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The ambiance is beautiful, the server was more than accommodating, helped us switch tables for a two person to a four person table too even though is was just two of us. Drink were tasty and sushi trio is great option. Asked for fish and chips and received a roll when I meant the plate but it was cheaper and my boyfriend said the quality of fish was great.
Came here with friends for restaurant week the other day. Food was overall good but the steaks were a bit on the saltier side. Other than that, great service and great place to catch up with friends. The drinks were alright, a bit too strong for my liking and I just didn't love it. The salad paired with the steak was good though- I did enjoy it. Would probably come back for restaurant week!
Le Desales is such a French-Asian fusion, which happens to be two of my favorite cuisines, so it felt like the best of both worlds! We went on a crowded Saturday night, and the vibe was perfect: fancy but not too fancy, just right. They even had a coat check, which was a nice touch. The space isn't huge, but it feels intimate and well done. Our waiter was entertaining, friendly, and very helpful, which made the night even better. We started with the onion soup, salad, and tuna sushi. Everything was enjoyable, though the onion soup was the only dish that didn't quite hit a 5 for us. For mains, we shared the branzino and steak. The branzino was really delicious (served with the head), and the steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare and ended with a tasty creme brûlée! Overall, we had a great night and would definitely come back the next time we're in town.
They have great happy hour specials, which is why we decided to check it out. The menu is mainly French, but they also serve sushi. When we walked in, the host greeted us with, "How can I help you?" in a way that made it feel like we didn't belong there. It was an odd vibe for a restaurant. We decided to order a happy hour drink anyway. The bartender was friendly, but the drinks were neither balanced nor enjoyable.
I would say for the most part, this was a decent experience. The place is intimate but casual The appetizers were more tastier than the actual entrees Our waiter was really nice and attentive to our large group We ordered the burrata, baguette as well as the spinach and artichoke cheese dip Those were my faves to be honest and for such a large party we all able to try each one For my entree, I ordered the grilled shrimp gnocchi, its tomato based with shrimp and potato bites but the the potato bites were not as soft as I expected I also tried bavette, I didn't think the 7oz was enough but I liked it I would probably recommend for lunch or a wick dinner
Honestly such a good happy hour deal if you know what to order. The ambiance is STUNNING in here and I would definitely consider this place for a birthday dinner because it feels cozy and intimate without being flashy. We ordered two cocktails - the asian pear sangria and the blood orange cocktail - and they were DELICIOUS. For food we got the spicy tuna roll and himachi with Serrano and we thought they were okay. The tuna is made with miso and capers so it runs a little too salty but the himachi was perfect and Serrano added a nice refreshing crunch and flavor. We topped off the night with fries which... oh my god??? McDonalds fries but BETTER. Next time I'd skip the sushi and go for just cocktails and fries. Service is great!! Drinks are STRONG lol
The sushi had unique flavors but they turned out to be good! We tried the hamachi Serrano and salmon. All the drinks we tried were good too, especially the angry dragon margarita- wasn't really what you'd expect for a typical margarita but the flavors were good! We originally planned to go for happy hour since they have theirs till 8pm, but the bar area was too loud and crowded to enjoy- wouldn't recommend happy hour if you're looking to be able to chat. The staff was nice enough to find us a table on short notice though the restaurant was crowded.
Came by during happy hour and had a great time. It gets packed near the end of happy hour so come early if you want a spot at the bar. It's great for a place to come solo or with a friend to talk. Our food came out fast and I didn't feel rushed although it was packed near the end I ordered the spicy tuna roll and the fries which was both yummy! Perfect happy hour post work grab and i would definitely come back
While staying at The Mayflower on Connecticut Ave, we came here for lunch soon after checking in. They were open for lunch still, even around 2PM and we sat at the bar, where service was decent. The menu is typical French bistro style, but I didn't see a croque monsieur. We got a Caesar salad to share and I got their French Onion soup too. We also started with deviled eggs. The Deviled eggs were great! Creamy and full of flavor, yet perfect texture. The salad was good, but lacked a depth of flavor. I don't like the raw sardines on top, only mashed up in the dressing, but this dressing seemed to be lacking viscosity as well... definitely needed lots of pepper added to it. The French Onion soup was great! Lots of great flavor and the broth was excellent. Save room for dessert... we got their bread pudding which was excellent! The venue is beautifully decorated, just like a French bistro you'd venture into on a side street in France! Would definitely return and highly recommend stopping in!
Happy Hour M-Sat until close...bet! Directly across the street from The Mayflower Hotel, which made it super convenient to pop in for a quick bite. Sat at the bar and ordered the Lavender Margarita -- not too sweet, but tasty. Menu is French-Asian. I ordered the crispy shrimp roll and spicy tuna. Crispy shrimp was really good. Spicy tuna was typical tuna roll.
I had to unsave this one from my list mostly because of service. But I Can't say I recommend if my favorite bite was the salad. I dropped in an hour before happy hour and the dining area was nearly empty. I waited for 5 minutes for the hostess to greet me, sat at the bar and the bartender hold me to move my chair down because of private party. I then waited 10 minutes to get a water and put in my order (note the bar was nearly empty). Of the 3 dishes I ordered, Kale salad, beef tartare and deviled eggs. Playing was beautiful but the best bite was the kale salad. It was perfectly dressed and flavorful. The tartare was supposed to have capers and a pesto but mine definitely had no capers and more of a tartar sauce on top. The deviled eggs were fine. I saw several sushi rolls come out that looked good so maybe I just ordered the wrong things.
This place has a fantastic happy hour with plenty of options. It's a Japanese French fusion place so there is a little something for everyone. The service was a bit slow at the bar but the food was great. We luckily had fries to share in the beginning though they forgot about one of our orders and we had to remind them. In terms of the ambiance, it is somewhat loud but that's because their happy hour is so good.
I went for a late afternoon bite and asked for the option for vegetarian, the server suggested these rolls and i got these sundried avocado roll. To be honest, i am not a sushi person being a vegetarian, but i decided to give it a try. It tasted ok, maybe one needs to develop taste for sushi. But the server was pleasant, and made the visit good, so 4 stars are because of him otherwise i would give this place 3. Ambiance is great, good for dates i would say! read more
A good place for Happy Hour drinks-- they are fun, creative and tasty. Happy hour food can be hit or miss. We liked one sushi roll-- Kampachi serrano but thought spicy tuna was just okay. Meatball was alright, the bread that came with it was good. Parmesan fries were just what they said they are-- fine, if you have a craving for fries. I'll be back for drinks read more
Stopped by for happy hour to meet a friend, and was thoroughly impressed by the service! Although incredibly busy, happy hour is only in the bar area, yet both bartenders and servers were there to help. I tried the shoga-tini and the salmon rolls. Both really delicious and I was definitely return for happy hour! read more
Business owner information
Seena S.
Thank you for choosing us! We’re delighted you’re happy.
11 months ago
2 years ago
really good food! I made a reservation for a Monday night and there was plenty of seats when I walked in around 6pm. I had the strawberry lemonade mocktail and rabbit pappardelle pasta - both were delicious. The paste had a very rich beurre blanc sauce so I didn't finish everything. I would come back! read more
I stopped by here for some drinks yesterday and really liked the vibe and happy hour menu. They have a nice selection of drinks, snacks, and sushi items on the happy hour menu and the regular menu looks great as well. It was starting to get busy around 5 PM when I was leaving. I was excited to see Junior (from SEI back in the day) and some of the other members of the SEI team working here. The Liquid Wasabi and Old, Aged & Fashioned were great drinks and came out fast. I definitely plan on adding this place as a regular happy hour spot. read more
Met up with a friend here for happy hour one night. The inside of the restaurant is cute, dimly lit, and ambient. Happy hour is only at the bar and it gets pretty crowded. We arrived at 7 pm and hovered for 15 minutes before getting seats. I tried the Lavender Margarita and the Asian Pear Sangria, they were both good and I would get them again. I tried around half of the happy hour dishes, my favorite was the salmon cilantro roll. The spicy tuna roll was good too but not amazing. The other sushi rolls weren't great and I wouldn't get them again. I would also pass on the wagyu sliders next time. The fries were nice for snacking on. read more
2 years ago
Stopped here for a quick lunch and was not disappointed! Usually restaurants in DC are overpriced and focus on being Instagramable. To my surprise this fusion restaurant was worth every penny. Food was Asian with a French like twist. The sushi rolls were really good with complimenting flavors and textures. I highly recommend the fish n chips roll and the Kobe roll, especially as they are unique to this restaurant! read more
3.5 stars: 5 stars for service, 4 for decor, 3 for food. We have been going to shows in the area often enough to now actively look for places to be regulars at. The place was empty when we got there around 5pm on a Friday which was fine- a couple high tops near the bar area were filled. We had a 5:30pm dinner ressy so we sat at the bar first to have a couple glasses of HH priced wine. We then moved over to the dining area which was empty but still cozy and nice. The food was not all that amazing but I ordered salmon, shishito peppers, and a side of potatoes. None of it was mind blowing - they were fine. The salmon was a bit too greasy and lacked flavor. Nothing memorable about the food but service and atmosphere was excellent so I'm not going to ding it down much, especially when I haven't tried enough things on the menu. I'll have to give it another whirl and update the review for a more accurate take. read more
1 year ago
7 months ago
I wish I could get on the de-influencing train and say the Le Desales happy hour is over hyped, but it's not - these prices are so rare in any city especially at a happy hour that isn't legit 5-5:30 Tuesday and Wednesdays, 4-8 daily is incredible - the sushi, each roll $9, was surprisingly delicious. the spicy tuna roll was stuffed with fresh buttery fish (I legit saw them cutting all the fish) and the rice was perfect my soft. nothing worse than slightly dry hard grocery store level sushi rice - the rolls were plated well and just like they would for full price menu rolls. I can't wait to go back and try to amazing smelling meatballs and one of the constantly flowing fun drinks. - the bar was beautiful, but try to get there early as there was a happy hour wait due to only half the restaurant serving that menu and the waitstaff are not the kindest....felt very very rushed and was told I needed to wait in quite an unpleasant tone even though I had no issue waiting! read more
3 years ago
My wife and I came here for dinner a couple of months ago after an appointment upstairs in this building. Since the weather was nice we sat outside. I have been to this specific place before back when it was an Italian restaurant and now it is a French/Japanese fusion place that is amazing. We shared a sushi pizza, rabbit confit, and two sushi rolls and loved it all as well as our cocktails. The sushi and cocktails are some of the best in town and the rabbit confit was delicious and unique. For dessert we shared delicious bread pudding. The service was amazing too. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
The ambiance was perfect and there was no wait we were seated right away. There were beautiful art pieces on the walls and the dim lighting set the tone. Our waiter was kind, quick, and responsive. Every food item was worth the price. All the meat tasted high quality and fresh. The board of 5 included duck, prosciutto, and salami along with brie and white cheddar cheese. I even ate all the pickled vegetables on the side they were so good. The beef tartar had an amazing variety of flavors that melt on your tongue. The drinks were strong and had to be my favorite part, the chardonnay was airy and dry and the old fashion has that traditional citrus taste. Le Desales is percent for any occasion. From birthday, date night, work dinners, etc. Couldn't recommend more. read more
2 years ago
Outstanding service by Gris. Great recommendations and fabulous ambiance. Could sit here all night. Will be back for seconds! read more
Le desales was quite the romantical Parisian restaurant tucked away on a side road next to the mayflower hotel. We came on a Saturday night at 6pm (early bird grannies) and the place was pretty empty. We were seated next to the bar and were quickly approached by attentive waitstaff. We started with the charcuterie board with duck pruschuitto salami and cheese and a glass of Tempranillo wine. The combination was scrumptious although the duck pruschuitto was very spicy and no warning on the menu. Luckily my friend couldn't eat it and I ignore my heartburn, so I gobbled it all up. We also got the little gem salad and although it tasted fresh and refreshing the salad dressing lacked a pizazz and the flavor fell flat. Def could use some citrus and pepper and salt. For my entree I got the smoked salmon sushi and the crispy shrimp sushi. The smoked salmon was overwhelming and didn't have anything to balance it out. The crispy shrimp sushi was flat in flavor too. Would I return? Yes yes I would for another glass of wine and all the duck pruchuit. read more
Service was top-notch. I was surprisingly underwhelmed with the food. But we went during brunch and not during dinner. We had the squash blossom tempura. I was predisposed to tasting something salty in the middle of the zucchini flowers in Rome. I quickly realized the difference. It had more subtle flavors. We had the burger, chicken and waffles, short rib mash, and goat cheese omelet. All tasted fine. Perhaps I was expecting more. read more
Le Desales was a very pretty restaurant with a romantic vibe, but the food was lacking. The service was very good and attentive, we had plenty of water refills. The food though was not as good as the vibe of the restaurant. We started with the burrata for our appetizer. It was pretty good, but felt kind of basic. I had the roasted salmon for my entree. The salmon was cooked well, but did not have much flavor. The entrees don't come with sides, you order those separately. I ordered the wild rice and it tasted like they just cooked rice and didn't add anything to it. We finished our dinner with the chocolate tart which was good. It was topped with a mochi vanilla ice cream. Overall the food was okay, it lacked flavor for the price we paid. I read many reviews about the sushi, so maybe that is what you should order here for a more flavorful meal. read more
2 years ago
We had a great time! Everything was delicious, the space is clean and bright, and we made friends at the bar. The drinks are creative and the charcuterie board was generously portioned . read more
My friends and I came here on a Friday around 6pm. The place was really crowded, and happy hour is only at the bar area. At first, we didn't get a table so we had to stand and wait but we were able to order drinks while waiting for seats. The staff made sure to let us know when seats opened up and we moved to a seated area. We all ordered the painted lady and loved it. The drink was strong and tasted good. We also got truffle fries and the salmon cilantro roll. The food wasn't amazing (I've had better sushi and fries in dc), but I would definitely go back to try other drinks. We loved the staff, they were really friendly and it was great chatting with them at the bar (especially Alberto!!). It's a good spot for a post work happy hour or a date, would definitely recommend. read more
wasn't sure how i'd feel with asian and french mixed but this was surprisingly good. close to my office so I went with my parents who came into town - super cute spot! definitely busy and a little loud, but still a great lunch spot. we ordered: - french onion soup - kampachi crudo - roasted salmon bento - bronzino - kampachi serrano roll - kobe beef roll finished everything :) the small dessert that came in the bento was a great touch too. super delicious read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
When I tell you this was the best restaurant week discovery I was blown away! The staff was incredible, the food to die for, I cannot wait to come back. The drinks also delicious! 10/10 read more
The food here was okay.I was really excited to try the sushi here but I felt like they were just okay. Nothing too special about them. Maybe I was so hyped for the sushi because I heard that the sushi chef was pretty famous around the area so I was expecting next level. I mean they were good, but nothing out of this world good. The service was okay too. It was kind of interesting that they sold sushi at this place because they also sold steaks and pasta. I liked my steak. It was good perfectly but again, it wasn't all that special. The cocktails were decent too. I don't know if I would actively want to go back to this spot, but you should definitely give it a shot if you are in the area! read more
11 months ago
1 year ago
Absolutely delicious! Great happy hour with delicious food and good beer. Staff was amazing and made this a wonderful date night for my husband and me. read more
3 years ago
The service here is phenomenal. Luis and Oscar truly took care of us and made sure we had a fantastic dinner. The Smoked Salmon was delicious sushi and I wish I could eat salmon like this all the time! The. Fish and Chips Sushi Roll was 10/10 the cruch added the perfect texture! The Tuna Sashimi was the best thing I had all night! The tuna just melted in your mouth and the red onions and apples added to the perfect bite. Now on to the entrée! The Pasture Raised Chicken was so soft and moist! It was perfectly cooked! And of course we cannot forget about the Chocolate Tart! This was so so rich it truly is a "share" but could travel well without the ice cream. Also, the Creme Brulee was absolutely delicious and the sugar on top had the perfect crunch and I could order this again all by itself for sure! All in all great food and OFF THE CHARTS SERVICE! Highly recommend! Instagram - @takeanodyssey read more
2 years ago
Lovely ambiance, we sat in the outdoor seating. Drinks were outstanding, good service, and the food overall was solid but I would pass on the sushi next time. Happy hour also only applies to the bar seating, which we didn't realize when we booked the reservation. But would visit again for some after work drinks! read more
OH MY GOODNESS. I don't even know how to begin. We had a reservation at 8:30pm on a Friday night. It was poppin' -and they were nice enough to seat us a little earlier. Definitely a nice ambiance for dinner & drinks! The service was awesome everyone was very attentive and friendly. The food was amazing! I had the chicken breast with I forgot the sauce name...*drools* and we shared a Kobe beef roll WOW!!! Just wow. I legit said it aloud after one bite and our sides were fried onion rings and potatoes medley. Again so dang good! I paired my dinner with an Asian pear sangria -pretty strong but I'm also a lightweight lol and it was delicious! Lastly, dessert we tried the orange miso bread pudding with ice cream on top? PHEW. Cannot wait to go back! We're gonna try lunch on a nicer day out as it's pretty nice seating outside too. read more
Business owner information
Seena S.
We appreciate your review! Hope to see you again soon.
3 years ago
Business owner information
Seena S.
Thank you for your kind review. Monday Happy hour runs ALL NIGHT by…
2 years ago
Great find! Fresh and tasty food. Great service and ambiance. Highly recommend, and stay for dessert too! read more
Business owner information
Seena S.
Thank you for your kind review! We appreciate it.
More info about Le Desales
1725 Desales St NW
Washington, DC 20036
Downtown
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(202) 450-3998
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https://www.ledesales.com
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Le Desales - french - Updated May 2026
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