RIS has been a staple in the area since 2005, and despite living nearby since 2000, I only recently made my way there, thanks to a friend's suggestion. With so many new spots popping up, it's easy to overlook the classics. I decided it was time to revisit some reliable favorites, and RIS did not disappoint. The atmosphere is inviting, making it a perfect spot for a cozy dinner. The service was attentive and friendly, adding to the overall pleasant experience. Plus, the discounted parking is a nice touch. For drinks, we tried the Uber Black Manhattan and the Hialeah Holiday, both of which were expertly crafted. We started with the Prince Edward Island Mussels, which were delicious and perfectly cooked. For the entree, my dining companion ordered the Pepita Crusted Salmon, while I opted for Chicken Milanese both dishes were fantastic. To cap off the evening, we indulged in the Chocolate, Coffee & Hazelnut Cake, a sweet ending that was simply divine. Shout out to RIS Locoste and the team. We dined sufficiently. read more

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Another Restaurant Week 2025 stop: Ris.What pulled me in? A standout menu featuring delicious dishes, flexible pricing tiers, and a clever twist--if you're not flying solo or ravenous, you can swap one of your courses for a glass of house wine or beer. Yes, please. We grabbed seats at the bar, where Greg took great care of us. With a chilled glass of rosé in hand, (though on the menu) he remind us by pointing out the course swap. We split the mussels appetizer (excellent), enjoyed our own entrees, and shared a dessert. Though honestly, I instantly regretted splitting that dessert... it was that good. And the scoop of ice cream? The perfect finishing touch. Bonus points to Greg for going the extra mile and helping me figure out if the patron down the bar was someone I knew (verdict: was not). The food? Delicious.The service? Top-notch. Don't let the construction nearby deter you--Ris is open, and worth the visit. read more

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I am eating this for the dessert which was delicious. I had the food as well but the dessert was the star. This restaurant has a very interesting menu and I was told to come back for meatloaf day because it is very popular. I don't eat red meat but I will come back for dessert. Good job Ris! read more

RIS - Chocolate Crème Brûlée - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This restaurant was chosen for dinner during my recent trip to DC due to its location to where the conference I was attending took place and for serving solid new-American-styled cuisine. Considering we had a few people in our party, RIS was a good experience without being incredibly remarkable. The service was attentive. The cocktails were decent; the sidecar was a tasty selection from the menu, made with cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice and rimmed with sugar. The interior design was warm and inviting, borderline intimate with the lighting that works well for dates. Food-wise wasn't as mind blowing as I anticipated. The Scallop Margarita was my favorite dish of the evening. Made with chilies, avocado and oranges, the scallops were yummy served with the with sour cream, tequila ice and tortilla chips. Overall, the RIS cheeseburger was solid but I found the meat used to be a little underwhelming especially with the onion jam. However, the presentation was lovely with the house-made potato roll. I can't say there was anything disappointing about the experience but compared to other restaurants in the area, there isn't a lot that stands out RIS from the rest. read more

RIS - Nice dining area. Stylish and sophisticated. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We visited for restaurant week. Food was great, delicious and filling. This reminded me of the restaurants my grandparents used to love to go to - traditional style food, big plates. Not a sharing type of situation. The service was great and everyone was kind and attentive read more

Had a fantastic dinner at Ris. We were in a small room and had apps, dinners and dessert. It was a great meal and we were able to really talk because the atmosphere was pretty quiet. The pasta I had was amazing. The only bad part was my foot falling asleep while I was sitting. I tried to stand up and literally fell on my butt. The staff was super helpful. Great great dinner read more

RIS - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Their crispy red snapper is really good; impressive presentation too. Comes with a very nice soy sauce type of sauce and white rice. They even provide chopsticks for the full authentic experience. For dessert try their lime mirroir; deliciously tangy Tea is served in a beautiful metallic Asian style tea pot. Good ambiance with okay noise level (these days many restaurants are so noisy you can't hear each other) read more

Went for restaurant week . The best deal in town. Had the fries green tomatoes ( ok), the lamb kabobs (wonderful) and the lime and blueberry cheese cake ( wonderful). Service was top notch, and the space is lovely and relaxing. read more

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Just not really anything redeeming about this place. There were times where we had to flag the server because we just weren't being served even though the place wasn't busy. - Clam linguini, it was a lot of pasta, not a lot of clams - overall tasted good but nothing outstanding 3/5 - Milanese - this is not Milanese, it's a breaded chicken breast 2/5 - Portuguese seafood stew - my mom said this was good and did come with a lot of seafood, but as it should for the price 4/5 - Dessert Trio - overall these were good but they weren't exactly the same as what was listed in the menu 3/5 just because the menu was misleading read more

I stumbled on this place after looking for somewhere to have lunch. I was greeted by a nice and pleasant host. I can tell when I walked in that it's a Foggy Bottom favorite, because it had this old DC feel to it. I ordered the clam pasta, which was really good. Very flavorful with a hint of heat from the crushed pepper flakes, and the drinks were good. read more

During our visit to DC, we went to this restaurant. I highly recommend this place. Service was outstanding. Our server kept checking on us and food was so yummy. Fried green tomato is a must try. It was so delicious. I highly recommend it, if you visit this restaurant. Restaurant has a nice view and it is walking to hotels. If I am back in DC, I will for sure go back to this restaurant. read more

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Winter Restaurant Week review First, it is always a pleasure to support local restaurants during restaurant week, especially those offering special prices for delicious selections. Service: Upon entry, the host was very friendly and accommodating but our server, not so much. I dare to say that he was a bit snappy and that is why I removed a star. Best practice, if a customer doesn't understand a dish, take a moment to explain it and not openly show frustration. Beverages: the red wine I selected was a perfect pair to my dish and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My friend ordered a cocktail and from the picture, you can see that her drink finished after 2 sips. Appetizers: It was a few of us dining so I'll run through reviews: My dish: The salmon tartar was DIVINE! I can see myself returning to enjoy this again. French Onion Soup: My friend did not enjoy her soup and mentioned that it lacked flavor. Soup of the day: My other friend thoroughly enjoyed her vegetable soup and said that it was a perfect compliment to the cold weather. Main Entree: My dish: I ordered the clam linguini and opted out of the original cheese base because of dietary restrictions. I have to say that I dreaded this decision because the wine sauce which was added was not suffice and my dish was dry and tasteless. I didn't enjoy it nor did I enjoy the leftovers, even after asking for more wine sauce to be added. Friend 1: My friend was raving about how delicious her fried chicken dish was and that the sides complimented it all. Friend 2: I did not get a picture of her dish but note that because of her dissatisfaction with the French onion soup, she did take her meal home and did not try it there. Dessert: Chocolate crème brûlée: My selection and the BEST I've ever had. Might I add that the slice of pear on top was simply sweet and delicious. Warm Apple Crostata: both of my friends had the warm apple crostata, each with different ice cream flavors. Both raved about how delicious it was and I was happy to hear because it added a sweet silver lining to my dislike for my entree. Overall, I would make dinner reservations again and probably try their lunch as well. I of course would run far from any dry pasta option lol read more

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I have visited this restaurant several times over the past few years and it never fails to satisfy. Great food, steady service with a great setting. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a classy atmosphere. read more

From the hostess at the front counter who was friendly and welcoming to our waiter who was attentive and gave great suggestions for dinner and dessert. This place is really cute with the decor and candles on the table. The food was good and the location was great. read more

Ris has been a favorite of mine since it opened! The food and service are consistently top notch. I took a colleague for lunch and we were able to enjoy our meal and discussion without feeling rushed or forgotten. The environment is professional but comfortable. read more

This place is delish! Perfect for a dinner with parents/date night/fancier night out. We started with the margarita scallops with tequila ice which was definitely unique! And also the friend green tomatoes which tasted like comfort! For mains we had the beef tenderloin which was great!! Perfectly cooked and super juicy in every bite. Also has the salmon which was good with a lot of flavor and a nice selection of veggie sides. For dessert had the chocolate semifreddo which was kind of like a mix between mousse and ice cream. It was very creamy and the chocolate raspberry combo was a 10/10 read more

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Just visiting from LA and caught up with friends here. Location is great just outside Georgetown. The fried green tomatoes were excellent as were the meatballs and spaghetti (Wednesday's special). Got the peach tart and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The crostini with the meatballs was primo. Good service read more

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Everything was very good! I came here for lunch during restaurant week (3 courses for $25) with a coworker. Food 4/5 A steal for all that we ordered! Certain items like the steak were an up charge but it's totally worth it! Portions were excellent, and each course was flavorful. The clam linguine in the garlic white wine sauce, Parmesan cheese, chili flakes, and croutons was the star of the show. It taste like it needed a little salt and fresh ground pepper though. The butterscotch pudding was incredibly creamy and I enjoyed every bite. Service 4/5 Our waiter was very nice and sweet. The food just took a little long to come out, and I noticed other tables complained about that too. Ambiance 5/5 Very upscale vibes! read more

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During our visit to Washington, DC, the Ritz Carlton gives recommendations on nearby restaurants so we choose Ris since it was a 3 minute walk from hotel. Upon arrival the hostess was soo nice and gracious. Great table with good service. Burger & fries $26. The salmon was very good. Overall a wonderful relaxing experience. read more

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This review reflects my experience dining out with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that requires me to maintain a diet free of gluten (including cross contact). SERVICE: 5/5 stars DRINKS: 5/5 stars FOOD: 3.5/5 stars AMBIANCE: 4/5 stars VALUE: 3/5 stars OVERALL RATING: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up for Yelp rating) I was not familiar with RIS prior to dining there tonight. For dinner, I joined nine members of my volunteer group for a networking session at RIS. As someone with a severe food allergy, I found RIS's menu lacking--there are no allergy markings, no one posted a photo of an alternate menu for dinners with sensitivities or intolerances, and few reviews noted how the restaurant would handle modifications for those with a food allergy. However, when I went to order, the waitress indicated that most of their menu could be made gluten-free. As a habitual chicken consumer, I asked about the chicken Milanese; the waitress indicated that the kitchen could cook the chicken using a simple preparation, leaving off the breading. She confirmed the sides--arugula and capicola salad and garlic potatoes--were safe for those avoiding gluten to consume. My dish was very good--moist, flavorful, and varied in taste (tomato vinaigrette topping the chicken, plus the sides). I did not experience symptoms of gluten exposure in the 24 hours following dining at RIS. To accompany my dinner, I had three Madras cocktails, which were very well made. I am picky about drinks, and these did not leave me lacking. Our networking session host coordinated with the restaurant owner to get us separate checks. Amazingly, RIS did not add a service fee or automatic gratuity (despite our party size). I would visit RIS again, though primarily for the drinks. In the future, I would request the kitchen mark up the menu to note which items were wholly gluten-free and those that could be gluten-free with modification. I was very nervous about this dining experience, but thankfully it turned out fine. read more

RIS - Chicken Milanese, modified to accommodate a gluten-free diet (i.e., the chicken was prepared without breading). - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

What a great menu... and amazing environment. So many dishes to order as this menu has so many options. The octopus salad was so tasty and a great start to the meal. Such an expansive drinks menu too! I had the seafood stew. Just done so well... including presentation! The salmon looked so good on my wife's plate. The leak crusted potato cake was tremendous. We need to go back to try more of this menu. The hostess was welcoming and enthusiastic!!!! read more

Had a great work dinner. Service was great. Nice quiet atmosphere where we could enjoy food and drink and still chat. Had some great appetizers, dinner and desert with great drink options. read more

Is this a hotel restaurant? It screams hotel restaurant for some reason. The decor is stale but comfortable. The salmon and halibut were really good. Doris' Delight is just regular ice cream with a few toppings. Overall, the place is pretty solid with a lot of seafood options. read more

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Celebrated my birthday at RIS for dinner and a show at the Kennedy Center nearby - and the staff and food never disappoint! Their recommendations for the Portuguese Seafood Stew and Beef Medallion delivered in flavor and portion. Because of the special occasion, they included the shrimp tempura appetizer on the house which was a nice surprise and really tasty! We probably wouldn't have ordered it otherwise, but now knowing how good it was, we probably will look out for it next time. We ended the dinner with an apple crostini for dessert - also highly recommended by our waitress. It was the perfect blend of hot and cold, flaky and soft. read more

RIS - Portuguese Seafood Stew - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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exceptional dinner before the NSO at Kennedy Center. gracious, quick service. lovely location only blocks away from the theatre. delicious Black Manhattan - the amaro adds a slightly different twist. we generally love charcuterie or cheese boards to begin a meal and the Daily Board was an excellent starter. fantastic pâté. we both had seafood. the pepito crusted salmon was nicely prepared and tasty, but the Portugese seafood stew was the standout - superb. finished up with the lime miroir. great finale. we also happened to be seated near a window to the hotel valet parking & amused ourselves watching the pricey cars come and go. read more

We went with the Team Lunch Holiday Party! Beautiful private room with excellent service. I order: Crown of Cauliflower - Amazing Delicious High End Quality with Vegan option (no Yogurt). I ate Honey and they accommodated my diet! Taste is heavenly! Will cone back and try again. Beautiful and clean plan! Thank you. read more

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Just went here for Restaurant Week. So good! The food is delicious, although it might have been too expensive if it weren't for the Restaurant Week deal. And the plating is beautiful; the food was *almost* too pretty to eat! But I couldn't stop eating: I'm so full from all the great food! The ambiance is very nice, and the staff are friendly, too. I would definitely go back! read more

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WOW! This was one of the best dining experiences I had in DC thus far! I attended a private dinner here for a conference my husband was a part of, so this is a review of that, not the typical dining experience. Ambiance: dark lighting, fancy, feels very upscale. We sat in a private room for our party which was very comfortable and blocked out the noise from the rest of the restaurant and was perfect for our event. Food: I wish I had taken a picture of the menu to know what to order again. We started off with probably the best tomato soup (with a meatball) I've ever had, and I tried my husband's mixed green salad which was also incredible. I was blown away by both and probably would return just for those. Then we had our entrees, the chicken milanese (fantastic) and a short rib dish (my husband liked it). For dessert, we had the chocolate semifreddo which was also delicious. I wish the tomato soup was on the regular dinner menu, I don't know why it isn't! Service: Excellent for our party! Very attentive. The chef came and greeted us in our private room, which was also a pleasant delight! Overall 5/5 and I would love to come here again! I hope they have all the menu items that I mentioned above in their regular dinner menu because they were really all fantastic. read more

Just like the Yelp definition for two stars (Could've been better), this sums up our experience at RIS. I wanted to try RIS because once upon a time, RIS was on the "Washingtonian's" Top 100 Best Restaurants list for several years through 2015. After our visit, I see why it has not been on the list for a while. The menu looked interesting for this price point, and we ordered a wide range of side dishes and starters to get a broad sampling. For us the most interesting and best tasting was the crispy brussels sprouts. It was prepared with bacon, and as many of us would agree, bacon almost always makes anything better : - ) No dishes were inedible, but here are a few highlights. The texture did not fit several of the dishes. Fries and tempura are not supposed to be soggy, but both were. The salmon tartare and mussels were noticably lacking in flavor. Everything was just a little off. Service was friendly and the server support was good with clearing tables and refilling water, but our server had some disappointing moments. There was clearly a lack of understanding of the menu when we asked a couple of basic questions and when plates and utensils were cleared before bringing another round of food they were not replaced, requiring us to ask for plates and utensils when another round of food was brought to our table. To round things out on my "sandwich" review with a positive : - ) I had the "Hardest Button," a rye-based cocktail. This was a well-crafted cocktail and the bartender was not stingy on the rye, which was greatly appreciated. If we weren't going to a party, I would have gladly ordered another one. Regarding value, we had five starters or appetizers, a glass of wine, and a cocktail. The total price with tax and 20% tip was $127. The price was not bad given the location but was disappointing for the quality of the food. For us, it is not worth another visit and did not represent good value for us, but you may have a better experience. read more

This is the place to go to impress someone and have a great meal with top service. Food was excellent as was the service. Only thing, they kinda dole out the bread - like 4 slices for 4 ppl - just create a basket mix and leave it on the table...just a thought read more

Ris had a lovely atmosphere. It also had perfectly acceptable food, but for the price point I expected something more. I had a small business dinner there with some colleagues - everyone appeared to enjoy their drinks. We got some appetizers to begin - most of the folks got the scallop margarita and appeared to enjoy it. I got the house salad, with "baby lettuces, Gruyère cheese, Champagne vinaigrette" - doesn't that sound good? There were radishes as well, I believe. It was ok. The cheese and vinaigrette were very light, so I mostly felt like I was eating a plate of lettuce. The really odd bit? Two pieces of undercooked ziti sitting in the middle of the plate. Glad I'm not celiac, and not sure why a really nice restaurant would make such a mistake. I should have pointed it out to the server, but because we were at a business dinner I didn't want to seem like a PITA. I asked our server whether she thought a side was needed with the pepita salmon entree, and she felt it would be enough. Well...not really. The salmon was delicious - perfectly cooked and with a really interesting sauce/accompaniments. However, I do think it needed some kind of side. We shared a cookie plate to end our meal. Now that was awesome - delicious chocolate macaroons, melt in your mouth shortbread, and cherry oatmeal cookies. Honestly, the best part of the meal. I'd probably give it another try one of these days, or maybe just go to the bar and have some cookies. read more

The food is amazing n our server Anna did a great job, I ate here with my class 168 from DC Central Kitchen for our celebration, I'll definitely be back also the ambiance was very cozy n warm read more

Everything about Ris' place makes me happy. The open airy space that still feels warm and cozy...the fantastic service, from the minute you walk in the door to the servers and the bar staff...but what makes me happiest is the food. Several classics remain on the menu, including her pepita crusted salmon (homage to Bob Kinkead), the hoisin shrimp, and the roasted cauliflower with yoghurt and pomegranate. But there are always one or two surprises that tell me I'll never be bored no matter how often I come in. I would be remiss if I didn't rave about her Lime Miroir dessert. I recall when it was drizzled with raspberry, but today that coulis was replaced with passion fruit, which was even better. Wish I had photos. The dishes are always gorgeous! Next time. read more

Great experience. Can handle large groups in private rooms. Recommend the seafood, steaks and great desserts.

Came for restaurant week and overall had a great time at RIS but what this place is missing is ATMOSPHERE. Unclear if it's because the restaurant is in West End which isn't a particularly a going out hot spot but the energy here was really dead. Essentially empty on the Monday night of a holiday weekend at the start of restaurant week. Noththeless I really enjoyed my meal. The corn chower was great and chicken milanese was great. The chicken was just slightly dry but the acidity from the balsamic and tomatoes brightened it up and the potatoes with aioli were delicious. Also delicious was the side salad with arugula and prosciutto, YUM. My friend's French onion soup was also delicious and piping hot! The bread pudding is much more on the custard side and had a strong eggy taste but was still good and our wine selection topped off the night. We ended with espresso martini which were super pricey -- $18 each. Great drink but confusing pricing. Service is standard, nice and professional. If you're looking for a quiet spot with good food this place would be an excellent choice. Its quiet, and not overwhelming. If you're looking for somewhere with more of a vibe i.e. people, music, chatting, atmosphere, etc, this just isn't the place. read more

Went here with a couple of friends for dinner on a weeknight. The interior is polished. The ambiance is quiet and warm. Not exactly romantic, but more corporate vibes. Started with clam chowder soup, and the scallop margaritas. Both were very good. I had the salmon for dinner which was good too. The service was good but did feel a tad rushed which was weird because it was a 6:45pm reservation. read more

The kindest staff, the most delicious fried chicken and the yummiest strawberry, rhubarb tart. Chef Ris is the kindest person ever and even came out to meet my son after learning that he aspires to possibly be a chef someday. Good people and good food means I will be returning! Thanks, Ris! read more

We had the most fantastic supper at RIS last Wednesday! I had some VIP friends from out-of-town, and we got the "royal treatment" from Greg, the amazing Manager of RIS and all of our servers (we had many folks tending to our needs). The food was superb - six different meals, all great, and the snapper was the team fave. THEN, a personal visit from Chef Ris just made our wonderful evening, all the more perfect! She was lovely and made us feel so welcome! I highly recommend RIS if you want a lovely, special evening out on the town with great ambiance and in a beautiful neighborhood of DC! read more

Chose Ris for lunch with a friend as she likes an extensive RW menu and this place is probably the winner in this category. The restaurant is on the ground floor of a west end office building, with an all glass corner front, so plenty of natural light in the mid sized dining room in classic decor with white tablecloth. Regrettably the window seats here are not the best - two tops in a row instead of alongside so we opted for the quieter and more private booth seats along the wall (only imperfection here is the seat cushion in the smaller two person booth is sagging and slides uncomfortably). Overall the spacing here is not bad - 4 tops placed at angles for more privacy, and there are a couple of private dining rooms good for small groups and receptions. Service was friendly and helpful overall although as the dining room filled up to almost full some simple requests were completely forgotten. The RW menu is however excellent, although a few items have surcharges. One good thing is that instead of 3 courses, you could opt for two courses and a glass of wine, which is something I haven't seen in other restaurants but is an excellent idea, just wished they'd also offer beer or wine for more flexibility. So for starters we had the salmon tartare and French onion soup, both very good and the tartare in particular was excellent in presentation, very artistic. For entrees we had the chicken pot pie and hoisin shrimps - the shrimps are the winner here, beautifully arranged, even through with only three pieces, on a bed of well cooked rice (not every place cooks the rice right) and salad garnish. For dessert we both had the tiramisu which was so so - served in a glass cup and more like mousse without much cake. I don't usually expect much of desserts so can't say I was disappointed, just not wowed. Overall however, this would be an excellent RW choice given the menu, casually elegant atmosphere and relatively low noise environment. read more

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Stopped by this terrific upscale spot during restaurant week. Some items did have an up charge but let your mouth experience the chef's innovations. It had been awhile since I had brunch here and I am so glad I dropped in. I have to say the top-end service and atmosphere made for a classy experience consistent with my prior visit. The setting is very clean with high beamed ceilings and a contemporary modern vibe. The space is neither small nor large with a mix of wooden tables, marble, stone countertops, and fancy leather booths. There were beautiful maroon floral padded bolsters on the wall and warm decorative lighting. Impressive sandstone brick half walls divide the seating areas and there appears to be a few luxury private dining rooms in the back. Most of the tables were full with a professional looking crowd and a few families. This is a legendary foodie spot and didn't disappoint. The house Sauvignon Blanc was tasty with a clean finish and reasonable. It came in a cute star etched glass. The dirty martini was fine but I wish the olives packed a more flavorful punch. You could definitely splurge on some heavy hitter wines if so inclined. Started with a scallop appetizer that was an amazing mix of ceviche and a tangy frozen lime margarita with jalapeños and the shrimp tempura. The shrimp was lightly battered and flash fried just perfectly cooked and coated with a nice remoulade sauce. For the main course I went for the whole snapper which had an interest presentation where the whole fish was curled around the plate with a cabbage salad in the center and the fish was lightly battered. It was served with a side of rice and soy sauce. The short ribs were delicious and made me think of my mom's roasts growing up. That was served with an au gratin potato casserole. To supplement we also tried the roasted cauliflower which had a few pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. To finish there was pear sorbet and mango ice cream served with cookies. I highly recommend this spot and the food and it's presentation will make for great conversation. read more

RIS - Whole Red Snapper - A whole fried fish with crispy skin is presented on a white plate, garnished with fresh greens and vegetables. The plate also includes a salad with chopped vegetables and a lemon wedge, with a drizzle of yellow sauce. The setting features a wooden table with glasses of water and wine, and other dishes visible in the background, indicating a dining experience at a restaurant. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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