Unremarkable. It was just ok. The waiter was more interested in the table of young women than us. Our tapenade was ok. The stuffed artichokes were tepid and had way too much cheese. The ratio was way off. Bisque was the best thing I had. The French onion was ok. The meatloaf I had was fair. It had too much filler and it lacked that, unctuous mess I was looking for. Overall, it was just ok. Table and view were great, but the lack luster meal killed the night. Our expectations got the best of us. read more

Touché is the wine bar located inside of Chez Francois in Vermilion. Little known fact: Touché, aside from a slightly different seating arrangement, carries the same food and drink menu as Chez Francois. Like Chez, you need to make reservations in advanced as far as possible online. We just had a quick cocktail, but know that it's no easy feat to choose from their beautiful and expansive menu! At the suggestion of our wonderful server, I had the cucumber moscow mule, which was so delightful and refreshing on a hot day. Come later in the evening on a weekday and you'll have the opportunity to sit outside on the riverfront. If you're like me and still not dining out aside from a patio visit here and there during a less busy time, you can feel good about visiting here outside. Touché's outdoor patio has a lovely ambiance, only increased by the charm of the city of Vermilion and the channel leading onto Lake Erie. Bring a friend, a date or a special occasion. You'll still want to be dressed up and make those reservations as far as you possibly can. We only had a quick drink, but I'll be back to try the food! read more

Simply put this is the way food and drink are meant to be enjoyed! Staff is always attentive and knowledgeable!

The easiest 5 star review I have ever written. Touché is the casual restaurant upstairs from the elegant Chez Francois. It offers a slightly smaller menu, served in a casual, pub like setting. We started with cocktails. Their cocktail and wine list is so large and expansive that is provided on an iPad! There is something for everyone. I will call out my wife's Campari Milano Spritz which is a delicious twist on the classic Aperol spritz. There is a large assortment of hot and cold appetizers to try, indeed you could make a meal out of those! Hmm, maybe we will need to come back for that! We opted to start with the burrata salad. It is an heirloom tomato and arugula salad topped with their homemade mozzarella "shell" that is filled with creamy burrata. It was perfect for a summer evening. For our main course we both had fish. I had the Chilean Sea Bass which was prepared with miso, baby book choy, and an assortment of julienned vegetables. My wife had the red snapper special which featured cooked apples and a splash of Benedictine Liqueor. What a combination of flavors! It was fantastic. Our server Luke took excellent care of us. We knew him from another restaurant and so we were glad to see him as he is an excellent waiter. He suggested a nice Italian white wine to enjoy with our seafood and it paired perfectly. Thanks Luke! The manager Evan stopped by a couple times to check on us and he told us all about the menus in both restaurants. I am a fan of formal dining and so we will have to come back to dine at Chez Francois. As I said before, this is an easy 5 stars. PS: There is a wonderful outside patio as well, and they have dock space so you can also come by boat. read more

Incredible experience all around. Could exist in any city in the world and be successful

As the more casual side of the venerated Chez François, Touché is perhaps overlooked, but do so at your own peril. The standard of cuisine is just as elevated as the fancier side of the house. The atmosphere is lovely and there's a patio where you can bask in the sun and watch the boats go by on the river. Service is more relaxed but just as friendly and efficient over here. On a recent visit, my spouse and I got the seafood tower, a veritable orgy of marine creatures and their accompaniments. We chose the Cherries François for dessert; it was wonderfully simple but so delicious. Making the drive out there from the west side of Cleveland is a no-brainer for us. read more

Great ambience and friendly staff. The specialty cocktails are innovative and delish. Food is appealing and appetizing. I just love the coziness if this small, quaint place in the town of Vermillion. read more

Touché - a close up of a wooden boat - Bars Near Me - Vermilion, Ohio

We happened in while exploring Vermillion for wine and dessert and were so pleased. The wine was lovely and the Crème Brûlée was as delicious as it was beautiful. We plan to come back next time for a meal. read more

Touché - Beautiful evening at Touche' - Bars Near Me - Vermilion, Ohio

We've been going to Touché since it opened. Really great, quiet and relaxed atmosphere, drinks are on point! Best wine selection in OH, great selection of spirits. They make a few of their own infused Vermouths for specialty cocktails. Light bites to full diners, you cannot go wrong on the food. On summer nights the 2nd floor bar offers beautiful scenery and fantastic sunsets. A great date night spot or watch a ballgame here, Touché is a comfortable destination for either read more

This is one of my favorite places in Vermilion. Friday's they have a $5 martini special and you can always sit by the river in the summer and watch the boats go by. Not to mention the food is phenomenal!! read more

Nice place to meet a few friends for drinks. Quiet and fun environment. Good food options. Nice staff and ownership.

It's always a pleasure to dine at Chez Francois, but sometimes you want to be a bit more casual. Enter Touche. Touche is the street-level bar above Chez, but the food comes from the same kitchen. Meaning the same amazing chef, John D'Amico, prepares it. So you know you're in for a treat. And the prix fixe menu, at $30 for three courses, is a bargain. On previous visits, we enjoyed a drink or two, and something small prior to dinner at Chez. If this is your plan, it's hard to go wrong with their cheese plate, a generous platter of dairy delights, with appropriate accoutrements. However, this time we were there for a meal, so we started out with the foie gras. Their preparation is particularly delicious, served over a raisin nut toast, with a sweet melange of what I believe on this occasion was sweet potatoes and pears. Matt, the amazing host at both Chez and Touche, was there with a sweet dessert wine that perfectly complimented the unctuous taste of the foie gras. This truly is a singular dish. Following that, we had a salad of roasted beets, goat cheese, and tarragon, topped with a vinaigrette rich with shallots. While this is not on the menu, it should be, as it's a tart salad that is wonderfully refreshing, and a punchy counterpoint to the richness of many of the other dishes. Entrees took a turn, with an order of the panini croque monsieur, and an order of the day's special, a lobster ravioli. Sampling both, I again realized you could simply throw darts at this menu, and eat well. The sandwich was beautifully presented, with small ramekins of pickles, relish, and jalapenos. The sourdough bread was toasted crunchy, and the Gruyere and ham was tasty. Along with the parmesean-dusted pommes frites, simple and delicious. The ravioli was at the other end of complexity, with tender squares of egg pasta wrapped around lobster, topped with a butter sauce, and large pieces of lobster meat. Additionally, there were generously-shaved slices of parmesan reggiano, and, taking the dish well over the top, four shavings of black truffle, paper thin, but the size of a small fist. The combination of lobster, pasta, sauce, parm, and truffle is an amazing experience. Complex flavors, yet still in balance. Suzie took care of us all evening, and did a phenomenal job of keeping us fed, watered, and entertained. Between her and Matt, it was like having dinner with old friends (even if these friends are much cooler than your real ones). Time always flies at Touche. When you are enjoying yourself this much, you never look at your watch. The service and pacing never seems hurried, yet you never seem to wait for the next glass or plate. The staff at Chez and Touche seem to really enjoy their jobs, and taking care of customers. It's always a pleasure, a taste of The Good Life. read more

Bar above chez- good food, drinks, & atmosphere read more

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I went to Touché for a solitary birthday dinner and it was so wonderful. The food was absolutely fresh and exquisite. The staff saw that I was there solo and went out of their way to be engaging, chatty and welcoming. From the appetizer to my post-prandial coffee everything was incredibly good. I highly recommend anyone wanting an excellent, relaxing dinner out give it a try! read more

This was a beautiful place. Don't let the listing fool you. It's a restaurant as well. It is right above a 5 star restaurant and they share a kitchen. Food was amazing. Service to match as well. Amazing view of vermilion lagoon. We sat down without a wait. read more

If you don't want the full Chez Francois experience...definitely try Touché! The bar is great, waiters/bartenders are great. Good was impeccable. Enjoyed every bite! read more

A great alternative to the pomp of Chez Francois. Doing outdoors overlooking the Vermilion lagoons is beautiful, service is always top notch, and their selection of French food and wine is perfect. Very relaxing, enjoyable, and memorable. read more

Always greeted and seated by pleasant staff when entering. The atmosphere, menu items, and cocktails are always excellent. It is obvious that the owners expect and deliver nothing less than perfection, we love talking about and referring this restaurant to everyone. read more

Love Touche! Had a delicious filet mignon there last night. Great atmosphere and very nice drink selection.

Not great food but a beautiful view on the patio. I had the chicken with risotto. I usually taste the main item after sampling the other items on the plate. The vegetables were done just right. Then I tasted the Herbed Risotto. I notice that most entrees come with a risotto so they probably make a big generic batch without seasoning. Then I think they dish some on the plate it gets seasoned according to the type described for the entree ordered because mine was completely bland and tasteless. Usually food should be cooked with the seasoning, not have it added later. Then I tasted the Chicken which was very dry and without much flavor. For a $32 chicken breast I was very disappointed but the 7 other people seemed to be fine with their meals. A waiter\waitress was nowhere around so I sat silently wanting to have the meal sent back. Everyone at the table felt bad and started a fuss to make matters worse. By the time the waitress came back to make her rounds everybody was about done and it was too late to do anything except politely complain. The waitress took my plate and came back with an offer for 1 free desert. My Chicken was $32 dollars and the total at the table was going to be well over $500. I said that was not acceptable. She came back and said the $32 would be taken off the bill but I was already embarrassed having to make and additional plea for my case and causing discomfort for everyone at the table too. Also this may be unrelated (actually I really think it is related) but one of my table mates spent a good amount of time in and out of the bathroom when they got home. I think this place relies on mostly older wealthy tourist in town for a summer and is the only "fancy restaurant" in a other wise very casual area. In other words the bar is not set too high. read more

One of my favorite places to go!! Great atmosphere, amazing food, even better martinis, wonderful staff! You won't be disappointed, I promise! read more

Adore this quaint, upscale martini bar. The drinks are heavenly, the food is decadent, and the ambience is second to none.

Touché has a nice, low-light bar atmosphere. The service was very good and our server Rachel was super friendly. We dressed quite casually and felt very comfortable. We walked in on a Sunday evening at 8:00 and we were seated right away. The scallop risotto looked like too small a serving, but turned out to be the perfect amount. The perch dinner with the jicama salad was also good. Next time we return, would like to sit out on balcony and watch the boats, but will definitely make reservations for the balcony. read more

Food is good but a little pricey. Outdoor patio is very nice, sits on river. Service was excellent. A nice alternative to the upscale Chez Francois that is in same building. read more

Sophisticated and simple. Just wish men had to have sleeves on their T-Shirts. Jus can't do it, when I'm having a class of champs.

Just consistently an excellent quality meal in a relaxed environment with beautiful views. Took my 11 year old here for the first time and he said that the meatloaf was the best meal he ever had. The delicious warm brownie was the best dessert I've ever had. Also get the feeling the owner really cares about a positive experience! read more