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Bar Chinois - DC, Washington, DC
Award-winning

Bar Chinois - DC

4.6 (696)
$30 and under
Chinese
455 I St NW, Washington, DC 20001-3054

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 59 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Great for happy hour
  • Hot spot
Bar Chinois is recognized for its constantly-evolving Chinese menu and French-inspired cocktail and wine program. Recent accolades include being listed in the Michelin Dining Guide USA, the Washington Post Fall Dining Guide, Modern Luxury DC Best of the City and 2024 RAMMY Award Winner for Best Bar in DC.

Located in Mount Vernon Triangle, Bar Chinois is a short walk from the Washington Convention Center, Capital One Arena, National Mall and Union Station. We offer happy hour specials Tuesday-Sunday from 5 pm-7 pm and a bottomless brunch on weekends.

If you are looking for an energetic Washington, DC dining experience with great food, drink and service, we would love to host you!

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Cantonese
  • Hours of operation
    Bar Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–1:00 am Fri, Sat 11:00 am–2:00 am Sun 11:00 am–12:00 am Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Chef Satang Ruangsangwatana
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Shaw
  • Cross street
    5th and I Streets NW
  • Parking details
    Metered street parking. Numerous parking garages and lots within a three block radius.
  • Public transit
    Closest metro stations are Chinatown, Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center, Judiciary Square and Union Station. DC Circulator bus stops on Massachusetts Ave. NW and 5th Street NW and a number of other bus stops nearby.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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What 696 people are saying

Bar Chinois - DC reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Washington, D.C. Area

    Hot spot

  • District of Columbia

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bar Chinois in DC offers "outstanding happy hour" deals with half-price cocktails and $4 dumplings, making it a must-visit for enthusiasts. The atmosphere is lively and energetic, albeit a bit noisy. Patrons rave about "delicious food" and "amazing service," especially during brunch. Reservations are recommended for the best experience.
696 Reviews
  1. Joshua

    Atlanta8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The unlimited food and drink options was really good. Our server never let our glasses go empty. Would recommend with a group of friends and the price was reasonable

    Is this helpful?

  2. Jessica VIP

    Baltimore / Maryland29 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Upon checking in for our reservation, the host told us we had a 90 minute limit at the table. While 90 minutes is a reasonable time for two adults to enjoy a meal, the way he said it was offputting and made me feel the exact opposite of how I should feel when I’m going out for dinner on a Friday night, which is to be relaxed and happy. Frankly, a restaurant should be able to operate in a manner that it’s service team and kitchen naturally paces a meal to have customers in and out in the timeframe the restaurant wants without communicating anything to the customer. Unless it’s a formal restaurant with timed seating (which I assure you, this is not) or an “all you can eat or drink” offer, there is zero reason to put the pressure of time limit on the guest. If, and only if, there is an issue with guests lingering and not ordering or spending enough, then at that point absolutely can the server or manager step in. I will say that our actual server was delightful and was attentive without hovering. Had he not been so nice, when he came to our table to ask if we wanted to look at the dessert menu, I would have asked him if we had “enough time.” The food was fine, but it did not wow me enough to make up for such a bizarre start. Perhaps this restaurant is looking for guests under the age of 40 with a palate that plateaued at 20 who don’t know any better or what this City’s other restaurants can offer.

    1 person found this helpful

  3. Rebekha VIP

    Dallas - Fort Worth3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on July 17, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 1
    Food was delicious. Service was great. A/C is not working. It was hot in there.

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Jeremy

    Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Outstanding happy hour (half price cocktails and $4 basic dumpling) and great small plates and mains. A little noisy, but nothing out of the ordinary for a smallish place in the area. Food and drinks came out very quickly. You can’t go wrong with this menu, but don’t skip the gyoza de boeuf and the rangoon.

    1 person found this helpful

  5. Benjamin VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Booked a table for two for pre-birthday dinner cocktails. Were surprised to see Happy Hour pricing on a Saturday. We had some good bites and even better sips. There was a lot of energy inside, but all positive. The BC L'Espresso was excellent! Highly recommended for night out for two or a small group of friends. We'll definitely be back!

    1 person found this helpful

  6. Kim

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was loud, but the crab rangoons, lemon drop martini was great!

    1 person found this helpful

  7. Shawn

    Kansas City / Kansas1 review

    4.0

    Dined on July 10, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and happy hour deals on dumplings. Quite busy and noisy though.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Imani VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved our time at Bar Chinois. The food was amazing and the service was top notch. Marlaena was one of the best servers I have ever had. She was very sweet and helpful.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Christie

    Northern Territory11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were in town for a convention and had a wonderful dinner at Bar Chinois. The food was incredible and the service was great!

    1 person found this helpful

  10. Kelsea

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    4.0

    Dined on July 7, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    The vibe of this restaurant was young and energetic, but not necessarily built for comfort or romance. I'd recommend this place for a first date or a happy hour after work. We were informed when we arrived that our reservation would be for 90 minutes but the service didn't translate to the same deadline-esque feel. The service was good but not necessarily intuitive, we had to really drive our experience by asking for what we needed more than I expected to. Food was good but not revolutionary. There were some vegetarian and gluten-free options, and the server asked every table about allergens/etc. Cocktails were delicious and clever without being pretentious. Wine list was very good. Overall a fine experience.

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

Bar Chinois - DC does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Bar Chinois - DC also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 851-6250.

Bar Chinois - DC is rated 4.6 stars by 696 OpenTable diners.

Bar Chinois - DC does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Washington, D.C. Area
  4. District of Columbia
  5. Shaw

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 59 times today
Google Map for Bar Chinois - DC

455 I St NW, Washington, DC 20001-3054

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    5th and I Streets NW
  • Neighborhood
    Shaw
  • Hours of operation
    Bar Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–1:00 am Fri, Sat 11:00 am–2:00 am Sun 11:00 am–12:00 am Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Cantonese
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Metered street parking. Numerous parking garages and lots within a three block radius.
  • Public transit
    Closest metro stations are Chinatown, Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center, Judiciary Square and Union Station. DC Circulator bus stops on Massachusetts Ave. NW and 5th Street NW and a number of other bus stops nearby.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Satang Ruangsangwatana
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

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