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Balos Estiatorio

3.8 (400 reviews)
Open 11:30 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)

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BALOS ESTIATORIO ATMOSPHERE

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Upscale

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Recommended Reviews - Balos Estiatorio

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Hummus & Pita
Moriah C.

Came here on a Sunday for brunch to celebrate my friend's birthday! My advice is to make reservations in advance and Hopefully you guys get Niko as your server! Atmosphere- 10/10. The restaurant is beautiful. From the decor to the people. It gets busy, so make reservations!! Service- 10/10 Niko made our first experience wonderful. He was super friendly and patient. And he went above and beyond to make our brunch experience worth it! David made our tableside drinks and he was awesome!! Zonia was quick to clear our table and replenish silverware after each course, always with. Smile! Drinks- 10/10 we opted for both the bottomless espresso martinis and the bellinis! The salted caramel espresso martini was the table-favorite, with s'mores and matcha coming in as 2nd & 3rd favs. Thanks again, David. Bellinis were delicious too! Food- calamari: 8.5/10-perfectly cooked with theeee most delicious sauces. Marinara + parsley aioli. Greek salad: 6/10 (the flavor was fine, but you have to cut up everything since it comes in such large pieces. Also, be careful, the olives still have the pit! ) Chicken Gyro: 8/10 Lamb Gyro: 8.5/10 Cheesecake: 10/10!!!!!!!! Baklava: 8/10 COMES WITH THE MOST DELICIOUS IVE CREAM!!! Ice cream by itself is a easy 10/10! Thanks again Niko, David and Zonia!

Matcha martini
Cassandre G.

I went to here for brunch, and it was great. While I know they're known for dinner, the brunch was fun. They offer unlimited espresso martinis, and I really loved how they balanced the flavors -- some sweet, some more subtle. I had the crab egg Benedict, which was fantastic, and the octopus starter was a standout. The cheesecake dessert was also incredible. I'll absolutely come back for brunch again, and I can't wait to try their dinner next time!

Giles D.

We celebrated my wife's bday here this past weekend and it was amazing! We booked a private event for 9, the menu was already set and ready to go. We had the green salad, pita with spreads, calamari, balo chips, the cheese saganaki, New York strip, branzino, lamb chops and an assortment of deserts. There was more than enough food for 9. The service was fantastic, the table was kept clean, staff made sure we had clean plates in between each course. They packed up any food we didn't finish in between courses, they even refolded my cloth napkin. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous, we booked from 630-9 so we got a glimpse of how they dim the lights and the music gets a little louder. Honestly the whole experience was worth the price. Everyone had 2 drinks and the grand total was a little over 230 a person. If you're going to celebrate, Balos is the place to do it at.

Plates
Chelsea A.

Brunch was phenomenal - Brunch at Balos Estiatorio this past weekend was such a vibe. Their bottomless options are honestly a win across the board. The mimosas are $45 and the espresso martinis are $55, and if you go with the espresso martinis you can also get the mimosas, which feels like a major bonus. They offer a prix fixe menu that is super affordable with a great selection, plus an à la carte menu if you want to mix it up. Either way, there are plenty of good options to choose from. The ambiance here is always 10 out of 10. It is one of those spots that just feels good to be in. Our server José Andres was incredibly sweet, attentive, and communicative, which made the experience even better. I had such an amazing time catching up with my friend and overall it was a top tier brunch experience. I would absolutely come back again.

dinner menu
Erika T.

I had a phenomenal experience booking a Large Party dinner at Balos recently. I wanted to treat my close friends/bridesmaids to a dinner out and Balos made the booking process super easy. We booked a 9:30pm reservation on a Saturday night as we wanted to plan our visit around the napkin toss. Payment / meal selection was all easy, and the food options were plentiful for our party of 6 with generous portion sizes for the family-styled options. The napkin toss was so much fun! Balos is a great location for a girls night, and so glad I went with them for this occasion. Would definitely recommend coming on a regular night as our experience was so much better than restaurant week last year.

Lamb gyro
Sarah M.

Solid 3.5 stars for my recent lunch experience at Balos. Atmosphere: The restaurant is aesthetically beautiful with lots of light and open space. Food: I came here for a group lunch with work colleagues. A few of them had been here before and had good things to say about the fare. We ordered from the "power lunch" menu which offered a smattering of options as part of an appetizer, entree, dessert combo. We appreciated that this was an option and seemed like the best option for us. I ordered the grilled octopus as an appetizer, lamb gyro for my entree, and baklava for dessert. My favorite was the grilled octopus. Highly recommend! The baklava was good as well but the lamb gyro was not my favorite. Service: Our waiters were attentive and kind. I do think while the servers were good, the service itself was slow. It took a very long time to receive our entrees and we ended up getting our desserts to go because we had been at the restaurant for almost two hours. Takeaway: I still want to try this spot for brunch or dinner. Hopefully the slow service was a one off!

Steak and eggs
Nicole O.

Balos has one of the best brunches in the city! I met up with friends here and we were promptly seated at our reservation time. They had a musician playing live Greek music in the dining room, which I thought was a nice touch. The atmosphere is lively, so it may be a bit difficult to have conversations. The prefixe brunch is the best deal, and I couldn't turn down adding the bottomless brunch drinks - they even have bottomless espresso martinis, and all of the flavors were pretty good. I had the Greek salad, lamb chops, and baklava. My friends enjoyed the steak and eggs and crab Benedict, and all of us loved our meals. I will definitely be back.

Cheesecake
Wini O.

I LOVED Balos in 2024-2025. Food and drinks were amazing! And the bottomless espresso martinis were also yummy! But in 2026 I feel like things have changed. The food quality is dramatically different but prices are higher. Also the price for the bottomless martinis is higher as well. I don't think the quality of food should decline while the prices increase. Overall, I had a great time and loved the live music!

Greek salad
Trendy D.

This is my third visit to Balos. I've come for brunch twice and dinner once. I personally think dinner is a slightly more fun experience than brunch, and the food options are better. A lot of the ladies enjoyed their meals specifically the salmon, chicken, and lamb chops. I ordered the Bronzino whole fish because that is a very Greek staple. I felt like they seasoned the fish and served it how I had it at many restaurants in Greece, but the fish quality was not great. They don't do a good job of handling seafood at this restaurant in my personal experience. Every time I order seafood here compared to many other high end restaurants in DC I always feel underwhelmed and I want to return my food to the kitchen. I would not recommend getting their seafood personally. Your table gets complimentary pita bread and hummus which is always warm and delicious!!! Bronzino whole fish 6/10 Pita & Hummus 9/10 Lemonade: 8/10 Mocktails: 7/10 The ambiance and service were great. Our waiter I sadly didn't ask for his name, but he made our experience awesome!! He was kind, super helpful, and you can tell he was experienced from how he handled a large group. We celebrated New Year's Day here and they still had all the decor up and it was LIT! I feel like you pay more for the vibes than the food. So hopefully they find ways to better their meal options. THE NAPKINS & DJ The Balos Dinner Experience normally they do the napkin throwing at 11 PM. It's soooo much funnnn! But they literally only do it for 10 minutes. It would be dope if they did it multiple times or for a little longer. Where it feels like the party never ends. The DJ was great, he played Afro house music. Reason for 3 stars: At the end of the day I still have to rate the restaurant on price and food quality. If I'm spending a lot a 10 min experience isn't enough to wow me if the food is lacking.

Alma-aliyah T.

Balos!!! I have heard so many good things about this restaurant and my experience did not live up to the expectations. For starters, we had a 10:30 reservation and we were not seated until almost 40 minutes later. After attempting to speak to the host multiple times, she seemed very overwhelmed and was assuring us that our table would be ready soon. There were so many people there that had a reservation and were waiting for a table...but there is no waiting area! The bar was packed because of people sitting and now the added group of people waiting? We were almost shoulder to shoulder with everyone that was waiting. As a restaurant that has a seemingly strict 2 hour table policy, it was being VERY poorly enforced. After we were seated and were able to order our food, our server was pretty inaccessible. Attempting to order a drink or anything else would take such a long time and the music was so loud it was hard to communicate to others to see if we could locate him. He would show up very infrequently which made me not want to order anything additionally. A couple pros were that the restaurant is beautiful! Also, napkin toss was a super fun and lively experience and the food was good once we received it. Although Balos attempted to compensate us for our wait, I was still severely disappointed and frustrated with our experience. A place with so many rules and expectations for its consumers not upholding its own expectations. I feel like had we not gone there hungry, it maybe would have been a more enjoyable experience. But the wait for our table and the infrequent service made it almost impossible. Although it was a fun place, I doubt that I will be returning.

Amber F.

Balos is an incredible place to dine or enjoy a tea or dessert I ordered a baklava and enjoyed incredible honey ice cream and a crispy Philo dough baklava which was incredibly good. The matcha drink was exceptional as well and service was incredible the indoor ambience and decor was decorated with beautiful florals and live music. This is an amazing spot to visit with friends and experience a lively ambience anytime of day

Crème brûlée
Tia M.

Balos is not just a restaurant--it is an experience. From the moment you walk in, the ambience pulls you in. It is warm, stylish, and inviting, making it perfect for everything, date night, girls' night out, or just a place to unwind and reconnect. I came with my girls, and we ended up staying for over three hours because the vibe was just that good. I started with the cucumber margarita, recommended by the bartender. I was a little hesitant at first, but let me tell you, IT WAS PERFECT! Refreshing, balanced, and exactly what I needed to ease into the night. Once we were seated, they brought out warm pita and fresh hummus, and that alone set the tone for the entire evening. From there, we shared the Greek salad, and it was absolutely top tier. Fresh, flavorful, and so good that even thinking about it now makes me want more. Next came the calamari, lightly fried and seasoned to perfection. Delicious on its own, but when you added the sauces? Game changer. Elevated in the best way. For my entrée, I ordered the lamb chops with fries, and listen--those lamb chops were seasoned to the bone. Don't ask me how I know, just trust me on this one. LOL Every bite was flavorful and cooked perfectly. I also had a taste of the Seafood Youvetsi, made with a white sauce instead of marinara, and I already know what I am ordering next time. No hesitation. Everything about Balos, from the food, to the drinks, to the atmosphere, was intentional and welcoming. This is the kind of place you go when you want more than a meal. You go for the moment, the connection, and the experience.

Smore espresso martini
Latoya J.

I don't even know where to start I had the most amazing experience at Balos celebrating my birthday! Even with my friend (who was also celebrating her birthday) arriving an hour late, the Balos staff was incredibly accommodating and gracious. They treated us with top-notch service and the patience of saints. I am beyond grateful for how well they took care of us. Now... the food. OMG, the food was unbelievable! The grilled octopus was the best I've ever had no exaggeration. Perfectly tender, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The lamb was cooked to perfection: juicy, well-seasoned, and absolutely delicious. The fried eggplant and zucchini crisp was delightful, and the flaming cheese saganaki was a major highlight. It's one of my favorite dishes anywhere, and they executed it flawlessly. The drinks were strong and so good, and the price point is fantastic especially for DC. The vibes were immaculate. Elegant but fun, warm but lively. It truly felt like an experience, not just a meal. This was a birthday dinner I won't soon forget. Balos exceeded my expectations in every way, and I'll definitely be back!

Mediterranean salad

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Ask the Community - Balos Estiatorio

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