Le Diplomate — Restaurant in Washington

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BEST DINING EXPERIENCE I EVER HAD!

I went to Le Diplomate Thursday evening, March 27th. I saw pictures of the creme brulee on Google - it looked good and I was in the mood for it! I got there, but it was PACKED! I thought I would need a reservation or something. Plus, it was just me, so I didn't want to try to occupy a whole table for myself and there was no room at the bar.

I walked up to Janell at the front and she was BUSY! She moved like a MACHINE as she was getting everybody taken care of with haste and a smile! She told me that lots of people rotate from the bar as their tables open up...but I was looking more for a peaceful dining experience and the bar vibe had more energy than I was looking for. Janell understood that and found me the perfect spot - outside at a little 2-seat table! The atmosphere was GREAT!

Walter came to serve me. He was very friendly and had GREAT recommendations. I definitely wanted creme brulee, but didn't know what to have for dinner. He gave me a handful of recommendations and, after getting to know what I was looking for, recommended a few things, including the macaroni and cheese. I was a bit worried because I am a bit of a "macaroni and cheese snob," but I gave Walter a chance...after all, he was VERY friendly and took the time to understand what I was looking for. His service was also outstanding from beginning to end! The food came out quick and he ensured that I had DELICIOUS bread while I waited. He also perfectly timed the creme brulee to come out when I was ready for it. All the food was really good, but that macaroni and cheese - OH MY GOODNESS - it is the best I ever had! Super rich (I couldn't finish it), but it's exactly what I loved about it!

While I was eating, a manager named Erin came by to ensure everything was going well. Of course it was! And it got even better with the short chat that we had - her demeanor and personality were so kind and inviting. We chatted a little about the food, places we've been/where we're from. It was really nice that she was able to efficiently complete the demanding tasks of her position while also investing time in people by being SO PERSONABLE!

The people, the food, and the atmosphere all made for the best dining experience I have ever had. Thank you so much! I will...

First off I cannot say enough about this restaurant. If I could give it 10 stars I would. We visited maybe a year ago and had an amazing lunch here where the burger was outstanding and the service was phenomenal. So well in DC this week we decided to pop in on Wednesday night and have a delicious meal. And it was definitely that. We were greeted by the hostesses who are so friendly and charismatic. We were sat immediately in Nabil‘s section. He was phenomenal. He has been there since the very beginning of the restaurant so he knows the menu front to back. His charm and personality just added so much delight to our evening. On this night, we had the beef bourguignon And the fish. Both were delicious. We split both entrées. The beef was so tender and the fish was so flaky. They also bring you fresh baked bread that they bake daily themselves and delicious butter that I swear is homemade also. Nabil gave us a history lesson on the restaurant and also let us know that we should come in on a Thursday to get the Dover sole fish if we could. Since we are only in town for a few days, we decided to cancel our reservation at another well-known restaurant for Thursday last night to go back to Le diplómate, and I was not disappointed. This day Nabil told us that if we came in, we would be his special guests and he would be taking the menu from us and ordering for us based on what he knows that we like. It was hands-down the best meal I’ve had in a very long time. It started off with these delicious puff pastries, filled with goat cheese, and a little caviar on top as you’ll see from the picture. Next was a delicious salad with warm poached shrimp and a side of avocado. It all just melted in your mouth. Next, he ordered us pasta Coated in a delicious thick butter sauce topped with truffles, my favorite! And last, but not least was the Dover Sole with small round potatoes and the most mouthwatering scallops I’ve ever had. And to finish the evening we had the crème brûlée. And if you haven’t had their lemonade that is also made in house this is a must. This is one of my favorite restaurants and we have traveled a lot and eaten at a lot of places. If you’re in DC, please stop by this amazing restaurant and make sure you say...

Tried the following at Le Diplomate:

Appetizers: Warm Shrimp Salad Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Entrees: Steak Au Poivre Grilled Branzino Beef Bourguignon Pommes Frites

Desserts: Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Profiteroles

Food was great. There were a few items that I didn't personally like, but I reckon that is more of a personal preference than their poor execution of the dishes. I thoroughly enjoyed Warm Shrimp Salad, Escargots à la Bourguignonne, Steak Au Poivre, and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée.

Escargots à la Bourguignonne was my first-time trying snail, but it was chewy and tasty, although I couldn't really taste the flavors of snail itself due to the overwhelming garlic sauce it came with. The garlic sauce, however, was very delicious and I ate every last drop of it by soaking my baguette in it.

The shrimps in the Warm Shrimp Salad were very well cooked and was to die for. They were large, tender, and succulent. The dressing on the salad paired phenomenally with the dish.

Steak Au Poivre was tasty, but it didn't really stand out that much from the other kinds of steaks I've head. Don't get me wrong, though, as it was a well cooked and flavorful peppery steak.

Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed finishing up the meal with the Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée. The madeleine it came with was very dry and sponge-like, so I didn't bother with it. The Crème Brûlée itself was delicious to say the least.

Grilled Branzino and Beef Bourguignon were fine. They just weren't the stars of the show and I probably wouldn't order them again. Pommes Frites were just McDonald's fries (sorry Le Diplomate if that is offensive to you) and Profiteroles that were drowned in chocolate syrup at the table were just way too sweet for me to handle.

Service was fine but our glasses were left empty on occasion and we had to wait on the waiting staff before they were refilled.

No experiences are perfect and there is no way to execute the dishes in a way that they appeal to everyone. Although there were some shortcomings with my experience (some due to the inevitable subjectivity of food in general), the experience was still relatively very good and deserving of a 5-star rating.

Overall, a good dining experience and I...