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St. Arnold's Mussel Bar

4.2 (782 reviews)
ModerateBelgian, Pubs, American
Closed 4:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

St. Arnold's Mussel Bar Belgian Restaurant Photos

Business Info

ST. ARNOLD'S MUSSEL BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - St. Arnold's Mussel Bar

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Beer List as of Feb 2026
Marc A.

I really enjoy this place. My preference is to sit at the bar, but depending on the size of your crew, tables are great too. I'm a big believer in ordering what a place is known for. If you're gonna go there, you need to get the mussels and you need to get a few Belgian beers. Is other stuff good, yes, but it's 5 stars when you get what they're known for and what they do right. My personal favorite is the St. Arnold's style mussels. It's their namesake, hence the theme of this review. Feel free to add sausage or linguine on your second trip, but try it as is the first time. Fries are perfect, crispy on the outside soft on the inside and soak up all that delicious mussels sauce so well. Enjoy

Mussels St Arnold's and a glass of rose
Stacy A.

This is my favorite restaurant in the US! Very unassuming location in the downstairs of a row home in DuPont circle. Don't let the cavernous feel steer you away, if you like mussels, you will not regret coming here! There are many tasty options but I always get the Mussels St. Arnold's, cooked in duck fat and lots of yummy herbs. The richest, most flavorful sauce, and is extra delicious when you dip your bread into the generous serving of the sauce. So good you might even want to request a spoon! I was sad the other two locations have closed so I hope people continue coming here so this national treasure stays open for many years to come!

Herbed Crusted Salmon
Kenneth K.

Amazing Belgian restaurant in the heart of DC. I got a Groupon so the value was great. We loved the food and drink and our server was amazing. The ambiance is cool too and reflects an old underground tavern feeling like you are going back in time into Old Europe.

Sumi K.

Mussel bar @ Washington DC We had an early dinner 5:30pm on Monday and the restaurant wasn't too busy. There is a Happy hour menu from Monday to Friday, 4 to 6pm. There are variety of mussels sauce to choose from. The spicy white wine mussels pots were quite spicy. The fries weren't too crispy, oven roasted chicken wings were ok. The beer battered onion rings were very crispy and good. The roasted beet with red onion, goat cheese on arugula were very tasty. Our server recommended batik Belgian pilsner and duvet Belgian blonde draft beers which went very well with our dishes. We enjoyed our dinner and the service was attentive!

bar area

What a time! St Arnold's not only had the best mussels, but the best service. Lorraine and Vanessa made us feel like family and friends on our anniversary and made our night! Thank you to them!

Beer Battered Onion Rings
Milin P.

St. Arnold's is a chill dive bar/pub vibe with a local feel that you can tell has its regulars. The mussels on happy hour are a great deal and have a ton of flavors. We tried the St. Arnold signature and they were delicious, highly recommend. Definitely will come back to anytime I'm in the mood for mussels, I'd love to try the other flavors

Alexander G.

On a cold late night, we weren't ready to head home but many bars were already closed. A friend suggested this place as it was a favorite for mussels and other seafood so we headed over. I can only rate this place based on the beer selection, but absolutely loved our visit. This place is off Dupont Circle, kind of half way in the basement. It's dark and cozy, with lots of art and items around the Belgian beer world. We took seats at the bar - the bartender was immediately welcoming and friendly with us. Their draft and bottled list is long, mostly focusing on Belgian breweries or Belgian beer styles. I opted for their house beer - a Belgian dubbel which was rich and delicious, the perfect beer to slowly sip on a cold night while talking with a friend. This is a great spot for Belgian beer and seafood if you're in the area.

Melody Y.

Food: 5/5 Service/cleanliness: 3/5 The whole menu is online via scanning a QR code. There's a variety of mussels but when we asked our server for recommendations/her thoughts, she wasn't very nice or helpful. She was a bit rude and just said all of the choices are good. All of the appetizers we ordered were good. The onion rings are probably the best I've ever had. It had a light batter and was crunchy. Same for the calamari. The plates were smelly - it smelled like it was wiped with a dirty kitchen rag. St. Arnold mussels & L'Alsacienne: The St. Arnold was better. It was creamier and had richer flavors. Both were overall good though so you can't go wrong with either choice. We added linguine and it was very filling. I didn't even have space for the bread/fries it came with.

Tara H.

Came here for dinner on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy, so we got seated fast. My husband ordered their nachos which was basically chips with some cheese and other stuff on there. I enjoyed the sausage and pepper sandwich I ordered that came on ciabatta bread. My father in law ordered their sausage platter that came with sauerkraut and fries. They also had several German and Belgian beer options.

Mussels St Arnold's (the house mussels)
Thomas H.

We were visiting Washington DC again and we were googling pubs and this place came up with really good reviews. It's a very unique smaller pub where you walk down the steps to get inside. One of the owners was the bartender and was very personable and fun. Very unique concept where they have a pretty much full menu but they're known for their mussels and french fries. It's a pub with a full bar but lots of Belgium beer. Apparently the mussels are shipped in from Prince Edward Island in Canada daily. My hubby had the Mussel St Arnold's (the house mussels) and I had chicken strips and fries (frites). Everything was delicious!!!

Digestif! Not usually into any licorice tasting anything but this did wonders.

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1 year ago

Food is good - you can't really go wrong with any of the mussels. Service is a little hit or miss

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1 year ago

Very good choice for office happy hours. The mussel is very fresh and well flavored. Great with some beers

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7 months ago

a must go! met Mark one of the owners simply fantasti! food incredible staff awesome and drinks great!

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Ask the Community - St. Arnold's Mussel Bar

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St. Arnold's Mussel Bar - belgian - Updated May 2026

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