Reviews of Bistro Provence (Restaurant)

kyle vick

I would sell my children for a serving of the lobster purses... Well maybe the neighbors kids. I love this place!

Taharka Allen

Best french restaurant in Bethesda

James Just

Fabulous place for lunch. Incredibly well prepared and tasty food

A Wall

Outstanding food. Nice very cosy restaurant. Sitting near where the chef cooks is more lively, but a little noisy. Sitting in the regular dining room is quieter. Never have been in the garden. Ordering before 7 pm you get prix fixe, which is an excellent value for money.

Keith Morrow

Wonderful food, and the best service hands down!!

Carolyn Forche

We lived in Paris, and so were delighted to discover Yannick Cam and his Bistro Provence. We have dined here twice, and were very impressed by the food and the service (contrary to the experience of some other reviewers on this site). The lobster purses are exquisite, but everything is very well prepared. The wine is pricey, but of high quality. We will return tonight.

Jim Nedohon

Wonderful food and ambiance.

Suresh Rastogi

Great payio

lillianne dere

First time, going to this restaurant and I was highly disappointed for lack of professionalism and the food. First , I did not feel the French atmosphere at all, more like a Mexican restaurant. I didn’t like the food, this is not a French cuisine and overpriced for what you are getting. I made a reservation through the manager on the phone for a private room table for 2 , once we got there I was told by the staff, after staff spoke with the manager to confirm my reservation , that there is no table for 2 people in the private rooms section. The manager did not even come down to tell us, she had to tell the staff over the phone while we were waiting downstairs. Meanwhile , she was upstairs in the private rooms section . We decided to stay downstairs and cope with the noise. About 45 mins , the manager came downstairs and being hypocritical , she told us how sorry she was, keep apologizing and asked us if we wanted to move now, we told her No because we were not willing to move after we were already sitting , started drinking and ordered our food which by the way was tasteless when we got it. I’m sure she gave our table to some other guests or she didn’t have a table at all but still accepted my reservation, ridiculous. Staff are not friendly, all seem scared, cold and confused . This is Not a French restaurant , I have been to couple of them and I can tell the difference specially the Food, again it is more like a Mexican cuisine with a French name attached to it and overpriced . If you want a good French restaurant go to - le vieux Logis restaurant in Bethesda , you will have the best French cuisine , staff over there are very professional , very welcoming and again you will have a great, Real french food. I should have gone there again but I thought I should try this restaurant for the first time and I was highly disappointed .

Kent S

Nice place and good food.

Alex Tanzi

Very slow service. $350 for 5 people for brunch

Donnie Worldwide

We had a wonderful meal, and as it was a birthday celebration, were treated to a scrumptious chocolate layer cake for dessert!

Janet Cam

Sublimely delicious!

Paula Driscoe

Really excellent food and service. We visited on a rainy November day, so we didn't get a chance to sit outside. But the interior is beautiful, and we were seated where we could see Chef Cam perform his magic near the warm and cozy kitchen. So we were very happy. What a very lovely restaurant. We plan to return often.

Juventus Italy

Yannick Cam is a nasty person who steals from the employees and threats people with disrespect and arrogance. The food is average too. Of course the service is poor, the employees quit all the time.

Andre Lopes Quintas

Wonderful place

Linda Chapman

W a s passing bye

Elana R. S.

The Bethesda food scene is absolutely mediocre, but this restaurant is one of the only ones I have been actually impressed with. It is a quiet, neighborhood hidden gem with excellent service. It is quiet and really feels like an escape. I am a vegetarian, so French food isn’t the best fit, but I can make a meal of just their appetizers, and was so impressed with the flavor and savoriness. Brunch is great as well. My only complaint was the mimosa was $14 but the price wasn’t on the menu. That’s too much given the main course was $12. I feel like this place struggles financially and isn’t the most popular because of its location, and I want people to know that it is a friendly, delicious, local gem worth going out of your way for.

Mark Nash

Really good food and good service.

justin funes

Excellent, although this was my first time at this restaurant. Great food and service. Food was delicious.

Bradford Castro

I went here as my last meal in Bethesda when I moved as I hadn't been yet and figured that I should try to end on a high note by going to what had been regarded to me as the best restaurant in Bethesda. Of course I was wary, having been told that before, when I'd first moved there with places like Black's that ended up being completely abhorrent, so I reserved my judgement. Bistro Provence fully lived up to, and even exceeded my expectation - it is the best restaurant in Bethesda. Our food was simply unbelievable, from the salmon tartar topped with the most exquisite caviar imaginable (for someone who has not acquired a caviar taste to say that speaks volumes), to the veal chop that was sized for Fred Flintstone but cooked for Fred Astaire (the size was just a nice bonus, I wasn't expecting what I got). The Bordeaux was amazing, full-bodied, and not overpriced; it needed a few minutes to open up and I'm so glad that I didn't send it back because it was completely worth the wait and risk. We finished with a lava cake that was prepared to perfection and accompanied by the smoothest deliciously subtle ice cream to clean the palate; of course I needed a cognac to accompany it, and given the damage that I'd already incurred on my wallet, opted for the house cognac - what a great choice it ended up to be. Bistro Provence has tied Cafe Renaissance (Vienna) for my favorite restaurant in the D.C. area. These bad reviews are completely unfounded, it's possible that I just got lucky on a good night but I really don't think so. It seems like the tastes of these individuals are quite elementary, and I don't think that they realize that the staff in a restaurant like this are probably better educated and more worldly than they are; not having patience for people who won't (actually, can't) fully appreciate the experience. Paris would tear these people to shreds.

Catalina Garcia

Chef Yannick does an amazing job every time. I was a former customer of LeParadou and followed him to Bistro Provence. The open kitchen just makes a great conversation to bring friends from out of town, watching a true artist at work, making your food fresh, just simply amazing.

Kimo Kippen

Very good food. Service spotty. Did not have the wine I ordered. They suggested a more expensive wine but did not offer to honor the price of the original wine that I ordered. It's not about the money, it's about the principle. I still spent over $230.00for dinner for 2 people. My guest was wearing black pants and the napkins were white, so we asked for a black napkin and the waiter said for what? Hmm.

Nicholas Vazsonyi

We were so disappointed. From what we had heard about the chef, we were very excited. He is talented, but there is insufficient staffing both in the kitchen and for the tables. It took 15 minutes to get our first glass of wine. Two of the specials on the menu were not available. The asparagus soup was divine but the parmesan custard in the middle had no parmesan flavor. The duck came with a terrine of foie gras which was mainly terrine and a micro speck of foie gras. The duck was cooked perfectly but had no flavor. The lemon torte would have been amazing but a splash of amaretto drowned out the subtlety of the lemon. Why, oh why? And everything was just so very slow. Bottom line, if you want a great, dependable French bistro, go to La Chaumière in Georgetown. It's worth the trip.

Michael Goltzman

Generally excellent food, although the duck was tough, and the service was extremely slow to the point that it took over an hour for the appetizers to arrive, and 2.5 hours after arriving, we were finally served dinner. Ridiculous.

Linda Marcus

Incredible food, service and atmosphere!!!

Ruya A

Me and my grandma ate here for dinner last night (08/10/18). My grandma didn’t like how her chicken was tasing and sent it back. tried her chicken as well and it was tasteless and over cooked. We let our server know. The sever took my grandma’s plate and returned saying: “the cook says there is nothing wrong with it!” FYI, I tried it too and it was tasteless. I rarely complain about food but when it’s bad, it’s bad. You’d think that they take it off the check but NO they charged for food that hasn’t been eaten. I will be giving two stars since my salmon was good and our server was excellent. He gave us free dessert after my grandma’s disappointing dinner.

F Mc

Scrumptious, perfectly cooked, exquisite French fare in a pleasant, low-key setting, with authentic, unintrusive servers. A bit of Paris on the Potomac!

Annie Klein

Great food, great service, great chef! Went out for a nice lunch with my girlfriends and couldn’t have asked for more. Food came out amazing and the entire restaurant just screams elegance. For sure will be visiting again.

Marianne Velasco

Excellent service , great food , will go there again and again

Bruce F

Great food. Tasty unlimited fresh made bread. Great location. They offer a nice 3 course package before 7PM. The waiting service needs improvement. Good wine selection, but not a good value at ~ $18 ave per glass for an average wine. Nice outdoor tables in the back terrace.

Maximilian Love

This restaurant is my preferable restaurant. Of all restaurants I know I like it most. I always suggests to my friends to go to that place. everytime I feel like having a decent lunchon, this restaurant comes straightaway to my head. very good and many types of food and a large menu.courteous staff, and agreeable atmosphere. In addition to that, the charge is affordable. I recommend this spot with pleasure.

Dominic Chen

The food is constantly fresh and delicious, employees hands over excellent service. I really like how clean it is and mood. Highly recommended.

Massimo Quartararo

Well, I have to say this chef knows what is doing. Wine and champagne are not overly expensive. Great dinner experience. Chapo'

Maggie E.

Outstanding food.

Chris Nicoletti

Fantastic food and Manu is a great waiter.

Billy Private

I went there for a surprise dinner with my date on a Sunday evening. The items on the menu were all delicious sounding and the atmosphere was very relax. They had a lot os specials that day. We went for the lobster appetizer special, the "Lobster Purse", which is like a wonderful version of lobster dumplings. For the entrées, my date had one of the seafood special, which consisted of scallop clam and lobster (called the Branzini), and I had the meat special, which was a giant 16 ounce veal chop. The seafood and veal were so fresh and I was pleasantly surprised they tasted so good on a Sunday evening. We had a glass of wine each (the Sancerre and the fruity Cote du Rhone Red.) The dessert (we picked the cherry one called the "Amaretto Parfait") was delicious and a fantastic way to close our dinner night. My date is a big seafood and cherry person and she absolutely loved it. It was pricey but everything was cooked very well and the staff took good care of us. It was my second time going there (the first time was a work related lunch) and I will be going back. It was nice to exchange a few words in French with the chef himself. Merci beaucoup!

gail knowles

one word ---FABULOUS1111

Thi Pham

This place and Charleston is the best place for foies gras hands down in the state of Maryland. Great service and great food!

Patrick Campbell

I love this restaurant

Sima Z

This is a beautiful place with delicious food and great service.

Pierre VIOLET

Very good as usual!!

Damian Maseda Caballero

The experience was quite bad overall. The service is untrained and they really do not know what they are doing, to the point of lacking manners some times and not understanding very simple rules of the service industry (e.g. like not taking the dish out of your hands when you asked them not to do that.... and they still keep pulling). The oversize plates (not the food, the actual dishes themselves) made it quite uncomfortable to even place everything on the table for 7 people that we were in. On top of that, they tried to rearrange the table every single time they brought a new dish.....like 5 times at least, which was very annoying. Forgetting the service, the bathroom wasn't appropriate for this kind of place, not clean and in a horrible location. We were of course expecting at least that the food would be good to compensate for all the bad stuff. Not at all. Mediocre at best, and very much not French cuisine anyways. Definitely not worth the price by far. A very disappointing experience and waste of money. When you go to a place like this and pay those prices, this is simply intolerable.

Anastasia Sweeney

Food was incredible from appetizers to dessert. Ambiance was delightful. This was a special night out for us and Bistro Provence provided us with a lovely evening all around.

Mike R

The appetizer and dessert were great, but the main course wasn't very good at all. For the price you're paying, it's not really worth it.

Aniabelle Amadeo

I was here on March. They have a lobster salad as an appetizer that is super delicious. I will order it everytime. It was simple, fresh and well equilibrated.My husband ordered a foie gras that was to die for. As a main course, I ordered roasted chicken, which was juicy and seasoned on point. It came with a parmesan polenta. What I found a little "rude" was that the chicken breast was big compared with the polenta portion. So I had a lot of chicken to eat alone. I will like them to put more polenta in this plate. That way it will be perfectly served. It is a good place and awesome attention!

David Yeh

Best cuisine in the DC area. each time we eat here, something blows us away whether it be the duck, asparagus soup, grilled squid, crepes, or French toast. The ratatouille is light and amazing. The prix fixed lunch is a great deal. The brunch is the neighborhood's little secret.

David Wasson

The wait staff was untrained at best, but was closer to being out right bad. They tried, multiple times, to refill our wine glasses, which had wine in them, with water. They didn't get us various things we asked for until the 2nd or 3rd request. The service was also quite slow. They also misstated the price on the wine as $50 but was actually $130, which we found out when we got the bill. To add to that, the food was mediocre and I felt I would have gotten a better tasting meal at Chipotle. To get to the bathroom, I either had to take a filthy staircase down or ride the elevator which smelled like trash. We spent nearly $600 that night for 5 people for food, drinks and tip. I expected a lot more for this kind of money. McDonalds has higher standards than this place. This is one of those restaurants that's all about the name and being able to tell people you went there, rather than serving high quality, tasty food with competent wait staff. Its a shame considering all the hype surrounding it.

Karin Baptiste

Small portions aka real French portions NOT American sized portions. Delicious and really lovely quaint Provincial decor.

Ginette Pepper

Our business meeting in one of the private rooms had superb ambiance. Food selection was great; the presentation and taste were memorable.

Lauren Abrishami

I had filet mignon here. It wasn't what I would expect from a upend place. For what they charge I expected juicy and very tender but it didn't meet that standard. Service is good. The desserts are good but didn't meet my upend standards.

Yuanting Luo

Just ok. Duck is not very good. Too pricey for the quality.

Ademola Ademola

Best desserts ever

Lawrence Whicker

An excellent bistro. Chef Cam produces wonderful food in a casual classy setting. The service ranges from outstanding to variable. Some of the best food in Bethesda.

Bruce Williams

Compares with anything you can get in Paris or Marseille! Good authentic French food and a wine cellar to match. Recommended.

Kayla Fuller

Hello reader! The lovely people at Bistro Provence hosted our private dinner for roughly 30 people last week. It was a beautiful event! The staff were very professional and attentive. Some of the menu was in French (very fun) and the staff took the time to help us understand everything. A great touch! The food was incredible and just the right amount. Personally, I had the lobster purse, scallops, and apple tarte. They were all divine! I also got to try my friend's risotto, which was also amazing. The wine was perfectly flowing and delicious. The private space is wonderfully sized and has its own bathroom. Everyone raved about the meal and how much fun they had. We wouldn't have had it any other way. I simply cannot say enough good things about the service, food, and overall ease of planning the event! I had zero worries and as an event planner, that is an essential feeling to have :) Much love to all who read this, Kayla

Casey Jewel

There were no options without cream

Valeed Siddiqi

The food and service were great. I went there with two clients at their recommendation and I will be going back!

Rob Stewart

Best food in Bethesda

Jolyon Zook

Great little place tucked away in Bethesda. Food was very good, real French country cooking

Stéphane Le Cam

Food is always the main star for this location!

Wendy Carpenter-Israel

I love this quiet, delicious restaurant. It is perfect for both lunch and dinner. Don’t miss the secret inner courtyard!

fanny funes

It's a beautiful place to eat and have wonderful moments.

Carole Teolis

Excellent in every aspect

Tom Bernhart

The best deal for quality and price for having lunch in Bethesda

Angelo.J. Esquives

Place looks outstanding although a bit small during the winter since the patio is not open but dont let that deceive you. This place gets it gets really busy on week nights so make reservations ahead. All the food looks and tastes marvelous! Chef Yannick Cam really does exceed himself when cooking. He's also extremely friendly and you can bet that he in his restaurant everyday making sure the place runs smoothly. Ingrients are truely some of the best from local oragnic farms and you can taste the quality in every bite. When it comes making a desicion however, it's extremly tough based on all the choices available. From crisp salads to rich hot soups to tasty seafood dishes as well as a variation of meats there is truely no day of the same when dinning here. Escargots, Roasted Miane Lobster, Bouillabase, as well as the New York Strip Steak are a few of the many highlights.

Alan Wong

The food is magical here! We had a birthday lunch here on a rainy Saturday. Service was a bit lacking and slow as there was only one waiter for the entire restaurant. Shocking! He was very courteous when he came around. But the food made up for any shortcomings.

steven Slater

V. Expensive for food that was good but not exceptional. Grade B+. Service was horrible and would never go back. Embarrassed recommending Bistro for our party of four. We sat - as did everyone else - for 2.5 hours before being served main meal. Arrived at 6:30 and left after 10 without desert or coffee. Really weird staff and managers acting like wait was typical. No table turnovers all night. Staff pushed specials that turned out nearly twice the cost of average meal - never mentioning price when we asked for recommendations, so bill was a shock. Ouch.

Bruce Szmajda

Chef Yannick Cam's artistry with elements he has chosen yields tasty delights, deft presentation, and a full sensory experience. Thank you, Chef!

Christina Whitehouse-Suggs

The ambience and warm attention from the staff only serve to highlight the glorious food. We chuckled when the waiter mentioned that everything was cooked to order and that there are no warming trays in the kitchen so the service might seem slower than we're used to. It never seemed slow to us but we had planned to linger and the pace of serving each course felt just right. The food came out in perfect portions with beautiful presentation and each bite was better than the last from the first course to the last. We will certainly be back.

Martin Paulus

Exquisite french cuisine and wine

Yung Mckenzie

Love it! Great food, beautiful wine list! Friendly and professional service! It becomes my favorite french restaurant in DC.

john lee

French cuisine cooked by an amazing chef from France. The food is amazing and fresh. The wait staff is very friendly. He sang happy birthday to my wife solo when he found out it was her birthday. The menu is small, but that is why the food is amazing. A must visit and I will definitely return for another dining experience that was a culinary festival of French cuisine.

Morgan Anthony

I constantly arrive getting some food in this spot. I love the swift service and well prepared food. I recommend this place.

Gary Good

This place is worth a try. They have big portions for fair rates. Consistently neat and with good character. I highly recommend this place.

Grace Marsalo

AWFUL SERVICE!!!! if you want to wait 7 hours for your dinner do not come here!!!!

Nicole b

Over priced and food was average at best

Dawn Holl

My husband and I had a stellar experience at Bistro Provence - the food and service were excellent. My veal chop was perfectly savory and tender, and his diver scallops were melt in your mouth delicious. The lobster purses were sublime. Endive salad was delicate yet distinctive with a lovely, light Roquefort dressing - very refreshing. Desserts - the nougat and chocolate mousse parfait were fab. Shocked to find this exquisite gem in our own back yard. We've had too many average meals at too many restaurants in the area for ridiculous prices. We are happy to pay for quality. The prices here - for such high quality food - are a great value. We will definitely be back to Bistro Provence (again and again)!! Chef Cam is a true artist/chef.

Michael Gray

If there's a better example of what exquisite French fare perfectly prepared should be I haven't found it yet in this region. Combined with the charming atmosphere, watching Chef Cam prepare it, and the ability to talk to your dining companions it's a near perfect experience.

Michael Quon

Outstanding. Best restaurant in bethesda

J. David Miller

In value, given the high prices, the food is only fair; food as good or better is available for 30% less at many local restaurants. The decor is pleasant enough, especially the patio, which was closed because of rain, but inside the tables are far too close together and the noise level requires shouting. At a recent visit, the service was amateur/pretentious and the waiter's manner was disdainful: e.g. when I asked if any of the wines by the glass was a Chardonnay, since none of the four whites was labeled as such, the waiter snottily said, "yes, the Chardonnay," as if I was an idiot for not knowing that the Sancerre was a Chardonnay. The waiter was awful (no knowledge of the cost of the many specials, more numerous than items on the menu, for example), and, to paraphrase the joke about the bad food, there was not enough of him: since he was serving at least 20 people, waits were long between his invariably unpleasant appearances. Near the end of the meal, as the four of us were reminiscing about movies, he snarkily said, "Now it's time for movie trivia, eh?" At least he didn't start the evening with "Hi, My name is X, I'll be your server tonight." Otherwise, the service was more suited to a diner than an expensive bistro.

Kat Odeh

This small quaint restaurant has the most amazing french cuisine in the DC area. Chef Yannick made us the most marvelous three course meal. The lobster purse was just exquisite, and the chocolate soufle is a must, which you have to order in advance, but it is worth it.

Seily Diaz

Food and environment is one of the best in Bethesda area.

John Williams

Very nice

Mary Dowling

Excellent food

Stephanie Joyce

Go to Mon Ami Gabi. Better (cleaner) ambience, better service, much bigger menu, better ingredient quality, more rational prices. Busboys not hovering next to your table trying to grab your plate while you’re eating. Can’t believe the ratings Provence gets.

Nohemy Handal

Great food and service. The most amazing and authentic French cuisine in Washington DC area.

Jack Hawkins

Was disappointed with the experience overall. The flavor of the food was excellent but it seemed like it had been cooked a few hours ago then kinda sorta reheated. They kept the food coming fast (we did the dinner bistro 3 course deal), but it seemed liked they just wanted to get us out of there. However, my main gripe is there were constantly (every single second) a few waiters loitering by the bar/hanging over our table. At first I didn't think much of it but it got real uncomfortable after a while. How would you feel if there was a stranger hovering over you all dinner?

Ana karina Rodriguez

Food was one of the best I have ever tried, very nice venue and excellent customer service

Andrew Goods

Food is WONDERFUL!!!

Naïde Obiang

Good fine food

Felicity Ann Brown

Yannick Cam is a food genius. Great mussels and beef.