How to book minibar by José Andrés

minibar by José Andrés is an avant-garde tasting counter on E Street NW in Penn Quarter, Washington, and it holds two Michelin stars^1,3. It began in 2003 as a six-seat counter inside Andrés's Café Atlántico and later became a restaurant of its own built around a twelve-seat counter⁵.

The kitchen serves a single tasting menu meant to be eaten as a whole, with nothing offered à la carte². The restaurant describes its cooking as a blend of art and science, tradition and technique¹. The Michelin Guide files it under creative cooking and points to dishes such as a trompe l'oeil cauliflower with caviar and hazelnut oil, and a jamón chawanmushi with sea urchin³.

An evening starts with a cocktail and snacks in a white bar before guests move to a dozen seats at a wood-topped counter that wraps around the kitchen, where they watch the cooks plate each course^3,4. There are two seatings a night, and parties are capped at four guests². José's Table, a private room next to the kitchen, takes a single group of up to six².

Seats are sold as prepaid tickets that cannot be cancelled but can be passed to someone else. A month of dates goes on sale at noon Eastern on the first of the previous month². The FAQ lists the counter menu at $375 per person before drinks, tax and service, with wine pairings at $225 and $550². Guests must be 16 or older².