I had an interesting and enjoyable dinner here on a Tuesday night when the piano bar was going and guests would go up and sing. Â Our waiter was friendly but seemed like he'd have been more at home at Applebee's...he was not able to offer any useful cocktail, wine or dining suggestions, as he didn't seem to know much about any of those things, and he got irritated when we asked about how certain dishes were prepared. Â The food was good but unremarkable, the bar made good martinis and we met several nice guests amidst the fun musical atmosphere. Â I would go back, especially on the piano bar evening, but keep one's service and food expectations reasonable.
Review Source:I wanted to love this restaurant, I really did. There are a lot of things that I do love about it. The setting and decor are beautiful. You feel like you are in an old Federalist-style gentleman's club, as in the kind where you lounge around with a cigar and port while talking about business and politics. I've eaten here two years ago during Thanksgiving and truly enjoyed it, so I was happy to return.
The service was generally really nice. I really liked the doorman who greeted me upon entry. The waiter also tried very hard though sometimes it felt like there was a little too much service. I still thought he did a good job in general. I also really liked a lot of little flourishes that the place offered. Things like sorbet and cordial to mark the different courses.
I liked the drink that I had called an Accidental Negroni - aperol, carpano antica sweet vermouth, prosecco float, orange brulee. I think that this place has a great bar and you can go just for that. I'd say that is first-rate. I also did like my starter which was a French onion soup. It was better than the one I had at Gadsby's recently.
I ordered some sort of lamb "cottage" pie (an incorrect name, it should be called a shepherd's pie, cottage pies are meant to have beef) for my main which was a bit disappointing because the lamb was tough and gamey. It had clearly been overcooked and along with the veggies, it was sitting in a dark pool of blackened juice. The veggies were good and the cut of meat wasn't bad, it had just been over-cooked. I've eaten my fair share of lamb and it doesn't need to taste like that.
The dessert was the worst course of all. It was frankly one of the worst dishes I've ever consumed anywhere and it made me feel the need to Yelp about this. I wasn't even thinking of dessert but the waiter kind of pushed the recommendation of this pannacotta. I hadn't listened to any of his prior suggestions but I do like a good pannacotta. I know what to expect. I asked him what kind of fruit was in it and he said, "berries", so I agreed to order it. What came was an absolutely hideous dish, to be totally frank. It was the kind of dish that would cause Gordon Ramsay to flip his lid in the back.
Yes, there were berries, that was the one redeeming factor. There were berries, tomatoes (yes, TOMATOES in a dessert which were not mentioned when the dish was suggested), some kind of weird soft cheese and an herb that went with the tomatoes but totally clashed with the rest of the dish. It was like half dessert, half salad. In short, very, very bad. I'm trying to look it up on the menu but I don't actually see that dish on the menu and I am not surprised. It was not a good idea. I woke up the next day and still had that bad taste in my mouth.
I really want to love this place. Like I said, there are a lot of things that I do like about it and it has a great ambiance. Frankly, it needs a better chef. Â The problem with the lamb was one of execution, the problem of the dessert was one of conceptual design - obviously no one was tasting these dishes before sending them out. Â Someone should blindfold the chef and make him try that dessert.
As I said, I still managed to enjoy the beautiful setting and the drinks. I did not have a bad time. I could have enjoyed even the main course better if the dessert had been better. I wouldn't rule out trying them again, but I agree with the person who called this place "hit or miss". When you are paying that kind of money, you have certain expectations.
I do think that this place could easily improve though. Wish I could give it 5 stars, but right now I can't. First course and drinks were 4-5 stars, main was 3, dessert was 1 or 2.
The overall experience was of subdued elegance, serene ambience and delectable culinary enjoyment.  The atmosphere was romantically 18th century; the window table view was pleasurable only enhanced by the subtlety of the originally appointed period décor. Although the service offered was pleasing, the prices do not reflect perfection, but they appear to strive well into that arena and we were very impressed with their talent.  My wife and I had wanted to try The Grille at Morrison House for quite some time, and with the advent of our local Restaurant Week, we finally decided to do so - and we're happy we did!  Our server Ahmed was most capable, helpful, accommodating and unobtrusive throughout the evening.  It is refreshing to not be rushed to make way for the next head of dining cattle!  Chef Brian McPherson's gastronomic art work is fascinating to all the senses.  The aromas emanating from the dishes, the sight of such well prepared and laid out culinary masterpieces and the tastes derived from everything experienced was remarkable.  To begin, the Chef sent out a dainty, yet fabulous jamón Serráno-wrapped apricot - really gooooooddd!  We started our dining experience savoring the Steak Tartare with deviled quail eggs, jamón Serráno with shitake chips, and Farmer's Market Vegetable Terrine with bloody Mary sorbet, fine herbs, sea salt and olive oil. Both were excellent renditions.  In-between courses we were each served a shot glass of a fresh berries spritzer for palate cleansing (I could have had more - really nice).  Our main course consisted of my wife's Champagne Poached Wild Alaskan Halibut with cepes, comfit fingerling potatoes and sauce imperial - the fish was as close to perfect as possible with its fine butter sauce compilation.  It was the best Halibut she can remember having.  And I had the Local Lamb Forager Pie (although not really a pie) with English peas, baby carrots, hedgehogs, pommes puree and jus - was extraordinary.  The hedgehogs and tinge of jus made this lamb fabulous to the palate.  We finished off our bottle of Barboursville Viognier 2010 with a delectable dessert of a peach cobbler with fresh peaches, light and crispy crust layered with crème fresh with an anointing of honey and a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar - fabulous!  For an enjoyable, relaxing and palate awe inspiring dinner, I must say, this is a place to experience.  Kudos to the staff, our servers and to the Chef, for giving us an enjoyable culinary experience to remember.  Highly recommended, maybe we'll see you there!  Bon appétit!
Review Source:We visited the Grille at Morrison House this past Friday during restaurant week. Â It was easy to find, but I would have appreciated a sign for valet parking because I ended up parking in a garage down the street. Â No biggie, but if you offer it, advertise it!!
From the very moment I sat my fanny in a luxurious leather club chair in front of the bar area I knew I would love this experience. Â We went with the gazpacho, the scallops and shared the pavlova and the peaches at the end. Â Everything was delicious and perfectly prepared, which came as little surprise based on the reviews I've read on the Grille. Â The service was impeccable!
They did a nice job with the wine pairings, but I would have preferred something a little less citrusy for the smoky scallops. Â The dessert wines suited the desserts spectacularly!
This place is all about the details and I really appreciated all the special touches like the little morsel that was the best bite of a Reuben (my fav, naturally) sandwich that I have ever tasted!! Â Even the dinner roll was heavenly. Â There wasn't a single thing about this restaurant that wasn't exactly suited to my tastes and preferences. Â It feels very homey, but luxurious at the same time. Â I will be back!!!
The vibe of the restaurant is a bit odd given it feels like you are having dinner in your grandmother's living room. Â The food and service were good. Â The escargot was classic yet uninspired. Â The rib eye was adequate. Â I think it was more meat quality than preparation that restricted a better score
Review Source:Between the bad service and the servers inability to understand or speak English, I walked out in the middle of a meal. Â Why pay premium prices if you coffee cup, water glass is going to remain empty through the meal and the service does not even know what is on the menu. Â Too many other good places to give money to this dump.
Review Source:Bottom Line: I've got to believe this is a "Hit or Miss" sort of place, as I can see the potential - but I've also far had better meals & service at most iHOPs. So for me, my best advice to give is to walk over to King Street, and that you'll probably do better there.
Now let me back up... So today was my wife's birthday as well as Easter, so she made the reservations. We've been there before, and the meal a year ago was fine, but again, I recall it was not memorable. But I agree and my wife and I decide to go again, and she makes the call.
"Oh, your husband has dietary restrictions - no problem, we can work around those. Yes, we can seat you for an early dinner - No problem." We've been and eaten here before, so I knew what to expect... or at least, I thought I did.
We arrive at the appointed time - but we're asked to wait while they prepare the table. But I was a bit surprised when we had to wait almost twenty minutes for a table of three. I was also informed it was not supper, but brunch that was being served. My wife made the reservations, so I remained quiet.
Then we're seated and my wife and daughter have jackets... I have to ask to have them taken, and they state that there is a hook in the bar. At this point, the warning signs were starting to show, but I was also fighting some jet lag - so I decided to "roll with it." The room was nicely decorated (1 star), and the table was properly appointed. Oh, and in the waiting room while we waited... no one offered us a drink.
And things went downhill from there. There was a Prix Fix (fixed price) menu of three courses for $50, or $25 for children under 12. This did not bother me, until we proceeded to start ordering..."Oh, we don't have that." Uhm, alright, but what do you have? They're offered things that I can not eat due to my health dietary reasons. I did order a glass of wine, which was good. I finally settle on food and the waiter leaves. Tap water was served, as asked (1 star.)
After a few minutes, the adjoining waiter walks by and drops his nebulizer on the floor. Doesn't even notice. My five year old daughter and I both notice, after it sits there for five minutes - in the middle of the aisle. So I suggest she take it to the manager, who is standing in the doorway not fifteen feet away. I overhear the conversation, it's kurt - but hardly very polite to my five year old daughter either.
So my fifty dollar dinner is delivered - as a small salad of mixed greens with some (fresh) boiled beets and fried dried onions (not from a can, but also not that far from it), a piece of raw Scottish salmon (calling it undercooked is just not accurate and it was NOT smoked in any way, shape or form), a couple of very dark and dry potato latkes with sour cream (again, sour cream is not on my dietary plan, but I could at least eat around it) and then a small bowl of fruit for dessert. About a cup of a mixed fresh fruit of pineapples, strawberries and melons. Not awe inspiring at all. Add one cup of moderately good brewed coffee (with grounds at the bottom of the cup,) and that's it.
Yes, I did leave hungry.
Oh, but wait... before we actually leave, as we're the last ones in the room... another of their wait staff come in to start cleaning out the room. We're the ones seated late, and now we're being "encouraged" to leave?
So as we leave and I am the one getting our coats from the bar, another waiter is at least nice enough to ask how our meal was, and I give a cold "just fair" review. He asks why, but I think he's gotten that at least once before this night - and I tell him my fish was delivered raw. He apologizes, but that is pretty much all I am offered. As we leave, my wife states that the table next to ours was overheard also having issues with their meals and service.
In all fairness in this review, my wife's meal was alright, as was my daughters. But not a great meal for my wife either. None of them would be considered a great meal. Good, but not great. She agrees that the service was fair, but nothing was good enough to warrant a "passable" review.
Was it worth the cost? Absolutely not.
It just was not, and the chef who was talking up a storm to the table next to us - obviously should have been downstairs watching his staff - because if I had seen this as a meal - being served with my name as chef - I'd fire the lot of them just to let the rest of the world know this sort of thing is unacceptable to me. I think the meal had potential, but the quality and the service were very "unfinished" and borderline "unprofessional."
In the end, I walked away severely disappointed, and should anyone ask me, I will be telling them that The Grill at Morrison House was good once... but they are far better off going to one of the other restaurants a block away on King Street. For I would certainly be carefully scrutinizing any future "Klimpton" owned property or restaurants in my future.
I went here for an anniversary celebration and I thought it was really good.
Our waitress was nice and accommodating. The food was great- I chose 3 cheeses as our starter, I had the duck as my main and some apricot cake for dessert (the grape dessert I really wanted was not available). My duck was ever so slightly overdone, but still very very good. Portions were larger than other restaurants in the area so we left stuffed.
This was the first one I have been to with my BF where he actually ate and liked  everything. He thinks the other restaurants in the area are a little too fancy with their food, but this one had an upscale feel and the food was still great.
It is true that they need some sort of sign that says valet ( we would have used it if we had seen one) and a station up front. We were a little lost coming in.
We will be back and I suggest trying it out also.
This is a special occasion only type of place. Â Food gets a 5, other distractions take it down to a 4.
Boyfriend and Myself had a post valentine's day dinner here this past weekend. We arrived right on time for our reservation in the grille.
Initial Impressions...I was lost. There was no sign of a Valet sign, no sign pointing me towards the grille, no hostess to help me out, and random people in ball gowns were circling me. Putting it mildly, even though I was dressed up I felt out of place and not welcomed at first impression. So now I feel awkward and annoyed- had to wait in a line to be seated by a man in a suit. ( a waiter finally stumbled upon me in the hallway- he was very nice)
We were seated in the small dining area of the bar where the piano and the open mic night take place...more on open mic night in a bit.
Server came over- handed us our drink menu, we ordered a bottle of Riesling.
the chef sends out this amazing seared tuna little bite for you...which let me tell you is sensational.
We were brought bread which was nice- then we ordered the Scottish Salmon Tartare - house made blini, creme fraiche, american caviar which was wow VERY VERY good. I could have had like 5 of those it was delish. Then I had the Painted Hill Farms Filet Mignon seared foie gras, mushroom duxelles, spinach, asparagus frites, sauce au poivre...which was delightful. Boyfriend had the Crispy Lacquered Rohan Duck Breast- kabocha squash, matsutake mushrooms, farro, brussel sprouts, tesa, port reduction. He said the sauce itself was dynamite and he would come back just for that sauce.
Then we had the  Warm Valrhona Chocolate Molten Cake
gianduja ice cream, hazelnut cappuccino, filbert tuile to finish it off, and it was ok...not like AMAZING.
So yes the food portion of the evening was amazing....the open mic night...was a little awkward.
I loved the piano player by himself that was very nice.
Open mic night....aka classy karaoke. Everyone was pretty interesting---the problem for me was that my boyfriend and I were paying 150 bucks to sit at our table and once 8pm rolled around I had the open mic people bustling behind my chair hard core all night. Multiple times people knocked into me...so that was glorious. Singing was ok...kind of distracting and awkward...but I just hate watching people sing up close like that. Piano player was much better.
Overall we had a great time- but a couple things could and should be better for the price you pay...our bill ended up being $155 without tip.
I checked out the Grille for my anniversary which was conveniently during Restaurant Week. I never noticed this beautiful Kimpton hotel tucked off King Street but the entrance is quite pretty with curved dual stairways and it's nice when someone opens the door for you. We sat in the dining room and I enjoyed the upscale decor and the separation from the piano room, which did get louder later on at night.
The waiter was very gracious and allowed us to take our time with ordering cocktails before dinner. I like that I did not feel rushed at all, which is rare during Restaurant Week. My husband tried their take on a Manhattan which was bourbon, port, and maple syrup. I tried their pear-vodka-wine-lime concoction which was too tart for my taste. Both were good but the Manhattan stood out and was my favorite surprisingly.
Now onto the dinner. I thought their menu was one of the more interesting RW menus in Alexandria. I started with the pumpkin soup with duck confit and liked that the pumpkin flavor wasn't too overwhelming and the duck confit strangely reminded me of caramelized onions. My husband enjoyed his chicken liver mousse which came in a jar. He was also impressed with the red wine sauce on the beef bourguignon and how tender the meat was. The poached salmon was a big portion and was not overcooked -it's definitely hard to find a restaurant that does not overcook fish so props to the chef. It was my first time trying pioppino mushrooms and they were delicious - now to find more restaurants that serve them...
Lastly, for dessert I had the apricot cake and my husband had the chocolate creme pot. The creme pot was good but not memorable. The apricot cake was warm and had a great texture of slightly hard on the outside and soft on the inside. The apricot puree was the highlight and made the meal. The coffee was high quality as well and you got a big french press for just 1 order.
I would definitely come back here for the food...if I could afford it which is only during RW.
For a birthday dinner that was noted and explained, no one said Happy Birthday. No biggie. However, the food was overcooked and underwhelming. We ordered from the restaurant week menu. I got the pumpkin soup (tasted exactly like from the box at Trader Joe's), the chicken (the skin was so hard I had to cut it off to just get to the chicken) and the chocolate pot de creme (nothing special). I got the wine pairings but still don't know what win was what. I was given three type of red wine. I thought I should have gotten white wine for the chicken but maybe I am wrong. I did not get a dessert wine but rather a wine that did not fit my chocolate dessert. My sister got the same dessert that I did but got a diff wine...? Weird.
Review Source:The food was excellent. The beignets are fantastic and the eggs Benedict was also very good.
The dining room is very small and maybe a bit too intimate and you can pretty much hear all the conversations going on (they have about 10 tables in a space where they should probably only have about 6-7).
Service was good and I will probably be back.
I had the opportunity to go here early this month and had to post a rave review.
The food and service were about as good as it gets - really.
It's an "old fashioned" piano bar where you can stand and sing around the piano too if you're inclined. The crowd's age was between 45 and 75, but if you're in this age group, I believe you'll find it really a charming and excellent experience.
Make sure you sit in the bar, in the piano room, it's really well worth it.
A beautiful grand old building with a small dining room that has a slightly faded feel serves very good, somewhat expensive, food (ala carte menu).... and desserts to die for! Dinner selections are different and wonderful, presented artfully with small portions, almost Tapas size. (No problem with the meat/fish portion, but the vegetable/sides really need to be a bit more generous.) The desserts all sounded so good it was difficult to choose: and, once chosen, were absolutely delicious. Wine list nicely stocked at all price points.
Complaints:
--The rolls were stale and dry. Seriously shocking.
--The first wine ordered: cork cracked on removal and waiter lightly insisted it was his fault, not that the cork was dry, ie faulty seal(?). The taste was slightly off however, and brought up the question of a turning bottle. It should have been removed immediately and not questioned if it should be sent back...we sent it back and ordered another selection.
-- Vegetable/sides delicious but markedly small portions.
Dinner for two with $60 bottle of wine was approximately $230.
My husband and I came here to try the chef's tasting menu, and it was well worth the trip out to Alexandria! The restaurant has several dining rooms, but I would strongly recommend asking to be seated in the lounge. We were initially seated in a small-ish room, with just a few tables and limited decor. It felt sort of sterile, more like a banquet room than anything else, but they happily accommodated our request to move to the lounge, which had a live jazz piano player, and an open mike, where several very talented musicians took turns singing jazz standards to the piano music. Absolutely lovely ambiance in there.
As mentioned above, we went with the tasting menu, which was very good. Nothing trendy or cutting edge, but everything was expertly prepared. We started with a fava bean bruschetta. This tasted so fresh, exactly like spring on a plate. The presentation could have been nicer, but it tasted really great.
The first course was an artichoke pate, which was delicious. I had no idea artichokes could taste so good. The black truffles in it were decadent, but didn't overwhelm the artichoke flavor.
The second course was tomato gazpacho with sea salt ice cream. This was another hit, and I loved the use of sea salt ice cream, which added just the right amount of creaminess to the soup.
Third course was an endive and chicory salad, with walnuts, apples, and blue cheese. This was very good, but didn't stand out as anything exceptional. It was good as far as salads go, but I wouldn't be tempted to order it if I were ordering off the menu.
Fourth course was olive oil poached salmon, and I have to say, this was the best salmon I've ever had. I love salmon, but this ruined it for me at other places, because I've never had salmon this delicious before. It was served with salsify, poppini mushrooms, and red wine consomme, all of which was good, but the highlight was easily the salmon itself. It was perfectly tender and flaky, and tasted amazing. I could wax poetic about this salmon all day.
Fifth course was a rosemary basted lamb loin saddle. This was very good, but less of a standout than the salmon. It was clearly good lamb, and very well prepared, though not mind-blowingly incredible.
Sixth course: cheese. Enough said. Cheese is always delicious.
Dessert was a dark chocolate molten cake. Not particularly creative, but expertly prepared, and a very satisfying end to the meal.
It's also worth noting that they have a very extensive wine list, with numerous options at all price points. They do offer wine pairings, but we went the bottle route, and had no trouble finding a bottle (okay, two bottles) to enjoy with our meal.
It seems so many upscale restaurants are really focused on molecular gastronomy and the latest trends, which is definitely fun once in awhile, but I thought this was a refreshing change of pace. Morrison House did a fabulous job with both standard and not so standard dishes, in an elegant, but still upbeat setting. I'll definitely be back.
I bought a coupon from Living Social for the Grille's Traditional Tea Menu on Saturday. After checking their menu, general website, and tea menu it said tea served 2-5pm. (I work until 3pm.) So, I bought the coupon.
Big mistake. When I tried to make a reservation at 3:30pm the first restaurant employee was barely understandable over the phone and told me gruffly that tea is from 2-2:30 and people could hang out until 5pm. What? His customer service was so terrible that I called back the next day.
Different person, same story. I spoke to the manager about the misleading website and not only did he not care but then implied that out of the 500 people who had bought the coupon I was the only one who had a problem with their hours. Nice. He didn't try to find a compromise and didn't seem very apologetic. Terrible customer service. I ended up getting a full refund from the very nice people at Living Social. I guess I will be going to a different restaurant that day and certainly don't plan on ever trying the Grille.
I only came here for the Saturday Afternoon Tea so this review is only for that. Â I found out about this place through a living social deal that gave me one traditional tea at half off. Â They have two different types but one is more expensive than the other. Â However you get a champagne with the more expensive one. Â They also have a children's tea which sounded kind of cool too. Â
I initially made the reservation for four people on open table but then had to change it a few times. Â Open table did not have the ability for me to change it but when I called the restaurant they were able to make the change. Â Also, I would recommend calling them if you have any dietary restrictions so they can make sure they are ready for that.
The service was a bit slow but they were very friendly and nice. Â We were able to get a different tea in between and we could have actually stayed longer but we did have to leave because our parking meters were up on time. Â
They do have valet parking but finding street parking was not bad at all and it's a bit cheaper.
t has been a while since I've eaten at The Morrison House. It has been about 10 years when it was still the Elysium at The Morrison House. The current restaurant is still great! The decor is more updated but still manages to stay true to the Georgian architecture. We actually went during Restaurant Week so I understand the menu may be different from the usual. We started with the escargot gratin and a salad. I can't believe I can't remember the name of the salad. It was superb! I ordered the bouillabaisse, a sumptuous concoction of seafood, and my husband the steak and frites. Both were very good! We topped it off with a Tres Leches dessert. Just based on the sample menu, I would definitely come here again!
Review Source:Yes, it was Restaurant Week, and I got a late jump and the places I wanted with a 7pm reservation, with one exception for Grille at Morrison House. Â So, instead of writing about the food (which was pretty average), I'll just keep it to the space itself. Â
When we first walked inside, both my wife and I felt under dressed. Â I was wondering if there was a coat policy since everyone had one on but me. Â My wife kept fussing that she wore the wrong shoes. Â But the host did not seem to care. Â
There's a very old feeling to this place. Â Maybe because the place was filled with old people. Â I probably I'm one of them, being 40, but I still felt like my wife and I were the youngest in the place. Â This spot must off the radar for the young folk. Â
My wife did enjoy her cocktail, something with pear liquor in it. Â But, being her first taste of alcohol in a year, she probably would have found a Long Island Ice Tea delicious. Â We had no problem with service.
It's a nice intimate space, and the bar looks inviting to enjoy an after dinner drink in. Â Perfect for those staying inside the hotel to unwind in. Â But judging by who the main dinners were, it feels more like a place I'd recommend to my parents, or my grandparents. Â
With some of the other restaurant spots nearby on King St., it's really hard to recommend this spot to anyone coming in town, or who's wanting to try out the local food scene. Â But if you were staying in the hotel, or those other restaurant's are booked, I don't necessarily describe it as settling, just another place you may not have considered.
I rarely write negative reviews but feel compelled to write this one since our dinner last night was truly terrible. Â The "service" was inattentive. Â For example, I had to ask for the plates to be removed after empty ones sat in front of us for fifteen minutes.
Two of us ordered the flank steak and frites. Â The waiter, I noticed later on the check, served more expensive rib eyes. Â The fries were very overcooked and the meat quality was poor. Â We have eaten at the Grille in the past and found it good. Â It almost seemed that there was no chef in the kitchen. Â The caesar salad did not have romaine but wilted bok choi.
We had an inauspicious start to our meal at The Grille. Seated in the formal dining room, we had understood that the restaurant would have several vegetarian options available; we even called ahead earlier in the day to ensure that this was the case, and were told that everything would be fine. Well, the menu had essentially nothing vegetarian on it. When we asked the waiter, the choices seemed to be a plate of grilled vegetables (which sounded phenomenally bland) or gnocchi (which could be great but details of which were scant at best). Ultimately our waiter suggested that the chef come and talk to us. And that made all the difference in the world!
Chef Dennis Marron appeared and had two questions for the vegetarian diner in our party: what do you like, and what don't you like? With answers to those questions in hand he said, "If you put yourself in my hands, I will make you something exceptional." And by everything that is holy in the world of food, he most definitely did!
We had a tremendous meal. Chef Marron concocted a simple salad to begin, with an interesting twist with braised goat cheese and phenomenally delicious braised vegetables. Then I enjoyed a tender and creamily-textured filet mignon (paired with a superb pinot noir suggested by our waiter) while the most important person in my life tucked into an incredible invention: a kind of vegetable gratin that was served with a latke, sauteed mushrooms, and other deliciousnesses.
For dessert we really enjoyed a pot de creme and devoured profiteroles. Eating the former was described as "Eating a chocolate cloud," which just about sums it up.
So satiated, we returned the next morning for brunch in the piano bar! We had the traditional eggs benedict (perfectly prepared), lemon brioche French toast (a great pick-me-up breakfast), and banana pancakes (delicious and filling), all of which were truly excellent.
Kimpton Hotels, which runs the Morrison, also runs the Lorien elsewhere in Alexandria, and we'd been wowed by BRABO which is attached to that property. The Morrison House is an exceptionally good hotel and The Grille is just as good a restaurant. It seems like Kimpton really knows how to make a fantastic property, including the locations, decor, personal service, and dining. The Grille is a wonderful spot for a special occasion or simple indulgence!
Came here  to see what's good. Coming up to the entrance I got a feeling that this place was going to be all fancy and stuffy. The entrance kind of reminds me of the south lawn entrance to the White House. It's actually pretty cool. So we go inside and of course the place feels old. I was wondering if there was a group of old guys playing Parcheesi. Or maybe Fergi was gonna bust out singing "london Bridge" and dance on the tables.
We were greeted by the front desk gentlemen who pointed us to the back. That's where to bartender greeted us and asked if we'd like the formal dining area or the casual dining area.
I'm just a simple man so we chose the casual side. Our waiter was very nice and funny. He esplained the menu to us with his latin accent. He reminded me of Ricky Ricardo, but more personable. He had no problem explaining the wine list to my ignorant ass.
So we had the tasting menu. Each course was a bite of heaven. It started off with a seared tuna. Moved on to a split lentl soup with ham. Then progressed to a pork belly/bacon dish. To clear the palette, we had a coconut sorbet. Then progressed to an evolution of scallops, cooked/prepared 4 different ways. For dessert  we had another 4 tier dish. Coconut dishes prepared in 4 different ways.
We used a groupon so the bill wasn't too heavy on the wallet. I read the other reviews before coming here, but my experience was great. Like anything, you have to decide for yourself. And just remember, when you go to a restaurant for a tasting menu. The food will come out in little quantities, but you get a lot of courses and that's what fills you up. Unless you're just another obese American that eats 15 cheeseburgers and fries and has the nerve to order a diet coke.
We just took my parents here for their birthday, the service was great, but Let me just say, we were extremely disappointed with the portion size of the food.
The scallops: the plate came with 1 large scallop and 1 small scallop on it. The lamb chops: came with 4 small pieces of meat, equivalent to 1 bite. The fish: two tiny slivers of fish with 4 fingerling potatoes (size of my pinky).
If they are serving tapas sized meals, they shouldn't be $30+ per plate!
Way overpriced for the portion size you receive. I would recommend only going here if for restaurant week or to redeem a groupon etc.
Summary: Â Expensive, but delicious food and amazing time.
Food: Â Wow! Â I'll admit I'm no food critic and my palate isn't too 'trained' but this food was some of the best I've ever eaten. Â We had the four course tasting menu, mussels, the cheese plate and lots of wine. Â Everything was great (my favorite was the foie gras and the lamb).
Service: Â Top-notch. Â When my girlfriend put her napkin on her chair to go the bathroom the waiter was almost immediately there to fold it for her. Â We never had a chance to fill up our wine glasses because he was always on top of things (with a Friday night). Â
Price: Â Definitely not a weekly meal for us but we had a 'buywithme.com' coupon so it was ... bearable (but not fun). Â For the quality of food, service and the 5 hours we spent there for the 'old folks karoake' - it was worth it.
Location/Atmosphere: Â Right in old town so location is great. Â It's a small place built into an old school hotel. Â The seats are comfy and loungy and the music is not too loud. Â
A special note - Sunday nights are half priced wine but even better is Friday night with the open mic. Â The average age was probably over 70 and everyone singing had voices that sounded professional to me. Â Granted my girlfriend and I are under 30, we hung out and soaked up hours of 1950's music. Â We'll go back to grab a couple drinks and an app and enjoy the music.
Like so many of the other reviewers here, my wife and I gave the Grille a try after purchasing the 5 course tasting deal from Groupon. Â Here's my take -
Atmosphere - 3.5 - The place feels old fashioned and I don't mean that in a good way; it sort of reminded me of some of the nicer restaurants to which my parents took me when I was a kid (back in the late 80s/early 90s). Â The feeling is neither modern, nor classical. Â It's more faded gentry.
Food - 3 - Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with the food or the quality of the ingredients, but it's not imaginative nor is the preparation a spectacular rendition of classic technique. Â It's just, sort of, nice.
Price - 1 - I think that the other aspects of my review have been somewhat distorted by the pressure of this dimension. Â With the Groupon, the price was fine, but I would never return to this restaurant at the prices it charges. Â For that level of price, I expect something along the lines of a Morton's, Capitol Grille, Charlie Palmer's, or Le Peridou. Â This restaurant does not even begin to hit that level. Â I looked and, in absence of the Groupon, my dinner for two (with wine) would have cost around $250. Â I'd say the dinner clocked in closer to $80 in my opinion, maybe $100. Â Though, honestly, given the quality of the food I would have been disappointed with anything in the 3 figure range.
In summation, the restaurant's fine, but nothing spectacular. Â I just don't see how they can justify their price point.
My friends and I bought a meal coupon on Buy With Me and got a four course meal  for $30. The restaurant is very small and intimate and the every thing was delicious. They day we went was a piano bar so a lot of local musical people were there drinking and performing. It made for a fun and delicious night!
Review Source:I went here last night with my boyfriend and another friend (on recommendation - otherwise we might have missed this lovely establishment). Â
Since we were there for restaurant week, and there were three choices for each course, we got one of each. Â I think all of the appetizers were equally good for different reasons. Â I liked my escargot gratin very much. You could smell the garlic even before they put it in front of me (and I love garlic), but the walnut-basil pesto elevated the dish to a whole new level. In terms of the entrees - I liked my veal the best. Â It was tender, but also had a good spice associated with it (maybe allspice?). Â Of all the desserts, I liked mine the least - it was tres dulce de leche; it was alright, just nothing special in my opinion. Â
Our friend would someday like to go back and do the tasting menu and I have to say that is on my list of items to do as well. Â The food here was excellent. Â Only one bad note - when my boyfriend ordered a specific bottle of wine, they brought out the wrong year (must have run out of the year that was on their menu). Â Luckily enough, we were able to find another one that we liked.
The GF and I and a friend of ours went to the Grille at Morrison House for Alexandria Restaurant Week. Â Location, location, location or lack thereof has spelled the doom or at least anonymity of many of fine, deserving restaurant. Â Maybe it's off-the-beaten track location or the fact that it's not lit up like a Nevada brothel, but mostly those in the know would even guess that this Kimpton Hotel property and its restaurant even existed which is a real shame when discussing the Grille.
Without stealing the "snowthunder" from my dining companions' reviews let me say the kurobata pork cheek was amazing and the best of our three apps choices.  It was braised to perfect tenderness.  My trout was good but it paled in comparison to my girlfriend's veal entree and our friend's roasted chicken.  In fairness to the trout, it was good, but trout isn't my favorite fish since it lacks the "wow" factor of a Pacific salmon or halibut.  For dessert, my Milk Chocolate Pot de Créme was creamy deliciousness and went well with after-dinner aperitifs. Â
Let me say that the Grille at Morrison House is one of Old Town's best-kept secret in terms of fine dining based on its Restaurant Week performance and merits my further attention.
The service was great when I went during restaurant week. The food was tasty enough and very dated decor. Â They had this lady singing that sounded like Edith from Archie Bunker's All in the Family. I kept thinking she was going to blurt out "Those were the days!" But besides the horrible torture of her singing, my rock-fish was cooked well and flavorful. I did not want anything on the restaurant week menu. My only problem was that they left the skin on and it was kinda fishy. My friend had the beef cheek appetizer, veal entree, and the chocolate dessert. The only thing that I would order again was his dessert. His food was tasty, but not really a big deal. With this restaurant, I think that you pay for the ambiance, not really the food (which is a little overpriced). I would have given a 3 1/2 star rating if it was available.
Review Source:Four and a half.
Went here last night and a fantastic experience. Â My friend and I sat in the piano bar for dinner. Â I had a fig Manhattan which was incredible; the first taste was good, but the drink had a long finish and after ten seconds, the most wonderful toasted vanilla flavor danced on my tongue. Â Yum. Â Later on I ordered a (rather strong) tasty Hot Buttered Rum which served as a dessert. Â A shout out goes to Chris, the bartender, for the great drinks.
The food was great too. Â I ordered the Rockfish off of the a la carte menu, and it was the best fish dish I have had in months-maybe in all of DC. Â It was served with a crab and red pepper sauce, fingerling potatoes, and a large portion of fish ($30). Â My friend ordered the steak frites with blue cheese butter off of the "bar" menu, which was delectable ($24). Â The fries are done in my favorite style: crunch outside but potatoey inside, salted and herbed and were positively addictive. Â The truffle fries must be to die for. Â Oh, and they started us out with an amuse bouche---a tasty mini-crab cake with basil and carrot puree, topped with carrot foam. Â Yum. Â Some of the tables around has had fantastic looking plates too. Â The Virginia burgers were ginormous; I have no idea how the couple finished them. Â The grille also has an interesting take on Ceasar salad...it is served with three giant croutons and cheese. Â The menu choices are great because you could go as formal as a seven course meal, or as simple as a bowl of delicious-looking baked french onion soup and fries. Â
Atmosphere was fantastic. Â We arrived around 6:45, and over the next 30 minutes saw the intimate bar fill up. Â It wasn't crowded, but there was a great "alive" vibe, unexpected for a Wed night. The piano player was great: he played jazz standards mixed with Christmas classics. Â I saw some yelp reviews that said the clientele was a bit older, but on the Wed night we went, I was say the majority was 30-40s....very comfortable for us. Â
This is going to be one of my favorite places in Alexandria. Â I can't wait to try the singalong nights. Â Will definitely be back!
Why not the full five stars?
1. Â By friend ordered her steak medium, and it came medium rare. Â She didn't mind much, but it still should have been right.
2. Â Because the space is intimate, I recommend sitting a little further away from the piano if possible. Â While it didn't drown out conversation, I had to concentrate to hear my friend because we were pretty close.
3. Â Our waiter was a bit off. Â When we sat down he handed us the wine menu, but not the food or cocktail menus. Â We had to ask for those. Â When we ordered the hot buttered rum, he said they couldn't make it, but when I asked the Bartender, he went out of his way to go to the kitchen to whip up a batch of spiced butter (yay, Chris!).
I had a surreal dinner here a few weeks ago and I'm only now feeling up to talking about it. Â In many ways I still don't know what hit me.
My coworker and I came here for the tasting menu as part of the Groupon promotion. Â I had been here once before for a very good brunch in its small upstairs dining room with the bar, piano, and the large, upholstered, and uncomfortable chairs. Â I found the place a bit stuffy and old, but we figured with the Groupon thing the people of the internets would liven the place up.
The tasting menu was pretty good. Â Nothing stood out that much - everything was dependably decent. Â The fig Manhattan was too tart for my taste and messed with a good thing. Â But the food and drinks are not the point of this review.
We were the youngest people in the place by several decades, but that was fine at the beginning as everyone chatted amongst themselves. Â Around midway through dinner, the piano player starts playing some really wonderful instrumentals. Â Being a bit of a dork for old music and movies, I was able to pick out Rhapsody in Blue, the theme from Casablanca, and some other really old pieces that I couldn't put a name to. Â It didn't start worrying me that we hadn't heard anything post-1950 yet.
And then the singing started. Â A customer had requested some old showtune or something and he was really just belting it out. Â He was then joined by a lady from the bar, who just happened to be a terrific soprano. Â By now I'm drinking heavily, wondering what all the sexagenarians are getting down with. Â Pretty soon every forty-something (year of birth, not age) was coming up and requesting these very old, but apparently still popular, tunes, and the entire room was singing along boisterously, hammered out of their Model Ts.
Meanwhile, my friend and I sat and watched, feeling immensely out of place and sort of trapped. Â The waitress was nowhere to be seen, and I was too afraid to walk up to the bar lest I be told to get off the lawn at gunpoint, or worse, swept up in whatever musical was going on at that time. Â The lights were dark and I could almost feel the color wash away from the scene in every sepia-tinged chorus. Â Sometimes we found the scene amusing, but mostly we were sort of bewildered.
In conclusion, the food here is decent, but younger folk may prefer another scene.
Had dinner at The Grille last night after buying a couple of groupons for a five-course dinner. (The restaurant happily accepted both groupons, though the rules on the Groupon site said that only one could be used per visit.)
Our reservations were for 7 p.m. but the weather/traffic was atrocious and my companion, coming to Old Town from Silver Spring, didn't make it until 8. I arrived about 7:10 and they were perfectly nice about it. I was seated me in the dining room, which actually is rather stodgy but pleasant enough. The staff were very gracious and understanding about my friend's delay in arriving and kept me happy with a nice Argentine Malbec, bread and butter while I waited. (Very nice, extensive  wine list with lots of reasonably priced glasses and bottles.)
Once my friend arrived, we started our five-course dinner as follows:
Amuse-bouche -- we each received a complementary bite of tuna sashimi on a teriyaki smear. Very nice.
Appetizer course -- yellowfin tuna sashimi (him) and gazpacho with crabmeat (me). Both were a good beginning. Not great, but good.
Second course --braised pork cheeks (him) and foie gras (me). The pork cheeks were yummy. The foie gras was horrible. It tasted like no one had remembered to even salt the dish, much less add any other kind of seasoning. Huge thumbs down!
Before the main course, the server brought out little spoons containing a citrus (and I think rosemary) sorbet as a palate cleanser. It tasted really good and I always appreciate those extra touches.
Main course -- progression of scallops (him) and pan-roasted duck breast (me). The scallops came prepared four ways -- a raw crudo, a cold smoked scallop with a meyer lemon gelee, a seared scallop with a sort of bacon cream, and a little casserole of coquilles St. Jacques. My friend liked them all, but literally got about four scallops for his main course, so he wasn't entirely won over, portion-wise. The duck was cooked beautifully medium-rare and served sliced (about six nice slices) on braised turnip greens with glazed baby turnips and a couple of glazed figs on the side. The black "dirty rice" that came with it had nothing in common with its Louisiana namesake and was not worth eating, but the duck and the other sides were wonderful so that entree got a big gold star from me.
The fourth course -- a cheese plate -- turned out to be a small slice of warm, melty something (probably brie) with a smear of peach or apricot puree. It actually worked well together and both of us liked it.
Dessert course -- Â goat cheese panna cotta with blueberry and peach accents for him and a coconut sampler for me that consisted of a two-bite "coconut cream pie," a macaroon, a martini glass of pina colada foam, and coconut sorbet. My friend and I both liked all of the coconut desserts, especially the macaroon and the sorbet. The goat cheese panna cotta, though, was strangely dry and not at all sweet. Didn't care for it.
I ordered coffee with dessert (this is a big test for me of how good a restaurant is), and they brought me my own little French press pot. The coffee was fresh and fantastic, so a big thumbs up for that.
The Grille gets a mixed review because the food was touch-and-go, but the service was impeccable and the hotel (Morrison House) is beautiful. Though we only passed through on the way to the dining room, the bar is very cute and cozy.
I probably wouldn't pay full price for a multi-course dinner here, but if another groupon comes along, I'll be tempted.
How I wanted to like you, Grille at the Morrison House. Â
So the gf and I just got home (it's 12AM) after dinner at the Morrison House...it's the Saturday before Valentine's Day. Â
We had reservations at 7:30PM via opentable for a Valentine's Day dinner. Â On <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fopentable.com&s=897c359bd752b4f5407d5ea86453c82be2d1913c8d0b51b18d81fc58f52a6497" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://opentable.com</a> I put in reservations for two, and simply asked for a "romantic table." Â When we got to the Grille, there was no hostess stand, which was a little unusual. Â I think a server saw our befuddled looks and said he'd help us in a moment (after returning a tray of dirty dishes to the kitchen). Â He came out quickly, and I told him about my reservations. Â
I was surprised when he looked us up in the computer, and offered us our choice of two tables - he recommended a table in the room with the bar, which was having a piano player (and later an open mike night) - but not any ordinary table, the lone booth. Â We opted for this rather than the stodgy dining room. Â
When we sat down, our server, Venetta (Bulgarian lady, amusingly nicknamed "Vendetta" in the restaurant ordering system. Â She greeted us in a friendly manner, and gave us the menus. Â We ordered a 6 course tasting menu ($75) and an extra appetizer, with everything shared between us. Â Though we didn't order alcohol and were sharing our meal, Venetta was incredibly friendly throughout the meal, always making us feel welcome and providing dual plates at every course in the meal for us to share easily (but then again, the meal for the two of us was almost $90, after tip $112). Â Venetta's service was far and away the best part of our experience at GMH. Â I just wish the kitchen had lived up to Venetta's exceptional service.
Our food, overall, was "meh." Â The culinary highlight was the duck dish, which was served with an accompaniment of tapioca pearls and foie gras. Â The duck was cooked well, and I really enjoyed the combination on the plate. Â In addition, I had a pork cheek (in a red wine sauce?) that I found pretty solid. Â However, the rest of the dishes where just okay. Â We started off with an oyster casino amuse bouche, duo soup dish and umami tuna dish, had the cheek, a "tasting of lobster" dish, the duck dish, a cheese plate, and the "PB&J" dish. Â I've eaten at a lot of comparable high-end restaurants, having lived in Las Vegas for two years and traveled everywhere, so I'm used to expecting a certain level of culinary excellence when a place has 6-course tasting menus for $75. Â Overall, I just wasn't impressed and that was very disappointing. Â But that wasn't the worst part - the worst part was that the dishes took forever to come out in between courses. Â Now, most high end experiences I've enjoyed, the dishes come out with a brief pause in between each dish; however by the end of the night, we were exhausted. Â Our dinner was 7:30PM, and we were on time. Â We left about 10:30PM. Â Venetta apologized for the lag when we asked her to bring out the final course as soon as she could (without waiting for us to finish our cheese plate). But she was always prompt with clearing off our table; to me, pretty clearly the kitchen was not hacking it tonight, speed wise or quality wise. Â I suspect this was because they had a special Valentine's Day menu that they were offering the day prior to Valentine's Day - maybe to shake out the back of house "bugs in the system." Â Unfortunately, these bugs derailed our meal experience.
To top it all off, since I got home, I got an 11:44PM email from <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fopentable.com&s=897c359bd752b4f5407d5ea86453c82be2d1913c8d0b51b18d81fc58f52a6497" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://opentable.com</a>; the restaurant canceled my reservation there, which was clearly fulfilled. Â Maybe they did it just to save some money (by avoiding paying opentable for the reservation)? Â
At the end of the day, would I go back? Â Sadly, probably not. Â The decor was pleasant (great seats), some of the open mic singing was pleasant (some awful) and the food was overall average for a restaurant in this price range. Â The value is just not there. Â I wish I could recommend this restaurant, but I just can't. Â If you must go, I would encourage you to ask for Venetta; she's fast, super friendly and warm, and will make your stay relatively less painful..
Inside this fantastic little hotel is a small, yet wonderful, restaurant. Â This isn't the typical Friday or Saturday night restaurant where you just wander in, because you're curious. Â It's a place where you want to celebrate something special at. Â Maybe your new job, your anniversary, you just got engaged and you want to be alone / take it all in. Â Whatever it is...enjoy it and realize that yes, it's expensive, lavish, but it's great with a sexy feel. Â Huh? Â Okay, just keep reading, will ya?
You're going to have a set menu and it's going to normally be a 4 - 7 course meal. Â However, your options are so tasteful, delicious and all around brilliant, that you're going to wish it were a 10 course meal, assuming you have the stomach for it.
The restaurant is small. Â The decor is beautiful and it's cozy. Â This place should be picked up, flown to Austria and dropped on the side of a mountain. Â Seriously, it's just missing about 2 feet of snow and some mountains. Â Yes, it has a warm fireplace already. Â So, come early, sit at the bar and order a nice martini, gin/vodka tonic or a warm cozy drink and relax while the piano plays.
Their are two sides to this beautiful little place. Â The Sssh leave us the hell alone Side and the Lets meet some people at the bar / hear some music side. Â What the aljfakfl does that mean? Â Okay, honestly, the second side I mentioned is better. Â There's a wonderful piano player and cute little bar. Â It's awesome! Â It's not the Clarendon Ballroom, folks. Â It's romantic. Â So, don't say - "DUDE, it's like...the size of my bedroom." Â It's not supposed to be big and loud. Â The bar can only hold about 12 people...and it's normally full. Â It's fun, it's simple and it's cozy. Â The piano player plays everything. Â It's not too loud, it's just the perfect volume. Â In this side of the restaurant there are about 12 tables. Â A fireplace. Â Lovely big red leather chairs, a few cozy booths and a few open tables. Â It's romantic, but not stuffy.
The other side, the Sssh, leave us alone side is a little more stuffy. Â It's not as sexy and fun. Â It's where you might want to sit if you just want to have a private night. Â It's just a little more quiet and well, older IMO. Â Regardless, the service and food are still brilliant. Â That does not change.
So, why 4 stars and not 5? Â Umm, because 5 is perfect and perfect is boring. Â Nothing is perfect. Â Not only that, but I'm sure someone is going to respond with the typical - "You know what, i've been here and it's not that fantastic." Â Â Well, to me, it is and I hope it is for you...should you check it out.
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