| Address | 405 8th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tue-Thu & Sun; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Fri & Sat |
| Phone | (202) 393-0812 |
| Website | www.cafeatlantico.com/ |
Minibar is an astonishing experiece - all the hype it has received in terms of its creativity is certainly justified. The food itself is almost uniformly top notch. Of the 34 dishes we were served, I would eat probably 20-25 of them over again, in large quantities. The food was definitely fresh (including some extremely briny seafood) but some dishes I think were oversalted. On the other hand, several of the dishes were among the best I've ever had in my life... the "cheese steak" (thinly sliced beef on top of a hollowed-out piece of crusty bread filled with supernaturally airy white cheddar)... the passion fruit whiskey sour... the white wine gelatin... the conch fritters (the undisputed highlight)... feta water linguine... zucchini soup... Japanese baby peaches with greek yogurt. I'm not sure Minibar is worth the $85/person they're now charging. Service was competent and more or less unintrusive, and the chefs were great about answering any question we asked (no secrets here) although they seemed a bit standoffish.
GO to this restaurant (or restaurant within a restaurant). It is NOT overrated. It is NOT blase. It is NOT a place you will forget.
Be open to new tastes and food combinations and you'll walk out of there saying, "I can't believe I ate foie gras wrapped in cotton candy and IT WORKED!"
One note: Although the bar seats 6 people, only go in parties of 4 or smaller. It's much easier to interact with each other and the chefs that way.
This meal was unlike any other I have had in my entire life - it is food as theater; the ultimate in gastro...entertainment. From cotton candy enveloped foie gras to a truffle and cauliflower cappucino, the 35 plus mini-courses never failed to amuse and delight (occasionally challenge) the palette. As a bonus, Jamie Oliver (the Naked Chef) and his film crew had done a feature on Minibar at the seating before us. He enjoyed a proper meal without the cameras running during our seating. During the meal, he and the Minibar Exec Chef, Jose Andres, experimented behind the "lab", creating sugar bubbles filled with scented oils - further demonstrating the commitment to experimental cooking and amusing the six patrons dining at Minibar that night.
If you are a foodie - you MUST experience the MiniBar at Cafe Atlantico ONCE in your life.
Amazing and fun.
Its rarely possible to experience a meal that is truly different from anything you have had without degenerating into inedible performance art. Minibar never lets this happen. The 35 mini courses are wonderful not just for their novelty or uniqueness, but because at their core they are also delicious. The service is also impeccable, probably the best I have ever seen. Orchestrating the serving (done by the chefs) and removal of thirty five courses at a sushi bar is no easy task, but Minibar makes it seem effortless.
The portions are no more than a bite or two, but that's ok because there are about 35 courses served. Patrons sit at the Minibar which seats only six per night (though Jose Andres himself admitted he's entertained the notion of increasing the seating capacity), at what looks like a sushi bar - front row seats akin to seeing Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The wait staff is extremely knowledgeable about pairing drinks with food, and the chefs are extremely considerate, asking if there are any food allergies. Some of the courses are vegetarian, though herbivores wouldn't frequent the Minibar anyway. The food tastes as beautiful as it looks, combining science with art and epicurean delights. Even the most unusual sounding combinations are carefully thought out to give the palate a vast array of textures and flavors. Deconstruction is the name of the game, and the act of eating what is served is as much an experience of the flavors, from the "edible light" (blown sugar in the shape of lightbulbs, served with flashing blue lights inside, the restaurant set in darkness) to the foie gras cotton candy (sounds weird? is fantastic). Also notable is the demitasse of fois gras soup with corn cream - just enough to leave you oohing and aahing while wishing for more. The Minibar is a memorable experience, and at $65/head (before tax, tip, and drinks) quite a steal.
Minibar is unlike any dining experience in Washington. If you are any way into food or see eating as an adventure, you owe it to yourself to dine at Minibar. The food is the star of a great show...whimsical and creative and exciting. I can't remember the last time I had so much FUN experiencing my food. It was wild!! I was sad, when after 33 tastes, it all had to come to an end.
Bring plenty of money and your sense of humor. This is not a meal, it is performance art. Numerous very small portions of food in unusual forms make up the meal. Fois gras in cotton candy, deconstructed Caesar salad and cocktails in breath spray containers are some examples. Much interaction with the chefs who stand before you, prepare the food and explain (at length) how to eat it. Although it was a fun experience, I will probably not go back. Wine is extra and can run into money. The list of people not to take there is long -- parents, out of town visitors, a first date, anyone you want to talk with (conversation is impossible as you must constantly talk to the chefs). Take a friend with a sense of food adventure.
To say that Minibar was a unique dining experience undercuts how fantastic it actually was. The combination of tastes and textures along with descriptions from chef Katsuya Fukushima & his assistants as well as answers to our frequent questions made it one of the most challenging, interesting, and enjoyable dining experiences I have ever had. To those that haven't been, the concept may strike one as a bit hokey, but you get over that once you're eating! The pace of the meal was quite pleasurable, with small breaks in between preparations of new courses. Chef Kats & his two assistants were a pleasure...
Notes about our meal ... the meal "stars" for me included: the spray mojito, anchovy mousse ravioli, the jicama wrap w/ apples & cabrales blue cheese, the watermelon w/ balsamic & trout roe, the mango soup w/ pop rocks, and the pina colada. The two dishes I thought went best in succession were the cotton candy foie gras followed by the conch fritter w/ a liquid center. We had the Uruguayan viognier with our food course. It accompanied the food quite nicely.
¡Vaya! ¡Vaya! ¡Vaya!
