InterContinental Washington D.C. - The Wharf, an IHG Hotel
Hotel · Waterfront
801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC 20024
Highlights
Rooftop pool and bar with Potomac River views, upscale dining
801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC 20024 Get directions
$$$
Rooftop pool and bar with Potomac River views, upscale dining
801 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC 20024 Get directions
$$$
"A newly opened lobby-level flagship at the InterContinental Washington, D.C. debuts Wednesday, February 12, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch (reservations went live on Resy). The Los Angeles transplant leading the kitchen was poached from Omni’s NOÉ Restaurant & Bar and arrives as a tenured chef ready to put his own stamp on a storied Southwest Waterfront space that had long awaited the return of star talent in the kitchen. “It’s always different coming to a new market but I’ve done it several times,” he says. “I am looking at it with a fresh set of eyes. To me, I am a newcomer to D.C., so it’s taking the pressure off.” For this third act as a modern American restaurant, he developed a hyper-seasonal menu that starts with wagyu steak and eggs in the morning and ends with duck tinga tagliatelle at night; other plated highlights include hamachi tartare, crispy prawns and calamari, Maryland littleneck clams, dry-aged striploin, braised pork shank, and house-made pastas such as cresto di gallo with crispy oxtail and squid-ink orecchiette topped with crab. “The first thing I started doing was reaching out to farms here on FaceTime,” he says; meats, seafood, and vegetables landing on plates hail within a 150-mile radius, with opening purveyors including Family Cow (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), Ovoka Farm (Paris, Virginia), and Miller Farms (Clinton, Maryland). “One of the biggest points of moving back here is the seasonality of it all. California, you can get everything year-round,” he adds, and later: “I’ve been blessed to have worked all over America, and this menu is all little nods to the places I’ve lived.” The new 152-seat waterfront dining room received a modest makeover with soaring stone walls, live greenery, leather banquettes, brass finishes, and a large mural by Maryland-based artist Irene Pantelis; a 20-seat central bar looks out over boats at the Wharf and offers daily happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. (3 p.m. start on weekends), with a bottle list that ranges from local breweries DC Brau and Right Proper to old-world labels like Barons de Rothschild and E. Guigal. A waterfront-facing patio and a purveyor-spotlight dinner series will arrive in the spring. The hotel’s recent history and staff context are notable: the space previously housed critically acclaimed concepts led by Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi (who earned a 2019 James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year) and chef Kevin Tien’s Moon Rabbit (named among Food & Wine’s 10 best restaurants in the country), and after Moon Rabbit closed the hotel faced a settled dispute that resulted in D.C. ordering IHG to pay Moon Rabbit employees $126,650 last year; hotel staffers ultimately won the right to unionize, and many employees who worked through those highs and lows stayed on for this new chapter. “They’ve seen the highs and lows and earned their stripes. It’s not often you get staff that has worked for two highly promoted chefs who know techniques that are easy to translate,” he says. Off the pass, the chef — a Food Network champ on Beat Bobby Flay who says he got the bug to cook from his grandfather, who opened a fish market in Philadelphia and ran a neighborhood gardening program — has personal ties to the region (living in Waldorf, Maryland, a 10-minute drive from the Clinton farm where the restaurant sources ice cream, produce, and eggs) and community-minded plans, including a gumbo event for Mardi Gras on March 1. “I want all these farms to shine so people can go buy [from them] and support the community,” he says, and he finishes with a pledge about the restaurant’s long-term identity: “I don’t want to be that standard restaurant that comes in looking for glitz and glamour and six months later they don’t remember who you are. I want you to come here twice a week and [we] know your name.”" - Tierney Plumb
"Whether staying at the hotel or simply visiting, take advantage of the Winter Hour on Thursday afternoons from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Live music begins 5 p.m. and fare includes a classic hot toddy, a s’mores twist on an espresso martini, and gnocchi with sage brown butter sauce." - Vinciane Ngomsi
"Part of D.C.’s reimagined Wharf neighborhood, this new jewel in InterContinental’s crown aims to appeal to leisure travelers and D.C. movers and shakers alike. The dramatic tiered lobby is a mix of stone and brass, with warm chocolate-hued seating and modern chandeliers. Rooms are equally warm, with geometric-patterned carpets, modern dark wood furniture, and expansive windows and balconies, many of which overlook the Potomac River. They're large and spacious, with modern design and amenities (someone thought out the ample counter space in the bathroom, clean lines, and uncluttered layout). Little touches like orchids in each room, spa-style showerheads, and large executive work desks make rooms sumptuous getaways for harried travelers. Whether you're here for business or pleasure, you'll feel the room is well-outfitted for your needs. Enjoy those balconies overlooking the river—it's a real treat and hard to match in this town." - CNT Editors
"InterContinental Washington D.C. at the Wharf is helping guests ring in the New Year with a celebratory menu and entertainment at the property’s onsite Dockside Restaurant & Bar. Available until 12:30 a.m., guests can enjoy menu highlights like oysters on the half shell, truffle arancini, and lobster rolls along with the full beverage menu of cocktails, wine, and beer." - Vinciane Ngomsi
"What should we know before we go?Part of D.C.’s reimagined Wharf neighborhood, this jewel in InterContinental’s crown aims to appeal to leisure travelers and D.C. movers and shakers alike. The dramatic tiered lobby is a mix of stone and brass, with warm chocolate-hued seating and modern chandeliers. You're in the heart of a redeveloped and previously unsung waterfront neighborhood, so enjoy the proximity—and views. The good stuff: Tell us about the rooms.Rooms are equally warm, with geometric-patterned carpets, modern dark wood furniture, and expansive windows and balconies, many of which overlook the Potomac River. As a new build, they're large and spacious, with modern design and amenities (someone thought out the ample counter space in the bathroom, clean lines, and uncluttered layout). (Beware: some rooms look across an air shaft.) How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Anything of note?Little touches like orchids in each room, spa-style showerheads, and large executive work desks make rooms sumptuous getaways for harried travelers. Whether you're here for business or pleasure, you'll feel the room is well-outfitted for your needs. Enjoy those balconies overlooking the river—it's a real treat and hard to match in this town. Bottom line: worth it, and why?D.C.'s new Wharf development is rapidly becoming the city's newest hotspot—and the InterContinental nails it." - Laura Ratliff
