Ceiba

Review by discojing on September 3, 2009

Located in Metro Center, this member of “Passion Foods” is a multi-faceted restaurant. With many different dining areas (casual with wicker chairs, business casual with simple wooden tables and plants, lounge, and private rooms with doors), Ceiba really can give you anything you want. You can come here for happy hour, a romantic evening, or an office meeting.

The staff was very attentive to us (we stated on the reservation site, opentable.com, that it was our anniversary, and we were given a great location in the more upscale dining area, “Happy Anniversary” was printed at the top of our menu and written on our dessert plate). Many of the dishes sounded very interesting, but we were only able to get 3 appetizers because the portions were so generous (as opposed to other restaurants that might charge $20 for an appetizer that is eaten in 2 small bites). In fact, we chose a more tapas approach to the experience and ate only three appetizers and no entrees (and of course drinks and dessert), therefore being able to sample many more dishes.

We ate: Crispy Fried Oysters with Mango Torilla Slaw, Chipotle Remoulade (11), “Hot Lava Stone” Queso Fundido with Shaved Ribeye Steak, Poblano Chilis, Oaxacan Cheese and small yummy tortillas (13), Grilled Argentinian and Mexican Chorizo sausages with Roasted Eggplant Raisin Chutney, Sweet and Sour Mustard, Warm sugar Canela Dusted Churros with Dark Rich Hot Fudge (and a candle w/ happy anniversary written in chocolate), Almond Marshmallows, and caramel and almond popcorn (this was complimentary and tasted like a non-sticky, grown up version of Cracker Jack). For drinks, the Dark and Stormy [Goslings Black Seal rum, Goya ginger beer & fresh lime ] (a little too much rum for us) and Yucatan Sunset [Bacardi Razz rum, Citronge, mango puree, fresh orange juice & grenadine] (had pockets of just fruit juice and just alcohol taste…). Both drinks came with little neon-orange bulls on the side of the glass. I see how this would be appropriate in the lounge area, and it was cute for a souvenir, but not style-appropriate for where we were dining.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I would love to go back for their $5 mojito happy hour (with comp. food) or for lunch or dinner again so I can try the rest of the menu that we were too full to eat (like the red snapper, jumbo shrimp, or grilled octopus salad). In the end, you don’t pay just for the food, but for the experience as a whole, and it was worth it, because they made us feel special. [Not to mention the super-cute parrots painted on a mural behind us and on the outside of the restaurant]

Review by WhiteSquid on May 11, 2008

I came after the disastrous DC Chili Cookoff fiasco to get a good meal and I wasn't disappointed. I had the Grilled Argentinian and Mexican Chorizo sausages appetizer and that was very good. For my entree I had the Cochinita Pibil Yucatan Style Grilled Pork Tenderloin which was fantastic with a wonderful layering of tastes and flavors. The suggested wines were a perfect accompaniment to my meal. The bartender even threw in a shot of the pineapple-infused Brazilian rum that they keep behind the bar and is dangerously good. Another great meal from the Passion Group.

Review by caro381 on August 7, 2007

Always a pleasure dining at Ceiba. The service is excellent and the food is tasty and interesting. Plus, the churros are to die for!

Review by j_flowers on March 28, 2006

This was my second trip to Ceiba in the past few months and they were spectacular both times. This time I was there with my fiancee and her parents (thanks for the meal!)

I had the octopus salad to start, which was excellent. I don't know why some people will eat calamari but won't touch octopus. More for me, I guess. The other aps of note were the duck empanadas and the ceviche sampler. These last two are certainly the star aps on the menu.

For the main course I had the snapper veracruz. The whole fish is served in a giant baking dish. The head and tail are there but the rest of the fish has been gutted and deboned. I thought it made a very nice presentation, but I could see others in the restaurant didn't like going eye-to-eye with their meal. Note that you can have them alter the spiciness of the veracruz sauce. My future father-in-law was much happier with some habeneros thrown in.

For a digestif I had one of their many top-notch tequilas. The waiter was very successful in helping me choose one. Sometimes I forget how good tequila can be neat at room temp.

The desserts were excellent, of course. I didn't eat too much of it because I was stuffed silly, but I can tell you that there isn't anything I've had through two trips and two long meals that wasn't totally excellent.

Ceiba ranks with Kinkead's and Bistrot Lepic as my favorites in DC.

Review by PhilNWDC on April 29, 2005

I've come to ignore restaurant hype, but Ceiba lives up to the hype in every way. The theme is South American cuisine, with special emphasis on seafood. Even if you're like me and skittish around seafood, be willing to step out of your comfort bubble a little. We started with the fried gulf oysters in an herbed polenta crust, and the ceviche sampler -- all great, served with the perfect accompaniments. I had the halibut, which was flaked with cilantro that contrasted well with the almost buttery fish, all floating on a tomato-cumin sauce -- couldn't have been better. My friend, who has spent time studying in Brazil, went from surf to turf, opting for the pork shank feijoada, which he praised and said was served as traditionally as any upscale American restaurant can dare, with all the right condiments and a stiff caipirinha. For dessert, he went with the Mexican vanilla bean cheesecake, served in a ramekin with a guava jelly and interesting mango-lime salad on the side, and I had the sorbet sampler (the salted cantaloupe sorbet is indescribably good). All finished off well with a balanced Amontillado. May be on the high end of your price range, but the service is among the best I've ever seen, and the food will have you talking for days. Do make a reservation for your next special occasion.

Review by mspatterson on April 18, 2005

A friend took me here for my birthday, and we had a very nice time. Lots of mirrors and a bright decor make the restaurant feel bigger than it is. Though it was a little loud, our table was off to the side so we didn't feel overwhelmed by close neighbors. My Dark and Stormy was delicious, and my friend enjoyed her glass of champagne. The "bread basket" is just large tortilla strips, which don't fit well with the bread plate making it difficult to get the accompanying spread onto the tortilla. The basic salad was made more interesting with the addition of pumpkin seeds. My jerk chicken entree was delicious and quite spicy, and my friend really liked her fish. The service was pleasant but unobtrusive. I will definitely make a point to go back.

Review by mikegaw on January 15, 2005

Ate here during Restaurant Week. Unlike other restaurants that offer severely abbreviated RW menus, Ceiba had so many offerings that it was hard to choose. I went for the conch chowder - it was great. My dining colleagues went for the lobster bisque. It was decent but uninspired; it lacked the complexity of a really good bisque and it also arrived lukewarm. By the time it was finished, it was cool. Not a big deal, but this could have been better. For dinner I had the blackened tuna. It was one of the best entrees I've ever eaten in DC. We all had the Cuban bread pudding for dessert; we all loved it. I found a $36 Chilean cabernet for the table. It was remarkable - fruity and lively, but not musty and heavy like a lot of cabs. All in all, an excellent meal.

Review by mrs1102 on November 3, 2004

WOW!!! This place was unreal. From the tremendous food to the extremely knowledgeable waitstaff. They could recite the menu to you and give you more detail than you ever wanted to know about what goes into every item on it. Our waitress knew every detail of all the wines, too.
The ceviche sampler is a must-have and the queso fundido is definitely a palate pleaser. I highly recommend this place to anybody looking for a great meal and some nice ambiance.

Review by dlowenst on August 24, 2004

Soups at Ceiba this visit were notable and exceptional. The lobster bisque special was particularly accomplished, with the subtle briny lobster aftertaste remaining after the initial spicy bite. We also enjoyed a relaxed 3 hour evening with no perceived rush to finish, despite a busy Saturday business at the restaurant. This meal was a notable step up in every way from our first visit about 8 months ago.

Review by eamorgan on August 5, 2004

Great place to try out during restaurant week - we enjoyed a very good meal with lots of options to sample off the menu. The food is interesting and very tasty. The atomosphere is very lively. Killer mojitos!

Review by DRoman on July 15, 2004

I thought that Ceiba did a fine job in all aspects to make this a successful dinner. Service was attentive but not overwelming. We started with the ceviche sampler which I thought was good but maybe a little overpriced. I had the calamari salad which I thought was very good, especially if used as an appetizer. My girlfriend had the tuna med rare and was more than satisfied. For dessert we had the chorros which I thought was good but not great.The decor of the restaurant was very attractive. Would be a great place for a big group with the communal tables. Overall Ceiba is a fine restaurant that I would recommend to my friends.

Review by yummy on July 12, 2004

Ceiba is run by the same owners as DC Coast and TenPenh. It is Latin American themed and is excellent. The mojitos are a great cocktail to start with. They offer several different seviches which are top-notch. I enjoyed the hot lava queso. Definitely get the churros for dessert. Service and atmosphere are great.

Review by gastronomnivore on June 30, 2004

Creative, chic, delicious. Grilled octopus salad is a favorite; also try the smoky black bean soup. Leave room for the homemade crackerjacks that come with your check.

Review by DeanaDC on June 30, 2004

Review by hoopak on June 16, 2004

I went for a celebratory dinner, and Ceiba was a fine choice. The decor felt, as my date said, "like we're eating in somebody's dining room" due to the wet bar, cabinets, and dark rugs in the side room we sat in. The menu is lengthy and complicated (5 different ceviche choices) and runs heavily towards seafood, but I did fine with the Brazilian-inspired feijoado, a slow cooked pork hock that was served over coconut-milk infused rice. Actually, it was fantastic. The fish was fine, if not tender. The foie gras appetizer, served over semi-sweet fried bananas and with cooked cherries, was one of the best tasting I've ever had (ever!) and was cooked to perfection. The yellow tomato gazpacho with crab meat, however, was gimmicky and made for presentation but not for taste. The wait staff is fine, and they definitely knew how to keep their space and not to rush, but it wasn't exactly the most sophisticated. What was nice was that they didn't push us out after we'd eaten - a clear advantage for eating at the last seating. Dinner was nice and had its definite peaks, but overall this isn't going down as a place I would visit with any real frequency.

Review by asher on May 18, 2004

Though we were seated quickly, my girlfriend and I waited nearly fifteen minutes before anyone spoke to us or gave us a glass of water. A salty flat bread and dip were waiting at the table, so we were desperate for a drink . . .

The menu is interesting, but the execution is less than stellar. The ceviche sampler consisted of four uninspired but decent ceviches. An intriguing milk-cured foie gras was delivered with a sauce so fruity and pungent that it nearly drowned out the delicacy it was topping.

Still, it's not bad. The atmosphere is attractive, and the extraordinary list of tequilas on the apperatif menu (I'd say over 40) warmed my sauza-loving heart.

Review by 77patrice on April 22, 2004

Stylish interior.

Review by kellyblake on March 24, 2004

While we only visited this beautiful location for cocktails, I was impressed by the decor and service, and we never even made it past the waiting area. It's modern, yet comfortable. It is a sizable space, so you feel you have some breathing room and people aren't tripping over you. I was appreciative that we had attentive service, even if we were only there for cocktails. The prices were very reasonable and the stream of high profile faces coming through the door was enough entertainment. Will go back to try the cuisine soon.

Review by ewilner on February 10, 2004

Excellent restaurant, skilled chef, fun new "Latin" trend and nice decor -- chic but not over the top, if anything a little more subdued than I had expected. My conch chowder was good but lacked the zest I had anticipated. Sashimi-grade tuna with tamarind and other tropical flavors was much better, and came with fantastic sides -- fritters, and a delicious mashed concoction of a substance I couldn't divine, but which the menu tells me is "fufu." Yum! I was surprised to dislike the rice pudding as much as I did because I am a no-holds-barred dessert pudding fan. Boyfriend's chocolate thing was much better but from that sampling I wouldn't say desserts are their strong suit.

I had high expectations as a fan of DC Coast and they weren't let down -- neither were they exceeded. At my next visit I plan to sit at the bar and order up a bunch of ceviches, the self-proclaimed house specialty, and other appetizers (I lusted after the duck confit empanadas but they were among the many appetizers that didn't make it onto our choices for Restaurant Week; all the entrees, to Ceiba's credit, were included).

Review by donnapak on January 26, 2004

We couldn't wait until this restaurant opened... considering the fact the owners of our favorite restaurant "Ten Penh" are the owners of Ceiba. This place is very hip but yet romantic. The service is EXCELLENT the food is AWESOME !!! We always get the Cuban drink "mojitos" whenever we go.. I have yet been to another place that makes them like Ceiba. The food is different but delicious... everything that I have had there has been great ! We go at least twice a month... make reservations ahead of time, they book up fast on the weekends.

Review by t_ensall on January 12, 2004

Review by Ontheside on December 19, 2003

I took my parents and girlfriend to Ceiba for dinner prior to a National Theatre show. We were roundly unimpressed. The decor is nice, the menu offers many side items you won't find anywhere else (e.g., fufu mash, which is a yummy mash of sweet potatoes and plantains), and the presentation is nicely done. The downsides, however, outweighed the positive aspects. Our waiter was condescending, unhelpful, and curt, although mechanically competent. The food (two halibut entrees, the tuna, and the roast chicken) was served lukewarm, and my mom's poor chicken was drowned in unimpressive mole sauce. Worse, the food was ... okay. Not particularly flavorful or memorable. Just okay. I've had better halibut and tuna at chain restaurants. I may come back for lunch, but dinner's just not worth it.

Review by yummy on December 10, 2003

Ceiba truly met my expectations as a great new DC restaurant. The service was professional and unobtrusive. The drinks menu is fun, everything from mojitos to mango margaritas. I loved the hot lava queso appetizer...a woman with oven mitts had to bring the boiling cauldron to the table. As an entree, I had scallops on sauteed spinach with black bean gnocchi...wonderful combo of textures and tastes. Finally, the churros with hot chocolate for dessert were so good...my husband is still talking about them. You won't be disappointed by Ceiba.

Review by CoachBrody on November 29, 2003

The conch chowder is almost exquisite (chowder, by definition, cannot be exquisite, but this one comes close); the shrimp ceviche is devine (and deveined, for that matter). As a main course, the pork shank feijado style is simple but satisfying. For now, stay away from the salmon and the halibut -- two at our table were disappointed with the fairly bland fish.