Cafe Campagne

We had been to the Campagne Cafe for my birthday in December and loved it. So, we decided to try the upstairs Campagne for my boyfriend's birthday on Friday. Our coats were attended to and we were promptly seated. We almost laughed out loud when the waiter offered us our choice of tap, spring, or sparkling water --- and the pretentiousness didn't end there...later there would be crumb scraping and various loftily-asked questions that we raised our eyebrows at. The ambiance of this restaurant just isn't formal enough for me to expect or accept that level of snootery. The food and wine were awesome, if overpriced. I selected an inexpensive ($11) glass of Bordeaux and my boyfriend got an inexpensive ($12) Merlot. Both were great. The menu selections were limited, but we settled on the truffle & mushroom risotto and the scallop dish. The risotto was incredible and the scallop dish was very good. We had the cheese course afterwards and it was well worth the $15. We also had the creme brulee which is inarguably the best in the city. Our tab was $100+ for two glasses of wine, 2 entrees, a cheese plate, and a dessert. My recommendation would be to dine in the far less "full of itself" downstairs cafe. The food is a little cheaper and is just as good and the atmosphere is far more intimate.

Pros: Great view of the market & waterfront, excellent food and wine list.
Cons: Parking, pretensious waitstaff, need to make reservations well in advance for a weekend night.

I've heard about the legendary brunch Campagne serves just twice a year, but have never been able to get down there. Finally, I planned ahead, managed to get a reservation for Easter and boy what a brunch! The meal was so fantastic that I made a reservation for Mother's Day brunch before I walked out the door. The restaurant was packed with Easter diners, but we felt well taken care of. My Dungeness crab quiche was divine - rich, buttery and light all at the same time. I don't think I've ever had a better quiche. My boyfriend chose the Boeuf'nOeufs (how cute is that) - he was overwhelmed. The steak was so flavorful, cooked perfectly (medium-rare as per our servers recommendation) and served with fried eggs and a great smoky sauce. I can't wait to eat here again!

Took my mom there while she was visiting. We are both "food snobs" and know our way around a restaurant. We were seated quite quickly but then left alone for almost 1/2 hour. Both of us were dressed casual, could this have influenced our service? Food was okay. Nothing notable. Most disappointed was the dessert. We ordered the fig torte and for $9 expected a torte a least big enough for two bites each. When it came, we discovered it was as big as a silver dollar. While good, wasn't worth the price and wish the server had thought to mention the size. Waited another 1/2 hour for our check. Won't go back and won't recommend.

Pros: Coffee
Cons: everything else

Such a huge disappointment. Three people - tried a few items plus a bottle of wine - over $500.00 for a meal that was less than impressive. Didn't finish dessert - just wasn't worth the calories. I also expected better service - the waiter had a hard time covering his tables - it was a Tuesday night - not extremely busy. I can think of a dozen other restaurants to go to - wont return anytime soon.

What a delightful evening! My boyfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to a romantic French dinner and couldn't have picked a better restaurant to do so. The ambiance, the decor and the service were impeccable. The sommelier was always close by for us to ask questions about their impressive wine list, and our waiter Mike was extremely friendly, yet professional and knowledgeable. We just loved this place and wished to have discovered it earlier! We'll definitely go back in a very near future.

Pros: Service, Ambience, Food & Wine!
Cons: None