- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
La Chaumière
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
2813 M St NW(at N 28th St)
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 338-1784
- Nearest Transit:
-
Foggy Bottom Metro Station (Blue, Orange)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
83 reviews for La Chaumière
Review Highlights
"We also had the salmon in puff pastry and chicken and..."
(in 5 reviews)
"The foie gras, magret de canard and the chocolate souffl..."
(in 4 reviews)
"For dessert, we ordered a Grand Marnier souffle and creme..."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
83 reviews in English
-
Review from Leslie J.
11/3/2011 3 photos
Ambiance: Country inn setting -- wooden floors, wooden tables and long benches, simple and classic country french decor. Intimate, quiet and cozy -- Warning: If you don't like snuggling up to your honeybun or the feeling of being cramped into a corner, you won't be a fan of this place. I personally like the closeness especially during the winter months.
Service: Prompt, somewhat indifferent but friendly, quiet but efficient and food is served in a timely fashion.
Food: Each meal whether it be appetizer, main course, or dessert is delicious and perfectly executed. Total comfort food.
I really enjoyed my Restaurant Week dining experience at La Chaumiere. It is located in the heart of Georgetown, yet as soon as you enter its doors the essence of this place automatically consumes you. -
Review from Andrew M.
12/10/2011
Garcon? Garcon? Eyes comb the contrived Provincalesque dining room.There is a constant flow of servers and bus folk slamming the door to the noisy kitchen directly behind our table and neighboring tables jammed on top of each other. Why is the waiter nowhere to be found?
A 20 minute wait and voila, a tiny $8 frisee and mesccalun salad with a hint of vinagrette.
Later.. Umm, can I please have a steak knife? The regular knife can't cut the rubbery tough inedible duck.
15 minutes later, Garcon: "can I replace this with somthing from the kitchen"
Well, considering everyone else at the table is almost finished, let's pass.
Garcon: it's all good, that tip is automatically added.
La Chaumiere is the experience of making a meal out of shreds of lettuce and multiple glasses of tart Rhone wine; the secret to how French women stay skinny. -
Review from Simon B.
10/8/2011
I took my girlfriend and a colleague out to dinner hoping to have a pleasant experience (I really enjoyed my first visit at La Chaumiere).Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Service was abysmal. We had reservations but were sat near the bar at a table that was so "squeezed in" that the waiters kept bumping on our table. Our desert was rushed to the table as soon as the waiters had taken our dinner plates, and the check came right after without us asking for it. We paid, and while we were finishing our wine the waiters/busboys were picking up stuff on our table. It's not that it was late, it was about 9:30 and nobody else was waiting for a table.
The meals were unimpressive (the steak au poivre; the waiter's favorite le sol) and prepared so simply that I could have cooked them myself, aside from les moules a la mauniere (mussels with tons of parsley) which were delicious.
There's only redeeming quality for this place, is the French inn decor. Just beautiful, with the firepit right in the middle. However the restaurant is really loud when it's crowded, so I'm not sure it would be a good choice for a romantic meal or a business dinner.
But ultimately, I'm having a hard time figuring it which of the two occasions was a fluke. For now, I'm not sure I'll go back. There are more consistent (or exciting new) restaurants to spend $300+ on. -
Review from Meg N.
Silver Spring, MD
1/18/2012
Went for Resteraunt Week with two guys from work - have to say I was blown away. For my $20.12 I had a choice of 6 apps, 6 entrees and 4 desserts. I had a ceasar salad - which was the closest to my mother's ceasar salad dressing I've ever come - braised beef with penne and chocolate mousse. Everything was perfect - honestly one of the best lunches I've ever had.
My two tablemates were frequent European jetsetters, and they both agreed - they felt like they were in Europe.
Service was a little slow and not as attentive as I would have liked, but it was RW so we knew we were going to be taking a few hits - they were pretty busy by the time we left. All in all, I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Bob V.
Washington, DC
Updated - 1/13/2012
Yes, La Chaumiere can! We had a hankering for the oysters and Dover sole. Wonderful and delicious as ever! The chocolate and Grand Marnier souffles were spot on, yummy! We remain true fans!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/15/2009
La Chaumerie deserves it's top 10 score. We split two appetizers. The first was broiled oysters with… Read more »
-
-
Review from Colleen M.
Washington, DC
12/22/2011
La Chaumiere is delicious. It's also a crowded, cramped space with higher prices than you'll likely want to pay on the average Thursday night. Solid, classic French food.
We've been here twice and both times the service was fantastic, as was timing of dishes being served. I've never had French onion soup with so much cheese baked on. Actually, I could have done with a little less. The lamb on the regular menu is amazing and wonderfully seasoned... well, if you like garlic. :-) I've had the beef Wellington on special and it was even better. I'm partial to the apple tart a la mode, but dining companions have raved about the souffles as well. Wine and champagne list is extensive. -
Review from Collin W.
9/1/2011
Imagine a restaurant serving classic French cooking in a country inn setting, located in the middle of Georgetown. Ready, set, apply stereotypes! Ok, now you've probably got the perfect mental picture of what your La Chaumiere experience will be. Namely:
- The setting will be intimate and cozy (if you hear a realtor ever use these terms, they mean "cramped", for the record).
- There will be butter. Great potential movie title, btw.
- There will be no innovation on this menu. This is not that kind of place. If the dish did not exist hundreds of years ago, it is not served.
- BUT...everything will be prepared flawlessly, EXACTLY as it is supposed to be, to textbook specifications.
- The service will be crisp and professional, without a technical flaw, but should never, ever, come across as "friendly".
- Portions will be small.
- You will leave broke.
- BUT you will be happy. -
Review from Yoeun P.
Arlington, VA
8/22/2011
I came here with big expectations and came out very disappointed with the food. It had everything going for it: the location, the decor, the reputation, the glowing Yelp and Open Table reviews, the wait staff, etc. But it failed when it came to food.
Both of the dishes my girlfriend and I ordered were disappointing. I love rabbit and always order it when I see it on the menu. The rabbit at La Chaumiere, however, was tough and bitter. It reminded me more of the guinea pig I had in Peru. The sauce that it was swimming in just made it worse. My girlfriend's medallions de boeuf was overcooked and over-sauced. Neither of us expected the beef dish to look (or taste) as it did. Needless to say, we didn't eat our plates clean.
If not for the interior decoration and country charm, this place would get 0 stars from me.
The quest continues to find good French food in this city... -
Review from Jessica H.
Arlington, VA
8/31/2011
A friend had given us a gift card for La Chaumiere for $100 (!!), and we used $92 of it on two appetizers and two entrees. No wine, no dessert. Leaving $8. Guess we should have gotten a glass of wine or something. But that's the kind of pricing we're talking about. Or we could have gotten the chocolate souffle, that looked awesome. But we were full.
The french onion soup was great, though it was unusually strongly wine-flavored, as other Yelpers have noted, which some people might dislike. The cheese souffle was also really good. The entrees paled a bit in comparison. We had some lamb chops and some soft-shelled crabs. Both were good, though not particularly memorable. The crabs in particular were swimming in a thoroughly unnecessary amount of butter.
The restaurant may have a private room somewhere, but otherwise it's one cheery, rustic-looking, peaked-roof hall. Loud. With little tables pushed very very close together. We heard all about other people's personal problems, because we were essentially in their personal space. I don't recommend coming here at peak hours if anyone is at all hard of hearing. We had to work hard to get our server's attention on several occasions, also.
Had an excellent time, but then again, there was a gift card involved. Minus one star for the tiny tables extremely close together, and another for value. Also, we were there during Restaurant Week, though we didn't order off that menu because the french onion soup wasn't on there. What kind of french restaurant doesn't put the french onion soup on the Restaurant Week menu??? Come on, guys. -
Review from Jane D.
Washington, DC
10/22/2011
La Chaumiere is overrated. When done right, French cuisine is so full of flavor that it is considered some of the best cuisine in the world. But when French food is done poorly, it becomes bland... very bland. I ordered the Magret de Canard , which is marinated duck breast with black current sauce and a side of veggies ($20.75). Bland. For dessert, I ordered the Grand Marnier Souffle ($10.95) and it was also bland. The only thing not bland about the dessert was the vanilla sauce that came with it. The crème brûlée was also bland. Of everything I've had, I would recommend the Médaillons de Venaison ($25.50), or venison medallions. The Gratinée Lyonnaise, or baked onion soup ($7.95), was also okay. I haven't had the puffed salmon as everyone recommended. Our waiter was pretentious and he didn't come check on the table.
-
Review from Kia K.
Ashburn, VA
5/4/2011
I made a reservation on Friday for Sat night at 9:45 pm a few weeks ago. I don't remember the date. Anyway, I went there with my girl friend on time. Once we got there the door was locked and people were still eating food in the restaurant. I was knocking on the door for few minutes. Finally the old lady opened the door and she said in a really mean way that they were closed. I asked her why and explained that we had a reservation. She just closed the door and locked it.
So you make the decision about this restaurant's service. -
Review from RT C.
Burbank, CA
8/17/2011
Meh...that sums up my experience at La Chaumiere. Very....whatever. It wasn't terrible, it wasn't great, just ok. Service was sub-par.
Since it's all about the food, I'll start there.
I had the escargot and the rack of lamb. The escargot was flavorless. Almost like it was boiled in plain water. I also was a little disappointed the snails came out of the shell. Pics on the website had them in the shell. Not a big deal, but was disappointed nonetheless. The rack of lamb was pretty good. Good sized portions for a french restaurant. It wasn't fantastic, it was pretty good.
My wife had the caprese salad and she said it wasn't anything better than she could make at home. Again, not terrible, but also not to the expectations. She had the scallops for entree. Scallops were sliced pretty thin and she again said, it was just ok, nothing special, not like she was going to barf, but not something to come back for.
The best part of the meal was the Chocolate Souffle. That was very good.
The service was diner-esque. Our server was very uninformative, and rushed. Seemed like he was trying to push table through dinner to get through the night.....kinda like a waiter/ess at a diner.
I'm still looking for a good sub-$300-for-two french restaurant in DC/area. So far 2941 has been the best. Marcel's was so-so. La Chaumiere is not. I guess I'm going to have to save up and try Citronelle. -
Review from Joanna K.
Washington, DC
4/10/2011
Dear Artery,
Sweetest, Most beautiful, I'm sorry.
I overlooked your happiness. Tonight I ate so much butter at La Show Me Air, which must have hurt you badly. I promise to make it up to you. Nothing but carrot sticks for a month. Forgive me!
Yours truly forever -
Review from Nick S.
Fairfax, VA
7/15/2011
A conveniently located French restaurant with an antique-looking, comfy interior between Georgetown Historical District and the Foggy Bottom Metro.
Came here for a light lunch with my friend while visiting Georgetown. We ordered French Onion Soups, Pike Dumplings, and the Calf Liver.
The French Onion Soup was pretty good, but it seemed like they added too much white wine in it.
Pike Dumplings were very nice, it had the fish-taste of pike but not over-powering, it was just right. It seemed to be baked in some smooth texture, I have no clue what it was (like very thin dough). An interesting item considering that pike is not very common in restaurants here.
Calf Liver was one of the best I've had, perfect sauce and flavor and it had that melt in your mouth feeling, it was very, very good.
Service was acceptable, but one of the waiters seemed kind of grumpy, maybe a bad day, that's fine, but should be more considerate around customers.
Maybe if the Onion Soup was perfected and service was more warming, I would rate 5 stars, but otherwise a very good French restaurant in a convenient location. -
Review from Valentine N.
Fairfax, VA
2/8/2011
Probably one of the only French Restaurant worth going!
The service is great and the place is nice and quiet. It is the kind of place where I can really enjoy the food as well as the company.
I dont know what I can recommend on the menu since everything I ever had there was good! Appetizers, entrees and desert are definitely full on flavors and they stay true to French cuisine.
There is a long wait if you did not make any reservation on wkends so...make sure to call ahead. -
Review from Lucas D.
Washington, DC
2/21/2011
I love La Chaumiere. I went for the first time during restaurant week For lunch. I'm a poor college student what can I say. The decor is eclectic and just very homey. Not pretentious in the least.
I started wih the boudin blanc. Which was perfectly done. With the mashed potatoes it was a foodgasm.
I had the trout for the main course which was fantastic. Blackened just slightly without any seasonings overpowering the fish. Added points for putting the lemon in a strainer... I hate when places get lazy and don't.
I ended with the cookie cup with fruit and sorbet. The fruit could have been a bit better but it was still delicious (although it would be easier to eat with the sorbet in a little bowl than in a cookie cup that allows it to run allover the plate as it melts). That was the one minor annoyance the whole time though so that should say something.
The wait staff was friendly and unobtrusive, even considering I eat soooooo slow.
Definitely give La Chaumiere a try. I would recommend going at an off time so everything is utter perfection. My experience was a foodgasm. Or perhaps it was just great and the few glasses of port I had while waiting contributed to its elevaton to foodgasmic. Either way I wasn't complaining and it's convinced me to return for more life altering, toe curling, palate pleasing experiences. -
Review from Chris A.
Washington, DC
8/24/2011
Quintessentially French, very rustic, country side interior. The service may not be what Americans have become accustom to, it is very French in all aspects. A very hands off approach from the staff, that makes for a very pleasant and non-invasive dining experience. The food is classic in style and very tasty. The seating is very European in style, close quartered, which adds to the ambiance. Never fails to disappoint. A true Gem in Washington.
-
Review from Claudio D.
Miami, FL
12/9/2011
Food was good (as usual). Rack of Lamb, fish stew, and brains were tasty. Desserts (souffles) were dry and unappealing.
-
Review from Jessica O.
Washington, DC
8/17/2011
La Chaumière is old school, in a good way... The food is classic, rustic French and very good. The atmosphere is relaxed and quiet - perfect for a date.
-
Review from G M.
Washington, DC
11/30/2011
It's funny. This place is two blocks from my office, I've walked by a million times, yet I hadn't stopped in until today. I'm really happy that I did. I went for an impromptu lunch and it was great. I found the service to be perfectly good (especially for a French restaurant). I had the crab salad and it was perfect. Just light enough, not too filling, but I left full and happy. I'll definitely be back for lunch and may even consider it for dinner.
-
Review from Bill D.
Updated - 1/9/2011
It's not that we don't love La Chaumere. We do, we really, really do. We've just become terribly predictable - and this is such a reliable restaurant.
There's so much to love here. Loud, noisy groups are usually placed in the room at the front near the street. Use of flash photography is discreetly if firmly discouraged. Yes, people apparently do have to be told that's incredibly thoughtless and rude.
The menu seems as timeless as ever, but - the portions seem to have grown. The husband and I celebrate our anniversary here as we seem to have been doing for most of 25 years now. The food is, well, rich: escargots followed by lobster bisque. Saumon en croute and gran marnier souffle. That's quite a meal!
I'd swear portions were smaller in the past, and they seem to have gotten a bit larger - which isn't necessary. Wonderful food doesn't need to be enormous. That's the only reason I've reduced the rating.
The service, food and presentation is still stupendous. This is as old Washington as it gets and you just hope it'll never change.
It's always lovely to see the owner greeting everyone at the front as they enter. Classically gallic, elegant and wonderful.
If you're looking to civilize your urchins, bring them here for lunch. The owner is wonderful and she's very likely to take an interest in your efforts. The staff is always very good tempered about groups with children.
One small change is there is valet parking across the street at the Four Seasons. It's no longer free, but $5 for the stamp at the maitre'd.Listed in: Muffin Tops, Rumble in the Tumble (or…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/29/2010
Forget Paris. This is the South of France and thank god for that.
This is an old Washington… Read more »
-
-
Review from Rita K.
Washington, DC
8/20/2011
I went for restaurant week. The service was fine. I had the mussels in garlic butter and duck. My parents had the seafood stew and some salmon puff pastry of some sort. The mussels were good, not the best I ever had. The duck was a little chewy and bleh. Flavor on it was okay. Seafood stew was fishy and the Salmon puff pastry was bland. The dessert was probably the best thing I had that night, it was a fresh made cookie into a bowl shape with some fresh strawberries in it. Don't think I'll be going back...
-
Review from Emily P.
Bethesda, MD
8/20/2011
Aptly named La Chaumiere, the cottage-turned Georgetown restaurant welcomes you into a cozy atmosphere. Since I normally don't dine in French restaurants, I turned to the server for recommendations. Taking his leads, my friend and I started off with Mussels and Boudin Blanc. The mussels, well-coated in garlic butter, were tasty but oily. Boudin Blanc consisted of chicken/pork sausage, mashed potatoes, and poached apples. The sausage reminded me of a texture similar to that of Chinese spam (chunky/mush-like) so it was a little unexpected and off-putting. It was also bland, but tasted better with the apples and mashed potatoes. We both ordered slow-cooked short ribs with pasta. The ribs were tender, but the brown sauce was too salty. I also thought that there should have been more pasta and carrots. I enjoyed the dessert the most: poached peach, vanilla ice cream, atop with toasted almonds. Very refreshing way to neutralize the salty palate.
I think it was a decent experience for RW, but I don't see myself going back. -
Review from Ed D.
Arlington, VA
5/21/2011
Arrived at 10:02 for a 10 PM reservation. The door was locked and the staff waived and mouthed that they were closed. I noticed that other reviewers have noted similar experiences. Having worked in the restaurant industry, I understand that these people want to go home. Fine. But they should learn to manage Open Table better. If you don't want to take a 10 PM reservation, then please don't make one available. I hope to give this restaurant a second chance, but on the off chance that staff are reading this (and if you aren't, what's wrong with you?), I have this message for you: manage Open Table better. And if you accept a late reservation, be prepared to honor it, please. No sense marring what seems to be an excellent reputation.
-
Review from Sarah J.
6/22/2010
Went here about a year ago the first time the bf came to visit me from Alaska. For some reason I was at a loss for what restaurant we should go to for dinner on his second night here (crazy, I know!). I think I was being indecisive because I didn't want to let on that I was a crazy food nerd. So I let him do the picking that night even though he had no idea where to start and what was good. He ended up choosing La Chaumiere, and I'm glad he did because I don't think I would have ever dined there otherwise.
This is definitely a place that has a big crowd of regulars. The owners know pretty much everyone who walks in the door, and the patrons are full of love for this place. They have notes all along the walls from customers full of thank yous for a great experience. Cute.
When we walked in, I felt simultaneously intrigued and uncomfortable...it felt like I was walking into a cozy French chateau, but I am not exaggerating when I say that we were the ONLY people there under 50 years old. People even gave us looks like, um are you two in the wrong place?
Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by our experience. The service was just ok...the waiter seemed sort of grumpy but he was helpful with recommendations. I had lobster bisque which was very tasty...little bits of lobster in a creamy broth. Perfect for the rainy night it was. We also had the salmon in puff pastry and chicken and sausage plate. Everything was well cooked and flavorful, and reminded me of food I ate when visiting Belguim (the closest I've ever been to France!). The dessert was excellent as well...creme brulee and warm apple tart. Delish!
Overall it was a tasty and charming bistro experience. A very comforting meal. I'll go back fo sho! -
Review from Don J.
Chevy Chase, MD
8/15/2011
What a disappointment. I had been wanting to visit La Chaumiere for many years. Today we went. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but there was little to like. The food was indifferent, the service was neglectful. The best thing about it was that the price was low today because it is Washington Restaurant week.
The atmosphere is faux French farm. I liked it but some would call it kitsch.
The baked moules were good but not top notch. My short ribs were way oversalted with very little real flavor, my wife's calfs liver was quite good, the other two entrees were unremarkable. The menu said "Peche Melba". The dish apparently was Haagen Daz over a canned peach.
The service was strange for a well reputed restaurant. It ranged from indifferent to almost cold. No warmth, no real welcome. Forgivable had but the food made up for it.
The next time we want French food it will not be here we look. -
Review from Denise R.
Rockville, MD
11/6/2011
Disappointed. We had heard so many good comments and were looking forward to a special meal with friends/colleagues. The food was good, but not exceptional. The salad was brown around the edges--obviously not fresh or even recently prepared. The rest of the meal was tasty and prepared well, but was not over the top by any means. Most disappointing was the attitude of the server, who could never lower himself to have direct eye-to-eye contact or be personally engaged with anyone in our party of five.
-
Review from silvia R.
McLean, VA
1/12/2011
This rating is more like a 41/2 star, not because i do not love their food. La Chaumiere will always be my favorite place to dine in the DC area. Amazing food at a good price. The service is good, but at the same time the staff is very serious and not very welcoming. If they could just work on that, it would be the perfect restaurant.
La Chaumiere is the great example of not having to spend $100 to $200 per person to have a wonderful meal.
I truly recommend La Chaumiere. -
Review from Samantha S.
Alexandria, VA
7/29/2011
We went to La Chaumiere for my boyfriend's birthday tonight. Wow. We were blown away by how delicious and rich everything was. Thanks to yelp recommendations, we started with the pike dumplings (really one large fishy-eggy dumpling) and a cold mussel bisque with saffron. As many other yelpers have said, the pike dumpling was delicious. It had a salty fish flavor, but the dumpling was soft. The brown sauce it was sitting in was buttery and rich -- and full flavored. The cold mussel bisque was equally rich with tons of butter and cream. It was helpful for bread to be dipped into it. For the main course, we had salmon en croute (salmon with spinach in puff pastry "hot pocket"), which was served with a rich dill cream sauce, potatoes, broccoli and a carrot. I was too full to finish the whole thing, but it was delightful. My boyfriend's dish was lamb medallions with ratatouille and a rich (cherry) sauce. Wow. His was an amazing assortment of flavors. We finished with a grand marnier souffle served with a sauce (creme anglaise?). The top of the souffle was light and crisp, the interior was eggy and the bottom was an intensely caramelized (nearly burnt sugar) orange flavor. It was not too sweet. It was nice, however, that we could control the sweetness of the souffle as the sauce was on the side in a little sauce boat. My glass of sauvignon blanc was perfect for the meal.
The waitress and hostess were most hospitable and friendly. The waitress was a French woman who was knowledgable about the menu, gave a solid dessert recommendation. She was very friendly (smiled quite a pit at our enthusiasm for the meal).
We will definitely be back. And next time I will not wear such a form fitting dress!! -
Review from Keri M.
Alexandria, VA
2/5/2009
I came here with high expectations and la chaumiere did not meet them.
People refer to this place as "cozy" but to me it felt more "overcrowded." As in, I couldn't stand up out of my chair because the guy behind me is so close. I had to do a [not so] sexy dance to maneuver out from my table and chair to get to the bathroom. Call me high maintenance, but when my bill comes to $100, I expect to be able to get out of my chair easily.
I was SO excited to try the venison medallions. When they arrived, I had about 3 oz of venison sitting on my plate. And the worst part about that is that one of my pieces actually had gristle, so it was more like 2.6 oz of meat. For an entree of $24, this carnivore expects the recommended serving size of at least 6 oz. Or at the very least - no f*ing gristle!!
That said, the meat itself was good because it was cooked medium rare. However, it didn't taste gamey. So, it could have been bison meat for all I know. I kind of like the gamey-ness of venison so the lack of it was actually disappointing.
As recommended, I tried the souffle. And was sorely disappointed. It tastes like puffed egg white with a dash of chocolate powder. The creamy sauce that comes with this dry cake-ish thing made it palatable but without it, I couldn't have eaten more than a bite. I'd advise against getting the souffle.
One good thing about my meal was the buttery wine ginger oyster sauce left from Jonathan's oyster appetizer. I soaked it in the bread and couldn't get enough of it. I'm lucky that Jonathan is a sharer.
We also ordered a good bottle of wine, thanks to Jonathan's sommelier skills. If I had only that and the oyster juice, I probably would have given this place more stars. -
Review from Meredith R.
4/30/2007 ROTD 5/7/2007
I think that revealing my "credentials" are in order so that you can appreciate my experience and authority in what I'm about to say regarding the food at La Chaumiere:
Credentials: I have a Masters in Divinity from Vanderbilt University, I am an ordained minister, I've spent some serious time and energy pondering questions of a theological nature. So here it goes....
Because I believe in a loving and gracious god, it would seem to me that in Shangri-la, in Paradise, in the Happy Hunting Ground, in the Eternal Hereafter, (wherever that wonderful afterlife place is that you may or may not believe in) you get to eat La Chaumiere every night! Heavenly. That's the best word I can use to describe it.
The red snapper I had was divine. The sweet potatoes that accompanied my dining companion's venison was positively sublime. I'm getting tingly now just thinking about it. I swear, I never imagined that sweet potatoes could be so amazing. (And I like sweet potatoes!) Please do yourself a favor and go ahead and order the souffle for dessert. Either the grand mariner or the chocolate is absolutely delicious.
It hate to rave about a place and raise the expectations to atmospheric levels, but I just love, love, love La Chaumier. I can't wait to go back.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Vishal S.
8/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
We went to La Chaumiere for Restaurant Week but we ended up ordering from the main menu instead. The RW menu was good too but we realized the prices were not that much higher if we ordered from the main menu.
We had reservations for 8:30 but we got there at 8:10 PM and the staff was good enough to have us seated before our reserved time. The restaurant was over 90% full even at 8:30 on a weekday evening!
The entire staff was very friendly and provided us with excellent service except when I requested for a new glass for water since my glass had a STRONG egg smell in it. Our waiter swore that she checked the glass herself before placing it on the table and there was no smell in it! My point is whats the big deal if she had changed the glass - it's not that I was asking for free wine or something!
But service rest of the evening was excellent! She was very helpful in making recommendations and we loved everything we ate!
For appetizers we had escargot and lobster bisque soup. Escargot was heavenly! Lobster Bisque soup was good - not too creamy - but had a slight herby after-taste that I could not put my finger on.
For main course we had Rack of Lamb and Duck. Both dishes were juicy, cooked just right and were seasoned well!
Even the sides of wild rice and veggies were good too! The quantity of food was good too and we were stuffed at the end.
For dessert we had Chocolate soufflé, and flourless chocolate cake with chocolate sauce in place of hazelnut sauce. Both desserts were yummy and we were scraping the bottom of our dishes at the end!
This is one of the best French food I have had in the DC area! -
Review from N S.
Washington, DC
10/20/2009
I'm not gonna sit here and bash the food of La Chamiere, I'm gonna bash the service, and moreso the owner.
I work for a very prominent law firm (not an attorney), and when I have attended lunches here with my boss, or other rainmakers - the service has been excellent, and the food has been good.
However, the owner's treatment completely changed one day when I stopped in on my own. Quite frankly, I feel I was discriminated against - now whether it was age or race or both, I don't know, but I do know that it contrasted sharply with the graciousness I have seen the owner bestow upon colleagues from the firm.
It was raining hard, and I got a craving for their soup. I was on my cell so I stood out in the rain for a good 10 minutes trying to conclude my conversation as this restaurant is very intimate. When I felt it was coming to an end, I walked in. First, he asks me if I'm staying for dinner. I felt that in itself was irrelevent. You only have a dinner menu available and no bar...so who cares what I'm ordering? I may have stated that I would like some soup (mind you I've eaten here alone before at least twice and had full courses).
So he seats me, and I get back to my friend on the phone to finalize our convo very quickly. Now I murmur when I speak on my cell in public places. I never speak at full voice. I'm also someone whose phone is always on vibrate. Always. No sooner than 30 seconds into my concluding, the owner comes up (mind you the restaurant has one other person in it) and tells me very bluntly that I will have to get off my cell phone.
Now I have absolutely no problem with this rule, but I was on my phone for 30 seconds and just arrived. I HIGHLY DOUBT if I was some 60 year-old white man in a suit, I would have been interrupted like that so early on and in such a manner. Of course not. I'm not saying he wouldn't have said anything, but I believe he would have given someone the benefit of the doubt that the behavior was not going to continue throughout the entire experience.
So yes, I do feel the owner discriminated against me and he lost a customer. I do not believe he would have even treated me like that if he knew what firm I am affiliated with either, but that's neither here nor there.
Bottom line - Fuck the French guy and take yourself to L'Auberge! -
Review from Ed Y.
Washington, DC
8/14/2007
Mmmm....
Great atmosphere, great service.
Appetizer: Country Pate and Pike Dumpling in Lobster Sauce.
I had the Pate, which was good but out of the ordinary, came with a nice side salad, my dining partner had the Pike Dumpling which was definetely much more note worthy, the dumpling itself had a velvety smooth texture, light and flavorful. Swimming in a thick "lobster bisque", very tasty.
Entree: Almond encrusted Trout and Saddle of Rabbit
Both dishes were very good, Trout was like described, very light and flavorful on the inside, while quite crunchy on the outside, unfortunately I don't have a better description of the trout dish than that, but that was because I was engrossed in my own rabbit dish. Served on a creamy mashed potatos with onion and carrots as side, the rabbit was cooked quite nicely, skin was crunchy without being burnt and meat was very tender. It was all topped of with some very nice red wine sauce.
Dessert: Chocolate Souflee and ???
Honestly, I don't even remember what my dining partner even had for dessert, because I had the souflee. I've never had souflee quite as luxuriious as this, this dessert is a must!
Visited on Restaurant Week...$30 per person for 3 courses. I've heard of other places skimpping on their restaurant week menus, not this place, we'll definetely be backListed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Adrienne A.
Los Angeles, CA
10/20/2009
The good thing about La Chaumière is that it's Old School. The bad thing about La Chaumière is well. it's Old School. Believe me, in its day, back before Citronelle and other new generation Super French gastro-bombs hit the scene, La Chaumière was quite the Anniversary, Birthday, Special Event, Big Day celebration place. It's still charming and quaint, still has reliable, delicious french standards, and yes, it still has the tinniest taint of snotty service occasionally. Don't kill me, but a little of this you must take in stride. They're not being rude, they're being French. Eat your pate, and don't take offense. Now, this is not to say they have never crossed the line, but bad service can happen at any restaurant. I think here it doesn't happen so often that it's not worth the visit. In my opinion, the worst thing about La Chaumière is trying to park your car.
See? Now all the negative reviews of La Chaumière have gone and made me stand up for the French! Look what you've done!! Damn you Yelpers . . . . .! (calm down, I'm just joshing you!) -
Review from donni s.
Woodbridge, VA
7/27/2010
I came here with my GF for our regular date night. Very rustic decor. High rafters and empty wine bottles everywhere. We seemed to be the youngest people there haha but I didn't mind it at all.
I ordered the escargot for a first course while my GF ordered the lobster bisque. You cant really go wrong with snails... I mean they're just stuffed with garlic butter and heated up yeah? They were good though. I tried the bisque and although good nothing too memorable.
Second course I had the calf's brain in a caper lemon sauce and she had the lamb chops. The calf's brain was pretty good. Very rich and light at the same time. The lamb was great! Cooked to absolute perfection. I couldn't stop going back to my gf's plate haha.
I would definately go back here. In fact, I think we're going back there this friday to try out other stuff from the menu. Did spend some money here though.. bottle of wine, two apps, two entrees plus tip left me 160$ lighter. I think it was worth it. I'll be back friday to try their house pate, foie gras, and duck breast. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Burlingame, CA
9/26/2008
Prom dinner here many years ago.
Aaaawwww, the feeling of youth and innocence, prom, graduation, on the cusp of independence and being in love with your h.s sweetheart.
You're not reading this right honey???!?!? He meant nothing to me. Seriously, it was just high school puppy love!
I remember Chaumiere being a charming restaurant, remarkable food, exquisite service and that was back when we were 18-year-olds. This is a definite stop in my trip come Oct. -
Review from Jonathan S.
Brooklyn, NY
2/2/2009
***3.5 Stars***
Traditional French fare is the name-of-the-game at this accessible neighorhood restaurant, just half-a-mile from the Foggy Bottom Metro.
The atmosphere and decor are homey. The fireplace in the center of the room adds a nice touch, and the room is small enough that you can hear the other patrons waxing poetic about the various foods and wines they're enjoying. That said, though, I felt that our group probably "lowered the average age in the room by 1/4 of a year. to 63.5", in the words of one of my dining companions. Translation: it felt a tad stuffy, but that's forgiveable given the quality of the food, which is very good.
The breaded oysters with ginger were fantastic, and were served on an escargot plate (which was especially useful, since the mouthwatering white-wine butter sauce that was used to dress the oysters pooled conveniently in the escargot divets, which made sopping-up with bread that much simpler).
The rabbit dish was excellent - the meat is rolled out and wrapped around spinach leaves and sprigs of basil, and sliced. It's served over artfully arranged mashed potatoes and a thick, brown, wine-based sauce, which compliments the slightly gamey flavor of the meat nicely. I have to admit that I really enjoy when restaurants allow me to order dishes made from some of the more defenseless creatures in the animal kingdom that are not commonly available among your standard American-style fare. Bunnies=delicious.
We ordered a bottle of the Sidewise Pinot Noir (2006) with our meal. The four of us all seemed to find that it paired nicely with our food (which included two orders of the venison medallions, and one boudin blanc - a sausage made from chicken and pork).
For dessert, I had the Gratin of Mixed Berries with Sabayon sauce. It was warm, sugary and delicious. The gf tried the soufleé, which was ok, but really heavy on the eggs.
The service was...strange. Not that he made any mistakes, but our waiter had a habit of lurking and staring at us expectantly, particularly while he waited for us to choose our wine and main courses. He seemed to be in a hurry, which doesn't lend to a leisurely dining experience (thus the star deduction).
Overall I enjoyed my meal here - good food, good wine and good company. I find, however, that equally good food can be found at other Georgetown favorites with friendlier service and slightly more welcoming atmosphere (like Bistro Lepic - even if it is somewhat harder to get to transportion-wise). -
Review from Chris T.
Washington, DC
4/19/2010 1 photo
I love places like La Chaumiere. Turning a cheek to whatever foodie trend of the month is making its rounds, La Chaumiere remains staunchly traditional.
No, you will not find small plates, molecular gastronomy, off-the-wall cocktails, no thumping music on the speakers. You will be able to enjoy well-done classic French dishes, a thorough wine list (if not all that spectacular), service that is on point, and the only entertainment offered is the company of close friends. And mark my word, you will be close, as the dining room is packed like a tin of sardines from Brittany.
While La Chaumiere certainly does your typical French dishes quite well, my advice is to take advantage of La Chaumiere's expertise in dishes you may not find elsewhere such as the delicious Cervelle de Veau if you're feeling a tad adventurous. Be especially sure peruse the seasonal specials--La Chaumiere recently offered a lamb shank that was absolutely phenomenal.
And for the love of God, save room for the chocolate souffle.Listed in: Offal-ly Delicious
-
Review from Xing X.
Arlington, VA
8/18/2010
Great food, rustic design, and classically French service.
Appetizers: Escargot and mussels were both great, but for me it's hard to screw it up.
Entrees: St. Jacques Provençale (Sea Scallops with Garlic and Tomatoes) was quite good. As a self proclaimed scallop lover and "expert", the girlfriend absolutely loved it. My Fricassée de Pêcheur
(Fish Stew, Clams, Shrimp, Mussels and Scallops, Seasoned with Aïoli) was good, bordering on great.
Dessert: Soufflé was great, make sure to order it when you first order your meal.
Free parking at the Four Seasons hotel across the street, just get it validated.
No nonsense French food with nothing to really complain about. Would definitely come back.
