Praline Bakery & Bistro — Restaurant in Maryland

At first glance, Praline Bakery & Bistro, located in The Shops at Sumner Place in Bethesda, may look like just another storefront. But stepping inside reveals a hidden gem that beautifully blends French charm with warm, neighborhood hospitality.

On the first floor, you’ll find an elegant bakery filled with colorful macarons, beautifully crafted tarts, éclairs, buttery croissants, fresh breads, and other pastries that could easily belong in a Parisian patisserie. The staff are welcoming and attentive, making the experience feel both personal and refined.

The real surprise awaits upstairs, where the bistro offers a spacious, inviting atmosphere perfect for a date, family lunch, or a relaxed gathering with friends. The menu is distinctly French, featuring traditional dishes such as French Onion Soup, Escargots, Steak Frites, Poulet Grand-Mère, Salmon Paillard, and savory buckwheat crêpes, all carefully prepared and elegantly plated. Even the desserts—like Crème Brûlée and Tarte Tatin—stay true to their French roots. While there are a few contemporary additions like the Praline Burger, everything is crafted with a French culinary approach that keeps the menu cohesive.

In addition to the cozy indoor dining area, the second floor features an open-air terrace with tables and umbrellas—perfect for enjoying fresh air in a more relaxed setting. Personally, I would suggest adding a few plants for increased privacy between tables, but overall, the space is lovely and well thought out.

One of the key advantages of this location is the free parking available on-site, a major plus in the Bethesda area. Whether you're planning a full meal or just stopping by to pick up pastries, it makes the visit even more convenient.

In short, discovering Praline Bakery & Bistro was a delightful and memorable experience. What looks like a simple shop from the outside reveals a true culinary oasis inside, rich in flavor, tradition, and heart. Don’t hesitate to visit, especially if you’re craving a little taste of France right here...

We went to Praline for our lunch today. It was shortly after 11 am so we were the first customers. We ordered coffee and tea and two Vegetarian sandwiched along with french fries for me and salad on the side for my friend.

Food arrived and I started eating the french fries. I realized immediately it was stale. It was reheated french fries with freshly salted. I decided not to say anything and tried to eat the sandwich. When I touched the sandwich, I realized that the bread was staled too! It was rock hard and they reheated the bread on the pan so it became so hard. There was no way we could eat them and not break our teeth.

I went to the staff and told them the bread was staled and so hard we couldn't eat it. The hostess said that the bread was baked in the morning! Who would believe that? They said that they will make them again. There was only excuses but no apology! We went back to our seat but we decided to just leave. So we tried pay for the tea and coffee and it took them at least 10 minutes to give us the change! In all, we wasted our precious lunch time with really bad food and service and wasted money for the tea we did not even drink! Not only the food was bad but the service was even worse. I live in the neighborhood and I believe in the quality of neighborhood restaurant. I don't come to the bistro as often as I come to the Praline bakery but serving hard rock french bread to their very first customer of the day was really bad! And the way the staff handled the situation was so poor! It will take me sometime to get over this and use this restaurant again. VERY...

Went to the bakery/coffee bar today. The lack of helpfulness and disregard for customers was pronounced. It’s confusing where you order, pay and pick up and none of the three teenagers behind the counter seem to offer any information. The baguette sandwich was basically tasteless, although the lentil soup was good. My latte was half foam, so not the right proportion of milk to espresso. My friend got a café au lait, which was undrinkable to her… It looked more like a cup of coffee with a little almond milk in it (very dark). She had to rush off, so I mentioned it to the kids behind the counter as I was leaving, in hopes that they would be interested in learning and making sure they were creating the right types of drinks later, but they showed no interest whatsoever. There are signs posted everywhere to keep customers in line - we don’t heat up any food; please be patient we’re working as fast as we can - but no oversight of the employees and no urgency to serve people efficiently and do it well. Feels like a typical Bethesda experience: pay a lot,...