The Dabney

We checked out the Dabney Cellar last night and it was such a lovely visit! The cellar is filled with soft yellow light that makes it quite cozy. We sat at the bar and Sergei and Thomas took such great care of us that it felt like a visit to a dear friend's house. Sergei was so knowledgable with unique and delicious wines.

Would've gotten a 4 star review for the great food, but we were extremely disappointed in the slow service.We came here for our anniversary dinner and what we expected to be a 2.5-3 hr meal was almost 4 hours long. I've never been had such slow pacing and in the end, I had to ask the server that we needed to hurry home and they rushed to get us our check. I did enjoy the food--their bite-sized appetizers were great and I loved the paw paw cheesecake at the end. However, our experience became soured due to the long service.

I had high expectations for The Dabney, but unfortunately, the experience was far from enjoyable. Despite arriving on time, we waited over 40 minutes before any edible food was placed in front of us. Initially, the server blamed the delay on my request to substitute duck for pork as the main course, which makes no sense considering this had nothing to do with the five courses preceding the main dish. Later, the story changed, and the waiter claimed the delay was because they had just started a new menu this week and were still getting aligned.None of the dishes stood out, and the meal was so underwhelming that we didn't even bother taking pictures of the food. I'm a big fan of Jônt and would happily pay more for their exceptional experience. Even El Cielo, which I'm not the biggest fan of, feels more on point when compared to The Dabney.Honestly, I would have been better off across the street at Unconventional Diner. The Dabney has a lot of work to do on both service and quality to justify its reputation.

Servers were fun and food was good, but just too expensive for what it is. Would maybe come back if I had a coupon or gift certificate, but $800 for dinner and drinks for two is not worth it.

This is for the Dabney Cellar!My friend and I have missed the cellar so much - so happy it's back. We had an incredible waiter, Victor, who served us the best martinis. The oysters were fresh and delicious, the cheese and meat board was to die for, and the cheesy leek dip was next level! All of this over a cozy backdrop made for the perfect Friday evening in November!

If you're looking for a restaurant that combines the best of local, seasonal ingredients with expertly crafted drinks and a warm, inviting atmosphere, the Dabneyis a must-visit. From the moment you walk through the door, it's clear that this isn't just another dining experience--it's a celebration of fresh, sustainable ingredients sourced directly from local farms, paired with creative cocktails that elevate the entire meal. We sat at the bar and was wow'ed by each protein. The lamb was great and the surf/turf combo on the specials was also to die for. More than anything, the drinks were innovative -- who thinks to put perilla leaves on a drink?! All in all, Dabney continues to be the definition of a mid-Atlantic one star Michelin star restaurant.

A fantastic experience from the service to the food one of the best restaurants in DC. We got the 3 course menu at the bar. It is the bar menu that is pre-selected of the bar menu. There is bar menu which has ala carte available for people who line up but not reservations. There was an 8 course which is the tasting menu in the dining room.It is beautiful inside and feels like you are dining in a special place.The first course we shared the kale and charred karma farm vegetables. The kale was perfectly cooked and well balanced with oranges and sauce. It was equally had nice salty flavor balanced with the acidity if the oranges and sauce. The mixed vegetables was great it cabbage mixed with a vegetable medley with a fondue that was super rich and creamy tasted of goat cheese but not 100% sure. Was completely delicious.For the second course we both got the scallops. We both love scallops and get whenever it's on the menu. We were both in agreement was the best we've had in DC. Perfectly seared but still tender on the inside and delicious. The salad that accompanied it was perfectly paired with the fish that was rich and soft. Paired with some greens for freshness and acidity of the vinaigrette paired perfectly. It comes with pre selected sides of carrots and grits. Both were delicious and perfectly cooked.For the third course we both received the preserved fish chocolate cake. Sounds weird but it is delicious. The cake is perfectly balanced with sweet and salty. It also has a great pepper note at the end that leaves you with a spicy note that caps everything off. We also were surprised with another desert to share a pumpernickel tart off the tasting menu. It was completely delicious. It has great dark chocolate salty flavor topped with rich cream on top. Was such a great surprise and one of our favorites.Im happy to say this one of our new favorite places in town can't wait to come back.

I took my fiancée here to celebrate our engagement. Overall, we had a really great experience. We opted for the 6 course tasting menu which was $185pp. I feel like it would be better priced at $150pp. The cheapest wine by the glass was $16. The cheapest white wine by the bottle was about $100-110 and red was about $130. We opted for by the glass. The food was delicious, creative and fun! They were accommodating of my fiancée's pork allergy. I listed on our resy that we were celebrating our engagement. The only person to acknowledge this or do something for us was the "wine woman". I assume she is a sommelier. She gave us a splash of a sparking rose to toast only after I told her why we were there. We really enjoyed the open kitchen and hearth. We sat right in front and could feel the heat from it. The vibe was very comfortable and inviting. We didn't have a single bad bite. That said, compared to other Michelins we've been to in DC we agreed this was middle of the road for us in terms of our favorites. For what we got I feel like it's slightly overpriced. I personally felt that the main course could have been a bit larger. The dessert was BOMB!!

My company put on a whiskey tasting event at The Cellar at The Dabney this past weekend in D.C. Their team, Mary Claire and Dan, helped us with the entire process, such as ordering various unique and impressive whiskeys, curating appetizers that paired well with each, and creating whiskey tasting cards. All of our guests expressed how much they enjoyed the atmosphere and the event as whole, which would have not been possible without the help of the staff. If you are looking for an event space with a speakeasy/exclusive feel with a wonderfully supportive team behind it, The Cellar at The Dabney is certainly the perfect place.

Our anniversary visit in 2023 was so memorable! We can't wait to return for the phenomenal food and experience. We had an OK view of the open kitchen and stove, and it was neat to see the chefs pull the dishes together. We learned about milk washing techniques with a most incredible cocktail. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, I don't remember exactly what I ate or what the servers said, but I remember they made us feel wonderful.