Root & Vine Restaurant

Root & Vine restaurant is located in the Westin Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. During my stay there, I enjoyed a hot, super cheesy, artisan Popeye's Pizzette, small green salad, and a cocktail called Ruby's Tango. Indeed, the combination in that drink of tequila, Beets, lime juice, and pineapple created a party in my glass and mouth!

I stayed at the Westin for a week during a conference. The Root & Vine is located inside the hotel. The ambiance of th restaurant/bar depends on how crowded the hotel is since it sits in the middle of the hotel lobby. I came in for breakfast one day and for a nightcap another day. Unfortunately, there isn't much variety in their menu. I ordered the B.E.C. Sandwich. I could have used some garlic aioli or mayo so that it wasn't so dry. Other than that, it was okay. Most of the dishes are a la carte. The service was decent, although I had to ask a couple of times for things that were missing (sprouts and a straw), and I never received them. They were minor items, so I did without them. There is an automatic service fee added to every check, in addition to the DC service charge. On a different day, I visited the bar and had a lavender tea drink (alcoholic). It was good.

Root and Vine, situated in the Westin DC Downtown, offers an exceptional dining experience that stands out even if you’re not a hotel guest. The restaurant’s location in the hotel lobby adds a vibrant atmosphere, though it can be a bit noisy at times. Despite this, the overall ambiance is lively and inviting, making it a great spot for both casual and special occasions. The food at Root and Vine is truly remarkable. Whether you’re enjoying breakfast or dinner, the menu offers a delightful array of options that cater to diverse tastes. Breakfast is a particular highlight, with dishes that are both hearty and flavorful, setting a positive tone for the day. Dinner, on the other hand, is a culinary journey that showcases the chef’s expertise and creativity. Each dish is meticulously prepared, using fresh and high-quality ingredients that result in a symphony of flavors on the palate. The presentation is equally impressive, adding to the overall dining experience. Service at Root and Vine is commendable. The staff is attentive and knowledgeable, always ready to offer recommendations and ensure that guests have a pleasant dining experience. Their professionalism and friendly demeanor contribute significantly to the restaurant’s welcoming atmosphere. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a regular patron, the service at Root and Vine consistently meets high standards, making it a dining destination worth returning to. Overall, Root and Vine excels in both food and service, providing a memorable experience for all its guests.

The hotel promotes this restaurant as "Dining That’s Good for You and Good to You." What an absolute insult. Ordered a pizza from this restaurant. Do these photographs look like a restaurant that cares about it's customers? Absolute slop. You should be ashamed to serve food like this. This is what $30 gets you at the Westin restaurant. A pizza that you have to ring out like a wet towel. Oh and the Root and Vine "market" sells bottle of water for $10 dollars a piece. Unbelievable.

This Apple Pear Coffee Cake left a lot to be desired! Powered Sugar is not a crumb topping. There was barely any fruit in this cake. The burger was just ok for me. The hotel forces you to pay a $30 resort credit and then gives you $30 off the restaurant. I would not have eaten here but for the credit. The protein sides were a bit pricey at breakfast @lawtaste

Pizza and wings were both really great. Pizza was not greasy and had the perfect thin crust! I ordered the wings extra crispy and they were really good too.

My branzino was cooked incorrectly, so the skin was flabby and the other side wasn’t f the fillet was hard. Dry and crunchy, kind of like jerky. Unfortunately, the server was MIA much of the time, so I went ahead and ate what I could. When he showed up, I told him, and he was apologetic, saying he would tell the kitchen. I was charged for my full meal, and that was the end of it. Looked pretty but was hard to eat. My cocktail was fine, so if you’re wanting a drink, I might stop by, but I wouldn’t eat there again.

Never even got a chance to eat here- stood at the hostess podium for a few minutes to be seated. No one came to seat us. There was 6 employees in the restaurant either talking or on their phones but none came to help. I went to a hotel employee and asked for help and they went and spoke to the bartender. A few minutes passed and still no one came to seat us. Save yourself the time and go next door to the Tap house. It was a way better experience

The service was really lacking here. I came here for breakfast at around 9:00 in the morning. There was probably a 1 server to 3 customer ratio at the time I came. I was promptly seated and the server came to take my drink orders. I asked for a coffee and water. She promptly gave me the coffee (I also wanted creamer) and stepped away. I tried to flag down the server again but she was huddled with all the servers and evidently the manager resolving some ticket issue. None of them were paying any attention to the patrons. This lasted for about twenty minutes. As she never returned, I had to flag down the hostess to grab my creamer for me. Finally after the hostess gave me the creamer, the server returned to take my food orders. I ordered and then reminded her that I needed water. She nodded and left again to plug my order in. The whole group huddled around the manager again playing around with the computer. You could see the customers getting visibly antsy from the lack of attention they were getting. I finally made eye contact with the server and gestured for the third time that i needed my water. She nodded and departed to grab it - she returned with both my food AND my water. I was really disappointed by the fact my water took as long to arrive as my food. No one paid any attention to me, I ate my food. The servers all just kind of wandered from one station to the other giving no interest to the floor. The manager also seemed perfect happy tying up all the servers in whatever he was working on when i think he should have been making sure they kept their eyes on the patrons. They never came to check on me, but finally after my food was cleared out she came back to hand me my check. Didn't ask if i needed or wanted anything else. It was just really poor. The food was mediocre and overpriced also.

The food is excellent no problem there. This review is for a particular male server with salt and pepper hair. Mistake I made was tipping him which I felt you were supposed to do on a $175 bill. No dispute with the bill- what we ordered and received was correct. Was service slow, yes it was but at that time, I wasn't going to let it ruin my day, Fast forward to several hours later and my cousin and I return for drinks I order a cosmo and my cousin ordered hot tea with honey. We were told we could sit anywhere. I show the server where we would be and he says no problem, I'll bring the drinks. We wait and after 45 minutes of no service, I go to bar for service and we are promptly waited on. The server comes up and sarcastically asks me if there's a problem. I said yes we waited 45 minutes for our drinks and that's why I'm here ordering them now. He ignores me and walks off. I address my concerns at the front desk. No apology from the server or the restaurant manager whatsoever. At least the front desk handled it.

The Westin Washington DC Downtown has a $30 destination fee, so we used our $30 credit towards drinks at Root and Vine. On the first night, we enjoyed the Sage and Garden and Green Gables cocktail. The Sage and Garden consisted of Angel's Envy Bourbon, Lime, Black Peppercorn, Sage, Fever-Tree Lime, and Yuzu. The Green Gables consisted of Ketel One Vodka, Midori, Apricot, and Lime. On the second day, we enjoyed the Zero Proof Cocktail: Picnic In the Park, Zero Proof Cocktail: Dolce Bugia, Cocktail: Eurotrip Spritz, and Cocktail: 9th Street Mule. This was the best mule we've had!

The food is tasty, but the service is extremely slow when dining in person and the prices are HIGH. Expect to pay a little more than you typically would, which I'm sure is a result of marking up the costs because of the hotel's atmosphere. I tried the vegan "butter chicken" in the "indulge" portion which still felt quite small. I also had the gooey butter cake which was delicious but not really what I was expecting when I ordered gooey butter cake.

Corn Bisque is delicious!!! Got the Figgy Fantasy pizza - it was different not too excited to see corn on my pizza. It was flavorful but not as good as I thought it would be. Also got the shrimp starter "Gambas De Anjillo". You literally get 3 shrimp and a ton of pieces of focaccia that is toasted. Do not recommend this appetizer. Coming back for the bisque and will try other items.

I was in town for a conference and had the pleasure of staying at the Westin, where Root & Vine is located. They have specified hours for serving breakfast, lunch & dinner (at restaurant & room service). They do have a grab & go area in the hotel lobby with some refrigerated options (fruit, yogurt, etc.), snacks, & beverages. The hotel lobby (including bar) intertwines with the open concept restaurant and has ample seating areas to fit numerous party sizes and needs. There were several conferences going on in the hotel and surrounding area and the Westin was my choice for winding down after days full of stimulation. I enjoyed being able to sit quietly by myself, bringing a friend for a good meal and easy (to hear) conversation, and connecting with new friendly people. During my stay I enjoyed: Room service breakfast- Greek Yogurt & Berries (Eat Well menu, $14)- house chia & flaxseed granola, bubba's sweet nectar honey. It was served in container with lid that was able to be taken with me which was perfect because I ordered at 630am for ASAP delivery that was expected at 720 but arrived at 735 so I needed to take it and run. It was a picture perfect dish that tasted great and held me to lunch. Bacon- ($9) I was able to eat on this for 3 days as it was also served in a to-go container that fit perfectly in the room fridge. Coffee- I should deduct a few stars for how this was delivered because it was in the paper bag with my yogurt and spilled in the bag leaving a mess. (Deducted one star from overall review for this but if rating independently would give 1/5 for the lack of attention & mess). Bar/Restaurant- Oasis District - 5/5 Kori's Basil Bliss Pizza - 5/5 House Salad with house-made dressings - 5/5 Cadillac Margarita - 5/5 I met others who were enjoying smoked old fashioned, sage & garden, & burgers. Sisay & Gwen were excellent servers! Very energetic, inviting, attentive, & skilled at making craft cocktails (that are also beautiful).

Due to a 30$ destination fee charged during my stay that was a charge/credit to be used on property (for limited things like this restaurant and it being required, as in you'll be charged regardless so might as well use it) we ate multiple meals here. Service was always kind and prompt. Out of all the meals, lunch options were probably our favorite. The only critique would be it is very loud as it is in the center of an open atrium area near the lobby and weirdly cold. But maybe they were trying to keep up with the 100+ heat outside.

Food was great but the slow wait staff were not. The vegan butter chicken has a kick to it but was tasty.