About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Zola closed on June 30, 2012

Zola is a popular restaurant and bar in Washington, DC's Penn Quarter neighborhood serving innovative American cuisine. The restaurant has a great location next door to the International Spy Museum and convenient to the Verizon Center, Chinatown and the Washington Convention Center.

Pros

• creative menu, great food and elegant presentation
• convenient location, near many Washington, DC attractions

• reasonable prices
• nice selection of wines
• friendly service

Cons

• limited parking - valet $12
• a la carte menu in not available in full dining room (limited to the front section and in the bar)

Description

• Address: 800 F Street NW, Washington, DC
• Phone: (202) 654-0999
• Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30am-11pm, Friday 11:30am-Midnight, Saturday 5pm-Midnight, Sunday 5–9pm
• Prices: Bar Room Menu: $11-$29, Tasting Menu $55 for 3 courses, $69 for 5 courses
• Reservations are recommended
• Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown

Guide Review - Zola Restaurant Review - Washington, DC

Zola is a popular restaurant and bar in Washington, DC's Penn Quarter serving innovative American cuisine. The restaurant recently introduced a duel menu concept, a new wine and beer program and a stylized cocktail menu. The new menus offer a variety of interesting dishes and beverages.

The Modern American Menu, available in the Bar Room (the front seating section of the restaurant) and in the bar, features locally sourced meats, fresh fish and vegetables.

Examples include starters such as Oxtail Ravioli with butternut squash sauce and marrow emulsion, Shrimp Noodle Soup with tender shrimp, house-made saffron elbows parsnips, celery root and shallot, to mains such as Game Hen with hedge hog mushroom-barley compote, pearl onions, tarragon suds with a sherry glaze) and Pork Loin with coriander crust, house-cured bacon and aged jack cheese potato cake.

The Chef’s Tasting Menu, available only in the Zola interior dining room, showcases sustainable, seasonal ingredients, prepared in a modern American menu comprised of vegetable, fish and meat offerings including dishes such as Rutabaga Soup with gorgonzola, pearl onions, port gelée and chervil crackers; Goat Ricotta Dumplings with sautéed Swiss chard, textures of red beets and amaranth grain crisps; Albacore “TLT” with preserved green tomatoes, charred romaine, clam-olive oil mousse, and brioche; Sablefish served with short rib and scallion fried rice and pomegranate glaze, and Roasted Quail Breast with duck sausage stuffed leg, polenta and plum aigre doux. Three and five-course menus are available.

We enjoyed a three-course tasting menu and sampled each dish. Everything was perfectly prepared and presented. We especially enjoyed the Goat Ricotta Dumplings, Sea Scallop (appetizer), Sablefish (entrée) and the soft gingerbread cake hazelnut ice cream. The sommelier did a great job of pairing wines with each course.

Located in the vintage Le Droit building, Zola's interior is rich with modern style. The layout is spacious and the restaurant and bar can accommodate up to 175 people. There is a private dining room overlooking the National Portrait Gallery, with seating for 40 guests. Zola also offers private event facilities at the International Spy Museum, featuring loft space to seat 150.

Reviewed in December 2010 - Prices are subject to change

_{As is common in the industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary meal for the purpose of the review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.}