Consistently fabulous food and service. Fabulously talented head chef. Beautiful restaurant that feels like a quick vacation to Europe. Lovely outdoor patio when weather permits. One of my all-time favorite restaurants. read more

My husband called this place a couple days in advance of a special 50th anniversary dinner for his parents. He spent over 30 minutes on the phone with the manager to make sure they had everything they needed in order to cover the dinner and make it special for them. Everything from bringing two glasses of champagne, to dessert to giving them his card number to cover the bill. Long story short- they completely either disregarded the plan or forgot to do any of what they said they would do. We spoke to his parents the following day and they claimed the service was mediocre and the food took a very long time to come. There was zero mention of anything, and they got stuck with the bill. Seems the recent reviews for this restaurant have just been terrible. Advice to the management or owner - do something different, and be better. read more

I've only been here once and based off my experience I can't understand the bad reviews. I LOVED my evening here. The ambiance was perfect, the server was wonderful, and the food was seriously delicious! We had escargot, the lobster appetizer (night's special), steak (night's special), dessert, and a cappuccino. I could not have been more pleased and will happily go back anytime. My only sadness were the wine prices. read more

The meal we had here tonight was magnificent. Went with another couple who were very pleased but I'll focus on what my wife and I had to eat. We split the risotto with asparagus and scallops appetizer which was scream out loud great. I had the branzino with scallops and clams. Like most great French food, the secret was in the sauce. Yannick Cam was in the kitchen so the dish was delectable. My wife had the salmon and raved about it. Our waiter was funny and attentive. We just returned from Paris last month and this compared favorably with our finest meals in the City of Lights. We will be back soon. Thank you Yannick Cam! read more

Perfect on every note. Warm, excellent service, delicious food. Felt pampered and that is not easy to come by at restaurants these days. Special occasion splurge read more

Beware if you have food allergies!! Ate there tonight. Everyone in my party enjoyed the food. However, I informed waiter #1 of my garlic allergy when he finished going over the specials. Assured me they don't use much garlic and alternate sauce could be prepared if necessary. Informed waiter #2 who took my order about the allergy. He too assured me they don't use a lot of garlic in their cooking. Food arrived. First bite, obvious garlic. Waiter said he wrote it on the order. He asked the kitchen and came back to tell me there was "a little" garlic. For the rest of the time my party of 7 was there, no apology, no effort to inquire about any reaction. Nothing to say to me at all. Arrogant and disinterested. read more

The worst service ever--the waiter didn't answer any question about the menu. I asked how is the veal chop cooked, and he said "In a pan" while walking away. Could I please have a glass of Cabernet? "You mean Bordeaux," he snipped, stomping off. The duck was good, but served with a ball of horrible tasting ball of white fat that was supposed to be foie gras terrine--must have been all gras, no foie--with very hard seeds in it. Save your money and go to the nearby Indian instead read more

Attended a pharmaceutical event at this establishment tonight. I don't think they thought it through, tho, because the restaurant is not very accessible and there is absolutely no parking available without paying $6 for a parking garage that closed at 8:00 pm (the event started at 6:30 pm). I was also a little sticker shocked at the price of wine for $17 a glass! (Just the water, please). The food was very "Food Network", meaning the food was fancy, and the portions were small. Bathrooms were clean but small, and the one available to our event was filled with boxes. Come for the atmosphere, then pick up a burger on the way home cause you'll still be hungry when you leave. read more

Bistro Provence - Salmon entree. Very tasty, but very small portions. - French Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Lovely small restaurant on a quiet street. However, if you want quiet, go early. Otherwise, you get noisy. Service was slow and somewhat off, although our server said he'd been there 8 years. Friend ordered steak with sauce on the side. Nope! Came smothered with sauce, so it was sent back. I ordered duck & questioned the server about the amount of sauce. He said it came with a "drizzle". Nope! It came swimming in sauce. When I pointed it out, he said he guessed it was more than a drizzle. Didn't send it back as I wanted to eat with everyone else. Carefully drying off the duck, it was quite good & was served with foi gras. But this is a pricey, a la carte restaurant. Plates look kind of bare with only an entree. Sides are pretty small, especially the ratatouille. I personally thought the restaurant was OK but over priced. read more

Way overpriced (higher than website menus), $8 for a third of a baguette, disappointing food, slow service. This restaurant won't last

To express myself in terms of "Yum yum yummmm!!" or "Ohhhh nom nommmmmm!!" would be classless of me when referring to a fine establishment such as Bistro Provence. This place requires finesse, not my strong suit but I am going to try anyway. The restaurant is hidden, like the Secret Garden, behind bushes and bushes of roses. In fact these roses completely surround the restaurant, run along the side and blossoms in the back for outdoor patio seating. I was impressed that the back patio seating can be open on good days or protected with an automatic cover on particularly hot or wet days. If it is comfortable to sit outside, I would recommend this option. Everything that I was thoughtful enough to order and privileged enough to eat were delightful. The philosophy of this restaurant is simplicity. Each dish maximizes the ingredient's natural flavors instead of overpowering raw ingredients with spices and herbs. The food and kitchen reminds of something my grandmother would create at home for special occasions. Simple, elegant, beautiful. The star of the menu, or at least in my opinion, is the duck confit. Crisp exterior with tender fall off bone with just your fork interior. And don't even get me started with the flavor!! It amazes me that a simple dish with minimal seasoning can taste so incredible. I am ashamed that it has taken me two full years of living in Bethesda before I ventured here. . . Must be the bushes!! Seriously if you are not looking for this place, you will not find it. read more

The second visit was meh enough to drop a 5+ stars rating down to an overall 3 stars. The food was not quite as good, many of the servers (while trying hard) were being trained and showed their inexperience (despite us being the only party for our first half hour), and sitting near the window on a cloudy day was a bit cold. As with most restaurants we visit for the first time, my dining companion and I seemed to hit the best dishes on the first visit (lobster special, scallops with bouillabaisse broth, sugar crepe with passion fruit sauce). On to the food: 1) Baked Clams with Walnut Crust and Spinach: My dining companion and I noticed it was sitting waiting to be picked up (lukewarm) because it was not the same piping hot, aromatic, and fresh dish as before. My DC also did not like having one single giant clam piece per shell (unlike previous visit where some had up to several bite-size pieces per shell.) 2) Crab Cake: The crab was very flavorful, lump meaty, and aromatic. However, it was too plain (especially for $18): just two small cakes atop an interesting orange sauce. It definitely needed some greens for color and refreshing contrast. The lobster salad was way better of a value ($15) and could sit without getting cold or soggy. 3) Milk-Fed Veal Saddle with Salsify and Carrots: The veal and salsify did not seem to be seasoned with salt at all, which really took away from the potentially flavorful ingredients. The carrots, meanwhile, were surprisingly very flavorful and naturally sweet. The texture, however, seemed unintentionally varied, from fork tender to verrry al dente (almost raw). They split this like our entrée on our previous visit, but my DC's portion was a bit overdone compared to mine. They did NOT have a serrated or steak knife--a first time ever--which got my DC's hand imprinted from cutting the veal. 4) Dark Chocolate Mousse with Milk Jam: Very rich mousse in a chocolate shell with milk jam (think lighter caramel) and one blackberry. It was pretty plain and missing something(s)--mint and more berries would have been nice to cut through the rich/sweetness. Service-wise, it was head and shoulders below our first visit--despite being the only table for half our meal. The Maître d', while okay in his selections, he could have been less chatty and more helpful with the timing of our dishes. Our clams were sitting waiting for us while the crab cakes were being finished. Just minutes after our first two courses arrived--we were clearly just starting them--they brought our veal entrée. We did not want the veal to get too cold, so we had to hurry our pace (I also had to leave some of the clam until later). The servers being trained were polite and trying, but their inexperience contrasted heavily to our previous visit where Agnes really enhanced our experience. Overall, I am still very hopeful about Bistro Provence. Unfortunately, I am a bit uneasy with possible inconsistencies in service and even the food. Regarding the service inconsistency, perhaps they could ensure a mix of rookies and veteran servers everyday rather than all of one or the other. read more

There is something about french restaurant made me feel romantic. Bistro provence, name itself already is very cozy and romantic. I heard about the reputation of the chef so my expectation was high. I went there for dinner on thursday. Food was very good. 1. Especially, risotto. It's not on the regular menu but if you see it as a special of the day, try it. You won't regret it. I'm picky about risotto but this one was Velvety and creamy and perfectly cooked. Lovely flavor with tomato sauce and rough-cut parmasan and big shrimp. 2. Grilled calamari: ok but I won't choose it again next time. nothing special or pretty... 3. My friend had steak. I was told that it was very flavorful and tender. 4. Crepe w/ almond cream and passion fruit: Flavor of strong passion fruit blended perfectly with mild almond cream and buttery crepe. 5. Highlight of the day: Polenta side-dish. It was fluffy and light. Almost like souffle. If you like souffle and polenta, try this. You might want this as your main dish. - Basket of bread was OK but a bit dry and cold... I prefer warm soft bread. *Cons: Very limited options for glass of wine (a few red and white) and all are over $10. * Service: friendly and attentive, but can be a bit too much by the manager.. **Very friendly grandpa-looking (reminded me of jacques pepin) chef comes out and talked to me how I liked the food. What a treat! PS: Well.. I forgot that Bistro provence is in Bethesda, residential area where 10 PM is curfew for most places.. I went there at around 8:45pm and obviously, we were the only ones in the restaurant after 9pm. -If you can, try to get a table in the back patio(?) area. Much better than inside. read more

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Father's Day dinner, a failed attempt to introduce the parents to French food. I should've known better when the reservation call went like this: "Hello, this is (static)" "Uh, is this.... (mind you, I've been calling many French restaurants) the French restaurant?" "NO. Nono, this is Bistro ProVANG-ce." A little side note. I stay in Paris longer than the US and I spend all my free time trying out every Michelin starred restaurants in Paris, Cote D'azur, and Monaco. So to say the least, I know a snobby American host who DOESN'T speak French when I hear one. Despite this girl trying to educate me on their oh-so-upscale restaurant, which is in Maryland US last time I checked, I went ahead and reserved. The table setting with no butter knife for the bread - the French consider their bread and butter sacred. Water available was only the Italian kind, not the French Evian. OK, maybe I'm being nit picky. The waiter made me face palm. The menu was in English and French, so naturally I ordered the English name since the waiter was Spanish. But that didn't stop him from repeating my order in French. It took me some self control to not tell him I ONLY SAID THE ENGLISH NAME BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT FRENCH. Sigh, I'm hoping food is a bit better. But alas, the appetizers took 1 hour to get to us because the chef had hurt himself, which is sad, but they forgot to tell us in advance or at least put our dishes first before serving others who sat 30 minutes AFTER us. Behold, my Boudin aka duck and foie gras sausage, with no foie gras flavor to be found in miles. 'Lobster purse' ravioli with 50% cheese when I've never seen a lobster ravioli in France with cheese at all. Even when they do, it's usually a parmesan foam - just a tiny hint. Shrimp saffron risotto. Also no hint of saffron and too much cheese as common in many American dishes. And isn't risotto Italian, not French? The mains took another hour, with equally bland flavor (bouillabaisse, duck breast) at which point I cancelled the dessert and suggested to get froyo instead. Desserts hold a sacred place in my heart, so I'd rather have none than have a bad one and end up yelling at the chef and the staff. So my parents still hate French food and do not want to visit Paris. Thanks a lot. read more

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Without a doubt the best restaurant in Bethesda, and one of the best in the Washington metro area. A short list of perfectly done dishes. Attentive service. Lovely and socially-distant garden seating. Pas bon marché, mais vous en avez pour argent. Try it - you will be sold! read more

YES! This place is WONDERFUL. Yannick's cooking outclasses probably any chef who I have had the luxury and luck of tasting in DC. The lobster purses are a one of a kind taste experience. The calamari delicious. Everything we had was incredibly good, a taste explosion. a dance of flavor. I trust this man with my tastebuds and suggest you let him order your wine as well, we had a delightful Chablis. Adorable back area takes you to the streets of Paris and the tucked away urban garden eating and seating. This is my happy place. ok, the service is not the smoothest but they are very sweet ...so what, the finesse is on your plate! read more

In the DMV area, its nearly impossible to find a decent French restaurant, I guess if you, like myself, have already frequented Le Diplomate, Bistro Du Coin, then you kind of, in my mind, have tried the two main places in the city. For my mom's birthday our family decided to venture to Bethesda, MD to find this quaint french place called Bistro Provence. I came here for dinner and was unpleasantly surprised by how hard it was to find the actual entrance. There is a faux door that many people try to use but is incorrect, so first off, they should probably work on their labeling. The service was good but typical of a French place, extremely blunt and the waiter didnt spend time telling us about the menu, and was quite dismissive. To me it didnt matter but to some this can be a deal breaker. I also thought its was weird that the staff was just staring at us- like really, come on, leave us alone and let us enjoy our meal. I get it perhaps they were trying to be very attentive and see if we needed anything but it seemed very strange. There are only a handful of tables on the first level then rooms for parties upstairs and the bathroom is downstairs for which you have to take an elevator to get to how strange. If you order before 7pm you can get the pre-fix menu special for only $30 which comes with an appetizer, entree, and small dessert. A great deal for sure! I would not return here despite the delicious food (we had multiple entrees including the scallops, steak, and salmon) for several reasons: small space, abrasive service, overpriced wines. read more

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Delicious.... and superb service. Their menu changes but I would eat anything the chef made gladly. We had their Petites Crevettes with lobster with a ginger-carrot sauce that was out of this world. Up there in the top 5 appetizers I've ever eaten. We also had their Foie Gras which was also delicious. My date had I believe a lamb dish at the time which was delicious and I had duck which was also good. Food is 5/5 delicious and creative. The thing that is really special about this place is the intimate and romantic ambiance. It's tucked away and though I've walked down this street many times I've never noticed it but it has a beautiful entrance hidden by flowers and plants and a beautiful patio out back- which we didn't use. Our waiter was also fantastic if not a little too doting on us, possibly because when we went there were very few patrons. I would definitely come back here especially for a special dinner or date. read more

My wife and two sons reserved a table to celebrate our in-laws' 51st anniversary at Bistro Provence this past weekend. We called in advance to make sure that a favorite family item on the menu, a duck dish, would be available for at least 3 of the 6 people at our table. We arrived and were seated. It took some time for us to get a menu, and it only got worse from there. Service was slow--it took a long time to even place an order. Our first appetizer arrived at around 8pm, nearly 90 minutes after we arrived. Moreover, we were told after ordering that the duck dish we had reserved was no longer available. And the restaurant was out of sparkling water. What fine dining restaurant runs out of sparkling water? We ended up asking for the check early because our sons were starving. The hostess gave the perfunctory apologies but did nothing to compensate for an all-around terrible experience except to comp us for one of the duck entrees. I ended up spending about $400 for the pleasure of this evening. It's a shame because the restaurant had been one of our favorites. read more

Hands down my favorite French restaurant in Montgomery County. Their 3 course lunch special is a family favorite, and I almost always order their quiche as an appetizer, roasted chicken with polenta as an entree, and lemon tort with blueberries as a dessert. The staff are always very friendly and the service is always phenomenal! read more

Bistro Provence - French Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Nice place, amazing food, but service is really bad and how they treat their customers !

This restaurant is a little difficult to find at first, and you think it's really small when you go in, but there are multiple floors. Came here for a company dinner and we were on the second floor, which was very nice. It was like our own personal kitchen/dining room as that is how it is set up. We ordered risotto, escargot, salmon tartare, and the lobster dumplings. They were all very good, except the risotto, which was just OK. For my entree, I ordered the veal chop (on specials list), which was just amazing. Got it cooked medium, and the potatoes and brussel sprouts were good too. For dessert, I ordered the chocolate molten cake, which was fine. The service was exceptional, and it was a great environment/atmosphere. read more

Beware when ordering the specials of the day. The prices are very high (as understandably many restaurants are today) but we were not prepared when we ordered two specials (not on the menu) and found when the bill came there were as expensive or more then our main courses!! Salmon tartar, the size of a small ramekin, was $48--the cost of my duck breast dinner and the lobster "crepe" which was the size of 3 quarters was $36, the cost of another dinner. Service was good and food fine (nothing outstanding in my book) but we were shocked when our bill for 4 came at over $500 before tip!! I don't mind paying when I know what the cost was but when two time appetizers were almost $100, and we were not told the astronomically cost when appetizer was described, I find that highway robbery. Shame on me for not asking the cost of any specials, so beware!! No intention ever to go back.... read more

My husband and I had dinner here last night to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time! We were well served, personally by Chef Yannick Cam and also by his staff. My husband enjoyed the asparagus soup, with the excellent bread, and confit de canard. I had escargots and crevettes with the best ratatouille. For dessert, I had nougat, which was delicious, and he had chocolate with cream, complimentary because of our anniversary. I had a glass of Sancerre, one of my favorite wines, the best I have had in this area. Kudos to the best French restaurant in the DMV!!! We have already decided to come for all our anniversaries from now on, but I am sure we will be back even before that! read more

I take my wife here every year for her birthday. They never fail to impress her. This time had the escargot, foie gras, lamb and rockfish. Every dish was outstanding. The food is very rich, but delicious. I feel French food is the best and Bistro Provence prepares some of the best. read more

Very seldom do I write reviews on yelp but I couldn't stand by and watch anyone else dine at this establishment. From the outside, this restaurant appeared to be a nice quaint little restaurant and reading other's reviews, we were ecstatic to go and try it. We were greeted and they weren't aware of our reservation. This was the start to the terrible night we called dinner. We were seated for over 45 minutes before our server stopped by to say hello. He was clearly distressed and flustered but let we let it go to move along with dinner. He was very rude and brushed off our questions as unimportant. Nevertheless, we ordered and waited for the first part of our meal to arrive. As time went on, we still haven't received our appetizers and it was clearly due to a large party that was going on in a separate part of the building. When we made the reservation, it was also to accommodate for another reservation we had at 7pm. So to recap, we have been in the establishment for about an hour and only had water on our table. I then proceeded to talk to a manager to see if anything can be done. While I was describing the situation, she abruptly cut me off and said, "What time do you have to leave to make the reservation...". I replied and she said "ok". We received our appetizers and shortly after our entrees. Everything seems to be looking better but when our meals arrived, we noticed there were substitutions on our plates. We were never made aware of this these changes and when I brought this up to the server, he said, "oh, the kitchen must have ran out of potatoes...these are better for you anyways" then walked off. I have never experienced anything even remotely close to this kind of treatment and poor customer service. We ate our food, of which wasn't cooked to the proper temperature, ordered medium rare (came out medium well...how?, clearly should of gone to the medium rare restaurant across the street ), and got the our desserts. We then had dessert and was presented the bill. I looked it over and as I was placing my card in, the server proceeded to grab the card out of my hand and processed it. Again, I can't emphasize this enough, this was by far the worst experience I ever had in my life. If I could, I would give this place no stars, or better yet, give me a star for even wasting 10 minutes of my life writing this. It's ironic that they have won award but I digress. I urge you not to go to this establishment, McDonald's would even suffice. read more

Outstanding food and service! I came here as a solo diner tonight and was not at all disappointed by the food or service. I was treated like an absolute queen. Service was attentive but not obtrusive. The waitstaff was beyond polite and extremely approachable. The chef took the time to greet me but was not fawning. The crusty French bread basket was heavenly. The creamy asparagus soup with Parmesan flan was EVERYTHING. It was foamy and smooth and decadent but still allowed room for a main course. Honestly, I would eat it every day. The roasted chicken (a great restaurant's true test) was cooked perfectly -- crispy skin and super tender meat. The Parmesan custard was a perfectly seasoned accompaniment, and the mushrooms were silky and divine. I ended my meal with espresso (spectacular) and the apple tartine. The apples were brilliantly spiced and seasoned; my only minor complaint is that the pastry crust seemed a bit too under-defrosted for its wonderful topping. I know that a restaurant of this caliber could do better. But, given that everything else about this experience was sublime, I cannot withhold a fifth star on the pastry's behalf. read more

Bistro Provence - French Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Amazing back patio with maybe too many flowers, if that is even possible.

This is the best restaurant in Bethesda, albeit a tad quirky. Yannick Cam, the celebrity chef, is a bit of a character who does things his own way. The restaurant is quite old-fashioned, and I mean that in a good way. The chef really cares about the food, and the servers are professional. The outdoor courtyard is one of the most pleasant outdoor seating options in the DC area. What you get from Bistro Provence is the French food that the chef wants to make. Also, it changes from meal to meal, because he tries something new frequently. Attention to detail is remarkable. In my view, this restaurant is FAR superior to most of the critic-favorite restaurants in DC., and should have a Michelin star (and probably would, if the chef cared to self-promote more). read more

Best Restaurant in Bethesda! This is a hidden gem! We had the yummiest dinner here and were amazed by the chef and his sous chef-- only 2 in the kitchen and creating beautiful dishes!! Wow is all I can say! read more

This is my favorite French restaurant in the DC area. Yes, it is on a funny Street in Bethesda a few blocks from the main drag. We had our wedding reception there six years ago and keep going back for the food and the romantic memories. Well, the lobster prices are as glorious as they have ever been. So is the risotto with asparagus and scallops. Theduck con fee was as good as anything you with each in Sarlat. Yes, the space is a bit funny with two dining areas broken up a bit but there's a lovely outdoor patio. Although the wine list is pricey the appetizers and entrées or not. The lunchtime special is incredible. It really is worth the trip from DC to come here for a truly exceptional food. read more

We just came to have brunch, but it came as a surprise how delicious everything it was. Everything from the mimosa and the bread, all the way to the dessert was absolutely perfect. We order asparagus soup, squid and eggs Benedict as appetizer and ratatouille, filet mignon and French toast as our entrees. Chocolate muss for dessert. read more

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Came here for brunch on Sunday. It was very quiet but the service and food was superb. I had the French toast and my husband had the eggs Benedict. Of course it was his first time having eggs Benedict which was a huge mistake because he will never have hollandaise like that again. Our server was very attentive. read more

It was going so well at first. Came here on an Sunday for brunch. Decor is cute. Reminded me more of a Tuscan garden actually. Our heater went out and the waiter was unable to relight which wasn't a huge deal but would have been nice. Waiter was very attentive at first because there was only one couple there, but then it picked up and wasn't as attentive. We ordered two coffees, one order of French toast and one order of quiche. Also asked for two glasses of champagne. Food was fine, nothing to really rave about but not bad either. French toast was better than the quiche. He brought us our bill and we were shocked. A glass of champagne was $22 for a total of $43 for TWO GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE! We thought it was a mistake and maybe he charged us for a bottle? The waiter said"no that's how much it is. It's real champagne, not sparkling water". Then proceeded to tell us how much the bottle was and how we were getting a deal. We both were absolutely floored. We both get champagne ALL the time. My gosh we both have been to France,twice, and have never paid $22 for a glass. That's an astronomical price. I have been all over the word and have never paid that much. Unless you are ordering a glass of don perignon or something but that's not what we ordered. Also, this is Bethesda, not DC. If your restaurant is going to charge an absurd amount of basic champs per glass, that should be stated to the customer. It was more than our entrees, which were small portions!!! We felt tricked and we had such a lovely day and that put a bad taste in our mouth about the restaurant.I was even going to leave some champs left cause it wasn't that great but drank it all after discovering how much it was. I think the waiter should have informed the manager who could have at least done something. We went to a lovely authentic French restaurant in chevy chase who had better food and we got THREE courses with champagne & coffee for $30pp. We should have went back there but we wanted to try a new place and support a local business but we will not be back. We felt a little scammed TBH. read more

A friend brought me and my family here and the food was up there! Nothing negative to say about the food but it did take forever to get everything. It was very slow when we went but definitely worth the wait. read more

Came here a few weeks ago to dine with the in-laws. They live in Africa and were keen for some "proper French food". In the "pretentious-moi?" department the last time we ate with them was probably in Provence. So, thus establishing my bona fides I can say this: This place is absolutely exquisite in every respect. Yeah, it's pricey -but you have to expect to pay for quality, and yeah, it's in Bethesda, so the customer demographic is going to be a bit skewed towards old white people ( much like Provence itself in fact). However - if you are looking for a truly special night out this is the place to come. The courtyard is magnificent, although parts of the back of the house still seem to be a work in progress. If you are even thinking about it you are going to love it. read more

Occasion: Father's Day Who: Myself, my boyfriend, and his parents My eyes widened as my boyfriend called at 10:45am for an 11:30am reservation on Father's day, thinking there would be no way we'd get in. He proved me wrong, and off we went! We were the first patrons in the restaurant and opted to sit outside. The ambiance of the entire restaurant is so nice and quaint. The flowers outside and in the patio were really inviting. We so enjoyed having the place to ourselves for a bit. Our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. He did not stop singing the chef's praises, and rightfully so! It was one of the best brunches we have ever had. The bread which isn't made in-house, but delivered from a bakery in Sterling, VA was baked to crispy perfection. The raisin bread and olive bread were phenomenal. We ordered off the Bistro Fare menu and had an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $29. I am a steak girl myself and was saddened to learn the hanger steak wouldn't be available to order that day. The waiter informed us that though the hanger steak had been delivered, the chef didn't feel it met his standards, so he would not be serving it that day. Whoa! #Respect. Appetizer: The quiche is individually made to order and is an explosion of flavor from start to finish. The salmon works so well in there and the crust is out of this world tasty. I ordered the heirloom tomato and mozzarella appetizer, but I couldn't get over the quiche that everyone else had ordered. Do not pass on that quiche! Entree: We all ordered the asparagus risotto, seared sea scallops, with shiitake mushrooms dish. Boyfriend's mom was not too hungry upon arrival, but hers and all of our plates were left CLEAN. The scallops were seared perfectly; so soft and buttery. The risotto was PIPING HOT and so flavorful. The mushrooms were a perfect addition to a great entree. Dessert: Boyfriend and his dad ordered some type of mousse they found delectable. Boyfriend's mom and I ordered apple torte with creme fraiche. The creme fraiche is absolutely needed to balance out the strong apple dessert. The presentation of every item of food was grandiose in the classiest ways. Upon leaving the chef made direct eye contact and thanked us for dining at the restaurant. It was a really nice gesture that makes you feel good about eating there. We will be back again, and sooner rather than later. read more

We almost made it to Bistro Provence few weeks ago but it was closed on Mondays. We were very happy to make it this time on a friday night it was fairly crowded but we had a late dinner reservation. The maitre'd told us ahead of time to be patient with them we requested for the kitchen table so we waited for it to become available. It was refreshing that we had a friendly sommelier who was knowledgeable and proud of his wine list. I agreed with that - a very comprehensive french wine list plus other wine. I was happy to see a few selections of Vacqueyras so I picked out a 2009 Vacqueyras Seigneur de Lauris the sommelier was happy with my choice letting us know it's one that would improve in characteristics as it oxidized. It turned out a nice medium but well-balanced wine a very pleasant wine for the both of us. We proceeded to the kitchen we were given a very nice 4-seater table so we both seat facing the kitchen. The three-staff kitchen was run smoothly with nice copper cookware on display. Exciting ingredients used, food was classically prepared but not overly salted. Foie Gras in Plum-wine reduction: The foie was much more solid than most I had in the US. It was meaty, creamy and rich surrounded by a nice reduction with a pleasant acidity to balance the fat. Turbot, lobster, sea urchin: A fine dish of fish cooked perfect on the outside with a nice crisp while still moist on the inside. The lobster and sea urchin added such complex flavor to the dish, finished off with a light wine/broth reduction wth tomato brunoise. Chocolate souffle: A nice rise in the souffle served with a side of creme fraiche it was good but I preferred a stronger chocolate flavor. A solid restaurant with great french food and good table service, it sets a higher bar at the Bethesda dining scene. read more

A lovely Thursday in June was a fine opportunity to try Yannick Cam's bistro in Bethesda, because the super small restaurant boasts a lovely outdoor dining room. Surrounded by rock walls and hydrangeas in pots, and shaded by canvas awnings, the weather accommodated perfectly, with low humidity and gentle breezes. The restaurant was sparsely populated on the early side, but by the time we left (around 8PM) it was full in the courtyard. The service was friebdly and attentive without being overly solicitous or hammy, and our waiter moved us through the long list of specials and made some recommendations. We decided on the asparagus "clafoutis" with frisée and bacon and a poached quail egg, a cold lobster salad for appetizers, and a veal chop and hanger steak for entrees. The pacing of the meal was excellent. The appetizers were wonderful, although the clafoutis aspect was more like a frittata (thin and baked rather than custard-like, which actually would have been better) The lobster salad contained a generous amount of tail and a full claw in a citrus dressing with some hard-cooked quail eggs. It was a nice serving and a nicely balanced combination of elements. The entrees were also delicious. I had the veal chop, served with a long frenched bone and a demiglace sauce. It must have been around 8 ounces of meat and was perfectly presented with roasted potatoes and artichoke hearts. The hanger steak was cooked to order (medium rare) and served with thin pan roasted potatoes, which were addictively crunchy. For dessert we had a pineapple baba au ruhm and coffee. The dessert was delicious but I would have liked a bit more pineapple. The quality of the food and the cooking was very high, as should be expected from Cam, but the small kitchen has its own idiosyncrasies and whether they are coming from the owner or the chef, they shouldn't interfere with the dining experience, but they do... First of all, the dishes were very undersalted, and in fact the waiter agreed with our assessment and was quick to bring a salt shaker. Like many French restaurants, there was none on the table, but at least the staff didn't ridicule us for demanding it. And--at least to our palates--additional salt made a world of difference, heightening the taste of all the entree food. Don't be afraid to ask for salt if you want it. Second, I wasn't asked how my veal should be cooked, and it was a nice juicy medium, but my tastes run to something a bit rarer, but veal can be tricky and I wasn't too miffed that it was cooked as it was. It is nice to be asked though. Third, the coffee was served with milk, not cream. If you are going to serve American coffee in a restaurant, you should serve cream, or at least heat the milk. At least for my taste, the strong and nicely bitter coffee needed lots of the milk, and the small cups were filled nearly to the brim. My SO actually had to ask for another cup and for warm milk, both requests were quickly and graciously accommodated. Finally, there is the matter of the bill. The total with the tip came to about $140 for two, which isn't outrageous considering the food and service, but it still made me slightly pissed off. Why? One of my pet peeves--my special veal chop was $36 (not even $34, as a previous review stated), fully 10 bucks more than anything else on the menu listing. Would I have still ordered it if the waiter had mentioned the price along with the initial listing of specials? Probably, although I would maybe have considered other choices more carefully. At the price the serving was adequate but not generous. I think if a special is going to be a significant amount more than the prices of the menu entrees, a diner should be alerted to that up front. The lobster salad was $17--also a few dollars more than the other appetizers, but in that case the ingredients and serving size seemed appropriate. Still, I would like to have known at the start. The thing is, these are problems that are easy to remedy and make a big difference at very little cost to the restauranteur. Like the small matter of refreshing sodas for free rather than charging for another glass, or upselling water to ridiculously pricy bottles of San Pellegrino or such, these things can turn an otherwise positive experience into something that ultimately feels exploitative. I am not sure why restaurants--usually the more upscale ones--don't get that. Still, I would return again. Forewarned is forearmed as they say, and the food, service and ambiance is worth another meal. read more

You know you are in a great restaurant when you have another chef regarded as one of the best in the area eating lunch in the dining room as well. Robert Weidmaier was enjoying lunch with his family as I walked into the dining area here at Bistro Provence. Here nothing is short of attention to detail. The terrace to dine outside is beautiful and should be taken advantage of without a doubt. The food is incredible with rich and deep flavors in every bite. We had the dorado, lobster salad, asparagus soup, escargots, and saffron risotto. The soup had a parmesan flan in the center which was creamy, deep in umami flavor, and just perfect accompaniment of the light airy asparagus soup. The earthy smooth and tender texture of the escargots with the oyster mushrooms were perfect with a tangy puree of eggplant. The lobster salad was cooked absolutely perfectly there was no chewiness here just the gentle brininess of tail medallions along with a slight peppery finish with the roquette and a nice nutty salty finish with the shaved parmesan. The risotto was cooked perfectly but was a little salty. I think that every dish was definitely spot on and it is great to witness a great chef like Yannick Cam with his open kitchen which is just so entertaining to see. The plating is definitely well thought out with eating food off of actual china is a rarity nowadays so it really was a great experience. Again its pricey for the meal but looking at some of the selection on the wine list this could be an epic dining experience. Cheers and happy eats BTW. I think that this is the only real fine dining french in Bethesda. read more