Bad Saint

We had to make a reservation a month in advance to get in the door. Service was impeccable, our server was efficient, pleasant and knew the menu well. The restaurant was pleasant, if a little compact. The food was excellent! The slow cooked pork was tender, luscious, richly smoky and benefited from the coconut (milk/water?) it was bathed in. The crisp pork skin was the best icing this cake could have! The crab curry was made from a rich, seafood broth, with plenty of crab meat. Though the flavor of the broth competed with the flavor of the crab a bit, would've loved a more crabby flavor. The bitter melon and egg salad might've been the star of the show! Layers of flavor and texture, with the fragrance of the flash fry in the wok always in the background. The hints of crunchy bitterness in each mouthful were perfectly balanced by the creamy egg and sauteed greens. Be generous with the lemon! Gave them four stars because the food was too expensive. But we were glad we ate there!

We got lucky with day-of reservations for dinner and really enjoyed ourselves! The restaurant space is very small - 40 seats tops - most of which are facing the window or wall. It's beautifully decorated and comfortable but certainly not for a large group. Onto the food: Wow! It's very cool to see food from the Philippines elevated to this level. I'm a vegetarian but my partner isn't and we both found hearty, interesting dishes that we could enjoy. The portion sizes are actually bigger than I thought they would be and we took leftovers after getting 4 dishes between 2 people. The radish dish in coconut cream was amazing and so special and it's not to miss. The complimentary dessert was also a nice touch. I really enjoyed my cocktail too which had a coconut vodka-type spirit with some really interesting flavors, and the rye drink reminiscent of a Manhattan was also fantastic. This is such a great spot for a special meal!

Wednesday Morning 11:00am. In order to secure a spot at Bad Saint, you will need to be on their website reservation page at that time. If not, better luck next week. Hopefully you are lucky enough to lock down a table, because it is a very unique and pleasant dining experience. A cozy and unique setting places you at a small table or counter like seating area. Service is quick and offers a limited but creative menu. Every day contains a chef's choice as well, which takes you through a rotation of on and off menu dishes (we went with this). Each dish had something that made it both delicious and different from anything we have ever had(sauce, pepper, style of cooking etc). Everything is shareable plates, and doesn't require any extra seasonings or sauces that they do not provide. Excellent overall experience and worth putting a little extra effort into getting that reservation.

Cant really judge Filipino food because I've never had it. All the dishes were tasty and well crafted. A very small space for arestaurant. cocktails were just good, not great. It is a 5 star restaurant but I think the hype left me hoping for a bit more. Def worth a try though! Service was also great.

I've been to Bad Saint several times now and it never disappoints. The menu is updated frequently with seasonal options. Staff is incredibly knowledgeable and willing to answer questions about the menu and give recommendations. The owner is incredibly kind and passionate about food. Plus the cozy setting makes you feel like being there is a real treat. Absolutely lives up to the hype.

The food here is great! This restaurant is very small and the chances of you getting in without reservations is slim to none. The staff is cool and all very knowledgeable about the food and ingredients. The menu is very small but it changes pretty often. The ambience here is cool I really like how the bar and kitchen are set up.

The rice and asian pear salad was a light and refreshing start to a delicious meal. The veggie mix that came with rice was delicious. The duck with crispy skin was the highlight of the meal and definitely stood above all the other dishes. The squid puffs were very light and delicious, but the sauce was surprisingly fishy, which is something I wasn't used to. The spaghetti was very well made, with a perfect handmade noodle. The Filipino sweet rice dessert was semi-sweet and very filling end to a great meal.

To experience Bad Saint's Pagdiriwang celebration is truly a delight and heart warming experience, a prefixed menu curated for a delicious Filipino culinary adventure to kick off the new year and end the holiday season with a bang. We were fortunate to get a reservation for this extended event. Normally, one has to line up at 3:00 - 4:00 pm to get a seat at this cozy spot that seats about 24 guests. The menu included an assortment of dishes including black bass sinigang, a lobster rice tamale, lechon (of course), and Filipino spaghetti to name a few. With a rotating menu, we're always excited to see what Tom comes up with. He brings the comfort of home and his creativity and passion for cooking into each of his dishes with all the textures and flavors in every bite. If you are able to catch the window of opportunity to book a seat for one of their special events, do check it out. It was a nice perk to skip the line with all the snow, but even if you can't, Bad Saint is ALWAYS worth the wait!

My favorite restaurant in DC. If you have the opportunity to eat here, take it. Very few seats so be prepared to wait. I recommend getting a drink at Wonderland or El Chucho while you wait for your table. The menu is always changing but believe me when I say it is some of the most unique and delicious dishes you'll ever taste. I didn't think it was possible to elevate Filipino food to a level of elegance, but this is exactly that. If you enjoy your meal at Bad Saint, I recommend trying to find a Mom and Pop Filipono run restaurant such as Lumigs and taste the dishes you tried in their original forms. It definitely won't be as decadent as Bad Saint, but you can see how the dishes taste in their indigenous form. I love homecooked Filipino food, but this restaurant really does enrich these dishes without taking away from their original charms and essences. If you don't take this opportunity to try this amazing restaurant, you're really doing yourself a disservice.