The Oval RoomHIgh end experienceJust ate at The Oval Room. Great waiter and fantastic meal. Complex dishes but never heavy. For the quality, well worth the visit.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenal across the boardThis restaurant has the best food I've eaten, by far! I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday. I came in expecting that we would order off the a la carte menu but after not too much convincing, we both decided to get the 8 course tasting menu. This is the best decision i've ever made. The food was phenomenal, I can't even begin to explain the components in each dish because I will not do it justice. Let's just say, I rarely eat seafood because I just don't like it - and I devoured three courses that consisted of seafood. I wouldn't have done it any other way. If you haven't been here, go! And get the tasting menu, for $85 it is TOTALLY worth it!5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMother Was PleasedI was very surprised to find an available table for 6ppl on Mothers Day, but I really lucked out on this one. Our mothers are very picky eaters but enjoyed everything on the prix fix menu. Our server Nikola was fantastic! We will definitely come again.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely fabulous. My motherAbsolutely fabulous. My mother and I had a lovely meal here over Mother's Day weekend. The starters of Terrine de Fois Gras and Asparagus with Morels were fantastic. The Fois Gras was wonderfully buttery. We both had the halibut with ricotta dumplings -- the fish was perfectly flaky and the ricotta dumplings were so subtly tasty; it was an incredibly well balanced dish with perfectly married complex flavors. We also shared a tasty, moist chocolate beet cake which was delicious -- you could actually taste the beets which was neat!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent but still a bit hungryEverything served was excellent but both my wife and I felt the need to sneak in a late night snack because the portion sizes were relatively small. Otherwise the perfect meal.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMImpeccable serviceFrom the moment we walked in the door we were treated like royalty by everyone we encountered. I have not been to the Oval Room for years but I certainly will go back soon5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMI was in a party of 3. AllI was in a party of 3. All of us ordered a different fish entree. We all tasted all three, and found all three to be excellent. If you like fish, the Oval Room has a chef and kitchen for you. All in all, an excellent meal.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Lunch Spot to Start a WeekendGreat restaurant to start a weekend in DC, located just North of the White House offering outdoor seating. This restaurant provides a great location and atmosphere for out of town guests to start their DC vacation.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMStellar food creativity and serviceThis was a birthday celebration dinner for 4 people. The entire staff made us feel welcome and appreciated. Some of the standouts were the shrimp starter and all of our fish entrees. Desserts were sinful. We were impressed with the absence of any false notes among the range of dishes we selected. Service was attentive but not intrusive. We will plan to return soon.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a restaurant thatThis is a restaurant that we'll return to. Good variety of dishes available, food was delicious and beautifully presented. The wait staff, was superior. Tables were separated enough that one doesn't feel squeezed in.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMA welcome surprise....My husband is of the opinion that if the appetizers are excellent, the entree will be so-so...
There were three of us. All of our appetizers were excellent.
We had three different entrees. They were all excellent.
Another theorem disproved!
We have added this restaurant to our very short list of favorites.
Nice ambiance, too.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWhen we showed up, we hadWhen we showed up, we had another accompany us that I did not know was going to come. The restaurant was booked, but was able to find a table for all 5 of us. This was awesome!!!4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best in US!We were absolutely surprised that there are such very good high quality restaurants in US. We never had a siilar one. You are a
"Anti-American" restaurant: best quality and creativity in food, adequate time between the courses and the bill does not come one second after the last bite....and: Prices are reasonable.
Congratulations!
As we are from Germany unfortunately we will not have many opportunities to come very often.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMBig presentation, meager fareElegant and low key - something hard to find downtown anymore. Food was delicious but a bit too "precious" for our tastes and the portions were microscopic. I'm a small person with small appetite but that was ridiculous. The waiter was pleasant, attentive, and efficient, but we could have done without the interuptions with drawn out explanations of every thimble full of emulsion and tidbit of heirloom diced apples, blah blah. So much presentation, so little food and huge bill. Next time my brother comes to town, back to Bombay Club.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the better meals IOne of the better meals I have had. We opted for the prix fix and weren't disappointed. From the oysters to the venison, everything was superb. The wine list is not extensive, but well picked. Service was very good as well. For some reason, the Oval Room does not have the attention that CityZen and Zaytinya get. But don't hesitate to try this. It is outstanding.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMIntimate, romantic, eveningIntimate, romantic, evening from start to finish!
The Tasting Menu was out of this world! The Chef prepared 7 small plates with wine pairings for an unbelievable dining experience! A MUST for a special occasion.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGREAT. Our waiter, Nickolau,GREAT. Our waiter, Nickolau, was the best. He made the best wine suggestions. Food was delicious.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThe staff was exceptionallyThe staff was exceptionally skillful and attentive, and the food was excellent, at a good price for such high quality. We will definitely return.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMThe tasting menu was excellent,asThe tasting menu was excellent,as were the wine pairings.I was surprised that the wines were brought already poured in glasses,
instead of having the wine bottle presented and poured at the table.
I highly recommend this restaurant.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waiter was fantastic-Our waiter was fantastic- friendly, very knowledgeable about the food. The food was superb. The Valet was even helpful- we were running late to pick it up and the car was waiting for us!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMBest meal in DCThe food was really outstanding. Head and shoulders above anything else we had on our weekend in DC from NY.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA step aboveEverything was perfect, the food is delicious, the presentation lovely, and the portions are neither too big or too small. The service was warm, friendly and patient.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMFour of us went to lunch toFour of us went to lunch to celebrate a birthday. We all enjoyed the experience. The waiter was very helpful with tips on what to have, wine recommendations, and food descriptions. The menu seems to include a few items that are unusual, but everything tasted very good. All ala carte.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent entrees, interestingExcellent entrees, interesting desserts, very attentive and personal service.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious, creative food (andDelicious, creative food (and great bartender, too). Exquisite, warm, attentive service. Lovely setting. I flew back from LA to Washington a second time in a week and had to go back.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was amazing. My familyThe food was amazing. My family and I will definately go again.4/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWe tried the Oval room forWe tried the Oval room for Easter Sunday brunch. It was a price fixe menu and we took advantage of the wine pairings offered as well. The first course of shrimp for me and soup for my dining partner were wonderfully prepared. The mains of beef and sweet potato ravaoli were extremely well seasoned. The desserts were also faboulous of course. The lemon cake was a lot lighter than my choice of chocolate granache. The wine pairings were very well chosen. We will be back to this lovely restaurant.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Oval Room did not disappointThe Oval Room did not disappoint for Easter Brunch. Although the crab appetizer, prime rib, and beet sponge cake were excellent, the celery root soup with cheddar dumplings and sweet potato ravioli won the best in show. The wine pairings were great, especially, the La Rioja Alta with the prime rib. The lime flavor in the Carolina sweet shrimp was too much for some of us at the table, but others thought it was outstanding.The crab appetizer was a rainbow of flavors, the crab itself was not the main event!
Service was the usual -- great.
The Oval Room is still one of my favorites.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMJust a lovely meal with excellentJust a lovely meal with excellent service. We had the pre-theatre menu before a show and will definitely be back for a moew leisurely meal.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding all around - greatOutstanding all around - great food, service, decor, cocktails, and wine. Will definitely be back.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMVery nice food, friendly service,Very nice food, friendly service, and nice ambiance3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOverall it was an enjoyableOverall it was an enjoyable experience. The pork chop I had was a bit on the tough side, but everything else was great...good sized portions and delicious desserts. I would recommend this restaurant for a special occasion.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMA Place For Grownups At LastStandout was Celery Root Soup with cheddar dumplings. My ONLY criticism of the entire experience was the soup was a little on the tepid side and so, regrettably, was my prime strip entree; the latter was a little salty, as were the carrots with it (even so, I would have wished for a larger portion of the carrots.) BUT, we will definitely be back. It was elegant, friendly, quiet (two of us use hearing aids and are crazy to find quiet restaurants)and the menu was unusual and universally tempting. Presentation was gorgeous. Ambience quite stylish without being silly. A sophisticated Washington dining experience!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMThe venison was very lean.The venison was very lean. Doesn't taste as good as beef. But this is not the restaurant's fault. Everything else was fantastic!3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMIf this isn't the best restaurantIf this isn't the best restaurant in DC, it is right up there. We went to Komi recently, and Oval Room puts Komi to shame. There are several big name DC restaurants (e.g., Citronelle) that aren't as good as this. Servings are small, but incredibly good, and the cocktails and wine selection are superb. The waitress remembered us from the last time we visited (four months previous!) and even remembered where we sat. The tables in the dining room are well-spaced, with comfortable chairs and original art on the walls. We couldn't find any aspect of the experience that wasn't excellent, aside from the valet parker turning my headlights off from the "auto" setting (I hate that).12/7/2012 12:00:00 AMOutstanding food, superb serviceOutstanding food, superb service and nice laid back ambiance. One of the best restaurants in DC.1/1/0001 4:00:00 PM