It had been 15 years since I had eaten at the Georgetown location of La Ruche, so perhaps my review is colored by memories of some of the best tarts to be had in the area, back in the day. In this age, however, it’s a decent but undistinguished spot for a lunch nosh. The sandwiches are fresh and tasty, which is good. Dessert was a bit of a mixed bag, the meringue having gone rather hard and nothing particularly popping out at me. It’s a cozy, lively space, so the same arrangement that places you close to the G’town crowd also makes server navigation a bit haphazard. Which may explain why the maitre d’ ends up constantly directing his staff around, lest your table go unnoticed a little too long in the chaos.

-dave

Best for brunch. Service tends to be self-absorbed, but the food is tasty, the dessert case is a force of gravity, and eavesdropping on the conversations around you can be a never-ending source of amusement.

...

I went again this weekend, and was again pleased. There seems to be a neverending source of adorable french ex-pats with fractured english that the owner taps to be staff. The desserts are huge. Eavesdropping continues to amuse. And no, there is no way to label what I had for brunch as healthy. Tant pis! It was tasty, and I don’t care.

Very Parisy. Picturesque location on the canal would be much more convenient if I lived in Georgetown, but it’s still worth a trip sometimes.