A poster child for DC restaurant week! Excellent choices, great options (basic $40 and a few possible add-ons)--and even better food Plus nice, reasonably priced wine list Hard to do better! read more

Expertly prepared food by a legendary chef. Each dish we tried had subtle flavors melded together for a wonderful finished product. Don't miss while in DC! read more

Stopped by here during DC restaurant week and was very impressed with my dining experience! The food was simply amazing and the service was excellent. The salmon appetizer was nice and refreshing. It was topped with scallion and sesame seeds, which gave it a great flavor. For the main course I ordered the pork chop and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was cooked to perfection and was seasoned just right. It was charred on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside. The plate was very colorful, which included berries and a grilled peach. The dessert was also amazing, with an assortment on chocolate and marshmallows. The ice cream, marshmallows and all the other component worked perfectly together to make for a great ending to a delicious meal. read more

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I was responsible for hosting a private family dinner for 14 guests from out of town. I worked with the chef/owner Ris prior to set up the event, which was held in one of their private dining rooms. The evening was a great success. We had a 3 course meal with several options to choose from. The food was perfectly executed, and special requests were honored. The service was attentive and everyone had a good time and a delicious meal. It was a great evening. read more

One of the best meals I've ever experienced. We were warmly greeted upon arrival. Our server made helpful recommendations for cocktails and wine. He was not intrusive but we also didn't feel neglected. My husband ordered the salmon rillette and the cod with mushroom bread pudding. He enjoyed the deconstructed rillette very much, especially the beautiful green olives! He likened the bread pudding to eating a fluffy, crispy cloud. He said the cod was perfectly cooked and delicious. I had the Thai brussel sprouts and mussels. The sauce on the roasted brussel sprouts was dynamite! Not too much fish sauce. Peanuts were a nice touch. The mussels were good with grilled crostini. The sauce was light and delicious. We enjoyed a bright sancerre with our dinner. We topped off this feast with butterscotch pudding, a mini creme puff, and chocolate mousse with coffee. Hubby said it was the best creme puff he's ever had with a delicate crisp on the outside and perfectly tender inside. The mousse had a pronounced cocoa flavor and not too sweet. The butterscotch pudding had complex flavor. I'm a huge butterscotch/toffee fan and this was one of the most delicious butterscotch items I've ever tasted! I'm sure you won't believe this, but the decaf coffee I ordered was the single best cup of coffee I've ever had!! Ridiculously good! We left very happy, full, with an experience we won't soon forget. read more

RIS - Delightful salmon rillette. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We recently held an event here. Heather Small was super professional in handling the planning. Organizing was a cinch, she was very responsive to our needs. The day of the event, we started at 12, the restauraunt opened at 11:30 and our party started coming around 11:30/11:40 to be on time for the event. They came highly recommended by some of my peers and i was able to find out why. The food is impeccable. They have a cream of tomato soup that was to die for. The butterscotch pudding was delightful. The chicken was perfect. I want to marry the chef. They have options for everyone and i doubt you will be disappointed. Our guests had wanted to try the food at ris and said they will absolutely be back because it was so great. It took everything for me not to turn the soup bowl upside down and drink it beauty and the beast style. Now for the not so great, but please keep in mind we got there as soon as they opened and a random day during the week, during a snow storm so they were likely understaffed. Service was a little off, but from what i hear dinner there is never an issue. And again keep in mind our timing and the storm. We ordered a cheese and meat tray for the 30 min reception, which came out as an appetizer with the soups later than i had hoped. At least this meant it was fresh and not prepared days in advance. Drink refill service was a little slow (my guess is they were just trying to limit the sound of the door and pouring while the presenter was speaking). Other than that no complaints. The servers were nice and attentive. The private room space is in the back, private enough for events. They have one room that can fit about 30 people in rounds. They have another room with one round table, maybe sits 10. And they have another private space that is larger and looks like it would be great for receptions. They have a coat check service which is great for cold or rainy days, or if you are traveling w luggage. Lasty....try the cream of tomato soup if you can. You will not be disappointed The hostess and the bartenders and servers even while not being directly related to our party were attentive, knew my name being the event planner, and were super helpful. Everyone should try them...like myself, i think one time and you will crave the food so much you need to return. read more

Chef knows how to cook. Salmon was delicious... moist, and perfectly balanced flavors. Mussels were tender and broth inventively delightful. Linguini was rich and luscious. The entire meal was flawless. One of the best restaurants in DC, full stop. read more

The doors of Ris officially open on Monday, December 7 and I for one, can't wait to dine here again. I had the exciting opportunity to join in for Ris' mock service and dined here for dinner on 12/3 with some of DC's finest ladies. I was the first to arrive for our 7:45 reservation and was graciously greeted by the host team. Since the rest of my party hadn't arrived - I was invited to wait in the bar but decided to just sit near the window. Once our entire party was present and coats were checked, we were seated at a 4-top along the windows. The space is absolutely gorgeous. I can only imagine how much prettier it looks during the day with all of the natural light pouring in the windows. There are plenty of seats at the bar as well as tables in the front bar area. The dining room has a beautiful red and gold wall to the right and to the left are the window walls (where we were seated). The tables and chairs have a rich dark wood color and are very comfy. For the rest of my review - I'm going to focus more on the food than the service. It's difficult to really critique any kind of service flaws and hold them at great fault since that is pretty much the reason for "mock service" - to fix them before official opening day. Though there were slight missteps here and there, I'm happy to say they were immediately taken care of and I know that further down the road, these bumps will not even be blips on a radar! Onto the drinks/food! I started off with a cool, crisp glass of prosecco. Dining companions also ordered off the wine list - the falanghina and the malbec. Most of the wines by the glass will run you into double digits but there were no complaints taste-wise. Once we had drinks, we were soon brought bread. It was wonderfully warm and soft on the inside and had the perfect crunchy crust. Slather on some of the butter/evoo and it's a little bit of carb heaven. In order to maximize our experience, we made sure to order something different and then share. Everything on the menu sounded so good, it was really hard to decide! On our way in, the top recs were the scallop margarita app and the lamb shank entree. We ordered 2 of the scallops, the gnudi and the mussels. Unfortunately, they ran out of the lamb but we still ended up making some awesome choices - which included the tuna nicoise, skirt steak, soy glazed salmon and the mushroom pappardelle. The scallops and the gnudi were insanely delicious. I was not expecting the jalapeno slices in the scallop app so watch out for those but be sure to utilize the spoon to slurp up the tequila in the bottom of the glass! The avocado chunks and accompanying tortilla chips helped diffuse the spice of the jalapenos. My entree was the tuna which was quite good. Grilled tuna, atop crispy potatoes and toasted bread were topped with a hard boiled egg and garnished with tomatoes and an arugula/radish salad. It was nice and light but still filling. I was pleasantly surprised at how tender the steak was. It was easily my favorite dish of the evening. The salmon was also enjoyable but I wished there had been more broth in the bowl. The mushroom pappardelle was alright; I enjoyed the fresh brussels sprouts and mushrooms but I wasn't wowed by the rest of the dish. For dessert, I opted for the passion-fruit cheesecake and loved every bite. We also ordered the house made ice creams, butterscotch pudding and the sundae with toasted marshmallows. Of our 4 desserts, my preference was for the cheesecake mostly because I like fruity desserts best. The butterscotch pudding wasn't as smooth as I expected but the swirl of sherry at the bottom was quite a treat! The barista of our group and I both ordered coffee. My latte was great but whoever poured the milk really needs to work on their latte art. Our server was very nice and was able to develop rapport. His recommendations were mostly on par and he checked on us frequently enough without being overbearing. He was also kind enough to retrieve my coat from coat check before we made it to the host stand - a nice touch. DC Foodies - get excited and make your reservations now because without a doubt, Ris will be the new hot spot in West End. I know that I'll be back and ready for more of Chef Ris Lacoste's delicious creations. read more

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I started my meal with a Madeline McDowell Breckinbridge. It was nice whiskey cocktail, similar to a Manhattan. It was a little sweeter than I wanted but it was tasty. The Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad I had for an appetizer was great. I like Brussels sprouts and haven Thad it in a salad before. So for me that was an added perk. My main dish was lackluster. I order the Portuguese Seafood Stew. It was almost like bouillabaisse, but lacked any real flavor to give it a kick. I finished the meal with 2 mini desserts - butterscotch pudding and hazelnut cream puffs. I enjoyed the cream puffs the best. The pudding was still a little too sweet for me. My friends ordered the Meat and Potatoes special. She loved it. The sauce and the flavors were perfect. My other friend was satisfied with her Crown of Cauliflower. read more

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My wife and I came to RIS for their Sunday Brunch. We originally went on Sunday July 24th. Everything was great, we had Shawn for our waiter. We had endless Mimosa's and Bowl of Mussels. The facility is clean and nice. But it is kind of hard to find good parking unless you want to pay $$$. Our experience was so good, we decided to go again Sunday 31 July. We ordered the same thing Endless Mimosa's and Bowl of Mussels. We got our drinks and I asked the waitress if she would bring a couple of extra pieces of toast when she brings out our Mussels. When we received our order it was in two different bowls with very little broth. I asked why it was in two different bowls, our waitress said that she split it for us. I asked her why she would do this, we did not ask that she split it. In addition, it was cold so you could tell that it was sitting in the window waiting to be pick-up for a while. So we were like no big deal, we can eat it not a problem even if it a bit cold and little broth. I asked where the toast was that we had ordered before our Mussels were brought to the table. The waitress said that they had burned it and had to make more. I asked the manager if she would come to my table, she did and I explained what had happened and I gave her a bit of undercooked sausage that was in the mussels. She said that she would get us more broth. The manager brought us more broth, we informed her that we had ordered extra toast prior to our order being brought to the table. She said that she would check on it. My wife and I completely finished our mussels when the waitress brought us 4 pieces of untoasted bread. A few minutes later the manager showed-up with a full new order of Mussels. However, the toast was like charcoal. I fully understand being rustic, but to make a dish that still has the tomato core, raw sausage, burnt toast. For some reason, they just could not get it right on this day. Totally the opposite experience that we had the week prior. So for Endless Mimosa's, terrible Mussels and burnt bread was over 50 bucks plus. It is hard for me to make a recommendation for RIS. We had a real good experience and a real bad experience. Currently the bad outweighs the good and will be hard to be a returning customer. read more

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Decent food (nothing to write home about) and service that was nice, but which did not come for a while. I visited for lunch by myself and thought the atmosphere and service were nice. But the staff was having a meeting in the back for the first 15-20 minutes of their lunch hour and my waiter didn't come by for a while. I could also hear their meeting happening... which I thought was unprofessional. It was almost completely empty when I visited on a Thursday (very surprising). I ordered the Daily Grilled Cheese sandwich with creamy tomato soup. It left my throat feeling a bit scratchy and weird (too oily). I did like the soup, but the grilled cheese I had came with melted feta cheese and grilled veggies, which I didn't think meshed too well together or with tomato soup. I wish there was an indication on the menu that it wouldn't be a standard grilled cheese. Overall, RIS is decent. My waiter was very nice when he arrived to take my order and throughout the meal. But the food just wasn't what I was expecting. I'd visit again, but it's not my favorite in the Foggy Bottom area. It IS pretty conveniently located, though (just a 5-minute walk from the Foggy Bottom metro station) read more

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I went to Ris May 22nd for a Sunday Brunch. I had been hearing a lot about Ris and they had been featured on Tasting Table. We planned to go for brunch before the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market and we had an 11:15 reservation, but we barely made the market's closing at 1pm. By that time, everyone was packing up or was sold out of everything. The waitress didn't seem to know too much about the menu and wasn't able to give recommendations. She also neglected to tell us the daily specials, so I had to hear about the avocado soup from the table next to us. Service was spotty and portion sizes varied widely. We had to wave our server down several times. It was nice to eat outside for brunch, but the table we were sat at first was flimsy and cause us to spill our orange juice. It took a while for us to flag someone down to request to move to a different table and ask for a drink replacement. Donuts were too sweet and over-fried--the middles were greasy and oily. The chile relleno had an interesting texture and flavors not usually seen on the brunch menu and the hash was good (though they didn't ask how I wanted my egg cooked). Shrimp tempura had nice flavors, but was such a small portion even though it was listed under the same section of the menu (and same price) as all of the other items. The small plates were $6 or $8 each, depending on what side of the menu you ordered from. read more

RIS - 5/22 - brunch at Ris: Chile Relleno, Menu, Short Rib Hash, Shrimp Tempura, Sour Cream Donuts, Orange Juice - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I did rush hour at Ris 5/2/11. Superfantastic!!! When I walked in and bellied up to the bar, the man to my right had the meatloaf dinner. It looked and smelled so good, I had to restrain myself from eating off his plate. Fortunately, the bartender came by to introduce himself (Isidro), take my drink order & answer questions. I ordered the happy hour tempranillo and a water. I also asked about the meatloaf. Eventually, I ordered the rush hour mini meatloaf. When it arrived and I tasted it, I was in heaven. I am not 100% sure of the ingredients of the loaf, but I would almost swear I could taste beef and pork. The grind was rough and that is not a slap. It allowed the individual seasonings and flavors to speak for themselves while still submitting to the slightest filling and loaf formation. And the baby button mushrooms and tomato sauce catapulted this over any Mara G. meatloaf I can recall. (She'll read this and give me side-eye...until SHE tries the loaf...LOL) The paucity of the pile of greens and pouf of potatoes accompanying the meatloaf became apparent by the way I powered through them with impunity. But they partnered perfectly with the mini-loaf. The greens were not your typical mustard or kale. In fact, I couldn't even figure out what they were. But they were ever-so lightly sauteed (?) and seasoned that they were delicious. I don't think I've ever had a more perfect pouf of mashed potatoes. Delicious, but again, tiny. So much so that I finished the greens and potatoes and still had loaf left... ...So I ordered the Maltagliati Pasta. Why oh why did I wait so long to order this cup of handmade sheets with garden Swiss chard, pine nuts, lemon, roasted tomato and goat cheese? My meatloaf might not make it. When the pasta arrived, I still had a bit of loaf left and a few sips of wine. This combination was tantalizing as well. Everything was so fresh and well seasoned I felt the chef's presence in each bite. With an appetite like mine, two rush hour plates were enough for dinner. Paired with a glass of wine and some water, I was satisfied for the evening. I would have liked a little bread (Hue K. take note: no bread offered with rush hour small plates) but know I'll get some eventually. I truly enjoyed my rush hour at Ris. I can hardly wait until my next visit, whether it is for rush or power hour, the marquee menu, soup or Sunday supper. I'm a fan. read more

Actually I am between A-OK and Yay! I am a fan! I went there today for the first time. When we got in, there were as many as 4 ladies at the front desk area to greet us but took a while for them to decide where to put us. Finally we were escorted through the nice open area and the bar area into a small room with no view. Especially because I sat facing the wall in the small room, I did not like the table location. I hate to sit facing the wall. Regarding the food, I tried crudo of tuna, Hamachi and cured salmon. It was good but I like Nicholas Stephanelli's Hamachi crudo much better. I tried Cheese burger but I like Ray's Hell Burger much better. Maybe I just did not order the right things tonight. Maybe the flounder would have been excellent. But the French onion soup and chicken pot pie my companion ordered were excellent. I also wished they had more wallet friendly priced California Zinfandel. The restroom was spacious, modern and clean. read more

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As this was probably one of my last weekday lunches involving alcohol (for the foreseeable future), I am glad it was at Ris with H.K. Ris does a "Power Hour" lunch - an entree with a glass of wine or beer, for $15, in the bar area. Perfect! Service was attentive, though not overly friendly. Hostess was extremely friendly. Mostly a work crowd during lunch and Ris was fairly full. I had the skirt steak salad with the house white wine. The salad was tasty with a good amount of steak strips. It was tasty and the champagne vinaigrette helped. However, menu did claim there was feta on salad, and mine appeared with out any. Bread was good - crispy outside, soft on the inside. I tried a bite of H.K.'s pasta - it was good, and good-sized as well. House white was light and crisp. We were too full for dessert, unfortunately. But I must get back for happy hour! read more

Visited RIS for brunch with a friend on a quiet Saturday morning. My friend recommended the place since she wanted to try the popsicle mimosas, very similar to that of loopy doopy in NYC. According to my friend, who ordered the bottomless mimosas; they weren't necessarily stellar, so not worth $20 in my opinion. The establishment is located in Foggy Bottom, and at prime brunch time the place was quite empty, so we had pretty much no wait. Upon being seated outside and taking a look at the menu I noticed just how steep the prices were, which was a bit surprising for the normal brunch fare. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros, which were pretty good and more filling than expected. The tortilla was fried to a nice crisp, served on a bed of chorizo, black beans and rice. The egg was nicely cooked and I enjoyed the fresh jalapeños and salsa on top. My friend ordered The Madam, which was beautifully styled and presented on her plate. She seemed to enjoy it. The service was quite nice, our waitress overheard that it was my friend's birthday and brought out some cookies with candles; on the house. The cookies were absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS and added a really nice touch! :) Overall, it was a good brunch dining experience, $68 for two people. Food, ambiance and service were quality, but prices are a little high for my taste. read more

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

We were on a 4 day family vacation to tour DC and ate out every day. This was the destination for our last evening. It was recommended to us by a local and it was easily the dining highlight of the trip. The food was 5 star but the service was some of the best we have ever had nationwide. The manager and our server took great care of us and paid special attention to us. read more

I had a great dining experience at RIS. I visited for Sunday Brunch, made reservations in advance and was seated immediately. My server was the wonderful Shawn who was busy but very attentive with his customers. He kept the mimosas filled and was very knowledgeable on the menu from brunch items to desert. I valued his input. So I joined in on the new menu experience "Bottomless Popsicle Mimosas". It was 90 degrees out so this was absolutely a perfect idea! Delicious! - both the watermelon mint and ginger orange pineapple! We started our meal with the cheese plate. It was so good we wound up getting two!! Our main courses were the Madame (French toast/topped ham with sweet battered pancake with medium egg in the center) and also the Maryland Crab Cake Benedict (crabmeat plentiful) Desert was a peach and raspberry sorbet and ice cream. (see pics) During our dining experience we got to chat with Sharifa of RIS. It was through her Eventbrite ad that I decided to make reservations. She was so nice!! I hope the PR she does gets more folk in the door. This was truly a wonderful dining experience. read more

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RiS is consistently wonderful. The food is incredible and the bar specials are great. The gin collection is really expansive. Easily the best brunch in the West End. read more

Get your American flag crucifix ready, because DC people are going to kill me for saying this, but Ris isn't that great. Ris is a high end joint with good food, but it is in no way impressive. It's just there. The food is always well prepared, the dishes are always adequately varied, and the ambiance is nice, but... something about it bores me. It may be the fact that Ris isn't really anything but a decent high end American food place. Or maybe it is that it has a lot of excellent DC competition. I'm not sure. All I know is, I find it boring. read more

First of all, walking into the restaurant, you get a great classy ambiance. We had a great stroke of luck to be able to sit right next to the kitchen where they opened up the doors for a private party and we got to see the hustle and bustle of the kitchen line and chef. This restaurant is listed as a moderately priced restaurant; however, by the knowledge of our waiter and the service that they provide, you'd think you were in an upscale restaurant. We were offered a complimentary carrot soup which was rich and full of flavor which is not what you would expect from a simple looking carrot soup. You can expect a lot of different flavors in all of their dishes to the point where it can be quite overwhelming. Two dishes that are considered a favorite, the scallops margarita and braised lamb shank, were good at the first few bites but then the flavors just became too overpowering. Their Ginger citrus bouquet dessert was an amazing balance of flavors though. read more

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Ris... I liked the name. I stopped by for their Rush hour (HH). I tried "Pinky tuscaredo". It's like very light pina colada with hint of citrus. Very pretty and good (see photo). I don't like too sweet/fruity cocktail but this one was good. For only $6, you should try it. Ris has great food specials. 1. Bar Tart: Loved it. Pastry-like flaky crust topped with caramelized endive, onion and blue cheese with grapes and walnut. You don't need cheese plates or salad. Get this. You will be happy!! 2. Clam cake: Hush-puppy like Clam fitters. Fluffy and soft. Good!! 3. Chips and pickles: OK but not anything very special. I wanted to try other items on the menu but had to leave for another plan.... I had good time and will return! PS: You can park on the side street on L st.:) read more

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We dined at Ris during restaurant week and the experience was wonderful. First, let me write that the staff at Ris was fantastic. Everyone from the hostess to the servers was friendly, professional, and extremely helpful. They deserve a round of applause. Especially Mark. There were three of us and each of us ordered different appetizers and entrees. Appetizer: Vichyssoise with crème fraîche and chives French Crudité Plate with leeks vinaigrette, celeriac remoulade, sherried beets Moules Marinière with butter, herbs and vermouth, served with grilled bread Entrée: Sole Meunière with lemon brown butter and parsleyed potatoes Dueling Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, summer squash with tomatoes and mushroom gravy Poulet Frites with beautifully roasted chicken and frites with haricots verts Thankfully, we sampled each others meals and I can honestly say the Moules Marinière was the appetizer winner hands down. The Vichyssoise was very good but the Moules Marinière made my mouth water and I wanted to steal the bowl from my friend. Each of us ordered the Salty Turtle Sundae with vanilla ice cream, salted pecans chocolate and caramel sauces. I'm glad I chose this desert, while it wasn't the recommended desert; it was perfect after the Sole. Each of the entrées was wonderful. The Sole Meunière was the winner. It was the lemon brown butter with capers that the green beans, Sole, and potatoes bathed in that put the meal over the top. Had I been seated in a private dining room, I would have licked my plate clean. Overall, our experience at Ris was wonderful and we will definitely return. read more

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A group of four of us went to Brunch this past Sunday. There was no line and in the course of our 2.5 hour meal only half the tables filled, giving a nice quiet ambience. All enjoyed the bottomless mimosas for $18 (regular cost $10/drink). There is no limit to how long you can sit and enjoy your drinks. We shared a Scallop Martini, a zesty and fresh small plate that was definitely my favorite thing on the menu (don't miss it- 5 stars!). The entrees were solidly pleasing. Two of us ordered the Egg Maryland, an Eggs Benedict twist with a jumbo lump crab cake. We both agreed that is was delightful, and the slight orange flavoring to the hollandaise sauce was particularly perfect. The gentleman at our table had the Huevos Rancheros, which he in typical male fashion quietly appreciative of if not ebullient over. The fourth at the table had the Market Vegetable Scramble, which was deemed tasty but not particularly special. We rounded off the meal with the Chocolate Terroir, a perfectly decadent cap to the festivities! read more

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I came here with my friend to have the Prix Fixe brunch. All the items in the menu are very extravagant for brunch. I had Thai Brüssel spouts for the first course and crab cake Benedict for the main course. I was disappointed by the flavor of the dishes to be honest. Everything was too salty. Not only I couldn't taste anything but salty, but also I couldn't eat more than half of the dish because it was too salty. I think the ideas of menu was great but the execution was poor. For the price we paid, I could not enjoy the food to the fullest. read more

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

Yelp Drinks Week concluded with a hangover brunch here. I appreciated the special prix fixe brunch menu offered to us. Nothing gets me going quite like bottomless mimosas (especially when there are three kinds: traditional, apple ginger, and lemongrass). The space itself is nice. Light, open, and welcoming. Upscale, but still comfy. Enough nook, crannies, and divides to feel private. The service was great. Friendly and attentive. The dishes were good, but I wasn't blown away by any of them. Definitely some interesting and different dishes on the menu. I played it safe, though, and went for the greens salad, eggs florentine, and home fries. The salad dressing on the greens salad was delicious. I really wish they hadn't been so skimpy with it. The eggs florentine was above average. But I wish there had been more flavor and more hollandaise sauce. The home fries were eh. I could see myself possibly coming back here for brunch, however. And I will definitely come back for lunch or dinner. read more

First visit was for brunch. Lovely space! Brunch menu is pretty pricey with small plates at roughly $10 and entrees in the $18-20 range. Menu is creative and diverse with everything from a 'scallop martini,' to crab cake Benedict, to Huevos Rancheros with housemade beans, to omelettes, cheeseburger, charcuterie, fish and cheese. Had the bluefish pate- good. And the pork terrine- not what I expected and would not recommend. (Expected more flavor for something described as pork belly and shoulder...) but may be just my taste. Although I wasn't wowed, there is clearly a masterful and capable chef in the kitchen. Great service. Would return to try dinner. read more

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

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Cyndy's Bottom Line: A good place for pre or post theater dining. We started with a glass of Petit Chablis and Chateau Lestrille Bordeaux. Great to see French wines by the glass. This is what we ate: 1. Pepita Crusted Atlantic Salmon With shrimp, jumbo lump crab, hominy, tomato and lime with chilies, cilantro and sour cream. I ordered the fish done medium rare and it arrived medium rare. Bravo! All the different ingredients and flavors worked together. It was delicious. 2. Rabbit Bolognese and carrot tagliatelle with arugula and Asiago cheese. Hardy and tasty bolognese. Tagliatelle was hand made. We received solid service and would return if we were coming or going from the theater. Before or after the theater for a $35/3 course Marque menu: 4-6:30 pm and 10-11pm. read more

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My husband and I have twice gotten the survival kit for $15 each, always a choice of soup and a salad. Both times we've really loved what we received and were impressed by the delicious fresh greens and other produce. It is the kind of food that feels like it is made with love! Even better is that we can buy fresh produce at incredible prices. I was skeptical when my husband first told me about it, but we got some amazing tomatoes this way and picked up more produce the next time we picked up the survival kit. I also appreciate that the survival kit is always vegetarian. Usually one of the soups is vegan. The food is so fresh and delicious that I am inspired to create my own fresh soups and salads one day. Out of the soups, our favorite is the green soup that we had the first time. Both times the salad offered was the goat cheese salad. Bread is included with the orders also. We will definitely be back for more survival kits and plenty of produce. I was not able to dine at RIS in earlier times because I have a serious shellfish allergy. The current offerings make it safe for me to try the main menu some day. I'm sure it will be equally delicious. Also the more vegan offerings and giant salads, the better! Our selection of produce this time around included red tomatoes, yellow peaches, and white sweet onions. We are looking forward to what we can create with all these fresh offerings. The tomatoes are high quality, not the red rubber ball variety too often available in stores. It should be noted that RIS also offers many take home frozen selections for cooking later. That is also a very helpful offer. RIS has shown me that soup and salad can be a very satisfying and creative meal. We'll be back! read more

I went here with six coworkers for lunch during restaurant week. The service was very friendly and attentive. Our party was given our own semi-private room in a corner of the restaurant and we had a great time. I chose the gnudi (ricotta dumplings), salmon with soba noodles, and key lime cheesecake. Everything was delicious. I was very impressed with the thin layer of key lime jelly on the cheesecake. The salmon was cooked to medium, exactly as I had requested. The only not-so-great part of the meal was that I had two "bad surprise" slices of jalapeño pepper in my soba noodles and I accidentally ate one. My mouth was on fire for about 5 minutes. I'm pretty sure it was a fluke because several of my coworkers also ordered the salmon and nobody but me got any jalapeños. ris is also great for happy hour. They offer mini versions of their main dishes at the bar at very inexpensive prices. read more

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I got the five-course tasting menu with wine pairing for my birthday, and I was extremely impressed. The appetizer and mains were amazing, and I cleaned my plate on all of them, even though I was uncomfortably full. My favorite course by far was the lemon ricotta agnolotti, which I will happily order as a full meal when I go back for a non-tasting menu experience. The wine pairings were perfect, and I loved all of them, which is unusual for me. Service was excellent, very attentive but not pushy or rushing in any way. There were only two negatives for this experience, and they definitely won't keep me from going back. First, the tables in some areas are way too close together. They have a row of a few two-seater tables that are within about two feet of each other. For such a nice restaurant, it feels awkward to have to hear every word of the conversations next to you. Secondly, the desserts were just OK. If I were ordering a la carte, I definitely would not get one. Overall, a great restaurant with very fresh food and good food. I will absolutely return. read more

Maybe Ris was once good. But now, what a disappointing restaurant. We sense this place survives to this day only because the Ritz sends foolish out-of-towners here. The only good item we had was the scallop ceviche. It was refreshing, flavorful, and combined the lime, margarita, cilantro and fish effectively. Everything else was sad. The artichoke tastes like it is cooked in a pile of oil and nothing else. It came with a bland side of mayonnaise for dipping. Entrees of snapper and trout were both disappointing. The dishes were haphazard and not tied together. The snapper, for instance, seeking to be faintly Asian, comes with a side of white rice and soy sauce. But the rice does not taste like sushi rice (no vinegar taste, etc.), and instead just seems to be plain, uninteresting white rice cooked with too much butter or oil. Both fishes seem to lack any underlying marinade or even salting. That is, both fishes were bland and uninteresting. Sure, you can desperately push them around in sauces, or, as we learned drop them into the ketchup for some semblance of flavor, but otherwise, it's a real waste of fish at $30 a plate. The skin on the trout was flaccid and lacking crisp. The sides with each dish are also fine, but nothing with much flavor or interest. The fries are mediocre. They lack much of a good (if any) crisp. If you like re-heating McDonald's fries, you might like these. Otherwise, stay away. Also they are served without anything, no mayo, no ketchup, nothing. It's not an oversight. It seems to be intentional. Maybe they decided they want to stop wasting condiments because people won't be eating much of their flaccid fries anyway. Besides water, bread might be the one food or drink at a restaurant you expect freely and quickly. At Ris, you must request it. So we did. It takes time to come out. Likely because they are re-heating frozen bread. How do we know it's frozen? The first batch they brought out was still frozen in the center. To their credit, they apologized, brought us some complimentary tomato soup to make up for it, and eventually brought out a properly heated helping of bread. But make no mistake, this tastes like frozen bread you can buy at a store and stick in the oven. Also, the butter was hard as a rock. And the bread and butter both lack any salting. Service: Unlike the food, the service is relatively good. Prompt, attentive, and polite. Ambiance: Nice on the inside (even if a bit formal), and relaxed on the patio outside. But depressingly empty on a Saturday night at prime time. Clientele was what you might expect around the Ritz residences. read more

Ris. I came to you for brunch. You have me feeling some kind of way. It think it was the mussels that sucked me into a trance. You put a spin on a classic mussel dish that had me intrigued and wanting more. Ground sausage and carrots? Can't say I've had anything like it before. Next go around I would save the sausage and carrots for last eating it with the bread. The bread was hard as a brick. You have to use the broth for dipping to soften it up to the point where you can bite into it Eggs Florentine. It was pretty bland. This saddens me. The potatoes I ordered with it were really good. I love how you mixed the red peppers and onions. This prevented me from putting ketchup on it. Yes, I said ketchup. Don't look at me that way. On to the mimosa's. 3 types is a plethora of choices when it comes to mimosa's. Unfortunately, I stayed in my lane and ordered the classic over and over and over again. You definitely know how to not skimp on the champagne portion of it. Packed quite a smack to the taste buds. The curios customer in me wanted to try the Grapefruit basil cocktail. I'm in my head trying to think how on earth do you introduce a basil to a cocktail, along with grapefruit!!! Well my friends, they hit it out of the ballpark. This drink would be almost mandatory if you are here on the warmer days sitting on the patio. It's very chic and ladylike. The big basil leaf as a garnish turns this into a sophisticated looking drink. I owe it to myself and the good of my fellow friends to pay Ris another visit and order off of the lunch menu and try another fancy drink read more

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

(4.5 stars) I was super impressed with my recent dinner at Ris. I was here before for Restaurant week over a year ago and wasn't too crazy about it, but I figured I should eventually give it another go... and I'm glad I did. The restaurant was extremely crowded and we couldn't get a table, but we were able to sit at the bar which offered full service. For my main dish, I ordered the simply grilled fish of the day, which happened to be swordfish. It had an absolutely lovely preparation: a hearty filet of swordfish dressed with a sweet, mango-like sauce and served over a bed of basmati rice, fresh spinach, and slices of honey glazed roasted sweet potato. Although it lacked the crispness that I've come to love from a great fish, it more than made up for it with an unbelievable mixture of flavors. Combining the fish, salsa, rice, spinach, and sweet potato made for a truly memorable bite. After a great entree, I couldn't help but get dessert. Our waiter suggested the butterscotch pudding, adding that it's what the chef was known for. Not only was it delicious, but it was beautifully arranged and demonstrated a complex balance of flavors and textures. Served in a margarita glass, the sweet butterscotch pudding is covered with fluffy whipped cream and topped with a melting marble of rich chocolate sorbet wedged between two pieces of cocoa crisp. It was plenty to share for the three of us and seemingly irresistible to put down. read more

RIS - Simply Grilled Fish of the Day (Swordfish) - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good experience, beautifully prepared short rib and desserts, excellent wine selection. Handicap accessible entrance at the side of restaurant, there is a step if you try to go in the front. I will say that service was a little awkward at times, waitstaff seemed a bit put upon or irritated that we arrived 15 minutes early for a group reservation we were hosting. Snarky vibe; but the meal made up for it. 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

Delicious food, pleasant/chic ambiance, but get ready for something that's mega-pricey. Ris is one of those spots in DC that just makes you want to tell everyone you've been there at least once. It's under the Ritz Carlton hotel/residences in the West End so, that should already tell you everything. Get ready to act your most chic here, and shell out more than you'd ever thought for grilled cheese and soup (so tasty though!). To me, it's worth heading here if you've got a special occasion or want to impress a date or a business contact. Otherwise, skip the trip -- it's comparable to loads of fine establishments in DC. The two times I've been, I've never experienced anything less than good hospitality, a fine menu, and things done right...so they earned all 4 of these stars. read more

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

Rediscovered this conveniently located establishment. Street parking is limited but easy to get to. A warm welcome is made by the staff. You are in a comfortable place, neighborly and friendly. The food choices are abundant and unique, combining many flavors and spices made with care and attention. You wouldn't think it works but it all does brilliantly. A simple salad of tomatoes and mozzarella turned into Caprese Napoleon. Heirloom tomatoes, perfectly ripe with a house made mozzarella with basil pesto and balsamic over toasted raisin walnut bread was simple brilliant and filling This is a must place to enjoy unique and relaxing meals. read more

RIS - Korean Braised Short Rib steamed rice, carrots, water chestnuts, kimchi ginger & gochujang #risrestaurant - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We were a group of 6 that walked in about 10 minutes before the kitchen was closing. We only intended to check out the butterscotch pudding that was featured in the Washington Post Magazine. They upsold us a cheese plate - which was nice since they could've been upset at us for walking in so late. The cheese plate was nice with honey, nuts and pear. Nothing overly fantastic. The butterscotch pudding was the real draw - but we all shared and felt it didn't live up to our expectations. Certainly left disappointed. It was good...or maybe just ok. Kinda lacked flavor. read more

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

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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