L'Amandine is an adequate three-star restaurant, not bad, but not a place I'd visit on a tightly planned adult vacation. I wasn't on an adult vacation, though--I was in Colmar for the Christmas markets with my mom and my two kids, aged five and three. The whole town was packed with tourists on a Saturday, and most of the restaurants weren't great for my little American boys, who were not about to embrace the local Alsatian cuisine.
We were happy to stumble on L'Amandine as we walked by St. Martin's church, the beautiful Gothic cathedral in the center of town. The restaurant was big, and we noticed people eating pasta on the patio. It was 5:45 and we decided to take the opportunity to stuff the children with easy carbs.
The interior was spacious, and we were able to walk in and grab a cozy table towards the back of the dining room. The restaurant filled up while we were there, and the atmosphere was kind of fun and festive. The boys went a little crazy at the end, and it was loud enough that their noise level wasn't a problem. My three-year-old lying on the floor, though, was, and at one point, our waiter got impatient and moved him out of the way. Understandable, and service was otherwise pretty friendly, if inattentive.
My mom and I shared a burger, which was decent, with a beef patty, cheddar, gherkins, tomato, onion, and burger sauce, and a little onion ring on top. It came with fries, which were also fairly satisfying. More importantly, the kids got a heap of spaghetti with butter, plus apple juice and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows for dessert. I skipped the hot cocoa but did enjoy a glass of pinot noir.
If you're in Colmar during Christmas season and just need somewhere to sit and eat, L'Amandine is a good bet. There's wine for you, and food and drink for your children. read more