Restaurant Finder

Michel Richard Citronelle

Cuisine: French Neighborhood: Georgetown

Based on 8 reviews.

Address	The Latham Hotel, 3000 M St., Washington, DC 20007
Phone	(202) 625-2150
Fax	(202) 339-6326

Rater Comments

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

Review by finerthings on January 9, 2008

Despite all the hype from the Washingtonian and DC Chefs presenting Michel Richard as being the number one restaurant in DC, I felt that although the food and service were excellent, the actual value of the meal was poor.
The food is exquisite. The sommelier pairs the wines appropriately. The ambiance is perfect with the wine cellar visible through glass walls and the open kitchen. You think that this meal cannot become any more perfect and then you receive the bill. At that point, you can't help but think "man, this meal wasn't worth it."
Admittedly the food is very good to the point of being haute cuisine, but regardless of a special occasion, people need to feel like there's some value to their meal and being a self proclaimed foodie, I felt that although it's some of the most tender venison I've ever tasted, it wasn't worth nearly $100 and the hype really is just that...hype.
Final notes are that Michel Richard's Citronelle is worth going to once to experience, but there are far better restaurants in DC that actually provide a higher value for the price. More than cuisine, people need to feel satisfied that they received a real value for what they paid and that really is what keeps people coming back!

Review by smiranda on November 21, 2007

We could see the open kitchen from our table. It was reassuring to watch the chefs work. They seemed to know what they were doing. Citronelle serves a three-course prix-fixe meal for $95. Every course was innovative and well-executed. The sommelier helped us choose a burgundy from a wine list that seemed to be almost as long as the tax code. Service was impeccable. Reserve at least three weeks in advance.

Review by natoshua on November 11, 2007

Despite the confusing Citronelle website where the appetite for clear information grows larger as you dig in and eventually becomes insatiable, our dining experience at Citronelle was worth its glamour (and its price). The ambience is elegant without formality, starting with a refreshingly understated entrance (at a good restaurant, the impression that lasts should never be the first). With the spacious and industrious kitchen taking center stage, the dining areas evoke different sections of a theater (at Citronelle you don’t just ask for any table, it’s about how far you are from the stage – I recommend the upper orchestra). We treated ourselves to the nine course “promenade gourmande”, a culinary adventure exploring all senses, including a sense of mystery and a sense of humor. It’s nearly impossible to guess what you’re eating, it’s certainly impossible to describe it (sorry!), and it looks impossible to prepare. To be fair, I wouldn’t order the same courses twice (and my credit card agrees with this conclusion), for I believe this extraordinary palette of tastes is to be explored, not to be memorized. Moreover, I wouldn’t pick any of the courses as my all times favorite (I continue to prefer my mother’s soufflé and chocolate mousse). But this is not what the “promenade gourmande” (and perhaps Citronelle) is all about: it’s a grand tour of fine sensations. Citronelle is an exhibit, not an auction. Servings are small enough to keep your curiosity sharp throughout the meal (but also small enough to overcome any ideological aversion to the likes of snails and sweetbreads). As for the wine, the eight wine pairings were all magnificent and they are a must. I’ve never felt so sublimely drunk since my last flight from Chicago to Tokyo in first class. I look forward to celebrating my next wedding anniversary at Citronelle.

Review by JoeHoya on May 30, 2007

If you're looking for a high-end tasting meal that carries the cache of a famous chef's name, you can't do much better than Citronelle in DC. The tasting menu and wine pairings are pricey, to be sure, but I don't think anyone comes here expecting burgers and fries. The seven-course tasting menu was consistently impressive, though some of the dishes were just plain good (not amazing).

I only gave 4 sporks instead of 5 because Citronelle is no longer the only game in town when it comes to this kind of culinary experience. Komi offers comparable bang for about half the bucks, and MiniBar at Cafe Atlantico is more creative with its offerings. But Citronelle is still a landmark and the quality surpasses just about everything that's out there. If you want Michel Richard's creations at a slightly more reasonable price point, try Central. Otherwise, save up and splurge at Citronelle.

Review by jrodgers on July 12, 2006

Absolutely amazing!! We did the tasting menu with the wine pairings - not cheap - but every course (all nine) were exquisite. We left feeling satiated, but not stuffed. I would definitely recommend this for a special ocassion.

Review by ewilner on March 23, 2005

The food here is quite literally exquisite -- exquisite in taste and in appearance, and in that the dishes are so elaborate and unusual and beautifully presented that each bite seems worth what you're paying. We took advantage of their prix fixe which is not unreasonable, $85 for three courses. The tuna napolean nicoise is a standout -- you can taste layers of flavors in a complexity that is often promised and rarely achieved in "fancy" restaurants. The chateaubriand is one of the single most delicious pieces of meat I've ever put in my mouth. The "breakfast" dessert that you've read about is every bit as fun as it sounds, but just a tad less tasty. A presentation of fruit petit fours adds to the sheer fun of the meal, as visually stimulating as orally. A very special place for a meal, and where my boyfriend had planned to take me right after proposing -- recommended for such an occasion.

Review by leenleem on July 12, 2004

The food at Citronelle was wonderful, and at the time it was the pinnacle of my foodie obsession cravings. Experiences at other top restaurants since have given more perspective on how Citronelle ranks in comparison to other dining establishments, though the food and service here are still top notch.

Like most french haute/nouvelle cuisine, Citronelle is not for the picky. The more adventurous ones can do one of the tasting menus. All of the food is perfect, delicious, and the portions perfectly sized, if not slightly generous. That night, my friend and I had lobster tail, tuna croque monsieur, foie gras over a savory flan, duck confit and peanut soup. The sommelier was of great help, warm and knowledgable in recommending a delicious wine in our price range -- this is not anything extraordinary, that is what a good sommelier does. However delicious and perfect the meal was, the $200/person was a little steep - one could find the same quality of food at a fraction of the price.

Citronelle is a gastronimic experience that in part owes more to the atmosphere and the hype behind it than the food itself, despite the excellent execution and service. I would go back again, but dinner would not necessarily be my first choice. Lunch is offered at much more reasonable prices, and the pommes frites are still the best I have ever had.

Review by sarahfave on April 14, 2004

It's easy to get a meal just as good, twice as big, for a 3rd of the price elsewhere. The food may be good, but not worth the cost. The best part about going is only being able to tell people you went there, the food isn't extraordinary, and neither is the service or wine list.