We came to Balos to celebrate my friend's birthday. The food and drinks were very good, but the service was extremely disappointing. From the start, we were given a hard time about how many people were in our party, which made the celebration stressful. What shocked me most was at the end -- they actually wrote on our receipt that we were a "pain in the ass." That is beyond unprofessional, especially considering how much money we spent there. Because of this experience, I would never recommend Balos for a big birthday party or any special occasion. the waiter was good -- but poor professionalism from management or whoever wrote the notes !! I would definitely recommend LIMANI for a big birthday party or special occasion. I had my birthday dinner there and I had a totally different experience. read more

Balos Estiatorio - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We to brunch on Saturday and Luis was our server and he was excellent! Food was amazing, same w the unlimited expresso martinis and out drinks were never empty for the bubbles either! Service was great from start to finish, my only complaint leaving my leftovers behind read more

While visiting the DMV Balos was suggested to us. I decided to go for my son's birthday. We were not disappointed at all. Our reservation was for 9p and we were seated promptly. The wait staff were so friendly and attentive. The food was great and fresh. And an added bonus is a DJ Thursday- Saturday for a fun and energetic vibe. I'll definitely be back on my next visit. read more

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This is a place to see and be seen. Friday night service was buzzy and this place was packed even though it's fairly new! For service, it took them almost 25 minutes to seat us after our reservation time. Once we were seated, service felt a little rushed as they continually asked us to put in our entree orders and it they could pack up our appetizers while we were very much still enjoying them. Other tables around us complained that they had waited 2 hours for their entrees but that wasn't our experience. The food and drinks were fairly top notch. Price point is expensive, but that was expected. We particularly loved the Balos chips appetizer, green salad (seriously it's simple but so good), and lamb. My friends also enjoyed their filthy martinis- they were a huge hit for dirty martini lovers! read more

I love Balos! It's one of those places you would not only go back for food but for the ambiance for sure. I have tried several things on the menu, carefully prepared by Alex, the Executive Chef, and I was not disappointed. It's also a very fun place to hang out at the bar after 10:00pm. I'm glad that DC has more of these restaurant-bar options now. read more

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They rush you along, you feel like you are a bother to the service people. The DJ starts at 8pm, and the music is as loud as a club. We were literally screaming at each other to have a convo. Will definitely not come back for dinner, until they fix the music levels. read more

I came to Balos on a Wednesday during their lunch service. When you first walk in the decor and atmosphere is clean, sleek, modern and inviting. I swear we got the best table in the house. It was located in the back corner and you could see the entire restaurant. The mirror and flower decor/arch near the bathroom is the perfect place to snap a picture. There were only maybe 4 single restrooms so that did create somewhat of a line while waiting. The only downfall was that the bar was missing a few key ingredients to some of the drinks we wanted on their menu and was unable to make the drinks and refused to do any substitutions. Understandable on the side of they wanted the drink to taste exactly like they wanted but yet disappointing because we were knowingly asking for a substitute. The drinks we ended up settling for were refreshing and tasteful, which makes me excited to go back and try the ones we really wanted. We started with the Balos Chips which had the perfect amount of tempura salt and tzatziki sauce. The Tuna Sashimi tasted fresh but was not my favorite. The octopus had a nice char, some pieces were pretty thick but still good. The branzino was also good but filleted and lacked in flavor compared to other branzinos I've had at other places. The lobster pasta had a great presentation. The pasta to sauce ratio was on point and did not lack in flavor or the lobster meat portion. All in all the experience we had was one to remember and it was only their lunch. I can't wait to go back on one of their DJ and napkin toss nights. read more

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Restaurant week at Balos was so much fun! The food was delicious, the restaurant had a great ambiance, and the service was great. I will definitely be going again! read more

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10/10 experience for my birthday. We went on a Thursday night and it was the perfect crowd--not too busy but a perfect crowd for a night of fun for celebrating ME! Our server was great, food was great, and vibes were a 10/10. We had to do the prefixe menu based on the group size--was a little pricey based on the proportions, but no complaints on the food. I love balos and recommend it for all your bday soirées. read more

There were a few issues I had with this place. First and foremost it seemed like they practice prejudice treatments of customers at the door. As I was waiting by the door for my party to arrive, I noticed that anyone fair complexioned got the royal treatment of both doors being opened for them. No hesitation, no questions. However, when people of color arrived, including myself, we were asked, Do you have a reservation? And then they would ask what's the name and look it up in the little device before letting us in. It was a very uncomfortable feeling especially since it was cold and rainy. I had never felt that way at the entrance of a restaurant before my life . For that reason, I will probably never come here again and would've left promptly if I was not meeting with friends. Second worst thing about this restaurant is the bathrooms. You will pee on yourself unless you are smart and mindful enough to stand in the line 30 minutes before you even have the urge to go. Lol. There will be a line for the bathroom that you will stand in for about 30 minutes if you come on a crowded day. One of the girls that was standing behind me, said that she was about to leave and go use the bathroom at Shake Shack because she didn't think that she was gonna make it. I think they only have like four bathrooms or something like that. Third of all the food was a little overpriced for the quality to me. I really liked the octopus, but I ordered the fish and it really tasted super bland and I returned it. it was like they didn't put any type of seasoning on it and I usually love fish most of the time. My friend who ordered the same thing was equally unimpressed however she did not return hers. She just settled. One good thing I can say about this restaurant was the people there were dressed to the nines. Everyone had on their beautiful designer outfits and it was definitely giving Vogue magazine style, so shout out to the patrons for making this place enjoyable for me. read more

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Good as advertised with hearty portions. We opted for the set lunch menu for three courses. Well worth it. We had the tuna tartare, grilled octopus, lavtaki fish, lamb chops, and chicken souvlaki. All tasted well. Despite a snafu with the lamb temperature being overdone, they quickly remedied the situation. Service was phenomenal. read more

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The experience overall is once in a lifetime I would definitely recommend this place to try just once, the ambiance and the staff are super friendly! The Napkin Toss was quite fun! However it was really loud, not just the people but the music was blasting. I ordered the Ora King Salmon, which was incredibly bland and we had to ask for extra sauce and for salt and pepper. One of my other guests ordered the same thing and said it was super bland too, the vegetables seemed to just be seasoned with oil as well. Our waiter was extremely kind and helpful! Probably won't be returning for the food but maybe for drinks and vibes! read more

Balos Estiatorio - Napkin Toss Left my food covered - not very sanitary - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We came here with big party celebrating multiple times Food, service, and ambiance were amazing DJ was so much fun and we all loved throwing the napkins in the air part read more

Pros: The restaurant has a beautiful ambiance, the caramel espresso martini might have been the best I've had, and the salmon entree was delicious. The crème brûlée was also very delicious. Cons: While it was very busy the evening we visited, we had to ask multiple servers for the complimentary hummus. The manager was very kind and brought it out for us. The prices listed on the menu in person are more than they are online, which was an unexpected surprise. read more

Balos Estiatorio - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Word about Balos, a new Mediterranean spot in northwest, has been buzzing around DC and I have been dying to try it. We stopped in on a Tuesday night to try their Winter Restaurant Week menu. The restaurant was absolutely packed when we came, but we were seated very quickly having made a reservation prior. Starting with the service: they're clearly still figuring things out. I had to repeatedly flag various servers down for water, and requested a restaurant week menu multiple times before getting one. Honestly, with how busy they were and how new the place is, I don't consider that to be the worst thing. We were served fresh pita bread with a flavorful hummus dipping sauce. The bread was soft and warm, and very obviously freshly made. Delicious! The restaurant week menu offered three courses: appetizer, entree, and of course dessert. I ordered the octopus as my appetizer: the portion was huge (in a good way)! It was served on a bed of onions, which I wasn't crazy about, but the octopus itself was very tender. My favorite course was the entree: the lamb chops. It came with three sizable lamb chops and a side of French fries. Another large helping. The lamb chops were well-cooked, but slightly lacking in flavor. The dessert, the cheesecake, tasted as if it had been left out for a very long time. I took one bite and passed on the rest. Most restaurant week meals taste very mass-produced, but the Balos meal was overall very large and satisfying (excluding the cheesecake). My friend and I had more than enough to pack up and take home. The ambience was lively, loud without being grating. I definitely plan on returning to try the bar area, and would definitely give the food another try! There are some kinks to work out, but I can see this place becoming a great Mediterranean staple in the city. read more

Balos Estiatorio - Lamb chops, came with a side of French fries. - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We arrived "late" for our daughter's birthday brunch gathering. While my daughter had been there before, my husband and I had not! The service was particularly slow for our taste, but the food options were good. I would have preferred a more indepth brunch menu but we were served and felt full in the end. During our dining experience, a plate of food was dropped leaving my boots, pants, coat and chair loaded with Taziki. I truly appreciated the servers who rushed to help clean up my clothes. Their kindness was truly appreciated. When we finished our brunch of eight people, my husband informed me that he had already paid the bill. Not only did he leave the already applied 20% gratuity, but he also added another $50. I was not happy when I reviewed the final payment. I was completely surprised that there was no compensation for my leather boots, my pants or my coat. I thought my meal and drinks should have been compensated without having to ask particularly with all the servers helping to clean up the mess. Not the case! But if that meant my server or the guy who originally dropped the plate at the adjacent table didn't suffer the loss, then great! However, doubt I'll eat there again. Why? The food was good but not exceptional. The restaurant was very loud. The insensitivity to my belongings as a customer was disappointing. I asked to speak to a manager before I left. That was the icing on the cake for me. She had no idea what had happened during our "dining experience ". She offered to pay for my dry cleaning which I found laughable. Just comp my food. I had on a great outfit! It was filthy when I left. I was floored! While the food was good and the service was great, we're not likely to come back purely because of the insensitivity to us as customers. I'm going to guess it's one of "those" things!! read more

**This review is based on dinner service at the bar and does not necessarily reflect the dining room experience** I didn't want to like Balos on principle based on the exorbitant prices and the bar staff who were more interested in flirting with each other than serving the guests who are paying the exorbitant prices.....but alas, the few things I tried were delicious. Namely the sesame feta (the cherry added a nice zing) and the pita bread which was piping hot and pillowy. I'm not normally one for hummus at restaurants since it is usually bland/tastes store bought, but their hummus was refreshingly light and fresh. If you're expecting five star service to accompany the five star pricing, prepared to be disappointed; otherwise, I would recommend dining with a group to help offset some of the excessive pricing. read more

The only thing I could taste in the meal was salt. Straight NaCl down the hatchet. Not a fan.

I started with the Island Passion cocktail, followed by the seafood tower which we shared and the finale was the most delicious cherry cheesecake. The bartenders were very attentive and engaging. Check out photos and ask for this guy. He was awesome. read more

Balos Estiatorio - Bar - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Need to wait 25min on the line for restroom this is crazy and ridiculous! Someone need to do something read more

Balos stays pretty full. I was hoping to check out Balos for restaurant week but it ended a day early than the usual RW timeline, so I made an early Saturday dinner around 5:30 with a friend. The restaurant was already pretty busy and the bar was already full. The hostess was friendly and seat us immediately. They have a full cocktail menu (tequila is the main beverage choice) and wine and mocktails for those interested. The watermelon bits and spicy margarita were the cocktails that we chose. They were pretty good. The menu is full of Mediterranean dishes to satisfy your appetite. Our waitress answered any questions we had about the menu and explained things that guests usually ask about to help us make a choice. (The menu is larger than a lot of Mediterranean restaurants imo) We went with zucchini fritters and classic spreads for the appetizers. Everything came out hot and fresh. For the entree, we chose LAVRAKI which was the flaky white branzino. It was cooked to perfection and enough to share. We ordered a side of potatoes and even added on some lamb chops to go. Even though we were full, we ended the night with a big slice of cheesecake. We clearly had to get to-go boxes for that as well. Overall, I would definitely recommend Balos. It's a beautiful atmosphere and perfect place for special occasions or catching up with girlfriends over drinks. read more

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We can here to celebrate my daughter's graduation . The staff was so accommodating and the food was delicious . The manager , Kevin personally came to our table to congratulate our graduate , what a great way to end a special evening ! read more

We are extremely disappointed with new year eve visit. We waited approximately 40 minutes for dinner and were not served any food at all. This level of service is unacceptable and ruined our evening. No explanation or assistance was provided. read more

Rest Week Summer 2024 Review. They offered a $65 dinner menu, mon-fri only, and lunch menu for $35. We went Monday night, and opted for some of the up charged items as it seemed fair given their regular menu prices. Let me preface this by saying, I have family in Greece, have been multiple times, and that influenced my expectations. If I could give them a 3.75 I would have, but hence we'll round up. The cocktails I ordered were excellent, a watermelon tequila one and passionfruit mezcal one- fabulously balanced and they accommodated with making it unsweetened ! My partners casamigos shots were $30 (THIRTY!!) dollars a pop- and that was a HUGE turn off to me. I understand an upcharge for fine dining, but similar restaurants are charging around $18-$20 a shot.... sooo there's that. We started with the watermelon feta salad (no uncharge), and I was underwhelmed.. the melon did taste super fresh, like it had been cut too long ago and sat too long- and the feta didnt have the salty briny creamy punch I had hoped... the flavor was meh. Thats when I worried about all the uncharged items we'd ordered possibly disappointing ... the octopus app was a $10 up-charge and it was SUPER generous in its portion size- tenderly cooked and beautifully seasoned- I just wish they amount of capers and red onions had been cut in half, it overpowered the octopus. The main attraction were the lamb chops and the seafood orzo dish (both up-charges), I would ABSOLUTELY go back for those lamb chops and fries- hand cut potatoes fabulously fried and seasoned, THAT dish was the win- and brought actual memories of what I'd eaten in Greece. The seafood orzo had lobster (small pieces), scallops (1 big one) and shrimp- it was delicious but I wish they hadn't added the cheese as the tomato sauce and how the seafood was cooked and seasoned was amazing, just had hoped for maybe another scallop! The custard phyllo desert coupled with the greek yogurt were amazing, the baklava I felt needed work (too sugary / too syrupy) its a shame because it was chock full of amazing nuts and crispy phyllo- had it been a little drier and less sweet- perfection ! Service was fantastic- everyone was a well oiled machine, and considering how busy they were, it was a seamless presentation. Like I said- I will be back for that lamb and fries dish- plus the cocktails ! read more

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Throwing of the napkins is Thursday thru Saturday at 11:30 PM. Love the place!! Love the vibes, Love food. Price is pricey but so is everything else that's worth it. read more

Review based on two visits. First time was a busy, very loud Friday night, place filled up fast and was very good. Delicious lamb, whole branzino, potatoes, hummus, spinach...tasty drinks, great service (but pricy). A month later, early Saturday dinner, place was packed even at 5pm. Between three of us, we ordered quite a lot of food but we were all underwhelmed (flavors were lacking) and seems even pricier than before. For those prices it needs to be much better than it was. The space and ambiance is nice However the bathroom can often have long lines as the place takes on nightclub vibe even late afternoon/early evening read more

Does not honor reservations. We asked if we could be moved from 10 to 10:15 or 10:30, and they refused. We checked in at 9:55 anyways (adjusting our plans), it's 10:45, and we still have not been seated. Absolutely no regard for our reservation and rude service. Especially disappointing for such an expensive restaurant, and probably the worst service i've ever gotten. read more

I've been here for breakfast lunch and dinner. The food is cool but the vibes are unmatched. Love the decor and atmosphere. Their espresso martinis are really good. read more

Balos is a beautiful environment with great drinks (my aperol spritz hit the spot on a 100 degree day). The waitstaff and bartenders are friendly. However the food leaves something to be desired. I first visited a few months back and tried so many things off the menu. While all were tasty nothing stood out really for the second time to order. This time we ordered three appetizers - cheese saganaki, shrimp saganaki and watermelon salad. All were decent, none had a wow factor. The entrees were INCREDIBLY overpriced for how mediocre the food was. We ordered the scallops (well cooked but with no sides whatsoever), salmon (underwhelming with an equally underwhelming side of spinach) and well done steak that took away the essence of the meat (in their defense, friend asked for well done which was a mistake in the first place). Will I be back? Maybe for drinks but certainly not for an overpriced underwhelming lunch or dinner. read more

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Visited for weekend dinner reservation. We were promptly seated. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully designed with different seating areas. We were seated a two person table which was very close to other tables on both sides and behind me. There was also a large dinner party in the same section and the acoustics of the restaurant made it very hard to hear conversation with my dinner companion or even with the server. The service was great considering we could barely hear the server when he visited our table. The large dinner party had several guests that were continuously using bright selfie light attachments shining onto other patrons and I was little surprised that staff didn't address the annoyance. The food and drink options were great with nice portions and they tasted amazing! The atmosphere is lively and a great space for drinks at the bar and listening to music but not the best for conversation. I would definitely visit again for the food alone it was fantastic! $$$ There is paid street parking read more

Balos Estiatorio - Filet mignon kebab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The food & ambiance were amazing. Service was a little weak, but overall we had a great dinner.

I went for a celebration and let me start with the fact that the atmosphere is a VIBE! As soon as you walk up, the doors are opened for you and as you enter, you literally forget that you're in DC. It felt like I was transported to another country. Something special to be said about that kind of shift! We had the prefix menu which I felt a way about, being that it was $95pp. I didn't think that what was served was worth that amount. The food was okay, but it wasn't great. The service, however, was good. Oh, also be mindful that the sparking water is $11 and if you're in a group and split the bill up, everyone gets charged for a bottle of sparkling water; I'm not sure if we had 12 bottles but who was counting? Back to the atmosphere: At 8:30 they dim the lights and turn the music up. By the time we left there were sooooo many people there, you could just tell it was going to be a good night. Apparently they smash plates at some point, but I didn't get to experience that part. All in all I may go back to have their regular menu but I won't be having the prefix ever again. read more

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Probably the most over rated restaurant in dc. Atmosphere was nice and crowded with awful music w the worst sound system. Prefix menu for bigger tables and pretty pricy for your average food. Dessert was disgusting. Basically grocery store cake.... I don't get the hype read more

Everything besides the food was the worse experience. The server was very rude to my party who we celebrated a birthday. The whole time he was missing for 30-40 minutes and when we asked another server for him they said he was busy. But had the nerve to tell us that we have gone over our two hour limit and a manager also came over trying to kick us out. The ambiance is nice very Instagram worthy spot but they had a dj that and the music was so loud was yelling the whole time. Luckily the food was amazing but this will be the one and only time i would go to this place. Overpriced with the worse service ever! read more

One of my favorite restaurants! Food is delicious! I've been here several times for dinner and brunch. Love their espresso martinis when Lorenzo(?) makes them! I will be here on repeat! Go here! read more

Balos is a more high-end Mediterranean restaurant than most in dc. The portions are larger, but still worth sharing! The service is also very high quality and brings a more formal vibe, even though it turns into a real party! They serve complimentary hummus and pita, which was a perfect start to the meal. I also really enjoyed the octopus. Their Greek staples are good, but the seafood really stands out here. read more

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Balos is definitely one of the new hot spots in the city. A reservation is definitely required as it's packed on the weekend! The food and service was amazing. The lamb was a 10 out of 10, I took my left overs home and ate them as soon as I got in the house I couldn't wait. The napkin toss is a fun gimmicky thing, kinda hectic but def gives you wild way to start the night. read more

Balos Estiatorio - LAMB YOUVETSI - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came for a work function and likely wouldn't come back. The menu was of course preselected due to the setting. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal. Dips were good, salad was very refreshing and good. Calamari should have been good but was a bit chewy. The entrees were terrible. Salmon was very fishy despite being covered with a cream sauce, the steak and Greek fries - fries were entirely soggy and the steak was half fat and well done. Dessert options were ok but nothing stood out. It's also very loud in the restaurant. read more

The beautiful Mediterranean atmosphere makes you almost forget you are in dc. The service is excellent and the food was good. There are lots of options and our waiter did a good job of breaking down the menu and recommending food that we liked. read more

Balos Estiatorio - Frigar - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Balos was a fantastic choice for dinner. The party I was with ordered a smorgasbord of food--from the greek salad, to tiger prawns, and the NY strip, everything was delicious. I will definitely be going back to try from their selection of wines. read more