We sat outside on their nice patio area. It’s dog friendly, and we love the neighborhood. The food was good, but a little overpriced, I felt — although I think it’s fair and comparable for the area.
Katie W.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
Delicious, flavorful food– both the vegetarian and the gluten-free foodies were happy!
Moog N.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
This place is amazing! Super friendly and polite staff! Awesome food and great ambience!
Amber Z.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
I loved this restaurant. I’m glad they replaced Napoleon with this gem. The ambiance is very nice inside, but we sat outside, where they really could buy some new patio furniture and cushions for the hard bench. The food was delicious anyway. The dumplings were my favorite. They were so moist and had a rich dense taste. The rice with carrots and raisins was really great. They were out of the one with lamb so we got veggie and tried to order a side of lamb. I thought I was getting an on-the-bone lamb in a stew sauce but we really just got a kebob. I think there was something lost in translation with our waitress. The chicken kabob was better — just more tender. The Afghan flatbread side order was pretty small and overcooked. The cocktail and wine I had were both really good and service was prompt and very friendly. It’s a little pricy, but worth it!
Madhu R.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Washington, DC
Nice patio and cool vibe
Sahar S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Frederick, MD
Such a great atmosphere ! I loved the old pictures on the walls !! The food was delicious. My first time there and we had appetizers and drinks .If you like bubbly I recommend Afghan 75 ! Its a mix of cognac, champagne and cardamom. very delicious ! For appetizers we had dumplings, sambusa. Both very tasty
Neko C.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
A big group of friends and I came here for brunch. I got the bottomless cocktail option, which I highly recommend! Bottomless mimosas, macro polos, pompagnes, and afghan 75s for $ 22. I definitely consumed my monies-worth haha. As for food, I went with the crab benedict, which was a mistake. I mean, it was good, but my friend’s karayee was WAAAAYYY better!!! Overall, I would recommend this brunch spot.
Karen W.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Washington, DC
The food while expensive is decent. The way they redecorated the space also makes it much more light and airy than it was during its previous run as a French restaurant. Unfortunately though, I feel compelled to write this poor review due to its underhanded service. A person typically doesn’t go to a restaurant expecting the waiter to act like a car salesman, but that’s what the service was like here. The wait staff were extremely pushy, tried to get us order as much food and the most expensive dishes possible, and was misleading and tricky about it too. Based on the fact that I’m reading that other reviewers have complained about this, I am wondering if the wait staff have been trained to behave in this manner. When we arrived, the waiter asked if we had ever visited the restaurant and we told him that we hadn’t. He immediately urges us to order the tasting menu for two which is $ 65(his suggestion ‘happening’ to be the most expensive menu option) and includes a variety of dishes for two people. We ordered the $ 65 tasting menu, because that was already what we had in mind. Any person would assume a tasting menu for two people would be adequate amount of food, but the waiter insisted, «oh, these are actually small plates, it’s not going to be enough food, so you should ALSO order the kebabs». Of course he suggested the most expensive kebabs on the menu which were another $ 24. Sketch. Our tasting menu comes out and it ends up being a fine amount of food, and we definitely didn’t need to order more food unlike what the waiter insisted. Our waiter then takes a few of our plates and asks us if we want dessert. Quizzically, I look at him and say, «doesn’t our tasting menu already include dessert?» And his response is, «Yes, of course, it’s coming». Clearly he knew we had dessert included as part of our tasting menu order and he was STILL trying to suggest we order dessert? Totally appalling. Before the waiter did this, the BUSBOY even came over and asked us if we wanted to order dessert while he was clearing the table even though we had dessert coming. Most confusing thing ever to have a busboy ask if we wanted to order dessert from him. After doing so the busboy then wandered off confusedly and aimlessly to the back of the restaurant. It also didn’t help that our waiter spilled on me at one point during the service(literally dropped a heavy pointy metal skewer on me), and messed up our drink order. All in all, this was one of the most inept, sketch service experiences I’ve had at a restaurant.
Frenchie ..
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
Lapis is a family-owned restaurant with delicious and savory Afghan food. I tried their brunch and was happy to be accomodated without any reservation. The Hostesses(teengage girls) do a great job at greeting customers. The place is nicely decorated and feels cozy and stylish. Prices are a little less $$ than standard but plates are on the smaller size(good for sharing, sampling) Mimosa-wise, I was disappointed. The flute is $ 9 and did not seem to have the regular amount of champagne… I did feel rushed and pushed a little to order, pay(basically empty my seat) but I get it, it’s the brunch business in a major city in America, what do you expect. I Would go back because I am happy to try something other than the traditional American brunch food of eggs and potatoes and their menu did got me curious
Alex P.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
Charming, genuine, well-constructed, comfortable, Bravo! I was initially hesitant to try Lapis, but wow what a pleasant surprise. I’ve been on two occasions and couldn’t speak more highly of it. On my first visit I went for brunch. We began with Afghan 75s, a beautiful spinoff of the French 75. The cardamom really took the drink up a notch. The food was well seasoned, nicely portioned and very clearly fresh. These same themes carried over to our dinner tonight. I haven’t written a Unilocal review in a few months, but this experience made me feel a duty to do so. We started our meal this evening with the appetizer trip. Each component was independently so good I could have kept eating it. The pumpkin filling contrasted nicely with the dough of one or the dishes. The chickpeas were a nice refreshing start to the meal. As a main course I enjoyed the most beautifully caramelized rice with a lamb stew that was delicious. I look forward to returning. As a plus, this restaurant exudes a profoundly romantic and intimate feel. Appears to be a perfect date spot. That is all, cheers!
Alison B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
I came here for my birthday dinner and we all left very happy! I had never been here before and found it on Unilocal since I was coming from an event fun the street and suggested that my family meet here. First off it’s really cute and cozy inside. The plates are small but affordable averaging $ 8 – 10. We started off with veggie aushak(dumplings) and both the pumpkin and onion/potato bolani. My dad had ordered meat aushak but the waitress kindly switched it to veggie since I don’t eat meat and it was my bday. All was great. Then we ordered 2 salads– the beet one which I really like led and the romaine which was nothing special. Then we got an order of the buranee kadoo(pumpkin), a favorite Afghani dish of mine, and buranee banjaman(eggplant) which were both delicious and soft and mixed with yogurt. My family got a kabob skewer of lamb and chicken so they could have protein and we got an order or Palau rice. It was the perfect amount for the 4 of us. The meat skewers were really small, only 3 – 4 chunks of meat each. The rice was flavorful with carrots and raisins. The waitress was attentive and friendly. We finished it off with an ice cream in rise water and a rice pudding. The ice cream wasn’t that good, it tasted like just ice, had a hard consistency and jacked flavor although the Rose water was good. The rice pudding was better. Overall a hit and a new place to put on the dinner rotation. Glad to have great Afghani food nearby!
Marcos R.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Washington, DC
It’s a pity that Lapis’ service is so chaotic and pushy, as the food was either delicious or pretty decent(with everything on the menu halal). No, I’m no expert on what is authentic Afghan food. I just know I liked most of what I tried, but I prefered the food at the other Afghan place in the U.S. that I have tried, The Helmand(in Cambridge, MA). I can only assume Afghan restaurant and market culture is more inclined to bargaining and pushiness from vendors, but our party did not appreciate the server’s insistence on getting specific things and of taking our drinks before they were even finished. I do feel bad writing something negative about a family-run establishment such as Lapis. It also doesn’t help that bills can end up being quite high. Lapis gets 3.5 stars for food, two stars for service, four stars for ambiance, and 2.5 stars for value(in relation to prices) Since service has a heavier weight in my algorithm, Lapis ends up with three stars from me. I had tried to go to Lapis some months before, but the hostess told us that the restaurant was going to close, thus not honoring our reservation. I got pissed off, but I still wanted to try the place and gave it another chance. I should have gone with my instinct of not rewarding such customer-unfriendly behavior coming from the restaurant’s management.
Hall W.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Atlanta, GA
So this place is umm interesting to say the least. First off… it is an Afghan place with an American brunch(for the most part) that you can stir in Afghan-Americanized items(ie. lamb sausage). We only had brunch with the American menu. The great: You can say the brunch all tastes the same — but this was great because the food has just so much more deep flavor than your typical brunch. Yes, I tried the lamb sausage — amazing. The needs improvement: Service — our server always seems to be distracted — it took us a while to get his attention for simple things like getting more silver ware. The appearance of things — everything from the menu to some silverware just looked old and worn. Updates would be great
Daniel P.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Delray Beach, FL
I had a lovely dinner here with my Aunt last night! From the second we walked in I knew it was going to be a great experience. We were greeted and seated immediately. Every seat in the restaurant was a «good seat», the lighting wasn’t too low, great ambience and the décor was incredible! Our waiter was extremely attentive and quite charming. He made some suggestions for wine pairing and food that both turned out to be exceptional! FOOD: TODIEFOR! I ordered the lamb platter with a side of chutney and a glass of Pinot Noir. Everything was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection(even the rice). I would say that my only qualm(if you could call it that) would be the portion sizes, but it was still filling. If I were you I would come back every day until I’ve tried EVERYTHING… and then I would do it again!
Sonchari M.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Gaithersburg, MD
From the moment I walked, I knew this place would be good. The interior design is beautiful and has a old world charm that takes you back to better times in the middle east. The carpets, chairs, table tops, art pieces all work perfectly together. I also loved the indoor/outdoor feel with the floor to ceiling windows that open up during warmer weather. My friend, who I was with, had been here before so she ordered her favorites off the menu. We had 3 dishes between the two of us and the portions, while not HUGE for american standards, were more than enough for us. We had the qabuli palow(afghani rice with carrots, raisins, and lamb), buranee banjan(baked eggplant), and the lamb korma(lamb stew). Everything was amazing. The palow rice dish with lamb was my favorite. Even though I hate raisins I was able to pick them off and still enjoy everything else the dish had to offer. The lamb was tender and flavorful, melt in your mouth style. I loved the whole vibe of the place from the ambiance, amazing food, sitting by the open window, and people watching while bonding over delicious lamb with a friend.
Vivian R.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
I was so excited to discover this gem! Flavorful and filling Afghan cuisine, elegant and rustic décor, with attentive service. I enjoyed karayee, eggs over savory sauteed tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes in a skillet, and my husband ordered aushak. The brunch menu has a fair number of traditional western brunch items like waffles and eggs benedict. The portions felt a bit small for the price but I would love to return for supper — there is a much greater selection of Afghan dishes than the earlier menu, including an impressive number of vegetarian and vegan options. I look forward to visiting again! Food 4, Service 4, Ambiance 4
Dan N.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Hilton Head Island, SC
Without a doubt, one of my new favorite spots. Very reasonably priced for excellent quality that is delivered to the table. Not going to take a try at naming the dishes by their authentic names without the menu in front of me but had a very wide array of items including: a 16 bean risotto, okra, cauliflower, pumpkin, and lamb chops. Finished it off with a dessert the bartender had recommended: a warm pound cake with an orange zest syrup drizzled all over. Every dish was on point. Can’t wait to go back.
Elie B.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington D.C., DC
Visited Lapis for the first time for Sunday brunch and left amazed. The service is wonderful, the atmosphere is unique, and the food is great. From the classic brunch items(waffles, eggs, pancakes, etc) to the Afghani food — it was all excellent.
Sonia J.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
Everything I tried off the menu was fantastic. Not to mention that the food was halal, and they had a thing for local sourcing of their food — I was sold. Came here on a weekday evening with some friends. The ambiance is great, and the food was fantastic. The only thing that was a bit annoying was that we ordered several dishes and requested the waitress to bring them out as they were prepared to avoid crowding our very small tables(two circles pushed together — not a lot of space for anything, let alone seven entrees) — and she brought everything out together. It really crowded the table and made for a very tight dining situation. Will definitely be coming back for the food though. DELISH!
Aaron F.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
Incredible chicken sandwich for brunch! I’ve never had anything like it and a fantastic bloody Mary to wash it down. Service was perfect and a lovely ambience. I will definately be coming back
Molly I.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
Yum! This place is delicious and the atmosphere is cozy. The waitstaff is very attentive, at times I’d say overly attentive, but a great experience overall. :)
Nina c.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
I came here for the first time tonight because I had heard such great things from other people. Now I can’t believe I hadn’t gone sooner. We got the meat tasting menu which is $ 65 for two people(not per person!) and it was delicious. You can do a la carte which is very reasonably priced, but since it was my first time having afghani food, it was nice that we didn’t have to choose. Every single thing was delicious. My favorites were the meat dumplings and the chicken. The staff were also extremely nice. At the end of our meal they gave us complimentary rice pudding and two coupons for a free vegetarian dish! I’ll be coming back as soon as I can, it’s now one of my favorite DC spots!
Janice S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
I randomly ended up here for a friend’s birthday dinner — extra props for staying open during Snowzilla/Make Winter Great Again/Snow Wars: Winter Awakens/Jonas! While I only had a few bites of the desserts and a soup, I was really impressed with the Aush(Afghan noodle soup) and cannot wait to try make it at home. Super filling, incredibly tasty, and pops of spices both new and familiar that were not too strong but never underwhelming. The décor is modern but maintains the aura of an Afghan home with childhood pictures and other traditional elements on the walls — we were fans so my table talked about the décor for maybe 15 minutes. I cannot wait to come back with my Afghan-American roommate!
Erica R.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
Great brunch, gluten free waffles available! The French press is tasty! Boyfriend had the crab Benedict and loved it! Two thumbs up!
Emma S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
It adds to the appeal that eating at Lapis feels like you’re having brunch in your grandmother’s sun room. My sister and I came to Lapis on the earlier side of Sunday brunch — around 10:15am — and got seated immediately. With french press coffee and the Bloody Lapis to start off our morning, things were already starting to look great. The Bloody Lapis, equipped with house-made horseradish, Harissa spice, and hot pepper infused vodka, wasn’t actually as spicy as the menu items made it appear to be, but it was nonetheless a classic bloody Mary with a kick, and what more could anyone actually want? I’m inclined to try the afghan 75 — with cognac, cardamom syrup, lemon, and champagne — next time I go, to switch things up a little bit. For food, we went with the crab Benedict, as well as the beef, leek-cilantro bolanis(because if you come to Afghani brunch and only order Americanized food, you’re a fool… There, I said it). With artichokes and dijon hollandaise, the Benedict was fresh, and what you’d expect from an East Coast crab Benedict — no complaints there, but nothing I’d necessarily call my mother about. The bolanis were incredible, however. So savory, and surprisingly light, with a thin dough smothered in ground beef and leek, topped with a subtly tangy yogurt that tied the whole meal together. If you’re hungry for brunch, but looking for something to shake things up, Lapis is the spot for you: a slice of home from a far off place.
Kim R.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
Excellent vegetarian and vegan selections. Very accommodating for a large group.
Ebenzer T.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Washington, DC
This is not an Afghan restaurant… extremely Westernized. Food was ok, typical American brunch. Took about 45 mins to get food… which was unacceptable. Great customer service though.
Gold B.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Manhattan, NY
Food was so yummy and I loved the atmosphere! I went on a nice sunny day for brunch, sat outside and enjoyed it very much. Super friendly staff!
Jethro T.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Washington, DC
The food was good but the portions were small enough that we were all still hungry afterward! And the beer selection was not that good.
Christiane M.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Studio City, CA
Angeleno but a monthly DC commuter to DC. Although DC has come up quite a bit and FAST in the food scene, I’d yet to have that«I’m going to cry it’s so good» kind of meal in our nations capital. Until a DC bestie took me to Lapis. Where do I start? First of all, the physical space is so inviting. In a non-cheesy way, you almost feel like you could be sitting in a scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Seriously. The staff, mostly family. AMAZING. Warm and welcoming. Thrilled to discuss the menu with you(I don’t know my Afghani food as much as other cuisines but am quickly learning). Full bar and a fabulous wine list. Highly recommend the one Tempranillo on the list. Pairs fabulously with the food. Food. It was as if the chef could have walked over to the table and dropped the mic after my first bite. Highly recommend the family style option. Perfect amount of food for 2 – 3 people. BUT you cannot do anything until you order the Borani Kadoo(pumpkin and yogurt delight). No really. It’s a small miracle. Anyway, enjoy. This place is a bit of an unknown gem. Selfishly, I’d love for it to stay that way BUT of course want nothing else for them but to have a great success. Enjoy!
Emily S.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
The food here is absolutely delicious. I don’t feel I even need to get into specifics about any particular dish because it was all amazing. I came with a party of 5 and between the 5 of us we all tried a lot of different things and everyone was very happy. Drinks were also good and strong — that goes for both the alcohol and the tea. The only things I’d pass on are the deserts. What I really fell in love with here, though, was the atmosphere and décor. Maybe it just suited my particular tastes really well, but I found this place ambient and sexy — a great date place if you’re looking to impress, but also the kind of place you can be comfortable going to with friends, relatives or coworkers. It was the perfect combination of rustic, contemporary, posh and anthropological, with lots of Afghan architectural details and beautiful rugs but not too on the nose and not too over the top. The lighting scheme was excellent. It was all done with subtlety and taste. I felt sophisticated and stylish just for having picked this place. My only complaints are that I think the portions on some of the dishes are a bit small for the prices. Also, while I thought wait staff was attentive and that the dishes were beautifully presented and well-timed, I thought our waiter was just a little too attentive and informative for my personal taste and dining style. I generally like to be left alone and not to be given information I didn’t ask for both in restaurants and when shopping. I’m not a fan of unsolicited advice. I felt like our waiter pushed me into ordering more food than I wanted or needed to be satisfied, but this might be a personal preference. Other people might love that. I think there’s a certain desire among the staff there to really educate people about Afghan culture, both as apparent from the waiter’s desire to advise me and from some of the FYIs written into the menu, and I think that’s great and that some people would probably very much enjoy that.
Chelsea S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
The food was delicious, the service excellent and the atmosphere cozy and warm, we will definitely be back. I dined at Lapis with my husband, who has gluten and dairy allergies, and our friend who is vegetarian. There was plenty on the menu for all of us to enjoy and our server was extremely knowledgeable about the ingredients in each menu item. We discovered that Afghan cuisine is a great choice for anyone with a gluten or dairy allergy, since many things on the menu are already gluten or dairy-free, or can be made dairy-free by leaving off the yogurt. We shared vegetarian dumplings, fried vegetables breaded in chickpea flour, cauliflower cooked in spices, and pilaf(which was gluten free — made with caramelized onions, delicious!). I had lamb stew as my entrée — it was so rich, and the lamb so tender, I would definitely order it again. My husband had grilled ground beef skewers(the ground beef is not marinated in yogurt, unlike many of the other grilled skewers) and our friend had an eggplant dish. The only thing that surprised me about the meal was the naan — it came cut into strips, and was hard and crunchy, more like a cracker. I was expecting something soft that I could use to sop up my stew — but I am not very familiar with Afghan cuisine so maybe the hard naan is entirely typical. Lapis is a great addition to the Adams Morgan neighborhood and we can’t wait to go back!
Mo S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Washington, DC
As a native afghan I generally am not into going to afghan restaurants because I can get the best dishes at home, my parents place, or at the in-laws. However, Lapis is in a leagues of it’s own. I ordered the bolani appetizer and it was excellent. I opted for one with leak and the other with potatoes. They came out streaming hot with a nice traditional afghan green chatnee that was no different than the one my mom makes. For my entré I ordered the combo kabob that included lamb, chicken, and beef. It came with a small side of rice and a small square of bread. Most places give you a heap of rice and a giant piece of bread, which at times can be very satisfying but at night I want lighter meals and the small side portions were perfect. Also, because the sides were small the emphasis was on the kabob. One thing very unique was the bar. Very nice, grand and beautiful. They also had afghan inspired drinks. I got the Afghan Manhattan, I forget what it was called on the drink menu, regardless, it was excellent. The décor is also very nice. I will be visiting again.
F. C.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
The restaurant, located at the Columbia and Mintwood Place(the old Napolean’s) is an excellent option — especially for vegetarians. The buranee kadoo(pumpkin) — it’s cooked pumpkin with a mint sauce served with a little yoghurt dressing — was amazing. The shola — a traditional Afghan risotto with 16 beans is very tasty with a bit of smoke and spice. The bolani is stuffed, fried bread — I tried the leek and cilantro and the pumpkin. Both were excellent. The pumpkin was flavored with a little sweetness and it was served with a yoghurt sauce and a green chutney. The green chutney was like a simple hot sauce with jalapeño — amazing. The service was great and I love the location and setup of the restaurant. Overall, highly recommended.
Matt A.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
This was my first sit-down Afghan food experience, and the food tasted pretty good. I went to this place with a friend who loves Afghan food; she did most of the ordering for us. We had a variety of appetizers which gave me a chance to try almost everything that was on the menu. Here is a quick list: Bolani(Potato-Onion) — YUM Shore-Nakhot — It has a sour flavor, not my most fav. Sambosa — I was’t a fan of the one filled with shrimp Shamee kebab — Looks like a corned dog but it is not. Tasty with a soft texture. We aso ordered the Afghan Dumplings which were delicious. We got the mantoo beef which is the traditional. Entrees: Qeema — Meatballs on a skewer. They were a little bit on the dry side. Qabuli Palow — Afghan style rice served with lamb — YUM We did not order any desserts however we ordered the Afghan tea which is milk, black tea and cardamom. Quick disclaimer: There seems to be cardamom in almost everything.
Chris B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Hayward, CA
Stopped in this place for Brunch. Cute and homey décor, nice service, with nice jazz playing in the background. The Chai was amazing — not too sweet and just spicy enough. I had the ausak-it was wonderfully spicy the perfect combo of sweet leeks, spicy meat and cool yogurt. My only regret was I was alone and could only try one dish.
S. A.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Charlotte, NC
About last night: My first time eating lamb. It was delicious. The appetizers were scrumptious. Let me check the menu to see what I ate because my dinner companion ordered for me… Okay, I think it was the sambosa trio. Also something that looked like tiny empanadas. They came with two sauces, of which I tried neither. Maybe yogurt, plain and mint. Not sure… Full bar right there on the right wall, a few feet from the front door. Handsome bartender. The atmosphere of the restaurant was groovy. Tables kind of close and people talking and laughing loudly but I felt like I was with family. Very comfortable.
Reema H.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Washington, DC
The ambience and restaurant decorations were the highlight. The food was very reasonably priced, but was not fantastic. Everything was… ok. Not terrible, but not amazing. It was good food and well priced. The servers were very accommodating and friendly. But I’m starting to notice most DC places are not super tasty. I might be biased towards NYC where you can find flavor at every price point and setting. I would go back to this place and order anything. But I wouldn’t be craving it. Does that make sense?
Susan A.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Washington, DC
Lapis is unique. It’s an Afghan, small plates, and family restaurant in Adams Morgan with a wide array of vegan options for a traditionally meat-heavy cuisine. The restaurant is tucked away in the corner of a building on Columbia Road. The clear walls open up the rather small space. The restaurant is decorated elegantly — I felt under-dressed in leggings and a T-shirt. I love menus that tell a story, and the first page of Lapis’s menu shares the story of how the restaurant started and what they envision the restaurant to be. After reading, I immediately being to notice the familial feeling amongst the restaurant staff. We ordered naan bread and three small plates — the Afghan vegan dumplings, lubya(red kidney beans), and zardak(carmelized carrots with plum sauce). The server warned that the plates are small, and he was right. I wasn’t that hungry, so sharing three plates with someone else was great for me, but someone who is hungrier would have to get more, which could get expensive. I thought everything was seasoned wonderfully, except the lubya(red kidney beans), which tasted too salty for my liking. The carrot dish had a slight sweetness that I really enjoyed. Although the restaurant boasts its vegan options, a lot of the dishes have yogurt– so they just exclude that if you request vegan. It’d be nice too see an alternative sauce to yogurt that could come with vegan dishes. I had a great meal, and I would come back when I have the money for it.
Sanaa M.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Washington, DC
This place used to be French and now it’s a modern afghani restaurant. Décor is pretty cool, service was great! But the food sadly wasn’t to my expectation. The food was BLAND! No flavor whatsoever. The portions were small, smaller than tapas and pricey. I’ve had the chicken kabab $ 18 Okra $ 9 Mandu $ 9 Again this is expensive for Tiny flavorless plates. Am I coming back??? No way unless they change it to another restaurant with reasonable prices and tasty tapas!
John B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 West End, Australia
As much of a disappointment as the other local Afghan restaurant has been, this one is much better on every point for which I disliked the other(which shall remain nameless) except one. The menu here is fairly wide, diverse, and vegetarian-friendly. It’s not just a few options. There are a variety of vegetables and starchy things, and you can get some protein in there too, and even get by vegan as they tell you many dishes just need some yogurt omitted if you ask. Having never gotten around to trying the French place under the same ownership that used to inhabit this space, these options drew me here within a month of their opening. And I sampled around, sharing some bolani(fried bread with fillings; you can choose more than one filling per order), black bean salad(healthy and delicious), rice, and fries. It shames me slightly to say that the fries were a highlight; these were extra crispy, skins on, and came with a very hot dipping sauce in addition to the light spices on them already. The black bean salad offered an uplifting mix of crunchy greens and peppers, hearty beans, and a little pep from the oil and scallions. All very nice, but I could come back again and get another appealing order without repeating anything, which is also nice. The atmosphere is really wonderful. It’s very accessible, walkable from the Metro(by way of my neighborhood), and there are several outdoor tables. For a thoroughfare, this stretch of Columbia road is relatively quiet, so you can really enjoy conversation. A spring breeze regularly deposited flower petals from a nearby tree all over everything. Friendly and depressingly attractive servers worked through our menu questions and were efficient with everything. The only drawback would be the price. That’s fairly high. The rice is pleasant, but that’s a $ 7 bowl for the plainest version. I don’t necessarily mind spending for a nice night out, I don’t think it’s out of line or anything, and if you want cheap middle-eastern, you can certainly find it around here. All things considered, I feel comfortable categorizing this place as a success, and given its proximity to me, I’ll likely be back before too long.