I live right next to this place, so I come occasionally. They recently switched management and I would say it was much better before. My server was really sweet, but in general the service is slow. I noticed a table next to me have to get up and go inside to get their server. The food is good enough to have gotten me to come back. I just left and am pretty annoyed because I ordered the Big Breakfast which is supposed to include potato latkes and turkey sausage, but I only got the bacon and egg portion with a side of fruit. I didn't say anything because the service was slow and I didn't want to wait, but I should have. I shouldn't have paid full price for only half of what I ordered. This place has great potential if they improve their service. read more

The food here is not fresh and not prepared to order. They don't seem to be very clean and I am concerned about the sanitation. The coffee was not hot and the iced coffee was watery. There are much better and cleaner places to eat. read more

Went for a late bfast. Was unimpressed with my cappuccino and chocolate croissant. I had high hopes, but it was just ok. It was packed though so maybe I'm missing something? read more

Went here for lunch. Nice choices of sandwiches, salad quiche with a little french touch. Good hot chocolate We had the chocolate diamond for dessert. Was maybe a little too dry but still very good. read more

For a quick hungover Saturday morning brunch, this place is great. However, the service can be slow and the waitresses forgetful. I've never had anything besides their breakfast food (4/5 occasions) and each time the food was delivered cold, as if it had been made ahead of order. Seems like a much better place to grab coffee and a freshly baked pastry than a sit down meal. But the best place for brunch in the West End area. read more

Can't speak to any of the food, but the coffee, specifically their espresso, is spot-on. My office is within spitting distance, so I've found myself making this my morning routine in the summer. Iced Americano, to-go. Simple and much better than the Americano down the street at Starbucks. Gentleman who runs the register (and seemingly the operation) always has a smile on his face and remembers my order. Seems like a great spot to order and enjoy your caffeinated beverage outside, if time is not a concern. read more

Great breakfast spot! Serves breakfast all day! Spinach and goat cheese omelette was delicious! read more

See all

Good brunch/breakfast menu. Above average food, not amazing. Relaxed atmosphere, nice on Saturday morning. Amazing selection of pastries and breads, and the ones I got in my brunch basket are great! Overall, good for a quick Sat morn breakfast. If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars instead of 4. The lemon poppyseed muffin pushed it to 4... So good! read more

Came in for a quick lunch before a business meeting. Soup wasn't hot enough and it was slightly mushy... More puréed food than soup.... Kale salad was overly sweet and loaded with dressing. Bread was chewy and not fresh. Totally disappointed. read more

Today was a disappointing visit, and I'm sad to say I won't be rushing back anytime soon. I have visited many times over the past few years. Maybe we arrived too late today, but the selection was very limited. Our pastries--three different ones--were all dry. My omelette and my friend's crepe were not made well. The staff was very nice, but I didn't feel like having to haggle for the food to be made again better. The little latke was great as was my chocolate and banana crepe. Perhaps they were having a bad day, but I definitely left disappointed. I won't return anytime soon. read more

Nice location although a little small so when busy you make feel squished. The hot chocolate and fondue are amazing!!! Pretty good service with nice staff. Overall I'd go back :) read more

The OJ is not fresh squeezed and the service is not great. The kale salad is pretty good and unfortunately the pastries are a little dry. For a place called bread and chocolate you expect more... well bread and chocolate... read more

While the food is not bad, it is grossly overpriced. I just paid $8 for a cup of chili and a dry corn muffin. No Thanks! Even though this location is oh-so-convenient for me, I have vowed to never return! ...unless it's for a black and white cookie, which is freakishly good. But, no more meals, as I'm not fond of wasting my hard-earned money. read more

Bread and Chocolate is really hit or miss. Sometimes it is great and sometimes it is really disappointing. There have definitely been instances when I have gotten a dish that had just been sitting under heat lamps for far too long due to a neglectful waiter. Also-when getting brunch, it is really disappointing getting the leftover pastries from a box when there is a glass case full of really nice looking pastries that you walk by when being seated. This is however, a very inexpensive option which makes it appealing when paying $20 max versus some $40 brunches. read more

We came for brunch and ordered off the brunch menu which comes with a pastry basket and mimosa. They didn't have regular croissants so they brought us an almond croissant, it was actually an apple croissant. They also ran out of champagne. The muffins were stale. Service was slow. read more

Bread was stale, coffee was bad, service slow, and food was average at best. Do not recommend.

I do think the three star rating on this place is accurate. The service was good, but slow. Very slow. And it wasn't crowded at all. Maybe four tables tops. But very good when we had it! This was probably the worst chocolate croissant I've ever had. There was nothing flaky or buttery going on with this guy. It was definitely tough and needed desperately to be warmed up just so you get through it. HOWEVER, the blueberry muffin was superior in every way and one of the best I've had! I just left confused. read more

Came here on recommendation from hotel concierge. The food was decent, but the service is horrible. The table next to us actually got up and left because they got tired of waiting for the server. When she finally came she proceeded to spill water all over them. I don't know if the place is understaffed or what, but the people they have are not very good.... except for the manager who seems about to pass out from running around so much. I would not recommend coming unless you are very patient. read more

Probably the worst brunch experience I have had in DC. Came here on Memorial Day with my parents who were visiting from out of town. With plenty of tables available, it took about 10 minutes to be seated. After being seated, about another 10 went by before being helped. At that point we ordered food and drinks to keep the meal from taking even longer. About 15 minutes later, 3 of the 4 orders arrived. It was at that point we learned that they were out of the 4th order. What?! Food was just average and cold, and followed horrible the DC pricing model. read more

Pastries: Some are yummy, some (like Cannoli) are just ok Salad: Meh Sandwich: Good Overall: I'd find another lunch place and go there for dessert read more

I ordered the Southwestern Panini sandwhich . It was horrible. The chicken was dry and old. The sandwhich was dry no chipolte sauce. This is the last time I will ever order any food from this place. I called for 40 minutes to inform them of the inferior food that I paid for. Ths telephone line was busy for over 35 minutes. I decided to just give up. This is the second occassion where my food was less then edible. I guess its my own fault. If you cant seem to anwer your phone in a business how good do you think the food or service willbe fo r the customer? read more

Cute place, great location in between DuPont and GW Perfect soy capuccino Prompt service and great breakfast food. read more

We ordered a chicken sandwich and the chicken was so hard, that we returned it. They use some cheap frozen chicken. Not going back to this place. read more

Blueberry muffin was the lightest and fluffiest I've ever had! Grab n go with self serve coffee is nice and still cheaper than most places. Had same experience as another reviewer with ham croissant- tasty croissant and good quantity of tasty ham inside, but the placement of the ham leaves a lot of harmless bites and then one or two nothing but ham bites. Needs to be spread out a bit better. Service was super friendly. Def go back if staying nearby again. read more

Solid 3 star brunch place. They bring you little pastries in a basket, like you get bread in a restaurant at dinner. Super cute, & yummy. But hey, I don't want to spoil my appetite! (Ask for some wax paper & take those to go.) I'm a big softie for Eggs Benedict (or Florentine, etc. It's all good.) This place has "okay" Hollandaise. I'm guessing they don't make it themselves. Really, it makes a huge difference. The service was really friendly & nice, if a little slow & harried because it was crowded. Honestly, this place seems mainly for the tourists. I've seen & heard an obnoxious Yankees time every time I've visited. Mostly I come here because it's convenient (yet out of the way), and for the coffee & pastry. read more

We had a problem finding the place. Very pleasant environment, my Spinach omelette was a bit overcooked but tasty, fresh bread was delicious. I would definitely return. read more

This place came highly recommended by one of the staff at our hotel, but that's perhaps because it's the best IN THE AREA. The Eggs Benedict tweaked to include smoked salmon and potatoes instead of English muffins was quite good. The coffee was just fine. I can't really rave about the service. It wasn't BAD, it just wasn't very GOOD. Service with a smile, certainly. The menu was a little vague, so I ordered a Coffee Americano, thinking it was just plain coffee because of how many other kinds of coffee they have. Besides, I've been several places where they call the basic coffee an "Americano". When it arrived & I realized it wasn't what I wanted, I was told it was espresso and water or something like that. I was clearly disappointed & clearly had no intention of drinking it. Now, I know that the profit margin on coffee is in the stratosphere, so I couldn't imagine why the server didn't just say, "Not a problem. Let me take this away & I'll be right back with what you want." I had to spell it out. Then she charged me for the more expensive coffee. Very disappointing. But, yeah, it's a nice place to go for Eggs Benedict and a very carefully described cup of coffee. read more

The food was ok but not notable to say the least... the server was arguing with the manager working the register and making a scene and is uncomfortable. read more

Service was a bit slow and repeatedly had to ask for certain items to be brought over.

Although I had no chocolate, the bread was fantastic. Although my friends and myself only ordered coffee, we received a whole breadbasket with assorted breads (ranging from raisin nut to whole grain to sourdough) and amaretto butter. Who ever thought of amaretto butter? I do not know, but more people should certainly catch on. It went perfectly with each of the breads, and entirely whet our palette for what was to come. The coffee. I feel indebted to the world to put the word out about the coffee. Bread and Chocolate is one of those ingenious restaurants that has realized that La Vazza has the BEST coffee in creation today. La Vazza is Italian coffee with a complex bouquet that comes from harvesting the first fruits of coffee plantations on 5 different mountains. I once worked at a fine dining restaurant where we served La Vazza. We hosted Starbucks executives one night, including Starbucks tasters. The tasters would not stop raving about our coffee. They asked us where we got it and how we got it...even though I do not like Starbucks, they know their coffee. And La Vazza is good enough to be a meal in itself. Which it was, for myself and my three girlfriends this last Saturday. Here's the Specs: We went Saturday for brunch. It was not crowded at 10:20 a.m., but by 11:00 there was a long line. The pastries and breads were FANTASTIC, and everything people around us ordered looked amazing. La Vazza coffee. Hard to top. The one point at which Bread and Chocolate was lacking is its service. Although we were promptly greeted, we were given neither stir spoons nor sugar with our coffee. (Perhaps they rely on the coffee to speak for itself.) After delivering our bread, the waitress was not to be seen again. The maitre'd did check on us, she did not deliver the correct roast to us when we asked for refills on the coffee. Service was not so horribly lacking that I will not return. In fact, my girlfriends and I have decided to make a brunch tradition in front of the street-side floor to ceiling windows. However, the service could spoil an otherwise perfect bistro. But still check it. Just be warned. read more

**Pastries only** My group decided they wanted to try this place after brunch at Blue Duck Tavern. I'd heard of it briefly through Yelp, so was interested in checking out the pastries they had. Obviously after the amazing meal at BDT, that is about all that would be physically comfortable to eat. Haha! I was impressed with how full the little cafe was. There was even a wait to be seated. Apparently it's a pretty well liked place. Anywhere that could get people to pass up Ris or BDT would have to have something special to offer. I guess...crowds don't lie, right? After trying their brioche bun and cheese danish, I'm starting to wonder. They were 100% terrible. Even worse than Panera Bread's mass produced, thaw-and-bake pastries; I dislike those little nasties so much that I don't even buy one when it would be 99 cents after my purchase of a Caesar salad and a drink. I really didn't think that was possible, but turns out it is. The brioche was light as a feather and so dry that it was similar to eating spoon fulls of bread crumbs. Cheap! Both of these problems indicate pure cheapness. One: the bread was light because they let the bread dough rise too long. This is so the bun will look larger, while not using as much dough. Two: they are not throwing away their pastries after a day of sitting in their display in order to maintain the quality and freshness their customers desire and DESERVE(!!!!). Cheap, cheap, cheap! The cheese danish barely had any cheese it in, but did have a strange lime-ish favor. I understand that citrus is a perfect accompaniment to most every pastry, but whatever was in the danish was just wrong. I've come to the conclusion that the reason people continue to go to Bread & Chocolate is either the cafe menu is decent compared to the pastries, and I just got a skewed first impression, or the people that choose to dine their don't want to pay for BDT or Ris, or can't get into them. Either way, I'll never know for sure. I just can't bring myself to risk wasting my time, money, or daily calories on a place that can't even beat Panera Bread's 99 cent bakery. read more

My son and I had breakfast this morning at bread and chocolate. The food was excellent. We especially enjoyed the croissants they have to offer. Certainly a place I would go back to. read more

Maybe I am just a spoiled NYer but i came here on a Saturday morning for a bagel to go. They didn't have whole wheat which is okay so I ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel, toasted, with cream cheese and jelly. They took a few minutes and the gave me my paper bag and I left. When I opened the bag, I found a toasted bagel with cream cheese in small single serve container and same for the jelly. Why didn't they do this for me? I had to find a surface to spread my condiments myself. The refrigerated cream cheese was rock hard and I couldn't smear with out ripping my bagel apart and them my fingers got all sticky from attempting to do the same with the jelly. read more

Food was pretty good. Their croissants and omelette were tasty. However service from the host was awful. The only one who wasn't wearing the black uniform, on the heavier side with glasses (on 6/30). She doesn't make you feel welcome at all. This is my 2nd time here and both time lacking service. read more

I would have given them 1.5 stars if 1/2 of a star was an option. The food was stale, the place was overcrowded and the service was surly if not outright hostile. Their coffee was decent and it is a convenient location (why I would have added a 1/2 of a star if I could). Would I recommend this place? NO WAY! read more

Like some of the other reviews we thought this place look very interesting and had a great name. I waiter took forever to come over and then when he gave our drinks we asked for lemon and the lemon had mold all over it. We ordered the blue cheese and pear salad which looks like a three-year-old put it together just throwing on top and the pears were rotten. We had bread with our meal and it was cold and stale. The name and location sucked us in but the experience was mediocre at best. read more

I think there's a soft spot in my heart for B&C since I use to frequent it with a former co-worker about 3 times a week. It's nothing too special, but if you go often they remember you. The service is good. The man that works there makes good cappucino. I'd recommend the avocado omlette for lunch. read more

This could have been good but the manager was yelling at the employees and called one stupid. Made for a very uncomfortable experience. Shame on him! read more

Was looking for a place to get breakfast & get a bit of work done. I ordered the Birchermuesili (yogurt / fruit / oats blend in a cup) and an orange juice: $11. I was surprised at the price, but this is west end so ok. I asked the guy at the register if they had wifi. He shrugged his shoulders & said "eh... sometimes it works". Then, I took my food & went to grab a table. A waitress came over and told me sternly that, since my order was "take-out", I was welcome to sit at the bar but not a table. I could maybe understand that if the place was full, but there were 3 people there besides me. By now I felt like a 2nd class citizen. My sense is they are perfectly located next to a the expensive hotels & don't really need local business. Good thing coz I won't be back. read more

I had a limited of time to eat and let my server know. She let me prepay for my ham and cheese croissant, which was nice, but the sandwich took a while to come out. I had to remind the server and once it came I had to eat it really quickly. The sandwich itself was alright. Truth be told, I had to eat it too fast and I don't really remember anything special about the sandwich. Meh. read more