Le Sel

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1. A

   Andrew

   New York Area

   11 reviews

   2.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on March 18, 2023

   overall2food3service2ambience1

   We came to Le Sel back in December and it wasn't a great experience, but we're staying in the same hotel and so decided to give it another chance. That was a mistake. Most of the issues we experienced last time were repeated this time. But, for the positive, we do have to say that it was lovely of the restaurant to provide a glass of bubbly for our anniversary, so thank you so much for that. Beyond that though, there were so many issues. Despite there being barely any customers, service was painfully slow. The wait staff were super lovely and friendly but everything was delayed, slow, and not in the order we asked for things. We waited a long time for our order to be taken, and then an inordinate amount of time for the food to arrive. When ordered, we asked for food to be delivered all at the same time. It wasn't. Not even close. The gnocchi entree, for $30+ was the size of a small appetizer and such bad value for the money. The shrimp appetizer, which I had last time, did not come with the bread as it did before, so I asked what happened and if I could have some bread. 10 minutes (and cold shrimp) later, the bread arrived, with no mention that I would be charged for it. But, when we got the bill, we saw they added a charge for the bread. Not acceptable. All in all, a pretty shambolic experience. Average quality food that took an unacceptably long time to be ordered and cooked. Then to charge for something that was (just 12 weeks ago) part of the dish? Not the best way to get people back to the restaurant.

   Le SelResponded on March 18, 2023Thank you for answering my phone call to discuss this matter. Once again, I would like to extend my sincere apology for the service you and your partner received last night on your special day. We at The Banneker aim to provide excellent service to our customers at all times, and we sadly fell short at this incident. I've noted all of your points and will handle your complaint promptly. I will be reaching out to you via email shortly. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to mend the situation

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2. a

   amiratee

   New York Area

   4 reviews

   4.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on March 14, 2023

   overall4food5service5ambience3

   The food was really excellent. I had the onion soup, cornmeal gnocchi and pear tart. The gnocchi in particular was incredible; I've never had anything like it, The portions seems very small at first but left room for dessert. The pear tart was tasty though not too sweet; the pistachio butter was a bit confusing. The setting of the restaurant was fine, but a little bit of a cafe setting that didnt quite do justice to the food. Wanted better lighting and maybe an area away from white tile floors. Very nice and efficient service.

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3. A

   Ahmed

   Washington DC

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on March 12, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   If you're looking for a great dining experience, look no further than Le Sel! The food is absolutely delicious, and the service is top-notch. The waitstaff are not only extremely professional, but they're also super friendly and always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that you have a fantastic meal. What's more, the atmosphere of the restaurant is simply lovely. It's quiet and cozy, making it the perfect place to enjoy a romantic dinner for two or a fun night out with friends. We had a great time my wife and I and we will definitely come back again. Overall, I highly recommend Le Sel to anyone looking for a fantastic dining experience. With delicious food, excellent service, and a beautiful atmosphere, it's sure to be a hit with anyone who loves great food and great company. Thank you all for such an amazing night!!!

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4. o

   osvaldos

   Phoenix

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 22, 2023

   overall3food4service4ambience2

   This was an OK French restaurant. Food was ok but the ambiance was not what I had expected. There were only two customers in the restaurant and I was one of them. It felt very exposed with windows facing the street. It certainly did not have the coziness that I expected from a French restaurant.

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5. S

   Sedrick

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 15, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   I can say my experience being there for Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend was great, I had her smiling from ear to ear. The food was so amazing that we wanted seconds and the customer service was on point.

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6. H

   Hades

   Atlanta Metro

   5 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on February 12, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We went to Le Sel for our anniversary. Our interaction with the host was very pleasant. Once we sat down, we were served the beautiful, smart, and delicious food that talented Chef Silva created. Every dish was paired by Juan Carlos, an excellent bartender that understands the nuances of food and liquor. We found our spot in DC and will eat and drink at Le Sel often.

   Le SelResponded on February 13, 2023Hades Thank You so much for your kind words!!! We were so happy to host you for your anniversary. I will let Juan Carlos and Chef Walter know how they made your experience amazing, look forward to seeing you soon!

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7. D

   Danw

   Washington DC

   3 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on January 21, 2023

   overall4food4service3ambience4

   Went during restaurant week. Food was good - servers seemed young /inexperienced as they brought food we didn’t order to our table, brought a following course when we had just been provided the previous course, and interrupted our eating a few times to ask if we were done when we clearly had more than half our food left. It’s a nice restaurant with good food and friendly staff. Rooftop bar is nice too with gas fire pits.

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8. f

   franco

   Baltimore

   33 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   33 reviews

   Dined on December 24, 2022

   overall4food5service5ambience2

   Not a soul there. Almost didnt go in. Food and service were excellent.

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9. EM

   ElizabethM

   New York Area

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on December 21, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   The food was incredible, the salmon and chicken thighs are some of the best I’ve ever had. The salmon’s skin was crispy and the sauce was delicious. The chicken thighs were seasoned perfectly and juicy. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a tasty meal.

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10. j

    jaytay

    Philadelphia

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 14, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fantastic service , drinks and food. Wonderfully surprising because it is a hotel restaurant

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11. K

    Kidfree89hangingout

    Washington DC

    17 reviews

    4.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on December 3, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience3

    Went there for our wedding anniversary meal…the staff was great! The hostess and the servers really took care of us! Food was delicious- would definitely go back!

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12. J

    debraJ

    Orlando

    89 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    89 reviews

    Dined on October 26, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We enjoyed two breakfasts on different days....the gentlemen hosts and waitstaff were excellent. Best of breakfast....the oatmeal...which was so much more than basic oatmeal

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13. ML

    MatthewL

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 14, 2022

    overall2food4service1ambience2

    We went on a Friday night at 730pm to arrive to the restaurant with lights on blast no ambiance. Upon seating it seemed like there was only one wine list for the whole place (4 tables occupied) as they had to grab it from another table. Ordered a nice $100 bottle of Cab and the server bought the house $35 bottle. I didn’t notice till after opening and at that point whatever. I could tell I shouldn’t get a large bottle anyways. It took 20min for them to come back and take orders and didn’t seem to attentive. Throughout the meal no one came to the table, no one cleared appetizer plates or anything so by the end of the meal there was no room on the table. It was very poor service. Shame too as the food was good and great portions. We had steaks, French Soup, mussels and then desert. All good. Just poor front of house service.

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14. C

    Colin

    Atlanta Metro

    6 reviews

    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 8, 2022

    overall2food4service1ambience3

    Extremely poor service. We had to ask for the check three times and couldn’t get a refill of water because the servers only catered to larger groups despite only 4 groups in the restaurant. We will not go back here again since so many other better options exist in the area.

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15. t

    tony

    Washington DC

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Tasty food and drink. Needed better hostess service though

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on August 21, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Food is wonderful with elements of both French and American breakfasts.

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17. S

    Stephanie

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 9, 2022

    overall3food2service4ambience3

    Good service but both the food and cocktails were underwhelming, especially for the price. There were maybe 1-2 other tables occupied, very empty, which kind of killed the vibe.

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18. K

    Keith

    Washington DC

    14 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on July 9, 2022

    overall2food1service3ambience3

    Disappointing food. The mussels were in a sauce that was as exciting as dishwasher. The mussels were poorly cooked. Definitely not worth the over priced menu.

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 8, 2022

    overall2food2service4ambience5

    Decor was wonderful and service was good. I would recommend for cocktails but there are better locations in the area for food.

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20. M

    Mary

    New England

    15 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2022

    overall2food5service4ambience3

    Tried to call restaurant multiple times. Could never get through. There is a full service bar but they didn’t have club soda for mixed drinks.

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21. CF

    CatherineF

    New York Area

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 20, 2022

    overall3food2service4ambience1

    Ambience was exceedingly average and the food was nothing special. The prices would indicate something far nicer. Our server was perfectly lovely. We went here for a business meeting and the client we brought expressed how unimpressed he was… ouch!

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22. KC

    KarinC

    Raleigh

    3 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    We never had a server approach us until we asked for service ourselves. The server was foreign and did not know the job nor the menu. I asked her to write down our order since she did not bring a note pad and pen. She came back after 40 minutes saying that there was a mistake and that our order was never put in or processed in the kitchen. She asked me what our order was again and I had to write it down for her on her own notepad. We were charged for a meal we never ordered. A disaster!!! Worst Mothers Day Brunch ever!

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23. CA

    CA2DC

    Washington DC

    11 reviews

    3.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2022

    overall3food3service2ambience2

    Overall we had a mixed experience at Le Sel. We ate in the front room and it definitely had a casual cafe vibe. Our server was super sweet, but unfortunately the service was super slow. 3 out of 4 of us enjoyed our meals. They weren't anything amazing, but solid. The other issue was the price point. Given the atmosphere, service and the food, what we paid (brunch - 2 adults, 2 kids - approx $400) seemed quite high. The customer experience suffers when you're jamming as many people as possible into a restaurant, when the kitchen and wait staff can't handle it.

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24. A

    Aggy

    Washington DC

    24 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Really good food- don’t understand why the ratings aren’t better! And I’m french- plus it’s great to have a place just off 14th that you can get into without booking weeks in advance. Don’t be put off that it’s in the hotel.

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25. SZ

    SamZ

    Baltimore

    51 reviews

    2.0

    51 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2022

    overall2food3service2ambience3

    I selected in Open Table website “outdoors” seating. When we arrived and parked for $29 in valet, we learned there is no outdoor seating. We stayed because at 8pm on a busy Friday evening, the restaurant was nearly empty so less Covid risky. The quality of the dining relative to the price explained why. Le Sel had a 4.6 out of 5.0 rating in Open Table. This is misinformation that misdirected the out of towners like us. We will find other ways to choose dining spots in the future.

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26. DP

    DrewP

    Orlando

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 24, 2022

    overall3food3service1ambience2

    Place was empty, took a long time to get our food, get our bill, and then they said the credit card machine was broken. Was a pain

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27. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 23, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I had an amazing and peaceful moments breakfast. The waiter was impressive.

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28. J

    Jerm

    Washington DC

    10 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on April 16, 2022

    overall3food4service2ambience4

    A lot of potential, but they are highly disorganized and slow. The restaurant was barely 1/4 full and they still took a very long time to seat, serve us, bring drinks, etc. Food was a bit over salted, but was generally good.

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29. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    12 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on April 15, 2022

    overall3food4service3ambience3

    Seems that management is no longer interested in making this a restaurant for locals. Went last year and everything was wonderful. This time not so much. I know it’s been hard in restaurants to find good staff but this experience was not good. Was a Friday night and no manger to be seen. Most of the clientele was families that seemed to be visiting from out of town. Probably staying at the hotel. Food was fine. Not extraordinary like had before but good with nice presentation. The service was just not there. Unfortunately that impacts the ambience too. No mood lighting or candles on the table. No background music. It’s too bad cause it’s a lovely space and could have been a great restaurant but just doesn’t seem to have anyone caring. Very much like what you would find in any standard hotel restaurant. Kimpton used to do really good with their restaurants but I think they lost that focus after joining IHG. Would not really recommend this restaurant.

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30. E

    Eric

    Washington DC

    32 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on April 2, 2022

    overall4food5service3ambience3

    Absolutely superb food. Every dish was outstanding. Top-rank food, from the escargots and mussels to the steak and fish. Clearly a great chef in charge. Just delicious. Service was decent. Slow, but not terribly slow. Nice servers, who did a very good job, but it seemed understaffed and it took a while to give our orders. The price was a bit high for this kind of restaurant. $250 for four with tip, with only three alcoholic drinks ordered. No bottles of wine ordered. Two courses for three of us, one course for one. I think they may be pricing it for hotel guests from out of town/out of the country. The food was worth it, but the ambience is not quite up to $65 pp. No table cloths, and parts of the room look more like a coffee shop, which I gather it is in the morning. We would go back for the food. Truly outstanding.

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31. IH

    IHaveADistinctiveName

    Austin

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on April 1, 2022

    overall1food2service1ambience1

    My wife and I wanted to have a nice date and celebrate some success I’ve had. I ordered a bottle of champagne. They had no stopper and the manager told me to drink faster. $125 bottle of champagne and I’m supposed to chug? Irresponsible as a safety measure and disrespectful to me as a customer wanting to enjoy something. Also, weirdly, she said wine stoppers were $6-7 and were "not something we give away." In which universe is a wine stopper supposed to complimentary? Food was under seasoned. Just a terrible experience and I’ll never return. We later went to La Chaumiere in Georgetown and it was much better in every respect.

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32. GG

    GregG

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 1, 2022

    overall3food4service2ambience4

    Food was just ok, service was slow and we needed to repeat our drink and food orders on several occasions. Value is not very good.

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33. BM

    BrianM

    Indiana

    9 reviews

    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on March 23, 2022

    overall3food3service5ambience3

    Menu didn’t match what was on line. Drink and appetizer was very good.main course was good. My server did a very nice job, was attentive.

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34. P

    Pegg

    Austin

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on March 22, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Shrimp appetizer was outstanding. Shrimp were cooked perfectly and were succulent and flavorful. Be aware that if you ask for bread that there is a charge, but it was a beautiful baguette slightly toasted and warm. Just delicious. I would order it again.

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35. s

    susano

    Orange County

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 19, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Staff was very helpful and attended us well, even though we reserved a table through Open Table (and had confirmation email) and they ended up having no record of our reservation (! some glitch in the system!?) We were seated in the 'outdoor' area, but was enclosed and toasty warm! Food and service was terrific, and views were beautiful, with waterfront and city lights. Highly recommend

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36. MC

    MCTC

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience3

    Could use more ambiance like dimming lighting, table clothes, nicer chairs, etc., that would typically come with a restaurant with this type of food, wine and price point.

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37. K

    Kari

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Birthday experience for my wife, staying at the Kimpton hotel and had reservations for Le Sel. Food was amazing and the service just as great. Great wine list, starters and entrees. Can’t wait to come back.

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38. KM

    KateandMoe

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I can’t say enough about this place. I truly love it. Excellent food. Excellent service. Cecilio at the bar is a genius with his cocktails, wine pairings, and overall care for his guests. I felt appreciated and cared for. I can’t wait to enjoy Le Sel again on my next visit to D.C. They’re are quickly becoming our home away from home.

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39. IC

    IfunanyaC

    Washington DC

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The food was amazing for a reasonable price. The appetizer was bomb

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40. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 19, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Really like the pork belly, crispy on the outside, soft and moist inside. Good beer choices.

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