Chef Morou, of the Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America fame, revives his first restaurant, Farrah Olivia (A Washingtonian Top 100 Restaurant in both 2007 & 2008) inside of his Mediterranean bistro, Kora. Enjoy fine dining cuisine at moderate prices in an elegant, and stylish private tasting room that seats 40.

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35 Current Reviews

Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews

Overall

(Very Good) 3.9 / 5

(35 Reviews)

Rating Breakdown 35 reviews

5 stars

(12)

4 stars

(12)

3 stars

(7)

2 stars

(4)

1 star

(0)

Food

(Outstanding) 4.1 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 3.2 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

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Diners classify this restaurant as:

fit for foodies(23)
special occasion(18)
romantic(9)

neighborhood gem(5)
notable wine list(3)
good for groups(1)

Farrah Olivia Reviews List

Review 1 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

Food was awesome. The tasting

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 04/05/2013

2012

Dined on 04/05/2013

2012

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Poor) 1 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"Food was awesome. The tasting was maybe a little too expensive. The service was excellent. The noise was ridiculous! They need to install some sound dampening material, otherwise the noise from Kora just reverberates off the walls..."

Dined on 04/05/2013

2012

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Review 2 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Farrah Olivia actually exist

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/23/2013

2008

Dined on 03/23/2013

2008

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Farrah Olivia actually exist in a small private room inside Kora, which can be jarring when the next table over is ordering pizza and talking loudly and you're looking at a gorgeous tasting menu and feeling fancy, but all of the food was DELICIOUS. Definitely one of the top five meals of my life -- don't miss the lobster chowder reduction and the flourless chocolate cake and make sure you take someone with you who will share their divers scallop and salmon with you."

Dined on 03/23/2013

2008

Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion

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Review 3 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Visiting from Boston and had

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/16/2013

2010

Dined on 03/16/2013

2010

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Visiting from Boston and had good reviews--so we went. A bit surprised that this was a "private room" inside of another restaurant. But we enjoyed that experience---and we certainly enjoyed the food, the service and the flexibility of having a nice long dinner with old friends without being pushed out. I would come back here. We all did the four course price fixe menu----"

Dined on 03/16/2013

2010

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Review 4 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

All the great food photos

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/14/2013

2010

Dined on 03/14/2013

2010

Food

(Fair) 2 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"All the great food photos in the world are meaningless unless you can produce decent stuff in the kitchen. Even great ingredients won't amount to much unless the chefs pay attention to things like cooking times, texture and salt. Without that kind of attention to detail, there's moments when the product of this place smacks of "kids in the kitchen."
Look...it's OK...not all bad and with a few decent moments and tastes. But it's nothing I'd go back for or recommend to others."

Dined on 03/14/2013

2010

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Review 5 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

What an amazing extravaganza

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/02/2013

2007

Dined on 03/02/2013

2007

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"What an amazing extravaganza for all your senses. Incredible combinations of tastes. Exquisite presentation."

Dined on 03/02/2013

2007

Special Features: fit for foodies, late-night find, romantic, special occasion

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Review 6 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Fair) 2 / 5

The noise from the bar area

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 03/01/2013

2004

Dined on 03/01/2013

2004

Food

(Good) 3 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"The noise from the bar area was unacceptably high."

Dined on 03/01/2013

2004

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Review 7 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Both the food and service

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/22/2013

2003

Dined on 02/22/2013

2003

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Both the food and service were outstanding."

Dined on 02/22/2013

2003

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

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Review 8 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Wonderful experience. Attentive

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/22/2013

2012

Dined on 02/22/2013

2012

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Wonderful experience. Attentive and knowledgeable service with attractive presentation of the courses. Beet salad was an interesting flavor combination. I had the quail and my husband had the steak -- I think I had the best choice! The scallop and risotto was also quite good. I have already been recommending it."

Dined on 02/22/2013

2012

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

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Review 9 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Food is fabulous. It is a

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/21/2013

2007

Dined on 02/21/2013

2007

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

"Food is fabulous. It is a hidden gem!"

Dined on 02/21/2013

2007

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion

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Review 10 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

Great food, long wait

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/14/2013

2007

Dined on 02/14/2013

2007

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Fair) 2 / 5

Ambiance

(Poor) 1 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Farrah Olivia sits inside a windowless private dining room inside another restaurant by the same chef.

The food is fantastic even if the atmosphere is weird. However, because the two restaurants share a kitchen, if either is crowded, service takes forever. We ordered the five course tasting menu - which is always going to make for a long dinner - but it took 35 minutes before we received the first course and another 30-40 minutes until the second course."

Dined on 02/14/2013

2007

Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion

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Review 11 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Lovely and intimate

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/09/2013

2005

Dined on 02/09/2013

2005

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Noise Level

Quiet

"Farrah Olivia is a small dining room within Kora in Crystal City. Signage a bit confusing. Each dish was beautifully presented and prepared with perfect portion sizes in the 3 course meal. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu choices and we ordered a wine pairing option which made things so much easier for us. Pacing was great and the room was not too noisy for us to have a conversation while eating. A wonderful and memorable evening - classy, but not ostentatious; vibrant, but not too noisy, and wonderful food. Who could ask for more?"

Dined on 02/09/2013

2005

Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion

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Review 12 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

The food is quite hit or miss.

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/06/2013

2004

Dined on 02/06/2013

2004

Food

(Good) 3 / 5

Service

(Poor) 1 / 5

Ambiance

(Good) 3 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"The food is quite hit or miss. I came for restaurant week and while my husband got a really great entree (hanger steak), I was really disappointed with the main dish I ordered: the stuffed chicken breast. It was a bland, uninspired version of chicken cordon bleu, which is really surprising for a place that boasts of creativity. While the appetizers were good, the desserts were also terrible. The meal ended horribly with uninspired, thoughtless pieces of cake that could have come from the supermarket. Lastly, we had TERRIBLE service. We weren't told what was being put in front of us half the time, they kept pouring the wrong drinks into our glasses, and we were charged for a drink that we didn't order!"

Dined on 02/06/2013

2004

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Review 13 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Good) 3 / 5

Wait staff are astounding!

Top 1000 contributor

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/09/2013

2012

Dined on 02/09/2013

2012

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Inside of Kora, the decor may leave a lot to be desired but the food is delicious. The wait staff is knowledgeable and will take their time explaining unfamiliar vocabulary on the menu and walk you through how each dish is prepared. I was extremely impressed with the acute attention to detail. The food was prepared by someone who is well seasoned in the industry. They dark decor or the room left a lot to be desired."

Dined on 02/09/2013

2012

Special Features: special occasion

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Review 14 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

The painted soup had all the

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/07/2013

2006

Dined on 02/07/2013

2006

Food

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"The painted soup had all the hallmarks of a culinary masterpiece--wonderful presentation, well-orchestrated flavors, AND "love from the kitchen" in every spoonful! It was the perfect prelude to a memorable dining experience. Enzo, our waiter, provided five star service throughout the evening!"

Dined on 02/07/2013

2006

Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion

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Review 15 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Girlfriend and I ate an early

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/08/2013

2006

Dined on 02/08/2013

2006

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Energetic

"Girlfriend and I ate an early dinner (5:30 pm) on a Friday. Beet salad was creative and good. Gnudi was kind of a "deconstructed ravioli" gently fried-- taste was good, if a bit bland and dry (I'm not one for adding sauces to everything, but the gnudi could use a sauce of some kind). The lamp chop was excellent. Presentation was excellent.

Service was excellent, very knowledgeable waiter (unasked, he brought us two plates to share the salad).

Decor is generic-- it really is a box in the back of Kora. The two doors to the room lead into the noisy bar area. When the doors are shut, it's fine back there; when they're open, it's very loud. If I were the owners, I'd look into replacing the doors with swinging doors that stay shut."

Dined on 02/08/2013

2006

Special Features: fit for foodies

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Review 16 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Hidden inside Kora is a square

OpenTable Diner Since

Dined on 02/04/2013

2011

Dined on 02/04/2013

2011

Food

(Very Good) 4 / 5

Service

(Outstanding) 5 / 5

Ambiance

(Fair) 2 / 5

Noise Level

Moderate

"Hidden inside Kora is a square room. That is Farrah Olivia. Inventive way of preparing food while playing with gastronomy. The standard of food doesn't match the ambience of Farrah. It was very high ceilings with a giant curtain wall with stickers/wall decals on the wall. Not very contemporary like how the food is presented. The service was wonderful and the knowledgable staff was attentive."

Dined on 02/04/2013

2011

Special Features: fit for foodies

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Review 17 for Farrah Olivia

Overall rating

(Very Good) 4 / 5