The place has a bit of a darker atmosphere, but the food I ate sure was wonderful.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amber Valentine-Minion
This place was great! I found about it because of the girl dinner that they offer at the bar and I couldn’t wait to bring my friends for a girls’ night out! It didn’t disappoint, it’s gorgeous inside, such a pretty vibe. We wanted a table so we weren’t able to do the girl dinner deal- but we made sure to get our Caesar salads, fries, and some drinks! I didn’t love the mocktail I ordered(it was watery) but the Caesar salad and fries were delicious! We also got the Brussels sprouts, which were incredible! The one drawback was that the meal was a bit pricey for what it was. While super yummy it’s hard to justify the overall cost- but I’d totally come back with one or two friends, eat at the bar and get the girl dinner deal to have a more affordable version of this super fun meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
LaToya Ebb
If you go to Lyle restaurant ask for Akeil to serve you. Thee absolute best. I frequent many dc spots and he is my favorite!!
Tomeika Bowden
Brunch at The Lyle started off promising. We arrived with a party of seven for a 1:30pm reservation, the food was decent, and our server, Armando, was wonderful—professional, attentive, and doing the absolute most to keep things running smoothly. He deserves recognition.
Then the clock struck 4:00pm.
Without warning, the lights were turned off while we were still seated, with food on the table and a full pitcher of bottomless mimosas remaining. When we asked for clarification, we were told the lights automatically shut off at 4pm and cannot be turned back on. A bold approach to guest service, to say the least.
What followed was even more impressive. The manager responded to our very reasonable questions with rudeness and impatience, eventually threatening to call security while we were actively paying our check. A masterclass in escalation.
We later emailed to share our displeasure, assuming cooler heads would prevail. Instead, the response implied that our party was intoxicated and positioned us as the problem. For the record: at no point were we intoxicated, disruptive, or disrespectful. Loud? Yes—because it was brunch. Inappropriate? Not even close.
Also worth noting: this was advertised as a DJ brunch. While a DJ was physically present behind equipment, the music never quite made an appearance. If vibes were on the menu, they were clearly 86’d.
We fully understand restaurant hours and transitions. What’s harder to understand is turning the lights off on paying guests, responding with hostility, and then doubling down by questioning their character afterward.
This could have ended as a minor inconvenience. Instead, it became a memorable lesson in how not to handle guests. DC has no shortage of brunch options that manage service transitions—and accountability—far better.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (for Armando only)
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Nipun Saini
Lyle’s was such a vibe. We came for brunch and the DJ was on, mimosas were flowing, and the energy was great. The chicken and waffles and the short rib hash were both amazing. We got the unlimited mimosas and they had about four different options, so you could mix it up and kind of make your own. The decor is super modern and really nice too. Definitely a fun brunch spot!
Haven Hall
Intimate and cozy and yummy! Great winter restaurant week spot. Also, fire Caesar salad
Adam Aberra
One of the best dining rooms in DC -- request a corner couch table and thank me later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Muhammad Muneeb
It was my roommate and I celebrating her getting into dental school. We were dressed up and all ready, appropriate for the restaurant, and we had just taken some pics nearby. Not sure if our age or appearance was an issue. I’m a 21 yr old, south asian, feminine-presenting gay man, and she’s 22, east asian, called 15 mins before to ask if they had any availability in the main dining room with the sofa seating, since it was a last-minute ordeal. The person I spoke to said yes, but when we showed up 10 minutes later, they said it’s fully booked. It wasn’t. For the 50 minutes we were there, 4 tables were empty that we could've been sat at. We were seated in a corner next to the bar and told we'd get the full menus, but we weren’t able to sit in the main room. After 20, our server came with the bar menus and said, unfortunately, that’s all we could order from. Already upset by this, I wanted to leave and go somewhere else, but since we were out for my friend, we decided to wait and deal with it. 30 more minutes went by, and we hadn’t even been asked what we wanted to drink, just given water when handed the menus. I went up to the hostess and told her all this, and she apologized and said she would have our server come by immediately. 10 more minutes passed, and we decided to leave. I’ve been to so many different places in DC, at varying levels, and the service has never been this bad. We look young and maybe not their target demographic, yes, but that’s not an excuse for shitty, or more accurately, no service at all. We were celebrating a significant accomplishment of hers, and it turned our moods sour for the rest of the night. A full hour was wasted, and not even a drink was ordered. Please think twice about coming here if you don't look like your family signed the Constitution.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Rachel
Too busy and noisy, servers were understandably stretched thin. But the food was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Gregory Mace
It was fine for a hotel restaurant. Low staffing and attention was frustrating. I won't go out of my way to visit this restaurant again.
Utterly disappointed that this restaurant has very few options for dinner. I ended up ordering the cod. I made myself an omelette at home to get filled up. What a joke! Ambience is amazing though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Makenzee Brown
I had an amazing experience at Lyle DC for brunch! The food was absolutely delicious—every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with a stylish yet comfortable vibe that made the whole experience feel special. The service was outstanding; the staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect. The music added a great touch to the ambiance, creating a lively yet relaxed setting. Overall, it was a fantastic brunch spot that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for great food and an exceptional dining experience in DC!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Danielle D.
I came with my cousin and her friend on New Year’s Day for brunch. The short rib hash was very good. I like my food spicy so I asked for hot sauce which made it perfect! We were seated at a table that is half booth half chairs and the sofa in the booth is the most comfortable thing ever!! We were also able to see the food coming out of the kitchen and everything looked good! Even though we had brunch it wasn’t the weekend and our reservation was at 11 so the vibe was very calm, quiet, and chill. I hear they have a DJ brunch on the weekends so I’ll have to come back and check that out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Manal Berra
I had a wonderful experience thanks to our waiter, Akeil. His customer service was truly outstanding, he was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect throughout our visit. Akeil went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, and his warm personality added so much to our dining experience. Highly recommend asking for him if you visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amber Volk
Friendly host and staff! Food was delicious, service was fast but easygoing and the vibes were on point. Bottomless option was fun/ worth it. Definitely returning soon.
The place has a bit of a darker atmosphere, but the food I ate sure was wonderful.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was great! I found about it because of the girl dinner that they offer at the bar and I couldn’t wait to bring my friends for a girls’ night out! It didn’t disappoint, it’s gorgeous inside, such a pretty vibe. We wanted a table so we weren’t able to do the girl dinner deal- but we made sure to get our Caesar salads, fries, and some drinks! I didn’t love the mocktail I ordered(it was watery) but the Caesar salad and fries were delicious! We also got the Brussels sprouts, which were incredible! The one drawback was that the meal was a bit pricey for what it was. While super yummy it’s hard to justify the overall cost- but I’d totally come back with one or two friends, eat at the bar and get the girl dinner deal to have a more affordable version of this super fun meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
If you go to Lyle restaurant ask for Akeil to serve you. Thee absolute best. I frequent many dc spots and he is my favorite!!
Brunch at The Lyle started off promising. We arrived with a party of seven for a 1:30pm reservation, the food was decent, and our server, Armando, was wonderful—professional, attentive, and doing the absolute most to keep things running smoothly. He deserves recognition.
Then the clock struck 4:00pm.
Without warning, the lights were turned off while we were still seated, with food on the table and a full pitcher of bottomless mimosas remaining. When we asked for clarification, we were told the lights automatically shut off at 4pm and cannot be turned back on. A bold approach to guest service, to say the least.
What followed was even more impressive. The manager responded to our very reasonable questions with rudeness and impatience, eventually threatening to call security while we were actively paying our check. A masterclass in escalation.
We later emailed to share our displeasure, assuming cooler heads would prevail. Instead, the response implied that our party was intoxicated and positioned us as the problem. For the record: at no point were we intoxicated, disruptive, or disrespectful. Loud? Yes—because it was brunch. Inappropriate? Not even close.
Also worth noting: this was advertised as a DJ brunch. While a DJ was physically present behind equipment, the music never quite made an appearance. If vibes were on the menu, they were clearly 86’d.
We fully understand restaurant hours and transitions. What’s harder to understand is turning the lights off on paying guests, responding with hostility, and then doubling down by questioning their character afterward.
This could have ended as a minor inconvenience. Instead, it became a memorable lesson in how not to handle guests. DC has no shortage of brunch options that manage service transitions—and accountability—far better.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (for Armando only)
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
Lyle’s was such a vibe. We came for brunch and the DJ was on, mimosas were flowing, and the energy was great. The chicken and waffles and the short rib hash were both amazing.
We got the unlimited mimosas and they had about four different options, so you could mix it up and kind of make your own. The decor is super modern and really nice too. Definitely a fun brunch spot!
Intimate and cozy and yummy! Great winter restaurant week spot. Also, fire Caesar salad
One of the best dining rooms in DC -- request a corner couch table and thank me later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
It was my roommate and I celebrating her getting into dental school. We were dressed up and all ready, appropriate for the restaurant, and we had just taken some pics nearby. Not sure if our age or appearance was an issue. I’m a 21 yr old, south asian, feminine-presenting gay man, and she’s 22, east asian, called 15 mins before to ask if they had any availability in the main dining room with the sofa seating, since it was a last-minute ordeal. The person I spoke to said yes, but when we showed up 10 minutes later, they said it’s fully booked. It wasn’t. For the 50 minutes we were there, 4 tables were empty that we could've been sat at. We were seated in a corner next to the bar and told we'd get the full menus, but we weren’t able to sit in the main room. After 20, our server came with the bar menus and said, unfortunately, that’s all we could order from. Already upset by this, I wanted to leave and go somewhere else, but since we were out for my friend, we decided to wait and deal with it. 30 more minutes went by, and we hadn’t even been asked what we wanted to drink, just given water when handed the menus. I went up to the hostess and told her all this, and she apologized and said she would have our server come by immediately. 10 more minutes passed, and we decided to leave. I’ve been to so many different places in DC, at varying levels, and the service has never been this bad. We look young and maybe not their target demographic, yes, but that’s not an excuse for shitty, or more accurately, no service at all. We were celebrating a significant accomplishment of hers, and it turned our moods sour for the rest of the night. A full hour was wasted, and not even a drink was ordered. Please think twice about coming here if you don't look like your family signed the Constitution.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Too busy and noisy, servers were understandably stretched thin. But the food was good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
It was fine for a hotel restaurant. Low staffing and attention was frustrating. I won't go out of my way to visit this restaurant again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Utterly disappointed that this restaurant has very few options for dinner. I ended up ordering the cod. I made myself an omelette at home to get filled up. What a joke! Ambience is amazing though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
I had an amazing experience at Lyle DC for brunch! The food was absolutely delicious—every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with a stylish yet comfortable vibe that made the whole experience feel special. The service was outstanding; the staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect. The music added a great touch to the ambiance, creating a lively yet relaxed setting. Overall, it was a fantastic brunch spot that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for great food and an exceptional dining experience in DC!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came with my cousin and her friend on New Year’s Day for brunch. The short rib hash was very good. I like my food spicy so I asked for hot sauce which made it perfect! We were seated at a table that is half booth half chairs and the sofa in the booth is the most comfortable thing ever!! We were also able to see the food coming out of the kitchen and everything looked good! Even though we had brunch it wasn’t the weekend and our reservation was at 11 so the vibe was very calm, quiet, and chill. I hear they have a DJ brunch on the weekends so I’ll have to come back and check that out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had a wonderful experience thanks to our waiter, Akeil. His customer service was truly outstanding, he was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect throughout our visit. Akeil went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, and his warm personality added so much to our dining experience. Highly recommend asking for him if you visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Friendly host and staff! Food was delicious, service was fast but easygoing and the vibes were on point. Bottomless option was fun/ worth it. Definitely returning soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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