Reverie

We were pleased to see Reverie re-open and were glad to experience the newly remodeled restaurant. The food is seafood and vegetables and each dish is beautifully crafted, packed with flavors, and creatively combines a range of ingredients. We walked away more than full and appreciated the eclectic mix of dishes. Service was fantastic! One thing that stood out were the rotation of chefs who would come by to explain the dish that they prepared. This allowed us to get a deeper understanding, ask questions, and get a sense of the personalities and people behind the chefs counter. While dimly lit and romantically nestled in Georgetown, Reverie was not overly stuffy or pretentious. People were dressed casually, they had light music playing in the background (top 40, R&B, hip hop). This added to the experience. While an up charge, the wine pairing was a nice addition. We got 7 (healthily poured) glasses of wines from across the world. This allowed a sampling of many different varieties of wine and introduced us to some new favorites. With any restaurant of this quality, the biggest drawback is price. The tasting menu recently increased to $285 per person making it one of the most expensive restaurants in the DC-area. This does not include a 22% service fee and add-ons like cocktails or wine.

A wonderful dining experience as the team at Reverie made our anniversary dinner quite memorable. Superb service, beautifully plated flavorful dishes, paired with tasty libations and Asian-inspired contemporary decor vibes. We'll be back!

KenScale: 8.5/10Visit: September 2024One of the best restaurants in DC my wife Jun and I had visited since we moved down from New York City was Reverie. We checked out the restaurant in June 2022, and were so impressed with the magical cooking from chef Johnny Spero that we decided this would be one of our go-to spots for dinner going forward. In a tragic course of event, the restaurant closed down due to a damaging fire. While working on re-opening his flagship restaurant, chef Johnny ran a more casual Bar Spero (which we also loved but unfortunately closed recently). Early this year, the revival of Reverie has finally come to fruition. We did visit Reverie 2.0 almost right after it opened to congratulate chef Johnny (and had a very delicious meal as expected) but I wanted to hold off my review until our second visit (generally, I would like to give a few months for a newly opened restaurant to work on any kinks). That second visit took place late last month, and I'm happy to report that Reverie 2.0 has already established itself as one of the premier dining destinations in DC. The new iteration of Reverie feels like a more grown-up version of its more free-wheeling original one, with a darker and more serene dining room. Just like its 1.0 version, the menu (currently priced at $255 per person) focuses heavily on seafood sourced primarily from the East Coast. The dishes also seem to have more visual panache, starting with a stunning presentation of diver scallop in edible shell with sunchoke and black trumpet mushrooms and Maine donut with eel as welcoming snacks. What I really appreciate from chef Johnny's cooking is his ability to maximize the potential of seafood ingredients to great effects with other non-seafood sources. I was a huge fan of refreshing razor clam with tomato granitas that would've won over any seafood lover, and the best dish of the night for me was the dry-aged steelhead trout that was magnificent with the spicy kick of habanada pepper sauce. One dish that we had in both visits and now seems to have quickly become a signature dish is the deep fried kokkotxas (a traditional Basque fish stew made with fish throats or cheeks) you can dip on saffron and parsley sauce. I would love any fish and chips lover to try it and opine on it; it certainly had our thumps up both times. If you are a potato lover, you would certainly savor one from Reverie with smoked butter and abalone liver sauce. Chef Johnny likes to use Carolina gold rice in his dishes and on our recent visit, it came with Maine lobster and egg yolk to provide luxurious flavor. The final savory course was Maine cod with marigold and hazelnut that wouldn't have been out of place at any top-level seafood dining establishment. The desserts at Reverie were also memorable, starting with a wonderful sweet and savory combination of caviar and fromage blanc mousse. The second dessert was also a delightful one despite its simple-looking display, featuring banana tea ice cream with frozen sable on top. Getting a reservation at Reverie wasn't too challenging but the dining room has fewer seats than the previous iteration so advance planning is still recommended. As noted above, the dining space gives a more established fine dining aura with an open kitchen greeting the diners, similar to the vibe we got from Aska in Brooklyn (we would certainly love to see a collaboration dinner between these two restaurants at some point). The wine list is also designed to pair well with seafood dishes, skewing more toward white wines than red which I do wish to see more of in the future visits. I have no idea how difficult it is to re-open a restaurant after a devastating fire but if there is a chef with the talent and energy to pull it off, my vote is for chef Johnny. Jun and I are very excited to become a regular at Reverie 2.0 and wish all the best for the reincarnation of his culinary vision. I wouldn't be surprised to see it turn into a top dining destination that people would travel to DC for.

We found street parking fairly easily and we were about 20 minutes early but they sat us right away. They offer coat check as well and provide a little stool for your bag. One of the pricier Michelins but the seafood provided definitely makes it worth it. It does get pricey with the additional 22% service charge.I think we loved everything except for the halibut. That was the only item that I felt like didn't quite live up to the rest of the course. There was an octopus diah that was beautifully cookes but seemed to lack just a little salt and something acidic. Everything else was delicious and had amazing individual components. Super friendly team and the chef came to the table as well a couple of times. We loved the uni rice and this AMAZING fried fish and the desserts were beautiful. They had this one dessert that was like a chocolate Madeleine and it was so good. Loved the atmosphere and wonderful service. I would absolutely recommend coming here to celebrate my brother's birthday.

My friend and I dined at Reverie this past Friday evening to try their 255 pp tasting menu. The interior is pretty minimal and modern, and our table had a great view of the kitchen.INITIAL PLATTER* BAY SCALLOP - The scallops were sandwiched between paper thin, crispy wafer in the shape of a scallop shell. The scallops were fresh, soft and sweet with lots of umami. We were impressed by the delicate layer of wafer and the technique required to create this.* MACKEREL - A piece of mackerel tucked inside a tart topped with some garnish. The bite had a burst of flavor with a hint of citrus, savoriness from the mackerel, and a nice crunch from the tart.* EEL DONUT - The donut had a sea umami flavor, but we thought it was too dry and took away from the flavors of the unagi (a small piece perched on top of the donut).* MADELEINE - This reminded us of a parm crisp and is super crispy. We would recommend eating it in a single bite because it falls apart easily.OCTOPUSThis was similar to a taco with a corn (?) tortilla shell. The char of the octopus was perfect with the grittier texture of the lobster roe. The vegetable and flower toppings were more for presentation rather than flavor. It was a nice two bites, but nothing extraordinary.HIRAMASAThe hiramasa was shaped a rose, which was fresh with a nice crunch. The roe added a nice, "poppy" texture with some smoky depth. The sauce reminded me of apple cider vinegar without the kick; it was buttery smooth, sweet, with a slight tartness.OYSTERThe oyster sat on top of a bed of rocks, topped with pink shards of granita. The granita gave the oyster a brighter sweetness and cooled it down, adding a refreshing taste. The oyster was extremely fresh with a very light brine. The cream and dollop of hazelnut and lemon oil gave it a creamy, citrusy flavor.CHEEKSThis is the fried cod's fancier cousin. The fish had a delicate and light batter that was crispy but not greasy and very soft. We squeezed a bit of lime, adding a hint of citrus that complemented the parsley oil aioli sauce on the side, which was creamy but light.CAVIARThe caviar was one of the best bites I've ever had. They gave a generous scoop, a pleasant sea umami and light briny flavor. This was a perfect balance of savory and sweet with a marmalade and jelly mixed into it. This one almost hints at dessert and made both of us smile.RAZOR CLAMSA bowl of Carolina gold rice, egg yolk fudge with cultured butter and topped with the razor clams. We mixed everything together. The texture of rice was broken like congee. The cultured butter and egg yolk fudge was a creamy glaze that wasn't gloppy. The clams had a perfect crunch that added texture to the creamy, rich and indulgent rice.HALIBUTThe halibut sat on top of a caramelized cream with a fish sauce base and topped with crispy leek. The halibut was too firm, just salty with no additional flavor. It was disappointing and uninspiring.We got a bit of bread and butter next. The focaccia bread was under-proofed, so it had a dense texture that lacked airiness and bounce. The truffle cultured butter didn't have much umami, but had a distinct funkiness to it that reminded me of goat cheese.FROMAGE BLANCOur first dessert, which was extremely delightful and playful. There was a granita disc surrounded by citrus tea and lemon oil(?). Upon breaking it, it revealed the fromage blanc with a blueberry compote. It was lightly cheesy with strong berry flavor and herbal notes that we enjoyed.RASPBERRYThis was a raspberry custard with more granita. Without the granita, this would have been too tart. The granita helped a lot to take away that tartness. Overall, plain in texture and flavor.DESSERT PLATTER* GERANIUM - Quick earthy flavor that disappeared before we could think about it with a nice sugar texture that's not too sweet.* FLØDEBOLLER - Super crunchy on the outside and creamy, bursting on the inside, but the white chocolate is too sweet. This was just OK.* PAW PAW - The jelly reminded me of a Cantonese dried plum without the tart and tangy flavor. After biting into it, it was very soft like honey.* FINANCIER - In the shape of a seashell, this was phenomenal. Nice, crispy chocolate crust with a delicate spongy texture. The sea truffly umami flavor upon placing it on my tongue was delightful. The milk chocolate sauce was a nice touch.We enjoyed a couple complementary drinks. The NON5 Lemon Marmalade & Hibiscus non-alcoholic drink was very hibiscus forward, lightly fruity with tangy flavors with a bit of a sparkling afterthought that was refreshing and not too sweet. The JET BLACK TEA reminded me of Philz Coffee's Philtered Soul, a hazelnut flavored coffee and one of my favorites.Reverie is a pricy 1-star Michelin with a strong focus on seafood. I'm glad we tried the tasting menu, but unsure if we'd come back again given the price. The staff was attentive and accommodating, and we had a pleasant experience!

Reverie is the #1 restaurant in D.C. This place is PERFECT in every single way. The food, the service, the decor. Everything is absolutely perfect. The night starts with you being greeted at the door by the staff who you can instantly tell loves working there. After a quick check in you are escorted through the gorgeous restaurant to where you will be dining for the night. I think all but one, maybe two tables have a perfect view of the open kitchen. Chef Johnny Spero and his team know their seafood. Every dish was centered around a different type of seafood and accompanied by a perfect pairing of vegetables(s). The pace of dinner was perfect as well. The food didn't come out too fast or too slow. The staff is easily some of the best I have ever come across. You would think that they have been working together for years by the way they are perfectly in synch. They are also some of the nicest people I have coming across in my dining experience's. If I haven't convinced you to go to Reverie then nothing ever will. Please go as this place is truly magical.

Update for reverie 2.0/tasting menu. The re-done space is awesome, as is the food and hospitality. Visited less than a month after reopening and the team has everything nailed down - pacing and service were perfect. The food is executed at a very high level, and very unique to Johnny - a seafood forward menu unlike anywhere else in DC. We opted for glasses vs. a pairing, there is a good selection and we enjoyed what we tried. A number of chefs (including Johnny) stopped by to drop off and describe the dishes to us, it all felt very personal. Definitely worth a stop in, it will become a regular in our rotation.

I've been coming to Reverie since 2019 and have seen the ebbs and flows of Johnny Spero's restaurant and man have things changed now that they got their 1 Michelin star. For two 14 item tasting menu, one wine pairing, a glass of cider and a couple of glasses or tea, ya girl dropped $750+. Lemme say I was I shock. Especially cause the tasting menu was just that. Everything the size of my palm or smaller. I could go to two Michelin start restaurant, Jōnt, spend $1k for two people and have SO MUCH MORE FOOD AND DRINKS. They used to have an a la carte menu, which I honestly enjoyed and I feel is a nice alternative offers a lower price point for those who wanted to enjoy Reverie's offerings but couldn't splurge for a tasting menu. Reverie used to offer a full roasted duck which is AMAZING and worth every penny. I took a photo to remember how amazing it was cause I haven't been able to get it since or never at the same size. Overall, if you want to have a nice date nice in Georgetown and drop some monies and hang with cool people, come to Reverie. Also, it's right across from Chaia taco in the alley- don't get lost.Will I come back to Reverie? Honestly, no. Johnny does have another restaurant opening up near RPM which I'm hoping offers more affordable prices.

came here with some friends to check out to the newly reopening of reverie and their tasting menu. the entrance is beautiful and aesthetic...and johnny opened the door for us! we were greeted and seated to our table right away. it is an open kitchen concept with few tables to the side. they give you a small little table to sit your bag. the interior is clean and modern... love the simplicity of it. We got the wine pairing with our tasting dinner. it comes with 8 different wines from all over the world. we had such a fun experience with the wine and foods. seafood heaven!! I was amazed by the first three courses which were scallops, crab, and eel. beautiful simple presentation and delicious! the flavors throughout each dish are unique but simple... so if you are in to bold spice flavors like me you may think the food is a little bland.. but remember it is seafood! you appreciate each dish and bite.. everything is cohesive. of course the service was on point and personable. my favorite dessert was the strawberry sorbet.. so fun and refreshing! Spero came by with a few dishes and we got to chat with him for a bit. we had a lot of fun! if you love seafood and fun flavors definitely come check out Speros updated concept.

INCREDIBLE! I've had my eyes on Reverie for awhile. My friends and I decided to make reservations for the chef's counter on my birthday. We had the best seats to appreciate the meticulous details and techniques the chefs craft on each plate, which were beautiful art pieces! Everyone was extremely welcoming and the atmosphere was not stuffy at all. The service timing was perfect, the courses were filling, and the flavors were mind blowing. There were 17 dishes total! More than half were fresh seafood paired with herbs and juices to bring out the freshness of the course. My favorite was the scallop with buttermilk, dill and kombu. The flavor was delicate and fresh. I would like to drink a gallon of that buttermilk, dill, kombu broth please! Up next, were two main course dishes- duck and lamb belly. I was stuffed before we got to the savory dishes! At last were four dessert courses. The standout was the fromange blanc with the ice sphere to crack on top (similar to a creme brûlée.) The first two desserts were refreshing and light, and it felt like summer. The last two desserts were more rich in flavor and dense. Overall, Reverie is amazing! Loved every minute of chatting, drinking and eating. Can't wait to come back and experience more delectable and gorgeous dishes.