Au Comptoir — Restaurant in Woodstock

WARNING: DO NOT ASK TO SIT AT THE BAR COUNTER IF YOU HAVE A PARTY OF 3!!!! I came here 2 weeks ago and really loved the vibe, decor, food and drinks. Service was Amazing! I was a raving fan and told everyone I knew including chefs and expats here to VT who are new to the area. I was so excited about this place I came back on the afternoon of the 21st with 2 others who were visiting from Southern California and sadly was met with such a distasteful server at the bar counter ( heavy set manly looking gal ) who told us we could not sit at the bar as it is reserved for only parties of 2. BTW, there were only 4 people sitting at the bar and hardly anyone else inside. We were instructed to sit outside or inside at a table. Seriously? So if 1 of us came in solo they can sit at the bar and then 2 of us came in as a party and sat next to them we would've been okay? This makes no SENSE at all. We are paying customers who prefer to sit at the bar, not a table. In all my years of travel I have never had a bartender tell me I can't sit at the bar because it is only reserved for parties of 1-2 people. I mean I could understand if the bar was crowded at that time but it was mid day and hardly anyone inside. Surely we could've sat there until it became more crowded? At that moment all the great things I said about this place perished. You took the excitement and thrill of supporting your establishment away with this one idiotic rule. Not to mention the incredibly rude employee. Perhaps if her delivery were more tender and kind I might not have been so offended. But instead she was cold, uncaring and bothered. The only reason we stayed for a drink was because our male friend did not want to cause a scene. As for myself and my other friend we were ready to leave and never ever return. Way to ruin what was to be a fun outing in Woodstock. We ended up at the Inn and told everyone at the bar about our experience and will continue to let others know. I gave this a thumbs up 2 weeks ago and now give it a HUGE Thumbs down. Fix your servers attitude too. She was the only rude one there. The 2 other guys and brunette gal were sweet and I am sure bothered by her statement whether it is a rule or not. Kindness always wins! You are receiving this review due in 100% to this gals attitude and then the lame 2 person...

Review: AVOID THIS PLACE UNLESS YOU HATE FUN

I wish I could give this place zero stars. We stopped by this so-called “welcoming” cocktail bar in Woodstock, Vermont, expecting a nice evening with our family. The drinks? Sure, they were good. But unfortunately, the owners were absolutely terrible.

Despite claiming to be kid-friendly, they clearly have no interest in actually allowing children to be there. From the moment we walked in, we were met with side-eyes and passive-aggressive comments. It didn’t take long for the owner to straight-up tell us we were “ruining the vibe.” Seriously? If you don’t want kids in your establishment, just say that instead of pretending otherwise.

It’s a shame because the cocktails were well-made, but no drink is worth dealing with an arrogant, inhospitable owner who treats paying customers like an inconvenience. If you have a family or just enjoy basic human decency, do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere.

UPDATE TO THEIR RESPONSE:

I’m honestly shocked by this message. Before coming, we even called ahead to ask whether the kids would be okay playing outside, and we were assured they could. So to now act as if this was some sort of issue is completely disingenuous. They were simply playing in the snow—something any child would do during a storm—and certainly not causing any harm. Meanwhile, inside, my family was just enjoying a fun game of trivia together, teaching our kids new things in the process. We weren’t disrupting anyone—just spending time together in a way that was completely respectful to those around us. The fact that you’re now trying to twist that into some sort of chaos is not only unfair but completely untrue. What’s even more frustrating is that the owner actually did come over to us while we were there, and his approach was nothing short of condescending and obnoxious. If there had been a genuine issue, it could have been handled with kindness and professionalism. Instead, we were met with an attitude that was not only unnecessary but completely inappropriate. It really seems like your staff was overwhelmed by the night, and instead of taking responsibility for that, you’re choosing to place blame where it doesn’t belong. That’s not just disappointing—it’s unprofessional. Maybe instead of pointing fingers, you should consider how you...

This place is an aesthetic masterpiece. However it is absolutely chaotic and disorganized and could use some improvement. I'm very disappointed in how my wife and I were treated. The place was packed -no big deal. We come up to staff and ask if we can sit outside and if so could they wipe off the wet chairs and put us by the fireplace. They were happy to do so. She told us to stay put while they go and do that. We wait patiently and unfortunately the staff made the decision to give the spot they were prepping for us to some entitled looking Karens who just got there and demanded to sit by the fire (who kept saying they have a group of 4 but it was just them two for the hour that we were there.) No big deal. We had menus and ordered drinks, only for the Karens to order after us and get their drinks first. Once again no big deal but we noticed. Another staff member said she would get blankets for us. She never did. Then it started raining and a table opens up inside and they offer the table to the Karens who just got the fireplace (and luckily bar seats just opened), but noticing how my wife and I got passed up three times despite being first, just because we were more passive and polite made us feel very disrespected.

The staff was friendly. Place is beautiful. But overall it seemed like a frazzled mess. With a tiny place you need structure like a host and perhaps a reservation system when it gets busy? - instead of a free for all.

Minor but I wish the...