Bistro Francais

It had been many years since I’d been to Bistro Francais, but I went last night filled with happy memories about the warm atmosphere and delicious food. The atmosphere is still charming, but the food was lousy. i started off with the country pâté. It tasted like cat food. My entrée of saffron rice with seafood was OK. Dessert was terrible. My crème brûlée was not light and airy, but thick — like it was left over from the previous day and put under a broiler right before serving.

Been to this place many times for the past decade. The food is fresh and solidly on-​point as always. I feel like I need to post my latest review which I visited last Saturday evening.
I always stick with my usual favorite orders which are Escargots and Broiled salmon with spinach.
Garlic butter escargots from here has to be one of the best starters of all time. When you dine at this place, you receive complimentary fresh bread. So you use that bread to mop all the savory garlic butter sauce and you won’t be able to stop eating until it’s all gone. Of course, those escargots are fresh and tasty as well.
Pon, the general manager at Bistro Francais. She recommended me to get Avocado stuffed with crabmeat. I simply dislike avocado so I never thought I would order it.
But wow, this dish caught me off guard! Very fresh, mellow avocado suits perfectly with crab and thousand island dressing. A nice big piece of shrimp on top was delicious as well.
Yeah… pretty sure I licked the plate clean, but I’m not ashamed to share that info though.
Broiled salmon with fresh spinach. Fresh luxurious salmon cooked perfectly as always, never disappointed me. Fresh spinach however, the after-​taste was a bit too heavy but it’s no big deal.
Lastly, I just love to sit down and dine at Bistro Francais. The décor is gorgeous. It’s comfortable, luxurious and cozy, no matter what time it is, even at late night.
This place will always be my favorite French restaurant, no doubt about it.

The only reason why we came here is because this is one of the few places that serves food so late. I got mussels and partner in crime went for some less posh drunk food, and got a burger. It was edible, but nothing to rave about.

I went back here after many years, hoping to find something from a nice memory of Georgetown.
I won’t be back. Nothing here is «French». Even something as basic as a hamburger comes to you tasteless and lukewarm. And my heart broke when I saw the fries… what used to be a speciality here is now no better than cafeteria food.
How hard could it be to order some bottled French beer?
In short — nothing «francais» about this bistro.

Horrible place, food and manager! Looking for awful attitude, low quality food and rude manager? This is the right place to go! I went there twice and both times had this awful experience. I think the only reason I went there for the second time was they were the only restaurant open at 2 am in Georgetown. Food poisoned the second time and got awful attitude both times! I don’t know how these guys survived till now. The food is overpriced and VERY low quality. If I was the owner I would never higher a person like their night manager! He insulted my friend because of the complain we had!!! I would rather go stick with a frozen dinner or fast food next time! Don’t waste your money going to this place. Will never give a chance to these guys serving me again.

slow service. portions tiny. food average. it was good to try once, but i wouldnt go back there.
we ordered the lamb as medium rare, definitely came back as well done.
our waitress never checked on how we were doing while we waited for our food. we each got ONE piece of bread to eat while we waited for our appetizers… and she reluctantly brought out a second piece after we had to request it.

The bouillabaisse was inedible. The onion tart was fine. Half bottles of wine are a plus but not enough to warrant a return visit.

From the outset, this place should have all the makings of a really nice bistro in a really premier location of Georgetown (right by the M and Wisconsin intersection), but it’s hard to escape the nagging feeling that it falls just a bit short.
When you walk inside, the décor is both charming and slightly off-​putting all in one. You have cozy looking tables set up and adequately spaced from one another so that you’re not sharing a conversation with 20 other people, but the relatively cold, overly bright lighting was, to me at least, a big detractor to the overall atmosphere.
The menu, especially the daily special, had the makings of being really fun and interesting. I mean, where else could you try veal kidneys in a luxuriously reduced red wine sauce? The prices are above average, no doubt, but the menu items are special enough to potentially warrant it.
Overall, the food was pretty good, although I personally would have expected a little better. I did try the veal kidneys in red wine sauce, which was undoubtedly tasty and fairly well-​executed. Others in my dining group, however, didn’t have as much luck. A steak tartare went butchered, and the bouillabaisse felt uninspired.
Still, in the end it was a pleasurable dining experience, but one that wouldn’t exceed more than a «meh» sentiment from yours truly. For that particular price level, there’s greater quality/​value propositions elsewhere in the city.

Probably a ¼ to ½ star round up. I’m weird — I like old school organ meats. Stopped in for an impromptu lunch, Veal kidneys with french fries, bread (warm and crusty and a little sour) and a simple green salad with julienned beets and a creamy dressing.
Quite tasty and a decent portion for $ 20. Service was good but not intrusive. Will probably return if I find myself hungry in G’town at lunch time.

This place is a total gem! I can’t believe that it’s taken me four years to discover how good this place is, but as they say, better late than never. I must have walked by this establishment a hundred times before, but Bistro Français is my new go-​to place for delicious food at a very reasonable price in Georgetown.
My husband and I wandered in last night, lured by their «2 Courses for $ 28» special. For the first course, he ordered the Cream of Spinach, the Soup du Jour, while I ordered the Onion Tart, which was very similar to a quiche. Both were excellent! We then both ordered the Ray Fish with capers and whipped potatoes as our second course and it was AH-​MAZING; so much so that it left me feeling like I wanted more! So, so good. Not to mention, they have a very impressive wine list. You really can’t go wrong with this place.
Also, one of the owners, who happens to be French (hence the authenticity of the dishes), is also the Chef, which makes me admire and love this place even more.

Ordered from the two-​course dinner special menu: mussel soup/​roasted duck breast and leg. The soup tastes pretty standard, and the duck was alright.
The vibe at the restaurant was pretty awesome, the décor was very tasteful. You’d feel you are actually in France when you are inside.

Terrific place! Prices are reasonable, the food and wine were excellent and the service was very friendly and attentive. I really like this place.

I am rounding up from 3.75 but I’ll leave it at 4 due to good service.
Our party of three on a Friday night had no trouble getting seated at a prime table looking out on the street. This Bistro is situated smack dab in the middle of Georgetown close to Wisconsin Avenue.
The service was really kind and attentive. They provide a warm crusty bread with butter to get you started, which we found quite delicious. We ordered a Sancerre, a French bottle of delicate white wine which we immediately thought was outstanding.
Dinner options include a starter and main course combo deal at $ 28. Amongst the starters, the onion tart was the winner between the cold gazpacho and the pâté. It was sweetly caramelized onion and combined well with the pastry as it ought. The gazpacho was not bad however it seemed not as fresh as I imagined it ought to be. Pâté stood up to muster with some cornichons for garnish, which, I would have liked more of.
Of the three entrees we selected, the roast duck with a sweetish fruit sauce stood out, it was briny, deep and quite excellent. The bouillabaise, difficult to pull off anyway, seemed too salty and fishy to me. The rock shrimp with spaghetti was mediocre. The issue here was the overcooked spaghetti and the poor quality/​mealy shrimp.
Starters run under $ 10 and Entrees on their own are about $ 22 – 29. So the combo deal is actually economical.
We finished up with a crème brûlée with an exquisitely candied crust.
The kitchen seems a bit spotty in its offerings, but the place is quite a charm.

Great location in Georgetown. Reserved a table for two online, which is pretty convenient. I checked the menu before I go, but surprising found out there are special menu ($ 20 for two courses) provided.
The mussel soup is AMAZING! Cannot be better! Extra appetizer was Foie gras sandwich. It was not that good as what I had in Paris (of course), but still delicous. The main dish for me was mixed meat (including lamb) which I didn’t like the taste. Dessert was caramel brulee, it was a bit dry but yum.
Considering the location and the reasonable price, I would give it a four-​star.

A nice place to have a sit-​down lunch that isn’t too too expensive with surprisingly good food. I love French bistros and was initially very disappointed that this one did not have my favorite bistro staple, the croque monsieur. There is a «ham and cheese» sandwich on the menu called the «French One» (whoever designed the menu needs to take a page from Hannibal when it comes to describing the food). But when I asked the waitress if it was a croque monsieur, she said no, and that a croque monsieur was on a croissant. Um, actually I don’t think I’ve ever once seen anyone make it with a croissant, but whatevs …
There is a lunch special that’s a pretty good value. For $ 17 you get a soup or salad, and a pretty large entrée. We got the poached salmon and the chopped steak and porcini. They were very nice about subbing out the side for one of the plates. The food was absolutely delicious. It came with warm, chewy French bread, and they were also generous with giving us limitless refills on the iced tea. It was the perfect place for lunch on a nice day, since they have louvered windows that they opened so you can get plenty of sun, fresh air, and you can people watch (speaking of people-​watching, there are an alarming number of women in Georgetown with shorts so short half their butt cheeks are hanging out. Just had to get that in somewhere.)
Overall, I was happily surprised at what a good experience it was, and would definitely return if I needed a nice place to have lunch with a friend!

Just as a disclaimer, I have only ordered take out from this restaurant so I cannot speak to the service, atmosphere, ticket times, etc. I can, however, speak to the quality and taste of the food.
Both times I’ve come here I’ve ordered the steak sandwich and both times I was blown away. It was delicious! It’s amazing how they managed to take something so simple and produce such a high quality product! I will order take out from here in the future and hope to sit down and enjoy the full dining experience here. If it is half as good as the food, I know I’ll walk away satisfied.
Keep up the good work!

This is a pretty solid spot located in the center of Georgetown. We came here for Easter brunch and walked in without a reservation around 11:30am. I ordered the champagne brunch — which included tomato basil soup and a ½ rotisserie chicken with french fries for $ 29.95. My husband ordered the eggs norwegian. The service was very attentive and friendly. I would be interested to come back and try this place out for dinner.

I have been a few times and really enjoy it. It is not the best French food I have had but it is not the worst by any stretch. The French Onion Soup may be my favorite thing on the menu — I far prefer it to the bouillabaisse — as expected lots of sauces and breads — sort of feels like a cross between French and German food. I lived in Paris and like the menu Price Fix. Service is always really nice and it a cute spot in a great location.

Horrible place due to night manager, Chris night manager was one of the worst manager in regards to service we have experienced.
We came in to ha late dinner late night and I asked to be seated at the table once it became free, and Chris ended up having the biggest attitude and gave the worst customer service in Georgetown.
Since I am a business owners I would NEVER hire such a horrible customer freindly employee as Chris.
This place lost two to three visits per month minimum from about 15 – 20 friends that live in George town.

Yikes! The graduation ceremony lasted until 10:45 pm. All the restaurants we had planned to go to had long since closed. We must celebrate the graduate. It would be near midnight before we could pile into a car and arrive at some eatery. What to do?
Bistro Francais to the rescue, that’s what. Hadn’t been there in a million years, but I remembered that they serve late – very late.
This restaurant pulled out all the stops for our unexpected party and, truly, we had a grand time. It probably didn’t hurt that our handsome young man was in his cap and gown. We got the best seat in the house and lots of special attention from the staff and other diners present (just so you get the picture, I counted 23 persons in the front room alone).
We were double lucky in that the early bird dinner (3 courses for $ 26.95) was also available from 10:30 pm to 1:00 am.
Escargots? Plenty buttery and garlicky; Liver mousse? Freshly made and fluffy; Salade Masion? Tender and with the exact amount of French vinaigrette (what else?!). And those were just the appetizers…
I ordered one of that evening’s specials; a paella-​type dish that was Frenched up – with saffron and cream and, well, it knocked my socks off. Another in my party got one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, a steak-​frites offering called Faux-​Filet Marchand de Vin. I sampled it and must say that it was one of the tastiest red wine sauces I have consumed in some time. The graduate? He went with the chicken cordon bleu, another nightly special. I tried that too – glorious.
I wish I could provide you the server’s name; she was as serious as a heart attack but had great suggestions and worked tirelessly for us. Bread was presented constantly throughout the meal – it had a perfect crust and always served hot. I do love bread with the meal so I was in heaven. Finally, the maitre d’, who ensured we got a fab table, must be Idris Elba’s twin brother and was every bit as articulate as the actor himself.
The one demerit? The desserts were not good, particularly the Napoleon that looked so delicious on the tray. Perhaps stale? It was late, as I mentioned a hundred times before. A disappointment for sure, but the cup of just-​made French roast coffee that accompanied it was yummy-​tasting, and, ah, it just made me forget the dessert!
Bistro Francais – you rock.