Seven Reasons

Went out with new coworkers and it was amazing. The food was fantastic and the service was impeccable. The drinks were very cool and as someone who appreciates a good cocktail these definitely fit the bill. The Maître d' and our server, whose names I unfortunately did not get, were fantastic and so accommodating.

The decore with the cherry blossoms was amazing. It wasn't too loud which was good since there were 5 at our booth. It was a tad dark once the sun went down but it wasn't enough to ruin the experience.

The location was also easy to get to and had great views of City Center.

Came here for Happy Hour drinks with my friend and absolutely loved the ambiance!

The dim lighting and colorful flower arrangements really brighten up the place for an intimate, exciting dining experience.

We ordered the Passion Over Perfection cocktail - an immaculate blend of tequila, passion fruit, and peppery goodness. The bartender added a smoked rosemary on the side to bring out the spicy notes in the drink while also providing an aromatic experience. Appreciate all of the details! Strong, fruity, and flavorful.

The drinks were around $14 each - a typical DC price. Well worth the experience of Seven Reasons. Would be excited to come back and try their food soon!

Double wow!

Upon entry, I thought this was going to be just a "pregame a night out" lounge with loud music and basic food, but it was AMAZING!!!! Yes louder music but the food was delicious and everyone was enjoying themselves!

The bar gave us glasses of rose as a "sorry for the wait" which was really nice. We were sat next to the bar, I was worried about foot traffic but it was fine!

Though the menu is difficult to navigate, we ultimately decided on oysters and the octopus and lentils to start. The oysters were more fresh than ones I had on the wharf for lunch! And the octopus was cooked perfectly, just a small portion. The complimentary glass of squash soup is also a nice touch.

For our entrees, we shared the lamb loin medium rare and the whole fried fish. Both exceptional. Great service, ambiance, and food. Would highly recommend!

I haven't been to Seven Reasons since 2021 where it blew my mind. I went back a few weeks ago for a birthday celebration with a friend and while it was a good experience, it just wasn't the same as that first time.

The new space in City Center is absolutely gorgeous and much bigger than the 14th street space. It just has such a beautiful ambiance and the decor was Cherry Blossom focused.

In terms of the menu, they do offer a tasting but now offer a la carte as well and we opted for that. I started with a cocktail that was Maker's Mark but mixed with passionfruit and my friend had a martini. The chef starts you off with an amuse bouche that was butternut squash soup and absolutely delicious. We had the following:

Ceviche - full of ALL the fish and was delicious but definitely hard to share with two people

Scallops - big and cooked perfectly and with a fantastic curry sauce

Gnocchi - creamy and so good, not your typical gnocchi dish

Holly breakfast - such a different dish but the chorizo was the star

Lobster cavatelli - everything in this dish was undercooked, the pasta was a little too hard and the lobster needed a few more minutes, the sauce was meh

Rice from the Woods - I liked this but 1) I was so full, 2) the mushrooms were a little too big and challenging to eat and 3) it was a bit too sweet but loved how the rice was sticky & chewy and you can to scrape it up

It's hard to repeat the magic of a first experience at a restaurant where it just blows you away and I admit I'm a little disappointed with my second visit to Seven Reasons. For years I've said it's the best meal I've had in the city but I don't feel that way anymore. It's a great place with interesting, unique dishes and I'm sure will continue to put out wonderful food.

Located in the DC's City Center which is littered with high end shopping and restaurants. The decor was cherry blossom theme and very springy. The staff were professional. The food was great, on par with the other fine dining restaurants close by.
The food was prepared with care, but it could take longer than expected, so be patient.
Lunch has a Prix Fixe menu. It looked like a good deal, but the choice of dessert didn't appeal to me. Complimentary cream soup was served before the meal, it was rich and tasty.

We ordered:

5*SWEET POTATO MADNESS which included roasted sweet potato, adobo, beet gel, almond dressing, garlic pure, crispy shallots. It was unique, crispy and tender at the same time, great combination of texture and tastes. I was also impressed with the presentation.

5*SEVEN REASONS SMASH BURGER with
white cheddar, pickles, dijon mustard, pineapple & prunes mayo, sesame potato roll. It was juicy, tender and flavorful. The French fries were good too.

4.5*FISH OF THE DAY: Steamed baby vegetable, mash potato, brown butter. I forgot what fish, but it was cooked tender and mildly flavored. The portion was small though.

I can literally come up with seven times seven reasons why Seven Reasons is a great place to grab lunch or dinner!! Preferably whichever you have the biggest appetite, because there is such an expansive menu to explore.

The Latin American restaurant has food and drinks which all expertly crafted by Chef Enrique Limardo and his exquisite team!! Usually I'd try at least two cocktails to explore the drinks on offer - but, the 'Passion Over Perfection' was soooo manifique... I had a second one If you're a fan of passion fruit, tequila and a little spice - this is the drink for you!!

ALL of the food we ordered was bursting with flavour & innovative with both its preparation and presentation!! From the Oysters , to the Seven Reasons Ceviche, the Whole Fried Fish (stuffed with calamari, shrimp, scallops and more ), and the Prime Beef Tenderloin (Lomito con Aligote) -- each was TERRIFIC!!!

The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a rustic rainforest theme. The service was outstanding; Edwin was our server and he made sure that each and every part of the experience was elevated thanks to his amazing attentiveness and pizzazz!!

My partner and I had a wonderful evening at Seven Reasons and the service was top notch. Our server explained what was on the menu and what to expect with the dishes we ordered. The drinks were very well curated and the flavors in both of our dishes popped! The "deconstructed" guava cheesecake was so good! We were also offered a complementary soup served in a very cute glass. Finally a good restaurant with impeccable service. The decor was also very nicely done. I was able to find street parking on the side.

Delicious spot for a DC date night! Make sure to make reservations though.

The decor is stunning and I'm glad to say the food matched it. The staff is super friendly and treats you like royalty. Every dish looks beautiful and tastes amazing.

Ceviche with Purple Sweet Potato - the purple sweet potato is so beautiful you don't want to ruin it, but so worth it for all the flavors
Hokkaido Scallops with Curry - scallops are cooked to perfection and are enhanced by the curry flavors
Arepitas - cute little cheese treat to start the night
Duck Dilemma - the duck was cooked perfectly and paired well with the spicy sauce and crispy potatoes
Lamb Loin Palo a Pique - Love the lamb and flavors!

The amuse bouche knocked our socks off. They served us a pumpkin soup in a coupe glass that was packed with flavor. We personally enjoyed the "joy" and "knowledge" sections the most. You must get the tartare (even if you normally don't care for it" and the beer salad - those are sooooo good. The beef was good but nothing special for our liking. We had the duck on another occasion and it was excellent!

The desserts are a little too sweet without nuance.

I can give you 7 reasons why this place is overrated.

1. Space is tight- upon entry in months restaurant I was immediately feeling claustrophobic there were about 4 parties waiting in the non existent waiting area aka in front of the honest stand.
2. Saturday nights are loud- unfortunately we were seated in probably the most awkward spot in the entire restaurant on the second floor behind the DJ and next to an elevator. There goes the view or enjoying the vibes of the place. Because the music was so loud we couldn't hear one another talk at the dinner table without shouting which also was pointless. I also found it quite odd that we weren't offered a coat check.
3. The temperature in the restaurant is hot- initially I thought it was just me but as we went to the bar to meet half of our party the temperature continued to increase. I'm not sure if it was the heat, too many people or the tight space, but it was uncomfortable with the heat.
4. Rude service- we had a waiter who started our drink order who was actually quite short and unhelpful. I asked what kind of vodka they carried specifically ketel one I was told no and to read the menu. Upon discovering a QR code I looked for vodka and to my surprise ketel one was listed. So I asked again and he said they don't carry it. Basically they were out of it. So I asked about "Haku" the response I received was "it's a basic vodka". After being short and curt with a few more people in my party we decided to ask for a new server. My friend was happy we got someone new but we would have appreciated acknowledgement from a manager.
5. No explanation of menu - our second server arrived and checked in and then asked us for our orders. It would have been nice if we got an explanation of the menu. So I paused him and asked him to explain which he did but half of the table couldn't hear him .
6. The food wasn't that great - we ordered a few dishes to share at the table. The lobster pasta, pork belly and tartare. The tartare was great, the lobster pasta was a little tough to share because we found it hard to separate the lobster in both servings it was also quite bland. The pork belly was full of flavor but seeing that pork is salty I'm not sure why any salt would be added to the rice accompaniment. Nobody checked on us after we received the first round. A friend and I decided to share the fried fish. It arrived drenched in a red and green sauce. Neither of us cared for the dish the tomato based red sauce wasn't to my liking and honestly the dish did nothing for us flavor wise. We didn't eat much of it and again nobody followed up with us.
7. Birthday dessert is a joke- we came to 7 reasons for a birthday dinner so when our friend went to the restroom. We asked if we could get dessert for her birthday and we were told they knew we were celebrating and would bring dessert. They brought a chocolate bar and a candle. I couldn't believe this was their version of a birthday dessert and to make matters worse my friend actually doesn't like chocolate.
I am more than disappointed in my experience at 7 Reasons as I was really looking forward to giving this place a try. I would expect better service and better food given the prices, location and the hype.