Address: | 1738 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA |
Phone: | +1 202-234-6969 |
Site: | bistrotducoin.com |
Rating: | 4.1 |
Working: | 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–1AM 11:30AM–1AM 12PM–1AM 12PM–12AM |
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A Private User
Wow I have never been treated this badly in all my life. Oh the host and hostess are all typical French smiling indifference, that is, until something goes wrong. Let me first say I really wanted to eat here and even waited 2 hours to get in. While sitting at the bar I even saw a baby roach (didnt know roaches existed up here) on the bar but pretended I hadnt seen it because I really wanted some steak frites! Just as we were getting our table the bar tender informed me that my credit/bank card had just mistakenly been given to another customer and was gone (but they assured me it was ok, because the customer was a regular, they had texted her and she would hopefully come back...nice!) The bar tender was very nice, but a little too unconcerned so we asked to speak with a manager. He didnt show up until half way through a bottle of wine and a bowl of mussels, and was even less reassuring. He said there was nothing he could do except "make the bartender pay for our drinks". Huh? My bank card was in someone elses hands and they didnt even offer to pay for our dinner? He actually didnt even say sorry. We left before the steak frites arrived. Ive worked in the culinary/wine industry for 5 years and know good customer service. The customer is always right, if the customer is unhappy - comp the check. Its much better than getting a bad review and losing a customer for life.
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STEVEN VONG
Good food, a very friendly and fun environment all made this French meal a good experience! It wasnt like Disneys "Be Our Guest" (a French dinner which I am still hoping to experience once in my life), but I left wanting to try more French food! I went with a group of friends and although the place was packed, we got seated in less than ten minutes. After ordering and waiting for food, our waitress gave my friends and I a quarter so we could play foosball. Its little things like this that make life better :] we only played for a short amount of time however, as the food came out pretty fast. While my friends ordered salad and French fries (really?!?) I ordered the Mergez grillées, taboulé version Bistrot. It was spicy sausage in a French stew with couscous and steamed vegetables. The meat was delicious. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and had amazing texture. I got pretty full quickly and had to take leftovers home, I think the first time I have done that in DC. I dont think it was worth $20, but it was good to try. This place has a variety of items on the menu but dont take friends here if they arent very open-minded about food. Expensive, but good service and a fun French environment made this a pretty good dinner.
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A Private User
My wife and I walked past this restaurant several times on our way down from the Normandy Hotel to the Dupont Circle Metro Line and each time it was packed. On our last night in town we decided to try it out. We had about a 30 minute wait for a table as it was incredibly busy. We were promptly seated within the time frame told to us by the maitre d. Service was slow and somewhat perfunctory, less than professional and definitely rushed though we ended up stting for almost 10 minutes before we were asked for our meal and drink orders. Food arrived promptly and the salads were excellent. The main courses were acceptable - I had hanger steak with fries and my wife had rabbitt stew. The food can be described as fancy catering but definitely not high end cuisine. The atmosphere while busy was also very loud and incredibly cramped. Hard to enjoy your meal when you are concerned about being bumped into each time you put fork to mouth. Worth a try but. . .
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A Private User
Oct 31, 2010 I read the reviews and it sounded decent. I was visiting from Florida and invited my daughter for dinner. We arrived to a very busy bistro and gave our name and waited. Raggedy Ann, our hostess, started picking people w/o reservations behind us and sitting them ahead of us. When we questioned her, she asked another waiting couple if they wanted the table in front of her desk? As it wasnt the best spot, they declined, at which time, RA invited us to sit there. At this point I figured RA was really using that power shes been storing all these years haha! The food was mediocre and the salads were the best of the meal.The French would give you less but of higher quality. The bright side of our outing was a really caring garcon who did his best to give us good service. He should move on and open his own place ; ) So, Im up in DC every couple of months, Bistro is off my list.
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Meg Smith
Bistrot Du Coin is something of a DC institution. Although once a reliable go-to years ago, its declined in recent years. Service is (and has always been) hurried, inconsistent, and indifferent. I suppose its part of the charm. The French country cottage-esque space is pretty rundown and neglected, although again, it can be interpreted as charming (depending on ones mood, the time of day, etc.). Its also quite cramped. There are far too many tables crammed next to each other, and dining with a large party is borderline nightmarish. The food is inconsistent, wavering between decent, average, and dissatisfying on any given visit. Eating here is akin to gastro roulette. If you do venture to Bistrot Du Coin, I recommend doing so on a weeknight, when your odds of having elbow room and pleasant service are much higher.
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Daniel Pineau
Fantastic menu! I can attest to the following: *the pâté de campagne maison is very good. *Gratineé des Halles. The Pompidou center may as well be looming overhead - casting a broad shadow. Very good. *Moules Marinière. One couldnt get them better alongside the quai in Le Treport. Done perfectly. *Phénoménal Onglet a léchalote. Ordre it médium rare to enjoy it best. Great reduction here. The sides and sauces are very good. Order the house mayonnaise and figure out what to do with it. One suggestion is that Onglet you ordered. Check out the decor. How long will it take you to find the Solex? I really enjoy this DuPont Circle bistro. Sure wish we had something faintly French within a two hour drive of TLH. Lucky bastards you are, frequentors of Bistro du Coin.
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Gary Eaton
Its simply the best Bistro in DC. Amazing mussels, excellent entrees, a great steak frites, and an ample wine list all at very reasonable prices. Dont assume you dont need a reservation unless you dont mind risking a wait at the bar, which is an old beauty with some tasty Belgian suds on tap. Always interesting people watching material. Good service from professional wait staff but dont expect a butt kissing and if people are lined up waiting as often happens, be ready to be prodded to move on to the bar or elsewhere rather than lounging over your empty plates and glasses at the table. This is not a place to go whisper sweet nothings to your date, because they wont be able to hear you. But the atmosphere is addictive and fun. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this DC gem.
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Matthew Ercolino
A very traditional French Bistro. The food is exactly on point for the type of place that it is, French bistro fare, done well and not in a haute cuisine pretense. Pates, foie gras, mussels, cassoulet, duck confit (yum) all staple French classics. All done very well, and nicely portioned and presented in the traditional way. There are good wines by the glass or carafe and the waitstaff is just as happy to speak to you in French or English. The menu prices are fitting with the area (duPont circle neighborhood) and you can get stuck between the menu choices if you like this kind of food. While working with some French colleagues down there, I was happy to hear how much they all enjoyed this taste of home. I will definitely return and would recommend to others.