Blue Duck Tavern

I took my mom here after hearing great reviews and we weren’t disappointed. Their brunch menu is so great. I got the crab cake, which I would recommend to anyone! The sticky buns are also amazing. Delicious food. Awesome service. I’d come back here again!

Went this Saturday night with a 9:15 pm reservation, was greeted cordially and sat at a nice table — I proceeded to order a $ 300 bottle of wine, dozen oysters and entrees.
We sat down at 9:20 pm, wine came 9:30pm and oysters at 9:45pm — we never saw our waiter again. It is now 11pm and we still have no entrees.
My wife and I got up, paid our wine bill and walked out — I called later at hotel after my wife was hungry and upset only for manager to tell us to come to brunch next day.
As a New York foodie, I recommend this place to NO ONE — LOT TO LEARN

Came by for a walk-​in on spur of the moment, my third time here (once before for dinner and once before for lunch). Definitely a place to stop by if you’re in the neighborhood (DuPont circle/​Georgetown)
Very impressed for the price point. Meats are cooked excellently (I suspect sous vide and sear?) but the menu changes constantly so it’s hard to give a persistent recommendations. Portions are generally quite substantial. Plates are served a la carte, so get a side or a starter.
Ambiance is smart casual.

Outstanding restaurant with incredible food, great service, and a wonderful atmosphere.
I’ve had the privilege of having several dinners and a brunch here, and each time the food is impeccable. The variety on the dinner menu is great for a couple to get an entrée each and a few other items to gorge on.
Whatever you do, do NOT miss the bone marrow. It is outstanding here.
Great cocktail list to boot. You can’t go wrong!

My friend and I wanted to catch brunch on the fly and she recommended this wonderful establishment! Called to make a reservation, as most places in DC require one due to the the dense population. There is a stigma that comes with restaurants joined with hotels, but Blue Duck Tavern broke the stigma and I am a fan!
When entering, the décor is beautiful with high ceilings, open kitchen, and natural lighting. Everything looks refreshed and welcoming, while clean, and modern. The staff is professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. I started the meal with a Bloody Mary (as always), and there is a standard I have with Bloody Marys that was exceeded. Ingredients like horseradish were fresh, and the drink definitely had a kick to it, Well made, and not too light or heavy with the vodka.
The server explained that the menu is seasonal as they try to source local ingredients, so the menu changes with the seasons and demands. We order the smoked salmon to start. The salmon was perfectly made, without being too salty, and the crème fraîche was a good compliment. The dish also had a hash brown, and quail egg, I was hungry so I wish the portion was tad bit bigger, but a good starter regardless.
Intrigued with the BDT Benedict, I order that as my entrée. A creole spin on Eggs Benedict, it contained fried oysters, coleslaw, and Tabasco Hollandaise sauce. Oysters were fried perfectly without a fishy taste or smell (I can only assume fresh oysters were used), and the coleslaw/​sauce complimented it perfectly. My brunch partner ordered the Chicken Biscuit which was a heavier dish, but just as tasty. It had collared greens, which I’m not a fan of, other than that, delicious.
I would love to come back and have dinner here. Till next time!

Love this place! Grab a seat inside or out and just relax. Attentive waitstaff, Delicious cocktails and exquisite food. I recommend trying the bone marrow (do it! It’s worth it), crab cake (tons of crab in it!), spinach salad and creamy shrimp and grits. Before you go you must try their warm apple pie– to die for!

Would definitely return. Service was fabulous once we sat down. Bar seemed to ignore us for the first 5 min, but once we sat down we had nothing but the best experience.
Menu is the type where you have a steak on the menu, a few seafood options, some veggie sides… etc. Set up great for sharing as well.
We enjoyed the side of mushrooms, purée potatoes, ricotta ravioli-​like side (fabulous), crab cake, rabbit ragu orecchiette, and half a dozen oysters. We should’ve tried the apple pie dessert, but didn’t save room. Don’t make the same mistake that we did. When we first watched in there is an open kitchen type setting, where one of the chefs was hand crafting freshly made apple pie… it looked decadent.
Overall, great place to get some great cocktails/​wine and yummy food in a more upscale setting. It is located in the Park Hyatt hotel, with an all glass ambiance. They even have all glass mini rooms within the restaurant that you can dine in and feel as though you are having your own private dinner, but with the view of the rest of the restaurant. Worth asking about if you want a more one on one setting.
Would like to go back and also check out their brunch menu.

Blue Duck Tavern… As good as your food is and as nice as the ambience is your service is struggling to keep up. Both at the bar, and at a table for brunch/​lunch. We spent 2.5 hours here not bc it took that long to eat but bc it took 20 min to get a waiter. 20 min between appetizer and entrée, 20 min for dessert…
I actually had to cancel desert bc it took too long.
1) make a reservation
2) prepare to wait, if your in a rush don’t come here
3) enjoy the meal

Fresh Food. Classy Atmosphere.
This restaurant sets the bar for every $$$ price range. I can’t believe I haven’t been here in the last two years o living in DC.
I’ve never been to a restaurant that featured such an open kitchen as Blue Duck Tavern. You can literally walk through and see everyone cooking. That speaks volumes as to their cleanliness standards and level of quality of the food.
Most of their greens are grown and hand picked just outside of the restaurant. The fish and meats were perfectly cooked. My Mahi Mahi was seasoned perfectly and tasted amazing.
You can taste every little ingredient in the foods served here.
I was shocked to see the waiter come up to my table and provide the women in my party a small stool for their purses! Incredible attention to detail!!!
I highly recommend going here (with reservation) and splurge on every course of food they offer. You will not regret anything you order here. The service is absolutely incredible.

I came to blue duck tavern to try some of their brunch items, sadly brunch is only sat-​sun. We decided to stay, have lunch, and try their famous apple pie.
BDT Reuben with BDT fries — best Reuben I have ever had! I am still drooling as I write this review. They toasted their bread like how a grilled cheese is made except it’s a Reuben — totaly awesome! They are also well known for their triple fried duck fat BDT fries. I liked them, well salted, and soft/​creamy on the inside. I think they could’ve been crispier on the outside though.
Duck leg confit– duck was tough, not much flavor. Was disappointed considering «duck» is in their name.
Apple pie a la mode for 2 — this is as good as everyone says it is. There is a crunchy layer of caramelized sugar on the crust that made it super amazing, and with the ice cream, it was the perfect combo.
Service is also good.

Blue Duck Tavern is one of the most disappointing restaurants I’ve been to in DC. For one, the service was very unorganized and slow. It took 10 minutes before our waiter arrived to greet us. On top of that, the table next to us complained that they had waited over 40 minutes for their food. They later left in anger and frustration.
After our orders were placed though, the food arrived very quickly. But unfortunately, the food didn’t improve the situation. My duck was supposed to be done medium-​rare. Instead, it was blue, meaning that it was practically raw!
However, the raw duck was seasoned very well, and the purée potatoes were excellent.
For a $$$ restaurant, the service and food better be top-​notch. Sadly, both were severely lacking at the time of my visit.

Definitely worth the splurge if you’re in the area
Food wise:
–bone marrow was delish– and I’m not usually a narrow person. Comes with a whole clove of baked garlic
–BDT fries are a 2×4 inch rectangle of fried mashed potato goodness! And loved the spicy aioli sauce it came with
–crab cakes were nicely sized with large chunks of crab and flavor
–pastry sampler came with a chocolate croissant, regular croissant, apple crumble muffin with two different jams (banana and strawberry)– I would skip
Drink wise:
–mango sorbet mimosa– literally a scoop of sorbet (changes daily) in champagne with a honey stick swirler. Yum!
–awesome concoctions where you mix and match your gin with different fruits and syrups– delish.
We came on a Saturday afternoon around 2pm without a reservation and got a bar table for 5pm. I would definitely come back for other meals. Love the open air vibe and our server was super knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely top rate service

Awesome Gin & Tonic concoctions. I had the Strawberry infused Gin mixed with the Rhubarb & Pepper infused tonic — this stuff has mad refreshing powers!
It was so powerful that I wasn’t sure I was going to get from my girl after she started tasting it — notice I said started tasting, she drank nearly a quarter of it before giving it back — and she doesn’t usually savor my gin and tonics!

We had breakfast here, it was decent but nothing special. I had the lump crab with eggs and my wife had the short ribs hash. I actually really enjoyed their pomegranate orange juice. Anyhow, the atmosphere is great as it is situated inside the Hyatt hotel.

My boyfriend and I had an early Valentine’s day dinner and decided to go out of our way to try Blue Duck Tavern after seeing such glowing reviews. Unfortunately, we left disenchanted despite starting off with some pretty good appetizers.
–Roasted Marrow–
The bone marrow had an everything bagel crust and was served with roasted garlic and butter. The portion of the marrow was generous and it was delicious in all its fatty gloriousness.
–Brussel Sprouts–
The brussels were cooked to have more of a bite to them and were covered with a unique combination of pimento cheese and a vinaigrette. I think the toppings overwhelmed the flavors of the brussels though and may have been better served on the side.
–Hand Cut Fries with Smoke Pepper Aoili–
Delicious! These tastes like mini bricks of fried mashed potatoes. Nice, crunchy exterior with a smooth, velvety center.
–Braised Beef Rib–
Our waiter said that this dish was very «unctuous» and after having the marrow– we were definitely excited for more of the not so good for you but so great to eat fat. Unfortunately all of the hours of braising got rid much of the fat and just lacked that buttery/​velvety texture we were expecting.
–Roasted Duck Breast with Cranberry Mostrada–
Duck was cooked to the medium rare that I request, but was stone cold when it arrived. The duck itself did not have much flavor and there was barely any sauce to help with it. I was most disappointed with this dish.
–Apple Pie–
For $ 20, I expected this pie to be life altering– but yet again, it was another underwhelming dish. Crust was average and the apples had way too much cinnamon. The pie was just partially warmed through for us so when we broke through the pie, we had partially warm and room temperature apples mixed together.
The starters were all pretty good so we were pretty dismayed when the rest of the meal was so lackluster. Perhaps we caught the kitchen on an off night or something, but we left pretty unsatisfied.

Excellent service and food! We had the bone marrow appetizer, duck breast, New York steak and Swiss chard… All very delicious.
The service here is exceptional and they are very tentative and nice. The wine menu has a great selection too.
It was my bday so they printed happy bday on the menu and gave me some fresh and yummy sugar cookies on the house !
Will def return to this spot.

Went here for dinner Friday night on multiple recommendations online, and was not disappointed!
For appetizers we got the thick cut fries and the bone marrow! Both were remarkly good. Fries were super thick but cooked well through, and went well as a side to a main meal. I was reluctant to try the bone marrow until I saw how it looked. It looked way too good to eat, and the taste definitely matched its looks.
For main meal I had the duck. I was expecting the duck to be small portions but it was huge! Looking back I should have shared this. Our waiter said the duck is prepared we’ll in advance so you cannot get it done medium rare. Overall I would highly recommend all 3 choices– fries, bone marrow and the duck!

Very impressed with the chic interior and upscale presentation, but that’s about it.
A restaurant like this you would expect quality over quantity and are willing to fork over wads of cash, but the quality here didn’t seem worth it to me. Really fancy… Sticky buns. Top of the line… Rib hash? Exquisite… Waffles?! Ordinary items at a high price that tasted… Well, ordinary. Is it really worth it? I’m sorry if I sound like a peasant, but I don’t see the common sense here. The only thing I did love was the bone marrow which was worth the money in my opinion. Where do we draw the line between fine dining and cheap comfort food? I definitely understand the appeal and the likability, but this place isn’t for me.
And by the way, DO NOT do family style because some people won’t show up and you’ll have to pay for them and you will want to shoot yourself in the foot. $$$$$

I came here for brunch and am happy to report that it definitely met my expectations. First off, the ambience is absolutely beautiful. The large windows shower the whole restaurant in warm sunlight, and the open kitchen in the back is a delight to observe. Everything looks straight out of the pages of Bön Appetit magazine.
The food is pricy but delicious. For starters, I shared the wood-​oven roasted bone marrow with my boyfriend, which was salivatingly rich and flavorful spread over toast, along with a whole clove of roasted garlic, For the entrée, I got to try both the short rib hash and the jumbo lump crab cake. The hash was just alright in my opinion. It tasted kinda like sweet and sour ribs, but more sophisticated. The crab cake was spectacular. It really blew every other crab cake I’ve had away and was definitely composed of at least 90% crab. Unfortunately, it was pretty small for $ 16. For dessert, we ordered the famous apple pie which was indeed scrumptious. The crust was buttery and flaky with a delicious, slightly burnt, caramel-​y top, and the inside was ripe with generous chunks of apple. The two of us couldn’t finish the whole pie and had to take it to go.
BDT is a splurge, but I would say it’s well worth it. Definitely give it a try!

I was so excited when my boyfriend took me for our Valentine’s dinner. It was a total surprise and I’m so happy we got to experience all the wow factors of BDT together.
Based on availability, we had a 5:30 reservation on a Saturday evening which was funny since when we got to the restaurant, there was no one there but it was totally fine nonetheless. The layout and décor is gorgeous with high ceilings and large windows. It feels enormous when you first walk in but it’s actually intimate and cozy, and you’re not directly on top of the other tables.
Soon after sitting down, we ordered cocktails: an Aperol Spritz for the BF and the «Tuileries» for me which is pomegranate infused gin, sage simple syrup, orange bitters, and montfort crement. Our server, CW, helped me pick out a cocktail based on what I was in the mood for and my «alcohol» preferences. This was an excellent choice!
Since neither of us had been to BDT before, CW gave us a helpful run-​through of how the menu worked, dish sizes and different serving/​sharing options. There was a Valentine’s Day tasting menu also available that night but we decided to go our own route. Next to each menu item is the location from where the main ingredient was sourced. I love the focus on such fine, farm fresh ingredients from local vendors and artisans.
For food, we started with the charred endive salad and coffee-​roasted carrot salad. Both were great but the carrot salad was definitely my favorite of the two. There was an excellent balance of sweet and bitter, crunchy and soft in this dish between the carrots, fennel and orange with the carrot ginger purée underneath.
We took our time selecting the rest of our food and ordered our main dishes about midway through our salads. Neither CW nor anyone else hurried us along so we could savor one other’s company as much as the food. For our main dishes, we ordered the tea-​brined veal chop and roasted rohan duck breast. The veal was tender and flavorful, and the sweet potato mash was a wonderful smoky-​sweet pairing. The duck was also tender and a nice crispy exterior, and the jammy, mustard-​seed-​spiked condiment (cranberry mostarda) complimented it well. Both meats were cooked perfectly.
As for sides, we ordered the white corn polenta with Fiscalini cheese & charred onion compote and charred broccoli. The polenta was exceptionally creamy and smooth, not heavy or chunky. The charred broccoli was tasty and the pig ears, while we didn’t eat them minus one or two, added an interesting textural component to the dish.
Almost all dishes are served family style and each dish we ordered made for easy sharing between us.
For dessert, we shared the caramel pretzel which was a wonderful combination of sweet molten caramel cake, dulcey panna cotta and salty pretzel ice cream. I’m not a huge dessert person but I loved the salty-​sweet combination of this.
The outstanding service, talented team of chefs, fresh and simple ingredients turned into masterful dishes, made for a wonderful experience. BDT was especially apt for our special occasion.

It pains me to give a mediocre review to one of our favorite restaurants in DC but I do want the management to be aware of the impression they left our party of 10.
We had scheduled a birthday party and reserved a semi-​private table in the back of the house for 9pm on a Saturday night. Leading up to the occasion, we reiterated to the front of the house how important this setting was to us and that we wanted to see the space and table beforehand to ensure it would work for our group (balancing privacy and fun with members of our party with hearing challenges). In-​person and twice on the phone we requested an advance copy of the wine list because two members of our party are sommeliers and wanted to offer and pay for a bottle of wine in advance (without making a big deal of it at the end of the evening). Despite the promises, the restaurant never sent the wine list.
After confirming with credit card and by phone, when our party arrived at the restaurant we were taken immediately to a different table in the bar area of the restaurant — causing our guest of honor a lot of angst because he did NOT ok this location. We had to escalate to restaurant management and then wait for almost 40 minutes to have the table we had reserved. While we appreciate the bubbly and antipasti that were offered, it broke the cadence of our evening and caused a lot of consternation with our guests who were not happy with where they were originally seated. The food was, ultimately, wonderful and we had very good wait staff.
If you have larger groups, we warned that communication to/​from this restaurant in advance of a special occasion was difficult, and execution of that which was promised was lacking.
We’ll still come back here for smaller dinners, but will likely think twice about hosting a large gather here because we do not want to take the risk of a repeat performance.

Blue Duck Tavern in Wash DC. I had the Foie Gras s’mores and Fire roasted brussels with granny smith apples and saurkraut. ***** stars

We had a delicious four course meal at the Chef’s Table with a group of 20 from work during Blizzard 2016. From the moment the first course hit the table of everything bagel crusted bone marrow to the second course with giant tender Maine scallops to third course braised beef rib to pear/​apple cobbler dessert, everything was executed perfectly. Served family style with wine pairings, the chef noted that BDT was the original farm to table restaurant and he knew every farmer who supplies food to the restaurant. The ambiance was lovely in a wood paneled room adjacent to the wine racks with snow falling outside. After 14 dishes and 4 hours, we were pleasantly full, experiencing one of the best meals of my life.

We made dinner reservations for my birthday while we were visiting and were very impressed. Dinner was excellent and dessert was even better! We ordered two cocktails that were recommended by our server.

Amazing dining experience.
Beautiful restaurant, friendly waiters. Immaculate (open) kitchen and flawless work flow as well.
We had a reservation for 830pm one Saturday, couple of weeks ago. Took about 10 minutes to sit us. And then another 15 before the waiter approached us and took our order. We then found out that the blood sausage AND the short rib hash was taken off of the menu just less than a week ago. What a bummer after driving from NYC to try this restaurant. Anyway, 5 minutes after taking our order, the sommelier brought us the wine. We were so hungry! 10 minutes after the wine was served, the bread arrived. About 15 minutes after the bread was served, dinner arrived. We were just famished.
You’re probably wondering why 5 stars despite the hour long wait, the disappointment about the dishes we were so ecstatic to try and the 4-​dollar sign price list? The food and everything else was that good.
On our table:
2 plates of bone marrow
Braised beef rib
Wood oven fired steak
Hand cut fries
Polenta
Apple pie
The chef and our waiter acknowledged the long wait for the food –they came over and brought a piece of truffle and shaved it on top of our bone marrows. OMG. What a treat.
The bone marrow was perfectly seasoned; loved the touch of everything bagel crumbs. This dish was super indulgent, sinful and the best bone marrow I’ve tasted. I used to say it was from Le Philosophe in NYC. I’ve been to French restaurants that claim to have the best bone marrow dishes (simple dish that you could overdo) but this was just amazing.
Braised beef ribs were as promised –wonderful sauce and tender (!) beef ribs.
The steak was cooked exactly to the temperature we asked. It was a perfect medium. The temp, the flavor –impeccable.
Polenta, we couldn’t get enough of. Tasty and creamy with subtle grittiness.
The hand cut fries. I had my doubts when I first saw how thick they were. I normally like my fries the usually size, if not thinner. The outer part was golden brown and lightly crisped and the inside of this block of a fry, was like the texture of mashed potatoes. I reckon they’ve been blended and then placed onto a mold and then baked to get that result…
Lastly, the apple pie. If you’ve done your research about BDT you probably know that they’re famous for this superb little dessert. Need I say more?
Thank you to our server that night, I’ve forgotten his name (I’m so sorry) but I do remember that he introduced himself with just initials. like CB or something.
All in all, this place is worth the visit and your money. We almost cancelled our reservation because of the food prices. Glad that we didn’t.

I had brunch for the first time here on Sunday and I loved the natural lighting from the big windows. It was a more pleasant experience with the snow falling outside.
I had the BDT Benedict. They must change up their eggs benedict dish often because I see different kinds of eggs benedict mentioned and pictured on Unilocal but that particular day it consisted of pastrami, brussels sprout kraut (which is pickled brussel sprouts) and thousand island hollandaise which I thought was interesting. It’s not your traditional eggs benedict and I don’t usually eat pastrami but felt adventurous so I went for it! It sounds like a weird combination but the flavors worked well. Probably not something I would order again though.
The service was great. The waitress kept coming back to fill up the mugs of coffee even though the coffee carafe was at the table as well as making sure everything was okay. I definitely would like to make it back to check out some of the lunch/​dinner dishes.

Excellent dinning experience!
Came to the Blue Duck Tavern with a group of professionals for breakfast. I ordered house made smoked salmon which comes with hash-​browns, crème fraîche, trout roe, and quail egg. The salmon is not very big, but the whole meal in my idea is quite a fair size. I had a side of fresh fruits on salad which I loved the most, it was super colorful and made a great ending to my healthy breakfast! Our waiter (whom I cannot remember the name) was super attentive. He brought me a new set of fork and knife just because he saw that I am done with my meal and want to start the fruits– this doesn’t happen that often, unless you ask the waiter to bring you a new set. Anyway, I was quite impressed by both the quality of food and the service. This place definitely worth a try if you are looking for something SPECIAL.

BRUNCH:
I was blown away with the décor alone. Visually Stunning. Sat at the bar while waiting for my party, bar tender was quick helpful charming knowledgable. Everything you’d want a bartender to be. The food was epic. Classics with a twist. I appreciated the chicken sausage gravy on the biscuits! I don’t eat beef or pork so was really excited about the selection. Drinks were poppin’ — fresh squeezed OJ duh, a must try.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Blue Duck Tavern after Christmas. It was raining (seriously, when has it not been raining lately?) and the lovely valet of the Park Hyatt walked to my side of the car, opened my door, and escorted me to the door while holding an umbrella over my head. Classy.
To be honest, with a name as unremarkable as Blue Duck and the fact that it’s inside a hotel, I really didn’t think this place would be as nice as it was. But I underestimated them and that was very clear within a few minutes of sitting down and talking to our waiter. I don’t even want to call him a waiter, because he was more like a food liason. The space is beautiful and the open kitchen was unexpected. Our server was incredibly helpful throughout the experience, and he explained everything in detail and answered all of our questions thoroughly. And he genuinely seemed to love the place, so when he was naming the specials and going through the menu, it didn’t seem like it was a chore.
We ended up with oysters (if you like oysters, get them) and the soup. The soup was a cream of celery with small croutons and crab meat. The presentation was top notch: small croutons were scattered in the bottom of the bowl, with a mound of crab meat in the middle, and a server came by, placed the bowl, and then poured the soup in a circular motion to fill the bowl. And it was delicious, too.
We got the fish special, scallops, and crab cakes. Also got the brussels sprouts and the polenta to share. All the entrees were delicious, cooked perfectly and complimented by everything on the plate. I had the crab cakes and they were packed full of meat, none of that mostly filler business. The brussels sprouts were delicious and the sauce was great. And the polenta was creamy, cheesy, and had a great consistency.
The night was finished with all three of us sharing a slice of the apple pie– which was huge. On the menu it said it was meant to be shared between two people, but it was easily split between three. We got some vanilla ice cream to go with it. It was a perfect way to end the meal. The apples were thick and fresh, and I am not a crust person, but the crust was flaky and delicious. The ice cream was the perfect compliment.
Overall, we had a fantastic meal. There really wasn’t anything that they could have done better. Great place for a special date or occasion, but probably wouldn’t come here for a casual dinner. If you’re looking for a delicious meal and the whole experience for someone special, check out Blue Duck.

This was my favorite dinner during my short trip. Everything here sounds, and more importantly is, delicious. We shared the market salad, scallop, pork belly, and a side order of brussel sprouts. The food was interesting to me because it had a nice balance of savory, sweet, and acidity. A lot of the (Asian-​inspired?) food had an interesting vinegary taste that I usually don’t find.
My scallops were cooked perfectly and I surprisingly liked the horseradish broth. The pork belly had pickled carrots on top and were served with johnnycakes. Market salad was crisp, fresh, and had beautiful, vibrant colors. Brussel sprouts had little scoops of apples (I’m guessing Granny Smiths) that mimicked the look of the brussel sprouts. I really liked that bite of surprise. I love when you eat at a restaurant and become inspired to try it yourself at home. We will definitely try to replicate that brussel sprout.
All in all, a great place to try. Highly recommend!

BDT will always have a special place in my books. The food and service are consistently outstanding. We always order the bone marrow and it is the best bone marrow I’ve had anywhere. Perfectly seasoned, cooked, and served on a bed of salt rocks, roasted garlic, and toast. If only there was a location in Northern VA I would visit more often! The parking situation isn’t great but we’ve always managed to find street parking.
Recently celebrated our anniversary here and had the bone marrow (excellent), mussels (good), scallops (excellent), wild mushrooms (good but too buttery), hubby had braised ribs (good albeit salty) and hand cut frites (huge, more like a deep fried potato).
I didn’t get the name of our server but he was Asian and was very nice, even gave us a complimentary anniversary dessert.
Definitely recommend for a special occasion or date nite!

Blue Duck Tavern (henceforth referred to as BDT) has been on my radar (extra dB) ever since the beginning of this year when I was alerted by a fellow colleague that this fine eatery was well worth my Franklin’s and time (everyday G-​Shock). The only problem was that I needed a special occasion and a special someone to accompany me for this meal. Obviously, I thought of a solution to this predicament and promptly proposed to my girlfriend in order to secure a seat at the table. Special occasion? Check.
Now one must understand that a five-​star rating does not necessitate that this is the best establishment I’ve ever patronized; however, it does equate to a first-​rate approval of this restaurant, reserved for only the finest of Gentlemen’s to grace their presence at. One must never bring their ragtag acquaintances and lowbrow personalities to a five-​star rating restaurant — you will not only embarrass the restaurant but also yourself, and bring further shame upon your family.
Now to the import of this BDT review. By all accords the Wood Oven-​Roasted Bone Marrow was the highlight of this meal. The silken bone marrow being lathered onto a bagel crust and enhanced with spring garlic butter is an experience not to be forgotten, lets you be damned to the innermost Circle’s of Hell (Dante’s Inferno style). As for the central meal, we elected for the Braised Beef Rib and the Roasted Rohan (Donald) Duck Breast. We were properly informed that the beef rib was braised for 18-​hours, enough time for the innermost vestibules of the intertwining mucles, fats, and fibers, to be penetrated by their rock-​solid sauce de house, upon which flavors exploded and oozed at the biting of each portion, alas we were well-​pleased.
Glock to head, I’d jump for the duck breast over the beef rib, only because the flavor was quite unique compared to the beef rib. Nevertheless, BDT’s server claimed that their beef rib was favored by many, which I cannot rebuff.
Now, the main courses of course must be paired with a couple sides: Fried Mashed Potato Fries with Spicy Aioli sauce and the Crispy Fried Cauliflower. We were respectfully informed that the previous Hand-​Cut BDT Triple Fires were no longer in vogue, as such they had recently switched to this delightful fried mashed potato of sorts. Imagine an extra-​thick large-​cut fry being stuffed to the brim with your favorite mashed potato (extra starch), with a genuine crispy on the outer edges. Bravo. As for the cauliflower, while I am not one for much of the greens of sorts, I was presently surprised and was not full of regret to have thrown a Hamilton (apparently soon to be replaced by a female on the accounts of inclusion and diversity).
Lastly, as one would expect at a fine establishment, the customer service was of the highest quality. At one point, the server was bringing new plates to us and noticed a speck of imperfection on the plate and immediately returned to the kitchen to retrieve a new plate of cleanest fashions. And as a bonus, our waiter (likely hailing from the lands of Phở and Banh mi) was essential to this five-​star rate. While we disingenuously declined to opt for their dessert, he had the fortitude to proclaim that he could not let us leave on this special occasion without gifting us a plate of their Carmel Pretzel, which was right on the mark — not too sweet, but savory by its own right.
Bref (TL;DR for you laymen), BDT should be reserved for only your special guests of honor, just as you are an honorable guest, so are the servers honorable; be ready to indulge in soft fatty tissues of the bone marrows; and do not despair, even the middles of classes should be able to enjoy a night at BDT without taking out a second mortgage.

Oh. Wow. I don’t even know where to start. If you are trying to decide where you want to go eat tonight… look no further. You better come here.
While this place is on the fancier side… you definitely should come anyways. It’s worth your money. It’s on the expensive side… and I did come with my boyfriend on a gift card… so maybe it was better because of that too… but really. come here to eat. Anyways, this is a dinner review:
We started out with some drinks, appetizer, food, and got our dessert to go because we were overly stuffed.
Bone Marrow: Wow. I want to eat this again! It was so rich and they gave you 3 bone marrow topped with great garlic-​y seasoning. It also came with oven roasted garlic cloves that we were able to perfectly spread over our bread. This is a MUST HAVE. And for $ 17… I honestly don’t think that is a bad price at all for bone marrow.
Braised Beef Rib: Very rich. The beef was very tender and was so easy to cut into… where you did not even need your knife! Sauce was good, but it was really rich, almost too rich for me.
Roasted Duck Breast: I really liked this one… the duck skin was perfectly fried and had a great crunch. The pear and fennel jam paired (ha ha) well with the duck and brought out the sweet and tenderness of the duck.
Brussel Sprouts: Yes. Who can say no to brussel sprouts.
Apple Pie: OH MY GOD. We ended up taking this home with us and heating it up in the oven. The staff was so sweet to even write on the box how we should heat it up. Which brings me to how friendly and accommodating the staff were. Our waiter was kind enough to explain to us any dish we had questions about and constantly came to check up on us. Staff were dressed very professionally and the restaurant was so beautiful. I always love seeing the chefs cook. Overall, it was a very classy night out and so deeeelish!

WHAT.A.TREAT.
My bestie and I have decided to treat each other to a fabulous meal for each birthday… so he chose Blue Duck Tavern after doing some Unilocaling. :) When I say that I can’t possibly find one single complaint about this place. WOW!
The staff is very professional, friendly, poised, and classy. The whole way from dinner, I kept commenting on how much I loved the entire experience!
Atmosphere: Classy, luxury restaurant that doesn’t feel pretentious. Dimly lit. it’s attached to a hotel, so there were out of towners there.
Staff: As I mentioned, the staff is uh-​mazing! We had a reservation and as we were being seated, our hostess realized we were newcomers and she offered us the VIP seating right next to the open concept kitchen. Our waiter, CW, even made time to check in with us and make a personal connection. During dinner service I noticed that things were going soooo smoothly because it appears that each person on the staff has their own role… so that keeps them from stepping on each other’s toes. And it made service feel so seamless!
Food: Y.U.M. The «theme» seemed to be classics with a twist… which I always enjoy. I ordered the crispy pork belly and usually I’m on the fence with that bc sometimes it’s way too fatty. I don’t know how the kitchen did it, but they got the skin so crispy. There was a tiny crackling on top of each piece of pork belly! The sauce offered a sweet counter to the savory pork.
OH! In getting to know us, CW remembered that I mentioned that we were out to dinner for a birthday. I’d already forgotten that, but by the time we ordered dessert, he presented it to us with a candle for my friend to blow out! Awwww so sweet, right?!
Prices: It’s a luxury restaurant. You will pay. BUT, you definitely get what you pay for! I have zero complaints about this place and I look forward to visiting again!
Thank you, Blue Duck Tavern, for a special night.

Lunch here is beautifully sophisticated, with delicious food and a warm, subtly classy ambience.
Their salads are bursting with flavor. The chicken on the side of my salad tasted very unique, with different notes of spice and sweetness.
Soup of the day was butternut squash, the best I have ever tasted.

Dinner at Blue Duck Tavern was truly a five star experience. We got there early and we had to wait but I was 45 min early so that was on me. They did end up seating us earlier than my reservation which was nice.
Since this is a fancy place they are gonna get a fancy review. :) The lemonade was good. Not intense and not watered down. A nice compliment to the richness of the food. The sourdough bread with butter was good but I think it would have benefitted from being toasted slightly. The first course was the bone marrow. The word rich is not enough to describe this dish. It can feed an army and it’s awesomely decadent. You have to try but maybe avoid finishing it all lest you be too full for anything else.
Next up was the prime steak and the beef rib. The prime steak was cooked perfectly and was one of the most tender steaks I’ve had. The sauce is on the sweet side so that’s up to your personal taste. The beef rib was so soft you don’t need a knife. You can’t cook it better than this. Also a sweet bbq style sauce. As a side we got the roasted mushrooms. They pair perfectly with both meat dishes. I almost prefer the mushroom over the sauces that came with the meat. But I tend to gravitate towards savory over sweet for my main course.
Finally the apple pie. The crust is wow. I had given up on apple pie. No one seems to do it right. This was as good as it gets. Flaky and crispy at the same time. Sweet crust with a slightly tart filling which is how it’s supposed to be. And the ice cream. I usually do not like ice cream. This ice cream will convert you. The spoon goes through it like a hot knife through butter. And the taste. Rich but light. Sweet but balanced. Pairs perfectly with the pie.
Honestly the food is great but some of the things I would tweak for my own personal taste but that has nothing to do with the quality of the food. The quality is five star so that’s what they get. And lastly the service. Also deserving of five stars. Our waiter was attentive but not buzzing around. Food came out promptly and with just the right amount of waiting. He was thoughtful and courteous and he sealed the fifth star. Final thought. Would I go back? In a heartbeat. I look forward to what seems to be an always changing menu so I can try something new every time.

After reading through all of the Unilocal!Reviews I just couldn’t pass up bone marrow and foie gras. As a tourist I was having trouble getting into the hot spot restaurants without at least 2 hour wait time. Thankfully BDT was not packed and took my reservation.
For the first timers, the restaurant is part of the Hyatt, but has it’s own spot in the corner accessible from the street. Dining rooms and patio seating with heat lamps and small water fountain. Ambiance is amazing, service is outstanding, and the food is to die for!
We weren’t too hungry when we arrived so my friend and I opted for appetizers. We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and sit outside next to the water fountain. Upon closer look, the ledge has plants, and they’re mostly organic veggies! I saw lavender, chard, and peppers! It’s an awesome concept that more restaurants should adopt.
On to the food:
Fire roasted acorn squash salad — bay blue cheese, baby kale, apple cranberry, and candied walnut. This was pretty good. It was composed of mostly kale with some squash slices but the cranberry and blue cheese really complimented everything.
Roseda beef tartare — house made pickels, farm cheese, bdt whole grain mustard. I’m not a fan of tartare but this was surprisingly good. The presentation was awesome! And everything on the platter was tasty.
Wood oven-​roasted bone marrow — everything bagel crust and spring garlic butter. If you’re a bone marrow fan this is a must have! The seasoning on the marrow was fantastic and the garlic butter? More like garlic heaven. It was an entire piece of garlic roasted so you can get out the whole cloves. The only gripe I have is the bottom is lined with big salt pieces and if you’re not careful a scoop of it can get into your food.
Seared foie gras — blood orange jam and brioche French toast. There is nothing short of amazing about this item. The orange jam goes so well with the foie gras. I could eat 20 of these without taking a break, even though I feel guilty for eating it. This is a must have item when you’re here.
So I gave awesome reviews of the food I ordered and service but why only 4 stars? I thought the restaurant lacked on variety with their main plates. I re-​read the entrée yet I couldn’t settle on anything appealing to me. I would rate this at 4.5 stars. Will definitely go back next time I’m in the area and try other items.

Blue Duck lives up to its name. I can’t thank the staff and kitchen enough for making my Birthday dinner a special one — thank you, thank you, thank you!
«Don’t worry about looking pretty while eating tonight. Move the plates around. Share the food. This is what Blue Duck Tavern is about.»
And that’s exactly what we did. No food was left without being shared across and around the table. We had forks flying to reach the last bit of meat, spoons picking up the last bit of sauces, and bread to dip into that soup you don’t want to miss. It’s a family dinner faire, and no one was left out.
The dishes were all cooked to perfection — no complaints on most of it! Except for the chicken. Unfortunately, tonight’s chicken was cooked to a dryer finish, but it could just be an off-​night. To be honest, it didn’t affect my overall impression of my dinner here.
We were started off with a complimentary champagne to go around, and a nice bread to munch while we wait for our feast. To finish off, I went with the signature apple pie, complete with a candle. I asked for a side of ice cream, and they don’t kid around. Our server came back with a glass TUB of the house homemade vanilla ice cream, slammed onto the rustic wooden table for that big finale.
«Can’t have the ice cream be overpowered by the magnificent pie, so we match up.»
After a delicious, crips finish to our meal, our server took us on a quick tour around the restaurant. The interior design takes on a homage to a homey dining room, while keeping with a modern touch and functional flow. Anywhere you sit within the restaurant, you will have full view of the kitchen. I love that you can actually walk through the kitchen to go to the bathroom. Indeed, I feel like I’m visiting someone’s home. Mirrors are placed in strategic places to help servers deliver food without knocking someone from the other corner.
On the other side of the dining room, a mix of casual and business patrons sit around in the lounge area. We were informed of high tea hours in the weekends — a must if you’re a fan of tea! Our server once again emphasized the great mix of crowd. Young, old, professionals, casuals, you name it.
The focus of your Blue Duck experience is the people you spend your time with. The food is the tool, and the kitchen is the shop.

I stopped by Blue Duck Tavern again on an evening when we had some friends staying at the hotel across the street. The flight was crap coming into DC so we were looking for convenience even though my brunch experience here was somewhat of a disappointment. We were just stopping by for some drinks and a few apps and figured to give it a second chance.
I must say the vibe after dark is wholly different than during daylight. Instead of the zen/​spa like feeling during the day it becomes a much more sexier place at night. The lighting is low and everything feels much more sleek and upscale. The tall ceilings and well laid out lounge area was aesthetically pleasing.
I have been meaning to come by Blue Duck Tavern again for the bone marrow alone. I mean I LOOOVE BONE MARROW! There is plenty of hype around BDT bone marrow and I have to say, the hype is real.
Four of the most massive cuts of bone come out sizzling from the kitchen. The depth where the marrow lay is deep and for $ 17, I’d say the portion is generous (as far as bone marrow portions go). The marrow is like meat butter and if you have not had a chance to experience it, please do, life will be better.
While I generally enjoyed the seasoning on the top, my only gripe was that it was a little overwhelming. Sometimes a food piece in itself is a wonderful, beautiful thing. Seasoning should compliment. Less is more. I’ll be back again for sure, I just know to ask them to go light on the seasoning next time.
Our server, while nice, seemed a little new. We asked for shots of Patron XO, which they do not stock. No prob, she offered some tequila, with some coffee poured in it. Thanks, but I’ll pass!

Buenisimo!!! El espacio es muy acogedor, el mesero fue muy profesional y buen conocedor del menu. Todos los platos que pedimos estuvieron deliciosos! (Pato, Beef Rib, Steak…) pero lo mejor para mi fue el postre: Chocolate Malt Pudding. Hace tiempo no probaba un postre que me dejara tan impresionada como este. Altamente Recomendado!

Returned with my husband for brunch and was utterly disappointed.
Service was much less attentive than my last visit. There were many long waits and pauses between ordering and courses. We had to ask for the complimentary bread and butter after I noticed we were the only table without one. Service became an issue again when I was served with a coffee stained spoon for my dessert course — I asked for a replacement and it never came. Fork with ice cream… We worked with what we had.
We ordered shrimp and grits, short rib hash, and a half order of blueberry pancakes to share. Brunch dishes, just like the dinner dishes I had few months prior, were beautifully presented and beyond delicious We were enjoying every bite until I found a blonde hair in my grit cake. Our server was apologetic and offered to remake my dish. I appreciated and accepted her offer. But we were surprised when the check came that she still charged us full price for the dish. «Hi I just ate your chef’s hair?»
Not that we were expecting a free meal but remaking a dish that a guest found hair in it and charging full price… a sure way to drive customers from ever returning.

I was dying to experience the result of Sebastien Archambault’s union with this Washington landmark, the outcome was beyond satisfactory!
His passion for powerful, tasty dishes supported by domestic organic products — everything from vegetables to meats comes from surrounding farms — results in quite simply a delicious and original meal. The staff and service were also outstanding. In short, delicious food in a classy environment… worth every penny!