Le Pain Quotidien

That restaurant is a scam. I took my wife and my kids there for a Saturday lunch. We were so excited to spend some quality time. But boy what quality? It is very expensive for what you get. They make their food sound fancy when you are eating a piece of bread with a piece of meat on it. The waiter never asked what we want to drink and when we said that we need couple minutes to read the menu, he left and we just watched him chatting with another waiter forever. We couldn’t even get his attention. I’ll go back only if it’s a food crisis and they are the only ones providing a free piece of bread for the hungry.

liked the organic menu and cafe ambiance of the outdoor seating area, but latest visit the service dropped to an all-time low. Always been slow and disorganized but latest visit will be our last. Server did everything wrong. Chutney for sandwich arrived in a dirty dish. When complained to manager, manager tired to argue that the dish was clean. Sorry bye bye Pain.

Just discovered today that if you buy a muffin to sit down and eat - it costs a dollar more ($3.60 vs $2.60) on the bill than if you carry it out. The coffee was ok, but less than hot when it came. I have been here a few times, but the Bethesda store doesn't have either the food or the charm of the one in Brussels.

I've been here about 4or 5 times since it opened maybe 2 months ago (including work-lunches and dinner/snacks for leisure). While the food itself has generally been tasty (if a little bland), I would strongly recomend against eating here, at least on a sit-down basis. The food is quite pricey for what it is (it is hard to find coffee/tea beverages that sell for noticably more than starbucks but Le Pain does it!). Also, you should be aware that the cost for 'take out' food is less than the price for table-service. Of course the, with table service you have to tip as well. How european except of course, in europe you generally don't have to tip as well. The service is consistently very slow (the servers always blame the kitchen for the 30 min+ waits for sandwiches, even when Le Pain is not particularly crowded), but virtually every server I've had there does not refill water glasses, make sure the table has napkins/silverware before the food arrives etc. (this is an issue because as a 'seat yourself but have service' venue, the tables are bussed but no one sees the tabel as you sit down). The atmosphere is ok it can be nice to sit outside. Inside, parts are nice (I prefer the dining area on the right, which feels a bit more intimate). The main room is a bit cavernous and the air conditioner can be EXTREMELY noisy. Overall, in downtown bethesda there are much better places to eat for the money. On a nice day, it could be nice to get some of the 'to go food' (perhaps this might be made quicker?) and go eat at the park across the street on arlington road.