Cafe Campagne

I started with an Alsace Pinot Gris (by the glass) and it was lovely; it was dry with a hint of sweet that went perfectly with our meal. We decided to try as much as possible without stuffing ourselves so we split everything.

We started with Escargots de Bourgogne, wild Burgundy snails roasted with parsley, garlic and shallot butter. I must admit, the mental picture of Burgundy snails running wild gave me a giggle. When the escargot arrived, it was a gorgeous lush green from the parsley and the flavor was sublime...we ordered additional bread to ensure that all the sauce was sopped up and enjoyed. Next was the Soupe du jour, a lovely carrot ginger puree that made my taste buds dance.

After the soup came the Salade verte with Roquefort. I must say, there is something to be cherished about a salad simply dressed with the finest ingredients. Truly, it was green (mostly green, some purple) lettuce leaves dressed with a simple vinaigrette and topped with crumbles of Roquefort...very, very basic, and absolutely divine.

Our entree, Truite aux amandes (pan-sauteed boneless trout with steamed potatoes and an almond, lemon and brown butter pan sauce), arrived swimming in brown butter. The almonds were seated atop the fish, golden brown and fragrant. Initially, it seemed as though the trout were overly doused in the brown butter...until we tasted it. The brown butter had a perfectly nutty flavor and was outstanding. Again, more bread was needed for sopping purposes. The fish itself was a bit of a nonevent, it truly didn't taste like much of anything but I rarely enjoy trout so this could be exactly how it is supposed to taste. The sauce definitely made the dish.

Our server provided impeccable service, appearing when needed but never hovering. Overall, it was a wonderful, romantic evening - I highly recommend Cafe Campagne when you're near Post Alley.

Posted 09/17/08

Great happy hour, great dinner menu, and I must agree with the below reviewer: this is a wondeful, quaint and romantic restaurant with a cozy yet sophisticated atmosphere. Considering where Cafe Campagne is located and how it is situated, this has got to be one of the most well placed restaurants in the city. It's definitely the best place to be on a rainy Seattle day, but the patio is great for sunny days as well. The best calamari I have ever had, great trout, amazing Cassoulet. I see why this place gets all the hype...

Pros: atmosphere, location, food, wine, people

Cons: parking parking parking

Posted 04/16/08

I came here for dinner the other night for the first time. The restaurant is tucked into Pike Place market and holds a quaint, romantic atmosphere. It is classy but still friendly and comfortable. Not knowing much about French wine, the waitress was very helpful in helping me pick out something fitting of my palette. My date and I split both the steak and trout, and unlike the reviewer below, I thought the trout was delicious. While it was cooked in a lot of butter, it came out piping hot and practically melted in my mouth. The almonds atop (which I normally am not a fan of) were the perfect touch and flavor. We also had dessert and coffee, both great. It was a perfect night - great ambiance, food, service and company.

Pros: Atmosphere, food, knowledgable staff

Posted 01/28/08

I was so dissapointed in this place. We were greeted by a snoby hostess who showed us to our seats w/o a single hello. Our waiter was even worse. He had a snobby attitude and acted like we were not good enough to eat at the restaurant. I ordered the pork and chicken liver pate which was dry and overly salty. I also had the trout which came in a bath of oil and butter. It was seasoned poorly and they just dumped a handful of almonds on top. I would not eat here again even if the meal was free. I don't know why people like this place.

Posted 01/24/08

I stopped by Cafe Campagne after some co-workers had told me that they were offering a happy hour menu. I love the place for brunch, but hadn?t ever thought of staying downtown to enjoy it after work. We had some delicious, light appetizers and well priced wines from the Happy Hour menu, but the atmosphere is what really knocked me back. It is a whole different feel at night. The whole place seems to glow in the candlelight, the music was great and the staff was upbeat and attentive. I?m hooked!

Posted 11/25/07

We somehow lucked out last week (on the first warm, sunny afternoon of the season) to wind up sitting on the cafe's patio for lunch...I know it's just Pike Place Market, but something about that alley made us feel like we were somewhere in Europe. The meal was great! From the perfectly crusty bread and french butter all the way through our (mandatory) steak frites, there were no complaints. The service was there, but only when needed, and pretty pleasant. Make sure to check it out when you can sit outside!

Posted 04/13/07

While the food at Cafe Campagne is some of the best cuisine you'll find around the Pike Place Market, the staff is a little undesirable. After walking in to a somewhat empty restaurant on a late weekday evening, the hostesses ignored us for several moments while they finished their conversation. Additionally, our waitress seemed very ignorant of the menu and French cuisine in general. I have taken French classes and studied abroad in Paris for more than 6 years, but the waitress kept correcting my pronounciations of the food (incorrectly, I might add) and treated both my date and myself as though we were not worth her time. I could name several other French restaurants in the Seattle area that have food just as good but with staff members that act far less important.

Pros: authentic French cuisine

Cons: wait staff, ambience, food is too salty

Posted 04/09/07

LOVE Cafe Campagne. So much so that it's become a "tradition" for us to lunch here after wandering around the market. The sauteed calamari is spectacular and all of their soups du jour have been perfect especially on a rainy day. My personal fave is the lamb burger. MAke sure that you get plenty of their bread, it's great for the sauce that comes with the calamari. Haven't tried the desserts here yet but they look great (we usually wander down the block to Rose's Chocolates for dessert/coffee).

Pros: Great food and service

Cons: Parking can be a problem

Posted 02/08/07

All the food here is amazing. My favorite is the chicken leg with homemade sage noodles and garlic. The sage noodles add great texture to the chicken and the garlic infuses the plate with great, sweet flavor. It's to die for. For desert try the cheese and fig platter.

Posted 12/11/06

i agree with an earlier reviewer who mentioned there isn't anything better on a drab, dreary seattle day than sitting down to the warm cassoulet whipped up by cafe campagne. yes, the service can be dicey sometimes. and for european cafe ambience they measure up far far short of le pichet. . . but that cassoulet makes up for everything. i meet alot of out-of-towners at my bar and during the cold months i always mention that for lunch, they need to make sure they have cassoulet at cafe campagne.

Pros: cassoulet

Cons: spotty, inconsistent service

Posted 10/11/06

I had a great carrot ginger soup for lunch and a small salad. The food was great, however we waited, and waited, and waited for the salad course following the soup, and it took about 45 min before someone checked on us to see if we had everything. When we told her we needed the salad she was rude about it, like it was our fault they never brought it out. I sat on the Patio, that was really nice, and would go back; but not with clients again.

Posted 08/03/06

This cafe has real French bistro ambience and just the right amt of bustle. Service is fine. Unfortunately one is underwhelmed by the food. Duck confit was not true confit. Steak tartare generous portion was sadly bland. Cheese plate with only 3 cheeses *that was OK*, but postage stamp amount for $12, is not OK. Very noisy. There are better places, altho the Market location is nice.

Pros: location

Cons: food, high priced wine, noise

Posted 07/24/06

Ah the cassoulet, is anything more wonderful on a drizzly evening in Seattle or Paris?
I have been going to Campagne since Peter Lewis first opened this charming restaurant, and Cafe Campagne is a food lovers delight. I've been reading some of the reviews and agree it is not for everyone, but it certainly is for me. The pate is the best in downtown Seattle, that and a good glass of wine can turn a dreary day into a good evening.

Pros: Great bistro atmosphe

Cons: Parking, hard to find

Posted 05/21/06

Cafe Campagne is hands down one of the best restaurants in the area. Always a food lover but not necessarily a fan of French food, this restaurant completely changed my culinary palette. I've eaten at some truly amazing restaurants and I can't name a single person that I've recommended Cafe Campgne to that didn't leave wanting more.

Pros: Food, Wine, Service

Posted 05/21/06

This is a great place in the market. The dishes are some of the better French food I have tasted in Seattle (try the croque monsieur), the prices are reasonable, and it has a good ambience. The portions are small and the wait staff can be a little, uh French if you catch my drift, but I still go there and enjoy my experiences every time.

Pros: food, ambience, people watching

Posted 05/08/06

I just read through all of the other reviews, and well... I just do not understand how people could not love it. I have been going there for years, the service is always friendly. They are not going to over chat you, personally I enjoy that. They answer the questions, bring my drinks, bring my food, and clear my table... and of course they ask me how everything is. I just do not understand some of the comments about about the high turn over. Anyway, enough about the servers. I love the Cafe, I will continue to eat there, and I will continue to love every minute of it. If you are to cheap and you need bigger portions, go to old country buffet.

Posted 04/05/06

The Cafe is one of my favorite places to dine in the Market area. The service staff is informed without arrogance, and friendly without invasiveness. There is not a better restaurant in the Market area for good reasonable food. However, the reality is that the real jem is the wine list- great for people who are really interested in wine and tired of restaurants who dumb-down their wine lists for the average American. The ambiance of the restaurant changes with the time of day. Brunch on the weekends is a bit busy- I would not recommend it for someone who is looking for a quiet, intimate, leisurely breakfast; of course, I also do not recommend the Market for people who want quiet shopping Saturday morning. Lunch and dinner are both elegant and comfortable- this is a great place to take a date or even a large group of friends.

Pros: Informed Service, Wine List, Great Food

Cons: Hard to find Parking

Posted 02/27/06

The Cafe is always a delight. The food is delicious, the service friendly and knowledgeable but never invasive. My experiences there have always been positive, it's the perfect place to while away an afternoon with some wine and a good friend.
Brunch is a bit of a madhouse, but a weekend at a busy restaurant is always a bit of a crapshoot. Go for dinner and try the duck confit salad and the mussels. Don't bring the kids.

Posted 02/20/06

This little joint is so cozy and lovely. I was at Cafe Campagne last week for dinner and it knocked my socks off! The brandade de morue was the best I've ever had and the cassoulet.... for get about it! This place just gets better and better.

Pros: its the entire packag

Posted 02/16/06

I read the previous review with hopes that both the reviewer and those new to Cafe Campagne would consider this person's experience a one off event. Although Cafe Campagne's service doesn't rival the mechanical efficiency of your run of the mill chain, it does deliver the genuine experience found throughout Paris. This is a place to relax and let the experience come to you. If you need to be in and out in 45 minutes, this isn't the right place for you. Sit back, enjoy a glass of wine and the Parisian atmosphere Cafe Campagne so adequately generates.

Posted 02/15/06

Always look forward to having the wonderful omlette however last Sunday I was VERY disappointed. The service was dreadful. I sat at the counter and had dirty dishes next to me for 45 minutes, when somebody did think to clear she spilled water all over. I waited for almost an hour before having to ask where my meal was. No water, little coffee no bread......not a good experience overall and it just wasnt that busy.

Pros: wonderful foor

Cons: terrible service

Posted 02/01/06

The first time I dined at Café Campagne, it was a bit of a surprise to my wallet; however, spending $50 for an appetizer, entrée, glass of wine, and dessert is pretty reasonable. My shock came from the fact that, at the time, I was a rather poor student. Regardless, the cheese appetizer was delicious with a fair variation of different styles, the roasted chicken entrée was full of flavor, the wine suited the entreé well, and the chocolate marquise was a great finish! The second time I dined at the Café, I paid more attention to my dining partner than the meal itself; but, I found the food to be just as delicious that time as the first. The service has always been a plus, in my eyes - if I want a casual, laid-back environment, I go to Café Campagne.

Pros: Delicious food, Friendly staff

Posted 10/09/05

Nevermind the fast-food-as-gourmet and the Swanson-tv-dinner-is-my-norm reviews that are posted here. This is a quaint, charming, always inviting little bistro with deliciously simple french comfort food. If you do fast food on a routine basis, if swanson dinners are your bread & butter, if your idea of good is some Microwave-It-&-Plate-It,-All-You-Can-Eat-until-You-Are-CostCo-Supersized-Buffet joint, then please, don't go here. If you want to inspire your repetoire of comfort foods and have a epicurean delight, then come on in and enjoy.

Pros: simple french, BREAKFAST, DESSERT

Cons: a little popular, on weekends

Posted 09/25/05

My wife and I have dined here for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 20 years. Obviously, we like it well enough to return. A "users manual" would be helpful for newbies. Do have breakfast on weekdays; do have lunch at 11:30 am; dine early; don't go on hot (for Seattle) days; don't go for lunch at 1 pm on Saturday, or dinner at 7:30 pm. Do sit at the bar. Do eat outside if the weather is good. Croque monsieur is excellent, as are the fries, and the cassoulet. There is usually only one good wine by the glass. The atmosphere ranges from wonderful to dismal. The inherent inconsistency can be decreased by following some of the guidelines.

Pros: Paris on a good day, Pommes frites, location

Cons: Can be noisy, Can be slow, Crowded, sometimes

Posted 07/28/05

This is a true treasure if you want 'real bistro-style food". The menu is small, as it should be and includes things like steak tartare. Its bustling atmosphere is very bistro as is the casual, but efficient service. Only negatives are: tables are elbow to elbow, cheese serving for dessert is minisucle for the price, and the duck confit, was not true confit. Still a nice place to go while you are in the Market area.

Pros: food, location

Cons: high priced wines

Posted 06/15/04

The food was nicely done, though the kitchen seems to underbuy for weeknights (we went on a Tuesday and she settled on two entrees before finding one they had on hand). The wine list is adequate, but should be better being right under the full-fledged Campagne. Desserts were delicious, as was the coffee.

The room is warm and quiet, but gets crowded and loud when there are lots of people. It's a great place for a romantic date, but go on a weeknight and early, or late. Avoid the crowd and you'll be happy you went.

Pros: Food, Location, Service

Cons: , Stuffy, Average wine list

Posted 03/25/04

Cafe Campagne is a good restaurant...as long as you are having dinner there, and even that has become unpredictable. They have taken a small, quiet atmosphere and placed rotating music acts that are so loud that you have trouble hearing the others at your table. The service, which once was solid, now appears to be disinterested and unknowledgable. The management is obviously having difficulties running the place.

Pros: Wine list

Cons: Service, Location

Posted 01/13/04

I like the Cafe much better than upstairs. Campagne always feels stuffy to me with waiters that are told to act the French waiter stereotype. Downstars in the cafe is much more relaxed, the wait staff is more friendly, the food more rustic, all around a more plesant atmosphere. Very nice food, space, service, etc.

Pros: Food, Wine

Posted 12/08/03

I live nearby and have eaten here several times. Service is slow, but "we'd like you to linger" slow, not "we don't care about you" slow. Food always arrives hot and very, very good. I'm impressed with the kitchen and the recipes. Furthermore, when I visited with a vegetarian friend, the very nice waiter happily offered to have the kitchen prepare a vegetarian dish not on the menu. The prices are too high for what you get, but the nearly-real French-cafe atmosphere is warm & inviting, and the food's really good. In fact, I'm going back today!

Pros: Delicious, Atmosphere, Accommodating

Cons: High price, Hard seats

Posted 10/23/03

Good, quiet restaurant. Prices are normal for a restaurant of that sort. But like I said - there is nothing exciting about this place.

Posted 09/09/03

This place is way over-priced. Whitle the food is tasty and service is efficient; its high price does not warrant the dining experience.

Posted 01/29/03

Find something nicer! After debating whether or not to eat here for months, my boyfriend and I finally went inside. While the decor and music are very nice, the service and food are terrible. The food is overpriced-the crispy duck was $17 and only came with one duck leg and 4 tiny potato slices (no exaggeration-4 slices). After taking our order (which was after a long wait), our waiter NEVER came back. Someone else delivered our food and gave us water. He never checked to see how we were. While other customers got bread re-fills, we were never offered any (those were customers with the same waiter!).

A generally horrible experience.

Pros: music, ambiance

Cons: prices, service, parking

Posted 01/19/03

I have dined many times at Campagne, but I quite gambling.
Food rated from 2 to 9. Value could be rated between 3 and 8 depending on food. Service however remains stable at 2-4 with an obvious lack of cuisine panache.
The management obviously fails to see the importance of consistency. Read the other reviews for this restaurant and you will see that Campagne lacks management skills. Campagne cannot retain quality waiters that are knowledgeable or courteous?? They cannot train the kitchen staff on quality and promptness?? What a shame, Campagne could be so much more.
I have been searching for the evening I had there when it rated a 10. There is no reason to gamble on the experience of a restaurant when there are so many wonderful and consistent restaurants out there. Are the few moments of relaxation and enjoyment we have worth a gamble? I say no.

Pros: ambiance

Cons: food, service, expensive

Posted 12/12/02

Kent strip malls have better ambiance. Arrogant attitude is offered in lieu of quality service. The menu is a limited sampling of non-creative dishes found around town. All that at high prices - what could be better?

Pros: Location, Parking, Lamb

Cons: Ambience, Limited Menu, Poor Service

Posted 11/05/02

Let me qualify my poor review of Cafe Campagne: I ate there at the tail end of a no-doubt busy brunch, a 45 minute wait for a seat probably prejudiced me, and I had heard so many good things about the place that the actual experience could not help but fall short. None the less: service was slow (not rude, though), it took a few tries to get all of my order to the table, and several items (toasted baguette, syrup, espresso) were cold when they got to us. Also, it was much too hot inside. On the plus side, the food was good (I had the ouef plats, if I remember correctly) when it got to me. I'll try it again, when the staff is a little fresher and it's less crowded.

Posted 07/19/02

This has become my boyfriend's and my favorite restaurant. When its rainy and cold out or I've had a really hard week, this is my favorite place to go because the atmosphere is so warm and comfertable, but still sexy. The food, while not particurally exciting, is still delicious and portioned perfectly. You have to try the icecreams and sorbets that change daily. I've never had so much flavor in one bite...of any food! And what's all the fuss about the service? Maybe as a waitress myself I cut other servers more slack, but it didn't seem like we've had to put up with anything. Yes, your dinner will go at a leisurly pace, but look at this dining room! Why would you want to rush out? Its inviting you to stay.

Pros: atmosphere, dessert

Cons: parking

Posted 06/27/02