Citronelle in DC, good?

[wawa]

Hello

Well I have tryed to get reservation at Mini Bar but of course I wasnt succesful.

So Now i'm looking at other option some have suggest, like Proof, Cafe Atlantico etc.

I also came across Citronelle website and its look very good. No one suggest it. Anyone ever try it? Is it good?

Thanks

Chris comming soon to Washington DC.

[takomabaker]

Went there for my anniversary about a month ago. Really awesome. Had a great time.

Honestly, I went to Cafe Atlantico a few weeks later. I had not been in about a year. I found it very disappointing. It was during restaurant week, but we did not order off the restaurant week menu. Maybe that had something to do with it. Maybe going out on restaurant week and ordering off the regular menu instead of the RW menu isn't such a great idea (but we were not impressed with the RW menu)? Nonetheless, we left pretty unhappy.

But Citronelle is awesome. Or Central as well. I love both of his restaurants, although last month was the only time I've been to Citronelle and I've been to Central a few times. I've never had anything less than an excellent time at Central.

Haven't tried Proof yet. I'm dying to, though. My other very favorite restaurant in DC is Ris. I REALLY love Ris. AND I like Hank's Oyster Bar, although not as much as Ris, or Central (or Citronelle, for that matter).

I scanned the menu to post on my blog, so I can pass it on. We did the tasting menu, or the Promenade Gourmande. I know it changes frequently, but on August 11, this was it.

Also, the staff treated us amazingly well. Obviously people who enjoy their jobs and enjoy happy customers.

So, that's my 2 cents, for what it is worth being not from a "superfoodie" or restaurant critic. Hope it helped.

[The Food Buster]

I'm a huge fan of the DC dining scene, and after hitting all the fine dining big players (Komi, minibar, Citronelle, Cityzen), I have to say that Citronelle easily makes the best food. It's not the most refined experience, as the service can be a tad unprofessional at times (e.g. a waiter even dropped and broke wine glasses right behind me as he was walking by). The food, though, is excellent, and no dish that I had failed to impress me in any way, making Citronelle one of the most consistent fine dining experiences I've ever had.

Plus, you get an amazing ambience. Everyone in town wants to be there, and it's always overloaded with slightly rambunctious suits, even though it's a gargantuan spot, for a fine dining establishment.

I'd offer you some photos and a detailed run-down of the courses, but unfortunately I haven't gotten around to writing the review for my blog yet, so I don't have my notes in order. I'll try to put up some photos sometime, though.

You really won't be disappointed--but, then again, it's also the most expensive meal in town, so you get what you pay for.

Edited September 14, 2010 by The Food Buster (log)

[DTBarton]

I've only been once, for my birthday a couple years ago. We found the food and service to be excellent, as it should be for the price. One thing I liked was that they happily replaced the sauce that came with the wife's beef with a different one when she said she didn't like it, no snotty attitude, the customer was right. The beef was fabulous, but the sauce was odd and very smoky. Too much smoked meat in the base and it kind of tasted like a mediocre barbecue sauce. I had a wild mushroom demi glace on my veal and they brought her a bowl of that.

[wawa]

I'm so happy to ear all those good comments. I have a reservation and I will try La Promenade Gourmande for sur with wine pairing. Cant wait to be there.

We will also try Rasika for my girlfriend who love indian food.

the only thing I'm still not decided is for Barbeque. When I lived in Champaign Illinois, there was a really good BBQ restaurant there (dont remember the name) and now that I'm back living in Québec City, I miss the BBQ restaurant. We dont have real BBQ here. Right now I'm looking at Capital Q or Old Glory Amerrican BBQ.

My week in washington should be a good one! I'm also looking at DC metro food tour, maybe the Easton Market tour. Of course there is also all the monuments tu see, White house, Capitole, Lincon Memorialm Smithsonian Museum etc etc. I wont have enought time for all sightseeing and food eating

Bye

Chris

Edited September 14, 2010 by wawa (log)

[Alex]

I'm so happy to ear all those good comments. I have a reservation and I will try La Promenade Gourmande for sur with wine pairing. Cant wait to be there.

We will also try Rasika for my girlfriend who love indian food.

the only thing I'm still not decided is for Barbeque. When I lived in Champaign Illinois, there was a really good BBQ restaurant there (dont remember the name) and now that I'm back living in Québec City, I miss the BBQ restaurant. We dont have real BBQ here. Right now I'm looking at Capital Q or Old Glory Amerrican BBQ.

My week in washington should be a good one! I'm also looking at DC metro food tour, maybe the Easton Market tour. Of course there is also all the monuments tu see, White house, Capitole, Lincon Memorialm Smithsonian Museum etc etc. I wont have enought time for all sightseeing and food eating

Bye

Chris

Yes, DC's undoubtedly a great place to visit.

Rasika, definitely. Ms. Alex also loves going to the Champagne Sunday Brunch at Bombay Club.

Don't expect great BBQ. Lots of other really good places to eat, though. If you're in the mood for sophisticated Italian food, I recommend Tosca. Their $35 three-course pre-theater menu (5:30-7:00) is an outstanding bargain.

[victornet]

I'll have to admit I was disappointed by Citronelle. Nothing was bad, but there was no magic for us, as there needs to be at this price point. I really did not like the height of the chairs, and this made the entire meal somewhat uncomfortable. It was a little 'fancy' and old fashioned for my taste.

My son is studying at George Washington University, so I only have a tourist's experience of weekend dinners.

Besides Minibar (where we last got a reservation in 2006 - we're dialing tomorrow morning for Oct 16) I've enjoyed Jaleo, Oyamel, Rasika, and Bombay Club. The food at the latter 2 is somewhat similar. Choose Bombay Club for a more formal and quiet atmosphere and Rasika for a more happening vibe.

[wawa]

I just had my diner yesterday at Citronelle with my girlfriend. Overall, the experience was pretty good. At first we felt a little uneasy. The servers were a little uptight, but after some small talk the ambiance relaxed and we started having fun with them. The food was really excellent. I'm not a big seafood guy, but my favorite part was the first 3 plates (couteau chowder, halibut and lobster burger). And the wine pairing was perfect. After the diner, the server offer us the visite the kitchen. It was great to speak french with chef Richard and kitchen chef Deshaies. If we ever come back with friends, we will defenitly take the chef table in the kitchen.

Allright, now time for Bombay club tonight!

Chris