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Grapeseed: Restaurant Reviews

4865 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814
301-986-9592
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Ranked #13 of 190 restaurants in Bethesda
Price range: $31 - $50
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Restaurant details
Good for: Special occasions
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Reservations
Dining style: Casual Elegant
Cross street: between Norfolk and Woodmont
Transit: Grapeseed is located 1/2 mile from the Bethesda Metro stop on the Red Line.
Description: Grapeseed American Bistro is a casual bistro that matches great food and wine together. With anywhere from 80 to 100 wines by the glass and approximately 325 bottle listed, we cater to the novice wine lover and to the experienced. We start with a bottle of wine and pick out the characteristics and nuances of the wine and then award winning Chef Jeffrey Heineman creates a menu item to highlight the flavors of the wine. So come in and relax, have a taste or a glass of wine and try something on our ever-changing menu.
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64 reviews from our community

85% Recommend
    29
    26
    6
    1
    2
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
There are newer reviews for Grapeseed
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Boyds, Maryland
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
14 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
“Always excellent”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 5, 2012

Grapeseed never disappoints. Food and service are always excellent. Good wine selection. Shared appetizers and each had delicious entrees. We eat here 5-6 times a year and love it every time.

Visited October 2012
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Ask SusanBoydMD about Grapeseed
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Washington DC
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
6 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Average food with above average prices”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed September 13, 2012

The good: My filet was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing.
The bad: The horseradish mashed potatoes had no flavor
The ugly: The tomato and mozerella was JV at best. The tomatoes were cut in an unintentional wedge shape and the mozerella balls were clearly purchased from the Giant down the street.

If I pad $50 for this meal it would have been great. Having paid over a hundred I need to write this post to remind myself to stop coming back to this place every couple years!

  • Visited September 2012
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Food
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Ask broyer1 about Grapeseed
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Outstanding Service for Group”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 28, 2012

My wife and I attended a 20 person business group dinner here and were very impressed by the food and service which was outstanding. The food is excellent and presented creatively. The lead waiter explained each choice thoughtfully in detail so everyone understood the choices clearly and ordering was quick and as we observed very accurate in delivery. I enjoyed the mussels appetizer, the grilled ceasar salad; my wife raved about the gnocchi and we both had the filet which was cooked to our liking and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The only fault to note was the noise level in a room that was perhaps too small for the group size. The restaurant is noted for its wines but as our host made the selections it is best that others comment on that. Would strongly recommend for food quality and service.

  • Visited August 2012
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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Ask TMO_11 about Grapeseed
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Yummy Yum Yum!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed August 28, 2012

A must go to restaurant if you are in Bethesda. Be sure to make reservations for a Friday or Saturday night if you don't want to eat about 8pm. Well worth the wait tho..........My husband and I shared the Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms to start, what a fabulous combination of creamy sauce, mushrooms and polenta! Wow and the goodness continued with the field green salad. My husband had the crispy softshell crab, which he said was outstanding and I had the Norwegian Salmon. My salmon was cooked rare, just the way I like it and the farro salad with the green goddess was tasty. Just enough chew to satisfy. The waiter was polite and efficient. Next time I may ask to be seated at the kitchen counter to observe the cooking. Definitely return for a special occasion.

  • Visited August 2012
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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Ask Kggranny about Grapeseed
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Top Contributor
408 reviews 408 reviews
200 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 161 cities Reviews in 161 cities
140 helpful votes 140 helpful votes
“Excellent Food and Wine, Knowledgeable Staff”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 17, 2012

Grapeseed is about food and wine. Each dish on the menu has a recommended coordinated wine. There are also themed flights of wine (e.g., Mediterranean, Southern Hemisphere, Staff Favorites) that you can enjoy with the food which is top notch. We enjoyed appetizers of mussels and gnocchi. Both appetizers were very large portions, the mussels with a flavorful broth and the gnocchi with a lavender cream sauce and duck confit. Soft shell crabs were properly done with a nice crispy crust and flavored with tasso ham. Braised beef short ribs were a bit heavy, but tasted very good. We finished with an excellent lemon grass ice cream and a chocolate mousse that was a bit too light. Drinks included well poured martinis, flights of wines, and a very nice Australian Port. Prices for the food and drink were quite reasonable given the quality; the meal for two cost under $200. Decor is quite modern with some nice rooms in the back that have recently been redecorated. Our waiter was quite knowledgeable about the food and wine. Overall an excellent experience.

  • Visited August 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

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