Awesomeness.

Good food, but sooooo loud in there. Prices aren’t too bad, either. Don’t forget that “t” at the end – Bistrot

Mussels, baby! Prepared lots of different ways, all to die for. Definitely loud as noted above, but oooh, those mussels. (Also — don’t sit near the front in the winter. You will die from the cold that seeps in from that front wall.)

I agree it’s a fal/winter place, and that it is LOUD. But that aside, I’ve have good meals there. Hangar steak in particular. Went there late last Valentine’s day, the owner took our coats and was serenading people on a Mr. Microphone seated at a table in the middle of the diniing room. He was pretty drunk, but at the end of the night he put our coats back on us and gave us little boxes of good quality chocolates! That was quite an evening for my visiting-from-out-of-town mother!!

One of my favorite places. Excellent steak and fries. Fun atmosphere, cheap wine by the carafe. Also love that they bring a bottle of tap water to the table.

Good food, but very bad service (may have just been our server… but she was bad).

never been…. but the nostalgic old fart in me still sees that as the One True location of Food for Thought…

I lived in France some years back and miss so much of the incredible food that was part of daily life there. Shoot, I once had a French roommate make an omelette to die for on a camp stove. That said, I was jolted back to memories when I had their klafoutie (sp.), which I hadn’t had nor thought of since Paris. Plus it’s such a funny name. So Bistrot du coin ce nést pas mal de tout.

Completely agree with IntangibleArts. I have never been able to bring myself to go there because I miss Food for Thought too much.

I really don’t like this place. Other than it being loud, every time I’ve been, the food has always been “eh” and the service glacial. Granville Moore’s mussels are much better (so are Little Fountain/Angles for that matter, though they don’t have the number of options) and for a similar menu, Montmartre’s food is way, way better. (Montmartre is also loud though, but not quite as loud as BdC.)

Okay food, terrible service. I went their last year and got put on the waiting list for a table. All the “regulars” got seated as soon as they came in. Manager was unapologetic when i called him out on it. The place is way too narrow, i feel like i am eating dinner with the next table over.

The rabbit stew is phenomenal. I love that place.

@Florista Thorne – “Went there late last Valentine’s day, the owner took our coats and was serenading people on a Mr. Microphone seated at a table in the middle of the diniing room. He was pretty drunk, but at the end of the night he put our coats back on us and gave us little boxes of good quality chocolates!”

Part of the fun is the loud raucous atmosphere and the owner who is usually a few sheets to the wind. I went with a group for a friends birthday a few years ago, and we also got the owner and his Mr. Microphone – this time he turned the lights out in the whole restaurant so it was pitch black for a few seconds with the whole restaurant gasping, then he came with Mr. Microphone to sing Happy Birthday with the boom box turned up to 12 and all distorted. It was so wack – we were dying laughing and crying (and each of us also had 3-4 martinis at this point). I definitely think it’s a GREAT place for a celebration or to bring visiting friends from out of town!

@IntangibleArts – Mrs. Monkey and I had our first date at Food for Thought. It’ll never be anything else to me. Du Coin is alright, but it’s noisy as hell (particularly for Beaujolais nouveau). You can find better food at Montmartre, and a nicer overall experience at Bistro D’Oc. Their rabbit and their cassoulet kicks derierre.

I love the place! One of my favorite days was celebrating France’s defeat of Brazil in the ’06 World Cup and the impromptu celebration there. Crazy.

Great food. Loud. Terrible service. A a great slice of France in D.C.

I like the french fries soaked in the cream sauce that comes with the mussels.

Not a bad place, but a few weeks ago I was seated upstairs and it was sweltering. Just sweltering and ridiculous. Also I am pretty sure their Bougelois wine made me rather ill.

Food for Thought 4-EVA!!!

i love this place. i went there with my mom, and i went there for a first date. i think the loudness of the place contributes to the authenticity. i had mussels both times- the second time they were a little dry, but still good. my favorite restaurant in dc.

Thanks, Lau, I can’t spell or write French as well as English but I can still speak it.

Fiery Nuggets Says:

Meh. Not Paris. Not Romantic. Not Quiet. Overrated

That’s fine, it is what it is: Not Paris (no kidding), Not Romantic (for real), Not quiet (hmph not sure how to be nasty and snarky on this), Overrated (I agree if you think it will take you back to France and think the food in most any Paris bistro will exceed this these days).

Have you tried La Fourchette? Not on the late weekend evenings of course. This is, to my mind the place to go for a romantic, quiet, not overated place that reminds me of some fine times in France. Even Paris.

I went there for the first time this past Sunday with my wife and 4 kids. We went at 4:30PM Sunday. It was quiet and service was fast and pleasant. We loved the mussels, steak and fries, the lobster/shrimp raviolis and of course the french onion soup. Very rich food, hard not to like. Kids liked it. When we left ~5:40 it was getting lively.

I really dislike this place. No matter the quality of the food, on a busy night you literally can’t hear the person sitting across from you. All-in-all, it’s not worth my money to sit and scream and then try to hear the other person. I’ve never been in such a loud bistro in Paris! (Notice my log-in – - “Oh to be in Paris”. It’s my DC license plate, too).

So, for French bistro cuisine, I’ll go to Montmartre by Eastern Market or Bistro D’oc across from Fords Theatre. And if I feel like traveling to the hinterlands, it’s Mon Ami Gabi in Bethesda.

I went a few years ago and will never go back. I had food poisoning from the mussels. Right after dinner, I threw up. After we paid, my husband told the waiter what happened and that he should tell the chef to cook the mussels a tiny bit longer (after we paid, not looking for a discount). Rather than agreeing to mention it to the chef, he just started arguing with my husband about how undercooked mussels don’t make people sick, and I was already ill before coming in. I would much prefer going somewhere with better service f.ex. Belga in SE.