Best Restaurants with Bar Seating in Friendship Heights

The brunch had numerous options. For hors d'oeuvres: the Frissee Lardon was well-dressed and topped with a perfectly poached egg; and the Soup a L'Oignon had perfectly caramelized onions and was topped with delicious golden crust of Gruyere cheese that over flowed the bowl. For entrees: the Tartine featured a buttery salmon and parsley spread that was well complemented by the slightly acid capers and pickled shallots; and the Loup de Mer was perfectly cooked and the butter sauce and nuts added to the flavor and texture of the dish. For dessert: the Pots de Creme was creamy and flavorful with no bitter chocolate aftertaste; and the Mocha Creme Caramel was firm and creamy with the almond praline adding a satisfying crunch. The Mimosa was light and refreshing. The Bloody Mary was average. The ambience was that of a cafe, not a fancy restaurant. The food was as high quality as any french restaurant, and the portions were generous. Highly recommend for a delicious french cafe meal!

We loved how accommodating Lebanese Taverna was with my gluten free restrictions. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great.

So for starters, it’s gorgeous. The architecture was so interesting mainly because it’s so ornate and large, so I had to look up what it used to be, and it used to be a bank and supposedly they preserved some of the original bank features like the vault. I’d love to have a tour of the actual building. I am an escargot snob. Theirs was OK. The strip, Brussels, and Mac were very good. I have leftovers and I cannot wait to eat them.

Our server, Jazelle, was amazing. She was attentive, personable, and fun! She made great recommendations and ensured our experience was a great one. If we have the opportunity to return, we’d absolutely sit in her section again. We had an issue toward the end of our meal (hair in food) and had a short encounter with the restaurant manager that was less than impressive. Engaging with patrons and resolving issues was not his priority. No introduction and no eye contact.

We have eaten at PLANTA multiple times and have always found it to be superb. We have also taken non-vegans there many times with fabulous results. We ate at the Bethesda location this past weekend with some long-term friends who wanted to try an all vegan restaurant. They could not stop glowing about it. We ordered multiple things off of each part of the menu and shared all of them. Each item was given a five star review which could be expected in my opinion. I really want to take them back for the brunch though because I cannot get that French toast out of my head.