If ever in the past I have patronized a restaurant with less than stellar food and/or service, I will occasionally return to give the benefit of the doubt. That being said, my first experience at Le Central was unsatisfactory. The staff is uneducated in wine selection (never saw a sommelier) and stomped around the dining area as if in a mosh pit. The food was forgettable. I was not impressed. I was hesitant to return, however it is a five minute walk from my place and convenience won over cynicism.
Again the staff, who still can't recommend or even pronounce the wines served, continue to stomp around (a couple times even sprinting) in such an unbelievably unprofessional manner.
I ordered the escargot. What was presented to me was the thickest bowl of ultra-garlic mush I have ever tasted. The snails were like shriveled raisins. I think the intention was to mask the quality of the escargot with the overwhelming garlic and butter. Now, I have had freshly made escargot and Le Central's ""version"" is not even a comparison. For my second course, I was served a scallop salad. Ugh. Sand in the scallops and entirely too much dressing. The greens were wilted in a soup of vinaigrette. My date ordered chicken which, upon arrival, was completely cold. He asked for it to be heated. Then of course it was rubbery from the microwave. We left in disgust. When the manager (I suspect, because he didn't introduce himself) asked if we were unhappy with our dishes I didn't bother to run through the list of complaints. I knew after this SECOND visit that I would not be returning. I have since then spoken to many friends (two of which are French living in Denver) about Le Central and no one had anything positive to report. I cannot believe it continues to get decent to even GOOD ratings! On a shallow note, the decor is not charming, it's incohesive and tacky.
Pros: I could walk there to spit on it
Cons: It confuses itself with a decent french restaurant
more