Cafe Renaissance

Came here last night expecting a romantic NYE’s dinner with my wife. We made reservations for the 9pm seating which includes a $ 80/​person pre fixe 4 course menu, live sax player, and a midnight champagne toast. When we walked in we realized the clientele were all in their late 60’s and up — no worries, it was nice to see older married couples still so in love and wanting to celebrate NYE.
Café Renaissance is definitely a mom and pop restaurant. We asked for the wine menu and our waiter said the table next to us had it and we needed to wait until they were done (how does a restaurant only have one wine menu??). Asked for olive oil with our bread and the sever just snatched it from the same table next to us and said we could share. We felt bad for the other table since the server just gave it to us without asking them. It was a good thing that the other couple was kind enough to share with us. The server tried his best to make jokes during the rather chaotic evening.
The food was okay — definitely not what I was expecting for a fancy restaurant from the other reviews. We got the duck confit, shrimp, and crêpe with stuffed crab for appetizers. They were all drenched with too much sauce and the crab didn’t taste that fresh. For our main courses, I got the flounder with crab cake and my wife got the lamb shank with rice. Both dishes were mediocre. Dessert was a medley of three small bites (chocolate mousse, mango cake, and cheesecake). The presentation was abysmal. Perhaps it would have tasted better if they drenched it in a sauce like they do with their other dishes.
The saving grace to this never ending 3-​hour ordeal was the live saxophone player. He was wonderful and perhaps was the only thing that made NYE’s bearable at this restaurant. Perhaps the service and food are better on a regular evening. However, we most likely won’t be back to try it.

Our service was wonderful. The food was well cooked and tasted amazing. The veal and shrimp dish was great. The snails were executed well. Dessert and coffee was lovely. Over all the whole night was romantic and perfect way to celebrate the News Years with my husband. We were visiting from CA, wine choices were amazing.

I wanted to take my girlfriend out for a nice intimate dinner on her birthday. I Unilocaled restaurants in our area that were not mainstream since she likes to explore new places. Café Renaissance is where I chose after reading several reviews.
I called ahead for reservations, explaining it was her birthday. The lady answering the phone was very nice and accommodating. Later that afternoon when we discovered we would be running late I called again to request a later time. The gentleman answering was very nice and told us not to worry at all, a table would be ready.
You might not give this establishment a second glance as you drive by, since it is tucked in the corner of a small strip mall. However, don’t let the location fool you. Inside was a warm and cozy atmosphere with fresh cut flowers accentuating each table. The lighting was low and gave you a romantic feel.
The wait staff was extremely attentive and I believe the host genuinely enjoyed mingling with his guests at each table. No table he left from was quiet after he elicited a laugh from the patrons.
As for dinner, she ordered the Dover sole fish. I ordered the veal, which I had never had before. The fish was good but a little to lemony. The taste of the fish would have been fine had the chef used just a touch less lemon. My veal was very good and I enjoyed the taste very well. I am not a foodie, such as my girlfriend is, and therfore can’t describe the food eating experience nearly as well as she can. But I thought the food was all good!
Let me just say that I enjoyed the finishing touch of our waiter and host bringing out a dessert dish with a candle on it to celebrate her birthday. Their singing may have been off key, but that’s not what they get paid to do! We greatly enjoyed our experience and are very appreciative of their service!

Not sure about these 5-​star reviews… Friendly service and white tablecloths did not a fantastic meal make.
First, everyone’s dishes came with the same small sides: green beans, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes (?), and 2 broccoli florets. Many of the menu’s items also came with lump crabmeat, which smelled and tasted like it came from a can. Maybe the owner wanted to give his cooks a break for working on this most sacred holiday?
My salmon Wellington was well-​constructed, but the fish itself lacked any seasoning. Instead, there was a pool of white sauce underneath that continued onto my broccoli.
The space is definitely impressive considering the exterior, but I (and you) can find real Degas at the Smithsonian.
*This review applies to the limited Christmas menu*

Had a work holiday party for 46 people at Café Renaissance. Food was amazing. Host and staff wereIncredible and made everyone feel at home.
Hands down best holiday dinner we had this far.
Very accommodating hosts.

Bf took me to Café Renaissance for my birthday, and I had the most wonderful experience here! It was a relatively small restaurant, cozy, friendly; as weird as it sounds, this place gives me a nice, classy mom and pop shop restaurant impression. From the manager (or owner), to the waiting staff to the chef, they were all extremely friendly and attentive. The wines we order were delicious — coming from me, that means a lot, because I usually don’t like wine (and alcohol in general). I had a french reisling wine and it was great.
For food, we shared a dish of gnocchi. I got the filet mignon and my bf got the seabass. He claimed that it was one of the best fish dishes he’s ever had. My steak was also great — pretty much melted in my mouth! I did think it was a bit plain, but I enjoyed it very much nonetheless.
The manager and waiter also got us complimentary dessert and dessert wine because of my birthday. Wow, ain’t I lucky! We originally ordered a sampler of all the dessert (which was not on the menu –the waiter offered for the special occasion), but the manager thought we might enjoy the flambé show and gave us banana flambé instead. I suppose some people may be a bit turned off because they technically ignored what we ordered and just gave us another dessert dish, but I thought it was extremely nice and thoughtful of them, and I’ve become a loyal customer!
I also want to mention the almonds they put in the banana flambé… It was so good that I’m drooling as I type this review. The flambé was not overly sweet, was hot (banana flambé) and cold (ice cream), has great texture (crêpe, soft banana, gooey chocolate/​caramel sauce, and crispy almond/​nut bites), and is just too delicious to be true.

We recently returned for our second visit and had another memorable experience. The staff is warm and attentive. We had an early seating and the chef stopped by our table to assist with our meal selection. We decided on these apps: lobster and avocado salad and scallops with a taste of honey — both were fabulous. Followed by our entrees: steak with mushrooms and a tiered seafood medley with lobster, rockfish, salmon and sole in a white wine sauce. Sides included a poached pear, green beans, broccoli with hollandaise and a potato wedge. Well into our second hour there, we enjoyed an assortment of cakes and after dinner drinks. Other groups ordered flambé and and Irish coffees. The preparation of both was entertaining. This is definitely a neighborhood gem.

Step from an indescript mall into an idyllic, transporting and nurturing ambiance — add delectable feasting and first class service — emerge reborn — Renaissance!

Fabulous meal with out of town guests. A very attractive and quiet restaurant where we could sit, enjoy a delicious meal and not feel rushed. Would definitely return. Highly recommended. Did I mention how wonderful the food was?!!

My husband and I decided to host our small dinner celebration for 7 at Café Renaissance. Our experience was nothing shot of fantastic! The owner, Saeed, was very flexible with allowing us to create our four course menu, so planning was a breeze. Our waiter, Weselin, was amazing! In addition to giving us excellent service, he had the whole table laughing all night. The Chef was spectacular! First, he came to the table and introduced himself. Then he pulled up a chair and personally took our orders. He took the time to make sure each of us did not have any dietary restrictions (diary, gluten etc). He even created an off the menu lamb for my Mother and an off the menu rock fish dish for my Dad. Not only was the presentation beautiful, the taste was great.
Make sure you try the Irish Coffe! The waiter puts on an excellent flaming show!

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Café Renaissance this past weekend.
It has an atmosphere that’s elegant, friendly and enjoyable. And the food isn’t bad either! (Understatement!)
My husband enjoyed his appetizer of *Carpaccio de Boeuf a la Pulpe de Citron* (whew!) ~ Beef Tenderloin with Lemon Pulp, Parmesan and Arugula. He relished his entrée: *Escaloped de Poulet Flambee au Calvados* ~ Pan-​seared Chicken Breast with Apples, Calvados Brandy and Saffron Rice. Mine was *Filet de Cabillaud en Croute de Parmesan* ~ Miso Sake-​Marinated, Parmesan Crusted Cod.
Of course we sampled each other’s dishes. We’re not big «foodie» people (eating relatively simple much of the time) but this was SO GOOD! Very well-​prepared with sides of broccoli, potatoes, etc. done just right. I especially liked the sweet carrots, very tasty!
The wine and dessert was wonderful; John ordered a fruit dish and I sampled a delectable slice of lemon cake (wish I could remember the name), lovely light and refreshing. What was really surprising: our after-​dinner port, something my husband prefers but I don’t — port/​sherry being too heavy/​sweet, whatever its problem, it’s just not for me. But this was REALLY GOOD! Shock! I polished off both John’s and mine in no time.
We had an incredibly pleasant evening, with many thanks to Saeed, the Café’s owner, and his friendly staff, always helpful and didn’t «rush» us to make decisions. I hope we’ll return in the near future. After all, even long-​time married couples need a romantic evening out!

I don’t even know where to start. Let me start on a positive note, which I have only one…
Food was amazing. That’s about it.
The restaurant was easy to find and rather conveniently located. Once we entered, they showed us to our table and made a small talk with me and my boyfriend which we did not mind. After a while the circus started haha.
It was my birthday dinner right before Valentine’s Day. My boyfriend had an envelope with him to give me but he tried to hide it and give it to me with desert. Unfortunately, our waiter was very obnoxious ans said :“Oh look! envelope! Is that a gift? For who? What’s the occasion? Oh maybe Valentine’s Day? So romantic! You are a good guy aren’t you?” We had no idea what to say, it made us so uncomfortable! Of course ruined the surprise too.
When food arrived, the waiter of course commented on the Bday card I got. «Oh it says xoxo, so romantic! so nice! ahhh»
In the meantime another couple had come to dinner. They were shown to their table. Few minutes later, the waiter SAT DOWN BY THEIR TABLE asking how they were doing, were they were from and things like that. We were observing the couple and couldn’t stop laughing. They had no idea what to do! after a while the waiter finally left them by themselves.
During all that… there was another guy who was making phone calls to people to confirm their V-​day reservations. He was very loud, entire restaurant could hear him. Not classy, for such an elegant and romantic place. Totally ruined the atmosphere too. Quote «Hello sir, I am so sorry to call you at 10PM, but I desperately need you to confirm your dinner reservations with us»… then he started apologizing, because I guess the customer got pissed they called so late at night LOL. He made maybe about 15 phone calls.
I don’t know if they were all drunk or just they thought it was okay to be so inappropriate? People who say that service is professional must have had a totally different experience. I don’t understand how they think it’s great. I really do not.
Well, at least the food was good.

We were greeted by two servers dressed in tux. The interior design was very elegant and romantic. My brother ordered squash and sweet potato bisque for appetizer. He seemed to love it as it was sweet and smooth. Four of us ordered filet mignon, chicken breast, angel hair pasta, and beef liver. We were okay with our meals. The consensus was that it’s about 3-​star for food but I gave 4 stars because the service was remarkable! They gave two plates of complementary delicious desserts for my parents birthday.
I don’t think I’ll be coming back any time soon but maybe later.

This place is aggressively old world fine dining, but in a charming, not obnoxious, sort of way.
Café Renaissance is more or less an old world fine dining place in every sense of the term. Extremely French-​inspired, the walls are painted with murals, there’s a lot of gold and mirrors, and there’s definitely an attempt to be a true «fine dining» place despite the relatively unassuming location. Service is very hands-​on, which could be good or bad — I found it nice, as even the chef came out to discuss the meal options with us. Still, be warned, the waiter is going to be very talkative, which some may not like. Prices are rather high, even for the area — but that’s what the $$$ designation is really for.
What stands out here is the food — the chef knows his stuff, period. I had a bronizini in the Oscar style, which means it had asparagus, crab, and Bearnaise sauce. The bronzini itself was perfectly cooked, to the point where it was unbelievably tender, and the execution overall was worth the price.
The only warning I have for this place is because of the style of restaurant it is — this is old-​world, and that may have limited appeal for younger diners. The dining room was almost entirely empty when we were there — something I found rather off-​putting, but probably revealing of how limited of an appeal a place like this has for younger yuppie diners like myself. This place deserves a lot more attention than it really gets, but that comes with the caveat that it’s not even remotely like other restaurants in the area.

Friday night, my wife’s birthday and I wasn’t sure where to take her to leave an impression.
We’ve heard about this place from many people who are trusted foodies, so I picked up the phone and made a reservation.
I am glad I did!!!
While it wasn’t overly busy, there were a fair number of people enjoying their dinner. No sneakers, t-​shirts, or sloppy dressed people. Elegant, but relaxed and an environment where well healed people could relax, enjoy a nice bottle of wine and dine on a meal that is far from ordinary.
We were greeted by the owner «Saiid» and given the option of the main dining room or the small private room off to the side. We opted for the private dining room and were graciously seated by our main server. He was gracious and made us feel as if we’d come to dine at his home and we were his guests.
We ordered two of the oysters with the spinach and Pernod Champagne sauce appetizers. Sadly, we were told that there was only one order left, so we substituted the second order with the escargot. We were pleasantly surprised with both! The oysters were in a delicate Pernod sauce that was not heavy, but rich with flavor and my wife and I only got one escargot each. The kids swiped them quickly and began dipping their bread in basil, garlic and olive oil bath that they had been served in… Round one, a great success. My wife, kids and I ate shellfish and slugs and wanted more!!!
Both kids ordered the veal piccata, calves liver for me and a pasta dela mare for my wife.
The kids simply swept up their meals and did not look back. The calves liver reminded me of what I used to eat as a child, but much more tender and flavorful. Veggies off to the side and risotto with the kids meals. It was more like a pilaf than a risotto, but I am not going to get nit picky. My wife’s pasta dela mare had plenty of shrimp, scallops, muscle and clams with pasta in a flavorful garlic and olive oil bath. She ate it ALL and was not remorseful for her sins…
We were subsequently were greeted by a plate of all the dessert on the menu and my wife enjoyed a few glasses of port. Happy Birthday! You deserve it, and you deserve coming back here again on a date night with just the two of us.
Charm, elegance and a lost era of dining. There are far and few places that can do what this place does, and it’s just down the street from us. I don’t know why I waited so long to go there.
While it is not a French Brasserie, it is a fine dining establishment that has a distinct sense of belonging to any community that can appreciate old world charm and a sense of proper in a world of smoke and mirrors. Café Renaissance reflects the pride of the owner and the members of this family that embody its spirit of timelessness.
The wine list is amazing and you can see all the bottles on your way to the powder room. Just a little touch of old world charm. If you didn’t notice, you’d miss it.
Go there. You will not regret or forget it. It’s no wonder they’ve been there 20 plus years.
See you next week!

Café Renaissance is a wonderfully elegant, romantic restaurant in Vienna. Unassuming from the exterior, the interior is charming and warm. The walls are adorned with Impressionist-​style paintings and reminiscent of traditional Parisian décor, especially with Degas’ dancers painted on one wall. Each table is decorated with roses and everything looks very romantic and refined.
I ordered the lobster bisque as an appetizer and sea scallops in a cilantro sauce for my entrée. Food was delicious. Great flavors all around the table. We also ordered a bottle of wine, which our server helped to cork and wrap after our meal to take home with us. Service is super attentive and professional here. Our server was very knowledgeable and friendly. Since it was my birthday, he and the other servers came over with a large plate of dessert samplers and sang happy birthday to me.
Beautiful décor, fantastic food, excellent service. What more could you ask for?

Looks can be deceiving! As most of the reviews have already said, this restaurant is located in a strip mall in suburban Virginia, which normally wouldn’t bode well. However, this is truly a hidden gem.
Walking inside for our anniversary dinner, we were instantly greeted by an elderly gentleman in a tuxedo and the heavy fragrance of a fresh stargazer lily bouquet at the host stand. (Not always my favorite, but they worked here.) The interior of the restaurant was cozy, intimate and romantic. Sharply pressed linens and fresh flowers (non-​fragrant) adorned the tables.
Our dinner was solid – exactly what you would expect from a French restaurant serving the classic dishes. We split the duck confit appetizer, which was a little sweet, but tasty. The veal escalope and filet mignon as entrees were solidly prepared and generously portioned.
For drinks, stick with the wine list rather than cocktails or spirits. The Kir Royale I had was fine, but the Vouvray with dinner far outshone it. My boyfriend ordered whiskey on the rocks and to his surprise, it was served in a snifter glass. However, the portion was generous enough to compensate the unusual glass choice! To my surprise, dessert was my favorite. They had a generous sampler plate that gave both of us a taste of everything. And everything tasted delicious!
What really made this place stand out were the elderly gentlemen who served and managed the dining floor. They, and the rest of the staff were exceedingly charming. They chatted comfortably with us like we had been coming there for years for our anniversary. And, remarkably, it made me want to have been coming there for years.

Remembered this place as the holidays are coming up. Had come here around this time last year for my mother’s birthday. We were totally surprised at the disappointing experience despite the pretty good reviews here. The food was a complete miss, and we tried to get out as soon as possible.
The crab/​avocado salad tasted like the crab came out of the can and looked like someone just quickly smooshed the ingredients together and placed it on top of a lettuce. I could make this and it would be better. We also got some sort of honey glazed shrimp. The shrimp was soggy almost and the texture felt like it also came out of a can or something of the sort. Even frozen shrimp that’s defrosted and then cooked tastes loads better.
My dad tried to order some sort of steak, but the waiter pushed him to order the lobster. My dad conceded, which ended up being a terrible decision. The lobster was rubbery and tasted like it wasn’t fresh or had been frozen for a while. Even though the portion size was decent, my dad couldn’t even finish it because it was that bad. The weird part is that other tables looked like their food was pretty good (probably eating the steak) but all of our food choices were mediocre to bad.
I think the waiter could sense the bad mood so when we asked for the check without dessert, they gave us complimentary dessert. The thing saving this review from a 1 is that the dessert was pretty good.
I’m scared with my experience here and disappointed that my mom had a terrible birthday dinner that we had to make up for. I’m still surprised at all the good/​decent reviews at this place since my dinner experience was so bad foodwise. I can’t understand what happened.

Tonight was ‘Date Night!’ My husband found Café Renaissance and he made reservations. I was pretty excited as I am always ready to eat and am always ready to try out a new place! :P The restaurant is located in a little plaza off of Maple and Glyndon, next to the plaza with Michael’s. This place has been around for about 21 years and serves up classical French dishes that has a ‘modern twist and an Italian accent.’ A House Sommelier is on-​site to help you choose wine pairings for your dishes. They also offer event services for private dinners/​group dining, weddings, rehearsal/​engagement dinners, bridal showers, corporate functions, wine tastings, etc. A lunch menu is also available. We actually ran into the owner outside, Mr. Saeed, and he graciously invited us in. All the servers inside greeted us warmly and really made us feel so loved and welcomed! Our server was Mr. Andy, and he was just FABULOUS! He let us know what the specials were for the evening as well as gave us time to look over the restaurant menu. The dinner menu offered items such as Eggplant Parmigiana, Smoked Salmon, seafood dishes, veal, stuffed chicken breast, risotto, etc. We ordered the Soup of the Day, which was a Cream of Porcini soup with spinach (this was well-​seasoned, light, creamy, and was pretty good; my husband was such a huge fan!); the Escargot Bourguignonne (came with mushrooms and the escargot was perfectly cooked; great amount of herbs and garlic (where you can sop up with the hot crusty bread)); Sea Scallops with Kahlua and sliced pineapples (this was quite lovely; scallops were perfectly pan-​seared; they were plump and juicy, and the Kahlua glaze with the combination of the sweetness of the pineapple was ridiculous!!!); and, Shrimp in a spicy curry sauce (this was like a Thai rendition of panang coconut curry; it was very light and had a subtle coconut taste; the shrimp were deveined, tail-​on, and generous in size). For our entrees, my husband had the house signature dish, the Maine lobster with the beurreblanc sauce; Mr. Andy recommended the Chateaubriand, another house special (not listed on the menu nor on the specials, but had it specially prepared! Can you believe that?!); the filet was tender and cooked perfectly, and it had a nice demi glacé with some mushrooms that was not overly potent; we also had the Veal Scallopini, Normand style (with fresh apples and calvados cream sauce; the veal was breaded lightly and was very soft and delicate; I liked the sliced apples and the calvados cream sauce was not too thick and not overly creamy). All the dishes came with a side of sliced squash/​zucchini, a fillet of fire-​roasted red pepper, lovely seasoned herb potatoes (yum!), and a roasted parsnip with cinnamon. For dessert, we had the Bananas Foster, served tableside — loved seeing the flame action and the lovely cinnamon and brown sugar coating over the sliced bananas with walnuts, drenching the generous portion of vanilla ice cream. This was soooooo delicious! We also had the opportunity to try out their crème brûlée (out of the porcelin dish), so it looked like a crème brûlée pudding, as well as a mini martini glass of a flaming sambuca (the blue flame was pretty! It came with 3 espresso beans floating within; that was some HARDCORE stuff!!!). Another server, Mr. Wes, had a great sense of humor and kept cracking jokes — it was quite entertaining! Mr. Saeed also came by and sat with us to talk; I was just so amazed at how warm and friendly the gentlemen were and they really appreciated you as a dining patron and in making sure that everything was lovely and awesome. Mr. Armando, another server, was always efficient in refilling our beverages and presenting/​clearing away the plates. The restaurant itself was also very cute and romantic! There were Degas pieces painting on the walls, a lovely vase in the center of the dining room with beautiful flowers, ruffly curtains, and dim twinkling lights. The restaurant isn’t too large, but small, intimate, and cozy. This restaurant also seems to be a popular spot with the locals and there seemed to be a lot of regulars, as Mr. Saeed welcomed them again and again. We had a great time here and I laughed a lot! The food was pretty solid (not too heavy, but surprisingly light!), and I would love to come back and try out their other dishes as well as stick to some of our favorites! I even got my hand kissed by Mr. Saeed — how FREAKING CHARMING is that?! A pleasant surprise in Vienna, check out Café Renaissance out if you’re in the mood for a romantic French/​Italian fare with just wonderful service! :D
+Sea Scallops with Kahlua and sliced pineapples
+Cream of Porcini soup with spinach
+Escargot Bourguignonne
+Maine lobster dish with the beurreblanc sauce
+Chateaubriand
+Veal Normand
+yummy side of potatoes and a yummy side of the cinnamon-​spiced parsnip!
+Bananas Foster for dessert
+attentive service! :D

We came to Café Renaissance on Saturday night as a double date. My gf made our reservation and when showed up separately (they beat us there) we were quickly pointed to our seats.
Our server was wonderful! He had us cracking up all the while making us feel completely taken care of. We split oysters and escargots as our appetizers and I was very impressed with both. I also really liked my entrée of Veal Scallopini Français.
After our dinner both the owner and the chef stopped by our table and after striking up a conversation about a local winery, the owner actually brought us all some sparkling wine to go with our desserts. So sweet!
For dessert our table split the sampler and bananas foster. Both were spectacular. The bananas foster is made table side, so it is always a crowd pleaser, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also specifically mention the Limoncello cake. Oh.My.Goodness. Yum!
Over all we had a lovely meal. Café Renaissance is a charming European eatery tucked into a strip mall behind Jammin Java that I probably never would have found if it weren’t for Unilocal.I can’t wait to bring my parents here next time they visit; they will love it.