We went to D.C. recently to visit friends and ate a bunch of delicious meals, but our meal and entire experience at Compass Rose Bar + Kitchen was to die for and I can’t recommend this spot enough!
Our group reserved “La Cabaña“, a semi-private tented + heated little patio oasis right out front of the restaurant and we opted to participate in the “Tour of the World” dining experience.
The TOTW experience was an unreal 10 course meal including dishes from all over the globe. The dishes are all served family style and coursed out for you by the kitchen and sent out a few at a time throughout the duration of the meal.
Dishes included Delicata Squash + Labneh from Lebanon, Patatas Bravas from Spain, Horiatiki Salad from Greece, Aguachile from Mexico, a trio of dips from the Middle East, Spicy Lamb Curry from Jamaica, Suya Kebabs from Senegal, and Khachapuri from Georgia.
Do yourself a favor and go ahead and add a “spice bag” to your order if it’s not already on the TOTW menu. You won’t be sorry! It’s a delicious dish from Ireland made up of fried chicken thighs, fingerling potatoes, and bell peppers + onion seasoned with Chinese 5 spice and served with spicy sambal mayo. *chef’s kiss*
I have a shellfish allergy, so while the rest of the group was enjoying the Aguachile (a dish containing shrimp) they brought me a side of Charred Broccolini topped with lemon oil pecorino and red chili flakes. Totally unnecessary because the TOTW was SO much food, but much appreciated because it was really tasty. It hit the spot!
The meal was finished off with 2 desserts – Caramel Flan and Strawberry Shortcake, which was more of a buttermilk biscuit topped with a strawberry compote and whipped cream. Everyone was so full by this point, but these were so good we ended up finding a way to finish them all off.
Everything was so good I don’t know that I could choose just one favorite dish. The Khachapuri was definitely a showstopper – both in presentation and taste. This was our last course before dessert and we were all pretty stuffed by then, but this was so good we crushed both of them haha. The Spicy Lamb Curry and Labneh dip included in the dip trio were also crowd favorites.
Next time you visit D.C., make sure to add Compass Rose to your itinerary and let us know what you think in the comments below!
–MJ
