CityZen, is one of my personal favorites for modern American cuisine. Chef Eric Ziebold, formerly of Napa Valley’s renowned The French Laundry, was voted in Food & Wine magazine as one of ‘America’s Best New Chef’s’ and the restaurant one of the ‘Hottest Restaurants in the World’. CityZen is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at 1330 Maryland Avenue SW.

Cost – $$$$

Service – A
Impeccable service. One of my best experiences anywhere.

Food – A
One of the best meals I have had in my life. Last time I dined here, I was with a group of foodies from NY and LA and they all agreed that the food was amazing. The modern American menu changes monthly depending on the availability of ingredients. Stellar wine list.

Decor – A
Simple but elegant with cathedral ceilings and a great view of the exposed kitchen. The use of steel, leather and wood to create a grey on grey palette compliments the contemporary fare very well.

Feel – A
When you arrive at CityZen, it feels like you are in for a treat. From the jazz quartet to the maitre’d, everything seems spot on. One of my other likes is that the restaurant seems to start picking up steam around 10 pm.

What’s the Buzz:

January 1, 2007 – CityZen (Washingtonian) – No chef has arrived here with more fanfare than Eric Ziebold, who had just completed an eight-year turn as chef de cuisine at Thomas Keller’s revered French Laundry in Napa Valley when he landed at DC’s opulent Mandarin Oriental two years ago, heirloom-vegetable seeds in hand. Gastronomes asked: Would this be the second coming of Keller? Full Article…

April 21, 2005 – CityZen (The Hill) – Don’t bother reading this review. Just call the number at right and make a reservation at this dazzling restaurant, the first to receive a five-dome rating from this reviewer in the past 10 years. And bring money. Lots of it. OK, so you’re still reading. Well, then I better justify my enthusiasm for Chef Eric Ziebold’s new import from California’s Napa Valley. Full Article…

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