Always a good place for a weekend brunch. Great food and great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rylin McGee
I thought that for the price, the food and service were very good. I appreciated that they were able to accommodate a walk-in for weekend brunch. The hostess was very polite and the servers were very attentive. The restaurant was very clean, including the bathrooms which were very nice compared to a lot of restaurants in DC. For a restaurant I had not heard of prior to visiting, I was pleasantly surprised!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jennifer S
This spot was incredible for Sunday brunch with friends! We had the almond croissant as a table app - delicious. Try it. Then we all got the crepes which were amazing. Good service and lovely ambience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Justin Gorinson
Best brunch! Love everything here from the cinnamon bun, almond croissant, vegetarian quiche, and French onion soup!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup
Ayesha M.
Food was ok. Service decent. Ordered the bouillabaisse which wasn't as delicious as I thought. Dessert was good. Bone marrow was cold and I wasn't sure if it was meant to be but not appetizing at all
Kevin B
Ambiance was great. Saturday night dinner with visitors from out of town, restaurant was full, lively but not too crowded or loud. The restaurant has a very comfortable feel.Service was perfect. Our waiter stopped in regularly to check on us, brought out orders promptly (thanks kitchen staff), and was patient with indecisive customers with kids!Food was ... okay. But at this very high price point I was expecting another level. Escargots were good; but it's only butter/garlic/parsley...but they were cooked perfectly. Seven for $17 dollars. Steak and frites...not good. I don't know what cut of meat they use, but mine was laced with grisel and appeared to be a cheaper cut and thoroughly pounded. I say appeared because I couldn't really see it as is was drowned in a very thick, sweet sauce/gravy. I'm not Gordon Ramsey, but the fries appeared to be frozen fries, and many of them were hard/dry, overcooked. Again, for the $38 price, I was expecting more from the dish. The $16 soup a l'oignon was PERFECT...the high point of the entire meal for me. My friend had the mussels, she loved them and they certainly give you a full portion. Great sopping up the juice with excellent, crusty bread.We had a nice time, with a slightly above average meal, but don't believe I'll be going back. Simply too expensive for what we had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Sarah Hardin Gustafson
The food at Convivial is excellent, however while we were dining we watched a mouse run out of the kitchen.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Kevin B.
Ambiance was great. Saturday night dinner with visitors from out of town, restaurant was full, lively but not too crowded or loud. The restaurant has a very comfortable feel. Service was perfect. Our waiter stopped in regularly to check on us, brought out orders promptly (thanks kitchen staff), and was patient with indecisive customers with kids! Food was ... okay. But at this very high price point I was expecting another level. Escargots were good; but it's only butter/garlic/parsley...but they were cooked perfectly. Seven for $17 dollars. Steak and frites...not good. I don't know what cut of meat they use, but mine was laced with grisel and appeared to be a cheaper cut and thoroughly pounded. I say appeared because I couldn't really see it as is was drowned in a very thick, sweet sauce/gravy. I'm not Gordon Ramsey, but the fries appeared to be frozen fries, and many of them were hard/dry, overcooked. Again, for the $38 price, I was expecting more from the dish. The $16 soup a l'oignon was PERFECT...the high point of the entire meal for me. My friend had the mussels, she loved them and they certainly give you a full portion. Great sopping up the juice with excellent, crusty bread. We had a nice time, with a slightly above average meal, but don't believe I'll be going back. Simply too expensive for what we had.
Christine D.
I went to Convivial for dinner with a friend before going to see a play at the Washington Stage Guild. They are very strict on reservation time, so make sure you're not late! I love the feel of Convivial inside, although some of the tables are super close together. We ordered burrata appetizer to share, which was delicious. Creamy and rich, as burrata should be, with a nice contrast to the crispy kale. For the entree, I had the bronzino, which was cooked well and served in a delicious, velvety sauce. I may have like the sauce more than the actual fish, to be honest. For dessert, we shared the macaron, which was filled with a lemon curd and served atop some kind of berry sauce. I could've definitely ate the whole thing myself, it was a perfect meal ending. For drinks, I ordered the St. Ex - a seasonal gin-based cocktail, which I enjoyed. Overall, the meal was solid, and the service was friendly. They did forget to bring us espressos we ordered at the end of the dinner, but by the time they realized their mistake, we had to leave for the play. Convivial is definitely pricey, but for a nice dinner out, it's a good option. It just doesn't have that craveable quality that some other spots in the city do at this price point. However, I'd like to come back for brunch, since it's well-known for that.
Kristin Krimminger
Went for Happy Hour- great food deals! Excellent petit cassoulet, mini quiche, French onion soup! The pate en croute was fantastic.
I dined at Convivial with friends a little over a year ago for my birthday and really enjoyed it. Everything was delicious. My husband and I chose it this year for a special Valentines day dinner and it was underwhelming at best. We were there at 5:15pm which was a fairly light seating. Not many people were in the dining room. The appetizers were good but the entrees were very mediocre. My fish was rubbery, wet, and undercooked, not flakey, and it lacked flavor. The server offered me a new one but brought back the same one which I guess had been cooked a little longer and was still lacking in flavor and texture. The manager stopped by to ask if it was better but didn't really seem interested in whether we enjoyed the food. It was very mediocre and not the same quality that I enjoyed a year ago. I was very disappointed.
david mcgeown
Great host lovely
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: La Bouillabaisse Marseillaise
Mary R.
Completely excellent service and delicious food. We enjoyed sitting at the bar on our second visit. The bartender was very kind and helpful. We love Convivial!!!
Kristen Lang
I took my wife here for her 30th birthday and we had a wonderful night! The hosts were very accomodating, and our server was kind and attentive. They experienced a computer glitch at the bar while we were there, no fault of their own, but still went above and beyond to make it up to us. All of the food was incredible, especially the desserts. We will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Escargot En Croute, Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Mousse, La Bouillabaisse Marseillaise, Sticky Toffee Pudding w Maple Ice Cream
Mitchell Feikes
Great French food with thoughtful selection of mains and appetizers. Waiter gave helpful suggestions. Would go again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Escargot En Croute, Boeuf Bourguignon, Cassoulet Au Confit De Canard, French Onion Soup, Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Mousse, Frites
Always a good place for a weekend brunch. Great food and great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I thought that for the price, the food and service were very good. I appreciated that they were able to accommodate a walk-in for weekend brunch. The hostess was very polite and the servers were very attentive. The restaurant was very clean, including the bathrooms which were very nice compared to a lot of restaurants in DC. For a restaurant I had not heard of prior to visiting, I was pleasantly surprised!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
This spot was incredible for Sunday brunch with friends! We had the almond croissant as a table app - delicious. Try it. Then we all got the crepes which were amazing. Good service and lovely ambience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best brunch! Love everything here from the cinnamon bun, almond croissant, vegetarian quiche, and French onion soup!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup
Food was ok. Service decent. Ordered the bouillabaisse which wasn't as delicious as I thought. Dessert was good. Bone marrow was cold and I wasn't sure if it was meant to be but not appetizing at all
Ambiance was great. Saturday night dinner with visitors from out of town, restaurant was full, lively but not too crowded or loud. The restaurant has a very comfortable feel.Service was perfect. Our waiter stopped in regularly to check on us, brought out orders promptly (thanks kitchen staff), and was patient with indecisive customers with kids!Food was ... okay. But at this very high price point I was expecting another level. Escargots were good; but it's only butter/garlic/parsley...but they were cooked perfectly. Seven for $17 dollars. Steak and frites...not good. I don't know what cut of meat they use, but mine was laced with grisel and appeared to be a cheaper cut and thoroughly pounded. I say appeared because I couldn't really see it as is was drowned in a very thick, sweet sauce/gravy. I'm not Gordon Ramsey, but the fries appeared to be frozen fries, and many of them were hard/dry, overcooked. Again, for the $38 price, I was expecting more from the dish. The $16 soup a l'oignon was PERFECT...the high point of the entire meal for me. My friend had the mussels, she loved them and they certainly give you a full portion. Great sopping up the juice with excellent, crusty bread.We had a nice time, with a slightly above average meal, but don't believe I'll be going back. Simply too expensive for what we had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
The food at Convivial is excellent, however while we were dining we watched a mouse run out of the kitchen.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Ambiance was great. Saturday night dinner with visitors from out of town, restaurant was full, lively but not too crowded or loud. The restaurant has a very comfortable feel. Service was perfect. Our waiter stopped in regularly to check on us, brought out orders promptly (thanks kitchen staff), and was patient with indecisive customers with kids! Food was ... okay. But at this very high price point I was expecting another level. Escargots were good; but it's only butter/garlic/parsley...but they were cooked perfectly. Seven for $17 dollars. Steak and frites...not good. I don't know what cut of meat they use, but mine was laced with grisel and appeared to be a cheaper cut and thoroughly pounded. I say appeared because I couldn't really see it as is was drowned in a very thick, sweet sauce/gravy. I'm not Gordon Ramsey, but the fries appeared to be frozen fries, and many of them were hard/dry, overcooked. Again, for the $38 price, I was expecting more from the dish. The $16 soup a l'oignon was PERFECT...the high point of the entire meal for me. My friend had the mussels, she loved them and they certainly give you a full portion. Great sopping up the juice with excellent, crusty bread. We had a nice time, with a slightly above average meal, but don't believe I'll be going back. Simply too expensive for what we had.
I went to Convivial for dinner with a friend before going to see a play at the Washington Stage Guild. They are very strict on reservation time, so make sure you're not late! I love the feel of Convivial inside, although some of the tables are super close together. We ordered burrata appetizer to share, which was delicious. Creamy and rich, as burrata should be, with a nice contrast to the crispy kale. For the entree, I had the bronzino, which was cooked well and served in a delicious, velvety sauce. I may have like the sauce more than the actual fish, to be honest. For dessert, we shared the macaron, which was filled with a lemon curd and served atop some kind of berry sauce. I could've definitely ate the whole thing myself, it was a perfect meal ending. For drinks, I ordered the St. Ex - a seasonal gin-based cocktail, which I enjoyed. Overall, the meal was solid, and the service was friendly. They did forget to bring us espressos we ordered at the end of the dinner, but by the time they realized their mistake, we had to leave for the play. Convivial is definitely pricey, but for a nice dinner out, it's a good option. It just doesn't have that craveable quality that some other spots in the city do at this price point. However, I'd like to come back for brunch, since it's well-known for that.
Went for Happy Hour- great food deals! Excellent petit cassoulet, mini quiche, French onion soup! The pate en croute was fantastic.
Restaurantji Recommends
I dined at Convivial with friends a little over a year ago for my birthday and really enjoyed it. Everything was delicious. My husband and I chose it this year for a special Valentines day dinner and it was underwhelming at best. We were there at 5:15pm which was a fairly light seating. Not many people were in the dining room. The appetizers were good but the entrees were very mediocre. My fish was rubbery, wet, and undercooked, not flakey, and it lacked flavor. The server offered me a new one but brought back the same one which I guess had been cooked a little longer and was still lacking in flavor and texture. The manager stopped by to ask if it was better but didn't really seem interested in whether we enjoyed the food. It was very mediocre and not the same quality that I enjoyed a year ago. I was very disappointed.
Great host lovely
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: La Bouillabaisse Marseillaise
Completely excellent service and delicious food. We enjoyed sitting at the bar on our second visit. The bartender was very kind and helpful. We love Convivial!!!
I took my wife here for her 30th birthday and we had a wonderful night! The hosts were very accomodating, and our server was kind and attentive. They experienced a computer glitch at the bar while we were there, no fault of their own, but still went above and beyond to make it up to us. All of the food was incredible, especially the desserts. We will definitely be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Escargot En Croute, Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Mousse, La Bouillabaisse Marseillaise, Sticky Toffee Pudding w Maple Ice Cream
Great French food with thoughtful selection of mains and appetizers. Waiter gave helpful suggestions. Would go again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Escargot En Croute, Boeuf Bourguignon, Cassoulet Au Confit De Canard, French Onion Soup, Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Mousse, Frites