Bistro Sancerre

I keep forgetting to take photos each time I visit because I immediately start devouring each dish. But this place is phenomenal and in my opinion serves the best French cuisine in the DMV. I mentioned it in another review for another restaurant. The place has the best escargot and the desserts are fantastic. I'll need to visit again soon just to take photos!

Went for my 6 month anniversary with my girlfriend and we both loved it! Delicious food and wonderful ambiance. The staff was attentive and kind and gave us celebratory bubbly they made sure matched the alcohol we'd already ordered (iykyk)! A wonderful little hidden gem!

Their wine flights were the best part of the evening, even though we had to ask repeatedly for additional drinks throughout the evening. The service was extremely slow, through out the night runners were offering plates to us thinking they were ours, when infact they were not. An hour after ordering, they brought out our entrées first. We told the runner we ordered appetizers, and he just walked away with the food. Then 20min later we got our appetizers. They were good. Then our food came BACK out and it was inedible. We ordered meals with "Wagyu" cuts [which means it should cut like butter and taste delicious!], but instead we got extremely tough, fatty, over cooked bits of beef. See spit out, unable to be chewed meat in the photos. They remade our order with cheaper cuts of meat (filets), but charged us the same on our bill. Though the new cuts of beef were edible, they were nothing special, especially for the price!! To add, the "chocolate mousse," tasted like someone scooped out some Nutella and put it in a glass with 1 chopped strawberry. After a 3 hour + experience on their uncomfortable chairs, we finally got the bill with no attempt to make right the poor slow service, or various mistakes of the evening. This place is definitely not worth the money spent - especially with the food being below average!

Update: Thurs., March 30, 2022: Bistro Sancerre has brought back their famous Rockfish! Stop in tonight and let your taste buds be overwhelmed! I have included a pic of their updated menu. Update Tues., March 30, 2021: Bistro Sancerre is still open and serving great food! Tuesday- Sunday 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Eat in, outside or order your food to goI! If you’re wanting a place that will make your taste buds soar, look no further than Alexandria's own Bistro Sancerre! Located just across from the King Street Metro Station you will find a French dining experience that will be well worth your walk/drive. Tonight my fiance and I started with the crab dip & baguettes, then on to the munkfish medallions with roasted cauliflower, golden raisins, capers, lemon, herbs & crisp prosciutto (Gluten Free!) & finally topped the evening off with a small French press coffee and the summer blueberry clofoutis with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream...yummy!! There are Gluten Free and Vegetarian options listed on the full menu (see pictures for menu), so most everyone can find something to please their paletts! If you've never been by here my question to you is, what's stopping you? Stop by for lunch, dinner every day of the week or brunch on Sundays, you won't be disappointed! Shout out to Roger, Thank you for the great service!! Enjoy!!

French baguette ?? Not at all. Little taste of France ? If you’ve never been to France maybe. Cheese plate : Most of cheeses were not even French ! The "foie gras" was pretty Ok. Sorry but very desappointed by my lunch. I will try another place next time.

This place was wonderful! All of the food was delicious, the staff we knowledgeable and accommodating. The steak was cooked to perfection and thr cream of mushroom was to die for.

Love this restaurant! The staff are friendly and accommodating while not being bothersome. The food was A+. The truffle deviled eggs with confit duck might have to be a weekly treat. Hubby got the salmon w/beet risotto. Delicious! I only have good things say about Bistro Sancerre. Our goto date night spot.

What could be more French than quiche Lorraine and a petite salad? Go international with a cappuccino and you'll agree with server/bartender Dave that it's the perfect lunch, especially when the bill comes and it's only $15.50 plus tax. The lunch menu is a perfect way for someone on a budget to try French food. The quiche of the day, sandwiches and crepes, all served with a petite salad, range in price from $10 to $15. Across the street from the Metro and buses, it's a nice way to begin or end your visit to Old Town.

When looking for a place to reserve for a work meeting or even a special dinner, this is your place. Great atmosphere, delicious food and amazing customer service. There's a little bit of everything for each palate and a great selection of wine for all tastes.

We stumbled upon this hidden gem and could not be happier. The space is well lit and cutely decorated definitely a large space good for bigger groups but still feels intimidate and great for a date night (which we did sitting at the bar). There is a range of options of drinks, including golden monkey on tap which I very rarely see and didn't expect a wine bar to have such a good beer selection. They're still developing their HH and cocktails so I would stick to the beer and wine (for now) which you have great options to choose from   Food wise was pleasantly surprised! We started with the bread basket which was way bigger than I expected and the French onion soup which was amazing. Clearly made in house with the broth being super flavorful and piping hot when it came out. We then split the Cesar salad which can with a nice thick dressing, the chicken breast - extremely tender, and hanger steak with truffle fries. I could not stop eating those fries!   The service was amazing, Vitty and Kelly were so kind and friendly! They were attentive to our needs and since it was a quieter night we ended up chatting a bit and loved every second of it. Cannot wait to see what they do with the place and will certainly be on our regular date night rotation! Highly recommend coming off the normal king street path and giving these guys a chance.

Excellent dining and very close to the Embassy Suites in Old Town. Began with an order of bread and the wine flight. The sourdough was fresh and warm, allowing the butter to melt nicely. The garlic bread was somewhat dry. The chicken, was not dry. It was extremely flavorable and tender. The dessert was also good. Great place to eat in Old Town.

Second time here. Nice place and with the proximity of the King Street Metro you have from very casual to suits in the place. Jose was our waiter and he was fantastic. Food was really good steak frites, a filet, lobster fritters, and scallops finished with deserts lemon soufflé and white chocolate bread pudding. They have several tasty wine flights to choose from. Everything was very delicious. Will be back. You should eat here.

Very pleased with my visit to this French restaurant! This is a pretty lowkey restaurant, not particularly high end but I liked the vibe. Service was fantastic, they came by to check in after every course and were quick to clear plates and bring the next course. The beef Wellington bites were a favorite, some of the best we've had. Came on this flaky pastry puff and was perfect with the sauce!! Highly recommend. French onion soup was ok, a little too sweet and not enough onions inside in my opinion. Breast of duck was delicious, so tender and melted. The sweet potato fries and slaw didn't stand out though. I'd happily reorder just for the duck. The wagyu beef stroganoff wasn't bad but not great. There was a good amount of meat but it didn't taste like wagyu. Not tender enough to be wagyu quality... maybe it was a lower quality. The crème brûlée is a must!! I love crème brûlée and always am on the search for the next best. This did not disappoint at all. This is probably the best crème brûlée I've had in the DMV area so far.

My party of three + a small baby came to Bistro Sancerre to try their Restaurant Week menu and the experience was awesome. We ordered the following: One order from the $60 RW menu (+$15 because I ordered the Steak and Frites) consisting of: 1) escargot for appetizer, 2) Parisian Ribeye Steak and frites for entree, and 3) sorbet for dessert. 1) escargot was simply amazing. Six pieces of escargot topped with crunchy bread, and a slider sized bread on the side to dip on the leftover sauces after the escargot pieces are munched away. 2) Parisian Ribeye Steak and Frites was pretty good. I asked for medium rare but saw a lot of red. I'm okay with rare steak lol. The truffle fries were simply delicious. The steak was seasoned perfectly. The sauce that came with the steak was spot on as well. 3) the sorbet was bad. We then ordered off of the normal menu: crème brûlée, duck breast, and organic chicken breast. The crème brûlée was sooooo good. It was creamy and the glazed sugar on top was crunchy. The duck breast and its accompanying sauce were out of this world. The tangy/sweet/savory taste plus the delicious skin and duck fat combined to produce wonders! The squash fries was definitely a weird complement. So the squash fries were great. But I just don't think the duck and swish fries worked well as a tandem. The veggies were mehhhh lol. Ignore the veggies. The organic chicken breast with mashed taters and string bean was another banger. The chicken breast was juicy and tender! The flavor from the mashed potatoes, string bean, and that sauce complemented perfectly with the chicken breast. $116 pre tax. $128 post tax (11% sales tax). Awesome meal. Good prices. Great service! p.s. The saxophone player Craig did a helluva job entertaining the diners.

This restaurant becomes a great Ile de France where the French dishes are offering themselves in a right original pattern. No changes or interpretation. Strogonoff, Escargots and Creme Brulee are just a few pearls. The restaurant team is family keeping all together. Merci pour leur presence a Alexandria!

Bistro Sancerre is fantastic. They perfectly balance low-key with tremendous class and atmosphere. The food is delicious, the space is beautiful, and the service is top notch. Highly recommend.

My friends and I wanted to try out a new place and decided to come to Bistro Sancerre. While I really wanted to like this establishment, there were some downsides to my experience here. The atmosphere here was okay. It's located in the same area as the Embassy Suites. Parking is validated if you park in the parking garage. I did not know about this, so of course my friends and I parked in a metered spot. Oh well. I ordered one of the Wagyu steaks with a garlic butter, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. For $39, you get a 6 oz steak, non-garlicky masked potatoes that had the consistency of instant mashed potatoes, and tiny thin sad pieces of asparagus. I also asked for medium, which is exactly what my friend got. Hers was definitely on the medium-temperature, while mine was definitely more on the rare side (see photo). My s/o ended up getting the prime ribeye. The charred flavor was okay on the steak, and the fries were tasty, but did I think it was worth $42? Not necessarily. I did appreciate one of the workers who constantly came by with water. I don't know if I can actually recommend this Bistro. Maybe if they made a few changes on their mash, and maybe the accuracy of their meat temperatures.

5-star for the food and ambiance. Bonus was the saxophone player performing live. However, the restaurant seemed understaffed on a Saturday night. Our bread basket came out AFTER the entrees, water refills were super slow and waiter's assistant seemed flustered and overwhelmed. Everyone was very kind and accommodating, and this visit would've been an overall 5-star experience if staffed properly.

It's really rare that I am blown away from food, service, ambiance, & the host acting as waiter all in one dining experience. I called two weeks ago to make a reservation for my boyfriend's bday. We arrived late due to traffic; however, the restaurant said it was fine and to come in. We were greeted and brought to our table by Dimitri with a warm welcome & bday wishes. Next, we were brought complimentary champagne to celebrate my boyfriend's bday which I thought was very nice. Looking through the menu, we had our eyes set on so many items. Dimitri helped us choose between appetizers and my main course because I was choosing between two. Great recs! We ended up with bistro bread basket, hot crab & artichoke dip, the mussels, breast of duck w/ brussels, sweet potatoes fries, & side of garlic cheddar whipped potatoes, wagyu beef stroganoff, & the chocolate mousse. All delicious! :) It was a semi busy night for the restaurant with one person juggling so many roles. We appreciated his kindness towards us as customers by making the bday so memorable. 10/10 Service, 10/10 Food, 10/10 Host, & 10/10 Dining Experience. We will definitely be returning to try other items on the menu since we love French cuisine. Thank you so much!

Sadly, I did not actually eat at Bistro Sancerre as I had stuffed myself silly at my late lunch. I joined two colleagues who wanted an early dinner and had a glass of wine. The service was attentive and the menu was very impressive. My two companions raved about their soup - one cream of mushroom and one French onion. They also enjoyed their entrees, including the lamb special. The restaurant has some very nice outdoor seating in Old Town Alexandria and I believe dogs are welcome on the patio. I'd definitely recommend for a nice, relaxed evening out.

This was a delightful find and experience. Attention to detail and perfict wine parings with the meal. Excellently prepared steaks and bouillabaisse. Most delightful wait service.

Time to rejoice! Bistro Sancerre is now open for Sunday Brunch. If you like crepes, put this on your must do list. This little jewel of a restaurant in Alexandria is so convenient - just across from the King Street Metro station. With ample indoor, outdoor, and bar seating, there's never a wait. Ambiance is cozy and inviting, and the food is top notch. The staff will welcome you like family. Never disappointed when we go - always feel like we came away with more than we paid for with respect to food, ambiance, and service.

Okay I'm at a 3.5 because of the food but the service was quick and friendly. We stopped by and ordered dinner for takeout and had a beer while waiting. The deviled eggs were pretty standard. It's interesting because I think the eggs are usually hardboiled longer to be a bit firmer/grittier and less slippery or rubbery? I kind of liked them like this because it can be an indicator of freshness. However it did make them a little hard to pick up (slippery). There were also a number of deformities in the eggs themselves- some may have been a product of transport from takeout. The filling itself was standard, creamy, but a little on the salty side. I got the Braised Lamb Shank with butternut squash puree, baby onion, and lamb jus. I thought it was a little overcooked. The meat did fall off the bone, but it was a little hard and dry. The seasoning was a little nonexistent and minimal but I didn't hate it- it had good flavor, especially with the jus. The squash puree was on the watery side- there was no texture to it at all, and was very liquidy- but the seasoning was flavorful. I'm not sure where the baby onion was-as you can see from the picture, it was only lamb and pureed squash. I recommend ordering an additional side as I didn't think this was enough food. We also got the Mushroom Orzo because it sounded good and I LOVE mushrooms. The pasta was cooked well, and it was creamy and peppery. However, I'm disappointed by the "exotic mushrooms" in the description; it was mostly button and shiitake mushrooms ... I expected at least some oyster or chanterelles. The dish was good thought, I may just be a snobby mushroom lover.... I think the food was fine, but not spectacular or mind blowing. Good for a standard night out with fair prices. Would come back.

My partner and I attended this restaurant on New Year's Eve with another couple. The reservation process was easy, staff was helpful when I called them to state we would be running late and the ambiance was beautiful. The food was beautifully plated and the drinks were good-- I had a gin and blackberry specialty cocktail and Prosecco, the other gentleman in my party said that his jack and coke was good. I will say that our service was excellent. She even made an accommodation for me to have "surf and surf" special, rather than the surf and turf because I really wanted crab cakes and lobster rather than steak. My party said that the exotic mushrooms were really good. I will say that unfortunately, nothing really stood out to me except the crab cake-- it was made with no fillers and lots of crab. I wish that the food was more daring in its flavor. Everything was good, don't get me wrong... but nothing was fantastic, in my opinion. There were no flavors that really made me say "wow," everything left me wanting more. Overall, if you want to go to a nice place with good service, food and beautiful atmosphere-- heaters and a covered place to eat outside, this is a great choice.

There was no bartender on duty, and therefore no alcoholic drinks. Waiter "forgot" out order (despite there being only three occupied tables). Food was generally good, but I can't say it was much of a "value" due to the circumstances.

I went to Bistro Sancerre on 9/26 as part of a party of 14. We were there for my aunts 48th birthday. I coordinated a private dining experience with Lori via email. When we arrived we were greeted and sat quickly. The restaurant was a bit emptier than i would have expected for a Saturday night. That worked to our advantage though since we were a large party with no small voices! As the party filled in (we had a few people arrive late), the server assigned to our table started taking drink orders. She was polite and took the orders quickly and accurately. It seemed, to me, that there should have been at least two or three people assigned to our table for the service to run smoothly. Drinks came out about ten mins later so not too bad for her to be working on her own. We drank and talked amongst ourselves as she took appetizer orders. This is where things got a little, disorganized. I could tell she was trying to do grouped sections so she wouldn't loose track. Not a bad idea, but poorly executed and again it would have just been easier for us AND her if she had help. So it took almost 30 mins to get all the hors d'oeuvres ordered. Then, as we waited for them to be cooked more drinks came but it felt like a lifetime before we saw food on the table. In real life time another 30-45 mins. I ordered the Gnocchi Appetizer. My boyfriend got the Truffled Deviled Eggs. Both were VERY GOOD. The Gnocchi were so light and airy i could barely believe i was eating ANY form of pasta! I'll have both pictures with this review. We order the entrees while eating apps. This once again became a long process because the young lady was only one person. Once she took orders we waited another 30-45 mins to see that food as well. I ordered the Prime Ribeye and got a crabcake as well. As nice as the photo looks, the steak was burned. It tasted more like char than any other seasoning. My boyfriend also got the Ribeye and had the same experience. A few members of our party got the Surf and Turf. They raved about the lobster. Overall, this was a nice place to dine. I enjoyed the scenery and all servers were friendly. I gave three stars because the steak is basically the main attraction here and it was burnt.

I've been a big fan of Bistro Sancerre since they opened a few years ago. I dine there frequently, as I both live and work nearby. It has truly become a go-to in my rotation, even preferred over many King Street staples. (When you travel off the beaten path you really do discover hidden gems!) The restaurant is large, but still intimate, with great ambiance (definitely perfect for a romantic date night). And the food of course is top notch, authentically French, and always offering variety as there's a constantly changing menu. Lastly, the service doesn't disappoint; the staff are always attentive, accommodating, and friendly. Do yourself a favor and wander to the west end of Old Town on your next evening out. There you'll find my "local bistro" waiting to give you a superlative dining experience.

Came here for a weekend date night and was so satisfied! So glad we found this spot. The service was great across the board. We were greeted and sat by a great manager and received awesome service from the waitress. Our meals were also fantastic. To make the night even better, we received a free desert to tie off a lovely evening. Will definitely come back!

You know, I really wanted to like this place. But it misses the mark on many levels. The hostess seemed irritated or annoyed. She looked up at us like "what are you doing here?" Like um, this is a restaurant?! Idk, strange. So first, most fine dining or better dining establishments ask if you are celebrating anything special- neither the hostess nor the servers asked (and we were, it was my birthday) - anyway, I digress. The lighting, as other Yelpers noted, is off. It's too bright in there for an evening meal. The seating was unfortunately cramped. If we return, I will request a more private table. It was not enjoyable sitting next to a rather loud man next to our table because we were about four inches from him. The food was, kind of all over the place. Bread basket- phenomenal! Very nice selection and tasty bread. Enjoyed very much. We shared the duck lollipops which were more like drumettes, so I think the wording on the menu could be more clear. But anyway, they were tasty but not necessarily as expected. Now, the main courses were truly where we need to slow it down and dissect. First, my husband enjoyed his lamb shank. It was a generous portion and well balanced. He did think a small vegetable would have been welcome- a little spinach or something, but fine overall. Now I made the gigantic mistake of ordering the special- truffle risotto with a scallop- sounds good, right? It was tasty, but it was about the size of a passed hors d'erve. The amount of risotto was two teaspoons. I'm not exaggerating. And one scallop. For $25. Now, don't get me wrong- if this was an appetizer on the menu I wouldn't even be mad. Plus, it was tasty. But not for the price. The kicker was- our server asked how our meal was. I told him it was a bit surprising based on his description. He kind of laughed and then said, "the lamb shank is large, isn't it?" Like um way to deflect and not respond?! Strange. Then they bring the dessert menus. Nothing really grabbed us, plus we just figured we get an overpriced micro dessert so we passed. 15 minutes go by (we asked for the check) and the waiter delivered profiteroles. Ok nice, but again it's a deflection. Don't ask for an opinion on the meal if you don't plan to remedy it or provide an honest explanation. The table next to us complained about the "special" too, so clearly this was a huge misfire from the chef and a disappointment for the customer. The restaurant clearly has promise. We liked some of the food and those dishes exceeded our expectations. However, there are still service issues that need to be ironed out and some of the food needs substantial work. Also the ambiance is strange and clearly they may not be interested in honest feedback, so yea...

I had the steak and mushroom crepe. Bits of steak and mushrooms are rolled up into 2 small crepes and topped with an au jus and a dollop of red wine shallot butter. It was delicious and very light. (If you are a big eater, this wont fill you up.) My coworker had the chicken crepe and she said next time she would definitely opt for the steak crepe instead. Overall, the service was good and the food was well prepared. It isnt necessarily a "must come back" for me though.

Omfg, hire enough people to staff this place. There was one very harried person working as hostess, bartender, and server and not pulling it off. She pretended to not find my reservation and then told us there was a wait at a 100-table restaurant with 2 parties actually at tables and one party waiting (98% empty restaurant). I would have been ok with slow service, but not bad and slow. Left without sitting down.

It's been over 4 years since we tried this place and decided to give it another chance. First let say please turn the lights off to the back door entrance. When your boyfriend drops you and his 85 year old mother off there and have to walk around the building down a long, dark, decline to get to the real entrance it is not only disappointing but dangerous. We mentioned this in a kind way to the hostess and she said we should have called ahead to have the closed entrance open and then we could have used the elevator down. My question is why would we have called to see if their entrance was in fact the right entrance? It was lit with an open sign and the logo was prominently lit as well. My suggestion would be to turn off the lights on that side altogether. Our waitress was great and the food was average to bad except the steak which is really the best thing on the menu. I would stick to wine because cocktails should be called mocktails. They still need a lot of training - the food runner brought every meal out to the wrong table (to all the tables) and he kept taking our bread plates away - even when we motioned we wanted to keep them. Perhaps training him on gestures from patrons can be just as important as verbal statements. The waitresses rolled their eyes when my boyfriend's mom would express moments of frustration with her plate being taken or some other glitches. I know it's hard to be patient with people as they age but act respectfully - we are all going to be at her stage of life in a blink of an eye. This is a great place to go when you want to take kids out and it wasn't crowded at all for a Saturday night. I think if they worked on more training, fixing that back entrance mess and changed a few things on the menu they would have a shot at being much better. We most likely won't be back but wish them luck.

Had a horrible experience at this restaurant. First, the decor is outdated and tacky....reminiscent of the 1980's. There was only one waitress for the entire restaurant on a Saturday night, so service was very slow. Ordered filet mignon medium rare, however it came out well done. Alerted the waitress who offered to make another steak but I declined because I was unwilling to wait another 40 minutes for my dinner. Worst of all, we ordered wine that was listed at $15 per glass, however when the bill came we were charged for a completely different wine that was $25 a glass. We alerted the manager Victoria who REFUSED to remove the extra charges from our bill. She claimed that we drank the $25 a glass wine so should be charged. How were we to know we weren't drinking the wine we ordered!!??? There are so many other restaurants close by in Old Town Alexandria. Do yourself a favor and choose one of these instead for higher quality food, service and decor.

Bistro Sancerre: Looks great but less taste and worst service. I was excited about going to dinner at Bistro Sancerre tonight based on the description of a farm to table grassroots style restaurant with locally sourced produce and fine cheeses. I had a great first impression as I walked around looking at the seductive art work and wide selection of bottles of wine. However the service was less than desirable as I was told by the waitress that there was only one wine flight for Winter Whites. I decided to go talk to the bartender and had a good conversation about the wine flights and learned that they didn't have all of the wines in stock as they just got their ABC license and could substitute wines. We ended up ordering the Loire valley wine flight with substitutions and ended getting charged for the Big and Bold wine flight. For starters we had the fricassée of escargot which tasted rather bland and not as buttery and rich in flavor as I would have expected. The Sancerre onion soup was what I expected with excellent taste in the gruyère cheese although the onions and broth didn't have that much taste with a slight burnt and bitter flavor. For our main dish I had the duet of pork. The pork chop had a tasty edge with the fat and truffle taste. Although the rest of the pork chop was quite dry so I wish there were more of the Dijon mustard sauce and braised cabbage with the roasted pink lady apple. Finally, the potato mousseline provided a good contrast to the pork chop with the smooth looking and buttery tasting mash. I didn't get to try too much of the hangar steak and Parisian steak frites. However I was told that the steak was burnt on the outside and a little too raw on the inside with oily and soggy frites. Also she asked for ketchup and never got it. (Review reposted after eating there on opening day weekend.)

Went for a dinner on a weeknight. Service wasn't the best and the food was good- but not worth the price. The "wild mushrooms" were just baby white mushrooms. The steaks were overpriced, and not the best cooked. Similarly the scallops were not cooked in a clean pan so had a very bitter burnt taste. The check had to be corrected multiple times because items were listed incorrectly (not charged for something or something added we did not order) The drinks were good and one of the waitresses was super nice and apologetic! Honestly I really wanted to like the restaurant but it was just overpriced and the food was not up to standard for what they present as.

A bit off the path, but worth finding. Great relaxing atmosphere, great food and service.

Mediocre food, my steak was burnt to a crisp on the outside, the fries were soggy, and our server was the worst and I feel really bad saying that!!! She was trying her best I guess?!? But we asked her multiple times for the sprite we ordered and she just kept stopping by the the table without it. I had to go up to the bartender to ask for a sprite after 30 minutes lol. This pattern continued with every other food item with the server just forgetting to bring items....

We went for restaurant week for dinner for 2 on Saturday night (1/28). The service was absolutely horrible. We had reservations for 6:45 and did not get to leave until 9:30 that is how long it took to get through the "3 course meal" if you could even call it that. Had to go up to the bar to get our own drinks because after asking the waitress 3 times that we were still waiting on it , after our appetizer had come out, we just gave up thinking she would do anything for us. Salad was soggy and looked like it had been prepped out for a couple of hours, ribeye steak was cooked almost well done when we asked for medium rare , and the chocolate mousse tasted and looked nothing more than some jello you could get at the store. People next to us were waiting just as long as we were for our food. The whole place was annoyed and not getting any service. We had to track down the waitress every time we needed something and asked 2-3 for everything. It took 4 asks to get to the bill so we could finally leave the place we wanted to leave so badly but literally could Not because the waitress was not remembering to get us anything. Table 2 rows down from us had to ask for a box 4 times before finally getting one from the Bus boy. Absolutely horrible service for mediocre food at an expensive price. Do not go. Plenty of better options in Old Town.

This was one of the finest meals I've had in several years. A little tough to find, as they are inside a courtyard and have no street facing exposure, find the building claiming the address and then wander around outside until you find them. My wife had the Tomato Basil Soup and Duck Breast entree and I ordered the Beef Wellington Bites appetizer and the Filet Mignon entree. Oh my, all was cooked perfectly. We topped it off with some Remy Martin XO and Creme Brûlée and Belgian Chocolate Mousse; both desserts were executed perfectly. Natalia served us all of the above, making us feel completely at home and ensured we had everything we needed/wanted and that we were pleased throughout.

Returned for Beef Short Rib over polenta and seared scallops with celery root puree. Delicious and well presented. Finished with molten lava cake and French press Illy. Thank you Ingrid for great service and suggestions.

Very neat bistro with indoor/outdoor seating, decent service, and great food. The vibe is relaxed but a clean restaurant and nice decor throughout. It is a pretty large restaurant with lots of tables/seats and a bar. They offer an extensive wine list with different wine flights (which we took advantage of). The apps, entrees, and desserts were all perfect. Their crab cakes do not come with any filler at all - all crab and very good. Definitely recommend and will come back.

Diner beware. This review is not for food or in-restaurant service. Rather, it's what the restaurant did before we ever made it there. Without a call or any other kind of notice, the restaurant cancelled our Saturday night reservation via OpenTable. Had they at least called, there might be an understandable reason. So much for trying Bistro Sancerre. Thanks for leaving us in a last-minute lurch. This local will just have to go elsewhere!

Great wine flights, drinks, appetizers in a gorgeous courtyard with a fountain. I like the escargot and the foe gras.

Oh my gosh, this place is absolutely phenomenal! From the friendly service, the prompt service, and a very brilliant wine genius Jose! Every bit of the meal was fantastic, everyone's plates were completely cleaned, and the wine recommendations, selections were phenomenal! This place is a must go to! You get to have flights of wine! Find out what you like with pears with the meal! Phenomenal, phenomenal phenomenal

Bistro Sancerre is nestled just on the tip of OT Alexandria, and this little gem that offers casual French fare is a great spot for a small get-together or a date night! The hubs and I came here for dinner, and we ordered: Sancerre French Onion Soup (with caramelized onion, beef broth, and gruyere; really wasn't a fan of the broth, as it was slightly metallic-tasting and very herb-y); the Ribeye (a grilled 22 oz bone-in ribeye, served with a side of grilled asparagus, potato galette, and bordelaise sauce), and Steak and Frites (red wine-marinated prime hangar steak, a side of fresh fine herbs frites, and a red wine shallot butter). The steaks came out cooked perfectly - they were juicy and seasoned appropriately. The sauces were not too overbearing, and the side of herb-crusted fries were delicious and the potato galette was yummy! Staff were friendly and welcoming, and the place had a nice ambiance. There was a nice collection of wine that most patrons seem to be very impressed with. Making reservations is highly recommended! Metered street parking around the area. +tasty French fare +juicy steaks +avoid the soups! +friendly staff +make reservations +metered street parking

Another win for Lena and her Grand Crew at Sancerre. The 3 course restaurant week offerings of fine dishes were superb. A must for the list of any epicurious diner looking for the best! Thank you chef Trent!

Me and my wife had our anniversary dinner at Bistro Sancerre tonight with mixed results. The main issue is that they seemed very understaffed, it appeared to be three people filling the rolls of hostess, waitress and bartender. One of the waitresses was new too, as she told us after a few issues. We ordered the wine flight that came with cheese, but it was explained wrong to us and we selected wines that weren't included with the cheese. The head waitress/manager explained it to us and accepted the wines we were served at the same flight price as it wasn't our fault. Next our entrees came out before our appetizers. The waitress never put our escargot orders in. As we were finishing our entrees one order of escargot came out. Seems they only put one order in by mistake. The head waitress/manager gave us one escargot and one flight on the house. Both waitresses were very nice and I felt bad for them being understaffed, but this was disjointed service. I commend the head waitress for her efforts to make up for the errors. The final issue was that it took a long time for the bill to be picked up as the restaurant started getting very crowded. Parking was validated, which was nice. As for the food, the entrees were very good! We had the ribeye and the duck and enjoyed. The wines were very good as well and the accompanying cheeses all were good! The escargot appetizers were ok. Nice and meaty, but garlic sauce was a little bland. Puff pastry that sat on top was unnecessary and added no flavor. The Challah bread that accompanied the escargot was very good, but odd that Challah was served over baguette. The desserts were nothing special. Seemed like high quality frozen desserts. We traveled fairly far to try this restaurant, so I'm not sure we'll be back. I would normally be willing to try this restaurant again as the food was mostly very good, and the staff was very nice and made up for the mistakes by giving us some food free. I also think once the new waitress gets more experience and they are fully staffed, things will be better.

Was so excited to come here after being a long time devotee to Grand Cru, a restaurant with the same ownership in Ballston. I was amazed by the size of this place, the warm atmosphere, mellow yet sophisticated vibe, and beautiful art. It was a great romantic date night that I can't wait to come back and do again! Let's start at the beginning. The service was friendly, fresh, and professional. Leo kept it light, entertaining and had great conversation. The wine, cocktail and beer selection is vast. I personally love wine so I started with a flight and was NOT disappointed. My husband likes cocktails so he started with the sazerac, which was delicious (I stole a sip and it was yum). The wine was on point as to be expected given that Lena picked them, her taste continues to be sophisticated and diverse, giving many choices for the newbie wine drinker to the seasoned pro. Appetizers: I was really excited when I heard about the Indian chef, trained in Britain, making French food. Wow there were some amazing flavors. It was great to see traditional French cuisine with small touches of Indian spices that took me back to my Indian mom's kitchen. Dinner: my husband had the monkfish and I had the steak frites with a perfect wine pairing from our waiter Leo. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and the duck fat fries were decedent. My husbands monkfish was also delicious, the saffron sauce was to die for! Needless to say, I strongly recommend this wonderful French bistro with friendly service, excellent food, and wine that will delight!

Absolutely incredible cuisine + elegant ambiance. Art gallery upstairs and art all over the restaurant, for sale, is such a wonderful touch! Impeccable service, cannot wait to go back!

It has arrived and we couldn't be happier. This is an amazing restaurant. We happened to be zipping by and noticed they were open. We have been watching patiently as they did the build out. We came in the Duke side entrance and were blanketed with great looking art work. The gallery touch was very special. Once past the gallery, you enter the "wine cellar" and the selection is a wine lovers dream. The display was perfect. We did lunch and were pleasantly surprised at the selection and the competitive prices. One person got the Fricassee of Escargot. Presentation was grand and the number of servings of escargot were plentiful. There was plenty of butter and the puff pastry was delightful. If there had been a little more garlic, they would have been perfect. The other appetizer was the Creamy Winter Squash Soup. This was a beautiful presentation also. The spiced pistachios sat perfectly in the creme fraiche. Also, the soup tasted like squash instead of having a sweet sugary taste. It was hearty and delightful. Please do not miss the opportunity to visit this new place on Duke Street, it has it all-ambiance, good food and very friendly staff.

Bistro Sancerre is one of those gems that you find where everything works. We sat down an were immediately impressed with the decor and wine selection. Seriously, if you're a wine connoisseur then you'll love this place. They encourage you to walk around and explore their wine selection to make your selection. The prices are labeled on each bottle and the selection is vast. The menus is good with plenty of variety. We enjoyed our meals and had a great and relaxing evening. Never felt rushed and our server Natalia was very friendly and helpful. Cannot wait to go back,

Had a reservation for the day after Valentine's for a month. They texted me to confirm the reservation the day before. Less than 24 hours before the reservation the restaurant cancelled our reservation, saying they'd decided to close that Monday. Want to guess how easy it is to find somewhere else to eat on Valentine's weekend? Wanted to go here, but they've assured that I never will. What absolute garbage service from this restaurant.

Bistro Sancerre is brand new and a wonderful addition to Old Town. The ambiance is that of a French bistro, but can handle a group of any size (they have a private room that seats 100 people)! They have an art gallery where you can purchase or simply enjoy the paintings, and their wine selection is impeccable! I started my evening with a perfectly executed sazerac, while my date (ok, my wife) enjoyed a white wine flight. The chef, inspired by his Indian heritage, prepared a wonderful crab cake appetizer with papadum (an Indian spiced crisp) and a beautiful butternut squash risotto with spiced pepitas. My date then had the streak frites with a beautiful glass of Brunello that paired beautifully. I had the monkfish with saffron velouté (again, inspired by the chef's Indian heritage) and paired it with a house created cocktail (I believe): the Ginger Rose. Dinner was delightful, the atmosphere was amazing, and the experience absolutely worth repeating!

We went for dinner for the first time on Saturday and what an amazing experience we had. From the food, ambience and service all top notch! We were wow from the moment we step in greeted by very friendly staff. Service was outstanding , our waitress was very professional, knowledgeable and made great suggestion; which we enjoyed very much. This is what hospitality is all about. The food was also as impressive. The steaks were cook to perfection and sauces and sides just as delicious. We would definitively come back and recommend this restaurants to all of our friends and family.!!!

I was a bit unimpressed at the location of this place but the food was great and service delightful and attentive. We were rained out of our initial restaurant in DC for a bday and having to find a place last minute on a Friday night during covid was a nightmare. This was my last resort but it didn't disappoint. They even went the extra step in bringing a complimentary bday dessert bc someone overheard us talking about my boyfriends birthday. It was a very nice touch.

Eat at the bar Onion soup awesome Good wine flights Great service Handicap accessible Foie gras good Tuna great

Two of my friends and I tried Bistro Sancerre as part of Restaurant Week. We will definitely be back. The service was pleasant, quick, and appropriately attentive. We were seated promptly. The food was fantastic. My friends each had the organic chicken while I opted for the steak fritte. Dinner conversation dwindled as we all were too busy enjoying our entrees. My friends spoke highly of the chicken. My steak was one of the best I ever had. The french fries were perfectly cooked. We look forward to our next meal there.