Le DeSales
Modern French restaurant · Downtown ·
French bistro fare & sushi with chic bar & offbeat artwork
French bistro fare & sushi with chic bar & offbeat artwork
"Downtown, this larger and more formal brasserie marks Aziz Safi and Raphael Francois’s earlier collaboration nearly a decade ago, with Bonne Vie positioned as its casual sister." - Evan Caplan
"During its 12-year run in the heart of Chinatown, Sei was widely considered one of the top sushi and sashimi spots in town. The beloved brand now lives on inside French-themed Le DeSales, where Japanese sushi master “Noriaki” Yasutake sends out his greatest raw fish hits to go along with a solid list of sakes and Japanese whiskeys. There’s also surprisingly solid French-Japanese food across the menu, including tempura-fried squash blossoms filled with whipped ricotta and a miso beets salad topped with goat cheese and strawberries." - Tierney Plumb
"I noted that MXDC is a partnership with the local hospitality group behind Dupont’s Le DeSales, a team that has combined French food with sushi and draws on staff who worked together previously at the old Panache (now Le DeSales) across from the Mayflower Hotel." - Tierney Plumb
"After a 12-year run in Chinatown, the beloved Sei sushi and sashimi operation now lives inside French-themed Le DeSales, where Japanese sushi master “Noriaki” Yasutake continues to send out his top raw-fish preparations alongside a solid list of sakes and Japanese whiskeys; Sei’s offerings have also appeared alongside a French menu at U Street’s Baby Shank." - Tierney Plumb
"I stepped into Dupont’s French-themed Le DeSales (1725 Desales Street NW) and found a hybrid that keeps both identities distinct: Raphael Francois’s French bistro fare — duck pate, rabbit pasta and whole branzino — coexists with a sleek sushi counter where Noriaki Yasutake revives his knife skills behind what used to be the desserts station. The 3,100-square-foot space features white subway tiles, blue velvet booths, gleaming hardwoods, chic graffiti artwork and French doors to a seasonal sidewalk seating area, and it seats about 119. The bar preserves Sei’s rare sake and a ten‑type whiskey list that starts at $13 and climbs to $32 for a pour of Yamakazi 12-year single malt, while cocktails nod to Sei (the Liquid Wasabi blends unfiltered sake, vodka, lime, habanero and ginger-infused simple syrup). Francois, who reshaped Panache into Le DeSales in 2017 and brings Michelin-trained experience, plans to bulk up the French side this summer, lunch currently features beet tartare poke bowls and bento boxes, brunch is en route, and Monday service plus an all-night happy hour are being used to drum up weeknight traffic; as the general manager put it, “We aren’t French, we aren’t Asian fusion — we are a French bistro with sushi.”" - Tierney Plumb