We had the most delightful evening at Maison and I truly can't say enough good things about it…read more From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt romantic and elevated -- intimate lighting, beautiful design, and that perfect balance of energy and sophistication that makes you want to linger. The service was genuinely five-star. Attentive without being intrusive, thoughtful, and incredibly knowledgeable. The drinks were inventive and beautifully balanced, creative without trying too hard, and the wine selection was outstanding. The sommelier's guidance made the experience even better; every recommendation paired perfectly with our meal. And the food? Superb. Outstanding. We ended up trying almost everything because we simply couldn't decide -- and not a single dish disappointed. Each plate felt intentional, refined, and deeply flavorful. Maison is the kind of place you go for a special night and leave already planning your return. An absolute gem.

Food: 3/5 | Service: 4/5 | Ambiance: 5/5…read more Maison has an excellent, warm ambiance and good service, but the food was disappointingly average. Nice place if you care mostly about atmosphere, but for me, it's not worth a second visit. Seating & Service: I reserved a high-top for two on a Sunday night, and luckily got seated at a private table rather than the communal table. It's unclear to me which reservations are for the communal table. The waitstaff were very polite and attentive. They also didn't rush us out and let us linger, which I appreciate (but this may be because there wasn't a reservation right after us). However, I do wish that they provided more detail about the menu and drinks without having to be prompted. We had to inquire about recommended dishes, suggested wine pairings, and portion sizes ourselves. Food: FYI, the dinner menu generally goes in order of size, with the smaller plates at the top and the larger plates towards the bottom. As expected, prices per dish also increase as you move down the menu. All the menus (including prices) change frequently so don't rely on the menus on the website to guide you. We ordered the Warm Manifest Bread ($9), Miso Caesar Salad ($19), Dry Aged Beef Tartare ($23), and the Escargot ($24) plus one cocktail ($18), a glass of wine ($16), and dessert ($15). For these prices and based on other reviews, I expected every bite to be fantastic, but the portions were very small and the quality and taste were average. The escargot was a little too salty for my taste and was strangely hidden under a puff pastry. I enjoyed the tartare the most, but it only came with three small pieces. I had high expectations, but sadly Maison fell short.

Finally a restaurant in Adam's Morgan that I would actually want to come back to!…read more Food exceeded our expectations- I had the ossobuco w veal shank - melted off the bone and the only bad part about the risotto is that there wasn't enough of it! The complimentary bread was absolutely divine. One of us got the bruschetta and it was beautiful (and delicious). The space is small but doesn't feel cramped. What really stood out though was the service. We were a little early on our Resi before the restaurant opened. Rather than have us wait in the rain, the staff let us in. They don't split checks, but they did it for us anyway. It's those kinds of little gestures that really make a difference. Bonus- great leychee martini.

We were in town for the Cherry Blossoms and came up to Adams Morgan to get dinner. We weren't sure…read morewhat we wanted and stumbled upon Retrobottega. We sat at the bar, and the bartender was great. They have a nice whiskey selection, I had Redemption Rye, my wife had a Basil Gin & Tonic (very nice). She had the rigatoni bolognese, and I had two items off the all-day happy hour: Lamp Skewers and Arancini, all of which were delicious. The decor is cool, and it feels like the kind of place we'd frequent if we lived in DC.

The place is cozy and the services excellent. The food was…read moredelicious. I love the mix drinks.

We recently had dinner at Ceibo after it showed up on a ton of recommendation lists. To start,…read moregetting a reservation was remarkably easy which was such a nice surprise. Based on the service along I would come back here. The staff is attentive and helpful and while they chose the tiniest water glass possible, it was never empty. Another fun thing is that they give little tastes to start and end your meal which is such a great way to add to the experience. I will say that while most items were good, certain dishes were oddly mushy? There were just a lot of creamy elements and some additional texture was welcome. The canelones were slightly disappointing as most of the ingredients seem to be in the sauce and they're only stuffed with Swiss chard leaving them a little one note. The desserts however were spectacular! I would go back just for the massini and sundae. Jumping back and forth between them was a culinary delight! The wines were delicious and priced well and overall we had a good experience.

We didn't have a reservation - walked in at 7 and were able to get a table at 9 for a party of 4…read more Super friendly staff gave us recommendations on where to go while we waited. The garlic knot was a fried croissant that cannot be beat. We also ordered sourdough, pasta, chicken (which was massive). The wine selection was fun and the staff were super knowledgeable and helpful in selection. High top tables surround the bar and the back room has tables. Bar is fun with milk glass lights. It is very dim with candles on every table and wasn't too loud.

We celebrated our 15th anniversary here and left completely floored, by the food, yes, but even…read moremore by how genuinely cared for we felt the entire night. Our server Yannik was exceptional. Warm, attentive, knowledgeable, the kind of server who makes a special occasion actually feel special. The moment you walk in, the space wraps around you. Warm wood, soft lighting, an atmosphere that feels intimate without being cramped, the kind of place that makes you want to slow down and stay a while. The team went above and beyond when they learned I don't drink: they gifted us a non-alcoholic wine, a complimentary appetizer, and dessert. That kind of hospitality isn't scripted... it's felt. Now, the food. The housemade sourdough with eucalyptus honey butter is dangerous, I could have stopped there and been happy. The roasted carrot salad with hazelnut dukkah and garlic toum was one of those dishes that makes you rethink a vegetable entirely. The garlic knots had no business being that good... crispy, layered, almost croissant-like, deeply garlicky in the best way. For pasta we had the pappardelle with spicy roasted pork ragù and fennel breadcrumbs, and the canastra cheese ravioli with wild garlic pesto and brazil nut pangrattato, that stunning deep green dish topped with chive blossoms looked like art and tasted even better. Both pastas were perfect. Then the Brazilian budino with coconut caramel and toasted coconut came out with a little candle tucked in. I nearly cried. This is a restaurant that treats every table like it matters. We will absolutely be back.

Chris P. We live…read moreclose to Barcelona in Cathedral Heights and like to walk there and sit at the bar. Our go-to guy has become Erick. Best bartender at Barcelona - and really in the neighborhood. He's a pro. He is always paying attention and moving fast while staying calm and mellow. He makes the place work. We give Erick Five Stars.

Had the best time here! Our server Connor was an angel we loved him. He speaks amazing Spanish and…read moreis so kind. best service and amazing food!

Tryst kept me afloat. The lovely service I have always received, whether at the bar, a table, or a…read moresofa, has been consistent though a decade of visits, as has the engagement of this charming bijou of a cafe with the surrounding neighborhood. Although probably first established while Friends was still on the air, Tryst has kept up with the comings and goings of Adams Morgan, reiterating itself with changes in the local culture and the arts, which are often on display. The building itself has a narrative to it, but it's the centrality of this respite from 'everywhere else' that makes Tryst stand out, lets it occupy memories of comfort and hospitality in my mind, keeps pulling at me to visit time and again. If it wasn't for Tryst, I doubt professional and personal lows would have turned out so rosy, in the end, for me.

A lovely little cafe with super friendly staff and unbeatable vibes! Open until midnight Thursday…read morethrough Saturday (and until 10 PM every other night), Tryst is a sanctuary of peace in the heart of the otherwise lively -- and often chaotic -- Adams Morgan neighborhood. With their extended hours, expansive food and drink selection, and cozy vibes, you can easily hole up in Tryst for the entire day. Personally, I've visited Tryst more time than I can count, and at literally all time of the day. I've definitely taken full advantage of Tryst's extended hours to fuel many, many late-night study and work sessions. I love how cozy the space is, with their slightly worn but super comfy couches and armchairs, dim lighting, and ambient cafe music. The staff is super friendly; you can either order from the counter if you're taking your order to go or just snag a spot and wait for the servers to make their way to you.

Love the ambiance of this place with the decor, live vinyl dj, and a pool table upstairs. They have…read morea pretty standard cocktail menu but a whole lot of wines to choose from. I enjoyed my drink and it was the perfect bar for catching up with a friend. I'll definitely think about trying the food next time however, like the drinks, it's very expensive for "bar food" and an automatic 20% fee is added to every check regardless of your party size. The music gets louder later into the night and the crowd seems to be more in the mood to dance so just keep that in mind when deciding on what time to go! Overall if you're in the area Le mont royal is worth stopping by.

History of Present Indulgence: We came for dinner in a group…read moreof 8 to celebrate our friend's birthday before heading out for a cabin weekend in West Virginia. I was very excited about the French-Canadian, always-changing menu. Physical Exam: Taste - The Prime Rib Sando was a preemo sandwich of balanced cheese and meat between two slices of toasty sourdough. The Cheeseburger Americain was a standard 3.5 out of 5 American cheeseburger that beats the average suburban chain restaurant burger with its double patty and sesame bun, but isn't gonna knock your socks off like a steakhouse burger. The poutine kept my socks on too (I was particularly excited about the poutine and ended up a tad underwhelmed). The biggest disappointment was the mozzarella sticks, which...... I'll just get to in the service part. Cocktails were mid. All interesting concepts, but most missed the mark. the Polar Express was a little too sweet, I forgot what the name of the riff on an old fashioned or Manhattan I had but that was okay, and the Fleur de Citron tasted like when you ask for a Sprite and they ask, "Is Sierra Mist (now Starry) okay?" and you reply, "yeah that's fine," but then what you get is actually a flat 7-Up. Ambiance - This place runs on vibes like America runs on Dunkin'. Live DJ, neon lights, feels like a place you wanna eat a little, dance a little, drink a little. Fun place. Tanked by the service. Skip to the Assessment/Plan if you don't want to read this novella retelling of our evening. Service - Relatively early for the dinner service, we were the largest and one of only a few tables in the restaurant. I counted 3 other tables seated (small parties of less than 4 each) and a few patrons at the bar. It took about 20 minutes before we first got our menus and the guy who handed them to us didn't say a word just dropped them off. Then it took another 20 minutes before he came back to get our drink orders, and 1) seemed like he was having a bad day, which... fine, but 2) was rolling his eyes when some of us were a little between some options and wanted a recommendation, which... alright my guy let's chill. We weren't talking loud, we weren't drinking before and being obnoxious, we just wanted to ask about what some of the drinks were like on a very cool menu of cocktails we haven't tried anywhere else. Upon returning with our drinks, he accidentally spilled a not insignificant amount on my friend sitting across from me, and while we reacted and started handing him extra napkins, he just glanced at him, finished giving out the drinks, and walked away. No "oops", "my bad", "oh let me get you some paper towels", nothing. So at this point, we're all staring at each other like "Did we do something? Do we smell?" Whatever, friend's birthday, we've been talking about this cabin weekend for several years and it's finally happening, let's just vibe. Now another 20 minutes went by and we were getting antsy because we wanted to order our food but it looked like there wasn't a lot of staff, and we didn't want to upset anyone by hurrying them. Another man came over who we thought was going to take our orders. Nope. He starts picking up our menus so I say, "Oh, hey we haven't ordered yet." To which he replies, "OK, but I need the menus." Alright cool, yeah, that makes sense if he needed them for other tables and can leave us with a few to share. Nope. He just took them and placed them back at the host stand. Awkward stares across the table again. Whatever, we had enough, I guess. Tick tock, tick tock. A third guy came over, and when he smiled and asked, "Hi are you all ready to order?" I was like "Oh finally a human being!" Food took another 20-ish minutes while we nursed our drinks and really had no interest in ordering another round (not that anyone asked us). We ate. We chatted. We had an okay time. We were super ready to get out of there. Oh right, the mozz sticks. Le Mont'zarella sticks. They had one order left of four sticks for $18. We were one of the first diners. You can imagine after all the above, that's just a major facepalm emoji. Assessment/Plan: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for Le Mont Royal to improve their service, now and at the hour of ASAP, because the place has so much potential, and maybe it was just an off night, or the staff just finished arguing with each other in the back so they took it out on us, but dearly beloved Lord it was like we offended nine generations of their ancestry from the moment we walked in. With "a 22% service charge has been added for your convenience," I thought we were getting Punk'd. The always-changing French-Canadian menu is a cool and unique concept, but it's a lot of bark with very little bite. It didn't make the disappointing service worth it. "This life hasn't turned out quite the way I want it to be." -Rockstar, Nickelback

Moody, dim lighting, and may I say, better than the vibes in Chez Billy Sud itself, the sister wine…read morebar is the move. It would be a great place for pre dinner drinks or a moody date. There is a bar area and some couch seating but come early, it does get busy and it is hard to find places to sit. They have the same menu as Chez so you can get some appetizers. The bar service is always fantastic and they make a great cocktail- both French 75 and old fashion or dirty martini was fantastic.

This is the coziest place to be in the winter! The vibes in here are perfect, and they serve the…read moreentire Chez Billy Sud menu, so you really can't go wrong. I had the steak frites, which was cooked to my preferred temperature (a rarity for steak frites) and the fries were perfectly crispy. All of the wines we had were delicious, and I can't wait to come back and try the burger!

This place has been here forever, and I have walked by it so many times. A friend finally invited…read moreme out and it was such a blast! Every wine I tried was something totally new. They were on the tail end of their winter menu, and the sparkling wine that my friend was super excited about was phased out. But I just told the staff what kind of wine I was in the mood for and they chose something wonderful for me. I took pictures of the bottles, I'll track those down and post them later. I'm glad I managed to find red and white wines that I enjoyed. I also noticed that they had a crunchwrap on their menu and I had to try it. It was smaller than I thought, but the flavors going on?? Spectacular. There will also these dumplings... SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS! And they had sage and candied walnuts. Ultimately they tasted more like a dessert, but I was obsessed with those and loved how unique they were. I'd return here, there's just too much good stuff to try! Can get pricey if you want to try a lot of wines, though.

Lovely place for a drink! I decided to get an old fashioned which was quite good! Also ordered the…read moreburrata which was delicious! Service was very friendly and quick!

Came here last night for a last minute solo dinner and it was the best decision. I love the look of…read morethe restaurant. Lights are somewhat dimmed with red accents everywhere. I was already impressed by the weekend happy hour deals. I started with the Aromatic whites wine flight (great pours for $12!!). All 3 wines were delicious and the bartender, Fabio was the best and very engaging throughout my time at the bar. I had the beef tartare and it was the best I've ever had! I then ordered a glass of the Domain du Somail Red Blend paired with the steak frites, which was the best pairing. I was stuffed but decided to get the crème brulee, which you could never go wrong with. It was the best CB I've had in a while. I will definitely be back for restaurant week or just an impromptu happy hour.

Amelie is a French bistro, near the Logan Circle 'hood…read more They offer brunch, lunch, dinner, HH, and even large group prix-fixe menus, which I thought was pretty convenient! We came here with a few friends for an early dinner, making reservations in advance. Once seated, we decided to order some starters to share: +the Warm Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese Ball - with honey and red wine caramelized onions +Chicken Liver Mousse - with white wine gelee, apricot, pickled veggies, and an onion marmalade +Baked Camembert de Normandie - with confit garlic, thyme, and honey +and, an Onion Soup for the hubs - prepared with beef broth, croutons, and Gruyere For our entrees, I went for the Steak-Frites, which came with a hanger steak and shallot sauce; you can sub the usual fries with truffle fries, which I recommend! My counterparts enjoyed their Long Island Duck Breakfast (with seared asparagus, cumin carrot puree, cippolini onions, and port sauce), the Maryland Rockfish (with artichoke barigoule, carrots, brasied fennel, and noilly prat sauce), and the Local Roasted Chicken (with English peas, carrots, baby potatoes, and truffle jus). If you want to sop up your sauce with bread, don't forget to order the breadbasket! Staff were friendly and checked-in on our party throughout our dining experience; the place is cozy and vibrant, and seems to be pretty popular. I'd be curious to try their HH on the next visit! +French bistro eats +shareables +friendly staff & service