Honeysuckle

Really enjoyed our time there and the great atmosphere. The service was excellent, and the food was amazing... The only reason for four stars there was the dessert...it was lacking (we got the cheesecake tort with truffle ice cream and it just wasn't good), but everything else was superb...especially the service.

Saturday at 8pm, and the restaurant was empty! only 3 or 4 tables were occupied out of 25 or so. It was hard to cut loose and relax when everything we said was echoing across the room.

We had scallops, Icelandic cod, and beet salad. There was also a complimentary treat from the chef and a bread basket for the table. Everything we ate was delicious. We felt a little ignored by our waiter but it wasn’t too bad. There was a large party in another room so maybe he was busy. Not sure if that’s an ordinary occurrence either. I would eat at this restaurant again.

No vegan options on the lunch menu although the cook was able to pull together a great tasting vegan meal. My buddy’sfood came out very salty. he wasn’t happy with his order and it was his birthday.

The service at this restaurant baffles me. I frequent often for business meals and the last three occasions have been awful. I have had the same server and he is always rude. I am moving on to find a new restaurant for business lunches.

Who knew a Nordic restaurant existed in the District?! If you want a spot that offers quality food and creative food combinations, this is a great place. We opted to visit for restaurant week and loved every course. Will definitely visit again, likely with some out-of-town guests looking for something unique.

Having visited -- and much enjoyed -- Iceland several times over the years, I was delighted to find a number of Icelandic dishes on Honeysuckle's Summer Restaurant Week menu. I tried to reserve ahead, but it was fully booked. So I just showed up and asked if they could squeeze me in. They did. I got a seat at the bar.

The Icelandic dishes I sampled -- cured Arctic char with potato salad, Icelandic rye and smoked roe, Icelandic cod with barley risotto and roe butter emulsion, and Bia Kornblemst blue cheese with peach bourbon jam, candied pecans and lava bread -- were unquestionably the best Icelandic food I've ever eaten outside the country, and equal to the best restaurants inside it. The service was also superb. Not to mention the value for the money; those three dishes combined cost less than $40. Adding to the pleasure was the guy I discovered seated next to me at the bar, Sigardull Hull, long-time host of Iceland's "top chef" TV program, who had hand-carried the cod from Iceland for Honeysuckle's Restaurant Week promotion. He even shared his Icelandic dessert of skyr (similar to yogurt, but richer) and berries with me. We were later joined by the Honeysuckle's guest chefs from Iceland, Steiner Magnusson and Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson, with whom we shared toasts of brennevin, Iceland's aquavit-like national liqueur. It was a truly great evening.

I was very lucky to have gotten in, to have been seated where I was, to have had the fantastic food I did, and to have met the wonderful people I did. But honestly, most diners visiting Honeysuckle can expect the same level of food and service, the same value for the money, and the same convivial atmosphere, (if not all the visiting chefs).

Is there any way to give the place six stars?

The meal and service was excellent, and the reception was welcoming.
We were inspired to return soon.

We went to Honeysuckle for restaurant week dinner, and the menu was awesome! They had guest Icelandic chefs for the week, which was really cool (and tasty). Our service was great, as well - will definitely go back again for their regular menu.

We went for restaurant week and absolutely loved it. Honeysuckle meets the class and high service expectations without the pretension. It’s a great place for happy hour especially if you actually want to hear what your friends are saying.

Loved the icelandic fusion <3. Quirky ambiance and artwork was charming in the strangest ways - awesome happy hour!

Great food for restaurant week! The service and space between meals was a little slow.

The food was lovely and the waiter was very knowledgeable. I will definitely go back

The food is fantastic. The noise level nice and low. The decir has been pleasantly updated. Not flashy, but understated with a few modern touches, some contemporary art and some unfinished wooden communal tables at the bar to contrast the more elegant tables settings in the main part of the restaurant. I love how the bread basket at the beginning of the meal was banana bread with honey butter and fruit compote.

I was not really impressed with the food. It was a different experience, with it being Icelandic food, so I am grateful for the experience, but I will most likely not be returning. The portions are very small, and I left still feeling hungry.

Restaurant week had some interesting options. Apparently they had 2 guest chefs from Iceland who introduced some of their dishes which were quite different from Hobeysuckle’s standards. I thought the cod entree was a little too mayonnaise-y for me, but the fish was perfectly cooked nonetheless. The “Arctic pancake” dessert (a crepe) was very good. Nice value for $22.

Food here is really gooood. You can tell that the chef is devoted to it. The dishes are not only delicious but good-looking.

Wonderful food and excellent service. I’ll be back for dinner, can’t wait to try the menu

Honeysuckle is one of my favorites in DC. I highly recommend it and think it is fantastic all around.

Wait staff was nice. Service was good but I was not the biggest fan of the food. It looked great but taste was okay.

Service was abysmal

Food was fantastic. This popular restaurant was a little empty for a Saturday at 7:30pm - likely because it was mid-August in DC, and everyone in this city goes on vacation. However between the lack of a crowd and the fact that there was not any music, the place seemed oddly quiet at times. Food presentation was also excellent, and the wine we had was top-notch. Our server was very professional, but not at all friendly. It almost seemed like he thought that smiling or being warm might not be as professional or might be too informal? Regardless, it did not come across well.

The food was outstanding and the ambiance was very cool. The only drawback was the service. It was not that our water glasses were not always full (which is always a good sign) but the waiter was very short with us (and it was a slow evening) and seemed to be annoyed we were even there. He also seemed to not understand something as simple as pairing wines with a meal. Not that I am a snob by any means, but in a place like this that should be a simple request. So everything else was great. Too bad our waiter was a grouch.

The food was imaginative and delicious! There was no music or sound which was odd but overall I’d go back.

Food was excellent but the service was very disappointing.

Good food. Great chairs. Awesome ambience

The service was not up to the standards of the food. Our waiter practically tossed a fork for the main course at me that nearly knocked over a dining companion’s wine glass. he also brought the dessert ordered with the prix fixe before even taking dessert orders from the rest of the table. Clearing of plates was rushed and service was generally intrusive. The food had delicious sauces and flavors. The sea scallop appetizer was slightly overcooked and the entrees were not served piping hot, but all were tasty.

Went with a friend who had eaten at the restaurant recently. The food and service were excellent.

Interestingly, it was a Monday night and there were hardly any guests; however, we were placed at a table very close to another couple while while entire sections were empty. This was a bit frustrating as those guests were loud and annoyingly playing videos on their phone through the first part of our meal. Thankfully, they left! Reason it was frustrating was that there was no good reason to sit us in such close proximity.

Fortunately, the food and service were excellent. The dishes were complex and rich in taste. Waiter was friendly and helpful.

Plan to return soon with my wife. Will be a bit selective about where they sit us

The best restaurant in D.C., with a unique menu. I am on vacation with my wife and this place was perfect for a quiet romantic dinner.

We had a wonderful, creative meal and I would recommend this restaurant to picky foodies. We shared the Pastrami on rye appetizer which was Pastrami cured salmon - delicious! We then had duck breast with a passion fruit sauce that was probably the best duck I’ve had in years and Norwegian trout with favs beans that was cooked to perfection. We had the very innovative and delicious “Coffee and Cigars” for dessert that was scrumptious.

Bartender made great drinks and convo! Food was delicious

Service was slow. Food was ok. Just did not wow for the price point.

Everything was great except that music from the in house sound system would play then stop over and over. Interrupting our 25th anniversary repeatedly was a disappointment. I complained to the waiter and he said he hadn’t noticed but could do nothing about it unless we wanted to move to another table.

Overall, a great restaurant with great food. Also appreciated the glass of Prosecco for our special occasion.

The food was absolutely amazing. Hamilton Johnson is a chef to be watched!

Delicious food, lovely presentation, friendly service, quiet environment, great value. I can't stop thinking about the chicken livers, which is not something I usually ponder. Our family fought over the banana bread I took home.

Good atmosphere. Fine salad and delicious bucatini. A chocolate dessert was very chocolaty and rich.

Good.
Better.
Best.
Thanks, gentlemen. Our party of four thoroughly enjoyed ourselves 😘

Superb. Booked on a whim as it had decent ratings & was close to hotel. Significantly exceeded expectations across the board.

Bravo! Once again Ham and team created a delightful dining experience. Thank you!

I loved the restaurant. The ambiance was amazing. The food was excellent, and the service was phenomenal.