The atmosphere is very nice! Beautiful open space, loft-like feel. The service and attention is superb, better than most 5 star restaurants. Great advice on wine/food pairings. The food however is average. This is fusion-like food and not quite perfected. My dish was off the charts spicy and temperature was only warm. The attentive service host quickly checked on me and offered another selection immediately. New restaurants can take some time to find their groove, I hope this one does! read more

Beautiful spot and excellent service. Dishes we had, Spicy Beef Saigon sandwich with frites and the Caribbean Chinese Noodle Chicken were very flavorful and different, inventive in the best way. The mustard kewpie on the frites was super. We also had the Upside-Down Impossible Pineapple Flan Cake, which was good. Finally, as to food, we ordered the Marguerita Pizza to go, as we had read in a review on Yelp that it was excellent. The pizza was cooked Neapolitan style, but there was something slightly off in the taste. Hard to put finger on the problem, but it was if the sauce had been scorched. Just a hint of burned flavor. And, the cheese wasn't memorable anyway, so that's not something we would recommend. Now to the problems. There was a soundtrack running that was basically a heavy beat like you'd hear in a club with a DJ. Just a pounding that was relatively loud and very off-putting. I think that will keep people from return visits, even with the excellent food. The other surprise on our bill was the cost of my martini. I asked for a gin martini up with an olive. The server rightly asked if I had a preference for my gin, and I said "no, just the rail gin will be fine." I got a decent martini with no olive (I like a little olive flavor), so had to ask for the olive, which the server brought, all fine. But, when I got the bill I found I was charged for Hendricks, $18, Martini, $2, and Up, $4. $24 for a Martini? And since when is Hendricks a rail drink. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, however, as when we were ready to order, the server highly recommended the scallops dish for $35. when almost all the other dishes were around $20 or less. Will we return? We might stop in to see what the music's like, and if it's toned down we'd stay. Otherwise, there are a number of other good places to eat within arms length. But, I certainly won't order a martini again. read more

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As a local, I really wanted to like this place! Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy my experience at Surreal. Skip ahead to the last bit for my summarized review. The highest point comes immediately when you step inside. The ambiance and decor of the place are lovely, and the seasonal decorations for the cherry blossoms are tasteful and not over the top. But then we approached the host stand. While the staff altogether are mostly friendly, my hostess only give me the drink menu when she seated me. When my friend and I realized this and went back to the host stand for actual menus, the hostess explained that our server would give us our actual menus. Odd and unusual. Five minutes later when she realized our server had not introduced herself yet, she acquiesced and provided us with menus. When we were seated, the table we were given was very wobbly and moved easily. This was very unusual given the restaurant has only been open for a couple of months. The glasses that were pre-set on the table were dusty and dirty, so we had to ask for new ones. The table was also only half-set with plates, so I had to take one from a nearby fully-set table. The person who came around to give us water was not friendly and seemed low-energy. Twenty minutes into sitting down, we were finally greeted by our waitress. It was not her fault - it didn't appear the restaurant was properly staffed. She was funny and very willing to give us recommendations and thoughts on what was popular. Then our waitress stepped away to give us time to think about our choices. Something seemed off about the place, so my friend and I considered paying for our drinks and leaving. We decided to stay. But then as my friend mentioned aloud that he would be sharing terrible things about this place with his other friend (who also had a terrible experience), the manager walked by. He frowned, as he had obviously heard the remark, but chose not to acknowledge it. He instead stopped by our table and asked if we had decided on our food. His approach was diplomatic, but I kind of wished he had engaged and asked us for our feedback. When we received our food, we would later find our waitress' recommendations regarding portion sizes misleading: she said that the tallarines and meatballs would be a sizable portion. Maybe it's relative and open to interpretation, but I wasn't wowed by the portion size my friend received. He also said they were just okay. I had chosen the salmon dish: the salmon itself and the purple potato purée were alright. Not bad, but nothing special. However, something appeared wrong with the oyster mushrooms. In summary: - To use a dated reference from a generation before mine, it felt like stepping into the Twilight Zone. Beautifully arranged, but everyone acted strange. - Overpriced food and drinks. The food is beautifully plated, but the portions and quality are not proportional to how much they charge. - Beautiful decor and ambiance around the restaurant, but management should pay better attention to the tables where the customers actually sit. - I did not have any appetizers or desserts. None of the appetizers on the menu looked good, and I didn't have the stomach for dessert after the mushrooms. I would be willing to try the desserts (to-go) in the near future as several other reviews mentioned that they loved them. read more

Just visited newly opened Surreal and it was a great experience and I will definitely be visiting again soon. The staff was courteous and attentive. The restaurant is in a great location with paid street parking available as well as close access to a parking deck. The inside of the restaurant is vibrant yet moody. The menu has a great variety and the full bar has good mixology including spirit free cocktails and beer. I visited for dinner and our server gave great recommendations as well as current favorites which most of party decided to go with. I had the puttanesca and added shrimp which was a perfect dinner size and was fresh, hot, and delicious. It came with a piece of toasted bread and I also tried one of the cocktails - enchanted illusion which mostly reminded me of an aperol spritz. I look forward to trying some other cocktails and mocktails. For dessert I had the cheesecake which was decadent and great dessert size. Overall I would visit again to try other menu items and love this new addition to the neighborhood. @sharpandsoundstyle read more

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Great food and atmosphere. Service was excellent and the restaurant wasn't crowded, so things went pretty quickly. read more

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I've had several meals at Sureal in the month since it's opened. The food has been interesting. The crispy chicken sandwich was well conceived and tasted great. The crispy pillow tuna poke bowl was fun; I touched the crispy pillow and it popped over the bowl's contents. The meal was one of the best pokes I've had. The tomato tart for brunch sounded better than it tasted. Served hot would've been great but it was served cold, and the portion was skimpy. The Maple Dreams cocktail was delicious but small. Basically a 4.5 star menu. The service lagged behind what my expectations were, instead of anticipating what we would want beforehand. The environmental ambiance is compelling, with the outdoors seeming to spill indoors and the indoors seeming to spill outdoors. The music is a problem, not what's playing but the volume. It's way loud. The last time I went there I didn't stay to order because I couldn't carry on a conversation with my companions. We asked if the volume could be lowered but instead the staff turned up the volume. We left before the waiter came to take our order. I would not recommend Sureal for a business meal or when conversation is important. It would be a struggle to hear and be heard. read more

Cool vibe, good food, bad for food allergies. Probably not going back. Had a 7:00 res, arrived at 7:05 and was sat immediately. Our waitress was very friendly and had our drink order within minutes of sitting. The menu was presented and looked pretty good but, no allergen markings and no gluten free substitutions - so VERY restrictive for Celiacs. Took 25 min to get drinks when the restaurant was at about 25% capacity - glass of Cab, Manhattan, and a pelegrino. The restaurant has chosen to go without appetizers however, the first few items on the menu are described as shareable. Swordfish Carpaccio was probably the star of the evening, the flaming Cheeto flavored topopos were a great touch. Brisket sandwich on homemade bread was delicious, wasn't expecting the broccoli salad to be ON the sandwich but that really was clutch. Saigon beef sandwich was okay, flavors were good but it was on a stale baguette which made it pretty impossible to eat as a sandwich. Chicken salad and One Lettuce Caesar salad with chicken were good, chicken was nicely cooked and tender, the one lettuce idea is cool. Salmon was perfectly cooked to medium rare and what you'd expect, not earth shattering. Had the cheesecake for desert, presentation was very fun and it was delicious. Probably not going back due to it not being celiac friendly - very unusual today. That and nothing's really calling me back. $300 with tip - 2 rounds of drinks read more

The noise level is extreme and continued to be so even when the bar area emptied. The service was at times attentive and at times absent. The food was expensive and very disappointing. The tuna poke bowl appetizer had fishy tasting nori chips, slightly off tasting tuna, clumpy rice and hard mango. The main course salmon was good but the mashed potatoes were watery, the broccoli tasteless and the carrots tough - all for $38. We were underwhelmed and disappointed. read more

First time there was great. Wasn't expecting much as they had only been open a few days and National landing is a food desert. What a nice surprise! Food was delicious, the server was attentive and offered great suggestions. The atmosphere is clean and modern with lots of glass and plants. They have a grab and go section for some items along with a bar. The only issue was the plates are large with lots of white space and the ceramic side dishes slide on them So the presentation is good, but not perfect- yet. looking forward to a return visit soon. The spicy beef sandwich had good flavor and the perfect bread to absorb the flavors. The toppings on the double fried chicken sandwich made the sandwich. Not the best chicken sandwich, but a close 2nd to Hangry Joes. ( better than queen mother down the block) read more

Perfect place for a fun little drink, but the food is more expensive than it is good, which makes me think I'm paying for the vibes. I wish food was either a little cheaper for same items or the quality and flavor was more out of the park. Everyone working there seems very nice though, pleasant place to start or end date night! read more

Wonderful everything - food, service, and ambiance. I cannot wait to return to this crown jewel dining experience!

Cocktails here are excellent, and we were very pleased with the Margherita pizza - so much so, we returned the very next day to have it and several more cocktails again, and were just as pleased. The service here is excellent - the servers are attentive and helpful - and the ambiance is very hip. This is a very nice spot for a date night, and I'm looking forward to trying other things on the menu. For cocktails, I highly recommend the the Parallel Universe Passion and the Maple Dreams. read more

Second time in a month to dine here with friends since it's in the neighborhood. Today we came for brunch and the place wasn't too busy. The waitress was friendly, cheerful and knowledgeable about the cuisine. We placed our order and the dishes came in a reasonable period of time. Right after the plates were served, the waitress asked how the dishes were and said she would be back. I ordered the croque madam and was disappointed. The egg whites on the fried eggs weren't cooked and I didn't think they were safe to eat. That was unfortunate because without the egg yolks, the rest of the sandwich was dry and not that flavorful. By the time the waitress returned to inquire how we were enjoying our dishes we were over halfway thru our meal. She offered to get me another dish but our party was nearly finished eating and I wasn't going to wait for another meal. Where was she for the last 15 minutes when she could have made the order right. Don't get me wrong, I have found other dishes that were delicious but service seems to be off more than it's on. If you want a sandwich, I would probably suggest the BLTwisted Surreal or a good old cheeseburger. read more

Can't recommend this place enough! The staff and atmosphere were all exceptional and very memorable. Price was reasonable and well worth the delicious meal. 5 stars! read more

I went for dinner service tonight and I've been really excited to try it since it opened a couple of months ago. I have to admit, I wasn't impressed. We didn't have a reservation, but the restaurant was half empty, so we got a table quickly. The hostess only gave us the bar menu and not the food menu. When we asked if we could get the food menu, she told us we get the food menu when the waiter comes to our table. After 20 mins of no waiter coming to our table, the hostess finally gave us menus for the food. Seems like a weird policy not being given the food menu. When we sat at our table, only one of us had a plate and a napkin and our water cups were dirty. Inside my water cup was dirt/dust and half of an insect. Our waitress was extremely friendly, but seemed like she was spread thin. The menu was a bit all over the place. It didn't seem like it had one idea or theme in its food. It took us a long time to talk to anyone at this place. We waited more on ordering anything than actually waiting for food. The manager of the restaurant seemed passive-aggressive with a chip on his shoulder. He wasn't friendly. We didn't get appetizers, so I can't say if they were any good. We ordered the Salmon dish and the pasta with meatballs. Both my partner and I were underwhelmed with our food. I didn't really care for the noodles they used for the pasta with meatballs and I felt like the meatballs weren't mixed very well. Maybe we got the wrong dishes, but these were the dishes that they suggested to us at the restaurant. I felt like we could've made both dishes better at home. The ambiance is as confusing as the menu is. Some things look really cute and other pieces were cheap. I wasn't impressed with the cloud shaped lights. They looked like something you bought for a children's room at Ikea. The tables were already wobbly and they've only been open a couple of months. The bar is really beautiful though. I felt like they did a really great job designing that area of the place. I would not go back there for dinner again, BUT I want to give them another shot with their breakfast menu or lunch. Dinner was a strikeout... read more

10/10 food did not look like what it tasted like and that was a pleasant surprise. The ceviche (chefs kiss), the prosciutto pizza(chefs kiss), BABY THE SALTED BROWNIE WITH THE ICE CREAM (I could kiss yall on the mouth) read more

We have been here a few times with mostly good dishes, but tonight was on point. We had a very knowledgeable server and enjoyed the outdoor seating on a perfect evening. The cocktails were delicious as we went through and tried as many as we could! The food we shared amongst the group and we loved all of them. We had the scallops, which were perfectly cooked and had a perfect pairing of a mustardy cauliflower salad, the salmon, which was perfect as well with mushrooms which were extraordinary with serious flavor. The branzino was a highlight for sure, with the salt of the olives, and the homemade pasta was good, too. We don't have time to stay for dessert but look forward to our next visit. read more

Came for Happy Hour. Excellent drinks and happy hour snacks. Great ambiance, service, and bar set up!

We once ate at seven reasons in DC and loved it! When we found out this restaurant was under the same management, we were excited to try something new! We enjoyed our meal but was not as wowed from the level of culinary creativity compared to Seven Reasons. Overall we had a wonderful meal and food was delicious but would say the wine and desserts were the best. However, every item was made with outstanding quality and freshness just wish the menu was more unique. read more

Food was way overpriced, received a head of lettuce for $20 with nothing on it and wasn't told the meats would be an additional charge; meal ended up being $50 for lettuce and 4 prices of chicken for $14. Waiters don't say anything about pricing and it's not on the menu. read more

Over priced and no appetizers on the menu. We went in for drinks and a couple of appetizers and were told that the first 5 items on the dinner menu were the appetizers...salads do not qualify. Happy hour is 3-6 and same menu. The juice is not worth the squeeze when there are so many other choices nearby. Can't in good conscience recommend. read more