Le Chat Noir
| Address: | 4907 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA |
| Phone: | +1 202-244-2044 |
| Site: | lechatnoirrestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11AM–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
AN
Anna Belaschenko
There was a Groupon for the restaurant that resulted in the most unpleasant confrontation with the manager and the waiter (who wants to be an attorney and practices his legal skills on his clients). After having a relatively nice dinner (my 8 year old son ordered a steak and it was overly seasoned with too much pepper; my 6-year old daughter ordered a chocolate crepe that she found to be too bitter, the tuna was pretty well paired with the salsa). The waiter and the manager knew in advance that we were using the Groupon because we made a reservation right before we came in - 2 adults and 3 kids - celebrating 2 birthdays. Waiter suggested a bottle of wine for us and said that Tuesday nights were specials 1/2 off bottles. At the end of dinner, we were presented with the check. Yet, when I presented the discount, there was the most unpleasant confrontation that killed both birthdays. Sam-the-manager, who spent most of the evening chatting very loudly with his friend at the neighboring table, decided that it was a great idea to raise the price on our dinner. He began blaming me for not asking him personally when we sat down (we were one of the 2 occupied tables, with the other one having two women), and then he refused to take the Groupon all together, threatening to call the police if I didnt pay the full price. I warmed him repeatedly to cool down and that he was ruining my friends birthday. Sam continued to use very rude demeanor, raising his voice, threatening to increase the prices (which he did), holding on to my credit card and threatening to call the police. Needless to say, that we wont be back there again and will tell this story to friends. We live in the neighborhood for 12 years, and go out pretty much almost daily. I guess there is a good reason we have been avoiding this place, and after trying it for the first time, wont come back. The food was pretty decent, but the manager is a scheming kind of guy. Oh, and if you are looking for Suzette crepes done right - try the Bonaparte Cafe in Georgetown. They serve it much better. And for duck dish and salads, try Matisse. Much more elegant for basically almost the same price.
CA
Carol Porter
Perhaps it was a bad night for Le Chat Noir, but my experience was disappointing. I rate it three stars instead of two because I very much enjoyed my delightful companions, and perhaps did not order the "right things." I often order vegetarian dishes when dining out, as my diet is meat-heavy at home. I ordered a crepe that contained caramelized onion, herb de Provence, olives Nicoises, and grated Manchego cheese, plus the "Salade du Chat." As she served my companions their main dishes, our waitress informed me that the salad was unavailable. In the interest of saving time, I asked for the soup du jour instead. I never received the soup. I did receive a crepe. It contained caramelized onions. If there were herbs or cheese, they were entirely undetectable. After eating a couple of bites, I opened to look for anything else. There were only onions! One nicoise olive was cut in half as a garnish on top of the crepe. Really, it was disgraceful for a French restaurant to serve this crepe!
TO
Tom Saffell
This place always satisfies when I want consistently high quality French cuisine. Nothing is overdone or too rich, and Ive enjoyed every special Ive had here, but just the menu favorites. That said, the menu is superb and I love the simple options like the steak frites and the more complex ones like the lamb stew and duck confit equally well. It does change from time to time, but I think it may be seasonal and many favorites make regular appearances. Of special note are the crepes. I prefer the dessert ones and the banana chocolate and the Dame Noire are my favorites, but you can also opt for the Suzette or other flambé options if you like some fire with your food. They also have an incredibly awesome wine selection from all over France and you can enjoy a sauternes after dinner if a crepe sounds like too much. Overall, highly recommended!
RA
Rahul Gaitonde
this place can be described in a single word: mediocre Parking: plenty of street parking Price: Went for brunch and the prices were OK for the portion size Food: i got the quiche of the day which was a broccoli, chicken and cheddar; the crust was flaky but the quiche was HUGE think deep dish pizza. my gf got the crepe and she said it was pretty good. instead of a bread basket they gave us both a single piece of bread which we devoured due to the long wait for food. The coffee is good but expensive; i spent $5 per cup Service: the staff was nice enough but it took them ages to take our order, bring our food and then bring us the check. overall the meal took us nearly 2 hours; we waited 45 min to get our food which was outrageous. unless you plan to have a leisurely brunch or want to read the paper while you wait id skip this place.
YO
Yolanda Fraction
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!
JO
Jon Davis
The cake is a lie! Visited this place during restraunt wars. Was very disapointed. Pros: the service was great. Wine selection was decent. The food sounded good. Cons: the food was mediocre at best. Many of the items advertised online for restraunt wars was edited off and only available on their full menu. Ordered a pave de boeuf medium rare, was super rare in the middle and very chewy and stringy. Practically impossible to cut. Ordered raspberry cheesecake, and got some upside-down frozen Flintstones pushpop. I believe it was sorbet masquerading as cheesecake. Was incredibly disapointed. The waitress did comp it for me though.
A
A Private User
Classic French food at very reasonable prices. Service was extremely friendly and attentive. My daughter thought the bread which was passed around was the best french bread shes had in Washington. The prices for the wine were quite reasonable. The salads were generous and well prepared. The main courses were classic french food in generous portions. The new waitress from France added a touch of real France to the whole experience. All in all, a very enjoyable meal of french food near Bethesda.
SC
scott g
Valentines day. Had reservations and the place was packed. They literally sat us at a table for 4 with some random couple that was already seated. French onion soup, cheese was burnt. Shrimp and scallops, only 2 shrimps and 2 tiny scallops. Creme brulee, the top wasnt torched at all and was soft. The best part about this place was the wine and thats not saying much. Will not be back and do not recommend you go here.
AD
Adam Pienciak
This was my first time dining at Le Chat Noir. Ive been living in the neighborhood for some time now and am angry at myself for not visiting sooner! The setting was great -- it has a true French bistro feel (which includes the tables being on top of each other) and the food is top notch while being priced very reasonable. Get out and visit a neighborhood gem!
