Restaurant Clementine

Awesome! As good as it gets for sure. The service is impeccable, the chef comes out to greet you and thank you for coming, unheard of today! (and Im not old!)
I had pork tenderloin to die for, mushroom soup was fab, great wine list.

I brought a girlfriend here for a birthday dinner last Saturday. We meet fairly regularly for lunch but it had been a while since we’d had a chance to sit, chat, gossip, dish without time constraints. Unfortunately, we were asked to leave by the waiter since we were encroaching into the 2^nd seating. And here I thought that French restaurants were meant to be several hours long … It’s okay though, not a big deal and I didn’t feel rushed through my meal.
I got 2 oysters … 1 that tasted funny … but I didn’t get sick so it’s fine. They weren’t very well shucked because I got a lot of grit in my mouth. We also got the mixed greens salad which was pretty standard … though the grapes were a nice touch. I got the filet mignon for my entrée and for all the other hiccups, this was the highlight and redeeming part of my meal. Prepared to perfection and melt in your mouth. I asked for an extra side of au jus but barely needed it because the meat itself was so flavorful.
The waiter convinced us to order a basket of the fries … they were good, but not so amazing that I’d be swayed into ordering it again. It was also way too much food. For dessert we shared the french toast that came with a scoop of hazelnut ice-​cream. It was as the name suggested … French toast with a scoop of ice cream. Maybe I was expecting more because it was dessert instead of brunch! The service was good and a very warm, jolly and friendly chef who made it a point to say hello and check in on everyone.

3.5 stars
I’ve become quite the connoisseur of French food as le bf is a frenchy. With that said, i have to say, this is one of the more authentic French places I’ve been to in the city which is a good thing! We enjoyed the prix fix menu which came with a selection of a few different first courses, 3 – 4 entrees, and any dessert of our choice. For $ 35 per person, it was a great deal… but then you need champagne or wine so add an additional $ 20 to that, add tax and tip and it’s impossible to get out of here for under $ 100. Still a good deal for what you get.
The food itself was really good, the first course we ordered escargo and bisque… they were both really good, and the bread they served was delicious. I was really into my entrée, a honey glazed chicken dish with mashed potatoes… my bf had sting ray, it was really good too but for him just ok. The entrée portions were BIG.
The part of the dinner that wasn’t for me was how the chef made several rounds in the restaurant saying hello and checking up on us… was cool the first time but the 2^nd-​3^rd time, i started feeling a little self conscious having a mouth stuffed with food. We were also the youngest people in the place. Perhaps they wanted to make sure the food was up to a french persons standards?
Overall i would recommend and go back for more, it’s a great place for couples, the host told us he was giving us a table for ‘lovers’-which was certainly true.

Before I went, I had some reservations because I heard it wasn’t as good as Chapeau, but I was pleasantly surprised. This may have been because the owner or head chef was there. He was walking around the restaurant shaking everyone’s hands – very nice. Had to sit at the bar because we didn’t have reservations (I was surprised it was so crowded!) But that was cool, because our service was even better because our good-​looking waiter was always right in front of us to serve our every need. :-)
Excellent food. Pork wrapped with bacon was perfectly cooked. I was surprised that our waiter asked how I wanted it cooked. Said most people didn’t like it the French way, and would prefer theirs well-​done. Americans, of course. So I had mine cooked the way the chef cooks it, and it was great. The sauce and purée complemented the flavor of the meat perfectly.
My friend had the mussels. Loved the broth. Yummy. HUGE basket of pommes frites. But I ended up eating all of them. (I usually end up eating everyone’s food.) Soufflé was fun. It came with grand marnier and orange sauce. Fun experience overall.

UGH, how this place toys with my heart.
I probably rewrote this review about 5 times now. I can go on forever about how we were neglected as a party of 5 with reservations as the elder, probably more successful looking diners around us got their wine, appetizers, and entrees before us despite the fact that we were seated way before them. How does 5 young professional women get some attention around here?! Story of my life. I wont write about how we waited 20 minutes for our bottle of wine or a hour before our entrée because these men (seriously, they were all men), redeemed themselves very well.
Our reservation was at 730p on a thursday night and they were very busy – all their tables were full and the 4 waiters were hustling around and running into each other. I was waiting for one of those slow motion moments when shit goes flying everywhere, especially since we were near the kitchen. My favorite was the waiter that had cleared off two baskets of frites and as he was walking towards the kitchen, his free hand started shuffling some of the fries. About 5 feet away from the kitchen, he proceeded to put a few in his mouth. Poor guy probably hasnt had a break yet.
We were also treated with a salmon tartar for the each of us before appetizers. We must’ve looked visibly disgruntled, or they must’ve heard my loud mouth asking where the hell our bread was. It was delicious though. Well played Clementine, well played.
Our dishes came out about a hour later. The duck breast was amaazzinngggg. Medium cooked to a bouncey firmness, no visible fat, great portion, and light sauce. It was my first time eating polenta and i loved it. I’m a sucker for creamy textures. I finished off my whole plate without a drop of sauce to spare.
The highlight of my night and possibly the reason why I would go back to Clementine was their french toast with hazelnut ice cream dessert. Oh.Mi.F*cking.Gahd. Once the plate was set in the middle of the five of us, it was a reenactment of nature channel’s clip of vultures finding a dead carcus. Ice cream was flying, sauce was dripping, and the plate was gone in 10 seconds. It wasnt too sweet, there was some crunchy caramel in there, the ice cream worked well with the warm, moist bread. kjhfksadf. Oh, excuse me, my fingers slipped on the drool on my keyboard.
The place was visibly emptying as 3 tables were left. Service went up as the waiters got to slow down a bit. When one of our ladies excused herself for the restroom, the waiter came and folded up her napkin. The chef came out and shook our hands and we thanked him for the wonderful meal. My friend specifically thanked him for the french toast as we were still high from it. A few minutes later, spoons were placed in front of us and we asked the waiter what it was for, he shrugged and smiled. About 10 minutes later, another dead carcus landed in the middle of our table and once again, we swormed and devoured another french toast, on the house.
We were there for about 2.5 — 3 hours, in true European fashion. Got to talk to the chef for a little, took a picture with him and our waiter and ended the night with cheek to cheek kisses (remember, left then right, as our New yorker told us).
These men really know how to work what they got. I walked out extremely satisfied and craving for more. I’m teetering between a 4 and a 5 because of the service during rush hour, but I’m sure the experience would be 5-​stars and more if the place was more calm. 5 stars for the chef though :)

This was the first time I’ve been to Clementine since Chapeau! took over. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed. The chef came out and greeted us THREE TIMES!!! By the third time, he’s like «I’ve said hi to you already!!!» Nice guy.
Onto the food…
The foie gras, was well foie gras… However, my $ 34.95 3-​course prix fix was so worth it! I had escargot, duck and a dessert that was to die for. My boyfriend cleaned his rack of lamb until there was nothing left! I had a taste of the mussels and pomme frits, and I was very impressed
Aside from my «to die for» chocolate cake, the french toast with hazelnut ice cream is something people should consider. It was definitely unique. For this price, I would definitely come back! Clementine can truly rival some of the bigger boys in town…
I am so looking forward to my next meal at Clementine.

I had gone back there again, no reservations on a Friday night. Bf and I had plans to go somewhere else after, and well aware that it was a Friday night, I asked the host/maitre’d whether it was possible for us to get seated anyway.
The host was very nice and said yes, but the wait will be around 45 minutes. We were fine with that and had a glass of wine at the bar while we waited.
We got seated and ordered immediately because we were both starving. Our appetizer came out maybe half an hour after we ordered. Okay, fine, it’s a busy night, we didn’t have reservations. We figured it’ll take a while for the appetizer to come out, but the entrees would quickly follow, right?
Not only that, but if a restaurant knows it can’t keep up with orders, then they should also probably know they shouldn’t seat patrons with no reservations right? We would have happily gone someplace else had we been told the restaurant was no longer seating for the night.
Wrong. Half an hour later after we finished our appetizer, our entrees still hadn’t arrived, so we inquired about them. Our server was extremely short with us and claimed that our orders were being plated as we speak. Meanwhile, another table that got seated after us had already eaten their meals and were paying their bill.
Ten minutes later, still no entrée. We finally just walked up to the front and informed our server we’d like to leave and just pay for our appetizer since we had places to go.
They had the nerve to charge us for the ENTIRE meal: Both entrees, plus the appetizer. They didn’t even offer to take off ONE entrée. They weren’t polite or apologetic about it either; instead, they were huffy (and bordering on rude) because we didn’t have time to wait over an hour for our food after ordering.
Whatever. Bf didn’t want to deal with the hassle and forked over the money (over $ 120 for two entrees that never appeared and a small appetizer), and we got out of there.
This was roughly 4 months ago and we haven’t been back since.
2 stars is for the appetizer, which was very good.
No stars for the lack of service, the huffy attitude.
I can’t recommend this place based on my last experience there. Sorry.

Bravo!
Another great french restaurant to add to my rotation. The service was spot-​on excellent and the food fabulous. Unfortunately, they were out of the duck breast but the lamb well made up for it. The lobster risotto was cooked perfectly, not mushy. I also recommend the mussel soup and sweetbread (if you can get over what they are).
I usually don’t order dessert, but damn, their french toast was good! How come my french toast don’t come out that way?!
Corkage fee is reasonable, $ 18. But they have a good wine selection also.
Can’t wait to come again… highly recommended.

One of the first things you’ll notice about Clementine is that nearly everyone working here seems to be French. It’s a great excuse to practice yours, if you speak any. I don’t, but luckily this didn’t matter.
The food is exquisite. Very French; very rich; very well made. I offer for your consideration:
Black tiger prawns in shredded phyllo, deep fried, with tomato & onion marmalade, small beans, and herb aioli. The light sweetness of the phyllo complemented the sweetness of the prawns perfectly, and the crispiness was a great contrast. The marmalade was tangy and a completely different flavor, and the aioli was like liquid basil.
Pan seared foie gras on toasted brioche with apple gastrique and micro greens. Brings new definition to the word «rich.» Nearly liquid inside, the foie gras was fantastic, and plated beautifully with a sliced, splayed apple standing up in the center of the plate. The slightly bitter greens we a great balancing palate cleanser.
Baked brie on toast, with salad and spiced apples — rich in an entirely different way from the foie gras.
Rabbit leg stuffed with baby spinach and mushrooms, on barley & wheat timbale with baby carrots and mustard sauce. Brilliant. Flawless. Tender. Incredibly rich. Beautiful presentation. And a remarkably large amount of rabbit meat, too!
Pan roasted rack of lamb, with beans cooked in duck fat. I think there was more to this, but that’s all I can remember. Dear God. Yeah, it’s as good as it sounds.
Warm Valrhona chocolate cake with banana flambee rum raisin ice cream and caramel sauce. Wow. I love molten chocolate cake. I also love bananas flambee. This was one of the most perfect desserts ever.
French toast with soft caramel hazelnut ice cream. As good as everyone else says it is (and uniquely interesting as well). I must admit, I liked the chocolate cake better though.
OK, so the food is amazing. The wine list is 20 pages, mostly French, and remarkably reasonably priced. Most bottles are in the $ 50 or less range. They even have a page specifically for good value wines around $ 30. We had an ’07 Cahors which was dense, rich, and worked very well with our main courses, as well as a half-​glass of dessert wine with both the foie gras and dessert courses. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the staff is knowledgeable and happy to help suggest things.
Finally, I’ve noticed that some people have complained about the service, but ours was fantastic. Friendly, welcoming, helpful, and very knowledgeable about the menu. I’ve long been a firm believer that if you’re nice to your servers, they’ll be nice to you, and this was most definitely the case last night. The chef is also very friendly, and came though enthusiastically greeting everyone in the restaurant during the evening.
Final notes — reservations are recommended, as it is a popular restaurant. They have a full bar, if you arrive early or wish to stay late, and the atmosphere is, while not incredibly romantic, perfectly appropriate for a fancy date. And with food like that, there’s no way you could lose. Most highly recommended.

I really liked Clementine up until I arrived there with my date. I called to make reservations and they were very polite and were willing to work with me to get a good seat and time on a Friday night.
When we arrived, we were ignored for a good ten minutes. It was busy, so we didn’t think much of it. We were finally seated fifteen minutes after our reservation was scheduled for (and we arrived early, too).
The food was quite good. Their presentations were immaculate and impressive. They knew the right amount of height to give their dishes, as well as proper portions. I was ecstatic when I received *two* quails and not just one.
Maybe it was because they were busy, but all throughout the night we were ignored again. They never asked if we wanted more wine, they never asked how the food was, and they never even asked if we wanted dessert.
I didn’t mind the large bill as the food was very good. I left a 25% cash tip out of sheer appreciation for the chef.
The next day, my credit card was charged about 20% higher than what was on my receipt. I figured maybe they assumed they could add gratuity without asking and I called to get some clarification. Whoever answered the phone tried to tell me there was nothing he could do because of the way their computer system works. He told me if I wanted to pursue the issue, I should come in and take it up with the chef.
I decided it wasn’t worth the effort and I will never, under any circumstances, return to Clementine.
Two stars for great food.

Went there last night. We were suppose to make reservations at Chapeau (sister restaurant) but messed up and made reservations here.
Its a really nice place. The food is good. It is not amazing but it is worth the price. I had warm brie salad (not a big fan, wouldn’t take it again) i felt that my piece of brie had a lot of crust to it and i really don’t like brie crust. For main coarse had monk fish. Monk fish was exceptional, really yummy. The sauce that it came in was amazing.
My husband had chefs choice, its a 6 or 7 course meal with wine pairing. Let me tell you, they are really generous on their portions (food and wine portions). I would say even a little too much. I would taste his food as it would come since i only had two courses and had to wait for him to finish before they would bring mine and by the time my monk fish arrived i was stuffed.
The service in this place was amazing. The chef came out couple times came up to every table, shook our hands and thanked us for coming. The waiters were very courteous and amazing. At some point my husband wasn’t satisfied with the wine pairing so he told them and they switched it right away and thanked him for speaking up. The wine he originally got was really oakey.
So all in all it was a pleasant dinner. For a French restaurant the service is simply incredible. Some food was really good, other was just ok. I would recommend, monk fish entrée, muscle soup, deep fried tiger prawns and another dish that I don’t remember name of. I think if they would just refine the food just a bit, make the portions smaller (food and drinks) it would be a 5 star restaurant.

I finally made it out to the Richmond district to try this place under Philip. I really liked the half glass wine concept as this allows you to try different variety of wines. The duck salad special was good and has a slice of Foie gras on top. The Sweetbread was deliciously rich. The vanilla bean crème brûlée capped off the evening and was perfectly prepared, light and airy with a top layer of evenly burned caramel crust, it was even better than the ones I made at home. I was also surprised to see a server under Didier called Laurent (it was his first night!).
Philip came by and said hello and greet every table at the restaurant. It is always a good sign when the chef/​owner takes pride in his place that he chats with all his customers. This place is fantastic. If it wasn’t for the relatively high price (still a bargain compare to some other places) of this place I would come dine here every night.

An authentic, nice French restaurant with a pleasant environment. Clementine is one of the nicest restaurants on Clement, and their service is friendly and attentive. French service at American speeds, basically.
You will want to make a reservation as this place is quite full. The bar is quite equipped, and their ambiance is lovely, minus the noise. Their prices are really quite good considering the quality of food you get. I started off with the escargot, had the filet mignon (extremely soft, do try it), and their French toast with hazlenut ice cream (I highly recommend this as well) to finish it off. Excellent! I may have to re-​5 star it when I go back.

There is an early bird prix fixe menu for $ 32, available 5 – 6 PM everyday but Fridays & Saturdays. The menu is also available Sundays 11:30 AM — 6 PM. However, the Prix fixe menu choices are rather limited and low-​end, and didn’t appeal to me. The prix fixe for 9÷3÷2008 was:
— appetizer: rainbow trout flan *or* Fourme d’Ambert (bleu cheese) tart
— entre: poached halibut *or* honey glazed de-​boned chicken
— dessert: floating island meringue *or* caramelized french toast
Here are the items I sampled. All items appear in the photo gallery:
— Lillet blanc apéritif ($ 5.50)
— The obligatory amuse bouche, consisting of a tiny puff pastry filled with mornay sauce.
— Mesclun Salad with crème dijonnaise, red seedless grapes, pistachio, fried camembert & walnut bread ($ 10.50). Highly recommended. It’s sort of two appetizers in one: the fried cheese/​bread, and the salad.
— Seared scallops with prawns risotto and a lobster cream sauce (a special, for $ 29). I recommend it. The secret is the sauce, which takes Philippe 4 hours to make. However, it’s still a bit overpriced.
— For dessert, French toast, with soft caramel and hazelnut ice cream, along with a hazelnut cream sauce ($ 9). Recommended, but not as good as it looks. For this type of dessert, I prefer the vanilla brioche served at Candybar.
Clementine’s espresso is very good. Service was impeccable in all regards.
In summary: Chapeau! down the street provides a better value.

I had reservations at 8:30 and ended up getting seated at 9 even though we were there FIFTEEN minutes early. And I can’t stand slow service and our waiter would disappear for 30 minutes at a time!
Oysters were a little briney and the shell was flaking off, Hog Island’s are MUCH BETTER. Also, not to be a pot de crème snob (even though it was nice that we got a complimentary dessert) I thought the pot de crème had an overpowering coffee taste and was undercooked. I’ve had better Crème Brulee. French Toast was interesting but not amazing either.
Overall rating: MEH!
+1 because Chef Philippe came out and greeted us after dinner personally

Clementine comes down to one word: stuffy.
A stuffy French restaurant, with stuffy, delicious French food, with stuffy French servers and maitre d’s, usually stuffy company, stuffy patrons, stuffy wine list, etc.
Even with the early bird menu (which they euphemistically and stuffily call ‘prix-​fixe’), you leave… Stuffed!

I LOVE CARBS.
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
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I have passed by this quaint little restaurant so many times. Each time I think to myself «I’ve got to eat here one night» as I go over their menu.
My thought finally became a reality when a friend decided to take me out for a belated birthday dinner.
He said…“so there’s this French place I’ve been wanting to go to on Clement, want to eat there?“
Of course Clementine came to mind, of course. ;]
We arrived close to 7pm, but I got shafted with parking a few times. Even though some biatch stole my spot, the parking gods were in my favor as I easily could have stole another guy’s spot, but I let it pass and allowed karma to run its course.
Next thing you know, I had a spot right in front of the restaurant! VIP yo!
My friend stopped to read the Zagat rating and for some reason, I stopped to go over the menu in the window even though I was about to walk in and dine there. An very nice and friendly older gentleman asked me «have you ever eaten here?» I smiled and apologetically said «no, but I’ve been wanting to try it» to which he said «you’ll LOVE this place then. They have a wonderful 3 course meal…» what a coinky dink, I was JUST looking at their pri fixe menu!
My friend said it ended at 7, and it was a little past 7pm =(
The really nice gentleman opened the door for us and insisted he’d ask the host if they could still do the prifixe menu for us.
The host smiled and said of course.
Then gentleman winked and told us to enjoy our dinner.
WHAT AN AWESOME MAN!
We thought he was a manager or something, but he was a fellow customer.
I had the butternut squash soup for appetizer, the trout for main course and crème brûlée for dessert. My friend had the marinated salmon, pork tenderloins and lemon sorbet with vodka.
My squash soup was so delicate and light, perfect! And no dallop of crème fraîche in there either, I don’t like it in my soups. My trout was cooked perfectly as well. The meat just flaked and was so tender and juicy! The skin came right off. And… I love crème brûlée.
EXCELLENT crème brûlée!
I didn’t try any of my friend’s food, but he said everything was great.
The service was on hit. The servers were friendly and accomodating, yet not pushy. They also kept my water glass full at all times and were never intrusive of our conversation. Oh, and the entire waitstaff was French!
My favorite thing about this restaurant. ok I’m going to sound like such a kid. But they have their salt and pepper in small pots at the edge of the table like Oola. HOWEVER the salt has its own tiny little metal scoop! HOW ADORABLE! I was loving it.
Oola’s does not have the little scoop, nor am I certain of how often they change out the salt. Grubby dirty hands could’ve been reaching into your little pot of salt all night yanno?
Anyway.
I heart this restaurant and I am definitely coming back.
The $ 25 pre fixe menu is a steal, pls give Clementine a try.

We just ate here for our one month anniversary and we LOVED it. When people say it’s nestled in dark corners of the Richmond among the Chinese restaurant conglomerates, we now understand.
The parking is tolerable, since that’s probably a consideration for people who know what it can be like around Asian supermarket areas. The restaurant is far enough down Clement that parking should be less stressful. The ambiance inside the place is very romantic. The bar is a bit small, but the tables are spacious yet intimate enough for a perfect night of classy tastings. We hate when you go to these expensive restaurants and get shoved in a tiny room like sardines…
The food is amazing. Although it’s not exactly a four-​star dining experience, the price per square bite of tastiness makes it a four-​star Unilocal review. It exceeding our expectations… especially when we’ve had our fair share of overrated, expensive French restaurants. JARDINIERE, are you listening?
So on to the food… for apps, we had the tuna tartar and soup du jour, a cream of cauliflower purée. The tuna tartar was not too strong– it didn’t taste like the over-​marinated poke tuna that we’re so accustomed to. Thumbs up for the tuna! The soup was also very good, but we couldn’t taste much of the cauliflower. Then again, cauliflower doesn’t have a strong flavor to begin with. Another thumbs up for the soup!
For entrees, K had the boat scallops and A had the duck breast. The boat scallops were very hearty, but it didn’t seem careless and stale either. It seemed like a lot of thoughts went into these little suckers. However, the king of the night was the duck breast. The meat itself was very good, but the savoy cabbage ragot underneath the duck… WOWEE– yumm-​O!
For dessert, we had the french toast. If you come here and only order ONE THING, make it the french toast dessert. It is one-​of-​a-​kind. The toast is so soft, it’s like bread pudding’s hot cousin. So delish.
All in all, a very good restaurant surrounded by a bunch of mediocre ones.

purely french at its finest. escargot and foie gras is a must! for dessert, go for the chocolate profiteroles. the wait staff speak with french accents and service is pretty good.
rack of lamb is always cooked to perfection. honey roasted quail with truffle raviolis will leave you smacking your lips together.
one of the few restaurants that carries duck horn sauvignon blanc. reservations are recommended and try to arrive early as parking in this district is very difficult.

Wow. I had a really amazing dinner at Clementine the other night. I was there for a co-worker’s retirement dinner. I felt kind of bad, because when we all filed in, there was a young couple there who looked like they were there for a romantic, intimate dinner, and instead they end up sitting next to a party of 25. Oh well.
I must say, it was seriously a perfect dinner from A to Z, right down to the bread and butter! Mmmmmmm… there’s nothiing like a warm baguette and some creamy butter. I think I ate a whole loaf all by myself. For an appetizer i had the escargots in garlic parsley butter which was delicious, although I was a little hasty in shoving the first one in my mouth, so I burnt my tongue (it was really freaking HOT!).
My entrée was hanger steak w/​balsamic shallot sauce and green beans. Don’t you love when you ask for medium rare, it actually comes out medium rare? It was soooo good. I just wish it had been a little bigger (I think it only came with like four of five slices of meat). I KNOW it’s French, but, hey, I’m eatin’ for two over here!
Anyway, even though we had a set menu for our party, we got to choose from the WHOLE dessert menu! I had a really hard time choosing. I ended up getting the Tart Tatin, which was this upside-​down apple tart with caramel ice cream. It was good, but I sort of wish I had ordered something a little more decadent, like the bitter chocolate cake or the cream puffs w/​vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Not to worry, though. I’m planning on making my husband take me there for our anniversary next week, so I can try a different dessert!
What I really liked about Clementine, aside from the food, was the fact that it’s small and cozy, and not the least bit pretentious. Also, the service was impeccable. I would highly recommend this place.