Blue Duck Tavern - Washington, D.C.

It can be quite the task to find the perfect restaurant to take my ex-chef father to for special occasions, an adventure that was further complicated by the pressures of the ever-stressful Father’s Day Dinner. Thank goodness for Blue Duck Tavern in Foggy Bottom! The menu boasts fresh, local ingredients, simplistic dishes, and phenomenal flavors that hit the spot. It can bring ex-chefs to their knees. The restaurant is gorgeous – high ceiling, aesthetically pleasing interior architecture, large windows that allow a lot of light inside, and a very quaint and beautiful outdoor seating area. Reservations are recommended for any day of the week but parking is amazingly not too difficult so it’s totally worth the trip. Blue Duck is affiliated with the Hyatt hotel, so expect a mix of tourists and locals looking for an excellent dining experience. On to the food! I’ve heard rave reviews about the signature Pear Martinis…but I could not pass up the opportunity to order a Cucumber-Ginger Martini. Super satisfying and surprisingly not too sweet for my palette! The ginger really balanced out the drink and gave it a perfect kick. Will probably not please everyone – my mom made quite the face after having a sip of my drink – but I thought it was pretty fantastic (I had two. ‘Nough said! Blue Duck has an extensive wine list and a plethora of other signature drinks and a large beer selection so there’s a little something for everyone. The dishes are tapas-style, even the entrees. For example, crab cakes are served without any type of garnish, just two cakes in pan with some type of tartar sauce on the side. I would definitely recommend ordering side dishes to supplement the meal, since you won’t get much with the entrée! All that foodie hype sure lived up to expectations. Not to overuse my current favorite obsession..but the crab cakes (what else would I order?! were delicious and were very meaty, they did not taste too fried, weren’t greasy/full of mayonnaise, and weren’t overwhelmed by breading. They were the perfect temperature and very evenly cooked. Enough to share…though go the selfish route and eating them all for yourself! I recommend ordering a couple of side dishes in addition to entrees in order to have a more complete meal. My favorites were the roasted mushrooms (an assortment of shitakes, black truffle, porcini and the daily harvest vegetable. I lucked out and had sugar snap peas sauteed in chipotle chile butter…excellent flavors. And be sure to save room for dessert : We opted for banana chocolate chip sorbet, which consisted of three incredibly generous scoops, and the signature apple pie, which really is more of an apple cake. Plenty to share, though to be fair I refused to let the banana sorbet stray too far from my spoon. Service was wonderful, and I loved how all the food was carried to the tables – the runners/servers all knew who ordered what! Waiter offered great suggestions (especially for dessert! and was attentive and knowledgable. The menu is relatively limited regarding number of offerings but that is not to say it’s at all limited in flavors!…other intriguing dishes include cuttlefish ravioli, smoked sturgeon, and marinated sheep’s milk cheese with fava beans. Brunch breakfast menus looked excellent as well, all the more motivation to go back!

Here has booked a birthday brunch and a simple great experience! the staff was incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. the food was excellent- fresh, well thought out aromen and just delicious! we had the brunch berry (who was excellent like his lunch and dinner) and the steak and eier special of the day- all great! the brunch cocktails were also really funny! brunch was so good, we had to take a few home and so we ordered the apple pie to go and that on our own is another food review! I recommend this beautiful place!

I've been here for years. with the current situation it is so sad to see how bdt works as limited. Paper placemats. items that are missing from the menu. ambiente. etc. it is really not the same. I think with changes, restrictions and standard changes. prices should reflect as sale. to be honest as I've been a customer of them for many years.

All dishes were excellent, especially the fish. Wine list and choice also excellent. A little disappointed by the choice of desserts.

This was a pleasant surprise. The food was AMAZING! Our waiter Rob was attentive, friendly and funny! The bone marrow was the best of everything.