Bar C'est L'eau — Restaurant in Tumwater

I went there last evening. And before I go on, I want to go back. My issues were actually pretty minor and very fixable.

They have a really nice location and it was very warm yesterday evening. They opened up the outside doors to their outdoor area and it was really very lovely.

They have been open less than a week and my server had been there about 3 days. She was very helpful, though she didn't know what "moule" was. I asked for a carafe of water and she delivered it promptly. Several other workers came by and asked me if I was happy and what I thought of the food.

OK, on to the food. I had their "Moule et Frites" (Mussels and Fries) and I had aioli as a dipping sauce for the fries. I had two "issues." Number one: The sauce with the mussels was very salty. I'm on a low salt diet so while I don't mind putting salt on fries and popcorn, when it makes the food unpalatable I've got a problem. I did mention it and I hope they listen. The mussels came with no bread. If it hadn't been so salty I might have ordered a side of bread.

Number two: the aioli didn't seem to have any garlic. I've been to Southern France where aioli was invented and it's loaded with raw garlic! Lot's of garlic! This seemed to just plain mayo. It was disappointing.

Now, having said that. I've got every intention of going back. There's a LOT of promise and I hope they tweak the food a bit!

Oh, and I asked about pizza. The owner had a pizza food truck right next to the restaurant. But there's no connection. You can't have a pizza at the French Restaurant. I also want to try the...

We had a great experience! We were a large group and were happy they were able to seat all of us. The steak tartare special was really well made. Three in our party ordered the mussels which they loved. The salmon toasts were good but somewhat lacking in flavor. The frisee au lardons was good but seemed to have little to no dressing (not sure if the intention here was for the flavor to come from the tomatoes and bacon and parmesan or if there was supposed to be any dressing), but it was filling and presented nicely. The fries with the steaks were amazing! Saw a past review complaining about the aioli but we liked it, so it must have been improved since then. The drinks were quite good! Our waitress also went out of their way to pick up a kid friendly beverage from a nearby store for someone in our party. We were disappointed to hear that a few of the dishes we wanted to try were unavailable, specifically the white gazpacho, but this is expected with new restaurants, and they mentioned they were changing up the menu at the time. Overall, I think all of us will be back at some point and are interested in trying the fall/winter menu when...

I’ve been so excited for this place to open! I’m a big fan of their other establishment, so I knew this would be just as great. The decor is beautiful—with a classy yet casual atmosphere and just the right touch of modern edginess (ortolan). The huge roll-up doors to the outdoor patio are fabulous!

I’m lucky to have friends who enjoy family-style dining, so we were able to try several things. The chickpea fritters were tasty, and the dipping sauce complemented them wonderfully. The potatoes—so cheesy! The cheese plate made a lovely starter. The mushroom and leek crêpe was absolutely delicious. It’s rich, and there’s plenty to share.

The steak and frites were cooked perfectly, with a delicious butter served on top of the steak. I think a bite of crêpe with a bite of steak would be divine… but the crêpe didn’t last long enough for me to try it.

The staff is still learning, which is to be expected with a new restaurant. I appreciate that the owners are letting them grow into it. I’ll definitely be...