SHŌTŌ Washington DC

From the moment we walked into Shōtō, we were completely blown away by the ambiance. Every detail — from the entrance to even the restroom — was thoughtfully designed and beautifully executed. The atmosphere alone sets the tone for an unforgettable dining experience. The staff delivered service beyond anything I’ve experienced before — attentive, welcoming, and truly passionate about what they do. This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend who raved about their Old Fashioned and Whiskey Sour. After looking over the menu and debating what to order, we decided to trust the experience and go with the chef’s choice — and it was the best decision we could have made. The very first sip of my Whiskey Sour completely blew my mind. I’ve never had a drink so incredible with such simple ingr

We wanted to go all out on a dining experience for Valentines Day and this place did not disappoint! We wanted to try the special platters they had for the occasion, but opted for the omakase experience instead. We started off with a few cocktails, the Shoto old fashioned and the lychee martini- both were delicious and the ice cube in the old fashioned was branded, a testament to the detail that goes into the dining experience here. After a few moments to enjoy the exquisitely decorated interior and the in house DJ, the food started coming out and it didn't stop for 2 hours! Plate after plate, all delicious and all different flavors- Shoto tacos - 9/10 Miso soup - 6/10 Tuna tartare - 8/10 Chicken kebabs - 8/10 Mixed green salad - 7/10 Sea bass nigiri - 8.5/10 Tempura medley- 5/10 Sushi

This is my second visit here and it was even better then I first time. In my initial visit, we opted for the omakase experience (premium version $195 per person) with 3 people. Many of the items I ordered this time was because I had it last time a la cart. I will say that for me, personally, getting the a la cart items had more value than getting the omasake experience because it felt like we were getting charged more for significantly less food. Overall, the staff was amazing. Despite being crowded, they were mostly attentive and pleasant. We ordered many items, including the chicken and beef skewers, mixed tempura (shrimp and vegetable), fried baby squid, steak, salmon, the mini tacos (wagu and salmon), and cauliflower. We really wanted the corn and brocolli, but they were sold out (hen

The place is very elegant and aesthetically beautiful. The DJ was really good, the beats were really fluid (1 touch lower volume would have been better). The bar is nice, people are friendly. The bartenders are nice but not pros. Had the espresso martini, no —don’t know what liqueur they’re using but, no, and the French martini, also no —too sweet. The omakase is not an omakase it’s a tasting menu. It was a lot of food (it was tasty but not haute). Too much sauce for classical Japanese. The standouts were the lamb is Excellent (and I make lamb chops, so they get my blessing, they are cooked perfectly and the flavor was a touch heavy but yumyum the salmon teriyaki was also cooked to perfection as a medium rare -nomnom the churros were not warm to the touch (offensive!) but the caramel in

We chose Shōtō D.C to celebrate our anniversary, knowing my husband’s love for wagyu and Japanese whisky, and it absolutely delivered. From the expertly crafted cocktails to the mouthwatering appetizers, sushi, and mains, every dish was a hit. The food comes in hot whenever it is ready from the kitchen. Made it feel like we had food on our table at every given time. Food was so good, I forget to take pictures after our appetizers came in. My husband was so impressed he’s already planning a return visit to explore more of the menu. A perfect blend of elegance and flavor. Shōtō made our special night unforgettable.