Bistrot Royal

It was great as always, and we will miss it. But we also like its sister restaurant very much.

This was a great French restaurant. Luckily, you can still experience the same quality at Bastille in Alexandria. Same owners, same outstanding service.

I loved going here over the last few years. It's a shame the restaurant is closing this week.

A great final meal from a fine Alexandria establishment. Sad to see it go, but the memory of the great meals enjoyed here will linger on. Perhaps Bistrot will resurface at some point...

sorry BR has closed. Try its sister, Bastille, near Braddock Metro. Fine menu, great pastry styling by Michelle & Christoph, but lacks the intimate French ambiance of Royal St.

We went to Bistrot Royal for dinner on Wednesday evening to celebrate closing on our first home and to say goodbye to a neighborhood gem and one of our favorite local restaurants, Bistrot Royal will be closing it's doors for good on Saturday April 30th, 2016.

Our pre fix dinner was delicious, and great value, and the service was as friendly and superb as always. We're sad to see Bistrot Royal close, and although it's 'sister' restaurant Bastille will continue, Bastille seems to get varying reviews and doesn't seem to have the same loyal following as Bistrot Royal.

Our meal was excellent and will cause us to return. Service was very slow. It appeared that the restaurant was short staffed on the evening we were there. Good weather had a number of people eating outside, which I do not believe the restaurant anticipated.

Unfortunately the landlord is selling the property so they are closing at the end of this month. We will miss them.

So sad that Cafe Royal is finally closing and we'll have to go to Bastille for the same food. This is a great, modestly-priced neighborhood place with lots of available parking in a quiet neighborhood. Terrific brunch, friendly and helpful waiter.

A true neighborhood gem! Feels like a French Bistro. Super friendly staff, great food, and excellent wine made for a great evening. We had the specials - mushroom soup, filet mignon, and dessert. Chocolate pot de creme is to die for. We are already planning our return.

Good news: It's a nice little place with interesting French food. From Bouillabaisse to Duck Confit, I've never had a bad meal there.

Bad news: It's closing on April 30. The owners are going to concentrate on their other restaurant, Bastille. They may have some specials in this last week.

We took a friend to celebrate her birthday dinner. We'd heard good things about the Bistrot and wanted a special dinner for our friend. We had reservations and were seated right away. and then we waited and waited. Finally, water was poured and our drinks order taken. Our waitress stopped by to tell us about the specials. She gave curt responses to our questions and acted completely indifferent to us. Again, we waited for drinks. And I don't want you to think they were so crowded that they couldn't keep up because they were not. Turns out our friend did not get the drink she ordered and we had a very difficult time getting someone's attention to correct it. After another long wait, our dinner was served. The trout and asparagus risotto was good but not exceptional. The steak our friend ordered was cooked as requested but had a lot of gristle that was inedible. The dessert was tasty but could not make up for the overall experience. We'll not be returning.

Love this place…never disappoints. The menu and the ambiance is a great expression of a traditional French Bistro.

Great restaurant for meeting friends or having dinner before a show at the theatre nearby. Neighborhood folks come in all the time. The staff stays the same so that says something for the management. Everyone makes certain you have an enjoyable and relaxing time. No hustle, no bustle just a chance to eat great food, drink wine. Desserts are wonderful!

What a great little find. Amazing food and ambiance. Loved it !!!

Food was delightful. Especially the mushroom soup!!! Menu is full of exciting options

Bistrot Royal is fabulous. A tiny restaurant off-the-beaten path in Old Town Alexandria. It is the sister restaurant of Bastille that used to occupy the site but moved to a more central and larger location. The restaurant itself is cute, well decorated. The staff very pleasant and attentive. The food, purely French in flavour and style. Simply perfection. The wine list is full of value and well-priced. The owners clearly want you to buy wine!

My only complaint ... Nothing decadently chocolate on the dessert menu like a flourless chocolate torte. C'est la vie. There is always room for improvement! :-)

I always enjoy going to Bistrot Royal. The food is reliably good. The service great. They don't rush you. Very friendly. I have eaten there on 3 visits to Alexandria for business. I will certainly eat there again.

As always, Billy was a well-informed, courteous and wonderful host. Food was excellent, also as always. Please keep your gem in the neighborhood.

The Coq au Vin was superb - one of the best I have ever eaten. The staff is very helpful and friendly and efficient.

I've eaten at this restaurant many times, both for lunch and dinner, and when it was still Bastille. Food is usually very good, although there have been a few "misses" (e.g. this past New Year's Eve when they were very crowded). Service is also usually very good, although some servers are friendlier and better than others. Locals tend to frequent the restaurant. Its menu is simple and there is always something for me to choose from. It is more of a "bistro" than Bastille which has been reinvented in its new (nearby)location as more of an upscale French restaurant. I would recommend Bistrot Royal for a casual, simple meal, and Bastille for something more formal.

The food is excellent. The service is friendly and professional.
It has a very nice French flair without pictures of Eiffel Tower or old Citroens on the walls.
Try their specials - the mushroom soup with truffle oil and creme fraise is delicious!
And three course dinner for $35 is a great value.

Delightful atmosphere, great food and good service.

but definitely not the last. We really had a good time. Our waitress was very good and patient with us. We had a hard time deciding from all the great choices. Loved the many choices of wine by the glass and the 3 course deal.

Food was excellent and served quickly. Wine was very, very good. Somehow everyone in the restaurant seemed much older (60+) than myself (late 30s), I felt a little left out, but hope that's because it was Wednesday. I'll try one more time during a weekend.

Great spot for an early or late lunch - too crowded at other times.

Love the place. Menu simple, but very good French food.

There is little I can add to my previous reviews of Bistrot Royal. It is simply one of our favorite restaurants. The food continues to be excellent. The onion soup is outstanding. The cheese platter is balanced and nicely presented. And the value--a 3-course dinner for $39-- is a true value: choices are excellent and serving size is the same as on the a la carte menu. The only "new" element of our most recent dinner is that we were pressed for time. Our server arranged for us to be served quickly, and, anticipating that we would not have time to finish dessert, thoughtfully had carry-out boxes at the ready.

Wonderful live guitar music! The food was delicious! We will definitely be back!

Excellent selection for Valentine's Day. Bistro Royal never disappoints.

We had reservations on Valentine's day. The special menu was fantastic, we were seated promptly,and the wait staff was very attentive. I had roses delivered to the restaurant and they had them set up on our table ready prior to seating us. All in all a wonderful experience.

My wife and I have been using this restaurant for many years, including when it was called the Bastille. The place has a comfortable "old local European feel." The food was delicious with many good choices that met my need to avoid gluten. We had a good bottle of Champagne which our very good waiter helped us select. We have taken many friends and visitors here. They always like this restaurant

The staff at this restaurant were fabulous. The food was delicious and the service was very good. A little noisy as this was Valentine's Day and it was a very busy night and the seating was very close to each table.

Fantastic meal and evening as ever. Bistrot Royal is a true neighborhood gem!

My wife and I having been coming to this Restaurant since it first opened as the Bastille. The experience has always been excellent!

Food was on point!

I've been coming here for years and the food and service is consistently excellent. Probably should not write too much about it, as it will be overtaken by aliens and I won't get a seat. Come, enjoy, walk away satiated, satisfied, and content.

We loved the food and the service! Thank you for making it special!

Not trendy or fashionable, and that's a good thing. Just classic cuisine, done properly, with fine service in a pleasant room. No striving for effect by the restaurant has a wonderful effect on the dining experience. We felt welcome at Bistrot Royale and will return.

You can always count on Bistrot Royal for a great meal. The staff is very friendly and remember you when you come back. The menu changes so there are always new tasty dishes to try. The attention to detail in presentation and preparation never fail! I have been coming to the restaurant for years - even when it was Bastille.