Palena
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park3529 Connecticut Avenue NW
(between N Ordway St & N Porter St)
Washington, DC 20008 (202) 537-9250
- Nearest Transit:
Cleveland Park (Red)
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
33 Reviews for Palena
Now this 5-star rating is based strictly on the bar menu. I have never sat in their dining room and ordered a meal. Their bar menu, however, is fantastic. They have multiple options for $10 including a fancy hot dog with fancy mustard on a fancy bun, or a fancy hamburger with fancy ketchup on a fancy bun, etc. But what gives this place the 5-star rating is the roasted chicken. They'll tell you that it takes 45 minutes to make this chicken, but it is well worth it. And for $15 is a huge bargain. Just order a glass or 2 of whiskey while you wait and the 45 minutes will breeze by in no time. It truly is the best chicken I've ever tasted. Meat so juicy, skin so crispy, all so delicious in my mouth.
It's a shame it's located next to a gas station.
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Wow. I've been to the cafe and the restaurant, and everything was absolutely great. To echo others, the burger is to die for and the chicken...amaaazing. The less famous menu items change pretty often, but everything I've tried has been fantastic.
Despite how fantastic the food is, on my most recent visit I was most impressed by the service. Last time I was there, I was with a VERY tough crowd (I'll leave out any identifying details). The waiter handled my difficult companions and their borderline irrational pickiness with poise and grace. As a former server, I don't know how our Palena Cafe server handled it so well.
My compliments to the chef...and everyone else at Palena!
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I dined here in a group of three, lured by the prospect of "the best roast chicken in DC." I've never met a chicken I didn't want to eat, so I was intrigued.
We arrived on the early side -- around 6:30 on a Saturday night. We thought we'd be able to snag a table at the cafe (not the dining room) before the dinner rush. We were mistaken. The place was completely filled when we arrived, and it appeared as though everyone had just been seated. The hostess said we'd wait for about 45 minutes, but we ended up waiting for around an hour and a half before getting a table.
There's not much room in the cafe, so we huddled by the bar and had a drink or two to pass the time. There were no seats available at the bar, so we stood as close to it as possible, being careful to get out of the way whenever a server went by carrying plates of "the best roast chicken in DC." At some point, a nice looking older man, who was taking an excruciatingly long time to finish his meal at a nearby table, made eye contact with one of the women in my party. Now, this woman is pretty, I won't lie, and we assumed this gent would compliment her on her dress or on how her sparkling personality was evident even from afar. But no, this patron took it upon himself to tell us he thought we were in the way of the servers and suggested we move. Move where? How about his table? That would have been nice, oh, say, a half hour ago. Jerk.
We were becoming annoyed. Just then, the bartender presented us with three complimentary glasses of champagne, which took the edge off. Well played, Palena!
We finally sat down and had a very nice server. She was friendly and efficient. We knew exactly what we wanted: "the best roast chicken in DC" and some french fries. As the other Yelpers have noted, the chicken takes 45 minutes to prepare. We had asked if we could put our order in while we were waiting, but we were told that was simply impossible.
While we waited for our food, we enjoyed the spectacle of a man who'd been waiting for a table longer than he thought proper berating the hostess while his wife apologized for him.
At long last, the "best roast chicken in DC" arrived. It was the best roast chicken in DC. The skin: perfect. The chicken: juicy and delicious. I don't know what they do to those chickens for 45 minutes, but whatever it is, it gets the job done.
So, long story short, if you go to the cafe, be prepared for a long wait, both for a table and for your food. Given the wait time, people tend to get cranky as they get hungry, and watching people devour the best chicken in DC while you're waiting doesn't help any. But the food is worth it.
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A thirty to forty-five minute wait for a table in the cafe on a Saturday night seemed reasonable, especially given the fact that the hostess said she would call my mobile when our table was ready.
Forty-five minutes later, after a drink at Bardeo, we headed back to Palena to see about our table. We were told we were next on the list so we waited outside. A moment later the hostess reappeared to ask once again for my mobile number. Apparently, she continued, someone had told her that "Miriam" was already seated and thus we'd been crossed off the list. We were none too happy to hear this.
Still the call of the "best burger in DC" was hard to ignore so we continued to wait. More apologies followed and then, two glasses of Prosecco. This lessened our surliness by a mile. Everyone makes mistakes, but to acknowledge them with apologies and gratis alcohol? That's the mark of an establishment that knows what they're doing!
An hour and twenty minutes after our initial inquiry, we were shown to a booth unsure if the food could possibly warrant such a wait. We ordered the roast chicken ($14), the cheeseburger ($10) and the chef's salad ($15). No fries, as they were out. OUT OF FRIES at 8:15 on a Saturday night? Sad but true.
The chef's salad exceeded all expectation. Little mounds of charcuterie surrounded a perfectly dressed Caesar salad that had a wonderful lemony kick.
We'd been told that the wait for a roast chicken would be forty-five minutes. For once, time was on our side and the chicken arrived with the cheeseburger thirty-five minutes later. The Palena Cheeseburger was incredible, truly, bliss on a house-baked sesame bun! Every element was gorgeous including the superbly deliciously zippy mayonnaise. The roasted half chicken was crispy and juicy and delicious.
Our server, Maliek, was a consummate professional. Not the type to engage in unnecessary politeness or gratuitous faux-friendliness, the service he provided was excellent.
We finished our meal at Palena with the chocolate coconut cake ($10). Both the cake and coconut sorbet that accompanied it were far better than we expected. The cake was moist but not overly sweet. The sorbet, topped with toasted coconut, was sublime.
While I hope not to wait in excess of an hour for a table next time I dine at Palena, the food was indeed worth it. Next time, I hope I'll be able to get the fries!
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Palena "requires" a credit card number for a reservation. The girl recording the reservation said this was due to "people not showing up." I asked if they then charge patrons who do not show up, and she had no reponse. Strange behavior. I kept my card # to myself and will eat elsewhere.
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Ate their last night.......
Next to a gas station....
Dining room was not stuffy but needs to be updated....
Service was excellent...
3 course tasting menu was very good but roughly 20% overpriced
Wine made everything fine
Will return to the cafe.....instead of dining room
I have only ever eaten in the cafe, but if my life goes according to plan, I should someday have a job that will allow me to eat in the actual dining room.
The roasted chicken, which takes 45 minutes to make, is the single most divine food to ever pass through my lips. The outside is remarkably crispy, the meat tender, juicy, and flavorful. You can hear the crackle of the chicken as you stick your fork in, and then the juices run out. I cannot adequately describe the chicken. Forget the hamburger, or let the person you are eating with order it. Get the chicken.
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Palena is set up sort of oddly.
First, theres the cafe in the front of the restaurant. Here, you can order off of a special, cheaper cafe menu or anything off of the full fine dining menu, either a la carte or fixed price for several courses.
Second, in the back, there's the fine dining restaurant, where you can only order the fixed price menu. This part of the restaurant takes reservations, while the front "cafe" does not.,
It seems to me that the cafe is the way to go. That way, you can order their famous burger, which my fiancee and I went here this weekend just to try.
He got the burger, while I got a fish dish. The fish was awesome -- light, flaky, buttery, fresh. The burger, he said, was comparable to Five Guys, but not the best burger he ever ate in his life (have to go to New Orleans' Port Of Call for that!) He also ordered a fish app. from the fine dining menu that he liked a lot.
For dessert, we ordered the cheese plate and went to Cold Stone across the street after for some sorbet. This is a good way to go -- the cheese plate was tasty and came with good hard bread on the side. I would definitely come back to Palena.
Palena, must be Italian for "divine." Actually, I believe it is a city in southern Italy, but creative license isn't a crime.
I readily admit, I have not been to Palena in a few months now, but I am definitely a fan and am eager to return. Despite the fact that the menu in the dining room is somewhat limiting (for the admittedly picky - heck, extremely fussy), everything is created (no, not just "cooked") to perfection. I recall sitting in trepidation of what I had just ordered because nothing truly overwhelmed or delighted me on the menu...and it wasn't exactly a cheap eat. Was I ever wrong! Like I said, the meal I enjoyed there was some time ago, but one thing stands out in my mind even still (and I have looked for a suitable recipe ever since) and that is the CHESTNUT SOUP. It sounds so odd that I could be so transfixed on such a dish, but truly, it was amazing - probably one of the best soups I have ever had (and I LOVE soup). Now while I cannot recollect all the other items I ordered that evening, I do KNOW I didn't hate them. You know those dishes where you wish the bowl would suddenly become bottomless and the portions on your plate would magically never get any smaller? If this resonates with you, you'll appreciate and even laud Palena as much as I do. One caveat though (you knew it was coming)...dessert. Didn't exactly wow me, but I'm willing to give it another shot. Oh the sacrifices I make! :-)
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4.5 stars
We went here on a Saturday night -- tried to get there by 7 to minimize the wait I had heard about. They told us it would be about an hour, took my cell phone number, and we went down the block for drinks. About 40 minutes later, we got the call and were seated. Our table was in a hallway. Now, this may sound miserable but it was actually awesome. There are a few 2 seater booths in the hall that were both extremely cozy and comfortable. Much better than your typical fancy restaurant smashed in, no privacy 2-tops.
I'm not sure if it was because we were literally in the hallway between the main dining room and the cafe, or if this option was open to all, but we received both the cafe and the price fixe dinner menu, and were able to chose things ala carte off the fixe menu. This came in very handy when we wanted an appetizer to snack on while we waited for our famous roast chicken.
So, we got the "Seviche" (sic) and a probably meant for dessert cheese plate. They split the seviche between two plates and it was delicious - very unique. Not your typical Peruvian lime-cured dish, but fresh thinly-sliced diver scallops and oysters with some sort of aioli. Very good. The cheese plate was also delicious. We also ordered martinis, which were very good. We ordered martinis because we couldn't afford the wine. This explains my docking half a star -- there was one bottle of wine on the menu under $40, and most were far beyond that. For a restaurant that has a reasonably priced cafe menu, I wish they had a wine list to go with it.
Then came the chicken. It really was incredible. Served piping hot and juicy, served with a beet salad and horseradish potatoes. It was a lot of food (1/2 a chicken each).
Service was friendly and knowledgeable. At the end, our bill was $82: not bad for 2 entrees, 2 appetizers, and 2 cocktails. I will definitely be going back to try the hamburger.
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There are times when a restaurant has too much hype surrounding it. As in, this place has the best [fill in the blank] in the city. Then, I go there and try the [fill in the blank] and leave feeling like it was just a 3 Star kind of joint. So, when Palena started getting touted as the best burger in DC, I was a bit skeptical.
For those burger connoisseurs, here's how I would rank my faves in the area:
Old Ebbitt has the best traditional American burger;
Sweetwater Tavern has the best specialty burger (Hickory BBQ Cheeseburger);
Five Guys has the best fast food burger; and...drumroll please...
Palena has THE BEST GOURMET BURGER!
I could eat Palena's burgers several times a week and be a happy woman. Seriously! The meat was marinated and cooked perfectly, and the toasted bun was hearty without being too much.
The fries were good, but not as amazing as I expected. We ate them all, though, and found the dipping mayonnaise to be just as "zippy" as the menu claims. I wasn't as fond of the onion rings and fried lemon slices that also come with the fries, but I guess the chefs wanted to try something different to justify the $10 cost.
We finished the meal off with the award-winning dessert, the Plum Napoleon with stewed plums, ricotta cheesecake and puff pastry. I was glad to have a little something sweet in my mouth after the burger and fries, but I wouldn't order this dessert again. It just wasn't that good.
I actually like Palena's decor. The owners tried to keep it formal in the front cafe to match the swankier restaurant in the back. The main restaurant features a Prix Fixe Menu from $58-76, depending on the number of courses you wish to order.
If you are coming here for the burgers/cafe, come early or be prepared to wait. There are only 11 tables in the cafe, and the wait can run longer than an hour. I found the service to be friendly, and the hostesses did their best to keep those parties who were waiting for a table informed. They even offered to call us on our cell phone, if we wanted to go down the street for a drink while we waited! Nice touch!
FYI - Reservations are recommended for the main restaurant, but there are no reservations to eat in the cafe. Palena doesn't serve lunch and is closed on Sundays. The front cafe will be opening on Mondays for dinner soon. For those of you who will be driving here, there is no valet option so park in the tiny private lot by Magruder's or try the street.
All in all, Palena is a solid 4 Star restaurant. I'll be back for the burgers, although next time, I'll arrive at 5:30 PM ;).
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I haven't been in sometime, but, need to go back, however, I worked for Frank Ruta in the late 90's at both the River Club and Provence (Yannik). I will say without hesitation, Frank is one of the most meticulous and decisive Chef's I have ever met. His food demonstrates his training, always, always worth the praise...sometimes people forget what its like filling a room with cooks who can handle the level of cuisine standards required by the chef. Ruta is personable and tireless, as chef de cuisine for Yannik Cam, Frank would expedite for the entire kitchen and work his station. At NO ONE point in the day or evening did it look like Ruta was in disarray or out of control, you could barely tell he had been working his statioin always immaculate as he was the example for the cooks around him. I would say vicariously I am giving Palena the full accolades, there is no way Frank Ruta could fall short.
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The bar menu is probably the best value meal in the city. Mostly because the burger is perfect and the roast chicken mysteriously delicious. Even if Michel Richard serves a better burger at Central (I will report on this soon), the Palena burger is much cheaper ($10 compared with around $16). Waitstaff are great every time.
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Oh DC snobbery, you never cease to sneak into my life. Palena is located in Cleveland Park, the last stop on the red line i recommend getting off the train..any further past Cleveland Park and you'll have to set aside time to recover from the traumatic expereince of suburbia run a muck.
SO, I'd been hearing about Palena in different circles, but when i recognized its presence in the "Top Ten burgers in DC" list i was motivated to give it a try. I have to say the burger ($10) and plate of fries combination, was a well thought out, beautiful execution of this american food staple. I mean REALLY good. The plate of fries contained various versions of the fried potato including curly, tater tot-esque, and the classic cut...be on the lookout for the fried lemon peices....i got a surprise biting into that one. The burger is cooked to your preference on an amazing roll, some specially sesaoned mayo, and cheddar cheese.
Why I won't return:
Snobbery factor. Plain and simple. When we requested some ketchup to accompany our FRIES, our server gave us a small speech on how they prefer people do not use ketchup on the burgers because it would ruin the chef's work. Which.. as interesting as that is..is not why we wanted the ketchup in the first place.. Also we refused any drinks from the full bar that were not present on the list of martinis on their drinks menu. You dine their way..or no way...because they know better than you..clearly. Also...the decoration/theme is so incredibly uninspiring for a place that takes itself so seriously. 1980s color scheme, meets martha stewarts country stencils?!? Someone help them.
4 stars because the food was delicious..and its worth trying once. I doubt you'll be back though.
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Attention carnivores:
I HAVE FOUND THE BEST DAMN BURGERS IN THE CITY!!
There is something to be said about down and dirty greasy burgers at a low key burger joint. The burgers at Palena are on the upper mezzanine of burger tastydom. They are the snobs of the burger world. Palena offers a gourmet and somewhat pricey prix fixe menu, I have never tried it. I have only partaken of their glorious bar food line up. While some might scoff at dropping $10 for a burger, and another $7 for the fries, I highly suggest treating yourself at least once to the glory that is high-end bar food.
The burger is heaven on an artisian roll with a dijon mayo slather. The fries are also not your average offering, with a single order being good for two. They come stacked with shoe string fries, onion rings, deep fried mashed potato balls, and get this.... deep fried battered lemon slices that are yummaliscious. The service here is very prompt and very attentive, yet stopping just short of stodginess. Follow up your meal with one of their very imaginative dessert options like the ginger ice cream over sliced mangos topped with an almond sugar crisp or the napolean that consists of a stack layered with puff pastry, vanilla custard and topped with creme fraise and blackberry compote and fresh berries.
This would be a great restaurant to bring a date when all you really want is go get a tasty burger, but don't want to look like cheap jerk for doing so.
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It's been a long time since I've been to Palena, I can't remember all details of meals I've enjoyed here which have been few, but excellent. So, I can't give it a proper review except to say that this restaurant is mother fricken awesome. The food is excellent, the people are nice... what more do you need to know, I can't remember what the W.C. was like. If you have the money, or your mommy and daddy (biological or sugar) are in town, eat here.
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The only thing keeping me from giving this place a 5 is the fact that although I have been pleased with every aspect of this restaurant, it has not taken my breath away.
I went here for the second time tonight and everything was solid. The vegetables were fresh and the pasta well executed. The cheese plate was interesting and the soup was great. The two standouts the two times I visited were the bread and the dessert. Obviously Ms. Amernick is a veritable star and it shows. The bread is as good as any I have had in the states and her desserts are seasonal, relevant, and competent. The show creativity without being science experiments and show an understanding of flavor and texture that I have only seen matched by Kevin Miller at Ixia in Baltimore. Palena is one of the top restaurants I have dined at in DC.
Update:
So I have been here twice since....and I have to say Palena is NOT the victim of diminishing returns! Every time I go here I like it more and more. Apparently Ms. Amernick is gone, but the bread and desserts continue to impress. 3 of us ordered 4 desserts and wiped the plates clean....oh please do yourself a favor and go and order the poached pear with almond custard and macaroon or the prune napoleon. The macaroon kind of makes me swoon in my chair...a lot. This past Tuesday I opted for the cauliflower pot au feu which was so spicy and delicious. My dining companions were all interested in testing the veracity of the claim that Palena has the best burger in DC. They were hard pressed to come up with one they liked better ANYWHERE. I stand by my 4 stars for the same reasons as above but this has quickly cemented itself as my favorite restaurant in DC.
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Palena lives up to the hype!
I had to check it out after reading about it here on Yelp. The burger and fries are top notch and hands down the best I've had. It's the cheese on the burger and the lemons with the fries that make them stand out.
You have two choices -
1. You can sit in the bar or on the patio and order off of the bar menu. Everything is about $10 - even the fries, but they can be shared.
2. Or you can sit in the regular restaurant or on the patio and order from the restaurant menu - which includes a tasting menu.
We chose the bar because of the reviews and I got one of the best classic american meals that I've had in a long time for $20 .
I want to go back to try more menu items.
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Someone forgot to tell me.....
That this is a nice restaurant. I've lived in CP for years and always walked right by Palenas, saying I'd stop in some day, but never did till last winter. There was 4-5 inches of snow on the ground, and I was going to Mt Pleasant to check out a Craigslist motorcycle(not to test drive in the snow) and dressed accordingly. My girlfriend came with me, dressed slightly better than me, but still pretty casual.
On the way back, we decided to give Palenas a try. The hostess was nice enough, but informed us the Bistro was full and there was a 45 minute wait for a table on Thursday night at 8:00. She mentioned there were seats in back, but it was a fixed price meal. I checked out the menu, was hungry, so we decided to eat in back.
My hiking boots, jeans, old navy fleece and winter parka were a little below the dress standards of other patrons, but the staff was polite enough, as they took my "coat" to hang it up for me. I sat with my back to the room, but I was told later by my girlfriend that she was uncomfortable because she had to make eye contact with the other patrons who were mostly in coat and tie, and they were looking at us.
The food was very good and the chef was flexible. I changed the menu around since they did not offer exactly what I wanted, and the chef agreed with no issues, which is refreshing, since some who go through the trouble of setting up a prix fixe menu want you to eat their recommended meal.
Was expensive, but good, and the waiter was as good as you would expect for the price range. I'll go back and try the bistro some day. I did not buy the motorcycle, so can make that a traditional test drive meal.
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My review is for Palena Cafe, the affordable-yet-still-delicious alternative to fancy-Palena. I was surfing the food section of WaPo when I came across the Luxe Burger Slideshow: http://www.washingtonp...
I don't eat beef, but I thought my boyfriend would enjoy it, so we went. We arrived close to 7:30 and were told the wait for a table of 2 was 45 minutes. (Lesson: get here early, even on a weeknight). In actuality, the wait was only 30 minutes - just enough time for us to run to another bar, get a beer, and return when the hostess called. Overall, the service was pleasant and attentive, but not rushed - even though it was clear that there was a line for tables.
So onto the burger- Yes, it's $10, but it made Boyfriend very very happy. He said that with the soft bun, everything just melted together. The waitress later told us that they top the patty with house-made aioli, truffle sauce, and Italian goat cheese.
I got the grilled swordfish, which came with an eggplant puree and sweet potato gnocchi. It was all simple and light, yet flavorful. We split the fries platter, which again, was worth the $10. What really comes out is crispy string fries, with battered-and-fried lemons slices, onion rings, and deep fried mash potatoes (these are to-die-for).
This was a great experience for a casual dinner. I can't believe I haven't been here until now!
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So I have to admit that I was hoping to be wowed. I wasnt. But it came close. If I hadnt been exhausted, it may have wowed me.
The meal was really good. I too went the cafe menu (bar) route. Since the chicken takes 45 minutes, I decided to go with the burger and fries.
The fries were delicious, however, could have been a bit crispier. But I love the chilis served over the mayonaisse. The burger was pretty damn good. I didnt love it at first, but it might have been the dirty martini flavor in my mouth not blending well. After the third bite I was definitely sold. Dont ask for condiments, this burger is great on its own. Their wines by the glass are a bit pricey, but totally worth it. Id rather drop $10-12 on a nice glass than a glass of grape juice for $8.
My major drawback had nothing to do with service. It was perfectly fine. I really disliked the bar decor. I dont know whats up with the stools, but I agree with Mel W that they reminded me of my trendy neighbor in the early 90's. I really hate backless stools. The stools were really cumbersome and kind of awkward, combined with the incredibly thick bar surface, I felt like a midget and I'm about 5'11".
That being said. I really liked the food. I cant wait to come back with more spare time to spend boozing while waiting for their exalted roast chicken. If that is good too, then I will move forward to the full dining experience.
I must admit ...after getting home from work at 9pm, heading to Palena for cocktails, wine, and burgers & fries; I really had a nice time. I hope to bump them up to 5 stars after another meal.
Definitely one of many reasons why I'm so happy I left Dupont for CP.
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Enjoyed my evening here at Palena. Didn't do the tasting menu, which might have earned the place that fifth star, but our meal out in the cafe was quite nice.
First, I loved the bread they brought out. So many places serve up crappy bread, but this was very nice and fresh with an extra crispy crust, like it had been baked in a brick oven on the premises. In fact, I bet it had been.
We ordered a plate of the Palena fries -- some of it was way salty, but a lot of it was fine. Uneven salt application I assume :-) I was fascinated by the fried lemon slices.
We also had the cucumber and almond soup (rich and creamy, almost like dessert with the gooseberries on top) and a crab bisque that was also creamy but more savory. Cleaning out the bowls was the perfect job for that great bread.
I couldn't resist the Palena cheeseburger. It really was all that. Very tasty beef patty, nice and thick and juicy. The cheese looked like Provolone, but I can't be certain. The burger doesn't come with anything on it other than the meat and cheese. The homemade sesame bun is to die for. It is served with a side of varied pickles -- pickled string beans, and pickled cucumber were all I could identify. They were acidic and crispy -- great for clearing the palate between meaty bites.
One of my friends ordered a la carte off of the tasting menu -- she got the blini, which seemed to have lots of vegetables. I had a taste -- lots of corn flavor, and it was fluffy.
Also ordered were the cobia, and the pappardelle pasta. I didn't taste those, but all plates were empty at the end.
One thing I will say is that the wine list seemed pretty expensive. No bottles under $36 that I could find, and glasses started at $8, and there were only a few at that price. I know retail wine is overpriced everywhere, but *ouch* -- my glass of wine cost as much as my entree.
In the end -- will I go back? Sure thing. I'd love to go and do the tasting menu, so I can get the full experience of what this place has to offer.
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Palena's cool. The front part is the cafe area. I've never eaten in the back. My wife introduced me to this place (she went there first with a foodie girlfriend) and we've been back again and again.
Hamburger: Fantastic. Roast chicken: About the best you can get in a restaurant (i think there's some brining and convection cooking going on, so it's moist moist moist).
Great wines.
Nice bar, too, beautiful, well-tended. The bartender hit on my wife, which shows his excellent taste.
Service: superb. We normally get the same waitress, who is very kind and congenial without being overfamiliar. She also seems to give my wife a lot of attention, which shows her good taste.
I love places that make my spouse into a star, have great food, pride in service, and lovely decor. That's Palena.
GO! What are you waiting for??
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Mmm...tasty. Palena is a regular in my rotation. It fits many moods and appetites from casual and hungry for a burger and fries to feelin' fancy and ready for a multi-course feast. Many customers don't realize that one can order from the fine dining menu as well. If you are price conscious, be sure to ask what the items from the prix fixe menu cost a la carte before ordering. Don't be embarassed - it's your $$ and the question is asked often.
Back to the food...The fry plate (consisting of frites, potatoes dauphinois which look sort of like big tater tots and fried lemon slices) is delicious and perfectly salted. The chicken is a category killer. I have never eaten better chicken. Gnocchi (from the dining room menu) is a can't miss. I always love a bowl of minestrone - it's NOTHING like the oily red soup that comes from a can. Try it.
Don't miss desserts created by the woman who used to own Amernick bakery down the street.
If you can't find street parking, park in McGruder's lot. If you buy something in the grocery store, you can get your ticket stamped for a small discount. Note that the lots vary for Thursday through Saturday versus other days.
Reservations are accepted for the more formal dining room; front room is drop in only.
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4.5 stars
LOVE Palena -- it does seem silly to go to the dining room when you can eat like that at the bar -- might be the best bar food ever -- but the dining room is a treat. On my short list with places like babbo.
It may sound silly, but the hamburger and fries is one of my all time favorites -- the risotto always hits the mark -- pasta and fish here always are amazing.....
The roast chicken is the best I have ever had and worth the wait.
Went last week and had cod with figs and beets.......OMG good.
Palena is not perfect -- but it is extremely good -- and unique. There often are not enough wait staff in the bistro to provide attentive service. Some of the desserts don't impress me that much. But when something is good here it is very memorable. Fish, risotto and pastas (gnocchi) usually are the strongest items on the menu -- at least in my experience.
Best bar menu in DC.
Finalist, best burger in DC.
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The bar menu is a great idea. That roast chicken was really fantastic, but the fried shit plate was a bit soggy and not that tasty. Everything else was very good, though I'm not certain it's as amazing as people say. Waitstaff were wonderful. I'll have to go back, though.
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Palena is one of the best restaurants in DC and the bar menu is an unbeatable value.
The restaurant is very cozy, and it can be predictably hard to get a table up front. It's worth the wait though, and you can enjoy one of the many wines by the glass or a side car at the bar while you take in the scenery. It was at this restaurant that I saw one of the strangest dinner groups ever - a woman, probably in her 60s, with two guys who were probably in their 20s. And they weren't related. I'm positive. But after a few chuckles from something like this, you still can't help but be drawn into a deep conversation with your date. The ambience is just that good.
I've tried most things on the menu - hamburgers, hotdogs, chickens, fries, soups - and I recommend all of them.
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******2.5 stars******
Walking in the first thing to throw me was the decor. It looks like something an elderly woman would have put together in the early 90s to be chic. The pastel stenciling in the bathroom was the worst of this. The carpet in the front and the curtains look like they haven't been replaced since the early 90s. Both were covered in mildew and dirt and filth. A friend had to point it out for what it was because I had assumed the carpet was patterned out of the corner of my eye. There is no excuse for how filthy the carpet and curtains are.
Putting that aside, my next experience was at the bar. The bar service was a highlight of this restaurant. The wine list was nice, the bartender made excellent suggestions, the beer selection is great, and the cocktails were thoughtful and well-made. Big fan.
The food experience was mixed. I have to disagree with a previous review about the bread. It was just ok. At our table between all of us we ordered the fries (just as good as the other reviewers say), gnocchi (good), an heirloom tomato salad (not bad, but overthought - would have been better to keep it simple), sweet corn ravioli ("orgasmic"), sea bass (disgusting - tasted like it was poached in butter and then served in a pool of butter with no acid to cut it..the flavor of the sea bass was drowned out and the texture was destroyed), german chocolate cake (good), napoleon (reasonable), ginger ice cream with blueberries, mangos, and an almond tuille (amazing).
Service was also mixed. The bartender was nice when he came over, but before coming over I expect a bartender to make eye contact and acknowledge that I'm waiting while he gets through what he's currently working on. I can let that slide in a busy sports bar, but when the bill is going to edge towards $300 at the end of the night I don't think being acknowledged is too much to ask. The waitress was very nice but the waits between courses became very long at times. In addition, we were the last wave of customers and were seated at 9 and at that time the kitchen started running out of several items on the menu. That didn't bother me as much as the fact that the waitress had no idea they were running out and we were given no warning. At a couple points right when we were expecting the next course to be served we were being to told to reorder it because it wasn't available. The kitchen should have communicated better to the waitstaff, who should have in turn communicated better to us about the availability of items upfront. We were sent the ginger ice cream as an apology for the fish and the multiple reorders which was a nice gesture.
While we were waiting for the bill, a woman in a business suit comes loudly storming out from the back in her heels. We hadn't seen her before but guessed that she was likely a manager. She stormed to the receptionist desk yelling that the bathroom was "a disaster" (a couple of us had just been in the bathroom and the only disaster we saw was the stenciling), she then stormed to the back and snapped at a waitress then stormed back up front and snapped at the receptionist (who incidentally looked like this happens all the time), then she stormed to the bar holding a bill book and then when she got behind the bar threw it into the air and onto the floor in a fit, then she stormed to the back again, then back to the bar (note that the bartender also looked entirely unsurprised) where she picked up the book and then threw another fit about how the floor was dirty and snatched up a mop and started mopping the floor like Mommy Dearest and then snapped at one of the kitchen helpers who had come out and threw the mop at him and then appeared to throw him out. As we left she was still storming around the restaurant with guests trying to enjoy the remainders of their meals. It was nuts.
Bottom line - I won't be back. The value just wasn't there. I wouldn't say that this restaurant is bad, it just isn't worth the price tag. And it definitely wasn't worth the hike and the parking nightmare. Many of the other reviews seemed to focus on the bar menu (less expensive/lower expections) and even our waitress made most of her recommendations off the bar menu rather than the dinner menu. Maybe sticking to the bar food here is the secret to being impressed.
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For some reason, based on the reviews of this place, I assumed it was a typical bar/restaurant sort of thing with some good food. Very, very wrong.
This is a mid-high end restaurant with well dressed waitstaff and clientele. I was completely underdressed in a t-shirt. I wasn't prepared for a high-end food menu, so I got the burger, which was very good.
Also, their bottled beer selection is surprisingly good. No junk beer!
I'd definitely go back, but with a date and a better shirt.
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With a bar menu this good; why go back to the dining room?
I have eaten at Palena a half a dozen times and always at the bar. The bar features several dishes all at $10. My three favorites are in order: The Half Roast Chicken, the Palena Cheeseburger and the Fry plate.
The Roast Chicken is the best dish $10 dish in the city and is an absolute foodie delight. The chicken is flavored with what seems to be Chinese 5 Spice powder and is roasted to perfection with the skin being crispy and the meat juicy and tender. Be prepared to wait up to 45 minutes for the chicken but hey remember you're at the bar and order up a couple of great cocktails. Palena makes a superb side-car.
The Cheeseburger is thick juicy and topped with melting cheese. It's placed on a toasted Brioche bun for that extra decadence.
The Fry plate is fantastic and is only third on my list because of the price. $10 is a bit expensive for fries but they come with some other assorted rooted vegetables that are all cooked to perfection with that outside crunch and soft pillowy inside.
For a great date night head to the bar at Palena for an early meal and drinks and then across the street to the Uptown Theater for your movie.
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The current working digs of a former White House chef, Palena is a gem. The burger specials are a way to go without breaking the bank. And theyre GOOD -- this decidely aint a burger joint but they arent above making a killer and filling version of the American meal (I guess Commanders in Chief sometimes just want a burger). Parked along the north end of the Cleveland Park strip, the front patio area is a nice place to watch the world go by.
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When you go -- and you must -- sit in the front and order the fries.
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okay, this om-shanti girl doesn't play foie gras. force feed a cute little duck or goose? no thanks, peta-hater! except...at palena. so yummy -- i feel okay risking bad karma for palena foie gras once a year.
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