Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen - Washington D.C. — Restaurant in Washington

We came for lunch for 2 on a Saturday. Our reservation was for 12:30PM but we waited about 10 minutes to get a table—not bad given how busy it was. Once we actually sat down, it took 20 minutes to get our appetizer, and another 30 for the entrees. Service was abysmally slow (almost 1 hour total to get our entree), though I appreciated the manager explaining to each table why there was a delay.

All dine-in seating is on the 2nd floor. There are around 3-4 flights of steps at the main entrance (which is on the 1st/ground floor) to get upstairs. They also have elevators behind the main staircase for those who need it. There is plenty of lobby seats if you have to wait for a table and a bar on the 1st floor also.

In terms of attire/dress code for lunch, we wore smart casual and felt we fit in fine. I would say, you can wear whatever you want; you’ll definitely fit in wearing business/smart casual, but you won’t be denied entry for wearing shorts and a T-shirt since we saw some wearing more casual wear. Don’t wear a suit and tie or a fancy ballgown though.

We shared an appetizer, a drink, and each got an entree. Our total, after tip, was $150 per person. The bill includes a 20% service fee, which they do NOT consider as a tip. There’s a fine print at the bottom of one of the menu pages stating, “20% service charge is included. 16% is distributed directly to service workers on top of their base wage, 4% is distributed to contribute to our staff benefits. This fee is not a tip. If you would like to tip your server, we welcome you doing so.” I thought it was a bit cheap to include such a hefty service charge yet not include it as a tip. At least some of it goes to the staff but I believe the company should be contributing to their staff’s benefits, not passing on that expense/extra charge to customers.

For the drink, we got the Lychee Cooler mocktail. It tasted okay, but not out of this world. It’s hard to even recall the taste a few days later so it’s not memorable.

We shared a Lobster Risotto. It tasted good and we did not think it was overly seasoned or lobster-flavored, though the temperature of the dish was almost cold as if it had been sitting out. For $40, we were expecting more risotto, granted fine dining does typically have smaller portions.

I ordered the Full-sized (6oz) Beef Wellington. The lunch menu lists the petite version (3oz) but they do offer the full-sized version (6oz) for lunch too. The Wellington is pre-cut with a side of potato purée and literally 5 pieces of vegetables. I was looking forward to this dish, however, I’m sad to say it did not live up to my expectations. Like the appetizer, it was cold, as if it were sitting out. Starting with the Wellington, the meat was cooked to perfection. It’s served medium rare, which I prefer, but the meat seemed to melt in my mouth and I really did not have to chew much at all. There was a thin layer of the minced mushroom and pastry. There’s a red-wine demi-glace sauce to pair with the Wellington, which I thought was actually too bitter for my taste. I wish there was more mushroom or pastry to balance out the meat. For the potato, let me preface that I absolutely love potatoes—mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, fried potatoes. I’m always looking forward to dishes that have potato. Well, the potato purée in this dish is probably one of the worst mashed/puréed potatoes I’ve ever had. Look, I get it, the secret to creamy, delicious potatoes is butter. But eating this potato purée was the same as eating a stick of cold unsalted butter. I’m not sure what exactly happened—if the butter was not mixed well with the potatoes, or if it separated, or if it was leftovers from the night before, or if it just wasn’t served fast enough and got too cold—but it totally ruined the dish.

Overall, unfortunately, I would not recommend coming here unless you really want to experience it. For a $300 price tag, you get slow service, small portions, and cold food. I’d recommend spending your...

Very very disappointed on the service and the whole experience at HK DC location. Our first time dinning in at HK is at Atlantic City and it was great. I’ve always wanted to try the DC location but it was always out booked. This time, i am able to get my reservation right away just 1 day ahead, i was really surprised. I made a easy reservation for 6:00pm on a beautiful Sunday. It was my birthday!!!! I made a reservation for table of 3. Me, my husband and my daughter. We feel very welcome in the beginning, the host was nice. Space and interior design is very nice, the view was absolutely stunning!! No issue on that! My first issue began when a co-waitress roll her eye on me when i tell her that “we don’t drink alcohol, so you can take the wine menu and the glasses.” So what is the issue? I get judge for not consuming alcohol???? She responded that she is not the actual waitress, she just the co/….. ok, so you come to the table for??? Nothing! Just to introduce herself There come another lady, giving us water and drink choice. We ask for 2 water and 1 sprite There comes a “real” waitress, she was nice (at first). Take our order and we order 1 mocktail drink. Someone different brought our drink 🍹 with a small bug inside (he place the drink and leave quickly) (see photo) … i have to try to grab the nearest standing staff for attention to tell them that there is a bug in my drink and was wondering if they can replace it. He apologized and all that and here comes a second drink without a bug. But garnished different front the first glass. So this tells me, they are not stable on decor and garnished??? (See photo) The appetizers was great. We have Pan seared Scallops and Grill Octopus. The waitress clean up our plates + silverware after the appetizer and never brought back the new one for our main course!!! Someone brought the main course where we order Beef Wellington + 20oz Ribeye. (WITHOUT ANY PLATE OR SILVERWARE)) so how do we suppose to eat???? The steak is just sitting on the table. I try so hard to grab anyone attention around and ask for plates + silverware but everyone is just busy serving other tables. (See photo) (i took the photo of the steak and theres nothing around it. Our mood is very down and upset now where we just stared at our food and cannot eat it. I finally grab attention of one bus boy (it was not his job but hes the only one who see my attention). I ask for plates and silverware, he hurry and grab 1 plate and about to leave. I ask for silverware and he grab me 1 fork. I was like “excuse me, can we have 3 because we have 3 people. 3 plate, 3 silverware and 3 steak knife please”. He went back and forth for more than 5 times to grab us all the stuff we needed to eat. The steak knife spin on the table because he set it down too fast and almost drop to my daughter knee. I really cant imagine if it really happens!! So where is my actual waitress at all this time???? I understand shes busy serving other tables, but hey, i need some attention too! Final, the check come subtotal $257 20% service charge $51.40 (i get it) Tax $25.70 Total due $334.10 (Ok no problem) But why the waitress is asking for more tip money?????? She highlighted (see photo) on the check that “THIS IS NOT A TIP”. This is too much!!!! Pre charge the service and asking more tip for herself. When all the service is not even worthed 20%. Just because they pre-charge and dont care about serving it right??? What is the point to ask for my birthday when i made reservations? I have no birthday special treated. Not even a nice garnished or even the small little writing on food? Very disappointed experience. I hope the staff can be trained better. There is too much staff swinging by my table where i don’t know who to grab for help...

Hell’s Kitchen at The Wharf provided a disappointing experience overall. The 2 stars are solely thanks to the excellent food; otherwise, the experience and service were far worse and would warrant an even lower rating.

The Good: The food was the saving grace of our visit. The Beef Wellington was tender and flavorful, and the Lobster Risotto was creamy, delicious, and perfectly portioned. The appetizers and entrees lived up to the reputation of Hell’s Kitchen, but unfortunately, that was the only positive aspect of our visit.

The Bad: Service and Management: About 15 minutes after we were seated, the shade on one side of the restaurant malfunctioned, leaving 7-8 tables, including ours, exposed to direct, glaring sunlight. Despite the freezing January weather outside, the glass doors trapped the heat, and the temperature in our section rose dramatically. Everyone in the area was visibly uncomfortable, sweating, and either trying to leave or requesting to move. The manager’s response was unsatisfactory, stating that nothing could be done until a specialist arrived (who never showed during our visit). There was no proactive effort to assist affected guests until we flagged them down after waiting 15 minutes. No apologies, no compensation—just a “deal with it” attitude. Following this incident, the service deteriorated further. Our server barely attended to us and was completely disengaged, which added to the frustration.

Staff Attitude: It felt as though the staff didn’t want to work with us, despite us trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even the door greeters were cold and unwelcoming, setting a poor tone for our experience both when we entered and left.

Price vs. Experience: For a restaurant charging nearly $150 per person, the service was far below expectations. Basic mistakes like spilling drinks, inattentiveness, and the staff’s overall cold demeanor made it feel anything but premium.

Parking: Parking at The Wharf is a nightmare, and Hell’s Kitchen does not validate parking. We ended up paying $37 for parking, which added to the frustration.

Gratuity Policy: A 20% service charge was automatically added to our bill, even though we were a party of two. According to the restaurant, this charge is not a tip—16% is distributed to service staff, and 4% covers staff benefits. The bill also suggested tipping additionally, which felt excessive and ethically questionable. This policy is not disclosed upfront, leaving a bad impression when it’s automatically added at the end.

The Ugly: This experience was a stark contrast to our visit two years ago, which was exceptional. The decline in service quality, lack of proactive management, and overall poor handling of the situation have left us reluctant to return. We had planned to bring family here next month for a special occasion but have decided against it after today’s lunch. While the food was great, the lack of attention to customer comfort, poor service, and unwelcoming staff overshadowed the entire experience. We went to celebrate a special occasion, and left disappointed. If not for the food, this rating would have been significantly lower. Until substantial improvements are made, I cannot recommend...