CityZenPerfect for special occasionsWonderful restaurant for anniversaries and other special occasions. The service is top notch without the fawning you often get at high-end restaurants. The food is brilliant of course, with several new flavor, temperature and texture combinations. Every element of the dishes was wonderful on its own and in conjunction with the rest of the dish. Wine pairings were wide-ranging and fantastic. The tables are far enough apart that you're not sharing your special occasion with your neighbors, which was very much appreciated. Highly, highly recommended.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding all around5-star service, dynamite vegetarian tasting.
Pricey, but you get what you pay for.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDinning ExperienceThe meal was wonderful. Portions were good, the selection diverse, and spectacular presentation. It was pricy but perfect for a special occasion.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful eveningWe went to CityZen for our anniversary, and it couldn't have been a better way to celebrate. We were seated by the open kitchen, which was fun to watch. The service was impeccable, the sommelier was awesome...he knows his wines, has fun with them, and is interesting to talk to. The staff read our pacing and we were never rushed and the food came out at perfect intervals. My only complaint is that I was so stuffed afterward! Overall, it was a perfect evening.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMA well choreographed balletA birthday dinner for 3 whose high expectations were more than met. We were treated royally from the moment we sat down to the moment we left. The food was delicious, the wine pairings great and the service outstanding. Can't wait for another occasion to go back. Thank you for a truly memorable birthday5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMNice night outVisiting from out of town and found Cityzen through OpenTable. Food was good. A fish appetizer that was outstanding. A veal dish that was less so, but they (nice service) replaced with another dish of choice. Located in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, so lacks an independent or old world charm, but service was outstanding and the room quiet and comfortable.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMSpectacular. Had the 6 courseSpectacular. Had the 6 course tasting + wine pairing and cheese. Staff attentive, explained food and wine very well . Best dining experience we've had (including top restaurants in London & New Orleans). Very expensive, well worth it.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AM10+Amazing dishes, service corriographed, most wait staff were Certified Sommeliers. All was to perfection.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMA wonderful evening.Absolutely met if not exceeded all of my expectations. If only CityZen had an Alaskan affiliate branch, I wouldn't have to travel so far for a fantastic meal!5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAs good as everThere's a reason I keep going back - CityZen consistently delivers a fantastic experience. Great food (it's always so hard to choose between the Chef's menu and the Chef's Vegetarian menu), fantastic wines, and a truly top notch service team. What more could you want?4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMMemorable evening at CityZenWith the chef Eric Ziebold at the helm, it is hard to go wrong.
The tasting menus are varied and lovely, each bite a delight, from the amuse-bouche to the take-out gift I was given when leaving.
Perfect deliciousness is the perfect word when describing his food. His team is tight, the kitchen lively, the plates come out beautifully paced and at just the right time. The wine list is extensive with bottles for all wallets. They also offer many wines by the glass, though I strongly suggest the wine pairings to match the tasting menus.
Not to be forgotten is the cheese plate, in lieu of dessert, though their desserts are to die for. There is a very large choice of cheeses and the portions given large. Another great celebratory meal at CityZen!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best places inOne of the best places in DC area,hands down. Care is put into every dish. The pace allows you to enjoy each one as well before moving on to something else. The amuse bouche items were also lovely and a welco,e surprise. The staff makes a special occasion even more special.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMStill a Delight...with minor but...My forth time to CityZen... always for a special occasion. The food is fantastic and remains so. My only criticism on this visti is that the service seemed a bit slower than it has in the past. Formally, the service has been impeccable -- discrete and focused. This time, for whatever reason, things like getting cocktails to the table, service of the cheese course and even bringing coffee seemed to take a long time -- four of us were there for over four hours. The food was terrific, as always, and we had no where to be, but somehow just not as smooth as in the past....4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMDeborahGreat innovative food with incredible knowledgable service. Enjoyed the very evident creative talents of the chef, overall a delight.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious Food, Impeccable ServiceFantastic food, amazing service, incredibly hospitable. If you're looking for a place to go for a special occasion, this is it. The food was beyond delicious. Cannot recommend highly enough.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWe celebrated our weddingWe celebrated our wedding anniversary at CityZen - a first-time visit, and were very impressed. In addition to superb professional but friendly service and excellent food, we received a greeting card, special dessert, complementary sparkling wine, and finally a gift bag upon departure filled with tea, coffee and pound cake. The staff truly made an already special occasion even more memorable. Thanks CityZen!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMChef is keen on offering rarelyChef is keen on offering rarely prepared items on his menu such as sea snails. The cooking is innovative but that by itself does not make it great. The swordfish I had was good, while the Veal Shank was great.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMI've been to City Zen manyI've been to City Zen many times, and it has always been excellent. The food is sensational, and the atmosphere is chic. The waitstaff provide impeccable service. The Mandarin Hotel is very cool. It's my top choice in DC.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was spectacular inThe food was spectacular in taste and appearance and was beautifully complimented with impeccable service. The richness and texture of the dishes was wonderful. Our servers were friendly, knowledgable, pleasant and professinal. Our expereince truely made our 36th wedding anniversary celebration memorable.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMCELEBRATE--THIS IS THE BEST PLACEwe brought our niece and her fiance here to celebrate a birthday/engagement. CityZen makes a celebrant feel royal--greeting, card hand signed by the entire staff, post-dinner wine, special dessert with message in chocolate on the plate. Really over the top but in good taste. We had one of the best meals we have had anywhere. The chef is a creative genius who mixes the best, subtle flavors into individual masterpieces. Great place--can't wait to return!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways have an amazing experienceAlways have an amazing experience here! We use it for special occasions. We were celebrating our anniversary and they really add a little special touch.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTied with The French LaundryTied with The French Laundry for the best dining experience I've ever had. I went for dinner on a busy Friday evening. The service was attentive but not intrusive, the food was beautiful and delicious, and the little extra touches they added to celebrate my birthday make the evening extra special.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMI chose CityZen for our anniversaryI chose CityZen for our anniversary dinner. The experience was very nice, starting with the valet service being quick, attentive and ensuring we knew how to get to the restaurant. We were greeted immediately and shown to our table. I had noted that it was our anniversary on the reservation, and the waitstaff congratulated us and presented us with a card signed by the whole restaurant staff. A very nice gesture!
We had the tasting menu with the wine pairings. Service was impeccable, with each wine and each dish presented and detailed. Every dish was above average, given our experience with the DC dining scene so far. At the end, the presented us with a very nice congratulatory desert, and gave us a little goody bag to take with us.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great evening celebratingWe had a great evening celebrating my wife's Bday at CityZen. The food was superb, sophisticated, and elegant. The wine pairings were the best we've ever had. They have definitely earned their James Beard nomination for wine and it shows. All in all it was an excellent evening / experience and we definitely plan to return.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGood, but not transcendentPerhaps our high expectations were bound to go unmet, but the hype surrounding this place was enormous.
It's 90$ for a four course meal, 120$ for the chef's tasting menu-- without beverages. We did the four course, mostly because the tasting menu didn't tempt us.
The mushroom soup was tasty, but nothing really new flavor-wise. Like some of our other dishes, it suffered from a little too much salt. The beet salad was ho-hum. Again, nothing new.
The fish course gave us grilled octopus, which was a bit too chewy, but saved by a surprisingly delicate, if a tad too salty, parsley risotto. The sea trout was ok, similar to, but not as delicious as well cooked salmon might have been.
Our meat course of shortribs was the standou4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWow! One of our best everWow! One of our best ever restaurant experiences. Probably the best restaurant in the DC area. Exceptional food, attentive, informative but not intrusive service. Just a culinary gem.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMthe service was outstanding,the service was outstanding, very accomodating.
it is very expensive-the food was perfect.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSpectacular meal! Quite expensive,Spectacular meal! Quite expensive, but--do I dare say this?--worth the money.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food and service!Excellent food and service! Had a really nice evening, definetively will reccomend. Let them know in advance if you are celebrating any special ocassion, they will make it even more special :-)4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMfood( tasting menu) was outstandingfood( tasting menu) was outstanding as well as the wine pairing..the sommoliers depth of knowledge on wine and cheese was amazing!!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMService was impeccable. FoodService was impeccable. Food was good but not memorable. There are many great chefs in DC now; if CityZen wants to remain a top performer, it needs to raise the bar. Also, did not appreciate being charged for water - with tax and tip exceeded $10 per person.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurant and veryGreat restaurant and very accommodating for dietary preferences. Food and chef were incredibly creative with dishes showing a high degree of sophistication!3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service was par excellence,The service was par excellence, some of the dishes were not outstanding, but the extras made up for it hence the 5 stars for the food. Over all it was a very nice restaurant.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best food experiencesOne of the best food experiences we have ever had. We did the tasting menu with the wine pairings and it was mind blowing! Pricey, but worth every cent.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMOver-complicated, -priced, -ratedAlthough highly touted, I was a bit disappointed. The food was average to slightly above average and definitely overpriced for the quality. Most dishes were overcomplicated where the main course was forced to be the supporting cast. I have eaten at a number of the top restaurants in the US and this establishment will not make my top 25. I would consider their desserts top quality but I could take or leave the dinner courses. Overcomplicated, overpriced, over rated. Sorry but just being honest.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMA Spa Experience for FoodiesA wonderful experience. Food, cocktails, service and ambiance were all excellent. We had the four course tasting menu and everything we ate was, well, zen and flawless. The flavors had Asian influences, while the technique seemed very French with a focus on flavorful sauces and broths. Highly recommend the snap dragon cocktail - sophisticated and delicious. Menu changes every few months and we will definitely go back. Service was impeccable. Polite and non-intrusive. This gave us space to enjoy our food while feeling pampered. Now one of my favorites restaurants in the area. Up there next to Marcel's.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMCityZen is in my top threeCityZen is in my top three best restaurants EVER. Our dining experience was excellent. Every bit of food was delicious, the wine list was extensive, and the staff was perfect. There are not enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this place is.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWe enjoyed the Chef's 6-courseWe enjoyed the Chef's 6-course tasting menu w/wine pairings and it was absolutely incredible. The staff was very attentive and knowledgable, and the food was amazing. We had a wonderful time and although it was expensive, it was a worthwhile treat!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMHEAVENLY EXPERIENCE!!!Hands down the absolute best restauarant in the Washington area! We had he six course menu which with "gifts from the chef" was more like 12 small course. Every dish had the most marvelous tastes...my tastebuds were felt like they "died and went to heaven. The service was impeccable and when we left our coats were "magically" waiting there for us held up two very nice coat check clerks. I can't say more about this wonderful experience!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways AwesomeAs always, the team at CityZen delivered a first class, memorable and fantastic dining experience. Bravo!3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely fabulous tastingAbsolutely fabulous tasting menu. The wine pairing that went with it were superb. Some wines that I would never justify the price of a bottle and aren't available by the glass One of DCs best3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGenuine 5-star birthday experienceOur family went to celebrate my son's 18th birthday, at his request (he is passionate about food). We were all extremely impressed, by the way they greeted us, welcomed him and wished him a happy birthday, and served us. They were extremely attentive, even anticipating questions before we asked them. We enjoyed the six-course tasting menu tremendously. The food was presented as works of art, but the flavors were outstanding and well balanced. My son was delighted to get a special birthday dessert, a hand-signed birthday card from the staff, and a visit from the chef. He savored every minute. It was a truly memorable occasion for our family.3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was exquisite,greatThe food was exquisite,great service, and a magnificent ambiance...perfect to cebrate
my wife's birthday! The birthday card and menu was a very nice touch from the restaurant.3/13/2013 12:00:00 AMDinner was very good, butDinner was very good, but not as good as I had hoped for. There were a number of nice amuse bouche. The octopus dish was a little disappointing - I've had octopus when it's been tender, and this was rather chewy. Desert was good, however, I'm not a fan of warm fruit - and the pineapple was heated that came with the tatin. Service was very good - team style and the timing between courses was good for the first two, but slightly delayed for the entree. Good - just not great.3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMoff night (perhaps)Was looking forward to dinner here. Service was amazing. Wine list was outstanding. Food was just OK. The flavoring/seasoning was way off--the focus of the dishes were not the featured item but instead on the accompaniments like sauces and other things on the plate. The chicken for two was simply a very small portion of the chicken that was completely overpowered and dominated by sauce and other stuff that simply did not compliment the chicken. Best course, by far, was desert.
Staff is very professional and very well trained. Ambiance is excellent.
Perhaps an off night -- i always dislike restaurant week, so I may visit again and see if they chef was just being heavy handed on this night2/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFab Food for MeatEaters and VegsAmazing food for vegetarians and carnivores alike. Recommend doing the wine pairings if possible, and the cheese course is a MUST! It was so much fun to have a cart of cheese wheeled up and described. Loved it!12/8/2012 12:00:00 AM