I've been to Blacksalt several times, but most recently on a Saturday with 6 pm reservations. Our table of 3 ordered grilled calamari and I ordered the snapper. I also got a maple panna cotta for dessert. All things were very delicious. My only not so positive feedback was the waiter. He was nice, but quite slow. I could tell that others were picking up the slack Overall the experience was a positive one and the food outweighs any negative I can think of. If you wanted to visit for the small market at the front of the restaurant, I can imagine it's of equal quality. read more

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Food quality has declined while the prices have tripled. Way TOO EXPENSIVE!!!!!! over $200 for takeout! We threw most of the food in the trash...it was awful! We left an enormous tip too...why I don't know. Get over yourself!!! Concentrate on good edible food!!!! read more

I took my young adult niece and nephew here for a bit of sophisticated fun at happy hour prices. We settled into our booth and took our time perusing the menu in happy anticipation. My niece spotted the hard cider with notes of guava and passionfruit, two of my favorite fruits - I was sold! But she gave me the slip and ordered the classic champagne cocktail as her choice. In the end we were both happy. The Oysters Rockefeller came with three plump bivalves, perfect for each of us to enjoy one. Other big hits: Provencal seafood stew with a nice variety of shellfish and a wood grilled cheeseburger with smoky cheese (though parts of it were exceedingly rare). We probably wouldn't order the smoked tuna flatbread again. And no reason to order hummus when there are so many more interesting things to choose from. We had a fabulous time and left with happy memories. read more

3.5 stars. Tried the wood grilled calamari and catch of the day. Food was fine, but nothing special. The squid and fish were cooked well, but the flavors were just okay. The fish was small in portion too. read more

BlackSalt - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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"Food is excellent, portion sizes are somewhat large, and the taste is delectable" was the review our 9-year old gave after sharing mussels and the bouillabaisse with his grandmother. The service was impeccable, and we really enjoyed the open kitchen and the vibes of the restaurant. When you walk in, you're overwhelmed by the display of fresh fish, which can all be cooked to order. What a great experience! Can't wait to return to DC to go to this one. read more

BlackSalt - Bouillabaisse - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Fabulous dinner here! Everything was wonderful from the service to the food to the wine. Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area! read more

BlackSalt - Seafood counter - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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BlackSalt is well worth a visit. The restaurant has a beautiful space to share a meal and has a little market up front with a selection of things like pasta and drinks. The fish all tasted really fresh and dishes were really good. Our server was very sweet and attentive. The bread they start you out with is really yummy and we loved that they had three different types on the plate. The seafood tower was pretty big and everything was fresh. The oysters were the best but the crab meat was also pretty tasty. We got the popular crab cakes for our main and loved them. The crab cakes were pretty big and were incredible. I've gotten them before and I will keep ordering them as long as we come here. All in all, this is a great restaurant for an awesome dinner. read more

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Great food and ambiance I enjoyed it and I'll definitely go back again - good happy hour read more

BlackSalt - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Upon entering, you'll walk into a marketplace that sells amazing looking seafood. Walk a bit further back and you'll see a bar and the restaurant area follows. Staff working the market and bar were very friendly and attentive. Several people were buying fresh seafood. There was an abundance of different fish, mussels and shrimp. We simply popped into the bar for a quick happy hour cocktail. They had a variety of cocktail and wine specials to choose from, ranging from about $8-$15. I look forward to coming back for dinner, and doing a little shopping next time! read more

Pricey but worth it for a special occasion. Street parking can be difficult. Dined here recently with friends & really enjoyed the soft shell crabs. Excellent service. Ask for a quiet table in the back. There's a fish market as you enter the restaurant. I thought it smelled a bit fishy. Entree were in the $50+ range. read more

Another wonderful visit to BlackSalt. The chowder and crab cake sandwich were excellent. HOWEVER, on a whim I also picked up some potato salad to go from their grab and go section. I'm not usually a potato salad person but when I say I devoured this container, it was that outrageously good! read more

My husband and I visited this place for the first time and had a wonderful dinner. The waiter was very helpful and friendly, and the food was impressive. I ordered tuna, while my husband had salmon. The poke was also tasty, and we enjoyed all the food we tried. It was an excellent experience! Highly recommend read more

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I went to celebrate a birthday at Blacksalt and they won my heart. Find out why.... So after getting my reservation to Blacksalt, I called to confirm and made a request about my guest's birthday. When I got there and looked at the menu, it had Happy Birthday written on it and that made my guest really happy. The staff were very sweet. Probably one of the best service I have seen in my entire life. Everyone is so courteous and kind. Food was the best. Oysters were fresh and delicious. The rest of the food was amazing as well. They brought a small cup cake with a candle at the end for my guest and that was very cute. Would love to give the entire experience 4.9/5 Definitely one of the best spots for sea food in DC. read more

This is one of the few restaurants in DC that has a happy hour from 4-6 pm even on a Sunday. Menu's not extensive and prices although lower than the regular menu versions are still about the same as other less expensive restaurants. Food quality however is consistently delicious and presentations is good. We had fish tacos, tuna flatbread, and crab cakes and 2 beers at $6 and $7. About $90 for two people before tip. Only thing that made this a 4 star rating is they charge a fee if you use a credit card - surprising for a restaurant of this calibre to do this as it is a practice not usually seen in the US and even overseas for the last few years. read more

Saturday happy hour is great. One of the favorite restaurants in DC area. Seafood stow is my recommendation

Nothing but good things to say. A bit off the beaten track but worth the trip. We checked out happy hour right before dinner. Oysters rockefeller was excellent! Adies mussels were good. Calamari was a good portion. Drinks were good and not watered down. Staff were extremely nice and inviting. There's a fish market up front and the restaurant in the back. Not too big but intimate. Try sitting in the Cafe to have access to the happy hour and dinner menu. I will be back to try more things! read more

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Food, Service, and Ambiance were stellar! Seafood and wine selections were exceptional. Desserts were very good.

Entiment dining! food delicious and appealing . Try it youll wsnt to go again soon Large menu staff very well trained. Yummy try 3 or 4 courses read more

Came in to celebrate our anniversary. Service was great (they even had custom menu's for us saying "Happy Anniversary"). We really enjoyed house bread and the appetizers, butter poached lobster and the best clam chowder I have ever tasted. My wife also really liked her halibut. I was not as impressed with the Japanese stew, of which some bites were quite good and others were so full of the shredded ginger to be almost inedible. Some of the seafood also was very over cooked and rubbery. (I have had the provencal stew in the past and greatly prefer it). Desserts were also very good. Service was great and as good or better than you'd expect from a place at this price point. There was a large party nearby, which was very loud. We didn't notice until after we were seated and we could still hear each other most of the time, but it definitely subtracted from the experience. read more

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This place is so cute. Bar area was really busy. And they do have dining room that reminds me of Vintage style. Menu was well curated and service was great I got tuna tartare. Was great. And octopus salad. No complains. Crab cake sandwich was delicious. Followed by great desert. Chocolate mouse i believe with ice cream. They had many different oysters and more interesting dishes. I will try to next time. Friendly bartenders. Parking - street. Wasn't too hard to find. On sat late afternoon. read more

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Great happy hour and dinner for any occasion. Staff is awesome and food is great. Great ambiance and the dining room is isolated and quiet for a great peaceful meal with friends and family. Street parking but you do get ample spot. If you come during happy hour come early to get a table quickly. Would definitely recommend to anyone. read more

Wow! BlackSalt! Been here forever, it proved tonight just exactly why it has remained a Washington DC favorite for such a long time. This place has it all - great food, great atmosphere, great service all rolled into a comfortable place to be. We had a 13 year old gift certificate to a different "Black" restaurant and they honored it at BlackSalt with absolutely no question. To me, that was the 1st indication of great customer service. I know, I know, every restaurant and retail establishment should honor its gift cards no matter how old. But, really, 13 years??? What was our problem? I guess we really have not been to BlackSalt in that time but that is on us! I appreciate that BlackSalt did not make us work for this gift certificate! The bread service was great (seriously, when was the last time a bread service impressed you???). Slices of baguettes and their version of Parker House rolls. Olive oil mixure with red pepper flakes poured into our dishes from a napkin rolled glass bottle. The bread was warm and fresh; the oil was a perfect foil. Things had started out great! For an appetizer, we shared mussels Belgian style. These too were great. The mussels were probably the biggest I have ever seen - not the shells which were normal sized. But the mussels themselves, inside the shells, were huge - like the size of sliders! Great! The Belgian sauce was perfect - just salty enough, just bacon-y enough, just garlicky enough - perfect! Then our main courses. I selected the wood grilled ahi tuna, mostly because I wanted something with an Asian flair. This had a Thai red curry sauce that floated around like a cloud - just a touch of it on the tuna was enough to hint at strong intense heat while balancing it out with the softer flavors of Thai basil, peanut sauce and cilantro. And the jasmine rice was likewise perfect. The chefs achieved a perfect balance with this dish. In fact, I think that this might be the most perfect dish I have ever had anywhere! My spouse got the halibut special with an herbed crust. Now, I've been around the block with halibut throughout my life. But this halibut pleasantly surprised me. First of all, the piece was HUGE and THICK!!! It was firm like red meat. It was juicy and flaky due to the masterful searing it had received. It formed the savory, pure core of a freakin fantastic dish. The surrounding sauce that included sunchoke, celeriac, carrot, et al, enveloped each bite but did NOT overpower the fish at all at any time. The salt level of the sauce was, at 1st bite, almost too much; however, when you chewed and mixed the sauce with the fish, it was pure heaven. How did the chef know exactly how much salt to use in order to create a perfectly seasoned dish as a whole??? This is where BlackSalt's skill and experience show up! The service too was top notch! Our waiter was Dan - Dan the Man as he said. Not Daniel - too stuffy. Not Danny - too familiar. Just Dan. He was friendly. He was knowledgeable about the menu and the ingredients and the mixing of the various dishes. He also showed a willingness to give his opinion on the food, something that I especially appreciate. Dan also had a fantastic culinary expertise himself. Everything he told us about our food turned out to be true. Accolades to Dan for helping to create a great evening for us! Dan will have a long and successful career as a great waiter! He is that good! If there is one negative - and I suppose I am always looking to criticize (it is a review after all) - it would be the decor. The dining room has not been re-done in a long time. While it works, it is tired. Time to spiff up the decor, BlackSalt, to match the quality of food and service! Is this review too much, too great, too perfect??? I fear it is! I fear you will think I am a family member of the owner or an investor. I am NONE of those things. I am a guy, just a guy, a regular guy who loves to eat great food. And that is what BlackSalt delivered to us tonight! If 2023 is as good as our meal tonight, we are in for a VERY GOOD YEAR!!! I highly recommend BlackSalt! read more

BlackSalt - The wood grilled Ahi Tuna that made me swoon!!! - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food was very good. The service was OK. They forgot to bring us bread, and the rest of the service was OK. The food was great. We had 6 west coast oysters to start and they were great. I had the halibut and my spouse had the crab cake. We shared the dark chocolate cake dessert. If the service had been a little better, they would have scored a five. We went on Sunday night, and the place was quite busy. read more

Have always loved Blacksalt for special occasions. I recently discovered their happy hour menu!! Amazing food and service at a great price point! Oysters, sandwiches, cocktails. read more

My wife and I had a wonderful evening here. The food was excellent, the best we've had in recent memory. We followed the recommendations of Ryan, our server, and Will the extraordinarily gracious manager who guided us well and took great care of us through the evening. We even managed to have a nice time with our 10 month old in tow. Somehow the acoustics made it possible for us to hear each other talk without feeling like our baby was disturbing other diners. We look forward to returning soon. read more

I went here for my birthday and had a great time!! The service was wonderful! The food was amazing, and it was a very fun, bustling scene! The food was actually too good! I so overate!! I enjoyed everything, starting with the delicious selection of bread. I loved my lobster appetizer and greatly enjoyed the calamari for the table! I should add that they offer both clam chowder and lobster bisque, which both looked great! I then enjoyed a most unusual presentation of crabcakes! I got the butterscotch dessert, and they also brought me a special treat for my birthday! They also printed on all the menus a birthday message for me, which was a nice touch! It was definitely my type of menu! Lots of unique dishes and plenty of lobster! And they did an excellent job with my Long Island iced teas! Always, very important!! :) A wonderful restaurant that I would highly recommend!! read more

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BlackSalt is always an enjoyable experience and who doesnt love amazing food for a fantastic deal such as restaurant week. This time, we started with drinks "Bernie's Mittens (holiday in a glass) and the "Dark & Smokey" and the bread plate - their cornbread is SO good! For the first course, we enjoyed the calamari (so lightly fried and tender) and the mussels which are always ace! We followed up with the scallops and swordfish. The swordfish was tender and juicy and the parsnip/potato puree has the slightest sweet element to it - fantastic!! We ended with dessert - key lime pie, which I've repeatedly heard is delicious but I'm not a fan and the apple strudel. Served warm with a small scoop of ice cream - I happily cleaned the plate. BlackSalt is good any time of the year and always has the freshest ingredients and great food. Of course I'll be back! read more

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BlackSalt provided us the overall best dining experience we had in the DMV during pandemic / quarantine 2020, which we did not doubt for a moment would be the case. While we are former die-hard fans of Fabio Trabocchi's DC restaurants, we got sick of food & service from them being hit or miss during the past couple years . We also used to frequent Mastro's in D.C. until we determined we didn't like the sprinkles of racial discrimination with the lamb chops and scallops. When it came down to deciding where we'd spend our 2020 anniversary dinner in DC we knew we wanted amazing seafood, amazing service, great ambiance, great cocktails, and some place we knew we could count on to deliver all the above in the middle of a pandemic AND a holiday weekend... BlackSalt nailed it like they do for ever single special occasion, every date night, every holiday, and any other random happy hour or dinner we've enjoyed with them. They're without question, thee best seafood restaurant you'll find in DC or the entire DMV and this has remained consistently true for years, but to still be delivering FLAWLESS execution on all fronts from the time you make reservations, are warmly greeted upon arrival, until you leave DURING A PANDEMIC to me is just mind blowing!!! They made our anniversary dinner feel as though there was no pandemic happening and we were in paradise... or Heaven.... or wherever your mind takes you when you think of divinely delicious cuisine coupled with exquisite service and ambiance and rounds of champagne. Managers JJ & Jim Sole have done well to train and lead their team to being like a well oiled machine operating as DC's very best place to dine, celebrate, enjoy a night on the town, or have a date night sure not to be easily forgotten. Thanks to them and the entire BlackSalt team for making our anniversary one for the books. read more

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Some of the BEST fish tacos I've EVER eaten! The calamari was delicious, and the star of the show was the ginger beer(non alcoholic) and it was so refreshing. Our waiter Will was so sweet and patient! He really knew the menu and made the experience sooooo much better. Also, I called back to get the name of the wine my mom had and they connected me to Will and he politely looked up the name on the bottle and gave it to me! EXCELLENT service read more

Went here on a recommendation from the Michelin guide and were not disappointed. Went went local on the seafood and the waitstaff's recommendations were without disappointment. read more

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BlackSalt stands alone as DC's finest seafood restaurant, PERIOD. The impeccable service, attention to detail and sourcing of the purest selections of seafood available in the Washington region make BlackSalt a leader in a crowded industry. Tonight I enjoyed the scallops, calamari and other delectable items. Per usual, I enjoyed every single bite. The ambiance at BlackSalt, especially the back room past the wine cellar, screams boutique neighborhood haunt. Perfect for a date night or those celebrating an anniversary also. If you visit DC regularly or live in DC, this place must be experienced. You must try it. You will NOT be disappointed. read more

BlackSalt - Calamari, Scallops, and Ora King Salmon Poke - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Customer service at its best. This place has it all. Amazing food, great atmosphere, attention to detail, clean and cozy. My wife loves this place. I made a reservation for her birthday. The restaurant printed out a special menu with the date and a line saying "happy birthday" for our table .. Customized menus for us. How special is that??? After COVID many restaurants lost customer service , attention to detail. It seems like most restaurants are running short staff and it shows on the service level. NOT BLACKSALT This place has it together. Another example. When they brought our food, the ladies on the table get their plate 1st , then everyone else after. We noticed those details. That's why they deserve 5 starts . Simply put, quality with taste. I highly recommend it . Plus the food is amazing. read more

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Man OH MAN. I wish we came here later at night so I could sleep the night away on such a delectable entree. The FLAAVOR THO?! I couldn't even call it flavor, that ish is ART. art I devoured and wished there were seconds. We ordered half the menu to go, so dreams really do come true. LMAO Alright but fr, the service, the food, the aura of the restaurant, the location... did I mention the food? Anyways. Idk why you're reading still, JUST GO read more

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A most ex cellent dining experience. BlackSalt has that great mix of casual market vibes coupled with a cutting edge menu with excellent food. When you walk in, there's a small seafood market as well as other items for sale before you pass the bar on your way to their dining room. Decor is modern and clean which certainly fits their motif. The menu is mostly seafood and we had a fantastic meal. The oysters here are fresh and reasonably priced (at least compared to NYC). The crab cakes here are first class - lump meat with barely any filler and just a small amount of mayo to bind them together. Thai curry was decent but it tasted like they used Indian curry powder instead of Thai curry paste in their broth. Service here is excellent and attentive. Prices are commensurate with fine dining establishments in most metro areas. Thumbs up. read more

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Yum ...and wonderful staff. I had lunch with my husband and our baby and they were so accommodating. Will definitely return to try other entrees. read more

BlackSalt - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've been to Black Salt so many times through the years, and it's always, consistently delicious. It's got the best oysters in town, the freshest seafood (with a seafood shop in front of the restaurant), and a great wine list. At the bar at happy hour, it can feel like a local watering hole of locals - happy hour here is one of DC's best secrets. But on a weekend night in the dining room, it's also fun and filled with people who are serious about food. I love that Black Salt keeps everyone's favorites on the menu over the years, like the fried clams and grilled octopus. But the menu is always updated with new items too. Last night we started with a dozen boutique oysters, a mix of West coasters and some fat Wellfleets. Amazing. Then we split the Ora King Salmon poke, a generous serving with with seaweed salad and kimchi. One of us got the seafood stew, Japanese style, which is light and filled with fish, mussels, and prawns. The other got the branzino with grilled artichokes. At the end, don't miss the perfect key lime pie tarts! read more

I really wanted to like this restaurant based off the menu but I wasn't fully impressed in comparison to the price I paid. Nice feel and ambiance of the restaurant - was cool with the fish market being right in front when you walk in. It was my boyfriends birthday and I feel like the lack of care was there even though I noted it in my reservation. The waiter felt like he was just kind of going through the motions. The food took quite awhile to come out and it felt like we were waiting a really long time in between courses. The food through was all extremely well prepared and tasted delicious. read more

BlackSalt - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I can't believe I've never written a review about Blacksalt. We went there for the first time a few years ago and go back as often as we can. DC doesn't have a lot of (good) seafood restaurants, and Blacksalt is just fabulous. We've done the regular dinner menu (stuff that's on there more often + daily specials), brunch, and the tasting menu. It's all been delicious, but I think the tasting menu is the cream of the crop and a real gem. We've only done the 5 course dinner (7 is a bit much for us), but I think it's pretty reasonable for $90pp, and you can't beat a $50 wine pairing when others in the area cost much more than that. For the quality and the taste of what you're getting, if you like seafood, this is a can't-miss. Jeffrey is always wonderful in describing the wines. Service has been great almost every time we've gone. The restaurant is divided into several parts - the fish market, the bar area, the main restaurant area, and a 'fancier' area in the back. We like dining in the back because it's much more quiet, and often, we're doing the tasting menu and want to hear about the wines we're having and the menu items (the tasting menu changes daily). It just feels like more of a 'splurge' when sitting in the back area. The main restaurant area is louder and just 'feels' more casual. Needless to say, both parts of the restaurant have their charms depending on your mood and what you're feeling. If you're a seafood fan, I can't recommend Blacksalt enough. read more

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I came here for a business dinner and the location was in a great spot in DC with plenty of street parking. Upon entry, they have a small, modest market for to-go items and seafood specials that guests can opt-in for. Passing the market, you have the bar on your right with some booth tables and some additional seating in the back of the restaurant. We were comfortably seated as a group of 7 and the menu was extensive with fresh seafood and catch of the day. I opted in for their wood grilled ahi tuna dish which came with a mild curry sauce, jasmine rice and medium to rare tuna. The curry flavor paired well with the fish and not too notable. While the dish as a whole was good, I was not super impressed with the flavors. Although, their tuna was very fresh and would recommend others to try their seafood here. read more

Absolutely delicious. A nice neighborhood restaurant, upscale but you don't have to dress up (unless you want to). Everything had some kind of flair or distinction, which I love. And the specials change often. The sashimi (which was not just plain sashimi) was outstanding, as was the seafood cocktail-a really delicious combination of avo mousse, a tomato cocktail sauce that was not your typical cocktail sauce, and a tender not chewy selection of seafood. The fried clams (fresh) and the octopus were equally as good, and the blackberry tart for dessert was excellent. The dessert choices were as fun & interesting as the rest of the menu. Service was great, everyone was really nice, prices were definitely $$$ but the food was worth it. read more