French Food

[crayon1973]

ok, I have been touting Chez Nous for the last few months here, but someone suggested Aquarelle a few nights ago. Has anyone here been to both ? Do you have a favorite ? Also, has anyone been to Jean Luc's ? I have been to Chez Nous about 10-12 times and really love it, but maybe one of these places is better. Opinions ?

 

[LadyLonghorn]

I like Chez Nous and haven't ventured elsewhere yet either. Aquarelle is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in town.

You could read the restaurant reviews on Austin360, written mostly by the Statesman's restaurant critic.

Also, there was an article about French restaurants in Texas Monthly a couple of years ago (July 2000) that you might want to check out. The article recommended Chez Nous, Jean-Luc's, Sardine Rouge and Aquarelle. According to the article, Aquarelle serves more traditional French food, and Sardine Rouge is French food with a touch of Asian in some dishes. The article suggested that Jean-Luc's has a more ambitious menu than Chez Nous.

 

[unpaintedhuffhines]

here are some more user reviews for Aquarelle:
The Link

 

[crayon1973]

I'll try Jean Luc's ... I really love Chez Nous and go there at least once a month, but we'll see. thanks everyone. Going tomorrow night. I'll mention if I like it. But it will be hard to beat the Tenderloin of Chez Nous.

 

[Dead Horse]

better bring your credit card at Aquarelle. It is pricey....probably the most expensive meal in town.

 

[crayon1973]

more than Jeffery's or Hudson's ? I always thought the latter was the most expensive.

 

[PabTexas]

Try The Belgian Restaurant, very deliciious. Out in Westlake...

 

[superwick]

After going to the likes of French Laundry and Charles Nob Hill in San Fran, Jean Luc's French Bistro tasted like ****!

 

[crayon1973]

went to Jean Luc's last night...
It was really reasonable, but I would have been happy to pay more and get better food. I think Chez Nous is simply on another level. I'll go there next week.

 

[chitwood]

Went to Chez Nous last week for about the 15th time for my sister-in-law's birthday. It was awesome again.

 

[bularry]

I don't think it is really fair to compare restaurants to places like French Laundry. I mean hell, it can be damn good food and not comparable to that place.

 

[LadyLonghorn]

Well, I finally tried something other than Chez Nous for my French food fix. My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Aquarelle last week. The service was incredibly attentive, and the food was great. They have a goat cheese puff pastry appetizer that's wonderful. I thought the lobster was very good too. One of the best parts of the meal was the cold asparagus soup. The only downside was the sorbet...the flavors were really odd. But otherwise, we enjoyed the long, leisurely dinner; it's certainly more like dining in France than the rush of many American restaurants.

As for price, no way is Aquarelle the most expensive in town, especially if you go with the cheapest of their fixed price menus. I think Hudson's or Jeffrey's is probably more expensive.

 

[Bierman]

French fries rock...

 

[crayon1973]

I finally tried Aquarelle last night... I think the atmosphere is nicer than Chez Nous, but the Food at CN wins hands down. My date had the Veal and she said it was wonderful, but my filet was not as good as the same dish at Chez Nous.

 

[sapo1495]

I had a great meal recently at Paggi House. I had kind of forgetten about it with all of the new (mostly over rated) restaurants that flooded Austin in the last few years.