Moutarde

Absolutely love this place! Used to go here for brunch every time I was in town. Can’t believe it’s been closed for so long! Come back Moutarde!

I’m so sad Moutarde closed. I miss you, Moutarde!

This restaurant is terrible. The food is just ‘meh’. And the service is — albeit friendly — unprofessional.
On a recent saturday night, I brought a girlfriend here for dinner around 9p. It was empty (says a lot, seeing that most places are packed at 9p on Saturday). By 10:30p, the waitstaff had changed out of their service clothes and into their regular clothes. Then a dishwasher actually walked through the dining room with a bucket full of pungent pinesol, while we were eating. We all almost wretched our meals. They turned the lights up, and literally started cleaning the place and counting their money. There were 4 other tables in the place, and we were all still eating. It was perhaps the tackiest display of poor service one could experience.
I live on the block, and have been many times, all because friends suggest (as happened this time, too) — but every time, it’s been a disappointment. I wish I could recommend it, but it’s simply not on par with the other restaurants in the neighborhood.

Nice bistro feel. Perfect eggs Florentine. Fine Bloody Mary. Open all day.
Just what I wanted!

I like Moutarde. It’s very pretty and it feels like a little piece of Paris in Brooklyn. Service has always been very good– pleasant, knowledgeable, and they leave you alone unless they pick up that you want their attention. Last time I was there I had a sea bass over risotto and it was perfection. Wasn’t impressed by the «deconstructed» Salade Nicoise, though, and you probably won’t be either if you are expecting an actual salad. Oh well, the menu is nice and there are plenty of other options for me, like that delicious onion tart.
One thing I’d like to point out, because it makes a big difference. One side of the back of the restaurant has tables that are WAY too close together. It’s not cozy, it’s kind of awful. Especially when you are sitting next to a loud group of people, as seems to be the case every time we are there. Sit up front or in the middle, and you’re all good, though.

We dropped by for dessert after a fabulous dinner elsewhere. We ordered profiterols and a lemon tart that was highly recommended by our waitress. My lemon tart was as big as a cheesecake and wasn’t heavy at all. It was pretty good until I found what I thought was a burnt speck of the crust. It ended up having wings. The waitress was really nice about it and took it off our bill but it was a nasty surprise. The coffee was rather watery and not what I expected from a french restaurant. Profiterols were decent but I’ve been spoiled by my mom who makes it a lot better than Moutarde. Service was good, food needs improvement.

We’ve been here several times before. The first few times were before the revamp, and the last 2 were after. I must say, they have certainly improved in both service, and taste. The second to las time were were here, we were sat next to this loud, brooding European woman, and her obviously rich sugar-​daddy. She was so horrid, and loud, I had no desire to sit in such close quarters with her, and attempt to eat. Without saying a word, the waitress picked up on this, and said that our table seemed «shaky», and she would like to give us a better table. Points to that waitress!
I remember the food being quite savory, and delicious that night, as well. Then, we came back just this past Saturday, and brought a friend who isn’t so familiar with the area (luck him?). We chose Moutarde, since it had been a while. They didn’t disappoint. We got a great table, and the waitress was extremely knowledgable, and accommodating.
My husband had the braised lamb tajine, lamb chop, and merguez sausage dish. He really liked it a lot. I tried it, and it was very good. Right amount of spice. MY friend had the steak sandwich, and also really seemed to enjoy it. I had the dinner special-​chilean sea bass, with a barley risotto. It was exactly what I want in a fish dish. The fish was fresh, and buttery. The sauce underneath was just perfect, and the risotto was honestly perfect. It was the perfect dish, and worth the splurge, being that it was a special.
We had dessert there a well. My husband and I split the chocolate cake, with the dark chocolate filling, and ice cream. It was done well.
Overall, if you’re looking for a good, savory meal, this restaurant is really great. I highly recommend them.

Food is great! It’s a great place for date nights, atmosphere is cozy and your never rushed.
If you love French Food definitely try it. I love that there is almost never a wait to sit and service is pretty good, it’s a little slow but we were in no rush, I get to enjoy my meal. They definitely do not rush you there.
I have had the arugula beet salad (refreshing) the cheese platter (delicious), onion soup (amazing), vegetarian risotto (to die for), french fries (crispy) and crème brule (right amount of sweet). I love their food! Always good
My boyfriend had the beef special («tender and melted in my mouth like butter»)
Quick Tip: do not pass up on dessert!

A friend and I were in the mood for a little adventure and ventured out to Park Slope. It was a beautiful Fall day and perfect for exploration. 5^th Avenue is filled with nice boutiques, cafes, restaurants and discount stores thrown into the mix. Very nice.
We came across this restaurant. Perfect for what we were in the mood for. Typical French Bistro fare; sandwiches, burgers, egg dishes, steak, salads and the like. Looking around, the banana french toast and the eggs Benedict seemed to be the most popular choices. I chose the latter. The best I’ve had in a long while. Very nice presentation, accompanied by sauteed potatoes and a very fresh salad. Very enjoyable. My friend had the granola with fruit and yogurt. You can’t mess that up, so nothing really remarkable there.
Very nice ambiance and there are tables outside as well. The service was a little slow, but we were in no rush to get anywhere anyway.
There are many places like this in Manhattan, so I’m not sure it’s really worth the trek out there. But, if you happen to be in Park Slope or wish to do something a little different, I would highly recommend Moutarde.

I keep expecting great things from Moutarde, but it’s just a slightly overpriced version of the french bistro that one can find on almost every corner in NYC.
Slightly indifferent service, sort of bland food (my beef bourginione needed a ton of salt), tasty cocktails.

Moutarde is one of my favourite places for brunch. It’s a great spot to bring out-​of-​town parents for a pleasant Sunday afternoon. You can walk a few blocks away to the farmer’s market afterwards. I can only say great things about the food, the staff and the heart-​meltingly cute décor. I have never had an issue with long wait times which is very rare for brunch in Brooklyn. Cheers to a swift reopening, Moutarde. I’ll be patiently waiting! xo

It is my goal to visit a new restaurant every week and write a review for fun :]
On Saturday, I was waltzing around Park Slope running errands, etc. and I decided this would be the week I went to Moutarde. It was a lovely experience! The music was awesome, the food was excellent, and the bartender and owner were very friendly and attentive — I could listen to them speak French all day and all night!
First of all, lets talk about my favorite thing… Happy Hour. Since I am always exploring the city by myself, I sit at the bar. It is more intimate — you can meet new people, chat up the employees, and find out the ins and outs of the establishment — and generally there’s a special going on.
Moutarde offers $ 2 off all wine and beer from 4:30−7pm. Speaking of which, they have Kronenburg 1664 on tap!!! A rare beer to find on tap, and one of my favorites! It is so crisp, light and refreshing on a hot summer day. So happy about that! I also had a nice Malbec (from France) with my dinner.
For dinner I had the ahi tuna nicoise. The fish and salad were very fresh, and it was a huge bowl of mixed greens for the price. It also had hard-​boiled eggs, green beans and purple potatoes. And they serve a complimentary bagette & butter with your meal, which I devoured because I try not to eat bread. But O.M.G., I love buttered bread! haha.
This place would be very romantic if you went at night with your beshert (that means your beloved) had a bottle of wine and ate any of their wonderful french entrees and desserts. If you pass by, you will see all kinds of tarts, crème brulees, and eclairs in the refrigerated window up front. So yummy! I should have tried their coffee éclair, but I wanted to get drunk. So I had an Irish coffee (Jameson, coffee, and fresh whipped cream) for dessert instead.
I recommend this place to everyone. It’s not cheap, but it’s not expensive either. Treat yourself! You deserve it. I want to go again for brunch, but I’d like to go with someone so that I can share in the delicious goodness and delightful french accents.
Look at their full menu:

Came here for dinner with a group of friends on Sunday evening. One of the friends in the group had suggested it since he had eaten there before and liked it. I felt slightly misled because all the food is hit or miss.
Here’s what I recommend: the escargot, gnocchi, risotto, raspberry spongecake
Stay away from: duck confit (dry, overcooked, and bland), mash potatoes and truffle oil (extremely bland), crème brûlée (too sweet)
Our waitress was friendly and did a great job, but our server had no idea what he was doing. He kept handing everyone the wrong plates – basically putting the plates down arbitrarily around the table without checking who ordered what.

Just call me Croque Madame. Or something.
In my second (consecutive!) Sunday installment of mimosas, coffee and Croque Madame in Park Slope I found myself blissfully seated amongst only adults (!) at Frenchie french favorite Moutarde. Granted, I followed my own advice from the ill-​fated Belleville bust… and went during NAPTIME. Brilliant.
As soon as I entered I was whisked to a private table, and it was even pulled out for me (effortlessly!) so I could easily slide into the booth, remove my outerwear and sink in. Thank you, sir.
Mimosas: the perfect blend. Heavy on the champagne. $ 7. I had two. Giggle.
Croque Madame: FAR superior. Two thick slices of brioche with hame, cheese and a «dippy» egg on top. The egg was TAD bit underdone, but still… my favorite «savory» french toast certainly did the trick. Hey, better than a McGriddle. Not that I’ve ever eaten one, of course. (uncrosses fingers).
Service: Wonderful. Friendly. Conversational. Relaxed. Easy like Sunday morning.
Cozy bar area wonderful for solo diners.
A much needed pick-​me-​up after last week’s brunch fail… very well done, indeed.
XOXO,
Croque Colleen

As I said in my tip — «Excellent lemon tart.»
I finally took the time yesterday to stop by Moutard, as it does have high recommendations for ambience and style. Unfortunately, due to a busy day, I got there after the kitchen was closed, but I was able to try some cold dishes and also some beers on tap. For a French café, they have a cute bar area and a decent selection of beers, so I ended up pairing Blue Moon with my selection — at the bartender’s recommendations.
I was happy to hear both the staff and guests conversing in French as for me that is a sign of a true café. The gentlemen and lady at the bar near me were all comfortably fluent, and it was lovely.
For me, the culmination of the experience was that I was permitted to sit with two acquaintances and relax while the staff closed the café down around us. When we finally did leave around 12:30, we neither felt rushed or pressured; something that seems to be singularly a trait of a good café. I will definitively be returning to Moutard.

My husband and I decided to give Moutarde a second chance over Christmas break after having visited once and only having a so-​so experience. When the hubs asked what I wanted for breakfast, and I half-​kiddingly said «crepes» (because there really aren’t any places around us that serve crepes), he suggested we try going to a French restaurant. This is how we ended up waiting outside of Moutarde for 15 minutes on a cold December Sunday, because they do not open until 11 am… even when the hostess is doing nothing but folding napkins and watching patrons freeze outside.
My two star review really isn’t about the cold wait, though. It’s about the service and the food, which were both mediocre at best. My crêpe, which unfortunately was not available in any savory flavor (only eggs and ham), was completely burnt to a crisp — and I don’t mean it was a little dark on the inside. The crêpe was black. But by the time we got our food I was so hungry and cranky that I ate it anyway knowing it would take at least another half hour to get a non-​blackened version. Besides, our waiter went downstairs right after dropping off the plates and didn’t return until we were ready for our check. For a $ 30+ brunch, I expect much, much more.

Before the renovation —
–Service was awful on multiple occasions
–Appearance was nice
–Food was good, pricing was great
After the renovation —
–Service so far has been significantly improved
–Original styling has been lost for tacky «new» artsy crap
–Food was definitely different, prices increased
I used to love the food but dislike the service, now it’s the other way around.
Still, it’s a decent place for brunch and french food, but overall, I’m less impressed each time I visit, which is unfortunate.

3.5 stars average is pretty accurate. Why would a waitress offer you a seat next to the kitchen where you can smell everything (good/​bad) while waiters/​service people can bump into you? Cuase they don’t like you (and I know when waitresses/​service people judge you before you even sit down — I’m an Elite Unilocaler after all *smug*).
I took my mom here for brunch on Thanksgiving and all they had was their dinner menu at 11 o’clock in the morning — but I don’t blame them much since not a lot of restaurants were open. The food is good, served up on chipped plates but I’m not pretentious like that. Well not today at least. hohoho

I went here a few nights ago with my boyfriend and had such a lovely time. As soon as we can afford it, we’ll be back. It is a seductive and enchanting restaurant, especially for couples who want to hold hands and be all cheesy and romantic.
Having lived in Park Slope for my entire life, I always walked by this place but for some reason never went in. Making the spur of the moment choice was smart– it was a bit late, only about three or four other tables were occupied. It was dimly lit, the music was sweet and wistful but didn’t interrupt anything, and the décor was unassumingly charming.
We decided to skip appetizers and order a bottle of wine instead. The cheapest bottle was a Riesling which the waiter warned was quite dry, although we found it smooth and not harsh in the slightest. I had the pan served lamb with a side of risotto. The lamb was cooked to perfection with a savory sauce, potatos, and spectacular pearl onions. My only issue was that the risotto was not as soft as I’m used to, but it still tasted wonderful.
My boyfriend had the duck, which was also great, although I focused mostly on my own dish. We didn’t do dessert either (can you tell we’re on a budget?) but the menu looked pretty good, I plan on trying the Crème Brulee next time.
All in all, one of the most pleasant dinners I’ve had in years.

Food: 8
Overall experience: 3
We came here between 1:00 and 1:30 on a Sunday and were quoted a fifteen minute wait yet actually had to wait forty-​five minutes. There was no list, which may have resulted in people arriving after us yet being seated earlier. When we finally got to our table, no one bothered to clear away the used milk from the last group’s coffee. We also waited a really long time for our food, which was not hot by the time it reached us. Despite its temperature, the omelet with mixed mushrooms was amazing – very fluffy, with good flavors. The salad was geneously portioned with a nice vinegarette, and the potatoes with carmelized onions were tasty. The bacon was just about as awful as it gets – fatty and simultaneously greasy and dried out because way overcooked. The mimosa was decent, but the bellini seemed like it was made with canned peach juice.