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BRESCA Washington Reviews
DO NOT GO!!! I have never written a negative review on Yelp
DO NOT GO!!! I have never written a negative review on Yelp but feel compelled to do so tonight after a severely disappointing experience at Bresca. During our week long visit to DC, we have dined at many wonderful restaurants and this was the absolute worst meal we had. We have traveled the world and dined at numerous Michelin starred restaurants, leaving me to wonder how this restaurant achieved any distinction. Our waiter was completely rude and obviously inexperienced, noting that this was his first week on the job, with a pretentious air that was clearly not justified. We stated an allergy during the ordering process and our first course arrived with the stated allergens sprinkled abundantly. This waiter proceeded to make demeaning comments throughout the meal and literally put his rear end in our faces as he serviced the table next to us, so much that we had to move items out of the way. As one of our choices, we ordered the duck which was tasty but a very small portion considering the $170 price for supposedly 2-4 guests. Upon receiving the bill, a service charge of 23 % was already added and we left feeling completely underwhelmed and mistreated. There are so many better choices in the DC area - please do not waste a night here.
Words can't fully express how much I enjoyed dining at
Words can't fully express how much I enjoyed dining at Bresca. From the moment you walk in, you're enveloped in a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels both like a cozy neighborhood bistro and a place of refined elegance. The decor, with its green moss walls and charming goldfish decorations, is fun, creative, bright, and relaxing. The service was exceptional. Our sommelier was knowledgeable and helpful, recommending a Reserva Rioja that paired perfectly with our dry-aged duck and wagyu beef. Our server, Matt, provided impeccable service. Despite our group of eight, all plates were cleared at once, and all dishes were served simultaneously. When one guest went to the bathroom, Matt held the plates to keep them warm and served them upon their return. What I loved most was Chef Ryan Ratino's creativity in transforming humble dishes by combining the best of Eastern and Western culinary traditions to elevate classic French cuisine. My favorite dish of the night was the Potato Pierogi. The snap pea and ricotta filling was velvety, with the snap pea perfectly reflecting Chef Ryan's passion for seasonal ingredients. The whole plate sang of summer. The Diver Scallop dish was another standout, with the crunch of hazelnuts and the umami brought out by Japanese ingredients such as kombu and shiso. If no one had been watching, I could have picked up the plate and licked every drop of the sauce--it was that good! At the end of the day, food brings people together. I dined here with a group of businessmen from Taiwan for the Select USA summit, and we were all thrilled with our choice. Everyone agreed it was one of the best meals they had ever had in the USA. Thank you, Chef Ryan, Manager Tobias Froehlich, and Matt, for making this an unforgettable experience. Bresca is truly a place where memories are made.
Unforgettable Dining Experience at Bresca: A Culinary Journey of East Meets West
Words can't fully express how much I enjoyed dining at Bresca. From the moment you walk in, you're enveloped in a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels both like a cozy neighborhood bistro and a place of refined elegance. The decor, with its green moss walls and charming goldfish decorations, is fun, creative, bright, and relaxing. The service was exceptional. Our sommelier was knowledgeable and helpful, recommending a Reserva Rioja that paired perfectly with our dry-aged duck and wagyu beef. Our server, Matt, provided impeccable service. Despite our group of eight, all plates were cleared at once, and all dishes were served simultaneously. When one guest went to the bathroom, Matt held the plates to keep them warm and served them upon their return. What I loved most was Chef Ryan Ratino’s creativity in transforming humble dishes by combining the best of Eastern and Western culinary traditions to elevate classic French cuisine. My favorite dish of the night was the Potato Pierogi. The snap pea and ricotta filling was velvety, with the snap pea perfectly reflecting Chef Ryan’s passion for seasonal ingredients. The whole plate sang of summer. The Diver Scallop dish was another standout, with the crunch of hazelnuts and the umami brought out by Japanese ingredients such as kombu and shiso. If no one had been watching, I could have picked up the plate and licked every drop of the sauce—it was that good! At the end of the day, food brings people together. I dined here with a group of businessmen from Taiwan for the Select USA summit, and we were all thrilled with our choice. Everyone agreed it was one of the best meals they had ever had in the USA. Thank you, Chef Ryan, Manager Tobias Froehlich, and Matt, for making this an unforgettable experience. Bresca is truly a place where memories are made.
I was super excited to try Bresca.
In fact, I had a reservation to Jont that I needed to cancel, but I was happy Bresca was able to accommodate me as a Walk-In (Very much appreciated). The service was top notch. I was greeted at the door and immediately seated in the dining room. The ambiance was really nice. Cozy but not cramped. Busy enough to be interesting, but didn't feel chaotic at all. The sommelier was the first to greet me and asked if I had any questions about their beverage program. I let her know I was going to be having the tasting menu and she walked me through both options for the wine pairings. The Somm is who took my food and beverage order, then there were a lot of different folks that attended to me during the meal. This was fine for me, but some people who like to have a consistent attending eye may have bee disappointed I suppose? I found the service to be extremely efficient and also warm with them knowing that they are just playing a supporting role to the meal. 5/5 As mentioned, I opted for the tasting menu at $158 for 5 courses. They list "Snacks" as a 6th course on the tasting menu, but seemed like those were given to all. There were also options to add a Foie Gras course for $30 and a Wagyu course for $65. I chose not to add either. Everything was impeccably plated (even if I may have taken a photo after I already dug in on the scallop!). The 3 Snacks were all fun single bites. The Truffle Choux being the remarkable one. Kanpachi Crudo came next. It was really tasty with a perfect blend of sweetness from the green strawberries and herbal flavor from the basil. Three small pieces of fish -- so, three bites. The Scallop had an incredible hazelnut sauce and was perfectly seared. Single scallop, so three bites, plus some Broccolini. Lamb Saddle -- Really nice as well. Very much liked the earthy beets combined with sweet raspberries with the lamb loin that was perfectly cooked. There was also a piece of lamb belly (I think?) as a second, smaller piece of meat. It didn't do too much for me, but it was fine. The sauce on the lamb was to die for. Dry Aged Duck -- The Duck Jus may have been the tastiest thing of the whole meal -- really nice! My Duck was cooked nicely, though I wish the skin had been rendered a bit more and was a bit more crispy. The stuffed morel was a single bit and was pretty underwhelming. The blueberries were a nice pairing. This was served with their homemade brioche which combined with the Jus could have been its own dish. Really tasty! Strawberry Cloud Cake -- Nice, refreshing, cake with ice cream. Nothing super inventive, but still tasty. If you've read this far, you might be asking why only 3 stars? I think it all comes down to "Was it worth it?". The cost of the tasting menu plus wine pairing was $385 (Including tax and tip) for a single diner. The price was not a shock... I knew what I was getting into. But the experience and food and frankly the quantity of food was not worth the almost $400 price tag. The food, while tasty fell short of inventive or super creative. The meal also felt simultaneously rushed and slow. Rushed because the portions were so small that a plate would only spend a mere 3-5 mins on the table before it was finished. Slow because after the previous course was finished I would be poured another glass of wine and wait 15 mins for yet another small portion. There was just something off about the portion size and the wait times, especially for the first 3 courses. Before getting the Duck Course, I really thought I was going to be leaving hungry. I am not a diner that requires large amounts of food, but if it were not for the substantial portion of Brioche and the nicely portioned dessert course I would have needed a couple tacos before bed. While the Bread was phenomenal and filled my belly, it's not the thing that I expect to save me from needing to immediately pop over to a taqueria after a meal. The food and service were both quite good overall. But we need to hold places charging 4x the price of a good meal elsewhere to a higher standard and I think Bresca missed the mark.
Michelin starred restaurant in the same building (and same
Michelin starred restaurant in the same building (and same chefs/owner) as 2 starred Jont on the second floor. Bresca offers both a tasting menu and a la carte options. The tasting menu was delicious and decently priced for what you got. Each dish was creative, tasty, and you could tell was prepared with care. The cocktails were very tasty and while we considered the wine pairing - the cocktails sounded too good to pass up. Service was quick, friendly, and our food came out at a good pace. While a highly rated restaurant, it was also nice to see that Bresca did not take itself too seriously with light music playing in the vs ground from the 90s and 2000s. While people were dressed up, some were casual and it was not overly stuffy, which added to the comfort and made a better experience.
Went to Bresca tonight to celebrate my husband's birthday.
We've been to a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants in DC and were surprised by this experience in a bad way. We expected the same level of immersion into the philosophy and culture of the restaurant that we've experienced at other places (e.g. Causa, Little Pearl, the Dabney). Instead, we felt lost without context: there wasn't any "why" conveyed behind the dishes, wine pairings, or overall cuisine. While some dishes were great (particularly the snacks and first two courses on the tasting menu), it felt overall uninspired and at times off balance. The mains in particular were disappointing. The lamb dish was paired with clams that didn't add anything, and the duck was slightly overpowered by something in the sauce. The staff were all nice, but it didn't feel like the same choreographed dance of service as it does at other Michelin guide restaurants. Water and wine was sloshed when poured, the staff didn't appear to be moving in synch. At the end of the meal, they sent madeleines to our table because the two main courses were a little slow. We appreciated and enjoyed the gesture, but were surprised the staff had actually noticed, and at that point in the meal, our impression was already solidified. The ambiance didn't make much sense either. The decor seemed intended to be trendy without purpose (e.g. hexagon and honeycomb motifs throughout, but why? 2000s hip hop and pop playing, which I enjoyed a lot but didn't understand), and it felt a bit too loud/like there were too many tables for the type of intimate experience I was hoping for. Overall, we went into the meal wanting to love it, but for $750 I would rather spend money elsewhere for a true experience.
Street parking around the DC area but we ended opting for a
Street parking around the DC area but we ended opting for a garage nearby since we couldn't find any street parking. We arrived pretty early but didn't have any problems being sat right away as we waited for the rest of our group to arrive. The decor inside was cute, I loved the beehive design on the walls and photos. They had some $9 cocktails until 6:30 (we were here on a Sunday) and I chose the St Germaine Spritz. My husband opted for the Paloma Americano. Both were pretty good and definitely cocktails I would order again. Two of us opted for the tasting menu ($158/person) and the other two members of our group chose a la carte items. I did substitute the duck for the Margaret River Strip. Substituting it was $40. For the a la carte options we orders the cheesesteak, the kanpachi crudo, the Foie gras, and the brioche for the Beginnings. For the mains and the large formats, we ordered the duck and the cod. We ended up order a bottle of wine but in my opinion, it only paired well with the duck. We had ordered the Beaujolais and it seemed high in tannin so I didn't really enjoy it. We enjoyed most of the items. The Foie gras came with this biscuit that I didn't think paired too well. Both he Foie gras and the biscuit was a little sweet. It did pair well with the brioche though. The duck was also delicious though, definitely recommend. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the river strip. While the steak itself was good, the sauce that it sat it in was very salty and the saltiness and the tannin of the wine just became very overwhelming. I will say that the desserts were probably the best course. I loved the coffee ice cream that came with Chocolate Tree. We also really enjoyed the cloud cake, it was a very refreshing. We did also have the madeleines which were to die for. Overall, I'm not sure I would return but most items were pretty good. Service did kind of dwindle off towards the end but everyone was very nice and answered all our questions!
Amazing food but also an amazingly unattentive server
Amazing food but also an amazingly unattentive server unfortunately. I booked my 6pm Saturday reservation weeks in advance after several DC locals highly recommend Bresca to me. They moved their reservations to OpenTable after I first booked and making a reservation was super easy and probably could have been done the day of, which is unheard of for Michelin stars in DC. That was my first clue that maybe this wouldn't be a 5/5 review. The chef's tasting was super delicious and felt worth the price for me. We added the beef which was $50 as an extra course or $40 to replace a course with so not sure who does that option! My favorite was the scallop (yes, a single scallop haha) and the duck. Both had the most flavorful and unique sauces paired with them. The dessert is the only item that you have an option to choose and we selected one of each. They were both delicious but I preferred the chocolate tree and my friend preferred the cloud cake which was perfectly just slightly sweet for them. Now to the service and why I could not give it 5/5. The night started well and everyone who greeted me was great and very friendly. Our server was very nice as well and when my friend came close to finishing her first glass of wine, he was right there with the bottle to provide more but then after that, something happened. The night seemed to get more busy but still not that busy and empty tables remained all night, yet our server barely checked up on us. Every time I needed a new drink, I had to politely flag him down or ask someone to get him. This was three times and the third time, we were just splitting a post meal night cap for our dessert which we had told him we were doing earlier. I have never had to do that a Michelin star spot and it was very disappointing. Typically they are on you when your drink gets low and I had my glass empty for a while. Maybe he had more tables than he was supposed to but that isn't the type of service expected with a Michelin star. The service fee is also included which is fine but that shouldn't mean that we don't get the service expected with that price. The food was brought timely and our setting was cleared very promptly but our main server just kind of neglected us. I felt that the other staff was very good at their jobs but they seemed to lack the passion and enthusiasm in explaining the dishes that I am used to. I just expected a bit more but am thankful that we never felt rushed and got to enjoy the meal and evening. Maybe it was just an off night but the food really was phenomenal. I would be willing to try again because everyone I know who has been did not have this same experience. It was also a bit louder than I was expecting early in the night for the number of people there but as the night went on, I adjusted. Overall, the night I had at Bresca was undeserving of a Michelin star.
I came here last week with my girlfriend and was blown away
I came here last week with my girlfriend and was blown away by both the service/attention to detail and the food. I have to give a huge THANK YOU to Romi (I think she is the hospitality manager) who went above and beyond for us -- we really felt like the most important guests in the restaurant. We did the tasting menu and it did not disappoint. Highlights included a perfectly prepared duck dish as well as a strawberry custard dessert. We opted for the wine pairing which was expertly curated and definitely elevated the food. There was not a single thing we tasted that we didn't thoroughly enjoy. We will definitely return to try the rotating menu of fresh ingredients.
One of the best one star Michelin restaurants! We were
One of the best one star Michelin restaurants! We were completely full!!! Everything was delicious and beautiful.
Can't believe this is a Michelin star.
We went to Jont and it was great. Very disappointed. Appetizers were fairly good. The entrees were good quality but the sauce was super salty, nothing unique. Not worth it. Service is below average. Very ordinary experience. Server didn't check on us or ask how's the food.
Went for the Ethos 5 course cocktail experience and left
Went for the Ethos 5 course cocktail experience and left completely stunned! I learned so much from Sara the bartender and she did such a great job explaining how every flavor played into a bigger emotion. The staff was so kind and made me and guest feel like family. I loved the dim lights and the music added to the sophisticated ambiance. This is my second time at Bresca and they did not disappoint.
Flawless food and service.
Very friendly & welcoming. Overall great experience, I look forward to dining there again.
Gorgeous restaurant, I was lucky to get the window
Gorgeous restaurant, I was lucky to get the window seat/couch as a solo diner and it was was so quaint and lovely. I went during resturant week, so I had the prix fixe menu of Cavatelli pasta, pork tenderloin and cocoa banana cake. The pasta and pork were delicious! I have to mention that the bread they brought out was absolutely tasty and I felt it needed its own callout. The dessert fell flat for me, the proportions weren't right at all for me. I have to take stars off because the service was okay, they could be a bit overbearing and scattered at times. I also thought the wine was average and overpriced. Given that this is a Michelin star resturant and the price of the food, I feel like I need to be a bit more critical of those downsides.
Went for restaurant week last fall.
The service and ambiance were nice-- good for a date-night spot. The food was ok-- they were definitely good, but not amazing. The beer cocktail was cute and had a honey taste.
Took our out of town guests here back in December for their
Took our out of town guests here back in December for their first Michelin star experience. They loved Bresca and so did we! This was my 4th Michelin star restaurant and it did not disappoint. The service was excellent. They explained every dish as it was served. The staff was friendly and attentive. Their sommelier came over to us pretty quickly and helped me pick two wines that would pie with our meal. They were both delicious. Our entire party did not want to eat the veal on the menu so they accommodated us by giving us the vegetarian squash instead. IT WAS SO GOOD. I think it was nearly everyone's favorite course. For me it was a tie between that and the duck course. The ambiance was comfortable and approachable. Plenty of light. The tables weren't too close together. I enjoyed the color scheme and decor of the restaurant. 10/10 recommend going here.
Super delicious! I had their restaurant week menu and it
Super delicious! I had their restaurant week menu and it was superb. The staff was very attentive and welcoming. Additionally, the bartender made me some great mocktails
Wowww.
I absolutely loved my dining experience for restaurant week. The food, decor, vibes, and staff were all excellent. High caliber high quality ingredients, great flavors. I definitely would want to return to try the chefs tasting menu. Lived up to the hype!!
Based on one visit.
Food was not great. Matt the main server was impeccable - friendly but not overbearing, observant about what we might need. He and the two adorable young people who cleared the table between courses were the high points of the evening. One or two things were pretty good - these were both meat dishes. We greedily ordered the truffle past for $90 extra, and felt hornswoggled - the truffles had zero aroma or taste and the accompanying sauce was gummy with the taste of an industrial stock behind it. Dining room was noisy. Not a relaxing experience. Won't be back, don't recommend.
Delicious restaurant week meal
Came here for restaurant week. Set menu was $65 for three courses. Had two tummy amuse bouche to begin then cavatelli with bacon and crunchy rice crisps, pork with fingerling potatoes and banana-chocolate mousse cake for desert. All were so delicious. We also upgraded 1 meal to wagyu beef for additional $30 - so tender and flavorful - and added an extra dish of fried chicken with caviar for $35. The service was exceptional. The restaurant was on the casual side and a bit loud - I had walked by here so many times and never guessed it was a Michelin 1 star. Would come again.
Came for restaurant week the menu included a home made
Came for restaurant week the menu included a home made kombucha (as I'm doing dry January this was a nice appertive), a cheese cracker amuse bouche that was like a fancy goldfish and a cauliflower bavarois, a delicious cauliflower mouse with pickled cauliflower, pine nuts and raisins, the pasta course was a caviar Eli with pancetta and a squash sauce with some sort of crispy rice and hazelnuts, delicious winter pasta cooked al dente, for a main it was a pork loin cooked very pink which is always strange to me but can only be done in good restaurants, the texture was out of this world served with potatoes with green goddess powder (going to try that at home), and a delicious mustard sauce, they brought us some warm brioche too with butter. The dessert was probably the best dessert I've ever had as the banana fan I am, q choco banana cake with mouse, some rock candy that just made the mousse more airy, cocoa nibs and some banana mascarpone cheese on top. Seriously amazing! Going to come every restaurant week forever!!!! The service was a bit too fast they definetly have a fast table turnover but great, they also say us at a table despite having had a bar reservation since we couldn't get a regular table for restaurant week which was lovely.
Great deal on early opening for restaurant week! It was our
Great deal on early opening for restaurant week! It was our first time there and we will definitely be going back to enjoy the full menu. Great service and atmosphere, food was awesome!"
Good food, terrible restaurateurs
Good food. Great and attentive service. Nice wines by the glass. Why the 1 star review? The unbelievable greed in the part of the restaurant. The regular tasting menu on Dec 29, $155. Same menu one day later?? 265? Why? SAME MENU no special additions, just a money grab from this restaurant. Let’s talk about the added service charge. Lots of restaurants are Now charging them to offset the wage disparity between FOH and BOH. 4-6% I can live with these thieves?? 23%. If your business model can’t support your staff with $255 tasting menus…. Maybe you should rethink it!!
Disappointing
Absurdly over-priced and over-rated. Michelin stars no longer mean anything to me. We paid almost $800 for a chef's tasting for two with their lower priced wine pairing. The portions were ridiculously small to the point that we didn't feel that we had a complete meal. And the flavor combinations were gratuitously complex and did not complement each other. My husband and I are adventurous foodies -- we appreciate good food. This was a lot of artful presentation that seemed to forget that people also come to have their appetites satisfied. It's obvious their overhead is high and not sure what value all the staff running around added. It was all very pretentious and ultimately underwhelming. But it also must drive their mandatory 23% gratuity added to the bill. So our table service alone was $130 because we opted for the chef's tasting. And the D.C. tax was $70! We don't mind spending a lot of money for an exquisite dining experience, but this was definitely not that. So many better options in the D.C. area. And if your curious still compels you to eat here, don't do the chef's tasting.
Great food, some incredible flavours
Excellent food and wine. The food was creative and bursting with delicious flavour. Congratulations to the chef for such beautifully made food. We thought the service was excellent end to end. We would definitely return. I would say thr one thing that we would love to change is thr noise level. Between 6-8pm the noise level + music made the blast less upscale. Then after 8:30 the crowd died down to nearly half and that was fine. Perhaps they need noise management measures. Otherwise a pretty flawless execution. It’s a hipster/cool/fine dining experience which is less stuffy and feels great if you like fine dining informal, which we enjoyed a lot.
A Good Meal Overwhelmed by Noise
To Celebrate completion of our son's 3 year medical residency at Walter Reed we dined at Bresca. Here is what we found. A nice celebratory note congratulating our Dr on completion of his residency. A waiter with sensibility, and remarkable courteousness. A restaurant so loud one had to yell to be heard, or talk loud to the person 6 inches away, loud, cacophonous rap or hip hop music so intrusive and annoying as to hasten the end of the meal and waiters gallantly, but ultimately failing to explain dishes because they could not be heard. what a waste. As for the food, it came in waves course upon course, ( where the servers tried to explain the ingredients, but might as well have been talking to the wall for their inability to be heard). The starters of seafood/asparagus and leeks en bavarois were inventive and touched with a multitude of subtle flavors. Then came the Salmon reputedly from the Columbia River in the Northwest. The salmon was more sashimi like, though it may have been slightly poached in a sweet bath. it was like by all of our party of 5, but one. The short rib cavatelli was excellent, with plenty of the been and the pasta cooked perfectly. Unfortunately the Australian Wagyu was a miss. The 3-4 ounce serving for most had too much gristle and sinewy tissue such only half could be eaten. a disappointing course. finally the dessert of Japanese Cheesecake was delightful and creative. The wine list was vastly overpriced and limited. Cocktails were apparently gold plated if their cost was a measure of their value. Bresca is a restaurant to which our table will not return: while the food was good, it was not good enough to justify the price; the wine list was priced too aggressively for the value and the noise level turned what should have been a family evening into an event in which the five of us might as well have been in silos, alone and unheard.
Poor value. TERRIBLY NOISY!
I had $118 four course with wine pairing ($85). Wife had $88 three course. Overall: Imaginative food (sometimes). Lots of hit or miss. Very good service. Definitely NOT worth the extremely high cost - $393 for two. Ambience - HORRIBLE!!! Awful garbage "music', mostly rap and other non-relaxing dinner music. MUCH, MUCH TOO LOUD!!!! Could not hear the waiter describing the food. There was second waiter who brough out 3 dishes - his accent did not allow us to understand more than 25% of what he said. We tried asking him again, but could not understand him, and of course the disgusting "music" just made us wince. Food - Snacks (amuse bouche): Two each, -Comte Tart, Ham Choux" - both very good!! Appetizers: Foie gras was odd, Not nearly as good as most I've had - uninspired. Cold scallop soup would have been much better hot. Mains: I had Pacific Halibut - fantastic as first Main Wife had Autumn Olive Pork - the two chops were Fantastic! The loin was good, but not fantastic. My second main was Red Devon Beef - ok, but a Prime ribeye (from Costco) would hav e been better. Dessert: Wife's Japanese cheesecake was innovativ e and very good. My Abrosia was uninspired and not worth more than 3 bites. Last Sweets: 1 per person of an almond cookie - Very good!, Salt Caramel - OK, Turkish jelly - blah. It seemed like most of the food was pre-prepared, such as the cold foie gras, scallop, desserts, and snacks. The only actual cooked food was the halibut, pork, and beef. Poor value, Would not go back again
Ethos cocktails & dinner = the best b-day
Capped off my birthday weekend with an amazing night at Bresca last Sunday. My date and I took part in the Ethos cocktail tasting and since no one else was participating that night, we had Sara (head bartender) all to ourselves. The cocktails were all fantastic - so creative and delicious - and the tasting was so fun. Sara is really knowledgeable and personable, so we really enjoyed interacting with her. It was really a treat for the senses, I'd highly recommend. We also stayed for dinner and had the caviar, cavatelli, and wagyu. All were outstanding, especially the caviar (I'd come again just for that) and the beef. P.S. because it was my b-day they had a little note set up at our seats when we arrived wishing me a happy birthday, it was so sweet! Again, an A++ evening.
Loud
Extraordinarily loud. 4 courses. Appetizers and deserts were good. So loud unable to enjoy. We regularly dine at Michelin star restaurants. Uncertain how they were able to achieve this rating.
Super subpar experience and definitely not worth the money.
Our server was great and to be honest, our meal started off strong with the little appetizers. But everything on the tasting menu was average and nothing special. The three of us ordered the wagyu for our entree and all three were cooked differently. My mothers was so rare that she couldn't eat it. It's also incredibly loud in there so this is not the spot for an intimate date or gathering. The food wasn't terrible but again, it wasn't a Michelin dining experience. For the food, it was 100% a waste of money.
Really wanted to like it.
The only standout was the aged duck which was an add-on to the tasting. Their crab pasta was utterly horrible. The pasta was over cooked and pasty, the crab was undetectable and the whole failure of a dish was so salty it was inedible. Then there was what they called their fois gras terrine which was as a $80 add-on. It was just okay, not sure why they called it a terrine as it was super smooth and creamy -not chunky and sliced like a terrine. The house made Madelines that were served with it was better but all in all, totally not worth $80!! The wine pairing was not to my taste either. Only enjoyed 2 out of the 6 pairings. Didn't even drink 2 of them, which never happens. The service was great but that's to be expected. But the waiters were dressed very country-like which didn't match the food or decor. This is unfortunately the first DC tasting menu that we would not go back to. So disappointed.
Omg this place is phenomenal.
While pretty expensive, it's a good place for a special occasion. I was visiting from New Jersey when my boyfriend found this tasting menu and booked it for us to try. The staff was beyond amazing and very knowledgeable about the food, the drinks were spectacular (bee drink picture shown) and we were given a complementary dessert at the end! One of the best meals I have ever eaten! Deserves their Michelin stars 100000x over!!!
I live for a top tier meal and that is exactly the
I live for a top tier meal and that is exactly the experience I had at Bresca. I came here for the first time with my boyfriend this past weekend. The service was top notch. Our server knew the menu down to a T and was really personable and professional. We were seated in one of those cute igloos with a personal heater and the temperature inside was just right!Now on to the food! Everything from the Comté Tart to the Black Truffle Pierogi to the Waygu steak was delicious. Every dish was played exquisitely and the flavors were amazing. The chef's tasting menu finished off with a Japanese cheesecake for dessert which was absolutely delectable. 10/10 all around!
4.5 stars Happened to dine here during restaurant week. The
4.5 stars Happened to dine here during restaurant week. The menu is exciting and well-priced. Classic Michelin-star experience with well-thought menu and interesting combinations, flavors and consistencies. Even though we were served three courses, they were really filling. We also got bread, amouse-bouche and petite patisserie as complimentary additions to the prix-fixe menu. Service was excellent and really attentive. The place feels a little bit like Europe, which is a positive. The ambiance is typical of that a I recommend it! I'd come again to try the full tasting menu
Exceptionally Mediocre.
The 3 starts are for services, ambience, and the slamming 90s undergroup hip hop playlist.The 0 stars are for the food. For a pre-fixe, I was excited to check out the chef's tasting. I had some friends who had gotten very sick after eating here, but they said the food was still delicious.I'm not sure if the chef had a night off or not, because it was a tragedy. It looked interesting, but the food was all manners of bland. It was like going to see stand up comedy and ending up with dad jokes.The crudo was uneventful; the scallop was bland; Piergogi was over salted; the duck was so gross three of my friends didn't finish it (they did notice this and offer alternatives). The cheese cake wasn't too bad. They brought out some extra madelenes that were burnt. It was a $500 experience I wish I could get back and walk up the street to Seven Reasons. Unfortunately it was a friends birthday so you work with what you get.
Probably the best meal with the best service I have ever eaten!
For Valentine's Day, Bresca served a very special 5-course meal with champagne and caviar supplements and wine pairings with each course (the supplements and pairings cost extra). The caviar was served with delicious little potato waffles and a rich cream sauce. All of us loved it! The we were served the most delectable little tarts as appetizers. This was followed by small but filling dishes of delicious scallops, swordfish with carrot pieces and raisins in a sauce (or wagyu beef for an extra charge), dried duck in a most delicious dark gravy, a creamy and flavorful linguini with black truffles. And when we didn't think we could eat another bite, the attentive wait staff brought out dishes of madeleines straight from the oven and delicately dusted with confectioner's sugar. They were amazing! last but not least, the staff brought out dishes of four small desserts: caramels, pralines, tiny madeleines of a different flavor, and one other (I can't recall the name of that one). It was a superb, filling, and very enjoyable dinner! Many thanks to the hardworking chefs and wait staff at Bresca! I can't say enough about the wait staff, by the way - they were constantly and subtly topping off our water glasses all night, and were so quick to whisk away empty dishes and bring out new dishes and wines. They described each dish and wine, which we really enjoyed. We look forward to returning! :)
Bresca is an amazing experience from the atmosphere to the
Bresca is an amazing experience from the atmosphere to the service! For a 1 star Michelin you can even snag a seat at the bar and still experience the tasting menu with friendly service! If in the DC area I would definitely go back!
Absolutely divine! The most amazing experience from start
Absolutely divine! The most amazing experience from start to finish. I would absolutely recommend the house special or the pièce de résistance - duck a la presse!
We had high hopes after seeing this restaurant has a
We had high hopes after seeing this restaurant has a Michelin star. We did their $55 three course dinner, which is admittedly a great deal for a restaurant of this caliber. However, the food did not come close to our expectations. Our first course of salmon felt off. The salmon was fishy and was served with a cardamom yoghurt sauce which did not mix well. Our main course of bread stuffed chicken also missed the mark. The chicken was super tender, but the flavors were overbearing and felt very heavy. After one bite it was too much. The dessert was tasty. On the plus side, the service was great and we did really enjoy the free rolls that came with our entree. We really hoped to like Bresca, but can't recommend it. The other Michelin star restaurants in DC are better.
Returned several times since my first visit.
I've been blown away by their cocktails, food and service each time. The place is incredible!I've visited several of DC's "top" restaurants, but Bresca remains my #1. Thank you for the unparalleled experience!
New Year's Eve Dinner
We have eaten at many fine restaurants in the DMV and around the world. I feel that the meal and experience we had is in the top 5% of any we've had in the world. The apps were delicious. The courses were well timed and represented many tastes. Ingredients were combined/flowed together in a harmonious way with flare that set off little details. Care was taken with the presentation and the staff was friendly and helped fuel the party atmosphere of the holiday. My wife and I have a saying "I'd pay money for it". This was truly an occasion where that "Money" was well worth it. Thank You for a great meal and experience.
Great Dinner!
Bresca impressed us throughout the entire meal. Well worthy of its 1 star, the food and service was impeccable. There are multiple menu options- full tasting (6 courses), and also 3/4 course options, and there are add ons to each. We selected the 3 course, and added their famous duck, as well as the wagyu/caviar tartare. Everything was perfectly done (especially the duck) and the tartare was a highlight, with both caviar and truffle toppings- decadent and amazing. For people who enjoy good wine, pairings can be ordered with any of the menu sets, and there is even an elevated reserve pairing that is well worth it (the staff overall, but especially the Som is really knowledgeable and provided great pairings and education). Overall it's a great meal that should be on your DC list!
Great food but....
the menu although quite limited was superb. The by the glass very short on choice. The big issue is they seem to be more concerned in getting you in and out the door. To us it flet like the proverbial bum's rush. Get them in feed them and out the door.
One of my favorites in DC
Impeccable service and faultless food every time. They take their food seriously enough to refuse to sell me madeleines to go. Pulled a great burgundy vintage for me, humored me in using my own glasses when they did. It's hard to know what to say about a place where every experience is perfect.
Connect with users posting reservations for BRESCA Washington
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If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to BRESCA Washington at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the BRESCA Washington page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* PerceptiveWash44, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* PerceptiveWash44 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to PerceptiveWash44 for any questions Peter may have as PerceptiveWash44 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* PerceptiveWash44 now uses their connections at BRESCA Washington to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If PerceptiveWash44 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, PerceptiveWash44 receives the $200 reward which is credited to PerceptiveWash44's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at BRESCA Washington!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
