Bouchon Restaurant

I had really high expectations for this restaurant, some were met and some weren't. the food was of course superb and much more creative than othe... more

1st of all i was very excited because this was my first time eating at a thomas keller restaurant. if u... more

1st of all i was very excited because this was my first time eating at a thomas keller restaurant. if u dont know who thomas keller is, why are you... more

My husband and I had the worst experience at Bouchon. After reading all the great reviews (plus the same owners as French Laundry) we were very much excited about going. Our waitress was plain RUDE, it seemed as if she was trying to ignore us on purpose. I couldn't taste the Steak Frites because of all the garlic butter that it was floating in, the fries were short and soggy (McD's fries are better than that!). The leg of lamb was the biggest disappointment. Thin slices of severy undercooked meet were swimming in overly salty sauce, that had too much cumin in it and made lamb taste like chicken liver. We paid the check, didn't even get desert and ran. Would strongly recommend going to Mustards Grill instead, wonderful lamb, duck, deserts. Cons: SERVICE! more

THE GOOD: more

We were a group of 8 on a weekend trip thru wine country. During one of our winery tours, someone recommended we try the french onion soup which was actually bland and not nearly as rich as others I've had. On the flip side, one of the other diners in our party ordered the gnocci which she said was so salty that she had to ask for a side of extra sauce to make the dish palatable. She among us is the salt-a-holic so if she says something is salty ... Of course, people loved the steak and fries which are fabled to have been deep fried in duck fat. Aside from truffled fries which I am currently in love with, Bouchon fries are a close close second. I had the scallops as an entree and they were very well cooked, but the accompaniment was not very interesting. Everyone seemed to enjoy their desserts immensely ... especially the person in our party who ordered the charcouterie platter. We unanimously enjoyed the lively bistro atmosphere and found our cozy table very conducive to animated as well as intimate conversation. Pros: a variety of things on the menu will please most people in your party Cons: spendy more

Went here on a week-long vacation in Napa and had a great night from start to finish. We had to wait a bit for our table, but the hostess found us a seat and the bar, and enjoyed a great glass of wine before dinner. Bartender was friendly and helpful and not too alarmed when my handbag knocked over a couple glasses of wine (uh, sorry about that) , when we were seated he carried our drinks to the table. Yes, it's a little packed together, but we had very interesting couples on either side of us, and the ambience invites conversation, so why not all jam in on the banquette? Our neighbors poured us a glass of their Merus Cabernet, it's good to make friends with people a foot away! Our meal was excellent--The country pate is to DIE FOR and the mussels were fresh and delicious. My husband had the lamb-- fantastic. Our waitress very attentive, outgoing and sweet-- and despite the fact that the place was packed to the gills, the whole meal ran smoothly. It is a little noisy, but not unbearably so; makes it like a really lively dinner party, albeit one with a bill at the end. We had a great time and will definitely be back. Pros: food, ambience, service, location more

Please be respectful when writing about someones business....a little class never hurt! Pros: Wondeful - Divine more

Went to Bouchon for lunch and have mixed feelings about our experience. Upon our arrival I found that I had made a mistake and had a reservation for the following day. The Matre'd made the effort and found a table for us. We were immediately attended to by the support staff, getting water etc..... and had the same consistent service by the group throughout the meal. Our head waiter however was obnoxious and expressed a rather superior attitude. He was slow, not very knowledgeable and overall not a great representative for the restaurant. The menu was classic french. We enjoyed the Foi Gras and were impressed when the support staff brought us warm toasts halfway through the appetizer. For a main I highly recommend the Duck Confit. It fell off the bone as I sliced through. The Pom Frites while often written about were as good as any I have had in New York. I liked the atmosphere, I felt the pricing was a little high but would recommend dining here. I hope the service improves on my next visit. more

A friend recommended Bouchon to us because we were craving oysters after a day at the wineries. The minute we walked in, the hostess stuck up her nose at us. When we asked to sit down, she said there were no tables available until 9pm. it was 4pm and all the tables were empty except one. We asked to just sit at the oyster bar and she said it was be a VERY long wait. She said it in a manner that was very uninviting. Out of principle, my friends and I should have left, but we drove a long way to find the place and was craving oysters. We waited 20 minutes to sit at the bar. the staff at the bar was very nice and the oysters were good. But, I live in San Francisco, where the competition warrents the service to be equally as good as the food. I've had better, and Bouchon is the very definition of a snobby place. My friend, who recommended the restaurant, is a GM at a winery, which is why he is treated better than the average customer. But, he too, admits the hostess is one of the most stuck up that he has encountered. Pros: Oysters Cons: Snobby service more

Food is fantastic. And that is about it. Cons: Service. more

For a restaurant relying on tourism and reputation, Bouchon needs to elevate its service levels. Service in the food industry is as fundmantal as the food quality and artistry. Bouchon needs to learn that poor service detracts the entire eating experience. I had a great time with the wonderful food and lovely ambience last time, but I was denied the same pleasure again. Nothing could help explain the inconsistency of behavior. While the food was excellent, the great taste was easily washed and forgotten by the poor service. This is a disgrace to the Thomas Keller name. How does one account for a 50 mins wait time from the time of entry to the time of appetizer served? Service embodies the eating experience. There are so many other ""excellent"" restaurants with both fine food and nice service. But that's okay ... if it is not broken, why fix it? Afterall, Bouchon is committing the perfect crime -- tourists may not come back to Napa frequently enough. Been there, done that, shouldn't have gone back. Pros: food Cons: way too slow service without apology more

We had lunch in this wonderful brasserie. The service was friendly, warm and the food was excellent. The waiter knew the food and wine served in the restaurant very well. We had great salads and wonderful Pomme Fritte. The mussels were cooked in a sauce to die for. The trout was beautifully cooked and presented. We wanted to have a few glasses of red wine and the waiter's recommendation was superb. He knew the wines the served very well. The Tarte de Citron was perfect. Great dining experience. Pros: everthing more

The food was great. Hostess was hospitable. Ambience awesome. Cocktails mas fuerte. Service was horrible. Our waiter essentially abandoned our table and the other table outside after taking our order. He never came back and asked us if we wanted another cocktail (we had to order them from the water boy), he didn't ask us how our meal was, and he even didn't offer a dessert menu (my friend finally went up to the Hostess stand and get them). It took 2.5 hours for lunch.... I like a leisurely lunch just like the next guy but most of this time was spent waiting on the waiter to show up. Pros: Fries, Mussels, Cocktails Cons: Slooooooow Service more

I live in the city and my family came to visit this weekend. They wanted to suprise me by taking me out to the French Laundry for dinner on Saturday, but didn't think about the reservation list needing around 4 months advance notice. Bouchon (same owner as FL) was a wonderful backup. They call it casual, but it doesn't feel like a casual dining experience. Everything is still very elegant and the food is wonderful. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly. Will definitely be visiting again soon! Pros: food, service, atmosphere Cons: a little pricey for "casual" dining more

I wasn't sure what to expect. Being the same ownership as FL but being the more laidback version I thought it'd be worth a try. I went with a larger group and we all ordered something different. We were very pleased with everything we had from appetizers, main courses both fish and steaks were great! and the desserts and cheeses were high class too. Will be returning and recommending this to others in the area. Pros: yummy classy food Cons: pricey, but it's to be expected more

Everything about our dinner was amazing. The table we were given provided the ultimate people watching, our waitress was knowledgeable and friendly, the wine list and wine recommendation were impressive, and the entire dinner was served to my expectations. Pros: Quality of food, Service, Wine Cons: Overcrowded more

If spending $200+ a person not including wine is not your cup of tea but you want to say you ate at a Thomas Keller restaurant during your visit to the valley, stop in at Bouchon. Salmon tartare, pan seared duck breast, asparagus salad were recent features on the fresh list. Service is excellent and the noise level is rather loud. Wine list was as outstanding as expected and features many excellent by the glass selections. Desserts are all made on premises and are great to share. Pros: wine list, service, daily fresh list Cons: noisy more

We expected far better food and service. Each course continued to arrive luke warm. Even the coffee was cool. The bread was fantastic but that was the highight of dinner and sadly is was short in quanity. The escargot was cool and tasted odd, the fish special, althought an excellent combination of ingredients, could have been excellent if the dish was presented hot. With a big name you come to expect a lot and the restaurant failed. A restaurant of such class and for that matter all restaurants need to learn how to deliver hot dishes. We have no plans to visit French Laundry if this is how Thomas Keller runs his restuarants. I will try Redd just down the road. Pros: atmosphere, Bread, wine list Cons: cold food, noisy, cramped more

We went for Valentine's Day. Seated immediately at a decent table. Service was spot on, didn't have to ask for a thing. Frisee salad w/ lardons was great, as was the shrimp and asparagus app. Braised short rib over sweet potato puree w/ chanterelles was very nicely done, seasoned to perfection. Steak frite was prepared exactly medium rare as ordered. Nice wine list, though a bit short considering this is a Napa establishment. We'll be back, just as soon as I can handle the 2 hour drive from the Bay again. Well done! Pros: food, service, parking more