LCD - La Côte D'Or Café

We dined during DC Restaurant Week and left thoroughly satisfied. The service was excellent—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. Our server provided clear explanations of the menu items, which made choosing easy. The food was a standout: beautifully executed classic French cuisine with bold, well-balanced flavors. The sauces were rich and perfectly complemented each dish. Desserts were delicious, generous in portion, and the ideal sweet finish. Overall, it was a memorable fine-dining experience. Highly recommend—we’ll definitely be returning!

Elegant cozy restaurant with exceptional food and service. A group of seven of us all order the $80.00 fixed price three course meal. I loved the buttery and garlicky escargot. The beef Bourguignon was also delicious along with the white chocolate lemon mousse. Everyone really enjoyed their meals and wine. The service was great and there was plenty of free parking close by. The meal was on the expensive side but definitely worth it.

Classic, Satisfying, and Thoughtfully Served We came for dinner and La Côte Café chose excellence. We started strong with mussels, French onion soup, and deviled eggs—because restraint is overrated. The mussels were fresh and swimming in a broth that deserved bread and respect. The French onion soup was rich, cheesy, and deeply comforting (the kind that makes you pause mid-conversation). The deviled eggs? Creamy, polished, and quietly flexing. For mains, we ordered the steak with frites and pasta with Parmesan. The steak was tender, flavorful, and paired with fries that clearly understood the assignment. The pasta was simple, indulgent, and unapologetically comforting—Parmesan doing the heavy lifting in the best way. We went for the three-course menu, and yes—the desserts were decadent. The “just one bite” lie did not survive. The wine was very good, the kind that makes dinner feel longer in the best way. And for anyone pretending they have a “small appetite,” there’s an à la carte option—no judgment, no pressure. Bonus points for service that was absolutely on point—attentive, polished, and never hovering like an anxious first date. La Côte Café is doing quiet French confidence right: elegant, unhurried, and effortlessly satisfying. Falls Church, consider this your reminder to dress nice, order dessert, and stay awhile. 🍷✨

Arrive between 5 and 6:15pm to have the $35 fixed price, 3 course, option. My husband and I had soup of the day, tasty vegetable soup, creatively different from most. Butternut squash, red peppers, maybe carrots and onions with a thyme flavor. We also each had a good lamb stew with a variety of vegetables and potatoes. I enjoyed dessert of bread pudding with bits of peach, walnuts and cinnamon. Last taste of summer, starting into autumn.

I took my mom to LCD for Mother’s Day and it did not disappoint! The restaurant is small and intimate, not crowded at all. We sat in the sun room on the side of the restaurant which was gorgeous. LCD had a $45 three course set menu for Mother’s Day and it was delicious! The service was amazing and all the food was incredible. We never felt rushed by the staff and enjoyed our lunch at a European pace. I couldn’t recommend this spot more!

Came to La Côte D'Or Café for brunch on Valentines day and had a lovely time! We experienced elevated service from the moment we stepped into the door and it remained constant throughout the entirety of our time there. The food was delectable! We did the 3 course valentines day menu and everything we selected was delicious. Can't wait to come back for dinner soon!

The food was very light and flavorful. This is a great place to take someone for a date or nice quiet night out. Parking is a bit difficult, but we were told that using the parking lot of the nearby hotel/motel is fine even though their signs say otherwise.

My friend and I had brunch at La Cote D’Or on a Sunday to celebrate our birthdays. The restaurant was cozy and bright. Our server was fantastic and made terrific recommendations. The food was delicious, our sparkling wine flowed, and the service was impeccable. My only complaint was not the restaurant’s fault. The entitled, older ladies who wanted to trash-talk immigrants and spew ignorant political trash in a loud manner made our experience less than desirable. But once again, it is not the restaurant's fault. La Cote D’Or’s employees were all immigrants and should get a raise, having to put up with that nonsense.

We had a special birthday lunch for 30 people. Chef Jacques worked with us to develop a menu with three choices for appetizer, entree and dessert. The food was delicious and was served quickly and efficiently by very competent wait staff. The lovely party room lent a festive air to the party and everyone was in a festive mood and said they had a great time. I highly recommend this restaurant for a special occasion event.

Wonderful restaurant. Delicious food. Attentive and charming staff. Beautiful décor. Authentically French. I feel at home eating here. Like many European restaurants, you do not feel rushed. There are no sports televisions blasting in the background, it's just peaceful, intimate, and about the food. I highly recommend the Bouillabaisse, the chicken Cordon bleu, the profiteroles, and a bottle of wine. Enjoy!

Went for Valentine's 2025 dinner. Menu was price fixe at $86 for appetizer, entre, and dessert. My how this place has tanked since we first went in 2001. The appetizers were both uninspiring and bland. My wife's veal entre was inedible with a portion size to make up for the lack of quality. She had to take it home and throw it out. My beef tenderloin was better, but served with McDonalds grade french fries. Very disappointed at the cost and quality of the food. This is very likely our last visit. Caveat emptor, you have been warned.

Came for restaurant week. I was promptly seated. I had the paté to start which was salty and could have almost been canned. My server recommended a cote du rhone wine which was HOT/above average room temperature. I had to get them to chill it and yes, I know a red wine can be served at room temp (though 65 is the max recommended) and am usually fine with a room temp red wine, but this was hot. My second dish was their beef bourguignon. It came out looking dry and was even drier to eat. The gnocchi was mushy and felt more like a runny mashed potato. The sauce of the dish was amazing so I packaged the meat and gnocchi so I could use bread to eat the sauce (the waiter almost lost his hand trying to take my plate while I was getting bread to get the sauce). I had another glass of the cotes du rhone as the waiter said he had some chilling for me and then I had a glass of burgundy which I ordered early for them to serve it at an acceptable temp. I finished with the Pavlova. The pavlova itself was tasteless and like eating air. It really needed the fruits that came with it to give it flavor. I would not go out of my way to dine here again

My late wife and I probably ate at LCD about 75 times over more than four decades. Not our favorite French restaurant in the area but good and quite convenient, so that we often came with friends from the neighborhood. Tonight I was eating with friends who wanted to go to LCD. The service was pretty good but not great, and much the same could be said of the food.

I came here for RW this past Sunday with six friends who were all enthusiastic to try the $25 3-course, brunch menu. So why is this a 2/5? Here's the tl;dr - 1. Our reservation was at 1 PM and we all showed up within 10 minutes, but the service and food came out so slowly that we left at 3:10 PM (and no, it's not because we sat there after we got all of our food). 2. Majority of the food were aggressively mediocre, at best. 3. Most of us were unimpressed with our experience - even my one friend who isn't picky and eats practically anything. First thing I noticed was that a couple of us had a place mat but didn't have any utensils. Flagging a server down took awhile, but hey, at least I didn't have to eat with my bare hands. The one thing that was really good is the complementary baguette and butter (and fortunately, we were able to get multiple baskets of bread that filled our stomachs while we waited for our food). The baguette was warm, toasty and fluffy. I'll give LCD this one, and our whole table had high expectations for the meal to come because of the baguette. APPETIZER: SOUP OF THE DAY: SQUASH SOUP Besides the bread, the squash soup was creamy and filling, with lots of squash pieces. It was a nice vegetable soup and I honestly would order it again. My friends who got this also enjoyed it and we all dipped the baguette in the soup which was a great combination. ENTREE: STEAK HACHÉ So there was at least 20-30 minutes in between our appetizer and entree. Most of us ended up choosing the steak haché. If you don't know what that is, it reminded me of a ground beef patty that you'd find in a high-end burger. The steak was thick and I had high hopes for it because it was topped with parsley and seemingly a lot of seasoning. However, I found that the texture was dry and the taste was boring and lacked depth. It sat on mushroom and white wine cream sauce, which was equally bland. The meat did not soak up much of the sauce since it was quite thin and loose, yet there's not enough sauce to really scoop up. There were also a side of fries, which had the perfect texture but it was under-seasoned like everything else. Overall, it was an uninspiring entree, and most of us who ordered this would agree. DESSERT: BREAD PUDDING Sadly, they were out of the poached pear in red wine, so I chose the bread pudding instead. This took so long to come that a couple of us forgot that there were dessert to begin with. I think we had waited at least 45 minutes after getting our entree. Presentation was OK but the bread pudding was pretty bland. There were a couple pieces of nuts and some sort of dried stone fruit within, but it didn't enhance the bread pudding whatsoever. It tasted store bought and not in a good way. Overall, I was unimpressed with what I got except for the squash soup (which I still think was delicious). My friend who got the BREADED SWAI FILET enjoyed his choice except that it was pretty greasy. Another friend got the MONTE CRISTO, and it was rich and heavy, but definitely a better choice than the steak haché. In general, we left pretty disappointed, given that the food was subpar and the service was slow and unresponsive (except they did refill our baguettes a couple times!!)

I had an outstanding lunch with three colleagues here. We order the three course lunch and it was quintessential French food. It was full of flavor and rich in presentation. The service was great, and the ambiance was welcoming.

First, 5 stars for the attention to detail ability to the reservation. We wrote in the request for a high chair. It was set up and ready upon arrival. This is a big deal for us because 90% of businesses don't read the reservation requests. Lovely wine list and excellent service. Food was delicious and kids food were plentiful. Really enjoyed this place!!!

We've been to LCD a number of times and it's always been pleasant and a bit of a hidden gem in this area of Arlington, if you like traditional French food. We were a group of four for dinner. One of my friends at dinner is from Chamonix and he also enjoyed his meal. The atmosphere and decor is French country and charming. We were there for Saturday dinner and service was attentive. We had French onion soup and country pate for appetizers. For mains: bouillabaisse soup, grilled pork chop and seafood salad app made into an entree at special request. Desserts: profiteroles, floating island, apple tart and crème caramel. Everything was delicious but the French onion soup, bouillabaisse, floating island and profiteroles were big hits. Sometimes we wish the menu could be expanded a bit (so we could go back more often) but we still enjoy the standards here! Thank you for a lovely meal - our French friends enjoyed it too!

We came here for restaurant week, our son is running on a I want to try French food kick. They had two menus for the event and they were cool about trading between the two. Apps: Pate - okay seasoning could've been stronger French Onion Soup - Very good Cesar Salad - okay pretty standard Mains: Bavette steak - (peppercorn sauce) This was a classic play on steak frites Cooked perfectly the sauce was well seasoned and overall very nicely done. This is what our 10yo ordered and he housed it all. Chicken Cordon bleu: this is what my wife ordered. Overall it was okay but it was not a good as the steak. Arguably could've had more seasoning. Rack of lamb: my choice this was also solid the mustard and herb crust was nicely balanced. The cook was perfect just slightly past the point of the fat rendering so it was just how I like it. Desserts: Chocolate mousse Apple tart Profiteroles Of all of these, hands down the chocolate mousse was the best. Service was decent nothing over the top but they were generally pleasant and timing for food was good. Atmosphere was pleasant. We would definitely be back should we be in the area.

We were excited to find a French restaurant that had some vegetarian dishes, and La Cote d'Or did not disappoint. The food was delicious and beautifully presented, the ambiance cozy, and the service was efficient and friendly. We left feeling that we had had a lovely and celebratory meal at an extremely reasonable price.

I came here for restaurant week few weeks ago. I've already had food here for dinner but decided to try their brunch menu. It was around $20 something for three courses which is nice - but their portions are super generous too in my opinion. For the appetizer, I don't remember the name but it was basically similar to thick fries with Dijon mustard and it was great! Reminds me of Yuca fries. It's definitely filling - I was already feeling full after eating it. The entrée I got was the pork shoulder. The meat was soft and tender - if you pressed on it a bit, the meat would fall apart basically. It was flavoured well alongside the veggies and potato. I REALLY liked the potato that came with it - it was a good level of salty and buttery. I was also able to try some of the seafood omelette/crepe (can't remember which one it was) and it was so good! There's a variety of different seafood in it like shrimp, and the sauce in it that coats all the seafood meats went so well with the dish. It was creamy and tasty on the inside. I had the simple ice cream for dessert - tasted like simple vanilla but not the sweet and was very light. Also had a bit of the floating island too, which I always enjoy here. Overall, this is a great place to eat at; everything tastes good, seasoned well, filling, and worth the prices. They also have 3-course options outside of restaurant week for decent prices too (basically the same as restaurant week prices). The interior is small but cozy with nice French vibes to it. Service is very nice and friendly here. There's parking at the hotel that's next to, but there's also a neighborhood nearby you could park at given you're going at specific times where free parking is allowed.

Street parking available. Sat down at our table when we arrived without reservations. Nice cafe with very good food. Good prices as well.

This was a nice neighborhood restaurant. I had the three course and so did my wife. She did not like her picks as much as I did. The portions are generous. We went on a Wednesday night and it was quite busy. Service is friendly and efficient, but not white linen, and neither is the restaurant. I had the watercress soup to start, the steak and fries (Salisbury steak with a pepper cream sauce) and the cream caramel to end. I liked all my food. My spouse had the seafood crepes. She did not like the rice in the crepes, but the dish was good. She had the pate appetizer. She thought the portion could have been smaller, and should have come with crackers or toast. She also thought the pate could have been smoother. She liked the flavor. Finally, she picked the apple tart, and she says she should have picked a different dessert. We'll go back to see if she likes it better next time.

We came here for brunch and luckily it was restaurant week so they had a 3 course brunch and 3 course lunch option. I am dairy-free so there wasn't a ton on the menu for me to eat, but i was able to eat a delicious watercress and arugula salad and also a smoked salmon lunch option. My grandma loves the escargot and french onion soup. The service was really friendly, although they did forget to bring out a children's meal we had ordered for my nephew but they fixed it right away when we pointed it out. They do take reservations which I highly recommend if you have a larger group because they don't have many tables that can seat more than 2 people.

This was a solid Good overall; not a bad score, but it was a 52 minute drive each way to try their RW menus to see if we'd put it into the restaurant rotation. Dishes we had: Ceviche: it was odd with a sweet undertone formed into a mold with a thick sauce as a binder. I ate it, but it wasn't a repeat. Caesar Salad: Wife said nah, she ate 1/3 of it; had pieces of pecans, tomato, cucumber, and just wasn't what she wanted, and it wasn't very good. Cassoulet: Actually quite good, but the duck tasted more like chicken, but it was good. Sausages, lamb, and pork belly were also good to very good. Bouillabaisse: A solid good, but no better. Too many large pieces of tomato and potato. I'm spoiled, I've had great version of this in my life. Profiterole: Good Ile Flottante: Average Wine list: Pretty basic This is owned and run by a nice man/chef with nice people working for him. Service is on the slow side, but not painfully so. It felt more like I was in someone's big house with good food. At the same price point there is a lot of competition however. Still glad I tried it.

This is a very high "three star" score. Let me preface by saying my experience in French cuisine is next to nihil, and while I found the food to be decent, for me it was not memorable. Ordering from the fixed menu (a set price and you choose from a list of items) I had the ESCARGOT as a starter. It *is* stated on the menu, but as this was my first time ever eating snails, I was surprised to find the escargot ensconced within puff pastry. Everything was swimming in butter and garlic, so I probably still don't even know what snails taste like, but it was a nice dish. My mother got the FRENCH ONION SOUP and she found the cheese to be too indigestible and it was definitely quite greasy. My main was the BOUILLABAISSE, a tomato broth sort of 'stew' which I found to be okay. No overwhelming flavors, but fish was cooked nicely. My mother got the RAINBOW TROUT and she liked it. I tried a piece and I liked it better than the bouillabaisse. For dessert I had the PROFITEROLES and oh my it was really nice. I'm not much of a dessert guy, but it was just right. Not too sweet. My mom's CREAM CARAMEL on the other hand, she claimed was too sweet... and she *does* have a sweet tooth! I had a CAFE AU LAIT with dessert, and the coffee is Julius Meinl brand. Good stuff. It was surprisingly not busy on a Friday (maybe people are still afraid of Covid) but the staff was charming and pleasant. Food was maybe slightly slower than a typical restaurant, but at no bother to us. Though I only gave it three stars, I'd be willing to try it again in the future. You can park in the adjacent Econo Lodge lot without getting towed.

Best French food I've ever had in this hemisphere, the steak frites were superb, and the apple tart to die for. All even better due to their amazing service. The Ambiance was really authentic and I loved their use of the rooster!!

The old owner that past away was the reason I came here so often. The food used to be impeccable and the service was outstanding. However when the old owner died and the new owner took over, prices went up, food quality and taste went way down. What used to be a five star business turned into an overpriced place with poor service and bland food. I have two stars because there deserts are still awesome, but everything else is lackluster. Last time I went my wife and I for our wedding anniversary cost us a little over $350.

Amazing food. Great service. A great deal for a 3 course meal. Excited to come back for the special dinners!

If you're looking for some classic French cuisine that doesn't require you to take out a second mortgage, this should be your go to place. The escargot, onion soup, and cassoulet are tasty

A very nice cozy country french cafe right off the hwy 66. Parking is available on the adjunct street and also a private parking on the left side. For dinner tonight, we got a very good 3-course meal from the Christmas Eve menu. It's a very good deal and the foods were very well prepared and tasty. For appetizer, we had Veal pate and Flounder with shrimp quenelle; followed with beef tenderloin and rack of lamp as main courses, then chocolate & mousse cake and grand marnier with vanilla ice cream for desserts. There was a good selection of house wines as well. Highly recommended.

I came here for lunch during restaurant week with 2 of my friends. They have put plastic barriers up between tables to abide by social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff wore masks and I noticed that they were spreading out the seating during the lunch rush. They have complimentary parking, which they share with Econo Lodge next door. The service was great! Our server was so kind and polite! Atmosphere...was a bit outdated. The lunch for restaurant week was $22 for 2 courses, it's normally $22.95--so not much of a difference, but it's still something! I got the Avocado salad, Coq au vin, and the floating island dessert. To be completely honest, wasn't impressed with the food. The avocado salad was good and fresh, but underwhelming. The coq au vin was bland, but the chicken was very tender...it just need salt and seasoning. The floating island was actually pretty good (and a huge portion-would definitely recommend). I actually got restaurant week to go for my parents and they charged me the regular price of $22.95 instead of $22-not a big deal, but just FYI. My parents LOVED the seafood crepe-which seems to be one of their more popular dishes. They weren't impressed with the corn/jalapeño fritters. The lemon tart was recommended by the waiter and was very good! TLDR; Service was great! Food at the restaurant was not all that, but recommend Seafood Crepe, Floating Island Dessert, and Lemon Tart.

For an authentic French restaurant I was so disappointed with the bouillabaise. It was tasteless and was so bad the broth from a pack of Ramen instant noodles would have tasted better. They should just remove this from the menu. The seafood was over cooked and rubbery. Never order this if you are here. What a shame !

Came for Sunday brunch. Couldn't sit down until 12:55 even though our reservation for a party of three was for 12:30. Iced coffee was so diluted (original and refill) that the color is lighter than the iced tea people next to our table got. Service was extremely slow and they were clearly understaffed. Should not have opened the entire restaurant at all. Our main dish took more than 30 minutes after our appetizers. No one ever came to check on us. Food was good and pricing is really great. Three course brunch for $25. Unfortunate as the restaurant is really busy and I assume on a normal day they would be decent. But this is a terrible experience. If you have a ton of time then perhaps that's okay.

This is probably my favorite restaurant, all things considered. If you want authenticity, this is the place. Not a chain, and the owner/chef is actually from France. This is the place for all the little weird French things you can't get anywhere else. Best escargot I have had outside of France. Best frog legs I have ever had. And while many places will serve some kind of duck/goose liver pate, this place actually serves foie gras and it's incredible. I'm a big fan of organ meats and this is the best place to order calf's liver and onions as well (Sorry, Silver Diner...). I will also say that their kid's menu is absolutely over the top! The tortellini crushes any tortellini you will find at the well-known Italian joints on the area, and the kid's bacon cheeseburger is a massive affair with flavor that obliterates anything you will find outside of fancy burger places that do dry-aged meat. If you bring a kid here, it's your lucky day. Massive portions of Euro-style comfort food that you will need to help them finish. Ambiance is great, very cozy. Prices are very reasonable considering the food is so consistent and the portions are massive. Heavenly fries and they will sub them in for almost anything. The wait staff are lifers and really know their stuff--always there for a killer recommendation on the perfect wine to pair with your meal.

EDIT: This review has been edited after I was able to reach restaurant management and resolve my issues. Appetizers were good. We had the smoked salmon and the onion tarte and both were flavorful. However, an issue arose during the entree course. My partner ordered the steak bavette with fries and requested it cooked medium. It was served to him incredibly rare. We returned the steak to be cooked again and when it was returned, it was still medium rare, harder to cut, and chewy. Our waiter suggested we bag it up and throw it on the grill at home, but we couldn't salvage it. Management later explained to me that plates were mixed up in the kitchen and we indeed received a "rare" plate that was meant for another customer. I cannot speak to the quality of the dish when it is served as ordered. A prior version of this review mentioned an issur with the tarte tatin. After speaking to management, I was informed that the style of tarte offered at the restaurant was changed in the past year. My photo comparison to previous versions of the dish on yelp and online are inaccurate, and I have removed them. A redeeming aspect of the meal was the lamb chop entree, which was delicious. They were really tender and the potatoes on the side were tasty too. The service was also kind and attentive, and were not at any fault for our negative experience. It seems as though quality control in the kitchen was not at its best during my visit.

We came for Arlington restaurant week 2021. The ambience is really nice and the staff are friendly. We ordered the preset menu for Brunch. I really liked the food from appetizers to dessert and the price was reasonable. We definitely will come back.

Came with my friend and sister during restaurant week and enjoyed my visit. The other patrons were a very diverse crowd, with many people wearing dress shirts and suits, while others were in more casual clothing. For my appetizer, I ordered the Potage Bourguignon and it was okay. Not the tastiest item but it helped lower my hunger. Now my entree is the reason why I gave this place 4/5. I ordered the seafood crepe and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. There was plenty of seafood (aka they didn't skimp) and the sauce was light and delicious. The crepe itself was perfectly fluffy too. It was a delight to eat. Now my dessert (dark chocolate mousse) was just okay. It tasted average. Overall, the entree made the entire trip worth it. The service was slow but it was a busy time so that's fine. P.S. When we went, they had one of the steaks listed on the online restaurant week menu but I think that was from 2018 and they forgot to update it. No worries cause the seafood crepe was a good choice.

Had the lentil soup. It was delicious! And we all ordered the cassoulet and it was amazing! Great service and nice atmosphere. We love this place! Wish we could come more often but we spend 8 months of year in Florida.

A very cute little French spot in Falls Church, VA. The restaurant is quaint, the waitstaff is diligent, and the food is very carefully thought out and assembled. The best French food I have had in the area so far. Pros: - The dishes are very intricate and well balanced. I had the Deviled Eggs for appetizer, and each egg as carefully peeled, stood up, and stuffed with bits of smoked salmon and the egg yolk mixture. - For the most part, all of the food is very tasty! - Presentation is beautiful! Cons: - If not heated right before serving (such dishes were served piping hot), food was served at room temp - The beef in the Beef Burgundy was a little dry - This might be a neutral, but portions are on the smaller side Recommended items: - Deviled Eggs: a fun twist on classic deviled eggs, served with a simple salad that complements it well - Seafood Crepe: tasty, decadent, and satisfying - Apple Tart: not too sweet, and just the right amount. Delicious with the crème

Five-star quality food (especially during DC's Restaurant Week; prix-fix is such good value), four-star service (spotty; sometimes warm and attentive; sometimes goofy). Do give their trout a try. Delicious with almond. And seasonal ingredients. Their home made pâté is also wonderful as was the complimentary French baguette at the beginning. The onion soup was very well done. Service: They took one menu away after we placed our order but totally neglected the other menu. We tried to get the waitress and then the waiter's attention to no avail. They did not come to collect our plates after we finished our main dish, but cleaned up the table right next to us (collecting used glasses and so on), all the while not paying attention to our table. It was a bit of a let down. The chef-owner greeted us upon arrival in French and he was very nice. That's a plus.

We had a pleasant dinner here a recent Saturday night. The price fix menu was good, although we wish we could have substituted more. The food was good. Not great or exceptional. Just, simply good in a classical French way. Service was fine.

Love this place. Traditional French cuisine, always a lovely menu with great specials. Always enjoy the Swai filet, the French onion soup, and desserts are always yummy. Charming atmosphere and great service.

Restaurant week in Arlington is currently happening so a couple friends snd I decided to check out a French spot that none of us had ever been to. The decor was nothing to write home about, typical white table clothes and pictures of the French landscapes on the wall however the service was attentive and courteous and the food tasty. For restaurant week they did a 35$ 3 course menu which had a variety of options. I went with the Pate to start, a version of Trout almandine for my second and a chocolate mousse for desert. I think my selections may have been the best of the group as they each were spot on with their flavor. The pate had a great consistency and wasn't overly gamey. The trout was perfectly cooked and came accompanied with a small ratatouille like salad and an amazing potato pie which melted in your mouth and had layers of amazing texture and richness. The chocolate mousse was maybe a little heavy but had tons of bold richness and savory flavor. The shrimp entree my boyfriend ordered was just okay and could have been made at home. However he did enjoy his French onion soup appetizer that showed off a perfectly melted top and dark succulent broth. On Tuesdays they do a wine special which my friends enjoyed and overall I think I would return to try some other appetizers from the al carte menu and dig deeper into their wine list.

We came here for Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, because it had a broader menu than most from which to choose, and I liked a lot of the offerings. I had the escargots, and they came out sizzling hot in the baking mold with a little puff pastry on each one, and they were tender & delicious. My husband ordered the shrimp flambé, which also was served sizzling hot in oven cookware and was very tasty. My mother loved her onion soup covered in melted Gruyère cheese served in a little crock. I had the sole meunière for my entree, which cost $5 more and was well worth it. I loved the presentation and the Brussels sprout in puffed pastry and the small savory potato pancake. My husband had the cassoulet which was hearty and flavorful. Mom had the ribeye steak and frites. She really enjoyed the juicy & tender steak cooked to perfection and I stole some of her fries, which were crisp and captured the sauce, which was luscious. For dessert, I had the floating island, which was wonderful. The merengue had a caramelized sugar glaze and was floating on a delicious crème anglaise. My husband had the profiteroles and my mother chose the Mousse au chocolat. They very much liked their desserts. I definitely want to come again and try more plates. The food was so good, I almost forgot to mention how expert and nice the servers were. We enjoyed meeting the chef and thanking him for such a delicious and well executed meal.

Went here for restaurant week! Very homey and quaint ambiance. Service was decent - a little slower/not as attentive, but restaurant week may have made them more busy than usual. The dishes were either a hit or miss. The hits: - frog legs in garlic sauce: the garlic sauce makes it. Dipped the bread in the sauce too to get every bit. Also, very cliche but the frog legs were literally just like chicken. - escargot: flaky pastry puff and top with buttery snails - might be out of some folks comfort zone. Worth a try if you're on the edge. -bouillabaisse: flavorful seafood stew - can really taste the saffron. The miss: -bread pudding: very very bland. Had high expectations since I love a good bread pudding. This one was flavorless mushy bread - do not recommend.

What can be said about La Cote Dor Cafe that hasn't already been said about the wheel, penicillin, sliced bread or Andrea Bocelli's version of "Amazing Grace"? You know what I mean, right? Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little - maybe just a little. After all, parking next to an Econo Lodge that was right next door to the restaurant was a little odd and the bread basket was quite uninspiring. Maybe from Costco? But the service was impeccable. Polite. Attentive without being intrusive. Informative without overkill or an upsell. Food was also prepared perfectly - from the Dover Sole to the Branzino to the rack of lamb. The escargot was divine. The profiteroles heavenly. Clean. Fairly priced. Decently sized portions. Add that to the quaint, cozy, warm and welcoming atmosphere and you have a winner. We'll be back!

This is a special place that my family has loved for 20 years. The food is outstanding and the employees are attentive.

Our first time going to this charming little place. We did takeout (COVID). Ordered on line - their order system does not open up until the restaurant itself opens, so you cannot schedule an order to be picked up in advance. After placing/paying for the order, I got an email and text saying when it would be ready for pickup - and it was right on time! The more "spillable" menu items were wrapped in plastic wrap over the foil/plastic carry out containers to avoid leaking in the bag/your car. The Mojitos to go were assemble-to-your-liking. Rum and simple syrup blend was in a little plastic jug, with a separate container of fresh mint and two little club soda bottles. Nice amount of sweetness to the mix - not overbearing. The escargot were prepared beautifully- perfect balance of garlic, and each sitting on a little pillow of puff pastry. The porcini/leek tart was divine - more great pastry and again a perfect balance of ingredients - no one item overwhelmed another. We both got the bouillabaisse - also delicious! Also perfectly balanced seasonings and herbs. Generous portions of flaky fish, cool little "croutons" (toasted baguette slices) with separate parm and garlic butter. We were also delighted to get a half baguette and salad with our order. Everything was just great - very authentic French flavors and preparations. (I travel to France for work 2-3 times a year, so I know my French food!) well done on all counts!

It's the last day of Restaurant Week and I almost didn't make it to LCD - long way to go, weather being bad etc.  But glad I stuck with the plan to order takeout brunch as this is one of the restaurants I've been wanting to try and it has a really good RW brunch menu. The restaurant sits on the corner of Lee Hwy and Westmorland with the lengthier part on Westmorland.  The interior has just recently been renovated with new floor and furniture and looks casually charming and elegant.  There is a small bar area in entry and A couple of high tables by the window. Main dining room even has clear partitions separating the tables for safety.  We got ceasar salad, French onion soup, angus burger, rainbow trout, and for dessert creme caramel.  The food was delicious and abundant with huge portions - the burger was enormous, and the trout also large enough for two to share. As it was, there was enough leftover to supplement dinner as well - so all in all it was a tasty feast of exceedingly good value.  One of these days, soon I hope, we'll be back to enjoy a dine in experience.

We lived in France for 2 years, so I've had my fair share of authentic French food. The menu selection is definitely much wider than what you'll find in France, where most places only have 2 choices for an entree, plat and dessert. You can pick from about 10 choices for an entree (appetizer), about 15 choices for the plat (main dish), and 6 choices for dessert. A lot of the dishes are things that you would find in a traditional French restaurant, like pate, onion soup, duck confit, etc. as well as typical desserts like tarte tatin, creme caramel, etc. The portion sizes here are enormous - it's French dishes but American sized portions; the plates are about 2 times the size of what you would find in France. The 3 course meal is $35 per person, and it's a good value for what you get, since the portions are enormous and you'll probably be able to take some home for leftovers. It's easy to make reservations here or walk in to get a table, so it's a great place to come for a last-minute dinner. There are a decent amount of seats, and this would be a good place to come with a larger party or throw a birthday party with a larger group if you plan ahead of time and reserve space. They give you complimentary bread which is always nice (and always a given in France), with butter (not typical in France, but still delicious) Onion Soup - My husband and I both got this as the appetizer and it was delicious. Lots of flavorful broth, onions, and not too salty. There was a lot gruyere cheese and pieces of bread on top. It was delicious, and I know I'll get this soup again on many future occasions. Salmon with White Wine Saffron Cream Sauce - I always love a good seafood dish, and this salmon was great. The sauce was flavorful, not salty, and unique. The salmon portion was pretty generous and overall, I loved this dish and would get it again. Bread Pudding - The desserts here are enormous, about 3 times the size of what you would get in France! The bread pudding was just okay - it was a little bit dense for my taste; I prefer bread pudding slightly fluffier and made with brioche bread but it was still tasty. Next time I'll try something else. I'm looking forward to more meals here - the menu is quite large so you can come many times without getting bored of the dishes, and overall, the price is good for the quality and quantity of food that you get. It's hard to find French restaurants with more authentic, classic French food, so I'm glad we found this one!

The food here was excellent, and the wine was really good! An adorable little French restaurant. I will say the dessert wasn't mind-blowing, but the main course was so good that a sub-par dessert didn't affect the experience.

The place reminds me more of a Greek style restaurant. Generous portions, good prices and friendly service. It's a French restaurant so we were a little surprised they didn't have Armagnac at the bar. The cocktails though, were excellent! The main dish, seafood crepes was a bit too salty for me. The rainbow trout was seasoned well but slightly overdone. The dessert portions were ginormous! We ordered the floating island and the lemon meringue tart.

Everything was lovely here! It is such a quiet, calm, and relaxing setting. The bread was superb, and the fruits were fresh! I ordered the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. This dish is perfect. It was very flavorful! I will order this again for brunch when I come back! I totally recommend this place!

We ordered take out Thanksgiving dinner, and it was superb. Everything was perfectly cooked, packaged well, and exact directions to heat up the meal. Thanks for offering this. We hope you are also offering Christmas dinner to go. The Kelleys

The restaraunt decor is rustic and has a mom and pops feel to it. Very spacious restaraunt. The service was slow and the waiter seem very anxious. The waiter wanted to put the entire order in (at once) instead of taking the drink and appetizer order 1st ..... then the entree order (which was kind annoying). Although the expectations (and prices) were high, the food was mediocre. The taste really didn't align, with French cuisine. My mushroom was too soggy and my fish had a strong fishy taste to it. Also my vegetables were over cooked. On a positive note, the dessert was good (creme caramel). I will give them another try in the future, to see if it was a off night. :)

Dinner was amazingly wonderful. We were a table of 7 ladies celebrating a birthday. Wine selection was great and so was the wine! Asparagus soup, escargot, frog legs, caesar salad just to name a few. Service was on point!!!! We will be returning.

We tried this place for Sunday lunch and were very sorry we did! Lunch menu is very limited and we were told we could not order from the dinner menu. Even though there were only 2 other customers, the wait was so slow. I tried the onion soup and give it a POOR rating. onion soup should have onions but in my soup there was very little onions. A can of Progresso would have been much more enjoyable! My crepe came out cold on a very hot plate. I did not enjoy it because there was far too many mushrooms, the egg was cold and the cheese was cold. Save your money by not going here!