Great little French restaurant. The mussels were very tender in a delicious white wine sauce. The French fries that came with it were excellent. They home make all their bread so try the different varieties. The best item on their menu was the drink we had. Cannot recall the name but it had St Germaine and grapefruit. You can easily drink quite a few of these and they're quite potent. read more

Somehow, I've managed to live in DC for a decade but have never patronized Le Diplomate?! What a mistake! A girlfriend decided to remedy that and whisked me away for cocktails here to celebrate my recent birthday. Even in the heat of August, we enjoyed the nice shady patio and were seated at a bistro table for two. The service was great, even when the patio filled up completely. I really enjoyed their frosé, not sickeningly sweet or harsh like others around town -- a nice delicate balance of flavors with St. Germain, Ginger Cordial, and Cherry Blossom Syrup. We weren't hungry for a large meal due to the heat, so we settled on two Burger Américans - served super quickly, and cooked perfectly with a delicious house sauce on top. The wonderful steakfrites bistro style fries were crispy and flavorful too. All around a great few hours with excellent service, great food, and great drinks. Will be back soon! read more

Robert was our waiter and he made every effort to assure us a wonderful meal. I had my two daughters out for a birthday dinner. Our food was really five stars, I give four because the noise level is so high. We had the trout, the steak and frites and Beef bourguignon. We shared a creme brulle. The Sancere wine was excellent. read more

A superb Parisian bistro in DC. My wife and I went here for my birthday dinner and were very happy. The food and service were both top notch. If there's a complaint, it is loud enough to make having a conversation difficult. We started with the French onion soup (me) and the 1/2 chilled lobster. The onion soup was among the best I've ever had - robust, rich and very flavorful. I had been hoping to get a taste of the lobster, but no such luck - my wife gobbled it all down and loved it. For the main course, I had the steak au povre and she had the beef bourguignon. Both were excellent, the steak cooked precisely as ordered and well, but not over, -seasoned. The beef bourguignon was also well prepared and quite tasty. We split a creme brulee for dessert (she had most of it, she's a big fan) which was also excellent. They have a very extensive, quality wine list, including a good selection of half bottles as well wines by the glass. While not inexpensive, for the quality of food and service, le Diplomate gives good value. read more

Sunday brunch with no rival! Came early with no reservation and seated right away. Great drink menu (latte and mimosa). Perfect bread assortment to start, ordered the gruyere omelette and poached egg polenta with sausage links and croissants. Perfect atmosphere and great start to the day! A must try for locals and visitors wanting something more than a bagel or muffin from the corner bakery. read more

Your French neighborhood restaurant. I don't recommend the seafood on ice. It's just ok. The desserts are amazing!

It used to be better. I used to love Le Diplomate (and I still think this is a go-to place for brunch because they serve so many great variations of eggs), but.... the service isn't as good, the food isn't as good as it used to be. read more

Incredible meal and great atmosphere. I will definitely be going back soon. Entire menu sounded great. My friend and I ended up sharing mussels as an appetizer, as well as an heirloom tomato salad. Steak Frites was incredible and the lamb that my friend ordered was excellent also. Again, nothing but great things to say about this place. I will definitely be returning soon. read more

AMAZING!! The food and desserts here are incredible. The servers are so prompt and know what I need before I even need to ask. I 100% would come back and will recommend to everyone I know. read more

Brunch was wonderful! Melvin was a great server. Everyone at the table was happy with their dishes. I will be back for sure!

Anything you order from the menu will likely be the best version of that dish you've had. Le Diplomate manages to be delicious, elegant, and a great space to enjoy a special evening, all without be snobby or stuffy. read more

Ate dinner here last Saturday during the DC Pride Parade, sat outside and grooved to techno float music while being visually stimulated by hairless skin, costumes, and colors....pardon my reverie. Le Diplomate. Hostesses were Stepford polished and very pleasant. Pricey dinner fare but decent portion sizes. My husband had raw oysters and the shank. Between mouthfuls he said they were tasty. I made a meal of mac and cheese, mussels and frites, and a side of spinach. -1 star: The frites were old and withered served with old, warm, yellow mayo but I had a basket of delicious fresh baked bread and soft butter to keep my cloud afloat. -1 star: Our server sucked. I waited tables for years so I know the difference between being in the weeds and just plain neglectful. But he was friendly when we did chance to see him and his section mates were on point with picking up his slack: taking our order, delivering drinks, clearing plates, refilling water...you know, serving our table? I'd def revisit but I'll keep my fingers crossed for a different server. read more

Le Diplomate - Awesome view of the DC Pride Parade heading north on 14th St! - Brasseries Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had been there before and loved it, but went on Monday night and was quite disappointed. My wife had the scallops, and they were perfectly cooked, but so salty she could barely eat them. They didn't offer to re-make them, instead only comped us a side salad to help with the saltiness. I had the steak frites, and they were okay, but again the fries were way too salted, and the meat was only so-so. For the price and reputation, I expect more. read more

Expensive but delivers. A glass of wine + the bagette in the breadbasket and the butter is utterly divine. We also got for the escargot.

I came here with a friend on a work trip and we both devoured our delicious steak frites. The atmosphere is great--lively, interesting--and very not-DC. I put this at the top of my DC restaurant lists and one of the best developments to hit the District since W. and I both moved away. read more

Not worthy of the Starr brand. Inattentive service and bumped by wait staff 4 times in 20 mins. Better off getting take out from a nice restaurant. Told the hostess I was dining solo and the waitress set the table for 2 and proceed to make me wait 20 min for a drink order. Rather than comp the glass of wine I was presented a bill. Ridiculous. Hope they get better! read more

Everyone raves about this place and don't get me wrong, its good but its not amazing. I came back here for the second time this year and this time brought my Mom. We ordered the steak frites and both steaks (mine was medium/rare and she had well) were extremely tough and chewy. However, the excellent pate and oysters helped offset the disappointing entrees. I'll be back in DC in February so hopefully 3rd time is the charm!. On a side note, this place has the most fun bartenders - I learned almost every single thing about martinis one could ever hope to know in one sitting! read more

Excellent all around. Sure, there may be nothing incredibly original or innovative going on here, but expect excellent food, excellent service, and a pleasant dining experience at any time - 10am or 10pm. I've had good experiences at the bar, on the patio, and in the dining room. read more

This place is a bit of a trek for us, but always worth it. We've been here several times and the food is always outstanding. It gets pretty crowded on weekends, so you're going to wait for a table. They have a lively bar scene as well. read more

We got: - Cheese plate (brie, cheddar, some kind of sheepsmilk) - Small portions with added stuff like pickled watermelon, sliced green apple, blueberry compote and nuts with honey. The cheddar was a bit strong, but the accompaniments paired very well with all of the cheeses. We also got 3 slices of extra bread which was good enough with the bread basket you receive. ($18, 7/10 taste, 7/10 value) - Onion soup - Rich, silky, velvety. One of the better onion soups I've ever had. Love that there were actually nice chunks of onion in it. Ample amount of cheese (too much for my taste though). ($13, 9/10 taste, 8/10 value) - Steak Frites - My wife loved it. Well cooked and the butter on top permeated the steak. I think it was the hangar cut. The frites were plentiful and delightfully crispy, just the way we both like it. ($30, 10/10 taste, 8/10 value). - Beef Bourguignon - Absolutely disgusting. Tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for over 24 hours. Completely dried out and under-seasoned. It may have actually been the worst main course I've ever ordered at a sit-down restaurant. I honestly can't believe I didn't send it back. Server didn't seem to care I ate less than a quarter of it. The side mashed potatoes were decent. ($33, 1/10 taste, 0/10 value) - Apple Tartine - Great flaky, buttery crust. The apple tasted overcooked and the sweetness was not even throughout the slice. However, with the french vanilla ice cream, it was ok. A very large slice that is more than enough to share. ($12, 6/10 taste, 6/10 value) ~$145 for two with tax and 2 drinks. Solid 6/10. Overall, the restaurant's ambiance is great and very fun to be at. The food is decent, though a little pricey for what it is. Just don't get the beef bourguignon, that was whack. read more

Haven't been in a while, but this place always delivers. Great food, excellent service, and fantastic ambiance. Has it all..,

The food here was really, really great. The ambiance is amazing, and the place looks like it's a movie set. No complaints there. I do, however, have to say that I thought the service was sub-par. Our waiter was very absent-minded, and took forever to take our orders, multiple times. When the food came out, dishes and drinks were going to all the wrong people, and we had to re-organize ourselves. We also ended up being seated about 30 minutes after our reservation time. I would definitely go back because the food was so good, and who knows, maybe they were having a bad service day. read more

I've eaten at Le Diplomate three times and I REALLY like this place. A lot. Everything about it appeals to me and the food is really delicious. Wine list is extensive and doesn't disappoint. The atmosphere is perfect--romantic, intimate, exciting, classic but also innovative and the food reflect this or maybe the atmosphere reflects the food, but either way Le Dip is awesome. Steak Frites, Mussels, scallops, tuna tartare, mushroom tarte, macaroni, all the desserts--I recommend them all. Go here for an impressive date. Or with your parents. Or grab a dessert at the bar. Just get here at some point. read more

Le Diplomate was good. Came here for brunch, sat at a lovely table outside, and enjoyed some food and brunch cocktails with a friend. No complaints, service was good, food was good! Not a meal so special that it will be raved about for years to come, but definitely a solid place to eat... I will be back soon, perhaps for dinner! The bread basket is extra delicious. read more

After yearning to visit this Parisien restaurant for the longest time, I finally visited this place on a sunny Saturday evening with two close friends. We were seated in the sun room/green room, which was nice since the sun was setting around this time and provided a warm ambience to the space (I also reveled in the fact that Tiesto ate in the same area fairly recently). My friends were impressed by the breads, which were definitely more artisanal based on the type of wheat as well as cranberry encrusted variety. As for entrees, my friend and I ordered the steak frites, whereas my other friend wanted to be ambitious and ordered the prime rib à la provençale. The steak frites were cooked to a perfect medium and I enjoyed the vegetable garnish. My friend who ordered the prime rib did like her dish too, but felt it lacked a bit flavor wise, despite the sheer size of the cut of meat itself (almost as big as the plate). It would have been a shame not to have coffee and dessert there, so my friends ordered lattes and with the waiter's recommendation, I ordered the tarte fine chocolate caramel. I could just dream of chocolate and caramel after eating that delectable dessert. First, the hazelnut ice cream added a good nutty balance to cut through the richness of the tart and the chocolate shell gave an extra element of texture accompanied with the soft caramel. I also enjoyed the gold leaf, nut and popcorn garnishes for aesthetic purposes. We all exited the premise extremely satiated and content with our culinary experience. read more

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LOVE this place! A group of 10 of us came to celebrate my friend's birthday last Saturday night. Since the group was larger, we had to wait a little past our reservation time to be seated due to the prior guests still being seated. We were seated about 20/25 mins past the reservation time. Immediately upon seating, they served everyone a glass of champagne along with these Gruyere cheese bread puffs and a salmon spreads to make up for the additional wait. Talk about service! Unfortunately, I was sick and unable to drink but everyone loved the champs and continued to order the Rose version throughout the rest of the dinner. I loved the cheese bread puffs. So flavorful. For dinner, I ordered the half chicken with the potatoes au grain (you can never have too much cheese). The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was very moist and flavorful. I'm not usually the type of person to eat plain chicken but I loved it. Now on the potatoes. CHEESE HEAVEN. I believe they had Gruyere, Asiago, and one more type of cheese which I can't remember. They were so rich and my friend loved them as well. I would come back just for these. Overall, this was a great experience and shout out to our server Janine! She was amazing. Never left my water glass empty and was very attentive without being overbearing. I can't wait to come back! read more

Le Diplomate - Half chicken with the potatoes au grain. YUM! - Brasseries Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had a wonderful birthday brunch at Le Diplomate! I'd heard of it, and my DC-based daughter had never been, so it was the perfect choice. We enjoyed some special brunchy alcoholic beverages that were yummy, and following our waiter's suggestion enjoyed the pastry basket- I STRONGLY recommend the chocolate croissant- I nearly swooned when I bit into it! We all enjoyed our entrees- I had perfectly cooked eggs benedict, my daughter enjoyed a croque madam, and my husband ate every bit of his duck-based entree. We strongly recommend Le Diplomate, and will be back for an evening meal. Oh- we didn't have reservations, and while there was a wait it wasn't bad at all. read more

Fun place to go for good brunch. A little loud but the ambience is great. Might have to wait if you don't have a reservation, but worth it. Black sausage rocks read more

I'll be the one to say it, this place is over-hyped. The service started nicely by the server asking if we had allergies and walking us through the menu, but it slowly went down from there. Plates that were supposed to be cold were hot and plates that were supposed to be hot were cold. We specified on the reservation that we were celebrating our engagement so they gave us complimentary champagne, which was a nice touch, but it was delivered at the end of the meal instead of the beginning as an aperitif. The duck and the steak frites were good, but the service was underwhelming. I thought it would be a perfect place for our special occasion based on the rave reviews and high ratings, but it did not live up to my expectations. read more

A lovely restaurant with great ambiance, delicious food, and excellent service! Perfect for a weekend brunch or celebratory evening meal!

I love this place. Oysters, french onion soup, filet, tuna tartare... everything I've tried from here is so good.

YES YES YES! Went here for my first anniversary. Such a cute and romantic place. Great food and excellent service! They made us feel so welcomed and even celebrated with us by asking what the occasion was and sending dessert. read more

I have been here twice. Once just a walk in, sit at the bar, casual pop in visit with me and my husband. We had a great bartender named Noel who was chatty and very pleasant, although he was quite busy. So that was the first great experience we had. the second experience came when I had a girl's brunch with three other ladies one Saturday morning. I have no complaints, everything was delicious. I shared a cheese platter with some of the girls, and I ordered an egg white omelette. The other girls ordered french toast, waffles, and mussels. Everyone enjoyed their meal, although my egg white omelette could have had a little more flavor. It was cooked beautifully, fluffy, and the fillings were bountiful, just a little bland. I had to use salt, which I never need to do. Maybe I am just a omelette snob since I made delicious omelettes at home, but if I returned, I would most likely order something else. All in all, we have fun and left stuffed and ready to conquer the day. Is it worth all of the hype? I'm not really sure about that. I could name many other places that we enjoy more, but it is definitely worth going at least once. read more

Le Diplomate - Brasseries Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Really good food. We had the duck, Tete de Couchon, and the Chicken pate. The pate was the best--it was great. All the food was really good though. The drinks were spot on. The wines by the glass were very tasty. We had Alonzo as our server, and he was top notch in terms of both recommendations and knowledge of the menu. We were really pleased with our dinner. read more

Came back with the family. Even more fantastic than the first time. Got the heirloom tomato salad - perfection. Also tried the sea bass. I don't even like fish and it was divine. Go here. Just go. Sit anywhere. Go at 4:30 pm if you have to. Just eat the food at Le Diplomate. You won't be disappointed. read more

Decided to take my wife here for our Anniversary celebration in late August. The only reservation available was right at opening, which was fine, we're easy going folk. We arrived early and the hosts asked us to wait a few minutes while they finish setting up, so we headed to the bar. No problem. Bartender was very friendly, quick and knowledgeable. After about 5 minutes we were approached by a host letting us know that our table was available. I would've been happy at the bar, but this night was not just about me... The place looks like a bistro in France, so very comfortable. As mentioned above, we were early, so there were very few people in the restaurant. That changed QUICK. After the server greeted us and brought the homemade bread, the place was completely packed. Not an empty seat in the house. The food is what you would expect...really good. No complaints except for the noise. That's if you had to gripe about anything. Perfect for a night out, celebratory dinner, fit for foodies, or just grabbing a drink. I highly recommend booking this place early... read more

I had a wonderful dinner at Le Diplomate on Friday night. Weeks of planning ahead landed bf and I an 8:15pm reservation on a Friday night--woohoo! We arrived, and they told us to wait a few minutes while they got the table ready...a ploy to get us to the bar, but fine. We tried to grab drinks, but honestly, the bar area was too crowded. Difficult to get the bartenders' attention. Once we did, though, the bartenders were fantastic--taking several orders at a time, chatting with folks, and making recommendations all at the same time--super impressive! Once we got to our table (we ended up sitting in the Garden Room...highly recommend--it's quieter and prettier than the main floor), our waiter was great! Very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. We started with the beef tar-tar, which was, to be honest, too much tar-tar. We shared it and probably would have been happy with something half the size. We also had the green salad, which was good. For the main course, I had the steak frites and bf had the plate of the day--bouillabaisse. He said his was good, but to be honest, I think I've had better steak elsewhere? Given that our last outing was at BLT Steak, maybe I'm just spoiled, but I wasn't super impressed. It was tasty, but I might order something else next time. In sum, the food is solid, the ambiance is cute, and the service is superb. Come here for a date-night, and you'll be so glad you did! read more

This is a French restaurant that could be right in the middle of France and there would be not one ounce of difference. From the atmosphere to the beautiful and thin (how) waiters and waitresses to the incredible food. It is thick with crème and if you get the mushroom tart make sure that you've never eaten before in your entire life because you will need all of the spare calories that are surely in this food. read more

This place would get 5 stars from me but I have to judge it fairly on what I ate. I ordered the steak and frites and the steak had a ton of gristle on it (talking almost half of it was inedible). When you are paying as much as you are, you expect a decent cut of meat. Frites were really good though. My mom ordered the same thing and she had the same issue. Could have just been a bad couple pieces of meat. We notified our server of the issue and they more than made it right. Everyone else loved their food and I think we ordered every dessert on the menu and they were all delicious. read more

We live up the street. Our favorite bar spot to start date night. Delicious cocktails (French 75 is my go-to). Best bread basket in town! We go here by ourselves, with groups of friends and even our 10 year old daughter loves Le Dip. The frisee salad is a favorite of ours and they will nicely split it (the soft egg on top is divine). The duck is outstanding, as is the cassoulet and the half chicken. My daughter always gets the ravioli appetizer for an entree and it's enough (4 big ones). We enjoy sitting out in the bistro/cafe area where they take most walk-ins. The inside is buzzing with a fun DC atmosphere. read more