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13 Reviews
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An Experience Not To Be Missed
The overall experience was fantastic. It was dinner and a show. The courses were not just feasts for the stomach but for the eyes. The amount of mise en place that occurred earlier in the day must have been enormous—the mushroom leaf on the monkfish, the beef consommé sphere, the shaping of the maize butterfly and so on are "involved" processes. The cooking techniques and the technical skill were at the highest level in the culinary profession. My only arguably negative comment is that I would appreciate better descriptions of the courses on the “take home” menu, including a listing of at least the major ingredients. With respect to the wine pairing, my favorite by far was the moscato. The sake was my least favorite. The service could not have been better. As a fan of music from the 70's and 80's, I thoroughly enjoyed the music selection.
Be the first to ReplyA bit disappointing after a phenomenal first visit.
Food was wonderful but overall experience was so-so. We went in August 2019 and the entire experience from start to finish was spectacular. They’ve changed a few things over the years that were a little disappointing. *No longer do you have your dessert in Barmini which was so much fun the first time. We would have loved to have had a cocktail to finish the evening. *They do not explain the chalkboard anymore - which was so interesting to hear about the last time. *All of the dishes were great and inventive, but I think there were a few less dishes and I was hungry shortly afterwards. The service was wonderful and it was great to see the chefs in action.
Be the first to ReplyBiggest Disappointment
The biggest waste of $1000 in my 50+ years. Minibar was the worst dining experience I have ever had. We were seated at a what looked like a circa 70s Formica wood counter top. All of the food served was clearly prepared ahead of time and was just plated and served. The staff was pompous as hell to the point that I actually asked my wife to leave ¾ of the way through the meal. My wife and I love going to new restaurants and tasting menu restaurants and for some reason had not made it to minibar in 15 years we lived in DC area. What a disappointment our experience was, the food served was not worth the $700 we paid for two people and the $300 for the wine pairing was the biggest joke and a total waste. The tasting pours were less than a mouth full and presented to say this is for the next three dishes. I am very glad I check this off our bucket list as I will never eat at minibar or any of Jose’s restaurants again – its just a money grab. I asked the head waiter for directions to McDonalds as we left. I recommend the quarter pounder with cheese
Be the first to ReplyWorth the price
We all know that this experience does not come cheap, but I promise you that if it can fit into your budget, this lives up to the price. We loved the culinary experience, sitting in the kitchen with about 8 chefs and support along with the other main characters. My recommendation is to do the wine pairing, but two can share and still get the full benefit of the pairing they do. The people accent the delicious courses (many+).
Be the first to ReplyAstonishing dining experience
I booked two seats at Minibar for an anniversary/birthday and could not be happier. My partner, the foodie, says it was his top meal of his life. Each portion of the meal was well thought out, innovative, and incredibly delicious. Flavors carefully arranged and presented. We did not choose the wine pairing offered, but ordered cocktails instead. The staff was incredibly helpful, taking care of every element of the experience. Every single detail of the dining experience was superlative.
Be the first to ReplySo anticipated and just did not deliver......
Have always heard about the minibar test kitchen and the innovativeness of the experience....Alinea was our favorite dinner of all time and we really wanted this to be close but it just wasn't. It was fun and it was good, but it was far too much caviar and the inventiveness just wasn't there.
Be the first to ReplyMinibar D.C. Pretentious for Pretentious sake
Visited as part of a trip to Washington D.C., extremely disappointed as someone who likes cocktails and is also 25. The show and science behind each of the cocktail flight was intriguing and very well put together unfortunately the taste of each of the cocktails was poor. No thought behind how each of the ingredients interacted with each other to form the final taste of the drink. Looking at the menu of cocktails also belied the fact that it felt like more focus was on the appearance of the drinks rather than the taste. I would give this a miss; not worth the money or the wait to book a table. Nothing special.
Be the first to ReplyShould have three Michelin stars
The attention to detail was exquisite. For example when the napkins are placed across your lap they’ve been warmed. A consistently delicious and interesting experience, this restaurant is one of the best in the world that I’ve been to and certainly the best in DC that I’ve tried. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to try it - go for it. I look forward to a return visit.
Be the first to ReplyAnother Amazing Culinary Journey With Great Wines
In March, we returned to dine at Minibar by José Andrés in Washington DC. This was our second visit, and it was as good, and as exciting, as our first, over a year before. Some things had changed a bit, and I think I liked the scheme a bit more, on this visit. Before, there were two “seatings,” at the same time, in the dining area, but staggered by about half of the meal. The seating is around a bar, in the kitchen, and previously, the earlier group was about half-way through their dining experience, when we were seated. On this visit, the entire bar seating area was our “group,” of about 12 diners. Before, we started off in the adjacent BarMini, then proceeded to a “living room” area, to wait for the curtain to be drawn back, for us to enter. When finished with the Chef’s Counter part of the experience, we returned to BarMini, to complete the meal. On this visit, we were shown to the living room area, but did finish in BarMini, after the main meal at the Counter. I liked the new arrangement, as the chefs were focused on just one group of diners, and there were not presentations going on, for the previous group. It was a lot easier to concentrate, when the presentation was just for one group of diners - and concentration is required, as so very much is happening. Each dish is being prepared, or at least finished, right in front of the diners, and a lot of detail is going into that work. It’s almost like a science experiment, with each dish - lots of detail, and lots of science. At MiniBar, there is one tasting menu, but my wife’s dietary restrictions (no bi-valves, so no Oysters, Clams, Mussels or Scallops) were easily handled, and confirmed by our host, while sipping Cava in the living room area, prior to entering the kitchen. There are also three wine pairing options: Sommelier’s Pairing (we did this one on the previous visit), Spanish Pairing (we also did this one previously) and Chef’s Pairing, which is the most expensive option, and mostly poured via Coravin. We did the Spanish and the Chef’s Pairing this visit, and were greatly rewarded - while not inexpensive, by any note, we found the Chef’s Pairing to be a good value, and both wine offerings great, with plenty of time spent by the Sommelier, with each pour. The menu, though it can change nightly, was interesting, to say the least: Olives (not really olives, but they looked like olives) Matcha and Gin Mare Coca de Cebolla Butterfly (again, not really butterflies, but they did look like butterflies) Beet Pizzelle w/ Osetra Caviar Cod Milt Tempura Crab Banh Mi Unagi Salmorejo Parmesan Danish Snail Caviar Chicken Shawarma Sunchoke and Hay Cheese Gigante Bean (not a bean, but it looked like one) Pancetta Ibérico and Osetra Caviar Squab Chawanmushi Squab and Huckleberry Squab Leg and Foie Gras Miso Huckleberry and Hibiscus Egg Yolk Custard Fried Doughnut* Café con Leche* Coconut Wheel* Key Lime Bon Bon* Honey Comb* Saffron Apple* Yogurt Leaf* Passion fruit Caterpillar (OK, not really a caterpillar, but it did look like one)* Red Rocks (again, not really rocks, but looks can be deceiving)* Golden Egg* One thing, which we had learned, having dined at é by José Andrés, and MiniBar before, is to always ask what is edible, and what is not - as I said, looks can be deceiving - a stone might, or might not be edible. Same for a branch, a twig, a butterfly, a caterpillar, and so on. Even olives are not olives, but edible, and very, very tasty. Also, with the banter, and demonstrations, plus the pacing, note taking is impossible - one would miss so much of the discussions and the demonstrations - just sit, relax and enjoy both the culinary aspects, and the presentations of each dish. Also, the bowl/container for each dish was unique, and my wife commented that she would love the task of heading to the restaurant supply store (or hardware store) to pick out all of those. * All served in BarMini Some of the wines from the two different pairings: Gramona La Cuvée Grand Reserva Brut ‘13 Pazo Señorans Albariño de Añada ‘09 Alphonse Mellot Génération XIX (Dix-Neuf) Sancerre ‘13 Domaine William Fevre 1er Cru Vaillons Chablis ‘07 Caves Sao Joao Quinta do Poço do Lobo Arinto Colheita de ‘95 Domaine Blain-Gagnard 1er Cru morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet ‘13 Château Musar Gaston Hochar Bekaa Valley ‘91 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 ‘09 Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5º Ribera del Duero ‘07 Amabuki Junsui Junmai Daiginjo Sake Clos du Marquis Saint-Julien ‘00 Château Latour 1er Cru Pauillac ‘90 Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Tokaji ‘13 Royal Tokaji 6 Puttonyos Tokaji ‘13 d’Oliveira Malvasia Madeira ‘94 Blandy’s Terrante Madeira ‘76 Most of the wines were served in Zalto stems, with a few Riedel stems thrown into the mix. As for the wine service, it was completely flawless. The food service was mostly done by the chefs across the counter, and there were no issues there. They interacted with all of the guests, and never skipped a beat. The food portions are quite small, but there were 28 of them. Maybe it is because we do so very many multi-course Chef’s Tasting Menus, but we did not leave hungry. Now, if I had one criticism, it would be that I would have loved to have had maybe two more savory courses, and two fewer of the sweet courses, or maybe a cheese course, prior to the sweets? The venue is lovely, and though one is seated at the counter (there is a table for 4, against the back wall), elegant. The décor is a tad eclectic, and especially so in the BarMini side, with some very bright patterns. The lighting is very good, with pin-spots to illuminate the dishes, as they must be observed in good lighting. Though open to the kitchen, and though a smallish space, the noise level was moderate, and the chef’s descriptions of the dishes and the “science” behind them, could easily be heard. Just another excellent meal at MiniBar, and though there were some changes from our first visit, we enjoyed every aspect - especially the “dinner with a show.”
Be the first to ReplyA Parade of Delightful Bites
The dinner was fast paced, presented in clever ways, and so yummy in every bite. My partner and I dined at the Chef's Counter with the virtue pairing. We were drawn into the experience from the start with a tour of the kitchen before the show, and were invited to try other delights and stay around afterwards at minibar. It was quite a show, quite tasty throughout, and a real treat to be seated at this bar with this team. P.S. to the team: I was the person at end of the bar madly scribbling notes trying to keep up with all that I was seeing, tasting, and experiencing while watching your awesome team at work in the kitchen. You overloaded my senses in the best way. Thank you chefs!
Be the first to ReplyAmazing food/show
This really is an experience. There are truly surprising dishes, great taste and all in all we really enjoyed the whole show.
Be the first to ReplyIncredibly fantastic
We came here for Chinese Valentine’s Day. At first we were surprised about the very strict starting time and pré committing to welcome cocktails and drinks. But after we understood the concept the reason was clear. The tasting menu is served to all guests at the same time, like clockwork. Service in minibar is absolutely outstanding, from helping us find a street parking and paying for it once the time expired, to the extraordinary help, explanations and attention to detail during the dinner. The concept of having 12 people arranged in a semicircle around the kitchen is a truly unique and intimate experience. Dietary restrictions (pescatarian, no wine, no diary) are diligently accommodated without sacrificing the quality of the food. Although it is a high end restaurant the atmosphere is quite relaxed and festive. Moving to bar mini for desert is a nice touch. The food -20 course tasting menu- is spectacular in presentation and creativity. It is impossible to comment on all individual dishes, but in spite of the fact that you see the dishes prepared in front of you each comes out as a surprise. At the end we received the menu for the evening with a list of all that had contributed, and a happy valentines day wish in Chinese! We had a fantastic evening, fully worth the price.
Be the first to ReplyEthereal
Due to the fact that there were 26 separate servings I cannot comment on each one. That said, we went to minibar with high expectations. Besides the Inn at Little Washington, minibar is the only other two star Michelin rated action in the greater Washington DC area. So, our expectations were met and exceeded! Not for those frugal types or pensioners on a fixed budget. However, if you have the means and appreciate the finest customer service and extraordinary cuisine you would not be disappointed. We were fortunate to not have too long a wait as it could take months to get the night of your choice. Lastly, Chef Andrés is a total rock star in our eyes. When trump failed Puerto Rico after being demolished by a hurricane, the Chef went there and provided warm healthy meals to the residents. Bravo Sir!
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