Persimmon Restaurant

Really, really, really good food, excellent service, relaxed bistro atmosphere — really, it doesn’t get any better than this. if you like loud, sit in the front part of the restaurant. If you want conversation, however, go for the booths or the part of the bar that’s at the back.

Tried out Persimmon for restaurant week and was not disappointed! The mussels meunière and fries appetizer was delicious, as were the scallops which were beautifully presented. I had the filet mignon for dinner, which was slightly over the medium rare I asked for but the demi-​glacé sauce made up for that completely. My boyfriend had the duck breast entrée which was also amazing. For dessert, we tried the molten chocolate cake and pumpkin cheesecake (SO GOOD!) also, the service was wonderful. Our server Said knew the menu very well and made good recommendations. Overall it was a great experience! We will be back soon.

Came in for restaurant week, and their food was delicious. They had a new Hispanic server who was pretty good. The entrée portions were a little small but delicious.
I tried the:
–Winter Ravioli (4/​5, 4 medium-​sized raviolis)
–Crab Cake Sandwich (3/​5, mediocre crab cake sandwich with a bunch of buttery fries)
–Pan seared fresh catch (3.5÷5, branzino fish with small scallop pieces and veggies)
–Pumpkin cheesecake (5/​5, delicious pumpkin flavor)
–Warm apple empanada (3.5÷5, nothing special)
–Vanilla bean crème brûlée (4/​5, just like any other crème brûlée, pretty ordinary but still)
Would come back to try other food!

I think persimmon is one of the best places in Bethesda to get brunch and lunch. The waiters are all laid back and very attentive. The atmosphere is nice and the food is great.

Terrific neighborhood hangout and a very good restaurant. P has a bar and booths and a dining room in an L-​shaped space; none of it’s fancy and it all works as a warm, clean, friendly place for really good food and drink.
Just had their crab cakes with their smoked trout spring rolls as an appetizer. Really good and just different enough to be interesting.
Persimmon used to be fancier, run by someone who fancied herself as a wine expert (and maybe she was), but that rubbed off on the place and made it feel phony/​fancy. Now it’s plain and honest and really good. And priced right.

Happy hour at persimmon is the best kept secret in Bethesda and I have mixed emotions about letting that secret out because I’m still able to find a seat at the bar for HH on Fridays.
Let’s start with the tuna tartar bites. A generous single serving of tuna tartar mixed with avocado on a crispy cracker served with seaweed salad. A great taste for 3 $, I don’t recommend sharing. Then comes the taco, julienned shrimp, house slaw, soft shell, and I’m guessing that was remoulade drizzled on top. I added a picture of, look at it then order it then show it off to your Twitter followers then eat it. You may have to get some Twitter followers before you order it. I’ve also had the blackened chicken sandwich, which comes on a dinner roll with bacon, onion tomato lettuce. This is a great sandwich, I’m pretty sure bacon makes the world go round, I just haven’t proven it yet. For desert we got profiteroles, if you listen to the flight of the conchords song «hurt feelings» you’ll realize that this dessert is under appreciated. Two puff pastries with ice cream in between, served over a chocolate and caramel syrup lattice. Still doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. Almost forgot to mention the staff. Tim took great care of us at the bar, no issues with water/​beer/​wine refills.
I highly recommend this HH, and I will be disappointed if they get too busy for me to be able to find a seat in the future.

I was staying at the NIH and was in the need of a good meal before going home. I read the reviews and decided on this place. It was AWESOME! My sister and I started with the lobster rolls which were very yummy, very soft bread and not overloaded with dressing. For dinner I had the rack of lamb! Heaven! The sauce and the pecan crust worked well together and it was cooked perfect. when I come back to the area I will definitely be back!

We always enjoy eating here. Most excellent salads and a big emphasis on fresh ingredients. Nice sized portions as well, and a diligent and attentive, but not pushy, wait staff. Reasonably priced and a congenial atmosphere. Just a really nice place with high quality preparation and attentiveness. If you’re looking for a nice neighborhood place while still getting a quality dining experience, this is your place.

Dinner here At least 6 Times and It has always been really Good. We also love the fact that it’s not loud and noisy so you can actually enjoy a normal conversation with your friends! This gives them an extra star.

I was impressed with this restaurant. The food was very good and the service was prompt and friendly. Will return next time I’m in Bethesda.

finally tried what some consider a little gem. My lobster roll ($ 20) on brioche was superb (actually 2 mini lobster rolls) — generous amt of lobster meat, and minimal but sufficient mayo, celery and lettuce. I asked for them to substitute something for the «Old Bay fries» as I’m not a FF fan — and they basically asked what veggie I’d like, and cheerfully said «fine» when I asked about the Brussels sprouts (which accompanied one of the other entrees on the menu, the tuna or red snapper, I think, so I’d noticed the available veggies on the menu when perusing for options). Brussels sprouts sautéed or maybe broiled with olive oil were cooked to perfection, and although they were a tad salty for my taste, my SO liked them so we shared those. SO loved his rack of lamb with sautéed spinach & fingerling potatoes (substitution gratis as he didn’t want the au gratin potatoes which is offered as he doesn’t like cheese). Vanilla bean crème brulee was as good as the ones I’ve gotten in French restaurants in North Carolina, San Fran & NYCity — truly one of the better ones I’ve ever had. Came in taller, stouter ramekin than I’m accustomed to, which meant greater proportion of custard versus caramelized crust — for me, preferable so wonderful. We went for lunch on a DC snow day (4″ of snow shut down the federal govt & the school system) so was deserted, but when I pass by this restaurant on a weekend evening, it’s standing room only. Persimmon is a keeper. Highly recommend.

We we there last night for Valentine’s Day. We waited several minutes before a nice man came and greeted is and cordially took us to our table. After 5 minutes a waiter finally appeared to explain the menu and swiftly left. He did not provide a drink list, or even ASK if we would like anything to drink. I had to ask another waiter walking by at the time for a drink menu. On Valentine’s Day! You would think he would’ve offered a bottle of wine or something which we probably would’ve indulged, instead I just ordered a cocktail (which took every bit of ten minutes to reach my table, we got food first) We started with the mussels that were bland, the empanadas were delicious, and the fennel/​arugula salad was okay.
For my meal I had the crab cake which lacked flavor as well, and the sauce was basically thickened butter with no seasoning. My boyfriend had the salmon which was delicious the sauce on the salmon being a lot better than the sauce on the crab cake although they seemed that they were both derived from the same cream base. Our sever did not check back one time through 3 courses expect at the very end.
Overall the food was disappointing, the server (not service, the food runner and other staff members were great), and I would not return especially on a holiday (for the reservation was at 9pm so it was not peak time nor was the restaurant full, when we left there were only about ⁴⁄₅ tables there.) Considering this restaurant is a block from my house, I would’ve loved to be able to say I would return.

I came here during Bethesda’s restaurant week. Decided to go with the three-​course option and wasn’t disappointed. My entrée was salmon and it was cooked to perfection. Their regular menu was very extensive and shows that their chefs have a wide culinary background. If I came back I would want to try their «Sunset Dining» option which is a three course tasting dinner available every Tuesday night through Sunday. It would be perfect to pair this dinner with their «Wine Down» ½ bottle of wine on Tuesday night – just a helpful thought!
Please note that they are not open on Mondays at all and are closed on Saturdays for lunch. I believe they serve Saturday Dinner. Brunch is on Sunday’s from 11:00am until 2:00pm.

We went to Persimmon for my wife’s birthday with our daughter. I checked out the menu on line and it has a pretty extensive fish offering, which my wife prefers, so we decided to give it a try.
There is ample parking right behind the restaurant, which is a big plus in Bethesda. The space is small-​ish and noisy. It’s a bistro, so that’s what you should expect. We had reservations and were greeted and sat promptly. Our server was friendly and attentive. The wine list was good, with quality choices both by the bottle and the glass. We ordered a pinotage, which was not great. But that was my fault for taking a chance on a wine I hadn’t had for a while. No demerits for that.
My wife and daughter started with salads and I had the mushroom soup, which was a bisque. All good. For our mains, my daughter and I both had the braised short ribs and my wife had the scallops. All very good, The portions are large, so bring your appetite. The deserts were OK, not great. All I wanted was a scoop of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate sauce. Not on the menu, but they accommodated me without making it seem like I was a bother.
The whole night was about $ 200, which was a reasonable price tag for the dining experience.

Persimmon is a nice neighborhood restaurant with a great happy hour menu. Perfect for drinks and dinner after work.

This is my first time going here since they remodeled. I personally prefer the more formal old version. I think when the bar gets hopping it could get difficult to have an intimate conversation.
Started out with the oyster wasabi. Not bad, but not a lot of oyster or wasabi taste. I would not order it again.
Orders the sea scallops and lamb entrées. Both were very good. The scallops were fresh and cooked to perfection. The accompaniment was also good. The lamb was also cooked exactly as ordered and was very flavorable.
Nothing on the dessert menu caught my interest.
So why four stars? The main courses were very good. The atmosphere was pleasant. Not sure I would come on a Friday or Saturday when the bar might be busy. There are other appetizers that look interesting and I don’t really need to be eating dessert, so not being tempted is a good thing.

If you’re in the Bethesda area, Persimmon is worth a try. I enjoyed the intimate setting although you are definitely on top of your «neighbors». There are very few seats, so reservations are recommended.
The service was slow and spotty. I did not find the staff easy to interact with. I felt like my questions were bothering them and they had to research my gluten-​free questions more frequently than is typically required at other restaurants. Their gluten-​free menu for vegetarians is sparse with salad being the only option.
My friend ordered some seafood based soup and some mussels or clams. I ordered the fennel and arugula salad with shaved ricotta cheese and lemon oil vinaigrette. All of the dishes were fine, but nothing special.
Where Persimmon stood out was with their cocktails, which delivered a fantastic buzz! I had the Fruit in a Flute which is made with prosecco, passion fruit and Grand Marnier. It was a little «cough-​syrupy» but it made me feel great. My friend had the Passion Fruit Martini with vodka, champagne and passion fruit. He thought it was pretty good and also had a mean buzz going on. So, if you are looking to take the edge off, I recommend Persimmon’s cocktails.

Best restaurant in my neighborhood! Megan, Robinson, Phil and Mike are all great. Amazing chef whois always so accommodating!

Love this place. Partially because they have a half price bottle of wine night, partially because its a great bar to eat at, but really everything I have tried s awesome. I usually start with the Empanadas of the day. Yesterdays were duck confit and so very tasty. The fish tacos are a favorite but I can’t seem to control myself from getting the Wasabi Crusted Oysters. If you ask they will give you that appetizer as an entrée which I highly recommend. On a side note, I stopped in for brunch and tried their red sangria and must say it is one of the best I have had. So, all in all, this little spot is truly a neighborhood gem.

Rude and poor service! Over-​priced food. Vegetarians beware that bread spread was/​possibly still is duck pâté!
I came to this restaurant back when living in Maryland. The bread basket came with what looked like whipped butter. It tasted funny so I asked about it. As a person who doesn’t eat meat (at least not purposely), I normally ask about entrees but hadn’t thought to ask about bread (I will moving forward). I suggested politely to the server that they inform folks. In response, I got a lecture instead of any apology.
Consequently, I got sick since my system wasn’t used to meat – which was especially bad since I was pregnant at the time and normally very careful about what I would intake.
Wish I could give this place negative stars.