UPDATE March 2014: Downgraded from 4 to 3 stars: Some neighbor friends who go there frequently popped in for the Bistro menu. There's a new manager, was told it was the owners brother, who was amazingly rude and told them not to come back. It was over getting a booth that was handled poorly. So word has spread in the Town, and locals are avoiding it. Hate to diss a neighborhood place, but when they chase out locals (e.g. walking distance) who have been going there for years, that's just not acceptable. ---- Previous review--which would still apply if you don't encounter the rude manager----- Went to Persimmon for the first time since it reopened, we've been going there for 13 years. The renovation was one of economy, pedestrian woodwork, white walls with big weird paintings of fruits and vegetables, but the booths in the back are nice. The menu is essentially the same, except they've added sandwiches and salads. So now you can have a casual meal for two for around $50, if you want. The food is great. I had the pulled pork sandwich, which was really really good. It was close to perfect. My wife had the wedge salad with chicken, also very good. We also had the mushroom ravioli appetizer, which was on the old menu: we've always been addicted to it. I'm assuming that all the old menu appetizers and dinner menu items are still good, however I would never ever recommend the boliabaise - it's always been bland. Surprised that they left it on the menu. Three problems: 1) now that they are serving bistro food, they really need to offer some more interesting beers on tap or in the bottle. Very pedestrian assortment of beers. 3) They don't offer bread at all, which leaves you wanting something to savor the wonderful sauces on their dinner entries. 3) for some unfathomable reason, as in the past, they don't have half/half or cream for coffee. So we passed on coffee and dessert. In the past, we've brought our own half/half to the restaurant. It's really stupid. So if you go there, and don't get chewed out by the manager over your table location, enjoy the great food, bring your own bread, half and half, and see if you can sneak in a good hefeweizen. read more

The best restaurant in Bethesda, hands down. I have never had a bad or even slightly good plate. Every single item I ordered has been 10/10. I have been there at least 10 times in the last year and they never let me down. This may sound weird or nasty but, the first time I eat Persimmon, when I stood up to leave, my body seriously felt like I had just had sex. The food was so tasty that it released the same endorphins. It's a funny statement but, the food at Persimmon is organically delicious! Funny but true. read more

Don't even want to give one star! Had to return my bouillabaisse , it was so bad, was not charged for it tho .. Lost its charm, I kind of liked white table cloth.. Now it's just like any cheap places, but with not so good food and very high prices :( lost another nice place Forgot to mention service - there was none, it looks and feels now like a sports bar with tv showing sports...tv?really! read more

I went on a thursday with my girlfriend and 2 Excellent pecan-crusted rack of lamb! ********************* (cont'd on 11/12/09) Been here maybe 5 times. They always start you off with a plate of bread and pate. Good start. If you go Sunday through Wednesday, they offer a $30 prixe fixe menu. The waitress may or may not tell you that the meat serving is half of what they would normally give if you don't do prixe fixe, but i've always found it plenty, along with the appetizer, dessert, and bread/pate. The wine list is very respectable - I'm not a wine snob, but most anyone should find something they like here, and they have a $15 tasting of 3 wines. Not bad. Every meat entree I've had is wonderful, with extra kudos going to the lamb and chicken. Can't go wrong with the fish either. This is top-notch cooking we're talking about. The only complaint I have is the lobster bisque... it had chunks of lobster, which is great, but it almost had a butternut squash thing going on (wouldn't be surprised if that was the base), but that made me like it less. Doesn't compare to the seafood bisque at Bobby Van's Steakhouse in DC. If you're looking for a nice date location though, with candles and great food (and great price on prixe fixe), definitely check this place out. read more

Very poor. The good fish dinners that were the hallmark of the place were nowhere in sight. I ended up eating a so so hamburger. Service was poor. We had to ask several times for the same thing which often never arrived. The new decor is bland and the noise level still too high. We will not return. Dick read more

The wife has been wanting to go to Persimmon's for awhile so we decided to go there for New Years Eve dinner. Parking wasn't bad, its got a metered lot right behind the building. The restaurant itself was a little cramped for my taste and the staff from the hostess to the waitress were not friendly. The restaurant is NOISY...i couldn't hear my wife and she was maybe 3 feet away from me. They were offering a 3 course meal as a NYE "tasting menu" which included soup/salad, entree and dessert for $50/each. We had the lobster bisque and tomato soup, duck and veal and chocolate devil cake .The food was good...but nothing special i felt....don't really think i need to go back there again. read more

I'm torn about this place. The decor is HORRIBLE. Cobwebs in the corners, dirty carpet, drywall tape peeling at the corners, and was that mold on the wall? The old carpet gives off a funky smell. For a restaurant who charges $30 for an entree...these are real issues. That being said, the food was good, but not extraordinary (which I expected given all the good reviews). The fried oysters were good, but a bit fishy (from a can?)...the citrus soy sauce was actually the best part. The bouillabaisse was good, but lacking a bit of flavor. The sticky toffee pudding was yummy, though. my waiter was GREAT (and I considered 4-stars due to the service), but that wasn't enough to get past the so-so food and the bad decor. read more

I can't believe this is the "new" Persimmon. It feels like a cafeteria--eat and run. There is no warmth about the place and the chairs are so uncomfortable you don't want to stay longer than necessary. The walls are bare. Now lets discuss the food. We asked for bread and were told that they don't have a bread service. REALLY? So they brought us crostini which didn't really fit the bill. My friend had to return his raw hamburger which took so long to bring back the rest of us were all done with our meals. My crabcake was really bland and had such a big bun on it, it tasted like a bread sandwich. The service? As cold as the place. Somehow the renovation took the life out of the place which is sad because they were once so good! read more

I have been here twice and must admit it's some of the best food I've had in the area. Like any place, there are some downsides, but overall, I'd say it's on of the areas best. It's low key and cozy, so it doesn't have the pomp and circumstance a fancier restaurant might. I've ordered the rockfish and beef tenderloin, both were superb, however hello holy portion sizes batman. They seriously load you're plate and I have yet to actually finish a meal here. Also, their soup comes in massive bowls and are almost a meals in themselves, so don't order them unless you are seriously famished. One other downside I found is their desserts are not as stellar as their main courses. While good for the most part, they just don't hold up to their entree courses. I would pass on the cupcakes, I've had one here before and not only was it incredibly dense (almost fudge-like in texture) but it was also super tiny and not as tasty as I had hoped. read more

Went for my bday dinner with parents and bf a couple of weeks ago on a friend's recommendation. I should've written this review sooner because now I can't remember too much! We went on a Monday evening and only the RW menu was available. I was a bit disappointed at first since RW experiences are usually sub-par compared to dining at the restaurant during normal times. I was pleasantly proven wrong. In all, it was a very pleasant experience. It's a very tiny restaurant that was packed when we got there. It was a bit awkward being able to listen to the conversation of the couple next to us and vice versa. The service was quite friendly, if a bit slow-understandable considering that it was packed and it didn't seem as if there were too many servers. Wine list was decent and had a lot of good value-driven selections. I wish I could remember what specific wines we had...but all I remember was that it was two bottles-a Sauv Blanc and a Pinot. As far as the food goes....There was one consistent theme to our experience there- they do an AMAZING job with their sauces. I started off with the Blue Cheese Mushroom Ravioli. A really great dish, considering what a dominant flavor blue cheese is, I was suprised at how delicate-tasting and nuanced this dish was. It was served with some sort of dark stock based broth (veal maybe? i think there may have been some sort of wine reduction in it too) WOW it was good. I sopped all of the remainder up with my bread. I think Dad had the mussels. I can't remember anything outstanding about them but they were pretty good. BF had some sort of asian-inspired spring roll I think. It sounded really mediocre on the menu but turned out really well. Again, they nailed it with the sauce for that. My fish entree which I ordered because it was some exotic-sounding species was a bit disappointing. I probably deserved it for ordering an entree for it's side dish (gnocchi, in this case). I found the fish a bit off tasting, although no one at the table seemed to agree with me. The gnocchi's texture was disappointing as well- chewy and not fluffy. Bf had the duck confit with sweet potato which was fabulous! Especially so considering he doesn't really enjoy sweet-savory food. Mom had the crabcakes. I know they were really good I just can't remember any distinctive details about them now. Dessert was pretty good. There was only one real standout, some toffee bread pudding a la mode type thing. VERRRYYY GOOOD. We also had creme brulee, some passion fruit custard in a martini glass, and something chocolate. None of them were bad, they just didn't hold a candle to the first. I'm excited to go back! read more

My wife likes this place very much - says it was her favorite date so far in DC. And we don't, but if you like Pate, they give it out by the bucket. read more

First time here and we had a great dinner ! We ordered the Tuna & Avocado Tartar appetizer, the Pan Seared Salmon and the fish special Halibut w/Ratatouille. All were excellent. The decor is plain but can be a bit noisy with a wood floor, wood tables and wood booths. Small with about 20 tables / booths. read more

We always enjoy eating here. Most excellent salads and a big emphasis on fresh ingredients. Nice sized portions as well, and a diligent and attentive, but not pushy, wait staff. Reasonably priced and a congenial atmosphere. Just a really nice place with high quality preparation and attentiveness. If you're looking for a nice neighborhood place while still getting a quality dining experience, this is your place. read more

The food was OUTSTANDING. Started with the tartare (amazing) followed by the scallops (OMG). The service was impeccable. Everything was simply awesome. I wish they were in ATL so I could eat there more often. read more

Had the bouillabaisse which was excellent! Happy hour at the bar also is a good deal.

My wife and I had a pretty good meal here before going to the Strathmore for a concert. The chicken liver pate was a good pairing with the crusty sliced baguette. A little different than the butter and bread combo. The meal itself was pretty good. I had a very well executed beef tenderloin and wife had wasabi crusted fried oysters that she liked. A very good meal if not out of this world. Service was competent, but decor was pretty bland. They also had a good selection of wines. If you are in Bethesda, give it a try. read more

Reccomended for a date or small group dinner. Food is wonderful- the kind of place where I savor each bite. This is my favorite restuarant in Bethesda and I've reccomended it to others who have all thanked me for it. Portions are a good size, meaning not too big and if you want to enjoy an entree and dessert you can. read more

We went back to Persimmon on Valentines Weekend for my birthday and had dinner, it was fantastic. Tried both the steak tartar and ravioli appetizers and both were delish. Hubby got the rack of lamb and I got the Rockfish with lemon gnocchi. Both were really succulent and flavorful. For desert we had the devils food cake and the pecan tart, of all of the things we ate these were the most disappointing. Good but not up to the standard that the other items set. Next time we'll do without desert. But it was a great evening and we'll be back. read more

This is my first time going here since they remodeled. I personally prefer the more formal old version. I think when the bar gets hopping it could get difficult to have an intimate conversation. Started out with the oyster wasabi. Not bad, but not a lot of oyster or wasabi taste. I would not order it again. Orders the sea scallops and lamb entrées. Both were very good. The scallops were fresh and cooked to perfection. The accompaniment was also good. The lamb was also cooked exactly as ordered and was very flavorable. Nothing on the dessert menu caught my interest. So why four stars? The main courses were very good. The atmosphere was pleasant. Not sure I would come on a Friday or Saturday when the bar might be busy. There are other appetizers that look interesting and I don't really need to be eating dessert, so not being tempted is a good thing. read more

The food was really good! Unfortunately the service was not. We came on Mother's Day and were waiting around for quite a bit for everything (ordering, drinks, the food to get cleared, you name it and we waited for it). If you decide to come here, I wouldn't recommend coming if you're in a hurry. read more

I should mention first that I ate here during the Bethesda Chevy Chase Restaurant week, which might account for my 3 star experience (as opposed to the 4 or 5 others have had). It was crowded, very noisy, and the service was very slow, again maybe due to restaurant week. We ordered a half bottle of wine as soon as we sat down, and it took about 15 minutes just for the server to bring it over. Then they brought us a basket of bread with pate, and although the bread was slightly stale, the pate was very good and a nice alternative to butter. One really nice thing is that they offered their entire menu for restaurant week (a steal at $30). Our appetizers were perfectly cooked and very tasty - we ordered the fish taco and the scallops with orange fennel salad. For our main course, I ordered the pan seared dorade and he ordered the rack of lamb. The dorade and the lamb were both a little disappointing. They were well cooked, but not as flavorful as we had hoped. However, the sides were awesome - the dorade was served with with a tasty stew of asparagus, shrimp, and mushrooms served over a polenta cake, and the potato gratin that came with the lamb was amazing. Dessert was probably the weakest point of the meal - berries with cream and chocolate cream martini (chocolate pudding in a martini glass). They were good, but nothing special. I will definitely try to dine there again when it's not restaurant week, to get a better representation of their standard service and food. read more

The restaurant by looking at the menu tries to be more than it really is. The waiter was very rude, and impatient and acted as if he was doing us a favor by sitting down. I would never pay for food from this restaurant again due to the poor service. which by the way. didn't really improve until the manager arrived ironically. I can eat in D.C. Or Virginia and get fresh food and better service and pay the same amount as our bill was that day. The restaurant being located in Chevy Chase, MD does not justify this wannabe upper scale place read more

Bacon on my burger when it wasn't requested. Fries were over cooked. Won't get that again. The crab cake sandwich isn't too bad.

I went to Persimmon during Bethesda Restaurant week. After reviewing the menu, I was really impressed that they were offering such a selection. As an appetizer I ordered the Provencale style mussels. The mussels were wonderful, but I wish the portion was larger. I also wish that a piece of bread was served with the mussels to dip in the delicious sauce. My friend ordered the scallop appetizer and said they were good. My other friend ordered the Thai spring roll. I did try it and was happy with my selection as I didn't think there was anything special about the Thai spring roll. For dinner I ordered the scallops. I thought the scallops were good and I really enjoyed the shrimp, corn and avocado relish. My friend ordered the crab cake and said that there was virtually no breading! He said that it was one of the best crab cakes he has had in awhile and he really enjoyed the bacon mashed potatoes. My other friend wanted to order the filet mignon, but they were out of the filet so she ended up ordering the steak that they added in its place. She enjoyed it, but was disappointed that they ran out of the filet. Overall, appetizers and dinner were really good. Personally, I was disappointed in the desserts. I ordered the apple crumble and found the crumble to be chewy. I actually felt the crumble took away from the baked apples. My friend ordered the strawberry shortcake which was actually a few strawberries and whipped cream in the middle of a dry biscuit. Needless to say, he was disappointed. My other friend ordered the molten chocolate cake. Unfortunately, the inside molten section was cold. The service was great and the passion fruit martini was yummy. I definitely recommend trying Persimmon, but I would skip on the desserts. read more

So I have been to Persimmon twice now and have left feeling quite satisfied on both occasions with all of my food. The first visit was a couple of moths ago in March I think and the other was tonight. What I ordered: Appetizer: Lobster rolls with Old Bay Chips (first visit): the lobster was very sweet and cooked perfectly. There wasn't too much mayo in the mixture and the rolls were nice and sweet (a good combo for the lobster). You only get two small sandwiches with your order but it is plenty, especially with the sandwiches almost overflowing with yummy lobster meat. I will admit, I never tried lobster rolls while in Maine but to my naive tummy, it was delicious. Soup of the day (first visit): Lobster bisque: very good and different. It had a coconut milk based sauce and had a little spice to it. It was very good though. Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Blue Cheese Ravioli (second visit): smaller but adequate portion. Delicious, with a yummy mushroom filling and a scrumptious dark sauce. Main Course: Seared Beef Tenderloin (first visit): Tenderloin was cooked perfectly (medium) with just enough pink all the way through. The sauce that accompanies it was delicious. The spinach and mashed potatoes were the two sides for the dish. I don't eat spinach by itself all too often but I ended up finishing the spinach on my plate, along with the mashed potatoes. Oven Roasted Chicken (second visit): Chicken was cooked perfectly (no pink and tender). It was delicious accompanied with the sauce it was served in. Also, there were no boned except for the tiny wings, which made me happy because it let me be lazier in my eating process. The potato puree was good (bland but good). The vegetable ragout was also a nice combo when eaten with the chicken. Overall, awesome food experience both times, so I there probably will be future visits. Service both times was awesome (had the same lady both times). She was a very nice woman who always had a smile and didn't push for my companions and I to order dessert when we didn't want to (which I liked). My water glasses was never empty (I always get two because I drink A LOT of water~ my friends tell me I should be a fish). Again, overall good experience. read more

Love this place. Partially because they have a half price bottle of wine night, partially because its a great bar to eat at, but really everything I have tried s awesome. I usually start with the Empanadas of the day. Yesterdays were duck confit and so very tasty. The fish tacos are a favorite but I can't seem to control myself from getting the Wasabi Crusted Oysters. If you ask they will give you that appetizer as an entrée which I highly recommend. On a side note, I stopped in for brunch and tried their red sangria and must say it is one of the best I have had. So, all in all, this little spot is truly a neighborhood gem. read more

Went to Persimmon for Restaurant Week and service was slow and confused. Waiter not sure what to do and solved it by disappearing. He was replaced by a competent woman who took our orders. I ordered duck and specified it should be rare. She said she understood and would see to it. When it came, it was pretty close to well-done, certainly not rare. There are no excuses for a fine restaurant to serve duck that way. Most recommend medium rare and I could have accepted that, but this was far from even medium rare. Very disappointing. Otherwise the food was good and once they figured out how to take orders, the dinner went smoothly. Given the chaos in the place, I could not take the chance of sending it back and asking it to be made properly. Will probably go back, but with less enthusiasm. read more

A pleasant meal & experience. A bit noisy that made it hard to have an intimate conversation at 8pm. Above average cost for a dinner for two. The cost of the meal made me like it all a bit less. read more

I was staying at the NIH and was in the need of a good meal before going home.I read the reviews and decided on this place. It was AWESOME!! My sister and I started with the lobster rolls which were very yummy, very soft bread and not overloaded with dressing. For dinner I had the rack of lamb!! Heaven!! The sauce and the pecan crust worked well together and it was cooked perfect.when I come back to the area I will definitely be back! read more

Very cute restaurant and brunch was really good. Service could have been more attentive and mimosas are way overpriced but overall a good experience. read more

Wonderful food, laid-back elegance. What a lovely, lovely place for a date or an evening out with friends. The cognac and creme brulee we had for dessert has been the home screen on my iphone for weeks, such a fond memory of a delightful evening. read more

I think persimmon is one of the best places in Bethesda to get brunch and lunch. The waiters are all laid back and very attentive. The atmosphere is nice and the food is great. read more

Food is very good, was nice place to celebrate a birthday dinner, service was good too!

My girlfriends and I had lunch today at Persimmon to celebrate my birthday. It could not have gone worse. One of my friends was stuck in traffic so she was going to be late which we told the waiter. While we waited for her (about 20 or so minutes), the waiter never brought over water. Then, when she arrived, we sat another 10 minutes and had to look for the waiter to order our meal and ask for water. All three of us ordered salad nicoise with salmon. Two of us ordered the salmon medium and one ordered it medium rare. When the order came out, one had tuna instead of salmon. We waited about 10 minutes and then the salad came out but the salmon was raw. We sent it back again. Waited another 10 minutes. The salad came out again raw. This time we asked for the manager (who, by the way took our order in the first place). He was very argumentative, insisting that the fish was not raw. (We know the difference between raw and rare). Meanwhile, he stormed off for the forth time with the salad and started taking away one of the other salads that we were still eating (sharing). The three of us ended up sharing the two salads. We were never offered bread, were never apologized to, and one of the dishes was chipped. Not once did the waiter come over to see if everything was ok (it was not). The entire experience was miserable and certainly not a celebratory birthday lunch that we hoped for. The check came with the salad that we never received deducted and marked as "manager's comp" as if we got it for free. This is unacceptable behavior at any restaurant, especially one that is supposed to be a higher end one. We won't be back anytime. read more

Went here with family to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. The restaurant is small, and very simple in terms of decor, but the food was pretty spectacular. The only dish I didn't absolutely love was the fish tacos I ordered, but I had the chance to sample around the table and everything was just amazing. The lobster rolls are to die for, and I really enjoyed the wasabi-crusted oysters. Mussels in the bouillabaisse were cooked just right, and all of the meat dishes were the perfect temperature. The birthday girl had the Dorade with shrimp and really the fish was quite exquisite...crispy skin and all. Would definitely recommend giving this place a try. read more

A very nice & cozy place - good service, friendly staff and enjoyed the food overall. i got the lamb and my date ordered the roasted chicken.. lamb was well cooked but the chicken was a bit on the dry side (i suppose w/chicken it's hit/miss..) a bit on the pricey side - dinner for 2 was ~$150 (with alcohol of course). i would return, but wouldn't be on the top of my list. read more

Went there for an all girls b-day dinner. This was our first time dining here. We walked in and there were quite a few tables open. I thought uh uh why aren't they busier? We were immediately greeted and made to feel at home. We were not in a rush and our waitress was fabulous on giving us plenty of time. Within 30 minutes the place was packed. We ordered several appetizers to share (blue cheese ravioli, beet salad, and lobster rolls). The waitress asked if we would like to have a ravioli for each person in the party - Yeh bonus points for asking, most restaurants do not do this! Dinner was fabulous (rack of lamb, tuna, and salmon) The desserts are nothing to rave about. Great place, food and wine. Exceptional service! read more

So disappointing! We had heard how good a restaurant this was and reserved well in advance for 3 for Saturday night. When we arrived on time, a table for 2 had been set for our party of 3,hardly a workable eating arrangement. We were told that this was our only choice,despite anumber of empty other tables in the restaurant, and that another table might open up over time. Very curt, very cold, very dismissive. We promptly left for Jaleo and a wonderful meal. We will never go back to Persimmon. read more

Came in late last night. The caesar salad was awful. Over dressed, tasteless, seemed like it had been dressed hours before. The fish taco was cold. Wine was good. Service good. Place used to be great - have had some good meals here. I've had better salads in chain restaurants. read more

Damian does a great job! The food is fantastic and just yummy. The Wasabi Crusted Oysters are unreal! I always take my friends and family to Persimmon...besides...Damian is like family...Persimmon is a place where I can see my old friend while eating a great meal... read more