Head-to-Head · Washington DC

minibar vs Anju

A two-star avant-garde counter against the best Korean room in DC. Book minibar for the milestone, Anju for the meal you can have any week.

minibar by José Andrés

Washington DC · Avant-Garde · Penn Quarter · Food 10 / Room 9 / Value 7

minibar full review →

Anju

Washington DC · Modern Korean · Dupont Circle · Food 9 / Room 8.5 / Value 8

Anju full review →

The Verdict

minibar by José Andrés is the splurge. Two Michelin stars, twelve seats and two seatings a night at 855 E Street NW in Penn Quarter, where the chefs hand you more than thirty avant-garde courses, from the spherified liquid olive on. The ticket is $325 a head before drinks, and it scores 10 for food and 9 for the room. It is a deliberate event, not a casual night out.

Anju is the everyday answer. Angel Barreto's modern Korean kitchen at 1805 18th Street NW in Dupont Circle is Michelin-recommended and made Washingtonian's 100 Very Best for 2026, with a serious banchan programme, a wood-fired Korean barbecue and the gochujang-fried chicken under Alabama white sauce. It runs à la carte at roughly $45 to $75 a head, scoring 9 for food and 8.5 for the room, and you can book it most weeks.

Scores, Side by Side

Score	minibar	Anju
Food	10 / 10	9 / 10
Atmosphere	9 / 10	8.5 / 10
Value	7 / 10	8 / 10

Which One for Which Occasion

Occasion	Editorial Pick
Anniversary or milestone	minibarTwo stars and counter theatre make the night an event.
Dinner this week	AnjuResy bookings and walk-in bar seats most nights.
Group of four to six	AnjuShared Korean barbecue and banchan suit a table.
Impressing a client	AnjuDistinctive, bookable and easy to talk over.
Once-a-year blowout	minibarThe $325 ticket buys a meal you plan around.

Price Comparison

The gap is the whole story. minibar's prepaid ticket is $325 per guest before a pairing at $225 or $550, so one seat with wine clears $600. Anju runs roughly $45 to $75 a head à la carte, meaning a full dinner for two lands near where a single minibar seat starts. Anju wins value outright; minibar charges for rarity. Weigh them against the best Korean restaurants worldwide and the best fine-dining restaurants worldwide.

How to Book

minibar releases twelve seats through SevenRooms a month at a time at noon Eastern on the first, with no walk-ins; our full guide to booking minibar covers the drop. Anju books on Resy and keeps bar and walk-in space, so it is the table you can land at short notice. For the wider field, see the hardest reservations in Washington DC.

Start the wider map from the Washington DC dining guide, and for occasion fit see the best restaurants for an anniversary and for impressing clients. Browse more head-to-heads on the compare index.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, minibar or Anju?

They are not really rivals. minibar by José Andrés is a two-Michelin-star, twelve-seat avant-garde counter where thirty-plus courses run $325 a head before drinks. Anju is Angel Barreto's Michelin-recommended modern Korean room in Dupont Circle, an à la carte kitchen you can book any week for a fraction of the price. Choose minibar for a once-a-year event, Anju for the best Korean meal in the city on a normal night.

Is minibar or Anju more expensive?

minibar is far pricier. Its prepaid ticket is $325 per guest for the tasting, and with a pairing and service a single seat clears $600. Anju runs roughly $45 to $75 a head à la carte, so a full dinner for two with drinks lands near where one minibar seat begins. For value, Anju wins outright; minibar charges for the rarity of twelve seats and a famous kitchen.

Which is harder to book in Washington DC?

minibar, by a wide margin. Its twelve seats release through SevenRooms a month at a time at noon Eastern on the first, and prime weekends go within the hour, with no walk-ins. Anju takes reservations on Resy and holds bar seats and walk-in space most nights. If you want a guaranteed table this week, book Anju; if you can plan a month out and chase the drop, minibar is the prize.

Which should I book for a special occasion?

minibar for a milestone you are marking deliberately: an anniversary, a once-a-year blowout, a guest you want to stun. The counter theatre and two stars carry the night. Anju is the better all-rounder for a birthday, a group dinner or impressing a client without a month of planning. For more options see the Washington DC dining guide.