A timeless Italian culinary experience for this moment. Glittering chandeliers float below wooden farm beams. Wisps of fragrant smoke linger inside a gold-plated pizza oven. Sumptuous fabrics meet impeccable ingredients. This is L’Ardente, the latest hospitality venture from the award-winning team behind Unconventional Diner. The restaurant reflects the glorious contrasts of Italy itself: haute yet simple; glam yet rustic; indulgent yet restrained. Above all, it’s a destination DC deserves right now, a Mediterranean balm in the heart of the capital.