Date Night: Entyse Wine Bar at Ritz Carlton,Tysons Corner

After being designated to our couch last week as the “DC Dig-Out” went on, we opted for an early Valentine’s Day getaway dinner that took us to Entyse Wine Bar at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner this past weekend. 

Hotel restaurants are tricky; in an effort to please the general hotel customer, in-house dining is usually generic and lacking a bit of identity. Not only that, but proximity guarantees a monopoly, and therefore prices are usually much higher than a comparable stand-alone fine dining experience. However, our experience at Entyse left us with a new taste in our mouth for hotel dining – literally!

Located on the lobby level of the Ritz-Carlton, the restaurant continues the high class, dark wood interior of the hotel. Soft lighting, candles, and rich, deep colors elevate the romantic mood of the experience before you even order a glass of wine. Which, by the way, we highly recommend. As a wine bar, the list is impressive with a range of prices and vintages and Sommelier Vincent Feraud is eager to help select the perfect pairing. 

Though there isn’t a true “flavor” to the restaurant, per say, every plate we tried was unique and tasty. For our starters, we split the Korean Shrimp Tacos and the Tuna Tar-tar. ON POINT. I’m not a good judge of raw tuna, but Scott was pleased and I totally geeked out at the bed of avocado. However, those Korean tacos are alive and well in my mind, and I was able to play the “raw tuna” card to Scott in defense of eating 2 of the 3 tacos. *evil laugh*.

Though we could have indulged on small plates alone, our server (**shout-out to our main man Chakib for being an EXPERT on every recommendation! Incredible service!!!**) recommended our entrees, both of which we willingly agreed upon. Scott ordered the  Organic 1/2 Roasted Chicken, a dish they perfect from scratch (read:allow 25-35 minutes after ordering). I, however, felt the winner of the evening was the Jumbo Shrimp Pad Thai – a powerful combination of flavors and spicy shrimp to boot. I’d go back in a heartbeat for the shrimp tacos and shrimp pad Thai. It’s all about that shrimp I guess.

Here is a little date night advice for you: if you need to skip the pre-dinner cocktail in order to enjoy a post-dinner port- DO IT. The romance of the evening bubbled over when we ordered our server’s recommendation of the Warm Chocolate Cake (and salted caramel ice cream) and a glass of port.  Guys – I don’t do dessert. I usually steal a bite of Scott’s to get the sugar fix and I’m good. This dessert, accompanied by a sip of the port, was decadent and sensual. I often feel like I am still a kid and I’m not old enough to “adult”, but sitting in that romantic atmosphere sharing chocolate and port, and I was time-capsuled instantly to the classic sexiness of the 1940s.

On Saturday night, Entyse was our perfect date – luxurious decor, sumptuous plates, a well-crafted wine list, and service that was of a much higher caliber. I left feeling wined and dined and reluctant for our intimate date night to end. Entyse is more than a hotel bar – it’s the whole package.  This month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, Entyse is offering a 4 course dinner special, including a chocolate buffet. Click here for details.

Now that we’ve mentioned it, what are your plans for Valentine’s Day?

Cheers!