Le Petit Marcel — Restaurant in Lake View Township

When a place has really good service and I genuinely want them to do well, I call it critique because I want you to listen. That being said, please listen... When we walked in I could barely hear the hostess because of the piano. She told us our reservation was for the piano lunch which also didn't make sense because it was 7:15 p.m. I told her I did not know what that meant and there was nothing on Open table when I made the reservation. She gaslit us, said I was wrong and it is on there when you select the reservation (see photos, this is not true) And too bad because the dining room was full. I haven't sat down yet and I'm already irritated. #2. I have a fractured foot, so I was in a boot and on a crutch. I could barely get to my table. If I had been disabled or in a larger device it would have been impossible. ADA violation: strike 2. #3. We had no option but to sit right next to the piano, And it was so tight that my boob knocked over a glass when I tried to sit down. #4. If you want to have a live piano, great. The pianist was lovely and charming and talented. But when I'm paying $30 for a salad at a French restaurant, I want to hear nice, soft piano music. I don't want to hear Billie Jean and theme songs to '70 sitcoms. #5. I ordered the La Parisian cocktail, and it was perfect. But my friend ordered the non-alcoholic mocktails. Her first order was the lavender breeze. It was very syrupy and sweet And not very lavendery and she did not enjoy it. The second one she got was the Le Jardin, an herb infusion with lime juice, mint and ginger beer - But it basically came out just tasting like pineapple juice. We were confused. We told our server and she said that it definitely shouldn't taste that way. she checked with the bartender and only then did she find out that they were out of ginger beer. That's not okay! So she brought her a drink on the house, the secret mocktail known as the Broadway breeze. It was undrinkable- why? Because whoever made it put in salt. We told our server and she even brought it back to one of the bartenders. He tried it and confirmed this. Thats three drinks in a row that were made incorrectly, badly, and were not communicated to the servers. #6. The he moment something is 86d you tell every single person in the restaurant; the servers, the manager, the runners - everybody. At the beginning of the night, pre-open, the bartenders should have done inventory. They all would have known that there was no ginger beer and every single person in that restaurant should have been told. This is restaurant 101. And you can't charge $17 for drinks if you're not going to do this. #7. Our appetizers were the cheese plate and ouef mimosa. The mimosa deviled eggs were fine but they're not going to live in my memory. The cheese plate: the food runner sat it down and didn't explain anything that was on that board. I have never ever been to a restaurant where I ordered a bread and cheese plate and was not told what was on the board when it arrived. I asked our server if she could tell us. She was also shocked when she saw the cheese board because we were supposed to get three cheeses and there were only two. Again, the server was not told that they were out of comte - everybody makes mistakes, but 2 things in a row? now I know your restaurant does not have a system in place where your service employees talk to each other - this is restaurant 101. bread was not fresh. I did not like the butter. We were not impressed by the bread and cheese course. #8. I couldn't eat very many items on the menu, and nobody at any point asked for allergies. That's fine, You're allowed to put whatever you want on the menu, but then what I am able to order better be good (it wasn't). #9. My order was Caesar salad with salmon added and a side of frites. Unfortunately at this point I wasn't surprised when I was served my Caesar salad and it didn't have salmon on it. Again, we all make mistakes, but...

Initially very excited to try Lakeview East's newest gem, but left a bit disappointed.

My husband made reservations for a Friday night. All outdoor seating was occupied at this time. When checking in, we were asked whether we wanted to sit in the first room where the "piano can get a bit loud," or wait for a table to open up in the other dining room where it might be a little quieter. It seemed as if a table had not actually been reserved for us. Nonetheless, we chose not to wait and opted for a table in the first room where there was a live pianist. We were shocked to find our table squeezed mere inches from the next, and we could not hear each other speak over the piano.

We ordered the bread service and a bottle of rosé to start. Instead of being brought to our table, the bread and wine glasses were placed on the empty table next to us. At first, we didn’t want to assume or impose, but it was odd that our order went there without any confirmation from the servers. Things got even more awkward when the host seated two guests at that table—they got to enjoy the bread service, and our wine glasses became their water glasses. When our server finally noticed, she placed another bread order for us. By the time our bread service arrived, two more baskets came out from separate food runners, who looked confused to see we already had ours. The guests at the neighboring table were also puzzled that they were drinking water from wine glasses and assumed the bread was complimentary, only to be charged for it despite never ordering. Meanwhile, we should have been comped for the initial mix-up. Perhaps if the tables had been more spread apart, or if it had been communicated amongst the staff that the tables were not connected, this could have been avoided.

To emphasize how tight the space was, servers were constantly dropping utensils, the ice bucket stand holding our rosé bottle was almost knocked over by guests leaving the round table next to us, and we were shoulder-to-shoulder from guests seated at other tables in our row.

When my husband made the reservation, we noticed on Open Table and the restaurant's website that their "dress code is strictly enforced at the entrance to ensure a consistent dining atmosphere," so we dressed up per the policy and were excited to get a little fancy for date night. There were a number of guests dining in attire not allowed by the policy. If you are going to have a dress code policy, either have one and enforce it, or just don't have one.

Despite the things we observed happening on the floor, the chef was doing magic in the kitchen because the food was the highlight of our entire experience. The Escargot de Bourgogne was tender, the Caesar Salad crisp, the Lobster Pasta savory, and the Salmon Wellington perfectly flaky. The Coffee Paris-Brest was a nice finish, while the Classic Crème Brûlée had great flavor but was a bit thin.

The restaurant's atmosphere is lovely with the large mirrors, soft lighting, beautiful tiles, live music, and bespoke bar. It has so much charm and potential to be the neighborhood go-to classy spot "for a romantic evening or a fun night out with friends" as advertised.

$200+ for two people, and we could barely move in our seats without risking disruption to other guests. The food alone would make us consider returning, but the cramped seating and miscommunication among staff created a dining experience far from seamless. Some adjustments are needed to match the quality of the cuisine with the comfort and service...

I had a table for two booked at 6:30 on a Sunday.

My guest and I sat at a table and were asked by the host whether we wanted still or sparkling water. We ordered sparkling water and waited over 10 minutes to be greeted by the manager with an "I'm sorry..." They were out of sparkling water but brought us a bottle of still instead.

The second thing that happened after another 10 minutes was the manager coming to the table with a "what can I getcha?" No "hello", no intro, no eye contact. Her eyes were fixed to the portable POS tablet she was holding. After ordering drinks (a cocktail and glass of bubbles) and apps (mussels and deviled eggs) we were told: "Well if you want an entrée, tell me now cause I got a big table." This was the manager!!

We ordered a steak but ended up cancelling the order because everything else was just so embarrassing. The cocktail was the best part of the evening, but the sparkling rose was served warm, not room temp, but warm.

The mussels were small and many of the shells were already empty, though the sauce tasted nice. The deviled eggs were $14 for three halves and had no cohesion of flavor. The yolk filling was a strange green color and the only taste that caught my attention was the mustard on top.

After cancelling the entrée and promptly asking for the check, we left rather unsatisfied and slighted at the rushed, impersonal service. No effort or concern was displayed either at the order cancellation or the hasty retreat, and we couldn't help but feel like they really didn't want us there in the first place.

Another thing: that bottle of still water that we didn't even order was $12!! For 750ml of Evian! This brought the total bill to $89 for two lazy apps, one decent cocktail, and a warmed glass of wine.

The décor and ambience are on a budget but very well executed. I could imagine having a better experience with a friendlier server, but ultimately nothing can mask the lack of effort or knowledge when it comes to the food and beverage.

An "open kitchen" format is intended to be a flex on the organizational and communication skills of a kitchen team. It shows that a place has nothing to hide and are proud of their operation. The open kitchen counter at Le Petit Marcel, however, displays an untidy mountain of dishware and plastic deli containers of sauce under a heat lamp.

This new addition to lakeview is much like its sister café a few blocks north: excellent at setting a scene and an ambience, but clumsy and aggressively lazy in its execution. Not every offering has to be a high-end luxury experience but when the prices are the same level as such, you must deliver!!

My advice to the residents of this neighborhood: just get on the bus and go...