Restaurant Finder

Montmartre

Cuisine: French Neighborhood: Capitol Hill

Based on 14 reviews.

Address	327 7th St., Washington, DC 20003
Phone	(202) 544-1244

Rater Comments

These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.

Review by erika on November 9, 2007

The eggplant appetizer was to die for. Everybody had a fabulous meal. I had the calamari dinner, my date had the lamb which was perfectly cooked. Our waitress definitely left something to be desired though. She went MIA on many occasions. I will be eating here again.

Review by food lover on May 21, 2007

If you happen to be at Eastern market over the weekend, this is the perfect place to stop for brunch. It is a bit more expensive than other restaurants in the immediate vicinity, but the high quality of the food makes it worth spending a few extra dollars. We waited 15 minutes for a table, but the service was quite efficient, despite the busy brunch-rush. We ate enough butter to last a whole week and it was wonderful! The eggs benedict, escargot drenched in garlic butter, quiche with smoked salmon, swiss, and zucchini, and wonderful fresh bread were all to die for. Our only regret is that we did not save room for deserts, which looked (and smelled) amazing.

Review by Sweden225 on April 28, 2007

Although this was a 3 1/2 or 4 sporker long ago...it is not so today. My salad was wilted and did not look fresh. The wild Turkey Manhattan was small and more expensive than at the best hotels and restaurants in the city. The eggs benedict was tasty and maybe it was not supposed to be with a muffin but it lloked very small when not sitting on bread. All in all I will not go out of my way to go there when Bistro du Coin in Dupont and Le Mistral in McLean are so much better and good values too

Review by fumisme on August 5, 2006

The food is definitely worth the trip, even if the portions are, IMHO, too large. The service is just what you have to put up with in order to eat. We asked for wine suggestions but the waitress was really clueless. Then she brought the wrong entree -- not even close to what we ordered. She did not offer to take the other entree back so that we could both eat at the same time. This was a special occasion meal for us, which they knew. Despite the lame service, the food and wine were special.

Review by ulyssesmine on July 19, 2004

A shining star among the lacklustre restaurant scene on capital hill. However needs some tweaking here and there to be compared to the big boys. But I would definitely recommend for a casual dinner, not so much a special occassion.

Review by steampepper on July 12, 2004

Truly delicious everytime. The fish is always fresh and delectible, the steak is cooked to perfection at your specifications, even the house salad will mezmerize you, but it is the potatos that will have you returning forever more. Atkin's dieters beware! It's expensive-- so, go for lunch.

Review by LWF on June 6, 2004

A wonderful outdoor patio for watching people (on their way to Eastern Market) and enjoying first-rate French food. Indoors is comfortable and lively. Service attentive with no hauteur. Fish salad unusual and delicious. Risotto with shrimp and squid ink--totally black and great. Pastry and capaccino excellent. Willingly divide appetizers and dessert. Pricing is fair. This is a restaurant worth going out of your way for--we come from Bethesda--and returning to again and again--we have.

Review by devancleve on May 5, 2004

Montmartre is a quiet bit of sophistication on Capitol Hill.
During nice weather, their outside dining area is packed with happy customers.
I've had seafood both times at this restaurant and it has been excellent. Their endive salad is worth trying.
Portion sizes, though appropriate, are smaller than what is seen in most restaurants.
Service was friendly and unobtrusive.

Review by vicvancleve on May 5, 2004

My wife and I and various friends have been to Montmartre several times, for dinner and once for lunch. Montmartre is a fine example of relaxed but delightful French cooking. The food is visually pleasing, fresh, interesting, and tasteful. The quantities are small by some standards, but the quality is about as good as can be found in Washington. As would be expected at a French restaurant, the wine list is long and good, and the prices are moderately high.

The restaurant is located on 7th Street, SE, one block east of Eastern Market, and it has outside tables that are set back from the brick sidewalk and separated from it by a low iron fence. This is a perfect place to spend a summer evening dining outdoors on the latest nouveau-French cuisine, and watching the parade of evening strollers in the Eastern Market area.

Review by danzig on May 4, 2004

Called to make a 8:00pm reservation...no problem. Got there and was told (rudely) that my table was for 8:30. Besides the shitty, rude service the food was pretty damn good...not rushing to go back though.

Review by Maclean6914 on May 4, 2004

Walking past Montmartre I was entranced by the decor and knew I had to give the place a try. But looks can be deceiving. I expected so much more from this restaurant. The food... all right; not the best French-inspired cuisine I've had in the city, but certainly not the worst. Very fishy menu, intriguing wine list.

Service... well it is a French restaurant afterall and you get what you pay for. Can't say our waiter was friendly.

My overall rating of Montmartre? Comme ci comme ca.

Review by clfost on April 22, 2004

Montmartre is a lovely French bistro with class, style and a simply decadent menu. Our healthy melange of brunch options were tickled with a crisp and fruity bottle of chardonnay. The selection of French wine is top-notch, but hardly intimidating. A delicate and gorgeous eggs benedict was atop spinach and Canadian bacon (they oppose the 'English' muffin) and a gracious serving of liver pate was a splendid appetizer. Our waitress was French and made the experience - a sunny outdoor one fraught with juicy people-watching and wine-induced giddiness - twice as nice. Montmartre is the most elegant restaurant in Eastern Market - pure elysium after strolling through the market fare. Bon appetit!

Review by angelochang on December 8, 2003

This restaurant has a nice neighborhood feel to it while the food it prodces goes beyond that definition. Though the dining area is a bit tight for my taste, service was efficient and friendly.

Review by sjmaguire on December 1, 2003

I've eaten at Montmarte many, many times. I live in the neighborhood, and have come to think of this fine French bistro as our own bit of Paris on the Hill. The house specialties, which include a lovely frisee salad with lardons in a perfectly balanced vinaigrette, onglet (hanger steak), mussels, and homemade pate are all as good or better than you would expect from far more formal and expensive restaurants. The good cooking, coupled with a limited, but carefully chosen, list of wines by the bottle and the glass, make Montmarte a sure bet when taking a date out for an intimate evening or entertaining out of town guests. On warm days, you can sit outside and watch the Hill denizens stroll towards Eastern Market (just up the block), while enjoying an excellent ile flottatante or creme brulee. I truly love this place, the people who run it, the warm atmosphere, and the very reasonable prices.