Must say that we were very disappointed in our brunch experience today. Took my wife for her birthday brunch and the food and service were not up to the high marks our friends had shared when they recommended we go here. We ordered the Salmon Benny and the Pork Hash plus a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa. As you see from the pics, the chef can't cook a poached egg, let alone two of them. I would have sent the food back but no one ever came to ask how our food was. On top of this, we never got the biscuits with honey butter we ordered and had to ask to remove it from the bill. They apologized for the biscuits, but considering there was a $15 service fee already tacked onto the check, the meal was definitely not worth the $99 it cost us. There are so many good brunch spots in DC, unfortunately Primrose isn't one of them. read more

Primrose - Pork hash with poached eggs? Try nearly hard boiled? - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great and chill atmosphere. I sat at the bar and was welcomed by the cordial bartender. I started with the French 75 then ordered some duck liver mousse. I have to say the serving for this charcuterie piece was excellent. Lastly I had their pear tart and the eggy crust was amazing. I will go here again. read more

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Primrose had been on my "to-visit" list for over a year and I'm so glad I finally went and visited! The decor is delightful - it's a fun, sexy, and classy look with decorative tiling, tin panelled ceiling and huge feather fans. Even the bathrooms are fun and colorful. Of course, decor doesn't really mean much if the food isn't memorable, but Primrose really knocks it out of the park here. No one else in my party wanted an appetizer until they tried my order of roasted mushrooms and I had to fight them back from it! We were still talking about the full yet nuanced flavors of this dish days later. For entrees, the chicken breast was a suprisingly generous serving, and the first time I've had lavendar on a meat. It really worked! The Primrose burger is another generous and very rich serving. I ordered the scallops which was more petite but came with a parsnip sauce rich enough to balance out the smaller protein. We went through two compimentary baguette baskets wiping up the sauces that came on each meal To finish out the great meal our server sent us home with a very nice, non-denominational holiday greeting. We will be back and soon! read more

It has been a while since I wrote a review, and mainly because I haven't felt comfortable to explore many places with a pandemic still going on. But this restaurant definitely deserves a review! It has been on my wife's radar for awhile now as a date night spot. Well due to post-election anxiety, yesterday we needed a "pick-me-up" after work. We were driving around Brookland trying to find food after an appointment and this spot (Primrose) caught our attention. But really the candles and tables outside caught our attention. As we walked up the ambiance made us say "hell yes" to dining here. (We didn't know it was Primrose until grabbing a business card on the table. For some reason we didn't see a sign outside) Not only was the food good but the WINE selections and recommendations were amazing! So good that we took home a bottle! I had the chicken dish and it was amazing! Although, I wish there were more mashed potatoes included but I'm a potato addict so don't mind this comment. My wife had steak frites and she didn't want to finish them. She wanted to keep some for breakfast the next morning because it was very tasteful. LOL! Overall, great vibe and definitely worth the splurge for date night. Check them out! We are guaranteed returning customers! Thanks Sebastian and also the general manager (I forgot his name). (No pics because we were too hungry to stop and snap them. ) read more

Great food, phenomenal wine and super personal service - the owner is almost always there and can help talk about good wine pairings etc. Absolutely a great addition to the DC food scene. read more

Overpriced and mediocre. Over the past few months they've raised their prices significantly and on top of that added a ridiculous 20 service fee and expect you to tip on top of that. read more

Primrose used to be spectacular. Having frequented the restaurant since it's opening, I was always grateful to have a high quality chic restaurant within walking distance of our home. We continued to go to Primrose throughout the pandemic, first as take out and then on the un enclosed balcony... and now with its bigger than ever structure. Last night we were stunned at our horrible experience. The service was awful, we had to ask many times to input our order, but we understand staffing is tough everywhere. The cocktails, normally wonderful, were poorly made. The revised menu has very few of the former delicious plates and has become more an American eatery in a pretty location. That would be fine if the food quality was high, but it no longer is. Our food arrived cold, over salted & entirely ordinary/nothing special and decidedly bland. The new Primrose is a mere glimmer of its former quality and style glory. I'm very sad to see it's demise on every aspect. The place will remain full as it's the only restaurant of its class in the area, but sincerely it no longer deserves its reputation... read more

How people don't know that their burger is $12 for HH is crazy! This was my first restaurant in DC when I officially moved 4 years ago. Love the decor and great service. I've loved them ever since. The ambiance is on point. Good cocktails and I really enjoy their beet salad (if you like beets!). Thanks, primrose! read more

Casual and friendly little French bistro in a residential neighborhood tucked away in NE DC. Not a big menu, but nice traditional French selection. I did not recognize any wines in the wine list, but the waiter was helpful and brought me. Few samples. Was nice to start with the liver pate and crostini, yum! read more

While admittedly in an extremely odd location, this place is adorable and highly worth a visit. Primrose is a French-themed wine bar in the Brookland/Edgewood area. While the area is admittedly improving due to some attempts at gentrification in the Ivy City area (and thanks in no small part to Catholic University), the area is still a hair rough around the edges. Primrose itself is adorable. The interior is cozy and fun, with a sort of vintage French vibe that isn't like anything else I'm aware of in the city. The servers are just freaking superb - they were friendly, fun, and definitely knew what wine to recommend. There's something pretty special about this place, above and beyond the rather sterile wine places closer to the center of D.C. In short, brave the neighborhood and check this place out - it's really cool. read more

Great new find! It's billed as a wine bar, but it's so much more. It has a short but great French bistro menu. It's located in a bit of off the beaten track in a residential neighborhood in Brookland which makes it even more special. The decor is beautiful with fluffy chandeliers. The waiters wear cute blue and white shirts and are super friendly and helpful. I had a delicious gin and grapefruit cocktail in a beautiful antique glass. For the entree I had a perfectly cooked medium rare sirloin with great frites with bernaise sauce. The waiter made a wonderful wine recommendation of Syrah and Gernache blend! I finished with a rich chocolate pot de creme. I don't have kids but it is very child friendly with a secret kids menu of chicken tenders and buttered noodles. Just ask! A must try even if you don't live in the neighborhood! read more

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Wine is the main attraction here - not just the cozy, warm, flamboyant dining room, nor the earthy country French cuisine. The list is exclusively French, frequently updated, and limited to small-batch, rare, or otherwise new-to-you choices. Pro tip: let your waiter know if you want something funky (earthy, organic, herbaceous - they've got it all) or if you'd just like something classical delicious (silly tannins, juicy, etc). NOT your standard DC lobbyist wine list, full of randomly chosen $$$ bottles to impress clients. Our waiter knew every option backwards and forwards, but the sommelier is happy to help choose. Very user friendly...and a delight! read more

Primrose - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Easily one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. Service was phenomenal, wine was amazing, food was literally INSANE. I ordered fried oysters for an appetizer and the steak for my entree (best steak sauce ever), and a raspberry dessert that was recommended by our server, which was actually the best dessert i've ever had (I do not have a sweet tooth). It's only been a few weeks since I dined here but I am itching to come back already. read more

Inattentive bordering on unfriendly service and underwhelming food. Moules in bland broth w fries lacking mayo. Steak and sides were dry like they languished under heat lamp. read more

I came here for my birthday and had an incredibly memorable experience and I'm so happy I came here. The food and wine pairings were all phenomenal. We started with a seared tuna appetizer and raw oysters. The tuna was on a bed on a sort of pear slaw that was great and the oysters came with an house-made hot sauce that top notch. We followed that with a steak tartare and fries with a bearnaise sauce. We were honestly a little shocked by how much we enjoyed the steak tartare. After that it was the Ma La Wings and Chicken Sous Vide. The wings were so flavorful and had just the right amount of heat! And the chicken sous vide was so moist it almost melted in your mouth. The final dishes were the clams and noodles in miso which had a bit more heat than we were expecting but that didn't stop us from eating every last one of those babies and also the P.E.I. Moules that were in a just delicious green curry. We finished the night with an bowl of ice cream (strawberry and pistachio) and a perfect creme brulee. I couldn't even begin the list all the wines but all I can say is if they have a recommendation LISTEN TO THEM! They won't steer you wrong. Suffice to say they had to roll us out in a wheelbarrow j/k but we can't wait to go back! read more

They ran out of crispy artichoke so we settled for the crispy Brussels sprouts...delish! We got the steak and frites, not the best we've ever had but the sauce was delish. The fries are a bit chunkier (I personally like think and crispy). We also got the veal and mushrooms...melted in your mouth! We walked in on a weeknight around 7, no reservation, and got seated immediately. It's a super cute place and a hidden gem. read more

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I would have loved to love the food and service, but had an overall "just fine" experience. The restaurant itself was open, airy, very cute. The menu's great, and the special which was a tempura fried soft shell crab banh mi sounded amazing. I chose instead the decadent croque madame because per the menu they used mortadella. Yum, right??? The croque madame was pretty good, but the meat was ham (maybe a fancier ham?); no mortadella. That's right! No mortadella. It's always a let down when you end up with something a little off from your expectations. I hope next time they double-check the menu or tell the customer if the item is different than described. The salad was very good, the breakfast potatoes, cold. The biscuits were just fine, too, if not small-ish tho! read more

This was disappointing. My husband and I came for dinner this past Saturday after seeing it listed as an add to the Bib Gourmand list. We get a babysitter and have dinner just ourselves infrequently, so I was REALLY looking forward to this. Wine: Very good- The waiter did an exceptional job with his explanation and recommendation. That was appreciated. Apps: Average- I had the mushrooms and my husband had onion soup. Neither were bad but neither were great. I would have liked more flavor than butter or oil and salt on the mushrooms. Dinner: Disappointing- After our apps, it was an EXCEPTIONALLY long time before our entrees arrived. My tolerance for a longer wait is actually pretty high since we don't get out on our own often, the initial delay wasn't a big deal to me. No sight of our waiter - we would have ordered more wine but didn't have the opportunity. Entrees FINALLY arrive. I had the steak frites, medium and my husband had the Parisian gnocchi. The gnocchi was a small portion but it wasn't particularly expensive so whatever- balance, maybe? The steak arrived and was not room temperature but cool, next to a small cool metal container of sauce and piping hot fries. Good news, when dinner was delivered I did get to order another glass of wine. We flagged the waiter down, he kindly returned it to the kitchen- it came back a few minutes later warm-ish but overcooked and exceptionally dry. They didn't even bother to re-heat the cool sauce and when it returned the fries were room temperature. Since my husband was not satisfied with his meal, he had about half of my steak so it didn't go to waste. We skipped dessert here and went elsewhere. Overall, wine was on point but total let down for traditional-ish French when there are so many other great French options in DC. read more

I would give Primrose more stars if it wasn't for the terrible service. Our waitress took our order and we never saw her again until she asked whether we wanted "dessert or another glass of wine". She did not pick up our plates after we finished dinner. She brought the check (with a 20% tip included) and left the dishes. She picked up the credit cards and brought them back and left the dishes. We stayed another 15 minutes chatting with the dirty dishes in front of us. On a positive note, the food was good, the decor beautiful and the ambiance was pleasant. It's a shame the bad service taints what could be a great experience. read more

I had a great experience here. To sum up my visit, I wrote the following haiku: Parisian whimsy On a fresh veggie tartine Summertime divine read more

My husband and I dined here a couple of weeks ago for dinner and had a wonderful time. Their COVID set-up is great: three-sided tents (with one side open for airflow), and a heater above the table. We were also separated from other tables by the tent flaps. It kept our table private and cozy - I didn't even have to put on my jacket, and it was a particularly chilly night. The service was great - warm, knowledgable, and laid-back. We started with expertly-made cocktails and a pate appetizer. Both were tasty. Wine is where they shine here, and since the restaurant was pretty quiet when we arrived before 6pm, we asked to do a wine flight, which they happily obliged. Three delicious and unusual red wines were poured for us, and we enjoyed them with our short rib and steak frites - both comforting and perfectly prepared. They even brought us a small chocolate dessert on the house! Primrose is my favorite kind of restaurant - special-occasion dining without feeling pretentious or stuffy. Even the music was the perfect volume for a nice night out. We will be back soon! read more

Very good food, but WAY overpriced. $25-32 for brunch entrees? Give me a larger portion, at least! Come on! Service was excellent - very friendly staff. Nice neighborhood spot feel. read more

The first time I came here for brunch they were closed for a private function so I came back for dinner on another day. Parking was easy to find. When we arrived there was no one at the host podium so we had to wait awhile as we didn't want to be rude and just sit at one of the many empty tables. I love that the French onion soup is made with mushroom broth! As a vegetarian I haven't had that since I was a child and had fond memories of it. I've never been able to have it in a restaurant since it's always made with meat broth. I tried buying it frozen but it's not as good. The soup at Primrose was so tasty! With the melted gruyere on top and soaked bread inside, it filled me up so that I couldn't eat much of my entree. Me getting full is a rare occurrence. For my entree I got the delicious Ricotta gnocchi which was pillowy and soft and a good portion size. It was in a creamy tomato sauce with pieces of rhubarb. I didn't see the chard mentioned on the menu. For dessert we shared the Chocolat Pots de Crème which was delightful! Our waiter was very friendly. To be honest I only came here for the pretty decor, and was blown away by how extraordinary the food was! read more

ordered the faux roast beef pho dip sandwich. It was not worth the $22 spent. It came with the sandwich and dip. The bread was touching it was not filled with beef just layered. I may return if they put the french onion soup back on the menu because the pictures here. My friend had the smash burger which cost less and it came with 2 burgers on a bun, salad, and fries. He enjoyed every bite. read more

The aesthetics are beautiful--it's so pretty inside and the patio is really well done. But went for brunch and was really disappointed in the food. I ordered the chicken biscuit sandwich and realized after taking a bite the chicken was raw--not undercooked--completely raw with just the immediate outside barely cooked. I was pretty stunned at this. Someone came past and I told them, they took my plate and then no one came over so I was just sitting with no food. I finally got up and said something to our waitress who was apologetic and told me she would take that off the bill. I ordered the French toast and it was okay--I was honestly so hungry that as long as it wasn't just wet bread I'd eat it at this point. No manager or anyone came over to apologize. We ended up with a near $100 bill for this experience. Won't be going back. The two star is because our waitress was super sweet. read more

Visited this restaurant for the first time last night. The food was decent & the ambiance was great. Our hostess & waitress were courteous, personable, and polite. It wasn't until towards the end of our meal that our experienced became uncomfortable & very disturbing. I decided to order a nightcap. Service was kind of slow all night, so i didnt think anything when it took a little longer than "normal" to get my glass of wine. At some point a very curt and unapologetic employee by the name of Chris approached our table and attempted to explain (while fumbling over his words as if he was searching for an explanation) that the last call for drinks was 10:15pm, albeit i ordered my drink before that time. He stated that our waitress just approached him about the drink. I asked why was i being penalized because he just received my order. He stated that they were a neighborhood restaurant and was settling down. Keep in mind, the place had at least 20 patrons or more still enjoying the beverages. I let it go! It wasnt until i saw the table nestled in the corner with 6 or more caucasian patrons receive what appeared to be "shots". I immediatedly called chris over and requested an explanation. He explained those were desert wines they ordered a long time ago & had to be chilled. I asked him repeatedly did they order before 10:15pm. He stated yes. So i repeatedly stated that i ordered my wine before that time, and asked what was the difference in our orders. chris expressed a clear indifference to my frustration. We spent a good amount that included an automatic 20 percent tip. We were mindful & polite patrons the entire time in the establishment. The only difference i saw in the situation was the color of everyones skin. Those patrons that received their chilled desert wines at approximately 10:47pm (yes i purposely noticed the time) were caucasian and i was among the handful of Black patrons in the restaurant. chris is rude with an obvious bias for persons that spend money at primrose. SN: i chuckled when he thought he had to point out that primrose was a neighborhood restaurant. lowercase chris i am fully aware of that!!! Get this chris i grew up in that neighborhood!!!!. Lived there for over 20 years guess what else lowercase chris...i even went to Saint Anthonys 2 blocks away....can you imagine . This is my first and only experience feeling this kind of discomfort in an area restaurant. I informed chris i will be sure to share my experience not only here but every social media platform/professional, networking, and social setting!!!! Don't judge people chris. We know the city is gentrified, but treat everyone fairly....especially when we are spending the same green money. Next time ill stick with Brooklyn's Finest. DC is filled with great restaurants that dont show bias or discriminate....but ill make sure everyone knows about the one that employs persons that do so willfully & cheerfully. read more

This is a really lovely restaurant. However, some things were off. For a party of 2, we arrived early for our reservation but there was no hostess. We waited a few minutes until a waiter greeted and seated us. Even though the restaurant had plenty of available tables for 2, we were seated at a table for four by the restrooms. The waiter who was pleasant took our drink orders and promptly told us they were out of one entree. This restaurant has a very limited menu with maybe 4 or 5 entrees. No bread or anything was served. We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. They served the appetizers with the entrees instead of serving the appetizer first followed by the entree. The waiter apologized for this. One appetizer never arrived. One entree did not include a side dish just the fish. The appetizer that did arrive was small. When the dessert menu was presented, only 2 desserts were listed and they were out of one of them. The food was delicious. However, for a fine dining establishment it misses the mark. Note, the waiters were pleasant and appeared short-staffed but doing their best. They are the reason why l'd consider returning. Management may want to rethink the menu and hire more people including a hostess. read more

Solid french restaurant. I came here for my bf and my anniversary. We ordered the butternut squash soup and the Mac and cheese as the appetizer. Both very solid plates. Mac and cheese wasn't overly cheesy which is my personal preference, and I love the bread crumbs for the added crunch and texture. The main course took a while to come out but once it did it was good as well. Thoroughly enjoyed the halibut.. it was light and filling and you were full but not overly stuffed. I got the pork chops, which was cooked really well and flavorful. For dessert, ended up getting the La Dominique cocktail because of the coffee liqueur. Thankful that our waitress told us to stir it up- bc holy moly it was strong!!! Will definitely be back. :) read more

Excellent brunch spot! Friendly waiter that didn't flinch when he learned that my friend and I are Deaf and communicate in American Sign Language. Excellent. Plenty of lovely decor to snap pictures and post on Instagram-- even the creamer (I think we had this little cute cow). Delicious food! I had a simple order mainly of sides: fried eggs, parfait yogurt, and-- oh MY goodness, YES! How could I not forget that side!! DO TRY Confit smash potato!!! It is the world's delicious potatoes... oh my goodness, now the memories of its flavor are flooding in and I want it again... right now. That is how delicious those potatoes are. I will be back for the smash potato... oh yeah, to try other food on the menu... (*whispering: but I will be back for you, my confit smash potatoes dear...*) read more

Primrose has an awesome esthetic but that's about it. The staff were not very friendly or welcoming to new people. Their dinner menu looked great and we had plans to eat there but honestly didn't feel welcome so we left after a few drinks. We would come back for HH or casual drinks but their not going to be our first thought in the neighborhood. read more

The staff at this restaurant is excellent. We commend the service. We selected this restaurant because of the French menu, the ratings, and the area of DC. We we're willing to pay the inflated prices because we believed the ratings, and believed the menu would be available. We were wrong! Southwest Virginia cuisine is very different from French cuisine. Please don't just spring this on patrons, unless you understand that no one will come there and no one will pay the same prices for Stanton food they pay for French food. Our first visit is also our last. read more

I went to Primrose for my birthday dinner. The inside of this restaurant is gorgeous!! Like straight up beautiful. I love it. I got the burger because I was super hungry and it did not disappoint! Our server was very nice. They gave me a mousse treat since it was my birthday! My mom and I will definitely be back for their brunch ( more of my moms speed of a menu - more southern options, the dinner menu is elevated). It's def worth a visit. I also got a nice rosè and Moscow mule! read more

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This place is easily a five-star. Every appetizer, meal and drink we had were amazing. Even the bread and butter were amazing. The place is hip and cool, a real neighborhood gem, but I would travel from other parts of the city to go here as well. Cool, outdoor, urban patio. Beautiful interior. The service was spot on as well. I really could find nothing to deduct a star for. I'll be coming back again. read more

I would truly give this restaurant 3.5 stars if I could give a half star. Overall, such cute decor and atmosphere. The outdoor seating looked comfy and cozy but the rain prohibited us from experiencing it. The wait staff were friendly and everything coming out of the kitchen looked pretty good. The biggest disappointment was they were out of the burger - the number one reason I wanted to try the restaurant. So after I got over it, we opted for the rainbow carrots and shrimp toast as appetizers. Both were very tasty. Then I went with the salmon for dinner because it was unique and unlike anything I've tried before. It was delicious but it wasn't the burger. Will have to call ahead next time I guess! read more

Primrose - Shrimp toast - French Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Disappointed. The branzino was not the same as the pictures on Yelp it. It was not a whole fish but a piece of fish meat. The dish they have as basically a crab pasta was so bland with little to no flavor. It tasted fresh but it was like diet food. Basically a pasta salad with no dressing or sauce. The portions were small. The best thing was the fries. The ambiance is nice especially for a date. The menu is different in person than the ones they have online but they seem to all be different online as well. read more

Very beautiful decor, and excellent service. It is a great date spot, but pricey. The food portions are extremely small, it's necessary to have a starter, but at 30 dollars a plate you don't want too. Selection of wine is ok. But don't arrive hungry, you won't be satisfied. read more

The vibes in this place are amazing whether it be for brunch, lunch or dinner. I would keep in mind that the menu does change. It seems to be seasonal. I had the fries and bearnaise and that was great, the $10 price tag might be pricey for some. I had the French onion soup and that was good tho it was my first time have French onion soup. The scallop boudin OMG that was so GOOD, my only complaint is that I could get enough cause you only get 4 rolls. The tartine was also very good no complaints there. I also tried the Spinach tagliartelle which was also good, a great vegetarian option. And finally I had tried the MD rockfish and that was great as well the side of coleslaw that come with it was also very tasty. Also met the owner, great guy, great service. They helped me pick out a great wine and also helped me with a desert wine to pair with my desert. I had the creme Brûlée for desert and it was good, fyi it is one the runny side, more akin to pudding but it was delicious no the less. The friend I had with me normally hates crème Brûlée but loved this version of it. Overall I had a great time and I will most definitely be returning back, the brunch menu is peaking my interest and I heard the burger was great as well. Definitely would reccomend read more

First of all, if you go here just know there is a 20% mandatory gratuity included in your bill. I went here with a few friends for dinner last night. The service was horrible. We spent 15 min trying to flag someone down just to order food. Our server stopped by once in the 2 hrs we spent there. An hour was spent just waiting for our food. Some of the food was delicious like the Brussels and mac and cheese. Others were not. My friend got a $15 salad that was a chunk of uncut lettuce with a tiny bit of dressing splashed on top. The aesthetic is cute but not worth the bill. read more

I made my husband drive from Virginia for this brunch on my birthday and it was so worth it. They gave me a complimentary mimosa to start. The food was awesome. I had carnitas hash with poached eggs and it was awesome. It had a delicable sauce. My daughter had croq monsier sandwich that was the best ham & cheese sandwich...ever. My husband had a primrose breakfast that was good as well. And they had mimosa carafes. The decor was really interesting and special. I'm so glad we made the trek to eat there. read more

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Delicious food in a wonderful space. We came here after going to the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit nearby, and we were not disappointed. Decent drink and wine list (though a few nicer French white Burgundies would have likely caused more money to flow from me) and a small but well curated menu. I had the pork chop which was cooked to perfection and was absolutely delicious. My wife had the steak which was also nice and cooked to her preference. The roasted squash soup was astounding - get it if it's on the menu. The squash salad was also good, but the soup stole the show. The interior is very nice and elegant with widely spaced tables due to Covid. We ate on the outdoor patio which, although on a moderately busy street, was very comfortable and undisturbed by the cars going by. There were heaters over some, though not all, of the tables so this should be able to last well into colder months. The servers were nice and attentive, though not overly attentive (a good thing). A minor delay in our main course prompted an unsolicited (and unnecessary) apology from the manager, but it goes to show the attention to detail and care in both the service and the food. I would definitely return here and look forward to more rounds of deliciousness. read more