Gravitas

Gravitas and its sister restaurant, The Conservatory (on the rooftop) are both excellent and I believe you can’t go wrong with either one. Gravitas has an incredible tasting menu and Conservatory has some of the most delicious food I’ve had in a long time. Their sommelier, Angelo, is also amazing. Would recommend!!

Gravitas is a wonderful 1 Michelin star restaurant, complemented by an incredible seating area, good service, and decent food. We visited Gravitas during restaurant week, and selected their 3-course menu. Right from the start, the hosts were kind and welcoming. They showed us to our table. It took some time for the waiter to appear; however, no big deal. He was very professional and polite. After selecting a few drinks and the menu, we got the bread. It was well made. Nothing out of the ordinary but we were happy. The heirloom tomato appetizer was a better option than the Thai-inspired shrimp dish. It’s delicious basil oil worked perfectly and the tomato appetizer looked beautiful. The shrimp was a bit too raw for my liking and there wasn’t enough sauce. Yet, it had merit. The mains were a bit disappointing. I have yet to find a good DC Michelin starred restaurant that serves incredible mains. The roasted chicken was stew-esque. Their supplemental wagyu was unbelievably tough. I could barely slice it with my knife. Felt a bit like a rip off - never tasted such terrible wagyu (not for its flavor but for its lacking tenderness). Otherwise, their wagyu dish had some positives: I loved the panisse and you can’t go wrong with chanterelles. I wish their sauce didn’t look like grey mush, but it was tasty nonetheless. Overall, there was no uniformity in the dish - a bit of flavor shopping by combining ingredients that did not unite into a single, meaningful dish. The desserts were great though! We thoroughly enjoyed their coconut-chocolate mousse and peaches and cream. I forget the name of our cocktail but it was also an incredible choice. Overall, Gravitas fell short of expectations on some key dishes. However, the flavors were good, service was on point, and the dining room was gorgeous.

There's a parking garage right down the street. Am interesting building and not what I would expect but it was quiet and relaxing. We were led in and my cousin and I sat together on a comfortable cushioned bench near the kitchen. We opted for the 6 course meal for $185/person. My choices were the Rabbit Strozzapreti, the Tasting of Lamb, and Pimm's No. 1401. My cousin chose the Osetra Caviar for the extra $65 and the Pan Seared Dorade. Most of the courses were interesting but I can't say that I loved it all. The Hamachi and Waygu was probably my favorite. The Lobster was also very well done. While I liked the Rabbit Strozzapreti, it was a little too salty for my liking. My cousins Osetra Caviar was delicious but the Brown Butter Chive Croissant was a little too dense for my liking. It was difficult to cut through or eat for us. I did really like the Dorade and the Lamb. The Skin on the Dorade was perfect. I got a delicious birthday dessert but the Pimm's No 1401 was a bit of a let down. The palate cleanser with the Strawberry ice cream was so good. Something about the final dessert just didn't all go well together for me. I was definitely full by the end of it. Service was mostly great, sometimes it took a little longer than usual for them to clear our plates. They have a full bar, a 4 course tasting menu option and selected cheese and Caviar service as well. Friendly staff overall and I did like the ambiance.

We had a great experience for our anniversary! Four course tasting was excellent. Presentation of each dish was well orchestrated.

This place still weirdly seems to be somewhat of a hidden gem. Chef Matt Baker is turning out an AMAZING tasting menu with his team. The wine pairings are delicious and well suited. For the money ($165 for what ends up as 6 courses) it’s ridiculously reasonable given the quality, flavor, and sheer artistic genius. And the music? I’ve never been in a restaurant this “fancy” and sang and danced in my chair. I love love love Gravitas!