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202-347-8349
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1341 L St NW, Washington, District Of Columbia, USA, 20005
Offers a once-a-week fine dining pre-fixed, tasting menu of high-end raw food cuisine. While this weekly affair is raw-vegan, its catering menu also has meat dishes. Open Fri 6:00pm-9:00pm.
Category: Vegan, American, Raw, Western, Beer/Wine, Catering
Reviews (15)
First Review by mvanorman
Contributions +40
Amazing service, sommelier and elegant food. Worth it! - Edit
They out s lot of thought, time and care into each course. The endless basket of kale chips were amazing. Cocktails were delicious.
Contributions +24
unique - Edit
the food is unique. the atmosphere is beautiful. the service is excellent but the waiters do not really communicate with deaf patrons. really disappointed. the parking by the restaurant is expensive. The owners talked to other people but not to us. Too bad.
Pros: food, atmosphere
Cons: parking $$$$, no patience
Contributions +130
Uber fancy vegan - once in a lifetime - Edit
Only on a friday night and needs a reservation. 7 course tasting raw vegan meal. $75 per person - was a bit pricey. the food was amazing and delicious. Prepared with exquisite detail. I probably wouldn't go again - because out of my usual price range. but a wonderful experience
Contributions +62
Friday Night Set Menu - Edit
one of my top 2 favorite Raw Vegan meal -
Elizabeth has great health awareness and her chef - is beyond talented.
One of the courses - kelp caviar - not sure how he created balls - one of the best dishes.
Great staff all around -
Pros: Food presentation & taste, staff, raw & vegan
Cons: only friday nights - for now
Contributions +302
Keep striving for excellence! - Edit
I'd been reading for at least a couple years that Elizabeth's Gone Raw in Washington DC was on the US national 'bucket list' of best vegan restaurants - so I picked this relatively pricey place for a special birthday dinner splurge this year.
I loved many things about the restaurant. Great decor and attentive service for sure. On our prix fixe menu for this midsummer dinner, the cleverly named 'beet tartare' amuse was a spoon of deliciousness. Also great were the fennel soup; path valley's garden appetizer of academia mozzarella, peas, tomatoes, hazelnut crumble and dill creme; intermezzo of strawberry champagne sorbet; and dessert of vegan tiramisu.
Like other reviewers, I was somewhat disappointed by the main entree - rosemary corncakes whose sweet flavors seemed to clash with more than complement the basil sphere and sauces and oils with which they were served.
My biggest disappointment was that we couldn't get an answer regarding which of the many items on their wine list were vegan. Our server didn't know and referred us to the sommelier, who also didn't know. Surprising for an all-vegan fine dining establishment.
Pros: Decor, Attentive service, Most dishes excellent
Cons: Main entree just ok, Staff don't know which wines are vegan, Pricey
Contributions +126
Gourmet fancy foodie raw all-vegan! - Edit
I have been there twice for her Friday night dinners in the past few years. It's very pricey and fancy fixed price (something like $75 per person, plus $50 if you want wine). But it is sublimely excellent! (I am a little confused by the categorization. I always thought Elizabeth's Gone Raw is all-vegan. I would have rated it 5 stars but am only permitted 4 since it's technically not all-vegan)
Contributions +978
Spendy but worth it! - Edit
So glad I picked this restaurant for my birthday dinner. The elegant setting and intimate atmosphere were perfect for a special date night like ours. The staff was well-trained and professional; we never had to wait around for service or ask for anything. And did I mention the bottomless kale chips? They were awesome and kept our mouths busy between courses. The main event, though, was of course the fixed six-course dinner. Each dish was beautifully presented, showed great attention to detail, and most importantly—delicious. It was really quite a meal. If I had to nitpick, though, I would say that the main course was relatively weak in flavor compared to the previous ones. But, on the other hand, it was kind of refreshing to have something lighter and not so heavy and nut-rich. All in all, I came with high expectations, and I can say that they were exceeded!
Pros: delicious food, elegant setting, great service
Contributions +47
Luxurious and Elegant Raw Food Experience - Edit
Elizabeth has a way of making you feel special. She only serves on Fridays, and reservations are a must. You will dine in a low lit, high society atmosphere with a Victorian vibe. The food, I am happy to say, matches the quality of the decor. A price fix menu with specialty dishes is prepared for you, each dish brought promptly one after another and each as delicious. My family was there for an American themed dinner, with Caesar salad, meat loaf (nut loaf) and a decadent chocolate cake for dessert. And I have to mention the endless supply of rich and spicy kale chips the waiters deliver every few minutes. For a lovely dining experience and fine raw food combined, a night at Elizabeth's Gone Raw is an unforgettable experience for everyone in the family (including the meat eaters).
Pros: lovely atmosphere, delicious food, attentive servers
Cons: pricey, only open Fridays, fixed menu
Contributions +168
Wow! What a dining experience! - Edit
I was treated to Elizabeth's Gone Raw for my birthday dinner. It's definitely an occasion restaurant - very expensive, but you are made to feel as if it is.
First, we had a drink while we waited. I had an Apple beer and I think it was the best beer I have ever had. We were also given complementary kale chips, which in hindsight I shouldn't have eaten so many considering we were about to have a 6-course meal. The heavy nut cheese on the chips made them filling, but they were delicious!
The aperitif was by far the best - the first bite was an explosion in the mouth. Great way to start the meal!
The soup that came next was ok - it was a bit heavy on cucumber and I'm one of the few people in the world that doesn't care for cucumber.
The nut cheese plate was incredibly filling - they give you a pretty big sampling of the different "cheeses" and the homemade crackers were delicious. By this stage I was already full!
Next came a savory sorbet - apple celery which was unique, but tasty.
Then the entree - a raw papaya with paper and other fancy ingredients. This was probably the most underwhelming of the dishes. That was ok though, since I was already full.
The last was a coconut desert with buttercream. It was amazing.
The decor was beautiful (a la French Napoleon style) and the perfect date spot. I really enjoyed this experience and it will be a meal I will never forget. But probably will not repeat it twice.
Pros: Elegant and fancy vegan dining, Great presentation
Cons: Some hits, some misses
Contributions +3885
Good and raw - Edit
Elizabeth's Gone Raw has excellent potential, but I have to wonder if the fact that they are not a vegan institution for more than one night a week affects their ability to be better?
Having been to many raw vegan eateries, I have to disagree with this place being the best raw vegan eatery or the best in DC. It is the best in DC for elegant upscale vegan raw dining, but, then again, there is zero competition for elegant upscale vegan raw dining in the DC metro area. It is good, though.
The ambiance is nice and cozy- great for a romantic dinner or to just get away from the insanity of many eateries in the DC area on a Friday evening.
The reviews are clearly in favor of the staff, as am I. Very informed, helpful and cheerful. Very polite, professional and polished.
The food, however, was not as good as I had hoped it to be after having read reviews. Considering the price point, I expected more. It was incredible to have 6 courses and kale, though, I must say. The volume and quantity were impressively filling for all in this 6-course prix fix.
Allow me to be frank though.
The kale chips were good in texture and flavor, except, they were very salty and smothered any kale flavor with a vegan cheesiness that I would have preferred to dilute.
The consommé was delicious - a tomato and red pepper base served in an elegant small aperitif glass. Simple but great for the amuse.
The salmon mousse was also quite good -a cashew base with some soy and many other elements to bring a smokiness to raw food. The crackers were quite nice - not too seedy or crunchy.
The sticky ribs had a good bbq flavoring to the nut assortment blended and attached to the lemongrass bone sitting atop a celeriac slaw. However, it was mostly nuts - so, I am not sure, at this point, how one could say the food was not heavy. 2 of the 3 were already nut based.
Next was a nice sorbet to cleanse the palate. Very fresh with the celery and apple in a green tint.
The entree, however, I have to say was not up to expectations. The trumpet mushroom scallops were too tough and the flavor just not quite right. The yuzu and grapefruit were interesting choices with sprouted quinoa, but there just wasn't enough continuity in flavor or texture for me to find this course satisfying.
The parsnip chamomile flan (nut base!!) in champagne and elderberry was hit or miss. While I enjoyed it, it was a very particular flavor not appreciated by all.
Let's support veganism - EGR can be better!
Pros: 100% vegan, Raw, Creative
Cons: Only open Fridays, Only vegan on Fridays, Prix Fix shuts out some diners
Contributions +35
Best Vegan Food in the DC area - Edit
Every vegan in the DC area knows this is the best vegan food you can get, raw or otherwise, but it is very expensive. They are usually only open on Friday nights, and the menu changes every week, including the drinks. Sometimes they are open on Thursday nights with a small-plates selection and happy-hour drinks.
Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Service
Cons: No non-raw options, Expensive, Prixe fixe dinner is too much food
1 Response
beetsrock 13 Sep 2013 - I tried the Thursday Happy Hour you mentioned and it was a good alternative to the Friday night fixed menu because I got to enjoy some delicious raw dishes for a lot less $$. Phil the mixologist is a gem. The only downside was that my favorite kale chips were being saved for Friday night.
Contributions +106
Decadent Dining - Edit
I have dined at Elizabeth's Gone Raw three times and each occasion has been such a pleasure! It is the only fine dining vegan restaurant that I have found in DC. The menu is fresh and creative, the ambience is cozy and upscale, and the wait staff are knowledgeable about the food and professional (example: plates are left on the table until everyone is finished eating). It is also good for conversation because it is not too loud. The upscale price is the only thing keeping me from eating there every Friday -- it is a special occasion place for me.
Contributions +13
Mmmm, a great raw splurge - Edit
Excellent and interesting food. The melon "ceviche" was outstanding, and I loved the date-laced dessert. Worth it for a special occassion - up there with service equal to the best restaurants in town.
Pros: Vegan & raw, Innovative
Cons: Expensive (very) but worth it
Contributions +14
A Raw Dining Mecca in DC - Edit
In a city with very few raw dining options, Elizabeth's Gone Raw is a breath of fresh air. This elegant and ornate restaurant, nestled into a local townhouse, serves a pre-fix, five course menu each Friday night. Unlike many raw eateries, which offer foods that are laden in nuts and oil, the food at Elizabeth's is light, bright, and delicately flavored. Kale chips await diners (and they're some of the best kale chips I've ever had) by the bowl, and wine pairings are available.
Desserts at the restaurant will make any omnivore, vegan, or raw eater swoon.
In short, EGR is one of DC's most unique dining experiences. I can't recommend it more highly!
Pros: Excellent food, Health conscious, Ambiance
Cons: On the pricy side
Contributions +9
Upscale, elegant, special treat - Edit
Elizabeth's Gone Raw is fabulous addition to the vegan dining scene in DC! Each menu is creative, delicious, and beautifully presented. The staff is clearly passionate about raw foods and prepare elegant creations on par with the upscale raw restaurants in New York and San Francisco. Every meal I've had there has been divine-- and the kale chips alone are worth the trip!! It's a splurge, but definitely worth it!
Pros: delicious, beautiful presentation, the only great raw option in DC
Cons: prefixe menu can be limiting, not open every weekend
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