iCi Urban Bistro

Decided to try this place out during Restaurant Week with a couple of friends. When we arrived, the dining room was mostly empty and we were seated quickly. My biggest complaint is that they did not have any choices for Restaurant Week. In my mind Restaurant Week is an opportunity for a Restaurant to bring in new customers and show case what their kitchen can do (within reason, I don’t think the restaurant has to go putting the most expensive thing out for RW especially when it’s at a special price). This place had one option– soup to start (one kind), salmon, and a french pastry of their choosing. If you are going to participate in RW, then participate. It felt misleading because if you got there and let’s say didn’t like fish, you’re stuck. There are plenty of upscale, more expensive restaurants that really put a lot of thought into their offerings. The food itself was ok, nothing mind blowing, just solid.

Had drinks & apps here on the 4^th of July. Very cool ambiance & close to the tourism stuff so an easy «get away» from the crowds! Good service & super nice! We had our 4 year old in a stroller & they were super cool & accommodating!

We stayed at the Sofitel hotel in June 2015 and on a Friday night during our stay, we attempted to get a drink on the outside patio at 11:15pm. The hotel brochures stated that the bar was open until midnight and we confirmed with the concierge. When we placed our drink order at 11:15pm, the server came back 10 minutes later and told us the bar was closed and they could not make our order. This was very frustrating as there were about 8 to 10 guests in the bar and we told our server we only wanted one drink before heading to bed. When we told the front desk that brochures state the closing hour is midnight, they said there was nothing they could do and that the bar closes when it wants. When spending $ 366 a night on a hotel room at the Sofitel, it would be great if the hotel bar was open during the advertised hours, as per hotel brochures. The bar and hotel staff were apathetic and evasive.

We came here for the first time this past Saturday evening to celebrate a birthday. I was astounded at how quiet it was — ours was one of two tables seated in the entire dining room. It was actually too quiet. However, given that this restaurant is not in a trendy neighborhood, and it was the weekend, I guess it made sense. The space is attractive and very well-​decorated.
I was a little surprised at the one page menu. Luckily, all three of us found appealing selections which came perfectly prepared. The beet and poached pear salad with blue cheese and candied walnuts was lovely, as was the special endive salad that came with the creamiest goat cheese ever. One of us had the French onion soup, which was reported to be delicious. For the main course, our table had the Chesapeake Bay rockfish, the Maine sea scallops, and the chicken crepes (this is normally a first course offering).
My scallops were light, flavorful, and cooked to perfection, served over an acorn squash purée and garnished with Brussels sprout leaf «salad» and an apple cider glaze. The chicken crepes with mushrooms and the rockfish both got rave reviews. The best part was that no one was left feeling heavy after this dinner. We had other plans for dessert, but the servers knew that we had a birthday at the table and graciously brought a fantastic chocolate mousse-​like dessert for us to share. My cappuccino was perfectly frothy and hot, and my companions’ espressos were just right.
They also serve a wonderful bread basket, with about 4 – 5 different rustic breads, all of which were flavorful.
Service was attentive and unobtrusive, which was appreciated by all of us.
Only two pet peeves on my end: One, when my Sapphire and tonic arrived, the lime slices were atrocious, which is always a shame to me as a former bartender! I literally could not squeeze a single drop of lime juice from all three of them because they were so dry. When I pointed this out, it was never corrected! Instead, I was eventually brought an apéritif glass of lime juice, which was said to be «fresh lime juice,» except it wasn’t. Simple fix, to slice up a fresh lime on a quiet night for a customer. Second, when a dining room is carpeted in a restaurant, that carpet needs to be pretty religiously maintained, as it holds anything that gets dropped on the floor around a table, and absorbs stains and smells. This one needed a freshening-​up and a vacuum (but I have a sensitive nose!). As an afterthought… the atmosphere would have been better served by some nice jazz with the volume turned up a bit — the weird sort of techno-​ambient they were playing just didn’t fit!
Our check, for three people, was around $ 200, and this was with one round of drinks and no wine. The quality of the food was truly superb, and made up for any other shortcomings. The kitchen was definitely on point! I am told that in the next few weeks they will be switching to a spring menu. I would come here again, but hope it would be on a slightly more lively evening!

Given that it’s in the lobby of a hotel in the midst of D.C.s business district, I’d hardly call this place a «diamond in the rough.» But it’s a good, sometimes very good, restaurant that almost always has room and gets very little respect. The Washington Post gave it a poor review (probably deserved at the time) and most foodies ignored it. I can’t remember seeing it on many «best restaurant» lists.
This probably isn’t the best french restaurant – or even the best bistro – in Washington, D.C. but it’s a pretty good one that executes a pretty conventional American/​Frenc menu in a more-​than-​competent fashion. I’m not sure if I’d go with anything too adventuresome on the menu (probably a good general rule for hotel restaurants) but the standards like Tuna Nicoise are more than adequate. A good place that will almost always have room.

Everything was wonderful and we thought we’ve found another great spot to dine…
Up until the bill arrived where 2 items were priced higher then in the menu presented to us, and one of the dishes were ordered ½ portioned for a ½ price (it was waiter’s suggestion not ours) but billed to us in full price +$ 3.
THE STORY:
We’ve already ordered 2 apps and 2 entrees and in hesitation about ordering their pasta dish because it will be too much food counting desserts. At this moment of discussion a «friendly» waiter suggests that we can order ½ portion for a ½ price and he’ll split it for two of us. We ask him again to make sure we understood correct: «½ portion for a ½ price?»… «Yes!» — he says — «½ order for a ½ price!» We say OK and the rest of the story you know.
So we were $ 14 overcharged but both a waiter and a manager had a nerve to tell us it was a «misunderstanding» (in the case of pasta) and some computer problem (in the case of differences between their menu prices and the bill charges). They have 3 mishaps in one bill and refuse to recognize or correct them…
Very unprofessional and shameful to use these kind of tricks to pull few more $$ from the pockets of patrons.
Yes, we did like our experience up until this «moment of truth» but In spite of it we’ll never give them our business and feel like we ought to worn the public about their practices.

We stopped there on our way to see the 4^th of July fireworks. Looked very cool with a beer garden, which was full. We sat inside and it is very fancy and we were dressed casually. Got a few looks from those around us.
They had a 4^th of July BBQ so we ordered from that menu. Burgers and shaved roast beef, choice of potato salad, corn on cob, or baked beans. Ordered burgers MW done and they came rare, which was NOT ok, and they mixed up our sides, which was ok. They seemed unprepared for the crowd yet the inside was quite empty. The corn had been grilled yet had a generous amount of some herb (rosemary or some such) all over it which was not a good taste. I couldn’t scrape it off and eat it at all.
Very disappointing meal, on the expensive side. Would NOT go again.

Go here for a business lunch. Chances are it’ll be quiet, and the service will be attentive (constant water refills) yet not intrusive (no asking «How is everything?» with each course). Patrick, the manager, was incredibly kind to our party, accommodating our wanting to sit by the window by helping to move our place settings, among other nice gestures. I ordered the wagyu beef burger, which, aside from its massive size, was nothing out of the ordinary. The patty was a little drier than expected, and the size of the bun quite frankly made it difficult to eat. If you have to go to a hotel restaurant and eat a burger, better to go to Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons. The macarons we had for dessert were solid. Overall, a classy establishment that provides relative calm and good service downtown.

My favorite restaurant in DC. Their food is superb and so is their service. I have never had a bad experience here and I have been coming here for a few years. I stumbled on this place by accident and it is the best and most savory accident I have ever made.

Great spot for your special day!
Great food and nice services! Not really expensive compared to other french restaurants.

Horrible breakfast and some the most inexperienced service I have ever endured. Get your act together!

When here with my wife for Valentines day. The ambiance was amazing. Service was also excellent. Everyone from the hostess to all the waiters who came to our table were extremely friendly and nice. They definitely made the night even better. The food was really good too. We enjoyed everything that came to the table. The appetizers were great. I liked the scallops and the beet salad with goat cheese was really good. We both got seafood entrees and loved it. We also enjoyed the cheese platter. The only thing is the place is really expensive. Of course it was valentines day but still we paid over $ 200 and that is a lot. I would highly recommend this restaurant, it was a great night.

This is a great place for lunch or dinner. The food is quite good, and so is the service. A group of us had dinner there on a Saturday night in January 2014. It was a relief to find a place that serves good food where you can hear yourselves speak. And the décor is attractive. And the hotel has very nice, private clean bathrooms (which most women care about). And sometimes you can find parking around the corner on H Street.

The service and food were outstanding! The Lamb was amazing… Oh and french pressed coffee served fresh at the table!

A friend and I came here for restaurant week and it was a horrible experience. The service was horrendous! They took one HOUR to bring out our appetizers and when the mussels arrived, they were lukewarm! They had obviously been sitting out for a while. And they were flavorless.
I ordered the pesto pasta and it was disgusting. I have never had bad pesto pasta! The noodles were too thick and bland, the meal basically had no flavor. I took two bites of my food and stopped eating. I didn’t even have the energy to return the food and wait endlessly for another meal to come out.
When we first were seated, we noticed that another patron at the table next to us had her food sent back to the kitchen — that should’ve been a warning sign to get the heck outta there!
Save your money and do not come here.

The service was extremely slow, despite the fact that the restaurant wasn’t full by any means. When the waiter does show up though, he was very nice and helpful. Good thing that I had good company at this restaurant, otherwise I doubt I’ll have the patience to wait for a good 20 something minutes for our appetizer.
The mussels were very good, some of the best I’ve had in DC; but the main dishes: I had the branzino and my friend had the duck, were not so special. I mean, it’s not bad, but I’ve had better in DC at this price range.
In the end, it was a pleasant experience for me but more because of my friend, not because of the food; though I have to give the restaurant kudos for its ambiance.

This was my first time here and definitely my last. I went with a group of nine during DC’s Restaurant Week when local restaurants supposedly have «deals.»
Food:
I never remember the name of what I eat if I can’t pronounce it so I’ll just describe what I had. My app was an anchovy-​olive-​paste-​pancake thing that tasted awful. Could be just me though since I don’t like olives… or things that taste very bad. Not sure which one. Dinner was duck which honestly tasted fantastic. Luckily I had filled up on bread before dinner so the ¹⁄₈₀ lb serving of duck they gave me was enough to fill me. Dessert was very good.
Service:
Just writing this part is making me angry again. Slowest service of any place I’ve ever eaten in my life. Ever. Polite? Yes. But the slowness overshadowed it. After being seated, it was 30 mins before the waiter finally took our order and 10 mins for me to get my drink. The longest delay came when we wanted to leave. Between the time we asked for our check and the time we left, an hour elapsed. Unreal. The restaurant wasn’t even ¼ full! The full experience from arriving to leaving took 2.5 hours! And we were fast eaters so we weren’t the holdup.
Price:
This place has nerve charging what they do. Most of the people I was with were shocked by their bills. My wife and I each had the three-​course meal and three drinks between the two of us. Total bill was $ 138. Wow. I usually don’t mind paying this much if the food and service warrant it but in this case it didn’t. Her friend had a salad and two drinks. Her bill was over $ 70.
The Kicker:
After we were finally able to sign our check, I walked to get the car while my wife waited in the restaurant. When I pulled up to get her, she said the waiter needed to see my card again since the machine had «lost it in the system.» So I had to leave my car illegally parked and go in. He promised that my card was not being charged twice but that he was just putting it in the machine again. Funny thing. I woke up this morning and see two charges for $ 138! M*@$$#%!!!
Summary:
24 hours ago, I was $ 276 richer, energized, and in a good mood. Now I am poorer, tired from staying out way later that I had planned due to slow service and pissed off that I have to call my bank to perform a chargeback.

So having sampled chef Franck Loquet’s offering at the Lamb Jam 2012, I was looking forward to checking out iCi’s menu. I was not disappointed. The décor is elegant as expected from Sofitel standard. The outdoor seating was very nice.
I started with the chicken crêpe that was delightful. Flaky crust around a savory chicken with tarragon veloute and mushrooms. My companions did not fare so well at first. The onion soup they ordered came out cold. A bit of a failing on the part of the entremetier. It was quickly rectified and the alternate were regarded well. The cheese plate had a really nice assortment. I really love that creamy blue on that toasted bread embedded with nuts.
My entrée was a hardy cassoulet filled with generous bean ragoût, duck leg confit, garlic sausage, pork belly, and southwest sausage. My companions had a thyme glazed pork tenderloin that was prepared a nice medium rare served with artichoke hearts and mashed potatoes. I had a few bites and thought it was excellent
We had to cut short our dinner since we had tickets to the Bolshoi that evening but the waiter managed to cobble together a refreshing dessert tray of macarons, rum cake and lemon tart for us. It went well with the sauterne that I had.
I paired the dinner with a wonderful Domaine Berthet-​Rayne, 2009 chateauneuf du pape that had a refined tannin structure with excellent bouquet and nice complexity.

What a cute spot! The outdoor seating is perfect for spring and summer. The comfortable seating and strategically placed greenery makes you feel like you are at a chic botique hotel in the south of france. While a little to expense for me to have a whole meal here, it’s deal for coffee, early drinks, or a midday snack.

* Restaurant week Review*
I had my first meal at iCi Urban Bistro during restaurant week and it was great.
The atmosphere is the perfect blend of casual yet refined. The restaurant is in a hotel, Sofitel, which is a stylish luxury hotel that also comes across casual. There is a bar that looked pretty sweet as well.
I ended up getting the duck for my main course. I ordered it medium rare and it came with the perfect amount of pink. The potatoes were also perfect — nice and crispy on the outside.