Alhambra

We came here for what was advertised as the St. Regis New Year's Day Bloody Mary Brunch. Our experience did not resemble what we were promised, and combined with some potential cleanliness issues, means I will not be returning.My wife and I have a tradition now of indulging in a St. Regis Signature Blood Mary each New Year's Day. If unaware, each St. Regis hotel develops its own Blood Mary recipe. We were gifted a copy of the St. Regis Bloody Mary cocktail book at a St. Regis event we attended some years ago, and so each New Year's Day we either seek out one in person, or make one from the book at home. This year, finding ourselves in DC, we decided to try the St. Regis Capitol Mary in person as part of their New Year's Brunch. As I mentioned above, though, the brunch was not as promised. The event advertised that "guests will be welcomed with homemade recovery shooters before enjoying a mouthwatering a la carte brunch ... highlights such as Lobster Eggs Benedict with Sturgeon Caviar, Beef Shortrib ... and Bloody Mary's from our famed New Year's Bloody Mary cart." None of the aforementioned items were actually offered during our brunch. This left me wondering if something changed, or if I did not book something correctly? It is not a large restaurant, so I cannot imagine there was another secret area for New Year's Brunch.The biggest issue occurred at a nearby table. Shortly after being seated, a guest at a nearby table picked up a condiment from the tabletop condiment plate, and in doing so disturbed a small cockroach which had apparently been resting on the plate. This incident occurred directly in my view and I am offering a firsthand account, though I admit I was not directly affected. While I understand pests happen and are part of life in old buildings in a big, storied city, what concerns me greatly is the insufficient staff response to the incident is what will prevent my return to Alhambra and the St. Regis Washington, D.C. Once alerted, the guests were quickly attended to by a manager and a waiter quickly disposed of the pest, albeit with a napkin from the table (I do hope this will not be reused). After the guests departed the restaurant without eating, the staff simply returned the condiments that previously held the cockroach to the condiment plate and reset the table with the utensils the prior guests -- and pest -- had been handling. I alerted our waiter to the incident, noting specifically that the prior guests handled the utensils and that a pest had been on the table, and suggesting that the table should perhaps be cleaned. She graciously accepted this suggestion, but in the 10 minutes that followed prior to our departure, the table was not attended to, remaining uncleaned. This is not okay!!! Despite this, I resolve to 2 stars because the food was really tasty. The Capitol Mary -- served with a giant shrimp garnish -- was spicy deliciousness and paired well with my amazing lamb kofta scramble. Still, there's no chance I can return -- how would I know there had not just been a cockroach on the table?

The St. Regis and Alhambra restaurant are just stunning. This space also has a private dining room you can reserve. Winter restaurant week so we had the chance to try 3 courses. Added on octopus because it's our favorite. Impeccable service, quality wine selection and good cocktails make this a wonderful upscale dining experience.

Breakfast was great! We started our day here and it wasn't very busy. Fun place for breakfast and it was delicious. Feels a bit fancy and the coffee was tasty. The croissant was delicious. Service was great! Cool place!

This was a great experience! I came here for my husband's birthday and the yellowfin tuna and octopus were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The trio of hummus and regular hummus were quite good and the pita freshly baked and well seasoned! The only constructive criticism I have is that it is more expensive than I would have liked (particularly the cocktails) and the tiramisu was a bit stale. But because the other food was so good and the service so kind (we had our baby with us) I think this restaurant deserves 5 stars. It's also a beautiful ambiance in the St Regis hotel.

I got the chance to stay at the St Regis hotel for my birthday. It was amazing. My wife and I had breakfast at the Alhambra. Clean, stunning, great service. The quality of the food was fantastic. My favorite dish was the pancakes. The host did a great job getting us all the items we requested and had some great recommendations. I would go back just for the breakfast.

Some hotels have good restaurants, but this one is exceptional. We had breakfast and dinner here twice. I was not let down. The service was joyful, professional, and caring. The menu is extensive and unique. We ordered so many delicious items we nearly created our own tasting menu. The environment is intimate and felt like private dining.

I've tried so many Mediterranean spots over the past decade and Alhambra immediately jumped to the top of the list on my first visit. The complimentary pita bread was honestly enough to keep me coming back, it was THAT good. I usually get the hummus and aleppo chicken with an additional side although the branzino, patatas bravas, and giant prawns are pretty good too. I haven't tried the brunch menu yet but I'm sure it's amazing. I've had a handful of people I recommended here tell me they loved it. The ambiance is also nice, esp if you're seated in the golden booths. I'd give the service 5 stars. Overall, you can't go wrong with Alhambra!

Dining at Alhambra was such an experience! The dinner menu is a fusion of Mediterranean food and tapas style plates--everything was delicious. The only thing we wouldn't recommend is the 100 layered patatas bravas (see image), very small portion and not your traditional tapas. The waitress was very knowledgeable in terms of food allergies and went above and beyond to make sure there wasn't any cross contamination with gluten. There are plenty of GF options! They even provided me with carrots and cucumbers, and GF toast charge free. The drinks are on the pricier side, but what you would expect given the type of restaurant (between $20-25 per drink). We were the only party at the restaurant, which made it very intimate and perfect to celebrate my sister's birthday! Overall, great experience and we will be returning!

With a few exceptions, I don't often dine at restaurants inside hotels. Upon receiving an invitation to visit Alhambra inside the St. Regis Hotel, my wife and I visited on a Saturday date night. (Yes, our meal was comped, but opinions are my own.) Here's our experience:1) Food: With the former business partner of Ambar as the executive chef, the menu has Balkan influences. To feed two, we ordered the hummus with wild mushrooms, Mom's Borek, 100 Layer Patatas Bravas, tahini cauliflower, and grilled octopus. Literally, every dish was well balanced and tasty, but the winner was the Mom's Borek. It's fluffy and the combination of flavors really pop.For dessert, we had the baklava cheesecake and the coconut creme brulee. Both were tasty, but the latter took home the cake. 2) Drinks: Their menu includes wine, beer, and cocktails. I enjoyed their sauvignon blanc (it's more acid forward) and my cocktail. (For the life of me, I can't remember what it's called, but it was sour and refreshing.) 3) Price: They are comparable to D.C. prices so expect to pay around $75-$100 a person for a full meal with appetizers, drinks and dessert.4) Service: It was on point! Our server was attentive, funny, and guided us through the menu.5) Space: It's in the St. Regis and the dining room has booth seating and regular tables. It's a little outdated and sterile, but it works.6) Neighborhood: It's near the White House, surrounded by many restaurants and things to see and do. Street parking is relatively easy to find.

We loved our dining experience so much that we booked Alhambra again yesterday night for our intimate wedding dinner with my in-laws. Carmen the receptionist was helpful in returning my call promptly inquiring about moving up my reservation. Our server Zaatar (I think that was how it was spelled) was very responsive to our questions about the menu and attentive to our needs. We were offered a complimentary dessert to celebrate and cap off a delicious meal. Because it was a Monday night, there was only a couple tables filled in the main dining room which made things more quiet. We will definitely come back!