Bistro Vivant

I lived in Paris and this bistro rings true. Chalk board with the days specials, good bread, reasonable wine list. Went for lunch with friends before heading to the Alden Theatre. We shared a bottle of bubbly and all enjoyed our meals – lamb burger was particularly good. Service friendly and helpful. We’ll be back.

Give this restaurant a miss. It is terrible. The French bread was the only edible part of the meal. The restaurant is over priced and the food beyond awful.
There were very few diners in the restaurant the day we went to celebrate a family occasion, which should have been a red flag. The service was fine, but as each dish was brought to the table it became apparent that there is a problem in the kitchen. In an effort to provide a positive ending to what amounted to a total disaster, we ordered cappuccini and were told there was no foam – so lattes were served. Cold lattes. We paid the bill and left. Save your money. Eat somewhere else.

Our friends had gone here a couple of years ago and proposed that the four of us dine there. We looked forward to a French bistro experience. The restaurant was fairly inviting but we noted that only few tables were occupied — perhaps a hint at what was to come. To strike a positive note, the basket of french bread was excellent, but that was about the only plus of the evening. Two of us ordered salads to start and they were described as «adequate.» Two of us started with French onion soup which was watery and arrived luke-​warm. The cheese topping was chewy but did not make up for the poor broth. We asked the waiter for details about the entrees we were about to order and he was clueless. He did not understand the question about what type of sauce was used for the steak au poivre. We finally understood that there was no sauce and that the dish was simply a steak with pepper. We declined to order it. The waiter also did not understand the questions about the type of chicken used for the coq au vin. Obviously, it was the supermarket variety. Well, the entrees arrived but our dining experience was not about to improve. The coq au vin was edible but characterless and was unaccompanied by vegetables. The lamb shank lacked any real flavor or proper seasoning. The hanger steak and fries were adequate. My wife and I shared a chocolate mousse for desert which was lumpy and had the character of having been scraped out of a jar. The four of us shared a bottle of Cote de Rhone for $ 44. For that amount the restaurant could have purchased a wine that would retail for perhaps $ 16 or so but the quality of the sharp wine was that of «:Two-​Buck Chuck!» Finally, the check arrived for $ 100 for each couple — fantastically over-​priced for the quality of the meal. Our friends were a bit chagrined to have recommend this restaurant which may have been quite good in the past but which had become sadly lacking.

Our go to place for an easy, but delicious meal. Simple, well prepared French food. We really enjoy both the food and the atmosphere. A great hidden spot in McLean.

Stay away from this place. Overpriced dishes and very small portions. I paid $ 23 for the coq au vin dish, which consisted of one very small thigh and a tiny leg. It didn’t come with any side dishes either, not even rice or polenta. Outrageous!

This place had lots of promise but was overall a very overpriced disappointment. The soup and entrees sounded appealing on the menu but fell short on execution. Plus, at $ 22 a pop (on the lunch menu), we were astounded that the coq au vin was composed of two smallish pieces of chicken, a little bit of sauce, and nothing served with it on the side. It should have been more clearly marked on the menu as an ‘à la carte’ item. The lamb burger was ok, but has odd stringy pieces throughout. I dont even want to think what that was. Service was odd, maybe just lack of experience. On the plus side, the atmosphere was lovely, and the bread and coffee were very good.

Simple and basic. Great bread, good wine list. On the menu you have bouillabaisse, steak tartar, Arctic char, lobster risotto… There’s bound to be something you’ll like. Quiet and spacious. Needs to be remodeled. looks like a diner.

The wife and I came here for late Sunday lunch. It was quiet with just a few customers. The décor is earthy and quaint, and it looked like it should be a brewpub more than a french bistro. Also liked the french pop music playing. We both ordered the 2-​course lunch with an appetizer and main course. I had the Chilled Pea Soup and Risotto, and she had Calamari and Grilled Chicken Paillard. I loved the soup — the goat cheese and mint worked so well with the fresh and light pea «bisque.» The risotto was also quite tasty, if not a bit too oily, with a good portion of roasted vegetables. I had asked the waitress to add chicken as a protein, and I was willing to pay extra, but it came out without it. However, my wife’s dish had enough chicken to share between us. Her fried calamari was what you’d find at every other restaurant these days, as it’s so popular, but it came with an surprise — a ramiken of green dip — that was delicious. But the menu said it comes with cherry tomatoes, black olives and capers. So… wth? Her chicken on salad greens had a very generous, butterflied portion of perfectly grilled breast meat, but the greens were disappointingly paltry, especially for the price. I mean, really, you can’t spare a decent amount of leafy lettuce and such for $ 19?

Just had a lovely dinner with friends at Bistro Vivant. I had the chicken confit, which was quite tasty, and the salmon tartare special was outstanding. Others at the table raved about the sea bass, a crabmeat salad special, hanger steak and a pork chop special. Service is a bit odd — inexplicably, no one took a drinks order — but OK. The dessert selection is straightforward. My crème brûlée was tasty and the chocolate mousse was also great. So not innovative dessert choices but really good. I’d come here again, and recommend it. But it is expensive for the neighborhood and location …

My husband and I recently came on a date here, and it was really not very wonderful. We sat outside because the weather was nice, and that was the highlight of our meal. My husband ordered the steak frites, and the steak came sliced up. It was tough and chewy. Really, it seemed like they had cut the bad portions out of other steaks and then combined them to make a new «steak». I ordered the roasted scallops, which were fine, but not plentiful, but which did come with a side of peas that tasted like the ones my mom used to microwave for me as a child. The escargot was fine, but then I like escargot and am not particularly picky. This restaurant has officially ended my quest to find a decent restaurant in McLean — I give up!

What a lovely find. We ordered the lobster avocado salad special, and grilled fish and scallops. The wine selection was a wonderful french list. The ambience was great, even though the place is at the end of a strip mall, which was a little off-​putting when we drove up. But the inside was great. Bread was to die for. Desserts were too heavy, large and not quite fresh enough (they were stored in the fridge and might not have been made that day) — we ordered chocolate cake and the cheesecake. Prices were very high, but it’s McLean — what do you expect!

Average. I had a very good frisée salad with duck confit but waited a while for the entrée. The hanger steak was done medium rare on half and medium on the other and the fries were not hot and crispy. McDonald’s are better. Service like in other reviews was spotty. Which most likely accounted for the warm but not hot food. They also did not have the wine we wanted. And when we were seated my husbands menu said lamb burger and squash risotto and mine said lobster risotto and lamb shank. Still would go again but would speak up more. Still wish for more upscale in McLean.

I was expecting a really nice chic restaurant, but it was in a shopping center. The place could use a nice renovation in terms of tables, chairs, décor. The food was ok. I wasn’t WOW’d!

We have now tried this place multiple times and always hope it would be better then the last visit. The cooking is good, the atmosphere is non existent but the main problem is portion size. My pet peeve is leaving a restaurant hungry. My wife said it best after getting her cod dinner — «they have no shame».

I have to second Nicolas K’s review with respect to the (kind word here) indifferent service my wife and I received from the waitstaff.
We went for lunch where we counted 13 other guests at about 7 other tables. As there were two waiters and a busboy in attendance there should not have been a problem looking after the needs of all the customers. Nevertheless, and as we have experienced before at BV, the waitstaff was slow, inattentive, and apparently uninterested in the well-​being of their clients. We had finished our main course but had to wait about five minutes until our plates were cleared. And that only after they each had walked by our table with unseeing eyes. Reminds me of an old poem.
When, in the ardent spells of your pale beauty I,
Like many a one before sought your smile and eyes,
For whom then was your smile terrifying statue say?
For whom the steadfast look of your unseeing eyes?
But I digress.
I can’t close this review without extolling the menu and the quality of our meals. The Escargot I had as an entrée were very, very good, and the PEI mussels were as well. We will be back to BV drawn by a desire to eat well.

Paris has great neighborhood bistros where the food is consistently outstanding and they know you. This is just that place without the airfare
Lamb shank and hanger steaks are super. Great soups and salads. My major problem is that the bread and the butter — imported from aa Amish dairy — is so good that I eat too much.
Wine choices are great and more expansive than your Paris bistro.
Tops and easy parking too.

The atmosphere was great but the food and service was lacking.
I went with a group of five and we all ordered different things so we could try each other dishes. But every dish was extremely salty. We all topped off the water bottles very quickly. We ordered the duck confit, scallop and pork cheek, hanger steak and frites, spring lamb, duck carppacio and baby octopus. The only standout dish was the duck carpaccio. It was delicious. The steak was also perfectly cooked. But my gripe was the saltiness of every dish.
The waiter was also not very knowledgeable about the menu… I am gluten intolerant and asked him what was gluten free and he said everything was gluten free. He was obviously wrong as some dishes came with bread and wheat in the sauces… I’ve been throwing up for the past hour with severe stomach cramps because of this.
The desserts were also mediocre, we ordered the crème brûlée and melted cheese. The cheese came out melted looking but it was cold! Very unappetizing. Also the bread that came out wasn’t charred but rather burnt. The crème brûlée was nothing special. Thick cold custard-​y sweet cream.
The one thing everyone raved about was the bread and butter, which I can’t comment on.
Bottom line none of us will come back.

4.5 stars.
This little gem is tucked away in a strip mall in McLean and from the outside is quite unassuming. The inside is both cozy and authentic. My husband secured our dinner reservation here for Valentine’s day and I am so glad he did.
They brought out a chunk of warm crusty sourdough and soft butter immediately and gave us time to look over the extensive wine list. I selected the wine pairing and he a bloody Mary. Interestingly, our server never asked if he wanted another once he finished his drink.
Their 4 course dinner menu began with an amuse bouche of a single oyster nestled on a bed of salt foam, topped with a dollop of caviar. For our first course, my husband selected the foie gras and I the tuna tartare. I’m so glad I married someone that believes in sharing because it would have been a crime not to taste his selection! My tartare was delicate, a perfect blend of light fish with briny capers and garlic toast points, but his foie gras was hands down the best I have ever had.
Our main courses arrived about an hour and a half into service, my halibut was flaky, moist and well seasoned, his steak was cooked a perfect mid-​rare and paired with creamy gratin potatoes.
Our desserts were also both very good, we actually swapped since I ordered the apple tartlet which came with a burnt caramel ice cream (he’s an ice-​cream guy) and he the chocolate cake that was the perfect blend of dark and decadence (I LOVE dark chocolate).
We had a great experience overall.

First time back in a year. Bustling on a Saturday night but not too loud.
We started with a cream of parsnip soup and a French onion soup. The parsnip soup was better. The onion soup was OK but nothing special. Our mains were a lamb shank with a cassoulet of mixed winter beans and merguez sausage and duck confit with braised leaks and potatoes daphonoise. Both dishes contained ample portions of meat but neither was particularly successful. The mixed beans and carrot cassoulet tastes just didn’t come together and the braised leaks seemed a little heavy and not as tasty as we had hoped.
Very nice management.

I hate to give a restaurant two stars but… If I lived in the neighborhood and thought of Vivant as a local place to go on a Tuesday it might be okay and I might give it three and a half stars. But overall and compared to the many good and even great places to dine in DC Vivant hardly measures up.
I’m always a little suspicious when I can get a same day reservation at 7 on Saturday night. I was a little suspicious when there were lots of empty tables when I arrived.
The service was pretty lack luster. What I night expect at Shoneys if I spent much time at Shoneys. Though the place was pretty empty we were seated at a table next to a servers stand. We ordered a bottle of Frogs Leap Merlot listed on the chalk board over the bar. The server said he thought they might be out and came back a few minutes later to confirm his hunch. I looked around to see who might be drinking the last bottle but didn’t see it. I suppose erasing it might have been too hard.
I ordered one of the specials, a steak au puave with fritte. I ordered it medium rare. It arrived medium well. I sent it back and the next one arrived rare, if that. I kept it as I didn’t want to spend the whole night there while the chef played guess whether this meat is right. We decided that desert elsewhere might be a wee choice, finished up, paid our check and moved on for dessert.
If I lived up the street we might come back from time to time. I imagine if one knew what to order the place might not be bad. But given we come from out of town, looking for something nice, we probaby won’t be back.