This place did not disappoint at all, and living in LA I know what good food is all about. Jardenea is located inside the Melrose Georgetown Hotel and, as another reviewer mentioned, has a bit of an awkward entrance. Upon entering the hotel you turn right to enter the restaurant area, but there isn't a host stand and we walked around looking for one until I noticed a tablet with the floor plan placed on a dining table right by the entrance and figured that's where we should wait. We were greeted promptly and escorted to our table. I had the mussels to start, which were cooked in a tomato broth that was flavorful but didn't overpower the mussels. Next came the lamb entree - it was cooked bone in and very very tender and juicy. The carrots were cooked to perfection and I suspect they may have been sous-vide. My evening was capped off perfectly by the rich, buttery creme brulee; I've had my fair share of creme brulee and this one is near the top of the list. It's also worth mentioning that I had a bite of my brother's Hawaiian sea bass and it melted in my mouth. The blue corn grits were a nice compliment to the dish as well. The service was prompt and friendly, and our server even took the time to come by and explain the special garnish on my brother's sea bass plate. He also answered my questions in depth and had good knowledge of cooking methods and wine tasting notes. The atmosphere is upscale-casual and definitely a great place to bring a date or simply dine out with friends and family. I will definitely be returning the next time I'm in town! read more

Its a very nice dining room and the food is excellent and very fresh. The oysters were delicious. The Kale Salad is exceptional and the seafood cob salad very good. Not too pricey either and a very nice team. Lunch service was a bit slow but overall a good meal. Valet parking is only $5. Another plus. read more

See all

This place had a whole bunch of Eggs Benedict. Service was excellent! The décor was upscale hotel restaurant. We tried the Crab and the Steak Benedict... the crab was ok the steak was amazing. The meat was cooked perfectly and was amazingly tender. They had never ending orange juice so I did not feel ripped off with bad over priced juice... theirs was not only fair price but really good!!! I give five stars because if you like Benedict they will have something good and variety and you will be happy.... was not the best I ever had but it was more than I had expected. read more

Came here on February 15 for an 'observed' Valentines Day dinner. We walked up to the restaurant entrance inside the hotel, which isn't clearly marked except for some stacked menus. There was no one there to greet us, but it was 5:30 and I acknowledge that on a Friday, that's the beginning of the dinner hour. Someone was quick to appear and seat us at our table. The Restaurant Manager came up to greet us shortly after we sat down and offered me a rose, which was a nice touch. He also explained the concept of Farm to Fork since we hadn't dined at the restaurant before. We started with the Prince Edward Island Mussels, which were by far my favorite thing that was served. They were so delicious I could have licked the bowl clean. The boyfriend then ordered Crab Bisque and I got the Caesar salad. He was mixed on the bisque, as it wasn't typical 'New England' style, and he said it tasted fishy. I liked my salad, but while the presentation was wonderful, the taste was nothing special. We got the Duck and Filet for our main courses. Both were good, tasty, and cooked to order. Now for the 4 star rating. -.5 stars for the Restaurant Manager. He was VERY attentive. I appreciate a check in every now and then, but he came up for 5 minute conversations at least once a course. It could be such a nice touch, but for me it was overdone and had me avoiding eye contact with him in hopes he wouldn't come over. Another -.5 stars for the flow of the dinner. We ordered 4 courses (Starter, Salad, Main, and Dessert) and were in and out in an hour exactly. This was in part due to the fact that there were two other couples dining at the same time, but it was a special occasion and I wish I could have spent some more time talking instead of eating my food before it got cold. read more

The food was not only delicious, but also wonderfully presented. The menu had a nice variety of dishes that highlighted the use of local farm fresh ingredients. The filet mignon, served with a tasty potato side, was cooked to perfection, while the Chilean sea bass with blue grits was surprisingly amazing. The only drawback about Jardenea is that its a little hard to find, due to the lack of any signage. Overall, my experience was very positive and I look forward to dining there again. read more

See all

Hi Y'all! Went here for happy hour and was served by Joe, a great bartender with inside information of the city for any visitor. Ordered the Marghertia Flatbread, Brussel sprouts, and the wings. I was surprised by the sprouts and wings and it's the way to order if keeping your bikini bod is no longer priority. Overall, the meal and drinks were great and so was the service! read more

My husband and I stayed at the Melrose Georgetown Hotel for a conference and stumbled upon this hidden gem. We were thoroughly impressed by your service; our waiter (a tall African American gentleman) had a great sense of humor, tact, and a wealth of information pertaining to the cuisine. Everything from the complimentary bread to our crusted sirloin with mashed potatoes and asparagus was exquisite. We decided to have our dessert (chocolate lava cake) delivered to our room and our same waiter delivered it. The cake itself was decent; there could have been more "lava," but everything else about it tasted wonderful. We may very well be back in February for another conference; we will certainly have to visit this place again. read more

This place is amazing, located inside the Melrose hotel. Brussels sprouts amazing and the Duck was phenomenal. Lava cake great as well. Derek and Joe were our servers and did a wonderful job. read more

Amazing food experience! It's located inside the Melrose Hotel which is a gorgeous boutique hotel in Gtown. When you walk in, the decor makes you feel like you just entered the lobby of a hotel in Paris. Service was first class. Our server Ishmail was very knowledgable of the menu item and every recommendation was a hit for us. Sea Bass is one of the best I have ever had! The Creme Brûlée is a must to end the dining experience. read more

Jardenea - Caesars Salad and Lump Crab stuffed avocado. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

The food was delicious and the price was right but the atmosphere felt very hotely and I wasn't hoping it wouldn't (it is located in a hotel). The bread basket is full of delicious bread and the lobster ravioli comes with a whole claw on top (it's been shelled). The crab bisque was good but tasted very crabby (which I liked but it's intense). It was my moms birthday and they brought her a chocolate larval cake with a little Birthday sign on it which she really appreciated. read more

Very rude staff! We asked for hot coffee and 30 minutes later, the server brought us cold coffee that was brewed at 6hours a go and he admitted to the coffee being cold because it was old! To make matters worse our food never arrived and we left very upset 45 minutes later. read more

Day 1: Called the hotel 3 times to make reservations for dinner. Each time was transferred to restaurant but no one answered and it went to vmail. Ok, maybe it was a busy evening for the restaurant. I'll try again tomorrow. Day 2: Called the hotel and was transferred to the restaurant to make reservations. No one answered, but I left a message this time requesting a call back for reservations on day 3. Day 3: No one ever returned my call so decided to eat elsewhere and giving this 1 star review. read more

Came here for a date with my wife and it was fantastic! The service (Nelson) was perfect. I always like when he service is timed perfectly. While I never saw Nelson, he was always asking at the perfect time. The food was absolutely delicious. We both had beef filet and it was done to perfection. The presentation was beautiful and the potatoes were unbelievable. We will be back and I encourage everyone to come here for a romantic/delicious night read more

I came to the lounge on a weekday night for a drink and some appetizers. Service was fairly lacking, and food overpriced and unremarkable (it's been a couple days and the only thing I remember eating is a flatbread, which was average), but cocktails are great and fairly priced during HH. Do stop by if you need to kill 30 mins, but otherwise it's not worth it. read more

Jardenea is definitely a hidden gem! It is tucked away in the Melrose Hotel, but once you step into the restaurant you would never think you were in a hotel. The décor is modern, with dim lights creating a very chill ambiance. Perfect for a date night or just a dinner with friends. I had the opportunity to check them out during restaurant week. I started my meal off with the Portobello Carpaccio and while it was a good lite dish, I honestly feel like it could have probably used a little more flavoring. The sauce that accompanied it was good and I probably should have opted for more. I always attempt to check out the menu before going to any establishment to get a feel of what I want. With that being said, I had my heart fixated on a specific dish (the Lobster stuffed Sole). Apparently, the kitchen was not prepared for such a major response to being a part of Restaurant Week (Why participate in Restaurant Week and not prepare adequately is beyond me). So, that left me slightly bothered, but they were able to substitute the Dole for Sea Bass which was good gesture and tasted good. For desert I opted for Crème brûlée, which was absolutely amazing and a perfect way to end the evening. Overall the experience was amazing thanks to our waiter Derek who was simply amazing! His attentiveness and professionalism while taking care of essentially the whole dining room was remarkable. Honorable mention to the bartender who made my Manhattan as well. I will definitely be checking them out again and hopefully they will be adequately stocked. read more

Beautiful spot, slow service but nice staff. I had the sea bass and blue corn grits. Grits had no salt in them. It seemed no matter how many shakes of salt I added I could not make them good. The only thing that gave them some taste were the few cherry tomatoes and slivers of purple onion that were in them. The dish wasn't appealing to the eye either. Wish I had taken a pic. Looked like cement or baby poop. The fish itself was ok. read more

My husband made reservation for Sunday brunch for our 12 yr wedding anniversary. I went in while he parked the car. When going in I saw a section that had tables but no people so I was confused as to where the restaurant was located. There was no sign, no waiters, no greeter.. Nothing, no one. So I waited near the chairs and tables that I saw.. Then a large group walked past me and seated themselves. So I did the same. I saw two waiters that came from the kitchen and let them know that I had a reservation and asked when brunch was over. The first waiter a man was not very friendly and didn't know the answer to my question but gave me the brunch menu. When my husband came back, a female waiter took our order and was so friendly and helpful. The brunch didn't have a lot of options but I ordered the waffle, which was very good and my husband ordered eggs with home fries that he enjoyed. The noise level is very high.... But the decor is nice and stylish. Enjoyed the food and some of the service. Not bad but needs to better. read more

This was one of the best Restaurant Week experiences I've ever had. At a time when some restaurants make the unwise decision to put forth half-hearted efforts (see my Brasserie Beck review) or mediocre performances, Jardenea shone bright like a diamond in the sky. Both the food and the service were exemplary, and I'll definitely be back for more. Jardenea is located inside The Melrose Hotel, swanky lodging off 24th and Pennysylvania. The interior of the hotel reminded me of the W Hotel with its decidedly more modern (though not graphic, more playful) accents and use of neutral, darker shades (blacks and greys). Hotel restaurants seem to be the forgotten cousins of other fine dining establishments anywhere I go. Why? Not really sure. Perhaps they seem a tad too boring? Anyway, Jardenea, elevator music and unremarkable decor and all, was still a very nice and surprisingly un-stuffy environment for enjoying some farm-to-table dishes. Our server was very helpful and polite. She introduced us to the their food concept and gave us time to peruse the restaurant week specials as well as the regular menu offerings. We opted to go with the specially-priced three-course meal. I ordered the goat cheese salad, coriander sea bass with blue corn grits, and the chef's special dessert. The dessert, a rich decadent chocolate cake adorned with berries, was to die for!!! I unfortunately could not finish it due to the decadent ingredients, but it was amazing. My sea bass was juicy and dressed with a creamy yet light sauce. The blue corn grits were also lovely. My starter featured obviously fresh greens, goat cheese, beets, tomatoes,and a toothsome dressing. The plating was gorgeous (pics will be posted ASAP!) for all dishes. While I wouldn't say these were the most creative dishes I had ever encountered, they all showed a certain amount of restraint. If you see enough of my reviews, you know I'm not a fan of things drowning in sauce, so it was pleasing to see how Jardenea's chef dressed everything simply and let the freshness of the ingredients speak for themselves. Returning to the service, we received great treatment from all the staff, not just our server. The manager even stopped by to see how we were doing. That's always nice. I wasn't decked out in Louis and Gucci and had sneakers on my feet, so I wasn't expecting them to care much, but they were as respectful towards me as they probably would be towards a woman in a mink coat with Jimmy Choos on. So despite the location inside a fancy hotel, Jardenea is a warm and welcome spot for a celebratory dinner. I think Jardenea would work well as a place for rehearsal dinners, birthday dinners, intimate couples' dinners, etc.Go and see for yourself what I'm raving about. read more

my brother made reservations through open table for our parents' 50th wedding anniversary, and made mention in the comments of their anniver, and that it was a very special occasion. jardenea apparently ignored the comments from open table. there was ZERO recognition from any of the staff of the occasion. none. nothing. zilch. the waiter was very nice. everyone else's food was apparently very good. mine was okay - nothing particularly outstanding, nothing terrible. the crab soup was salty and the prawns al ajillo were overcooked. but mostly i'm annoyed that what was supposed to be a celebration of my parents was an okay dinner in an outdated hotel restaurant. the company at the table, however, was wonderful. updating to downgrade to a single star because it's been a week and i'm still grumpy about the experience. read more

Everything we ate was amazing. And despite being packed for the Diana Ross concert. Not to be missed, the crab cake with collard greens, the fillet you could cut without a knife, and seabass that was as light as a feather. Even the crab bisque soup had my table cheering. Such a good find!!! read more

I hesitate to write this because I'd like to keep it a secret so I can always get a table here when I want to go....but alas for the greater good I shall divulge my knowledge of this outstanding restaurant. I had friends flying in that I had not seen in over a year and wanted to take them to a restaurant that was nice, but not too expensive, and most importantly quiet enough to have a conversation. This place was all that plus truly amazing food. The bf and I split the asparagus salad and it was delicious. The friends each had the beet salad and loved it. For my entree I had the Grass Fed Filet of Beef - when the server brought it out it was actually three beef medallions - not at all what I was expecting and I was bummed at first because I didn't think they could possibly be cooked to a perfect medium rare that I had asked for. However, they were cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious The potato side dish on the plate was also superb. One friend had the duck and loved it. The bf and the other friend both had the lamb pappardelle and enjoyed it. For dessert each couple had a chocolate souffle. The souffle was very good but wish it had been a bigger serving. The service was attentive but not overbearing and the wine list was complete and priced appropriately. I was the only a--hole there in jeans, my bad. We had been out and about in DC earlier and I didn't get a chance to change. I'd recommend not being me and wearing jeans. The setting is lovely. Kind of swanky but not in an intimidating way. The Maitre d' was very friendly and didn't make me feel uncomfortable for being slightly under dressed. I'll be back for sure! read more

4.5 Stars. For the few that have reviewed Jardenea, I give the assist to you, as I would have never found this place without the positive yelp reviews. Certainly an under the radar place, located inside a hotel. I only know this because the GM told me, but they only have 44 seats. So, its certainly a small intimate place. I called around 3pm on a Friday to get a reservation for 15 people at 8:30 and they accommodated us - so again, doesn't feel like a well known place...but I can imagine anyone who has found it is happy they did. The service here overall was great. As you can imagine, we were the center of attention since we pretty much took about 1/3 of the entire restaurant. We constantly had service and manager exposure and everyone was helpful. The food was dynamite. We had a very wide range of people and pallets and they managed to satisfy everyone with fresh, farm to table food and quality drinks. I tried probably half the menu and was impressed with about everything. Personally I thought the duck confit was they best thing i tried. The crab bisque is certainly worth mentioning as well. Also, considering the quality of food they were putting out, I was very impressed with the prices. I felt for the quality of food I was getting incredible value...and it seemed to be a consensus for all of us - and I have some, lets call them "frugal" friends. I see this place being perfect for a quiet date night. The only real complaint I have is they could have better alcohol selection (spirits, wine, etc.). I can assure you all of us managed just fine without our first choices, however. Quality food, relaxing atmosphere, reasonable prices, and a bit of a hidden gem - this is what Jardenea has to offer. read more

By chance, the hotel with vacancy nearest where I needed to be this (last-minute) trip holds this fairly new-to-DC (I think? What the heck do I know? I'm not from here) farm-to-fork restaurant, at which I ate for the first time just a little while ago. It was fantastic! The entrance and "seat yourself" thing was a bit disorienting, but I was really hungry, and had checked out the menu before hand, so I figured it out (if I could reduce the number of stars by 1/2 for this, I would. But it doesn't warrant a whole star going away, based on the meal that followed). Attentive, courteous waiter, who brought warm ciabatta and raisin bread, an outstanding crab bisque & Caesar salad. All were executed creatively, deliciously and presented beautifully! I will be back to Jardenea (as a grassfed beef farmer, I've gotta try theirs, after all!) I highly recommend giving it a try! (Even if you have to ask directions!) read more

Jardenea - Jardenea Caesar salad - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Fois gras was amazing, small portion for the price. 12oz strip steak when asked was stated it was prime. However it was very clear it was a choice steak. Slightly over cooked but still tasted good. Fingerling potatoes tasted good but could use more of a crisp. Server spent most of his time on his phone. Over all decent experience read more

One of the best dining experiences in DC. Five of us dined at this restaurant on Saturday night. The decor is elegant and comfortable. The food is wonderfully prepared and presented, the menu is extensive, the wine list is perfect. The waitstaff is attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, and unobtrusive. The maître d' took great pleasure in discussing the wines we had ordered. Our party included diners who have eaten in some of the finest restaurants around the world, and they were delighted with this memorable meal. Can't recommend more highly. read more

Breakfast for 4. Was next door to our hotel so we went more for convenience. Omelet, eggs Benedict and avocado toast were all good.

Friends and I had a wonderful Christmas dinner at Jardenea. The atmosphere is modern. The menu offers very interesting fare from well-known purveyors. The Meyers Ranch fillet of beef was brilliant, prepared and presented perfectly. The Hawaiian Mero got a rave review as did the Karabuta Pork Tenderloin. My vegetables were delicious and were appropriately chosen for the the beef. The wine is priced for "value" which is so rare in DC restaurants these days. A small but trustworthy selection. The service was seem less throughout the entire meal. Obviously well trained. I look forward to coming back with business colleagues and friends & loved ones. Jardenea is a smart choice. read more

Completely overrated based on my experience. Went in for dinner at 8 and there were only two other tables seated. This immediately made us weary since Blue Duck was overflowing with patrons. Our server gave us water and disappeared. We flagged another server down to put in our orders. 10 minutes later, no food so we asked for some bread since we never got any. The server gave us a sassy "he's already getting you some". Who is this phantom "he"? We have no idea. Apparently neither did the server, he came back a few minutes later with bread and rudely said, "here's your bread". The entrees we ordered, the duck two ways and risotto were fine but nothing special. Each were $2x which is pretty standard but the portions were tiny. The risotto was served in a sharing plate, I know this because the table across from us had the same size plates to split a salad. We were starving afterwards and ended up hitting up wholefoods for food. Very sad... read more

I tried lunch while staying at the hotel. The crab bisque was outstanding. The breads were warm and simply perfect. Service was beyond expectation. Definitely will go back to enjoy their dinner. read more

My wife and group ate here during one of this winter's storms. Unable to get a cab, they walked and arrived cold, wet and miserable. The staff gave them slippers, took their shoes and coats and got it all cleaned up and dry. That was on top of a wonderful meal that was well served. With a complete package like that, it is hard to go wrong. They also got us a cab to go back to our hotel. Thanks guys read more

Went for Sunday brunch. Very nice ambiance, comfortable seating, good service & yummy food!

Lapin and I came here to have breakfast for his birthday. We were seated rather quickly and was in the prime seating area in front of the windows for people watching. The area was nicely decorated, the Frette napkins and small jars of preserves/jams made the place feel fancy. We both ordered the Altantic as we were starving and Lapin got coffee. The coffee was the same coffee they have for free (for guests staying in the hotel) in the lobby before 10am. The food came out fast and was hot. Although, we were told by the server that everything is prepared ahead and it is just served upon ordering. This was incredibly off-putting given the price. How can it say two farm fresh eggs any style but I could only get scrambled and not eggs benedict like I wanted...? The service was meh at most. After bringing us our food and coffee no one came to check in and the plates were left there when we got the bill. We paid the bill and left and the plates were still on the table. read more

I had dinner with a friend here and we were wowed by everything : the service, the drinks and the food! We shared the crab cakes as an appetizer and it was one of the best I've had! The crab cakes were accompanied by fresh vegetables and we were both amazed at how good the peas tasted (who goes back for seconds of peas??) For the main course I had the sea bass and she had the scallops. Both were delicious and very fresh! Our waiter, Derek, was very attentive and made good recommendations. At the end of our meal the chef came out to check how everything was. Overall, a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend. read more

Farm to table! The service and food were exceptional! Butternut squash soup and kale salad for my friend and crab cake and Brussels sprouts for me. So good! read more

Unexpectedly excellent meal for all involved. Grabbed a last minute reservation when our plans changed, but it turns out we probably didn't need one. Restaurant was nearly empty upon arrival, so much so that we weren't sure where it was upon entering the hotel (it's to your right, just inside the door). There was no hostess stand that we saw, so we went to the front desk. We were walked back to the dining area and promptly seated at a lovely booth in a classy slightly dark dining room. Maybe two other tables had guests. Turns out the hotel had hosted a wedding that afternoon and only decided late in the day to reopen for dinner. And we are glad they did. Menu was the sort where any option would have been a great choice, it seemed. We shared two orders of the Brussels Sprouts, which were excellent. My wife and a friend both had the beef filet, which was perfectly cooked to order and delicious. Served with a potato quiche that I could have eaten an entire plate of. I had the duck wellington, which was outstanding. Served over a generous portion of mushrooms. Generous portions of everything, really, and again perfectly cooked. Our other friend had one of the fish options and liked it so much that she refused to share any of it! Extensive cocktail list and wine options. Service was outstanding throughout the meal. Certainly an excellent option if you're in the area. It was fun, too, to basically have a restaurant to ourselves, but it would equally have been nice were there more people around in such an elegant environment. read more

Yesssss. The Jumbo Lump Avocado Tian tasted like freshness, delicious jumbo lump crab and avocado freshness. My entree was a tender veal dish - I forgot the exact name - which equally blew my mind. The best part was the mushroom bread pudding that came with it and tasted a lot like Semmelknodel (Google it) which triggers happy memories for me since my German mother has made it every Christmas and Thanksgiving since childhood. I don't like the texture of mushrooms but I stuffed my face with whole mushrooms because it was so good! I tried a bite of the chicken roulade which was tender and tasty. It's also nice to look around at the newly renovated boutique hotel, which was beautifully designed. Yes to everything. read more

We came here after a long an busy day sightseeing in DC. We read the reviews and sort of knew what to expect in finding seating. The service was excellent and the food was very good. The restaurant manager was friendly and came by to talk to us for a bit. I LOVED the music and the decor. Overall, a great experience. read more

Love the intimate setting, friendly staff and great food. 2nd visit, this time for Mother's Day brunch. Loved it!

Outstanding food! Had the lunch menu for Restaurant Week and it was delicious. The salad with spinach, strawberries and oranges was one of the best salads I've ever had. Also the burger and chicken ciabatta tasted good, nothing special but still tasty. The dessert - a chocolat mousse based cake - was the cherry on top of a great lunch menu. Wonderful that you get a refill when you order fresh orange juice. Great Restaurant Week experience, highly recommend. read more

Excellent dinner at Jardenea. Our waiter was fantastic- I wish I remembered his name but he was working Friday evening and immediately put us at ease. Beautiful interiors, and the food was presented and plated beautifully. We stayed for quite a long time, ordered two bottles of wine for the three of us and were never rushed. read more