Kingbird at The Watergate Hotel

Review summary

1. A

   Amber

   VIP

   Hawaii

   13 reviews

   5.0

   13 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had the absolutely best experience. The food was amazing. The service from Brian was phenomenal. The Prosecco was great. Overall it was an amazing high tea. I cannot recommend it enough.
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Review of Kingbird at The Watergate Hotel As a vegetarian, my experience at Kingbird was underwhelming and disappointing. Despite its reputation as a fine dining destination, the menu offered uninspired and bland vegetarian options that lacked creativity or thoughtful preparation. The Burrata Caprese and Tomato Bisque were flavorless and basic. The burrata lacked the creamy texture expected, and the soup was overly acidic, with no balance. For mains, the Agnolotti was dry, and the smoked butter barely noticeable, while the Mushroom Risotto was overly salted and one-dimensional, with the advertised truffle failing to deliver any depth. Even the sides, like Grilled Asparagus and Mac & Cheese, felt pedestrian and lacked any finesse. Portions were disappointingly small, leaving us unsatisfied even after ordering multiple dishes. The desserts, such as the Lemon Thyme Crème Brûlée, were passable but overly sweet and lacked balance. The pricing was exorbitant, at nearly $100 per person for basic food and drinks, which included several compromises on both flavor and portion size. For a restaurant of this caliber, the quality fell far short of expectations. While the service was polite, it was inattentive, with long waits for both refills and dishes. The staff seemed unprepared to accommodate dietary restrictions, providing little guidance for vegetarian diners. Despite the elegant setting, the dining experience did not live up to its promise. For the cost, I expected thoughtful preparation, better flavors, and creative dishes, none of which were delivered. I cannot recommend Kingbird for vegetarians or anyone seeking value for money. There are far better dining options in Washington, D.C., that cater to vegetarians with care and creativity.
   

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3. A

   Ashleigh

   Washington DC

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Server was spot on with his recommendations, asked us if we were going to the show and made sure we left on time! Food was delicious! Noise level perfect, we could easily talk to our friends without raising our voice!
   

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4. N

   Nick

   Charlotte

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was horrible and not seasoned. Over priced for sorry food.
   

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5. S

   Stephanie

   Washington DC

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was delicious and the service was outstanding.
   

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6. c

   craig

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food and a professional staff. Pricey but worth it.
   

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7. C

   Catherine

   New York City

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Waiter was fantastic. Excellent food! Really enjoyed it!
   

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8. N

   Nandini

   VIP

   Washington DC

   103 reviews

   4.0

   103 reviews

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   After some superb opera theater at Kennedy Center we found our way here at Watergate's premier diner- a little late but in time to sample the bar menu. The food was very good quality wagyu beef burger in toasted brioche bun and a turkey club sandwich. The pumpkin/squash soup for starters was delicious too. The service was friendly and courteous. It was a nice surprise to see a lively crowd of people this early Saturday afternoon. The ambiance was a little somber for the holiday season- but after all, this was a chilly December day.
   

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9. M

   Michelle

   VIP

   Richmond

   10 reviews

   2.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on 14 December 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   I had such high expectations of the Kingbird. The location was beautiful and very convenient to the Kennedy Center. But from the moment I arrived, I could tell something was seriously "off" about the service. There were plenty of servers and only about 4 tables of guests. The folks filling water glasses were great. But our server had a serious lack of attention (or apathy). We were a table of five, and one of the places had no silverware or napkin. I had to finally ask for that. When the server asked what we wanted, we put in an order for iced tea and coffee, as well as our food. Two were steaks, one was a hamburger, and all were ordered medium well. The water kept coming, but the iced tea and coffee didn't arrive until the entrees did. Even then, they brought the coffee but not the cream. Not the iced tea--we had to ask for that again. The steak was tough and not that good. The hamburger was medium rare, not medium well, but my guest was so hungry, he ignored it. No one came to check on us until we were mostly done with our food. By that point, it wasn't worth telling them, so I just said the food was okay. The iced tea was never refilled, nor was the coffee. One of my guests wanted to order dessert, and it took 15-20 minutes for that to be brought out (key lime pie and tiramisu). The manager apologized and comped the dessert, but overall, I was less than impressed with the Kingbird. It had great potential, but the servers clearly didn't care, and the food was only average. I'd look somewhere else for a restaurant.
   

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10. S

    Sal

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5

    My adult son and I dined here for lunch. We arrived at 1:30pm, 30 minutes before closing. The three servers had three tables going, in addition to ours. It wasn't busy and they seemed to be more preoccupied with closing up the restaurant than serving us. Service was slow. Like really slow. All of our food came at the same time, which was odd. Who serves soup with the entrée? As I said, I think they were focused on getting the restaurant closed up. The food was good. My son ordered a meal which came with fries. He asked for malt vinegar and the server was completely ignorant of what that was and brought us balsamic vinegar. I wouldn't necessarily call that out, but at a restaurant that pricey, you should train the front of the house better. Overall, it was fine. If you want to spend that kind of money on lunch, I'd go elsewhere.
    

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