La Chaumiere opened on M Street in Georgetown in 1976, founded by Gerard Pain, a French native who had settled in Washington in the early 1960s and built the menu around his own recipes for French country cuisine. Nearly fifty years later, the restaurant is still in French hands, run by proprietor Gil Fornaris alongside executive chef Debora Christ and managing partner Tony Bass, and still rooted in the same traditions.
The kitchen makes its charcuterie in-house, including a Boudin Blanc and a Country Style Pate, and the house specialty is Quenelle de Brochet Sauce Homard — pike dumplings in lobster sauce. The wine list leans heavily on French regions, with Bordeaux given top billing. Foie gras is kept off the menu as a matter of house policy.
Regulars describe La Chaumiere as an authentic outpost of French dining in a city where that's harder to find than it should be, pointing to well-cooked meats, warm and attentive service, and a romantic, unhurried dining room. It has built a loyal following as one of Georgetown's longstanding restaurants.
The kitchen makes its charcuterie in-house, including a Boudin Blanc and a Country Style Pate, and the house specialty is Quenelle de Brochet Sauce Homard — pike dumplings in lobster sauce. The wine list leans heavily on French regions, with Bordeaux given top billing. Foie gras is kept off the menu as a matter of house policy.
Regulars describe La Chaumiere as an authentic outpost of French dining in a city where that's harder to find than it should be, pointing to well-cooked meats, warm and attentive service, and a romantic, unhurried dining room. It has built a loyal following as one of Georgetown's longstanding restaurants.