L’Enfant Cafe & Bar

The atmosphere (mirrorball and techno music) was a bit strange but my Steak Caesar was very good. The chocolate crêpe for dessert was amazing too. I’ll definitely come back again.

La Boum Brunch! Owners of L’Enfant, please read!
I attended La Boum brunch this past weekend — OH MY GOD. It is amazing and is everything everyone has described below. Only for the young and crazy? Nope — this was for my 40^th birthday, and it gave me exactly what I wanted. Do it, you wont regret it.
The ONE negative comment unfortunately is just the food. Nobody, including me, goes to this for the brunch, which means if I am talking about it, it must have been REALLY bad.
In truth, it was good food — a quiche, little sliders, fruit, waffles, etc. After all, Café L’Enfant is a nice restaurant. The complaint was that 2 – 3 hot dishes were served frigid. Not lukewarm, not room temperature, but cold. Ever eaten cold french fries from the day before? That was the tater tots. Ever bought lego waffles and just taken one out and eaten it without toasting it? That was the waffles. Most of my group got our plate, took two bites and left it. When you pay $ 40 for brunch (just the brunch part), this shouldnt happen.
Sorry to be a negative nancy, its just that with so much awesome stuff embedded in this experience, this 1 massive negative thing really stood out. Just sad that my whole group (others too) were hung up on this rather than the party.
Owners — figure out how to serve food hot please!

I wanted to add my two cents since there aren’t many dinner reviews here. My husband and I came for dinner this weekend and had a great experience! I was originally a little skeptical due to other Unilocal reviews, but decided to give it a try when I found a Gilt City deal. We tried a little of everything: the lamb lollipops, cheese board, duck confit, salmon crêpe, and crème brûlée for dessert. Everything was great! The lamb was my favorite — the flavor was excellent and they were cooked perfectly. And prices were so reasonable for DC! Service was a drop on the slow side, but nothing to complain about. We’ll definitely be back!

** La Boum Review**
I had a wonderful time at La Boum this past Saturday! The experience was incredibly memorable and something I would consider doing again down the road for a special occasion.
Pros
+ SUPER FUN — It’s seriously impossible not to have a great time here
+ Awesome (good looking) staff that does a wonderful job of getting everyone into the full on La Boum experience (within 20 minutes we were all dancing on our chairs)
+ 2 rounds of free «shots» — the first is a sparking wine shot, the second is a fruit punch tasting shot
Cons
+ EXPENSIVE — Reserved our table with each person putting down $ 46 in advance which covers brunch, tax and gratuity. However, alcohol is NOT included and you should expect to pay at least $ 50+ for alcohol (bottles of champagne start at $ 48)
+ Terrible food — I wasn’t expecting much, but I must say I thought that the food was absolutely terrible, bad enough that I would not ever go back to L’Enfant Café to enjoy a regular meal. I was super disappointed because they own Red, White and Basil which is one of my favorite spots! I ordered the vegetable flatbread which was absolutely inedible… Overall, no one in my party bothered finishing their plates.
La Boum is moving to Capitale in July, so I look forward to trying brunch at the new location!

This review is specific only to La Boum Brunch–
I had heard so many crazy reviews and was expecting something a lot more exciting than what I actually experienced.
First, our server was amazing. With all of the commotion, dancing, and people-​he did his job fantastically. But aside from his stellar service, I was counting down the hours until this thing ended. First, I literally couldn’t fit into my seat because it was so overcrowded and every time someone got up from our table, the entire table had to be moved resulting in at least 2 bottle spills. One of which soaked my phone. The announcer even shook another parties table to prove to everyone that the tables were not sturdy enough to dance on, resulting in one of the patrons beer spilling after she shook it. And we paid $ 30 for this? Second– the drinks were SO overpriced– we split 4 bottles of champagne for a table of 12people and it cost $ 17 per person. That’s $ 17 for you to get ONE GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE. The actual food was pretty good but I couldn’t even eat it all because everyone started to stand on their chairs and dance while the food was being served– resulting in more drinks spilling on the table. The «entertainment» was a woman (late 30’s) that dance twice for about3−4 min thought the 3 hour period. The DJ was good– played some notiAble hits but that’s about it. The announcer was funny, constantly making raunchy comments and had two single couples play «who can lick Nutella off the other persons lips the fastest». Kinda gross really. All in all, I’d so much rather go to a ³⁰⁄₄₀ $ all you can eat AND drink brunch, not get drinks spilled on me or my phone than do la boum again. At the end of the day, I was out $ 80+ for essentially all of that… not worth any of the hype.

Amazing meal last night: the short ribs over grits was delicious. The lamb chops over salad was fantastic and don’t forget to finish with Nutella crêpe

This review is for La Boum Boum Room: The night was a lot of fun, something different to do in DC, and great for special occasions, — but I question the staff at the bar. Closing out my bill at the end of the night, to my disappointment my (2) drinks were doubled and then shots were added to it. None of that extra was ordered. Overall, great night for a special occasion, and I remain positive on the review because the staff was quick to fix the bill. But I did want to make note of it for others to make sure you clearly check your bill at the end of the night.

Came by for the La boum brunch which was underwhelming to say the least. I expected more from what I had heard. The place is small and there’s not a lot of space to move but they make the most of what they have. The food was less than mediocre and drinks were overpriced. The MC was entertaining and there was a lot of skin showing. But would I come back again. Prob not.

Wonderful place to people watch with a drink and some great food. The servers here are chill and not too pushy.
Tuna Niçoise salad is yummy but the short rib and the pork chop are apparently incredible.
Order the Malbec, the pomme frites, dinner and a tart. Stay for hours and watch the debauchary of admo unfold.

Those hours are definitely wrong!
The good was good, not great, but good. Ultimately I definitely don’t think it’s worth the overwhelming prices. I went there with the bf and we had a Groupon or Livingsocial deal and I was surprised at what it still ended up costing.
I have yet to do the Brunch thing (La Boum), I’ve heard it’s fun but definitely overpriced. Some of my friends I guess didn’t realize just how much the drinks would cost and were definitely shocked by the end bill. I’ve heard with that they almost make it seem like it’s included, so they keep serving and then you get the bill…
Anyways, overall the food is definitely good. I just wouldn’t recommend it for the price unless you have a deal. At that price you can pretty much go to the top restaurants in DC, like Blue Duck, or any of the ones at those big hotels.

Underwhelming. I’ve heard so much about La Boum from my friends that have been before, so when we booked it for NYE I anticipated a wild and crazy party.
While we had a blast dancing, there was only one dancer that came out 2x, and the host did a game 1x.
Like I said we had fun, but the «event» I have heard so much about was very very underwhelming.

I’ll preface this review by stating up front that I’m 34 and celebrated a 35^th birthday with the brunch day party.
I, along with the rest of my party were not very impressed with the set up. While the food was decent (if food alone I’d rate this 3 stars) the set up was less than ideal. To start the venue is tiny so you’re not very comfortable. Best bet would be to sit at the bar and maybe go with one or two other people total. If you go with a large group good luck. The event clearly caters to a younger (low 20’s) audience. The drink selections aren’t that good and the food isn’t stellar enough to compensate for the lack of comfort. Where they do a good job is with the show. These folks do put on an entertaining show as they lock the doors shut the shutters and turn on club style lighting. The MC in combination with a belly dancer make the event tolerable.

This place must have new management. Been here before but this time was very different.
Had egg Benedict. Drip coffee didn’t taste and look like drip coffee served in a small mug for $ 2.50? Waiter dropped the cup without cream and bolted away before I could ask for cream.
The place now appears like any other American bar. There’s nothing French about this place. I can get the same kind of food at IHOP.
The waiter had no personality. He was more a server than a waiter.
Won’t be back.

L’enfant Café is an awesome corner café close to U street and 18^th. It’s right next to The Duplex and across from The Keren and Ducchini’s jumbo slice pizzas. My friends and I actually didn’t try the food here, but we enjoyed a nice iced Americano on a breezy nice day. We sat outside and people watched and it was the perfect place to do so. The service was excellent and there was no judgement even though we just got coffees. Everyone eating outside really seemed to be enjoying themselves and having great conversations similar to our experience!

La Boum brunch review. Don’t come expecting good customer service. They could care less about you. Unless you want to get wasted at 10 am, wait until the 2 pm reservations open up online — because you can’t change your reservation once it’s made. We had been promised 2 tables of 5 next to each other, and when we got there our tables were the farthest they could be across the room from each other. When i complained, they basically said «sorry this is how it is» aka we don’t care.
The food is mediocre, and way overpriced. And the room is TINY. I wish someone else would open up another spot like this for competition so they weren’t able to do whatever they want.
That said, it’s hard not to have a good time. Everything is ridiculous and it’s definitely an experience — just don’t go in with really high expectations.

Did any one else get the frittata at la boom today with a side of massive food poisoning? 12 hours later I’m a mess. Headed to urgent care center tomorrow as soon as it opens… Probably not too surprising if kitchen isn’t the cleanest since the place is also basically a night club for the day time.
That said, fun experience while there. Probably not worth the $ 80 paid (especially if factoring in the rest of weekend being wrecked), but fun.

Horrible service.
Made reservations over one month ago. Arrived and waiter sat us down and brought warm water. Too our order 5minutes later and we never received our appetizers. After asking why it was taking so long for an antipasto plate to come out, waiter said it would served shortly. 10 minutes later (45 minutes have now passed) he told me our two appetizers would come with our main entrees. Meanwhile waiters were checking their phones and eating themselves. I have never been to such a poorly run establishment. Ambiance was horrible also. Music was neither French not appropriate for a French café. We were looking so forward to this meal and was disappointed in the poor reception and service we received. Thankfully we found another establishment down the road.

PSA: Review of La Boum
Having come here a year or so ago — I was left underwhelmed by the food. Little did I know about La Boum. What’s that? You don’t know either? Maybe its time you go there and get weird.
The food is still mediocre at best. And at $ 29.95 + tax and tip you are at $ 40.00. I did aprpeciate the included charcuterie board — however you gave one board for a table of 10 people. Meanwhile you gave a table of 2 next to us the same board. That seemed pretty silly. My poached egg entrée came out with broken eggs and a shitty english muffin that was replacing a croissant. The waiter was understanding though and brought a free cocktail to make up for this.
Where they will absolutely cook you is the booze. If you are unfamiliar with the rules, anything other then the food is extra. That ‘complimentary’ looking champagne bottle on the table. yea that’s $ 52. And they do a good job of encouraging you to drink it with out letting you know. Extra bottles of champagne? Range from $ 50-​$ 80 — and you better be specific otherwise they are kicking out $ 80 bottles for your table. The beer selection was mediocre and was served in goblet glasses (more on this later). Real easy for a table of 10 to spend upwards of another $ 600+ in the course of two hours. I highly recommend pre-​gaming this event. Trust me — your wallet will thank you later. FYI, the pub across the street has cheap cheap cheap beers and booze.
Enough of the food and booze. La Boum will get you riled up. Skin showing everywhere — raunchiness abounds — and all over craziness goes down as soon as those blinds close. Nothing is off limits here. DJ throws down some sick tracks and the MC really pulls the party together. You want a DC experience — come here on La Boum brunch. You’ll be talking about your experience for years. Shit. is … wild.
PSA — Don’t come to La Boum with your 90 year old grandparents. Or you know what, bring it — they need some exhilaration in their life.
Four stars for the experience. (Food is closer to 2 stars fyi).

Review for la boum…
Went with a group of 5 girlfriends for the Saturday 10 am slot. I have to admit we had a lot of build up, as a number of friends had detailed their wild times inside la boum.
We arrived ten minutes to, right as the line was building up. They are thorough on these bag checks guys. They unzippered my coin purse inside my bag. I guess be warned if you are tempted to sneak anything in.
Not sure how they decide tables, but we had a prime spot which was excellent! They have a cheese plate waiting for you on the table, immediately take drink orders– bottles of champagne, wine, and cocktails are all available– and bring your menu. Food was not excellent, to be honest. I had the soup of the day and an eggs Benedict. But you’re not there for the food obviously.
Before you can even toss the food down your gullet, the host of the event is up and on the microphone. He does an excellent job throughout the whole event. Then he asks everyone to close the blinds, the DJ turns the music up and the mayhem begins. All in all, it’s a total blast. Go with a good group and you won’t regret it.
I will say — and maybe this is obvious– I imagine the 2 pm session gets a bit wilder as people are more awake and had more time to pregame. Even if you go to the 10 am I recommend having a few drinks prior as the cost of those bottles is steep.

Review for LA BOUM BRUNCH
Ok Lia, don’t be mad at me for giving it 3 stars. Because I totally had a good time. But it wasn’t the mind blowing «omg I can’t wait to go back» kind of experience I was expecting. It was more of a «how does this place sell out week after week?»
We were off to a table all the way on the end, which may have had something to do with it. When they went around and called out all the birthdays, they forgot mine. I mean, I’m not 7. I don’t need to have everyone know its my birthday. But whatever haha. It said a lot about our table placement. Kinda not *in* the party. The burlesque dances all danced around the other side of the room, only paying attention to people over there. But that’s ok because it’s not like I really need boobs in my face anyway lol.
It was fun. I got drunk (thanks to pre-​gaming sangria in my shakeology cup — the strainer really worked well lol) and also the flowing bottles of champagne. It was fun to dance on my chair, and probably worth the $ 40/​person (after tax&tip) but I wouldn’t necessarily come running back.

Quick tips (for before you go): Heard such great things about the Le Boum brunch and the benefits of being on the «early bird list» as reservations are so hard to come by. So we wait in anticipation for our day to come up on the early bird list and within minutes of the reservation being available (one month in advance), there are only two-​tops and premium bar seats available so our party of four must either choose to split up or be lined up at the bar… Disappointed, La Boum Brunch…
Your takeaway: Don’t trust the early bird list… you certainly won’t get the worm.

La Boum Brunch:
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to experience La Boum brunch for the first time. If you are familiar with Bagatelle or Lavo brunch, it is a similar experience. I would describe it as brunch in a club setting with debauchery all around. Since the café is a very small space (max 72 people), there is a waiting list for reservations. I would recommend booking 2 months in advance. You must be 21+ to attend.
You line up outside the door at 2 PM (Saturdays and Sundays only) and you get your ID and coat checked. Then, you are crammed into your chairs at a small table facing the bar. There is a DJ playing some party music and you are served a mezze platter (ours had dried figs, strawberries, and olives). You start off with a Kir Royale shot. You can order champagne bottles for the table (starting at $ 48). I would recommend pregaming because this brunch can get pricey pretty quickly.
There is a pre-​fixe menu to choose from: appetizer, main course, and the dessert is the chef’s choice. I started out with a yogurt, and had the crêpe complete as my main course (it had an over easy egg, ham, and cheese). The dessert was cream puffs. The pre-​fixe menu costs $ 40. I would have to say for the quality of the food, the price is a little steep.
The atmosphere is really care-​free, cramped, and a little grimy, but when the lights go off, buckle in because you are in for quite the adventure. I won’t go into detail because that’s part of the experience, but just make sure you don’t make any plans after La Boum brunch because you are not going to wanna do anything afterwards.