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1739 N St. NW
(202) 331-8528
Hours of Operation and Prices
Breakfast: M-F 7-10, Sat-Sun 8-10; Entrees: $2.50-$7.50
Lunch: M-F 11:30-2:30; Entrees: $8.50-$14
Dinner: Sun-M 6-10, T-Sat 6-10:30; Entrees: $14-$23
Brunch: Sat-Sun 11-2:30; Entrees: $8.75-$10.50
Other Information
• MasterCard, TM, Visa
• Reservations recommended
• Dress: casual
• Street parking
• Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle
• Handicapped Accessible
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Since it is perennially one of the most charming restaurants in town, the Tabard Inn gets a lot of leeway from those of us who have loved it over the years. Its walled garden is peaceful, the sofas and fireplaces in the anteroom are inviting, and the dining room itself - with its kind of '60s church-pew-and-flea-market conglomeration of furnishings - is endearing. Still more: Tabard Inn grows some of its own vegetables and herbs, and serves its own potato and other vegetable chips, obviously maintaining a commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients.
On the other hand, it changes chefs from time to time, and the cooking is erratic. Prices are high, and lately they haven't been warranted. For nine months the Tabard Inn ran without any executive chef, trying a co-op kitchen structure. Then it promoted the pastry chef to executive chef, and it's been working at improving the organization and consistency. That sounded like good news, since my fondest memory in recent years has been Tabard's fruit crisps. But the dishes - particularly entrees - still don't live up to the top prices it asks. The menu is strong on fresh fish, enchanted with fresh herbs, given to creativity and committed to vegetables. The Tabard serves contemporary American food in an endearing yesteryear setting.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
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