Started out with a brunch party here that went as beautifully planned as we wanted. We had mimosas, sangria and bloody mary's that were tasty. I would recommend though to ask for side of Tabasco for the bloody as it's not spicy enough. Service was on top of it and professional especially Christine (I hope I got it right) was super friendly and professional. All the staff we encountered were great. Now for the food.... The lobster Benedict was ridiculously delish! But got freaked out by all the shells though it made a beautiful presentation. Being from California, our avocado toasts are a bit yummier but it was still good. Made to order omelettes, bacon and potatoes looked amazing but did not try. Friends loved it though. Had such an amazing experience went back later in afternoon for more. OMG the fries the fries the fries and that whisky burger was beyond. Loved my spicy drink as well. Didn't try the wings but friend loved it and the sauce had a twang to it that was different yet good. Looking forward to coming back next time in DC. read more

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Kingbird is a hidden gem with great ambience. Stayed here as a guest in the hotel and thoroughly enjoyed every meal we had here. The buffet brunch was really delicious and full of healthy options. Drink made by Fernando are the best, particularly the bloody Mary! Delish! read more

Does it even need to be said how overpriced this place is? I guess not given how virtually all hotel restaurants overcharge and underdeliver. Kingbird at least does not underdeliver however. My family enjoyed a beautiful breakfast yesterday. Their signature 3 egg omelette was prepared with culinary excellence and beautifully served. Avocado toast was terrific and plentiful....likely made using a whole avocado. Later in the day for lunch, we had their chicken Cesar salad which was exceptional, albeit overdressed (and priced at slightly over $50!). Ambience of the room is quite nice. Wait staff aims to please. read more

A beautiful spot with views of the river, located in the historic Watergate Hotel. Service is unobtrusive yet attentive, seating is comfortable and the food is beautifully presented and perfectly prepared. We enjoyed Kingbirds interpretation of "fish and chips" particularly, which featured delicate, flaky white fish in the perfect airy yet crisp batter, the "chips" are actually roasted new potatoes and mushy peas are a delightfully minty pea purée. Altogether delicious. If you are missing the fried potatoes there are truffled fries available as a side that are out of this world. Prices are what you would expect for this caliber of restaurant in DC - expect to pay about $40 per person if you're having dessert or an appetizer- without alcohol. They do validate for valet parking which brings the price down to $12. It's worth mentioning that they are an easy walk from the Kennedy Center (less than 5 minutes) and they offer pre-theater dining. read more

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Stayed at the hotel and wanted to try out the restaurant. Boy were we disappointed. Ordered hamburger, truffle fries and pork + scallops. Then desserts to go - brownies and lemon meringue. mediocre. Worst part was, we decided on brownies based off of yelp's picture. Salted caramel ice cream was a real scoop, regular decent size. When this take out box came, I couldn't even find the ice cream and had to ask the waiter. He points to that tiny thing in the plastic cup. I couldn't hold it in and showed him the yelp brownie picture that was posted just 4 months ago. He felt bad and gave me another scoop, same size. Point is - don't bullshit me with this takeout. Is it the real deal? Then after opening it, the tiny scoop is hollowed. Definitely felt ripped off.. takeout doesn't mean you don't care for presentation or not giving us the real dessert. I thought this was a 5 star hotel... only part that felt 5 star was the attentive busy boy who refilled our water at least 4 times during dinner. Look out for him, he made our dinner epic and definitely giving him a shoutout. No thank you for returning. read more

Kingbird - brownies - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a review of afternoon tea, rounded up from 3.5 stars. Kingbird is the restaurant in the Watergate Hotel. The decor alone is worth a trip- crazy postmodern (watch out for the chairs- they're so avant garde you'll fall off them) and definitely check out the bathrooms. I've been there twice for afternoon tea. The first time I wasn't particularly impressed, but my most recent visit was better. First of all, this is one of the pricier teas in the area, at $75 per person. This includes champagne, and there doesn't seem to be an option for no champagne; my friend who doesn't drink got cider instead but I believe the price stayed the same. But they were generous with the champagne! Our waiter was excellent, extremely professional & service was perfect. They have a good selection of teas. The tea sandwiches themselves were pretty basic- cucumber, salmon, egg salad, and a prosciutto on croissant that was my favorite. This is in contrast to other teas at DC hotels in comparable or lower price ranges, such as the Mandarin Oriental or Peacock Alley at the Willard, which have much fancier savories. They did give us extras though which was very nice! The scone was good- just one type, but on the larger side, and they didn't skimp on clotted cream, lemon curd, or jam. The desserts were good as well- a macaron, some little cakes, and two delicious truffles, one of which I think was a mini cake pop. It wasn't very crowded on a Sunday afternoon, which was nice because we didn't feel rushed at all. The parking: not a lot of street parking; they have valet which with validation (at the restaurant hostess stand) was $15. It was supposed to be $12 but somehow the price went up... Would be nice if parking was fully validated for afternoon tea, since the price is already pretty substantial. read more

This place is way overpriced for the quality of food it delivers. I have had better food at a Gas Station, I expected better, for what we paid. The service is good, but food not so much. Save your money and go else where. The only advantage to this place is it is in close proximity to the Kennedy Center. read more

This review is for the bar. I enjoyed the service and ambiance of the watergate in general. It's really fancy and the bathrooms are very elegant. I'd come here for happy hour on a weekday to enjoy drink specials which are $4 beer, $6 wine, and 25% off cocktails. On weekends the prices for drinks like Stella, Lagunitas or other regular beer is $9. I had a $17 mon ami and it was potent and good but a bit pricey for my liking. Maybe other drinks are more memorable. read more

Kingbird - Mon ami - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A bunch of us took an extended lunch break at Kingbird to participate in their Restaurant week lunch. I don't remember what the others ordered but I ordered the: Lobster Salad: refreshing and light Sirloin with fries: cooked to a medium rare Chocolate Tarte: delish Biggest take? I love the way they present their food. read more

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3.5 stars for a nice dinner spot near the Kennedy Center. My wife and I decided to stop by Kingbird before catching a show at the Kennedy Center. Located in the infamous Watergate Hotel, Kingbird is something that was always popping up on our radar screen because of Restaurant Week but never seemed to time right with going to a show. We arrived at the restaurant and were taken to a seat near the far left back area. It is a beautifully dark decorated interior (during the evening) as you go in with a bar off to the left that expands out as you get towards the back. We were seated in an area that had seats a little too close to other tables in my opinion (probably for Restaurant Week purposes), but fortunately nobody was seated near us. The waiter brought out menus and asked about drinks. My wife had already looked over the wine menu and put in our order for one in particular. This seemed to impress the waiter and led to getting a little more attention from him than I expected (something to consider if you eat here and other similar restaurants in the future). The wine my wife picked (from Australia funny enough) was indeed quite good and paired well with our opening appetizer dish, which was the nought de canard. This dish, which was one of my favorite ones of the meal, includes foie gras, duck confit, and some almond on little pieces of bread. The metal trey holding the dish was a little annoying, but it was tasty nonetheless. We also had the beef tartare at the same time, which was fine but could have actually used some bread from the canard dish or crackers for eating it. We then moved on to our main dishes, which included the lamb confit and the short rib. Both meats were ok and actually a little disappointing for the price, but the fries that came with the short rib were rather tasty as they had truffles and parmesan cheese on top. Our dessert, the lemon signature, came out soon afterwards and was just an ok panna cotta. Overall, Kingbird delivered a pretty standard "nice restaurant" experience before our Kennedy Center show. While some dishes were better than others, enough of them delivered and combined with the nice atmosphere to be worth checking this venue out again before another show. read more

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A+ service (Mgr = Lars & Busser = Jose), A+ food (lobster rolls), A+ location (Potomac River view). So glad we came here.

Easter brunch review ~ I don't know why I inflicted this upon myself, lol. For $105 a person, the service was infuriatingly bad. I'm not sure if it's because I wasn't dressed in beige and florals like all the other patrons here, but we were ignored for so long after we were seated that I absolutely would have left if they hadn't already gotten my credit card/promised cancellation fees. The people next to us, who were seated after us, had already been provided drinks and silverware AND gotten their food at the buffet by the time I decided I'd had enough. I stared down one of the waitresses, who met my gaze with a fake smile then tried to KEEP IGNORING ME AND WALK AWAY before I verbally got her attention and pointed out that we hadn't been acknowledged yet. She didn't apologize and somewhat begrudgingly said she would serve us. Having that as the beginning of our experience honestly put me in a bad mood for the rest of the meal, which again, is an unfortunate way to feel during a $200 brunch (although the general impression I got from how we were treated was that if you care about $200, you shouldn't even be here.) This was some Georgetown level snobbery today, and I really wasn't down for it. Also worth mentioning is how once my fiancé's plate was empty, the waiter definitely may have tried to take away my plate as well - which was still literally FULL of food - to try and get us to hurry up and leave. My fiancé played devil's advocate and suggested that the waiter may have been trying to take the dirty plate that was underneath the plate I was eating from, but why wouldn't the waiter just say that to avoid the misunderstanding...? I'm not convinced at all. 85% of the buffet offerings were just regular breakfast food. Scrambled eggs, bacon, bread, waffles, mimosas, etc. The only things that stood out to me as above average taste-wise were the grits and the macarons. And the dessert setup was visually impressive, if I have to list some positives. But overall, do not come here unless you're decked out in Brooks Brothers, and probably don't come here at all if you expect a good value for what you're paying. read more

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Came here for afternoon tea on a Saturday afternoon and I was unimpressed. The area was tucked in the back and the restaurant wasn't full by any means. Really wished we hadn't missed that TravelZoo deal. My friend and I came on full price and honestly they didn't treat us very well. Servers were inattentive, abrupt, and uncaring. The first thing our server said was that they were out of the cherry blossom tea. WHAT....? #fail The pots of tea were way too large to finish, I wished we got 2 different smaller teas instead of one giant one. Many of the teas had upcharges. The ones we tried were decent - my 'ice wine' tea was really good until closer to the bottom. The hibiscus tea was a little too tart for me. Starting from the bottom, the smoked salmon sandwich was a bit fishy, I liked the cucumber sandwich but there was a lot of cream cheese that oozed out when I bit into it, the sandwich with the caviar and egg salad was interesting but a little dry- couldn't taste the truffle. The hazelnut creme pot was pretty good, not too sweet and the roasted/ candied nuts went well with it. The scones were dry, didnt have any flavors that stood out (no buttery flavor or flaky textures), the sauces were good but didn't necessarily go well with the scones. There was a chocolate 'ho-ho' that was also on the dry side... reminiscent of hostess cakes. At the top, the carrot cake was probably the best item. Very moist with multiple creams that were super fragrant and buttery. The mini poptart was also really good, not too sweet and not too much jam to overpower it. And now that I revisit the menu, I see that they didn't even give us a vanilla panna cotta. Overall, for $50, I probably wouldn't come back. The assortment was heavier on the sweets, and I just didn't feel welcome in general. read more

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THANK YOU Kingbird for the phenomenal service & incredible hospitality! I was invited back to the restaurant by the director of food and beverage, Sami Katrib, and Kingbird truly surpassed my expectations. Upon arrival, my fiancé and I were greeted by Timothy, whod took us to our booth. This time I sat inside I'm a corner booth, which offered a beautiful view of the Potomac. We were introduced to our waiter, Lascar, which I learned that had been working there for 30 years. He is a true professional that offered the best suggestions. He noted for us to start with the fois gras, crab fritters, and king crab salad. The fois gras was decadent, it was my first time trying this dish and I was told it is normally not made in a mousse. This dish was the fois gras blended with a dessert wine to create this fluffy yet rich mousse that paired with the pineapple that made my taste buds want more. Absolutely delicious and set the bar high! Based on our preferences, Lascar suggested I order the scallops paired with a light pinot noir and my fiance a rib eye with a Cabernet. Our entrees were very generous in portions, especially the rib eye which I believe is a shared dish. The rib eye was tender and juicy, it was already cut up in slices and was served with onion and bone marrow. Lascar paired the rib eye with the side dish of mashed potatoes and frites. The frites were made with Parmesan and truffle oil and it was addicting to say the least. The dessert should not be skipped here! I will start off by saying that I am not a sweet tooth but the dessert was beautifully presented and equally delicious. Lascar presented us with a key lime pie with a raspberry sorbet, and a lemon cake with a blueberry syrup in the center that complimented the cake. There was also lemon gelato and mint gelatin that I was obsessed with. All in all, my second trip to Kingbird strengthened my opinion in the food. The food here is delicious and carefully prepared so you are not only getting a great meal, but a work of art. Unlike my previous visit, the service this time around was excellent. We were constantly checked on and received wonderful recommendations. Lascar, Timothy and Sami were incredibly attentive and hospitable. I look forward to returning to Kingbird for the rib eye and to try other dishes. If you are visiting, please ask for Lascar, he will make your experience extremely special. read more

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Kingbird was all booked for Valentines Day so we decided to have our V-day dinner on the 13th. We strolled in without a reservation at 7pm and we were immediately seated. The environment is so impressive! Towering floor to ceiling metal sculptures and of course the wonderful view of the Potomac River and skyline. We started out with the cod & cauliflower appetizer. I looked at the dish and was worried it was something i couldn't eat, but the waiter was so great he went and got the manager to double check the ingredients for me. Our food was really good here and everything plated beautifully. I loved that the service was so attentive and thoughtful. Get the bottled water here, the tap is truly tap straight from the river I believe. read more

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I came with friends for Restaurant Week lunch. We collectively agreed that the experience was a "meh" -- not sure what I was expecting, so I wasn't underwhelmed...maybe just whelmed. Dishes: -Heirloom squash soup: Definitely the highlight of the meal. It was rich, flavorful, and just what was needed on a winter's day. -Lobster salad: My friend's salad was fairly lifeless and overall not very pleasing. -Petite filet mignon: The four of us ordered three different temperatures of filet, and the one thing that was consistent is that all of them were overcooked. The medium filet was medium-well for sure, the medium-rares were a solid medium. I will say that the steak was tender and I enjoyed the jus, but I have had much better (and better seasoned) filet elsewhere. -Sexy fries: I mean, they were OK, but that's it. We were all intrigued and amused by the name, but they weren't really sexy and were not very seasoned. -Spiced Orange and Thyme Crème Brûlée: A bit better than middle of the road, but generally unmemorable. -Strawberry mint fuzz cocktail with flor de caña rum: I actually loved this drink! It would be perfect on a hot summer day, but was also very nice on this cold winter day. The flor de caña was a nice pairing with the mint & ginger beer. Service: -We were seated at a table by the window and, given the wintriness outside, we all had coats. My friend Felicia asked if there was a coat check/if her coat could be stored somewhere, and the hostess made quite a to-do about that in a rude way. It wasn't a very graceful entry into the meal. -In general, service was spotty and relatively absent throughout the meal. For the most part, if we were seeking something, we were waiting around and ultimately had to go find our server or signal to someone to flag him down. This was also the case toward the earlier half of the meal when there were not many patrons, although the place certainly filled up over a few hours. -Others have said this, but service was s.l.o.w. By my watch, there was a 20+ minute gap between when the appetizers were cleared and the entrees were delivered. Then the waiters (to be fair, one was obviously new because the more senior waiter was instructing him) were confused about who had ordered which dish. On the whole, it was kind of a clunky experience--not bad, but I can't say Kingbird is anywhere that any of us will be rushing back to. read more

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This is the lobby restaurant of a freshly renovated notoriously historic building with great food, slightly high $$$ prices and awesome staff. If you're staying here, definitely swing down for a bite! If you're just passing through, its worth grabbing a burger or pizza & thinking about the good ol' Trick Dick Nixon days! read more

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HOSTESS: The male hostess was on the phone when we arrived and the whole experience was very drawn out and super awkward to be seated. It ended up being the topic of conversation for the first few minutes after we were seated. STARTERS: *Pan Roasted Scallops w burnt eggplant 3 perfectly cooked scallops but the downside was that was a little bit of sand in them so they tasted a little gritty but I loved the burnt eggplant I was scraping the plate for every bit. *Frites, Truffle, Parmesan $9 Skinny crunchy frites that I woofed down, I had no self-control and you probably won't either. My friend and I were even contemplating another order to go with the ribeye. ENTREES: *Lemongrass Poached Halibut $37 creamed corn, swiss chard, chanterelle mushroom Beautiful presentation - the lemongrass flavor was very subtle and I'm not a big corn fan but this was really delicious. The swiss chard is presented in tight wheels, would've loved more of it. The chantrelles add a nice nutty flavor to the richness of the creamed corn. The table next to us said that was their favorite dish. *22 oz. Dry Aged Beef Ribeye $58 sauce bordelaise So BIG! I loved that the ribeye was already cut for us and they provided tongs. We kept dipping the ribeye in the bordelaise sauce. This isn't as a good as a steakhouse ribeye but it was really tender and had great flavor. I actually liked the ribeye a lot more than the halibut. Bonus: bone marrow is served on top of the ribeye. *Farmers Market Vegetable $9 Vegetable was a kohlrabi gratin. Really interesting dish. It tasted similar to cabbage and the texture of shaved broccoli stems baked with some cheese. DESSERT: *Tiramisu: Really solid dessert. I recently went to Italy for 9 days and this is on par with what I ate there. *Basil Semifreddo Pop: this was definitely not for me. If you like savory desserts you'll enjoy this dessert. COCKTAILS/WINE: *I decided on a Four Roses Old Fashioned but there was a pretty extensive liquor list. There is also The Watergate Manhattan $22 which has a wonderful presentation. It sits in a hatch glass globe that is poured into a rocks glass over a single round ice cube. *Worthy "Sophia's Cuvee" | Cabernet 2012 $20 I really wanted a Cabernet with the ribeye and this did not disappoint. I always like when restaurants bring the bottle and pour a little for you to taste first before you commit to a whole glass. It was dry and so smooth that I'm going to buy a bottle of it to drink at home! SERVICE: Our service was tremendously better on this visit. The server was proactive throughout our meal. read more

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If you're in the mood for a boozy, bougie brunch, this is a safe bet to satisfy. The setting is beautiful, high ceilings, large ornaments and booths to overlook the water. The service is also phenomenal. Our waiter came to refill our mimosas with champagne when our glasses were just half empty and without ever raising a hand or asking. He also brought over the orange juice separately so that you can add to taste. Then when it was 10 minutes to last call, we might he brought over two rounds of sangria and bloody marie's just so we had whatever our heart desired. Here's what we ordered: - Brûléed grapefruit with champagne granita and vanilla panna cotta: Is this an appetizer or desssert?? It was delicious and makes me want to brulee every grapefruit now! It's light, refreshing, and perfect with the cherry blossom backdrop! - Foie gras and chicken pate: This is rich, smooth, creamy, but pair it with a little salt, slice of fig, and a touch of balsamic and it's perfect. I suggest ordering the grapefruit and this to share. It's a little much for one person, but half is perfect. - Scrambled egg with lump crab meat: Sufficient amount of lump crab meat and not heavy, if you're straying away from the short rib, bolognese, or burger option. It also comes with a potato rosti, which was very crispy on the outside, a fancy hash brown, basically. Overall, I'd love to come back... and come back we did. After taking a 5 mile stroll to see the cherry blossoms, we came back for a cocktail and the cocktails were delightful! I ordered a Ms Valentine and it was not overly sweet, but refreshing with a hint of ginger. And the barrel aged Manhattan... the presentation for this drink is spectacular. We also found out that they do events at the hotel paired with brunch like yoga, truffle making, flower headband goddess workshops... say no more. read more

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Overpriced, limited menu. The ambiance was great but the food felt short. The veal was so salty that I had to send it back. I left the restaurant without eating anything substantial because the wait for the food was too long, which didn't grant a positive experience. The bartender was very heavy handed; keep that in mind when ordering drinks. Our cocktails almost tasted like straight up liquor. Big thumbs up for the truffle fries! read more

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I wanted to take a friend out for a special birthday celebration. We started out with drinks on the rooftop, but storms moved in, so we had to take our celebration inside. We were fortunate to get a table at the lovely Kingbird restaurant on the first level. There is a view of the river and I really liked the layout and feel of the place. Our server, Abdel, was very attentive. We both ordered the Lobster Spaghetti, which was amazing. There was a good amount of lobster and a wonderful butter sauce. When I mentioned the birthday, they brought out a little chocolate dessert with a candle. It was a special occasion dinner that we both will remember for a long time. read more

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Really amazing drink -- scandalous martini. It was a bit sweet but the display and overall flavor was great. Def would get again, love the ambiance here as well. read more

Update: Hi , Jeff. I appreciate your reply. I got a call from you and you promised you would call back and solve the unpleasant issue. But after that that, you never call back. Thanks for making this unpleasant experience more unpleasant. Previous comment: Sad night! Today is Valentine's day and I went there to celebrate this special day. Every lady received a rose from this restaurant, but sadly I didn't receive one. I don't why it's like that. I paid 300+ dollars for the meal. It's not that I can not afford one rose. I saw the waitress gave every lady one rose and I was expecting one too. No idea why I didn't get one. Anyway, sad meal. And I'll never ever come. Also the Valentine's meal is not as good as I expect. The beef taste what I had in IKEA... read more

Kingbird - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went to high tea at the Kingbird with my family for an early Mother's Day last Saturday. The atmosphere surprised me, it was definitely a modern vibe that I wasn't expecting for high tea, but the table setting was beautiful. There was a variety of different teas to choose from and everyone got their own pot of tea. We had some trouble with some of the tea pots not being hot enough or others not strong enough but they worked with us and sorted us all out. We are tough tea customers :) it was fun trying all of the different teas and noticing the unique flavors, but it was wayyyy too much tea. I think smaller pots of tea or cups would be better and would make for better quality tea. The small bites were delicious. There were a variety of savory snacks (smoked salmon w/ caviar, duck with fig jam, beef with tapenade, and watercress salad w/ egg) on the first tier. These were all yummy and I wanted more - especially the salmon and duck. The next tier had scones w/ jam and cream (a favorite of the group, so good!) and the last tier had macaroons, chocolates, lemon tarts and other sweets. I would have wanted more savory items and less sweets as we couldn't finish them. But, they packed us a little doggy bag to go. And forgot to mention that everyone got a complimentary glass of champagne to start with, and the champagne was great quality. It was a festive and fun occasion (though a bit overpriced - coming to $55 pp plus steep DC tax) but the service was excellent and knowledgeable about both tea and the hotel. Our server recommended we go to the roof for the view after and it did not disappoint! read more

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I had a lovely time at the Watergate Hotel a couple of weeks ago. My sister and I originally planned to have drinks at the rooftop bar Top of the Gate but the weather did not cooperate. Instead, we had dinner at the Hotel's restaurant Kingbird. I am so glad we did. The hotel service was excellent and everyone went out of their way to be helpful. As we were winding our way toward the restaurant, Daniele (evp of sales and events) welcomed us. She was delightful. The food and cocktails were delicious. My favorite of all though was the Turbot; it was perfectly cooked. I loved it! Our waiter, Omar, was great and I am looking forward to going back next time I am at the Kennedy Center. Julie V. read more

Just fine, given its storied history. Service for breakfast was good, coffee was decent, food was "ok". Nothing bad, but a mushroom omelette should (imo) not use canned nondescript fungi & a barely detectable amount of cheese. I was expecting a gourmet treat given the price, but got a Dennys-standard meal instead (not that I've eaten at Dennys this century but you get the point). If the location & networking are more important to you than the quality of the food, this will do. read more

Don't waste your time or money here. I booked a "cherry blossom tea" here for two people to host an out of town visitor. The pastries were awful - old and dry. The tea sandwiches were dry and in fact, the bread was curling on the sides because they were so old. So embarrassing to have "treated" my guest to this. Spent $200 for a terrible experience. AW-FUL, just AWFUL. read more

Theres not many places that make me feel like I'm James Bond while eating lunch... but this is certainly one of them. Why 5 stars? Chef knows how to cook his proteins! Perfectly seared scallops, immaculately cooked lobster, expertly cooked salmon. Chef knows, OH... chef knows! We started out with the scallops and the crab cakes: cause we roll deep. All the portions are a bit on the smaller side. When the one crab cake was set down on our table, and it was probably like the size of a half of an ice cream sandwich, me and my B looked at each other with this sort of "that's all" look. But, sinking your teeth into this deliciousness, you're like... that's cute. Like, I could definitely eat 3 more, but we're James Bond, and that would NOT be classy. Scallops had the nicest sear I think I've ever had on a scallop. Like the sear was so extra very sear-ious. He must have put his pan into the depths of Mount Doom in the land of Mordor before he seared the ever living mother *ShutYourMouth out of that scallop. I'm not a huge fan of shaved fennel, but if you are, this dish is more so for you. I just ignored the fennel and sunk my teeth into one of the best scallops eva. Lobster roll and salad with salmon followed the petite portion train. But the lobster was SOOOooo good. Like buttery as a southern biscuit. Tender as Elvis singin' his tune. The salmon was just wonderful. All condiments are served in miniature ketchup and jam jars. The service was excellent. If you're taking out a date that prefers the finer things or The Finer Things Club perhaps, Kingbird is your spot. Only 12 dollars to be valeted too! I was expecting 30. read more

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Kingbird...take me away! The weather was cold and gloomy outside but this sleek restaurant nestled inside the Watergate Hotel made us forget all of our rainy day woes. Walking in is a visual treat with it's white marble entrance, wall-to-floor windows, high ceilings, silver spiral pillars, honeycomb lamps and plush scarlet booths. We were immediately greeted by a friendly hostess who had the foresight to choose a table that would allow this 8.5 month preggo to get in and out easily which was most appreciated. The restaurant was rather quiet on a Thursday afternoon but the people watching was still pretty fun from the lone business woman on her laptop to another lady dressed to the nines in a fur coat. I was impressed with the menu which had lots of seasonal selections that would fit the mixed dietary needs of our group which included everything from pescatarian, gluten free, and just plain picky. For appetizers we split the scallops which was served over a creamy apple sauce and with shaved leeks and the crabcake which was a bit on the small side but filled with 100% jumbo lump crab meat so no complaints there! I got the Wild Alaskan Salmon with chevil dumplings, baby broccoli and a red cabbage slaw which I thought was a very nice balanced meal. The dumplings were super light like a gnocci and was the perfect way to carb up my meal. I'd also recommend ordering the brussel sprouts which were divine -- slightly sweet, crispy, and cooked throughout. I stole half of my dining partner's order before he even had a bite! For dessert we split a trio of sorbets which had unique flavors like fig sherry, pear, and apple cider. They were so creamy that I did not miss the dairy at all! Overall this was a great meal and if I was being a little bit picky I'd say that service was just a tad bit on the slow side although we were well taken care of. I can't wait to stop by again for brunch! read more

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When did this restaurant for the first time as a surprise for my birthday. As soon as we arrived, we were seated, nice ambiance but we noticed there was a very cold draft throughout the restaurant so we asked to be moved. The restaurant had space heaters located at certain tables (which I thought was odd); while the space heaters did help, the restaurant continued to be cold. We ordered a hot toddy to warm up a bit and the potato leek soup to start. The potato leek soup needed some salt and texture but overall not bad. And for the entrées, the braised short rib and the seafood ravioli. We sent both entrées back to the kitchen because they were cold when they got the table so our server quickly reheated the food. The short rib was tasty - a nice sized portion, and the sauce was flavorful. The seafood ravioli lacked flavor, seasoning and I thought the portions were a little smaller than I was expecting. The highlight of the evening was delicious, complimentary brownie brought over to celebrate my birthday. The brownie was sweet, moist and the ice cream was the perfect compliment. Overall overall disappointing experience at this restaurant - I was very hopeful for a great experience, but maybe this was just a bad night. read more

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**Post Kennedy Center show review.** After seeing the over 2.5 hours long Sound Health Music and the Mind: Concert at the Kennedy Center (which BTW was an excellent concert melding science and music with the great tabla player Zakir Hussein, famous singer Renee Fleming, CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and many others), we needed some sustenance. Unfortunately, around 10:30pm on a Friday night, not much is available at the Kennedy Center as their restaurant and bars are closed and right around the Kennedy Center is basically a food desert. DC, you really disappoint... The closest thing we could find was this snazzy lower level restaurant located in the scandalous, infamous Watergate Hotel. Because here is where Nixon did his dirty work and got himself impeached, so yea, in some ways I was looking to be naughty on a Friday evening. But this ain't NYC, so... The restaurant was sparsely occupied by a few other patrons and we opted to sit at the far end of the bar. The bar seating we chose was awkward as there was a big column blocking any kind of interesting view to the clientele. Waiters and bartenders were attentive and on point. The G & T was just fine but the Penicillin was out of this world. Definitely try their cocktails. We only got to try their bar menu. The frites ($9) were good and the crab cake fritters ($15) were excellent. Morsels of crab with not too much batter. We definitely liked this spot as it was classy and sexy, but why do they close at midnight on a Friday night? Cinderella is not in the house and honestly, live a little and stay open until 2am and keep the libations pouring because that's when the juicy stuff starts happening... read more

I came for happy hour and had a good time. While the food was good and the drinks were nice neither were the most exciting part of the experience. The experience of being in the historic Watergate hotel really outshined the whole experience of the meal. The decor was beautiful and slightly dark setting up the whole experience to be a sultry and fun evening. read more

Kingbird - Crab balls - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came here for Restaurant Week with my boyfriend. 3 course meal for $35 was well worth it! Everything was delicious, especially the dulcey mousse. Lovely place for dinner inside the Watergate Hotel. Definitely recommend! read more

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We were guests at the hotel and came by for breakfast. The hotel gave us 10% off the restaurant upon checking in so we decided to go. It was nothing amazing. You're better off finding a local restaurant nearby. It was pricey too. read more

Kingbird - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Service was great, drinks were wonderful. Food was very hit or miss. Desserts were wonderful, appetizers were fine, and my salmon was cooked beautifully but the bed of lentils was SO over salted. Like, I couldn't eat them. Overpriced as expected, but I would have liked to be able to eat the food comfortably. read more

I wish I could give this place more stars than five!!! The ambiance is perfect- very relaxing, flattering lighting, and upbeat music low enough to talk. I made the reservation on Opentable. We sat in a big booth. We had a view of the water. I started with a specialty cocktail, the Cherry blossom. Served in an old fashioned champagne glass straight up, the drink went down too easy. We ordered slowly and our waiter matched our mood. He was there when we needed him and out of the way as we enjoyed our drinks and each decadent course. As an appetizer, I had the octopus. It was crispy and flavorful and served on a bed of arugula. Portion was appropriate. I decided on the salmon and my friend on the trout . We said we would spilt each. The waiter split it in the kitchen and served each separately- separate plates and separate course (trout first). I loved this! The trout melted in my mouth. Next the salmon competed for my love. Loved the lentils it was served with. Both were worthy of my affection. Both half portions were generous. Desserts were also delicious. The one scoop of coconut sorbet was served with fruit and biscotti. Bathroom gets my vote for Best, Cleanest, and Most Beautiful Restaurant Bathroom in DC area!! read more

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I ate here twice while staying at the hotel-once for dinner, and once for brunch. Courteous and attentive service, good food, and fairly priced for a hotel restaurant of this quality. read more

Yesterday, my mom and I had a wonderful experience at Kingbird! We had a reservation for afternoon tea so I could treat my amazing mama to an elegant experience for Mother's Day. We were not disappointed! We were impressed by the hotels's modern and beautiful decor and even more impressed by the warm and friendly staff. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed everything! My favorites were the cucumber sandwich, egg sandwich, homemade pop tart, scones with jam and lemon curd, and the cherry blossom green tea. The complementary glass of champagne was also delicious. After tea we enjoyed more champagne (with a view) on the hotel's rooftop. I would definitely recommend Kingbird and the Watergate Hotel for any special occasion and I am looking forward to my next time dining there! read more

Kingbird - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went here for dinner before a show at the Kennedy center with friends. Parked at KC and walked over. Service is excellent and the staff is very kind, menu is pretty basic/standard American food. End of the day it's a hotel restaurant; so a good option for convenience. On the pricier side, but the staff is very attentive and helpful. Not a bad hotel restaurant! Very clean, nice wine options that everyone enjoyed. read more

Food was good, service was not. I must have some kind of bad mojo when I go out to eat knowing specifically want I want from a restaurant. Every single time I visit a restaurant because I'm craving a specific dish, I get bad service! I came around 1:45 pm, wanting some bruleed grapefruit and it was about 85% empty. I get seated, and it takes ten minutes for someone to come up and ask if I have been helped. That's how bad it was! I got asked if I've been helped BEFORE I've been helped. I made eye contact with a plethora of people, trying to give out a "help me" vibe. I got orange juice, it was good. Got the grapefruit, it was good. But the service left a bad taste in my mouth. I just wanted to come in, order me some grapefruit, and leave. In and out. This took forever. I hope to come back during a time where they weren't switching out services, but still. Even if they are, they need to realize that customers still come in and want to have good service. read more

Kingbird - Bruleed grapefruit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia