Oyster Oyster

“I had an absolutely incredible first dining experience at Oyster Oyster. Wow! Very deserving of their Michelin Star. Do yourself a favor and book the chef’s counter. It is indeed pricey, but this is one of those rare places where it feels the high pricing is still very fair based on the extremely strict standards Oyster Oyster has for their ingredient sourcing, the quality of service, the atmosphere, and of course the taste and experience of enjoying their creations! I was blown away by the thought, creativity, and values of sustainability put into every course (the idea behind their old-bread, new bread course was inspiring to me!) and even their business practices, up to their decision to not use disposable take-out containers for waste-mitigation. These types of qualities so often go unappreciated by customers, and my hope is that these types of thoughtful business decisions gain more support and momentum! I could write a long paragraph about each course, but instead, just know each one was a blissful journey! I think it’s better to keep the individual experience personal anyways! Thank you Oyster Oyster, and keep doing what you do.”

“What a fantastic and very different type of Michelin experience. It was very impressive the things they could do with a vegetarian menu, and I was truly amazed and excited with each dish as to how they would accomplish the course without the use of heavy meat. For example, the shumai dish, the wrapper was made of a crunchy vegetable, likely turnip, and you would never have guessed it simply by looking. And the main course of "steak" was created with lion's mane mushroom that had been pressed to create a thicker, meatier texture and flavor. I never even knew such a mushroom existed much less that it could be that delicious. And the roasting made it seem for a second that you were eating real meat! And not to mention the juice pairings were also very innovative and a delight. That they were able to make drinks out of carrots, among other things, and make it pair perfectly with their vegetarian dishes. Wow. There were some minor quibbles with the service, but nothing that detracted from the evening. And the price for such creative dishes was quite the bargain. A very memorable experience among all the excellent places I've visited and truly worth the price of admission.”

“Had the opportunity to try their tasting menu, and it was a truly thoughtful and creative dining experience. Each course highlighted seasonal ingredients and showcased how vegetables and mushrooms can be transformed into rich, flavorful dishes. Two dishes really stood out to me. The crunchy celery root with preserved truffle had an amazing texture and deep, earthy flavor that made it incredibly memorable. The apple dessert with maple, parsnip granola, and pecan mousse was my favorite course of the night—beautifully balanced with sweetness, tartness, and a great contrast of textures. Overall, the dishes were very flavorful and rich, with each course feeling intentional and well composed. The pacing of the meal was excellent, allowing you to fully enjoy each dish before moving to the next. The service was impeccable as well—attentive, knowledgeable, and welcoming throughout the entire experience. A fantastic spot for a unique tasting menu in DC and definitely worth the visit.”

“Where to start? I just had an exceptionally incredible experience beyond my expectations at Oyster Oyster. Few things can enliven you when you’re fatigued and drowsy after a red-eye flight and a long day. The dinner here did that and more for me! Me and my wife are vegetarians and made a reservation quite in advance for our first ever trip to DC. The restaurant was quite charming with elegantly compartmentalized seating options - the kitchen, booths and chairs and tables. We got the booth. Before going further - I’ve dined at restaurants recognized by World’s 50 best, multiple Michelin 2 star restaurants, fine dining restaurants with vegetarian degustation menus in multiple countries. By far, this stands as the best experience I had. We got the Harvest menu. The experience started with a refreshing warm and umami drink to cleanse our palates. - The first course was bites and finger food. It was “game-on” statement displaying the variety of flavors and textures. With an Indian background, I was delighted to see the novel usage of some of our native spices / ingredients in new flavors - fermented coriander seeds with turnips, sesame with tomato. - The second was salad with potatoes and greens. Absolutely refreshing. - We then had Old Bread New Bread with butter made from sunflower seeds along with Squash and mushrooms. The bread and butter was so addicting that we had to request our hostess not to take that away and we are holding on that to not get stuffy in stomach. - The next course with “meatless” balls was so comforting. I just couldn’t comprehend how they could do that with eggplant! - It was followed by desserts which were ok (not exceptional to me at least). We also took a wine and juice pairing along with this. I’m no wine connoisseur and cannot speak with authority on them, but as a diner, I was thrilled by the juice pairing. The juices were totally crafted by the team with unused ingredients from the kitchen. They just complemented with the dishes as a pair quite well. Definitely recommend their juice pairing. Lastly, the service was top-notch. Our hostess Izzy (apologies if I got this wrong) was quite enthusiastic to share the details of each dish along with the story behind it. My wife once had to leave the table to use the restroom. The hostess took the napkin she put aside and folded it placed it back in this time. Everyone was so genuine and greeted us on our anniversary. Upon leaving my wife commented that the menu they gave us has details about food, but not the drinks. Guess what, the next day I had the drinks menu (both wines and juices) in my email. I haven’t even asked. All-in-all phenomenal. Highly recommended this to anyone.”

“My experience at Oyster Oyster was wonderful. Every dish was creative and beautifully executed, and I loved hearing the stories behind where each ingredient came from. Everything we tried was flavorful and unique. The only thing keeping this from being a perfect five was that the main entrée (the eggplant dumplings) didn’t quite deliver the same punch as the earlier courses. It was still good, just not quite the showstopper I expected as the final savory dish. Overall, though, a memorable and thoughtful dining experience.”