Demarchelier Bistro — Restaurant in Town of Southold

During my weekend escape a quaint Greenport, NY this past weekend, I had the opportunity to try a highly anticipated staple restaurant, Demarchelier Bistro. I was kindly greeted by the hostess and quickly seated (shamelessly by myself), ready to indulge. Although I was tempted to try the fondue special, I decided to make my trip into a four-course taste-testing experience. I began with two different small plates, steak tartare and artichoke hearts with warm goat cheese, which I followed up with the avocado crab salad. Generally, every meal was plated beautifully and portioned to be filling but not overwhelming. I was delighted to discover the taste of the food measured up to its appearance. The steak tartare and crab salad were fresh, satisfying, and paired well with the goat cheese artichoke hearts, a flavorful combo I had not tried before. Demarchelier offers a large selection of charcuterie plates, sandwiches, and entrees to accommodate every palette. I finished the meal by trying the crème brule and was thrilled with this decision. This decadent custard dessert, topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar, was the perfect sweet treat to end my savory meal. Overall, the price of food was comparable to that of nearby restaurants, and for someone fashioned to eating in a painfully expensive Manhattan, the bill felt very reasonable. While I was impressed by the authentic cuisine and pleasant service, this Bistro’s atmosphere is what makes it an exceptional place. Eric Demarchelier’ s artwork collaged the yellow walls; abstract pieces with bright color palettes help bring movement and life into this space. Not only does the art give the Bistro’s décor a unique edge, but it also emulates the inside of a traditional French restaurant, making this family-owned spot feel elegantly genuine. Altogether, save your money on a flight to France; go to Demarchelier...

We had been hearing good things about Demarchelier so we finally decided to stop in and check it out! We sat at the bar and ordered a drink and 3 apps to start. The owner was behind the bar and helped us with our order. She was not friendly in the least but we just shrugged it off. Everyone has bad days. We ordered “grilled” octopus, escargot and artichoke hearts stuffed with goat cheese. While we waited at the bar a wine rep came in and the owner began cheerfully chatting and tasting champagnes and never came over to us again, completely ignored us for the remainder of our time there. This was the nicest I had seen her behave while we were there, as I witnessed her talking to her staff and it was uncomfortable to be around. (Luckily the rest of the staff was pleasant though!)

Our food came out very quickly and but it was all absolutely terrible. The octopus was rubbery and not at all grilled. It was surrounded by cold, unseasoned chick peas, seemingly right out of the can. We couldn’t even eat it. The escargot was the same- we each had one and couldn’t even finish the dish. I have had both dishes many a time in my life, all over the world, and this was probably the one of the worst. The artichoke hearts were fine enough, but nothing special. We were both left literally and figuratively with a terrible taste in our mouths from the entire experience and agreed it was a waste of money. We left hungry and disappointed and went out to eat dinner at our old favorite standby down the street.

I do believe if you went here and sat outside and just had fondue and champagne your experience may be entirely different at Demarchelier, probably quite lovely even. But I will never find out because we definitely won’t be returning. This is a town with many lovely restaurants and friendly people that are much more deserving of...

I had heard about this restaurant from a friend who used to go to the original one in NYC, so when he came to visit, we excitedly went.

When we arrived there was a couple near us that was enjoying their dinner. Suddenly the manager came out and said that their reservation was at the sister restaurant in The Menhaden Hotel. She was extremely accusatory, and said she’d have to charge them $30 each for their “no show”. The couple apologized explaining their confusion. The manager did not let it go, and it became heated and the couple left furious. It could have been handled so much better; she could have just informed them of their mistake and let it go. The restaurant was empty even though it was a holiday weekend. She should have welcomed any customers. Instead, they left mad and we were completely put off by her atrocious behavior, and it all could have been avoided. Was the food good? Yes, good not great. Will I recommend Demarchelier to others? Definitely not. This manager (owner?) is going to sink this restaurant...