When you walk through the front door, look straight ahead into the exhibition kitchen -- chances are you'll be staring directly into the eyes of owner/chef Robert Wiedmaier. He is firmly at the helm here, creating French dishes that include nods to his Belgian training: duck breast with baby turnips, rose lentils, and Calvados sauce, or venison with ragout of winter mushrooms and Madeira sauce. Desserts usually include seasonal tarts such as spring pear tart with raspberry coulis. The French sommelier is an expert. A five-course tasting menu is available for $95.

Marcel's, named after Wiedmaier's young son, occupies the space that once was home to the restaurant Provence, and Wiedmaier has kept that restaurant's country French decor, including panels of rough-hewn stone framed by rustic shutters and antique hutches displaying Provencal pottery. Stone walls and floors don't do much to buffer all the bustle, however, so you can expect to have a very noisy time of it. To the right of the exhibition kitchen is a spacious bar area. Marcel's offers seating on the patio -- right on Pennsylvania Avenue -- in warm weather, and live jazz nightly year-round.