Bonne Vie Cafe and Bistro

Everyone was so sweet and did an amazing job! Thank you so much Marissa, Ricardo, and the beautiful Filipina who was the front desk for taking such good care of us. Been living here in dc for 4 years and it’s one of the best services we’ve got to go with the delicious food

I had both brunch and dinner at Bonne vie cafe and bistro. every visit was outstanding. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, perfect for relaxing with a coffee or enjoying a full meal. Brunch was delicious—fresh ingredients, generous portions, and beautifully presented dishes. Dinner was just as impressive, with rich flavors and great attention to detail. The coffee deserves a special mention too: smooth, perfectly brewed, and clearly made with care. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made me feel truly welcomed. You can tell they take pride in what they do. This place has become one of my new favorites, and I can’t wait to come back. Highly recommended!

RECOMMEND— I had an amazing experience. Jorge was a great waiter and recommend some of the best dishes I’ve had. The roasted chicken was probably one of the juiciest and tastiest cuts I’ve tasted from a restaurant in this side of the Atlantic.

This cocktail happy hour is... Insane. These are maybe the best priced--and quality--cocktails for happy at any U street area bar. The atmosphere is suave, service is very friendly and chatty, and the $10 skirt steak happy hour tapas with chimichurri was incredible. It's a great new addition to the area.

We dined in on a Tuesday night for the Pre Fix menu. $45 for 3 courses seemed like a great deal and we were excited to try a new spot! The reviews here seemed promising. The service was pretty awkward from the start. Only one other table in the whole place and they sat us right next to them. We know it’s a new place so we were just going with the flow. We ordered Earl Grey Martinis to start and they were incredibly weak - no taste of earl grey or gin, just a lemony foam. We order our 3 course dinner and got served one of our appetizers quickly after by the manager. After our plate was placed, it was clear that something went wrong because the wait staff were hovering in the corner of the restaurant staring at us. It seemed like one server was about to take the plate off our table but then hesitated. Then our server came by our table to say “you got lucky that was for another table.” Again, there was only one other table sat in the whole restaurant, right next to us. So that was pretty uncomfortable. It was the dish we ordered so we ate it. We had the tart and the tuna carpaccio. both were incredibly salty and lacked flavor otherwise. For the main course we got the sea bream and the half pressed chicken. These dishes were fine, the fish was actually really nicely cooked and crispy, but it had extremely sharp bones and cartilage in certain bites. The chicken was nice and flavorful but nothing exciting. These came with a nicely dressed salad (just spring mix with a good dressing, a little over dressed) and french fries. The fries were good and they came with a nice aioli and ketchup. We also got a half carafe of their house red wine. The wine was delicious and the price was great too! That was nice. Finally, dessert comes out. They have two options and they are not on the menu, just depends on the day. Dessert Du Jor! You’d think with only 2 options atleast one would be fine. The offerings were an apple cranberry turnover and a churro. Neither sounded good (a churro at a french restaurant felt random) but we got one of each. The churro was made of pastry dough and was the driest thing we’ve ever tasted. It was like eating dust it basically turned to powder in your mouth. The turnover tasted like strawberry toaster strudel. It seemed like it was genuinely filled with strawberry jam and it was covered in pistachio crumbles and a red colored syrup, for some reason. It was pretty awful. This was the only thing is got a photo of. It felt like the wait staff were hovering over our shoulders all night and they just had a weird vibe. Overall, I would not recommend this dining experience. Such a shame because it’s such a prime location and the concept has great potential.

What a wonderful spot in DC! Found on the quiet end of U Street this cafe serves everything, and with class. Appetizers, mains, salads, sides, desserts. Every portion is right and every meal delicious. I highly recommend the steak but from what I saw from everyone else's orders coming out, I'm going to make sure I get the muscles next time too. Also, dont sleep on the drinks. Their signature cocktails are a never miss and the wines reasonable. The servers and bartenders are incredibly attentive and can walk you through your options any time. Sit at the bar for a stylish happy hour or after meal sip with the knowledgable and friendly staff, they arent judging you. Bonnie Vie isn't the cheapest place on the block, but its refreshing to be able to see and enjoy your food, and hear your dining companions.

Not sure what the 5-star reviews are about... seem paid TBH. I went for brunch last weekend and had negative experience. Upon walking in there is an immediate unpleasant smell, which is masked by strongly scented candles throughout. When I asked for Earl Grey tea they didn't have it and instead served Lipton. If that wasn't bad enough, the water and dishes made the tea taste like mildew. Upon inspection, all of the dishes seemed a bit dirty, really. I ordered an omelette and it came out burnt, but wrapped up so the burnt half was wrapped into the omelette, like they hoped I wouldn't notice... I sent it back and they re-made it, and comped it - that's really only reason I'm giving 1 star (other than that you cant give 0) is that they were nice and service was decent (though our waiter was awkward, making jokes that fell very flat because we didn't know if he was joking). My party also got the French Toast which was odd, steak and eggs (undewhelming), and shakshuka (fine). The bacon and fries were the only things that got no complaints. Go anywhere else on 18th in AdMo, you'll be glad you did.

Restaurant that is gunning to be a neighborhood haunt but still has some issues to work out in its menu, and consistency in quality of service. Came for a spontaneous Friday night Dinner for 2. Service: The host stand staff were attentive and invited us to sit at the bar with a complimentary drink as we waited for our table. After that, things went off the rails. Interactions with our waitress were rushed, flustered and awkward. Our waitress arrived and asked for our order before giving us menus; There was confusion over which dishes were even available when ordering; the waitress grabbed the menu out of our hands (never had that happen before) before we had even finished ordering; and food arrived at different times for each diner/course. A Tarte Flambee appetizer that was meant for a different table was delivered, and then quickly removed to be sent to the right table because it had “no bacon,” when 1. The dish has no bacon on it in the first place, and 2. If a dish goes to a table, I can’t imagine it’s good policy to give it to someone else afterwards. We hadn’t touched it, but that’s not something the staff can prove. Dessert was served, but one was not what we ordered and it was only communicated after that what we ordered was no longer available. This was fixed with a complimentary dessert, but the interaction felt very cart-before-horse. Food: The food is all good for the price, but the predominant flavor of most dishes is salt. Someone with a sodium deficiency would have the time of their life in here. The aforementioned Tarte Flambee was a carousel of salty olives, salty anchovies, salt. The endless fries were salt. The creme brûlée dessert was a spectacular custard, but poorly bruleed. The crackiky top was not consistent or complete, which led to us basically eating granulated sugar over custard. Ambiance: Lastly, the ambiance was good overall. The space is nicely decorated and the small rooms are intimate in feel. But the noise levels of the dining room for dinner were through the roof. With that many people in one room shouting, something must be done about the acoustics.

Great new spot! The ambience was great and the staff was unbelievable. Ask for Jose when you go, his service was impeccable. The feta salad was to die for. Will be back!

I came to stop by on a stroll and decided to take a seat at the bar and was attended and checked upon with a timely manner and a captivating charisma by Jason he was very accommodating and knowledgeable about the menu and the process in how the meals were cooked and plated, we also don't drink alcohol so he was very understanding and offered us alternatives that weren't on the menu but that should be on the menu and he was attentive and a guide through our coursing as if he was the chef himself and made our night spectacular I highly recommend to ask for him

Had Antonio as our bartender. Great guy great drinks. The man every Wednesday Friday. Now becoming a regular.

This cocktail happy hour is... Insane. These are maybe the best priced--and quality--cocktails for happy at any U street area bar. The atmosphere is suave, service is very friendly and chatty, and the $10 skirt steak happy hour tapas with chimichurri was incredible. It's a great new addition to the area. Cocktail of the MONTH: A custom espresso martini with mezcal instead of vodka. It was the best cocktail I've had in over a month. https://dc.eater.com/openings/165086/bonne-vie-cafe-bistro-french-u-street-dc-restaurant-openings

I would not recommend coming here. As we entered the restaurant and waited to be seated we were faced with a couple of very unsatisified customers asking for the manager. We went in anyway, and it was a mistake! Our server was unpleasant to say the least. We had a reservation at 9pm, and our server informed us we could not have the steak since we came in too late and they were out. Food was mid, and that's for the best dishes. Mussels were some of the worst I had in my life, the toast that comes with the mussels and with burrata tasted burnt but was actually cold. To add to the bad experience, the staff went out of their way to make us feel unpleasant. Despite their official hours being 11:00am-1:00am on a Saturday, about an 1.5h into our dinner we eating our main dish, when we clearly heard our server say to her colleague "I asked then 5 times to take the plates away, I don't know what they're doing" in a very rude tone, referring to us. She even tried to take our plates (clearly unfinished) a couple of times. Finally, once our dessert (profiteroles were bad, apple pie was good) arrived, we asked for the check. Despite the listed closure time was 1am, at 10.40pm they started cleaning the floor very loudly around our table, clearly wanting us out. It turned our that the 1L wine carafe, allegedly 32 dollars, was charged 48 dollars, and then a discount of 13 dollars was applied to our check. Not only did that charge us more compared to the listed price, but were the suggested tip amounts based on the pre-discounted total balance + taxes, which isn't the case anywhere else. Our server insisted we filled our check immediately as she wanted to leave, which was a perfect end to this "great" night. Overall, I don't think I will ever come back to this place and I don't see why anyone should.

Welcome, Bonne Vie! The bistro offers both a dining and a cafe menu. We came here for an early dinner, and took advantage of their pre-fixe menu which comes with unlimited fries! The party receives a green salad to share, and you choose an entree, a plats principaux, and a douceurs - I went for: +the Pâté de Campagne & Mustard +the Skirt Steak +and, the Apple Beignet The hubs ordered: +the Tarte Flambée - prepared with caramelized onions, anchovies, olives, and burrata +the Hamburger Double - with cheddar and cocktail sauce +and, the Apple Tarte We also ordered the baguette with a side of Normandy-churned butter to share. The dishes were well-presented, and the service was sweet and friendly! The restaurant itself is so cute and cozy - love the red velvet-like booth seating and the framed pictures! A nice spot that is perfect for date nights or small get-togethers. I'd love to try their coffee/pastries, brunch, and HH on the next visit! Online reservations is taken and easy to make! +prix-fixe menu +friendly staff +offers both cafe and a dining menu

WOW! Amazing experience here. Most of our party enjoyed the prix fixe menu but the hosts graciously allowed the rest of our party to order a la carte, if they wanted to. The burrata was amazing, the cheese itself was so savory and flavorful, and the fruit chutney was delightful. The skirt steak was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The chocolate coconut cake was great, but the showstopper dessert was undoubtedly the apple tarte. The sea bream was cooked, deboned and seasoned perfectly, and the pressed chicken was very good. Great drinks, too. It can be so hard to find a Hugo spritz on a drink menu, much less a well executed one, but the bartender was spot on. Also enjoyed the Boulevardier and the French Blonde. The fries and salad delivered with the prix fixe menu were a nice touch. The prix fixe at this place is truly an amazing value! Excellent service and a nice, moody ambiance. Lively but not so loud that we couldn't hear each other. Can't wait to come back!

Our bartender Antonio was excellent when we came for happy hour. The steak was phenomenal and the drinks were superb. We will be back soon.

Antoniooooo is the best. Absolute boss. Amazing service! Never thought we would come here. But this guy makes it all worth it.

Antonio! Fantastic service and great environment! Will be back for sure! The food was great and the drinks were great

Such a great spot! The food was awesome, everything tasted super fresh and well put together. Service was friendly and quick, and the whole vibe just felt really welcoming. Even the menu design was cool (small detail but it stood out). Definitely coming back!

Do not come here! The manager is super shady. We had an event this weekend and he flat out lied multiple times: we were told one thing about the food menu and were given something completely different that wasn't of the quality promised such as substituting risotto for french fries. That was just one of many issues with the food. Then he lied about the bar tab total. They overcharge and are not willing to admit their wrong. Also the manager seems to have a problem speaking to females even though the hostess was a female. He only wanted to negotiate with males. It was a horrible experience and I want to save other people the trouble from also being scammed.