Bouquet Restaurant — Restaurant in Covington

My wife, Kiera, and I had our first date at Bouquet nearly four years ago. Since then it's the been the site of many other amazing date nights. The service is always unmatched and we always joke how at the end of the night we inevitably say "That was the best meal we've ever had!". Well, we've had many, many "Best Meals" at Bouquet. When we decided we wanted a small, intimate wedding with just immediate family we knew Bouquet was the perfect venue.

Needless to say, our expectations for the wedding were extremely high. The fact that Bouquet somehow found a way to exceed our expectations blew us away. The wedding and reception could not have been more perfect.

We weren't sure how the wedding booking would work at first but in communicating our idea to the manager Josh, he immediately put us in contact with Paige. Paige was the glue that made our wedding what it was, which was outstanding. She worked with us constantly during our nine month engagement to check out the space, decorations, and wedding rehearsal. She was always flexible and willing to work with our schedules, and our particular requests. She was genuinely excited for us, which made us feel so comfortable having her oversee the planning process. She had immediate solutions for any potential issues and was creative and resourceful in doing so. She was so committed she even held the train for Kiera's big entrance! Paige was calm, cool, and collected the entire nine month planning process and the entire wedding day which started for her at 8 a.m. and must have ended no earlier than 2 a.m. Not once did she show any type of frustration. She was absolutely the best.

We immediately knew in working with Chef Brandon that our customization of the menu was in good hands, even though we had dietary restrictions - we wanted the food to both be vegetarian and gluten free. Despite the fact that some might see this as a challenging request, not once did we feel that we were being a burden. In fact, we could tell that Brandon was excited for this challenge and wanted to give us and our family one of the best meals of our lives. And he did. Everything on the five course menu was amazing. So good in fact that it's been the topic of several family conversations since the reception!

Bouquet put us in touch with an amazing baker, Kismet. She encompassed the same type of attitude we've seen with Bouquet's staff. She was friendly, creative, and had a passion for making food with all natural ingredients (e.g., using beets to dye the frosting). It all culminated in the best wedding cake we've ever eaten.

They say that the culture of a business starts from the top down and throughout the planning process we saw how true this was. The owners, Stephen and Jessica, and the General Manager, Josh, were incredibly friendly and accommodating. Ultimately, what made working with them so effortless was that our creative vision for the wedding never once felt restricted. In fact, it was encouraged. We could tell they honestly cared about our day and wanted to provide the best experience possible, which they did.

We absolutely love Bouquet. We have now had some of the most important moments in our life there. The food and vibe of Bouquet is out of this world and only matched by the exceptional staff there. Thank you for the best wedding experience we...

I've been meaning, and really excited, to check out Bouquet for the longest. Every single time I've hard about someone dining there, seen what they put on facebook, or even just looked at their menu, I've thought it seems like my kind of place - local, thoughtfully sourced, excellently crafted, elevated American. I was not at all disappointed with my experience.

My mom and I met up here before Thanksgiving since we'd both be out of town the day of, and had a pretty special meal. Starting with the cheeseboard and meatballs, then going to salads, and finishing with a shared entree (which neither of us even had room for after the delicious starters).

That cheese board - really well selected, excellent flavors and textures, no two cheeses were similar, and all of them hit a different point on the palate. Smokey, bitter, sharp, slightly sweet, they were all represented. The mustard, house jelly, and house pickled veggies, all went great with the flavors and the crostinis. Meatballs were served at the same time and may have had the best cook on a meatball that I've had here. Yes they are pricey for 3, but they are well sized, flavorful, and as an appetizer, perfect for sharing.

Salads got somewhat mixed reviews from the waitress (she was honest and said she doesn't like beets, so she doesn't like the beet salad), but we tried both on the winter menu and loved them. They made great usage of what's seasonal, and they were much larger servings than I had expected.

Our shared entree though, was the true highlight. Going for the duck breast, I was a little worried - I love a good duck breast, but if you don't do it right it isn't nearly worth the cost. They don't do it right. They do it perfectly. Literally the best cook I have ever had on a duck breast, crispy sear with a med-rare interior that stayed juicy without being toothy. Every single thing that went on the plate combined for the perfect entree, from the potatoes to the pickled apples, they all complimented one another. A must try if you go!

The only "sticking points" are the price and service - this is not a cheap restaurant by any means, but you get a LOT for your dollar, not just in quantity but in quality. There are few places I've eaten in this city that have made me as satisfied as Bouquet, and none of them are any more "affordable" on a weekend. Unfortunately the service had little excuse for a Monday evening. The waitress was friendly, and seemed to have intentionally slowed our courses for us at first, but also forgot a drink for an exceptionally long period (though they have diet boylan on tap which is dope), and then rarely refilled that drink through the meal. Minor points, when considering the overall quality...

Every December we and another couple celebrate Christmas with a long evening of drinks, dinner and much conversation. I usually select the restaurant and the requirements are: a decent bar, an imaginative menu, a good wine list and no rushed service (we really do a lot of catching up). Bouquet met every item on the list.

The Covington location in the Main Strasse section sources locally and does Kentucky's bourbon heritage proud with a fine selection of pours as well as standard cocktails and many with interesting twist.

Ashley, who mixed our cocktails and was our server, was helpful in answering our questions and very personable. The first floor, where we ate, has just a few tables and we were well cared for.

The wine list was impressive and one of our guests made an excellent selection from the reds.

The food did not disappoint. With cocktails for the table, we ordered the Mother Board, a charcuterie extravaganza with plentiful meats and cheeses, plus multiple pickled veggies.

Two of our party started with a pear salad. Two of us had a velvety and earthy ragout of mushrooms over grits. This is very much a comfort food dish nicely, not overly, seasoned.

For our main one had pork and the rest had duck, all very nicely prepared and presented.

I have never met a bread pudding I didn't like, but Bouquet's take was one I have never encountered: Bread pudding stuffed into a croissant. Very unusual but tasty.

I also tried a post prandial dessert martini - made with cold brew, spirits and a doppop of cream with floating coffee beans. It was delightful.

The only hitch in the evening was a sorbet ordered but not delivered. But that was forgiven because of the general good cheer and the feeling of going to dinner at beloved relative's, not perfect but absolutely enjoyable.

I might add that when my husband went for the car, he found a flat tire, so my time at Bouquet was extended. We were even offered assistance with the tire change.

We really enjoyed the Bouquet experience and hope to return to this welcoming and delectable...