Saturday Jazz Brunch · 11:30 AM–3:00 PM · Live jazz, brunch & cocktails · Reserve brunch
1725 DeSales Street NW, Washington, DC · Across from the Mayflower (202) 450-3998  ·  Order: Pickup / Delivery
LE DESALES
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The dining room at Le DeSales, with wood tables set for dinner, warm cove lighting, and art along the walls.

Golden Triangle · Washington, DC

Our story

Modern French cuisine and sushi, in a cozy, art-filled room across from the Mayflower Hotel.

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The restaurant

French cooking and sushi, under one roof

Le DeSales is a contemporary French restaurant with sushi in downtown Washington, in the Golden Triangle near Dupont Circle. The room sits just off Connecticut Avenue, directly across from the Mayflower Hotel, with a patio and a casual, inviting atmosphere.

The direction is simple, modern, and timeless — from the French graffiti artwork to the bentwood leather chairs — the same idea that shapes the menu: classic technique, a relaxed room, and a kitchen shared by two chefs.

Raphael Francois · Noriaki Yasutake

The lounge and curved bar at Le DeSales, with wood tables and leather chairs set for guests.

The chefs

Raphael Francois

Raphael shaped Le DeSales from the artwork to the bentwood leather chairs, keeping the direction simple, modern, and timeless. His menu follows the same idea, with updated French classics such as his simplissime crab with tarragon and potatoes and a Bavette of dry-aged beef with grapes, shallot, and parsley.

He began his career in 1997 alongside Claude Lavalle at Le Giverny in Tournai, Belgium, then cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens in France, Belgium, and London, including Hélène Darroze at the Connaught Hotel, which earned two Michelin stars in January 2011 under his watch. Before Washington he was executive chef at Le Cirque in New York.

Sushi

Noriaki Yasutake

Noriaki made his first hand roll at seven, in the family sushi restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan, where his father was his first teacher. He came to the United States at 18, trained in New York under Haruo Ohbu at Inagiku and Hiroshi Nakahara at Bond Street Sushi, and went on to win first place at the National Sushi Society of New York's annual competition.

Since 2021 he has run the sushi counter at Le DeSales, bringing his award-winning Fish and Chips roll and a Japanese kitchen to a French bistro.

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Press

In their words

“A civilized dining room… classic French cooking receives a creative jolt.” Tom Sietsema · The Washington Post
“Bright and warm… prettier than every other nearby option.” Young Bright Things
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Visit

Join us in the Golden Triangle

Lunch, dinner, happy hour, or Saturday jazz brunch — across from the Mayflower Hotel.

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