BlackSalt

Came here for dinner. Wow! A great spot!
The restaurant is NICE! It’s a fish market up front but in the back a very nice restaurant. For starters I had a very good drink called the «Southern Trespass» two times. It was great.
For appetizers we had mussels. Our server was actually smart enough to divide them up so there wouldn’t be as big a mess. My entrée consisted of crab cakes. I also had a first… Fingerling potato salad… Not bad. Then it was topped off with greens. For dessert I had strawberry shortcake.
All in all it was a really good dinner spot. May even go back!

Generally superb. We come here a lot.
But avoid their fried clams. So disappointing. Overcooked. So chewy I had to spit most of the dinner out. When asked by the waiter how the food was, we said it was over cooked. I pointed to my plate. The waiter shrugged and did nothing and walked away. Now I am not sure I want to return. Sigh.

I don’t live in DC, but have been here a couple of times spanning 2 years.
The 1^st time, lots of biz and the food was fantastic. My mom said it was the best salad she ever had in her life.
2^nd time this year, dessert was great but service wasn’t as good.
Still worth it for the price

We were given a gift certificate here so we decided to use it for our 2 year anniversary. When I made the reservation I said we were doing the 5 course tasting but there was no mention of that when we arrived; however they did give us a menu that said «happy anniversary.»
When we looked at the menu we were eyeing the bouillabaisse and whole fish but still decided to do the 5 course tasting with wine pairings and will say we were truly disappointed. The wines were fantastic and the sommelier was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the selection, but the enthusiasm ended there.
Our first course was one blue point oyster with salmon roe, it was delicious but the oyster was the size of my thumb and barely considered a first course. Not to mention, our champagne came out 15 minutes before the oyster so we finished our wine pairing before the course even arrived.
Second course was Tuna tartare and we have nothing but rave reviews for it. The tuna was fresh, the habanero avocado was a perfect match and the Riesling paired perfectly with it.
Third course was pepper crusted wahoo with shallots, asparagus and potato cakes. The potato cakes stole the show and were delicious, everything else was good but less than memorable. I will also say the fish was very dry and had the consistency of chicken.
Fourth course brought us pasta with shrimp and one clam accompanied by delicious Pinot noir. The pasta tasted like it was homemade but it was under cooked and chewy. The sauce left something to be desired but the seafood was fresh.
The last course was pompano fish over a ham broth and was our least favorite. The delicate white fish was no match for the hearty ham broth that was way so salty that I couldn’t finish the dish. There were random flavors mixed in that didn’t quite match and the whole dish just didn’t feel like it had any direction.
Finally was dessert. They started with a delicious mango sorbet and ended with a trio of delicious desserts. This was the only course that stuck with us. The carrot cake was okay, the chocolate cake was rich and delicious and the butterscotch was a perfect ending.
So to wrap up, the 5 course tasting was a waste of money and very disappointing. Our meal was over $ 300 and wasn’t worth half that price. Not one course did we say «this is so good.» We even debated going to the pizza restaurant next door afterwards because we were still hungry. The dessert was fantastic and the wine was delicious and introduced us to new types of wine. I wish we got something off of the regular menu but I don’t think we’ll go back to try something else.

Wow, wow, wow, and all in the extraordinarily positive sense! I came with a small group to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I arrived early and sat down at the bar, where I enjoyed a perfectly crafted martini and met a man who couldn’t stop singing the praises of this restaurant’s owners. I said that’s great, but what about the food, and he said we’d be amazed.
They seated us in a lovely back room, and brought out a custom birthday menu with my friend’s name written on it. So thoughtful. The service was too-​notch, which I almost expected after the maître d’s very warm welcome and the bartender’s smile-​driven attentiveness. But then the food came, and that’s when it all got real.
The oysters were delicious. I’m a snob who lives part-​time on an island in the Pacific Northwest, so I bring some street cred to this assessment. ;-) The mussels were to die for, with bacon flavors enhancing the taste. The fish dishes were delightful, and we found ourselves stealing bites from each other’s plates. And the desserts were a perfect ending.
Many thanks to the owners and all the lovely folks who made our evening so special.

My first time there. Great service. But the menu didn’t really sit well with me, most of the seafood dishes had some kind of meat as well (i.e., chorizo, veal ragout, ham hocks) I was surprised that so many dishes weren’t pescetarian friendly.

A good place for seafood overall, sadly their sauce choices were not to my liking.
Oysters — husband thought they were good.
Crab cakes — good, but served with a butter sauce rather than the remoulade I was hoping for.
Whole grilled branzino– a nice touch that the sever debones it tableside for you. The fish itself is tender and well cooked. Sadly it was served with a lemon butter sauce that my husband and I did not enjoy.
Once again, fresh seafood, unfortunately the sauces that were paired with it did not make it enjoyable.
Food 3.5 stars
Service 4.0 stars

Boyfriend and I were in DC for the weekend and came here for happy hour on a Saturday. We enjoyed beer cocktails (recommended by the bartender), although I forget exactly what was in it. The oysters, we thought, were pretty fresh, but took some time to come out. To be fair, there were a lot of people at the restaurant. We also ordered a pricey clam chowder, so I was displeased that it was too salty and also took a long time to come out. I only had a few spoonfuls. Service was good here, but nothing else really stands out. Still, a decent place for oysters.
Taste | 3
Atmosphere | 3.5
Presentation | 3.5
Service | 4
OVERALL | 3.5

I went to Blacksalt for the first time last Thursday and I immediately fell in love! We had the Atlantic Boat Day Scallops for an appetizer, Butter Poached Lobster and Sea Bass for our entrees and Key Lime Pie for dessert. I literally enjoyed every single bite!!! The food was fresh, the presentation was impeccable and the service was fast and excellent. I highly recommend this place. Go now… stop reading my review… just go!!!

I went there for HH yesterday. It was super packed because of MD. I could get two seats at the bar without waiting.
Taste: Fantastic and fresh!
HH Price:12 raw oysters $ 12, 3 shrimps cocktail $ 6, Smokes salmon and Tuna with salad and bread $ 7 or 8, Dark and stormy cocktail $ 7
Customer service: Good but they need more staffs to shuck oysters and take orders during HH. I waited for a dozen oysters longer than 15mnts. Bartender looked too hectic to take care of customers at the bar well. Actually I enjoyed watching her working super fast amazingly like a machine.
Parking: Street. Free on Sunday.
Tip: They had 6 kinds of oysters but serve only 1 kind from VA for HH orders.
Reservation!: I strongly recommend.
I wish I could go back there again today:))

At least a 4.4. Service was professional and informative. My red snapper and my wife’s John Dory were both slightly crispy a each served with distinctly unique sauces. Recently remodeled the décor is warm and hip.

Kale Caesar salad was disappointing. Was heavily overdressed and the anchovies completely overpowered the dish. The mussels Belgian style were perfectly cooked, not overdone one bit. The leeks, bacon, white wine were deliciously prepared with the mussels. The crab cakes were good. Usually when I have crab cakes all I can taste is bread crumbs but not here… all crab and very good. The only drawback was that the sauce was a bit heavy. Overall a good experience.

I went to BlackSalt for the first time last night and already can’t wait to go back! This is a perfect spot for special occasions or just when you feel like treating yourself to a nice dinner. Classy but inviting ambiance, terrific service, excellent wine, and beyond amazing food.
I came here with my parents to celebrate their anniversary on a rainy, Monday night. After I booked the reservation on OpenTable, I called to ask if they could print customized menus for my parents and bring out a dessert at the end of our meal. I was told this was no problem at all and the management team delivered. The menus had «Happy Anniversary!» printed on them, the waiter was quick to wish my parents a happy day when he stopped by, and their dessert plate spelled it out in rich chocolate sauce.
Every appetizer, entrée, and dessert we ordered was delicious but the winners for the night were two of the night’s specials — the soft shell crab appetizer and the mahi mahi in kimchi broth main course. These two stood out because of their surprisingly rich, complex flavors which perfectly complimented the typical delicate nature of the fish (although, again, everything was superb!).
We also had the nicest interactions with all of the staff, especially our waiter Fernando. He gave us a few recommendations of his favorites on the menu (one of which was was mahi mahi!), explained where the soft shell crabs were from (and how they move up the east coast as the season goes on — they’re local around late June), and bonded with my mom about tennis.
All in all, a wonderful experience — it’s always nice to discover a new favorite when you try a restaurant for the first time! We’ll be definitely back!

I am lucky to work close enough to here. Their happy hour oysters are the best deal in town. $ 1 for boutique oysters. Calamari is good. Crab cakes are good and full of crab. These arent terrible. Good drink deals. Good service. It will smell like fish when it enters but overall tasty. I recommend getting a few dozen oysters.

Wow. Still shocked by my experience. This is a place I’ve been going to for well over 6 years for birthdays and special occasions. This evening I went with my family to go for the café portion of the restaurant, which doesn’t take reservations — which is fine. After putting our names on the waitlist and waiting around 35 – 40 min we thought we were up for a table. So far so good. There was no room for four at the bar so we were up front. We saw one couple get seated and then another before us — and we thought ok this is strange, we were number 3 on the list and that makes 4 groups… We were not dressed poorly and the only difference between those getting seated and our group is that our group was Asian. So granted this is not the most diverse portion of the Washington D. C area… but I expect to be treated the same as any of the other customers that came in. Right before we were about to be seated at a nice table that was indicated for us by one of the staff — a young couple walked in and took the table — the two well suited managers just let them go past us and sit. These managers had seen us waiting for 40 minutes so this wasn’t an oversight. They didn’t apologize they just pointed us towards a drafty table up front. We were all quite upset at this point because it was pretty clear that they did not care if we dined there or not. Which is always an awkward moment because is it that they really had a massive screwup or is it that its really ok when all of the white customers can cut the line and its ok? You ask yourself — there has to be something else — this type of thing doesn’t happen in DC in 2016, right?
Nothing makes up for what we felt on our part as blatant discrimination. I felt unwelcome and humiliated. I told the manager on duty that it really felt like they served all of their white customers first and that is really s***ty. They said it may look that way but it isn’t the case, its a misunderstanding, and they are sorry about the inconvenience and we can wait for a better table. He offered a round of free drinks which at this point felt downright insulting. If someone feels like they have been discriminated against I don’t think a round of gimlets will make things right.
I understand Blacksalt– you don’t want me, my family or my business. No problem, I will not come back.

Black Salt, I just want to say I love you.
I would like to curl up at your happy hour with your amazing appetizers every night of the week. I would like to have a permanent relationship with your crabcakes. I want to take it to the next level with your Provençal Seafood Stew but I am afraid I would always be tempted to turn my attention to the Rhode Island Calamari at inappropriate times. I would like to thank Jumbo Gulf Shrimp Cocktail for always being there for me, even when I am swayed by the chef’s specials.
I think it’s time you give me my own key.

Definitely one of my top 10 restaurants in DC.
Food:5
We came here for happy hour on Thursday. They have happy hour everyday of the week. 4−7pm on weekdays, 4−6pm on weekends. They have fantastic mojito’s here, the mint is always fresh and you can really taste the fresh squeeze lime juice. The happy hour menu is a seafood lover’s dream. Serving Seafood Stew with salmon, mussels, calamari the seafood soup was one of the best soups I’ve ever had. The oysters are shucked extremely clean, these $ 1 oysters were fresh and the shuckers also kept a lot of the liquid of the oyster on there. Props to the shuckers. We also ordered the calamari, it was served with a chipotle mayo type sauce, the batter was light and achieved a light crisp over the calamari. The burger was another fantastic dish, comes with crispy fried onions on top, meat was extremely juicy and moist. Gave the oyster rockefeller a try, my gf really liked the dish, but I prefer my oysters fresh. The crab cakes was small, a decent crab cake.
Atmosphere:5
Blacksalt has a fish market out in front, and the market has fresh halibut, black cod, ahi tuna (sashimi grade), sea bass, all of the delicious fish you can think of. It even sells oysters, tiger prawns, and many other things.
Parking:4
There’s street parking, $ 1 per hour, maximum 1 hour. Suggest you to download parkmobile to re-​up your time when it is out.

My boyfriend took me here for a celebratory dinner and it was special from beginning to end. The service was wonderful and each course was amazing. We did the seven course tasting menu.
The menu was custom specialized for the occasion as «Congratulations Connie!» Was printed across the menu!!! Such a delightful surprise!
First off, all three of the dishes that stood out to me from the regular menu appeared magically in our tasting menu! I was so happy! Started with an amuse Bouche that was an oyster with caviar and a watermelon purée. Perfect to start. I must say the timing of the courses was perfect! Staff did a wonderful job with that!
First course was the sashimi duo, toro and opah which were fresh! I didn’t even need to sriracha aioli. Second was one of my favorites! Grilled prosciutto wrapped figs with black pepper honey and burrata. So if restaurants have some modification of this dish I always order it (and I also make my own at home) but I must say this was my favorite ever! The grilled smokey flavor was amazing and the burrata was perfectly creamy… Ugh amazing!!!
Another highlight was the squid ink spaghetti with uni butter. It tasted of the ocean… So much seafood flavor I loved it! I Savored each bite. The soft shell crab was also a pleasant surprise because I’m usually not a fan but there was so much crab meat! Wonderful combination with the corn purée and beans.
Now the meal would’ve been a perfect 5 if it wasn’t for the dessert:/ loved the custom «congratulations!» And it was beautiful but just way too sweet and not enjoyable. The least sweet of the trio was the goat cheese cheesecake with peach compote but overall a little too sweet for my taste.
Overall, amazing service, amazing food, and probably one of the best meals I have had in DC! I will definitely be coming back for well executed perfect dishes with fresh seafood and ingredients and amazing delicious flavor!

Apart from the brusque service and shells in our crab cakes, dinner at Black Salt was a fairly good one. Oysters were fresh, mussels were delicious, and our Rock fish entrée was great. My girlfriend and I both ordered the crab cake entrée, and although it was very tasty with spicy sunflower seeds, corn, and ham hash on the side, we both had several pieces of shells in our cakes. Not enjoyable or attractive picking pieces out of my mouth. I was kind of turned off, so didn’t end up eating the second crab cake on the plate.
Service was interesting. Our waiter was definitely knowledgeable but terse in his interaction with us. He would answer our questions before we’d even finish asking:
Me: «We have a question about the oysters…»
Waiter: «How many do you want?»
It was never super rude, but not completely polite and definitely not friendly. It seemed he was too busy to take his time with us — rushing through menu items and suggestions, and providing very blunt answers to any questions. Literally did not smile. Ever. It wasn’t bad enough to deter me from coming back here again — I think I’d come for oysters on another occasion! But I do hope I have someone more friendly next time around.

Black Salt is one of the most highly regarded restaurants in the city. With their focus on fresh seafood, they have a loyal following to go along with an exclusive location in the über expensive Pallisades section of DC.
My first impression was colored by our snobby waiter. Ever had a waiter or waitress that had a big a$$ chip on their shoulder? That describes this guy. Really had no interest in providing friendly service or explaining the menu. One would think that the higher the quality of an establishment, the more emphasis they would place on customer service.
As far as the food goes, I tried the Skuna Bay Salmon Tartare, Atlantic Bigeye Tuna, Sea Bass, Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake and Banana Coconut Cream Pie.
The Skuna Bay Salmon Tartare consists of sushi rice, ponzu, sesame, scallion, wasabi oil, crispy tempura, and spicy aioli. The freshness of the salmon was evident. I enjoyed the heat level from the wasabi oil and spicy aioli.
The Seabass dish came with sautéed spinach and cauliflower along with a beurre blanc sauce. While the veggies were an afterthought, the seabass was properly prepared. Moist and tender, the one issue I had was the low level seasoning. As a result, it lacked a «wow» factor.
The Atlantic Bigeye Tuna was served with a sautéed vegetable medley of spinach, corn and onions. While there was a generous amount of tuna, I found it to be a bit dry. Similar to the seabass, the tuna also lacked that extra something to take it from an average piece of fish and making it into something exceptional. Such a shame because again, like the seabass, the tuna seemed to be of high quality.
Ironically, in this high end seafood restaurant, it was the desserts that were the real highlight. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake comes with caramelized bananas and peanut brittle. The cake was smooth, rich and creamy. The banana added a different flavor profile as well as providing a light component. Very good dessert.
The Banana Coconut Cream Pie was surrounded by thyme honey roasted pineapple and chocolate sauce. Quite delicious. The balance of the pie as well as the multitude of flavors created a harmonious experience of sugary bliss. The pineapple added some crunch and a hint of acid, both of which were the perfect touch to an exceptional dessert.
Overall, I have to say that Black Salt is…*drum roll please*…OVERRATED! The reality is, in a place as highly regarded and expensive as this place, no way should the desserts be the best part of the meal. The limited and/​or lack of seasoning is an amateur mistake that shouldn’t be made when folks are spending well into the triple digits. Even worse, the servers should be trained enough to understand how to check their ego and focus on providing the customers with an experience that is on par with the food and environment.

Solid 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars). This review is solely for the lunch.
My family and I stopped by here for lunch for my sister before her masters graduation ceremony.
We were scared because we had read a recent review about a patron getting food poisoning as a result of dining here, but the good reviews far outweighed the bad reviews, so we decided to give it a shot!
We ordered the express lunch special ($ 20 for an appetizer, entrée, and dessert), which was a pretty good deal.
We ordered the following:
Appetizer:
— Asparagus soup (served cold)
— Baby arugula salad
Entrée:
— Addie’s Mussels
— Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia Tacos
Dessert:
— Chocolate Chambord Truffle Cake
— Key lime pie
I would definitely recommend the arugula salad, mussels, and the tilapia tacos. Also, overall our waiter was very nice, and even offered to take a family photo for us.
Next time, I’d like to sit at the bar and try their oysters.