Bistrot Du Coin

Bistrot Du Coin, which translates roughly to, ‘Insert Coin’, is a restaurant in the heart of Dupont Circle that specializes in French cuisine, most notably, their mussels. That being said, they have a wide selection of French foods to offer.

The group I was with was ravenous, so we set off for a wide selection of meats, meats, and meats. Starting with the Moules Catalanes, which are steamed mussels with chorizo, the mussels here never disappoint. The combination of chorizo and mussels is unique, and went over well with everyone. There are variety of mussel dishes, and it’s impossible to go with one that’s wrong.

Continuing on, we sampled the Steak Tartare (raw ground beef with egg yolk), the Brochette de Boeuf facon Bistrot (skewers of grilled beef and vegetables), and the Pâté de campagne Maison (homemade pork pate). The steak tartare here is excellent. Soft, flavorful, and easily wrapped in the accompanying lettuce, I could never get sick of this dish. The beef skewers were good, but not a dish that was particularly memorable or exotic. One of those dishes that’s a safe bet to please almost any carnivorous diner. The pate here was, well…pate. I’ve never been a huge fan of pate, but it was good and perfectly edible all the same. With almost any dish you order here, you’ll get a side of fries. Steak tartare? Side of fries. Skewers? Side of fries. Order some fries? Side of fries. It’s ridiculous. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was likely some strong empirical evidence supporting that this restaurant was somehow funded by the Idaho farmer’s association with intents to marginalize the domestic rice market with an over-saturation of tuber products, packaged and shipped via a French culinary experience.

Sorry, I blacked out there for a second.

The meat dishes here are great, if not a bit on the heavy side. I had to order the Salade d’artichaut et asperges (artichoke and asparagus salad) just to even things out a bit in my belly, or suffer the consequences later.

Image Credit: DCist

I’ve eaten at Insert Coin many, many times, and I’ve never had a bad experience. The likelihood that you’ll actually be served by someone from a French speaking country is good, as that’s been the case on more than half the occasions I’ve frequented the restaurant. The casual dining and neighborhood feel is distinct and appealing to many people, as you’ll see that the place gets jam packed during dinner hours. If you can get here a little bit earlier or later than from around 7 to 9, you won’t have too much trouble finding a seat, but otherwise, be prepared to wait a bit or take a seat at the bar. The staff are always very congenial, and you can have a pretty solid French gastro-pub experience here without the pretentiousness most people associate with the regional cuisine. The din of other diners can get loud, so don’t expect a completely reserved experience, but revel in the fine French food at very reasonable prices.

Bistrot du Coin, which actually means ‘neighborhood bistro’, can be found on a map here.

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