Absolutely amazing! From the ambiance to the food, it was a delightful and delicious dinner. The bread rolls were some of the best I've ever had in my life. Fresh and warm, they had a crispy crust and a soft interior. They resembled mini ciabattas and were scrumptious with the butter. The salmon en croute blew me away! It was of the best dishes I've ever had. The salmon melted in my mouth, and the puff pastry was still crisp. I loved the flavorful sauce; it made the dish even better. The steak frites were just ok. The steak was cooked to my preference, but it was bland. The fries were amazing, though. Crunchy yet fluffy. I wish the steak came with a sauce, like the one served with the salmon en croute. The service was good overall, and they were attentive. The ambiance was lovely - cozy and romantic. I can't wait to come back for the rolls and the salmon en croute, and to try their other dishes! Highly, highly recommend La Bonne Vie! read more

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I still can't believe this place! I made a reservation for 6:30 Monday evening, fully expecting the restaurant to be packed. Instead, I walked into what felt like a scene straight out of Ratatouille--an intimate Parisian French Bistro escape hidden in plain sight. Everything was exceptional: the ambiance, the service, and especially the food. Candlelit tables and soft French music from the 1950s and '60s filled the room, creating one of the most romantic settings I've experienced in a long time. The only thing missing was my beautiful wife! I couldn't believe I had the restaurant almost entirely to myself. I'm certainly not complaining--it made the evening feel even more special. Like Anton Ego discovering that unforgettable plate of ratatouille, every bite reminded me that truly memorable food doesn't require a professional critic's approval. It simply needs to make you feel something--and this meal absolutely did. From the incredible food and attentive service to the charming, romantic atmosphere, this restaurant earned a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. If you haven't been yet, bring someone special and experience it for yourself. You won't regret it! read more

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We don't eat out often, but we consider LBV to be our go-to for special occasions, visitors, etc. The atmosphere is charming and the food is excellent as most reviewers point out. But the husband/wife team that own and operate (and by that, I mean are actually working any tasks every day!) are what makes this place a consistent and inviting standout. Their personal attention to several small details made our recent anniversary celebration truly special. See for yourself. Go! read more

My family decided to dine a La Bonne Vie a few days after Christmas. It was a late celebration this year, but our meal at La Bonne Via was definitely worth the wait. Upon our arrival, we were seated near a window overlooking the sidewalk where we were able to watch people passing by while enjoying our candlelit meal. 10 out of 10 for atmosphere at this charming and cozy table. The service was prompt and attentive. We started by enjoying a few of the craft cocktails, which were simply wonderful and the product of a talented and adept bartending. If your idea of a good cocktail involves slush or machines, this is probably not the place for you. I enjoyed a dirty martini, as did my youngest daughter. My oldest daughter enjoyed a French 75. All lovely and all perfectly mixed. I would return here if nothing more than the cocktails! For starters, my daughter shared the Pate De Campagne, which consisted of country style pâté, cornichons and toast points. They loved it! My wife enjoyed the Salad Verte and I loved the Roquefort Salad. Both salads were simply marvelous and went well with the freshly baked bread. On to the main event! Fo her entree, my youngest daughter had the Roasted Cornish Hen. She had never had Cornish hen before, but this particular rendition made her a fan of the dish. Perfectly cooked, juicy and savory. My older daughter enjoyed the Salmon en Croute. The salmon was perfectly cooked to the correct temp and the pastry was spot on. A lovely dish and one I will try on our next visit. My wife and I each devoured the Chicken Paillard. This is one of those dishes that is so simple, but the lemon butter knocks your socks off. If it wasn't such a lovely restaurant, I might have licked my plate. Yes....it was that good. I ate every last caper! For dessert, we shared a portion of the luxurious pistachio cheesecake. An excellent ending to an amazing meal. This charming restaurant is a jewel in the heart of Herndon. I highly recommend it for your next special occasion. We look forward to returning soon! read more

La Bonne Vie - Chicken Paillard - French Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

This place was romantic and cozy! We were somehow the only table that was there but it felt like we were dining in someone's fancy living room. I loved the real candles at the table. They give a high level of customer service and very personable. Options were great and things were cooked extremely well. The escargot was only thing that was just ok. Duck was perfect. Not fatty and the red cabbage was a nice addition to the overall dish. read more

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I came here for a birthday dinner with family and absolutely loved it. It's very cozy with dim lighting and candles on every table, a case with silverware against a wall, quite homey. A large group dinner, dates/anniversaries, and families were there, so while it is higher end, it's not restrictive. The staff here is so kind and attentive, there wasn't a moment when we had to ask for something as they thought ahead for us. I started with a Summer in Provence cocktail, strong and slightly sour. For appetizers, we got the Coquilles Saint Jacques (scallops) and Country French Meatballs. I found the scallops to be salty due to the bacon, but they were cooked perfectly. The meatballs and the sauce were much better overall. For my main, I ordered the Salmon en Croute. The pastry on the outside was flakey and crispy, the salmon was juicy, and the sauce was creamy. Every aspect of this dish wonderful and worked well together, it was also a larger portion than I expected. I also tried some of the Magret de Canard (duck), which didn't taste strongly of cherry (a positive for me) and the duck was tender. I get why this dish is a popular one here! Lastly, we ended our meal on the creme brulee, sorbet and ice cream, and the chocolate mousse. All of these were hits and I would recommend them all. read more

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This is a very cozy family owned restaurant. Staff is very nice. And very friendly. Service is on point. Atmosphere- Cozy and quiet They have extensive wine list and pretty good menu. We tried salad. Trout and salmon. Salad pretty simple and fresh. Trout was great i asked for no sauce. Salmon juicy and delicious If you looking for boutique French restaurant you will enjoy a nice relaxing atmosphere. Parsley parking or i think there is a lot across the street as well read more

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Ten of us descended on La Bonne Vie for a family reunion dinner, and what a wonderful choice it was! This is a small and intimate restaurant, and they welcomed us in as if we were their long-lost extended family. The menu shows wonderful creativity and seasonality. I started with the French onion soup, which was seasoned wonderfully and served with an absolutely delightful cheese on it. I went with the Cornish hen entree, which was also superbly done. Cornish hens aren't easy to cook properly, but the chef achieved perfection with this dish. I had nibbles of a few other dishes--notably the duck (cooked perfectly at medium), the grilled pork chop (the port reduction mustard was sumptuous), and the trout amandine. Whoever is running the kitchen knows their craft. The ambiance is pleasant, the wine selection was perfect, and the water glasses were kept topped up. Handily a five star experience, and one I'd happily do again. read more

Such a beautiful restaurant with great service and even better food! My coworkers and I enjoyed a delicious business dinner here! read more

La Bonne Vie - Crème Brûlée - French Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

What a special little family run place! The ambience is so cozy and cute and I think the dim lighting really makes it more romantic. The service was decent but they do leave you alone at times. The food was EXCELLENT! Tried the macaroni app and it was the only thing that wasn't my favorite. It was super cheesy and tasted good but it could have been creamier. However all of the other food was amazing! Loved LOVED the steak au poivre. The sauce was so flavorful and peppery. The steak was one of the best I've had in awhile and was soo tender at medium rare. I also tried a bit of the trout which was not fishy at all and a big portion, very tasty. We finished with the profiteroles - small and not overwhelming to share. Creamy inside and the pastry outside was flaky and light. I will definitely be back! read more

My wife and I had the most delightful evening at La Bonne Vie to celebrate my 50th birthday. It's an absolute gem tucked into historic Herndon. From start to finish, everything about the experience felt lovingly crafted. The atmosphere had soft candlelight, warm décor, with chandeliers over the tables and linens. The dining room felt elegant yet understated. Although we were the only diners at the time, the room was warm and welcoming, which made me a little self-conscious as if we were being served in someone's home. The staff were warm, attentive, polite, and genuinely interested in making our dining experience memorable. It feels like the kind of place where you can linger over your wine and conversation on a romantic date or a special night out; so I was delighted to find the staff was more than happy to accommodate our 2 year old in a high chair. It helps that we have a toddler who is well-behaved and the servers were endeared by how she was able to say "thank you." The menu is a beautiful celebration of classic French cuisine with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. We started with an order of escargots de bourgogne served on mushrooms. The garlic-parsley butter was delicious and my toddler even enjoyed them. We ordered a mac and cheese gratineé to share which was delightfully topped with savory breadcrumbs and Gruyère cheese. This was a hit at the table. While we didn't order alcohol, opting for sparking and still water instead, the wine list appeared to have a good selection of items to pair with the menu. For the main course, I had the Trout Amandine, which was cooked to perfection with toasted almonds and a bright lemon flavor topped by tender haricot verts. My partner went with the Steak Frites which was perfectly seared, succulent, and paired with crisp pommes frites--which had to be cooked in duck fat because every bite was crispy and flavorful. For dessert: Crème brûlée and the best textured chocolate mousse I've ever tasted! We put our reservation in for 9 pm and the staff was wonderful enough to let us stay past the kitchen closing at 10 pm and enjoy our desserts. They were also kind enough to serve us each a chocolate cream puff as they overheard we all were recently celebrating birthdays within a few weeks of each other. This gesture, along with a birthday card, was such a thoughtful surprise. The quality of food, the serving staff's attentiveness, the delectable food, the ambiance, all contributed to us having a wonderful experience. Price-wise, items fall into the mid-upscale price range, but it's undeniably worth it for a special date night or celebration, and the value was certainly there. We tend to cook at home a lot, so it was nice to enjoy fine cuisine in such a cozy and quiet place. Overall our visit to La Bonne Vie truly lived up to its name, offering us a moment of "the good life." I can't wait to return and try something else from their menu like the coq au reisling pie, cornish game hen, or ratatouille pasta. Highly, highly recommended. Merci beaucoup! read more

This family-run restaurant is such a special find. The dim lighting and cozy decor make for a highly romantic setting. The service is decent, offering a more relaxed, independent dining pace. The culinary experience was fantastic overall. While the macaroni appetizer was tasty and cheesy, it fell just a bit short on creaminess. However, the rest of the meal was exceptional. The steak au poivre was cooked to a perfect medium-rare--incredibly tender and paired with a wonderfully robust pepper sauce. The trout was also a hit: fresh, mild, and very generously portioned. We finished with the profiteroles, which were light, flaky, and just the right size to share. A wonderful dining experience that I can't wait to repeat! read more

Decided to try this place out because I saw it was new in the area! We ordered the cherry duck and lemon caviar pasta and both were delicious. I especially liked the duck because it was juicy and salty and went well with the sweet and sour sauce! The pasta tasted freshly made and had a generous scoop of caviar on top. For dessert, we got the pistachio berry tart which was surprisingly soft and the chocolate mousse was very smooth. The service was fantastic and the inside is decorated very nicely! The only thing is that parking can be a bit difficult to find but there should be street parking and nearby lots. read more

La Bonne Vie - French Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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We enjoyed our Anniversary today at La Bonne Vie. Excellent food, excellent service. We were given an Anniversary card and Champagne toast at the end! The owners are a great couple and give much attention to detail! We enjoyed the scallops and trout almondine. Fantastic! read more

A quaint, family run business. We stopped in for dinner from Phoenix,Az. It was a nice change to dine in a quiet, cozy atmosphere. The food was great and the bread to die for! A definite must on your next visit. read more

Date Night at La Bonne Vie--Street parking only. Nice French restaurant! Good Food and nice ambiance-- a little pricy ($16 small salad) Dinner for two was $200 plus tip. Very Pleasant hostess and Staff. read more

Everything was top notch. Great food, awsome service. Quiet,clean dinning room. You could not be disappointed by this place

This is a very cute little French restaurant. The food is AMAZING! The portions are reasonable and not overwhelming and the wine list looked good. The service was attentive and friendly. It started slow but for a lovely evening, it was perfect! You don't want to rush through this evening. Everything we ordered was top notch and a great change of pace from other places that need to turn the table to get another party in. Highly recommend!!! Can't wait to have occasion to go back! read more

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I rarely give a five-star review, but La Bonne Vie is possibly the best restaurant I have ever visited. The food was sublime, the wine was delicious, the service was superb and ambiance was truly great. My wife and I took our son and his wife there for his birthday. I seems rare anymore to be able to carry on a conversation in a restaurant but it is easy at La Bonne Vie. It's good we live in Montana because we would spend a lot of money eating here quite often because it is so good. read more

This place is a gem. The staff are so friendly, receptive, and kind. We came for our 25th anniversary we were welcomed with a smile. The food is well flavored and not over the top with seasoning that you are not aware what its origination was. We had fombay shrimp, coquilles saint jaques, Cesar salad made table side, magret de canard, and salmon en croute. Each dish was simply presented and the food spoke for its self. The inside is beautiful, quiet, romantic, and clean even the chandelier was not dusty. I can not say enough about this quaint place. read more

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La Bonne vie just opened a couple of weeks ago, and figured we'd check it out, and I'm so glad we did. It's super cozy and cute inside and the service was absolutely wonderful. We started by sharing the beet and burrata salad and I'm still thinking about it now. It was really well balanced and flavorful. My husband had the duck for dinner and raved about how well cooked it was and just tasty. I had the Parisian gnocchi and it was delightful. I always except gnocchi dishes to be heavy but this was light and delicious. Lastly, we shared the berry pistachio tart. It was more of a pistachio tart with a few berries on top. I loved it, but my husband was hoping for more berry! I'd highly recommend checking out La Bonne Vie for delicious, quality food read more

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The food was outstanding. We visited France in April and had a hankering. La Bonne Vie delivered. Between her duck and my stroganoff, we were very happy with our meals. The appetizer escargot and dessert pistachio ice cream only added to the experience. We found the sparkling and the cocktails a little bit sweet, but that is the only negative in an incredibly positive experience. read more

We celebrated my wife's birthday at this wonderful restaurant located in Herndon. Our visit was mid-week so street parking was a breeze ... but there is a garage that is an easy walk. Our table was beautifully outfitted and seating is very comfortable in this charming space. The staff was kind, efficient and not overbearing. We enjoyed cocktails and a nice bottle of wine. The food, from appetizers, to mains, through dessert was beautifully prepared and delicious. Highly recommend for any special -- or informal -- occasion. We will come back! read more

Absolute great service, even when they were slammed! Thanks Mark and Christian. Great drinks, and they made sure our food was to our liking!

Wonderful meal and wines! Local gem with great service. Recommendation the beef stroganoff and cream brûlée

Great place for a special occasions, good service's foods tastes great and good portions too. Definitely will go back again. read more

The food is so amazing and delightful. The staff are so congenial. La Bonne Vie is my spot to celebrate and/or pick-me-up

My wife and I had a fabulous meal at La Bonnie Vie. The owner came out several times to help us decide on our meal and to make sure everything was perfect. The ambience was just right and the staff was attentive but not overbearing. Recommend the duck and scallops, can't wait to try other items. read more

Great food is so tasty. They are so attentive service from the owners. This is a great place that is so much fun.

Their steak is pretty good and their house salads customer service is pretty good and nice cute town to dine in at . . .

What a lovely surprise! Enjoyed one of my favorite "non-chain" French restaurants in downtown Herndon this evening. Started with beet and burrata salad, followed by splitting the duck and chicken pallaird and both were delicious! Finished with napoleon and pistachio pie. French martini and proper manhattan were also delicious! read more

Food was delicious and service was excellent. The table side steak tartare and steak frites both melt in your mouth. We will absolutely be back! read more

Great place for a birthday dinner. Service and food were both superior. The restaurant is quiet even when crowded.

Celebrated an anniversary here and it was to say the least amazing!!! Don't miss a chance to dine here. The personal attention we were given explaining each selection, the history of many selections was so special. The ambience was perfect! The food was over the top DELICIOUS!! We will definitely be back. Think it will be a favorite!! read more

My friends and I loved everything about this new French restaurant. Ambience, food and service were all excellent. A wonderful addition to the local dining scene. read more