High end French restaurant with a dark/romantic atmosphere + a lot of French pimentos hanging all over the walls. Menu contains a bunch of options + there are a ton of daily specials on a separate menu as well.very small cocktail list, though they have a solid selection of wines. I came here for dinner with my fiancé and we had fantastic food. Complimentary bread & butter that was very fresh, phenomenal French onion soup, and soft shell crab for me + Duck for her. It was pricey but delicious. Service was very feast and attentive as well There are a fair amount of tables in a small space, which makes the place fairly loud read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I brought my family here for my birthday on a Saturday and noon and we had a lovely time. The restaurant is on the small side- I recommend making reservations in advance if your party is larger than 4. We arrived at 11:45am and there were only 2 other tables sat; when we left at 2pm, every table in the restaurant was full. The service is fantastic; they provide the daily specials, bottled wine comes in a chiller and fresh hot bread and butter. For appetizers I highly recommend the in-house made pate fois gras- so delicious with the house made bread. The mushroom caps are also filling and the crawfish is amazing. The onion soup is flavorful and full off cheese, the salmon, scallops and beef all perfectly cooked and seasoned. Wonderful espresso and dessert too! read more

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This is what you would imagine for a Paris bistro. Small, cloth covered tables in an eclectically decorated room. Service was excellent, leaving no room for complaints. The food however, had split reviews. The flight of cold soups lacked flavor or personality. The Cesar salad had good anchovies and strong cheese flavor. The Coquille St. Jacques (sp) was covered with a tomato paste that overwhelmed the scallops. The fresh, soft shell crabs were served in a creamy garlic and butter sauce. A mixed bag. Coffee was freshly brewed. Martini was perfect. Whiskey sour not very good. read more

This is a cute boutique restaurant. Second time I've been here and I recommend it! It is on the pricier side but I enjoy the quality of the meals and the great service from the staff. I enjoy their seafood and wine options. This is a cute date night spot or to go with a small group of friends/family. Recommend calling to make a reservation during their busier nights! read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

From the drinks to the appetizers to the incredible entrees this restaurant impressed us! The dining room is very small, intimate and quiet enough for casual conversations. The service is fast, thorough and friendly. Our new date night favorite in Old Town Alexandria! read more

Great atmosphere Great service. Food good but could be better. Not sure I would go back. Bistrot Lepic in Georgetown is better.

Adorable, authentic and intimate . The service was excellent. Wonderful wine list. I ordered the appetizer escargot, which was outstanding, and a simple salad, which was so-so. The veggies were nice and fresh but the dressing didn't have much flavor. My friend ordered an entree of lamb with potatoes. I forgot to ask her for her thoughts. She didn't rave about it (and she is a CA food writer) but she seemed to enjoy it. I tried her au gratin potatoes and they didn't have a ton of flavor either. I'll definitely go back and give this place another try. I guess it was similar to a first date -- its authenticity, warmth and uniqueness definitely piqued my interest. I need a second date to see if my "like" can turn into "love." read more

Wonderful Jen of a restaurant; one of old Town's best. I am a long time resident of Old Town and for some reason had never been to Le Refuge. So glad we went. The food was incredible, the atmosphere is so cost and the service is attentive without being overbearing. I had the Lamb, which was outstanding and my wife had the Dover Sole which was even better. Make sure to save room for desert. read more

Terrible customer service. I called Oct. 20 to order a $100 gift certificate for my son's birthday which was October 25. I was charged the $100 on my Visa charge card. The manager assured me he would definitely be able to get the certificate to my son's address in Alexandria, Va for his birthday. My son called he had not received the gift. Today is Nov. 16, he has still not received the gift card. I called to complain, the manager was rude and said it is not my fault your son didn't received the gift. I asked him to credit my account, he refused. DON'T TRUST THIS RESTAURANT 1m Reply read more

I have been going to this local restaurant for years and rarely does it disappoint. Four of us went to dinner there last evening and split two orders of the rack of lamb. It was hands down one of the best meals we have enjoyed in a long time. The serving is quite large. I always order the thyme sauce on the side and bring my own mint jelly. I have tried to replicate the delicious sautéed cabbage, that comes as a side,but can't master it. This authentic French bistro is a gem. Wonderful staff, delicious food. Suzanne B read more

An authentic French Bistro in Old Town, Alexandria. Good food, nice service and cozy ambiance!

Le Refuge has been around since 1983 and is considered OT Alexandria's oldest French restaurant. I came here for a birthday celebration with advance reservations; we were seated right away by the windows that were strewn with lights and cute holiday decor - the restaurant itself is very intimate, cozy, and totally has that romantic vibe! Definitely a nice place for a date night or a small get-together. We ordered: +Soupe a L'oignon Gratinee - baked onion soup with swiss cheese +Stuffed Mushrooms - warm mushrooms caps, stuffed with crabmeat and dressed with mustard cream sauce; these were served lukewarm, so I wished that these were served piping hot; the mushrooms were generously filled with crab, but the appetizer itself was just bland in taste +Filet de boeuf sauce Roquefort - filet mignon with a creamy Roquefort sauce; the filet was a little tough, and the roquefort sauce was a bit bland and not as strong-forward as I expected +a Beef Wellington - the steak was a medium rare +a creme brulee - the sugar was burnt, so this was a bit difficult to eat/finish The restaurant also offers prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner, which seem like a great deal. Service was friendly and attentive. Metered street parking can be found around the restaurant. +lukewarm appetizers +bland entrees +burnt creme brulee +friendly service +metered street parking available read more

Good taste and service. I would like to eat there second time. The experience is great. read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Without writing a book ... Best French Restaurant in the Northern Virginia region... Best food ... the staff are Pro's ! I understand that the owner sent them all off to France to train ! They are not in your face but then again seem to know right away (visual clues ?) that you need attention Restaurant is smallish and inviting ... Just go ... make reservations ... hard to just "walk in" read more

This is one of our favorite local spots in our town. It's not pretending to be some fine dining French place - this is the home cooked delicious country restaurant in burgundy vibe and food. It is absolutely perfect for a cold winter night. Alex and I try to come for the first snow every year and this was no exception. We always get the sautéed calamari, the cassoulet and a bottle of red wine to top it off! This time we tried this wine and it was sensational! *note: I am not a huge fan of red meat and I'm a "cute"erian aka don't like eating cute creatures and the cassoulet is to die for. I just pretend that I have no idea what's in it!! Haha read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - Yummmm - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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We enjoyed most of our anniversary dinner very much. The only negative experience was when I wanted to order a fruit tart for dessert (it was on the menu) and I was told this dessert was only available on the weekend. Such a disappointment! Unfortunately, once we went back to the car we were dinged by a parking ticket. We may not rely on street parking in the future. The evening ended on a sour note, regrettably. read more

Great French food at a reasonable price. Who could ask for more? I had a brandy-laced pate and frog legs, wonderfully garlicky. read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - Grenouille. A couple of frogs died for this meal and I regret nothing. - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This place was amazing if I could give it more than five stars I would. The decor is cozy and really sets the mood of a French café. The staff is attentive and absolutely wonderful, charming and so nice and the food it was to die for everything we ate absolutely amazing 100% would I recommend this place definitely make a reservation though it is a very small restaurant!! It's very homestyle cooking, but the flavors are amazing. All the meat is cooked to perfection and the sauces are heavenly. The chocolate mousse was one of the best things I've ever had. It was so decadent. My only complaint is the plates that the entrees come out on we're crazy hot and it kind of turned the table into and oven. read more

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What a lovely spot! You can tell it's a mom and pop shop and I love that! Support your local businesses!!! Had dinner with a friend here recently and cannot wait to come back. Our server was funny and helped us decide what we wanted. He was very attentive and there if we needed anything. We shared a French onion soup and it was hearty! So good. I ordered the tilapia which was so flavorful yet healthy and light. My friend ordered the duck and she loved it! Looked delicious -- she was deciding between that or the scallops and our waiter said "for sure the duck!" Everyone is so nice there! Highly recommend checking it out. read more

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Great food, great service. This restaurant has been great for years. The menu is very authentically French.

The is by far one of the finest French restaurants I have ever eaten! From the start, the service was amazing. Our waiter made our dining experience so special just from his charming personality and his attention to detail. I love that it isn't a LARGE space. You feel that cozy comfort, yet not crowded and cramped with people. It's a place you can speak at your table comfortably and not battle the noise of the room. The food was Devine!!! Everything from the Malbec I had with my meal and my wife's cocktail, to our main course meals were off the charts. It will be a place we see as part of our "staycation" in old town. read more

Wonderful French cuisine in a beautifully decorated restaurant. The service was excellent and the food could not have been better. I thoroughly enjoyed the beet salad followed by chicken with a delicious mustard sauce and a side of scalloped potatoes. Hope to return someday!!! read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - View from our table. - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Wanted to love this place but my god, everything was sooooo salty. Onion soup base wasn't rich enough. And bread was a miss with foiled butter packets. Please start using an inhouse compound butter! Ambiance was cute and cozy. Waiter was charming. read more

Excellent in every way! The sauces are over the top and the service is impeccable. Portions are extremely generous. Le Refuge is a gem.

Cute French restaurant tucked within the lovely streets of Old Town Alexandria. Place is small in a cozy rather than cramped way. Came with friends and appreciated that the staff allowed us to have a leisurely dinner rather than rush us out the door. Had the lamb, which was deliciously prepared, tender and juicy. Among the sides that came with, the potatoes were mouth-wateringly creamy and the standout. read more

I've found my new favorite restaurant in Virginia! Le Refuge is the slice of the Loire Valley I never knew I could experience outside of France. Our dinner transported us directly back to Europe with dishes that measured up to those we had while on our travels. Some highlights: -Escargot; perfectly cooked, tomato sauce, not chewy -Duck; so tender and served with the most delicious raspberry sauce -Goat cheese stuffed quail; just wow! -side items served with our meals; the potatoes were a highlight I would love to take home a full plate of. We ordered a cheese plate following our meal and it was just perfect. For drinks we shared a bottle of Chateauneuf de pape and had Kir Royale to start. This is an excellent place to celebrate an anniversary, birthday (they have a special way of celebrating birthdays that isn't cheesy or embarrassing) or just grab dinner on a random night as we saw many regulars doing. Our waiter took absolute care of us and made the best recommendations. We can't wait to return again and again! read more

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All the dishes that we ordered were average. The coq au vin was salty. The onion soup was the best tasting dish. Good baguette. read more

It was my first time going tonight. It's such a cute cozy place. The tables are a bit too close to one another so it is a little harder to talk (since you're closer to a person sitting at another table next to you than to the one across from you that you're dining with) But I guess that's the part of the charm. The food was good... I was a little disappointed by little packs of butter accompanying the bread because it looked like something from a highway diner. It just took away from the overall experience. The appetizer was absolutely amazing!!!! We had grilled calamari in a divine sauce! I mean it was so good!!! Our drinks were good. We had gin&tonic and they were nice. We didn't feel like having wine. Our main dishes were ok. We had a fillet mignon and rainbow trout. They were both fine but we wouldn't go for it again. We had some peach desert with ice-cream and almonds that was really nice and refreshing. Overall, it was good. Ps- our server was very sweet and helpful! read more

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Classy French food in Alexandria. Came in for an at-home siesta for a long week - called if they had any single tables tonight and they were able to get me near the door in an hour at 7. That seemed to be the right call to come in - the restaurant is pretty cozy with every table taken and everyone had a reservation. The ambiance worked with the dim lighting, felt like there was a lot of history to the place. There was a pretty substantial menu of specials: maybe 20 items between the appetizers and starters combined. Had a seasonal endive salad that worked really well with the Roquefort and the walnuts. For an entree I had their take on the Beef Wellington since it was listed under specials - they asked me what doneness I wanted which I appreciated. The pastry work was very pretty, and all of the sides felt really clean. Not only one of the better takes I've had but probably the most economical - there are some name chefs known for the dish in driving distance at twice the price but objectively worse. I've seen birthdays, couple's dinners, post-work meetups and more when I was here, and it really just feels like classic dining in the community. It was cool to see some of the regular parties get excited interacting with the staff and owners. Definitely coming again when the occasion arises! read more

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Really solid food and super cute atmosphere. Highly recommend the escargot and the duck breast which is on the special menu - so tasty and the sauces were incredible. Coq au vin was just okay though.. a bit salty and overcooked. Other than that a great place to eat!! read more

For 30 years, I was a semi-loyal customer, based on the restaurant's having two favorites: frogs' legs and leg of lamb. That history ended today. I'm no longer close, but one hour away, and arrived to learn it was CLOSED for the entire month of August, opening after Labor Day. Just to be sure, I revisited the website and there is NO such notice. To ignore something that important shows a total disregard for customers' time and 'sometimes' loyalty. It also ignores the fact that old town is a tourist destination, and visitors often rely on hotels for recommendations. If they don't know, they'll be sending people to a restaurant that is closed, and that hurts old town as a whole, a community that spends a lot on promotion. Le Refuge is off my list, and I will no longer recommend it to anyone, as I used to do on a regular basis. There is good food throughout the DMV--the decision factor here is DISRESPECT. read more

I came to a birthday party here tonight only to be blown away by the stupendous food and lively staff. We had a huge party but they handled everything perfectly. I had the mushroom caps stuffed with a generous portion of tender, flavorful crabmeat atop a delicious, sharp mustard sauce. I ordered the quails stuffed with goat cheese.... Oh lord. The dish was rich and well-executed. I also tasted the frog legs, lamb shank and the sea scallops! I cannot wait to come back and try the whole menu. Now I have mentioned the staff but I'd like to highlight Elias. He was on his toes all night and expressed his delight at seeing us all enjoy the food. This is the kind of place where food is taken seriously. Splurge and come here. read more

Cute quaint and authentic ftench cuisine. Frogs lrgs anyobe? Small and quiet in old town alexandria read more

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a snob about French food & love it. From Julia Child 'till today it's my passion. An evening can be ruined by 'fake' French food that has a splash of cheap wine. I've been to the Refuge b4. Tonite in a party of 6, the evening was a satisfying success. The place was full & buzzing. Food was flowing from the kitchen rapidly. I had Hearts of palm, the Wellington that had liver pate, & Strawberry Melba. The Melba was especially delicious. Heard at the table from my foodie brother "the food here always tastes good". He was right, that time only! Lol. read more

A good menu. We've eaten here a lot over the years. Everything is good. Service is excellent . A little cramped for seating but no one seems to mind. read more

Woooooowwww I'm a regular at Cote d'Or in Falls Church but this place might have the edge. Tonight was my first time there and damn! The place is awesome. Tiny, cozy/cramped, festive. Definitely an older crowd as well, like Cote d'Or. Something odd--I came for a pseudo-birthday dinner, and there were 4 other parties that were doing the same. It's clearly a place that has a lot of regulars, and this is obviously where they come for special occasions. Duck liver mousse was right on point, calf's liver as well. Veggies and potatoes au gratin were perfectly done. Buddy had the rack of lamb, which was great. They have all the French favorites, and I might bump up my rating once I try them all. Place is great and apparently is a local legend owned by one family for 30+ years. A must-try if you like French food. Only downside was the starter bread was just OK as some other reviews have said. read more

The perfect place for date night! Staff, food, and service were all wonderful. This was our first time here and it did not disappoint. I'm so happy we found this little gem! read more

Le Refuge Restaurant - Profiteroles - French Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The food at Le Refuge was excellent and the service was outstanding. The restaurant itself is cute and intimate with a long time loyal patrons. Overall great experience and will return! read more

Le Refuge has street parking, but we found a spot around the corner. We started with a bottle of Malbec, Conquistador de Argentina. For appetizers we ordered the Country Pate, and Escargot. They were out of Escargot, but our very knowledgeable server suggested the crayfish. She was right, they were delicious. Pate was also very tasty. They also brought French bread, and. Continued to bring it all through the meal. It was that good. For dinner, my wife had the quails, with a vegetable medley and scalloped potatoes. She loved it all. I had the Coq au Vin, with the same sides. Very good. Sauce was incredible, though I'm sure it wasn't devoid of sodium. Portions for both were fine. For desert, we split a Creme Brule. It was big so splitting it was easy. It is a bit pricey, but value for what we got was fine. read more

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Le refuge is an extremely old school restaurant. They expect you to order multiple courses, but the food is so unbelievably heavy its inadvisable to do that. Ordered the pea soup and quiche. Pea soup had an odd tangy flavor I didn't love, quiche was like a plate of molten cheese and cream absolutely impossible to eat and was so rich that it literally put me to sleep when I came home. That's after only eating a few bites too because again the richness. This was like no other quiche I've ever had and not in a good way. My husband had the onion soup which was amazing, and something else with beef that he also enjoyed. Overall it was an experience and maybe I'd come back for the onion soup, but I kinda doubt it. read more