The bread (and food) are incredible, but did I mention the bread?? Always a great time. Good…read moreservice, ambiance and of course the bread

I came here on Good Friday to have seafood. The staff was super friendly, and the place was very…read morenicely decorated. They do not fully understand what gluten-free means. This pasta cannot be made gluten-free, and when I asked for the risotto, they asked if I was okay with cornstarch. My wife asked for the octopus only to find out they had run out. Still, what we ate was very good. If it wasn't for the lack of gluten-free awareness and the missing octopus, this could easily be five stars, but with these limitations, I want to say 3.5 stars. If you are not gluten-free, this is worth trying. If you are, just be careful and ask a million questions.

Cute little French restaurant with very European vibes. Food was amazing. Menu was mostly in French…read morewith some English details so be prepared lol. Food was amazing and very yummy. Service was pretty laid back but still very accommodating for our party of 10! Waiting for bread does take a bit of time though as they baked them fresh and only pass out once per person. I had the duck dish which wasn't on the menu, but I asked the server and he said there was only one left which I opted for. The meat was very tender and juicy. Eaten with the green beans, potatoes and the sauce combo was amazing. I also had the creme caramel which is basically a flan with whipped cream and blueberries. It was good and not overly eggy. The caramel sauce adds just the perfect touch of sweetness as well while the blueberries add a sweet tartness.

This restaurant has been around since the beginning of time (actually, since 2005). It is a…read moreneighborhood staple and a nice place to get good food. This is not a Michelin-star restaurant, but it's still nice with good food. The service was good, and they accommodated my gluten-free needs without any French snobbery.

The ambiance was beautiful! I arrived a bit early and decided to wait for my girlfriend at the bar…read more I ordered a Passionfruit Sour, but unfortunately they were out of passionfruit. I think the bartender could see my disappointment and he said "how about I make you a strawberry sour, I promise it will be good." When I tell you the drink was SO yummy! Once my gf arrived she tried mine and ordered the same. Our server was great, attentive, but not overly so. The food was delicious! If I had to say one negative, it would just be the portion size. I did leave feeling a bit hungry. I will definitely be back and will try some other dishes, but I'll probably order the same drink lol

Elena James was a wonderful dining experience. The garage parking offers plenty of available spots…read morefor retail customers. Elena James happens to validate parking, so do not forget to get your ticket validated when you pay your bill. The menu is unique here. The dishes include homemade Parker house rolls, arancini, and what I believe is homemade pasta based on how good my entree was. Service is spectacular. I really think this is an unknown place that deserves lots of praise.

I finally made it to Beth's and honestly had mixed feelings about the experience. The food was…read moregood enough that I really wanted to love the restaurant overall. The egg rolls were perfectly fried and delicious with the homemade sauce, and the fries were crispy on the outside while still moist inside. Trey was also a great server and definitely one of the highlights of the visit. The restaurant itself is beautiful, especially the outdoor seating area. The patio is bright, inviting, and honestly a much better atmosphere than the inside dining space. Unfortunately, the music inside completely took away from the experience for me. The restaurant has a dark/lounge-style vibe indoors, so the music really matters. Something more universal and upbeat like Motown, 80's pop, or feel-good music would match the space so much better. Instead, the playlist was loud, distracting, and honestly made me ready to eat and leave. I was also surprised that there was no happy hour offered, especially with such a great outdoor setup that seems perfect for after-work drinks and appetizers. Overall, the food and service (thank you Trey) were solid, but the atmosphere inside and lack of happy hour would probably keep me from returning regularly.

I've had this review in DRAFT for a while, to allow time for rumination as to the final rating…read more.. On the one hand, there are some very positive aspects to Beth's, situated in downtown about a 10 min walk from the Bethesda Metro Station. Turn off Old Georgetown Road onto Fairmont Ave, and the first thing you encounter is a beautiful outdoor patio for al fresco dining and a large bar. The colors are vibrant with a focus on Southwestern earth tones; very reminiscent of a cafe you'd find in Sedona. It was still on the chilly side when my dinner group gathered, so we opted to sit indoors. There is a small waiting area in the foyer, and then a moderately sized bar, which leads into the main dining room. TBH, the design asthetic of the space is a bit of a "mishmash." Is it supposed to be European inspired? A continuation of the Southwestern motif? It's all a bit odd... We had about eight in the party, so staff pushed together two tables for us. We were greeted promptly and were told that the restaurant could accomodate individual checks, as ordering is done with handheld devices. My other observation about Beth's is, I'm not quite sure what "story," the place is trying to tell. The menu focuses on "Bites," which could be interpreted as "appetizers" and only has four "plates," aka "entrees." Our server mentioned while awaiting our orders that Beth's wants diners to share the "Bites" with a spotlight on their cocktail selections. So is Beth's trying to be a tapas bar then? I opted for the recommended Purple Rain which consists of Gin, lavender, lime; mostly because I LOVE a nice herbal Gin. The distinctive flavor of juniper berries from the gin was present, while the floral notes from the lavendar and citrus of the lime balanced out the drink. I was pleasantly surprised. Food started arriving after about 20 min, and visually the barley risotto was quite appealing. Instead of short or medium grain rice, Beth's uses the ancient cereal grain barley. It is slow cooked in stock to produce that slightly chewy, yet not undercooked mouth feel. USDA choice braised beef short ribs was stewed until fork tender, and the dish was finished off with Parmigiano Reggiano, and butter. For $24, the plate was a good portion size and very tasty. I dunno. I sampled some of the small plates such as the Brussel Sprouts, crunchy ravioli, crispy spring roll...and everything was fine. Not outstanding...not terrible...but just fine. The kitchen seems to be competent, so it would be interesting to see a menu where more main dishes were offered for diners who want a more substantial meal. The other thing I'll note is, due to the extremely high ceilings, the main dining space is a deafening echo chamber. I was hoarse by evening's end, since I was literally yelling over not just the background music, but the other nearby diners. Just keep this in mind that if you're seeking a quiet and cozy spot, either dine outdoors or come early. After some reflection, I settle on 4 stars. Service was good with water glasses constantly refilled, dirty dishes removed, to-go boxes offered, and the ability for separate billing. Price wise, for one alcoholic beverage, and one entree my tab with tax and tip came to a bit over $50. Automatic gratuity was added for the table since we had over 5 people. I appreciate the server informing us so we didn't "double tip."

The food was great and the server Kal was awesome. I love the seared octopus! Ambiance was good.read more

I brought my parents here during their visit to DC and our food was great and the service was…read moreamazing! We received very attentive service from Erick Romero, our waiter, and my parents and I left super happy and very full! We'll definitely be back! Thank you, Lia Team!

Four of us had dinner here tonight, and everything was excellent. The steak frites were delicious…read moreand authentically prepared. The service was friendly, attentive, and welcoming, and the owners are genuinely nice people who clearly care about their guests. The restaurant also has a wonderful outdoor patio, although we chose to dine indoors this evening. We look forward to returning soon to try more items from the menu. Highly recommend!

Visited this neighborly restaurant in the Friendship Heights/Tenley Town border. Spacious and…read morecasual interior. Friendly service. It's near AU so it has a good selection of pizzas and draft beer. What's unique is that it also has some French and Belgium dishes. We tried the steak frites, French onion soup and Gougeres which are all very nicely done. Pricing is reasonable. A good option for a satisfying meal without needing to shell out too much money.

This restaurant is indeed such a gem!…read more First let's talk about the appearance - my fiancé and I have been on a journey of finding local quaint restaurants where the food is amazing and doesn't require us to drive into the city (DC). This place checks the box - it's inside of a large house, a bit unassuming on the outside but the inside is gorgeous. Ample seating, has an upper level balcony for two tables for couples looking for a more intimate dinner experience, and a pianist playing lovely music in the background. Now the food - food is good. Simple ingredients, not too much but enough that I wouldn't say the food is bland. For appetizers I ordered the tagliatelle option and my fiancé ordered the meatball option - both were delicious. For dinner I ordered the mushroom ravioli dish and requested salmon to be added for protein, and it was very yummy and filling. Waiters are so friendly and kind, and just a warm place to enjoy a lovely dinner. We ordered the soufflé dessert and I personally wasn't a fan, the flavoring was great but I don't like the consistency so instead while my fiancé ate that I got vanilla icecream on a cookie shell (substituted the assortment of sorbet that it originally comes with) and I enjoyed that very much.

We recently celebrated a birthday at La Ferme with a larger group and were seated in a private room…read moreupstairs, which was a nice setting for the occasion. The food itself was very good--I ordered the filet mignon, which was cooked well and was the highlight of my meal. Unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired. When ordering drinks, the waiter specifically asked whether we wanted salt on the rim for our margaritas. We said yes, but the drinks arrived without salt. When we politely asked to have it added, the response felt dismissive and came across as having an attitude. More concerning was how my dairy allergy was handled. I mentioned multiple times that I have a dairy allergy and specifically requested no parmesan on my fries. The waiter seemed to have difficulty understanding the request. When my filet mignon arrived, it was topped with a sauce that I suspected contained dairy. I brought it up to the waiter, who confidently insisted the sauce did not contain dairy and was simply a peppercorn sauce. After I asked him to verify with the kitchen, he returned and informed me that the dish would need to be remade without the sauce. For an upscale restaurant, I expected much better allergy awareness and communication from the staff. Food allergies should be taken seriously, and servers should be knowledgeable about menu ingredients or willing to verify information before assuring guests that a dish is safe. To add to the disappointment, our party was charged an approximately 22% automatic gratuity without it ever being mentioned by the server. While I understand that many restaurants add gratuity for large groups, it should be clearly communicated beforehand rather than discovered when the bill arrives.

Had a beautiful wedding today at this restaurant! It is slightly hidden across the street from…read moreDogtopia and Ala but a great gem in Bethesda! They have a bar in the Bistro when you first come into the restaurant with some tables, and you walk past the elevator that takes you up to the further reception area. They have a stunning outdoor garden space that they filled with chairs and tables and accommodated a wedding ceremony (approximately 50 guests). The reception was upstairs on the second floor and it was a bit of a cluster having 50 people trying to get up to the second half of the event. The food was absolutely something to write home about! We had a menu to pick for two choices of first course, main course and 4 dessert options. I got the Maryland Crab Flan, Beef Tenderloin with crispy Brussel sprouts and fried risotto ball, and the Lemon Torte and I can honestly say, I thoroughly enjoyed every, single, bite. Perfectly seasoned, large portion of tenderloin, and mouth watering lemon torte that had a perfect balance of tart and sweet. The seafood flan was something I will be going back for with a glass of white wine. All in all the afternoon was beautiful and the wedding was great.

I've eaten at Bistro Provence multiple times over the past five years, mostly for work events in…read moreone of their upstairs rooms, but also once for a smaller dinner. I've read many of the reviews, and many of the negative reviews, in my mind, are unfair because it seems the reviewer didn't know what they were getting when they went. It is expensive, it is French, and the chef makes every dish himself. So yes, the service can be slow and the dishes (particularly the specials) are very expensive. But everything I have had there -- the Branzino, the lobster purses, the bread, the steak -- have all been outstanding except the apple tart which I frankly don't like that much (but that's just a personal taste thing -- I prefer more crust and a sweeter dessert). The staff there is great -- many have been there for years -- BUT the service IS slow (see above, chef making every dish himself) and can be epically slow, hence my deduction of a star. If you're looking for a long, leisurely, special, French dinner -- this is the place for you. If you're looking for a different experience, don't go and don't complain when you get the experience you were looking for.