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Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1190 22nd St NW(between N L St & N M St)
Washington, DC 20037
Neighborhood: West End
(202) 974-4900
- Nearest Transit:
-
Foggy Bottom Metro Station (Blue, Orange)
Dupont Circle Metro Station (Red)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- 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
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
164 reviews for Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert
Review Highlights
"We started out with the Tuna Carpaccio (YUM."
(in 18 reviews)
"I had the shrimp and grits, which we delicious."
(in 21 reviews)
"Entrees: flat iron steak cooked medium and to perfection."
(in 8 reviews)
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164 reviews in English
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Review from Danielle F.
Washington, DC
1/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Very good food. Slightly sterile environment and impersonal service.
I went with a group for Restaurant Week. Right off the bat, the hostess gave us a hard time about our reservation (apparently they did not have my correct phone number and so hadn't been able to confirm the reservation - something I did not feel entitled her to chastise me over!). Once we made it past the "stereotypically French" hostess, though, the service was good.
While I was a bit disappointed that there were only two choices for each course, the food on the restaurant week menu was very good. The Bibb lettuce salad with blue cheese and lemon breadcrumbs was delicious. The chicken dumpling soup was good, though with the exception of the truffled dumplings, was pretty unmemorable. The bite of the fish sandwich I tasted was so-so, as was the chicken with cous cous. Luckily, my favorite entree was my own - the beef short rib pot pie. The pie sat abed truffled mashed potatoes which were out of this world. The beef was tender and delicious, and the puff pastry was almost definitely homemade. For dessert, the elderberry cream-filled profiteroles were a nice, light choice. The warm chocolate torte was delicious. But the best dessert seemed to be the lime parfait, which tasted like the best key lime pie I'd ever tasted.
A good meal which we were all satisfied with, but I'd never go back for the normally outrageous lunch prices. -
Review from Rich D.
Washington, DC
2/7/2012
Expensive for the the extremely bland food. It all sounds good on the menu, but everything that showed up was a disappointment. It's just too expensive for what they serve.
The tuna carpaccia tasted only like the olive oil the smothered it in and I've made braised beef short ribs that were just as good.
The churros are the greatest thing there and they are amazing. I'd never go back except to swing in for some of those churros. -
Review from Colleen M.
Washington, DC
1/31/2012
Has anyone seen the website for this restaurant? It cracks me up, I thought it was a joke at first... I dont know just seemed kind of Zoolanderish to me (like it's so pretentious but in a "chill" way... just look at the pictures and quotes they chose).
I had the "Organic Scottish Salmon," it was not that large of a portion (which is fine I'm not a big girl) but there was a definite lack of flavor (I tasted NO horseradish jus, like not at all) and hardly any brussel sprouts. Overall VERY bland and boring, not what I expected from this restaurant. Before I went my roommate said, "I am jealous of your palate, getting to go to an Eric Ripert Restaurant." I said if it's that good we'll go together soon... I don't think we'll be going anytime soon :(.
My boyfriend had the Braised Short Rib. I didn't try his, but he seemed content.
I'm giving it three stars because the wine was good and my boyfriend lived next door for three years so he has been many times and loved it...
Oh! Side note, there was only one bathroom. The place was pretty empty but I still had to wait in line both times I used the restroom. -
Review from Ashley K.
Washington, DC
2/1/2012
This restaurant is on of my favorites. Always great food and friendly service. The short rib is my husband's favorite dish. I love the fish burger. Sounds weird, but it's amazing! We also love the tuna carpaccio. Fresh oysters too!
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Review from Damon L.
Baltimore, MD
1/27/2012
Nestled inside of the Ritz Carlton Washington DC this place is a real cool spot to get a drink if you happen to be in the West End of DC or near GW. Its an American Bistro with a french flair food is GREAT and decent crowd for DC STANDARDS.
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Review from Anna T.
1/16/2012
I love coming here for an exquisite meal when I visit DC - the service and food are absolutely fantastic and it's always exciting to see if you can sight Ripert himself! The roasted chicken is especially delightful.
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Review from Norry H.
Yay! I'm a fan. Today I went there for lunch and had a fish burger and a french fries. The fish burger came with arugula salad and saffron mayo sauce for the fish. I asked the server and he told me the fish for the burger was striped sea bass today. When I heard that, i made up my mind on the fish burger. This was the most delicious fish burger I had ever had. The fish was pan fried, then cooked in the oven, to keep the moisture, texture and flavor. I was able to smile right from the first bite of it. I usually stay away from fries, but today i gave myself a break and had this truffle flavored fries. Oh, heavenly! Our server Ahmad was very nice. I could feel his passion about the food menu from the way he spoke.
I will definitely come back here for more. -
Review from Annette C.
San Francisco, CA
10/6/2011
I went to the Westend from out of town expecting "Ritz" like service and was severely disappointed. The server spilled half an order of HOT soup down my back and my shirt. The worst part is that he didn't even apologize. Then the server decided to serve the rest of the soup even though half of it was scalding my back. minutes later the same server spilled an entire bucket of ice all around our table.
Nothing was comped or discounted and when I called to make a complaint the manager Amy was so rude. There was no sincerity in any of her "apologies." She claimed that they comped items which is completely fabricated and held a tone of arrogance.
This place has terrible service and people should dine here only if they want to be looked down at. I live in a city of not only amazing food but amazing service. I cannot be any more disappointed in an establishment. -
Review from Matt T.
10/26/2011
This is impressive American bistro food. We started with the tuna carpaccio, which was simply fantastic. It was perfectly seasoned and would have been even better with crackers instead of the toasted bread they gave us, but it still disappeared very quickly. I followed that with an excellent salad, which was an enormous serving of red and green leaf lettuce with a smoky bacon dressing. For the main, I went with the skate, which was lightly fried, and about fourteen inches of flaky goodness. The skate was excellent, but the trout my mom and girlfriend had looked even better. We finished with a carrot cake brownie with sea salt ice cream that was only so-so compared to the rest of the meal.
Overall, a great dining experience. Portion sizes here are huge, so I would plan accordingly. -
Review from Stephanie S.
Silver Spring, MD
9/23/2011
The ambience is dark and elegant - everyone wearing their classy work attire - so don't go underdressed. Remember, it's a part of the Ritz-Carlton.
I went for happy hour with friends and had a very nice time. The prices were great, $3 for drafts and $6 for wine and specialty cocktails. We sat in the bar area where we initially had to leave our high top to get drinks directly from the bar, but were then assigned a waiter. We ordered the truffled popcorn, which I highly recommend- delicious snack to enjoy with drinks. The happy hour food menu was not as robust as I would have liked it to be, but overall it was a great happy hour. -
Review from Lola P.
Long Island City, NY
12/17/2011
Very dark and classy establishment. Hopefully you're in a seafood mood because that is naturally where Eric Ripert brings his A-game. Had some oysters (very fresh and came with the perfect mignonnette), tuna carpaccio (unlike a prior reviewer, mine was woefully underseasoned), and a tuna burger (fresh, light, and quite delicious). The Smoky Dog cocktail was stellar. Definitely on the pricey end of things though, so it's a great special occasion sort of establishment. All in all solid seafood from Eric Ripert, though not quite as flawless as Le Bernardin
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Review from A. O.
Washington, DC
12/16/2011
Last Saturday night, I ate in the dining room at West End for the first and probably last time. I had been to the bar several times before and had ordered off the bar menu and LOVE the delicious Oyster Po'boy sliders.
We were the last reservation to be seated on Saturday night, after we had informed the hostess we would have a drink first at the bar. We ordered the oysters rockefeller, shrimp and grits, broccoli gratin and braised short ribs. The oysters rockefeller were good but when our main dishes came out we were very disappointed.
The grits were not cooked. They were crunchy and very gritty. At one point I had to excuse myself from the table and go pick the uncooked grits out of my teeth. My dining partner, who is from Georgia, wouldn't touch them after the first bite.
The broccoli gratin was a mess. The cheese was watery like soup and didn't even stick to the broccoli. The cheese sauce even sploshed onto the table when our waiter brough it out.
The short rib was cooked to temperature correctness, it was still pink in the middle, but it was very hard to cut with a steak knife and hard to chew.
When are waiter checked in on us and we asked for the check, she didn't ask us how if there was a problem with the meal even though we had plates full of untouched food left on the table.
For such an expensive meal, we were very disappointed. I will stick to having Brian at the bar pour my drinks and ordering off the bar menu. I will not be paying for another meal in the dining room. -
Review from A A.
Washington, DC
1/20/2012
The food was delicious but the service was horrible. We waited 20 minutes to even ASK for the check.
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Review from Nina U.
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
When I think of a restaurant in a hotel, I don't have high hopes- I expect decent good food in a nicer hotel and I got more than I had hoped for... and since this is the Ritz Carlton, it would be lovely to stay here. I'm not catching the metro from Annapolis so it was definitely worth the valet parking.
Sundays are nice and slow and quiet. And hello Brussell Sprouts! These are rather black from the frying and oh so delicious-o-so. Our table ordered a second round because we couldn't get enough. Some other things we tried on our table:
cocktails: sangria, sparkler, aristocrat, smokey dog, carte blanche. I had the sauvignon blanc from New Zealand and wine comes in half bottles. I would stick with the mixed drinks next time and try their specialties.
appetizers were all delicious: Fried Brussel Sprouts and Garlic Aoioli is the winner of the night! tuna carpaccio, ham and cheese sandwich (smaller portion but on a really cute board), and some folks loved the oysters and got a second order
dinners; Fish burger was light and very good, shrimp and grits (they cleaned their plates! I wish I wasn't allergic to shellfish), Steak Frittes- they could cut it with a fork and that came with truffle french fries (better than Victoria's Pub in Columbia), Softshell Tagliatelle (soft shell crab and pasta -they loved it), no complaints on the house burger but the Baked Striped Bass was the only thing that didn't look too exciting
dessert: vanilla and pistacio ice creams with lemon and raspberry syrup (pretty good, I would try something else next time...the fried pistachios were lovely) olive cake- it's the new fav. I wish I had ordered the cookie platter.
I think Eric Ripert would be very proud if he visited tonight. It was a nice relaxed bistro environment for hotel guests and locals alike. If there weren't a billion other places I want to try in D.C. I would be back in a heartbeat. -
Review from Cyndy K.
Falls Church, VA
9/3/2011
2.5 Stars for the dining room. I loved the decor and the ambiance...the service was spotty...the menu limited and the food was mediocre. I was surprised that the food was not better especially coming from a chef such as Eric Ripert.
3.0 Stars for happy hour at the bar. I loved the primo margarita. It is one of the best margaritas from a purest point of view. Simply the best. No sugary mix, appreciate the fresh limes and the Patron. Great happy hour bar food - the mac & cheese was delicious with the ham which gave it great flavor. Enjoyed the cheeseburger sliders - great beef, the brioche bun was somewhat hard and not a true brioche. The oyster slider was very good - good to perfection. The truffle french fries were good but needed a pinch more sea salt. -
Review from Adrienne T.
Washington, DC
11/5/2011
Having been assured by my waiter that the shrimp and grits would still be delicious without sausage, I went for it. That was a mistake. It was bland, a little chewy, and completely one-note. For his own future reference, I let the waiter know that he might not want to recommend the shrimp and grits sans sausage in the future. He promptly offered dessert on the house to make amends. The carrot cake brownie with sea salt ice cream hit the spot! So, it wasn't a perfect dining experience, but the sleek decor, inviting ambiance, awesome service and (mostly) delicious food add up to a solid four stars!
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Review from George C.
Seattle, WA
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wonder why Yelpers are giving this place bad reviews. I had a great experience.
I ordered the shrimp and grits served with green onions and chorizo. I'm a sucker for anything served with grits and Westend did it right. The flavors were excellent and everything was nice and fresh. It was a large portion too!
The fresh mozzarella and eggplant buratta wasn't what I expected but it was also very good.
The table bread was local, fresh and filled regularly.
Westend is a nice and modern inside. It's located inside the Ritz so you know it's going to be nice.
Great service. Waters filled regularly. Our server and hostess checked on us throughout our meal and made sure we had a great experience. They also have a nice bar area.
My wife and I weren't sure if this place would be good based on the Yelp reviews. It's not cheap but it's worth it.
I wish we had a Westend Bistro in West Seattle! -
Review from Jason L.
Washington, DC
8/22/2011
This is a restaurant week (RW) review. Good service, nice ambiance, and decent food, but not enough to make it to five stars for me.
First of all, get the truffle fries! I think they're the best fries in town!
After the fries, I was looking forward to an amazing meal, and we were not disappointed. Maybe chalk it up to the limited restaurant week menu (only three of each course to choose from and we tried them all), and call me a little unfair, but I expect more from an Eric Ripert restaurant and so I'm sticking with four stars, but I reserve another star for next time I go back for a full menu! Also, I noticed previous RW reviews mentioned different entrees which I was hoping to try, and I was underwhelmed by our choices.
I had the greens and mushroom salad, which was the best out of the three appetizers, which included a tomato consomme that my friend complained was cold, and an artichoke and beet salad, which was good but not anything special.
For main courses, none of us tried the risotto, so two of us got the fried chicken with collard greens and bacon. The chicken was juicy, well seasoned, and had a great crust, and the bacon with collard greens was excellent. We also tried the trout, and it was also good, albeit a bit plain. Again, high expectations for Chef Ripert.
For dessert, we had chocolate cake, panna cotta, and an ice cream sundae with peaches. We agreed the peach was the best dessert but we were so stuffed by then (and buzzed off a RW special for a $20 bottle of shiraz).
Overall,we had a great time and enjoyed the food. Looking forward to going back and trying the full menu! -
Review from J. M.
Washington, DC
6/13/2011
Westend Bistro, I keep trying to like you. I revisit hoping that you will pleasantly surprise me, but you never do.
Saturday night my boyfriend and I met up with a friend at the bar. I asked the bartender what type of glass the sangria came in and he looked at me with strange stare and curtly answered "it's a glass of wine." Immediately sensing how rude the bartender was my boyfriend asked the manager for a table.
It was about 8 o'clock and the place was empty, but they insisted on seating us and everyone else away from the windows - close to the bar and kitchen - leaving all of the booths empty. We sat down at our crappy table and each of us ordered the Watercress and Romaine Salad which was supposed to have watermelon, goat cheese and hazelnuts. Each of us a got a minute amount of some - but not all of the ingredients. I got a small amount of goat cheese and hazelnuts, but not really any grapefruit, my boyfriend didn't get hazelnuts etc. My $12 salad which I would have been ecstatic to pay if there were any ingredients in it was a typical Westend disappointment.
At that point instead of leaving we decided not to order entrees and the guys got burgers and I got the fish burger. They were fine - they still come with that dry mesclun salad instead of fries. The fish sandwich is too salty, I asked the waiter to ask the kitchen to lay off the salt, but they didn't.
After an uninspiring and unsatisfying meal we called it a night. I will remember to head to Ris instead next time - where I always get an incredible meal with great service. -
Review from Lexi C.
Washington, DC
1/2/2012
A great high-class bistro but comfortable setting with always impressive food. The menu has a $15 burger to $45 steaks and a ton of fish in between, all excellent. Happy hour at the bar is impressive (half off cocktails) and the wine list is extensive. High-caliber food, what you'd expect from an Eric RIpert bistro.
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Review from PopSikleZ S.
Sacramento, CA
Staying at the Ritz Carlton in DC, we knew we had to go downstairs to try out Westend Bistro. Why? because it is owned by the French chef Eric Ripert who is a winner of three Michelin stars and four New York Times stars for his New York restaurant Le Bernardin.
We came for lunch and our waitress told us that their customer's all time favorites are the burgers. She made my day for saying that because having a great burger is my all time favorite food to eat! Their fish burger is the most popular one on the menu. :)
I couldn't make up my mind, so I decided to try one of each of their burgers, slider sizes. I had the Oyster Po'Boy in a spicy sauce, the Fish burger with fennel, aioli, and tomatoes, and the Classic burger with ketchup, mustard, and traditional garnishes. ALL 3 were GREAT! They all had their own unique flavors, and were very juicy. A burger isn't complete unless you have a side of fries.
We were sitting near the kitchen, and I had a clear view of the back kitchen. I saw one of the chefs throwing a piece of everything in his mouth! =D Especially those fries, he would toss one in his mouth, one by one when the order was in front of him. Being very sneaky about it too. Haha, that was hilarious.
The Fried Brussel Sprouts with garlic aioli would be a NO-NO! Bad choice there. -
Review from elaine s.
Mercer, NJ
12/23/2011
Terrible service. If you don't order drinks, appetizers, expect to be rushed out , even if restaurant not crowded. We got our food 5 minutes after we ordered. They also describe ingredients on a menu that totally missing from prepared dish. But overall fish items we had were very good.
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Review from Steve W.
Laguna Beach, CA
10/26/2011
One of my favorite places for lunch in DC!! The Mac and Cheese is the best. The BBQ pork sandwich is the only thing you need to skip! Great service and great location!!
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Review from Christopher T.
Washington, DC
11/6/2011
Stopped by here for happy hour before a film at West End theater. With an hour to kill and located in a virtual dead zone of bars and restaurants we thought we would give the happy hour at West End Bistro a try. I was a bit surprised at the bar in the Ritz. The other diners were definitely a bit more on the fancy side with the after work crowd surrounding us. We were able to find 2 seats at the end of the bar though and quite pleasantly surprised by our experience. $3 DC Brau on tap, at the Ritz, seriously? Also on the happy hour menu were $3 mini sliders and we ordered 4 of the burgers and one of the po' boys, quite tasty. We rounded out our food with the mac and cheese, also quite good. We were able to get out of there with the food and 3 beers for less than $27. I would have expected a glass of wine to go for about that much at the Ritz. Don't be intimidated by the shiny exterior of the Ritz or the other patrons, their staff were down to Earth service folks just like you would find anywhere else. Service was quick and courteous and well worth the %50 tip we left, still keeping the bill at $40 for 2 people. Give this place a try, at least for the amazing deals at happy hour.
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Review from Carol W.
1/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I'll say it again - I love restaurant week. I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at the menu here - we just hadn't made it yet. When my boyfriend asked about going here for restaurant week, well of course he didn't have to twist my arm (okay he really doesn't have to twist my arm when it comes to going out for good food).
We also had a friend joining us so we started off with a drink at the bar. I was freezing my rear off, but felt it would be okay to just warm up my hands. I got the afternine tea. It was a little heavy on the anise and very sweet towards the bottom, but it did the job of warming me up and the flavor combinations were unique and interesting.
We started off with house made french fries (truffle and herb de Provence) and wine (Off to a great beginning!) The fries were perfect, crisp, not overly salted or greasy. Though I'm still working on finding out which pinot's I like, I have to say this one was pretty good. Its a much lighter wine than I normally drink, but it went well with everything we had.
For my meal, I started out with the duck pate. It was good, spicy and I have to say rather pleasing to the palate. My boyfriend got the pork belly (It was definitely the much better choice). For dinner, I got the meatloaf. The gravy was very salty, but the meatloaf itself had a nice peppery finish to it. Eric one of the manager's stopped by our table to see how we were enjoying our food (Mine was largely untouched) and when I told him the gravy was salty, he immediately offered me another entree. I got the mussels and let me say - I wish I would have ordered them to begin with. I'm not one to order mussels, but these....these were plump, and oh so good. The broth they were in elevated them to a whole new level (as did the slivers of chorizo). Wow! My boyfriend had the braised short ribs and our friend got the garganelli; both very good dishes!
For dessert, I got the spiced pumpkin brulee; it was good, but my boyfriend liked it way better than I did. His cookie was good, though I won't say anything overly special. The beignets that our friend had tho' - the winner for desserts for the evening.
All in all - very pleased with everything, especially the customer oriented service (except for a very short period when our waiter disappeared for a short time early on in the evening). A great menu that I think might need some more exploring. -
Review from Hyun M.
Gaithersburg, MD
5/27/2011
I got to eat here and have seen all the incarnations from when it first was Cobalt's (whoops it was already trademarked) over 11 years ago . It has gone through several incarnations, the latest being Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert. My biggest gripe is that it tries to be innovative and it falls flat on it's face.
Perhaps it is because the Feng Shui of the place or just the incompetence of all it's forerunners, it takes up very expensive real estate and is always a little off. I walked in after a three year absence at the Ritz. It is redesigned with a bar in the middle of the restaurant. The ambiance is to be expected; however, the menu was underwhelming. The steak choice was ribeye with truffle fries or the soft shell crab with buckwheat noodles were my choices and I asked my waitress. She suggested the crab. The one crab was OK, I was hungry.
The biggest gripe I have was there was no chocolate dessert. Instead there is the banana pudding with an over sized vanilla wafer. A little too much banana flavoring. The tiramisu is a deconstructed dessert so I passed on it and got the peanut butter dessert. It was a not so great peanut ice cream formed over a chocolate cookie crust. It had tiny chocolate criss cross. There is no real description just the names of the dessert.
The waitress raved about the peanut butter, so I told her while I really wanted chocolate I would take the peanut butter and if I didn't like it I would take it home to my boys. She didn't bother to tell me that it was ice cream. So I take one bite and my friend takes a bite and no one wants more. So money wasted on not so great food. My server did come through and brought a box of hotel chocolates so I could take something home to my boys. What is really sad was that the aroma coming from the kitchen was amazing. So I am saving you from making the same menu mistakes that I did.
Too trendy without being able to deliver a delicious and satisfying meal. -
Review from Linda K.
Arlington, VA
2/3/2011
I went for Restaurant Week with a friend who does not eat meat. Beware vegetarians, their menu is definitely meat-heavy. Carnivores - this is a good spot to check out!
Service - great! Hostesses were warm & friendly, waitress introduced us with her first name and did not nag us. We sat at the Pass so we were able to chat with the wonderful chefs!
Food - overall enjoyable. Definitely order the pork belly appetizer, it is delicious ... I repeat, delicious! The short ribs entree was so-so, I finished my dish, but nothing too spectacular. And the dessert was not that memorable, considering I don't remember what I had!
Drinks - they definitely have fun drinks that I see myself going here for a post-work drink with possibly a side of the pork belly appetizer (I'm kidding...sort of).
Atmosphere / Decor - much darker than some other places and a bit on the fancier/business-y side. While you could wear jeans and be fine, I would opt for something a tad classier.
Overall - I had fun and would revisit for drinks and snacks ... and maybe a lunch. -
Review from Tim M.
Edgewater, MD
12/12/2010
I'm not surprised to see the reviews all over the place - http://yelp.com continues to struggle to be a truly objective place for restaurant reviews. Just way too many reviewers that write "this place is great" for no real reason. I can assure you after one visit to West End this place is NOT "great". It's OK - but I bet my next paycheck Eric Ripert isn't very proud of this part of his resume. I've been to his other restaurants - this place is like a badly merchandised bottle of Emeril's Essence.
First the location is a joke - our corner table had a breathtaking view of the Exxon across the street and the Walgreen's diagonal to us. Inside it was nice but it is in a lousy location overall.
Second the service was a joke - my party sat 10 minutes before I got up to find our waiter for a drink order and the place was EMPTY. When we did get to place a drink order it was to one of the bus boys not our waiter. Apparently a couple of no-name Washington Redskins dressed in shorts and tennis shoes were hogging the only waiter we had in our section (and trust me the poorly dressed football jerks didn't help either).
Being early December we all walked in with long coats and never were asked if we'd like to check them (they DO have coat check we discovered but we had to ask for that too).
When our waiter did arrive he had a very thick accent - we could barely understand a word he was saying and had to have him repeat everything at least once.
I ordered 2 martinis and the 2nd one that was to replace the first wasn't even the right drink (gin versus vodka).
The food was "OK" considering the rather tame "bistro" menu. I'm not going into alot more detail as this place has been reviewed thoroughly at this point. I won't be going back and I won't be recommending it to anyone. My 40$ ribeye ordered medium rare was closer to medium and we were pressed for time so I couldn't send anything back...
One positive I will add - we needed a taxi to the Kennedy Center and our waiter must have spoken 'taxi' well because he did get us a cab promptly and even opened the car doors for us.
Apparently they are more skilled at getting you OUT than they are getting you IN and getting you BACK...
They're lucky to get 2 stars here. Major disappointment...
NOT REMOTELY HUMBLY SUBMITTED,
D. Food Snob, Ph.D -
Review from N A.
Washington, DC
5/6/2011
We went to West End Bistro for drinks about a month ago - this after my fascination with celebrity chefs and somewhat recent introduction to Eric Ripert after seeing him and Anthony Bourdain at the Warner Theater last year. The space is sexy and alluring yet somehow still quite a bit casual as a bistro should be. We sat at the bar -The bartender was very nice and took her time in describing their drinks for us and later even shared a story or two on her interactions with Mr. Ripert. My boyfriend ordered the Westend Sour, basically a glorified version of a Lemon Drop - quite tasty but a little too sweet for me (although perfect for him) - kind of like a boozed-up fancy lemonade. My cocktail however was AMAZING- simple & elegant- the Sparkler of the House: prosecco, housemade cinnamon bitters and a sugar cube. The cinnamon bitters really did it for me- gave it a great finish.
In terms of food we took advantage if the Happy Hour- we had the sliders, fries and mac'n'cheese. The sliders were tasty and what you would expect from a bistro, the fries were good but nothing to write home about and the mac'n'cheese - although indulgent- missed the mark on the ham. We couldn't see it nor taste it.
So all in all, the food was good but I'm not sure I'd go back to try items on this menu - they seemed a little lack-luster. I hope when it changes it'll have more appealing options. However- I will definitely be back for that cocktail. :) -
Review from David B.
New York, NY
4/21/2011
I was hoping for more from the Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert. Who knows maybe it was an off night or maybe not.
I need start with the staff, they were a 5!!!! Friendly, knowledgeable and they made my dinner/stay very enjoyable.
As for the menu, i think this was my disappointment. The food lacked flavor, the presentation was nice but i will add this is Eric Ripert's restaurant.
I do not know if Eric Ripert ever works in DC, if he is, then I should rate this review a 2. -
Review from christina k.
Washington, DC
1/27/2011
I came here for restaurant week with a friend and would give this place a 3.5. The decor is amazing, and there's a lively chatter that makes this place certainly comfortable and yet "an experience."
Our waiter was amazing and my guest and I both really enjoyed our time there. She had the pork belly appetizer and the short rib as an entree, and really loved her meal.
I had the cauliflower soup and the vegetarian option for the restaurant week prix fixe, which was a pasta with tomatoes and spinach. I was a little underwhelmed with my dish, especially the pasta, which I probably could have made myself. In addition, I thought both savory dishes were on the salty side.
We did however, really enjoy dessert. my friend had the pumpkin brulee and I had the lemon curd filled beignets. I really enjoyed the beignets, which were tart and custardy and served with a blackberry sauce and sorbet. Wish there were more beignets on the plate though. :)
I would come back here again, but would probably order something different. -
Review from A S.
Brant Rock, MA
11/29/2011
Fantastic! I had the brussel sprouts....AMAZING and the beef short rib. Very impressive. I ate in the bar area- they seemed to have great happy hour specials.
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Review from Zahid R.
Washington, DC
7/24/2011
I had the Classic Burger, and honestly, it was one of the best burgers I have ever had in my life. Cooked perfectly as requested (medium), excellent seasoning, and the bun was like a pillow. Hands down among the top burgers I have ever consumed.
In general the portions were large (much larger and better for that matter than Eric Ripert's other place in Philly: 10 Arts). -
Review from Derrick N.
Crofton, MD
3/19/2011
Wonderful restaurant- service is very good, and food is delicious. I recommend the Striped Bass and the Classic Burger. The drinks are inventive and the wine selection is quite good.
It's tough to pick the right weekend to dine here- perhaps to be expected at any restaurant, the food tends to be undercooked on a busy night. At this price point one expects more.
Other than that, my dining experience here has been very good. -
Review from Katrina W.
Annapolis, MD
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my second time eating at this establishment, as a huge foodie and a huge fan of Eric Ripert this place delivered so much more than I had anticipated. This time I went for my birthday and was blown away by the brussell sprouts on the menu. Oh and you must try the fries. I very much enjoyed the atmosphere, we went on a Sunday night and felt like we had the place to ourselves.
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Review from Tatiana D.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2010 5 photos
We're not even done with our full meal and boyfriend proclaims, "this is the best meal I've ever had in my life!" and he has more "foodie" experience than I do. He proclaimed this even before I could make a judgment and I'm easily usually pleased and amused. It wasn't the best meal of my life but I enjoyed it all nonetheless.
Boyfriend and I are big fans of the sexy supple-lipped Frenchman's tv appearances, so we were eager to what his food tastes like. The restaurant is located in the Ritz-Carlton. We ate there on an early Friday evening in mid-September. We had no reservations but we were seated right away. By the time we left, around 7pm, it was crackin (no sice), so I'd advise making rezzies (thanks Karin V. for the new slang, ha) if you're planning on eating at this time.
We started with the truffle popcorn and escargot, both delicious. The escargot was de-shelled, something I've never seen before. The truffle popcorn was similar to Pringles, in that, once you pop, you can't stop. They were little flavor blossoms (as you can tell, I'm not a foodie). I ordered the salmon since Mr. Ripert is supposed to be great with seafood. It was good, but not mind-blowing and I expected to get blown! I should've got the BBQ duck, what boyfriend ordered. It came with this pickled watermelon that was excellent! I wish they sold that at the asian market. I think we ordered dessert but I don't remember what it was although I do remember being satisfied!
Service was excellent! -
Review from Craig H.
Arlington, VA
Wish I could give 3.6 stars. The service was good. The ambiance in the Bistro was urban chic. But the food let me wanting more. I had the steak frittes and my wife had the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was Charleston worthy and the steak was good if not great. But I thought the menu could have been a little more creative and perhaps contained some specials. West End was good but I don't think it dazzled me the way I would have expected for such a noteworthy chef.
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Review from David K.
10/1/2010
After watching the DC Top Chef season, we became curious about Eric Ripert's West End Bistro. I'd read good reviews of the place when it first opened, so we bit the bullet and made reservations. Unfortunately, first impressions were poor. The hostess delivered a heaping helping of sass when we walked in. After being told to stand in the corner of the waiting area, she then seated 4 parties before us (3 that came in after us). She then gruffly told us to follow her to our table in the half empty restaurant. Luckily, the wait staff and busboys were much friendlier.
I ordered the shrimp and grits, my wife ordered the carbonara. Knowing Ripert's specialty was seafood, I was a little underwhelmed by the shrimp in the shrimp and grits. It came out chewy and a little too fishy for my taste. The grits and the sauce however were excellent, somewhat making up for the poor quality of the showpiece item in this entree. My wife's carbonara had delectable cubes of artisan bacon in it, but was sadly lacking in sauce. The noodles were a bit dry and could have used a little more moisture added by sauce.
All in all, the meal was adequate but not exciting. Understanding Eric Ripert himself is not working the kitchen, Chef Ripert may want to inspect this kitchen's sourcing and preparation. For the money, this was a disappointing meal. -
Review from Erica G.
Falls Church, VA
8/19/2011
Ok, I met a girlfriend here for drinks and a bite after work. The drinks were fine, but the food....I wanted it to be good, but I was pretty disappointed. I don't know if the chef is a heavy smoker or what, but we both got the fish burgers, and they were WAY TOO SALTY. Our mouths were puckering for water by the end. We also got a side of the mac and cheese- again, TOO SALTY. The sad part is that we could both tell that the flavors were good (were both foodies), but the salt was extremely overpowering. After arriving home 1/2 hour later, I got a text from my friend: "Need water!" That really says it all- I will not be back.
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Review from Ryan W.
12/2/2010
I finally made it to Westend Bistro, expecting a lot because of the Eric Ripert association. For a fine-dining restaurant, it was solidly average. I think part of what's holding it back might be its location in the Ritz-Carlton. There seemed to be a lot of space taken up on the menu by standard hotel food items (burger, etc.).
I started with a market salad, which was very good, but a little short on the "market vegetables" I was hoping for. I moved on to the roasted chicken, which was well seasoned, but the skin was rubbery, not crispy like it should've been. Also, the vegetables that were supposed to accompany the dish were pretty sparse. The apple chery cobbler for dessert was very good, but I'm not sure saw a single cherry. Service was fine, though not particularly friendly.
All in all, WEBBER was ok, though I doubt Eric Ripert got his reputation at Le Barnardin in NYC by just delivering "ok."
