Sushi By Bou- DC @ CitizenM Hotel L'enfant Plaza

Our first omakase experience. Chef was amazing! He was working so efficiently, the plates kept coming at an unhurried but constant pace. The food was delicious. Vibe was awesome. Would def go back here

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

THE BEST!!!!! I came for my anniversary with my boyfriend, the Food was so good and fresh. Everyone from the top Chef to the person helping clean off tables was so welcoming and inviting and went above and beyond for us on our special day, even going as far as to make us items that were not listed on the menu and staying late to do so honestly, the best restaurant experience I’ve had in years. Me and my boyfriend don’t like to leave the house much due to the decline of the restaurant industry and the lack of service provided, but this reinvigorated us and honestly help restore faith in humanity and the industry. you would think we knew these people for years when we just met them yesterday. I can’t stress enough, how amazing this restaurant and its staff are. The only name we managed to get was Chef Alexis because we were just too lost in the experience but we wished we got everyone’s names because everyone was on top of it. Thank you again for the wonderful experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had such a great experience this evening with Chef Alex,
Fino and his team were very welcoming and made us feel so special, we will definitely be back again.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I will never get tired of this omakase experience!
First, is the decor. The restaurant is modern and colorful with so many details, similar to the entire hotel. The sushi counter is toward the front with a balcony overlooking DC behind you.
My friend and I came for the 17-course experience and had Chef Alexis. He remembered us from last time and we had a great conversation while he explained the ingredients and some new items he was trying. My favorite is always the chopped tuna- the sesame oil does it for me every time! I'm a pescatarian so I always ask for a surf & turf substitute, and they nail it each time! The bartender also allowed us to try a new fall drink that was delicious- apple, gin, tequila, and some other ingredients.
Finally, Fino and Alvaro, the hosts, go above and beyond. They checked in on us, kept us updated on when we were ready to sit, and made sure we had everything we needed. Despite the previous party running behind schedule, they made sure that our time was valued. We also appreciated them making sure our rewards program points were counted.
The next time we came back, we had Chef Sean. He remembered us and took his Time explaining each course and ingredient, even the ones we've had times before. He put a spin on some of the bougie courses, including a dome smoker. We also had Fino and Alvaro again, who were great as always. They made sure we were well taken care of even when it was hectic.
We'll be back soon of course!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Sushi By Bou is a great for good sushi and a fun omakase experience.

Located at the top of the Citizen M hotel, once you get off of the elevator you're welcome to a trendy, cool, vibrant, colorful and modern disco style space. There is seating through out the space but the main event is at the chef's counter where the omakase dining experience takes place. They have floor to ceiling windows with some solid views of the capitol and monument and a huge balcony with plenty of outdoor lounge seating which was great for us for drinks after our meal.

They offer an omakase experience with very limited counter space seating. I think they can seat up to 10 people so it's important to make reservations. Once you arrive you're greeted and seated at the counter where you can order drinks to kick off the experience. We had a few cocktails that were pretty good and creative and the bartender was friendly, charming and made sure we had a good experience.

We chose the 17 course omakase which was a lot and VERY filling. Halfway through, I was full and hyping myself up to push through to the end. lol If you go for the 17 course just be prepared to eat! It's a really fun experience where you get to watch the chefs create some amazing and delicious sushi. The server did a wonderful job of explaining each piece and answered all of our questions. They also had no problem adjusting menu items for allergies or any dietary needs. Keep in mind that they offer a ton of discounts and specials so make sure you sign up for their emails.

Overall it was a great, fun and intimate experience that I would definitely do again. If you're not into the omakase experience I believe they also have an al la carte menu that you can take advantage of. It's a great for place for date night, happy hour and drinks with friends.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Overall experience was below avg compared to other omakase.
I had few omakases in DC and NYC, I wouldn’t recommend this to other friends.

Good parts:
1. Chefs are really nice
2. Easy to park
3. Online customer services are responsible and have quick response
4. Uni was good and fresh

Bad parts:
1. Seats were tight
2. Sushi rice was too sour, it covered most of flavors. Also it was a little bit hard.
3. Servers / bartender were slow started serving drinks after we had gone through 50 - 60% courses
4. No one refilled my ginger after I finished mine.
5. I could feel that sushi by bou really wants to push customers to finish their omakase in 1h. So they could make max profit.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 1

I love their sushi ! Really high quality.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Toro - Fatty Tuna

Chose this restaurant to celebrate my birthday because online I saw they offer a buyout option at $250+ pp. I was sadly let down for my birthday celebration. The restaurant was full of other people & my large party was sat in the back with drinks only styled seating…… imagine you and your friends all dressed up and forced to eat your full 5 course meal from pedestal style tables. The experience was really not worth it and to make matters worse the manager was inebriated or under the influence of something else & he basically tried to dodge my concerns when I questioned him about to buyout I payed for. I would highly not recommend this place for the food either. Not sure if they plated our food way ahead of time but it was not fresh. If you want really good sushi this is not the place. They just do lackluster show presentations that you can see online. My favorite spot for sushi in DC is Kyojin.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 1

This was our fourth visit, and we finally tried the 17-course tasting menu — absolutely incredible! Every course was perfection; we couldn’t even pick a favorite because each one was so unique and beautifully crafted. Major points for the fatty tuna though, as always!

The staff here always goes above and beyond to create an enjoyable and welcoming experience - they’re not just attentive, they’re genuinely fun to interact with. Chef Alexis was amazing; so knowledgeable, passionate, and clearly a master of his craft. We learned so much throughout the meal and were in awe of the precision and creativity behind every dish.

My husband tried the bartender’s special, and it ended up being a new favorite drink.

Overall, a 10/10 experience across the board. We can’t wait to come back and are already recommending it to all our friends

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Birthday dinner turned into a tradition -- we ended up coming back every night during our stay. Bou (on top of citizenM) nails it: food that’s consistently excellent and drinks that are truly next-level. Ask for Wilbur at the bar -- his cocktails are perfectly balanced and tailored to your taste. And Fino is an outstanding server: warm, attentive, and on-point with recommendations. Skyline vibes, zero pretense. New DC favorite.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ate here for the first time last night after some very positive recommendations from friends. The sushi was great - well prepared and creative. Chef Sean was amazing and explained each course concisely.
The other service staff were terrible though. Once we were seated the ‘host’ (a younger guy) pretty much stopped working. We had to wait so long to order another drink that we’d finished the meal. The whole time we were waiting with empty glasses, the ‘host’ was literally standing at the other end of the bar chatting and taking saké shots with other staff members. Even worse - when we finally got his attention and complained about the lack of service, he just said ‘yeah it gets slow on Sunday nights’ as if that was an excuse for not bothering to serve the three customers at the bar?!
Given how attentive the service is at most of the other high-end sushi spots in DC, it’s ridiculous this guy still has a job here.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 1

You MISSED IT IF YOU DID NOT EAT HERE!
SERVICE WAS AMAZING!!!! SUPER COOL VIBE.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great variety of sushi and they were made in front of us. It was quite an experience. The location is also very cool on the rooftop where you get a beautiful view of the city.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We booked the 12 pieces omakase for $65 pp and had a wonderful experience!! Each reservation is an hour long (it goes by fast) and there were only 8 seats, ensuring that every guest can see how each sushi is made and the chef can interact with all guests. Chef Sean was very friendly and knowledgeable with introducing the ingredients, flavors, and engaging with guests. We also had a non-alcoholic yuzu lemonade. You can order more items a la carte afterwards but you would be asked to sit at the other restaurant tables to make space for the next batch of reservations, which I appreciated the staff being very mindful of guests time and cleaning/setting up for the next group. Highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We did the omakase experience. Great relaxed vibe and great views.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5