Good but not great

I really wanted to like Rasika more than I did. Some dishes are truly amazing (the black cod), but the service is so-so, the dining room is so loud and much of what I've eaten there falls far short of greatness. Maybe I ordered poorly, but the asparagus appetizer (all 4 tiny pieces of asparagus) and the banana avocado chaat were mediocre at best. The standard Indian dishes on the menu were no better than at my local Indian place but twice the price. The desserts were downright awful - a panna cotta that was so egg-y it could've been an omelet and a horrible apple doughnut that tasted like cardboard. Putting this on the same level as CityZen and Eve makes me question the critic's judgment.

Unbelievably rude

The staff at Rasika seem to think they are too good for their customers. The host couldn't be bothered to give me the time of day when I called to see how, then hung up on me midway through my question long the wait for a table was. I will not be giving them my business and have encouraged all my friends to do the same.

Most flavorful meal in all of DC!

My husband and I returned to Rasika again this weekend, and we had our best meal there yet! We decided to stray from some of our usual dishes and try some new flavors. Our adventure was certainly rewarded! The eggplant appetizer was the best dish, and a MUST HAVE for all diners at Rasika! The crispy spinach (my long-time favorite) lived up to memory. (Although this time I remembered to ask for no extra salt, because it's been too salty in the past.) We also tried the minced lamb appetizer, which was just as wonderful. Rasika has ruined us for any other Indian restaurants! Our only compaint is the host staff: always cold, never friendly. But once you sit down, the service is wonderful.

Is it getting lazy?

I have been to Rasika about 6-8 times since it opened and recently I feel like my experiences are getting worse. One night, with a late reservation, in the middle of our dinner service, when we asked for more bread we were told the kitchen closed. Then why make reservations so late? Again, a few days ago, I was having dinner with a party of 8. We were at the restaurant for over 3 hours -- and not by choice. The drinks seemed to be a course it itself, as it took nearly 20 minutes for our orders to be taken and another 20 for our wine to arrive. I always the food, but I wonder... have there been managerial changes?

Amazing

I have now been to Rasika 4 times and have never had something I didn't like. The crispy spinach and the biscuts with mango and chutney are divine. Everything is amazing there!!!!

Great people, food, and drink

I feel bad writing such a great review for a place that's already impossible to get a reservation. I booked 10 days ahead and could only get 9pm for a table (book early!!). I showed up about 20 mins early, but they couldn't seat us until 9:10-9:15 (completely understandable - 10-15s late isn't a big deal). The manager showed us to our table and immediately apologized for the delay and offered to bring us some appetizers on the house. That care and concern immediately impressed me - and all this without me complaining or asking for anything. The food is outstanding, and they have a great drink menu to book. It's not cheap, but it's a great value for dollar all around. A bit noisy, but nothing you wouldn't expect for any similar place in DC.