Bistro Vendôme — Restaurant in Denver

I normally don’t like to write reviews like this, and it’s even more painful because I used to be a manager for a Crafted Concepts restaurant. But my experience tonight was way below par from what I would expect from a Jen and Beth restaurant. Our server Howard (I think his name was. He was a patio server) must have been aloof or tired because from the moment he reached our table it was pretty downhill. The food was great as always, so don’t let this review steer you away if you want a tasty meal in Denver. Tonight just wasn’t my night and the service wasn’t good.

We were celebrating my birthday and figured no place would take care of a person on a special event like Bistro. Unfortunately, not even a congrats or “happy birthday” was said from our server tonight and I know that isn’t the standard for service there (once again, I used to manage with the company so I know what expectations are). Drinks were forgotten or had taken longer than necessary (water took 10 minutes to refill, wine was delivered after the meal, and glasses for bubbly 6 minutes after the bottle already reached the table.

The issue today comes down to the checks. We gave Howard the instructions to split evenly with the exception of my card—in which I said my name and told him on my card to charge for the birthday bottle of bubbly. It was my treat for my friends celebrating with me. He instead charged the wrong card for the bottle and charged me for a split of the whole meal…. which screwing up a charged card is a HUGE no no in the restaurant industry. I didn’t want to complain because I’ve been there before and it’s my birthday after all. But I would be lying if I didn’t say this whole experience didn’t put a damper on what was supposed to be a special day for me. I hope some additional training is offered so that someone who isn’t familiar with Bistro Vendome doesn’t experience what I experienced...

We’ve been to Bistro Vendome half a dozen times. They used to have a location at Larimer square, and have since moved to Kearney street. The previous location and food quality would have received a 5 star review. Our latest dining experience at the new location was entirely average, at most. The food is no longer worth the price either. My partner and I had cocktails, 3 appetizers, the meal for 2, a vegetable side, and dessert. We spent $200+ and left craving more food. The French Allium Soup was the best part of the meal, although really nothing too special. The flavor was good, but it was a very small portion with a piece of toasted bread that was completely burnt at one end. The Escargot Roti was the worst French escargot we’ve ever had. The fennel added a unique flavor, but the liquid from the plant made the sauce primarily water and took away the savory, indulgent element you look for when ordering this classic French dish. We didn’t taste any butter either, and it was served with two slivers of crisp baguette that you couldn’t use to soak up the liquid. The Duck a l’Orange for two was also disappointing. It isn’t served with any type of side, other than the shredduce that the orange slices lay upon, if you consider that a side. It was also overcooked, creating the need to apply pressure to cut through the meat and chew each bite for about 3 minutes to swallow. The redeeming part of this dish was the duck confit leg, but the ‘shareable’ dish is only served with one tiny leg providing just a few small bites of meat. Not nearly enough to share with another person. The soufflé was also unimpressive, rendering a burnt chocolate taste. Bistro Vendome used to be one of our favorite restaurants, but our latest experience will unfortunately now...

I ate dinner here with a group of friends on New Year's even and had a great experience. We tried quite a few dishes. All of them were very good and some were outstanding! Previously I thought that I wasn't a big fan of mussels or escargot but both these dishes here changes my mind! They were both absolutely delicious! I've been having cravings for those mussels ever since (that sauce was incredible!). The escargot does come with a puff pastry, so beware if that isn't your style. We tried the duck confit which was also tasty, but didn't stand out as much as the others. I wouldn't order it again solely because I would dedicate all the space in my stomach to the other food we ordered! The other stand out dish was the steak frites. I ordered the Au Poivre style which meant the steak was rolled in green peppercorns. My steak was perfectly cooked as I requested and the frites, OMG the frites!! They were probably the best fries I have ever had! They are a little bit sweet and that flavor combines perfectly with the savory. They are incredible by themselves (which normally I'm not a plain fry kind of gal) but also were SO good in the aioli dipping sauce served with them. We finished off the meal with some tasty crème brûlée.

The ambiance was nice. We were in an area that made it feel like we were dining outside on a street in France (while having all of the comforts of being inside a warm restaurant on a cold December night). There were only a few tables so it wasn't too loud and felt semi-private. I'm adding Bistro Vendome to my list of favorite special occasion...