La Buvette Wine & Grocery

It makes me really sad to give La Buvette a bad review but their service and quality have really fallen off under their new management. We’ve been going to Buvette for years and especially love it for a relaxed Monday night. But this Monday night didn’t go well.

It’s common to have to wait a while to get your food, so we ordered appetizers and then after a bit ordered our entrees to try to speed things along (while the table next to us who were seated around the same time got their food promptly). Then all our food arrived at the same time. The chef helping serve said that they had forgotten about our order, and the server said “well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.” Buvette service is notoriously brusque, so we brushed it off. But later, we asked the server what kind of cheeses they had put on the meat and cheese plate (one of Buvette’s signature dishes), and the server said she didn’t know. We were really surprised about that so asked a few more questions and the server started explaining that the chef is going to quit in a week and just cuts up whatever cheeses at the beginning of a shift and that’s that. Later, the shift manager came to talk with us and said that it’s pretty common that the servers don’t what they are serving in their meats and cheeses plates but they are hoping to resolve the issue soon. I sure hope so - it puts their waitstaff in a really awkward position. All in all, the care, quality and conviviality that we look for at Buvette aren’t there at the moment. I hope they find it.

I like it here for their food and outdoor tables (huge plus: dog-friendly). We come here regularly for outdoor dining - it feels almost like you are in Europe. However, their service is terrible, and the food comes out painfully slow. You have to wait good 15 minutes before getting water and 45-50 minutes to have food served. And waiters and waitresses often forget what you requested. Seems like they are understaffed as well.

Amazing little restaurant in the Old Market that makes you feel like you’re in Paris. :) Sat outside on a beautiful day and felt safe in their plexiglass enclosure so you get to be outside but still feel secure. I got ratatouille for the first time and it was delicious! The free bread and butter were tasty as well. Came back later for tiramisu. :)

After desperately searching the area for a dog-friendly patio, we were beyond grateful to La Buvette for welcoming our well-behaved dog-ter. The hummus platter and fresh bread were fantastic and we /think/ vegan (be sure to ask about the bread). The salad was fresh and crispy!

Great place if you wanna feel fancy! The wine selection is great, and the food is fantastic. The bread is fantastic, and the hummus is sooooo good. The hot grilled sandwich is delicious, my friend described it as “tomato soup as a sandwich”. There are a couple vegetarian options on the menu!