It’s Sunday morning, end of October and still 78degrees outside. The perfect day to soak up some sunshine and head to a rooftop brunch in DC.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
We walked into an almost completely empty yet gorgeous restaurant, Bar Deco. Which was surprising for a Sunday in DC. I expected the usual vulture status of throwin elbows and sneaky slide ins to the prime spots; but here we we’re waltzing in at 11:15am to the best seat on the beautiful rooftop. I’ll chalk this one up to its semi hidden location in China Town.
We first ordered drinks, and while I’d almost always go with the bottomless, I opted to not get drunk on God’s day in front of my parents and just order the house Bloody Mary. As our waitress walked towards our table with a jokingly small, unsalted, no spice Bloody Mary served in a martini glass my heart sank. Pretty but not at all what I’d wanted. The only brunch drink that should be brought in a glass that size is an extra shot to float on top of my bloody. Starving we proceeded to order – The Mushroom Benedict, French Toast and Chicken & Waffles, all three ordered to share and ready to be devoured.
The Mushroom Benedict was the best item we ordered. The crispy French baguette base was stellar in comparison to the usual semi soggy English muffin. The bacon and leek ragu paired with the creamy mushrooms and perfectly poached egg was very flavorful and delicious. If you can poach an egg correctly, I trust you.
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Our second plate was filled from corner to corn with orange custard French toast. No literally, I think it was an entire loaf of bread. They were okay but not my favorite. The apple compote was more tart than sweet but not a lot of flavor. Almost like when you leave pie in the fridge too long. I’d prefer a little sweeter of a topping and thicker bread but still a good filler.
I ordered the Chicken and Waffles because well, I always see it on a menu and never opt for it. The waffles we’re fluffy and not dry at all. The fried chicken had a crispy coasting with great texture and crunch without any greasy residue. Tasty but in serious need of salt. I think my favorite part of this dish was the unexpected “sweet” jalapeño jam. I put sweet in parenthesis because it tasted more pickled than sweet in the best way. That paired nicely with the mini bucket of house made sweet butter that came with every plate.
The food I would give an A- mostly because the flavors and ideas are there but almost everything needed salt and pepper.
The atmosphere, unlike most DC Sunday Brunch spots was calm and quiet. A very nice change of pace and perfect for bringing family in town. I adored the decor in this place and it’s former newspaper printing history but I do wish they hadn’t taken away from the Art Deco theme by covering half the walls in big screen tvs.
I get it. Half the people who come to brunch are like me: Sunday Funday loving, way too happy to get up, put on mascara and drink entire bottles of champagne at 11am while the other half are the sweet loves of those people who agree to come to brunch. So you’ve got to entertain the rather be watching football crowd but the screens offer conflicting ideas on decor. Our server was a kind rainbow colored hair woman who you could tell enjoyed telling us about the history of the building. And while I dig the old school feel, its not complimented with staff in jeans and t-shirts. Her fun and modern look paired with black pants, suspenders, a white shirt and black bowtie would be a wonderful fusion of our DC personality and Art Deco French feel. But that’s just me. You have to decide for yourself.
Loved the space, liked the food and if you serve your coffee and cocktails in mugs and glass rather than paper and plastic I’ll be sure to come around again. If you’re looking for Where to Eat Brunch, Bar Deco in Washington DC is a great spot for a chill and hearty brunch.
The Outfit I’m wearing: Kimono Plunge Dress
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