Image: Whole-y, but no mackerel.
Last Updated: April 2024
Overview:
The re-incarnation of Pesce is an act of love and it shows. Judita Doliveira worked at the original version with founded by Jean-Louis Palladin and Roberto Donna that became an anchor for the community on P Street. Doliviera sought Regine Palladin’s blessing before re-opening at the current location north of the circle at Florida and Connecticut (below the old Russia House). The location is different but the homey feel has transferred.
The warm touch extends to the menu where in addition to straightforward preparations of fish, there are many comforting dishes like risotto with lobster, clam linguine, and lobster bisque. Favorites return like grilled sardines or calamari grilled or fried. Lighter choices include salads and ceviches. The care and ambition of the place is highlighted by a revolving set of specials based on what is available like a Central American white fish or Hawaiian wahoo.
The bar is decently stocked, and like the rest of the place, staffed by experienced hands. The wine list is about ten whites and five reds geared to reasonable price over depth or big names, which matches the neighborhood feel. Beers are bottles. 
The rooms are bit labyrinthine with two dining rooms and a small bar in between, plus a small chef’s table down one hall. The walls are covered with Doliviera’s paintings of fish, including single-eyed round one that serves as a mascot of sorts. Out of the gate the neighborhood has responded, so reservations are recommended on busy nights (and maybe even on off nights to be safe). 
Other Guidance: The restaurant is located at street level with no interior steps, but the primary dining room is the most accessible probably if that is a concern. The vibe is casual. GF can do well, pescatarians can do very well (obviously), but vegetarians will have to hunt and peck.
Summary:
Cuisine: Seafood
Neighborhood: Dupont
Address: 1800 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
Website: https://www.pesceseafood.com/
Reservations: Resy
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: No coverage yet of new spot.
Washingtonian: No coverage yet of new spot.
DonRockwell.com – the old thread.
Before Times Review:
Last Visited: June 2019
Imagine a neighborhood restaurant that buzzes as the food is sent from the kitchen, with diners settled into simple tables. Imagine that it has its quirks, like a menu that is a on large blackboard with the choices written in chalk. There may be occasional mark-throughs to replace the accompanying vegetable to the salmon or to note those fresh items that ran out in the course of the night. The blackboards move around the room and are perched on chairs, then moved on to the next table after you have ordered. The food is reliably good, as if the kitchen is trying to live up to the expectations of a culinary legend. It is the kind of place that must develop organically and cannot be pre-fabricated. Pesce is that place.
The focus, as the name gives away, is on fish. There are ten or so appetizers every night, and ten or so main courses. There is a commitment to freshness in ingredients. There is pride in the cooking, accompanied by a welcome lack of pretension. Over the years, the food was a bit heavier than you would expect for a fish-focused place. But recent visits show a lighter touch. There are some dishes that might raise eyebrows among the non-adventurous (whole sardines), but there are many that can please a wide audience.
Pesce was opened in the early 90s by legendary chefs Jean-Louis Palladin (a few years before his acclaimed Watergate restaurant closed) and Roberta Donna. Palladin’s wife assumed control but in 2017 the family sold its interest to the chef Andrew LaPorta. There remain nods to its origins like the Lobster Palladin on the menu. The staff continues to hustle. The wine list is short and slightly more interesting than you might expect. The bar has long been a place where you can get a meal and relax as a solo diner. One of the long-standing, less-than-pleasant quirks is that the bathrooms seem cut off from the A/C, making them sauna-like in summer. But the casualness keeps it under the radar and available to all who seek it out.
The fact a new owner has kept Pesce’s spirit alive is good news for all who value these treasures of DC dining.
Other Guidance: Dress is casual and up fitting the neighborhood vibe. GF can do okay, and better than vegetarians here.
Rating: Worth Taking a Walk
Cuisine: French
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Location: 2002 P St NW, Washington DC
Website: https://www.pescedc.com/
Reservations: Opentable (some nights not required, but they can get busy)
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Looks like last reviewed in 2008 (Can’t find link). But made his list of favorite places he’s eating in May 2019, with this high praise: “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no finer fish house in Washington than Pesce.” Emphasis in original.
Washingtonian: N/A
Zagat: An example of why Zagat can’t be trusted for DC, it still hasn’t noted the change in the ownership in the last two years.
