Bardeo Wine Bar

If you want to go somewhere fancy-​feeling and get tipsy with your girlfriends for brunch, go here. It’s a little pricey but the brunch menu is cheaper than dinner and totally worth it. They have fun, foodie dishes that rotate with the seasons. Portions are small but taste gourmet. I feel like men might still be hungry, but I’ve had some very fun times with my girls here. Perfection for me.

Do not go here for the wine flights. The wine selection outside the flights is ok, but not impressive. They tried to dress it up with a leather cover, but that didn’t help. There are only two flights, which is lacking if you call yourself a wine bar. The two reds in the Running with the Bulls flight tasted like nothing… literally…nothing. We joked that they could easily be used to cleanse your palate between food courses.
About the food: it’s very good. If they didn’t call this a wine bar, then I would have given it 4 stars because the food is pretty impressive. Brussels Sprouts were very well done! Scallops were perfectly cooked and had a slightly spicy little purée that paired well. Even the little rolls before dinner were great! Let’s just not call it a wine bar!

Stopped in for a post– dinner drink. The bar is beautifully done, and the drinks were good, though the staff seemed really confused about whether or not they had an espresso machine– took three employees to find out. The staff also spent a considerable amount of time bickering amongst each other, and discussing how wasted they were the previous evening. It definitely looked like a slow nice, but it was still kind of inappropriate.

Bardeo has a pretty fantastic deal for bottomless brunch seekers — 2 courses (app + entrée) and bottomless champs or mimosas for $ 28! That’s fairly hard to beat in the district (I brunch often) so when visitors were in town, we decided to give this place a shot. From the appetizers, the brussel sprouts and deviled eggs were favorites. The entrees however fell short — e.g. my friend ordered the pork and grits which is advertised to come with collards but alas her place had no greens at all, the meat was hard to find, and the eggs were less tasty than those from even ihop. merp. My eggs benny was not bad — not the best I’ve ever had, but not a disaster like my friends. All in all, the food was just okay. However, they did keep the beverages flowing constantly & consistently throughout the meal — and what’s more, they even happily provided refills while we finished up our conversation after having paid the check. So yay for bevvies, and nay for food. But for $ 28pp. Bardeo may be worth another shot.

I used to love Ardeo Bardeo, but recently I’ve had some bad experiences with the folks that work there. The food is great, but the service is disappointing. I stopped by Friday for a glass of wine at the bar with friends and the bartender told my friend that she likely did not know what a word she used meant. I don’t need that kind of attitude and will head over to Ripple when I want wine in Cleveland Park

Bardeo is an upscale option for drinks in Cleveland Park with an extensive wine list and beautiful interior. Unfortunately, our experience was marred by an incredibly rude waiter who gave us no reason to return. I cannot recommend this establishment given how he treated two patrons in an almost empty restaurant.

Went here last Friday for a date night with my future hubby for the first time and it was just what we needed! The food, wine, service and ambiance were top notch. The menu has choices for everyone — lite bites to full entrees and everything we ordered we devoured. We ordered a couple lite bites, one entrée and each had 3 glasses of wine and our bill was just at the $ 100 range. Not bad for a DC wine bar night out!
If you are looking for a wine bar with a good vibe, not overly or underly busy for a low-​key candlelit girls night or date night this is it!

Solid brunch spot near the Zoo. They have a $ 28 brunch special — appetiser, entrée and all you can drink mimosas and/​or champagne.
The food is solid — I started with the spicy mixed greens (I liked the dressing — horseradish I think?) and had a really great pork and grits. I tried the devilled eggs (nice — although I felt that would too much for my app given I was having eggs with my entrée). Also the gnocchi with bolognese was really tasty — but it wasn’t gnocchi. More like polenta cubes.
Seems like it would be a pretty good place for a group (we were 6) — and not everyone at the table HAS to do the brunch special — some can order a la carte. Service was slow to start but the server apologised and comp’d all our coffees — which I thought was a nice touch.

Had a Petite Syrah here that was absolutely incredible. «Petite Petite» by Michael David — Lodi, CA. Bartender was nice enough… just not very warm. Told us a good deal about aerating wine (when we asked). He also changed the one TV’s channel from the Olympics to the NBA all star game, when we asked. Sadly, none of the staff we saw (from the host to the manager) seemed warm & that left this place feeling a bit cold for me. The menu was a decent selection, just looked really overpriced & didnt seem to have anything that was glaringly delicious sounding (besides the cheese plate) so, didn’t order anything. I’ll probably return here to give it a second chance — the décor and ambiance seemed worth it. Hopefully the servers are more enthused next time!

Best dinner I’ve had in like a yr. No exaggeration.
BF and I were in the neighborhood for a birthday party last month and met up with a bunch of friends after for dinner and drinks. This was the top recommend from a friend in the neighborhood.
First: they have PARKING! Both valet and on-​street. Luckily for us, it was a Sunday, so no feeding meters! And it’s pretty close to the Cleveland Park metro, which is fantastic.
The décor is lovely and modern. Very comfy, not too loud. A+.
Wine and cocktail list was average but they threw in some very interesting specialty sodas which was nice. We tried a spiced apple which was very good.
We loved the menu, which was pretty well-​priced and ranged from $ 6 bites to $ 28 entrees. We ordered what appeared to us to be essentially half the menu: steak bites, flatbread, pork belly skewers, salmon rillettes, beef carpaccio, spinach salad with gnocchi, chilled beets, buffalo chicken confit, fritto misto, chocolate pistachio tart, and pear upside down cake.
Of that long list, everything was spectacular. The only things that seemed to fall flat where the salmon rillettes, just because I was hoping for a smokier salmon to correspond to the mini bagels.
The best things were:
1) Spinach salad with gnocchi. INcredible – the gnocchi was perfectly seared, the truffle vinaigrette was salty and rich, and the braised fennel soft and sweet. We fought over the last bite.
2) Buffalo chicken confit. This was a revelation, truly. Taking American snack food to a whole new level. The outside was crispy and the inside soft and rich with the perfect Buffalo sauce flavor. It sat in a blue cheese sauce that was mellow and creamy – even the BF, who HATES blue cheese, ate this with gusto, moaning with nomtastic happiness.
3) Steak bites. What a genius idea. I am totally stealing this for parties. Top a crispy fingerling potato with horseradish crème fraîche and a tiny slice of med-​rare steak. A perfect little mini meal. Like 3 people ordered this, if that tells you anything. Just brilliant.
Presentation was excellent. Service wasn’t stellar – got a little slow in the end which frustrated several of my guests who arrived later. The bathroom was so small I could literally wash my hands while sitting on the toilet, which is a little bizarre and is probably something I would address if I were the owners – there is definitely enough space to renovate.
Definitely coming back.

I really enjoyed drinking and dining here! I chose an apple cocktail that was very unique and delicious; I was apprehensive at first as it seemed a strange mix of liquids, but our server highly recommended it and I’m so glad I decided to order it! For dinner we shared a flat bread, the marinated chickpeas from the small bites section and my partner also ordered fries– when they brought our food over they forgot the flat bread and gave us two orders of fries instead, we pointed out their error and our server apologized profusely– in the end, he ended up apologizing a few too many times, but he was very sweet. Throughout our meal both our sever and another server checked on us a couple of times– it got to a point where we felt it was a bit too much checking in, but I won’t complain about too good of service. I will definitely visit again.

I am hardly in the Cleveland Park area of Washington, DC. My boyfriend chose this restaurant based on their reviews and convience to the National Zoo.
I commend Bardeo for offering their entire menu during DC restaurant week. The service was good to outstanding. Our waitress was friendly and offered some good vegetarians options for someone like myself. I also appreciate the General Manager walks around asking how you’re are doing.
The ambiance of the restaurant to me was nothing special. I think. They’re trying to remind their diners of the fancy fifties.
My French onion soup and pecan pie was delicious. I would highly recommend them. My pasta, mushroom and egg entrée was good (but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it). If I do happen upon this restaurant on my way back from the National Zoo again, I will opt for one of the pizzas. My boyfriend got a pizza and enjoyed it. I also thought the price of the pizza was better for someone like me on a budget.

Who has two thumbs and has a quasi-​sexual response every time she bites into Bardeo’s salad of spinach, braised fennel, gnocchi, and truffle vinaigrette? (Points thumbs at self)
I consider Bardeo one of the best places in DC for a happy-​hour snack or light dinner – especially if you like umami flavors. There’s cheese with truffle, beef carpaccio with truffle, pan roasted chicken breast with truffle… I think they’re the only people in DC who like truffle more than I do.
It’s a shame Bardeo’s happy-​hour drinks list is not as diverse or exciting as its dinner menu. There are generally only a few wines on offer, and they’re quite expensive.
I’d come here more often if the happy-​hour rotation were a little more exciting, but I guess when you’re across the street from Uptown Tap House and down the road from Nanny O’Brien’s, you have to do something to ward off the shot-​pounding twentysomething crowd.

I used to really love this place but for me, recently it’s taken a turn for the worse.
First, they have eliminated their wine flights. They claim they did this because it was too confusing for the bartenders at busy times. This is a wine bar. Perhaps they should hire bartenders who aren’t easily confused especially as the flights came with specific wines– you could not even make your own.
Second, when we went tonight, we ordered the fodue fries without the bacon. The server gave it to us with the bacon, saying he knew there was a mistake and if we wanted they could take it off in the kitchen. The person I went with is kosher. We did not want it taken off, we wanted a whole new set of fries. We ended up scraping it off ourselves. This is not acceptable at this price point/​the level of service they seem to want to claim they are at.
Fondue fries and lamb pasta are excellent, their desserts are just ok, Portions are tiny for the price but quality is high, as seems typical at DC area wine bars. Service is ok but nothing to write home about. Sunday prix fixe is worth investigating.

Great for a sunday brunch. Love their unlimited mimosa (or champaign) with 2 courses of your choice for just $ 27. And their French pressed coffee is outstanding!
They also have their great selection of wine. Great place for Dinner as well!

Great date place and/​or place to have a conversation that you can actually hear. The service was a little over attentive, but everyone was super friendly.
Went for dinner and had the butternut squash soup with a marshmallow dollop. I cant stand marshmallows, and for some reason this worked. Will definitely order this again. I also got the beets, salad which was enjoyable. The cherries and spiced walnuts added a nice touch. Overall, my choices were tasty.
My boyfriend got the Rabbit bolognese. He said it was pretty good, but a little meager in size. From a vegetarian perspective, it was nicely presented and looked flavorful with the carrot purée.
Overall, great, quieter space to have a reasonably priced dinner in.

I knew this place would be good because the friend I met for dinner there is a chef and is very particular about where he eats. But I didn’t know how good this place would be.
We agreed to share an order of the crispy brussel sprouts, the fried chicken thigh, and the lamb pepperoni pizza.
My mind has been opened, as I didn’t know brussel sprouts could taste so good. Bardeo’s were perfectly seared, perfectly crunchy, perfectly flavored… they were… um yeah, PERFECT. They were so good that after one bite I told my dining companion that I couldn’t share them after all. (Before you start calling me a greedy cow in your head I paid for the dinner AND he did get a FEW forkfuls.)
The fried chicken thigh had a super crisp skin and juicy flavorful meat… it was wonderful. And the biscuit with sausage gravy and smoked honey — I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this delicious pairing when I love biscuits with both sausage gravy and honey! But thank you, Bordeo, for showing me the way.
The lamb pepperoni pizza (yeah, lamb!) with oregano, feta, and red onions on wheat crust — it was pretty friggin awesome. Sometimes wheat can be a bit dense, but this crust was chewy and tasty.
I had two drinks — the Elderflower Royale and the Sugar & Spice. The Elderflower Royale was a bit dry — more the prosecco than the bartender, definitely a choice for a toast. The Sugar & Spice was refreshing with the cinnamon syrup adding the taste of a cinnamon candy, surprisingly delicious.
Yeah this meal was pricey — two people with drinks was $ 100 pre-​tip, but it was worth the money. Not for every day but definitely a place worth sacrificing your diet for.
We sat at the bar, and the bartender was great — very helpful and friendly. She recommended the brussel sprouts, so by default she’s awesome.
The only bummer was parking. They have valet, but I didn’t know that before I arrived, so I drove around the neighborhood before I found a spot about 3 blocks away. So if you don’t want the drive around frustration, go ahead and valet.
I’m thinking I’ll be visiting DC again soon, and I’ll definitely be visiting Bardeo again for those brussel sprouts.
Unilocal 52 #18

This wine bar sits in the center of their restaurant, Ardeo. It was relatively busy when we went and a lot of people were just hanging out before their reservations. The crowd was a great mix… some had on sparkling dresses and others more casual.
Like others, we had a late reservation but decided to check out the wine bar before dinner. I love wine!!! But I will admit I am always a bit hesitant when ordering a glass of wine from a new place because I’m not sure if I will like it. Plus, very rarely can you get a good glass of wine for under $ 12 at some places.
If you share a love for wine, but don’t want to over commit yourself to just one glass, Bardeo is perfect for you! They offer Wine Flights… a sampling of 3 different wines at $ 15!!! Any place that will offer me a sampling of different wines at a great price is good with me! If your not up for a flight of wine, but still want a sampling you can also opt for smaller pours.
Overall, Bardeo served as a great start to our evening. It is a good cab ride aways for us, so unfortunately, I can’t say that we will frequent this place as much as maybe we would like; (

3.75 Stars
Brought to by Ashok Bajaj, owner of Rasika, Bibiana, and the Oval Room, among others, Bardeo has a whopping 34 wines by the glass, including eight champagne and sparkling wine. The still wines are from all over; whites have included Austrian Gruner Veltiner and reds some interesting blends from California and southern France, mostly $ 10 and under.
The menu is small plates (for full entrees, step next door to Ardeo), perfect for nibbling on while sipping. Sliders seem to be the rage these days, and Bardeo offers some of the tuna sort, and of course there are the requisite charcuterie and cheeses as well.
Happy hour seven days a week from 5−7pm when wines are discounted. I actually prefer Dino, just down the street, not least for it’s free happy hour food, but Bardeo actually has a bar that seats more than four comfortably, so it makes for a bit more of an enjoyable visit and a great eat place to grab a quick bite and a drink before a movie at the Uptown.

Champagne gives me hope…
A champagne flight gives me wings.
Champagne flight at Bardeo: $ 12
*3 flutes, just over a half pour. Very generous. Very sparkly.
*an EXCELLENT value, as the 4 selections of champagne by the glass are $ 12 and up.
What’s this? Oh sure, a rose from my home county (Leelanau) on the menu! Well, indeed I have to try it. Oh, and… the boys are having another round of gin and tonics? Well, then… a glass of the ultry lovely prosecco to cap the night. And, I’m sort of tipsy… oh, how I love champagne. And good company. And new places.
Oh, yes… we ate, too. Of course, of course!
*Pear and whipped ricotta salad. Delicious.
*Butternut squash soup: Not great, I didn’t eat much, and waiter removed off the bill…(without even asking/​sending it back).
*Fried sage leaves with dipping sauces: Very interesting, and quite good!
*Pork shoulder with cabbage and potato: excellent, very tender.
GREAT meal, not very expensive.
Bardeo manages a difficult balance of cozy, classy and comfortable. Definitely a fan. Anytime a «winebar» can pull off better than average food and keep the snobs at bay, I’m a lifer.