Edgar Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in Washington

While staying at The Mayflower, wife and I had two breakfasts and two dinners at Edgar. Restaurant and bar service, and food were all three consistently stellar. The signature banana bread had a nice lightly toasted flavor/texture, and the salt and whipped butter were perfect finishing touches; eggs were cooked to order perfectly every time. The signature clam chowder was mouthwatering, and nice little touches that show you’re getting something unique—like the deliciously seasoned crackers on the side. Maybe I’m cynical, but it seems rare that “signature” dishes really warrant the title; at Edgar we were surprised how every time we tried one it stood out from the same dish we’ve had a million times at other places. Servers clearly take pride in their craft, making great recommendations and attentive without pestering, and thoughtfully setting up complimentary champagne and card for a 50th anniversary celebration dinner at the table by us. At our dinner the first night, a wine on the menu wasn’t chilled and available, but they had it ready by the end of our dinner and offered it. Unfortunately, by that point we already had another bottle, but when we showed up for our reservation the next night, they had the bottle waiting and ready for us! We started each evening with a cocktail from the bar—the Mayflower Manhattan and Grand Old Fashioned—both perfectly executed, and we enjoyed them on the mezzanine overlooking the beautiful lobby—a great way to...

During my recent visit, the Edgar Bar & Kitchen, situated within the grand Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection, offered an elegant dining space with refined leather seating and beautiful wood trim. The maître d' was welcoming, and my waiter was attentive in taking my order for Brioche French Toast with Applewood Smoked Bacon, a single egg, and coffee.

While the coffee and eggs were perfectly prepared, the main dish proved deeply disappointing. The first serving of French toast arrived cold and stale, suggesting it had been sitting for some time. The replacement order was only marginally better - still cool, and accompanied by overcooked bacon. Only after the manager intervened did the third attempt deliver what should have been served initially - hot, tasty French toast and properly cooked bacon. Unfortunately, this came after a 30-minute delay and two rejected plates.

For a restaurant in a prestigious hotel, this level of quality control is troubling. The initial servings suggested a kitchen practice of using pre-prepared items rather than cooking to order, falling far short of the standards one expects from an establishment of this caliber. While the ambiance and service staff met expectations, the kitchen's inconsistency and apparent reliance on non-fresh preparations make it difficult...

I must begin by clarifying that we did not have food at the Edgar. We came back to our hotel after dinner for an evening cocktail. But because "Bar" is first in the name I'm weighting the stars accordingly.

My guess is that if you order a featured cocktail from their bar menu you may get a good enough drink. But if you desire a call brand you'll be sorely disappointed.

They have a decidedly anemic selection to begin with, but amazingly they had no idea what a Rye is. We asked for a spirits menu and were met with a confused look and directed once again to their custom cocktail menu.

When we asked what kinds of Rye they had the server and bartenders kept repeating the question, "Rye?", "Rye?", "Rye?" back and forth.

Realizing we were getting nowhere we asked if they had Woodford bourbon and again got confused looks all around as they scanned their paltry whiskey selection.

Simply embarrassing for a bar inside a classic hotel like the Mayflower!

If you're looking for a decent selection and bartenders that know what they are doing walk a couple of blocks to the Quill inside the Jefferson Hotel or for a quintessential whiskey experience go...