More than any other French bistro in the area, this chatty room on Capitol Hill makes us feel like we’re in Paris. Chef/owner Stephane Lezla’s cooking nods to modern trends but is at its heart traditional–in a good way.
Simple wooden chairs and tables are usually jammed with neighborhood types and Hill workers of all ages. But this is also a destination spot for Francophiles who sip regional wines, slather butter on rounds of crisp baguette, talk politics, and regale friends with tales of their latest sojourns abroad.
What to get: Mussels with pastis; country pâté; veal tongue with sauce gribiche; braised rabbit with olives and linguine; floating island of meringue in crème anglaise; chocolate tart.
Open Tuesday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.
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.
