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La Voile
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
261 Newbury St(between Fairfield St & Gloucester St)
Boston, MA 02116
Neighborhood: Back Bay
(617) 587-4200
- Nearest Transit:
-
Boylston St Opp Gloucester St (170, 193, 39, 55)
Ring Rd @ Boylston St (9)
Dalton St @ Boylston St (39, 55)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
99 reviews for La Voile
Review Highlights
"Duo of foie gras, terrine & pan-seared."
(in 17 reviews)
"Finally, for dessert I had the creme brulee."
(in 17 reviews)
"We shared a really great desert of chocolate mousse."
(in 10 reviews)
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99 reviews in English
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Review from Marie C.
Boston, MA
1/22/2012
This place reminds me of all that sublime nieghborhood gems that you happen upon when traveling to Quebec, France, or Belgium...friendly, efficient, laid back, and with excellent and consistently great food.
The food is affordable (the dinner prix fix offers three good courses at $39), authentically French, and high quality. On several visits, we've shared the trip of Foie Gras, mussels, cheese plate, steak, fish soup, and have never been disappointed. Their cheese selection is excellent, and they have an affordable wine list..and dessert shouldn't be missed - the floating island is a real treat, and often not seen offered in this area.
A few notes on location: due to it's prime real estate on Newbury Street, parking can be tough on the street..if you book through Open Table, they offer you a host of discounted garages in the area, but I have also found luck parking on Boylston Street (many of the area streets are resident only, so watch the signs here), and the W garage offers $12 parking after 5p.
Worth a trip for a group dinner, family dinner (w/ adults or older kids), special night out in a bustling, warm environment. -
Review from Janet W.
Chicago, IL
12/26/2011
This is a real gem of a restaurant that I would highly recommend! Everything here, including the waitstaff, is imported from France. The space is somewhat cluttered in a way that along with the charming French accents make the atmosphere both cozy and festive.
This place is fit for foodies and good for groups and special occasions alike. I started at the intimate bar, where the bartender welcomed me as I waited for the rest of our party. Once the rest of the group arrived, we moved to the small dining room. I had their foie gras as the appetizer and their mussels dish for the main course. The foie gras and chutney were delicious. The main dish was served in the form of an entire pot and I lost count of how many mussels there were.
Fabulous food, attentive servers, great ambiance... go and enjoy! -
Review from Greg B.
Cambridge, MA
12/8/2011
After Maison Robert closed La Voile is the only true French restaurant in Boston. I had an amazing experience every time I came here both for dinner and lunch.
Simply the food is very good, and always consistent, plus they vary in their menu greatly. Especially between summer and winter. Their wine selection is great, and the structure of their wine list is also very well done.
The Fois Gras Trio is a must if you are fond of this exquisite dish.
In the summer the patio seating is perfect for eating outside both for dinner and lunch. -
Review from Andrew H.
Boston, MA
2/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable
My experience was overall very good. The duck was delicious and the upside down apple tart flambeed was incredible. A bit noisy with a big party beside us in a small place but excellent service. I would go back and recommend it.
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Review from Lyd M.
Providence, RI
1/29/2012
My boyfriend and I were in town for the weekend and I asked my good friend where the best place for foie gras. He immediately told us to go here.
Everyone was so nice and welcoming and our server was great! We shared their seared foie gras to start and it was delish! 2 big pieces of foie served with toasted bread, a bit of dressed greens, and some roasted apple. It was a lot of foie for $26. My boyfriend got the filet and added more foie to it (we just couldn't get enough) and I got the duck. I asked for it medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. What I especially loved was that each dish was only lightly seasoned but they provided a small bowl of salt and pepper on the table so you could season everything just how you wanted. I had the creme brulee for dessert...very tasty! We also (collectively) had 2 glasses of champagne, a cocktail, 2 Crown Royals and a glass of red wine and the bill was only $190, which I think is a great price for the amount of food we had and its quality. -
Review from Ellen G.
Middlesex, MA
11/14/2011
That the French originated and perfected the art of the restaurant is most evident at La Voile. In France, this restaurant would probably be classified as a bistro (a very nice one), but in Boston it is elevated to the level of first class dining experience. Classic bistro fare, such as a foie gras terrine and duck a l'orange, are restrained and modern versions of what Bostonians usually think of. These classic dishes are more memorable than some of the "local" dishes that people rave about at the area's hottest restaurants.
The owner hires most of the waitstaff from France, and that also distinguishes it from other Boston restaurants. Our waiter skillfully decanted a bottle of Chateau Lafitte Rothschild '78--for another table--a most impressive feat! If I didn't know enough about wine already, I would have entrusted him to select the exact right wine to go with our meal, as he seemed to have an instinctive understanding of wine.
The best part of La Voile is that they make one of my favorite French desserts: an Ile Flottante (soft meringue "island" floating in a creme anglaise "ocean," and sometimes garnished with sliced almonds and a caramel sauce). During our most recent experience, our waiter most graciously obliged my plea to substitute Ile Flottante for the prix fixe menu's dessert (which was a delicious and gorgeous chocolate mousse, but I love Ile Flottante).
The $40, three-course prix fixe menu makes the restaurant more affordable than the a la carte one (and the prix fixe menu has just a smaller selection of the regular menu). Even if you do order from the a la carte menu, paying $50 or more for a three course meal, the experience will linger in your mind for quite a while, so it's worth it. The wine list has a few reasonably priced and quality French wines, but then the prices rise stratospherically after that (the '78 Lafitte Rothschild wasn't even on the menu; if you have to ask...) -
Review from A S.
Back Bay, Boston, MA
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
By-line: seriously inviting restaurant, charming, kind service, but kitchen is a let-down.
Menu: typical french bistro menu items, but usually done with something a little special about it. Steak frites, tuna tar tar, bouillabaisse, fish soup, duck l'orange (with a cinnamon treatment that others seemed to like) and on this occasion of their 4th anniversary, sweetbreads (adventurous for most in America, almost daring). Probably the most annoying thing... seafood is imported from Canada, even the lobster; in BOSTON!
Ambiance: very charming, red velvet everywhere, love the french-speaking maitre d' who was welcoming and ever-attentive, The bar-man was a real treat, we made him make and perfect his espresso martini recipe all night, using this ridiculous espresso machine they have.
My order: seared scallops & lobster tail over braised celery root and (I think) sun dried tomato with a side of mushroom risotto. Glass of Alsatian Pinot Gris 2008, which was a stunning wine.
Food review: Scallops although cooked to perfection, nice colored sear, still sweet in the middle. But there were inexplicable black flecks all over it, like the pan they used needed cleaning.
Lobster tail was way undercooked and barely warm, still chewy. However I could imagine it would have been an excellent entree, you could still taste the salt of the sea in it, and it is an impressively presented portion.
Celery root was surprisingly tasty with the sun dried tomato contrasting with the mild celery flavor.
Risotto was a creamy mess, loaded with butter and cheese, and some of the rice grains sadly dissolving into the slurry. I'm not convinced it was arborio. Also not convinced it was cooked-to-order, almost as if they just made risotto and topped it with mushrooms. I'm a big fan of the dish and it takes some thought and skill to tease out any kind of mushroomy intensity needed in the dish.
End story: we had a good time, I overlooked the mistakes in the dish, I will try it again to see if maybe it was a one-time glitch. -
Review from Erica R.
Boston, MA
8/29/2011
I usually lurk when I'm on Yelp, but I have to write a review about this place. La Voile is hands down, my favorite restaurant in Boston. The staff is ALWAYS friendly and attentive, they are sure to make sure your needs are taken care of. I made a small joke to my friend about the 4th of July decorum and they thought it was bothering me and took it down! I thought it was cool that they cared so much about what their customers think.
The reason why I give it 5 stars is because I always come here when I have a craving for foie gras or a liver pate. I will admit, not everyone I bring with me enjoys pate de foie gras, but the french onion is a pretty good alternative to start off with if they dislike foie gras.
Umm, the entrees are all pretty good, I usually go for duck or lamb if they have it as their specialty dish of the day~
Price wise, I'd say it's worth every penny. I wouldn't really say it's terribly expensive, because the food here is very good.
Overall, would totally recommend it. It's usually a quiet place for the older crowd, but if you're a college student and enjoy a peaceful delicious dinner, I would highly recommend it. La Voile does not disappoint. -
Review from Michael C.
Boston, MA
Updated - 9/5/2011
With too many restaurants to try it had been almost two years since we first tried La Voile. Big mistake....this is really a terrific French restaurant.
Service is excellent, drinks pours are generous and the atmosphere is welcoming. We were eating light so we both had the salad Nicoise with tuna. The salad was perfectly dressed with tuna that appeared to have been cooked in salt and olive oil. It was done just right. Service here is as good as I have ever received. My wife practicing for an up coming trip to France was trying out her French on the poor waiter. He was really good natured and help correct her pronunciation. At the table next to us was a woman who was so demanding that I would have strangled her if I was the waiter but he just maintained his professional poise.
I will not make the mistake of staying away for two years again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/21/2009
Open up your wallets lads and take your significant other for a truly wonderful dining experience.… Read more »
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Review from Kristen C.
Boston, MA
9/19/2011
Seriously, this place is RIDICULOUSLY delicious. I got one of those coupons, think it was groupon or buywithme or something, and checked it out last night. I almost logged in to yelp to write the review right then and there it was so good!
I ordered the french onion soup. It was the best french onion soup I have ever had in my ENTIRE life, without a doubt! Holy crap it was good.
We ordered the lobster and the filet, both incredible, perfectly cooked, flavors were out of control.
The service was stellar - all the staff was so so friendly and not to mention French! I felt like I was in France, it was awesome!
PERFECT MEAL!!!
The wine was out of this world too, had a light Pinot Noir that was recommended! -
Review from Lizzie Z.
Boston, MA
1/11/2012
Great food and customer service. It was a little tight in the restaurant but the delicious meal and wonderful staff certainly made up for it.
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Review from Monika S.
11/8/2011
Talk about feeling like you are on a vacation in Cannes! Wow this is a must go! We also found out the owner is an avid sailor hence the name and he also owns a place in St. Barts (I sure would love to try that one!). The staff is terrific and the food amazing. Superb ambience. I would make the trek to Boston just to go to this restaurant again!
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Review from Fab W.
Cambridge, MA
8/15/2011
La Voile is home away from home. The food, the service, the atmosphere, it's all there. The quality and care chosen to prepare and serve those dishes will come at a price, as expected, and although a bit steep even for my wallet, it is well worth trying it out if only once for a special occasion.
The staff is a hard working group of professionals of the industry whose knowledge of produits du terroir will transform your dining experience at La Voile into a culinary lesson if you care to inquire. -
Review from Heila N.
Boston, MA
8/7/2011
Delicious light meal. The waiters are kind and very attentive. I love French food and have been to many French restaurants and this place is on top of the list.
The portions are just right and the food is great quality.
Try the Seabass. The light ratatouille and the tender fish will melt in your mouth.
I will definitely be coming back here again. -
Review from Peter M.
Boston, MA
7/29/2011
I have wanted to eat here for some time and it was certainly worth the wait. I have eaten in Cannes in a restaurant recommended by La Voile on their website. I found my experience at La Voile bringing me back to my dinner on the Riviera.
The atmosphere at La Voile is intimate and refined yet casual and relaxed. Most of the staff is from France which certainly adds to the ambiance of the experience. The patio is small but not too tight (some might argue otherwise) and lighted by what Peter Mayle would consider authentic French lighting, not too bright or too dim but adding enough light and color to heighten the experience.
Menu is fantastic. A full list of fish and meat inspired by the Riviera and Provence. Snapper, Swordfish, Lobster are all available or if you want to try something special Sole Meuniere. Delicate whitefish is a butter sauce de-boned at the table. Fish not your thing full compliment of beef and lamb or get a whole chicken for two. The wine list is amazing, not only for its depth but also its presentation. Most places will give you just that, a list, La Voile gives you a small book with maps and descriptions of each wine region.
I had the red snapper with baby artichokes, my friend the roasted salmon with pea and carrot risotto, both wonderfully prepared. For dessert we split the plate of mini desserts. Creme brullee, mini chocolate mousse and mini fruit tarts, with espresso. Excellent end to the meal.
One drawback; our dinner res for 745, we preferred to sit on the patio and we had to wait nearly 45 min to get sat outside, and it was a Tuesday. In all fairness it was perfect weather for outdoor dining that evening so I'm not surprised and if anything it made me a little hungrier. If you want to eat here do so early or late if you want to eat outside, otherwise you can sit down immediately inside. But if you do get stuck waiting for a table outside you can enjoy the wonderful cocktail and bar menu. -
Review from Gerald D.
Boston, MA
4/3/2011
Well I'm disappointed.
Really only because La Voile aspires to be so much better. The location on Newbury, the decor, the francophone staff all create the impression that you're in for a treat. And yes, the service was impeccable, that difficult to achieve combination of attentive and unobtrusive.
But the kitchen is overwhelmed on a Saturday night. The cod en papillote arrived overcooked and unpleasant. This would be shocking and unforgiveable in an actual Parisian restaurant - is the reason that it happened here because of overambition? Or the mistaken belief that American diners wouldn't know better or care?
The wine list is superb and the dessert combinations of cognacs, armangacs, cheeses, dessert wines and other standards is delightful. But this only shows up the poverty of the main courses; the Australian lamb was competently done, but nothing special - I've achieved way better at home. That's the thing: if you set yourself up as a real Parisian place, with a bill to the tune of $200 for two, you had better deliver.
I'm keeping my mind open and will reserve the right to improve my rating if I find the kitchen does a better job on a slower night. Meantime, my advice to the kitchen is to scale back on busy nights and stop trying to attempt what is clearly beyond your capacity. Accept fewer reservations, trim the menu, or don't attempt difficult dishes. Not that anything en papillote is that difficult -- this is an organizational issue more than anything else. -
Review from Michael M.
Boston, MA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was classy at it's best! Had the duck and I could honestly say that it was easily the best duck I've ever had. I will definitely go here again!!!
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Review from sameet g.
Boston, MA
4/29/2011
Started dinner off with 5 cuts of cheese and wine. It was brought out on a cheese cart and the waiter was very nice about making suggestions on what types of cheeses to try!
For dinner we had lobster. Hands down one of the best sauces that I have tried and the lobster was very fresh and delicious.
Definitely recommend this place. It is fairly pricey so probably better for special occasions. -
Review from Brian W.
Mystic, CT
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sublime atmospheric setting below the Newbury sidewalk, convincing French countryside ambiance. Uncommonly friendly and efficient waitstaff, as noted by virtually all reviews. We spent a perfect evening of leisure here, meandering through the wine and courses. The duck breast might have been a bit more savory, and the salmon Provencal was somewhat bland, but these details were trumped by the experience.
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Review from Bradley N.
Missoula, MT
1/9/2011
This is a Cannes restaurant that has been transplanted to a Boston brownstone. It's as Southern French as it gets. And if you come with an eye for detail and an open mind, you will be in awe of what you find.
Go to the bar. Look at the walls. B&W photos taken by Pierre, the co-owner and former Time magazine journalist who sails the Atlantic on his yacht. They are from the early 1970s and are exquisitely executed, of museum quality. Catherine Deneuve. Steve McQueen in a racing suit at Le Mans. Salvador Dali in his prime. The founder of Le Monde. The chef to Charles de Gaulle. Beautiful people. Unforgettable faces, frozen in time.
Look closer. Behind the bar. There are four types of Calvados to choose from. One is more than 20 years old. Notice the Elektra coffee maker imported from Europe that gleams like a suit of armor. When it needs to be repaired, they bring in someone from Pennsylvania. It's that uncommon. The beans are Illy.
Taste the food. The mussels are freshly arrived from PEI, sweet and rich in a superb French Asian fusion broth of thyme, lemon juice, white wine, curry, and coconut milk. The cheese plate is decadent and delicious, the Sancerre by the glass ($13) will make you rethink Sauvignon Blanc.
Order a dessert. Order a dessert!! The apple tarte tatin is exceptional. Caramelized apples and melting vanilla ice cream, a hint of spice, and nothing more.
Talk to the others at the bar. Maybe you will get lucky, as I did, and encounter someone fascinating who has traveled the world and is a cinema aficionado who spends a month each year in Amsterdam. Or a bartender who makes you feel like a local even if you've just arrived in Boston on business.
Look out the window. It's January. It is snowing. Inside, there is the warmth of the French Riviera, and the comforts of good food, good wine, and good company. Outside, it is New England in winter.
One could get used to a place like this. It could become part of one's routine. Good thing I was only there for a short visit. Or else, I would really be missing this place. And wondering what might have been. Bostonians, I salute you! You've got a piece of Cannes in your backyard. Do not overlook it. If you don't recognize that La Voile is exceptional, then that is your loss, not mine. A brasserie like this does not come around every day.
And if you come, remember to look at the framed photos on the wall. They alone are worth the cost of admission. If you disagree, then the next round is on me.Listed in: Boston on a Budget
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Review from Jeannie H.
Boston, MA
5/8/2011
Meh.
Newbury street has never been the destination for great food. However, it does afford outdoor seating and interesting people watching, which is how I ended up at La Voile.
ATMOSPHERE - Lovely outdoor patio area, which is wonderful on a sunny day.
SERVICE - Perfectly fine.
FOOD - Let me preface that I'm a French food snob. It's my cuisine of choice and there are some very decent choices in the city for French fare.
Steak Tartar - I have a love affair with steak tartar and one of the best places to get it is the Eastern Standard. La Voile just used a bad cut of meat....it was chewy, fibrousy, and wasn't trimmed. I did like the fact that the meat was chopped and not ground giving it much more texture but I just don't like chucks of fat and connective tissue minced into my steak tartare. It was then doused in Worcester sauce (not my seasoning of choice), which only gave the mean a deep brown hue. The fries on the side were perfectly crisp and salted. I also got the risotto of the day, which was saffron and spinach. The risotto was totally overcooked and boggy.
I won't be back unless they refine the items on the menu a bit. -
Review from Tyler M.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2011
If you like a more authentic French dining experience then you'll love La Voile. Excellent food, the service is top notch (don't expect American-style fake exuberance) and interesting decore.
We went for brunch/lunch and had some amazing mussels, mimosas, (best ever) French onion soup and baguette sandwiches.
Must return soon to try more food. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the experience. -
Review from Dinara E.
Shrewsbury, MA
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
The fish soup was very good with fresh croutons, cheese, and a garlic aioli on the side. The asparagus and pruischetto risotto was PERFECT! I didn't have to add salt and pepper to anything. My steak was perfectly cooked and didn't have much grizzle. But when I looked at someone else's plate... his cut was mostly fat. Luck of the draw I suppose. Just a side note for new comers- this place is small and saves space by seating everyone next to each other and you have to LITERALLY move the table for people to be seated. Not joking, the waitors remove the table for you to be seated against the padded wall and then they put it back so your companion can sit across from you.
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Review from Andrea S.
Boston, MA
1/19/2011
I must have walked by this place a million times and never paid it any attention. Then one evening, desperate to get out of the snow and in need of a drink, I stumbled to this cozy bar.
As one of very few bar patrons, I received prompt, attentive service and maybe even a little bonus. My empty wine glass was topped off as a little extra treat.
Plus the accents are killer, too. I'll be back for dinner. -
Review from Alexis K.
Boston, MA
6/23/2011
Every thing about this restaurant made me smile. The restaurant transforms you to France. We were greeted warmly and given that it was about to rain we sat inside the restaurant which is charming.. The food was delicious plus the service enjoyable. Even when the waiter made a mistake about what type of carpaccio was served and I was served salmon as opposed to beef he handled the mistake with humor. The duck was delicious plus the pommes frites best. If you want to be transported to France go to La Voile. We will surely return.
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Review from Alex B.
3/13/2011
Came here for restaurant week as their menu looked quite good. I was a little upset by the duck confit salad as the pieces of duck were tough like a jerkey. The foi gras appetizer was delicious (the blackberry sauce made it for me). The curry mussels and frites were good and they give you a ton. I felt as though the Beef prepared two ways was a tad bland, however, the slow cooked beef was a tad better. The peach tart was awesome and the creme brulee was adequate.
I found it intriguing that they had moved the entire restaurant and servers over from france. That really added to that authentic feeling. I kind of wish the space was bigger as I felt as though people to my left and right were practically on top of us as my gf and I actually made good conversation talking about what seemed to be the first date efforts of the kid right next to us.
Our server was nice and helpful on a good wine selection.
I would like to return for wine and cheese one the outdoor patio opens up so we can do some people watching. -
Review from Kelsey C.
8/17/2011
La Voile seems to be as unpredictable as sailing...
The bread was awful and had clearly been sitting out all day, but the appetizer Les betteraves was a great salad of mixed greens evenly coated with sweet honey vinaigrette.
Le filet de rouget was my lucky catch. This fresh, tender, tastes-like-fish-but-not-too-fishy red snapper tempered with olive tapenade was to complement and enhance the flavor of the fish, and the baby artichoke with tomato confit was divine.
Tragically, Le carré ruined an otherwise amazing dinner. The rack of lamb was probably cooked sous-vide but someone forgot to season it. In short, it was juicy and tender but tasted like well...lamb. The tomato provencale looked scrumptious enough to compensate for the lamb but its unmistakable mediocrity was clearly a fail.
To round out the good, the bad, and the ugly, the side of scalloped potatoes was the rogue wave that sunk the ship. You see, with great power comes great responsibility when using cream. A little bit of cream can add a powerful degree of richness to a dish, but over-enthusiasm made the potatoes nauseating for those with taste buds and deadly for those with lactose intolerance.
Overall, the service was irreproachable, the salad was sweetly satisfying, and the ravishing red snapper was a palate-pleaser, but the bad bread and lewd lamb gave me some bad blood...literally, since the lamb was medium rare...Frankly, everything but the bread and the lamb was at least 4 stars, but I'm docking for the shameful lamb, which I deem as offensive as bad sushi in Japan. -
Review from Katy F.
Boston, MA
8/28/2010
I hate writing bad reviews, especially after just one visit. But I guess that's the problem with a bad first time experience - you'll never risk going back again to give it another shot.
Last night was my first and final visit to La Voile. Place looked adorable, loved the French feel. My friend and I grabbed two stools at the cute little bar and settled in. The bartender was new and nice and made fantastic cocktails, the rest of the place, well...
My friend ordered food off the Restaurant Week menu, I ordered the striped bass and was REALLY looking forward to it. Too bad I never got to try it. They appetizer portion of her 3-course meal came out on time. Beet and goat cheese salad. Very yummy. We happily ate it, they took our empty plate away, and we waited...and waited...and waited...until finally an hour went by and we were still entree-less. When we asked about the timeline of our food we saw frantic checking of the screen as to what was ordered, some mumbling about putting the order in, then someone run off to the kitchen.
Yeah, they forgot about us.
Now, typically, this isn't a big deal to me. It happens. I'm very understanding and have no problems waiting longer for my meal. That is, IF the restaurant is honest with me. Just man up and apologize and tell me you forgot. No harm done. La Voile choose to handle the situation quite differently.
We were told that our food was INDEED being cooked, but this was a "French restaurant" and "French food takes much longer to cook." Lé B.S.
We expressed our disappointment and said thanks, but no thanks, we didn't want to wait. We were given a unapologetic look and another "It'll be out shortly! French food take a long time!" Come on, now. There's no excuse for an hour wait between the app and the entree. Even IF the entree takes a longer than normal time to cook, then the kitchen/waitstaff needs to time the delivery of the first course to reflect that. La Voile forgot our order, plain and simple, and was now trying to rush our food through the kitchen to make it seem otherwise. Sorry, but I'm not paying $26 for hastily made striped bass.
We told them yet again that we were leaving and the maître d' gave us our check and said he "removed all the food off the bill." We had a bread basket, a beet, and a cut of goat cheese. Thanks? How about comping us that extra round of $14 wines we ordered while we sat for an hour waiting for our meal that wasn't coming?
Je suis désolé, La Voile, but I will not be coming back. -
Review from Faith N.
Allston-Brighton, MA
12/6/2010
This place is, indeed, French.
The service was pretty good, but it wouldn't hurt to be a little more warm. Having said that, the food was good.
I had an the endive salad appetizer, which was pretty small but I that was all I really needed.
We shared a really great desert of chocolate mousse.
I might go back if I'm in the area.. what would really lure me back was if La Voile became a certified green restaurant.
I don't have a lot of extra cash to dine out, so from now on I'm trying to spend my money at businesses who take extra steps to make their practices as sustainable as possible.
There need to be more certified green restaurants on Newbury street, since it's such a hub for restaurants and foodies. -
Review from Megan K.
Wrigleyville, Chicago, IL
7/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
What a gem! So unique and authentically french! We just sat at the bar but would have loved to have stayed for dinner. Will try to come back when next in Boston! Great original cocktails and they gave us free aps with our drinks (I think it's standard).
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Review from Me B. M.
Reading, MA
10/14/2010
STRANGE seating layout left us practically joined by our nearest table. The chairs are ridiculously uncomfortable...which one of my party mentioned to the manager only to be told, "But they are very expensive and imported from France!" Like that means we should be honored for the backache or something.
Pretentious does not even begin to explain how silly the atmosphere is. It is like dinner theater where a bunch of actors are pretending to be sophisticated French gourmands. This would be fine if the food measured up. It simply did not. Not in flavor, technique, or presentation.
I will not be back. -
Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
6/22/2010
I broke my "no Newbury restaurants" rule for this place only because I heard it was as authentic as you could get for French food.
Enter the completely French waitstaff who greet you as you come in ("Bon soir"). Queue the totally French waiter who, after I returned a "Bon soir" to him when we were seated, cocked his head, assessed me, and proceeded to ask if I wanted tap or bottled in French with a slightly haughty, challenging lilt to his voice. I turned to my non-French-speaking boyfriend, translated, and replied in English.
Yeah, this place is French.
Our double date party split the "Gourmandise" to start: a trio of foie gras as a terrine, crème brulée & pan-seared, as well as some bone marrow. Rich, rich and yummy. Of course, like any normal human (i.e. not French), I could only eat this once every 6 months or so, but boy was it worth it.
Entrees: I can't remember what everyone got (there was a lot of mixing and mingling and tasting), but the stand out was probably "Le homard entier poëlé, brunoise de céléri et marron, bisque de homard", aka pan-seared lobster with chestnut and celery root, and bisque sauce. So delicious, creamy and decadent. My entree was the Bouillbaisse, and it was certainly plentiful, but something about the taste put me off. Lots of "fresh from the ocean", not enough "seasoned so you don't feel like you just swallowed a mouthful of Atlantic".
For dessert, the creme brulee was good but surprisingly not mindblowingly. Would be curious to try the other ones next time. And yes, it's good enough to warrant a next time.Listed in:
Hoping to challenge…">Ethnic Boston: Authentic,…, Date Night ($100+) -
Review from Angelos K.
Cambridge, MA
6/28/2010
UPDATE:
After a week my friend and I finally talked about this and I found out to my astonishment that La Voile had the nerve to call my friend and talk to her about putting up the recap of our night on yelp (which she didn't even do, as it was me who put this up). During the call they did not offer a hint of an apology for our poor experience but rather tried to convince her that our experience was normal (perhaps at La Voile it actually is!). Restauranteurs who not only treat their clientele poorly at the restaurant by offering bad food and poor service but who also do not offer any apologies either during or after the unfortunate event deserve zero stars in my book.
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Interesting concept, nice setting, but improperly cooked and often stale food and unhospitable staff, especially the maitre d. Had spoiled mussels a month ago that were not only bad but undercooked but liked the environment so when a friend made reservations there yesterday I decided to give it another shot. Not a good idea. My tuna was stone cold and terribly underseasoned. When i sent it back and had to watch my friends eat their dinners while i ate my frites, had to wait over 10 minutes before the maitre d bothered to show up and when i told him i was tired of waiting and didn't want it anymore he told me that they wouldn't charge for it as if it was my fault and doing me a favor!!!??... Horrible manners and completely unapologetic, his attitude pissed me off and ruined the night.
If you want french food, go to Aquitaine or Gaslight. You will actually enjoy yourselves rather than spend a bunch of money and go home angry AND hungry. -
Review from Jenn W.
Boston, MA
8/26/2011
I love that there's a teeny bit of France that doesn't require a plane ticket. From the "Bonsoir" greeting all the way through to the too-decadent-to-finish chocolate mousse, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We dined here during restaurant week.
There was a wait for our cocktails, but they were well worth it. I can't remember what mine was called, but it had coconut and lime and rum and was full of yum! There's a little bar just inside the entrance that was so adorable that I want to go back just for cocktails. The endive salad with poached pear was a little bitter overall for my tastes, but the bites that had both the blue cheese and pear in them rounded out the bitterness into a smooth well-rounded palate. My salmon was cooked perfectly and was accompanied by the most amazing basil mashed potatoes. The chocolate mousse was rich and creamy with a strawberry on top. I'm not one to leave any dessert behind, but this was so rich that even my chocolate addiction couldn't conquer it...good thing there are to-go boxes. -
Review from Thierry B.
Lexington, MA
8/14/2011
Definitely one of the best restaurant in Boston. The Team is very welcoming, charming and professional. Good mix of french and american staff. The sole fish is always cooked to perfection, and their risotto is simply delicious, either as a starter or main dish. Interesting wine list. I always recommend La Voile to friends visiting Boston and none has been disappointed so far
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Review from Gregg S.
Waltham, MA
4/19/2010
I disagree with the reviewer who said "La Voile offers an authentic French dining experience." In many ways, La Voile is a far better experience than a Parisian bistro.
The menu, wine list and staff are - of course - very French. What La Voile lacks is the bored, disinterested waitstaff, the "be grateful we even allow you to eat here" attitude - the 'je ne sais quoi' - that characterizes many Parisian bistros (not all, certainly, and definitely not most cafes).
I've been to La Voile several times, and we love it every time. If the season is right, get an outside table. Even though it's on Newbury St, the patio is slightly below street level, so you don't feel like you're eating in a busy parking lot. It's all brick and dark, cozy romantic, with pleasantly muted lighting. The staff has always been attentive and friendly, willing to answer questions without disdain. When we've had to wait for a table, someone has taken a drink order and brought over a small plate of amuse-bouche.
The food is wonderful. It doesn't make many (any?) concessions to American tastes. I didn't grow up eating French food, but something about the food feels like home. The bistro classics like onion soup are here (let's face it - some people would freak out of this staple wasn't on the menu). Far better are the salads, some with blue cheese and poached pears, others with truffled asparagus. Several of the appetizers are truly decadent: the pate is rich and meaty; any of the fois gras options are meaty, redolent and perfectly prepared; and the bone marrow is unctuous, barbaric, almost obscene - and obscenely tasty - and not for everyone.
The entrees are also very French, very bistro. The roasted pork shank is extremely flavorful and rich. The steak frites is exactly what you'd expect: juicy, perfectly cooked and delicious. so is the filet.
But La Voile is more Mediterranean than Parisian, so the seafood really shines. I absolutely love the roasted striped bass: cooked simply, with clams and mussels, buttery sauteed leeks and an intensely flavorful mushroom cream sauce. The sole meuniere is old-school French bistro, and lives up to the hype: flaky, delicate, traditional, and simply served with a buerre blanc - and for the full-on dinner-theater entertainment, it's expertly deboned at the table. The grilled sea bass is very similarly cooked and presented, though a bit more 'meaty' than the sole.
I fully intend to save room for dessert the next time we go...unless the specials sound really good.... -
Review from Kirkwood J.
Houston, TX
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food, service, Frites good. Ask for outside seats if the weather is good!
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Review from Mike D.
Wellesley, MA
10/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
My wife and I went here for our anniversary. Al fresco dining on October 10th in Boston... This place is really good. instead of getting entrees, we got a bunch of appetizers....asparagus salad, foie gras both ways, risotto, beef tartare, escargots, dessert trio. It was a great meal all around.
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Review from Tom E.
6/20/2008
Wonderful, all the joys of French food, French wine, French waiters and French music without the waiting on a cross-channel ferry for 4 smelly seasick hours just to disembark to the latest farmer strike, road blocks with burning bales of hay and French people abusing you left right and centre, often by proxy with their annoying small dogs who probably also smoke ludicrously thin menthol cigarettalettes like their owners do.
I'm English - can you tell we don't like France that much?
It's true, it's a war/rivalry thing - only 1000-odd years old, nothing much. And you'd certainly think it wasn't much if your saw how many of my people swarm to the South of France each year and how many French Cafes are dotted across London. We hate them, but we love their food and their country.
I was very "what what?" when I heard of La Voile and it's hauled-over from Cannes heritage. And with a solid group of all-star Yelpers (nearing dream-team status) we set about devouring the best on offer, save for the $999 bottle of wine and the many Foie Gras options. Good Yelpers don't let other Yelpers Foie their Gras. Take note.
I had the pistachio-rabbit terrine and then the chorizo cod, followed by the mini-dessert ensemble that comes with an espresso. It felt good to eat a rabbit. Made me feel like a proper French bastard, that kind that traipse onto your farm and shoot what they want. The cod was fall-apart perfect but a very poor choice for me as it was light and bland in comparison to my wine and the oh-my-giddy-aunt amazingness of the duck a l'orange and bernaise steaks I was invited to dabble with. I won with the dessert though. Although winning at the game of dessert is not something a guy should really celebrate.
The lighting, the atmosphere, the real french garcons and the way they all hungout by the bar at the end of the night made me feel very on holiday. At points the whole affair came close to 'cliched themed French restaurant' but always managed to pull back to just being fantastic.
Those sly and slippery untrustworthy French! Getting away with it again! -
Review from Kiwi H.
6/6/2008
Seven friends, three courses, two types of wine, one charming waiter, one warmly lit restaurant and too many different dishes of delicious food to count. An excellent dinner for catching up, laughs, special moments, and savouring many bites. One restaurant from Cannes placed in replica in Boston's Back Bay on Newbury, and fresh, authentic French Mediterranean cuisine to take you to the French Riviera in food and ambiance.
At first, we were grumbly. We were hungry, we weren't sure if they would seat us until our whole party was there, and there wasn't much room for a waiting area. We were more than willing to have a drink at the bar while we waited, but the 6 or so seats were all full! And there really wasn't much standing room. That's not going to be fun in the winter. Oh well. They seated us before the last two people arrived though, and our table was nicely set up, and we were happy again.
The staff was lovely. Our server, Yann, was charming, funny, and polite, and was everything a good server in an upscale restaurant should be, in my opinion anyway. And all the waiters speak French, and I'm pretty sure they are all French. It was nice that he seamlessly conversed with me in French all evening and with the non-French-speaking ppl in English all night, very well done! Overall, great service I thought.
Presentation of the food is lovely. Simple and elegant, and interesting elements like the beautiful lidded pot for the mussels, the jar for the mousse, the cast iron mini-pots for the fries/salad etc. Sheer delight and 'wow' spread across the faces of the table when the rib-eye steak for two was brought out. A beautiful, luscious, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender hunk of fillet sliced up in front of us to split between two. The rest: duck a l'orange, cod with chorizo, mussels, were also delicieux. Desserts: excellent creme brulee, beautiful tarts, and the texture of the mousse was fantastic. A wonderful meal ran us about $65 each including tip.
My favourite restaurant for traditional French food is still always my beloved Petit Robert. But honestly, I can't compare the two: they are just different. Petit Robert is excellent for delicious more traditional French fare. This spot is excellent for French food of the Mediterranean variety. It's just different styles that's all. It's like... the way coastal Italian places are more well-known for seafood, whereas central Italy is pastas and meats and north is risotto and stuff. Loosely based comparisons, I know, but my point is: they're both good authentic French, just regional differences. If people come here looking for a traditional French brasserie, they will find it but one that is *mostly* more Mediterranean, but still delicious and well done.
Last notes: you can just ask for tap water. Upscale restaurants usually do (and should) offer still or sparkling and yeah, you pay for it! Nice nautical theme. If you reserve a table for more than 7ppl (so, 8+) they require credit card to hold, in case you cancel last-minute and that'd be a $30 charge. That's ok with me, I understand. Some things were not the most mouthwatering French food I've ever had but the good stuff was great, and this is now, along with Petit Robert, is in my top two for French food in Boston. Bienvenue et felicitations!
PS, One of my really close friends who is from Monaco, who grew up eating food from Southern France/Mediterranean style French food is absolutely enamored with this place and has decided it's her favourite restaurant in Boston. How's that for a seal of approval?Listed in: "Live to Eat" not "Eat to…
