We walked in her at 6pm on a Friday needed a table for 6 and got a beautiful table on the outdoor deck right away. The service was very friendly and we all enjoyed our meals including local oysters (a large selection), crab cake, lobster fried rice with shrimp and scallops, and a whole lobster. It was a great start to our trip to have a beautiful water view paired with yummy food. read more

Ocean Restaurant - French Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Fixed menu came with some solid decision making. Very fun and approachable menu. Views...off the charts! The Bush compound takes up a big percentage of your sight, which is really rather awesome! We did not enjoy the navigation. Parking is in the back and there was no signage indicating where to go. Thankfully, we guessed correctly. Once inside, we were not quite clear if we were in the proper spot? Nobody at the front desk, nobody at the server station...if felt off putting. Not welcoming. To add to this, we were asked to have a seat by ourselves in another room? Why...no clue? We showed up at exactly our reservation time. It just added to the "this place is not very comforting". read more

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Very nice time, food was very good. I would have given 5 stars, but the steaks were just slightly above average. Quality service with an awesome waitress from Boston who was a Steelers fan. A little pricey, but with a very nice ambiance and a relaxed atmosphere. I will go back. Read less read more

Ocean is truly an amazing dining experience! Going at golden hour is such a treat- the views are unmatched! We did the 5 course tasting menu with the wine pairing and it did not disappoint! We loved the corn chowder, oysters, halibut, and the watermelon salad. We cannot wait to plan our return to enjoy another outstanding meal! read more

Ocean Restaurant - View from the dining room - French Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

I visited Ocean on Valentines Day with my husband. My experience was good, not great. Pros: cozy little restaurant; attentive service; wonderful starter bread; well cooked steak and halibut; the prix fixe options are flexible--just a set price. Cons: the parking is weird; since we visited in the dark, there was no view; I was still hungry after the three courses. I got the green salad, which consisted of a small pile of frisse and arugula, so it was mostly air, and quite bitter. And the scallop crudo was tasty and interesting, but very small--like 1 sea scallop cut into 5 slices. And the steak consisted of four 2-inch slices. We had a lovely evening, but I don't think it was worth the $266 for two 3-course meals, two glasses of wine, and gratuity. read more

Ocean is a great destination for a celebratory dinner. The service is outstanding and depending on your table, you will have stunning views of the ocean. This is an expensive, fine dining treat with an emphasis on French style of cooking. The menu is offered as a 3 or 4 course prix fixe. We have been to Ocean twice before and the food was exceptional. On this visit the food was very good, but not to the caliber we recall, and several of the signature dishes are no longer offered. The menu options seemed limited as compared to prior visits as well. Several options had a considerable surcharge. Perhaps inflation, perhaps a different chef. The kitchen does not require all diners at the table to have the same number of dishes, wish is welcome flexibility. For our party, some had 3 and some chose 4, to best suit their appetite. Portions lean smaller, but the plates are beautifully presented and I doubt will leave hungry. For main entrees, we thought the Halibut and Branzino were excellent, but we miss what was a stunning lobster entree. Lobster does appear on the menu in one of the appetizers, a beautiful plate of asparagus with a poached lobster tail. While good, there was a very small portion of lobster on the plate. Ocean is worth a visit for a special meal, sit back, relax and enjoy the view along with some beautiful and tasty dishes. read more

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Best culinary experience ever to ring in 2023. The only thing missing was getting to see the ocean whilst enjoying all the culinary masterpieces. We were so impressed by the creativity, originality, tastes, textures and delicious pairings we had not before tried for this 5 course meal. Vichyssoise with caviar was smooth as silk, burrata fantastic, Jerusalem artichoke dish was creamy and delicious and a definite surprise favorite along with the fois gras with lobster and hazelnut sauce. The Wagu beef was cooked to perfection. Both desserts were crowning finishes to an unbelievably spectacular meal which we thoroughly enjoyed. Service was most attentive and the timing of the dishes was amazing, allowing us to enjoy each morsel and digest without being rushed. Although quite pricey, it was so worth it. Such a great experience. read more

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The place is nice, the food is okay, the service is very slow. But the worst part is that the manager came over to tell us we didn't want to chat because a couple complained about the noise. Five couples on vacation having dinner are obviously going to chat and make noise. If you want to have a good time, find another restaurant. read more

What an amazing dining experience! We arrived for our a reservation a couple of hours early to enjoy sitting on the veranda with some cocktails and snacks. The view was absolutely beautiful. Once it was time for dinner, we were sat at a lovely corner table next to some windows with another gorgeous view of the Atlantic. Dinner itself was delicious! We did the four course option and were also served a yummy amuse-bouche. The food was innovative, fresh, and full of flavor. Our waiter was also very helpful and checked on us frequently enough without being intrusive. We will definitely be back on our next trip to Kennebunkport! read more

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Cute little spot with a view. The service was SLOW and left a lot to be desired. We waited 10 min until we were greeted by our server. The bread service was great. The green salad was OK. Scallops a little better than the salad as the corn seemed fresh and off the husk. The NY strip was not tender, but pretty "gristle-y". The parking was also confusing, as others stated. We expected more and if we were locals, we would not return. read more

Go to Ocean for the view. The service. The ambiance. The location. The plating of the food. The wine. However, the value on the taste just isn't there. To be clear, the quality of the food, the plating were all great, it was just the flavors and pairing of flavors was underwhelming. We spent $450 (including tip) and I left underwhelmed on the taste of the food. For that price, they should have it be exceptional. To be clear, the knock is on value. If we had spent $200, it gets a 4 star. But at the price paid, I've got to hold them to a higher standard. That is Earth Restaurant-level pricing without the same return on taste. read more

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We have been dining there for at least ten years - multiple times over the summer months. Compared to years past, we have been sorely disappointed with both the service levels and food quality this summer. For example, on one occasion, a friend ordered the wine pairing with his meal only to experience the wine arriving well after each course was served. We have always considered Ocean one of our favorite dining experiences. Not so any more, overpriced for the service and quality...I'm sorry to say. read more

This restaurant serves up some amazing food. The presentation frames what is sure to be an excellent meal. The service is great. The restaurant is cozy with incredible views of the rocky Maine coastline. read more

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We stopped here for the view while in Kennybunkport today. Had a rose and some oysters and halibut fritters. Both were absolutely amazing! read more

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Terrific atmosphere and beautifully presented courses with wine pairings. A great place for a special celebration meal.

Quiet place, not crowded at all. Our server Alexis was really nice but staff was dead. Complete mystery where to park. Food, was very good but portions almost child size. 2 tiny scallops and 3 nickel size clams. Dessert took 20 minutes and did NOT taste fresh. Sky high prices, very small portions and not crowded. Three strikes and they struck out. Half the price would allow it to keep going read more

Sad to report on this our third visit to Ocean the chef has changed and there is no longer a desire to return. The chef change may have come with a mandate to lower food costs !! We'll there an old saying when you take the cheese off the pizza it's no longer pizza !! The micro starter includes 1 scallop sliced thinner than a human could possibly do ..lol and perhaps a 1/2 oz of thinly sliced lobster. The main Dover sole was ample in size but lacking in flavors. The. Rideye steak was slices of steak of unknown origin. It took 3 attempts at getting the temperature correct before I gave up and ate it raw !! It was actually tender probably because of the slicing machine thin cut. Deserts weren't bad ! Management was professional and courteous !! I think they are aware of the situation !! read more

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Disappointed for the price. $300 for dinners and drinks for 2+ a tip. Service was wonderful, views extraordinary, food was overcooked and disappointing. Glad we booked the early setting as the place was packed and noisy. Nice quiet, easy-going evening spent 3 1/2 hours there. Watch the sunset it was glorious. Ordered dinner. Three courses appetizers were nice scallops on a salad. Dinner we ordered duck and ricotta filled mini ravioli. Duck was nice, well cooked, but missing a crispy skin. Raviolis were over cooked and ricotta filling was broken, probably from over cooking. This was a rookie mistake. Other than the view, I wouldn't recommend this place. You can get better food and a great view for far less money our server was pleasant, and quite capable and attentive, was quite pleased. Need to find a real cook. read more

Amuse bouche to dessert was outstanding. Presentation, taste profile portion size perfect. Staff attentive and well trained. A wonderful evening. read more

The food was amazing! Our server was very kind. It was our anniversary dinner and it did not disappoint! Our dessert was very special read more

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Our visit to Ocean was sadly a disappointment. Positives: View was beautiful and the service was attentive. Food was plated beautifully. Our waitress noticed that our food took forever to arrive and offered to buy us a drink (we declined as we had to drive, but did notice that she didn't even end up comping the one drink we did order at the beginning of the evening). Negatives: Food was obscenely overpriced and unbelievably bland. I got the asparagus and lobster salad for my first course and it had absolutely zero flavor and maybe 1 ounce total of lobster. Entree selections were limited and bizarre for Maine in the summer. Very little local fresh seafood but instead lamb? I actually got the lamb but the meat, carrots and polenta were all cold upon arrival to my table. I would've sent it back but by that point it was 10:00 (we were seated at 8:00) and I just wanted to get out of there. Beyond that, the lamb was utterly tasteless. My husband's cod was also undercooked and not at all seasoned. Everything we had not only lacked flavor but lacked any sort of texture or contrast. I would've been upset at the food even if the meal had been reasonably priced. However, at well over $100 a person, one should be able to expect food that is far more than mediocre. I would recommend this place only for drinks on the deck. Or I would recommend if you are both flush with cash and terrified of anything that has flavor. read more

Late review - dined end of July 2021 Made an online reservation easily and had a late lunch so called and they were able to accommodate for a later time. We came so late that we weren't able to enjoy the view but there was parking right in front! Service was excellent but felt a tad bit stuffy. We came with our 4 y/o who's dined in similar restaurants before and the staff made her feel VIP. The food was delicious with a nice progression throughout the fairly priced prix fixe menu. read more

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Great food in a great setting with a postcard view. Absolutely recommend to anyone staying in the area. Pricey but worth it.

I cant believe I haven't heard more about this spot, especially given how mind blowing it was. Admittedly, given the age of most of the clientele and the white tablecloths, I had some initial anxiety about how the food was going to be, but that was curbed immediately by my first bite. Everything was seasoned so well and packed a huge amount of flavor. The biggest standout was the sauce-work on all of the dishes, especially the red wine reduction for the beef - its the best I can ever remember having. read more

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I was hoping to write a stellar review after dining at Ocean for my husband's belated 40th birthday, but our experience was anything but stellar. We'd been warned by locals the night before that Ocean, Earth, and some other restaurant were recently bought up by some large NYC company and that they were not the amazing restaurants that they once were but we chose to still give Ocean a chance. The restaurant itself was beautiful and charming, with picturesque coastal views and a very cozy and intimate feel. However the service was awful and food mediocre at best. After being sat, we placed our orders from the pre fixe menu and added on the wine pairing. It was nearly 15 min before we received our first glass of wine and when we asked our waitress to describe the pairings, she was clueless. How can you charge $58 to pair specially picked wines to dishes and not have any idea about the actual wine?! The food itself was very bland and unimpressive. Twice the staff mixed up which dish went where when delivering plates to our table. There was also no mention or acknowledgment of my husband's birthday, which we made known in the reservation details. I wasn't expecting a free glass of champagne to be honest, but I WAS expecting a "happy birthday" or some kind of recognition. Overall, the experience was not comparable to other "fine dining" experiences we have had. It was anything but personalized and lacking in service, professionalism, and mostly flavor. For a ~$400 tab, we expected far more. read more

Great, upscale establishment, awesome views, nice atmosphere. It was a mixed bag, as follows: Food: 5 stars Service: 3 stars. Food was spectacular, with the octopus appetizer flavorful and very tender, and the lobster served over risotto with white and green asparagus just served to perfection. It was a 3 course fixed price, with several selections available for each course. Just a fabulous meal. Service was another matter, and in this age of CoVID, we've come to expect a common theme. Our wait person was very....green. She left soiled silverware on table while bringing new. She poured our beer right down the center, filling half the glass with head, giggling "I can never get that right." Other tables were brought bread to begin their meal, we were not. And we had to flag down another wait person to find out who ours was after 2 tables sat after us were already attended to while we waited patiently as long as we could for someone to show. I know places are having trouble finding help, but it really gave us the impression that this person was hired the day before we ate there and had previously worked at a grocery store or something. She literally knew very little of proper server tact. We felt bad for her actually since it seemed she got little or no training. But that appears to be the norm with the shortage of staff. It detracted from our experience for sure, but the food was prepared to perfection nevertheless. We just can't give this poor service with the prices we were paying an overall 5 star review. They have work to do still.... read more

Wow. The views. The service. The food. The drinks....top notch and beyond from start to finish--Topher will take great care of you. Make sure to book inside table if there's something like say, a hurricane, coming but if you don't, maybe Colby can rescue you too. read more

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We've been coming for seven years for Prelude weekend and always eat at Ocean but this was our last time. Just not the experience it used to be. We were not very impressed with the two choices in the tasting menu, Maine seafood would have been more appropriate than lamb or Dover sole but even if these were the options, they could have been better. Too expensive to be "meh". read more

One of my all-time favorite dining experiences. The food was exquisite with the freshest ingredients and the wine pairings were magical. Lovely experience and attention to detail! We will be back! read more

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What a place! What a meal!! The ambiance is great. Our server Matt was super personable and easy going. The manager Coby was nice and patient lol We probably stayed a little (lot) longer than we should have but everyone was cool about it. Got to meet and hang out with Chef Justin. One of the nicest people ever. His meal was perfection and it looked like art on a plate. Could not believe how young was. Super talented. This kid is gonna own the culinary world some day. I would highly recommend this place. read more

Ocean Restaurant - French Near Me - Kennebunkport, Maine

Can I give this restaurant ten stars? I have had some amazing meals over the years in many five star establishments. My wife and I have enjoyed several outstanding meals during our stay in Maine, but I have to rank our dinner here as #1 over all the others. Absolutely first class from beginning to end. The service was outstanding and flawless. The staff and servers were clearly well trained. They were attentive with out being intrusive. They were friendly,knowledgeable and efficient. The setting for the restaurant is spectacular. Sitting on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We were seated in a alcove with windows on two sides one facing the ocean and the other looking up the coast past Walker Point the home of President George Bush. Prior to dinner we enjoyed cocktails and snacks on the wrap around deck facing the ocean. I had a perfectly made three olive martini and my beautiful dining partner enjoyed her Riesling. We shared the Chickpea fries, which are polenta logs, they were crisp on the outside and creamy inside,excellent when dipped in the pimento mayonnaise. I loved the Lamb Croquettes with the accompanying honey yogurt dip. They were moist and flavorful. Our table was perfectly set with linen napkins and tablecloth. We were provided with complementary glasses of champagne as it was our anniversary. After each course the table was cleaned and reset. Our water glasses were never empty. I started with the Duck Foie Gras appetizer. It was picture perfect with a small potato croquette,pickled cherries and grilled fennel salad. My wife loved the Rock Crab Veloute , which had large chunks of Peekytoe Crab in a lemongrass scented bisque that contained Beech Mushrooms,peas and sweet corn purée. We used our crunchy bread to clean the plate. My entree, the Veal Mignon was the best veal ever. Also artistically presented with bacon, Napa cabbage, jardiniere vegetables that looked like jewels. The Gianonne Chicken breast was roasted and stuffed with a moist apricot pine nut filling with another bread worthy Pestou herb chicken jus. The side of Mediterranean couscous was lite and fluffy. We shared a chocolate hazelnut cake with ice cream. Coffee and a 20 year old Fonseca Port capped off a meal that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Thanks to my daughter and son in law for making this dinner possible and to everyone at Ocean for treating us so well. (This is the longest review I have ever written but I had to put it all out there) read more

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Delicious menu with nice seize portions. The only course that was not outstanding was the dessert, pretty bland. The service was excellent in particular the support staff. Our waitperson could have checked in sooner after we received the courses. Views are breathtaking of the ocean. The evening was very leisurely and courses were timed perfectly. We were there 2 1/2 hours delightful birthday dinner read more

Finest dining experience east of the Kennebunk River! But seriously, some of the most amazing food I've ever eaten. Every part of the meal is thoughtfully planned out and executed with perfection. Will come again!! Quite $$$$ so definitely come for a special occasion. read more

I have no idea what the hype is about. My parents and I just returned from eating at this establishment and I am honestly shocked about how many locals recommended we eat here and raved about the food and the service. To be fair - the food was not bad, but neither was it great or memorable. The view is lovely with a view of the Bush compound and the Atlantic but that is literally where the pros end of our evening. They did try to make up for the mishaps with a free glass of champagne and a small truffle chocolate at the end but it was far too little too late for us to even consider returning on our next trip to Maine. Our main issues tonight were: Timing and Service: We had a reservation (credit card required for making a reservation) for 7:45pm on a Tuesday night. We were not seated until 8:20pm, after inquiring twice if/when our table would be ready. We ended up sitting at a table that my father noted was empty upon our arrival - so why did we have to wait for it in the first place? The food didn't arrive until an hour after we ordered (9:30pm), and when it did arrived it was undercooked and a bit cold (undercooked lobster and chewy and red duck). Our waiter had to be reminded twice to refill our water glasses and never checked on us, we had to ask random servers walking by to aid us for everything. We then got some lame excuse that we came "during a very busy dinner rush" which is why our service was so terrible. For real? A very busy dinner rush at 9pm on a Tuesday? I can't imagine what its like on the weekend. Food: Ok but not great, I've had better seafood in landlocked locations. Appetizers were quite good but entrees were a massive let down especially after waiting so long I grew grey hairs. My mother and I both ordered the butter poached lobster and mine was massive and my mothers portion was tiny for the exact same dish, so not very consistent. My fathers duck sausage was great but the breast was raw, chewy and the fat had not been rendered down at all (just a big slab of uncooked fat). Ambiance: It was so loud in there we had to shout to hear each other, not romantic or special in the slightest. Even when the place half emptied out I still couldn't hear the person next to me, let alone the other side of the table. Price: This is not a cheap place, hence the $$$$ here on Yelp. For the price of this place the service and food needs to be top notch but it simply was not. I haven't been this irritated with a meal service in a long long time, so irritated in fact we didn't even bother to see the dessert menu and asked for the check (had to ask twice before it came, took another 30 minutes just to depart!). All in all, I'd say skip this place as its not worth the price tag or stress just for a pretty view. We went to Mabels Lobster Claw the night before and spent 1/4 the time, money and stress for a much more memorable and tasty meal. Everything about Mabels was superior to Oceans from the food, quality, service, timing, ambiance and price. read more

Service and location were great but it's been a while since we're there and evidently ownership and the menu have dramatically changed and not for the better. We were disappointed in the food. This may be because we are simpler folk and like an occasional crunch or food with substance. Lots or lobster mousse and other blenderized toppings. We had the scallop and lobster first course salad. The only thing remotely like a salad was I believe finely chopped cucumber with puréed lobster mouse I believe on top. Several bites each of lobster and scallops yes you guessed it under a purée of sorts with a side of purée (see picture). Then halibut which was very good with a large portion of lobster mousse in the shape of a sea shell. I may be messing up the culinary terms but lots of non substantive parts of each dish. Kind of like a mechanical soft nursing home diet. Dessert was great and was a milk chocolate torte. Again the presentations were very artistic, service couldn't have been better and views overlooking Walkers Point were beautiful. And for our fortieth anniversary they gave us complimentary champagne and wrote in chocolate Happy Anniversary on my wife's dessert plate, candle on mine. Nice touch. We also were surprised that it was a mandatory three course meal for a preset price that while not outrageous was not our usual style. We sadly won't be back unless we hear the menu has changed back to more traditional food choices. Three stars for views, outstanding service and dessert. read more

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I have been to Ocean many times for special occasion dinners with my family. There was a time when I could recommend this restaurant but no longer. We went on Thanksgiving and our party of 6 spent close to $850 which included their prix fixe menu, 2 bottles of wine and 3 cocktails. The chef here used to be good but there are no excuses when you only offer only three entrees on your menu. One of which was a filet mignon, the only thing that was done right. Salty, as were many items, but tasty. Everything else was NOT GOOD. There were hors d'oeurves provided to the table: duck rillet nuggets, goat cheese on stale toast, over salted mussel. None of these were good. No one at the table liked any of them. Half of us ordered the lobster veloute as a starter. I have had this at Ocean before but it was nothing like what was served to us. It looked and tasted like clear lobster/chicken broth. I think they forgot to add the cream. It was awful. And the presentation, as usual, included a bowl placed at your table with two pieces of lobster into which they pour the soup. Again, I've had this before but not like this. The amount of lobster in the bowl could have fit into a thimble. It was almost embarrassingly small. That with the salty inedible broth... none of us ate it. I mentioned to the waiter, when he cleared the bowls, that it was NOT good. Others at the table had the salad. A big plate piled high with greens. Nothing special. One person in our party had the scallop appetizer. One scallop. Fast forward to the entrée, 3 in our party had turkey. Tough turkey which appeared to be a turkey roll. They were not happy with their meals. From the time they cleared our dishes, it took 35 minutes before our desserts arrived. Three in our party ordered a poached pear dish. Unfortunately, the pears were not ripe and inadequately poached. Two people had to ask for sharp knives to cut into their pears. My pumpkin tart appeared to be piped into a preformed, tart shell, the frozen kind. No cuisine here. Lastly, I woke up at 4:30am the following morning vomiting. Food poisoning?? Too much salt?? I don't know. What I do know is that no one in our party enjoyed our meal. We contacted management the following day and asked what happened to the chef. How could he let food out of the kitchen that tasted like that? They said the chef was there. We never heard back from anyone from Oceans. We are locals. We know what to expect. The food was substandard. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK read more

Made a reservation ten days in advance of September 8th to celebrate our 42nd anniversary. Was told by a woman named Lauren, I believe, that it wasn't necessary to worry about it; it was the Wednesday after Labor Day Weekend and it wouldn't be busy. Went there the afternoon of the 8th and was told that there was no reservation in our name for 6:00 p.m. and that it was fully booked for the night! Left name and phone number for someone to call me, but no one called. I called and left messages at 4, 4:30, and 4:45 p.m. to have someone tell me how the reservation never was written down. I originally had called on my cell phone, but stupidly deleted my recent calls, so I couldn't produce the restaurant's original response. Ruined our day! Whatever happened to confirming a reservation and more importantly, proper courtesy to a customer. Paul D. read more

My wife and I dined there recently as it was our anniversary and this place is perfect to celebrate a special occasion. Certainly the ambiance is out standing, as is the service. My wife ordered the crab entree and I ordered the sirloin steak. Both of our appetizers were excellent as were our desserts. My wife said her entree was very enjoyable. But, my steak, different story. I'm a {big time} beef lover so I do know what a good steak is. When it was presented to me I looked at it and said to myself, this should be real good. It was obviously the requested medium rare and plated nicely. Well, it had a lack of flavor for a PRIME sirloin and it was not the tenderness I expected. Did not expect to cut like a filet, but it was far from where it should be. If I didn't know better I say it had been frozen and thawed after coming from the supplier. Certainly not worth the price of the meal, never mind the up charge. Lastly, the amount of whipped potato it came with would not fill a measuring cup and the veggies were unrecognizable. So, after $350 later my wife was ok, but I was very disappointed. Should we try again ?? read more

Where to begin?! First, the wine list is impeccable and the staff will be happy to make suggestions based on your dish. In terms of food, this goes down as one of the best overall dining experiences of my life. Let me start with the first course: Fresh Burrata with mixed greens, outstanding prosciutto, and twenty-five year aged balsamic. In addition, the escargot dish is a must order! Chef Pierre so delicately prepared the escargot in an herb, butter, garlic broth, with an array of black trumpet mushrooms. I ordered the lamb dish, prepared to a perfect medium rare, paired with a fantastic Pinot Noir. My girlfriend ordered the butter poached lobster dish, which was the best dish of our entire trip. Simply divine, the lobster changed our entire perspective of what lobster can taste like- and we have had lobster on dozens of occasions! A chocolate fondant dish to cap the meal, paired with a white port, compliments of the house, perfectly ended our evening. We fell into conversation with folks at the next table and Laurie, our server, instructed and coordinated the delivery of our dishes at just the right times and when we were ready. This restaurant is amazing- a must visit for a high quality, fine dining experience. read more

We came all the way from Texas, just to eat here again. Unforgettable ambiance, excellent service and phenomenal food. Started with a cheeseboard, followed by the beef duo (incredible!), and finished with a chocolate fondant. One of the best meals I've ever had. I cannot give this restaurant enough praise! read more

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