L'Etoile French Restaurant

I was horribly disappointed with my most recent dining experience at L'Etoile week ago. We were served by Antonio, who was initially very accomodating, but in the end turned out to be a real sleazebag. The problems started when Antonio attempted to open a bottle of wine costing over $100 more than the one we had ordered. Fortunately, the host of our party noticed before the wine was poured, and the bottle was exchanged. Then, there was a mistake with the entree order that took over 15 minutes to correct. In the meantime, one member of our party was without a plate while the rest of us were eating. The clencher, however, was when Antonio brought out the check with a bottle of wine on it that we didn't order, to the tune of $160! After we received the revised check, we noticed that we had been charged for duplicate orders of appetizers that we didn't order! We had to send the check back a total of 3 TIMES before it was correct. Antonio kept acting frustrated, but it was clear that he was the one padding the check, hoping that we had all had too much wine to notice! I would never, ever, step foot into that place again, which is sad considering that it used to be such a classy establishment. Nowadays, however, the food is sub-par, the service is atrocious, and the staff (or at least one particular staff member) will nickel-and-dime you if you let down your guard. Take it from a local, if you are going to drop some significant money on a night out, go to one of the many places in San Antonio where the food is spectacular, and you're not always wondering if the people serving you are out to rip you off. Pros: Establishment appeared clean Cons: Dishonesty of staff, poor service, unimpressive food, disappointing wine menu more

My wife and I had not been there in some time and read about the remodeling and decided to have lunch and see what they've done. No remodeling whatsoever and the smell was atrocious. We waited for a few minutes to be greeted and seated when there was only two tables being occupied in the whole restaurant. The French fellow who seated us had forcefully given us menus and our plates were served in the same manner. He was extremely curt to say the least. He never once checked on us to see how our meal was but he did come to present the bill. The only attentive person there was the person who brought our bread and kept us hydrated. We were very disappointed. Pros: Food Cons: Service more

Something is going on in this restaurant, i have been previous times, and nothing to set it apart.......Good or bad. However i ate with my wife recently and i must say, Our experience was excellent, from the food, to the service, Lovely, simply lovely!!!!!!! Pros: Food, Service, Ambience!! Cons: N/A more

Cons: The man who takes the orders is rude! more

I have traveled through France and Europe on extensive stays and this is restaurant has no comparison to small bistros in France or even in San Antonio like Le Firte that have savory dishes from the menu. Im passionate about food so my boyfriend wanted to take me there and he has seen the plates online on their website and as the other person said they have a lacking menu. NOTHING that is online is on the menu. When we were seated my seat was full of crumbs.Our waiter lived in france throughout highschool and was arrogant, I guess he felt very European since he lived in France for a few years. The worst part of the waiter was that as soon as we paid he took the check and walked five steps and looked to see how much we tipped him!!! I know Im young & so is my boyfriend but we tip well. I ordered a salmon that was supposed to be with chile ancho which is NOT french. If I really wanted something mexican there are PLENTY PLENTY restaurants in San Antonio. There were not many options that looked appealing, like lobster that is broiled and came with butter....anyone can make that at home! My boyfriend ordered the duck and it was moist but not flavorful. My salmon was dull, and had a horrible imitation of pico de gallo but instead it had corn from a can which had nothing to do with the dish. The plate had not a pinch of chile ancho and underneath the salmon was a mushy plain mashed potatoe in a form of a hash brown from mcdonalds. Both the salmons texture and a dull mash potatoes texture do not compliment each other. Even the salad which is really hard to mess up was not good. The salad was drenched in some creamy dressing and did not have anything else , just lettuce. The best part of the meal was my ""french"" martini. The decor is horrible, old pictures of france that do not justify its architecture or attractions. I have seen better pictures of France at Ross. I seriously do not reccomend this restaurant . Pros: Parking, Service Cons: Food, Ambience,Decor more

This restaurants advertises a menu on-line along with items that do not exist at this restaurant - see below from their own web site - however when you arrive all they have is a set menu...... that is lacking to say the least - would never recommend this place - instead you should try La Frite Belgian Bistro on South Alamo great menu and the food and service were excellent... Pros: Good Parking - but then again McDonald's has good paking Cons: Ambience is old and stuff more

I can't begin to describe what a waste of time and money this was. A huge disappointment. We had a reservation, but we had to wait at least five minutes to even be acknowledged by the snooty staff. We were seated on the bleak porch where the seats are too low for the tables. We had a delightful view of the AC unit. Our order was placed incorrectly and there was hardly an apology. The food was bland and slow to arrive at the table. We didn't bother sticking around for dessert. Pros: wine bar Cons: service, parking, food, ambience more

Although, given the competition, the food is acceptable, but the dinning experience as a whole was terrible; I came early, ca. 18.00, and was promptly asked if I had a reservation, I replied no; the response was: ""of course you don't"" accompanied with a fake laugh, I thought this may have been a feeble attempt at humour so I let it go. The Maître D' is typical parisian french, that is to say, he appears to believe his customers are all uncultured and have no idea what good food tastes like, I've lived in Europe all my life and have sampled some of the finest food in the world, and no my friend, your food is acceptable at best. He has to force himself to be courteous to his clientele and this is quite obvious; I think if you have lived in San Antonio your entire life then yes this restaurant will seem good otherwise avoid like a plague if you are not prepared to be the unjustified victim of a culturally condescending cretin and served by staff whos ranks are filled with people who see you as their next tip! Pros: Food and wine Cons: everything else more

My mothers family is from France. We wanted to take my mother and her sister (visiting from Arizona) to a nice French Food Restaraunt. Wanting this to be a surprise for the sisters, we made our reservations and didn't tell them where we were to dine. I have to say, to listen to these sisters enjoy the ambiance of L'etoile, the presentation of the food, the food in itself, the wine, the service and very feel of being home again with the memories of their childhood was a treasure that we thoroughly enjoyed to sit back and partake. Our waitress, Laura (from Romania), was a treasure! From the moment we walked in to the moment we were to walk out, Laura made sure that we were her guests in L'Etoile. Make your reservations early and make them often. Surely this will be a place that we will continue to frequent and you should too. Pros: Great food, great service, valet parking (if needed) Cons: Wouldn't change a thing! more

food, service atmosphere all impeccable !!! Highly reccomend this restaurant to all -- every thig I had was very enjoyable! Pros: food , dessert, wine list more

My girlfriend took my to E'toile for an anniversary dinner and I was blown away by the food and service. I highly recommend the gouda cheese and fig stuffed chicken. My girlfriend's vegetarian medley was very impressive, as most other restaurant have let us down in creating a tasty and appealing vegetarian dish. The service was wonderfully attentive, but not obtrusive. I was very satisfied and would recommend this place for dates and special anniversaries. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance more

My wife and I returned to L'etoile after living in Seattle for 15 years, hoping it had not changed. It was a busy Saturday evening and our hotel concierge had mis-made our reservation for the night before. The maitre'd didn't miss a beat, welcomed us as old friends and prepared a cozy table. The service was excellent, the food outstanding and the friendliness of the staff was amazing. We had a fantastic time, a great meal and now have a wonderful memory. Thank you L'Etoile, we'll be back soon. more

I honestly don't like having to set a reservation when you show up and it is as if you are not expected. They had not prepared our table and I felt that we were not welcomed with open arms. The portions were very small for the price and if it were not for our appetizer I feel that I would have left hungry. We had to order desert that was also very small in size and I thought it was a joke when they brought it to us. Yes, the wine is very expensive if you decide to choose a French vineyard. I also felt that we were constantly trying to flag down our waiter or an assistant to get something we needed. Pros: Ambience Cons: Portions, Service, Price more

Though dressed appropriately, and having arrived sufficiently early (6:00 pm) to a nearly empty dining room, we had a less-than-friendly reception from one of the waiters. He stalked off upon learning that we had (god forbid at that hour), not made a reservation. I would be hard pressed to say whether it was our welcome, the noisy, cartoonish manner in which we were seated by the maitre'd, or the surly looks cast our way by the previously mentioned waiter,that made for more unease within our first few minutes. We found comedy in some serious gaffes by the assistants- An unfinished appetizer plate was snatched quickly and wordlessly from the table, only to be returned with apologies. Ultimately, we did have a pleasant waitress and a decent, if uninspired dinner. Overall, I found L'Etoile to be a caricature of itself- trapped in the 80's with regards to attitude, decor, and cuisine. Pros: soft butter Cons: attitude more

Great food, wonderful cozy atmosphere, attentive staff. Sophisticated but unpretentious. Elegant but casual. more

I have never felt more welcome in a fine dining restaurant! The owner/manager came by our table as often as our server and treated us with such respect as if we had been patrons for decades - and it was our first visit. Highly recommended. Best service I've ever received at a restaurant. Friendly. And the food is equal to their service. Absolutely wonderful experience. Made a special occasion that much more special. more

My sisters took me to L'Etoile for dinner to celebrate my graduation. The food, of course, was wonderful, and the atmosphere was fantastic. The only negative to the experience was that some of the staff were rather discourteous. But the servce was fast and effecient and the waiter was wonderful. I highly recomend the French Onion Soup.... Overall a very fine restaurant! Pros: Great Atmosphere, Great Food, Fast Service Cons: , Snooty more

I have been eating at L'Etoile for over 15 years, and they are always consistent, always fabulous. The food is wonderful (don't forget to order a souffle' for desert), the service wonderful, and the restaurant is a terrific value. Fall in love with French food all over again. Pros: delicious food, good portions, reasonable prices more

L'Etoile is the only true gourmet food in San Antonio. Although there are other good restaurants that try to be gourmet, they still fall short of true gourmet. I know because I grew up in a gourmet household. The food at L'Etoile is superb. Pros: Delicious Food, Romantic Atmosphere, Excellent Service Cons: , Expensive, Small more

After dining at L'Etoile you begin to understand the passion the french have for their food. The selection, taste and presentation are incredible. I suggest the Spring Rolls, Ribeye and any fish on the menu. When you walk in the door your greeted like an old friend. Chef Thierry usually makes his way out of the kitchen and visits with us. It's a little expensive for dinner but worth the price. Pros: Valet, Large Portions, Fresh food Cons: Parking more