Bar Colline — Restaurant in Washington

“C’est la vie…” unfortunately sums up my experience at Bar Colline in Arlington.

While the fries in the steak frites were excellent, the steak itself was not prepared medium rare as ordered. Service was painfully slow, and although our waitress was pleasant, she was clearly inexperienced — waters went unfilled, crumbs stayed on the table, and details that elevate a dining experience were overlooked.

The menu was also disappointing if you’re familiar with French cuisine. There was no fromages course, no boeuf bourguignon, and instead, oddly, an omelette offered at dinner — more brunch than brasserie. Menu descriptions were lackluster and lacked the charm and richness you’d expect from a French establishment. Having dined at countless bistrots and brasseries in France and abroad, this missed the mark in both authenticity and identity.

The ambiance leaned upscale, but paper tablecloths cheapened the setting, especially given the menu’s price point. I also didn’t see Chef Brendan L’Etoile in the kitchen, only line cooks, which further added to the sense that this was a concept without a clear anchor — is it a bar, a bistrot, or a brasserie?

For a true French bistrot experience, I’d rather venture to Pastis in Union Market, where the execution, service, and sense of identity feel far more aligned with the spirit of a...

What a great addition to Crystal City! It’s been fun watching this project come together, peeking through building paper during construction and following Bar Collier’s progress on the inter-web. The food is simply magical, despite the chef’s affinity with puff pastry, it is unnecessarily on almost every dish but can easily be moved to the side. I’m not sure who is responsible for creating the heavenly crème brûlée on the dessert menu, it was quite frankly the absolute very best I have ever. I have never been more satisfied after a meal. Strongly recommend the Frech 75 mocktail, paired with these dishes I enjoyed during my first, of what I hope will be many visits in the years ahead. Escargots (garlicky delicious in the very best way) Steak Frites (c'est magnifique) Double Espresso Crème Brûlée The grand ceilings in the spacious dining room, creates a little more noise than what I’m used to, but adds to to ambience that transports you to the hustle and bustle of larger Parisian restaurants, think Boullion Chartier or Le Café du Commerce. Service was impeccable, sit at the charming bar under the watchful eye of Brooke and Co., she runs a tight ship and will see to your every need. Overall amazing dining experience and well worth the wait!...

New, beautiful place in Crystal City to bring more life and fun to the neighborhood. The food was solid, burger flavorful and chicken ceasar salad was delicious. Cocktails were super good and on point. The atmosphere was really nice, with a long bar.....perfect for solo diners and perfect for a neighborhood of apartments and office buildings.

Now the bad.....service. The bartender was not welcoming, not friendly, unable to enthusiasically share his favorite dishes, zero engagement.......so we ate and left. We walked in and only 2 women were at the bar so it was not busy at all! A second (or third!) round of drinks lost due to not being asked and us wanting to leave. Dessert......handed a menu, no recommendations to tempt us.

Would I return? Probably not....neither of us felt welcomed nor appreciated.....and because Bar Chinois was more welcoming and has great...