Le Chat Noir

Excellent menu options. delicious food. such professional service. appealing prix fixe menu.

Went for Sunday brunch. Crepes were amazing!! Great cafe vibe. We will definitely go again.

You can feel the real French Bistro even in DC if you go to Le Chat Noir. You should go right now.

The food at Le Chat Noir is always different and quite exquisite. Pairings and complementary flavors are more inventive and visually beautiful, to say nothing of absolutely delicious. It's now our favorite restaurant and we just introduced a new friend for her birthday. She was delighted as well.

Wonderful! Service was perfect and the food as always was outstanding

Food was great, and very rich! OpenTable tricked us though...the $$ rating led us to think it would be slightly more affordable. Ended up spending $100 including gratuity for 2 people for 2 entres, dessert, tap water and one soda!

I returned a second night because the codfish en croute (in a pastry crust) was excellent, also it was
served with"secret rice" a tasty black rice. The second night I went I was glad to see the cod was still on the menu, so I ordered the 3-course set menu. However, the preparation was not the same, and so was the rice. In terms of preparation the difference was not as good as the first night, but what was really different was that the second preparation had TOO MUCH PEPPER , which was not the case the first night. The waiter kindly asked me if it was all right, but I should have returned it, because my tongue was numb by the end of the evening and I couldn't taste the accompanying dessert. The potato-bacon potage as a starter was excellent.

It was okay. The tables are very close together, so it's hard to move around and you feel like you are ease dropping on your neighbors conversation. Service was very slow.

Reliably good food in a pleasant atmosphere. I had fish, which was fresh and well prepared. They also made adjustments to an appetizer that had an ingredient that didn't fit with a dietary restriction. I recommend it!

We've been going to Le Chat Noir for years and like the atmosphere and some of the menu. A dinner this week was disappointing though. And it was typical of the past year or so. Their pretty. unique galette/crepe offerings have shrunk in recent times and aren't really as good as they once were. One of our entrees was a cheese and veggie galette. The combo of ingredients didn't mesh well and, in particular, the eggplant was bitter and only partially cooked. A dessert crepe--the basic lemon and sugar--didn't measure up to what you can get at a street kiosk in France. The crepe had been pre-prepared and was dried out and on the small size. The filling/sauce tasted like bottled lemon juice and the dessert was overly sweet--from too much sugar or overly sweet lemon juice.
On the plus side, a lamb navarin was pretty good, especially fresh vegetables that were added at just about the right time.
This place needs to step up its game. Matisse, just across the street, is miles ahead of it in quality and service and the prices are about the same.

We tried out this restaurant based on our daughter’s recommendation. She was visiting from out of town and went with friends for brunch. We tried it for dinner and we’re very impressed. This is a bistro so don’t expect so-called fine dining. It’s pretty informal. But the food is excellent. Excellent! And the service is attentive without being intrusive. We always got bread and water refills when we wanted them. And despite the fact that the restaurant was very crowded we didn’t have to wait long between courses. Between the food and the service and the fact that it was a little bit like Paris, we will definitely return and return soon.

Went back for the first time after about six years, and this is still one of Washington’s best, most traditional French restaurants, with a friendly neighborhood style and mature, sophisticated ambiance. I strongly commend it.

Veal scalopini dish was sent back for being too salty. Replaced dish was too tough and dry to eat. Diner’s complaint was ignored.

Great food and service! A bit pricey but still manageable if you go for the fixed price menu.

Must request seating inside at time of reservation. Never occurred to us that a reservation only entitled you to a table outside

Very mediocre. The food was nothing to write home about. Wines were sub par. Looking shabby. Crowded. Offered cocktails, but did not have ingredients for a gin and tonic.

Birthday dinner, did steak au poivre and fish stew, very nice and steak perfect medium rare

Our dining experience was excellent, as usual at this marvelous restaurant. An added bonus was that there was no background music. This meant that a diner didn’t have to raise his voice to be heard by his friends, a welcome exception to the usual hectic dc restaurant atmosphere. There was no annoying noise.

I’m a regular patron because the food and service over the years have been superb. However, the last time it was a bit frustrating because my companions and I couldn’t get the waiter’s attention to order extra bread to dip into the excellent snail sauce. Unlike most restaurants the noise level is low because the piped in music volume is low. Why not turn off the music entirely? The only people who notice it are those who, like me, detest it. In all of the reviews over the years, have you had one single customer who praised the music?

All good
However when you book at 9 pm they keep cleaning around you until you feel uncomfortable and leave
They should not book after 8.15 pm

Never disappoints. Such a good restaurant continues to bring the neighbors in.

Fabulous! We will be coming back soon. This is a perfect low key French style bistro - w. delicious food. Loved it.

Very enjoyable meal in the front, open-air room. Perfect portion sizes, delicious food, attentive service. For the quality and experience, a fair price, too. Highly recommend.

This is an excellent neighborhood bistro. It’s been around quite a while and there are good reasons for its longevity: good food, and pleasant service in a nice setting.

Really lousy service. I cannot help but think that the moment I said no to a second glass of wine, it became impossible to get refills on water, our dessert course took Forever — but they brought us the bill well in advance of bringing us the dessert! Who does that?!

Should not offer coupons if you are hostile to people using them

I've been to Chat Noir many times - when it is good, it is very good but from time to time it isn't. This last visit was unsatisfactory. The salad was overdressed, and the steak which I had ordered medium rare was definitely well done. I didn't send it back because my companion had been served and that would have meant that her food deteriorated in a warming oven or she ate while I waited. I think this kitchen is erratic - but the steak/frites is a standard and something that shouldn't be that difficult.

We chose Le Chat Noir to celebrate my father-in-law's 87th birthday as it is a favorite of his and we were not disappointed. I actually expected the service to be a bit aloof, really having nothing to base it on. I was greatly mistaken - the service was top notch but all the staff we came in contact with were friendly and very helpful. The only downside of it for me, and it was not the fault of the restaurant, is the day was extremely hot and I was not that comfortable, but not so uncomfortable that I wouldn't go again - we WILL go again! Highly recommend Le Chat Noir for a special occasion or just a nice lunch or dinner out.

The food was fabulous!

Food was just ok. Underseasoned and underwhelming, especially given price point.

Place was bustling. Food was great. Our house guests loved the atmosphere , ambience and charm, and great servers. I would recommend enthusiastically.

Look forward to our next meal at Chat Noir...

We had night expectation but did not enjoy the food at all

Need waitstaff who in a French restaurant don’t say “ I don’t speak any French” and at least know that Pommes Frites means French fries.

The atmosphere is cozy.

Escargots are too small, main dish cod was good, stuffed pork tenderloin was mediocre, creme caramel was excellent, and ice cream was OK.

We did the restaurant week lunch menu. Maybe it's better if you choose from regular menu.
Service is all right.
Nothing special, nothing bad, just an all right neighborhood restaurant.

Good eating place with sidewalk/porch dining.

CREPE FERA WAS GREAT, BEEF MADALION GOOD , SALMON VERY GOOD, THOUGH WISH THE SKIN HAD BEEN REMOVED BEFORE SERVING.
WE CAME SUN. EVE. AT 7P. NOISE LEVEL MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK (INSIDE ROOM). BETTER IF WE HAD COME AT 5P OR 8P.

Our go to French restaurant for Bistro food. When we are homesick for France we come here. We had amazing ratatouille, fresh and savory. The crepe was filled with bay scallops in a cream sauce and the mussels were cooked to perfection. We are never disappointed

Food is always good here. Had a very nice meal, as usual.

Very nice evening. Great food and staff.

Excellent food, great wine list, and acceptional service. I will strongly recommend.