Got two teeny tiny bacon bits for my La lyonnaise sandwich. They were overcooked and tasted almost like jerky. The bun was good but too much mustard ruined it. We were seated at a very tight table in the middle of other people though there were plenty of space. read more

Today I came to celebrate my anniversary with my husband and had a poor experience. I had brunch, hoping that I would encounter the same experience that I had during my first visit. The customer service was awful. The waiter only attended to us if we asked for something directly. The food was subpar. I understand that brunch is popular in DC, but it was our anniversary! I at least expected a nice congrats. We had a certificate via email for complimentary champagne for 2 since we had visited before, but our waited frowned upon this. The entire experience was non-engaging in terms of the staff. I feel very dissatisfied! This is not the Le Chat Noir and that we visited 2 years ago! read more

Amazing food. Adorable restaurant and setting--it feels as though you are in Paris. I am thrilled with their food and the experience I had with my partner at Le Chat Noir. read more

Yikes. Talk about pretentious and over priced. You get small portions of food that are nothing compared to the quality you find in France (been five times) + the food across the pond is cheaper. I think my ratatouille was even burned. The rest of the food was so small quantity, I left hungry. I came with a friend and we were expecting a third to come later. The waiter came with our food and put my plate down on the table. I moved it and he MOVED IT BACK to where he placed it initially. Seriously? I think I know where I want my plate....When my friend finally came they refused a third chair and never poured water for them so they did not order anything, obviously. Ugh. Felt the staff were patronizing, even condescending. This is how people think they will be treated in France and sadly this place perpetuates that myth. (But in fact, everyone was always nice when I would visit France.) If you are going to be one of those small portion fancy pants places, at least make sure the ingredients are quality and the dishes are cooked properly (such as not being burned). read more

A little on the expensive side, but the portions are generous. It's apparent that either the chef or the manager has experience living in France. My only complaint was that most things tasted like they had too much salt in them- one of my favorite things about French food is a dedication to the true taste of each ingredient, and I felt like the food catered to American taste buds that require everything to be dredged in salt to be "tasty." (sorry if that sounds snobby!!) The ambiance was my favorite part; it stayed true to French charm without overdoing it and becoming tacky. The service was fine, not memorably great but that is a good thing, right? Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable, which was greatly appreciated. I would also imagine this place is great for brunch, so that will probably be the goal for my next visit. read more

Excellent service but food was truly disappointing. Duck leg was fatty and tasteless (clearly sitting around a long time). Skin was limp and disgusting. Steak was OK but not great cut of meat and tuna overcooked. That said, pate was excellent as was crepe suzette. But main courses should shine and they did not. read more

When I first checked here there was only one review of this restaurant - a bad one. It even calls the place rickety. Really. Let me assure you that this restaurant is not at all bad. It is even very good. And the place is not rickety, it is charming. The reviewer lived in Paris and thus she knows French food. I also lived in Paris, for all of 7 years, and I also think I know French food. What does this mean, dear reader? That it is all a question of taste ... quite simply. And how our tastes differ! What is bad for one, is excellent for another. What is expensive to one, is reasonable to another. And what looks rickety to one, is downright charming to another ... Le Chat Noir says it is your friendly French neighborhood restaurant. That's exactly what it is. The owner looks like a son of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Outside, it beckons you with its charming lights shining through its mullioned windows. It looks old, charmingly so - please don't update anything! It is a tiny bit of Paris that must have blown away during the last big storm and fell down in Tenleytown to make ex-Parisians homesick. May it stay there and never change. Since we discovered it, we go regularly as the food and the atmosphere are so French that we feel as if we're still living in the Rue de Levis in the 17eme. Mind you, if Bethesda's Mon Ami Gabi is your measure of French food, you may experience culinary culture shock. Mon Ami Gabi is excellent, but it is not French, although it looks convincingly so. It serves French food the American way, and that is completely different than serving French food the French way. Also, Mon Ami Gabi, as well as the much more French Les Halles down town, are brasseries and serve brasserie food - your steak tartare, your oysters etc. Le Chat Noir is not a brasserie, although they do serve some brasserie foods (what's not to love?), but on the whole it is much more refined. It is a real French restaurant, with a menu that changes (!) with the seasons and the availability of the very fresh products it uses, and with portion sizes that are normal. We absolutely love it. read more

We went here for Restaurant week and the experience was pretty good. For Appetizers we had Escargots and Poultry Liver Mousse. The Escargots were Plum and super tender,I never had so tender escargots before.The Liver Mousse didn't taste minerally plus the addition of onion marmalade was beautiful. For entree we had Jumbo Prawn with truffle risotto, white wine bechamel and blackened mahi mahi topped with crab, arugula salad, whipped Potatoes. The Prawns were beautifully cooked from inside with a little crispy outside which was perfect. The risotto was creamy with just enough flavor of truffle. The mahi mahi had a smoky flavor which was beautifully complimented by those whipped potatoes and arugula salad.For Dessert we had crepes and raspberry cheesecake with mango coulis. The Crepe was ok but that cheesecake was the best cheese cake I have ever had. It was so fresh and creamy. The ratio of raspberry to cheese was what made it so perfect. Overall we loved the whole experience. read more

Le Chat Noir - Poisson du Soir,Mousse de foie de volaille & pain grille , Cacaouitte - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My Wife and I had an Amazing dinner there. She had Scallops and I had corvina both were exquisite. For dessert we each had crepes which were very nice, my crepe Suzette blazed for quite a while :-) Regarding the service, it was friendly and efficient. Perhaps, my only slight quibble would be that the petite Chablis which was very good needed to be a little more chilled. Overall, I found great value for money and will definitely return! read more

Enjoyed the night with great company, and was happy to see that this was one of the only places with open tables on a Friday night. Pros: -open tables -great service -good dessert Cons: -extremely dry bourguignon. it had a tablespoon, at most, of red wine sauce in the whole thing No one else complained about his/her food. I don't know if mine was the only bad dish. Maybe they ran out of red wine sauce and didn't want to say anything lol? read more

If you've eaten at Le Diplomat then set your expectations very low for Le Chat Noir. We went last night at 8:00 pm. First floor was packed and extremely loud so asked to sit upstairs. Water glasses were filled quickly but it was 15 minutes before waiter appeared for our drink order. we ordered a cheese plate, french onion soup and Rose. 10 minutes later the wine appears. We ended up just eating the apps and then asked for the check - skipped the entrees as it was very clear service wouldn't improve. Btw, the french onion soup was good but not the best and cheese plate was just plain silly . . . 3 small pieces of cheese w/ garnish (lettuce). I suspect the lettuce was added such that the portion size didn't look woefully small. It was disappointing as the other yelp reviews seemed good. read more

I've been dining at Le Chat Noir for years and have always enjoyed it. The atmosphere has always been perfect and the service excellent and the food really good. But the latest visit made me need to submit a new review. The food is now tremendous and beautifully presented. The duck breast was maybe the best I've ever had, the pork and salmon and sweetbreads were out of this world. The desserts (crepes, profiteroles and mousse) were yummy. Samuel has yet improved on the food and experience. Whether local or visiting, do not miss dining at LCN. read more

If I could, I would leave the rating blank for this restaurant!! Had brunch there this past weekend with a friend and was so disappointed at the food and the service! First of all, it was a Sunday brunch and this restaurant only had TWO waiters working for the whole entire restaurant!! So I kid you not, we literally waited 15 minutes to get our water, then 20 plus more minutes to get our champagne, another 15 minutes to get the waiter's attention so that we could order the food!! By the time the food arrived, it was 1.5 hours later after we sat down at the table!! I ordered the eggs benedit with smoked salmon and they gave me the canadian ham one instead. Not happy and told them about the wrong order. They exchanged it for me and by this time, I was starving so I cut right into one of the poached eggs once the food arrived. And guess what? The egg was so well done it was more like a hard boiled egg rather a poached egg and everything was cold, not even luke warm!! Really? I waited 1.5 hours for this crappy egg dish? I was so turned off by then so even the side salad accompanied with the dish tasted awful to me! Well, there you have my review on this restaurant. I know some people on yelp loved it there but for me, I am not spending one more penny on Le Chat Noir!! read more

I really like this place, but it is quirky. -- the food ranges from good to excellent. The salade nicoise is perhaps the best in town. Dishes such as beef bourguignon and coq au vin are very good and what one expects in a good bistro, and the crepes are usually a pleasure. All reasonably priced. -- The wine list is one of the best values in town, with solidly good wines at reasonable prices, and a cut price on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. -- The service suits me, but some may find it a bit abruti. The dress code for staff and owner is tres, tres dressed-down, including some tatters that would excite a Calvin Klein devotee. -- There are nasty issues of heating in winter and air in summer in the large glassed room on the street, a place where you can get the full flavor of Wisconsin Avenue traffic. --the bathrooms are tiny and have black walls but there are 2 of them and they are clean. read more

Food was terrific . Service was very good. The salmon/halibut entree was a delicious meal. Highly recommend it.

Mid-level bistro food, nothing special. Veal was tough. Everything else was ok French, but nothing sparkled. Restaurant busy, crowded, noisy, looking shabby. read more

I was hesitant to give this only one star, but that's how I feel about this place. If you want French I suggest you check out Petits Plats. Anyway, I thought this place had just a little too many tables in a not-so-large space. Also, I agree with the person who thought that the waitstaff was more interested in conversing with each other rather than being there for the customers. The food was also pretty lackluster...overall I was fairly disappointed. Creme brulee could've been better, etc. If you want French, skip this place. read more

Everything I have tried at this restaurant was delicious! I went here for Mother's Day brunch today and had the best time. The Cyrene brûlée was to die for. The quiche I had was perfectly cooked. The owner and waitress were very friendly as well. read more

Food was ok but overpriced. Awful service. The ambience was fine but a little crowded.

Having been to this restaurant many times since it opened years ago, I was expecting a pleasant, delicious lunch with five friends today. We arrived at 12:30 p.m. for lunch, as reserved, but were not served our main courses until around 2:00 p.m. For five of us, that meant crêpes, which take no more than five minutes to make and are one of the restaurant's featured specialties. Entreaties to the waiter and manager (the owner, I think) were rebuffed. The manager, asked why it was taking so long, replied--without a smile--do you have something important to do this afternoon? Later, he said our food "was on its way," but it took another 20 minutes after that. At the same time, the servers professed not to know why things were so slow. They avoided eye contact and only brought water refills and a few lemon wedges after four requests. My crêpe, when it finally arrived, was a severe disappointment, lacking enough filling to cover the surface, even folded over. The friend who ordered mahi-mahi (the day's special) had to send it back when it finally arrived, as it was overcooked and essentially inedible. (It was comped.) To top it off, the server would not issue separate checks (requested when we arrived), so we had to calculate each person's share of the total, plus tax. Other restaurants have done this without the server blinking an eye. At no point did the manager ever tell us what was wrong in the kitchen. A simple explanation would have sufficed (new cook, broken stove, whatever), but he demonstrated indifference and rudeness. The servers professed not to know anything. We were eventually offered complimentary desserts (acknowledging indirectly that something was not right), but we were by then too disgusted with the experience and opted to leave. I have visited this restaurant ever since it opened, years ago, but the manager never offers a hint that he has seen me before (e.g., welcome back!). I won't be returning anytime soon. read more

This restaurant has bad food and is overly priced. Having lived in France for a year, the food definitely didn't measure up. I wouldn't have even considered it good on a "regular" level of restaurants- French or not. The place was pretty rickety, as well. I wouldn't recommend it. read more

Went here for my Birthday to have a calm family meal and it was excelent the service and food were amazing

What a quaint restaurant. This is situated in my hometown of Tenleytown, so I may be biased, but I love coming here for a quick bite as did all my former neighbors. I've been here for all the meals, day or night, and its always lovely. read more

We chose this restaurant on a last minute decision to go out for Sunday brunch, and since we were in Tenleytown already Le Chat Noir seemed to be the most logical choice. We got there at around 1 pm and the restaurant was about two-thirds full so they were able to seat the two of us without a reservation, in the front part of the restaurant which had glass walls on three sides so it was bright and airy, and the tables were not too crowded together. The place had an elegantly casual pleasant atmosphere and many of the staff seem to be French. The front section seemed to be where they tend to seat groups, as there was a large group of 10 when we arrived, and after they left the same tables were given to a family of 8. They have a brunch menu which includes a drink - champagne, mimosa or pear cider - and an appetizer or dessert with entrée for $18.95, which seems very reasonable. We both opted for the more traditional breakfast fare: Eggs Florentine and Eggs Norvegiens, and cream of leek soup as an appetizer. The service was courteous, professional and efficient; our water glasses were filled regularly, and orders came promptly yet not too rushed. We had the pear cider, which was really interesting, tasted almost like champagne although it was non alcoholic. The leek soup was delicate and tasty, the poached eggs were done with just the right soft consistency. The salad and French fries accompaniments were nice as well, light dressing for the salad, and fresh, thin and crispy French fries, one of the best I've ever had. It was a good brunch experience, and would certainly like to go back again to try the other brunch items on the menu. read more

Nice restaurant. The people are always nice, helpful, and fast. The food is pretty good, too! All of the meals are nicely presented and are adequate portions. read more

Went here with my boyfriend for my birthday last year. Delicious French food, and the waiters really know what they're talking about when they recommend wine to you. My favorite is the quintessentially French waiter, who is slim, wears all black, and has a fabulous accent. Great service though, when they found out it was my birthday they gave me a complimentary glass of wine and a postcard to commemorate the occasion. Very romantic atmosphere. read more

It seems that folks either had a great experience or a horrible experience. Mine falls somewhere in the middle. I went with my mother who is Belgian and she enjoyed it enough that she's taken friends there. We were there for lunch on a holiday and the atmosphere was quite nice. It included a surley, pencil-thin waiter dressed in black - tres authentique! I had a crepe and it was good, not great. We had to send my mother's hot chocolate back because it wasn't warm. All in all, the meal wasn't perfect, but it was nice. If I lived nearby, I would go here once a month or so. read more

This is an awesome French restaurant. I went there with three other people and we enjoyed it immensely. They have a great wine list, and they have several good wines that are half-price on Tuesdays. The escargot was great, and they have a wide selection of cheeses for appetizers. The bread is excellent too. I had the steak and it was very good, and the other people in our party enjoyed their entrees as well. I will certainly be coming back here again. read more

Oh the black cat!!! It is such a nice French restaurant, and the service was great (especially for those of us who don't speak French). We did not try this restaurant till restaurant week came about that year. And because it is so close to school, whenever I had a French food craving, I would go there for a bite. read more

I used to love this place. I convinced a friend to go since she had a bad experience and she agreed. So 6 of us went last week at 7 pm, We had 9:30 theatre so we had plenty of time. WE thought! It took over an hour and a half to get our food. The entire restaurant was without food. Couldn't find the waitress. No explanations. Finally got our food and had 20 minutes to eat and leave. Not good. read more

Very consistent food, not too pricy. The wine list is good and the prices are fair. The service is not as consistent as the food, but overall good. It is a great neighborhood restaurant. read more

Got the coupon from travelzoo, love the beef and the dessert The only problem is I am dining in the main dining room with no air conditioning and outside temperature is 90+. read more

Food is very good and ambience is laid back. Service conforms to the french stereotype so you will be ok or not depending on your mood. Great neighborhood spot. read more

This is one of my favorite French restaurants in DC, if not one of my favorite reasonably priced, neighborhood restaurants overall. I probably come here about once or twice a month and am always greeted with a friendly face. I always try something new when I am here and have never been disappointed! read more

Meh pretty much sums up this place. The decor is dated, the service is inconsistent, and the food mediocre. The mussel appetizer was served escargot style, 6 mussels (just 6 on a teeny plate) covered in a light sauce for $7. Really? Bouillabaisse was insanely salty, served with crostini doused in oil. Beef Bourguignon was decent but a bit fatty. Getting wine, bread, or plates taken, etc. took forever. I live in the neighborhood so I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately I dont think I will be going back. read more

This is my family's favorite place to eat in DC. Traditional French food; we've been there countless times and have never had a bad meal. The staff is not particularly friendly in my experience, but when you get food this good it doesn't matter. I love their crepes, both sweet and savory. Other friends and family have raved about the escargots and boeuf borguignon. It's worth the hike out to Tenleytown. Fortunately, I went to American U so it was close to me. It's never really busy, but if you're going on a weekend night, make a reservation just in case. read more

Dined at Le Chat Noir on a Saturday night during Restaurant Week. Made reservations for 7:30pm and was seated right away. Upon being seated, we waited for what seemed far too long before a waiter came by to take our order. It seems that most diners were confused by the excessively long menu loaded with French words and needed help making their orders. We waited probably ten minutes before someone came around to take our order. As part of Restaurant Week, we were able to pick three courses-- an appetizer, an entree, and dessert. For my appetizer, I decided on the seared scallop. I ordered swordfish for my entree, and for dessert I had the coconut boule with a strawberry and rhubarb custard. The scallop was well-seared and fully satisfying. It had the fine buttery crust that I enjoy on a seared piece of scallop and the flavor of the sauce was rich. I was equally, if not more, pleased by my entree. The swordfish was cooked perfectly and had a healthy dose of umami. I was quite happy with the balance of the entree as well, as the arugula salad was great, as was the yucca cake that was served with the fish. The dessert was very delicious too. However, I found the coconut boule to be a slightly bit doughy. Nonetheless, it was sweet without being cloying; satisfying without being filling. I am willing to overlook the margarine that they serve with the bread (no self-purported French restaurant should ever serve margarine). The service could have been a little more attentive, but I thoroughly enjoyed the food here and would go back again. I can definitely say I'm a fan of Le Chat Noir. read more

Awesome food......................open a location in OT Alexandria!!! Much better than our French restaurants

My wife and I recently went to Le Chat Noir for a late lunch, at approximately 3:15 pm. We walked in to find the restaurant quite empty with what looked like a small party in the back room. After about a minute or two later a man appraoched us, who we believe to be the owner, and told us we would have to wait outside for 15 minutes before we could be seated. I asked if the restaurant was open. He stated that it was open, but he was busy in a meeting and we had to wait. I then aksed if we would sit down near a window and he then said, "If you must." and pointed to the table in the corner, but again explained that it would be a 15 minute wait because he was having an employee meeting and no one would be available toserve us until HE was finished. His pretentious and vain attitude was enough to curb my appetite for French cuisine that day. read more

Went back in early November 2013 - amazing tenderloin (made with touches of fig, I believe) astonishing bouillebaisse, and then the crêpes -- a half page of choices (their own menu). Lovely little restaurant. read more