Elmina
2208 14th St NW, Washington
(202) 519-1544
Recent Reviews
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I came here to celebrate my partner's birthday. Initially, we were seated in a back room that was uncomfortably warm, but thankfully, our server was kind enough to move us to a much nicer spot, a stylish lounge area with beautiful black and blue decor that really elevated the atmosphere.
Service overall was very good. Since it was her birthday, they offered us each a complimentary glass of Prosecco, which was a thoughtful touch and definitely appreciated.
For our meals, I had the pork belly chichinga with a side of jollof rice, and she ordered the oxtail. While I was happy that she enjoyed her dish, I found both the pork belly and the oxtail surprisingly tough and chewy. The flavor of the pork belly was solid, but the texture made it difficult to eat, which is unusual for that cut of meat. The rice was just okay; not bad, but not memorable either.
Given the price point and the strong reviews this place has received, I was hoping for a better overall experience. It's possible we caught the kitchen on an off night, but I'm not sure I'd want to take the risk, especially at that cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Went into town to visit friends and had a terrible experience at this restaurant food was tasteless
I also saw the owner on the Tea app
Ladies beware and be careful
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We did the tasting menu for my husband’s birthday and it was totally worth it! The food here is truly special. As someone who wasn’t familiar with Ghanaian cuisine or the Elmina region, I was excited to experience new flavors—and every dish had just the right level of warm, welcoming spice.
I had a hibiscus mocktail that was fantastic (hibiscus is featured throughout the menu, which I loved). Highlights for us included the lobster dumplings, eggplant, red red, fufu, and ribeye—everything was delicious. The red red was my personal favorite, so flavorful and unlike anything I’ve tried before.
The menu is extensive, so there’s definitely something for everyone. Can’t wait to come back and try more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
It’s even better than what you’re expecting. If you like fresh, perfectly seasoned food and complex balanced cocktails, then this is the place for you. The quality of the food lives up to the pricing. Smells great in here too and the atmosphere makes you want to hang around and keep enjoying yourself. I got the whole fish and two cocktails and omg I would eat 3 plates of the crudo if I could. The flavor of the crudo is one of a kind. Truly an unforgettable experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was super delicious and the place is beautiful! Loved how inventive everything felt.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I visited on Juneteenth 2025 for my birthday lunch, and the atmosphere and service were excellent—truly one of the best I’ve experienced. I was visiting from Ghana (where the real Elmina town is), so I came in with high expectations for Ghanaian food.
Some dishes really impressed me—especially the Red Red and yam with fried fish. However, I was disappointed with the abɛnkwan (palm nut soup). It tasted more like a seafood sauce with palm nut flavoring than the rich, authentic version we know back home. Maybe the chef was trying something creative, but it just didn’t land for me.
That aside, it’s a fantastic place to hang out, and I’d definitely recommend it for the vibe, the service, and most of the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Plantains, Shrimp and Octopus Stew, Ghanaian Salad, Clams and Pork
TLDR: Elmina was a total mixed bag. Food quality was generally great, but service for value ratio was atrocious.
The Good:
The food was excellent from a culinary perspective. Starters were fantastic, particularly the fried okra, tomato salad, plantain with goat cheese. All flavorful, delicious, and well made. The tomahawk steak was also delicious, prepared in an excellent marinade and served family style. Crab fried rice was tasty (though lacked sufficient crab).
The setting is very pleasant, we sat on the semi-air conditioned patio. It’s airy, bright, and a great setting to enjoy a relaxed meal with friends.
The Bad:
Service was poor all around. Drink orders forgotten, food orders forgotten, no one paying attention to the table. Multiple times either only half the table got silverware and plates, while the other half got nothing. When we did get plates, they were covered in water from being washed and never dried. No description of the menu or dishes provided, basically zero input from the server. Host was lukewarm at best upon entrance.
Beverage service was particularly atrocious, which is particularly disappointing for someone very into wine. There is no wine menu online, so I confirmed over the phone ahead of time that I could bring two bottles of wine for corkage (they said absolutely no problem and had a reasonable $35/bottle corkage, which I love). When we arrived, still no drinks menu offered. I brought two chilled bottles of wine, a 2019 Merlot from Mt Veeder, and a 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie Blanc. After asking for ice and to open the bottles, the server ignored the bottles for about 20 minutes while they got warm. Then he came over (no mention of any somm, still not sure if they have one), said nothing, opened both bottles, did not have anyone taste to make sure not corked/bad, and proceeded to pour the red first into all glasses. No pour of the white at all. Mind you this was all before our meal started. So what we ended up with was everyone with glasses of hot red wine, no white poured and lacking additional glasses. After asking again, he brought two buckets with a tiny amount of ice that did absolutely nothing to cool the wine. I finally procured second glasses, did my own pour of white for everyone (which was also quite warm by now). So we ended up with two glasses of wine, both relatively warm, with minimal ice to keep the bottles cool.
One person in our party asked for a mocktail which never came.
The bill came to about $500 for four people, which is what we expected. The quality of service was just completely unacceptable for the price point. Additionally, while we’re totally fine paying for great food, there were some misses in price terms. The crab fried rice was tasty, but for $50 had almost no actual crab. The tomahawk was delicious but was also fairly pricey and came with nothing.
We left with a disappointed impression of the place, mainly disappointment at the discrepancy between flavorful and tasty food, coupled with atrocious and unacceptable general service and beverage service. While we like the food, at $125 per person (effectively without drinks), I don’t think we would go back until service improves.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
This is a premium restaurant but the service was disinterested / uninvolved from the moment we got in. Food was OK. Had 4 dishes: Ghana salad / smoked plantain / beef brochette / fried rice. Best was brochette. Very tasty. Fried rice was very spice and lacked balance - needed something to cut the spice. Overall a disappointment.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
This was quite possibly the worst dining experience we've ever had concerning the service. They have no clue what they are doing. Service is overly casual and familiar, to the point where they drop the ball on service points and they expect you to be gracious enough to overlook it and they hold it agaisnt you when you dont. The guests don't come here to pander the restaurant staffs inability to do they're job. We're paying you to do your job correctly from the get go with out excuses and mitigation. The owner and management needs to take responsibilty and actually offer in terms of service what they promote they'll do. It's dishonest knowing that you cannt offer proper service but expect people to come in and pay these prices. Stop being arrogant and privileged.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Elmina is a true gem. My first visit, I did the à la carte menu — oxtails, beef suya, and spiced plantains with peanuts were all packed with flavor, and the service was exceptional. The only surprise? You have to book the tasting menu through their website, don’t use the Google shortcut or you’ll get à la carte by default.
I was able to revisit later that week and was blown away by the tasting menu options: egusi lobster dumpling, braised goat with fufu, duck confit with jollof rice, and more. That fufu sauce had me scraping the plate! The pudding cake is my favorite dessert, with the Bofrot close behind.
Chef Eric introduced himself both times—this is fine dining with soul. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Go here! You will not be disappointed. The ambiance, service and food were amazing. We dined a la carte and had the plantains, oxtails and a side of jollof. The oxtails had a little spice kick to it which we loved. Chef Eric Adjepong even came out to greet us and photo bombed our pics! Presentation is upscale but the service is so down to earth. Great vibes all around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This restaurant is really three experiences in one. There’s the cozy main floor seating with a central bar area, then a more intimate atmosphere on the second floor. The dining area on the second floor leads to an airy, brighter space. That’s where I enjoyed the tasting menu. I had the egusi dumplings to start, the braised lamb as a second, then the duck jollof as a main course. They served a ginger-hibiscus sorbet as a palate cleanse, and I had the mango pudding as the fourth course dessert. Both were perfection. The wait wasn’t long in between courses, and the service was amazing even though I went on a Saturday night and the restaurant was full. The chef even came and greeted us before our fourth course. I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone who’s a fan of Senegalese food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Exceptional experience at Elmina! The food and service were both outstanding. Our server was one of the best we’ve encountered—attentive, kind, professional, and extremely knowledgeable.
I highly recommend trying the tasting menu alongside a few à la carte selections. I have a diverse palate, but these dishes stood out as truly unique, intentional, and bursting with flavor. It’s clear that a great deal of thought and care goes into every bite.
We thoroughly appreciated the culinary creativity and attention to detail—and we’re already looking forward to our next visit. A true gem!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I want to start by saying that my group was very excited to try this restaurant. Unfortunately our experience was very subpar especially given the price point for this establishment.
I had email confirmation of a reservation for a group of 5 on July 3rd. When arriving it was clear that the staff made a mistake and lost the reservation. Instead of being apologetic about it they treated us as if we were walk ins.
We were placed in a corner that was clearly meant to be a waiting area and not meant for long term seating which was very uncomfortable. We seemed to have been forgotten throughout most of the night as staff barely checked on us. It took almost three hours to receive our main dishes and by the time we got them most of us had lost our appetites.
We watched other guests come and and go and receive much better treatment and acknowledgement.
I would’ve preferred the restaurant openly tell us that they would not have been able to comfortable accommodate us, so that I could have given my out of town guests a better dining experience.
The nail in the coffin was when I received a call two days later (July 5th) to confirm my reservation despite the email clearly stating July 3rd.
Overall a terrible experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Absolutely loved my time I am already thinking of the next visit! It was very nice to have Chef Eric stop by and greet us and others. Never change that it made it more special! I would have the host be a bit more pleasant, jolly but everything else overshadowed that.. the food was an artistic culinary experience !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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