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Cafe Provence
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Cafe Provence
Review Highlights
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"...up the Mussels or the Onion Soup - both of which are among..." In 3 reviews -
"The quiche was great, maybe the best I ever had." In 3 reviews -
"If you can make a good escargot, you make me a happy girl..." In 2 reviews
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13 reviews in English
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Review from Dennis R.
Overland Park, KS
3/17/2012
OUTSTANDING!!
Service was superior - friendly helpful. offered suggestions
Food was great.
Celebrated birthdays and will go back to celebrate again. -
Review from Julia F.
5/2/2012 10 Check-ins Here
Is it surprising to find a high quality restaurant with a view of a mall parking lot? Perhaps. But yet, despite all odds, Cafe Provence offers a taste of the South of France and a fine dining experience, all in the Prairie Village shops.
Everything I've ordered from the menu has been a treat. Some of my favorites include the Salade Nicoise, the Daube, the Prince Edward Island Moules, and the Tarte Tartin. There is often a fresh fish special, which has never disappointed. Tilapia with a delicious sauce made from cream and butter? Yes, please!
The service is outstanding. Everyone is very nice and accommodating. The food is consistantly great (and I love a restaurant that neither skimps on the salad dressing nor drowns the greens; here diners get to appreciate a well dressed salad!). The decor is in a fine balance that is equally suited to a nice dinner or a casual lunch. The prices are fair and the meal leaves diners replete and pleased. I recommend this restaurant as one of my top picks for French food in midtown Kansas City. -
Review from Leslie K.
Kansas City, MO
12/14/2011
I really want to love Cafe Provence, but we had an average experience there. I would go back to try it again just because so many of the menu items looked great, but the first time wasn't a charm, unfortunately. We dined with 2 friends on a Saturday night. The place was packed, and reservations are a must.
Of our menu selections, I adored the blue cheese stuffed medjool dates and the escargot. The dates were the perfect combination of sweet with the salty, pungent cheese; the escargot was beautiful with garlic and fresh herbs. The sauce was perfect for dipping the french bread.
I chose the caesar salad and Dover sole for my salad/entree, both of which were nothing to write home about. For $45, I would have preferred a bit more of a crisp sear on my fish. The lemony sauce was good though. Husband had the roast chicken, which was divine with a light creamy sauce and beautiful morels. Definitely a must try, and probably what I will get when we make another visit.
Desserts... the gateau au chocolate was magnifique. We also tried their special, the pistachio creme brulee which was deliciously different.
Our service was just so-so. Our waitress explained the specials to a few of us, and then when our last diner joined us, she asked if we had told them about the specials. We hadn't, I thought that was her responsibility. Also, despite the restaurant holding only a handful of people, our waitress was difficult to find when we needed something. Lastly, they charged my card twice -- once for the true amount and once for DOUBLE the amount (nearly $400). Normally that would not be a huge deal since the transaction is only temporary, but hello it's Christmas season and there are gifts to buy. The server didn't tell us about the mistake and I had to find it on my bank account a few days later. Just an inconvenience I'd rather not have during the holidays. -
Review from Karen M.
Grand Island, NE
4/21/2012
This is a fantastic bistro tucked into a Prairie Village shopping center. The menu is interesting, the preparation excellent and the prices are reasonable. The servers are pleasant and very helpful. We felt as though we were sitting in a cafe in Paris. This is one of my favorite stops in Kansas City. The young, classically trained chef was doing a great job on traditional French recipes. There are many great wine options.
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Review from Stephen H.
Overland Park, KS
10/14/2011
I spied this place when I was at Story. last time and made a mental note to come for a business lunch one day when I was feeling like having a taste of the French countryside. That day came today.
The interior is small but inviting, with a generous patio area that in our Midwestern climate must only be used six months out of the year. The menu is pure "provencal" with mussels, scallops, quiche, crepes, and excellent soups and well-cooked meat and fish. The French know how to make their "routine" foods well and that is perhaps the great triumph of French cooking: allowing the potentially boring to be continuously rethought and recast (example - when I looked up disappointed from the dessert menu and declared that I had expected a mousse aux chocolat, I was gently pointed the way of the flourless gateau that had the mousse inside. "We do have the mousse at different times," our pretty waitress said).
There's also a charm in having the waitress pick up on your proper (propre :-) pronunciation of French dishes and having her subsequently come back to the table asking, "C'est bon?" as opposed to the all-American, "how's everything tasting today?"
I had the soup de jour, which was celery root and apple (you can ask, it was delicious) and scallops. While the scallops, as Chef Ramsay would say, were "cooked PERfectly" there were one or two very tiny bits of scallop shell in my dish and subsequently in my mouth. The consolation that the scallops had to have been freshly removed from the shell was tempered by the knowledge that the scallop was not as carefully looked at before going into the pan. That, and that alone was the reason for docking the 5th star from this tres charmant bistro that should be part of your occasional lunch dining circuit.Listed in: Kansas City Top 130 for…
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Review from Nancy W.
Kansas City, MO
10/22/2011
I was driving to eat in Prairie Village on a friday night with my husband, and we both thought how completely lame our life must be getting if we are actually driving to Prairie Village Kansas for a friday night out. I must say neither of us felt lame after perfect mussels, delicious foie gras, halibut cooked to perfection having a crispy sear on the outside and I can't rave enough about the sauce. This all complete with spot on service service. I would not care if this was positioned in the lamest, furthest suburb in the city because Cafe Provence is quite possibly the best restaurant in Kansas City. There is nothing lame about good food.
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Review from Krystal P.
Leawood, KS
9/28/2011
Cafe Provence doesn't just claim to be a true French restaurant. It really is. From opening the door, you know you are going to get a good French meal. Light French music playing on the radio, classic French County decor, and your waitress, who is also the owner, speaks French so heavily you can't understand her, but just nod pleasantly in agreement.
My husband wasn't sure what wine he wanted so the waitress checked what he as eating and brought a wine out to taste so he could make a decision.
If you can make a good escargot, you make me a happy girl - and Cafe Provence does. I appreciated that once the meal was gone, the waitress reminded me "a snail is a snail, its the sauce that makes it delicious - make sure to soak it all up with your bread." and left me to indulge guilt free until the plate was empty.
We started with the Ceasar salad with it's thoughtfully homemade ceasar topped with an anchovie, and the potato leek soup. I had the Chicken with morel cream sauce and my husband had the veal limon. I never order chicken out, but you can always trust the French to make sure it isn't boring. It was crisp on the outside with a rich cream sauce and whole morels. The haricot verts were the perfect accompaniment. I am usually also not a big dessert girl, but I had to see what was next. We chose the banana crepe with chocolate sauce. It was the perfect ending to our rich, and well deserved French indulgence.
We will be back...often. -
Review from Patricia B G.
Prairie Village, KS
4/17/2011
Airplane chicken with morel mushrooms is back on the menu. Hurray! Their sea bass is extraordinary but the chicken at CP is just - YUM. The whole meal reminds me of an episode I saw on Top Chef when the chefs had to cook a "last meal" for all sorts of big wig chefs. Lidia Bastianich wanted roast chicken and roasted potatoes. Exactly what i will order when my day comes. I will say, however, that the roast chicken at CP is THE best I have ever had altho currently not available. A big nod to Danielle, Natalie, Joanne and the entire staff. Charming always and the whole experienceis really a little bit of Paris on the Plains.
Patricia B.G. -
Review from Jen B.
KS
9/26/2010 3 photos
Cafe Provence, where have you been all my life? This French restaurant in Prairie Village has been hiding in plain sight. I've driven past it hundreds of times and never noticed. I won't be making that mistake again. Escargot? Magnificent. The steak was perfectly cooked with a delicious cut of roquefort across the top. Potatoes were slightly overcooked, but still ate every bite. The special that night was sea bass and as you can see from the picture, it was perfect. I only sampled the sea bass and even though my steak was delicious, I truly regretted not getting the sea bass special. Did I mention we started with the carrot curry soup?
As others have stated, it was cute, cozy, and unassuming. Staff was terrific. They were attentive, but not overly so, allowing us to enjoy every bite. I'll echo other reviews about the crowd skewing older. You could tell when people walked up whether they were coming to the cafe or not. Nonetheless, it was fantastic and highly recommended for all (except small children).
We'll be back! -
Review from jennifer j.
Kansas City, MO
I am never really in this area during dinner time, so I decided to go for lunch with my girlfriend. Walking through the door I noticed two things. 1. It is small and charming like a tucked away french restaurant. 2. The place is full and we are the only two people under 60.
The old people thing kinda put a damper on the ambience, which was as quiet as a church. Music wasn't playing in the background and it made you feel like you should speak in hushed tones. The room is tight and you can still hear your neighbors conversation because tables are elbow to elbow.
I was hoping for a Croque Madame or Monsieur on the menu, but the only thing that came close was the quiche. The quiche was great, maybe the best I ever had. The green beans were tender and perfectly seasoned. I started with the french onion soup, which was decent. We skipped dessert, but our neighbor had some type of apple dessert that looked amazing.
I would go back, but only for dinner and only when I am not in the mood for a hip and lively atmosphere.
The charm comes from its originality, location and cuisine. All of these elements make it a rare find in Kansas City. -
Review from Jamison U.
Kansas City, MO
2/25/2009
Surprised to be the first reviewer of this fine establishment, it might be a bit hard to find but its worth the hunt.
First off the decor is lovely, its classic and clean. The wait staff was fantastic (two to the table, you want for nothing), they were attentive without smothering.
The food itself was very good, the best French food on the Kansas side of the city ( top two in the metro ). The portions were ample but not mega-midwest size, and the taste was great.
Overall this is one of my favorite restaurants and we will return. -
Review from Kevin M.
KS
Updated - 5/7/2010
Love this place. Service shatters all expectations.
Great daily specials and regular menus selections that will always please.
Don't pass up the Mussels or the Onion Soup - both of which are among the best available in KC (and beyond).Listed in: My Neighborhood
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2008 First to Review
Located in the Prairie Village shops, this family owned and run French bistro is a great little… Read more »
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Review from Dustin R.
Roeland Park, KS
10/13/2009
I would have to say that this restaurant is a hidden gem. The food is fantastic and stays true the classic french cuisine. I started out with the seared foie gras with the cinnamon baguette and spiced apple compote it was fantastic. I then had the seared cod with the shrimp bisque and it had to be the best fish dish i have ever had, the fish was moist and flaky and the sauce was full of flavor, and done with great care and skill. For dessert i had the apple tart tattin which is like an upside down apple pie with carmel. In all the food was fantastic the service was warm and friendly without being overbearing, and the prices for the value that you got were incredible. I wish i could give this place 6 stars
