Bleu Boheme

02/16/08

Avoid Special Occasion dining

by lhshaw at Citysearch

Valentine 's Day dinner for 6 adults was less that pleasant; made so by the acoustics of the restaurant and the attempt to serve more people/tables than they were adequately able to. Specifically, our table( two small tables pushed together) was actually too small to accommodate three people on each side, especially as they were of different heights which rendered the middle person unable to place the dining plate down on a level surface. The waitpersons did not seem to be "aware" that two tables of different heights would not actually work. The service was slow and the dessert( creme brulee) was unedible.

• Cons: Too loud; overprice; accommodations inadequate.

01/02/08

Sit at the Bar!

by lenabean82 at Citysearch

I went to the Bleu Boehme for the first time this evening and had a wonderful time. I sat at the bar where there was a lovely bartender named Matt working and working it (the older set of ladies just LOVED him). When I got there (6:30pm) I was a little bummed because there were reservations until 8:30 for the main dining area, but the hostess was really apologetic and sweet and suggested the bar, which with the high back stools was very comfortable. The service was excellent; not having tried very many French wines Matt offered tastes and was very helpful in that department. I too had the mussels, but loved them (ala creme, very delish) and found that they will soon be offering many different styles starting this weekend in an appetizer size as well as the full dinner size which comes with fries. I got Matt to show me the lunch menu which has a lot of the same offerings with a couple of other interesting options so I will definitely be checking it out in the future.

• Pros: great food, great wine, great service, great alternative to kensington grill
• Cons: people already know about it, make reservations

10/05/07

Not the best mussels I have had!

by bibiche70 at Citysearch

The food was alright but not what I expected. The mussels were o.k. but far from excellent. Some of them were very small, some were average and one of them was bad (I wish I could have asked the waitress what was actually inside of it, it puzzled me). It was a "to go" order so I did not have the chance to do so. Will I ever go back to this restaurant? If it is to eat mussels, I won't.

09/26/07

Delicious!

by eatsfood at Citysearch

I live in the neighborhood and was excited to try this new restaurant. I am a huge fan of Vagabond so I had high expectations for this place. I was not let down! I have dined here two separate times with two different people and we were completely satisfied with our experiences. I had the wild mushroom ravioli over a bed of spinach, yum! My date had the halibut and loved every bite. The basil martini was good at first sip and then became much too sweet, they add too much sugar. The pomegranate martini is better. I also sampled a few of their wine selections and was not disappointed. The service could be better. Our waitress was not friendly at all and it felt like we were bothering here if we asked a question. She seemed a bit snobby. And, my food came out a little too cold the first time. But overall the food is yummy and I think you will really enjoy it.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: Alright service staff

Kensington's latest corner bistro features French classics on a chalkboard menu and plenty of candle-lit ambiance.

by Erin Chambers at Citysearch

The Scene
Exposed wood beams and rustic stone walls convey Bleu Boheme's provincial theme at the entry. Floor-to-ceiling, wooden wine racks, mason jars holding silverware and french music complete the picture in the main dining room, which contains a few small tables and also the bar, while a side room offers additional seating for larger groups.

The Food
Rustic, French classics dominate the heavy, bound menu, and rotating specials like duck and roast chicken are written on a huge chalk board wall just inside the door. French onion soup is made heartier, but less authentic, with a multi-grain toast on top, while the mussels steamed in white wine with garlic and herbs are perfect with never-ending crusty bread. Steak frites and wild mushroom raviolis are wonderfully clean and uncomplicated. The French-only wine list can be off-putting for some Californians, but servers are always well-equipped with pairing ideas.

Hits: Intimate, rustic atmosphere; classic French comfort food
Misses: Soggy French onion soup

08/31/07

paris in kensington

by jrgo43 at Citysearch

Every resturant I seem to compare to what i love in Paris. This was a little bit of Paris in Kensington. I hate to write a review on one visit but my first experience was great. A little marais bistro in our own kensington. The food the ambiance, service---loved it.