Menu Guide

minibar Menu — What to Order in Washington DC

Published

Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Sourced from minibar by Jose Andres, the MICHELIN Guide and The World's 50 Best · How we work · Corrections

The verdict. Book the 12-seat counter, take the full 30-odd-course tasting, and let Jose Andres's team cook — DC's benchmark avant-garde meal.

Not for: a large group, a quiet conversation or a light bite. There is one set menu, two seatings a night, and a $$$$ bill near $400–500 a head with pairing — wrong for anyone who wants to order a la carte.

What the minibar Menu Actually Is

minibar sits at 855 E Street NW in Penn Quarter, and there is nothing to choose from a page: the meal is a single set tasting of roughly 30 small courses, served to twelve seats across the counter while the chefs plate in front of you. Jose Andres opened it in 2003, and it holds two MICHELIN stars. Our minibar review and scores rate the room at the top of the DC file. The cooking is avant-garde and Spanish-leaning, built on the science-driven technique Andres learned in Ferran Adria's kitchen.

What to Order at minibar

The order is made for you, which is the point, but the courses to watch for are the ones that define the kitchen. The wagyu with a beef-consomme sphere is the technical showpiece, a burst of hot broth caught inside a thin edible shell. The beetroot butterfly, folded with Greek yoghurt, mandarin and marigold, is the plate that lands on every review. Expect a run of one- and two-bite courses that move from cold to hot, playful to precise, over about two hours.

Pricing is a fixed ticket at the $$$$ register; with the wine or beverage pairing the bill runs near $400–500 per person before tax and tip. Seatings are at 5:30 and 8:30, Tuesday to Saturday. The adjacent barmini cocktail lab is the natural before-or-after stop, and the same team runs it.

When to Go and How to Book

Tables release weeks ahead and the twelve seats go fast, so set a reminder for the drop. Our guide to booking the minibar counter covers the release window and the deposit. Smart dress is expected; the room is intimate and the pace is set by the kitchen, not the table.

The Smart Play

Take the earlier seating if you want the kitchen fresh, and book the pairing at least once, since the drinks are built for the courses. It is a strong DC room for impressing clients, for a proposal dinner, or as the definitive chef's-table night in the city, and it sits high in our tasting-menu rankings. Compare it against Albi's live-fire Levantine tasting and read the wider Washington DC dining guide before you commit. Menu-guide sibling: what to order at Malini Uluwatu.

Some booking links are affiliate links. RFK may earn a commission. Our verdicts are editorial and never paid.

View minibar on Restaurants for Kings →

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you order at minibar?

You do not order a la carte at minibar; the meal is a single set tasting of about 30 avant-garde courses. The dishes to watch for are the wagyu with a hot beef-consomme sphere and the beetroot butterfly with Greek yoghurt, mandarin and marigold, both long-running signatures of Jose Andres's kitchen. If you want a choice, add the wine or cocktail pairing, which is built course by course to match the menu.

How much is the tasting menu at minibar?

minibar runs a single fixed ticket at the $$$$ register, and with the wine or beverage pairing the bill lands near $400 to $500 per person before tax and tip. The food-only ticket is lower, but most tables take the pairing because it is designed around the courses. It is a special-occasion, two-star meal rather than an everyday one, so budget the full evening including barmini next door.

How many courses is minibar?

The tasting runs roughly 30 small courses, most of them one or two bites, served over about two hours to twelve seats at a single counter. The exact count shifts as the kitchen changes the menu, but the shape holds: a long run of cold-to-hot, playful-to-precise plates cooked in front of you. Because the format is fixed, tell them about allergies or preferences when you book rather than at the table.

How do you get a reservation at minibar?

minibar releases tables online several weeks ahead, and the twelve seats sell out quickly, so book the moment the window opens and expect a deposit to hold the seat. Our full booking guide covers the release timing and the two nightly seatings at 5:30 and 8:30, Tuesday to Saturday. If the counter is full, barmini next door takes the same spirit in a walk-in-friendlier cocktail room.