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.
