The Best French Restaurants In DC 2024

"Le Chat Noir is one of the few French restaurants in DC where your three-month Duolingo streak might actually come in handy. This French-owned restaurant attracts elegant older couples and young first dates in equal measure, and has been a fixture in the Friendship Heights neighborhood since it opened over a decade ago. The menu is crèpe heavy, with sweet and savory options—we’re partial to the crèpe fourrée stuffed with mushrooms, crabmeat, and scallops, and topped with a Chablis cream sauce. Another thing we love about Le Chat Noir: there’s absinthe behind the bar." - madeline weinfield