Elcielo Restaurant Washington D.C.

We went to celebrate a friend's birthday and absolutely loved it. The food kept coming and each course presented a take on Colombian cousine from various parts of the country, accompanied by a bit of history and suggestions on how best to enjoy it. Their wine selection is unique and I was happy to see some excellent reds at down-to-earth prices for a restaurant of this caliber (mind you, there's also the other kind). Hard to pick a favorite course, but if I had to, I would say I enjoyed their coffee the most. It was just something special and absolutely delicious, not to mention such an important part of their culture that can only be enjoyed if prepared right. Besides, it gave everyone a bit of extra energy to carey on celebrating afterwards. All in all, a truly wonderful experience, not just from a dining point of view but educational as well.

Elcielo really hit. I left full and satisfied, which is not something I usually say after a tasting menu. The Tree of Life was unreal — one of those dishes that sticks with you. The pacing all night was smooth, no drag, no rush. And the service was genuinely impressive. They explained each dish with real personality, not a script, and they even stepped in to help when they noticed my coat kept trying to slide off the back of my chair. Little things like that go a long way. Unlike an actor who’s had a little work done, this menu had zero filler. Every course was worth it. This is the first Michelin-star spot where I wouldn’t cut a single dish if I came back. I want the whole lineup again exactly as it was. Elcielo earned that star. 5/5 Vibranium

This was my first time at Elcielo, and I visited in August. We decided to sit at the bar, and the service there was absolutely amazing. Alexandra truly stood out, her attitude was wonderful, warm, and attentive, making the experience even more special. I’m not from Colombia and had never tried pan de yuca before, but I loved it! It was such a great introduction to new flavors. I loved the Tree of Life , it was beautiful and delicious. Overall, the experience was incredible, and I definitely want to come back, this time to enjoy the full experience at the tables. Highly recommended.

An incredible dining experience! The food felt authentic and honored the Colombian ingredients and cooking techniques. Our server Sergio was incredible and took the time to talk with us more on the different ingredients that go into each dish. It is deserving of a Michelin star, but there is definitely room for improvement. We had a mix a up with our drinks, as we had ordered non alcoholic, but received drinks with alcohol and one was a completely different drink (and it looks like we paid full price for the drink instead of a drink without alcohol). Also, the Tree of Life was taken away from us and we were told it would be packed to go, but never we never received it. Lastly, all Michelin starred restaurant that we have been to bring you a final small treat to accompany your bill (to lessen the blow of the price tag), but that was missing hear. Overall, still would recommend this incredible restaurant.

I went for the experience as a table of 3, and quickly my expectations were set very high. The stars of the show are definitely the appetizers and pre-main meal plates. The truffle buñuelo, hiramasa lulo quinoa, aguardiente passionfruit toddy, and the carimañola were my top 4 (in that order) based on how each one was perfected taste wise. I will say, I was a bit disappointed by the quail which I very much looked forward to because I love quail. It just didn’t wow me in any way and had a slight gamy flavor that quail has if washed/cooked in certain ways. The bison and tree of life are also worth mentioning because they were higher up in the ranks of deliciousness. I would definitely come back and order 3+ buñuelos from the a la carte menu along with a couple other new dishes to switch it up. You start to get full around the time the menu switches over to dessert. Therefore I can’t tell if it’s because we were full but the dessert dishes fell a bit flat. The cherry blossoms were the only dessert I enjoyed. The cholao as a concept was so lovely - bringing together the diverse spirit of Colombia in a dish, however I just didn’t enjoy it. I’m not a fan of artificial candy and since it had pop rocks in it and some jellies I think it was just a bit too candy like. The rose petals are not really anything to be consumed just as a heads up, it’s more like the chocotherapy - just for your senses. Lastly, we had dietary restrictions on alcohol and pork (which was absent from the menu anyways). I made this known when I made the reservation online, over the phone the day of when the restaurant confirmed with me, and when we were seated and greeted by our server. However we still had a sauce served to us that had alcohol (the sauce from the bison dish) and a dessert that had amaretto. The server explained that the alcohol cooks out however we were aware of that and frankly I find that this is a decision for the customer to make as they might have other concerns/implications. So I was disappointed they still brought them to us when we already flagged it. There was no alternative to the bison sauce however I will say our server and the chef quickly made a substitution and provided us with a different dessert because we couldn’t have the amaretto and guava tart. That was much appreciated. It would have been perfect had that been incorporated into the experience from the start without having to mention it when the guava amaretto was served. But that’s just for the restaurant to note in terms of the larger experience. They did bring out an edible candle for my birthday which was a lovely touch and nice to note from my reservation details. It was a lovely gesture that shows how charismatic the restaurant and team are. Thank you. Overall, I would definitely recommend to try once if you can! El Cielo is of the most unique experience menus I have had. Come hungry because there is a good amount of food you’ll be served and you’ll walk out more than satisfied.

Top notch food! One of my all time favorite restaurants. Try everything! I had mini orgasmic moments with every bite. Certainly not original Colombian food, but really enjoyed the chef's interpretation of traditional meals.

El Cielo round two! Went four years ago for their epic 20+ course tasting menu - it was incredible and honestly the only Michelin star we've really wanted to revisit. This time we did à la carte: grabbed all the "Columbia Bites" and some old standbys. Didn't disappoint! Tree of Life and Yucca Gnocchi? Still fire. But that Truffle Buñuelo? Next level. Totally stole the spotlight with its crazy explosive flavor. Yeah, we'll be back for sure!

One of the best dining experiences I’ve had since coming to the U.S.! 💖✨ The food was absolutely delicious (Michelin star worthy), the atmosphere was beautiful, and the service was exceptional💖✨. The girl who served me was extremely kind and made the evening even more enjoyable♥️😍. Highly recommended!✨

We came to El Cielo with low expectations. We weren’t very big fans of Colombian cuisine, nor did we have much experience in it aside from trying local shops and Mita (very disappointing). Wow, we were blown away! Every dish was presented with finesse and flair. Each bite was great and it had enough Latin American influence in the food to be recognizable but also wasn’t so immersed in that style that it would be daunting for less adventurous diners. I really enjoyed their truffle bite as well as the raw tuna and fish arepas. While expensive, it was a worthy experience and better than many other Michelin restaurants we have been to. Pay for the extra Birthday experience-it’s a nice addition to the meal.

This was an amazing experience that merge Colombian inspiration and fusion experience. Every dish was unique and a true gastronomic experience and the presentation highlights the Colombian culture. I can't pick a favorite because they were all incredible, Not surprised the Chef is a Michelin rated!