Restaurant Jean-Louis

I eat here every three months and absolutely adore the food. Pros: Service more

This was the most disappointing dining experience my husband and I have ever had. I would highly recommend avoiding this restaurant. Upon arrival, the hostess, the wife of Chef Jean Louis, seemed surprised to see us there (despite being punctual for our 8:15pm reservation that had been made more than a week in advance). Notwithstanding our punctuality and despite the two empty tables for two that were plainly visible, we were made to wait approximately 10-15 mins before being seated. The waiting area is a cramped appx 4'x4' entrance/vestibule area that you step into from off the street (and in which 5 other patrons also packed into and stood shoulder to shoulder with us while we were waiting). I actually had a fleeting thought of suggesting we leave at that point, and in hindsight, truly wish we had. The service throughout the night was completely unacceptable (slow, unanticipating of a patron's needs, and quite unfriendly and unwelcoming). The food was average, at best, and not even something to think of returning for. The chef's wife was our server (which I found particularly odd) and she certainly did not extend herself in tending to our table. I'm not sure if they were short staffed for the night, but she seemed to be trying to address several things at one time (take orders, clear tables, direct the two waiters that were also working but didn't quite have the room covered and pulling up a chair to chat with patrons that she obviously knew). We ordered the Grand Tasting Menu and found the timing between courses to be lacking. Additionally, she completely missed offering coffee or tea until after our dessert course was completely done and then looked surprised when we declined any interest in it (by that point, we just wanted to get out of there). This evening was a complete disappointment for us. We have dined at some of the best restaurants in NYC and CT (Daniel, Bouley, Danube, Thomas Henkelman, Bernard's) and by the reviews on this restaurant, we certainly expected a similar level of service and food quality. Additionally, this restaurant has absolutely no atmosphere or decor to speak of, also attributes that are expected in a finer establishment. At the end of this evening, we still left a proper service tip as I feel it unduly harsh to do otherwise; in hindsight though, I have to say that not $1 of it was deserved! This was unfortunately, a totally disappointing evening and a restaurant we will tell all of our friends and colleagues to AVOID!!! Cons: Just About Everything more

We went to this place for Valentine's day dinner. It was a prix fixe menu shockingly priced at $125 per person, so we went with rather high expectations and the hope that maybe we'd found a really good restaurant that didn't require is to drive all the way to NYC. Not many restaurants in this area have the guts to throw a number like that at you, so we assumed we could expect impeccable service, excellent food, and exceptional ambiance. Let me put it this way: We will continue to drive to NYC for special dinners. The dinner had the form and appearance of fine dining, but not much of the substance. The evening was proof that good food requires more than pretention. Just because you can print out a menu in french, bring courses in tiny portions, and use expensive ingredients, it doesn't mean you can create a good experience. Places in NYC that try to pull the wool over you like this get shut down right quick, but here in Greenwich, this place is flying under the radar. The service was shockingly poor--alternatively aggressive and passive, lacking in tact, non-responsive, intrusive, uninformed and unwelcoming. The decor was surprisingly cheesy (e.g., excessive references to France incl. a French flag, votives with imprints of french scenery, french music in the b.g.). A great deal of the disappointment might have been avoided if the food was good, but alas it was not so great (e.g., lukewarm entrees, indistinguishable sauces and garnishes, soggy veggies, unremarkable presentation, and no sense of progression from course to course). Having just been to a beautiful restaurant in Paris where everything was superb (Taillevent), this place left us wishing that we had just gone to the Thai place next door and left our lovely french dining memories intact. Pros: The Holy Grail of fine dining in Greenwich. Cons: THE HOLY GRAIL DOES NOT EXIST. more