| Address | 600 New Hampshire Ave., Washington, DC 20037 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 337-5890 |
| Fax | (202) 337-5895 |
The food was quite basic without any special flavors. The quality of the lamb rack was good, tender, but did not have much flavor and came with a side a steamed carrots and broccoli and some standard mashed potatoes.
It could have been a diner, but in an upscale location.
Profiteroles seemed soggy and the bread cold, somewhat old dinner rolls.
Not what one expects for for a restaurant of that category.
The server was very nice and polite and madeus feel comfortable.
The restaurant is very convenient if going to a show at the Kennedy Center, but I will not go back.
The name of the restaurant has been changed at least twice within the past year. Nevertheless, it's a good option for lunch during business hours. It is next door to the Kennedy Center and The Watergate. Perhaps, this explains why the service is variable. The staff knows that the business will not suffer no matter how rude they are. On a good day, you'll get good service that doesn't warrant comment or complaint. On a bad day, the lady at the bar is rude and ignores you. We've sometimes gotten wait staff who are in foul moods and inattentive to our table.
In any case, the food's more than passable so it's somewhat of an 'okay' experience.
Proximity to the Kennedy Center is the greatest feature of the Brasserie at the Watergate, and the wait staff seems to know it. There's little else to recommend this overpriced restaurant with utterly ordinary food. My dinner guest and I were greeted at the maitre d' stand with the following question: "Are you going to a show?" Yes. "Oh. You might not make it." What a way to begin an evening.
In the end, we did make the curtain, because we ordered soup and salad at that admonition. While I'm sure the staff has to deal with rushed theater diners, they could make more of an effort to do so more pleasantly. When I was about halfway through my lobster bisque, the waiter brought my Caesar salad and placed it on the extremely small table before asking if I was ready for it. While time can be an issue, it's still possible to balance expediency with style and graciousness.
None of our dishes were bad, per se, but none were spectacular either. The rushed service put a damper on everything, and I certainly wouldn't rush back to the Brasserie. Dining in Foggy Bottom is limited, and expensive, but even after blowing my budget on Tennessee Williams festival tickets, I'd still be willing to shell out more money for my next pre-theater dinner meal.
We didnt have a reservation so we were sat in the bar, which was great. It's a little stuffy, and since its across the street from the Kennedy Center folks were pretty dressed up. The dinner was excellent, although no one seemed to know who was waiting on whom which meant that we were left waiting for about 30 minutes before anyone took our dinner order. The seafood is excellent. Especially the bouillabaise. Skip the dessert though. Both the caramel apple cake and chocolate mousse were sub par.
