Best Contemporary European Restaurants in McLean

It’s not very often that you get to participate in the beginning stages of a nice restaurant. The ambiance and decor I thought was nice and intimate. The service team was pleasant, made us feel special but still seemed like they were getting used to things which was very understandable. The cocktails were impressive and we were enjoyed the use of Aquafaba in their Tightrope vs using egg whites. I had the smoked Old Fashioned and enjoyed the little bit of smoke in the presentation. The wine list by the bottle was short but handpicked for quality at various price points. We had a French Rose with our dishes. The shared plates to me were similar to a Tapas style and were flavorful. Our entrees were the star of the show with their Chilean Seabass and Short Ribs. Chocolate Mousse, flan and a Four Roses Neat rounded out our experience for a wonderful time.

Had a very special Valentine’s Dinner last night, excellent service and the food was next level. Beautifully decorated and wonderful ambiance!

I was excited to come here especially given I had just been to Spain, but was sadly disappointed. Service was attentive, although the sommelier seemed a little stuffy. Drinks by the glass were limited (only those offered for the wine pairing) and pricey for either a 2 or 5oz pour; mostly bottles (all high $$$). Surprisingly there were no cocktail offerings, which was also disappointing. Some dishes were delicious but some hit the mark. The first course/Act 1, which was a platter of small bites, was a bad start. The rose water apple had good texture but was overpowered by rose water…it felt like I was eating a grandmother’s old perfume bottle. I suppose if you like rose water you might like it but it was a terrible first bite (instructed to start with apple rose, followed by another; and the rest in the order of our choice…didn’t finish a single one). It definitely made us worried about the rest. Thankfully the octopus dish was much better-but I’m a sucker for Uni and who doesn’t like beurre blanc sauce?!? The star of the show was the paella…perfection! Could have eaten that all day! The pork and waygu beef dish was also well executed but not a wow. The dessert assortment was eh…the main one was some sort of chocolate donut-didn’t finish that one; however the little bites in the box-gelee, pistachio, and some other tiny bites were pretty good. Overall I was disappointed for a Michelin star…not worth the price-point, and sadly would not return.

With so much hype behind the name, you are never sure that a place will live up to the expectation, well that wasn't an issue here. The whole experience was amazing. We arrived early and waited less then 5 mins to get the absolute best table overlooking the new snow fallen harbor. The food was amazing and the drinks were on point. I highly recommend the Beef Wellington and definitely add the truffle butter !! You should expect that a dinner for 2 will be pricy, but it was a fantastic foodie treat.

Was delicious but the courses wee rushed. More time to savor the good food would have been better.