11/07/09

Perfect, elegant, simple

by mandalynns

Perfect dining experience. Excellent menu and fantastic specials. We had the duck & beef specials of the night and couldn't have been more satisfied with our choices. The sauces were fabulous!! Meats perfectly prepared. Our waitress was wonderful, perfectly attentive and had all the right suggestions of wines & cocktails to go with our meal. Ambiance was casual, comfortable, cozy and romantic. We couldn't have had a better dining experience. We will definitely be regulars.

• Pros: excellent service, fantastic food
• Cons: nothing wrong with this restaurant

10/22/09

Dependable, tasty food and friendly atmosphere

by matthewmary

It is always a pleasure to go to Le Bouchon. Lunch is reasonably priced (most entrees are $8) and the french onion soup is a warming treat ($7.95). Never fail friendly service with french pop music in the background. Monsieur, the chef, is French with a capital F. It is more Lyonnaise than Parisien. More Bistro than grand restaurant. A great place for lunch. Over the years have never been disappointed - they are wonderful with children and it is romantic in a very European way. Lots of good talk, good wine, good food.

• Pros: Flavorful sauces
• Cons: Parking

08/31/09

worst food in all of Portland

by henry1

Friday night erperience ---we were on ly customers and there were only 2 people working then--a waitress and a cook ----no French people around. French onion soup

was very disappointing, entres were barely edible --i had the bouibase and wife had chicken dish ----no sauce no seasoning --mussels were old and tasted tainted --- 2 appetizers,2 entres, 2 glasses of bad expensive wine --total bil was $75. We felt lied to by previous reviewers and that we had been robbed of

$75--we could have had a better meal at Carls Jr. for lot less.

• Pros: none
• Cons: poor, stale and poorly cooked tasteless food

02/19/09

Authentic small French bistro fare

by lomsch

Le Bouchon is the type of bistro one would find in the neighborhoods of Paris and many smaller cities throughout France. It is family owned and largely family operated. Monique, until recently, was at the "front of the house." Claude remains in the kitchen. This is not L'Arpege. Nor is it Le Grand Vefour. If you are thinking Paris, think Peraudin (but a century younger). The food is French family cooking--in a family with a very good cook. The lamb shanks are wonderful. The white fish with butter, onions and white wine is always good. The entrecote makes one think of just how good Steak Frites could be in France if they had American beef. The wine list is short but includes some interesting selections--including a fun Languedoc. The seating is a bit close. The volume can be a bit loud when the place is busy. Which, to my mind, reminds me of wonderful trips to cities abroad. If you try it, it might remind you of a fun vacation or of a restuarant you and your family have gone to for years--if your family lived on the other side of the Atlantic.

12/31/08

Excellent food and wine, friendly owner & staff, authentic french family bistro atmosphere

by Euroyank

Contrary to some rather negative reviews recently posted, my wife and i find Le Bouchon to be very similar to a small french bistro. I have beeen travelling to France on business for the last 22 years and have eaten in many different styles of resturants ranging from the most expensive in Paris to small family-run bistros in quaint, rural villages. The owner's are an authentic french family, the premises are somewhat cramped, just like many of their counterparts in France, the food is good, as is the wine list. True, the atmosphere can get to be quite noisy on a busy night, again just like a comparable bistro in France. These are the things we love about Le Bistro, it reminds us of our times spent in France. If it doesn't suit you then perhaps it would be a wise decision not to visit France either as you will probably find things to annoy you there too, from an American perspective.

• Pros: Good food, good wine, friendly staff and an authentic french atmosphere
• Cons: Hard to find parking

10/12/08

Extremely Marginal (at best)

by seankmr

Having enjoyed a good number of Portland's great restaurants, Le Bouchon lacks much of what makes so many other restaurants great. Ambiance: This small establishment has a loud, & crowded atmosphere so don't expect a romantic evening. Parking can be a nightmare, and the tables are covered in garish orange plastic tablecloths that remind me of my grandmothers breakfast table. Waiters: The wait staff was helpful, and the food got to the table quick, but that's about it for the positives. Food: The steak was over cooked, and the fish marginal. Portions were medium to small but low quality. Don't order the creme brulee either. The custard was grainy, not at all creamy as the eggs were curdled. This meal was on par with what you'd find at a Claim Jumper, but without a decent portion or reasonable price. Save your money folks. This is not fine dinning.

06/06/08

Nothing French about it

by cangrejo

I wonder if the people raving about Le Bouchon have ever had French cuisine or been in France. There is nothing authentic or even derivative. Meat is touch and inedible, flavors are unpleasant and service indifferent.

The owner, however, was quite friendly and jolly. Avoid like the plague. Au revoir! It is very dark and noisy in addition and the tables are cramped.

• Pros: Friendly hostess
• Cons: Service, ambience, food, parking

01/13/08

DON' WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!

by vernonann

A HUGE WASTE OF OUR MONEY..The owners and waiters were friendly and it stops there. The food for 4 of us was unremarkable, tiny portioned, tepid, underseasoned, and way overpriced . House wine by the glass was $8.75 and we never saw or were offered to buy a bottle. Plastic tableclothes and drugstore furnishings should have been the warning. After dining in downtown Portland for two years , several times weekly and with no budget constraints, this is the first time I felt fleaced! Portland offers sooo much better. Don't waste your money.

01/05/08

Amazing REAL French food, escargots, Bouillabaisse, onion soup!

by citynight

I have a soft spot for traditional French dishes and they are hard to find. This place does not mess with perfection. The chef offers so many specials, not to mention the fact that the menu is well rounded. I had the escargots in garlic butter ....they were tender and flavorful just how they should be!, then I had stuffed quail with a port sauce....this dish really caught me off guard, but the waitress suggested it and she was right - I loved it, from the mushroom/rice inside to the sauce. I had no idea I liked quail!! My boyfriend had the Bouillabaisse, which he loved (I admit I had a taste) Wow! the seafood broth was worth it alone. They have homemade French desserts (try the Tarte Tatin) it's a warm baked apple tart - it's better than I'm explaining, just try it (if you like apples). The place is a bistro so think relaxed, but the food is gourmet and fine. We went on a Tuesday night and it wasn't too crowded, but buzzing a little and the waitstaff are friendly and they seem to all speak French if you want to practice, like me. I'll be back very soon!

• Pros: THE FOOD and friendly people
• Cons: So many choices, it's hard to decide!

08/02/07

French, not so good !!!

by 1critic

Ate here about 3 years ago and it was O.K.. After reading the reviews tried it again and it is off the list.

Plastic table cloths should have been my first clue. I got the bouillabaisse, $19.95. First of all, it was bland, devoid of any taste. In addition, it was the size of an appetizer, 3 small shrimp,. 2 muscles, and 3 small clams. With some grilled bread.

What a rip. I could do a better job being the enthusiast I am. Friend got the rib eye which was paper this but a better flavor. At this point we gladly cut our losses and up the street to finish the meal with a creme burlee.

• Pros: none
• Cons: many