Perhaps my dining partner and I expected too much... Perhaps. But one thing is certain: Despite…read morebeing highly recommended via a variety of sources, our recent visit to Agua Bistro proved to be something of a disappointment. Our dissatisfaction pertained neither to the restaurant's appealingly cozy ambiance nor to its spot-on personable service. Rather, it was related solely to the preparation and presentation of a portion of the cuisine; which, despite their website's pontification - "Here you will find Chef's handcrafted à la carte menu inspired by a medley of Mediterranean flavors" - fell significantly short of expectations. But let's begin on a positive note... The Fried Artichokes, which my dining partner and I shared as an appetizer, as did the other couple with whom we dined, received nothing but raves. Kissed by a balsamic glaze, caressed by Panko breadcrumbs, and pillowed on mixed greens splashed with lemon dressing, it was indeed an auspicious beginning. Desserts were also quite good... and our little group managed to sample several noteworthy possibilities. My dining partner, for example, enjoyed the Limoncello Cake while I opted for the Apple Tart with French vanilla ice cream. But by far the most interesting dessert of the evening was the Peach Melba, which was shared by the other couple. Actually, "interesting" is something of a misnomer, as the history of this famous confection is as intriguing as its checklist of ingredients is delicious. Peach Melba is a dessert of peaches, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream (Agua's version also adds whipped cream). It was invented in 1892-93 by French chef Auguste Escoffier at London's Savoy Hotel to honor Australian soprano Nellie Melba. In 1892, or so the story goes, Ms. Melba was performing Wagner's opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. At a dinner party in her honor, Escoffier presented her with a dessert of fresh peaches served over vanilla ice cream in a silver dish perched atop an ice sculpture of a swan (which is featured in the opera). Originally Escoffier called the dish Pêche au Cygne (Peach with a Swan). Several years later, however, he changed the recipe slightly by adding a topping of sweetened raspberry purée and renamed the dish Pêche Melba. Tasty fried artichokes and tempting desserts notwithstanding, it was the entrées that proved to be the kitchen's undoing... And topping the list of eminently forgettable items was my Pan Seared Atlantic Swordfish, which was overly breaded, unattractively hefty of countenance, exhibited a decidedly mushy texture, and tasted offputtingly "fishy" in spots. Ill-chosen accompaniments such as gloppy white beans, olive tapenade, and bland, under-seasoned, undercooked vegetables did absolutely nothing - either gastronomically or asthetically - to remediate this sorry state of affairs. Definitely not the kitchen's finest hour. While other entrées were not as distasteful as my swordfish, they were still nothing to write home about. My dining partner, for example, wasn't exactly thrilled with her Chicken Parmigiana. Not that it was beneath contempt... but she certainly had seen and tasted better in numerous other establishments. What was particularly telling to me was that the kitchen appeared to be rather careless with its entrée presentations. The food photos I observed on the restaurant's website were strikingly beautiful. Up close and personal, however - in the flesh, so to speak - their appearance clearly lacked a certain savoir faire. And for an establishment that seemed to posture itself as significantly above the ranks of plebeian cookery, this was an unappetizing paradox indeed. The major offender in this regard was undoubtedly the Wild Mushroom Ravioli swimming in a madeira cream sauce. Which, while a feast for the palate - at least according to the other gentleman in our party - was also famine for the eye, bearing, in my opinion, uncanny resemblance to the regurgitation of an endangered species. I don't mean to imply that each and every item placed before a diner needs to be a work of art... On the other hand, it should possess sufficient visual appeal to contribute to rather than detract from the enjoyment of an evening at table. In this instance, with just the slightest bit of effort, I think the kitchen could have made this particular presentation infinitely more pleasurable to the eye. An absolutely charming little BYOB, there is no question that Agua Bistro has all the makings of a first-rate eatery. That being said, however... for idealistic promise to become gastronomic reality, it appears that there must be a significant improvement in both the quality and the character of their entrées.

Excellent food and service. Prices reasonable for the quality of the food. Being BYO was the…read moreattraction for our group. We were all glad we went.

There's something about La Provence in Ambler that just feels special. La Provence…read more It has that romantic French countryside ambiance that makes you want to slow down and stay awhile. It's also BYOB, which makes it even better -- bring your favorite bottle and make a whole night out of it. The vibe is warm, intimate, and perfect for date night, but they also have a gorgeous outdoor space that can host up to 100 people, making it such a hidden gem for larger parties and celebrations. They opened in September 2019 -- just six months before the pandemic -- which makes what they've built even more impressive. It's truly family-driven. The husband, Manuel (from Spain), is the head chef, and you can absolutely taste the care and authenticity in every dish. Cindy, who is from Panama, brings so much heart to the restaurant as well. We started with Prince Edward Island oysters and the crab salad, which had crispy bacon pieces for a great touch of texture and the crab was incredibly fresh -- such a perfect balance of flavors and crunch. For entrées, the beef bourguignon was rich, comforting, and everything you'd hope for from a classic French dish. The Dover sole felt elegant and perfectly executed. We ended with the chocolate mousse, which was light, decadent, and the perfect sweet finish. And I have to mention our server -- Delroy was fabulous. Attentive, personable, and so knowledgeable. He truly elevated the entire experience. Between the ambiance, the hospitality, and the beautifully prepared food, La Provence is absolutely somewhere I'll be coming back to for an elevated night out.

Dined there last night. I'll start by saying the food was absolutely phenomenal!! 5 stars (or more)…read moreall the way. The food stood up to almost any restaurant we've dined at in Paris. It had been awhile since we dined there last. The problem, service. We arrived a bit early, but were sat right away. The server, Delroy had 5 tables, and we watched as he went back and forth to each table, being jovial and asking each table how was everything. He then came towards our table, and took a swift turn to give more water to the table next to us. He could have at least acknowledged us during his many table visits to every other table, but chose not to. After about 10-15 minutes of waiting he finally decided to greet us. My wife and I do not drink alcohol and the look of disgust on his face when he was removing the wine glasses from our table was quite obvious. At that point he figured a low check amount without selling a bottle of wine, so the effort to give a great dining experience went to zero immediately. He told us the specials and disappeared for another 15 mins. He came back to take our order, and that was the last time he visited our table! We never saw him again. The non alcoholic drinks were delivered by the back waiter, and may I say she was incredibly attentive to us. We were delighted by the appetizer, shrimp and crabmeat in a garlic sauce. Then the entrees came out. We actually enjoyed the appetizer so much, had Delroy decided to visit our table again, or bother to check how everything came out, we would have ordered another one. I wanted another drink, but was unable to get one because he was making multiple table visits to all the other tables, telling stories about his wine experiences, but again, never returned to our table, not even once! We really wanted to order the crème brûlée for dessert as it was my wife's favorite and we were celebrating her birthday, but he refused to come to our table. At this point, we just wanted to pay the check and leave, go somewhere to get dessert and celebrate her birthday. We finished our meal, and I actually had to call out to him as he passed our table to get his attention for the check, he glanced over and said, "one minute" and kept walking. Then he starting walking our way and just passed our table again, and went to water the table next to us for the fourth time, before turning around, staring at me, without a word, as I asked for the check. He said, "no dessert"? I said no, just the check. He sent the back waiter with the check, then picked it up from the table, after processing it, dropped it on our table without a word, and walked away. Against my better judgement, I still left him a 20% gratuity. We left and went elsewhere to celebrate.

This is the best food in Chester county, perfect every time. Every dish is beautifully prepared and…read moretastes amazing. Worth the long wait to get a reservation.

This place is a little hidden gem. The character and charm…read moreof this spot is amazing. Inside an old general store sharing a bathroom with the post office! BYOB so yay! Food is elevated and French forward. Husband and wife ran and owned. Yummy and unique. Hard to get a reservation, so good luck :) but if you do worth it!!!

Great food and staff love the Napoleon Eclairs and the Fraizer dessert! Always look forward for…read moresome Vecu!

Okay so I wanted to try something different and my friend and I tried this place because we never…read morehad French cuisine. It was good the rib steak special was a bit too salty for me but everything else was good. I don't think I would go back though the menu was a bit bland for me. I like a variety of things though, but give it a shot. We tried the maccaorones and they were okay.

Everything I have to say about the food is that the food was perfect. Unbelievable. Every morsel…read morewas intentional and done to perfection. The issues I have that night are related with the service. I ordered an old-fashioned and was delivered just the bourbon. I ordered salad without anchovies and was given a salad with extra anchovies. And then there was the server with the attitude. I guess because of the correction on the drink order when I asked the same lady for my check her comment was oh welcome to you again. Granted she had written my drink order down on a piece of paper. How she got it wrong then proceeded to get it wrong and then give me attitude about it later was not acceptable. This would have been a great first date place because of the atmosphere and ambiance and the low noise level, but the service didn't match the delivery of the food.

I remembered this place was on Louella court before. Husband took me here as a surprise for my…read morebirthday and I was so excited to finally try it! It was one of the best places we've eaten at in the Philly suburbs. Since moving from center city we've really struggled to find good restaurants on/around the main line. Everyone talks about nectar, blue elephant and goats beard etc and we do not think any of them are good at all. At the table is one of the very few places that are actually good around here and we loved it! Food here is superb. We were pleasantly surprised with the amuse-bouche starter. Such a nice touch. Then we got apps. We love the mushroom toast app.... Seriously one of the best things I've ever had! The thrice fried French fries were also delicious! We split a mushroom tortellini and rack of lamb. Both 10/10. The tortellini is a smaller portion size imo so if you're starving get more food than just that. The rack of lamb was cooked perfectly. Absolutely delicious. And the mashed potatoes and artichoke it came with were also super good - I didn't expect to like the artichoke but it was so yummy and flavorful. Everything here was great. Constant water refills - our server ashley was really friends and attentive. This was a very nice dining experience and a really cute interior as well. The outdoor patio is awesome and great for summer nights in town! Thank you for such a wonderful night.

Service was excellent , helpful, and accurate. Always some great new things to try. Spinach salad…read moreis unique and really good. The swordfish was perfect.

Fresh Baked Bread of the day: Focaccia, MY ABSOLUTE FAV. Served w/ 2 sides: a pleasant rosa sauce,…read morea butter so complex I couldn't crack the code. First thought, olives ? Then, hint of Lavender ? DEE-LISH is what it was! Swordfish soo good laid across a heap of Hoppin' John (for those who don't know) black-eyed peas & rice w/ the most chewy salty bits of pork. Lump crabmeat sprinkled overtop. I LOVED it! The bad news: Meatball starter should get 86'd. Dry, smallish, boring, didn't make sense. Was excited by description, but once arrived we had difficulty picking out the elements. Felt like 3 tiny meatballs in a pool of sauce w/ a piece of crispy "pepperoni". Husband enjoyed meatloaf; we appreciated its savory flavors. Felt similarly about creamy emulsion of leek soup finished w/ oil. Neither were raves, but still highly enjoyable. Sat in corner bar table. Atmosphere cozy. Service good. Prices high for hit or miss dishes, but the ones they got right, worth every penny! Wish I'd saved room for dessert.

Although the restaurant is on the smaller side with the feel of a classic French bistro, our large…read moregroup of 10 fit comfortably for brunch. The menu is reasonably priced with some classic French dishes including crepes. My sister and I each enjoyed the La Provencale crepe filled with goat cheese, spinach, pesto, and olives. It was cut in two and came with a side salad. Although it was well portioned and delicious, the dough was slightly thicker than the crepes we've had in France and rolled like a wrap rather than folded like a crepe. We also enjoyed the Tuna Tartine, which was avocado toast topped with ahi tuna tartare, and the quiche of the day. A croissant drizzled with chocolate sauce was a sweet treat at the end of the meal. Service was friendly and efficient.

Amazing food, great service, good cocktail selection. the…read moreplace is good too, has a good vibe. went there on a saturday at 830pm, was packed. reservation is recommended. had good vegetarian options as well