Marcus DC

Absolutely INCREDIBLE experience - the service, food and atmosphere were all superlative. We went for a belated birthday celebration and ordered, to share among 4: Blue cornbread Fluke crudo Aged tuna tartar Sweet potato w roe Mel’s crab fried rice Everything was AMAZING and fed 4 people with leftover fried rice. We managed to squeeze in the basil rice pudding for dessert and Wow So worth it! (And I don’t even usually like rice pudding) Our server, Brendan and our busser were great.

Got to experience Marcus DC during opening week - what an incredible debut! Chef Samuelsson and Chef Jones have created something truly special here with their cross-cultural approach, blending Chef Samuelsson’s Ethiopian and Swedish heritage with local DC flavors. The star, Marcus Samuelsson, was in the restaurant mingling with diners when we were there. He is as charming as he is talented! Food experience was great! We started with the signature blue cornbread served with yassa butter and berber honey. The spring pea salad was absolutely phenomenal, with avocado, grapefruit - fresh and full of flavor. The miso spiced cauliflower was also beautifully executed, in presentation and taste. We absolutely loved the roasted rockfish - perfectly cooked with a bit of spice. For dessert we loved the rice pudding--Thai influenced and very light. The drink menu is very nice. I tried the Addis Sol, a coffee infused lemonade, which was completely unexpected but absolutely delicious! It is part of their zero-proof offering. Overall great food, ambience and hospitality. It’s chic without being pretentious. Highly recommend!

Such a beautiful vibey space and the service is amazing! So attentive, kind, and knowledgeable! My bartender Carlos crafted two delicious drinks based off of my preferences and the cuttlefish tortellini was to die for!

Incredible experience to say the least at Marcus in DC. Went for a dear friend’s birthday. She is a huge fan of Chef Samuelson. Every dish made sense and everything was tied together, so uniquely with different flavors that you would never expect to work the way that they did. This will not be my last time visiting any of his restaurants. Huge congratulations on this amazing place.

The new must try restaurant in DC! I’ve been to Marcus twice since opening, and I’m wowed each time. The design of the restaurant is lively and transforms you from the hustle and bustle of DC, to paradise. The food is to die for! The cornbread is unlike any other I’ve had. I had the scallops as my starter, and I’m still in heaven. The chefs are culinary genius to pair scallops with a seafood chili and plantain mole. Both the carrots and crispy sweet potatoes were delicious, and even though they’re portioned for two, they were so good that I finished them myself. My favorite, is the dessert. The flourless chocolate cake with plantain ice cream and fresh mango are the perfect ending to a meal. Marcus is a new treasure in DC. If you haven’t made your reservation yet, don’t wait!

My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary last night and sat at the bar with Dashi as our bartender. He went above and beyond explaining his favorite menu items, drinks, and even gifted us a dessert. The food was unique and out of this world incredible. We will absolutely be returning!

Wow, what an unforgettable experience! The food was absolutely incredible—especially the crab rice, which I still can’t stop thinking about. The staff was amazing, and we even got a special visit from the chef, which made us feel truly valued. This place is an absolute must

From start to finish, our dining experience at DC Marcus was nothing short of exceptional. The menu showcases refined technique and bold, thoughtful flavors—all executed to perfection. We began with the cornbread, which arrived warm, buttery, and slightly sweet—an inviting and comforting start that set the tone for the rest of the meal. The standout of the evening was the roast chicken—tender, juicy, and seasoned with such precision that it stole the show. Often overlooked on fine dining menus, this dish proved that simplicity, when done perfectly, can be unforgettable. The scallops were also excellent, delicately seared and full of flavor, while the 34-year-aged New York strip was rich and decadent, a luxurious complement to the other dishes. Dessert was a true finale. We ordered three: the plum almond tart, light and subtly sweet; the flourless chocolate cake, dense and indulgent; and the show-stopping praline coconut cake, which was assembled tableside by the pastry chef—a beautiful bit of culinary theater and absolutely delicious. Service was warm, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout, elevating the entire experience. DC Marcus delivers fine dining with heart and creativity. The roast chicken alone is worth the trip. Highly recommended for an unforgettable evening in Washington, D.C.

Had a wonderful dining experience here with a group of friends! The food was magnificent and the staff went above and beyond. When back in Washington DC, we will certainly be back!

The corn bread and crab fried rice really are as good as people say. I also loved the house made Swedish fish at the end - very cute touch.

Service, food, vibe. All great! The chef visited our table and served the lamb shoulder. The shareable are big enough for 4 people. It was so much and so delicious.

Wow, this was delicious! I was skeptical of the concept- I thought it was a strange mix of cuisines. But once I understood it’s the chef’s mixed heritage I was excited to try it! It exceeded my expectations. All the flavors were so unique, especially the blue cornbread with the delicious spicy aftertaste. The best thing on the menu was surprisingly the pea salad, followed up by the heirloom carrots. The steak was perfectly done, awesome textures and unique flavors. I loved the very fresh herbs on everything and could really taste the distinct influences of Scandinavian cooking and Ethiopian. I got the rice pudding for dessert and it was so unusual and satisfying! I loved the decor and vibe. The waitstaff were kind and professional but could use some training. The menu categories were a bit confusing and unnecessary. But all in all this is an incredible addition to DC! Definitely coming back

The food was delicious! Small portion sizes but every item we tried was bursting with flavor. We ordered the blue cornbread, heirloom salad, scallops, Faroe salmon, crab rice, and jumbo prawns. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Just wish there was more of it! The owner came around all of the tables to check on customers and shake hands. Very attentive staff, beautiful decor and layout of the restaurant, I'll definitely be back.

We had an amazing time, the food was spectacular and beautiful. And....look who we got to meet! 🤩 Marcus Samuelsson actually took the time to speak to us and take a photo with us. And even more handsome in person. 🧡💛🤎

Loved it! Service and food were excellent. You have to share the cake and follow the directions.

Lovely ambience & service, even better food! The flavors dance oh my tongue and perfectly embody every country being fused together. Every bite brought tears to my eye.

Food and ambiance was superb. Warm and friendly staff. We had the sea bass for 2 and it arrived at our table quicker than expected. Definitely a must try.

Delicious and exciting food. Fantastic service. Chef Marcus Samuelsson even stopped by the table. Beautiful design. Will return.

I would normally post photos of my meal, which was beautifully presented, but I recommend you close your eyes and be impressed with the powerful flavors that hit your palette with every bite. Starting with the must get blue cornbread, the best salmon over sweat potato pure and Brussels sprouts. Don’t be afraid and go for the rice pudding dessert. I was so impressed. What a great experience!

Marcus DC is a wonderful restaurant. The atmosphere is modern and warm. The staff is friendly and proud of the food they’re serving —which is amazing. The plates were beautifully presented and the flavors were unique. The menu is supposed to change soon and I will be back to experience it.

I literally had one of the best meals I've ever had tonight at Marcus DC. Executive chef Anthony Jones and the team behind the bar are absolute geniuses. The service was so wonderful, you feel like you're dining with friends. Be sure to check out the mocktails, the lemonade is amazing.

Our first night in the city couldn’t have started better thanks to Dakota. From the moment we sat down, he embodied the definition of great service. His recommendations were spot-on, the drinks he crafted were outstanding, and his energy added so much to the experience. What made it even more special is that I came here because I’ve been a longtime fan of Marcus, and Dakota truly lived up to the standard. Between the food, the atmosphere, and Dakota’s top-notch service, this restaurant absolutely set the tone for an amazing trip. Definitely a first stop worth making!

My first visit to Marcus DC. Just steps from Noma Metro the restaurant is refreshingly open without tables on top of you. Service was incredible, put waiter knew every detail of every ingredient in the dishes. We had a few appetizers and then the crab rice which was incredible and easily fed the three of us. I’ve told a bunch of people to try Marcus out it’s really an excellent experience.

Great food. One of the best food experiences at a restaurant I have ever had. Every dish and appetizer was great. The Crab Rice was fantastic. Great for sharing with tons of flavor. The blue cornbread, baked prayers, greens, carrots and praline cake (a must get) for dessert were also amazing. Chef Tony came out to say "hi", which was a pleasant surprise. Would highly recommend this restaurant.

I came for a birthday dinner, and it was an experience I’ll truly remember. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and professional. The cornbread appetizer was unique, and I really enjoyed the blend of Ethiopian and Swedish flavors throughout the meal. I’ll definitely be back :) I’m so glad my friend chose this place to celebrate such a special evening.

First time dining at this lovely restaurant. Went for restaurant week with friends and had an excellent meal. 3-4 choices for first and second courses—up charge for the steak. First courses were great with unexpected flavors. Roasted cauliflower was good but needed bolded flavors. Friendly service. Great atmosphere for a hotel restaurant. Open kitchen. Spoke with chef! (Only weirdness is the fish display on ice in a nook in the corner—not for eating. Please replace with plants or art. Food for display purposes is wasteful IMO) Highly recommend this restaurant. Great for groups—some large tables. (Hey Marcus DC-thanks for the bot reply. And congrats Chef Anthony for the Beard nomination! Well done)

Marcus had been on my list for a while after seeing it featured among D.C.’s top new restaurants, so I went in with pretty high expectations. While I wouldn’t call it a 5/5 experience, there were definite highlights: especially the cornbread and both desserts, which were absolute standouts. That said, some dishes felt a bit underwhelming in portion size. The tuna tartare and Parmesan gnocchi were good but disappeared in just a couple of bites, and since this isn’t a tasting menu, I expected a bit more. The fish dishes, particularly the salmon, were solid but not exceptional. On the positive side, the Blushing Root cocktail was fantastic: bright, balanced, and memorable. Overall, a good experience with some real highs, but a few details kept it from being truly great.

This establishment is aesthetically pleasing. Nestled right on the bottom floor of the Morrow hotel it leaves nothing to be desired with its look. Service: We went on a double date here. I’ve had this one on my list since it opened and thought it would be great for us. The service was mid. James was pretty lackluster. I really value great service and the energy wasn’t stellar on that particular evening. We ordered: 1. Blue Cornbread (10/10) - this was a party in our mouth. Paired with the butter it was the perfect balance of sweet and savory. 2. Crispy Sweet Potato (10/10) - loved the angle they took with crisping this sweet potato to perfection. Along with the creme fraiche is a combination that you’ll want more of. 3. Mel's Crab Rice (7.5/10) - I know the people are going up for this dish so I had to try. I guess it’s a preference thing but I don’t like a crunch rice. It almost made me feel it was overcooked but that could’ve been the preparation style. Either way the texture of some of those crunch bites wasn’t appealing. The flavors of the dish were intentional. The early summer mushroom, hot sauce pickled okra, uni bernaise blended well together creating a party in my mouth. 4. Chuck B's Roast Chicken (9/10) - the chicken was cooked well the and flavors were potent. The carrot dukkah salad, with local lettuces was legit just lettuce on the plate. It didn’t really add anything to the dish. 5. Seared Scallops (10/10) - Seared perfectly! Great flavor! 6. Flourless Chocolate Cake (10/10) - Moist, decadent, and complimented well by the mango, plantain ice cream.

Friends and I went for a belated birthday dinner and delicious was the word of the night from start to finish. From the blue cornbread to the crab fried rice to the Chuck B roast chicken. And don’t even get me started on the crispy sweet potato.

Great service, beautiful rooftop view. However, their' Doro wot ' in their menu is not as i used to know in my country Ethiopia. Far from Doro wot. If they are serving Ethiopian dishes, it is better to have at least one waiter or someone to explain the dishes. There was no one to answer our questions.

The food was tasty. The steak lacked salt but was still flavorful. We just added a little to the dish. The blue cornbread with yassa butter was really good. The tiger prawns were huge. You only get two, but they were a nice size. The crudo was absolutely delicious!!! The green sauce they poured over it was earthy and citrusy but delicious! The service wasn’t great though. The wait staff could use some additional training.

Marcus DC is a delicious dining establishment in a beautiful, brilliant setting. The open kitchen is inviting and is perfect for watching Executive Chef Anthony and his team perform their delicious edible works of art. Four of us dined at an early 5:15 PM dinner. From the Table Talk scallops to the Nourishers Faroe salmon and the roasted drum fish, everyone in our party expressed extreme delight and satisfaction with their meals. One downside on the menu was the NY strip steak. While it was cooked to perfection, the meat was tough and difficult to get through. A better cut of meat is a bone-in ribeye which provides a luscious flavor and texture. The A big downside is that the restaurant does not allow separate checks. And so, at the conclusion of our delicious upscale dinner, we were at the table with the calculators on our phones out trying figure out who ate what and how much it cost. There were two in our party who did not drink alcoholic beverages. We weren’t even allowed to separate out the alcohol. Nor did we want our non-drinking friends to pay for $100 in drinks. If we had known this in advance it might well have been a reason for choosing another restaurant. I don’t like mayhem around the check at the end of a wonderful dining experience. In the end, the server had to spend time running separate checks for our four different credit cards anyway. So, it would’ve been better to just let us order on separate checks from the beginning. Plus, the restaurant is in the Morrow Hotel. Persons on expense accounts, needing receipts are going to necessarily want separate checks. This seems like a big mistake that can be easily fixed with a policy change. Otherwise, it’s Chef Marcus Samuelson so what’s not to love overall.

The food here is great -- definitely get the famous crab rice. I docked one star because we had to wait 10 minutes for our table (they said they were "clearing one off" for us, but there were no tables with dirty dishes -- you can see the whole dining room from the host stand.) There was nowhere to stand or sit, they awkwardly told us to hover near the bar, where there were already patrons dining. They finally sat us at a four-top, which had place settings for four people. After that, the service was great and prompt. We were accidentally given the wrong drink at first, but our waitress quickly brought the right one.

My boyfriend and I just dined at Marcus for the first time. The ambiance is beautiful, and we enjoyed most of the dishes, especially the blue cornbread, oysters, and sweet potatoes. The crudo did smell slightly fishy, but it was good. The service, however, wasn't the warmest or most professional. James was too casual, almost cold. Instead of asking if we were ready to order, he just walked up to the table and looked at us. When the mocktail I wanted was sold out, he didn't offer any other suggestions; I had to ask if one of the cocktails could be made zero-proof. He also just sat the dessert menu on the table and walked off--no suggestions, no conversation. Our candle also wasn't lit, which I didn't realize until the end. That would've been nice. The host didn't ask if we wanted to check our coats. The other staff were friendly, though, which we appreciated. While I'd definitely return for the food, I'd appreciate polished, welcoming energy from our server and host.

Didn’t work for us. Perhaps what we ordered. The rice dish for two was highly recommended and disappointed us. Just a mush. Cauliflower and blue corn muffins were very good. Just not good enough to compensate for the disappointing rice dish. And…everything came at once. Not as ordered. Wine list is small and there wasn’t anyone to talk through a selection with. I like other restaurants of Marcus Samuelson; this one didn’t cut it.

I don’t begrudge Marcus Samuelsson for cashing in on his success / fame. But I therefore had accordingly low expectations for this place. Unfortunately even they were not met. Long story short, go to one of his flagships, not here. First, the vibe is sterile. It’s like eating at a big box store. It’s a hotel restaurant in a generic, cookie-cutter neighborhood and it very much shows. There are no defined spaces and the room lacked any warmth or character, despite generous use of “warm” colors. The food was mixed. Starters were all very good, especially the steak tartare and smoked fish pate. But unfortunately the “Chuck B’s Roasted Bird,” a whole roasted chicken, was so overcooked my 75 year old mother might as well have made it. I could have gotten a better chicken at Harris Teeter, for $8 instead of $61. The drinks were also a fail, given that they allegedly have such precious ingredients that “when they are out they are out” but they never indicated that half the cocktails were therefore unavailable nor did they come up with alternatives. Moreover they were ultimately unoriginal, basic cocktails with fancy names. You wouldn’t know, however, because their drink “descriptions” were so generic you had no idea what you were getting. The one redeeming element (other than the starters) was the staff and management, all of whom were kind, responsive, and very engaging. They should just work for a different restaurant.

Absolute disappointment. I’ve been to the Marcus in Addis where the food , the atmosphere, and the vibe was MUCH better. There were a handful of dishes that were good. The decor was meh! It is a square hall which looks like they took over from the lobby of the hotel. In fact, you have to walk into the hotel lobby and find a small side door to get into the restaurant. We went on a Saturday night and it was packed and the noise level was way too high to have a conversation. I don’t think this place is gonna last unless they change something.

We were excited to visit Marcus, but unfortunately we were disappointed with the food in general. The appetizers (Swediopia, Corn Bread, Scallops) were good but they were not as exceptional as one would expect at such a restaurant. The biggest disappointment, however, was the crab rice. We were looking forward to trying it after all the raving reviews but it fell flat on all accounts: Rice was overcooked and mushy (which was very surprising!), the dish had a one-tone flavor, we could not taste the crab or various ingredients, the spices were good but not as bold as one would expect. It felt as if the dish had no clear identity and was confusing flavors. We also tried the rum cake: It was very dry and somewhat tasteless. The accompanying sorbet, hazelnuts, and caramel were great. The crispy sweet potatoes dish was excellent perhaps the best of the night. The cocktails were good and the service was also good. Overall, we left extremely disappointed and we unfortunately we will likely not be back. It is mindboggling that a flagship restaurant for Marcus had food that fell so flat.

Went here for a 25th anniversary. Got seated 20+ minutes after the reservation. Appetizers were meh. Mains delicious (crab rice). Service was so sub par. On several occasions administrative staff saw us twiddling our thumbs since our server was nowhere around and came by to help. Someone dropped off our main, then left, but we had no plates or silver so could not eat. By the time sever came with table service, food was luke warm. Then we asked for two desserts to go since we were out of time and needed to leave. Asked that the sorbet and ice cream on each be separated from the main dessert. They not only said they could do this but then came back to confirm. What happened: the didn’t give us one of the sorbets and put the other on the dessert to melt and get it mushy. $30+ tip too What a way to spend your 25th anniversary

No value in the food. Not worth the price. $12.00 for 2 small pieces of Cornbread that wasn't even that good!?!? $52.00 for 2x¿3oz? pieces of Dry agreed Ribeye!?!? $36.00 for ¿3oz? Seared Salmon!?!? Even if I have all the money in the world..I would NEVER come back here again... NOT RECOMMENDED.