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Union Station (Red)
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I am giving this place 4 stars for one reason only. They have a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that is absolutely the best thing I ever put in my mouth.
The sandwich was called the Croque Madam. This masterpiece was a toasted gruyère cheese and westphalian ham sandwich with a basted egg, smothered in mornay sauce.
I double dog dare you to find a better ham and cheese sandwich on this planet.
I finally got to check out Bistro Bis last night with my gf and her dad. The location was just a few short steps away from his hotel and seemed like a perfect spot for a RW dinner.
The restaurant is located in the small boutiquesque Hotel George and definitely has the feeling of a small restaurant in the front portion, near the bar where we sat. For some odd reason though, I didn't feel like I was in a French Restaurant. Somehow most of the French places that I have been to in DC and have liked, had a lot more charm -- but maybe I shouldn't compare every place to La Chaumiere. Regardless, the restaurant was not charmless, if that's is even a word.
To start, I ordered the steak tartar, my gf got the endive salad, and her dad the mussels. I definitely enjoyed the tartar, though i often prefer it to be small pieces, rather than a whole patty. Although, I think I am once again comparing it to someplace else, this time, Poste Brassiere. The mussels on the other hand, were fantastic. From the broth, to the little tender meatballs to the light mussels themselves. A very delightful dish.
For the main course I decided to try the pork belly which came with a soft polenta, butter beans, onions and ju. The pork was absolutely spot on. It was tender all the way through and the crispy skin melted in your mouth. A really great dish. I was also able to taste the scallops and the risotto, both were quite good, but I felt like I made the right choice with my dish. And this is coming from someone who does not eat pork very often. I guess I now see what I have been missing!
Desserts were next, obviously, and per the waiter's recommendation, I ordered the apple tart. It was superb and presented very nicely with creme fraiche and a bit of caramel drizzled along the side of the plate. It was crispy and moist, and being that I love apple tarts, this definitely lived up to my standards.
Overall, I found the meal to be quite delicious. Aside from the steak tartar, which was pretty good, the meal was superb. The service was fast, friendly and helpful. I would recommend this restaurant to those looking for a pretty modern classic french meal.
In a few words, the best I can say about this place is: It was filling.
I booked a reservation here for RW, based on a few factors: the menu looked delicious and it got rave reviews on open table and yelp. Also, my boyfriend and I have both enjoyed French restaurants in the past, so it seemed like a good bet.
Unfortunately, it didn't live up to any of those great expectations as far as the food was concerned. The modern feel of the restaurant absolutely clashes with the unimaginative, and entirely traditional dishes.
The saving grace was the service, which was attentive and not rushed. (Translation: If you like to linger over dinner, this is for you; if you don't like to wait a long time for your food, you might not be cool with this place)
RW menu is a 3 course meal with appetizer, entree, and dessert. However, about half of the items on the entree menu are a 4-6 upcharge, word to the wise.
Appetizers:
Mussels - Great dish, although they did have a bit of a strange odor (It might have been the ingredients, the mussels themselves were fresh-tasting). Liked the pepper and garlic broth and the sausage. Not the most "wow" dish but good.
Vichysoisse - my boyfriend ordered this, trying it for the first time, but just really hated it and left half of it sitting. Cold soup just isn't his thing.
Entree -
Lamb steak - This one is $4 extra. This steak is not kidding around. It's practically an entire lamb. The portion was HUGE! So, at least my extra $4 got me a take-home bag. However, I don't think I would have ordered it if I had known it would be so big. The flageolets (which are kind of beans I guess?) and sundried tomatoes on the side were tasty, but nothing special. The lamb itself was hard to cut because the meat is a bit "elastic" (I have not had lamb in steak form before so I don't know if this is typical). The rosemary seasoning was good, but again, just nothing really WOW.
Tuna nicoise - my boyfriend said the same about his, nothing special, but edible. Also an extra $4.
Dessert -
Cheesecake - this was my boyfriend's favorite part of the meal, hard to go wrong there.
Creme brulee - Ugh. Mine was lukewarm, bordering on cold, like it had sat out a few minutes too long or something. The consistency was kind of weird too.
So to sum it up, this was probably the most boring $100 dinner we've ever had.
I have low expectations of restaurants in DC, possibly because for years, I would eat only in Adams Morgan. So consider this favorable review through the prism of low expectations. Still, we shared two delicious salads at lunch, and saw lots of members of congress (pins flashing everywhere) and lobbyists being sycophantic. What fun!
They have a great 3 course brunch for $20.09 - delicious! I had the celery soup, lamb, and apple cider beignets. Its a nice space and a perfect place for a relaxing brunch with very high quality, well thought-out food.
I really like design of the resaurant. A LOT. but another place id like to visit not during restaurant week. some friends picked this place for a group dinner and i had wanted to try it out. i ordered a fennel and some other odds and ends salad for the first course, a strip for the second, and some random dessert to end. im not real big on desserts and theirs was not mind blowing, so i dont really care. The steak was an extra charge, but i feel that they cooked off a crapload to rare or mid rare and then heated them to order. i had mine mid rare, but it didn't have that satisfyingly bloody strip in the middle to give it a little juiciness strips desperately need. i should really start taking notes at dinner, bc i have nothing else to add to this. i just don't remember. BUT they had hoegaardens...i love them for that.
Note: this is not a Restaurant Week review; I try to avoid them because you're not getting the usual or "normal" experience.
Bistro Bis has never let me down whether it be lunch, dinner, a drink after work or brunch. I'm not much of a brunch person. I can do poached eggs at home, so if I do decide to head somewhere on Saturday or Sunday morning/afternoon, I want something special. Bistro Bis (and Tabard Inn for that matter) fits the bill. Coincidence that they're both located in hotels? I think not.
The interior, designed by Adamstein and Demetriou, is light and airy; quite a change from it's former days as the Tiber Creek Pub, notorious for its foot long beers. The bar is sleek and modern and a great place to unwind after a long day in the office. There are 27 wines by the glass, primarily Old World, but with a couple from California and Oregon thrown in. If you're not into wine, fear not, there are three beers on tap: Bass, Stella and Hoegaarden.
The menu is lighter takes on such French classics as roast chicken, duck with cherries, and salad nicoise. The menu is seasonal, but two personal favorites of mine that are are regulars are Salade Frisée au Lardons (frisée lettuce with applewood smoked bacon, poached egg and sherry vinaigrette) and Raviolis Ardenaise (artichoke stuffed pasta with crisp bayonne ham, oven dried tomatoes, arugula and caramelized onion).
Bistro Bis is a great experience all around!
Let's start off with why I love Bistro Bis: the tower of crusty French bread and the pot of soft butter that is whisked to your table after being greeted, the semi open kitchen that allows you to catch a glimpse of the kitchen staff preparing meals, the gruyere macaroni cheese that is to die for. Oh Bistro Bis, you make me happy. I've visited the bistro for a variety of occasions including several lunches with my mother, a business dinner, and a family celebration. Regardless of the visit Bistro Bis has been nothing short of perfect. My mother still raves about the rockfish that she had over the summer while the color combination of my arctic char paired with beet risotto has been unmatched elsewhere. The scallops perched atop cauliflower mousse are perfectly cooked, with your knife gliding through with little effort. A bistro steak topped with red wine butter and accompanied with frites that are some of the best that I've had in DC is substantial and will definitely make it to your next day's lunch.
A word of caution, on two visits that my party has ordered a white wine it has been served barely cold. It's evident that they have a large selection of wine and can clearly not keep every bottle chilled, but a table should be warned and offered the option to make a selection that is already cold or have the bottle chilled in an ice bath. On my third visit our waiter told us immediately after we ordered our sauvignon blanc that it would need to be chilled and would we mind waiting... much better!
This is not a RW review. Went here last night with the parents for a long-awaited expensive dinner (they have been decreasing in frequency with the economic collapse.) Anyways, it was okay. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just okay. I had the rockfish, which was supposed to come with a black truffle emulsion (basically the entire reason I ordered it). It did not taste like truffle in the slightest, also the fish was overcooked and the risotto had a bunch of foam around it (I do not like foam). My mom got the scallops, which were cooked well but so incredible salty that I don't know how she ate them. The boyfriend got the vegetarian ravioli, which he loved (it was pretty good.)
The beet salad (salade au citron) was great but the marichere salad (or whatever it's called) was lackluster, even with the goat cheese fritters.
For dessert we had the tarte normande (and apple tart w/ puff pastry). It came with goat;s milk ice cream, which was completely amazing. It was also beautiful but unfortunately had this super strong bacon flavor. We sent it back and everyone in the kitchen tried it and were horrified. Apparently they bakes the tart in the same over where they were smoking apple wood bacon. The manager came over and apologized and sent us a plate of mediocre chocolates.
That said, the service was great and it's a nice ambiance with booths and it's nice a quiet. The cosmo was also really, really well made. The food was very disappointing though. I wish we would have gone to Montmartre or Brasserie Beck.
My fiancee and I went to Bistro Bis with another couple during Restaurant Week. We were really excited about this place since we had heard some good things about it from others. The ladies started out with some cocktails, and we weren't blown away by them. The guys stuck to beer. My fiancee got the frisee salad which was quite good, although you can't really go wrong with a frisee salad. I ordered the steak tartar, which I read great things about, and it lived up to all its expectations - it was amazing. Perfect balance of flavor and texture.
For our entrees my fiancee ordered the trout grenobloise. She recently started to dive into seafood, and trout was a pretty safe choice. For someone that is new to fish, she really enjoyed the dish. It had a delicious white sauce and rich potatoes. My entree was duck confit which was a simple dish yet executed perfectly.
Our dessert was also beyond expectations. My fiancee had the rhubarb strawberry cheesecake, which was a perfect end to the dinner. I had the bread pudding, which was average.
The main fault to our visit was the wait staff. Our waiter rarely came by and he was very inattentive. I think that might be because we were dining for restaurant week and ordering off the restaurant week menu, so maybe he realized he wasn't going to get a large tip anyway. The problem was he didn't even push the drinks which would have increased the bill and therefore his tip. The other downfall was when we were being seated the hostess sat us and then another wait staff yelled at us for sitting having not known we had been seated by the staff. That whole situation was not handled well.
Overall we had great food, although the experience lacked great service.
Oh yes, I did...I went here for RW, and unfortunately on Sunday at 1pm!! I say unfortunately because I never bothered to check the menu, and we had to order off a brunch menu. Big time bummer...If I wanted eggs benedict or quiche, I would have gone to an American restaurant.
That said, we got a little turned around on the directions, and with no close parking, parked in a none too savory area about three blocks away. I was worried for my mom's safety as we walked through pockets of dealers and a couple of aggressive folks pan handling.
Once inside, we were seated graciously along with a very full house of loud and very warm diners (a/c wasn't working?) While brunch choises were standard, plating and service was outstanding. 1st course cut up fruit came with a scoop of home made sorbet...salad came with three small dabbles of fragrant mustardy truffle oil...side of potatoes were flavored with some wonderful sprinkles of spicy seasoning.
Steve, our waiter, let my mom flirt shamelessly, and didn't mind packing up what we couldn't eat.
With a couple glasses of wine, tax and tip, bill was $69. Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon with mum!
I went with my friend to Bistro Bis for the restaurant week. I had the steam mussels and spicy meatballs for appetizer, the braised pork belly for entree and the orange chocolate cake for dessert.
The mussels with spicy meatballs were fantastic, mussels were fresh, the sauce was great, I wasn't sure why the meatballs were there, but just the fact that they were so good, I really didn't care. On top of how great it tasted, the portion was also very large, perfect portions for 2-3 people.
The braised pork belly was...unbelievable, every little thing on the plate tasted good, I cleared the plate in like 15min. My friend had the duck confit, which was also very good.
My boyfriend and I just checked into the Hotel George this afternoon, and after cleaning up, we decided to go to Bistro Bis for dinner. At 6pm on a Friday, we didn't need a reservation, but the bar area was pretty busy, and by the time we left around 8:30, tables were filling up. The waitstaff were all very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes and the extensive wine list. My French Martini was delicious, and my boyfriend's Tanqueray and Tonic was just right. The atmosphere is very nice, with soft lighting and very good (modern pop-y) music, interesting decor, and a view into the kitchen and wine cellar.
For appetizers, I had the Salade de Tomates, and it was hands down the BEST interpretation of a tomato salad I've ever had. The tomatoes were all delicious, the balsamic was super thick, but the best part was the basil sorbet on top - I couldn't believe how good it was! My boyfriend had the appetizer special, GIANT Oysters Rockafeller. Besides being huge, the oysters were delicious, despite the fact that I usually don't like Oysters Rockafeller.
My entree was the Sea Scallops la Cagouille. It was very good, I just wish there had been more of the cauliflower puree - it was really just a sauce under the scallops, not an actual side serving of cauliflower puree that I pictured. My boyfriend had the special, a Cote du Boeuf, cooked to order, with onion strings, potatoes au gratin, and grilled vegetables. The bite of steak I had was cooked perfectly, and the onion strings and veggies were also very good.
For dessert, I had the Strawberry Semifreddo, with roasted peaches and a peach-champagne sorbet. It was pretty good, but nothing amazing - the strawberry mousse tasted just like Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream. My boyfriend's trio of sorbets was very good (mandarin, lime, and mixed berry).
Overall, dinner was very good, and I would definitely eat at Bistro Bis again. Hopefully we'll be having brunch or lunch there sometime during this trip, so I can post another review.
My wife and I tried Bistro Bis during restaurant week last year and thought the Muscles were outstanding. Keeping that in mind, we decided to take my wife's dad here for Father's Day dinner since he is a muscles lover. He not only said they were some of the best muscles he has ever had, he also commented that the steak tartar (our other appetizer) was the 2nd best he has ever tasted.
For entrees, my wife and her dad both got the duck and her mom had a ravioli of some sort. They devoured theirs and I feel confident that if they were yelp members, they would be giving Bistro Bis 5 stars. I order the steak and was unfortunately disappointed. I ordered medium rare, and it came out closer to medium well. Since it was a night not about me, and the rest of my party was in food heaven, I kept my mouth shut. I reserve 5 stars for near perfection, and sadly my main course was far from it. However, I almost gave Bistro Bis 5 stars for the sole reason of how good the fries were.
The atmosphere and service was great too. We sat at a big booth in the bar area, where I was first disappointed having a view of the bar trash can. When I was there last year my wife and I sat at a romantic table in the dinning area and I was expecting something similar for Fathers' Day. However, the bigger booth came in handy after all the food we ordered. Plus, her dad and me are not huge fans of overly fancy atmospheres, and I think he felt more comfortable in the more casual bar area. The wait staff was great and always attentive to a glass heading towards empty. If you are a fan of Cabernet's, try Worthy off there extensive wine menu.
I work about two metro stops away from union Station, and I am now planning to take some colleagues there for lunch. I will also keep this place in mind if I ever have to pick anyone up coming to visit by train. Bistro Bis would make a very fine first impression of the area to any out-of-towners.
I had a great lunch at Bistro Bis the week of inauguration. My friend needed to leave from the train station, so we were looking for a place relatively close by so that it would be convenient for him.
On a Wednesday afternoon, the place was packed; luckily we made a reservation and we definitely needed it since most of the tables were full.
I ordered the beet salad which had lots of yummy and delicious beets with a great dressing, and I got the mac and cheese as my main course. The mac and cheese was decadent and delicious, although a bit on the greasy side (there was a significant amount of oil hanging out at the bottom of my dish).
The service was definitely off when we were there; we got a couple of things we didn't ask for and then it also took forever for our bill to come. It was a busy afternoon and week (with inauguration), so I'm willing to cut them a bit of slack.
Given the nice ambiance and good food, Bistro Bis is a great lunch option/choice.
I went for brunch this morning and was pleasantly surprised. It was one and i had been for a run and hadnt eaten yet, so I was starving when we walked in. Just went in and sat at the bar and they brought this delicious bread basket; blueberry muffin, cinnamon scone, popover and walnut bread. we ordered the steal tartare as an app. YUM. definitely get it! it was well seasoned, generously portioned, and came with yummy crisps and slaw.
the bartenders were very helpful in assisting us in what to order. i ended up getting the fish special, rockfish, mussels, leeks, fennel in a tomato sauce and my boyfriend went with the bartenders recommendation of the croque madame ("if for nothing else, do it for the experience" was the advice rendered). both were excellent. the mussels were delish, as was the fish and sauce it was in. the croque was the highlight though! good challah bread with cheese and ham with a perfectly cooked sunny side egg on top and an awesome white gravy! and it came with this great little salad in the middle of two giant onion rings. i would say the onion rings are almost better than those at capital grille.
overall it was a pleasant brunch with great service and reasonably priced given the quality.
now i need to go back for dinner...:)
My husband and i recently went on vacation to D.C. We were sick of eating overpriced salty fast food from the museums. Bis totally hit the spot. The service was good. Waiter was friendly, he gave detailed recommendations and the food arrived promptly.
We had the baked crab cake with some fried potato chips which was set very nicely on the plate and tasted pretty good. (since i am not a big seafood person, after 3/4 of the way, the seafood taste kinda gave in) I give it. 3.5 stars.
We also had the shredded veal wrapped in some kinda skin like raviolli. That was sooo delicious! Everything from the texture to the taste and the sauce were mouthwatering. It left my mouth begging for more.
Then came dessert. It was some a kind italian chocolate cake with many different flavors infused together. It had a layer of chocolate on top, chocolate mousse in the middle, berries and lastly moist cake underneath. The dessert was a perfect ending to our spectacular meal :D
Now i wish we had Bis in San Jose :(
We had breakfast here twice on a recent trip to DC as we were staying at the Hotel George. The breakfast is great. Among my family we had several items and everyone was really happy with their order both mornings. I really liked the oatmeal. The hash was a huge hit with everyone.
We also had drinks before or after dinner here most nights. The little patio is a great place to enjoy drinks if it's not too hot.
One evening we had some ice cream here as it was extremely hot outside and the cinammon ice cream was out of this world - if they have it - GET IT!
Went with a date for RW - Service was below par, the tables were positioned very close together, and the acoustics are horrible which resulted in a very noisy room (2 stars). The food was good, but I don't think worth the $100+. My date and I split all of our dishes, which is the best way to go in my mind!
Mussels - Good flavors, but nothing to write home about. I've never had sausage with my mussels which i quite enjoyed - a little spicy which was a great complement to the sweet mussels. 3.5 stars
Vichysoisse - Worst dish of the night - totally lacking in flavor. It tasted like they started with a chicken stock but it wasn't rich enough and the only flavor that came through was bland, under seasoned potato. 1 star
Braised veal stew with artichokes, tomato confit, zucchini, olives and dijon-caper sauce. The sauce was WAY too acidic and lacked any depth. The veal was very tender and there were quite a few olives in the dish, but maybe one or two slices of zucchini and let's not even talk about the artichokes - I actually ate one and thought it was a potato because of how overcooked it was. 2.5 stars
Duck Confit with toulouse duck sausage, tomato concassé and ragout of white beans. Definitely the best dish of the night - the duck was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and succulent meat that fell of the bone. The beans were a little al dente for my taste, but the tomato concasse was absolutely delicious! 4.5 stars
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee: delicious, but standard 3 Stars
Flourless Orange Chocolate Cake: Very small portion - lacked a bit in depth of chocolate flavor and I didn't taste any orange. 2.5 Stars
This place is amazing. The food was so good that the less than stellar service can't take away the last star. I was with 3 other people, all of whom agreed that this was a 5 star dining experience.
Allison S. is right that the salade maraîchère isn't great on its own, but if you get it with the goat cheese (which I did) it is fantastic - the goat cheese is the key stone. The other apps ordered were the french onion soup and the mussels. The soup was very good but the mussels were unbelievable. You get so many and they are super fresh.
The main courses were all excellent. We got the duck, the salmon, and the trout. I had the trout, which was fresh and delicious. The salmon was excellent as well. My favorite, however, was the duck. It came with a leg of duck and duck sausage. I'm running out of adjectives, but it was awesome.
Finally, the desserts were very good. My favorite was the summer fruit bread pudding with the creme brule coming in a close second.
You should try this place. Enjoy it because the food doesn't get much better than this!
I visited Bistro Bis for the first time last Saturday night. It was fantastic. The staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgable. I'm a vegetarian & rarely find an array of delicious options at higher end restaurants. The menu itself only carries a few options (one entree) that is meat-free, but the staff was very happy to create a special dish for me! That special attention is greatly appreciated!
We brought in a few very high-end wines and had a great time discussing them with our great servers. We had several guys waiting on our table, and Oscar in particular was excellent!
Despite the enormous amount of delicious food, our total bill was completely manageable. We were happily surprised!
All-in-all, a great experience at a great restaurant!
skip the salads -- the salade maraîchère and salade de tomates were only so-so. I would recommend going with the crab soup for an appetizer.
the shrimp au mais was excellent, but not very filling
the torte de chocolat was amazing. worth the 10 bucks!
One word (two actually): Steak Tartare - Incredibly good.
Plus:
- Amazing wine list
- Friendly staff
I will not give the 5th star just because I've had a more satisfying entrees and desserts at other French restaurants such as Poste in Chinatown.
Most anything associated with Kimpton Hotel Group is a win. It goes the same for Bistro Bis. Living in a city with six (or is it more, now?) Kimpton hotels I usually stay for a big night out and have cocktails in the evening, brunch in the morning.
At Bistro Bis, I actually go for the food. They have a great bar area and the proximity to Capitol Hill, Fox, CSpan studios, et al keep an interesting clientele rolling through.
At the bar, I'm all for the rich and seriously cheesy (crusted) french onion soup or a selection of cheese and charcuterie.
For dinner I'm all over the map. Last night I had a craving for their Sweetbreads. So rich and buttery, perfect texture. I can do without the bean and chanterelle garnish - it was cold when presented. Instead of the tomato concasse and jambon, they had a very small portion of lobster drizzled in lobster butter. Lobster was disappointingly overcooked and tough. Also on the plate was a panko-ish breaded and fried mashed potato thing.
Taking the road less travelled, the gruyere mac and cheese served as our starter. Nice large Macaroni caught the cheesy goodness without sliding off. Nicely crisped. Good for a side, too I suppose ;-)
My dinner-mate added the Hudson Valley foie gras to his fillet. The flavor was beautiful, everything you would expect, but unbelievably small portion.
I'm a fan and am able to look past the manageable short comings of the spot. It's generally not busy, but the service can be a little lackluster - another reason to enjoy the bar.
I met a friend here for dinner the other evening. I'd stayed at this hotel before, but was glad to get the chance to eat here.
1. AMBIANCE. The bar is typical lofted, woody-panel a little new / a little old style DC. It's nice. Behind that is the restaurant, which is low on windows.
2. APPETIZERS. I had the steak tartare - it is REALLY good here. Very, very good. I'd had it at the hotel before.
3. ENTRE. I had the beef rib which was good. Nice sauce.
I'd gladly go back. The meal and wine were great.
NOTE:
I have Celiac disease and follow a wheat-gluten free diet. The wait staff was very helpful and diligence in complying with my requests.
Went for RW week today at lunch. We had really good service, he made some good recommendations. A few of the RW options had up charges, but at least they were options.
I had the Onion Soup Les Halles for a starter. It was a really good start to the my meal. Hot, rich, and the cheese was nicely toasted.
For my entree I had the pork belly. When I ordered it the waiter kindly reminded me that this was pork belly, and not some low fat pork cut. Knowing this beforehand I proceeded. And boy am I glad I did. It was delicious. The puree and lima beans accompanying it were just so-so.
Finally for dessert I had the chocolate-toffee bread pudding. It was alright, my first bread pudding experience. I just don't think I am a bread pudding person.
QUICK PICKS: Seafood, French Onion Soup, and French Fries (BEST OF THE BEST)
SERVICE: Top notch ass kissers
I don't know what these naysayers are smoking, but it is clearly clouding their judgment. I love this place, and so do a lot of Capitol Hill folks who are well-traveled and recognize a good restaurant when they see it. I also lived two doors down from it for five years and have more experience with it than anyone...so I am justified in this review.
The one main thing that makes me cringe has nothing to do with the food - it's the photo of a woman's backside behind the front desk. Too French for me. As a woman, I don't like being greeted with an image of a some strange woman's rear end. Maybe the photo is meant to imply that they are good at ass kissing.
Bistro Bis has staff who care about keeping their restaurant at the upper end. I respect this unusual dedication. They recognize me as a regular, notice every detail, and have cooked me something even if it disappeared from the menu. I am famous for my cravings - if it disappeared and I have been dreaming about it for weeks, I'll ask. Life is just too short not to. Bistro Bis staff understand the soul of a DC foodie and will help you satisfy your cravings.
On a few occasions, they have given me small dishes for free when I walk in. At least twice, I got little, freshly baked bread treats before my order arrived. Another time, I got a free dessert.
Even when I am just plain ditsy, they are cool about it. One time I thought I had left an article I was working on on the chair. I started walking home, almost had a heart attack when I realized what I had done, and came back. They looked for it, but then I found it tucked in my notebook. The guy said, "Oh, okay, wanted to make sure we weren't slipping." So seriously, if anything does slip below expectations, let them know. They don't want to suck.
The French Onion Soup is iconic. This is what the dish should be like. Served in a traditional French Onion Soup bowl, it has tons of cheese melted on top and delightfully crusted at the edges. It is so wonderful that sometimes I just wanted to go there for that dish alone. I did that once when I was getting over the flu, actually. It's filling, so my quandry is always whether I can handle slurping that delicious soup up and have room for the entree.
My favorite entree, hands down, is the Trout. I love the sauce, and I love the capers. It has a lemony-tart thing going on which is so up my alley. Very Southern French with Mediterranean overtones. They also sprinkle some beans and potatoes on top - which is just lovely and healthy too. The toppings do not overwhelm or destroy the perfection of the fish.
My other obsession is the fries and I can never fit enough into my mouth. They come in a large metal container and the portion is very generous. They taste fresh, really potatoey (not dehydrated potatoes), and have the best salt. I maintain that these are the best fries in town, even better than Tony Bourdain's restaurant. I make that comparison because he is fiercely competitive about French fries.
So let's take this review to the next level. How does Bistro Bis compare to other French restaurants of equal standing? I want to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that these dishes are top notch.
I went to the Bouchon at the Venetian Hotel in Vegas because this is where Tony Bourdain spilled wine over their fries on the Travel Channel's "No Reservations." He got so pissed at the quality that he was overtaken by a fit of jealousy and just lost it on TV. So, I went to the Bouchon and ordered the same dishes that I swear by at Bistro Bis.
The French Onion Soup was on the same level and passed my French Onion Soup quality test (yes, I really have one) with stars and stripes. The fries were excellent, but Bistro Bis still did better in my opinion. They have a special flavor that nobody can duplicate. Their trout dish did not meet Bistro Bis in quality. Although very similar, they dumped way too many beans on top. This crushed the fish, added too much fluid to the top of the dish , thereby destroying the integrity of it's flavor and texture. I was shaking my head in disapproval.
Of course - these are fine points that only a foodie would notice, but that is why people read our reviews. Especially when the cost of a dinner here is close to what you would invest in your 401k every 2 weeks, it is good to know that you are getting the best of the best.
Went during restaurant week and was pleasantly surprised. I had heard good things about this place and I figured restaurant week would really put it to the test. Great variety on the menu, everything was fresh, seasonal, well prepared and delicious. The decor is very cool, hip and a great place for a date, it's cool enough to get you points yet romantic enough to set the mood. The wine list was a good mix as well, covering all price points and regions. The food was creative and contemporary yet filling and delicious, it was a good mix of creative and comfort food.
We had dinner and brunch at Bistro Bis and while the meals were good, I was a little let down as I had higher expectations than "good" for the reputation and the price.
We received a warm welcome from the manager, and were given a cozy corner booth. Our waiter and the other staff were all very attentive and friendly. The only issue we had with the service, if you can call it an issue really, was that when we asked for more information about the specials (particularly a fish we weren't familiar with), they were not necessarily able to articulate a description.
Our starters were great, which may have led to my disappointment. My wife had the Onion Soup Les Halles and I had the Salade Frisée au Lardons. The soup was complex and flavorful and the sherry dressing on the salad paired nicely with the smokiness of the lardons for a wonderful start to the meal.
My wife had a fish special that I cannot recall, though I can say that she generally enjoyed it. I was let down though by my Steak Frites as it was under seasoned and overcooked. I had ordered it medium rare and it was closer to medium well and the steak could definitely have used more salt and pepper. The frites were kind of limp and could have been more crisp with more salt. Frankly, I've had steaks seasoned and cooked better at chains like Outback Steakhouse for a fraction of the price, but as my wife was enjoying her dinner, I didn't want to make an issue of it. I will say however the portions were just right. Not skimpy as high end restaurants some times are, but not excessive either. If the steak had been better, I have thought I had gotten quite a value for my money.
We finished off the dinner with the Petit Fours Plate which was nice, but not thrilling. I wish we hadn't been so full, otherwise I would have liked to try the cheese plate instead with a nice port, as we looked at it on the way in and it appeared to have some interesting selections.
When I went back for brunch, we passed on the appetizers and my wife had the Eggs Chesapeake Benedict while I had the Frittata Basquaise. She loved hers as it was two perfectly poached eggs over English muffins with crab meat and country ham, asparagus and a Bearnaise sauce with crisp home fries on the side. My frittata was okay, though it was more like a scrambled egg skillet like you see on the menu at Denny's or Cracker Barrel as the eggs were curds like a scrambled egg with "stuff" mixed in, rather than cooked in a pan and broiled. If that is what it was, then call it scrambled eggs, not a frittata. The "stuff" in this case was roasted peppers, potatoes, onions, chorizo, cilantro and manchego cheese. The cheese added a nice flavor, but the potatoes tasted as they had just been blanched, the chorizo was quite mild, and the cilantro was simply piled in the middle as garnish, so again the dish was under seasoned and in need of salt, pepper and some Tabasco for more flavor.
While I wasn't wowed by my meals, my wife really liked hers, so I would chalk up my experience at Bistro Bis as more of an issue of consistency than anything else. The brunch I thought was good for what it was and at under $40 for two was above average (once I asked for some salt, pepper and a bottle of Tabasco!). Dinner had me thinking through the appetizers that this was going to be a potentially great meal, but then the overcooked and under seasoned steak left me deflated. At a less expensive, less reputable restaurant it probably would have been fine, but when you're paying over $100 for two at a restaurant that call senators regulars, you expect a little more.
I went here last night with three friends for Restaurant Week. I'm not sure why we decided to go here, but we did. Twelve hours later, I can really only think about one thing: the steak tartare. And, my friends, those thoughts are not good.
I had this dish to start, but it ruined the rest of the meal for me. It was followed by the duck, which was also not good. Ultimately, I went directly home and threw up three times (literally). This is graphic, but so it was. I am pretty sure it was the steak tartare. I do not recommend it. I am on a diet of just hot tea for the rest of today.
The only reason I am giving this place two stars is because my friends did not join the puke session and actually thought their food was okay. Also, the service and general attitude left much to be desired.
I had dinner at Bistro Bis last night for my birthday. We started with the Escargot (one of the daily specials yesterday) and the Steak Tartare Atilla. The steak tartare was a very generous serving and quite good but I wouldn't say it is the best I've ever had. I have nothing to compare the escargot too as this was my first time having it but I thought it was delicious.
For our entrees we had the Porc Façon Grand-Mére (crisp braised pork belly with glazed carrots, pearl onions, heb spatzle, mustard greens and mustard pork jus) and the Sweetbreads à la Zingara (crisp sweetbreads with chanterelle mushrooms, veal tongue, jambon, tomato concassé and truffle-veal jus) . Both dishes were very solid and again very generous portions. I was especially surprised at the amount of pork belly given the fact that it is so rich of a dish. We felt that the pork could have been more crisp but overall the taste of the dish was fantastic. The sweatbread dish was also a well composed dish however now that I think about it I do not recall the tomato concassé actually being part of the dish. Anyway, the combination of the sweetbreads, mushrooms, and the slight saltiness of the ham paired very nicely.
Normally I do not like to share my dessert but at this point I was borderline full and didn't want to reach the uncomfortable stage but still wanted something to finish off the meal. We split the Tarte Normande (caramelized apples, crisp pastry, goat's milk ice cream and calvados sauce). This was definitely the lowest scoring dish of the evening. Some of the apples were undercooked and the pastry was slightly overcooked. I would have liked a slightly larger scoope of the ice cream. (It looked like they used a melon baller to scoope the ice cream because it was tiny).
The service was less than what I would have expected at this restaurant. When our server was available he was good but the problem was that we rarely saw him throughout the meal. A few examples....we order our bottle of wine and the appetizers, the appetizers arrived several minutes before he came back with the wine and then he only came by once during meal to refresh our glasses. Normally I don't really care if I have to pour my own wine but when you are paying close to $200 for a meal it would be nice to have a little bit more attention. (and while I'm talking about the servers....the owners should really reconsider the horrible color of the shirt and tie they make the staff wear).
Overall the appetizers and entrees were good, the service and desserts not so great.
If I could, Bistro Bis would be at 3.5 stars, but I can't quite come to give it a full 4. The service is quite good, the menu offers enough options for almost any size group (though not a lot of veggie options) and the atmosphere is lively without being overly noisy.
I eat at a lot of hotel restaurants when traveling on business, so maybe my expectations have come down a notch that I found it over a three. The issue I have was that the price/quality ratio seemed a bit out of whack. I had the risotto, the only vegetarian option, and while it was good, it seemed rather unbalanced and unsophisticated. I'm also a big fan of risotto, so I may be overly harsh.
At any rate, this is a good choice, especially if you're staying in the hotel and don't want to venture far.
Went here for RW. I ordered the beet salad, the risotto and the creme brulee and my friend ordered the scallop mousse with shrimp and salmon, the duck, and the chocolate/orange cake. The beet salad and risotto weren't anything special. The scallop mousse and the duck were by far much better choices. The duck was pretty amazing actually. The service, decor, ambience - all of it was nice nothing to complain about, but nothing to rave about either. What I will rave about are the desserts!! FANTASTIC!! the creme brulee was to DIE FOR! and the chocolate/orange cake was pretty amazing too!
Oh no. Not another establishment in which one is "coincidentally" escorted to the (unofficial?) African American section. I asked (just to see what would happen) the hostess if there were other seats available. (There were two of us). She hemmed and hawed... Got kinda flummoxed...
But I saved her the embarassment - poor thing. We simply left...
I've been eating at Bistro for years--however, I haven't been much this year. I have always found this to be a great restaurant--the food , the atmosphere, the people --all good. Based upon some of the reviews written this summer I will have to check it out over the next couple of weeks and report back. A new chef perhaps?
It's a little on the pricey side so it isn't for the tourist who wants a bite to eat before the Capitol tour. Since opening it's been one of the best restaurants on the Senate side of the Hill so it is frequented by Ted Kennedy, many other senators and employees from CSPAN and CNN (Chris Matthews often comes to dine here). So if you're from out-of-town you might like the people watching.
I'm giving it four stars based upon my past years of experience and will get back to you after I check it out this next week.
I love French restuarants and French food. I love the ingredients, the simplicity, the flair, the cheese, and you can always order a plate of Steak Frittes (steak and fries). But they are typically expensive restaurants, so you go there when someone else is paying. Or you just go for cocktails and dessert to enjoy the ambiance without spending all of your spendy spendy.
I had a lovely time at Bistro Bis. The dishes were beautiful. My seared tuna was delicious and a very interesting mix of colors and flavors. The other courses I saw looked lovely. I had a julienne'd salad of endive, pear, walnut and blue cheese. I was expecting it to be small but it was a rather large portion. I am one who does not mind eating smaller portions at restaurants. We don't need to stuff ourselves silly for the notion of "value" every time we go out to eat. Yes, I like to eat a greasy burger with some frothy beers from time to time, but sometimes I like my food to be beautiful. It makes for a beautiful time to spend with friends.
Dessert was stellar. I had the gateau au chocolate, which was some sort of mousse cake involving several different layers of texture and chocolate goodness. The other desserts looked great as well. The cheese course was also quite nice. I counted 18 cheeses on the tray coming in. You get to choose 3 (or 6), served with slices of raisin nut bread and two different jams.
The food is elegant and beautiful, the service fine, and the menu quite impressive. And yes, it is pricey. So that makes it a less likely visit for me, but still a good spot to keep in mind.
Decent restaurant for more rustic French cuisine (think heavier sauces, steak frites, etc...). Overall I would say food is fair. Service and decor is overall ok. I'd say that if you like French, there are probably better places that have better value around the Capital Hill area.
As stated in the other reviews Vidalia (sister restaurant) is probably a better deal, same quality of food, and overall a better deal.
I was in town for technical training, and was dining on the company dime, so price wasn't that much of a detriment.
I had read great reviews on this restaurant online, and had elected it as the final dinner on my trip (I like to save the best for last).
When I arrived, a waiter engaged me. I explained that this was my first trip to a French restaurant, and that I was looking for the complete immersion experience. He suggested a 7 course sampler meal, which ended up being more of an event.
I cant readily recollect every serving which was set in front of me, but each was a delight. My final dish was Bananas Foster, and let me tell you... the s**t was bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s (ain't that right Gwen).
I don't think they could have presented a better delicacy. It was the perfect compliment to the previous six courses.
Swoop Says: How do you say 'Bon apptit' in French?
I am all compliments. They even used a tiny broom to sweep the crumbs from my table. How precious is that?
~Swoop
Steak tartare and the Trout was the best I ever had. I went here for restaurant week lunch. I had a good time and enjoyed my food so much I ate it slow.
This is my second time at Bistro Bis and again, I was not disappointed. Service was outstanding, and food was quite good. Coq du Vin with lardons had great flavor and texture. Appetizer was flavorful and beautifully carmelized French onion soup. Chocolate dessert with Cote du Rhone wine was so enjoyable. Bistro Bis knows how to entice new customers with quality food, a nice dining experience and excellent service during restaurant week. Again, I would return as I quite enjoyed 2 of the 4 restaurants I attended during Restaurant Week and this was one of them.
Washington, DC
Category: French
Washington, DC
Category: Seafood
Washington, DC
Category: Steakhouses
Washington, DC
Category: French
Neighborhood: Georgetown
Category: French
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