The Pembroke — Restaurant in Washington

I had the great pleasure of dining during lunchtime at this hidden treasure on Friday Spetember 15th at my "sister friends" recommendation and let me say The Pembroke did not disappoint. Beginning with the ambiance classy, understated, elegant and very characteristic with The Dupont Circle neighborhood. Next the food (INSANLEY DELICIOUS)we had an awesome server nameDaniel Penda from Camaroon he was polite, attentive, friendly, and gracious his warm welcoming smile was infectious. As I mentioned the meal was 5 star and then some we both had the superfood salad with chicken and let me say the chicken was cooked to perfection. Nice size portions, moist, tender and very flavorful I would highly recommmed this if you want something light but filling. We also had a side plate of the Pasta Bollanese which was cooked to perfection it was presented to us by the chef himself. His pasta, the serving size, the taste reminded me of my most recent trip too Italy it was Italian ELEGANCE on a plate to the chef I say GRAZIE... Of course you have to have dessert I dined on The Creme Brulee it was prepared to perfection an explosian of goodness on my palate.

The Pembroke for lunch was a wonderful way too spend a Friday afternoon I will definatley be returning with my friends to introduce them to this hidden treasure at Dupont Circle...To The Pembroke Staff as a native washingtonian thank you for bringing such sophistication, elegance, affordability and ambiance to my home. Update June 29,2024 returned yesterday for celebratory Bday Brunches for both of us AMAZING. As expected everything was ABSOLUTLEY OUTSTANDING.We got lucky and had our same sever who we had on our visit last year Daniel Penda he remembered us and greeted us with his incredible smile. I had the Chicken and Waffles and my Sister friend had truffle fries, and crabcake's. Once again The Pembroke delivered even on a busy saturday afternoon as I mentioned before do yourself, your friends, family everyone a favor go and dine at one of the "Most Spectacular" Places to eat in Washington, DC The Pembroke is SPECTACULAR...If you are lucky enough to sit in Daniel Penda's section he will treat you like a...

Fantastic New American / European restaurant in a gorgeous space. I visited the Pembroke as part of a work team dinner during Restaurant Week, and we were thoroughly impressed by the quality of the food, super friendly service, and great ambiance. The space is gorgeous; I love all the plants, and the light brown, light blue, and white color combination for their furniture makes the space look classy and modern. The light brown leather couches are comfortable, and I love the way they circle around the tables to create a natural, cozy booth.

Our food was just as beautiful as the space. The Restaurant Week menu comes with an appetizer, main, and dessert. Given how indecisive I can be (and how expansive the normal menu is), I was grateful to have my choices narrowed down a bit.

I started off my meal with the octopus. The octopus was remarkably tender and not overly chewy, and had a delightful char that gave it a slightly smoky flavor. They double downed on the smokiness with their burnt chili oil, which, alongside the lemon and salsa verde, gave the dish a wonderfully balanced smoky, savory, and slightly acidic flavor. The crushed potatoes had a lovely crispy shell on the outside and served as a great base for the tender octopus.

The main course was probably the easiest choice of the evening -- I'm absolutely obsessed with branzino, so the second I saw it on the Restaurant Week menu, I knew that was what I had to get. The fish is beautifully broiled, with a nice, crispy skin and super tender, flaky flesh. It's topped with a few pieces of roasted garlic and a wedge of lemon. The fresh lemon juice, as well as the lovely side salad, offered a great pop of freshness to bring the whole dish together.

And finally, for our dessert, I chose the chocolate torta. This wonderful dessert is remarkably rich and decadent, with a strong dark chocolate flavor. It's topped with a lovely marsala date sauce and scoop of sheep's yogurt ice cream, but still doesn't feel overly sweet. The sheep's yogurt in the ice cream offers a bit of tanginess, and I loved the addition of the candied walnuts for a...

Took my husband here for a birthday dinner on Christmas day 2024. Booking was simple and I was able to get surface parking across the street that evening.

The ambiance is lovely. It's a small place and is really nice. The lighting was too dim, though.

I will mention upfront that I am vegetarian. I knew what I was getting into when I booked the reservation for my husband, who is not vegetarian. 0 veg options available for this dinner, which is fine. There's no way they could create a veg dish worth the money anyway!

The dinner spread started with an open raw bar with a spread of clams, cheeses, lobster claws, etc. It was nice to be able to go up and choose my plate(s).

The rest of the meal consisted of 3 courses. A choice of 4 possibilities for each, until the restaurant ran out of 2 of the main courses! Luckily my husband and I were able to get what we ordered, but the two tables around us that sat mere minutes after us were unable to get the dishes they wanted. Though this did not affect us, I am dinging them for this severe oversight. Who plans a set menu and runs out of, what is obviously going to be the popular choice for Christmas dinner, the Wellington?

Two of my dishes were mediocre, at best. The lobster bisque was nearly inedible: cold, and so fishy! WAY too much fish stock used in the dish, even for my husband, who does not mind the taste. My husband's beef carpaccio seemed good but he struggled with the bread it was laid upon. Way too hard.

My main course, the roasted turbot, was really delicious. I do not normally eat fish or clams but this dish was cooked to perfection, and the sauce it was in was absolutely delicious. My husband's short rib Wellington looked good. Cooked properly. And he liked it. However that was all that was on the dish. There were no sides - not even a single potato!

My dessert was just ok. Some tasteless almond cake/cookie thing for me, and a toffee cake for my husband, which was much better than my choice.

Overall I would give the whole experience a 6/10. For $130 pp, I should have been wowed by more than 1 dish,...