Claudine: Providence's Michelin-Caliber Anomaly I've now eaten at Claudine three times, and after Saturday's dinner I'm ready to say it plainly: this is the kind of dining experience Providence isn't supposed to have. Rhode Island isn't supposed to have it. What's happening in this kitchen is NYC-tasting-menu-caliber, Michelin-quality cooking, and it exists in a market that rarely supports this level of ambition. Saturday's meal ran two and a half hours -- a ten-course tasting menu matched with a ten-course wine pairing, poured generously rather than the stingy one-ounce tastes you brace for at this tier. Every course arrived considered, every pour arrived confident. The beverage program itself is top-tier, with pairings selected thoughtfully enough to hold their own against the food rather than just accompany it. Nothing about the pacing felt rushed or padded; it felt like a kitchen and a floor team executing a real vision, course after course, for hours. That vision comes at a cost most restaurants at this price point would never take on. Claudine runs four chefs and seven+ servers to pull this off. This is not a lean operation -- it's a labor-intensive, old-world approach to hospitality that depends on volume to survive. A staff this size only pencils out with seats filled, night after night. Which is the real point of this review: Providence needs to fill those seats. A restaurant this ambitious, this technically accomplished, doesn't just happen in a city this size -- and it won't last if the tables aren't full. Three visits in, I'm convinced Claudine is doing something rare, maybe unique, in Rhode Island's dining scene. It deserves the audience to keep doing it. read more

An amazing anniversary dinner! Everything was fresh and delicious. We did a few upgrades, including the caviar, wagyu, and cheese, which were all amazing. It's an expensive meal, especially for Providence, but it's definitely worth it if you're celebrating something special! read more

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So amazing! I recently went to Claudine for my birthday dinner and loved every minute of it. Claudine is basically right across the street from PPAC. The way they set up the interior of the restaurant, there are no windows, so you really feel like you are in a different place. The interior itself is beautiful and you can tell they thought through every detail. Our server was Miles and he was great. Claudine offers an eight course tasting menu, with options to "upgrade" to certain dishes along the way (think caviar, cheese, and/or wagyu). I went with the wine pairing and thought every pairing was spot on and a perfect complement to the meal (they even offer a non-alcoholic drink pairing option). The stand outs for me were the wagyu, the bean salad (never have beans been so delicious), and the dessert (the best cinnamon ice cream ever). I was there for my birthday and they even gave me a birthday card and a little mini birthday cake. Such a lovely touch! The service was five stars throughout the night. When my husband didn't like one of the dishes, chef prepared a new one, even though we swore up and down it was not necessary. I'm already dreaming of my next visit to Claudine. read more

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From the moment you arrive. You are welcome by the Hostes and she will take your coat..after that you walk in and you will be received by the whole staff. They make you feel at home.. The service is 5 stars. Literally you are care for at all times as soon as you take a sit. Take in account that this restaurant its a pre-fix menu and you pay ahead of time. We enjoy a kings meal. The ambiance is soft as well as the lighting. Our meal for that day it was delicious. What can I say, you need to try and tell me about it. Note: parking is on the street. I recommend PPAC surroundings. Best choice. Enjoy read more

We celebrated our anniversary at Claudine with a 5:30 pm reservation. They have done a wonderful job renovating the space, and I loved how we were greeted and then whisked into the dining room, which is separated from the entry by a door. The open concept felt intimate and comfortable with enough space between couples that we didn't feel crowded. Our entire evening took about 2.5 hours and the timing felt great - not too fast yet not too slow. We added in the cheese course, and one of us had the caviar and one the wagyu which are additional supplements. The pear salad was a highlight along with the chicken and the wagyu. We've had all the tasting menus in PVD and in Newport and this is by far the top experience out of all of those. Service was attentive but didn't feel stuffy and I loved, loved the 90s rap soundtrack which sang to my gen x heart. read more

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Can I rate this place a 10? Yes 100% perfect 10. From the moment you walk in you can feel how special it is. No detail was forgotten. The restaurant was small, warm, intimate, limited seating, and chefs pre-fixed meal with some choices you can make for add ons. When I say it was perfect, I mean it was perfect. The ambiance, the decor, the staff - perfection. It felt like I was at a Michelin star restaurant. Every piece of silverware, glassware, plate pristine. Every element of every dish was not only beautiful but also delicious and felt like it took hours to make each one. Our first welcome dish was simple looking but had the most beautiful burst of flavor. Truffles on a cracker? Really? But the cracker was soft and buttery and the truffle sat on top of a magical perfect amount of sauce. I wanted a giant plate of it. Our second dish was not just a simple oyster, but an oyster in a sauce topped with a sauce that worked! I appreciated that it was not yet another oyster. Our next was my absolute favorite, a beet soup? Puree? I'm not sure, but the flavors were so complex and the cracker that went with it was so extraordinarily delicate, melt it your mouth. I can eat this all day long! My next was a squid ink pasta piled high with the added caviar. So rich and decadent. My husband had the trout and he said it was a delicious. The next few were a blur, still every dish that came was nothing like the last. Every component of each dish worked so incredible well together. The finishing desserts (yes they gave us each two!) were bowls of happiness. My top 3 of all time. I've had ALOT of tasting menus in my day. ALOT, this is by far the best I've had. On the pricey side I admit but to me worth every penny. read more

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Truly a decadent and exquisite experience! The space is chic: calm, minimalist, elegant. The staff were attentive and knowledgeable, and so patient with us...how many times did we ask what kind of foam or gelee we were tasting?? Every dish was explained well and we loved how much was locally sourced! We lived all of the tiny moments of attention to detail from a different type of cutlery for each dish, the delicate way our plates were presented, and the homey touch of a selection of Christmas cookies at the end were memorable and gave us the sense that this was more than a meal: it was a beautiful ceremony! We were there at a coworker's recommendation and cannot thank them or the team at Claudine's enough for a night to remember! read more

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If you like fine dining I think you should try Claudine at least once. It is a rarity for PVD and overall it is solid for what it is, if not standout. Our main waiter was kind, attentive, and helpful, and the entire staff was pleasant. There were a few exemplary dishes: the amuse bouche (not listed on menu), the tomato salad, the wagyu (add on with addtl cost), and the cheese plate (add on with addtl cost). The other dishes all blended together and weren't entirely memorable; inventive? Sure. Memorable? Unfortunately not. Lastly, the aesthetics of the dining room aren't for me, which may be why it felt less elevated than an Aurelia even if the service itself was entirely similar. The space is too modern, which others may love but, again, just not for me. While they've chosen textures and lighting to soften the feel, the reality is you're in a tall beige box (no windows out). Some may say it is dramatic, I feel it was dull. Because fine dining is an end-to-end experience for me, this does indeed detract from the overall rating. Claudine is solid and we will likely return in the future, but won't be adding it into our usual rotation. read more

Before even stepping into the restaurant, the reservation process had already set a frustrating tone. I initially booked a reservation to celebrate a 6-year anniversary, fully aware of the cancellation policy stating that late cancellations would be charged $165 per person. Unfortunately, on the day of our reservation, my partner and I both became very sick. I emailed the restaurant that morning to request moving the reservation. Instead of a reply, I received an AMEX alert that I had been charged $330. After some back and forth, the restaurant agreed to issue a $330 credit to my Tock account for use toward a future reservation. When it came time to reschedule, Tock was still prompting me to enter my card information. They assured me the credit was there. However, once I booked the new date, I was unexpectedly charged an additional $330. I reached out again and was told that their new policy was to pre-bill the full cost of the meal upfront and issue a refund after check-in--despite the booking site still describing the charge as a deposit. So before ever walking through the door, I had already paid $660. Upon arrival, we were greeted in a small hallway where our coats were placed on a rack before being led through a set of doors into the dining area. The open kitchen along the wall was a lovely touch, but the rest of the décor felt somewhat bland and even a little depressing. We were seated at a table where my partner faced the dining room and kitchen, but my view was a tan linen curtain--odd, given that the window behind it could have showcased the city and the lights of the Providence Performing Arts Center. Unfortunately, the first course set the wrong tone for the evening. The oyster with sea urchin was nearly inedible. It didn't taste fresh and had a distinctly metallic aftertaste that was hard to ignore. For a tasting menu at this level, where the opening course is meant to establish trust and excitement, it instead created immediate concern about the quality and consistency of what was to follow. I was surprised to learn that two of the eight courses were desserts. While one of them was truly excellent, dedicating a full quarter of the tasting menu to sweets felt unbalanced, especially given that several of the savory courses lacked impact. I would have preferred another savory course, or the cheese plate which they were offering for a $35 supplement fee. Only three dishes truly stood out: the scallop course, the rainbow trout, and one of the desserts. They were all excellent. I had opted for the Wagyu beef supplement for an additional $65, hoping it would elevate the experience. Unfortunately, it didn't. The portion was much smaller than expected for the price and it arrived at the table cold. As for the service, the pacing of the dinner was also noticeably off. Our reservation was at 8:00 PM, and we didn't leave until 11:20 PM. That might have been understandable if the courses were intentionally drawn out, but it didn't feel that way--it felt disjointed and inconsistent. To make matters more confusing, the couple seated next to us arrived about 15 minutes after we did, ordered the full wine pairing, and still finished their meal and leisurely lingered at their table before we were even done. They left roughly 20 minutes ahead of us, even after taking their time. It made the entire flow of our experience feel uneven and slightly neglected. Even the bread service felt oddly executed. Bread wasn't brought out until the meat course, which struck me as strange--especially considering we could have really used it at the start of the meal to wash away the unpleasant taste left by the oyster dish. When it finally arrived, it was underwhelming. The bread itself was disappointing, and only a single slice was offered to each of us. No one ever came by with more or checked whether we might want an additional piece, which again felt out of step with the level of service and price point. Another issue that stood out was a clear lack of communication within the staff. My partner is pescatarian, which we noted in advance, and the kitchen accommodated her throughout most of the meal--until the scallop course. When the server came to pour the chicken consommé, they poured it onto my dish and then moved to pour it onto hers as well. I had to stop them mid-pour to prevent her plate from being made inedible, which would have resulted in yet another delay while they re-prepared the course. At this level of dining, especially with dietary notes submitted ahead of time, mistakes like that really shouldn't happen. The night ended on an especially unpleasant note. It was pouring when we finished, and instead of letting us wait inside for our Uber, the staff handed us our coats and immediately locked the doors behind us. Moving forward I would choose Gracie's over this restaurant any day. read more

We had our second meal at Claudine with friends. As another commenter noted - the timing/service has not worked itself out yet. Our server, maybe Mike or Miles, remembered one of us from his Alforno days and was too familiar with what was apparently her often order at Alforno. It left him embarrassed as it was not the time or place. I mention this because this is not what I would expect and a five star or even a star restaurant. We very much like the dining room and the courses were good. Service again felt rushed. With a base bill of $1200 for 4, a 20% tip of $250 seemed really too much for the service we received that did not measure up. Hopefully this can change in the future. We will wait awhile before returning. read more

Claudine has not figured out timing and service issues. The first few courses were very rushed, and not well timed. We had to ask them to SLOW down, then did listen when we asked, but I noticed other tables were rushed too. I was served a soup, as one of the starters, and asked for a piece of bread, and was told no, by my waiter. I can't get bread until another course. So, I could not finish the soup the way I wanted. When the bread did come it was one small stingy piece. I was never offered any more. The food was good, the wine was too, but not 350.00 a person good. The desserts are small, and we were never offered coffee, or tea. I guess that does not fall within their vision. The room is incredibly loud, and made the service and experience very uncomfortable, and unpleasant. Service is an issue, and I won't be back. read more

Claudine is a welcome addition to the Providence culinary scene. The tasting menu is inventive with innovative ingredients served in interesting and unique ways. The service was equally terrific as each dish is expertly explained to you. While the food is the same caliber as Per Se in NYC, the atmosphere and staff make the experience much more approachable. The physical environment is beautiful and elegant. I hope Claudine is here for a very long time! Kudos to the entire team. read more

I rounded up to 4 stars from 3.5 to give Claudine a chance to find its footing. It is a solid fine dining experience unlike anything else that you can get in Providence. We opted for the standard tasting, added the cheese plate, had the wine pairing, and ordered cocktails throughout the night. Ambiance (4 Stars): The main dining room is separated from the entrance giving you a feel of the dramatic as you enter. It is decorated minimally presumably to allow the food/beverage program to shine. It has an open kitchen with an open beverage service in the center front of the room. The glassware and silverware are minimal to match the decor and the plates are well selected for the food though they don't match in style throughout the night giving off a little bit of a yard sale find vibe. Speaking of vibes, the open kitchen gives the right level of transparency and relaxed vibe but the beverage service being so front and center in the room is off putting as is the front of house team not having anywhere natural to congregate; they sort of just wander around. The rest rooms are well appointed but they should hide their cleaning supplies. All in all you can tell how thoughtful they were with the ambiance and they have good taste. Service (3 Stars): Claudine offers fine dining level service with teams of people doing a choreographed dance. It has to be hard to staff this type of restaurant outside of major metropolitan areas. Providence likely doesn't have the breadth of professional service talent of a bigger city. That's a way of saying that the service was average at best, basically immature. The timing was rushed with plates removed mid bite; the beverage service banter too scripted (questions unanswered) and slow; and generally too many people dedicated to too few tasks per table (uncomfortably so). Food/Beverage (4 Stars): The 8 courses were all thoughtful and well prepared. As with any fine dining restaurant these days, there were a lot of unique foams and infusions. The ingredients were local and fresh. The breadth and depth of flavors were amazing. The oyster starter was solid. The chicken main was very good with pork sausage infused in an interesting way under the skin. . The foie gras was nicely prepared. It was accompanied by the star of the show; a Squash bread that is one of the best things I have tasted in years. Truly magnificent. The ravioli dish was good, not great as was the desert (with exceptional creme fresh). The rest of the food was somewhat unremarkable albeit very good. The beverage program seems solid. Our wine pairing was thoughtful and complimented each course perfectly. I didn't look at the ala carte wine list so can't comment. The spirit list was very solid with some unique offerings. Value (3 Stars): Like the other categories too, this is so highly subjective that I hesitate to rate it but we simply did not leave the restaurant feeling as though the experience matched the price tag. All in all, I'm glad to have visited Claudine and hope that it continues to mature. read more

I had such high hopes for this given the pedigrees of the chefs. Sadly, this was a truly disappointing experience on nearly all fronts. The renovated space is now entirely devoid of personality (and windows)-- unfortunate given the charm of the old Ellie's and potential in this historic building. The tables are quite close together which is fine given there aren't many of them but it does mean you get to hear the well rehearsed waitstaff make the same jokes over and over again to adjacent diners. The food tries so hard to be clever but just ends up silly. Of five courses and a cheese plate, only three are at all memorable for how unfortunate they were: Three pieces of unadulterated celery, accompanied by a schmear of "ranch" (that's meant to be playful I guess?), some golden raisins, and a spring of dill; a cantaloupe broth with white chocolate coated Pop Rocks; a lonely spoonful of beet sorbet as a first course. I think I enjoyed a fish course in the mix but not nearly enough to describe it days later. The size of the bill at the end just added insult to injury. I do hope they find their way to something more substantive in time and don't just manage to survive on hype. read more

Amazing restaurant! Exceptional service and experience. Both the regular and vegetarian menus were delicious. Every course was creative and bursting with different flavors. Very expensive but certainly worth it for special occasions! read more

Absolutely incredible food and even better service! Had the vegetarian menu which was amazing. Most vegetarian food is an afterthought but not here. Cannot wait to go back. read more

While the number on the bill was certainly more than our typical date night, this place is perfect for celebrations and we will definitely be back. My husband got the standard tasting and I had the vegetarian tasting (make sure to tell them in advance of any dietary restrictions/allergies!) but they both felt equally intentional. I was especially impressed with the vegetarian menu - not a single course felt like an afterthought, and my husband was even jealous of some of my dishes!. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Plus, we both walked out feeling perfectly satisfied - not hungry but also not stuffed. (Extra impressive for my husband as he is 6'7 and has been known to eat 2 dinners) The service was great throughout and everyone made us feel comfortable. While we didn't do the accompanying wine pairing, the individual glasses we tried were all spectacular. We're already trying to figure out when we can come back! read more