Address: 1330 Maryland Avenue
Phone: 202-787-6006


Traveler Reviews

Wonderful experience
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Sep 8, 2008


Everything turned out perfect. Service was excellent: professional, efficient, well-timed and friendly, without being overly so. The food was divine, from the 2 amuse-bouche (truffled mushroom fritter and spicy custard), lobster-sweatbread orzo and yellowtail tataki apetizers, the lamb chops with quinoa and the poached barramundi main courses, to the apple crisp with mace ice cream and the amazing cheese cart, with a choice of goat, sheep, blue and cow cheeses. We were a little dismayed at first to be sitting a little outside of the main dining room, close to the open kitchen, but it turned out to be very interesting to see the staff cook and set up the food, especially when one of the maitre d' came and spontaneously explained in details how the kitchen works... Expensive but well worth it....

Not what you'd expect given the exec chef's pedigree!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on May 21, 2008


When I read that Thomas Keller's former chef de cuisine at French Laundry had opened a restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental -- I was intrigued. We spent Easter weekend in DC this year and our general impression after many years away was that the town has definitely raised the restaurant bar up several notches -- no more cigar chomping steak eating pols. But if we thought that CityZen (by name association and reputation) would offer a clean fresh and unique palate experience, we were sorely disappointed. We had the tasting menu -- and while the first course seemed interesting, by the 4th we were aware that we were awash in butter, cream and fats -- that the same citrus and or balsamic trick was being used to try to cut the fatty taste -- and it just was NOT working for us. Atmosphere-wise -- it's a good room -- plenty of pretty people to gaze at, nice banquettes, excellent service. The cheese part of the tasting was actually the best part -- they had some lovely cheeses with unique textures and tastes and the server knew them well. Would I go back? No. If this was just some no name chef's attempt at great cuisine, I'd be more forgiving -- but from Eric Ziebold, the food should be much, much better.

Underwhelming (run - do not walk - to Persimmon in Bethesda)
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Apr 21, 2008


My wife and I love food (truly consider it an art form), travel quite a bit, and are grateful that many terrific chefs are our friends. Unfortunately, our favorite restaurant in Washington DC, Maestro, closed after the executive chef moved on to a new opportunity in New York. It was very difficult to choose Cityzen as THE place to celebrate my wife?s birthday. Prior Cityzen reviews were mixed at best. So we decided to go anyway. Are you ready for the answer? Yes ? it was mediocre. I made another reservation at Persimmon in Bethesda to celebrate my wife?s birthday again and give her the culinary experience she wanted. But this review is about Cityzen and its fame being at least 4 steps ahead of culinary reality. Our host gave us a table right next to the waiter station where we would be subjected to constant noise and movement ? not a good choice for a couple celebrating a birthday. I promptly asked for a more private table. To my surprise, my request was met with a few raised eyebrows but the alternate table was perfect. Now - the food. The risotto appetizer was a confusing attempt to combine Arborio rice with small pieces of potatoes. This dish begged for another ingredient, perhaps pieces of lobster to provide a contrasting echo of a firmer protein-based element. Pan roasted rockfish was perhaps the biggest disappointment. The navel orange water collided with almost every other ingredient in the dish. Did I mention that everything was infused with excessive amounts of sodium? Even my wife (and she loves salt) was very surprised. The very next day, I made reservations at Persimmon in Bethesda and corrected all culinary inequities we experienced at Cityzen. My wife was very happy. Cityzen can be a fantastic restaurant. Sadly, today it is not.

A wonderful experience
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Dec 28, 2007


Contrary to the other reviews (two of which are from ~2 years ago), our experience at CityZen was wonderful. My girlfriend took me for my birthday dinner in May of 2007. I will agree with one of the other reviewers that it takes a bit of time for the waiters to come by with the menu at first. Other than the initial slowness from the waiter in bringing the menus, the service was fine. The sommelier was quite friendly, telling us about his experiences, what to look for in a wine, etc. And, as a birthday present, the dessert chef wrote ?happy birthday? in chocolate on my dessert plate. It was much more impressive than it sounds. We also were giving two glasses of complimentary champagne. So, by the end of the meal, I would say the service was above and beyond. The food is also extraordinary. We both had the prix fixe menu, with the standout being the sausage and fennel main course. The pace of the meal allowed us to enjoy each course without feeling rushed. The ambiance of the dining room is modern, and it can get a bit noisy. However, they have an open kitchen in the back, which allows you to watch everything that is going on, which is neat for fans of cooking shows. While it is quite expensive (expect ~$200 per person with the wine), it?s a wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion. We will certainly be returning.

Give me my money back
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Nov 19, 2007


I lost my money and I can't find it. Oh, that's right. I gave it all to CityZen. CityZen is touted as one of the most superb dining experiences of DC. Now I knew that I was in for a pricey meal at Cityzen, but pricey is not quite the word for it. My situation is that I can't eat sugar (poor me), so a desert course is really not my thing. When I asked if I could order just two courses, instead of the prix fixe menu, I was told, no. When I asked about the desert, I was told they could make me a bowl of fruit. I'm thinking for what is effectively a $25 desert ($75 for a 3-course prix fixe), I want your pastry chef out back with the creme brule torch, making that fruit special. They did modify a desert and what I ended up with was 4 tiny pieces of pineapple in coconut juice. Yeah. Then there was the bread in a box. Apparently, the brown and serve rolls served in a tiny box are very tasty. So when my table asked for another serving, we were told, "Well, we're not sure. We'll check." I'm thinking, for these prices, you should cover this table with bread in a box. We did get one more box of bread (like I said, it's tiny), but the bread episode only added to the Soup Nazi ambiance. And then there's the food. To be honest, I've had about the same or better at Oya, Vidalia, and Charlie Palmers. The food is good at CityZen, but nothing to die for. So if the Soup Nazi attitude of CityZen is based on the sheer excellence of its menu, perhaps this attitude needs to be re-thought. Myself? I'm going back to Oya for some incredible scallops and then to Vidalia for the rabbit sausage. I like my restaurant experiences less controlled, coupled with fabulous food, and with far less attitude. And, oh, yeah. Can I have my money back?