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    The Pembroke

    4.1 (423 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM

    The Pembroke Photos

    THE PEMBROKE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - The Pembroke

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    Menu for brunch
    Alondra G.

    Penbrook delivered a genuinely impressive breakfast experience, starting with amazing service and consistently great food. The standout of the morning was the breakfast side potatoes--crispy, seasoned perfectly, and easily something I'd come back for. The breadbasket came with three pastries, which felt a bit smaller than expected, but the almond croissant more than made up for it. On the heartier side, the chicken and waffles were extremely filling thanks to the dense waffles, so definitely a dish to tackle with an appetite. One of the biggest surprises was the brunch salad with salmon, which ended up being one of the best salads I've had in a long time--fresh, balanced, and satisfying. The breakfast sandwich was another highlight: so good that it's now the new standard I'll compare all other breakfast sandwiches to. The smoked salmon bagel was also a fun experience, served deconstructed so you can build each bite exactly how you like it. Not everything was a hit--the French toast wasn't my favorite--but the overall meal was strong enough that it barely detracted from the experience. Brunch offers a few additions beyond the regular breakfast menu, but overall it's very similar to their standard breakfast, just with a couple of extra options. It tends to get full on the weekends to make a reservation. Bottom line: Penbrook is a beautiful hotel restaurant that punches above its weight--excellent service, memorable dishes, and several items worth returning for.

    French Toast
    Maryrose B.

    Very consistent in food quality and service. Had brunch with friends today and we went to Pembroke. Located in DuPont Circle area. Brunch menu is reasonable and delicious. Ambiance is nice, plenty of seating but you have to reserve specially as it gets later in the day. Wait staff are attentive. Highly recommend this place for brunch.

    Octopus
    Sonya H.

    Fantastic New American / European restaurant in a gorgeous space. I visited the Pembroke as part of a work team dinner during Restaurant Week, and we were thoroughly impressed by the quality of the food, super friendly service, and great ambiance. The space is gorgeous; I love all the plants, and the light brown, light blue, and white color combination for their furniture makes the space look classy and modern. The light brown leather couches are comfortable, and I love the way they circle around the tables to create a natural, cozy booth. Our food was just as beautiful as the space. The Restaurant Week menu comes with an appetizer, main, and dessert. Given how indecisive I can be (and how expansive the normal menu is), I was grateful to have my choices narrowed down a bit. I started off my meal with the octopus. The octopus was remarkably tender and not overly chewy, and had a delightful char that gave it a slightly smoky flavor. They double downed on the smokiness with their burnt chili oil, which, alongside the lemon and salsa verde, gave the dish a wonderfully balanced smoky, savory, and slightly acidic flavor. The crushed potatoes had a lovely crispy shell on the outside and served as a great base for the tender octopus. The main course was probably the easiest choice of the evening -- I'm absolutely obsessed with branzino, so the second I saw it on the Restaurant Week menu, I knew that was what I had to get. The fish is beautifully broiled, with a nice, crispy skin and super tender, flaky flesh. It's topped with a few pieces of roasted garlic and a wedge of lemon. The fresh lemon juice, as well as the lovely side salad, offered a great pop of freshness to bring the whole dish together. And finally, for our dessert, I chose the chocolate torta. This wonderful dessert is remarkably rich and decadent, with a strong dark chocolate flavor. It's topped with a lovely marsala date sauce and scoop of sheep's yogurt ice cream, but still doesn't feel overly sweet. The sheep's yogurt in the ice cream offers a bit of tanginess, and I loved the addition of the candied walnuts for a bit of crunch.

    Drinks
    Tara A.

    Was craving pasta and this more than satisfied the craving. Everything was SO GOOD! I got a passion fruit martini that I really liked. My sister didn't love her Hugo spritz. The mezcal margarita was also good. We started with the grilled octopus. It was cooked to perfection and the chimichuri sauce was so nice with it. Then we shared the vodka pasta and the lamb bolognese. Wow both of these were incredible. We also got truffle fries. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Yum! We didn't have room for dessert but I'm sure those would have been just as delicious. Service was also great! Will definitely be back!

    cappuccino
    Trail B.

    Had brunch on a sunday morning with friends Ambience - 4 stars - very bright and vibrant atmosphere. We were seated at a corner both and had great views of dupont street scene Food - 3 stars - decent selection for a brunch. Had the pastry basket for the table which was as expected. I had the acai bowl, others had lemon ricotta pancake ( very sweet) , eggs benedict and breakfast sandwiches - we were all surprised at the portion size - larger than we expected - but I would say average in taste as nothing stood out to us. I also had a cappuccino which was also decent. service -5 star. excellent service and attention from the staff ! its a good spot for brunch and I would go here again.

    Menu
    Te-Mika W.

    A weekend brunch - yes please! A friend who recently relocated from here came back for a visit and gathered four of us for a leisurely brunch at this place. None of us had ever been here. I like new places. Dupont Circle was easy parking this time of morning - around 10. I love trying chicken and waffles at different spots and when I saw it on the menu I had to get it, even if I wasn't ravenous. The menu is a little pricey (most in DC are), but the chicken & waffles was also one of the better values (IMO). The cornmeal waffle (which I've had it only found at a few other places) was definitely on point! My fellow patrons had never had a cornmeal waffle and were skeptical, so I let them try and - they approved. The chicken was fried well, even if it could've used a bit more flavor. The latte was as good as I expected it to be. The decor in this place is gorgeous, very elevated, and the weather was perfect that day for an indoor or outdoor seating. Service was pretty good too, and the place was pretty filled, but never felt crowded. I'd recommend.

    Robert M.

    Lovely spot at DuPont Circle. Went for early weekday breakfast while at conference (cool they were open at 7:00 a.m.) Had the French omelette and was frankly underwhelmed. It was good, not great, and I kind of wanted great. Coffee also not earth shaking, and was not even offered a refill. Would probably give a second chance - vibe was very blonde Jane Fonda circa late 60s. Cool.

    Children's menu: chicken strips and fries
    Ingrid L.

    This bright, modern restaurant had a great ambiance, and the staff was friendly without being overbearing, which I appreciated. The dishes we ordered were delicious and nicely presented. The portions felt just right to me, though I could see how some might find them a bit on the smaller side. My only note would be to ask for the salad dressing on the side-the Caesar salad was a bit over-dressed.

    The Pembroke: menu is outside the door for your perusing
    Eric W.

    Reservation is required. You can't find any swat without it. Food is okay. Not that great, but not bad at all. 4 stars. Drinks are strong! Service is 5 star for sure! Decor and interior is nice. Bathroom is shared with the bar. All in all, a solid choice if you're in embassy row/DuPont circle area.

    Chicken and waffles

    This place might be a little too overhyped. The prices were not worth it for the food. We got the chicken and waffles and the chicken had no flavor. The waffles were decent. Probably wouldn't come again.

    Kai M.

    Returning to say that this place is still a gem in Dupont Circle. Unmatched for intimacy, quality food, fun lattes, beautiful ambiance, and an amazing staff! My boyfriend planned the perfect birthday breakfast for me and Rath, our waiter, was so kind and accommodating and definitely the type of waiter that you want to encounter all the time. Breakfast was phenomenal!!! I ordered the flavorful Pembroke American breakfast which contains eggs your way, bacon, potatoes, charred greens, and a slice of sourdough bread. These flavors blended together perfectly, making this dish memorable with each bite. The eggs were scrambled with white cheddar-FLUFFY and oozing with buttery goodness. The bacon was fried just right! The breakfast potatoes were bursting with herbs and a consistency in preparation. The charred greens added a balance to the fattiness from the bacon and eggs, meshing the dish together. This entire dish was stellar and no, I did not try the bread because the potatoes left me stuffed lol My boyfriend had the brioche French toast which came topped with apples. Whew! Another great pick! I took a small bite and was immediately stopped in my tracks by the softness, burst of cinnamon, and extraordinary taste! Our lattes were perfect! To conclude the dish, our amazing waiter provided us with a complimentary dessert to celebrate my birthday. He sang happy birthday softly and that made the dining experience even more worth the while. INCREDIBLE! I love the Pembroke and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great dining experience.

    Steak and Eggs (Replacement for the first dish due to hair)
    Nicholas C.

    Truly a lower than average experience food wise. Arti and Jose were great servers! Very attentive and provided recommendations without hesitation. My main issue here is with a manager I presume she was. The steak and eggs I had ordered came with a hair on the side of the potatoes. She stopped by shortly after our food came to ask how things was and that is when I brought up the hair. I just asked for the potatoes to be remade. I understand hair happens but I was not thrilled when she insisted on remaking my entire dish. I gave up after the third insistence after I repeatedly said it was fine, I just want new potatoes. My original dish was delicious (I avoided the potatoes of course). Steak and eggs were cooked to perfection. However, my new dish was horrible. I had a feeling it was going to be awful as it's expected the new dish would be rushed whenever the original dish gets sent back. The steak was chewy and not medium cooked. Overall dish was very salty. If they added another seasoning I did not notice as the salt overwhelmed it. It also appears they doubled portioned everything but the steak. I would have much appreciated the original dish with the hair in it. I had expressed this to Arti and he was sympathetic. He was unknown to the issue I had with my dish. At that point I didn't really want anything more from here. Just the check and to leave. After that whole incident, I would have assumed my order would have been discounted or taken off the bill. That was not the case. She also vanished from our sight since taking my food back. My mom ended up not enjoying her meal either. She had the French omelette and thought the mustard was a rather overpowering touch to it. My mom was also surprised my meal was still on the bill. She was going to complain but I withheld as it truly is not that deep especially since the manager didn't care to come back to check if the new dish was satisfactory or not. I was given a warning not to go here by my friends and boy did I wish I listened. I wouldn't come back on my own accord but to eaches own. This restaurant will most likely stay here forever given its amazing ambiance and ease of location.

    Trying to finish my quarter!!
    M U.

    We ate breakfast here twice on a recent trip to DC. The first time we tried the "healthier" options--oatmeal, yogurt, and coffee. All of them were perfectly serviceable, but nothing wowed us, and we really didn't care for the coffee. The second day, though, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience! We got a cappuccino and a latte, and they were much better than the coffee. We got a cinnamon roll for the table--holy mackerel!! You could definitely share it with four or five people--it's huge! It's also delicious. Lots of gooey frosting, hazelnuts, and soft bread. I'm pretty sure there was orange in the frosting, too, and I liked that. For my meal I had the standard breakfast--it was so big. That we decided to share it the next time we ate there. Normally I get my eggs over-medium, but I went with scrambled and they were perfect!! The eggs were soft, yet still substantial--just perfect. The best part of the meal, though, was the warmth of the staff and servers. The hostess and manager remembered us from the previous day, and they were both very kind and welcoming. Our server, Gio, was a gem. He was super friendly and easy to talk to, but he didn't hover or upsell--he just seemed like a really great guy who is able to brighten the corners.

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    The Pembroke Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Pembroke

    Is the atmosphere kid friendly?

    Yes!

    Do they have heated outdoor seating?

    What's the dress code?

    Casual business not shorts

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