Okay look, I chose this restaurant for my mom's surprise party because it looked really cute and aesthetic. The food was good, both me and my friend had the salmon, and everything was going well, until the next day. I felt like actual death. My stomach had been hurting all day I was getting constant and I mean CONSTANT hot flashes it was just not fun. So moral of the story is, both me and my friend were sick for 3 days because of the salmon. So it was definitely an experience. read more

Had the joy of having my birthday dinner at Josephine with my family. First of all it is great vibe from the moment you walk in. It is warm and classic. The staff are outstanding tending to your every need and desire. And then there is the food. Wow we had the restaurant week fixe menu and it was outstanding. I had the pate, moules frites and the gateau Ste honore. Just magnificent. I can't want to be taken on that culinary journey again soon. Thank you. read more

I thought the food was delicious! The service was attentive and the servers were friendly. I love the ambiance of the restaurant. Definitely got a french feel. read more

See all

We just came in for cocktails this particular night. But Josephine's has been our go to OT spot for quick date nights or bringing family and friends who are visiting. Cocktails are great and unique, food is excellent and consistent, and the ambience is definitely our vibe. We love sitting at the bar for a night cap at the end of the night. We also enjoy the friendly staff and bartenders. read more

A wonderful dining experience in what used to be the Columbia Firehouse restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, VA. The service in this new French restaurant was excellent; Tatianna was incredibly pleasant, friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. The food was wonderful. For appetizers, two of us had the escargot, which had a great garlic topping, and the other two loved the butternut squash soup. For entrees, three of us had the Beef Bourguignon, which they said had wonderful flavor (but was maybe a bit light on the beef). I thought the Poulet Roti (roast chicken) was the best chicken I've ever had; it was very flavorful, and the roasted part was incredible. The mashed potatoes that accompanied all four dishes were great, too. Desserts: two cardamom creme brulees, one opera cake, and one ile Flottante (a "floating meringue" with creme anglaise) -- everyone enjoyed theirs. The atmosphere and decor were great, too. One suggestion: it seemed better to sit at a table than in a booth, where the tables were too close to the patrons and it was a bit difficult to sit comfortably because of the bulky supports under the tables. read more

I went with a bunch of girlfriends on a Saturday night and we were quite disappointed. Some of my friends had been before and agreed it was an off night. I was not impressed with any of the food! The seafood tower was not fresh at all. I attached a photo because you can tell just by looking at the photo that the crab legs were not fresh. The meat was all stuck to the inside of the shell which is a sign that it is not fresh. The shrimp was overcooked and not very fresh looking or tasting either. The mussels were rubbery and the raw clam was so foul that I stopped eating from the tower after that. I have gotten many seafood towers in my lifetime and this was one of the most disappointing ones I've ever had. The service was also really slow. This seafood tower and our appetizer plates full of shells were not picked up for quite some time. I had to literally push my appetizer plate in the waiter's hands because I couldn't stand the fishy smell of the seafood sitting in front of me. We ordered a bunch of other items to share for our main course and were not impressed by any of it. For the price I definitely would have expected better! read more

Josephine - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Overall excellent experience from the moment we walked in and were greeted so warmly by the host and hostess to when we departed and they wished us good night. Our server gave us excellent recommendations on drinks and the menu. We ordered escargots, trout almandine, boeuf bourguignon, moules frites, and the cardamom crème brûlée. Everyone enjoyed their meal! I will note that the mussels were a little too salty for me, but overall they were delicious. We sat in the back parlor which was nicely decorated. It did get a little loud back there since there were tables of 4 and were seated pretty close so everyone's conversations could be heard clearly in the small room. Otherwise, it was an amazing dinner in a lovely location with excellent food and service. Highly recommend! read more

I have been twice now - once for dinner and the other time for brunch. The restaurant is gorgeous and has a great vibe. However the food was very average/bland and since it's Old Town, it isn't cheap. When I went for dinner, I ordered the Classic Dirty Martini - it was heavy on vermouth and the presentation was a little awkward. It comes on a platter with ice and a sidecar but our table was pretty small so this set up was clunky. We got the foie gras and escargot to start - both were bland. I had the gnocchi which was as also tasteless - the sauce was pretty "rustic" and I didn't find the texture appealing. Brunch was better - I thought the ham sandwich was very good. It was simple but incredibly tasty and the baguette was awesome. We also got the beet and burrata salad which was good but it had some extremely hard and tasteless bits in it - literally tasted like wood chips. Our waitress didn't know what they were - no idea why this was in the salad. Hopefully they work out the menu kinks because this could be a great addition to Old Town. But as of now, it's too pricey for mediocre food. read more

Trying hard to be fine dining but missing the mark. Positives: great wine list, good cocktail. Cardamom creme brulee. Trout. Negatives: out of shrimp cocktail and some of the cheeses. Niçoise salad contained flavorless canned tuna. Frites were limp and soggy. Garlic spinach was so salty it was inedible. Service was fine. Decor looks very similar to Columbia Firehouse, it's previous tenant. read more

Absolutely, outstanding! From the fantastic, genuine, bright greeting at the front door, the wonderful tour of the brand new restaurant, through to amazing service by Dominique and Al! And everything in between! The food was savory, fantastic with many different herbs, and flavors! The only reason we didn't lick our plates clean is because we were saving room for dessert! I have to admit, I love my desserts huge, but these were very nice! The wine absolutely fantastic!! I described the kind of wine I like with my basic adjectives, and they nailed it! We had several glasses each!!!! It is VERY LOUD inside so get an early reservation to get out quickly! read more

The food was really good, good enough for 4 stars! Mussels were cooked perfectly. Unfortunately the service drags everything down. We saw our server Noah exactly three times - once to take our appetizer and first drink order, then 30 minutes later to take our food order, then an hour after our food order we had to track him down ourselves to ask for the bill. He completely forgot about our second drink order to the point of not even asking about it when he brought out the bill, and there was no one around outside to even ask for service. It's not like we were alone, either - the table next to us had the same thoughts, that the service was just plain missing. This is a restaurant to pass on. read more

Food was 6.5 of 5 stars; Ordered croquettes, trout amandine, and crème brûlée. Perfection. Second best seafood dish I've had, the best was in Barcelona, but my palate is amenable to butter, lemon, garlic, and wine. Service was a 4 with waiter being attentive initially and eventually a bit slow; While leaving, I saw him in the alleyway chatting with coworkers and wish I'd left a slightly smaller tip when I realized the delays were not due to being short staffed. Ambiance was a 4; The outdoor patio started out pleasant with French music and dogs walking by, but took a turn in becoming crowded and with a noisy recycling truck parked by the patio for 10 minutes. I enjoyed the midday menu and despite a couple hiccups with service and ambiance, I will certainly be back for the food!! read more

I have loved this location since it was Portner's. My husband and I had dinner here, when it was Columbia Firehouse, the evening we got engaged. We were excited to try Josephine last night, but sadly, came away feeling meh. The interior is still lovely and the firehouse part hasn't changed. The wine list is excellent and my husband approved the beer list. We had the beef tartare and cheese plate for appetizers, and they were quite good. I had the Salade Josephine with steak for dinner. It was good, but maybe overdressed with the vinaigrette. Next time, I'd ask for the dressing on the side. My husband had the steak au poivre and said it could have been better. It wasn't trimmed well, and he had to cut away some fat. He also said it, and the garlicky spinach, was super salty, and my husband puts extra salt on everything. We didn't have dessert, but the choices looked good. Service was nice, albeit a little slow, but it was prime time on a Saturday night. We'd give it another try because we have so many good memories of this spot. read more

I'm giving this restaurant 5 stars thanks to David the manager. During a very busy restaurant week dinner, he made it a point to check in with every customer and ensure their satisfaction with their service and meal. He was kind, attentive and when an issue was pointed out with the temperature of the steak which was undercooked, he immediately resolved it and with a wonderful attitude that is very customer focused. Kudos to David for being a manager who is invested in the success of this restaurant. As far as the food goes, the onion soup and chamomile creme brûlée were good. read more

I love this restaurant now! To be honest, if I had written a review after my first visit, I would not have given it 5 stars. However, today's brunch to celebrate my friend's birthday was delicious (and the ambiance/ decor is 10/10). My friends and I shared a lox plate and Niçoise salad (definitely recommend both). I had the quiche (which was simple yet delicious). Our server was very attentive and kind, and brought out a special birthday dessert (whipped cream and sorbet were divine). I can't wait to go again for brunch, and also try dinner another time. read more

Fabulous ambience, incredible cuisine, and superb wine list. We received white glove treatment from the varied staff with the exception of our head server. There were five of us and all will come back, though we will request a different waiter. Mel was a bit arrogant, he'd bring you a second glass of wine, but wouldn't take the first glass away, apparently he's above all that and his long Pippi Longstocking hair and attitude didn't match up with the elegance of the restaurant. read more

Thank God for Josephine - and good for Alexandria. We needed a restaurant like this so badly in Old Town. Went for dinner on Father's Day and enjoyed everything we ordered - oysters, pate, salad nicoise, moulet frites and duck confit. Started with drinks at the bar, which has wonderful ambience and would be great for dining. But we had dinner in the beautiful atrium which was bright and lively - could be too loud for some. Service was impressive for only their 11th night in business. I'm usually the person complaining about mediocrity in Old Town restaurants. The secret here appears to be the GM, Sue, who hails from BLT in DC (a favorite of ours). Josephine is a new reason to not drive into the district for dinner. read more

Have you ever wanted to sit in natural light and enjoy fresh and tasty brunch? Josephine is the spot, great ambience with a blend of old style decorations with modern touches allows for enjoyment of a varied menu that hits both sweet and savory desires of their patrons. Had an excellent meal with mimosas and wine to compliment the daily special sandwich which included thick cuts of bacon, juicy chicken sausage patty with avocados and an aioli sauce to bring together the entire sandwich on a fresh croissant. Would highly recommend brunch with friends and explore the upstairs bar and lounge area. Will be coming back again for drinks and food. read more

I'm going to be thinking about this restaurant for a long time! We were welcomed so kindly by the head host even though we were almost 10 mins late to our reservation (there were 4 of us) maître d' I'm still took us on a fabulous to tour of the whole restaurant. He went at our pace as we took pictures of the beautiful space and asked questions about the history of not only the building but the restaurant's namesake. Our server was Lela, what a GEM! If there was ever a point she was behind you wouldn't have known with the easy she carried. Everyone was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. We did not order any wine but we did see the sommelier guiding other tables to picking the correct wine. We got mocktails, it seems like it's up to the bartender to create that drink on the daily, we got a sweet one with lots of fruit juice and cherries, the table favorite was the sparkling option of the day which was super bright with ginger and lime. The food was breath taking! There were some foods I've been dying to try but never did because I didn't feel like the restaurant would make the dish stunning. My firsts were, escargot, foie gras, and sweet breads. Sweet breads were a great surprise, the crispy oyster mushrooms really created a well rounded mouth feel. I had the chicken entree, the combination of the chicken, sauce, and SILKIEST potatoes I've ever had was not only amazing but brought me back to a memory of a restaurant I loved dearly before it closed. We each got a dessert to try them all, I got the strawberry rhubarb tart, perfect for the season and WOW. Chef Matt made a few touches on our table. He recommended his favorite of the ice creams, it was orange creamsicle,, not usually my favorite but I could have eaten the whole dish! We all have either decaf or mint tea with desert - the tea was served in small steeper pots for about 2 cups of tea. Never once did we feel rushed, never once were we without water. I live in Richmond VA so I won't be able to come back as often as I would if I lived closer! read more

See all

Great food, beautiful ambience, slow service. Dirty martini and Old fashion were excellent. Highly recommend the cheese platter. read more

Josephine - Steak frites - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Tried new restaurant Josephine during Alexandria Restaurant Week and it did not disappoint. Enjoyed a variety of menu items since the Restaurant Week menu includes an appetizer, main, and dessert for each person - and also ordered drinks and selections from the cheese board menu. Highly recommend the cheese board, which can be customized with 3, 5, or 7 selections - our three choices were amazing and our server said they are all imported from France. Had foie gras mousse, escargot, and beets/burrata for appetizers. Escargot was delicious but beets/burrata was the best choice. For entrees, steak frites was the winner, although the salmon was also good. I wanted to enjoy the duck confit but it was room temperature - at best - when it arrived to the table so a bit disappointing. Maybe there was an issue with timing in the kitchen as the other dishes were hot. As for desserts- all were amazing! The gateau was spectacular. The service was excellent and perhaps because of the time of the reservation, no one was rushing us out the door. It was a great experience! Finally, the restaurant's interior is just perfect. Overall - highly recommended!! read more

We had brunch on Sunday. It was delightful. Very good brunch menu and excellent service. We ate in the patio which was shaded and had comfortable chairs and good space between the tables. The food was delicious, served promptly and reasonably priced. The avocado toast was great! So glad to have this wonderful restaurant open again in the heart of Old Town! read more

Josephine is a few blocks from my home and on evenings when I'm dining solo, I stop in, sit at the bar, and get a bite to eat. The space is stately, classic, and dark. Based on my previous visits, the food is good and well presented and it is operated by an established restaurant group. I really want to like this place, however service is consistently quirky. This visit was unacceptable. I entered the restaurant, sent a text to a friend (which later became a reference for time), listened to the banter between the bartenders and observed the restaurant was mostly empty except for a group downstairs. There were six patrons sitting at the bar. Five minutes after being sat I was handed a menu. Three bartenders and one server were behind the bar, but everyone huddled at the end to talk to possibly a former employee or f&b rep. Five more minutes passed. I tried making eye contact and was about to leave when another bartender acknowledged me. I ordered a cocktail and water. It was clear things were disorganized and the server offered to jump in and pour the drink. It appeared to be pre-mixed, he stirred it with ice, and hurriedly strained it over the cube in the glass. I like rye cocktails and have had this one many times. It filled 3/4 of the glass, there was no garnish, and the concentrated mix was off or the drink needed time to dilute. There were no touch backs after serving the cocktail and no water was served. Another bartender stopped in front of me to make a drink and I asked for a glass of water again and thought they would invite me to oder a starter. I still had the menu and had come in for dinner. Twenty minutes more passed, my drink still wasn't good, and everyone was focused on the guest at the end of the bar and the large portion of protein on her salad. There was a lot of staff, but it was clear things were not going to get any better. I decided to finish my drink and pulled up a menu for another nearby restaurant. The bartenders were busy and never did touch in with other guests. Fifty-five minutes after arriving and menu in front of me, I was asked if I wanted to order food. Beyond hungry, I asked for a starter and entree. Another five minutes later, the bartender touched back to confirm my order. Frustrated, I just asked for the bill. My drink order was not in the register and he had to ask the other bartenders what I had consumed. I cashed at 8:05 pm - more than one hour after entering for dinner. This was strike number three out of four visits. It is very unlikely I will return. read more

The ambiance is perfectly set here. Took my mom for a bday lunch and had a great experience. Service was a bit slow but the servers made sure to let us know how long the wait was for certain menu items. read more

See all

An absolutely amazing experience start to finish. The ambiance, SERVICE, menu items, dessert. Truly, exquisite. We got lucky and snagged a bar high top even though the restaurant was packed. We had the best time and stayed for a full experience instead of just grabbing a drink because enjoying the full menu was too enticing. The chef came out at the end of the meal to introduce himself. The staff was very impressive and I can't wait to get another dirty martini very soon. read more

Josephine - Martini - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, it missed expectations in almost every way. I'll start out by saying that the hostess and general manager walking around were kind and regularly checked in. It's also a beautiful space. It's down hill after that. We ordered the raw bar sampler and were shocked by the poor quality of food. The clams were bitter, and the oysters and shrimp were not fresh. We ordered our steak medium rare, it arrived with bits of fat still inside. The trout lacked flavor and was also undercooked. Everything from the butter to entrees lacked sophisticated taste and simply underwhelmed. While the plates were French, they didn't taste French at all. Our server lacked all enthusiasm. He even walked away while we were mid order bc one of us forgot the name of the wine she wanted and was taking a minute to find it. We had told the restaurant we were celebrating a birthday, which the hostess had noted but the server didn't bring a dessert out. We didn't care but we just wanted to leave at that point. We didn't receive steak knives and full sized plates until requested them. We live in Old Town and really wanted to root for this place. Unfortunately, this spot has a lot of kinks to work out. We won't be back, but we wish them the best. read more

Very good service, food, interior, friendly and comfortable environment. Highly recommended to visit

The Ambiance at Josephine in Alexandria reminded me of a French restaurant in Paris when I was there. Josephine's Chef Matthew has captured the Classic French cuisine, which is what you're looking for at a French restaurant. Their Sunday brunch is spectacular with classic dishes as escargot; duck confit; brioche French toast; & Lox plate just to name a few; and let me not forget their pastry basket. I highly recommend the trout almandine in a nage sauce cooked to perfection. I would be remiss if I forgot to mention the staff, extremely professional; food connoisseur's in their own right, extremely familiar with what goes into the making of the dishes. their recommendations and pairing of wine or cocktails with the dishes is spot on. I am so looking forward to returning to Josephine's for cocktails, and Dinner. I say give it a go! read more

Oh, Josephine. How I yearn to adore you. Perhaps it would have been better to wait a couple of weeks to check you out, but alas - we were invited guests. First, I cannot overstate how thrilled I am to have a restaurant reopen in that glorious space. The building alone inspires. Our meal was overall, nearly unremarkable. When I say nearly, it because the complimentary bread basket and accompanying butter, was indeed, remarkable. Bordering on magnificent. I ordered something pink and bubbly, and go a thimble sized coupe. A literal shot. My dining companion ordered the gin fizz that takes extra time to prepare, but neither the hostess nor our server (even after conferring with...someone?) could define what it contained. The old fashioned ordered in our group had no comment, which is good. As for the food. One of my dining partners ordered gnocchi. In a French restaurant, but I digress. It looked hideous. It tasted nearly as bad. Gnocchi is inherently Italian, so I had little sympathy, but still. No sauce. Some weirdness with the gnocchi that turned them from the expected wispy clouds of pasta into miniature hockey pucks under the label of "Parisienne" was...interesting, and not in a good way. The mussels were ok. Not bad, not good. Just ok. Our third companion ordered the steak frites. The steak was a cut previously untried, and this person is a beef eater. Unrecognizable as a cut, but suspect it was from part of a cow that works out regularly. Lifts heavy, even. Maybe runs marathons. While cooked pretty close to temperature ordered, we didn't know we had to specify chew level. Service was adequate, except for the runner who really needs to know he isn't delivering "steak fright" and "gnash." I want to love this place so much, so I will be back. One more time. read more

The ambiance was great ! The service impeccable. The food was questionable. WE sent back our steaks twice, undercooked each time so just ate it. We already knew by the price, that the steaks clearly were not Prime but we thought menu said choice, just not sure. The sweetbreads were very good, just an unusually small portion. A man sitting next us complained about his dinner and asked for a refund, however, he licked his plate clean and looked close to homeless. Need a better dress code. In any event, good luck should you go for dinner, maybe they just had a bad night. Bon Appetite !! read more

Absolutely wonderful experience! The food was phenomenal and a very authentic French cuisine. There were 4 of us and we each had appetizers, entrees and dessert. The ambiance was very lovely and they made great use of a beautiful historic fire house in old town Alexandria. The staff were all incredibly friendly and very attentive; it was a very busy night and not once did we have empty waters or have someone not touch base with us. I would highly recommend this restaurant for date nights or celebration dinners with friends and family! read more

See all

Great ambiance and food. Been a long time since I've enjoyed the classics done right, with a flair! Updated flavors on my favs! read more

See all

Outstanding experience! Superb meal, drinks, and service. Kelvin, behind the bar, was a gracious and proactive host. His recommendations were spot on. We will be back!! Thanks much, Kelvin. read more

Good was good, service was awesome and the ambiance was very pleasant. I do recommend Josephine..

We had THE BEST experience at Josephine for my fiancé's birthday! He got martini service which was so well done (plated nicely w a generous sidecar) and I got two glasses of the beaujolais wine. We got the oysters (amazing), French onion soup (stellar), burger (on point), and a cheese board to end. The honey comb on the cheese board was so great. Our server was so kind and welcoming and the vibe is so warm, cozy and welcoming. She even brought out dessert w a sparkler cause I noted it was my fiancé's birthday on the reservation. This place is a GEM for a special occasion. We will never return to Le Dip or Bastille after trying Josephine. Better in every single way!!!!! read more

I first came for brunch and the food and service were amazing so we wanted to try out the dinner menu. The food was good. The service was great. But... you need to train the 2 young girls at the front desk. When I walked in, they were both texting on their phones. They awkwardly put their phones down and said nothing. I told them I had a reservation and she says "for what time?" I said 5:00 and she snapped, well our dining room doesn't open until around 5 so I'll check you in. And that was it. Never once did she smile or look even remotely like she wanted to be there. First impressions are everything. But when you have a super unpleasant person at the host desk, it's not a good look. I would definitely come back, but with the hopes that these 2 were better trained and actually wanted to be there. read more

Food and drinks were all fantastic for my first time at Josephine with friends. Our server made a great recommendation for a wine that I appreciated, and he was very knowledgeable and honest about his menu recommendations. I loved the ambience in the dining room with the skylight for our cloudy, rainy Saturday brunch. read more

Wonderful experience! We went for lunch and loved everything we ordered. Escargot & Lox for appetizers, Trout Almondine and Mussels for entree and creme brulee and Ile Flottante for dessert! Service was fabulous! read more

Food was good but service was horrible. My friends reserved a table, we were celebrating a birthday. Upon arrival I was told I wasn't allowed to join my party because where they were seated (3rd floor) was over capacity even though they literally had a spot reserved for me. The host made a scene, and was adamant that I couldn't join my party, guest were staring, it was embarrassing. A few minutes later another host asked if he could walk me up the 3rd floor section to see if it was over capacity, and it wasn't. It wasn't crowded, I did not see anyone else leave the section when I arrived so I was confused over the commotion. The only reason I stayed is because I didn't want to ruin my friend's birthday dinner. I've never felt so unwelcomed in a restaurant, I would never go back. read more

What an amazing place! A perfect date night or girls night spot. Beautiful restaurant and it gives a very fancy and cozy feel. I got the steak frites and it was delicious! I ordered it medium rare and it came more on the rare side but it was still good! Fries were the best! Our server was very nice as well. read more