I LOVE this restaurant. It's super intimate, and the perfect place for a romantic dinner. The tables are separated by curtains, creating the sense of being completely alone with your dinner date. The food is also amazing! read more

I really wanted to like this place but I found the food to be only okay. We had the frogs legs and mussels and though we all ate them, including my kids, the flavors seemed sort of forced, like they didn't fit the dishes. The filet mignon was fine but nothing special. The sorbets were good but the creme brulee trio were not - they were almost stiff rather than creamy. It was expensive and probably not worth it. Our waiter, however, was great and very helpful, so he did help make the evening a good one. read more

Such a disappointing experience. I brought out of town guests here for what I thought would be a great Capitol Hill brunch. I made a reservation for 10:15 and it turns out they didn't even open until 11. Waited around for 45 mins. We came to try the fixed price brunch menu that was on the website. Turns out they discontinued it three weeks ago and wouldn't honor it despite us being the only people at the restaurant. The food was completely mediocre. Small portions and bland. Reminded me of an overpriced hotel breakfast where you pay a fortune and get nothing. Service was inattentive and slow despite us being the ONLY people there. Spare yourself and go somewhere else - there are so many great brunch spots in DC. read more

The service was great! The staff was friendly and the mimosas were bottomless. Can't go wrong with this place!!! We got the steak and eggs and it was delicious! Don't pass this place up!!! read more

My sister and I enjoyed a delectable dining experience at Bistro Cacao on New Year's Eve. Tucked into a rowhouse near Union Station, it offers a perfect balance of elegance and creativity, detail and simplicity. The sensual decor whisks you away from DC's cold blues and grays into sumptuous reds and plush warmth. Transluscent red drapes enfold couples, leaving them teasingly hidden from other diners. Complementing the detailed interior, the cuisine is splendid simplicity, the finest ingredients prepared and presented perfectly. The service is graceful and attentive. Bistro Cacao is one of DC's newest little gems and is sure to remain a favorite for its creative elegance and romance. read more

The fish and the homemade apple pie were amazing, some of the best food I've had in DC.

Cute place bad food. Ordered chicken stuffed with goat cheese. It was underdone and made me really sick. Tried to call general mgr but could not even get courtesy of a call back from this dirty kitchen. Avoid this place. Dc has too many other decent restaurants read more

Beautiful restaurant and delicious food (especially the desserts). Its more of a special occasion place for us because its pricey but always consistently great food and service. read more

Great food! Ambiance was a bit dated, but my girlfriend loved the chair. Paintings on the wall seemed a little cliche.

Love this place. We waited at the bar before the rest of our party arrived. The HH specials were very good and the bartender was super friendly. The service was very good (not stuffy and rude as is with many French restaurants allegedly). The wait staff is legit French. Also, here is an authentic french restaurant with delicious vegetarian options! I had the potato and leek soup and the ravioli. They were both amazing. And the dessert round lived up to our standards...some of the best creme brulee I've had. The ambiance is always very cute and quaint and charming. read more

If you love French cuisine, this is the place for you! Each dish is superb, and the service makes each meal an extraordinary experience especially by Elias and Buket. The Chilean sea bass is the best we have ever had, and every dessert is divine. Oh those sauces!!! Chef takes enormous pride in making each visit an experience to remember. You will feel transported to France and will find it difficult to leave. read more

Wow, the decor in this place is awesome. But the food is just bleh. The lentil soup could have come from a campbells can for all I could tell. The crab dip looks like something a great-aunt would bring to a potluck. I mean people love that great aunt and her crab dip but its just cream cheese and canned crab you know. The meat and cheese tray was ok, but I didn't have any cheese or meats that really spoke to me. Anyway, after a disappointing round of soups and appetizers we left without trying dinner... read more

The place is a little pricey, but for a special occasion, it is totally worth it. I took my fiancee for her birthday, and we both had an absolutely wonderful time. The service was great, and OMG the steak was AMAZING!!! read more

Absolutely outstanding. We had an excellent meal with an attentive staff. Split the 1/2 lobster Appetizer and then The Salmon and the Pistachio encrusted Chilean Sea Bass. All was great. read more

Nice small restaurant just south of the Union Station with classic ambiance of a French bistro. Ate there two nights and both times the food was great. Service was fine only I did not like to be seated by the kitchen and bathroom the second time. Most of the food was fresh and well prepared. In the bouillabaisse the mussels and fish were fresh but the lobster and shrimp seemed to have been previously frozen, Not a deal killer but a bit disappointing, however, the broth was great.The meal was fine and I'd visit again. read more

This was my first time eating in a French restaurant. Now I understand what all the rave is about French cuisine. Other than my own cooking, I've never felt such a sense of satisfaction during and after eating a meal. I had all courses from appetizer to tea, and when I left every tastebud was happy, yet I was not stuffed and felt no "itis". Dining is an art, and the French have it mastered. read more

We were looking for a nice dining experience on a Thursday night without reservations. Our party of 4 were graciously welcomed. The service and menu was excellent and the food was wonderful. They had a nice wine list of both French and California wines at reasonable prices. It was so good we came back 2 nights later on a Saturday, without a long lead reservation and enjoyed another delightful dining experience. Being from San Francisco, we thought the prices were very reasonable for the quality and variety of the menu. Nice short & safe walk from Union Staton and the Metro. We'll be back. read more

Enjoyed a lovely wedding anniversary dinner in the cozy, romantic red room in the back. Our waiter was great, very friendly and treated us special -- offering champagne to start and our dessert came with an anniversary congrats written on it. And dinner was very delicious. The scallop appetizer was amazing and we both enjoyed our entrees, venison and duck. read more

Our favorite in DC! The ambiance, service, and food are all top notch at this quiet and romantic French restaurant. We usually go with the tasting menu, which is a five course meal prepared with the chef's top dishes. We choose to be surprised since we eat everything and aren't picky, but you can request certain items to be on or off of the menu. If it's not busy, the chef will come out himself and talk about each dish. Most of the chairs are plush and comfortable, with tables adorned with decorative lamps and curtains, like something you'd find in someone's living room. We've been here about five times and it's never been less than stellar! read more

Bistro Cacao- One of the best restaurants I've been to in a long time. Staff is unbelievably friendly and their foods are amazing. So far been there twice and both experiences were awesome. I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a cozy environment and a delicious meal. Not to mention their variety of drinks they serve, but their appetizers, and dinner entrees' are just the right size. And their desserts must definitely be tried... I assure anyone that will go visit this place won't be heartbroken... read more

I flew into DC for the first time ever on a horrible death-defying flight in rain with tornadoes in the area (4/16/11), and was driven to my new apartment around the corner from Bistro Cacao. I was exhausted from 12 hours of travel, and still trying to relax after flying on the scariest flight ever. Starving with the rain letting up I decided to wander around until I found a place to eat and found Bistro Cacao. I wandered in, was warmly greated and seated right away. The place looked slow for a Saturday night and I thought maybe it had just opened, but it was cold and rainy out. I was alone and a woman (traveling on extended business) and hate when restaurants stick me in a corner and ignore me. Bistro Cacao did not. They were lovely, attentive and could tell I'd had a rough day. I love martinis so order the Cacao martini not knowing what to expect. Chocolate martini. Interesting. I drank it down no problem, but ordered a traditional martini next which was excellent. Everything I put in my mouth was delicious. I started with a beet salad, and had the port steak (can't remember the exact menu names). It was perfect. I then had the trio of creme brule' for dessert which was also good and decadent (mango creme brule? Yummy!). It was pricey, but just what I needed to tr. Chatting with my new neighbors i found they all love it too. read more

Perfect experience except for my wife's steak. She ordered 'well done' and the waiter verbally repeated 'well done,' which she re-confirmed. It arrived medium rare at best. We sent it back and it returned well-done, but the chef definitely has a hang-up. read more

Decor never gets old. Reminds me of a classic french movie! Not to mention that the food is great and so are the cocktails. The Duck and the chicken were wonderful. The chairs were more like sofas. Amazing romantic setting. Do yourself a favor and eat here tonight read more

Of all the fine or trendy restaurants in DC, the level of care and thoughtfulness shown to us here is beyond anything I have experienced. My fiancée and I were celebrating valentines day early since we would be apart on the day. I made an offhand comment about this to our server, who decorated our dessert accordingly and brought out complimentary sparkling rose and a heart-shaped candle. I'm very impressed and will be back. read more

I went here for lunch during my internship and loved the food. It was really close to the Senate offices so i could get in and out quickly in an hour. If you want to treat yourself after a hard day I would say you should go here. read more

either they were short on help or there just wasn't enough waiters to serve the back dining part of the restaurant, but eventually after while of deciding what to eat i sat there enjoying the place until finally the person who sat me down took my whole order and the only time a waiter checked up on me was when he gave me my bill. read more

I took a group of 7 here for a graduation dinner and we all loved it. I chose this place because of the great reviews on this site and others and because the menu had something for everyone (a few of the people in my group are adventurous eaters and a few are strictly meat and potatoes). Everything about this place was top notch. The hostess was genuinely friendly and the waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. They sat us at a table by itself. Even though it was near the bathrooms and waiter station it wasn't loud or hectic; in fact, it felt almost like having a private room. The food was great - we had onion soup, lobster bisque, mussels, and frog legs for appetizers. For entrees we had steak frites, filet mignon, bison steak, swordfish, duck (and one more I can't remember). Everybody raved about their meal. We had a few very reasonably priced bottles of wine ($42) that people loved and the cocktails were well made. For desert we tried the profiteroles and chocolate mousse and those were very good too. They brought a complimentary desert for my son (the graduate) that had "congratulations" written on the plate. Overall, an outstanding experience. read more

Excellent, classic french cookery very well executed. Music and lighting at perfect, intimate levels. Decor is oddly antiquated if you actually take the time to look around, but atleast it is not distracting. $8-10 starters, $20-28 mains. Had the mussels and house salad as firsts, lamb rack and halibut for main, finished with cheese plate. 2003 Chateau Beard was excellent (several Grand Cru's under $100 here...). 3 courses for 2, without drinks, was $100. Attentive service without being annoying (one of my pet peeves is when servers constantly ask if you need anything. Just walk by, and if I'm out of water bring me water, if we're out of bread then bring us bread, and if I'm looking around like "where's my friggin waiter?" then hustle over...). One complaint would be that the dishes were at the very edge of being too salty, but I think my gf is just more sensitive to salt than others. We both cleaned out plates. If you want something a little more contemporary and less initimate, or if you're in SE vs NE, Montmartre is a near identical concept. read more

We went for brunch here. What a lovely place. Each room has a homey ambience with lots of wing chairs and chintz. The food is nothing fancy, but just to eat in such a romantic, cozy room seems to be a treat just by itself. Very civilized. read more

We tried this place for our anniversary dinner based on several good reviews on yelp and other sites. It was very disappointing. Overall the service was above average; our waiter was friendly and attentive. The appetizers were not bad. My wife had scallops and I had the French onion soup. No real complaints there. Unfortunately, our entrees were awful. I had the filet which tasted more like bad pot roast than steak and my sides (au gratin potatoes and asparagus) were cold and bland. The potatoes were particularly bad, in fact they were like cardboard. The meat was overcooked, cold, and came with some form of wine sauce which was like motor oil. My wife had rainbow trout which was supposed to be stuffed with lobster meat. It wasn't. There were a few specks of lobster in it and when she complained the waiter brought her a dish of cold lobster meat. Overall both entrees were very bland and badly in need of seasoning. This place touts itself as Gourmet French Cuisine. If last night's meal was any indication, they need a new Chef. read more

Lovely ambience like Two Quail, its very missed predecessor. Our booth was shrouded by thin silky drapes, and the seats were deeply cushioned. More like the interior of Moroccan restaurant. French Morocco? Cocktail: Dry vodka martini with olives for him and French 75 for her served in a champagne flute. Good enough to order a second round, but it was a school night. On to the appetizers: Escargot for him served in an escargot platter with buttery, garlic sauce, which was sopped up with the unremarkable warm store-bought dinner rolls. Salad "Cacao" for her which was nice, light and fresh. Entrees: Blanc de Poulet with tomatoes, mushrooms and goat cheese for her, and served with a side of green beans. Pretty good and shareable. Entree for him was the rack of lamb special with small potatoes cooked medium rare -- but more broiled than grilled. Washed back with a carafe of inexpensive cabernet from France. Not enough room left for dessert. This dinner was fine but not very flavorful or memorable. Meh bistro. read more

super cute, romantic ambiance (rose petals on the table...awwww)! came here for vday with the hubs...loved it! food was yummmm :D

My boyfriend and recently spent a wonderful long weekend in DC and both agreed this dinner was the highlight of our trip. We can't say enough good things about this gem. We sat outside at one of the tables with the built-in fire pit. The atmosphere was relaxed, cozy, and intimate. Strings of white lights decorated the outdoor tents. We had an appetizer (oysters in sherry sauce) and entree (grilled lobster and venison chop) from the list of specials, and they were incredible. I had the sea bass and it was melt-in-the-mouth heavenly. Quality, fresh ingredients expertly prepared and plated. You have to try the crepes off the dessert menu. You will not regret it. Prices on the menu were very reasonable for this kind of fine dining. We've gone out in Providence and Boston and spent three times as much and the food wasn't even in the same ball park. Our server was warm, professional, and attentive. We can't wait for our next trip to DC to go back! read more