La Brasserie — Attraction in Bozeman

Update 10/8/24 - Management called and sincerely apologized. He indicated that it was a culmination of several unfortunate events. I am changing my rating as he was very sincere and the steak was perfectly cooked which indicates that they do have the ability to do it correctly.

I do believe that our meal was not their normal offering. I am hoping that I am proven correct. I am stunned...and that is not good. Wine was good and that was about it.

Let's start with the onion soup which was a grey bowl of soup. Supposedly the cheese and croutons were on the bottom. We did find cheese but no bread. The look was so revolting that we returned it.

Next was a Niçoise salad which was OK but for the price and the fact it was supposed to be an entrée salad, I would expect better tuna and more of it.

Next course was steak frites...not a complicated dish as it is steak and fries. The waitress told us that the fryer did not work and so they substituted fougasse..."at no charge". I was thinking umm, why would you charge when you are giving me a very poor substitution to what I want...fries. The fougasse was apparently not warm so they delivered a piece of meat on a white plate with some steak juices and nothing else...no garnish, no fries, no fougasse. When the fougasse did come, we were halfway done with our steaks and we were ready to dip into the juices. However, the fougasse was still cold so we sent our "no charge" fougasse back to be warmed again.

Lastly, the lemon tart was decent but nothing to write home about and nothing that I could not make myself.

Now for the bill... They comped the onion soup They comped our drinks They comped our fougasse (not really a comp but a substitution) They comped dessert as this was supposed to be a birthday celebration That leave 2 steaks frites with no fries and a Niçoise salad. The bill was $87.

Thankfully, I had a good time because of the person I was with but I will not...

There is a tenderness to La Brasserie. On a side street in downtown Bozeman, it may be easy to miss as the main cross street is Ted's Montana Grill and Baccus Pub - both with the longevity as a default go-to. But if you want quality food, good wine, and a place to have a lingering conversation with multiple courses OR a nice glass of wine after work to wind down the day, this is your place.

The charcuterie board is well cultivated and sourced, unique in its pairing ,they even have lamb! The reds by the glass are the best in town. The staff cares, reflective of the owner's humility and hospitality. A mussels/French fry combo is a simple and flavorful meal. And I have my eye on coming back for the desert menu.

I look forward to returning for a proper meal as both times I've been in have been spontaneous and unplanned. As a deep-rooted Montanan with an appreciation for our French fur trapper history, it's nice to see a French restaurant owner with the intention to root. The meticulous planning shows. They even have a private dining room set-up for bookings.

In time, I venture that La Brasserie for a French meal, will be compared to Livingston's Campioni for an Italian one....

Our dinner at La Brasserie was WONDERFUL! The three course meal is perfect, and a great value for your money. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and quiet, we didn't feel rushed to order or to leave (which can be rare in Bozeman). Our server was very kind and knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. He was insanely attentive without being over bearing, and made our experience great. My chicken dish with farrow and apples was SO good! I especially loved the farrow and mushroom cream sauce. The pastry used in the tomato tarte and the apple tarte dessert was delicious. And the WINE was fabulous! We ended up buying two bottles of the MT white to bring home. Many of their wines are bottled here in Bozeman! This was by far one of the best dining experiences I have had in Bozeman. Not rushed, pretentious or fake. Genuine, authentic people and really amazing food. We were able to meet the owner while we were in, and he was incredibly kind. This is our new favorite date night spot, very intimate while being relaxed. It was amazing! We will be back soon, I can wait to see what they have on the winter/fall menu in the...