Elmina

A A. Dee 93 reviews · Local Guide 29 June 2026

Amazing chef's tasting menu at ElminaDC salute to Chef Eric Adjepong & team! What a gem, such a creative & upscale Ghanaian cuisine. I just loved your delicious Ghana to the world diaspora food that it blew myself, a first gen away. And my fellow W. African friend felt the same. From the gorgeous decor, art, ambiance, yummy cocktails with dope Ghanaian themes, to starters of soup dumplings. And the yummy twist on our traditional salad with tuna slices was so creative. Then the main course an outstanding pot of our best Ghana jollof with duck beyond delicious, then egg to top it off, wow! All the flavors & presentation was out of this world. We also added my favorite street food kelewele which was so authentic. And the desserts too the puff puff bofrot was so elevated. Hands down the best chef's tasting I've ever experienced. And just saw there's a new chefs menu on the horizon, next trip back to DMV & Elmina loading. Don't know how I missed posting last summer here after my usual IG post but held off as at first was a bit antsy with name & history. But so glad & hope can still get a table after Micheli- has listed but even stars much deserved!

L Lyla Shaibi 53 reviews · Local Guide 27 June 2026

Elmina is such a beautiful addition to the DC dining scene, and I loved getting to experience Ghanaian flavors through Chef Eric and his team’s lens. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, with several distinct dining spaces that each have their own vibe. We were initially seated upstairs in the darker, moodier area that felt perfect for date night, but ended up moving to the patio because we wanted a little more light, and the staff was happy to accommodate us. The food was the star of the evening. The flavors were incredible, and the sauces in particular were some of the best I’ve had anywhere. They tied every dish together and were easily the standout of the meal. The pork skewers were phenomenal, among the best I’ve ever had, and the French onion dip and accompanying accoutrements made the dish even better. The chicken was cooked perfectly. There were a couple dishes that didn’t quite hit for me. I was especially excited for the fried okra, but I wish the pieces had been cut smaller before frying. Because they were so large, the inside still had that slimy texture that I personally don’t enjoy. We also ordered a side of jollof rice with the chicken. It was good, but I’ve had stronger versions at other restaurants in the area. The crudo had nice flavors but the fish could have been fresher. The cocktails were also well done and paired nicely with the meal. The biggest miss for us was the service. Our server was friendly, but seemed distracted throughout the evening and often appeared to be caught up in personal conversations with other staff. As a result, we waited longer than we should have for drink refills and again when we wanted to order dessert. The main dish also took a while to come out. Overall, the incredible flavors, thoughtful cooking, beautiful space, and especially those unforgettable sauces made this a restaurant I’d recommend. With a little more attentive service, it would be an easy five-star experience.

N Nanci Moreno 21 reviews · Local Guide 24 June 2026

This was a 10/10 experience. The food was absolutely delicious. The ambiance is very modern and nice. The service was great. Usually places with higher prices I never get full. But this place had great quality food with a very appropriate portion for the price. I ate things I had never tried before and I loved all of it. If you’ve thought about coming here you should. I’m always looking for new places to try and usually think I don’t need to come back there’s more places to try in the dmv. But this one is one I’d love to come back to.

S subhrata sundaray 138 reviews · Local Guide 24 May 2026

Elmina is a standout East African spot. Their crab and egg fried rice was the highlight—flavorful, slightly spicy, and amazingly fresh with no seafood smell. We also tried the chimnga: the pork belly was incredibly delicious, and the beef was great too. The staff is warm and attentive, and the cocktails are worth it—Tree of Life was excellent. Highly recommended. Special thanks to - Shirley❤️

M Melanie Rager 8 reviews 14 May 2026

Food was amazing, would definitely recommend the tasting. Kayla our server was great very informative and answered all our questions, she did an amazing job at describing the dishes. Kayla was able to have a modification made for my husband on his desert after we had placed our initial order, which made him extremely happy. She made us feel very welcome and at home. The only thing I would change was the location of our table, we were at a table that was against and open to the kitchen.