A Navigation Tool for Dining in DC
Image: All the eels. Last Updated: March 2026 Overview: Maison is the kind of place that where initial impressions might mislead. The setting is sophisticated but the atmosphere is casual. It is a special night out spot that aspires to neighborhood hangout. Dress to impress or roll-up ready to relax. Whatever will help you savor […]
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Last Updated: April 2025 Overview: To enter La Chaumière is to be transported to a different world and different time. With big wood beams and an open fireplace (weather appropriate) in the center of the long hall, it invokes a spell to draw forth the French countryside. With old-school waiters in ties and black vests […]
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Image: Often overlooked, but hard to miss. Last Updated: September 2023 Walk up Wisconsin a few extra blocks and step back in time. Bistrot Lepic is not just old-school French cooking, it is old-school D.C. A cozy two-story spot. The downstairs is the dining room. Upstairs is a bar and lounge space for chatting over […]
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Image: Lamb Last Updated: November 2025 NOTE: We were in denial and delayed revising this post. Petite Cerise closed in August 2025. Overview: Petite Cerise offers excellent takes on French cuisine at a non-outrageous price point. Right down to the white tile it gives off neighborhood bistro vibes, while clearly outperforming such a modest association. […]
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Image: Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, Barefoot in the Park (1967). Dearest Gentle Reader, lots of news and activity in the dining world this week. We added two spots to our D.C. dining guide. Some bits of local dining news, some bigger news from elsewhere, and the question is posed if it funny to compare […]
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Image: Truffles, truffles everywhere. Last Updated: June 2023 Overview: Make no mistake. L’Avante Garde is an indulgence. You will pay a premium for the experience, but, if you can afford it, it is worth the splurge. The team from L’Annexe, the cocktail bar next door that has always had pretty good food, built out this […]
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Image: A balanced meal. Last Updated: June 2023 Overview: Macon’s name is a geographic double-entendre, referring both to southern cooking (Macon, Ga.) and French (Macon, France). In some dishes one or the other will show up, the classic chunky stew of ratatouille being French, the shrimp and grits being southern. Other dishes will blend the […]
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Image: Locked, Stocked, and Bottled. Last Updated: November 2022 Current Status: Sit-down service inside and sidewalk tables under an awning outside. Overview: It takes some moxie to open a wine bar on the same street as Cork and serve French food less than a block from Le Diplomate. That is what the small wine bar […]
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