Kafe Leopold — Restaurant in Washington

For over 14 years Kafe Leopold was a hidden treasure tucked in caddy'alley a feeling of romantic lover's lane. Very clean, chic unique and we knew the first pastry chef and we also know the current Pastry chef authentic dear pal and a natural creative pastry Wis, one of the best in the DC area and he has done some of my private creations for our events.. Yep the pandemic of the past 3 years has changed all our world and it is heart breaking to go to DC and see many area shops & restaurants boarded and George Town has lost its luster. I believe in kindness & empathy and generosity, but if people want high dollars than the least they can do is to learn the language, look clean and follow Health guide lines. There is no doubt in my mind that we fell in love with this place over 14 years ago, the owners need to take note and do something about it. Quality of food and staff is going down, the staff says yes to everything, the European restaurant needs to have the European flare.It is clear te customer base has changed employees are not passionate and some of them are not familiar with hygiene if a employee sweats & carries our food it is unacceptable, I know the old chef is gone the current chef appears clueless, the salmon is canned salmon and horrible. Please understand if this is indeed a Austrian restaurant then teach the people who make coffee to make dry cappuccino not a huge cup of water, English & sign language does not work for people who say "yes" for everything. For us the art of eating is lingering we are not sitting in MacDonalds, & we sometimes order after a regular meal but that concept is lost as employees do not show the passion to serve. I think the leadership of this restaurant needs to do some soul searching & reflection and bring some new changes and addition to the menu, the menus need a face lift with new items. The reception person should greet guests with smile fresh and clean appearance; current work force needs to be trained, they do not have the experience to work in a high end European restaurant. Paul if you are the owner still than I will highly recommend your menus are getting old, the content in the menu is dated, it needs a fresh touch, the employees need re imagining, they are a misfit for this European chic cafe . The cook is no good tasteless food food Dean dulca is gone Paul's have closed doors You should improve & address the issues to sustain your business, I am sad to see the condition of George tow, Laduree boasts elegance, customer service & attention to details ...

Food was good, nothing spectacular. Overpriced for what you get. Would not return.

Cons: Our server moved like a statue. There was a partial mistake with my entree order, but I overlooked it and didn't complain since after a long morning and early afternoon of serving brunch to huge crowds, I knew the staff must've been exhausted. Still no excuse for their lackluster behavior. None of the staff seemed welcoming: no welcome at all from the host, an insincere half-smile from our server who didn't seem rushed to wait on us at all. We were very underwhelmed with the service.

Food: I had the veal schnitzel which was good. The potatoes in the potato salad were undercooked. My husband's steak salad was more impressive and they didn't skimp on the steak.

The Point of No Return:

After our meal, for dessert, I ordered an Affogato (ice-cream with espresso to be poured over it) to be eaten at the restaurant, my husband a coffee, along with a few small tea sandwiches for my son "to-go". I was very clear with my instructions. My husband received his cup of coffee while I sat waiting a good 15 minutes for my Affogato. I then received a "to-go" bag with the tea sandwiches and the ice-cream for my Affogato on top of the box of sandwiches in a paper container with a lid (yet, no coffee or cookie to accompany it). I told our server that the dessert was meant to be eaten there at the restaurant. He then a few minutes later brought me a cup of espresso to pour into my ice-cream in the to-go container! I thought surely he would've taken the ice-cream back and returned with a glass of ice-cream, cookie, spoon and napkin on a small tray the way it's supposed to be served. Nope. I thought the server's lack of attention and care was egregious-- and he never even apologized. He also charged me full price after his muck-up. At that moment, I knew I'd leave him/the restaurant the review they deserved. This was our first visit and we decided that between the not-so-great service and the mistakes on the orders, we would not be returning.

Note: Others may have received excellent service, sure. I'm just sharing our experience.

Pros: The decor is modern, minimalist and bright. I liked it. My husband said he felt as if he were dining in an Ikea store (not a complaint, just an observation). The dessert selection...

We found this place walking around Georgetown on a saturday evening and not wanting to wait for over 90 mins for the restaurants on the main street. I originally felt like having crepes, googled, found this place and headed here. As we walked into a back alley, we could hear the hustle and bustle of people talking and having a good time. As we got closer, we saw the restaurant, saw how full it was, and almost turned away thinking it's gonna be a long wait too.

The hostess was very friendly, and found a place for us next to the outdoor fountain almost immediately. I saw that she was literally carrying chairs and "making tables" to accommodate guests. The inside is also nice and modern looking, but outside area is charming and has very nice energy.

Our server was also very friendly. They were overwhelmed with people, but did a great job keeping our order on time. We had calamari as an appetizer. It was quite good. For main entrees, the steak frite was excellent. The meat was tender and juicy. We also had Brathendl, the roasted chicken. It was nicely done, crispy light brown, and tasty. Overall, we really enjoyed the food. For those crepes that we originally came for, turns out those are for breakfast, so we will have to come for those another time!

The highlight was the apple strudel dessert. Crispy pastry, fresh apples, and raisins, nice subtle spices. It was just amazing. It does take 10-15 minutes to make, so make sure to make time for that.

Overall, loved the atmosphere, friendly staff, and a fun location. Later we also learned that we could have taken some stairs directly off M street (next to Boffi), and didn't have to take the alley way here. Good to know for next time.

Highly...