Happen to stumble upon La Reserve while walking through Amboise. Had a great bottle of wine to accompany my light and tasty French onion soup and pork filet.
While the wine was certainly the highlight of the meal, the soup and pork were both quite nice. What I really like about French dining is the time between courses and the ability to linger while enjoying ones wine and of course coffee to end the meal. Overall, La Reserve was a nice dining experience with very pleasant service. I would come back!
![5]( "Recensione")
For perspective: we are an American couple, were in France for our honeymoon, and I speak a little French. We spent two nights in Amboise and this was one of the two places we had dinner. The first night we couldn't get a table, but the next day we made a reservation in the afternoon. The concierge at our hotel recommended it, but we were a bit alarmed when we checked the Yelp reviews. We went anyway and it was great. Other Yelp reviews have complained about the service, and I'll just note that here (like many places in France) it really really helps if you at least make an effort to speak French. Also, you need to understand that they have different expectations about how fast the meal will progress, how/when to give you the bill, etc.
As for the food, we shared an entree (appetizer); I don't remember what, to be honest, but I think it was good? The main courses were excellent. I had duck confit and my wife had steak. The steak was very good (better than others we had in France). The duck confit was probably the best dish I had on the whole trip. Dessert was also delicious. They have good local wines, and you can get a half-bottle carafe if you want to save a few euros.
It was a bit pricey, but since Amboise is a small tourist town that seems to be typical. We would definitely recommend eating here.
This restaurant definitely deserves better reviews, based on my experience. After touring the Chateau, we were looking to eat someplace nearby. Every cafe on the street was very busy, including this one, but they made room for us right away. The price fixe two course menu was such a bargain. The salad Provençal was just delicious, and the steak and fries were perfectly cooked. Service was friendly and attentive, and since it's right across from the Chateau the view is very nice. We ate outside, and I didn't go in, but it looked pretty enough.
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