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Ardeo
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
3311 Connecticut Ave NW(between N Ordway St & N Porter St)
Washington, DC 20008
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park
(202) 244-6750
- Nearest Transit:
-
Cleveland Park Metro Station (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
155 reviews for Ardeo
Review Highlights
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"1) Pear upside down cake, pretty delish." In 4 reviews -
"The brunch, however, is extremely reasonably priced." In 38 reviews -
"We also had the stuffed calamari and scallop schnitzel." In 4 reviews
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155 reviews in English
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Review from Barry S.
Gaithersburg, MD
4/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
The rabbit ragu and the pork cachetore (sp?) were two of the top dishes I have ever had under $20.
Other items were average ... as were the desserts ... so I can't in good conscience give a five star.
WILL BE BACK ... soon ... to keep exploring. -
Review from Seiji N.
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was in town for my sister's graduation and we were looking for a brunch place around the Cleveland park metro station area. Ardeo seemed like a good choice and we arrived before they were open that day. We waited outside and were the first group to enter the restaurant. We told the host that our party had 5 people and his reaction was "oh, do you have a reservation?". I turned around to see if a massive amount of people apparated out of thin air, but there was 1 group behind us. Hesitantly he seated us at an awkwardly placed table in the corner.
Their brunch menu is not that extensive and, as my sister put it, you either have to go light (bagel, yogurt, fruit, etc.) or heavy (omelet, burger, etc.). I decided to go with the risotto, but for $12+, it did not come close to filling me up. The other food items were lackluster as well.
Service was very spotty, as we were 1 of the 5 or 6 tables and we had to make an effort to flag down a waiter so we could order food.
There must be other good brunch places in cleveland park so I suggest going elsewhere. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Washington, DC
Updated - 4/29/2012
I really want to love this place. In fact, I'm *primed* to love a place like this - a neighborhood spot with an eclectic menu (pizza, pasta, burgers, small plates, salads). I even love the interior - it feels modern and sleek without feeling chilly. And A&B is one of the few places that manages to house a few different vibes in a coherent way - there's a fairly bustling bar scene, but the place doesn't feel overrun by the bar. There's a huge communal table by the bar that feels casual, but the whole place doesn't end up feeling casual. But I'm convinced something isn't entirely right at A&B.
The first time I went there I was totally turned off by the hot mess at the door - the host was totally overwhelmed, people with reservations were waiting. It was a disaster. Last night was the opposite; our table was ready when we walked in, the service was impeccable, and we weren't rushed at all (we arrived at 7:30 and we left at 11:15 and no one ever pushed us along).
But what isn't right at A&B is fundamental -- it's the food. Every single thing we tasted had something just fundamentally wrong. In fact, much of what we ate had some unpleasant element. For example, the mixed greens salad (mixed greens, raspberry vinaigrette, toasted almond, lavender honey, mascarpone, ricotta salata) was intensely salty and it had a kind of mucky, sandy taste. The saltiness was so intense that we even asked the waiter if something had been mistakenly put in the salad. We ordered two pizzas - the mozzarella, tomato, basil which *should* taste fresh and clean (see previous review) tasted far too tomato-ey. I always want this pizza to be pure goodness- I imagine sharp tomato, fresh basil, and chunks of fresh mozzarella, but somehow this always tastes like the pizza in my middle school cafeteria. The mushroom, black garlic, fontina pizza was just too rich (it was covered with far, far too much cheese, and the cheese just overpowered the other flavors. Even the hamburger -- which is supposedly served with onion strings -- came with a pile of absolutely tasteless, leathery, dry onions.
And the missteps weren't limited to the entrees- even the desserts suffer from some real problems. The vanilla mascarpone cheesecake was tasty enough (though there wasn't even a hint of vanilla) but it's served with an absolutely overpowering -- and slightly sour -- strawberry black pepper sorbet. The only thing we ate that was flawless was the pecan pie with bourbon ice cream.
Part of me wonders what would happen if A&B just didn't try to do so much with its menu, if it kept things a bit simpler. Their efforts at interesting combinations -- cheesecake and strawberry black pepper sorbet, for example -- just isn't working. I'll probably check back in a year or so to see if this place has come around because really, I want to like it. I just don't like it yet.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/15/2011
(3.5 stars).
I love the concept of A&B - it feels like a real neighborhood spot, and I love that… Read more »
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Review from Erica Y.
4/28/2012
Saturday brunch, arrived close to 1:30, and the place was not busy. Service was not good for the place being not busy. Our waiter never brought the milk I requested for my toddler, and the extra butter my husband requested. The wait between the first course and second course was ridiculous. Absolutely unforgivable given the place was not busy at all. Our waiter never came to check in and apologize for the wait. I had to flag another waiter down to find out what's taking so long. Only then our waiter came around to say it's going to be a bit longer. He did not refill our mimosa or drinks as fast as I liked, but it was acceptable. It's definitely the wait between our courses that has me reluctant to ever go back. This is on a not so busy day, what happens if they are actually busy??? Service is a two star here.
Food is a three star. The Crispy Brussels Sprouts is very good, but Graffiato had offered the same dish that taste about the same too (although it's not on their menu right now) so it's not unique to them. My Rock Shrimp and Grits with Arugula and Lemon was so so. It's pretty bland IMO, you really can't compare it to a true Southern place like Acadiana or something. My husband got two main courses (he didn't do the bottomless mimosa), the eggs benedict and the burger, both were "ok" (his words). Our friends got the "Faux" Carbonara (it was "ok" too, her word) and the Bacon and Egg Risotto (the best reviewed dish besides the brussels sprouts, he said it was really good).
It's a good deal if you go for the bottomless mimosa plus two courses for $25. However, make sure you have plenty of time to kill and don't mind slow service. The place was not crazy loud like others mentioned, but again, it was not busy.
I may only return if I am going for a girls brunch and want to have time to catch up with girlfriends. Definitely not taking my toddler back there since he won't tolerate the slow service either! -
Review from Mike B.
Vienna, VA
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Small roof top with fence to block out the alley views. Food doesn't really seem follow much of a style. Chicken was good as was the shrimp. The pork pasta tasted as if it could have come from a school cafeteria. The apps were all mediocre. Pizza was extremely salty and tasted like it could have come from a corner shop. Deserts were good. Wound't go out of my way to go back...Oh yeah. Can't entirely put full blame on them because it's a very busy day in the industry but service was horrible. Had to beg for water refills every time and had to track down waitress for orders. Sat with 4 empty drink glasses on out table since the 1st course without an offer to clear or refill. Management did stop by to ask us about our food after we were finished. He seems very attentive and helpful. Wish their wait staff was a bit more like him.
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Review from Sarah C.
Luray, VA
5/10/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Six of us had a celebration dinner at Ardeo. They went out of their way with reservations, which kept changing. We came early after an afternoon graduation, and the restaurant was empty, so we had lots of attention. As a pescatarian, I had thought there would be plenty to eat, but really there were few choices - there was cheese in just about everything. The food was quite good - although one or two dishes were just OK. If you like small plates, quite a good meal from their offerings in this area. Wine list was good, but the server spilled the wine on the table. BIG disappointment at dessert - all of the desserts had ice cream or sorbet in them or with them, but the freezer was broken. No dessert for us! I am thankful for the good service, positive about the food, but not jumping up and down.
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Review from Douglas B.
Washington, DC
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Get in before taking noon in weekends. Very popular brunch.
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Review from A.K. B.
Manhattan, NY
4/2/2012
Went to Ardeo on Saturday for the first time in many many years. It's been refreshed and stepped up.
Delicious food, good value for the tasteful preparation and good service.
My only complaint is that it's a bit loud - hard for a small table of 4 to hear each other well. -
Review from Kathy M.
4/25/2012
I enjoyed my experience at Ardeo. The food is delicious (I had the pizza with lamb pepperoni and feta cheese, along with a sample of their friend chicken dish with a creamy biscuit). The menu is mainly small plates, but they're pretty filling, especially if you're pairing it with a cocktail or a glass of wine. I had a chocolate martini which was heavenly. Also, the service is stellar.
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Review from Jenna B.
Denver, CO
4/30/2012
I recently held a friend's bridal shower here. Ardeo was so accommodating and helpful to me, as I was planning this event from out of town. The ambience was perfect- classy, yet fun. The staff was so helpful and happy to help the day-of the event. The food was also 5 stars! I highly recommend the yogurt parfait, about which I have been dreaming since the bridal shower. The food, drinks and service were impeccable.
I highly recommend Ardeo for an event or great dining experience in DC. -
Review from Kate P.
Washington, DC
2/24/2012 4 photos
This review is about an event held at Ardeo + Bardeo. Therefore, it won't reflect a typical dinner experience; however, I feel it should carry more weight since the event was MY WEDDING and we all know brides are crazy. I must say that Ardeo's private rooftop is one of DC's best kept secrets! In my research, it is one of the few private outdoor spaces available in DC and definitely the only one in my price range. From a bride's point of view, the decor could not be better! The exposed brick and neutral black and white art make for a perfect photo back drop and the sunlight and outdoor umbrellas were perfect for pre-ceremony. Even the mirrored wall made for some fun pics!
We picked the space because I wanted to get married outside and have a small reception to follow. We ended up starting with a dinner beforehand for my family members, and everyone loved the food. I was pretty nervous so I admittedly didn't eat much at dinner, but I couldn't resist the brussel sprouts and a small portion of soup.
The only warnings I have for other brides-to-be are to plan for lighting and music! Our wedding was at 7 p.m. and we realized shortly beforehand that it would be too dark to read vows outside, so we moved indoors at the last minute. In hindsight, the outdoor space may have been too small anyway for 50 guests (standing), but I assume there would have been some gentlemen in the party who wouldn't have minded watching through the glass doors from the bar. It isn't possible to play music through the existing sound system and Muzak options were limited, so we brought an ipod and speakers, but they proved too small to be heard by most. I kind of wish we would have hired a string quartet to play outside in the background and planned to exchange vows indoors. With better lighting of course!
On the day of, I got the impression that we were one of the first (if not THE FIRST) weddings held there, and by that I mean the staff was AMAZING! There were more than enough servers, bar-backs and bartenders, and the GM was visible throughout the night. Luckily, I noticed that early, so I could make it clear that my mom's glass of wine should NOT be refilled until after dinner, and then infrequently. They were still a bit prompt but at least she behaved well until we got back to our house, with the exception of a few too many tears during the ceremony.
In all of the excitement, I left my coat behind and was warmly greeted with a glass of wine when I came back to retrieve it a few days later. I look forward to celebrating our anniversary at Ardeo + Bardeo this year and encourage you to check out the pics I posted! -
Review from Julie B.
Washington, DC
2/12/2012
Ardeo+Bardeo's bland upstairs ('"We'll seat you there, it's quieter."), on Washingtonian Mag's 2012 list of "On the Rise" was...well...good, no, better than just "good". It was good culinary value for a restaurant described as moderately-priced: a 6+-7 out of 10 on our more expansive scale.
Admittedly, we went with the tried, true and raved-about. After demolishing the bread (excellent non-greasy house foccacia hidden under outsourced warm but limp white), we started with two of the smalls: the crispy brussels sprouts with pistachios, reconstituted dried apricots and yogurt dressing--the restaurant's single most popular dish according to our charming server Fran. They were as memorable as Rasica's famous deep fried spinach starter---a must-try. (And a must-try again with the main course as a side!)
The pureed rutabaga and apple soup was unctuous, velvety and wonderfully delicious: the tart strains of rutabaga beautifully balanced by honeycrisp apples. I hated sharing it, but was compensated with half of my husband's brussels sprouts. Accoutrements of a tiny blue cheese mousse and smear of walnut praline were lovely to look at but indistinguishable as distinct taste foils.
But the chef should have stopped right there with the honeycrisp apples: a puree of the fruit with a mysterious foam made a second appearance with Scottish salmon, currants and pine nuts. Horrors. Fish deftly if a tad overly pan roasted, but salmon is too hearty a fish for the evanescent sweetness of the apple puree. It was overpowered by the salmon. It made for a dry plate. Our second entree: the famous seven-hour braised leg of suckling pig on cheddar grits was succulent, satisfyingly rich and just right on a night with 40-degree winds whistling up CT Ave and a chill that roared right through a heavy down coat.
Fran's wine-by-the-glass suggestions were fine: a Washington State chardonnay and a cab-merlot blend. "Yes", she said, "the wines were opened just that night." I wish we could have had room for the desserts--they looked tasty. Maybe some day, when we attack bread baskets, we'll stop in time to take on dessert. You know, resist immediate gratification. -
Review from brandon r.
Washington, DC
3/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The food was amazing! Thoughtful and well planned, with a flavor profile of a Chef that knows what they are doing.
The brussels sprouts blew my mind.
Great beer selection as well. -
Review from Tatsu O.
Washington, DC
3/1/2012
Came here for dinner. The food was good, reasonably priced, relatively unique menu.
Based on the other reviews, I apparently need to make it here for brunch at some point. -
Review from Erica G.
Washington, DC
2/25/2012
Working in Bethesda I sometimes find it difficult to get downtown on time to enjoy happy hour. Although I don't frequent this area Ardeo is on my list and got decent reviews. When my friend and I got to the restaurant at 6 on a Thursday we were the only people there! There were no happy hr food specials and only wine and beer were offered at hh prices.
I had a burger for dinner. Burgers always seem to hit the spot. My friends really enjoyed their meals as well. However in a city with so many fun and innovative restaurants to try Ardeo just seemed blah. -
Review from Erica B.
1/20/2012
The brussels sprouts here are phenomenal - as in, worth a trip just on their own. If Ardeo offered delivery, I would go broke ordering them... nightly.
Everything that we ate here was tasty, but the standouts were the sprouts and their spinach, fennel, and gnocchi salad. The focaccia in the bread basket was killer: well seasoned, non-greasy, and dusted with crunchy salt flakes. Mmmmm.
We also shared the tomato, basil, and mozzarella pizza and the beet salad with sour cherries. The pizza was huge for the price - more than enough for the two of us. The crust was excellent and the toppings weren't overloaded. The beet salad was quite good as well.
As for dessert - the bread pudding was okay. Definitely not bad, but I wouldn't order it again. There were many other enticing options, so it's no loss!
Service here was terrific! Everyone was very attentive and super pleasant. The manager seemed to make rounds all evening, checking in with tables to make sure they were enjoying everything.
It's a little pricey, but certainly worth the occasional splurge!Listed in: Hitch Up Your Fancy Pants
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Review from Steph E.
Washington, DC
2/13/2012
I am not trying to be snotty by giving Ardeo-Bardeo a paltry three stars, but I just can't justify giving it four. Everything was fine -- but nothing was great.
The food was pretty good but was a bit bland and a bit uninspired (especially for the price tag attached, holy moly). The best part of our meal was probably the two cheeses we ordered - a goat's cheese and a blue cheese - and a "deconstructed" onion soup with burrata. Apart from the fact that this soup didn't seem "deconstructed" so much as "reversed" (onion broth poured over cheese), the flavors worked. Also - restaurants - can we stop referring to things as "deconstructed?" Thanks.
The wine was okay - nothing spectacular. I do like that their wine list is set up so that you can order wine by the bottle, glass, or half glass (with three half glasses making a flight) but I wasn't blown away by any of the selections.
The service, however, was very good - my fiance remarked that our waiter had a "calming presence," which is always a bonus. -
Review from Dave T.
Alexandria, VA
3/4/2012
Located right near the Zoo, Ardeo was a pretty easy find. Coming here on a Friday during central dinner time will make it a little hard to find parking but if you look within the surrounding neighborhoods, a little patience will pay off.
Came to Ardeo for Restaurant week and went with the restaurant week specials. For appetizers we got the brussel sprouts and frito misto which was a mixture of calamari and other fried items. Both were great and recommended. For our entrees we had the Cod and the steak and eggs. The Cod was cooked well but lying beneath the Cod was a little too much lentils. Each bite with Cod and lentils had an overall taste of just lentils. It was to the point where we could only eat the Cod by itself. The steak and eggs was good. The steak was cooked well, mash potatoes were good and the eggs was actually a hash brown with an egg yolk on top. For dessert we had the chocolate cake and apple cobbler with rum raisin ice cream. Both desserts were excellent. If we had to rate the food, the dessert was the best, then the appetizer, and then the entrée.
Overall Ardeo is nice. Service was good and atmosphere is nice and busy but not a crowded crowded restaurant. I would definitely try it again. -
Review from Carey A.
Ardeo has a very interesting dinner menu consisting of a variety of small plate options, appetizers, snacks, pizza, meats, pastas etc. Basically, it is sure to have something to please anyone in your dining party.
Ardeo was very busy the night we went. . .go figure, it was a Saturday night and it was busy. . . .I think they go hand in hand, "Saturday night" & "Busy", that is!!! We had a pretty good table closer to the back of the restaurant so it wasn't right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. Our waiter was a bit on the bland side...he just seemed to be the opposite of Mr. Personality that night.
Anyways, we ended up starting with the Disco Fries & Salmon Rillettes w/ everything bagel. The Salmon Rillettes was good, but nothing to write home about. Disco Fries were pretty darn tasty! You are dipping well-seasoned cheese fries into gravy, how bad could that be! The thought of it could be kind of scary to some, I mean it's pretty much just fried calories . . just repress these thoughts and enjoy the food. . . UNTIL tomorrow when you've been at the gym for an hour and still haven't worked off those cheesefrygravy calories. HA!
Hubby had the steak and eggs, which was done quite nicely. Creatively designed and delicious! I went with the baked whole fish and we ordered the Brussels sprouts. The fish lacked flavor, so I was a little upset with my pick. We never had a chance to try the Brussels because the waiter forgot to add them to the order, HAHA! Not only was he bland, but we can officially add forgetful to the list now too! I must admit I was a little bummed about missing out on the brussels...mainly because of all the good things I've read on Yelp!
Ordered pecan pie for dessert and hubby said it was a delish. If I came back I would probably just stick to the wine bar and order the Brussels, just to see if they live up to all the hype! Ambiance was great, and I would really like the opportunity to upgrade them to a 4 or 5 star rating....there's always next time, maybe! -
Review from Bryan C.
Manhattan, NY
4/16/2012
Came for brunch and will come back for dinner after the experience. Food was good as nice selection of brunch dishes as food was creative as did not just mail it in and due the normal assortment of brioche french toast and eggs benedict. They have prix fixe deal with two course and unlimited champagne drinks. You can also order ala carte which I did as I am not a fan of mimosas. My grits and rock shrimp were good and I grew up in South Carolina. Ate someone else brussel sprouts which were nicely roasted. My bloody mary was a nice balance of spice and flavor. Service was great.
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Review from Fannie G.
Arlington, VA
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Creamy cheese grits with rock shrimp and a lobster emulsion? Well Hello Betty! Yes, please! $25 for the 2 course Champagne Brunch... um Hell Yes! Bonus.... even my kids liked the artsy yet soulful food preparations. Downside? I couldn't hear a word anyone at my table said. But hey, who needs conversation when the food is so good?
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Review from Jacques A.
Washington, DC
1/26/2012
My wife took me here for a birthday dinner recently, and the food was quite good, and reasonably priced. Maybe it was the cold weather, but what stuck with us most were the two soups we ordered The Asian-inspired twist on chicken soup was an unexpected highlight, and the Butternut squash soup with a licorice marshmallow and roasted pepitas somehow manage to pull off that combination quite well. Our entrees were good, but not particularly noteworthy.
In general, this was a solid meal at a reasonable price, but I came away thinking this is more of a good neighborhood spot than it is a special occasion place (and not too high on the list of Ashok Bajaj restaurants). I'd like to give it 3-1/2 stars, but I'll settle for a high 3, given that there are a growing number of restaurant in this neighborhood that serve up slightly better food for the price. -
Review from Cassie C.
Washington, DC
12/14/2011
I had the burger and the chocolate tart. Both were very good. Service is good.
The space was recently renovated. The outdoor rooftop is very nice. The venue is a little pricey, but the quality is good. -
Review from Courtney M.
Chevy Chase, MD
4/6/2012
My favorite brunch spot in DC. $25 for 2 courses and bottomless mimosas. I hate brussel sprouts, but their fried brussel sprouts are super good. Their burger is soooo much better than Polena's. Whenever I have friends from NYC in town, I take them there and they love it.
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Review from Siyu Z.
Chevy Chase, MD
3/13/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Came here for brunch, would come back again!
The brussel sprouts were seriously the best brussel sprouts I've ever had. A must try, chances are you'll love it. It's an unusual combination but it comes together so nicely!
The steak and eggs were okay, not as awesome as the brussel sprouts. If you don't want anything else on the menu, they're a safe choice. The other stuff looked more interesting, but I just wanted some goddamn steak and became my own downfall. -
Review from Gumercindo A.
Gaithersburg, MD
3/20/2012
Was not impressed with this place after hearing so much about it. Staff wasn't particularly friendly, food wasn't very good, and for being a wine bar, I wasn't very impressed with the wine selection.
Had the foir gras and grilled brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were really nice - very flavorful. We had the pig and the steak. The steak had to be sent back because it was not cooked enough (we ordered medium rare) and the pig was ok - too salty. -
Review from S. Sandra P.
Alexandria, VA
3/12/2012
It's definitely at least a 3.5 stars -- after more visits, I may edit this but I'm predisposed to like it.
Went during Restaurant Week 2012 - first favorite thing - it's pick 3 off the regular menu, not some created menu just for Restaurant Week. I love it when restaurants do this.
First, it's really Ardeo + Bardeo - the owner has knocked down the walls and joined up the 2 spaces. You can still kind of tell where the two were separated, but liked the space.
The Hubster LOVED the onion soup here - really didn't even want me to have a taste. I had the frito misto - it was good. Wished I had tried the brussel sprouts though (food envy). The scallops were mostly fine, only one was overcooked (both burnt on the bottom and slightly chewy). I think dessert may have been most disappointing. I tried the sweet potato pie and the crust was dry and underwhelming, not flaky at all. And the filling just did not taste of anything other than sweet mush...oh well.
Overall, though, it makes me want to come back and try it again. And actually try the wines. I thought the space was really inviting and if I were in the Cleveland Park area, I'd go here over Palena any day. -
Review from Kathleen K.
Washington, DC
11/20/2011
Had a wonderful meal here last night. My BF and I enjoyed the cocktails - the Humming Bulldog is delicious, and they did the basics right (a Manhattan and a martini). The disco fries and the frito misto were well-prepared - I especially enjoyed the little slices of fried lemon with the seafood.
My entree was great - rabbit bolognese over ricotta agnolotti. Perfectly cooked, and perfect for the cool weather. My BF's steak and eggs were also great. We finished with the bread pudding, which was lovely.
Service was attentive without being smothering, and the waitress knew a lot about the food and cocktails. I'll definitely come back again. -
Review from Emily S.
Washington, DC
11/22/2011
OK. 4.5, because we were not pleased with the coffee. Normally this would be a nitpick, but we went for brunch, and at brunch coffee is very, VERY important. Granted, we went at 2 PM on a Sunday. We were thrilled to see our hot beverage delivered in French presses, but the coffee itself tasted stale. Could have been that we got there long after the rush but, imo, if you're going to offer brunch for X number of hours you need to ensure that your brunch offerings remain tasty and fresh for X hours.
Other than that, loved it. Waitress was friendly, prompt and accomodating, as was the host who sat us. The brunch menu was full of goodies. I opted for the $25 prix fixe - 2 courses and bottomless champagne or mimosa. I know, in D.C.! I no longer eat pork so I asked the waitress if it's possible to substitute tomato or salmon for the ham on the eggs bennedict. She informed me they don't keep fresh tomato (?) but she was happy to ask the chef about a substitution. She came back recommending cooked spinach. Ew. I passed. But the point is they were happy to accomodate me. Ultimately, however, I went with the salmon moussy stuff on bagel pieces for my first course and nutella marshmallow stuffed French toast for my second.
This French toast was...ambrosia from the gods. I have no other words to describe something so heavenly. My friend was very pleased w/ her fritata and home fries.
The ambiance was quite perfect, too. They did a very good job working with a relatively small space. I like the low key, contemporary American decor with subtle eclectic accents. Just a touch of deco. Be careful in the women's room, though, as turning on the faucet full blast will cause the water to bounce off the raised basin sink and onto the wall to your left. -
Review from Caitie K.
Silver Spring, MD
2/26/2012
So good! Good wine & cheese selection. Great food. In one of my most memorable visits there, they had a fantastic dessert - Bread Pudding with a small scoop of homemade bacon ice cream. YUMM-O. Have been back several times since & the food is always great!
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Review from Jess I.
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
I don't really know where to start because this was the best bottomless brunch I've ever had.
Called ahead to make sure we could get a seat, and it's a good thing we did. When we get in we were seated promptly upstairs, and there were no more tables open throughout the time we were there for more than 3 minutes. It's obvious people know about this place and that it's good.
The service here is tremendous. Everyone was so polite and not one person on staff that day was rude or acted like they didn't want us there.
Right away we state we will be doing the bottomless brunch-which is 25 dollars for that plus a starter and an entree. What a freakin' deal. Server comes over and fills our champagne glasses with mimosas and never ceases to let them get below 3/4 empty.
We started with the Purple Haze, which is not part of the deal, but I really have a thing for goat cheese. This goat cheese was supposed to have hints of lavender to it, another thing I have a thing for. The cheese was great, although only one of the bites I took could I sense some lavender. Perhaps it was infused in the oil, but not long enough? The cheese came with cute "fingers" of flatbread-like bread.
For the starters my friend got the brussels sprouts (which seemed to be the most popular starter as most people around us seemed to be ordering those as well) and I got the chickpea salad. I thought both were absolutely terrific. The sprouts were fried and then placed on top of some greek yogurt (that had apricots and pistachios) which added a nice little zip. The chickpea salad was simple and light, with a lemon and olive oil based vinaigrette. The goat cheese in that made it seem as though it had a slight creamy texture. Both of these came in very generous portions, something that really surprised me.
For our entrees we got the french toast and a side of bacon and the Croque Madame. What great french toast! I never order that dish because I don't care for sweets, but almost wanted to steal her dish. I couldn't think of it then and it's probably not what it was, but the bread tasted like angel food cake french toast. It was awesome! Very thick and not soggy at all. I didn't try with the syrup, but it really didn't need it. The bacon was chewy, and I don't like chewy, but that's just my preference. It tasted smoked, and at the time I thought it tasted like fish but I guess that's what many mimosas does to you. That doesn't mean it tasted bad, I think from having had so much smoked fish in my childhood that the smoked flavor on the bacon reminded me of fish.
The Croque Madame was awesome. The country ham was actually sliced very thin which was surprising, but it was also so good that it didn't need to have a thick slice on there. It was just enough to stand out from the rest of the flavors but not outshine the dish. The cheese was spectacular and the bread was thick, like texas toast style. I'm not even ashamed to say I ate the whole thing. I didn't really eat the potatoes, they were small and pretty flavorless compared to the other awesome dishes we had tried.
Aside from the food, the tables and chairs were really nice. We were lucky enough to be seated at a table with wicker chairs that had arm rests. They hugged you in the right way.
Mid-meal came the manager of the restaurant and very willingly answered some questions we had. He seemed very happy to be there and helpful to his staff too, something I hardly see out of managers of restaurants.
I have to say that if I wasn't moving next week that I would probably want to come to DC once a month just to go to this place. The experience was just so pleasant and it's really hard, it seems, to find a great restaurant with all the positive qualities you are looking for.Listed in: Bottomless Brunches in…
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Review from Jeremy E.
10/24/2011
Great food, service and location.
Suckling pig and pork belly skewers are amazing.
Burger is also exceptional. -
Review from michele p.
Montgomery, MD
2/24/2012
The wines on the happy hr menu were all very good. You can create your own flight of wines which is nice, but a bit pricey for small pours. We got the chickpea appetizer, it was delicious. Good wine, good food, a bit on the pricey side. We sat at the bar and asked the bartender a few questions about the wines, he was knowledgeable but not very talkative. Overall I would say it is a nice place to enjoy some wine and snacks but do not come starving. Also, it does not even compare to Ripple in my eyes which happens to be a few doors down! We actually went there for our second glasses of wine and finished out our evening happy being there!
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Review from Shannon G.
Alexandria, VA
4/9/2012
Loved our dinner! Our waiter gave us excellent service. Have the cheesecake with balsamic and basil. It is excellent! Will definitely return.
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Review from Collin W.
8/16/2011
Not too much more to say beyond what anyone else has said. Great value for restaurant week; don't think it would be a great value at full price. Very high quality of ingredients and flawless execution in the preparation- the four star rating is for the food, period. The scallop and cucumber salad entree would, in my opinion, make a better appetizer, but their take on steak and eggs as a main was frankly amazing. Appetizers were delicious and the desserts were solid - with the latter they seem to err on the side of being more conservative and delicate rather than blowing your head off with pure sugar, which I like.
Half a shout out to Marisa M., who almost connected the dots on the fried brussels sprouts. A nearly direct analog to Rasika's most famous dish, palak chaat, shows up on the menu of another restaurant also owned by a Mr. Ashok Bajaj. Pure coincidence on behalf of the head chef? Methinks not. -
Review from Amanda f.
Herndon, VA
4/5/2012
Awful service on New Years Eve and we would never go back after how rude our waiter was. The food was very overpriced for the taste.
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Review from Jacki S.
Arlington, VA
8/18/2011
I'm not a big fan of Restaurant Week, since I think generally the servers are irritated with cheap customers and the kitchen puts out lack-luster non-menu items. But, wanting a fun group night out, I bit the bullet and booked a reservation at Ardeo. First, I love the interior. It's one of those great restaurants you can take your parents, take a date, hang with your girls.
The restaurant was a little louder than I care for, but it was still easy to hear everyone at our four-top. We were initially seated at what is probably the worst table in the restaurant, a rectangular table right at the base of the stairs. With three guys and one girl, it was a super tight squeeze. The manager happily moved us when we asked for something a little larger.
The food. Oh god, the food. I had just returned from a trip to Charlotte where I had probably one of the best meals of my life (Charlotte, who knew!) so I wasn't expecting to swing from the walls. I would have. I started with a beef carpaccio, which was four thinly sliced pieces beef, seared quickly on the outside, and topped with a deconstructed caesar salad. I had never met an anchovy I liked until last night. Crazy good. My BF had a cold corn soup. The bowl came with fresh popped popcorn and corn shoots and then the server poured the soup in at the table. Awesome, and it tasted that way too. The rest of the party had a Boston bibb salad with popcorn shrimp, and the brussel sprout app. Clean plates all around. Literally, we all would have licked our plates if we weren't in public.
Next course was steak and eggs for the BF and one of the friends, the whole rockfish for the third, and the scallops for me. I love scallops. These were perfectly seared and served a top a potato pancake. It was the perfect light, summer dish. The show stopper on that plate though, was the cucumber and red onion salad with crab. Oh. my. God. I could have eaten a full plate of that. The picked vinegar flavor of the salad was a completely unexpected compliment to the scallops. So, so, so amazing. I grabbed a taste of the BFs steak and eggs too, and I can understand why he was so quiet during dinner. Awesome. Tender, perfectly cooked steak, dancing with mushrooms and potatoes. Again, second round, and all plates were clean.
Finally, dessert. Admittedly, I'm not a huge dessert person. But, since it's restaurant week, I had to do it. I almost wish they would have opened up the cheese selections for dessert, since that's usually how I'll end a meal like this, but alas, I settled on the lemon meringue. A homemade marshmellow atop a meyer lemon custard. Yum. The cheesecake (the BFs dish) was a fluffy light cheesecake, and not at all the heavy NY style you would expect. The chocolate torte looked delicious, but the eater of that is a chocolate fiend and guarded his dish and I like my hands to much to fight for it. I will say the chocolate-banana pot du creme was out of this world. I was thrilled with my meringue based on the size, but taste wise, I think this one won. In the end, three course, and all plates were clean on all three.
Ardeo opened up almost their entire menu for RW, so the variety was plentiful. We were more than satisfied and all agreed we will definitely head back in the future. Thanks for a great dining experience Ardeo!Listed in: Favorites
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Review from Fatima K.
8/15/2011
Roof top seating is a must here.
I've been here a couple of times and while I thought it was "nice", I wasn't writing home about it, until this past weekend. We sat outside a la rooftop.
it's a small space, maybe 7 tables out there, so it fills up fast, but if you can reserve a seat, bribe a hostess, or blackmail the owner, by all means do whatever is necessary to secure a seat out here.
It's fenced off by a big ugly almost plastic looking white fence so there are no views to be had but there's something about being outside and "above it all" that makes me feel, well ... Above it all.
The food was good, as always, but again nothing to write home about. I had the scallops and they were muy tasty but I just love scallops and would have most likely loved anything in scallop form that was not burned. There was supposed to be crab meat on the plate as well but I don't recall seeing or tasting any. There is also a "cucumber salad" that accompanies the meal. While the coolness of it was refreshing the taste of cucumber and scallop was a little weird but washed down with red wine it was a-okay.
My date got the duck breast. It was "a-ight", if not a little dry but in all fairness duck is hard to do right (apparently). The hush puppies were mediocre (AET turned me into a hush puppy snob) but the bbq sauce they pair with the duck is very good. It's like they knew the duck would come out dry; hence the sauce.
Service is always on point and with my new found discovery of rooftop seating here this may become a go to place for a romantic dinner date. -
Review from Laura P.
Washington D.C., DC
1/28/2012
This review is specifically about brunch. I went with friends to celebrate my birthday. While the ambiance of the restaurant was nice and the service was friendly, I had mixed reactions about the food.
I had the 2 course option ($25, includes bottomless mimosas). For the first course I had the steel cut oats and thought they were very good. For the second course I had the House Benedict and was pretty disappointed. Eggs benedict are my usual go-to brunch item, so I have had them in many different restaurants. The House Benedict at Ardeo was simply very bland. With each bite I was just hoping for more flavor. I hate to say it, but I even asked for ketchup so I could put it on the potatoes in hopes that I could make the dish a bit more "flavorful" (the waitress never brought the ketchup, so I ended up finishing the dish without it anyway). One of my friends had the french toast and was not very happy with the dish either. However, another friend had the salmon dish for the second course and liked it.
For dessert, we shared the chocolate pistachio tart for dessert and we all thought it was good. We also liked the biscuits that were in the bread basket that was brought to us at the beginning of service. We even asked if we could have a few more biscuits but, unfortunately, we were told that they had already run out of them for the day. The bottomless mimosas were also great and they kept refilling our glasses without us having to ask for it.
Another observation is that while the servers were very attentive and quick to fill our water glasses and refill the mimosas, it did seem to take quite a bit of time for the food to be served (both the 1st and 2nd course). Fortunately we were not in a rush; otherwise this might have been an issue.
I am not sure if I will be going back to Ardeo for brunch, but I am still interested in going back to try their dinner menu. -
Review from Mark K.
Washington, DC
2/27/2012
The food was extremely salty and the service was inordinately inattentive.
