Met with friends for restaurant week. I just went to enjoy myself and really didn't plan to write a review. That changed due to one small detail that I think others should know about. There were 9 of us and our total tab was $1,224. Not bad. BUT... $81 of that was for multiple bottles of sparkling water. We didn't order these bottles. The servers kept coming by and refilling our glasses. No one mentioned that every pour was costing us money. So, when we looked at the bill, we were a little surprised to see the cost of $81 for water. It's one thing if we were actively refilling our glasses or asking them to be refilled. We weren't. The server would just come by, grab the bottle, and refill our glass. Once a bottle was finished, they didn't ask if we wanted another. They just brought another bottle and started refilling our glasses. We didn't know if they were old or new bottles. So, if your server keeps filling your glass, make sure you ask them if you're being charged.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Shatara
Restaurant was very inviting with a beautiful view of DC. The staff was very helpful, mindful, and professional. The food was delectable. Everything was seasoned to perfection and cooked with great craftsmanship. Everything was a 10 out of 10.
M Lowe
Will is the absolute best! He was attentive, fun and made the best recommendations on what to get. Can’t wait ti come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alan Alewine
Bass was overcooked. Greens were undercooked. And why poor oil all over the food? That bass was swimming (lol) in oil. Maybe use a broth instead??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
J J
Not sure if the restaurant will take this seriously, but the food and service were disappointing.
We started with tap water that tasted like sewage. Some entrées tasted like bricks. I tried to eat them at first, but they were so bad that I asked the server to take the food away and told them I did not want a replacement. However, the server kept insisting that I look at the menu again and order something else, which was against my will. This made me very uncomfortable. I was already disappointed by the food, and the pushy service made the experience even worse. Very unfortunate.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Erin
We had a great brunch at Estuary! We stayed in the hotel and took our two daughters (ages 5 and 9). The server was great with the kids. The food was excellent!
David
Very overpriced for mediocre food. Amazing duck breast and crab cake, but gnocchi was too sweet and way too firm, venison tartar had the consistency of spackle, inedible (and I love beef tartar), roasted root vegetables in salad were closer to par-boiled and crunchy, not roasted. Would be poor except for the duck breast. I rarely feel strongly enough to leave a review for a place, but this was a real bummer for New Years Eve.
Nick Noe
Excellent food, excellent staff, and excellent atmosphere. I will definitely be going here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shaun
The cut of bourbon-aged tenderloin was not what I would expect for nearly $70. The first bite was a chunk of fat and gristle. Portions were very small for both the entree and dessert, which was labeled as bread pudding but was the size of a two-bite brownie. For the entree, dessert, and a cocktail, the price was over $100 before tax and tip. I was seated between two large tables that had young infants that were quite loud and ornery. The attempt at high-end dining falls flat at Estuary.
Aaron
The Estuary was great! We came here after our engagement, and were treated so well. Shawntee greeted us and immediately made us feel welcome. Our waiter was Stephen, he was friendly and professional. Food was great, I highly recommend the Black Bass and Potato Pave.
I went to Estuary for my birthday i was very excited about it, i travelled to DC from LA to be with family. The food was good,but my biggest issue was the service. My server was very overwhelmed with a large table and so the service was slow. They did send another waiter to get us drinks but that was it. The most disappointing part was there was no mention from my waitress of my birthday. It didn’t feel like fine dining, the night didn’t feel special because of the slow service, lack of acknowledgment of the special occasion we came for. I am all around disappointed, if i were to recommend this place i’d tell people to just sit at the bar, service will probably be better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Brenda
My husband and I only dined for breakfast for three mornings. DELICIOUS , every day!! Not like your usual 4.5 to 5 star hotels! The staff was friendly and attentive . B.
Nick
Overall experience is ok, service is great and attentive, but some of the food elements have room for improvement. Not sure what audience they are cooking for but the dishes generally lacked seasoning, not just salt. The dishes we thought were ok included the Lamb Tartare and Maryland Crab cake apps. The Squid Ink Campanelle was the best dish of the night; was flavorful, unique, and well made. The seared Duck Breast was disappointing particularly the sauce. The two deserts weren't worth had were the Apple bread pudding and a chocolate dish I don't remember the name of. Both weren't worth the calories unfortunately with elements of each using too much gelatin/xanthan as thickening that wasn't super enjoyable. The environment is nice, service good, and the prices, though aren't cheap, didn't make it feel like we didn't get what we paid for. Just didn't impress our pallets enough to endorse or want to go back with so many other options out there.
Joel
Waiter was good. But we didn't know about after a certain time, you can't have a table in the main restaurant, they took us to the bar area
M
The presentation and portions suggest a Michelin-inspired approach, but unfortunately, the flavors don't quite deliver on that promise. The soft shell crab was overly salted, and overall, the food sounded better on the menu than it tasted. Service was polite but lacked warmth, and the atmosphere felt a bit off for a full dinner experience—though the bar area had great energy. I'd recommend it more for drinks and light bites than a full meal.
Met with friends for restaurant week. I just went to enjoy myself and really didn't plan to write a review. That changed due to one small detail that I think others should know about. There were 9 of us and our total tab was $1,224. Not bad. BUT... $81 of that was for multiple bottles of sparkling water. We didn't order these bottles. The servers kept coming by and refilling our glasses. No one mentioned that every pour was costing us money. So, when we looked at the bill, we were a little surprised to see the cost of $81 for water. It's one thing if we were actively refilling our glasses or asking them to be refilled. We weren't. The server would just come by, grab the bottle, and refill our glass. Once a bottle was finished, they didn't ask if we wanted another. They just brought another bottle and started refilling our glasses. We didn't know if they were old or new bottles. So, if your server keeps filling your glass, make sure you ask them if you're being charged.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurant was very inviting with a beautiful view of DC. The staff was very helpful, mindful, and professional. The food was delectable. Everything was seasoned to perfection and cooked with great craftsmanship. Everything was a 10 out of 10.
Will is the absolute best! He was attentive, fun and made the best recommendations on what to get. Can’t wait ti come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bass was overcooked. Greens were undercooked. And why poor oil all over the food? That bass was swimming (lol) in oil. Maybe use a broth instead??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Not sure if the restaurant will take this seriously, but the food and service were disappointing.
We started with tap water that tasted like sewage. Some entrées tasted like bricks. I tried to eat them at first, but they were so bad that I asked the server to take the food away and told them I did not want a replacement. However, the server kept insisting that I look at the menu again and order something else, which was against my will. This made me very uncomfortable. I was already disappointed by the food, and the pushy service made the experience even worse. Very unfortunate.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
We had a great brunch at Estuary! We stayed in the hotel and took our two daughters (ages 5 and 9). The server was great with the kids. The food was excellent!
Very overpriced for mediocre food. Amazing duck breast and crab cake, but gnocchi was too sweet and way too firm, venison tartar had the consistency of spackle, inedible (and I love beef tartar), roasted root vegetables in salad were closer to par-boiled and crunchy, not roasted. Would be poor except for the duck breast. I rarely feel strongly enough to leave a review for a place, but this was a real bummer for New Years Eve.
Excellent food, excellent staff, and excellent atmosphere. I will definitely be going here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The cut of bourbon-aged tenderloin was not what I would expect for nearly $70. The first bite was a chunk of fat and gristle. Portions were very small for both the entree and dessert, which was labeled as bread pudding but was the size of a two-bite brownie. For the entree, dessert, and a cocktail, the price was over $100 before tax and tip. I was seated between two large tables that had young infants that were quite loud and ornery. The attempt at high-end dining falls flat at Estuary.
The Estuary was great! We came here after our engagement, and were treated so well. Shawntee greeted us and immediately made us feel welcome. Our waiter was Stephen, he was friendly and professional. Food was great, I highly recommend the Black Bass and Potato Pave.
Restaurantji Recommends
I went to Estuary for my birthday i was very excited about it, i travelled to DC from LA to be with family. The food was good,but my biggest issue was the service. My server was very overwhelmed with a large table and so the service was slow. They did send another waiter to get us drinks but that was it. The most disappointing part was there was no mention from my waitress of my birthday. It didn’t feel like fine dining, the night didn’t feel special because of the slow service, lack of acknowledgment of the special occasion we came for. I am all around disappointed, if i were to recommend this place i’d tell people to just sit at the bar, service will probably be better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
My husband and I only dined for breakfast for three mornings. DELICIOUS , every day!! Not like your usual 4.5 to 5 star hotels! The staff was friendly and attentive . B.
Overall experience is ok, service is great and attentive, but some of the food elements have room for improvement. Not sure what audience they are cooking for but the dishes generally lacked seasoning, not just salt. The dishes we thought were ok included the Lamb Tartare and Maryland Crab cake apps. The Squid Ink Campanelle was the best dish of the night; was flavorful, unique, and well made. The seared Duck Breast was disappointing particularly the sauce. The two deserts weren't worth had were the Apple bread pudding and a chocolate dish I don't remember the name of. Both weren't worth the calories unfortunately with elements of each using too much gelatin/xanthan as thickening that wasn't super enjoyable. The environment is nice, service good, and the prices, though aren't cheap, didn't make it feel like we didn't get what we paid for. Just didn't impress our pallets enough to endorse or want to go back with so many other options out there.
Waiter was good. But we didn't know about after a certain time, you can't have a table in the main restaurant, they took us to the bar area
The presentation and portions suggest a Michelin-inspired approach, but unfortunately, the flavors don't quite deliver on that promise. The soft shell crab was overly salted, and overall, the food sounded better on the menu than it tasted. Service was polite but lacked warmth, and the atmosphere felt a bit off for a full dinner experience—though the bar area had great energy. I'd recommend it more for drinks and light bites than a full meal.
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