Bistro Bistro

Ate here for dinner with a huge group in the upstairs private dining room. The service was over the top fantastic, especially considering how many of us there were. I enjoyed the Caesar salad and tilapia. Great food, great people.

Came here during restaurant week, was not at all impressed. 1^st course was a lobster bisque, which tasted ok, but was thin and watery. For the main course, I ordered lamb chops. These were extremely over seasoned, and had almost no meat. Desert was chocolate soufflé, which was small, but good, and the only reason this review isn’t 1 star. Won’t be dining here again.

I went here on a Saturday night with my girlfriend for Winter Restaurant Week 2016.
They served me one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had at a restaurant, the Caribbean Dream (basically a dark and stormy, but with white rum instead of dark, and the addition of some lime juice; the use of Havana Reserva rum was appreciated, really good stuff) at the bar, which was a «bar special» for $ 10. Not unreasonable. Their house Pinot Grigio, which both my girlfriend and I had, was pretty good, and at $ 7.95 pretty standard for this area. The best part of the night was the Chilean Sea Bass my girlfriend had for her entrée; perfectly cooked, well seasoned, good sides, and since she doesn’t like mushrooms, I got to eat those off her plate. I’d actually almost go back here just for the Bass.
The rest of the food, however, was at best mediocre. Her lobster bisque was fine, but lacked lobster (flavor-​wise or in terms of meat), while my Moules de la Mariniere (mussels) were cooked properly but the broth was massively over-​salted, and about 20% of what I got were empty shells. At one point I actually picked four in a row to have next that turned out to lack meat. It wasn’t that the meat was just floating in the broth on its own, either; there was one extraneous mussel, but that’s it. My entrée, the cassoulet, was okay, but nothing like what I expected (maybe foolishly, since my idea of it is the traditional Carcassonian version, since that’s where I first had it), and honestly, the stuff I brought back in a can from France last summer was better. Dessert was crème brûlée for both of us, and it was… meh. Virtually every other time I’ve had it in my life it was way better.
Service was poor at best. We arrived a couple minutes late for our reservation, so a small wait was expected, but over half an hour was unreasonable. Our waiter was abrupt, if not outright rude. The restaurant was so loud I had a headache when we left, and at one point they shut off all the lights to bring out a giant sparkler for someone’s birthday, which was a little absurd.
All in all, I won’t be returning. I was really hoping for a nice French dinner, and this was absolutely not it. My fault for waiting until afternoon on Saturday to make a reservation for that night? Probably a bit, since I should have guessed that any restaurants that still had 7pm reservations during Restaurant Week were going to be lacking. I would absolutely recommend against going, unless it is entirely to sit at the bar, drink a Caribbean Dream, and eat the Sea Bass. Even then… buyer beware.

Excellent from beginning to end! Mussels, lamb, best merlot ive ever had. Brought my friend for his birthday.

Wonderful food. My girlfriend and I ate at this restaurant and she had been telling me how wonderful it was. She has exquisite taste. She visits restaurants around the world and lived in England, India and Tanzania. I was blown away! Delicious and savory dishes were abundant. There was something for everyone. It’s atmosphere was quite charming. It was Spring and the front windows were open, allowing for a view of the busy streets with people milling about and enjoying themselves in the city. I highly recommend. You will be very happy.

This place was quite bizarre. Pros — 1. gave us free drinks, because our drinks were so bad we sent them back twice. 2. Free champagne and sparkler at the end for our friends birthday 3. Customer service was very attentive 4. Food came out hot 5. Let us split the bill multiple ways Cons — 1. Food was extremely bland and every dish looked the same 2. Pasta sauce tasted «out of the can» 3. They weren’t sure what kind of meat was in their Osso Bucco 4. Very pricey for below average food.
In summary, if you have a large group and don’t care that there’s nothing actually «French» at this place then it’ll work.

Came here for lunch with a friend. We ordered the mussels and French onion soup. The food was alright, but the service was incredibly uncomfortable. Our server came by toward the end of the meal and told us that his boss likes Asian girls, and that he hoped we enjoyed our lunch. Um, what? No… just no.

I made a reservation for 20 people here for a Saturday night for a birthday dinner, and Bistro Bistro did NOT disappoint.
Planning an event with that many people is difficult, especially with people’s schedules changing and so on. By the afternoon, I had expected between 10 – 20 people and was a little nervous since the reservation was for 20. The staff called me that afternoon to confirm the reservation and sounded very excited to host us even after I expressed the reservation number may have changed.
All 18 of us got there around 8, where Mike and William took the show. They made sure all the guests were taken care of, assigned us each a number to be able to easily split the checks at the end (without me asking!), and made the experience a fantastic one. Between the free bottles of champagne for the table, the birthday desserts, and the couple of free shots for the birthday girl, their willingness to wait for the group to assemble to take pictures for us, the cute holiday décor, great bar, and great food– I really wasn’t expecting/couldn’t have asked for a more hospitable team.
The food came out timely, hot, and delicious! Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, and I really have absolutely nothing negative to say about my experience here. Highly recommended for large groups, special occasions, or just a really fun night out with good people.

Went for a birthday. Great service! Group of 20 had a great time. Free drinks for birthday gal and staff have wonderful treatment for everyone else I. Food was incredible and would go again. Great for groups!

Outstanding service! Outstanding restaurant! My wife and I celebrated Thanksgiving here and what a treat. The food was excellent and the service was friendly and attentive. We loved the casual atmosphere too. Overall just a wonderful experience. The Thanksgiving menu had everything you could want and the portions were just right, if not a bit more than we could finish. Thanksgiving dinner with no clean up, better tasting food than we could’ve made and no family drama! Highly recommend!

My experience must have been a fluke based on other reviews, but I am glad it was!
I had the spinach omelet and a bellini which were delicious. I’m a little curious about why the house potatoes are the color they are, but are tasty regardless. We sat right against the fresh open sunshine, which the neighboring restaurants were not able to offer.
The service was good, the food was average priced, and the quality was surprisingly good (you can only go up when Unilocal gives it less than 3 stars). I’d come back for sure, even if to just people watch.

I can’t believe the lack of professionalism the «manager» of this place had towards us. We were suggested this place for dinner as we were part of one of the many conferences that this city hosts. This «manager» or so I thought by the different color clothing he was wearing, screaming at us first because we were adding one person to our table and second because he refused to split the bill. As we were paying with different cards.
I just left. I refuse to pay somebody to get screamed at. As we were leaving, one of the tables came undone from under the people. And another table that came before us, had not been offered the menus.
I’ll avoid this place like the plague.

I came here on a recent Saturday night for an intimate date. There was live Jazz music at the restaurant next door, so we decided to take a table at Bistro Bistro next to the open windows in the front so we could hear the Jazz music and still be able to carry a conversation.
It appears that most other people did the same $ 49.99 three course dinner option. Price-​wise, it wasn’t too bad. That included a martini cocktail, a glass of wine, an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I went for the French martini (when in Rome, right?). It was VERY sweet, perhaps a little too sweet. My bf went for the London martini and he thought it was just so-​so. House red was merlot and house white was chardonnay.
For appetizers, I asked for the avocado/​mozzarella and he went for the mussels. The weird thing about the mussels was that there were A LOT of empty shells in there. The sauce was great, though. The avocado-​mozzarella consisted of tomato slices topped with a dollop of mozzarella cheese and a «squeeze» of avocado. That part was as odd as it sounds — I was expected a nice slice of avocado on each of the (three) tomato slices. Instead, the avocado looked like it had been spurted out with something similar to cake icing. Still tasted quite good.
For the main dish I ordered the rosemary lamb chops. They were small (of course), but there were four of them, so it was still enough to be full/​satisfied. It was served with yummy mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. My bf got the seafood pasta. He enjoyed it immensely and even had to ask for part of it to go since the serving was so big.
Our biggest complaint was with the meat/​seafood. The waiter didn’t ask me how I wanted my lamp chops cooked, and they came out overdone. I’m talking WELL DONE. My bf said that a few pieces of the seafood were also overcooked.
For dessert we got the crème brûlée and chocolate soufflé. The crème brûlée wasn’t anything special, but the chocolate soufflé came with a ball of vanilla ice cream on top and it was delicious. I would definitely order that for myself the next time around.
I was pretty surprised that there weren’t more people at the restaurant, considering it was dinnertime on a Saturday night. The interior ambiance was really nice — cozy and open-​aired. Reminded me of a European café. We finished off our meal with a shot of espresso.
Randomly enough, I would recommend coming here for an intimate birthday dinner. In the 1.5 hours we were there, three different birthdays were celebrated. It was a cute thing — they turned off all the lights and brought out some exciting desserts for the birthday folks. They even encouraged the rest of the restaurant to participate in singing happy birthday! I’m not sure how this dining experience would have been during the cold winter, but with the whole front of the restaurants being open windows and it being an amazing summer night, it totally worked.
All in all, I wasn’t super impressed but it wasn’t terrible either. Just okay.

I’m not sure where to start.
I came here for restaurant week and lunch took 2 hours. Ridiculously slow! You’d think with their lackluster rating, they’d go all out during RW. Nope!
The food was mediocre. Believe the bad reviews, this place is a 1 – 2 star restaurant.
Pros:
+Great atmosphere. Huge place, open windows in the summer.
+Wait staff was friendly, not on point but friendly.
+Pork dish was decent
+Excellent desserts
Cons:
–Mussels were GROSS! They seemed to be old. Kinda chewy and had a foul taste.
–The sea bass way too salty – and it was tiny.
–SLOW! 2 hours for lunch is ridiculous – and that’s with us bugging our waiter. The place was half empty and still slow. We weren’t the only ones either… other people were also complaining about the wait.
Shall not return. Bistro du coin or a ton of other French places beat this place hands down.

A REAL GEM!!!
There are so many things that make this place exceptional, hard to know which one to say first. Lets start with the food, mostly because if that’s mediocre, ((it’s NOT!)) it would be hard to move beyond.
Food was INCREDIBLE!!! Monday night Fresh Maine Lobster tail was out of this world, every bite delectable and perfectly prepared. The Mussels as an appetizer were spot on as well, and huge portion, priced well below anywhere else! Wine was perfectly paired (let my server pick for me, and it was fun having him bring out two samples for me to pick from), and just the whole meal, down to the generous portions of fresh bread and pesto sauce, which melt in your mouth!
Ok…so now that you know the food is 5 stars, lets talk about the OTHER thing that sets Bistro apart from most other DC restaurants. Ambiance, 5 star. Large, open windows, quaint booth option on the back end, window seating, bar was perfect, whole thing. But the real difference was the PEOPLE WHO WORKED THERE! Tega, Ahmed, and William, I feel as though we made 3 new friends who treated us like royalty and created the absolute best experience!
I have never felt so welcomed and so attended to. We literally experienced hospitality unlike any other before. We enjoyed an intimate, private dinner, but yet before I could even anticipate a need/​item, one of the 3 of them was there, bringing me either that fresh glass of wine or that additional Parmesan cheese for the amazing homemade pasta that the lobster came with. I really can’t say enough about these gentlemen, what an absolutely amazing experience! We had the pleasure of interacting extensively with Tega, I won’t turn this into a novel, but visit Bistro and enjoy the best dining and people of DC.

The concierge at the hotel recommended this place for their Sunday brunch. It was walking distance, so we decided to check it out. They have an a la carte menu and a brunch buffet. We went for the buffet and ordered mimosas. The buffet was good, but nothing to write home about. We weren’t sure if the pastries were house made or not. Something about them looked prepackaged (and unfortunately, we found hair in the canoli). The mimosa was nice and strong and the service was on point. We stayed there for two hours chatting away and didn’t feel at all rushed.
Overall, I don’t think I’d come back, especially if there are better options nearby. It’s worth a try if you’re in the area.

We started with an awesome mixed drink for $ 4.00. Followed with warm bread. I am pretty sure that the bread is made here. The mussels were seasoned to perfection I then got the Spanich Lasagna and Pasta Cleopatra. Both portions were more than adaquate.
The Spinach Lasagna was awesome. The seafood was fresh for our Pasta Cleopatra. Overall an excellent experience. We were then greeted by the Restaurant proprietor named Jamal. He was genuine and invited us back soon.
Highly recommend this place, its a diamond in the rough.

If Unilocal permitted .5 stars, I would give Bistro Bistro an overall rating of 3.5 stars, granting that extra half-​star bonus for the service received. I went with my office here for lunch and the servers were pretty accommodating. They were attentive and gave us enough time to consider our orders without a hint of impatience or any notice of them being annoyed. Our waters were refilled regularly too, which is also a plus.
BUT The biggest reason why I can only give Bistro Bistro 3.5 stars is that it’s not much value for your buck. If you’re like me, who loves good food but you are definitely on a budget, this isn’t the place for you. I ordered the Navarin d’Agneau, which is a lamb stewed in a garlic tomato sauce and vegetables. While it was delicious, warm, & extremely filling I honestly can’t tell you this entrée was to die for and that you need to run over to Dupont Circle & go to Bistro Bistro for. It reminded me of a Filipino stew my grandma used to make when I still lived at home, which was nice because it helped bring me back into a moment of nostalgia. Yet, we all know nostalgia is not enough!
When discussing how everyone felt about their dishes (my co-​workers ordered salads, pastas, breakfast foods, sandwiches, etc.) we felt like many of the dishes you could order here you could order at a diner or a more affordable restaurant and get larger portions at a cheaper price. At Bistro Bistro, the food isn’t bad, it’s actually good just not something to go rave home to your Mama about! I feel like you’re paying for the presentation and the ambiance moreso than the meal itself.

I recently enjoyed a dinner with girlfriends at this restaurant. We stumbled upon it because it happened to be across the street from where we had gotten our nails done. The prices were decent and the place was warm, so we thought — why not?! Let’s give Bistro Bistro a try.
Because it was a Tuesday night, the restaurant was not as busy (just how I like it). We asked the waiter for recommendations, and while we were deciding what to order, we were served hot bisuits. They smelled divine and were a welcome reprieve from our hunger.
As an entrée, I ordered the Linguini Tropezienne, which is pasta tossed with grilled shrimp, capers, black olives, and basil, in marinara sauce. It was so good! My girlfriends ordered the chicken parmesan and the spaghetti with meatballs. They both enjoyed their meals as well.
Note: The lobster bisque is just so-​so. Steer clear and order the lentil soup.

Jamal welcomed us back with two complimentary bottles of wine and dessert, so we gave Bistro Bistro a try on a Saturday evening. The pâté was delicious, the escargots was pretty tasty, and the garlicky pesto that they give you for the bread was very addictive. My veal was cooked well and was very flavorful. I was very, very full when I left the restaurant. They even let us take our unfinished wine with us so that we didn’t feel rushed to drink it all.
I have to give Bistro Bistro credit for trying to make it up to us. I’d describe the cuisine as French/​Moroccan with a Mediterranean influence but I don’t want to make generalizations. All in all, Jamal made it a very nice evening indeed. Come here if you want standard bistro fare; they have all of the basics and more.