Diners' Choice: French restaurants in District of Columbia

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall French cuisine in District of Columbia? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

La Piquette

4.8

4.8 (2936)

$31 to $50

French

Cleveland Park

About the restaurant

Dear Guests,
A neighborhood Bistrot located in Cleveland Park that stays faithful to its French roots offering the best French dishes on this side of the Atlantic
Executive Chef Francis Layrle prepares a daily menu with farm raised and seasonal fresh ingredients. The bar offers a carefully curated wine selection and house cocktails. La Piquette presents an authentic bistrot atmosphere the way it is meant to be: fun, simple and delicious.

Top review

GregVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Such an amazing DC treasure! We can’t stop going back.

La Chaumiere

4.9

4.9 (4821)

$31 to $50

French

Georgetown

About the restaurant

La Chaumière is as close as it gets to dining in a French country inn. Celebrating 48 years, La Chaumière features traditional dishes like escargots en coquille, boudin blanc, quenelles of pike, cassoulet and Grand Marnier souffle. Chef Javier's specials reflect a modern approach to seasonal produce, seafood and game with favorites like baked oysters, Dover sole and our speciality, housemate Boudin Blanc. La Chaumière has won the 100 Best Restaurants award 29 times since 1978! We will be serving Al fresco as soon as the weather permits, please reserve, outdoor space is limited. Parking is available at the Four Seasons Hotel for $30 with validation stamp.

Top review

HermanVIP

Dined 4 days ago

This is still my favorite restaurant in DC for over 40 years. The food, the service, and the ambiance is amazing!

Bistrot Lepic & Wine Bar

4.9

4.9 (2635)

$31 to $50

French

Georgetown

About the restaurant

Dear guests,
Now open for Lunch, Brunch and Dinner from Tuesday to Sunday for dining in, carry-outs and delivery through Door-Dash and UberEats.
Celebrating its 29th year Anniversary, this Grand Little restaurant is definitely part of Georgetown’s culinary landscape!
We are offering classic, regional and contemporary French cuisine.
At the Wine Bar, you will feel as comfortable and relaxed as you would in your home.
For Jazz night, please request a table in the Wine Bar. The Jazz performances are every Wednesday nights, from 6pm to 9pm.
In July, a 3% service fee will be added to all guest checks and will be used to cover the increasing server wages.
This fee is not a tip.
Visit our Sister Bistrot, La Piquette on 3714 Macomb Street Nw. in Cleveland Park - Tel: 202 686 2015 - info@lapiquettedc.com

Top review

LawrenceVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Interesting and delicious French dishes. Many tempting options, including some classics.

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Popular dish

Duck leg confit

Chez Billy Sud

4.8

4.8 (2961)

$30 and under

French

Georgetown

About the restaurant

Welcome to Chez Billy Sud, your classic neighborhood French bistro in the heart of historic Georgetown!

We are now taking reservations for dinner 30 days in advance. Depending on the weather, our patio is available on a first-come basis. Please check with your host upon arrival for patio seating.

Our Bar à Vin (located right next door) is open and requires no reservations. You can also visit our sister bistro Cafe Colline in Arlington which also offers reservations via OpenTable.

Please visit our website ChezBillySud.com or check us out on Instagram @ChezBillySud.

We look to hosting you!

Top review

Naomi

Dined 2 days ago

Lovely dinning experience. Beautiful and quiet. Delicious food with great service.

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4.8

4.8 (3891)

$31 to $50

French

Palisades Northwest

About the restaurant

Chef Claudio Pirollo is a chef driven restaurant offering Contemporary Belgian/French Bistro.

A DC staple for 15 years, with a friendly, neighborhood feel, you will feel welcome here for any occasion large or small. Our made from scratch menu is fresh, flavorful and offers something for everyone. From Classic European Bistro Cuisine to sophisticated daily Specials! Our bar covers handcrafted creative cocktails, with a large and high hand Wine List. Enjoy our cozy and energic dining room for an unforgettable experience .
We cannot wait to see you!

Top review

sholehVIP

Dined today

Love this place it is consistent and always good. We have never had a bad meal at this restaurant highly recommend it.

Petite Cerise

4.7

4.7 (136)

$31 to $50

French

Mount Vernon Square

About the restaurant

Part neighborhood café, part energetic bistro, Petite Cerise is located in a bright and lively historic corner space in Shaw/Mount Vernon Triangle. Petite Cerise features separate à la carte menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner. In addition, Petite Cerise has a Coffee Counter open Tuesday - Friday opening at 8am serving classic coffee and espresso preparations, housemade pastries, and other breakfast items to go or sit down.

Dinner offers both an à la carte menu along with a Prix Fixe option. The focus in the evening is to craft unique and innovative dishes utilizing the very best ingredients within the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond skillfully prepared through a French lens.

If you decide to join us for a morning coffee, quick mid-day bite, stretch out your lunch over a glass of wine, or gather with friends for an indulgent and creative dinner, we invite you here to celebrate and enjoy.

Top review

KimVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Nicely done! Great service and attention to detail

La Bise

4.8

4.8 (923)

$31 to $50

French

Downtown

About the restaurant

Welcome to La Bise, a modern, bright, and colorful 21st century French restaurant in the heart of Washington, DC. Just steps from the White House, patrons can enjoy our expanded outdoor patio, inviting bar, and an engaging, open-air kitchen with two distinctive dining room options. Enjoy our unique wine list of French and American varietals featuring both old and new world selections.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 6 days ago

This was an amazing restaurant. The food and service was outstanding. Our party of four had the octopus and frites for appetizers. Our entrees were Alaskan black cod, veal sweetbreads and Branzino. I highly recommend and look forward to going back soon.

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4.5

4.5 (843)

$30 and under

French

Dupont Circle

About the restaurant

Located in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., Bistrot Du Coin serves up delicious French cuisine. Its very relaxed setting features picnic-style table cloths and a second floor to accommodate a packed house. Owners Yannis Felix and Michel Verdon opened Bistrot Du Coin's doors in 2000 for patrons to converse and have fun while enjoying their meals. It offers hearty starters such as French onion soup and fresh, crisp salads, steamed mussels and sautéed foie gras. Veal stew in a creamy sauce, braised chicken in white wine and pan-seared salmon topped with a fresh herb sauce are filling main courses to try.

Bistrot Du Coin hosts parties to celebrate popular French events throughout the year, and it serves brunch on the weekend with its own menu. This restaurant has an extensive wine list, but also offers cocktails and apéritif. It is open year-round and welcomes reservations.

Top review

Clare

Dined 6 days ago

Great food and staff. Also, the vibe can’t be beat.

Butterworth's

4.6

4.6 (25)

$31 to $50

French

Capitol Hill

About the restaurant

A cozy full service restaurant in the heart of Capitol Hill. With executive chef Joseph Nardo in our kitchen, and known Capitol Hill restaurant alumni Bart Hutchins on our floor; come and join us for cocktails, wines, and well composed french dishes in the evening. Or if you are an early bird, we have a full cafe and daytime service offering our house blend espresso, a beautiful selection of teas, and a separate daytime food menu to help you start your day. We are open Wednesday to Sunday. Our daytime service is 8am till 3pm, and dinner is from 5pm till late.

Hope to see you soon!
- Butterworth's

Top review

Beth

Dined 6 days ago

If I could give 10/10 I would!! From start to finish, food, service, atmosphere, 😘👌🏽. They were going to be a little late seating us so they sat us in cute settees with some bubbly, which was so kind, and perfect to toast our graduate!! We were seated after a bit, our dishes came out quickly and they were absolutely delicious!! We finished with some beignets and pavlova for the perfect evening with family!!! Thank you, thank you!!

Opaline Bar and Brasserie

4.4

4.4 (297)

$30 and under

French

Downtown

About the restaurant

The French way of dining – often en plein air, typically unhurried and with a strong commitment to quality ingredients – is one of the cornerstones of l’art de vivre. Join us at Opaline Bar for thoughtful, French-inspired cuisine and specialty drinks in the heart of Washington DC.

We also offer a special curated afternoon tea every Saturday afternoon.

Top review

David

Dined on Dec 11, 2024

Opaline is a great choice if you want a lively after-work spot to meet. Tile floor and otherwise hard surfaces make the noise level pretty high. Bit of an own goal on my part for making a reservation to meet my sister and her husband for dinner here, as the restaurant wasn't really suited to a quiet evening of conversation. (It says "Bar" right there in the name, so I guess Reading is Fundamental.) We actually considered going somewhere else but glad we stayed because the food and service were both quite good. A fresh take on Caesar salad, a delicious just-right pappardelle perfect for a cold evening and a lovely dark chocolate cake for dessert.

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Experience

Christmas Dinner

Experience

Petit Prince Afternoon Tea

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