Stay at Home Review: Tock 3-course Prix Fixe food for $45 + tax + 20% service fee -- SNACK -- SWEET POTATO ROLL fried chesapeake catfish, tartar sauce, red onion, b&b pickles *still as delicious as usual -- FIRST COURSE -- GRILLED ASPARAGUS SOUP chesapeake blue crab & crème fraîche *consistency of the soup was very velvety and loved the blue crab, and it was garnished beautifully even in a to go container -- SECOND COURSE -- SORGHUM MUSTARD GLAZED CHICKEN wild ramp risotto, spring radish, & herb salad *chicken was juicy, risotto was nice and creamy, wish there was more herb salad or some acid -- DESSERT -- BROWN BUTTER BLONDIE apricot jam, lemon ricotta, & green cardamom sugar *not my favorite dessert from them, tasted like granulated sugar with dried apricots -- ADD ON SNACKS -- HOUSE MADE GRILLED CIABATTA BREAD whipped sorghum butter $5 *that whipped sorghum butter is everything, I wish they sold it Overall a great experience doing to go for a restaurant that traditionally you can't order to go items for. read more

The Dabney - Easter Sunday! Amazing! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food is pretty mid. Wouldn't recommend to someone looking to come here for a good Michelin experience

Elegant upscale dining experience awaits you. Choose the outside garden patio. You're welcome. Signature drinks from the Bar and having been here several times, I have not had one bad meal here. The customer service is outstanding and the wine selection is extensive. read more

Our favorite restaurant in DC. Always a delight to go to the Dabney, both for the recently curated tasting menu and for the past order-off-the-menu experiences. Cocktails are incredible, service is top notch, the decor is inviting (especially the patio), and they accommodate kids. Pro tip: Anytime you're offered sliders, say yes. Hands down my favorite menu item across our many years of dining here. The 2022 iteration (catfish sliders) are the bomb. Also, the desserts. Incredible. read more

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While the food was amazing, it's the ambience at the Dabney that really elevated the dining experience. Located in the Blagden Alley, the restaurant is a bit hard to find without an actual signage. But once you are in the restaurant, you feel this cozy, fall ambience with warm lighting all around. The tables are nicely spaced out. Even when the restaurant was at full capacity during its peak hours, I was still able hear and speak to everyone in my party without having to shout. Some restaurants get very loud and it's hard to hear. As for the food, we had the following and I would recommend everything except one - complementary bread - amazing with the maple butter it comes with - catfish slider: this is a must get - Maryland crab - grilled scallops with parsnip purée -veggies - gai lan, Chinese broccolis - corn bread - note this taste a bit different than typical corn bread. Not as fluffy as I expected and more salty than sweet. - stuffed quail with puff pastry - New York strip - this is my favorite. The steak was tender and it flavors were very balance with the sauce and veggies it came with - dessert: can't remember the name but it has marshmallow, peanut ice cream, and chocolate crumbles. Def food and very sweet if you are a dessert person! read more

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We did a small michelin star restaurant tour around DC and this restaurant was highly recommended from a friend. This place is tucked away in an alley and the door was sort of difficult to find haha. The ambience of this place was great, felt super cozy sitting a few feet away from the kitchen where they have an open fire stove to cook everything on. We ordered a fried fish sandwich (off menu), charred squash, foie gras bisquit, fried sugar toads, grilled Maryland lobster, pork loin and dessert. One of the most memorable things here was actually the honey butter and bread they had as complimentary. The bread is amazing and along with the butter, can't explain in words how good it was! I also did enjoy the fried sugar toad which was fried puffer fish. It was a unique dish. The reason why I wouldn't give this place a 5 stars is because I mentioned to the waiter that we were celebrating my husband's birthday and I thought they would put a candle or give a small dessert but they didn't. I saw a family a couple tables from us celebrating a birthday too and they received a candle. So I was a little disappointed in that. read more

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Wow, my dinner here was truly an experience from start to finish. I have never really had a full course meal that was completely "Mid-Atlantic", and as someone who eats mostly ethnic food, I was extremely pleased. One thing worth pointing out, all the ingredients were carefully sourced and chosen from the neighboring regions. To start off we were served snacks, kind of a pre-appetizer. A delicious assortment of small tasting plates. A notable favorites was the Shishito peppers with anchovy & benne. Beautifully charred peppers that I could not get enough of. Along with these, we were also served the Divine Pine oysters with York Imperial apple vinegar mignonette. Im not even a huge oyster fan but these were fantastic. Tangy and briny flavors and incredibly fresh oysters. For the main dish I had the steak which was prepared medium rare and accompanied with a burnt eggplant puree and grilled okra. Loved the way ingredients you dont normally see together were transformed to compliment each other. read more

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Absolutely love this spot such a vibe Calm, good for girls night out Good drinks and food read more

Got dropped off in an alley and was super confused until I found the restaurant, and I must say, what a cool space... the service, the food, the vibe, the everything was top notch. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting to experience fine dining read more

Washingtonian magazine's pick of The Dabney as the #1 DC restaurant is richly deserved. We had eaten there five times in the last few years as a couple and with friends and had always left elated. Not last night. We hadn't eaten at The Dabney in over a year. Much has changed. The dining room has been remodeled and so has the menu. What used to be an à la carte menu is now a six-course tasting menu priced at an attention-getting $185. I do not eat seafood. My wife does not eat red meat. She is not a demanding diner. As long as the ingredients and fresh and well-prepared, she is satisfied. And, to be sure, that's a low bar. But in my experience, the new price point demands something more. The Dabney's attempt to accommodate my pisciphobia fell far short. Four miniature cucumber spears in a benign, if enthusiastically hyped, tartar source does not rise to the level of fine dining. Each course was well prepared, apparently highlighting the current locavore trend, but sacrificing anything close to the "wow" factor we had come to expect from The Dabney. When the tuxedoed manager asked us how the meal was going, I told the truth, expressing my disappointment in no uncertain terms. As a "gift" from him, I had a course of four beautiful lamb chops with an unusual sauce the composition of which eludes me.. I appreciated the gesture, and the combination WAS unusual, but less than stunning. Chef Langhorne has become THE rockstar chef of DC. Even early on a Wednesday night, the place was noisy and packed, so I am in a minority. But still, my wife's disappointment with the mere adequacy of most of her meal only redoubled my own at the embarrassingly feeble attempt to accommodate my dietary preferences. There are several area restaurants that I leave reliably elated from the experience. The Dabney used to be one of them. To a degree, I'm the victim of my own heightened expectations, but, my God, how the mighty have fallen! In its current incarnation, The Dabney is clearly a "special occasion" restaurant. And yes, this was an unforgettable meal, but for all the wrong reasons. For us, The Dabney has jumped the shark. read more

Really, really delicious. Most of the courses were relatively standard and not particularly memorable albeit yummy, but I did have one beet dish (surprisingly) that was absolutely exciting, creative, and delicious. That said, it was overpriced for what it was. It was good but not $800+ date night good. ‍ read more

Oh the Dabney..... the new love of my life!! Can't say that I agree with the Michelin guide all the time but they were spot on when they chose the Dabney to receive a star!!! The GOOD: Service: the service is what you would expect it to be from a Michelin starred restaurant; PERFECT!!! As I made a mistake of not realizing that the Dabney cellar was closed on Tuesday we arrived early and weren't sure what to do since the cellar was closed. We decided to walk in and see if any bar seats were open. There was only one seat open so as my wife sat I stool behind her. As the waitress was delivering drinks I stepped back and bumped the table behind me and maybe spilled two drops of my cocktail. No big deal at all, two drops, life will go on. Before I knew it the waitress brought me over a new drink and apologized. The amount I spilled was so small that I didn't think anyone noticed except me. The attention to detail is just that good. The amazing service continued all nice through dinner. Just a small group of people who are experts at what they do. It truly made the dinner more pleasant. The Food: It doesn't have a Michelin Star for nothing. I could go on and on about the food but we all know that it's good so I'll give you a few highlight dishes. Get the Crab & Broccoli, yellow fin tuna and the flank steak. In reality it's all amazing, but those stood out. We ended up ordering over half the menu for the three of us and that was a perfect amount of food. Dress Code: It's a casual place. I wore a suit and tie and that wasn't over doing it, but at the same time wearing jeans and a nice shirt would be perfectly acceptable. Nose level was a tad bit on the noisy side but nothing to distract you away from all the greatness going on around you. The restaurant has a great feel inside. Makes you feel very comfortable. Great open kitchen so that you can see all the action going on. Just a truly unforgettable experience!! This is a "go out of your way" type of place. Highly recommended!!! read more

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A definite culinary experience. I enjoy trying Michelin starred restaurants and this was definitely a great one to add to the list. A little difficult to navigate getting there but the ambience is definitely worth the hunt. Service was remarkable. Though pricey, it's worth experiencing the multi course and curated dining. read more

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Ok this is a seriously excellent restaurant. My job takes me to many places around the world, and this cooking would do well in Berlin, London and Tokyo. Tapas style, be prepared to make many choices from appetizers and small main dishes. Ask plenty of questions, your waiters are well trained. This ain't no burger joint! And then the food ... the complexity of the taste leaves you wondering whether you ever (!) ate carrots that taste so good. We went pescatarian and were rewarded with amazing scallops, rockfish and a little fish we never heard of ... ask your waiter or waitress. Two more things: the place gets seriously busy, so book in advance or be ready to wait (nice bar next door). Ah yes, and get ready to leave a hundred bucks a person. Pretty stiff but I don't think we will remember the bill as much as we willremember the delicious food! We will be back. read more

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We went to the place to dine on my girlfriend's birthday and one of the dishes was the rockfish on the green broth. To be honest, It tastes like stinky fish on top of the Tom Yam soup even though I did not explicitly conveyed it in this way. The fishy smell was super strong so my girlfriend could not eat it at all and I barely ate it. We told the server the reason and he took the dish off the table immediately. He discussed with his colleague and his manager. But ZERO action was taken from that point forward like this never happened. I am disappointed when people tried to just brush it off when this happened. If you are busy, I get it. When things were going wrong and got raised, I could not bear the attitude of simply acting like never happened. If we went to a regular restaurant rather than a Michelin starred restaurant, in a common sense, the restaurant would take the action to remediate it. I have been to many Michelin starred restaurants but this is my first time experiencing such a gap. When something goes wrong which is ok because no one is perfect, but you would not take the initiative to correct the mistakes nor take the responsibility. That is the moment when you start to fail. read more

The Dabney - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Incredible experience. Ambience is cozy and intimate, the open kitchen almost feels like you are sitting fire side. Service was great. I am vegetarian and they did a custom menu for me, taking some items from the first course and making it an entrée, and subbing items like oysters from the starter with cheeses, etc. Everything was so fresh and flavorful. I've been wanting to try Dabney for a long time and boy it did not disappoint. read more

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Service: 5 stars Ambiance: 4 stars Food: 3 stars Value: 3 stars The service was fantastic, and the ambiance was enjoyable, but the food left much to be desired. The only option is the four-course prix fixe which costs $85 per person. We also ordered drinks, so with tax and tip, our total for two people was $235. At this price point and under the esteem of a Michelin star, we expected this restaurant to blow us away. Sadly, our dining experience fell flat. Tiny was the word of the day at the Dabney--from our starters to the mains and the desserts everything was small. Usually small portions are expected at fine dining but each bite should astound--at the Dabney each bite left me wondering what the hype is all about. The pork entree was the only stand-out dish of the night--the pork and grits tasted wonderful together. However, the cucumber was way too charred. The next best dish was the blueberry and basil sorbet dessert. The dish was very balanced with savory and sweet flavors melding nicely. I really liked the foie gras starter as well but it was literally one bite. As part of the prix fixe, each diner selects one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert. Each table also automatically receives all three starters on the menu with the option to pay extra for two catfish sliders on sweet potato buns. We skipped the sliders and are glad we did because each order only comes with two minuscule sandwiches. The seasoning and flavors were all over the place. The beet starter with whipped buttercream had too much flake salt on top while the whipped butter accompanying the plain toasted bread was missing salt entirely. The chili crisp in the corn soup was bitter. For the beef entree, the flavors of the burnt eggplant and the catsup did not complement the beef well at all. Lastly, I would advise you to skip the cocktails unless you like herbaceous drinks. The orange spritz was super vinegary--all the other flavors were overwhelmed by the nectarine vinegar. It was so unpalatable that I sent it back and just got lemonade instead. As a last hurrah, the restaurant gives you three small bites with your bill--an apricot jelly, a snickerdoodle cookie the size of a quarter, and a dark chocolate truffle. The cookie and jelly were delicious, but the truffle was horrendous. All-in-all, the Dabney disappointed. read more

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Birthday dinner for me! My fiancé is a chef & restaurant owner and has long admired the talent of Chef/Owner Jeremiah Longhorne. From the minute we were greeted with genuine hospitality, to the outstanding service by Kate and the team, we were thrilled with our food and drink experiences. Yo Ho Ho! The Real McCoy rum in a specialty cocktail: Not on the Radar. Locally sourced ingredients are evident & showcased. Big fan of the chilled corn soup with Maryland crab and the Shishito peppers with preserved ramps, anchovy & benne. Special happy birthday menu for me which was very nice. My fiancé ordered the $10 supplement item of their signature Bloody Butcher Cornbread. I swear I was too full to eat dessert but when the toasted Benne ice cream, dark chocolate shell and honeycomb candy arrived I had no willpower!! And then...more treats from the kitchen! Little cookies, dense mint chocolate truffles & pate De Fruit!! I don't know why I have this obsession with beautiful bathrooms but I even took a picture of it. Remember to tip well. Everybody working so hard. The dabney is well worth the visit over & over again! read more

The Dabney - Grilled Chesapeake rockfish, Virginia peanut romesco, charred fennel, brioche & dill. The best! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My company put on a whiskey tasting event at The Cellar at The Dabney this past weekend in D.C. Their team, Mary Claire and Dan, helped us with the entire process, such as ordering various unique and impressive whiskeys, curating appetizers that paired well with each, and creating whiskey tasting cards. All of our guests expressed how much they enjoyed the atmosphere and the event as whole, which would have not been possible without the help of the staff. If you are looking for an event space with a speakeasy/exclusive feel with a wonderfully supportive team behind it, The Cellar at The Dabney is certainly the perfect place. read more

I had a delightful dinner at The Dabney. The Divine Pine Oysters were delicate and so delicious. They would definitely be the oysters I'd want to have a friend try if they have never had oysters before. The Grilled Spring Ramps were flavorful and I would order the dish again. The Lacquered Quail felt like the fanciest thanksgiving dish I've ever had. The Grilled Golden Tilefish was perfectly cooked and fresh, I would definitely recommend this dish to anyone who loves fish or hasn't had a well done fish dish. The Grilled Strawberry and Rhubarb dessert was well balanced and one of my favorite dishes of the night. As a lover of americana music, I highly approve of the playlist at The Dabney. I heard some of my favorite songs that I've never heard at a restaurant before and it was a delight! The staff were some of the nicest restaurant staff I've ever interacted with! I would highly recommend putting in the effort to trying to make a reservation for dinner at The Dabney. read more

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Exceptional concepts and execution. Definitely worth the Michelin star and almost worth the price. I would go back, just not too often. The cooking was exquisite, the service was perfect and it's a very vibrant place in every dimension. read more

Love the alley entrance. Very European and cute. The staff super attentive but the vibe is very posh and comfortable. The food is inventive and so thoughtfully plated and prepared. You can tell everyone loves what they do. Wildly expensive but really a place to go for special romantic occasions. read more

Take this review with a grain of salt as I am not a fan of "fancy" food. The ambiance was fine. The open kitchen with grill was cool. The service was good, as were the drinks. The portions for the entrées are way to small. My girlfriend had three minuscule slices of lamb and I had a tiny pancake thin piece of chicken. We did not leave satisfied. The starters were good, but the first course was not. My girlfriend had asparagus and squid with squid foam, ala South Park human centiPad, which was gross. I had some scallop vinegar concoction which was also not good. For the price you'd be better off going somewhere like Maydan. They've also got a open fire, bigger portions, and better food. read more

The Dabney - Grill - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is the first restaurant experience that makes me wish there were more than five stars! I've been lucky enough to go to The Dabney four times and somehow it has genuinely gotten better every single time. This time we were lucky enough to go for Off Menu Week, so there were a few special dishes available. FOOD: You can't go wrong with anything on the menu- we loved every single thing we ordered. This time around we got: Grilled bread: This comes with every meal and is amazing every time. It's served with insanely good sorghum honey butter. Fried catfish sliders: Anything that comes on the sweet potato rolls will be amazing. We got three of these and could have easily eaten ten. Charred carrots: These came with a whipped ricotta and honey that was just incredible. It honestly makes you want to lick the plate. Ham toast: This was the best thing we ordered. It's covered in melty cheese, the bread is perfectly crisp, it's just comfort food done perfectly right. I think this was one of the off menu dishes and I hope it stays! Buttermilk pie: Dessert! This reminded me a lot of chess pie. The toasted meringue and blood orange sorbet were great accompaniments. St. Malachi cheese plate: Fantastic cheese, and the accoutrements that came with it were just as good. I think there was a mustard, apple butter, and toasted pumpernickel. There was a nice amount of cheese, too. SERVICE: Our server was exceptional- she was so friendly, knowledgeable about every dish, and made some great recommendations to us! She really made our meal. We also originally had reservations for 7:45, but the restaurant reached out to us to let us know that our table was available early if we'd like to be seated earlier, which was a really nice touch. AMBIANCE: I love the open kitchen style, and it was really cool to see the chef plating and cooking right in front of us! I also noticed that my clothes didn't smell like smoke the way they sometimes do after eating in open kitchens (ex. A Rake's Progress/Maydan) The Dabney is truly one of the most quintessential DC restaurants- the perfect Mid-Atlantic food with a seasonal menu that's impressive every time. read more

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This place was amazing but not for those who are looking for a quick meal. The experience started with a complimentary drink which was a great first impression. The ambiance was rustic and modern which crested a feeling of romance. There were servers for every part of the experience who were knowledgeable and very attentive to the smallest details. They recommend cocktails and wines that would pair with everything we were served. The dishes came out so, fast it wasn't enough time to pair drinks with our meal so we stuck with 2 cocktails which were fantastic. My husband has a seafood allergy and they ensured there weren't any cross contamination and planned accordingly for his arrival. The price tag was ideal for this experience and worth it due to the quality of flavor and ingredients. I highly recommend The Dabney dor a special occasion or for an experience that you won't forget. read more

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This was an amazing experience! We drove 4 hours to experience a Michelin Star restaurant and it was worth it. The atmosphere inside was perfect. Fancy, but modern. You are able to see the kitchen and wood fire grill from the room. I had one cocktail that was very refreshing. The waiter was really helpful with explaining the menu and ingredients. Food was unreal! Honestly, all the food we got seemed like a steal for $85 a piece. You get all the snacks and then 3 courses. We also added on grilled soft shell crab. Every bite was amazing. Definitely, definitely go. Nothing but great things to say. read more

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Pros (2) 1. This restaurant is beautiful, especially the open kitchen. I was amazed with the amount of physical labor it took the gentleman to fan the flames/feed the fire. 2. The food was good; we dined for two. The oysters (snack), the pork (main course) and the baked virginia (dessert) were delicious. The pork, which was braised(?), was so tender and the grilled strawberries went so well together! The skewer of pork was okay (i may be too used to street meat in NY/yakitoris). The chocolate chess pie in the baked virginia really hit the spot. Cons (2) 1. The food I wasn't into. The scallop with cucumbers and yogurt was interesting.... The tilefish with the assortment of veggies; I couldn't taste what Dabney wanted to accomplish with it. 2. The service could have been better based on two things. One, we had to follow up with our waiter to ask for our drinks after our snacks were taken away. Two. The timing/execution of serving the courses could be improved. Our main course arrived about 30 minutes (phone eats first) after our first course/app was taken away; our dessert came about 5 minutes after our main course was taken away . To amend the service, The Dabney could tack on a 20% service charge to the bill to encourage some consistency in service. We dined at another restaurant that charged 22% for service to the meal the night before, and the service felt leagues apart. read more

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The Dabney was another delicious meal during my DC trip. We snagged a pretty late reservation around 9pm since all the dinner times were already taken. I enjoyed being seated right next to the open kitchen, where we saw the chefs hard at work. We were seated quickly and served complimentary bread. The bread was very thick and crusty - you could tell it was homemade. I loved the maple butter that was served with it, which was salty and sweet. Since we weren't too hungry, we decided to order 2 dishes and a dessert to share. Chesapeake Sugar Toads - The most popular dish at The Dabney but I thought it wasn't that unique. Sugar Toads are a small fish, not an actual toad haha. What is "different" about the presentation is that the fish + bone is all fried together so you eat it like a fish stick. I guess it can be kinda unique to some people? Nonetheless, I enjoyed the flavors of the dish. The fish was very tender and flaky. Late Summer Melon - I was in love with this dish!!! Such a seemingly simple dish of watermelon, heirloom peppers, smoked trout roe, lime/lemon verbena, and a creamy yogurt. This dish was sweet, savory, and spicy. I loved the different textural components with the crunchy melon, popping roe, and creamy sauce. This is a seasonal dish only available in the late summer (obvi, lol), so if you ever see this on the menu, get it! You won't regret it. Summer Fruit and Herbs was our dessert selection. We had a few different stone fruits like peach and apricot, served with a panna cotta, apricot sorbet and garnished with some mint leaves. Not my personal selection, but I did enjoy the different complementary flavors, though I did think the lavender flavor was a bit overpowering. While The Dabney definitely is a pricey restaurant, I think that the quality and creativity of the dishes make this a standout in the busy DC dining scene. read more

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Literally incredible. All the dishes recommended by Justin were fantastic, they accommodated me despite being super busy during a rainstorm while I was fresh off a flight. Truly wonderful mix of chic dining style with refreshing service equal parts professional as well as authentically friendly. If you can get a seat do it. Thanks for everything . read more

The Dabney - Catfish appetizer sandwich and their pork - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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**Note, I had to update the review because of a severe lactose reaction shortly after writing this review.** Initially, we thought this was a spectacular meal in terms of food, atmosphere and service, and I am very stingy with the five-star reviews (I just got badgered by another restaurant for not giving them a higher rating :- ) ). As others stated and as we experienced, our server was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in planning our meal and wine choices. I think this is likely a consistent standout at The Dabney. We started with the oysters, pork rinds, and scallops crudo. For our main course, we had the quail and pork, along with two orders of greens (we ordered a second order because the greens were seasoned so well) ! I believe Chef Langhourne really has an understanding of regional cuisine and uses great ingredients to bring out the best of flavors without being overly complicated. This is what I found to be the strength of the menu. For dessert because we both now have lactose sensitivities we had the chocolate sorbet. To be fair and balanced ; -) this was not the best sorbet we had, but it did its purpose, and we still licked the platter clean.... Besides the solid food, the other standouts were the attentive, knowledgeable, but unobtrusive service, along with the great by the glass wine selections. I really had trouble deciding what we should drink because I wanted us to sample more than what we ordered , compared to the trouble I had at Bresca just a few days finding something I thought would complement our food well, the Dabney's sommelier/wine manager really offered some unique high-quality choices. Check them out! You find some really good options that aren't overpriced. Finally, while this may seem silly, but I really enjoyed the energy of the restaurant, including the staff and customers. It was simply a very pleasant place to dine. The total price with tip for us was $234. I found this extremely good value given what we ate, atmosphere, and entire service package. **The really bad part though is shortly after getting home my husband had a severe lactose reaction. This was surprising since our server was aware of the lactose allergy and pointed out what we could and could not eat, and how the kitchen cold make modifications. I'm guessing some one made a slip up in the kitchen, because it was undeniably a lactose reaction from our meal at The Dabney. Initially, I gave this a five-star rating (and I give precious few), but I had to adjust lower because of this extremely noticeable and painful error. I would like to give The Dabney another try because otherwise it was a really great experience, but I'm not sure we want to endure another night of stomach cramps and other events..... :- / ** read more

The Dabney - Great table near the kitchen. Plus the fire is fun to watch but the wood fire,cooking enhances tge meal! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This was the perfect place to celebrate my birthday a few months ago, and is now one of our favorite D.C. restaurants. We arrived on time for our res and were offered seats at the bar while we waited. The cocktail menu is well curated with more than a few interesting options. The bartender was happy to make recommendations, and my husband opted for the Man on Wire which featured a red wine floater. I went for the old fashioned and it was reliably delicious. We nursed our drinks for awhile and noticed that we were well past our reservation time. At that point, a gentleman came over and apologized profusely for the wait and comped our round of drinks, which was a nice gesture. We were enjoying ourselves and not in any rush, but were finally led to our table (told to leave our drinks at the bar and someone would bring them to our table - so fancy) by the same gentleman. From there, service was impeccable and the food was even better. The dishes were so unique and full of flavor, and I loved that the chef highlighted seasonal produce; all of the textures and flavors played together beautifully. I honestly can't pick a favorite dish, but hubby and I both loved the catfish sliders, pork belly, and of course the rohan duck was amazing. We were also surprised how much we enjoyed the succotash - typically a simple dish, but the spicy peppers and crispy okra took it to the next level. Dessert was similarly incredible - vanilla ice cream with carmen peppers and shiso. Just wow. The perfect marriage of sweet and spicy. I've never had a combination like that and it's something I still think about! Even my husband, who always favors chocolate for dessert, couldn't stop raving about it. The complimentary jellies and sweets rounded out a perfect meal, as did the little take home jars of molasses butter that one of the staff gifted us (after hearing me go on about the butter...it was unreal). Dabney provided us one of our best meals in D.C. and I couldn't have asked for a better birthday experience. We cannot wait to return! read more

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Well, that was one of the loveliest dining experiences I've had in a long time. Great, attentive service; delicious cocktails; perfectly portioned dishes with amazing flavors; and a Baked Virginia dessert that will wow you. I absolutely cannot wait to come back. read more

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When we go to nicer places, we don't use our phones - so the pictures are scant, but the flavors and memories are plentiful. What's great about The Dabney is that it felt easy. Relaxed. Chill. Unpretentious. The service was excellent, but they weren't forcing anything. Being able to see the folks make your food (on an open fire!) added to the cool vibe. The most memorable dishes for us were the smoked catfish dip and the baked Virginia. Everything was super tasty, but those two are the ones I'm going to be thinking about later. An easy 5/5! read more

The Dabney - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My friend was able to snag a reservation for this place and of course I said yes. The Dabney is one of those spots that is so frequently raved about but so difficult to get into that I had never been. From the time I entered the restaurant, I was immediately welcomed by warm service. The hostesses were very helpful and seated me right away. The meal starts with the most wonderful bread and sorghum molasses butter. My friend and I could have probably eaten a whole loaf of this bread with the butter. SO good. The fried oyster sliders were incredible, probably my favorite part of the meal. The sweet potato bun and the crunch of the oyster worked perfectly together. We also ordered the scallop crudo which was just okay, honestly. I was kind of disappointed that our waitress had recommended this dish because it was a little bland. Not terrible but not mindblowingly good like the fried oyster sliders were. For the entrees we ordered the quail and the chicken. The chicken left a little to be desired, honestly. The quail, however, was fantastic. The rice underneath the quail was actually quite good and I don't even really like rice! Drinks were solid. I ordered a cocktail that had celery in it so the taste was pretty unique and on trend with the celery craze taking over America. We didn't get to dessert so I'll save that for an updated review. I definitely want to come back! read more

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The Dabney's 4-course Prix Fixe menu is a parade of elegance and perfection I will 100% need to try again. Every little detail of every dish is expertly crafted to be both delicious in taste, and perfect in texture. They have seasonal menus so there are always rotating options to choose from. The service is also top tier. The items I enjoyed the most were the Scallop Crudo, the Baked Virginia, and the Cornbread with Chive butter we ordered in addition to the prix fixe. I'm certain that you won't go wrong with any dish you choose, but those were my favorites. The drinks we ordered were delightful as well; expertly crafted and sufficiently mixed. I believe the price here is actually very reasonable for what you get compared to other Michelin Star restaurants. I'd definitely recommend this fantastic restaurant. read more

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Food amazing Vibe amazing Have been looking forward to dining here since it opened. Didn't get first bite of anything until more than an hour after we sat. Drinks no problem but food delivery was a nightmare. Last things we ordered rushed--which was ok because we were starving but sad we didn't get to enjoy and try some wine pairings and no dessert. Plus it seems we didn't get Amuse bouche which we saw delivered to others or the cookies delivered to everyone else. Really really disappointed. After all the expectations, if you don't get the food, not worth the hype. read more

The first time I got a reservation here was end of March 2020. For some reason it got canceled, I'll never know why. My anticipation of the meal was rising after listening to Jeremiah Langhorne on the Chef Radio Podcast with Eli Kulp and it didn't disappoint. My subjective take is that of the "snacks," "courses" and "main" (as well as dessert) the best things were the "courses" (crabs done two ways, a green bean dish) and the off dining room tasting menu ham sandwich with a cheese dipping sauce. I liked the "main" (pork in multiple ways" just fine and the snacks were hit or miss to me, but mileage varies. Taste aside, everything was thoughtful, pacing was good, service was strong and vibes were immaculate. Was expensive, but I'd go again, and maybe try the bar menu, which as of this writing is separate. read more

My friend and I are hitting up some of the best places to eat in the DMV, per the Washingtonian, and this is the first place we picked. The Dabney. You're gonna have to put your reservation in, well in advance. I think the reservations open at 12pm, and for coveted weekend dinner spots they got snatched up in like 5-10 minutes. We were seated and ordered a selection of items to share. We got the Grilled Scallops, the Chicken and dumplings, the fried Oysters with shaved radishes, the sweet potatoes and the Benne, milk and honey dessert. Also there was some complementary bread with butter. The bread was to die for. I could have just eaten multiple servings of that and called it a night. My favorite of the dishes we tried was the chicken and dumplings and the grilled scallops. The broth with the chicken and dumplings was so balanced and just made the rest of the dish sing, veggies and all. And the scallops were delicious. The Dabney is definitely more a special occasion place or a great place to bring a date to impress (especially if you are both foodies). Excellent service and ambience. read more

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I visited The Dabney for Valentine's Day and had a great experience. They served a 5 course menu (although they normally do a 4 course experience). The first course was three small portioned snacks (celery root soup, venison tartare and foie gras), ember roasted beets as the second, poached lobster as the third, a choice of either trout of short rib as the fourth, and ended with a chocolate chess pie for dessert. For someone who loves meat the ember roasts beets were my favorite. We were able to get a view of the wood fire in their open kitchen where these beets were prepared. The service was excellent, our server was very attentive and knowledgable about the food and drink pairings, and overall made our experience a better one. Highly recommend for a special occasion! read more

The Dabney - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The hype is true - this place is stellar! The service was absolutely perfect, friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Try and book a reservation online. They only show 2 weeks out, so book early and keep trying. We went as a walk-in at 6 on a Friday and were able to get right in and sat at a high top table. Atmosphere was so cool, as we got to watch food being prepped and cooked in the open kitchen. Food was fantastic - personal abortive was the bbq pork, which turned out to be pork belly mmmm! Sending favorite was the tuna crudo. The combination of flavors in the tuna was thoughtful and unique. Defiantly not overpowering or one of those strange combos some chefs use to be trendy. Quail was perfectly cooked and delicious. The rooftop swizzler was a bright and flavorful drink. Although desert (chessboard pie) was great, the savory entree and starters were the highlight. *check out the cellar for a before or after dinner cocktail!* read more

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