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DarNa

3.7
3.7
41 Reviews
$30 and under
Mediterranean
Top Tags:
Arlington's newest restaurant,DARNA, which means “our home” in Arabic, melds the traditional elements of the Arabic culture with modern culinary excellence. Come and taste the finest of Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. Indulge in one of our craft cocktails or house made soda's. Experience your meal surrounded by our warm, rustic decor that makes your dining experience unlike any other. Join us this evening, and treat our home like you would your own. As we say in Arabic, “El dar darak,” our house is your house.

Reservations on Open Table for the restaurant only; for lounge reservations call 202-803-1677.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

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Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Lebanese, Middle Eastern
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch: Monday- Friday: 11:00am - 2:30pm; Dinner: Nightly: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Phone number
    (703) 988-2378
  • Website
    http://darnava.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Michel Dawaliby
  • Location
    946 N. Jackson St, Arlington, VA 22201
  • Neighborhood
    Arlington
  • Cross street
    Wilson Blvd.
  • Parking details
    Parking for diners is complimentary in our private lot.
  • Public transit
    Located two blocks from the Clarendon Metro Station.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 41 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

3.7
3.7 based on all time ratings
  • 3.8Food
  • 3.6Service
  • 3.8Ambience
  • 2.8Value

Noise • Moderate

41 Reviews

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 23, 2016

    overall2food4service1ambience2
    Food was good, but service left much to be desired. The upstairs lounge seemed busy but the main dining room was literally empty; it was a little on the later side (9pm) but the staff did not indicate they were not prepared for dining room service and seated us. White wine was poured without presenting the bottle, which turned out to be room temperature.

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  2. Brandy

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on March 5, 2016

    overall1food1service2ambience2
    The restaurant was empty on a sat night, which should've been a sign. Wines by the glass were mediocre. Food selection was limited as compared to other Lebanese restaurants. All 4 dishes ordered were pretty bad, chicken was hard and dry. Service was just ok. I would never return.

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Baltimore

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 30, 2016

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Took my GF here to ask her to marry me on a saturday night. Not only was it easy to have flower delivered, they called in advance to ask my table preference. Finally they congratulated us with sparklers and a bottle of champagne. I'm sure I'll be coming here at least annually from now on.

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  4. Lynne

    Washington DC

    23 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on January 16, 2016

    overall2food4service3ambience2
    DarNa is in a great location, decorated fairly nicely, the food was pretty good, but overall lacking. One woman was the hostess and waitress and needed some skill building. The decor is nice, but cavernous -- needs some warmth. (candles on table, something for the walls). For only three tables filled, the service was slow and I got the sense it was the kitchen. A little work overall and the place would be a lot more appealing and could do a lot better. Don't plan to go back.

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  5. adh1010

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 16, 2016

    overall1food2service1ambience2
    This restaurant has extreme problems with serving orders correctly and in a timely fashion. Food either arrives late or doesn't come at all. We went on a Saturday night, and the server kept coming back to tell us they were out of the items we had ordered. Then they brought a wrong order. Other reviews here tell much the same story. The only reason this restaurant stays open is because there is a hookah lounge upstairs. Otherwise it would be out of business. Sadly, I went here a year or two ago and it was good.

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  6. Rjjarvis

    Washington DC

    19 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on October 25, 2015

    overall2food3service2ambience2
    We visited DarNa on a Sunday night on the strength of its reviews. What we didn't realize is that it is essentially 2 places: (1) a restaurant space on the ground floor; and (2) a restaurant/bar/music venue/hookah bar on the second floor. The restaurant was completely dead, we were the only ones there, and it made us a little nervous because we were afraid that it would be terrible. It was not. The food was very good in fact, and the service was friendly but slow and inattentive, quite surprising since we were the only ones there. Apparently the hookah bar on top is open until 2am most nights, and while we were dining by ourselves in the rather dark and deserted restaurant below, the place upstairs was hopping. Perhaps all their resources are focused upstairs and they don't have the staff to deal with both levels at once. Don't know whether I want to eat in a hookah bar, but maybe it would be interesting. I would not go back to the restaurant part. Although the food was good, and it appeared clean and nice-looking, the complete lack of anyone there, and the relatively inattentive service offset the generally quite good food. Maybe it's just that it was a Sunday night at 8pm. Apparently nothing about DarNa gets going until much later in the evening. If I were looking for a late night place to drink and hang out, I might come back to the upper part.

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  7. lisan

    Atlantic City

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 25, 2015

    overall1food2service1ambience2
    It was quiet because only two tables were occupied. Still, it took 45 minutes to get food, and the other table left after waiting an hour and not getting any food. It also took 45 minutes for them to determine that items that we ordered were not available. Their real business may be some sort of club on the second floor, because the food we did get ranged from ok to poor. Manager came down from the club to talk to us, was unresponsive and maybe stoned. You could hear him yelling at the staff ( 2 people).

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  8. CiCi

    Washington DC

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on October 17, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The service was awesome. The ambiance was night. I took my boyfriend to dinner for his birthday and this was the perfect spot. The food was amazing. I would definitely come back.

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  9. Verdigirl

    Washington DC

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on July 31, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    My friends and I went to DaNar to celebrate my belated birthday. When we arrived at 8:00 p.m. there were only a few people in the restaurant so I wondered if it would be good. The waitress was very attentive and the food was quite good. I especially enjoyed the hummus. It was really tasty and I believe authentic. I did think the prices were high for the food we ordered. I paid $16 for a veggie kabob with rice. Overall a good experience and I would recommend this restaurant for a casual night out with friends.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Antonio

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 16, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Incredible, flavorful, authentic Middle Eastern food.

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  11. Patty

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 19, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great place great food!! Would def eat there again and again !!

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  12. ellie

    Washington DC

    27 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on November 7, 2014

    overall4food4service3ambience3
    Food was very good, portion size good since plenty of left over for the next day

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  13. eatarl

    Washington DC

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 29, 2014

    overall2food1service1ambience3
    I must say, if we didn't have Groupon and had to pay full price, I'd not eat there. Obviously, I won't be going back. There were only 2 tables the night we went in for dinner but the service was very very slow. We were also disappointed for the food. We ordered spinach pie and there were only 3 small tasteless pies for $8. My entree was spiced basmati rice ($17 just for rice??) and I added lamb ($5). I had imagined rice with seasoning, slices of almond and some other things but the food came with just some orange color rice and a few pieces of lamb on top with a few slices of almond garnished and a bowl of yogurt dipping sauce. The place looks nice and clean but no wonder there was no other customer

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  14. DiningDanni

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 6, 2014

    overall4food4service1ambience5
    The hookah and the food at this restaurant are five star; however, they need to improve their customer service. It was poor. I'll just leave it at that.

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  15. Crys

    Washington DC

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 23, 2014

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Service was fantastic, rice needed some butter. It was quiet and the music was soft and appropriate. We had reservations at 615 and received a confirmation call 15 mins prior

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  16. LMBF

    Washington DC

    32 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on August 18, 2014

    overall3food3service4ambience3
    Our reservation was for Monday night at 8. We were the only ones in the restaurant although the upstairs lounge was busy. The menu was broad and looked more interesting than many other similar restaurants we had been to. The lamb in the kabobs was flavorful but the rice was dry and the vegetables undercooked. The service was excellent. The waiter bent over backwards to make us comfortable. He substituted veggies for bread when we told him that one of us was gluten free. The prices were a bit high for the quality but we both would go back to try other dishes.

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  17. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    40 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    40 reviews

    Dined on July 18, 2014

    overall4food5service2ambience5
    Some friends of mine with family from Jordan introduced me to this restaurant and assure me that the food is legit. Even if it isn't, it's amazing!! We just order a ton of mezze and share - the Lebneh and Za'atar are my favorites. Every time we've gone, the restaurant is practically empty and the servers always seems like it's their first day and they've had no training - they can't answer questions easily and we ordered two different beers only to have the waiter come back and say they didn't have them. But that doesn't bother me, not in light of the amazing food. Try it out, you won't be disappointed!

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  18. food

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2014

    overall2food2service3ambience3
    Food was so so. Service was ok. Much fewer parking spaces comparing to the restaurant capacity. Being at an inconvenient and unattractive location, it needs to do better with its food to survive.

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  19. Stuffed

    Washington DC

    26 reviews

    4.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on March 29, 2014

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    The Mezze sampler was excellent. The fava beans were really good and the fried cauliflower cooked just right. The very light pita bread kept us from getting too full. Enjoyed all the Mezze dishes we tried, except the little spinach pies which were really inedible. They comped us a delicious warm chocolate dessert to make up for our disappointed with the spinach pies. Our waiter was very good. We will be back. One thing we hope is changed- the chairs. They are not comfortable! Ask for a booth.

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  20. DenzelMog

    Washington DC

    86 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    86 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2014

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Darna had very good food, which i recommend. The upstairs lounge is a very cool spot for groups to have drinks and food and have hooka. Has music and a few tv's at the bar if you want to watch a game. I recommend

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  21. Beth

    Washington DC

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2014

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had a wonderful time at DarNa. The food was excellent and the service attentive. As previous reviews have said the cold appetizers were very tasty; the bread fresh, fluffy, and warm; and the main courses delicious. They have done a superb job witht he interior decorations and the wine list is nice. I would definitely recommend the restaurant.

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  22. Eleonora

    Charlotte

    46 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2014

    overall2food2service1ambience3
    I was very excited to find a Groupon for this new-ish restaurant within walking distance of my home. Sadly, I fear I will not be returning. While the food was decent, nothing was so amazing I would need to return. However, even if the food were great, the service was abysmal. It seemed as if our waiter didn't understand a thing we requested. For example: He got part of the order wrong, I asked for a specific wine, he nodded, then came back 5 minutes later to ask which wine I'd ordered by pointing to it on the menu. Finally, when we requested the checke, he disappeared for 20 minutes! We caught up with him and went with him to specifically get it rung up at the bar.

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  23. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2014

    overall3food3service4ambience4
    Very nice restaurant. The staff was really helpful. The entrees are pretty good, but I think the mezzes were better. So go and load up on small plates. Lounge upstairs has great TV viewing!

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  24. Claudia

    Washington DC

    25 reviews

    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on February 20, 2014

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    I loved the relax ambiance. The service was great and the wine recommendations were amazing. We shared a flavorful Mezza Sampler for appetizer and my Kafta Kabob was delicious. I'll like to go back soon to try other dishes.

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  25. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 14, 2014

    overall3food4service1ambience2
    It seems that there are not enough waiters. I had to wait a long time for someone to acknowledge that we were at the table. Then it took again a long time for them to bring water. I asked for more bread and it never arrived. The place started to get chilly so we ended up taking the desserts home.

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  26. ValentinesDay

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 14, 2014

    overall3food4service2ambience4
    There was a Valentine's day menu on the table, with no prices. The waiter, instead of telling us about the menu, asked us what we would like to start with. We had to ask him about the menu and he said we had to order from the menu and pay $100 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 1 desert, and 1 bottle of wine (wine wasn't mentioned on the menu; he had to tell us what they were). The mezza platter, entrees, desert were great. Wine was good. Service was lacking. The waiter did not come out to ask us how things were, nor did he come by throughout our meal. We had to flag other wait staff down to get more water and ultimately the check. It also got very cold during the meal. The host/hostess should do a better job of keeping the front door closed.

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  27. LoveByrds

    Washington DC

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2014

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    I was looking for a nice romantic place to have dinner for Valentines day and OpenTable helped me discover DarNa's yummy Valentines Day special menu. It was an overall enjoyable experience. The lamb was delicious, the waitress was attentive and the ambiance was truly romantic. My only qualm was that our table seems too close to the couples on both sides of us. Sharing such close space was a but intrusive while on a romantic dinner date but it wont stop me from visiting again some time. I hope to visit the lounge some time soon.

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  28. Sara

    Washington DC

    12 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on February 9, 2014

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    I love Mediterranean appetizers especially the variety of salads. We ordered the cold sampler. It was great. I could have eaten it for my meals. The pitas were hot and light. They had some fun drinks. I got a mint strawberry bacardi lemonade. It was good.

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  29. Marvin

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 7, 2014

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    If you're looking for top-notch Mediterranean food at reasonable prices this is a great place, but the atmosphere and service were a bit lacking. The cold mezze sampler was tremendous--best babaganoush I've ever had! The entrees were also very good. But I can't help thinking that the restaurant is just a loss leader for the hookah lounge upstairs. We were there on a Friday night and it was almost empty, and still the service was VERY slow. We went upstairs after eating and the lounge was quite busy and had far better service. Also, the dining room was very cold, making it harder to enjoy the place.

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  30. it2llc

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on January 25, 2014

    overall4food5service4ambience4
    Having been in the middle east and eaten the food there, I can say this rates just as well as a good restaurant there. The pita bread is hot and fresh which is always a deal breaker, even if the rest of the food is good. We tried some mezze and a couple of entrees and everything was great. I think the owner actually grew up in the region so he knows how to make it authentic.

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  31. WineauxInAlexandria

    Washington DC

    47 reviews

    4.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on December 16, 2013

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    DarNa is relatively new to the Clarendon/Virginia Square neighborhood and it is a great addition. The facility is beautiul...chic & modern with some traditional accents, just look past the Hess gas station and JiffyLube. The food is very good: some of the dishes might be rice heavy and meat light but delicious nevertheless. The staff were attentive but we were dining at an off-peak time. Entree prices are reasonable and the wine list has modestly priced selections. Kudos! The upstairs lounge is also very popular, particularly or hookah. Looking forward to the next visit.

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  32. liverpoolgirl

    Washington DC

    9 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on October 8, 2013

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    the service was a bit slow and inattentive, which was odd considering there were only two tables occupied in the restaurant. my friends enjoyed their food immensely, but my chicken was dry and bland. the appetizers were fantastic,though. i would give the place another shot in the hopes that my experience was a one-off.

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  33. Shereef

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 29, 2013

    overall3food3service5ambience5
    The reservations manager did not recognize my request through OpenTable, however, he did seat us right away. Not sure where the fall through was. As usual, a very energetic place with a great staff on board. Nice job!

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  34. Oobi

    Washington DC

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 24, 2013

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    My husband and I had a great time here. The food, especially the braised lamb was excellent. The service was also great.

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  35. aiselim

    Washington DC

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on August 1, 2013

    overall4food4service5ambience3
    Excellent Iftar Buffet. Good variety and very tasty food. The service is excellent and the ambience is homey.

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  36. Omar2

    Washington DC

    54 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    54 reviews

    Dined on July 10, 2013

    overall1food2service1ambience1
    Not a great experience with the proposed dinner brunch. The food overpriced. I was charged around $ 28 dollars as a tip that I did not include and did not agree with. No one took the initiative to suggest a refund or a complimentary invitation.

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  37. AnnL

    Washington DC

    39 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on July 6, 2013

    overall4food5service3ambience3
    The food was really good and easy parking was a huge plus! The location is a little odd but it was actually nice to be away from the craziness of Clarendon where I never can find parking any more. We were there for a 7 PM reservation on Saturday night and there was only one other party of two dining in the restaurant. This place just opened in April so they really need to work on getting the word out. The service was slow but very friendly. If you want something, you really need to get your server's attention (which was odd because they were not busy at all.) Again, the food was delicious so I will definitely give this place another try and recommend to friends.

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  38. Ralph

    Washington DC

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 16, 2013

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    DarNa just recently opened. The interior designer did an awesome job, great interior, it gives a lounge feeling to this restaurant. Regrettably we were the only customers!!! The restaurant definitely has to work on advertising so people become aware of this place. The service was good, could have had some more time between courses though. The quality of the meals was good overall. If you like mediterranean meals then this is definitely a place you should visit. I wish the management the needed clientele they deserve!

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  39. GGD100

    Washington DC

    114 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    114 reviews

    Dined on June 8, 2013

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Unassuming from the outside. Across from a Hess Station in what looks like an old warehouse or something. Spectacular food and drink inside. Best Lebanese food in this area. Highly recommend. Great cocktails too. I was genuinely surprised at how good it was and I don't say that often.

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  40. GYom

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 12, 2013

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Very impressed by this restaurant, great authentic Lebanese food and the waiter was over the top nice, loved the decor. All in all a great experience. I will definitely go back and recommend it to everyone

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FAQs

DarNa offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (703) 988-2378.

DarNa is rated 3.7 stars by 41 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for DarNa

946 N. Jackson St, Arlington, VA 22201

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Wilson Blvd.
  • Neighborhood
    Arlington
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch: Monday- Friday: 11:00am - 2:30pm; Dinner: Nightly: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Lebanese, Middle Eastern
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking for diners is complimentary in our private lot.
  • Public transit
    Located two blocks from the Clarendon Metro Station.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Michel Dawaliby
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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