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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: West EndFoggy Bottom|GWU (Blue, Orange)
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I love me some Eric Ripert, and was hoping my meal at Westend would be just as delicious as the man himself. There were highs and lows, so I'm a little torn on how to rate and review.
Our rezzie was for 8:45 but we weren't seated until 9:30. Annoying, especially in that I had to check in with the hostess for the status after 30 min at the bar. While waiting, I had the Westend Martini, which was entirely too sweet. Two strikes...not the start I was hoping for.
When we were finally seated, things started looking up. I see that people have complained about the noise level, but I found it fine. Actually, I thought the atmosphere was lovely with amber lighting, close tables that didn't have a communal dining feel, and a modern décor.
Our knowledgeable server made some recs from their great wine list, and we were on our way. The meal started with a fried calamari that was incredibly light and tender. Without question, the best I've ever had. My husband had the fish burger, based on the raves we heard, and he's now on the list of fans. The server urged me to go with the short rib, which I found disappointingly tough and lacking in flavor. We shared the macaroni, cheese, and ham. Orgasmic. No words. Just ORDER IT. We wrapped up with yummy lemon beignets (served with basil ice cream and raspberry coulis).
All in all, I think we were just under $180 with tax & tip for two cocktails, an app, 2 entrees, a side, a dessert, and a bottle of wine. Not bad.
Sidenote: the restaurant is in the Rtiz-Carlton, so the restrooms are fabby and you have access to their car service (the valet brought their service for us when we asked for a cab as we didn't feel like hoofing it in the rain).
People thought this was:
Eric Ripert has done it again. Two words of advice... If you're there for lunch, order the fries (I know...Eric Ripert and Fries?!? But trust me they're good).
At for dinner... Get the Chestnut Gnocchi. Unbelievable! Pillowy soft and they melt in your mouth. The flavors are fantastic!
Eric Ripert. Sexy.
Almost as smooth as a nice bowl of fresh ice cream.
Let me give you my mindset...
I was physically hurt, tired, hungry, achy, and looking for something other than fast food. Although I was staying at the Westin, I noticed a "livelier" restaurant located at the Four Seasons just down the block.
The lively, hip, very happening joint was Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert. Yes...Eric Ripert! Like most tourist freaks, I jumped at the chance to taste anything associated with that beautiful man.
I was surprised at how busy the restaurant was. It was a freaking weekday. Odd. We grabbed a seat at the bar and knew we were in for slow service. It was OK, but I had to wait a while for my bread and wine.
We shared:
House Salad (like a Cesar Salad) $10. Crispy, fresh, simple.
I had:
Wild Stripped Bass $29. Asian inspired flavors served a long a textured rice. Nice consistency overall, and the fish was cooked beautifully. I enjoyed it.
He had:
Classic Burger $16. Skip it. Not worth 16 bucks and it was missing onions.
Desserts:
I had:
Chocolate Peanut Tart $9 I was hoping for something different, but I still finished it. It was tasty. It was served with malted ice cream.
He had:
Lemon Beignets $9 They were fluffy and served with Basil Ice cream. Interesting, but not my favorite.
Overall, great experience...but some dishes were disappointing. I hope to sample your genius still yet, Mr. Ripert, still yet.
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A VEGAN REVIEW of West End Bistro - For Vegans Only
If you are a vegan, best to skip on past West End Bistro in Washington, DC.
Last night our server excitedly suggested that I let the chef create a vegan entree! I agreed. OOPS.
When my meal arrived, my first thought was..."Am I being pranked!?"
This is what I got. A lukewarm bowl of lima beans topped with green beans topped with four, carefully-arranged, tiny, tasteless, rubbery mushrooms. But the "real treat" was the potato and parsnip hidden among the white beans. I took one bite of the potato and quickly spit it out. The human body has a gag reflex to raw potato. Who knew? Well, it does. I'm still remembering the gaggy, grossness this morning. It may be a while before I get rid that shuddering sensation. To be fair, the parsnip was "rare" as well, and again, had to remove it from my mouth. The other veggies had an underlying taste of microwave-prepared, frozen mixed-vegetables. My impulse was to reach for salt and pepper to add flavor, that helped a smidge, but there was no way I could stomach that dish.
Usually, one can only find such succulent veggies at a nursing home. But the difference is, at a nursing home, the vegetables are hot and thoroughly cooked. God forbid you give grandma a raw potato.
If you absolutely have to eat there, stick with the classic "vegan 101" restaurant order of salad and french fries. (NOTE: You will have to ask if they use vegetable oil for their fries first.) Order the House Salad as it is less expensive and more flavorful than the Foggy Bottom Market Salad, we compared. There is enough to share with a friend, unless you have an enormous appetite for romaine. Order the dressing on the side unless you prefer your salad to swim in an oily vinaigrette.
The restaurant is stylishly attractive. But, sigh, you can't eat ambiance. I was unimpressed with their "vegan" food options and creations. And I left the restaurant still hungry for food.
Special note: We did make reservations weeks in advance and asked if they had any vegan options, they said "YES, that is not a problem." We confirmed our reservations and again mentioned that there was one vegan in our party, again, they said "not a problem!" But in all honesty, for this vegan, it was a problem.
This place is not worth what you pay.
I'll start with the best. The food was pretty good. We were a party of four and we each liked our dish (a steak, shrimp and grits, salmon, hake fillet). The desserts got good marks too (a chocolate thing the ladies gave the thumbs up to, I had the raspberry beignets).
Now the not so good. This place is LOUD. I suppose some people see this as a sign a place is popular, but we simply couldn't keep a conversation going across our table because it was hard to hear the words 5 feet away.
The service was poor. Our waiters arrived for an instant, and if we weren't immediately ready, they disappeared. It took 10 minutes to get water, 20 minutes to order, and nearly an hour before the food arrived.
And the pricetag was simply higher than what other restaurants like this would charge. If the whole experience was a 10, you'd say it was worth it. But because it's not, you simply feel like they're overcharging.
Eric Ripert was once intimately involved in running this restaurant. But I can't imagine he still is. Even so, this place diminished my impression of him as a restaurateur.
People thought this was:
If Eric Ripert is indeed "phoning it in" to Westend Bistro, then he needs to phone home immediately. Perhaps I didn't order well, but my general impression was generally mediocre food, with some stand-outs, however, and mediocre service. The wine list was also disappointing.
I think perhaps I ordered too high on the hog and should have stuck with the burger. Started with a tuna tartare that was shockingly tasteless - just absolutely boring and could have been anything (much less tuna). The wine was a nicer Bordeaux (for the wine list) and it was quite disappointing (and over $100). Entrees were the fried chicken (which was excellent) and the short ribs (again disappointing). Service was underwhelming and did not pass my dirty fork test (where they put your dirty fork back on the table) when they clear the appetizer.
I think the bottom line was that I felt that I was not getting much value for the money and I was certainly underwhelmed given that this place has Ripert's name on it. DC is too full of mediocre and expensive restaurants. We need better reasonably priced restaurants. This place is neither inexpensive nor is the food worth revisiting.
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This review is based solely on a Restaurant Week experience, so take that as you will.
I greatly enjoyed my meal at West End Bistro! The food was delicious, our service was impeccable, and the atmosphere/ambience was clean and lovely.
I started off with a tomato & pistou basil consomme that tasted like summer in a bowl. Absolutely fresh & delicious, with delicate and bright flavors. This was a wonderful, light start to the meal.
For my entree, I had the pasta of the day -- gnocchi with fresh peas, pesto & a poached duck egg. The entree normally had prosciutto as well, but I requested a vegetarian dish (for which they were happy to oblige). The gnocchi were little pillows from heaven! Light, soft & bursting with flavor, they made for a perfect summer pasta. The fresh peas really sold the dish -- again, summer in a bowl.
Finally, I finished my meal off with lemon beignets with basil ice cream & raspberry coulis What a wonderful way to end the meal! The beignets were light and doughy with a delicious burst of lemon with each bite. The ice cream was refreshing and summery on the incredibly hot-humid day.
I had a wonderful experience at West End Bistro and am excited to return to try their regular menu. The food was clearly very seasonal, so I may have to visit at least four times a year!
Came here to try the burgers and the size was pretty good. (). The frites were to die for - on par with Marvin and Poste. Dessert was also a home run, at
$16 seems to be the standard fancy-DC-burger price. I found this one better than Central Michel Richard or BLT Steak. It's comparable with Ray's Hell Burger. But Ray's is half the price. But this is the Ritz, so what do you expect.
Tried the adventurous dessert - basil ice cream with lemon beignets. On its own, the basil ice cream tastes like grass. But the beignets are the perfect pairing. I actually wanted more!
Service was top notch. I'll definitely be back to try some other items on the menu.
People thought this was:
First of all, I LOVE Eric Ripert. I was star struck one day at Le Bernadine when the gorgeous, statuesque, seafood saviour stepped out of the kitchen to elegantly grace himself in the dining room.
So you can only imagine my excitement when Eric Ripert decided to grace us with his presence in DC! The first time was a major disappointment but I blamed it on opening pains - I mean, come on, how can Eric Ripert's creation be anything but sublime? Unfortunately, my return proved otherwise.
I started with the red snapper tartare with coconut and red curry. Red snapper can be a great canvas, but I also really appreciate the sweet flavor and the texture and was hoping that Eric Ripert can accentuate those characteristics. Instead the coconut and red curry muddled those qualities and made it a very average dish. Don't get me wrong. If this were served in a neighborhood Thai restaurant, I would have devoured it but I just expected a bit more from Eric Ripert. I then chose to order the skate wing since I adore skate wing and it can be somewhat difficult to find in this area. Again, the skate wing was a bit overcooked and the brown butter sauce was a bit overpowering.
I wish I can say, I found a favorite, but this will have to be filed away in my letdown cabinet.
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I'm not sure what I was thinking when I wrote my original review. Must have been on cloud nine from the anniversary and not remembering the food clearly. I have been back twice since then. Both times were not good at all. I'm a huge fan of mussels and the ones here were tasteless and chewy. My burger was way overcooked and tasteless. The best thing here was the bread. This past time we ordered desert thinking it was pretty hard to screw that up! It was terrible as well. For the money I would skip this place. Sorry!
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My boyfriend and I had our anniversary dinner here... it was very good. He had steak and I had… Read more »
I took my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner and we had a great experience. Our server was on point and friendly, made great recommendations, and seemed to come to our table just at the right moments (removing plates as soon as we were finished, bringing entrees out at what seemed like just the right time, etc) without being anything near overbearing.
The striped bass was great, but the rice that came with the bass was absolutely amazing. I have no idea what the sauce on this rice was, but it was delicious. We had the mussels as an appetizer, which were good (the broth could probably be eaten as a soup it was so good), but beware that the dish does have sausage in the broth, which is not listed on the menu. If you aren't a sausage/meat person, I would steer away from the mussels, as the sausage leaves a very distinct taste on the mussels themselves as well as the broth.
Overall, a great dinner!
People thought this was:
Met old friends at Westend Bistro last night after Blue Duck Tavern lost our reservation. We were sat at the fourtop which occupies the corner window (at the crossroads of Drama and Attitude).
While I wouldn't say our dinner was bad, quite the contrary, it certainly didn't make me want to run out and worship at the feet of culinary giant Eric Ripert.
We shared apps. Corn bread sliders topped with pulled pork and spicy slaw. Very tasty. Fried Calamari is cut into wedges, as opposed to rings. It's very fresh and tender with a light batter and rich lemony dipping sauce.
For a starter I chose the Scallop Ceviche. By far my favorite item of the evening. Diver sea scallops are sliced thin and dressed in a citrus marinade with pepper confetti and a ring of micro greens. All prepared ala minute. The scallops were sweet and plump. Pure perfection.
For my entree I chose the Loup de Mer (Branzini). It's a very simple presentation, twin filets of bass, skin on, lightly floured, pan crisped and topped with an olive tapenade. It comes with oven roasted tomato and parmesan florettes and a micro arugula salad. The fish was slightly overcooked and the crisping of the skin was not executed properly making the skin more chewy than crisp. Still not a completely unsuccessful dish.
My colleagues had the Flat Iron Steak, Tagliatele Bolognese and the Braised Short Ribs respectively. All said they were very good.
We shared sides of Mac n Cheese and Braised Collards. Both were exemplary. The Mac n Cheese being one of the best I've tasted and I would say the same for the braised collards.
I loved my dessert. I had the Corn Madellines over blueberry relish with Corn Sorbet. That paired with a perfect Illy Coffee Espresso were the perfect cap to a delightful meal.
Service was dreadfully slow. It took four hours to complete our meal and while I know our server was trying to not be intrusive at some point... intrude... please! Thank Heavens for the Assistant Manager who was at our table more than our server. She was knowledgable, personable and down right funny.
Service: 1 Star deduction
The place is overpriced. Ok, I get it. It's in the Ritz Carlton. It's Eric Ripert, blah blah blah. It's over priced. The tab came to $100 per person including wine. At those prices, service should have been better and my Troup La Mer should have had a "just from the ocean to my plate" wiggle about it.
Value: 1 Star Deduction
So... that makes three stars in my book. They can do better.
People thought this was:
I blame my Top Chef addiction for giving me unrealistic expectations of what Eric Ripert restaurants should deliver- this meal was pleasant and my main course delicious, but I've not been back since the first dinner I had when Westend Bistro first opened.
Maybe they've stepped up their game since my visit, but I'd say this place was right down the middle- mainly because the food and ambiance were a 4 and the service a 3 (if that).
That said, I still remember I ordered chicken for 2 and it was incredibly good- like, so good you wonder how chicken got so flavorful. Our waiter was unlocked - forgetting dishes and bringing entrees when we weren't done with first courses...and setting them down in the middle of the table.
WB definitely deserves a second chance, but if you're seeking a flawless evening, don't say I didn't warn you.
I've been here a couple of times and Westend really excited me after my first meal, but since then, since that opening month, I've felt very underwhelmed by my dining experience here.
First, let me say that I am a big Eric Ripert fan. The man got me to eat fish. I don't eat fish, but a couple of years ago my father and I dined at Le Bernardin, meaning I consumed a tasting menu of seafood, offset only by a perfectly cooked piece of Kobe beef. So with the memory of an amazing escolar course in mind, I went to Westend Bistro.
That first trip was great. I had a perfectly cooked steak (I still don't eat fish, only if its on a tasting menu, I can never be a true foodie until I get over this, and I am working on it, trust me) and had some delicious sides, all around a great meal.
The next several trips though have been disappointing. I had some over seasoned french fries (tried the truffle fries on a more recent visit and these are the way to go if you're ordering fries) a rather dry cheeseburger, and some lackluster sides.
More recently, I've had more of the same. The tagliatelle with bolognese was eh, which was a real disappointed as my mother had it on that first trip and I remember it being great. Additionally, the calamari portion was a little small for our appetizer, but the fried goat cheese fritters (they are on the bar menu but can be ordered at the table) were great, I definitely recommend these.
During that first trip everything at the table was great, now, not so much. I would highly recommend a couple of dishes though. They do steak well here, however, it may be a bit overpriced, depends on the night. I say depends on the night because I've had a steak here that was so good that the price wasn't an issue, but I've also had steak here that was overpriced. Additionally, as an appetizer try the ham. They first had prosciutto, I think, and now have Iberico; in both cases I remember it being some of the best ham I've ever tasted, and I also remember the portion being quite ample. Also, I've had Iberico before, so I know it is good, but this Iberico just seemed to be top notch. Also, get the fried goat cheese, I could pop these back all day.
So, while Westend Bistro does have some good food it has an issue with consistency. Which sucks, because when it's good, it's really good.
People thought this was:
My fiance took me here for my birthday in late June, knowing I've become a fan of Eric Ripert watching him on Top Chef, The Food Network, etc. Though the food and drinks were tasty, the service was unexceptional, which really affected the overall experience. I would try this place one more time, and hope for improved service. It was a nice surprise, however, to have Chef Ripert in town and at work in the open kitchen.
People thought this was:
My girlfriend and I have eaten there twice. One time too many. We were shocked to see that the menu was so simple and unimaginatvie, especially coming from Eric Ripert. Six months after our first visit, we decided to give it a second chance but again we were disappointed. Final conclusion: the food is mediocre and over priced. I would only eat there again if I was staying at the Ritz and there was a blizzard outside forcing me to eat there.
Went there for a quick dinner. Calamari, not rings, interesting. Dipping sauce was good though. Salmon rillette also good, beet salad, needed a bit more "green" and less "fried" on the goat cheese. Tagliatelle was salty salty salty.
I was too full to order more at this point but not sure if it is worth the price point. It's too much for the DC crowd so even the old white haired gents are just getting the burgers and fish sammies.
Love the decor save for the red leather, very attractive warm lighting, they shoulda gone with burnt orange leather. The gas station is garish but doesn't detract from the warmth.
Took my sister here for a birthday celebration. Place is all warm colored wood, amber and deep red tones. Beautifully lit. Everything spot on, from drinks to appetizers to entrees to dessert to ambience to service. And we left with our shirts on (1 appertif, three glasses wine, 2 entrees, 1 shared dessert, 1 shared appetizer) at $175 with tip. We shared the mussels, done in a big black pot with chorizo -- a rich and satisfying broth (ask for a cup). My sister had the flat iron steak and I had a wonderfully prepared serving of striped bass. We shared the seasonal vegetables and a green apple sorbet. If I had to focus on anything below par, it would be the vegetables, which were underwhelming. But everything else left our taste buds singing a Judy Garland song, "Sing Hallelujah, come on get happy." We were! Can I get an Amen?!
I was initially deterred by the whole idea of this being a hotel restaurant but was reassured with the "by Eric Ripert". Don't get me wrong expecting to have Chef Ripert cook for you here is like walking into McDonald's and expecting to see Ronald flipping burgers, not gonna happen. But I figured he endorsed it and probably had some influence on the menu and staffing. I arrived with my group of 12 and we were seated in no time, of course we had a reservation, and the service was very attentive without being annoying. What you'd expect from such a place. The menu has some great items and even a few that are from the places northern brethren, Le Bernardin. One of the benefits of a large group, in my mind, is that you get to try everything on the menu. Irregardless of what I had, my favorites were the skate wing, and the flat iron steak, both were rich, perfectly prepared and delicious. As for desert the Madelaine's and Beignet's really stood out as well.
All in all a fine edition to the West End but the place did not really jump pout at me, perhaps the transient crowd of travelers at the bar area and the fact that I got a slight pretentious vibe from the place. Although both things can be expected from a hotel restaurant but an acclaimed chef, perhaps my expectations overshadowed my experience. If I went in blind, I may have given 4 stars, maybe.
People thought this was:
I was really unimpressed with this place. The salad appetizer was literally made up of large pieces of romaine lettuce and oily dressing. That's it. For the $14 dollars, that is ridiculous. The waiter was clearly in a bad mood and we had to ask other wait staff multiple times for refills on water or ice tea. The rest of the meal was sub par and my friend's goat cheese sandwich special was painfully salty.
I will not return.
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I wasn't wowed. This place is a lot like Central, the Michael Richard place downtown.
It's a paired-down fine dining menu with a lot of random options. I got the pasta with meat sauce, which was my main problem. The dish had SO MUCH MEAT and so little sauce, it was more like hamburger helper or chili than an Italian pasta dish. Maybe this is what they're going for, but I doubt it.
The sorbets we had for dessert were GREAT, however. I would go here just to order these. You get three flavors and they were all awesome.
People thought this was:
Not really certain why there aren't more five star reviews here... and I have a picky palate. Ate here twice since this restaurant is inside the Hotel we were put up at. The food here is outstanding! Both Dinner and Lunch service were phenominal and everything everone ordered was absolutely delicioso.
Sooo...
Dinner:
Oh wow. Soft Shell Crab starter melted in your mouth... And my Halibut was absolutely perfect.
Lunch:
Get the fish sandwich if you ever come here for lunch. This is the BEST fish sammich EVAR! I could only finish half... which was cool since my counterpart from SF walked in and joined us... and finished the other half plus the fries but the bun, the sauce, and the fish, which was sort of like a crabcake except with fish was ridonkulous. My starter was the Artichoke and Arugula Salad which was delicate, flavorful and really up my alley.
I didn't realize the Chef here is a celebrity Chef I've often glanced on Food Network... but never matched a name to the face until I saw a photgraph on the restaurant web-site prior to writing this. Figures!
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This place has the best $16 burger I have ever had. Get it medium with beacon and cheese. MMMMMM. I'm licking my canines just thinking about it. So delicious. I've had a wide assortment of menu options here, but I always always always go back for the burger. Its worth it. 100%. Delicious. So this rating is only rating the burger and fries. Everything else I've had I'll give a good 3.75 stars too, maybe even four. But trust me, if you like burgers, this place satisfies.
I went to this place twice with my boyfriend b/c we were looking for a place to eat around the Ritz (this place is in the Ritz).
The first time we went at around 11ish - absolutey loved it. Place had a very dignified and subdued feel. The mussels are delicious and the hamburger is fantastic. The service was also fantastic.
The second time we got there at around 7 - absolutely hated it. The place was packed with the generic after-work crowd, it was loud, fussy and annoying. Im unoriginal so I had the mussels again and hamburger (still delcious). But the service was just like non-existant; the waitress forgot that we ordered a bottle of champange and Pelligrino - she took our order by memory then had to return a few minutes later to double-check. \
I would still go here (most definitely) but only after 9 or so, before that it's far too crowded with an un-remarkable crowd.
i had business diner there recently. on the delicious side: goat cheese and beet salad and chestnut soup appetizer wise; the flat iron steak and the snapper entree wise. on the not so delicious side: the tuna carpaccio looked and tasted rubbery while the fish burger just missed the mark entirely. still though the ingredients and presentation were top notch.
i also particularly appreciated the bread which was just so.
on the negative side: 1) we all had wine by the glass and all glasses were served at slightly warmer than room temperature which resulted in almost undrinkable wines - when red wine is served too warm, one can only taste the alcohol content, all the aromas are gone, sadly. 2) the hostess never smiled and looked like she was doing us a favor accepting our reservation, a really poor first contact i must say. 3) the waitress hurried one person from our party so she could start serving the entrees showing poor taste and service quality.
while we took our coats and just before we were about to leave, the manager came to me and asked me my dining experience was. i listed the wine concern but not the other two negatives (the hostess was just next to me) and very professionally - with an upbeat tone - she noted my complaint and said they were actually working on this detail. i was so taken by her professionalism and personal touch that i decided here and then to give westend bistro a 3 star. i will visit again to see whether they have ironed out the kinks and deserve same or better rating or if ...
People thought this was:
After watching many episodes of Anthony Bordain: No Reservations on the Travel channel, Eric Ripert became a familiar name to me. His platinum frosted hair is almost dreamy... Recently I learned that he has a restaurant in DC called the Westend Bistro, so I had to give it a try to satisfy my curiosity of a celebrity restaurant in DC.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated (I mean I wouldn't expect anything less from him). The food bursts with flavors, and if you like your food towards the saltier side like me, this is definitely the perfect place to go. I had mussels as my appetizer and skate as my entree, and they were just perfectly cooked and seasoned. I actually believe that you can't go wrong with ordering anything from the menu. I wasn't too impressed with their desserts, however, they weren't as extraordinary as I had expected.
Now let's talk about the services. A celebrity restaurant such as this one should have the perfect and memorable service I would think, but that wasn't the case. I made reservation for 8 pm, they put down 7. We ordered wine, and the waiter didn't check our IDs until the wine was at our table. There was a noticeable lag between our appetizer and entrees. The lady's room was even less impressive.
At the end of the day though, I can overlook all the imperfections with their service because the food was so damn awesome. I would guess that the restaurant had an awesome chef, but a slacking manager. To sum my experience up in one sentence: a perfect sports car with no AC. Slightly annoying, but not enough to make you dislike it.
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I had a rather good meal here. I split the roasted chicken for two with my companion, and I swear if it wasn't the best chicken meal I've ever had in a restaurant. It also wasn't too expensive at 28/pp.
The view did suck when I was there (it had just opened), but I think the new shades help diminish the glaring bright Exxon sign across the street. Other than that, the space itself is laid out very nicely.
Im looking forward to going back.
People thought this was:
not super impressed w/the food, very good but not excellent. fun drinks but for the money i think i was expecting more. only reason i gave it 3 stars instead of 2 was the burger, which was really good. but if i'm going to spend over $60 for just myself i expect more. probably wont return....if i'm footing the bill at least.
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For what you pay, there are so many better choices, i.e. Blue Duck Tavern almost directly across the street.
I have been here twice now, and both times was fairly disappointed. The first time I went was for my Birthday when I was invited by a co-worker. They do a good job of covering up that they're a hotel restaurant, but the staff was less then up for the job. I tried the steak, and found it to be too thin and lacking in the tasty department. Couldn't complain too much though because my friend was picking up the bill.
The second time I went with my girlfriend after going to the Kennedy Center. I was more disappointed than the first time. Maybe it could have been because it was a little later (around 10pm) but it's no excuse. Again, the service was very poor. I can't remember what I had off the top of my head, but I do remember that I found it to be lukewarm. Unfortunately, by no fault of West End Bistro, a new Exxon just went up directly in front of it, so many diners will have the a beautiful neon-lit gas station during their 'fine-dining' experience.
My suggestion is walk one block away and go to the Blue Duck Tavern.
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2nd time and last. All food was luke warm and greasy. Burger was gross as were fries. Ripert should go back tgo NYC. This is a Marriott hotel with a Ritz logo.
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Not feeling it, don't need to go back. Perhaps it was the freak show sitting next to me at the bar (a Ritz Carlton resident, no less), who kept apologizing to me before saying the most inappropriate, inane, stupid things. My husband wanted to punch him in the face, and I should have thrown his glass of wine on him. Too frat-boy-with-an-expense-account-ish for my. taste. Thanks anyway tho!
Oh, and how can I forget the rude woman who answered the phone and chastised me for changing my reservation time via http://Opentable.com without her direct knowledge. WTF?
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Now its time to get serious. This was my second trip to this establishment since they opened and I was not impressed one bit. For an appetizer we sampled the Fried Calamari. I thoroughly enjoyed that. For dinner I ordered the Shrimp and Grits with Collard Greens. It was very below average. I've had much much better at Acadiana and Georgia Brown's. I was very shocked by this. The collard greens were very good but you still can get better at Georgia Brown's. Cookie had a hamgurger and she really enjoyed it. So, if you are looking for an exceptional dinner in DC's West End then go to the Blue Duck Tavern. The Blue Duck will not let you down. Boo-Ya!
People thought this was:
Decor - Full on view of the Exxon gas station and its garish lights. I used previous reviews that mentioned the gas station to help orient myself to my location and find the restaurant. It worked.
Service - It was adequate. The server spoke very softly so I could barely hear him speak of the specials. They need to recognize that the noise level is high so they have to yell it out.
Food - Calamari was so -so, they cut up and fry bite sized bits of meat, instead of the rings. This does not appeal to me simply because that mean's there much more breading, and I rather taste more meat.
Burger - They put the toppings on it for you. This wasn't quite clear to me so the burger came dressed with a slathering of ketchup, rather on the side. I don't like ketchup on the burger so it lost favor on me.
Fish burger was really good, like a crab cake. The texture was like ground turkey a bit.
Frittes - Excellent. Hint of rosemary though which I could have lived without.
Mac and cheese - It said there was ham in it, but I didn't see it, so maybe it was a typo. The noodle was overcooked, so it was very soft and lost texture. Too many breadcrumbs on top. I rather have Ray burger mac and cheese.
Drinks - They make a west end bistro ale which is really good and it's 5 bucks, a bargain.
People thought this was:
Food- excellent, excellent, exquisite. I had the jamon iberico appetizer which makes my mouth water thinking about it, and then the salmon and lentil entree, which was delicate, so tasty, so complex, so wonderful. The dessert was just ok-pecan pie.
Service-lackluster. First, despite having a reservation, we waited 20 min. for our table. Then our waiter took about 20 minutes to get our drink order, which at these prices is unacceptable to be sitting there with no drink. Then at least another 20 minutes to come back and take our order. Had I not been with an old friend and trying to be on good behavior, I would have been much more demanding and would not have waited half an hour to get a glass of bubbly. Service was just slow, period. And at the end, after waiting another 30 minutes for the waiter to come get our bill, he walks by the table and almost runs away without a word-we had to flag him down to tell him how to divide our checks.
Ambiance-extremely noisy. I had no idea this restaurant was actually attached to the Ritz, so the bar is quite noisy with hotel patrons. Plus, the glaring neon Exxon sign outside doesn't scream "ambiance".
But, the food is superb, and this is a bistro, not a romantic inn, so just go. Your tastebuds will thank you!
I have gone to this restaurant 3 times. Two times just to drink and one to enjoy a dinner.
I agree totally that the gas station sign is distracting. It ruins the boasted ambient lighting.
The bar offerings are diverse but controlled. I think the prices are average for the re-branded West End neighborhood. I ordered a manhattan on my second visit and found the cocktail to be well-mixed.
The dinner menu offers several options. There have been some mutterings that unlike Brassiere Beck or Central where the menu is ordinary but food once presented is extraordinary - West End is just ordinary and uninventive.
Given that criticism and not having sampled those restaurants, I wondered what the dinner would be like?
I ordered the warm goat cheese and beet salad and the flat iron steak.
Having food sensitivities, they were very accommodating. I was able to get the salad dressing on the side and the steak was served with a shallot cream sauce, that I was able to also get on the side. The waiter was able to list the ingredients of the sauce which was good.
The group shared a bottle of Chalone Cab Sauv. It was fruity for a cab.
The waiter had recommended it. I wish they would get a sommelier in there, because for the dishes we got - a bolder cab would have been better.
The salad was good. Fresh, verdant, healthy flavors. My only request is that if the waiter noticed I was food-sensitive, he should have mentioned that there were nuts as part of the coating on the goat cheese. With food allergies being more prevalent in diners, this is a big oversight on his part.
The steak was perfectly cooked. Me and my fellow diners shared the oven roasted squash and casserole of seasonal vegetables. The squash had too much butter on it. The vegetable flavors should have been first and the butter should add richness not dominate. The same can be said for the other vegetable dishs' use of oil. Also, calling the seasonal vegetable dish a casserole is misleading. It sounds like its a dish of cream and breading or noodles tossed together and baked. But, rather it was just the type of bakeware used. Hello, you're a bistro Ripert, call it just seasonal vegetables.
Dessert was the warm chocolate cake with chocolate-rum ice cream.
The best part of this dessert were the torched sugar bananas. Like little banana brulees. The chocolate cake was good, but more like chocolate sauce texture and not cake. Also, I'm not really a fan of the chocolate they used. I felt it was good, but not really dark enough for my palate when matched with the espresso I ordered to have with it.
This restaurant opened just two months ago (nov 07 - I think) so they still have their kinks to work on. The restaurant was also smaller than I thought it would be. But the high points were stronger than the low points. The service and food were pretty great. All diners were happy.
People thought this was:
Alright, since this was an Eric Ripert restaurant I had high hopes. This place is expensive. I don't know about you, but when I spend a lot of money for a restaurant I want to go to a place where there's great food. I ordered the namesake beer which was tasty. Forget about happy hour here folks there is none. By the way, don't forget to bring your ID. My friend forgot hers and she wasn't able to drink even though we are in our lates 20's, but I can't knock them on that they were just doing their jobs. I ordered the short ribs with grits. It was not that great. Short ribs typically are so tender that when you put your fork through it there is little resistance. This, although soft, required a knife and had a lot more shape than the way I'm used to having short ribs. Short ribs are naturally a fatty meat, but when you can see the fat marbled into the meat as if it wasn't cooked for a long time it isn't appealing anymore. The irony of it all is although the fat was in tact like it wasn't cooked enough the meat was dry and overcooked. The grits were creamy and mashed potato-like and the jus or sauce was really just more melted fat. Every bite was a creamy fatty mouthful. It really could have used an acid in the sauce. Instead I was reaching for my water or beer after every bite.
People thought this was:
Best burger in DC! I have been a fan of the burger at the four seasons lobby bar for years (not on the menu, you have to ask for it). But the burger here puts it to shame! Along with the extremely rich mac n' cheese this was one of the best meals I have had this year - and I eat out way too much.
I also had the truffle/parmesan popcorn at the bar which was great and then sampled each of the three oysters as an appetizer which were also excellent. Add to this the fact that they serve Christiana vodka (must have for the perfect vodka martini) and you can't help but leave with a smile...
The service was also great. My only complaint is the extremely bright gas station that was just built at the base of the condos accross the street.
People thought this was:
Boyfriend and I did our New Years Eve here. They called a few days in advance to get my credit card number. I'm thinking, "wow, this place is really booking up for NYE." But we got there at 9:15 for a 9:45 reservation, hoping to get in some time at the bar, but they seated us immediately. We got the booth we requested - thankfully, it didn't face that glaring Exxon sign.
For apps, we split a plate of tuna carpaccio. I'm not normally a fan of carpaccio, but this one was well done - fresh, not fishy, glazed in the right amount of oil, salt, and herbs. My Eastern Market Salad was really refreshing. I didn't ask for dressing on the side, but they went easy on the sweet vinagrette.
For entree, I went for the Chesapeake Bay Stew on the waiter's recommendation. I'm normally not a fan of seafood stews - I order them out of curiosity rather than appetite. The Stew came with mussels, clams, a filet of cod or halibut, and a giant prawn. I wish it came with more broth, because that's the real highlight of the dish. The way it's served, you wouldn't think "stew." You'd think it's a pile of random seafood served in a shallow bowl with a splash of watery sauce. Boyfriend probably had less to criticize about his steak. It was cooked to order (medium) and presented in a good-sized portion.
We also ordered sides of ratatouille (great) and fries (pretty good). For dessert, we got pineapple upside down cake, which I would recommend; it had a slightly crunchy crust that encased soft cake. I also got a bite of Boyfriend's blueberry cobbler, which similarly had a fantastic crust.
Service: We're normally not very demanding diners, but our waiter was really friendly. Even though we each ordered wines by the glass, he came by and topped us off gratis.
Prior to NYE, blogs and newspaper entertainment guides posted that Westend would add special items to their menu for the evening. But it turned out they really didn't. They had their normal daily specials (one app, one entree, neither of which sounded that great). But, true to sources, we got free champagne and 2008 hats and tiaras. So when the ball dropped, it did become quite festive throughout the restaurant. After years of seeing a certain crowd (read: early 20s in a bar/club) celebrating New Years, it's reassuring to see that older people have drunken fun too.
Speaking of drunk, I would definitely come back for the cocktail menu. Boyfriend already got to sample some scotch and cognac (of which they have a fine supply). I would come back for the food, but I'm not sure if I would do dinner again. Westend begins lunch and brunch service in a week, and they already serve the bar menu. As I alluded to earlier, however, it seems that people didn't book this place in droves for NYE. I hope people start to book this place more often throughout the year, it's really worth a try.
People thought this was:
4.5 stars. Had a very delicious dinner here. Chestnut soup, a fantastic steak, and caramel cream desert. All very good. Nice atmosphere and excellent service.
The missing 1/2 star is value for the money. I felt it was a little pricey for what was received. But, I had no problems whatsoever with the meal and would return.
People thought this was:
I pass this place on my way to work everyday so I decided to give it a try. The food was really good, it did not blow me away but it was still tasty! I only ordered an appetizer and soup so I can't comment on any of the entrees.
Being that I am a fan of raw fish, I opted for the tuna carpaccio as a starter. I was either not hungry or the tuna carpaccio was seriously delish that I was full and satisfied as it is. There was just enough balance between the olive oil, lemon, shallots, and chives in the dish that the flavors weren't duking it out in my mouth. It was very light and refreshing to say the least. The presentation was very simple...slapped on a plate. Afterward I had the potato and leek soup. Again, it was simple and tasty. Just what I wanted. I also had some dessert but I can't remember what I had but I'm sure it was tasty too!
All in all, the decor,ambiance, and food was great. I will definitely try and check this place out again for the full experience.
Oh yea, the champagne with rose wine was delish!
Neighborhood: West End
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: West End
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: West End
Category: American (New)
Washington, DC
Category: French
Neighborhood: Georgetown
Category: Steakhouses
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