06/05/08

Attentive service and competent French cooking

by Dakotagourmand

We tried Chez Colette after reading its beguiling French brasserie menu and thought the food was competent, though not stellar. I tried the cassoulet de Toulouse with confit de canard and saucissons. The fragrance and flavors were spot-on but the beans had not been cooked to the unctious creaminess of a true cassoulet and the duck lacked the characteristic texture of excellent confit. The filet mignon ordered by my husband arrived a bit overdone. On the plus side, the baguette was to die for--perfect crust and the "pull" that one expects of the very best baguettes in Paris. For dessert we shared a fruit tart with a lovely sablee crust and it was luscious. The service was attentive and we enjoyed the meal very much but it was not quite Paris and definitely not Toulouse.

• Pros: Lovely menu, pleasant brasserie atmosphere
• Cons: Food was competent but not stellar

04/19/08

Good Breakfast, subpar service

by arsenalbrandon

Had breakfast here on a Saturday morning. Concise menu with good selection. Although I did not see quiche on the menu which was surprising and I was really in the mood for it. The food was average and the service was extremely slow even though our section was not full.

I had the waffles with fruit which was soggy in the middle b/c of the fruit juices.

The atmosphere was nice and the hotel that it is in was done very well. I would not make a special trip to eat here and if I was in the neighborhood I would probably go to La Fougasse that is next door instead, although there would be a price increase.

• Pros: Ambience, menu selections
• Cons: Service and overall value

02/17/08

Good service, nice atmosphere, ok food

by alicea825

My husband and I came to Chez Colette for Valentine's Day. It was easy to find and there was plenty of parking. When we arrived we were greated by very friendly staff. Seating is a little cramped, although we were lucky to get a large round table for just the two of us. The bread served before dinner was wonderful as well as the wine. I ordered the french onion soup, which was quite bland. I ordered the Coq au Vin for my meal and that was just ok. Again, qutie bland. My husband had the salmon which was good and our side dishes were slighly better than ok. Dessert, of course, was fabulous - how can you go wrong with French desserts? I don't think we would go back, though. It was nice for a special occassion, but we won't frequent this restaurant.

• Pros: Easy to find, ample parking, great service
• Cons: Food is bland

05/27/07

Great new lunch concept

by cosnier

I was looking for a nice place where I could have business lunch in the area but didn't want it to be over price or too long.

Their new concept " 30 minute lunch" met all my expectations.

It is on the same concept as bento box but in a French bistro. They serve you a 4-course meal all in one go on very well designed plate. Don't worry it is not heavy at all; it is all mini sized dish.

It took only 10 minutes for me and my guest to get our food.

It was incredibly well presented. All of us were "Wowed".

And it wasn't only in the presentation the taste was great too.

We actually managed to get out of our business lunch in about 30 minutes.

The service was friendly and good.

A place I would recommend for business our between friends.

Finally I saw they are using the same idea for diner. They call it the taste of Paris and sell it only $18. I will definitely have to try it.

• Pros: lot of parking space, service and the food

An elegant, '20s-style brasserie in the luxurious Hotel Sofitel.

by Contributor

In Short
The restaurant features brass, beveled glass, tulip lamps, dark wood, white tablecloths and hardwood floors. The decidedly pleasant manners of the black-vested, white-aproned waitstaff put a dent in the Parisian illusion. The food is authentic French brasserie fare. Meals start with delightfully fresh baguettes. Appetizers include French onion soup, crepes and, of course, garlicky escargots. Walnuts balance the vinegary bite of the house salad. Most entrees are more hearty than haute cuisine: steak frites, coquilles St. Jacques, veal with Calvados.

02/15/06

Bad Valentine (otherwise great restaurant)

by eatsout

I frequent Chez Colette for weekday business breakfast for the great service and food. My husband booked an 8:45pm table for Valentines. I feared bad service/food with the holiday rush. My fear of bad service/food was rewarded: our appetizer arrived 1 hour and 10 minutes after we did, the waitress disappeared for blocks of time, the crab cakes are a mushy disappointment and the French onion soup was a soggy glob. The people watching, at least, entertained us during our 2.5 hour meal a great mix of the tackiest dresses and most elegant people. They did comp the soup with minor apology. We vowed, once again, to skip the rush and go out some other night.

• Pros: classy, french feel
• Cons: slow

02/11/06

Best Service

by pez5697

I think this is the best service I have gotten from a restaurant in the cities, will defiantly go again!

08/19/05

Wonderful Experience

by sidney74

My sister, nieces and I meet once a month at a new restaurant. The one we wanted to go to was not open on Monday night so we ended up at Chez Colette. What a wonderful time we had. Our server was exceptional - probably one of the best I have ever had. He even brought us pillows to put behind our backs. Everything is done with such class and beauty. The presentation, the table setting, the ambience and an authentic waiter. It was well beyond our expectations. The food was very good but the whole experience made it perfect. I wish I could remember our waiters name. He made it a wonderful memory for all of us.

• Pros: presentation, ambience, authenticity
• Cons: none

06/26/05

Enjoy great food and music

by ysumanth

It was a romantic to see a restaurant lit with candles! My experience was memorable as I enjoyed the tender Filet Mignon, sipped JessUp Cabernet and listened to the seducing music by the Jazz Trio. I would go there again and recommend it for all. Five Star service at a 4 diamond hotel restaurant.

• Pros: Food , Long term employees, Prompt seating
• Cons: Decor from 1900, Fewer French wines, Not in phone book

02/26/05

If this is French, I'll eat my tocque!

by jho911doc

The polite hostess impressed on arrival. The menu promised French (coq au vin, cassoulet). The warnings were the wine list with limited French offerings (The lack of Burgundy was embarrassing) and the food. Tasty but way off: Coq au vin tasted right but was atop rigatoni (Does France have rigatoni?) & the cassoulet was a watery bean soup with sausage suspicious for pepperoni and an anemic duck leg that was devoid of color. . .frightfully white. Edible, yes. Cassoulet, no! I alerted management about the shorcomings and was told that the hotel wanted to follow American trends instead of French tradition and that the chef was "in transition". Ok, but then don't call this place a brasserie with a French name and place it in a French themed hotel. You can get a good meal here if you don't expect to eat anything like you would find in France.

• Pros: Friendly service, Live music, Ample Parking
• Cons: Non-French wine list, Food off the mark!