Category Archives: French

L’Espalier

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***** (5 stars)

The wide range of reviews of this great restaurant on yelp indicate that it’s either quite inconsistent, or that it is attracting a lot of diners who may not be accustomed to fine dining.

I find the reviews that mention “stiff” service particularly puzzling. The service we experienced was professional, and yet extremely friendly. We engaged out server, his assistant, the maitre d’ and our sommelier in conversation, and all were extremely personable, and shared anecdotes and opinions with us.

I noted one reviewer who thought the food unremarkable, then revealed that dinner consisted of a salad and a rib eye. Seriously? Why have that dinner at this restaurant, even if it is possible?!

We had the chef’s tasting menu for a leisurely lunch that lasted almost three hours. Each course was a thing of beauty, and many of the taste combinations were inspired. Considering the ingredients (three courses included caviar, one included foie gras) the price was amazingly reasonable.

The matching wine pairing was actually more expensive than the food, but it was also worth it. Each wine was of excellent quality (for example, a Meursault and a Ch. Suideraut Sauternes) and a great match to the food.

The dining room is refined, quiet, and offers nice second floor views out onto Boylston.

All in all, this is one great restaurant, and I highly recommend it.

L’Espalier
774 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02199
(617) 262-3023
http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-espalier-boston

Le Bistro By Liz

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**** (4 stars)

We had a nice Sunday brunch at this lovely bistro. It has a light, open and airy feel due to all the windows, and the solarium at the front. Service is very friendly, and the menu combines traditional French dishes with more traditional brunch foods. Both the onions soup and the breakfast skillet were excellent. And brunch comes with a free drink, so it’s a good deal.

Le Bistro By Liz
1333 S Park Street
Halifax, NS B3J 2K9
(902) 423-8428
http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-bistro-by-liz-halifax

Clos Maggiore

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**** (4 stars)

Clos Maggiore has a well-deserved reputation as London’s most romantic restaurant. It’s convenient to the West End theatres, and open late enough to go after the show.

The food is reliable and elegantly presented, and the wine list ad Bas Armagnac are extensive and top notch.

But above all it’s the romantic atmosphere of the garden-like (but completely indoor) dining room that draws us back.

Clos Maggiore
33 King Street
Covent Garden
London, WC2E 8JD
+44 20 7379 9696
http://www.yelp.com/biz/clos-maggiore-london-2

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

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***** (5 stars)

We’ve dined here both upstairs and down, and at the sister restaurants in Las Vegas and (now closed) New York. Of all of them, this is our favorite, because of the intimate size of the downstairs area. It offers arguably the best tasting menu in London, with wine pairings that superbly match each course.

The artistry of the food arrangement is really unsurpassed, and it’s great fun to watch it being assembled before you, so be sure to ask for a seat at the counter. This makes it easy to chat with the servers and sommelier, making it a friendly, energizing experience. For parties of more than two a few tables are available downstairs, which I recommend over the less intimate upstairs dining room.

L?Atelier de Joël Robuchon
13-15 West Street
London, WC2H 9NE
+44 20 7010 8600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-atelier-de-jo%C3%ABl-robuchon-london-2

Pied à Terre

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***** (5 stars)

Pied a Terre has become one of our favorite London restaurants. The atmosphere is intimate, and perfectly suited to romance or business discussions.

The food–especially the tasting menus–is as good as any from London’s other top rated restaurants. But the real difference at Pied a Terre is the wine service.

Rather than simply selecting and pouring wines with each course, it is the restaurant’s practice to offer a blind tasting, where the wine is poured first so you can taste it alone, then the course is served so you can see how it matches, and then you are asked to comment on the wine and (if you wish) guess what it is.

We find this to be tremendous fun. It forges a camaraderie with the sommelier that sets the experience apart from all other fine dining experiences.

Pied à Terre
34 Charlotte Street
London, W1T 2NH
+44 20 7636 1178
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pied-%C3%A0-terre-london-3

Bacchus

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***** (5 stars)

Beautiful room, great food, fantastic wine list; what more could you want?

As you might expect from the name, the highlight here is wine. There are hundreds of offerings, and most of the markups are below typical restaurant pricing. We had a wonderful bottle of 2007 Nicholas Potel Chambolle-Musigny that was exactly the kind of earthy, complex Burgundy we were looking for.

The ratatouille appetizer (which I apparently had during its last day on the summer menu) was perfectly cooked and flavorful, and the tuna tartare was refreshing, although I thought it could have been a bit more flavorful. Crispy shrimp was indeed very crispy, and was served with a tasty blend of sauces that combined sweet with a bit of spice.

The halibut entree was perfectly cooked, and served atop deliciously rich fennel.

We finished with a 5-cheese assortment, and found several artisan cheeses that we loved.

Service was friendly and helpful, and our meal was relaxing and fun.

Bacchus
925 E. Wells St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 765-1166
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bacchus-a-bartolotta-restaurant-milwaukee-2

Paris Club Bistro & Bar

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**** (4 stars)

This is a classic French Bistro with a beautiful interior and a traditional menu. The highlight of their food offerings is the Spiced Duck for two. It’s beautifully browned and coated five spice, which fills the table with the most amazing aroma. Served with crepes, julienne vegetables, and a delicate (not overly sweet) orange sauce, it was some of the best duck I’ve had.

The wine list is mostly French, and there are a few nice offerings from good vintages, although you get what you pay for (and vice versa).

The next time I want duck, this is definitely where I’ll be.

Paris Club Bistro & Bar
59 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 595-0800
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paris-club-bistro-and-bar-chicago-2

Bistro CloClo

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ClocloJazzBrunch

ClocloOmelet

***** (5 stars)

Authentic French Bistro food and sidewalk cafe ambience, too. Just as cafes spill out onto the sidewalks in Paris, CloClo spills out onto the sidewalk at the Dr. Phillips Marketplace, but it is considerably more weatherproof than a Paris cafe, a good think on a rainy Orlando afternoon!

The lunch menu offers the starters and lighter fare one would expect in Paris, including “Croque” sandwiches, a quiche of the day, and crepes. For me the highlights are the starters, including the smoked salmon, pates, and especially the mussels, which were perhaps the best I’ve had anywhere, finished in a delicate wine and cream sauce with a touch of herbs and a much lighter garlic dose than most places.

The white sangria, a house specialty, was an unexpected surprise, and very refreshing. There are also a variety of Champagne cocktails.

At night the sandwiches disappear and a few more entrees are added, but it’s largely the same menu.

The wine list is a bit scatterbrained at the moment, although there are plenty of interesting offerings. and it’s in the process of an upgrade.

This space was problematic when it was Press 101 because of an awkwardly placed ordering counter and bar. That has been corrected, and there is now an elegant indoor dining room in addition to the sidewalk area.

Food and beverage pricing is very reasonable.

Bistro CloClo is a great addition to Southwest Orange County, which really needed an authentic French restaurant. The fact that is it a Bistro with great ambience is a real plus.

Bistro CloClo
7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 745-5045
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-cloclo-orlando

Melisse

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**** (4 stars)

This is a good, but not great restaurant. The preparations are elaborate, and most results are quite tasty, but it is rare that things come together in that transcendental experience where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The wine list is good if, expectedly, pricey. There are some hard to find gems, although no great depth of vintages.

Service is efficient and accommodating, neither stiff nor particularly friendly.

Atmosphere is understated although the open room and fairly bright lighting aren’t particularly intimate.

A fine restaurant, but after two visits to check it out, not one that beckons me back.

Melisse
1104 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-0881
http://www.yelp.com/biz/melisse-santa-monica-2

Bouchon

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bouchonsb

***** (5 stars)

What a cozy and cute place. The outside dining, where you’re almost engulfed by a tree, is very romantic, and the inside is a quant and charming bistro. Service is friendly and professional. The standout dish when we visited was the scallop trio, a special with three very different preparations. The winelist offers hundreds of selections, almost all local wineries. Wine recommendations were spot on.

Bouchon
9 W Victoria St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 730-1160
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bouchon-santa-barbara