Celebrated our anniversary there this year, again, and always wonderful. There were 3 other tables celebrating their anniversaries at the same time reflecting that this is a special place for a special occasion. The food is always excellent and priced fairly for the quality. The service is also excellent. They make you feel like you are the only customers; such care and special treatment. They encourage you to relax and enjoy the experience. They do not rush you out like other restaurants, unless you are in a hurry; but to enjoy the experience, don't rush. Looking forward to returning for our anniversary next year and probably seeing the same people at the other tables once again celebrating their anniversaries there but we'll be back before then. We've lived in NoVa for almost 30 years and there's no question that this is one of the top restaurants in Northern Virginia.

I took my partner here for her birthday, but I think I had just as much fun as she did-- one of my favorite dining experiences in recent memory. It's located on an unassuming corner of a strip mall, but we were greeted immediately by a friendly host and some extensive "old money" decor (settings, tablecloths, gold wallpaper, and all). The menu lives up to it-- the escargot, beet salad, entrees, and dessert (so much dessert) were all delicious. What really made it, though, was the service. Both the host and server were super attentive, warm, and good-natured - in a genuine, almost quirky way. As the night went on, I got the distinct feeling that the "high-class" feel of the restaurant was less a matter of airs or concept... and more just that this was the kind of restaurant the staff wanted to have. I'm all for it, and I'm definitely coming back.

Authentic French spot that I struggle to call a "restaurant" because coming here is an experience that can not be encapsulated by the food alone First off, the host of the place is extremely gregarious and jokes around with all of the patrons. He even pulled up a seat to one of the tables near ours to chat with the diners lol Also, the place is extremely regally decorated. From the portraits coving the walls to the ornate silverware and dining ware, the vibe here makes you feel like you are eating at a place. As far as the selection goes, they have a comprehensive menu of wine, cocktails, and food options. They also have a tasting menu, but we did not try it I opted for the "French Martini", a French onion soup, and a fillet. It was all totally delicious. We also got complimentary sourdough bread (+ butter) that was so delicious we took it home with us. Additionally, they also gave us a complimentary small portion of dessert! The servers were all very friendly, but the service was very slow and we ended up being there for almost 2 hours. I also did not have my water refilled for about 1.5 hours of the 2. Additionally, the lid to the to-go box that they gave my GF was dirty (luckily we noticed this before putting it on her food), and, although I struggle to complain about a complimentary dessert, there was a huge hair that was baked into my creme brûlée. I get that stuff happens, but this thing was comically big

1/23/24: absolutely lovely date night spot. we shared the french onion soup and it was AMAZING, highly rec this. i got the chicken with mushroom sauce. hub got veal. he loved his entree. when i go back im gtg the french onion soup and not sharing! their drinks were really good. i got the french 75 and husband got the french martini. fab service by all. they def give a lot of space for yall to talk. they wont rush the dinner. we already talked about coming back.

This place is an old school place with the ambiance and staff to match. It's like being teleported to an old French restaurant the escargot....yum. Properly served whole with an abundance of butter and garlic. Delicious. The bread. Lovely. The wine. Decent although quite a mark up and the vintage wasn't what was on the menu. It was a more recent vintage and the price was for the older vintage which was my only gripe about this place. Traditional French menu except no dessert cheese selection. The atmosphere/decor appears to be original to when the restaurant opened years ago; however, it seems to have been well maintained and it adds to the character of this place. In you're in the mood for a restaurant where the servers have character and the ambiance to there too, this is the place to go

We went for the first time last weekend and were not sure what to expect. When we got there (with a reservation), we were greeted and promptly seated. Then it got a teeny bit bumpy as we were offered a drink menu but no actual food menu for a little while. They eventually took notice and got it all sorted out. It seems everybody arrived all at once and they were overwhelmed for a moment. That was the only bad thing I have to say so let's get on with it! My wife and I both had "The Professor" which was an excellent cocktail. We split the Échantillonneur de fruits de mer which was out of this world! The crab cake, while small was pretty much all sweet crab meat, the shrimp was perfectly cooked and the ravioli was heavenly! For entrees, my wife had the duck which was cooked perfectly. I had the filet which was huge and cooked precisely as ordered. The sauce was pretty good with my filet and the carrot accompanying it was cooked perfectly. I had a glass of the house red (might have been a Chardonnay) and it was fantastic and a rather generous pour. For desert, the owner offered us profiteroles and a wonderful mango cake. Both were out of this world. Cafe Renaissance is on the small side and every table was full when we left. The service was fantastic and it was clear many of the other patrons were repeat customers as the owner knew many of them. While not cheap, I felt this meal was an incredible value given what we have paid elsewhere. We will definitely return to sample more of the menu!!

What we have here is the exact opposite of a chain restaurant. You have a very cozy, romantic, personal spot that offers French dishes and many cocktail options from a fully stocked bar. Flaming desserts and even a flaming Irish Jameson coffee drink. I went with the Angel hair pasta, shrimp, scallops, crab cake & herbs entree. Crab cake was really special and delicious. Shrimp was great slathered in the light and tasty sauce. Scallops also garnished with the same sauce that covers the pasta. I forced myself to finish the whole thing as we were on vaca and didn't see myself wanting to eat it cold as our room had no microwave. The staff was even kind enough to give us a complimentary dessert! I made room in my stomach for this along with a really great cappuccino. I do not think you will be disappointed by coming here if you like fine French cuisine. As always people SYOY!!!

My wife and I have dined at Cafe Renaissance several times, with our most recent experience being our Anniversary. Cafe Renaissance is very fine French dining, with high end menu options. For a high end restaurant I expect high end service and food. Cafe Renaissance delivers a much higher fine dining experience and higher quality of the dining options than you would expect, if I could rate higher than 5 stars I would! As usual my wife and I shared the escargot appetizer, which is excellent, but also makes a great dipping option for the really good bread that is served. I would highly recommend. For our dinner, my wife ordered the Cheveux d'ange aux crevettes, crabe et saint-jacques, Angel hair pasta, shrimp, scallops, crab cake & herbs. The angel hair pasta was incredible, as were the seafood items in the dish. I tried the crab cake and thought it was especially delicious. I ordered the duck confit, a go to favorite of mine. Their orange zest on the duck and the rice was top notch flavors on the dish. The asparagus with sauce is incredible, as was the carrot which was very delicious. Cafe Renaissance is a small, quaint, high end romantic restaurant that I would highly recommend for any occasion, or just a night out when you want something extraordinary. To top it all off, being our Anniversary, they brought out a special dessert consisting of a cake roll, raspberry mousse and a flaky pastry which was mmmmmm. To make the evening sparkle, they served the dessert plate with a sparkler to end our night extra special. There are only a few restaurants I consider among the best in the DC area, and Cafe Renaissance is one of them

The service and food is is beyond exceptional. I had the chance to take my dad here for his birthday and they made it so special. We started off with the with the Échantillonneur de fruits de mer, which was the shrimp, crab and lobster ravioli sampler. Absolutely amazing! Smaller appetizer portion, but everything was so tasty. My dad and I both got the Jarrets d'agneau braisés au vin rouge. Which is lamb shank which was so fall off the bone tender. Awesome flavor and the vegetables that came with it paired perfectly. They also came out with a surprise plate of desert and a candle for my dad. It was a Monday so the restaurant was quite empty, but the server and the few tables in the restaurant all sang happy birthday to him. Would recommend this place, such amazing service that makes you feel very welcome and at home.