Le Mont Royal — Restaurant in Washington

My gf told me she wanted to try this place and naturally I shrugged it off as I typically just like eating at my familiar places. She’s always quite adventurous, but it doesn’t always pay off when it comes to restaurants. However, it was her birthday this weekend so I was forced to go. With not the most optimistic view from the get go, I walked inside utterly surprised. The lights, the layout, the atmosphere…it was simply…so cool. So many disco balls and so much fun. Everyone seemed so lively and happy. It felt less like a restaurant and more like the start of an amazing memorable night. But it was truly just the start. A good first impression, I’d admit.. But after all… this is a restaurant.. the atmosphere isn’t everything. How’s the food? Cause if my stomach isn’t satisfied, I’m not happy. We started off with drinks and small plates. And oh man did it start with a bang. The super sexe was my first drink choice. The taste was delicious but more so the pink color was vibrant through the disco ball decor making me feel jazzed up with every sip. Then to the food. I felt as if everything was going so well that there must be a flaw or fallacy to come….however I was deeply mislead by my thoughts. The small plates we started with caused my tastebuds to go into a frenzy while leaving my stomach very entertained. The venison tartar w/ the shrimp toast left me on my knees. The separate bites I had were so appealing. But then when you combine it….it’s as if I am in the take 5 gum commercial…exploding my taste buds. And trust me this is far from a marketing campaign. Furthermore, just as I thought that was just a random good choice…I tried the poutine. The poutine….. the poutine. OMG. The gravy…the cheese curds…I am at a loss for words. Absolutely amazing. Every single plate I had was exquisite. My mind was so confused. I’m typically the guy who just likes one or two things on the menu. However, it was very far from the case here. My tongue hasn’t touched a bad ingredient yet. And to top it all off…for dinner…I got the lamb shank. Now I would not call myself a lamb guy by any means…but man oh man was this the best lamb I ever had. So so so tender. And the gravy…the freaking gravy. I wanna swim in that gravy. It’s the same gravy they used with the poutine and I wanna say it might be similar to Mr. Crabs secret formula. So mouthwatering…so flavorful. I’d commit a crime to obtain the ingredients and switch it for my grandmothers on thanksgiving. And that’s saying a lot. Anyways to wrap this review up…not only is the food, the drinks, the atmosphere incredible…. There is a free pool table upstairs. Again… a free pool table upstairs… like what’s not to love!? This place is absolutely breathtaking and I can’t believe I’m saying this but my gf actually picked a good place for her birthday for once…. I’d recommend this to anyone and everyone. Such a fun experience! We will...

Noteworthy food and drinks in a fun, yet classy environment makes for the perfect date night. On a Saturday, my wife and I dined at Le Mont Royal from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Here's our experience.

1. Food: With quite the resume, the chef-owner creates dishes that change often based on what's in season. Literally every single dish was unique and flavorful, even dishes I was hesitant on like the bone marrow and escargot or the rabbit sando. Here are our favorites.

-Scallop ceviche- it was very refreshing and the pickled strawberries added a unique twist.

-Miso mushroom gravy and cheese curd poutine- it's the ultimate comfort food and the cheese wasn't spongy. My wife doesn't like poutine and really enjoyed this one.

-Mushroom tart- even though it comes out in big portions, the dish is confident and yet very light.

-Bone marrow, escargot- it comes with toast that could stand on its own and full of flavor. Spread the escargot with the marrow on the toast and you're in buttery heaven.

-Chocolate mousse- it comes with layers of texture that make it unique while preserving the chocolate taste.

2. Drinks: The owner knows wine and drinks with a background in a distillery and wine bar. He paired every dish perfectly and even served us a Czech wine and an Austrian wine that made the entire evening.

3. Service: It's impeccable from the hostess to the server to the chef. Everyone was down to earth and passionate about what they've created together. That passion rubs off on its patrons.

4. Space: It's in a two-level building with purple neon lights and disco balls surrounded in a more classy bar with funky wallpaper. (Don't believe me? Head to the bathroom.) It's what D.C. needs. It's sophisticated yet accessible and funky in a fun way. It gives D.C. permission to unwind.

5. Neighborhood: It's near the heart of Adams Morgan surrounded by nightlife and other restaurants. (Though, all you need is inside Le Mont Royal staying open late and with good food.) Parking can be tough but doable.

(Disclaimer: Our food and drink were comped, but we left a generous tip. Views...

Nice location and stylish decor. The place is advertised as a restaurant, but was much more like a bar on Friday at 7pm.

The host/bouncer asked for IDs when we entered, we had made a reservation – but it didn’t seem to matter.

We were escorted to our high top table, but didn’t seem to have a server – it took a while for the bartender to bring us our menus and water. There seemed to be a bit of confusion on who would attend to our table between the friendly bartenders.

The cocktails were decent. The food wasn’t as good. We got the smoked trout dip and bone marrow for appetizers, both were pretty small and bit disappointing in terms of taste – and bread-heavy.

The menu has less items than before, the main course options were steak, burger, or a sandwich. The steak was small but tasty with a slab of herbed butter, and the fries that came with it were decent. The sandwich and accompanying salad were quite salty. With such few options, the dishes could be more polished.

The check had an automatic 20% gratuity for 2 people, which didn’t quite match the service – and the food quality didn’t match the price point. The music is also quite loud, and made conversation challenging.

Le Mont Royal seems great as a bar and I would go for its happy hour. But as a restaurant for a nice dinner, it didn’t meet expectations and could perhaps be marketed...