Béarnaise

All I have to say is watch your credit card statements. My friend was charged for an entire meal on her credit card when we all split the check with separate credit cards! My friend has to go through a hassle with the restaurant and her credit card company to get her money back and they (the restaurant) is making her do all the leg work for their mistake! I hope they have resolved the problem with my friend. We ate there on 5÷20÷16. Because of their mistake we are being charged for a meal we ate a month ago. Get it together!

What a great experience we had for lunch here while on vacation in DC. The service was top notch. The cook must be well trained and schooled in the art of making meals! Highly recommend!

Came here for brunch with a group. Excellent service with a little bit of sarcasm, which I appreciate. The bottomless mimosas and bloody marys are great because they fill your glass up a lot — our glasses never got below half full. Most people at the table ordered the Chef’s Hangover Cure which is composed of crispy pig’s feet with an egg and hash. It was great. Everyone enjoyed it. It’s a cute restaurant with a cute vibe. Check it out!

Cute enough but guilty of a cardinal sin. Do not ever bring me unsalted meat. Why slaughter beef if you are going to leave it bare and tasteless? The beef didn’t have a hint of salt, pepper, or any other seasoning.
The bernaise sauce was good (quite good actually) but it’s like skipping a shower and loading up on the perfume-​people know what’s underneath.
Sinful indeed.

The outside seating is quaint and the service is excellent. The wine list left much to be desired. I ordered my steak medium rare. It was served to me well done. The frites were very dry.
Service: 5
Wine Selection: 3
Wait Time: 4
Steak Frites: 2

Brunch is fantastic at Bernaise! The menu is large enough to satisfy a variety of tastes yet isn’t overwhelming.
Took my parents, sister, BIL, and their two young boys… and everyone enjoyed their food including a 4 & 7 year old. There is a little somethings for everyone!
Great service, tasty food, and a warm, relaxed atmosphere! Bravo!

We met up with some friends at Bearnaise on a Friday night. They were already seated and having a glass of wine when we arrived. I won’t go into detail about the service. It was mediocre at best. During our meal, the lights were dimmed a couple of times, and brought to full brightness a couple of times while the employees discussed the proper setting. The steak and frites were good. The pigs feet were very good. My bottle of wine came out as a glass of wine. Later, I had to flag down our server for another glass. Basically, I was glad we tried Bearnaise, but nothing here made we want to come back any time soon.

I’ve gone to Bernaise about seven times, and I always forget how poor the service is. However, the food keeps us coming back. We love the Crème Brûlée French Toast with the Crème anglaise at the bottom and blueberry compote at the top and the Croque Madame topped with bechamel sauce and a side of frites. If you get the French toast, make sure they don’t give you one that’s too burnt as is likely to happen (BURNaise anyone?). We’ll probably be back but more mentally prepared for the wait and unfortunate service.

If you’re looking for a Parisian dining experience on Capitol Hill, this is the place for you.
The steak frites special gives you a nice salad + a steak well prepared + lots of French fries that are crispy & with herbs that make them among the best around.
It’s hit or miss on whether you have a pleasant & accommodating waiter or one with attitude – just like in Paris!

Horrible waiter and WORSE bartender
Be ready to wait. Wether if it’s your drink or the food. And maybe if you’re lucky you’ll get the drink that you ordered. After all that horrible experience, you’ll get good food.
Not coming back.

This is our second year together in Washington D.C. and last year during our first trip we found Bernaise just by walking around the Capitol Hill area. I am not totally fond of French restaurants, but this place has a homey atmosphere, and you get that feeling as you walk by it from the outside. I am not sure but you seem to be dining in what was an old home with different rooms. Bernaise just happens to have been around for awhile and I is quite popular among the locals in the D.C. area. As I walked in both times, the dark woods, black and white large tile floors, arch mirrors and large colorful paintings gives you the impression that the dining experience at Bernaise is going to be really special. Loved the bar situated in a separate room to the right, that can be seen from the downstairs dining area. The first visit we were seated upstairs and after walking up many steep stairs to the top, we definitely were in a room of someone’s old house. There are 2 large rooms like this and one can be closed off for private lunches or dinners. The first time we came it was on a Friday and were able to order off the lunch menu and had the menu was much more extensive than what we had today on Saturday which was their brunch menu. The servers are dressed formal with white shirts and ties and are really welcoming, and very friendly and have quite the personalities. We are wine drinkers and when we saw their wine menu and food menu along with this comfy atmosphere, we knew we could spend the afternoon here. Today we ordered off their brunch menu after ordering just a couple glasses of wine we ordered our food. My wife had the Seasonal Vegetable Ouellette with mushrooms, spinach and goat cheese. With that she ordered a side of crispy bacon. I do not eat burgers that often anymore, but had to try their Brassarie Burger with caramelized onions, grilled mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Took the side of fries instead of the salad. Of course I had to have the French fries in a French restaurant. The burger was excellent, not exactly cooked to the temperature I wanted but was delicious. Kis was our waiter and gave us top notch service. I did tell him about the burger temp and he ended up giving me my Cappuccino on the house without even mentioning it. Classy.
I have to stress that the weekly lunch menu is much better than the weekend Brunch menu and has a lot more variety on it. The mussels were amazing, Chicken Paillard, and the Warm Goat Cheese salad. But… nothing beats their Onion Soup «Au Gratin», which is a fancy description of French Onion Soup. All this, with a bottle of wine and we comfortably sat for about a 2 hour lunch. It was never forgotten, so we chose to come back today.
For a nice relaxing lunch, this place is a must. Has all the atmosphere and great French American cuisine with a great variety of choices. It is very wise to make reservations because the whole restaurant gets filled up quickly and you will be guaranteed your favorite table if you call in advance. Bön Apatite.

I tried Béarnaise for the first time today for Sunday brunch. We arrived just before 11am and the restaurant was not yet crowded. This is possibly due to the time change this morning though, as it got significantly busier within the hour. We were seated upstairs by a polite hostess, and a party of 6 was seated next to us shortly after. It took several minutes for the waiter to come by and fill our water glasses, but he was polite enough and took our drink orders as well. Our drinks were delivered fairly quickly and the waiter took our order. The table next to us did not have their drink orders or food orders taken for quite some time after ours, so beware that some service may be slower than what we encountered.
Our food came out in a reasonable amount of time and my seasonal omelet (mushroom, spinach, and goat cheese) was huge. It came with a large portion of mixed greens on the side and two slices of fruit. My husband ordered the Montréal Special and it was a decent portion, though the salmon was sliced very thin. My omelet was perfectly seasoned and the vegetables well cooked. No complaints at all. My husband said his food was just ok, nothing special. The coffee was made in and poured from a French press and was pretty good.
I will definitely be back to Béarnaise for lunch or dinner sometime. The prices were reasonable and the portions good. The service wasn’t exactly on par, but also not terrible. My only complaint is that I had to ask to have my coffee refilled (it’s free) and really would have liked a third cup (since the cup was authentically Paris-​sized), but the waiter didn’t come by until we were ready to leave. I typically appreciate waiters who don’t hover, so it’s really less of a complaint and more of an inconvenience. I’m sure I could have flagged him down if I really wanted. Commenting only on the service (not the food), I left feeling like I had been sitting in a café in Paris if you know what I mean.

Bearnaise was recommended to us and we’re disappointed. Came for brunch on a Sunday. We were seated upstairs and it was kind of a cramped space. We ordered coffee, one regular and one decaf. The waiter came back with a French press and said they’re out of decaf and that I could drink some of the regular if I wanted. Whatttt? The Norwegian Salmon Benny $ 15 had a very thin slice of salmon that didn’t even cover the croissant. The eggs were poached perfectly and the hollandaise had a nice lemony flavor. The fries were at room temperature instead of hot and they were very chewy. When the entrée was served, I was asked if I needed ketchup. I said yes but none was brought until after I asked three more times. Then the bill came and we were charged $ 4.50 for the coffee instead of $ 3.50 as listed on the menu.

Last night was my first time at this place. Driven by all the great reviews I read all over the internet, knowing the great reputation Spike has and also celebrating a special occasion, I decided to go there with my husband.
I am not sure why this place is defined as an upscale restaurant, the ambiance is very simple and for it to be a Saturday night, they didn’t have enough front of the house staff on the floor. We had to wait by the door for the hostess to come back and when she appeared she didn’t even apologized for the delay, she just asked for the name and took us to our table. The table was dirty, no table cloths, just the plain hardwood table improperly wiped. As we waited for the waiter to show up and take our order we were looking around, noticing there were a few light bulbs that were not working and the chandelier near to us had a few pieces missing. Do you really call a place with all these missing details, upscale?
The waiter took our order, came back with the drinks, the bread was forgotten and when we got it was completely cold, also was the butter which was horribly pressed inside the little container, making it impossible to take a piece out! (And I say a piece because it was hard as a rock).
My onion soup arrived, it looked pretty but the flavor wasn’t there. I believe the stock they use to make the soup is not rich enough and had tomato pieces in it (which shouldn’t be there from what I learnt in school and from French friends) and the carmelization process of the onion is not well executed because the soup lacked that classic flavor and richness onion soup has, and killed even more by putting a piece of some sweet brioche bun inside which made the soup to taste even farther than what I was expecting.
Well, I can overpass this I thought, but when my husband’s steak arrived and it was rare instead of medium-​well (he doesn’t like raw meat, so what?!), we were upset. The waiter came and he kinda said ohhh is a little undercooked, I can send it back to cook it more, with some sort of an attitude and he never apologized for this. He took it back and as he was leaving I cut my burger right in the middle and found it was undercooked as well!!! This was the ultimate failure for us and asked to talk to the manager, which happened to be the hostess and she claimed the kitchen was very busy and they were rushing to get the food out, REALLY WOMAN? That’s your apology to two upset customers that just had their special night ruined thanks to your cooks that don’t know how anything about time management and how to work the grill station and meat temperatures!!! She offered to order everything anew, but we were there for over an hour already and didn’t want to stay there waiting again for the food to come out and taking the risk for the cook to spit in our food. So we just left, we didn’t have to pay for the soup nor the drinks (at least).
So, I really don’t know why people continues to follow trends just because they can say I went to this restaurant and a celebrity chef is the owner. Come down to earth and make your money worthy!!! Don’t pay for things you don’t like, for places that don’t look nice enough. If you don’t like it don’t eat it, don’t pay for it. Otherwise chefs will keep charging more and more money because fools will come to their restaurants just to post it on social media.
My experience yesterday sucked. The staff members sucked and the food did too, well the soup bcs I didn’t tasted my burger :-/

Valentine’s Day reservation for 1 pm. We get there and are seated quickly to a brunch menu. I had emailed with the restaurant, asked for the Valentine’s Day menu, and then for a 1 pm reservation. They didn’t put it together and notify me that the menu they sent wouldn’t be available until dinner. Not a big deal — Liz was good about explaining it. It wasn’t really a mistake on their part, just a missed opportunity for a clarification that would have helped.
I ordered a burger «bacon, burger, bun, Gruyère — that’s it.» It came with lots of mushrooms. I called Liz over and just then the waiter came by too. I explained. Liz dashed back to the kitchen without a word. The waiter held out his hands to his side, shrugged his shoulders and said «meh.» He took my plate and went the back.
He came out 5 minutes later and said they were going to make a new one. He assured me it was no problem. My wife was eating her brunch on Valentine’s Day while I waited for a redo. And he never said sorry. So it was a problem.
The food was really good when we got it. I’d give this place another try, but the service was poor. It was kind of insulting.

I did judge this place before we even got food, I’ll admit it. As someone that really enjoys french cuisine, I was skeptical upon entering the establishment. The place is NOT pretentious by any standards so if that’s what you are looking for, go somewhere else. This place does however, offer some amazing french dishes in a fun, friendly, and romantic atmosphere with waitstaff that are not snooty, pretentious, or self absorbed. I had the seasonal butternut squash soup which was amazing and my date and I split the cheese board. That was also fantastic. My date got the duck confit entrée and could not stop raving about how delicious it was. The wine list was extensive and reasonably priced. I would return to this restaurant in the future! Thank you for a fantastic meal and great dining experience!

I love Béarnaise. A fabulous French bistro on Capitol Hill. And so much more that ‘You Know Where’.
Great muscles $ 24, duck $ 24 etc.
A neighborhood place in the heart of DC.
Via la France!

Food was absolutely amazing! Had the duck leg and it was cooked perfectly. Everyone in our group of six raved about their meals. Service was attentive. Prices were great. We had a true gourmet experience for lunch at about $ 20 per person, including a 20% tip. Will be going back for sure!

Excellent food, bottomless mimosas and bloody Mary’s, great service, and nice location. We came with a large group of friends and we didn’t feel too cramped or rushed by the waiters. The atmosphere was nice. The price is very reasonable. Probably one of the best places for a girls brunch in DC.

I wasn’t too impressed with Bearnaise. I visited by myself for lunch and sat upstairs. Service was decent, but my main qualm was with the food. I ordered the Steak Frites and the steak just tasted off… I eat steak quite frequently and I’m not sure what about this particular cut of meat did not sit well with me. I couldn’t finish it and instead focused on the fries. The fries were pretty bland and could have benefited from some garlic. The Bearnaise sauce was also not my favorite. In short, I did like the service (nice enough) and the location is great (on Pennsylvania Ave on Capitol Hill), but the steak tasted funky and the fries and sauce were bland. I don’t think I’d visit again, but we’ll see…

Béarnaise is a part of the small empire governed by Chef Spike Mendelsohn, who has expertly parlayed his Top Chef fame into several business opportunities. Having been to his local establishments, We the Pizza and Good Stuff Eatery, I was curious about this higher-​end steakhouse that incorporates his French-​Canadian heritage. I was also interested to see if the staff would be mimicking Spike’s trademark fedora as part of their uniform.
The décor of the restaurant is upscale in an understated sort of way. It’s nothing over the top and in fact reminds me a cafes you’d find in Europe. Definitely not Starbucks, that’s for sure. The staff is polite, attentive and engaging. Often times at high-​end places, servers tend to unnecessarily take on a snobby persona in order to match the reputation, atmosphere and prices that are associated with them. At Bernaise, folks were down to earth and just interested in making sure customers were satisfied.
I tried the Butternut Squash Soup, Gnocchi a la Parisian and Steak Frites.
The Butternut Squash Soup comes in a generous portion size. Hot, thick and creamy, it hit a lot of key notes on a slightly chilly night. A little more seasoning could take it to the next level.
The Gnocchi a la Parisian comes in two sizes — small and large. I went with the large one, which realistically is more of a moderate portion. The gnocchi was tasty though and had the perfect pillowy sort of texture. The mushrooms and cheese were excellent complements to the gnocchi. Again, a little more seasoning and this dish is next level quality.
The Steak Frites are the signature dish of the restaurant. Starting with the frites, they were some of the better ones I’ve had in quite awhile. Golden crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, perfectly seasoned. That’s the formula for some good fries, which these certainly were. They also come with unlimited refills, which enables the perfect addiction.
The steak itself was actually really good. Tender, juicy and quite flavorful, the chef showed a deft hand with seasoning as well. My only complaint was I just wish I had more steak!
The prices were about average for the area.
Overall, Bernaise definitely exceeded my expectations. Definitely worth a return trip!

I was treated to a birthday dinner at Bearnaise and it was a little busy for a Tuesday evening but our server was attentive. I had the steak frites and my date had the salmon. Both of our dishes were perfectly cooked and well seasoned.
It’s a cute little place and I certainly plan to visit them again.

3.25 stars. Béarnaise is part of the Mendehlsohn mini-​empire in Capitol Hill South. Nestled comfortably within walking distance of multiple neighborhoods, it’s a solid if not slightly flawed brunch location for those less interested in pursuing a French-​style brunch within Eastern Market (Crêpe Man, Montmartre).
Béarnaise is true to its moniker; the decadent French standard can be found in spades throughout the brunch menu. Moreover, its application is rather generous — a French ham sandwich was absolutely drenched in the lovely sauce. Béarnaise is probably a bit liberal for my tastes with their use of lemon; the sour tastes are quite pronounced here and frankly, it somewhat overpowers the delicious meat within the sandwich. The perfectly runny yolk from the 63 degree egg is similarly underplayed due to the prominent role of the sauce, but if you were looking for a rich treat to cover your morning hangover, Béarnaise will get the job done.
Service was a little standoffish is not overtly unfriendly, and no one really wants that in the morning. All that said, Béarnaise has carved a niche presence within Capitol Hill, and adds value as an alternative selection for steaks and brunch to other selections throughout Eastern Market.

Great little place is cute and the food was amazing I’m so glad that we stumbled into it I had a soup and some fries and it was great dessert was amazing

GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
They don’t have a separate menu, but the waiter was very good about knowing what was and wasn’t gluten free. They have the most amazing fries I’ve ever had, and they have their own frier so 100% gluten free. I had a steak and a salad that were also both amazing. One of the few restaurants that actually cook my steak the way I want it. This place is worth going to.

I like the look of this place and was excited to try out another Spike place because I love Good Stuff.
Went here for a birthday for dinner on a Friday night. It was reasonably busy.
The lighting wasn’t great, although that’s common at restaurants these days.
Our waiter was pleasant, although extremely opinionated when we didn’t ask for his opinion. When we did ask, he didn’t have much to say.
Everything was fine, despite being a little forgettable. I had the steak meal with the french onion soup to start. It was fine. not enough wine or herbs to flavor, and a little thick making it stew like. It wasn’t bad. The steak was good in flavor, although very burned on the outside making it much less enjoyable. The fries were solid, although not as good as Good Stuff fries. The dessert profiterole was fine. It had ice cream instead of cream inside, which I didn’t care for that much. The chocolate sauce fine, although nothing great. I don’t get the impression they make it.
I tried the mussels, which were great. The dressing on the salad was extremely salad, despite being good in flavor.
The waiter charged for the dessert that was supposed to come with the meal, and then added and environmental tax, which we weren’t told about. If you want to use recycled paper or pasture raised animals, that’s awesome, but put it in the prices rather than throwing it in a tax that you didn’t tell us about. He corrected the dessert mistake, and offered to take off the tax. Meh.
I wouldn’t return.

A few friends and I meandered in to the restaurant on a Saturday night because we were starving and it caught our eye. I was a bit worried when there weren’t many people in the restaurant, but that didn’t last.
Our waiter was really helpful in recommending things. We had the Colombard white wine per his suggestion and it was really good with our meal. The three of us shared Mussels Marinere, Assiette de Fromages, and the Warm Goat Cheese Salad. All were excellent choices. I am a sucker for cheese, bread, and jam so the Assiette de Fromages was right up my alley. Not to mention the sauce that the mussels were in was amazing.
Anddd a major plus is that the mussel dishes come with the TASTIEST frites. Who doesn’t love some good frites?!

We ventured into Bearnaise on a Friday evening. We ate dinner upstairs which was pleasant, as there was only one other couple in the space for the majority of the dinner– but our waiter wasn’t around much. When our waiter was around he was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and pleasant. We noticed that the prices on the menu were a bit high, and there weren’t many less expensive options. We weren’t super hungry so we decided to split the cheese platter and mussels bleu between two. The cheese plate was fantastic, and came with delicious cranberry bread. The mussels bleu were prepared beautifully. The portion was generous and the mussels were cooked perfectly. The dish included big pieces of cubed ham in the dish, which I didn’t care for — but was able to pick around it.
Overall I would recommend Bearnaise for a special occasion as the prices are slightly high and the atmosphere is on the fancier side. I plan to return to try the mussels prepared in one of the other ways they offer.

A friend and I happened upon Bernaise while strolling through the Eastern Market neighbourhood. In the mood to be gluttonous, we decided to stop in for wine, cheese, and dessert despite just having finished dinner — oops! But I’m so glad that we did! Bernaise’s profiteroles are TO DIE FOR — seriously, there was not even half a bite left. The crème brûlée was also delicious, but the cheese plate was the other star of this meal. Well paired with 2 jams and a fruit & nut bread — so, so yum. My only complaint is that it’s a little on the pricier side … but that’s probably for the best so that I can’t indulge as often as I would like to.

Béarnaise is still a newcomer to the restaurant scene on Capitol Hill. We had a chance to try Brunch at this French and Belgian inspired restaurant.
The Brunch menu, served on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, ranges from omelettes to mussels. There is a burger if one must have it! I ordered the Croque Madame along with a Petite Salade. (Frites are also a side option, but I preferred the mixed greens.) My wife ordered the French Ham & Brie Omelette, also with a Petite Salade. The Croque Madame was excellent. Rich, I know, but a treat. It was very light in texture.
I would like to return to Bearnaise during regular menu hours to try the different varieties of Mussels.
The ambiance is pleasant, but the acoustics are, surprisingly, very noisy. Sounds and conversation just bounce off the exposed brick walls and wood paneling.
Stopping in later on a Saturday afternoon, we were still asked if we had a reservation. It would appear that Bearnaise would like it very much if you make a reservation through their web site.

Back again– still 5 stars!
Our waiter was excellent– very informative about the wine list. The Cote de Rhone was delicious. He recommended the gnocchi, which I would have never thought to order. It was FANTASTIC! I had the mussels Dijon. I love Dijon mustard but it was a little overwhelming. Delicious, still, but next time I’d go with the mussels mariniere.
Probably headed back there again for brunch on Sunday :)

The joie de vivre is missing at Bearnaise.
Dinner was stronger than brunch. I enjoyed my steak frites. Brunch was more of a letdown. Service was terribly inattentive. My croissant sandwich was okay but not worth the price; too small with very little egg filling, and one very tiny piece of bacon. Coffee comes by french press, so you pay for each refill which is pesky at brunch. I was also shocked that there was no dessert menu, so forget about having those profiteroles you were drooling over in the Unilocal pics.

Spike is not trying reinvent bistro. He just wants to do it well, and i believe he succeeded. I would like to have seen a few more options like roasted rabbit or maybe some pheasant.
I really enjoyed the wine menu and the wait staff was very knowledgeable about the wine and even let us taste a bit before we bought a bottle.
I would definitely recommend. Just don’t go in thinking your are getting some new take on the bistro. Bearnaise is simple and classic. Good work.

After picking up a travelzoo voucher, my girlfriend and I made reservations at Bearnaise for a Saturday brunch. Though the restaurant did fill up by the time we were leaving, they didn’t seem too busy when we arrived and we were promptly seated upstairs.
The bakery basket to start was delicious. The selection of pasteries was diverse and everything was nice and warm. For our entrees, we got 2 orders of the Steak and Eggs, one medium and one medium-​rare. Both steaks were cooked just to spec, the eggs were over easy, and the frites were fried well. We also had a few mimosas, which were great.
Service was on point. Out waiter took a bit to come over to take our order when we arrived, but once he did, he was great at keeping out waters and mimosas filled and making sure that we had everything we needed. I had somewhat low expectations beforehand since it seems like restaurants that offer discount coupons only do so because they have to, but Bearnaise was a pleasant surprise — I wouldn’t mind coming back at their normal prices.

Oh mon dieu, Bearnaise, génial!
Bearnaise is unlike any French restaurant I have been to in the city before and I am beyond pleased with my dining experience here. Early one Sunday morning, a friend and I were hankering for some brunch so we walked into Bearnasie and little did I know the rest of my life would change from that moment on.
Be sure to get the coffee with any meal. Something in their coffee perks you up like never before!
The French Toast is merveilleux, simply marvelous! If you are on the fence with your brunch option, you won’t go wrong with the toast! Or if you are between the French Toast and something else, get the French Toast for dessert and split it with a friend!
Next time, I brunch at Bearnaise I will be trying the Chef’s Hangover Cure. The waiter sold it to me and I became very intrigued after leaning how it was prepared. Not to mention my attention was caught after he said pig’s feet.
See you soon for my usual table, Bearnaise! Until then, I bid you adieu.
Ps– check out the tiny little bathrooms here. They are no bigger than an airplane restroom, but the wallpaper makes them fascinating!