"Many people ask me if this is Greek Cuisine , and I don’t know what to compare it to, either to Greek cuisine of 1962 or 2009, but my answer is a seafood restaurant with a Greek Flare to it " Chef Gregory Zapantis.
"Our Menu of Simply Grilled fish but simplicity with elegance ! " Chef Gregory Zapantis.
"we are bringing to the people of Washington Something they haven’t experienced before " Chef Anthony Acinapura.
Kellari Taverna is very sensitive to sustainable seafood.
Private Dining
Book your next event with us
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Popular dishes
Calamari
grilled squid with fresh lemon EV and oregano
14 reviews
Grilled Calamari
11 reviews
Grilled Whole Fish
lemon, olive oil, capers and fresh herbs (30 minutes preparation)
21 reviews
Great service even better food. The brunch value was amazing. Tables were well spaced, food was cooked perfectly, our waiter was awesome. Will definitely be coming back!!
This is one of my favorite brunch spots in DC! The food and service are first rate! The BOOZE never stops 👍🏻❤️
Amazing experience!
Nice dinner a group of 6. They did a nice job under covid circumstances, and seafood there is always a highlight.
The raw bar is closed during covid.
Elizabeth was great and attentive. Food, as always, was always good and fresh.
Kellari is one of my favorite restaurants. The food is always excellent. The service is very good as well.
Excellent greek food and seafood. The flaming cheese appetizer is terrific. So were the desserts.
The restaurant just reopened (two weeks ago) under new management and a new chef. The service was great, responsive, efficient and friendly. The quality of the food is superb and the menu is very representative of Greek traditional dishes: a large selection of appetizers, a good selection of fish and meat dishes, and several typical deserts. The wine selection includes a variety of Greek as well as French, Italian and American choices. The prices are very reasonable, and the three-course prix-fix option is outstanding in terms of the variety and price. The restaurant has now an outdoor seating, tables are spaced far apart and the staff is taking great precautions to disinfect and sanitize just about everything. It is a great place to spend a few hours with family and friends, while enjoying delicious food with a great service at a reasonable price.
Being a Mediterranean food fan, I had Kellari on my radar for a long time. We live out of state and when I realized we would be in DC, I put Kellari on the top of my list of places to make a reservation. Everything lived up to all the hype. The food and service were top notch. Loved the menu selections. It was difficult to decide what to get so we ordered several dishes and split them. The bread was freshly baked, warm, crusty and delicious! The octopus, calamari and shrimp appetizer was outstanding. We ordered lobster risotto and one of the salads too. Both were so flavorful. Baklava of course for dessert. Wine from Santorini made the perfect pairing for our entire meal. Our server even noted I mentioned I didn't like garlic and had the chef prepare some tzatziki without garlic for me. So thoughtful, not to mention delish! I would highly recommend Kellari Taverna and will certainly be back next time I am in the DC area.
Food was delicious, and the experience was amazing.
Always a great experience, although this time around the restaurant was empty due to pandemic, but overall excellent service and food
Outstanding! Food and new remodeling is First Class.
We went the day before we started the 2 weeks of quarantine so there were not many people there. We also had a Groupon for 3 course brunch with unlimited mimosas. Let me tell you they did not skimp on the alcohol! Even though they let us know they were short staffed, they were really attentive and courteous. Food was ok, not mind-blowing but not bad either. Music was awesome! Not your popular radio but some pieces to fit with the greek cuisine and other worldly songs. Overall we had a great time with my girlfriends. Would definitely recommend for anyone to try.
Greek taverna. Large restaurant that caters to daytime biz crowd. Dinner time very quiet and comfortable. Nice ambiance. Great service. Outstanding Mediterranean and seafood dishes; fresh, simple, ample. Great Greek wine selection. Excellent pricing.
Great service. Excellent Lobster and pre-theater set menu.
One of my fave places for Brunch! Delicious eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, generous mimosas & the best calamari appetizer in DC! Service is attentive and personable and makes the whole experience one I look forward to again & again.
Chris makes Kellari a wonderful brunch experience. The food, the ambiance the music makes for a great afternoon.
Amazing seafood! The octopus and grilled calamari are really good. Salads and fish as well. I haven't had the meat but it looks good too.
Took a business lunch for the prixe fixe lunch, and it was delicious! Only thing was that they seated most people in the same section, so it became rather loud.
I visited Kellari Taverna, which has a NYC location I have frequented. The menu is similar and I decided on the prix fixe which offered fresh raw oysters that I've never seen on the NY menu. The additional Kellari salad I ordered with organic greens was well dressed and balanced. My entree of lavraki was perfectly grilled, served on a generous bed of grilled eggplant, squash and peppers - delicious. Greek yogurt sprinkled with nuts and honey, garnished with raspberries, was not too sweet a dessert, since I don't like sweets. Server and other staff were attentive and friendly. A pleasant late evening dinner.
Everything was great but our server took a while to get to us. Even after a party was sat after us we still got served after them.
Brunch at Kellari was one of the best experiences I've had in a long time. First of all, the Prix Fixe brunch option is completely affordable and offers great options. The unlimited champagne didn't hurt either. Our party of 4 had an amazing time with fantastic food and exceptional service from Christopher. We couldn't recommend Kellari Tavern for brunch more! Thank you for your hospitality - we were charmed and look forward to coming back sometime!
Very small piece of fish for the price. And it didn’t have much flavor.
The food was delicious. We wanted to order one of the fish dishes however that fish was not available that evening so we went with the risotto which was excellent. I had the lamb chops which were absolutely outstanding. All in all it was a great evening and would definitely go again!
They dropped the ball BIG TIME on Valentine’s Day. Under staffed, pri-fixe menu portions were tiny and overpriced and courses were coming out in inverse order for everyone! All tables around us were just looking around in disbelief witnessing the chaos. Hostess arguing loudly with servers, people with reservations waiting 20 minutes just to check in because the hostess disappeared and/or was the only person setting up new tables! Probably the worst $250 ever spent for 2 dinners and a bottle of wine...oh and wine was third choice because out of bottles. Will not be coming back.
Was not aware we had to order from the Valentine's menu only. Portions were pretty small and the wait was crazy. Ended up being there for 3 hours and paying $250 and leaving hungry. The scallops appetizer was 1 scallop. Seafood pasta had 1 scallop 1 shrimp and a middle and clam. For $250 I expected more.
Went for V Day. Select menu. Food cold. Not enough staff and restaurant not even full. Commercial quality seafood.
Excellent food and service. Fixed price menus are an excellent value. Good fresh and beautifully presented
We went using a Groupon for the Prix Fixe brunch so the price was very good. We have been there at least four or five times before and it seems to us that not only has the menu changed but the chef has changed also, an not for the better. The calamari appetizer was not as good. It used to have a much smokier flavor. My shrimp with linguini, which I’ve had before, had a bland, tomato soup tasting sauce. However, the portions are quite generous. The dessert (the chocolate one we wanted was unavailable), but we ordered the Galaktoboureko, was very good. We took it home and it travelled well. The service was excellent.
Everything was delicious, the location is great, and it wasn’t too loud to talk.
Excellent food and service. Love the calamari!
Lots of potential, but the food was overpriced and the restaurant was outdated. Also, not very knowledgeable servers, though management made a good effort to make up for it!
My guest and myself truly enjoyed our experience. The mimosas were truly bottomless and the food was delicious! Chris thank you for great service!
5 out 6 people ordered salad and 1 special if the day dish. Salad was great except it was all arugula
Had a great birthday dinner with a friend. Not only is it a lovely dining room, with great service and very fresh fish but it is open all afternoon. We went after a matinee at the Studio Theater and how many places can you eat at 4 PM on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon?
I had lunch at the restaurant on Friday, January 24, 2020. The food was excellent but it took a very long time to get our dishes out. We noticed that there were only 4 servers and yet the restaurant was full. This is not the first time we have gone to Kellari and had to wait for our dishes to come out.
Excellent meal and service. Best Greek salad I’ve had in DC and both of the fish dishes were prepared perfectly. We’ll definitely be back.
I ordered the daily fish special which was flounder. Here at Kellari it was perfectly tender. Served with Asparagus and cooked tomato on mashed potatoes. Perfect balance that did not overpower this light delicately flavored fish. White fish like this is so easy to overcook but instead, this was perfection. This is very fine dining at very reasonable price. From appetizers through dessert, everything was delicious.
The food was not on Washington DC standards.
This place is good for happy hours. Tried it for dinner for the first time - was not crazy about the food.
Our server was super friendly, knowledgeable and extremely kind. Our food was incredible and our entire family had an amazing celebration! And the best octopus salad I’ve ever had!
FAQs
Kellari Taverna does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats. Kellari Taverna also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 535-5274.
Kellari Taverna is rated 4.7 stars by 2630 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.