Ris delivers solid from the kitchen. A consistently good neighborhood spot the chef brings forward favorite staples (think Meatloaf Mondays) and chicken milanese. It's not the "it" spot in town but if you are in the West End it's a great bet. The crowd skews older so if your preference is a scene over good food this may not be the place for you. It's an expensive neighborhood with prices accordingly but the lunch specials are a good deal. They have outdoor tables but with lots of sirens constantly going by. And if lamb is on the menu, hands down order this! It is Ris special since 1789 and far and away the best in DC. The lamb alone is reason to come here and could go against any of the newer celebrity chefs without a doubt. read more

I took a group of nine to RIS last night and it was wonderful. We tried most of the menu items and all were lovely. Great service and a terrific wine list that was reasonably priced. Love this place! read more

It is restaurant week in DC, and this is is one place that I have been wanting to try. So, my husband and I ordered, and picked up from the special Restaurant Week Menu. Ris did not disappoint. I had the Portugese Fish Stew , full of shrimp, scallops , mussels in a savory broth with toasted bread to soak up the broth. My husband had short ribs, with scalloped potatoes and green beans. Portions were generous and delicious. The 2 salads that accompanied our entrees were shared over two nights. Desserts were Butterscotch pudding, rich and creamy ,and an assortment of cookies, which we are enjoying on day 2. Too full to finish on day one. We'll be back!! read more

Ris is of the best american restaurants in DC!!I absolutely love this experience ,great service and delicious food .I would highly recommend this place for dinner !! read more

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

Decided to try this restaurant to celebrate my mom's birthday and was a bit disappointed with some of the service, food, and ambiance. We made a reservation about 2 weeks prior and were actually late by about 3 minutes, but when we walked in the host informed us that it would be about a 5 to 10 minute wait until our table was ready, which was okay but a bit disappointing. We then noticed that the host set a table off to the side of the restaurant, right by the kitchen/kitchen door, which would usually be okay for us, but since we had a reservation and indicated we were celebrating a birthday we wish the table would've been ready or in a better location. When we did sit down and ordered food, the food took an exceptionally long time. We noticed that a table of 3 beside us, who got there about 10 minutes after us, got their meal significantly before we did (we're a family of 4 by the way). The manager actually decided to compensate us--without us mentioning anything--via a free glass of wine/a dessert. But once our food did come and we finished eating, most of us were ready to leave (because of the long amount of time) and not overly impressed with the food, so only one in our party ordered a dessert. Overall, most of us enjoyed our meal though we would not necessarily come back--but my mom said she would to eat at the bar:) Their "happy birthday" display on the dessert was cute and we appreciated the manager noticing the less than satisfactory timing/service. read more

Last evening's dinner, delivered by RIS with a bottle of carefully selected wine, was divine... Happily, I still have enough for another meal! Ris's Delicious Meatloaf is a longtime favorite, so I was happy when my group selected RIS to be our provider for our Monday night dinner. The reheating instructions worked well, and I am still dreaming about those mashed potatoes...good comfort food indeed. RIS was my first choice for takeout, many months ago, when quarantine started, and she and her staff never disappoint. Their wine selection offers some great deals, and you can also get frozen meals and produce to take away with your dinner. Highly recommend! read more

Made a reservation, and because of our party was 10 people, the reservation required a credit card. We arrived on time, and our table wasn't ready. We waited 45 minutes to be seated. During that time, the host and hostess did nothing to help move the process along, apologize, or do anything to make our wait more tolerable. Offer us drinks? Let us preview the menu? Once our table was ready, the host said "come on. here's your table." We were seated coldly, given no menus, and table ware was mismatched. We waited 10 minutes for a waiter. Drink orders had to be repeated twice. Charcuterie was mistaken for Chardonnay. Our friend who asked for honey was given a honey/simple syrup mixture (she told them she can't eat sugar). Over and over our server made errors, was forgetful, and basically overwhelmed and under trained. Ris was a gem years ago, but sadly, the delicious menu is overshadowed by awful management and poor customer service. If it's a policy for a credit card to be charged if a party doesn't show up, then Ris should pay me for waiting nearly an hour and for having to endure the awful service. read more

Overall impression: nothing special. Seems to be home to overflow from the Ritz Carleton restaurant. Older crowd, very stodgy. Not really sure this place has a distinct identity or vibe. The menu has no unity and the flavor palette seems to have been chosen at random. If this restaurant was a person it would probably be a 55 year old recent divorcee whose ex-husband recently left her for the maid... she would probably sit at the bar at RIS, knocking back wines. This is not a particularly compelling concept for a restaurant. read more

Just enjoyed a great lunch at Ris. Had the "Little Gems" salad, which is really an amazing, entree-sized selection of various greens, gruyere, haricots vertes, tiny radishes, with a light vinaigrette read more

RIS - Little Gems Salad --fantastic - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Terrible service, side dishes came long after the main entree- nothing like French fries and cauliflower for dessert..... came highly recommended and was highly disappointed. read more

Came here for brunch on Sunday and would agree with the current rating the restaurant has. Standard brunch menu with nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary. The only thing that stood out was the cheese board. Beautiful presentation. The mussels, huevos rancheros, and lox bagel were basic. The service though was wonderful and lived up to the fancy atmosphere. read more

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

I have been to Ris quite a few times and had decent service with good food, however this most recent time was a huge letdown and I do not recommend visiting this restaurant if you plan to sit at the bar when Liam is the bartender. The service at the bar was terrible. In all my times to Ris I was never made to feel so small and as though I was such an annoyance. Liam would walk away mid sentence before I was finished talking to him. He would act impatient, frantic and annoyed towards me, yet attend to other patrons immediately after. He seemed very patronizing towards me when I spoke to him. I don't write many reviews, but when I do they really do mean something. I hope Ris does a better job training their employees as I was left feeling awful and like an outcast in this restaurant tonight. For the amount of money I spent on our meal, I would expect much better. read more

Husband and I had only just returned from a trip to Iceland last week when a friend of his clued us in to DC's "Taste of Iceland", with an Icelandic dinner to be held at West End's RIS April 12 - 15. On our trip, husband and I fell madly in love with Iceland's locavore cuisine: melt-in-your-mouth bacalao, tender char, velvety lobster soup, free-ranging lamb, brown bread baked in the geothermal ground, creamy skyr...So as soon as I saw RIS' prix fixe menu of Icelandic fare -- and read that they brought in Icelandic chef Thráinn Freyr Vigfússon of Reykjavík's Kolabrautin restaurant -- I called up to make reservations. I'm not sure RIS would have made my DC-dining-radar if it weren't for Taste of Iceland, so I consider the reward here twofold. One, a wonderful revisit of our memorable trip; and two, the discovery of a fabulous local restaurant to add to our rotation. RIS is a sleeper in every sense of the word. Our experience started remarkably right out of the gates when I called to make reservations -- then had to change them...twice -- and each successive hostess I dealt with on the phone couldn't have been more accommodating or pleasant. When the eagerly anticipated night arrived, we came a few minutes early for our reservation in order to sit at the bar and partake in the evening's specialty cocktail, the "Reykjavík 101", a powerful elixir of Reyka vodka from Iceland, Corsair gin, house-made vermouth, and a Meyer lemon twist. RIS was also pouring Lava Imperial Stout from Iceland's craft brewery Ölvisholt Brugghús. RIS' ambiance is open, warm, and inviting. Husband and I rather enjoyed sitting at the sleek, sophisticated bar with our cocktails; and when we transitioned to the comfortable dining room, we were seated at one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Our server, Jason, was everything you'd expect from a restaurant of RIS' caliber: engaging and funny, knowledgeable, and extremely proficient. We let him know we were there for the Taste of Iceland menu and opted for the wine pairing as well. We started with slow-cooked Arctic char with pickled cucumber, dried söl seaweed, dill, and estragon aioli. It had the silky texture of lox with a sweeter, subtler flavor that transported us. It was simple and exquisite, husband's favorite dish of the evening. The char was followed by wild caught Icelandic cod, lightly salted and pan-fried, served with glazed carrots, Geysir geothermal rye bread croutons, and citrus sauce. The cod was buttery and perfectly cooked. I ate my weight in bacalao in Iceland, so RIS' cod was my preferred dish of the evening. The main dish consisted of Icelandic free-range lamb: wood-roasted shoulder and grilled loin with glazed Jerusalem artichokes, dried grapes, roasted almonds, and infused dill. The lamb was supple and the Jerusalem artichokes provided an excellent, enormously crunchy textural contrast. Last in the line-up was "Viking Skyr Tiramisu": skyr and cream cheese mousse with spice cake, coffee syrup, and coffee ice cream. It was a perfect finish to an exceptional meal. The ambiance, service, and food would have been enough to make me a RIS fan. But Jason went ahead and made the night even better by bringing Chef Vigfússon to our table after dessert. We'd shared that we were just back from Iceland and thrilled to be able to participate in Taste of Iceland, so Jason thought we would appreciate meeting the Chef. We did. He was as friendly as every other Icelander we encountered on our travels, and particularly gracious. Takk fyrir for a special evening, RIS. We floated out of the restaurant at the end of the night. I really can hardly wait to return for a regular meal. read more

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We went to RIS before an event at the Kennedy Center and our experience was mixed. The food was wonderful but the service was horrible. We were promptly seated and then waited over 10 minutes before my wife went up to the maître d' and tried to ask him for help with our service. Unfortunately, he was on the phone while my wife stood there for five minutes. Finally she got tired of standing there and came back to the table. About five minutes later someone came by and filled our water glasses and then five minutes later our server showed up. There were only about five or so tables occupied when we walked in and could find no reason why we would have to wait so long before A server came to our table. My wife ordered the chicken pot pie, her son ordered the pork chop and I ordered the chicken Melanaise. All of our food was delicious so it was unfortunate that the service did not match the quality of the food. As a result, we will probably not return to this restaurant. read more

In a perfect foodie world, the way I was introduced to Ris would be the norm -- I was gifted the time and space to poke around the kitchen, meet the owner/head chef herself, sample circulated app versions of popular entrees, enjoy live jazz, try nearly every dessert, and take advantage of an open wine/prosecco bar. It was a heady Sunday evening. To start with, the restaurant is gorgeous; clean lines, airy spacing and warm colors make it a perfect combination of modern and comfortable. It's laid out like a house; the front is a living room/lounge-like area, the bar is by the kitchen, the middle is the dining room and the more private side rooms are like bedrooms, with their own doors. Each section can be closed off for small gatherings, which demonstrates really smart design foresight. And the food... wow. The first thing I tried was the meatloaf, which set the tone for the night. I hate meatloaf. I loved this meatloaf -- it was moist without being mushy, savory without being salty. Next came the tender muscovy duck on tiny square crackers, beef carpaccio on breadsticks that were impossibly crunchy AND soft, a smoky, creamy caesar salad... the tangy, optimal-medium-pink portuguese skirt steak came with a (I don't know what else to call it but "adorable") miniature fried egg. My favorite part was the lambshank -- which again, I usually can't stand -- but somehow the roasted chick peas and yogurt filled out the natural gaminess of the meat and I was in heaven. Speaking of which... the bathrooms! They have Molton Brown hand soap! I was sniffing my hands all night. As for dessert... I managed to try a carrot/cream cheese pinwheel, tiny bowl of butterscotch pudding, german chocolate cake square, and passionfruit cheesecake slice before I had to put down my fork. I can see why the chocolate cake gets raves; the thing tasted like a ferrero rocher candy, and I'm obsessed with those. Butterscotch isn't really my thing, but passionfruit is, and the cheesecake balanced the acidity really well. And Ris? She was SO friendly. It was her birthday, and she took time out from friends and family to come over and shake hands. I would have understood any kind of aloofness or air of superiority, but there was none. Five stars, because she's created a wonderful place to eat, because her staff went out of their way to make sure we all had an amazing time, because the chairs were comfy, because I covet the bathroom sink, and because I have to come back, and I don't say that very often. read more

After reading some of the reviews for Ris, I was a bit worried the service was going to be terrible. But I suppose most of those reviews were in the first 6 weeks the restaurant was open, which is still fair game, but obviously they have gotten it together. Anyway, last night with the fiance and her parents we finally got a chance to try Ris. We had planned to go a few weeks before, but the snow prevented those plans. To start, the decor inside Ris was quite nice and it had a very modern elegance, which I guess should be expected of a restaurant below the Ritz Carlton. However, as far as I could tell, there was no association at all. The crowd here was not the same you may see at restaurants in other parts of D.C., as it was mostly an older crowd. Our friendly waiter brought over our cocktail and wine menu quickly, however, no dinner menus (yet). This was the only odd/bad thing to happen all night. Once menus were in hand, wine ordering was a bit easier. Thursday night apparently was Lamb night, and when I caught a glimpse of the racks as I walked in, I knew that I'd have to try it. Anyway, for my starter, I ordered the mussels with chorizo and tomatoes. The broth was excellent and the mussels were tender and fresh. I had a taste of the sardines, which were even better. For the main course, I opted for the Grilled Portuguese Skirt Steak, but don't worry, I still got plenty of lamb. The steak came with very delicious beer browned onions, fries, rice and topped with a fried egg. The accompaniments were all good, though the fries were a bit plain. The steak was juicy tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. I was lucky enough to obtain half of the lamb dish, trading it for half of my steak dish. The lamb special comes with 4 lamb chops and part of the shank. The shank was absolutely amazing, so tender that it melted in your mouth. The lamb and lamb jus was also just superb. The chops had the perfect sear and crunch around the edges, and still perfectly pink on the interior. Couldn't do it better than that. We decided to pass on the dessert, but I did try their house hot chocolate with homemade marshmellows. I don't love chocolate (blasphemy!!) but that was the best hot chocolate i've ever had. Overall, I found the food to be excellent. Each dish was served as it should be, no mistakes and the cooking temperatures were all spot on. Each part of the entrees complimented the next and the desserts looked amazing as well. I would give this place a solid 4 stars. read more

One of the best meals I've had in a lonnnnng time! Boyfriend and I wanted a romantic, and delicious, night out. We made reservations here with hardly any expectations. We started with two glasses of wine at the bar, and were led to our seats at 8 p.m. We ordered an Asian-inspired appetizer and were served bread and butter. We decided to get a bottle of Chilean wine, which was absolutely fantastic. I wish I remembered the name. I ordered the Autumn Woods pasta (this was in November, so it might not be available in the winter). I'm not a big pasta fan, but I couldn't stray away from the ingredients: dried cranberries, spinach, nuts, creamy white sauce. It was absolutely divine. I ate almost every bit of it, and couldn't get enough. The owner herself (Ris) came out into the restaurant at one point because she knew people dining at the table next to us. She stopped by our table to see how we liked our food, and I didn't hold back! I told her how much I adored the dish. She was so nice! I definitely would want to come back here, but only if someone else treats. It's a bit pricey, but worth it! read more

Ris seems to be a victim of its own success. We went for lunch on a Friday at 1 pm -- and was immediately impressed by how busy it was. We ordered at about 1:10 and didn't see our food until about 2:05ish. Service was pretty absent, but finally showed up to apologize for the delay. I was starting to think I had made a bad choice for lunch venue....until the food finally arrived. I ordered the Grilled Portuguese Skirt Steak served with an over easy egg, rice and fries with a sauce of pickled hot peppers, beer and blackened onions. The steak was tender, perfectly cooked and delicious -- and fairly unique dish probably not found on another menu in DC -- something you could say about a good number of items on the menu. All of us were very pleased with the entrees. I like the daily specials - Friday=Fish, Saturday=Daye Night, Tuesday=French Bistro.... So it was a long lunch, but they did bring a nice plate of cookies to try and make amends for the delay. It was also so nice to see Ris Lacoste actually in the kitchen.... Some significant service issues, but really like the menu and the food -- very nice atmosphere as well. Will return. read more

My friend had his 50th birthday celebration here back in November and the staff at Ris did an excellent job attending to all our needs. There were around twenty of us seated in the back room private seating area. The staff was very attentive with bringing us drinks and appetizers before the meal. This dish I remember the most was the scallops which were excellent. The chocolate dessert was very nice too. I think I will have to try coming here for dinner one night soon and update this review with something more specific. I am excited to find a better restaurant that I think succeeds in delivering superior food and service. read more

Over priced for the portion by 1/2, the food had the feel of upper end bar food on a steak house plate. The scallops where described as glazed in the menu, when I asked for them the waiter referred to them as beer battered. When I questioned glazed or battered as I would not order battered anything, the waiter affirmed glazed, all. 3 of them came beer battered. For $30 The Washingtonian rated it in the top 100 restaurants $$. If there is not 100 restaurants better then Ris in DC, it's time to move. read more

Excellent dining experience all around. The pork chop was moist and flavorful, the salmon was flaky and tender, house made ginger beer is awesomely refreshing. Blackberry crisp and chocolate peanut butter bar desserts were both very rich and flavorful. Not dainty portions at all. Starters were good also. All for $35 Supper Club price per person. Best traditional American meal in a long time. Comfortable, refined atmosphere without being stuffy. read more

Ok - I know it's been a while ....... Tonight I went out with the hubby and the BF to check out Ris!!! I can say the wait was so worth it! I know its been a long time coming and with all the rumor's and stuff - Ris finally has made her MARK on DC in a BIG WAY! as they say go Big or go home well Ris has done that -- She went BIG!!!! I can honestly say its been a long time since I have been in a restaurant that made me feel like I was in the kitchen at home with my mom and Ris did that for me tonight - THANK YOU RIS!!! I arrived a bit before the rest of my party and headed to the bar for a glass of wine! (Caroline was great - she asked just the right questions and I got exactly what I wanted in a glass of wine!) After everyone arrived we were seated and started with the French Onion soup, Gnudi and of course had to try the Nantucket Bay Scallop Margarita..... OMG at this point I feel like I have died and gone to heaven!!!! I had the Duck which was stunning! We had the pot pie OMG better than what I make and everyone says mine is amazing! As well as the Pork, just a bit to much fat on it for me - but was flavors blew me away! The desserts were outstanding! Pineapple sorbet with something - I can honestly say I don't know as it was gone before anyone noticed :) I give Ris a SOLID 4 stars for what she has created and the staff she has! ( Ask for CW or Lisa) RIS - you are amazing and I am so looking forward to dinning with you again soon and I promise to bring all my friends with me - heck I would leave my chemo treatments for that cheese scallops potato stuff I had tonight! better yet I understand I can get them to go!!! Thank you for one of the best meal I have had in a very long time! read more

I really wanted Ris to wow me, but ultimately it was a middling experience. The shad roe appetizer was excellent, but my perfectly-cooked lamb shank has me wishing for more flavors that were ultimately absent. The lamb was served with some components of a sort-of deconstructed pita sandwich, and those worked well, but the meat itself was a bit bland, and the chickpeas did little to enhance the bit of boring broth. The lamb shank is also an enormous entree. I took leftovers home, which is something I have perhaps never done at a high-end DC restaurant given how ubiquitous postage-stamp-sized entrees at some of our finer dining establishments. I tried my friend's scallop "margarita" (essentially a ceviche preparation) and salmon; both were nice, with my preference going to the salmon. Both of those dishes had a bit of a Latin flair which surprised me given that Ris is typically billed as Modern American. The salmon by far was the strongest part of our meal. For dessert, we shared what they claimed was an award-winning banana cream pie, but it won no awards from me. The tiny banana layer was hiding under a mound of whipped cream, covered in chocolate shavings, and served with coffee ice cream. With all those competing flavors, the bananas were unable to shine. Since there was really no custard layer, this was a very light dessert and perhaps a good choice after a large meal. Service was excellent - perhaps the best I've had in DC in ages. This is a dressy restaurant, and I would feel under-dressed in jeans. read more

Overall a good experience that could have been much better. I feel I'm being generous with three stars for a $150 meal though. At this cost, the execution has to be top notch. There are loads of places in DC you could go to for this price and have a stellar meal. Right now this is not one of them. I'll give the low down in chronological order. Drinks: First two draught beers I tried to order were not available, and they still ended up bringing the wrong beer after all. They took it back and brought me a third option in a bottle which was tasty. My wife got the apple old fashioned which was really really good. Bread: Bread is usually the first impression of a restaurant and an indicator of whether or not a meal is going to be great; If they have fresh homemade bread and soft fresh butter, you're in for a real treat. The bread here was warm and crispy and the butter was yummy but was so cold that you could barely spread it without ripping the bread apart... Apps: we had the mussels which themselves were delicious but the carrots were superfluous and the "grilled bread" was too charred/burnt which overpowered the rest of the dish. I wasn't a fan of the sausage (too gamey) either but my wife liked it. We both agreed the broth was excellent. Mains: we got the scallops and the lamb shank. Both had a great presentation. The scallops were excellent with the wild mushrooms, kale, and celery root purée. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and everything went together really nicely. Only complaint was that there were only 3 sea scallops but for proper presentation you need odd numbers and 5 would have been too many. The lamb shank looked wonderful but was sadly under seasoned. The chickpeas were undercooked and bland. The mint roasted pine nuts were a great addition though. It had potential to be an amazing dish but improper seasoning ruined it for me. Dessert: the butterscotch pudding was very good but there was too much of it. There's apparently a small option which was not super clear on the menu. That should have been the only option instead of defaulting to the large. The pear dessert was missing a component (the pears) when it came out and we had to ask for them to be brought out. We were sorry we asked for them because they were like canned pears but with less flavor. The pear sorbet was great but the cannelle was horrible. Instead of being soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust it was like one of those drumstick ice creams from a deep freezer with butter in the middle; it wasn't what it should have been at all. Service: very attentive and approachable. They made it a great dining experience. Our server was very friendly as were the other attendants. read more

All-in-all RIS is the most disappointing dining experience I've had in recent memory. After reading about scallop margaritas and butterscotch pudding I expected a fun place with a whimsical menu. What we got leaned more towards lunch time at a nursing home*. Appetizers: Scallop Margarita: Interesting for a few bites then overstays its welcome. Mussels: Average at best. Entree: Chicken Special: Bland and served over seemingly processed mashed potatoes. Lamb Shank: Dry with a weird finish, almost as if the lexan it was stored in wasn't entirely rinsed of soap. Desert: Butterscotch Pudding: Absolutely wonderful. * My wife and I are in our thirties and we were the youngest people in the restaurant by at least twenty maybe even thirty years not counting the staff. read more

Ris is a very nice restaurant. I've been twice, once during restaurant week and once for happy hour. it was a good experience for restaurant week but the happy hour menu is a hidden gem! They have tapas style entrees and great drink specials. Not only are the prices very competitive and the food great, but they have two happy hour shifts! 4-6:30 and 9-11pm Monday-Friday: $4 beers; $5 wines by the glass; $6.30 appetizer specials read more

I want to give Ris more than 3 stars... but alas it's a very accurate rating according to my first dining experience. In honor of full disclosure, I will admit that my sister actually knows the sous chef, Scott Atkinson. Nevertheless, I will remain as neutral as possible (I've only met him once). Let's get this over with first: The food is good. The talent is present. While I'm not in love with the menu, everything I ate at Ris ranged from good to near fantastic. I had the gnudi appetizer, with "tomato and eggplant fondue," and the duck entree with sweet and sour cherry sauce, almond wild rice, and caramelized endive. The gnudi tasted good, but weren't outstanding. The duck was probably the best thing I ate and VERY delicious. VERY. Desserts were also a highlight. We were offered free dessert due to service glitches and exploited the hell out of that by each ordering a dessert when otherwise we may have split one. The passion fruit cheesecake was super yummy, German chocolate mousse cake was alright, and ice cream sundae was phenomenal. My dad hogged the hot chocolate, but reported that it was very good. Now onto the entire dining experience: it was so-so. It can be broken down into very digestible bullet points. -Waitress: Appeared shaky, not very experienced, and though well-meaning, wasn't the most professional server in town. There weren't huge mistakes, but instances such as when she put my sister's wine glass down on the bottom of her water glass and my sister had to make a James Bond maneuver to prevent it from spilling all over the table and her lap. -Front of house staff: Uncoordinated, confused, friendly, but obviously still finding a rhythm. It was like watching the Redskins or the Titans play football. They're not failing due to the lack of individual capabilities, but because of poor synchronicity. Someday they will be good... someday. Until then, expect mistakes. -Management: Promising. A manager came to greet us when we arrived and let us know Scott was gone for the evening. He was personable, professional, and worthy of a restaurant with this kind of DC star power. It seems like he'd be the kind of sea captain who would wryly smoke a pipe on deck while the ship is hopelessly sinking... always a great quality for the customer service industry. -Atmosphere: More casual than I expected. As my mother pointed out, there are no table cloths. They aren't going for 1789 at Ris. This is meant to be more casual, personal, inviting, and less "special occasion." Some people like it that way, others may find it less impressive. The restaurant's capacity is also rather large. -Timing and Expediting of food: Needs improvement. This can vary from night to night, but on our evening, it was an extremely looooooong wait between apps and entrees. The kind of "long" where starving, needy, and unforgiving patrons may very well have walked out. A lunchtime holiday binge made the wait less poignant, but it was noticeable. I'm guessing an hour? I didn't time it. To conclude: As someone who works for a restaurant, I know that "knowing someone from the restaurant" usually leads to better service, a justifiably inflated impression, and considerable bias. Nevertheless, in this case, dining with someone who knows the sous chef actually led to more questioning of the restaurant than ebullient praise. I mean... if this was the service WE received... what's the average diner experience? Overall, Ris is still finding its "sea legs." If it doesn't want to be like its neighbor West End (an underwhelming, yet good enough contribution to DC dining from Super Chef Eric Rippert), kinks need to be worked out. The food needs to be more interesting, they need to find their niche, service needs to be polished, and they need to attract DC restaurant industry rock stars. If they do all that, it's possible to turn this Top 50 into a Top 10. But that's assuming they're even aiming so high.... read more

Typical Washington - great eats and location, but service is lacking. Knowing someone who knows Ris, I was a little afraid of trying this place - nothing like hating a restaurant a foodie knows and loves to drive a wedge in a relationship. My worries were unfounded, however, as I walked into a lovely space, with high-backed booths and carpeted floors to absorb the noise that modern decor bounces around a room - Ris achieves open, airy, and intimate all in one go. The wine list is impressive - or at least impressed me - with wines from well-known and well-loved regions of the world. My bucatini pasta was delightful - peas, ramps, spicy sausage, and creamy tomato broth? It hurt that I couldn't clean my plate. My companion had a light and flaky rockfish with grilled grapefruit and spinach. That's right, I said grilled grapefruit. Neither of us really wanted to share. My only complaint? Our waiter was less than attentive, and despite being told that we were headed to the opera after dinner, the check process took over twenty minutes. Nothing like a race-walk to the Kennedy Center in - well, let's face it, I don't wear heels, but my tummy was full and I wanted to stroll. read more

I went to Ris with high expectations after reading about them year after year in area restaurant reviews and "Best Of" lists. We decided randomly to try the prix fix theater dinner menu to see what the place was like. We were totally disappointed and won't be going back. Positives: We didn't have a reservation and a quick turn around time in order to make a play at the Kennedy Center. The hostess was friendly and accommodating. The sever, Lisa, also ensured that we made it out the door on time which was appreciated. Also, we weren't required to order only from the theater menu in order to make it to the show on time, we actually ended up ordering from the regular menu. The recommended scallop ceviche was quite good- I really enjoyed it. My fiancee enjoyed his lamb but it could have been way more flavorful in my opinion. I did really enjoy my cocktail the "Violette" Negatives: We started with a half dozen oysters- there were only two options and both were quite briny and a little large for my taste. At a place like this I usually expect 4-6 options to choose from. I got the impression from our sever that we were a bit too ameatur for her- maybe b/c we looked young (we aren't) or casual. She was efficient in getting our food to us but way short on charm and my gut instinct was that she didn't think we knew what we were talking about or deserved to be there. My entree the "Vegetarian bolognese" was sold to me as "vegetable heavy". It was awful. I didn't say anything at the time b/c I didn't feel like getting attitude from our server and b/c I didn't really have time to deal with re-ordering. Normally I would have said something so thats on me. However, this was essentially a $22 bowl of fetuccini with salty tomato sauce, some chunks of cheese a creamy pesto dolloped on top and wilted letuce "garnishing" it. It was salty, had little other flavor, was overpriced and had NO vegetables in it other than the wilted greens. There was piece of bread with generic from the tub olive tapenade served with it. Again, more salt. For the price, quality of food and service this is just not worth it. Listen to other reviewers, this isn't quality high end food in my book and it certainly wasn't worth the price. read more

I have been looking forward to trying Ris since it opened, and it did not disappoint. Each day offers a special themed menu. Lucking into the Wednesday special of "Little Italy" I couldn't resist the temptation to try the spaghetti and meatballs. It was fantastic! Ris does usually simple foods, exceptionally well. I do regret not saving room for dessert - but a good excuse to go back. My only complaint was that service was a bit slow, but our server was very friendly and helpful in offering recommendations. read more

My coworkers and I went to RIS for a work/celebratory lunch today and it was excellent! My dishes: I had the French onion soup and the sardine appetizer. My group was slightly scared of my choice for sardines, but I believe they were the best dish of the crowd! They were quite delicate, not at all fishy, and were complemented beautifully by the pine nuts, golden raisins and sweet onions. The French onion soup was good, and given the harsh weather, warmed me well but another choice like the crudo might have been more wow-inducing. We also shared a bottle of viognier which was crisp with citrus notes and went with my sardines beautifully (Chateau de somethingorother...) Dining partners had: The mushroom pappardelle, which was earthy and rich; the special borscht soup which was reportedly good; the octopus salad was good and tender, though a little light on the octopus, they made up for it with rich feta and other goodies; the tuna nicoise tartine was also great - basically an open-faced rare tuna sandwich with traditional nicoise salad elements including eggs and capers. It was beautiful and filling but hard to eat (fork and knife were warranted and made balancing all the elements into each bite tricky). Dessert: For dessert we shared both the daily special of tiramisu and the butterscotch pudding. The desserts took a while longer to come out than I had expected but were delicious. I love tiramisu and this one was creamy and flavorful like it should be. The butterscotch pudding was velvety and delicious, but we felt it had a little too much whipped cream so we shed most of that layer to get to the good stuff. We left in a complete food coma! The service: Our server was available and knowledgeable and quirky in a good way. We did comment that OpenTable gave us a choice of either 11:30am reservations for 6 or 1:30. So, I expected the restaurant to be packed when we arrived and it was literally empty when we arrived. It picked up around 12:30 but had only a few tables before that. Next time I will call and ask for a better time if OpenTable blocks me out of the good lunch hour slot. Overall: We commented that the servings were generous and delicious, which did make up for the prices, which are pretty steep but not unfair. Plus we certainly took our time and never felt rushed at all-- even though our lunch took 2.5 hours! read more

I was excited to check this place out for dinner during Restaurant Week. The lunch and dinner RW menus were nearly identical, making lunch ($20) a terrific value compared to dinner ($35) - the three-course dinner menu only saves you a few dollars over the cost of ordering the same items a la carte. The food was generally good. I tried the gnudi (ricotta dumplings), which were fine. I thought the dish had nice textures, with the crunch of the prosciutto in there, but it needed something with a little stronger flavor to set it off. I would be interested in seeing a similar dish with a stronger-flavored chevre instead of the mild ricotta. My friend had the mussels, which looked amazing, but the one that I tried wasn't particularly flavorful or fresh tasting - maybe I'm just spoiled, being raised on Pacific NW seafood, but these were nowhere near the best mussels I've tasted. My entree was the lamb shank, which gets bonus points for making me say "ahhh!" after the first bite. Very, very delicious. I loved the addition of tangy yogurt. I had plenty left over to take home for lunch the next day, too. My friends tried the pork (excellent... he polished off his entire plate, which came with an apple-cornbread pudding that was fantastic!) and the mushroom papperdelle (good, but nothing to write home about). Desserts were a big success across the board. My favorite was the butterscotch pudding, which despite my best efforts I could only finish half of... I wish I could have taken it home, too, but I didn't think it would travel very well! The homemade mocha ice cream was very tasty as well, and my friend who ordered the German chocolate cake enjoyed it. I thought the selection of wines by the glass was decent. I especially appreciated that they had a nice Willamette Valley pinot noir that I hadn't tried yet (Acrobat) - if you know me, you know I like to support my Oregon wineries! It was apparent to me that this place is newly opened and still working out some wrinkles. Service was generally good, but they did present the wrong entree to one of my friends - mushroom pappardelle instead of lamb shank. It only took a few minutes to rectify and the lamb appeared. Our waitress seemed just a little uncertain about everything, from the menu selection to taking our orders... maybe she'll get more comfortable with time. We were also seated without any menus and had to ask to see them. I'd be willing to try Ris again in a few months and see if they have made any improvements, especially because this place is so convenient to my Foggy Bottom home... a trendy, upscale restaurant with wholesome food and reasonable prices is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. read more

My friend and I are not foodies, but we like to pretend we are. After a mindblowing meal at the Momofuku Ssam Bar last year in NYC, we decided to keep the fake pretentiousness going and let our hair down in DC. My friend and I are not rich either, so we skipped the jacket-required establishments in the hopes that we could find moderately-priced revelation. As good and solid as it is, Ris is not the place for a revelatory experience. The menu is a bit all over the place with its inspiration. We started with the (Mexican) scallop margarita, (Japanese) crudo, and (Italian) gnudi, then moved on to (French?) guinea hen and Portuguese skirt steak, ending with (American, I can only assume) eskimo pie. I can't argue with touring the world via food, but it does lend itself to a meal slightly lacking in cohesion. Everything was executed well, but nothing was outstanding. The presentation of the entrees also seemed a bit haphazard, as if things were just thrown onto a plate. I do, however, give major props to the service. Our server was knowledgeable, kind, and efficient, not to mention extremely patient with us as we became tipsier and tipsier... Nicely-balanced wine list, by the way, with a good representation of regions, weights, and varietals. In conclusion, Ris is an acceptable place to bring the parents or the boss or maybe a conservative date. Very good food, gracious service, and elegant decor translate into a place that is suitable for foodies and non-foodies alike. read more

There are truly some *amazing* restaurants in the DC area. Unfortunately I've not experienced any yet. I was blessed to link up with 3 of my loveliest girlfriends for brunch at this fine establishment. Logistics out of the way first: parking is street/metered only, but I was blessed to find a great spot right alongside the restaurant. God loves me. If you're not as loved, bring lots of change & comfortable shoes. My lady friends complained that it took them over 20 minutes to find a spot and walk over. Not cute. The space itself is divine! I loved the decor, the arrangement of the space, and the sun filtering in from its many windows. I also love how it's situated on a corner, providing lots of opportunity for people-watching as you dine. What I didn't *love* was the food. I ordered a veggie omelette with a side of cornbread. The cornbread was good, if not a bit dry. The omelette, not so much. It was too runny for my taste, and completely under-seasoned. The veggies inside were underwhelming. And this had to have been the smallest chicken laying the smallest eggs in creation, 'cause that joint was tiny! I believe I paid around $18 for the selection, but can't remember. What I *do* remember is feeling let down. They offered a roasted quail entree' that sounded divine, and I admittedly probably should've ordered it as I was in a lunch mood more than a breakfast mood, but it still doesn't take away the fact that the dish left much to be desired. I may give RIS another try, simply for the atmosphere alone, but probably during the dinner hour. Great coffee, though - and they offer soy-milk, so you don't have to be a ghetto-gypsy like me and bring your own. Scoff it you want, but I'm a woman who knows how to meet her own needs. ;-) Ciao~ read more

We came with great expectations for a Mother's Day brunch. Bloody Marys were a good start, but to stay positive, I should end the review here. All egg dishes were cold, Hollandaise sauce would have been better out of a pouch by McCormick. Never again. Mother's or any other day. read more

We sat outside because it was a nice day and their outdoor seating area is pretty with the planters. The restaurant was crowded at lunchtime. We had the Greek Tomato and Feta Salad (which is not a lettuce salad) and it was very delicious with multicolored tomatoes and fresh huge feta chucks. It came with an olive crostini that was good as well. For our entrees my co-worker had the grilled quail in a bourbon cherry sauce that got very high marks! I had the cavatelli pasta with fresh goat cheese and pine nuts, light and very nice. For dessert we had the key lime semifreddo and we both thought it was too frozen to enjoy. I know semifreddo means partially frozen, but it was hard to cut with our spoon and we just couldn't really get into it. The people working there were friendly. My only complaint was when our entrees arrived, our empty salad plates were not taken away so we had to pile them up on the side of the table to get them out of our way. read more

Some restaurants make you comfortable, some pamper you, others are fun, some are subtle, Ris is a bit pretentious. Food is good, ambiance too, but you get the feeling they try to be also what they are not. They want to be everything, fancy, friendly, American, classy, but in the end they are just a good but over-priced restaurant. The wine list is rich but sterile, the menu puts together nice dishes (I liked the lamb) with other entrees like a fancy, expensive cheese-burger (really, what's the point?) So, overall, decent place, but considering what it costs, I cannot give it more than three stars for what you get. read more

For the amount of money Ris charges - plates are around $30 - you'd expect them to have their shit together. They don't. They slipped items on our bill that we didn't order, and they completely ruined one guest's meal. Go out of business and make room for another place. read more

I went for dinner on a Tuesday night. The food was good, but the service was very slow. It took a long time just to get the wine list, and then we were not even given the dinner menu until after our wine had arrived (it was about 30 minutes before we could put our orders in). Delivery of the food was slow as well. My table shared the gnuti, carpaccio, and scallops as a starter. The gnuti was my favorite. The carpaccio was good, but that was just because it was a nice cut of meat - the anchovies were a little overpowering and the fried capers were overdone. The scallops were also good, but the flavors of the sauces and ice overpowered the scallops. For dinner I had the pork chop. Again, good, but not outstanding - I've had better pork dishes in DC. I did like how each night there was a theme that came with it's own special menu. It was French bistro night when I was there. We didn't get anything off of the special menu, but I would be interested in seeing what was on all of the other special menus. All in all, it is was a solid restaurant, with good food. It was a nice dining experience, but nothing to rave about. read more

I've been wanting to check out Ris for some time now, based on recommendations from friends, and I'm glad I did. It was one of the best brunches I've had in a very long time. The space itself is very nice, what I'd call "modern luxury" - clean lines, very comfortable, huge windows facing 23rd and L, making for the kind of space you want to be in. A lof of the reviews here speak to the quality of the staff, and my own experience was that they were quite attentive. The young woman behind the front desk welcomed us warmly (and NOT in that cloying, fake "we're so glad to see you" way), seating us at a nice table by the windows. Our server was at our table within moments, and he took incredibly good care of us for the two-plus hours we were at the restaurant. The only thing I can pick at was the kitchen's timing, which seemed a bit off - our brunch dishes arrived almost instantaneously after the "basket of breakfast treats" (too fast), with the sides arriving a few minutes later (rather than arriving alongside our brunch dishes). The awkwardness of the timing aside, at no point did the staff make us feel like we needed to move along as we lingered over our conversation (and mimosas). So, having invoked the word "mimosa", let's get to it. Ris offers a bottomless mimosa for $18. Don't think about it - just do it. Three kinds - the classic, a lemon-basil version, and a pomegranate version. The lemon-basil was our favorite, light and refreshing, a very nice twist on a classic mimosa that doesn't depend on orange juice as its base. Good stuff. I had the smoked salmon benedict, which was served on a toasted brioche rather than an English muffin, and this was probably the best benedict I've ever had. The egg was prepared perfectly, with just enough runniness of the yolk, making a great flavor combination with the salmon, tomato, and grilled onion - incredibly good. My friend had the egg florentine, which was served on a mushroom bread pudding. While I wasn't expecting her to share, once she was done, she apologized for not offering to give me a taste of the bread pudding, saying that it was so good that she was feeling a bit selfish. (Everyone's entitled to those moments!) The basket of breakfast treats was a nice accompaniment, fresh from the oven. The basket included a blueberry-packed muffin, some corn bread, a lovely tart lemon cake-bread, and a chocolate chip scone - a nice selection of pastries to nibble on as we caught up with each other while doing some people-watching and making our tour of the mimosas. I will say that the brunch is on the more expensive side, with our final tab coming out around $90 (before gratuity), but the food was so well-prepared that we felt it was money well-spent, with one exception - the $7 home fries, which came in a small bowl and weren't actually what most people would consider to be home fries. (Yes, this is the West End, but I'd price this at $4-5, similar to what it would be at a place like Le Diplomate.) Even though the home fries were not what I expected, this was a very well-prepared set of dishes, all the way around. So, four stars, with the fifth star withheld because of the kitchen's timing, but both of us gave Ris a big thumbs-up, worthy of return. read more