Bistro Bis

Description:

• The chic Hotel George is the home of this inconsistent, though mostly fine, French restaurant. The chef/owner, Jeff Buben, and his wife, Sallie, also run Vidalia. You can sit at tables in the bar area (which always seems loud, even when it's not that crowded), on the balcony overlooking the bar, or at leather banquettes in the main dining room. In warm weather, there's a sidewalk cafe. The menu covers French classics like bouillabaisse, boeuf bourguignon, and steak frites. But Buben gives the traditional his own twist: Seared scallops Provençal comes with the anticipated tomatoes, garlic, and olives, but also an eggplant custard. A spring appetizer might be a crab fritter Provençal: soft-shell crab tempura lightly fried with olives and roasted garlic. The beet salad arrives with goat cheese, walnuts, and arugula and is dressed with a citron olive oil vinaigrette. Many items, including the sea scallops and the steak frites, appear on both the lunch and dinner menus but are considerably cheaper at lunch. The wine list is mostly French and American. Look around the dining room for nightly news types, since Bis's proximity to the Capitol, lovely setting, and scrumptious cuisine make it a must-stop for movers and shakers.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

The Washingtonian

•  Top 100 Restaurant 2008
•  Top 100 Restaurant 2009

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2009