This is my 2nd review, was here 3 years ago and then last night. The mussels were delicious, generous serving for 1/2 order, piping hot and fresh, although they really should serve toasty bread with it to sop up the sauce. The chicken cordon Bleu was as delicious as first time I had it, the side veggies were not as tasty as last time. My husband ordered the burger and I was suprised at how yummy it was! Fries are always good, thin and crispy. Wish they had a truffle version. Even the alcoholic drinks were good, service and ambience as well read more

Nice ambiance. Food good. Meh service at table. Unbelievably bad aftermath to a nice night! Read on. My husband made an error on the bill and only tipped about 12% of the total, which worked out to about 15% of the food portion of the bill. Our bad; we usually do 20%. But for the first time ever in my experience, the restaurant CALLED US on the way home, demanding to know why we only tipped 12%! I was so jolted by this unfortunate ending to a nice night out that I knee-jerk apologized and told her to add more tip. Again, my bad: I should have either gone through the bill with her or just told them to stuff it. Granted, there was a minor calculation error, but restaurants know this happens, and you don't track down the diner and scold them. Left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). Don't think we'll be back. read more

Cute ambiance, great for parties of 4 or smaller although I'm sure they can accommodate larger parties. The booth seats are a bit weird because you can kinda feel the ppl sitting behind you when they move around...no big deal but can be a a mood disruptor. Service was good, we were overall happy with our waiter. He was very friendly and polite. Food was overall good - especially for the price. Coming from LA - it made me really happy to see such great prices. Escargot had great flavor and a tiny flower shaped puff pastry on top - which was cute at first but I realized it soaked up a lot of the butter, which left none for dipping my bread. French onion soup - good nothing special Duck - THE PORTION WAS SO GENEROUS. YOU GET TWO BIG PIECES, that was amazing. It's basically two meals. Great sweet glaze sauce. The beouf bourguinoin seemed a bit lacking in flavor. They did not add bacon - which is fine but keep that in mind. My favorite thing was probably the pumpkin bread pudding a la mode. The pudding was not very sweet which is PERFECT for me. I wish I had two pieces. Honestly. If I lived in this area, I would definitely return. read more

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This is another favorite of ours in Asheville! French comfort food that is so good, we always eat too much. The French onion soup is amazing. If they have the tomato basil soup de jour, get it! The coq au vin was on special and was delicious. My favorite dish of all time is chicken cordon bleu; this place has the best version of that dish I've ever had. It's so good, last time we ate here I ordered a second dish and this time we made a reservation for the next day to have it again. For me, food can be emotional and this dish hits some very deep memories. 100/10 recommend the restaurant and this dish particularly. Service is always great and the restaurant has an old school, but upscale vibe. read more

Rendezvous - Chicken Poulet Cordon Bleu Bouchon - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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We started with a wonderful tomato and goat cheese appetizer, and the vegetables and fries served with dinner were also very good. Unfortunately, my steak had an odd flavor, so I didn't finish it. I didn't want to make a fuss or disrupt dinner, so when I saw our server away from the table, I quietly mentioned it. I said I wasn't sure what caused the unusual taste--it reminded me somewhat of freezer burn, although I also wondered if it might have been the pesto butter. I wasn't making an accusation or claiming to know the cause. I was simply trying to describe the flavor. Our server apologized, and I thanked her. The manager then came to our table and challenged my feedback, explaining that the meat had just been butchered and that they don't freeze it. I repeated that I didn't know the cause, only that something tasted off. The exchange was uncomfortable enough that everyone at our table was taken aback. Our server later returned and apologized for the interaction. We explained that I had spoken to her privately for a reason. The server then offered us a $5 coupon toward a future visit. Needless to say, we left it behind. I rarely post negative reviews, but the manager's defensive response turned a minor food issue into an unnecessarily uncomfortable experience. A simple acknowledgment would have been appreciated. read more

Excellent, classic Frenchy food. Being part of a large and convivial party, I got to taste several dishes. APPETIZERS: The bread service included a lovely garlic butter plus extra, cooked cloves of garlic, which I think could be a little bit more special; maybe carmelized? City Bakery's "sourdough baguette" is nothing special, because its crust was no different than its interior, so it is a sourdough but lacks baguette-ness. The escargots were nicely cooked and garlicky, but the puff pastry topping (we ordered two for the table) was seriously undercooked; how did that get by Chef? The muddled blueberry-raspberry rosemary-infused mocktail was tasty, with a $7 price tag. MAINS: I enjoyed my beautifully plated Cordon Bleu. The smallish breast wrapped around a minimum of ham and cheese. A couple of dishes (mine and the Saumon Dijonnaise) were accompanied by a vegetable medley, slightly overcooked but still yummy. The duck (a generous slice of breast and a leg) was tasty; I didn't get to try the sides on that plate. The crispy Pomme Frites were a welcome callback to the late Bouchon; the colorful mayo-based dipping sauce could use its own flavor profile. I got a good look at the Boeuf Bourguignon, which wafted the scent of red wine, so I didn't try it. This beef-and-veg dish should be colorful, not fully brown. A fat stripe of bright parsley on the wide-rimmed plate might have been nice. Someone declared their Steak au Poivre delicious, and he's quite the foodie. DESSERT: The decaf was a nice accompaniment to my Mousse Chocolat, garnished with fresh blueberries, a tasty, lumpy side of whipped cream, and (unnecessary) mini-chocolate chips. The Créme Brulée, garnished with fresh blueberries, hit a high note of creamy lightness. SERVICE & AMBIANCE: Warm, attentive service. Kudos to our kind server, who handled our lively bunch with such grace. The timing of the courses was perfection. The room was full, so the kitchen gets a thousand stars for mastering that with a table of eight. I deducted a for the chilly decor and lighting, which needs a rethink please. Odd metal frames (think four-poster beds, West Elm-style) visually separate the tables. Drab, millenial-gray, wood-look surfaces (floor, tables) continue the theme. The place needs a warmer decor; this kind of French food demands it, right? Knowing how important lighting is to food photos, I took only one (blurry, my bad) shot. May I recommend little battery-powered, warming, LED table lamps? And white cotton tablecloths would be a welcome plus, but probably kill their bottom line. I enjoyed the experience, really, truly. Keep up the good work, Rendezvous! read more

Rendezvous - Mousse Chocolat ganished with mini-chips, fresh blueberries, and (broken?) whipped cream - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I picked this restaurant because of the good reviews. THEY WERE NOT WRONG. The food is superb and the service outstanding. Cannot tell you much about the menue items as we both had mussels served in the most delicious sauces (there were 3 choices of sauce) read more

Rendezvous - Mussels - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Fake French. Owner professes to be French, he is Belgium.. His other joint is closed, thank god. Avoid. Three times, every dish substandard read more

I love this restaurant. They haven't favorite appetizer of all time. Escargot! The entrées. Are all delicious. You can't go wrong on any menu item. Some are better than others, but all are worth a try. Their steaks are always a hit. The crunchy frites are scrumptious. I can't wait to go back. read more

Second visit was just as good as the first. This was a Wednesday night for all-you-can-eat mussels in four broths. I was full after the first large bowl and, fortunately, you can order half bowls in the same or different flavors. I found that I only need one full order and can return any night of the week. Service was awesome and the dining room quiet and romantic. The outdoor patio was also busy. read more

Rendezvous - Mussels (full order) - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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We went for a 60th Birthday Celebration. Leila our server was excellent, attentive and friendly. The food came out hot and delicious. We were a party of 12 adults and 1 infant. All 12 meals were great. The desserts were a wonderful way to end our evening. The restaurant placed us in a separate room, which made our celebration even more enjoyable. Only wished we lived in Asheville so that we could visit this restaurant more often. read more

Excellent food - excellent service-the ambience is excellent. The staff was wonderful the wine fantastic food was awesome.

Absolutely loved it. Service , food , ambiance , excellent. I look forward to going again. read more

I'm not sure I have ever really been to a French restaurant before, but if this was a good representation, I'm not a big fan. Why? -simple: no flavor. I ordered a steak with peppercorn crust in a pepper-cognac sauce that came with "country vegetables" and french fries. The steak was a high quality cut, cooked perfectly, but the seasoning was so light it was like non-existent. It needed salt badly but of course they dont provide salt & pepper on the table. The mixed vegetables were likewise very good quality, but they must have been barely steamed and had NO flavor/seasoning whatsoever. The fries were the tastiest thing. I would not go back for such flavorless food. I gave 3 stars for the quality of the ingredients and the realization that my palate just isnt meant for nuanced slight flavor. read more

Rendezvous - Steak au Poivre* - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Just a few minutes from downtown Asheville with plenty of free parking. We went for a birthday, which happened to be on a Tuesday, when mussels are all you can eat, so we barely looked at the rest of the menu. The mussels came with a generous portion of fries, which I heard were phenomenal. They were good, but I think I would have rather they came with bread instead. I would have probably ordered the fries anyway, but didn't think $7 for bread was reasonable. I would have loved to use it to soak up the delicious broth. The service was perfect and we were too stuffed to have dessert so they gave us a voucher for the future. The setting is beautiful and each table seemed to be in its own small and intimate area. We definitely return! read more

Dinner tonight was delicious! My friend and I shared a bottle of the lovely house rose, which paired nicely with the cheese fondue appetizer-served with cornichons, Brussel sprouts, roasted potatoes, bread, and green apples. I had the steak Bouchon with outstanding roasted vegetables and the BEST pomme frites. The steak was super tender and came with a robust garlic butter. My friend had mussels with frites and said they were great. Service was excellent and we enjoyed outdoor seating, overlooking the pétanque courts. It was slightly chilly out but there are nice overhead heaters that kept us very comfortable. I can't wait to go back soon for all you can eat mussels! This is another gem located close to my home on the east side read more

Another year another visit to my favorite French Restaurant. Once again the service and food were fantastique. Weather was nice and we sat outside with our dog and enjoyed watching the games of pétanque being played. read more

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A really nice restaurant and great service. It was not very busy as it was early, so nice and quiet. We ordered the Caesar salad, duck, and bread pudding. The salad was fresh and delicious. The white anchovies were especially tasty and a nice touch. The duck was not my favorite. It was swimming in some sugary sauce that was really cloying. Duck can certainly be served with a sweet accompaniment but more like cherries, orange sauce, plum sauce or some variation. The bread pudding was very good served with a nice sauce. The profiteroles were also quite good. read more

Our friends have been dying for us to try Rendezvous, so when we visited Asheville, we made sure to meet there for dinner. Rendezvous, known for its French comfort food, is owned by Michel Baudouin who grew up near Lyon, France. It is interesting because this location used to be a church and they have Pétanque courts. I had never heard of Petanque but when we visited, they had a large group of people playing. I read up on the game later and learned that it is similar to bocce ball, but in Petanque, you toss the ball rather than bowl it. Our friends said the owner of the restaurant will give lessons on how to play if you are interested. I would love to take a lesson someday. They have inside and outside dining. If you sit outside, you can watch people play Petanque. In the fall and winter, plastic is put up, and they have heaters, so on a cold evening, you can still dine outside. They also have a take-out option. For an appetizer, our friends suggested the French Fries, so we shared a basket. They were sprinkled with Herbes de Provence and served with red pepper aioli. They were incredible!! In fact, I could have sat down and eaten the whole basket!! For my entree, I ordered the Poulet Cordon Bleu Bouchon which is a breaded chicken breast rolled around prosciutto and Gruyere cheese. It was served with Pommes Frites and sauteed fresh veggies. It was absolutely delicious!! The desserts looked amazing, but we were all so full that we decided to pass. read more

Rendezvous - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Look, we love your food and it is high quality and good value. We made a reservation for 5:15 PM. Both 5 and 5:15 were open and we arrived at 5:05. Plenty of tables were opened and no reserve signs noted. When we arrived were pleasantly greeted, one couple which was an obvious walk in was waiting. The hostess took us to the very back of the restaurant which was extremely cramped and I asked if we could please be seated anywhere else. She told us that they were fully booked and she would ask. Then a manager came out asked us our name and said that was the only table available, and that other people requested certain tables. Again, no reserve signs and what a weird vibe. Something is obviously going on here, we have eaten between here and their sister restaurant more than 25 times over the last 3 years or so. Why the attitude, did we do something wrong? We left and were greeted with open arms at Luminosa. I'm not leaving a bad review on the food but the arrogance was overwhelming. read more

The service was good and pleasant. The hostess decided to place us at a 2 top alongside the courts instead of the wide open garden dining room, despite us asking to be in the garden DR. The reason given was that we were only 2 and they needed to balance guests per server... Hospitality service training opportunity. The food was very average and too expensive for the quality: the salmon mousse was not a mousse but a mixed salad; the escargots were good but the puff pastry brought nothing to the dish; the beet salad was good and appealing. The Caesar salad looked good but lacked flavors and was covered with pecorino which totally overpowered the anchovies. The dressing was bland. The chocolate mousse was overly sweet, made with a low quality chocolate. We will not be coming back read more

The food is great! Cute interior, very nice and attentive staff. Loved the meal from salad to entree to dessert and the house rosé is very good! Definitely recommend! One of Asheville's hidden gems! read more

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Delicious food, wonderful service (even got to meet the owner), and so many seating options! My husband had the steak special- it was so tasty and a perfect sized portion- wonderful asparagus, mushrooms, mashed potatoes with an incredible sauce! I had the quiche - it was delightful with a tasty salad and the fries - wow! After dinner we headed outside for a wonderful game of Pétanque! We probably botched the rules but it was sure fun! The whole evening was spectacular! Highly recommend! read more

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The food, service and atmosphere are always exemplary. Our favorite place to dine when we are in Asheville.

It is very rare to have food of such flavor and harmony. This dinner was so reminiscent of meals I've enjoyed in France, in Leon, in Aix en Provence... The chef and owner is Lyonnais, well trained and knows exactly what he's doing. The staff is also very much with their attention to detail, but also make the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable. My friend took me here, unexpected by me, and I was very, very pleasantly surprised. The sauces were wonderful. The crème brûlée was classic. Every bite was as good as the first. and that's the test. I don't want to tell you too much about it because I don't want this place to get too crowded! Ha! To find such a gem at the base of a little side, road was totally unexpected. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays they have never ending moules . There's also a pétanque court in the yard. It's a definite place to go back to for fun and delicious food. read more

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There were 7 in our party tonight, and everyone agreed our meals & service were outstanding! Two of us ordered escargot, and it was so good. Served topped with puff pastry instead of in shell, picture attached. Delicious. My steak au poivre' was amazing! Picture shown. My daughter had the fresh trout almondine and said it was best she ever had. We had more than one server throughout the evening, and all were very professional, pleasant and efficient. Excellent service. I highly recommend Rendezvous. read more

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Came here for the thanksgiving prefixed dinner. $65 per person for 3 courses. Food was delicious, especially the Beef Tournedos and La Banane Bourée (like a hot banana spring roll with a light caramel drizzle). The chocolate pie was a little bit too sweet for my taste. My main complaint about the place was that the food was already pre-prepared so by the time the food was served, some of it was cold which put a damper on the experience. Also the waitress was pretty rapid fire about serving the courses immediately one after another. Was done with the meal in a little over an hour but would have liked to have more time between courses to digest. read more

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the restaurant was very good, but since I lived in France for a couple years, I would tweak a few things. The escargot was tasty but would not put the little pastry on top. I would keep it nice and moist and dip French bread in the juices. As for the pate, I would also put a warm baguette with the pate and not hard stale bread that tastes like croutons. The country pate was not my favorite. The muscles were excellent. (We had the white wine muscles.) The steak au poivre was very good but I would leave out the medley of vegetables or put them on a separate plate and put the french fries on the plate with the steak. Atmosphere great! Service excellent ! Will return! read more

This lovely, welcoming restaurant is quickly becoming one of our favorite places to have dinner in Asheville !From the moment you walk in the door, you are greeted warmly and made to feel welcome. The wait staff are well trained; you are taken care of, served efficiently and treated respectfully and with kindness. The food has consistently, over several visits , been delicious, exquisitely prepared, with attention to detail. We have had fish, steak au pouvre, duck .... all fabulous. Often we will order whatever the Chef has prepared as a special that evening and the dish never disappoints. This restaurant is a little gem. Highly recommend. read more

Food was decent. Service was awful. The only option for us (a couple) was to sit at the bar despite it being a very slow Sunday early evening. While we were sat by the "host" at the very far end of the bar near the kitchen (with near constant loud kitchen sounds) there were no less than 5 empty high top tables behind us ( the entire time we were there). The bartender/server was preoccupied doing something in the room behind the bar and we barely saw her. Twice we had to ask for water. The whole vibe was "don't give a sh#t." On the way out I asked the kid at the front desk who sat as at the bar why we weren't offered a table or high top and he said they let a server go early and he was instructed not to seat people at various tables. So much for customer service! $100 plus later we left disappointed by the negative and unfriendly vibe. There's plenty of Asheville restaurants. This one did not deserve our business. read more

Thanksgiving dinner was a prefix menu which had several choices for each course. It was excellent. The food was consistently good in the service was also good. Can't wait to go back to try the regular menu. The cocktails are also fabulous. Dessert topped everything off. read more

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Not only the food is great but excellent service. I love the different areas where you can seat The ambience is wonderful. The food is amazing read more

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Second visit was just as good as the first. This was a Wednesday night for all-you-can-eat mussels in four broths. I was full after the first large bowl and, fortunately, you can order half bowls in the same or different flavors. I found that I only need one full order and can return any night of the week. Service was awesome and the dining room quiet and romantic. The outdoor patio was also busy. read more

Rendezvous - Mussels (full order) - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Cordon Bleu was absolutely delicious. Appetizer with beets and apple salad is a must try. Service was excellent and very knowledgeable. Restaurant felt comfortable and inviting. read more

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Terrific meal and the ambiance was amazing! Our server was great and the service was excellent! Will definitely be back! read more

Absolutely amazing! The staff are professionals, food and beverages are excellent, and treat you like family! Our food was taking longer than it was supposed to and we appreciated that the staff was honest with us. Then they go above and treated us to dessert saying that they truly care about their customers!! read more

What a wonderful dining experience. Great food, great service and a nice atmosphere. We will repeat when visiting Asheville again.

Always the best ambiance, best service and quality food with great portions. It's a neighborhood must!

Everything was perfect! Every part of the meal was delicious and service was just right. For appetizers had the fries and pate. Entrees were the steak poivre and the chicken cordon bleu. Cocktails were excellent as well. Every part of the experience was superb. Plenty of parking and this may be my new favorite. read more

Delicious French cuisine tucked in Haw Creek. Patio is lovely and even has 4 x bocce ball courts. read more

Rendezvous - Salade du Grand Père Salade de Betteraves au Chèvre Beet Salad - French Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina