Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Washington, D.C. Area
  4. District of Columbia
  5. Shaw
Bar Chinois, Washington, DC
Award-winning

Bar Chinois

4.7
4.7
638 Reviews
$30 and under
Chinese

Make a booking

2 people
19:30
Booked 55 times today

About this restaurant

  • Hot spot
  • Lively
  • Great for creative cocktails
Bar Chinois is recognized for its constantly-evolving Chinese menu and French-inspired cocktail and wine program. Recent accolades include being listed in the Michelin Dining Guide USA, the Washington Post Fall Dining Guide, Modern Luxury DC Best of the City and 2024 RAMMY Award Winner for Best Bar in DC.

Located in Mount Vernon Triangle, Bar Chinois is a short walk from the Washington Convention Center, Capital One Arena, National Mall and Union Station. We offer happy hour specials Tuesday-Sunday from 5 pm-7 pm and a bottomless brunch on weekends.

If you are looking for an energetic Washington, DC dining experience with great food, drink and service, we would love to host you!

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Cantonese
  • Hours of Operation
    Bar Tue–Thu 17:00–01:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–02:00 Sun 11:00–00:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00–17:00 Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 17:00–23:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–00:00
  • Phone number
    (202) 851-6250
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Satang Ruangsangwatana
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Area
    Shaw
  • Cross Street
    5th and I Streets NW
  • Parking details
    Metered street parking. Numerous parking garages and lots within a three block radius.
  • Public transit
    Closest metro stations are Chinatown, Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center, Judiciary Square and Union Station. DC Circulator bus stops on Massachusetts Ave. NW and 5th Street NW and a number of other bus stops nearby.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

What 638 people are saying

Bar Chinois reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bar Chinois offers an enticing blend of Asian-French fusion cuisine, with standout dishes like "amazing dumplings" and "incredible curry chicken." The restaurant is known for its "fantastic happy hour" deals and "outstanding service." While the atmosphere is lively, noise levels can be high. Overall, it's a "great value" destination.

638 Reviews
  1. Oluwakemi VIP

    Washington DC4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was so so good! Went for a birthday meal and it did NOT disappoint. We got seated right away and though it was very busy, all of our food came out right away. Thank you : )

    Is this helpful?

  2. Lauren

    Atlanta7 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Thoughtful, interesting menu but all the sauces were too sweet and extra-greasy. Helpful, friendly staff, but drinks did not arrive until well after the food did, even after we reminded them.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Latonia

    Atlanta10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice atmosphere. Elevated asian cuisine. The hoisin ribs were fantastic and the matcha creme brûlée divine! Andre was our waiter had great suggestions which were all good. Shoutout to Ian who made sure we had a memorable experience!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Roman

    Washington DC7 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    This is the second time I visited this place, because the first time I really liked the food even though the service wasn't perfect but it was decent. This second time the service was really bad. I had a reservation at 7pm, we sat down at 7:05pm, we ordered drinks and food as soon as we could. At 8:15pm we were offered the dessert menu, but we wanted a couple more drinks. At 8:20pm the server told us that we could only get the drinks if we finished them in the bar because we had reached the maximum time for the table that was 90 minutes, even though we were there for 80 mins (giving them our 5 minutes "late")... Also, how come we could eat dessert but not drink cocktails?? And they round up 75-80 mins to 90 mins just like that? I'm sorry but that's unacceptable service. The server told us that it was "the manager directions, and that I could ask to talk to him". Well my time and money is more important than that, so I just left, got my drinks somewhere else, left half the tip ( very generous, should have been zero), and won't be back anytime soon. Their loss, not mine, DC has many more bars and restaurants.

    Is this helpful?

  5. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Philadelphia1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Happy hour was amazing! Defintiely recommend booking a table because the bar area got super crowded. Dumplings were large & half off drinks is a steal!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Lillien

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 26 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Genuinely the food was so divine. The staff were also so helpful and sweet and attentive.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Ashakia

    Philadelphia6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 24 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Amazing happy hour , drinks are A1 ask for Brent the bartender !

    Is this helpful?

  8. Julie

    Washington DC20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 23 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food, great restaurant. However the service was slow, and the dishes came in at different times for our group of 5. We had to wait a long time to get our Dim Sums, and then we were told our time was up. The waitress never checked on us until it was time to kick us out. A 15 minute warning would have been nice.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Sasha VIP

    Washington DC10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 17 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first time here and it exceeded expectations! The dumplings and noodles were delicious, the cocktails were expertly mixed, and desserts were the perfect finishing touch. We were celebrating a birthday and our server was kind enough to bring an extra dessert on the house with candles for wish making :-) We will definitely be back, especially when the weather is a bit warmer and we can enjoy the outdoor seating.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Madeline

    Philadelphia3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We LOVED this place. The vibes were cool and the food was out of this world! Delicious!!!!!! Would come back again and again

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bar Chinois does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Bar Chinois also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 851-6250.

Bar Chinois is rated 4.7 stars by 638 OpenTable diners.

Bar Chinois does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:30
Booked 55 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Bar Chinois

455 I St NW, Washington, DC 20001-3054

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross Street
    5th and I Streets NW
  • Area
    Shaw
  • Hours of Operation
    Bar Tue–Thu 17:00–01:00 Fri, Sat 11:00–02:00 Sun 11:00–00:00 Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00–17:00 Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 17:00–23:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–00:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Cantonese
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Metered street parking. Numerous parking garages and lots within a three block radius.
  • Public transit
    Closest metro stations are Chinatown, Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center, Judiciary Square and Union Station. DC Circulator bus stops on Massachusetts Ave. NW and 5th Street NW and a number of other bus stops nearby.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Satang Ruangsangwatana
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo