minibar
Twelve seats, two Michelin stars, one minute on the first of the month.
855 E Street NW, Washington · open Tuesday through Saturday · two seatings · 6pm and 8:30pm · tasting menu only
Sign in or create a free account to see pricing and book this table. Joining is free — you only pay when we land your reservation.
Two sittings. Twelve seats. Ninety dishes.
minibar seats twelve guests at a single counter, and the room books in one motion. The reservation window opens at noon on the first of the month for the following month, and the seats are gone before the hour is out. With a party capped at four and a kitchen that runs thirty-some courses a night, the math is brutal. There is almost nothing to release and an entire city reaching for it at the same second.
We do not race the public at noon. We hold standing relationships with the room and we watch the book after it closes, when a four-top collapses to two or a party cancels inside the window. Those seats never reach the open page. We move on them the moment they surface and put your name where the house already knows to look.
How we work this room.
Pay when we get you in.
Your card is authorized when you submit the request. We charge it only when we confirm your table. No confirmation, no charge. Ever.
Authorize, do not captureThe host is expecting you.
You walk in to minibar and the table is yours, held for your party at your time.
Confirmed for your partyOne posted price.
One number, every night, every party size. No auctions, no surge, no Friday markup. Whatever the room is doing, the price does not move. Sign in to see it.
No auctions. No surge.minibar, the FAQ.
How do I get a reservation at minibar?
Name minibar and the night you want. We book it on your account the instant a table opens or a cancellation appears, and you only pay if we actually get it.
Why is minibar so hard to book?
minibar is one of the most in-demand tables in Penn Quarter. Prime-time seats are claimed within seconds of release, and many never reach the public at all, so refreshing on your own rarely works.
When do minibar reservations open up?
minibar releases tables on a set schedule, and seats also reappear when other guests cancel. We watch both around the clock and move the instant one opens, so you never have to refresh at midnight.
How much does it cost to book minibar through The Elusive List?
One flat fee, charged only when we confirm your table. No table, no charge. Sign in to see the exact fee for minibar.
Five steps, start to seated.
You ask.
Tell us the night, the time window, the party size. Two minutes on this page. Card on file, not charged.
We confirm the request.
An operator reviews the request, checks the room, and sends a confirmation that we are working it. Usually within thirty minutes.
We work the room.
We reach the floor manager directly, by phone or by text, depending on the night. We make the call.
You are confirmed.
We charge the card and send your confirmation — the time and the name to give the host.
You eat.
Walk into minibar, give your name at the host stand, sit down. The room takes it from there. We do not see you again until the next request.
Avant-garde tasting menu, Washington, Tier III.
Jônt
Dōgon
Albi
Tonight, tomorrow,
or three months out.
We work this restaurant every day. You pay only when we confirm your table.