Obelisk has served a five-course Italian dinner from a 1930s row house in Dupont Circle since the summer of 1987. The menu is inspired by the seasons and changes week to week rather than repeating a fixed roster, though squab, burrata, and puff pastry are dishes diners often mention returning for.
The setting is residential rather than grand — a small, house-like dining room built for a slower, sit-down meal. It has built a reputation as both an intimate special-occasion destination and a spot with long-time regulars who treat it as their own.
Obelisk has been named to the Michelin Guide's Selected list for Washington, DC in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025. Its chef has been recognized multiple times by the James Beard Foundation as a Best Chef semifinalist or finalist, with nominations spanning from 2000 through 2024.
The setting is residential rather than grand — a small, house-like dining room built for a slower, sit-down meal. It has built a reputation as both an intimate special-occasion destination and a spot with long-time regulars who treat it as their own.
Obelisk has been named to the Michelin Guide's Selected list for Washington, DC in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025. Its chef has been recognized multiple times by the James Beard Foundation as a Best Chef semifinalist or finalist, with nominations spanning from 2000 through 2024.