Ambiance is great, food is very subpar, especially compared to other French restaurants in the area. This restaurant is great food a bug or small party, date night, drinks with the girls. The decor and art, and setting is beautiful. The staff is very courteous and attentive. However, that's the highlight to this restaurant. Overall, the food wasn't that flavorful, a few dashes away from being bland. The presentation was beautiful but all our dishes were very underwhelming. I came with a group of 6 and everyone had the same consensus. None of us would come back here for the food. I love French food and there are so many great restaurants in the area, that this would be on the bottom of my list. The drinks were good, from what I can remember. Id likely only come back here for the bar. read more

See all

We came back! This time we were here to celebrate, just us. Great ambiance as always. They change the huge statement piece (flowers) by the entrance; probably seasonal. We were greeted nicely and brought to a quiet corner. We went for their prix-fix dinners: one set is fig themed, the other set is lobster themed. Pretty nice. See my photos for the lobster thermidor (sauce poured at the table). Mini baguette freshly baked; came with nicely spiced butter! The Maître D was attentive to detail; he swooped in when our waiter got too busy. He also added new logs (and made adjustments) to the fireplace so that the fire would look nice. We came on a somewhat cold rainy evening on a September Tuesday; appreciated that. read more

See all

My husband and I walked in during a night celebrating our anniversary in Georgetown. It was pretty early, so many tables were available and we were quickly seated. The staff kindly brought us champagne on the house to help us celebrate, which was a nice surprise. We ordered one Prix Fixe and one à la carte chicken and everything was quite good. The chicken was a nice portion and perfectly cooked but the best was the salad with burrata. It was amazing. We also ordered crème brulee, which may have been the best crème brûlée I've had. Service was impeccable and the atmosphere was very nice also. It is a bit pricey but not exceptionally expensive for the quality of the food and location. Nice place. read more

L'Avant Garde - Roasted Chicken - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Classy and intimate restaurant featuring fresh seafood and luxurious French cuisine. Got treated to a dinner here and absolutely loved it. It's quite a hefty price, but the quality of the food was amazing. I tried beef tartare for the first time and it was actually incredible. We also got the royal seafood tower which had an array of raw oysters, lobster claws, shrimp, tuna tartare, and crab tartare. Nothing tasted too fishy and you could tell the seafood was very fresh. The truffle brie was incredible with the baguette as well. For mains, I got the filet mignon cooked medium. It was cooked well but maybe not the best filet I've had. It came with a delectable sauce and french fries. For dessert, we ordered a variety of things, and the waiter was kind enough to give us another dessert for free. The service in general was incredible, we were never left waiting for too long, wine and water glasses were constantly refilled without asking, and crumbs were even scraped off the table between courses. Despite not being a Michelin star restaurant, it certainly felt like a Michelin star experience. read more

See all

Cane here for a night cap and Mario was super personable and took great care for his bar guest. He is super knowledgeable on the menu and made me want to come back to eat here! The dark mood lighting set the vibe just right! read more

L'Avant Garde - Bar - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Beautiful restaurant overlooking M St in Georgetown and connected to their lounge-y cocktail bar L'Annexe. Intimate setting. Service was great with fantastic recommendations. The cocktails were great, particularly the duck fat old fashioned. While pricey, the food was good and entree portions were a good size. Perfect for a date night. read more

Beautiful space. Great bar and drink program. Very friendly bar staff. Food is mid...left some to be desired. We've been twice and the duck fat washed burbon cocktail is delicious. read more

The entire experience was excellent here from start to finish! The staff was so kind and we had the coziest table - it was very romantic here and got crowded by like 730 ish. The food was great! We stuck with more of the seafood items. The fresh baguette was so good as well as the crab tartare which was incredibly fresh. I tried the sea bass and it was super light and small of a dish and I loved the sauce that came with it and all of the garnishes! I also tried a bite of the lobster thermidor which was a totally different flavor profile but also great. I would come back! read more

L'Avant-Garde made my birthday dinner memorable. From the seamless phone call to setup the reservations and menu personalization, to the day of adjustments to the timeline, the staff was very accommodating. Upon arrival, the dark exterior facade presented a sexy interior. Unfortunately, there is no valet parking, but there are nearby parking garages. I opted for the prix fixe four course lobster menu exceptionally priced at $89. The first course, the Lobster Bouillabaisse, was disappointing. It lacked seasoning; we had to request salt and pepper for the table. It was filled with lobster, fish, and mussels. I enjoyed the seafood, but not the stew itself. I'm am not a fan of salads, but I think the Lobster Salad was my favorite salad to date. They did not skimp on the lobster chunks. Every bite had a piece of lobster. Next, the Lobster Thermidor entree was cooked to perfection. The only improvement that would have elevated the experience of if lobster picks would have been added to the table setting. Dinner service closed out with crème brûlée as the final course. There were pockets of ice cold bites; like it hadn't been warmed to the right temperature. All of the above was paired with a glass of Sancerre. It was a little dry for my liking. Therefore I tried The Fields cocktail, which was a tarragon infused gin with honey and lavender. Very smooth! Service was good. I wish our server would have removed table debris between dishes. I noticed he folded the napkins behind guests who left the table. If there is one main area that could have made this a five star dining experience is attention to the restroom. There was a noticeable stench that could not be disguised by the candles that were burning. I'm glad I went after my meal as I would have lost my appetite returning to the table. Overall, I recommend this restaurant in idyllic Georgetown. Beautiful decor and delicious food with a couple of areas to address means I'm willing to give them another chance. read more

See all

Not worth the hype or the price. We were a group of 4, and it was over $800 before tip. The food was good but just not good enough for the price tag. I have only lived in metro areas- moved here from nyc, so high, artificial pricing is something I've become accustomed to. But this place? Service was okay but I really didn't like our waiter. He gave off a really smug and condescending feeling. It actually was noticeable enough to make an impact on our dinner. I had the scallops and it was one of the largest scallops I've ever seen. Only the size was impressive just to look at, but smaller scallops actually are sweeter. These were pan seared well, but it just was lacking anything more than being visually pleasing. The seasoning was fine but a bit on the blander side. The hamachi appetizer was fresh but also lacked flavor. The drinks were fine (had a couple dirty martinis). The table's tablecloth was also way too long. I was getting tangled in it bc it was all over the floor (we sat in a booth). What kind of half assed attempt is that? I genuinely almost fell over it a couple times. There's just too many other options at better serviced places to go to. It's a one try and done kinda place. read more

This is one of the Georgetown restaurants that somehow survives on tourists and faux reviews and a great location. No one that actually lives in DC considers this a destination place or good food. Everything was disappointing from the tasteless bronzino to the dry duck breast to the flavorless scallops. Stay away. read more

I had a great dinner here. I liked my old fashioned cocktail. The amuse bouche was savory and creamy. The Branzino was delicious and so was the duck foie gras that came with it. I had the caramel soufflé with caramel ice cream for dessert. I liked the design on the souffle but I wish it would have been sweeter. Overall, the meal was delicious. The waiter was helpful with my questions. I also enjoyed the beautiful, intimate vibe of the restaurant. read more

See all

Great food, great service and great suggestions about items on the menu. We really enjoyed our dinner, drinks and the entire experience. Thank you. read more

See all

Sometimes one visits a restaurant a couple of times and has a fantastic meal, then tries it a third time, and it fails spectacularly, and thinks, "A McDonald's would be a better use of this space." Well, that's exactly my experience at L'Avant-Garde. The meal I had on this visit -- and last -- was a complete disaster. If I were the owner, an investor, the chef, the maître d, or a server I'd be terribly embarrassed. To make matters worst, I invited a friend to join me. After that disaster, no goodnight kiss for me, but we did share a number of laughs over how pathetic the meal was. There's something you need to know about me. I'm super attracted to the "A" vegetables: asparagus, artichoke, avocado, and arugula. So, when I saw L'Avant-Garde was offering an asparagus-themed Pre Fix, I jumped at the chance. Regrettably, here's the menu and our experience: -- Marinated Tuna. This was a complete disaster. The tuna tasted it was frozen in a cheap freezer, and cooked still partially frozen, or else they took a cut of tuna, pulverized it, and shaped it into gray mushy bites. It looked like three-day-old tuna from a gas station, and it tasted like it. Absolutely no flavoring. -- Burrata and Asparagus Salad. This was the best course of the night, which isn't saying much. A good burrata should have a thin skin that protects creamy deliciousness. This burrata had a tough skin around a tasteless, albeit creamy, inside. It came with a -- my friend and I argued over this -- a pear or orange frozen bite that was either gelato or the actual fruit frozen, thawed and refrozen. To call this an asparagus salad is like calling the water a lobster swims through a lobster bisque. As for the asparagus, there were about a dozen extremely thin cut one-inch pieces of asparagus, definitely not enough to make my pee smell later. -- Seared Riviera Branzino. The fish was absolutely terrible, and also had frozen, reconstituted mushy texture. Somewhere, a branzino is saying, "they disrespected us." The fish was so bad, I didn't dare try the asparagus, although there was enough to make my pee smell. Finally asparagus shows up on the menu! -- Crème Brûlée. It didn't have velvety creaminess one expects. It tasted like it was made last week and sat in the fridge. I knew we were in for disappointment when I saw the top was sunken in the middle. Didn't anyone notice this? Separately, we also ordered the scallop entree. The scallops were overcooked, gray, shrunken, and tasteless. We each took a single bite, convinced anymore would make us terribly sick. On the positive side, the cocktails were good, as was the wine. They also did the honorable thing of comping our meal. On the positive side, our waiter was very friendly. Too bad the back side of the house let him down, as did the maître d. The maître d was undeservedly smug -- he wasn't French, if you're wondering -- as I thought, "dude, you work at a restaurant that puts out awful food, that's nothing to stake moral high ground on." read more

Stopped at the bar for drinks and ended up getting the Branzino because another patron was raving about it. Definitely worth the hype! Service was amazing the bartenders are friendly and pleasant to interact with. Not one complaint about the drinks. Absolutely delicious and well crafted cocktails. Spicy Margarita was perfecttt The menu is on the pricier end but does deliver in quality. And the decor is modern, new age but cozy. Beautiful place to dine especially for dates / special occasions ! read more

See all

This tops the list of my favorite restaurants in DC! Came for an early Mother's Day celebration and the experience was nothing short of spectacular. The service is incredible and all the staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. There was not a single dish that wasn't a hit. I ordered the duck as my entree and it's a dish I will be going back for! The mama at the table order the filet mignon and she said it was the best she'd ever had--and she's had her fair share of filets so that's high praise. The ambiance is perfect for any occasion, whether date night or a family celebration, so I look forward to coming back with different groups of people to share this experience with them! read more

See all

L'Avant Garde is okay but at its price point it should be excellent. We were disappointed. GOOD Staff was very friendly. We had multiple people say hello on our way into the restaurant and our way out. Waiter was good with a good level of detail. (small misstep: we had to ask twice for the wine list) The cocktails were excellent. They also seemed to be larger portions than at some places. One of the only times I feel like I could taste all of the many ingredients on the cocktail list. They were worth the cost. We had the Bisou Bisou, Saccharine Sunday, and another I don't recall. The space is nice and it is very spacious. There are not many tables in the restaurant and have lots of space between them. It feels exclusive. Entree portions were a good size; much larger than I was expecting. I was definitely full with one entree and one appetizer. BAD The fish entree was very overcooked. This was the single biggest problem. My friend ordered it so I only tasted it later in the meal. If I had known earlier, I would have sent it back. The truffles on the "duck foie gras over black truffle celery root remoulade" were thick and hard -- unpleasant. Overall dish was meh. The salmon appetizer portion was very small. (Tasty, though.) Hard butter was difficult to spread. I'm not sure why they picked this name. The decor, service, and dishes all seem pretty convention to me, not avant-garde. read more

L'Avant Garde - Apps: Scottish salmon; Duck foie gras over truffle celery root + charred brioche. - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We got there early for our reservation so went to the bar. I ordered a Bombay Sapphire gin and tonic, which they didn't have so I asked for Tanqueray which they also didn't have. The bartender suggested Monkey 47 gin and I said sure. Here's where we should have stopped. There were 4 of us for dinner and for some reason it took 3 hours to eat 3 courses. The service was simply awful and there were plenty of staff scurrying around, but it was very chaotic. The food was just ok. One of our party has a seafood allergy, which was told to the waiter, but when his dinner arrived the vegetable plate was decorated with squid ink toiles on top. That was replaced about 20 minutes later. We finally got the bill after asking the maitre'd for it and I see my Monkey 47 gin and tonic (nothing fancy) cost $25!!!! I've been so disappointed in "fine dining" restaurants. read more

This fine dining restaurant in DC is serving up some of the best French cuisine in the area. Started off with their Octopus, Foie Gras, and La Bouillabisse de Pierrette (seafood soup). For the main course we got the Sea Bass, Duck Breast, and Filet Mignon Rossini. For dessert I got the Macaron with a poached pear and caramel. Everything was absolutely amazing. I don't eat French food often, but this has been the best French food I have had. The only thing I was not a fan of was the Foie Gras. It was so rich that it almost made it unenjoyable. Aside from that, it was great food! Service was also top notch as well. Great spot for an anniversary or special date night. read more

See all

Celebrated my wife's birthday here over dinner. Food and service were fantastic. If you're open to splurging, highly recommend the caviar service. Value-wise, the duck entree was on the smaller side and the short rib could have been more tender but we weren't bothered. Will def come back and highly recommend! read more

See all

Let me start by saying they add 3% to the check, not for the use of a credit card, but to cover costs. That would have been enough for me not to go to L'avant Garde, and I knew it beforehand from reading the menu, but it was the birthday of one of the diners and he selected this restaurant so I didn't worry about it. I ordered Bacardi (a dry, crisp, clean rum) and coke and when I tasted it I knew immediately it wasn't Bacardi. I asked what rum was used and it was Planetary 3 Star (a grassy and herbal rum). The server never told me they didn't have Bacardi; one of the diners immediately remarked that he should have at least informed me to see if another rum would be OK. I did not say anything to the server so as to not get the evening off on the wrong foot. But as the meal progressed way too many things were off. Everyone agreed the water tasted awful and it was warm. One diner said his duck tasted good but was not hot. The bone-in ribeye was average; cooked correctly, looked nice, just lacked the flavor it should have had. After not having lobster for probably 20 years I had some last Thanksgiving at L'Auberge Chez Francois and it was great and left me wanting more so I ordered Lobster Thermidor at L'Avant Garde. That was a mistake. It was exactly why I stopped ordering lobster . . . it was tough and tasteless. Our server disappeared for about 20 minutes and our table was never cleared so we moved the plates to the open edge of the table along the aisle thinking certainly someone would take them, but no, they just sat there despite many servers walking back to the kitchen empty handed after serving other tables. The chocolate mouse tasted OK but the mouse was inconsistent and the whipped cream was definitely not freshly applied. The whipped cream was hard . . . as if it was assembled the day before and sat overnight, like one might find in a cafeteria. The creme brûlée was pretty good. The staff was friendly and the space is nice -- well decorated and not noisy -- and we still enjoyed the evening (we were entertained at how many people walked by for 20 minutes and not one of them could be bothered clearing the table) but the food, the service, and the operations are up not to fine dining standards. Would have eked out 3 stars if it was a causal local restaurant, but it is suppose to be a fine dining restaurant. read more

vibe - elevated, refined, quiet, well designed. as soon as I walked in I noticed the decibels lowering compared to the busy georgetown streets. it was a perfect place you can absolutely have a conversation with your group and very much hear each other talk lobster salad, sea scallops, branzino all so well done. crème brûlée was really delightful. the mousse was a bit rich. for my birthday they brought out this lovely creamy pistachio macaron dessert which was divine, and featured a raspberry sorbet and glaze as well. with a round of mocktails (delicious) and a few glasses of wine, the price point definitely reserves this location for a special occasion. but well worth it. everything we ordered was lovely. read more

See all

My wife liked her main course of "Sea Scallops," but the rest of our dinner was disappointing. For the first course, we both ordered "Soupe Vignette Haute," which turned out to be vegetable soup with a light pastry over it. The pastry was unremarkable, and the soup was a tepid and tasteless broth with diced and unidentifiable vegetable chunks floating in it. My main course was "Lamb Confit" and, I'm sorry to say, it was proof that lamb shouldn't be confit! It just doesn't work in the way that duck or goose confit does. What came out were two soggy blobs of faint-tasting over-cooked lamb. I left most of it uneaten. read more

Loved the ambiance. Very interesting decor. Wish I had sat near the fireplace. Service was awesome and attentive Food made us all happy but you have to get the bouillabaisse and the duck fat old fashioned were my favorites. Great presentation read more

See all

Walked into this beautiful restaurant with an open mind and left with a highly satisfied palette and an experience to remember. L'Avant Garde has top tier ambiance. I walked in and was met with great service, attitudes and a roaring fireplace. The table settings, decor and art all were the perfect starters to a delicious evening. Even though I was 19 minutes late (with a warning), the hostess greeted me with kindly and brought me to my table next to the fire place. Louis, my server, was prompt, talked highly of the dishes, and made sure everything was up to standard. Thank you for your professionalism and help. Drinks: Un Bordeaux Sour- Top three cocktail I have ever had. Strong, flavorful, and refreshing. If anything, it was art in a glass. Food: Baguette and Butter- I've never been to France, but this opening bread item was more satisfying than I anticipated. Beef Tartare- This is a large serving of beef tartare. A little more than I was expecting. I'd recommend it for a group, because it was hard for me to finish on my own. Diver Sea Scallops- gorgeous presentation, perfectly cooked, and is the best scallop dish I have ever had. Le Filet Mignon- Simple, tender, perfectly cooked, and is probably top 2-3 steaks I have ever had. (Do you see a trend?) Duck Breast- The duck dish probably had the most explosion of flavors. It was fun and colorful. The duck was just mouth watering. I didn't love a lot of the extra components in the dish. The gala apples are better for show and something else wasn't very appetizing, but cabbage and sauce was amazing. Overall, this establishment was amazing. I'd be interested to see if they will have daily specials or change the menu. 9.5/10 read more

See all

L'Avant Garde is giving French Excellence! Their French food is next level and it's going to have you begging for more. The cocktails and desserts were my absolute favorite, but you really can't go wrong with anything here. Smoke and Bubbles - Smokey strawberry perfection Old Fashioned Au Canard - loved the orange marmalade I Said Enough - the best espresso martini I've ever had! Scrambled Eggs & Caviar - bougie and delicious Bouillabaisse- loved the puff pastry and soup flavors Dry Aged Chateubrand - beautiful steak and the sauce is fantastic Branzino & Foie Gras - my new favorite interpretation of surf and turf! Salted Caramel Soufflé - executed to a tee! Lemon Panna Cotta - perfect consistency and flavor This is the perfect spot to impress your date or client. The bar is a great option if you're just looking to grab cocktails and small bites. read more

See all

Overall: Exceptional dining experience with special menu offerings and creative cocktails Tastiness: The law of diminishing returns does not apply to this restaurant, as we've enjoyed every single bite and sip. The duck foie gras beignet was indeed avant-garde and absolutely delicious. The pairing of sweet and crispy with creamy and savory is excited to perfection. We also enjoyed the veal sweetbreads and the rabbit, two menu items you can frequently find in France and Belgium and rarely in US French our Belgian restaurants. This offering was not avant-garde, but it was prepared to perfection! The chocolate millefeuille was tasty and used a top chocolate selection, but what else would you expect from a collaboration with Boulangerie Christophe - the bar is high! Service: Excellent! We were greeted by multiple people and checked up on a few times during our meal. Staff is courteous and professional, as it should be at a restaurant like this. Ambiance: Relaxed and pleasant, this is certainly a lovely place to celebrate a milestone, or just enjoy on a Saturday evening. The music and decor compliment the culinary experience, with lovely paintings and soft music, and a charming covered patio that serves as an extension to the restaurant. Cleanliness: Exceptionally clean and pleasant throughout. Price: The entrees are priced well (sweetbreads $46), but appetizers are on the pricy side (ranging from $28-49). Overall, I think it was worth it for the tastiness and service. read more

L'Avant Garde - Roasted veal sweetbreads in walnut crust and black truffle coulis - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Unreal experience. Chef Sebastian is in a league of his own. Some standouts weee the foie gras, lobster entree, truffle Brie, and baguette with butter if you can believe. Everything was outstanding, especially the cocktails. Can't recommend enough! Will definitely visit again, either for date night, special occasion, or just for a happening dinner spot. read more

We went to L'avant Garde for my husband's birthday. The restaurant is both beautiful and elegant. The service was flawless. The cuisine was excellent. I had the menu with multiple courses containing lobster & was excited to try them all. The lobster bouillabaisse was the best I've ever had. My husband had the beef tartare as a starter & the branzino as his main & greatly enjoyed them. As to the desserts, they were excellent; a crème brûlée & an opéra. Finally, the presentation of each dish was quite artistic, which is a great touch. I highly recommend L'Avant Garde in DC's Georgetown. read more

The bartenders were quite friendly and the drinks came quickly. The place itself is well decorated and dimly lit to create a soft atmosphere. I wasn't a big fan of the drinks but the service and ambiance were stellar enough that I'd come back again to try something new if I find myself in the Georgetown area. read more

L'Avant Garde - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

LOVED our experience here and can't wait to come back!! The vibe was so moody and dark and wonderful, with great decor...and our service was impeccable. It was our anniversary and the waiter was just so sweet in giving us good wishes. We got the old fashioned for two, and then I also got the caper berry martini, which had a unique flavorful twist on the classic in the best way--both were just delicious. The foie gras with brioche and truffles was really good with a *healthy* serving of truffle but the foie was a little less creamy than I was hoping for. My partner can't stop talking about the eggs and caviar and I am seriously regretting not stealing a bite. They also did not skimp on the truffles in the risotto main dish! The truffle cod wasn't as flavorful as I expected, but it was still SO good and I was really satisfied. BUT the Baba au Rhum for dessert!! I think I died and went to heaven. I want to come back here and just sit at the bar with a cocktail and a Baba au Rhum on a regular basis. It is probably the best version of the dessert I have found anywhere--even in Italy! The rum flavor was strong and really balanced the sweetness well. I couldn't recommend it more highly and am kind of upset with myself for not saving enough room to finish the whole thing. read more

Excellent service. Excellent food The burrata salad was great the beef tartar as well the scallops , the branzino was delicious with thewhite sparragus Will definetely be back!! read more

The food was really good. The sides were very petite. Ambience was nice. Service was great. read more

See all

The prix fixe lunch is a great deal. I had the burrata as an appetizer. Delicious. The chai cocktail is'magnificent. The foie grad was served with toasted brioche. The service was great, the decor marvelous. I heartily recommend this restaurant. read more

L'Avant Garde - Burrata - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

A really great atmosphere and food, however, I left hungry after having a $53 main course and $14 desert - it was mainly due to having no carbs/starch. Atmosphere/ambiance: Very modern, pleasant, and relaxing; there's a fireplace. Perfect for couples and small groups. Food: 1) Sea scallops: delicious but barely had any noticeable amount of starch or veggies. It had a spoon full of basil mashed potatoes. I have had scallops at other places (including in France) and have never left hungry - here I was in for a surprise. 2) Grand-Cru chocolate Millefeuille with pistachio cream: highly recommend. Comes with chocolate sauce but didn't notice Grand-Cru burgundy implied in its name. Heavy but sinfully good. 3) Complimentary thinly sliced bread (1.5 slices/person): great (but barely enough) and cold butter was impossible to spread. Service: Attentive but not all above and beyond. They could do a better job explaining the dishes for that price. I had to guess what the green (but delicious) substance was on my plate among other things. Had they made some recommendations I would have not left hungry. read more

L'Avant Garde - Grand-Cru chocolate Millefeuille with pistachio cream. - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This place by no means is bad, I do not think anything on their menu could be classified as bad, well, maybe their foie gras over celery, but the dishes are good, but for the hype and the prices they are extremely underwhelming. People who say they have had their best meal in life here clearly have not traveled to France I'm afraid. First the good, the service was phenomenal. We had a party of four and our server (do not remember his name) was outstanding. Nothing bad to say about our service. The cocktails are very good as well, although extremely overpriced, but so is everything now in DC so just roll with the punches. The ambience is nice, very romantic setting, this place is perfect for a nice date, you're just gonna spend more than you should and there are better places in DC. Now the dishes: octopus, very nice, risotto (from the main section) very tasty, foie gras, absolutely tasteless and instantly forgettable. I think there is better foie gras at a grocery store than the one here, it is that sad, and none of the flavors compliment each other. For these prices I want something that makes me say, "damn, this is some good ass foie gras, pricey but worth it. The scallops were delicious, the filet mignons were good but not outstanding, and the pommes frites and the pommes puree were so flavorless considering they are supposedly fried in some delicious ingredient that I forget what it is now because McDonalds fries have more flavor, and maybe that's an unfair comparison, but any seasoning would have been nice. Before you judge me as an average pain in the ass American, my family is from France and I expect perfection from a place like this if you are charging perfect Recession-minimum-wage taxation-without-representation DC prices. The only thing that I can say that blew us away and is worth every penny is the Chocolate suffle, that is worth whatever the hell it cost. If you charge $50 for that it's worth it, I don't mind paying $50 per dish if it tastes good as hell. Sadly, this place is not it. There are at least two other spots in the vicinity that are better. It costs us after tip over $650 for four to have a nice meal, spend a nice time, with less than memorable food except for that dessert. From others reviews it looks like that dessert is from another spot, which would make sense unfortunately. Oh, and I was still hungry , did I forget to add that part? Go somewhere else. read more

Very excellent. Polished, friendly and professional service. Great food. The chicken entree particularly noteworthy. Looking forward to returning. read more

L'Avant Garde - Forgot the name but an egg appetizer that was superb. - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

High quality food, high prices. I started with the bouillabaisse with macaroni and rouille - the broth was like a rich lobster bisque under a pillowy thin pastry crust. For my main I had the Atlantic Cod with potato, leek and black truffle. The Cod was excellently cooked - and the leek hash with potato was nice and surrounded by a butter-cream sauce. The complimentary bread was, like another reviewed, on the limited side. For dessert, the Souffle 'Air du Temps' - this was (that night) chocolate flavored. It was surprisingly not sweet (think somewhat cocoa bitterness) and so the accompanying ice cream was the perfect supplement. I also got a glass of Pouilly-Fumé, a nice and crisp Sauvignon Blanc. I'd return, but more likely if someone else is paying. read more

See all

We visited L'Avant Garde to celebrate our anniversary. It's in a nice location. The service was great, greeted by several staff upon walking in and our server Eric took good care of us. We enjoyed all of our food and drinks. I really liked the sauces that came with the steak and also my first drink, Visiting the Neighbors (not pictured). The vibe/decor is cool, each section of the place has a different feel. Yes, it was pricey, but we went for a special occasion. Would recommend for a romantic date night. read more

See all

Our group hosted a champagne tasting at this restaurant. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We sat in the back area because we were a large group, however the ambiance was perfect. It's a great setting for date night or an evening with friends. The menu was curated specifically to pair with different champagne vintage years, so I'm unsure what is offered all the time. read more

See all