, but i would never consider returning here....

Ok, I get why this place has so few stars. Over the course of two weeks I've called and left two messages and emailed about the possibility of hosting an event at Sonoma for work. I haven't received a single response. Like, we are not in a game of phone tag that just isn't working out, they simply haven't responded to a single call or email. When I do call the person who answers is never the one who can help, which makes sense, but c'mon; this is DC. People expect a response time of less than two weeks! Thankfully, I was able to book our event elsewhere, but because of this experience I think I won't be going back to Sonoma, just based on the unnecessary stress the caused. A customer shouldn't have to hunt down a responsible restaurant in order to throw thousands of dollars at them. Pass.

Visited during a quiet winter evening. Love the upstairs lounge room with a beautiful view of the Capitol and ample amount of comfortable seating. Fantastic wine selection and fast, friendly service (although, we were pretty much the only people upstairs). Great atmosphere and fair prices. We did not eat, but the menu seemed to complement the wine bar vibe. Chic, swanky place to meet friends in this neighborhood.

My mother and I went to Sonoma last night before catching a show at the Folger Theater. It was her birthday, and we wanted to make sure we were full before a three-hour show. A friend had recommended Sonoma. His words, "It's FABULOUS". We got there long before the dinner rush had begun and were seated at a table near the front entrance window, with a charming view of the patio diners and the bustling avenue. The sun was shining, the weather was sweet, and we were hungry and happy. The food was delicious. She enjoyed perfectly grilled gambas over the green salad. I always ask my server to choose between two items that pique my interest ... I figure they should know, right? Our server, Lindsey, suggested the Mushroom Burger and a great Cabernet Sauvignon. What impressed me was how she took time to look at the wine menu (I'm not a connoisseur but I know I don't like sweet, fruity reds) and determined that the wine that would best fit my meal. I appreciated that she didn't' try to upsell the more expensive glasses, rather really wanted to make sure the wine I chose would pair with my meal. We had a great meal, great service from Lindsey, the hostess who made sure my yellow umbrella was safe after I left it (I had two of those delicious glasses of red wine!!) and cheerfully returned it when we came back. Even the young man who refilled our glass was kind and helpful. Even when the restaurant became a bustling bistro, slammed by the dinner rush, Lindsey took the time to take some great shots of us to post our happy celebration. I will return and suggest everyone does. The Mushroom Burger and accompanying salad were so good my mouth is actually and factually watering right now as I type this. Something very "meaty" about it, unlike a grain-based burger. Mmmmm. I must return to try the lamb pappardelle and the white chocolate bread pudding that we had to cancel because we were running late for the show! Thanks to Lindsey and the rest of the staff of Sonoma for giving us a great night to remember!

Good wine selection and local craft beer menu. We selected this spot based on convenience. It was close to the Capital, I worried it would be a bomb but was happy that it wasn't. While fish bronzini was excellent.

So happy to be back to this local gem!! I absolutely love this restaurant and surprisingly remained anonymous since my last visit where I arrived w my sister in an orthopedic boot and my mother in an eyepatch (very psychedelic entrance and now that I think of it we probably left the DEI advertisers in goosebumps). I was w my sisters so the ordering was a free for all and we shared everything. There's a new chef since I last visited and everything was perfect. Starting with Eli - our very attentive, knowledgeable and personable server. Fortunately, they are still offering their Restaurant Week menu (3 courses, $35) which we took advantage of. All in all we had the stracciatella (do not miss this - the focaccia is amazing and they didn't judge when I ordered more), the meatballs (accented with polenta - almost a meal in itself), moules frites (so plump, bountiful and delicious!) and the asparagus risotto. And to round it out, the mousse (new!) and two bottles of the Jezebel. I apologize for nothing and can't wait to do it again!

I just finished a truly mediocre dinner here. The service was slow, unfriendly, inattentive, uninspiring. I'm a waitress - I give bad reviews very reluctantly. This was just...terrible. The reason I'm leaving a bad review though? The food. I ordered the grilled stone fruit salad ($16) with grilled prawns (+$12). The stone fruit (4 slices of plum) was cold and not grilled. The frisée was slathered in a mustard sauce that was too horseradish-y/spicy/thick to consume. The prawns were desperately over cooked and had the consistency of a paste, and the taste of salty fish. Plus there were only THREE of them - for 12 additional dollars! My boyfriend's branzino was lukewarm and basic. We had no drinks, and the meal was still $70 after tip. Ridiculous - we're both dissatisfied, still hungry, and disappointed. This restaurant is called "Sonoma" - we grew up in the Bay Area and I can tell you first hand that this restaurant is decidedly not inspired by California wine country food. Don't dine here.

I really enjoy Sonoma restaurant & Wine bar! The space is very cute, and they have a lounge upstairs with a larger bar. The upstairs is the perfect place to come for Happy Hour, which they offer Monday-Friday from 4:30-7:30 and have some pretty great deals! For brunch they offer pretty standard dishes including omelettes, chicken & waffles, burgers and my favorite the steak & eggs. Prices are a bit high... $17 for chicken& waffles, $12 for a plain omelette. For dinner you can choose from pastas, pizzas, salads or burgers. Nothing super creative, but everyone is sure to find something they like. I'd highly recommend the lamb burger with feta sauce, yum. The wine list isn't crazy long, but they guarantee to find something you love. They seem to really know their stuff and want to offer their knowledge in choosing the right bottle or glass. Again, prices aren't cheap... but during happy hour you can enjoy a glass of wine for $6. Overall a very nice restaurant, though a bit over priced. I think this is a pretty safe place to come when you're looking to splurge a little, but also make sure your whole party is able to find something interesting and yummy on the menu.

Chose this place for a large birthday gathering and it turned out to be the perfect spot. We had about 10 people in our group and our servers did a great job of serving our table. We ordered 2 charcuterie boards and a few bottles of wine-- all were great and happened to be plenty for our group. I'm pretty sure that our table had the majority of all the main course dishes that were available and everyone had great things to say about their meals. Me personally, I ordered the lamb pasta and while great, it just seemed to be missing something. Another person in our group also said the same and we came to the conclusion that it could have used more parmesan or something a little salty for an extra pop. With that being said, we were still happy with our choices and felt that the portion size was good for the money. Great, food, wine, and service were all that we could ask for and we got exactly that. Definitely going back!

The food and wine were so so so good! Compliments to the chefs back there! the service overall could've been a bit friendlier and more helpful

Amazing place to come for appetizers or dinner. They have an incredible selection of wine and do an amazing job of recommending what you may like. When I went I had the yellow brick road tasting and the daily choice. I was amazed at how great the wine tasted and how nice the servers are. My boyfriend and I came in here because the outside looked so peaceful and were very pleased with our meatball appetizer. I have been to DC before and have not found a place like this!

Whenever I go to Capitol Hill, I always feel like I'm a tourist in my own city. Sure it's just a couple of miles from my humble abode, but something about it just seems so different. Maybe it's all the interns, or all the pompous staffers, or the intense police presence. I don't know exactly what it is, but I'll take it. It allows me to step out of my normal hustle and pretend I'm somewhere far, far away.. all in the shadow of the capitol. I went to Sonoma for the first time some years ago, as a young, young lad. I knew nothing of this whole "foodie" scene, or why the heck they were serving wine out of a funny contraption in the wall. But now I get it. Me and the boo had a little date night here last weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely everything was. We were able to snag a perfect table on the patio, on the beautiful, atypically cool DC summer evening. The interior is very clean feeling, fitting a mold for what most chic-foodie restaurants are trying for. A dark atmosphere, bold lighting fixtures, concrete bars, metal seating. Sure it's replicated all over the place, but who am I to judge? I mean, if I had a house and an actual budget to furnish said house, it would probably not look unlike this. This is obviously a wine bar, they do nothing to disguise this fact. But happily, they also have a nice selection of beer as well as the hard stuff. Before we sat down at our table last Friday, we grabbed a beer at the bar just to ease into the evening. We aren't exactly wine connoisseurs, but we try, but either way, starting off with a beer just seemed right in our world. Once we sat down, we opted for a bottle of pinot grigio. As I mentioned, we don't know what the heck we're ordering, so we just went for a bottle that wasn't the cheapest, but was far from the most expensive, and hoped for the best. And it worked! Yay good wine. To go along with our nice chilled bottle, we picked out a couple of cheeses. I like cheese. I don't really discriminate with many cheeses, but for whatever reason, I found selecting 2 cheeses out of the list of 12 to be harder than choosing the proper wine. So I handed that task over to my man and figured I'd devour whatever arrived either way. We got a nice blue and a sheep's milk, which were both perfectly paired with slices of crustini and a proper accompaniment. Proper cheese parings are so darn lovely sometimes. After the cheese, we dove into the main courses. I had the Carolina trout, as that healthily fatty fish is one of my favorites out there. The thing about trout is that sometimes it has the aroma of the stinky water it lived in, which is obviously, expected since it was plucked out of that. But Sonoma's trout was impeccable. They served two huge fillets atop one another, also atop some farrow grain. Perfection on a plate. My gentleman friend had the pork special, which was a pork tenderloin which similarly looked divine. As stuffed as we were at this point, and as much as we had intended to go grab dinner somewhere else down the street, after seeing the dessert menu, there was no turning back. Goat. Cheese. Cake. I can get down with a good cheesecake from time to time, but Gabe, well, that's all he needs in life. So we shared a nice piece of that. And since we had emptied our bottle before the dessert came, we knew we had to do something about such a travesty. He went for a scotch, since peatiness is up his alley, but as much as I wanted to give it a try, I went for a nice neat bourbon to wrap up the meal. And it did just that perfectly. I highly recommend swinging by for a visit and give it a shot, play tourist in your own town!

If you've ever lived in Northern California you might be understandably skeptical about a place called Sonoma in Washington, D.C. However, I went with an open mind. When I entered the space I immediately liked the airiness, the long bar and the exposed brick walls. It felt like the kind of place I like to hang out in - drinking wine with my favorite Washingtonian at the bar, having dinner with friends at the larger, communal tables. The highlight of my dinner was the local tomato-forest mushroom bruschetta with herbed sheep's milk ricotta. I also enjoyed the stone mustard braised shoat on grilled ciabatta with chard and grilled peaches. Because Sonoma offers wines in smaller "tasting" sizes, I was able to try both the 2006 "J" - a Pinot Gris from the Russian River Valley AND a Sangiovese/Nebbiolo from Napa Valley and make it home still on the sober side of things. A WORD ON EVENTS AT SONOMA: I planned an event for 75 at Sonoma and worked with Rebecca to make it happen. She's super on top of the details and I couldn't recommend her or Sonoma highly enough for an event. My reception was a fabulous success as a result! They have multiple spaces upstairs that can accommodate events of various sizes. FINALLY: If you're homesick for Northern California's food and wine, get your fix at Sonoma.

The dinner that I shared with a friend put us each $40 in the hole yet it was not in the least bit satisfying or tasty. We ordered an appetizer of grilled calamari with red beans, arugula salad, roasted branzino (sea bass) with more arugula, and a rice pudding with pumpkin dessert. I feel like the chefs forgot to add some flavor to their dishes. The vinaigrette on the arugula was just merely olive oil. The branzino had no seasoning while the rice pudding had a mellow taste, not overly sugary, which was good yet it was nothing that would grab my attention. I understand the concept of this restaurant, small portions, focus on fresh ingredients, however, the food was just plain bland. Service was great. It is incredibly loud inside so if you're trying to have a conversation with a dinner mate, forgettaboutit. Like other Yelpers have suggested, it's probably a great place for drinks, however, as for the food, maybe stick to the basics of pasta and pizza and splurge on the wine.

1st attempt( a year and a half ago): Snooty front of house service, group could not abide by it, so left. 2nd attempt( a year ago): tried to do happy hour, area for happy hour closed, no other area to get deals 3rd attempt(11 months ago): date night, no, can't seat you for 1.5 hours, yes the empty tables are for reservations 4th attempt(today): friends from out of town just text and said " you said we were supposed to meet here right? because it looks like their lounge area is closed" I'm sure if you can get there, it's great. As for me, I chalk it up as an epic fail. #whenitistoohardtoplanyouhavetoassumethattheydontcare

Sonoma has a great wine list and I love coming here and eating lots of cheese. As other people said, it's definitely a step up from most of the places on Capitol Hill as far as atmosphere. They also offer two spaces to rent for private parties on the second floor. It would be such a cute place to have a party, I wish I had an occasion to do so. Food items I find quite splendid here include the chickpea puree, the white pizza and of course the burger. Reservations are tough to get though, as other reviewers have noted.

Sonoma is my neighborhood exceptional wine bar in Old Town. A great place to start your evening before dinner, appetizers and sides are great! Exceptional staff who always make you feel welcome and check-in on you consistently despite how busy the place is. An additive, staff work great together with a respect for each of their roles, responsibilities, age and cultural differences. Setting is bright and lively, music not too over powering. Cocktail seating around the bar, and if it is full, people enjoy themselves and stand. Wonderful cozy outdoor seating. Colleen our bartender is AMAZING. I feel you can teach work ethic and customer service to a minimal. Colleen definitely is imbedded with those values. Even when she is in the weeds serving guests at the bar, while serving guests at cocktail tables, she makes sure to provider her customers eye contact. Really interesting trait I have yet to seen in the service industry which is quite genuine and on top of her game.

Like I said, I went back there to try something else. 1. Burratta cheese w/ ONLY ONE slice of bread, tomato slices/jam. Burratta is always fresh and milky but I had a better one from most g-store... I wish they put something else like ricotta cheese or honey.. 2. Steak w/ parsnip puree: Parsnip puree was great. My friend said the steak was good. 3. Pasta: pacherri (forgettable) and spaghetti (very forgettable) were aweful. Both must have escaped the boiling water before time was up. All ingredients were playing independently without any flavor what so ever. Egg in spaghetti came as actually thinly sliced boiled egg, not as a part of sauce like carbonara. WTF. I had to do something so I asked some parmasan cheese and just dump the cheese into both pasta bowl. Well.. it didn't help much and I ended up making my own mac n' cheese when I got home. Mac n' cheese from the Package was MUCH better than sonoma's pasta. Completely faied pasta dish.. Not sure if I want to return when I know there are many other wine bar offering good selections of wine and FOOD.

Went here for a business lunch. Ordered the shrimp pasta which was the perfect position size for lunch. The server recommended the Brussels sprouts which I ordered as a side. Very large portion which was more than enough for two of us (we couldn't finish them).