Great food in a great French atmosphere in the heart of Alexandria. Enjoy an entrecôte

Pretty good, came here for a late Valentine's Day dinner with the husband. My favorite part was the tartar. The restaurant is BEAUTIFUL! It was pretty dark upstairs where we were sat but it added to the romantic vibe. Hope to come back for brunch sometime! read more

My food was amazing I got shrimp cocktail 6 large shrimp, yummy, filet was average ,crembrula was excellent. My husband got mushrooms soap it was really good , he got the duck that was the best I ever tasted. His dessert was chocolate sauce ice cream in a cake I did not like it the chocolate was bitter. The bread was disappointing, very hard cold. I love warm bread and butter. The entire staff was super nice. read more

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Beautiful building, decent food and good service. 1. Reservation: MUST. 2. Food: Good. not great, but quite good. 4 stars. - warm bread - good - beef tartare - decent, not the best I had, but quite good. Did not really like the 'chips' it came with. Tartare goes best with bread. Anything deep fried doesn't go too well - escargot: will come sizzling hot. It is very oily dish to begin with, so coming with another oiled bread was not the best idea. - gnocchi - not good. Too much vegetable for a dish called gnocchi, you could hardly find enough. - salmon: good 3. Drinks: 5 stars It won't hurt to only have drinks here. - Old fashioned: tastes good, but no cherry - Martini service: was amazing. highly recommend 4. Service: 3.5 stars I had a weird feeling about both servers we had. It was very awkward and unwelcoming 5. Ambience: 5 stars. Beautiful building, weekend sparkling bar is cool Huge hype, food and service could have been better. I don't see myself eating here again, but certainly will have drinks. read more

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Came here for a post Valentine's Day dinner and it was perfect! This place has been on my list since I moved to Alexandria and was hesitant because we always choose Le Diplomate in DC for French food. After reading rave reviews about the French onion soup and mac and cheese we started with those. Absolutely amazing! Probably my favorite French onion soup I've had. The cheese melted perfectly into the soup unlike most where it's just a layer on top that doesn't move... For our entrees we split the hamburger and steak au poivre. The hamburger was good, I do think Le Diplomate has mastered their steak au poivre so it was very hard to beat that, but this was a close second. Additionally the garlic spinach it came with was extremely overpowering. I could smell the garlic the moment I put it on my fork and only had one bite and couldn't eat the rest. It was extremely. My cocktail was delicious as well. I loved the vibe, service and atmosphere and it was a great dinner overall! read more

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Came on a very busy evening and sat at the bar. Prices are a bit high for the value but drinks were tasty and the food was decent. I had the duck confit meal (something that started with a C). The duck was crispy and tasty but the beans were just okay. Also, almost too dark to see the menu. read more

If you want the most incredible experience with an incredible atmosphere.... You should DEFINITELY come here!! Not only is the food and atmosphere insanely good, but the service was impeccable. This is my new favorite French place and I cannot wait till we are back in town to come again! We celebrated my husbands birthday here and they did not disappoint - they gave complimentary macaroons and a sparkler that made the experience magical! read more

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My girlfriend and I came here to celebrate our anniversary and we fell in love with the ambiance, food, and service. Kayla was our waitress and was super friendly and attentive throughout the night and recommended some delicious choices for us. We loved the atrium seating as well, great for pictures. read more

Came here for my birthday. The ambiance was beautiful, the service was impeccable. The food was good but it wasn't amazing...the wine was though! I will come back again and try their dinner menu. I came for lunch which they had just stated at the time. It's worth a second taste! read more

Small mistake with a drink order, had to beg for more butter...but otherwise service was fantastic, atmosphere loud and lively in much of the restaurant. But we got a reasonably quiet spot in the lower seating area. Food was fantastic and we will definitely be back. read more

I went for Alexandria Restaurant Week and the three course meal priced at $55 per person had a little bit of everything for every palate. I'm never one to totally stick to the menu so I ordered additional appetizer to try. My table ordered the following: - Waygu Steak Tartare - Chilled Peach Soup - Foie Gras Mousse (my fav) - Seared Red Drum - Duck Confit - Cardmom Crème Brûlée - Ile Flottant Now let me tell you about the cocktail, that our waiter suggested called a Lighter Side of A 75 ($12). It was light, refreshing and citrusy which hit all my criteria for a dangerously delicious drink. I hesitantly talked myself out of ordering another round, but best believe if it wasn't a work night that glass would have been on my table. read more

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Visited during Alexandria's Restaurant Week and had an incredible dinner. Reservations were at 5:15pm on a Wednesday and people were literally lined up at the door waiting to get in. Service was top-tier, I believe we had a manager named Victoria who served the entire outdoor patio and she did an incredible job managing the entire section. The food was great, we selected the three course option and not one dish disappointed. We also indulged in a few cocktails. My fiancé ordered two aviation's which she can rarely find due to the ingredients that the cocktail is made of and I ordered the original martini experience which was beautifully presented. We will definitely be back again sometime in the near future. The renovation of Columbia Firehouse kept its historic charm with a few minor renovations to bring it up to speed. Can't wait to return again sometime soon! read more

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Very delicious meal. We started with the steak tartare. It was great I just wish they gave you a few more chips. The Josephine burger was excellent. Just a good old classic American burger. The patty's are smashed and there's lot of cheese and pickled onion. The steak frites were yummy but slightly under cooked, we don't mind a red center so we still enjoyed it. Passion fruit gelato was fresh and delish. Was not impressed with the macarons. We sat at the bar and service was excellent, the gentleman helping us was so friendly and kind we'd return just for him! Good vibe, quiet, dimly lit. read more

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Had the escargot with the puff pastry and the croque madame. Highly recommend both! Great customer service! Recommend checking them out during lunch time. read more

Josephine - Croque Madame - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Love this place! Great ambiance, especially for a couple of drinks and a snack. The French onion soup is DELICIOUS. Will definitely be back!

It's a nice looking restaurant...but was also nice looking when it was Portners. We had a reservation, and were seated promptly down in the dark basement. The waiter seemed nice, but at the same time it didn't seem like they cared if they had our business or not. The food is very average for the cost...and was lukewarm when it arrived. (Onion soups, beef tournedos, and beef bourguignon). Also, the service was odd. Someone would deliver drink or food and not remove the empty glass/dish. They'd bring you spoons or knives...and then set them at the opposite end of the table. We sat there for about 10 minutes once our drinks were empty...received our meals...and still sat there waiting for the waiter to return. It just felt like a restaurant that was trying to be something more than it was...nice on the surface, but no substance. . There are better French options around. I wanted to like it, but sort of felt like it's popular for no real reason. read more

Our absolute favorite eatery in the region... Been back three times and it never disappoints! Great menu prepared just right and an excellent wine menu too. Service is superb. read more

Our party of four went on Thanksgiving, but none of us really wanted the special turkey-and-sides T-day package, so we ordered other offerings from the T-day menu. I really want to go back and sample from the regular menu, as I think our experience was affected by the fact that the kitchen was, understandably, a bit swamped by the whole Thanksgiving feast situation. (Out of oysters for starters, even though they were on the day's menu; two of the main plates came out cold and not particularly tasty.) All that said, the service was impeccable, and the staff handled the problems really well -- the way a fine restaurant should, and giving the impression, at least, that they were more upset by the shortcomings than we were! The replacement dinners and the other two diners' choices were delicious, as were the desserts, the wine, the appetizers. The atmosphere was also very pleasant, without blasting music as is so unfortunately common in restaurants/brasseries these days, so we were easily able to enjoy our conversation. And there wasn't even a hint of trying to hustle us along to free up the table, which is another issue with many places. Overall, I'll definitely return! read more

Great take! Onion soup 10/10 Beef Bourguignon 10/10 Espresso martini 10/10 Old fashioned 10/10 Monday night .. quite busy which is a good sign. We walked in grabbed a high top and had a wonderful meal. read more

Beautiful location but the service was very rushed. The food was presented well but flavors fell a bit flat for my taste. The cocktail was the best part, really nice summer drink! read more

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My husband and I recently got married and came here for lunch with our parents after our ceremony. We've been here once before for a date night, but they went above and beyond on our most recent visit. Our server, who was coincidentally named Josephine (not sure if it's spelled the same as the restaurant name), was absolutely wonderful. She was so attentive, kind, and her service made our special day feel even more memorable. The food was fantastic. We started with appetizers (oysters, ouefs mayonnaise, and the lox plate). All were great. I had the Brie grilled cheese, which was delicious, and I'm still dreaming about the pouding chômeur I had for dessert. On top of that, the location itself is gorgeous. We were seated in the atrium which is a very romantic and airy setting. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Highly recommend! read more

I think josephine really takes the old town king st dining scene to a new level! The atmosphere/ambience here is great! There is a lot of room and multiple floors. They have stained glass from the parisian metro supposedly and high ceilings. It looks like they made an alleyway into one of the dining areas. The decor is thoughtful but not trying to hard imo. I think the cocktails here are really good, especially for the area. The martini was great as was the other cocktail. You'd think a martini is just vodka and/or gin and some vermouth with some garnish how could you mess it up but people can and do. This is well done, balanced, cold, with a side car. The sweetbreads were yummy glad to see it on the menu. The mains we got were on smaller/lighter side so glad that we did an app plus the cheeses before. The cheese serving was perfect portion with fruit, almonds, jam, and crackers--very nice and texture of cheese was good Mains were good moules frites a little overdone but overall still good. This place gives you free bread with two kinds of butter. Appreciated! Josephine is apparently known for their selection of champagnes so we got 5 oz pours of the pinot one and one of the chardonnays. Nice! Then we got a cream puff thing but I can't include because yelp is capping me at ten photos ‍ it was good and light. I think josephine would crush brunch but does not seem like they are currently open earlier than 5pm. read more

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Where do I even start? This place is AMAZING! David Jones, the manager is keeping the standards very high while providing an EXCELLENT dining experience, along the read of the crew. Great atmosphere at all hours of the days (lunch, dinner, HH, etc.), and first and foremost, fresh And delish food! The whole French experience in one place! Always a wonderful experience! Thank you!! read more

Josephine - Josephine Salad with goat cheese and grilled salmon. - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

What makes a 5 star review to a yelper? Consistent good experiences. Josephine's is through and through a 5 star experience. I've tried a few different menu items but the star of the show is always the French toast. Highly recommend ordering it to maximize your brunch experience. Vibes are cute and service is always great. read more

Josephine - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Ok, I have to say that I was impressed with Josephine's Croque Monsieur, a cheesy blend of ham and cheese that conjures up memories of old Paris. Now, I have been coming to this specific location for over 30 years, and have watched it transform from Porters to Bookbinders to The Columbia Firehouse to Josephine's. And in all of the previous reincarnations the bar and atmosphere remained fairly unchanged, which is mainly due to how beautiful the bar is. However, I think they may have replaced subtle curved edge of the with a more boxy square drink rail, which does detract the feeling of comfort from the old version. In the bright side though, the patio maintains that same magical feel that makes it Alexandria's premier spot for brunch. read more

Food was ok to good, some of the mussels dishes according to my guest were not great maybe as an hors d'oeurve but not as a whole starter, them were very acidic. I had a steak that came with just spinach like a steakhouse, make sure you order sides; oops, that said the spinach was just tart, but the steak was perfect. Dessert was fantastic So a little hit and miss. Service and atmosphere was top notch read more

We will certainly return for another wonderful meal. Greeted the moment we entered by a charming gentleman (wearing terrific eyeglasses), we were swiftly escorted to our table-for-two in the second-floor dining room. To make this as brief as possible, the ambience was perfect (we could hear one another without difficulty), the food was delicious (Duck Confit and Steak frites with delicious beer and champagne), and the service from Eli was stupendous. There was no time wasted with waiting for food or drinks and Eli was immediately responsive to any request. It was our first time dining at Josephine, but it most certainly will not be the last. read more

Staff is kind. Restaurant is beautiful. Only reason I'm saying no, is because after I got sick from eating their escargot. The manager basically called me a liar when I called to tell him about my current situation, after I gave them a curtesy call on March 17. To warn them I got sick to be-careful serving the snails to other customers. That talk was going well until the manager gave me an unreachable email after telling me that my sickness didn't fall with their "getting sick after eating food protocol". That was deeply upsetting. Feeling overwhelmed, going to the ER, getting test after test to be told my sickness was a lie by the manager when I called to ask for a refund or something to make up for what happened to me. I will never be returning to this place. But bless the workers. They're amazing. read more

For a work event they picked a pretty great restaurant. The ambiance is a little mixed in here, we've got a pub-like atmosphere at first when you enter. It's darker, a strange combination of cozy and well, bar. Then you've got another room which is a massive atrium and it's a significant difference in atmosphere being almost like a cathedral in scale. Both are nice it's just a bit jarring. The service was spot on, even a group of 20 they were attentive to everyone. We never ran out of wine or water. Coffee came perfectly on time, food all came out right about together. I was very happy with it! Last, let's go over food. This was a bit odd so I ordered the steak frites. First and foremost I ordered rare, it came out blue-rare, for those who aren't aware that's effectively raw with a crust on the outside. I still enjoyed it because I do like my steak very, very rare but if someone was just expecting a more pink interior, not a straight raw interior they'd be very unhappy. The compound butter while interesting was extremely full of garlic it was good but a little overpowering. The fries were perfect, and the creme brule at the end was wonderful. Silky smooth and luxurious, delicious flavor, paired absolutely perfectly with the cookie associated with it. Overall a wonderful meal, just some temperature issues. TLDR great place give it a try! read more

This place somewhat disappointed me. The space is gorgeous - it feels very warm and the staff were nice but a little pushy when we came for lunch on a relatively slow week day. We tried a lot - the macaroni gratin was my personal favorite as it was super creamy and crispy on the top. The salade vert and salade josephine were both decent but nothing to write home about. We also had the mussels - which were good but relatively underseasoned - but had to ask twice for bread after mentioning we wanted a side of bread with the mussels while ordering. My biggest takeaway? They should make the onion soup gratinee with chicken or vegetable broth and they'd make a lot more people happy. read more

The foie gras mousse was definitely an interesting dish, looked like ice cream but was not a fan of the after taste. My date really enjoyed the restaurant, we both ordered steaks. I got the steak frites and she got Strip Au Poivre The service was great and always someone coming by to fill up my water and check up on us read more

The perfect brunch spot in Alexandria! We loved the beautiful ambience of the restaurant and service was wonderful. We ordered mimosas and I got the duck confit (it was delicious!) My friend ordered the omelette with a side of bacon and enjoyed it! It is a great spot to grab a nice brunch before shopping in downtown! read more

A great spot in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. With 3 floors and two bars their is ample seating. The vibe is sophisticated and more upscale. The staff was attentive and warm. The food is french inspired and the cocktails were strong yet balanced. I would recommend the old-fashion, escargot and steak frites. I also recommend sitting on the third floor bar if you plan to have drinks and small bites. read more

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I want to update my review of Josephine from New Year's Eve. I wish I could leave the other up to show how much better my second time was, but maybe that's for the best. Let me just say this: I have never been happier to be wrong about something. Truly, my most recent experience at Josephine was like night and day compared to the NYE episode. My wife and I met a friend of ours for dinner last Sunday. We were greeted immediately by the folks at the host station who showed us to our table upstairs. The aesthetic upstairs is really quite lovely. From there our wait staffer, Daisha, guided us through multiple courses of culinary delight. I started with their pea and mint soup, which was something I'd never had before. It was well balanced and didn't push too much in the direction of pea or mint. It's something I hope to try again. For my entree I had the boeuf bourguignon. The beef and carrot mixture was nestled into a mashed potato vessel that gave a charming elevation to French country fare. I was particularly impressed with the herb-y flavor of the mashed potatoes, it married well with the beef/carrots/sauce. My wife had the salmon, which came topped with a very generous portion of smokey roe. She loved the way the smokiness complimented the salmon. Our friend also went with seafood and had the shrimp and scallops. I was lucky enough to get a bite of the scallops which were well seasoned and almost buttery smooth in the center. Their sauce americaine was delightful. Finally, to make up for being out of desserts on NYE the staff sent us the creme brullee AND the opera cake, which we're both a delight. We also had a few martinis (the 50:50 was a stand out, especially if you're like me and like vermouth), a decaffeinated cappuccino, and more than enough Coke. A magnificent experience. read more

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We just held our daughter and son-in-law's reception at Josephine. Everything was just exquisite. Our guests raved about the food, service, and ambience. Thank you so much! read more

Josephine - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Love the old fashioned look and feel of the restaurant. The service was impeccable. The menu had a great selection, was prepared perfectly and timely. The wine selection is excellent. read more

I tried this place for the first time and had such a yummy brunch! The French restaurant is well decorated and so classic looking with its historic finishing like phone booths next to the restroom. Besides how lovely it was inside, our waitress was incredibly nice and respectful, really great. We ordered the burger, quiche, and an almond milk late. All were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend for brunch and look forward to trying for dinner next time! read more

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We came here for restaurant week, and while the food was pretty good, the portions were really big, and the choices were great--the service brought them down a star. It took us longer to get a drink than it did to get our first course, which isn't ideal. The server was friendly, and the restaurant was super busy, but it was an 815 reservation and we didn't get a drink until almost 845. When my wife ordered a second glass of wine with dinner, it never came. The restaurant inside is absolutely gorgeous, with the perfect "old town" Alexandria vibe. The stained glass, the wood, the different rooms and the art work. Lovey. For food--we ordered the foie Gras, the steak tartare, the onion soup. The foie gras was a massive portion, you definitely get your money worth here. The onion soup was AMAZING, I would order this every time. People have commented that it is salty, but it's French onion soup and I felt that it was on par for what you would expect. The steak tartare was also a generous portion and was pretty good. For the main course we had the strip au poivre, the salmon, and the burger. The steak was MASSIVE, perfectly cooked, and I think it was a pretty go to option. The salmon is a little misleading, as it tasted of curry but did not necessarily read that way from the menu. It was also over cooked. As for the burger, it was incredible and I would come back here to order it, as simple as that may be. For dessert we had the opera cake (the sorbet was AMAZING), the cream puffs, and the tart. The desserts were fine, I wish we would have ordered the crème brulee. We will try this restaurant again outside of restaurant week, but for now I'll give it three stars due to service and the food being just on par and not spectacular when compared to its competition in old town. Lastly, the restaurant week menu had a few up charges, but we felt that that could have made the portions a bit smaller and kept the 50 per person deal. read more

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One of my favorite restaurants in Old Town! It gives off Old Ebbitt & Le Diplomate vibes in good ol' Virginia! Delicious food and stiff cocktails. Love the champagne bar upstairs (Thurs-Sun) and Ryan at the main bar serves up excellent drinks! Definitely enjoyed my old fashioned and classic espresso martini! Highly recommend this spot for a date night or classy happy hour. Street parking is quite easy on N or S St Asaph and King. Must-haves are the escargot, duck confit, trout, and steak frites or steak au poivre! Bordeaux blend was magnifique. Ratatouille was delish too for the veggie lovers. read more

Josephine - Espresso martini - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Went with 5 friends to celebrate a birthday, and we had the best experience. Not only was the service incredible, but the food was fantastic! The ambiance was classy and elegant, and it was also a place where you could casually sit at the bar with friends. I will be coming back and taking more friends to come here! I highly recommend and applaud the staff for making a meal such an enjoyable experience. read more