minibar review — Blog 1 — Ultimate DC Dining

minibar exterior — The exterior of minibar by José Andrés

minibar by José Andrés is Washington DC’s top dining experience and there are several reasons why. No review can truly do it justice because every night is a new opportunity for Head Chef Sarah Ravitz and her talented team to deliver culinary nirvana.

Ultimate DC Dining officially launched in January of 2022, but it’s true roots go back to a January night in 2020. On that Friday night my fiancé and I had our first truly amazing meal and we collected our very first Michelin Stars. From the moment we first walked in that discrete front door and heard the unique sound of the massive curtain being drawn we had stepped out of the “real world” and entered a place that exists in a whimsical land of taste, sound and service. If there was a theme park for fans of exquisite cuisine we had climbed the magic bean stalk and discovered it’s a real place after all.

Minibar does everything right - and that is not an exaggeration. The entire experience is carefully curated from the moment you first arrive. It all starts at the corner of 9th and E Street. On the building is a small sign that is difficult to read if you’re 20 feet away and it’s next to a locked door. Every day countless people walk by without a clue what is happening just inside. It’s like discovering a secret hideout of a Marvel super hero that’s concealing it’s true identity behind a completely normal facade.

If you’re fortunate enough to score one of the exclusive reservations you’ll arrive and, if it’s your first visit, wonder what’s in store. When you hear the door unlock and someone opens the door to ask if you have a reservation you immediately feel like you’re special - like you’re about to see inside Fort Knox. In a city of more than 700,000 residents (more than 6 million if you include the nearby metro area that surrounds the Capital City) only a few thousand people each year get to have a minibar experience. This may be the most exclusive dining experience in the DMV outside of a one-night-only charity benefit dinner.

Hot water and flowers to wash your hands

It’s here that I need to step away from writing a traditional review by naming dishes and describing the taste. Minibar is considerably more complicated than that. In many of today’s Michelin starred restaurants you may get a view of the kitchen, but at minibar you’re literally sitting inside the kitchen. You get to witness more than a dozen of DC’s finest chefs working together in a perfectly choreographed dance of culinary preparation as Head Chef Sarah - and her top chefs - are front and center putting the finishing touches on every dish. Once she’s satisfied every plate is perfect all guests, in perfect synchronization, are presented one of the many dishes that will be part of your multi-hour service.

Every night there’s the potential for something special to happen because there is literally nothing separating you from your culinary team. You get to learn the personalities of every member of the team from the hosts and sommeliers to the brilliant chefs. For three hours you’re like family with the entire team as well as the other guests dining with you. Every plate is like getting on a Disneyland ride with all of the Disney characters. In other words, what is happening right in front of your eyes is something that may never happen exactly the same way you’re experiencing it.

Every plate is incredible. Of course there’s flavor perfection, but it’s often accompanied by something that makes each bite special. Sometimes it’s an unexpected combination of ingredients that are perfection, and sometimes the use of molecular gastronomy changes the ingredients at an atomic level resulting in flavor that doesn’t match the textural feeling you have in your mouth. In another time it would have been called witchcraft but today it’s the end result of true professionals operating at the top of their game.

Every night guests have the chefs menu and it’s a wonderfully curated meal where every course is perfectly sized and in the best possible order. From the first bite to the last you feel like you’re being taken on a journey. And for the wine lovers out there the sommeliers are the best in Washington, DC. With an optional wine pairing you can elevate your experience in a whole new way. We’ve had both levels of wine pairing (including the elevated José’s pairing) and while pricy they’re both worth every penny.

Since the menu is constantly changing there’s no use in trying to describe our service plate by plate. One thing that is worth mentioning here is that the entire experience is built to be captured and shared. I’ve yet to see such perfect lighting outside of a photo studio. And best of all the team knows that what they’re creating is tailer made for social media posts so they’re always playing along and helping to make your pictures the best they can be. Here’s a selection of images from our early 2022 visit to minibar:

And wine pairings are not the only choice you have for beverages. Minibar is next to José Andrés amazing cocktail laboratory, appropriately named: barmini. Creativity extends through to the cocktails (and even the mocktails) and there’s something for every palate.

As the night winds down there’s a transition from the dinner service to the desert service. Once again there are several plates that showcase a range of flavors and creativity that is unlike anything you might expect. It’s a perfect way to end a perfect night.

And with service concluded there’s the one last thing that pushes the entire experience over the top. Like a theme park ending its night with fireworks to cap off a perfect day, minibar does two things to make sure you’re still thinking about your experience the next day. First, they give you a printed menu of your nights service (including your wine pairings if you included them) and second is a “to go” box with additional treats to be enjoyed the next day.

Conclusion: minibar by José Andrés is without a doubt the absolute ultimate in DC Dining. It’s number one on our list (even besting the Michelin three starred Inn at Little Washington) and there’s truly nothing like it. For us it’s so special that I married my wife in the minibar kitchen on December 23, 2022.

RATINGS

It doesn’t get any easier than this when it comes to the Ultimate DC Dining rating system.

Food Rating - 5 out of 5

Experience Rating - 5 out of 5

Photos Rating - 5 out of 5

FINAL SCORE - 15 OUT OF 15

This score was easier than any rating we’ve given and every conversation about adding a new restaurant to our top ten list begins with: “is it better than minibar?”

There’s a good reason why they’re alway at the top of their game at minibar. It’s because they know there’s absolutely no room for a bad service. A Michelin reviewer (or any other reviewer) could secretly be there at any time and their place at the top of the DC restaurant scene is always at risk. And so there’s never a bad service. The minibar team is proud of their position as the best in Washington, DC and we don’t see it changing in our lifetimes.

Visit the minibar website here.

To book your minibar experience you can click this link.

* Menu items may change without notice. The items pictured in this review may not be available when you visit.

minibar 2022