Sou'WesterFine dining .... yes, in a hotel!Great food, view and service. Wonderful hotel with very good staff.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it!The entire family enjoyed our experience at Sou'Wester. The service was fantastic and the food was phenomenal. We'd definitely go there again if we ever make it back to DC.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMdelicious, interesting menuWe had our 15th anniversary dinner here. When we go there, we were unsure what it would be like because it's inside of a hotel, and hotels are notorious for being overpriced and mediocre. The service was excellent, food was delicious and there were some great vegetarian options as well as seafood and meat. We got the smoked tofu and hearts of palm salad for a starter, and for our entrees, rockfish with truffled mashed potatoes and the grilled sweet potato with grilled tomatoes and warm spinach salad.
Everything was perfectly seasoned, the fish was excellent and locally caught. Wonderful way to spend our anniversary!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service and foodThe menu has something for everyone; creative takes on comfort food. The waitstaff was very nice, discreet, and never intrusive. Several tables on the patio for al fresco dining when the weather cooperates. Nice view of the Washington marina, but the brilliant food presentation was the real sight to see.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMService and food always above parThe menu changes often. The service is always outstanding and very professional. The food always delights.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ambiance and amazing serviceMy boyfriend and I found this through Opentable when we were looking for a nearby restaurant after spending the day downtown sightseeing. The ambiance is beautiful and the food is amazing. But what really made the experience come together was was the amazing service from Nic (Nicanor). He paced our meal at exactly the leisurely pace we were looking for. A great place for a special occasion.5/27/2013 12:00:00 AMAsparagus EnvyThey updated the menu recently - I love the new option of adding meat/chicken/shrimp to the salads, & price is quite reasonable. Loved the ceviche - decent-sized appetizer portion. All white fish, no shrimp or scallaop. My husband loved the vegetable panini. Lots of melted cheese and roasted vegetables, plus a mixed green salad, which makes it a complete lunch. Our friend ordered the asparagus appetizer, which is served with buratta (mozarella) cheese, pickled onion and an indescribably vinaigrette. I was completely envious. We were aghast, though, to learn that the restaurant has stopped offering the delicious mini-corn muffins in the bread basket. Very disappointed about that, BUT the rolls they did provide were pretty darned good.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGood value for Mother's dayGood value for Mother's day brunch. Beautiful atmosphere.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGood but pricyThe food was really good....not sure if it was worth the price tho.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMHave only been here for lunchHave only been here for lunch but find the staff to be friendly and efficient and the food quite good. The menu changes with some frequency so cannot always find a "favorite" when you return although the substitutions are quite good.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways goodFor the first time, I tried the rockfish. It was fine, but it isn't calling to me to order it again. I question the decision to pour consomme over a dish with mashed potatoes, becaues the soup just made the potatoes watery. Much less enjoyable. Loved the three little piles of spinach topped with sun-dried tomato (or was it a sweet pepper?). My friend's burger was, as usual, terrific. Service is always impeccable. Because of the proximity to the FCC, Sou'Wester is usually filled with telecom luminaries - I think I counted more today than any other time I've been there.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Restaurant in DCThis is the best restaurant in DC! And I don't say that loosely. I've lived in this area for years and I've experience great dining in DC, but Sou'Wester just went above and beyond anything I've ever experienced. I went here for my husbands 31st birthday. Via OpenTable, I did mention this fact. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the valet staff and the hosts of the restaurant. We were a little late, but all was well. Looking at our menus, they were customized with "Happy 31st Birthday." What a nice touch! All of the staff were aware that it was my husbands birthday and acknowledged him. Wonderful! Now, the food was also just amazing. I mean words can't express how fresh and delicious it was.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining experience forGreat dining experience for me and my business guests. Will definitely be a repeat customer.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMTry the crab soup!Tried the crab soup for the first time, and wish I'd done it sooner. Velvety with a big helping of crab. Love the warm tuna salad, which is essentially a nicoise, but it's not a lot of food on its own. It's a little heavy on the capers, but that's easily rectifited. Husband is picky about burgers, and loved this one, especially the brioche bun. The little corn muffins and sorghum butter that arrives in the basket are to-die-for. So hard to resist. The beet salad with goat cheese covered with walnuts looked really good, if you like beets. And try the iced tea. It's special.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWent for our 3rd anniversary.Went for our 3rd anniversary. The staff was very attentive and went out of their way to make our special occasion wonderful.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMFinally Sou'Wester ArisesSou'Wester is Mandarin Oriental's casual restaurant. I love to stay at the Mandarin when I am in DC. Since it's opening and for too many years, Sou'Wester catered un-Mandarin food to exclusion, trying to go with very southern type cuisine (but not to the high level of Frank Stit of B'ham, AL) and I found myself not being able to eat anything so I just stopped going. What a pleasant surprise, the "new" Sou'Wester, under a new chef, has turned it around. The food is balanced; the choices are broad and pleasing. I went for brunch twice and twice I was pleased with my Croque Madame (possibly the best on this side of the Atlantic) and with the eggs florentine. Both tasted well balanced and were not huge-just the right portions.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMEaster at DC Mandarin Oriental 2013We enjoyed Easter Brunch at the Sou'Wester located within the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in DC. The Brunch was served family style and the food was excellent. The staff was very attentive and friendly.
We also enjoyed an Easter egg hunt before our Brunch and the staff at the hotel did a very nice job with this activity.
Thank you for making our Easter day a memorable one!3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful spot for EasterWonderful spot for Easter Brunch. Fresh food choices and variety of entrees and desserts pleased everyone. A special treat was the homemade candy .3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMHad a terrific breakfast andHad a terrific breakfast and enjoyed it so much that we went back a second day!3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was incredible. ServiceFood was incredible. Service was top notch. The only drawback was the noise level was a bit high, but this could have been because it was Saturday night. The view of the river was great. Only wish we could have been there during the day. Overall, it was an excellent choice.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent service and beautifulExcellent service and beautiful view of downtown DC. Food was very good, not great; somewhat predictable. Salads, especially mixed green salad, too expensive. Sides and accompaniments, especially brussels sprouts and a fennel base for the fish, outstanding.12/8/2012 12:00:00 AM