A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of dining at one of Washington D.C.’s many french cuisine restaurants, Le Diplomate. Established in 2013, the establishment has garnered many great reviews and culinary awards. They offer a full menu of brunch, lunch, cafe, and dinner. I went there for brunch and I did not leave hungry.

Afterwards, we asked for the french onion soup and split it. Our server kindly split it in half, and it was the best french onion soup I’ve ever had. The cheese was melty, gooey; the onions soft and sweet; and the broth rich and piping hot. We knew we had to make the one-mile walk from Dupont Metro worth it. So, we also ordered the salmon carpaccio. Topped with capers, creme fraiche, and eggs. It was delicious, and beautifully plated.

For our entrees, we got the duck saladaise and the poached eggs basquaise. The duck saladaise was like a duck hash topped with eggs. It was very filling, with thick cut potatoes. The potatoes seemed to taste of duck confit in every bite. The poached eggs basquaise was a smaller portion, perfect for me. When I read “proscuitto” on the menu, I didn’t realize it was going to be crispy. That was a pleasant surprise. The poached eggs alonside the creamy polenta was slightly too “gooey”, but this was exactly what I ordered.

Le Diplomate also has an extensive desert menu, but we truly had no room for it. Overall, it was a really unique experience to try French cuisine in D.C. The menu itself has many classic dishes such as Escargots (snails!), Steak Tartare, and Beef Bourguignon.