Oyster Oyster
Restaurant · Shaw ·
Michelin-starred tasting menu spotlights seasonal, local vegetables
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23437837/Oyster_Oyster_credit_Rey_Lopez.jpg "Oyster Oyster by Rey Lopez/Oyster Oyster")
Michelin-starred tasting menu spotlights seasonal, local vegetables
"It is highly rare for a tasting menu to leave one feeling—well—energized, but so goes the imaginative cooking at this vegetable-focused gem where local farms are the very essence of this passionate operation. The imaginative compositions from Chef Rob Rubba and his team offer delicious insights into what is possible with vegetables. There is true creativity here, as in a pasta course which features agnolotti filled with a creamy eggplant and house-grown mushrooms, served brodo-style with a roasted corn broth and accompanied by a truffle tart. Even bread service is special—enriched with "garleeks" and accompanied by sunflower seed and marigold "butter." A baton of summer squash is elevated by a filling of pumpkin seed "ricotta." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Chef Rob Rubba puts vegetables on a pedestal, so Oyster Oyster’s presence in Shaw is ideal for diners who don’t eat meat but still want to enjoy an avant-garde tasting menu with a Michelin star. Crowned Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Awards in 2023, Rubba first attracted D.C. critics’ attention as the former chef at Hazel and partnered with Estadio owner Max Kuller on this venture — which prioritizes sourcing from hyperlocal farms and mills. Think: a bird’s nest of fried celery root wrapped around a morsel of smoked tofu and shiitake chip cookie for dessert. The 28-seat Shaw dining room offers a vegetarian or vegan tasting menu ($135) and wine pairings ($85). The sustainably-minded restaurant also won a Michelin green star in 2024 for its environmental and ethical practices, like re-using empty wine bottles as pressed plates. Vibe check: Take notice of creative votive candles made of repurposed oyster shells and local beeswax." - Tierney Plumb
"James Beard Award-winning chef Rob Rubba’s boundary-pushing meatless spot is obsessed with oyster mushrooms and the bivalves of the same name. The 28-seat, Michelin-starred dining room in Shaw offers a seasonal, all-vegan tasting menu ($135) that uses vegetables as a canvas. The sustainably-minded restaurant won a green star in 2024 for its environmental and ethical practices, like re-using empty wine bottles as pressed plates. Reserve via Resy." - Tierney Plumb
"The restaurant of chef Rob Rubba, which received Outstanding Chef recognition in 2023." - Missy Frederick
"When Oyster Oyster opened in 2021, it set a new bar for vegetarian dining in DC. The restaurant’s tasting menu is made with foraged and locally sourced vegetables, sauces from kitchen refuse (hello, vegetable scraps), home-grown mushrooms, and regional wines by the glass. The kodachrome interior, booths, and glass wall give the vibe of an elevated diner. Add in the bar with no hard alcohol, an optional juice pairing, and a young, celebrated chef, and it all feels a bit like a Gen Z fever dream. The tasting menu—8 to 10 courses depending on the time of year—is decidedly light, but what it lacks in bulk it makes up for in creativity, changing each season according to what’s growing, thriving, and locally available." - tristiana hinton, madeline weinfield