This Capitol Hill restaurant looks as if it belongs to another time and place—the dining room conjures a 19th-century bordello. Chef Kemal Deger isn’t a risk taker, but he turns out some of the most consistent and satisfying cooking around. French cuisine has long been associated with refinement, but Cacao reminds us that bistros emerged to fill a need for honest food at reasonable prices. Most dishes are so generous that a three-course meal is more likely to bust your appetite than your budget.
Don’t miss: Pheasant pâté; coquilles St. Jacques, pan-seared scallops with thyme; steak frites; mustard-and-herb-crusted rack of lamb.
For a full review of Bistro Cacao, click here.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
