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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

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CUISINES
French, European
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
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meals, features, about
Reviews (200)
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Traveller rating
103
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13
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LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
103
40
24
20
13
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Reviewed 10 October 2023 via mobile

The food is very very tasty so that is the saving grace. The portions are small. The service is ridiculous. Like order and wait almost 45 minutes for food ridiculous. Like have to remind the waiter over and over for water ridiculous. So as long...as the food continues to taste this way ok. Otherwise they would shut down. If you don’t have three hours for dinner don’t go.More

Date of visit: October 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 26 August 2023

Over the past 10-15 years, we have dined at Bistro Provence approximately twice a year. We enjoyed it for the excellent food, ambiance, service, and prices. It has been our ‘go to’ restaurant when friends are in from out of town. Unfortunately, we will be...looking elsewhere. Last Saturday night, a group of six of us arrived by 6:10 for a 6PM reservation. We were seated and before we could even say hello to each other, we were informed that we had to order dinner as quickly as possible as a group of forty was due in at 6:30. About five minutes later, as he took our drink order, the waiter reminded us that we had to order because once the big party came in, the chef would be totally focused on them for at least an hour. Five minutes later, we were told that this was out last chance to order! So we skipped a first course since, God forbid, we didn’t want to inconvenience the big party or the chef. By the way, when the restaurant had called at noon to confirm our reservation, they made no mention of a large party following us in. They obviously didn’t want us to go somewhere else – just hurry up once there. When our dinners arrived, five were served together, and after a few minutes wait, I signaled the waiter to find out what had happened to the sixth dinner. We were told it would be up ‘soon.’ We should have never had to ask! And we should have been served together. Now people at some of the other tables were starting to leave. The most horrible loud screeches came from the seats being moved. Literally, conversations had to stop. A simple foam pad, available at any office supply store, would solve the problem. With the increase in the dinner prices and a mandatory 20% tip for a party of five or more – no wonder they didn’t care about attitude or service - one would expect that they could solve this problem easily. An apology and perhaps free dessert for the inconveniences would have gone a long way to mollifying us. But at $14 a pop, plus 20%, that extra $100 must have been very important. I apologized to the group for the unfortunate hot mess. Fortunately, four of the party had eaten there before – one of the main reasons that we were back – so we chalked it up to another experience and went our merry ways.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 30 June 2022

We dined here early in winter and were the only ones at the restaurant, sat outside due to COVID. Placed our order and inquired if there was any bread. The rude waiter said "not today" and ran off. Where, I don't know, as mentioned, we...were the only ones there. I ordered the scallops, partner ordered salmon. I didn't get a glass of wine since they were $15, and I was hungry so didn't want to have that on an empty stomach or with scallops alone. Companion loved the salmon she got, however, the zucchini cakes are like those little scrambled egg bites, and she didn't care for them, as they were quite dry. The real issue was with my scallops. The first few were good! Then I took a bite of one that was DEFINITELY NOT OKAY. I immediately spit it in my napkin and excused myself to the bathroom. When the waiter came back I let him know. HE SAID, WELL, YOU GOT TWO MORE SCALLOPS THAN WE NORMALLY GIVE PEOPLE, SO ALL IS FAIR AND WELL, RIGHT? And took my plate. Are. You. Kidding. Me. $85 later, neither of us was full, and I was literally left with a rotten taste in my mouth. Abysmal experience.More

Date of visit: February 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 21 February 2022 via mobile

Visited the restaurant for Valentines Day and we waited almost Two hours for our meal. Everyone had reservations so really no excuse for the wait. Bread was overpriced as was the salad which included overripe tomatoes and two heals. Fish Entree had delicious sauce and...well cooked but included canned clams. We didn’t stay for dessert because our waiter told us they were backed up and would take another hour. They need to do better.More

Date of visit: February 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 28 July 2021

Award winning chef provides a fine setting here with main floor with bar and open kitchen in back, upper floor private room, and a lovely patio that looks like it could easily accommodate 52 diners at 4 ea. table . We were celebrating a birthday...and wanted the best Bethesda, even Metro DC offers. We were not disappointed. The lobster risotto was outstanding. The lobster pockets likewise. And the Bronzino in a clam and seafood sauce light, tasty and a 9/10 score. We had two deserts: fondue chocolate and chocolate volcano. Plus one Sancerre wine glass and one rail drink. Final bill ca. $200 for the two. Only minus was a very helpful new waitress who was not familiar with the specials, and Spanish only speaking help staff. No doubt, pandemic staff scarcity influence. But we were in no rush and will definitely make this one of our go to special culinary adventure spots.More

Date of visit: July 2021
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Reviewed 23 July 2021

The food is good French bistro fare, but the prices are WAY too high, and the service is some of the worst I ever had...obnoxious, condescending waiters.

Date of visit: June 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 13 March 2021

No welcome from anyone, no offer of a glass of wine, extremely RUDE waiter. Some dishes good, others ok -- terrine de foie gras was absolutely disgusting. Hard to believe that a restaurant can survive with a waiter like ours, so downright nasty. and the...chef is not exactly welcoming wither. Very high prices, also. The whole experience very negative, and we told the owner so on the way out.More

Date of visit: March 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 24 February 2020

My boyfriend and I went there for Valentine's day (and my birthday), so they had a prefixed menu for 85 dollars. The food was very good, no doubt. I could see that the chef prepared every plate from scratch. The service however was TERRIBLE! The...waiter, a young American man, didn't even wait for us to remove our coats and seat down and was already asking what kind of water we wanted. When my boyfriend asked about the burgundy wines in the menu, we noticed he had no knowledge on the topic. After ordering the wine, we waited at least 15 minutes until the manager told us they were out of the wine we ordered and offered another one. Then, she just placed the unopened bottle on our table and left. After almost 10 minutes of frustration, I called the waiter and ask him to open the wine, he said he had to wait the manager to bring the wine glasses from the upstairs room. Yes, they didn't have any wine glasses on the tables! To make things worse, they served the appetizers before the wine was even opened. If that was not enough, after the meal, one of the servers placed a desert in front of me and minutes later she just removed it without saying anything. And after my boyfriend ordered an Armagnac, the waiter brings just half of the dose saying they didn't have enough, but he would charge us only 50% of the price. Really? Not a good experience.More

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

Thank you for review and your patience for that evening, Valentine's Day it's one of the most busy days in the restaurant. We always try to do our best. Our apologies if we didn't comply with your expectations. We will keep working harder to make...More

Reviewed 23 February 2020

I am surprised the ratings for the restaurant are so high. Both of my visits have been disappointing particularly given the expense of eating here. The service is simply awful. Moreover, there are very few smiling faces and the owner-chef is hardly welcoming. While the...food is good, it is not outstanding or creative. I guess there is a long standing clientele that loyally supports the place and that accounts for many of the reviews. One last point, surprisingly Bethesda is not populated by great restaurants. It does have many mid range, comfort food dining opportunities but there isn't much fine dining competition. Maybe that accounts for the support the restaurant receives. For special and fine restaurants, I recommend going into DC.More

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

We appreciated everyone reviews and opinions you should do the same. Everyone should have the right to write there own opinions base on there own experience.

Reviewed 23 January 2020

All of our dishes were beautifully prepared. Very charming atmosphere. Service was also good. Felt a bit like being in France.

Date of visit: February 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

Thank you for such a wonderful review!

Reviewed 21 January 2020

Very good food, warm atmosphere and somelier with experience and eager to guide Lack of parking space is a big problem given the area where the restaurant is

Date of visit: December 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

Thank you for review!

Reviewed 21 January 2020 via mobile

Amazing food, definitely this restaurant is for food lovers. Prices are high but customers will not be dissapointed

Date of visit: January 2020
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

Thank you for your review, we hope to see you soon!

Reviewed 14 October 2019 via mobile

Authentic French bistro. Good portions and excellent service. We sat in the back near the kitchen and do not recommend. Sit out side if weather suits or in front dining room. Delicious shrimp and scallops. Loved the lobster bisque.

Date of visit: October 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

Thank you for your review, we really appreciate it!

Reviewed 7 September 2019

The weather was beautiful so we ate out back in the courtyard gardens. It was so lovely and the waiter so nice. I am handicapped and when I came to the front, he took my walker to be sure the path was clear to go...in the back. As you know, French courses are small and many, which allows you to drink wine and converse. The wine was authentically French. We enjoyed a prix fixe meal with nice selections (which was a good price). The bread was fresh from the oven. The food portions make it a little pricey for Americans, but we really should not have the huge portions we have (having smaller ones allows you to taste more things.)More

Date of visit: August 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susanac661, Owner at Bistro Provence, responded to this reviewResponded 24 February 2020

Thank your review, we hope to see you back this summer!

Reviewed 10 June 2019

The garden in the front of the restaurant greets you with delights for the eyes. We ate in the first floor room in the back near the exit to the back gardens. Everything was perfect--excellent service, food served elegantly, we were helped to think through...what wine would go well with our orders, etc. etc. All the waiters were gracious and welcoming to 4 elders as well as to a 10 and 13 year old. This was our family celebration for Mothers and Grandmothers and they helped make it perfect. This is a perfect restaurant for a special occasion of any kind. There is also a lovely dining room upstairs (with elevator access). Here you sit in the front window and watch the world outside. We went out to the back gardens after eating. This would be a lovely place to have brunch or lunch on a warm day.More

Date of visit: May 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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buzzycecile
10 October 2017|
AnswerShow all 5 answers
Response from susana c | Property representative |
we do not have private parking, but there is a public parking on the street and in the building around the corner
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buzzycecile
11 April 2017|
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Response from Douglas H | Reviewed this property |
Not sure
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pinesm2016
15 October 2016|
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Response from susana c | Property representative |
yes we still offer meals that are fixed priced, a three course meal for $30.00 during lunch and from 5:00pm to 6:30pm every day
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BISTRO PROVENCE, Bethesda - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Bistro Provence

Bistro Provence is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 3.5