Bistro Clovis

11/20/05

Great French Food without the long lines

by rebec

There are so many great french restaurants in the city that you have to wait forever to get into, at Bistro Clovis we were seated promptly on a Saturday night around 8:30pm without reservations. Apparently they are very busy early to accomodate the symphony/opera crowd, so i highly recommend arriving after 8pm. The wine list is good and the waitstaff very helpful. We had the blue nose bass special and the rabbit crumble. Both were excellent and the service spaced nicely. Definitely order the tart tatin for dessert, it is amazing!!!

• Pros: close to concert hall, wine list, tart tatin!!

07/14/05

bland but tolerable

by dunstable

I'm visiting from out of town, and dined at Clovis by myself on impulse. The restaurant was relatively empty when I entered at 6pm, but I had none of the service problems suggested by the other reviews. In fact, the waiter (maitre de maison?) was quite friendly and charming. Unfortunately, the food wasn't very interesting. The flavor of the escargots was largely masked by the garlic butter, and the salade d'agneau was made with romaine lettuce (I'd have preferred greatly a nice mesclun). The cheese plate was well-chosen, but I'd have preferred a wider selection.

On the other hand, it only cost me $60 for three courses and several glasses of wine, which isn't too bad at all. If you're in the area and are fond of French cuisine, have a go, but it's not a must-try.

• Pros: reasonably priced, great ambience, friendly waitstaff
• Cons: somewhat bland food

04/04/04

Genuine European Service

by jdvelveeta

I arrived near the end of the evening (9pm Friday night), having made reservations. Despite this, the waitress greeted us not with "welcome" but rather "oh, I'm not sure we're still open". From there, things only got worse. The staff had lapses during which they were almost gracious, struggling to maintain some level of hospitability; however, as the evening progressed and we remained the only couple, the waitress began asking "are you *still* working on that?" every 5 minutes. Finally, the owner came by and informed us brusquely that he "couldn't wait any longer" and would be bringing out our dessert. We were out by 10:30. Perhaps to some naive Americans this would be "charming" in France where rude waiters are de rigeur; in a city with better options it is completely intolerable. The food was expertly prepared and the ambience romantic; unfortunately, poor service ruined the experience.

• Pros: romantic atmosphere, quiet surroundings, tasty bistro fare
• Cons: , rude management, no regard for patrons