“Start early, finish late …” Welcome to Policy Restaurant and Lounge Our idea for Policy, is to be the first and final stop of the evening.
One of DC’s hottest Restaurant and Lounge, located in the vibrant U Street neighborhood, this upscale diner motif like main floor, Love Dining Room and the airy second floor, the Liberty Lounge, this space extends the sentiment of being free and savvy. Decorated with brilliant chandeliers and art work by Andrew funk and Drew Nussbaum, Policy offers two levels of charm and class in a hip and inviting environment.
The restaurant provides an intimate feel not only for couples but for a group of people catching up. We’ve taken Global Flavors and infused them with American cuisine adding a unique spin.
"The food was amazing (the beignets were delicious - crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, served with a wonderful creme anglaise that was not too sweet; the breakfast skillet was well seasoned without being over-seasoned, the truffle mayonnaise and arugula were a great balance on the breakfast sandwich sliders), the french press coffee and loose-leaf tea were to die for (smooth, flavorful, not bitter), the mimosas were strong, and the bloody mary's (homemade mix) had a delicious kick and were not too thick. Our waitress was fabulous, familiar, but she gave us space. Awesome brunch!"
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: great for brunch, special occasion
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Enjoyed our recent dinner at Policy. Very interesting, well-prepared and for the most part, delicious food. The green papaya salad, mussels and short ribs were wonderful. The sauce (cream, broth and Andouille sausage) with the mussels needed more good bread for mopping up, which our server graciously provided. The short ribs -- what can I say----yummmmmy. The fried brie and peach salad and the crab cakes were good but not outstanding. The beignets were a nice finish to the meal with the fantastic French press coffee. The wines recommended by the server were perfect with the food. Just a little disconnect between the overall very nice dining experience and the atmosphere -- sports bar/retro/hip with rap music."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Our party had a most enjoyable evening at Policy. The food was excellent; the service superb. Glad we had a reservation on the early side, as it did become noisier as the evening progressed."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Service was dismal and it wasn't as if the restaurant was crowded. Waited for 30 minutes for food and no one ever checked on us during the wait. When the food did come it was partially cold and had clearly been sitting around. Again- no one checked on us to see if we wanted/needed anything else. We actually had to get up and go to the bar to ask for our check. There are too many places in DC to have a good brunch so Policy either needs to step up it's game or not do brunch."
Dined on 5/05/2013
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"When we finally arrived to the restaurant after spending 1/2 hr looking for parking we had a great time. The drinks were a heavy on the cranberry, so we switch to wine, and the food was excellent. However when looking for a restaurant to celebrate my boy friend's birthday, one of my requirements was that I needed valet parking. I knew it would be in DC because of another event we had reservations for afterwards, So I selected Policy because Policy advertised, Valet and Street parking. To our surprise, they do NOT OFFER Valet parking so we drove around for 1/2 hr to locate parking. My one complaint is that they need to update their website to indicate STREET PARKING ONLY."
Dined on 04/20/2013
2009
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Food was lackluster but service was friendly and attentive even though our waitress had a large (and obnoxious) party to take care of as well. We had scallops, short ribs, brussels sprouts, and fries. None were outstanding but some were okay."
Dined on 04/19/2013
2011
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"The food was very good. I even liked the Brussels sprouts. The waiter was courteous and knowledgeable about portion sizes and food on the menu. The only issue was that my friend twice ordered a drink special and each time the waiter had to come back and let him know it was out that night."
Dined on 04/18/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I went to Policy for brunch with some friends. It was okay, but disappointing compared to other establishments in DC - overpriced and the food was unimpressive. Their bloody marys were pretty bad, so I'd recommend the mimosa if you're going for bottomless brunch drinks. I like to my bloody marys spicy, so I like to add hot sauce if they're mild. I had to ask for hot sauce every time they brought a new drink, because they kept giving me a tiny amount in a carafe served on a doily. I guess they were trying to be fancy, but it was just silly and annoying. The server was nice and helpful. Still, you'd be much better off choosing another restaurant for Sunday brunch like the Getaway, Tap & Parlour or the Mad Hatter."
Dined on 04/14/2013
2007
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Went on a Thursday night and the chef special of herb crusted chicken with mashed potatoes was like eating in a 4 star restaurant. Highly recommended."
Dined on 03/28/2013
2006
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, neighborhood gem, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Excellent service night we were there- see if you can get the window seat! Food was tasty & brought quickly. Sliders, green beans, zeppoles were favorites. Drinks pricey but good. After dinner to go to the lounge upstairs- music & dancing."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2009
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"This experience was extremely disappointing. We went for brunch and purchased the bottomless mimosa and bottomless bloody mary. Impossible to get refills. The bloody mary was watery and odd tasting. My tuna tartare was okay. My companion only ate half of her crabs benedict. Couldn't even complain to the waitress because she was literally RUNNING around the restaurant. I have been here for happy hour and was quite pleased with that experience. I don't know if there is new management, or just poor brunch management. If they were having trouble with getting brunch service done, they should have stopped seating people."
Dined on 03/24/2013
2006
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"The servers were apparently very busy I had to wait a long time between when I requested beverages and when I received them. The waiters misrepresented the portion size."
Dined on 03/02/2013
2012
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Food was great, chill atmosphere, open, and bright. I had a nice time...and the bottomless mimosas at brunch were so yummy! I didn't like how the kitchen closed after brunch at 2:30pm, though. I went on a Sunday afternoon."
Dined on 03/03/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, neighborhood gem, great for lunch, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Consistently good, reasonably priced small plates - especially delicious, buttery scallops and short ribs! Strong beer menu too. We were a larger group but most tables were Saturday night dates. Fun, trendy atmosphere and overall a great neighborhood haunt."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2007
Special Features: neighborhood gem, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Good food and service, but -- with a metal ceiling, hard walls, wood floor and bar right nest to the tables -- it was so loud we could not hear ourselves think. You HAVE to put some noise dampening material on the walls otherwise turn it in to a nightclub and forgo the food (which was good)."
Dined on 02/13/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Second time here only because I was impressed by the mussels and the service. This may be my last time...the mussels were cold and lacked the flavor from the sausage and broth they were served in. The chicken took forever to come out and were sitting on mashed potatoes that were cold. Service was delayed, and it wasn't crowded! Environment is great for a first impression and continues to be welcoming."
Dined on 02/07/2013
2009
Special Features: neighborhood gem
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Nice place for small or large groups. While we were having dinner, there was a private party, but we did not know until we were at the front door. Service time was good. CA"
Dined on 02/02/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"The food was outstanding. The service on the other hand was lacking. It was to the point in which I had to get up from my table and ask the bartender if our table had a server. We finally ordered after being seated for 45 minutes or so. Additionally, my friend's meal was incorrect and all her courses came out at the end of the meal."
Dined on 02/07/2013
2006
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I went here with a friend for restaurant week, and the food was good, but not great. We really enjoyed our server, and the music was a 90s Pandora station, so we had a really good time at dinner. I was just hoping for a little more from the meal. Nothing was really bad, but I felt like the dishes all fell just a bit short of being really good. I will probably come back here, though, because it's a pretty good place with a nice beer list (not as many on draft, but a really nice bottle list), a good atmosphere, fun service, and good music."
Dined on 02/05/2013
2007
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"The only complaint I had was that I ordered tea with dessert and it never came. Otherwise the experience overall was great! Amazing food, esp the hummus, lamb sliders and the donuts!"
Dined on 02/08/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Went for the restaurant week special. The food came out quickly, the wine was good, and the service adequate. The only issue was the strange lighting on the table and the slight waft of beer smell from the bar. Overall, a good experience and I would go back, but not right away considering all the other gems in the neighborhood."
Dined on 02/06/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, notable wine list, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I never write restaurant reviews on OpenTable, but I wanted to share my great experience at Policy. Good portions. Our waiter recommended we order 2-3 dishes per person, since the dishes are tapas-style. We followed his instructions and ended up have way too much food. Even though it's tapas-style, the portions are generous. Great flavor combinations too. Reasonably priced. Good service. Our waiter took our order within the first ten minutes, but staggered our plates, so that we could enjoy each dish. I didn't feel rushed at all."
Dined on 02/01/2013
2010
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Y friend was here visiting from Las Vegas. We had a great time."
Dined on 01/30/2013
2003
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, late-night find, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Sizable small plate portions, interesting interpretation of some classics (big hit or big miss), excellent drinks. Fries are top shelf. Enjoyed the brisket sliders topped with a quail egg. Too loud for dinner conversation, even at just 7:30 pm."
Dined on 01/26/2013
2005
Special Features: vibrant bar scene
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I cannot remember my server's name however she was amazing. Also the matre'd was very warm and inviting. I will definitely come back and refer the guest at my hotel there."
Dined on 01/12/2013
2012
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Policy is probably best for a younger crowd looking for a vibrant place to hang out and not for foodies looking for a romantic dinner date. The environment is loud and bustling and the service staff young and friendly. The small plates were fine but uninventive though the deal breaker was when all 5 plates we ordered arrived within 10 minutes of us placing the order. Forget ordering some wine to accompany the meal, we barely had time for a few sips of our unfortunately really terrible cocktails. It felt incredibly rushed. Cocktail enthusiasts should also beware as their offerings sound exciting but don't deliver. My Moro Sidecar tasted like watered down black licorice and my partner's Fuego was a pedestrian margarita."
Dined on 01/25/2013
2004
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, great for lunch, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Policy is a fun restaurant and bar with small plates of excellent taste. It's a bit noisy for a romantic date-night, but has a great energy for hanging out with friends."
Dined on 01/25/2013
2009
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"We dined on a Friday night at 8:00 and the food (small plates) was consistently excellent. The duck spring rolls in particular were delicious. Our waiter was quite good as well but we were seated near the bar and the ambient noise was overpowering at times, making dinner conversation quite a challenge. As much as we loved the food, we will only return if we can negoatiate an earlier or perhaps mid-week time when the singles bar scene and its attendant noise is not the apparent focus."
Dined on 01/18/2013
2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.