03/21/09

Outstanding French Cuisine (in Washington!!!)

by avata

A great dining experience. The food was absolutely superb. Stinging nettles soup, scallops, pork chops, etc... the sauces were all unique and truly amazing. A very attentive and knowledgeable wait staff. If you're looking for standard fare, don't go here - - if you're looking for a memorable, intimate culinary experience look no further. Would definitely recommend.

• Pros: Food, Service, Ambience
• Cons: Just a little pricey

11/23/08

Best neiborhood restaurant in seattle

by Chefrey

I frequently go out to eat, and I would say that Le Gourmand is one of the best overall dinning experiences I have had. I have heard about Le Gourmand's reputation for years, but hadn't gotten the chance to dine there until a few months ago. I will say I was a little thrown off by the decor when I walked though the door, it was very modern. I guess I was expecting something a little more rustic (like Le Pichet.) But after the initial shock, I understood what all the hype was about. Me and my girlfriend started with a wine cocktail and then went on to the 7 course tasting menu with wine flight. Our host/ sommelier brought us each course and explained the wine pairing with extreme knowledge of what he was doing (obviously a pro.) This was amazing service, and the fact that both me and my girlfriend were by far the youngest people in the restaurant shows they really do care. The service was great, but I go to a restaurant for the food, so as for the tasting menu, it was beautiful. Everything was amazing, and very thought out, from the rhubarb soup to the tea smoked sturgeon. Every course was fallowed by something that complemented the last perfectly, not confusing my taste buds with to much clutter or sudden changes. If you are looking for classic French you might be in for a bit of a twist, but I am sure you will leave happy. All in all I suggest giving Le Gourmand a try especially for the true foodie, and you don't have to deal with the hassle of downtown traffic to get there. Well done guys, and I hope to be in again soon.

11/22/08

Best ever ..

by Joni83

Having to previouisly worked in Le gourmand .. have to say its by far the best place to dine in the entire city, both the ambiance and the food are perfectly matched. It's definetely worth a second visit if you didnt have a pleasant first one.

cheers bruce and sarah

johnny

10/06/08

Horrible Dining Experience

by Morphues79

I was in a party of 6 and we had a terrible dining experience. The host/food server was terribly slow at best. The food was bland and the atmosphere was dismal. A large party near our table was also loud and pretty much overruling the entire restaurant's atmosphere. Food was decent, but not as excellent as I had hoped. It did not live up to all the hype. Our party is in agreement that your money is better spent elsewhere.

• Pros: Modern decor, White interior, Cool restroom
• Cons: Subpar cuisine, almost laughable.

Response from this business

salonfans4u– November 14, 2008 at 15:50:47 PST

Morphues 79 ? first of all, we apologize to anyone who has anything less than excellent experience at Le Gourmand. Whether it?s the food, service, decor or overall experience, we strive for excellence. I have been the lead, active chef in the kitchen since 1985 and hand craft and attend to every detail of every dish that leaves the kitchen ? this adds to the personalization, quality and presentation of every dish. Quality is our main focus. The Stranger recently ran a beautiful article entitled ?Prepare to be Amazed!? regarding our food, decor, service and atmosphere. Our atmosphere may not be for everyone, but our blending of comfort, intimacy, and contemporary design has been embraced by many. Please let us know if you decide to change your mind and come in again - we will make every effort to live up to the hype.

Best Regards: Chef and Owner - Bruce Naftaly

10/06/08

Food was Mediocre and Service was Terrible

by RandomNights

Food was mediocre. I was with a friend for dinner and service was extremely slow and terrible. We noticed that there was preferential treatment for return guests, but there was no such engagement with new guests. I think you have to be in a "club" to be served well here. The terrible service did not add to the flavor of the foods. Do not even consider going to this restaurant.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Small, Crowded, Noisy, Unfriendly staff.

Response from this business

salonfans4u– November 14, 2008 at 15:55:25 PST

Dear Randomnights ? We truly apologize for any service snafu?s that may have transpired on your last visit. We approach each guest as just that ? our guest! We strive to give preferential, warm and personalized treatment to each of our guests. We do have many regulars but have been known to give A+ quality treatment and service to the first time guest as well as to the guest who frequents Le Gourmand every week. Please let us know next time your in and we?ll be sure to make up for your experience.

Cheers and Best Regards ? Chef and Owner ? Bruce Naftaly

10/06/08

Avoid this Wannabe French Restaurant

by Crymsin

The food was experimental at best, but overall it was of "good quality." Service was horribly slow. I realize that most authentic French restaurants are slow, but this takes the cake. Service was plain bad. There are better French restaurants in Seattle. Considering the price of the meals; you don't get what you pay for. This restaurant is NOT RECOMMENDED. Try Voila! Bistro! Better service and Better food.

• Pros: Limited number of tables
• Cons: Service

10/02/08

Wonderful food, but excessively slow service, even for French standards.

by seafun

I went here tonight with my partner to celebrate our anniversary. Neither of us had heard of it but I had a gift certificate so I wanted to try. We were very excited when we arrived and were eager to enjoy the leisurely, 7 course menu available. The waiter was very pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu. The food was excellent and we enjoyed it very much. All that being said, we were disappointed with how slow the service was. We were there for 4 hours, just 2 of us. I understand that slow service is good service in France, but this seemed excessive. We would have enjoyed the experience more had the waiter been a little more attentive to us. Instead it felt like we were being ignored over a large party of women next to us. We will probably find another place to enjoy French food next time. Sorry, but Campagne is still my favorite.

09/21/07

Le Gourmand: Great food, sad service

by tomo1617

My wife and I recently went there to celebrate her birthday. We started off with the Cur Royale which was great. After that we ordered the salmon and the beef tenderloin. The wine steward was then supposed to suggest a wine for our selection but he had to be pulled away from another customer. It was obvious that we were the youngest couple there and the service reflected it. After getting the recommendations, the bottle was selected but took 20 minutes to be opened and we had to wait to eat our main course. Long but sad story short, the food was good but the service was sub-par.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Wine service

07/11/07

So Romantic!

by lolapop

My boyfriend took me to Le Gourmand for my birthday and it was one of the best experiences of our lives. It's small and cozy with romantic decor. I've been to other high end restaurants who serve 7 courses of sweet little nothings, but this food was amazing. To start, the chef used organic, locally grown, and in-season produce. That in itself would be enough for me, but every dish that came was both aromatic and beautiful. The wine was delicious. Even the owner came out to welcome us himself with a little conversation and a very pleasant smile. There's no better place to go for a special, romantic night out than Le Gourmand.

06/20/07

Slow Service, Small Portions, Good Food

by harl

Going on a long standing recommendation I made reservations for dinner. we were seated promptly with a smile in a nice cozy table. From there the attention was not as consistent. It took a while for our server to come by. We ordered wine, then it took a while for the server to come back to take our order. 3 other tables that were seated after us received bread and water before we were even approached. Once ordered, the food arrived in a reasonable amount of time. It was delicious, however very small portions. We were not checked on during the meal, and now being almost late for our show, we had to quickly request the check and run out. I was hoping for a better experience.

• Pros: Good Food
• Cons: Slow service, small portions, poor wine recommendations