Bastille

«Meh. I’ve experienced better» is the perfect way to sum up my several mediocre experiences at Bastille … but there is a reason you can walk in here and get a table on a Friday night at 8pm. While the wait staff at this restaurant has always been very nice and accommodating (and I’ve always had great bartenders — shout out to Herbie and Nick) the hostesses and the managers especially leave a lot to be desired. This could be a really great neighborhood spot, in fact my husband and I were part of the community that rallied for their business to be allowed in the neighborhood (we live very close). However, at the end of the day they are pretentious and not very hospitable. When they first opened my husband wanted to run over and get a dessert to go. This is apparently an insult to Bastille, he sat and had a cocktail (or two) while waiting for them to plate his order, present it, then made a show of packing it up so he could bring it home. To go orders are not their thing ok, fine, you don’t want to do food to go — fine but you’re really missing out on a lot of business on that one. Recently my husband and I had a child, and it was my mom’s birthday so, not wanting to travel far, I took her to Bastille for some drinks at the bar. The bartender (Nick) may have been new but you would never know it. He was friendly and great and my mom was that annoying person who didn’t know what she wanted so he crafted her a personalized birthday drink and she loved it (ordered a second). Meanwhile, the manager (I assume he was — portly strawberry blonde w/​facial hair) was constantly hovering over Nick and exerting a tense vibe and totally ruining the atmosphere. At one point he even made a rude comment making fun of how new Nick was and I found it really unfounded, unprofessional, juvenile, and insulting. Instead of a nice relaxing escape from my newborn, I had a front row seat to a one man show I would call «asshole micro-​manager.» I even mentioned to him that he seemed super tense and it was a lot to take in as a patron but he jokingly brushed me off. It’s disappointing because their bar is beautiful, and cool, and I’ve really been wanting to make it my local spot because it’s so convenient — but now I’d rather just walk to King Street. The final nail in the coffin happened the other day when my husband and I were craving their cheeseburger. Now, yes we have a newborn but the baby does nothing but sleep when we are out. We’ve been eating all over old town (because who has time to cook)! So, it was a beautiful evening we saw that Bastille was totally empty inside (lots of people on the patio in the front and back) but basically empty inside (the baby has just fallen asleep so we know we had a good two hour break) they showed me to a seat in the café and then my husband rolled in with the stroller. This was apparently the first stroller this hostess had ever seen in her life and I asked her if she wanted us to collapse it or leave him in it near our table (and there was plenty of room to get around it — even in a wheelchair (I’m not exaggerating). She had to go ask the manager and came back to tell us we had to collapse the stroller — no problem. I put the baby in the carrier next to me on the floor. The hostess came back over to tell us can’t put it there. We say ok, and move him to the table top next to the wall (which isn’t a problem at any other restaurant we’ve been to) then the manager comes over to tell us the baby can’t be on the table (even up against the wall) because «it’s slippery,» and «because she cares about the safety of our child,» heavily implying that we clearly do not. We asked if we could keep him in the stroller but were told «no, because they isn’t enough room to walk around it,» (as I mentioned before — not true) but we could be placed in the backroom of the restaurant alone. We were only allowed to place the baby carrier on their small wicker chair (that has a back to it) and when I tried it, it didn’t fit. It was totally unsafe and I was going to have to hold the carrier the entire time. It was at that point we decided that although we have tried, Bastille is just too much of a pain in the ass for us to keep spending our money at. If they’d rather not have us spend our money there because we have a child (who was passed out and in an empty restaurant) fine. We walked down to Brabo Tasting Room and were treated like humans (well, better than that, like valued customers). It’s too bad Bastille, you could have been cool but we’re definitely parting ways — there are too many better places within a one-​mile radius! TTYN

Enjoyed Bastille. Ambiance and happy hour specials were great. Service was a little slow considering it was a low traffic time for the restaurant. Although the host was very detail orientated and made us feel welcome.

My couscous was tasty and interesting. The waitress was exceptional and courteous. One in the group had food allergies and she had a difficult time getting a food order she could eat. The chef came to our table, did not speak to us, avoided us and ‘hid’ behind server. We waited for food for 1 hr. & 20 min. The coffee was good.

Bastille is a French restaurant that serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant had a simple, contemporary green and brown theme. There were La Vie Parisienne posters hanging on the walls. On the pillar, there were four vertical panel photo canvases of Michelle and Christophe Poteaux teaching their kids how to cook/​bake.
Our server Jennifer told us the specials for the day, which include Tomato Gazpacho soup, Mushroom Veloute soup, Mushroom veloche, and Fried Green Tomatoes.
For drinks, we stuck to still water and unsweetened Mango Ginger Tea (which was served with sweetener upon request.
Everyone in our party decided to go for the
Three Course Prix Fixe for $ 29, which included
one Hors d’Oeuvres /​Soup /​Salad, one Sandwich /​Plat, and one Dessert. Obviously, there were some exclusions but they had many great choices.
For starters, we ordered the following:
–Melon et Prosciutto, which consisted of prosciutto laid in a circular pattern, topped with cantaloupe and country bread croutons and drizzled with port reduction. This appetizer reminded us of our stay at a European hotel.
–Escargots Au Pistou, which consisted of countless numbers of snails in a garlic and basil pesto and served with two toasted olive oil brushed baguette slices. I liked how it wasn’t as oily as how other restaurants serve escargot.
–Salade Printanière, which baby golden and red beets, baby carrots, radishes & arugula, and almonds lightly tossed in an aged balsamic vinaigrette. I liked the pretty presentation, how colorful the dish was, and how the beets weren’t undercooked.
For entrees, we ordered the following:
–Onglet a l’Echalotte, pommes frites, which consisted of a tender cut of Angus beef hanger steak marinated and topped with a sweet and flavorful red wine shallot sauce that was served with watercress salad and French fries.
–Oeufs Benedict et Croissant consisted of a buttery croissant cut in half, with each half topped with smoked salmon, poached farm fresh egg, and hollandaise sauce. It was served with watercress salad and duck fat home fries. I was afraid I wouldn’t like the duck fat home fries but they weren’t as salty or oily as I thought they would be. The duck fat certainly made potato wedge much more tasty and more interesting flavor.
–Croquet Madame, consisted of grilled ham and cheese sandwich, topped with Mornay sauce and
a fried egg, and served with watercress salad and French fries.
For Desserts, we ordered the following:
–Classique Crème Brûlée, which consisted of a vanilla bean custard topped with caramelized sugar topping. Surprisingly, it was served at room temperature.
–Gâteau Au Fromage Et Fruits Rouges, as recommended by Michelle Poteaux, consisted of a small circular vanilla bean cheesecake, topped with berry coulis followed by graham cracker sable filled with a scoop of berry sorbet. The dish was decorated with summer berries (e.g., blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry).
Jennifer, thank you for a pleasurable dining experience that was well paced.

I have been dying to go to this place ever since it opened and now that I’ve been, I don’t know if I will go back anytime soon. I was completely underwhelmed with the entire experience.
Happy hour deals are pretty meh. A glass of wine that isn’t a solid pour is a little over priced. The service is a little slow, we waited at the bar (were the only people seated) and it took us 10 minutes to get the bartender’s attention before getting drinks.
One redeeming quality, they have an awesome patio in the back. It’s not covered, but there are a few tables that do have umbrellas. Also, they have these awesome spiced peanuts.
I don’t think this is the best place for a happy hour, but I’d be willing to try it on a warm fall afternoon for brunch!

Had a really lovely meal here. The complimentary glass of champagne for my birthday won my heart. Ordered the salmon with risotto, and probably the best risotto I’ve ever had. Salmon was cooked medium and to perfection. The s’mores dessert was a really nice end to the meal, just what I needed. Great experience, wonderful service!

I ate here two days ago (June 9) for dinner and ordered escargots and moules-​frites. The next morning, I was wake up by a severe stomach ache and I threw up three times. Then I got high fever and felt headache and muscle weakness. I strong doubted your food are not fresh which caused my illness. I don’t recommend eating here unless you have a very strong stomach.

The service was superb. The décor was fantastic. I had the croque Monsieur and it was good. He had le Royal with cheese. He absolutely loved it. For dessert I had the macchiato cake and my husband had the s’more…to die for! The atmosphere was a little pretentious in my opinion. It wasn’t for me. I’m more of tomboy still even though I’m 32. Nonetheless, I would come back for a special occasion. Today is my birthday and my husband and I found this riding around. I don’t have any complaints

The service here is superb! We were warmly greeted by the host and seated in the cozy dining room. Fresh crispy french bread with butter are complimentary served with the meal. For the appetizer we ordered the escargot, portion wise it was larger than I expected, but I would of liked to taste a little bit more garlic. The texture from the escargot was amazing. every single bite was soft and smooth slathered in delicious butter. Our waiter was amazing, he brought out new silverware for our meal and cleared the crumbs from the table.
For my main meal I ordered the salmon with risotto and asparagus. The fish was cooked medium rare, and was delicately seasoned. The risotto melted in my mouth — no joke the best risotto I have had. My only complaint is the asparagus was a little bit skimpy. I believe it was only one to two pieces cut up. My date ordered a burger which came with fries. The fries were nice and crispy, but the burger tasted a bit strong for my pallet.
Next was dessert! We decided to share a chocolate custard with berries on top which was amazing! It was thick with the right amount of sweetness and topped with some sort of brittle, which was also divine. Service here is 5 stars, food is 4.5, atmosphere is 4, and drinks are 4. My only complaint is the price they charge for sparking water. I don’t like to have my meal with flat water, but there is a price point for sparking water. Overall, great experience and they have a cute park across the street for a nice romantic stroll ;).

Great spot for brunch, especially since they don’t open til 11:30. So when all the other brunch spots in Del Ray and Old Town are already packed with strollers on a Sunday morning, Bastille is just getting started. You can roll in and get a seat with little to no wait. The café portion of the restaurant (to your left when you walk in) is bright and airy, with marble topped tables and tiled floors, or if the weather is nice there is a pretty patio out back.
The eggs benedict are some of the best I’ve had, with smoked salmon and a perfect hollandaise sauce, and served on a croissant for added decadence. A chilled asparagus soup I tried this spring was so good, I spent the afternoon searching for recipes to attempt to replicate the dish at home. Their salads are beautifully plated, and the shrimp beignets are a surprisingly delicious way to start a meal.
I haven’t made it for dinner yet, but if you’re looking for a traditional brunch (not a diner or Mexican), then this is the best place in the area, I think.

We were early for our dinner reservation and decided to give their bar a try for happy hour. The bartender was very nice and knowledgeable and attentive. The happy hour menu is quite nice and has some good deals on wine and snacks to munch on.
The wines they offer are French and nicely selected. They also offer some nicely done and unique cocktails!
Upon being seated and checking out the wine menu, we weren’t as impressed. Some items available by-​the-​glass in the bar were not in the dining room and when we asked, the price was incredibly higher. Their bottle prices for many wines on the dining room menu were too high for what was being offered. But the prices of the food were very reasonable (not that we ever rate pricing, we just found these to be noticeable to us).
The dishes we ordered (scallops and meatloaf) were really nice! The meatloaf is VERY filling and comes with a HUGE side of mac & cheese! The scallops looked PERFECT! They were prepared perfectly, that’s for sure!
We didn’t find anything on the dessert menu that interested us, so we skipped dessert in lieu of another local place which offers gelato.
Overall we were very happy with our visit and look forward to going back sometime! If you’re looking for a nice time in a local, neighborhood bar and/​or a bar with cozy, secluded tables — this is your place!

The interior of Bastille wasn’t too inviting for a French restaurant, but putting that aside, we had a pleasant dining experience. The host staff was inviting and our server was enthusiastic!
I had the cocktail special called the Clever Idea — refreshing, tart and plenty of citrus. It would be a perfect summer cocktail! My friend had the Voodoo Flower, we could not really conclude on the taste as it was so mild and subtle so would not recommend this one.
We started off with the mussels which were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was flavored with a hint of chorizo in white wine sauce, light enough to soak up our bread to the last bite, and it was so tempting to ask for more bread to finish off the sauce but didn’t want to overload on bread before our main courses came.
I had the duck breast — cooked perfectly to medium rare. The roasted pear and prunes (I think) complemented this duck breast impeccably. I am not a fan of dark sauce which you typically find served with duck, but it wasn’t as overpowering as other dark sauces I’ve had with duck before. Duck was not gamey at all so didn’t really need much of the sauce anyway.
My friend had the Paella with octopus, shrimp and calamari served on rice — she liked it, but I only tasted a little piece of the octopus so can’t really review this dish much. The octopus was tender and flavored nicely!
Leave room for dessert — we shared a dark chocolate mouse with balsamic glazed strawberries, white chocolate stick and sprinkled with some nuts. It was semi-​sweet, the strawberry added a tang to the bite!
Overall, the food was prepared and executed well but cannot say that the flavors knocked our socks off, but I’d definitely come back to check out any specials that may!

Given that there are so few restaurants in the area, Bastille is a real blessing.
My cocktail was great!
We ordered the menu brasserie and I had the rockfish special. It was exactly what I hoped for in a fish dish: crispy skin, cooked just right, and paired with delicate kale and mushrooms. The mushroom soup I had was very good: my one complaint about it was that the croutons on top seemed store brought. I’m a fan of details in food and I’ve made my own croutons. It’s not hard.
The dessert, a deconstructed smore, was lovely. It had rich flavors, lots of texture, and was delicious. I could barely finish though as I was pretty full!
Now…the wine pairing. I won’t order this again. Clearly the sommelier and I have different ideas about pairings. For instance my partner ordered foie gras and it came with a very sweet wine «to cut through» but I would’ve paired it with a light, citrusy wine. My soup came with beer, of which I’m not a fan, and I would’ve paired it with a buttery Chardonnay or maybe even a soft red. Rose came with my fish… there I would have probably gone with a pinot. The dessert pairing was perfect though.
Whatever. I’ll still go back.
I’ll just order my own wine. :)
The service was great, though our wine pairing came out before our cocktails, which was sort of awkward.
These are just little things and none would stop me from returning. In the DMV are, that’s a huge compliment because there’s always new places to try. If you’d rather go back to the same place again instead, that says something!

It’s hard to go wrong here.
For V-​day Aubs and I got the 3 course pre-​fix and we did not leave dissapointed. I started with the brown butter, sage celeriac soup. It was the perfect temperature, had the consistency of a thick butternut squash soup but tasted like sage butter and celeriac, it was great. Aubs had the shrimp, avocado mango starter, not as good as my soup but not bad. It was like sweeter avocado with cold chopped butterflied shrimp on top.
For the main, I got the seafood paella. There were a lot of flavors here and the rice was so moist that it was halfway to risotto and loaded with saffron. This dish had a great assortment of lobster (tail + claw), calamari, octopus, shrimp and mussels. What I liked most about this dish is every bite had a slightly different texture and flavor and the rice absorbed all the flavors as well. Aub’s got the peppered duck served with poached pear and plums on top of purée’d parsnips. There was no mistaking the pepper in this dish, I enjoyed the slightly tart peppered sauce and the duck but some pieces were more tender and some were kind of tough. You never know what you’re gonna get with duck. For desert I got the chocolate cake with cherry compote and Aubs got the strawberry cake. These were works of art and tasted as good as they looked. Bastille delivered the V-​day dinner we were looking for.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the DC area.

Finally had the opportunity to dine here (thank you big sister for babysitting). Although I noticed changing tables in the restrooms, which is a huge plus to us diaper laden parents, it is nice to have a meal without crayons. I digress. Arrived without reservations on Valentine’s eve. I knew what we were up against and the look on the host’s face was priceless/​hilarious when I mentioned we were sans reservations. Here’s the thing: dining without child in tow means we can actually sit at the bar! Prior to parenhood, sitting at the bar to eat almost felt like punishment, but now it makes me feel cool. Don’t judge. The bar at Bastille is lovely and inviting. The 2 bartenders took excellent care of us and never made us feel like we were «just» sitting at the bar.
The food was excellent. Seriously, it was so refreshing to have a well prepared and delicious meal. Far too often, we find ourselves eating at overpriced, mediocre restaurants in Alexandria, leaving unsatisfied and underwhelmed. That was not the case here. I had the shrimp beignets, bibb wedge and scallops. My husband had the mushroom soup and risotto. We split the chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Everything we had was great! I would and will return in the near future.

Am rating for both Happy Hour and RESTAURANT week:
Rating a 3.5
Happy hour: limited amount of options for beverages and no food for happy hour. I was disappointed that I ordered my bevarage, saw the staff make it, while he then proceeded to serve beverages to others while my drink sat… waiting to be consumed by me. As I sat and stared at my drink, while the other patrons enjoyed there, My annoyance increased. Luckily I enjoyed my Kir Royal once it was served.
Dinner: the oysters are more breading then Oysters, The duck had was good, but the meal was not hot, just warm… a disappointment but the taste made up for it.
The service in the dining room was really good. Many attentive staff members and they were able to explain the dishes.
Overall good meal, a few tweaks it would have been a solid 4.

We went here for Restaurant week and the ambiance was great – it was romantic and intimate; however, the courses – while it tasted delicious and was very well presented – I have come down with a bad case of food poisoning. If you wanted to know what I ate, it was the duck. I requested medium well but it looked very raw to me and I should’ve trusted my instinct and sent it back. Now, as I write this on the toilet a week after my visit at 3:51AM, I’m quite furious at this restaurant. I now have to retract all of my praise for the restaurant to all of my friends and coworkers. Really, I didn’t think my first stomachache that night really meant anything but now I have not been able to eat anything without a trip to the restroom. Ugh.

Had a wonderful dinner tonight with friends, and it happened to be Restaurant Week!:)
Pre Fix I had the very and butternut squash salad, the Lemongrass Chicken Pot and the cheese plate and my husband had the chorizo mussels and the Moullard Duck and pear over turnip purée chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream.
Our service was A#1 and the food very good.
I liked the chicken because it reminded me of a less flavorful chicken and veg soup from home, boiled chicken. It wasn’t bad, just not amazing… On the menu it read that it was flavored with lemongrass, I was disappointed.
I will definitely go back.

My girlfriends brought me here last week to celebrate my birthday. Everything was amazing. My friends had a cake for me, which after calling ahead to ensure, they were fine with.
Two of us arrived early and had a couple of happy hour cocktails. I had the very tasty Kir Royale… well, two.
I wavered back and forth between the fixed price or a la carte menu. I had been to their previous location and always dos the fixed price, this day I opted for the a la carte. I started with the delicious soup of the day. I would have been fine stopping after that! But we also had the Moules au chorizo to share. We were a table of 4 and there were just enough to each have a few for a taste.
Ok, my entrée, quite honestly, the best thing I’ve tasted in a long time:
Phenomenal. I had the Pan-​roasted Sea Scallops. The flavor of the scallops and accompanying vegetables was amazing !!
Also, being the birthday girl, I was also given a glass of champagne with dinner.
The service was all prompt, courteous and friendly.
I can’t wait to go back and try the gourmand menu!
Cheers

Absolutely wonderful. Love the drinks, food, service, and ambiance.
Only complaint is the price/​cost of the marinated (not pitted) olives for the amount we’re given. But that’s it! Of all the many many times my husband and I eat/​drink there, that’s our ONLY complaint. We will continue coming for as long as the standards/​quality of service and food remain high.

Went here for what I thought was Alexandria’s restaurant week but I was a week off. Oh well it was nice. The food was pretty good. Honestly it was a while ago but there wasn’t anything to special about this place that struck me to be like wow I need to come back.
I had steak which was pretty good but again, nothing to special about Bastille.

For lunch.
Friend and I had a version of Cassoulet de Toulouse (a version of this was on the lunch menu today).
Simply wonderful. I am sure this is on the lunch menu in Heaven.
Décor: modern. Don’t expect French-​warm-​and-​cozy. More trendy. Just get over it and enjoy the food!
Attentive server.
Attentive management.
Parking could be a potential problem. Looks like on-​street parking. Though I am only conjecturing.
I want to try the dinner menu soon!

Superb! In celebrating my fiancé’s 40^th birthday, I decided on this restaurant (we had been to the old location before and had loved it). Everything was top notch and perfect! I highly recommend this place to anyone trying to organize a classy group event.
In organizing, I had been in touch with both Michael Williams and Jeanette Acosta, who manage the restaurant. They were extremely diligent in following up on every aspect that was needed. For large group sizes they provide a set menu (this ranges between $ 39 per head to $ 45 per head). Since we had a birthday event, the dessert was going to be a cake (baked from their own kitchen), and for pricing we met in the middle at $ 42 per head.
This worked out great, and everybody was very happy with the way the restaurant had arranged things. If I were to bring in a cake from the outside, their plating fee would’ve been $ 6 per plate. And since their own in-​house chef makes really great cakes, it made sense to utilize their own bakery.
Every single person loved their food: notables were the steak, the mushroom soup, the shrimp beignets, the salmon, and the crabcake. Even their Caesar salad has a twist to it — they put in a poached egg with it, and the yolk helps to coach the salad — what a great idea! The chocolate cake (Le Noir) was excellent, even the birthday gentleman who is very picky about his chocolate cakes loved this.
I have only the best things to say about the service: the two servers who dealt with us were attentive, managed a large group really well, were so sweet to the kids, and helped coordinate every aspect of the evening. I had prepared a slideshow, there were favors, there were joke balloons to be brought out at specific times, and the servers ensured that everything went like clockwork.
We are still loving the aftermath of the experience — everyone is still talking about it. It was a birthday to remember!

My husband and I stopped in on a Friday night sans reservation and had no problem getting in. We relocated to Alexandria 6 months ago and I was surprised that despite the number of restaurants in this area, there aren’t a ton (or even ten) that have a great menu, ambience and service. Bastille had all of these. The menu had lots of options and every item we had was delicious. We had the rock shrimp beignets (not healthy but so good), seared pork belly, appetizer sized risotto and mussels. This place is a gem. Will definitely be back.

I just stopped in here for lunch on a whim. I saw that they had a pretty decent prix fixe for lunch. As pricing in old town Alexandria goes, $ 15.95 for two items is a pretty damn good deal. To boot, one of those items can be either a beer or a glass of wine.
Because I was interested in trying as many food options as possible, I opted to get two small plates rather then have a wine or beer. Although my decision was partially influenced by what they had chosen for their wines of the day.
I ordered the rock shrimp beignets and the daily flat bread. Both were incredibly tasty, and artfully presented. I definitely need to come back to try that Caesar salad with 60* egg. If you get two small plate items for the prix fixe it will be perfect amount of food a decent lunch.
Also I want to say thank you to my server Herbie. He did a great job. I look forward to coming back to Bastille soon!

My wife and I came to Bastille recently to celebrate an anniversary. We made our reservations online, and I was called that afternoon by a polite employee to confirm. I mentioned that it would be an anniversary, which he noted on the reservation. When we arrived, the staff had clearly been alerted, and we were greeted very warmly, shown to a nice table, and handed a card with a note from the owner and management. We were also given a complementary sparking wine for a toast. We also ordered a specialty cocktail, which was excellent.
The service was very good. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgable, and provided great recommendations. The sommelier also came out to answer a question and was friendly and knowledgable.
The food was outstanding. Between us, we had the seared fois gras, beet salad, the pork entrée, and the duck. All were spectacular, but the pork was probably the best I’ve ever had. The almond butter cake was also great, and of course, it came with a little chocolate «Happy Anniversary» note. We were delighted and very glad we came.

This restaurant is a wonderful addition to old town Alexandria. The husband-​and-​wife owners are both talented chefs and their food is not to be missed!
The restaurant is lovely with a partially open kitchen to watch some of the excitement and the staff is very friendly.
Not in the center of town which is a big plus for parking.

A lovely French brasserie in Alexandria, a few blocks off the beaten path of old town. The food was incredibly flavorful and artfully prepared: we had a selection of artisanal cheeses, pepper crusted duck breast, roasted squash risotto, and moules-​pommes frites. The soup of the day was better than good — caramelized apple, celeriac, parsley, and crème fraîche. Savory, a little sweet, a little creamy but mostly just delicious. I cannot do it justice with my description.
The dessert selection was a little off the mark. The Dutch apple pie was like a thick applesauce with a piece of crust and other accoutrements in the vicinity (apple pie, deconstructed). The sweet potato waffle was a touch burned, although the buttered pecan ice cream and bourbon caramel were excellent. I was sad not to see a crème brûlée option on the menu; that’s half the joy of dining at French restaurants for me.
The décor was refined, simple, and warm and the service was pleasant throughout the meal.
Food: 4, Service: 3.5, Ambiance: 3

Bastille hits it out of the park each time!
Great food, warm and knowledgeable staff, easy-​to-​find parking, what more could you want.
Beignets, duck, gâteau…
Manager will stop by the table, it’s just what they do. She may offer a pairing but not just wine, they get creative with cocktails and beer.
There is NO reason why you shouldn’t try this gem. You’ll be hooked.
Do check their website as their menu can be updated quite frequently.

I’m pretty sure we were secretly being taped for Candid Camera or What Would You Do. This place was all over the map. Our waiter and the sommelier acted as if they had just gone through an intense breakup, each man was making snide comments and facial expressions about what the other had said… ie., «I have NO idea why he would pair this wine with this course.» My husband ordered a drink which didn’t come out till the 3^rd (out of 5) course and only after our friend made a comment to the waiter. I am the complicated one with dietary restrictions and allergies so the chef was kind enough to substitute two of the courses. When my friend made a comment just before my substitute course about how she was excited to see the frog legs, our waiter had a look of horror then ran back to the kitchen because apparently he had told them I wanted something else. My other substitute was the dessert which was just fresh fruit. It was decent like a nice bowl of fresh fruit, until I saw the bug crawling through it. The only extra awkward part was when the manager or some other staff member came back to question me on the type of bug. It was little, alive, and gross. Does anything else really matter? Thankfully only one of my friends did the wine pairing with the meal. We rarely knew what was being served (nor did the person bringing it out) and the timing was very inconsistent. Sometimes it come out minutes before the course, sometimes with, and sometimes during the course. Based on what came out, I’d probably break up with the sommelier too. Very strange palate with two Rose back to back and some cough medicine disguised in a wine glass.
All that said, most of the food was actually pretty good (which is why I gave the extra star). The chef must have a sweet palate because they veered towards the sweeter side, which isn’t my fave, but I still liked everything. We started with Summer melons & Prosciutto
(Virginia-​made Prosciutto, compressed cantaloupe, basil, Banyuls reduction) which was good although the reduction was too sweet for my taste. Then we had the Thon aux Épices
(Spiced crusted Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna, Spicy pepper coulis, Eggplant caponata) which was my favorite dish. It was nice and spicy, but weirdly paired with a Rose wine. Our third course was the Moullard Duck breast (Roasted peach, Honey-​Banyuls sauce, Fingerling potatoes, cipoline, haricots verts) which again was delicious, but the peach and honey made it too sweet for me. My husband and friends had the Truffle Tremor (Honey, walnuts, fruit bread) cheese dish next and weren’t excited, but didn’t complain. I had the substitute Frog «wings» (Smoky Espelette sauce, Roquefort dip) which I enjoyed. For the dessert, my husband and friends had the Campfire & Chocolate which was a play on a s’more and the reviews ranged from okay to yummy. I had the Fruit rouge a la Crème minus the Crème and plus the bug.
Needless to say, we won’t be back.

A few months back this place was rated 4 stars on Unilocal and I have wanted to try it since then. I went today for the 1^st time and it was a complete disappointment which is reflective of the 3 and half stars on Unilocal today … I should have checked the ratings before going this evening.
My husband and I entered the restaurant at 6:45pm and it was pretty empty. When we walked in the hostess asked if we had a reservation. We stated no and she kept looking at her book in front of her as if the restaurant was about to be fully booked. We saw 3 open seats at the bar which is 1^st come 1^st serve because we had someone else meeting us.
After being seated at the bar, I went to the back of the restaurant to use the restroom and there were empty tables in the back. I was still confused why we were treated as though we couldn’t get a table unless we had a reservation. We each ordered an appetizer and entrée with drinks. The food was ok at best and it was definitely over priced for the quality of food. Plus we left at little after 8pm and it was still half empty…
We got home and both of us have felt sick from our meals. The only food we had shared were the Shrimp Beignets. We are never going back.

Start with venue and ambiance. Please do not wish you come to a place with French ambiance. This place does not have «a soul». 2) Food. Food was okay. I got arugula strawberry salad. The strawberry is not fresh, almost bad– sorry to say. The arugula is not of best quality. The entre salmon with risotto is delicious. 3) poor service. The waiter was not checking on us. We waited a long time for the dessert. I would not go back to this restaurant. Je suis désolée!

The cocktails were divine and the portions balanced and, for the most part, delicious. Michael Williams, the sommelier, is an absolute gem and has an extensive knowledge of craft spirits as well as wine. James, our server, excellently made sure we were attended to without being overbearing.
We started with the mussels, tuna tartare, and gazpacho. The mussels were gigantic but did not have any grainy texture. I like the tuna tartare better than the other two guests. The gazpacho, which was the soup du jour [and a favorite of everyone at the table] left a little bit to be desired. The consistency was smooth and creamy as opposed to the chunkier Spanish mortar and pestle varieties.
We ordered the salmon, yellowfin tuna steak, and whole chicken entrées. The salmon dish, served over a tomato and corn risotto, was incredibly good and the basil coulis really made the dish. I enjoyed the tuna steak, though the presentation of the dish seemed much more upscale than the other two dishes. I liked the eggplant caponata quite a bit and the piquillo pepper sauce seemed like a romesco. Our third guest was not as fond of the chicken as we were of our seafood dishes. We shared a fantastic crème brulee for dessert.
The only real negative to the experience was the phone conversation I had with the host setting the reservation. Our table was prepared for 6:15; however, I asked if it would be held until 6:30 as rush hour traffic in the area is always unpredictable. Received a generic, yet timid, suggestion that the tables were held on a very strict basis and that the table would not be guaranteed. Our host also suggested the patio or café, which I said was fine, only for him to say, «But those seats are first-​come, first-​serve so we won’t hold them.» I understand accommodating reservations but the restaurant was largely empty even by 8:30 pm when we left. Phone etiquette is a largely forgotten part of the restaurant experience, and while it was a shame for it to have made a negative impression before we even walked in the door, it won’t stop us from giving it another chance.

Only giving it 2 stars since the foie gras tasted amazing. However, we had a terrible experience yesterday with the host with glasses and black Justin Bieber hair. We drove an hour to eat here since it was Bastille day and we wanted to try a different French restaurant. When we walked in and told him we didn’t have a reservation he was beyond negative and treated us like we were bothering him. His first words were «Unfortunately you will not get a seat inside all night and all I have is the patio.» The restaurant wasn’t even half full… but we had no problem with the patio. He then proceeds to tell us «If it rains then it is your problem and we still won’t be able to seat you inside.» Wow!
We watched this jerk touch his hair as he walked around and he even stepped over another guests dog on his way to seat another table outside. Rude! Not sure how amazing this restaurant thinks they are when they won’t even give you a wait time for an inside table. When we left there were still several open tables and nobody waiting in the lobby at all. We will continue eating at Bistrol’Hermirage in Occuquan when we want our French fix since they understand what great service is.

This review is for my dessert experience only. I came here for a dessert date with a friend — the restaurant itself is so cute with the dim lights, candles, and the brick décor. Very cozy and elegant-​like. We sat at the bar and ordered the following: Hibiscus crème brûlée (which had hibiscus flowers infused into brûlée) and a leche custard/​flan with a scoop of lemon sorbet to, some strawberries, with a crispy caramel crunch wafer on top. I really enjoyed the crème brûlée (nice and creamy, and not overly heavy with the hibiscus flavor), and the flan also was light and tasty with the strawberries. They had a special going on where they took 20% off of the bill if you sat at the bar (nice!). There are some small outdoor décor stores/​warehouse around the restaurant, and there is plenty of street parking along Royal.
+Hibiscus crème brûlée
+leche custard