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By: AARON FLYNN
COMMENTS
 
CAFÉ BONAPARTE IN Georgetown definitely got the look of a Parisian café just
right.
Nestled among various shops and more notable places to eat on Wisconsin Avenue,
it would be easy enough to overlook this quaint little eatery. But a few idiosyncrasies
and a truly charming interior help make this restaurant, which opened three
months ago, worthy of a special trip.
A smart black espresso bar greets patrons at the entrance. Tasteful café style
tables, tucked next to a large picture window or, more intimately, near the
back stairs, generate a cozy, yet sophisticated feeling. The red walls and
tin ceiling, along with the black-and-white photographs of European street
scenes, will tempt more than one diner to don a beret and pencil thin mustache.
Despite the French style, the place is strikingly casual and the service,
while friendly, lands on the laidback side of the spectrum. Still, Café Bonaparte
is a lovely place for a relaxed afternoon of coffee and pastry, a weekend brunch
or — with the place hopping on Fridays and Saturdays until around 4 a.m. — the
cap to a late-night excursion.
THE MENU IS brief, but with items you can’t find just anywhere in Washington,
it certainly has enough unusual options to entice most anyone. The focus here,
of course, is crepes, and the chef skillfully creates each one.
There are no official appetizers on the menu, but the selection of warm, fresh
croissants, scones, and salads could nearly qualify. The baked goods are accompanied
with one of the restaurant’s specialty coffees or teas served in, of
all things, a French press.
Salads at Café Bonaparte’s are less impressive. The lettuce and
vegetables were OK and the dressing was palatable, but nothing more.
But the crepes are a whole other matter. The pastry is sweet, light and thin,
just as one would hope. The myriad of fillings — some sweet, some not-so-sweet,
as they put it — offer a fun and interesting mix of choices.
There’s the Petersburg with ham, parsley, and mushrooms, which makes
a unique and satisfying breakfast. The Marseille, my favorite, is filled with
tender chicken and hot roasted red pepper crème sauce.
And, of course, there is more traditional breakfast and brunch-type fare.
What Sunday would be complete without, at least, the opportunity to order eggs
Benedict? Café Bonaparte’s version is respectable, if not exquisite.
(I suggest sticking with the crepes.)
Desserts here are heavenly and, of course, we’re still talking crepes.
There’s the traditional version, Nutella chocolate, which may be just
a bit too rich for most tastes.
The restaurant’s own versions of the French dessert staple are a bit
easier to handle. The Josephine mixes Nutella and bananas wonderfully; the
Saint Germain, strawberries, almonds, and whipped cream just as effectively.
My favorite, and the dish that seemed to make its way to most every table
in the restaurant, was the Lorraine. It’s bursting with sweet, ripe wild
berries, whipped crème, and sumptuous vanilla ice cream.
Café Bonaparte is attractive and comfortable, relaxed and, as the night
grows old, cozy and even a bit decadent. With pleasing prices and a romantic
atmosphere, there are times when you won’t be able to remember how you
made it this far without it.
Appetizers range from &2 to $7, entrees from $6 to $8 and desserts $3
to $8.
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