Et Voila

Et Voila is yet another hard restaurant to judge and review. It has many, many good things about it. But, on the other hand, it kept missing the mark and failed to hit a home run in the final analysis.THE VIBEEt Voile feels and seems like the kind of place that should be a star in the dining constellation of DC. When you walk inside, you are transported to France or Belgium rather. It is crowded, busy, it smells really good and the place has an atmosphere of a quaint little bistro. Lots of people are speaking a plethora of different languages at their tables. The decoration is slightly seedy but in a good way - just enough stuff to remind you of old Europe. There are lots of people in the bar talking and laughing. The staff - of which there are plenty - are hustling and bustling around serving their customers. At first glance, this restaurant has what it takes.THE FOODThe menu is great. Mussels for everyone. French Onion Soup! Some fish, some red meat and pomme frites. What's not to like here? But my spouse said his mashed potatoes were the WORST he's ever had in his life and he was right. No amount of salt could improve this dish that any home cook can make in their sleep. What the hell happened??? On the other hand, the baked mussels were to die for, the French Onion Soup was fantastic, the steak I had was perfect! On food, Et Voila wins notwithstanding those awful mashed potatoes.THE SERVICEI really want to write some nice things about the service. Our first waitress (yes, we had many servers throughout our meal) was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. But, before we left, we had no fewer than 5 people serve us. None of them were as friendly or helpful as the woman. It also did nothing to create a relationship with us. The host (dressed up in a big puffy coat because it was so cold outside) was very nice and friendly too. But, I have to say, the service seemed cold and sterile, disjointed and not up to good DC standards.I am sure we will return to Et Voila because the food is worth it (other than those terrible mashed potatoes) but another mediocre experience like this could mean we write this restaurant off of our list!Bottom line - I struggled between 3 stars and 4 stars due to the service and the mashed potatoes. I settled on 4 because, in general, the food was very good. This is called generosity since Et Voila really did not earn all 4 stars - 3.5 maybe. I cannot recommend this place until I go back and I see that things have improved.

Loved our experience here - started with two very chic dirty martinis, delicious, and a French onion soup + Caesar salad. The dressing on the Caesar was amazing (thank you to our waitress (I think her name was Marlena? We loved her!) for recommending!). We had the steak and mussels for dinner, the peppercorn sauce was incredible. Fries were excellent, also just the service making sure we had all the sauces and plates we needed it felt very above & beyond! The mussels were not our cup of tea but didn't affect our overall experience. Had a glass of the Cabernet franc with dinner, amazing, and then topped off the evening with the Yule log dessert! They had live music for most of the night as well which was lovely.

An excellent French/Belgian bistro hidden away in the Palisades! I've been in this area a thousand times but never stumbled upon this place until now. Here's what we tried on our first visit: Eggs Meurette: poached eggs with bacon, roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, and a red wine sauce on English muffin, served with a really fresh and perfectly dressed simple green salad. Croque Madame: Gruyère griddled open face sandwich with ham and a fried egg and Bechemal again served with a saladFried egg sandwich with bacon Gruyère and caramelized onion. My toddler wolfed half down. Comes with a salad. Scrambled eggs with ham/spinach. Comes with a salad. Lovely outdoor patio but also a sizable and nice and surprisingly large interior.The service was quite friendly and attentive. They were so kind to my grumpy toddler who wasn't the most appropriately dressed after soccer class. We will definitely be back to try the onion soup, tartars, steak frites, and mussels!

If you're looking for a neighborhood restaurant look no further. This is your local as you can get type of place.MUSSELS, MUSSELS, MUSSELSOh so good and can't wait to eat them again!!!

Kids friendly! I love how we were seated in a section with families with kids. I give the restaurant 5 stars for that!!!!I always enjoy the wine selection and food here. Highly recommend!!

The food was really good. We ordered empanadas and a steak. We also ordered some drinks and it was wonderful. The server was really nice, professional and helpful. The restaurant had a great ambiance, clean and spacious. Has like mini market with all kinds of wine and other liquors, plus refrigerators with meats and fish. Great place to go with friends and family.

Great food, ambiance and service. Had the mussels in wine sauce and foie gras for appetizer. Pasta for dinner and my friend had the steak. Everything was served in great timing and cooked to perfection. Had the crème brûlée for dessert which was also very tasty. The restaurant has a small, quaint feel to it. Will definitely be returning in the future.

This was the first place we thought of to eat when in DC recently from out of state-- we've been craving it since 2016! The Moules Marinière didn't disappoint. There was so much food and the pomme frites were hot and crispy-- albeit coming to the table little delayed after the mussels appeared (10 min later). The wine (1 glass of sangiovese turned into 3!) and beer list was great.

Beef Tartare & one of the best Onion Soups in DMV Weekend is always packed, besides two Thumbs up delicious foods, beer selection is also a big plus!

We had a great family dinner here for my mom's bday. The room in the back was quieter which we appreciated, the server was attentive, and the food was delicious, especially the rockfish special, the burger, and the mussels. Thank you for a lovely meal.