Kevin Lalli is the Executive Chef of Opaline Bar & Brasserie, located within the Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square. He has been instrumental in leading the restaurant's culinary team since its opening in 2018,...
Opaline Bar & Brasserie is a French Riviera-inspired restaurant located within the Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square. It offers a vibrant blend of French cuisine and expertly crafted cocktails in the heart of Washington D.C., near the White House, monuments, and Smithsonian Museums. The restaurant features a charming terrace, providing a relaxed street view perfect for dining.
Customers highly praise Opaline for its refined French cuisine, with dishes like the French onion soup, Wellington, and Steak Frites receiving exceptional reviews. The freshly made pasta dishes, such as Pappardelle Bolognese and Ricotta Gnocchi, are also frequently highlighted. The cocktail menu, including elegant non-alcoholic options, is well-regarded, and the service is often described as attentive and professional. While dinner experiences are generally lauded, some brunch visits have been noted for slow service and average food quality. A significant concern raised in one review pertains to alleged predatory billing practices for catering events, with claims of substantial overcharges for food and alcohol.
Additional Details
Opaline Bar & Brasserie is part of the Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square hotel. It offers various dining options including outdoor seating, delivery, takeaway, and dine-in services. The restaurant also hosts a special Afternoon Tea on Saturdays.
Dinner is highly recommended for the full dining experience. Afternoon Tea is offered on Saturdays. For breakfast, the restaurant can get busy around 9 AM.
Google
5
If you’re searching for one of the most refined dining spots in Washington DC, Opaline is truly worth discovering. This elegant French restaurant pairs beautifully executed cuisine with a charming terrace offering comfortable seating and a relaxed street view — perfect for unhurried evenings.
We explored a variety of dishes, each prepared with precision and care. The Pappardelle Bolognese, Ricotta Gnocchi, and Cacio e Pepe fettuccini stood out in particular — their freshly made, house-prepared pasta elevates every bite.
The Mediterranean Branzino (risotto style) was delicate and refined, while the Steak Frites (NY Strip with Diane sauce) was a standout — the sauce was simply exceptional. We also thoroughly enjoyed the charred octopus, onion soup, and the Opaline Smash Burger with classic fries (with truffle fries ordered separately — highly recommended).
To finish, the Blueberry Peach Cobbler was the perfect ending — easily the highlight dessert of the evening. 🤍
Opaline also impresses with a thoughtfully curated cocktail menu, including elegant non-alcoholic creations such as Rouge Royal and Mango Mojito — making it just as appealing for a refined drink as for a full dining experience.
What truly sets this place apart is the service. Under the attentive management of Mr. Chandan Kumar, with the warm and professional care of Ms. Martha and expertly crafted drinks by Mr. Marlos, every detail feels effortless.
We felt so at ease here that we returned throughout the entire week during our stay at Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square (more on the hotel in our next review).
An elegant address in the heart of Washington — ideal for those who appreciate fine dining, understated luxury, and memorable experiences. More on @larmarluxury.
Lovely place for breakfast, very cute with many delicious options. We were staying at the hotel so got to try almost entire breakfast menu and pretty much everything was good. Pastrami Hash and Vegetable skillet are quite filling whie crab cake Benedict is really delicious but on a lighter side.
Coffee comes in French press.
Place gets quite busy around 9 am.
Probably a fluke because the good reviews mostly centered for dinner time. We went for Mother’s Day brunch. It didn’t appear to be busy, but service was super slow. The food was average. Not bad, but nothing worth returning for. We had the croque madame, Opaline burger, and Nutella French toast. The bacon jam that came with the burgers was probably the hit of the day. It’s a shame because the decor and ambiance were really nice.
PREDATORY BILLING BEWARE. If you are considering Opaline Brasserie Washington DC catering for your event, do yourself a favor and run in the opposite direction.
The numerous other 1-star reviews were correct. Our recent experience with this establishment was nothing short of a nightmare. We forecasted a total F&B cost at their Opaline restaurant of approximately $6,000 for our event, yet we were hit with an astronomical charge of $11,178. That is a staggering 100% markup over the expected total, and we are certain the consumption did not come anywhere near those figures. We closely monitored the food and beverage service throughout the night, and the numbers they reported are, frankly, a work of fiction.
We presented our discrepancy to Opaline & Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square Director of Catering, Sherry Mostaghim, but no refund was provided or a discussion of our evidence. We escalated to the General Manager, Karla Erales, but were unable to secure any refund an audit of the bill.
Their billing math does not add up to reality:
Alcohol Consumption: The invoice claims 28 bottles of wine were served to just 19 guests in 90 minutes. The 28 wine bottles equates to 8 glasses per person, per hour—a physical impossibility. Even over three hours, the total volume of wine and liquor billed would average 12 drinks per person. Given the demographic of our guests, this volume is not just impossible; it is an egregious fabrication. If this bill were accurate, the staff would have needed to call ambulances, not present an invoice.
Charcuterie Boards: We authorized $42 in charges for boards; we were billed $375.
Sodas: We were charged for 57 sodas despite there being only four children present.
We had read other negative reviews before booking and were specifically assured by management that we would have no issues. We felt that our invoice was significantly padded, and it seemed they assumed we would not scrutinize the charges. When confronted with clear evidence that the billed consumption was physically impossible, they chose to hide behind rigid, dismissive policy rather than correct their mistake.
Do not trust the management at Oplaine Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square. They are unwilling to engage with reality, let alone provide honest service. Save your money and your sanity—find a venue that actually respects its customers.
Ordered Opaline for dinner (their appetizers) as room service while staying at Sofitel and all the dishes were great. Their macaron also had a great texture and unique flavors (such as watermelon). Overall a good experience.
