My boyfriend and I went here for our one year anniversary brunch. We got a voucher deal thru Travelzoo.com where we were able to get 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts and a bottle of sparkling wine with orange juice for $45! We started off with the side salad for him and the potato vichyssoise (cold soup) for me. The Vichyssoise was a new experience for me but it went well with the bread they gave us as well as the homemade potato chips that came on top. For our entrees: I had he French toast and he had the steak with French fries. The French toast was amazing and it came with sides of chocolate syrup, maple syrup and honey and fruit. My boyfriend enjoyed the steak and he wished there was "more" lol. Lastly we had the vanilla ice cream and lemon sugar crepe. The ice cream was very tasty and some of the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had! The lemon sugar crepe was a bit tart for my liking so I didn't even finish it, I didn't like it very much. The service was great but I wish the atmosphere and decorations matched the idea of the restaurant. It didn't really give me the "high class feel". Other than that, I enjoyed the experience! read more

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Great service and delicious food. The tartine had the perfect amount of sweetness and wasn't too filling. The crepe savoyarde was also amazing and decadent. The croque monsieur was good but not the best I've ever had. They have a separate menu where they have this deal for $21 for brunch where you can either get soup/salad/appetizer and an entree OR an entree and dessert...PLUS a mimosa! Will definitely be doing this next time! read more

Le Chat Noir - Le tartine! So yummy - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I came here with family visiting from out of town. Months later we are still talking about how good dinner was at Le Chair Noir! The indoor-outdoor seating option is great on a cool night and the staff was friendly and helpful. read more

This place is always consistently good. Authentic French bistro with a solid menu and wonderful atmosphere.

Update: Jan 24, 2013 We should have walked out upon arrival when we heard two other patrons demand the waiter to their order. They said they'd been there for 20 minutes and had to return to the office (with exclamation points). However, we proceeded to be seated and hoped for the best. How else can you mess up a simple lunch outing, right? For starters, the usual staff was not there (clue that something's up). The owners did not make an appearance either. One waiter and one busboy on duty. C'est tout. Clearly they are not expecting a full dining room anymore. The waiter tried his best, but he actually stacked all of dirty plates on the table before he removed them!!! Clearly didn't have much experience. We felt sorry for the group of LOUD girls that turned up later. It's clear LCN management is focusing its energy on their new restaurant (on H St) because lunch service today left a lot to be desired. The food was ok, but that's only part of the experience. I get that this is a bistro and not a 5 star establishment, but it used to be my favorite hole in the wall in town. I don't think I'll be going back. read more

As you may have gathered from other reviews here, Le Chat Noir is hit or miss. My husband and I recently moved into the neighborhood and have been getting to know the restaurants in the area. We love casual French food and decided to give this place a try. First off, the decor of the restaurant is quite cozy. Service was good but a bit slow. We had to get the waiter's attention a few times to get what we needed but once we asked for something we received it promptly. But the food is most important, right? Neither my husband and I were in the mood for a large meal so he ordered the French onion soup and a vegetable tart, and I got the soup of the day (a tomato bisque) and a small salad. We started with some bread, which, as other reviewers have noted, was delicious. The soups were just okay. The French Onion was a bit heavier than I am used to - a bit more salt and beef stock than you typically get in other places - but it wasn't bad. My tomato bisque was the same - not bad but more of a darker flavor than I would have expected from a bisque. My husband wasn't too impressed with his tart, either. On the other hand, he doesn't typically eat vegetarian but was avoiding meat after getting over a stomach bug. I had a bite and thought it was good, but nothing to write home about. My salad was good, but it's hard to screw up lettuce and vinaigrette. Overall, we were feeling pretty "meh" by the end of the meal, but my husband decided to order a nutella crepe for dessert. The crepe was AWESOME. It made us decide to give Le Chat Noir another chance. Next time I'll probably order a savory crepe and see how that goes. Le Chat Noir seems like the kind of place that works as a neighborhood spot as long as you stick to certain things on the menu. For better food, we'll continue to make the drive over to Bistrot du Coin on Connecticut. read more

I love how relaxed and romantic the place is , foods are delicious , I had the steak and frites , their frites are the best I have ate in a while... I would definitely come back and try more dish. read more

Le Chat Noir - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Le Chat Noir was a pleasant surprise. Based on the other reviews, my expectations were pretty low. We went on a Thursday to the upstairs wine bar and had 1/2 price glasses on wine and 1/2 price cheese. We also had crepes- an apple, caramelized onion, brie cheese crepe and a mushroom with cream sauce crepe. Everything was delicious, the service was great, and the ambiance was very pleasant. It wasn't too crowded, an old movie was playing on mute, and french music was playing. All and all it was a very charming place with tasty treats at a decent price. read more

Food: Mediocre. I would rank it somewhere between Cafe D'Or and Cafe La Ruche. Everyone at our table ordered different meals. My bouillabaisse, which was served in a narrow boat was disappointing. Broth had consistency of tomatoe paste. Portions seemed smaller than most DC French restaurants Service: Waitress was relatively attentive and friendly. read more

The chicken "Salade de Poulet" salad had a very limited amount of salad greens a few small apple slices and several medallions of horribly over-cooked chicken! My time is not worth the amount of time you have to wait for the food or the staff to arrive. My husband's Jambon crepe was "okay". My son-in-law's chicken looked good and my daughter's crepe was adequate. They are generous with water and stingy with the bread. I wish we had eaten at the Indian restaurant next door. $85 before tip for a lousy lunch!! Never will go back. read more

I had dinner here last month. I actually looked forward to it because a group of friends and I had great food at Le Chat Noir about 9 years ago and hadn't had the chance to come back. But the second time was extremely disappointing. My pork chop was so hard that the knife couldn't cut through even 1 millimeter. The pork chop was 100% inedible. After I told the server about it and asked for a different dish, he just gave me the menu and never apologized. It didn't seem the restaurant cared at all. read more

Sorry, but when you drop an easy $45-65per person, the food should be a little more special. And the AC should keep you cool if you're eating inside. The "trio du terroir" with duck paté, country paté, and rillettes was nice, but typical. The frog legs in butter, garlic, and lemon appetizer may have been the best dish that we had last night. Al dente but tender, they were very tasty, which is more than I can say for veal in a mushroomed but otherwise uninteresting brown sauce with over-sweetened new potatoes, but nice haricots verts that Crystal had. Lynne's steak frites was fine. The frites were great, and the steak was smokey and, as requested, medium-rare. Maybe I'm just more of a senor de paella than un monsieur de bouillabaisse. The rockfish, bay scallops, mussels, shrimps, fennel-saffron broth, with garlic croutons and a little pot of rouille was rich, and not the kind of sparky, brilliant food that I prefer. Maybe the sparkling rose that we we had with our appetizer was missed during the rest of our meal. If I eat here in the future, I may just stick to the appetizers and the crepes and salads that I've had in the past. Did I mention that the service was great? I will! read more

I've driven by this place a thousand times, and finally thought we should go try it out. We made a reservation via opentable.com and found the perfect time, that night. We arrived to be greeted in French and immediately escorted to our table. Our waiter was very French and although it was hard to understand him at times, it felt like we were in France! Our delicious French bread took longer than preferred, but that was the only hiccup. I had a seafood crepe and mixed green salad. My husband had the steak and fries, which he inhaled and loved! For dessert we had cappuccinos and a banana and chocolate crepe. I would recommend this to couples for the perfect date night. Enjoy! read more

Dinner after sad event. Asked for reservation for 7. Hostess said ok. But they did not have a table for seven. Only table for six and chair stuck on end with literally room for a napkin & a glass read more

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The food is okay, slightly above average crepes. Everything is extra buttery as you would expect from a French restaurant, and the wine selection is decent. The service is hit or miss. If you have a groupon or some sort of special from a deal site, and it doesn't specify a special menu, don't tell them when you walk in. They get super angry when they see that, and you will get horrible service. read more

This might get an extra little boost because it was a nice place for Valentine's Day, which indeed indicates that it has been quite for my lazy ass to finally review this easy to find place near Friendship Heights. I'm a fan of the black cat (lower caps), and of the Chat Noir French tradition. And thus, I loved the ambiance, it can be very quaint and romantic. A bit dark (in a good way), but I imagine if you don't get a nice seat by the window (four seats) and sit away from the other patrons, it can be a bit crowded and that would take away from the experience, unless you like to hear all about people's lives through their asinine conversations.. Let's jump right to the food, as the wine was what you'd expect at a French place: an intermittent barrage of cheap French piss and over priced, delicious God spit from the heavens. I chose an in-between and chose poorly as it turned out, but that's not that restaurant's fault. The food itself was ok. A real, simple, forgettable ok. I had the Chat Noir, which was a steak with little french fries. It was ok, again, I'm repeating myself. I give it three stars, because its a nice place, and it can serve well as a special occasion place that you don't need to spend a fortune on. While I haven't tried them, this seems like the kind of place where you should always order the specials, because I imagine that their food that is freshest and newest will have superior ingredients and would turn out the best. Oh, and the crepes, don't forget the f'ing crepes! Best part. I definitely recommend to try it for yourself, its far from a waste of time. read more

Maybe my expectations were too high. It is the ideal place for a romantic evening/date and 1/2 price wine Tuesdays is my kind of place. Unfortunately the authentic French food was sub-par. My meal was just so-so, my date's was the same. I did appreciate the distain from the wait staff and it transported me straight to Paris but the food brought me right back to America. 3 stars for the wine and the excellent cappuccino at the end of the meal read more

Since this is out of the way, you would think it would be worth the trek but it isn't. The best I can say is that's it not bad but not really worth heading out of the way to go and eat at. The service was pretty abysmal-- I don't know if they took a page from actual French restaurants but having to flag down the server for water despite being one of two tables is definitely not the best start to a dining experience. It was further emboldened by the fact that the server looked downright bored when taking our orders. The food was pretty good. Very standard French fare without the bells and whistles. I had the bouillabaisse which was pretty tasty and had generous portions of seafood. Others at the table had a crepe and sandwich neither of which they had any complaints about. read more

The old guy with the gray hair is miserable and has the worst attitude and people skills of any maître d' I have ever met. We arrived on time for our reservation yet he let my pregnant wife stand at the desk for 10 minutes while he helped other people, set up tables, and at times starred at the ceiling apparently amusing his little mind. This would have been our third visit had we not walked out over his rudeness. By the way his reaction was "I don't care, go". We are not too sorry that we will not be going back since the food is mediocre at best. Try Et voila on mcarthur instead -- much better food, much nicer staff, much cleaner and much busier. read more

The food was very good, not over spicy or too bland. They were very accommodating to my non-butter and only Olive oil request. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and the lamb was very tender perfectly cooked. read more

Chat noir is a cozy French restaurant in the Tenleytown area of DC. Cozy and warm, with classic decor, Le Chat Noir is a great date restaurant or spot for a post-work glass of wine and people watching. It's outdoor patio area is great on cool nights, and the soft lights make it a very romantic dinner spot. The food here was surprisingly good. Service was prompt and courteous, and complimented nicely by elegant place settings and softly played jazz music that lightly flitted through the open air setting. The Steak frites plate was perfectly managed; steak cooked to perfection (not so common as one would think) and pom frites fresh and unsoggy. Veggies we're fresh and not overcooked. My dining mates had very happy smiles and soft cooing sounds as they enjoyed the salmon nordique; the cucumber sauce was cool and perfectly complimented the dish. In restrospect, the sign of a good meal is deciding how you would do it differently given the chance; there isn't anything I would have changed about my dining experience. (Sans the price, the only reason im docking stars....and likely, im being too harsh given the pervasive pricing of DC restaurants) Great spot. read more

Love this place for a relaxing dinner and wine. Service is always perfect. The food is great! I like sitting at the bar upstairs and watching the black and white silent films that are projected on the wall. Great place to take a date for a quiet and relaxing meal with some little extras. The upstairs is only open on Thurs, Fri, Sat at 5pm. read more

Amazing crepes and very good food. Also, their wait staff consists of pretty much the most French man alive. It's funny. When you see him you will immediately know what I mean. He's probably 6'6," only 150 pounds, and a face very similar to Cyrano. I know that's a weird thing to put in a Yelp review, but to me it is both funny and makes it clear that Le Chat Noir is legitimately French. But I digress... Anyway, I have nothing but positives to say about le Chat Noir. Good service, excellent food all around. The atmosphere is nice, too. Even their coffee is noteworthy. It's a great place to get some authentic French food in a relatively quiet and relaxed part of DC. read more

I'm sad to say we were totally disappointed. We both escargot which was wonderful, the bread to die for as others have reported. Our salad, which we shared and was large, was very good. Blue Cheese, walnuts, apples and fennel. Sadly, the entrees came. He, pork chop, which was overcooked and tough. I had the hanger steak and frites. The hanger steak was tough and came with a gloppy sauce covering it. I couldn't eat it. We both left more than two thirds our entrees because they were so bad. I really wanted to like this place. Can't say I'm willing to give it a 2nd chance. I would like to say we both agreed our waitress was wonderful! read more

Soup was completely inedible, scallops overcooked to an insane degree, duck entree came out cold, salad was just arugula with a single fig. They didn't even let me keep the sweetener for my iced tea at the table so that I had to ask for it back when I got a refill (which never returned) - I guess there is a splenda shortage I didn't hear about. I mean, the bread was good, so they get two stars. Worst meal I have had out in a very, very long time. Also, I went to Zatinya on Saturday night and that meal was cheaper than this one. I take it back, one star. read more

Had a really great lunch with a friend here- mussels and charcuterie and wine all divine! You know it must be a legit French place when the only two other tables at lunchtime around you are filled with nicely dressed older French ladies having a blast. read more

Went there for lunch and ordered a salad with grilled chicken. There was a very small amount of salad, only greens, and a dried out tasteless sliced chicken breast. I ate the salad and called the waitresses attention to the chicken. I was not offered a replacement nor a credit for the meal. With all the eateries in the area I would advise another one with more concern for their customers. read more

We ordered carry-out for 3 for Mother's Day dinner. The food was ready on time and was great. The pick-up was seamless and respectful of social distancing. We'll do it again when we want a special dinner. read more

Amazing! 5 start top of the line service! The kindest people! The most presentable amazing food! Everything is insta worthy and most importantly the food taste amazing! Just fantastic all around service. Highly recommend checking out the French toast with honey, nuttela, syrup. Shirine was a wonderful waitress! read more

Food and service was good, but I think my favorite thing about this restaurant was the French feel/atmosphere. Very romantic and cozy for dinner. Also, the bread is outstanding. Served warm. So delicious. read more

Food was incredible, especially their mussels - very authentic and delicately cooked. Service was great too but management was unreasonable. We weren't allowed to use our Groupon because management said we didn't show it at the very beginning of the meal and another technicality (neither of which were stated on the Groupon). Then the manager had the audacity to redeem our Groupon - after he told us we couldn't use it! If they change management we might go back as the food is delicious, otherwise there is no way. read more

Great food, great service, great atmosphere! This restaurant is like stepping into France for a bit. Most of the wait staff is French, the owner and his family are French and they have terrific French wines. The food is a bit rich (especially the crepes) for my taste, but it is a treat once in a while. I'd recommend the specials - they had a bacon and pear salad that was amazing. They also have deals on some nights (1/2 price wine or free dessert), so be sure to ask about that. read more

We live about a block from Le Chat Noir and we love French Bistro food. Steak frites, mussels and a nice table wine is a treat. We've been four times and keep hoping it gets better. It has not. The steak was of poor quality with a weak gravy type sauce and the mussels were of average taste with the broth being kind of bland. I had one experience where the wine came out hot. I've never sent a bottle back but that night I asked them to chill the bordeaux to get it to room temperature. The decor is nice for a neighborhood place but the tables are much too close and you will spend your whole meal listening to other patrons' conversations. If you want some peace ask them to seat you upstairs where it's quieter. Others have complained of the service but it has always been satisfactory for me. It's so close I'm sure we will go back. I can only hope it gets better! read more

Enjoyed the food here. The atmosphere is of rustic french, with the whole establishment a bit aged. The tables are a bit cramped and space is definitely a premium. I had the steak with fries while my wife got the lamb with couscous. We also ordered a crepe filled with mushroom sauce and meat for our appetizer. It took awhile for our main entree to be served after our appetizer but we were both pleased with the food overall. I strongly suggest to pair your meals with wine to truly enjoy the meal. read more

I ordered a menu with a salad and a steak (onglet) and fries. Strangely, the steak does not come with vegetable as if the salade as a starter was not allowing a second vegetable for the main course. I believe everything was just average, nothing outstanding for this type of restaurant and price. My preference remains for other some Belgo-French restaurants such as Et Voila. read more

We came with family and were embarrassed by how the evening went. Service started off indifferent and eventually bordered on malpractice. We waited 75 minutes for food to arrive after we had ordered. The waiter never apologized (blaming a make believe rush of customers...many of whom seemed to have come after us and were served before us.) We ran out of wine but the waiter was ignoring us so we never had a chance to reorder. This was about the worst service we have ever encountered. Let me repeat, we waited 75 minutes for our food and the waiter only gave us excuses, not even a whiff of an apology. The seafood was very good but no better than what one expects at this price point. The duck was dry. At least the bread we had while we waited was good. Oh yes, don't bother asking for the Kir Royale promised via Yelp. We were met with disdain. (We did get the Kir Royale with the wine, but that was the last time we saw the waiter for over an hour!) The chef deserves a better wait staff. read more

I went here for Restaurant Week and loved the vibe and the service. It was certainly authentic French cuisine, but the meal wasn't 100%. My friend really liked what he got (I think the salmon), but my main meal wasn't wonderful, although edible (one of the steak selections). I enjoyed my appetizer, however, and another girl at a different table liked the appearance of mine that she also ordered one (it was a seafood version of a chicken pot pie). I was extremely impressed by how quickly everything came out and the servers' attention to their patrons. While the food was not excellent, I would still likely come back. read more

This is an amazing little French restaurant. The food is very good (I had the steak frites) and everyone else at my table really enjoyed their meals as well. There is a bar upstairs and I think has some specials downstairs doesn't have and on certain nights their wine is on happy hour so check before you go. This place is perfect for a date night, meal with another couple or just whenever you're craving some good french food at somewhere that's not super trendy or over crowded. read more

Love Le Chat Noir! It's not cheap but it is worth the money...much better than other French restaurants in the area. The food is consistently amazing. My parents insist on going every time they visit DC and they are not big foodies. My favorite French restaurant in DC to be sure! read more

RW review. Early dinner in the outdoor seating area. They provided nice warm rolls with butter while we waited for our salade de chevre chaud and pate de canard. Both appetizers met expectations. Cod was the fish of the day - it tasted like it could have been cooked a little longer, but it was moist, accompanied by what tasted like a sherry sauce. The socca fries were thick, yam-like with a slightly spicy kick - not very crisp on the outside, which was okay by me. The accompanying braised peaches went well with the sauce and fish. My husband liked his bijoux de boeuf, and I tasted the potato gratin, which was very good. Desserts were well prepared - clafoutis was light, almost the consistency of bread pudding and had an especially nice custard sauce but only a few cherries. The ile flottante was one of the better I've tasted, picture an airy island of meringue (not dry at all) in a sea of pistachio-crested cream sauce. All-in-all, a satisfactory meal with attentive service. read more