Neighborhood Gem The phrase is most often given to mom-and-pop spots or rundown hole-in-the-walls, but it is the best way I can describe Cafe Dupont. I am going to put my usual sass aside and review what was one of the best dining experiences I've had in this city. We had a last minute birthday brunch this past Sunday for a friend. We entered the restaurant without a reservation, and were prompt/y seated at one of their best tables. The manager must have checked on us every 10 minutes. He knew we had a birthday girl at the table. He brought her a free desert at the end of the meal. Our waitress, perhaps the most attentive, polite and efficient server I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. The food was lovely, not heavy like most brunch menus in the area. The prices, comparable to (maybe even less than?) the cramped and overrated Kramerbooks across the street. We sat and talked for 30 minutes after we finished our meals. We never felt rushed to leave. The manager, Amir, came over, not to nudge us out, but to ask us about our experience. He told us about the recent renovations the Dupont Circle Hotel had gone under. He told us about happy hour specials the bar on the other side of the hotel had and offered us 'frequent flyer miles' if we became regulars. He was charming, genuine and conveyed a true passion for the establishment and his staff. I understand because they are attached to a hotel, most locals would avoid a place like this so as to avoid a tourist trap. To that I say, you are doing yourself a disservice. Cafe Dupont wants regulars. The staff wants to recognize their patrons, take care of them and keep them coming back. Give this place a shot for brunch at least. You will not regret it. read more

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Start your meal with Hemingway Daiquiri, this is a deliciously dangerous drink! Rum, grapefruit, and lime omg!! Keep them coming! The Superfood Salad was beets, quinoa, edamame, mint, cilantro, feta, and pomegranate is a wonderful and refreshing start to your meal! The beets are flavorful but not over powering and the pomegranates are surprising to the palate. The Burrata Ravioli with green peas, Basil purée, broccoli and Parmesan was an excellent entree to the salad. The basil purée had so much flavor and was the best part of the entree. The Glenarm Organic Salmon with spring ratatouille, bok choy and fennel was very refreshing with complementary favors. read more

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I used to be a regular patron at Bar Dupont and ventured into Café Dupont yesterday after not having been to this venue in about 3 years. I must admit, I like the atmosphere of this place after the renovations they've been through. I felt like I was in the library of a wealthy person's house upon entering. The bartender was great as well. I'd definitely return and glad I came here yesterday to check out the renovations. read more

Breakfast / brunch here is amazing. The cafe is very cute and there is a lot of open space with tons of light. SALMON BENEDICT This was the dish I got and it was very very good. The sauce is delicious and light. It looked good in the picture, and the taste confirmed the yummy picture. OATMEAL MUESLI This is a great breakfast dish to get if you want something comforting and simple. My friend got this before ordering another dish and I'm really glad he did. It comforted my travel stomach so that I could eat more yummy things! WAFFLE with FRUITS This waffle is amazing. It was fluffy and the fruit was so fresh. I would definitely get this again. read more

The Pembroke - salmon eggs benedict and waffle with fruit - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My co-workers and I came here for dinner last night and sat in the beautiful private room. It was a gorgeous day outside so most people seemed to opt for outdoor dining, which I think would have been great. This place just screams spring and summer to me! I started by ordering a specialty cocktail, the cherry blossom martini, which comes with absolut hibiskus vodka, absolut citron vodka, gordon's gin and st. germaine pomegranate juice. They were obviously on the strong side but DAMN were they good. So good that I may or may not have had 3 of them... ;) Fresh bread came out for the table which was interesting because it had 2 kinds of butter, one plain and one something else. The natural assumption was that it would be like an herb or garlic butter. Nope! It was some type of salmon butter that tasted like lox. For us who don't love lox a little forewarning would have been cool before slathering a slice of bread, but it's all good. Then we pretty much all ordered the butternut squash and apple soup, at the recommendation of the waiter. If you aren't lactose intolerant GET THIS SOUP. So so good! The only kinda crappy thing is that they have sticks of fresh apple which you can't easily get to using your soup spoon in the shallow bowl. But this soup was just phenomenal! My meal should have just ended here. So I'm on track to give this place 5 stars.... cool ambiance, delicious drink, amazing soup... and then my entree comes out. I ordered the chicken breast, which comes with walnut mushroom dumplings and cardamom kumquats. I was really interested in how the kumquats could be used in a way that wouldn't overpower the dish. The answer may be that you can't. Kumquats are so potent, the citrus flavor took over the whole dish when I started eating it. I basically had to leave the kumquats untouched. The mushroom dumplings were good (and ordinarily I don't even like mushroom) and the chicken was fine (like nothing out of the ordinary). The entire dish would have been helped by some type of sauce or something to make the dish less dry and more cohesive. I think the intention was for there to be some kind of sauce, but by the time it was served it was definitely dried up. Also: go home kumquats, you're drunk. read more

The Pembroke - The private dining room - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My last meal out in DC and fortunately it was on a day when there was sun and it was ideal for a good brunch :) My friend and I met at Cafe Dupont and got a window table in the part of the restaurant that is kind of like a sunroom, you're still inside but the space is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows to make you feel like you're outside (luckily you don't have to deal with the cold!). Needless to say, we were pretty happy about this! Service was a bit pretentious and slow. Our server was not the best with eye contact and he hardly came by to see how we were doing. When we we wanted our checks, though he was in eyesight, he kept his gaze somewhere else and it took a while to get his attention and pay, a bit of a pain, but not the end of the world. As for the food, I was pretty happy. I loved my coffee and gulped about two cups and would've gone for more if the jitters weren't starting to kick in! I had buttermilk pancakes for my entree and thought they were mouthwatering - they were fluffy and light and came with the most AMAZING maple syrup! I couldn't help but clean my plate, which I hardly ever do when given three HUGE pancakes! The syrup is what got me - it was a little jar of sweet heaven! Mmmmm mmmmm :) My friend had their corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and said they were really good. I also had a side of fruit but by the time I got to the fruit I was totally stuffed so I barely had any. The coffee and pancakes were great though, so I'd love to go back and have another meal at Cafe Dupont. Heads up that the restaurant is connected to the Dupont Circle Hotel so the entrance is a door into the hotel and then into the restaurant. read more

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We were in for a wedding and stopped by for a few drinks and an appetizer. This place did not disappoint. The service was fantastic and the food and drinks were even better! They have a great selection of house cocktails and their bar menu is very delicious. If you're in the area do your self a favor and stop by! You won't regret it. read more

The Pembroke - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went here for lunch but the brunch menu really didn't have much for non breakfast type food. All 3 people in our group decided to have the grilled cheese and mesclun salads. I must say that finding the grilled cheese option on the menu requires some closer and careful reading. It's grouped in with a bunch of other options. It read more like a side, but maybe that's what it's meant to be. $6, not bad. They came cut up into 4 pieces, which I thought was cute. The cheese was generous and a great balance of flavor. The salads were well prepared and presentable, but a very small portion for the $11 price tag. I wouldn't say anything special about them. Maybe would go back when I want a legit breakfast, but unlikely to return for lunch. read more

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Disclaimer: I think Cafe Dupont deserves 3.5 rather than a 3-star rating but alas.. To be honest, I had dinner at Cafe Dupont more out of necessity than desire. I was staying at the hotel for a weekend and my train arrived late in the evening. Rather than wandering around DC, I decided to make a reservation here, which, apparently, was absolutely unnecessary on a Friday night at 10PM. The dining room was completely empty. Octopus [$14]: I was pleasantly surprised by how good this dish was. Most places don't prepare octopus very well, but not here. It was mostly crunchy, only with the slightest chew. Yes, it was an appetizer, but it was a little small for what it was and the price though. Fluke Crudo [$14]: This was really fantastic. The fluke was perfectly thin and had the right amount of acid. Scallops [$25]: What really drew me to ordering the scallops entree was the quail egg. I like an egg on anything. The scallops were cooked fine, but there were only three of them with a side of Brussels sprouts. Honestly though, this dish was ordinary. I could find the same at any restaurant across the city. Chocolate Bar [$8]: I have a sweet tooth, but this was OD. In fact, it was diabetes inducing. Basically, the dessert is a dark chocolate fudge bar with a small scoop of ice cream and sea salt. The aforementioned items did nothing to cut the chocolate. The basil was left off, though I doubt that would do anything to make eating this dish any easier. I really had to power through. Just cut the chocolate bar in half and add some citrus and then we can start talking. My drink, I can't remember what it was called, but I do remember that it was not good. It tasted like Apple Cinnamon Theraflu. And at $14 per drink, I don't want to be reminded of being sick in bed. The waitress was really sweet. She was honest with her recommendations and provided really good service. Though, it's a stretch to say that she was a day over 20. It just so happened that she was the one who made my drink....(you can put two and two together). All in all, if you're staying in the DuPont Circle Hotel, check out the cafe, but I don't see the need to come here specially. read more

The Pembroke - Scallops [$25] - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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So we made a reservation for this restaurant not knowing what to expect or what kind of food they served. We were promptly seated and service was warm and welcoming. Once the menus were handed to use, to my surprise (and delight at the time), it was a bilingual menu complete with French as well. I thought, boy am I in for a treat! And I was wrong. The daily special for Friday was a ribeye. But not your normal fatty marbled ribeye. It was lean and dry with no marbling, and with only a very thin layer of fat on one side. It looked like a cross between a filet mignon and a very lean prime rib. I was sorely disappointed. Looking at the definition of ribeye online now, I realized they gave me the cheapest cut of ribeye possible (select/standard). See: http://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading.html At least it was cooked medium the way I ordered. Leanness aside, it had no seasonings/herbs, and the bearnaise served on the side was bland and a skin was starting to form on the top. Very, very disappointing. Doing a Yelp review search on CD yielded no reviews with the word ribeye! Must have been my unlucky day. The boeuf bourgignon was served over wide flat noodles. It was very mediocre. I could taste the wine, but it lacked any sophisticated melding of flavors that you would normally find in a stew. Boring! The brussel sprouts were better. Individually leafed and sautéed in butter, although it was drowning in butter towards the bottom of the dish. Desserts were much better. Creme brulee and apple fritters were decent, but not good enough to redeem the dinner. Tip: According to the reviews here, skip dinner and come here for brunch. read more

The Pembroke - The leanest ribeye I've ever seen (except for that outer layer of fat) - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I'm not sure what this hotel is like but it must be a smaller boutique type of place because the restaurant is definitely a few notches above your average hotel restaurant. It's a little pricey but the ambiance is more relaxed than many of the surrounding area restaurants -- not as noisy and crowded and screaming "be seen here now!" My partner had a salad and some fish appetizer and loved them. I had a vegetarian croquette dish, something of a departure for me. The inside was pureed ratatouille served on a bed of un-pureed ratatouille. It was interesting, not great but I don't regret going outside of my comfort zone. I also had a side of mashed potatoes which were delicious. The bread served before our meal was home-baked and included a goat cheese fig spread. Very nice! The waiter was a sweetheart. I only wish there had been a few other vegetarian options. read more

I stayed at the hotel for four nights, ate dinner at Cafe Dupont every night, and ate breakfast there once. It's a better experience for dinner than for breakfast. The food ranks among the better hotel restaurants I've eaten at. It's definitely better than what I think of as "hotel food." I'm surprised there aren't more locals eating here, as the food is good enough to make it a popular neighborhood restaurant in any other context. The duck sliders were so good, I had them two nights. I had the chicken breast another night, and I had the superfood salad with steak added the last night. They were all really delicious, and well prepared, and the meats were tender and succulent. Portions were a tad small, which was fine with me as I was usually eating late. If I'd been eating a 6pm dinner, I might have walked away hungry. The day I had breakfast, it was OK, but not memorable, and seemed overpriced for what I got. $25 including tax and tip. Service is a bit uneven. They will be on-it at times, then you will wait a while for someone to come by your table, or refill your water. The bartenders were good, and friendly. (I ate at the bar twice.) If I had to guess why this isn't more popular with locals, I would guess it's the service, as they seem to act as if they know they will never see you again. If I was staying at Hotel Dupont again, I would probably have dinner at the cafe at least once, but I'd probably make it a point to get out and explore other options more. read more

Had a wonderful dinner at this restaurant. Very much enjoyed the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant. The service was great and the food was also great. So many neat selections to choose from. The craft cocktail menu was awesome also with many of the drinks having a champagne theme to them. read more

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Went here for restaurant week and was unimpressed. In fact, I felt ripped off - and if you feel ripped off after supposedly getting a deal for restaurant week, that's a huge red flag. Ambiance was good and service was acceptable, if green, but those were the only real positives. First, the portions for my prix fixe courses were beyond European. Maybe they reduced their portions for the $35 restaurant week menu but that's not acceptable either, says they're stingy, and I still expect not to walk away hungry or have to fill up on bread for $35 (not including our $39 bottle of wine). My seared scallops main course had 3 scallops and a little artichoke puree. It was tasty but not that tasty. The first course - a teaspoon sized dollop of goat cheese mousse with one tiny slice of crouton bread - was bland and flacid. And I had to spread the rest on table bread. Tacky. The pot de creme desert was large and good but it's the same one that rotates on and off the Bar Dupont menu so nothing special. Our $39 rose was on special this week - read marked up to make up for restaurant week prices. The waitress sold us with the fact that it's apparently only bottled at the full moon. And it was a nice bottle, dry and clean, especially for a rose. But still a $39 rose that we couldn't finish because our portions were too small to absorb it. All in all not terrible but I was not impressed enough to want to go back. Which is problematic when you consider that that's the whole point of a restaurant doing restaurant week. They weren't even trying, imo. read more

I love the atmosphere at Cafe Dupont. I sat outside and had brunch with some friends. It was a very nice, relaxing setting - but that was probably the only good part. The food was only OK and the service was terrible! We had sat by a table and had to request for it to be cleaned 3 times, and was never adequately cleaned and our waitress took a very long time to take orders and bring drinks over. They did however have a good drink selection. I would go again, but only for drinks and the atmosphere. read more

We stopped in on a Saturday for brunch. The venue is upscale but the atmosphere is laid back. Despite arriving within an hour of closing we were seated and not rushed. The food was delicious, bar none. I felt their cocktails were weak, especially considering it was not a bottomless brunch. Service was okay. At first I thought the bill was a little high but after all... their portion sizes were large, 2 of us had a cocktail and it is upscale so it worked out in my opinion. Skip the cocktails if you can but definitely go for the food! read more

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Good french toast, slow service. 4 star setting, breakfast atrium or outdoor seating as weather allows. 2 slices of Texas toast, caramelized rawberries and peaches. NO SUGAR FREE SYRUP, however the syrup they did serve came in individual serving glass jar, and was warm. The coffee was good, but $$ for a regular black coffee. To get a second cup I had to flag someone down, plus a $8 beverage tax?? And quite possibly I could have been more forgiving if staff had been pleasant, or smiling. read more

I really wanted to like this place; they tried so hard. The service was above par and the place is popular from early morning until well after dark. Sadly, the food is horribly inconsistent. I ate three meals there while a guest in the hotel. I had a salmon Benedict that is very tasty and presents well, but like I said, it's inconsistent. On one serving (typical, two eggs on a split English muffin) one egg was so over poached that the center was solid, while the other was so under done that the white wasn't set. I dislike runny egg white to the point that it harms my appetite. Most of the meal was great except for the undone egg. In fact, I had one of the best Bloody Marys ever! It was a featured drink in their drink menu (Chica Picant, I think they called it). It was spicy and bold with a whole chipotle and minced jalapeño to set it off. Expertly crafted. A few days later, I had the same breakfast. This time, though, the drink menu wasn't on the table and I couldn't remember the drink by name. The waitress didn't know what I was talking about (she says she asked her manager who also didn't know the drink), but offered to see that I got whatever I wanted. The drink I was served was abysmal. It was watery, bland, just terrible. They brought me a plate of sliced jalapeños so I could make it as hot as I chose (I applaud the effort, but how does one drink sliced peppers!). But aside from jalapeños, I think there was no spices at all in the drink. (It's hard to be too judgmental about drinks in the morning, most good mixologists work at night, but come on, a Bloody Mary!) The salmon Benedict do-over was no better. This time, the eggs were done perfectly, and consistently. But the hollandaise was cold. So cold that it made the plate unenjoyable. Like I said, the service was great all three times. The menu features some gems--but the kitchen might benefit from some directed leadership. All told, it's not the best breakfast on or near the Circle. read more

The Pembroke - Salmon Benedict paired well with a spicy "Chica Picant" Bloody Mary which was served with a whole chipotle. - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

3.5 stars. Overvall.. I'd say... Ambivalent... I came here bc Id come here at some point. They changed the menu last week... couldnt get my duck.. quack quack :o I suppose the food and price was commensurate with location being dupont circle. rainy friday could explain table vacancies. Food was okay, nothing impressive. Kinda salty. Ambiance was nice for date. read more

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We've never been treated as nicely as at the Dupont Circle Hotel. The entire staff, from one of the managers, Sharaf, to the entire crew - front desk, valet team, housekeeping, and the restaurant managers were gracious and thoughtful. We had to find a local place to stay while our condo was being rehabbed nearby, and not only did they help us make it a bit more affordable for an extended stay, but they were also kind with every interaction. My parents are coming to visit soon, and from now on, I'll ensure this is where they always stay. We were so impressed! I honestly can't say enough great things about The Dupont Circle Hotel. A++++ Thank you to the whole crew! read more

Came for dinner, got there early,.surprised to learn no happy hour. Came back and couldn't check in on my reservation as the system was stolen. I used open table to book and the hostess said that she would check with the manager...never saw her again. My bread had hair in it...good thing I didnt need it anyways. My duck breast were very small and not cooked at the medium temp. But tasty. My friend had a kale salad that skipped listing half of the ingredients that came on it. Menu provided says candied pecans. It came with the pecans, pomegranate seeds, and apple slices. The steak she ordered on top was a beigeish brown. Overall the service was good. But I won't be returning! read more

This is part of a hotel. The address for the hotel is at a different location than the cafe, so that threw our Uber driver off a bit. The service was slow. Really slow. We weren't in a hurry, but that's why it can't be five stars. I had to ask the hostess to find the waitress to get my check. Oh, and they authorized more than $30 over the check total, claiming a system glitch. This was in addition to the mandatory tip for 6 guests. Food...Amazing. I had the eggs Benedict with Virginia country ham. It was totally awesome. One of my favorites. I would have gone with salmon, but with Virginia so close... My wife enjoyed the market breakfast, and it was more than she could finish. All 4 kids found something they liked, too. We enjoyed the croissants. We liked our server, and normal mistakes you'd expect anywhere. I'd recommend it highly due to being able to seat 6 people with a same day reservation (we booked it online a couple hours beforehand). read more

Excellent hotel. Spacious room, beautiful decor, great service. Location was great, can walk to most places from here. The bathrooms were my favorite, with marble and frameless shower doors. Heated floors. Daily housekeeping. And black out blinds that you can control from the switch by the bed. Will def stay here and only here when I come back to DC read more

This hotel deserves 5 stars because, their service is amazing. Every time we arrived at the hotel they greeted us at the door. From the minute I walked in to the moment we had to leave, the staff was always professional. The maid service was excellent beds made , fresh towels, bottled Water , even chocolate because it was my boyfriend and I birthday. Honestly I would 10/10 recommend this hotel for your vacation in DC. read more

So we kind of just stumbled upon this place for brunch. The original plan was The Front Page...but it was Halloween weekend and there was some random pub crawl event going on. It's inside of a beautiful hotel right past the lobby. We were seated quickly and it was a beautiful day to sit right at the window looking out at the sunshine. They have a bunch of simple brunch items...eggs benny with smoked salmon, omelets, bacon and egg dishes. I ordered eggs, toast and bacon. They also have mimosas/bloody marys etc but they were a bit pricey for my taste. We were really wanting a carafe type set up to share but they do not offer that. They have some delicious looking coffees/cappuccinos though and my friends seemed to enjoy those. I love the natural light and it's a nice place to have a quick meal. Nothing too crazy, just simple and good. Gets the job done. read more

Horrible!!!!! I left $150 worth of makeup at the hotel on accident, called immediately to ask them to check the room and mail it to me - I was told they'd check and get back. They never did. I called a total of SIX TIMES and couldn't reach the manager despite my persistence, on the last call I demanded to talk to them and had to wait 15 minutes. The manager had no concern for my issue, seemed very annoyed and was very rude, and said my entire two bags of makeup, tools, brushes, etc. were "lost". Well maybe someone would have found it before housekeeping threw it away if they checked my room when I called the first time. No reimbursement or anything! Why have a lost and found and mailing service if housekeepers discard expensive items?!?? read more

Yelp Dilemma III: What to do when a place you liked changes names? Yelp Dilemma IV: Why keep reviews on-line of the places that are CLOSED? Yelp Dilemma V: Do you rate a place based on your prior expectations? If it has been Yelped before, does it affect your judgment? Yelp Dilemma VI: And what matters most when rating: the food, the friends, the atmosphere, the service? Yelp Dilemma VII: Should you average your stars for these different things or just eyeball it and go with your gut feelings? Yelp Dilemma VIII: Can you have a 5-star experience (like falling in love) at a 1-star restaurant or bar? Yelp Dilemma IX: How can you rate an unforgettable memory, knowing that neither you nor any future Yelper will be able to experience it in the same way? Yelp Dilemma X: Will rating the past really change what things will become in the future? Maybe I am overthinking things a tad. But here is the crux of the matter: I have eaten several times at this place when it was still called the Dupont Grille. It's STILL in the Dupont Hotel, it's STILL in the same place off the circle on New Hampshire, the place STILL looks pretty much the same, and the food and wine lists (the on-line ones) look about what I recall. So ... to Yelp or not to Yelp? It's really a hard question to answer. Because my Yelping philosophy (if I really have one) is that the experience is what matters, and this is so much more than the sum of its parts: the food, the drinks, the ambiance, the wait time, the bill, the feeling that you are "full," "happy," or "got your money's worth." I can never really answer these questions when people ask me them. I mean, was I "full" after a meal or merely "stuffed"? Do you even WANT to be full or simply satiated? And "happy"? After putting some calories and quite possibly alcohol into your system? High on caffeine, maybe, or lightly buzzed, or in the middle of a sugar, salt, or fat rush, yes ... but happy? I need MORE than food and drink for that! And what is the worth of your money, anyway, in a global system of fluctuating currencies? Is $500 too much for a great meal? Or $75 for a bottle of wine? What if you are in a BBQ joint in the middle of North Carolina? Or just bought some fresh Gulf shrimp in Louisiana? Or fish and chips while watching a Pacific sunset? Come on, are all the Yelp stars in the world ever going to help you to decide? So, I think you should try the Cafe Dupont. But don't expect superb food, wine, or service. Just enough of everything to allow YOU and your friends to have a good time. I always left the Dupont Hotel more content, less hungry, and without having spent my whole week's paycheck. OK, I often came here when someone else was footing the bill, so that helped. A LOT. But why should this prevent me from recommending it to you? Maybe you also will come here on business and can expense it. Or maybe you just need a nice place to sit and watch the crowds pass you by. There are many places in and around Dupont Circle to do this. Cafe Dupont just happens to be one of them. read more

I sit down on a lovely outdoor patio overlooking Dupont Circle and 19th Street. Im ecstatic with the sleek look of the venue; the buzz of the city easily taken in by the primo location, and the happy and friendly service. However, as soon as the stale bread from the breadbasket hits my mouth, I know Im headed for a 2 star review. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal confirmed me suspicions and I warn all who read; do not waste your money. Here is what $200 got three of us for dinner: Stale bread. I mentioned this already but I belabor the point because if there's one thing a french bistro should get right, it's that pillar of french food - the baguette. I venture to say the proletariat storming the Bastille used fresher bread than what they serve at Cafe Dupont. Scorching hot french onion soup. Soup is supposed to be warm. This stuff is scorching hot. Had I spilled some on my lap, I would have lawsuit on my hand. Beside burning the inner layer of flesh out my mouth, for the first time im my life I had to add salt and pepper to French Onion Soup. They should rename it Bland Blazing Hot Onion Water. Musky Mussels. Oh the mussels. I am frankly amazed I haven't spent the last 2 days in the bathroom. Never have so many funky smelling mussels been presented to the general public. Each mussel had its own peculiar issue. Most of them smelled like the Potomac, all were slimy, tiny, stretchy or hidden inside an unopened shell (which you are never to eat). There were a ton of them, so that gets some sort of congrats? But they were presented atop 1/2 inch of salty smelly brine water. Where are the leeks? The fennel? The shallots? The garlic? This was Swansons chicken broth with a splash of parsley. We were given french fries which are the equivalent of what you get in some crappy room service hotel in Dallas - thick soggy ore-ida fries, doused with some musky truffle oil to make them French. Had I not been so famished I would have gone to the Subway. My friends got Hangar Steaks - tough, fatty, ready to fight their way off of your palate. The one thing I liked was the wine; so thank you for introducing me to Charles Smith's KungFu Girl Reisiling; you are one of my favorites. The rest of the meal can go to hell. read more

A great view of Dupont Circle. A great place to have some drinks and munchies. The food is not bad but it is not outrageously special. The breakfast is good but should you go this for a good meal and to have a chat, probably no. For a drink with a large cloud, yes. read more

Note to self: Never bring out-of-town friends to a D.C. restaurant that's new to you (without consulting Yelp first, anyway). We were seated immediately but didn't see our waiter for a good 10 minutes. The bread was cold. It took about 20 minutes for me to get over-salted French onion soup and then another 45 before our party of three got our food. Completely unacceptable for the price this place charges. Why bother with a different French cafe when Bistrot is just right up the road? read more

We met with friends for drinks and apps in the bar/lounge area of Cafe Dupont. What a disappointment. The place is gorgeous, but the food and service do not stand up. Things started off badly when my vodka an the rocks tasted like it had something else in it (Gin? Pernod?). I never return drinks... but this was not palatable. A rude and annoyed bartender remade the drink in front of me, and it was the same! After tasting the vodka too they determined that it was a 'bad bottle' - this is premium vodka people - as far as I know it does not go 'bad' unless you start messing with it (combining bottles.). I let it go - chose another vodka and tried to move on with the night. The small plate/app selection was not inspiring. After running down the list we ordered he Cheese & Charcuterie plate, Margherita Flatbread, Mac&Cheese Croquettes, and Fries with a Truffle Aioli. The cheese and charcuterie plate was promising - boasting cowgirl creamery cheese and cured meats. Sadly, the cheese was old (and not in the good moldy/stinky aged cheese way). The blue cheese was slimy, and the manchego was hard and dry. The meats seemed to have come from the generic side of the deli counter, and were quite bland. The stale bread really tied the dish together. The margherita flatbread was uninteresting, but the best of the lot, and my suggestion if you find yourself stuck at the bar and hungry! It was larger than one would expect, with a pleasantly crispy crust. The croquettes were TGI Fridays fare - greasy blocks of deep fried processed mac and cheese with a little ham. There was a sauce too, but I did not try it. The Truffle Aioli was delicious. Garlicky and earthy - a nice surprise after the rest of the dishes. Sadly, the French Fries that came with the Aioli were undercooked (to the point of being floppy and partially raw in the center). The waitress agreed that the fries were not done, but the after a lengthy wait, the replacements were no better. After all this, our group was asked to get up because a "VIP" group needed our table. We paid the check and stood, but the group never materialized. We ended up having a good time despite the food, and the majority of the group moved on to the next bar. To sum up, the ambiance is nice, but the rude service, bad food and iffy bar make this one place I will NOT be returning to. read more

My friend and I are breakfast regulars, especially when the weather is nice. In fact, I have been to cafe dupont for breakfast three times this week. Because we come so frequently, I wanted to send an email rather than Yelping about my experience. Sadly, there was no email address to be found and my phone call to the manager went un-returned. I caveat this review by saying that my friend and I arrived close to the end of breakfast shift, and we asked the kitchen to make some adjustments to the breakfast sandwiches on the menu. My friend ordered the breakfast sandwich with sausage instead of bacon. The sandwich came with bacon. When my friend pointed out the error, the server offered to bring her a side of sausage. Explaining she loathed bacon, she asked (apologetically) for the sandwich to be remade. The server reappeared moments later with the same sandwich-bacon scraped off but still clinging to the cheese-- and sausage slapped on. Really? Not wanting to complain again, we swapped eggs and kept quiet. But if this had been an allergy issue, the kitchen may have had a liability issue on its hands. We finished our meal, and the manager (?) apologized for the sandwich issue and offered to comp some of our meal. We thanked her, and I asked for the remainder of my salmon platter- of which I'd only eaten half-- to be boxed. She returned with leftovers and the check. She'd comped our coffee and tea. Again, really? To add insult to injury, I discovered when I got home she only boxed the smoked salmon, not the remaining items on my plate. So half of my $15 meal was in the trash. In this economy, it is a luxury to spend, as we did, $50 on breakfast. There are other choices in the neighborhood at the same or lower price points. We were disappointed at the quality of the service, and may have to reconsider our go-to breakfast spot. This saddens me, because the patio is lovely and the coffee is strong. read more

We stayed at the Dupont Circle Hotel during a recent visit. We avoided the cafe for the majority of the trip. I know hotel restaurants are usually subpar and overpriced. However, by the end of our trip, we just wanted something convenient for breakfast so we went downstairs. We were pleased enough to visit it again a second time before our departure. Their coffee is delightfully strong and their service is great. All of our food came out perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. I tried their egg white omelette and we also tried their oatmeal and waffle. All of the food was quite good and it didn't actually seem any pricier than the other food we enjoyed during our trip. read more

My husband and I was starving and trying to get inside due to the horrible rain/sleet storm occurring outside in DC today. We thought we try Cafe Dupont since it was close and not overly busy on a Saturday. After finding a seat we wait and wait.....we notice that both tables next to us are waiting too, either for food or for their waiters attention. One even mentioning that there were all these people waiting but no servers anywhere? Interesting! So finally a waitress comes around the corner but still ignores us just sitting....waiting.....so I ask if there is anyone working this section, she says well what do you want to eat?.....so I ask if I can order the Reuben but with turkey (I don't eat red meat). She says no and points to the turkey sandwich and says this is the sandwich I can have....WHAT????? Really? How hard is it to put some turkey on the sandwich instead? This is a semi expensive place...the sandwich was $13 dollars, so really, you can't just put turkey on it? So after waiting about 20 minutes for a waitress we got the rudest possible waitress and just left to find somewhere else to eat....still starving! We ended up at Kramers Books Grill around the corner and it was Yummy and quick! dessert was fantastic! We will likely not to go back to Cafe Dupont simply due to the horrible service and lack of customer care. read more

Since I just looked over my review ratings chart and discovered most of my reviews were of poor experiences, I wanted to share a good one to even it out some. Last Friday mister and I had date night, (which is usually Saturday since I am normally out to eat on Friday nights with my family) at Cafe Dupont in the Dupont Circle Hotel. I normally go to Bar Dupont since it is across the street from my office, and I often forget that Cafe Dupont is there, and a separate venue. The server started out a little shaky but she recovered, although ordering drinks did take a while, but I don't know if they had a dedicated bartender this night since I observed that another server made my second martini. Anyway, we ordered the scallops and the lobster appetizers; mister ordered salmon, which was delicious. I modified the menu's risotto and it was AMAZING. They up charged me $10 well worth it dollars and added shrimp, scallops, and lobster to their risotto. It was filled with seafood and looked incredible. We sat on the terrace which was quiet and quaint, even though Bar Dupont next door was jumping. Very nice vibe, good food, but slim selections. Very seafood heavy, which you notice what we ate, we enjoy. read more

I came here on a Saturday morning in summer and enjoyed the experience. A friend had recommended it and I was suspect, with it being a hotel restaurant. However, it had an international sort of ambiance and excellent food. Service was a bit slow and not particularly amazing, BUT nothing to really complain about. I was between the corn beef hash and the salmon benedict and the best she could help with was "the hash is more filling." Ok... But really, it's ok. Speaking of the food: Salmon Benedict - my friend recommended it and it was excellent. Creamy, rich, sensuous, and went well with the roasted tomatoes Corn Beef Hash - my friend ordered it. It was GOOD, but perhaps not outstanding. Perhaps too many peppers and not enough potatoes. Coffee - outstanding coffee and I'm very very picky Croissant - not a bad one! Pretty flaky and fresh Bottom line, very good breakfast, nice place to hang out and chat and drink too much excellent coffee for a few hours. read more

Came here tonight for our team #pajamajam dinner! The first thing that I noticed was that the service was on point. When we arrived, our bottomless mimosa bar was chilled and ready to go. I was only expecting to see orange juice as a mixer, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that we could choose from pink grapefruit juice, apple juice, and cranberry juice as well! There was fruit on the table and cute little menus at every seat. We may have come bustin' in there in our pajama couture, but they treated us like we had on suits and ties. They served different breads and jams served family style for the first course. Overall, I'd say that these breads were just ok. I love croissants, but those were a little hard for me. The jams were awesome though! For my entree, I ordered pancakes. I'm supposed to be on a "lifestyle change", but when I see pancakes on a menu, I just can't pass it up. One of my colleagues reassured me that I would love them and surprise, surprise... I absolutely did. They were pretty perfect as far as I'm concerned. Even though they didn't come with sides, I ordered bacon anyway and it was cooked perfectly. I love my bacon crispy and soft at the same time. I never seem to get that combination anywhere, but Cafe Dupont got it right. Overall, nothing bad to say here. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your meal at one of DC's most scenic cafes. Or, don your PJs and have an uber chic pajama jam. Your choice. read more

Ah! The one thing I cannot stand is an overcooked steak. First, cocktails were fine. Meat and cheese tray, whatever. I forget which cut of meat I got (perhaps skirt?) but it was a tad over cooked, but fine...I ate it and kept my mouth shut. My boyfriend had the filet and it came out definitely overcooked. When one of your main menu items is steak, you cannot overcook it. Simple as that. He ordered medium-rare and it came out very close to medium-well. So, we tell our waiter that the steak is overcooked. He takes the steak back to the kitchen (and fries that my boyfriend had dumped on the plate). Waiter brings back the exact same steak without the fries. We know it was the exact same steak because it had the exact piece cut off of it. Did you un-cook it? How does one overcook a steak and then return the same exact steak to the customer? And the fries that were on the plate...Could we have those back? Yes, we had a village vines deal, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, restaurants should not sign up to do that kind of stuff if they are not willing to put out their best service to even those customers that use the deal. And since I'm sure this is what happened, chefs, do not get proud and send back something that is clearly your fault when it will only reflect in the waiter's tip. read more

Very accommodating, pet friendly, great staff, great food! Must try the steak frites! Our waitress, Betty , was amazing!

The food was amazing. Duck gnocchi, lamb shank, veal, and scallops were all delicious. More importantly our server Beau is a mixologist and his concoctions were the best I've had in DC. It's worth going for the drinks alone! read more