Persimmon

Wonderful menu, well prepared imaginative dishes and attentive, but not intrusive, service. Only minus is that the wood floors and booths tend to magnify noise during crowded times. I suggest dining early (lunch and dinner) and enjoying the calm.

Persimmon is always delicious and consistent in great food and service.

Good and creative entrees and attentive servers. The place is looking run-down, however, and could use some noise reducing materials.

We've lived in Bethesda for 26 years and this was our first time at Persimmon. It was wonderful. Food, wine, service: perfect. We'll be back for sure.

Nice local restaurant, good choice for something different

When we said we’d share the wedge salad, it came plated for two. That’s service. It’s why we keep coming back in addition to the food.

Best kept secret in the area

Great consistent food and great drinks. Bartender Lee is a trip.

Persimmon is a neighborhood gem. A small bistro that sweats the details. The wait staff is engaged, knowledgeable and attentive but never intrusive. The food shines. The menu items are always supplemented with specials. I have been three times now and have never been disappointed.

Kudos to the staff at Persimmons (Liz/Hostess and Ash/Waiter on our most recent visit) knowledgeable, friendly, obliging, and dedicated to customer satisfaction. We are creatures of habit and often order the same items. The Antipasto Board of Meats, Cheeses and Chicken Pate is more than enough to split between 2 diners as a single appetizer: sinfully indulgent. Steamed PEI Mussels Provencal Style were delicious; they should use the broth as a sauce in other fish dishes! (Really. Please think about it...) The crab cake is good, although not exceptional for the DC area. Our "Daily Fresh Catch" (red snapper on this visit) with a mélange of shrimp and vegetables is always terrific; regrettably on this visit the snapper was overcooked --- it was whisked away and replaced without complaint (always the sign of a smart kitchen and a fine-dining experience.) Desserts are always interesting, but we were so full, we took the cheesecake with top-notch house made whipped cream home! A solid B+/A on every visit.

We have been coming to Persimmon maybe once every three years for about fifteen years. The food has been consistently excellent, fresh, imaginative, beautifully prepared.

Food and service were excellent. We mentioned to the hostess that we thought the decor was a bit harsh. Could do with the old persimmon warmth and some table cloths. She said they are planning to repaint very soon. I expect they get frequent comments like this from long time fans such as we. They also could use some sound absorbing materials as well.

A/C was very cold. Wrong food delivered - tuna on Nicoise salad instead of salmon. However, food was delicious, service attentive. Deservedly one of the better places to go. Easy parking behind restaurant.

We love our neighborhood restaurant. Food is always excellent. Menu has great variety for all tastes and eating restrictions . Service is always excellent. I can’t say enough about my favorite go to restaurant:)

Consistently delicious food and great service! This is one of our “go to” restaurants for birthdays, anniversaries, etc., and it doesn’t disappoint!

The tuna tartare/avocado starter was the standout on a delicious dinner.

Everything from start to finish was amazing....oh the food, excellent!!!

Fabulous lobster rolls. I look forward to them all the time. And crispy fries! The food is always good here. I love their tuna tartare and their empanadas. But those lobster rolls are the best!

Everyone enjoyed what they ordered! Nice evening!

We love Persimmon. We’ve been going there since it opened 21 years ago and plan to keep enjoying the food (especially the tuna tartare and daily fish specials).

I picked this place randomly for a date night with my husband, and it was amazing. The staff is great and very attentive. We both got fresh fish (scallops for me, salmon for him) as well as a chocolate dessert. Everything tasted incredibly fresh! I would highly recommend this place to go with a friend/family, or a casual date night, or for some good food.

Disappointed: We've always liked Persimmon -- as long as we could get a booth, so we could actually have a conversation without shouting & lobster rolls on the menu. Last night we DID get the booth, but service & food seriously off. No lobster tolls. Sigh. No one gave us menus -- had to ask. OK, no biggie, but waiter took drink order for one of us, didn't wait for pal to figure out what wine by the glass she wanted, he'd be back, said he. My campari & soda sat at the end of the bar as he rushed back & forth, avoiding eye contact & finally I got it myself. Eventually came back for food order -- my pal by then HAD decided on wine by glass. I ordered glass of wine with dinner. Her bouillabaisse not good. My scallops & risotto -- might have been good once but had waited too long under, I guess, a heat lamp Im half way through the main course when he does the routine "how's dinner" stop by & I say I'd like my wine to go with my main course, please. Apple crisp was underwhelming, as was "special" pineapple empanada, about which only thing that was special was a stingy smear of caramel sauce. Takes a lot to put us off a restaurant, but this evening pretty much did it for us.

Everything was excellent except the noise level. Way too loud!

A real disappointment. The cold cucumber soup was distasteful and my baked chicken nothing to write home about. Prices are high for the quality and originality of the dishes. Stick with the hamburgers and you might be okay. Service VERY slow.

Persimmon never disappoints! It is always reliably good. We took my mother-in-law therefor dinner and she was so impressed she wants to go back for lunch.

Persimmon has been a family favorite for years. Good for all occasions.

High school Graduation celebration

Food was good, but not great, and the portion of each of our fish entrees was small. We don’t require huge portions when we eat out, but I arrived home hungry.

The server was curt, inattentive and not terribly friendly - except towards the end of our meal (when he was probably thinking of his tip.)

I have gone to Persimmon for lunch and felt that I got better value for my dollar.

Food was really good. Super loud and service was not great, you got the feeling someone called out sick.

Food was okay, some things better than others, but not at the level you'd expect for the relatively high prices. The duck was the weakest part, not very tender. The ambiance was also pretty poor. It's brightly lit and feels more like a loud diner inside, complete with 90s music, not at all what I was expecting.

This was our first trip to Persimmon. My husband and I saw an article in Bethesda Magazine and decided to dine there. We are so glad that we did! Everything about the experience was 5+ stars! Honestly, it was that good! We wanted to go back to dinner at Persimmon the VERY NEXT NIGHT! LOL ~ but we thought that was a little crazy, so we'll wait a few days before returning and trying other entrees. Fabulous food, vibe, service, and value. Truly ~ the BEST!

This is our favorite Bethesda restaurant. Yes, that's a pretty low bar, but we really like Persimmon especially the simply prepared fish and the short ribs.

Birthday dinner was delicious. Dined outside on a beautiful Saturday night. Halibut was perfectly cooked and crab cakes were perfect. I noted when I made the reservation that my husband was celebrating a birthday but had to remind the restaurant. They also charged us for the dessert....overall wonderful restaurant and we will be back!

Persimmon is consistently fantastic. It’s a neighborhood gem that offers a delicious menu, fabulous cocktails and great service. Phil and his staff are top notch. Love this place!

Just discovered this jewel of a restaurant in my friends neighborhood. If I lived close, I would eat here at least once a week!

Delicious food and very attentive service! Persimmon always comes through.

Great meal and great service!!

My wife and I dine at Persimmon occasionally. The food is always excellent and this visit didn't disappoint. First of all, we like the menu--a number of good choices in appetizers and main courses. We never have a problem in finding something we really enjoy. We shared the fried oyster appetizer and beet/lettuce salad. For the main course I had the filet of halibut special and my wife the mussels meuniere. Add in a glass of wine each and we had two very good meals. The service is very attentive, though maybe not as comfortable for lingerers. My only complaint is the small dining room which can feel a little packed in.

Fabulous! Was such a great find, close to our hosts home. Excellent crab cakes/fabulous lobster rolls (for those that like lobster!
If we return to DC, we'd be back!

Persimmon has consistently excellent food at a fair price. I especially like their rack of lamb, bouillabase and catch of the day.