It was quite a drive from Sunnyvale but was quite pleased to find this cottage out in the countryside. With the creek in the back and a lovely garden with a patio, it reminds me somewhat of the Shakespearean era when young lovers would secretly disappear to their own romantic escapes or solace from a familiar crowd. My husband & I came here to celebrate our one year anniversary. The calendar went by so fast without any recognition of time that one day I was surprised to find a gift certificate from one of our good friends from our wedding last year. What a blessing! Being a bit disappointed that we couldn't return to Paris this year, we decided to make use of whatever French connection we could avail of. This hits the spot!
We ordered appetizers: Salmon with capers and the ahi tuna. Salmon was fresh & salted with the capers (always a good pair!). The ahi tuna looked like a steak over wine sauce (which I can't remember)...
Salad: romaine lettuce and Mixed greens. Mixed greens was my favorite. It had goat cheese on the side, 2 thin slices of duck meat & vinaigrette. It was delightful!
Entrees: Chilean Sea Bass. Very tender & flavorful with the white wine sauce. Tournedos of Beef Tarragon. It's a filet mignon cut. The plate arrived warm with 2 - 4 oz of beef marinated on Cabernet sauce. The beans, potato & carrots were bland but if you smother them veggies with the sauce, Â it will taste just like steak! He he! Jk!
Dessert: Grand Marnier Soufflé. I would suggest ordering this as you order your appetizer/entree coz it takes a while to make it. At the first two bites, the soufflé tasted rich & fluffy. The Marnier sauce was rich & heavy but blended well with the soufflé. I think I was just getting too full that after some bites, it tasted a little bitter. My husband devoured it and later gave up eating. I thought I was going to have to get a lift just to get us both out of there. Lol!
The service was good. Our waitress was very pleasant & took our orders promptly. Our glasses were constantly filled. They bring new silverware for each course. The bread was warm although the butter was plain. We came here at 5:30 & was served with full attention. More guests started arriving by 6:30.
There's an adequate amount of parking across the street. I don't know how busy they get on other days but we came on a Sunday evening & were given full attention.
Never been to many French restaurants but I love French cuisine. I just don't eat snails - sorry!
This place is very far off san jose, in a countryside area in the south, very nice environment. I was very hungry on my way there... kept driving and driving, still not there yet...
The escargot was pretty good, but don't remember how good the other dishes i ordered. I ordered a seafood spaghetti and steak.
Very underwhelmed. Decor was stuffy and old fashioned. Food was not special. Servers were nice although off on their timing.
The amuse bouche was served first, before the wine and bread. It was a ravioli of some kind, and although it was mildly warm the sauce was tasty. Scallops were perfectly cooked and the sauce was good. The puff pastry should be left out of that dish especially if they don't take the time to make it fresh (it just did not taste good). Escargot was well cooked and great texture. I thought it was under flavored. The quail tasted like BBQ chicken, again the sauce was tasty. The beef chanterelle was the best dish of the night. Rich sauce, nicely cooked meat. That being said why the shaved carrots? I know you don't shave the carrots in house so they are for sure not freshly/locally sourced. All the veggies looked straight from a frozen bag.
What I was most looking forward to was the souffle. Granted I've never had one so it's hard to compare but my expectations were... different. I expected it to be more like a delicate cake and have an orange flavor because of the "grand marnier." Instead it was very eggy, and was sitting on top of heavy custard with the liquor at the bottom leaving a very bitter taste. I needed to wash my mouth with red wine to try and hid the flavor.
Some additional details: The coffee was brought out before we finished our wine. The butter for our bread was cold and not spreadable. There were plenty of places to seat us with a view, they just choose to sit us away from it.
This place was just not my style. I like places that are more modern and make me feel comfortable. I felt like I was being served at their convenience and not at my own. If you've ever been to Alexanders Steakhouse, then don't disappoint yourself by coming to La Foret.
I went to La  Foret for a surprise birthday dinner with my boyfriend, and like everyone else on Yelp, I was also very confused about where we were heading to. It was completely worth the drive as it has been one of the most charming restaurants I have ever been to. Â
The restaurant is in very small old styled building and in the middle of a serene forest-like surrounding. It's large open windows and view of the creek give off a very intimate and relaxed ambiance. Try to make a reservation by the window!
I had the scallop linguine and surprisingly it wasn't too small. It was beautifully presented with lots of attention given to detail. The service was impeccable and they even surprised me with a birthday dessert. They had a small selection of wines by the glass, but a very large selection by bottle. Considering how much the dishes were, I found the glasses to actually be reasonably priced - cheapest glass goes for about $11.
Wonderful romantic spot for those extra-special occasions, a hidden-away and magical place in the evenings. The food is expensive but wonderful and the service is always just right -- professional, friendly, never snooty.
I proposed to my wife here, we had our rehearsal dinner here, and we've been coming back regularly for almost two decades. And the quality never wavers.
By the way, after desert be sure to order the flaming Cafe Romano. Prepared tableside, it is a wonderful performance for your guest(s) -- and oh so delicious!
Service was excellent, food was good enough, but (typical small French portions), and a nice classic old timey feeling ambiance. I enjoyed going here with a small group of regulars, but overall, was not impressed enough to come back, unless I feel like spending too much for a 4 course snack experience. Ended up going home hungy with a $300+tip bill for 4. (Drinks may have added to that). I appreciate good food, but the veal was honestly the smallest portion I've ever seen, and the salads were basically 3 leaves and a spritz of dressing. Maybe I'm just fat lol.....great for a date your trying to impress, but maybe not the best place to bring someone you want chow down with.
Review Source:If you ever want to wow your significant other: Be secretive about this place as you drive them up the serene hill to this adorable house tucked on a beautiful property. They'll be surprised to know they're embarking on a romantic dining experience! (My boyfriend did just this!)
We ordered:
1. Tasting Menu #1 to share (Six Course @ Â $85 per person)
Scallops, Tortellini, Ahi Tuna, Quail, Tournedos of Beef, Chanterelle, Souffle Grand Marnier. Each dish were small but packed with flavors, most memorable were the scallops (so soft), Quail (sweet!) and the Souffle (puffy and melts in your mouth).
2. Wild Game Special ($44):
Which was elk, taste like beef and wasn't all that special but still yummy.
3. Red wine: Forgot the name, was bittersweet and did the job.
Service was impeccable. Dim lit place so very intimate setting. This place is expensive but a must for special celebrations. I've been raving this place to friends since April when I was here.
Historic restaurant in SJ... I love their delish pasta which is hard around the edges. The bread seemed store-bought and merely reheated. The scallop is always perfectly cooked. I love their quail which is always fresh and flavorful.
Service is also great side and I love their friendly, awesome and top notch behave.
The boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner this week. The drive up here really made me wonder where we were going because it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere with only residential areas around, but that made it nice in it's own way. The old Victorian-like home was a neat experience. The service was absolutely superb!
The bf suggested we both try the Tasting Menu #1. It was a great choice, because we were able to try a little bit of everything. The hors d'oeuvre from the chef, which was a cheese and spinach ravioli was a nice little touch. Out of all 6 courses, I really liked the sea scallop with a puff pastry, ahi tuna, and the tournedos of beef chanterelle. Also, the quail came with an amazing huckleberry sauce. For dessert, we both ordered the souffle grand marnier, which was okay, but not absolutely amazing. Being a hugeeee dessert fan, I was very surprised that I enjoyed the savory courses much more than the actual dessert.
This is definitely a great place for a nice romantic dinner. We were lucky enough to get seated by a window and were able to enjoy the view of the garden.
Thank you, La Foret, for making my birthday dinner special!
Place is hard to find, price paid is not worth the "experience" of dining here. Â I have to agree w/ Dorothy where she mentions it's not worth a $200.00 meal if they can't even clear the table of crumbs... and portion sizes, well, it didn't make up for the lack of "Experience" either. Â We debated going to Wendy's afterward...
I had mashed potatoes piped onto my plate with a huge spud plopped smack dab in the middle of the plate. Â ONE side was filled like a pool with sauce, and other was my rack of lamb, which was cooked to the right temperature and tender, but presentation left more to be desired. Â The sauce and the boiled potato in the middle of my plate was unappetizing. Â Surprisingly, the piped mashed potatoes were the best thing on my plate, and I think it was just done for presentation which would have been slammed by Gordon Ramsey on any of his shows...
My friends recommended this place and either we did not order what they had or we went on an off day for my birthday. Â The waitstaff is incredibly friendly, which is why I could not complain at the time. Â My boyfriend had the beef tenderloin with mushrooms and it wasn't any better than my lamb.
I write this review with a heavy heart as it was a recommendation from a really great friend of ours, it's just this place wasn't what we expected. Â Maybe the chef changed between both of our visits? Â I'm going to try my best to give them the benefit of doubt due to the fact that this place still has a high rating...
Because this meal was a $200.00 eating experience, I'd say 2 stars, but the quality of food (the lamb) was not bad. Â I could see it being 3-stars, but that's what I consider the highest rating for a steak meal at Denny's or something.
Also, nothing tasted "French" on our plates... not that I'm an expert, but the dishes served were missing something to make the experience "special".
If you want a $200+ eating experience worth your time, Alexander''s, Morimotos in Napa, etc. is something worth looking into. Â They live up to the hype, where as La Foret surprises me with how they manage to maintain their 4-star rating.
If you want good French food, try Le Papillion off of Saratoga. Â Now THAT place serves up dishes I was happy to fork over the $$$ for. Â You won't be sorry. Â =)
Came here for dinner. I ordered the mushroom and shrimp salad and beef chanterelle. The salad was okay and the beef was good. I think the price is a little too high for the food you get though. The waiter and staff was nice but service was slow. They also forgot my wife's coffee order and when she mentioned it they made it sound like she never voiced it which I found absurd. Considering everyone else at the table heard it.
Overall I feel the food is above average but the service is not up to par for the price range they are targeting. If they want to continue at this price point ($$$$) they need to update their menu and remodel the interior.
Sammy - 10 Stars - Maitre d was the most down to earth, fun, & non stuffy man in that position that I have ever experienced - great gateway to our dining experience.
Atmosphere - 5 Stars - pleasant, clean, bright, romantic, spacious set up, beautiful view.
Food - 5 Stars - quality and freshness is superb, there is no compromising. The prawns, the quail, the veal, and the rack of lamb each had their own distinct flavor and tenderness. The Halibut special paled in comparison to the above mentioned but was still good (just a bit underwhelming when compared to it's phenomenal menu competitor entrees !).
Service - 5 Stars - extremely relaxed, professional, seasoned, and perfectly paced. We were there for 2 3/4 hours and never felt neglected nor did we feel rushed.
Thanks John for your amazing restaurant and staff.
We came here to celebrate a my belated buttday dinner. We were told to make sure we were seated at the window for the nice view. I wasn't sure what that was about 'cuz it was really dark and all I could see were trees lit up by some lights from below and also a very murky, dirty river down below (that was almost creepy). Needless to say, I didn't look down towards the river much during dinner as images of a dead floating body or a hand kept popping into my head....
What I swallowed:
(I opted for the Tasting Menu #1)
CESAR SALAD: This salad was cold and crisp and the dressing was not too overpowering. The avocado was a nice touch.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-foret-san-jose#ea12IlP1UB04Bi5KW4xwUw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
SCALLOP WITH A PUFF PASTRY: I had been craving scallops and this was delicious. Perfectly seared with crisp edges and a juicy middle. I wish I had more than one. I liked sopping up the sauce with the puff pastry (such a no-no but you can call me a bad girl.. that's alright...)
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-foret-san-jose#8-SSj568OIhA1iAwXapXjQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
TORTELLINI IN A MUSHROOM SAUCE: These bite size tortellinis were moist and the mushroom sauce played off the gooey-ness of the tortellinis.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-foret-san-jose#ujyKfOzHSXaIvWSIPx3fmw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
PEPPERED AHI TUNA in HORSERADISH and THYME SAUCE: The tuna was perfectly grilled and the horseradish sauce was not too overpowering. This dish was very tasty.
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ROASTED QUAIL in HUCKLEBERRY SAUCE: The quail was fall off the bone tender and the sauce gave it a bitter-sweet kick. The meat was good but the veggies and stuff underneath were a bit mushy.
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TOURNEDOS OF BEEF CHANTERELLE: This was a very good piece of beef. Very tender and tasty.
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(Bite from) BUFFALO NEW YORK: This was a very hearty piece of meat but it was well cooked and had really good flavor. The whipped mashed potatoes were really airy and light but good as well.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-foret-san-jose#xzW5IyCsjJKo_j0anjvgXQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
SOUFFLE GRAND MARNIER: Light and airy but very eggy. I was glad I experienced their signature souffle but I have to admit, two bites in I wish I had ordered the brulee instead.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/la-foret-san-jose#nMOl6ngSdzoa3AI2sZSAbw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
We had a very sweet time and I'm glad I got the tasting menu so that I can sample a bit of everything. The food was good and the servers were very attentive. We were warned the drive to get out there was a bit far and phone service out there is very spotty.
My wife and I had an early dinner at La Foret on Sat April 6, 2013. Â We had a birthday party to go to later that evening in Morgan Hill, so this seemed to be the perfect solution to the question of where we should eat. Â It turned out better than we thought.
We had not visited La Foret in probably 15 years, and if anything it has gotten better. Â The dining room was bright and cheery with the setting sun and views of a garden. Â Service was superb from our server, the bus boy and the owner, who acted as sommelier. Â We ordered a bottle of Talbot Diamond T Estate chardonnay. Â It turned out to be from 2005 and at $95 is under priced assuming you could find it on a restaurant's wine menu. Â And it was excellent. Â One thing I REALLY liked was that this bottle arrived at our table at cellar temperature, not refrigerator cold. Â Many restaurants over chill their whites.
We complimented this wine with soup and salad but the entrees were wonderful. Â I had the special halibut done in a picatta sauce while my wife had veal in a brandy cream sauce. Â Traditionally prepared and they both were perfect.
If you want traditional continental style meals with a good and reasonably priced wine list, then La Foret is an excellent choice.
This gem was recommended to us by our parents. They go there for anniversaries and special events and it's a great experience.  My husband and I have birthdays in the same month.  So this is an especially good time for us to splurge and go to a restaurant that's going to cater to us.  We ordered the escargot, it was perfect! That was the beginning of a wonderful meal, we chose the taster II, a 6 course meal.  This was perfect for a first time experience. Everything was great, we  picked a Chardonnay from the extensive wine list, instead of the pairing.  The service was excellent, stayed for 4.5 hours that seemed to fly by.  The ambiance is wonder, the place is cozy, and at times we felt alone, so romantic!
It was worth every penny. We will definitely be going back. Â I can not think of a single draw back!
I feel terrible giving one star bc the service was amazing.
I will give one star for the food. Not worth the money. It tasted like mediocre wedding food. The beef medallions were 45 dollars and were drowning in a tangy BBQ sauce. The soup was watered down and tasted like warm oil. Flavorless.
We paid 160 for two people and that was with only one glass of wine each. If you want a quality high end meal you can go to Alexander's.
The place itself is outdated. I really hope they get a new chef who knows quality food bc this place has so much potential to be great. If you're looking for a nice and high end expensive dinner go elsewhere. You will leave disappointed.
How in the world does this place have such good reviews....? I've been around my fair share of French restaurants and will not be coming back for this one. For ridiculously steep prices + awesome reviews, I expected a lot more.
Rack of Lamb-- for $55, I expected it to be one magical-ass lamb. NOPE, nothing memorable about it besides the fact that the sauce tasted like A1 sauce...
The $16 escargot was good but I've had better for cheaper. I also had a bite of my friend's beef dish which was also mediocre. I was buzzed throughout dinner too-- food should have tasted amazing.
I paid around $70 SHARING the lamb, escargot, & souffle. For prices like this..a foodie like me expects the food to be GOOD. I could care less about paying for the service or ambiance. The chefs here need to up their game.
Let's start at the sad end. Hubby and our two friends we had invited out all had violent stomach problems all night long after dinner And when I say violent I do mean that in the worse possible way.
I was spared the pain and misery and my guess is it's because I took one tiny bite of the tuna and said mmm yeah no. It had a flavor I didn't care for and lucky me since that is the only thing they all ate and I did not.
All four of us had the first tasting menu. The scallop was nice, the tortellini was dry and boring, the tuna.. well we covered that above 'nuff said, The quail was ok but my god the sauce on it waaay too sweet, the beef filet was nice and the soufflé desert was ok but not fab.
Service was very friendly but the pacing was little off in between some of the courses. Â The portions were very generous and the restaurant while dated is cozy and warm.
Goes without saying we will NEVER EVER GO BACK.
My girlfriends and I had a birthday dinner here this Friday night. Party of 8- no issues with making reservations about 2-3 weeks in advance.
The surroundings are very creepy at night and the woods around the restaurant are lit up with bright lights - a bit frightening, if you ask me.. Inside of the restaurant, the  atmosphere is very simple and cozy, not exactly what I was expecting, which was swankiness! There doesn't seem to be a dress code - one guy was wearing a t-shirt.
The Food:
RAVIOLI w/ GOAT CHEESE - This was a complimentary appetizer from the chef. Very flavorful. The creamy sauce went perfectly with the saltiness of the goat cheese. Wish we could have ordered this as an entree!
ESCARGOT - Very good, yummy garlic butter. Not the best I've had, but still a great appetizer to start with.
CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP - This wasn't for me. The artichoke taste was very subtle and it wasn't as creamy as I was expecting it to be, however more cream would have definitely overpowered the artichoke flavor.
ELK - Surprisingly not as gamey as I imagined. Tender goodness!
RACK OF LAMB - This dish was good, but I really wasn't impressed. The lamb was cooked perfectly at medium rare, but the sauce fell flat - it reminded fellow yelper, Caroline T. of a certain store bought steak sauce.. The sides were mashed potatoes, asparagus, and carrots. Presentation was boring and unimpressive.
GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLE - Fluffy goodness!
COMBINATION (DESSERT PLATE) - This came with dark chocolate pate, which was basically fudge, a sliver of amarreto cheesecake, and creme brulee. I was disappointed with this. The cheesecake and the creme brulee did nothing for me. I did enjoy the chocolate pate.
Service was very good. No complaints here!
We each paid about $70-$100 for our portion of the bill (this included a bottle of wine). Unfortunately, I do not feel that my meal was worth it. Everything was so-so for me. On the other hand, a couple of my girls did try the tasting menu for $89 and really enjoyed that. I'm sorry to say this after so many people have had such great experiences here, but I don't think I will be back.
Bonjour!
(Fun Fact)
La Foret was the first two story hotel in California housing gold miners in the late 1800s. Very historic and nicely located on the edge of town, this restaurant is the perfect location for a romantic candle light dinner for two.
Had my reservation down(they only take reservations) so I decided to take my girlfriend out for a romantic evening and the first thing we notice was how long the drive and how ominous the tiny roads were. I had to use my high beams to see where I was going because it was so dark. So be careful driving there at night.
When we arrived, the staff welcomed us and quickly seated us at a very nice table overlooking the back forest through a window.
We decided to try their tasting menu at $135 a person. It comes with scallops, mixed greens, lobster tail, elk, peppercorn kobe beef, and your choice of a souffle or ice cream creme brulee. The utensils were changed at every new course along with a pairing wine.
The elk was a little strange but maybe that's because I usually don't eat elk. My favorite dish would have to be the Peppercorn Kobe beef. It was nice,tender, not overpowering, and cooked at medium rare perfectly. Everything else was very well prepared. The sizes were good and the food was very flavorful.
Special plus for the servers, the manager, and even the front desk for being so helpful and professional.
Overall, La Foret is a bit pricy but is compensated by the romantic location, great food, and professional staff. I recommend it! I give it nice 4.5 out of 5.
Came by for dinner the other night. Made a reservation a few hours before arrival and a table was ready upon my arrival. The restaurant was ~20% full during the weeknight.
The restaurant is located at the outer-edge of town in a quaint area with no cell service and a private parking lot. There is no valet parking and the restaurant used to be a hotel. I think there was WiFi...
The restaurant is historic. Ordered the Tasting Menu for simplicity at $85/head.
The amuse bouche was some sort of pasta and sauce...the pasta was hard around the edges...
The bread seemed store-bought and merely reheated...
The scallop was huge and was perfectly cooked. This was the highlight of the meal.
Moved on to the tortellini  and again the pasta wasn't too fresh and was hard around the edges.
The ahi tuna was a huge steak that was quite filing. It was charred on the outside and raw on the inside. ...interesting dish.
The quail was fresh and flavorful. I thought the sauce was too over-powering and similar to the other dishes.
The beef dish was also okay. Again, sauces were similar and the meat quality was decent. Joel Robuchon in Vegas is much better.
The souffle was on the sweet side. It was okay.
Service was thorough throughout the entire meal. Utensils were changed at every setting.
The men's room was surprisingly clean and bright, although old.
Have passed through this place a bunch of times during my excursions up Hicks road and finally got to eat here for a girlfriend's birthday. Â I made a reservation for 7:30 and got there a bit early but we were promptly seated without any delay. Â Unfortunately, we could not get the craved window table but no biggie. Â We both went for the 6 course tasting menu #2:
1. Scallops: Â Great cheese based sauce. Â Puff pastry was excellent and complimented the scallops very well.
2. Mixed greens: Â Not much action but the vinaigrette had the right tartness. Â The goat cheese stood out and was the star of the dish.
3. Lobster tail: Â Appropriately firm and succulent. Â Lime beurre blanc (butter and white wine based sauce) was very good but the sauce tasted too similar to that of the scallops; greater contrast from the first dish would have been nice. Â But that's my culinary brain talking and the dish itself was damn good.
4. Elk: Â The meat was too lean for my taste but that's just me. Â It was perfectly cooked with plenty of pink in the inside. Â Aside from the leanness I loved the not so overpowering gaminess. Â The cognac sauce was out of this world. Â Mopped up every bit of it with the complimentary bread.
5. Beef filet: Â I love tenderloin. Â Cooked perfectly to medium rare. Â The caliber of the sauce was slightly below that of the Elk but the generous amount of peppercorn truly accentuated the excellent flavor of the beef. Â One of the best beef filet dishes I've ever had. Â No American steakhouse can compete and I've been to many. Â
6. Souffle grand marnier / Creme brulee: Â B-day girl and I each got different desserts so that we could share. Â Not a huge dessert connoisseur but both were delicious though the souffle was slightly too thick and heavy.
Overall, an excellent dining experience. Â Heard other people complain about the price ($135) and/or quantity but I think both were right on the mark. Â If you want cheaper and more, do yourself a favor and just go to your typical crapass American restaurant where quantity excels and quality suffers. Â All the dishes were very solid but subtracted one star due to the lack of a wow factor. Â It is an orthodox French course meal and a very good one. Â Will be back for another occasion.
Woohoo! Absolute the Best French Restaurants in the Bay Area! This place was fabulous! Staff was super nice, the food at the restaurants was amazing, beautiful location to host any kind of event!!!! The landscape was beautiful. ^@^ Â Honesty, can not think of one negative comment about the place!!!!!!!
It's pricey but you get what you pay for it!!!! Overall, I had a great experience. I would highly recommend this place to all my friends! Definitely coming back again!!!!!!!!
I'm so glad I found this place. Living in South San Jose for several years now, I was tired of making the drive to San Francisco to go to a nice restaurant. I discovered La Foret through Yelp, and decided to check it out. A decision I do not regret!
The experience overall was really good. We arrived right on time for our 7:30p reservation but had to wait around 15 minutes to get seated. Â I had called in before to have a specific wine and card placed at our table, which was done. Unfortunately, they did not give us a window table despite me requesting it.
The food was great. For appetizer, we had gotten the tortellini. It was delicious and you can tell it was a fresh house made pasta. The sauce was to die for. For dinner we had gotten the Breast of Chicken ($26) and Tournedos of Beef Chanterelle ($42). The sauce on my chicken tasted eerily similar to the sauce on the tortellini, so half way through my plate, I was getting tired of the same taste-- I would just recommend not to order those two dishes together. Â My boyfriend said his steak was enjoyable and a good alternative if you don't want to indulge on the Kobe ($95). I hadn't even told the waitress we were there for his birthday (I had only made a remark about it when making the reservation), yet somehow she was informed of it and brought out a complimentary dessert sampler plate with a birthday candle.
Overall, the experience was great. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. A definite must for a romantic date or special occasion.
Have not been here in a few years but was one of the first nice restaurants I went to in this area. Â The setting is amazing and romantic. Â There is a bit of an older crowd so if your looking for a young hip joint this is not it. Â The lobster appetizer is mouth watering and they have one of the best souffles I have had. Â
I will have to return here so that I can write a thorough and updated review.
The place itself is dated and somewhat difficult to get to, especially at night. But it is romantic.
The safest bet seems to be the lamb. The portions were enough for two to share and it was cooked perfectly. Â The salad, escargot, and ahi tuna were fine. Say "no" to the lobster. It has this sour sauce that ruined the dish. You can probably get better at Red Lobster. For dessert, the souflee came highly recommended so I ordered it. Yuck.
The service was as expected and when Informed of a birthday, they bought out a complimentary dessert plate. However, if this place is really fine dining and for the price of dinner, I expected someone to de-crumb the table.
I need t o feel like I got my money's worth. I didn't. Bad lobster. Bad dessert, and crumbs on the table do not justify a $200+ dinner.
Maybe I'm picky. But really comparing to something like French laundry or Cyrus, La Foret is still far behind,both food and service.
They seem like a family run restaurant to me. The cooking skill is not bad. I mean for the tasting menu #1 I had, every dish was cooked just right, but the sauce were below average to match their level. Specially if a main course has nothing but a salmon steak and sauce, you definitely have some expectation from both, unfortunately the sauce went really nothing special.
Also I think they probably want you to get the best value of what you pay, the tasting menu composed of nothing else but meat, meat and meat. For my understanding, vegetarian dishes challenge the most of a chef's skill, and if they can combine fish/meat with some vegetable dish, it will be much better.
Ate here for dinner on Saturday to celebrate our anniversary. Â Opted for the $135 Tasting menu #2:
Ambiance. Â
Restaurant is pretty small and very crowded. Â Noise level was high and tables were close together.
Service:
Service was good but not outstanding. Â At a very high end restaurant I expect the wait staff to blend into the background. Â They should never interrupt us when we're talking and the new silverware for each course should be quietly and discreetly replaced. Â We were constantly interrupted: "Excuse me" then places new forks and knives.
Food:
SCALLOPS over puff pastry with saffron, cream cheese. Â This was very good. mmmm
MIXED GREENS smoked duck & goat cheese with aged balsamic vinaigrette. Â This was just ok. Â Smoked duck was good but it was just a basic salad.
LOBSTER TAIL cold water australian with lime beurre blanc. Â Not good. Â Lobster was very tough and dry.
ELK portabellos, game reduction, cognac sauce. Â While I've never had Elk before, meat texture was good but sauce was a bit strong
KOBE BEEF peppercorns, cabernet, sage & courvoisier. Â Meat was good but the sauce tasted the same as the Elk.
SOUFFLE GRAND MARNIER and ICE CREAM CREME BRULEE & BERRIES. Â Wife go the Souffle and I got the Creme Brulee. Â Mine was awesome, great taste inside a chocolate bowl. Â Her souffle was just so so.
Tasting menus are definitely not worth it.
All I can say about La Foret is WOW! My girlfriend took me here for my birthday dinner and my socks were knocked off. The wait staff was very kind, helpful, and professional.
The food needs no explanation as I couldn't come anywhere close to doing it justice. One of the best dining experiences I have ever had. It is everything you would expect out of a 4 star restaurant.
I think they must have two kitchens here.  One makes all that good food that people rave about and the other makes swill.  Unfortunately, when we came for brunch on Sunday,  the good kitchen was on vacation.  Our salmon came with a nasty red-brown gluey sweet/sour sauce.  The fusilli  with seared barbecued scallops had a beef based brown sauce that was largely flavorless but they did bring a dish of grated Parmesan.  The cheese was freshly grated several days ago but adding ALL of it gave some flavor to the dish.  Scallops were plentiful but not  tasty and since it was a big serving we took it home and had it for supper.  With a few scallions and fresh herbs it was at least more colorful.  Under the circumstances we did not order dessert.
The introductory platter of shrimp, cheese, fruit, etc. is eminently skippable.
One of the best restaurants in the Bay Area. It's nestled in a character-rich historic building next to a brook and features great ambiance inside. The service was flawless when we went. However, what really stood out was the food. My wife and I had 9 courses and every single one blew us away.
Foie Gras - Amazing! This will be our last Foie Gras in California, great way to say goodbye.
Escargot - Best I've had outside of Paris.
Tortellini - Rich sauce, great flavor, almost ordered a second one.
Lobster - Probably my favorite dish besides the Foie Gras, at least get this as an appetizer, you won't be disappointed.
Shrimp - Way better than what I was expecting, killer sauce. Almost as good as the lobster.
Tuna steak - my wife was a huge fan even though she normally doesn't like this dish, it was less rare than what I expected, but full of flavor and the sauce really made this dish.
Quail - very juicy and flavorful and the accompanying mashed potatoes kicked ass. Again, great sauce.
Souffle - Phenomenal. A required order if you come here.
Dessert Sampler - had 4 of their desserts and the lesson here was than if we got any of them we would have been satisfied.
So the conclusion... everyone in the South Bay should try this place out. It is pricey but you get what you pay for and then some.
A Frenchman we dined with a few weeks ago opined that while Atelier Crenn is doing French of the 2000's, and perhaps the Plumed Horse is doing French cuisine of the 1990's, La Foret is stuck in the 1980's, and that's not a bad thing.
This is a cuisine that is not the lightest, but which seems to still pair high quality meats and seafood with subtle and interesting sauces. Â Kind of old-school, but with a few more modern touches.
It's not really that far out in the country, at least if you're in the South Bay already. Â They've got a big parking lot across the quiet street from the restaurant, and a full bar that was basically unmanned the Sunday night we visited.
The dining room itself is rustic, overlooking a creek ( and someone's backyard ). Â You can see Almaden Quicksilver Park in the distance. Â It's pleasant, though a it can actually get a little loud depending on the clientele.
They offer two set menus at two different price points, as well as alacarte options. Â We ended up with one of each menu - which they were happy to do - and they also offered an inexpensive and generously poured $36 wine pairing drawn from their short list of wines by the glass - mostly from California.
It was an interesting meal. Â Service was nice but informal and a little unpracticed - kind of rural California. Â Plates arrived without exception searingly hot, which may have resulted in overcooking of the lighter scallop and lobster dishes. Â They offer some game dishes ( we had elk and quail - both quite well prepared ). Â Sauces were interesting, but it seemed like over half the dishes relied on heavy use of peppercorns of one sort or another. Â We were offered an amuse of smoked salmon, but no mignardises. Â
We left very full, and reasonably satisfied, but in the end it's a sort of rural fancy that struggles to compete with the sophistication of the grand metropolises of Los Gatos and Saratoga, not that many miles back up the road. Â If you're looking for old school, though, it's nice to know where to find it.
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