Le Coq Au Vin

04/03/08

The Best Restaurant In Orlando To Recommend To Friends/Family!

by DPChastain at Citysearch

Over the past 15 years I have dined at Le Coq au Vin over a dozen times, and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience every single visit. It is the only place in Orlando that I feel extremely confident in recommending to friends, family, and business associates, knowing they will have a wonderful experience.

First of all, it is such a warm, quaint building and Magdalena (co-owner with her chef husband Luis) greets you warmly and welcomes you to her restaurant. You feel as if you are going to a friend's aunt's house. The atmosphere is condusive for a fun night with several couples, friends (have had girl's nights, baby showers here), as well as those wonderful, inimate romantic dinners.

Everything I have ever ordered at Le Coq au Vin has been wonderfully prepared and every bite savored and enjoyed. My favorite is the eggplant dish that is topped with large prawns and big chunks of delicious crab meat and is drizzled perfectly with a spicy, flavorful cajun hollandaise sauce. Small potatoes with a bit of creme fraiche and caviar are served on the side with the most wonderful cooked carrots (how do they do that to a carrot?) and green beans. The escargot makes your eyes roll back into your head with the pleasure of the savory garlic sauce surrounding them. I love to start the meal with a gruyere souffle....so nice, light, and tastey....just amazing with a good wine (they are well versed in how to suggest a wine for you....or bring your own favorite bottle [small corking fee]) and their delicious French bread.

Do not forget to order your souffles (either appetizer or dessert...or both!) right when you arrive as they take quite a while prepare/cook.

Our last visit I went with a couple of smokers who would step outside to sit on the porch tables in between courses. Each time, Magdalena would come and get us letting us know the next course was waiting for us.....just like a good aunt would do!

• Pros: Food, Ambience, Service
• Cons: Wish it was closer to my house in Dr. Phillips! LOL

08/11/07

Overrated Restaurant

by overhair at Citysearch

We just returned from a very disappointing dinner at this restaurant. We have visited over the years and have alwaysleft very satisfied. Tonight was different. The service was fine until the latter portion of our evening. All of a sudden we were forgotton. No sign of our waiter anywhere. Only the busboy cleaning the tables in our now deserted dining room. Other parties were still enjoying their dinners in the other two dining rooms obviously reserved for regular patrons. Our special dessert, a souffle, was ordered intentionally early since the preparation took longer. We were never served. Our dinner selections were allright. My halibut was a little overdone crusted with burned cheese. The waiter didn't know this as he never came by to check. Anyway, my husband's lamb was fine. The steak tar tar was spicy but appreciated. I'm going backwards here. The review stands at average. I am so happy to return to the excellent restaurants in the Winter Park area. I missed them tonight.

02/21/07

Best meal in Orlando

by bnws at Citysearch

My husband and I dined at Le Coq Au Vin for the first time last night to celebrate our Anniversary. We arrived earlier than we made reservations for and were seated right away. The dining area is TINY and seating arrangements are awkward at best. That is the only bad thing I could possibly say, though, because our meal was perfect and our server was wonderful!

For appetizers we had Coquilles St. Jacques-creamy perfectly cooked scallops and Salade Laitue Et Noix Au Roquefort-a simple boston lettuce salad with lots of roasted pecans and the Roquefort dressing was tangy, which I love. For main courses we had Le Poisson "Bronze" Aux Dix Epices-the bronzed fish swimming in a citrus beurre blanc, also perfectly cooked and served with vegetable ratatouille, caviar potatoes-loved it. The hubby had Tournedos Au Roquefort which was a fillet of beef stuffed with lump crab meat and had two sauces-bleu cheese cream and port sauce served with morel mushroorms, haricots verts, roasted carrots with thyme, au gratin potatoes. The sauces were perfection. Dessert was Creme Brulee with fresh raspberries-yummy!

The meal was scrumptious. I cannot remember the last time I closed my eyes while I took a bite of food, but with this meal, I found myself doing just that throughout.

The service was wonderful, efficient, and pleasant.

We can't wait to go back!!

• Pros: Perfectly prepared food, awesome service, good value for the money.
• Cons: Tiny, awkward, seating area.

07/19/06

Incredibly disappointing on EVERY level - twice!

by darrieng at Citysearch

I must start out by saying this used to be the restaurant where my family would celebrate (nearly) every special occasion -- for nearly 7 yrs! However in the past several years it has slipped to levels I simply can't fathom. In Feb & March I celebrated two birthdays at the restaurant & both times it was an atrocious experience on every level! Holding reservations made months in advance, both times we waited nearly 30mins for a table. You must understand, in a situation such as this your party (as well as other unseated guests) are standing in a hallway the entire time without air conditioning (the restaurant is cooled by room based AC) - there is no bar area or place to sit. Once seated, the service was extremely slow. In March the service was slow to a point where you honestly believed your order(s) had been lost. To add insult to injury the waitstaff made what appeared to be several disappearing acts - drink glasses were left empty, bread never refilled, no periodic check-ins. The worse part of both meals was the food was the sub-par - at best! In March I ordered the pate which was mediocre & the Alsatian casserole which tasted of a slow-cooked disaster. We skipped dessert & coffee because it took an eon for the waitstaff to check on us, much less clear our plates. For the record two members of my party complained to one of the co-owners (same two members both visits), no compensation was ever offered - not even free coffee! I can tell you after nearly seven years of celebrations - this year was my final visit. It's truly sad because in Orlando it's hard to find a quant place with great food. But for all those newcomers -- I personally would stear clear!

• Pros: Quant restaurant with charm & appeal
• Cons: The restaurant has slipped in terms of its overall quality - period!

07/12/06

best entrees in town

by elementerre at Citysearch

i'm parisian born and student in orlando I very much appreciate good restaurants in france and i have to say that "le coq au vin" is by far the best french restaurant i've seen here especially for the fish. Unfortunnatly one of the apetizers, the soufflee, is awfull. It was a bad surprise! It seems to be bechamel sauce with swiss cheese. the same for the chocolate soufflee it doesn't make sense to have such insanity in this kind of restaurant because yes, it is a good restaurant. i've eaten there twice and i have been tastfuly suprised by the contenance of the meals. exelent fresh ingredients and the chef absolutely mastered the cooking time of his creations; moreover, the ingredients are perfectely mixed to inssure you a pleasant moment. even tought i've been deceived by the souflees, I highly recommend this restaurant.

• Pros: ingredients, great entrees, tastful.
• Cons: weird souflees, both chocolate and cheese.