Matisse

Matisse is the go-to place of people who desire a good meal in a restaurant-with-a-buzz without having to go all the way downtown. It has been around for a long time and has earned many loyal fans. It wouldn't be a surprise to see TV news personalities engaged in lively conversation at one of the tables.Always packed, the cozy dining room can get a tad too noisy and it can be a problem hearing your table mates.Service is always superb! The staff--always helpful and pleasant.The menu rarely changes.The night we were there, our group orderedCaesar salad, octopus and Asian gazpacho to start, followed by 3 orders of fettuccine with mushrooms and lamb burger. Everyone enjoyed their meal although for this diner nothing was a stand out.

I stopped by for dessert and coffee. This was a quaint place with pleasant staff. I highly recommend!

Food were great even in small portions but you have to wait awhile for serving time. Server was nice and accommodating. Wine selection available. Formal setting, business casual attire.Hourly street parking in a quiet, not so busy street.

This is a hidden gem ... I will be back for a romantic evening, the menu has plenty of options

That was, my husband and I, our 1st time at Matisse. The décor was quite elegant.The menu offered a nice variety of dishes.We all like the meals that we ordered.It would have bee perfect if:-the $15 blueberry mojito had a little bit more rum. I could feel that it was super light, since after two sips of any alcoholic beverage, I already feel tipsy, feeling I did not get with it.- If we could have had more bread. Once piece was only served at the beginning of the meal.- If the music could have been less loud.Almost a perfect evening!

Excellent service. The food was delicious. We started with the mussels, which were very good, and I had the branzino, which was excellent. My date claimed that her pork chop was a bit difficult to cut, but later said that it was tender, and had great flavor. The atmosphere is very nice; we dined in the winter, and there was a fire going in the room where we sat. The only reason that I withhold the 5-star is that it is expensive, though, it gets a strong 4-star, as it was worth the price.

I ate at Matisse last night, seated outside. As I was walking there, I was talking to my wife on the phone, and she reminded me we had eaten there several times when we lived in that neighborhood more than a decade ago. So it is reliable. It is more upscale than I would expect.I sat outside. It was very hot. Most patrons were inside. Between 6 and 7:30, I'd say I saw nobody who was a customer younger than me, which would be 55. That is an indication of the demographic the place appeals to. Nothing wrong with it. I ate the squash blossoms, battered in tempura and fried, with a bit of goat cheese, with marinara sauce; then I had the soft shell crab for a main course. Both dishes were good and together just the right amount. The service was friendly but not intrusive. They were awaiting a big party that would have taken a very long table. The whole meal was a leisurely ninety minutes and then some. I probably got into the car at 7:45. This could be considered a great date night destination you could walk to if you're in upper northwest DC. It's too nice, I.e. expensive, for casual dining. It is good enough to warrant driving to. An advantage of the neighborhood, relative to closer to downtown, is easy parking.

This was our first dine in meal since covid.We took one of two tables by the open front door. All the staff wore masks and gloves. No one else was in the restaurant. We felt safe.My pinot grigio was very nice, and reasonably priced at $9.We shared a kale salad, with feta, and a nice balsamic dressing. The kale had a fine chiffonade which made the leaves easy to chew. I had the branzino with a side of roasted root vegetables. The fish was cooked perfectly and accompanied with a butter caper sauce. My wife had shrimp puttanesca. With olives, artichokes, and a tomato sauce. The shrimp were large, the pasta was al dente, and it paired well with her Chardonnay. We finished with the apple tart. Flaky crust, caramel sauce, vanilla gelato. The meal was excellent from beginning to end. I understand carrying out to be safe, but there is nothing quite like food just out of the kitchen. With their precautions in place, I feel our decision to eat in was reasonable.

When I went there at 2 PM on Sunday of the labor weekend it was only one table of three persons and then it was just a table with one person who was me - then around 2 o'clock they had two more tables of two people - that mean the restaurant was not busy at all - the restaurant had four people staff working there. The service was not good at all. Having obviously more time they did not bother to attend me like asking what I wanted, and/or If everything was fine etc, just the courteous and restaurant professionals questions - I had to wait a long time. I got a duck leg leg And a fist of mini potatoes cut in half - no sauce just dull and dry served in a large plate which looked almost empty and not appealing - because I did not want to have the eggs nothing else (like a color veggies) was replaced to fill the plate - It was not really pleasant to see that - also at the beginning they served me 2 slices of bread which was reheated and dry, because it was overcooked then I had to wait to get fresh bread to replace the one who has already been on the table of somebody else before and served again - The service was inexistant, they were busy talking among themselves or having their head reading they phone messages- but, the bill came faster than the service without asking me if I wanted something else. I would have liked to get a coffee, but because I was so annoyed and they did not ask me, I paid and left.This is not acceptable when it was nobody in the restaurant and they were not busy at all, except talking to the people in the kitchen downstairs which was no need for the customers to hear!Very disappointingThe apple tarte was delicious - the dough (la pâte feuilletée) very nice, but the slim slices of cut apples were almost raw -they should have been little bit more cooked to melt in the mouth. But this time the tarte was lukewarm and much better and not cold like I had another timeFor the service ordeal and lack of attention and no-attending customer I give a 3

The food is so delicious here, the service outstanding, and the ambiance is elegant but relaxing. Matisse deserves a higher rating in the DC culinary scene. The service is consistently outstanding along with the food, from appetizers to dessert. After 20 years, I still walk out very happy and satisfied each and every time. I cant' say that about many restaurants!