Le Voltaire

Solid French cuisine. Unassuming place located in a strip mall, but don’t let that fool you as this place has some legit French Cuisine going on! Not a large space, but nicely decorated and inviting. Started out with some good wine and the escargot to kick things off. Served in butter with cheese melted over the top, it was delicious! For my main course I had the filet, served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The filet was cooked a perfect medium rare, and was tender and juicy. Overall, a great meal and experience. We will definitely be back.

Delicious! Four of us for dinner. Appetizers: Norwegian smoked salmon and crayfish and crab cakes. Delicious! Bouillabaisse, sturgeon special, veal scallopini, and coquilles St Jacques. All were excellent! Wine: Château de La Chaize Brouilly, 2012. Perfect! Dessert: pot de crème (chocolate salted caramel), chocolate mousse. All wonderful. No pictures were taken, just pure enjoyment of the meal! Staff were helpful and knowledgeable. Great atmosphere. This smaller restaurant is a gem to be enjoyed. Hopefully all readers will get a chance to enjoy at least one meal here! Worth going or stopping in Omaha for the experience! Highly recommended!

We’d been wanting to try this place for awhile and finally made reservations. Where to start on the review… I understand French dining is all about the experience and not rushing people in and out but the service was ridiculously slow. It appeared to be just our waitress. The table next to us was seated after us but got bread, soup, and salad before we were served even bread. At the end of the meal we ordered dessert and coffee. The dessert was brought out by the kitchen and we had it completely finished before our waitress got around to bringing the coffee. The other thing that was annoying was that we asked about the bistro menu but didn’t specifically order it. The waitress basically said she would apply the combination if it made sense. We should have asked made sense for who? She did the least expense of our two entrees and did not do the bistro menu that included a dessert even though we had a dessert so by using the bistro combination we actually paid over $ 10 MORE than not doing the special!
All of that was especially annoying because the food was sooo good. I had the fish special in parchment paper and it just melted in my mouth. My husband had the stew and it so fragrant and hearty. The appetizer we had was duck, bacon, feta caramelized onion flatbread — it sounded odd enough that we had to try it. The flavor combination was surprising in a good way. Crust was a bit on the soft side, I prefer a crunchy flatbread crust but that was the only minor off note in the whole meal. The mocha dessert with coffee ice cream was perfect finish (would have only been better if our coffee had been served with it!)
So although the food was outstanding, we will hesitate to go back given the horribly slow service, there are just too many wonderful other places to eat in Omaha that are able to have the service be at the same level as the food.

In as much as we really wanted to love this place, it turned out to be just mediocre and no where near as good as other French restaurants in Omaha. We are very knowledgeable about French cuisine having just returned from France where we have visited numerous times.
First impression, the décor and ambience are not inviting whatsoever. The carpets are old and soiled with traffic wear and tear. The service was OK. Not outstanding or above and beyond just not real professional.
The food itself was good. Again, OK just not great. The wife had the Steak and frites and the meat was extremely tough and difficult to chew. I had the Beef Bourguignon and it was OK.
All in all, a good, just OK place but we probably wont return.

this place was small and had a warm atmosphere. that may have been because it was snowing outside and just after a mini storm but none the less very nice classy atmosphere.
…
the food.
it tasted like I was eating american food? that’s not bad, but I guess I expected something else. my boyfriend at the time didn’t enjoy the food at all.

well, kinda disappointed. was hoping for nice French bistro in Omaha area. the service was good but little slow. place is dated and vibe is kinda dreary like your in church. wine list is pretty good. garlic soup did not have garlic. escargot Was so so. entrees were ok but menu wasn’t very exciting. would go here again only if I had to.

Had a wonderful dinner. Salad had a great balsamic/​mustardy dressing… Bread was so fresh with great crust! Wife had a unique seafood entre and I had the best Filet Mignon I have ever had (with a red wine reduction sauce). Vegetables were perfect. A wonderful bottle of Syrah. Dessert was the best Bread Pudding and Chocolate Mousse we’ve had with a perfect cup of coffee. Will return!

If I could add more stars I would ! This place is amazing! Make a reservation! I had the salmon wrapped in parchment paper and I almost licked the plate ! You can point to the menu and can not go wrong !

Best French food in Omaha. Would especially recommend filet mignon with peppercorn, coq au vin, and beef bourguignon.

With two medium size rooms and drop ceilings in the corner of a strip mall in Western Omaha, Le Voltaire does not exactly ooze sophistication. What it lacks in charm is compensated for by the friendly service, quality food, and fair prices. Our server never told us her name, but she was very nice and attentive considering it was a Friday night and the place was fully-​booked, always a good sign.
It took our server 10 – 15 minutes to tell me she could not find our first choice of wine, a French Syrah, so I had to make another choice. With bottles of wine starting at $ 26, I found an excellent value in the Château Sainte Eulalie, Plaisir d’Eulalie, Minervois 2014 at just $ 27. It was a deep, medium-​bodied red (40% Carignan, 35% Syrah, 25% Grenache) with hints of dark berries and spices that complimented my beef main course very nicely.
For our appetizers we had the Brie Josette ($ 8.95), baked brie served on toast with an apricot-​cranberry chutney, and the gratin aux fruits de mer (seafood gratin — $ 10.95), bay scallops, shrimp and mussels in a béchamel sauce covered with cheese and broiled. The baked brie and chutney came on six small slices of their toasted baguette and while not the greatest appetizer I have ever had, it was an interesting and tasty balance between sweet and savory. My seafood gratin was a tad on the small side, but creamy and delicious with small chunks of seafood that balanced well with the more savory baked cheese topping.
Our main courses consisted of moules frites façon Jacques Brel ($ 17.95), 20 ounces of fresh mussels in a Lucky Bucket beer and bacon broth served with French fries, and boeuf Bourguignon ($ 18.95), a beef stew simmered in red (Burgundy, hence the name) wine, with carrots, mushrooms and onions accompanied by whipped potatoes. The mussels were plentiful and yummy, balanced well by the big chunks of bacon in a beer broth. My beef stew was a bit light on beef, but what was there was tender and delicious. The burgundy-​based sauce was very well done and the whipped potatoes creamy just like they should be.
The only things that detracted from the experience (and my rating) were small details, but important ones. First, in a restaurant where you drop $ 100+ for a meal for two, there should be tablecloths. There were none. Second, when I made our reservation (for my wife’s birthday) through OpenTable, I specifically requested a «special dessert», but her special day was never even acknowledged. We left without a formal celebration or a sweet ending to our meal.
The atmosphere adequate, the service friendly and efficient, the food tasty, and the prices fair, Le Voltaire is an excellent choice if you are craving French cuisine and an exceptional value and a pleasant surprise in the Midwest where quality, gourmet cuisine is a rarity.
CombatCritic Gives Le Voltaire 7 out of 10 Bombs … More Bombs Are Better!

First time to La Voltaire with friends. Excellent food and service. Atmosphere was good but could have used some low background music.
We’ll be back.

What an incredible meal! It was Omaha restaurant week and they had specials going on all over. Here, they had a three course meal that was SPECTACULAR! The place is a very nice French restaurant, with soft music and a very special feel to it. I had the Escargots that were delicious, then the petite steak with blue cheese and onions that was incredible! So many flavors! The plate came with mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots. The person I was with had the French onion soup and thought it was great! He had the beef cheeks and you could pull the meat off with your fork. Pretty amazing. For dessert we had the bread pudding and the Crème Brûlée, both of which were outstanding! It’s an expensive restaurant but worth it!

We finally decided to try Le Voltaire this past weekend and it was everything I had heard it would be. The ambiance is quaint and rather intimate – perfect for a birthday dinner with my «bae.» We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Our server, Elizabeth, stopped by immediately to bring us waters and tell us about the specials for the night. She was very knowledgeable and polite with us as we butchered each French word on the menu.
I decided to start with the French Onion soup – how could I not? And Jim started with the Duck Confit. The soup was perfectly hot, but not burn the roof of your mouth hot that typically happens when anything is topped with cheese and broiled – and I really appreciated being able to mash immediately when it came out. It was very good and next time I may even have to opt for a bowl. Jim really enjoyed his duck. Its served on thin bread with balsamic and arugula. I wish I could tell you more about it, but before I could sneak a try, Jim had devoured it.
For entrees, I had the Shrimp and Scallop Pasta. It was amazing. Scallops cooked perfectly and the homemade pasta was outstanding. The sauce was a cream-​tomato that I made sure to sop up with the complimentary bread. As good as my meal was, Jim’s Seafood Stew was the real standout of the evening! The broth was delicious and though I didn’t try each piece of fish in there, Jim said all of it was cooked wonderfully and one of the best meals he has had – pretty big surprise from a typical steak order-​er.
After all the food, we couldn’t fit in any dessert, but we asked if any would travel well for us to take home. Elizabeth enthusiastically recommended the Chocolate Mousse, and we are so glad we did! Despite not having the room, we managed to eat it within minutes of getting home – whoops!
Our 2 appetizers, entrees, desserts, 2 glass of wine and 2 beers came out to $ 100 – quite practical for the quality you are getting… and even the quantity, as I said we were both very full.
With outstanding food, wonderful service this place is a solid 5-​star restaurant that I know we will be back to soon.

Our experience was a roller coaster with some ups and downs.
I do not each much at one sitting, so I had the crab cakes from the appetizer menu. I used to live in Maryland, so I’m used to the heavenly Chesapeake Blue Crabs, catch of the day. Perhaps it’s not fair so use that the standard by which I measure all others. But… I do. And the crab cakes at Le Voltaire are good, but they do not measure up. They are not excellent. The flavor of the crab was bland, the seasoning was mediocre. But the size was perfect.
Likewise, my companion is picky about his French onion soup, and he declared this IS excellent. His ribeye was not cooked correctly, though. He asked for medium well, and it came out rare. So my crab cakes got cold, as I waited for his steak to come back before continuing eating.
Our profiterolles were awesome. We may not order anything else, but we will be back for the profiterolles. The service was excellent, too. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and very attentive without being obnoxious… not too much, not too little, met our needs without interrupting our conversation or our chewing.
The person we were seated next to was extremely loud in his speaking to the folks at the table on the other side of him… who also seemed to want this stranger to shut up and let them have their own conversation. Until he left, we were unable to converse. The staff should have asked him to speak more quietly. But they called him by name, so I guess he was a regular; it seemed they would rather upset others than risk offending him. We feel like our needs will not be cared about fully until we, too, become regulars.

This is a darling bistro. I had terrific shrimp pasta and tiramisu. Downsides: need a bit more spice and the strip-​mall location is less appealing.

I went there for lunch and ordered the french onion soup which was really good, it is the only reason why they are getting three stars. I also had a chicken caesar salad which I returned twice. The first time it came out, I got searing hot whole chicken breast on top of a already wilted salad, I was kind of confused by this because… how can you fail at a caesar salad?
I’m given a fork and I guess expected to cut the really freaking hot chicken myself. So I return it only for it to come back lazily sliced up and tossed back on the already greasy wilted salad, at this point my time is up and I have to leave so I return it for a refund. When they asked why I was returning my salad I was honest told them it was greasy and unappealing.
The bartender informs me that all their chicken is organic and local which is all well and good but it still doesn’t solve the fact that I don’t want my caesar salad dressed in grease and a restaurant of their caliber shouldn’t be so lazy in their presentation.

I have not eaten French food in Nebraska before so was a bit nervous. But after researching online I was confident of having a good experience and was pleasantly surprised.
I would highly suggest making a reservation for dinner and was happy I had. The place was packed on Saturday night. We started with Escargot which was simply presented with light garlic butter and optional blue cheese and almonds.
For mains I had a seafood medley and my wife had the nightly special Monk fish, both dishes were flawless and simple. Fortunately the dishes were not too creamy and cheesy as often is the case when eating French food out of France. The presentation was colorful and the portions were sturdy but not excessive. The broth on the seafood medley was tangy and the perfect accompaniment to my dish.
I forgot to mention the house salad was fantastic, I’m not a huge fan of spinach salads but the dressing forced me to love the dish. The dressing consisted of oil and vinegar with a hint of lemon.
The restaurant has tasteful décor and a small but cozy bar. The only tacky item was the giant plastic dusty tree which lay in wait as you go to the toilet. It takes up half of the bathrooms hallway which is narrow enough to begin with. Throw that atrocity out, the establishment is far too good for cheap plastic foliage.
On a final note our server was highly attentive without being pressuring or over the top. This skill is a fine art to master especially here in the Midwest. Also it was pleasant to have time to enjoy your food by individual courses without having dishes thrown on the table before completion of the previous.
The restaurant is a real gem and we will back from Lincoln to visit frequently. Being a European that grew up going to France regularly it’s comforting to find such quality.

I’m a bit hesitant to write this review only because I still feel like this place is one of the best kept secrets in Omaha.
On a recent Friday afternoon I met up with some girlfriends for lunch. By girlfriends, I mean retired women of leisure who have made their mark on society but now have nothing but time for savoring the joys of life. Thus, I took the afternoon off, knowing that there would be day-​drinking (if you can call sipping on higher caliber reds that compliment your meal as day-​drinking) and the savoring of foods, rather than the normal squeeze-​in-​a-​meal-​while-​working-​on-​your-​computer type of situation.
What I noticed immediately: welcome to Le Voltaire, where Cedric and Desarae (as if we’re actual long-​time friends) have created an atmosphere of community. Community is the only way to describe my 2+ hour dining experience on this Friday afternoon (although you can get in and out much more quickly, if you want). Meet us. Know us. Tell us your story. So while I can wax poetic about the meal I actually consumed, enough Unilocalers have done so, so I refrain. Instead I give five stars for the service… for the community. for the hours I’ll never get back but don’t want to get back… for forcing us to stop, to converse, to connect. Communing around a table of food (and wine) gives us as opportunity to just be, get to know each other, and recall that we really do live in a lovely place and Cedric and Desarae has created a space to remind us.
The food is lovely. The experience divine. The wine selection exquisite. My next visit is already marked on my calendar.

GREAT service, GREAT food and a GREAT time. We were greeted and seated promptly and the server was terrific. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and checked in JUST enough to keep the meal moving without being intrusive.
As for the meal, we shared the foie gras and the salmon pâté. The breads for both were nice accompaniments to allow the foie gras and pâté to shine through. Both were fresh and some of the best I have ever had.
Main course wise, I had the duck confit and my dining partner had the quail special. Both birds were cooked to perfection with just enough crispness without drying out the birds. The brussel sprouts on the side were well seasoned and tasted nice on their own.
For dessert we both had the chocolate bread pudding with raspberry/​apricot ice cream. Home run on this dish as the flavors exploded and melded together so wonderfully. It was a perfect ending to a great meal.
This was a true fine dining experience — approximately 2 hours of relaxing food and visiting. We never felt rushed and the server was very gracious on my questions regarding the chef and restaurant in general. The tables were far enough apart that conversations didn’t blend together and the restaurant definitely caters more to couples based on the layout (though there were a couple of larger parties there).

While I am not sure how anxious I would be to drive back out to 156^th & Dodge to eat here I must say it was delicious.
A group of four went for lunch today. We ordered the steak and frites, goat cheese salad, grilled lamb & the tartines parisiennes. Everyone enjoyed their meal. The grilled lamb was mine and it was probably the best (most tender) lamb I have ever had. I ordered escargot with it (pick 2 lunch) and they were wonderful as well.
We had no real complaints and the portion sizes were perfect.