Rose’s has always been a cornerstone of the DC fine dining community since they opened, and this visit, having been many times over the years, felt very on brand for them. High creativity, big swings, some hits, and a few misses. When Rose’s works, it really works. When it doesn’t, the contrast is noticeable.
Overall I’d give this meal a 7 out of 10. The standout dishes still justify the hype, but inconsistency across the menu keeps it from being a top tier experience every visit. Having also gone with friends several times, the portion sizes here for a family style meal to share continue to frustrate me as it’s never enough for 4 people to truly share.
What worked well
The hits were genuinely strong and reminded me why Rose’s has stayed relevant for so long.
The Pork and Lychee Salad is still the one and only. Sweet, savory, funky, and balanced in a way that feels effortless. This remains a signature for a reason.
The Super Charred Cabbage with sauce champagne and parmesan was excellent. Deeply caramelized, rich, and satisfying without feeling heavy.
The Tuna Tartare Stuffed Inside an Avocado delivered exactly what you want from this dish. Fresh tuna, creamy avocado, crunch from the tortilla chips, and a bright pop from the passionfruit. It was unfortunate they only served one for a table of 4 to share.
On the pasta side, the Italian Beef Sandwich Pasta was playful and comforting, clearly inspired by The Bear but executed thoughtfully. A fun dish that mostly works and fits the restaurant’s personality.
The Adults Kids meal, a wagyu beef burger served with truffles (only 15 available per night) was absolutely delicious and I go back just for this time and again. 15/10 it’s amazing.
Desserts were the strongest part of the meal.
The Scott’s Coconut Tres Leches Cake was rich yet surprisingly light and easily the best dessert of the night.
The Mole Negro Sticky Toffee Pudding with horchata ice cream was also a standout, deep, warm, and well balanced.
Where it fell short
This is where Rose’s can be frustrating. The misses were noticeable.
The Deep Fried Pork, despite the menu description promising crispy and juicy, was dry and underwhelming. The sauces did not save it, and for a shared centerpiece dish, it really should have been better.
The Miso Glazed Cod, which references Nobu and Robuchon, lacked the depth and flavor you’d expect from that kind of comparison. It was fine, but flat, especially given how iconic those inspirations are.
This is the recurring issue with Rose’s. They introduce ambitious, conceptual dishes that do not always land, and when those misses are on the larger shared plates, they carry more weight.
Final thoughts
Rose’s Luxury is still a restaurant I enjoy going to, but it continues to be a bit of a gamble. The highs are high, and the standouts often make up for the misses, but consistency remains the gap hbetween Rose’s and the very best fine dining experiences in DC.
If you lean into the known winners and trust the desserts, you’ll likely have a good night. Just be prepared that not every dish will hit.
Overall rating: 7/10
by Capital-Priority-463
9 Comments
The pasta dish at pic 4 looks beautiful.
Sticky toffee pudding being on contemporary fine dining menus makes me very happy as a brit. This particular iteration looks superb.
Totally agreed. I went here recently for the first time, and the meal started out amazing with the Pork and Lychee salad but the pork entree was so mediocre it put a damper on the whole meal. No idea how a restaurant of this quality puts that on the menu. I could legitimately make it better and I’m a terrible cook
I hate to say this but Rose’s was just about the perfect restaurant until a few years ago when they decided to go to their very weird pseudo prix fixe.
I much preferred when you could show up in line, choose a seating, and then pick à la carte from whatever felt interesting. Now they have a coursed menu where you can only select one item from each course. And some of them are family style so you have to pick to share. What if I want both of those first course options? What if I don’t want a giant Texas brisket platter but my dining companion does?
Still my favorite experience. I think Roses absolutely slays with everything BUT the main, and i’m ok with it because at the end of the day, i’m too full anyways to care. When they had the Camp Fish or the Short Rib as their mains, they were undeniably one of the best means from start to finish.
Agree with a lot of your comments but I absolutely loved the miso cod. The deliciousness and softness of the fish mixed with the buttery heaven mashed potatoes was super rich and delicious. I still dream of this dish.
Haven’t been in years, but their desserts were always memorable. Glad they’re still killing it in that department, and that pudding sounds like an instant order from us.
We went here the night of our court house wedding and had an excellent experience. Just from the one menu I agree that they kind of gamble and some of the dishes won’t hit for everyone’s tastes.
That night they had tteokbokki à la vodka which we loved, but both the couples next to us were put off by the texture.
Is that burger a copy of the the popular Japanese burger shop