My birthday meal with my fiance! We had a perfect intimate evening together. A little less English…read morethan I expected but all in all a great place. A bottle of champagne to go with our meals. I had the special Salmon risotto and it was fantastic. My fiance has a peppered steak as he was craving manly meat. We then shared a bakewell tart served with Ice Cream at the end of the meal. I had eaten more than enough food but enjoyed every bite. The ambiance was great and the staff was friendly.

Very popular spot so we suggest to book a table before going. We have seen people being turned away…read morebecause there's no availability. Menu was great and I definitely recommended their mussels. They have a starter portion and a main portion, tbh it doesn't make a massive difference. If you want to try a few more things, get it as a starter and get something else for main. We are rather disappointed in the duck leg because the flavor was so uneven - some bites are great, some are too spiced.

I adore French food and when I saw there was a French restaurant in York that had good reviews and…read morefairly reasonable prices, I made a reservation for our first of four nights in town. We were seated quickly and had a nice table on the main floor. Our drink orders were taken post haste, a bottle of Les Vignerons - Carignan Syrah (£25.15) and a pineapple juice (£2.25), and delivered equally as fast. The male server arrived with an open bottle and started pouring, chug-a-lug-a-lug, no tasting, just sloppily emptying the bottle into my glass. It was tremendously unimpressive. Great start! We both ordered the three-course Set Menu (£25.95). For our entrees, I had the Moules Marinieres à la Creme (mussels in a wine, garlic, herb, and cream sauce) and my wife the Champignons a L'Ail (mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce). My mussels were plentiful for a starter and fresh, but I could barely taste the wine, garlic, or cream. The sauce was watery. My wife's mushrooms were very tasty. On to Les Plats Principaux ... Mine was the Steak Frites with Mushroom Sauce and my wife's the Tarte aux Champignons et Pont L'Eveque (mushroom tart with leeks and Pont L'Eveque cheese). My steak was tiny, four to five ounces max, and half of it was gristle, so I was able to swallow maybe three ounces of it. I told the server that the first bite was very tough, but I never saw her again until I had chewed and spat out half of the steak. The fries were hot and tasty and the mushroom sauce was good, but what a huge disappointment. My spouse enjoyed her tart, but I thought it was rather bland. For dessert, I asked for the Sèlection de Fromages Francais (French cheese board) and my lovely bride the Crème Brûlèe. My cheeses were very good, with three varieties and coming with a bit of lettuce and a few grapes as well as a small baguette. I left just enough wine in the bottle to savor one of my favorite things in life - cheese, bread, and wine. My wife's crème brûlèe was massive, the biggest I had ever seen, so she hit a triple while I had just s single - she hit 1.000 for the night while I hit a mere .333. Our server, Didi, was very sweet and felt terrible because I had not enjoyed my meal, so she offered to discount my meal. However, my journalistic integrity would not allow me to accept remuneration for my meal and we paid full fare - £91+ including tip. A couple of small things spoiled this meal and both were completely avoidable. A little more wine, garlic, and cream, a minuscule cost for the restaurant, would have brought the mussels to a five-star level. As far as the tiny, cheap cut of meat I received, I had no problem with the size had it been tender because bigger is not always better, just ask my friend's wife. Quality control in the kitchen was obviously lacking, hence my rating ... CombatCritic Gives Rustique 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

In my opinion one of the finest french restaurant in the north.Taking inspiration from some of…read moregreat dishes of La Gavroche. Had a fantastic evening in November 2011, the team provided the perfect festive lunch, the monkfish thermidor was fantastic. Strongly recommend potted shrimp starter. If you enjoy great French food, then Chez La Vie could not be recommended more highly. The wines available on the wine list are truly fantastic from the house wines to the finest red & white wines, there is something for every budget.

Excellent spot for a genuine French meal. It has a bistro feel. We had the mussels (main course),…read morelamb shank, and side salad. All three were excellent. The mussels came stacked in a veritable mountain along with a side of chips -- the only issue is that you'll struggle to eat the mussels before they start to cool. The lamb shank came with garlic mashed potatoes and was tender, flavorful, and delicious. The side salad had a simple mustard-accented dressing that worked well. The owner -- Fred -- is very nice and widely travelled. All in all, a delightful experience.

My first thought towards this dining experience over a week ago was I wouldn't even wade into the…read moreenthusiastic mostly 5-star rating of a French styled restaurant in a fairly small town in Northern rural England. Just let it go. So here's what is bothering me, and I have strong feelings about this: the beef bourguignon. It's not rocket science to make this dish, and its base is a rich, savory beef broth mingled with things like onions, carrots, shallots, herbs like thyme and rosemary and possibly other spices to the chef's liking. Happen to know a bit about the dish because I've been making it for years. It's all about the broth to this diner. And to be fair, I once had a sadder version of the dish in Paris long ago. So how hard is it to make? Well, apparently the chefs in pubs and similar dining spots along the way are able to craft outstanding versions of their steak and ale pie that are simply outstanding in their robust beef taste. If those chefs can make that dish so well, so savory, why can't something similar be applied to beef bourguignon? I maintain the broth in starting the cooking process was simply not up to par. Lacking in richness, the beef was over-dried, suggesting it had been sitting too long or just wasn't prepared correctly. Instead of baby potatoes, a side of mashed potatoes sat off to the side of the beef and broth. Sorely lacking in the amount of butter needed and low on salt, it was an unpleasant and uninspiring addition that added nothing to the dish. The salad that proceeded the meal was listed as shrimp and mango. Out came baby shrimp with the rubbery taste of just thawed, mixed with mango, then a massive amount of Thousand Island like dressing drenching it all with a few chives atop. Not a great effort. Kudos for offering a true French Malbec from the Southwest corner of the country, the black wine, but this one was pedestrian and was served in the kind of wine glass that screams cheapest serving ware possible with its thick rim around the top. I can commend the staff which was professional and on top of it on a busy Friday night. Beyond that, this is a pass for me. Should have stuck to a local pub serving traditional countryside pies as the ones I've had along the Coast to Coast walk, my reason for being here, have all been outstanding.

Thanks to Emily B's brilliant local knowledge we ended up here early-ish on a Saturday night to…read morebenefit from their pre-1830 set menu which at £15 for 2 courses and £18 for 3 is great value for the quality of the food. I had a nice crab cake to start and only had slight food envy of my bf's delicious deep fried brie (yeah would def get that next time). For mains I had a fantastic rich and beautiful cooked duck leg and then a classic creme brulee to finish. Bf had the beef bourguignon which he loved and was still commenting on days later. On the sides front I would recommend the creamed leeks and green beans (in garlic butter), only thing I wasn't so keen on was the ratatouille. Service was very good and I love the design of the restaurant which involves a fake outdoor pavement seating area!

If you're familiar with popular astronomy concepts, you might appreciate the following statement:…read moreKendells Bistro exists almost wholly within the Goldilocks Zone of the restaurant universe, a phenomenon that's expected to be possible, but only encountered an infinitesimally small fraction of the time. The restaurant's interior is cosy and charming, dark and candlelit. It borders on being romantic, but doesn't take itself so seriously that it'll dissuade diners who aren't coming in as a couple. Its location is central, but not -in- the city centre. A mere handful of minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Briggate and Leeds' shopping meccas, one can readily walk to this bistro, but it's offset enough to deter the masses. And during the early evening hours (I believe from opening time until 2000 the night we visited), you can take advantage of their 2-course, 3-course, or 3-course and a half bottle of wine offers for between £17-25; it's a bargain, no matter how you slice it. The only thing that's absolutely excessive is the portion size for each of the dishes. My salad with rich, hearty bacon chunks and a perfectly poached egg on top was enough to sate my hunger. Then, when the cassoulet main arrived, I got -maybe- halfway through it before deciding I was completely stuffed. The cassoulet (featuring duck leg, sausage, -and- pork loin) was hearty and richly flavoured. By itself, it was a monstrous serving. That's ignoring the delightfully piped and plated potato mash, carrot mash, and mounded broccoli. From start to finish, I couldn't think of a single thing to improve about the experience. Kendells was readily the most noteworthy dining experience I've had in Leeds yet, and ranks highly amongst any gastronomic adventure I've embarked upon throughout Europe, generally!

if you go here, make sure you try the Supreme de Volialle L`Estragon. It's a really lovely dish…read morethat is part of the tea time menu. As they state 'Everything stops for tea.' The menu is priced at £21.95 - if you include half a bottle of wine into the menu (which of course, you will!) and you can pick from starters like, Gratin Lyonnaise, Saumon Marine A' la Aneth and Pate Maison. The mains consist of; Porc Boulangere, Confit Du Canard, Saumon en Croute and the likes. One of the best parts is of course dessert...pick from Petit Pot au Chocolate, Tarte aux Citron, Creme Brulee and Fromage. Nobody does Creme Brulee like the French so I'd recommend this! This is a great place to go before going to the theatre to see a show or even just to kick back and relax after a hard week.

We take my in-laws to Simply French whenever they come to town. The prices are reasonable, the…read morefood is excellent and it's a nice walk along the quay to get there. This would be a nice place for a date, actually! It's cozy and intimate inside and quiet enough to chat. The staff is really friendly and the owner, Rob, always has a big smile for us when we cross paths (in the restaurant or just around town!) If you're going for a lunch date, try Quite Simply Food instead. It's a little cafe by the same owner and it's excellent also.

We used to love eating here but it is no longer open.read more

Much like the language used in alot of my reviews the menu here is a Anglo-French fusion. True fine…read moredining options are actually not as common as you think. Majority of restaurants that claim to be fine dining are anythjing but. While I have never been a big fan of "fine dining" in the first place I have dined at enough decent fine dining restaurants to know the difference. I like the fact that they are spreading their wings and pushing the boundries a little bit by having a gourmet night with different cuisines once a month every month. French gourmet evening in August, Thai is spetember, British in October and Indian in November. Good stuff Trufflets. I purposefully skipped past majority of the options on the menu and went for the home-made char-grilled beef burger, cheddar, salad and gherkin in ciabatta, with string fries and coleslaw. To test the menu in my opinion you have to try out something from the menu that you know best and have tried in copious amounts in other restaurants. This way you start to build a portfolio of dishes in your mind. I am here to report then that their Beef burger was not bad indeed. The gherkins was a surprisingly nice touch.

High quality food that won't disappoint. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. The only downfall is…read morethe expensive price.

Came here for my gf's birthday dinner. Here are the highs and lows…read more - the broths they used were amazing - the macaron with blood pudding was genius - the tartar was very good - service was very knowledgeable about wine - the bread was truly perfect and the brown butter was perfection - the chef who served the butter poached scallop dropped it in the rock salt and it became too salty - the oyster had a large amount of the crushed ice one the oyster itself. Should have been served in the side. - the braised rabbit was too salty and was a bit too mushy. Awesome to see a group of young chefs pushing boundaries with food. I think once the can reign in some of the concepts, this place could be great.? Def worth going to.

Feeling adventurous? If so, then Le Cochon Aveugle is for you. They offer a set menu that consists…read moreof either 6 or 9 courses that is decided for you. The 6 course meal is 50 GBP and the 9 is 70 GBP.