La Madeleine

Very nice and quaint. Stayed next door and walked over at around 6:30 am and was pleased with the welcoming aroma of bakery goods and fresh breakfast items available. The atmosphere is very comfortable and calm and is the perfect way to start a morning tour of DC.
I am not a big breakfast person, but their cinnamon rolls were on point and their French toast had just the right amount of flavor.
Will definitely eat there again on my next visit.

This place is disgusting and very overpriced! They don’t clean the salad bowl after every use, maybe I could deal with that but they just sit out for hours with old salad and dressing in them. It’s really gross! At one point there was a leak in the ceiling and yellow water accumulating in a clear bucket on the floor… Ok I guess the leak is not your problem but
Then I see someone coming out of the kitchen with fresh food and yup, the water falls directly on it! And they served it! I was appalled and called general management because this is a health hazard. He didn’t seem to concerned at all. I would avoid this place and don’t like to leave negative reviews but this is just very unsanitary.

The croissants are good, and breakfast in general, but the sandwiches and soups and salads are nothing special. You wait in line, pay, and take your seat. An actually cheap place in Georgetown.

Avoid this restaurant!!! Huge disappointment, appalling food and service.
My family and I came to la Madeleine for breakfast while staying at the latham hotel next door, and it was such a dreadful experience that I joined Unilocal just to warn all other users!
We ordered the crêpe romanoff, and the employee took out a stale, crunchy, indistinguishable substance wrapped up in foil. We asked what it was, and he responded that they had to make crepes in advance. Naturally we said we would like fresh crepes, to which he agreed. Meanwhile I also ordered a cinnamon French toast. It was ready soon enough, but was barely warm and was missing the whipped cream promised in the menu.
We ended up waiting for the crepes for 10 minutes, and then the manager explained that it would be impossible to make fresh crepes because the batter needed to sit for a day. I have had Crepes numerous times, and have never heard of such a thing.
We settled and said we would have the pre-​prepared crepes. However, after waiting 15 minutes and making several back and forth trips from our downstairs table to the counter, it turned out that the staff completely forgot about our order! The manager apologized when we complained and promised free desserts. He also gave me a cup of whipped cream to «pour» on my cold French toast. The crepes we ended up getting were stale, tasteless, and almost inedible. The free desserts weren’t even that tasty to make up for it, and the struggling manager agreed about the poor quality of the food.
Save yourself the trouble and eat at the le pain quotidien bakery right down the street.

On the spectrum of DC food they fall exactly between shitty and awful. I think this is one of those places that has a ‘chef’ working only at busy times, and the rest of the time you have a busboy or dishwasher making the food. It’s an insult to France, cafes, and yes, even the average Georgetown yuppie or tourist.
Many things are pre-​made and then left sitting under a heatlamp. I got the biggest joke of a bechamel sauce with my Chicken Friand. The description on the menu says: «Puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms and béchamel sauce, topped with mushroom sauce.» What I got was a dried out puff pastry with a meager portion of chicken and NO bechamel inside, topped with an incredibly thin and flavorless bechamel sauce to which someone had clearly added chopped up sauteed mushrooms! The whole thing lacked any flavor whatsoever.
I also had the nasty experience of getting a salad to go late at night on two separate occasions. In one, I found an uncut, dirty lettuce stem. In the other, I found large chunks of ice! Ice! In a fucking salad!
The one decent thing I’ve had here is an Omelet, but it took them nearly 25 minutes to make it! An Omelet is one of the most basic food items out there!
The only reason people go here is b/​c their prices are cheap for Georgetown.

This is a pretty decent place. The times I’ve been here must have been good because there wasnt much of a line or wait.
I like the French Dip sandwich a lot. It came with a nice compliment of chips.
My friend and I enjoy this place on occasion when we are in Georgetown.

I came here for lunchtime food by myself and wasn’t sure what to expect. I was hoping for a quiet café type experience where I could eat and read, but that is not what I got.
As soon as I went in, I was turned off by the fact that the ordering setup seems much like a cafeteria. Also, I was disappointed that there was only one line for everybody no matter what kind of food you were wanting. So, to order a simple sandwich, I had to wait in line behind all the people going through the cafeteria line getting their soups and salads. There is also, no sign anywhere to tell you that if you just want a sandwich that you place that order at the register. I thought once it was my turn to talk to one of the staff that they would start to prepare my order before I got to the cashier, but I was wrong. The setup to order here is just not user friendly.
I finally placed an order for the tuna sandwich with chips, and found a small table to sit at. The place was not crowded or anything, but it was still much louder in there than I wanted. I’m not sure if I can blame that on the place itself or maybe the blame should be on the other patrons who were there at the time talking loudly. One of the staff brought me my meal, and the sandwich was decent. The chips though were not in a bag at all, but I know they were just the Kettle brand krinkle cut salt and pepper chips. I’ve had them enough times to recognize them. It seemed a little silly to me that I was able to determine where the chips came from. While I do like those chips, they just seemed lacking for some reason since I was able to identify them.
The last piece of my experience that brought this review down to two stars was the fact that the whole time I was sitting there eating, I was being bothered by flies. I’m not sure if there were multiple or if it was just the same one over and over, but it was driving me nuts. Why do I go indoors to eat if I’m still going to be treated to the same atmosphere that I might find at a picnic? I guess at least there weren’t any ants that I noticed.

Came here after shopping in Georgetown for a quick dinner.
The set-​up is awkward, but the food was decent and the service wasn’t terrible.
I ordered the half soup half sandwich with french onion soup and french dip– BONUS: it also came with chips or a cold pasta; I had the chips, but next time I’d try the pesto pasta. The french onion soup was pretty good… a little on the salty side, but not overpowering. The french dip au jus was delicious, but there was a little too much horse radish/​mayonnaise in the sandwich itself, and the meat in the sandwich was crumbly. It didn’t feel like slices of meat… a very bizarre texxture for french dip… at least compared to all the other places I’ve been to.
So, if you want a quick sit down, but not fast food place in Georgetown, come here :)

Love this place for breakfast! The eggs and bacon are cooked perfectly, the croissants are amazing. The french toast was good as well.

Started off well… Then plummetted downhill. French-​onion soup was delicious… but the pasta francais sucked.
First off, it took longer than usual (for Madeline’s) and when it arrived it looked like pasta soup-​but with olive oil. It also smelled a bit like, and I am not exaggerating, diarrhea. The smell Completely ruined my appetite. They did bring by a fruit tart that I thought my friend had ordered, but by the time we realized neither of us had ordered it, we’d already taken a bite. Not sure if this was their apology for taking so long or if they just accidentally gave it to us (letting us benefit from their disorganization). Siting here smelling the pasta is making me nauseous however, so I must go and leave you with this advice– yes soup, hell no pasta, yes tart.

I’ve been here for breakfast before, and it’s good. Go. Four stars.
This review, however, is for lunch. I went in one day, and it was mass chaos. Long line that didn’t move, loud, no one could figure out what was going on, no menus anywhere. I finally got to order and had to order sans menu because the people taking orders were in a hurry. I ended up with half a croque monsieur, a small salad, and a cup of soup. The croque monsieur was disgusting – dripping grease. Made me want to vomit. Salad was drenched in dressing. Soup was good.
Crazy kids were (literally) running around the restaurant the entire time I was there.
I’ll never go back for anything other than pastries and coffee. I have been to this la Madeleine before, and have been to La Madeleines in Rockville, Bethesda, and Virginia – none of those experiences brought the word «clusterf**k» to mind. But I’ll never recover from this trip.

great lil breakfast joint in g’town. PLUS they put the calories right on the menu, gotta love that. The ordering process is a bit weird, you’re greeted at the door and give your order to someone by the counters then told to go through and given a number. The coffee station is a bit of a cluster and in a weird place. Yes it’s after where you pay but it’s almost mixed in with the tables. They bring your food out to you which is nice.
i ordered one of the omelets with peppers and onions (added some cheese) and a coffee. My buddy got an omelet as well with ham spinach and cheese. They were delish and came with some fruit and toast. good fuel for navigating the g’town crowd.

I would have to agree with those that say this is a glorified cafeteria. That’s exactly what it is… complete with trays.
From the outside, this place looks like a legitimate and unique French café until you walk in and realize that it’s a chain and that you need a tray to get your food. That isn’t what makes La Madeleine that bad, though. Yes, there are good chains. The biggest problem with this place isn’t even its food, it’s the service. My first complaint is that if you’re going to serve people cafeteria style, wouldn’t it make sense to have the menu on the wall so that people can see it? Instead four copies of the menu are on this tiny table near the entrance (not close enough to where you line up) and most people who walked in didn’t even see it.
Next, you’re supposed to line up and order your food. However, there is one lady who goes around taking your order while you’re in line but she did not take everyone’s orders so I’m not sure what’s up with their system. Anyway, I got a croissant with egg substitute, tomato, and an orangina.
I appreciate that they offer an egg substitute but their menu and the style of everything they had reminded me of a French iHop. What’s shocking — perhaps because they actually disclose how many calories are in their food — is that everything is extremely fattening! One serving of Alfredo pasta is over 1,000 calories which is basically half of what is recommended for a day’s worth of food. There were very few options that had less than 500 calories.
The croissant wasn’t terrible, to be honest. It was actually passable. The egg substitute, was, well, you know, just egg substitute. Not terrible but my experience was interrupted by a busboy cleaning tables and throwing glasses into a bin loudly. Not to mention that all the tables were dirty when we walked in and I had to clean it myself.
If the service could get it together, this might be worth it for a quick snack. But, you’re in Georgetown, why would you put up with this when you can go to Paul and get some cheap pastries that are much, much better and authentic? If you really want a quick snack, I’d recommend hitting up Paul instead. The service here just isn’t worth it.

As long as you know what you’re getting into, the place is alright. It’s cafeteria style for the side items while the main dishes are ordered and brought to your table. It’s a little bit pricier than fast food but the quality is fitting for its value. You can order crepes, quiche, basic omelettes, or a scrambled egg combo. The potato cake has some more flavor than a standard hash brown.
You can choose your own bread and toast it yourself. There are some basic preserves and butter. By doing it yourself, you have it your way and it can start filling your stomach while you wait for your entrée. The coffee is pretty straight forward.
For lunch, I think there are some decent options as well. The tomato soup is pretty good but the French Onion can be a bit salty. I personally like a Croque Monsieur sandwich, in general, but their version cuts a bunch of corners by using garlic sauce, Swiss, and just standard deli ham. Overall, it’s a step above fast food but not a go-​to place or a regular standby.

I’m basing this purely on a cappuccino and hot chocolate. But such a lack of flavor of two popular choices during a chilly night, one would think they at least tasted what they make before putting out there. Both were flavorless and unsweet.
How that’s possible from cappuccino and hot chocolate, I’m left in bewilderment.

Apple Turnover was decent. However, I was very unhappy with the pastry selection, or rather lack of selection. There weren’t very many options to choose from, which was disappointing since La Madeleine pitches itself as a French brunch place.
The latte was not hot enough and didn’t even have foam on top. The foam is the cherry to my ice cream, cream to my pie.
For my meal, I ordered a Crêpe Champignon. There are two options: regular & slim. The calorie differences are pretty big, but so is the size. The crêpe is not a real crêpe. It’s made out of eggs, so it’s basically an omelette with heavy cream sauce and mushrooms. The sauce was pretty French, but 1) would the French ever eat such heavy foods for breakfast and 2) an omelette? Almost seemed blasphemous to combine the two.
The service was absolutely atrocious. I say this with hesitation, however, because I have a soft spot for nice people. They seem well intentioned but was just working under terrible management. The woman spilled my latte while bringing it to me, thus ruining the aesthetics to my experience. My Crêpe Champignon came out 20 minutes after everyone else. My friend’s French Toast was served with mandarin oranges when she clearly stated she wanted blueberries instead (to be fair, they did change eventually bring her blueberries).
La Madeleine has so much potential to be much more. I’d add some more tables, hire more competent staff, expand the menu, and offer more types of pastries.

La Madeleine is a nice «café-​esque» place at Georgetown for moderately-​priced sandwiches, soups, and other french pastry goods. My friend and I came here on a late afternoon, and we were warmly welcomed by the sweet hostess.
I ordered the «Chicken Caesar» sandwich, which was a marinated chicken breast with swiss and mayonnaise, topped with their signature Caesar salad, and served on a buttery alpinette. What makes this sandwich outstanding was their subtle Caesar salad, which gave it a nice crunch.
My friend ordered a soup and the Chicken Parisien sandwich. He was very happy with the quality and authenticity of the food.
3 stars. Perfect place for people to mingle, chat, and let the afternoon go by :)

I’ve been to the one in VA previously and was so glad they had a location in Georgetown so I took the opportunity to stop by when boyfriend and I took a day trip out to walk M Street.
This place never fails! We had the Chicken Friand, which was flakey and flavorful, the Shrimp Crêpe Florentine, the Chicken and Broccoli crêpe, the mini fruit tart, and I had a cup of french roast coffee. We were sooo stuffed and completely satisfied. I’m glad that boyfriend really enjoyed his food because the search for seating took a toll on him. All was well though. After our filling lunch we and our full tummies took a stroll down M street and Wisconsin Ave :)

I was expecting a bit more from a place in Georgetown. At first glance, the pastries and desserts looked good. The ambience was cozy.
It all went downhill from then. Ordering was an ordeal. «She’ll help you here» The cash register is dead. «Please go there.» A wait ensued.
We ordered the chicken pasta and a savory crêpe. There’s nothing french about the food. La Madeleine piles on layers of cheese and creamy sauces. As a result of the meal, heartburn central. I had no desire to try the desserts.
Don’t let the name fool you. French food, it isn’t. Gentrified Olive Garden, more likely.

So my boo was here in DC visiting me and we wanted to spend some quality time together so we head to Barnes and Noble to read up on some books. Reading is FUNdamental.
My boo and I were walking down M street in Gtown late sunday night at 11 pm after we were kicked out of the Barnes and Noble and passed La Madeleine on the way back to my car. My boo mentioned how the one in Old Town really sucked and was dirty, and had more flies than a pile of cow dung. Being as observant as I am (or paranoid), I tend to notice things. I saw in the window under some tables as we were walking by… it was a RAT! Anyways, we stand there and try and take pictures of the rat. Not sure what compelled me to do it, but I figure I might as well get evidence of it. We took a few blurry pics when all of a sudden the lights went off. Maybe someone saw us try and take pics and wanted to keep us silent.
Anyways, I would never go to La Madeleine again after seeing that. Its just an overglorified chain restaurant.