Table

We heard amazing things about Table so we booked reservations 2 months in advance. Once we arrived, we should have known there would be problems by the way our server hovered around our table, asking repeatedly if we were ready to order drinks, appetizers, etc. She rushed us through the ordering process and we had to find her to tell her we wanted a second bottle of wine (golden rule of food service — always ask if customers want a second bottle once they finish the first)!
Overall, the food was good (crab toast, asparagus carbonara, and garganelli were the stars of the night) but the sea bass was overcooked and the portion was laughable. We were taking our time, finishing dessert and talking when the manager came over to tell us we needed to leave because others were waiting for our table. There was still food on the table and we had ordered a full meal (wine, appetizers, salad, entrees, and dessert) totaling well over $ 400. When we protested, we were met with more attitude and defensiveness, saying that we couldn’t expect to spend more than 2 hours at a small restaurant.
All of us present that night have served in the hospitality industry in one form or another and unless you have specifically stated that there is a time-​limit on reservations (specific seating times), then you are shooting yourself in the foot by rushing patrons out the door.
Customer service is the first order of business in the hospitality industry, Table. The glaring lack of respect coupled with overpriced food and upcharged drinks ($ 2.50 for a rocks glass of club soda? Really?) ensured that we will never be back. We will also make sure that others know to avoid your establishment as well.

The perfect place for a different, down to earth date experience. Made a reservation and after my date showed up 40 minutes late, we started our meal. The service was all right, but I was most impressed by the meal. For an appetizer, we had the cheese plate with duck prosciutto, which was unique, but I didn’t really get a lot of crackers with it. It’s still was amazing.
Now for our dinner. My date had the scallops. They were pan seared. And they were amazing! I had the rabbit and it was so great! I loved that it had a game, sweet, flavorful taste. There were also some sauces that really brought it together.
In addition, the manager and hostess were super accommodating to my request: I brought a cake for my date’s birthday.
Great place to go for a low-​key atmosphere with high quality service and food!

We were told to leave because we were staying too long. Very rude. Not good service. 4 of us gotten together to catch up and enjoy good food and wine. 2 of us were not from DC so it was supposed to be a nice night of catching up.

Great ambience but they are trying too hard.. Under whelming and expensive.

Bad customer service when trying to make a reservation on the phone — placed on hold and then forgotten about, transferred to a voicemail.

Enjoyed Sunday brunch. My dining partner and I both had the Shushuka, a soft cooked egg, which I had been wanting to try for a long time! They had great coffee, and I really enjoyed the space. We stayed for a long time chatting, but didn’t feel rushed or any pressure to leave. I’ll come back to Table.

Had a fantastic meal here with my girlfriend. We worked out way through three first courses, two mains, dessert, and drinks. It was errrrthing.
So we started with the Look What Happened to Mabel cocktail which was good; a little too sweet for my taste but I liked the floral notes of the chartreuse and elderflower. Good thing it was also strong. It was a good beginning.
On to the food! Amazing staters: grilled sardine, a beautiful beet salad and a delicious buckwheat crêpe stuffed with herbaceous yumminess. We were so happy after the firsts, we could have stopped there, but we kept going.
Our waiter recommended a really good rose with was very clean and dry, and acted as a nice counterpoint to our main courses. One was some unctuous scallops with mini fried potatoes that was loaded with sea and salt flavors (my favorite) and the other was pork two ways. The crispy belly was so damn good and the loin was just about perfect. The whiskey cherry sauce was kicked off the plate.
We were so full. But after an amazing meal like that, you wonder about dessert. So we went for the lemon olive oil cake which just… sigh. Amazing. Light and spirit lifting, complex flavors, green for the olive oil with soft lemon, hits of matcha and this totally clean tasting scoop of not-​sweet coconut ice cream.
This was the a really really excellent meal.
Plus they at the chef’s table so we got to talk to cute chefs while they cooked and we sipped wine. Not a bad way to end the day!

Came here the other day, quite excited to try the place, which has been on my radar for a while. It unfortunately fell flat relative to other restaurants in the same price point.
Service was nice, albeit a bit inattentive at times.
Started with some mussels, which were very fresh, and the best part of the meal.
My friend tried the scallops, which were nice, but nothing to speak of. My rabbit was served both roasted and as confit… both were very dry. Normally I’ve found rabbit to be a nice fatty animal, more akin to dark meat chicken… this was like overcooked, dry white meat. The confit was not particularly tasty either, again, overly dry — pretty much the opposite of what confit should be and the purpose for cooking an animal in the fat of another before it… I don’t even know how they screw that up.
Overall it was just ok.

I’ve been to Table a few times now… and I’m glad that I’ve waited this long to write a review because each time has been better than the last. My latest trip was last night and it may have been my best trip. Disclaimer, I may have been a bit drunk by the time I started eating, but whatever, I try to write my reviews as a reflection of how I felt when at the time of my dining experience.
But I want to start by noting that the bread plate they offer is one of the best. Yes, you may think it’s just a simple bread basket, but it’s usually the first culinary impression you get at any restaurant, so you want it to start with a good note. And it was something Table did very well… crunchy crust but amazingly soft body. For our appetizer, we ordered the sea urchin pasta, which embraced the brininess of the uni, but ultimately was too salty. I followed that up with their sirloin, presented medium rare. Perfectly cooked, the meat’s naturally beefy flavor was perfectly paired with the smoked maple syrup. For dessert… ricotta beignets that were extremely fluffy, though lacked the bite you expect from a crust.
If the trend continues, I’m hoping that my next trip will see all the little minor missteps fixed and i will have a truly perfect meal. But even with those errors, it was still good eating.

Everything I had heard about needing to try this place is absolutely true. Thank you restaurant week!
I assembled a party of 6 to try this for dinner on a Friday night– obviously we had reservations made well in advance. I had no idea this actually was a two story restarting, having only ever seen the main floor before– but they have picnic table-​like seating on the second level for «larger parties» I assume. It’s cute– the benches had «cushions» fancied like burlap filled sacks. So trendy.
We decided to start with an a la carte order of (12) of their oysters. We couldn’t quite catch the name of the oysters but gathered they were harvested from Washington State. This was important for us because they were mind boggingly small. So small it was actually quite disheartening. Note to future self: don’t order again.
For the first course, I opted for the «beet salad.» I was impressed with this for both the fun variety in beets they used to achieve a nice color scheme, as well as their incorporating buttermilk poopy seed dressing atop upon serving. My compadres ordered the «olive oil poached octopus» which I can truly say was divine. It was served atop a bean salad that was delicious.
Main course I decided to try their «veal milanese.» It was SO GOOD. It was about three pieces of the crusted veal and I could not get enough of it. My friend ordered the «seared duck breast» which had a slight up charge but was worth it– they were the largest slices of duck breast I have EVER seen served in DC. And that’s saying something because we literally tried a similar dish the night before. It was so good I could have cried. The orders of «lamb ragout» also looked delicious, but I had just had a very similar dish the night prior so didn’t try it. They do make their cavatelli in-​house, so I imagine I will be trying it on a future visit because I love fresh pasta.
Dessert course was heavily emphasized in orders of their recommended «ricotta beignets.» They come in a bowl of maybe about six donut hole like shaped objects and taste like heaven. It was almost impossible to share because they were too good to give away. I also has their «lemon cake» which I applauded as well, although very small portion.
The wine list was good, and we had a splendid time. Definitely glad I was able to sample during restaurant week, because I’m not sure my poor wallet would have survived otherwise!

A group of 6 of us ate here on a Friday night. We sat upstairs and it was really loud. And I mean really loud. Here is no buffering so if people are loud, it is loud. So, if you are a large loud party, this is perfect. If a date or quiet evening, request downstairs.
Lighting was appealing. .
I tried several dishes since we all shared. Pretty much everyone enjoyed what they ordered. Highlights: the octopus appetizer was perfection. the scallops had a beer yogurt sauce that was outstanding. The farro was «puffed» which I was not a fan. The veal was good. The person who ordered it hated the cheese it came with but I liked it. The salmon was delicious (farm raised). The duck was off the charts amazing– delicious hearty and a good portion. I would get that next time. My squab was really good too. It held up and tasted equally delicious the next day as my lunch. They agreed to substitute grilled cauliflower for the polenta and it was perfect.
We ordered all the sides to share. The carrots looked good but I don’t like cooked carrots. The Brussels sprouts were so very tiny but cute and delicious. The cauliflower was also good and different from the cauliflower on my dish which I appreciated.

I’ve been here twice so far and each time it was delish! First time was during restaurant week in late Aug and went with a friend (who is vegetarian) and had seats up on the rooftop section for outdoor dining. Weather was perfect, service was friendly, and the food even the vegetarian options were splendid. It’s hard to do simple yet flavorful and Table is one of those restaurants that does it well.
I went again this past weekend with my husband and to reunite with an old high school friend and his wife. Fast forward to a chilly autumn evening and this time around had a table on first floor near kitchen. I thought the menu changed with the seasons but there were many food items that looked similar to august and it did not really scream fall flavors but once again, having ordered a few of the small plates and as my entrée the scallops, the dishes looked so simple and portions initially look small although once I tasted the food and finished it up, I was pretty content and full.
Our waiter was perfect with the timing and despite us having ordered mineral water, he kept our glasses full each time.
Table is one of those DC restaurants that you know will guarantee you good food and service. Great for a date, getting together with friends to catch up, or simply have a nice sit down meal. No craziness up in here.

For my birthday on September 29, I was surprised with a reservation at Table in the Shaw neighborhood of DC. Open since 2013, this restaurant had been previously run by Frederik De Pue, but after a falling out between him and his business partners, Akhtar Nawab, formerly of Gramercy Tavern in New York City, became the Executive Chef and I was excited to see what he had in store for us.
Table is an unassuming restaurant on a quiet block near the Convention Center. From the outside of this olive-​colored brick restaurant, you might not think anything of it. The word «table» is painted in white above a large garage-​like window and it doesn’t look like anything particularly special. But, upon entering, I soon realized its charm. Inside, it’s a small restaurant with about 10 small light wood tables with white chairs and a New York City feel. At either side of the open kitchen are two special high-​top tables used for the Chef’s Tasting Menu on Tuesday nights, which was exactly what we had signed up for.
My date had worked with Erica, the hostess, to ensure a vegan tasting and remarked that she was incredibly helpful in planning this special night. In fact, she was there to greet us upon arrival and seated us at the special tables.
We started with a Butternut Squash Soup, which was a great start to this incredible 10-​course meal. The thick, rich butternut squash purée was complemented by Brussels sprout leaves and croutons. The pairing was a Champagne by Marie-​Hanz.
The second course was a Gooseberry Salad with shaved watermelon radish in a smoked olive oil vinaigrette. We found the gooseberries to have an odd taste, but enjoyed the unusualness of the salad for what it was. And I’ve always found watermelon radish to have a particularly pleasing aesthetic quality.
The third course was Fried Artichokes in a red pepper jam with arugula. I found the arugula leaves to be awkward as they were a bit too large to eat without folding, but the fried artichokes were very good in the red pepper jam. And the pairing of a Ouede Geuze beer from Belgium was a nice touch.
The fourth course was Bruschetta with a soy-​almond aioli and piperade. I loved the bread and the red peppers, but it was a bit too much of the aioli, which tasted a bit like vegan butter to me. The pairing was a Bedell Albarino/​Sauvignon Blanc from New York (2013).
A Cauliflower Meuniere made with capers, hazelnuts, pistachios, and lemons was the fifth course and one of the best dishes of the night. The flavors meshed perfectly — simple, yet satisfying. Another Sauvignon Blanc was paired with this dish.
The sixth course was one of the most unique — a Smoked Eggplant Ravioli with fresh peas in herb oil. I must say for a non-​vegan restaurant to serve up a vegan ravioli — well, that definitely gets points in my book. The ravioli was scrumptious though the eggplant was a tad too smoky for me. Still, I really enjoyed this dish and my date absolutely loved it. The presentation was absolutely wonderful. A delicious Pinot Noir from Silvan Ridge Winery in Willamette Valley was served alongside this dish.
The seventh course was an Heirloom Corn Polenta, which was my favorite dish of all. Talk about a flavor explosion — over a pumpernickel purée was corn polenta, Brussels sprouts, and maitake mushrooms. The pumpernickel purée really made this dish shine as it gave it a rich, unique flavor that blended well with the different types of polenta and sauteed vegetables and mushrooms. The pairing was a Tempranillo from Spain.
The eighth and ninth courses were at the point where I was having such a good time that I forgot to take pictures. My apologies. But, the eighth course was Le Tardiniere, a chef’s selection of locally sourced vegetables, which included corn purée, carrots, greens, beans, and argula with charred onion powder. This dish was very good. It was served with a Syrah/​Grenache blend.
This was followed by a Salted Watermelon sorbet with compressed watermelon and cilantro served with a Château Romieu Sauternes (2012). The watermelon was very good.
Last, but not least, the tenth course was a Sherry Poached Pear with pepita granola and an apple chip. We both loved the dessert.
Sitting at the Chef’s Table made the entire experience that much more enjoyable as we could pretty much see everything they were doing. I will mention that there was a leg of an animal hanging on display on the counter (I kid you not) when we first sat down, which they promptly removed without me saying anything. Much appreciated. I also found it odd that wines were brought out in a glass without much explanation of which winery they were from and the vintage, however, when we asked they knew this information.
On the positive side, I will mention a few things. The service was great — they were attentive to our every needs. But, with such a great date, I will say that he distracted me during most of the meal. The food, overall, was really exceptional. My date, who is no

The moment I stepped in I fell in love with this place. Table is a gorgeous restaurant! It seems like originally was a garage. And they converted it to a cute, inviting, intimate small restaurant. The ambiance was upscale/​casual.
They have limited seats with an open air kitchen. I was lucky enough to have the chef’s table where you can see them cooking, plating, tasting. I surely enjoyed the entertainment! Bravo to all of them! They did a great job!
Now the menu. You have two options. you can either choose the tasting menu for $ 95pp or a la carte. I ordered from a la carte.
Appetizer:
–the stuffed squid were perfectly cooked and flavorful
–The mussels toast was fresh and tasty
Entrée:
–Japanese sea bass and sirloin beef.
Both were delicious, good portions and great presentation.
… And the chef was kind enough to let us taste the complimentary sea scallops! they were excellent!
For dessert I had the Greek yogurt Panna cotta. It was outstanding!
I don’t understand why this place is underrated!!! They really use great ingredients and all the food is well prepared. The portions were big enough and the prices are very reasonable Like any other restaurant.(beside the tasting menu)
The entire experience was enjoyable!

Keeping up with annual traditions, Unilocal Elite Kendal Ann M and I made our way to table for summer restaurant week. Table has been on my ‘to try’ list for some time and it was certainly worth the wait!
The restaurant isn’t huge but they have two floors and an outdoor garden patio which all have a very cool vibe. We sat on the outdoor patio which is located on the roof, the perfect place to enjoy a late summer cocktail and dinner.
We split all of the dishes and I can’t say I was disappointed by anything put in front of me. The mussels toast was fresh and a different spin on a seafood dish and the homemade mozzarella was so refreshing. Main courses the only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the lemon grass on the beef dish, it tasted like, well.grass.
My only regret was the peach tart wasn’t bigger! I could have eaten a whole pie if it was put in front of me.
I will certainly be back with my husband for dinner again in the future!

I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to come to Table. I’ve live in the neighborhood for 2.5 years and Friday was the first time, I stepped into this restaurant. With an awesome Restaurant Week meal, I cannot wait to come back to Table for brunch.
UnilocalElite, Alex P. (formally, Alex S.) and I have a tradition of going to RW every season, every year. The only caveat in the tradition is we must go to a new place and somewhere neither of have been. Each season the tradition gets harder, but we settled on Table and boy, was it was great decision!
As two «foodies» we like trying new things, so all of the meals we enjoy together we split everything. Here’s the break down of our dinner at Table.
+Homemade Mozzarella– Some fresh mozzarella and zucchini. Sure, sign me up!
+Mussels Toast– These mussels are enormous! Mussels paired with homemade bread that is toasted to perfection topped of with some curried aioli sauce, you really can’t go wrong.
+Hanger Steak– I was a little disappointed with the steak. It was a little overcooked for medium. Nor was I the biggest fan of it’s pairing. The carrots were great, but the other veggies paired with it tasted like grass. No thanks.
+Amish Chicken– yum, yum, yum! This could be the reason I’d come back again, just to much on this awesome chicken. Moist, flavorful and the way a chicken should be.
+Baked Peach Pocket– I get it, they stuff you with a ton of food. It’s nice food, but make this peach pocket bigger. If there were more than two peach slices in this little pocket, it would be out of this world. Basically, it was a nice version of an empanada.
+Chocolate Cake– Lord, have mercy. This cake, though small, packed a punch! there was a hazelnut (which basically tasted like Nutella) crunchy cracker on top of the cake and it was TO. DIE. For.
From the outside, Table looks like a tiny restaurant and it is, but they make due with the space they have. We opted to sit outside, and if you can, go for that option! Their outdoor seating is on top of the restaurant, though it’s not the best view it’s very rooftop feeling. You can see they spruced up the roof top with their lightening options and there is a herb garden, too!

Table is adorable — the space has rustic charm and the service is impeccable. The food is delicious and beautifully plated. Everything tasted fresh in a farm-​to-​table way, and the restaurant uses season and locally-​sourced ingredients. However, the portions are tiny. The scallops ‘special of the day’ entrée came with only four quarter-​sized scallops.

We stopped by for a pseudo secret family dinner and had a great time. We live around the corner and have not had a chance to check out Table in the last 3 years. Boy were we missing out!
Family dinners are a way many restaurants feed the staff and try out new menu items prior to putting them on the main menu. Sometimes they invite the locals to join them! We found out about the dinner through social media and were lucky to snag a couple of the rare tickets.
The staff, the food, and the wine were all outstanding. I can’t say enough about the staff. Everyone was so nice and made us feel like a part of the Table family. We started with a delicious salad and then had several small plates served family style. Dessert included freshly baked cookies and some delicious coffee from Compass coffee in Shaw.
The second best part about Table (aside from the staff) is the space. It is very open, welcoming, and the perfect place to spend a nice DC spring or summer evening. The entrance blends into the long bar style restaraunt.

Well, shucks. If this place isn’t the most adorable brunch spot in all of the city, I don’t know what is. We snagged a 1:15pm reservation for three on a Sunday afternoon, and I really can’t think of a better place to spend a beautiful spring day. The Table experience first begins with a view of that fantastic vertical garden — a feat in itself that sets the «cool» vibe of the spot.
I’m pretty sure the space used to be an old garage or something, so seating is very limited and intimate … which means reservations are very useful if you don’t want a long wait. Also, word to the wise, the restaurant closes at 2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday — quite early for those of us who are used to a, ahem, late-​starting brunch that lasts hours.
Full disclosure: I already had breakfast at Eastern Market before I arrived. But you know what? I have no guilt about that. I ordered the house-​made yogurt, hoping for a big ol’ bowl of yogurt, fruit, and granola. What I ended up receiving was basically a shot glass of yogurt. Very, incredibly, extremely good yogurt. But only a shot glass-​sized serving. You know the motto «Come hungry, leave happy»? Table’s motto is «Don’t come hungry, leave happy.»
My friends got the croque madame (beautifully plated — see picture) and the crêpe. I would recommend either of those. Oh! The best part was their coffee. Y’all, they serve up a gigantic serving of piping hot coffee in a large, inviting cup. Man oh man.
The waiters and waitresses are particularly nice and volunteered to take multiple pictures of our group. Water service is on point. There was a little mix-​up with the checks, but everything worked out. I HIGHLY recommend this spot. Come for the ambiance instead of the prices!

3.5 stars.
I came here for restaurant week and we had a great meal. A three course meal with a glass of wine, tax and tip was about $ 50 per person. While it was a little pricey for the portion size, each course was quite flavorful. (See pics for all items)
Appetizer: Farm Egg with Toast and Mushrooms
— Great flavor, but I think one more piece of toast would be helpful in scooping up all of the egg and yolk. The slice of toast is too thin and small for the whole plate.
Entrée: Ricotta Gnudi
–This was the highlight of the meal! Creamy, fluffy gnudi mixed with brussel sprouts over a tangy sauce. I could eat this every day!
Dessert: Chocolate Mousse with Gingerbread
While I appreciated the pomegranates mixed through this, it wasn’t my favorite. It was definitely made, but I’m just not a huge fan of chocolate and sour fruit mixed together.
Service was wonderful, and the ambience is very warm and welcoming. The only minor hiccup (which is absolutely not the restaurant’s fault, just something to consider) is parking in the area. There is a lot of construction going on, so general street parking is quite difficult. There is a paid lot a few blocks up 9^th street, so you may want to opt for it.