I really had high hopes of this place for brunch. Came here around 11am. Was seated quickly and the atmosphere is great. Ordered the eggs Benedict brunch. Received 2 big muffins that looked good. Broke into the corn muffin and was stale. This was probably the best part of the meal. After about 30 min my coffee still wasn't refilled and my eggs came. First, they forgot to put the hollandais sauce on. While waiting for my sauce to come I started eating the hash browns. They were cold. Not warm. But actually refrigerator temp. When my sauce came I poured it on the eggs and started in. My egg was cooked through and not runny as a poached egg should be and the hollandaise was extremely vinegary. It was edible. But I would not eat here again. read more

The sandwich and latte were delicious but the service was really really slow and the overall food was mediocre read more

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Stopped here for coffee/tea and a pastry. With a name like Bread & Chocolate you would assume their chocolate croissant (aka pain au chocolat) would be tasty, yes? You would be wrong. Literally stale. Didn't finish it. My companion had a cinnamon roll and it was also tough. Find another spot. read more

Such a boring breakfast. Coffee and food don't have much flavor. Had eggs Benedict and the English muffin just tasted like cold dense dough, not crispy, no "nooks and crannies" like you would expect. Hash browns were kinda soggy not crisp. I ordered a croissant on the side and was brought a cold croissant on a plate - who wants a plain cold croissant? So disappointing. I've now been here twice....first and last. read more

I'm barely giving this two stars because I didn't try the food but I had the coffee and it was subpar by any means. 2 stars for the bakery in the front which is the only thing that is worth buying. Service was abysmal where I waited 5 minutes in front of an area that is not designated seating where I asked a gentlemen where I should sit he shot me back with "just pick a place." I knew from there this was not going to be great. Aside from the place being dirty (5 tables were not clean) it took me 10 minutes to even ask a waiter if I could order a coffee. Yelp reviews told me to stay away from the bland food so I ordered a cafe au lait which I sent back twice because it was mostly water. The only redeeming thing was the croissant, but even that tasted stale. And this is a "French" restaurant? I'd be ashamed. read more

Great neighborhood eatery. Breakfast, lunch, brunch and pastries. Saturday brunch for a flat fee with a mimosa is one of my favorite meals. read more

Purchased a coffee there & tipped. Sat at the outside tables for about 30 mins minding my own business. Chased away because "I wasn't a customer." Plenty of outside seating was available. Guy I had purchased it from had no problem with me sitting there. Out on this place, I'll stick with LRF & bread 1st. read more

I was very optimistic upon arrival. I had read the reviews of this location and decided to give them a shot anyways. Things started out great. We scored a prime parking spot right out front on Connecticut Ave. We were greeted at the door and seated promptly. Even our food order was taken fairly quickly. And then we waited. And waited. Our food finally arrived and my friend's eggs were cooked uneven; one was hard and the other was soft. My German pancakes (not the big, fluffy Dutch baby kind), pfannkuchens which were filled with Nutella, would have been good if they were hot. Both our meals were lukewarm. It took a while to get our tab. We even did the hand motion thing where you pretend you have a pen in your hand and you're signing a bill... And then we waited. And waited. Apparently he was having trouble with the machine. Someone does help him out eventually. Finally! The waiter bring us the bill. We get him to take our money and bring us our change. It was a lazy Sunday for me, but do not come here if you are short on time. I do have to admit though, that the pastry counter looked very tempting. read more

Met a friend here for breakfast. It's a place we frequently meet at because it's halfway between our homes. I find myself wishing there was another good option for us, but this is the best of the places nearby. It's basically ok, the coffee is good as is the service. As their name references, this is a place featuring bread and pastries. I'm forever confounded there are no gluten free bread or pastry offerings. Their menu choices are also short on gluten free options, so I basically order the same thing every time. The dish is good, but it would sure be welcomed to have other options. The other issue is the noise level - warning, don't sit near a table seating 4 (or more). read more

Cyndy's Bottom Line: If you happen to be in the area starving with no where else to go then this is the place for mediocre food items! We were in the area and needed food. We decided to stop in because we saw the sign that they served Lavazza coffee. Ordered the Lavazza coffee and was not sure that it really was Lavazza. It didn't have the rich and smooth flavor. I had the Black Forest ham and cheese omelet. It was plated with potatoes and a slice of a strawberry. It was a good size omelet ok ham and cheese. The potatoes looked overly cooked and sad. I will not be back for mediocre food. Thanks but no thanks. read more

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I stopped by for a quick lunch but after waiting 10 minutes at the counter to see about seating and waiting another 10 minutes to be given a menu, I left before ordering. On the way out, I again waited to pick up a lemon poppyseed muffin and a coffee. The muffin was dry and tasteless, and the coffee was unremarkable. Will not return. read more

Hash brown potatoes were dry. Benedict was so so. French onion soup soup was below average. Food took half an hour to get here. And the restroom was downstairs 14 steps. My 92-year-old mother was Not able to use it so we had to go out on the street to another restaurant in the rain. We used to love this place. I will never go here again read more

Great place for breakfast! The staff was very nice. Great little neighborhood restaurant!

My son took me here for a Mother's Day treat. I liked the decor. Service was pretty good. Could have been friendlier but it comes down to personality I guess. The food was delicious. I indulged in the chicken pot pie. It was silky and aromatic and seemed to have been made there. My son got the chicken avocado flat bread . It was a very nice size and filled with generous amounts of toppings. I will definitely get that next time. I would have just gotten the regular coffee. Iced was kind of bitter. But this will give me an excuse to try a latte with cake or cheesecake . Also, looking forward to sitting outside next time. read more

This is a great place. Excellent egg dishes. Fabulous coffee and pastries to die for - or at least take a day off your diet!

The coffee was good but my cheese danish was cold and hard. This was after asking for it to be heated up. Also the service was mediocre. He dumped my supposedly warmed danish into the same bag with my blueberry muffin. It was not crowded. I was the only customer there at the time so no excuses. read more

The Manager sells stale produce and over charges for baked goods. I called to reserve some Monkey Bread and cookies for Christmas. They usually have a nice selection of iced cookies for the Holidays in bags one can carry away. I called and spoke to a woman several days ago and she said the cookies had just arrived. I told her I would call back as I work three days a week in healthcare and cannot get away to go to their location except on my days off. When I called yesterday, a rude man said that the cookies I wanted would be available, but that I could not call ahead for the Monkey Bread and that all he had is what he would be selling for the weekend. I reserved three of the Monkey Breads and two bags of cookies that were to be what I thought were iced Christmas Trees and Bells, usually a dozen of each per bag. I usually pay around $10.00 for a dozen per bag. When I got to the store today at 9:35AM, there were three stale Monkey breads thrown into a bag and two bags of snowflake cookies--three per bag for which I was charged $7.25 per bag. They are snowflakes--one small, one medium, and one slightly larger--not large however. I was furious but I needed the sugar cookies for a gift, so I grabbed what they had and the last two bags on the counter. I was not happy to be charged $43.00 total for the order. I have a history with Bread & Chocolate and used to buy their baked goods for my coffee and tea business when I was a business owner. I know their quality and I doubt COVID has anything to do with it. This location has a rude staff, the phone often rings 20 times before someone answers, poor quality of food and I never get the same price out of any two staff people in this location. The person on the phone will say an item is one price and the person at check out will say another. VERY frustrating to say the least. They need a whole overhaul in staff from the Manager down. The neighborhood puts up with this nonsense because it is a place to just sit down for a while during the day and eat a meal with a friend. The food and service have a long way to go to get to any real and loyal patronage. I intend to pursue this with TOP management soon. read more

Awesome laid back atmosphere. Great food. Reasonable prices. What more can you ask for? read more

Bread & Chocolate - Breakfast was BOMB! Had the Du Martin and split the cinnamon French toast with my bestie. Awesome savory/sweet combo. - Patisserie/Cake Shop Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Although we are not from DC, we make it a point to come here for a relaxing and yummy breakfast or lunch several times a year. We don't understand the negative reviews because our experience has always been good. Come and see for yourself! read more

Enjoyed an excellent lunch/brunch. Tasty, friendly service and nice outdoor seating at West End location. Great latte as well

Didn't have any he greatest experience. I ordered my usual latte and the guy who made it (seemed like a manager) put almost no effort into it. They did not freshly grind the beans and what I was served was more a capp than a latte. It was way too hot and bitter. They are a bakery and had eating options, but not the place to go fir high quality coffee. read more

Terrible service and stale food. The waiter took the menu from my hand before I finished ordering. The pita bread and falafel were dry/not fresh. The crepe was served. Old and it was also not fresh. read more

The prices are very reasonable, and the staff was kind. We only had pastries, but plan on coming back in the future.

When i first moved into the neighborhood and saw this place I though oh mu god - are you kidding me - a French style coffee shop with pastries and croissants and Lavazzo coffee....magnificent... ...well the coffee is good. The food is OK. But I think their main problem is that they do not seem to hire the best staff. Service is unifromly slow and disorganized here. I have been twice and both times were disasters - mind you both times were in the peak hours of weekend mornings so I am sure it might be easier mid morning during the week....but weho the hel can go to a coffee shop then.. AAhh. The French. That's who. read more

One star for the cool looking bakery!!!!! But -4 stars for the service/server. I met with a client there and was seated at the dining area. I wanted to pay for my own order but the server asked "why you can't pay for your client?" What? Why don't I have an option to pay for my own order without having to explain why I can't pay for my client? Our server's name was Flesia!!! Horrible horrible! She almost threw my vanilla mocha on the table, nearly spilling it. And snatched the menu off my hands. Smh... I wouldn't not come back unless I HAVE TO MEET MY CLIENT AGAIN! But seriously, management needs to be considerate who they hire because it represent their business. read more

I don't eat at Bread & Chocolate anymore. Long ago, my girlfriend and I liked to have brunch here on sunny Sunday mornings. The food was good, if not spectacular, the atmosphere was bustling, and the neighborhood is one of my favorites in DC. Then one day I found something in my Pfannkuchen that seemed like a cross between a coconut shell and a band-aid. I showed it to the waiter, who took it from me and said she would tell the manager. The manager came over and told me that it was fine and that he didn't know what it was because they didn't make the crepes on site (they just heated them from a package). He had also thrown the item out, presumably so he could get rid of the evidence. There was no real apology, no offer to comp my meal, no customer service. We walked out. This was several years ago and it is possible that someone else is handling customer service for Bread & Chocolate, but I will never return. As another reviewer said, life is too short. read more

food is okay except they didn't give me what the menu said they would give me, which is always incredibly annoying.

Stopped in here 45 minutes before a movie at the Avalon, a block away. "Oh, that'll be plenty of time for soup and salad." Wrong. The waiter took a long time to come to our table, and then to take and process our order, even though there were only a few parties because they had closed the whole back room for a group coming in. He focused solely on a group of about six men who he was clearly more concerned about. Strike one. Maybe they're understaffed on the floor? There seemed to be an awful lot of people milling around but few actually waiting on customers (this gets on my nerves in stores and restaurants - if there are so many of YOU, how can I be invisible? And I am not a high-maintenance diner or shopper, trust me.) My friend ordered a muffin and hot chocolate. Got it. Waited. Waited. Waited. 25 minutes later, when we saw it was going to be cutting it too close, I asked the waiter if he could just pack my food to go. He wasn't happy. He told me "it's not always our fault." I get it, I was a waitress for a long time, and I said nothing about it being anyone's fault. If the kitchen is slow, tell me. Don't just leave me sitting there. He kept arguing, and I finally told him that if he wanted to argue about it he could just scratch the whole thing. I hate these kinds of interactions. And no, not smart to go somewhere in a time crunch, but it's not a formal establishment and it was soup and salad. I tipped him extra even though by the time he got done ranting I'd told him to scratch the salad. Took the soup to go. It leaked in my bag. Karma. Drowned sorrows in the Avalon's most excellent popcorn. The food might have potential, but I'd have to check it out in a more chill time situation, and I really just don't think I'd go back there. Not impressed enough to try it again. read more

I feel like two stars is harsh, but the description is right: "Meh. I've experienced better." My food wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't eat here again. I ordered the Cordon Bleu Panini. Supposedly it had "fresh turkey, black forest ham, swiss cheese, and honey mustard sauce." I'm not even trying to be funny, but it tasted like Oscar Meyer ham and turkey. It was bland. There was no mustard sauce to be found. There was some watery liquid oozing off, which I really think was just the juices from the meat when the sandwich heated up. The accompanying salad was just some tossed greens. No other vegetables present. The bread itself was good. They are a bakery after all. For dessert, I ordered a slice of cheesecake. It was decent. It didn't taste like any cheesecake I'd had before, but that's not a bad thing. I definitely couldn't do any better at home. Still, it wasn't my cup of tea. I don't think I'll be going back. read more

Seemed fine by me. Then again, I was only wearing one contact lens (don't ask), was hungover, and had just sat through an 8am mass, so maybe I wasn't fully present. R and I popped in for a post-church cup of joe and shelter from the monsoon rains. As we walked in, my one good eye caught wind of the beautiful line of pastries behind the case; I didn't have time to try any of them, but I made note to definitely try *something* next time since they look so delicious. I had a cup of decaf coffee, which was good, but not extraordinary (I insist that the best coffee in the world comes from donut shops in New York City. I don't know how, I don't know why, but it does.). R had a cafe mocha, about which he had no complaints. Our server was nice, but she seemed a little overwhelmed. She promised us the check since we were in a hurry, but then she forgot. Worked out okay, though. And she was nice, so. I never got a chance to go to the Eastern Market Bread & Chocolate, but I wish I could compare/contrast cuteness 'cause I thought it was an adorable little cafe. Again I say, I was only wearing one contact lens, but I thought the storybook mural on the wall was a nice touch. While not superduperextraordinary, if R and I are in the area again, I'm sure we'll pop in for joe once more. read more

I had high hopes given the appealing lure of the name "Bread and Chocolate." Unfortunately, the experience left me wishing I had just gone down the street to Starbucks. The place is a bit dingy (and the trip down to the bathroom is more reminiscent of a biker-bar). The selections in the bakery cabinet were rather sparse even on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (when the sidewalks were teeming couples casually partaking in Sunday strolls). The coffee was surprisingly watered down and I did not finish it (only used it for bread-dipping purposes). I'm sure the rent is turbo expensive, but the quality is suffering here. read more

Woah. Those are some angry Yelp reviews about service. That said, I can definitely see how the service could be lacking, though fortunately I experienced no problems when I came. It was pretty standard. Anyway, the organization is such that the front is a bakery, and the back is almost diner-esque. The French-American theme stops there, however, since all the workers were Ethiopian or East African as far as I could tell, and the menu bore the fruit of so many different cultures coming together... not in a good way. In Kitchen Nightmares (the show with Gordon Ramsey where he helps ailing businesses but not before railing on the chefs, owners and workers), he almost always overhauls the menu, and this is definitely one menu that needs overhauling. From German (Nutella Plannkuchen) to French (chevre omelet; french onion soup) to English (Eggs Benedict) American (New York Bagels) to Norwegian (Norwegian Smoked Salmon) to Italian (Cheese & Prosciutto Plate) to Middle Eastern (Mousakka), the menu is DEFINITELY having an identity crisis. I felt like I was in the United Nations of food... AHHHHHHHH! That complaint aside, I ordered the Nutella Plannkuchen (basically, a nutella crepe with hints of citrus - though I think the citrus is a "Bread & Chocolate" take on the Bavarian original), and it was solid. To be honest, I think their crepe (or whatever) was better than the ones I've had in Napoleon Cafe (which have been too soggy, too eggy, and over or undercooked). So - all that to say- you should go for the nutella crepe (at least; I can't speak to anything else), but bring your patience. And your little European flag. Viva Europa (and the Middle East... and America...)! read more

We've been here several times (we used to walk here until we moved away). We've always loved the food and vibe. But today we had what to us was a unique experience. My wife ordered a decaffeinated coffee drink. The waitress brought it out and, as she was setting it down, realized that it wasn't actually made with decaf. Instead of trying to blow it by us, she returned it to the coffee person and got a new one. How many times have we questioned waiters and waitresses about the caffeine content of the drinks we've been served? Thousands! How many times have they fessed up (not counting today)? None, zero, nunca! How many of them have we cursed in the middle of the night? Dozens. Thank you, Meron. We'll be back (and tell our friends). There ought to be medals for that kind of integrity. read more

This place looks so cute on the outside and I had such hopes for making this my neighborhood breakfast place but I found Bread & Chocolate to be mediocre at best. Pros: Interesting assortment of breakfast sweets, including the filled donuts, called pfannkuchen. Also, they serve breakfast with a bread basket consisting of a wide assortment of tasty little breads. Cons: My Salmon Benedict came out cold as did the bread. Service was minimal at best. Our waitress came by once to take our order, once to bring our food, and then was largely absent as we tried to flag her down for the check. I actually started believing that our meal was free. Aside from being cold, my salmon benedict and coffee was fine, but flavor-wise unremarkable. I'll probably still come here simply because I like having a local go-to breakfast spot but it's definitely not a brunch highlight. read more

I wanted this place to be good, but I've been twice and it's not. The first time I got a croissant to go. It was not impressive, and that made me sad. The second time I got a tiramisu and a club soda. The tiramisu was kind of dry -- there might have been half a thimbleful of rum in the whole piece. Both times I was rather put off by the owner? manager? behind the counter, who seems very brusque and irritated. Definitely overpriced for the quality of the food/service. read more

vanilla mocha pretty sweet and i got the specific vanilla and mocha flavors as well. was genuinely good & satisfying. pastries are stodgy and not really worth getting read more

It's a very nice atmosphere and the place is always jammed for weekend brunches. We've taken our family there for years - more since Krupin's closed. The food is very good and some of the wait staff has been there for 20 years+. I read the review referencing the poor service - we haven't encountered this problem but keep in mind when you have great food and nearly every table is taken, you're not going to get your meal in five minutes. The omelettes are fantastic, the coffee is surprisingly delicious, and the fresh bread is excellent. read more

I came here to have lunch with a business colleague and it was pretty good. To be sure, it's not some fancy restaurant or a huge place with a bar but if you want a decent lunch that tastes good, this is a good place to come. The portions are not huge - good thing. They are tasty. I had the chicken pot pie and it was the "inside" of a chicken pot pie with the crust over to the side of the plate. Interesting presentation. It was good, though. It's kind of a smallish place but my guess is that it's a great place to meet and chat with friends over coffee and a pastry (lots of yummy stuff on display near the front of the place). It's bigger than the local Starbucks, though. It's not overly noisy and the wait staff is attentive. The prices are decent for where it is and what it is so no complaints about the cost. All in all, a nice place with good food so, yeah, I'm a fan and I would go there,again. read more

It was 12:30 and we wanted lunch. We headed over to a place that we both remembered favorably from last year, "Bread and Chocolate." Not far away, in Chevy Chase on Connecticut Ave. The waiter came over a few minutes after we were seated. My friend ordered chicken salad and tea, while I ordered a caprese panini. Mine was supposed to come with a choice of salad or chips. The waiter didn't ask which I wanted, just snatched the menus away and left. Not a long wait, but time for me to go downstairs to the grim bathroom. Plates on the table when I returned. First thing I noticed was a brownish rib of lettuce in my salad. Then the sandwich. It seemed to be on something that resembled a cheap hamburger bun. It had pesto (to provide the basil), and also had French Dressing, which I've never before seen in a caprese sandwich. Not very good. I ate most of the filling and about half the bread. My friend commented that the restaurant was "fair." We walked two blocks one way for her to get cash from her bank and two blocks the other way, to go to Starbucks. We passed several other restaurants, and kept saying that a meal at each of them might have been better, including at the bagel dogs place. We decided we would have said that if we'd seen a McDonalds. read more

I have come here twice, always with the hope that the cafe will live up to its glorious name. Unfortunately, it doesn't, much like its sister store in Eastern Market. The first time I came with a friend and her husband before church. We were a little pressed for time, but not so much that a quick scone and coffee would make us late. Oh, but we underestimated the time it takes to get a scone and coffee. We waited and waited, and then we waited to pay the bill, and waited to sign the bill and then barely made it out in time for church. We had warned the waitress at the beginning--we are a little pressed for time, just three scones and some coffee please! Did they make the scones from scratch? I don't know, but I know that it took far too long. The second time I came with my parents for brunch. The brunch was good, and there were a lot of interesting people and cute families and overall it was pleasant. But again with the waiting! And the forgetting of the refills! If it is bad enough that my laconic father comments on their disorganization, it's *bad*. The food was good, though, and the coffee was nice, when it came. Definitely not reliable enough to take anyone again, especially not witha time crunch. I might stop in to this location to buy a pastry and leave (i.e. avoid the waitservice) but...I might not. There are other pastries to be had. read more