Washington Inn & Wine Bar

We had an 8:30 reservation and arrived a bit early. Right away, the host let us know we’d be seated closer to our reserved time and invited us to relax at a bar table. A bar waiter quickly took our drink order, and we were seated right on time. The hostess even mentioned they saved us a lovely window seat, which was such a thoughtful touch. Everything we ordered was fantastic—from the oysters Rockefeller to the crab cakes and cioppino. Service was attentive and warm throughout. A high-caliber dining experience in every way, absolutely worth a visit.

Dinner and wine for six. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the appetizers, shareable plates, and entrees. There’s a wide selection for even the pickiest of eaters to find something for them. We paired all of our courses with a wine selection, carefully curated by the in-house sommelier, April. She was able to guide us to the right wines for our palate and budget. Fantastic evening thanks to her!

We recently dined at Washington Inn and were seated in the wine cellar, a small and cozy space with just three tables. It's a unique, intimate setting that some may find charming, though it might not be for everyone. If you're looking for a quiet, tucked-away experience, it's definitely a cool spot. Service was attentive and professional throughout the evening, which we appreciated. However, the food didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by the atmosphere and price point. The crab cakes were a letdown, fried and packed with shredded lump meat, lacking the delicate texture and flavor you’d hope for, especially being down the shore. The rack of lamb, while cooked nicely, consisted of only four small lollipop chops and didn’t feel like a good value. On a brighter note, the flounder special was excellent, fresh, well-prepared, and full of flavor. Cocktails were also a highlight of the evening. Overall, Washington Inn has a nice ambiance and solid service, but for a more consistently satisfying dining experience in Cape May, I’d recommend Peter Shields instead.

My wife and I had a delicious dinner here last night. The food was incredible, well presented, and the pace was perfect. I had the rack of lamb which was perfectly done. My wife had the crab cakes which were huge! For dessert was Bananas Foster and homemade ice cream. One of the better meals I have had in quite some time. Can’t wait to visit again.

Had an amazing dinner here. Appetizers did not disappoint. I’d recommend the Rockefeller Oysters and Escargot. For entrees we had the scallops and rack of lamb from their specials and both were really good. Well made cocktails also. Nice ambiance, good service. Only thing I would say is to let hostesses know that they will alert by text when your table is ready (if you made a reservation). Great place!

“Wow worthy” service and food. My husband and I celebrated our Anniversary here and we loved the ambiance of the restaurant, (beautiful flowers and foliage outside of the large windows), exceptional service, and delicious food. We loved the specials and the drink menu and the dessert was amazing. Thank you for making our special night so memorable!

Wow—what an unforgettable experience! Everything about this place was absolutely amazing—from the moment we walked in until the moment we left. The food was outstanding, and the service was truly next-level. Our server, Irene, was impeccable—her warm personality and spot-on recommendations made our dinner extra special. Every dish she suggested was a hit! This dinner was hands-down the highlight of our first trip to Cape May. We’re already counting the days until we can come back!

The Washington Inn came highly recommended to myself and my wife. After having dinner there I can say that the reputation is well deserved! The food was excellent, the wine list was extensive, and the service was courteous and professional. Great place to have an elegant meal and a fair price, especially for date night. My wife and I come down to Cape May every year and of all the restaurants we have eaten for an elegant meal, this ranks the best. We also appreciated that they had a good number of mocktails since my wife is expecting. She raved about her passion fruit lemonade. We will absolutely be going back the next chance we get!

This place had an absolutely wonderful atmosphere, especially during the holidays. The waiter we had was so nice and leaned into our excitement and fun vibes the night we went which added to the experience. They were always checking on you to make sure everything was good and perfect which I appreciated, it wasn't the overwhelming kind of check in but a genuinely nice we want to make sure you're experience is lovely check in. My husband and I got cocktails to start and I got their Christmas margarita which was like Christmas in a cocktail. We got the steak tartare and tuna crudo to start both of which were phenomenal. The steak tartare was on top of a creamy horseradish mixture and had charred capers around it, both of these unexpected additions completely elevated the dish and blew both of our minds. The tuna crudo came on a bed of this blood orange sauce and it was perfection with the tuna. For dinner my husband and I got the duck breast and it was such a unique take on duck. The duck was marinated in oolong tea and you could taste it ever so subtly throughout. The portion size of the duck breast was pretty great as well. We also got a banana foster dessert which came in an almond brittle type shell. It was delicious. My only gripe with this dish is that the caramel sauce was a bit grainy like the sugar wasn't melted down all the way but honestly it didn't matter because the flavoring was perfect. Definitely a place we will go again when we are in the area because the food and staff were stellar. I highly recommend this place for any occasion or just a drink because their bar looked so cozy.

Had reservations for a Friday night in October. Glad we did. Service was outstanding. Best service I've had in years. She offered suggestions, mentioned her favorites, and considered pairings but did not push. The food was outrageous. The salad, soup, wine, and special entree (local swordfish) was to die for. Dessert was shared and was delicious! All of the portions were appropriate and I left feeling full but not stuffed, and no takeout containers. It was dark in there, but quiet. I'd definitely go back. Super romantic. Perfect date night. Leave the kids at home.

Amazing dining experience in Cape May. Had a reservation and walked from our BnB. Looks like they had valet parking. The staff was very kind and provided great service. Excellent wine and very generous portions. Ambiance can be a little loud but nice nonetheless. I had salad and crab cakes and both were excellent

I would just like to start with saying it's practically blasphemy for me to even give this staple of Cape May anything less than four stars, but I will gladly come back and try again/adjust accordingly. Washington Inn has been known for its amazing food and service for years. I mean heck, I still have a Washington Inn cookbook from the 90s that my grandmother bought all those years ago. However, the night my friend and I came, I hate to say that everything was just about average. Now for the service, mind you they were absolutely slammed. So I will give some grace for our server being slow. The food, however, was just a little disappointing. Which was really surprising. The mushroom soup just wasn't what I was expecting, so that part is my fault. I was hoping for a creamier soup. So no points docked there haha. The salad was average as were the entrées. I think the main problem was seasoning. The short rib had literally no flavor. Neither did the polenta it came with. It really just tasted like someone took short rib, got it perfectly tender, but forgot to add salt...or cooked it in water. Maybe the goal was that the sauce they had on top of it was supposed to give that taste, but it did nothing. The polenta may have sat too long, I don't really know. I was expecting it to be creamy. A little bit of salt or Parmesan would've gone. Actually, now that I'm saying all this, maybe that's why service was so slow. The kitchen very well could've gotten backed up and in turn the food quality was affected. Lastly, the bananas foster. I really don't know what was going on with this one. I came out as vanilla ice cream, raw bananas, and a caramel sauce. None of it was working. I think it was the bananas that threw me. Everything was placed in an almond candied dish/bowl which stuck to your teeth haha. You're supposed to have caramelized bananas for bananas foster, not raw. So again interesting, just poor execution. Now listen, I'm just one review out of hundreds of amazing ones. So will this tarnish the good name of the Washington Inn? Absolutely not and it shouldn't. This is simply just constructive criticism of a place I hold dear in my heart. We can chalk it up to just a bad night for the kitchen. That certainly won't stop me from coming back. It was probably just an off night. The ambience is great. Romantic and cozy. I hope this review is not taken with offense, but more so awareness of what I, as well as may be a couple of others that night experienced. It can easily be fixed, I have no doubt!

I absolutely adore this place! If I could give it 10 stars I would! Perfection! I was taking my sister out for her birthday and my 15 yr old nephew was joining us. We had to change our reservation from 2 to 4 at the last minute and that was not an issue. I wanted it to be the perfect evening and it was. Yeni, our waitress, and the staff gave the best service! Certainly the best in the 8 meals we had at different places during the week. All our food was absolutely delicious. I loved my meal and everyone else did too. Our seating was inside, but next to the outside seating which I also liked very much. I cannot wait to go back! Exquisite! Thank you!

Had a 5 star celebratory dinner here with the wife. First time here and everything was exceptional from start to finish. From the food to the drinks to the service- all of it was top tier. Even management here is really attentive and kind to customers. Beautiful space and perfect place for a special occasion. Honestly I can't wait to go back!

Local recommendation and a fantastic dining experience in Cape May. We arrived without a reservation but our hostess promptly found a table for us outside. For starters, the escargot and crabcake is an unbeatable combination. We tried the Seafood Cioppino (seafood stew) and Roasted East Coast Halibut in coconut broth. Seafood flavors pop and melt in your mouth. The dessert cheesecake is phenomenal. Kelly and Megan took very good care of us, awesome recommendations! Very highly recommended, indeed a special dining experience!!

Waiters Rachel and Ann were great. They checked on us often and made sure we had everything we needed and wanted. The server bringing our food fumbled and spilled a little bit. The food and drinks were excellent. I highly recommend the yellowtail tartar, NY strip, and mediterranean sea bass. They also brought out a little sorbet for my gf's birthday.

One extra star because our waiter was a rock star. First time in Cape May, what a beautiful town! I wanted to show my wife a nice time so I searched for the most elegant restaurant in the area. The Washington Inn was constructed in 1846. After acquiring their liquor license in 1981, the Washington Inn has grown to be one of the top ranked and most visited fine dining restaurants in Cape May. Let's see what the hubbub is all about. I pull up to the valet and the young man looks younger than my son. I show him the two keys to my car. I explain the round key opens the door and the square key is the ignition key. I say a prayer and watch him drive away my classic car to the private lot. We arrived early and had a drink at the bar. The waitress was very nice, I ordered a Grey Goose martini that was made perfectly. Not too dry with olives. My wife comes back from the bathroom and I order her a cocktail that she also enjoyed. Our table is ready and I placed a starter for Classic Oysters Rockefeller. The restaurant is serving the freshest seafood, this was an excellent first course. Now our waiter comes to the table. I tell him what I'm thinking about ordering and he says the Seafood Cioppino is a must. You get the best of all of our seafood dishes. This guy, what an amazing server. He knows the menu and provides a great recommendation. The seafood was very fresh, I'm impressed so far. He comes to the table and says are you ready for coffee and dessert? I tell him I'm pretty packed but he says nonsense. How about I make you a decaffeinated cappuccino and slide a few biscotti's your way? The service level is simply outstanding. My wife & I left fully satisfied. I highly recommend the Washington Inn.

I had a wonderful anniversary dinner here! Started off with some wonderful drinks, strong and delicious. Do yourself a favor and sit at the bar before your dinner. It's a wonderful experience. Bartenders are friendly and craft their drinks perfectly. I didn't know it, but it was restaurant week! For starters, we ordered the Burrata salad and the crab and corn chowder. The burrata was creamy and the corn chowder was perfect. For entrées I ordered the short rib and the cioppino. The seafood was an extravaganza of flavor and the shortrib was so tender and melted in your mouth. We ended this beautiful dinner with crème brûlée and an anniversary dessert. Service was excellent and everything was the best I could be.

Saturday Night dinner at 7pm. Very crowded, sat on the indoor porch in back. The menu is fabulous - service not so much. Server skipped a glass of water, never brought a bread basket, forgot part of our order, and left our credit card at the register. Again, decent food, but will stick with the Virginia Restaurant.

Had a great meal here! Service was fantastic and both the interior and exterior were incredibly charming and well-decorated. The branzino, seafood cioppino, salmon and tuna tartare app, and fig/prosciutto/gorgonzola app special were all delicious. We were here for a birthday and our server brought out complimentary sorbet and some berries with a candle for dessert. We came by for an early dinner and learned that early reservations during select times on select days are actually 20% off the prices listed on the menu -- a nice surprise when the bill came!

Excellent place.Food service was off the charts. Noise level was low. Price was Just right for the quality

Great food, great service, great ambiance. We love this place! Megan is an exceptional server. We had a nice window table with a beautiful view. We began with cocktails and apps. The grapefruit martini is very Smokey in flavor. Suggest having it made without the mescal. Special cheesy puffs and octopus were delicious. Entrees we're the Lamb cavatelli which is delicious but pretty rich. Branzino was great as usual. For dessert we had the special cheesecake fromage - so good.

We came for an early dinner and were super impressed. The early bird deal meant we got to try lots of different things and all of our entrees were excellent. Service was friendly and the space felt open and welcoming. Only thing I would have skipped were the desserts which were just ok.

Ordered a delicious swordfish steak, Very thick and done perfectly! The ambiance was very nice. Wait staff was on all the time from filing water to ensuring we had everything we needed, but not overbearing. The restaurant is very clean and well kept also! This was a great 24th anniversary dinner!

100% POSITIVE! Great bartender (Robin), food fantastic. Wonderful atmosphere, If I could leave ten stars I would. Thank you for making my birthday extra special. As a restuarant owner I appreciate excellent guest service and I wish that we had employees like Robin and Nick.

The food here was so good, everything was plated beautifully, from the drinks to appetizers to the meals, you can't go wrong with anything on this menu. It's seasonal, so you know you're getting the freshest stuff. The onion soup was absolutely phenomenal, I wish the portion had been larger!

Very nice food was great! Service and attention to detail was well done. We sat on the enclosed front porch very nice atmosphere.

Washington Inn is the top of our 4 favorite restaurants in the area. The ambience is warm and inviting. The food is so delish, so so savory. Filet mignon was so tender. Crab cakes were crabby delish! Duck crispy crust but tender inside. Veggies crisp and delish. Sommelier suggested a great bottle Melka 2017 it was dark, robust, tannic. Such a beautiful bottle of wine! Meagan our server was attentive and made great suggestions. We will be back again!!!

The food, service, attention to detail.. all of it was truly an incredible experience. From start to finish. Biggest shout out to Melissa for being the sweetest waitress who made dining with our 3 year old daughter feel so special. She went out of her way to make sure we were attended to and provided impeccable service. It's very true that server can make or break the experience.. but she hit it right on the nail...will absolutely return next time we are in Cape May!! Thank you guys!!

Made our annual visit to Washington inn. This place never disappoints. Service and food here are always superb. This year they have an extraordinary brand of pork chop called Sakura. I am going to track these down when I get home.

Loved this place!! Found it on yelp and read all of the reviews and it wad a must. The ambience , food and service were 100%

There's a reason this restaurant has a top favorite in Cape May! Great menu and fantastic service! (The crab cakes are my favorite). It tends to be crowded, so be sure to make a reservation! This restaurant has several different rooms so make sure you request a certain table (or area) if that's what you want!

The food and service is top notch. The appetizers came out within 5 minutes after ordering. We understood the rules when dining with our baby and to find a way to keep him calm to not disturb other diners. We respected that by taking him outside periodically. It was not an inconvenience. The food was fabulous and I'd certainly return for a special occasion. By the way, the cheesecake is incredibly delicious.

Charming atmosphere, all staff was friendly looking to accommodate your wishes. The food was outstanding. We will definitely go back on our next visit '!

It is always a great day when you know you will be enjoying a dinner at the Washington St Inn, Cape May. My favorites are the short ribs and the halibut. The Crème Brûlée is unbelievably delicious.

This was our first time at the Washington Inn. It is a great spot for a nice date night or celebrate with loved ones. The ambiance is romantic and cozy. Dim lightening sets the mood for a beautiful dinner. They also have a full bar with a large selection of wines. For the food, my wife and I ordered the Escargot, Burrata, and Lobster Mac and Cheese as appetizers. All we're outstanding, portion sizes are great and they did not compromise with flavor. The lobster Mac and cheese believe it or not stole the show. It was served hot with large chunks of lobster meat, definitely did not hold back. Escargot was authentic, pairs very well with one of their French reds. Burrata was also good and was a smaller portion but definitely worth it. For entrees we ordered the Halibut special along with the short rib. Both were outstanding. The short rib was so tender I didn't need a knife and was perfectly cooked. Overall we would 100% recommend Washington inn to all of our family and friends. Absolutely outstanding

Good service waitress was excellent Good food very enjoyable Good atmosphere the Washington is an annual event when I am in Cape May

Four of us have been coming to Cape May for 40 years, and the Washington Inn has always been high on our list - in fact, one of us has consistently referred to it as his favorite restaurant in Cape May. Last night was a major disappointment. Service and ambience (and the rolls!) were up to par. The food - not so much. Paying the premium of a non BYOB is fine if the food is memorable. The clam chowder basically had no clams. The seafood risotto supposedly had 5 different sea food/fish items; shards of some of them were evident but not much else in a bed of rice. The crab cakes were large but lacked flavor; mostly crab but no lumps of any kind. Sorry to post this, but for $400 it needed to be said.

Stunning experience here. The seafood was excellent and the service was lovely. The inside is impeccably decorated and quite cozy. All together this meal was very special and delicious. Would come again if in the area. The Oysters Rockefeller were amazing.

Just an all around amazing experience of food, drinks, and service! Pricy for all the right reasons. Our water also was like a stunt double for Schwarzenegger! Made it super fun and we felt very well treated.

I ate here a few days ago while visiting my family who live full-time in Cape May. The service was pretty good albeit a little brusque. To be fair, it was a Sunday evening at the height of the tourist rush. The food was another matter - I had the Lamb Cavatelli. It was mediocre...or, put, another way, it was not worth $40. The ;amb was dry, the pasta rather well-cooked, and the manchego on top seemed greasy and had the texture of something that had been microwaved. The other dishes we were served fell into the same space - not bad, bit not good enough to warrant the asking price. Overall, the sense I got was of a restaurant that charged as much as possible to take advantage of the tourists who will almost never be back again. So, with that mission in mind, why bother to make the experience exceptional?

The New York Strip steak, twice baked potatoes and salads were delicious! The butternut squash soup was a bit rich/heavy for my taste but loved the restaurant, the service, the ambiance and the lovely table setting.

We ate in the bar area with the full dining menu. Food was great and the service was excellent

Visited Cape May and went to the Washington Inn on a recommendation from a friend. We visited on a Friday evening at 6:30 pm. My wife and I were greated at the curb by the valet who proceeded to direct us to the door. We were seated immediately at a small table along the front of the restaurant. Our server took our drinks and read us the specials. The servers were very knowledgeable and recommended some of their favorites. We ordered the escargot and salad for appetizers and , Crab Cakes and Australian Rack of Lamb special. The escargot were finished in a butter, garlic and Gruyère cheese and were served out of the shell. I have to say that these were hands down the most tasty escargot I've ever eaten. The crab cakes were a nice size and loaded with crabmeat. The Rack of Lamb special consisted of five ribs, all of which were individually cut. The lamb was served medium rare (chef's choice) which was done perfectly. The lamb was bursting with flavor and likely one of the top 10 racks of lamb I've ever eaten. My only slight complaint was that the chops were individually cut. Now, it didn't negatively impact the dish but I do find they sometimes the food temp can drop very quickly when all the chops are cut individually. Great area, great staff, fantastic food and overall a very good experience. I would definitely recommend the Washington Inn if you are in Cape May, NJ!

The food was great, the ambience historic. I have just one complaint. We were seated at a bar table Friday night when the manager (I don't have his name I'm afraid), approached and said something. I couldn't hear him... Crowded Bar+ Friday night, people were speaking loudly just to hear each other. He repeated louder that he had complaints our 11 month old granddaughter was being disruptive! I replied that was hard to believe, as all she was doing was smiling and waving to people, so I asked him if he actually had a complaint. He got quite testy and stated "there aren't supposed to be babies in the bar anyway"... It was a fantastic dinner for 7, slightly tarnished because some male "Karen" had to prove HE was the manager!! I tipped a great tip; but only after determining that bozo-guy got none of it.

Everything about the Washington inn is great! The food, the service and the atmosphere... we had Gary . He was a great waiter and answered all of our questions about the wine list. Hope to go back again soon.

Great service, excellent pork chop. Surprised to receive 20% off for early dinner. Would definitely go again...the best in Cape May that we sampled.

Had higher expectations for Washington Inn than what it proved to be. Sat in the front room, and the acoustics were not good. At times we had difficulty hearing each other. Big problem for us. Tuna tartare appetizer was delicious. Halibut entree was very good. Filet mignon was a huge disappointment, however. Not 100% convinced it was really a filet, first of all, but it was overcooked according to how it was ordered. Could not get the waitress' attention, so I continued to eat. When we finally got her attention and apprised her of the situation, she said we should have told her. Even if we had, what could the kitchen have done for an overcooked piece of meat? If we had sent it back, my husband's meal would have gotten cold, or he would have had to continue to eat solo. Either way, not good. We were offered a dessert on the house, but weren't wanting dessert, so we asked for a different method of restitution, which the front did agree to in the end. Sad to say we wouldn't plan to return if in the area. .

Heard good things, and this spot does not disappoint! Had reservations, arrived early so went to the bar for some drinks, (idk why but I got funeral home vibes in there) the vibe was cool though bartenders were on point, and the drinks were good. After the drinks went and got seated at our table. Waitress was friendly ordered short ribs which were tender and surprisingly seasoned perfectly. Also had the lobster Mac and Cheese literally everything we ordered was good. Will definitely be back to try out other items. This is probably the only restaurant in Cape May that I have been amazed by.

We walked in with no reservation with 4 adults, two children around nine years old, and one baby who was 10 months old. We told them our party and we were seated promptly in the bar area. Kaitlin our waitress was awesome. She was super friendly, always smiling, and knew the menu and specials well. Our children were very well behaved and numerous families next to us and in the bar area came over to compliment us on "having a beautiful family". We were over an hour into our meal in on our main courses when a "manager" named Trevor who we had not had any interactions with at all, walked up to my wife and said "if your baby keeps being loud and worked up you need to take her for a walk". My wife asked if they had complaints about our 10 month old - who was in the best mood and had not cried a single time inside the restaurant, Trevor responded "we have had complaints". My wife asked him who was complaining and he responded "normally it's our policy to not seat children in the bar area". Listen - this is over an hour into the meal - if your policy is don't seat kid here - then don't sit kids in the bar area from the get go. But you quickly did - and we spent over $480.00 here. The baby was happy as can be, and was much quieter than the majority of intoxicated adults at the bar screaming at each other from 12 inches away from each other. The big issue is how he talks to women about children - "take the baby for walk" ? This isn't a dog friend, it's a baby. Super rude, super unnecessary, and put a huge damper on the evening that was otherwise awesome. Again - waitress Kaitlin kind of saved the night by being apologetic and overly friendly in spite of Trevor being rude. We had no less than 3 couples or families come up to us after Tyler was rude to say "obviously he doesn't have children". Food was good, Kaitlin and the other staff were amazing, but goes to show how one rude manager can bring an entire restaurant down! Even if you feel your content is valid, your delivery needs a lot of work Tyler

Had dinner here on Oct 6 for our 45th wedding anniversary. Let me begin by saying this is not the same restaurant of 15 years ago ! Location , ambiance , and most service was great, however it is becoming a bit dated. The bar and bartender where outstanding. I forgot to mention it was a Sunday evening at 7pm which doesn't have the same exciting vibe as a Saturday evening at 7 pm. We shared a house salad which was excellent. Next came three Oyster Rockefeller's which lacked any distinctive taste, they were just ok. Next was Steak Tar Tar , just ok. We then had the esgargot, tiny esgargot but an outstanding garlic butter with it. Should have stopped there with the tasty hot rolls mopping up that delicious butter sauce. I then had the Cioppino which came out luke warm. This dish should be served PIPING Hot ! Again it was just ok. They gave us a raspberry sorbet as an anniversary comp, that was outstanding. Seems like it's getting harder and harder finding a great restaurant in Cape May with great food at reasonable prices. I don't mind paying the high prices as long as the food equals the or out performs the prices charged.

First of all there were flies and other bugs in and around our table and window which we and the attendant tried to remove and kill but to no avail. The ribeye for two was not cooked properly and consisted of a large amount of gristle. For the price and type of establishment, it is totally unacceptable. This was to be a special occasion (60th anniversary) which was a poor experience. Have been here before but the quality of the food and cleanliness have been very poor since then. Tony Dipietro 09/26/24

Friendly staff, generous portions, lovely setting.

Fantastic meal! And superb service. Started with the octopus special and burrata - both a little small but very good. I got the halibut special and it was mouthwatering- cooked to perfection. Highly recommended!

Great early dinner in cape May. Historic old home converted into a restaurant. Had the burrata, onion soup and lamp pasta - all amazing. Will go back alone for the onion soup. Cocktails and service were excellent as well.

The ambience, the food and the service is impeccable. Our family loves going here. When we have friends visit us, they want to know if we made a reservation.

2nd time going to the Washington Inn restaurant. 1st time before Covid and now after Covid! Never disappoints. Food was great! We had the escargot as an appetizer. Filet mignon and pork chop as entrees! Melissa was our waiter and she was amazing! Love the food and service! Definitely recommend! Ambiance is still very beautiful!