Been here many times and well worth the drive from University Place where we live…read more The menu has expanded along with the wines available. The ambiance has increased from a 6 to an 8 or 9. The food and presentation has remained a solid 10 out of 10. We enjoyed 2 appetizers, 1 salad that we shared, 2 entrees 2 deserts, 2 coffee's and 1 bottle of a very nice Southern Rhone wine for a price that was at least 1/3 less the cost of their value. Lamb shanks and duck breast in a reduced cherry sauce that was perfectly prepared, presented and served. I am very particular about duck even if you can find it on a menu. It was a 12. If you miss this dining experience you lose. This is European chefing at its finest. In Parkland no less. A 3 or 4 times a year type of fine dining place. Yes, we eat out often and know our stuff.

Seriously wonderful! Citron is such a hidden gem here off 512 between Tacoma and Spanaway. The…read morefusion menu is beautiful! It is full of unique flavors, classic dishes, and lovely presentation. The service was excellent, our server being kind and attentive. She was warm and was sure to check on us, but didn't overdo it. There is an excellent selection in every course - even toting es cargot, which is not easy to find in these parts. The bread with the leftover garlic butter was heaven! We enjoyed a little of everything, sharing dishes and having plenty left over to take home! The bistro ambience was wonderful and inviting, if a little cheesy (in the best way). We will be back to try more of their menu soon! Can't wait!

Absolutely amazing breakfast! The food quality was excellent and you can truly taste the freshness…read morein the every bite. Everything was prepared perfectly, and its clear the restaurant uses high-quality ingredients. The Eggs Benedict, steak frites, and bread tasted freshly baked, ad the produce was crisp and flavorful. Every dish has its own flavors. They have huge options of food. The drinks were pretty cool. The place was so good and it has nice ambiance with great setting.

Pros: nice ambience, European vibes, located in a cute neighborhood with parking in the…read moreneighborhood streets Cons: food is salty, portion is small, nothing tastes good to me. I tried the grilled lamb shoulder, petite legumes, local mussels during HH, honestly the only decent dish is the petite legumes.

We went here for Easter! This little hole in the way place…read moreis so cute! They have outside seating that's covered and heated. The food and drinks was amazing ! The staff was super friendly. We will definitely be back again!

Such a disappointment. We first came here about 8 years ago, moved to Cali and now we're back for…read moreanother visit. Last Friday about 11:30. Ordered the traditional bfast, Cuiche and 4 cup coffee. Everything was overcooked. Eggs ordered were over medium but the yoke was hard, cuiiche was thin and dry and also over cooked. Bacon was so dry when I broke a piece of it broke into smaller pieces. $78 later. A coffee shop for half the cost would have been a better choice

We had another fabulous time at the @bistro San Martin They…read moreprovide consistently excellent meals and service. Our compliments to the chef, Steve, Tracy, and all of them. Even the young man who kept our water and bread baskets filled and boxed our leftovers, did an exceptional job. Reservations are highly recommended. You will need to leave that on a voicemail so try to plan ahead in case they're booked up. They have two dining rooms side-by-side. It gets busy and is currently open Thursday through Saturday for dinner. It gets loud as people are dining and enjoying themselves. The ambience is always delightful and fun. You can really tell the amount of pride and skill that goes into their service and meals. Tips: order all of your food upfront so that if your favorites are popular that night, they don't run out before you order. Popular items are Chilean Sea Bass and fresh-made desserts like the dreamy, white cake, just to name a couple.

Wow! I never leave reviews but I just had to after our dinner last night. Service and food were…read more10/10. I'm still dreaming of the food. Prawn appetizer the server recommend was to die for. The scallops with risotto was one of the best meals I've ever had. Bf had the lamb chops and those were amazing! Can't wait to go back!

Food and service was excellent!! Mushroom soup and chorizo sandwich on a baguette was delicious.read more

Wonderful! I was in Seattle for a conference and wanted a warm and comfortable place to enjoy…read moredinner. I enjoyed their French onion soup, the broth was rich and not just salty. One of the best I've ever had! I then had a nice steak and frites. Flavor was there, meat could have been better (more tender) but nothing that would deter me from going back. Had the yogurt sponge cake to finish and the crumb was nice and thick and moist. Felt like all the sides were made in house (house whipped cream for the cake, house cut and fried fries, etc). It really made the experience. I sat at the bar and our server was fine-- attentive and got our orders in quickly. Would love a chance to be back in Seattle to enjoy their French onion soup again!

a first class dining experience. Escargot appetizers were scrumptious--mild and tasty. salmon…read moreentree with asparagus and mushrooms was perfectly prepared--a rarity here in the PNW where salmon iseems to be consistently overcooked! the seafood pasta dish was equally delicious, with each different sea creature cooked to perfection. The pasta was perfectly al dente Service was also top drawer, and the intimate atmosphere make the an ideal place for a well-appointed, special dinner. Highly recommend.

Pros: Good music…read more Nice staff. Cons: The Steak was grizzly & too fatty (not good marbleization fat but chunks of unrendered semi-hard goo. The rest of the food was bland, the mashed potatoes were dry, I understand in the PNW seasoning isn't a priority but the foods should still taste good. Maybe my family & I went on a bad day.

This spot has quickly become a neighborhood favorite for our family. It has really beautiful…read moreinterior and ambiance and their oysters are delicious and a steal at 2.50 per oyster during happy hour. It's located on market Street so parking can be a challenge, but we are normally able to get by after doing a few laps or paying at a paid lot nearby

I leave fairly close but hadn't visited The Garrison since they took over this space. Had dinner…read morewith friends in the area that didn't serve alcohol and we were looking for a place to grab a drink and this space popped up. We had a table in the front section which was nice to be able to catch up since there was four of us. Since we had just ate dinner we were really just here for drinks however we did order the Crab & Caramelized Leek Dip which is a warm dip served with warmed house corn chips. Was very tasty. We had some of their Hpuse Creation cocktails. I had a clean vodka martini, one of my friends had a gin dirty martini with the pickled shrimp, another had a regular dirty vodka martini and one had the Dr Walnut. One of my friends got an additional cocktail the White Wolf. The dirty martinis a house brine that makes the drink look pink my friends seem to enjoy Can't say too much about ambiance since we didn't see the entire space but where we were was nicely lit and the restroom was neat. Service was great attentive and very informative. Will have to stop by for HH sometime

Food - 5/5 we ordered the Beef Bourguignon, truffle Frites, and Gnocchi…read more The rich sauce of the Beef Bourguignon balanced well with the freshness of the carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. The Frites might have been the best Parmesan garlic trout for fried I have ever had! The Gnocchi was light and fluffy with another wonderful rich creamy garlic sauce. DESSERT- Crème Brûlée had the perfect layer of caramelized sugar and wonderful cream to share to wrap up an amazing experience. Service- 5/5 the team does a perfect job managing the pace of the meal and keeping everything flowing well. Our waitress was especially kind and we could not have asked for anyone more perfect for our honeymoon! 5/5 or 10/10. We are from San Diego but it it so good, WE WILL BE BACK!

There's a certain romance people expect when they step into a French brasserie--the low hum of…read moreconversation, the clink of glasses, a dimly lit room that whispers rather than shouts. Brasserie L'Ecole leans hard into that mood. Maybe a little too hard. Look, I get it. Lighting can be seductive. It can soften edges, blur imperfections, make everyone feel like they're in on something intimate and vaguely cinematic. But there's a fine line between ambiance and obscurity, and this place crosses it with confidence. When the room is dark enough that you're squinting to make out what's on your plate--when you can't even appreciate the color of the food you're about to eat--you start to wonder who this is really for. Diners? Or vampires? And then the food arrives. Let's talk about the French onion soup gratinée--the kind of dish that should feel like a warm, savory embrace. Deep, rich broth. Sweet, slow-cooked onions. That molten cap of cheese pulling apart in long, indulgent strands. Instead, what lands in front of you is a salt delivery system disguised as comfort food. A few spoonfuls in and your palate is already waving the white flag. It's not nuanced, not layered--just aggressively, relentlessly salty. A blunt instrument where a scalpel should be. You start thinking about wine. You *want* wine. But then reality kicks in: what's the point? Pairing anything with this level of salinity feels like pouring a decent bottle straight into the ocean. Whatever subtlety, whatever character the wine might have had--it doesn't stand a chance. Then comes the brasserie burger. In theory, a reliable fallback. In practice? More of the same. Heavy-handed seasoning that bulldozes everything else on the plate. After the soup, it's not just overkill--it's a slog. Each bite feels like work. Finishing it becomes less about enjoyment and more about stubbornness. By the end of the meal, you're not lingering over dessert or debating another glass. You're reaching for water. Lots of it. The kind of deep, desperate hydration that feels less like refreshment and more like recovery. Like you've just spent an afternoon face down on the shores of the Dead Sea. There's a good restaurant hiding in here somewhere; since the service is spot on, buried beneath the darkness, buried beneath the salt. But as it stands, the experience feels less like a Parisian escape and more like a test of endurance. Cheers or Jeers.. .up to you.

Super yummy food! We stopped in late Saturday night, and unfortunately had to wait an hour (totally…read moreour fault). It was so worth it! We started with the asparagus which was perfectly cooked. I got the mushroom pappardelle (seasonal special) which was delicious. It was super flavorful and chocolatey (trust me, it works). My only complaint was that they don't take reservations for less than 5. Our waitress was helpful and kind!

Outstanding seafood and delicious sauces and broths to complement them. I've never had a meal here…read morethat wasn't fantastic. Awesome bar service!

My husband and I went here for a late Valentines dinner. We were able to avoid the crowd but still…read morecelebrate the special day. We ordered escargot, steak-frites, and cassoulet. We're not big French cuisine enthusiasts but after this meal, we have a greater appreciation for French food now. The space is pretty relaxed and intimate. It suits both a casual and a formal setting depending on what you're there for. We would love to come back and try their other dishes!

Finally checked out L'Oursin after having it on my list for a while. Place is cute, has a curated…read morebeverage list and service was good which led to a round up on overall score to a 4, with the food coming in closer to a 3.5 given the price point. There was a complimentary amuse bouche, small root vegetable soup with a crunchy sunchoke chip- flavorful and nice start to the meal. From there we ordered: - hamachi crudo - light, fresh, flavorful - gambas - butterfly grilled and served on a yummy sauce that was a little salty in its own but good to dip bread in - salad - shareable portion and liked the fresh herbs - steak frites - came with a good portion of skirt steak and fries, but was surprised by the cook on the steak- it was well done. The meat was chewy although not tough so did still make a dent in the entree, and was pretty heavily doused in sauce. Fries were fine. Would likely try something else next time - creme brulee - solid execution, would order again - chocolate mousse- ok, was on the sweeter side Overall would return for drinks and apps if in the neighborhood.