(December 2007)

By Warren Rojas

Food: 8.4 Ambiance: 8.2 Service: 8.2

Traditional French will never go out of style at La Bergerie, an Old Town Alexandria standard for fans of seductive foods in plush environs.

The warehouse-bound but still tony establishment provides a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of more touristy spots sprinkled up and down King Street. Well-appointed servers (sharp as ever in their signature dark slacks and copper-colored vests) are ever attentive and pleasantly accommodating. Dining recommendations are readily provided without a whiff of pressure, individual dishes are presented with a heartfelt “bon appétit,” and tables are cleared without so much as an interruption.

The seasonal menu is regularly stocked with gourmet delicacies (pheasant, foie gras, veal sweetbreads, wild boar), as well as French staples (sauteed snails, baked onion and Gruyère soup).

The made-to-order Caesar salad summons a visual feast, as servers whir into action assembling the now-ubiquitous salad from its base—think freshly cracked eggs, salty anchovies, streams of Worcestershire and crisp romaine leaves—ingredients (a delight every time). Duck confit heads to the highlands via a shepherd’s pie layering shredded duck (fatty in spots, but mostly flavorful) with wild mushrooms (great building block) and whipped potatoes (clever twist on the rustic meal). Medallions of roast pork are bathed in a luxe Roquefort sauce (more molten cheese, s’il vous plait!) that thrusts ordinary swine into the big time.

(August 2006)

By Warren Rojas

F 8.3 A 8.1 S 8.3

Few restaurants exude as much character and class as La Bergerie, an intimate hideaway on the outskirts of Old Town Alexandria.

Magnums of Champagne and fresh-cut flowers adorn a dining area typically littered with girlfriends gossiping over wine or couples enjoying a night on the town. Servers remove tables so patrons can slide into padded sweetheart booths, and every dish is delivered with an emphatic "bon appétit." And a basket of complimentary toiletries make freshening up in the bathroom a breeze.

A static two-course lunch deal includes a main course and either an appetizer or a dessert for $20. Noteworthy starters include a cheesy French onion soup, fresh Caesar salad (prepared tableside) or a sharp mango, avocado and jumbo lump crab creation. Roast monkfish has a pleasing crust but moist center, while a pork platter-huge chop is satisfying, crispy pork belly fizzles a bit, while the blood sausage registers somewhere between pâté and blood pudding-gets a hand from a bed of buttery lentils. Other entrées range from Provençal (crab-stuffed dorade in a Pernod sauce) to pastoral (elk chops with cherries).