Washington DC: Minibar by Jose Andres (May 2013)

My spouse and I dined at Minibar by Jose Andres in late May 2013. When we checked their website, we learned that Minibar had changed its reservation process, and that customers no longer needed to wait until 30 days prior to make a reservation. Because we were booking relatively early (early March for late May), we easily received the date and time that we requested. We emailed the restaurant to make a reservation. The restaurant offered us a spot, and emailed us a confirmation form to fill out, sign, and return, and we needed to remit our credit card information, as well as our drink pairing choices. We ended up choosing one $75 wine pairing and one $45 non-alcoholic pairing, although we did not specify those choices on our reservation form; we waited until we arrived at the restaurant.

When we arrived (we were asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to our reservation time), we were seated in a lounge area fronting the restaurant, with just two 2-seater sofas and a chair and ottoman. There is a small gas fireplace in the lounge area. The door from the street to the restaurant is understated - you have to be looking for it to really notice it. Valet parking is available - the valet placard is probably what is most noticeable about the entrance to the restaurant. The restaurant space is stark, modern, and attractive. The restroom is wild - be sure to visit even if you do not need to!

Guests are seated at a counter in groups of 6. The first group arrives at 6:00 and is seated at 6:15, and the second group arrives at 6:15 and is seated at 6:30. (The process is repeated at 9:00 and 9:15.) The bar stools are quite comfortable, and they are spaced nicely apart.

The avant-garde food was phenomenal in every way! Every dish (20+ of them) was a work of art that incorporated unique ingredients, novel methods of preparation, and served them in creative ways with amazing presentation. The restaurant provides a menu of what you have eaten that you can take home with you, so there is no need to take notes or photos, although they are not forbidden like as they are in some comparable tasting restaurants. (It is easy to see why, too - no one can possibly compete with this chef or duplicate his work!) I enjoyed the non-alcoholic pairing - every drink was carefully conceived and executed to complement the dish that it accompanied, and much more effort and creativity went into designing the drink that just opening a bottle of juice. The wine pairing was also good, although my spouse felt that it detracted a bit from his meal - often, the sommelier was explaining about the wines just as the next course was arriving, and the explanation of wine and food sometimes overlapped more than he would have liked.

The staff was friendly and interactive, and really seemed to love their jobs. They were knowledgeable about all aspects of the food.

Ending the evening at barmini is a terrific idea! Your last few courses are served there, and it gives guests a chance to decompress and compare notes. Cocktails at barmini are creative (not included with the dinner price), and the list is expansive. barmini itself is something to see, even if you cannot get a reservation to dine at minibar. (Be sure to make a reservation at barmini using the City Eats on-line reservation system.)