Kiln

As I understand it, Kiln is a newer restaurant attached to a hotel and I was really really interested in trying it out. The Good: the quality of the ingredients is top notch. You can taste it. There were no visual defects whatsoever on even the fresh vegetables. The staff were incredibly attentive. They gave use some additional oysters to match the table size. Because one of us really liked the horseradish and the waiter took it away, one of the chefs came back and gave us extra horseradish. Now that's next level attention to detail. Moreover, the quality and skills of the chefs were evident in the quality of the food. Expertly handled. There really wasn't a bad, but things to improve on. There is plenty of Michelin potential here, but there are potential improvements. Weirdly, the tableware. The staff would commonly drop things. And even the poor at my table would drop forks, etc. I could hear things getting dropped all over the restaurant. Sure, it happens but there must be an imbalance if everything is dropped so much. Then, the flavor. I prefer more seasoning. I get it, let the ingredients shine. However, the cabbage was good, but as cabbage should be, it was watery so it muted the flavor. So you get watery cabbage. Some might not like paying a premium for watery roasted cabbage. But that's what cabbage does. The Colette was cooked expertly well, but unlike the Picanha, the fat cap was taken off so it was a little dry even though it was cooks rare. Perhaps some additional salt or seasoning would have added a slight punch to the expertly cooked peice of food. The ribs were good but extremely fatty. When my fiend cut into his it was mostly just fat. I ate it but a lot of people may not enjoy that. The beets used a sichuan style sauce that was good but again sichuan flavors are better strong. All in all, I see a lot of potential with the quality of ingredients, high caliber staff, and attention to detail.

This is really a 3.5Finally got around to trying KILN which is in Hotel Heron. So, if you go in one door, near the valet, you're going into the wrong one. The lovely woman at the desk directed me to the door that is to the bar area. It was raining today, so the bar area door was better than going back outside. Taking MY way, you have to walk through the bar to the actual host for the fonce restaurant space. Ok, it's not THAT fonce, but it's lovely. So, yeah, enter via the S. Washington door. I pass by so many times a week and never noticed. Anyway...The host was just as lovely as the woman who directed me to the door. Even lovelier was the server. You know those servers who are just naturals? They chat with you and it's not forced or rushed? That was our server. Super personable, gave us her recommendations, appropriately timed when to take dishes away without being intrusive - just great. We went for restaurant week but the entire table has to choose it. Both of us chose the normal menu because there were dishes on it that we preferred.What we got and shared:TUNA CRUDO - good, with citrus and radish STEAK TARTARE - loved the steak but would have preferred that there wasn't cheese mixed in because it overpowered the meat in some bites. The crunchy potato sticks were a nice touch, and the bread was toasted and fat. I like fat toast. KALE SALAD - the kale was good and this salad had goat cheese and applesSHORT RIBS - my fave plate of the night. The sauce alone was delish. The meat was tender and the potatoes were smooth and flavorful. BASQUE CHEESECAKE - Great flavor and texture and it came with fresh berries with some cream. It was a little crumbly though. All in all, a good dinner on a rainy night. I'd come back for the short ribs and cheesecake and would try more items in the future.

I wanted to love this place, but we really only came here because we had to use our $25 hotel credit here. Food (2/5): They lose stars for the extreme pricing on the food that wasn't really great. The Kiln bread was $3 and was mini - think mini rolls with an odd seafood flavoring... .....and $16 for ham...it was a few slices of cold prosciutto, which my hubby doesn't like. He was expecting some nice, warm slices of ham to enjoy with our bread. Really? After spending almost $20 we went back to our hotel room and ordered Taco Bell...ugh. Service (5/5): Amy should be commended for her attentive kind service. Ambiance (4/5): The bar itself if beautifully decorated - modern with some nice brass touches. It was crowded and busy on a Sat night but tha should be expected.

Brunch is good, service is fantastic with Mike!!! He is amazing, super nice, attentive and good vibes. The hotel is cute and well located. Easy to find parking on the street. Clean, cozy and good location. We had a nice time and for sure I'll come back!

Ooooo! This is my favorite restaurant in Old Town, bar none! I love the open kitchen. The restaurant itself has a clean modern vibe. Seating is cozy and often you strike up conversations with nearby tables. But the food! Excellent and innovative! I usually order the tasting menu and wine pairings. I think one of the most enjoyable experiences is getting to know Liz, the sommelier. She has such a vast knowledge of not only the wines but the areas and regions they come from. I highly recommend this new restaurant in Old Town!

Food was excellent, service attentive, decor cozy, maybe a little pricey but quality ingredients (someone else mentioned) are worth it.

I almost missed this hidden gem while looking for a romantic date night. I'm perplexed how this isn't rated higher on Yelp, when Chef Matt has created a culinary and atmospheric experience that rises far above the typical restaurants in the Alexandria and Arlington area.We tried the 8-course tasting menu and while expensive, it was worth every penny. Observing the chefs in the kitchen showcase their craft was a source of endless entertainment, and their interaction with each patron made you truly feel like you were sitting in their personal kitchen and focused solely on serving you. Each bite was better than the last, and it was clear that there is a level of thought and creativity woven into each dish that is hard to find anywhere else in this area.Chef Matt has something incredible here, and I hope you all get to experience the magic.

It's like a parody of a fancy restaurant. Fancy prices but poor quality Food. For $40 you can get the following in the pictures. Also slow service whether it's busy or not.

My friends and I had a great experience having breakfast after our Yoga class at Kiln, the service was top-notch with our waiter Mike being very attentive and providing excellent recommendations, the food was very good, the place and ambiance is very nice, we will be back for brunch soon. Thank you so much Mike! We had an amazing time! (And it's pet friendly :)

Unfortunately we did not have a great experience at Kiln. We had a reservation and arrived on time. It did not look crowded even though it was a Friday night and Valentine's day.It took over an hour for our starters to be brought out (crispy potatoes and a Kale salad), and they were out of bread which was the starter we actually wanted. It took an additional 45 minutes for our entrees to be brought out--we ordered the rockfish and mushroom risotto. The rockfish was delicious, but the mushroom risotto was INCREDIBLY salty (tasted of table salt--not salt from parmesan or other ingredients). It was also covered in a thick layer of grease or oil of some kind, and was not really hot when brought out.It took over an hour to have another bottle of water brought out after finishing the first (because there was nothing to do but sip our drinks while waiting an hour for our starters), and to get another glass of wine. When the other glass of wine finally showed up, it was served in the wrong style of glass with literal chunks of food (or something...) floating in the glass with the wine.To cap off the incredibly disappointing evening, when we approached the bar to have another drink before leaving, the male bartender shouted at us that the bar had called last call over an hour and a half ago (we had no idea, because we were still eating our meal at that time & when we approached the bar, drinks were still being made).An awful evening and we will not be back.