The Washington — Restaurant in Culver City

I've been to this spot when it was Gravlax (meh), Yahir (ok, but very oily food), and now The Washington - this is the best incarnation so far! The drinks are great - I'm a big fan of the Raspberry Negroni, but also enjoyed the Blackberry Mojito, and even though I'm not a huge whisky fan, I liked the Smokey Old Fashioned as well!

Last night we got to try the food... it did not disappoint! These are small plates, so figure on ordering about 2 per person (we had 6 plates for 3 people). The venison sliders were amazing - it wasn't ground venison, as we had expected (like a burger would be) - it was venison tenderloin, and it was exquisite - zero gamey taste. The lamb lollipops were very good too, although they were quite small (4 on the plate was more like 2). Everything else we had was very good (chicken wings, shrimp ceviche, squash and beet lasagna, and roasted brussels sprouts), but the real stand-out was the venison. Thankfully, they have removed the confusingly-named "beet tartar" from the menu.

This is definitely a sports bar, even if it is an upscale sports bar. So if there's a big game or event on TV, there will be potentially a rowdy crowd (as there was last night). It can get a little noisy to have a conversation, but I guess that's...

The Washington is one of those spots that makes you feel like you've stumbled onto a hidden gem. It's got that cozy, intimate vibe that makes it perfect for date night or just catching up with a friend over a drink. The cocktails are excellent- thoughtful, creative, and made with care (not just thrown together like you find at so many places). Our bartender treated that drink like a piece of art!

It's very much a locals' bar, and that's what makes it special. You can actually have a conversation without shouting over the music, and the staff makes you feel right at home. It's the kind of place you want to keep coming back to.

If you're looking for a laid-back atmosphere with top-notch cocktails, this is it. Cheers to...

I seldom leave bad reviews but we were here about 20-25 min ago and it seemed as if the bartender had his peers over tonight for a social hangout and was only concerned with paying attention to them. We made eye contact with the guy behind the bar but he ignored us and continued to play jenga with the people sitting at the other end of the bar.

If you’re gonna have your friends over for a pseudo-private event - at least have the courtesy of having the doors closed with a sign up or something and don’t waste potential...