If you are looking for an exciting dining experience, centering diasporic dishes, Elmina has you covered. I would recommend doing the Tasting Experience, however, I am sure you will be tempted to try things al a carte also! Drinks were great, even the non-alcoholic beverage I had was excellent! They have a corking fee, if you're celebrating and bringing your own bubbles. The space is beautifully decorated. Very intimate and warm feels throughout. Even the bathrooms are cute. They have a gorgeous back patio room that is enclosed but gives indoor/outdoor space. Would love to experience the happy hour scene here! This is really one of those places you have to see for yourself. You'll love it. Did I mention that the chef took time to come greet guests during the course of the evening? Sweet added touch for a meal that felt personal and made with love. 10/10 read more

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We tried the tasting experience at this new Ghanaian-themed restaurant tonight. This was our second visit and the first time was for brunch, which we enjoyed and that made us excited to return for dinner. From the moment we walked in, the staff was warm and welcoming, and we were seated promptly. Unfortunately, our table was upstairs in a corner next to a busy busing station, which disrupted the atmosphere with constant clanging of dishes. Service left much to be desired. Water was not refilled, dirty plates were left too long, and basic touches like serving utensils and wiping the table were overlooked. Dessert spoons were placed for some of us; however, one was slid across the table instead of being properly placed. The food had some strong highlights. The curried corn bisque was rich and flavorful, the hamachi crisp and Ghana salad were enjoyable, and the braised goat with fufu was a standout which was my first time trying fufu, and it was excellent. The Red Red, however, was disappointing and mostly inedible except for the plantain. The wagyu short rib was delicious, and the palate cleanser was light and refreshing. The third course was mixed. The snapper was well-prepared and crispy without being greasy, and the rice and beans were good. The oxtail was mostly fat and bone with no meat and should not have been served, so it had to be returned. I also bit into a chunk of salt. The replacement, a jollof duck pot, featured well-cooked duck over dry, bland, hard rice. Dessert was hit or miss. The malva pudding cake was dense and not to my taste, but the vanilla gelato on top of it was lovely. The brofot with nutmeg chantilly, sticky toffee, and gelato was tasty. It would have been helpful if the staff had explained each dish and its accompaniments as they were served. Some items were unfamiliar and hard to identify, which took away from the full experience. We appreciated the warm energy of the chef and wish the team much success. With improvements in service, communication, and consistency, this place has real potential. read more

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I came here to celebrate my partner's birthday. Initially, we were seated in a back room that was uncomfortably warm, but thankfully, our server was kind enough to move us to a much nicer spot, a stylish lounge area with beautiful black and blue decor that really elevated the atmosphere. Service overall was very good. Since it was her birthday, they offered us each a complimentary glass of Prosecco, which was a thoughtful touch and definitely appreciated. For our meals, I had the pork belly chichinga with a side of jollof rice, and she ordered the oxtail. While I was happy that she enjoyed her dish, I found both the pork belly and the oxtail surprisingly tough and chewy. The flavor of the pork belly was solid, but the texture made it difficult to eat, which is unusual for that cut of meat. The rice was just okay; not bad, but not memorable either. Given the price point and the strong reviews this place has received, I was hoping for a better overall experience. It's possible we caught the kitchen on an off night, but I'm not sure I'd want to take the risk, especially at that cost. read more

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"The mother sauce is made when you stir your culture into your craft" reads the first page of the menu at Elmina, a Ghanaian restaurant from Top Chef alumnus Eric Adjepong. Work your way through the tasting menu and you'll know his mother sauce is on point. My wife and I made a reservation months in advance for a Saturday at 7pm in May. Here's our experience. 1) Food: The menu is a $135 tasting menu with four courses. The first, second, and fourth courses are for you and the third (main course) you share with your party. Many dishes include meat, but if you are avoiding meat, I found dishes in every category. For the first, my wife ordered what became her new favorite hamachi crudo. The slice of fish was fresh and the combo of the passion fruit with the peri-peri oil and serrano made it sweet and spicy. The corn nuts added crunch. For me, I ordered the zaalouk dip and found the roasted eggplant full of flavor. It comes with the most delicious and soft flatbread. For the second course, my wife and I went different directions. She got the palm nut shrimp and octopus stew and I the Red Red (a vegetarian option). Both were flavorful and balanced. If you love Red Red, order Eric's. For the third and main course, we went vegetarian with the Bambara Bean Coconut Curry. It comes with charred cabbage, plantains, and the curried beans. For the best affect, eat all three parts of the dish in one bite. The sweetness of the plantains work well with the beans and cabbage. For the fourth course (dessert), my wife got the Malva Pudding Cake and I the Mango Pudding. Each was good, but my wife thought the pudding cake would be easier to eat if the sweet pickled apricots came cut into smaller pieces. It was harder to cut. The Mango Pudding came with pavlova on top, the perfect compliment for the mango pudding underneath. 2) Drinks: The cocktail menu includes 13 options and three mocktails. If you like complex sweet, order their margarita. The hibiscus works and after having bee pollen salt on the rim, you'll never go back to straight up salt. The Tree of Life's mango and mezcal played nicely together. (It wasn't too smokey.) 3) Space: It's in the old Seven Reasons space with two floors of dining and a basement level with restrooms. We dined on the second floor in their back space, which looks a lot like Ambar's outdoor dining area. It's stunning and very light compared to the darker-lit room you walk through to get to it. Beautiful paintings decorate the walls. 4) Service: This is the only area of feedback and it's consistent throughout other reviews of Elmina. For the price point, you'd expect better service. We sat for more than two minutes before our server offered water. Throughout the entire visit, he was overwhelming unenergetic or passionate. He wasn't knowledgeable of the menu. It took a very long time to get our check and then settle the payment. That said, once we ordered, the food itself was perfectly spaced and the timing was on point. Also, Chef Eric stopped by our table, as he does every table, to say hi, which was a nice touch. 5) Area: Just a few blocks north of busy U Street NW, there are plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. Parking can be a pain so plan accordingly. The U Street Metro is a few blocks away. read more

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Visited for Brunch around 11:30a. It was very quiet which was nice. The space is very welcoming and cool vibes. I really enjoyed the art work. It looks intentional. We ordered the Oxtail Hash, Banana Shrimp and Grits, and the cinnamon roll. I hate bananas and really wanted shrimp and grits so I stepped out on a limb and ordered them. It was surprisingly good. The sweetness to the dish compliments the savory flavors well. The cinnamon roll was my favorite. read more

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I came Elmina after seeing a friend post their birthday dinner photos from here. I was visiting from the west coast and I don't know many Ghanaian restaurants in my area, so I was exited to give it a try. There was plenty of seating available on a Wednesday evening at the bar and general seating area...so I didn't need a reservation. In terms of the ambiance, it definitely gives an intimidate, date night atmosphere. I really liked the music playlist as well. It really matched the overall vibe of the restaurant. No skips whatsoever. Service wise: the host, bartender, and other staff were all attentive, friendly, and accommodating. For cocktails: Unfortunately some of the cocktails listed on the website were not on the current menu. Which was slightly disappointing because I had pre-planned what I was going to order before I had arrived. I ended up improvising, and the bartender made me a whisky sour which was really good. The bartender also made a Manhattan-like drink that was solid, but not as good as the sour. For food: I opted for the 4 course tasting menu. For appetizer, I ordered the crudo which was light, fresh, and had the perfect amount of spiciness. The second course was the Fufu, in which texturally I thought it was prepared perfectly. This dish in my opinion is a modern and elevated take on a traditional fufu meal. Since this dish is traditionally eaten with your hands, they brought me out water and a warm cloth to clean my hands prior to eating it. The goat and sauce was a very nice accompaniment to the fufu. For the third course I ordered the jollof duck pot dish. The tomato cucumber medley added a nice freshness. The glaze on the duck really brought out the flavor. Also, the duck skin retained the crispiness despite the glaze...which is often hard to accomplish. I can see how the duck pieces without the glaze can be perceived as a little lackluster, but the glaze definitely enhances it. I liked the smoked flavor of the jollof rice and it was cooked well. I found the egg unnecessary because it didn't really add much...although I'm not sure if egg is traditionally included in Ghanaian jollof? For dessert, I loved the pudding. Sometimes these types of desserts can be overly sweet, but the sweetness level on this one was excellent. I really liked it and it was the perfect way to end the meal. Would love to come back here to try more things the next time I'm in the area. read more

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I really wanted to love Elmina. I had been wanting to visit ever since I heard that Eric Adjepong (from season 16 of Top Chef) had opened a Ghanaian restaurant in DC. While I liked some thing about my dinner last weekend, ultimately, I left a little underwhelmed. I had a reservation for one for 7:30 on a Saturday night. When I arrived, I was shown immediately to my table on the main level at the entrance to the restaurant (in front of the bar). I would have preferred to sit facing into the restaurant, but I could tell just looking at the table as I walked up to it that the height of the booth seating and the table did not match up. The booth was too high - or the table too low - and I knew my legs would just be smashed up against the underside of the table if I sat in the booth. So I sat in the chair facing the wall, which wasn't a great seat. The restaurant had cool vibes (I enjoyed the one art piece I could see and the light fixtures hanging overhead), but I couldn't see much of the restaurant. I decided to go with the tasting menu option since it was my first visit. (FYI They offer a tasting menu for $135 or an a la carte option, and they will bring you both menus when you sit down.) With the tasting experience, you chose one first course, one second course, a third course meant to be shared between two people, and a dessert. Because that third course is shared, I wasn't sure they would let me do the tasting menu option, but they did. Before the first course I ordered arrived, they brought a little amuse-bouche (that night, it was a raw scallop dish with a coconut broth, crispy quinoa, and a great bright herby sauce). Those couple of bites were amazing, and I got really excited about what was to come. It ended up being one of my favorite bites of the night. I was worried about how much food was coming, so I ordered one of the lighter options for my first course: hamachi crudo (with passion fruit, peri-peri oil, herbs, Serrano, radish, and corn nuts). I also really enjoyed this dish - it was fresh and spicy and had great texture. For the second course, I got the palm nut shrimp and octopus stew. It was a small portion, which I really appreciate in a tasting menu. But it was easily my least favorite course of the meal. The flavor was great - rich, spiced, and spicy. However, the cook on the proteins was just really off. The shrimp was overcooked, but I usually find that I prefer shrimp cooked much less than others. It was chewy, but that was nothing compared to the octopus, which was one of the rubberiest cooks of octopus I've had in ages. The octopus was served as slices of tentacles, not too thick. But I found the octopus so chewy and rubbery, that I needed to cut them in half in order to be able to eat them. Cutting them was hard to do with a table knife and the steep sided bowl the dish was served in. This dish was a disappointment, because the flavor really was very good. But I just couldn't get past how badly cooked the proteins were. For my main course, I got the Jollof Duck Pot (smoked jollof rice, tamarind glazed confit duck leg, duck breast, duck eg, shito, and roasted tomato salad. I wasn't crazy about this dish either. It was very smoky but not spicy and not well seasoned other than with smoke. I found the duck leg overcooked and the duck breast was chewy. The roasted tomato salad was cold and under seasoned, although the onion from the roasted tomato salad with a bite of rice was my favorite bite from the dish. The dish just didn't come together for me. My other note about this dish is that they served me a regular sized portion - just too much food. For dessert, I ordered the Malva Pudding Cake (with sweet pickled apricots and vanilla gelato). It really surprised me, because I typically prefer less sweet desserts. This pudding cake is sweet, but I loved it. The texture and flavor were amazing. (My only note - and I'm aware this is annoying - is that they need to cut up the pickled dried apricots! I get it - it's pretty to serve them whole like that. They aren't pickled long enough to get soft. They are pickled enough that you don't want to eat a whole one! If they had been diced up so I could get a bit of pickled apricot with every bite, it would have been perfect! The service was good (friendly and helpful). I was charged for a bottle of wine rather than a glass, but it was corrected when I brought it up. I wanted to love Elmina, because I've been wanting to try and learn more about Ghanaian food, but two of the courses didn't work for me. Maybe it was an off night, because the other reviews are so good?! I'd like to give it another shot to find out, but I wasn't in love after my first visit. read more

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I traveled to DC specifically to try Elmina. The experience did not disappoint. I ordered the tasting experience and absolutely every dish was phenomenal. The ambience was incredible and the service was amazing. Every course was timed perfectly. My favorite dishes were the ribeye and the corn bisque. The malva cake was also a highlight. I'll definitely be back the next time I visit DC. read more

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My friend and I wanted a second dinner last Friday evening, and Elmina was nearby! We were seated at the bar, so we didn't have full access to the menu. My friend wanted to try the FUFU, but unfortunately, it wasn't part of our limited bar options. We order a drink, a couple items from their "BAR BITES" section, and a dessert to share. N/A COCKTAIL: PINEAPPLES ARE BERRIES - 14 Very tangy, bright, and tart with an almost creamy layer of foam on top. But it was really sweet... a bit too sweet for my liking. I'm glad I tried it, but don't think I'll get it again in the future. CRISPY OKRA FRIES - 14 I'm not a huge fan of okras, but these weren't bad since the batter was the perfect thickness, texture and crisp. It came with a burnt leek and onion ranch, which added some savory sharpness to the mildly sweet okra fries. My friend loved these and it reminded her of the ones she'd enjoy back in Texas. CHOFI - 19 Each order came with 5 fried turkey tails (!!) and three different sauces. I enjoyed the Dawadawa aioli the most out of the three. The turkey tails were a bit too hard (texture wise) for my liking, but it was well-seasoned and flavorful. BOFROT - 18 This as a nice dessert to share! It came with a ball of fried dough that was topped with cinnamon (?) or a spice similar to it that was fresh and soft. There was a nice toffee sauce that complemented it well along with some bits of granola (kind of) that had a toffee flavor. The chocolate scoop mixed with it made the dessert a delicious toffee & chocolate combination. My friend got the ELIXIR OF LIFE non-alcoholic cocktail, which had a lot of bitters. I personally don't love bitters, but if you do, it's great because my friend loved this cocktail. Overall, pretty chill experience at Elmina's bar seating. Our bartender/server was nice and attentive! read more

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From the waiters to the hostess, this place is a gem! My friend and I tried the tasting menu and everything was truly special. The way they fuse different flavor profiles into one dish is amazing! It is an expensive meal ($$$) so I likely will only return for a special occasion. 1st course: Hamachi Crudo - incredible flavor here. It's sour from the passion fruit, yet spicy from the Serrano peppers. Loved this! The Ghana salad is also great, but not a star like the Hamachi. 2nd Course: Red Red is stewed black eyed peas with crispy plantains. It's a hearty meal and traditional to Ghana. So good! My friend had the short ribs which were incredible juicy and tender. You can't go wrong with either. 3rd Course: Jollof Duck Pot. Now, I'm no Nigerian or Ghanaian, but I thought the jollof was perfect! It was smoky, slightly oily like a like it, and packed small heat. The Duck is glazed in a sweet jam for those who like sweet and sour combos. This combo was done soooo well! 4th Course: Bofrot is basically a puff puff in cinnamon/sugar paired with ice cream. My friend had the Mango pudding. No complaints here. It was a perfect way to close the experience. read more

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If you do the tasting menu at Elmina, I recommmend for the 1st course the curried corn bisque, hamachi crudo, or zaalouk dip. For the 2nd course, the waygu short rib. For the third course, the jollof duck pot or waakye. And for the 4th course, the malva pudding cake. The flavors, quality, and aesthetic were all perfection! It's such a beautiful space and the service is great! read more

Elmina - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My good good friend suggested that we meet up for Saturday brunch at Elmina. A Ghanian restaurant owned and operated by @bravotopchef Season 16 finalist Chef Eric Adjepong. What we had: fried chicken sandwich - Delish. (Not a fan of the puna yam chips. Would order again but with a different side, if possible.) duck confit hash - Very flavorful with a little spice. (I tasted some without the runny egg.) cardamom lime cinnamon rolls - A hit. I could've made a meal out of these. million dollar bacon - Good, but not unlike any other bacon I've ever had. I was expecting a topping, glaze, or something. The restaurant is beautiful with three floors of bright colors, books, bright décor, and lovely art work. The service was great. Our server Bella was a doll and very helpful with our experience. Will be back for more cinnamon rolls and to try more menu items, especially the oxtail hash! __ I eat. @f.hux I thrift. @DCthriftish read more

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We came here to celebrate my husband's birthday. Overall, we had a nice time. Chef came out to say hi which was nice. We were sitting right under the AC vent and it was frigid, we asked if they could lower it...because we wanted to enjoy the food at a comfortable temperature. Thankfully they were able to. The food was FANTASTIC - they really delivered. Our favorite dish was definitely the Jollof - which usually comes with duck but we had it with oxtail. Was it better than with the duck? Probably. The only reason why I am giving them 4 stars is because they ran out of half the menu. I understand we had a 9:30PM reservation, but that shouldn't be a factor in the kitchen running out of food. You should have enough throughout the day. It was a bummer that every time our server came back, he had news about something else not being available anymore. Also the timing needs some work too, 3 hour dinner?? We left the restaurant at 12:30am, that's a little wild to me, especially considering they close at 11PM. My husband still had a nice birthday dinner, but we have definitely been telling people to give Elmina another month or two to iron out the kinks. read more

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Went here for my anniversary dinner and was sooo pleased. The decor is very modern, subtle and soothing to the eye. I love that the ambiance is low light and there's kinda like a rooftop vibe on the second level. Had the tasting so it came with a dish from each category: appetizer, main, dessert. We had the bean stew, zaloouk dip (made work eggplant and sooo delish), Ghana salad topped with a quail egg, palm nut stew with shrimp and octopus, the fried sea bass with yam chips and Malva pudding cake & Bofrot (which is like a fried doughnut ). LITERALLY EVERYTHING WAS SUPERB. I can't say this enough. The service was on point, we didn't wait for long for another out to come out. I can't wait to go back Chef Adjepong even came and say hi to everyone. Such a personable gesture! read more

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We had the tasting menu here and there are a diverse array of food and drinks here. We tried a variety of cocktails here and for the most part enjoyed them all. The best were: tree of life and espresso martini, as for food we had the set menu and the best thing were the zaalouk dip, fufu (spicy), lamb shoulder and both desserts. Tbh the hollow duck pot fell flat for me, duck breast was tender but drum was overcooked and egg felt out of place. read more

Bit of a mixed bag. Service was spotty and not to the standard of the price point. Whether it was running out of water, not getting wine poured, or checked in on food wise. Flavors were a bit scattered. Hamachi crudo was tangy with a bit of spice, but it was drowning in sauce, you'd never know what the main ingredient was by flavor. The beans and the eggplant apps were very nice, although served a bit lukewarm. The steak was massive (no complaint there) and was very undercooked to rare (medium rare requested) but, we didn't mind. It was underseasoned and needed more salt at the very least. Didn't love sitting in the middle of the narrow dining room, had a few waitstaff bump into me rounding tight corners. read more

Came with a group of friends to celebrate friends birthday. Everything was amazing. We did the tasting menu and the food, drinks, and service exceeded expectations. We each picked first, second, and fourth course and the 4 of us were asked to pick 2 for pur third course. The standouts were the Gold coast margarita, zaalouk eggplant dip, shrimp and octopus stew, waakye, Wagyu short ribs, and mango pudding. We all were pleasantly surprised by rhis experience and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for elevated African food woth diaspora influence. The chef also came out to greet ech table which made the experience even more worthwhile. read more

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I have only good things to say about Elmina. Beautiful restaurant, amazing food and a really great ambiance. I loved everything about this place. Here are some quick takeaways: If you can, definitely make reservations ahead of time or try your luck walking in fora table or a seat at the bar. There's plenty of space: a full bar right when you walk in, a main dining area with an open view of the kitchen and then what looks to be three separate rooms upstairs, each with its own unique gorgeous aesthetics and vibe. Every thing is well thought out and just an overal beautiful space. The service was also great. Our server was very attentive, took time to walk us through the menu, answered all of our questions and did a great job at making us feel very welcome. Now let's get to the food because it was amazing. We had the tasting experience which is a 4 course meal where you get to choose from a few options for each round. I had the curried corn bisque, wagyu short rib, jollof duck pot, and the mango pudding. Every single dish was well executed and delicious with plenty of flavor. I would order all of it again and also try more from the menu next time around. Elmina truly delivered. Everything from the vibe to the service to the food was on point. I highly recommend and I'll definitely be back. Run there! read more

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Food, service, ambiance: all excellent. I just wish they sold some of the four course menu items as Ala carte items! I'd kill to have more of that bambara bean coconut curry but I can't afford the $200 bill again for a looooong time!!! The meal started a small "chefs welcome dish." It was a scallop ceviche with coconut milk. I don't even like scallops and it was delicious! My second course, the corn bisque, was only ok. The best second course, we agreed, was the eggplant dip. After the second course, we got a "palate cleanser," which was I believe a raspberry ginger sorbet. Then the three of us got to share two mains: the fish was tender and nicely cooked. As mentioned, the Bambara bean curry was the highlight of the night for me. So freaking amazing! I also enjoyed my dessert, the bofrot. We sprung for the wine pairing and we all enjoyed that and found it reasonable size pours for the price. It was three wines and one red. We liked them all. Definitely recommend for a VERY A SPECIAL occasion and I do want to try brunch! read more

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Got a Saturday night res at Eric's newly opened restaurant. I'm a top chef fan and it did not disappoint. We ordered the skewer platter, eggplant dip, oxtail, jollof rice, and two desserts. Everything was super flavorful and balanced. Nothing felt too heavy and every bite was exploding with different spices. The dishes had a kick but nothing crazy. I would want to come back and get the tasting menu to try more! The drinks here are good as well read more

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Where to start... the peanut soup is a must get. It's comforting, rich and delicious. Between the tasting menu option or the chop bar, I prefer the chop bar. If they ever offer the peanut soup at the chop bar, it might just be perfect. Aside from the peanut soup, a few standout dishes to me are the hamachi crudo, oysters, and the prawn & pork belly kebabs. I've also heard the palm nut shrimp & octopus stew is indeed a "banga", and I have to give a shout out to the scallop amuse bouche- a tiny bite with a big impression. The ambiance is lovely (no surprise if you ever frequented Seven Reasons) and the service I've received has been top-tier. For drinks, the Gold Coast margarita can't be missed (but don't expect a classic margarita). read more

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New Ghanaian Restaurant in Washington DC: ELMINA #elmina #ghanavibes #ghanianfood #brunchindc #dcfoodie #thingstododmv Ratings: Location: 4/5 Ambiance/Decor: 5/5 Drinks: Mimosa 3/5 Food: Waygu Steak and eggs 3/5. The salad was delicious, and the eggs were okay. Steak was bland. Dessert: Johnny Cakes 4/5, but I like that it wasn't too sweet. I am definitely returning to try the tasting menu. The open kitchen concept in a renovated brownstone was perfect. I loved the decor, so chic and upscale classy vibes. Service was just okay. Nothing special. Next time I go, I hope I can get a picture with the owner and chef. He was super busy the day I went, and I didn't want to interrupt him. read more

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Where do I begin? This is truly an enchanting experience curated by Chef Eric Adjepong, with an impeccably well thought out menu that showcases true contemporary Ghanaian fusion cuisine, and the decor to match. The menu has a four course tasting option, that highlights traditional Ghanian (and arguably West African) dishes, and adds pizzazz and flare. And a Chop Bar menu, which has bar bites. Each course was bursting with all the flavours that took me back to my last trip to Accra, yet somehow added modernity with every bite. Run... don't walk! This is definitely guaranteed to be a dining experience you will not forget. My personal favourites were the complimentary scallops , the Zaalouk Dip (roasted eggplant ), Palm Nut Shrimp and Octopus Stew and the Mango Pudding. The table next to us had the Jollof Duck Pot and let's just say it was lots of "Umms" and "ahhs"!! read more

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The restaurant has great energy and killer music to set the mood. Our waiter Peter was super knowledgeable, patient and attentive! He did a fantastic job making sure our glasses were always full and each course was on pace that matched our consumption. Here's what I got: 1st Course: - Zaalouk Dip. 9/10. The roasted eggplant was divine and the roti was cooked to perfection. 2nd Course: - Fufu. 10/10. I would buy a jar of the sauce in this dish and drink it if I could! It tastes like peanut butter with spice. 3rd Course: - Jollof Duck Pot. 7/10. Im not a huge fan of duck but my friend is and you have to split this course. This dish was massive but not memorable imo but again I don't really like duck so take this critique with a grain of salt. I wish we got the oxtail instead! Add Ons: - Hamachi Crudo. 9/10. This was super yummy on a plantain chip. - Wagyu Short Ribs. 10/10. The ribs melt in your mouth and are mesquite flavor. I wish they had an a la carte menu that had full dinner options not just bar bites! I'd come back again and again for the Fufu & Wagyu Short Ribs! read more

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Cyndy's Bottom Line: A flavorful & soulful introduction to Ghanaian & West African cuisine. *Reservations on OpenTable *Metered street parking. Recommend car service *Large dining room with intimate spaces *Tasting menu and a la carte menus *Wines by the bottle. *Well crafted cocktail menu This is what we ate/drank: *Daddy Bofa -Oloroso Sherry. Carpano Antica Formula. Dates. Michter's US*1 Bourbon. Orange Bitters. +A well crafted cocktail with the right balance of high quality ingredients *Scarpetta Prosecco - bubbly goodness * Crispy Okra Fries - Burnt leek and onion ranch. +Fried to perfect and well seasoned. The accompanied dip is refined and delicious. A must order. *Smashed Avocado with Plantain Chips - Fresh avocado. Serrano. Herbs. +So fresh and flavorful avocado. Chips perfectly fried to a crisp. *Tuna Tartare - African blue basil. Watermelon radish. Crispy cassava. +Fresh high grade tuna served in a sliced beet with crispies. Good play on textures. *Beef - Suya. Red onion. Bell pepper. +First time tasting Suya which is a popular West African spice blend that is primarily used for marinating and grilling skewered meats. Love the juicy, tender beef with suya spicing. It imparts a smoky, nutty, and savory umami flavor. Delicious! *Elmina Spicy Chicken - off the menu special. +The chicken was very tender, and juicy with a zesty flavor. So yummy. Glad we had the opportunity to order it. *A side of Jollof Rice to accompany the chicken. A great recommendation from our awesome server Rob. +The jollof rice was yummy delicious! A must order. *Pork Belly - Labadi sauce. Pickled cucumber. Roasted garlic & sour cream dip. +Tasty pork belly. The condiments were so good too. +Friendly and attentive service from start to finish. Rob was great at describing the dishes and providing recommendations. +Highly recommend. I will definitely be back especially for the Chofi. +Loved the artwork. A striking portrait that I could not stop looking at. read more

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I was so excited to visit Elmina for the first time and I can honestly say it met all my expectations. I recently went this weekend for brunch. From the minute you walk into the establishment, you are greeted by their friendly staff. It is a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing establishment with emphasis on modern and contemporary decor. Okay! Now let's get to the food. While my group of friends waited for the remainder of our party, we started off with the Cardamom Lime Cinnamon Roll--such a unique blend of flavors. It was one of the best cinnamon rolls I had ever had. For my main, I had the oxtail hash. Also wonderfully delicious. It paired really well with my cocktail, the "Tree of Life." We also had the honor of meeting Chef Eric! He made his way to all of the tables to extend his greeting. He was so nice and very genuine. Such wonderful hospitality at Elmina all round. Elmina absolutely needs to be on your hottest list of new restaurants to try in DC. I can't wait come back for the tasting menu. read more

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I returned for dinner to celebrate my partners birthday! Everything was absolutely outstanding. The Fante Fante fish is absolutely delicious and is the best fish entree I've ever had. The service was phenomenal, I hope to try the tasting menu the next time I return! read more

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Overall I had a great experience at Elmina. I opted for the tasting menu so my order was: Zaalouk Dip, Fufu, Jollof Duck Pot, Bofrot and the Sundays with Lennox mocktail. While the Zaalouk Dip was good this was one dish that was cold, which included the spiced buttered flatbread that came with it. Still tasty but deformity would have been better had it of come out fresh. Fufu - 10/10 everything about this dish was so perfect I wished this was an option for the big chop (3rd course) Jollof Duck Pot - this was good, the rice was perfect as someone who is not the biggest fan of Jollof. The duck was also good but a bit too fatty for me. Bofrot - a delicious treat, not overly sweet. Sundays with Lennox - refreshing! As fast as ambiance it was a nice set up. Stunning architecture. We were seated on the 3rd floor, yes 3rd floor as this was a surprise (lots of stairs!) and chef Eric came around to greet all the diners. Go check it out! read more

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One of the best fine dining experiences I've had in DC, specifically when it comes to African/ethnic food. We came during their first month of business and had the tasting menu. Food was a 10/10 and I'll get into that later but wanted to give full context of the restaurant. Located near 14th St, the restaurant is 3 floors with the first floor holding their bar, kitchen, and seating. Basement level is the restaurant and the third level is a back patio that also has a bar and space heaters. Although small, the space was developed perfectly. Our waiter, Yorman, was exceptional and gave us great recommendations and stellar service. Now, onto the food. Drinks: They have a wine, cocktails, and beer list. We ended up getting the "Sundays with Lennox" which is one of the two mocktails. It was really good and would recommend. Hoping that they'll add more mocktails to the list in the future. First Course: Ghana Salad (5/5) - Very refreshing salad. The dressing is light and not too heavy. The tuna added great flavor and the quail egg was also good, felt right in line with the Ghanaian roots. Zaalouk Dip (5/5) - I honestly wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was. It came with roti bread and the eggplant was roasted perfectly and spread easily on the bread. Shallots (5/5) - not on the menu yet but may possibly be an additional option. Absolutely tasty. Second Course: Fufu (5/5) - hands down my favorite dish! Since it was a tasting menu, the portions were small but SO GOOD!! The fufu was pounded perfectly and didn't have any dusty taste like some fufu does. The ground nut/peanut soup was the stand out. It was the perfect texture and not too spicy. I honestly would come back just for this. Palm Nut Shrimp & Octopus Stew (5/5) - I normally don't like palm nut stew but was pleasantly surprised by this. The shrimp and octopus blended perfectly into the stew. If you're not a fan of octopus or seafood, you probably won't like this option. Third Course: Jollof Duck Pot (5/5) - LOOK. I CAN RAVE ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. This is some of the best jollof in the DMV! The rice was cooked perfectly and had a smoky flavor. It didn't taste like too much tomato and the shito added the perfect hint of flavor. I was a huge fan of the duck but my friend didn't love it and felt like it was gamey which is can see because it wasn't fried super hard. The fried egg was also a very lovely touch. Could've done without the salad because it was in the way of the rice but still pretty good. Fourth Course: Bofrot - I'm skipping ranking because I don't personally love chocolate but the donut/pastry was AHMAZING! Sweet but not too sweet. Fried but not over or under fried. Mango Pudding (4/5) - also not bad but I'm not a huge dessert fan. I was looking forward to the opening of this restaurant and it was well worth it! The ambiance is upscale but not too stuffy. The food is PHENOMENAL! You can definitely see the Ghanaian roots of the chef and his mastering of his cultural food while adding a western taste. Already planning my next trip here and can't wait to see how this restaurant shapes out. We also briefly met Chef Eric and he was very polite and took the time to thank patrons for dining which was a nice surprise. read more

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Beautiful decor hits you upon entrance. Immediately greeted by concierge, provided my name and was escorted upstairs. WOW. Another tastefully beautiful area. Lush, deep, rich blues, exposed red brick and black "industrial" exposed pipes and vents. Waiter was wonderful and greeted us upon sitting. Ordered some drinks, that we were able to customize and they were delicious. The next table over were commenting on how great their cocktails were as well. That's always nice to hear. The food was flavorful and we both agreed that our dishes were plentiful. I ordered the Almost Johnny Cakes, and I loved the grapenut crunch and the side of some type of citrus marmalade. Lovely. I also ordered a side of the million dollar bacon, perfect..not salty or greasy, meaty and sunny side up eggs. My GF ordered the oxtail hash, so good and the poached eggs were perfect. She did add a little salt and pepper but I tasted it prior and all the flavors came through. She also ordered the cardamon lime cinnamon roll. SO GOOD. OMG The lime, cardamon and cinnamon sung. Not too heavily iced. The crumb was soft, not dense or too "doughy". I actually ordered one for take-away, it was that good. It was a pleasure to see Chef in the kitchen and I was appreciative he took the time to snap a few photos with me and converse. We will definitely be back for either another brunch or to try the Chef's tasting menu. read more

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Elmina has only been opened for a week so far and they're a well oiled machine. We went in and had the tasting menu which was the only thing available at the time when you're sitting in the dining area. It says on the menu if you want additional items that you can order from the bar menu but it looks like that was discontinued. They seem like they'd be willing to work with you though. I'm not sure why I even brought that up because truthfully I was way too full to even look at anything else. We went in to try the 4 course tasting menu for $105. It was a nice surprise to get the little amuse bouche prior to the first course. The first two courses were appetizers with the 3rd course being family style. The third course you would have to agree on the course you would like If you were eating with one other person. But if you would like to add an additional menu item it'll be an extra $50. It was a beautifully decorated restaurant, nice dim lighting to complement the very chill vibe. Or server was incredibly friendly and informative about the menu. Now for the food: TREE OF LIFE COCKTAIL Coconut-washed del maguey vida mezcal. Mango. Lemon. Palm sugar. Probably one of their more popular cocktails. I really enjoyed this. You can definitely taste the mango and was generally sweet but it had this slightly familiar almost savory element that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Very hard to explain but enjoyable SCALLOP AMUSE BOUCHE I don't believe this was on the menu anywhere and I can't fully remember when she recounted the components. It was good, I like the different textures. But we strangely found that if you eat it with a first course it completely changes the flavor of the amuse bouche in a really great way, like it complements it well. FIRST COURSE: CURRIED CORN BISQUE Cockle clams. Pork lardons. Palm oil. HAMACHI CRUDO Passion fruit. Peri-peri oil. Tender herbs.Serrano.Radish.Corn nuts. I've been a crudo kick lately so I was elated to try this. I'm not big on sweet and savory so my only hesitation was the passionfruit. However, this was well balanced and worked really well with the ingredients. SECOND COURSE: WAGYU SHORT RIB Prekese and onion steak sauce. Crispy cassava. Pickled fresno. I love a good short rib but I can say this definitely needed salt. I loved everything in it but some salt would have taken this to the next level. THIRD COURSE: JOLLOF DUCK POT Smoked jollof. Tamarind glazed confit duck leg. Duck breast. Duck egg. Shito. Roasted tomato salad. My favorite item on the menu and probably the main reason I came! I loved this. I have no notes. This was a home run for me. WAAKYE Oxtail. Gari. Shito. Egg FOURTH COURSE: MALVA PUDDING CAKE Sweet pickled apricot. Vanilla gelato. I loved this cake and thought it brought the meal together nicely. ARGENTINIAN BRANDY VANILLA COOKIE with dark chocolate filling. This was another after dinner surprise. It was really soft when you bite into it and very nice. OVERALL: This was my first time, I believe, having Ghanaian food and it was a nice start to the food journey. Definitely worth a visit read more

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The only complaint I have, and I can't dock a star for it, is that I was in the restroom when chef Eric went around and checked in on guests. I love the decor in the space as it's very comfortable and sleek. The blues and the architecture of the inside are stunning. We were seated upstairs in between the back room and the loft area. Peter, our server, was nice and gave great recommendations for drinks and food choices. It was a set menu for a 4 course meal and the third round is shared between 2 people. We didn't do the wine pairing with the meal but next time we will. A scallop crudo was bright to us as a surprise amuse-bouche. It was fantastic! My partner wasn't a huge fan because of the texture with the crispy quinoa. Out course choices were: 1st - Ghana Salad and Zaalouk Dip. I picked the dip and the journey I was taken on with this eggplant dip and the different flavors was so good. The goat cheese and the vine tomatoes complimented the eggplant well. I do with the bread had been a bit thicker. He said the salad was very good. I didn't finish the dip and the packed it up for us to take home luckily because I was in love. 2nd: Wagyu Short Rib and Fufu They will bring you a bowl to wash your hands in prep for you to eat the Fufu because you're supposed to eat it with your hands. It was nice to have that even though I wash my hands before I eat dinner always. The fufu was a nice compliment to the goat and the sauce that came with it. I tried a bit of the short rib and it was very tasty. 3rd: Jollof Duck Pot This is the shared course and I understand why because there's so much of it. Confirm duck with duck breast and a veggie salad over the jollof. I wasn't a big fan of the skin on the confit but that's because I don't like sweet sauces too much. My partner loved it. The duck breast was cooked very well. I enjoyed the jollof rice but we didn't finish all of it. The smokey flavor with everything was nice and the egg on top helped break things up along with the salad. 4th: Bofrot and Malva Pudding Cake We got a nice story from Peter when this was served as we didn't know that Chef Eric pushed a Bufrot cart around when he was growing up in Ghana for the first few years of his life. The pudding cake was so creamy and not dense. The ice cream it came with and the pickled apricots definitely made it one of my favorite desserts. The spices in the cake with the contrast of the pickling made me want to keep eating it. The Bofrot had too much chocolate for me but my partner devoured it. It also was nice and fluffy. We didn't leave full at all. For drinks we ordered the Tree of Life and the Elmina Clarified Punch to start. I liked the mezcal in the Tree of Life and I was surprised to see that the punch was clear. My partner was skeptical at the mention of yogurt but he loved it. The second round, I ordered the Gold Coast Margarita and he ordered the Daddy Bofa. The bee pollen salt in my margarita was different but good. We will definitely be back as we'd like to try the lobster next time. Come give it a shot! You might even get a glimpse of Chef Eric or get to meet him like my husband did while I was not at our table lol. read more

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TLDR: The food was incredible and the service was abysmal. We went on a Friday evening for the tasting menu and while the food was flavorful and delicious, the service was so terrible that I couldn't wait to leave. First course: An amuse-bouche of scallop ceviche in coconut milk and every bite was divine. Second course: We choose the Hamachi Crudo and the Zaalouk Dip. My friend said that she could eat 100 bites of the Hamachi Crudo and I am right there with her. It was the best bite of the night -- tender, citrusy, crunchy, spicy. The Zaalouk Dip was great as well, especially with the roti. Third course: We choose the Fufu and the Braised Lamb Shoulder. My friend liked the goat in the Fufu but didn't vibe with the texture of the FuFu (I don't love goat so I tasted the sauce only). The Lamb Shoulder was very, very tender with great flavor though it did have a lot of fat on it. Fourth course: A cold, ginger ice cream palette cleanser. Fifth course: We choose the Jollof Duck Pot and it did not disappoint. Tender, so much flavor, every bite was absolutely delicious. And so much of it! Sixth course: We choose the Bofrot and the Corn Pudding. The Bofrot had such good flavor but the baked portion was very dense and hard to cut into with your spoon making it a bit sloppy. My friend enjoyed the Corn Pudding but my brain couldn't understand what I was eating and it just wasn't for me, though the blackberry ice cream was very good. If you're still with me, let's talk service: * Slooooooooooooooow. We were there for 3 hours and every course came out SO slowly. Our server also didn't seem to know where we were in the process and kept asking us what course we had just been served. * We had to ask to have our water refilled at least 10x throughout dinner and it took forever for a refill. * No one offered us the wine pairing that goes with the tasting menu. We each had a glass of wine and then no one asked if we wanted more drinks or another round. My friend ordered another glass of wine and after I declined, my empty glass sat on the table for the rest of the meal. * We spilled a little bite from the Hamachi on the table (the true first course) and it wasn't wiped up until right before dessert. * We repeatedly had to ask for cutlery. When we were served the jollof we only had spoons and that dish needed a knife and fork. * Three different times dishes were brought over to us that were not ours by different servers. There just seemed to be a lot of confusion. * The bathrooms were a mess. * We waited over 20 minutes for the dessert alone to come out. Our server asked us if we were ready for it (weird for a tasting) and when we checked in on it, 10 minutes after he asked us, he said he had just put the order in. * Most of the "hot" dishes we received were pretty cool and it was clear they had been sitting and waiting for awhile before they were served to us. Again, the flavor of the food was outstanding and had so much depth but overall everything felt chaotic, clunky and messy. EDIT: I also wanted to add that is was an expensive night, and yes, I know that we did the tasting. When we asked for the bill, we were never presented with an itemized bill but just asked if it was going to be 1 card or 2. When I said 2, he handed me the credit card machine (which I do love the convenience of) and with a 20% tip (yes, we gave 20%) it was $211/per person and I was a little shocked by that. read more

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I have a credit card that gives me credit for going to select restaurants, so I picked Elmina since it looked the most unique. I tried the tasting menu and got the following four dishes: an eggplant dish with roti (flatbread), the braised lamb shoulder, the duck jollof, and a mango pastry. Overall, everything tasted excellent. The eggplant was similar to baba ganoush but had a different unique flavor. It came with a flatbread which is very reminiscent of paratha (South Asian flatbread). The lamb was so tender that it was falling apart, and it came in a gravy that was extremely flavorful. The duck jollof came with duck breast cooked medium rare, and a duck leg cooked well done. It was glazed in a tamarind sauce and overall tasted amazing. The rice was good too, and it also came with a duck egg. The dessert was simple but tasty. It was a pastry filled with mango flavor. The service was great, and the restaurant had a nice vibe. They were playing hip hop and other cultural music. I would recommend for anyone who's a fan of fine dining. read more

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Great place for special occasions. The staff was super nice about a birthday celebration, giving us a free toast and candle in our dessert. The eggplant dish and fish dish were both superb, great mixes of flavor and definitely its own flavor profile. We got both the fried plantains and okra fries and I think next time we would just one of them (they were both good and big portions, just a lot of fried food at once). We dined over 3+ hours and left extremely full. Great portions and flavors! read more

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Was so excited to try this restaurant and it delivered on all fronts. The traditional flavors with a modern take were tasty. I liked the turkey tails, eggplant, and Crudo were some faves but the kabob was great and the jollof rice hit with a kick of spice. Great service and creative dishes and Chef Eric is the nicest person who deserves all the success he has earned read more

Where do I even start?From the fresh and quality prepared food to the warming welcome as we entered the restaurant from the host this date night was great! I recommend any one looking for good eats, vibes, a clean and bright environment alongside quality service to visit Elmina in DC. My wife and I partook in a couple cocktails (The Black Stars and Elmina Clarified Punch) to get the evening rolling where then our waiter, who was very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu, brought out a Scallop crudo dish to open our pallets. We then followed that up with the Tasting experience, a great value for the portions which allowed my wife and I to try each others selections. We indulged in the Hamachi Crudo (that touch of heat was on point), Zaalouk Dip (savory and delicious, one of our favorite menu items). For second course we experienced the Braised lamb shoulder and Fufu, both very flavorful and filling, loved the presentation. For the third course we shared the Jollof Duck Pot, it was so good and savory, the crispy duck skin and glaze gave powerful bite and it was tender, we loved mixing in the runny Duck egg with the rice. We will definitely be back to order that again À la carte! We closed the night with the Malva Pudding Cake and Mango Pudding both delicious and perfect sweet treat to end the night. Looking forward to coming back to experience more of the menu offerings and cocktail bar. read more

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Just an awesome experience. From the elegant but approachable decor, to the flavor packed food and very shareable dishes our trip to Elmina was excellent. Menu highlights for our group: spicy chicken, hamachi crisp, duck jollof. Everything was so unique with incredible depth of flavor. We even had the pleasure of a visit from Chef Eric to round out the night. read more

KenScale: 8.0/10 Visits: May 2025 Throughout my culinary journey with my wife Jun, visiting a restaurant helmed by a celebrity chef has always been a tricky affair, the biggest variable being how much the chef spends their time at the kitchen instead of promoting their brand in TV and other media. Chef Eric Adjepong, who was a finalist in the Top Chef show and a cookbook author, joined the DC dining scene earlier this year with a new project showcasing modern Ghana cuisines from his roots from the Western African country. Another celebrity chef, Kwame Onwuachi, already staked his territory in the city with the much-hyped Dōgon restaurant, and I was intrigued to see what chef Adjepong can bring to the table. Overall, it was a solid dinner, especially with some really delicious dishes on the front end of the four-course tasting menu (currently priced at $135 per person). The tasting menu at Elmina allows each diner to choose one dish each from the first two savory courses and the dessert course (while the main dish menu allows a choice of one dish per two diners). There were some pretty special dishes at the beginning of our meal, starting with the amuse bouche of scallop crudo in coconut gazpacho that Jun enjoyed very much. My favorite dish from our dinner was the curried corn bisque; the flavor of the bisque was quite aromatic and delicious, made even better by the textural combination of cockle clams and pork lardons. Another starter not to miss at Elmina is the zaalouk dip of roasted eggplant spread; dip a piece of spiced buttered flatbread to the spread with surprisingly spicy kick and you have West Africa's confident answer to hummus from Middle East. Fufu, a staple food from the region made with pounded cassava and plantains, also shines brightly at the restaurant, and I was quite fond of Elmina's version with braised goat, as well as the wagyu short rib with sauce made from prekese (a type of fruit from Africa). Unfortunately, compared to all the standout dishes from the early part of our meal, the main dish and dessert we ordered were a slight let-down. While Jun acknowledged she has perhaps an overly unrealistic expectation when it comes to duck dishes, I had to agree with her that the jollof duck pot didn't quite land the impact from the earlier dishes. The rustic flavor from the smoked jollof was there; it was more the texture of the duck that could be perfected (Jun preferred the confit leg to the breast). Same goes for the dessert; while traveling in Namibia for our anniversary earlier this year, Jun and I had a life-changing malva pudding cake, which we missed even more after the version from Elmina didn't quite live up to our expectations (it didn't quite have the same moistness to texture from what we had encountered in Namibia). Getting a reservation isn't too challenging but I would still plan ahead for prime time booking during the weekend. If you are interested in exploring how African ingredients are incorporated into cocktails, Elmina has a solid line-up to complement your meal; there is also a concise wine list with a decent number of South African wines. The sleek dining room in the former Seven Reasons space over two stories makes the restaurant a good spot for date night as well as casual dinners with friends and family. Toward the end of our meal, chef Adjepong did come over to our table to check on us. From our brief chat, I saw a chef who seems genuinely nice and eager to show the beauty and richness of the Western African cuisine. While not everything was perfect, there was plenty to like about the dining experience at Elmina. I would certainly be curious to see how the menu evolves over time and check out a few new dishes. read more

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First time trying Elmina and would definitely go back! Food - we tried the tuna tartare as our appetizer and this was so delicious! I wouldn't recommend the octopus kabob - the flavor was there but they were overcooked and rubbery. We split the oxtail entree and it was HUGE, filling, and flavorful, 10/10 would get that again. Drinks - both drinks were boozy and tasty! Vibes - Cute restaurant with 3 different floors/sections. Dark and cozy vibes. Service - I've read some reviews about slow service and I can see that, it wasn't overly crowded but service was a bit slow, nothing crazy though. We did get our app before drinks. read more

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